Do You Support Human Trafficking?

The journey of illegal immigrant coming into this country from Mexico is horrible in most cases. Either you have had to sneak across the border and had to travel on foot through miles of desert or have paid a coyote to be smuggled in cramped quarters and held hostage in a drop house until you come up with the ransom to be set free. For many, the latter is their first taste of "freedom".

Short of having open borders and offering amnesty for those who come to this country illegally, the left would rather support the status quo and allow human trafficking to continue than to see comprehensive immigration reform. By allowing for immigration reform the progressives would loose their cheap labor, a critical voting bloc and their cause de jour. They don't care about these people, only the power that they can gain because of them in their march toward socialism.

There are ways to come to this country legally, and many of those that did support strict enforcement of our laws and are against illegal immigration because they see the negative impact it has on America.

So either you are pro legal immigration and all the positive aspects of it or you support illegal immigration and fall on the side of the human traffickers and the lawlessness that they bring. It is that simple.

Andrew Marcus makes this exact point on Big Government.

Illegal immigration is human trafficking. People are taken advantage of, raped and even murdered as they are trafficked, and Progressives don’t seem to care. Why is that?? Why do they defend a system that encourages human trafficking?

Perhaps Progressives enjoy the cheap labor. Perhaps they enjoy the opportunity the issue provides to call Americans racists. Maybe they just want to see a demographic shift in this country, and don’t care how many people are raped or die in the migration. Where is Human Rights Watch, or Amnesty International, or any of the myriad groups who claim as their mission to stand up for the wronged and exploited? Don’t they want to see an end to human trafficking into the US?

What the Federal Government might want to consider are ways to discourage people from sneaking in, and encourage people to come in through the front door. After all, this is not about immigration. This is about illegal immigration, and the national security risks it entails. How can anyone be against encouraging legal immigration while discouraging illegal immigration?

Gary Johnson On The Arizona Immigration Debate

I disagree with Gov Johnson on his opinion that the AZ law is not well grounded and that it encourages racial profiling. As has been pointed out by many, the law merely enforces current federal statutes and takes steps to prevent racial profiling. It is only because of the federal government's inaction that AZ was backed into a corner.

Where I do agree with Gary Johnson is that there is a great need for comprehensive immigration reform. One of the first things that needs to be done is to document those people who cross our borders, allow them to work (and pay taxes) legally and put them on the path to citizenship. Only when they are allowed to come out of the shadows will they have the incentive to assimilate to our culture and traditions.

I also agree with him that the War on Drugs makes things worse since it perpetuates the illegal drug trade and give the cartels their strength. Take away their ability to benefit financially from smuggling and you take away their power. Alcohol prohibition was a failed experiment and it only led to the rise of criminal enterprise. Why did anyone think that drug, particularly cannabis, prohibition would produce a different result.

OUR America Initiative

Governor Gary Johnson, Honorary Chairman of OUR America, Voices Strong Concern Over Arizona Immigration Law

Former Republican Governor of New Mexico would have vetoed Arizona Immigration Law; says solution must focus on making work visas more accessible and ending border crime

April 29, 2010, New York, NY — Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and Honorary Chairman of the OUR America Initiative, stated today that immigration reform needs to focus on making work visas more accessible and ending crime along our borders. “I understand the frustration in Arizona. I experienced the same type of concerns in New Mexico when I was Governor, but racial profiling is not the answer,” Governor Johnson stated, in reference to the recently passed Arizona law that authorizes law enforcement to stop suspected illegal immigrants and demand proof of legal status. “I vetoed over 750 bills as Governor of New Mexico, and I would absolutely have vetoed this bill if it came across my desk.”

Governor Johnson believes that the increase in crime along the borders is not due to illegal immigration, but to strict drug prohibition laws that provide increased leverage and power to Mexican drug cartels. “The problem is that the federal government is not able to do its job, because the current laws are just not enforceable. I respect Arizona taking action, and I believe strongly in States’ rights. But this law is just not well grounded. We need to implement an immigration policy that allows for better documentation and more easily obtainable permits for temporary guest workers to fill jobs that are available.” Johnson said. “In addition to citizens being stripped of their rights and subjected to unfair searches, this law is ultimately unfair to law enforcement, who will be left to implement a law that although well intended, is misguided in its attempt to reduce border crime, and is bound to have undesirable consequences.”

Governor Johnson has previously called for an end to marijuana prohibition, pointing out that we are not winning the war on drugs, and that billions of dollars are being wasted in fighting the Mexican drug carters along America’s borders. Studies show that prohibition of marijuana costs American taxpayers approximately $42 billion per year in law enforcement costs, as well as lost tax revenues. In addition, Mexican drug cartels continue to reap huge profits from the prohibition of marijuana – with up to 70% of their total profits based on marijuana sales in the United States.

Those Dangerous Tea Party Radicals

Who can blame the Chosen One for calling in the riot police? I know I would be in fear of my life if I had a run in with this dangerous mob.

Gateway Pundit
TEAM OBAMA CALLS IN SWAT TEAM ON TEA PARTY PATRIOTS!

The SWAT Team was called in today at the Quincy Tea Party Rally. Obama was speaking at the Oakley-Lindsey/Quincy Community Center this afternoon.

Unreal.

They didn’t want any violence from these threatening protesters.

In Full Riot Gear!!

See more of this violent angry mob here, I think they baked cookies.

Via Memeorandum

Will Texas Follow In Arizona's Footsteps?

H/T Right Coast Girl

Now all we need is to get New Mexico and California on board.

KVUE

State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, will introduce immigration legislation comparable to a law recently enacted in Arizona, according to an aide.

Rep. Berman, who is traveling in Europe, authorized the aide to respond to KVUE News’ request for information regarding his plans for the 82nd Legislative Session which begins in January 2011.

According to the aide, Berman said his bill will be similar to the Arizona law, specifically the provision which requires local law enforcement agencies in the state to check the immigration status of individuals who they suspect of being in the United States illegally.

Mexican Hypocricy And The AZ Immigration Law

Hypocrisy isn't limited to just our government. The government of Mexico has issued a travel alert to it's citizens about visiting Arizona in light of our state's new immigration law, warning that they need to exercise extreme caution when traveling here. Even Mexican President Felipe Calderon has weighed in on the matter

"Criminalizing immigration, which is a social and economic phenomena, this way opens the door to intolerance, hate, and discrimination," Calderon told a meeting with Mexican immigrant groups.

