Pelosi, More on Statesman Cheney, Fines for Holding Home Bible Study?

1) Pelosi refuses queries on CIA dispute In her first news conference since accusing the CIA of lying to her about the use of harsh interrogation techniques, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday refused to answer questions on the controversy, telling reporters only that she stands by her earlier statements. …"She has had more than a week to produce evidence supporting her allegation that the CIA deliberately lied to Congress and does so 'all the time.' She still has not done so, and House Democrats are now stonewalling a bipartisan investigation to determine the facts," Mr. Boehner said.  "Claiming that the CIA engaged in a pattern of deception without either backing it up with evidence or retracting her statement and apologizing is an affront to the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country," he added. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/23/pelosi-shuts-down-questions-on-cia-dispute-republi/ 2) Don't call ex-Vice President Cheney a has-been WASHINGTON (AP) - Dick Cheney refuses to be a has-been.  The former vice president's voice appears to carry even more weight than it did in the waning days of the Bush administration. When Obama released memos detailing Bush-era interrogation techniques and wouldn't completely rule out prosecuting or disciplining former Bush administration officials, Cheney couldn't stay silent.  "It wasn't like on Jan. 21, he planned that he was going to speak out in this way," said Cheney's daughter, Liz, a former State Department official who has traveled extensively with her father. "It was driven by events and I think he will continue to do it if he feels it's important to the public debate." "You just have to know the way he works," she said. "He was watching what was going on. He knew it was wrong and he knew he had an obligation to say it was wrong." See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D98COGL01&show_article=1 3) GOP senator: Court nominee could incite filibuster WASHINGTON – The Senate's No. 2 Republican on Sunday refused to rule out a filibuster if President Barack Obama seeks a Supreme Court justice who decides cases based on "emotions or feelings or preconceived ideas." Sen. Jon Kyl made clear he would use the procedural delay if Obama follows through on his pledge to nominate someone who takes into account human suffering and employs empathy from the bench. The Arizona Republican acknowledged that his party likely does not have enough votes to sustain a filibuster, but he said nonetheless he would try to delay or derail the nomination if Obama ventures outside what Kyl called the mainstream. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090525/ap_on_go_su_co/us_obama_supreme_court 4) 'Shooting Back' author talks to Mancow Describes attack on church congregation by terrorists Author Charl van Wyk told the Mancow radio show his story of shooting back at terrorists who lobbed grenades and fired automatic assault weapons at a church congregation in South Africa. Police later told van Wyk the terrorists confessed their plan was to kill everyone in the church, possibly 1,000 people or more, and his armed response is credited with saving many lives. …"To create a safe nation, arm the population," van Wyk told WND in a recent interview. Referring to the recently much-publicized massacre of more than a dozen immigrants in New York, he added, "An armed citizen could have made a difference at Binghamton." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97985 5) Camera grid to log number plates in UK The BBC has learned a national network of cameras monitoring Britain's roads will be in place within months. A national network of cameras and computers automatically logging car number plates will be in place within months, the BBC has learned. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/whos_watching_you/8064333.stm 6) Home: No place for Bible study County demands pastor obtain $10,000 permit to host friends A San Diego pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a county official and warned they will face escalating fines if they continue to hold Bible studies in their home. The couple, whose names are being withheld until a demand letter can be filed on their behalf, told their attorney a county government employee knocked on their door on Good Friday, asking a litany of questions about their Tuesday night Bible studies, which are attended by approximately 15 people …She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding "religious assemblies" until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars.  And if they fail to pay for the MUP, the county official reportedly warned, the couple will be charged escalating fines beginning at $100, then $200, $500, $1000, "and then it will get ugly." …Broyles confirmed the county official followed through on his threat. The pastor and his wife received a written warning ordering the couple to "cease/stop religious assembly on parcel or obtain a major use permit." ,,,Broyles also explained to WND that oppressive governments, such as communist China or Nazi Germany, worked to repress home fellowships, labeling them the "underground church" or "subversive groups," legally compelling Christians to meet only in sanctioned, government-controlled "official" churches. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=98895

Statesman Cheney, Israel Thrown Under the Bus

1) Notable Excerpts from Dick Cheney’s Speech …Yet somehow, when the soul-searching was done and the veil was lifted on the policies of the Bush administration, the public was given less than half the truth. The released memos were carefully redacted to leave out references to what our government learned through the methods in question. Other memos, laying out specific terrorist plots that were averted, apparently were not even considered for release. For reasons the administration has yet to explain, they believe the public has a right to know the method of the questions, but not the content of the answers. Over on the left wing of the president's party, there appears to be little curiosity in finding out what was learned from the terrorists. The kind of answers they're after would be heard before a so-called "Truth Commission." Some are even demanding that those who recommended and approved the interrogations be prosecuted, in effect treating political disagreements as a punishable offense, and political opponents as criminals. It's hard to imagine a worse precedent, filled with more possibilities for trouble and abuse, than to have an incoming administration criminalize the policy decisions of its predecessors. …Yet for all these exacting efforts to do a hard and necessary job and to do it right, we hear from some quarters nothing but feigned outrage based on a false narrative. In my long experience in Washington, few matters have inspired so much contrived indignation and phony moralizing as the interrogation methods applied to a few captured terrorists. I might add that people who consistently distort the truth in this way are in no position to lecture anyone about "values." Intelligence officers of the United States were not trying to rough up some terrorists simply to avenge the dead of 9/11. We know the difference in this country between justice and vengeance. Intelligence officers were not trying to get terrorists to confess to past killings; they were trying to prevent future killings. From the beginning of the program, there was only one focused and all-important purpose. We sought, and we in fact obtained, specific information on terrorist plans. …Another term out there that slipped into the discussion is the notion that American interrogation practices were a "recruitment tool" for the enemy. On this theory, by the tough questioning of killers, we have supposedly fallen short of our own values. This recruitment-tool theory has become something of a mantra lately, including from the President himself. And after a familiar fashion, it excuses the violent and blames America for the evil that others do. …And when they see the American government caught up in arguments about interrogations, or whether foreign terrorists have constitutional rights, they don't stand back in awe of our legal system and wonder whether they had misjudged us all along. Instead the terrorists see just what they were hoping for - our unity gone, our resolve shaken, our leaders distracted. In short, they see weakness and opportunity (emphasis mine). …This might explain why President Obama has reserved unto himself the right to order the use of enhanced interrogation should he deem it appropriate. What value remains to that authority is debatable, given that the enemy now knows exactly what interrogation methods to train against, and which ones not to worry about. Yet having reserved for himself the authority to order enhanced interrogation after an emergency, you would think that President Obama would be less disdainful of what his predecessor authorized after 9/11. It's almost gone unnoticed that the president has retained the power to order the same methods in the same circumstances.  …For all that we've lost in this conflict, the United States has never lost its moral bearings. And when the moral reckoning turns to the men known as high-value terrorists, I can assure you they were neither innocent nor victims (emphasis mine). See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/21/raw-data-text-dick-cheneys-national-security-speech-aei/ 2) OBAMA TO SAY IT IS TIME TO DIVIDE JERUSALEM: No, Mr. President, it’s not. I’m horrified by reports this morning that in his June 4th speech in Cairo, President Obama will say it is time to divide Jerusalem and make the holy city the capital of a Palestinian state. No, Mr. President, it is not. Jerusalem is and should be the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. Dividing Jerusalem will not make peace. Rather, it would send a message to every Radical Islamic jihadist around the world that Israel is weak, that the Jews won’t even defend the sovereignty of their own capital, that there is “blood in the water,” and that it is time to strike Israel and wipe her off the map. Dividing Jerusalem would trigger an apocalyptic war in the Middle East the likes of which the region has never seen. Already, the Radicals believe Israel is doomed to destruction. Hearing that the American President is now ready to apply intense pressure against the Israelis to divide their capital will only embolden the Radicals and convince them further that Allah is on their side, the wind is at their back, and they will soon triumph over the Jews and Christians. See: http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/obama-to-say-it-is-time-to-divide-jerusalem-no-mr-president-its-not-it-is-time-to-build-a-global-alliance-of-1-million-true-friends-of-israel/ 2a) Netanyahu says all Jerusalem to remain Israeli JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Thursday that all of Jerusalem will always remain under Israeli sovereignty, taking a hard line on a key Israeli-Palestinian peace issue just hours after his forces removed an unauthorized settlement outpost in the West Bank. The twin moves came a day after Netanyahu returned from talks in Washington, where President Barack Obama backed creation of a Palestinian state and urged an end to Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, setting up a potential confrontation between Israel and the U.S. …"United Jerusalem is Israel's capital," Netanyahu said. "Jerusalem was always ours and will always be ours. It will never again be partitioned and divided." See: http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2009/05/21/ap/international/d98apt7g0.txt 3) US officials: Iran missile may be more advanced WASHINGTON – The missile test-fired by Iran is the longest-range solid-propellent missile it has launched yet, a U.S. government official said Wednesday, raising concerns about whether the sophistication of Tehran's missile program is increasing. The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss technical details of Iran's missile program, said Tehran has demonstrated shorter-range solid-propellent missiles in the past. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090521/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_iran 4) CHILLING TERROR PLOT THWARTED Four homegrown Muslim terrorists on a mission from hell were arrested last night as they planted what they thought were high-powered plastic explosives at two Bronx synagogues, authorities said. The men were also allegedly plotting to use a Stinger missile to shoot a military plane out of the sky in upstate New York immediately after the bombings. See: http://www.nypost.com/seven/05212009/news/regionalnews/chilling_terror_plot_thwarted_170280.htm

Obama Doing Fundraising for Reid (STOP HIM), GM Takeover Continues, The Missing Link?

