By kpicket on March 1, 2010 2:28 p.m.
California Federal District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez ruled late Friday that the Poway Unified School District in San Diego violated math teacher Bradley Johnson's constitutional rights when it ordered him to remove two patriotic banners from the walls of his classroom in January of 2007, because they "overemphasized" God. According to the Thomas More Law Center Judge Benitez concluded the following:
"Johnson was entitled to a declaration that the school district violated his individual rights protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and Article I, §§ 2 and 4 of the California Constitution. He ordered the school district to pay nominal damages and Johnson’s attorney's fees and costs. And he ordered the school district "to permit Johnson to immediately re-display, in his assigned classroom, the two banners at issue in this case." Johnson returned the displays to his classroom that same day."
Mr. Johnson was represented by the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The group filed the federal lawsuit on the teacher's behalf when the school district ordered Mr. Johnson to remove the banners.
According to Mr. Johnson's attorneys, "the two banners are seven feet wide and two feet tall and contain phrases that highlight our Nation's history and religious heritage." Thomas More Law Center explains in a release that while the district tried to remove Mr. Johnson's banners, it allowed 35 to 40 foot string of Tibetan prayer flags with images of Buddha; a poster with the lyrics from John Lennon's song "Imagine," which starts off, Imagine there's no Heaven; a poster with Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi's "7 Social Sins;" a poster of Muslim leader Malcolm X, and a poster of Buddhist leader Dali Lama.
Robert Muise, an attorney at Thomas More who took on Mr. Johnson's case, told The Washington Times, "One of the main things that was exceedingly important to us was that we had a court order to go into the high school and photograph all the various non-curriculum items the teachers were allowed to put up. It was to show they [the school district] had this policy of allowing it, and they were just being discriminatory against Mr. Johnson's banners."
Below are the banners the school district tried to remove. The Thomas More Center further explains the images the school district found offensive:
"One banner with red, white, and blue stripes hung on the wall for twenty-five years and displayed the famous patriotic phrases: "In God We Trust," "One Nation Under God," "God Bless America," and "God Shed His Grace on Thee."
"The second banner, which had been displayed for seventeen years, contained an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence: "All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator." One school official justified the ban by claiming a Muslim student might be offended by the slogans."
"Mr. Johnson doesn't proselytize to his students. These banners are patriotic expressions. None of them are from any religious text. None of them are from the Bible or the Koran. They're right out of historic significance. That's the reason why he put them up," said Mr. Muise.
Judge Benitez's 32-page opinion is critical of the Poway school district's censoring of the mentioning of God. Here are some excerpts he wrote from his opinion. He addresses the diversity argument and the Establishment clause. Later he goes into the "imaginary Islamic" student scenario who may feel "uncomfortable" about the banners:
"[The school district officials] apparently fear their students are incapable of dealing with diverse viewpoints that include God’s place in American history and culture. . . . That God places prominently in our Nation’s history does not create an Establishment Clause violation requiring curettage and disinfectant for Johnson’s public high school classroom walls. It is a matter of historical fact that our institutions and government actors have in past and present times given place to a supreme God."
"Fostering diversity, however, does not mean bleaching out historical religious expression or mainstream morality. By squelching only Johnson’s patriotic and religious classroom banners, while permitting other diverse religious and anti-religious classroom displays, the school district does a disservice to the students of Westview High School and the federal and state constitutions do not permit this one-sided censorship."
Judge Benitez responded to the allegation that the banners could make an Islamic student feel uncomfortable:
"[A]n imaginary Islamic student is not entitled to a heckler's veto on a teacher's passive, popular or unpopular expression about God's place in the history of the United States." And the judge flatly rejected the school district's argument that Tibetan prayer flags were permissible because they were decorative, describing the argument as "a transparent pretext."While this is a victory for now, Mr. Muise cautions the school district is likely to appeal its case to the Ninth Circuit, which is know for having its usual liberal rulings reversed often by the U.S. Supreme Court.
By jim_robbins on March 1, 2010 2:09 p.m.
The Guardian reports that President Obama's doctors have recommended he moderate his "alcohol intake." Most reportage on the president's recent physical has focused on Mr. Obama's continuing smoking habit, but revelation of a potential drinking problem is a much bigger story. How much "alcohol intake" does it take to get a doctor's attention? And what did the president drink and when did he drink it? If nothing else it might help explain some of Mr. Obama's policy priorities, and why the government is spending money like a drunken sailor.
