Quote of the week: “I think we’re focused on balancing our budget. It would be wise for the president and others in Washington to focus on balancing their budget, which they’re a long ways from doing.” – WI Governor Scott Walker (hat tip Dave Steiger)
1) Unions' Fight in Madison Is a Disgrace
The Democratic/government-union days of rage in Madison, Wis., are a disgrace. Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan calls it Cairo coming to Madison. But the protesters in Egypt were pro-democracy. The government-union protesters in Madison are anti-democracy; they are trying to prevent a vote in the legislature. In fact, Democratic legislators themselves are fleeing the state so as not to vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget cuts.
That’s not democracy.
…Governor Walker is facing a $3.6 billion budget deficit, and he wants state workers to pay one-half of their pension costs and 12.6 percent of their health benefits. Currently, most state employees pay nothing for their pensions and virtually nothing for their health insurance. That’s an outrage.
Nationwide, state and local government unions have a 45 percent total-compensation advantage over their private-sector counterpart. With high-pay compensation and virtually no benefits co-pay, the politically arrogant unions are bankrupting America -- which by some estimates is suffering from $3 trillion in unfunded liabilities (emphasis mine).
Exempting police, fire, and state troopers, Governor Walker would end collective bargaining over pensions and benefits for the rest. Collective bargaining for wages would still be permitted, but there would be no wage hikes above the CPI. Unions could still represent workers, but they could not force employees to pay dues. In exchange for this, Walker promises no furloughs for layoffs.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is also pushing a bill to limit the collective-bargaining rights of teachers for wages and wage-related benefits. Similar proposals are being discussed in Idaho and Tennessee. In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich wants to restrict union rights across-the-board for all state and local government workers. More generally, both Democratic and Republican governors across the country are taking on the extravagant pay of government unions.
Why? Because taxpayers won’t stand for it anymore.
…So, having lost badly in the last election, the government-union Democrats in Wisconsin have taken to the streets. This is a European-style revolt, like those seen in Greece, France, and elsewhere. So it becomes greater than just a fiscal issue. It is becoming a law-and-order issue (emphasis mine).
Yeah, like making Democratic lawmakers obey the law and do the job they were elected to do.
President Obama, who keeps telling us he’s a budget cutter, has taken the side of the public unions. John Boehner correctly rapped Obama’s knuckles for this. If the state of Wisconsin voters elected a Chris Christie-type governor with a Republican legislature, then it is a local states’ rights issue.
See: http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/larrykudlow/2011/02/18/unions_fight_in_madison_is_a_disgrace
1a) Wis. GOP ups pressure on Dems to return and vote
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Republicans on Sunday upped the pressure on Democrats who fled to Illinois to return home and vote on an anti-union bill, with the governor calling them obstructionists and a GOP lawmaker threatening to convene without them.
Gov. Scott Walker said the 14 minority Democrats who left Madison on Thursday were failing to do their jobs by "hiding out" in another state. And Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said his chamber would meet Tuesday to act on non-spending bills and confirm some of the governor's appointees even if the Democrats don't show up — a scenario that should outrage their constituents.
Senate Democrats acknowledged that the 19 Republicans could pass any item that doesn't spend state money in their absence. The budget-repair bill they have been blocking requires a quorum of 20 senators to pass, while other measures require only a simple majority of the chamber's 33 members.
1b) Wisconsin Teachers Average Yearly Salary: $89,500
RUSH: I asked you at the beginning of the program if you have any idea what Wisconsin teachers' salaries are. Nobody knew. I said, "If they were poorly paid, the media would be plastering their salaries and benefit schedules and pension plans all over TV and the front page of every newspaper to evoke sympathy for these poor teachers. So put out, sacrificing so much already, making so little in the important task of teaching our children," but we don't know. They're not telling us what Wisconsin teachers' salaries are. Reason is they're way out of line compared to most people.
Fox News is reporting teachers' salaries in Wisconsin: $89,500 salary and benefits. The average nonpublic sector worker in America makes $61,000 a year in salary and benefits. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you are not hearing what the Wisconsin teachers make. And I know what some of you are saying, "But, Rush! But, Rush! You're all for prosperity. You keep talking about the chance for people to be prosperous." Oh, I am. Yeah. But you can't have this kind of disparity between the people who are paying the people who are living off of them. Just can't. It's not sustainable. We've reached that point. Teacher salaries in Wisconsin are $89,500 a year, salary and benefits; average nonpublic sector worker in America, 61 grand a year in salary and benefits. That's why you're not hearing about what salaries are and how tough it's been for these great servants to make ends meet.
