Puerto Rico: a road to Dem majorities forever; Like Mexico's immigration laws better?; Gov SWAT teams in Gulf

"The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment." --George Washington 1) Obama Pledges All-Out Response To Oil Spill …At the White House, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara said, "We are being very aggressive and we are prepared for the worst case." Federal officials announced inspections would begin immediately of all oil rigs in the Gulf and subpoena powers would be used in the gathering investigation (WHAT?!?!? So now all oil companies are guilty? - emphasis and comment mine). But the priority was to support the oil company BP PLC in employing booms, skimmers, chemical dispersants and controlled burns to fight the oil surging from the seabed. See: http://www.wpxi.com/politics/23306547/detail.html 1a) Obama Announces He Will Be Sending SWAT Teams To Oil Rigs PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Earlier today, DHS Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is of national significance and the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs. And I have ordered the Secretaries of Interior and Homeland Security as well as Administrator Lisa Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency to visit the site on Friday to ensure that BP and the entire U.S. government is doing everything possible, not just to respond to this incident, but also to determine its cause." See: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/04/29/obama_announces_he_will_be_sending_swat_teams_to_oil_rigs.html 2) Nationally, 60% Favor Letting Local Police Stop and Verify Immigration Status Arizona Governor Jan Brewer last week signed a new law into effect that authorizes local police to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 60% of voters nationwide favor such a law, while 31% are opposed. …Not surprisingly, support for the law authorizing local police to arrest illegal immigrants is a bit higher in Arizona than it is nationwide. As one of the states most impacted by illegal immigration, 70% of voters statewide favor the new law. …The new survey results are consistent with findings conducted over many years. Three-out-of-four voters believe that the federal government is not doing enough to secure the nation’s borders. In fact, 56% believe that the policies of the federal government encourage illegal immigration. Among voters who are angry about immigration, 83% are angry at the federal government. Only 12% direct their anger at the immigrants. …Other surveys have found that 73% of voters want cops to check the immigration status of all offenders during traffic stops. Sixty-seven percent (67%) also say that if law enforcement officers know of places where immigrants gather to find work, they should sometimes conduct surprise raids to identify and deport those who are here illegally. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of voters nationwide say that those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants should be punished. By a 48% to 36% margin, voters say the same about landlords who rent to illegal immigrants. Additionally, 77% of voters nationwide oppose drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants. That topic tripped up Hillary Clinton in a debate during the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. See: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/nationally_60_favor_letting_local_police_stop_and_verify_immigration_status 2a) Glenn Beck: Immigration (Don’t like American immigration law? Let’s check out Mexico’s, and any other nation’s on earth, for that matter…) …Those seeking to obtain Mexican citizenship must show a birth certificate, provide a bank statement proving economic independence, pass an exam and prove that they can provide for their own healthcare (emphasis mine). And that's in Mexico, sir. I don't know if you are aware of your own laws in your own country. Illegal entry into your own country is equivalent to a felony punishable by two years imprisonment. Document fraud is subject to fine and imprisonment. So is alien marriage fraud, evading deportation is a serious crime in Mexico. Illegal reentry after deportation is punishable by ten years in prison. Foreigners may be kicked out of the country without due process in your country. And show me your papers? Well, in Mexico you better be ready just to do that. Mexico's national catalog of foreigners tracks all outside tourists and foreign nationals. A national foreign registry tracks and verifies the identity of every member of the population who must carry a citizens identity card. Visitors who do not possess proper documents in Mexico and proper identification are subject to arrest as illegal aliens. So Felipe, if I may, cierra la boca. I know I butchered that. Let me translate: Shut the pie hole. And please, progressives, spare us the endless hand wringing over trying to do the job the federal government won't do. There are simple steps, three simple steps to solving this problem once and for all. Number one, secure the border. Number two, enforce the law. And then encourage legal immigration to enrich us, enhance us and renew us (emphasis mine). See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39742/ 2b) KOBACH: Arizona acts as Washington dithers …Myth No. 3: The law will require Arizona police officers to stop and question people. Here again, critics of the law are failing to read it carefully. The law only kicks in when a police officer already has made a "lawful contact" with a person, such as stopping him for breaking another law. The most likely contact is during the issuance of a speeding ticket. The law does not require the officer to begin questioning a person about his immigration status or to do anything the officer would not otherwise do. