“Parents, you need to question these people!:” Shock video of dad arrested at school meeting after challenging Common Core

◼ Watch the video. Small’s crime is daring to ask questions and refusing to be intimidated by the Common Core mafia. - Michelle Malkin

◼ Jeb Bush’s latest Common Core snit fit - Michelle Malkin

Jeb Bush routinely has dismissed those who protest Common Core’s increasing federalization of local control over schools as conspiracy-mongers. But it’s President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan who’ve made common cause with Bush and corporate elites in foisting Common Core standards, tests, technology and data-mining boondoggles on local school districts. Obama, Duncan and Bush have been meeting with deep-pocketed CEOs in Washington, not with ordinary parents outside the Beltway.

Dr. Bill Evers of the Hoover Institution succinctly debunked Bush’s repeated insistence that 45 states voluntarily adopted the irresistibly rigorous standards:

“(S)tates weren’t leaping because they couldn’t resist the Core’s academic magnetism. They were leaping because it was the Great Recession — and the Obama administration was dangling a $4.35 billion Race to the Top carrot in front of them. Big points in that federal program were awarded for adopting the Core, so, with little public debate, most did.”

◼ And, in Arizona: Gov. Jan Brewer ordered her agencies to stop using the term “Common Core’’ when referring to new education standards, in response to hostility from critics over what they see as a federal intrusion.... Common core name changes, standards remain... - Arizona Daily Star

In an executive order, the governor said she was “reaffirming Arizona’s right to set education policy.” Her order spells out “no standards or curriculum shall be imposed on Arizona by the federal government.”

But it concedes the standards adopted by the state Board of Education in 2010 already are being implemented. And Brewer herself referred to them as Common Core in her State of the State speech and her budget request to the Legislature.

Press aide Andrew Wilder said the order changes nothing except the name, which going forward will be “Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards.’’

...“This is just changing the window dressing,” said Diane Douglas, a Republican running for state school superintendent. She remains convinced that, whatever the name, the standards being implemented are essentially being forced on Arizona by the federal government.

◼ Now they’re arresting people who complain about the Common Core - Eric Owens/Daily Caller

University suspends prof who called for murder of NRA children...CA Dem wishes death upon Ted Cruz staffer's children...UPDATE: He was forced to resign, also. AND, a UCSF fundraiser wishes death on all Obamacare ‘nonbelievers’

◼ Read The 'Death Tweet' That May Cost A Rabid Anti-Gun Professor His Job - IJ Review

◼ Administrators at the University of Kansas have suspended the journalism professor who suggested on Monday he would like to see the murder of the children of National Rifle Association (NRA) members. - Campus Reform

And on Thursday the school released a statement condemning Guth's tweet.

“The contents of Professor Guth’s tweet were repugnant and in no way represent the views or opinions of the University of Kansas. "[I]t is truly disgraceful that these views were expressed in such a callous and uncaring way. We expect all members of the university community to engage in civil discourse and not make inflammatory and offensive comment

◼ Democratic Official Allan Brauer Wishes Death on Ted Cruz Aide’s Children: Brauer serves as communications chair for Sacramento Democratic Party - Washington Free Beacon

Allan Brauer, the communications chair for the Democratic Party of Sacramento, Calif., told an aide to Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Tex.) on Friday that he hoped her children “die from debilitating, painful and incurable diseases.”

...He followed up the attack with a series of vicious tweets:

Busy blocking the tapeworms that have slithered out of hellspawn @amandacarpenter's asshole. How's your day so far?

— allanbrauer (@allanbrauer) September 20, 2013

I'm being attacked on Twitter for wishing one of Ted Cruz's pubic lice to experience the pain her boss is inflicting on Americans.

— allanbrauer (@allanbrauer) September 20, 2013

Update (2:13 p.m.): The California Democratic Party spokesman Tenoch Flores said “the problem” with attacks like wishing a painful death on the children of a political staffer is that it lets people like Sen. Ted Cruz “off the hook,” in a statement to Yahoo’s Chris Moody...

◼ Oh, there's so much more to this story...‘May your children all die’: Comms. Chair of Sacramento Dems attacks Amanda Carpenter - Twitchy, Who Said What

Punchline: he's a "communications pro" with a website is named "It Matters How You Say It!" https://t.co/yjjuKVW1Vr

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) September 20, 2013

◼ #AllanBrauerProWritingTips: Inside the mind of ‘gibbering homicidal’ Dem official - Twitchy, Who Said What

As Twitchy reported, sicko Sacramento Democrat official Allan Brauer viciously wished death on Cruz staffer Amanda Carpenter’s children. Brauer also writes at a blog, ironically titled “It Matters How You Say It.” He’s got plenty of advice to give to prospective scribes, but there’s always room for more. To that end, helpful tweeters are offering up more #AllanBrauerProWritingTips:

For impactful business proposals, tell skeptical prospects you want their children to die, In fires. #AllanBrauerProWritingTips

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) September 20, 2013

Everyone does "creepy"; for maximum impact, go full-bore psychotic. #AllanBrauerProWritingTips

— Can of Spam (@iDoLikeSpam) September 20, 2013

◼ Exposed: Death-wish Democrat official Allan Brauer’s long history of online hate, misogyny & GOP kid-bashing - Twitchy, Who Said What

◼ Ace demolishes Allan ‘Death Wish’ Brauer, communications director extraordinaire - Twitchy, Who Said What

Remember, per the CA Democrat Party, the only problem with @allanbrauer's tweets is that they "let Ted Cruz off the hook." #TheNewCivility

— The_One_Who_Brings (@AceofSpadesHQ) September 20, 2013

◼ Death-wish Dem Allan Brauer forced to resign - Twitchy, Who Said What

Communications chair for the Sacramento Democrats Allan Brauer was “asked to resign” after wishing that Ted Cruz staffer Amanda Carpenter’s kids would “die from debilitating, painful and incurable diseases.” Brauer subsequently apologized, but it wasn’t enough. He also has a a long history of online hate.

From the Democratic Party of Sacramento County:

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) Friday called for and accepted the resignation of its volunteer communications chair following of series of personal twitter comments directed at GOP staff after Republicans voted to defund President Obama’s health care law.

DPSC chair Kerri Asbury said the personal twitter comments made by Communications Committee chair Allan Brauer were “appalling and inexcusable.” She accepted his resignation Friday, and issued the following statement...

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE:

◼ Unhinged: UCSF fundraiser wishes death on all Obamacare ‘nonbelievers’; Nick Searcy shreds - Twitchy, Who Said What

The soulless and morally bankrupt Left is sickly at it again. As Twitchy reported, the communications chair for the Sacramento Dems wished death upon Amanda Carpenter’s children. Her crime? Working for Sen. Ted Cruz. The cretinous Brauer was subsequently forced to resign.

Now Stephanie Handler, who works for University of California, San Francisco, ups the repugnant by wishing death on all Obamacare “nonbelievers.” Not only reprehensible, but oh-how-creepy — “nonbelievers.” ...Like Brauer, she’s also in communications. Wow.

...Ms. Handler may be frantically deleting all social media accounts but Twitter, and Twitchy, are forever.

@HarrietBaldwin @yesnicksearcy (@UCSF @UCSFHospitals ) should be notified about => @shandlerr 's comments since she works for them.

— David Aaron Batten™ (@dmbatten) September 21, 2013

__________________
It does pay to get on Twitter. Every voice counts. And yes, Twitter is a political battlespace. Get on it. - Michelle Malkin

◼ Granny’s Guide to Twitter - Dan Collins at Twitchy

A GREAT Tutorial if you are thinking of getting your feet wet.

SAVE THE DATE: REPUBLICAN PICNIC September 29th

It’s time for our Annual Republican Picnic In The Park
Sunday, September 29th, 12:30 - 4:00
at Rohner Park in Fortuna. Bring Friends.
Hot dogs • Hamburgers • Auction • Speakers

It’s POTLUCK, so - If your last name begins with A-M, please bring a dessert.
If your last name begins with N-Z please bring a salad.

