tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48695671087884765682024-03-12T23:29:54.832-04:00Political PitstopGeorgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-81363890871132520442010-09-14T21:46:00.000-04:002010-09-14T21:46:05.694-04:00Tea Party Express Issues Election Day Statement on Delaware U.S. Senate RaceThe Tea Party Express issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Senate race in Delaware:<br />
<br />
"As voters head to the polls in Delaware today, the news media and many in the political establishment have sought to cast tonight's election returns as a lose-lose proposition for the tea party movement.<br />
<br />
"If Conservative Republican Christine O'Donnell wins, the news media and political elite insist that this will be a loss for the Tea Party movement, as it will surely mean a win for the Democrats in November, and increase their chances for retaining a majority in the U.S. Senate.<br />
<br />
"But wait, if Liberal RINO Mike Castle wins, the news media and political elite similarly insist that this will be a loss for the Tea Party movement, as it will mean the establishment has defeated the Tea Party-backed candidate. <br />
<br />
"So under the logic of those in the media and the political establishment, the Tea Party movement loses either way. Nice try, but we at the Tea Party Express aren't buying this narrative.<br />
<br />
"The Tea Party Express, Gov. Sarah Palin, the Independence Hall Tea Party PAC, and Diamond State Tea Party all endorsed Christine O'Donnell because she best represented the principles important to the Tea Party movement: limited government and a return to the constitutional principles this country was founded on, but which our political leaders have increasingly strayed from.<br />
<br />
"It used to be the accepted notion that primaries were about allowing voters in a political party to support the best candidate who represented the members of that party. Now, however, we're told voters are stupid if they don't instead play the role of political strategist and support candidates based on a political chess game, regardless of their principles.<br />
<br />
"We here at the Tea Party Express trust the voters to follow their hearts and to stick to their principles and beliefs. When Ronald Reagan waged his campaign for president in the 1980 election cycle, the same political elitists and journalists who are deriding Christine O'Donnell as 'unelectable' similarly sneered that an 'extremist' like Reagan could never be elected. As a result, John Anderson from Illinois was egged on to offer a more 'reasonable' choice in the general election campaign. Reagan won, Anderson and Jimmy Carter lost, and the political elite and journalists had egg on their faces.<br />
<br />
"Supporting the most liberal Republican Member of Congress, Mike Castle, is not a viable option for constitutional conservatives. Those who have urged support for Castle do so from the most crass and soulless political calculation where principles are irrelevant, as it is a zero sum gain.<br />
<br />
"We've tried this route of electing Republicans to government who didn't believe in their own party's platform, when we had a Republican Congress and a Republican in the White House. What we got was massive spending, higher deficits, bailouts, and a significant increase in the size, scope, and power of the government.<br />
<br />
"We here in Tea Party movement are trying to change the nature of our leaders in Washington, and that means dumping failed and corrupt politicians like Mike Castle who trade their votes based on the campaign contributions of well-heeled lobbyists or the arm twisting of political party leaders. This is the very reason Mike Castle has attempted to hold at least four positions on ObamaCare - because at each time his primary concern was not what was good for this nation, but what was good for Mike Castle's political ambitions.<br />
<br />
"When term-limited Governor Castle wanted to prolong his career feeding off the public trough, and remaining a member of the ruling class, he orchestrated 'The Switch' with Democrat Congressman Tom Carper that would allow both of them to retain their political power. It was all about their egos and their power, and the same motivation for Mike Castle continues to this day.<br />
<br />
"Mike Castle and his political henchmen continue this crass and shameless behavior to this day. This year, the Delaware GOP establishment - led by Mike Castle's closest allies and advocates - deliberately chose to not field a Republican candidate for Attorney General in the state of Delaware. Why? Because the Democrat Attorney General is a man named Beau Biden, who happens to be the son of Democrat Vice President, Joe Biden. <br />
<br />
"But don't worry say Castle's Republican supporters. If he wins the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Delaware we're supposed to expect him to suddenly become some kind of Republican loyalist, helping to advance a conservative revolution in Congress.<br />
<br />
"We here at the Tea Party Express don't buy that for one minute. Whether it means switching political parties, or voting with the Democrats on more bailouts, Cap & Trade, or for liberal judicial activists for the U.S. Supreme Court, Mike Castle will play to the same political puppet masters he always has, and that's not to Republicans, conservatives, or his constituents.<br />
<br />
"The Tea Party Express has won nearly every election it has played an active role in. Today, the voters of Delaware will decide whether to support the Tea Party Express-backed candidate, Christine O'Donnell. If they do, that will be a victory for the Tea Party movement, no matter how many pundits or journalists try and argue otherwise.<br />
<br />
"The next step is to fight on behalf of these Tea Party candidates in November, and ensure that they once again defy the wishes and predictions of the political establishment, by propelling these constitutional conservatives to victory over their liberal Democrat, big-government opponents.<br />
---<br />
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---Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-52187789224824475282010-09-04T09:21:00.002-04:002010-09-04T09:24:21.088-04:00Recovery Summer: A Casino, Aquarium, Zoo, Golf Course and Swimming Pool?With unemployment rising to 9.6%, questions are mounting regarding the effectiveness of the stimulus bill and how stimulus dollars are being spent. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has <a class="jce_file" target="_blank" title="sent a letter" href="http://republicans.oversight.house.gov/images/stories/Letters/20100902deitodevaney-recovery-requestinfostimulusactviolationsdue9-17.pdf">sent a letter</a> to the Chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board, Earl Devaney, regarding stimulus funding being steered for projects that “appear to violate the explicit prohibitions of the Recovery Act.”<br /><p>Section 1604 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (AARA) specifically prohibits funds from flowing to certain entertainment and recreation projects:<br /></p><p>“Limit on Funds – None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this Act may be used by any State or local government, or any private entity, for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool.”