"My government cannot and will not remain indifferent when these kinds of policies go against human rights."

So what about Mexico? Do they welcome the world's poor with open arms? Well according to their Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, in order to visit Mexico

[Y]ou must present a valid passport and fill out an immigration form for tourists, businessmen or women, stopovers or “visiting advisors”, which can be obtained in travel agencies, airlines or at the point of entry to Mexico.

The immigration officer at your point of entry into Mexico can also request that you demonstrate that you have sufficient economic solvency and a found trip ticket.

And if you want to stay longer?

You need to go to any INM office to request an extension of your visa. You need to have with you your updated passport and the tourist card you filled out. You will also need to prove that you can finance your stay and you will have to pay a fee to extend the visa.

So while Mexico has no problem with it's citizens coming to the US illegally, especially if they are sending dollars back to support their loved ones, try to enter their country with just a backpack and no money.

Editor's Note: Michelle Malkin sums it up much better than I do.

Via Memeorandum

Rasmussen: National Support For Arizona's Immigration Law At 60%

I am so proud of my adopted state of Arizona. The legislature and the Governor took a brave stand to stem the tide of illegal immigrants and it's not the first time. Back in 2007, former AZ Governor and current US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano signed a law making it tougher for employers to hire illegal immigrant by mandating the use of E-Verify. At that time Gov Napolitano even pointed to the lack of federal enforcement as her reason for signing the bill.

“Immigration is a federal responsibility, but … it is now abundantly clear that Congress finds itself incapable of coping with the comprehensive immigration reforms our country needs, I signed it, too, out of the realization that the flow of illegal immigration into our state is due to the constant demand of some employers for cheap, undocumented labor.”

Coincidentally enough between 2008 and 2009 Arizona had an 18% decrease in the amount of illegal immigrants in the state, the largest drop in the nation. It just proves that people don't want to stick around if they can't find work and there should be an even bigger exodus now that law enforcement will be allowed to do their job.

There are a lot of lies about this law that it legitimizes racial profiling and turns Arizona into a police state but they are just that, lies. The law specifically addresses that issue.

A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE MAY NOT SOLELY CONSIDER RACE, COLOR OR NATIONAL ORIGIN IN IMPLEMENTING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY THE UNITED STATES OR ARIZONA CONSTITUTION.

So, until the time comes when Congress wants to undertake comprehensive immigration reform, let the Raaaaacism Industrial Complex spread it's lies and call us racists. It's encouraging to know that nationally, people are seeing through the smoke screen of the race baiters who are in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to be in flagrant violation of our federal laws.

Rasmussen Reports

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 60% of voters nationwide favor such a law, while 31% are opposed.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans support the law along with 62% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Democratic voters are evenly divided on the measure.

Via Memeorandum

The Left Doesn't Want To Be Bipartisan

Talk about hypocrisy.

The Democrats and their progressive supporters used the justification that since the Republicans did not want to play ball on Obamacare that they would ram it through on their own and the will of the people be damned as well. Now it seems they are singing a different tune when it comes to financial reform (otherwise known as another free-market takeover).

Now that the Republicans are willing to come to the table it seems that the Chosen One, Barney Frank and their progressive minions are showing their true colors and will use the bully pulpit, propaganda and public opinion to craft their own bill that will be undoubtedly anti-market and put the Republicans in the position of either supporting those evil Wall Street types who destroyed our economy or the common folks on Main Street in the run-up to the 2010 Congressional Elections.

I have to give them credit, it's a brilliant strategy to put Republicans in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation so close to the election and since you won't hear from the progressives or their allies in the LSM that it was lack of government over site, not a lack of regulations, that led to the financial collapse of our economy nor will there be a mention that Barney Frank's pet projects, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were mostly responsible for the housing collapse, it give the left some great talking points.

Apparently the progressives are so emboldened by their health care takeover that they don't care who knows the truth.

HuffPo

Although Senate Banking Committee Chris Dodd and his sometime Republican ally Richard Shelby continued to make noises on the Sunday talk shows about a possible bipartisan deal, both President Obama and House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank have personally urged Dodd not to cut a deal with Republicans. I asked Frank point blank why Dodd would want such a deal, and he said--on the record--"I have no idea, but both President Obama and I have urged him not to."

This is a welcome sign that Obama realizes that public opinion is moving in the direction of tougher banking reform, and that he learned from the health debate that bipartisan compromise on key reform issues is a snare and a delusion. Kudos to Chairman Frank and to the President.

If the Democrats don't extinguish the momentum with a premature bipartisan deal, public understanding and indignation are still building. Regulatory agencies are beginning to do their jobs, and Democrats are starting to sound like a progressive party. It's about time.

Via Memeorandum

Ron Paul On Iran Sanctions

Ron Paul speaks out against HR 2194 the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act. Dr Paul points out that the Neocons are leading us down the same road that they did in Iraq and that the consequences will be the same.

The Truth About GM's Loan Payback

We've all read the stories and seen GM's commercial that they have repaid their taxpayer funded loan 5 years ahead of schedule, but is that really the truth? According to Shikha Dalmia at Forbes that is not the case.

What GM is really doing is paying back the $6.7B loan out of the $13.4B working capital fund that the government also gave them, in order to ask for another $10B loan at a lower interest rate.

So let GM, the government and those that believe in Keynesian economics and income redistribution, I'm sure Paul Krugman will have an op-ed on this any day now, point to this as a shining example of how government intervention in the free market works. Those of us who believe in small government and the free market will know better.

They are still Government Motors.

Forbes

But when [GM CEO Ed] Whitacre says GM has paid back the bailout money in full, he means not the entire $49.5 billion--the loan and the equity. In fact, he avoids all mention of that figure in his column. He means only the $6.7 billion loan amount.

As it turns out, the Obama administration put $13.4 billion of the aid money as "working capital" in an escrow account when the company was in bankruptcy. The company is using this escrow money--government money--to pay back the government loan.

