AMERICA'S BEST CHOICE

Erikson: The Jacksonville Brawl

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:17:00 +0000

CNN GOP Primary Debate, Jacksonville, FL

by Erick Erickson (Diary), RedState: I’m biased, but I think the real winner last night was CNN and I feel confident I’d say that even if they didn’t send me a paycheck. After that disastrous and embarrassing NBC debate, Wolf Blitzer held his own, did not get devoured by Newt Gingrich, and engaged in a lot of substance without a lot of random questions like . . . oh . . . say . . . should states ban birth control.

Let me tell you first who lost the debate because it was in a moment with Wolf Blitzer. There was a moment he asked Newt Gingrich about Romney’s tax returns and Newt tried to say the question was inconsequential. He tied his napkin around his neck, pulled up his fork and knife, and was just about to sink his teeth into Wolf when Wolf pushed again. The crowd heckled Blitzer. Gingrich drooled over the moderator he was about to consume. “Wanna try again,” he asked mischievously. Wolf Blitzer, instead of hopping on Newt’s plate pushed once more, pointing out Gingrich had, just this week, attacked Romney on these things. The crowd reacted a bit and Gingrich suddenly tried to get everyone on stage to call a truce. Romney had none of it, instead calling on Gingrich to, in effect, man up and say to Mitt’s face the things he says elsewhere.

The crowd turned on Newt. They laughed. They jeered. Blitzer, saved from the jowls of moderator eater, went straight in to a tax question based on Romney’s taxes and Newt’s tax plan with Newt still on defense from the prior question. The moderator ate Newt. Live by the debate, die by the debate, and Newt Gingrich died in some clever rhetoric, losing the crowd both in that instance and on Mitt Romney’s stock ownership.

Mitt Romney won the debate. He and Gingrich behaved like petulant children, but Romney got under Newt’s skin in a way Newt did not get under Romney’s skin and Newt came off looking the lesser of the two. Additionally, Mitt Romney finally offered up a bold and clear answer on his wealth with a strong defense of capitalism and self-made men. There was no apology and no defense. It was precisely what he needed to do.

Though he may have won, Rick Santorum had the best night of any candidate and though Romney won on points, Santorum won on style and substance. He offered up the strongest attack yet on Romneycare, pointing out how if Romney is the nominee we cede an important line of attack on Obamacare. He rattled Romney in a way Newt did not. He acted like the adult in the room. He got himself some supporters from Newt Gingrich I’m pretty sure.

Then there was Ron Paul. Many of us quickly dismiss Ron Paul, but his performance was stellar. He offered extremely sound responses on healthcare, education, border security, and more. Very few of the questions were on foreign policy, which is where he tends to go off the reservation. Last night he came off as warm, funny, and right on the mark. It was his best debate performance. Santorum and Paul benefited from Romney and Gingrich’s constant bickering.

But Romney did what he had to do. He stopped any swing back from Gingrich. His performance more likely than not helped him secure Florida unless Gingrich can pour in money and manpower in the next 24 hours.

Tags: CNN, Republican, Primary, debate, Jacksonville, Florida, election 2012, Erick Erikson To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Rasmussen: 2012 Florida Republican Primary

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Rasmussen Reports :: Florida GOP Primary: Romney 39%, Gingrich 31%, Santorum 12%, Paul 9%

Mitt Romney has jumped back ahead in the fevered Florida Republican Primary race with his support back to where it was before Newt Gingrich’s big win Saturday in South Carolina. Read More.

Tags: Florida, Republican, primary, poll, Rasmussen Reports To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Allen West: Harry Reid Stands For "Fiscal Insanity"

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:44:00 +0000

Theresa Helsing comment on the following video: Congressman Lt Col Allen West "Spanks Harry Reid". Thank You Sir.

[Video Source]

Tags: Florida, US Representative, Allen West, Harry Reid, fiscal insanity, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

ICYMI: Allen West: I'd Step Up to Vice-Presidential Plate if Asked to Run

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:49:00 +0000

U.S. Rep. Allen West, who generally has deflected suggestions that he could be a vice-presidential candidate, now is saying he would “step up to the plate” if asked.

The freshman Florida Republican and tea party favorite took that swing at pitches from three constituents at a town hall meeting, according to The Palm Beach Post.

In answer to the voters’ written questions at the meeting, West said: "If people come to me and ask me to continue to serve my country in a higher capacity, I'm not going to say no. It would be an incredible privilege and honor. I doubt that I'm on anybody's list.

“Thank you for asking and if it came to fruition, yeah, I'd step up to the plate," West said, drawing applause, the Post reported.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Rep. Allen West: I'd Step Up to Vice-Presidential Plate if Asked to Run Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!

Tags: Allen West, VP Candidate, Florida To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Obama Rejects Keystone Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Despite Strong Union Support And Encouragement From His Own Jobs Council, President Obama Claims The Pipeline Is Not In Our National Interest

OBAMA JOBS COUNCIL REPORT: ‘Timely Development Of Pipeline’ Projects Are ‘Necessary’
“Policies that facilitate the safe, thoughtful and timely development of pipeline, transmission and distribution projects are necessary to facilitate the delivery of America’s fuel and electricity and maintain the reliability of our nation’s energy system.” (President’s Council On Jobs And Competitiveness, 2011 Year-End Report, 1/17/12)

·    “Continuing to deliver inexpensive and reliable energy is going to require the United States to optimize all of its natural resources and construct pathways (pipelines, transmission and distribution) to deliver electricity and fuel… now more than ever, the jobs and economic and energy security benefits of these energy projects require us to tackle the issues head-on and to expeditiously, though cautiously, move forward on projects that can support hundreds of thousands of jobs.” (President’s Council On Jobs And Competitiveness, 2011 Year-End Report, 1/17/12)

UNION SUPPORT: It’s ‘Not Just A Pipeline,’ But ‘A Lifeline For Thousands’
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS: “‘The Keystone Pipeline project will offer working men and women a real chance to earn a good wage and support their families in this difficult economic climate,’ said… James P. Hoffa.” (TransCanada, “U.S. Pipeline Contractors Association and Unions Pledge their Support for Keystone XL Project,” 9/14/10)

AFL-CIO: “…it is America's workers who are clamoring for the expedited approval of this important project. As President Obama has rightfully declared when it comes to the creation of jobs, ‘WE CAN'T WAIT.’” (Mark H. Ayers, President, Building And Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, “For The 99% Of Americans, Keystone = JOBS,” Huffington Post, 11/3/11)

AFL-CIO: “For America's skilled craft construction professionals, any discussion of the Keystone XL project begins and ends with one word: JOBS… Throughout America's Heartland, the Keystone Pipeline represents the prospect for 20,000 immediate jobs, and as many as 500,000 indirect jobs via a strong economic multiplier effect… without one single dollar of government assistance.” (Mark H. Ayers, President, Building And Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, “For The 99% Of Americans, Keystone = JOBS,” Huffington Post, 11/3/11)

·    “Enactment of S.1932 will mean a significant portion of the projected 20,000 direct jobs and the 118,000 spin-off jobs will be created immediately.” (AFL-CIO Building And Construction Trades Department President Mark Ayers, Letter To Sen. Lugar, 12/6/11)

INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS: “Says International President Edwin D. Hill: ‘We welcome the opportunity to work in cooperation with TransCanada to provide the skilled work force needed on this vital project. At a time when jobs are the top global priority, the Keystone project will put thousands back to work and have ripple benefits throughout the North American economy. Our members look forward to being part of this historic project and pledge to deliver the highest quality work to make it a success.’” (International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers, “TransCanada Pipeline PLA Could Mean Construction Boon,” 10/20/11)

LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA: “…not just a pipeline, but is a lifeline for thousands of desperate working men and women.” (“Unions Furious At Obama For Killing Pipeline Jobs,” Fox News, 11/10/11)

·    “‘…a win-win for employers, for working men and women and for our communities and our countries,’ said Terry O'Sullivan, General President of LIUNA. ‘The partnership between TransCanada and workers and their unions will create good family-supporting jobs, while helping business and our countries compete.’” (TransCanada, “U.S. Pipeline Contractors Association and Unions Pledge their Support for Keystone XL Project,” 9/14/10)

