The Bright Side of President Obama

Conceding defeat of conservative values in lieu of extreme liberalism is not an easy thing to do. But, it's clear this morning that Democrats and liberals (assuming there is a difference) have been given the majority of power across the political spectrum. So, let's try to look for a bright side...

1. A black man has become president of the United States of America. Just 50 years ago, the black man was still being subjected to clear-cut discrimination in many areas of life.
   
2. There will be kids in the White House. We haven't, as a country, had multiple young children in the Rose Garden since the Kennedy presidency.
   
3. The President and Congress cannot blame each other for partisan politics. Democrats have a clear majority in the House of Representatives, the Senate -- and now a Democratic President.
   

On a lighter, more humorous note, it would have been awesome having a hot looking First Lady, a hot "First Daughter" and a hotter Vice President. Oh well, it's early and the day talking heads haven't gotten started yet this morning.

I'm sure there are bright sides to an Obama presidency -- though I could come up with only three so far. I'll truthfully try to think of more. Your "bright side" comments are welcome -- but let's keep it apolitical. 

Richard Viguerie: It's Sarah Palin's Principles, Stupid

Article from christiansunite.com
With the popularity of Governor Sarah Palin providing lift to the GOP ticket, Republicans are starting to feel better about races for Congress and at the state level. But most of them are missing the point of her popularity and may be personally disappointed on Election Day, Richard A. Viguerie said.

"Too many Republican candidates think Governor Palin is popular because of her gender or because she's a fresh face with a 'cool' life story. They think they can hold onto her skirt and that her popularity will help carry them to victory," said Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com.

"The truth is, 'It's Palin's principles, stupid!' It's what she represents, as a reformer fighting corruption, even in her own party. It's because you can believe her when she says she will wage war on the corrupt Washington establishment. That's not something you can say about most candidates, who stood by throughout their careers doing precisely nothing about the culture of corruption that infests Washington and politics in general.

"And she's popular because she holds to the core beliefs of the coalition that elected Ronald Reagan in two landslides--on taxes, spending, the role of government, and traditional ideas of right and wrong.

"The popularity of Palin--and the heightened popularity of John McCain, who selected her as his political soul mate--won't help other Republicans unless they also hold to those principles and campaign credibly on those principles.

At a minimum, Republican candidates must demand the top-to-bottom removal of the Republican leadership that nearly sank the party over the past few years. That includes the leadership in Congress, the Bush administration, and GOP officials at the national level and in most states.

Republican candidates must tell us how they'll shut down the lobbyist-and-Big-Government political machines that dominate the nation's capital and most state capitals. And candidates for Congress must tell us how they'll tear K Street down to street level and sow salt in the earth so that nothing ever grows there again."

Said Viguerie: "It's a cliche, but it's true: The American people are fed up, and want change. By picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has gone a long way in convincing voters that he will be a warrior for the right kind of change. But lower-level Republicans will do poorly unless they demonstrate clearly and credibly that they will be on the front lines of the epic battles to come."

Teens Request Abstinence Programs

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently held a hearing titled, "Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence." While the hearing was stacked against abstinence education funding, two experts testified as to the effectiveness of such programs. Federal funding for these programs is in jeopardy. Chairman Henry Waxman (Dem-California) advocates for comprehensive sex education, which has no evidence of reducing teen sexual activity.

A press conference was held yesterday at the National Press Club to release evidence from recent studies that prove over 50 percent of teens will refrain from sexual initiation if taught abstinence. And teens are requesting the programs.

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is providing, to congressmen, letters from students who want abstinence to be taught. In a letter written to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), Jordan wrote,

"Most teens who stay abstinent will be more emotionally stable, will not contract STDs, and will not get pregnant. This would not only benefit many individuals, but society as a whole. This is because the upcoming generation would be happier and healthier."

Lauren believes that even though there are "teens and other individuals who want to do whatever they see fit, most teens want to receive a strong message about abstinence. They want to know that they can say 'no' and that they don't have to give in to peer pressure. By informing students and teenagers of abstinence, you are allowing them to choose a better future and avoid all the emotional and physical heartache and risks of having casual sex."