1) Obama to attend Vegas fundraiser for Reid: Let’s Donate Instead to Reid’s Arch Rival President Obama is planning to make a fundraising trip to Las Vegas, NV on May 26 for Harry Reid. As president, Obama has helped raise money for Democratic candidates by attending two DNC-sponsored fundraisers in Washington. This is his first appearance at an event for an individual candidate. (See: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/12/obama-to-attend-vegas-fundraiser-for-reid/).   Not fair, you say? Unethical?  Then send a message to Harry Reid and make an investment in liberty by investing in Sharron Angle’s campaign. Can you imagine the look on his face when he wakes up on May 27th and discovers Sharron Angle, his arch rival, has received more donations then he did on the 26th without the help of the President? Here’s how it’s done: 1. Go to Sharron Angle's website (http://www.sharronangle.com/) and donate a minimum of $35.00 (more is always appreciated), or go to http://nvaction.com/NACHarryBlast.html.  2. Send this to everyone on your email list. (Especially if your friends are out of state)   3. Ask your friends to send this email to everyone on their email list. 1a) Reid joins Biden, Pelosi in misstatements (as if you needed more reasons to want him out) WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid became the latest Democrat to stray into rhetorical trouble Tuesday, botching statements on three subjects in one news conference — including the fragile health of the chamber's most senior members. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090520/ap_on_go_co/us_reid_s_gaffes 2) The Takeover Continues: GM bankruptcy plan eyes quick sale to gov't General Motors Corp's (GM.N) plan for a bankruptcy filing involves a quick sale of the company's healthy assets to a new company initially owned by the U.S. government, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN1943363120090519 3) Senators reject closing Gitmo prison without plan WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison suffered a blow Tuesday when his allies in the Senate said they would refuse to finance the move until the administration delivers a satisfactory plan for what to do with the detainees there. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090520/ap_on_go_co/us_guantanamo 4) “There will be earthquakes in various places…” Small aftershock rattles downtown Los Angeles LOS ANGELES – A small but widely felt aftershock jolted the Los Angeles region Tuesday, two days after a magnitude-4.7 earthquake struck. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The magnitude-4.1 temblor hit at 3:49 p.m. and was centered 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles near the Los Angeles International Airport, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Scientists said the latest rattle was a typical aftershock. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090520/ap_on_re_us/us_socal_quake 5) Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years - but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York. The discovery of the 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' - dubbed Ida - is described by experts as the "eighth wonder of the world". They say its impact on the world of palaeontology will be "somewhat like an asteroid falling down to Earth". Researchers say proof of this transitional species finally confirms Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the then radical, outlandish ideas he came up with during his time aboard the Beagle. Sir David Attenborough said Darwin "would have been thrilled" to have seen the fossil - and says it tells us who we are and where we came from. Are you kidding me????? If we really evolved from monkeys or some monkey-like creature, there would by MYRIADS of transitional forms, not just this one 47 million-billion-trillion-zillion year-old fossil (and don‘t get me started about the inaccuracies in dating these things), which, I predict, will be proved to be actually some form of lemur monkey in less than a year. BUT, you won’t hear about that.  See: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Missing-Link-Scientists-In-New-York-Unveil-Fossil-Of-Lemur-Monkey-Hailed-As-Mans-Earliest-Ancestor/Article/200905315284582?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15284582_Missing_Link%3A_Scientists_In_New_ 6) 'Patriot pastors' called to crush 'hate crimes' bill America has become a morally bankrupt society that embraces intolerance against Christians, including a new push for "hate crimes" legislation, according to one pastor who believes it's all because church leaders have failed to do their jobs. But this Memorial Day weekend he is calling ministers to fight for those freedoms – from their pulpits.  "Pastors, if you wonder who is to blame for America's slide from the 'Ozzie and Harriet' morality of yesteryear to the 'Brokeback Mountain' immorality of today, look in the mirror," said Pastor Paul Blair of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Okla (emphasis mine). Blair is founder of a group called Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ, an outreach to pastors that encourages church leaders to take a stand against the spread of immorality in American culture. He is urging pastors across the nation to stop being silent and muster the courage to speak out against efforts to criminalize Christianity. He said church leaders have abandoned the prophetic call and have chosen instead to be CEOs of competitive church businesses rather than proclaiming "faith in Christ alone and repentance from sin." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=98588

New Emissions Standards (A New Stealth Tax), Israel and Obama, 'Extremists' Can't Have Guns?

1) Obama to tap consumers for emission, mpg standards WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama plans to propose the first-ever national emission limits for cars and trucks as well as average mileage requirements of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 — all costing consumers an extra $1,300 per vehicle.  …Administration officials said consumers were going to pay an extra $700 for mileage standards that had already been approved. The comprehensive Obama plan would add another $600 to the price of a vehicle, a senior administration official said. The extra miles would come at roughly a 5 percent increase each year. By the time the plan takes full effect, at the end of 2016, new vehicles would cost an extra $1,300. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090519/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_autos 2) Obama prods Netanyahu, Iran in Mideast foray …Obama and Netanyahu spoke highly of their hopes for progress in the Mideast after a lengthy private meeting in the Israeli's first visit to the White House since Obama became president and Netanyahu began his second stint as prime minister. Yet the new president was firm in insisting the Israelis move toward peace with the Palestinians, and Netanyahu stuck to his stance that Israel cannot negotiate with people who deny its right to exist. …Netanyahu said he was ready to resume peace talks with the Palestinians immediately but he also said any agreement depended on their acceptance of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. It was not immediately clear in the way he phrased the response whether Netanyahu was demanding that as a precondition for talks. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090518/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_israel And: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051800825.html 2a) TWO HOURS AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Was progress made? The President unsuccessfully pressed Netanyahu to commit to a “two state solution.” Netanyahu reiterated that Israel does not want to govern the Palestinians but would not commit to agreeing that they have full sovereignty, something that would allow the Palestinians to build strategic military alliances with Iran, Syria and other dangerous regimes, as well as build an air force and navy, all of which would endanger the Jewish States.  The President did not commit to putting to put a time limit on diplomacy with Iran.  …Reuters is also reporting that “Obama said after the meeting he saw no reasons to set an artificial deadline for diplomacy with Iran, but the United States would like to see progress with Tehran by the end of the year.” See: http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/ 2b) D-Day For Israel's Future? Decisions that may determine the eventual demise or survival of Israel as a state will be set in motion in the tense meetings between President Barak Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday. Despite the fact that the Palestinians have not kept one agreement that was part of the Oslo Accords and later the Road Map to Peace plan, the Obama Administration is set to apply maximum pressure upon Netanyahu to agree to a Palestinian state that includes all land within the Pre June-1967 borders. The Palestinians were given a perfect opportunity to prove that they could live side by side in peace with Israel when they were given possession of Gaza and the freedom to govern it. Hundreds of millions of dollars were contributed to them to build an economic infra-structure so that their people would have work. But just look at the historic record of how they used the opportunity: Their leaders used the money for themselves and to smuggle weapons and terrorist fighters into Gaza. They sent suicide bombers in with their workers who had to work in Israel because they were incapable of building their own industries. They bought and smuggled in rockets and missiles with which they continually bombarded the entire civilian Israeli population that are within range. They overwhelmingly elected Hamas, a terrorist regime, to be their government. All Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza refuse to recognize Israel has a right to exist and that it is a Jewish State. See: http://www.hallindsey.com/watchman-warning/ 3) Critics Deride Bill Designed to Keep Weapons Out of Terrorists' Hands: While nobody wants domestic terrorists to have easy access to guns, some critics say a bill proposed by Rep. Peter King could be treading a thin line constitutionally. A bill designed to keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists is drawing fire from gun rights advocates who say it could infringe upon regular citizens' constitutional right to bear arms. The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009 would authorize Attorney General Eric Holder to deny the sale or transfer of firearms to known or suspected terrorists -- a list that could extend beyond groups such as radical Islamists and other groups connected to international terror organizations. Critics say the names of suspected terrorists could be drawn from existing government watch lists that cover such broad categories as animal rights extremists, Christian identity extremists, black separatists, anti-abortion extremists, anti-immigration extremists and anti-technology extremists. "It doesn't say anything about trials and due process," said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. "This is one of the most outrageous pieces of legislation to come along in some time. It's basically saying, 'I suspect you, so your rights are toast.'" Terrorist watch lists came under fire last month after a Department of Homeland Security report warned that right wing extremist groups may be expanding their membership in the midst of current economic upheaval. While the report stated that such groups were not believed to be planning any terrorist attacks, it went on to state they might do so in the name of issues like abortion, immigration and gun control. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/13/critics-deride-designed-weapons-terrorists-hands/ 4) Biden Reveals Location of Secret VP Bunker Vice President Joe Biden, well-known for his verbal gaffes, may have finally outdone himself, divulging potentially classified information meant to save the life of a sitting vice president. …According to Clift's report on the Newsweek blog, Biden "said a young naval officer giving him a tour of the residence showed him the hideaway, which is behind a massive steel door secured by an elaborate lock with a narrow connecting hallway lined with shelves filled with communications equipment."  Clift continued: "The officer explained that when Cheney was in lock down, this was where his most trusted aides were stationed, an image that Biden conveyed in a way that suggested we shouldn't be surprised that the policies that emerged were off the wall." See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/17/oops-biden-reveals-location-secret-vp-bunker/ 5) Former fundamentalist 'debunks' Bible …In Ehrman's latest book, "Jesus, Interrupted," he concludes: Doctrines such as the divinity of Jesus and heaven and hell are not based on anything Jesus or his earlier followers said.   (REALLY???? Try: John 8:21-24: Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?" But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.") At least 19 of the 27 books in the New Testament are forgeries. Believing the Bible is infallible is not a condition for being a Christian. See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/15/bible.critic/index.html

