Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Ken Cuccinelli's Self-Defense

Forwarded by Patricia Evans:

"Many of you have heard that Ken Cuccinelli taped an excellent half-hour commercial that will be broadcast on TV and on the Internet. Let's make this video of The Real Ken Cuccinelli go viral!  Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to watch. Send this video to your email lists and get it on your Facebook page, twitter and blogs. If you can donate, please visit  fightingforvirginia.org  to contribute and help us keep it on the air. Your contribution will help get this commercial to more Virginia voters. Please do what you can to help ensure that as many people as possible See The Real Ken Cuccinelli before November 5th, Election Day.


The Real Ken Cuccinelli:

The leftwing media is doing everything they can to make Ken Cuccinelli out to be someone he isn’t. They are working to distort his image through negative ads on TV and the leftwing blogs. But we know the real Ken Cuccinelli. Let's not lose sight of the reasons we have supported him every step of the way.  Ken has proven time and time again that he’s fighting for us and for all Virginians.   Virginians need to see and hear from Ken himself, and that’s what this commercial does in ways that one-minute ads cannot. This 30 minute ad gives us a good chance to spread our positive message of economic growth, limited government, and First Principles.  Ken explains how and why his policies are based in our ‘First Principles,’ and why they help protect liberty, property rights and opportunity for every Virginian. They are principles underscoring that the real power in Virginia comes from the People, not government.                                                                                                                              

Ken Cuccinelli - Fighting for Virginia  Here it is:  http://youtu.be/pkdb_1R3cUw

Excerpts from "How Do You Confound The Left? Do What Ken Cuccinelli Does."

By Steve Albertson  Read more: http://thebullelephant.com/how-do-you-confound-the-left-do-what-ken-cucinelli-does/#comments

Ken Cuccinelli really gets under Democrats’ skin. Not only does he hold fast to a set of principles the left hates, he does so cheerfully and without wavering. Worse, though, is that no matter how hard they try, they can’t make their caricature of him stick. Reality keeps getting in the way. Cuccinelli’s opponents on the left know he is religious, which is a large part of the problem they have with him, but in their ignorance and hostility to religion they fail to understand just how these teachings of love for the least among us are why Cuccinelli has made a life of putting his deeply felt compassion into action. Those who know Cuccinelli best, speak of a man with a moral compass that overrides conventional political wisdom. Cuccinelli doesn’t act like a typical politician, and doesn’t play by their rules. He has that old fashioned notion that the rule of law means everyone must play by the same rules…no crony capitalism, no bailouts, and no special favors for monied interests, all of which are Terry McAuliffe’s stock in trade.

When they pay attention, Virginia voters will see the unique brand of conservatism that has propelled Cuccinelli to his prior victories.



--
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."  - Thomas Jefferson
"

Death By China?

For those who can watch videos online, here's a video recommended by Karen Bracken, who thanks someone identified as "V.D." for the link:

"
Greg Autry, author of the book Death by China, was a guest speaker at the 2013 Eagle Forum Conference.  His subject was China - and foreign direct investment.   I missed it the first time, but caught it on the re-run.
You should make time to listen to what he has to say.
Book Discussion on Death by China
July 19, 2013
Public Affairs Event
Program ID: 314071-5


Karen Bracken
www.tnacc.net
www.americadontforget.com"

Scott Rigell Alienates Constituents

I don't know Virginia's Congressman Scott Rigell, don't have a vote for him...but judging by the look of this e-mail, a lot of people all over the state are making sure everybody knows that this alleged Republican voted in favor of Obamacare. What on earth was he thinking?

Most recently forwarded by Patricia Evans:

"
House Republicans passed their funding bill Friday to keep government open while terminating the new health care law, setting up a final showdown next week with Senate Democrats and President Obama.  The 230-189 vote, which split almost exactly along party lines, is the precursor to the big action next week, when the Democratic majority in the Senate is expected to strip out the health care provisions and send the bill back to the House — where Republicans will have to decide whether they can accept it at that point. ( And they better not ! ) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/20/house-passes-spending-bill-defund-obamacare/#ixzz2fTEEmPoY

Virginia Representative Scott Rigell casts the sole Republican vote against defunding Obamacare!

http://fauquierfreecitizen.com/representative-scott-rigell-casts-sole-republican-vote-defunding-obamacare/
If you are as displeased as I am with what Representative Rigell has done to his constituents and the people of Virginia, here is his contact information:
Representative Scott Rigell (R-02) DC phone  202-225-4215Fax  202-225-4218 http://rigell.house.gov/contact/
Leave a comment in on his Facebook page here: Representative Scott Rigell | Facebook

