Does Marion Berry (AR-01) Accept Federal Farm Subsidies?

So which is it, Congressman? View the following video and referenced articles to find the truth! Marion Berry has long denied that he owns any farms that accept subsidies, yet his response to a question on the topic yesterday seems to contradict this. And the data shows "slick" Berry is may seem more dim witted with age but he has been more than smart enough to fleece the public for years.

Blue Dog Berry - Not so Blue With Farm Subsidy - Ken Cook at Mulch reports: Blue Dogs Are Big Winners In Subsidy-Laden Farm Bill . . .

Arkansas Rep. Marion Berry (D) Cashing In on Federal Service . . . receives farm subsidies . . . - Consider if you will, between 1996 and 2000, farm and land-holding companies that Berry owns with relatives in eastern Arkansas have received $750,449 in federal crop subsidies, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture records. . .

The Other King of Pork -- AR Representative Marion Berry - Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR) promises more pork barrel spending now that the Democrats are in charge of Congress. This is no surprise. Last year, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote, "Arkansas’ Rep. Marion Berry would like to be known as the king of pork. “Nothing would please me more,” he says. . . .

BOOT BERRY

Regional over view Mid-Atlantic

NY, NY the naked cowboy is longing to be mayor. If this doesn't make a joke out of Mayor Bloomberg's reprieve on term limits to bring more choices, nothing will. Opposes third term change for Bloomberg. He says he don't want to be a dic-tator. I don't know how much the mayor has too worry about. NY tend to have trouble voting for cowboys who want to cut taxes.

In Pennsylvania, the unemployment rate is 8.3% but there are concerns about the many who will come to the end of benefits in the next few weeks in a state that is still shedding jobs. The Senate race is tightening with Toomey in a statistical dead heat with Specter and leading Sasteck. Green Jobs Stimulus money is coming to Delaware and Pennsylvania.

In NJ, the Governor's race will likely tighten after Labor day, but right now it is a bit of a landslide for Chris Christie. He acted decisively and was the first to pick a Lt. Gov. running mate which is a first for New Jersey. The team has two former federal prosecutors. Kim Guadagno is a local sheriff. What is more interesting is will the Republicans gain enough seats in the general assembly to make him successful. They need 9 of the 80. The Democrats are worried. I think Republicans all over the country should support these targeted races. They seem to need help in NJ. I don't think with reapportionment and repeal of the tax hikes at risk, that we can leave it up to chance. We need to protect what Congressional seats we have left and redraw the assembly seats to a competitive status again. The people are not well served with one party manipulation. The Democrat Senate will be a check. Republicans just haven't challenged the 3 seats need. Democrats control 23 to 17 in the senate and 48 to 32 in the house.

Republicans will be attempting to unseat Democratic legislators in eight districts in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Middlesex, Mercer, Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland, Camden and Gloucester counties. Democrats want to unseat Republicans in Atlantic County but mainly intend to protect the seats they control.

Democrats start the contest with a commanding, 48-32 lead in the General Assembly, meaning Republicans must capture 8 seats to force a tie. However, because New Jersey elects two Assembly members from every district, Republicans only need to win 4 districts to accomplish that goal. If a 5th district splits its vote, they will take outright control.

The Virginia situation has to have Republicans engaged. After a decade of reliable Virgina sliding away, the state is back in line for GOP leadership. The Governor's race is tight. The state senate is 21-19 Democrat with one Democrat known to be interested in changing parties. The GOP has a ten vote lead in the house. An across the board victory in Virginia would mobilize the party. Losses would devastate it.

Delaware is having a special election for state senate to replace deceased former President Pro Tem Thurman Adams, a Democrat. There are 4 candidates in the race. The senator's daughter Polly Adams Mervine, a DSEA endorsed former teacher and beauty pageant runner up who won't debate. Joe Booth, a republican state representative who just help fight to sunset the Democrat led government's tax increases. Wendy Jones, a Libertarian who helped organize the Armed Informed Mothers March on DC. Republican activist running as an independent Matt Opaliski. Visit me at http://www.Delawarepolitics.net for details.

