God never made a promise that was too good to be true. —D. L. Moody
Jan. 22, 2015
BLOOMBERG
U.S. House Republican leaders abruptly called off a vote on legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy following objections by rank-and-file lawmakers in the party, including women.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is joining a nationwide push to regulate electronic cigarettes by seeking to treat them like their combustible counterparts.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will seek more minority recruitment into local law enforcement, funds for bulletproof vests and body cameras and independent reviews of grand juries that don’t indict officers after encounters in which civilians die.
Americans’ expectations for the economy improved in January to reach the highest level in four years as the cost of gasoline continued to fall and the job market strengthened.
Gold’s relationship to oil has been turned on its head. Investors who saw little value in the metal last month, as plunging energy costs curbed inflation, have started buying in January even as crude continues to tumble.
U.S. home prices rose more than economists estimated in November, a sign job growth is helping to boost housing demand. Prices climbed 0.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from October.
Denmark’s biggest bank predicts Governor Lars Rohde will cut the benchmark deposit rate far enough below zero today to drive the krone down and speculators away.
A growing number of banks are charging customers to hold Swiss francs after the country’s central bank decided to collect interest on the lenders’ own deposits.
New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver surrendered to the FBI Thursday on federal corruption charges just as a new legislative session begins, potentially throwing into doubt Governor Andrew Cuomo’s bid to work with his fellow Democrat to boost spending on education and infrastructure.
AP Top Stories
An artillery shell or mortar struck a public transport stop in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least eight civilians in an incident which both sides blamed on the other.
Indonesian divers recovered six bodies, some still belted into their seats, near the main section of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month, but failed again to reach the fuselage.
The head of Boko Haram — the enigmatic Abubakar Shekau — has openly taunted the countries being menaced by the armed Islamist group as they call for a united effort to crush it.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week from a seven-month high, pointing to continued improvement in labor market conditions. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 307,000 for the week ended Jan. 17.
A doctor with offices in Kentucky and Indiana was charged on Wednesday with causing the deaths of five patients by unlawfully distributing pain medications.
The clock was ticking Thursday towards a deadline imposed by Islamist militants threatening to kill two Japanese nationals unless Tokyo pays a $200 million ransom. The Japanese government said it was working to secure the release of freelance journalist Kenji Goto and self-employed contractor Haruna Yukawa, but with less than 20 hours to go, admitted it had still not spoken to the Islamic State group.
Chinese health authorities on Wednesday described the gender imbalance among newborns as “the most serious and prolonged” in the world, a direct ramification of the country’s strict one-child policy. The statement will add to growing calls for the government to scrap all family planning restrictions in the world’s most populous nation, which many scholars say faces a demographic crisis.
A text that may be the oldest copy of a gospel known to exist – a fragment of the Gospel of Mark that was written during the first century, before the year 90 – is set to be published. At present, the oldest surviving copies of the gospel texts date to the second century (the years 101 to 200).
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new peace proposal for Ukraine is little more than a blueprint for military occupation to secure territory seized by Moscow-backed rebels, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Wednesday.
In their own version of quantitative easing, Europe has announced a €60 billion monthly bond-buying program that aims to boost their low inflation.
Tumbling oil prices may increase world economic growth by 15-20 percent this year, but several countries will still lose out, the head of the World Bank told CNBC on Thursday.
BBC
The European Central Bank announced it will inject at least €1.1 trillion into the ailing eurozone economy by means of a huge bond-buying program.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said she is convinced top Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman’s death was no suicide.
A drone with more drugs attached to it than it could carry has crashed near Mexico’s border with the US, police said.
There has been a “turning point” in the Ebola crisis with cases falling in all three affected countries, World Health Organization officials said.
WND
China has surpassed the United States in conducting cyber warfare and one day may launch a large-scale attack that the U.S. will be unable to respond to, some of the nation’s foremost national security experts warned Wednesday. China’s superior capabilities in cyber warfare create the possibility “to paralyze an opponent entirely without killing anyone – that is very tempting,” said Zbigniew K. Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter’s former national security adviser.