The U.S. House of Representatives cast a nearly unanimous party line vote today to Fully Fund the Federal government under a continuing resolution, with the exception of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) commonly referred to as Obamacare.
Two intelligent Democrats voted with the Republicans to defund Obamacare, but one DIRC* voted with the Democrats to continue down the road to Socialized Single-Payer Government Controlled Healthcare.
Rep_Scott_Rigell_2nd_Cong_Dist_VA  The American people have expressed their overwhelming desire to repeal Obamacare in poll after poll over the last 4 years, but apparently Representative Scott Rigell from Virginia who represents the people of the 2nd Congressional District either has not been listening, or more likely does not give a damn what his constituents want.
In the truest traditions of Democrats like Jim Moran, Rigell abandoned the people who elected him in favor of Democrat policies designed to destroy the greatest health care system in the world, and replace it with a Government Controlled, Single Payer system that every other civilized country in the western world has tried, and are now running away from.
rigell_tea_party_support Apparently this far left website changed Rep. Rigell’s mind about conservatism.
In 2010, Representative Rigell rode into Congress on the Tea Party wave;  this quote is from his bio on the web site:
Scott Rigell (“RIDGE-ull”) was elected to represent Virginia’s Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives in November 2010 and is currently serving in his second term. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on the Budget.
Since taking office in January 2011, Congressman Rigell has made creating jobs, strengthening our military, controlling federal spending, and changing Congress his most urgent priorities.
Serving on the House Budget Committee would seem to bring some insight into why the rest of the Republicans in the House voted to defund this monstrosity, but obviously Representative Rigell does not see things the same way his Republican colleagues do.
Rigell blames Republicans for gridlock Rigell takes responsibility for gridlock
Lately he has been the “go to Republican” on MSNBC and CNN, and he is seen frequently in the company of far left Democrats. Perhaps it is time he leave the Republican Party and follow his true leanings and join the Democrats.
At least the good people of the 2nd District would know where he really stands.
 
If you are as displeased as I am with what Representative Rigell has done to his constituents and the people of Virginia, you can find his contact information here on his website.
 
 
rigell_w_obama  If you are tired of *Democrats in Republican Clothing (DIRC) running as conservatives and then voting like Democrats, contact Representative (and I use this term loosely) Rigell and voice your opinion.
 
Just call me:  “One Fed Up Virginia Voter



Representative Scott Rigell Votes to Fund Obamacare

http://atr.org/representative-scott-rigell-votes-fund-obamacare-a7879#ixzz2fT6sbrL0


Rigell’s rationale? House bill didn’t increase spending enough…

Representative Scott Rigell ( R-VA  2nd District ) today joined 188 Democrats in the House of Representatives in voting to fund President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.  In a statement released by the Congressman following the vote, Rigell explained that he voted against the House Continuing Resolution because the bill failed “to address the sequester.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office, defense spending is projected to increase from $593 billion in 2014 to more than $714 billion in 2023, a clear increase in federal spending every year for the next decade. Despite this fact, Representative Rigell’s vote is yet another sign that he’s disconnected from the reality of Washington’s addiction to overspending.
Voting “no” on a continuing resolution that keeps the government open and operating in order to make a point about the need to increase defense spending is a sad excuse for funding Obamacare. It is not, however, unfitting for Rigell. Despite having signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising to voters in writing to oppose higher taxes, he has attempted to walk back this promise in recent years.
Congressman Scott Rigell’s insistence on spending more tax dollars on things like Obamacare is an unfortunate but fitting evolution for Rigell.


( Virginia's second congressional district encompasses all of the Eastern Shore (Accomack and Northampton Counties), parts of the cities of Norfolk and Hampton, and the entire City of Virginia Beach.)

--
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."  - Thomas Jefferson

"

Lonely Social Cat Bonds with Dog

The pictures don't really tell the story of this Cat Sanctuary graduate, Mo, but that's not his fault...

Mo is a social cat. Every animal shelter, sanctuary, or hospital needs a social cat, because they tend to have a calming, "socializing" effect on most other cats. When Mo went to live at an affiliated cat sanctuary on the other side of the mountain, he actually got the lean, mean, old dominant female and the two fluffy kittens in residence to hang out together and act like friends. They hadn't been friends before.

But the old cat died, and the fluffy kittens found homes. Mo was alone with his humans, who spend a lot of time in town. A social cat likes a bit of company. Some social cats, like Mo's aunt Mogwai and great-uncle Mac, know how to manage dogs and will accept dogs as companions. Mo adopted a scruffy, shaggy stray puppy.

When I go to that house, Mo walks to the end of the wheelchair ramp to meet me and very politely escorts me up the ramp, not demanding that I pause to pet him at every step, but encouraging that behavior as best he can. Then the puppy demands that I pet him, too...and Mo steps back and waits for me to pet the puppy, too, before continuing to pet him.

Although Mo's humans weren't aware of his having posed for pictures before, when I asked him to pose for me on the ramp, this is what I got:


Mo is a Listening Cat; he understands "would you please..." but I'm pretty sure he was guessing the unfamiliar words "pose over there on the ramp" from my body language.

Then I asked him to pose with the puppy. Mo knows the word "puppy." Even the puppy knows that word...but apparently that's the only word he's learned so far...