By kpicket on March 1, 2010 1:28 p.m.
Daniel Hannan, a British Conservative MEP, is reporting (via the Telegraph) that the tea party rally he helped organize in Brighton on Saturday was a success:
"Thanks to everyone who came to the Brighton Tea Party, and apologies to those who couldn’t get it. We opened and filled an adjoining room, but it was still quite a squash. The hotel manager told me afterwards that there had been more than 300 people present, not counting those who had had to be turned away. Not bad for a meeting organised with two days’ notice."
By QHillyer on March 1, 2010 11:04 a.m.
Over at The American Spectator, the mysterious Prowler breaks new ground not just on the identities of the Justice Department lawyers who may have done (perfectly legal) work for suspected-terrorist detainees, but on why DoJ has been so unwilling to release any information on the issue. In particular, this is news to me:
Ironically, say DOJ sources, while Holder and his staff continue to work hard to protect the identities of those attorneys who provided legal advice to suspected or convicted terrorists, several of the attorneys in question are believed to have been instrumental in the efforts of Human Rights Watch and CREW to leak to the media and Democrat supporters on Capitol Hill, the names of CIA interrogators of enemy combatants and suspected terrorists, as well as the locations of foreign-based U.S. secure holding facilities and various interrogation techniques used on terror suspects and enemy combatants.
Wow. And wow again. If these people are leaking the CIA names, they are clearly engaged in illegal activity, bordering on treasonous in the non-legal sense of the word. For that matter, where have all the lefties been who screamed bloody murder when Robert Novak and Richard Armitage innocently leaked the name of utterly desk-bound, high-profile, arguably not even covert Valerie Plame? Inadvertently leaking Plame's name is far less of an offense than deliberately leaking the info about the CIA interrogators. Where are the calls for prosecutions? Where is the almighty Patrick Fitzgerald to put some more skins on the wall?
It is worth noting that some of what the Prowler reports tracks with what we reported here last week, which itself was an update of these two related editorials.
The Prowler also reports this, which expands upon and gives depth to our own earlier suppositions:
... it stems from the administration's own attempts to identify any official paper or email trails of those DOJ attorneys that would reveal not just past but current efforts -- since their appointment, in other words -- to influence administration or department policies on the legal treatment of suspected or indicted terrorists and enemy combatants.
The most intensive review of documents over the past several weeks, says the source, has focused on the little known Law and Policy office, which resides in the National Security Division inside the department. The NSD, parts of which had previously resided inside the Criminal Division, also houses an Office of Intelligence Policy and Review. "When some of these political appointees came into the Administration, I think it was safe to say that there was keen interest on their part to influence policy here," says the source. "At the highest level, people want to know how big a mess this really is. Were there emails or memos shared among the political appointees or the NSD staff that could create problems for us, for example."
This is big stuff. And it isn't going away anytime soon.
By kpicket on March 1, 2010 9:33 a.m.
Today's Water Cooler lineup of off the beaten path online stories are:Thompson-Feingold match getting closer, Narcissism and denial in the Obama administration, and Buzz and bullets: Gun fans cheer Starbucks' policy.
According to Politico, Thompson has increased his networking among former political aides, apparently interested in bringing a team together for the 2010 elections.
Denial can be loosely defined as an unconscious desire to refuse to recognize or acknowledge a given reality. An alcoholic believing that he is not a problem drinker, that he can quit anytime, or that he can control his drinking if he so chooses.
Bay News 9: Buzz and bullets: Gun fans cheer Starbucks' policy
Even in some "open carry" states, businesses are allowed to ban guns in their stores. And some have, creating political confrontations with gun owners. But Starbucks, the largest chain targeted, has refused to take the bait, saying in a statement this month that it follows state and local laws and has its own safety measures in its stores.
By kpicket on Feb. 28, 2010 10:11 p.m.
Last year, Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D - CA), accused tea party protesters of waving swastikas. She called tea party rallies "astro-turf". Today, however, she claimed tea partiers and Democrats have some things in common and that the GOP has hijacked the tea party movement for its gain.
By kpicket on Feb. 26, 2010 6:51 p.m.
New York Democrat Congressman Charlie Rangel who is also the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee blamed his staff for the violation of a House Rule an ethics panel is admonishing him for. “Common sense dictates that members of Congress should not be held responsible for what could be the wrongdoing or mistakes or errors of staff unless there is reason to believe the members knew or should have known,” said Mr. Rangel. Four Democrats are already calling on him to step down from his chairmanship.