Daily Digest
January 22, 2015
THE FOUNDATION
“The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” –George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796
TOP 5 RIGHT HOOKS
Shameful Incompetence: House Scraps Abortion Bill
The GOP sure knows how to create a debacle. The House scrapped plans to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks. The U.S. will thus continue to stand with China and North Korea as one of only seven nations in the world to allow the practice. Today is Sanctity of Life Day, and Republican leadership had planned on passing the bill to mark the occasion. Opposition came from some women in the GOP ranks, however, who worried Democrats would exploit the bill to further the “war on women” narrative. But that’s an odd worry given the 2-1 public support (over 70% among women) for the law in question. Reps. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) withdrew their sponsorship from the bill, despite having voted for the same bill in 2013. Now the Leftmedia can run headlines declaring a right-wing bill was defeated by women and moderates. Granted, the bill faced a certain veto by an abortion-loving president, but if the GOP’s historic majority can’t manage to pass something with overwhelming public support — after having passed the same legislation in 2013, no less — what can they do? More…
No Civil Rights Charges Against Darren Wilson
No matter what Attorney General Eric Holder said previously about police profiling, it doesn’t make Officer Darren Wilson guilty. The Department of Justice recommends not charging Wilson with violating the civil rights of Michael Brown when Wilson killed him in Ferguson, Missouri. (Interesting timing — the day after Barack Obama mentioned the case in his State of the Union.) Holder still needs to sign off on the end of the investigation, but if anyone could find a racial issue where there is none, Holder would. But it’s not over, either. “It gives the Justice Department an ostensible justification to subject the entire police department to an investigation over its ‘patterns and practices,'” warns Andrew McCarthy at National Review. “Using a Clinton-era statute that lowers its burden of proof, and the staggering DOJ budget and resources that make it prohibitively expensive for states and municipalities to contest federal investigations and lawsuits, the Justice Department extorts the police departments into signing agreements to conduct policing in an Obama-compliant manner.” This is unsurprising. Wilson fell back on his training when responding to an unprovoked attack and the altercation lasted a few seconds. Eric Holder could find plenty to critique as the Ferguson PD responded to weeks of protests and looting. More…
Obama’s Economic Success Story Was a Democrat Staffer
Few Americans cared to watch Barack Obama give his delusional State of the Union address. Early numbers indicate only eight million tuned into CNN, MSNBC and Fox to watch Obama — the lowest numbers in 15 years. And who can blame them? Obama continued to steal the credit for the nation’s modest economic prosperity, but he’s too far entrenched in the Democrat political system. When the White House cast about for an economic success story where an every-day American worked hard and prospered, it could only find Rebekah Erler. Obama described Erler as a newlywed and new mom who waited tables when the recession hit. As she returned to school, the economy improved, Obama continued. But, The Washington Free Beacon reports, “Unmentioned in the White House bio of Erler is that she is a former Democratic campaign operative, working as a field organizer for Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.). This also wasn’t the first time the White House used the former Democratic campaign staffer as a political prop.” For Obama, the only way to economic prosperity is touting to big government. More…
Netanyahu to Address Congress
To his credit, House Speaker John Boehner wasted little time in responding to Barack Obama’s absurd assertion in the State of the Union that “we’ve halted the progress of [Iran’s] nuclear program.” To make the point that Obama’s living in an alternate reality, Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress on Feb. 11, specifically on “the grave threats radical Islam and Iran pose to our security and way of life.” Boehner said, “There’s a serious threat that exists in the world and the president last night kind of papered over it.” But here’s the kicker: Boehner didn’t talk to the White House first. “The Congress can make this decision on its own,” he explained. “I don’t believe I’m poking anyone in the eye.” Actually, it was almost certainly a poke, given how many times Obama has made decisions on his own. Indeed, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest complained, “The protocol would suggest that the leader of one country would contact the leader of another country when he’s traveling there. This particular event seems to be a departure from that protocol.” The White House is worried about “protocol,” but could care less about the Constitution. Or a nuclear Iran. Boehner also added feistily, “[Obama] expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran. Two words: ‘Hell no!’ We’re going to do no such thing.”
WH Talking Points ‘Straight Out of Tehran’
The Obama administration has done such a miserable job dealing with Iran that even some Democrats are starting to question the president’s policy. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said, “The more I hear from the administration and its quotes, the more it sounds like talking points that come straight out of Tehran. It feeds to the Iranian narrative of victimization when they are the ones with original sin.” Par for the course, the president threatened this week to veto any new sanctions Congress might place on Iran, insisting that sanctions would scare Iran away from the negotiating table. As if to reassure Iran the administration isn’t serious, the White House reminded the world that eliminating Iran’s nuclear program isn’t on the table.
Don’t Miss Alexander’s Column
Read 2015 SOTU: ‘Mission Accomplished — I’m Just Awesome!’, a rebuttal to Obama’s drivel.
2015 SOTU: ‘Mission Accomplished — I’m Just Awesome!’
Free ObamaBucks for Everyone!
By Mark Alexander · January 21, 2015
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” –Article II, Section 1, Constitution of the United States (1787)
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For the last two weeks, my inbox has been inundated with emails priming the pump for Barack Obama’s 2015 State of the Union — a desperate attempt to avoid a repeat of the 2014 SOTU ratings bust with the lowest viewership since the Clinton years. As my colleague Peggy Noonan put it then, “No one’s really listening to [Obama] … a nonstop windup talk machine.”
The White House deluge started with this message from Joe Biden: “Most years, we keep what’s going to be in the President’s State of the Union address a secret until the night of the speech. That’s changing this year. Because the fact is that this Administration isn’t going to wait for anybody when it comes to taking whatever steps we can to help the middle class and keep strengthening our economy. [Blah, Blah, Blah, ad nauseum…]”
Then there were follow up messages from Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Michelle O. and, of course, Barack, who on the afternoon of his teleprompted campaign recital claimed: “It’s a new year, and our country is moving forward. Gas prices are falling, more people are going to work, and more families have access to affordable health care. We need this progress to continue, and we need to build on it. I’m ready for that challenge. Are you? Let’s get to work.”
