Today's Conservative News

Gingrich wins coveted Duke Cunningham endorsement

The Daily Caller

more» Former Rep. Cunningham, serving time in the slammer, offers to help Newt round up votes and reform prison policy

Obama: ‘We’re not Successful Just by Ourselves’

TheBlaze.com - Stories

more» "We do not begrudge wealth in this country. I want everybody here to do well. We aspire to financial success, but we also understand that we're not successful just by ourselves," President Obama said at a campaign event in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday morning. Watch the president's remarks via :

As part of his speech, President Obama told his collegiate audience that nobody has ever achieved remarkable wealth or success on their own. "We're successful because somebody started the University of Michigan. We're successful because somebody made an investment in all the federal research labs that created the internet, the President said. We're successful because we have an outstanding military that costs money. We're successful because somebody built roads and bridges. And laid broadband lines and these things didn't just happen on their own. And if we all understand that we've got to pay for this stuff, it makes sense for those of us who've done best to do our fair share and to try to pass off that bill on to somebody else, that's not right. That's not who we are," the president said.

Children Among 74 Dead in 2 Days of Syrian Violence

TheBlaze.com - Stories

more» BEIRUT (AP) -- Two days of bloody turmoil in Syria killed at least 74 people, including small children, as forces loyal to President Bashar Assad shelled residential buildings and fired on crowds in a dramatic escalation of violence, activists said Friday. Video posted online showed the bodies of five small children, five women and a man, all bloodied and piled on beds in what appeared to be an apartment after a building was hit in the city of Homs. A narrator said an entire family had been "slaughtered." Much of the violence was focused in Homs, where heavy gunfire hammered the city Friday in a second day of chaos. A day earlier, the city saw a flare-up of sectarian kidnappings and killings between its Sunni and Alawite communities, and pro-regime forces blasted residential buildings with mortars and gunfire, according to activists. At least 384 children have been killed, as of Jan. 7, in the crackdown on Syria's uprising since it began nearly 11 months ago, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said Friday. The count, based on reports from human rights groups, included children under age 18. Most of the deaths took place in Homs and most of the victims were boys, UNICEF said. It said 380 children have been detained, including some under age 14. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 people have died in the turmoil. The U.N. Security Council met in a closed-door session to discuss the crisis, which diplomats said was a step toward a possible U.N. resolution against the Damascus regime. However, any resolution faces strong opposition from China and Russia, and both nations have veto power. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Friday that Moscow will oppose any resolution because it does not exclude the possibility of outside military interference. The Syrian uprising, which began last March with mostly peaceful protests, has become increasingly violent in recent months as army defectors clash with government forces and some protesters take up arms to protect themselves. The violence has inflamed the sectarian divide in the country, where members of Assad's Alawite sect dominate the regime despite a Sunni Muslim majority. Activists said at least 35 people were killed in Homs on Thursday and another 39 people were killed across the country Friday. The video posted Friday by activists showed the bodies of five young children, their faces bloodied, wrapped in orange plastic bags. It said the children were believed to be from two families, the Akras and the Bahadours. Brown cardboard placards with the children's names written in Arabic were placed on their chests, identifying them: Thanaa, Ali, Najm, Abdul-Ghani and Sidra. The video could not be independently verified. Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut, said the spike in violence was linked to increasing pressure from the international community, the Arab League and the United Nations. "The regime is trying to finish the matter through military means as soon as possible," and for that reason the level of violence increased," he said. On Tuesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem insisted that Damascus will continue its crackdown and said Syria would not accept any international interference in its affairs. Assad's regime claims terrorists acting out a foreign conspiracy by the U.S., Israel and Gulf Arab countries are behind the uprising, not protesters seeking change. The head of Arab League observers in Syria said in a statement that violence in the country has spiked over the past few days. Sudanese Gen. Mohammed Ahmed al-Dabi said the cities of Homs, Hama and Idlib have all witnessed a "very high escalation" in violence since Tuesday. A "fierce military campaign" was also under way in the Hamadiyeh district of Hama since the early hours of Friday, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other activists. They said the sound of heavy machine-gun fire and loud explosions reverberated across the area. Some activists reported seeing uncollected bodies in the streets of Hama. Elsewhere, a car bomb exploded Friday at a checkpoint outside the northern city of Idlib, the Observatory said, citing witnesses. The number of casualties was not immediately clear. Details of the wave of killings in Homs emerged Friday from an array of residents and activists "There has been a terrifying massacre," Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the AP on Friday. He called for an independent investigation. Thursday started with a spate of sectarian kidnappings and killings between the city's population of Sunnis and Alawites, a Shiite sect to which Assad belongs as well as most of his security and military leadership, said Mohammad Saleh, a centrist opposition figure and resident of Homs. There was also a string of attacks by gunmen on army checkpoints, Saleh said. Checkpoints are a frequent target of dissident troops who have joined the opposition. The Observatory said at least 11 people, including eight children, died when a building came under heavy mortar and machine-gun fire in the city's Karm el-Zaytoun neighborhood. Some residents spoke of another massacre that took place when shabiha - armed regime loyalists - stormed the district, slaughtering residents in an apartment, including children. "They are killing people because of their sect," said one Sunni resident of Karm el-Zaytoun, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Thursday's death toll in Homs was at least 35, said the Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, an umbrella group of activists. Both groups cite a network of activists on the ground in Syria for their death tolls. The reports could not be independently confirmed. Syria tightly controls access to trouble spots and generally allows journalists to report only on escorted trips, which slows the flow of information. Also Friday, Iran's official IRNA news agency said gunmen in Syria kidnapped 11 Iranian pilgrims traveling by road from Turkey to Damascus. Iranian pilgrims routinely visit Syria - Iran's closest ally in the Arab world - to pay homage to Shiite holy shrines. Last month, seven Iranian engineers building a power plant in central Syria were kidnapped. They have not yet been released. The Free Syrian Army, a group of army defectors fighting the regime, released a video on its Facebook page claiming responsibility for the kidnapping and saying the Iranians were taking part in the suppression of the Syrian people.

The U.S. and China’s Renewable Tug of War

more» Administration officials and many Congressmen have touted that we are losing the “clean energy” race with China. One of their metrics is spending on “clean energy” investments. Another is on the amount of renewable capacity that has been built. Let’s see how the race is playing out. In 2011, the United States spent more on renewable energy than China, beating China’s “clean energy” investment for the first time since 2008. In 2011, the United States spent a total of $55.9 billion of government and private funds on “clean energy” projects, a 33 percent increase from 2010, compared to China’s $47.4 billion, 1 percent higher than in 2010.

Florida’s election laws undergoing changes

more» Once again, Florida and its elections laws are being challenged in the courts.

Obama SOTU: We've Heard this Song Before

more» After President Clinton took a drubbing from voters in the 1994 Congressional election, he realized his policies weren’t working. He promptly declared, “The era of big government is over,” and he then went about making good on that declaration: He reduced spending by a miraculous 3 1/2 percent of GDP. He attacked entitlement spending and abolished the [...]