Presented by The Humboldt County Republican Party and Humboldt Republican Women
For Info, or to Volunteer, CALL the HGOP HQ: 442-2259

The healthcare exchanges are due to open up in less than two weeks, and 7 million uninsured Americans will be required to have coverage by the end of March, yet a Washington Post/ABC News poll published Thursday finds that 62 percent do not know about the changes

◼ Poll: 62 Percent Don't Understand Obamacare - Newsmax

In the survey of 1,004 adults taken Sept. 12-15, 52 percent say they oppose the new healthcare law, and 55 percent say they disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling its implementation. More than half who oppose Obamacare say they support shutting down portions of the federal government to stop it.

Obama called Speaker John Boehner Friday night to reiterate his hard-line stance. The Ohio Republican’s office said the president called to say “he wouldn’t negotiate with him on the debt limit.”

◼ President Obama called House Speaker John Boehner Friday evening to mess with him, since, as Obama said earlier in the day, the Republicans are messing with him. - Keith Koffler/White House Dossier

◼ Obama calls Boehner, rules out debt negotiations - Politico

Filibuster the House CR? Cruz, Other Conservatives Say ‘Yes’

◼ Sen. Ted Cruz said Friday that Republican senators should, in effect, filibuster the House-passed continuing resolution in the Senate. - CQ RollCall

The Texas Republican is calling on his colleagues to oppose limiting debate on it, warning against what he calls procedural trickery.

“Step two is the Senate, where all accounts suggest Harry Reid plans to use procedural gimmicks to try to add funding back in for Obamacare,” Cruz said. “If Reid pursues this plan — if he insists on using a 50-vote threshold to fund Obamacare with a partisan vote of only Democrats — then I hope that every Senate Republican will stand together and oppose cloture on the bill in order to keep the House bill intact and not let Harry Reid add Obamacare funding back in.”

“Now is a time for party unity; Senate Republicans should stand side-by-side with courageous House Republicans,” Cruz said.

...Of course, if GOP senators actually follow Cruz and Hoskins’ advice, they will, in effect, be voting against a bill that includes Obamacare defunding. The vote to strike that language is not expected until after cloture is invoked, and it will take only 51 votes to succeed. That’s why Cruz may ultimately be proved correct when he says Democrats have the votes to send the measure back to the House, without Obamacare funding.

Heritage Action: Today’s vote is a victory for the American people, who should not be forced to spend another dime on Obamacare.

◼ You mad, bro? @BarackObama throws snicker-worthy tantrum over defund Obamacare vote - Twitchy

◼ Rep. Steve King said Friday that if the government shuts down, it will be “the equivalent of a political tantrum” from President Barack Obama. - Politico

◼ Republicans are in for a rude awakening. House Democrats want a government shutdown they can blame on Republicans. And they see a clean, Senate-passed Continuing Resolution as giving them exactly that. - Conn Carroll/Washington Examiner @conncarroll

◼ With Two Weeks to Go, 36 States Can't Say How Much Obamacare Will Cost - KevinC/Ricochet
◼ Pricing Glitch Afflicts Rollout of Online Health Exchanges - Wall St. Journal

With the Stroke of a Pen: How Obama abuses executive power to make the law of the land. UPDATED AND BUMPED

In this 10-part Washington Examiner series, Senior Writer Conn Carroll documents the many times Obama has flagrantly abused executive authority to advance his liberal agenda without congressional approval.

The top 10 instances will be examined over the next two weeks, and more will come later.

◼ Day 1: "With the Stroke of a Pen: How Obama Abuses Executive Power to Make the Law of the Land."
◼ Day 2: "Obamacare mandate is whatever Obama -- or any future president -- says it is"
◼ Day 3: "Obama ignored Congress before launching Libyan war"
◼ Day 4: Obama donor gained nearly $1 billion in tax credits in Solyndra bankruptcy
◼ Day 5: Obama rewrote federal education law as Congress napped

Yet to come:
6. Unconstitutional NLRB appointees
7. The Yucca Mountain delay
8. Gutting welfare reform
9. The Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium
10. Regulating the Internet

"Spiritual Dynamite”

◼ We knew that what we had in our hands was spiritual dynamite. The Pope touched upon almost every area of concern for modern-day Catholics: from the role of women, to the need for reform in the Vatican curia, to tensions between traditionalists and progressives; he also spoke about his own spiritual journey with great feeling and his own failings with brutal candor. - Rev. James Martin S.J./TIME

The free-wheeling interview, released simultaneously yesterday by the Jesuit journals, mirrored his now-famous in-flight media coming back from World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro this summer. Stunning journalists by his willingness to speak on any and all topics, the pope made headlines by answering a question on gay priests by responding, “Who am I to judge?”

◼ 'WE HAVE TO FIND A NEW BALANCE'... - New York Times

Six months into his papacy, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the Roman Catholic church on Thursday with the publication of his remarks that the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he had chosen not to talk about those issues despite recriminations from critics.

◼ Francis, the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years, distinguished himself from the start of his papacy by speaking out in favor of the world’s poor. In the first six months of his papacy he’s also made overtures to other faiths and attempted to root out corruption in the Vatican Bank. - Bloomberg

◼ Don´t be shocked by Pope Francis

Pope Francis is delightfully frank, and that is what makes him positively engaging. He is also provocative in the best sense of that word. He seeks to challenge us and shake us out of our comfort zone. But he is not about to turn the Catholic Church upside down and inside out.

NOBAMACARE

◼ House passes spending bill to defund Obamacare - Stephen Dinan/Washington Times

House Republicans passed their stopgap funding bill Friday to keep government open while terminating the new health care law, setting up a final showdown next week with Senate Democrats and President Obama who have firmly rejected that.

The 230-189 vote, which split almost exclusively along party lines, is the precursor to the big action next week, when the Senate is expected to strip out the health care provisions and send the bill back to the House — where Republicans will have to decide whether they can accept it at that point.

All sides are racing a Sept. 30 deadline, which is when current government funding runs out. The new measure would fund the government through Dec. 15, essentially at last year’s levels, and would leave the budget sequesters in place.

◼ BOEHNER: 'VICTORY OF COMMON SENSE'... - CBS DC

House Speaker John Boehner called the vote a “victory for common sense.”

“This is hurting our constituents, it’s hurting the American people,” Boehner said.

◼ Democratic Official Allan Brauer Wishes Death on Ted Cruz Aide’s ChildrenL Brauer serves as communications chair for Sacramento Democratic Party - Washington Free Beacon

◼ ‘May your children all die’: Comms. Chair of Sacramento Dems attacks Amanda Carpenter - Twitchy

CONGRESSMAN: 'CLOSE TO 250' HOUSE MEMBERS READY DEFUND OBAMACARE TODAY

◼ On a conference call with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) said “the American people [are] finally taking their government back.” - Matthew Boyle/Breitbart

“When it first started, a lot of people came out and said ‘technically it can’t be done,’” Bridenstine said. “’Technically, this is a Continuing Resolution and Obamacare is on the mandatory side so it can’t be defunded with a Continuing Resolution.’ And we proved that it can be defunded with a Continuing Resolution. After we proved that it could be defunded with a Continuing Resolution, then interestingly people started listening to the American people a little bit more. Then it was ‘politically, it can’t be done. We don’t have the votes. We don’t have the votes.’ We heard that over and over and over again. Well, tomorrow, we’re going to take a vote. And tomorrow we’re going to find out in the House of Representatives that we do, in fact, have the votes. And then it’s going to go to the Senate.”

Bridenstine said conservatives may in fact be able to defund Obamacare in the Senate, too, just like the House.

“Interestingly, everybody is going to say that the Senate can’t prevail,” Bridenstine said. “But they have said over and over again, and Ted Cruz said it just right. The pundits were saying it can’t be done. But the reason we have come this far is because of how many people have been reaching out to their members of Congress, how many people have been talking to their friends and their neighbors and going to DontFundIt.com and signing the petition and getting their friends and neighbors to sign the petition. It has absolutely changed the dynamic of this conversation.”