While the panel report did not include any formal charges, the committee on standards of offiicial conduct will continue to probe Mr. Rangel on potential other violations. The ethics committee did state, however, that his staff was aware of corporate money being paid for Mr. Rangel's Caribbean funded trips.
Mr. Rangel is easily passing the buck to his staff, but his spokesman Emil Milne, refused to be clear as to whether or not there has been any staff terminations, reprimands, or changes as a result of the ethics panel probe.
"The only information that’s going out is last night’s press conference, when the congressman spoke, and there was a press release. That’s all we’ve got. I’ve got nothing else," said Mr. Miine.
It appears Mr. Rangel does not want to be held accountable, because he says he did not do it, and he does not want this staffer to be held accountable, and the result is he wants nobody to be held accountable.
By kpicket on Feb. 26, 2010 11:53 a.m.
****Updated 10:00 PM
ViDEO: 2006: Pelosi says "Democrats will have the most honest and ethical Congress in history"
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) weaved her way around reporters' questions today regarding fellow Democrat and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee New Yorker Charlie Rangel. Mr. Rangel is in hot water,and news broke on Friday morning that the ethics committee was planning to admonish Mr. Rangel.
"Obviously they have other issues to deal with," the speaker said. "We'll just see what happens next and what comes out of the ethics committee," she said. "All I saw was the press release where they said he did not violate the rules of the House."
“I think every member is entitled to have his day before the ethics committee. They had said he did not knowingly violate…and again, if this were the end of it that would be one thing, but there’s obviously more to come, and will see what happens then, but every member has that right. I think it’s quite a statement to hold members accountable for what their staffs did," said Ms. Pelosi similarly reiterating a defense Mr. Rangel made for himself earlier.
When asked, Ms. Pelosi avoided talking about her 2006 statement regarding Democrats leading the most "honest and ethical" Congress in history, she would only say "we are" and refused to talk further about it. The speaker did not say if she thought Mr. Rangel should step down from his chairmanship.
By QHillyer on Feb. 26, 2010 10:11 a.m.
Sometimes editorials are not well designed for breaking news, because the point is less to break the news than to make a persuasive argument about the news -- which means that the "news" part can get buried down where it fits the arc of the argument, rather than putting it up front. That is certainly the case in today's editorial, "Identifying the Gitmo Nine."
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is rightly unhappy that the Justice Department won't divulge the names of the nine Justice Department lawyers who directly represented suspected-terrorist detainees, or their cases. Grassley identified two himself, Neal Katyal (an aside: Katyal is a very impressive guy and very charming and level-headed) and Jennifer Daskal. Well, we've identified two more of them: Deputy AG counsel Eric Columbus and Office of Legal Counsel lawyer Jonathan Cedarbaum.We also reminded people of a Legal Times report that named 14 DoJ attorneys who likely would hav to recuse themsevles from specific detainee cass because of the work of their former law firms. We also remind people that back in November we reported, in an exclusive, that Associate Attorney Genreal Thomas J. Perrilli had to recuse himself at least 39 times, and we named the names of the detainees involved
Among others, Andy McCarthy of National Review especially has done yeoman's work explaining why this is all important. He also links internally to several other good sources -- links well worth following. Michelle Malkin in particular has been pounding the drums for more than a year about Attorney General Eric Holder's own conflicts in this area.
Anyway, now we have four names identified (Katyal, Daskal, Columbus, and Cedarbaum), with at least five more to go. And again, that doesn't include another substantial number who, like Mr. Perrilli and Mr. Holder, had law-firm-related recusals. As we noted in the November editorial, "the extent of the recusals raises questions about whether the attorney general has enough unbiased advisers around him to have made good judgments about how to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other detainees.... Columnist Charles Krauthammer justly called Mr. Holder's responses "utterly incoherent." If the incoherence stems from an inherent bias among President Obama's appointees at the Justice Department, senators and the American public have the right to know it."
By kpicket on Feb. 26, 2010 7:57 a.m.
Today's Water Cooler lineup of off the beaten path online stories are: Charlie Rangel ruling puts Nancy Pelosi in a jam, Obama campaign arm focuses on talk radio, and Rep. Paul Ryan to Obama: ‘You're not listening’ to the people.
