Monday, September 28, 2009

Liberals seek health-care access for illegals - Washington Times

Liberals seek health-care access for illegals - Washington Times

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Friday, September 18, 2009

“Hugo Chavez; The Saddam Hussein of South America”

Sep 17, 5:00 PM EDT


Venezuela a top concern at press freedom forum

By IAN JAMES-Associated Press Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Press freedom groups condemn Venezuela's recent shutdown of radio stations as part of a broader strategy by President Hugo Chavez to progressively clamp down on the private news media - and they want to put a stop to it.

Newspaper executives who lead the Miami-based Inter American Press Association say Venezuela will be at the top of their list as they gather in Caracas for an emergency forum Friday to discuss freedom of expression in the Americas.

The government has announced plans to take 29 more radio stations off the airwaves.

Globovision - the last opposition-aligned TV channel on the open airwaves - is also the target of multiple investigations that authorities say could lead to the revocation of its broadcast license. Prosecutors opened a criminal investigation earlier this month to determine whether Globovision was trying to incite rebellion by airing a viewer's text message that allegedly called for a coup.


The station has been the only opposition outlet on regular non-pay TV since 2007, when Chavez refused to renew the license of another opposition-aligned channel, RCTV.

"Our single largest preoccupation, I think, at IAPA is the move by President Chavez in Venezuela, also followed very closely by President (Rafael) Correa in Ecuador, to slowly but steadily transform a free and independent media into independent media under constant attack and harassment," said Robert Rivard, editor of the San Antonio Express-News and president of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information.


"I do believe that if President Chavez thought he could get away with it, he would simply shut down the media," Rivard told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Everybody, including the owners of Globovision, think it's not if - but when - President Chavez tries to shut them down. We'd like to get in the way of that."


Chavez denies his government is trying to eliminate critical voices in the media.


The one-day forum in Caracas is being supported by other press groups including the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Attendees will consider threats to freedom of expression throughout the hemisphere, with speakers including former presidents Carlos Mesa of Bolivia and Alejandro Toledo of Peru.


Chavez has been feuding with the IAPA for years, saying it represents the interests of media owners who are hostile to his government.


Instead of debating with the visiting critics, the government announced plans for a separate, parallel forum in Caracas involving journalists from various countries. The Information Ministry said in a statement that the IAPA news executives were coming "to support the private media, focused on strong opposition to the government."


Venezuela still has many fiercely anti-Chavez radio stations and newspapers. Critics accuse the government of trying to winnow their numbers and of using bogus legal cases to pressure some that are perceived as threats.


Reporters have also been targets of violence. Twelve journalists were kicked, punched and beaten with sticks last month by a group of purported Chavez supporters. The journalists had been passing out leaflets opposing the new education law, specifically a provision that would allow sanctions against news media reports that "produce terror" among children or incite hate. One suspect was detained after the attack and was later released while the investigation proceeds.


Miguel Henrique Otero, editor of the Venezuelan daily El Nacional, said the government's approach to the media is intended to "produce fear" among journalists to encourage self-censorship. The government yanked its advertising several years ago from Otero's paper, which continues to take a strongly critical stance and regularly publishes political cartoons depicting Chavez as a toad in military regalia.


"This is a country that's moving rapidly toward a totalitarian regime," Otero said. "Every day the democratic world should go about taking more of a stance."

© 2009 Copyright Associated Press

Chavez's government forced 32 radio stations and two small television stations off the air last month, saying some owners had failed to renew their broadcast licenses while other licenses were no longer valid because they had been granted long ago to owners who are now dead.

Monday, September 7, 2009

“Daylight’s-a-Burn’n”


We haven't time to wait for the 2010 election America. If the liberal policies and legislation of President 0bama, his Administration and the Congress are not contained now, Healthcare, Cap & Trade, S.773, and many more destructive bills and amendments, will be 'Old News' once the 2010 election cycle rolls around.


2010 carries no guarantees; there are plenty of Republicans that have to be retired from ‘public service’ too. But I digress, a barricade to stop the ‘fundamental transformation’ of our nation requires the help of all, yet a common thread still exists among the fence setters who say, “There are so many families with kids, both parents are working and they're just to busy to get involved like a lot of people can."


For some time, I let this 'justification' attitude slide by, without saying a word, and then I said bulls**t. Now I answer to their apathetic whining with, "That is precisely the reason you ‘DO NEED TO GET INVOLVED,’ to protect the future of your children, to insure they do not have their rights completely trampled on and taken away..."


We all understand and are experiencing the fast-pace of life, more so than it has ever been before, you cannot neglect your responsibilities to your family, job or church and part of that responsibility, right now, is getting the people you once trusted, ‘your elected representatives,' BACK ON TRACK! If every politician were like Jason E. Chaffetz and a few others in Congress, at this juncture we could go about our merry way and trust their judgment. 'That scenario does not exist ‘right now,' so every American is a stakeholder and has a responsibility to themselves, their children and their Country to ‘GET INVOLVED!’




If we don't flood our leaders with our voices now, we can kiss your freedoms goodbye. You just need to direct a little of that time, out of your fast-paced life, and call, snail-mail, fax and email your Congressional representatives. You don’t have to take on every issue, pick two or three of your favorites, but do something.