CWA, along with teens across the nation, encourages members of Congress to continue to fund programs that not only provide proven results, but keep our children safe. Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

OnThisDay: May 7th
1789 - First US presidential inaugural ball (for George Washington; in New York City, NY)
1824 - Beethoven's 9th (Chorale) Symphony, premiered in Vienna
1847 - American Medical Association (AMA) organized in Philadelphia, PA.
1888 - George Eastman patented the "Kodak box camera"
1912 - Columbia University approved plans for awarding the Pulitzer Prize in several categories
1914 - US Congress established Mother's Day holiday
1915 - Lusitania sunk by German submarine; 1198 lives lost
1970 - Beatles "Long & Winding Road" released; becomes their last American release
1975 - US President Gerald R. Ford declared an end to "Vietnam Era"
1982 - IBM released PC-DOS version 1.1

TOPIC: CWA: 'Hate Crimes' -- Unequal Protection Under the Law
Article from christiansunite.com / Concerned Women of America
"Hate crimes" bill H.R. 1592, which is on the fast track to passage in Congress, will officially give homosexuals and cross dressers special elevated status in society based upon their chosen sexual behaviors and/or wardrobe. Under H.R. 1592, the victims at Virginia Tech would officially be considered less valuable to society than homosexuals and cross dressers who are the targets of insults, intimidation, simple assault or other "violent acts."
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees "equal protection under the law" for all citizens -- regardless of their sexual preference. "Hate crimes" legislation flies in the face of the 14th Amendment. Such legislation would require the government to invest more resources in the investigation and prosecution of crimes against homosexuals than it would the victims at Virginia Tech.

It is an irrefutable fact that H.R. 1592 would treat certain citizens unequally from others. Concerned Women for America (CWA) asks Congress to grant equal government resources, concern and respect to the victims at Virginia Tech and their families as they do to the demands of liberal homosexual activists by reaffirming the precepts of the 14th Amendment and voting NO on this dangerous and discriminatory piece of legislation.

"If Seung-Hui Cho's horrific actions were not an act of 'hate,' then what where they?" asked Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues with CWA. "All violent crimes are 'hate crimes.' By H.R. 1592's definition, Cho's actions would have constituted a 'hate crime' except for the fact that he targeted his victims with the wrong kind of bias. In this case, Cho 'perceived' his victims to be 'rich kids.' However, under H.R. 1592, 'rich kids' are not a specially protected class like homosexuals, so Cho's crime is second tier and would be considered less egregious.
"The FBI's latest statistics show that there were zero 'hate crimes' murders committed against homosexuals or those perceived to be homosexual in 2005; yet we already know of thirty-two so-called 'hate crimes' murders committed against perceived 'rich kids' in a single day. But under H.R. 1592, those 'rich kids' would be denied the same protections and justice as homosexuals. The whole 'hate crimes' concept really places logic and reason on its head," concluded Barber.

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

TOPIC: Federal Appeals Court Decision Dismisses ACLU Lawsuit Challenging Boy Scouts

Source: christiansunite.com

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), specializing in constitutional law, Tuesday applauded a decision by a federal appeals court dismissing a lawsuit by the ACLU challenging the U.S. Department of Defense's support of the Boy Scouts of America and their national jamboree. The ACLJ filed an amicus brief with the appeals court on behalf of 90 members of Congress asking that the suit be dismissed.
"We're delighted that the federal appeals court reached the proper conclusion in this case," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which filed the brief on behalf of members of Congress.

"This is just another example of the ACLU trying to impose its flawed view of the constitution on the rest of America. The military provides the Boy Scouts with support and services that aid both the military and the Scouts without endorsing religion. This lawsuit should never have been brought in the first place and we're pleased the appeals court dismissed the suit clearing the way for this beneficial relationship between the military and the Boy Scouts to continue."

The ACLJ asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to reverse a lower court decision that declared a 1972 statute passed by Congress enabling the Defense Department to provide support to the Boy Scouts unconstitutional because it violated the separation of church and state. The Defense Department provides support and services every four years when the Scouts hold their Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. In a decision released this week, the appeals court ruled that the ACLU-backed taxpayer plaintiffs who brought the suit did not have legal standing to bring the case and dismissed the lawsuit.
The dispute began in 1999 when the ACLU filed suit claiming that the Defense Department's sponsorship of the Boys Scouts violated the First Amendment because the group requires its members to swear an oath which states, in part, "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country." A federal district court said the Jamboree statute was unconstitutional and violated the Establishment Clause because it had a primary effect of advancing religion. The decision was appealed to the 7th Circuit.
The ACLJ represented nearly 90 members of Congress in support of the statute. In its brief, the ACLJ contended that in passing the statute, Congress sought to help the military advance its own goals, not to promote the Boy Scouts religious beliefs. The ACLJ contends the lower court used flawed legal reasoning to reach its conclusion. The brief asserts that the Defense Department's support comes in the form of "non-religious supplies and services." The brief states: "The military's rental of forklifts and trucks, transportation and military equipment, restoration of Fort A.P. Hill after the Jamboree, and provision of other secular services is clearly 'neutral and nonideological.' The only possible message that the military's aid can be viewed as conveying is that patriotism, self-reliance, physical fitness, and support of the military are positive things." You can read the entire ACLJ amicus brief here.

