Repeal the 17th Amendment

Montanans Launch Recall of Senators Who Approved NDAA Military Detention. Merry Christmas, US Senate

2011-12-27T08:26:00.000-05:00

Montanans Launch Recall of Senators Who Approved NDAA Military Detention. Merry Christmas, US Senate; Salem News

Moving quickly on Christmas Day after the US Senate voted 86 - 14 to pass the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 (NDAA) which allows for the indefinite military detention of American citizens without charge or trial, Montanans have announced the launch of recall campaigns against Senators Max Baucus and Jonathan Tester, who voted for the bill.

Montana is one of nine states with provisions that say that the right of recall extends to recalling members of its federal congressional delegation, pursuant to Montana Code 2-16-603, on the grounds of physical or mental lack of fitness, incompetence, violation of oath of office, official misconduct, or conviction of certain felony offenses.

Section 2 of Montana Code 2-16-603 reads:

"(2) A public officer holding an elective office may be recalled by the qualified electors entitled to vote for the elective officer's successor."

Read the rest here.

BATTLEFIELD AMERICA

2011-12-12T14:02:00.000-05:00

BATTLEFIELD AMERICA; Jonathan Emord; NewsWithViews.com

Senate Bill 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act, drafted in secret by Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich) and John McCain (R-AZ), contains a provision that authorizes the armed forces to arrest and imprison without charge or trial those suspected of involvement in or support of terrorist organizations, including American citizens resident in the United States. Not since the summary detention of Asian Americans during the Second World War on suspicion of potential complicity with the Axis enemies of the United States has a law promised to violate in a more direct and profound manner the rights of the American people.

An amendment offered to eliminate this provision by Senator Rand Paul was defeated. The bill, containing this provision, passed the Senate on December 1 by a vote of 93 to 7. The bill and a comparable defense bill in the House, H.R. 1540, are in a House-Senate conference committee. If the provision survives negotiations between the House and the Senate, it will appear in a final bill headed for the President’s signature.

The history of modern government is rife with examples of the innocent accused. While none of us would favor a state that was less than vigilant in arresting and prosecuting American citizens for whom evidence reveals involvement in terrorist activities, no freedom loving American should accept on the pretext of the war on terror the wholesale and indefinite suspension of all Americans basic rights to Habeas Corpus, to Due Process under the Fifth Amendment, and to notice of the precise charges brought, to a speedy trial on the merits before an impartial judge, to a trial by jury, and to counsel--all guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.

Under Section 1031 of Senate Bill 1867, if your next door neighbor is merely accused of involvement in or support of some terrorist organization or suspected terrorist organization, military police are free to show up at his door, break it in, place him under arrest, and escort him to a military installation for indefinite incarceration without affording him the right of habeas corpus or a speedy trial on the merits before a jury in the federal judicial system. The power is not unlike that of the Gestapo. The law invites abuse beyond the obvious invasion of protected rights, because it can—like the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798—be used to eliminate political dissidents of one kind or another.

Consider this example. Let us assume that a person holds the loathsome view that al-Qaeda’s agenda for America is laudable and posts on a web site and in various other public fora that odious message. Let us also assume that this person while advocating destruction of our nation has kept his advocacy as an academic concept and has taken no step toward procuring weapons or other means to bring about that destruction. Under Section 1031(b)(2) of this bill, that person would be definable as one who supports al-Qaeda and would be eligible for summary military arrest and indefinite detention. There are no procedural safeguards in the bill to prevent that result.

We would all do well to remember the words of Thomas Jefferson in his First Inaugural Address, immediately following his successful efforts to secure the non-renewal of yet another great rights violating law, the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. That law forbad seditious libel, i.e., any statement critical of federal government officers or measures—a rank offense to the First Amendment. Jefferson gave us these words which apparently have no resonance in the ears of Carl Levin or John McCain: “If there be any among us who wish to dissolve this Union, or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated, where reason is left free to combat it.”

Read the rest here.

Former Senator Simpson says U.S. military spending outpaces totals from the next 14 largest nations, combined

2011-12-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

Alan Simpson says U.S. military spending outpaces totals from the next 14 largest nations, combined: PolitiFact Ohio; The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Simpson wasn’t questioning the need for a strong military. His point was that the military budget had become so immense that it operated without restraint. To put it into perspective, he offered this remark:

"Our defense budget is larger than (the combined totals of the next) 14 major countries of the world -- and if you think all of it is there for national security purposes, you're terribly wrong."

Comment: This is happening because the puppet masters outside of our government deem that the US will be the policemen of the world and our Congress acquiesces. But have no fears, it will soon end. It will end when all our wealth as a nation is exhausted. Then our armed forces will come home to police us during the epoch of "austerity." You know austerity has done wonders for the Chinese.

Podcast: Quintiliani on SOPA and S. 1867

2011-12-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

Host Brian Duffy interviewed long time Repeal the 17th Discussion Board contributor Dan Quintiliani concerning the current legislation being pushed in the US Senate, SOPA and S.1867, both of which have far reaching effects on civil liberties.

Listen to internet radio with repealtheseventeenth on Blog Talk Radio

Readings and Links related to this podcast:

All But Seven Voted For This: S. 1867: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

2011-12-03T06:53:00.000-05:00

This S 1867 passed in the Senate by roll call vote. The totals were 93 Ayes, 7 Nays.

Anyone out there that thinks there is such a thing as opposition parties is a fool. It is one party, one agenda, one endstate. We have made our prison and now we'll all live in it.

Indefinite Detention and the National Defense Authorization Act

2011-12-01T10:47:00.004-05:00

Why aren't our Senators standing up [to] the President when he writes stuff like this:

The Administration objects to and has serious legal and policy concerns about many of the detainee provisions in the bill. In their current form, some of these provisions disrupt the Executive branch's ability to enforce the law and impose unwise and unwarranted restrictions on the U.S. Government's ability to aggressively combat international terrorism; other provisions inject legal uncertainty and ambiguity that may only complicate the military's operations and detention practices.
Section 1031 attempts to expressly codify the detention authority that exists under the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) (the “AUMF”). The authorities granted by the AUMF, including the detention authority, are essential to our ability to protect the American people from the threat posed by al-Qa'ida and its associated forces, and have enabled us to confront the full range of threats this country faces from those organizations and individuals. Because the authorities codified in this section already exist, the Administration does not believe codification is necessary and poses some risk. After a decade of settled jurisprudence on detention authority, Congress must be careful not to open a whole new series of legal questions that will distract from our efforts to protect the country. While the current language minimizes many of those risks, future legislative action must ensure that the codification in statute of express military detention authority does not carry unintended consequences that could compromise our ability to protect the American people.

Repeal the 17th Amendment and our Senators will once again stand up for decentralized power, and they will enforce limits on the president and the rest of the federal government.

How did your US House Rep Vote for National Defense Authorization Act (HR 1540)?

2011-11-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

To be clear, Sen Levins and McCain have added in the secret provision to allow for the "indefinite imprisonment without trial or charge" of any American citizen in the Senate version of the NDAA, however it was the House that allowed for the US Armed Forces to operate in the US effectively killing posse commitus in Section 1034 of House version of the bill (HR 1540) passed in June 2011, which is in the Senate version as well. However, I think it's fair to say that posse commitus was killed long before in the Patriot Act, but is now only becoming open law.

Here's how the House voted on this bill this summer:

<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll375.xml>

And here is the link to the bill, HR 1540, passed this summer.

<http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h1540/text>

You'll note that almost the entire House voted for this.

There is one final conclusion I've understood for quite a while now and I think it's time America woke up to, and this is the clear and undeniable fact that both parties are systematically forcing us into a manufactured police state.

S.1867 -- National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

2011-11-27T22:13:00.002-05:00

Scary stuff folks...

"The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing."

The text of the bill:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S.1867:

Some articles going into the police state aspects:

http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/s-1867-the-department-of-defense-authorization-act-its-more-convoluted-than-you-think/

http://www.infowars.com/congress-to-vote-next-week-on-explicitly-creating-a-police-state/

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/senators-demand-military-lock-american-citizens-battlefield-they-define-being

I would recommend that you get this information out to the widest number of contacts you have.

Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher: Ted Kennedy asked if I would have sex with Chris Dodd

2011-11-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher: Ted Kennedy asked if I would have sex with Chris Dodd: The Daily Caller

Not so long ago, in a District of Columbia not so far away, Sen. Ted Kennedy was more than a little perverted to Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher.

According to her latest book, “Shockaholic,” Fisher was on a date in 1985 with former Sen. Chris Dodd in Washington, D.C. The two were joined for dinner by the late Kennedy, who proceeded to ask some rather frank questions.

“Suddenly,” Fisher writes, “Senator Kennedy, seated directly across from me, looked at me with his alert, aristocratic eyes and asked me a most surprising question. ‘So,’ he said, clearly amused, ‘do you think you’ll be having sex with Chris at the end of your date?’”

According to Fisher, “Chris Dodd looked at me with an unusual grin hanging on his very flushed face.”

Fisher, being the trained actress she was, responded coolly: “Funnily enough, I won’t be having sex with Chris tonight. … No that probably won’t happen. … Thanks for asking, though.”

But the “Lion of the Senate” didn’t stop there.

“’Would you have sex with Chris in a hot tub?’ Senator Kennedy asked me, ‘Perhaps as a way to say good night?”

“’I'm no good in water,’ I told him.”

Senate Republicans Introduce Bill Pushing Internet Sales Taxes

2011-11-11T07:23:00.000-05:00

Republicans Introduce Bill Pushing Internet Sales Taxes: The New American

The days of tax-free Internet shopping may soon be coming to an abrupt end, if two Republican senators have their way.
Sens. Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee are currently preparing to introduce new legislation that would allow states to force Amazon.com and other out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes. Their bill has the backing of several key corporate retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy, Home Depot, and other companies that are currently required to collect sales taxes. At issue is whether online retailers should have to collect sales taxes in states where they’re making sales. Currently, online shoppers are supposed to report purchases for tax purposes but usually don’t.
"It's time to close the online sales tax loophole," says Jason Brewer, a vice president at the Retail Industry Leaders Association in Arlington, Va., which represents big box stores. "Amazon and companies like it are no longer fledgling startups."
The Republican-led legislative effort has a clear precedent in legislation introduced by Senate Democrats last year. The so-called Main Street Fairness Act of 2010 was introduced by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and called for taxes on online purchases, under the presumption that local retail outfits are placed at a comparative disadvantage to online retailers due to discrepancies in taxation. The justification for these measures is a reprise of arguments that state tax collectors have made for at least a decade: they claim that Amazon.com, Overstock.com, Blue Nile, and other online retailers that don't always collect taxes are unreasonably depriving states of revenue, and that they enjoy an unfair competitive advantage over local retailers that must collect taxes, according to CNET’s Declan McCullagh. (The latter argument ignores added shipping and handling charges added to online purchases that often exceed the amount of sales tax levied on purchases at local stores, making the online goods more expensive, albeit more convenient, for the consumer.)

Read the rest here.

Veterans Day 11.11.11

2011-11-11T07:08:00.000-05:00

Robert Taft: Count Him Conservative

2011-11-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Robert Taft: Count Him Conservative; The New American

If Robert Taft had been a baseball player instead of a United States Senator, he might have led the league in left-handed compliments. As it was, he was often “damned with faint praise” by people who, while paying tribute to the power of his intellect, quite often suggested both the man and the mind had come of age in the wrong century. The Ohio lawmaker would hear himself praised as one possessing “the best eighteenth-century mind in America” by people who obviously considered an 18th-century mind ill-suited to mid-20th-century politics. Others, frustrated by the Senator’s stubborn insistence on examining the facts of any controversy before deciding whether to go with or against the prevailing political winds, were fond of saying, “Taft has the best mind in the Senate — until he makes it up.”

