Sotomayor In Trouble? Let’s Attack Ricci!

The politics of personal destruction seem to be in full swing:

WASHINGTON — Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor are quietly targeting the Connecticut firefighter who’s at the center of Sotomayor’s most controversial ruling.

On the eve of Sotomayor’s Senate confirmation hearing, her advocates have been urging journalists to scrutinize what one called the “troubled and litigious work history” of firefighter Frank Ricci.

This is opposition research: a constant shadow on Capitol Hill.

“The whole business of getting Supreme Court nominees through the process has become bloodsport,” said Gary Rose, a government and politics professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.

On Friday, citing in an e-mail “Frank Ricci’s troubled and litigious work history,” the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way drew reporters’ attention to Ricci’s past. Other advocates for Sotomayor have discreetly urged journalists to pursue similar story lines.

Isn’t this what used to be called “blaming the victim”? Ricci didn’t choose to have his case become the center of a national controversy over a Supreme Court nominee who clearly thinks primarily along racial lines. Yet now he is to be drawn into the middle of it.

Nice way to show your support for the little guy, Obamacrats.

Obama As Messiah?

The London Telegraph apparently has no problem asking this question:

Can Barack Obama save us from hell?

I always thought the one who could save people from hell was the one the Jews call the Messiah; to Christians, His name is Jesus Christ… not Barack Obama.

So, when does the first Church of Obama open?

Senate Doctors Show And Submission Of A Conservative Health Care Plan

Well, folks. I did it. Given the urgency of the matter and the fact that U.S. Senate Democrats are moving at break-neck speed to hurry health care reform legislation through, I submitted a conservative health care plan to U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY).

A Conservative Health Care Plan

I don’t know how much credence will be given to the writings contained in the plan, but there are many more like me who have probably done the same thing with their state’s senators and representatives. There are conservatives and Republicans who have bold, feasible, workable ideas on health care reform—ideas that do not include raising taxes, increasing consumer costs, and government ownership of the country’s health care system. It just goes to show you how wrong statist, leftist medi-Marxists are.

Senator Barrasso, an orthopedic trauma surgeon and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), an obstetrician, are hosting the Republican “Senate Doctors Show” [Press Release - Senate Republicans to Launch the “Senate Doctors Show”], a Web site that is designed for the purpose of taking the questions and comments from American citizens regarding the following Republican health care plans:

• Focus on health coverage for all 300 million Americans, including the 47 million uninsured.

• Are health care plans you can afford.

• Allow you and your doctor to make your health care decisions, not some Washington bureaucrat.

• Emphasize prevention and wellness.

• Give low-income Americans the same opportunities and choices that most Americans already have.

• Don’t make it harder for American businesses to compete in the world marketplace by adding to their costs.

• Won’t saddle your children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars of debt.

• Should be enacted this year at a pace that lets us do it right.

Click on the link below to tune in to the “Senate Doctors Show”: Senate Doctors Show

Letter To U.S. Senators—Vote “NO” On Cap And Trade

Here is a copy of an E-mail I sent to both Senators Barrasso and Enzi, my state’s U.S. Senators. Remember ladies and gentlemen, contact your state’s senators and urge them to vote “NO” on cap and trade. Enjoy:

Dear Senator (Barrasso/Enzi):

I would respectfully urge you to vote against any cap and trade, global climate change, or greenhouse gas emissions regulation legislation that comes through the U.S. Senate. I am hoping that you can persuade your colleagues to also vote against the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 or the Waxman-Markey bill.

(Paragraph included for Senator Barrasso) Senator, as you pointed out before to the Administrator of the EPA, regulating greenhouse gas emissions, namely carbon emissions, will spell disaster for the U.S. economy and the American people. It is evident that your words fell upon deaf ears.

If it is signed into law by President Obama, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 will place unreasonable demands on American citizens to effect costly changes to their homes in order to make them more “green”.

