via Breitbart:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats controlling the Senate have abandoned a 1,924-page catchall spending measure that's laced with homestate pet projects known as earmarks and that would have provided another $158 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nevada Democrat Harry Reid gave up on the nearly $1.3 trillion bill after several Republicans who had been thinking of voting for the bill pulled back their support.
GOP leader Mitch McConnell threw his weight against the bill in recent days, saying it was in his words "unbelievable" that Democrats would try to muscle through in just a few days legislation that usually takes months to debate.
Reid said he would work with McConnell to produce a short-term funding bill to keep the government running into early next year.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP)—The top Senate Republican has offered a one-page bill to prevent a government shutdown on Saturday as an alternative to a 1,924-page catchall spending measure offered by Democrats.
Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell says it's unbelievable that Democrats want to pass the measure in just a few days as Christmas approaches. He says Congress should pass a less costly bill next year—when Republicans will have more leverage.
McConnell had earlier quietly backed the effort to produce the nearly $1.3 trillion bill, but he's now trying to kill it. McConnell also obtained $85 million in so-called earmarks for Kentucky.
Democrats say they'll take up the bill later Thursday. It bankrolls every Cabinet agency for the budget year that started Oct. 1.
Commentary and analysis on all things political. A blog sponsored by the College Republicans at Roger Williams University.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Congressman Calls on Obama to Take Illegal Immigration 'Seriously' Following Death of Border Agent
via Fox News
The incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said the shooting death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent is a "sad reminder" of the dangers law enforcement officers face on a daily basis and called on the Obama administration to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Elect Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said the killing of Brian A. Terry in southern Arizona late Tuesday should serve as wake-up call to President Obama and his administration.
"The Obama administration’s lax enforcement of immigration laws, coupled with calls for mass amnesty, only encourage more illegal immigration," Smith said in a statement released Wednesday. "Our border remains porous and the Obama administration has done nothing to stop the steady flow of human and drug smuggling from Mexico."
Agent Brian A. Terry, 40, was killed late Tuesday near Rio Rico, Ariz., according to a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. At least four suspects are in custody and another is still being pursued.
The leader of a union representing Border Patrol agents said Terry was trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants for robbery.
National Border Patrol Council President T.J. Bonner said Terry was waiting with three other agents in a remote area north of Nogales when a gun battle began. A CBP spokesman would not confirm that account.
Prior to Terry's death, the last fatal shooting of a Border Patrol agent was on July 23, 2009, when Robert Rosas, 30, was killed by unidentified assailants while responding to suspicious activity in a known smuggling corridor near Campo, Calif., CBP officials said.
Since 2005, according to Smith's statement, roughly 28,000 people have been killed along the U.S.-Mexico border, including 1,000 law enforcement officers.
"The murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry is a sad reminder of the real-life dangers that Americans and our law enforcement agents face along the southwest border," Smith's statement continued. "What will it take to make the Obama administration realize that we must do more to secure our border and keep Americans safe? Earlier this year, a rancher in Arizona was killed on his own property. The suspect is believed to have been an illegal immigrant. Last night, Border Patrol Agent Terry lost his life for simply doing his job. How many more Americans will die before the Obama administration wakes up and starts taking illegal immigration seriously?"
Massachusettes Stuck With Another Liberal
Being a lifelong Massachusetts resident, I have come to expect that Senior U.S. Senator John Kerry would maintain his normal posture of being a liberal, but I didn't expect Scott Brown to be just as bad. We learn today, that Scott Brown, only days after voting to filibuster "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is on board with the Democrats to repeal it.
The victory of Scott Brown was a truly amazing one, and the entire nation stopped when they heard a Republican won in one of the most liberal states in the country. Scott Brown was the topic of conservation in Massachusetts for weeks both before and after the election. People across the country were amazed that a Republican, someone who campaigned as a conservative Republican on most issues, actually won a U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts.
After all of the hype surrounding the election started to fade off, us political junkies watched and have seen how Brown actually voted. Brown has stood firm on some critical fiscal issues, but as expected, eventually gave in to the democrats and a liberal view of public policy. I guess in Massachusetts you replace a liberal with a liberal, even if it happens to be a Republican.