BRENT BOOKER, LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL: “We’ve been supportive of this project for several years now… Our members, and construction workers, middle-class Americans are in desperate need of jobs, and we think that this project could create that for all those.” (Brent Booker, CNBC, 12/14/11)

·    BOOKER: “We need the jobs now. We need them as soon as we can get them.” (Brent Booker, CNBC, 12/14/11)

·    LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL: “…not just a pipeline, but is a lifeline for thousands of desperate working men and women.” (“Unions Furious At Obama For Killing Pipeline Jobs,” Fox News, 11/10/11)

UNITED ASSOCIATION: “My name is Stephen Kelly, and I am the Assistant General President of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters, which represents over 340,000 members in the plumbing and pipe fitting industry in the United States and Canada… The United Association strongly supports the Keystone XL project and the draft legislation under consideration by the Subcommittee to expedite its approval for several good reasons. First, this project would provide a tremendous and needed boost to the U.S. construction industry, generating thousands of high-quality jobs at a time when the industry is wrestling with nearly 20 percent unemployment.” (U.S. House Of Representatives, Committee On Energy And Commerce, Subcommittee On Energy And Power, Hearing, 5/23/11)

·    “‘The United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters (UA) is proud to be a part of this collaboration and looks forward to adding thousands of well-paying construction jobs to this country,’ said UA General President William P. Hite. ‘Our highly-skilled workforce is ready to begin work and help boost our local and state economies.’” (“$7 Billion Keystone XL Labor Agreement Announced,” Pipeline & Gas Journal, 9/10)

DAVID BARNETT, UNITED ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTERS: “We do need this pipeline. We’ve worked very hard in the last three years to get this permit for this pipeline.”(David Barnett, CNBC, 12/14/11)

·    BARNETT: “We are experiencing 20-25% unemployment in the pipeline sector right now and our welders and pipe fitters are waiting on this project. … Quite frankly, the American people are tired of Washington D.C. politics going on, and their jobs are waiting in line for these decisions. Let’s get the politics out of it. Let’s give TransCanada a go ahead.” (David Barnett, CNBC, 12/14/11)

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS: “‘An ambitious project of this scope, spanning over five states and employing thousands of American construction workers, will unequivocally help remedy the struggles of our country's working families,’ said International Union of Operating Engineers General President Vincent J. Giblin. ‘History has proven time and time again that infrastructure projects, such as this, lead to the resurgence of our nation's economy and the ripple effects are far-reaching. The IUOE is proud to be part of the Keystone XL pipeline and our operating engineers throughout the Midwest are ready to provide TransCanada with the skill, professionalism and pride this project requires.’” (TransCanada, “U.S. Pipeline Contractors Association and Unions Pledge their Support for Keystone XL Project,” 9/14/10)

DEMOCRAT SUPPORT: ‘Mr. President, America Needs The Keystone XL Pipeline’
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): “I am for the Keystone pipeline … The Keystone pipeline, we’re addicted to oil. I'd rather use oil from my friends in Canada, than I would from the Middle East, that sounds good.” Q: “The President says he’s going to veto that though.” MANCHIN: “Well, we’ll see. I’m mean, all the trade unions, everyone’s for it, it creates thousands of jobs!” (Fox News, 12/12/11)

·    MANCHIN: “I’m mean, all the trade unions, everyone’s for it, it creates thousands of jobs!” (Fox News, 12/12/11)

·    MANCHIN: “It’s truly a godsend for America to have that supply from a neighbor that is friendly… I can assure you (the Canadian oil) is going to be used somewhere in the world, if it’s not used in the U.S.” (“Democratic Senator Blasts Obama Energy Policy, Says It’s ‘Bouncing Around Like A Ping Pong Bill’,” The Houston Chronicle, 6/8/11)

SEN. KENT CONRAD (D-ND): “I personally think the pipeline is absolutely in the national interest. It’ll help us reduce our dependence on foreign energy, at least foreign sources that are hostile to our interests.” (Sen. Conrad, Floor Remarks, 12/14/11)

·    CONRAD: “I, for one, on this side would hope that this could be part of a final package, and I hope that this is something we could work through in the coming hours.” (Sen. Conrad, Floor Remarks, 12/14/11)

·    CONRAD: “Canada is going to develop this resource. This oil is going to go somewhere. It, to me, is absolutely in our national interest for that oil to come to our country.” (Sen. Conrad, Floor Remarks, 12/14/11)

“Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said Keystone has the backing of several Democrats. ‘It’s always had more Democratic support than people thought,’ she said.” (“Lawmakers Grow Confident Deal Will Be Reached By Weekend,” The Hill, 12/15/11)

·    “Landrieu says she'd support Keystone in payroll/UI/doc fix bill. Says ‘good deal’ of D & R support for it.” (FOX News’ Trish Turner, Twitter, 12/15/11)

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO): ‘Make It Go More Quickly’ “My guess is if you send them back a bill that… gave them Keystone… everybody goes home for Christmas.” SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO): “Well, let's hope we can negotiate something like that… if states’ rights are being protected and if this is going to be something maybe that we can try to jump start the approval process, make it go more quickly.” (MSNBC, 12/14/11)

SEN. JON TESTER (D-MT): “I am proud to again offer my support for the Keystone XL pipeline and the jobs it will create. We need a quicker decision, based on the merits of this project.” (Sen. Tester, Floor Remarks, 12/13/11)

·    TESTER: “I do not believe we should have to wait until January of 2013 for a decision that can create American jobs right now. In Montana, we need the jobs.” (Sen. Tester, Floor Remarks, 12/13/11)

·    TESTER:“We should be acting responsibly to create jobs with this pipeline… Instead, we’re watching political maneuvering designed to score points rather than create jobs. And we all know that when this is how Washington acts, the people who lose are hard working Americans and Montanans who just want to go back to work. They want to build and maintain the infrastructure that powers and protects America.” (Sen. Tester, Floor Remarks, 12/13/11)

·    TESTER: “The Keystone pipeline will create Montana jobs and it should not have to wait 14 months for an up-or-down decision…” (“Baucus, Tester Support Keystone XL, But Not GOP Bill,” KTVQ News, 11/30/11)

SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK): “I support the project. I think the president’s view on this, of waiting, I think doesn’t make a lot of sense. It is a project that could provide lots of jobs to this country… I think the president’s wrong on delaying this, and I think there are a lot of good jobs relating to this, and again [it’s oil] from a friendly country, Canada.” (“Begich On Keystone XL, Bypass Mail,” KTVA11 Alaska, 12/15/11) SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): "We need to put Montanans back to work and cannot afford further delays to the Keystone XL pipeline…” (“Baucus, Tester Support Keystone XL, But Not GOP Bill,” KTVQ News, 11/30/11)

SEN. BEN NELSON (D-NE): “The pipeline will be built, bringing jobs to Nebraska.” (“TransCanada To Alter Keystone Route,” The Hill, 11/14/11)

SENS. MARK BEGICH (D-AK), MARY LANDRIEU (D-LA) & MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “…we write today in support of the Keystone XL Gulf Coast Expansion Pipeline, a project that the Department of State has been considering under a Presidential Permit application since 2008. Now more than ever, it is critical that this country move forward with this project.” (“Media Advisory - Fourteen U.S. Senators Urge Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline,” TransCanada, 3/16/11)

47 House Democrats voted for H.R.1938, the North American-Made Energy Security Act, which states in part: “the President shall issue a final order granting or denying the Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.”(H.R.1938, Roll Call Vote #650, Bill Passed 279-147: R 232-3; D 47-144, 7/26/11)

“America truly cannot afford to say ‘no’ to this privately funded, $20 billion, jobs-creating infrastructure project, which would bolster our economic, energy and national security. To that end, we respectfully urge you to ensure that the Presidential Permit is issued for Keystone XL.” <(22 House Democrats, Letter To President Obama, 10/19/11)

·    “…Mr. President, America needs the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is in our national interest to have a Presidential Permit issued for Keystone XL as soon as possible.” (22 House Democrats, Letter To President Obama, 10/19/11)

·    “The Department of State's Final Environmental Impact Statement reaffirmed the findings of the two previous environmental impact statements, namely, that the Keystone XL Pipeline will have no significant impact on the environment.” <(22 House Democrats, Letter To President Obama, 10/19/11)