Well, once again I endured Obama’s droning drivel Tuesday night so you did not have to. Yes, it’s rather like sorting out the solids in a grease trap — a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.
This year’s SOTU can be summed up with the inimitable words of that great American philosopher, Yogi Berra: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” It was not so much a repeat of his last six annual messages as it was styled after his 2004 Democrat National Convention keynote speech, when his primary political benefactors, Jean-Francois Kerry and Teddy Kennedy, were setting up an unknown junior Illinois Senator to dupe American voters in 2008. And indeed he did.
In addition to a flood of emails, for the last week BO’s adoring Leftmedia has billed his SOTU as the “Robin Hood” speech, given that Obama was going to make class warfare a centerpiece of his remarks, as he has always done. However, as English scholars note, from the earliest references to the fictitious character of Robin Hood in the 14th century, there was no mention of redistributing wealth from rich to poor. Ironically, Robin Hood endeavored to steal from his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham, who was Prince John’s tax collector, and return those taxes to those from whom they were extorted.
That failed analogy notwithstanding, Obama’s speech was another fine demonstration of his mastery of the BIG Lie, delivered as if the 2014 midterm election was a “Democrat wave” instead of an historic loss. An observer from another planet might have assumed Obama, in addition to president, is both speaker of the House and Senate majority leader, as he set about to frame their congressional agenda for the next two years. From the way Obama talked, who would have guessed the 114th Congress has 13 fewer Democrat senators and 69 fewer Democrat House members than when Obama gave his first address in 2009?
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His atmospheric bravado was so disconnected from reality that my favorite junior senator, Joni Ernst, who delivered the Republican response, did not even justify Obama’s comments with rebuttal. Instead, she focused on the Republican agenda.
So, after Obama worked his way through the gauntlet of “aisle hogs,” here are a few podium excerpts outlining his Democratic Party agenda for the next two years, with The Patriot’s rebuttal:
BO: Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999.
TP: After one quarter of 5% growth, Obama is claiming “It’s morning again in America,” as Ronald Reagan accurately asserted decades ago only after five consecutive quarters of 7% growth. Fact is, despite Obama’s failed “economic recovery” plan, American businesses have endured and are making every effort to make a comeback. But the current “Obama Boom” is primarily the result of a dramatic decline in oil prices and a Republican-led slowdown in government growth, both of which Obama has opposed. The national debt topped $18 trillion last week, and increased more under Obama than every past president combined — and now Obama is requesting $4 trillion in his current budget. Finally, if workforce participation was as high today as it was when Obama took office, the unemployment rate would be 9.9%.
BO: We are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we’ve been in almost 30 years. … Today, America is number one in oil and gas. … And thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save about $750 at the pump.
TP: Seriously? He is taking credit for lower oil prices — and with a straight face.
BO: The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.
TP: The 2008 financial crisis was seeded by Bill Clinton’s government mortgage lending policies, and now Obama is setting up a do-over with a new round of affordable mortgage lending policies.
BO: Will we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one another? Or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward? … A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other.
TP: Sorting people into “factions turned against one another” and “demonizing each other” is the Democrat Party’s primary modus operandi, and Obama has perfected the art.
BO: In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical, not partisan.
TP: Partisan? Obama? Surely not!
BO: In the past year alone about 10 million uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage.
TP: Obama’s so-called “Affordable Care Act” was, is and will continue to be an unmitigated disaster, which he sold with a litany of lies.
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BO: So the verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. … Middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change. That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home [and] retirement.
TP: Ah, “middle-class economics” got five mentions in the SOTU, and no doubt will become the mantra for the 2016 presidential election.
BO: This Congress still needs to pass a law to make sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work.
TP: Obama’s “equal pay” charade is a gender-bait hoax.
BO: To everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.
TP: Obama’s minimum wage hike is a class-bait hoax for young people.
BO: I’ll be taking new action to help states adopt paid leave laws of their own.
TP: As for paid leave, Obama has already instituted a colossal amount of paid worker leave — called “unemployment insurance.”
BO: Let’s pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come.
TP: Obama’s notion of a “bipartisan infrastructure plan” would be a trillion-dollar boondoggle to greatly expand government spending.
BO: I intend to protect a free and open Internet, extend its reach to every classroom, and every community and help folks build the fastest networks
TP: If you think ObamaCare is great, just wait until he launches ObamaNet, promising you can keep your ISP and keep your domain.
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BO: My first duty as commander in chief is to defend the United States of America. … I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don’t let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That’s exactly what we’re doing right now. And around the globe, it is making a difference. … I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.
TP: Yes, Obama’s foreign policy is awesome, unless you consider that the threat of Islamist attack on the U.S. is now unprecedented. Fact is, his foreign policy malfeasance is unparalleled. Here is the real foreign policy picture: Under Obama, there has been a dramatic resurgence of al-Qa’ida and there is a Middle East meltdown underway in Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Jordan and Gaza. Obama has squandered our hard-won gains in Iraq and the Islamic State continues to surge in the region. His hollow “Red Line” with Syria fizzled. The threat from Iran is growing daily. And notably, the “Russian Spring” in Crimea and the rest of the region continues unabated. But never fear, John Kerry is on the case, and “You’ve Got A Friend!” (Anybody for terrorist profiling?)