</p><p>Furthermore, a Memorandum from the President to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies issued on March 20, 2009 stated:</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">(a) Funds under the Recovery Act shall not be committed, obligated, or expended by any executive department or agency, and shall not be used by any State or local government or private grantee or awardee, to support projects of the type described in section 1604 of Division A of the Recovery Act…”</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p> <p>“Despite the clear language of the Recovery Act and the subsequent effort by the White House to stress the importance of avoiding the use of stimulus funds for prohibited projects, taxpayer dollars were directed to entities legally barred from receiving them,” Issa wrote to Devaney. “In fact, stimulus money appears to have flowed to each and every type of project prohibited by Section 1604 of the AARA.”</p> <p> </p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">· Casino: In February 2009, AARA funds were provided to students “at Fortune Bay Resort & Casino to get hands on experience in various departments within the resort and casino at our Career Expo Day.”</p> <p> </p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">· Aquarium: In July 2009, AARA funds were awarded to Northwestern University for scientific research on fish. Part of the funding was used for “novel outreach projects (that) will expose the broader public to the results of research, including an art installation concerning the electric fields emitted by these fish and proposed enhancements to the electric fish displays of the Shedd Aquarium.”</p> <p> </p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">· Zoo: In September of 2009, $25 million in ARRA funds were awarded to the Smithsonian for projects including the “completion of various projects at the National Zoo.”</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">· Golf Course: AARA funds were awarded to the Forest Hills Golf Course through a U.S. Department of Education grant to the Oregon Department of Education. The award funds a program that allows students in Oregon’s Forest Grove school district to use Forest Hills to learn to golf as part of the physical education curriculum.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">· Swimming Pool: In July 2009, AARA funds were awarded to Northwestern University to provide “salary an wage compensation for individuals directly involved in AARA-funded projects” including “Pool Lifeguard.”</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p> <p>“In addition to the projects that appear to violate the explicit prohibitions of the Recovery Act, there appear to be additional projects where stimulus funds have been spent on projects that violate the President’s prohibition of the funding of ‘impudent’ projects,” Issa wrote to Devaney. “These include stimulus funds spent on a waterpark, a bowling alley, a keg, beer and cigarette mart, a pet hotel, and a fraternity and sorority event.”</p>Read My Lipstick Networkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07768558383509617015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-33299283273159405602010-06-14T18:05:00.002-04:002010-06-14T18:05:54.397-04:00Hill Exclusive: House ethics office asks lobbyists for info on lawmakers<pre wrap="">A House ethics office is demanding fundraising information from lobbyists about five Republicans and three Democrats, according to a document obtained by The Hill.
Read more: <a href="http://www.thehill.com/homenews/house/103037-exclusive-house-ethics-office-asks-lobbyists-for-information-on-eight-lawmakers">http://www.thehill.com/homenews/house/103037-exclusive-house-ethics-office-asks-lobbyists-for-information-on-eight-lawmakers</a>-</pre>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-14458009519492539042010-06-09T08:18:00.000-04:002010-06-09T08:18:17.621-04:00Federal Court Must Decide: Is the Treasury Department's Support of AIG's Shariah-Promoting Subsidiaries Constitutional?/PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of David Yerushalmi, P.C., together with the Thomas More Law Center, filed a motion for summary judgment on Monday, June 7, 2010, on behalf of Kevin Murray against the Treasury Department and the FED in the federal lawsuit pending in the Eastern District of Michigan. The lawsuit, captioned Murray v. Geithner et al. was brought by attorneys David Yerushalmi and Robert Muise, representing the plaintiff, Kevin Murray, a taxpayer and former combat Marine who served in Iraq. The federal lawsuit alleges that the U.S. government's takeover and financial bailout of AIG was in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.<br />
<br />
Specifically, at the time of the government bailout (beginning in September 2008 and continuing to the present), AIG was (and still is) the world leader in promoting Shariah-compliant insurance products. Shariah is Islamic law, and it is the identical legal doctrine that demands capital punishment for apostasy and blasphemy and provides the legal and political mandates for global jihad followed religiously by the world's Muslim terrorists. By propping up AIG with tax payer funds, the U.S. government is directly and indirectly promoting Islam and, more troubling, Shariah.<br />
<br />
In May 2009, Judge Lawrence Zatkoff rejected the government's motion to dismiss the complaint and later rebuffed the defendants' efforts to stay the proceeding so the government lawyers could take an extraordinary appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court then set the ground rules for discovery and granted the parties until May 2010 to conduct discovery.<br />
<br />
After a year of document requests, depositions of current and former government witnesses, and three separate subpoenas issued to AIG and the New York Federal Reserve Board, Messrs. Yerushalmi and Muise filed Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment this past Monday, arguing that the undisputed facts demonstrate that the government, through its absolute control and 2 ownership of AIG, and with tens of billions of tax payer dollars, have directly and indirectly promoted and supported Shariah as a religious legal doctrine. What makes this case all the more egregious is that this doctrine--Shariah--also happens to be the underlying legal and military doctrine animating jihad against the West by Muslims from the Middle East, Asia, Russia, Africa, and even right here at home. Each and every one of the domestic and foreign jihad terrorists have proclaimed their allegiance to Shariah and its call for "jihad against apostates and infidels." Two experts on Shariah, Shariah-compliant finance, and jihad testified at length through affidavits in support of plaintiff's case. The government could not--and did not-- oppose this expert testimony with any contrary evidence.<br />
<br />
A year's worth of discovery uncovered the following facts in addition to what was known from the public record:<br />
<br />
-- AIG has five wholly-owned subsidiaries which promote and practice<br />
Shariah in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Bahrain, and the U.S.<br />
-- These Shariah-compliant companies employ or otherwise retain the<br />