ACORN and George Soros, Gov Takes Away Choice in Healthcare, Pelosi is a Liar

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” - Barry Goldwater. 1) The Mighty American Oak, Pruned by an ACORN? …Attorney General Holder knows ACORN well. They are, after all, a sister organization to The American Constitution Society, on whose board he serves along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Both groups are funded by George Soros, the Hungarian/American leftist bent on the destruction of the American system. One of the stated goals of Soros and the ACS is to deconstruct the American Constitution by 2020. Potentially protected at Justice by Attorney General Holder, to add insult to injustice, ACORN is further eligible for funding by our tax dollars through the 2009 stimulus bill to the tune of somewhere between 3 and 5 billion dollars.  But how about the president? He surely cannot condone protecting a criminal enterprise bent on corrupting American elections, can he? As a matter of fact, Barack Obama’s campaign paid ACORN $800,000 to register voters in the last election. Early in his career, he was recruited to train its members in “community organizing.”  Soon after his election, Barack Obama shifted responsibility for the crucial American Census from the Secretary of Commerce to the White House under the supervision of Rahm Emmanuel. The census helps establish the size of Congressional Districts to determine the number of Congressmen from those districts plus the outcome of the Electoral College, based on population. Incredulously, in March, Obama’s Census Bureau office invited the corrupt ACORN to help count heads in the 2010 census. With the strong suspicion by many that the administration may go back on their stated opposition to sampling, the manipulation of this process could mean as many as 30 new Democratic seats in Congress and a definite inflation of minority and immigrant voters to impact the Electoral College. …But bastardizing the election and the census might still not be enough. Leaving no stone unturned, in January Representative Jose Serrano, Democrat from New York, introduced a measure (H.J. Res. 5) to repeal the 22nd Amendment prohibiting a president from serving more than two terms.  President Barack Obama … for life?  With all this careful planning, an ACORN may indeed bring down a mighty oak. See: http://townhall.com/columnists/SandyRios/2009/05/14/the_mighty_american_oak,_pruned_by_an_acorn?page=2 2) Proposal would require all to have health coverage WASHINGTON – House Democrats are looking at big health care changes, including federal aid to help families earning up to $88,000 pay for insurance and a requirement that all must carry coverage. A document obtained by The Associated Press shows the plan being written by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would also require employers to offer coverage to their full-time workers, or pay a percentage of their payroll to the government. …Individuals would be required to get coverage, either through an employer or government plan, or on their own. Employers would be required to provide coverage or pay the government a percentage of payroll. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090514/ap_on_go_co/us_health_overhaul 2a) As Bad as Imagined  Today, Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus is meeting with the other members of the committee to discuss options for expanding insurance coverage. The slides they are using to guide their discussion — available here — are illuminating to say the least. …Among other things, they indicate that the committee is considering a requirement that, if an Obama-like plan were to pass, all health-insurance plans would have to conform to one of four benefit designs: lowest, low, medium, and high. That’s it. Four options for everyone in the United States, determined by the federal government. See: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Nzc5MDdjYzc1YjZkNWU0MjE5ZjM5MDUzN2RhZDRiYTI= 3) U.S. Eyes Bank Pay Overhaul WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has begun serious talks about how it can change compensation practices across the financial-services industry, including at companies that did not receive federal bailout money, according to people familiar with the matter. …In an indication of how broad the effort may become, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair said regulators need to examine compensation practices in the mortgage industry, suggesting new limits could stretch beyond banks. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124215896684211987.html 3a) Documents: Paulson forced 9 bank CEOs into bailout NEW YORK (AP) - The chief executives of the country's nine largest banks had no choice but to accept capital infusions from the Treasury Department in October, government documents released Wednesday have confirmed. Obtained and released by Judicial Watch, a nonpartisan educational foundation, the documents revealed "talking points" used by former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson during the October 13 meeting between federal officials and the executives that stressed the investments would be required "in any circumstance," whether the banks found them appealing or not. Paulson also told the bankers it would not be prudent to opt out of the program because doing so "would leave you vulnerable and exposed." It's no secret that some of the banks had to be pressured to participate in the program, with several bank CEOs saying they had been strongly encouraged to take the funds. But the documents are the first proof of the government's insistence. See: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=111&sid=1675743   4) Congress and Waterboarding  Nancy Pelosi was an accomplice to 'torture.' Someone important appears not to be telling the truth about her knowledge of the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs). That someone is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The political persecution of Bush administration officials she has been pushing may now ensnare her. …Mr. Goss says he and Mrs. Pelosi were told at the 2002 briefing about the use of the EITs and "on a bipartisan basis, we asked if the CIA needed more support from Congress to carry out its mission." He is backed by CIA sources who say Mr. Goss and Mrs. Pelosi "questioned whether we were doing enough" to extract information. …But when political winds shifted, Mrs. Pelosi seems to have decided to use enhanced interrogation as an issue to attack Republicans. It is disgraceful that Democrats who discovered their outrage years after the fact are now braying for disbarment of the government lawyers who justified EITs and the prosecution of Bush administration officials who authorized them. Mrs. Pelosi is hip-deep in dangerous waters, and they are rapidly rising. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124226863721018193.html 4a) Pelosi's Tack Likely to Backfire "If the speaker is accusing the CIA and other intelligence officials of lying or misleading the Congress, then she should come forward with evidence and turn that over to the Justice Department so they can be prosecuted," House Republican Leader John Boehner said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday. "And if that's not the case, I think she ought to apologize to our intelligence professionals around the world." See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124260227151428399.html 4b) Gingrich: Pelosi 'Lied,' 'Despicable,' 'Dishonest,' 'Vicious,' 'Trivial' "I think she has lied to the House, and I think that the House has an absolute obligation to open an inquiry, and I hope there will be a resolution to investigate her. And I think this is a big deal. I don't think the Speaker of the House can lie to the country on national security matters,” Gingrich said. He continued: "I think this is the most despicable, dishonest and vicious political effort I've seen in my lifetime." See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/05/gingrich-pelosi.html 5) Obama at Notre Dame …Some students were upset that their graduation seemed to be hijacked by a political controversy. Rachel Donovan, 21, of Irvine, Calif., said it was exciting that Mr. Obama came, but she said his selection was inappropriate. "I do think we need to have common ground," she said after the speech. "I just think the University of Notre Dame is a Catholic university and prides itself on our Catholic teaching and morals, and we need to be standing up for what we believe in and not bring in people who disagree with our views." See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124257075593727628.html