Tom McClintock: The house will be passing a continuing resolution to keep the government open. It will continue to fund all programs at their current levels - except Obamacare.

As a result of Obamacare, people are losing their jobs or seeing their hours cut back, their premiums are skyrocketing, their plans are being cut back, their employers are dropping their plans. De-funding Obamacare is hugely important to help relieve this pain on American families.

THIS IS WHY MOST MILITARY PERSONNEL AREN’T ARMED ON MILITARY BASES — AND IT’S NOT CLINTON’S FAULT

◼ Monday’s deadly shooting at the Washington Navy Yard has renewed interest in why most military personnel are forbidden from carrying firearms on military bases. In the aftermath, some have pointed fingers at former President Bill Clinton, but is he really to blame? - The Blaze

So what’s the answer? It appears this “gun-free zone” type policy can actually be traced back to Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5210.56, signed into effect in February 1992 by Donald J. Atwood, deputy secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush....

The controversial directive states that “it is DoD Policy” to “limit and control the carrying of firearms by DoD military and civilian personnel.”

It appears DoD Directive 5210.56 was reissued in April 2011 by Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III.

Some outlets are citing Army Regulation 190-14, a policy implemented in 1993 that changed policy regarding carrying firearms on the Army’s military bases, to cast blame on Clinton.

John McCain's Answer to Putin's Op-Ed

◼ John McCain aims broadside at Vladimir Putin with reply editorial: US senator answers Russian president's New York Times article by branding him a repressive leader and friend to tyrants - The Guardian

When Pravda.ru editor, Dmitry Sudakov, offered to publish my commentary, he referred to me as “an active anti-Russian politician for many years.” I’m sure that isn’t the first time Russians have heard me characterized as their antagonist. Since my purpose here is to dispel falsehoods used by Russia’s rulers to perpetuate their power and excuse their corruption, let me begin with that untruth. I am not anti-Russian. I am pro-Russian, more pro-Russian than the regime that misrules you today.

I make that claim because I respect your dignity and your right to self-determination. I believe you should live according to the dictates of your conscience, not your government. I believe you deserve the opportunity to improve your lives in an economy that is built to last and benefits the many, not just the powerful few. You should be governed by a rule of law that is clear, consistently and impartially enforced and just. I make that claim because I believe the Russian people, no less than Americans, are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

A Russian citizen could not publish a testament like the one I just offered. President Putin and his associates do not believe in these values. They don’t respect your dignity or accept your authority over them. They punish dissent and imprison opponents. They rig your elections. They control your media. They harass, threaten, and banish organizations that defend your right to self-governance. To perpetuate their power they foster rampant corruption in your courts and your economy and terrorize and even assassinate journalists who try to expose their corruption.

They write laws to codify bigotry against people whose sexual orientation they condemn. They throw the members of a punk rock band in jail for the crime of being provocative and vulgar and for having the audacity to protest President Putin’s rule.

Sergei Magnistky wasn’t a human rights activist. He was an accountant at a Moscow law firm. He was an ordinary Russian who did an extraordinary thing. He exposed one of the largest state thefts of private assets in Russian history. He cared about the rule of law and believed no one should be above it. For his beliefs and his courage, he was held in Butyrka prison without trial, where he was beaten, became ill and died. After his death, he was given a show trial reminiscent of the Stalin-era and was, of course, found guilty. That wasn’t only a crime against Sergei Magnitsky. It was a crime against the Russian people and your right to an honest government – a government worthy of Sergei Magnistky and of you.

President Putin claims his purpose is to restore Russia to greatness at home and among the nations of the world. But by what measure has he restored your greatness? He has given you an economy that is based almost entirely on a few natural resources that will rise and fall with those commodities. Its riches will not last. And, while they do, they will be mostly in the possession of the corrupt and powerful few. Capital is fleeing Russia, which – lacking rule of law and a broad-based economy – is considered too risky for investment and entrepreneurism. He has given you a political system that is sustained by corruption and repression and isn’t strong enough to tolerate dissent.

How has he strengthened Russia’s international stature? By allying Russia with some of the world’s most offensive and threatening tyrannies. By supporting a Syrian regime that is murdering tens of thousands of its own people to remain in power and by blocking the United Nations from even condemning its atrocities. By refusing to consider the massacre of innocents, the plight of millions of refugees, the growing prospect of a conflagration that engulfs other countries in its flames an appropriate subject for the world’s attention. He is not enhancing Russia’s global reputation. He is destroying it. He has made her a friend to tyrants and an enemy to the oppressed, and untrusted by nations that seek to build a safer, more peaceful and prosperous world.

President Putin doesn’t believe in these values because he doesn’t believe in you. He doesn’t believe that human nature at liberty can rise above its weaknesses and build just, peaceful, prosperous societies. Or, at least, he doesn’t believe Russians can. So he rules by using those weaknesses, by corruption, repression and violence. He rules for himself, not you.

I do believe in you. I believe in your capacity for self-government and your desire for justice and opportunity. I believe in the greatness of the Russian people, who suffered enormously and fought bravely against terrible adversity to save your nation. I believe in your right to make a civilization worthy of your dreams and sacrifices. When I criticize your government, it is not because I am anti-Russian. It is because I believe you deserve a government that believes in you and answers to you. And, I long for the day when you have it.

TED CRUZ VOWS FILIBUSTER TO STOP OBAMACARE, WILL HE GET THE CHANCE?

◼ At a press conference Thursday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said he will use the filibuster and every procedural tool necessary to stop the Affordable Care Act. - Breitbart

From the comments: As someone once said...

"It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it".

◼ Actually, Senate GOP can't filibuster to defund Obamacare - Byron York/Washington Examiner @ByronYork

Senate Republicans, along with GOP lawmakers in the House, know that Sen. Ted Cruz and his colleagues don't have the votes to pass a continuing resolution to defund Obamacare. They don't even have the votes -- 41 in the Senate -- to successfully filibuster a resolution that does fund Obamacare. But some had hoped that Cruz & Co. could at least stage an old-fashioned talking filibuster -- like Sen. Rand Paul's March filibuster against U.S. drone policy -- that would at least be a high-profile symbol of Republican opposition to the president's national health care law.

Now, it turns out they can't even do that. "We won't have an opportunity to filibuster," says a Senate Republican aide. "It's going to be a simple majority vote."

◼ Republican Sen. David Vitter is slamming his fellow lawmakers for “lying” and telling their constituents that there is no such thing as an Obamacare exemption for members of Congress and their staff members. - Daily Caller

“Some are lying, trying to mislead the public about the Obamacare exemption for Congress,” Republican Sen. David Vitter said in a statement Thursday. “President Obama recently issued a special rule for Congress and congressional staff to get a special subsidy to purchase health insurance on the Obamacare Exchange unavailable to every other American at similar income levels. That’s an exemption, plain and simple.”

@WhiteHouse Please stop making your tweets partisan. This is not helpful in any way and makes the Office of President look weak and pitiful.

@WhiteHouse Please stop making your tweets partisan. This is not helpful in any way and makes the Office of President look weak and pitiful.

— Rick Boyne (@RickBoyne) September 19, 2013

@WhiteHouse after years of directing the agencies under the executive branch to discriminate and obstruct those who oppose your views

— Michael shepard™ (@shepshep7) September 19, 2013

◼ ‘Weak and pitiful’: White House account trolls GOP again with beclowning claim [pic] - Twitchy, Who Said What on Twitter

"FASCIST" DIANNE FEINSTEIN ATTACKS NEW MEDIA JOURNALISTS

◼ A year ago California voters gave Sen. Dianne Feinstein another landslide victory even though she refused to debate her opponent, Elizabeth Emken, who for once was a decent GOP candidate. DiFi must believe she’s in the House of Lords. - John Seiler/HUMAN EVENTS

Now Baroness DiFi wants to define as a “journalist” only those in MainStream Media. New media would be considered peons with no First Amendment protections. Matt Drudge, the most famous and influential of the New Media Journalists, tweeted that she was a “Fascist.”