BO: As Americans, we don’t mind paying our fair share of taxes as long as everybody else does, too.
TP: Ah, yes, Obama’s new and improved “fair-share income redistribution” plan — as opposed to the current redistribution plan.
BO: No challenge — no challenge — poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. … The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security.
TP: Ask yourself, why did Obama stop referring to “global warming” in favor of “climate change“? Could it be that “climate change” means anthropogenic activity is now responsible for every weather event, be it cold or hot, wet or dry? Why yes!
BO: Since I’ve been president, we’ve worked responsibly to cut the population of Gitmo in half. Now it is time to finish the job. And I will not relent in my determination to shut it down.
TP: Releasing the Taliban Five in exchange for an Army deserter so those terrorists can get back to work killing Americans is Obama’s idea of “finishing the job.”
BO: We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York. … [But we must] reform America’s criminal justice system so that it protects and serves all of us.
TP: Of course he would have to mention Michael Brown and Eric Garner, the primary race-bait fodder Obama and his chief race relations counselors, Al Sharpton and Attorney General Eric Holder, are using to keep his black constituency fired up. Obama, et al., are an offense to the legacy of MLK.
Finally, Obama insisted, “I have no more campaigns to run. I know because I won both of them. … My only agenda for the next two years is the same as the one I’ve had since the day I swore an oath on the steps of this Capitol — to do what I believe is best for America.”
In other words, Obama will spend the next two years on campaign stops across the country, spewing the most divisive political rhetoric of his tenure in office — and all of it promoting “middle-class economics.”
Needless to say, almost all of those policies violate his oath “to Support and Defend” our Constitution.
But the fact is, Obama now has zero credibility. If the Republican congressional majority will take the lead and not get bogged down in fratricidal infighting, Obama will not gain traction.
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Pro Deo et Constitutione — Libertas aut Mors
Semper Fortis Vigilate Paratus et Fidelis
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RIGHT ANALYSIS
Celebrate the Sanctity of Life
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Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the two most tragic Supreme Court decisions in American history, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Those decisions sparked a contentious debate between those who would deny legal protection for babies in the womb, and those who rightly acknowledge that those babies constitute “life” as understood throughout history and affirmed in our Declaration of Independence. Tragically, that right has been denied to 57 million unborn children sacrificed on the altar of “choice” since 1973.
Fortunately, there are numerous new state laws restricting abortion and saving lives. Federal law, however, won’t change any time soon after the U.S. House abandoned a vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks. The U.S. is one of only seven nations in the world that allows the practice. The GOP couldn’t muster the votes even with its enormous majority, or with wide public support. (The same bill passed in 2013, for goodness sake.) Instead, the House will attempt to permanently ban federal abortion funding.
Though this issue will never be resolved until the yearly number of abortions is zero, there are encouraging prospects to note as we consider the sanctity of human life. And every life saved is a victory.
Both Gallup and the Guttmacher Institute show a decline in the number of abortions and the support for those abortions. But far more encouraging is the shift in the spirit of the pro-life movement. There are still peaceful marches and strong, quiet vigils of prayer outside of abortion clinics, but there are also Internet outreach efforts, maternity homes, medical pregnancy resource centers and other ministries that are empowering young women to see their true range of options.
Obama said last year about this time, “Every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health.” But we know that the president and Planned Parenthood share a narrowness of vision about these options.
One young woman who left an abortion clinic scared but determined to keep her baby remembers, “As I walked out the door, I heard the receptionist yelling, ‘You can’t have your money back, you know, and you’re going to ruin your life with this mistake.'” In an abortion clinic, the only real “choice” presented is to end the life of the unborn child — a “mistake.”
Yet more and more ministries and public figures are pointing out the absurdity of a movement centered on choice that leaves a woman no choice at all. Online for Life is using the power of the Internet to reach out to those who search for pregnancy options. Former Planned Parenthood nurse Abby Johnson’s ministry And Then There Were None is giving a voice and a choice to those who desire to no longer work for the nation’s largest abortion mill. Project Rachel and Abortion Changes You, among many other such ministries, are coming alongside the hurting women who have already experienced the pain of abortion. Save the Storks takes compassion to those who are in need with a mobile resource center housed in a luxury bus. Students for Life has a wide presence on college campuses.
These are just a few of the innovative ministries that are leading the way to a stronger, more understanding and more effective pro-life movement.
The same cannot be said for the other side, which exploits women to serve a twisted agenda.
Roe v. Wade was the infamous case in which Norma McCorvey was used as a plaintiff by leftist attorneys to overturn laws restricting abortion in Texas. A decision upholding Texas law was ultimately overturned on appeal by the Supreme Court, which found a heretofore unprecedented “right to privacy” in the so-called “due process clause” of the Fourteenth Amendment. The despotic branch divined from their “living constitution” that this right entitled a mother to end the life of her baby before his or her birth. Simultaneous with Roe v. Wade, in Doe v. Bolton, using the plaintiff Sandra Cano, the Supremes determined that any complaint — including headaches — could be used as grounds for requesting an abortion.