2) 'A weapon of mass destruction was found in the U.S.': Shock confession of Customs officer
A port official has admitted that a 'weapon of mass effect' has been found by 'partner agencies' in the U.S., raising major questions over a possible government cover-up.
The disturbing revelation came in an interview with San Diego's assistant port director screened by a television channel in the city.
The Customs and Border Protection Department tried to dampen speculation over his remarks, but doubts remained over whether he had inadvertently revealed a dirty bomb plot to attack the U.S. mainland.
Concern over a secret WMD bust came after U.S. cables made public by the Wikileaks whistleblower website revealed terror groups were plotting a 'nuclear 911.'
In the interview screened by San Diego’s 10News, Al Hallor, assistant San Diego port director, said ‘weapons of mass effect’ had been found, although he did not specify exactly where or what they were.
Reporter Mitch Blacher asked Mr Hallor: ‘Do you ever find things that are dangerous like a chemical agent or a weaponised device?’
‘At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year, but our partner agencies have found those things,’ the customs official replied. ‘So, specifically, you're looking for the dirty bomb? You're looking for the nuclear device?’ asked Mr Blacher.
‘Correct. Weapons of mass effect,’ said Mr Hallor.
‘You ever found one?’ asked Mr Blacher.
‘Not at this location,’ Mr Hallor said.
‘But they have found them?’ asked Mr Blacher.
‘Yes,’ said Mr Hallor.
‘You never found one in San Diego though?’ Mr Blacher asked.
‘I would say at the port of San Diego we have not,’ Mr Hallor said.
‘Have you found one in San Diego?’ Mr Blacher asked.
The interview was then interrupted and cut short by a public relations official before Mr Hallor was able to answer the question.
3) In sharp reversal, U.S. agrees to rebuke Israel in Security Council
The U.S. informed Arab governments Tuesday that it will support a U.N. Security Council statement reaffirming that the 15-nation body "does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity," a move aimed at avoiding the prospect of having to veto a stronger Palestinian resolution calling the settlements illegal.
But the Palestinians rejected the American offer following a meeting late Wednesday of Arab representatives and said it is planning to press for a vote on its resolution on Friday, according to officials familar with the issue. The decision to reject the American offer raised the prospect that the Obama adminstration will cast its first ever veto in the U.N. Security Council.
… Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, outlined the new U.S. offer in a closed door meeting on Tuesday with the Arab Group, a bloc of Arab countries from North Africa and the Middle East. In exchange for scuttling the Palestinian resolution, the United States would support the council statement, consider supporting a U.N. Security Council visit to the Middle East, the first since 1979, and commit to supporting strong language criticizing Israel's settlement policies in a future statement by the Middle East Quartet.
THIS IS MADNESS! Can you imagine the UN telling the US that they couldn’t build in say, New York City?
3a) U.S. Vetoes Palestinian Bid at UN to Halt Israeli Settlements
The U.S. vetoed a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council that would have declared Israel’s settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to be illegal and demanded a halt to such activity.
The U.S., while “rejecting in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity,” voted against the measure out of concern for the impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Ambassador Susan Rice said.
The Obama administration sought until the final hours before yesterday’s vote to reach agreement with Arab diplomats on a compromise statement that would have increased pressure on Israel to cease settlement construction, while stopping short of calling it illegal or demanding a moratorium.
4) This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'
Hosni Mubarak reluctantly stepped down as President of Egypt last weekend. His departure, though welcomed throughout much of the Muslim world, nonetheless leaves the Middle East in flux. The more Western-oriented and secular Arab leaders are furious with the United States for pushing Mubarak out the door. To cover their bases, some have decided to actively cultivate their dormant relations with Iran! The Islamic states are bellowing victory and pushing for the installation of an Islamic theocracy in the traditional 'birthplace of civilization.'
For now, the Egyptian army is in control. The generals promise a timely return to civilian leadership and open elections. In reality, though, no one knows for certain which way Egypt will lurch as the new wears off and reality sets in. Egypt is without a strong leader for the first time in almost 60 years. That means that the entire Arab Middle East is without the stabilizing influence Hosni Mubarak provided for the last three decades.