...If Baroness DiFi had her way, the government-MSM axis would be all you heard from. The truth never would get out.

But thanks to the New Media, the truth shall set you free.

Comments from Sen. Feinstein yesterday on who's a reporter were disgusting. 17-year old 'blogger' is as important as Wolf Blitzer. Fascist!

— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) September 13, 2013

◼ ‘Fascist’: Matt Drudge blasts Dianne Feinstein for trying to define who is and isn’t a ‘real reporter’ - Twitchy, Who Said What on Twitter

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D.-Calif., thinks a proposed media shield law should be applied only to “real reporters,” not basement-dwelling, pajama-clad bloggers with no professional credentials... Under the definition proposed by Feinstein, a student working for a tiny college newspaper would get protection, but Matt Drudge, the owner and operator of the most successful news site on the Internet, might not.

As far as we know, the distinction Feinstein is making isn’t mentioned in the First Amendment. But what do we know? We’re just bloggers.
_________________
NOTE: One of the most important things about what we do here, on this site, is introduce you to the best of the New Media, the best bloggers, pundits and yes, reporters on the web. We bring you news, commentary and information that you do not get from the 'mainstream' ("lamestream") media. Through this site, you get to know the new reporters, the new 'citizen journalists' in the same way that people once knew Walter Cronkite. Follow the links. Favorite the sites. share the news via social media. In so doing, YOU make all the difference.

Spitting on Their Graves: Democrats Leave Benghazi Hearing Before Testimony From Families of Victims

◼ During the second portion of a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing about Benghazi Thursday on Capitol Hill, the majority of Democrats on the Committee left the room and refused to listen to the testimony of Patricia Smith and Charles Woods. Ms. Smith is the mother of Sean Smith, an information management officer killed in the 9/11 Benghazi attack. Charles Woods is the father of Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, who was also killed. - Katie Pavlich/Townhall

The only Democrats who stayed were Ranking Member Elijah Cummings and Rep. Jackie Speier.

Benghazi Hearing 9/19/2013 Full Hearing.



Sean Smith's mother and Ty Woods' father's testimony begins at 4:50.

◼ Walk of Shame - List of Names - Carol Platt Liebau/Townhall

So who were these people? Chairman Issa's spokesman reported that fourteen Democrats attended the first part of the hearing. There are 18 Democrats on the committee. That means that 4 didn't attend any of the hearing, and 12 others walked out.

Below is a list of the congressmen whose staffs confirmed they attended yesterday's hearing. These are people who evidently walked out without waiting to hear from the families of those murdered in Benghazi: (CONTACT LINKS INCLUDED HERE)

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, New York
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Virginia
Rep. Mark Pocan, Wisconsin
Rep. Tammy Duckworth, Illinois***
Rep. Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Rep. Tony Cardenas, California
Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico
** Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth should, in my view, be particularly ashamed, as she is a veteran of the Iraq war, a former assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and a former Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

The following offices either couldn't or wouldn't provide an answer about the simple whereabouts of congressmen yesterday -- so they may or may not have been at the hearing:

Rep. John F. Tierney, Massachusetts. (This office wins the dubious distinction of having the rudest staff)
Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri (This office had yet to open at 9:30 this morning)
Rep. Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvannia
Rep. Peter Welch, Vermont
Rep. Steven Horsford, Nevada
Finally, these two offices noted that the congressmen hadn't attended any of yesterday's hearing.

Rep. Jim Cooper, Tennessee
Rep. Robin Kelly, Illinois

First HRWF meeting after summer hiatusThursday, September 19th - JOIN US!

Humboldt Republican Women Welcome Michelle Orrock

Are small businesses prepared for the coming tsunami of costs and regulations associated with Obamacare?

Our speaker this month is the Communications Director for the National Federation of Independent Business, California, the nation’s largest small business association. She’s responsible for all media and communications for the California office including developing written materials, website content and coordinating interviews for the state director and other staff. In addition, she also manages outreach for the Young Entrepreneur Foundation awards in California, a program that provides scholarships to high school seniors who start their own businesses.

Prior to coming to NFIB, Michelle was the communications director for the Governor's Office of the Secretary of Education and worked for State Assemblyman Roger Niello. She has more than a decade of experience working in both the public and private sector.

She’s been an elected member of the Board of Directors of the Cosumnes Community Services District (Cosumnes CSD) since November 2008, has worked closely with the business community and is a member of the Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse Statewide Advisory Council. She serves on the Jobs
and Business Growth Committee at the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, the second
largest chamber in California.
_______________
JOIN US for lunch Thursday Sept. 19th - 11:30-1:00 - RSVP BY Sept 13th
To RSVP this month, please CALL LAURA (707) 839-5538
Or RSVP by email to: MARGARET tom-marg@suddenlink.net
This month we’re at back at 445 Herrick Avenue, Eureka
11:30 a.m. Lunch/Socializing, Mtg 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
Your choice: Full Lunch $15.00, Beverage (no lunch) $4.00 (Tax & tip included)
Make checks payable to HRWF

SEE YOU THERE!.......

WOAH: New Obamacare ads the creepiest ads EVAH!!!

◼ Generation Opportunity , a Virginia-based group that is part of a coalition of right-leaning organizations with financial ties to billionaire businessmen and political activists Charles and David Koch, will launch a six-figure campaign aimed at convincing young people to “opt-out” of the Obamacare exchanges. - The Right Scoop





◼ On top of that: Rep. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., introduced a bill to repeal a provision of Obamacare that threatens to increase costs for senior citizens after constituents brought the issue to his attention. - Joel Gehrke/Washington Examiner @joelmentum

President Obama is happy to negotiate w/ Vladimir Putin…but won’t work w/ Congress to address Washington's spending problem:

Obama: 'Raising the Debt Ceiling...Does Not Increase Our Debt,' Though It Has 'Over 100 Times'

◼ "It's always a tough vote because the average person thinks raising the debt ceiling must mean that we're running up our debt, so people don't like to vote on it, and, typically, there's some gamesmanship in terms of making the President's party shoulder the burden of raising the -- taking the vote." - CNS News

But, isn't the fact that the U.S. has hit its debt ceiling "over a hundred times" - and, thus, has had to keep raising it - proof that raising the limit does, in fact, lead to increased debt?

◼ What You Need to Know About the Debt Limit - Heritage

Fifty-eight percent of Americans favor a federal budget that cuts spending. Are you one of them? After you see this debt number, you will be.

Cruz: 'Mike Lee And I Are Gonna Fight With Every Breath In Our Body' To Stop Obamacare

◼ Cruz declared, "Mike Lee and I are gonna fight with with every breath in our body. As Churchill said, we will fight on the beaches, we will fight on the streets, we will fight at every step to stop the biggest job killer in America."
Lee made the point that once the CR passes the House, "the only people who can produce a government shutdown are Harry Reid, the Senate Democrats and the President of the United States." - Breitbart

◼ Controversy continues to build as the Republicans seek to block the atrocity of Obamacare. Watch as they seek to turn words into action, protecting the American people from Obamacare. - HotAir
◼ House Republicans are furious with Ted Cruz for conceding that legislation to defund Obamacare would fail in the Senate - Washington Examiner
◼ The Cries of the House GOP Staffers and Congressmen - Red State

Wharfinger meeting on homeless drew crowd that packed the building

◼ The meeting at the Wharfinger today regarding the homeless issue had the building packed to capacity. - John Chiv/Words Worth

...The attendance was so great that the building was packed to capacity. Clearly people wanted to talk and there were some heartfelt testimonies. You had to be there. It might surprise you to know who has been homeless and the story of these individuals who are successful today was touching.

The disruptive crowd was a minority and got booed. Perhaps it is time for a vocal minority to recognize people would rather live in Arkleyville where they have a job, can afford a home and feel safe and have hope for the future. People have compassion, they don’t want to enable.
As one speaker put it, “can’t help someone who doesn’t want help.”. Homelessness is due to many reasons, the circumstances for each individual is different. Solutions are not simple, black or white. There are people who do and people who gripe.

