#336 (9/30) - Sunday Special - "America Adrift"; 38 days Till Election

  [FYI - 1) There are just 38 days before the election; are you praying for it and our nation? 2) Be sure YOU are REGISTERED to VOTE; 3) Ttry to either read the book (you can get it from your library)"Obama's America" or see the movie "2016" ( http://personalliberty.com/2012/09/21/the-movie-that-could-defeat-obama/)  I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; and 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118;  www.truthinaction.org; - Stan]

PRAYER REQUEST:  That the Presidential debate THIS WED 10/3 will clearly reveal the policies each candidate will pursue; that Americans will discern the truth of that from what they've been told by political ads and media spin; and that the moderator will not pursue any biased agenda in the questions he asks either  candidate.

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NOTE: The following IS the sermon presented in this week's broadcast of "Truth That Transforms.'' Please tune in not just to view it but to also view a special feature on how to vote your values. (In Orlando, at 9 or 10 a.m., 5 pm; also Monday at 7 pm; check your over-the-air listings) Or go to www.truthinaction.org

> The following is a commentary by the late D. James Kennedy, posted on September 1, 2012, http://www.truthimpact.me/index.php/2012/09/america-today-is-adrift/?utm_source=TIA_Import_11_21_2011&utm_campaign=93ffcce6bf-Impact_Newsletter9_8__2012&utm_medium=email

There is no doubt that America today is adrift. We are like a ship without a rudder, compass, or even a goal. We do not know where we are going because we have forgotten from where we have come. And let me just say that it is impossible to be an intelligent conservative unless one knows what it is he is trying to conserve. Therefore, let me offer a few philosophical considerations that will provide a theoretical framework for our conservative agenda:

Every nation in history, without exception, has been founded upon some theistic or anti-theistic foundation—whether you go back to the ancient pagan nations of Egypt, or Rome, or consider the modern nations today of England, China, or even the U.S., all have been built upon some theistic or anti-theistic foundation. Out of this theistic or anti-theistic foundation (this religious foundation) there inevitably grows a set of ethics or morals. These grow out of the religious substratum, or foundation. An example of that would be to consider the difference in reaction that would take place from killing a Brahma bull in America, or doing it in India. In India, it may very well cost you your life.

Out of these sets of ethics or morals there grows, or is enacted or codified, legislation. All legislation is simply the enactment of some ethical standard that grows out of some religious foundation. This is seen in many places. When we understand this, which is so utterly fundamental to understanding the world in which we live, we see through some of the big lies we have heard so frequently in our time, such as, “You can’t legislate morality.”

The truth of the matter is, my friends, you can’t legislate anything but morality. We pass laws because something is moral or immoral. We have laws against killing because it is immoral to kill; we have laws against rape because it is immoral to rape; and we have laws against child abuse because it is immoral to abuse children.

Another big lie is that you can’t make people good by passing laws. It is true that you are not going to make people good in the sense of making them acceptable to God by passing some law. On the other hand, what would happen to our society if all laws against theft or killing, and every other crime, were suddenly removed from all of the books? Do you think it would make any difference in how people act? Look how they act when the electricity goes out in New York or a hurricane hits New Orleans—when they just think those laws are not going to apply.

How about this: “You can’t impose your morality on others.” The truth is every law ever passed by any legislature has always been the imposition of somebody’s morality on someone else.

The secular humanists have given consideration to drawing up a set of humanist ethics like gambling, pornography, consenting sex with any consenting individuals (not necessarily adults), euthanasia, and abortion. And they are busily engaged in imposing these on the entire American people!

The only moralities we really have to choose between are not mine and theirs, but God’s and man’s. The ultimate choice is between God’s morality and man’s immorality. That is the choice America is facing today. What we see going on right now is a struggle for the very soul of this nation, a struggle to steer the ship either into the safe harbor of liberty and godliness, or to steer it onto the rocks of atheistic and socialistic tyranny.

#335 (9/29) - "American Liberty Is Their Problem, Not Ours"

 [FYI - 1) There are just 39 days before the election; are you praying? 2)Be sure YOU are REGISTERED to VOTE; 3) Ttry to either read the book (you can get it from your library)"Obama's America" or see the movie "2016" ( http://personalliberty.com/2012/09/21/the-movie-that-could-defeat-obama/)  I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; and 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 - Stan]

PRAYER REQUEST:  That the Presidential debate NEXT WED 10/3 will clearly reveal the policies each candidate will pursue; that Americans will discern the truth of that from what they've been told by political ads and media spin; and that the moderator will pursue no biased agenda in the questions he asks either candidate.

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[NOTE: The following is written by the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. His concern for our national security almost led him to run for the presidency himself last year. I do hope he is selected for Secretary of State in the upcoming Romny administration. This is definitely somone who knows how to speak to our enemies without appeasement. - Stan]

 "No surprise: America under attack again in the Mideast"- by John R. Bolton , 9/25/2012; http://www.humanevents.com/2012/09/25/no-surprise-america-under-attack-again-in-the-mideast/

The September 11 assassination of four American diplomats in Benghazi, Libya, and the assault on Washington’s embassy in Cairo was a complete surprise to the White House. Immediately thereafter, violent demonstrations in other Middle Eastern countries quickly resulted in the deployment of Marine anti-terrorism security units, and the drawdown of non-essential personnel from U.S. embassies in Tunisia and the Sudan.
Undoubtedly, the violence will ebb and flow, as it did throughout the region in 1979, culminating in the seizure of our Tehran embassy, where the Iranian ayatollahs held Americans hostage for 444 days. Important questions about why the United States did not see the terrorism of this second September 11 coming, and what to do in response, should prompt a wide-ranging political debate in the weeks before the November 6 presidential election.

But there is a much more fundamental question: what caused the violent outbursts in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere? The Obama administration, following the pattern that Jeane Kirkpatrick once called “blame America first,” ascribed it all to an obscure movie ridiculing the prophet Muhammad. Much like the 2006 controversy over cartoons of Muhammad appearing in Danish newspapers, prompting riots and murder threats, top Obama officials argued that the satiric film triggered the deadly response.

White House press spokesman Jay Carney said expressly: “This is not a case of protests directed at the United States at large or at U.S. policy, but in response to a video that is offensive to Muslims.” Others blithely repeated this line, stoking the media attack not on the terrorists who killed an American Ambassador and three colleagues, but on Mitt Romney for suggesting that appeasing mobs never works.

Obviously, if we misunderstand the cause-and-effect foundations of the September 11 violence, our response will be ineffective or even harmful long-term. We can be certain of one thing: the film, however vile, was merely a pretext for the violence—an excuse, not a reason. As today’s controversy and the 2006 Danish cartoons demonstrate, almost anything can be used as a propaganda tool. But if the West reacts simply to the propaganda rather than to the fundamental problem, we will never adequately defend ourselves.