Read the rest here.

Sen. Rand Paul On Lou Dobbs Tonight - 10/12/11

2011-11-10T07:09:00.002-05:00

Have Senate Cloture Votes Contributed to the Growth of Government?

2011-11-04T08:10:00.000-04:00

Have Senate Cloture Votes Contributed to the Growth of Government? Huffington Post

The statement at issue:

"This month, Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Democrat colleagues voted to change the Senate rules with a simple majority vote of 51 to 48. Most people would simply shrug and think, "So? Isn't that the way democracy is supposed to work?" For the past 222 years in the U.S. Senate, the answer to that question has been no....The Senate, in particular, was designed to limit the growth of government....The cloture vote made it easier for government to grow, and, guess what, government grew...The introduction of the cloture vote has certainly proved effective at hampering the Senate's ability to limit the size and influence of the government."
Comments by Sen. Ron Johnson, a freshman Republican from Wisconsin, who was elected with strong Tea Party support, in an op-ed column in the Washington Post on October 23, "Why the Senate Needs to Return to Requiring Supermajorities."

We checked the Constitution, and...

The freshman Senator's comments follow in a sturdy tradition in that chamber, equating the long history of unlimited debate with a supposed design of those who wrote the Constitution to ensure the rights of the Senate's minority by assuring unlimited debate. By referring to a 222-year history, Sen. Johnson obviously was making a claim that that tradition traces back to the founding in 1789. It is true that for decades after the founding the Senate had no limits on debate. The Constitution, however, says nothing about Senate debates, leaving that entirely to the Senate's power to write its own rules, under Article I, Section 5, Clause 3. And, under those rules, the Senate has been limiting debate since 1917, when it adopted its first anti-filibuster rule. Such a rule shuts down debate, and thus is called a "cloture" rule. ...

Read the rest here.

Senate panel advances gay judicial nominee

2011-11-04T08:04:00.000-04:00

Senate panel advances gay judicial nominee; Washington Blade

A Senate committee approved unanimously by voice vote on Thursday a judicial nominee who could become the fourth openly gay person to sit on the federal bench.

Michael Walter Fitzgerald, whom President Obama nominated in July, was approved the Senate Judiciary Committee en banc as part of a group of nominees.

Fitzgerald is the fourth out federal judicial nominee chosen by the White House. Upon confirmation, he would take a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and would be the first openly gay federal judge in that state.

Read the rest here.

Senator Lieberman Grades President Obama on His Foreign Policy

2011-11-04T07:56:00.000-04:00

Senator Lieberman Grades President Obama on His Foreign Policy; Heritage Foundation

You can tell a lot about a group by who they associate with, and in this case The Heritage Foundation's chummy relationship with warmonger Joe Lieberman tells the same as both are nothing more than tools of the military defense industry.

See Lieberman's interview here and know that we will continue on the path of this endless war no matter which wing of the one party wins the next election.

Members Of Congress Grow Wealthier Despite Recession

2011-11-03T06:18:00.000-04:00

Members Of Congress Grow Wealthier Despite Recession; Huffington Post

Despite the economic recession and declining household wealth, the net wealth of members of Congress continues to rise, according to a Roll Call analysis of financial disclosure forms.

Members of the House and Senate have a collective net worth of $2.04 billion, up from $1.65 billion in 2008. The vast majority of the increase goes to the wealthiest members of Congress, who also account for most of Congress' net worth.

Members' net wealth may be much higher, however, since Roll Call only used the minimum valuation of assets in the range required by disclosure forms, and disclosure forms do not include non-income-producing assets, such as a personal residence.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) reported that his assets were worth at least $295 million. Much of his wealth comes from the money he earned in the car alarm business. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) wealth also increased from 2009 to 2010, from $21.7 million to $35.2 million. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) all had multimillion-dollar net worths in 2010.

Read the rest here.

Portman: Super committee secrecy needed

2011-11-01T08:39:00.001-04:00

Portman: Super committee secrecy needed; Gannett News.com

...The day before, there was a more telling scene, as Portman, an Ohio Republican, and the committee's 11 other members met for nearly three hours behind closed doors, emerging tight-lipped about what they had discussed.

"I'd like to tell you everything, but I'm not talking about the super committee stuff," Portman said in a brief interview after that session.

The panel has held only three public hearings -- and at least eight private ones. In addition, the Republican and Democratic members of the super committee have also held separate, undisclosed partisan huddles to talk about substance and strategy.

And while there have been a few leaks to the press here and there, the 12 lawmakers on the committee seem to have taken a sort of informal vow of secrecy, refusing to disclose even the broad outlines of their daily agenda or deliberations.

"We treat it kind of like the ethics committee," said Portman, referring to the congressional panels that handle ethics complaints against members of Congress. "It's just confidential." ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: Welcome to the new Soviet, where oligarchs elect oligarchs to administer over the ~~paroles~~ proles and your life is decided upon behind closed doors.

PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

2011-11-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America; Techdirt.com

As was unfortunately expected, the House version of PROTECT IP has been released (embedded below) and it's ridiculously bad. Despite promises from Rep. Goodlatte, there has been no serious effort to fix the problems of the Senate bill, and it's clear that absolutely no attention was paid to the significant concerns of the tech industry, legal professionals, investors and entrepreneurs. There are no two ways around this simple fact: this is an attempt to build the Great Firewall of America. The bill would require service providers to block access to certain websites, very much contrary to US official positions on censorship and internet freedom, and almost certainly in violation of the First Amendment.

Oh, and because PROTECT IP wasn't enough of a misleading and idiotic name, the House has upped the ante. The new bill is called: "the Enforcing and Protecting American Rights Against Sites Intent on Theft and Exploitation Act" or the E-PARASITE Act (though, they also say you can call it the "Stopping Online Piracy Act").

The bill is big, and has a bunch of problems. First off, it massively expands the sites that will be covered by the law. The Senate version at least tried to limit the targets of the law (but not the impact of the law) on sites that were "dedicated to infringing activities" with no other significant purposes (already ridiculously broad), the new one just targets "foreign infringing sites" and "has only limited purpose or use other than" infringement. They're also including an "inducement" claim not found elsewhere in US regulations -- and which greatly expands what is meant by inducement. The bill effectively takes what the entertainment industry wanted the Supreme Court to say in Grokster (which it did not say) and puts it into US law. In other words, any foreign site declared by the Attorney General to be "inducing" infringement, with a very broad definition of inducing, can now be censored by the US. With no adversarial hearing. Hello, Great Firewall of America.

Read the rest here.

Comment: Who's their Daddy...well it's not you, it's Hollywood. Follow the money folks. If Hollywood is going to do the bidding for the government complex they expect mafia protection. This is what this potential law is all about. It's one big organized crime ring and America thinks all the while that we live in a Democracy.

Super Committee Holds Public Session on Budget Cuts

2011-10-26T21:31:00.001-04:00

Super Committee Holds Public Session on Budget Cuts; National Journal

Just a day after a heated closed-door meeting that indicated there’s still a large gap between Democrats and Republicans on entitlement and tax reform, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction convened for its third public policy hearing on Wednesday morning.

And if the points members made during the two-hour hearing are any indication, the 12-member panel has a long way to go to reach a deal before its Nov. 23 deadline to present a package worth $1.2 trillion in deficit savings over 10 years to Congress.

The hearing was scheduled to be a discussion of discretionary spending, which makes up about 40 percent of the budget. But the members only loosely stuck to those guidelines, instead making partisan points about income distribution, defense spending and savings, tax reform, and economic uncertainty.

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf, who testified during the group’s first public policy hearing on the drivers of the debt, carefully explained budgetary concepts, warned the committee that its decisions on discretionary spending could be voided by future Congresses, and highlighted the savings already wrung from discretionary outlays. He also noted that mandatory spending “dominates” the federal budget.

The committee’s Democrats and Republicans alike agreed with him – at least in theory. But while Democrats pointed out that mandatory spending reforms would have to be paired with reduced defense spending and additional revenues, Republicans maintained that spending – not revenues – is the problem.

Read the rest here.

Comment: While there are number of discussions that could be considered in this article, the one thought I have as I read it, is that the idea of repealing the 17th gets pushed back further in to time as each day passes and no Americans challenge the unconstitutionality of the super congress.

Senators flout own immigration law on worker verification

2011-10-25T13:29:00.000-04:00

Senators flout own immigration law on worker verification; The Washington Times

Sen. John Boozman is co-sponsoring a bill that would require every employer in the country to use the E-Verify program to screen for illegal workers — but until earlier this month, the senator himself wasn’t signed up for the system, thus violating a 1996 law that makes its use mandatory for all congressional offices.

The Arkansas Republican wasn’t alone. As of the beginning of this month, seven Senate offices were not signed up to use the system, which lets employers check would-be workers’ Social Security numbers against a government database to determine whether they are in the country legally.

After inquiries by The Washington Times, all seven offices said they are now properly signed up.

“It was an oversight that is being corrected,” said Sara Lasure, a spokeswoman for Mr. Boozman. “As a supporter of E-Verify, Sen. Boozman wants to lead by example and is fully supportive of the program.”

The hiccup, though, underscores the difficulty of devising a successful system for the rest of the country at a time when there is no general agreement on how to revamp the American immigration system and how to find the most cost-effective tools to weed out illegal workers.

E-Verify, which is run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a branch of the Homeland Security Department, could fit that bill — but the sides also disagree about how to expand it.

Read the rest here.

Comment: While I am for immigration reform and finding a solution to resolve the problem with the large number of illegal aliens we have living in our country, I see right though this whole scheme. It has nothing to do with determining if the person being hired is illegal or not, but to control who works and who doesn't and when Americans wake up to this it will be too late.

McCain Raises Prospect of Surpassing Hitler's Invasion Record

2011-10-24T17:49:00.003-04:00

McCain raises prospect of military option in Syria; AFP
US Senator John McCain raised the prospect Sunday of possible armed intervention to protect civilians in Syria where a crackdown on pro-democracy protests has killed more than 3,000 people. ...
Read the rest here.

Note: Bold font used by blogger.

Feds Close Probe into Senator Robert Menendez, Report Says

2011-10-24T17:38:00.000-04:00

Feds Close Probe into Senator Robert Menendez, Report Says; Latino FOXNews (yes, FOX does pander to divisiveness.)

A federal investigation into Robert Menendez's relationship with a non-profit organization in New Jersey has come to an end – though it remains unclear if the U.S. senator has been cleared of any wrongdoing, according to a report.

The Star-Ledger of Newark said prosecutors concluded their five-year probe into Menendez's affiliation with the Hudson County non-profit agency. It reports that no charges will be brought in the matter, which became public during the Democrat's bid for his first full term in 2006.

The newspaper cited a letter sent to Menendez's lawyer by Zane David Memeger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, whose office took over the probe in 2009 when Paul Fishman was appointed U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Fishman recused himself to avoid a potential conflict of interest, because Menendez had supported him for the federal post.

"After review and consideration of the matter transferred to me, I have decided to close the file," Memeger wrote in the Oct. 5 letter, co-signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Barrett.

It indicates that Menendez's lawyer, Marc Elias, had called Memeger to seek an update on the investigation, though prosecutors typically don't respond to such requests.

The newspaper did not say how it obtained a copy of the letter, which does not explicitly say Menendez has been cleared of wrongdoing. But one expert told the newspaper that it amounts to a "de facto exoneration" because prosecutors rarely send out such letters to people being investigated.