services of Shariah authorities to tell them how to conduct their<br />
business according to Shariah, including the Shariah-compliant<br />
charities to which these AIG subsidiaries must contribute.<br />
-- The government places absolutely no controls on how its billions are<br />
used by the Shariah-compliant companies or to whom they support with<br />
their "zakat" ('charitable') dollars. Moreover, these companies all<br />
accept Shariah's mandate to support jihad with zakat insofar as they<br />
abide by the authoritative rulings of the world's leading Shariah<br />
authorities.<br />
-- Over one billion taxpayer dollars have flowed through AIG's<br />
headquarters into supporting AIG's Shariah businesses worldwide.<br />
-- The government has actively promoted Shariah and Shariah-compliant<br />
finance in many ways and venues:<br />
-- The Treasury Department has published, edited, and updated<br />
articles about Shariah-compliant finance, which essentially<br />
promote Islamic law uncritically.<br />
-- The Treasury Department has created and staffed a position called<br />
the Islamic Finance Scholar-in Residence. No other religious law<br />
is so honored.<br />
-- Published presentations by senior Treasury Department officials<br />
lauding Shariah-compliant finance and stating explicitly that the<br />
U.S. government "places significant importance on promoting...<br />
Islamic finance" and has "recently deepened our engagement in<br />
Islamic finance in a number of ways," including a "call[] for<br />
harmonization of Shari'a standards at the national and<br />
international levels."<br />
-- After the AIG bailout, the Treasury Department co-sponsored a<br />
half-day conference called "Islamic Finance 101" for government<br />
policy makers which was in effect a cheerleading program to<br />
promote Shariah and Shariah-compliant finance.<br />
<br />
<br />
Mr. Yerushalmi remarked: "It is one thing that our government felt compelled to bail out AIG after its fortunes were destroyed due to the company's own recklessness and bad acts. It is quite another thing to use U.S. taxpayer dollars to promote and support AIG's Shariah businesses--all of which don't just sell Shariah products to the Muslim world, but actively promote Shariah as the best, most ethical way of life. Indeed, the Shariah authorities relied upon by AIG's Shariah Supervisory Committees actively promote jihad--and by jihad we mean kinetic war against the infidel West."<br />
<br />
Mr. Muise, senior trial attorney for the Thomas More Law Center and co-lead counsel in this case, made the additional point that "We have not only traced taxpayer money to support Shariah, we have found explicit public statements by senior Treasury officials actually telling the world that it is U.S. government policy to support Shariah in the form of Islamic finance and even 'call[ing] for harmonization of Shari'ah's standards.' Since when is it our government's position to involve itself in the internal theological debates surrounding religious laws?"<br />
<br />
The government defendants also filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that whatever aid was provided to AIG's Shariah businesses, it was both unintended and de minimus.<br />
<br />
Richard Thompson, head of the Thomas More Law Center, added, "It's outrageous that the federal government is the owner of a corporation engaged in a business with interests adverse to the United States. We filed this lawsuit not only to defend constitutional principles, but also to defend our national security. It's clear we can't leave the job of protecting America to the Washington politicians."<br />
<br />
The parties will now continue to brief the issue with cross-opposition and reply briefs and then the court will decide. Any decision is likely to end up on appeal at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. If the government loses, it is quite possible the case could be heard by the Supreme Court.Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-31825608793247343482010-06-08T16:21:00.002-04:002010-06-08T16:21:37.523-04:00U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Release of Campaign Matching FundsIn a major victory for free speech, the U.S. Supreme Court this morning blocked the use of taxpayer money as campaign "matching funds." The Court will decide whether to review a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. <br />
<br />
"This ruling vindicates the right of traditionally funded candidates to run their campaigns without the heavy hand of government helping their opponents," said Nick Dranias, the Goldwater Institute's lead attorney in the case known as <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103464368295&s=82126&e=001jGMs0e1PEFKulAxxeoD349slOLVIKFMHM7LGCxQi-rpVpAuW_Icy-2MWJS_MSx237eQEOTVDIuLNFOC1xKf3IlEesZYXALTUii5mr_3ceqwWa1IO3hH6lojsGT_65j_-jzDsevhXLoc=">McComish v. Bennett</a>. <br />
<br />
Under the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Act, candidates who run with public campaign subsidies receive an almost dollar-for-dollar match each time a privately funded opponent raises money above a certain amount, and additional matches when independent expenditures are made against the subsidized candidate. <br />
<br />
Today, the Supreme Court restored an injunction against the use of matching funds ordered earlier this year by U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver. <br />
<br />
"In a time of soaring budget deficits, the last thing taxpayers should be paying for are politicians' campaigns," said Darcy Olsen, president and CEO of the Goldwater Institute. <br />
<br />
The Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation represents John McComish, Nancy McClain and Tony Bouie, candidates for the Arizona Legislature whose campaigns are funded by private donations. All three are running against taxpayer-funded candidates who will receive a dollar-for-dollar match from the government for every dollar they privately raise. <br />
<br />
In January 2010, Judge Silver ruled that matching funds discourage traditionally funded candidates from raising or spending their donations so they can avoid triggering more taxpayer-funded campaign money for their opponents. Judge Silver determined matching funds are an unconstitutional burden on the election speech of privately funded candidates. <br />
<br />
A three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit disagreed in May, and issued an opinion stating the damage to free speech is minimal. <br />
<br />
The Goldwater Institute requested that the Supreme Court intervene before the state started to hand out this year's first round of matching funds on June 22, 2010. In a filing before the Court on Monday, June 7, the Goldwater Institute emphasized that publicly subsidized candidates were first warned by Judge Silver more than 18 months ago that matching funds were unconstitutional. Judge Silver issued her final ruling in late January, but delayed her order so the state could appeal. The Supreme Court's action today ended that delay and put Judge Silver's order into effect immediately. <br />
<br />