Miss Galore's World.

more» In the 007 movie Goldfinger, there was a character named Pussy Galore. In typical Ian Fleming style his character names often had double meanings. This was also made light of in the Austin Powers movies.

Sometime between when I was a child growing up in the 70's and 80's and today, we became soft. I can't put my finger on where or when it started exactly, but it has happened. I'd like to think it started with over bearing mom's wanting to protect their children from every ill of the world. Somewhere along the way we were told we had to care about everybody's feelings. This then grew into creating laws and regulations to "protect" different groups ranging from children to spotted owls.

We now have a full generation of people that have grown up in this over protective nanny state environment. We teach our children the wrong lessons as they grow up. We enroll them in sports programs that do not keep score and award the same trophies to every player on every team. The lesson learned? Just go through the motions and get rewarded or no matter how well you perform you get rewarded the same. Nice lesson we are teaching the kids there.

We don't allow kids to bring cupcakes to school for birthdays anymore because poor little Jimmie may have a peanut allergy and feel left out. We make our kids wear uniforms to school and turn them into compliant drones ready for the workforce that rewards all equally regardless of effort or output.

Spanking a child to get their attention is no longer acceptable in the schools or dare I say even at home. No mention is made to "spare the rod, spoil the child." Fighting is treated like a capital crime in schools also, regardless of the reasons or who is to blame. This teaches our children to not defend themselves or be assertive when someone infringes on them. This also teaches the bullies its ok to push others around because they will not do anything about it. The only cure for bullies is a punch to the head, getting punched in the head changes your perspective real quick. It is very sad, but we have a whole generation of young men that need to get punched in the head a couple times to clear their minds and change their perspective.

We pass laws to tell business owners how to operate their own businesses by passing laws that prohibit smoking. A business owner should be allowed to make that decision for themselves but NO we have to force them to do it. Force them to create an environment to cater to one specific group.

We force people to wear seatbelts, force them to wear helmets on motorcycles, set up spy cameras at intersections to catch "red light runners" usually someone unable to stop safely because of the quick yellow light. Checkpoints trying to catch those who might drink and drive while we allow the borders to leak like a sieve. Urine tests for policemen, firefighters, truck drivers, and pilots but not welfare recipients.

Yes we do live in Pussy Galore's world. It grows day by day while we sit idly by and allow it to happen.

President downplays Brewer brouhaha to Diane Sawyer

more» "I am usually accused of not being intense enough, too relaxed."

Obama Fanatic Threatens to Fill AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio With a ‘Thousand Bullet Holes,’ Deputy Chief Interviewed

more» A "fanatical supporter" of President Barack Obama has been taken into custody and is now the prime suspect in the Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio death threat investigation. The diligent team at alerted The Blaze that 33-year-old Adam Eugene Cox was arrested in Tennessee Friday on an unrelated warrant for assault. Cox said he planned to brutally slay Arpaio and his family, vowing the Sheriff "will be filled with a thousand bullet holes before the year is out." "I promise you this. He won't f**k with Obama," Cox declared. The following is a statement released by the Sheriff's Office:

The suspect's threats read in part:

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said the suspect's postings indicate he is a fervent Obama supporter and that Arpaio's ongoing investigation into the legitimacy of the president's birth certificate may have been the catalyst behind the death threat. According to MCSO officials in the written statement, Cox's mother confirmed her son is a fanatical supporter of Obama. Knoxville deputies said Cox has a history of assault. "I will not be intimated against pursuing this investigation into Obama's eligibility to serve as the president of the United States," Arpaio said. Listen to Deputy Chief Dave Trombi from The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office talk about the investigation with . The interview took place late Friday afternoon.

An entire copy of the Sheriff's Office statement can be found at .

Get a Load of all These Programs the Feds Are Unofficially Funding This Year

more» The has released a report on all unauthorized appropriations and expiring authorizations for fiscal year 2012. The report has been sent to both the House and the Senate. The purpose of the report is to act as a reminder of all stopgap measures that are in place. The government is running on a series of continuing resolutions. How big a deal is this? asks . Potentially, it's a very big deal. The amount involved is $969B! The report is comprised of two lists. This first one looks at the spending for which the necessary enabling legislation has already expired: This second list is for those expenditures whose authorizations expire on or before September 30 of this year: The CBO report lays out exactly where all of the money is being spent (it runs over 100 pages). Here are just a few examples of the expenses found in the CBO report (via ):

And if none of these expenses strike you as particularly silly or wasteful, take a look at the entire report. There's something there for everyone.

(H/T: Bruce Krasting, Front page photo source:

BREAKING: Spencer Bachus to be Replaced as House Finance Chair in 2013

more» Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), who was the subject of allegations of congressional insider trading, has indicated that he will not seek to extend his term as chair of the House Financial Services Committee after 2012. Bachus was one of several Capitol Hill leaders from both parties involved in insider trading, according to Breitbart editor Peter Schweizer, [...]

16 Scientists Have a Message for Elected Officials on Global Warming: ‘Drastic Action’ Unnecessary

more» A wide range of scientists and engineers from institutions around the world have signed an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal with regard to global warming. Here's the gist of the 16 scientists' message addressing the growing political sentiment that something must be done for the environment before it's too late:

So why are many scientists and those in public office pushing an alarmist message that the world is already behind on curbing the effects of man-made global warming? (Related: See of the United Nation's climate conferences) The scientists write that there are many reasons but suggest we first look at "cui bono?", which means "as a benefit to whom". Translated into today's language, the scientists write to "follow the money". The scientists expound on this idea:

The scientists write in the piece that those considered "heretics" in the climate science world is growing over the "collection of stubborn scientific facts", most notable of which is "the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now." The scientists suggest that the International Panel for Climate Change's models are "greatly exaggerated" as to the warming caused by an increase in CO2 levels.

The scientists state that even younger generations of scientists have their "doubts" but are afraid to voice these opinions:

What the scientists suggest elected officials and candidates do is throw their support behind research seeking to better understand the climate as a whole, without an agenda to prove or disprove man-made global climate change in background. Here is a full list of the scientists who signed the piece: Claude Allegre, former director of the Institute for the Study of the Earth, University of Paris; J. Scott Armstrong, cofounder of the Journal of Forecasting and the International Journal of Forecasting; Jan Breslow, head of the Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism, Rockefeller University; Roger Cohen, fellow, American Physical Society; Edward David, member, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences; William Happer, professor of physics, Princeton; Michael Kelly, professor of technology, University of Cambridge, U.K.; William Kininmonth, former head of climate research at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Richard Lindzen, professor of atmospheric sciences, MIT; James McGrath, professor of chemistry, Virginia Technical University; Rodney Nichols, former president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences; Burt Rutan, aerospace engineer, designer of Voyager and SpaceShipOne; Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and former U.S. senator; Nir Shaviv, professor of astrophysics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Henk Tennekes, former director, Royal Dutch Meteorological Service; Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists, Geneva. Related: Last year, nobel prize winner Dr. Ivar Giaever over its "incontrovertible" position on global warming.