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/28/arizona-acts-as-washington-dithers/ 2c) Stand Up and Lead, Republicans: Lawlessness Is Not Compassion RUSH: Democrats say that they're in favor of everything being fair. Let me ask this. How is it fair to legal immigrants that have taken all the necessary steps to become legal citizens for years to grant everybody legal benefits even if they aren't legal and have cheated the system? What is fair? If we're going to use fairness let's throw it right back in their face. What about any of this is fair? Isn't it funny, ladies and gentlemen? Isn't it funny how much we heard about the need to cut our health care spending? But neither Obama nor any of the Democrats ever suggested that providing health care services for millions of noncitizens was ever once mentioned as part of the problem. In fact, wouldn't part of our new era of fiscal responsibility notice how many billions of taxpayer dollars are being spent on illegal aliens who are getting costly services that they are not paying for? …Guess who won't be required to have papers to prove that they have health insurance? Illegals. Illegals will continue to have access to our emergency rooms. They won't have to prove anything. They won't have to buy insurance because they're not citizens. There's no way of finding them. And if they show up needing services they're going to get it, we're gonna pay for it. We have to show our papers, we have to buy insurance; we're mandated by federal law in violation of constitution. They're not. And yet Arizona's law is Nazi-like? Where's the outrage about all of this? And, by the way, you don't have to be doing anything suspicious to get carded for your insurance papers. All you have to do is file your income tax. It doesn't even require suspicious activity. You just get carded. You are required to prove your insurance, that you have it, every year. Russia, the land idolized and admired by the American left, still requires an internal passport, did you know that? An identity document, your papers, in Russia they're still used to control the internal movement and residents of people, same thing in Ukraine. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042810/content/01125109.guest.html 2d) Idiotic Liberals Boycott Arizona Iced Tea (Made in NY) RUSH: These idiot boycotts. These bleeding heart, not-immersed-in-reality-at-all sportswriters and whoever else now suggesting the Arizona Diamondbacks be boycotted, at home and on the road, from the New York Daily News: Arizona iced tea has been boycotted. The left in this country is urging a boycott of Arizona iced tea. The only problem is it's made in New York. Arizona iced tea is actually brewed in New York. "Opponents of Arizona's new anti-immigrant law are calling for a boycott of the state's products - including the popular Arizona Iced Tea." Here's a typical letter. "'Dear Arizona: If you don't change your immigration policy, I will have to stop drinking your enjoyable brand of iced tea,' Twittered Jody Beth in Los Angeles. 'It is the drink of fascists,' wrote Travis Nichols in Chicago. Founded in Brooklyn in 1992, the firm was based in Queens before moving into a new $35 million headquarters in Nassau County last year." Arizona iced tea is not made in Arizona, and yet these idiots are boycotting it. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042810/content/01125104.guest.html 3) Playing The Puerto Rico Card Politics: Faced with losing Congress, the Democrats want to make Puerto Rico a state whether the people want it or not. The Democrats would get two new senators, new congressmen and a campaign issue. Throw in voting representation for D.C., amnesty for illegals and voting for felons, all items on the Democrats' agenda, and in their cookbook you have a recipe for Democratic majorities as far as the eye can see. It's a plan to retain control at all costs and counteract a Tea Party movement that threatens to throw their big-government liberalism on the ash heap of political history (emphasis mine). You also have the added bonus of energizing Hispanic activists all too eager with administration help to paint the GOP as racists, particularly in the light of the new Arizona law that does nothing but say that since the feds dropped the ball on border security, Arizona will pick it up and run with it. See: http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=531837 3a) Puerto Rico Democracy Act – Legislation Biased in Favor of Statehood The legislation provides Puerto Rico a two stage voting process and makes some non-resident Puerto Ricans eligible to vote on Puerto Rican statehood. This legislation has rigged the