<i>Read more about this and other Goldwater lawsuits to protect individual rights and keep government within its constitutional limits at <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103464368295&s=82126&e=001jGMs0e1PEFLTyePzJr6ow40IKVCE7YLQJauCn3wVKTYMCbOgapngvJad4pRKKDl0KMqIMicMf3NjAFKMKsQlebg5ox0dGoyuYiIvB8YnsT-SXWqBn3IX6_QbFGAqzSpXUWM1GD_M5Wo=">www.goldwaterinstitute.org/litigation</a>. The Goldwater Institute is an independent government watchdog <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103464368295&s=82126&e=001jGMs0e1PEFKH75cbX74mwDfCvOCBizF_tK--XiELqXBGzWxMeNSQFNreXgH_vN0Xh0Fmk9lj06-e4D3ANTZFTvgERlAw06tmxFpB5r_LW_d1v4uo5TPnWXWCT0YF-DO8bSb8_FqTgYFGkND9d7xRw_mw6R0YP_dL">supported</a> by people who are committed to expanding free enterprise and liberty.</i>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-71771001329329551692010-03-31T12:55:00.002-04:002010-03-31T12:55:33.510-04:00Pro-Life Democrats Who Switched Vote for Health Bill Request Billions in EarmarksThe 11 House Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak who dropped their opposition to health care reform legislation mere hours before the final vote have requested $3.4 billion in earmarks -- and one watchdog group wants to know whether the money represents business as usual or political payoffs. <br />
<br />
The Sunlight Foundation says it plans to track the earmark requests, which were put in one day after health care reform cleared Congress, to see whether they're approved and whether it appears lawmakers are being rewarded for their vote.<br />
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/29/pro-life-democrats-switched-vote-health-request-billions-earmarks/">http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/29/pro-life-democrats-switched-vote-health-request-billions-earmarks/ </a>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-71575925575754047472010-03-18T13:52:00.002-04:002010-03-18T13:52:35.066-04:00Camp Statement on Preliminary CBO Cost Estimates of the Democrats' Health Care BillWays and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today made the following statement on the preliminary cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office on the Democrats' government takeover of health care: <br />
<br />
“Democrats have failed to listen to the American people and are plowing forward with a bill that still spends $1 trillion, raises roughly one-half trillion dollars in new taxes, cuts Medicare by more than one-half trillion dollars and increases Americans’ health insurance premiums. The American people have rejected this bill precisely because it taxes too much, spends too much and increases premiums too much.”Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-76510021338409684962010-03-11T21:05:00.000-05:002010-03-11T21:05:08.305-05:00Watch a Special Report from the Front Lines of the Health Care DebateOn Tuesday, March 16th, at 8:30 p.m. EDT, FRC Action will host a live video webcast entitled, "National Townhall on Health Care: Stop the Government Takeover." We've invited Members of Congress, policy experts, and grassroots leaders to join us live at our Washington, D.C. headquarters to help us assess the pending health care overhaul as a vote in Congress looms. Confirmed participants include: <br />
<br />
Host: Tony Perkins, President, FRC Action <br />
Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) <br />
Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (R-Ga.) <br />
Bryan Fischer, Director of Issue Analysis, American Family Association <br />
Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director, Students for Life <br />
Marjorie Dannenfelser, President, Susan B. Anthony List <br />
Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director, National Right to Life <br />
Tom McClusky, Senior Vice President, FRC Action <br />
More to be announced. <br />
<br />
In addition to briefing us on the significance of this legislation, our guests will also answer viewer questions sent by you via SMS text or email. If allowed to pass, a health care overhaul like the one proposed by President Obama would be devastating to the health, economic well-being, and liberty of American families. Join us this Tuesday evening to find out what you can do to stop a government takeover on health care. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.frcaction.org/index.cfm?i=EV10C02&f=AL10C12">Register now to watch the live webcast on Tuesday, March 16 at 8:30 p.m. EDT</a><br />
<br />
---<br />
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---Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-88383672508343619142010-03-11T13:29:00.001-05:002010-03-11T13:39:00.441-05:00Westmoreland fight against earmarks gaining steamToday, the entire House Republican Conference voted to place a moratorium on requesting earmarks, taking a big step toward spending reforms long advocated by U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland.<br /><br />“The earmark system in Congress is broken, and we needed to take dramatic action like we did today to show the American people we’re serious about doing a better job using their taxpayers wisely and efficiently,” Westmoreland said. “Along with several other conservative legislators, I took this stand against earmarks on my own several years ago, and I have refused to place projects in appropriations bills.<br /><br />“The way earmarks are done in the House rewards seniority and power of members. It funds projects outside of the competitive process with little means of measuring success or cost-benefit analysis. Tax dollars should go first and foremost to national priorities, they should be distributed fairly and equitably, and when projects fall short of expectations, the funding should end.<br /><br />“Americans, rightly, have lost faith in Washington’s ability to be responsible with their money. We’ve taken a positive step today. The Democrats’ vow to end all earmarks to for-profit businesses is just more smoke-and-mirrors; it leaves most earmarks safely in place and does nothing to correct the impression that members of Congress are using the federal treasury as a political piggy bank.”<br /><br />---<br />Community News You Can Use<br />Read MORE news:<br />www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com<br />Twitter: @gafrontpage<br />www.ReadMyLipstickNetwork.com<br />Twitter: @readmylipstick<br />www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com<br />www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com<br />Twitter: @hhpotterystudio<br />---Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-85999638673297738992010-02-25T08:30:00.000-05:002010-02-25T08:31:15.493-05:00Republicans must teach the American DreamCal Thomas, Examiner Columnist<br />"America doesn't need restructuring. It needs revival; revival of the principles that made us strong and great; revival of the moral foundation that proved to be our real strength and allowed us to conquer our demons and become independent, not dependent on government."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Republicans-must-teach-the-American-dream-85204997.html">Republicans must teach the American Dream</a>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-84163435492712538052010-02-05T08:21:00.001-05:002010-02-05T09:21:10.283-05:00Isakson, Chambliss: Improving Immigration Laws Will Help UnemploymentYesterday U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., joined six of their Senate Republican colleagues in signing a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asking him to take steps to improve immigration laws in order to help reduce U.S. unemployment.