Menendez declined comment on the conclusion of the investigation, which focused on his relationship with the North Hudson Community Action Corp., an anti-poverty group that he helped secure millions of dollar in federal funding.

Read the rest here.

Comment: Menendez is one of hundred reasons to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Most are Manufactured Senators

2011-10-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

Rubio’s compelling family story embellishes facts, documents show; The Washington Post

During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power.

But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that Rubio’s dramatic account of his family saga embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 21 / 2 years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959.

Read the rest here.

Reid signals government jobs must take priority over private-sector jobs

2011-10-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

Reid signals government jobs must take priority over private-sector jobs: The Hill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday indicated Congress needs to worry about government jobs more than private-sector jobs, and that this is why Senate Democrats are pushing a bill aimed at shoring up teachers and first-responders. ...

Read the rest here.

This headline surely indicates that Reid and the Congress have been bolstering government jobs over the private sector for quite some time:

Beltway Earnings Make U.S. Capital Richer Than Silicon Valley

S.978 Could Put Bieber in Jail

2011-10-19T17:29:00.000-04:00

S.978 Could Put Bieber in Jail: Open Congress

If there’s one bill in Congress that pits people of all political stripes against big corporations and the politicians they fund, S.978 is it. The bill would make web streaming of copyrighted content a felony with a prison sentence of up to 5 years. That means you could go to jail for posting a video to YouTube with the wrong background music, all in the name of protecting big media companies that don’t want to update their old business models for the age of peer-to-peer sharing. ...

The link to the bill:

S.978 - A bill to amend the criminal penalty provision for criminal infringement of a copyright, and for other purposes.

Comment: This bill should be opposed because it represents the continued collusion between a business sector and government using legislation to prevent competition.

The Senate has lost sight of its real purpose

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Senate has lost sight of its real purpose; LakeNewsOnline

...The 17th Amendment has allowed federal deficit spending, inappropriate federal mandates, and federal control over a number of state institutions. It has caused a fundamental breakdown in campaign financing issues with respect to the Senate. If repealed there would be no need for campaign financing. It would also re-link the states to the federal political process and in effect elevate the present status of state legislatures from that of a lobbyist to a partner in the federal political process. It would give the states direct influence over the selection of federal judges, influence over the federal judiciary and a greater ability to modify the power of the federal judiciary. It would allow for a better flow of power between the states and the federal government as the needs of the republic changes. ...

Read the whole letter here.

Comment: What I find interesting in these letters the editors, if it has a wide circulation, are the comments, and this one doesn't disappoint.The level of sheer ignorance is staggering. Getting facts across to ideologues is tough, but I am sure of one thing, this country is going broke. It might happen next year or in five, but assuredly we'll go broke. The question then is, will these ideologues turn to constitutional reform and a return to state sovereignty or to Obama, Soros and the Occupy Wall Street agenda when it happens?

Bipartisan group of senators announce agreement on “No Child Left Behind”

2011-10-19T07:40:00.000-04:00

Bipartisan group of senators announce agreement on “No Child Left Behind;” The Washington Post

I have come to understand the meaning of the word "bipartisan" when used in the context of politics, as the gang raping of the American public.

Signaling some unity in the Senate on overhauling the “No Child Left Behind” law, two senators announced Monday an agreement to move forward on bipartisan legislation to revamp it.

Soon after, however, Education Secretary Arne Duncan issued a statement noting that the bill did not include a provision the administration favors, which is a requirement that local and state districts develop teacher and principal evaluation systems. Duncan said he believes “that comprehensive evaluation system based on multiple measures, including student achievement, is essential for education reform to move forward” and “we can’t retreat from reform.”

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Mike Enzi, Wyo., the top senators from their parties on the Senate committee with jurisdiction over education, made the announcement two days before the committee will consider the sweeping bill that seeks to give more control to states on education and change some of the law’s unpopular proficiency standards. Last week, Harkin released an outline of the plan the senators had been working on behind closed doors that did include a component on teacher and principal evaluations. At the time, Enzi hadn’t yet publicly signed onto the plan.

In a statement, Harkin called the bill a “compromise that demonstrates that congressional Democrats and Republicans can overcome partisan differences.”

Comment: More Statist indoctrination pushed by the two main parties. Education in the United States has been on a downward trajectory since the US Department of Education was created. Stop taking the money and nullify this BS.

The Constitution: A Progressive Love Story

2011-10-19T07:25:00.002-04:00

The Constitution: A Love Story; The American Prospect

I hoped to find something meaningful in the article linked above, but as usual, a Progressive treatment of any type of constitutional discussion is mired in the history of the South, and of course a little narcissism. Like any literature review it's always worth reading another perspective, but you won't find depth in this one.

Sen. Rand Paul on The Kudlow Report - 10/17/11

2011-10-19T07:05:00.002-04:00

Sen. Rand Paul Questions Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner at Hearing - 10/18/11

2011-10-19T07:03:00.001-04:00

Some Media of the Day Saw the Future

2011-10-18T07:58:00.002-04:00

HT: WL

This picture is making the rounds on the internet depicting the ramifications of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, and it's clear that there were some in the media that had great foresight.

Update: For more information about this cartoon, check out U.S. money vs. corporation currency, "Aldrich plan." By Alfred Owen Crozier, where it first appeared.

Sen. Lugar, All Things to All People as He Seeks Reelection

2011-10-18T07:53:00.000-04:00

SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR, ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE AS HE SEEKS RE ELECTION; All Voices

From the last paragraph:

...It appears that our senator is trying to be all things to all people as he seeks reelection for a seventh term to become a forty two year fixture of big government. What America needs in this time of unprecedented economic crisis is a public servant that stands the line on Midwestern conservative principles, not one who will flip flop on these principles and say anything to hold onto power.

Comment: In reality Lugar isn’t all things to all people. While it might seem that way from his actions he is one thing, a panderer for votes, who is one thing to special interest, their servant. If a US Senator was representative of their state their actions would be entirely different.

McCain slams Obama over Iran Policy, Not Enough War for Him

2011-10-13T13:56:00.000-04:00

McCain slams Obama over Iran policy; CBSNews

...Sen. John McCain said Mr. Obama's decision not to jeopardize his negotiations with the Iranian government by not publicly supporting street protestors in Tehran in 2009 was a mistake.

"I think if we had supported the demonstrators at the time it could have meant a significant change in the government of Iran," McCain said on CBS' "The Early Show," adding it was "opportunity that we lost."

"We should have supported them and they could have overthrown the government then," the Arizona Republican said.

Read the rest here.

Comment: Said another way, Obama lost a great opportunity to expand the endless war.

Bob Tuskin Confronts 9/11 Inquiry co-Chair Senator Bob Graham 9/11/11

2011-10-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

Ralph Nader "The Tea Party Now Is Basically The Corporatist Wing Of The Republican Party"

2011-10-12T12:29:00.000-04:00

EU debt crisis being used to consolidate political control

2011-10-12T12:25:00.001-04:00

EU debt crisis being used to consolidate political control; Activist Post

Note: This post highlights the hidden problems within the global economy and banking structure the international elites (who are outside the scope of nation states and its laws) are using to create this very undemocratic world banking structure, and could be the very reason Das Uber Congress was create.

Ahh yes. Fear is being laid on thick as another "crisis" is being used in an attempt to consolidate political power. This time-honored tactic looks like it is now getting the final push in Europe as financial leaders and presidents alike call for a United States of Europe to avert collapse.

The message is clear coming from the establishment: form a more centrally-controlled political and economic union or you will suffer.

Unfortunately, that's not a prediction, but a promise.

It's become obvious that this has been the plan all along. "If you have a currency union, you certainly also need more elements of a political and of an economic union. That was clear from the outset when we started this project some 10, 15 years ago," said the Luxembourg finance minister Frieden.

However, many nations have not been so quick to give up their sovereignty and economic independence. Therefore, a good crisis is needed, followed by a coordinated chorus of experts to sway public opinion and policy.

Earlier this month former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, set the stage for solution by calling for a United States of Europe. "The current crisis makes it relentlessly clear that we cannot have a common currency zone without a common fiscal, economic and social policy." He added: "We will have to give up national sovereignty. From the European Commission, we should make a government which would be supervised by the European Parliament. And that means the United States of Europe."

New IMF chief, Christine Lagarde, warned that developed economies have entered a "dangerous new phase" because of a "vicious cycle" of weak economic growth and feeble political leadership. Singing the same tune, Lagarde recommends a collective solution; "Without collective, bold, action, there is a real risk that the major economies slip back instead of moving forward." Incidentally, debt was not mentioned as part of the problem.

George Soros recently claimed that a European treasury is needed to avoid a depression. Soros warned, "Even if a catastrophe can be avoided, one thing is certain: the pressure to reduce deficits will push the euro zone into prolonged recession. This will have incalculable political consequences." Leaving no room for discussion, Soros states, "There is no alternative but to give birth to the missing ingredient: a European treasury with the power to tax and therefore to borrow."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner has not publicly endorsed a policy, but he's demanding more "forceful action." Geithner is also echoing calls for more unity; "What's very damaging is not just seeing the divisiveness in the debate over strategy in Europe but the ongoing conflict between countries and the [European] Central Bank." In other words, individual nations and the European Central Bank must unite the policies. ...

Read the rest here and see all of the links.

Comment: The US Senate is the lynch pin in any global aspiration because all treaties are approved there.

Rockefeller to Meddle in High Speed Internet; Prepare for Bad Outcome

2011-10-11T15:04:00.002-04:00

US Senate Hearing to Focus on High-Speed Internet; WBOY

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will convene a hearing Oct. 12 to look at the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund, which offsets the costs of bringing phone networks to rural areas.

The hearing will provide a forum to discuss efforts to reform the high cost of USF. The programs supports basic phone service, and the FCC wants to redirect the program’s money toward building new high-speed and wireless Internet networks across the country.

“Industry and government have worked together over many years to help provide phone service in rural areas of the country so that Americans and West Virginians and other rural states can get access to phone service at an affordable price,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. “But it’s time to bring this program into the digital age and refocus it toward bringing high-speed and wireless services to people across the country. We have a real opportunity to close the digital divide in rural America if we get this right.”

In addition to USF, Rockefeller has also worked to develop the $4.7 billion Broadband Technology Opportunities Program in the Recovery Act, which is designed to improve high-speed Internet access in unserved and underserved areas, expand public computer center capacity and encourage the adoption of high-speed Internet service. Nearly $180 million in federal funding for high-speed Internet services has been awarded to West Virginia.

Comment: We are going to spend taxpayers money to do what private industry should be doing? It's no wonder we are in the middle of depression and being run to the ground by crony capitalists.The senators have their head so far up their collective asses it's amazing.

Is Warren Funded by Soros?

2011-10-11T14:59:00.001-04:00

Warren draws $3 million in first weeks of Senate bid; Reuters

I by-passed to the end of the article to this quote:

...Progressive groups, including MoveOn.org, have thrown fund-raising muscle behind Warren, a consumer advocate and Wall Street critic.

Warren created the Obama administration's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and led a panel created by Congress to examine how bank bailout money was being spent.

Comment: She didn't create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it was mandated in Dodd-Frank and if she examined where the banker bailout money went, she didn't tell the American public.

Also we know today that MoveOn is trying to co-opt the leftist groups protesting the Federal Reserve, which is funded by George Soros; so can we assume she is funded by George Soros?

Former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan Joins "Climate" Insurance Company

2011-10-11T14:51:00.000-04:00

From the bizarre land of Al Gore:

WeatherBill Changes Company Name to The Climate Corporation; Appoints Former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan to Board of Directors
The Climate Corporation's Mission Is To Help World's People and Businesses Adapt To Climate Change

The Climate Corporation combines Big Data, climatology and agronomics to protect the $3 trillion global agriculture industry with automated full-season weather insurance. As part of its effort to help farmers adapt to the increasingly unpredictable weather that threatens their livelihood, the company today also announced the appointment of former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan to the company's Board of Directors.