Regional over view Mid-Atlantic plus Texas

NJ– Chris Christie is pulling ahead in the Governor’s race by 12 points. The lastest national polls have him 12 points ahead. Governor Corzine now has the highest negatives he has ever polled at 60%.

NY– A plurality of voters think the state is better off when the state senate is not in session. You have one guy who keeps flipping parties seemingly based upon the best offer. You have to wonder how anyone can vote for him the next election. Only 12% of voters think the state is headed in the right direction. In other polling 12% of NY voters favor planning a round trip space mission to a black hole. (Just Kidding) Senator Gillibrand is narrowly behind in her election bid to primary challenger Carolyn Maloney 27 to 33%. Governor Patterson wishes his numbers were so good in a match with AG Cuomo.

VA–Republican AG McDonnell has regained the lead over Democrat State Senator Deeds. Unlike NJ, the President’s approval has fallen below 50%.

MD–Maryland’s governor is suffering from low approval ratings, but the GOP has yet to find an opponent for next year’s race. They seem taken over by infighting.

PA–State Senate strong man Vincent Fumo was sentenced to 5 years for fraud and tax evasion. The Democrat said the next time he wanted to skip out on taxes that he will apply for President Obama’s cabinet.:) The judge gave him a break calling the senator a serious public servant. Specter hasn’t broken 50% support in the general. Governor Rendell only wants to help you so if you start to smart from the tax hike, know that he cares, unless you go to a college he doesn’t control., Rendell just lost a battle Wednesday with the U. S. Department of Education. He has to fund all of the state related universities under the stimulus money not just the ones he controls. Coincidentally, most of the Campuses he denied were in Republican districts. The former DNC chairman wouldn’t still be playing politics with your money would he?

Since we have some Texas readers, TX– The clash of the Titans is on and Governor Rick Perry leads early among primary voters vs, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison by 46 to 36%. His stumping at tea parties seemed to help. The tea parties have an 82% favorability and only 7% don’t like them–probably state employees and their families in Austin :).

Kelly Ayotte May Have A Challenger in NH

Politico reports that Kelly Ayotte is likely to have a primary challenger in the race for Senator Gregg's open Senate seat.

It’s easy to see why the National Republican Senatorial Committee is so enamored of Ayotte. She’s a youthful, female face in a party that has been criticized for not fielding a diverse crop of candidates. With deep New Hampshire roots and a law enforcement record that has drawn bipartisan praise during her five-year tenure, the 41-year-old Ayotte could prove to be a compelling alternative to the likely Democratic nominee, Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.).

Indeed, to demonstrate its commitment behind her candidacy, the NRSC is even prepared to offer Ayotte its endorsement if she requests it.

Yet two credible GOP candidates — a former nominee for governor and a well-heeled businessman — have signaled that they’ll also pursue the nomination, and the state GOP chairman, John H. Sununu, is indicating that he’s not going to choose sides.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25238.html#ixzz0M0u45siB

On Facebook:
Friends of Kelly Ayotte

Kelly Ayotte for Senate

Judd Gregg: "The President Doesn't Have A Plan" #tcot #sgp

Kelly Ayotte Sparks Interest and Attacks in New Hampshire #tcot #sgp #sarah

As Kelly Ayotte looks like a likely candidate for the open Senate seat in NH, the Democrats appear nervous at the prospect launching negative attacks comparing her to both Charlie Crist and Sarah Palin, apparently arguing that she is both too moderate and too conservative.

Excerpt from the New Hampshire Business Review 2010 races starting to take shape.

The most interesting political event occurred when Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte abruptly announced that she would resign her office to investigate running for the Senate. This followed press speculation about her running and firm predictions by many (including the governor and me, for separate reasons) that she would not do so.

Her announcement produced some inappropriate and intemperate comparisons to Governor Palin’s announcement in Alaska, especially from the head of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

Ayotte is a talented, serious and experienced public servant. Prosecuting murder cases and administering the largest group of government attorneys in the state, with the attendant responsibility for setting policy, giving advice, and providing oversight of governmental operations, is more experience than most candidates for public office have, so any comments about her not having served in elective office should be discounted substantially.