Tax Increases for Gov Healthcare, Fed cannot account for $9 Trillion, GOP at Loss for Words

1) Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care WASHINGTON – Senators are considering limiting — but not eliminating — the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's plan to provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans. If they do that I WILL cancel my health benefits with my employer!  Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Tuesday that there are no easy options. Senators began grappling with how to finance guaranteed coverage, a cornerstone of Obama's plan to overhaul the health care system. Independent experts put the costs at about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. …Employer-provided health insurance is considered part of workers' compensation, but unlike wages, it is not taxed. The forgone revenue to the federal government amounts to about $250 billion a year. “FORGONE REVENUE?!?!?!!?” It is not theirs to take! See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090513/ap_on_go_co/us_health_overhaul 1a) Obama's Healthcare Numbers Don't Add Up …Outside experts estimate the taxpayers' tab could total between $1.2 trillion and $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Some go as high as $1.7 trillion. Obama's budget proposal includes a down payment that may cover less than half the bill. See: http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_health_care_numbers/2009/05/11/213227.html 2) Federal Reserve Cannot Account for $9 Trillion The Federal Reserve apparently can't account for $9 trillion in off-balance sheet transactions.  When Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Orlando) asked Inspector General Elizabeth Coleman of the Federal Reserve some very basic questions about where the trillions of dollars that have come from the Fed's expanded balance sheet, the IG didn't know.  Worse, nobody at the Fed seems to have any idea what the losses on its $2 trillion portfolio really are.  "I am shocked to find out that nobody at the Federal Reserve is keeping track of anything," Grayson says. See: http://moneynews.newsmax.com/financenews/feds_lost_nine_trillion/2009/05/12/213463.html 3) Obama’s dangerous budget leaves GOP at loss for words Republican strategists have a problem. The scale of what President Barack Obama proposes to do to the American economy is so enormous, so far-reaching and so potentially disastrous that the opposition party is having a hard time describing it. …Republicans are facing that obstacle as they try to explain the dimensions of Obama’s spending plan. The GOP pollster told me he tries to explain it by asking people to think of a dollar as a second — one dollar, one brief tick of your watch. A million seconds, the pollster explained, equals eleven days. A billion seconds equals 31 years. And a trillion seconds equals 310 centuries. The task of educating voters got a little more urgent Monday, when the government announced the not-terribly-surprising news that federal tax revenues will be smaller this year than previously thought. After a review of the Obama budget’s numbers before formal submission to Congress, Budget Director Peter Orszag said this year’s deficit will be $1.841 trillion — $89 billion more than previously estimated. If you’re listening to the ticks of your watch, that’s about 570 centuries. You may remember last week that Obama proposed, with much fanfare, $17 billion in budget cuts. Now, his budget director announces that the deficit will go up by $89 billion. “A paperwork change increased the size of the deficit more than five times greater than the savings they proposed last week,” one key Republican Senate aide told me. The deficit will likely grow again in a few months when the budget office does a routine midyear review. …In the Obama scenario, health care reform equals recovery, an argument that leaves some Republican critics shaking their heads. Think back to last fall and the economic crash. There was a lot of talk about an overleveraged society, about Fannie Mae, about credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations. Amid the emergency, was anyone saying, “We will never recover from this downturn unless we enact universal health care”? Obama is pulling off the world’s biggest change-of-subject. See: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Obamas-dangerous-budget-leaves-GOP-at-loss-for-words-44754742.html 4) Social Security and Medicare finances worsen WASHINGTON – Social Security and Medicare are fading even faster under the weight of the recession, heading for insolvency years sooner than previously expected, the government warned Tuesday. Social Security will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, a year sooner than projected last year, and the giant trust fund will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner, trustees reported. Medicare is in even worse shape. The trustees said the program for hospital expenses will pay out more in benefits than it collects this year, just as it did for the first time in 2008. The trustees project that the Medicare fund will be depleted by 2017, two years earlier than the date projected in last year's report. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090513/ap_on_bi_ge/us_social_security 5) Everyone Has ‘Skin in the Game’ Except Government Employees… It's A Good Time To Work For Uncle Sam President Obama's call last year for "shared sacrifice" doesn't extend to federal employees, at least based on the details of his administration's 2010 budget released this week.  At a time when the official unemployment rate is nearing double digits, and 6.35 million people are receiving unemployment benefits, the U.S. government is on a hiring binge.  Executive branch employment — 1.98 million in 2009, excluding the Postal Service and the Defense Department — is set to increase by 15.6 percent for the 2010 fiscal year. Most of that is thanks to the Census Bureau hiring 102,000 temporary workers, but not counting them still yields a net increase of 2 percent in one year.  There's little belt-tightening in evidence in Washington, D.C.: Counting benefits, the average pay per federal worker will leap from $72,800 in 2008 to $75,419 next year. …Some of the Feds' hiring increases have been stunning. If you look at the four-year period from 2006 to 2010, the number of Homeland Security employees has grown by 22 percent, the Justice Department has increased by 15 percent, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can claim 25 percent more employees. (These figures assume that Congress adopts Mr. Obama's 2010 budget without significant changes.) See: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/05/12/business/econwatch/entry5007862.shtml 6) Liz Cheney Assails Release of Detainee Abuse Photos as 'Siding with Terrorists'  The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State For Near Eastern Affairs Liz Cheney, took to the television airwaves today to assail the decision by President Obama to release photographs, as ordered by a judge, showing detainee abuse by American soldiers and/or CIA operatives in Afghanistan and Iraq.  "I have heard from families of sevicemembers, from families of 9/11 victims, this question about, you know, 'When did it become so fashionable for us to side, really, with the terrorists?'" Ms. Cheney said on Fox News Channel. "You know, for us to put information out that hurts American soldiers?" See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/liz-cheney-assa.html Rush’s comments on above: RUSH: Well, here's another outrage. Obama is going to go ahead and release more interrogation photos to prove what a rotten, mean bunch of SOBs the US Military and the CIA is. There's no law requiring him to do this. It's not Obama has to. It's not Obama must. It Obama wants to. I guarantee you there is nothing good that can come from this, and that's precisely why he's going to do it.  See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_051209/content/01125104.guest.html 7) 'Gay' gene claim suddenly vanishes American Psychological Association revises statement on homosexuality A new publication from the American Psychological Association includes an admission that there is no "gay" gene, according to a doctor who has written about the issue on the website of National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality.  A. Dean Byrd, the past president of NARTH, confirmed that the statement from the American Psychological Association came in a newly published brochure that updates what the APA has advocated for years.  Specifically, in a brochure that first came out years ago, the APA stated: "There is considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality."  However, in a new release of the information in a brochure now called, "Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality," the APA's position changed.  The new statement says:  "There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles..." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97940

More Bank Shakedowns, US to Borrow 50% of Spending, Military Spending Cuts, Obama Popular Among Arabs