◼ At Rob Arkley’s Homelessness Symposium - Lost Coast Outpost

We have entered the realm of the vicious circle: Debt and deficits will slow down economic growth, and slower economic growth will make our debt and deficits worse.

◼ The Price of Politics: Debt and deficits impoverish us in ways we can only begin to measure. - Kevin D. Williamson/National Review Online

...As the CBO sees it, the economic weight of the deficits we’re expected to add just in the next 25 years is enough to bring the national debt from 100 percent of GDP to 200 or 250 percent of GDP, i.e., from paralyzing to catastrophic. The deficits we’ve run for the last 25 years have imposed costs of their own. That the costs mainly manifest themselves negatively — in the form of businesses that don’t exist, profits that aren’t collected, and help that is not wanted — does not make them any less real, or less tragic. In the long run, the deficit is as much about whether you have a decent job or die from diabetes complications as it is about figures in CBO estimates. The price may not always be obvious, but you pay it every day.

Top Climate Scientists Admit They Got It Wrong

◼ A leaked copy of the world’s most authoritative climate study reveals scientific forecasts of imminent doom were drastically wrong.

...the new report says the true figure since 1951 has been only 0.12C per decade – a rate far below even the lowest computer prediction....

Here We Go: House to Vote on Temporary Budget That Defunds Obamacare

◼ Conservatives wanted a continuing resolution (CR) that defunds Obamacare, and now they'll get one - Townhall via National Review

Instant reaction reports suggest conservative House members are generally pleased with the new game plan. But what are the real-world implications of this decision?

◼ Boehner: ‘We’re Going to Put Obamacare Defunding Directly Into the CR’ - Robert Costa/National Review
◼ Hill GOP can't afford a one-and-out defund Obamacare vote - Washington Examiner Editorial

Obama Goes to War The President finds an enemy he's willing to bomb — Republicans.

◼ Obama goes to war. His motto: “We have met the enemy and it is you, the Republicans.” - Bookworm Room

The Wall Street Journal has penned what may be the most savage editorial opinion I’ve ever seen in those pages. The sentiments aren’t knew, but the blood-drawing is:

◼ There really has never been anything like this in the White House, at least not in the modern era.

Ronald Reagan compromised on budget issues with a Democratic majority rather than trigger a debt limit crisis. George H.W. Bush signed onto a tax increase in 1990 in part so he could get Democratic support for the brewing Gulf War. Bill Clinton struck a budget deal and worked with Republicans on foreign policy. And facing a new Democratic majority in 2007, George W. Bush signed onto a fiscal "stimulus" and rotten energy bill well before the financial crisis compelled bipartisan votes.

Mr. Obama declares that he won't even deign to negotiate over an extension of the debt limit, which expires within a month or two. And he carpet-bombs Republicans only two weeks after House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor took a political risk and declared they'd vote for the President's Syrian war resolution against the views of most of their own Members.

The evidence suggests that Mr. Obama wants a showdown with Congress that ends with a government shutdown or a dance with default. He can then mount an offensive against Republicans that will rally his base, which soured on his Syrian plans and vetoed Larry Summers for the Federal Reserve. With his domestic agenda dead on Capitol Hill, Mr. Obama may also figure that stigmatizing Republicans over a shutdown-default crisis is the only way that Democrats can retake the House in 2014.

The question is how well all of this will play with a war-weary public.

◼ Conservatives, Your President Hates You - Keith Koffler/White House Dossier

...he’s just another liberal POLITICIAN who harbors the standard, stereotypical, unintellectual view of conservatives as dumb morons motivated by ill will toward their fellow man, and certainly, fellow woman.

And so, even as the wounded and dead were being accounted for following a mass shooting Monday morning a couple of miles away, Obama couldn’t live the with prospect of having to delay sinking his teeth into his conservative opponents. He’d spent weeks being nice as he courted their support for his Syria bombing campaign. I mean, enough was enough....

Frustrated Dems Increasingly Defying Obama

◼ As Budget Fight Looms, Obama Sees Defiance in His Own Party - PETER BAKER and JEREMY W. PETERS/New York Times
◼ President pushes for MORE debt - Reuters
◼ Seeks help from first-term A-Team - Amie Parnes
◼ POLITICO: 'His smile remains dazzling' - Politico

Egyptian Forces Liberate Local Christians – Recapture Town From Muslim Brotherhood

◼ link - Andrew Marcus/Gateway Pundit

Take a close look at that. Obama’s allies in the Muslim Brotherhood are forcing non-muslims to pay “protection” money, also known as “Jizyah”. That’s the sharia my friends, circa 2013 (year 5 of our dear leader). That’s what Morsi and his crew of Bros had in mind all along. Now they have nothing to lose so the mask is off.

Tonight: 5:30 p.m. at The Wharfinger Building

◼ Arkley calls meeting on homeless issues; local businessman: Humboldt County a 'Mecca' for transients - Times-Standard

Local businessman Rob Arkley feels like the city and county are being taken over by the homeless, and he's looking to do something about it.

Arkley is calling a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Eureka's Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way, to discuss homeless issues and, specifically, how to make it so fewer homeless people stick around town....

If You Go: RSVP Yes or No to sfuller@snsc.com

What: Meeting regarding “homeless issues”
When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way in Eureka

◼ Arkley Email: Our County and City are Being Taken Over by the Homeless - Andrew Goff/Lost Coast Outpost
◼ Arkley vs. Bridges: Two Perspectives on How to Treat the Needy - Ryan Burns/North Coast Journal

Dear All,

Our County and City are being taken over by the homeless. It seems as though many of the policies being pursued by our County and City governments, and certain not-for-profits, actually encourage the homeless to come here and stay here. Free food, showers, clean clothes, assistance above state averages, free housing, lax jail policies are just some of the attractive programs and policies. Clearly, too much right has become wrong. We have become a Mecca for the homeless and we all pay the price. Garbage or dump fees from trash and discarded clothing left on streets, sidewalks, alleys and private property have become “our” responsibility. Health and environmental issues arise from the same public areas and private property being freely used for urination and defecation, not to mention the aesthetics, or lack of, from this behavior. The general public is not comfortable walking in certain well known locations around our cities and county because the homeless with their antics have taken over what should belong to, and be enjoyed by, all of us.

I feel as though we are like the frog in the boiling water. It has gotten to the point where everybody knows that the homeless are a huge problem, but nobody is doing anything. All of our businesses are being negatively impacted. It is difficult to attract people to Eureka. Who wants to be panhandled on the way to an interview for a job? What business owner wants to invest in real estate that is negatively impacted by trash and loitering?

I think that it is time for us to get together and see if we can build a consensus on how to deal with this issue. Specifically, I would like to know what policies and programs can be cut that will reduce the number of homeless. I often hear that if we don’t provide certain services to the homeless, monies will be withheld by state and federal governments. While some, especially government and certain not-for-profits, may consider this dire, we need to make sure that elected officials understand that while government may lose monies, our private businesses and households may well be better off without the crime, environmental damage and monetary costs that these additional monies attract. It will also be interesting to see if the negative impacts of the homeless programs on local business and quality of life for the community are monetarily weighed.

Folks, let’s take our area back and encourage our elected officials to take steps that consider the overall negative impacts on all of us created by enrolling in programs designed to “help” the homeless. I have no doubt that when weighed against the loss of governmental revenue, the benefits to all of us by rejecting the monies would dwarf the downside.

I would like to see if any of you would like to join a group that deals with the most pressing issue that our area faces.

vty,
Rob

“This election will be about whose side you're on.”

◼ Can Republicans become the party of the people? - Timothy P. Carney/Washington Examiner @TPCarney

Warning: Our Government Is a Threat to Public Safety

◼ link - Michelle Malkin/Townhall

Forget gun control. America needs government control. Have you noticed the common thread among several mass killings and homeland security incidents lately?

Time and again, it's the control freaks in Washington who have fallen down on their jobs, allowing crazies, creeps and criminals to roam free and wreak havoc while ignoring rampant red flags....