process in favor of making Puerto Rico the 51st state and is not a fair way to force statehood on a Commonwealth whose people may not want it. Furthermore, this may be an expensive proposition for the American people who are already on the hook for approximately $12.9 trillion in national debt. This bill attempts to rig the voting process and denies the American people a real say on the issue of whether they want to allow Puerto Rico to be granted statehood. The fact of the matter is that Puerto Ricans have rejected statehood numerous times and this bill seems to have been written in a way to fast track statehood without a majority of Puerto Ricans favoring the idea. Furthermore, the people of the United States should be allowed a vote on whether they want to admit Puerto Rico as a new state. If the people of Puerto Rico can vote, the people of the United States should have a vote. The legislation contains many questionable provisions. First, the legislation sets up a voting process rigged for success. The legislation sets up a preliminary vote and the voters are given two options. If a majority of Puerto Ricans vote in favor of changing the status of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to “a different political status,” then a second vote would be scheduled to poll voters on the following three options: -“Independence: Puerto Rico should become fully independent from the United States;” -“Sovereignty in Association with the United States: Puerto Rico and the United States should form a political association between sovereign nations that will not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution;” and, -“Statehood: Puerto Rico should be admitted as a State of the Union.” Clearly, a plurality of the people of Puerto Rico could vote for “Statehood” without a majority of the people voting ever supporting the idea. The people of Puerto Rico have rejected statehood three times and it seems that this vote is set up to allow a simply plurality of the people to carry the day. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/27/puerto-rico-democracy-act-–-legislation-biased-in-favor-of-statehood/ 3b) Congress approves referendum on Puerto Rico future WASHINGTON – The House on Thursday approved legislation that could set in motion changes in Puerto Rico's 112-year relationship with the United States, including a transition to statehood or independence. The House bill would give the 4 million residents of the island commonwealth a two-step path to expressing how they envision their political future. It passed 223-169 and now must be considered by the Senate. Initially, eligible voters, including those born in Puerto Rico but residing in the United States, would vote on whether they wish to keep their current political status or opt for a different direction. If a majority are in favor of changing the current situation, the Puerto Rican government would be authorized to conduct a second vote and people would choose among four options: statehood, independence, the current commonwealth status or sovereignty in association with the United States. Congress would have to vote on whether Puerto Rico becomes a state. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100430/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_puerto_rico 3d) Glenn Beck: The 51st State? CONGRESSMAN CHAFFETZ: Well, there's a push to push this HR 2499. I see it as part of a four pronged plan that I see to really change the [electorate - explanation mine] environment here in the United States of America. Amnesty for people who are here illegally, voting rights for criminals and felons. They wanted D.C. voting rights, something, got this little thing called the Second Amendment got in the way. They weren't willing to put it forward, but they certainly wanted to do something I believe was unconstitutional and give Washington D.C. voting rights. And now this 2499, which is the Puerto Rico statehood bill which is being pushed by the new progressive party in Puerto Rico trying to create a federally sanctioned; that is, a U.S. sanctioned vote that they say is nonbinding but would give them the legitimacy to then come back and try to seat people in the United States congress. Translation: Giving Puerto Rico the right to become a US state is all about getting more votes for Democrats and progressives. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/39739/ 4) Morning Bell: The Senate’s Goldman Kabuki …The left would have us believe that the 2008 financial crisis was all the fault of greedy Wall Street bankers like those at Goldman Sachs who dared to change their investment strategy on the belief that housing prices were inflated. To protect against future financial meltdowns, the left wants to give more power to the same federal regulators who failed to recognize the systemic risk caused by the very bubble Goldman and others correctly identified (emphasis mine). In fact, one of the main reasons for yesterday’s hearing was to deflect attention away from Washington’s role in creating the 2008 financial crisis. It was the government-created and subsidized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that played leading roles in the markets at the center of the housing storm. But the left prioritized