The victory of Scott Brown was a truly amazing one, and the entire nation stopped when they heard a Republican won in one of the most liberal states in the country. Scott Brown was the topic of conservation in Massachusetts for weeks both before and after the election. People across the country were amazed that a Republican, someone who campaigned as a conservative Republican on most issues, actually won a U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts.
After all of the hype surrounding the election started to fade off, us political junkies watched and have seen how Brown actually voted. Brown has stood firm on some critical fiscal issues, but as expected, eventually gave in to the democrats and a liberal view of public policy. I guess in Massachusetts you replace a liberal with a liberal, even if it happens to be a Republican.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Congress' Job Approval Rating Worst in Gallup History
Congress' Job Approval Rating Worst in Gallup History
This does not come as a shocker. The democrats insist on forcing socialist and anti-American legislation on the American people after we have clearly rejected this type of governance at the polls in November. January 3rd can't come fast enough.
DeMint will force readings of START Treaty and omnibus bill
As expected, the lame-duck Congress is working to pass more pork-laden spending bills as well as an arms reduction treaty.Thankfully we have at least one great senator still left in the U.S. Senate chambers who is not willing to stand for this. Senator DeMint realizes the seriousness of our fiscal crisis and is the only one fighting for us and our tax dollars. DeMint fill force readings of these extremely long and arduous bills that is expected to take days. Again, the democratically controlled House and Senate fell it's necessary to pass bills thousands of pages long without reading them. How many people seriously think that the democrats are actually going to read the omnibus spending bill? I know for sure the great majority of them won't even read the first fifty pages.
I would like to personally thank Senator DeMint, becuase when other Republicans appease to the democrats, DeMint still holds true to his values. We can only hope that Republicans will filibuster these two very dangerous pieces of legislation to prevent them from becoming law.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
DeMint threatens to force a reading of omnibus bill - On Congress - DeMint threatens to force a reading of omnibus bill
via Politico:
The year-end legislative push appears threatened by procedural hijinks on the Senate floor.
As Democrats try to push through a nearly 2,000-page omnibus spending bill, Republican senators are threatening to bog down the floor by forcing Senate clerks to read the full text aloud, a process that could take more than one full day to complete.
“Democrats haven’t given Republicans or the American people time to read the bill, but I’ll join with other Republican colleagues to force them to read it on the Senate floor,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
Such a tactic is rarely employed, but any senator can force a full reading of legislation, which is usually skipped by unanimous consent.
During the health care debate last December, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) forced clerks to read aloud Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 767-page amendment to establish a single-payer system. Sanders withdrew his amendment several hours into the reading, which had effectively paralyzed the Senate.
With the window closing on the 111th Congress, forcing a reading of the omnibus spending bill could further extend the lame-duck session until the end of the year, or force Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to scale back an ambitious agenda, which includes a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, ratification of the START treaty, confirmation of stalled nominations and a vote on an immigration bill known as the Dream Act.
The year-end legislative push appears threatened by procedural hijinks on the Senate floor.
As Democrats try to push through a nearly 2,000-page omnibus spending bill, Republican senators are threatening to bog down the floor by forcing Senate clerks to read the full text aloud, a process that could take more than one full day to complete.
“Democrats haven’t given Republicans or the American people time to read the bill, but I’ll join with other Republican colleagues to force them to read it on the Senate floor,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).
Such a tactic is rarely employed, but any senator can force a full reading of legislation, which is usually skipped by unanimous consent.
During the health care debate last December, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) forced clerks to read aloud Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 767-page amendment to establish a single-payer system. Sanders withdrew his amendment several hours into the reading, which had effectively paralyzed the Senate.
With the window closing on the 111th Congress, forcing a reading of the omnibus spending bill could further extend the lame-duck session until the end of the year, or force Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to scale back an ambitious agenda, which includes a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, ratification of the START treaty, confirmation of stalled nominations and a vote on an immigration bill known as the Dream Act.
Senate Dems unveil $1.1T spending bill - TheHill.com
via TheHill
Senate Democrats have filed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that would fund the government through fiscal year 2011, according to Senate GOP sources.
The 1,924-page bill includes funding to implement the sweeping healthcare reform bill Congress passed earlier this year as well as additional funds for Internal Revenue Service agents, according to a senior GOP aide familiar with the legislation.