"We are honored to have someone of Senator Dorgan's character, experience, and passion helping us meet the needs of today's farmer," according to David Friedberg, Chief Executive Officer of The Climate Corporation. "As we deepen our agricultural focus, we now have a company name and identity that better reflects our constituents, as well as the counsel of a distinguished public servant who has worked throughout his professional life to help the American farmer."

Byron Dorgan joins The Climate Corporation Board of Directors following a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. As a U.S. Senator representing the State of North Dakota -- a rural state with a thriving agriculture industry -- Senator Dorgan was a strong advocate for family farmers. He served on the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House and on the Agriculture Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Mr. Dorgan is currently a Senior Policy Advisor at the Washington, DC law firm Arent Fox LLP, a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and a Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. ...

Who Elected the G20?

2011-10-10T08:31:00.000-04:00

Legitimacy vs Effectiveness for the G20: A Dynamic Approach to Global Economic Governance; Paola Subacchi and Stephen Pickford; Chatham House

(Note: Chatham House, or the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is the British cousin of the US based Counsel on Foreign Relations, which together, promotes the elimination of the nation state and the development of a global government.)

Highlights from the paper:

The emergence of new economic powers in an increasingly integrated world economy has highlighted the need for better management of international interdependencies and reform of global economic governance.

Since 2008 the G20 has emerged as a key multilateral forum on the basis of its perceived effectiveness as a 'crisis committee' managing the global economic and financial turmoil. It is now turning into the world’s 'permanent steering committee' with a broader agenda including global imbalances, climate change, trade and development.

In the process, the G20's lack of legitimacy and representativeness has become more apparent. Improving its governance is necessary over the long term, but simply expanding its membership could undermine its effectiveness.

Developing the G20's outreach to a broader range of countries and building a permanent secretariat could make it more representative but this will take time and be very contentious.

In the short run, the G20 can increase its legitimacy through greater transparency and accountability, by establishing an independent audit mechanism for commitments, and leading governance reform of the international financial institutions.

Comment: Assuredly, the increase of G20 power will come at the expense of the US Constitution and the gateway for this shift is in the US Senate. This is why it is so important for US Citizens to elect people that are constitutionalists above anything else.

Durbin is a Complete Idiot

2011-10-05T20:25:00.003-04:00

You can watch the video for yourself and make your own call on Durbin, but my opinion is that he demonstrates he's a complete idiot, and I would say the same for the whole of Congress. It was Congress and their fascist regulations that got us into this mess, and who keep plunging us deeper into the hole, and created this whole banking mess. Unfortunately too many Americans think Durbin and Obama and Congress are right.

Comment: Sure there is lots of blame to pass around especially the fact that the Federal Government is bed with the banking industry, but the single biggest problem is that Congress abdicates its Constitutional duty to be in bed with the crook bankers. Hey at the end of the day the crony banks like Bank of America are going to pass on the cost of regulation on to us, and lay us off, but we need to remember, this is all caused by Congress. So are you ready to repeal the 17th yet?

Incredible Speech By Wall Street Protester "End The Fed" 2011

2011-10-05T13:50:00.002-04:00

This guys nails it!!!

Uber National Infrastructure Bank

2011-10-04T09:45:00.003-04:00

I was looking at the list of demands that appear on the Occupy Wall Street website this morning and my first impression was that this is strangely similar in content to much of the fascist agenda the government class has been advancing in Washington for the last decade, and has been the platform of the Bush/Obama Administrations, not to mention subtly reaching back to Bush the Elder.

However, as I was reading through the site "demand number six" jumped out at me. Earlier in the year there was a small post in the New York Times that was related to the same, where a "bipartisan" group in the US Senate proposed a "National Infrastructure Bank."

Amid growing concerns that the nation’s infrastructure is deteriorating, a group of Democrats, Republicans, and labor and business leaders called Tuesday for the creation of a national infrastructure bank to help finance the construction of things like roads, bridges, water systems and power grids.

The proposal — sponsored by Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas — would establish an independent bank to provide loans and loan guarantees for projects of regional or national significance. The idea is to attract more infrastructure investment from the private sector: by creating an infrastructure bank with $10 billion now, they say, they could spur up to $640 billion worth of infrastructure spending over the next decade.

Things are not as they appear to be, and we know things or events don't happen in a vacuum.

Comment: Today, we have the making of a massive coup d'état with the creation of Das Uber Congress. Likewise we can say that its foundation was laid out in the years following 1910 and the secretive meeting that occurred on Jekyll Island. On the surface this protest looks like a grassroots movement, but a closer examination exposes it as manufactured ACORN or Soros organization. We know Progressives were used as the useful idiots by the corporatist bankers, media, and two main political parties that pushed the 16th and 17th Amendments and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 through, so why not today for say a national infrastructure bank? It did happen in 1913 after all.

Update: From the CFR:

Infrastructure Investment and U.S. Competitiveness

Most experts agree the United States must address the nation's aging network of roads, bridges, airports, railways, power grids, water systems, and other public works to maintain its global economic competitiveness. In 2010, President Barack Obama proposed a national infrastructure bank (PDF) that would leverage public and private capital to fund improvements, and in April 2011 a bipartisan coalition of senators put forward a similar concept (NYT).

Four experts discuss how the United States can best move forward on infrastructure development. Robert Puentes of the Brookings Institution suggests focusing on increasing exports, low-carbon technology, innovation, and opportunity. Renowned financier Felix Rohatyn endorses the concept of a federally owned but independently operated national infrastructure bank that would provide a "guidance-system" for federal dollars. Infrastructure policy authority Richard Little argues that adequate revenue streams are the "first step in addressing this problem," stressing "revenue-based models" as essential. Deputy Mayor of New York City Stephen Goldsmith says that the "most promising ideas" in this policy area involve public-private partnerships.

Comment 2: As I said, things don't happen in a vacuum.

The Senate Insider Who Introduced the Federal Reserve Act

2011-10-03T08:10:00.003-04:00

...and the 16th Amendment.

Nelson W. Aldrich; Wikipedia

Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich (November 6, 1841 – April 16, 1915) was a prominent American politician and a leader of the Republican Party in the Senate, where he served from 1881 to 1911.
Because of his impact on national politics and central position on the pivotal Senate Finance Committee, he was referred to by the press and public alike as the "General Manager of the Nation", dominating all tariff and monetary policies in the first decade of the 20th century. In a career that spanned three decades, Aldrich helped to create an extensive system of tariffs that protected American factories and farms from foreign competition, while driving the price of consumer goods artificially high—which hurt many workers and farmers. He was a party to the re-structuring of the American financial system through the institution of the federal income tax amendment, which he originally opposed, and the Federal Reserve System. He stated that he believed these reforms would lead to greater efficiency. Aldrich became wealthy with investments in street railroads, sugar, rubber and banking. His son Richard Steere Aldrich became a U.S. Representative, and his daughter, Abby, married John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the only son of John D. Rockefeller. Her son and his grandson Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, served as Vice President of the United States under Gerald Ford.

Read the rest here.

Comment: While the roots of Socialism in this country are deeply connected to the Democrat Party, the fascist roots are as equally connected to the Republicans Party. When one considers that the lines between Socialism and Fascism are hair thin, you begin to see why it's really one party, one agenda, one end state.

Das Uber Congress (aka Super Congress or the Joint Select Committee) is nothing new in our history. As we can see through the life of Senator Aldrich and others, the powerful circumventing the citizens' will and the US Constitution is nothing new, only that in 1910 and 1913 they did it in secret while today they act right before our eyes.

Our Monetary Mayhem Began With the Fed

2011-10-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

Our Monetary Mayhem Began With the Fed; The New American

Nearly all Americans know they are plagued by inflation. In 1962, a postage stamp cost four cents, a candy bar a nickel, a movie ticket 50 cents, and a pair of tennis shoes $5. A new imported Renault automobile cost $1,395, annual tuition at Harvard was $1,520, and the average cost of a new house $12,500. Over the last century, a dollar's purchasing power has declined over 95 percent — i.e., it won't buy what a nickel did in 1909. What causes inflation? The public hears various explanations from the establishment media — that oil's rising cost causes inflation, since nearly all industry sectors use it; or that inflation is the fault of American workers demanding wage increases, which has a ripple effect throughout the economy. In other words, Joe tells his employer, "Boss, my wife's expecting. How about a raise?" The boss says, "Joe, the only way I can afford that is by raising our prices — I'll have to pass the cost on to our customers." Then firms doing business with Joe's company say, "Since you've raised your prices, we'll have to raise ours." And so, all across America, prices rise because "greedy" Joe, and millions like him, asked for a raise.

Furthermore, the public has been lulled into believing that inflation is inevitable, like "death and taxes." Indeed, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the broad index used to measure the price of goods and services, that seems true. America has experienced general price increases every year since 1955, without exception.

But as we can easily prove, inflation is not inevitable. Figure 1 depicts American price levels from 1665 to the present. Note there was no significant increase for the first 250 years. Little blips upward are on the graph, as during the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War, when the United States issued large quantities of paper money to pay for those conflicts. Of course, increasing the supply of money (which is what inflation really is) diminishes its value, causing prices to rise. But notice that, after the wars, money always returned to its normal value. A dollar in 1900 was worth the same as in 1775; there had been no net increase in the cost of living since George Washington's day. Throughout this time, Americans asked for, and received, wage increases, without causing prices to rise overall.

But look at the graph's right side. During World War I, our currency inflated, but instead of resuming its normal value afterwards, it continued inflating out of sight. American money, relatively stable for 250 years, began to rapidly and permanently lose its value. This did not happen by chance; every effect has a cause. Around the time of World War I, something significant must have happened to induce this transformation. As we shall see, the cause of this transformation has nothing to do with Joe and others who, suffering from the effects of inflation, asked for a raise.

Read the rest here.

Too Much of a Good Thing.

2011-09-29T14:47:00.007-04:00

"THE PROBLEM WITH such commissions is that, like automatic stabilizers and backstop rules, they reduce the power of elected officials and therefore make our government somewhat less accountable to voters. Larry Diamond of the Hoover Institution at Stanford puts it this way: “There is something undemocratic about entrusting the formation of big policy decisions to expert commissions.” And yet he also goes on to note that “the process is not less democratic than having nine unelected justices with lifetime tenure and no political accountability to anyone but themselves decide such basic questions as when a woman can have an abortion and where a child can go to school.” He concludes that, despite the risks, rising polarization justifies the increased use of these types of commissions.

As the debt-limit experience vividly illustrated, by polarizing ourselves, we are making our country more ungovernable—and no one has come up with a practical proposal to deal with the consequences. I wish it were not necessary to devise processes to circumvent legislative gridlock, but polarization isn’t going away. John Adams may have been exaggerating when he pessimistically noted that democracies tend to commit suicide, yet, as we are seeing, certain aspects of representative government can end up posing serious problems. And so, we might be a healthier democracy if we were a slightly less democratic one."

Comment: Mr Orszag's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink "remedies" aside, the sentiment buried in here is fascinating. Are we beginning to see modern Progressive thinking officially break with its founding tenants and demand a de facto mulligan to our experiments into "democracy" circa 1913? And if so, why can't the 17th Amendment's repeal be a serious subject for discussion in this sea-change?