The puppy looks blurry because he was hopping about and wiggling like mad, straining at the end of a leash, begging for more attention. He'd rather be petted and taken for a walk than merely admired.

The ramp looks uneven because I was tilting the camera to get as much of both animals in the picture as possible. For a home improvement project done by a retired man with no construction experience, on a weekend, almost twenty years ago, it's an excellent ramp.

Mo has yet to socialize a feral cat who's currently living at this address to the point where I could photograph her, too. But he's working on it.

Phenology: How Tall Can Ladies-Thumbs Grow?

For years I thought of Ladies' Thumb as a native grass that didn't need mowing...but although it doesn't bloom until it gets some sunshine, this plant has been growing thick and tall in my yard on all the wet weather we had from April through August. Some years I do trim it back around the paths. This year I let it grow as high as it wanted to grow, in order to make it easier to tell when anything bigger than a cat had been in the yard...we've had some trouble with poachers and trespassers in the neighborhood. (I trust Gulegi to take care of any other snakes.) And before Sunday's rain beat it down, this is what the front yard looked like:



Unfortunately the digital camera doesn't show how tall this non-native ornamental grass is. The whole yard was about three feet deep in it. Ladies' Thumb tends to sprawl on the ground if it's not propped up by other things, so even the three-foot depth doesn't accurately reflect the size these plants reached. A few stalks that were braced against a bush had flowers growing up almost five feet off the ground.

And when it all bloomed, the whole yard was pink like this (the pink blurs in the background of the photo). Not a suburban lawn look, for sure. But pretty.

Morgan Griffith on National Forest Land

More from Congressman Griffith's E-Newsletter:

"
Trees for Schools – An Update

Over a century ago, the federal government promised rural communities that it would actively manage forest land to the communities’ benefit, historically sharing around 25 percent of revenues from timber harvests with rural counties that contain National Forest Land.  This money could be used in lieu of revenue these communities might otherwise have received from property taxes if the land were not owned by the federal government, and could be used to fund schools, teachers, police officers, etc.  Recipients of these funds within the Ninth District of Virginia include the following counties: Alleghany, Bland, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe.

Due to federal regulations and environmental lawsuits, however, the Forest Service over the years has reduced the amount of federal forest land being timbered.  In my opinion, this not only has destroyed jobs and deprived rural communities of needed revenue, but also is poor forest management, making the land more susceptible to invasive species and wildfires.  Tragically, the House Natural Resources Committee states that wildfires burned 9.3 million acres last year alone.

Badly needed is a long-term solution to improve forest health and management, fulfill the federal government’s promise to rural communities, and grow jobs.  To that end, the House Natural Resources Committee over the last several months has worked to advance H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act.  This legislation would promote responsible timber production, improve state and local involvement, and restore the federal government’s commitment to rural communities.  This should mean more money for Southwest Virginia localities.

I am an original cosponsor of this legislation, which recently passed the House with my support.  Similar legislation recently passed the Senate.  I will continue monitoring the progress of this legislation, and working to promote healthier forests and get residents of the Ninth District’s rural communities back to work.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov."

Comment from PK: Do I have questions and concerns? Mercy. I have so many questions and concerns that I can't see any way to learn enough to make an intelligent comment. Will other Virginians please, please, please pick up this one?

Morgan Griffith on Defunding Obamacare

From Congressman Griffith's E-Newsletter:

"Defunding Obamacare and Controlling Spending
With my support, on Friday, September 20, the House passed legislation known as a continuing resolution that prevents a government shutdown AND also prevents money from being spent by the federal government on the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  PPACA is also known as Obamacare.

It is my belief that the Senate ought to publicly acknowledge the negative impact that Obamacare will have on the American people and businesses, and join us in defunding Obamacare once and for all.  Obamacare as written will not work.  Senator Max Baucus, one of the law’s chief architects, said that Obamacare will be a “huge train wreck.”  In my opinion, it is the duty of the House and the Senate, if they see a train wreck coming, to get the American people not only off the tracks, but well away from the prospective wreck.  The House has done its work.  It’s now up to the Senate.

As this column is being written, this legislation’s fate has yet to be determined by the Senate.  No matter what your opinion is on Obamacare, you should let your Senators know how you feel.  Their office numbers are:

 Senator Mark Warner
202-224-2023
 Senator Tim Kaine
202-224-4024

"

Patricia Evans on Defunding Obamacare

From Patricia Evans, here's another e-mail that contains the full text, so if this link "breaks" when the story becomes Old News, you can e-mail salolianigodagewi @ yahoo to get the text via e-mail. As of today, the RedState link is working.

"Both Republican and Democrats in leadership are trying to fool us again.