·    “…not only would the Keystone XL Pipeline bolster America's economy, but it also would help strengthen our country's energy and national security…” (22 House Democrats, Letter To President Obama, 10/19/11)

·    “With job growth an ongoing struggle for our country, the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline represents a true shovel-ready project that would directly create 20,000 high quality domestic manufacturing and construction jobs for Americans who are desperately seeking employment. The project would also create an additional 118,000 spin-off jobs.”Ibid

Signed By:
Rep. Jason Altmire, (D-PA), Rep. Joe Baca, (D-CA), Rep. John Barrow, (D-GA), Rep. Dan Boren, (D-OK), Rep. Leonard Boswell, (D-IA), Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA), Rep. Jim Costa, (D-CA), Rep. Mark Critz (D-PA), Rep. Henry Cuellar, (D-TX), Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, (D-TX), Rep. Al Green, (D-TX), Rep. Gene Green, (D-TX), Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, (D-TX), Rep. Tim Holden, (D-PA), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, (D-TX), Rep. Daniel Lipinski, (D-IL), Rep. Tim Matheson, (D-UT), Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, (D-NY), Rep. Bill Owens, (D-NY), Rep. Collin Peterson, (D-MN), Rep. Mike Ross, (D-AR), Rep. Peter Visclosky, (D-IN)

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): “I'm very much for the pipeline. There is no question about that.” (Rep. Clyburn, MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” 12/14/11)

“Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas… counted more than 20 Democrats who would likely support adding the Keystone language to the payroll tax package. And he said he disagreed with Obama's threat. ‘Look, I think that'd be a mistake on the president's part,’ Ross said. ‘That's the kind of economic activity we need. It's a win-win. It reduces our dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs here at home.’” (“Dems' Keystone-Payroll Tax Dilemma,” Politico, 12/8/11)

REP. DAN BOREN (D-OK): “At a time when many are without work, it is time that we come together in a bi-partisan way to pass this legislation which will create tens of thousands of new jobs. I commend the Speaker for including the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that is supported by business and labor. I also believe that this bill should attract votes from both political parties, because it takes initiatives supported by President Obama including the payroll tax cut extension…” (Rep. Boren, Press Release, 12/12/11)

Tags: Obama, Keystone Pipeline, rejected, lost jobs To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Obama Sacrifices Pawns for Politics

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:41:00 +0000

Img Via Polifake

Americans for Prosperity today released the following television ad in six states today. The ad exposes the outrageous cronyism and disregard for American taxpayers in the growing Solyndra scandal.

Tags: Americans for Prosperity, AFP, American taxpayers, Barack Obama, Solyndra, scandal, cronyism, ad To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. He Kept His Eyes on the Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:09:00 +0000

Ken Blackwell and Bob Morrison, ARRA News Contributing Authors: Informed in 1960 that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Senior would be voting for the Protestant Richard Nixon, Sen. Jack Kennedy smiled and said: “We all have fathers.” It was typical of his wit. Kennedy’s own father was a notorious anti-Semite and appeaser. Young Jack would never repudiate Old Joe, or fail to cash Joe’s hefty checks. Kennedy would win that election and go on to present Congress with the most far-reaching civil rights legislation in a century.

"Our lives begin to end the day we
become silent about things that matter."
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

We celebrate this month the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Junior. He kept his eyes on the prize: civil rights for millions of black Americans suffering under unjust Jim Crow laws.

Racial segregation was approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in one of the worst rulings in history, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). In that case that the former Kentucky slave owner, Justice John Marshall Harlan, wrote this powerful dissent.

“The law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved... We boast of the freedom enjoyed by our people above all other peoples. But it is difficult to reconcile that boast with a state of the law which, practically, puts the brand of servitude and degradation upon a large class of our fellow-citizens, our equals before the law. The thin disguise of 'equal' accommodations for passengers in railroad coaches will not mislead any one, nor atone for the wrong this day done.”

The wrong of that day of Plessy lasted into the 1960s. Justice Harlan, a Republican appointee, ringingly proclaimed that the Constitution must be “color-blind.” Let’s honor his memory, too.

Dr. King made his point in biblical cadences. He cried out from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial :” “Let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24) Following the peaceful conclusion of that great March on Washington in August, 1963, President Kennedy invited Dr. King and the leaders of the civil rights movement to a meeting in the Oval Office.

It was not Dr. King’s first time there. President Eisenhower had made a point of inviting Dr. King to meet with him to discuss civil rights when King emerged as the leader of the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott in 1957. Dr. King and his followers refused to ride in the back of the buses that their tax dollars supported.

Ike had used his appointive powers to name Supreme Court justices who would correct the injustice of Plessy. Barely a year into Eisenhower’s first term, the high court unanimously ruled against segregation in public schools in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). And Republican Eisenhower sent federal troops into Little Rock, Arkansas when the Democratic Gov. Orval Faubus defied federal court orders to de-segregate that city’s schools.

Eisenhower was criticized endlessly by liberal elites for his emphasis on massive federal highway construction and for encouraging American prosperity. “A vast wasteland,” they dubbed TV in what all now see as its golden age. Still, it was over Ike’s new Interstate highways that the Freedom Riders of the early sixties blazed a trail to end segregation. And those TV news cameras let all Americans see, for the first time, the police dogs and fire hoses necessary to maintain segregation. Political reform followed quickly on the heels of Ike’s achievements.

When Democratic Sen. Hubert Humphrey led the fight for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he had no stronger ally than Republican Leader Everett Dirksen. Minority Republicans in the Senate gave even stronger support, proportionately, than Democrats did to push through that historic legislation.

Dr. King was willing to lay down his life. His assassination by a white racist on April 4, 1968 was the culmination of King’s lifelong advocacy of full equality under law.

“I have been to the mountain top,” Dr. King told his worried supporters in the days before his murder. He had indeed. He saw the promised land of equal justice under law. He had that vision because he kept his eyes on the prize. All Americans can be grateful for his legacy.
-------------------------
J. Ken Blackwell is a conservative family values advocate. Blackwell is a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and is a senior fellow at the Family Research Council and a visiting professor at Liberty University School of Law. Bob Morrison is a Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council. He has served at the U.S. Department of Education with Gary Bauer under then-Secretary William Bennett. Both are contributing authors to the ARRA News Service.

Tags: Martin Luther King, Ken Blackwell, Bob Morrison To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

NLRB to Host ‘Meet and Greet’ For Illegally Appointed Officials

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

The Scribe: U.S. senators never got a chance to question or vote on President Obama’s illegal appointees to the National Labor Relations Board. Now that they’ve been installed at the board, however, senators and their staff will at least have the chance to meet the individuals they were prevented from properly vetting.

The NLRB informed congressional staffers Wednesday that they would be holding an informal “meet and greet” with the three non-recess appointed board members on Thursday at 3 p.m., according to an email from the NLRB’s special counsel for congressional and intergovernmental affairs obtained by The Heritage Foundation.

I am writing to invite two members of Senator [redacted] staff to join us this Thursday at 3 pm for a small “meet and greet” with the new board members. The event will be attended by NLRB staff and a few folks from the Hill. Please let me know if anyone on the staff is interested and if so, which two members will be joining us (I need to get the names over to security). I apologize for the short notice – this is all coming together rather quickly.

Indeed it is. As Scribe has noted, the two Democrats on their way to seats at the NLRB had been nominated for less than a month before the president decided he had waited long enough. His unconstitutional appointments prevented the Senate committee handling the nominations from conducting even the most basic vetting procedures, including background checks required of all nominees for federal office.

In short, there should have been no need for a “meet and greet.” Senators could have become well-acquainted with the nominees had the president not usurped their constitutional advice-and-consent duties.
-----------------
See Also:
Obama Reelection Gambit; Ignores Constitution & Gives Big Labor the NLRB
The ‘Recess Appointments’ Are Unconstitutional . . .

Tags: national labor relations board, NLRB, recess appointment, Obama administration To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

SCOTUS Unanimous: Judges And The Govt Cannot Get Involved In Church Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

The Roberts Court 2011
(Back L to R) Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel A. Alito, Elena Kagan
(Front L to R) Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts,
Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

[1] Jesse J. Holland, GOPUSA: In a groundbreaking case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday held for the first time that religious employees of a church cannot sue for employment discrimination.