Every American will be unable to even sell an existing home without conforming to “green” laws that will be enacted after cap and trade legislation is signed into law.

Under cap and trade, new homes must conform to “green” standards, placing expensive burdens on home buyers and construction contractors. Under cap and trade, energy prices will go up considerably. By his own admission, President Obama has said that energy prices will necessarily go up as a result of energy companies having to conform to cap and trade laws.

Senator, I could offer additional information on Waxman-Markey, but I’m sure you already are looking into the content of the legislation and have found or will find even more shocking socio-economic ramifications contained therein.

Thank you Senator (Barrasso/Enzi) for taking the time to read this communication. I applaud your work and everything you do for the people of Wyoming and of the United States of America.

Respectfully,

Name and Location Withheld for Security Purposes

When Is A Coup Not A Coup?

Miguel Estrada, a Honduran native and member of the US delegation to former President Zelaya’s 2006 inauguration, explains the nuts and bolts of why what happened in Honduras was not–I say again, not–a coup, despite what Obama and other lefties would like to claim:

Something clearly has gone awry with the rule of law in Honduras — but it is not necessarily what you think. Begin with Zelaya’s arrest. The Supreme Court of Honduras, as it turns out, had ordered the military to arrest Zelaya two days earlier. A second order (issued on the same day) authorized the military to enter Zelaya’s home to execute the arrest. These orders were issued at the urgent request of the country’s attorney general. All the relevant legal documents can be accessed (in Spanish) on the Supreme Court’s website. They make for interesting reading.

What you’ll learn is that the Honduran Constitution may be amended in any way except three. No amendment can ever change (1) the country’s borders, (2) the rules that limit a president to a single four-year term and (3) the requirement that presidential administrations must “succeed one another” in a “republican form of government.”

In addition, Article 239 specifically states that any president who so much as proposes the permissibility of reelection “shall cease forthwith” in his duties, and Article 4 provides that any “infraction” of the succession rules constitutes treason. The rules are so tight because these are terribly serious issues for Honduras, which lived under decades of military rule.

Estrada goes on, but the general gist of it is simple: Zelaya broke the Honduran Constitution, therefore he got the boot.

Of course, we all know that lefties consider constitutions, whether Honduran or American, mere impediments in their march to absolute power over the lives of the proletariat.

China And India Say “No” To Reducing CO2 Emissions…Russia Signs G8 Accord But Makes No Promises

At the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, all did not turn out as hoped for by world leftist eco-Marxists. The G8 summit events were reported in an article from the UK’s Telegraph.co.uk:

“The refusal of developing nations to sign up to a climate change deal overshadowed an agreement between rich nations to limit the rise in global average temperatures.

G8 leaders meeting in L’Aquila, Italy, agreed for the first time to work to prevent global temperatures rising by more than two degrees Celsius.

The summit also agreed that developed economies should aim to cut their carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The agreement will force G8 economies to make significant changes in the way they operate to meeting that target.

Gordon Brown hailed the G8 statement on climate change as ‘historic’ and a precursor to global climate change talks in Copenhagen in December.

‘We have laid the foundations for a Copenhagen deal that is effective,’ he said.

But the deal was marred by the failure of fast-growing Asian nations to sign up. The G8 had wanted them to agree to cut their carbon output by 50 per cent in the same time.

However, the 50 per cent carbon targets faced resistance from India and China, which argued that the targets would hamper their economic growth.

‘For any long-term goals there have to be credible midterm goals in the range of 25-40 per cent,’ said Dinesh Patnaik, an Indian climate policy negotiator.

And the proposal received a further blow when, within hours of his boss, Dmitry Medvedev, apparently signing the deal, the Russian President’s top economic aide said found the emissions target set for developed countries ‘unacceptable and likely unattainable’.

‘We won’t sacrifice economic growth for the sake of emission reduction,’Arkady Dvorkovich said.