Sean McAlinden, chief economist at the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research, points out that the company has applied to the Department of Energy for $10 billion in low (5%) interest loan to retool its plants to meet the government's tougher new CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. However, giving GM more taxpayer money on top of the existing bailout would have been a political disaster for the Obama administration and a PR debacle for the company. Paying back the small bailout loan makes the new--and bigger--DOE loan much more feasible.

In short, GM is using government money to pay back government money to get more government money. And at a 2% lower interest rate at that. This is a nifty scheme to refinance GM's government debt--not pay it back!

Via Memeorandum

Arizona Hispanic Republicans Blame Obama For Arizona's Immigration Law

The Chosen One can't catch a break but who can really blame the Arizona Hispanic Republicans for their stance? He did, after all, make yet another promise that he couldn't keep and left another group of people that were vital to his election to twist in the wind.

One thing is certain, comprehensive immigration reform is sorely needed in this country but until then, the laws on the books need to be enforced and that is what the State of Arizona is doing. The current federal policy of looking the other way is not working and sadly people like Robert Krentz have had to pay the price.

Fox 11 AZ

[E]ven though we are taking a stance against Jan Brewer and Russell Pearce’s law, we are ultimately holding President Obama accountable. Obama promised Hispanics that he would pass immigration reform within 90 days of his Presidency. Had Obama carried out his promises to Hispanics last year, the Hispanic community would not be experiencing the crisis we are experiencing right now.

Via Memeorandum

Remember November

We Will Remember from Republican Governors Association on Vimeo.

Remember November so that we can return America to its founding principles of freedom, personal responsibility and economic liberty. We Remember November so we, our children, and grandchildren can live with the freedoms our founding fathers intended.

Via Memeorandum

Arizona Gets Tough on Illegal Immigration

Oh the horror, how can we let this outrageousness happen? The nerve of the State of Arizona for passing a law that says that federal laws will now be enforced.

Look, if you are in this country illegally, you have broken the law and you know you have broken the law. There are consequences whenever you break the law, whether it is as benign as jaywalking or as extreme as murder, and you have to be willing to accept the punishment for your actions. Laws are what make this country and you just can't cherry-pick which ones you want to enforce.

So you can call us racists and Nazis but, until Congress changes the immigration laws, kudos to Arizona for taking a stand and actually upholding the law of the land.

NY Times

Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed the nation’s toughest bill on illegal immigration into law on Friday. Its aim is to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants.

The law, which proponents and critics alike said was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations, would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics regardless of their citizenship status.

While police demands of documents are common on subways, highways and in public places in some countries, including France, Arizona is the first state to demand that immigrants meet federal requirements to carry identity documents legitimizing their presence on American soil.

Editor's note - It appears that an overwhelming majority of Arizona residents agree with the new law too. (H/T Gateway Pundit)

Rasmussen Reports

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 70% of likely voters in Arizona approve of the legislation, while just 23% oppose it.

Eighty-four percent (84%) of Arizona Republicans and 69% of voters not affiliated with either major party in the state favor the new get-tough legislation. Democrats are more closely divided: 51% like the new law, but 43% oppose it.

Via Memeorandum

Gary Johnson And The Case For Legalization

Or should I say re-legalization. What most people do not realize is that cannabis was legal until 1937 when Harry J. Anslinger and his cronies at the Federal Bureau of Narcotics used racism and lies to get the substance banned.

I believe that marijuana should be legal, taxed and sold like alcohol and tobacco. I realize that this is counter to what many libertarians and liberals believe but being the pragmatist that I am, and having first hand experience, there needs to be some controls because otherwise the black market issues that we deal with today will not be resolved and there will be no penalties for irresponsible usage.

Former NM Governor Gary Johnson believes as I do and is bringing the issue front and center as he tours the country.

Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and Honorary Chairman of the OUR America Initiative, today announced his continued support for marijuana legalization. Governor Johnson points out that we are not winning the war on drugs. Billions of dollars are being wasted and the result is higher crime rates. Marijuana legalization is an effective means to reduce the exorbitant costs currently spent fighting the War on Drugs; as well as providing the ability to generate a new revenue stream for state budgets through taxation of marijuana.

“It is time we cut the crime rate in this country,” said Johnson. “The current prohibition laws are forcing drug disputes to be played out with guns in our streets. We need to put a stop to this criminal drug element in our country.” Johnson went on to say that current drug laws produce detrimental consequences in Mexico and other Central and South American countries. “If it were not for the prohibition laws in this country, the drug cartels would not be in business.”

Studies show that prohibition of marijuana costs American taxpayers approximately $42 billion per year in law enforcement costs, as well as lost tax revenues. In addition, Mexican drug cartels continue to reap huge profits from the prohibition of marijuana – with up to 70% of their total profits based on marijuana sales in the United States.

Governor Johnson is a longtime, credible advocate of legalization; officially stating his position on the issue during his second term in office as Governor of New Mexico. As such, he is the highest-ranking elected official to ever offer public support on the issue. “This country would be a better place to live if all the resources we currently put towards criminalizing marijuana were instead spent by law enforcement on protection from real crime, as opposed to victimless crime,” stated Johnson. “My opinion in regards to marijuana is that we should tax it, regulate it, and control it. I want to make it clear that I don’t advocate recreational drug use of any kind. Obviously, it will never be legal to smoke pot, become impaired, and get behind the wheel of car or do harm to others. It will never become legal for kids to smoke pot.”

As honorary chairman of the OUR America Initiative, Governor Johnson has traveled to fourteen states in the last three months talking about the important issues of the day. In addition to discussing his support of legalization, he has encouraged public dialogue on lowering taxes, reductions in deficit spending, and a return to common sense governing. “One of the things I’m most excited about is seeing the issue of marijuana legalization moving towards the forefront of our political dialogue. The public is become more aware of the wasteful expenditures and drain on our law enforcement resources that marijuana prohibition has caused,” Johnson stated.

Counting Chickens On The Left - 2012 Style

Salon had an interesting rundown of the Republican contenders for 2012 and more or less came to the conclusion that there is no real challenger to the Chosen One in 2012. They run out the usual names, Romney, Palin, Gingrich and Huckabee along with some other hopefuls like IN Rep Mike Pence, MN Gov Tim Pawlenty, MS Gov Haley Barbour, SD Senator John Thune and former PA Senator Rick Santorum. The article also mentions Ron Paul but more as a potential problem for anyone he runs against than as a serious contender.