"The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered."  "Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies!" Both quotes: Thomas Jefferson 1) Banks Won Concessions on Tests …When the Fed last month informed banks of its preliminary stress-test findings, executives at corporations including Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. were furious with what they viewed as the Fed's exaggerated capital holes. A senior executive at one bank fumed that the Fed's initial estimate was "mind-numbingly" large. Bank of America was "shocked" when it saw its initial figure, which was more than $50 billion, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. At times, frustrations boiled over. Negotiations with Wells Fargo, where Chairman Richard Kovacevich had publicly derided the stress tests as "asinine," were particularly heated, according to people familiar with the matter. Government officials worried San Francisco-based Wells might file a lawsuit contesting the Fed's findings. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124182311010302297.html 2) US to borrow 46 cents for every dollar spent WASHINGTON – The government will have to borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year, exploding the record federal deficit past $1.8 trillion under new White House estimates. Budget office figures released Monday would add $89 billion to the 2009 red ink — increasing it to more than four times last year's all-time high as the government hands out billions more than expected for people who have lost jobs and takes in less tax revenue from people and companies making less money. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090512/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_budget 3) Fannie Loses $23 Billion, Prompting Even Bigger Bailout Fannie Mae reported yesterday that it lost $23.2 billion in the first three months of the year as mortgage defaults increasingly spread from risky loans to the far-larger portfolio of loans to borrowers who have been considered safe. The massive loss prompts a $19 billion investment from the government to keep the firm solvent, on top of a $15 billion investment of taxpayer money earlier this year. The sobering earnings report was a reminder of the far-reaching implications of the government's takeover in September of Fannie Mae and the smaller Freddie Mac. Losses have proved unrelenting; the firms' appetite for tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer aid hasn't subsided; and taxpayer money invested in the companies, analysts said, is probably lost forever because the prospects for repayment are slim. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/08/AR2009050801558.html 4) STIMULUS WATCH: Early road aid leaves out neediest WASHINGTON (AP) — Counties suffering the most from job losses stand to receive the least help from President Barack Obama's plan to spend billions of stimulus dollars on roads and bridges, an Associated Press analysis has found. Although the intent of the money is to put people back to work, AP's review of more than 5,500 planned transportation projects nationwide reveals that states are planning to spend the stimulus in communities where jobless rates are already lower. …Altogether, the government is set to spend 50 percent more per person in areas with the lowest unemployment than it will in communities with the highest. See: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5guNAb2By3sueeeMXl9bWidVIwh1wD983T6D00 5) Obama Threatens to Yank Calif. Stimulus Funds The Obama administration is threatening to rescind nearly $7 billion in federal stimulus money earmarked for California if the state does not restore wage cuts to unionized home healthcare workers. The cuts were pushed by Republican legislators as the state sought to close a $42 billion budget shortfall, while Democrats argued that the healthcare program is a cheaper alternative to nursing home care.  Reversing the reduction requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature and would therefore require GOP support, the Times observed. See: http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_california_funds/2009/05/08/212353.html 6) Al-Qaeda pipeline through Syria reactivated WASHINGTON (AFP) — A Syrian pipeline used by Al-Qaeda in Iraq to smuggle Islamic fighters into Iraq has been reactivated after a short lull, The Washington Post reported. The newspaper said the revival of the transit route that officials had declared all but closed comes as the administration of President Barack Obama is exploring a new diplomatic dialogue with Syria. See: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jrgtybYsoXZpH3bTCR-UvgexTLng 7) Military Recruiting Faces a Budget Cut Obama Plan Would Spend 11% Less Citing the Pentagon's recent success in meeting its manpower needs, the Obama administration is proposing to cut the Defense Department's budget for recruiting by nearly $800 million, or 11 percent, for 2010. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/10/AR2009051002172.html 8) Obama more popular than U.S. among Arabs: survey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's popularity in leading Arab countries far outstrips that of the United States… See: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE54920M20090510 9) Wisconsin court upholds GPS tracking by police MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin police can attach GPS to cars to secretly track anybody's movements without obtaining search warrants, an appeals court ruled Thursday. However, the District 4 Court of Appeals said it was "more than a little troubled" by that conclusion and asked Wisconsin lawmakers to regulate GPS use to protect against abuse by police and private individuals. As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights -- even if the drivers aren't suspects. See: http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-ap-wi-gps-police,0,5867383.story

More on FCC Diversity Committee, No guns for 'extremists'?, Hate Crimes: TUESDAY, Obama and Israel

1) FCC attack on talkers beginning? 'I hope you will not hesitate to propose aggressive solutions' The acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has told members of a "diversity" committee who almost exclusively represent left-leaning organizations to tackle the status quo in America's broadcast industry and suggest "aggressive" solutions to what they see as problems. The report said the committee made it clear at a meeting yesterday its members will force President Obama's supporters into positions of power within the broadcast industry.  The message came when acting FCC chief Michael J. Copps "forcefully denounced the current racial and gender makeup of the broadcast industry and called its lack of diversity 'a shameful state of affairs,'" the report said. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97508 2) Next step? No guns allowed for right-wing 'extremists' Bill empowers attorney general to forbid firearms for those 'suspected A new gun law being considered in Congress, if aligned with Department of Homeland Security memos labeling everyday Americans as potential "threats," could potentially deny firearms to pro-lifers, gun-rights advocates, tax protesters, animal rights activists, and a host of others – any already on the expansive DHS watch list for potential "extremism."  Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., has sponsored H.R. 2159, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009, which permits the attorney general to deny transfer of a firearm to any "known or suspected dangerous terrorist." The bill requires only that the potential firearm transferee is "appropriately suspected" of preparing for a terrorist act and that the attorney general "has a reasonable belief" that the gun might be used in connection with terrorism. Gun rights advocates, however, object to the bill's language, arguing that it enables the federal government to suspend a person's Second Amendment rights without any trial or legal proof and only upon suspicion of being "dangerous." "[Rep. King] would deny citizens their civil liberties based on no due process," objected Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. "A 'known terrorist?' Look, if the guy has committed an act of terrorism, we shouldn't have to worry about him being able to buy a gun; he should be in jail!"  Pratt further warned WND of the potential overlap of H.R. 2159 and a recent DHS memo that warned against potential violence from "right-wing extremists," such as those concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty.  "By those standards, I'm one of [DHS Secretary] Janet Napolitano's terrorists," Pratt said. "This bill would enable the attorney general to put all of the people who voted against Obama on no-gun lists, because according to the DHS, they're all potential terrorists. Actually, we could rename this bill the Janet Napolitano Frenzied Fantasy Implementation Act of 2009." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97491 3) Cheney: Obama endangers the nation Former Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday continued his verbal attack against President Obama, saying that the country is more vulnerable to a potential terrorist attack since the Obama administration took power.  Mr. Cheney said that administration's dismantling of many of the policies and protections instituted by President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — including the planned closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba and halting controversial prisoner interrogation techniques — have made the country more vulnerable to future attacks. …Mr. Cheney said he believes it's his duty to speak out against the Obama administration "because I think the issues that are at stake here are so important."  Mr. Cheney also took a shot at former Bush administration Secretary of State Colin Powell, saying that the conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh is a more loyal Republican than the former Army commander. See: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/10/cheney-says-obama-endangers-nation/ 4) Senate Will Move on Hate Crimes Bill; Critics Claim Bill Simply Unnecessary ON APRIL 29, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 1913) by a vote of 249 to 175. It is expected to be taken up in the Senate any day now. Critics of the measure contend that, if the bill becomes law, it will force local and state law enforcement to prosecute and sentence individuals not only for the crimes they commit, but also for their beliefs—a slippery slope which will take the country down the road toward eventually criminalizing the thoughts of the American people. Conservatives were quick to blast the bill for elevating a few in the eyes of the law. “In addition to posing a litany of constitutional problems, today’s legislation alarmingly overturns the cornerstone of equality in our justice system by placing a higher value on one life over another,” said Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) on the House floor. “In no way could I support a bill that more harshly punishes criminals who kill a homosexual, transvestite or transsexual than criminals who kill a police officer, a member of the military, a child, or a senior citizen.” See: http://www.prisonplanet.com/senate-will-move-on-hate-crimes-bill-critics-claim-bill-simply-unnecessary.html 4a) 'Pedophile Protection Act': What's next for hate crimes? On the fast track: Judiciary panel schedules hearing for bill Tuesday WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Tuesday a hate crimes bill already approved by the House that, critics say, provides special protections for pedophiles and others with alternative "gender identities" such as voyeurism and exhibitionism.  WND first reported on what has become widely known as "The Pedophile Protection Act" last week, raising nationwide alarm that has already generated more than 250,000 individual letters of protest to members of the U.S. Senate.  (By special arrangement through WND, for only $10.95 members of the public can send 100 individually addressed letters to each senator by overnight mail. Each letter is individually "signed" by the sender. The letters ask for a written response and call for opposition to the bill, including by filibuster if necessary). On Friday, Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas, and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said the only chance to defeat the legislation was for a massive outpouring of opposition from the American people. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97676 5) Netanyahu: Israel will never withdraw from Golan Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a group of Russian-language reporters Thursday that Israel will never withdraw from the Golan Heights.  "Remaining on the Golan will ensure Israel has a strategic advantage in cases of military conflict with Syria," Netanyahu said during a briefing he gave to the reporters. …A week-and-a-half out from Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Washington, the prime minister stressed that he is ready to stand up to U.S. President Barack Obama and that he would not give up on matters that in his opinion are critical to Israel's security. See: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1084194.html 6) Jerusalem worried over breakdown of U.S.-Israel cooperation under Obama Senior officials in Jerusalem expressed concern recently over the sharp decline in the coordination between Israel and the United States on security and state affairs since President Barack Obama's entered the White House and especially since the formation of Israel's new government. …In addition, when they do brief Israeli officials, they don't consult with them or coordinate their statements in advance.  This has caused several coordination "malfunctions" between the two states in the past two months, they said.  The last incident was the statement of Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, calling on Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The statement had not been coordinated with Israeli officials in charge of the nuclear issue and they heard it first from the media.  This followed other equally problematic incidents. The American policy shift toward Syria and opening direct talks with Damascus followed minimal coordination with Israel. For example, Israel was not briefed about senior American diplomats' trip to Damascus, which the U.S. had initiated. See: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1083998.html And: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97693