John Murth: "What's That Got to do With Me?"

When the liberal media keeps nipping at the tail of a liberal democrat, then something must be in the wind. Maybe for even the Democrats there is a point at which too much graft is really too much. Of maybe its time for the Democrats to toss the public a pork chop. With every passing day, porker and earmark king Rep John Murtha appears to be the pork chop that is going to fed to the public. Not that he doesn't deserve it.

Yesterday, The New York Times blasted John Murtha in an editorial with innuendos of his connection to using Federal money to advance his interests via family and friends. Below are a few of the comments:

One of the most favored insiders in Representative John Murtha’s rich churn of defense earmarks has pleaded guilty to criminal charges, shedding light on a twisting, pay-to-play money trail. . . . What’s that got to do with me?” commented Mr. Murtha, who previously lavished praise and tens of millions of dollars in contracts on the two companies caught up in the criminal investigation. . . . Investigators have not identified him as a target. But the inquiry is backtracking a trail of hundreds of millions awarded to Pentagon contractors who gratefully requited with tens of millions in political donations to Democrats on the appropriations subcommittee headed by Mr. Murtha.

In just one tangent of the complex inquiry, Mr. Ianieri’s company hired the lobbying firm of Mr. Murtha’s brother Kit. The company soon was blessed with money from an $8.2 million defense earmark. . . . Representative Murtha, using a 2005 tsunami relief bill, took the $8.2 million from another contractor that had severed ties with his brother’s lobbying firm. The Department of Justice alleges that Mr. Ianieri’s company then illicitly distributed $1.8 million of the money to other companies, some of them represented by Kit Murtha’s firm.

The Murtha money trail is far from fully explored but already features a second tangent of Congressional appropriations staff members’ exiting through the golden door to defense lobbying and scoring big contracts from their old bosses. Taxpayers should press the question of what all this has to do with Mr. Murtha . . .

Beyond the criminal investigation, a full-scale ethics inquiry should be pressed by House Democrats and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. If not, the Murtha money trail could lead them back to the minority.

In conclusion, the following remark by Does It All Matter posted three months ago is still appropriate [Hat tip to the same source for the above photo]: "Come on people, we had a revolution in this country once because of unfair government representation. Perhaps with the next election cycle we need to have another revolution and get rid of this bunch of corrupt scum!" [H/T to Veterans for Bill Russell]

CBO Contradicts Obama Health Care Statements

Douglas Elmendorf, the head of the Congressional Budget Office (a Democrat appointment) dealt the Democrat's health care reform bill a serious blow. The claims made by Predident Obama that the bill would reduce costs in the long run have been analyze by the CBO as being false. Despite the CBO report President Obama continues to make these claims, choosing to ignore the CBO analysis.

CBO: Health Reform Bills Bend Cost Curve In Wrong Direction

"Congress's chief budget analyst delivered a devastating assessment yesterday of the health-care proposals drafted by congressional Democrats, fueling an insurrection among fiscal conservatives in the House and pushing negotiators in the Senate to redouble efforts to draw up a new plan that more effectively restrains federal spending," the Washington Post reports.

President Obama and congressional Democrats have said bending the "cost curve" of health care spending is a priority in health reform, to ensure soaring costs don't become unsustainable. Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the Congressional Budget Office, told lawmakers yesterday that bills proposed by the Senate health committee and the House leadership do the opposite: "The curve is being raised" (Montgomery and Murray, 7/17).

"In the legislation that has been reported, we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount and, on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs," Elmendorf said, according to CQ Politics. Ways to reduce the rate of growth could include taxing employer-provided health benefits and reforming Medicare payments to reward cost effectiveness, rather than volume (Clarke and Epstein, 7/16).

ObamaCare Breaks the Bank

Barack Obama’s sales pitch on health care reform claims that authorizing $1 trillion of new spending will somehow allow the country to save money on medical costs later. It was always a logical bridge to nowhere, and now the Democrats’ own Congressional Budget Office has called the bluff.