The House ethics committee's decision to admonish New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel over improper corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean leaves both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the ethics committee itself facing some difficult questions.
he Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America has quietly launched an initiative aimed at making Obama supporters' voices heard on the largely conservative airwaves.
Breitbart.tv: Rep. Paul Ryan to Obama: ‘You're not listening’ to the people
The president not that long ago ran on the theme of fiscal sobriety. During the 2008 campaign, he took advantage of the public anger over the Bush deficits that had climbed to an aggregate of $2.5 trillion over eight years. Now, though, he looks to trump Bush's eight-year record of red ink in his first two years.
By cbolton on Feb. 25, 2010 4:31 p.m.
Republican John Loughlin, who is running for the congressional office currently held by Democrat Patrick Kennedy, made an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, February 18.
"If you're going to be successful, you have to work harder and longer than your opponents," said Loughlin in front of a small Xtreme Media crowd.
One of the things Loughlin is fighting for is the abolishment of the income tax. "We need to make sure we can repeal the 16th amendment," he said.
Loughin represents District 71 in Rhode Island, which includes Little Compton and parts of Portsmouth and Tiverton. In addition to his involvement in local politics, Loughlin served in the U.S. Army Reserve for 26 years and owns a television, radio and film production company.
"[It's like being] vice admiral of a canoe," said Loughin of his role as House Republican Whip in the state of Rhode Island, where there are a mere six Republicans in the state's House of Representatives.
Below are some excerpts from the candidate's Web site.
Jobs and the economy:
"Rhode Island needs more taxpayers, not more taxes. As your congressman, I pledge to work every day on raising the economic tide in the Ocean State."
Health care:
"By rushing into socialized medicine, we vastly increase the size of the deficit while at the same time putting our health in the same hands of the people that brought you the registry of motor vehicles."
Energy independence:
"The high cost of energy is forcing many Rhode Island families and businesses to cut back. I believe it's time to stop cutting back and begin fighting back."
The environment:
"I will fight every day to ensure that our treasured way of life becomes a legacy we can share with our children and grandchildren."
National security:
"War should only be used as the last resort, not the first resort. When we commit our men and women to conflict, we need clear achievable goals and an exit strategy that keeps us from being mired in never-ending policy actions."
If Loughlin wins the September 14 primary, he could potentially face off with Providence mayor David Cicilline in November.
By kpicket on Feb. 25, 2010 12:28 p.m.
Our Founding Fathers would have never thought that over two hundred years later, British subjects would be throwing a "Tea Party" after being inspired by American activists overseas who demanded smaller government from their own policy makers in Washington.
The Freedom Association is sponsoring a tea party event this Saturday in Brighton. Their website gives the following information:
Join DANIEL HANNAN MEP at the Brighton Tea Party at 5.30 p.m. this Saturday 27 February at the Best Western Hotel, 143-145 King's Road, Brighton BN1 2PQ
The event will take place on the Conservative Party Spring Forum fringe, but is outside the secure zone, so all members of the public are very welcome to attend. Admission is free. Tea and other refreshments will be available at a small charge. Cash bar.
The Tea Party Movement in the USA has demonstrated the huge scale of public opposition to excessive taxation. In the UK, tax is much higher and, in addition, British membership of the democratically unaccountable EU raises the issue of "no taxation without representation". From the Boston Tea Party to the Brighton Tea Party, it's time to demonstrate our opposition to excessive taxation.
See you there!
Mr. Hannan is the same MEP who gave the famous tongue lashing to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown last year and became a you tube sensation.
By kpicket on Feb. 25, 2010 12:24 a.m.
GOP leaders of both Houses spoke to the press on Wednesday to discuss details regarding the Thursday health care summit at Washington, D.C.'s, Blair House with Democrat leaders and President Obama. The GOP is already calling the summit useless, going as far as calling it a "Sham-Wow" TV commercial, as one GOP member put it.
With the threat of reconciliation looming from the Democrats, a parliamentary procedure reserved for passing spending and tax legislation in the Senate, and the bill's ability to pass with only 50 votes (plus the VP's vote) without debate, Republicans are fighting back. They are reminding everyone that Democrat Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia not only authored the reconciliation rule but also objected to it being used to pass health care legislation, according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
When asked what he thought of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D - NV) remark about GOP'ers "crying about reconciliation," Mr. McConnell of Kentucky told The Washington Times on Wednesday:
"Reconciliation has never been used to doanything as massive as restructuring 1/6 of our economy. The notion that they’re promoting that this is somehow routine is simply not the case. The man that wrote the budget reconciliation law is Robert Byrd," he said.