Every amendment and bill need 60 votes to pass, yet Reid has figured out a way to set up a vote that only needs 51 votes. ( more below )
Reid will need 6 Republicans to vote to shut down debate on the bill. If Republican Senators vote for cloture on this funding bill, they are voting with all the Democrats to fund ObamaCare, and we will lose.
If Republicans don’t blink and block cloture on everything until Senate Majority Leader Reid promises that the rules will be followed and Reid will need 60 votes to shut down debate on his amendment to fully fund ObamaCare, our guys can win this.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-Utah)  have a plan. Fight Reid’s motion to strike the provision to defund ObamaCare and force 60 Senators to shut down debate on that proposition. If Republicans win that fight,  then Reid has a take it or leave it proposition with the House Continuing Resolution that defunds ObamaCare.

The American people are not stupid and we are not going to believe that Republicans voting with the Democrats for cloture somehow want to defund Obamacare.

Read more: How John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are Funding Obamacare



Don’t be fooled by this political theater going on in Washington, DC. The fix is in and both sides are trying to fund ObamaCare while saving face... "

Convoy Heading for D.C.

Thanks to Karen Bracken for calling my attention to this one:

http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/09/1-million-truckers-shut-america-launches-new-website-ride-constitution/

(I get Freedom Outpost in the e-mail too, but since I read e-mail from individuals first I don't always find the time to read it, or the other'zines and newspapers to which I subscribe.)

Anyway, the truckers are planning a nice peaceable protest that will temporarily "shut down America," or at least much of eastern Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, with heavy traffic on the weekend of October 11 through 13. Government offices are scheduled to close on Monday, October 14, anyway, so for readers who live near Washington, this might be a good week for vacations...you will want to be either in the convoy, or off the road, while this is going on.

I can't say that the following web pages are especially well organized; they seem to have been put together in haste. However, let's just say that although this protest probably has something to do with the proposed additions to the many existing regulations that make truckers' lives more difficult (see the Popvox post directly below this one), the Straw that Broke the Camel's Back was a Facebook decision to censor a post that included the phrase "God Bless America," so this is being billed as a demonstration on behalf of free speech...among other things.

http://ridefortheconstitution.org/

http://guerillamedianetwork.com/convoy/

God bless America. God bless our truckers. God bless our historic freedom, the uniqueness it has given us, and the benefits of our freedom and uniqueness that the rest of the world should be trying to gain for themselves rather than take away from us.

Popvox Updates

Fellow Americans, if you use Popvox.com, you too can receive updates on congressional activities like this one:

"

The Debt Ceiling


The scoop from our Hill Sources: As the debate over spending continues, the House may also consider legislation expanding the debt ceiling to allow the government to borrow more money for another year. There was no text of this bill over the weekend, but here again, Republicans will look to extract a high price to allowing the debt ceiling to rise again. Elements likely to be present in the bill include language seeking more spending cuts, and requiring the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States.

Also in the House

Along the way, the House will also look at a bill that allows a land exchange to take place that helps Resolution Copper develop an undeveloped copper mine in Arizona:

And finally, the House will likely pass up to three suspension bills in the middle of the week:
  • HR 1961 extending an exemption from the fire-retardant materials construction requirement for certain vessels. The bill would allow the Delta Queen to resume overnight passenger operations.
  • HR 3095 ensuring that new government requirements for testing people operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders are adopted after a formal rule-making process.
  • HR 2600 amending the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act to clarify how the law applies to condominiums.

Thanks for using POPVOX! And if you're new, be sure to check out our user tutorial slideshow

Sincerely,

Rachna Choudhry
Co-founder, POPVOX.com
 "


For those who have the online time to use it, Popvox is an absolutely fascinating web site.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Michelle Malkin on Common Core and Jeb Bush

No Google+ button, so I'll plus it the oldfashioned way...

http://michellemalkin.com/2013/09/20/jeb-bushs-latest-common-core-snit-fit/

Basically, Jeb Bush is claiming that if you don't like any of the many, many things about Common Core that Michelle Malkin, Karen Bracken, and many others have been pointing out all year, it's because you don't like him...duh! Did you know he had anything to do with Common Core? Do you care? I didn't, and don't. I just don't like big expensive boondoggles.

Scammers Steal Firefox's Identity

Jim Macdonald reports an online "phishing" scam whose pop-up ads ask victims to download a "trojan dropper" called Firefox_setup.exe...but the fine print does, technically, admit that the product has nothing to do with Firefox.

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/015455.html

House Votes to Defund Obamacare

The Washington Post officially reports:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-passes-gop-spending-plan-that-defunds-obamacare/2013/09/20/4019117c-21fe-11e3-b73c-aab60bf735d0_story.html?wpisrc=al_comboPN_p

Here's one Tea Party's official response:

"Your hard work is paying off and for now it seems the House Leadership is listening to the will of the American people. The House just voted 230 to 189 to keep the government funded while stopping funding for Obamacare.

Now the ball is in Harry Reid's court. What will he do? Will he continue to ignore the will of the American people or will he finally listen to the people he represents and stop Obamacare from further destroying our economy?

This is a critical moment and we need everyone making phone calls to Harry Reid to tell him to listen to the voice of the American people.

Call Harry Reid now and tell him that we will not rest until we stop Obamacare!