To win minority vote, GOP has to show it's ready to battle privileged interests

◼ How can Republicans do better with minority voters? - Timothy P. Carney/Washington Examiner @TPCarney

The party establishment seems to think the answer begins with amnesty and more low-skilled labor — which just happens to be the policy preference of the GOP’s donor class. Beyond this, the party's top consultants offer only rhetorical tweaks around the typical GOP package of low-tax corporatism.

A better minority outreach can be found in libertarian populism.

Dababneh, Shelley advance in Assembly District 45 race

◼ Tuesday’s election was closely monitored by Sacramento lawmakers and interest groups; a Democratic win in this seat could push the party closer to supermajority status in the Assembly. Already, Democrats enjoy a supermajority in the Senate; with one in both houses, they can override a veto, seek constitutional changes and more easily raise taxes. - LA Daily News

Democrat Matt Dababneh and Republican Susan Shelley will face off in the November general election for the Assembly District 45 seat.

If she wants to “stop this endless loss of life,” try removing a draconian restriction that leaves members of the military unable to defend themselves

◼ The gun control debate Sen. Feinstein does not want to have - Brenner Brief by Sara Marie Brenner/Washington Times

If politicians and policy-makers would simply study the data, it would be clear that gun ownership should be encouraged in order to reduce the number of murders. There most certainly should be a gun control debate, and about that Sen. Feinstein is correct, but not in the way that the anti-gun lobby would want.

We should be discussing how to encourage more gun ownership, and whether taxpayer dollars should be allocated to help citizens learn how to better control the firearms we own. This is the gun control debate we should be having. By expanding the option for citizens in the United States to own a firearm and carry it, whether concealed or openly and in any location they choose, there would not be “gun free zones” that cry out to become the targets of a gunman on a rampage.

Senator Feinstein and others who are anti-gun should set the politics aside, and examine the reality of the statistics if safety is truly their end goal. Should they disregard the facts, then their true intentions must be questioned and exposed.

◼ Washington Navy Yard Already Suffers the Restrictions That Gun Control Advocates Favor - J.D. Tuccille/Reason

Background checks are only as good as the information in the database and the people running them. Alexis passed his background checks, then was issued credentials that allowed him to enter the Navy Yard, bypassing such armed security personnel as guarded the perimeter.

After that, he faced unarmed victims, deprived of the means to defend themselves. At this point the choice of weapons, nevermind Sen. Feinstein's fixation on AR-15s, was moot*.

This is gun control.

*Update: The FBI now says the weapons used by Aaron Alexis in the Washington Navy Yard attack were one shotgun and two pistols.

MEANWHILE: ◼ Obama waives ban on giving guns to terrorists - Rick Moran/American Thinker

FRIEND: NAVY YARD SHOOTER LIBERAL, SUPPORTED OBAMA

◼ Tuesday, on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper," Michael Ritrovato spoke at length about his friend, suspected Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis. - John Nolte/Breitbart

Ritrovato went on to explain that two of them had a close relationship based in part on their differences, specifically race and politics. Alexis was black, Ritrovato is white. Ritrovato described himself as conservative and Alexis is "more of a liberal type" who supported Barack Obama:

I would say things like, 'You know, you are my brother from another mother.' And he would say things like, 'You're my Italian mafia guy from New York.' So we had things we joked about: Aaron wasn't conservative like I am. He was more of a liberal type; he wasn't happy with the former [Bush] administration. He was more happy with this [the Obama] administration -- as far as presidential administrations.

FRIEND: Obama supporter, 'more of a liberal'...
MEDS: Navy Yard gunman was treated by US for serious mental illness, 'hearing voices'...
Sought help weeks before shooting...
Claimed to have PTSD after rescuing victims on 9/11...
Navy had not declared mentally unfit...
Passed two background checks...
Cited 8 times for misconduct...
Got honorable discharge...
Had 'secret' clearance...
LATEST...
Awarded 'Global War on Terrorism Service Medal'...
Attended Buddhist temple...
Carney: Obama implementing executive actions...
Navy exploring base security measures...
Feinstein calls for new gun control laws...
REPORT: Gunman entered with shotgun, picked up weapons inside...
REPORT: No AR-15 involved; shotgun, 2 handguns...
Mass shootings fuel fear, account for fraction of murders...
LAST WEEK: Al Qaeda calls for small-scale attacks inside United States...
DC mayor blames 'sequester'...

Warren Buffett: Scrap Obamacare and Start Over

◼ link - Jeffrey H. Anderson/Weekly Standard

"'Attack the costs first, and then worry about expanding coverage,' he said. 'I would much rather see another plan that really attacks costs. And I think that's what the American public wants to see. I mean, the American public is not behind this bill.'"

◼ Do you know what #Obamacosts you? - GOP.com

$2.6 Trillion: True Cost Of ObamaCare Once Fully Implemented.
$1.8 Trillion: Cost Of ObamaCare’s Coverage Provisions From 2014 To 2023.
$1.1 Trillion: Spending On ObamaCare’s Insurance Subsidies From 2014 To 2023.
$819.3 Billion: Total Taxes In ObamaCare.
$716 Billion: Medicare Cuts Made By ObamaCare.
$317.7 Billion: Amount Of Income Taxes Collected Over 10 Years By ObamaCare.
$130 Billion: Penalties That Employers Will Pay Under ObamaCare.
$101.7 Billion: ObamaCare’s Tax On Insurance Providers.
$80 Billion: Cost Of ObamaCare’s “Cadillac Tax” On High Cost Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage.
$80 Billion: ObamaCare’s CLASS Program “Zombie” Savings In The Federal Budget.
$45 Billion: Total Cost Of ObamaCare’s Mandated Penalties On Americans That Choose Not To Carry Insurance.
$35.4 Billion: Savings Over The Next Decade If ObamaCare’s Individual Mandate Was Repealed.
$34.2 Billion: Taxes Imposed On Manufacturers And Importers Of Branded Drugs.
$29.1 Billion: Taxes On Medical Device Manufacturers.
$24 Billion: Tax On Flexible Spending Accounts.

◼ On #Obamacare franchise owners tell Congress, "FIX THIS!" - FreeEnterprise.com

No matter the industry, franchisees and franchisors are sending Congress the same message: Restore the traditional 40-hour full-time workweek.

YESTERDAY, OBAMA WAS NOT MY PRESIDENT--OR YOURS

◼ On Monday, while the death toll mounted at the Navy Yard, President Barack Obama delivered a strident partisan tirade against Republicans...It was an appalling act of division and insensitivity... - Joel Pollak//Breitbart

It was also an act that places Obama's passivity during the Benghazi attacks--and his decision to fly to Las Vegas the next day for a campaign fundraiser--in perspective. This is a president who, even as Navy Seals approached Osama bin Laden's hideout, retired to play cards with his pals. The image is of a man with little regard for the lives of Americans in "his" military, or their families, beyond their use as campaign props.

In addition, President Obama--like it or not--leads the entire nation, not just the majority that voted him into office. In moments of terror and tragedy, his job is to bring the American people together, not to split us apart. Conservatives have been willing--eager, even--to embrace Obama on such occasions, as many did after his speech at the memorial for the Tuscon victims in 2011. Yesterday, he foreclosed any such reconciliation.

What we are seeing is partly the result of Obama's political foundation as a community organizer--there is never a crisis to waste, so to speak, in stirring up your core supporters against their contrived opponents....

Speaker of the House John Boehner said that Obama's speech was a "shame." Charles Krauthammer said that it was in "extremely bad taste." It was worse than that. It was an insult to the victims and their families, a slap in the face to the nation as a whole, a dereliction of the simplest duty of empathy and discretion. He may apologize--he ought to--but what Obama revealed about himself in that moment can never be undone.