Admit it, Republicans. This is a pretty weak field — and a perilous one. If anyone feels a sense of déjà vu, it’s because the field looks a lot like those of 1996 and 2008: some has-beens, some never-weres, some egomaniacs and some crazies. There may not even be a Bob Dole or a John McCain in this mix — the kind of candidate who can reassert adult control and at least lose gracefully in the general election.

So let Republicans enjoy their 2010 comeback. It was all but foreordained by the last two cycles, and by the very demographics that threaten the GOP in the long run. Allow them to celebrate their “fresh faces”; they'll have a lot of fine options for the vice-presidential nomination in 2012. But their 2012 prospects will go straight downhill starting on Nov. 3, 2010. That's when Republicans will have to start to deal with the consequences of their recent bout of self-indulgent destructiveness, when they'll begin choosing someone to take on Barack Obama not in press conferences or talking points or Tea Party protests, but in a presidential election.

Now I agree that this is a pretty weak field but there are 2 names that were conspicuously absent from the list. The first is WI Rep Paul Ryan who is a budget wiz and absolutely schooled Obama during the health care summit. Ryan is young, smart and articulate, also understands Austrian Economics and his Roadmap for America's Future lays down a nice foundation for a Presidential run.

The second omission is former NM Gov Gary Johnson who has also laid out a plan on OUR America Initiative on how he would fix the economy. Gov Johnson would be the lone DC outsider who should do well among independents, moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats. He would also be the only candidate in the race with executive experience in both the real world of business and as a former 2 term Governor. He would also get strong support from Ron Paul supporters should Dr Paul chose not to run and this would be magnified if Dr Paul endorsed him.

So fear not, the dust has not even been kicked up on this one yet and the horses aren't even in the gate yet. There are still plenty of reasons to believe that Barack Obama will be a one-term President.

Via Memeorandum

Remembering "The Shot Heard 'Round The World"

Today marks the 235th anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where our forefathers stood up to the tyranny of King George and the British Empire. These brave patriots risked it all to give us the freedom and liberty that we take for granted today and that our government has been trying to take from us for the last century.

Please take a moment to remember what these men and women, who fought for our independence, gave up and how their sacrifices will be all for naught if we continue to allow the President, Congress and the Courts to continue to strip away our rights as Americans. What they fought for so many years ago is the same thing that us modern day patriots must also fight for, to be free of tyranny and taxation by the government, to be free to live our lives as we see fit and be free to pursue life, liberty and happiness without interference from politicians that do not have our best interest in mind.

No On Proposition 100

Would you vote for more state sponsored theft?

Well on May 18th the people of Arizona are being asked to go to the polls and vote on that very thing, in Proposition 100, to raise the state sales tax by 1% to 6.6%.

We've seen this movie before and it ends badly. When you give the government more of your hard earned money, you are just giving them more money to waste. If the state was so fiscally responsible, we would not be in the mess that we are today. Back in 2005 there were predictions of a $600M surplus, but alas times were good and everyone thought the good times would last forever so the state spent the money and went into debt to boot, $3.5B in debt to be exact. But the politicians have learned the error of their ways and say they can make things better, they just need more of my cash for education (I don't have kids) health and human services (I have insurance through work) and public safety (I pay $260 a year to a private fire company). So what do I get for my increased tax burden of $400?

The proponents say it is only temporary, that it is mandated to go back down in 2013* (unless they can get 2/3 of the legislature to vote to keep it). There is also no language in the measure that actually forces the state to spend less to get the deficit under control. They just have a license to spend more.

States are not like the feds, who have the Treasury's printing presses at their disposal. They have to make tough choices and make cuts to get the budget under control. Why not try privatizing services. Prisons would be a good place to start. And like I mentioned earlier I pay $260 a year to a for-profit company, Rural Metro, for fire services and they are turning a profit.

We need to bring sanity and fiscal responsibility back to government on all levels, not give them a blank check on the promise that they will do better.

And this is why I will be voting NO on prop 100.

Long Overdue FMJRA

I'm such a slacker. I've been meaning to do one of these for a while now to thank all the great bloggers who have helped support and promote my thoughts on freedom. So without further ado, here goes.

Another Black Conservative recently featured mtof in his Blog of the Day spot. Clifton does a great job showing conservatism from a black perspective even in the face of the lame stream media denying it's existence.

Tim at Left Coast Rebel has been a friend not only to mtof but also to me personally. He has linked me up more times than I can count and we have had some wonderful conversations as well. LCR is a rising star in the blogosphere and there is no limit to how far it can go.

teresamerica has linked me up many times as well. Teresa has a great blog with a conservative Catholic view.

I'd also like to thank those bloggers who feature mtof prominently in their blogroll. Without the help of these fine folks, I'd never get any traffic.

MAinfo, BBCW and The Wisdom of Soloman send a great deal of traffic my way and it is much appreciated. I don't know where I'd be without their support.

Please be sure to visit these great folks and I apologize if there is anyone out there that I have missed. Also, a big thank you to all my followers and everyone else that has mtof in their blog roll. I try my best to give you equal exposure as well.

Three Cheers For The 2nd Amendmend - Arizona UPDATE

It's official. Gov Jan Brewer signed the bill to get rid of the need for law abiding citizens to have a permit to conceal carry a handgun. This makes Arizona one of three states, along with Vermont and Alaska, to allow it's citizens this right.

East Valley Tribune

Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed legislation to wipe out the current law which makes it a crime to carry a hidden gun without first obtaining a state-issued permit. The law will take effect 91 days after the Legislature finally adjourns, something now scheduled for the end of the month.

“I believe this legislation not only protects the Second Amendment rights of Arizona citizens, but restores those rights as well,” Brewer said in a prepared statement.

“If you carry a weapon and it’s exposed, it’s totally legal,” [Gubernatorial press aide Paul Senseman] said. “But if your T-shirt hangs over it, you’ve got a coat over the top of it, you’re carrying it illegally.”

And Senseman said Brewer does not believe Arizonans should need a “permission slip from the government” to exercise their constitutional right to carry guns just because of that difference.