In a hearing yesterday, Democratic Senator Kent Conrad practically pleaded with CBO director Douglas Elmendorf to agree that the reform bill would “bend the cost curve” (i.e. create savings) in the future. The CBO chief minced no words: “The curve is being raised.” The Democratic health plan would only make the long-term deficit much worse and send our nation’s finances off the fiscal cliff.

His statement is a huge setback for the White House as it tries to shove its health-care redesign through Congress before anyone has time for second thoughts. House speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier this week: “I believe that all of the cost of the health care reform bill can come from squeezing more saving out of the system.” Right. The CBO testimony makes clear she might as well ask the tooth fairy for health-care savings

Jon Kyl - Health Care Reform #tcot #tlot #sgp #sarah #gop

Budget Deficit Tops $1,000,000,000,000 #tcot #tlot

From MarketWatch.com U.S. budget deficit rises above $1 trillion

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. recorded a federal budget deficit of $94.3 billion in June, pushing the cumulative deficit so far this year to a record $1.08 trillion, the Treasury Department reported Monday.

Outlays rose in June to $309.6 billion, while receipts climbed to $215.3 billion in the month.

Among the outlays for June is $11.3 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, the bailout program for banks and U.S. automakers.

At this time last year, the cumulative federal budget deficit was just $285.8 billion.

The Obama administration expects a deficit of $1.84 trillion for the full fiscal year, which ends in September. However, that number is likely to be revised higher later this month, since the economy has been much weaker than when the original estimate was made.

The budget deficit for June is down from the $189.7 billion figure in May but was still enough to push the fiscal year-to-date deficit past the $1 trillion mark.

For fiscal year 2010, which begins in October, the administration is projecting a $1.26 trillion deficit.

Democrats' Criminalization of America's Health Care

ARRA News Service -Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House democrats rolled out their health care plan called "America’s Affordable Health Choices." Part of their plan would force employers to offer workers health coverage or face severe fines. Also it would forcw individuals to participate in a health insurance plan or face penalties that would generally vary with their income level. Maybe it should have been called "Criminalizing of America's Health Care" or the "Destroy Individual Choices in Health Care."

The Heritage Foundation is reporting the cost of the bill at $1.3 Trillion. The bill is 1,018 pages and comes to $1.264 billion per page. It even includes universal abortion coverage at taxpayer expense. The Congressional Budget Office, not a conservative "right minded" think-tank, reported that the health care reform plan proposed by House Democrats on Tuesday will add more than $1 trillion ($1,042 billion) to the national federal budget deficit over 10 years (2010–2019) . And, this is only their preliminary estimate of the damage.

The CBO report states that its cost estimates are not comprehensive. They are only preliminary as administrative and other costs are not yet projected. Heritage advises, "But even this analysis understates the true costs of the bill. The CBO only scores bills on a ten-year time frame, and House Democrats have designed their bill to obscure the catastrophic long-term fiscal path on which it places our country."

Heritage identifies that according to the CBO, the cost for the first four years is just $84 billion, but then it accelerates sharply. By 2019, the new entitlement is set to cost American taxpayers $254 billion. So while many Americans may look at the $1.3 trillion price tag over ten years and conclude the plan will cost $130 billion a year, in reality it will cost nearly double that. By backloading all the spending, the House is hiding the true cost of their plan from the American people. Between 2018 and 2019, federal costs for the new entitlement and the enlargement of Medicaid would increase by a combined 8.9%.

Last week CNS News reported that Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) introduced legislation calling for a $540-billion tax hike to pay for the health plan that President Barack Obama insists will be “deficit neutral.” This tax is a new surtax on households earning $350,000 and above. It starts at 1%, bumping up to 1.5% at $500,000 in income and to 5.4% at $1 million. Since many small business owners fall within this income range, this surtax will also be a huge job killer.

The Washington Post writes: [T]here is no case to be made for the House Democratic majority’s proposal to fund health-care legislation through an ad hoc income tax surcharge for top-earning households. …There is simply no way to close the gap by taxing a handful of high earners. … Pretending that “the rich” alone can fund government, let alone the kind of activist government that the president and Congress envision, is bad policy any way you look at it.