Wall Street Donated $41 Million to Supercommittee Members

2011-09-29T12:35:00.001-04:00

Wall Street Donated $41 Million to Supercommittee Members; Truthout

Wall Street has given $41 million in campaign contributions to the members of the Congressional "supercommittee" charged with finding $1.5 trillion worth of deficit reduction measures, according to a report released today by two watchdog groups.

The finance, insurance and real estate sector spent $3.7 billion on lobbying and campaign contributions from 1999 to 2008, according to the report, and the 12 members of the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction have all reaped the benefits. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: ...and if we couldn't see this coming too.

And If We Couldn't See This Coming; Supercommittee Meeting Secretly

2011-09-28T18:09:00.000-04:00

Supercommittee Meeting Secretly: Open Congress

The “public access and transparency” rules that the deficit supercommittee adopted when they first convened contain a major loophole. If they want to block the media and the public out of their meetings, all they have to do is vote to do so and they can operate in total secrecy. Not surprisingly, invoking that loophole seems to have become their standard operating procedure.

Read the rest here.

Podcast: Duffy on the Reaction to Super Congress and SB 1564 Pt.2

2011-09-27T11:11:00.001-04:00

Host Brian Duffy concluded the discussion concerning the media reaction to the new congressional "Joint Select Committee" (aka the Super Congress); and the newly submitted homeland security bill by Senator Lieberman, S.1546 - Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2011.

The podcast.

Listen to internet radio with repealtheseventeenth on Blog Talk Radio

Podcast: Duffy on the Reaction to Super Congress and SB 1564 Pt.1

2011-09-26T12:10:00.002-04:00

Host Brian Duffy discussed the media reaction to the new congressional "Joint Select Committee" (aka the Super Congress); and the newly submitted homeland security bill by Senator Lieberman, S.1546 - Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2011.

Note: I wasn't able to get in the entire discussion within the allotted time so I will pick up tomorrow with the remaining points and make the concluding remarks.

The podcast.

Listen to internet radio with repealtheseventeenth on Blog Talk Radio

Readings and Links related to this podcast:

The Super Congress

Ron Paul: Unconstitutional “Super Congress” Is Part of a Dangerous Trend; Ron Paul.com
Is the new "Super Congress" Constitutional? The New American
Super Congress Super Unconstitutional; The Daily Kos
Congress to decide whether Super Congress could impose gun control; Gun Owners of America
A summary of the debt ceiling compromise; CBSNews
Hennessey on the Debt Ceiling and the Budget Process; EconTalk

US Senate Bill. 1546

Lieberman Lays Ground Work to Deem Any Group or Individual Violent Extremists; Repeal the 17th Amendment Weblog
Duffy on the Super Congress and the Imbecilic Senate; Repeal the 17th Amendment Radio
S.1546 - Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2011
Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States; The White House
Advancing Our Interests: Actions in Support of the President's National Security Strategy; The White House
Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986; Wikipedia
Obama redefines national security strategy, looks beyond military might; The Washington Post
Bush Shifts Strategy From Deterrence to Dominance; The Washington Post
40 Terror Plots Foiled Since 9/11: Combating Complacency in the Long War on Terror; Heritage Foundation

A Brief Enquiry into the True Nature and Character of our Federal Government

2011-09-26T10:06:00.000-04:00

Abel Parker Upshur

A Brief Enquiry into the True Nature and Character of ourFederal Government: Being a Review of Judge Story’s Commentaries on theConstitution of the United States; By Abel P. Upshur, 1886

PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR.

The book to which the following pages relate has been for several years before the public. It has been reviewed by some of the principal periodicals of the country, and recommended in the strongest terms to public favor. I have no disposition to detract from its merits as a valuable compendium of historical facts, or as presenting just views of the Constitution in many respects. My attention has been directed to its political principles alone, and my sole purpose has been to inquire into the correctness of those principles, so far as they relate to the true nature and character of our Federal Government,

It may well excite surprise, that so elaborate a work as this of Judge Story, and one so well calculated to influence public opinion, should have remained so long unnoticed by those who do not concur in the author's views. No one can regret this circumstance, more than I do; for I would willingly have devolved upon abler hands the task which I now have undertaken. I offer no apology for the manner in which that task has been performed. It is enough for me to say, that the reader, howsoever favorable his opinion of this essay may be will not be more sensible of its imperfections than I am. I know that the actual practice of the Federal Government for many years past, and the strong tendencies of public opinion in favor of federal power, forbid me to hope for a favorable reception, except from the very few who still cherish the principles which I have endeavored to reestablish.

The following essay was prepared about three years ago, with a view to its publication in one of our periodical reviews. Circumstances, which it is unnecessary to mention, prevented this from being done, and the work was laid aside and forgotten. My attention has been again called to it within a few weeks past, and I am now induced to give it to the public, under the hope that it may not be without its influence in directing the attention of those, who have not yet lost all interest in the subject, to the true principles of our constitution of government.

I do not claim the merit of originality. My conclusions are drawn from the authentic information of history, and from a train of reasoning, which will occur to every mind, on the facts which history discloses. My object will be answered, if even the few by whom these pages will probably be read shall be induced to re-examine, with a sincere desire after truth, the great principles upon which political parties in our country were once divided, but which there is much reason to fear are no longer respected, even if they be not wholly forgotten.

I do not offer this essay as a commentary on the Federal Constitution. Having proposed to myself but a single object, I have endeavored to compress my matter within as small a compass as possible, consistent with a due regard to clearness, and a proper reference to authorities, where authorities are relied on.

How Obama Won His US Senate Office

2011-09-22T09:16:00.000-04:00

How Obama Won His US Senate Office; by Robert Wenzel; Economic Policy Journal

At Political Theatre, Lew Rockwell mentions my comment to him about Tim Geithner's father funding President Obama's mother. The facts are there and it should be broadly understood, but what also should be understood is that it appears Obama had his political career cleared for him right from the start. ...

Read the whole article here.

US Senate defeats expanding Obama trade powers

2011-09-22T09:09:00.000-04:00

US Senate defeats expanding Obama trade powers; AFP

The US Senate on Tuesday rejected a Republican push to expand President Barack Obama's powers to negotiate trade deals, amid a broader fight over accords with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.

With those three deals edging towards approval in the divided US Congress, lawmakers beat back Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's drive to give Obama "Trade Promotion Authority" (TPA) in a mostly party-line 45-55 vote.

"Without TPA, the US will likely never agree to another deal again. The unions will make sure of it," charged McConnell. "We can't miss more opportunities to compete in foreign markets with US-made products."

TPA, formerly known as "fast-track," enabled the US president to negotiate a trade deal then submit it for approval by the US Congress in a straight up-or-down vote with no amendments before it lapsed in 2007.

McConnell, who has said Republicans' top goal is defeating Obama in the November 2012 election, tied his initiative to stubbornly high US unemployment of over nine percent -- which threatens the president's bid for a new term.

"With 14 million Americans out of work and thousands of Americans looking for opportunities to sell American-made goods around the world, we can't afford to wait," said the Republican leader.

Obama has not sought TPA, and has held off submitting free trade pacts with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea until the congress approves Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) -- aid for workers displaced by overseas competition. ...

Read the rest here.

Lieberman Lays Ground Work to Deem Any Group or Individual Violent Extremists

2011-09-21T21:41:00.004-04:00

S.1546 - Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2011; Sen Joseph Lieberman (CT-I)

Here's the little gem found inside S.1546:

SEC. 213. COUNTERING HOMEGROWN TERRORISM.

(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:

(1) The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (commonly know as, and in this section referred to as, the ‘9/11 Commission Report’) states that ‘our strategy must match our means to two ends: dismantling the al Qaeda network and prevailing in the longer term over the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism.’.

(2) The President released a document in August 2011, entitled ‘Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States’, which set forth a framework for countering violent extremism in the United States.

(b) Designation of Official- Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall designate an official of the Department to coordinate efforts to counter violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission Report.

(c) Notice- Not later than 15 days after the date on which the Secretary designates an official under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a written notification of the designation.

(d) Report- Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary designates an official under subsection (b), official designated shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a report detailing--

(1) the strategy and activities of the Department to counter violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission Report;

(2) which offices of the Department have significant responsibilities for countering violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission Report;

(3) the number of employees of the Department employees whose time is fully or partially dedicated and the amount of funding dedicated by the Department to countering violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission Report;

(4) the type of Department-sponsored activities and training for States and local governments, including products and activities associated with State and major urban area fusion centers, for countering violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission Report;

(5) the metrics used to measure the effectiveness of programs or activities of the Department or sponsored by the Department aimed to counter violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission Report; and

(6) the work of the Department to ensure that its activities to counter violent extremism in the United States, particularly the ideology that gives rise to Islamist terrorism as identified in the 9/11 Commission report, are in compliance with civil rights and civil liberties under applicable law.

Comment: While they use their old straw man straight out of the godawful 9/11 Commission Report, the Mooselum, the clause will give DHS the unfettered ability to deem any group or individual a violent extremist. This where Orwell and 1984 meet 2011.

Modern History of Supplanted Socialism

2011-09-20T12:11:00.002-04:00

Senate Saves the James Webb Space Telescope!

2011-09-16T08:52:00.001-04:00

Senate Saves the James Webb Space Telescope! Universe Today

Don't worry boys and girls, the Senate saved the $12 billion super duper JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE, wow we wow wow! Can you say MORE DEBT?

U.S. Constitution is the only thing standing between freedom, tyranny

2011-09-16T08:44:00.001-04:00

U.S. Constitution is the only thing standing between freedom, tyranny; by Ed Riffle; San Jose Mercury News

From a local letter to the editor:

If the United States of America had stayed with the original intent of our founding documents, what would our country look like today? My guess is that we would look quite different than we do. We have strayed a long way from the republic envisioned by our founders and have ignored their warnings about a federal government powerful enough to restrict the freedom its citizens or more correctly, the citizens of each of its states. Which brings me to the biggest of the differences between what we have today and what our founders intended; our founders saw the individual states as having the governments that would interact with the citizens, not the federal government.

If we had stayed with our founders' vision, each state would be almost like a country unto itself, with its own citizens and its own laws that governed those citizens. A typical citizen of any state might never in his or her lifetime have any interaction with the federal government save one ... to post a letter. The post office was the one federal entity authorized by the Constitution with which most Americans might interact.

Instead of states looking to the federal government for bailouts, the federal government would always be looking to the states for funding. You see, the founders did not envision a federal income tax. That came with the 16th Amendment. The founders believed that the legitimate purposes of the federal government would be handled by Congress' then-limited ability to levy taxes and, when
Advertisement
the need arose due to war, the federal government had go to each of the states for help.

Each state government would be important to the average citizen since it would be each of the states' legislatures deciding on what activities would be illegal. Under the original intent of the Constitution, there would be no federal standards for vehicle fuel economy and no banning of incandescent light bulbs or national standards on toilets or food labeling or sleeping accommodations for professional goat herders (yes, there are federal regulations on that). All of those issues would be decided by each of the individual states ... or by we the people. Sometimes we forget that our founders believed in individual responsibility.

Because of their limited ability to levy taxes, the federal government would be relatively poor in relationship to the states and would have to justify to the states' legislatures any foreign involvements that cost a lot of money ... like wars and foreign aid.

Congresspersons and presidents would not be arrogant as they would be answerable to the states' legislatures as well as ultimately to the people. The state legislatures' power, however, was eliminated with the passage of the 17th Amendment. Incidentally, the 18th Amendment prohibited the sale of liquor so it seems that we passed three bad amendments (16, 17 and 18) in a row and only had the good sense to repeal one of them.

The U.S. Constitution may be the most important document ever created by man. It is worth reading as it is the only thing standing between the freedom we love and the tyranny that most of the world experiences. Constitution Day is Sept. 17. Our Constitution is available online, as a smart phone app and in a pocket sized pamphlet from a variety of sources.