For some time, the Middle East has been experiencing a rising tide of radical Islam, fanatical and unreasoning in many manifestations, accompanied by an extremist political agenda. This radical Islamicism is replacing the receding wave of Arab nationalism which enveloped the region at the end of the colonial era half a century ago. The nationalism tide, embodied by Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, was secular, socialist and decidedly anti-American and anti-West. The new wave of radical Islamicism is obviously grounded in extremist religion rather than secular ideology, but it is just as virulently anti-American and anti-West.

These fanatical religious and political views are clearly the logical foundations for hatred of all free and open societies which do not adhere to their central tenets. Moreover, the religious radicals cleverly partner with other sources of anti-Americanism to advance their objectives. Accordingly, focusing on an offensive movie as the cause of the assassinations and riots merely highlights a symbol of what the radicals hate about us, not the underlying ideology itself.

Blithely trying to appease the extremists by knee-jerk reactions to this or that pretext will always fail to sate their anger, and convince them that a weak, decadent West can be intimidated even further. This was the U.S. Cairo Embassy’s central error in apologizing about a film for which neither Washington nor the American people had any responsibility. And although the White House repudiated the embarrassing embassy statement, Administration officials like Secretary of State Clinton have continued to apologize, as though the film is the real issue, a view 180 degrees opposite to reality.

It is never in America’s interest to constrain domestic freedoms to appease foreign enemies. As Justice Brennan once wrote, “debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and … it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.”

President Obama’s highest priority, namely his re-election, is obviously foremost in his calculations. His “success” in Libya, overthrowing Gadhafi without U.S. casualties, now lies in tragic ruins in Benghazi. His narrative that the global war on terror is essentially over is revealed as a sham. And his claim that he could reverse decades of anti-American feelings through “outreach,” concessions and apologies, is shattered irretrievably.

America’s Middle East policy, and its foreign policy globally, needs a far stronger and more determined defense of its interests and values than Obama has provided or is capable of providing. In particular, we must be absolutely clear that the recent violence is caused not by the freedoms Americans cherish, but by the repression and hatred brought forth by extremist religious ideologies. American liberty is their problem, not ours.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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"The choice is clear: Romney will keep us safer" -  by John R. Bolton , 5/24/2012; http://www.humanevents.com/2012/05/24/the-choice-is-clear-romney-will-keep-us-safer/

#334 (9/27) - 40 Days Until the Election; "5 Ways Obama Disappointed at the United Nations"

 [FYI - 1) BE sure YOU are REGISTERED to VOTE; 2) Ttry to either read the book (you can get it from your library)"Obama's America" or see the movie "2016" ( http://personalliberty.com/2012/09/21/the-movie-that-could-defeat-obama/)  I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; and 3) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 - Stan]

As I See It:   TODAY begins 40 days until the election, including Election Day itself. I hope you will join me in spending time daily in the upcoming days praying and in some way fasting for this most significant day for our nation. (I hope that you got to see my post #329 and  will consider using the prayer guide I composed and provide there.) Let me be clear. I am not saying that our country's future depends on the outcome of this election. Of course, as Christians, we must place our trust and hope ultimately in our Sovereign God to do what He deems is best. But God has instituted government (as He once did kings over Israel) and as citizens have a responsiblity to pray for and elect who will govern righteously, for our sakes and that of generations to come. "In 1798, President John Adams proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting at a time when the nation was facing a potentially devastating war with France. President Adams wrote that the “just judgments of God” are a “loud call to repentance and reformation.” He wrote that the “safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and blessing of Almighty God.” And he wrote that prayer was our duty, and that prayer “is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety, without which social happiness cannot exist, nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed...” And that is why President Adams called for a special day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer.'' (from Breakpoint.org, John Stonestret, 9/27/12) [I also invite you to go to:http://www.40daystosaveamerica.com/ where you can sign up for daily email prayer alerts/items as well.]
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- by Amy Payne on September 26, 2012

President Obama spoke to the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday – and what a disappointing speech it was.

He actually scrapped his original speech outline ^[1] to focus on the controversial YouTube video that many have suggested sparked recent anti-American attacks in the Middle East, including one in Libya that killed a U.S. Ambassador and other Americans. Making this video the focus of his speech was inappropriate. He should have used the international platform to make an unapologetic case for freedom. The President failed the American people—and America’s allies—in five major ways.

1. He failed to give a robust defense of free speech.
In tripping over the YouTube video that was offensive to Muslims, the President seemed to validate other countries’ disregard for freedom of speech:

"I know that not all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the protection of free speech. We recognize that. ^[2] But in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. The question, then, is how we respond."

He also admonished people for offending others, saying, “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied.”
The President probably thought he was being clever, turning the argument around on those calling for restrictions on free speech. But it would not be surprising if there were a number of nodding heads in the audience agreeing that all such “incitement” should be banned. That comment could, and probably will, be interpreted as a backhand endorsement of efforts to restrict free speech like the “defamation of religions” resolutions offered by the Organization of the Islamic Conference in the U.N. and the Human Rights Council.

Heritage expert Brett Schaefer responded ^[3] that: "President Obama spent less time defending free speech than he did outlining a vague vision for a world with tolerance and diversity as its key ideals. Perhaps this lopsided emphasis sought to reinforce the administration’s dubious claim that only hateful speech is to blame for the attacks on our embassies, but the overall effect was to lend credibility to the notion that governments should be policing speech.

Instead of free speech, the Obama Administration has had a policy of apologetic speech. The Administration supported a U.N. “anti-blasphemy ^[4]” resolution last year that threatens freedom of speech by condemning any expression that could be deemed “defamation of religion.” The President’s words yesterday continued this weak, apologetic stance.

2. He tiptoed around Iran.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will speak to the U.N. today, but he’s already made his positions quite clear. This week, Iran has escalated threats ^[5] against Israel and the United States, and Ahmadinejad has said that Israel should be “eliminated” and that a “new order” should emerge, without the U.S. as a superpower.
In response, the President made a “milquetoast statement ^[6],” said Heritage’s Nile Gardiner, projecting “a dangerous leading-from-behind mentality at a time when the free world needs bold U.S. leadership.” The President continues to pay lip service to diplomacy with Iran, when the time has clearly passed ^[7] for this approach.

3. He failed to give Israel strong backing.
Heritage’s Gardiner lamented that “Yet again, Obama drew moral equivalence between the Israelis and the Palestinians ^[6], a theme he has frequently expounded upon since taking office.” Palestine continues to edge its way into U.N. organizations, pursuing statehood without negotiating with Israel. The President should have taken a hard line against this. Instead, he made U.S. support for Israel—America’s steadfast ally in the Middle East—a mere footnote in his speech.

4. He did not promote economic freedom.
Heritage experts said ^[8] ahead of the speech that President Obama should call for “a new era of economic liberalization to expand economic freedom around the globe and ensure that the opportunities of a globalized and interdependent world economy are available to all citizens.” This is the key to raising people out of poverty and giving them alternatives to joining radicalized groups. However, the Obama Administration has failed to increase economic freedom at home or to promote it vigorously abroad.