But the court's unanimous decision in a case from Michigan did not specify the distinction between a secular employee, who can take advantage of the government's protection from discrimination and retaliation, and a religious employee, who can't.

It was, nevertheless, the first time the high court has acknowledged the existence of a "ministerial exception" to anti-discrimination laws — a doctrine developed in lower court rulings. This doctrine says the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion shields churches and their operations from the reach of such protective laws when the issue involves employees of these institutions. . . . [Read More]

[2] by Peter Johnson Jr., FoxNew: Wednesday the United States Supreme Court delivered a knockout blow to the White House in the cause of religious liberty.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for a unanimous court swatted away the government’s claim that the Lutheran Church did not have the right to fire a “minister of religion” who, after six years of Lutheran religious training had been commissioned as a minister, upon election by her congregation. . . .

There was just one big problem standing in the way of the government's plan: the U.S. Constitution. For a long time American courts have recognized the existence of a "ministerial exemption" which keeps government’s hands off the employment relationship between a religious institution and its ministers or clergy.

Here, in this case, the Department of Justice had the nerve to not only challenge the exemption’s application but also its very existence.

But, Chief Justice Roberts pushed back hard, telling the government essentially to butt out: “Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister, or punishing a church for failing to do so, intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision. Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs. By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the free exercise clause, which protects a religious group’s right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments. According the state the power to determine which individuals will minister to the faithful also violates the establishment clause, which prohibits government involvement in such ecclesiastical decisions.”

Citing well-known legal precedent dating as far back as Reconstruction, the court made it clear that it is not up to the government to contradict a faith’s determination as to who should -- and should not -- be performing religious functions. . . .

The Court also took aim at Plaintiff’s Cheryl Perich’s claims for back pay finding that such relief would operate as an unconstitutional penalty against a religious institution for terminating an unwanted minister and exercising its constitutional right to make decisions about internal church governance. Unfortunately, the federal government has become expert in imposing penalties for practicing one’s faith. . . . [Read More]

[3] More Info: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC

Tags: Supreme Court, SCOTUS, unanimous decision, Hosanna-Tabor Church v. EEOC, judges, Federal Government, Churches, ministry To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Obama Insisting On Closing Gitmo; But Is Banned From Bringing Prisoners the U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:36:00 +0000

Occupy Gitmo!

AFP reports, “The White House insisted Monday that President Barack Obama was determined to close Guantanamo Bay, despite failing to do so by the war on terror camp's 10th anniversary this week. Obama declared within a few hours of taking office in January 2009 that he would shutter the camp within a year, saying it was used as a recruiting tool for terrorists, and detrimental to US national security. But in the face of deep opposition in Congress to moving inmates to the US mainland and over the idea of holding civil trials for key Al-Qaeda suspects, Obama has failed to live up to his vow. ‘The commitment that the president has to closing Guantanamo Bay is as firm today as it was during the (2008) campaign,’ said White House spokesman Jay Carney.”

But now almost 2 years after the date President Obama pledged Guantanamo would be closed by, the White House still has not presented any detailed plans on where current detainees would go or a coherent strategy to handle with enemy combatants captured on the battlefield.

In November, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “[T]he Executive Orders signed by the President in January 2009 were issued with an eye toward fulfilling Candidate Obama’s campaign promises — rather than after conducting a serious review of sound counterterrorism policy. And now, three years after taking office, the President has had enough firsthand experience dealing with terrorism to know that many of the terrorists held at Guantanamo can’t be sent back to places like Yemen, where they’re likely to return to the fight. But the President’s own Executive Orders have denied our military commanders and our intelligence community the certainty they need when they capture, detain, and interrogate terrorist suspects. His early Executive Orders, for instance, ended the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention program and directed the closing of Guantanamo. The order to close Guantanamo makes little sense.”

Despite this, according to AFP, “Carney said that Obama, top national security officials and senior members of the military still believed that closing Guantanamo was in US interests. ‘We will continue to abide by that commitment and work towards its fulfillment,’ he said.”

The recently signed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) forbids the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to US soil and sharply restricts moving such prisoners to third countries. What action is President planning to go around this ban? Will he violate the law, release all detained terrorists, or .... [your opinion]?

Tags: President Obama, Gitmo, NDAA ban, National Defense Authorization Act To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Failure Of Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:27:00 +0000

The Growing National Debt Is ‘Now As Big As The Entire U.S. Economy’ Despite President Obama’s Promises That He Would Stop Adding To It

Debt ‘Now Tops $15.23 Trillion,’ More Than ‘The Value Of All Goods And Services The U.S. Economy Produces In One Year’
“The soaring national debt has reached a symbolic tipping point: It's now as big as the entire U.S. economy.” (“U.S. Debt Is Now Equal To Economy,” USA Today, 1/9/12)

· “The amount of money the federal government owes to its creditors, combined with IOUs to government retirement and other programs, now tops $15.23 trillion. That's roughly equal to the value of all goods and services the U.S. economy produces in one year: $15.17 trillion as of September, the latest estimate.” (“U.S. Debt Is Now Equal To Economy,” USA Today, 1/9/12)

The ‘Buck Stops’ With President Obama, Who Promised ‘To Stop Adding To Our Deficit’
THEN-SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.” (Sen. Obama, Congressional Record, S.2237-8, 3/16/06)

· “The first thing you do when you're in a hole is what? … you stop digging. So the first thing that we're going to have to do is to stop adding to our deficit.” OBAMA: “Keep in mind, the first 42 presidents, they amassed $5 trillion worth of debt, the first 42 of them. The first couple of hundred years-plus of American history, we accumulated $5 trillion. Now we're at $9 trillion. That's just bad -- that's not being fiscally conservative. And so we're going to have to change our policies. Now, it's going to be -- let me say this. It's not going to be completely easy, because we're in a hole. And the first thing you do when you're in a hole is what?” (UNKNOWN): “Stop digging.” OBAMA: “Stop digging. Who got that right? There you go. You stop digging. So the first thing that we're going to have to do is to stop adding to our deficit.” (Sen. Obama, Remarks To Campaign Event, Watertown, SD, 5/16/08)

JACK LEW: “The problem is that, for years, we have just put it on the national credit card. And we have built up the debt… we say it’s time to stop.” (PBS, 2/14/11)

$4.61 Trillion Added To Debt Since January ‘09 (“The Debt To The Penny And Who Holds It,” U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 1/9/12)

Having a national debt larger than our economy basically means two things. The debt is too big, and our economy is too small. - Rep. Jim Jordan R-OH)

Tags: Failure of Leadership, National Debt, The U.S. Economy, Barack Obama To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Bye Bye Congress

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:18:00 +0000

A.F. "Tony" Branco:

Tags: dictator, Barack Obama, Congress, Us Constitution, AF Branco, political incorrect To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

H-1B Visas a Symptom of Special-Interest Influence in D.C.

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Blogs For Borders - by John Miano, Fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies, US News: Over the previous year, the United States lost 19,740 computer jobs, 107,200 engineering jobs, and 243,870 science jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In spite of massive job losses, industry has managed to use up the entire quota of H-1B visas, most of which went to foreign workers in these fields. It is likely over 100,000 H-1B visas were given out this year.

In most of America, these grim figures would end any debate on the need to import more cheap foreign labor. In a Washington that is completely beholden to lobbyists and industry campaign cash, they find ways to look the other way. As GOP Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia says, "This [H-1B] is a very important issue for the high-tech executives who give the money."[Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR) to Introduce High-Skilled Immigrant Bill.]D.C. is filled with mills that produce bogus studies to provide Congress with rose-colored glasses that deprive reality. Some studies spin H-1B workers as "entrepreneurs." Others make absurd job claims, such as that each H-1B worker creates six additional jobs (Do the math here: With around 100,000 H-1B visas a year, that would make H-1B the single largest job creation factor in the economy.)

In fact, the opposite is true. The largest users of H-1B visas are foreign offshoring companies. They use H-1B visas to provide on-site support for projected moved to other countries. In that model, each H-1B worker here is a proxy for even more jobs lost.