Summary: President Obama, Democrats in Congress, powerful special interests and influential lobbyists are hard at work in Washington, D.C. trying to drastically change our current health care system. They are seeking to replace it with a "nationalized health care " system where the politicians and government officials will dictate the kind of medical services you and your family receive and the rules under which you access care and coverage. Read : Patients First - Vote No on Government Run Health Care and then take action.

Small Business Burdened By Dem Health Care Plan #tcot #sgp #gop

The Wall Street Journal reports on how all but the smallest of business will face painful health care costs under the House version of health care reform - Small Business Faces Big Bite

Under the House measure, employers with payrolls exceeding $400,000 a year would have to provide health insurance or pay the 8% penalty. Employers with payrolls between $250,000 and $400,000 a year would pay a smaller penalty, and those less than $250,000 would be exempt. Certain small firms would get tax credits to help buy coverage.

The relatively low thresholds for penalties triggered the sharpest criticism yet from employer groups, who said the burden on small business is too high and doesn't do enough to help them expand insurance coverage.
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"This bill costs too much, it covers too few and it has way too much government involvement," said Michelle Dimarob, a lobbyist with the National Federation of Independent Business, the main trade group for small firms. "Small business doesn't want any of those things."

According to 2006 data from the federation, businesses with between five and nine workers, representing about one million employers, had an average payroll of around $375,000 a year. A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only about half of firms with three to nine workers offered health benefits in 2008.

Mother of Slain Iranian Prostester "I won't be Silenced" #tcot

A 19 year old, Sohrab Arabi, disappeared more than 3 weeks ago after he participated in post election protests in Iran. His mother was told he was being held in Evin prison, and she routinely visited the prison trying to find information about her son. Sohrab was dead, reportedly killed as a result of torture. At Sohrab Arabi's funeral his mother called out the cowards who murdered him and proclaimed, "I won't be Silenced."





Mother Of 19 Year Old Sohrab Arabi At Son’s Funeral – “I won’t be Silenced”

Why Was Obama Snubbed In Russia? #tcot #sgp

Why was Obama snubbed in Russia by people refusing to shake his hand? Maybe equally important why did no news network report that he was snubbed in Russia?

Nashua Telegraph Letter: Proud of Kelly Ayotte #tcot

Petty politics detract from Ayotte decision

I was saddened to see the partisan response in the July 8 Telegraph to the decision of Attorney General Kelly Ayotte to resign her post and explore a run for U.S. Senate.

One response was even critical of Gov. John Lynch for his reappointment of Ayotte. In this climate of partisan politics, one should stop and consider the commentary on Ayotte’s talents implied by this reappointment, by a Democratic governor, of a Republican to New Hampshire’s top law enforcement position. I know this of Kelly Ayotte.

When Mark Rowland, a staffer at Nashua Children’s Home, was murdered 10 years ago, on Aug. 20, 1999, it was Kelly Ayotte who so competently prosecuted this case, not once, but twice, ensuring that the murderer would be convicted to a sentence of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole.

It was early on in the retrial that then-Assistant Attorney General Ayotte was promoted to her current office. But she felt that this case was important enough – that her commitment to Mr. Rowland’s family, his friends and colleagues vital enough – that she saw it through.

I, for one, have no issue with Kelly Ayotte’s commitment on any level.

I saw that morning’s headline (“Ayotte resigns as AG, eyes Senate run”) and was immediately filled with a sense of pride for knowing Kelly Ayotte. I’m certain that anyone who knows her feels the same way.

It was only when reading the typical, partisan political commentary within that story that I became dismayed.