Americans for Tax Reform Responds to Coburn

As readers will recall, we had an exchange earlier in the week revolving around Senator Tom Coburn's views of Newt Gingrich. In the doing we heard from Dr. Coburn's office and published their view, with a mention of Grover Norquist's American's for Tax Reform. Grover's ATR has now responded, and in the spirit of equal time, here is the response from John Kartch of ATR:

Dear Jeffrey: Dr. Tom Coburn is a hero when he fights duplicative, wasteful government spending but his fight for a massive tax increase as part of a grand bargain with President Obama and congressional Democrats is another matter. Evidence below: 1. Dr. Coburn voted for President Obama's Simpson-Bowles commission report, which is a net tax increase of $2 $3 trillion over ten years. Here are the citations: House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, who voted against Simpson-Bowles, writes: "Relative to a current policy baseline, the proposal would increase revenues by $2 trillion over 10 years." ["Expanded Views on the Fiscal Commission," by Paul Ryan, Dec. 4, 2010] The Heritage Foundation scored Simpson-Bowles as a $3.3 trillion tax increase over ten years: "Overall, the fiscal commission would raise taxes by $3.3 trillion over the decade." Heritage also wrote that Bowles-Simpson would be "the highest sustained tax burden in American history." ["Fiscal Commission Report: Too Much Taxes, Not Enough Spending Cuts," by Brian Riedl, Dec. 3, 2010] 2. In the past year, Dr. Coburn has repeatedly begged for a massive tax increase as part of a grand deal with Democrats: "Why will I take on those that are against tax increases for Republicans? Because it's the right thing to do to save our country."
-- Tom Coburn, 29 May 2011, on C-SPAN's Newsmaker program [Video Link] "I've been just as vocal supporting revenue increases after I left the [Simpson-Bowles] commission as I was before.
-- Tom Coburn, 29 May 2011, on C-SPAN's Newsmaker program [Video Link] "Do I believe we have to raise taxes to be able to get a deal to cut spending? Yeah."
-- Tom Coburn, 9 June 2011, on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show [Video Link] "You know, the reason I'll stand up as a conservative Republican, one of the biggest deficit hawks in Congress, and say 'I'll negotiate on taxes' -- because our country's in trouble."
-- Tom Coburn, 14 June 2011, on the Early Show, CBS News [Video Link] "Everybody knows there is gonna have to be a compromise on some sort of revenue increase as we make the major cuts. That's just fact."
-- Tom Coburn, 14 June 2011, on MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell [Video Link] MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell was so excited about Coburn's call for tax increases that he gushed, "We've got a Republican here talking about tax increases! Is this the first flicker of hope that the Republican tax cut fever might be fading?" To which Robert Reich exclaimed, "Lawrence, I think that it is a big deal and maybe we are seeing the beginning of a willingness to raise taxes on corporations and indeed, raise taxes on the very wealthy! Wouldn't that be something!" [Video Link] After all, there is a reason President Obama praised Dr. Coburn in his State of the Union Address while pushing for the "Buffett Rule" to raise taxes. Even after the debt ceiling and Supercommittee standoffs, Dr. Coburn was still advocating for a tax increase. As a guest on C-SPAN Washington Journal on December 14, 2011, Coburn said: "I would tell every Republican out there: if you think in this time of divided government that we're not going to be able to come to an agreement without some revenue increases, that you might as well go find another country to live in. There is no way we're going to solve our problems without compromise. And part of that compromise is that we are going to have to have more revenues." 3. Despite what spokesman John Hart implies, there is absolutely no rate reduction in Dr. Coburn's $1 trillion "Back in Black" tax hike plan. The tax increases are unaccompanied by any tax reform. ATR fully supports revenue-neutral tax reform which lowers the rates and broadens the base which is not what the Back in Black plan does. Here is a chart from Coburn's official website which lays out in simple black and white the $1 trillion tax hike citation. Note the section under "Revenues". A majority of Coburn's trillion dollar tax hike plan is in four commonly understood areas: the mortgage interest deduction; health insurance from work; parking and transit; and tax brackets being indexed to inflation. Again, ATR supports scrapping all of these tax provisions but only in the context of revenue-neutral tax reform. Otherwise, the higher taxes of the Coburn plan will just be immediately spent by Washington appropriators. 4. Dr. Coburn supports the federal ethanol mandate, which is responsible for the overwhelming majority of ethanol production. Speaking on the Senate floor on June 13, 2011, Senator Jon Thune plainly asked Sen. Coburn where he came down on the ethanol mandate. Thune said, "One of our colleagues from South Carolina [DeMint] has introduced an amendment to this bill which would end that (ethanol mandate)... and I assume -- I don't know this for a fact -- that my colleague from Oklahoma would support that amendment." A frustrated Coburn responded, "You obviously didn't hear what I was saying as you were conversing. I said I support ethanol. I wouldn't support that." Caught off-guard, Sen. Thune again asked Sen. Coburn whether or not he would support an amendment that eliminated the ethanol mandate. Once again, Coburn said "I will oppose that amendment" and later added, "the reason I support a mandated level of ethanol is until we have a cogent drilling policy in this country that says we're going to actually utilize our own resources, then we ought to -- we need to keep ethanol." Question for Dr. Coburn: Will you, today, finally end your support for the ethanol mandate? The mandate requires the production of 15.2 billion gallons of biofuels this year, rising to 36 billion gallons by 2022. And by the way, despite his dishonest claims, spokesman John Hart knows ATR has always opposed all three of the government's ethanol supports the mandate, the credit, and the tariff. Now that the credit and tariff are thankfully gone as of January 1, the central pillar of the ethanol regime remains: the ethanol mandate. One of the biggest things standing in the way is Dr. Tom Coburn. Best, John Kartch
Director of Communications
Americans for Tax Reform

Palin: GOP elites attempting character assassination on Gingrich

more» Republican elites are using the tactics of the left to “rewrite history” in an attempt to wreck Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign, Sarah Palin wrote in a Facebook post Friday evening. “We should all be concerned by the tactics employed by the establishment this week,” she wrote. “We will not save our country by becoming like [...]

New York City Mayor Bloomberg says no parade for Iraq vets

more» New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says there will be no city parade for Iraq War veterans in the foreseeable future because of objections voiced by military officials.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, White House-Style

more» It’s always the little things that make me miss George W. Bush. Yes, his public profligacy gave us Obama, which in turn gave us the Tea Party. New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor’s book, The Obamas, makes me love him all the more. The book gushes a little much about Michelle Obama’s sense of style. We learn, [...]

Firefighter, pecan farm caught up in New Mexico drug busts

more» Federal authorities said Friday they've taken down two major drug trafficking and money laundering operations in different parts of New Mexico, one involving an Albuquerque firefighter and the other southern New Mexico pecan growers.