In spite of a long parade of damning audits on the H-1B program, Congress has done nothing to clean up the mess. Deliberate loopholes in the law allow employers to replace Americans with lower-paid H-1B workers. Working in the computer industry, I have witnessed employers openly replacing hundreds of Americans with cheaper worker on H-1B visas.[Chamber of Commerce, Bloomberg Push Immigration Reform.]H-1B supporters rarely forget to remind the public that the statute requires H-1B workers to be paid "the prevailing wage." They invariably forget that, 20,000 words later, the statute redefines the term "prevailing wage" in such a manner that an employer can legally pay a software engineer in Edison, N.J., $34,133 a year less than the median wage.

How is it possible that Americans can be fired in their own country, be replaced with foreign workers, and Congress does nothing for decades? H-1Bs, bailouts to Wall Street, and subsidies to politically connected business are all symptoms of the same problem: a government that is controlled by special interests that are antithetical to those of the American people.

Above article shared for "educational purposes" and to share the work of John Miano, Fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies. Tags: John Miano, Center for Immigration Studies, CIS, employment, economy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, immigration reform amnesty, illegal aliens To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Dire Straits of Hormuz

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:07:00 +0000

A.F. "Tony" Branco:

Tags: Barack Obama, oil, shipping, Straits of Hormuz, flow of oil, foreign countries, XP pipeline, USA, political cartoon, AF Branco To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Obama Gives Gambling a Christmas Present

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Response to “Online Casinos Gambling:”
[...] Soon as I changed to money play, I lost it all.
That defeats all odds. I believe that online casinos
are rigged. It had worked so well in practice I
was very confident. I lost $600 [...] [Source]

by Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum: Just before sneaking off to Hawaii where he barred news photos on the golf course, President Obama overturned longstanding U.S. policy that prohibited internet gambling. In yet another presidential shenanigan that bypasses U.S. law, Obama used the device of a secret Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion, dated in September and quietly released to the public on Christmas Eve.

The Justice Department opinion opens the door for all U.S. states to sell lottery tickets over the internet, and to encourage varieties of online web-based gambling such as poker. The Justice Department opinion reverses decades of previous policy that included civil and criminal charges. It undermines the U.S. Wire Act of 1961, which up to now has prohibited all wagers via telecommunications across state lines or international borders.

Eric Holder's lawyers invented the argument that the Wire Act applies only to bets on a "sporting event or contest," but not to a state's use of the internet to sell lottery tickets to adults within its borders.

The Assistant Attorney General who wrote the opinion, Virginia Seitz, claimed that the Wire Act's legislative history shows that Congress was mainly interested in internet transmission of betting information on baseball, basketball, football, boxing, and other sports-related gambling such as off-track betting on horse races. She jumped from that assertion to write that lotteries are not included in the Wire Act's prohibitions.

Seitz ignored the Wire Act's provision that gives prosecutors the power to shut down phone lines engaged in interstate or foreign gambling. Gambling law experts say that the Justice Department's opinion would eliminate almost every federal anti-gambling law that could apply to gambling that is legal under state law.

For example, Nevada and the District of Columbia have legalized poker within their jurisdictions. Under the Seitz opinion, federal law can no longer stop similar forms of gambling from expanding to other states.

Many of our 50 states may look to varieties of online gambling, such as online lotteries, to solve their budget deficit problems. Once states become dependent on gambling dollars, they search for more and more ways to entice the weakest among us to pour more of their money down the drain of gambling.

Poker, which involves elements of skill and luck, has been illegal online for real money since a 2006 law forbade financial institutions from processing funds for online wagering. Despite the U.S. ban, one survey shows that the global online gambling industry grew to $30 billion last year.

The gambling industry has become a major contributor to political candidates and parties. As one example among many, the man who invented the instant scratch-off lottery ticket is funding the campaign to replace our Electoral College with his "national popular vote."

The Justice Department's opinion is part of a multifaceted, bipartisan effort to legalize internet gambling. A House subcommittee held hearings in October and November with testimony by gambling supporters such as Frank Fahrenkopf, CEO of the American Gaming (Gambling) Association and former Republican National Committee chairman, and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who tried to repeal the 2006 law when Democrats controlled the House in 2010.

Fahrenkopf predicted how the Justice Department opinion will enable the gambling industry to hit the jackpot. He said, "It's now clear that not only can lotteries sell tickets online, but also games that look like slot machines and poker."

On the other hand, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) said that ending the federal ban on internet gambling would enable the spreading of gambling to every computer, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows phone. It would be like having a casino at everyone's fingertips, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

A warning also came from the world's richest casino owner, Sheldon Adelsen. He announced his opposition to internet gambling because the available technology is not good enough to prevent teenagers from making wagers. A report from Loma Linda Medical School in California showed that at least one out every five young people has a serious gambling-related problem, and the rate of gambling among the young is now almost double the 1988 rate.

Some people seem to think that no harm is done by lotteries; it's just individual choice. But here is the wisdom of our forefathers in an 1879 U.S. Supreme Court decision: "Lotteries ... are a species of gambling, and wrong in their influences. They disturb the checks and balances of a well-ordered community. Society built upon such a foundation would almost of necessity bring forth a population of speculators and gamblers, living on the expectation of what ... might be 'awarded' to them from the accumulations of others." (Stone v. Mississippi)

We should not permit the Obama Administration to surreptitiously change federal law in order to vastly expand the gambling industry.

Tags: Barack Obama, Obama Administration, Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel, secret opinion, Gambling, online gambling, lottery tickets, over the internet, online web-based gambling, poker, U.S. Wire Act, Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Obama's Recess Appointments Are UnConstitutional And An Abuse of Power

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:54:00 +0000

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan. 4, 2010
President Obama in a controversial move choose to unconstitutionally bypass the Senate and install Richard Cordray to run the CFPB and to make three recess appoints to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Note the U.S. Senate has remained in session meeting in pro forma sessions to prevent such an action. This action by President Obama is a destructive example of the President trying to govern without Congress. There are now constitutional as well as political questions revolving around this issue.

As background, the Senate has been meeting in a series of pro forma session to prevent President Obama from making any recess appointments. They in fact met yesterday, January 3rd and will be meeting again on January 6, 10, 13, 17, and 20. This action was taken because of the President's controversial actions of making recess appointments of candidates in his administration who were not confirmed by the Senate due to their radical beliefs outside main stream America or disqualifying actions and prior positions.

Flashback: President Obama Formerly Called Recess Appointments ‘The Wrong Thing To Do,’ And Senior Democrats Have Argued They Are An ‘Abuse Of Power, Mischievous And Troubling’
THEN-SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): Recess appointments ‘the wrong thing to do.’ “‘It’s the wrong thing to do. John Bolton is the wrong person for the job,’ said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a member of Foreign Relations Committee.” (“Officials: White House To Bypass Congress For Bolton Nomination,” The Associated Press, 7/30/05)

·    OBAMA: A recess appointee is ‘damaged goods… we will have less credibility.’ “To some degree, he's damaged goods… somebody who couldn't get through a nomination in the Senate. And I think that that means that we will have less credibility...” (“Bush Sends Bolton To U.N.” The State Journal-Register [Springfield, IL], 8/2/05)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): ‘An end run around the Senate and the Constitution.’ “I will keep the Senate in pro forma session to block the President from doing an end run around the Senate and the Constitution with his controversial nominations.” (Sen. Reid, Congressional Record, S.15980, 12/19/07)

·    REID: ‘They are mischievous.’ “Also, understand this: We have had a difficult problem with the President now for some time. We don't let him have recess appointments because they are mischievous, and unless we have an agreement before the recess, there will be no recess. We will meet every third day pro forma, as we have done during the last series of breaks.” (Sen. Reid, Congressional Record, S.7558, 7/28/08)

·    REID: Recess appointments an ‘abuse of power.’ “Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) denounced the appointment as ‘the latest abuse of power by the Bush administration,’ adding that Bolton would arrive at the UN ‘with a cloud hanging over his head’ because he could not win confirmation.” (“Bush Puts Bolton In UN Post,” Chicago Tribune, 8/2/05)