"The man who wrote the Byrd rule is Robert Byrd. He said so as recently in the last twelve months that it should not be used for health care … the author of the budget language … the author of the Byrd rule.On the heels of the corn husker kick back and the Louisiana Purchase…the special deal for Florida, writing this behind closed doors, for them to step in and use this little-used parliamentary device never intended to do something of this magnitude to restructure 1/6 of the economy."
Due to his frail health and advanced age (at 92, he is the oldest serving U.S. Senator), Mr. Byrd rarely visits the Senate chamber and is only seen during key votes on the floor. Politicians have a tough time getting their opposition to be vocally consistent on positions taken in the past. With Mr. Byrd's already seldom appearances on Capitol Hill, the GOP may not necessarily have loud support from the author of the reconciliation budget rule.
By kpicket on Feb. 24, 2010 7:08 a.m.
Today's Water Cooler lineup of off the beaten path online stories are: The FBI is confirming raids at the offices of three Michigan auto suppliers who do work for Toyota, Lone GOP health care backer's campaign cash dips, and Beverly Hills disowns Miss California contestant.
The FBI is confirming raids at the offices of three Michigan auto suppliers who do work for Toyota.
The lone Republican lawmaker to support Democratic health care legislation has seen his fundraising drop by nearly 40 percent since his vote, and he is quickly burning through a dwindling bank account after resorting to a costly national fundraising operation.
AP: Beverly Hills disowns Miss California contestant
The mayor of Beverly Hills is outraged over a Miss California USA contestant who spoke out against same-sex marriage and said she represented the city in the pageant.
By kpicket on Feb. 23, 2010 9:01 p.m.
**UPDATED again on 2/24/10 with the Iranian Space Agency Logo:
Weaselzippers.net caught this bizarre governmental coincidence. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense, went from using the first logo below to using a logo looking strangely similar to the Obama 2008 campaign along with the original agency logo. The new logo was created by the logo design company TMP Government. It appears the logo below still exists on the site and coexists with the new logo on letterhead, but the Web site shows it in a less prominent smaller area than the newer one.:
To this new logo here:
Now compare the new logo to the Obama campaign 2008 logo and the Iranian space agency logo. Could TMP Government possibly come up with something else that does not seem to remind people of an American campaign long finished or a space agency whose nation's leader is a tyrant that wants to see our country's demise?
So it is one thing for a private company like Pepsico to alter its image (image below) and seemingly get behind Mr. Obama during his 2008 campaign, because consumers can just stop buying their products, if they are disappointed with a company's political leanings:
However, if a governmental agency's logo begins to look scarily like a presidential campaign theme, even if done unintentionally, that is a problem and should be corrected immediately. Can anyone at DOD say National Endowment for the Arts scandal?
By anathhartmann on Feb. 23, 2010 1:58 p.m.
In a statement this week European Union ministers called the January killing of Hamas terrorist and weapons smuggler Mahmoud al-Mabhouh "profoundly disturbing." While they never mentioned Israel by name (and it is unlikely that indisputable proof will ever emerge that Israel's Mossad agency was responsible for the death) they railed against the use by al-Mabhouh's assassins of falsified EU passports, saying it violated EU citizen rights, and they denounced the execution as not being "conducive to peace and stability" in the Middle East.
Also breaking news this week have been reports from Dubai police that the tally of people who used fake passports prior to the killing was up by four, bringing the total to 14.
But both points are red herrings meant to distract the world community from the real issue at hand: that it was a security threat, a hardened terrorist with the blood of innocents on his hands, who was killed. Noticeably absent from any official's statements on the matter has been denunciation of the assassinated, a Muslim Brotherhood member and a co-founder of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas. Al-Mabhouh was behind the 1989 murder of two young Israeli soldiers and had long been involved in the smuggling of rockets from Iran to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli officials. In fact, he was likely on a terror-related mission in Dubai at the time of his death. (Dubai is a popular meet-up locale for Iranian cash and goods transfers to Hamas.)
Dozens of Israeli civilians have been killed by rocket fire from Gaza, and since the 2005 Israeli troop withdrawal from the area more than 4,500 rockets have been launched at southern Israel. These attacks are a daily threat to residents in the region, thousands of whom have fled in recent years for more northerly towns.