Jack Herer RIP

I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Herer in a previous life when I was a cannabis activist. In my opinion and probably in many others, he was the father of the modern cannabis movement and his book The Emperor Wears No Clothes still is the preeminent book on the history, uses and government's prohibition of the plant.

Jack was larger than life in stature and character and after he recovered from a stroke he suffered in 2000, he returned to promoting the benefits of of the plant he dedicated his life to. Sadly, he passed away on April 15th, tax day no less.

Rest in peace Jack.

Obama To American People - F*** You

What an arrogant bastard, how dare people question him. He'll get his when we tell him what we think about him in 11/12.



So I’ve been a little amused over the last couple days where people have been having these rallies about taxes, taxes. You would think they would be saying, “Thank you!” That’s what you’d think!

Via Memeorandum

Strangeness on a Plane?

I had to fly to Denver today on business, so once we hit 10,000 feet I break out the Kindle and seeing as how the just released Rasmussen poll showed Ron Paul tied with the Chosen One, I figured I'd reread some of End the Fed. Well the young lady sitting next to me had her kindle out and being one that is always curious about what other people are reading, I glanced over to find that she was reading Game Change.

I don't know if she noticed, or even cared about what I was reading but we were all lucky that the two Kindles did not spontaneously combust and take down the plane. I would have hated to see what would have happened if she had been reading The Audacity of Hope.

Could Ron Paul Beat Obama?

H/T Left Coast Rebel

Is Ron Paul that popular or is The Chosen One that unpolular? I'll go with both and say that this is about the worst news that the POTUS can get. After all, Dr Paul has been marginalized within his own party and the LSM while Obama has entire networks and other mediot outlets devoted to singing his praises.

The numbers don't lie and if the truth about the economy had been told in early 2008 at the beginning of the campaign season, we might have been looking at Ron Paul as President today with our nation on the fast track to economic recovery.

Rasmussen Reports

Pit maverick Republican Congressman Ron Paul against President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up, and the race is – virtually dead even.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters finds Obama with 42% support and Paul with 41% of the vote. Eleven percent (11%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.

Ask the Political Class, though, and it’s a blowout. While 58% of Mainstream voters favor Paul, 95% of the Political Class vote for Obama.

But Republican voters also have decidedly mixed feelings about Paul, who has been an outspoken critic of the party establishment.

Obama earns 79% support from Democrats, but Paul gets just 66% of GOP votes. Voters not affiliated with either major party give Paul a 47% to 28% edge over the president.

Paul, an anti-big government libertarian who engenders unusually strong feelings among his supporters, was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. But he continues to have a solid following, especially in the growing Tea Party movement.

Via Memeorandum

Breaking: Andy Stern Stepping Down At SEIU

Looks like he'll have more time for tea at the White House. Maybe he has a big cushy job lined up with a fat government pension, after all he knows some pretty powerful people. Somehow I don't think we have heard the last of the White House's most frequent visitor.

Politico

Service Employees International Union President Andrew Stern, one of America's most prominent labor leaders, is set to resign, according to a member of the union's board and another SEIU official.

The President of an SEIU local based in Seattle, Diane Sosne, broke the news to her staffers at 11:35 this morning, local time.

"Last night I received confirmation that Andy Stern is resigning as President of SEIU. He has not yet made a public announcement; we will share the details as we become aware of them," Sosne wrote in an email obtained by POLITICO.

Sosne offered no explanation for the move, but another SEIU official speculated that Stern had finally tired of the draining job.

Stern, even without the union presidency, would remain on, among other things, the board of President Obama's deficit commission, to which he was appointed in February.

Via Memeorandum

Here We Bow Again

H/T Another Black Conservative

President Barack Obama greets Chinese President Hu Jintao during the official arrivals for the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, Monday April 12, 2010.

Can someone please tell the Chosen One that is is not necessary to bow to the leaders of other nations, a simple handshake will do.

Via Associated Press

Barney Frank News

H/T Goomba News Network

There is a rumor floating around that Barney Frank D-MA is thinking about retiring. This comes from a Twitter post by Laura Ingraham and picked up by National Review Online with a little more detail.

NRO

A candidate ending his campaign a little early isn't always big news, but I find it interesting that Dave Sukoff says he was encouraged by Massachusetts Republicans to run in the state's 4th District, against Barney Frank, in light of the rumors that Frank is thinking about retiring. Sukoff had been running against Rep. John Tierney in the 6th District.

I would note that if Frank is indeed retiring, we should hear a lot more buzz between now and the May 4 filing deadline. The only other Democrat currently on the ballot is a LaRouchie. Frank is way too loyal a Democrat to leave his party without a strong candidate as his successor, so my guess is we'll hear about some state legislator getting his campaign set up in the coming weeks.

Barney is denying this and says the rumor is just a right-wing lie.

The Boston Channel

Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank is calling a Twitter post by conservative commentator Laura Ingraham a "false story" that exemplifies what he called the "right-wing technique of spreading a lie."

"She made no attempt to verify whether or not this is true -- which it is not," said Frank, who added supporters are already collecting nomination signatures for him.

It would be a great day for our Nation if this were true but I'm not one to get my hopes up.

Video: Gary Johnson at SRLC

H/T Johnson for America Blog

I haven't been able to find any video of his speech yet but there are quite a few interviews of him at the conference.

For more information on Gary Johnson please visit OUR America Initiative.

The Other McCain



Dave Elswick interviews Gary Johnson for KARN Radio

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpAnux0-w4g
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6xOm-gGtOU

Shawn Wilson behind the scenes with Gov. Gary Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgLg0l_6wXA

Enjoy

Ron Paul 2nd In SRLC Straw Poll By 1 Vote

Editor's Note: SRLC has the full results up now and what I see is that there is no clear cut favorite and that the race is wide open for 2012. I will even go so far as to say that the results of question 2 are a better indicator of where the race is really at.

The results are in for the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll and the vote is as follows:

Mitt Romney 439 votes
Ron Paul 438 votes

Romney and Paul both received 24% of the vote while the others on the ballot finished further behind. Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin received 18%, Mike Huckabee 4%, Tim Pawlenty 3%, Mike Pence 3%, Rick Santorum 2% and Gary Johnson 1%.