·    REID: A recess appointee will have ‘a cloud hanging over his head.’ “Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) denounced the appointment as ‘the latest abuse of power by the Bush administration,’ adding that Bolton would arrive at the UN ‘with a cloud hanging over his head’ because he could not win confirmation.” (“Bush Puts Bolton In UN Post,” Chicago Tribune, 8/2/05)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): ‘Troubling.’ “When you have an appointment that is this critical and this sensitive, and the president basically says he's going to ignore the will of the senate and push someone through, it really is troubling.” (“Bush Sends Bolton To U.N.” The State Journal-Register [Springfield, IL], 8/2/05)

·    DURBIN: ‘Could easily be unconstitutional.’ “I agree with Senator Kennedy that Mr. Pryor's recess appointment, which occurred during a brief recess of Congress, could easily be unconstitutional. It was certainly confrontational. Recess appointments lack the permanence and independence contemplated by the Framers of the Constitution.” (Sen. Durbin, Congressional Record, S.6253, 6/9/05)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA): Recess appointments an ‘abuse [of] the power of the presidency.’ “‘It’s sad but not surprising that this White House would abuse the power of the presidency to reward a donor over the objections of the Senate,’ Kerry said in a statement ...” (“Recess Appointments Granted to ‘Swift Boat’ Donor, 2 Other Nominees,” The Washington Post, 4/5/07)

SEN. FRANK LAUTENBERG (D-NJ): “…bends the rules and circumvents the will of Congress.” (“President Sends Bolton to U.N.; Bypasses Senate,” The New York Times, 8/2/05)

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “Senate confirmation of presidential appointees is an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power and protects Montanans and all Americans by ensuring that crucial questions are asked of the nominee — and answered…” in a statement reminds the public that the CFPB’s big problems are its lack of transparency and accountability:

"[A]n unreformed, unaccountable CFPB would threaten our recovery at the worst possible time. The current structure of the CFPB will breed uncertainty, restrict credit, and stifle innovation when we need it most.

The fixes are obvious and necessary. First, the CFPB is exempt from nearly all the checks and balances that keep other independent regulatory bodies, like the Consumer Product Safety Commission, transparent and accountable. The CFPB is led by a single, powerful director—the agency’s only Senate-approved position. Its top post carries a five-year term, and the director can’t be fired, even by the president, outside of extraordinary circumstances. The CFPB’s power should be decentralized through a bipartisan panel of commissioners, ensuring balanced debate and a diversity of viewpoints.

Second, that powerful director controls an annual budget exceeding $500 million. Neither Congress nor the administration has any say on how that money is spent. This needs to change. The CFPB’s budget must be submitted to Congress to ensure oversight of the agency’s spending and policy priorities.

Third, the CFPB has been empowered to ban or change financial services or products without sufficient coordination with federal banking regulators. That means so-called consumer protections could come at the cost of financial institutions’ stability. And if banks are pushed into failure by new rules, the collateral damage will hit consumers. There must be a meaningful safety and soundness check that will factor in the impact of the CFPB’s rules.

Senator john Boozman (R-AR) who generally mild in his responses said today that President Obama committed a “gross overstep” with today’s unprecedented recess appointment of Richard Cordray as director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB), a move made for the first time while the Senate is in “pro forma” session.

“This is a gross overstep by the President. Steamrolling the Constitution and rewriting the rules when you don’t get your way is not how democracy works. We have a system of checks and balances that President Obama has failed to respect through this abuse of power.

"Last month, Mr. Cordray’s nomination was taken up in the Senate and was not approved. I joined my colleagues in opposition, not on the basis of Mr. Cordray’s personal merits, but over concerns about the structure of this new agency. The Dodd-Frank Law has given the CFPB enormous powers with little to no accountability. Instead of working with us to fix this defectively structured agency, the President has chosen to continue his misguided practice of circumventing Congress.”

The CFPB was created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which President Obama signed into law last year. As a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Boozman voted against that bill because it would create permanent bailouts, reward failed regulators and make it more difficult for consumers to access credit.

U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) issued the following statement: "Today, the White House doubled down on its assault on the Constitution’s separation of powers – circumventing the people’s representatives in Congress - by not only appointing a new regulatory czar, but also new bureaucrats to the National Labor Relations Board to placate its big labor allies. The President put his own political future and the radical views of his far-left base ahead of constitutional government. The President will have to answer to the American people for this power grab."

The Heritage Foundation identified, "There’s just one problem: The U.S. Senate is not in recess. The decision to appoint these officials nonetheless appears to contradict the Obama administration’s own stated position on the issue.

According to Obama’s own Justice Department, the president is in the wrong. During a 2010 Supreme Court hearing, Chief Justice John Roberts and Deputy Solicitor General Neal Katyal had this exchange, in which the latter admitted that recess appointments may not be made within three days of adjournment."

It has become very clear that President Obama wants to continue the status quo: more spending, bigger government, and less freedom. And, he is part of a Washington Establishment that undermines conservatives at every turn.
-------------
Related Articles:
Obama DOJ Undercuts President’s ‘Recess’ Appointment Stunt
Flashback: Senator Outlines Objections to ‘Unaccountable’ Consumer Czar
An Unaccountable CFPB Threatens Recovery

Tags: Barack Obama, unconstitutional appointments, appointments, NLRB, CFPB To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Union Tuggery Via Outright Theft By Union Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:36:00 +0000

Remember Card Check?
Toon by Eric Alley

Ozark Guru: Remember the Thuggery by Union Leaders pushing Card Check -- the removal of the secret vote of the workers. Now, as detailed below, we note that the influence of the Obama connected Chicago political machine may have even influenced the punishment for a Chicago SEIU Union Leader. Instead of embezzlement and grand larceny and setting an example that theft by union leaders of its members funds will not be tolerated, we note a minimum slap on the hands. The thug steals $12,460 which is grand larceny for the average person or average union worker. However, the resulting charges are still embezzlement of funds and falsifying union financial records become far less.

John McMahon, former PRESIDENT of Workers United Local 335-T, the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois pleads guilty to the reduced charge of "making false entries in union financial records." There was absolutely no conviction for theft! McMahon was ordered to pay back the stolen $12,460 plus -- wait for it -- a $25 special assessment. He steals union members money and when caught is punished less than a parking ticket.

What about the court costs and the cost of the investigation? Zip, Nada! And - NO JAIL time! He did get two years of probation with six months of it in home confinement. Home confinement means he could invite his Union lieutenants and political contacts over for strategy meetings.

It appears that there were other issues at work behind the scenes in this case. Did McMahon have special information or a "get out of jail ' card with the Obama administration of the Department of Justice? Apparently, neither the US Justice Department headed by Attorney General Eric Holder signaled an interest in punishing the Chicago Service Employees International Union (SEIU) union leader. Was there a need to protect this Union leader or the influence on other union leaders needed to pressure workers or to even to fund democrat campaigns? Where was the DOJ on this conviction? Just asking questions!

Also, it is noticeable that former Illinois governor who stole nothing but did threaten the image of the Chicago based Obama machine got 14 years in prison. However, a Chicago SEIU Union leader who steals $12 Grand, gets a $25 fine and home confinement for six months and NO time in prison or the local jail. You decide - did the punishment fit the crime! Here is more on the Union leader story ...

SEIU affiliate president steals from employees… gets sent to his room
By Rebecca DiFede — Imagine someone broke into your home and stole several thousand dollars worth of your belongings, including your brand new car. And then, when they were arrested, in addition to having to repay you monetarily for what they stole, they only got probation and a miniscule fine. You’d be pretty upset, right?

Well apparently that is how little the United States government cares about theft. Recently the former President of the Workers United Local 335-T union in Chicago, John McMahon, a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) affiliate, was arrested for embezzlement of funds and falsifying union financial records. He was sentenced to two years probation with six months of home-confinement, forced to pay restitution and also an additional $25 fine.

Yes that’s right folks. The third facet of the punishment was less than the average parking ticket. For stealing money from his union and their members, and falsifying documents to try and ensure he wouldn’t get caught, this man gets sent to his room and slapped on the wrist with less money than he spends on gas.

Fraud used to be a crime that inspired anger into the hearts of Americans and resulted in the fair punishment of the perpetrators. Now it seems that in the aftermath of Enron, Tyco, Corzine and Madoff, anything worth less than a billion is considered ‘not really stolen’.

But that’s just typical. Lying is the official language of American politicians, and it seems that those on the left are extremely fluent.

The big question is, however, why the special treatment? Martha Stewart followed the advice of her finance broker in 2000 and sold some stocks, and was convicted of insider trading, serving 5 months in jail and two years supervised release, 5 months of which were to be served as home confinement. But the big union boss who stole money from his own people gets probation and a fine less than a lunch for two?

I guess the left has a sixth sense, because it seems Boss Tweed has come back from the dead. Forget the law, we must appease the boss!

And it seems it’s not even about what you steal, or how much, but whether or not you’re lining the governments pockets. It’s no secret that Obama has long since gotten into bed with Big Labor, but who knew all that pillow talk extended to the courts?

The SEIU is the same organization who, as previously reported by NetRightDaily, was caught extorting money from the families of cerebral palsy patients, and so the standards of decency are about the same as hiring one of Governor Spitzer’s extra-curricular friends and bringing her as your date to a charity event.

These self-serving purple shirted thugs posing as union bosses are the monsters hiding under your bed, and if you don’t feed them, you might find yourself out on the street before you can even reach for the light switch. Big Labor will stop at nothing to extort its way into your wallet, and when one of their own gets caught in a lie, they pull strings on the illustrious presidential marionette, making sure everyone knows who’s in their corner.

But like flies to sewers these greedy grinches can’t lay low for too long. And as soon as one of their greasy fingers leaves a trail paved with lies, hopefully someone will take care to walk on the grass, lest they get stuck in the filthy cement of corruption that stops just short of the purple door.
Rebecca DiFede is a contributing editor to Americans for Limited Government.

Tags: Big Labor, SEIU, thuggery, Union leader, theft, District Court, DOJ, Eric Holder, cartoon, Eric Allie To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

No, Marco Rubio does not support SOPA

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:39:00 +0000

by the Sarah Rumpf on The Minority Report: The internet makes sharing information quick and easy, but sometimes it also facilitates the spread of misinformation. Such is the case with HR 3261, the Stop Internet Piracy Act ("SOPA").

Let me take a quick moment and point out that I do not support SOPA. Erick Erickson wrote a post last week that lays out some of the main problems with the bill, but the short story is that it gives too much power to a government agency without proper safeguards to protect free speech.

I have seen some chatter online this month criticizing Senator Marco Rubio for supporting SOPA, but this criticism is misdirected. Part of the confusion seems to stem from Rubio's co-sponsorship of a separate bill in the Senate, S. 968, the Protect IP Act.

The Protect IP Act does allow the Attorney General to pursue action against websites that commit infringement of intellectual property rights, but there are several key restrictions in the grant of this power. First, the Act targets only "nondomestic domain names" (see Section 2(9) for definition), so no American-hosted website could be affected.

Second, the Act only allows action against websites that are "dedicated to infringing activities" (see Sections 2(7)(A) and (B)) or, in other words, websites that have "no significant use other than engaging in, enabling, or facilitating" copyright infringement, selling or distributing counterfeit goods, etc. Note also that the Act cites existing copyright laws and standards, meaning that the already-established standards for fair use and other limitations on copyright law apply in this situation.

Finally, and most importantly, the Act establishes procedures for notice, service of process, and court review before action could be taken (see, e.g., Section 3(b)(2) and (c)).

The bottom line is that the Protect IP Act is designed to target the Chinese website that is selling unauthorized copies of Lion King DVDs, a Russian website selling counterfeit Coach purses, a Canadian website selling fake prescription drugs, etc., not to block your blog because you embedded a YouTube video that infringed on someone else's intellectual property.

I don't trust Eric Holder, not one bit, but this Act is not going to give him carte blanche to go wild shutting down websites he doesn't like (and I truly believe he would happily do so if we gave him that power).

Just to make sure I was absolutely clear, I called and spoke with a friend in Senator Rubio's office earlier today and confirmed that Rubio "absolutely, positively does not support" SOPA. SOPA is a House bill, with completely different wording from anything in the Senate (including the Protect IP Act), and if SOPA does pass the House and come over to the Senate, Rubio will oppose it.

Copyright infringement and counterfeiting costs American artists, inventors, and companies a significant amount of money every year, and unfortunately, many foreign governments not only condone this theft of American intellectual property, they encourage it (cough, cough, we're looking at you, China). That's what is concerning Rubio, not any desire to censor the internet or stifle free speech.

Far too many of the posts I've seen on this issue have exaggerated the situation, jumped to conclusions, and unfairly assigned sinister motivations to Rubio and others. As I said earlier, I will not defend SOPA nor its sponsors (I think Erickson is correct to call for them to be primaried) but going after Rubio is misguided and unproductive. He’s on our side. We have a lot of vitally important battles to fight in the next few years. Let's keep our gunpowder dry for the targets that deserve it, instead of launching premature attacks on fellow Republicans.

Tags: Florida, U.S. Senator, Marco Rubio, SOPA, HR 3261, the Stop Internet Piracy Act, censorship, internet, internet censorship, Senate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Happy New Normal!

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

by William Warren:

Tags: Barack Obama, New Year, 2012, record unemployment, record poverty, downgraded U.S. credit, high misery index, government programs, William Warren, political cartoon To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Congress Where Is Our Return In Investment?

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:03:00 +0000

By the Bankrupting America Team: Before we spend money on something, what’s the first thing we ask ourselves? What are we getting out of this? Whether it’s a mother buying groceries for her family or an investor buying stocks, it all comes down to return on investment.

We should be asking the same thing when it comes to our tax dollars. We spend trillions of dollars funding the government every year, it’s only prudent to step back and consider what we’re getting for it. The following infographic takes a crack at this. But rather than breaking down the entire federal government, it allows you to examine if we’re getting our money’s worth from Congress.

Click infographic To See Full Size

Did You Get Your Money’s Worth?
Another year is coming to a close, and one that was marked by Congressional battles
to lower the deficit and cut excessive government spending. What did Washington
accomplish in 2011? Did they get anything done? Did they cut spending?

Spotlight on 2011
• A Spending Overview
• Legislative Accomplishments

A Spending Overview
2011 was a year marked by congressional battles over deficit reduction. In the end, we saw the downgrade of our nation’s credit rating¹, and we saw the debt and deficit increase yet again during Fiscal Year 2011.

As we take a look back, here is a solid breakdown of what was taken in and what
was spent during the last fiscal year:
• Revenue: 2.302 trillion²
• Spending: 3.601 trillion³
• Deficit in FY2011: $1.297 trillion⁴

The federal debt was directly impacted by Washington’s bloated spending, as debt
totals reached new records standing at nearly $15.129 trillion⁵.

Congress gets paid a lot to pass laws that keep the country running. This year, the
salaries of members Congress and their allowances broke down as follows:⁶
Speaker of the House: $223,500
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders and Senate President Pro Tempore: $193,400 x 5 = $967,000
Other Representatives and Senators: $174,000 x 535⁷= $93.09 million

Budgets in House and Senate:⁸
Average Budget for all 441 House ofﬁces (including Resident Commissioner and Delegates): $1,446,009 x 441 = $637,689,969
Average Budget for all 100 Senate ofﬁces: $3,409,093⁹ x 100 = $340,909,300

Legislative Accomplishments¹⁰
But did Washington accomplish what it was paid to accomplish? This year, the number of bills cleared by Congress and the President reached signiﬁcant lows. Throughout
the calendar year, just over 70 bills were signed into law, a fraction of recent year totals.
Total bills signed into law:¹¹
• 2011: 70+
• 2010: 258
• 2009: 125
• 2008: 285

Furthermore, the number of bills passed by either chamber also failed to reach levels comparable to recent years.
Total measures passed by chamber¹²:
• House passed (2011, as of November): 326 bills
• House passed (2009): 970 bills
• House passed (2007): 1,127 bills
• Senate passed (2011, as of November): 368 bills
• Senate passed (2009): 478 bills
• Senate passed (2007): 621 bills

It should be clearly noted that it is impossible to measure the work of Congress based upon the number of measures passed. In some years, they pass lots of bills, buts lots of bills does not always equal sound economic policy. That being said, the number of measures passed by the House and Senate are one way to measure the productivity of Congress, but it doesn’t always tell the full story.