<br /><br />Isakson and Chambliss believe the millions of workers who are in the United States illegally are only exacerbating the unfair competition American workers currently face as they struggle to find jobs.<br /><br />The text of the letter is below:<br /><br /> Dear Majority Leader Reid,<br /><br />We understand that you are currently drafting major jobs legislation to help ease unemployment in the United States during these difficult times. We certainly share your goal of getting Americans back to work and wish to share our ideas with you in the hope that they too may be included in this jobs package. <br /><br />The statistics are sobering. Currently 15.3 million Americans are officially unemployed. If one adds the number of Americans who are underemployed, what the Department of Labor calls the U-6 unemployment rate, that number jumps to 26.5 million. Meanwhile, there are between 7 and 8 million illegal aliens in the U.S. labor market, many of whom have only recently entered the country.<br /><br />Despite these numbers, the U.S. government in 2009 failed to enforce our immigration laws. Between fiscal years 2008 and 2009, administrative arrests of illegal aliens dropped 68 percent; criminal arrests of illegal aliens dropped 60 percent; indictments of illegal aliens dropped 58 percent; and convictions of illegal aliens dropped 63 percent.<br /><br />By taking certain steps to improve our immigration laws, we believe that Congress can help the American worker at little to no cost to the American taxpayer. These steps include:<br /><br />§ Setting clear enforcement policies that reverse dramatic declines in actions;<br />§ Permanently reauthorizing E-Verify;<br />§ Allowing employers to use E-Verify to verify the work authorization of current employees;<br />§ Reinstating the No-Match Rule, which directs employers to take specific actions upon learning that their employees’ names and social security numbers do not match;<br />§ Increasing penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens; and<br />§ Prohibiting employers from deducting wages paid to illegal alien workers.<br /><br />While there may be many other good ideas to help reduce unemployment, these commonsense measures would go a long way to putting U.S. workers first and end the unfair competition that arises from the abuse of our immigration system. It is imperative that these provisions be included in any jobs legislation and we are fully committed to working with you towards that end.<br />---<br />Community News You Can Use<br /><a href="http://www.georgiafrontpage.com/">www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com</a><br />Twitter: @gafrontpage<br /><a href="http://www.readmylipsticknetwork.com/">www.ReadMyLipstickNetwork.com</a><br />Twitter: @readmylipstick<br /><a href="http://www.artsacrossgeorgia.com/">www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.hummingbird-hollow.com/">www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com</a><br />Twitter: @hhpotterystudio<br />---Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-51995830297372850652009-12-15T14:37:00.000-05:002009-12-15T14:38:15.864-05:00Hoyer: House can pass healthcare reform bill without public optionMajority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday the House can pass a healthcare bill without a public option. Read more: <a href="http://www.thehill.com/homenews/house/72325-hoyer-house-can-pass-healthcare-without-public-option">http://www.thehill.com/homenews/house/72325-hoyer-house-can-pass-healthcare-without-public-option</a>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-46266817228403314982009-11-28T20:16:00.000-05:002009-11-28T20:17:04.306-05:00Afghanistan action could test alliance between Obama, PelosiIf President Barack Obama announces next week he's sending more than 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, as he's expected to do, most members of Congress will have plenty to say about it. Most of it will be critical. Read more: <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/69631-afghanistan-action-could-test-alliance-between-obama-pelosi">http://thehill.com/homenews/house/69631-afghanistan-action-could-test-alliance-between-obama-pelosi</a>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-59283191126197127082009-11-28T20:15:00.000-05:002009-11-28T20:16:19.421-05:00Stop Corruption in US Government!Wednesday, December 2, 2009<br />7:00pm - 9:00pm<br />GA International Convention Center<br /><br />JOIN TOGETHER FOR ONE VOICE AMERICA!<br /><br />Stop Corruption in US Government....Jerome Corsi, book author speaking on his research found on corruption in government.<br /><br />Tickets are $5.00<br /><br /><a onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68_E2PN5Qw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68_E2PN5Qw</a>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-67353646516140991822009-11-18T08:50:00.000-05:002009-11-18T08:51:27.213-05:00Pro-Troop Group Blasts Senate Democrats<em>Putting Party over Country<br /></em><br />Move America Forward, the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization , said members of the U.S. Senate are putting politics over their country by changing positions to support President Obama’s desire to close Guantanamo Bay and bring terrorists onto U.S. soil.<br /><br />“This is exactly what sickens the American people with politics. Members of the Senate have been making it clear they opposed funding the transfer of terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States. But, now at the drop of a hat from the Obama Administration, they cave in and expose their true feelings – diametrically opposed by American citizens,” said Shawn Callahan, Executive Director of Move America Forward.<br /><br />As the Obama Administration has been reviewing possible locations to relocate GITMO here to America, Congress has refused to give funding or authorization to enact such a move. Now, the Senate has given the authority and the funding to bring terrorists to the United States.<br /><br />“Bringing GITMO terrorists to the U.S. is dangerous. Not only will it give the terrorists a platform to recruit more terrorists from around the world, but the constitutional protections that will not be afforded to these enemy combatants will allow them to expose some of America’s intelligence secrets through trial discovery,” asserted Callahan.<br /><br />The Senate previously voted 90 to 6 with 3 abstaining against allowing Obama to bring terrorist from Guantanamo Bay into the United States. At that time even Senator Harry Reid said, “This is neither the time nor the bill to deal with this. Democrats under no circumstances will move forward without a comprehensive, responsible plan from the president.” Yet in today’s vote, all but one Democrat who previously had voted against GITMO in the U.S. changed positions.<br /><br />“The Democrats in the U.S. Senate had the right idea in the first place and they knew that it was absolutely irresponsible to give President Obama the freedom to move GITMO detainees to the U.S. without a rational and detailed plan as to how it could be done while guaranteeing the safety of the American people.