It's disappointing that Gary Johnson did not do better but with no national recognition or LSM coverage, that can be expected. It is encouraging, however, that he is not that far behind such well known names as Huckabee, Pawlenty, Pence and Santorum.

So, where does this put Ron Paul for 2012? Well he has not even indicated that he is going to run but he finished first in the CPAC straw poll and is leading a CBS News poll at 43% to 21% for his nearest rival, Sarah Palin. Romney is not listed but Other only comes in at 8%. I don't think this indicates any real national support for Dr Paul and I still don't think he has a shot mostly because of his age, 74, but also because he is marginalized by his party and the media. It really says something when Rachel Maddow is a bigger supporter of a conservative than anyone on Fox.

Via Hot Air
Via Memeorandum

Is China In Trouble?

Remember back in late 2007 and early 2008 when there were some troubling economic indicators but still the politicians, pundits and press were telling us there was nothing to worry about? Well it appears as things in China are not as rosy as they seem as that nation posted its first trade deficit in 6 years and it was larger than expected.

Right now the deficit is being blamed on higher raw material costs and a delay in migrant workers returning to work after the Chinese New Year. But isn't that how it started here? We were hearing bad news, but the excuses came quickly and we were told the downturn, if there was one, was only going to be temporary. Only later, when we were in a full blown recession were we told that the economists had misread the tea leaves.

So we really need to keep our eye on China because like with our economy, if they go down, so does the rest of the world, including us.

MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- China reported a March trade deficit Saturday that was significantly wider than expected, as a surge in imports outpaced exports and commodities prices rose, according to media reports.

March exports from China rose 24.3% to $112.11 billion, while imports jumped 66% to $119.35 billion, resulting in a $7.24 billion deficit, the state news agency Xinhua reported on its Web site.

Many analysts see the deficit as temporary and anticipate China will swing back to a trade surplus in the coming months.

Join the Campaign: Fire the 219

Via Left Coast Rebel

Help make this go viral



Find out more at Fire the 219

WI City Elects 19 Year Old Ron Paul Supporter Mayor

Rice Lake, WI with a population of around 10,000, elected 19 year old, City Councilor, Romaine Quinn as mayor with 53% of the vote over incumbent Dan Fitzgerald. Quinn cites Ron Paul as his political role model and apparently won the race on the local issue of the town building new sidewalks, he was opposed to them.

It just goes to show that all politics are local, congratulations Romaine.

WCCO

A young man wearing a Hollister T-shirt, shorts and sandals picked up election signs Wednesday in Rice Lake, Wis. The 19-year-old wasn't a campaign volunteer. Romaine Quinn is the new mayor.

Quinn, who served one year on the Rice Lake City Council before being elected mayor on Tuesday, said, "Age, I don't think, necessarily makes a difference, I mean, it's about the issues."

"People want someone who's proud to serve as mayor, but still humble enough to realize he's no better than anyone else in town," said Quinn, who takes political science classes at the University of Wisconsin-Barron County.

He cites Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Republican congressman from Texas, as his political role model.

Socialists Upset With CNN

Today and tomorrow CNN is airing the Peter G. Peterson Foundation's I.O.U.S.A.: Solutions, a followup to their award-winning documentary I.O.U.S.A. and the left is none too pleased. Evidently they are unhappy that Americans will see what trouble this country is in because of our past financial decisions and how it effects our future.

This weekend, CNN is giving four hours of free airtime to the leading propagandist fanning the flames of deficit hysteria, Pete Peterson, along with his lackeys. Bloggers and online activists are joining today to promote this action.

And if they do go ahead with this programming, tell them to provide balance to Pete Peterson's deficit hysteria. Give equal time to defenders of Social Security, Medicare and public investment.

CNN plans to air Peterson's thoroughly debunked propaganda movie "I.O.U.S.A," – and then his acolytes will have free reign to spread their usual lies about Social Security, Medicare and government in general without any fiscal expert to challenge them and give a different point of view.

Oh the horrors of telling the American people the truth about deficits and how the spending spree that the federal government has been on will bankrupt this nation. We can't have none of that. How can the former Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), David Walker, have any expertise in this matter when he only spent 10 years in government analyzing federal spending? What does he know?

Socialism and Keynesian Economics are the only things the libtards want and they will try anything to silence dissenting viewpoints.

Via Memeorandum

"Here's To You Mr. Jefferson" by Mike Church

H/T teresamerica

Gary Johnson - The Athlete Economist

Via OUR America Infinitive

This video talks about how running the government can be a lot like preparing for a triathlon. We need to get back to the basics and do the hard work that makes us stronger.

Are you ready to do what it takes to start restoring America? There is no THEY that is… going to do it for us. There is YOU and there is ME. It’s not going to be an easy road, but together we will do the hard work it takes to get things done.

Mr President, Who's Your Favorite White Sox Player?

Ummmmmm



The Chosen one has a bit of a Martha Coakley moment when he can't name his favorite White Sox player. BO don't know baseball.

While we're waiting for an answer, let's recall one of Martha's famous gaffes when she snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Scott Brown up in Massachusettes.



Via Memeorandum

Rand Paul - Rage Against the "Machine"

His latest ad sums it up nicely, it's Rand Paul versus the "Machine".

Please support Rand Paul for Senate.



Via Memeorandum

Obama Disrespects The Nationals

If you must know, I'm a baseball purist. I hate the wave, despise people that show up in the 2nd inning and leave in the 7th, and above all get pissed when someone disrespects the game. Leave that stuff for the minors. Ok, so I have one guilty pleasure and that is Sweet Caroline at Fenway, but you really haven't lived if you haven't done the buh-buh-buh part of the chorus with 36,000 other people.

I can also tell you that if the Chosen One pulled a stunt like he did in DC today, donning a White Sox hat while throwing out the first pitch at the Nats home opener, in a place like Boston, NY or Philly he would have heard a chorus of boos like he has never heard before.

Mr President, you disrespected the home team, it's fans and the games. But that comes as no surprise because you have shown time and again that you have no respect for the people of this nation.

That and you throw like a girl. But at least you reached the plate this time.



Via Memeorandum

Karsai Takes Another Slap At US

It is really time to re-focus the mission in Afghanistan toward bringing al-Qaeda down instead of the massive buildup to stabilize the country. Karzai is not our ally, the tribal warlords are not our allies and paying off the Taliban is not going to work. Go in, crush the bad guys and get out. We do not need to be involved in nation building and it is obvious that they do not want our assistance.