Meet the 105-Pound, Female Middle Schooler Who Is a Record-Holding Powerlifter

more» Abbey Watson is 105.75 pounds. She can squat with 143.3 pounds. She can deadlift 176 pounds. And for these feats of strength, Watson has eight different world records and 23 U.S. and Colorado state records. Here's the kicker: Watson is only the eighth grade. Impressed? There's more. Yahoo News reports, is that Watson, 13, in this capacity three years ago. Watch Watson in action in this local KUSA CBS report:

What is the key to Watson's success? Perhaps, it's that bacon is her favorite food, which her coach Jonathan Sabar said would be fine in a "well-rounded paleo diet". But Sabar's theory is more likely:

KUSA reports that Watson hopes to go to the Olympics for weightlifting someday. Still, there is a long-standing debate that weightlifting could be detrimental to growing bodies. The Mayo Clinic states that strength training with light resistance is but lifting heavy weights can "put too much strain on young muscles, tendons and areas of cartilage that haven't yet turned to bone (growth plates)". It does note that proper technique is often key for lifting heavier weights, and Watson, with her coach, does have training on technique. Related: Check out this Blaze article about the with 8-pack abs.

Park Service decides to enforce regulations, evict occupiers

more» Occupy protesters have until Monday to clear out, or else they face arrest or property seizure

Biden: Only One Adviser Urged Bin Laden Raid

more» Biden admits at conference Panetta was only one in Obama's inner circle to give the raid in Pakistan a firm 'go'

Ron Paul is wrong: Overthrowing Mossadegh wasn't a mistake

more» He says that the 1953 coup has undermined U.S. interests, but that's not the case.

Stories From The USMC Combat Helicopter Association

more» Tarbush Night Medevac The flight schedule was posted a day in advance, so I’d known for 24 hours that I had drawn my first night medevac mission. During that time, the closest I had come to being able to relax was a long run on the sand up to China Beach. With everyone else flying [...]

Obama's recovery plan: tax investment

more» The economy is still weak, but President Obama is intent on hiking taxes anyways.

Christian Teen Allegedly ‘Censored’ & ‘Punished’ Over Anti-Gay Adoption Newspaper Op-Ed

more» A Wisconsin school district is under fire after reportedly responding harshly to an op-ed written by a 15-year-old high school student. The anti-gay adoption article, penned by Brandon Wegner, a Christian, ignited intense debate in the district. According to lawyers defending Wegner, he was "censored" and "punished" by school officials following the publication of his article. Some people in the district, though, claim the article, itself, constituted "bullying." The contentious piece was written for "The Hawk's Post," a student-led newspaper. In it, Wegner highlighted his Christian worldview on marriage and adoption, expressing his view that children are best off being raised in families with a mother and father. A portion of the article (read a PDF version ) :

The Christian Post about the situation:

Also, it should be noted that controversial bible verses -- most notably Leviticus 20:13 -- were included in the article. , "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." It was his rejection of same-sex adoption and the inclusion of controversial verses that led a Nick Uttecht, a gay parent, to file a complaint with the district. Uttecht claimed that the expressed views in the article "constituted as hate speech" and could potentially "cause kids to commit suicide." The complaint sparked quite a response from officials. What happened next, critics say, was unfair treatment of Wegner by Shawano School District officials. Following the complaint, the district released a formal statement apologizing for the publication of the column. "We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future," the statement as reading. In addition to the statement, the school's principal allegedly told Wegner, "in a public school, you can't use the Bible as a source because we can't impose our religious beliefs on other people." He purportedly also said:

Liberty Counsel, a non-profit, Christian law firm decided to take up Wegner's case, calling the district's treatment of him "shocking" and "outrageous" (they also dubbed it a form of bullying). On the group's site, about how the group responded to the situation:

Clearly, this is a battle over values, with both sides maintaining that the other has violated moral and ethical guidelines. Whether the district will, indeed, apologize is yet to be seen, but it's unlikely this issue will simmer unless individuals from both sides strike some sort of agreement. Legal action may be on the horizon. (H/T: )

Ed Rollins, Jeffrey Lord and others rise to Newt's defense

more» Gingrich was "most loyal to Ronald Reagan."

The Laffer Curve Works, Even in France

more» One year ago, I wrote about how the French government was getting unexpected additional revenues following the implementation of lower tax rates. This is the Laffer Curve in action, and it’s happening again in France, only this time because the government reduced the wealth tax. Here’s part of the story at Tax-news.com. France's solidarity tax on wealth (l imp't [...]

Parents nationwide can learn from'd.C. success

more» D.C.'s school voucher program was renewed because parents fought tirelessly for its renewal.

Obama-EPA Moving Quietly to Impose Gas Tax

more» Link to Press Release Washington,'d.C. - Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, commented on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to propose a Tier 3 rule on vehicles in March and finalize it in October. These Tier 3 standards will cause gasoline prices to rise up to 25 cents a gallon.

Secret Service Investigating Photo of Teens Holding Bullet-Ridden Obama Shirt

more» The Secret Service is investigating after a photo depicting a group of teenagers holding a bullet hole-ridden T-shirt with President Barack Obama's face on it was posted to an Arizona police officer's Facebook account. The photo shows seven young men, four of them holding weapons, posing with a T-shirt featuring the Obama "HOPE" image. The shirt is covered in what appear to be bullet holes. The photo was posted to Peoria Police Sgt. Pat Shearer's Facebook page on Jan. 20 with the comment "Another trip to the ranch," the New York Times . We're aware of it, and we're conducting the appropriate follow-up steps, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan told the Times. He said individuals have a right to free speech, "but we certainly have a right to speak to individuals to see what their intent is." The Peoria Police Department is mounting its own probe into Shearer's activities, Peoria police spokesman Jay Davies told local CBS affiliate . "We have a social media policy that addresses employee conduct with respect of the use of social media," Davies told the station, which includes not "posting information regarding off-duty activity that may tend to bring an officer's reputation into question."

But Shearer told Phoenix ABC affiliate he doesn't see anything wrong with the photo. I don't think that the shooting of that T-shirt is that big of a deal, he told the station. It was more of a political statement, it's not like they were going to go out and shoot the president, no." The Peoria school district is investigating as well, working to identify the students involved, according to the Times. Shearer has removed the photo from his Facebook page.

Millionaire Elizabeth Warren misleads on wealthy: I'm not one of them [VIDEO]

more» 'I realize there are some wealthy individuals. I'm not one of them ...'

Got $5,001? You can own the ball from The Catch

more» TheDC has learned that despite publicly casting doubt on the authenticity of the ball in the past, Dwight Clark is now telling his former teammates not to bid on it so he can reacquire it for himself.

Musharraf Postpones Return to Pakistan

more» Pervez Musharraf has postponed plans to return to Pakistan to re-launch his political career. Earlier this month, the former Pakistani military ruler had announced he would end more than three years of self-imposed exile in London and Dubai. However, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has warned that Musharraf will be arrested upon arrival to face charges related to the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. But perhaps the biggest reason Musharraf isn't returning is because hardly anybody in Pakistan would shed a tear if he were arrested and tried given his heavy handedness with the Supreme Court and the opposition when he was in power. Despite the less than stellar performance of the Gilani, Zardari and the PPP, Musharraf remains a deeply unpopular figure in Pakistan and isn't likely to return anytime soon.