Greenpeace accused G8 leaders of ‘watering down climate ambitions’ while other green groups complained there were no earlier targets for cutting emissions by 2020.

The G8 leaders will formally debate climate change on Thursday with the leaders of China, India, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil, the so-called ‘plus five’ economies.

As well as resisting the 50 per cent target, those countries have not yet signed up to the two degree Celsius limit on global warming.

Help Your U.S. Senators Fight Against H.R. 2998 – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009

Just a friendly reminder:

If you don’t want government bureaucrats telling you what kind of light bulbs to use, how much electricity you should use each day, what kind of construction materials you must use to build or remodel your house, which automobile to drive and which color you need to paint your house and what kind of shingles you must put on the roof of your house.

If you are employed in the coal, natural gas, oil, manufacturing, automobile, heavy equipment and construction industry.

If you don’t believe for one moment that “global warming” or “global climate change” is completely man-made and/or is not the fault of the United States of America.

If you don’t want taxes to increase, higher electricity and gas payments, higher automobile fuel prices and if you don’t want the cost of groceries and daily necessities to increase.

If you don’t want your present way of life to drastically “change” not for the better, but for the worse. If you don’t want your children and grandchildren to get strapped with enormous debt.

PLEASE CONTACT your state’s U.S. Senator and URGE them to vote “NO” on H.R. 2998 – American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 or as I like to call it, the cap and trade, “cap and tax”, “sap and degrade”, “trap and tax”, “Taxman-Malarkey”, “Destroy the American Economy” Act of 2009. Let’s call and E-mail all U.S. Senators to such a degree that their phone lines and E-mail servers can no longer handle the massive influx of phone calls and E-mails.

Here is the U.S. Capitol’s switchboard phone number:

(202) 224-3121

Here is the U.S. Senate’s Web site to assist you in searching for your state’s senator:

Senators of the 111th Congress

If you haven’t already done so, please read the following ACW posts for more information on H.R. 2998:

H.R. 2998 – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009 With Amendments

Buyer And Seller Beware! H.R. 2998 – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009 Will Destroy The American Homeowner And The American Dream

H.R. 2998 – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009 On Its Way To The U.S. Senate

The Bill That Didn’t Exist

H.R. 2998 (Formerly H.R. 2454) – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009/”Waxman-Markey” Bill—You Are Making A Difference! Contact Your Congressman Or Congresswoman For A NO Vote!

H.R. 2454 – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009/ACES 2009/”Waxman-Markey”—Just Say NO!

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey)—Contact Your State’s Representatives TODAY And Tell Them To Vote Against It!

U.S. House Democrats—Let’s Tax The “Wealthy” To Pay For Health Care

What do U.S. House Democrats think will help fund Obamacare? Can you guess? That’s right, raising taxes on the “wealthy”. The definition of “wealthy” varies from leftist to leftist: From over $100,000 to $250,000, depending upon which leftist politician believes in more wealth redistribution. Rest assured, the economic outcome would be disastrous [Article - House Dems eye surtax on wealthy for health bill].

Who either own or help fund hospitals, clinics and many other health care facilities? The poor? Not on your life. The government? Not yet. How about the…WEALTHY?!? Quite a few of the “wealthy” voluntarily donate money to the health care industry. Quite a few of them own companies specializing in the manufacturing of health care equipment, pharmaceuticals and other medically-related items.

Economics 101: How do companies pass on tax increases and higher costs that they incur? They pass the costs on to the CONSUMER. Go figure! Does anybody in Washington D.C. have anything close to what could be considered a brain? Why don’t you Democrats in the U.S. House who are considered “wealthy” by your own definition, reach into your pockets and be the first to shell out the dough for Obamacare? Of course you won’t…you’re above it all, hypocrites!

Have you read my health care plan? A plan including ideas that leftist medi-Marxists and hypocrites say that conservatives are devoid of? Please read this post: A Conservative Health Care Plan—Brought To You By An ACW Blogger.