<br /><br />“We have not seen that plan, most likely because there is no way to do it without putting innocent Americans in danger. These Democrats have gone back on their word by voting to allow President Obama to have this power without a plan for how to implement it. Obviously these Senators care more about the politics of appeasing the left-wing than protecting Americans from terror and being responsible with our homeland security,” concluded Callahan.<br />---<br />Community News You Can Use<br />Follow us on Twitter: @gafrontpage<br /><a href="http://www.fayettefrontpage.com/">www.FayetteFrontPage.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.georgiafrontpage.com/">www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.politicalpotluck.com/">www.PoliticalPotluck.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.artsacrossgeorgia.com/">www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com</a><br />---Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-23452364585193599492009-11-06T13:15:00.001-05:002009-11-06T13:15:43.125-05:00Congressman Westmoreland: Democrats’ economic plans failingThe Obama administration announced this morning that the nation lost another 190,000 jobs last month, pushing the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent – the highest level since 1983.<br /><br />“The Obama administration’s economic policies aren’t working, perhaps because the Democratic power structure has kept its focus on job-killing legislation such as cap-and-trade and a government takeover of health care,” U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland said Friday. “Businesses are facing a brutal economic climate, for sure, but they aren’t going to take risks or hire new workers with the possibility of all these new taxes and mandates hanging over their heads.”<br /><br />Since the administration passed its stimulus package in February, the United States has lost 3 million more jobs. Georgia alone has lost more than 130,000 jobs.<br /><br />“On Saturday, the Democratic House is scheduled to make the problem even worse,” Westmoreland continued. “According to a methodology set up by the president’s own senior economic advisers, this health care plan will lead to the loss of 5.5 million more American jobs over the next 10 years.<br /><br />“Health care coverage is of vital interest to the American people, and we have some serious work to do on that topic, but Washington should focus on job creation first in this economic climate. I think that’s what this week’s elections show: Voters are highly concerned about the state of the economy, and members of Congress need to understand that or they are going to face a very angry electorate next year.”Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-19057157701938386892009-10-30T09:22:00.000-04:002009-10-30T09:23:00.665-04:00The Atlanta Tea Party presents: "One Year to Judgment Day"November 2, 2009 from 6-9 PM at The State Capitol, Atlanta. Hosted by Larry Wachs of The Regular Guys. Sponsored by: Georgia Tea Party Patriots, The Atlanta Tea Party, FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity & Smart Girl Politics. Featuring WSB Radio Show Host and Fox News Contributor Herman Cain with Radio Host and News Contributor Martha Zoller and Award Winning Country Music Artist - John Berry. <a href="http://www.georgiateapartypatriots.com/" target="_blank">Click for more information</a>.Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-49616634388918517352009-10-24T16:51:00.001-04:002009-10-24T16:52:50.873-04:00Help FreedomWorks Promote Tea Party The Movie!We need your help to spread the word about the definitive tea party movie: TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film releases direct to DVD and via download from the Apple Appstore this Thanksgiving Day at <a href="http://www.teapartymovie.com/">www.TeaPartyMovie.com</a>.<br /><br />The film follows the struggles of five grassroots individuals and their transformation from home town rally goers and rally organizers to national activists taking part in the 912 Taxpayer March on Washington. In the process, they reveal what is at the heart of this nationwide surge of civic engagement - a call for a return to constitutionally limited government, personal responsibility, and fiscal restraint at the Federal level.<br /><br />Can't wait until Thanksgiving to see it? Then host a cinematic tea party with a “Tea Time Sneak Peek”: To help spread the word for the TEA PARTY film we are asking activists to host a sneak peek of a portion of the movie between Nov 2nd and Nov 26th. These “Tea Time Sneak Peeks” will raise significant awareness for the film amongst the media and throughout grassroots America. You can host a sneak peek at a private home, church, school, club or other venue. <br /><br />For more information on hosting a cinematic tea party click <a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FreedomWorks/febede469b/9589798b01/b1ff55be66">here</a> and find out about how you can take part in special weekly strategy conference calls on Tuesdays at 7PM, or contact Joel Aaron Foster at 678-910-3101 or <a href="mailto:info@teapartymovie.com">info@teaparty<a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FreedomWorks/febede469b/9589798b01/0d28fc4628">movie.com</a></a>.<br /><br />FreedomWorks,<br /><br />Dick Armey<br />Chairman<br />FreedomWorks.orgGeorgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-42473974040916446962009-09-17T10:09:00.000-04:002009-09-17T10:10:04.080-04:00Boehner Statement on Rahall Anti-Energy Bill<em>GOP Leader: “Democrats continue to push job-killing legislation that would hamstring American energy production and undermine job creation”</em><br /><br />9/16/09 House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today criticized a flawed energy bill (H.R. 3534) sponsored by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV), which Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will testify about today. Boehner issued the following statement:<br /><br />“Middle-class families and small businesses are struggling and our economy is shedding jobs, yet Democrats continue to push job-killing legislation that would hamstring environmentally-safe energy production and undermine job creation. Instead of pursuing an ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to promote more American energy production, Chairman Rahall’s bill would increase taxes, raises fees, expand government bureaucracy, and postpone production of wind, solar, oil and natural gas. The end result is fewer American jobs and greater dependence on foreign oil.<br /><br />“The Democrats’ push for this bill is particularly troubling because it comes just weeks after they rammed through Speaker Pelosi’s ‘cap-and-trade’ national energy tax – legislation that will increase electricity bills, raise prices at the pump, and ship more American jobs overseas to places like China and India. Republicans believe there is a better way. Our American Energy Act is the fastest route to a cleaner, more reliable and secure energy future. By increasing environmentally-safe energy production, using proven 21st century technologies, promoting alternatives like nuclear and clean-coal technologies, and encouraging increased efficiency, our bill will create more jobs, lower energy costs, and clean up our air and water.”