Obama campaign leverages Biden's (lack of) ethnic profile

more» Vice President Joe Biden has announced his travel plans for the 2012 campaign, and they will take him to five states where most of the critical swing voters are white Americans. The campaign's decision keeps the gaffe-prone Biden away from southern states that have a high proportion of Hispanic swing voters, including North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, [...]

Why Was $2 Million Worth of Cocaine Shipped to the U.N. Mailroom?

more» UNITED NATIONS (The Blaze/AP) -- When mailroom workers at the United Nations decided to search a white bag with a suspicious looking U.N. logo last week, they probably never expected to find 16 kilograms of cocaine (about 35 pounds) hidden in books inside. Paul Browne, the New York Police Department's chief spokesman, said the drug was in a white bag evidently masquerading as a diplomatic pouch that raised suspicions when it was being scanned because it was stamped with what looked like a poorly concocted version of the U.N. logo. Browne said there was no name or address on the shipment sent from Mexico City through Cincinnati. U.N. security officials called the NYPD and Drug Enforcement Administration, which confirmed the substance inside the shipment intercepted Jan. 16 was cocaine, the police spokesman said. Watch this Fox Insider report: U.N. undersecretary-general for safety and security Gregory B. Starr told reporters Thursday evening that "there is nothing to indicate that this had anything to do with anybody at the United Nations." Starr said the drug was actually stashed in two bags that were stamped with the sky-blue U.N. logo of a world map in an apparent effort to masquerade as diplomatic pouches, which are not supposed to be inspected. Inside the bag, the drug was hidden in hollowed-out notebooks, he added. The U.N. official showed journalists a photograph of the bags that were seized, and compared them with a real diplomatic pouch used by the U.N., which is somewhat larger and made of a different material. "This did not come from a United Nations facility," Starr said of the shipment. "It was not, in my opinion, not intended to go to a United Nations facility."

Obama Administration Gave Electric Car Battery Maker $118 Million Grant, Company Now Bankrupt

more» The latest taxpayer-funded boondoggle to emerge from the Obama Administration’s infamous Energy Department grant and loan program has cost taxpayers $118.5 million, new bankruptcy filings by electric battery maker Ener1 reveal. From Bloomberg News: The company listed assets of $73.9 million and debt of $90.5 million as of Dec. 31 in Chapter 11 papers filed today [...]

Market Recap: Stocks Take a Dive on ‘Pathetic’ GDP

more»

(Related: .) Today's markets were mixed because: 1) GDP: As reported earlier on , the final pathetic growth number for 2011 is 1.7 percent, according to. From the :

2) Greece: As the Greek government continues talks with private creditors on restructuring its debt, its the European Union, International Monetary Fund, and European Central Bank are asking Greece to push through more budget cuts and implement a series of long-agreed austerity measures. These things must happen before EU banks release a 130-billion euro bailout package Greece desperately needs if it is to avoid a disorderly default when a 14 billion-euro debt payments comes due on March 20. Without an agreement with private creditors, Greece also jeopardizes its access to bailout funds, without which it would be next to impossible for the country to avoid default. 3) Earnings: Chevron was the worst-performing stock on the Dow today after the company posted its biggest drop in quarterly earnings in two years, widely missing Wall Street's estimates. Procter & Gamble was also a big decliner on the blue chip index after the company lowered its outlook for the year. DeVry led the's&P 500's slide after announcing that earnings plunged 90 percent in the last quarter as the for profit educator's undergraduate enrollment continued to decline. Starbucks weighed on the Nasdaq after issuing an underwhelming profit outlook, while Ford shares declined after earnings missed forecasts. []

Army details plan to take brigades out of Europe

more» The Pentagon's decision announced Friday to take two heavy armor brigades out of Europe in 2013 and 2014 will not necessarily force NATO allies to shoulder more of the load if ground forces are needed for a large-scale conflict in the region, Gen. Raym...

Demi Moore’s Friend Tells 9-11 Operator Star Smoked Something ‘Similar to Incense’

more» A friend of actress Demi Moore who phoned 9-11 after the star collapsed and began convulsing, told the dispatcher that Moore had "smoked something" that was not marijuana but "similar to incense and she seems to be having convulsions of some sort." She also told the operator Demi was, "semi-conscious, barely." The friend added, "She's been having some issues lately with some other stuff, but I don't know what she's been taking or not." "Is she breathing normal?" the operator asked. "No, not so normal. More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up," the friend replied. The recording captured the 10 minutes it took paramedics to arrive as friends gathered around the star, attempting to comfort her. The clip of that call, featured below, is just under two minutes long. Another woman was next to Moore as the dispatcher asked if the star was responsive. "Demi, can you hear me?" she asked. "Yes, she's squeezing hands. ... She can't speak." The city attorney's office reportedly advised the fire department to redact details about medical conditions and substances to comply with federal medical privacy rules. Asked if Moore took the substance intentionally or not, the woman said Moore did ingest the substance on purpose but that the reaction was accidental. "Whatever she took, make sure you have it out for the paramedics," the operator instructed. The operator asked the friend if anything like this had ever happened before. "I don't know," the friend said. "There's been some stuff recently that we're all just finding out."

According to AP, the 9-11 dispatcher told Moore's friend not to hold her down but to wipe her mouth and nose and watch her closely until paramedics arrive. "Make sure that we keep an airway open," the dispatcher said. "Even if she passes out completely, that's OK. Stay right with her." AP reports that the phone was passed around by four people, one of whom gave directions to the gate and another who recounted details about the mystery substance Moore smoked or ingested. Finally, the phone was handed to a man named James, so one of the women can hold Moore's head. Due to some confusion at the beginning of the call, the ambulance was reportedly delayed by nearly two minutes. At one point during the call, Moore's friend became agitated, asking, "Why is an ambulance not on its way right now?" "Ma'am, instead of arguing with me why an ambulance is not on the way, can you spell (the street name) for me?" the Beverly Hills dispatcher asked. By the end of the call, Moore's condition had reportedly improved. "She seems to have calmed down now. She's speaking," the male caller told the operator. Moore's publicist, Carrie Gordon, said previously that the actress sought professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. Some speculate Moore may be suffering a sort of breakdown since her marriage to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher ended amid rumors of infidelity on the younger star's part. adds that, according to internet reports, the 9-11 call was placed after the actress had inhaled a dangerous amount of nitrous oxide, also known as "whip-its." Following Moore's collapse, her rep told ET, "Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health." She added that Moore, "looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."