David Villiotti
Executive Director
Nashua Children’s Home

Larry Kudlow: Stock Markets are Not Voting for the United States Anymore #tcot #tlot #gop #sarah

A Larry Kudlow article in National Review warns that the Obama administration's big government policies are lead American to The Road to Economic Demoralization

Washington’s enormous expansion of the state-, local-, and federal-government spending share of GDP to over 40 percent — including Bailout Nation, TARP, and takeovers in numerous industries — is eerily reminiscent of Old Europe’s old policies. And in an ironic twist, Europe seems to be moving toward a lower-tax-and-spend-and-regulate, Ronald Reagan–type approach, while the U.S. is regressing to the failed socialist model of Old Europe. This makes no sense.

Higher tax rates undermine the incentive model of growth. At the margin, investment risk and work effort become less rewarding. On top of this, Obama’s regulatory moves toward greater government control of the economy will further drown animal spirits in a sea of red tape born of bureaucratic officialdom.

Think about this in terms of the threat to nationalize heath care, which is over 15 percent of the economy. Additionally, Washington’s cap-and-trade proposals will essentially nationalize the entire energy sector — another 15 percent of the economy — sending long tentacles into every nook of the economy that’s impacted by energy, which is virtually everything.

And all this comes on top of the U.S. government’s takeover of auto companies, banks, AIG, Fannie, and Freddie. Instead of Schumpeterian gales of creative destruction, we’re on the road to economic demoralization.

Here’s the clincher: Year-to-date, Dow Jones stocks are off 8 percent, while China stocks are up 71 percent. The world index is up 4 percent. Emerging markets are up 25 percent. They’re all beating us. None of this is good.

We’re going the wrong way. That’s why stock markets are not voting for the United States anymore.

Obama Drops in Polls in Ohio and Across the Country #tcot #tlot #gop #teaparty

Boston.com reports President Obama's poll numbers drop.

Poll numbers have steadily declined since taking office, and the drop in approval rating is of particular concern for the administration in Ohio. His sinking approval ratings appear to be tied to the struggling economy and a stimulus plan that has failed at its primary objective of keeping the unemployment rate under 8.5%.

A second poll out this week shows a noticeable drop in public confidence in the president, six months into his term. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released today put his overall job approval rating at 61 percent -- and on a steady decline from 76 percent in February.

As telling, 70 percent of respondents believe Obama is "a strong and decisive leader," down from 80 percent in February; 56 percent think he generally agrees with them on issues they care about, down from 63 percent five months ago; and only 53 percent said he has a "clear plan" for solving the nation's problems, down from 64 percent.

While 79 percent approve of Obama personally, a smaller subset -- 58 percent -- approve both him personally and his job performance, and 19 percent like him personally but not his job performance.

The poll, conducted June 26-28, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. A poll in the bellwether state of Ohio also found decreasing confidence in Obama and his economic proposals.

Obama's decline largely tracks the economy, which remains mired in recession. New numbers out today showed that laid-off workers are having trouble finding jobs -- continuing claims for unemployment benefits jumped by 159,000 last week, reaching 6.88 million, the highest in records dating from 1967.

Cantor: Stimulus Has Not Worked #tcot #tlot #sgp #gop

Stimulus Problems #tcot #tlot #spg #gop

Doubts about the trillion dollar stimulus bill are continuing to grow. From its inception the stimulus bill has been troubled. Full of pork (like honey bee insurance) the stimulus bill was crammed through Congress without any representative having read it fully. It has already failed at its basic goal of keeping the unemployment rate under 8.5%. Now it appears that the money being sent to the states through this bill is being misused. From USA Today Report: States aren't using stimulus funds as intended

Government Accountability Office (GAO) at a House oversight hearing, also says many states aren't meeting some goals and requirements of the economic recovery program. Some states, for example, are not sending transportation funding to the most economically distressed areas, and they are using education funds to prevent layoffs rather than fund innovative new programs, the report says.

As required by the $787 billion stimulus law, the GAO is monitoring stimulus spending in 16 states and the District of Columbia that will receive two-thirds of the federal funds. It reports to Congress every two months.