Since the decisions in those cases, both McCorvey and Cano have recanted their testimony. Norma McCorvey said plainly, “I think abortion’s wrong. I think what I did with Roe v. Wade was wrong,” and she has stood by those words in the years since.
Sandra Cano, in her 2005 testimony before the U.S. Senate, said: “Using my name and life, Doe v. Bolton falsely created the health exception that led to abortion on demand and partial birth abortion. How it got there is still pretty much a mystery to me. I only sought legal assistance to get a divorce from my husband and to get my children from foster care. … At no time did I ever have an abortion. I did not seek an abortion nor do I believe in abortion. Yet my name and life is now forever linked with the slaughter of 40-50 million babies. … How can cunning, wicked lawyers use an uneducated, defenseless pregnant woman to twist the American court system in such a fraudulent way? Doe has been a nightmare. … My name, life, and identity have been stolen and put on this case without my knowledge and against my wishes. How dare they use my name and my life this way! One of the justices of the Supreme Court said during oral argument in my case ‘What does it matter if she is real or not?’ Well I am real and it does matter.”
Like McCorvey and Cano, millions of women and countless unborn babies are being denied choice by the “pro-choice” movement.
Americans are obviously tiring of a movement based on such an audacious lie. Scientifically and morally it has always been evident that life starts well before those first beautiful cries. And today’s pro-life movement is succeeding more and more where it counts most: changing hearts.
What’s Spanish for ‘Amnesty Stays’?
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Barack Obama wasn’t the only one to largely ignore immigration in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. In its much-anticipated response as the majority party for the first time in eight years, the GOP opted to nix the topic as well — at least, in the English version.
Republicans thought it appropriate to give one response to English-speaking listeners and another to Spanish-speaking listeners. Go figure. Newly elected Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa made not one mention of immigration in her response, alluding to it (and a plethora of other topics) only by saying, “We’ll work to correct executive overreach.”
Meanwhile, in the Spanish version of the response, which House Republicans initially described as merely the Spanish translation of Ernst’s response, Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida added, “We should also work through the appropriate channels to create permanent solutions for our immigration system, to secure our borders, modernize legal immigration and strengthen our economy.” Nothing like consistency in messaging.
Then again, why should Republican leadership invest much effort in messaging on immigration if they’re not actually serious about doing anything about it? As we previously reported, the Senate received a House-passed bill to counter Obama’s executive amnesty order. That bill funds the Department of Homeland Security, which received funding under the current short-term bill only until Feb. 27, while cutting off funding for amnesty. But Senate Republican leadership is sounding concession before the opening bell.
The Senate needs 60 votes to send the bill to Obama’s desk, where it will receive an automatic veto. Obama warned in the State of the Union address that any bill attempting to “refight” past immigration battles will have “earned” his veto. After all, he won two elections, right?
Of course, a veto would place the president squarely in the way of DHS funding. But the GOP holds 54 seats in the Senate, six fewer than the votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Because of this, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky cautioned Republicans against expecting miracles. Or, as one border-state congressman so eloquently put it, “Pigs will fly out of my rear end” before Senate Republicans convince six Democrats to vote contra-party. Americans would be happy to forgo miracles in exchange for an ounce of courage. Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn of Texas also announced that allowing funding for DHS to expire is “off the table.” In other words, the Senate is primed and ready to cave.
The Senate GOP leadership’s talking points — which translate into English as defeat before engagement — seem to have the same source as our unfortunate congressman’s pigs. Not that this is actually surprising. As we noted last week, the fact that the Senate is delaying focusing on the bill until February, just in time for a showdown over the funding expiration, screams defeat. And this is particularly cynical, as the House purposefully passed the bill with ample time for the Senate to do more than duck and run for cover.
It’s not too late for Senate Republicans to spend the next month whipping votes. If Republicans know what’s good for them (a questionable premise), they will use this opportunity to make good on their promise to the American people to stand up to the president’s abuse of power. Failure at this first test, however, will not portend well for the next two years. And that’s a clear message in any language.
TOP 5 RIGHT OPINION COLUMNS
- Tony Perkins: Our Stake in the Union
- Jeff Jacoby: Gun Rights Should Cross State Lines
- Larry Elder: Selma Snub vs. Eastwood Eclipse — Who’s the Victim of Discrimination?
- George Will: The Mushrooming Welfare State
- Victor Davis Hanson: Remembering the Last Lion
OPINION IN BRIEF
Philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970): “The essence of the liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being viewed dogmatically, they are held tentatively, with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment.”
FRC president Tony Perkins: “Amazingly, on a day that saw an Islamist attack on Yemen, an American ally in the fight against al-Qaeda, the President [during the SOTU address] had the audacity to proclaim, ‘The shadow of crisis has passed.’ If the shadows have passed, it’s only because true darkness has descended. An administration that ignores these threats and leaves Christians to suffer persecution at the hands of radical freedom-crushers here and abroad doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘crisis.’ If the President got anything right, it’s this: we are turning the page. In fact, most Americans already did — in November, when they sent Washington a message of real change. Not the kind of change offered in veiled agendas or clever turns of phrase. But the kind of change it took to make America, ‘the greatest nation the world has ever known.'”