Debt Limit Increases to Nearly $16.4 Trillion

more» At the close of business, the federal government's debt limit will increase by another $1.2 trillion, the final installment in a series of hikes that started last summer. This last increase, from $15.194 trillion to $16.394 trillion, was essentially granted in the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, passed August 2 at the culmination of the debt limit debate. Last week, the House rejected the debt limit increase in a resolution of disapproval, but the Senate blocked that legislation. The BCA states that unless both legislative bodies agree to reject …

CCRBA says hypocritical, anti-gun San Francisco Sheriff should quit over DV charges

more» BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today called on newly-sworn-in San Francisco County Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi to step down as a result of domestic violence charges now filed against him.

Wisconsin School Punishes Christian Kid for Being a… Christian Kid

more» Superintendent Todd Carlson of Shawano High School in Shawano, Wisconsin, is sorry a student observed his First Amendment rights and had his article published in the school newspaper that denounces homosexuals adopting children. And so Superintendent Carlson is making amends by punishing this Christian kid for being so darn Christian. Superintendent Carlson has also decided in his infinite wisdom to censure this article by having it sent down the memory hole so that no one else will be confronted with this evil Christian’s views

Biden claims Panetta was only Obama adviser urging a ‘go’ on bin Laden raid

more» Biden, speaking to the House Democratic Issues Conference in Maryland, candidly admitted that he told the president not to go forward with the mission.

Dredging the Bottom

more» Republican primaries are like visiting embarrassing relatives, no matter how bad you think it’s going to be, it always turns out to be even worse. After months of this we’re going to have a convention where we will be asked to believe in one of these men.

CBS Radio affiliate ignores pro-lifers in March for Life slideshow

more» Slideshow shows only pro-choice activists, ignoring the thousands of anti-abortion protesters

Movie Review: COURAGEOUS – ‘Honor Begins at Home’

more» Courageous is triumphantly American and unashamedly Christian. The film wreaks havoc on the generally accepted idea that everything that goes wrong with adults can be traced back to bad childhood experiences which then become excuses for the worst behaviors we can produce. It is the idea of standing up to take responsibility for our actions that compel the principal and lead actor in the movie, Alex Kendrick (Adam Mitchell) to draw others into his decision to put his commitments down on paper and sign them after which they are made public to Church, friends and family.

High School Teacher Refuses To Accept MLK Award From Paul Ryan

more» Here’s another example that shows just how ‘accepting’ liberals are of people from all walks of life. High School teacher Al Levie refused to accept an MLK award from Rep. Paul Ryan because, well, Paul Ryan is a conservative no matter how Levie tries to frame it. Levie stated that “Paul Ryan has no business being at an [...]

Rush Limbaugh‘s Brother David ’Goes Rogue’ Endorses Santorum in Florida

more» Rush Limbaugh talks about his brother David's recent endorsement of GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum. Straight from :

Rivals hold their fire on big Gingrich funder

more» Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's biggest financial backer, billionaire Las Vegas casino tycoon and staunch Israel promoter Sheldon Adelson, is proving a mixed blessing with GOP voters for his favorite candidate, but to date Mr. Gingrich's pre...

Giant Cargo Ship Carrying Rocket Parts Smashes and Collapses Kentucky Bridge

more» AURORA, Ky. (The Blaze/AP) -- On Thursday, a cargo ship carrying rocket parts stuck and partially collapsed a Kentucky bridge. But less than 24 hours later, Kentucky's governor is already promising speedy work to begin replacing the structure that sees nearly 3,000 cars pass over it a day. Amazingly, there are no reported injuries, but one man driving Thursday evening had quite the shock when he had to slam on his brakes seeing a section missing ahead of him. "All of a sudden I see the road's gone and I hit the brakes," said Parker, who lives in Cadiz. "It got close." Parker said he stopped his pickup within five feet of the missing section. He said he didn't feel the vessel strike the bridge but "felt the bridge was kind of weak." Two spans of the Eggner Ferry Bridge at US 68 and Kentucky 80 were destroyed Thursday night by the Delta Mariner, which was too tall to pass beneath the structure. No injuries were reported on the bridge or in the boat, which was carrying rocket components from Decatur, Ala., to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Here is a local news report:

The ship was traveling on the Tennessee River on its typical route to Florida's Atlantic coast when it hit the aging steel bridge, which was built in the 1930s and handles about 2,800 vehicles a day. Check out this arial footage of the ship with bridge pieces still attached to it:

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the collision. And it's too early to speculate on exactly what caused the wreck until that probe is done, said Sam Sacco, a spokesman for ship owner and operator Foss Marine. Sacco said the boat was not severely damaged, and some of the crew remained on the ship Friday afternoon to make sure the cargo is safe. Gov. Steve Beshear on Friday said an immediate review of options to restore the bridge would take place. "We'll turn our attention to a full inspection of the bridge and determine what steps we can take next to speed up the replacement of that important artery," Beshear said.

The 312-foot Delta Mariner hauls rocket parts for the Delta and Atlas systems to launch stations in Florida and California, according to a statement from United Launch Alliance, which builds the rocket parts in Alabama. The cargo was not damaged in the collision with the bridge, the company said. The rocket parts are used by the Air Force, NASA and private companies to send satellites into space, said Jessica Frye, a spokeswoman with United Launch Alliance. Sacco said the ship's typical route to Florida takes it along the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, then onto the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and on to Florida's east coast. Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson and Transportation Cabinet Secretary Mike Hancock were visiting the crash area Friday, officials said. Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd told The Paducah Sun he believes most of the navigational lights were functioning on the bridge at the time of the impact. The bridge opened in 1932, connecting Trigg County and Marshall County at the western entrance to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The transportation cabinet said the bridge was in the process of being replaced, and preconstruction work began months ago.

Ann Coulter, secretly reasonable

more» Ann Coulter, secretly reasonable again

Lies, Omissions and Delusions-Obama’s Loaded State Of The Union Speech

more» Virtually every speech President Obama makes is characterized by outright lies, delusions and/or convenient omissions. It has always been like this but the characteristic seems to be even more pronounced recently because of the upcoming presidential election, to me at least. The 2012 State Of The Union speech he just gave is a prime example and was marked by all three.

Fitch Goes on a Downgrade Spree, 5 EU Nations Hit

more» U.S. ratings agency Fitch has downgraded the credit ratings for five European nations including leading economic heavyweights Italy and Spain. The agency on Friday lowered credit ratings for the five nations by one notch and placed a negative outlook on all of them, as well as on Ireland. Those nations downgraded included Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. Italy went down to A- credit rating while Spain was downgraded to A. Ireland's BBB+ rating was affirmed but it also received a negative outlook.