Harry Reid: 202-224-3542

In Liberty,
Tea Party Patriots National Support Team"

Fellow Virginians, I'm seeing a different problem. As the Senate votes to acknowledge or (illegally) ignore the will of the people, we will be represented by two Senators who belong to the party that traditionally disagrees with the majority of us. Convincing these Senators to vote with their actual constituents rather than their co-partisans is like convincing a thirsty horse to walk up the hill, away from fresh water. It's not impossible, but neither is it easy.

Frankly, I don't know much about our junior Senator, but I believe Mark Warner is a reasonable man and will support a reasonable plan if we can convince him that a critical mass of Virginians will also support one.

"Reasonable" is a critical word. If fiscally conservative Virginians lock horns and scream about any form of national health care being a Communist Plot, while our fiscally reckless neighbors dig in and scream about the lack of a national health care plan being an Evil Greedhead Scheme to Steal Grandpa's Wheelchair, we can hardly blame our Senators for ignoring the screams and voting with their Democratic Party friends, who will then seem to be the most reasonable people they know.

As regular readers know, this web site defines "a reasonable plan" for a medical care safety net in specific terms that include:

1. There must be some sort of guarantee that the medical treatment that saves someone's physical life won't be allowed to destroy the person's socioeconomic life. We've had this guarantee, de facto, for a long time: people who've been rushed to hospital emergency rooms have been saying, "How much is this going to cost?" and hearing, "You'll receive a bill, a large bill, but if you can't pay it the state will cover it," at least as long as I've been alive. The idea of government chipping in what patients can't pay is not new. Only acknowledging it in an official law is new.

2. However, this guarantee must ensure that only the actual cost of treatment will be paid, from a fund that's created for this purpose, without subsidizing any unnecessary expenses such as the cost of financing insurance gambling schemes.

3. Patients must be able to obtain medical treatment anonymously, as long as they can pay for it themselves. Any attempt to tie medical records into tax records must be thwarted. Sharing this information via the Internet must be treated not as a legitimate requirement for a medical care plan, but as a crime...because otherwise embarrassing, contagious medical conditions, from head lice to AIDS, will go untreated and become epidemics. Only when patients give up the effort to pay their own medical bills should there be any contact with any government records of any kind.

4. Decisions about medical care must be made by patients, their doctors (in case of doubt they should be able to consult as many additional doctors as they consider necessary), and, if patients are unconscious, their next of kin. Neither government nor insurance company employees should have any influence on any medical decision.

5. The medical care emergency fund must be financed as a straightforward tax, without any mandate that any individual buy into any kind of long-term scheme. Government should report to the public on the amount of money required to pay last year's emergency medical expenses, and should collect no more than that amount this year. Only when and as actual medical expenses increase should the amount of money allocated to paying those expenses increase. There should be at least a one-year period between the issuance of a patient's medical bill and the presentation of the unpaid balance of that bill to the fund, during which the patient should be encouraged to pay his or her own bill.

The cost of having developed medical science to the point where most people can expect to be active into their eighties, with a little medical help when necessary, is that we will have to help retired and disabled people pay for that medical help. However, there's no need to allow any collective medical care expenses to be inflated by allowing third parties to add their own blank checks to Grandpa's medical bill. Nobody minds buying the neighbor's Grandpa a wheelchair, or a kidney...but nobody should ever be asked to pay some insurance company executive's son's tuition at The Fearfully Expensive Private University for Wealthy Slackers.

Stephen Fincher Supports U.S. HR75

From Karen Bracken:

"Congressman Stephen Fincher is now a cosponsor of this bill to get us out of the UN.

It was Wednesday, Sept. 4 that Mitchell Morrison presented a stack of postcards to the congressman, asking him to cosponsor HR 75 --the bill to get us out of the United Nations! Watch the video (from Mickey White) here:

http://youtu.be/8IiU63CFXrk

The congressman signed on as a cosponsor on Monday, Sept. 9. This bill has a ways to go, of course. But getting him to sign on as a cosponsor is a victory. See below

H.R. 75: American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2013
Introduced:
Jan 03, 2013
Sponsor:
Rep. Paul Broun Jr. [R-GA10]
Status:
Referred to Committee

This bill was assigned to a congressional committee on January 3, 2013, which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole.

COSPONSORS
5 cosponsors (5R) (show)
Burgess, Michael [R-TX26]
(joined Jan 14, 2013)
Miller, Jeff [R-FL1]
(joined Apr 09, 2013)
Yoho, Ted [R-FL3]
(joined Apr 16, 2013)
Duncan, John “Jimmy” [R-TN2]
(joined Jun 18, 2013)
Fincher, Stephen [R-TN8]
(joined Sep 09, 2013)


COMMITTEES
House Foreign Affairs
The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 3, 2013

Mr. BROUN of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
A BILL
To end membership of the United States in the United Nations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF UNITED NATIONS PARTICIPATION ACT OF 1945.