5. He failed to project American strength.
The United Nations General Assembly is an odd place where oppressive dictators are given the same platform as free nations. It is a unique opportunity to remind the world why people risk their lives to come to America, and to recommit to protecting the freedoms that make that risk worthwhile. As Heritage’s Kim Holmes has said ^[9]:"We should never allow the U.N. or anyone to abuse the mantra of human rights to undermine our sovereign constitutional system which not only protects our God-given rights and the liberty to govern ourselves but also offers the best model for others to do the same.No American should speak apologetically about America. Especially not the President.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Quick Hits:
    >  President Obama is not meeting with any other world leaders ^[11] during his time at the U.N., though he found time to put in appearances on David Letterman’s show and “The View.”
   >  The president of Libya says that the YouTube movie trailer for Innocence of Muslims  had nothing to do with the September 11 attacks ^[13] on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org
URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/26/morning-bell-5-ways-obama-disappointed-at-the-united-nations/

URLs in this post:

[1] speech outline: http://www.state.gov/p/io/rm/2012/198038.htm

[2] We recognize that.: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/25/obama-at-u-n-in-defense-of-free-speech-sort-of/

[3] responded: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/328542/obama-s-miss-un-brett-d-schaefer

[4] anti-blasphemy: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/13/cairo-embassy-statement-in-tune-with-obama-u-n-resolution/

[5] escalated threats: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/25/iran-escalates-threats-ahead-of-ahmadinejads-united-nations-speech/

[6] milquetoast statement: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/25/obama-has-another-jimmy-carter-moment-at-the-u-n/

[7] time has clearly passed: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/09/end-game-in-iran/

[8] said: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/09/top-5-statements-obama-should-make-to-the-united-nations

[9] said: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/06/how-should-america-think-about-human-rights

[11] not meeting with any other world leaders: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/09/24/obama-un-bilateral-meetings-from-13-to-zero/70001039/1#.UGL09K5nWRo

[[13] had nothing to do with the September 11 attacks: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/26/libya-president-anti-islam-film-trailer-had-nothing-to-do-with-attack-on-us/

Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.

#333 (9/27) - Sign the Media Research Center Open Letter to the Media

 [FYI - 1) I hope that you've seen  and am using my post #329 as it was a special one with a prayer guide for the upcoming elections; 2) BE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE; 3) Ttry to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016" ( http://personalliberty.com/2012/09/21/the-movie-that-could-defeat-obama/)  I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 - Stan]

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As I See It:. "The government is mainly an expensive organization to regulate evildoers and tax those who behave; government does little for fairly respectable people except annoy them." - Edgar Watson Howe. I found myself laughing and shaking my head when I saw a TV newstory the other day about how children at public schools are more than usual throwing away the food  served them -  at one school as much as 50% more! The new 'healthier' menus that the government now requires schools to follow are being rejected by young people, with some even creating YouTube videos to express their displeasure! When those with power try to force others to do something - even with the best of intentions - but in effect limiting their freedom, people will rebel. As any parent will tell, that is especially true for young people. And while children may eventually submit to their parents' guidelines, may we never allow the government to become our parents. When we let that happen, we begin to lose our freedoms for good. And whenever we do see that happening, may we be awake enough to rebel! - Stan]
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The following is the text of an open letter from the Media Research Center:

This election year, so much of the broadcast networks, their cable counterparts, and the major establishment print media are out of control with a deliberate and unmistakable leftist agenda.  To put it bluntly: you are rigging this election and taking sides in order to pre-determine the outcome.  In the quarter century since the Media Research Center was established to document liberal media bias, there has never been a more brazen and complete attempt by the liberal so-called “news” media to decide the outcome of an election.

A free and balanced media are crucial to the health of this country. It is your duty as journalists – as outlined in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics – to “distinguish between advocacy and news reporting,” while simultaneously “seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.”

There is a reason why the media are viewed with such disdain by the American public, as evidenced by every recent poll on the issue. You have breached the public trust by willfully turning a blind eye to the government’s public policy failures, both domestic and foreign, while openly and shamefully smearing Gov. Mitt Romney. You are:

• Painting conservative ideas as extreme, while refusing to report the disastrous consequences of liberal programs enacted since 2008.
• Submerging the truly horrendous economic conditions America is facing and focusing only on minor political issues.
• Characterizing conservatives as cruel budget “slashers” instead of responsible officials trying to avoid a debt catastrophe.
• Focusing on alleged shortcomings in Romney’s business record instead of Obama’s record as the chief executive, whose policies contributed to a failed economy.
• Deliberately covering up embarrassing government failures and scandals, including the Solyndra debacle, Fast & Furious, and national security leaks which have put American lives in jeopardy.
• Pouncing on real and perceived missteps by conservatives, portraying them as bumbling incompetents, while suppressing embarrassing and incendiary remarks made by Vice President Joe Biden to prevent him from becoming a liability.
• Portraying conservative opposition to tax hikes as an impediment to deficit reduction while failing to highlight how liberal tax increase policies will cause massive damage to the economy and cause the deficit to explode.
• “Fact-checking” conservatives in order to discredit their arguments while regularly refusing to "fact-check" liberals who are distorting the truth. 

We the undersigned – representing millions of Americans from our respective organizations – are now publicly urging our members to seek out alternative sources of political news in order to make an intelligent, well-informed decision on November 6.

It is time the American people turn you who are offending off, once and for all. You have betrayed their trust.

Sincerely,

L. Brent Bozell, III

President , Media Research Center

This open letter/petition includes over 20 others in media, many you might recognize. To sign it yourself, as I have, go to: ttp://www.mrcaction.org/action/596? utm_source=email&utm_medium=em&utm_campaign=openletter)

#332 (9/26) - Why I Will Never Sign Up With AARP

[FYI - 1) Yes, TODAY is my GENday! (see post #322); 2) BE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE; 3) , try to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016." I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 - Stan]

 [NOTE: Did you hear that over the past weekend vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan was booed at a AARP gathering? In case you've thought that AARP was a non-partisan group watching out for seniors - especially you  who are signed up with them - the article, related articles, and the charts below should help you understand why they are a private insurance company with self-interests that work against seniors, and why I will NEVER sign up with them and strongly advise you  not to.  - Stan]

 How the AARP Made $2.8 Billion By Supporting Obamacare's Cuts to Medicare; by Avik Roy, Sept. 22; http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2012/09/22/the-aarps-2-8-billion-reasons-for-supporting-obamacares-cuts-to-medicare/

 ... Obamacare cuts $716 billion from Medicare in order to pay for its $1.9 trillion expansion of coverage to low-income Americans. It’s one of the reasons why seniors are more opposed to the new health law than any other age group. So why is it that the group that purports to speak for seniors, the American Association of Retired Persons, so strongly supports a law that most seniors oppose? According to an explosive new report from Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.), it’s because those very same Medicare cuts will give the AARP a windfall of $1 billion in insurance profits, and preserve another $1.8 billion that AARP already generates from its business interests.(DISCLOSURE: I am an outside adviser to the Romney campaign on health-care issues. The opinions contained herein are mine alone, and do not necessarily correspond to those of the campaign.)