Obama’s Worldwide Disarmament Tour—How Many Countries Will Sign On?

President Obama was in Russia yesterday. He spoke to President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.  He and Medvedev came to a nuclear weapons reduction agreement, but Putin did not disclose his feelings on the matter.  Interesting [Article - 1. U.S.-Russia relations still far from reaching solid footing | 2. Putin loses nothing in Russia-US summit | 3. A Czar in Chains].

If the world’s nuclear powers are to reduce their nuclear weaponry, they all must be on the same page.  Clearly, they are not.  China will continue to sit on the fence and see how world events unfold.  Iran is hell-bent on wiping the nations of Israel and the United States off the face of the Earth.  As long as Israel is threatened by extreme radical Islamists and Islamic republics whose lifelong ambitions are to destroy the country and its people by any means necessary, it will not relinquish its nuclear weapons, period. Pakistan and India are no closer to resolving their differences than they were before and their relationship is tenuous at best. North Korea has already clearly stated what its intentions are; therefore, don’t count on that country to give up on its nuclear weapons program. Great Britain may relent and so may France, but that’s it [1. Putin: Russia will abandon nukes if others do | 2. From Brezhnev to Medvedev].

Vladimir Putin seems to be the only one who recognizes worldwide threats and how to address them.  Our esteemed potentate and savior of the world either does not think the threats are not too serious or he thinks that everyone can sit down and discuss issues in a peaceful, civil and reasonable manner. Afterwards, everyone would be served ice cream and cake, holding hands and singing “Kumbaya”. With all of the unstable tyrants and terrorist factions that exist in the world today, what is our great leader doing? He is disarming us. He will continue to do so. He has cut defense spending and will continue to do so. All the while our enemies amass more and more weaponry, conventional, chemical, biological and nuclear. Our enemies are watching Obama as he continues to weaken our military and national defense. They are biding their time and waiting for just the right time to strike and strike on a massive scale. They cannot be negotiated with. They cannot be reasoned with. They can be appeased and if they get what they want, they will use it against us in one form or the other.

Sad to say, we have millions of people in the United States, some of them being in positions of power, who insanely cling to the belief that every weapon can be eradicated from the world. They are dreamers and reality escapes them. We also have small groups of people who would be willing to be killed or die at the hands of our enemies because in some twisted, warped way, they insanely think the United States is deserving of retribution. They think we deserve it or had it coming. As long as they don’t take me or anybody else with them, I’m okay with that.

Evil and wickedness exists. Sadistic, power-hungry, wicked people exist in the world. That is the sad truth. They will find ways to kill as many people as quickly and destructively as they can. The only way they can be confronted is with irresistible, deadly force. Our “god” (with a small “g”) Obama is systematically defunding and/or removing the tools we need to confront despots and radical extremists and he is weakening our defenses. We still haven’t secured our borders, namely our southern border—an area of the country where violent gang members and extremist murdering thugs are crossing over into our country, seeking to spread chaos and mayhem. President Obama is making us less safe. Our president is living in a naive, fantasy-filled dream world and unfortunately we are along for the ride. Heaven help us [Article - 1. 52 Seconds of Obama Unilaterally Disarming America | 2. Obama Wrecked The Economy, Now He's Working On National Security | 3. Inhofe says Obama Defense Cuts will "Disarm America" | 4. What Obama didn't mention].

House Democrat Glenn Nye Speaking Out Of Both Sides Of His Mouth

Gotta love it when even a Democratic blog catches a Democrat contradicting himself on the “climate change” (a/k/a cap-and-trade) bill:

I received two different emails from him in response:

In one email, [Virginia Congressman Glenn] Nye [(D)]said I will be pleased to know the bill passed, praising it as “a comprehensive approach that charts a new course toward a clean energy economy” and “will create jobs, help end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and combat global warming” (without ever mentioning that he voted against it).