◼ 3 PROBLEMS WITH OBAMA'S NAVY YARD SPEECH THE MEDIA STILL IGNORE - - Joel Pollak//Breitbart

In 66-Paragraph Masterpiece, WSJ Details ´Head-Spinning Reversal on Chemical Weapons´in Obama White House

◼ In a 66-paragraph masterpiece, Journal reporters Adam Entous, Janet Hook, and Carol Lee gave a behind-the-scenes look of how, "Through mixed messages, miscalculations, and an 11th-hour break, the U.S. stumbled into an international crisis and then stumbled out of it." - Ken Shepherd/Newsbusters ◼ Via Lucianne

◼ Inside White House, a Head-Spinning Reversal on Chemical Weapons: How the U.S. Stumbled Into an International Crisis and Then Stumbled Out of It - Adam Entous, Janet Hook, and Carol Lee/Wall St. Journal

The Power of 218

◼ In our view the GOP would be less confused if more House Members appreciated the power of 218. That´s the number of votes that makes a majority and it is the only true "leverage" Republicans have while Democrats hold the Senate and a Presidential veto. - Wall St. Journal Editorial

The best option now is for the GOP to unite behind a budget strategy that can hold 218 votes, keeping the sequester pressure of discretionary spending cuts on Democrats to come to the table on entitlements. The sequester is a rare policy victory the GOP has extracted from Mr. Obama, and it is squeezing liberal constituencies that depend on federal cash.

The backbenchers might even look at the polls showing that the public is now tilting toward Republicans on issues including the economy, ensuring a strong national defense and even health care. Some Republicans think they are sure to hold the House in 2014 no matter what happens because of gerrymandering, but even those levees won't hold if there's a wave of revulsion against the GOP. Marginal seats still matter for controlling Congress. The kamikazes could end up ensuring the return of all-Democratic rule.

Constitution Day, Tuesday, September 17

◼ Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787 - Wikipedia

Tom McClintock: James Madison, the father of the American Constitution, said "In no part of the Constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department...the trust and the temptation would be too great for any one man."

Obama Waives Federal Law That Prevents Arming of Terrorists So He Can Arm The Syrian Rebels

◼ Christian and Alawite civilians in Syria will have further reason to despair, this week, when they find out that the president of the United States has decided to waive federal law in order to continue arming their barbaric tormentors. - Nice Deb
◼ Obama waives ban on arming terrorists to allow aid to Syrian opposition - Joel Gehrke/Washington Examiner @joelmentum

President Obama waived a provision of federal law designed to prevent the supply of arms to terrorist groups to clear the way for the U.S. to provide military assistance to "vetted" opposition groups fighting Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

Some elements of the Syrian opposition are associated with radical Islamic terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, which was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., in 2001. Assad's regime is backed by Iran and Hezbollah.

The president, citing his authority under the Arms Export Control Act, announced today that he would "waive the prohibitions in sections 40 and 40A of the AECA related to such a transaction.

◼ According to sources, arms shipments of light weapons and other munitions were delivered to the rebels as well as nonlethal gear like sophisticated communications equipment, advanced combat medical kits and vehicles. - The Blaze

CFRW Capitol Update

President’s Message

As you read this we will be Louisville, Kentucky attending the NFRW Biennial Convention, where we will be electing Kathy Brugger as NFRW President. Norma Burdick, CFRW Historian/President's Press Book Chair and Gaylon Kastner, CFRW Financial Review Officer have been working hard to make our Hospitality Suite the "Gold Standard" of NFRW. Pictures will be posted in our CFRW Newsletter which will be ready by the first on next week. So check us out!

Just a quick reminder to register for the California Republican Party Convention on October 4-6. On Friday night there will be a dinner honoring our very own Kathy Brugger. Sharon Day, Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee, will be the keynote speaker. WE ARE FINALLY AT THE TABLE!

We are finalizing the banquet speaker for the CFRW Biennial Convention on Saturday night, October 26th. Once we have all the "i's" dotted and the "t's" crossed on the contract, Shirley Mark, CFRW Vice President Central, will let you know via an "Action Alert". All of the CFRW Central Division, Region VI has been busily working to ensure our CFRW Biennial Convention is outstanding. All delegates have to be verified, so please make sure you register before the deadline. We also have some outstanding workshops and speakers. If you want to have a voice on who your next CFRW President and Executive Committee are you must be registered for the convention. PLEASE REGISTER EARLY.

YOU ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST
ONE TEAM, ONE PURPOSE, ONE GOAL
Many blessings this week,
Carol Hadley
CFRW President

Bills Sent to the Governor

Well the legislative session is officially over for the year, though legislators will be back and forth from the Capitol and their districts between now and January. The final destination for bills was decided last Friday, with many bills headed to the Governor’s desk. The Governor now has 30 days to make a decision on hundreds of bills. Here are the bills the CFRW OPPOSES that are waiting for the Governor’s pen. PLEASE CONTACT GOVERNOR BROWN AND TELL HIM TO VETO THE FOLLOWING BILLS!

AB 8 (Perea, D): Would impose higher taxes on vehicle registration, tire purchases and smog abatement in order to fund the “Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program and the Air Quality Improvement Program.” It is very similar to SB 11.

AB 48 (Skinner, D): Again, another bill chipping away at our Second Amendment rights. AB 48 would prohibit the manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or using of a weapon with a “large capacity magazine,” meaning any feeding device capable of more than 10 rounds.

AB 154 (Atkins, D): AB 154 would allow nurse practitioners, mid-wives, and physician’s assistants to perform abortions. Why do the Democrats in the legislature seem to think it is ok to pawn off major surgical procedures for women to mid-level healthcare professionals? This is a huge step backwards in women’s health rights.

HOW TO CONTACT THE GOVERNOR:
Call the Governor: (916) 445-2841
Email the Governor ◼ HERE
Post to the Governor’s Twitter @JerryBrownGov
Send the Governor an opposition letter:

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Gone, but Not Forgotten

There are several bills that the CFRW OPPOSED that failed to pass through the legislature and onto the Governor. These bills will most likely be brought back next session as 2-year bills, meaning they will essentially be the same bill, same language, same author. If they are not resurrected as 2-year bills they may also be reintroduced as a different bill, but the integrity (or lack thereof) of the bill will remain principally intact. If you worked hard to defeat these bills this session, thank you! The CFRW asked you call your representatives, send letters to committees and work to kill these bills. We succeeded- so far. We will need to keep up the hard work next session! Here is a list of those bills.

SB 1 (Steinberg, D): Would create “Sustainable Community Investment Authorities,” which would restructure Community Redevelopment Law in the worst way! SB 1 would allow these unelected regional government entities to be able to seize private property by severely expanding eminent domain and the definition of “blighted” property. These Sustainable Community Investment Authorities would have no voter oversight or approval.

SB 11 (Pavely, D): Would raise taxes on vehicle registrations, smog checks, and even car tire purchases in order to pay for “hydrogen fuel networks,” to the tune of $20 million a year. Eminent domain can also be used on private property to build hydrogen fuel stations. Hydrogen fuel is still relatively new science.

SB 33 (Wolk, D): Another subversive bill circumventing voter approval for newly created government entities and tax increases. SB 33 would eliminate the requirement for voter approval for the creation of “Infrastructure Financial Districts” and bond issuance. It would also increase the time of the Infrastructure Financial District’s authority and power from 30 to 40 years.

SB 47 (Yee, D): SB 47 would expand the definition of an “assault weapon” to include all weapons without a “fixed magazine.” If you own such a weapon that falls within the new definition, you must register your weapon with the Department of Justice with a registration fee of $20 per weapon.

SB 53 (de Leon, D): This bill would require that those purchasing ammunition must first purchase an “ammunition permit.” These purchase permits, as well as ammunition transactions and ammunition vendor licenses, will remain on file with the California Attorney General.

CRP CONVENTION!

Before we attend our CFRW Biennial Convention there is the California Republican Party Convention in Anaheim, October 4-6, and you won’t want to miss it! We are still riding the high from electing Senator Andy Vidak in Senate District 16, but there is more work to be done for Republicans in California! Also at the Friday night dinner, CRP Chairman Jim Brulte will be honoring our very own Kathy Brugger for all of her hard work for the party and the Federation. We want all our CFRW members there supporting Kathy! For more information and to register for convention, ◼ CLICK HERE.