The package drew a swift rebuke from Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
"The attempt by Democrat leadership to rush through a nearly 2,000-page spending bill in the final days of the lame-duck session ignores the clear will expressed by the voters this past election," Thune said in a statement. "This bill is loaded up with pork projects and should not get a vote. Congress should listen to the American people and stop this reckless spending.”
Thune has called for a short-term funding measure free of earmarks to keep the government operating beyond Dec. 18, when the current continuing resolution expires.
Despite strong opposition from Thune and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), several Senate Republicans are considering voting for the bill.
“That’s my intention,” said retiring Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) when asked if he would support the package.
Bennett said earmarks in the bill might give some of his GOP colleagues reason to hesitate but wouldn’t affect his vote.
“It will be tough for some, but not for me,” he said.
GOP Sens. Kit Bond (Mo.), George Voinovich (Ohio) and Susan Collins (Maine) also told The Hill on Tuesday they would consider voting for the omnibus but want to review it before making a final decision.
“I hope to be able to vote for one,” Bond said of the omnibus. “We’ve got to look what’s in it.
“I’m anxious to see it,” he added.
Senate Democrats have filed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that would fund the government through fiscal year 2011, according to Senate GOP sources.
The 1,924-page bill includes funding to implement the sweeping healthcare reform bill Congress passed earlier this year as well as additional funds for Internal Revenue Service agents, according to a senior GOP aide familiar with the legislation.
The package drew a swift rebuke from Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
"The attempt by Democrat leadership to rush through a nearly 2,000-page spending bill in the final days of the lame-duck session ignores the clear will expressed by the voters this past election," Thune said in a statement. "This bill is loaded up with pork projects and should not get a vote. Congress should listen to the American people and stop this reckless spending.”
Thune has called for a short-term funding measure free of earmarks to keep the government operating beyond Dec. 18, when the current continuing resolution expires.
Despite strong opposition from Thune and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), several Senate Republicans are considering voting for the bill.
“That’s my intention,” said retiring Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) when asked if he would support the package.
Bennett said earmarks in the bill might give some of his GOP colleagues reason to hesitate but wouldn’t affect his vote.
“It will be tough for some, but not for me,” he said.
GOP Sens. Kit Bond (Mo.), George Voinovich (Ohio) and Susan Collins (Maine) also told The Hill on Tuesday they would consider voting for the omnibus but want to review it before making a final decision.
“I hope to be able to vote for one,” Bond said of the omnibus. “We’ve got to look what’s in it.
“I’m anxious to see it,” he added.
iPhone Snitch Network Launched
From Jason Douglass, Infowars.
A new iPhone App with the misleading name ‘PatriotApp’ attempts to draw on the power of the patriot movement, turning smartphone users into a gigantic snitch network.
You might think an app with such a patriotic name might have useful functions like a pocket constitution or quotes from our forefathers. But contrary to the services one might expect, this app allows users to report any ‘suspicious’ behavior directly linking them with top government agencies.
Much like the new DHS program ‘If you see something, say something’ this app is meant to turn average citizens into a network of spies feeding information back to the federal government.
Citizen Concepts, a company formed by insiders from DHS, defines the use of such an app on their homepage:
Citizen Concepts announces the launch of PatriotAppTM, the world’s first iPhone application that empowers citizens to assist government agencies in creating safer, cleaner, and more efficient communities via social networking and mobile technology. This app was founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated and broad network of eyes and ears necessary to prevent terrorism, crime, environmental negligence, or other malicious behavior.
Simply download, report (including pictures) and submit information to relevant government agencies, employers, or publish incident data to social network tools.
Key Features:
Integrated into Federal Agencies points of contacts
FBI
EPA
GAO
CDC
Custom integration with user employers
Fully integrated with Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)
Multiple menus and data fields
View FBI Most Wanted
Simple graphical user interface
Uses:
Enable citizens to record and communicate:
National Security, Suspicious activities, Crime
Government Waste
Environmental Crime or possible violations
White collar crime
Workplace harassment, discrimination, or other violations
Public Health concerns
PatriotApp encourages active citizen participation in the War on Terror and in protecting their families and surrounding communities.
An app like this is meant to solidify the climate of fear in which our leaders want us to exist. The threat of terrorism must be palpable in order for the ‘War on Terror’ to be justified and to validate all the extreme measures instituted in its name.
A new iPhone App with the misleading name ‘PatriotApp’ attempts to draw on the power of the patriot movement, turning smartphone users into a gigantic snitch network.