Jeff Jacoby: “Down the street or across the country, a valid driver’s license is all you need to lawfully get behind the wheel of a car. If you’ve met your state’s conditions to be issued a license — passed the test, submitted your fingerprints, paid the fee — there’s not a state in the country that won’t honor it. A valid license to carry a firearm should be treated the same way. … The case for reciprocity ought to be just as compelling when it comes to carry permits for guns. Indeed, more compelling: The Bill of Rights makes no reference to driving, but it does command that ‘the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.’ Constitutional liberties don’t evaporate at state borders. If your driver’s license is valid everywhere, the validity of your gun permit should go without saying. … States have always had broad leeway to make their own public policy; the Constitution’s ‘full faith and credit’ principle doesn’t insist that all state laws be homogenized. But states cannot just disallow Second Amendment rights exercised in good faith by honest citizens from other states. The driver’s license in your wallet is accepted everywhere as prima facie evidence that you are competent to drive. The concealed-carry permit you keep right next to it should be given the same respect.”
Comedian Argus Hamilton: “The Secret Service is investigating a shooting outside Joe Biden’s house in Delaware on Sunday after several shots were fired by a passing motorist in the direction of his home. Danger follows the vice president everywhere. Last week Joe Biden lost his train of thought and there were no survivors.”
Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.
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This chart spells serious trouble for gold Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:59 AM PST
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| “If You Question Authority, You Are Mentally Ill”, Report FindsPosted: 22 Jan 2015 07:50 AM PST
As TheMindUnleashed.org informs us, the definition of this new mental illness essentially amounts to declaring any non-conformity and questioning of authority as a form of insanity. According to the manual, ODD is defined as:
In short, as Natural News put it: According to US psychiatrists, only the sheeple are sane. Every time a new issue of the DSM appears, the number of mental disorders grows – and this growth is exponential. A century ago there were essentially 7 disorders, 80 years ago there were 59, 50 years ago there were 130, and by 2010 there were 374 (77 of which were “found” in just seven years). A prominent critic of this over-diagnosing (and the associated over-medication trend) is psychologist Dr. Paula Caplan. Here is an interview with her: More The post “If You Question Authority, You Are Mentally Ill”, Report Finds appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Sleeping Illinois Cop Claims “It’s now illegal to record a police officer in public”.Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:47 AM PST
The post Sleeping Illinois Cop Claims “It’s now illegal to record a police officer in public”. appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Jobless Claims Over 300k For 3rd Week, Spike In Shale StatesPosted: 22 Jan 2015 07:42 AM PST
The post Jobless Claims Over 300k For 3rd Week, Spike In Shale States appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| This Billy Graham Message Is Still Going ViralPosted: 22 Jan 2015 07:26 AM PST
The post This Billy Graham Message Is Still Going Viral appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Baker Refused to Make Bible-Shaped Cakes With ‘God Hates Gays’ Message, Gov’t now Investigating Her for Religious DiscriminationPosted: 22 Jan 2015 07:19 AM PST
The post Baker Refused to Make Bible-Shaped Cakes With ‘God Hates Gays’ Message, Gov’t now Investigating Her for Religious Discrimination appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| PSALM 83 WATCH – Hamas calls on Hezbollah to unite fight against IsraelPosted: 22 Jan 2015 07:09 AM PST
The post PSALM 83 WATCH – Hamas calls on Hezbollah to unite fight against Israel appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| British Judge Suspended For Recommending Straight Couple To Adopt Child.Posted: 22 Jan 2015 07:02 AM PST
The post British Judge Suspended For Recommending Straight Couple To Adopt Child. appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| “Doomsday Clock’ Set to Move One Minute Closer to MidnightPosted: 22 Jan 2015 06:59 AM PST
The post “Doomsday Clock’ Set to Move One Minute Closer to Midnight appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
| Freedom of Speech? Boston Mayor Bans Bad Mouthing of Olympics, as Facebook Will Filter Out “Fake News”Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:54 AM PST
The post Freedom of Speech? Boston Mayor Bans Bad Mouthing of Olympics, as Facebook Will Filter Out “Fake News” appeared first on End Time Headlines. |
In Failing to Confront Islamism, the Left Betrays Itself :: Fatah in Toronto Sun
by Tarek Fatah
The Toronto Sun
January 20, 2015
http://www.meforum.org/4989/left-fails-confront-islamism
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn: Biblical Warnings In Obama Speech
“Listening to the president’s State of the Union address, I was reminded of ancient Israel,” said Jonathan Cahn, author of “The Mystery of the Shemitah” and “The Harbinger,” which draws parallels between America’s falling away from God and a series of judgments that will come as a result. “The people of Israel convinced themselves that they were coming back stronger than before,” Cahn told WND. “And then it all collapsed, and the judgment came.” …………. Click here for full story
Russia Positioning Nukes To Confront NATO?