Back-Door Fairness Doctrine Advances, As Does Government-Run Healthcare, Banks, and Taxpayer Funded Abortion

1) Back-Door Fairness Doctrine Advances… O'Leary Report: FCC Chairman Copps and Diversity Committee Chairman Rivera Talk of Bringing Race War to Broadcast Corporations WASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission's "Diversity Committee," chaired by Fairness Doctrine proponent Henry Rivera, made it clear that they were going force the President's supporters into positions of power within the broadcast industry. FCC Chairman Michael Copps forcefully denounced the current racial and gender make-up of the broadcast industry and called its lack of diversity "a shameful state of affairs." Copps then asked the Committee: "Is it any wonder that minorities are so often stereotyped and caricatured and that the positive contributions of the minority community are so often overlooked?" Copps told Committee members, many of whom represent left-leaning activist groups such as the National Urban League, the Asian American Justice Center and One World Economy: "Be bold. Take these issues and run with them. This is not a ceremonial appointment. This is your chance to make a real and lasting difference. I hope that you will set an aggressive agenda for yourselves and that you will not hesitate to propose aggressive solutions." Many in the broadcast industry fear the Committee will do just that, and work to shut down conservative talk radio in the name of "diversity." Before handing the microphone to Diversity Committee Chairman Henry Rivera (who, as an FCC Commissioner during the Reagan administration worked to preserve the so-called "Fairness Doctrine"), Copps had strong words for the many who fear the Committee will resurrect Fairness Doctrine-type discrimination and censorship, saying such people are attempting to "deflect this country's passage to equal opportunity" and their "issue-mongering has no place in twenty-first century America." At no time was any mention made of a recent Zogby poll that shows 66% of American voters opposed the creation of advisory committees designed to promote diversity in the broadcast industry. See: http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/O'%3BLeary+Report:++FCC+Chairman+Copps+and+Diversity+Committee+Chairman+Rivera+Talk+of+Bringing+Race+War+to+Broadcast+Corporations/4629991.html 1a) Concerns Raised Over Makeup of 'Diversity Committee' at FCC See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/05/concerns-raised-makeup-diversity-committee-fcc/ 2) Sources: Senators weigh 3 government health plans WASHINGTON – Senators are considering three different designs for a new government health insurance plan that middle-income Americans could buy into for the first time, congressional officials said Friday. Officials familiar with the proposals said senators plan to debate them in a closed meeting next week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the controversial plans have not been released. Creating a public plan is one of the most contentious ideas in the debate over how to overhaul the nation's health care system to cover the uninsured and try to restrain costs. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_co/us_health_overhaul_public_plan 3) President Obama's New Budget Calls for Tax-Funded Abortions in Nation's Capital Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama's new federal budget calls for taxpayer funded abortions in the nation's capital. Although Obama has promised Americans he wants to reduce the number of abortions, one pro-life group says he is violating that promise by calling for taxpayer-financed abortions in the District of Columbia. The budget Obama submitted to Congress urges the House and Senate to repeal a law sometimes called the Dornan amendment that has prevented tax-funded abortion in the District of Columbia for many years. Congress, as authorized by the U.S. Constitution, holds complete legislative authority over the District of Columbia and, therefore, determines whether taxpayer dollars will be used to fund abortions for poor women there. Although Congress has banned taxpayer-funded abortions in D.C. for years, the budget Obama released today, on Appendix page 1209 asks Congress to repeal the ban. See: http://www.lifenews.com/nat5031.html 4) Stress tests 'excuse to nationalize banks' Regulators have agreed to allow the banks to convert government-owned preferred stock that was granted when taxpayer bailout funds were given to struggling banks to be converted to common stock.  The transaction will allow the struggling banks to book on balance sheets the bailout "loans" as capital, with the government taking ownership positions in the financial institutions as a result. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97380 5) WH Military Affairs Director Resigns in Wake of Air Force One Flyover (the sacrificial lamb…) The White House report investigating the April 27 Air Force One flyover of Manhattan directly points the finger of blame at White House Military Office director Louis Caldera, who today submitted his letter of resignation, which President Obama accepted.  In his resignation letter, dated May 8, Caldera writes that "I have concluded that the controversy surrounding the Presidential Airlift Group's aerial photo shoot over New York City has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office. Moreover, it has become a distraction to the important work you are doing as President. After much reflection, I believe it is incumbent on me to tender my resignation and step down as Director of the White House Military Office." See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/exclusive-wh-mi.html 6) Authorities Order 30,000 to Flee California Wildfire, Tell 23,000 More to Be Ready SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Turning the horizon a lurid orange and raining embers on roofs as it advanced, a raging wildfire that has destroyed scores of homes in the hills menaced this celebrity enclave and other coastal towns Friday, and the number of people ordered to flee climbed to 30,000. Authorities warned an additional 23,000 to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Columns of smoke rose off the Santa Ynez Mountains as the 4-day-old blaze — fanned by "sundowner" winds that sweep down the slopes in the evening — blew up from 2,700 acres to 3,500 in less than a day, creating a firefighting front five miles long. See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519063,00.html

Prayer Day No-Show, Biting Hands that Fed Him, Symbolism Over Substance: Budget Cuts, Stress Tests

1) Obama to be prayer day no-show President Obama is distancing himself from the National Day of Prayer by nixing a formal early morning service and not attending a large Catholic prayer breakfast the next morning.  All Mr. Obama will do for the National Day of Prayer, which is Thursday, is sign a proclamation honoring the day, which originated in 1952 when Congress set aside the first Thursday in May for the observance. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/06/prayer-day-no-show/ 2) Obama bites rich hands that fed him For a politician who sometimes got accused of playing class warfare, candidate Barack Obama sure made a lot of well-to-do friends during the 2008 campaign.  The big question now is whether President Barack Obama can keep them.  One striking, if little-noted, trend of the past presidential election was that Obama won the affluent vote — those making more than $200,000 annually — with 52 percent. Moving down the income scale a bit, he and John McCain essentially tied among those making between $100,000 and $200,000.  In 2008, exit polls showed the percentage of voters earning more than $100,000 had jumped to a historic high of 26 percent, compared with just 9 percent in 1996. Obama’s strong showing among this bloc reversed a decades-old pattern in which the more money someone made, the more likely he or she was to vote Republican.  But these voters are not being repaid for their support — more like the other way around.  Beyond the obviously wealthy voters, people who in many places are no more than upper middle class find themselves targeted to pay for a wide range of Obama policies aimed at leveling the economic playing field. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21973.html 3) Republicans Deride Obama's $17B Proposed Cut in Federal Spending WASHINGTON -- The ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee said Thursday he's not impressed by President Obama's proposal to cut $17 billion out of the federal budget. Appearing on FOX News, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said it's important to place the $17 billion figure in the context of the president's $3.4 trillion budget. "It's as if you took a teaspoon of water out of the bathtub while you left the spicket on at full speed," he said. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/06/white-house-official-obama-cut-programs-save-b-budget/ 3a) Obama touts $17 billion 'lot of money' budget cut Obama said his cuts would amount to $17 billion — in a budget totaling well over $3 trillion for the fiscal year that begins in October. He's estimating the government's red ink will still be about $1.2 trillion, down only slightly from this year's all-time record. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_budget

4) Results of 'stress tests' of 19 financial firms

The Federal Reserve, issuing the long-awaited results of its "stress tests" for banks, found nine of the firms are stable enough that they need no additional capital.