<br /><br />NOTE: The House GOP's <a onclick="onClickUnsafeLink(event);" href="http://republicanleader.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=26689-2215496" target="_blank">American Energy Act</a> would increase environmentally-safe energy production on remote lands and far off our shores; promote the use of alternative fuels that will reduce carbon emissions, such as nuclear, clean-coal, and renewable energy technologies; and encourage conservation to preserve and protect our natural resources. It would also establish a renewable energy trust fund that would use revenues generated through increased American energy production to support innovation in renewable and alternative energy sources, like wind and solar technologies.Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-68140153411735747772009-06-22T10:59:00.002-04:002009-06-22T11:01:43.346-04:00Gwinnett July 4th Tea Party CanecelledJuly 4th Tea Party canceled<br />by JASON PYE on JUNE 22, 2009<br />From the tipline:<br /><br />The Atlanta Tea Party was forced to cancel it’s Independence Day celebration in Gwinnett, after losing it’s location due to the objection of Gwinnett Place Mall (a Simon company.) The Tea Party had been scheduled to take place in the parking lot of the old Macy’s building at Gwinnett Place since March.<br /><br />“It is unfortunate the event had to be canceled,” said Julianne Thompson, event co-organizer. She continued, “The old Macy’s building is on private property, and not owned by Simon Malls, however the mall manager asked the property owner and I to come in the office on Thursday of this week, and told us Simon does not want political events on it’s property......<a href="http://www.peachpundit.com/2009/06/22/july-4th-tea-party-canceled/">http://www.peachpundit.com/2009/06/22/july-4th-tea-party-canceled/</a><br /><br />HT to Peach Pundit!Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-15662563282671190522009-06-10T08:35:00.002-04:002009-06-10T08:40:15.113-04:00Opinion: Pritchett's You Scare Me LetterAn Open Letter to President Obama<br />By Lou Pritchett<br /><br />Dear President Obama:<br /><br />You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.<br /><br />You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.<br /><br />You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.<br /><br />You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.<br /><br />You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.<br /><br />You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.<br /><br />You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.<br /><br />You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.<br /><br />You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.<br /><br />You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.<br /><br />You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.<br /><br />You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.<br /><br />You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.<br /><br />You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.<br /><br />You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.<br /><br />You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.<br /><br />You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.<br /><br />You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.<br /><br />You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.<br /><br />You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.<br /><br />Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.<br /><br />Lou Pritchett<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. Pritchett confirmed that he was indeed the author of the much-circulated "open letter." “I did write the 'you scare me' letter. I sent it to the NY Times but they never acknowledged or published it. However, it hit the internet and according to the ‘experts’ has had over 500,000 hits.</span><br /><br />-----<br /><a href="http://www.politicalpotluck.com">www.politicalpotluck.com</a><br />Political News You Can UseGeorgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-50269004317752255912009-06-07T11:08:00.002-04:002009-06-07T11:11:08.702-04:00Emergency Filing: Chrysler Creditors Take Obama to Supreme CourtEmergency Filing: Chrysler Creditors Take Obama to Supreme Court<br />by: Bill Dupray<br /><br />This is nothing short of Americans asking the Judiciary Branch to step in and exercise its check and balance powers to stop an out-of-control Executive Branch. Our Republic is held together by such power, and in this instance, the Supreme Court is the last bulwark against an authoritarian president nationalizing a private company and extinguishing Constitutionally protected contract and property rights to reach his goal of giving the company to his political allies.<br /><br />From WSJ.<br /><br />A group of Indiana pension funds opposed to Chrysler LLC's sale to Fiat SpA filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the sale while they continue their attempts to block it. . . .<a href="http://patriotroom.com/article/emergency-filing-chrysler-creditors-take-obama-to-supreme-court">http://patriotroom.com/article/emergency-filing-chrysler-creditors-take-obama-to-supreme-court</a>Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-49428843128429867152009-06-01T11:29:00.002-04:002009-06-01T11:31:59.943-04:00Opinion: The 'Unseen' Deserve Empathy, TooWhile announcing Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to the Supreme Court, President Barack Obama praised her as a judge who combined a mastery of the law with "a common touch, a sense of compassion, and an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live." This is in keeping with his earlier statement that he wanted to appoint a justice who possessed the "quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles."<br /><br />Without casting aspersions on Judge Sotomayor, we may ask whether these are really the characteristics we want in a judge.<br /><br />Clearly, a good judge must have "an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live." Judicial decision-making involves the application of abstract rules to concrete facts; it is impossible to render a proper judicial decision without understanding its practical effect on both the litigants and the wider community.<br /><br />But what about compassion and empathy? Compassion is defined as a feeling of deep sympathy for those stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering; empathy is the ability to share in another's emotions, thoughts and feelings. Hence, a compassionate judge would tend to base his or her decisions on sympathy for the unfortunate; an empathetic judge on how the people directly affected by the decision would think and feel. What could be wrong with that?<br /><br />Frederic Bastiat answered that question in his famous 1850 essay, "What is Seen and What is Not Seen." There the economist and member of the French parliament pointed out that law "produces not only one effect, but a series of effects. Of these effects, the first alone is immediate; it appears simultaneously with its cause; it is seen. The other effects emerge only subsequently; they are not seen; we are fortunate if we foresee them." Bastiat further noted that "[t]here is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one: The bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects that must be foreseen."