Don’t be one of the people who do nothing because they’re to busy in this fast-paced life we ALL live in. Apathy and complacency will make you an accomplice too the arrest of our freedom and the ‘destructive transformation’ of our nation.


If you find this offensive, oh well. As you may have noticed, freedom-robbing legislation is moving at equal speed with our fast-paced lives and depending on the 2010 elections or someone else to do the job will be way too late and short-supported without you at the party.

"All the President's Czars"

U.S. Constitution - Article 2 Section 2 - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

Bypassing the authority of Congress, Barack Obama rules through czars — the beginnings of dictatorship: You decide whether 'Czars' are constitutional, OR NOT, click on the link above...


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The Compleat List of Obama Czars

1. Herbert Allison Jr., bailout czar.
2. Alan Bersin, border czar.
3. Dennis Blair, intelligence czar.
4. John Brennan, counterterrorism czar.
5. Carol Browner, energy czar.
6. Adolfo Carrion, urban affairs czar.
7. Ashton Carter, weapons czar.
8. Aneesh Chopra, technology czar.
9. Jeffrey Crowley, AIDS czar.
10. Cameron Davis, Great Lakes czar.
11. Nancy-Ann DeParle, health czar.
12. Earl Devaney, stimulus oversight czar.
13. Joshua DuBois, religion czar, aka God czar.
14. Arne Duncan, education czar.
15. Kenneth Feinberg, pay czar.
16. Daniel Fried, Guantanamo closure czar.
17. J. Scott Gration, Sudan czar.
18. Melissa Hathaway, cybersecurity czar.
19. David J. Hayes, water czar.
20. Richard Holbrooke, Afghanistan-Pakistan (Af-Pak) czar.
21. John Holdren, science czar.
22. Kevin Jennings, safe schools czar.
23. Van Jones, green jobs czar.
24. Gil Kerlikowske, drug czar.
25. Ron Kirk, trade czar.
26. Vivek Kundra, infotech czar.
27. Douglas Lute, war czar.
28. George Mitchell, Mideast peace czar.
29. Ed Montgomery, car czar.
30. Lynn Rosenthal, domestic violence czar.
31. Dennis Ross, Mideast policy czar.
32. Gary Samore, weapons of mass destruction czar.
33. Todd Stern, climate change czar.
34. Cass Sunstein, regulatory czar.
35. Larry Summers, economic czar.
36. Michael Taylor, food czar
37. Arturo Valenzuela, Latin-American czar.
38. Paul Volcker, economic czar number two.
39. Elizabeth Warren, TARP Oversight Panel czar.
40. Jeffrey Zients, government performance czar.


Source: http://endgamenow.com/

Friday, September 4, 2009

“Washington, D.C. – Pay for Play Central”


One could conclude, if there is to be ‘real change’ in Washington, D.C. politics, campaign finance and Washington lobby practices, above all else, require the most attention and ultimate reform. Without addressing these two key faults in the Beltway, the partisan divide will become even wider and ethics violations will be more common place that they are already, it is a chronic epidemic in Washington, D.C.

The revolving door of earmarks for special interests, in turn for campaign financing, is immoral, if not in many cases illegal, and does not serve the whole of our population. It is virtually impossible for an elected official to represent his/her constituents exclusively and fairly when the money of a few determines the longevity of their term in office.

There are only two ways to remedy this vial and repetitious cycle, either reform campaign finance and lobbying practices or impose term-limits to eight-years in office, both are preferred.

Consider our current impasse, regarding healthcare reform, aside from opinion that H.R. 3200 should be scrapped, simplified and rewritten; tort reform was an obvious exclusion. Why, because beyond Howard Dean’s assertion that, “The people who wrote it, did not want to take on the trial lawyers…” the DNC, which he chairs, Democrats and I’m certain many Republicans campaigns are finance largely by the trial lawyer lobby. Current campaign finance practices render ‘tort reform’ virtually untouchable by either major political party.

Sadly enough, influence peddling, earmarks for special interests and campaign coffers fill the pockets and dreams of only a minute percentage of our total population, stamped for approval by and for the politicians, their campaign bankers, lawyers, family and friends. As the political winds shift, so will the direction of the unethical-cash flow to yet another special interest click.

We, common people, suppose it may seem a fair reward to those who arrogantly pat themselves on the back for their proclaimed sacrifice to public service, but it seems just the opposite to us common folk who are not privy to the treasure of the Washington, D.C. swamp.

Though politicians of every persuasion and Americans of all colors and creeds reflect and recite the words of our founders, they in fact pledged their lives, their sacred honor and yes their fortunes to the United States of America, many of whom lost their lives and their fortunes.

We are far beyond the politicians of yesteryear; their values and commitment to the people have been scrubbed from practice by the politicians of the 21st Century. The soul of America, us commoners, are mindful of our founders noble commitment, hence our collective outcry of disapproval.

Clean-up the Washington, D.C. swamp gentlemen and ladies, everything else will fall into place with relative calm and a spirit of give and take. Get involve common folk, demand that your elected representatives clean up the swill they have created. ~M.C.Fergy~