Among the 10 banks that need to raise more capital, Bank of America Corp. needs by far the most — $33.9 billion. Wells Fargo & Co. needs $13.7 billion, GMAC LLC $11.5 billion, Citigroup Inc. $5.5 billion and Morgan Stanley $1.8 billion. The banks will have until June 8 to develop a plan and have it approved by their regulators. If they can't raise the money on their own, the government said it's prepared to dip further into its bailout fund (translation, “takeover fund“, comment mine). See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_bi_ge/us_banks_stress_tests And: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Results-of-stress-tests-of-19-apf-15173941.html?.v=4 5) Not all Brits are whiny liberals, Michael Savage He's been placed on a list along with almost a dozen Islamist nutjobs, including Yunis Al-Astal, the leader of the Islamist terrorist group Hamas, which has murdered hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis. There are also some old school white extremists linked to violent organisations, such as former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald and a couple of Russian skinhead leaders. Savage, a slightly more forthright version of Richard Littlejohn or Jon Gaunt, sits oddly at ease with this crowd. I'm not against banning people from this country. But there's a difference between banning men who incite violence and those who simply have views liberals find offensive. A big difference.  …What must the Americans, who inherited our political freedoms and built a great nation out of them, think of Britain today? We're a joke. Mr Savage, I can only apologise and offer you some belated British hospitality. If you do ever manage to sneak in, come to dinner with me and my wife. In Haringey. I won't tell the neighbours.  See: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/edwest/blog/2009/05/07/not_all_brits_are_whiny_liberals_michael_savage 5a) Jacqui Smith's latest disaster: Banned U.S. shock jock never even tried to visit Britain - now he's suing See: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1177428/Jacqui-Smiths-latest-disaster-Banned-U-S-shock-jock-tried-visit-Britain--hes-suing.html 6) GOP probes 'extremism' report's origins House Republicans demanded Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano detail how the controversial "right-wing extremism" report was compiled, using a rare legislative maneuver that ensures that the Democrats must take a public stand - one way or another. …House Republicans filed their request under the chamber's Rule XIII, Clause 7 - called "a resolution of inquiry" - which will force the Homeland Security Committee to vote within 14 legislative days on the Republican request. The request covers all documents relating to the intelligence assessment titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."  The panel is required to vote on the resolution in an up-or-down vote and send it to the floor within the time period, stating that the request for information has been reported favorably or unfavorably. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/07/gop-seeks-explanation-of-extremism-report/ 7) Report: Obama’s Master Plan for the Middle East President Obama’s major proposed alteration in the Saudi peace plan is for Arab countries to grant citizenship to approximately five million Arabs who are descendants of former Israelis while allowing them the right to move to a new Palestinian Authority country. The Saudi plan calls for them to be allowed to immigrate to Israel, a suggestion that virtually every Israeli leader categorically rejects. President Obama also reportedly told the king that he wants the United Nations flag raised over holy sites in eastern Jerusalem, where the PA would have total sovereignty under the Saudi plan. …Obama's team has moved ahead at high speed on all tracks, including proposals for direct negotiations with Syria and diplomatic initiatives towards Iran, and it has put the ball in the court of Israel and the Arabs to accept his proposals and show that they want to reach an agreement. See: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131215 8) Hostile bloggers facing fines, jail? A new proposal in Congress is threatening fines and jail time for what it calls "cyberbullying" – communications that include e-mails and text messages that "cause substantial emotional distress."  The vague generalities are included in H.R. 1966 by California Democrat Linda Sanchez and about a dozen co-sponsors.  But it already is being condemned as unconstitutional, unrealistic and probably ineffectual.  At Wired.com, in a report labeled "Threat Level," writer David Kravets criticized the plan to demand "up to two years in prison for those whose electronic speech is meant to 'coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress.'" See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97257 9) 'Conscience' shield vital, many caregivers say (05-05) 22:47 PDT San Francisco -- Kim McAllister, a Bay Area nurse for 31 years, knows she can recuse herself from a medical procedure with which she has a moral conflict. If a patient wants an abortion or if McAllister sees an end-of-life decision she might question, she can discreetly find another nurse who would help the patient in the way the patient seeks.  But, like many Catholics, evangelicals and others, McAllister now worries that an Obama administration proposal to repeal "conscience" protections for health care workers will imperil her rights. See: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/05/06/MNQQ177V1L.DTL

Madman Theory of the Presidency (More on Chrysler Thug Politics), Fight Hate Crimes Bill, GPS Census

1) A Government Controlled by Thugs… New Allegations Of White House Threats Over Chrysler Creditors to Chrysler describe negotiations with the company and the Obama administration as "a farce," saying the administration was bent on forcing their hands using hardball tactics and threats. Conversations with administration officials left them expecting that they would be politically targeted, two participants in the negotiations said. …The sources, who represent creditors to Chrysler, say they were taken aback by the hardball tactics that the Obama administration employed to cajole them into acquiescing to plans to restructure Chrysler. One person described the administration as the most shocking "end justifies the means" group they have ever encountered. Another characterized Obama was "the most dangerous smooth talker on the planet- and I knew Kissinger." Both were voters for Obama in the last election. One participant in negotiations said that the administration's tactic was to present what one described as a "madman theory of the presidency" in which the President is someone to be feared because he was willing to do anything to get his way. The person said this threat was taken very seriously by his firm (emphasis mine). The White House has denied the allegation that it threatened Perella Weinberg. Last week Obama singled out the firms that continue to oppose his plan for Chrysler, saying he would not stand with them. Perella Weinberg says it was convinced to support the plan by this stark drawing of a line between firms that have the president's backing and those that did not. They didn't want to be on the wrong side of Obama. Privately, administration officials have expressed confidence that other firms will switch sides for this reason. These allegations add to the picture of an administration willing to use intimidation to win over support for its Chrysler plans--and then categorically deny it. See: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-allegations-of-white-house-threats-over-chysler-2009-5 1a) Chrysler Creditors Lose Fight For Secrecy They have been vilified on message boards and called greedy speculators, criminals and vultures. President Obama says he "does not stand with them." They have received death threats (emphasis mine). They're the hedge funds opposed to the Chrysler reorganization, who desperately tried to keep their identities secret to all but the federal bankruptcy court judge overseeing the case. But the judge, Arthur Gonzalez, isn't buying it. Tuesday, he ruled that the group had until 10 a.m. Wednesday to reveal their identities. The group, which describes itself as the group of creditors that did not have to take federal bailout money under the Troubled Asset Relief program, is trying to block the Obama administration's proposed reorganization of Chrysler. In court documents Tuesday, attorneys for the so-called "non-TARP" creditors, who own $300 million of secured debt, said intensifying pressure and name calling by the government threatened to harm them if their identities became public. …The Chrysler sale "improperly attempts to extinguish their property rights without their comment," the hedge funds said in a court filing Monday. "The court should not permit a patently illegal sales process to go forward." See: http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/05/chrysler-bankruptcy-tarp-business-autos-chrysler-update.html 2) War bill omits funds for Gitmo closure Good news for a change! House Democratic leaders bucked the White House on Monday by unveiling a war spending bill that does not fund President Obama's plan to close Guantanamo Bay prison camp and requires the administration to submit a progress report with specific performance benchmarks for the escalated mission in Afghanistan.  Bowing to strong Republican criticism, House leaders rejected Mr. Obama's request for $81 million to close the detention center at the U.S. Navy base on Cuba, saying the White House lacks a plan to safely relocate the roughly 240 terrorist suspects held on the island. See: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/05/war-bill-omits-funds-for-gitmo-closure/ 3) Another DHS Report on “Extremists” WASHINGTON — The same Homeland Security Department office that categorized veterans as potential terrorists issued an earlier report that defined dozens of "extremists" ranging from black power activists to abortion foes. The report was nixed within hours and recalled from state and local law enforcement officials.  Whites and blacks, Christians and Jews, Cubans and Mexicans, along with tax-hating Americans were among several political leanings listed in the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon" that came out of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) in late March. …Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the report "causes further concern that Congress needs to get to the bottom of exactly how DHS determines what intelligence products to distribute to law enforcement officials around the country." See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/05/homeland-pulled-back-extremism-dictionary/ 4) Outraged at 'Pedophile Protection Act (AKA Hate Crimes Bill)? Here's a way to fight back, kill bill in U.S. Senate WASHINGTON – Opponents of a "hate crimes" bill in the U.S. Senate that would provide special protections for pedophiles are organizing an unprecedented effort to kill the legislation with an avalanche of letters to individual senators in the next week.  Janet Porter, WND columnist and president of Faith2Action, today announces her campaign to send thousands of letters to every senator by overnight delivery.  For only $10.95, any member of the public can send letters to all 100 senators, individually addressed and "signed" by the sender. The letters will ask for a written response and call for opposition to the bill, including by filibuster if necessary. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97149 5) Phantom Air Farce Pictures The $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower Manhattan last week will not be shown to the public, the White House said yesterday.  "We have no plans to release them," an aide to President Obama told The Post, refusing to comment further.  The sole purpose of the secret photo-op, which sent thousands of New Yorkers running for cover, was to take new publicity shots of the presidential jet over the city.  "The photos . . . are classified -- that's ridiculous," Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., said.  The photos have not technically been "classified," a White House aide said, but they are being kept from public view. See: http://www.nypost.com/seven/05052009/news/regionalnews/phantom_air_farce_pictures_167671.htm 6) Banned by U.K., Savage hits back Radio talk star blocked from visits, along with terrorists, neo-Nazis Talk radio host Michael Savage is considering legal action against Britain's top homeland security official after she released today a list grouping him with terrorists and neo-Nazi murderers banned from entry because the government believes their views might provoke violence. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97127 7) 124 congressman demand audit of Federal Reserve A bill calling for the comptroller general of the United States to audit the private Federal Reserve is gaining widespread support in Congress, as 124 representatives have added their names to its growing list of co-sponsors. As WND reported, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, introduced in February H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, a bill requiring that an audit of both the Fed's Board of Governors and the Federal Reserve Banks be completed and reported to Congress before the end of 2010.  Paul was joined at the time of introduction by 11 other Republican and Democratic co-sponsors – but now that number has multiplied. Since its introduction, 113 additional U.S. representatives have added their names. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97079 8) Census GPS-tagging your home's front door According to an online Yahoo program, the Global Position System coordinates for the White House, probably one of the best-known publicly-owned buildings in the world, are 38.898590 Latitude and -77.035971 Longitude. And since you know that, it's no big deal for the White House to know the coordinates for your front door, is it?  Some people think it is, and are upset over an army of some 140,000 workers hired in part with a $700 million taxpayer-funded contract to collect those GPS readings for every front door in the nation.  The data collection, presented as being in preparation for the 2010 Census, is pinpointing with computer accuracy the locations and has raised considerable concern from privacy advocates who have questioned why the information is needed. They also are more than a little worried over what could be done with that information.  Enhancing those concerns is the recent decision in the Obama administration to have White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in an oversight role over the census, which will control a reapportionment of congressional seats and could be used to solidify to a stranglehold a single political party's control over the nation, its budget, military and future. See: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97208