<br /><br />This observation is just as true for judges as it is for economists. As important as compassion and empathy are, one can have these feelings only for people that exist and that one knows about -- that is, for those who are "seen."<br /><br />One can have compassion for workers who lose their jobs when a plant closes. They can be seen. One cannot have compassion for unknown persons in other industries who do not receive job offers when a compassionate government subsidizes an unprofitable plant. The potential employees not hired are unseen.<br /><br />One can empathize with innocent children born with birth defects. Such children and the adversity they face can be seen. One cannot empathize with as-yet-unborn children in rural communities who may not have access to pediatricians if a judicial decision based on compassion raises the cost of medical malpractice insurance. These children are unseen.<br /><br />One can feel for unfortunate homeowners about to lose their homes through foreclosure. One cannot feel for unknown individuals who may not be able to afford a home in the future if the compassionate and empathetic protection of current homeowners increases the cost of a mortgage.<br /><br />In general, one can feel compassion for and empathize with individual plaintiffs in a lawsuit who are facing hardship. They are visible. One cannot feel compassion for or empathize with impersonal corporate defendants, who, should they incur liability, will pass the costs on to consumers, reduce their output, or cut employment. Those who must pay more for products, or are unable to obtain needed goods or services, or cannot find a job are invisible.<br /><br />The law consists of abstract rules because we know that, as human beings, judges are unable to foresee all of the long-term consequences of their decisions and may be unduly influenced by the immediate, visible effects of these decisions. The rules of law are designed in part to strike the proper balance between the interests of those who are seen and those who are not seen. The purpose of the rules is to enable judges to resist the emotionally engaging temptation to relieve the plight of those they can see and empathize with, even when doing so would be unfair to those they cannot see.<br /><br />Calling on judges to be compassionate or empathetic is in effect to ask them to undo this balance and favor the seen over the unseen. Paraphrasing Bastiat, if the difference between the bad judge and the good judge is that the bad judge focuses on the visible effects of his or her decisions while the good judge takes into account both the effects that can be seen and those that are unseen, then the compassionate, empathetic judge is very likely to be a bad judge. For this reason, let us hope that Judge Sotomayor proves to be a disappointment to her sponsor.<br /><br /><span id="innercontent">By John Hasnas<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span id="innercontent"><em>John Hasnas is a visiting professor at Duke University School of Law.</em></span></span><br /><br />-----<br /><a href="http://www.Politicalpotluck.com">www.Politicalpotluck.com</a><br />Political News You Can UseGeorgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-50096679818373169352009-05-21T09:10:00.001-04:002009-05-21T09:14:22.904-04:00It's A Tax!Hello Intelligent Thinker.<br /><br />The "cap-and-trade" legislation (HR2454) that is being pushed through congress by Chairman Henry Waxman (CA- D) is just another tax on the American people. Even President Obama has admitted that it is going to be an additional cost on every household and business in this country. It will cost the average American family anywhere from $700 to $3,000 a year depending on whose analysis you believe. I believe the $3000 estimate determined by a study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).<br /><br />It's a tax! "Cap-and-trade" is just another tax and a huge expansion of government bureaucracy. Bill: <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102586665589&s=43982&e=001t2gloh4HxLgMPj_nTI9fYdqTY79mhjeFozDzYlIl9mImLR1ow58dmr5t2UyM_A409gjg2KwiZMiGyDsMSIlCDyH7naZQEbfZNj6a8y5o5HiTO6uDOTYh5NCcr5g0t9EjKh-uqS6zjy1pUYhdRbULSr4iVoRsZjZi1RUGZGpeOM-t6WBxHm-4x7tIEFAyuihEeDI0hGMNqIjHpz40_98vKwHeu0Zi2RCjSK7hD72TcElZRcWxAVVXsVNSOtslj31w" target="_blank" track="on" linktype="link">(HR2454) American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009</a><br /><br />Summary of Bill: <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102586665589&s=43982&e=001t2gloh4HxLhv3m8zXq2WJ6434jqS1NxSyfZMDVnL4n88nhswPv-lueFk0waKDrNxYHQPOW4qDIuJtXJNFbHs-P64Su7hg8VsTxRYfiJ4SzsQhsZe1iQVBArkI5kvY8x3LmsWAHGJ_39jNps6k1KQnkMsTkZVqnNH4OIMzgXQX2lhzlAQpSwGcSFv71AUS7BV" target="_blank" track="on" linktype="link">Cap and Tax Overview</a><br /><br />Democrats have this legislation on a fast track hoping that the American people will not notice.<br /><br />Please contact your Representative and both Senators with the following message:<br /><br />Please vote NO on the upcoming 'cap-and-trade' legislation. We do not need another tax on the people of this country nor another government bureaucracy. Please respond immediately! Congress has this bill on a fast track.<br /><br />Herman Cain - Head Coach<br />Intelligent Thinkers Movement<br /><br />TAKE ACTION!<br /><a style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; COLOR: #990000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" href="mhtml:mid://00000799/#LETTER.BLOCK39" shape="rect">Issues and Actions</a><br /><a style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; COLOR: #990000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" href="mhtml:mid://00000799/#LETTER.BLOCK13" shape="rect">Contact Your Elected Officials</a><br /><br /><em>Herman has given us permission to share his writings... brilliant man, great spokesperson and just a good guy. </em><br />---<br />Community News You Can Use<br />Follow us on Twitter: @gafrontpage<br /><a href="http://www.fayettefrontpage.com/">www.FayetteFrontPage.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.georgiafrontpage.com/">www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.politicalpotluck.com/">www.PoliticalPotluck.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.artsacrossgeorgia.com/">www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com</a><br />---Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869567108788476568.post-50036147860700322452009-04-28T23:37:00.001-04:002009-04-28T23:37:53.850-04:00Chambliss Opposes Sebelius NominationU.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today made the following statement regarding Kathleen Sebelius’ nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services.<br /><br />“By recently vetoing a bill on late-term abortion, Gov. Sebelius ignored the will of Kansans. By not paying the taxes she owed until just before her confirmation hearing, she ignored the laws of the United States.<br /><br />“I also believe it is inappropriate to place someone with her record of disregard for human life into a national health leadership role. For those reasons, I oppose Gov. Sebelius’ nomination.”Georgia Front Page.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248749393644673382noreply@blogger.com0