To quote former MN Gov Jesse Ventura "Terrorism will be won not by sending our military into a foreign country and occupying it, terrorism will be won by good police work." In other words let the CIA and the special ops do their job.

It is time to stop propping up this second rate, tin horn dictator. That is what our troops deserve.

Wall Street Journal

KABUL, Afghanistan—President Hamid Karzai lashed out at his Western backers for the second time in three days, accusing the U.S. of interfering in Afghan affairs and saying the Taliban insurgency would become a legitimate resistance movement if the meddling doesn't stop.

Mr. Karzai, whose government is propped up by billions of dollars in Western aid and nearly 100,000 American troops fighting a deadly war against the Taliban, made the comments during a private meeting with about 60 or 70 Afghan lawmakers Saturday.

At one point, Mr. Karzai suggested that he himself would be compelled to join the other side —that is, the Taliban—if the parliament didn't back his controversial attempt to take control of the country's electoral watchdog from the United Nations, according to three people who attended the meeting, including an ally of the president.

Via Memeorandum

Play Ball!

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

The Green Fields of the Mind - A. Bartlett Giamatti

And the 2010 season begins with the most storied rivalry in all of sports.

Go Sox!

Is the NY Times Making Excuses For Jihadists?

H/T Atlas Shrugs

It sure seems like they are. A young girl lured into a life of jihad, mourning for her dead terrorist husband, takes part in a suicide bombing that killed 39 innocent civilians. How romantic.

Except there is nothing romantic about murdering innocent civilians and the Times should be ashamed of themselves for this, especially after running a picture comparing Tea Partiers to domestic terrorists.

Here's a news flash for the Times, this girl and the many like her are not victims, they are cold blooded killers for a religious movement that seeks to enslave them and kill anyone who opposes their views. Why doesn't the Times write about that? Instead of excusing these jihadists they should be demonizing them at every turn.

But the Times has bigger fish to fry, those pesky freedom loving Americans who believe in the Constitution and want to hold their elected officials accountable.

NY Times

MOSCOW — Baby-faced, she looks barely a teenager. But the pistol she is holding in the photograph suggests the violent destiny that she would choose: blowing herself up in a subway station in Moscow during the morning rush on Monday.

In this photo distributed by Newsteam, a Russian news agency, and published in Kommersant, a Russian daily newspaper, Dzhennet Abdullayeva is identified posing with her husband Umalat Magomedov. Russian investigators have said that Ms. Abdullayeva, 17, was one of the suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the Moscow subway on March 29, and Mr. Magomedov was a militant Islamist who was killed in 2009. The agency did not give a date for the photo or explain the circumstances in which it was taken.

And posing with his arm around this 17-year-old woman is the man who would put her on this path, a 30-year-old militant leader who lured her from her single mother, drew her into fundamentalist Islam and married her. He was killed by federal forces in December, driving her to seek revenge.

“These religious ideas are very attractive, because they give a kind of alternative to the world that exists,” said Zaur Gaziyev, editor in chief of Svobodnaya Respublika, an independent newspaper in Dagestan. “And so this young girl, who grew up without a father, who didn’t know male power, suddenly she meets a strong, brutal man, who gives her the sense of support.”

“She is herself a child,” Mr. Gaziyev said. “I don’t think she even understood what she was doing.”

She is a striking example of the phenomenon of the so-called Black Widows — young women from the Caucasus who are deployed as human bombs and sent off to kill civilians in Russian cities, often after their husbands are killed by security forces.

Especially active in the early part of the last decade, they have carried out at least 16 bombings, including two aboard planes.

An official at the Interior Ministry of Dagestan said that it was not difficult for militant groups to recruit teenage women in a region with more women than men.

“The girls say, ‘Here is how you will live, and a man will always be beside you,’ ” the official said. “There is some romance about a man with a gun, with an automatic weapon. They make the fighters into heroes, naturally. These girls aren’t thinking straight.”

Tea Party Democrats

So contrary to what much of the Lame Stream Media has been claiming about the Tea Party being an all white, partisan, right wing movement, it turns out that Democrats and minorities are also being drawn into the small government fold, believing that the Chosen One is going too far down the road to socialism.

Of course CNN, while showing the diversity of Tea Party members in this video, also walks along the Raaaaacism Industrial Complex party line to show in a backhanded way that some members are racists.



CNN

Some Americans who say they have been sympathetic to Democratic causes in the past -- some even voted for Democratic candidates -- are angry with President Obama and his party. They say they are now supporting the Tea Party -- a movement that champions less government, lower taxes and the defeat of Democrats even though it's not formally aligned with the Republican Party.

Ann Ducket attended the Tea Party rally in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Wednesday.

A lawyer and lifelong Democrat, Ducket made her political leanings clear: She said she was a campus community organizer for Democratic Sen. George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign, voted for Jimmy Carter and Al Gore, and previously ran for elective office in Colorado as a Democrat.

"I was a card-carrying member of the ACLU, and I probably did inhale in college," Ducket said.

Ducket, who is now an independent and did not vote for Obama, said the president has "carried things to an extreme."

"I think we've gone too far on the side of government doing too much," Ducket said. "The Democratic Party is wanting to take care of everyone, instead of helping everybody stand on their own two feet."

Roxanne Lewis expressed a similar point of view. A small business owner in Grand Junction, Lewis described herself as a lifelong Democrat and called the president a "phenomenal speaker." She voted for him because she "believed in what he was saying: change."

But, Lewis added, "I should've listened a lot closer when he talked about 'spreading the wealth.' "

Asked how she feels about having voted for the president, Lewis said "I feel lied to, cheated and raped."

Lewis criticized the taxpayer-funded bailouts of financial institutions, which began under former President George W. Bush, and the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler.

"These are not the Democrats that I have been brought up with," Lewis said. However, she said she will continue to be a Democrat.

David Saucedo is a rapper and community activist who frequently appears at Tea Party rallies. Using the stage name "Polatik," he performs rap songs that slam President Obama and the Democrats.

Though he eventually voted for GOP Sen. John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, he said he was initially impressed with the president.