Here’s how it works. AARP isn’t your every-day citizens’ advocacy group. The AARP is also one of the largest private health insurers in America. In 2011, the AARP generated $458 million in royalty fees from so-called “Medigap” plans, nearly twice the $266 million the lobby receives in membership dues.

Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

 

Medigap plans are private insurance plans that seniors buy to cover the things that traditional, government-run Medicare doesn’t, like catastrophic coverage. Medigap plans also help seniors eliminate the co-pays and deductibles that are designed to restrain wasteful Medicare spending.

AARP blocked Medigap reforms, saving the group $1.8 billion
Adding catastrophic coverage to Medicare, while restraining the ability of Medigap plans to waste money, is a key to Medicare reform, one that has been a big part of bipartisan plans in the past. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Medigap reforms that AARP blocked would have saved the average senior as much as $415 in premiums per year. But the AARP aggressively, and successfully, lobbied to keep Medigap reforms out of Obamacare, because AARP receives a 4.95 percent royalty on every dollar that seniors spend on its Medigap plans. Reform, DeMint estimates, would have cost AARP $1.8 billion over ten years.

Cuts to Medicare Advantage could earn AARP over $1 billion
Not only did AARP succeed in getting Democrats to balk at Medigap reform. Obamacare’s cuts to Medicare Advantage will drive many seniors out of that program, and into traditional government-run Medicare, which will increase the number of people who need Medigap insurance. That means more royalty profits for the AARP. Reps. Wally Herger (R., Calif.) and Dave Reichert (R., Wash.) estimated that the change “could result in a windfall for AARP that exceeds over $1 billion during the next ten years.”

AARP Medigap plans exempted from Obamacare’s insurance mandates
It gets worse. AARP Medigap plans are exempted from most of Obamacare’s best-known insurance mandates. AARP Medigap plans are exempted from the ban that requires insurers to take all comers, regardless of pre-existing conditions. The plans are exempted from the $500,000 cap on insurance industry executive compensation; top AARP executives currently make more than $1 million. AARP plans are exempt from the premium tax levied on other private insurers. IPAB, Medicare’s rationing board, is explicitly barred from altering Medicare’s cost-sharing provisions, provisions that govern the existence of Medigap plans.

And AARP Medigap plans are allowed to have twice the administrative costs that other private insurers are allowed under Obamacare’s medical loss ratio regulations. This last point is key, because AARP’s 4.95 percent royalty is a significant administrative cost.

Democrats routinely excoriate private insurers for supposedly putting profits above people. “No American should ever spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies,” President Obama told the AARP yesterday. But the typical private insurer gets by on a profit margin of about 5 to 6 percent. AARP’s 4.95 percent royalty, on the other hand, doesn’t do anything to make a health plan operate more smoothly: it’s just pure profit for AARP.


Publicly, the AARP poses as an independent, non-partisan organization. But privately, the organization strongly favored Obamacare. “We will try to keep a little space between us,” one senior AARP executive told the White House in November 2009, according to records unearthed by DeMint. “[Our] polling shows we are more influential when we are seen as independent, so we want to reinforce that positioning…The larger issue is how best to serve the cause” of Obamacare.''

Kim Strassel at the Wall Street Journal goes through 71 pages of emails uncovered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which “show an AARP leadership…that from the start worked to pass Obamacare, before crucial details pertaining to seniors had been addressed.” AARP had “long lambasted cuts in fees to Medicare doctors,” she notes, but the lobby reversed itself for Obamacare, claiming that Obamacare’s provider cuts were just fine.

AARP has a multibillion-dollar ‘conflict of interest’
This week, the AARP hosted a convention in New Orleans, at which President Obama and Paul Ryan spoke about Obamacare and Medicare. When Rep. Ryan spoke to the AARP about the importance of repealing Obamacare, he was booed. Small wonder, given the AARP’s extreme financial interest in the law. According to DeMint, during the Obamacare debate in Congress, the AARP’s phone logs from seniors registered more than 50 to 1 against the law.

Remember these issues the next time someone points out that the AARP supports Obamacare’s Medicare cuts, and opposes the Romney-Ryan plan. The Romney-Ryan plan would dramatically reduce the need for Medigap plans, because it would encourage the formation of comprehensive insurance plans within the Medicare program itself.

Obamacare, on the other hand, saved the AARP from $1.8 billion in Medigap reforms, while potentially earning the group an additional $1 billion in royalties from seniors who are forced out of Medicare Advantage. That’s a swing of $2.8 billion over ten years, all thanks to Obamacare.“There’s an inherent conflict of interest,” says Marylin Moon, who served as director of AARP’s Public Policy Institute from 1986 to 1989. “A lot of people there are trying to do good, but they’re ending up becoming very dependent on [Medigap royalty] sources of income.”

It’s a testament to AARP’s political power—and our broken health-care system—that the lobby is allowed to carry on a half-billion-a-year business that’s based on increasing the premiums that seniors pay, and draining money from the taxpayers who get billed for wasteful Medicare spending. Sen. DeMint has done a public service by bringing these problems out into the open.

 [Note: 1) go to the website noted above to get more information about the items underlined in this article; 2) bold and italics emphasis in this article are mine, and 3) note the charts at the end of this post that are part of this article.]

For further information :

How Obamacare's $716 Billion in Cuts Will Drive Doctors Out of Medicare, http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2012/08/20/how-obamacares-716-billion-in-cuts-will-drive-doctors-out-of-medicare/
 Fact-Checking the Obama Campaign's Defense of its $716 Billion Cut to Medicare, http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2012/08/16/fact-checking-the-obama-campaigns-defense-of-its-716-billion-cut-to-medicare/

Why the American Medical Association Had 72 Million Reasons to Shrink Doctors' Pay, http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2011/11/28/why-the-american-medical-association-had-72-million-reasons-to-help-shrink-doctors-pay/  (see also book, "The Social Transformation of

American Medicine" by this article's author)
Burr-Coburn: The Best Medicare Reform Proposal Yet, 2/16/12; http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2012/02/16/burr-coburn-the-best-medicare-reform-proposal-yet/

 

#331(9/25) - "Don’t Play Politics with the Nation’s Security;" White House Disinformation Campagin

 [FYI - 1) I hope that you got to see my post #329 as it was a special one with a prayer guide for the upcoming elections; 2) BE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE; 3) , try to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016." I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 - Stan]
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- by Steven Bucci, September 19; http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/19/dont-play-politics-with-the-nations-security/

The political grandstanding around sequestration is shameful. As Bob Woodward described in his book The Price of Politics, the present crisis was not the product of ineptitude or misplaced priorities (who would have thought those would be considered lesser evils?). It has been caused by the conscious decisions of political leaders who have put their election priorities ahead of their duties to provide national security. The sequestration formula mandated by the Budget Control Act has left us with the choice of a disastrous set of defense cuts (on top of those already instated) or accepting disastrous tax increases.