You might think an app with such a patriotic name might have useful functions like a pocket constitution or quotes from our forefathers. But contrary to the services one might expect, this app allows users to report any ‘suspicious’ behavior directly linking them with top government agencies.
Much like the new DHS program ‘If you see something, say something’ this app is meant to turn average citizens into a network of spies feeding information back to the federal government.
Citizen Concepts, a company formed by insiders from DHS, defines the use of such an app on their homepage:
Citizen Concepts announces the launch of PatriotAppTM, the world’s first iPhone application that empowers citizens to assist government agencies in creating safer, cleaner, and more efficient communities via social networking and mobile technology. This app was founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated and broad network of eyes and ears necessary to prevent terrorism, crime, environmental negligence, or other malicious behavior.
Simply download, report (including pictures) and submit information to relevant government agencies, employers, or publish incident data to social network tools.
Key Features:
Integrated into Federal Agencies points of contacts
FBI
EPA
GAO
CDC
Custom integration with user employers
Fully integrated with Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)
Multiple menus and data fields
View FBI Most Wanted
Simple graphical user interface
Uses:
Enable citizens to record and communicate:
National Security, Suspicious activities, Crime
Government Waste
Environmental Crime or possible violations
White collar crime
Workplace harassment, discrimination, or other violations
Public Health concerns
PatriotApp encourages active citizen participation in the War on Terror and in protecting their families and surrounding communities.
An app like this is meant to solidify the climate of fear in which our leaders want us to exist. The threat of terrorism must be palpable in order for the ‘War on Terror’ to be justified and to validate all the extreme measures instituted in its name.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Individual Mandate Struck Down
Finally, after months and months of waiting for the healthcare lawsuits to find their way through the courts, we get a good result. U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson has declared the "individual mandate" portion of the 2700 page healthcare law unconstitutional. This is a great victory for anyone who has a divested interest in the freedom granted to them as a citizen of this country.
How does the government have the power to force you to buy a private product or service from a private organization? We find out today that a least one federal judge thinks the government does not have this power. Anyone who thinks the government can tell everyone to buy a private product and enforce the law with huge fines and even jail time needs to actually think about how absurd this actually is.
I commend Hudson and his conviction to stand up for the Constitution, one of the few things a federal judge should be doing. Two other federal judges have neglected to stand up for the Constitution so far on this issue, and in a few days an opinion from Florida U.S. District Court judge Roger Vinson is expected. Most legal and political scholars are almost certain that Vinson's ruling will reflect what we saw today in Virginia.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Barstool Economics
This is a very simplified way of how our tax system works and how the tax cuts would effect this simplified system.
Obama Finally Gives in on Taxes
The Communist-in-Chief finally, finally gives in on taxes. Was it really that hard to give the job-creators a break during a recession? This must have been very hard for such a radical like Obama who wants to tax the rich even more.
However, this deal comes at a price. The Republicans in turn must agree to fund unemployment benefits for a longer period of time. This isn't the worst thing in the world to agree to, but it is essentially giving our taxpayer money to people who aren't working. This is not creating jobs, it's only adding to the deficit.
Will Obama's "compromise" appeal to Congressional Democrats and will actual legislation arise from this compromise? Some liberal Senators have come out against this deal and some believe even if Obama is on board the democrats won't play "follow the leader."
Friday, December 3, 2010
Are Congressional Democrats Insane?
For the past few months we have heard a lot of talk regarding the Bush tax cuts. Well, Congress finally took some action regarding this issue. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure yesterday that would work to extend tax cuts for the lower two federal tax brackets, leaving the upper tax bracket's rates to rise as of January 2011. Any individual making or $200,000 or couple making a combined $250,000 a year is going to see a big increase in their taxes. This was a horrible mistake by our lame-duck Congress.
We hear today that unemployment has risen to 9.8%. How can the democrats see these numbers then think raising taxes on job creators is a good idea? Businesses are already struggling as it is, and many of them just aren't going to make it after this tax hike. If they are able to keep going, then they may even have to sacrifice further employees to keep their doors open for business. This is in no way going to help create jobs in the country, but it is going to help destroy them.
If Congress does not act quickly to preserve current tax rates, or even drastically decrease tax rates as well as reckless spending, we are going to be heading into a financial disaster like we have never seen before.
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