their political goals over financial reality. Rep. Barney Frank told the House Financial Services Committee: “These two entities–Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” and “[t]he more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.” And the author of thevery financial reform bill currently being debated in the Senate, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) , told CNN in July of 2008: “To suggest somehow that [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] are in trouble is simply not accurate.” Just two months later, completely overrun by bad debt, both companies were placed in conservatorship. So unable to acknowledge the government’s role in the last crisis, not only were Fannie and Freddie not mentioned at yesterday’s hearing, they are not included in Dodd’s financial regulation bill at all. Hence the need for a villain like Goldman (emphasis mine). And what does Goldman think of the actual legislation the left is using them to pass? They are for it, Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein confirmed yesterday. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/28/morning-bell-the-senates-goldman-kabuki 4a) Partisanship recedes slightly on financial bill …Within moments of the opening of debate, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama said he and other Republicans hoped to rewrite the White House-backed bill "so that it actually ends bailouts, protects consumers without jeopardizing our small community banks, and brings transparency to the world of derivatives without sacrificing economic growth and job creation." It was a none-too-subtle accusation that Democrats favor taxpayer bailouts of failing banks… …No votes were taken, and none was likely before Tuesday on the legislation, expected to take two weeks or more to complete. The House has already passed its version of the bill, and it could be months before a compromise goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100429/ap_on_bi_ge/us_financial_overhaul 5) Governor Brewer Makes Arizona First to Drop Abortion Funding in Health Care Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) -- State legislators in Tennessee may have beaten their colleagues in Arizona in passing a law to allow the state to opt out of some of the abortion funding in the government-run health care bill President Barack Obama signed. But Governor Jan Brewer made Arizona officially the first to have the bill become law. As pro-life advocates in Tennessee wait for Governor Bredesen to decide if he will sign the bill there into law, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wasted little time signing her state's version. On Saturday at the Center for Arizona Policy Family dinner before 1600 guests, Brewer signed SB 1305 to opt Arizona out of abortion coverage in any insurance exchanges created by the new federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The first-in-the-nation law further clarifies current Arizona law prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion by prohibiting state and local governments from offering abortion insurance coverage in employee benefit plans. “Arizonans, like most Americans, do not want their tax dollars paying for elective abortions,” said Center for Arizona Policy President Cathi Herrod. “With this new law, Arizona is leading the charge to protect our right not to pay for abortions, a procedure most find morally reprehensible.” More than two dozen other states are considering similar legislation. See: http://www.lifenews.com/state5027.html 6) Obama Care imposes 3.8% tax on virtually all real estate transactions That’s right. Suppose you sell your home and walk away with a capital gain of $250,000. Under normal circumstances, you have two years to reinvest that gain in a new home to avoid any capital gains tax. But under Obama Care, you’ll owe 3.8% to the federal government, because you have income of over $250,000 for that year. Direct thank you notes to your respective Representatives or Senators, if they voted for this abomination. See: http://novarealtors.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/obama-care-imposes-3-8-tax-on-virtually-all-real-estate-transactions/ 6a) Health law’s heavy impact: 3.8% TAX ON ALL HOME SALES …Tax on Home Sales. Imposes a 3.8 percent tax on home sales and other real estate transactions. Middle-income people must pay the full tax even if they are “rich” for only one day – the day they sell their house and buy a new one. See: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/28/health-laws-heavy-impact/ 6b) New health care law traps some in pricey state plans About 200,000 Americans whose illnesses have kept them from getting regular health insurance will not be allowed to enroll this summer in a new lower cost federal program for people like them because they already buy pricey state-run plans. The nation's new health law creates a far cheaper insurance program opening July 1 for people with pre-exisiting medical conditions. To qualify, a person can't have had health coverage for six months. The result is it excludes people already enrolled in 35 state high risk pools offering insurance of last resort. The state pools charge high premiums — often double standard