Das Uber Congress Meets in First Secret Meeting

2011-09-16T08:27:00.000-04:00

Super Committee Announces Next Public Meeting; Roll Call

...The announcement from Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) came on a day when the panel held its first full private, closed-door session. In an early morning breakfast, the bipartisan, bicameral group of 12 lawmakers got to know each other over eggs and discussed the basics of their task: to find $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion in savings over the next 10 years, and do it by Thanksgiving.

Comment: No matter how they spin it, it's still unconstitutional and an egregious slap in the face of every American.

Things Are Going to Get Much Worse, Society Is Breaking Down

2011-09-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

Investigate 9/11 link in Sarasota, Fla. lawmaker says

2011-09-15T08:59:00.000-04:00

Investigate 9/11 link in Sarasota, Fla. lawmaker says; The Miami Herald

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, the Florida Democrat who chaired the congressional Joint Inquiry into the deadly hijackings, said he was never told about the case, while the FBI, in a statement released Friday, said the agency did indeed tell Congress and the 911 Commission.

“With respect to recent reports about the Sarasota area, there is no new information related to the 9/11 hijackers,’’ said the FBI, adding the case was found not to be related to the 9/11 events. “All of the documentation pertaining to the 9/11 investigation was made available to the 9/11 Commission and the [joint inquiry].”

But Graham says questions still abound over the bizarre events that occurred at the three-bedroom home owned by Saudi financier Esam Ghazzawi, whose daughter and son-in-law and two young children resided there.

Graham disputed the FBI’s statement that the agency informed the Congress, saying it was “BS” that he and congressional investigators were told about the Sarasota events.

Read the full article here.

S.1000 - Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011

2011-09-15T08:52:00.001-04:00

S.1000 - Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011; Senator Jeanne Shaheen D-NH

Co-Sponsers: Sen. Chris Coons [D, DE]; Sen. Mary Landrieu [D, LA]; Sen. Robert Portman [R, OH]

Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011: A bill to promote energy savings in residential and commercial buildings and industry, and for other purposes.

Comment: S.1000 – Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011 or the “energy savings plan” is a marvel of Byzantine bureaucracy; 280 pages of more regulations and spending. This bill should be squarely rejected.

Hasn’t congress screwed up enough of the economy through their meddling in miniscule matters, which should be left to the citizen to decide what they’ll purchase (low flush toilets come to mind). Do we really need more regulations about hairdriers, dishwashers, home construction, HVAC, etc? Do we need more studies conducted by the legions of bureaucrats that make six figure salaries in DC while 90 percent of America struggles? Absolutely not.

Why are we focused on saving energy when we should be focused on energy production. Congress is spending all this time making sure we squeeze a nano-watt of electricity out of a refrigerator yet we are building too few if any new power plants to replace the aged and inefficient ones we have today. Yet around the world developing nations like China and India are building new ones every day. Isn't this backwards?

Why is Congress walking in lock step with the EPA and preventing more coal exploration and the building of coal burning plants, yet helped the Obama Administration funnel billions into the scam "green" company Solyndra?

Folks, this isn't going to provide a savings for anyone; all it will do is drive the cost of new home construction and appliances up, while ignoring the real need, energy production. Write your congress-critter today and tell them to vote no on this industrial strangulation act.

The Tea Party's Cut Cap and Balance Corundum

2011-09-14T02:01:00.003-04:00

My problem is with the initiative known as “Cut, Cap and Balance.” As a sentiment and driving virtue, I can respect it. But the mechanics, the insistence of capping it off with a constitutional amendment, strikes me as where the Tea Party formally becomes lost in its birthing pangs militancy. To a movement that counts constitutional fidelity as a paramount virtue, advancing the ideal of reining in government in such a way has to be considered far more thoughtfully than what it has been thus far.

Comment: A practical continuation of exploring the double-edged sword of Constitutional amendments as policy, agenda and eventual institution.

Editorial: Kyl Should Rethink Supercommittee Threat

2011-09-13T08:59:00.001-04:00

Kyl Should Rethink Supercommittee Threat; The Atlantic

You can read the rest of this editorial, which implicitly endorses DAS UBER CONGRESS, yet reading between the lines it becomes clear that DAS UBER CONGRESS is as much of pawn for the banking sector as it is for the military defense complex, and in fact it may be the real reason Boehner, McConnell, Obama, Reid and Harkins (along with other unseen conspirators) crafted this very unconstitutional act.

Senator Jon Kyl made news this week by telegraphing in advance the tantrums he would throw -- including resignation from his responsibilities as a member of the so-called "supercommittee" - if the Congressional group pushes for more defense cuts.

It's unclear whether Kyl will tolerate the $350 billion in cuts slated for the next ten years already called for by President Obama -- or whether he is talking about cuts above this amount.

Read the rest here.

Comment: The US Senate was created to provide a tremendous "check and balance" to thwart the domination of a majority, the House, Executive and Judicial Branch, and special interest. With the enactment of the 17th Amendment we can clearly see how the majority has been used to enlarge the power and scope of Executive Branch and special interest. Now with DAS UBER CONGRESS's foundation being laid firmly, and without even the slightest peep of denouncement from the remnants of our media or the American public, the conditions are being laid for a fascist government. Actually, the truth is since World War II we have moved steadily toward this state and DAS UBER CONGRESS is only part of the continued advancement, albeit a major one.

Kucinich "Protections People Use To Have Through The Legal Process Don't Exist Under Patriot Act"

2011-09-12T09:07:00.000-04:00

Is there one senator saying this?

Senate Approves $500 Billion Increase in Borrowing Authority

2011-09-10T14:17:00.001-04:00

Senate Approves $500 Billion Increase in Borrowing Authority; WSJ; Washington Wire

The U.S. Senate, in an unusual procedure, cleared the way Thursday for the U.S. to lift its borrowing authority by $500 billion to $15.19 trillion, enough to keep the support federal government borrowing through late January or early February.

The action came under an unusual legislative procedure spelled out under the August agreement to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and avoid a U.S. credit default. In a 52-45 vote, the Senate blocked an attempt by Republicans to slow down the process that will result in the $500 billion debt-ceiling increase.

The increase stems from a deal between Congress and the White House, finalized last month, that spells out how the borrowing limit would be increased by $500 billion. Under the process, lawmakers in both the House and Senate must vote on a resolution of disapproval against the increase in the borrowing limit. President Barack Obama would then have to veto the resolution of disapproval, and Congress would then vote to try and override that veto.

The complicated procedure, designed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), would allow an increase of the borrowing limit while allowing most Republicans to vote against such an increase.

There was a twist in this scenario Thursday evening, however. Democrats held firm, rejecting the resolution of disapproval, thereby speeding the process and increasing the borrowing limit immediately.

Only Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) broke from his party to vote with the Republicans in trying to move forward with the measure.

The next increase in the borrowing limit, likely in the first quarter of next year, will be dependent on the ability of a panel of 12 lawmakers to reach a deal that cuts at least $1.2 trillion from federal budget deficits over the next decade.

Note: see the summary here.

Senator Demands Answers On Government Anthrax Investigation Mystery

2011-09-08T11:53:00.000-04:00

Senator Demands Answers On Government Anthrax Investigation Mystery; Infowars.com

A ranking Republican Senator has written to the Justice Department demanding to know why it quickly retracted court papers that called into serious question a key pillar of the criminal case against Bruce Ivins, the FBI’s prime suspect in the 2001 anthrax mail attacks.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, who has long questioned the legitimacy of the FBI’s findings in the case, wrote Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller this week, regarding a filing by Justice Department civil lawyers in July that noted that the Army’s biodefense center at Fort Detrick, Md., “did not have the specialized equipment in a containment laboratory that would be required to prepare the dried spore preparations that were used in the letters.”

In other words, the filing noted that Ivins’ lab, often referred to as the “hot suite”, did not contain the equipment needed to turn liquid anthrax into the refined powder that ended up being mailed to members of the Senate and reporters in the fall of 2001.

Ivins, who was found dead in 2008 from an apparent suicide at the same time the government was about to indict him, was identified by the FBI’s “Amerithrax Task Force” as the lone perpetrator of the attacks that killed five people and infected 17 others in the weeks immediately following 9/11.

The FBI based it’s entire case against Ivins on the fact that the microbiologist had access to the necessary equipment in the government lab at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases where he worked.

Read the rest here.

Comment: This event is one of the many "mysteries" surrounding 9/11 and as with most of 9/11 remains shrouded. I'm not always a fan of Sen Grassley, but I do applaud his efforts to get to the bottom of a very serious issue.

The Trouble With Harry.

2011-09-06T13:06:00.003-04:00

It is no leap in logic that the House has always been inherently the most democratic aspect of any of the three branches of federal government. Its modest length of term, number of members based on a formula of districts structured on population, and the simple fact that it is the only body or office that was decided by direct election from its very conception make this indisputable. So, political sensibilities and attempts to dismiss it as hyperbolic posturing aside, what are we really saying with our indictment that the House’s makeup and attitudes contribute to our problems?

Comment: This is an op-ed piece simply asking how democracy can be an answer to the belief of a "broken system" if it is practiced in an unprincipled, unquestioned fashion.

PAUL: EPA regulations violate constitutional rights

2011-09-02T09:20:00.000-04:00

PAUL: EPA regulations violate constitutional rights: The Washington Times

Since its creation in 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency has done more harm than good. EPA regulations cost more than 5 percent of our annual gross domestic product - the equivalent of the costs of defense and homeland security combined. Since EPA regulations have expanded, unemployment in America has increased by 33 percent. This abuse of power by the implementation of regulations infringes upon our basic constitutional rights.

There have been too frequent reports of individual rights being violated by abusive and power-hungry EPA bureaucrats. These regulations have hampered landowners’ ability to manage their private property as they please and have impaired job creation. Americans are suffering from the overreach of regulatory agencies such as the EPA.

In Pennsylvania, take the story of John Pozsgai, an immigrant from Hungary, who worked as a mechanic and eventually saved enough money to purchase the land bordering his home in Morrisville, Pa. This land was an old auto junkyard, and Mr. Pozsgai, taking pride in his home, proceeded to clean up this landfill by removing 7,000 old tires and rusted-out automobiles. However, the EPA did not view this effort as a clean-up but rather a violation of the Clean Water Act. You see, Mr. Pozsgai’s property was a wetland, ambiguously defined by the EPA as any property that has some sort of connection to a wetland. That connection to a wetland was a small drainage ditch located on the edge of his property. ...

Read the rest and see the embedded URLs here.

Obama Picks Krueger as Economic Council Chairman

2011-08-31T08:01:00.001-04:00

Obama Picks Krueger as Economic Council Chairman; The New American

President Obama has nominated Princeton University’s Alan Krueger (left) for Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), and if approved by the Senate, Krueger, a labor economist and the Treasury Department’s former chief economist, will replace Austan Goolsbee. "I am very pleased to appoint Alan and I look forward to working with him," Obama stated, shifting his eyes between two flat-screen teleprompters during a statement on Monday. "I have nothing but confidence in Alan as he takes on this important role as one of the leaders of my economic team."

Supporters of the President’s appointment regard Kreuger as one of the nation’s leading labor economists, an "expert" who has studied every facet of the economic landscape, with unparalleled expertise in the fields of education, unemployment, and the minimum wage. "With 25 million people unemployed, it’s fitting and appropriate that one of the country’s preeminent labor economists heads the CEA," asserted Robert Reich, a Labor Secretary in the Clinton administration.