This is a result of leaders who have stated that they are frankly comfortable with additional cuts to defense—as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said—and who desire massive increases in taxes to fund the unsustainable entitlement programs they heavily favor. Reid has repeatedly said he will allow no alternative solution to the sequestration to even come to a vote, unless it contains substantial tax hikes. Likewise, the President has said he would veto legislation that protected the defense budget from the nearly half a trillion dollars in cuts without opponents accepting his vision of the budget, which includes tax hikes.

In the best of times, this would be considered an uncertain way forward. However, these are not the best of times. Even Administration officials have stopped saying that the war on terrorism is over and that we can reap a peace dividend similar to the Clinton years. The death of a U.S. ambassador and three of his colleagues last week made that tragically clear. America’s enemies are still out there and active. American leaders ignore these threats by shrinking our Armed Forces at our peril. We are only beginning to understand the ramifications of the upheaval in the Middle East after the Arab Spring, and al-Qaeda and Iran continue to bedevil the U.S and the free nations of the world.

How would sequestration affect our defense and security efforts? The dangerous cuts to operational programs, negative effects on the defense industrial base, dwindling abilities to fund the National Guard during domestic disasters, and recently identified cuts to the security programs of our embassies abroad all cry out for a reasonable, bipartisan solution. Our leaders cannot stand on ideological positions, and, Majority Leader Reid, accepting only one option is the definition of being ideologically rigid.
Everyone understands that politicians seek re-election, but their first duty must be to serve the people. Providing for the common defense is a paramount element of that service. Failing to deal appropriately with the self-destructive sequestration cuts is an abrogation of that responsibility.

[Note: 1) go to this article's web link noted above to find further information about all items above that are underlined; and 2) bold and italics emhasis mine]
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"The White House Disinformation Campaign on the Libya Attack;"Helle Dale, September 20, 2012 http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/20/the-white-house-disinformation-campaign-on-the-libya-attack/

The Obama Administration has now acknowledged the glaringly obvious: that the four Americans who died in the September 11 attack in Libya “were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy.”

This statement came from no less an authority than Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, in response to a question at an open Senate hearing Wednesday. Finally, someone is making sense. ..For the past week, the strictly coordinated and downright misleading responses  from the rest of the Obama Administration’s team of spokesmen have rejected the idea that terrorism is afoot. From President Obama himself, speaking to that hard-nosed interviewer David Letterman, to Carney to State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, the ridiculous line has been peddled that the attacks on American embassies and interests throughout the Muslim world were provoked exclusively by an offensive 14-minute anti-Islam YouTube video.

...[UN Ambassador] Rice kept repeating this improbable scenario. In doing so, she contradicted not only common sense but also Libyan President Mohamed Yousef El-Magariaf, who had stated that the attack was “planned, definitely, it was planned by foreigners, by people who entered this country a few months ago, and they were planning this criminal act since their arrival.” Fox News is now reporting that one of the al-Qaeda leaders involved in the attack had been released from Guantanamo Bay by the Obama Administration itself.

Which leads us to the question of why the Administration has so stubbornly continued to cling to the narrative that this spreading wildfire of anti-Americanism is only about offense taken to an amateurish, fourth-rate anti-Islam movie trailer? “It would be consistent with the Obama Administration’s line that the war on terror is essentially over,” noted former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, speaking on “Fox and Friends” Thursday.

As U.S. troops are packing up their gear in Afghanistan, looking forward to the flight home, al-Qaeda has proven that terrorism is alive and well

[Note: 1) go to this article's web link noted above to find further information about all items above that are underlined; and 2) bold and italics emphasis mine]

#330 (9/24) - Appeasement, ala Neville Chamberlain, Is NOT Leadership

 PRAYER REQUEST: Congress Leaves Town Without Tax Decision  (September 22, 2012)

Congressional lawmakers have left Washington until after the November elections without making any decisions about taxes, spending and entitlement reform. Despite the countdown clock ticking toward a massive tax increase on January 1, lawmakers say tax and spending decisions can’t be made until after Election Day in November. But the real question many political pundits are asking is whether policymakers can find common ground after the election in a “lame-duck” session before the new Congress takes over next year... Economists, meanwhile, warn the fiscal situation, including the expiration of the Bush tax cuts on January 1, could push the country back into a recession early next year. (Sources: CBS, CNN)

As the Lord leads, please pray:

> that lawmakers will address the fiscal crisis that looms on the horizon
>for the November election and the consequences for the economy  
>for the recovery of the American economy 

 [FYI - 1) I hope that you got to see my post #329 yesterday as it was a special one with a prayer guide for the upcoming elections; 2) BE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE; 3) , try to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016." I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 - Stan]
[NOTE: By again apologizing to those who incite violence against  Americans, in the repeatedly proven futile hope of pacifiying the anger of Islamic extremists, the Obama administration only puruses a policy that only emboldens our enemies. They are doing the same as did the Prime Minister of Great Britain Chamberlain in regards to Hitler when he surrendered to the madman country after country in Europe in  the belief that it would appease his agression. Instead, it only fueled it, as our government's continued actions are also bound to do. - Stan] 

"The Apology Tour Continues: Obama, Clinton Say 'Sorry' to Rioting Pakistanis,"  by Helle Dale, September 21, 2012 http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/21/the-apology-tour-continues-obama-clinton-say-sorry-to-rioting-pakistanis/

[Last Thursday, 9/20], the President and Secretary of State of the United States of America went on Pakistani television to apologize.

In a commercial containing clips from their Washington press conferences, subtitled in Urdu, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton said “sorry” to the mad hordes attacking the American embassy in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and deplored the infamous anti-Muslim14-minute YouTube video. “We absolutely reject its content and message,” said Clinton in the advertisements, which ended with the seal of the American embassy in Pakistan. U.S. taxpayers footed the bill for this high-level official apology to the tune of $70,000.

This is not public diplomacy. This is madness.

First off, Clinton and Obama should actually issue another apology—this one to the personnel of the U.S. embassy in Cairo. Their apology statement, posted on the embassy’s website on September 11 while the embassy was under attack, was denounced the following day by the Secretary of State and the President and subsequently taken down.

All these apologies are, however, extensions of the Obama “apology tour,” the moral underpinning of the President’s approach to foreign policy, which holds that the U.S. must be at fault whenever international problems arise. It began soon after his inauguration and is still going strong. The President has apologized for Guantanamo; for the CIA and its techniques; for U.S. policies toward the Americas; for slavery, segregation, and the treatment of Native Americans; for the War on Terrorism; for policy toward the Muslim world, etc., etc.

At the heart of Obama’s display of humility, however, is his belief in his own power to redeem this country’s many sins. To the G-20 summit of world leaders, Obama stated in 2009, “I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we’ve made, that you’re starting to see some restoration of America’s standing in the world.” Clearly, the rioting mobs burning the American flag and even the President’s image don’t see it that way.

Instead of apologies, the public diplomacy message of the Administration should be a defense of American people, values, and interests. Here is what a worthwhile commercial featuring Clinton and Obama might have said:

We have had enough. The United States stands for freedom of expression at home and abroad and will continue to do so in the face of thuggish intimidation. Freedom of expression is a fundamental principle enshrined in the U.S. Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We stand with those who share these values, and we demand that all violence against our embassies and personnel cease immediately.