TOPIC: Washington Observer Criticizes Special Pension for 'Elite' Congressional Felons

Article by Jim Brown

Some of the most corrupt former members of Congress are receiving perhaps the most beneficial pension system in all of America. That shouldn't sit right with American taxpayers, says one Washington observer -- and that's why he's encouraging them to bring it up with their representatives in Congress.
A coalition of 23 citizen groups recently called on Congress to end the practice of allowing convicted lawmakers to draw taxpayer-funded retirement benefits. The National Taxpayers Union says over the past 25 years, at least 20 lawmakers found guilty of felonies have received congressional retirement payments. Among that group is disgraced California Republican Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who will receive $64,000 annually while serving eight years in a federal prison. Also included is former Ohio Democratic Congressman James Traficant, who was convicted of bribery and, like Cunningham, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison -- and who is receiving a $40,000 yearly pension.
Brian Darling, director of government relations at the Washington, DC-based Heritage Foundation, says rewarding convicted felons who have abused their office is unfair to taxpayers. "I do think they probably deserve some monies," says Darling, "and they do deserve something -- they paid into Social Security, so they shouldn't lose benefits that are rightly owed to them." But apparently that is where he would draw the line. "[A] very beneficial and special pension system that only the elite members of Congress get may not be the appropriate way to give congressmen a 'golden parachute' out of Congress." The practice, says the Heritage Foundation spokesman, needs to change.
"It would make a lot of sense for Congress to take a second look at this issue," he suggests. "And maybe [for] the American public to make a few calls to their members of Congress to talk to them about it." That way, explains Darling, taxpayers would become more informed about the type of pension system their members of Congress are getting through their tax dollars. "These people who are calling in are paying these pensions, so they should know where the money is going and if there can be anything done to make sure that convicted felons aren't receiving pensions," he states.
Another member of the group of "elite" former lawmakers benefiting under the current system is Illinois Democrat Dan Rostenkowski, who served prison time for mail fraud. The former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee receives an annual pension of nearly $125,000. Currently the only way members of Congress can lose their pension is if they are convicted of treason.

TOPIC: Spam!
We all know that spam email is a problem. Yet, many folks don't know the real statistics. They don't know how it affects their Internet usage nor the bandwidth absorbed by criminals and fraudsters using spam. Here are some real-time stats from my company's domain:

Monthly Statistics

Month of Valid Ct Valid Size Spam Ct Spam Size Virus Ct Virus Size Total Mail Spam Pct Virus Pct 10/1/2005 806 58.85 MB 2728 13.85 MB 56 1.87 MB 3590 75.99 1.56 11/1/2005 10988 633.59 MB 27048 173.12 MB 853 54.73 MB 38889 69.55 2.19 12/1/2005 10848 679.98 MB 29111 185.76 MB 1546 96.24 MB 41505 70.14 3.72 1/1/2006 12790 870.16 MB 32560 204.87 MB 474 22.23 MB 45824 71.05 1.03 2/1/2006 12020 780.49 MB 32574 206.01 MB 261 10.16 MB 44855 72.62 0.58 3/1/2006 13619 972.80 MB 46765 267.29 MB 341 22.51 MB 60725 77.01 0.56 4/1/2006 11753 795.80 MB 49758 303.49 MB 2224 226.17 MB 63735 78.07 3.49 5/1/2006 13486 837.50 MB 52929 339.09 MB 445 31.66 MB 66860 79.16 0.67 6/1/2006 12666 984.25 MB 46501 285.35 MB 292 20.70 MB 59459 78.21 0.49 7/1/2006 10850 798.95 MB 44527 378.35 MB 124 8.58 MB 55501 80.23 0.22 8/1/2006 14174 1.27 GB 58866 531.21 MB 107 6.51 MB 73147 80.48 0.15 9/1/2006 13762 1.44 GB 47701 408.17 MB 60 7.27 MB 61523 77.53 0.1 10/1/2006 14598 1.50 GB 59932 582.66 MB 85 3.84 MB 74615 80.32 0.11 11/1/2006 13645 1.36 GB 76609 791.33 MB 221 6.93 MB 90475 84.67 0.24 12/1/2006 750 61.88 MB 5112 49.95 MB 11 365.50 KB 5873 87.04 0.19

Yes, you read that correctly. Anywhere from 69% to 87% of the email our company receives is SPAM! The worst part is that our email addresses are NOT published on our website. We need to push our ISPs, Congress and state legislators to enforce the laws now in place -- and to enact new laws that will effectively cut off spammers use of our bandwidth and storage space. Penalties should be stiff -- and the arm of the law should be far-reaching.
THINK and ACT!