Amid Tragedy, Obama Bares Partisan Teeth

◼ At least twelve people died today in an attack on a U.S. military installation. We don’t yet know if it was terrorism. It could be an attack on our country. - Keith Koffler/White House Dossier

But this is not a time for unity. Not at the White House, that is, where President Obama, after paying brief homage to the victims, began laying into Republicans with vitriol, scare tactics, and sarcasm...

◼ Krauthammer: Obama Going Ahead With “Hyperpartisan” Economic Speech Was in “Extremely Bad Taste” (Video) - Nice Deb

On Special Report, tonight, Charles Krauthammer slammed Obama for his decision to go ahead with a previously scheduled economic speech while the the Naval Yard shooting was still unfolding, calling it “in extremely bad taste.”

The speech itself, he called “hyperpartisan” while marveling at the president’s “remarkable” quip that (in his magnanimous opinion), some Republicans “are decent.”

To do this within minutes of 13 Naval employees – brave Americans who lie dead – was in extremely bad taste,” Krauthammer noted with great disdain. ”He could have waited until tomorrow. It isn’t as if this is a holy anniversary – (the 5th anniversary of the financial crisis).”

◼ Naval Yard shooting aftermath went according to script - Thomas Lifson/American Thinker

Does anyone else out there find it shocking that by implication the President of the United States characterizes his opposition party as indecent, with only "a number of folks" in the decent category? And that he would do this in the wake of news of a mass slaughter?

Also behaving according to script are the gun grabbers, with Senator Dianne Feinstein in the lead, demanding regulations to deprive law abiding citizens of the means of defending themselves. The Colorado recall votes last week delivered a heavy blow to the gun grabbers. For them, the slaughter at the Naval Yard was an opportunity, and they are not letting it pass by.

Obama’s Brother headed for Egypt’s Terror Watch List?

◼ Several prominent Egyptian media sources are reporting that Malik Obama, half-brother to President Barack Obama is quickly becoming a person of interest in that country relative to his role with the Islamic Da’wa Organization (IDO) – based in bordering Sudan – and the larger Muslim Brotherhood umbrella group. Complaints have been filed with Egypt’s Prosecutor General that call for Malik to be put on Egypt’s terror watch list and brought in for questioning about his role in financing terrorism. - Walid Shoebat and Ben Barrack

As reported by prominent Egyptian newspaper Al-Wafd, another complaint was filed with Barakat against Malik Obama, this one by Sami Sabri. This complaint, however, includes identifying President Barack Obama as the conduit who facilitated Malik’s illegal financial gains resulting from raising monies in the U.S. that have been used to fund operations that support a terror network. The report stated that the complaint realizes that it will not result in bringing President Obama to face justice but that it will present the Egyptian people with the facts about the atrocities committed by the Muslim Brotherhood and how the Barack Obama administration has acted as the group’s facilitator and protector.

Investigative Report: Obamaphones Provider Trains Employees to Forge Signatures, Information

◼ At least 50 TerraCom Lifeline applications included forged signatures, according to a new investigative report by the Scripps National Investigative Team. - Jillian Kay Melchior/National Review Online

...a recent audit discovered that 42 percent of Obamaphone beneficiaries — about 6 million people — hadn’t demonstrated eligibility. The Lifeline program cost $2.189 billion in 2012, so that amount of fraud comes at a high cost. TerraCom alone made $52.3 million off the program last year....

SHOOTING RAMPAGE AT D.C. NAVY YARD (Three Gunmen?)

◼ Gunman opens fire at Navy Yard in Washington; several wounded, officials say - US News
REPORT: 4 killed, 8 injured...
WASHPOST: Three shooters...
3,000 workers told to 'shelter in place'...
NBC: At least 2 cops among victims...
WAR ZONE: SWAT-style teams deployed at Capitol...
Flights halted out of Reagan airport...
WH: 'Citizens: Listen to the Authorities'...

◼ About the shooting location - Greta/FOX

Syria in the Age of Myth

◼ We will survive Obama, if barely, but then also flourish—if only by the wisdom of reacting to and doing the opposite of what the Obama era has wrought. - Victor Davis Hanson/PJMedia

Myth I. Conservatives opposed to bombing Syria are isolationists.
Myth II. John Kerry is far worse than Hillary Clinton at secretary of State.

It was Hillary who was the architect of “lead from behind,” which proved nothing. Hillary thundered callously “what difference does it make?” over the four dead in Benghazi. Her State Department both stonewalled the Benghazi inquiry and, before the attack, refused to consider requests for more security.

It was Hillary who chortled in crude fashion “we came, we saw, Gaddafi died,” and in cruder fashion lied to the families of the dead that a right-wing video, not Islamist militias attacking a poorly defended consulate engaged in secretive arms smuggling, had led to the deaths of their sons. And, yes, it was Hillary who jumped ship to avoid the consequences of her own disastrous tenure, while she hit the lecture circuit to cash in and prep for her 2016 presidential run.

Kerry is incompetently cleaning up the wreckage of Hillary Clinton’s disastrous tenure.

Myth III. America is now in decline after being humiliated in Syria.
...Great points, as always, at the link..

55 MILES LONG, 4 LANES WIDE, NO WONDER THE NEWS IS SILENT ON THIS REVOLUTION!!

◼ ...A Column stretching 55 miles long rode out of Los Angeles California, just let that sink in for a while… That is a column of Bikers that stretches beyond horizon to horizon. That is a column, that even traveling at 60 miles per hour, would have taken more than an hour to pass any given point. That was JUST the bikers from Los Angeles California.... - The Wilderness Of Mirrors

Meet the Left's Founding Fathers

◼ Much of the power of the radical left resides in the spread of its ideas in the shadows, away from the light of general public discourse. Within the realm of Academia, however, the ideas of these thirty great thinkers are prevalent, and their influence is real. The nation’s intellectual elites who have been molding young minds through education and the culture for decades draw on these radical theories to dramatically impact the society at large. - Independent Journal Review

Find out what makes these thirty philosophers and intellectuals important in the minds of radicals with this irreverent, quick-and-dirty exposition leading to a synthesis in the most powerful political figure in the world. Not all of these thinkers are radicals; but their ideas are being used in radical ways by those who want to turn America upside down — or as they would have it, right side up.

Obamacare-related layoffs, hour cuts and private coverage dumps of the week

◼ As you read these three stories examples of Obamacare’s impact, keep in mind Jay Carney continues to say that suggesting that Obamacare reduces full time hiring is “belied by the facts.” - Doug Powers/Michelle Malkin

◼ Healthcare Co to Lay Off Over 100 Employees, Cites Obamacare - Daniel Halper/Weekly Standard



◼ Insurers in California's new health insurance exchange are holding down premiums by limiting choices, raising concerns that patients will struggle to get care. - LA Times

The doctor can't see you now.

Consumers may hear that a lot more often after getting health insurance under President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

To hold down premiums, major insurers in California have sharply limited the number of doctors and hospitals available to patients in the state's new health insurance market opening Oct. 1.

New data reveal the extent of those cuts in California, a crucial test bed for the federal healthcare law.

◼ Federal employees say 'Hell, NO!' to ObamaCare - John Hayward/Breitbart's "The Conversation"

◼ Shocker: New Survey Finds Nearly Every Federal Employee Rejects ObamaCare - Forbes

Who knew that when President Obama promised, “If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period,” he was only referring to federal employees … and himself?

◼ California Governor Gets Bill to Allow Nurses to Do Vacuum Abortions - The Cal Report

◼ Louisiana's Conservative Alternative to Obamacare - Weekly Standard

Congressman Darrell E. Issa: 4 years ago this week, President Obama promised America "I will not sign a [healthcare] plan that adds one dime to our deficit," a promise which we now know he's broken.

It's long past time to repeal ObamaCare. ◼ Stand with me and sign the national petition to repeal ObamaCare.