It is shameful that not one EU official has broken rank and pointed out that the death of al-Mabhouh was deserved, likely saved many lives and was therefore a public service. As the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot journalist Eitan Haber wrote on Feb. 18:
"There are two questions we need to ask in this case: Was the objective – assassinating Mabhouh – achieved? The answer is yes. Were the assassins nabbed by the enemy? The answer is no."
We say, mission accomplished.
By cbolton on Feb. 23, 2010 11:59 a.m.
Let’s face it. Politicians don’t like to offend people. After the housing market crashed, a lot of political hopefuls were hesitant to tell Americans how nutty it is to buy a home on a maxed-out budget (e.g., Sarah Palin during the 2008 vice presidential debate).
The remarkable thing about Glenn Beck is that he’s not afraid to be bold; maybe it’s because he’s not running for office, but Beck tends to be uncompromisingly blunt. The keynote speech he gave at CPAC Saturday, February 20 was no exception.
Rather than mistake-proof the U.S., Beck makes a strong argument for giving individuals the liberty to learn from their missteps as opposed to spoon feeding them a foul-tasting government “remedy.”
On an old-school chalkboard, Beck informed his audience of the ever-morphing movement that has slowly taken America down its current path. With a humorous allusion to Dan Quayle, Beck was sure to spell the name of the movement correctly: Progressivism.
This movement has ushered in an attitude of government dependency and entitlement; instead of upholding the importance of personal responsibility, it has ushered in a system focused on the arbitrary redistribution of wealth; instead of appreciating success, it has punished it. Progressivism has created a flat, mediocre, boring way of life that doesn’t cause one to thrill in the joys of life’s ups and downs.
However, if we are to revert to earlier days in our nation’s history and stoke the nation’s sense of personal responsibility, it’s time we stop blaming all our problems on President Obama. “[Progressivism] is in the Republicans and the Democrats,” said Beck. And who elects those people?
So, what does it mean to be a conservative? “It means to me ‘personal responsibility’—that, if I’ve done something wrong, it’s up to me to pay the price; it’s up to me to make it right,” said Beck.
The real remedy to our national problems is not allowing the government to hold on to the handlebars, but allowing it to let go of them. How much more satisfying it is for a child to finally ride a bike after he or she has fallen a few times, and how common it is for a spirited son or daughter to yell, “Let go!” when mom or dad holds on to the back of the bike. As Beck said, “Without failure, there is no sweetness in success.”
It’s time the American people cried “Let go!”—not to mom and dad—but 1) to a sphere of authority that has usurped its power in ways average parents never would have dreamed of and 2) to personal inhibitions that restrain individuals from enjoying the ride.
By kpicket on Feb. 23, 2010 9:17 a.m.
During the debate on the jobs bill Monday, Senate Democratic Majority Leader, Harry Reid, who is down in the polls in his home state of Nevada did his constituents and the rest of the United States no favors when he proclaimed on the Senate floor that men become more abusive when they are unemployed. The Hill reports the following:
"I met with some people while I was home dealing with domestic abuse. It has gotten out of hand," Reid said on the Senate floor. "Why? Men don't have jobs."
Reid said that the effects of joblessness on domestic violence were especially pronounced among men, because, Reid said, women tend to be less abusive.
"Women don't have jobs either, but women aren’t abusive, most of the time," he said.
"Men, when they're out of work, tend to become abusive," the majority leader added. "Our domestic crisis shelters in Nevada are jammed.”
Apparently, Mr. Reid is ether looking at some anecdotal evidence or just pulling thoughts out of thin air. Perhaps Leader Reid and his staff should check out California State University's Martin S. Fiebert, study examining "Assaults by Women On Their Spouses Or Male Partners." According to the summary, the study blows away any claim Mr. Reid thinks he has on the issue of domestic violence:
"bibliography examines 271 scholarly investigations: 211 empirical studies and 60 reviews and/or analyses, which demonstrate that women are as physically aggressive, or more aggressive, than men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners. The aggregate sample size in the reviewed studies exceeds 365,000."
Maybe Majority Leader Reid ran into this woman. She falsely accused her husband of domestic violence. Domestic violence happens to both genders, and Mr. Reid should not be throwing out accusations, when he appears to know very little about the issue.