Karen Bracken

www.tnacc.net

www.americadontforget.com

215-692-2147

"Common Core is just the "smoke" hiding the fire.  After we clear the smoke we must put out the fire."  k. bracken

"The change we seek has always required great struggle and great sacrifice." - Barack Hussein Obama
"The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master." - Ayn Rand

"

Publius Huldah vs. Mark Levin

This web site is unqualified to take sides in this debate between two people who understand what they're talking about better than we do. We share this for the edification of the public. From Karen Bracken:
"
No matter how arrogant and insulting Mark Levin gets when questioned about his "plan" we need to understand what is going to take place.  This is not the answer.  We are handing over the power we already have.  We just need to exercise and demand the power we already have is restored to its rightful people!!!
I believe there are so many desperate people that are latching onto this plan without giving it a lot of thought.  If anyone has a different point of view please by all means share it with us.
Karen
From: Publius Huldah
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2013 10:54 AM
To: Publius Huldah
Subject: Mark Levin refuted: Keep the feds in check with nullification, not amendments!

We must NOT permit an Article V convention to take place.

In this paper, I prove that what Mark Levin is saying in his new book is not true.

Our Framers never told us to smack down a disobedient federal government by “amending the Constitution”!  They proposed very different remedies [which I list in footnote 3].

I also show with quotes from our Framers why an Article V convention is a thing to be greatly feared and at all costs avoided.

Here it is in two papers:

Please spread the word.  The warriors on our side are few – the money and the establishment “conservatives” are on the side of an Article V Convention.


Karen Bracken
www.tnacc.net
www.americadontforget.com
215-692-2147
"Common Core is just the "smoke" hiding the fire.  After we clear the smoke we must put out the fire."  k. bracken

 "The change we seek has always required great struggle and great sacrifice." - Barack Hussein Obama
"The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master." - Ayn Rand
"

Voter Suppression in Tennessee?

Seems some Democrats may actually believe the only way Republicans win elections is "voter suppression." Jason Howerton tattled on one last week:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/12/im-going-to-cut-you-off-right-there-cnn-anchor-calls-out-ousted-colorado-democrat-for-blaming-recall-on-voter-suppression/

Tehee! But seriously...in Tennessee, what's calling itself the Green Party is locking horns with the Tea Party, filing a ludicrous lawsuit against the state for daring to demand that voters present photo ID.

Although this web site does not like to support the notion that photo ID proves any dang thing, this web site is also skeptical about the idea that asking for photo ID has anything to do with voter suppression. This web site will therefore propose that, instead of quibbling with the Greens, Tennessee Tea Parties take some practical steps to prevent voter suppression:

1. The Green Party spokesman who filed the suit claimed to be concerned about "minority" voters. The Tea Parties I know have tried to make sure the material they hand out and endorse Looks Like America, which is good. Not only do we want U.S. citizens from "minority" backgrounds to vote, we sometimes encourage them to vote for people from backgrounds similar to their own. The rubber hits the road when non-drivers who don't just stop at their polling place as they walk home from work want to go and vote. You know your neighborhood. How many car and van pools does your community need? Since some people don't like to be the only one in a group who looks the way they look, can you organize ethnically mixed car pools? Car pools should also Look Like America.

2. The Green Party spokesman also claimed to be concerned about students. There are two distinct problems with Tennessee students who don't vote in Tennessee elections.

(a) Some students don't have drivers' licenses, state identity cards, or the money to pay for either, because they are young and poor. If student labor programs pay them half the minimum hourly wage and transfer their wages directly to their tuition accounts, it's possible for students not to have ten dollars. These students will need state ID in order to get decent summer jobs and pay for any part of their education anyway, so it's a real public service to help them get these cards. Adults in Tennessee should use some time and money to help young Tennesseans become voters and taxpayers.

(b) Some other students at the state college closest to Gray, East Tennessee State University, don't have Tennessee ID's because they are not Tennesseans. Tennessee has a combination of accredited but not terribly tough state colleges, low in-state tuition, and easy in-state residency requirements that attracts many students who aren't even from contiguous states. These people can show Tennessee rent receipts, but have Virginia, North Carolina, or other state drivers' licenses, because they live and vote in other states when they're not taking classes at E.T.S.U. Their home states are within an hour's drive; they can go home to vote in between classes. They are precisely the demographic group voter ID laws are intended to prevent from voting more than once in the same election.

While these part-time Tennesseans are wary about mentioning to E.T.S.U. staff that they vote and own property in other states, they may be easier to identify in political groups or other off-campus activities. Their loyalty to the candidates or party of their choice is commendable. This loyalty can be put to legitimate use. Tea Parties in contiguous states might want to work out ways to ensure that students have other, legal things to do with their energy after voting once. Maybe the students would like to drive for car pools or host election day parties.