The report says that as of mid-June, states had received about $29 billion of the estimated $49 billion in stimulus funding they are scheduled to get before the federal budget year ends Sept. 30. More than 90% of the money given to the states so far is for Medicaid and a fund meant to prop up states' budgets for schools and other basic services such as public safety.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Seeks Stronger Reaction By G8 On Iran

Iranian Nobel peace prize winner and human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi, is asking the international community to be more vocal and take a harder line against the glaring human rights violations that have occurred in post-election Iran. From ADN International: G8: Nobel prize winner attacks summit decision on Iran

Rome, 10 July(AKI) - Iranian Nobel peace prize winner and human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi, has attacked the G8 leaders for failing to take a stronger stand on recent violence and alleged human rights violations in Iran. In an interview with the Italian daily, Il Mattino, on Friday, Ebadi said world leaders should "isolate" Iranian president Mahmoud Adhmadinejad if the country continued to violate people's rights.

On the second day of their summit in the Italian city of L'Aquila, the G8 leaders said they were "seriously concerned" about the situation.

The G8 leaders condemned Iran for the post-election violence and the negation of the Holocaust, however, they did not adopt any sanctions at the conclusion of the meeting on Thursday.

"If Iran continues to violate human rights, the countries of the G8 should isolate Ahmadinejad and recall their respective ambassadors," Ebadi said.

"I am not suggesting that there is a need to completely end diplomatic relations, but at least reduce the level of relations. Only in this way can the powers of the world say they consider human rights as important as their economic interests."

National Review: Obama Releases Iran's Terror Masters #tcot #gop #sgp

This is an article from National Review worth taking a look at...

Obama Frees Iranian Terror Masters

There are a few things you need to know about President Obama’s shameful release on Thursday of the “Irbil Five” — Quds Force commanders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who were coordinating terrorist attacks in Iraq that have killed hundreds — yes, hundreds — of American soldiers and Marines.

First, of the 4,322 Americans killed in combat in Iraq since 2003, 10 percent of them (i.e., more than 400) have been murdered by a single type of weapon alone, a weapon that is supplied by Iran for the singular purpose of murdering Americans. As Steve Schippert explains at NRO’s military blog, the Tank, the weapon is “the EFP (Explosively Formed Penetrator), designed by Iran’s IRGC specifically to penetrate the armor of the M1 Abrams main battle tank and, consequently, everything else deployed in the field.” Understand: This does not mean Iran has killed only 400 Americans in Iraq. The number killed and wounded at the mullahs’ direction is far higher than that — likely multiples of that — when factoring in the IRGC’s other tactics, such as the mustering of Hezbollah-style Shiite terror cells...

Media Baffled by Governor Palin Fishing #funny #humor #tcot #sgp

As reported by NewsBusters the media was unsure what to make of Governor Palin going fishing during fishing season. Thrown for a loop, the resulting media comments proved to be rather comical...


Thanks So Much For Going Up Next To The Fish And Getting The Interview comment, similar to the thank you given war correspondents for braving dangerous combat situations, points to how out of touch the media the media is with a non-cosmopolitan lifestyle.

DA Kelly Ayotte Eyes Run at Open NH Senate Seat #tcot #sgp

WMUR reports that Kelly Ayotte polls well against the likely Democratic challenger for the seat Senator Gregg will be vacating in 2010.

Ayotte Performs Well In UNH Survey

A new survey shows that New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte may have a good shot at winning a U.S. Senate seat.

Ayotte announced Tuesday that she was resigning as attorney general to explore running for Republican U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg's seat. Gregg has announced he would not seek re-election.

Democrats appear to be clearing the field for U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes to run for the seat, but other contenders in addition to Ayotte have been mentioned on the Republican side. A recent survey by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center indicates that Ayotte might be the Republican Party's best hope to retain the seat.

"Kelly Ayotte is better known and better liked than even a guy like Paul Hodes, who has been in office and is the likely challenger in 2010," said Andy Smith of the UNH Survey Center. "She's also better known and better liked than all the other Republican challengers who have been talked about so far."