Conservative congressional Republicans will likely protest the nomination, as Kreuger’s record suggests a government-intensive approach to economic recovery — an approach they believe will inevitably lead to another fiscal stimulus. But liberal economists such as Reich praise the President’s appointment, while emphasizing that swift government action must trump political stature and appeasement. "This is the worst labor market since the Great Depression. It’s time for bold action, and the president needs to know what must be done regardless of political feasibility," Reich advised. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: It's highly likely he'll sail right through the Senate confrimation hearings and we'll continue to live in this Kenysian depression era. I gotta bang the drum...if the states had a place at the table would this guy be confirmed?

The Count Down to the 10th Anniversary of 9/11

2011-08-30T13:37:00.002-04:00

The count down to the 10th anniversary of 9/11 begins and the very leeches that allowed this attack to happen, and who were never jailed for their negligence, will use this day to inflate their narcissistic egos, and we are still left in the dark by the negligent narcissists who have failed to provide any real answers as to how these supposed cave dwellers pulled off one of the single best intelligence operation in history.

Graham Meddling in Uzbekistan and Foreign Policy

2011-08-30T13:22:00.001-04:00

Uzbekistan: US Senator Meets with President Karimov; Eurasianet.org

US Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina was received by President Islam Karimov at his residence in Tashkent on August 27, Uzbek state media reported. Ambassador George Krol, the new US envoy to Tashkent, also attended the meeting. Uzbek TV quoted Karimov as saying Uzbekistan “highly values relations” with the US and has seen “great positive things in our relations, especially most recently.“ According to the typically filtered government reports, the American senator was said to discuss resolution of the conflict in neighboring Afghanistan and ways to stabilize the region.

Comment: I'm not sure if the average American ever ask themselves why these congressmen are always going overseas and getting involved in foreign policy when we have have a department created to meet with foreign governments. Rest assured, and most of the time, it is to further US hegemony throughout the world.

In the case of Uzbekistan, Graham sits on the Appropriation Committee that will continue to funnel our tax dollar to Uzbekistan so we can continue to wage the endless war in Afghanistan, and so he's over there to make sure the Uzbekistan government doesn't do anything to cause Americans to look away from the pop media they are fixated on to learn we are propping up another dictator.

Let's the discuss the lesson we need to learn: allowing oligarchs to control our government will only continue American jingoism, so by repealing the 17th Amendment we can restore the balance of power the founders created there by returning the states place at the federal table. Then the Federal Government will be restored and the states will finally stop or at the very least curb the jingoism perpetuated by the corporatist oligarchs both inside and outside of our government.

Economic Freedom & Quality of Life

2011-08-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

The video explains what economic freedom is and why it's key to improving society, so we need to be aware that we are moving down the scale, not up. Why? The expansion of government. What is fueling this expansion; both the House and Senate are taxing us to death and providing the revenues to special interest and in the process expanding our government beyond the constitutional scope. If we are going to turn our direction around then we need to restore the states place at the table and that means repealing the 17th Amendment.

Ron Paul 2012 *New Version

2011-08-27T19:23:00.000-04:00

Sanders: Strengthen Social Security by taxing large incomes

2011-08-26T19:54:00.000-04:00

Sanders: Strengthen Social Security by taxing large incomes; The Raw Story

AA forthcoming bill to be proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the only Democratic Socialist in the U.S. Senate, would make incomes above $250,000-a-year subject to the payroll tax, a move he says will make the nation's most beloved social safety net program, Social Security, significantly stronger.

The current payroll tax, which is Social Security's sole source of funding, only applies to incomes up to $106,800-a-year. Sanders' bill would not tax incomes between that amount and $250,000-a-year.

"Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress and too many Democrats, have been discussing harmful cuts to Social Security as part of an overall scheme to balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children, and working families," Sanders wrote in an essay published Thursday. "That is wrong, it is unconscionable, and it must not happen!"

He added that the program, which the Congressional Budget Office says is fiscally sound through 2038, has been dramatically successful in reducing the rates of senior citizens in poverty, but drastic cuts could change that.

"Right now, an American who makes $106,800 a year pays the same amount of money into the Social Security system as a millionaire or a billionaire," he wrote. "That is because today, all income above $106,800 is exempt from the Social Security payroll tax. As a result, 94% of Americans pay Social Security tax on all of their income, but the wealthiest 6% do not. That is wrong and that has got to change."

Sanders said his bill would ensure Social Security remains solvent for the next 75 years.

Read the rest here.

Comment: At least with a Ponzi scheme you find out eventually when you've been duped; but with social security and the government class controlling it, you never do...pay slaves!

Militarism is a Horrendous Waste

2011-08-25T08:31:00.003-04:00

Editorial, Aug. 25, 2011: Militarism is a horrendous waste: The Charleston Gazette (WV)

HT: The Future for Freedom Foundation

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --America is the most militaristic nation on Earth, spending $1 trillion of taxpayer money yearly for warmaking -- outstripping all other nations combined. Why? What's the point of trying to police the entire planet, when other democracies don't feel this compulsion? Especially when the policing doesn't really work?

Col. Andrew Bacevich knows war well. He graduated from West Point, fought in Vietnam, then earned a Ph.D. and became a professor at Boston University. His son was killed in action in Iraq in 2007.

Dr. Bacevich now scorns America's role as the sole remaining military superpower. He expressed his contempt in a book, The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War. He said Americans love military swagger, such as former President Bush playing "Top Gun" as he landed in uniform on an aircraft carrier before a "Mission Accomplished" banner.

"Today, as never before in their history, Americans are enthralled with military power," he wrote. If the U.S. "militaristic cast of mind" continues, he said, "America will surely share the fate of all those who in ages past have looked to war and military power to fulfill their destiny. We will rob future generations of their rightful inheritance. We will wreak havoc abroad. We will endanger our security at home. We will risk the forfeiture of all that we prize."

Last week, writing in the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Bacevich said a "new world order" is rising, with various nations booming economically while America pours hundreds of billions into militarism -- burdened by "too many obligations piled high without the wherewithal to meet them."

He said Washington indulges "the fiction of American omnipotence -- persisting in our penchant for fighting distant wars of dubious purpose." He added that "spending hundreds of billions vainly attempting to pacify Afghanistan is unlikely to help much."

He wrote that "Washington has become an intellectual dead zone" where "shoveling money into the maw of the military-industrial complex seems the top Republican priority."

Washington is convulsing over the colossal national debt. But that debt easily could be curbed if militarism were reduced. The "official" Pentagon budget was $680 billion last year, but the total soars to $1 trillion when veteran care is added, plus interest on past military spending done with borrowed money, plus other off-budget outlays.

America is bankrupting itself to remain an armed superpower. Other nations don't do it. Why does America damage itself in this manner?

Comment: While I agree wholeheartedly with the commentary, the plain and simple truth is that without the checks and balances the states provided through the US Senate prior to 1913, we will have to continue to watch in horror as the oligarchs in our government continue to use our military to reshape the world in their corporatist image and for their gain. This is why it is so important for us to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Biden issues clarification on China’s ‘one child’ policy comments

2011-08-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

"The Vice President's office on Tuesday sought to clarify comments Joe Biden made this week that appeared to condone China's restrictive birth policy."

Ron Paul on his Faith

2011-08-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

I look at Ron Paul and Matt 6;6 comes to mind; I see the rest of the Republicans and Matt 6; 2-5 comes to mind.

Following in the Footsteps of Hitler

2011-08-24T14:39:00.000-04:00

NATO is following in the footsteps of Hitler crushing sovereignty and reshaping the world in the corporatist worldview.

Biden "Not Second-guessing" China's One-child Policy

2011-08-24T14:35:00.001-04:00

Biden "Not Second-guessing" China's One-child Policy; The New American

For decades, the most common argument for legalized abortion has been that a pregnant woman should be able to choose whether or not to bring a child to term. But in China, there is no choice, as authorities in the People's Republic mandate abortions and sterilizations for couples that already have one child. And Vice President Joe Biden, who is personally "pro-choice," wants the Chinese to know he understands and is "not second-guessing" their one child per family policy.

Speaking at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, yesterday, Biden was discussing America's debt problems when he made the following remarks, as published on the White House and U.S. Embassy websites:

What we ended up doing is setting up a system whereby we did cut by $1.2 trillion upfront, the deficit over the next 10 years. And we set up a group of senators that have to come up with another $1.2 to $1.7 trillion in savings or automatically there will be cuts that go into effect in January to get those savings. So the savings will be accomplished. But as I was talking to some of your leaders, you share a similar concern here in China. You have no safety net. Your policy has been one which I fully understand — I'm not second-guessing — of one child per family. The result being that you're in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people. Not sustainable.

So hopefully we can act in a way on a problem that's much less severe than yours, and maybe we can learn together from how we can do that.

Comment: I'm not going to attack Biden's political affiliation because doing so only tells half the problem. The problem is that the self imposed government class looks at us as chafe, having no productive use. Until we wake up to their corrupt ways and return to a limited form of government America is headed on the same course as China. Make no mistake about this all of you Muslim haters, the aim of the government elites is purge the world of all religion, the Muslim is only the tool used to keep us apart and at one another throats. The real enemy is the secular government class. Get beyond the left verses right, Muslim verses Christian or Jew paradigm, it's about our freedom and folks like Biden aim to destroy it.

So How Do We Pay for a Libya Rebuild McCain?

2011-08-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

A top US senator applauds uprisings in Arab world; AP

McCain told CBS televison's "The Early Show" on Tuesday that while the U.S. should play a role in helping Libya in a post-Gadhafi transition, European nations should take the lead. He says, "I think we ought to really be turning our attention to national reconciliation, to not having revenge killings going on."

Comment: I guess we can print more money...

Ron Paul at the Concord Monitor

2011-08-23T08:55:00.000-04:00

Ron Paul at the Concord Monitor from Concord Monitor on Vimeo.

Senate Set to REALLY Screw Military

2011-08-19T12:52:00.000-04:00

Senator Udall: We Need To Keep Our Promises To Military Members; KKTV.com

Udall says the goal of this proposed plan is to continue providing benefits to military members, but to do it in a way the country can afford. He believes it’s possible, without affecting the military’s retention and recruitment rates. "I have no doubt that we can continue as a country to recruit and retain patriotic Americans to serve in our armed forces, even if we have changed the benefits packages slightly. And that's what we are talking about is changing those benefit packages so they are sustainable over time,” he said.

The plan being considered by the Pentagon would reportedly save $250 billion over the next two decades. It would affect 1.4 million service members.

The proposal comes from an influential panel of military advisers called the Defense Business Board. Their plan would eliminated the familiar system under which anyone who serves 20 years is eligible for retirement at half their salary. Instead, they would get a 401(k) style plan with government contributions. They would have to wait until normal retirement age to collect.

Some people are outraged by the plan. Advocates say the new system would not only save money, but would also be more fair. It would give benefits to those who serve less than 20 years. Right now they walk away with nothing.

Comment: We'd be able to pay our military members in a "sustainable" manner if we weren't fighting five wars and being the policemen of the world. But the writing is on the wall and every Vet knows this, the time comes when Congress screws the service members and that time is now sadly.

Gay GOP to Honor Senator Susan Collins

2011-08-19T12:43:00.002-04:00

Gay GOP to Honor Senator Susan Collins

Senator Worth $50 Million: We Got to Eliminate the Rich

2011-08-19T12:38:00.001-04:00

HT: Michelle Malkin

Oh the stupidity of Lautenburg...

Sad too is the question posed by the knucklehead that wants to improve the quality of Jersey beaches through the confiscation of private property in drug seizes. One of the most grievous things this country ever did in the absurd war on drugs was to confiscate private property; the unintended consequences have been enormous and this schmuck's question proves it.