Now Saucedo has turned into an Obama critic. "A lot of the things he says sound good, until you look at the consequences of what they will do on the long term."

Saucedo also said that most of his family voted for the president but now support the Tea Party. He said his sister in law's views sum up the family sentiment.

"She regrets voting for Barack Obama," he said.

Via Memeorandum

The Humble Libertarian - My Gary Johnson Interview

Via The Humble Libertarian

The most recent article at my CAIVN column:

To better assess many of California's problems and some possible solutions, the following is from an interview I conducted this week with former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson.

When he ran for Governor of New Mexico as a Republican in the early 1990s, Gary Johnson was a long-shot, political outsider- a self-made, small business owner who wanted to apply business-like pragmatism to solve the state's problems.

In a 2-to-1 Democratic state, his program of reform was popular enough to win him a second term (the maximum allowed under New Mexico's term limits). Let's see what this reform-minded governor had to say about California policy:

CAIVN: Thanks so much for the interview, Mr. Johnson. Because many of your supporters believe you had a lot of success with reforms as New Mexico's Governor, I wanted to get your thoughts and policy solutions for some of the problems faced by Californians.

Read the whole interview here.

Listen to my hour-long exclusive with Gary Johnson here.

The Mother of All Bubbles

"Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste" - Rahm Emanuel

And this is what the Chosen One and his minions intend to do, use the crisis of the day to implement their socialist takeover of our Republic. To do so, they are creating a government so all encompassing that it will smother private industry. It will also create a government so big that it will collapse under it's own weight, and in our own Dear Leader's words, "fundamentally transforming the United States of America."

This has been the plan all along, to overwhelm the system in such a way that they can ride in on their white horses and save the day. Unfortunately for those of us that believe in freedom, liberty and the Constitution, this also means the end of life as we know it. Fortunately for us there are people like Peter Schiff that see right through their game.

The Fed’s Last Hurrah

by Peter Schiff

During the 1990s, inflationary Federal Reserve policy fueled a tech stock bubble. When that bubble burst, the Fed inflated a larger one in real estate. Now that the real estate bubble has burst, the Fed is inflating the biggest bubble of them all – a bubble in government. While the earlier booms at least provided the illusion of prosperity and some fun while they lasted, the government bubble will cripple the economy and deliver widespread misery to the vast majority of Americans.

Of course, there will be winners in the government bubble, at least for a while. As was the case with the stock and real estate bubbles, plenty of money will be made by the well-connected and parasitic classes. Government employees will continue to enjoy pay raises at our expense, as will anyone benefiting from the new wave of subsidies, such as Wall Street investment bankers, financial speculators, and those working in health care or education.

These gains will come at the expense of the taxpayers who foot the bill and the consumers who face higher prices. As government grows, it deprives the private sector of the resources it needs to survive and grow. The result is a lower overall standard of living. Not only are government jobs less productive than private sector jobs, but bureaucratic interference actually makes the remaining private sector jobs less efficient as well.

Our economy is being transformed from a mostly capitalistic one to a mostly socialistic one. More decisions are being made by politicians and lawyers in Washington and fewer by entrepreneurs. The motivation behind this shift is the mistaken belief that the financial crisis of 2008 was caused by too much capitalism and a lack of proper government oversight. This conclusion is self-serving for those in power, and couldn't be more economically misguided. Through corruption or just plain ignorance, Congress and this Administration have embraced an ideology that has failed every time it has been tried.

Whether it is in education, housing, health care, automobiles, insurance, or banking, greater government involvement in the economy means higher prices, lower productivity, more bailouts, bigger deficits, increased taxes, diminished industrial capacity, fewer private sector jobs, less freedom, and a falling standard of living.

In the end, when runaway inflation and skyrocketing interest rates burst the government bubble, there will be no more bubbles to replace it – just one hell of a hangover.

Via LewRockwell.com

Spitgate - The Controversy That Wasn't

By the Left Coast Rebel

An end to this sad, sad, Cleaver Captiol Hill Tea Party spitting incident? Or something that will simply be igored by 99.9% of the national press? After all the narrative was just far too juicy to let any of the facts get in the way. With a whimper, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver admits to Fox in Kansas City, MO that he was not intentionally spit on (spittle photo h/t HotAirPundit):

KANSAS CITY, MO- U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver voted in favor of the controversial health care reform bill, but talk isn't raging about how voted, but whether or not he was purposely spit on as he and other congressmen made their way to the U.S. Capitol building to cast their vote.


In video of the incident, a man is seen with his hands around his mouth and yelling at the Kansas City, Missouri, Democrat as he walked by. The footage shows Rep. Cleaver reacting to the man, and is seen a few seconds later wiping his face.


The video is not clear as to whether or not the man spit in Cleaver's face intentionally, or if it was a matter of "say it, don't spray it." Rep. Cleaver never commented on the incident, but it didn't take long before many people claimed that he was spit upon.


In an interview on Tuesday with FOX 4 News, Rep. Cleaver would not directly answer the question of whether or not he was intentionally spit upon.
"I haven't talked about this incident on TV or anywhere, and I've been approached to talk about it on every national TV show," said Rep. Cleaver in an interview with FOX 4 News. "I never, I never reported anything, never a single thing in Washington, not one thing. People assume I went somewhere, never done press conference, never done an interview on it and I'm not going to do it."

I am going to wait for the hundreds, if not thousands of retractions from top media outlets in the nation on this. He wasn't spit on and he knew it all along. How disgusting that he would let this go on and on and not correct it. It is this kind of behavior that makes the nation that much more disaffected by politics and corruption. He deserves to be Rep. Emanuel deserves the worst in the world for this.

Read the rest here

Via Memeorandum

Ron Paul Defies the GOP

Ron Paul loves earmarks and his reasoning is sound.

Earmarks account for only about 1% of the Federal budget and it is essentially spent money. If Congress doesn't spend the money, it goes to the Executive branch to be spent and Dr Paul's reasoning is that it is better to give it back to his district than it is to have some government agency spend it with no accountability.

So now that the GOP has instituted a moratorium on earmarks for one year, Dr Paul along with Reps. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana and Rep. Don Young of Alaska have decided to buck the party and risk losing their committee assignments.

Here is Ron Paul explaining his position in 2009



Via Memeorandum