3. The Green Party spokesman also expressed concern about "elderly" voters. Presumably he meant voters with physical disabilities...he could hardly have meant 78-year-olds like Grandma Bonnie Peters, or 87-year-olds like Oogesti, who are still driving Republicans to the polls. In most states it's easy for anyone with confirmation of a permanent disability to get an absentee ballot by mail. I'm not sure why people whose disabilities are only temporary wouldn't have photo ID, but it might be a good idea for supporters of photo ID laws to find out more about how various kinds of disabilities affect the voters you know. Is photo ID a problem for any of your friends? What are their difficulties, and what can your Tea Party do to help?

4. Finally, the Green Party spokesman claimed that there are three counties in Tennessee that don't even have DMV headquarters. If this is true, which counties are those, and how do the people who live there get drivers' licenses? How can they help people who don't drive, but who would like to vote, to ensure that these counties are fairly represented in elections?

Morgan Griffith on Anti-Gun Hysteria

From Congressman Griffith's E-Newsletter:

"
LEGO, Bubble, & Pop Tart Guns, NRA T-Shirts… and School Suspensions??

My seven- and six-year-old boys take great delight when one of their McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets comes in the shape of a gun.  There also have been instances in which my six-year-old has taken a bite out of his Pop Tart and has taken aim at his seven-year-old brother with his Pop Tart gun.  This doesn’t bother me.  I don’t think they will grow up to become gun-toting hoodlums or terrorists because of it.

But do you remember hearing of the Massachusetts five-year-old who faced school suspension after having built a gun out of LEGO building blocks?  Or the young boy from Maryland who, in trying to form a mountain out of his strawberry breakfast pastry, was suspended from school for two days when a teacher instead thought the pastry looked like a gun?  There also was the young girl from Pennsylvania suspended after talking about her “Hello Kitty” bubble gun, and the West Virginia eighth-grader who was arrested after refusing to take off his National Rifle Association t-shirt while at school.

Of course, it is essential that our students have a safe learning environment.  However, the strict application of some schools’ “zero tolerance” policies in situations where there is no viable threat to safety may needlessly stifle children’s creativity and deter harmless play.  Old fashioned common sense shouldn’t be completely discarded.

After hearing from constituents on this issue, I have reviewed and cosponsored H.R. 2625, the Student Protection Act, which would withhold federal funding from schools that punish a student for “brandishing a pastry or other food which is partially consumed in such a way that the remnant resembles a gun; possession of a toy gun which is two inches or less; possession of a toy gun made of plastic snap together building blocks; using a finger or hand to simulate a gun; vocalizing imaginary firearms or munitions; wearing a T-shirt that supports Second Amendment rights; drawing a picture of, or possessing an image of, a firearm; or using a pencil, pen or other writing utensil to simulate a firearm.” 

In this country, instead of spending our energy being upset about children playing, we need to focus on real hoodlums, real bad guys, and terrorists.  That includes going after those who would attack our citizens in such cowardly attacks as that on the Washington Navy Yard.  It doesn’t mean we should give away our constitutional freedoms such as the First and Second Amendments.  But it does mean we should spend our time and our resources thwarting real evil like random shooters, and stop worrying about children being children.

As this column is being written, we do not know the full extent of the injuries and deaths at the Navy Yard.  But like you, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Iraq Veteran Recommended for Medal

From the American Veterans Center:

http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/2013/09/medal-honor-awards-iraq-veterans/?doing_wp_cron=1379633958

Further exploration of this web site will of course show other ways you can thank this veteran, and others, and is recommended to anyone feeling munificent.

Syria: Glenn Beck Follows the Money

Patricia Evans shares video links and two full-length articles. Her comments, links to the articles, and the first paragraph of each article appear below. If at some time in the future the articles are pulled down from WND and Zero Hedge, e-mail salolianigodagewi @ yahoo for the full text.

"What is Syria all about? It’s all about money and oil. Glenn Beck shows the ties between Syria, Russia, and oil in a 5 minute video here: http://youtu.be/6vNZr_-Jogs   and a 3 minute video, Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood here: http://youtu.be/RH122bnjCjw                                                                                                                           
Beck explained that there are two oil and natural gas pipelines that have been vying for access to Syria, one of which would go through Iran and Iraq, the other of which would go through Qatar and Saudi Arabia.  Syria's  Assad in 2009 refused to go along with the Qatar and Saudi Arabia plan, instead inking deals with Russia and Iran. Much to the dismay of Qatar and Saudi Arabia who have been training and arming rebels against Assad. Qatar has spent 3 billion dollars to support the rebels in Syria. Saudi Arabia is spending huge amounts of money to help the rebels and intends to install their own puppet government in Syria which will allow the Saudis to control the flow of energy through the region. 

Beck then noted that John Kerry said certain Arab countries have offered to pay for a U.S. strike on Syria.
“It’s all about money and oil.  They want a pipeline, and they are prepared to do anything to get the pipeline that benefits them as opposed to the other pipeline. It makes a heck of a lot of difference to Russia, it makes a heck of a lot of difference to Iran, and makes a whole lot of difference to all the people we’re cozy with.  ”“By the way, you lose either way,” he added.

WND: Saudi tail wagging U.S. into war?