TOPIC: What Does the Midterm Election Cycle Mean for America?
Democrats need a fifteen-seat pickup to regain the House and a gain of six seats to claim the Senate. The White House traditionally loses seats in midterm congressional races. The most recent exception was 2002, when Bush's party picked up seats. Before you give up on Republicans, and buy into the liberal media's postulating, think about what happens if each party wins.

If the Republicans keep control over Congress:
- Possibility of 2-3 conservative Supreme Court judges who will uphold the Constitution -- as written
- Hope of curbing judicial tyranny in Circuit Courts of Appeal
- Tax cuts deserved by American citizenry would become permanent
- Much needed Social Security reform
- Possibility of stopping the bloody tide of the murder of millions of unborn children
- Illegal aliens will be treated as such
- The family-killing gay marriage will likely go back into the closet
- A strong defense system ready to fight anywhere in the world
- ACTION when it is needed

President Bush, in his own get-out-the-vote appeal, told Republicans:"The consequences of not succeeding this fall are dire for our agenda for America." Never has George W. Bush spoken truer words.

If Democrats keep control over Congress:
- Nancy Pelosi would become Speaker of the House (That is EXTREMELY scary!)
- Jim McDermott or Charlie Rangel would be in charge of House Ways & Means Committee
- Harry Reid would likely rise to Senate Majority Leader
- President Bush's tax cuts would be repealed
- Higher taxes for everyone -- especially the middle class
- Social Security funds would continue to be raided by Congress
- Probability of 2-3 more liberal, activist Supreme Court judges
- "Undocumented aliens" would be allowed to waltz in to the US and sign up for welfare, medicaid, etc.
- Gay marriage will be embraced -- without the truth of ALL the problems it will create
- Base closings and huge military cutbacks -- resulting in an ill-prepared military
- TALK, POLLS, RHETORIC -- when action is needed

Democratic victories essentially could block Bush's remaining agenda and usher in a period of intense partisan bickering over nearly every measure to come before Congress. Loss of either chamber also could subject his administration to endless congressional inquiries and investigations. Devvy Kidd adds, "What you do think will happen if the Democrats take control of Congress? They will do the same thing they did for 40 years prior to the Republicans taking control in 1995: they will spend you into poverty, push every destructive social behavior out there ("rights" for sodomites, same sex marriage and teaching this filth to school children). They will continue their quest to violate the true meaning of the Second Amendment..."

• If you remember Mark Foley, don't forget Monica Lewinsky.

• If you remember the war in Iraq, don't forget more than a dozen terrorist attacks on US citizens BEFORE the war in Iraq.

• If you think there are problems in Iraq now, don't forget what happened when we cut & run under a Democratic administration -- thousands of Iraqis died at the hands of Saddam Hussein's death squads, terrorism from the Middle East grew exponentially and 9/11 happened on OUR soil.

• If you remember ANY negative economic news, remember who signed away MILLIONS of American jobs -- HINT: Bill Clinton and NAFTA, GATT and/or CAFTA!

• If you remember (and dislike) a hard stance on North Korea and Iran becoming part of the nuclear club, don't forget who fed them the technology: China. And who gave China a huge leap forward in technology (including military secrets): The Democratic Administration of Bill Clinton and Al Gore (the men John Kerry idolizes)
  

• If you remember the deficit, don't forget what we've been through the past 6 years (Dot.com bust, 9/11 attacks -- and all of the economic hardship after it, the hurricanes, floods, fires)

• If you remember what is called a "slow federal reaction" to Hurricane Katrina, don't forget who caused the slow reaction -- Democrat Mayor Ray Nagin and a Democrat Governor (neither of whom seemed to have enough sense to poor pee out of a boot).

Jackj writes on the Republicans & Conservatives blog, "I would like to chastise the Republicans, but not at the price of electing Dems. The Dems did not improve during their time in the wilderness. On the contrary, they seemed to have moved left and become even more squishy." I agree! I would like to chastise the Republicans, too. BUT, certainly not at the price of electing liberals -- especially from the Democratic party. My childrendeserve better as they enter adulthood and start families of their own. Don't yours?