Men's groups are already demanding an apology from him. These include:
African-Americans for VAWA Reform, CPF/Fatherhood Coalition, Dads and Moms of Michigan, Fathers' and Children's Equality, Fathers for Equal Rights of America, Illinois Fathers, Men and Fathers for Justice, Men’s Equality Conference, National Organization for Men, National Congress for Fathers & Children of New Hampshire, Petition for Child Support Reform, Shared Parenting Works, TABS (Taking Action against Bias in the System), Utah Father’s Rights Meetup Group, Washington Domestic Violence Press, and the Washington Civil Rights Council.
By kpicket on Feb. 22, 2010 6:43 p.m.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee ripped into the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) yesterday calling it increasingly "more Libertarian and less Republican over the last few years, one of the reasons why I didn't go this year." He responded this way after Fox News host Geraldo Rivera presented the CPAC straw poll voter results showing that the governor scored poorly at only four percent among CPAC straw poll voters.
At the goading of Mr. Rivera, Mr. Huckabee slammed CPAC as now irrelevant due to the tea party events all over the country. The former Arkansas governor and presidential GOP candidate said, "The tea party has taken all the oxygen out of the room, where CPAC was historically the event, the tea parties now are having their events all over the country and a lot more grassroots people are truly getting involved, because of the tea parties."
He took his biggest shot at how CPAC finds co-sponsors and speakers for their panels, saying, "I think because the way it solicits sponsors, its almost become a pay for play. It's kind of like who will pay money to be able to be a sponsor and to be able to get time on the program. That's what hurt its credibility in the last couple of years."
The American Conservative Union, the organization that hosts CPAC each year, has responded to Mr. Huckabee:
"We are perplexed by Governor Huckabee's comments about CPAC given our long and cordial relationship with him and his family.
For those who don't understand how CPAC operates, here is a thumbnail sketch: Our cosponsors meet several times during the year to suggest topics and speakers who they believe should be invited. Many of those invited are from groups that are neither co-sponsors nor financial supporters of the conference itself. This year, for example, groups that provided speakers but weren't co-sponsors included among others Fox News, the American Enterprise Institute, and The Club for Growth, The Tea Party Patriots, Students for Life and dozens of others.
The Governor himself has spoken at several CPAC conferences in the past and he was invited to speak at CPAC 2010. On December 18th we were advised that his schedule wouldn't permit his participation this year, but hoped we would have a 'wonderful event'. The Governor's daughter Sarah was able to attend CPAC, and participated in XPAC, the student lounge at CPAC sponsored by Xtreme Media (radio hosts Kevin McCullough and Stephen Baldwin). Organizers said she did a great job and the CPAC students loved her.
CPAC 2010 drew more than 10,000 conservative activists from around the country representing every part of the movement and including more than 5000 college students. We were proud that Sarah, who introduced her dad at last year's conference, was part of the record-breaking crowd this year.
We hope next year she'll be back and bring her dad!"
The ACU appears to be pretty forgiving of Governor Huckabee's actions on the Fox News channel yesterday given the circumstances. One must wonder what happened when when his daughter, Sarah, caught up with him later on. However, talk about biting the hand that feeds you. CPAC organizers may be quick to turn the other cheek, but CPAC attendees may not be so forgiving next time around.
By cbolton on Feb. 22, 2010 3:58 p.m.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance has confirmed that the total federal expenditure for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program for fiscal year 2010 was roughly $330 million. Again, however, the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance has gotten an estimate wrong.
Though federal funding for this program has been decreasing over the past couple years (the government spent $394 million on the same program in 2009), officials estimated that $0 would be spent on the program this year. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Furthermore, this program (which supposedly compensates states and localities for expenses incurred from imprisoning "undocumented criminal aliens") applies to U.S. territories Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
The Use of Funds List for the program from fiscal years 2007 through 2009 included performance-based bonuses, construction of corrections facilities and medical and mental health services.
Theoretically, this program uses federal resources to house and care for illegal immigrants convicted of wrongdoing. However, if we're going to spend money on immigration-related things, let's spend it on immigrants who arrive on our shores legally and who do so without inflicting harm on American interests.
Finally, as with any form of government intervention, the presence of corruption is always a possibility. The chief executive officers of the localities that apply for these SCAAP funds must sign off on the application; also, once a state or locality has been given SCAAP money, it is not required to keep progress or expenditure reports. Performance monitoring isn't a requirement either. Where is the transparency in that?
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