Sadly, though, the apology tour continues.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

#329 (9/23) - Sunday Special > A Special Election Prayer Post

 PRAYER REQUEST: Surge Troops Leave Afghanistan (September 21)
Very quietly, the surge of troops into Afghanistan that President Obama announced to such fanfare in late 2009 is now over. ...The withdrawal, which leaves 68,000 American forces in the war zone, comes as the security transition to Afghan forces is in trouble, threatened by a spike in so-called insider attacks in which Afghan Army and police troops, or insurgents dressed in their uniforms, have been attacking and killing U.S. and NATO forces. (Sources: USA Today, Fox News, Associated Press)

As the Lord leads, please pray:

• For the American and NATO troops remaining in Afghanistan - their safety and morale.
• For the returning soldiers and others and their families, as they are reunited.
• For comfort and recovery for our "wounded warriors," including those with non-visible wounds such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

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  FYI - 1) As usual on Sunday, please be sure to watch "Truth That Transforms" (In Orlando, at 9 and 10 a.m, 5 pm; Monday at 7) or go to www.truthinaction.org  Today's  message is part 2 of the video "Socialism:  A Clear and Present Danger." Great stuff!; 2) Before Election Day: a) be sure you are registered to vote; b) try to read "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016" (that is based on the book). You only THINK you know the President; c) copy and post the list of prayer requests below and lift them up EACH DAY until the election.- Stan

P.S. - Do you remember my explanation of "GENday" in the last Sunday Special? I spoke about how we needed to help emphasize to people that life begins at conception, NOT at birth. Well, here is a petition you can sign in favor of the Life At Conception Act before Congress. Check the following to learn more:
http://nationalprolifealliance.com/laca_petition_wicker_2.aspx?pid=0920a&npla=H1BYAA12I

Heavenly Father,

Without question, you have mightily blessed the United States, beginning with leading Columbus to its  shores 520 years ago. You caused it to have Biblical foundations of government that have been models for other nations and allowed it to enjoy great leaders and unprecedented times of prosperity and protection from its enemies. While it has not lacked for failures, America has nevertheless been a source for good for its people and those of many other nations throughout its history.  

   We confess that especially for many decades now, America has forgotten you. Declaring the unborn non-persons and legalizing the slaughter of over 50 million of our most innocent the past 40 years alone is enough to be deserving of your severest judgment. Despite the attacks from our enemies at home and abroad, despite the desperate state of our economy the past few years, by your mercy and grace, America remains strong. Despite its failures to honor you, we still believe you want America to remain strong and prosperous and be a beacon of freedom and blessing to the rest of the world.

   We acknowledge that the national elections on November 6^th may be the most pivotal we have in our history. What kind of America we have for generations to come may depend on the leaders people vote for this year. Please help Americans who vote to be fully informed on the issues facing us and to only vote for leaders who will be wise and courageous to put in place just the policies we need. We pray that they will be men and women who will serve not out of personal ambition nor promote destructive agendas but will serve only with the intention of doing what is right and which honors you.

      Father, you have truly been most merciful and gracious to the United States. Thank you again for so greatly blessing America. By their votes, may Americans this November bless you! In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen. 

Election PRAYER Requests: This Friday, Sept. 28, marks 40 days until Election Day. In the 40 years I will  have voted in elections, THIS may very well be the most important, not just in terms of the Presidency but also the control of Congress. I hope that you will copy the following requests and consider praying (and as the Lord leads you, fasting as wel) for them EVERY DAY, at least  beginning  this Friday:
  

1) That God would bring revival to America – in terms of the admonition in 2 Chron. 7:14 -  and open the hearts of millions to the gospel. No solution offered by any candidate will bring TRUE and ETERNAL change and healing to our country.

2) That every American eligible to vote will do so, having been discerning of all the political ads and media spin on the candidates and primarily taking the time to educate themselves about where the candidates stand on the most relevant issues facing our country.

3) That in particular, every eligible CHRISTIAN voter will vote, being sure to vote for that candidate who is most committed to pursue policies that are based on Biblical values. [This involves not just defending the sanctity of life and traditional marriage but also such things as eliminating our out-of-control national debt without resorting to breaking the 8^th (unreasonable taxes being stealing) and 10^th (targeting those with wealth, or class warfare, being equal to coveting) commandments).]

4) That each candidate worthy of the support of the American voter will have the funds, organization, and volunteers to run a successful campaign. Also, may these candidates clearly express their positions in their speeches and debate performances.

5) That the 3 Presidential and one Vice Presidential debates (and other debates among US House and Senate candidates)  throughout October CLEARLY reveal the differences in how each candidate would lead us on different issues; that the moderator in each debate to be unbiased and free of any personal agenda in the questions they ask each candidate. Also, may the vast majority of those still undecided NOT vote early without at least hearing the candidates debate.  

6) That the final results in every race accurately reflect not just the will of the American people, but God’s will.

7) That during each winning candidate's time of service, Americans will watch their actions carefully to hold them accountable, especially in regards to how they promised to represent us.

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Congressional Races: We need to remember to pray for the elections also taking place for members of Congress. The  make-up of that branch of government will also be critical in whether our nation  pursues the policies it needs to affirm traditional values, restore our prosperity, and ensure our national security. There are many such candidates; the following are some of those candidates. Pray that they and all  others like them will be successful (add others you know of to your list):

House of Representatives - Mia Love (UT), Michelle Bachman (MN), Allen West (FL)
Senate - Ted Cruz (TX), Josh Mandel (OH), Richard Murdock (IN), Jeff Flake (AZ), Deb Fischer (NE), George Allen (VA), Tom Smith (PA), Don Bargino (MD), Connie Mack (FL).

 

#328 (9/22) - U.S. Constitution Celebrates 225

[FYI - 1) Tomorrow's Sunday Special is particuularly important. Be sure to check it out. 2) BE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE; 3) , try to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016." I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; 4) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the follow site to read a lengthy preview of it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118 ]
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"How Is Our Constitution Under Fire?" 

http://askheritage.org/how-is-our-constitution-under-fire?utm_source=AH_Weekly&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2012-09-21&utm_campaign=2012_Brand

Today [9/21], the federal government has acquired an all but unquestioned dominance over virtually every area of American life. It acts without constitutional limits and increasingly regulates our most basic activities, from how much water is in our toilets to what kind of light bulbs we can buy.

So while we face many challenges, the most difficult task ahead—and the most important—is to restore constitutional limits on government. Forty visionaries (http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/signers.html) signed a piece of paper 225 years ago today [9/21] that became one of the most vital documents in the world: the U.S. Constitution. By design, it limited the power of government under the rule of law, created a vigorous framework that expanded economic opportunity, protected national independence and secured liberty and justice for all. But how is that limitation of powers working today?