Moscow could be preparing to move nuclear weapons into the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed last year, and also position them around the strategic Russian enclave of Kaliningrad near the periphery of NATO countries, in possible violation of the 2010 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ………. Click here for full story
Israel Anticipates Hezbollah’s Reaction
Just imagine a Hollywood screenplay depicting an Israeli airstrike against a convoy of vehicles in the Syrian Golan. In this scenario, six high-level Hezbollah officers are eliminated, including Jihad Mughniyeh, son of Imad Mughniyeh — who was himself eliminated in 2008 — and six Iranian officers. Then, a few hours later, the body of the federal prosecutor of Argentina is found in his house, dead of a gunshot wound, only a few hours before his testimony to prove that his country’s government whitewashed the Iranian involvement in the great terror attack on the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires in 1994……….. Click here for full story
Russia And Iran Sign Deal To Widen Military Cooperation
The cash-strapped Russians have become less choosy these days about clients for their prized S-300 defensive systems and even more advanced S-400 missiles. They are now ready to sell the former – not just to Iran, but also to Egypt, Syria and the Lebanese Shiite Hizballah……….. Click here for full story
UCLA Broadcasting Muslim Call To Prayer Declaring ‘Allah is Great’ On Campus
Less than a week after controversy erupted over an announcement that a Muslim call to prayer would be broadcast at North Carolina’s Duke University, it has come to light that students at UCLA in California have been doing so for some time ……… Click here for full story
Video: Peter Schiff: Fed Caused Oil Crash, Stocks Next
The Road To The Welfare State: Why 50% Of “Exceptional” America Gets Checks From Uncle Sam
No Other Name
Nothing could be further from the truth and I want our readers to know that this ministry will not compromise the message of the gospel for the sake of popularity, too seem loving and tolerant, or to bridge the gap between Christianity and Islam. Tony Campolo, Rick Warren, and other evangelical ‘leaders’ can promote the message of common ground all they want, but it only serves to exacerbate the hatred in the (real) Muslim world and dismisses the message of the gospel.
Thomas Sowell: ‘Resentment’ of America Fueling Obama Amnesty
Conservative economist explains what’s motivating the president’s immigration lawlessness.
Looking at the whole Reverend Jeremiah Wright episode, my God, Obama was in his church for 20 years, and you buy this BS that he didn’t know what Revered Jeremiah Wright was saying? There are some people today who seem so surprised that Obama has had someone like Al Sharpton visiting the White House dozens of times. Really? In just what way is Al Sharpton different from Jeremiah Wright?
‘Darkness’ of Sexual Culture ‘Gone Mad’ Threatens America’s Future, Says Evangelical Leader Tony Perkins
“The threats America face are not potential — they are clear, present and dangerous,” he said. “And ironically they come most sharply today not from the radical economic doctrines of Karl Marx, nor from the lights of what Winston Churchill called ‘perverted science,’ but from the darkness of unrestricted sexual license — a new Cultural Revolution — gone mad.”
The Boy Who Didn’t Come Back From Heaven
The Guardian: “Alex Malarkey co-wrote a bestselling book about a near-death experience – and then last week admitted he made it up. So why wasn’t anyone listening to a quadriplegic boy and a mother who simply wanted the truth to be heard?”
Good Without God? The Moral Argument VIDEO
In this video by Reasonable Faith, the Moral Argument is explained. Can you be good without God? The question isn’t “Can you be good without believing in God.” The question is: “Can you be good without God?” Check out more videos by William Lane Craig at his YouTube Channel. Enjoy.
Tyndale’s justification for not withdrawing Boy-Back-From-Heaven book: if we don’t publish, someone else will
National UK newspaper The Guardian has a 3,000 word article on the Boy-Back-From-Heaven scandal that discern.org has been covering. This section is particularly noteworthy:
Headlines of Interest
Jim Baumgaertel – The Evangelical Subculture
To Kansas grave’s visitors, Tammy Faye’s legacy is more than cosmetic
T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest returning to Dallas in August
Southern Baptists Say Enough to Perry Noble and NewSpring Church
Religious decline in America? The answer depends on your timeframe
57,762,169 Abortions in America Since Roe vs. Wade in 1973
Scores of Churches Destroyed by Charlie Hebdo Protests in Niger
Rob Bell promotes “Mother God” and “apophatic meditation” in new “Liturgists” show
Anti-Israel Radicals, Evangelical-Style
“When one considers that Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Bob Roberts Jr., Shane Claiborne and Ed Stetzer are helping to mainstream rapprochement with Islam (my view of the situation), it follows that those they mentor are doing likewise.”
The following is posted by Jim Fletcher over at Rapture Ready:
Sexual Shame
by R.C. Sproul Jr.
Description:
Abortion is proof that secular America still has the power to blush and that the Sexual Revolution is not over.
Wars of Early Islam
by Samuel Inbaraja
Mohammed migrated to Medina from Mecca in the year 622 A.D. This migration is called Hijra, and 622 is the first year of the Islamic calender. The first year of the Islamic calender does not start with the year Quran was given to Mohammed, year 610 A.D or the year Mohammed gave the public proclamation […]
Cold Case Christianity: Is the Christian Faith Evidentially Reasonable?