rates for healthier people in the individual market — to help cover costs. …"The unintended consequence of this important piece of legislation is we're going to effectively penalize the people who have been doing the sacrificing all along," said Holland, who likes the law's expansion of coverage. See: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-04-29-health-care-law-undercuts-risk-pools_N.htm 7) Army Preps for Tea Party 'Terrorists' …This week, I was contacted by a number of civilian and military personnel (enlisted and officer ranks) who expressed concern about a military exercise scenario proposed for Ft. Knox, the U.S. Bullion Depository. (For the record, I called Ft. Knox security for an official comment and received the standard reply: "We are not authorized to discuss this exercise.") As with most such exercises, the Ft. Knox scenario outline occurred in stages, as if real time intelligence was being provided at various intervals. The first intel advisory I received was issued on Friday, 23 April 2010, and identifies the terrorist threat adversaries as "Local Militia Groups / Anti-Government Protesters / TEA Party." …The 26 April order gives specific instructions for the 5-15 CAV (a 16th Cavalry battalion) to have weapons, ammo, vehicles and communications at ready, and it places the other 2,200 members of the units on two-hour recall. In other words, these orders are to gear up for defending Ft. Knox against Tea Party folks and their co-conspirators who oppose nationalization of our health care sector. …While the Ft. Knox exercise scenario is amateurish in its construct (meaning it appears to be composed by someone with not much experience in such matters), the fact that it made it out into official channels sets an ominous political precedent. The military officers and enlisted personnel with whom I spoke are all dedicated uniformed Patriots who are loyal, first and foremost, to their oath to "support and defend" our Constitution "against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Their concerns about this exercise mirrored my own. As one put it, the scenario "misrepresents freedom loving Americans as drunken, violent racists -- the opponents of Obama's policies have been made the enemy of the U.S. Army." They were equally concerned that it appears the command staff at Ft. Knox had signed off on this exercise, noting, "it has been issued and owned by field grade officers who lead our battalions and brigades," which is to say many Lieutenant Colonels saw this order before it was implemented. See: http://patriotpost.us/alexander/2010/04/29/army-preps-for-tea-party-terrorists/ 8) Greek borrowing costs at new highs after downgrade ATHENS, Greece – Three weeks away from potential default, Greece saw its borrowing costs spiral higher once again Wednesday, a day after ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the country's bonds to junk status. Stocks around the world tanked after the downgrade by S&P, which also lowered its rating on Portuguese bonds by two notches, indicating Greece's financial troubles are spreading to other eurozone countries. The interest rate gap, or spread, between Greek and benchmark German 10-year bonds spiked to 7.7 percentage points, meaning Greece would face rates of above 10 percent if it tried issuing bonds now. The higher the gap, the less confidence in Greece. Athens has called for aid from a euro45 billion joint eurozone and International Monetary Fund rescue package that would provide loans to Greece at a rate of about 5 percent. But Germany has been reluctant to release funds, saying Greece must take more austerity measures first. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100428/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis 9) APNewsBreak: Israel halts east Jerusalem building JERUSALEM – Israel's prime minister has effectively frozen new Jewish construction in east Jerusalem, municipal officials said Monday, reflecting the need to mend a serious rift with the U.S. and get Mideast peace talks back on track. The move comes despite Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated assertion he would never halt construction in east Jerusalem and risks angering hard-liners in his government. One lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud Party warned the governing coalition could collapse over the issue. Still, the de facto freeze appeared to offer the promise of reviving peace efforts derailed after Israel announced plans for a major Jewish housing development during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden last month. That set off the worst diplomatic dispute between the U.S. and Israel in decades — and prompted the Palestinians to call off a new round of U.S.-brokered peace talks. The quiet halting of east Jerusalem housing approvals coincides with signs that those talks are now about to start — and could help explain recent U.S. statements stressing America's close ties to Israel. …It was not clear if the halt to approvals constituted a genuine moratorium or how long it would last, and Israeli government officials would not confirm any kind of freeze. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100426/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians