Politics
10/28/2011 | Law, Politics
Tea Party to Mayor: Make ‘Occupy Richmond’ Pay Up
CBS Washington
The Richmond Tea Party is accusing Mayor Dwight Jones of taking a soft stance against the “Occupy Richmond” protesters and is demanding that the group pay up.
After nearly three weeks of protests and overnight stays in Kanawha Plaza, the Richmond Tea Party is about to send Jones a bill for about $8,000 on the basis that “Occupy Richmond” has been using the area illegally and for free.
Richmond Tea Party spokeswoman Colleen Owens told CBS Washington that the protesters have been given special treatment and free reign of the park and have not had to comply with the strict liability and security provisions that the city required of a Tea Party Tax Day in 2009.
9/14/2011 | Homosexuality, Politics, Pro-Family
Upset Win: Republican Takes Weiner’s Seat GOP upset win in NY portends challenge for Obama
Associated Press
It sounded improbable on the surface that a New York City congressional district where Democrats have a 3-1 registration edge and have held office for nearly a century could even come close to electing a Republican to the U.S. House.
But voter frustration over the sour economy and President Barack Obama's policies made the improbable a reality, as a Republican political novice, Bob Turner, scored an upset victory in a special election Tuesday over David Weprin, a Democratic assemblyman from a prominent local political family.
The surprising results in the Brooklyn and Queens-area district portend a perilous national environment for Obama as he prepares to seek re-election next year.
Turner said as much when he stepped before cameras to claim victory Tuesday night.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Phil Burress, President, Citizens for Community ValuesAlan Chambers, President, Exodus InternationalRev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteScott Davis, Director of Student Ministries, Exodus InternationalLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyTodd Friel, Radio Host, Way of the MasterFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyMike Gottfried, Founder, Team FocusRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Dr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkAlex McFarland, President, Southern Evangelical SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinJeff Myers, Incoming President, Summit MinistriesElizabeth Racine, Founder, Moralert.comPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteRandy Thomas, Executive Vice President, Exodus InternationalDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com7/1/2011 | Character and Ethics, Governmental Control, Healthcare, Politics
Citing Evidence They Call 'Contradictory' to Kagan's Confirmation Testimony, 49 Lawmakers Call for Judiciary Committee Investigation
CNS News
Forty-nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives--including the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and two presidential candidates--are pointing to evidence they say is "contradictory" to Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's confirmation testimony and calling for the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the matter.
The lawmakers also say they believe that evidence already made public shows that Kagan must recuse herself from any court cases involving the health care bill signed into law by President Barack Obama while she was serving as Obama's solicitor general.
"We respectfully call upon the House Judiciary Committee to promptly investigate the extent to which U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan was involved in preparing a legal defense of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) during her tenure as Solicitor General," the 49 lawmakers wrote in a letter to Rep. Lamar Smith (R.-Texas), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Rep. John Conyers (D.-Mich.), the ranking member of the committee.
"Contradictory to her 2010 confirmation testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently released Department of Justice (DOJ) documents indicate that Justice Kagan actively participated with her Obama Administration colleagues in formulating a defense of PPACA," the letter said.
The letter pointed to documents released by the Justice Department as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request that was filed by CNSNews.com on May 25, 2010 and that is now the subject of a federal court case pitting the Media Research Center--CNSNews.com's parent organization--and the U.S. Justice Department, which is asking a federal judge to block any further release of documents sought under the FOIA request.
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Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisMichael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Twila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Healthcare FreedomPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipJeffrey Conway, Former CFO, Ruth’s Chris SteakhouseMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationWilliam Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Coordinator of the Apolo, Westminster Theological SeminarySteve Elliott, President, Grassfire.orgJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyRon Ferner, Dean of the School of Business and Leadership, Philadelphia Biblical UniversityFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationMike Gottfried, Founder, Team FocusRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationWayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studie, Phoenix SeminaryColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USADr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesJulius Kim, Westminster Seminary CaliforniaPhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessCliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.Peter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkAlex McFarland, President, Southern Evangelical SeminaryFran McGowen, Founder and President , CarSenseDavid "Mac" Mcquiston, President/CEO, CEO Forum, Inc.Ryan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage FoundationJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinJeff Myers, Incoming President, Summit MinistriesGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)K. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological SeminaryAndrew Peterson, Reformed Theological Seminary, Virtual CampusVern Poythress, Westminster Theological SeminaryGale Radebaugh, Vice President, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ret.), Pfizer ResearchPhil Ryken, President-Elect , Wheaton CollegePhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateLorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources ProjectJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias ResDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com3/10/2011 | Politics, Radical Islam, Terrorism
Anti-American propaganda is 'real news,' huh?
OneNewsNow
Speaking recently before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded the pro-Arab network Al-Jazeera while criticizing U.S. broadcasters.
While defending her department budget before a committee of lawmakers, Clinton said Al-Jazeera is gaining more stature in the U.S. because it offers -- what she called -- "real news." Speaking on C-SPAN, she said:
"In fact viewership of al-Jazeera is going up in the United States because it's real news. You may not agree with it, but you feel like you're getting real news around the clock instead of a million commercials and, you know, arguments between talking heads and the kind of stuff that we do on our news which, you know, is not particularly informative to us, let alone foreigners."
Dan Gainor is vice president of business and culture at the Media Research Center.
"She's frustrated that they're out there doing a better job of propaganda, apparently, than the United States is doing," he remarks. "[Did] you hear what she cites? She cites specifically 'state news networks' that propagandize against the United States. And so then she, of course, says Al-Jazeera, that's what people watch. Well, of course -- it's the pro-terrorist network and it's got a lot of attention around the globe."
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Zakariah Anani, Shoebat FoundationJoel Anderson, Assemblyman, California State AssemblyPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteMajor Eric Egland, Author, The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help...Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USAPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJan Markell, President, Olive Tree MinistriesJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinKamal Saleem, Shoebat FoundationWalid Shoebat, President, Shoebat FoundationWilliam Sutter, Executive Director, The Friends of IsraelTimothy Watkins, Producer/Director, Renegade ProductionsDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com2/10/2011 | Foreign Policy, Politics
Egypt's govt resists mounting pressure for change
Reuters
Egypt's government resisted growing pressure on Thursday from key ally the United States and from a still energetic popular protest movement, both demanding radical and immediate political change.
Concern in the business community and the wider population about the economic impact of more than two weeks of disruption is adding to strains facing the cabinet appointed 10 days ago by President Hosni Mubarak to try to stave off the unprecedented challenge to his 30 years of one-man rule.
An outbreak of strikes by Egyptian workers, emboldened by the anti-government protests across the Arab world's most populous nation, is compounding the challenge to Mubarak.
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Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USACliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.Joe Murray, Columnist, The Bulletin11/22/2010 | Politics
Gallup Poll: Tea Party support grows; USA divided
USA Today - Washington, D.C.
Just about as many Americans want Tea Party-backed members of Congress to take the lead in setting policy during the next year as choose President Obama, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds. In a survey taken Friday through Sunday, 28% say Obama should have the most influence on government policy next year while 27% say the Tea Party standard-bearers should. GOP congressional leaders are chosen by 23%, Democratic congressional leaders by 16%. The results reflect the strength of the Tea Party movement as the GOP prepares to take control of the House of Representatives in January.
10/25/2010 | Politics
Cities Weigh Letting Noncitizens Vote
Fox News
Like his neighbors, Claude Rwaganje pays taxes on his income and taxes on his cars. His children have gone to Portland's public schools. He's interested in the workings of Maine's largest city, which he has called home for 13 years.
There's one vital difference, though: Rwaganje isn't a U.S. citizen and isn't allowed to vote on those taxes or on school issues. That may soon change.
Portland residents will vote Nov. 2 on a proposal to give legal residents who are not U.S. citizens the right to vote in local elections, joining places like San Francisco and Chicago that have already loosened the rules or are considering it.
Noncitizens hold down jobs, pay taxes, own businesses, volunteer in the community and serve in the military, and it's only fair they be allowed to vote, Rwaganje said.
7/20/2010 | Governmental Control, Politics
Effort to bypass Electoral College gains momentum
One News Now
An author and political analyst reports an effort is afoot by well-funded liberal activists to effectively get rid of the Electoral College in its present form, without having to use the constitutional amendment process.
A group called National Popular Vote (NPV) is pushing state legislatures to enter into a compact that calls for them to allocate their electoral votes in a particular presidential election to the candidate who gets the most votes nationwide rather than to the contender who gets the most votes in their state. NPV argues that the legislation "would reform the Electoral College so that the electoral vote reflects the choice of the nation's voters" for president.
However, Tara Ross, author of Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College, cautions that under such a plan, the 11 largest states -- with a total of 271 electoral votes -- could band together and elect the president.
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Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationSteve Elliott, President, Grassfire.orgJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USACliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.Jennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkRyan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage FoundationJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateLorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources Project6/10/2010 | Politics
Women 'refashioning' GOP
OneNewsNow
A mainstream women's organization that supports the principles of economic liberty, personal responsibility, and political freedom says Tuesday night's primary was a big night for conservative women.
California Republicans picked two highly successful businesswomen on Tuesday to represent the GOP in November. Carly Fiorina, a former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, will challenge three-term Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in the fall, and Republican Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, will run for governor against former Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.
"I think it was a big night for conservative women," comments Sabrina Schaeffer, senior fellow at the Independent Women's Forum (IWF). "These are all candidates who campaigned on a return to limited government, lowering taxes, and increasing individual freedom, and I think that's really the token to take away from the victories."
5/19/2010 | Character and Ethics, Politics
Primary Election Results Reflect Anti-Washington, Anti-Establishment Mood
Associated Press
With the electorate's intense anger reverberating across the country, this is all but certain: It's an anti-Washington, anti-establishment year. And candidates with ties to either better beware.
Any doubt about just how toxic the political environment is for congressional incumbents and candidates hand-picked by national Republican and Democratic leaders disappeared late Tuesday, when voters fired Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, forced Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln into a run-off in Arkansas and chose tea party darling Rand Paul to be the GOP nominee in Kentucky's Senate race.
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Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisMichael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipJeffrey Conway, Former CFO, Ruth’s Chris SteakhouseChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationWilliam Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Coordinator of the Apolo, Westminster Theological SeminaryRon Ferner, Dean of the School of Business and Leadership, Philadelphia Biblical UniversityFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationMike Gottfried, Founder, Team FocusWayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studie, Phoenix SeminaryColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USADr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesJulius Kim, Westminster Seminary CaliforniaPhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationAlex McFarland, President, Southern Evangelical SeminaryFran McGowen, Founder and President , CarSenseDavid "Mac" Mcquiston, President/CEO, CEO Forum, Inc.Ryan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage FoundationJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinJeff Myers, Incoming President, Summit MinistriesK. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological SeminaryAndrew Peterson, Reformed Theological Seminary, Virtual CampusVern Poythress, Westminster Theological SeminaryGale Radebaugh, Vice President, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ret.), Pfizer ResearchPhil Ryken, President-Elect , Wheaton CollegeChuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias ResDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com1/28/2010 | Politics, Presidential Issues
Obama Touted His Administration’s Anti-Lobbying Pledge, Even Though He’s Violated It
CNS News
In his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Barack Obama returned to his campaign themes of ethics and transparency, touting his administration as an example of one that is setting new standards.
“That’s what I came to Washington to do,” Obama told a joint session of Congress and the nation Wednesday night. “That’s why – for the first time in history – my administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.”
However, the Obama administration has come under scrutiny for violating that pledge. The Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check Web site PolitiFact was quick to call Obama out regarding lobbyists.
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Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USADr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)6/19/2009 | Gun Control, Politics
Republican: Will Sotomayor represent 'all of us'?
Associated Press
A GOP senator said Thursday he will use hearings on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court to ask whether she intends to be a justice "for all of us, or just for some of us." With the Judiciary Committee set to open hearings July 13, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Sotomayor must explain whether she believes in colorblind justice in light of a 2001 speech in which she said she hoped a "wise Latina" usually would reach better decisions than a white man without similar life experiences. Cornyn's comments came as Republicans step gingerly in the debate over President Barack Obama's first high court nominee. Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court.
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Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USAJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinCharl Van Wyk, Pastor/Author, “Shooting Back–The Right & Duty of Self-Defence"6/17/2009 | Iran, Politics
Iran protests "interventionist" U.S. statements
Reuters
Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, on Wednesday to protest at "interventionist" U.S. statements on the country's June 12 election, Fars News Agency reported. The Foreign Ministry communicated Iran's "protest and displeasure" over statements by U.S. government officials about the outcome of the presidential vote, Fars said.
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Joel Anderson, Assemblyman, California State AssemblyPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipMajor Eric Egland, Author, The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help...Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USAJan Markell, President, Olive Tree MinistriesJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinKamal Saleem, Shoebat FoundationWalid Shoebat, President, Shoebat Foundation6/16/2009 | Politics, Iran
Iran Protester Slain
Associated Press
Gunfire from a pro-government militia killed one man and wounded several others Monday after hundreds of thousands of chanting opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad marched in central Tehran to support their pro-reform leader in his first public appearance since disputed elections. The outpouring in Azadi, or Freedom, Square for reformist leader Mir Hossein Mousavi followed a decision by Iran's most powerful figure for an investigation into the vote-rigging allegations. Security forces watched quietly, with shields and batons at their sides. But A group of demonstrators with fuel canisters set a small fire at a compound of a volunteer militia linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard as the crowd dispersed from the square. As some tried to storm the building, people on the roof could be seen firing directly at the demonstrators at the northern edge of the square, away from the heart of the rally.
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Joel Anderson, Assemblyman, California State AssemblyPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipMajor Eric Egland, Author, The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help...Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USAJan Markell, President, Olive Tree MinistriesJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinKamal Saleem, Shoebat FoundationWalid Shoebat, President, Shoebat Foundation4/23/2009 | Politics, Governmental Control, Economy
Obama’s leap to socialism
The Hill
President Obama showed his hand this week when The New York Times wrote that he is considering converting the stock the government owns in our country’s banks from preferred stock, which it now holds, to common stock. This seemingly insignificant change is momentous. It means that the federal government will control all of the major banks and financial institutions in the nation. It means socialism. When the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) intervention was first outlined by the Bush administration, it did not call for any transfer of stock, of any sort, to the government. The Democrats demanded, as a price for their support, that the taxpayers “get something back” for the money they were lending to the banks. House Republicans, wise to what was going on, rejected the administration’s proposal and sought, instead, to provide insurance to banks, rather than outright cash. Their plan would, of course, not involve any transfer of stock. But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) undercut his own party’s conservatives and went along with the Democratic plan, ensuring its passage. But to avoid the issue of a potential for government control of the banks, everybody agreed that the stock the feds would take back in return for their money would be preferred stock, not common stock. “Preferred” means that these stockholders get the first crack at dividends, but only common stockholders can actually vote on company management or policy. Now, by changing this fundamental element of the TARP plan, Obama will give Washington a voting majority among the common stockholders of these banks and other financial institutions. The almost 500 companies receiving TARP money will be, in effect, run by Washington. And whoever controls the banks controls the credit and, therefore, the economy. That’s called socialism. Obama is dressing up the idea of the switch to common stock by noting that the conversion would provide the banks with capital they could use without a further taxpayer appropriation. While this is true, it flies in the face of the fact that an increasing number of big banks and brokerage houses are clamoring to give back the TARP money. Goldman-Sachs, for example, wants to buy back its freedom, as do many banks. Even AIG is selling off assets to dig its way out from under federal control. The reason, of course, is that company executives do not like the restrictions on executive pay and compensation that come with TARP money. It is for this reason that Chrysler Motors refused TARP funds.
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Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCSteve Elliott, President, Grassfire.orgJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationRick Green, President, Torch of Freedom FoundationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessCliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.Jennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationGary Marx, Executive Director, Judicial Confirmation NetworkRyan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage FoundationJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateLorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources ProjectJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res4/7/2009 | Economy, Politics
The G20 moves the world a step closer to a global currency
Telegraph.co.uk
A single clause in Point 19 of the communiqué issued by the G20 leaders amounts to revolution in the global financial order. "We have agreed to support a general SDR allocation which will inject $250bn (£170bn) into the world economy and increase global liquidity," it said. SDRs are Special Drawing Rights, a synthetic paper currency issued by the International Monetary Fund that has lain dormant for half a century. It has been a good summit for the IMF. Its fighting fund for crises is to be tripled overnight to $750bn. This is real money. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director, said in February that the world was "already in Depression" and risked a slide into social disorder and military conflict unless political leaders resorted to massive stimulus. He has not won everything he wanted. The spending plan was fudged. While Gordon Brown talked of $5 trillion in global stimulus by 2010, this is mostly made up of packages already under way. But Mr Strauss-Kahn at least has resources fit for his own task. He will need them. The IMF is already bailing out Pakistan, Iceland, Latvia, Hungary, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, Bosnia and Romania. This week Mexico became the first G20 state to ask for help. It has secured a precautionary credit line of $47bn.
Recommended Guests:
Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res4/7/2009 | Foreign Policy, Politics
Obama Says U.S. Poised for New Chapter of Engagement
In a humble finish to his first foreign trip, President Barack Obama said Tuesday that despite its flaws and imperfections the U.S. is poised for a "new chapter in American engagement" with Muslims and the rest of the world. President Barack Obama speaks during a student roundtable discussion at the Tophane Cultural Centre in Istanbul, Turkey. Addressing college students in Turkey's largest city, Mr. Obama rejected the stereotype that America is selfish and crass. "I'm here to tell you that's not the country I know and not the country I love," the president said. "America, like every other nation, has made mistakes and has its flaws, but for more than two centuries it has strived" to seek a more perfect union. Mr. Obama made those opening remarks before taking questions, telling students he would keep the session short because of the Muslim call to prayer. Mr. Obama repeated his pledge to rebuild relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world. "I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement," he said. "We can't afford to talk past one another and focus only on our differences, or to let the walls of mistrust go up around us." The Turkish stop capped an eight-day European trip that senior adviser David Axelrod called "enormously productive," including an economic crisis summit in London and a NATO conclave in France and Germany. ... Mr. Obama told the college students he sees nothing wrong with setting his sights high on goals such as mending relations with Iran and eliminating the world of nuclear options -- two cornerstone issues of his trip.
Recommended Guests:
Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USACliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.Joe Murray, Columnist, The Bulletin4/2/2009 | Economy, Foreign Policy, Politics
G-20 Leaders Eye More IMF Funds, Tighter Rules
Associated Press
Leaders from around the globe made headway Thursday on tackling the world's worst financial crisis since the 1930s, with early signs of agreements to give more money to the International Monetary Fund and to take a closer look at regulating hedge funds. Two people close to the negotiations said leaders had agreed on giving more fund to the IMF so it could help developing economies reeling from currency woes and the effects of the global downturn. They also said France and Germany had successfully persuaded the Group of 20 leaders to back stronger financial regulations to avoid a repeat of the current crisis. As President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined other leaders at a working breakfast in the city's east Docklands district, protesters began gearing up for a second day of demonstrations, gathering outside the London Stock Exchange near St. Paul's Cathedral. Riot police took up their positions as well, ringing the stock exchange. Obama and Brown expressed confidence Wednesday that world leaders would come up with a strong agreement to address financial regulation, growth, and troubled banks. But that optimism was marred by a split with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who refused calls for more government spending and insisted the meeting must instead take concrete steps on tougher financial regulation.
Recommended Guests:
Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteTom DeLay, Former House Majority Leader, United States House of RepresentativesWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessCliff Kincaid, President, America's Survival, Inc.Joe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res4/2/2009 | Politics, Taxes
Americans of Faith in 1500 Cities are Doing Something ReAL
USNewswire
Just two weeks after mobilizing, Renewing American Leadership (ReAL) announced today that it is helping to bring the faithful out to join the fiscal in over 1,500 cities across America. In each of these cities, Americans who are "TEA'd" -- Taxed Enough Already -- will join the Tea Party Day rallies planned for April 15 -- the IRS deadline for filing income tax returns to show their support for protecting the family budget from the Federal Budget. As Renewing American Leadership's efforts continue to grow, they are asking churches and faith organizations that believe the American family is Taxed Enough Already to Tell Every American to attend a Tea Party Day rally in their town on April 15. "If enough Americans come together we can get America back on the right track toward prosperity and freedom," said Newt Gingrich. "I hope every American who cares about the future of our great nation will show up to a Tea Party Day Rally." "The response has been overwhelming," said Rick Tyler, ReAL's Founding Director. "People of faith understand that an ever-expanding government is not only a threat to the family budget but also to religious freedom." People and organizations can join the effort by visiting www.teapartyday.com.
Recommended Guests:
Phil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USAJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)4/2/2009 | Economy, Politics
Congress Poised to Adopt Obama's Pared-Back Budget
Associated Press
Democrats controlling the House and Senate are on track to give President Barack Obama a key victory by adopting slightly pared-back versions of his $3.6 trillion budget. Passage of the companion plans, expected Thursday, would provide the young administration with a symbolic boost, even though the budget blueprints provide little guidance on how to craft subsequent Obama initiatives to reshape the U.S. health care system or combat global warming. House Democrats are pressing a plan to make it easier to use "fast-track" rules to expedite passage of health care legislation backed by Obama, even as their GOP rivals in the Senate won a key vote Wednesday emphatically rejecting such an approach on global warming. Republicans in both chambers are putting forward alternatives that are more generous with tax cuts and stingier with spending, but none of the plans -- Obama's, House and Senate Democrats', or the competing GOP outlines -- would succeed in tamping down the deficit much below $500 billion within five years. ... the 2010 budget plans are remarkably light on detail, offering little guidance on how to pay for a health care overhaul or an extension of Obama's signature $400 tax credit for most workers.
Recommended Guests:
Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipWard Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyFrank Gaffney, Founder and President , Center for Security PolicyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res