President Obama insists that everything will be okay. He said that nothing less than "genuine democracy" has carried the day in Egypt. Of course, "genuine democracy" can be a dangerous thing. So dangerous, in fact, that when our founding fathers had the opportunity to choose "genuine democracy" as the new nation's form of government, they opted not to do so. "Genuine democracy" can also be translated as "mob rule." That's why our forbears chose to create a "constitutional republic" under the rule of law, not the whim of the majority. "Genuine democracy" was the form of government they most feared.
4a) It’s (not) the end of the world as we know it
Last night on TV, Glenn did a show that talked about the Twelfth Imam, a belief held by a small, radical sect of Muslims that includes the leaders of Iran, that speaks of a returning prophet of Islam. On the show, Glenn compared the Book of Revelation with the Hadith where the Twelfth Imam is mentioned.
“I want you to know I am not saying that these are the end times. I am not saying that this is the end of the world,” Glenn cautioned.
Glenn said that in different periods of history, people have drawn comparisons between current events and the end times. For example, Glenn said “People were convinced that Adolf Hitler was the Antichrist. He had all of the earmarks of the Antichrist and it was a growing occultist state. He was a spooky dude.”
“I do believe there is growing evil coming out of the Middle East and the rest of the world that are lining up. This is a growing evil here in America, and political correctness has allowed it to grow,” Glenn explained.
“We outlined some of these last night on the TV show. According to the sacred traditions of Islam ‑‑ this is not in the Qur’an. This is in the Hadith, which is the sacred stories of the Prophet Muhammad. So this is not Qur’an,” Glenn explained.
Glenn then laid out some of the parallels between the Biblical Antichrist and the Twelfth Imam who appears in the Hadith. Among the comparisons were the establishment of a unified “new world order” in both texts. In the Bible it’s led by the Antichrist, in the Hadith the Twelfth Imam and the Muslim interpretation of Jesus, who is simply another Prophet, lead the one world government. Both books speak of a mark of the Beast, punishment for Jews and Christians, and more.
4b) Welcome Back Imam!
Glenn has been warning about radical Islam for years, and more recently he has been focusing on the “Twelfth Imam”. He even produced a documentary, Rumors of War, which tackled Iran’s leaders fanaticism with the “Twelfth Imam”. The latest out of Iran shows President Ahmadinejad celebrating the revolutions in the Middle East which he claims are guided by the Twelfth Imam.
“Ahmadinejad has now said – and I quote – ‘The final move has begun. We are in the middle of a global revolution managed by the dear 12th Imam. A great awakening is unfolding. One can witness the hand of the Imam in the managing of it,’” Glenn said.
“Remember the 12th Imam disappeared in the 10th century and is believed to return and usher in a rule of Islamic justice. Whether you believe is irrelevant. They do. Whether you think this is the – he is the anti-Christ or not, they believe he is the Christ. They believe that Jesus will appear, after the world is warned in blood, that Jesus will appear with the 12th Imam and say, ‘Hey, Christians, you got that whole thing wrong. It’s this guy.’ And that Jesus will appear just as a prophet because they believe that Jesus was a prophet set and say, yeah, you’ve got to listen to guy. Otherwise, there will be a sword to the head,” Glenn explained.
4c) Gadhafi's son warns of civil war in Libya
CAIRO – The son of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi warned in a nationally televised address that continued anti-government protests that have wracked Libya for six days might lead to a civil war that could send the country's oil wells up in flames.
Appearing on Libyan state television after midnight Sunday, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi said the army still backed his father, who was leading the fight, although he added that some military bases, tanks and weapons had been seized.
"We are not Tunisia and Egypt," the younger Gadhafi said, referring to the successful uprisings that toppled longtime regimes in Libya's neighbors.
4d) Jimmy Carter: Muslim Brotherhood A-Ok!
The leaders of our country, both past and present, seem to be completely out of touch with the reality of the Middle East situation. Glenn addressed our current leadership, and then lambasted Jimmy Carter for statements he made about the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
“The president says there’s no anti‑Americanism over there. It’s a total complete either lie or ‑ I don’t know what,” Glenn said on radio this morning.
“Then he says there’s no anti‑Semitism over there. Are you out of your mind?”
Glenn said that while CBS reporter Lara Logan was being sexually assaulted while covering the celebration in Egypt’s Tahir Square, the crowd attacking her chanted anti-Semitic remarks.
“And there were 200 men raping her, sexually assaulting her, while chanting: Jew. Jew. Jew. Jew,” Glenn said.