The Judicial Branch. The rise of unlimited government is most familiar and most prominent in the form of judicial activism. The Founders called the judiciary the “least dangerous branch,” but progressive judges have usurped the functions of the other two branches and transformed the courts into policymaking bodies with wide-ranging power. We need judges who take the Constitution seriously and follow it faithfully.

The Legislative Branch. For its part, Congress has long legislated without regard to limits on its powers. As a result, decisions that were previously the constitutional responsibility of elected legislators are delegated to executive branch administrators. Congress is increasingly an administrative body overseeing a vast array of bureaucratic policymakers and rule-making bodies. Congress should stop delegating to bureaucrats and actively take responsibility for all the laws (and regulations) that govern us.

The Executive Branch. Meanwhile, the President has unique and powerful responsibilities in our constitutional system as chief executive officer, head of state, and commander in chief. But the idea that the president— who is charged with the execution of the laws—doesn’t have to wait for the lawmaking branch to make, amend, or abolish laws, but can and should act on his own is toxic to the rule of law. It violates the spirit, and potentially the letter, of the Constitution’s separation of the legislative and executive powers of Congress and the President.

It won’t be easy to return to the founding principles. We’ll have to move one step at a time, and walk back decades worth of bad decisions by members of all three branches of government. But it can be done, if we use the written Constitution as our guide and we believe that it means what it says and says what it means.

The Founders worked from the premise that government exists to secure God-given rights, and that it derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. And while many people take that for granted today, it was a novel idea in the 18th century and remains all too rare today. Since Americans are equal, self-governing citizens and the United States government is limited, we have the liberty and opportunity to live our lives, control our fate, and pursue our happiness—and the American Dream.

That’s worth celebrating, today and every day. But while our Constitution remains remarkably hale and hearty after all these years (it’s by far the longest-serving constitution in the world), it is under fire from many directions. Let us remember today that we have the opportunity to rededicate this country to the Constitution and to the universal principles of liberty at its core. We can, and must, dedicate ourselves to the hard work of restoring constitutional self-government, and so preserving the American Dream for all.

[bold and italics emphasis mine] 
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"Celebrating Constitution Day", By: Rep. Scott Garrett  9/17/2012
http://www.humanevents.com/2012/09/17/celebrating-constitution-day/

Perhaps most people aren’t even aware that Monday is Constitution Day or even what the day commemorates. A recent Washington Times/JZ Analytics poll demonstrated that a broad cross section of Americans do not have a strong understanding of the Constitution. This is a shame. Everybody celebrates the day that Americans declared their independence from Great Britain, but far fewer people are even familiar with the events, or the document, that launched us as a nation.

The story begins with an unlikely hero: a soft-spoken, studious politician from Virginia by the name of James Madison. Madison asked his friend, Thomas Jefferson, to send him hundreds of volumes on politics from France, so that he could begin a research project on ancient and modern confederacies.
Closeted away at Montpelier, his rural home in Virginia, Madison explored the virtues and, even more importantly, the vices of confederacies, both past and present. His purpose was to experiment with ways to improve upon older models, and his investigations bore more fruit than most research projects ever do. The exercise was never meant to create a federal government so powerful that it would stifle state governments or individual initiative. It was about striking a balance between national and state government, all the while ensuring it is always the citizens who are in charge.

When the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, they made two decisions that would be crucial to their success: They elected George Washington as the president of the Convention, and they chose James Madison’s Virginia Plan as the starting point of all their debates.
Madison’s Plan certainly did not receive universal approval. And as these 55 men from twelve states debated how the United States should be governed, Madison’s suggestions would undergo numerous and significant changes. Large states would have to find common ground with small states; free states would have to compromise with slave states; and agricultural interests had to be reconciled to manufacturing interests.

At last, after three and a half months of wrangling, the Convention agreed on a final form of government. And on the last day of the Convention, September 17, 1787, nearly every member in attendance was willing to sign what would become, after its ratification, the Constitution of the United States of America.
When Alexis de Tocqueville wrote his magnificent study of Democracy in America in the 1830s, he admitted that he was not as impressed with America’s Revolutionary War victory as Americans seemed to be. Three thousand miles of ocean had more to do with their triumph over the English, he thought, than military skill or valor.

Instead, what impressed Tocqueville was the Constitution that Americans had framed after the dust cleared. He declared that “it is a novelty in the history of society to see a great people turn a calm and scrutinizing eye upon itself”—to voluntarily adopt a Constitution that would safeguard liberty—“without having wrung a tear or a drop of blood from mankind.” As a Frenchman, Tocqueville would have had in mind other revolutions that had led to far bloodier outcomes. And in our own time, it is a useful lesson to remember as we watch the revolutionary uprisings in other parts of the world: Once an oppressive tyrant has been overthrown, the hard work has only just begun.

Despite the challenges that lay before us, I believe our greatest days can be ahead of us if only we embrace our founding principles, resolve ourselves to go forward, and embody our great American promise.
So this September 17, the 225th since the signing of our great charter of liberty, be sure to celebrate those eminent Americans—such as George Washington and James Madison—who designed a Constitution that would “establish justice … and ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” Their accomplishment is worth celebrating.

#327 (9/21) - "What A Tangled Web We Weave. The Administration’s Benghazi Story Unravels."

[FYI - 1) BE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE; 2) Before the election, try to either read the book (you can get it from your library) "Obama's America" or see the movie "2016." I promise you, you will not understand our President's worldview until you do; 3) You might also try to get a copy of the book, "Divider-In-Chief"; go to the following site to read a lengthy preview of it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621570118/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1621570118&linkCode=as2&tag=null07-20#reader_1621570118
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by streiff, September 17th, 2012; http://www.redstate.com/2012/09/17/what-a-tangled-web-we-weave-the-administrations-benghazi-story-unravels/

As the Administration struggles to pin the foreseeable outcome of our bonkers Middle East policy, the sacking of two diplomatic missions and the slaughter of at least four diplomatic personnel, on a YouTube video, the truth begins to trickle out.

The first substantial fissure appears today.

An intelligence source backs up the claim of a wounded Libyan security guard that there was no demonstration prior to the sacking of the Benghazi consulate. An intelligence source on the ground in Libya told Fox News that there was no demonstration outside the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi prior to last week’s attack — challenging the Obama administration’s claims that the assault grew out of a “spontaneous” protest against an anti-Islam film. “There was no protest and the attacks were not spontaneous,” the source said, adding the attack “was planned and had nothing to do with the movie.”

The source said the assault came with no warning at about 9:35 p.m. local time, and included fire from more than two locations. The assault included RPG’s and mortar fire, the source said, and consisted of two waves. The account that the attack started suddenly backs up claims by a purported Libyan security guard who told McClatchy Newspapers late last week that the area was quiet before the attack. "There wasn’t a single ant outside,” the unnamed guard, who was being treated in a hospital, said in the interview.

This is a much more coherent view of the facts. A coordinated attack by al Qaeda on multiple US diplomatic missions, on 9/11, in the aftermath of the grotesque chest thumping by the hollow-chested “men” of the Obama Administration over the killing of bin Laden makes imminent sense. Multiple riots spontaneous appearing on 9.11 in response to an internet “film” is ludicrous on its face.