So what significant legislation was passed? Let’s take a glance. Highlighting 2011¹³:
• 13 of the 70+ bills passed named post offices or courthouses.
• The Budget Control Act raised the debt ceiling, led to the establishment of the super committee, and laid the groundwork for the upcoming sequester.

Other significant legislation includes:¹⁴
• Two extensions of certain Small Business Administration programs
• Transportation extension
• Four FAA extensions
• A repeal of the 1099 tax reporting requirement in the health care bill
• An extension of Patriot Act
• Intelligence authorization
• Three trade bills
• A veterans’ compensation cost of living allowance

So what do you think? Did you get your money’s worth?

1 Washington Post: S&P downgrades U.S. credit rating for first time. August 6, 2011.
2 CBO: Monthly Budget Review. FY2011. November 7, 2011.
3 Ibid.
4 Treasury Monthly Statement. November 2011.
5 Treasury: December 23, 2011.
6 Office of the Clerk: FAQ’s. #14.
7 Includes the Resident Commissioner and Delegates.
8 CRS: Congressional Salaries and Allowances. June 28, 2011. Pg. 3.
9 Congress passed a subsequent law that slightly reduced the Senate’s budget, but these numbers have not been updated by the Congressional Research Service.
10 All accomplishments as of December 19, 2011.
11 Government Printing Office. Public Laws; Library of Congress. Public Laws.
a) As of December 27, 2011, the Library of Congress tally’s 73 bills for 2011; this is not the final tally, however. It will likely be slightly higher.
b) For laws that were passed by Congress in one calendar year, (i.e., December 2010) but signed into law into the following year (i.e., January 2011), the law was counted when it passed Congress (i.e., 2010).
12 Washington Post: In 2011, fewer bills, fewer laws and plenty of blame. December 5, 2011.
13 Library of Congress: Public Laws.
14 Ibid.
Bankrupting America December 2011

Tags: Congress, Congressional pay, Congressional salaries, effective governing, Government Spending, infographic, irresponsible governing, public pay, taxpayer funded, Bankrupting America To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

No Ticker-tape Parades Planned For Returning Iraq War Vets

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Below are two related articles about the White House disregarding our returning Veterans.

Obama Disrespects Our Troops
Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Here's another disturbing report from the Associated Press: "Americans probably won't be seeing a huge ticker-tape parade anytime soon for troops returning from Iraq." Two New York City councilmen -- not surprisingly both Republicans -- are calling for a ticker-tape parade similar to one held at the end of the first Gulf War, which was paid for with private donations.

As one of the councilmen said, "The sports celebrations that we've had in New York for the Yankees and the Mets were amazing. But these are the real heroes." I agree. The Associated Press article notes, "In Washington, federal agencies take the lead on planning parades, and so far nothing is in the works." Why not?

In the 60s and 70s, left-wing radicals infamously spit on our soldiers returning home from Vietnam. Barack Obama is smarter than that. Yet his administration is not taking the initiative to organize a national salute our heroes. Perhaps he's too afraid of offending the radical left-wing base of his party as we approach the 2012 elections. But as Calvin Coolidge once said, "The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten."
-------------
Gary Bauer is is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

Ticker-tape parade planned for Iraq vets? Not anymore
Stars and Stripes - Leo Shane III Reporting: WASHINGTON — No ticker-tape parades or flashy nationwide tributes for returning Iraq War veterans are planned right now, but not long ago government officials were preparing a posh celebration of the returning heroes and their overseas victory.

In 2006 and 2007, Congress set aside $20 million in its annual defense budget bills for a party in the nation’s capital to honor the achievements of U.S. troops at the conclusion of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. . . .

The White House still holds that authority, but funding for the celebration was shifted elsewhere by lawmakers in early 2007, as Congress fought over whether to support President George W. Bush’s proposed “surge” of troops into Iraq.

Officials from New York and Washington this week said they’d be open to such a post-war celebration, but federal officials would have to take the lead. Pentagon spokesmen this week said they have not been instructed to plan any such events. White House officials declined comment. . . . [Full Story]

Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families,Returning military, troops, President Obama, disrespecting troops, Stars and Stripes, no parade, no ticker-tape parade To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Midweek Funnies: Obama's Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:51:00 +0000

A.F. "Tony" Branco:

Michael Ramirez:

Tags: A.F. Branco, political cartoon, Obama, jobs, lazer focus, Michael Rameriz, Barack Obama, Media, Culture, Economy, Budget, Tax Policy, Government, Politics To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

American Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:42:00 +0000

American Dream: Dedication pix

Dr. Bill Smith, Ozark Guru: I was humbled and blessed to receive a note from Laurie Sterling. It read, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for serving in the USAF to defend my freedom! We need you, brother, we need you, now more than ever!" She included her video tiled the American Dream. I hope readers will also enjoy and share this video with others.

It is a patriotic anthem for all Americans who love the U.S.A. and was dedicated to all who have worn the uniform to defend our freedoms and first responders. It even meant more because Laurie also wrote the song did the video layout. Patrick Bolen sings the song on the video and the music production was by Mark Keefner.

[Video Source]

Tags: American Dream, video, song, American, dream, United States, freedom, liberty, USA, patriotic, George Washington, Jesus, Savior, Pride, America patriot, tea party, founding fathers, U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Patriotism, military, Bible, guns, freedom, Laurie Sterling, Patrick Bolen, veteran, Bill Smith To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

Merry Christmas 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Remembering the Reason For The Season.
Christ's Birth!
To all Patriots and Friends,
Merry Christmas!

Tags: Christmas, 2011, Merry Christmas, Christ's Birth To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!

The Birth Of Christ And The Birth Of America Are Linked

noreply@blogger.com (Bill Smith) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:04:00 +0000

By Dr. Chuck Baldwin: As we approach the celebration of Christ's birth, I am reminded of the words of John Quincy Adams. On July 4, 1837, he spoke these words:

"Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day? ... Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth. That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity, and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets six hundred years before?"

Adams was exactly right: America's birth is directly linked to the birth of our Savior. In fact, the United States of America is the only nation established by Christian people, founded upon Biblical principles, and dedicated to the purpose of religious liberty. This truth is easily observed within America's earliest history.

America’s forebears first established a written covenant with God as early as November 11, 1620, when they penned The Mayflower Compact. It states in part:

"In the name of God, Amen. ... Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and Honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience."

The sentiments and statements of America's founders make it clear that this nation has enjoyed a love and appreciation for the rights and freedoms recognized in Natural Law that is unique in the annals of human history. No other people have such a heritage.

One thing America's founders could not envision was - after they had paid so terrible a price to purchase our liberties - that the time would come when their posterity would be denied the basic freedoms to publicly express their reverence for God. Never could they have imagined that the day would come when citizens of the sovereign states (each with a State constitution protecting religious liberty) would be denied their right to pray in school, or place Nativity scenes on public property, or hang copies of the Ten Commandments on courthouse walls.

I am also confident that America's founders would be completely repulsed by the way the United States has jumped headlong into corporatism, socialism, and globalism. At the national level, Democrats and Republicans alike have created a central government so large that it would be unrecognizable to any Founding Father (even Alexander Hamilton or John Adams). In addition, both Big Business and Big Religion have sold our great country down the old proverbial river. Truly, our Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves.

Therefore, at this Christmas season, let us remember well the founding principles of these United States of America. Furthermore, let us renew with vigor the fight for freedom before our liberties and our heritage are gone altogether.

From my family to yours: Merry Christmas!
--------------
Dr. Chuck Baldwin formerly of Florida now resides in Montana where he is Pastor of Liberty Fellowship in Kaspell, Montana. Dr. Baldwin also addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of view. Chuck Baldwin is a writer/columnist whose articles and political commentaries are carried by a host of Internet sites, newspapers, news magazines and the ARRA News Service. In 2008, Chuck was the Constitution Party Presidential Candidate. In Nov., 2011, he announced that he is a Republican Candidate for Montana Lt. Governor with Bob Fanning Candidate for Governor.

Tags: Dr. Chuck Baldwin, Birth Of Christ, Birth Of America To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to America's Best Choice. Thanks!