In the other email, Nye said I will be pleased to know that he voted against it “because we do not need another tax on American families during this time of economic hardship.”

This guy must have studied at the John Kerry School Of Having It Both Ways–he was for it even though he was against it!

Ginsburg Lets The Cat Out Of The Bag

In an interview with the New York Times Magazine, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lets slip one of the secrets about abortion that most lefties don’t want people to know (emphasis added):

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong.

The obvious question is, Justice Ginsburg, which “populations” are the ones “that we don’t want to have too many of”?

A Conservative Health Care Plan—Brought To You By An ACW Blogger

I have attached a rather simple, brief health care plan for those who are interested in reading it.  It is not a perfect plan, but then again, nothing is perfect.  I have tried to keep it as realistic as possible; however, the degree of realism is contingent upon the premise that the information contained therein is not fluid, but static. When one is dealing with an issue as complicated as health care reform, nothing is static. Adobe Reader will be needed in order to read the document.

A Conservative Health Care Plan

Input on the plan is appreciated, as long as it is constructive and does not weaken, but strengthens the plan.  I would then review any suggestions or recommendations and include the information in the plan.  Qualifiers for acceptable suggestions or recommendations are as follows:

1. Must promote free-enterprise solutions.

2. Must limit government control and interference.

3. Must not raise consumer costs and/or taxes.

4. Must benefit all Americans and not just a select few.

Any additional information such as business and job creation, benefits to the health care community, insurance community, employer, employee and/or patient and incentives for those who would be seeking a career in the health care industry would be appreciated.

Conservative Health Care Reform—Fixing What Is Broken Without Increased Government Control And Higher Taxes

“Imbecilic”, “irrational”, “unreasonable”, “un-American”, “politics as usual”, “the same old rhetoric”, “the same old tired ideas” and other words that cannot be mentioned without insertion of many ***; ad hominem, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Those are the words and catch phrases used by leftist, statist, elitist anti-capitalists in politics, state-run media and left-wing blogs to excuse their own unrealistic, unworkable ideas and reject conservative, Libertarian and Republican ideas on health care reform.  If by what lefties ascribe to conservative health care ideas they mean ideas that don’t involve socializing health care, controlling the health decisions of every American, bankrupting the country, slamming Americans with more taxes and lowering the quality of health care, then yes I would rather have the same worn-out ideas.  If it means being satisfied with the status quo, so be it  [Article - 1. Conservative Groups Fault Health-Care Agenda | 2. Three conservative reviews of Obama’s healthcare reforms].

Videos:

Obama Over-Promised and Under-Delivers on Economy

I really can’t say it better than this:

Above all else on the economy, Obama had to under-promise and over-deliver.  By promising a relatively swift recovery, he has set himself up for failure.  If the economy does recover, he’ll be fine, but if it doesn’t (which seems more likely), he will increasingly be blamed for failing to fix it.  And given the singular importance of this issue to most Americans right now, it is hard to see how his presidency will survive that.

In order to get his ideological dream package through (not-so-cleverly disguised as a “stimulus” package and a budget), Obama had to hit the both the “doom and gloom” and the “this package will save us” themes very hard. The problem is, it was–at best–half-true. In fact, when Obama took office, things were arguably still better than when Jimmy Carter (remember him?) left office, so it could be argued that even the “doom and gloom” predictions were in fact, lies designed to scare people into supporting his program.

However, now things aren’t looking that good, quite possibly because of the incredible debt Obama has saddled us with (note to lefty trolls: yes, Bush did his share, but Obama has done orders of magnitude more in piling up debt). Suddenly, the non-political-wonk public is starting to see the huge failure of the “stimulus” package, and they’re not happy about it.

The Obama White House may think it can divert voter anger by repeating the “Bush did it” mantra, but they should remember–as the public seems to be remembering–that it wasn’t George W. Bush promising that unemployment would be kept under 8% if the “stimulus” bill was passed. In short, blaming Bush won’t work anymore.