Fitch Ratings blamed the revisions on "the marked deterioration in the economic outlook" in Europe and "the absence of a credible financial firewall against contagion and self-fulfilling liquidity crises. It said that European leaders gradualist approach to tackling the crisis meant that Europe will continue to face episodes of severe financial volatility that would erode government's ability to repay debt. European leaders have been criticized for moving too slowly in tackling the crisis, which started in October 2009 when Greece admitted it was in deep financial trouble. Led by Germany, the eurozone's largest member, governments have resisted sweeping solutions such as pooling their borrowing power in so-called eurobonds and have balked at increasing the financing of their bailout funds from 500 billion. Efforts have focused instead on making bailed-out countries try to cut spending and reduce their budget deficits. The 17 members have also agreed to come up with a treaty requiring national laws to limit deficits. At the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos this week, leading European finance chiefs have sought to reassure anxious global business leaders that Europe is on track to solve its debt crisis. Fitch said the eurozone's difficulties would be compounded by a shrinking economy, now that many economists expect at least a mild recession. Judging by the wording of the Fitch report, the agency doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in the EU to resolve its financial issues (via ):

However, as BI notes, perhaps these downgrades shouldn't come as a huge shock, especially "after ."

Senator DeMint on National School Choice Week

more» Yesterday, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) spoke at The Heritage Foundation as part of National School Choice Week and to mark the release of the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) Report Card on American Education. The report ranks America's K-12 schools in terms of performance and progress over the past year, as well as reforms and education policies. Senator DeMint says that in seeking to improve education, policymakers could take some lessons from the free market — a system that has served America well: We were the only country that was …

Reaganite Foreign Policy

more» The Elliot Abrams business Jeff uncovers does raise some interesting historical points: 1. Some who bill their foreign policy preferences as "neo-Reaganite" today were fairly critical of Reagan's actual foreign policy in the 1980s, even as they remained part of the Reagan coalition. 2. The neoconservatives were an important part of that coalition, but Reagan didn't always do everything they advised. 3. This should remind us that Reagan really deserves a lot of the credit he gets for his handling of the Cold War. He threaded the needle on confrontation vs. accomodation with the Soviets almost perfectly, in contrast with his opponents and even some of his supporters.

Obama administration to extend and expand foreclosure relief program

more» The Obama administration said Friday that it will expand its signature foreclosure-prevention program to try to help those with heavy debt loads avoid losing their homes.

Mitch Winehouse rages at Amy catwalk copycats

more» Dad slams Amy Winehouse lookalikes at Gaultier show

In Response to Jennifer Rubin on Iran

more» This morning, Jennifer Rubin lambasted the Obama administration's "feckless Iran policy." Fair enough. I agree the president's approach has proven disjointed, at best, and "rudderless," at worst. Waging a shadow war in the global economy against a diabolical theocracy, while assassinating nuclear scientists and corrupting technology with the help of its arch-nemesis won't cultivate fertile soil for constructive engagement. And that's fine and dandy. These aren't the Khatami years and the "dialogue among civilizations" is off the table. However, Rubin's hardline approach demonstrates an unfortunate artlessness on a number of levels -- it's both strategically and historically unfeasible. To be clear, I'm not advocating some sort of Kumbaya approach to diplomatic persuasion. We can't simply tell Iran to surrender its nuclear ambition and play hands-off with Baghdad. Nor am I disavowing the unique threat presented by Iran, itself a potential nuclear power that boasts dodgy prot g's in the Gulf States, Southern Lebanon, Northern Saudi Arabia and (for the time being) Damascus. But let's be realistic. Rubin has drawn up a five point policy platform to deal with the Islamic Republic. I'll respond in kind. First, like the Israelis, we need to enhance the credibility of our military threat. Rubin goes on to suggest that "the idea is to disabuse the Iranians of the idea that President Obama is simply mouthing platitudes when he says 'all options are on the table.'" In other words, it's time to ramp up the jingoism to a level heretofore unheard of which makes me a little nervous. Talk is cheap. We can shake our fists as hard as we please in the general direction of the Persian plateau, but that's not going to discourage their desire to build the bloody bomb. Quite the contrary -- it will only serve to egg them on. Say what you will about the mullahs they're rational actors and defensive realists. Security is a zero sum game. Khamanei shook his head in disbelief as Gaddafi fell to NATO powers absent the nuclear program he surrendered a decade back. Likewise Saddam. Threats ring hollow unless we're ready to back them up, so enough with the "tough talk" nonsense. You can't threaten a war unless you're damn well ready to launch one. We're not going to "impress" the Iranians, as Rubin suggests, unless we do so with a massive bombing campaign and boots on the ground. Strafing fire and mixed sorties aren't going to get the job done. As I've written here repeatedly, this would only serve to diminish -- not destroy -- Iran's nuclear development, while cementing support for an increasingly unpopular and fragile regime. Unacceptable. Second, the sooner Syrian President Bashar al-Assad goes, the better. Fair enough, but Rubin should realize that even Tehran has begun to distance itself from Assad's shrinking cabal -- they've even taken meetings with opposition leadership in preparation for the embattled Alawite's eventual downfall. However, Rubin fails to mention what's really at stake. Damascus plays host to Iran's two main militant proxies in the Middle East, Hamas and Hizbullah. Absent Assad's assurances, diplomatic cover would be shed and supply routes severed. That's why we need him out, and ASAP. But not without the aegis of Arab League approval and the UN's R2P clause -- we just got out of one Arab country (make that two, if you count Libya) and we're not prepared to stumble blindly into another. Third, the administration needs to stop dragging its feet on sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran and oil exports. Um not sure what Rubin's gripe is, here. The Treasury and State Departments are already in the process of implementing Menendez-Kirk sanctions -- which will ice the Central Bank of Iran, and summarily nick the Islamic Republic from the global payments system. Let's call it the "nuclear" economic option. The Senate approved the amendment with passage of the National Defense Authorization Bill back in December. If anything, Rubin should reserve her indignation for Timothy Geithner, but also recognize the impact that Menendez-Kirk is already having, including the absolute demolition of the Iranian rial. Fourth, we should be treating Iran like the pariah state that it is, a violator of international law, an abuser of human rights and a sponsor of terror We and our Western allies (Russia and China are nearly hopeless, I understand, but we need to try) should be pressing to exclude Iran from every international forum (from the United Nations to the Olympics), enacting a travel ban, freezing assets and the like. Iran is already at war with us Agreed, but we can't allow Ahmedinejad to play up his anti-American routine like he did during the latter half of the Bush administration. We want him wholly isolated at the global level. When he talks, we'd like no one to care. He's already losing his audience, even within his own country. Let's not provide his ammunition. Fifth, regime change in Iran must be the official policy of the United States. I would simply ask Ms. Rubin if she has the foggiest notion what got us into this mess in the first place. Believe it or not, Iranians don't have the fondest memories of U.S. orchestrated regime change on Persian soil. Let's leave it at that. Finally, I'd note that Rubin's insistence on conflating America's military strategy and defense priorities with those of Israel is incredibly cavalier. Our alliance is undeniably important, but it is not fused by an unalterable, divine writ. Our policy need not mimick their posture.