Roughly 18 months before the election, 39 percent of voters surveyed said they preferred Ayotte, while 35 percent chose Hodes. But when Hodes was matched hypothetically against other possible GOP contenders, such as Fred Tausch and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass, Hodes came out on top

Kelly Ayotte on Facebook:
Friends of Kelly Ayotte

Kelly Ayotte for U.S. Senate

ABC Reports Iran’s Election Protests Continue

ABC is reporting that protests in Iran, while smaller, are continuing despite brutal crackdowns. Methods of protest have changed to reduce some of the risk of personal harm, but none-the-less persist despite the government's oppression and appear to be causing stress and turmoil within the government structures.

Iran Protests Continue Despite Crackdown

The government is lashing out, in what some see as a sign of political panic.

Despite the tough government crackdown, Iran's opposition appears to be operating on the premise that the time is now to reform Iran's theocratic system. Its nominal leadership – Mir Hossein Mousavi, former president Mohamed Khatami, and reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi – met this week in a broadened push for greater democracy and continued resistance against the Ahmadinejad's government.

Demonstrations continued through Wednesday, though more localized and limited than the early days of June's mass rallies.

In Tehran's Grand Bazaar there are some signs of a three-day strike called in protest of the government, timed with the religious holiday of Etekaf. For years Iran's government encouraged the three-day observance for the birth of Imam Ali. This year the holiday is being used for political cover so that people can go on strike without punishment.

Other forms of protest designed to evade the government crackdown involve green graffiti on neighborhood walls, often "V" signs for "victory," and writing opposition slogans on paper money that circulates through the country. "This is a second protest level. They want to try to keep the momentum going. Every opportunity that they get they want to show that the struggle continues," said Shahriar Shahabi, an Iranian analyst in Dubai who says protests continued in Shiraz, Mashad, and other cities. He says that if successful, Mousavi's plan to create a new political party would be a pivotal boost to opposition efforts.

Nightly rooftop chants of Allahu Akbar, held between 9 and 11 p.m. around the country, have continued since the June 12 election. Security forces have raided homes and attacked rooftop protesters, ending in at least two reported shooting deaths. This week, with severe sandstorms clouding the air of Tehran, protesters took advantage of the low visibility. "It is going crazy here…it is very very loud, and there is a lot of emotion," Ehsan, 34, wrote in an email to ABC News during Tuesday night's protest.

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ABC Reports Iran’s Election Protests Continue But Move To A Second Phase

We Dream Dreams That Better Ourselves

No matter where we are, the GOD of creation (Nature's God) gave humans the ability to dream. No government, business, or any other person can steal your ability to dream In America, we are free to live our dreams.

The question that I have is will it be harder to live our dreams in post modern America. The President gave a well spoken address today. He spoke of remembering the indomitable spirit of our founders. The fact that throughout our history we have been able to face down any trial and live up to any challenges. Then he started rattling off a host of government programs that we needed. All of a sudden we are not up to meeting the challenges that face us by unleashing our dreams rather by unleashing our government.

I have a great deal of respect for our President. He is living the dream. I am concerned that the very policies that he advocates such as energy rationing and putting on the hook for 99 trillion dollars of unfunded liabilities risks discouraging Americans from reaching their dreams by undermining their ability to take risk.

The more failure regulators have, the more regulation we are told that we need. The truth is regulators rarely have the ability to keep up with the targets of their regulation. When they are pressured to prevent failures instead of catch criminals, they act as if everyone is a criminal. The result is that they preemptively punish everyone. Innovation becomes something to be feared instead something to be honored. Risk becomes a proverbial four letter word instead of a literal one. America Ceases to be unique.

I don't believe this is the time to give up on liberty. Setbacks are opportunities for comebacks. If your child takes a spill on a bike, do you ban bikes? We do not need a nanny state rushing to take our bikes away. We need to understand that price of greatness is temporary pain. Your child doesn't give up bike riding because it will take him/her to more places in a faster and more efficient way. It is about fulfilling the dream of the wind in your face as you and your friends expand your world.

America, this Independence Day one little citizen says, let's cast aside the voices of doom which tell us that our best days are behind us. We need to reach down within ourselves and understand that the greatness of America is not found in expenditures of our government. It is found within our souls. When we allow each other to turn our dreams into reality, then we shall be better than our dreams.

Happy Independence Day.