Saudi Ambassador lobbying Congress, White House to take action


Aaron Klein  Aaron Klein is WND's senior staff reporter and Jerusalem bureau chief.
http://www.wnd.com/2013/09/saudi-tail-wagging-u-s-into-war/

Powerful U.S. ally Saudi Arabia has been a driving force behind the scenes, pushing for the U.S. to act militarily in Syria....

But no matter how you slice it, there is absolutely no reason for the United States to be getting involved in this conflict. And of course once we strike Syria, the war could escalate into a full-blown conflict very easily.

Is The US Going To War With Syria Over A Natural Gas Pipeline?

ZeroHedge:  http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-04/guest-post-us-going-war-syria-over-natural-gas-pipeline                                 
                                                                                                                                                              

Book Signing in Chantilly, Virginia

From Dr. Ron Paul:

"Are you worried about the state of the public schools, which can't seem to teach reading, writing, or arithmetic, but have plenty of time for fake history, Keynesian economics, war lies, and state worship?

Me, too, and one solution is for parents to take back their rights, and teach their children as they see fit. That's why I've written my latest book, The School Revolution: A New Answer for Our Broken Education System.

Millions of parents are homeschooling now, and the more the better. Even those of us who have grown children benefit from a society with parent-educated kids. So does the cause of freedom. And if it bothers the drones in the Department of Education and the teachers union, we know we’re on the right track.

My book not only makes the argument for seceding from the government schools, it shows parents how to do it. And if you are a grandparent, or not a parent at all, this book is still important to you, as is the cause it champions. You will like the historical and moral arguments, that apply to everything we believe in.

Today is the publication day. The establishment is rooting for my book to flop. But you can help me frustrate them.

Please buy a copy from Amazon, hardback or Kindle, for yourself or as a gift, or both. For the sake of saving a free society, this message must get out.
" [nice signature graphic that activates some sort of e-mail spam filter]

"P.S. Just a reminder, I’ll be signing copies of The School Revolution this Friday at the 2013 Liberty Political Action Conference.  Hope to see you there!
"

For those who've not received multiple e-mails about LPAC, here's one of several e-flyers this web site has received about the fiscal conservatives' gathering in Chantilly, Virginia:

"In less than 48 hours, the 2013 Liberty Political Action Conference will kick off at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Virginia!

Since time is running out for you to purchase tickets if you have not yet done so (or to purchase tickets for LPAC’s special events if you have already bought your Three-Day Pass), I wanted to send you a quick reminder.

Each year, hundreds of grassroots activists gather at LPAC for an exciting weekend that includes issue education, top-notch training in political tactics, and opportunities to visit with speakers and other liberty-minded attendees from all across the country.

If you’ve never been to LPAC, I hope you will join us this year and see why so many find it to be a highly motivating and encouraging event.

Dr. Paul will speak to the General Session on Friday night, September 20.  Earlier that day, he’ll sign copies of his new book, The School Revolution (just released today), and he’ll also join attendees for a private reception.

If you’ve already bought your Three-Day Pass for the General Session, more information about tickets for LPAC’s special side events is available here.

Other speakers this year include Senator Rand Paul, Congressman Thomas Massie, Congressman Justin Amash, Bruce Fein, Jim Antle, Mike Church, as well as three of Dr. Paul’s former congressional staffers, Jeff Deist, Daniel McAdams (now Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity), and Norm Singleton (C4L’s Vice President of Policy).

So don’t wait!

Learn more here and purchase your tickets today!
"

Robert Hurt on Syria, Week 2

From Congressman Robert Hurt's e-newsletter:

"
The current situation in Syria is on the forefront of Americans’ thoughts, and for good reason. We are all deeply saddened by the recent use of chemical weapons, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of those who have suffered under President Bashar al-Assad.

Last week, America watched President Obama's address to our nation regarding the recent chemical attack and the ongoing civil war in Syria. I, along with my colleagues, commend him for engaging Congress and the American people on this vitally important subject.

I have repeatedly stated, however, that before the United States should commit any of its precious American lives or military resources to an attack on the Syrian regime, the President must articulate a compelling American national security interest that requires military action. I have attended classified briefings, and I have concluded that, at this time, the President has not demonstrated that a compelling national security interest is at stake. Because of this, I will not be able to support the Authorization for Use of Military Force resolution should it come to a vote under current circumstances.

That said, the horrific actions that have taken place in Syria should be fully investigated and those responsible should be brought to justice. We should use every diplomatic and economic sanction to prevent the future use of such weapons. I am encouraged to hear that the President has requested to postpone action in Congress to explore diplomatic options.

Only time will tell how sincere the Syrian government is about surrendering their stockpile of WMDs, but rest assured, I will continue to closely monitor the developments with this proposal.


Robert visited with students from the Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville on the steps of the U.S. Capitol



Robert visited with constituents from Charlottesville who traveled to Washington on behalf of Dialysis Patient Citizens

If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.

Sincerely,

Robert Hurt  "