As the majority of the media neglects these types of stories in favor of the “Egypt loves Democracy” narrative, Jimmy Carter has to decided to also weigh in and give his opinion. And everyone has just been sitting around to hear what Jimmy Carter has to say.
Jimmy Carter said, “I know members of the Muslim Brotherhood because when I go to Egypt I try to meet with all the political people, and they have played a small role. They are well organized. They have ties to Hezbollah and Lebanon and Hamas, whose headquarters are in Syria and Damascus, but also have ties with Gaza, they have ties with Gaza. I think the Muslim Brotherhood are nothing to be afraid of in the upcoming political evolution as I see most likely because they’ll be subsumed in the overwhelming demonstration of desire for freedom and true democracy ‑”
Pat said, “Just like Iran. That’s why this buffoon. Why does anyone stick a microphone in front of this buffoon’s face. What a track record he has.”
4e) 4 Killed as Bahrain Police Storm Makeshift Protesters’ Camp
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Army patrols and tanks locked down the capital of this tiny Gulf kingdom after riot police swinging clubs and firing tear gas smashed into demonstrators, many of them sleeping, in a pre-dawn assault Thursday that uprooted their protest camp demanding political change. Medical officials said four people were killed.
Hours after the attack on Manama’s main Pearl Square, the military announced on state TV that it had “key parts” of the capital under its control and that gatherings were banned.
The developments marked a major crackdown by the island nation‘s rulers to put an end to days of protests inspired by Egypt’s revolt against Hosni Mubarak. Tiny Bahrain is a pillar of Washington’s military framework in the region. It hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is a critical counterbalance to Iran’s efforts to expand its clout in the region (emphasis mine).
4f) Egypt agrees to let 2 Iranian vessels transit Suez Canal
CAIRO — State media on Friday said Egypt has agreed to let two Iranian naval vessels transit the Suez Canal.
State-run news agency MENA said that authorities approved a request from Iranian diplomats who offered assurances that the two ships won't have weapons or nuclear or chemical material.
Um, hello? They’re NAVAL ships! Naval ships don’t carry weapons? How naïve are we?
Iran denied claims Thursday that it had canceled plans to send two warships through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea, saying that despite various media reports the vessels were on their way to Syria.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman first called attention to the Iranian intentions during a speech to the Conference of President of Major American Jewish Organizations, terming the move a “provocation” and calling on the world to “put the Iranians in their place.”
5) In Case of Emergency, Break the Constitution
Did you know that the nation will soon undergo a test that will determine how effectively the President of the United States can seize control of the media in the event of an “emergency?” Well, that’s not the way they’re putting it.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a press release on Feb. 3 outlining the plan for the “first-ever Presidential alert.” On a date yet to be set, the Presidential alert will go “to television and radio broadcasters, cable systems and satellite service providers who will then deliver the alert to the American public,” according to the FCC.
This is not an opt-in plan. “The national test will require EAS [Emergency Alert System] participants to be part of the exercise and to receive and transmit a live code that includes a Presidential alert message to their respective viewers and listeners.”
… It’s partly because we have so much instant media that it’s not needed. Also, having the President seize the media even for a short time sounds more like something out of Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, Castro’s Cuba or Dear Leader’s North Korea. Perhaps Mr. Obama remembers that some TV networks here occasionally declined to carry George W. Bush’s messages.
This “first ever” Presidential alert dovetails with another development, a proposed presidential “kill switch” for the Internet in the event of an emergency (emphasis mine).
A bill sponsored by Susan Collins (R-Maine) died in the last Congress but will soon be reintroduced. Collins said the proposed law “would provide a mechanism for the government to work with the private sector in the event of a true cyber emergency.”
See: http://townhall.com/columnists/robertknight/2011/02/16/in_case_of_emergency,_break_the_constitution
6) Federal deficit on track for a record this fiscal year
Government debt to exceed U.S. economy
President Obama‘s budget, released Monday, was conceived as a blueprint for future spending, but it also paints the bleakest picture yet of the current fiscal year, which is on track for a record federal deficit and will see the government’s overall debt surpass the size of the total U.S. economy.
Mr. Obama‘s budget projects that 2011 will see the biggest one-year debt jump in history, or nearly $2 trillion, to reach $15.476 trillion by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. That would be 102.6 percent of GDP — the first time since World War II that dubious figure has been reached.
And the budget projects the government will run a deficit of $1.645 trillion this year, topping 2009’s previous record by more than $230 billion. By contrast, 2007’s deficit was just $160 billion altogether.