For Democrats, this is a very big problem. The public at large may ignore politics except for a couple of months every couple of years, but they know very well what party is in charge of both the White House and Congress, and it’s that party that will feel the wrath of the voters if the economy stays in a slump.

A day late!

I apologize for my absence. Us working Americans sometimes have to give up our creature comforts for our families.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

I wonder if our current president has ever read this in full. I also wonder if he has noticed the grievances, and how closely they mimic many of the grievances we hold against him.

Iranian Election Controversy Isn’t Over Yet

Looks like the next round has just begun:

The most important group of religious leaders in Iran called the disputed presidential election and the new government illegitimate on Saturday, an act of defiance against the country’s supreme leader and the most public sign of a major split in the country’s clerical establishment.

A statement by the group, the Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qum, represents a significant, if so far symbolic, setback for the government and especially the authority of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose word is supposed to be final. The government has tried to paint the opposition and its top presidential candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi, as criminals and traitors, a strategy that now becomes more difficult — if not impossible.

“This crack in the clerical establishment, and the fact they are siding with the people and Moussavi, in my view is the most historic crack in the 30 years of the Islamic republic,” said Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University. “Remember, they are going against an election verified and sanctified by Khamenei.”

The announcement came on a day when Mr. Moussavi released documents detailing a campaign of fraud by the current president’s supporters, and as a close associate of the supreme leader called Mr. Moussavi and former President Mohammad Khatami “foreign agents,” saying they should be treated as criminals.

The documents, published on Mr. Moussavi’s Web site, accused supporters of the president of printing more than 20 million extra ballots before the vote and handing out cash bonuses to voters.

This is far more problematic for Ahmadinejad and Khamenei than might it might appear at first glance. Iran is largely a theocracy (the full name of the country is the Islamic Republic of Iran), not a secular government like we have here in America. The office of the Supreme Leader, which Khamenei occupies, is largely a religious one, although he also has a lot of political power. Ahmadinejad’s power rests squarely on Khamenei’s; if Khamenei falls, so does Ahmadinejad.

So, if the religious officials start questioning the election results, that is a more direct blow at Khamenei’s power than the public’s reaction.

In short, this ain’t done yet. Stay tuned.

North Korea Tries To Minimize The Fourth Of July Celebration By Launching Fireworks Of Their Own

In a provocative gesture toward the United States, the despotic ruling class of the communist nation of North Korea used the Independence Day weekend to launch seven ballistic missiles [Article - Missiles show NKorea skills improving: officials]. The launches also violated several United Nations resolutions. Was an attempt made to destroy the launch sites? No. Were the missiles shot down, at least? No. What will the United Nations be forced to do? Draft more resolutions and levy more sanctions, most likely.

The actions of the North Koreans over the past few months indicate that they are really “shaking in their jackboots” about threats from the United Nations and for that matter, the Obama Administration [Article - 1. AMERICA THE WEAK | 2. N. Korea Tests More Missiles, Lashes Out at U.S.]. I can hear the North Koreans now: “Oh no! More dreaded sanctions and strongly worded talk! What are we to do? I guess we’ll just have to continue working on our nuclear weapons program and launch ballistic missiles.” Those sanctions are working really well. Those harsh words are really hurting their feelings. If you look closely, you can see a tiny teardrop flowing from one of Kim Jong Il’s bespectacled eyes [Article - 1. Engagement with North Korea still critical | 2. World powerless to stop North Korea | 3. Krauthammer: U.N. Powerless Against North Korea].

What has President Obama done? Nothing. It appears that the standard reply to tyrants from Obama is (à la Robin Williams), “STOP…or I’ll say STOP again!” [Article - Obama says North Korea nuclear test a "grave concern"] Perhaps more bowing down to the altar of the United Nations is called for? Perhaps President Obama needs to ask the United Nations for permission before destroying North Korea’s ability to wage nuclear war? My, Obama and the United States are looking stronger than ever to our enemies. I’m sure the South Koreans and the Japanese are sleeping with one eye open [Article - A Timid Advocate of Freedom].