More on Legalized Theft, Tax "Loopholes", Arrogant Schakowsky, "Wiping Israel Out of Existence"

1) Congress leery about Obama's plan on tax loopholes WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama promised sternly on Monday to crack down on companies "that ship jobs overseas" and duck U.S. taxes with offshore havens. It won't be easy. Democrats have been fighting — and losing — this battle since John F. Kennedy made a similar proposal in 1961. Obama's proposal to close tax loopholes was a reliable applause line during the presidential campaign, but it got a lukewarm response Monday from Capitol Hill. …Lost revenue isn't the only problem, Obama says. He contends the current system gives companies an incentive to invest overseas rather than creating jobs in the U.S. "It's a tax code that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, N.Y.," Obama said Monday. How about lowering taxes HERE, then?! Then companies will want to do business here. What you are proposing is DOUBLE taxation! Taxation abroad AND at home! See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090505/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_taxes 2) Obama Makes Creditor to Chrysler an Offer it Can’t Refuse: More on Legalized Theft White House Denies Claims of Threat to Chrysler Creditor Recent comments by a lawyer representing Chrysler’s dissident debtholders alleging that Steven Rattner, the White House’s auto task force chief, “directly threatened” to wreck the reputation of the investment firm Perella Weinberg Partners if it continued to oppose the Obama administration’s reorganization plan have been picking up steam in the blogosphere. …Chrysler’s secured lenders argued that the $6.8 billion of the carmaker’s debt that they hold must be repaid before junior creditors. In a statement on Thursday, the group — then numbering about 20 firms — said that while they had proposed accepting 60 cents on the dollar as repayment, their offer was rebuffed. The administration’s offer to those debtholders was 29 cents on the dollar. Mr. Lauria said that his clients’ most recent offer to the government, made Thursday, was for a settlement of about 50 cents on the dollar, a proposal that a person briefed on the matter said involved $2.5 billion of repayment, including $500 million to minority debtholders. The government, which had given the dissident investors until 6 p.m. on Wednesday to make an acceptable offer, rejected the plan. See: http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/white-house-perella-weinberg-deny-claims-of-threat-to-firm/?hp And: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/05/01/chryslers-creditors-and-offers-you-cant-refuse/ 3) Worries Rise on the Size of U.S. Debt …Already, in the first six months of this fiscal year, the federal deficit is running at $956.8 billion, or nearly one seventh of gross domestic product — levels not seen since World War II, according to Wrightson ICAP, a research firm.  Debt held by the public is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to rise from 41 percent of gross domestic product in 2008 to 51 percent in 2009 and to a peak of around 54 percent in 2011 before declining again in the following years. For all of 2009, the administration probably needs to borrow about $2 trillion.  The rising tab has prompted warnings from the Treasury that the Congressionally mandated debt ceiling of $12.1 trillion will most likely be breached in the second half of this year (emphasis mine). …China has lent immense sums to the United States — about two-thirds of its central bank’s $1.95 trillion in foreign reserves is believed to be in United States securities — but it has begun to voice concerns about America’s financial health. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/business/economy/04debt.html?ref=todayspaper 4) Illinois’ Own Democrat Representative Schakowsky Comments on Government Run Healthcare: SCHAKOWSKY: And next to me was a guy from the insurance company who then argued against the public health insurance option, saying it wouldn't let private insurance compete, that a public option will put the private insurance industry out of business and -- (cheers and applause) My single pickup was, he was right. The man was right. I -- I -- here's what I told him. I said, "Excuse me, sir, the goal of health care reform is not to protect the private health insurance industry." (cheers and applause) And I am so confident in the superiority of a public health care option that I think he has every reason to be frightened. RUSH: Here is a congresswoman from Illinois, Jan Schakowsky, basically saying we are going to get rid of private insurance and the private health care industry in toto, we're going to do it. So yeah, you wait till they start micromanaging how much your doctor can get charged and what illnesses you're going to get treated for, what's covered. It's not going to be pretty. See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_050409/content/01125113.guest.html 5) Iranian Army General Commander Ataollah Salehi: It Will Take Us 11 Days "To Wipe Israel Out of Existence" General Ataollah Salehi, general commander of the Iranian army: "The truth is that Israel does not have the courage to attack us. If we are subjected to any attack by Israel, I do not think we will need more than 11 days to wipe Israel out of existence." See: http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP233809 5a) Gingrich: Obama setting up Israel confrontation Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) accused the Obama administration of setting up a confrontation with Israel, and encouraged the U.S. to more strongly back the Mideast state. "They are systematically setting up the most decisive confrontation that we've ever seen," Gingrich told the Jerusalem Post (emphasis mine).  "There's almost an eagerness to take on the Israeli government to make a point with the Arab world," the potential presidential candidate said. "The threats we are faced with are far more catastrophic than any of our leaders are willing to talk about," Gingrich said during his address Sunday before the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. See: http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/05/04/gingrich-obama-setting-up-israel-confrontation/ 6) Strife in Pakistan Raises U.S. Doubts Over Nuclear Arms WASHINGTON — As the insurgency of the Taliban and Al Qaeda spreads in Pakistan, senior American officials say they are increasingly concerned about new vulnerabilities for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, including the potential for militants to snatch a weapon in transport or to insert sympathizers into laboratories or fuel-production facilities. But the United States does not know where all of Pakistan’s nuclear sites are located, and its concerns have intensified in the last two weeks since the Taliban entered Buner, a district 60 miles from the capital. The spread of the insurgency has left American officials less willing to accept blanket assurances from Pakistan that the weapons are safe.  Pakistani officials have continued to deflect American requests for more details about the location and security of the country’s nuclear sites, the officials said. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/world/asia/04nuke.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper 7) New Onerous Restrictive Ordinances Targeting Churches In Dupage County, IL (my home county) …which will have the effect of eliminating small Churches.  See: http://www.illinoisfamily.org/content/img/f34357/letterfrompastorstewartruch-1.pdf 8) Montana Asserts Sovereignty Over Federal Gun Control Laws Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law a bill that aims to exempt Montana-made guns from federal regulation, adding firepower to a battery of legislative efforts to assert states’ rights across the nation. “It’s a gun bill, but it’s another way of demonstrating the sovereignty of the state of Montana,” Democrat Schweitzer said. …The measure is one of many introduced by state lawmakers across the nation seeking to confront what some see as a federal overreach into state matters that will be extended with the national stimulus plan.  Along with the gun bill, Montana legislators are considering a resolution that affirms the 10th Amendment principle that the federal government only has those powers that are specifically given to it by the U.S. Constitution. “The whole goal is to awaken the people so that we can return to a properly grounded republic,” Rep. Michael More, R-Gallatin Gateway and the Montana resolution’s sponsor, said at a House committee hearing Wednesday. See: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/04/16/legi/top/65st_090416_statesrights.txt 9) France captures 11 suspected Somali pirates PARIS (Reuters) - France intercepted 11 suspected Somali pirates on Sunday after they mistook a French naval ship for a commercial vessel and started heading toward it in preparation for an attack, a Defense Ministry spokesman said. Oops! That could go on a show called “Somalia’s Dumbest Criminals”.  See: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5421QE20090503?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true