6a) Obama budget resurrects rejected tax increases
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's budget proposal resurrects a series of tax increases on certain corporations and the wealthy that were largely ignored by Congress when Democrats controlled both chambers. Republicans, who now control the House, are signaling they will be even less receptive.
The plan unveiled Monday includes tax increases for oil, gas and coal producers, investment managers and U.S.-based multinational corporations. The plan would allow Bush-era tax cuts to expire at the end of 2012 for individuals making more than $200,000 and married couples making more than $250,000. Wealthy taxpayers would have their itemized deductions limited starting in 2012, including deductions for mortgage interest, charitable contributions and state and local taxes.
7) IMF calls for dollar alternative (I missed this story last week…)
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The International Monetary Fund issued a report Thursday on a possible replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve currency.
The IMF said Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, could help stabilize the global financial system.
SDRs represent potential claims on the currencies of IMF members. They were created by the IMF in 1969 and can be converted into whatever currency a borrower requires at exchange rates based on a weighted basket of international currencies. The IMF typically lends countries funds denominated in SDRs
While they are not a tangible currency, some economists argue that SDRs could be used as a less volatile alternative to the U.S. dollar.
8) Clothing prices to rise 10 pct starting in spring
NEW YORK – Shoppers looking to update their wardrobes may find their money won't stretch as far.
As the world economy recovers and demand for goods rises, a surge in raw material and labor costs is squeezing retailers and manufacturers who have run out of ways to pare expenses.
Clothing prices had dropped for a decade as tame inflation and cheap overseas labor helped hold down manufacturers' costs. During the recession, retailers and clothing makers cut frills and experimented with fabric blends to keep prices in check.
But cotton has more than doubled in price over the past year, hitting all-time highs. The price of synthetic fabrics has jumped roughly 50 percent as demand for alternatives has risen (emphasis mine).
Clothing prices are expected to rise about 10 percent in coming months, with the biggest increases in the second half of the year, said Burt Flickinger III president of Strategic Resource Group.
9) Four States Get Waivers to Carry Out Health Law (hat tip Luke Hamilton)
Four States, 900 companies, and counting…
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Wednesday that it had granted broad waivers to four states allowing health insurance companies to continue offering less generous benefits than they would otherwise be required to provide this year under the new federal health care law.
The states are Florida, New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee, the administration told Congress.
Lawmakers said that many other states, insurers and employers needed similar exemptions from some of the law’s requirements and would seek waivers if they knew of the option.
10) House votes to defund Planned Parenthood (hat tip Dave Steiger)
The House just approved Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, checking off a hot-button social issue even as it set up a bigger showdown over defunding the health care law.
The vote was 240-185 with 11 Democrats voting for the amendment, and seven Republicans voting against. One member voted present. A group of Republicans on the floor applauded when the vote hit 218.
That amendment managed to suck up three hours of often emotional debate time Thursday night, which is a big part of the reason the health care law defunding votes got pushed into today.
Pence, of Indiana, touched off a vicious back-and-forth Thursday night in which Republicans insisted the organization is too aggressive about performing abortions and several Democrats charged that the GOP was waging a “war on women.”
Pence said the amendment captures a rough public consensus that they accept legal abortions, but don't want to pay for them.
He did get House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to weigh in on his side, declaring, “The time has come to respect the wishes of the majority of Americans who adamantly oppose using taxpayer dollars for abortions.”
10a) GOP votes to dethrone Obama's policy 'czars'
The House GOP approved an amendment to a government-spending bill that would block funding for the Obama administration’s so-called policy "czars,” appointed advisers to the president that have been much-criticized by Republicans.
The vote was 249-171.
The amendment, offered by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), specifically targets Obama’s “climate czar” by blocking funding for the assistant to the president for energy and climate change, the position's official title. The amendment would block funding for the 'czars' through the end of the fiscal year, when the spending bill would run out. The underlying bill also includes a provision to block funding for the position.
"I think this sends a strong signal to the president that we are tired of him running this shadow government, where they have got these czars that are literally circumventing the accountability and scrutiny that goes with Senate confirmation," Scalise said after the vote.
10b) Curb regulations along with spending, House votes
WASHINGTON – The Republican-controlled House voted to shield greenhouse-gas polluters (“greenhouse-gas polluters”? You mean those whose emit CO2, Associated Press? – comment mine) and privately owned colleges from federal regulators on Friday, strengthening the pro-business emphasis of legislation that also would chop $61 billion from government spending.