The Fourth Of July—A Time Of Reflection

Today is the Fourth of July and we as Americans have many things to be thankful for. There are a great many tea parties that have been or are still being held in cities around the country. I can’t think of a better day on which to hold a tea party. We are facing perilous times at home and abroad. We are being pressed on all sides, either by those who want to kill us and destroy our country by any means necessary or by those within our own country who are constantly trying to delegitimize the U.S. Constitution and ensure that we fall into the grips of misery and oppression. Now more than ever, we need to remember our country’s Founding Fathers and the sacrifices they made to release themselves and their fellow countrymen from the clutches of tyranny and into the welcoming arms of freedom and liberty.

Let us never forget what happened on July 4, 1776. Let us not forget the men and women who have fought and died to preserve the United States of America and the American way of life. Let us not forget those who are fighting today, not only for us, but for freedom-loving people worldwide. We salute all of those brave men and women. Please read The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America:

Thoughts on Palin’s Future

Okay, I’ve had the night to sleep on and cogitate on Sarah Palin’s resignation as Governor of Alaska, and despite my earlier warning about predicting things like this, I am gonna go out on a limb… and restate my earlier first instinct.

Sarah “Barracuda” Palin is as good as finished in national politics.

I know lots of pundits, even people I respect and normally agree with, are saying that she is getting ready for a Presidential run. For all I know, they may be right.

However, as John McCain found out, there’s a huge difference between running and winning. And Sarah cannot win with the baggage she just saddled herself with.

The next time she runs, she will be dogged with not only the vitriol and venom that we’ve already seen (which was incredibly vicious, possibly more vicious than any in recent memory), but also with the label of quitter. “Can we be sure she’ll finish her term, or will she quit before the end like she did in Alaska?” will be the sort of question that will follow her. You can be sure the lefties will bring that up at every conceivable opportunities, and so will the squishy wanna-be-Democrat so-called “Republicans.” (And they know who they are.)

All of the above, put together, will be fatal to just about any political campaign she is part of.

I’ve been a fan of Sarah’s, and looked forward to her taking her place in national politics, but I have to admit, her national political career is over before it started.

Environmental Protection Agency Report Suppression Before U.S. House Waxman-Markey Passage Arouses Suspicion

The Environmental Protection Agency’s suppression of a report that was not supportive of the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to global climate change has raised many eyebrows and many questions [Post - Coincidence OR Cover-Up? Environmental Protection Agency Prevented Scientific Report Against CO2 Regulation From Surfacing].

The Obama Administration, state-run media, leftist politicians and environmental eco-Marxists are doing what they do best to those who oppose them: Spreading smears and lies about Alan Carlin, the author of the report, “GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE CONTROL: IS THERE A BETTER STRATEGY THAN REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS?” and making every effort to discredit the man saying the he is only an “economist” [Article - The EPA Silences a Climate Skeptic]. Never mind that global climate change advocates, including “Captain Planet” Al Gore, do not have a science background or a science degree and some those advocates are, yes indeed, economists. What makes their opinions and reporting on global climate change and greenhouse gas regulation more credible than Mr. Carlin’s?

Since the EPA’s administrator reports to President Obama and regularly communicates members of U.S. Congress, the report suppression arouses suspici0n. Who else knew about the report and why was it suppressed? What was the motivation behind such a suppression of information that could have changed some congressmen’s and congresswomen’s views of H.R. 2998 or “Waxman-Markey” and could have impacted their votes on the legislation? This is an issue that deserves further investigation [Press Release - Barrasso, Inohofe Question EPA Commitment to Transparency | Article - EPA Substitutes Ideology In Place of Scientific Integrity].