As the word of this works its way out the story will become even more damning. The only question is whether the administration can keep this under wraps until after election day.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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 "Why Obama Is Failing the Middle East Meltdown and How to Fix It "- By James Carafano On September 14, 2012

The breaking news keeps breaking when it comes to revelations surrounding the attacks and protests aimed at U.S. embassies going on throughout the Islamic world. Protests have spread to at least eight countries. Reports indicate that four people have been arrested relating to the killing of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff there. That offers at least the promise of getting more information about the deliberate attack [1] on the U.S. compound in Benghazi.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., government authorities identified the man behind the controversial film purported as the cause for the protests as Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a 55-year-old Californian with a shadowy past [2] including many aliases and a criminal record.

Unlike a Brad Thor novel, however, we can’t just jump to the end of the story to find out what this all means for American policy in this troubled part of the world. But (again, unlike a Brad Thor novel) without cheating we can predict how the story is going to end—because the result of the President’s Middle East policies was predictable from the start.

Obama’s strategy for this part of the world started out much the way Jimmy Carter’s did—with acts of conciliation and accommodation. The President narrowly focused his priorities on three objectives: 1) withdrawing from Iraq as quickly as possible; 2) engaging with Syria and Iran; and 3) transforming the U.S. into a neutral party—to negotiate peace between Palestine and Israel.

For starters, we know that all three of those objectives have met with abject failure.

Iraq was not only left a shaky state; it has become a shaky friend—defying U.S. requests to block Iranian flights that are rearming the Syrian military so they can kill more Syrian civilians.

After wasting three years of trying to find common ground with the totalitarian regimes in Syria and Iran, even the White House has acknowledged failure, calling for the government in Damascus to step down and asking for more sanctions on Tehran.

Finally, the peace process has collapsed—a blessing in disguise, because if Obama succeeded in creating a Palestinian state today, it would look an awful lot like the Syrian regime the rest of the region is trying to bring down—a corrupt state that oppresses its own people, a state sponsor of terrorism, and a tool of Iran.

The President’s policy, however, has been more than unsuccessful—the “Obama doctrine [3]” has taken the cause of protecting U.S. interests in the region backward—because it relied on a self-imposed agenda of self-weakening. It included distancing the U.S. from Israel and playing politics with the U.S. defense budget—where even his own officials acknowledge that if the automatic cuts required under the Budget Control Act of 2011 go into effect, they will undermine the readiness and reduce the capabilities of the armed forces. (Watch our new video featuring real stories from veterans about the readiness challenges facing our military.)

The war on terrorism began when Osama bin Laden wrote his fatwa proclaiming America a paper tiger in withdrawal. With a sharp push, he believed, the Americans would fall away. It is not the President’s policies, nor the promises he made at his historic speech in Cairo, nor the pledges he made to punish the perpetrators of the attack in Benghazi that America’s enemies are responding to. They believe the U.S., by its actions, has demonstrated it is in retreat.

Attacks on embassies and anti-American riots in the street can happen on any President’s watch. What we need to be most concerned about is that those who are deliberately plotting against us are on the offensive—again.

It is time for a different course:

>Don’t lose focus on Iran. Tehran is the number one troublemaker in this part of the world. From its nuclear aspirations to sponsoring terrorism, plotting attacks of its own, and promoting an extremist agenda across the region to crushing the aspirations of freedom from its own people—peace in this part of the planet has no greater enemy.

>Reassert the need for close strategic cooperation with Israel. The instability that continues to sweep the region only underscores the fact that Israel is the only ally in the region that the U.S can reliably count on.

>Acknowledge that the war against a global Islamist insurgency isn’t over. There are evil people out there trying to kill us, and we have to stop them. Chasing down their leaders with drone strikes is not enough—dealing with the “next wave” of transnational terrorism will require a different course [4]. The strategy for the next wave must regain the initiative that has been lost by this President, bring a successful end to the long war, and leave behind an enduring and sustainable counterterrorism enterprise—one that can adeptly respond to emerging threats, like the recent attack in Benghazi.

>Adopt an economic freedom agenda. The 2012 Index of Economic Freedom [5] confirms that countries of the Middle East lag in many areas of economic freedom and that the lack of jobs and opportunity is at the root of much of the anger. It is past time to move the economic freedom agenda from an afterthought to the centerpiece of U.S. Middle East policy. Even the best security policy will never be sufficient. We can lower our own barriers to trade and encourage governments in the Middle East to do likewise. We can encourage reforms to open up investment, create jobs, and empower individuals economically. [I disagree with this point. I believe the Islamists who have caused the violence in the region when they themselves have said that seek the destruction of Israel and America. For them, it will never be matter of more jobs or economic opportunity. That's another reason why trying to gain their favor through foreign aid also will never work. - Stan]

To protect America’s interest in this part of the world, we must be:
•A faithful, responsible, and enduring ally;
•A champion of supporting the cause of liberty and economic freedom; and
•A strong, resilient, and confident nation prepared to defend itself, its allies, and its interests.

It will take that kind of shift in U.S. policies to weather this crisis well.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Quick Hits:
•The Independent is reporting that U.S. officials had credible intelligence about possible embassy attacks 48 hours before [6] the attack in Libya.
•The attack on the U.S. diplomats in Libya may be tied to al-Qaeda [1].
•The statement put out by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo may have sounded strange, but it’s actually in line with a U.N. resolution against “religious intolerance” [7] supported by the Obama Administration.
•Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced another round of “quantitative easing” in which the government will buy bonds [8] in a bid to help the economy.
•Monday is Constitution Day—the U.S. Constitution’s birthday. It’s up to us to protect this foundation of our liberty. Heritage’s Julia Shaw has 10 ways you can protect the Constitution [9].
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org ; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/14/morning-bell-why-obama-is-failing-the-middle-east-meltdown-and-how-to-fix-it/

URLs in this post:
[1] deliberate attack: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/13/911-attack-on-u-s-diplomats-in-libya-may-be-linked-to-al-qaeda/
[2] shadowy past: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/news-guide-to-protests-fallout-over-film-mocking-prophet-muhammad/2012/09/13/8f887782-fddf-11e1-98c6-ec0a0a93f8eb_story.html
[3] Obama doctrine: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/08/defining-the-obama-doctrine-its-pitfalls-and-how-to-avoid-them
[4] different course: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/08/a-counterterrorism-strategy-for-the-next-wave
[5] Index of Economic Freedom: http://www.heritage.org/index/book/chapter-4
[6] 48 hours before: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/revealed-inside-story-of-us-envoys-assassination-8135797.html
[7] U.N. resolution against “religious intolerance”: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/13/cairo-embassy-statement-in-tune-with-obama-u-n-resolution/
[8] government will buy bonds: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-14/bernanke-s-battle-for-jobs-eclipses-inflation-concerns.html
[9] 10 ways you can protect the Constitution: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/14/10-steps-to-save-the-constitution/

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