…On another front, Republicans voted three times in slightly different ways to ban the use of federal funds to implement the year-old health care law. The House has voted previously to repeal the new law.
WAY TO GO HOUSE REPUBLICANS!
10c) House Republicans Pass Bill Defunding Public Broadcasting, Net Neutrality
On Saturday, the House passed the budget bill H.R. 1, a bill that would defund public media and prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from enforcing its new net neutrality rules by withholding funding. In total, the bill, which passed by a 235 to 189 vote, cuts 61.5 billion dollars from the budget. It now heads to the Senate.
In its current form, the bill will withdraw any obligation on the part of Congress to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which doles out public media funds, beyond 2012. Currently, the CPB receives around $420 million, or $1.40 per capita from the federal government.
11) Morning Bell: Putting Politics Over Security, Obama Moves to Unionize TSA
Last night, on a purely partisan 47–51 vote, the Senate rejected an amendment that would have stopped government unions from organizing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees. The vote was made possible by an announcement two Fridays ago by President Barack Obama political appointee and TSA Administrator John Pistole. Pistole rejected TSA’s original policy that collective bargaining’s inherently adversarial process would impair TSA’s ability to protect American air travelers. Pistole’s decision, coupled with Democratic control of the Senate, will net the labor movement—a majority of whom already work for the government—45,000 new members and $18 million a year in dues that are ultimately paid for by you, the taxpayer.
Pistole’s order would initially allow the TSA union to collectively bargain over work rules but not wages and benefits. But that will surely change. Already the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and the American Federation of Government Employees are fighting over the $18 million in government union dues TSA employees will soon be paying. To win this battle, and keep their new union members happy, these government unions will use this money to campaign for and lobby politicians to grow the TSA and expand the permissible subjects of negotiation.
12) 'Gay Conservative' Is an Oxymoron
CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, has been an annual gig for me for years. But this year I concluded it was not my place and I declined to participate in the various venues at the event for which I was invited.
Yes, the reason I declined was the inclusion of GOProud, a group identifying itself as representing “gay conservatives and their allies,” as a sponsor of the event.
And it’s the reason why some of the nation’s most important conservative organizations – the Heritage Foundation, the American Family Association, Concerned Women of America, Family Research Council, Media Research Center, and the National Organization for Marriage - did not participate.
The founder and chairman of GOProud removed any doubt on my part that not participating was the correct decision by dismissing these groups as “losers,” “clowns,” and “not relevant.”
…In our culture today that views material prosperity as the ultimate barometer of success, the truth is becoming unfortunately lost that the evil man can prosper. And if there is nothing more than what is before our eyes in this world, what does it matter?
When I understood how the culture of welfare state materialism was destroying not just my life, but all of black America, there was no dividing line in my mind between “social issues” and “economic issues.” The only dividing line I saw was between right and wrong, good and evil.
The idea of “gay conservative” is an oxymoron.
“Gay” is everything that “conservative” is not.
The foundation of the world view that so-called “gay conservatives” embrace has far more in common with liberalism than with conservatism.
It’s a world view that is man-centered rather than God-centered. It is a world view that rejects eternal truths passed on from the beginning of time. Although the world view that “gay conservatives” choose to invent may diverge from the world view of liberals, their common ground is they make it all up.
And it is here where “gay conservatives” and “liberals” fundamentally depart from conservatives.
13) Mandatory Arabic language classes coming to Texas school district (missed this one last week too…)
Some school children in Texas' Mansfield Independent School District will soon be required to learn Arabic, thanks to a federal government grant.
According to a Dallas CBS News affiliate, Mansfield ISD received the Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant last summer. It is one of only five districts in the country to be awarded the grant.
Parents were caught by surprise and learned of the grant Monday night in a meeting with district Superintendent Bob Morrison.
CBS News reported:
As part of the five-year $1.3 million grant, Arabic classes would be mandatory at Cross Timbers Intermediate School and Kenneth Davis Elementary School. The program would also be optional for students at T. A. Howard Middle School and Summit High School.
According to a PDF file provided by the school district, Cross Timbers was selected because it has "the highest percentage of native Arabic speakers in the district." The district sees these students as a resource to help develop the program.
Students will not only learn the language - the curriculum will include Arabic culture, government, art, traditions and history.
Some parents were concerned their children would be taught Islam as part of the program.
Nah! That would never happen! Sharia law anyone?