Richard Dawkins, the famous evolutionary biologist, author and avid atheist, once said, “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.” Is that true? Does Christianity call us to scorn or reject reason and evidence in an effort to have a faith that pleases God? Here at PleaseConvinceMe.com, we’re making every effort to demonstrate the relationship between faith, reason and evidence. Our site is filled with evidence that demonstrates the truth of Christianity, because the Christian faith is grounded in reason and evidence.
How To Witness To Mormon Missionaries
by Bobby Gilpin
By far the most common way people come into contact with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons, is through speaking with two young well dressed men, wearing a little badge with Elder….. on it. These guys spend two years of their lives usually when they are 18-19 in an […]
The Horrific Legacy of Roe v Wade
by Bill Muehlenberg
Various days in recent history have gone down in infamy. The events associated with these days are now forever etched on our social memories, and we dare not forget any of them. One thinks of November 9–10, 1938 for example. Known as Kristallnacht, it was the terrible anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany.
We also all remember December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which dragged the United States into the Second World War. Of course September 11, 2001 is a day of Islamic terror which can never be forgotten. Another infamous date which is a blot on human history we actually commemorate today.
Forty-two years ago the American Supreme Court issued its decision on Roe v Wade, with a 7-to-2 majority vote striking down the laws on abortion in 50 states, and effectively creating open slather on baby killing. This was one of the most important and far-reaching court cases in American history.
And we still live with the legacy of this today. Indeed, the legacy is a deadly one: those killed by abortion far outstrip the number of people killed by the Nazis. As far as we can tell, some 58 million unborn babies have been slaughtered in the US since this fateful day.
The War on Christians
While the civilized world rightly expressed outrage over the slaughter of 12 cartoonists, the plight of 100 million persecuted Christians is largely ignored.
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Can we be politically disengaged as Christians?
As a Canadian, I find American politics intriguing. The way Americans engage—regardless of their views—is astonishing, and somewhat refreshing. Every time I see it, I’m reminded of how different not only our governments are1 but also how different we are as people.
By and large, Canadians don’t care about politics the way Americans do, certainly not to the same extent at any rate. So the debate on, say, the most recent State of the Union address, would likely never happen here.
We are, for the most part, a politically apathetic people. And if we’re not careful, for our culturally-induced political apathy can quickly seep into our faith, as well.
But as Christians, this should never be. In fact, we should care deeply about politics.
By this, I don’t mean the old stereotype of marrying the Christian faith and political activism, seeking cultural transformation through legislation, as the Religious Right and Moral Majority have often been accused of. Instead, we need to think about politics Christianly–that is, in light of three realities: the source of government, our identity, and our obligation to society.
Phil Johnson on why God gave the Law
Fighting for the Faith has a lecture by Phil Johnson entitled Why God gave the Law (audio). It’s well worth an hour of your time.
Law without Legalism
Eve reiterated the command of God not to eat from the tree in the midst of the garden, with an emphatic “yea, hath God said.” But notice she added to the command of God: “neither shall ye touch it.” By putting her response to Satan in the context of “God hath said,” Eve was giving her own words the authority of God. It seems to me that this is first instance of legalism in the Bible.
Possible First-Century Copy Of Mark’s Gospel Discovered
A report claims that work being done on a fragment of Mark’s Gospel appears to be from the late first century. If this is verified, this would prove to be a momentous find. It turns out the papyrus fragment in question was a part of an ancient mummy mask discovered in Egypt. Through a complicated process, the manuscript fragment has been identified and dated to the latter part of the first century.
Depression-Era Dishonesty
The most effective pro-abortion book of the 1930s, Dr. Frederick J. Taussig’s Abortion, attacked the “ridiculous, ofttimes incomprehensive [sic] and harsh statutes on our books.” He recommended that abortion be legal when “the mother is physically depleted by childbearing and poverty” and “clearly irresponsible.”
A Sweet and Sour Eschatology
Let us prepare ourselves for more and more opposition, tribulation, and persecution. Let us see the trajectory of the world and realize its horrid end. Ever since the beginning, the curse has been pronounced and growing in expression. The days of Noah are coming back….Yes, in many ways the future is indeed sour. However, let us also prepare ourselves for more and more victory. The church is like a mustard seed; it is growing way out of proportion to its original size.
Slander in the Camp
Why is Paul writing this to Christians? Because Christians are as capable of this as any other person. As John Owen once said, “The seed of every known sin is in my heart.” Putting it simply, we are all capable of doing this. Churches, businesses, ministries and relationships are ruined…not from without, but from within.
But Contemporary Worship Brings People To Jesus! Right…?
For one thing, music doesn’t bring people to Jesus. Jesus does that work admirably enough through the Holy Spirit, certainly better than a brush with David Crowder’s beard. But there’s an even deeper flaw in our thinking. Worship is not an evangelistic tool.
Time Magazine Pulls The Oldest Trick In The Book
Yep, that’s it. One poll, one megachurch, unnamed leaders, two congregational discussions, two meetings with LGBTQ’s, one college hire, one gay dancer, and three gay activists. That’s Dias’s strongest case for this alleged bandwagon of evangelical change. Rather unimpressive bandwagon isn’t it? I don’t buy it, and neither should you.
Our Time is Short
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