PC Crowd Attacks Coburn

2011-08-19T12:31:00.000-04:00

Sen. Coburn's off hand comment comes under attack by the PC crowd in typical fashion.

Obama calls on Syria’s Assad to “step aside”

2011-08-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

Obama calls on Syria’s Assad to “step aside;” yahoo.com

Wake up folks, they are laying down the ground work for another war. Without the states represented in the Federal Government we will continue to be controlled by the corporatist through the US Senate. Repeal the 17th Amendment today.

Senator Blasts ATF’s Reported Promotion of Supervisors in Ill-Fated Gun Operation

2011-08-17T21:19:00.001-04:00

Senator Blasts ATF’s Reported Promotion of Supervisors in Ill-Fated Gun Operation

A top Republican senator slammed the Justice Department for reportedly promoting the supervisors of the failed anti-gunrunning sting operation Fast and Furious, which is under a federal and congressional investigation after weapons linked to program were used in a December attack in Mexico that killed a U.S. border patrol agent.

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives promoted three key supervisors of Operation Fast and Furious who came under fire for pushing the program even after it clearly spiraled out of control.

The three supervisors -- William Newell and David Voth, both field supervisors who managed the program out of the agency’s Phoenix office, and William McMahon, who was the ATF’s deputy director of operations in the West -- are being transferred to Washington for new management positions at the agency’s headquarters, the newspaper reported.

“Until Attorney General (Eric) Holder and Justice Department officials come clean on all alleged gun-walking operations, including a detailed response to allegations of a Texas-based scheme, it is inconceivable to reward those who spearheaded this disastrous operation with cushy desks in Washington,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Cornyn sent a letter to Holder last week demanding answers following reports of alleged Texas-based “gun-walking” programs similar to “Fast and Furious.”

Comment: At the rate ATF is screwing up we should see Congress expand the size and scope of this worthless department where it will eclipse DoD and Education. That's the congressional way; screw up and expand government, and that's template of success that has gotten us where we are today!

The Dung Beetle liken to the U.S. Congress

2011-08-17T12:01:00.000-04:00

My grandson enjoys watching insect videos on the internet. Yesterday, we found one about the dung beetle on youtube.com. He and I watched these creatures live their existence around manure piles.

Much later, the idea struck me that Congress acts are much like dung beetles. The scenario begins with a large animal dropping a load of manure on a grassy field, and here is the wealth of any dung beetle. With such a fresh pile of wealth, dung beetles swarm into it.

Each beetle pushes, pulls, and rolls as much dung as it can possibly manage. Dung beetles use their hind legs to push or roll their wealth. Their backsides are up in the air, while their front legs and face are in the dirt. They are unable to see where they shove their wealth. Blindly, the manure rolls toward its distribution center.

Within a short time, these beetles have grabbed their wealth. Each rolls it away to its chosen place. Male and female beetles mate at night. They bury the dung, where the female lays her eggs. When the larva has grown enough, beetles feed dung to their larva, which mature into more dung beetles.

Our government has not had a balanced budget since 1969. Each successive congress sniffs the air, finds fresh dropping, and scouts for other fields of fresh wealth. Each successive congress grabs more and more wealth. Each elected representative rolls his acquired wealth into a specified district. Then, the wealth is fed to those larva-like congressional favorites.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate do not care where the wealth comes from. Their sole responsibility is to generate legislation that takes enables them to gather national assets, which can be redistributed to their pet projects: aka/ “earmarks”. Neither do they do their actions straight ahead. Like the dung beetle, these special, elite leaders go into committees, hold a secret caucus, or manipulate the system through the courts.

Americans have experienced these stinky deals since 2008. First, we were forced to eat. Congressional stimulus I - - bailing out a whole swarm of financial companies. Next, walking on their hind legs and not knowing where they were going, Congress passed the Obama Universal Health Care bill. Following that, Congress discovered a new fertile pile of wealth: Stimulus II. Stimulus II was suppose to revitalize our America work force with “shovel Ready” projects.( Never mind that the tax payer has paid for these same infrastructures many times over.) At last, Congress found the mother load and a method to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

The dung beetle is a master for finding and distributing fresh manure. The U.S. Congress is an ingenious group with a license to maneuver monies. If voters reject some officials, the other crawl into court. I.e. 25 states have challenged to Obama National Health Care law as being unconstitutional. But instead of listening to a majority of states, the challenge moves form on federal court to another. The Federal Reserve has a legal right to print money, and Congress authorized another huge printing with Q3.

O.K. You go watch the dung beetle for yourself

Schumer Using the Power of Homeland Security

2011-08-12T15:12:00.001-04:00

Here's Schumer using the power of Homeland Security...

Fake IDs sold online on China-based websites have become so realistic that they are posing a danger to America’s youth, US Senator Charles Schumer said Thursday.

Those fake driver’s licenses promote underage drinking and drunk driving among teens including those in the Hudson Valley, he said while making a stop in Newburgh.

“I am urging the Department of Homeland Security to tell our money wire houses – the Western Unions, the PayPal, all of these wire houses that send money, not to send them to these websites,” he said. “They are in China and that’s the best way we can strangle them financially and then they can’t do anything because these websites, their only goal is to send out fake IDs.”

Comment: There is no problem and yet Schumer creates one then uses the power of big government to be the attack dog, which is furthering the DHS police state assault on the Internet.

Schumer; 1 of a 100 reason to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Podcast: Lamb on S.1090 - Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011

2011-08-12T10:27:00.000-04:00

Host Brian Duffy interviewed Henry Lamb, Freedom 21, about S.1090 - Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011 and the overt link the bill has with the United Nations’ Agenda 21 program; and the US Senate’s continued integration of Agenda 21 into US legislation.

The Podcast.

Readings and Links related to this podcast:

If They Had Any Honor

2011-08-10T13:52:00.002-04:00

If Senators Kyl, Toomey and Portman had any honor they would decline their appointed "Super Congress" position in protest against the incontrovertible attack upon the US Constitution and for our republican form of government by the passage of S.365, as should every member of Congress who took an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution.

More Homeland Stupidity

2011-08-10T08:11:00.001-04:00

Normally I stay within a narrow scope when posting here but every now and then there is a story that highlights just how far off the track this country has gotten and how our "public servants" screw us at every turn. This head line says it all: DHS completes tests on mind reading technology.

So for all you naysayers out there, what is it going to take for you to repeal the 17th Amendment?

Ron and Rand Paul say downgrade is fault of Washington, not Tea Party

2011-08-09T08:41:00.000-04:00

Ron and Rand Paul say downgrade is fault of Washington, not Tea Party; CBSNews

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., and his son, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., both blasted Tea Party critics on Monday for suggesting that the conservative movement with which they're both linked may have had something to do with America's recent credit downgrade by the ratings agency Standard & Poor's.

The elder Paul, a longtime lawmaker, staunch libertarian, and presidential candidate, decried the allegations as an "attempt to scapegoat" Tea Party lawmakers. He pinned the downgrade on the Washington establishment.

"This attempt to scapegoat folks who recognize that our debt is out of control and that we must change course should not be tolerated," he said in a Monday statement. "They are simply demanding that Washington do its job."

Read the rest here.

Mark Hatfield Dead: Former Senator & Governor Dies At 89

2011-08-08T09:29:00.000-04:00

Former Senator Mark Hatfield's political career reads like a House member, not a US Senator as the founders intended.

Coburn: ‘Yes,' Federal Spending Will Be Higher in FY 2012 than in FY 2011

2011-08-04T08:30:00.002-04:00

Coburn: ‘Yes,' Federal Spending Will Be Higher in FY 2012 than in FY 2011; CNSNews.com

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) told CNSNews.com that the Budget Control Act of 2011 does not actually cut spending for fiscal year 2012, which means the federal government will spend more in FY 2012 than it did in FY 2011.

Shortly before the Senate vote on the debt ceiling legislation on Tuesday, CNSNews.com asked Coburn: “Under this current debt ceiling bill, will the federal government spend more in fiscal 2012 than it did in fiscal 2011?”

Coburn's one-word response: “Yes.”

CNSNews.com followed up by asking, “So this is not a bill cutting spending?” He replied, “No.”

The Senate passed the Budget Control Act 74-26 on Tuesday, beating the Aug. 2 deadline to raise the debt ceiling. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law today.

The act allows the president to request a debt ceiling raise of $400 billion immediately, then another $500 billion in the fall dependent upon congressional approval. Through spending caps, the GOP leadership managed to achieve dollar-for-dollar spending cuts over the next 10 years.

Comment: It's interesting to read all the commentaries throughout the web from bloggers and pundits alike, of which the majority still believe that Republicans caved or Obama caved, but the truth is what we got in S.365 is what the oligarchs wanted. Just as the oligarchs got what they wanted in 1913. There is no competition of ideals or political parties in Washington; only one agenda, one direction, one party.

Yet time and time again the American people fall for the circus act and smoke and mirrors. Unfortunately the realization will only come when we truly go bankrupt and hit actual rock bottom, it's sad to say. If our neighbors don't understand what took place with S.365 and that whole debt and budget battle is unconstitutional and is in fact killing our country, then there is little hope we'll turn this around. If we do not have a sense of what is right and wrong the oligarchs will continue to rob us blind and truly makes us slaves to the government, something a few believe we are already living.

Name the Lord of the Rings Character John McCain is Most Like

2011-08-03T23:11:00.003-04:00

Name the Lord of the Rings Character John McCain is most like...I say he’s a Nazgul; what say you?

Is Super Congress Constitutional?

2011-08-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Faces of Evil

2011-08-02T21:44:00.003-04:00

A Tea Party Shock to the System

2011-08-02T21:30:00.000-04:00

A Tea Party Shock to the System; Stephen Carter; The Daily Beast

This is good article and worth reading completely, but I'll cut to the point that needs to be raised with your neighbors, co-workers, family, etc...

The Founders cherished the relative independence of the Senate as a crucial check on political passion. But the independence of all legislators, including the senators, has been hobbled by the way in which modern digital media allow those of strong ideological conviction to band together more easily and follow more precisely every utterance of every public opinion. This development is rightly celebrated and is strongly pro-democratic (small “d”), empowering those the establishment ignores. We should note, however, that it is also anti-republican (small “r”), costing us the services of the Burkean politician, the man or woman who believes that legislators owe us not a slavish serving of our smallest desire, but the constant exercise of their judgment, conscience, and prudence. In such an atmosphere, reasoned debate and thoughtful compromise become enormously difficult to achieve.

Thus the 17th Amendment, adopted in 1913 to provide for direct election of the Senate, may have been a mistake. Previously, senators had been appointed by state legislatures, a fact that insulated them from at least some of the reelection pressures experienced by members of the House. (One might object that many state legislatures, too, fall prey to the passions of the moment, but the legislatures suffer from an insufficiency of public attention: had the states retained the power to appoint senators, the citizenry would surely keep better track of legislative elections.)

How can all of this be fixed? We might usefully begin by repealing the Seventeenth Amendment and returning the selection of Senators to the state legislatures. But tinkering with the constitutional structure will not resolve the fundamental problem, which lies in our culture, and in ourselves. The nation’s attention span has grown so short that while we might seem, at first blush, obsessed with politics, we are really obsessed with political commentary, with following the latest and snarkiest slogan aimed at the side we happen to disagree with. We are less inclined than ever to give politicians the space to argue for their views at any length; we are not interested in being persuaded. What we care about is the bottom line—as long as the bottom line is no more than 140 characters. This tendency rewards, on both sides of the aisle, the politics of slogan and emotional appeal, cheerleading rather than governance. In such an atmosphere, it is all but impossible for government to be done seriously.

(Note: Bold font used by blogger.)