Can We Stop Calling The So-Called Bush Tax Cuts Temporary?

more» "Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery." President Calvin CoolidgeAt FreedomWorks, we have a saying that goes, Lower Taxes + Less Government = More Freedom . It's a fairly simple, yet effective formula with an end in mind that virtually all Americans would agree is desirable. So why is it so difficult to accomplish in the modern political world? The answer boils down in part to the difference between how the federal government treats tax cuts and spending hikes.Today, it's popular among Democrats to bash the Bush tax cuts . Since cutting taxes is almost always politically popular, savvy Democrats focus on the cuts for higher-income Americans. The argument goes that by lowering taxes, particularly for people who didn't really need it, the federal government also lowered revenue, and that this drop in revenue was the major cause for the enormous deficit and skyrocketing national debt. On the face of it, the argument is simple, intuitive, and effective. It seems obvious that if a country has lower taxes, government will take in less money. It's an elegant way for Democrats to advocate raising taxes and at the same time place blame for the deficit and debt on the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress. However, let's test this argument by taking it to the extreme: What if you raise the income tax to 90%? Or even 100%?People won't work, or at the very least they'll work significantly less than they did before. If you only receive a tiny fraction of the monetary reward for your work, you just don't work as hard or as much, if at all. The less you work, the less of your income can be taxed away, lowering revenue. Taken to the other extreme, a 0% income tax obviously won't bring in any revenue. Therefore, the revenue-maximizing tax rate is somewhere between these two extremes. This is a simplified version of the argument popularized by economist Arthur Laffer, whose graph of this phenomenon is commonly referred to as the Laffer curve . During the Reagan presidency, the Laffer curve played a significant role in guiding the public policy which helped lead to widespread prosperity. Economists disagree over what exactly is the revenue-maximizing tax rate, or if there even is one that may be broadly applied across various levels of income or to different countries. Still, the point here is that to a certain point, cutting taxes can increase revenue, which means that the argument made by Democrats today isn't as obvious or irrefutable as it may seem.Still, even if one concedes that perhaps the Bush tax cuts lowered tax rates below the revenue-maximizing point, is that really such a bad thing? Should the government extract every last dollar possible from the American people? After all, the revenue-maximizing tax rate isn't necessarily the optimal tax rate. Considering the spendthrift policies over the last decade since the institution of the tax cuts, it would appear likely that the additional revenue would have simply emboldened Congress to spend even more. Besides, even in 2003, the year with the lowest federal revenue following the start of the Bush tax cuts, the federal government still took in $1.782 trillion dollars in revenue, which was more than it took in only five years prior in 1998. (Source: OMB historical tables)Revenue quickly bounced back, however, and by 2005 it had grown to $2.153 trillion dollars, which was more than $100 billion dollars higher than the previous mark set in 2000 before the tax cuts. Revenue continued to rise despite the lowered taxes until 2008, the beginning of the recession. So, the tax cuts certainly did not cripple the budget in any truly substantial and prolonged manner. Tax cuts did not create the debt, spending did. Trillions of dollars in debt come from spending trillions of dollars more than you take in. When Congress decided to pass a law cutting taxes across the board for Americans, they ought to have been responsible with spending until they could see how the tax cuts would affect revenue long-term. Instead, they continued to spend without restraint.The tax cuts allowed Americans of all incomes to save more of the income they earned from being redistributed by government bureaucrats. So, why do the Bush tax cuts continue to be maligned by the Democrats and in the media? It's fairly simple. First, as mentioned before, it's a way for Democrats to advocate raising taxes, particularly on the wealthy, while at the same time making an excuse for their part in creating the debt and deficit. Second, and perhaps more importantly, these tax cuts have been cursed with the label of a highly unpopular president, even today. Despite the fact that it was Congress who voted these on these bills, President George W. Bush's advocacy for the tax cuts tied his name to them from the start. One could say that this was a nifty rhetorical trick by the Democrats, as they manage to continue blaming current political issues on the former president. However, Republicans have largely played along and also refer to them as the Bush tax cuts . In other words, the Republicans have failed to win the public relations battle and barely tried to fight it in the first place.Still, these tax cuts began more than a decade ago. Why are they still temporary? Why are they still an important political issue? The main reason is the sunset provision placed in the bill, which meant that the tax cuts would be revoked if not extended by Congress after a certain period of time. As badly as the Republicans lost the public relations battle over the branding of the tax cuts, they essentially lost the war by agreeing to these provisions. Why would across-the-board lower taxes for all Americans be temporary? When the federal government still takes in, at the least, close to two trillion dollars a year in revenue after the cuts are made, why are the cuts still considered controversial?The problem lies with how the federal government treats spending. Whereas tax cuts are considered temporary and require periodic extension, spending assumes a certain baseline amount and only increases from there. The culture in Washington is so distorted that bureaucrats feel a need to spend every last dollar budgeted to them and then plead for more besides that. If you come in under-budget on a project in many federal agencies, you'll simply receive a smaller budget next year. If you use the entirety of your budget, then your agency clearly needs additional funds. Next year's budget will almost automatically add those extra dollars, making the bureaucrat's job easier instead of forcing them to be efficient with their allotted cash. This breeds a culture of inefficiency and waste that culminates into larger and larger federal outlays.Considering the inexorable impulse of the bureaucracy toward increases in spending, perhaps it should not be a surprise that any drop in revenue would be considered a crisis by Democrats who sincerely believe in the goals of these bureaucrats. After all, the bureaucracy needs that money, doesn't it? Increased spending therefore becomes permanent and inevitable.The contrast between how Washington treats tax cuts and spending hikes paints a bleak picture. In a sensible society, wouldn't it be the tax cuts that are typically permanent and the spending hikes that are temporary and which require periodic justification in order to be extended? Luckily, there's a simple solution to this mess: Cut spending. The grassroots-generated Tea Party budget slashes $9.7 trillion dollars in spending over the next ten years, balances the budget in four years, and makes the so-called Bush tax cuts permanent. It accomplishes these seemingly impossible feats without raising taxes.Let's consider the FreedomWorks equation one more time: Lower Taxes + Less Government = More Freedom . We know that we as Americans want more freedom. The tax cuts achieved the first element of the equation and it's time to add the second element by cutting spending, thereby decreasing the size and scope of the federal government. Only then will Americans have more freedom from an enormous national debt, massive deficit, and heavy tax burden.If you would like to learn more about the Tea Party Budget, here is the link:

Romney, Gingrich appeal to Hispanic voters in Florida

more» Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney pitched their ideas for reforming immigration law and pushing democracy into Cuba and across Latin America as the Republican presidential candidates vied for Hispanic votes Friday, entering the final, frenzied weekend befo...

Report: Ron Paul Signed Off on Incendiary Material in Newsletters

more» Rep. Ron Paul was aware of the offensive material published in his newsletters, proofreading articles beforehand, former aides told the in a report published Friday. The new allegations could reignite Paul's newsletter controversy, which made headlines in December. The presidential candidate last month for racial and other incendiary statements mailed out under his name in the late 1980s and 1990s. Paul has repeatedly , disavowing them and saying he wasn't aware of their existence until 10 years after the fact. But several of Paul's former associates are disputing his account, telling the Post he was heavily involved with the newsletters:

Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton denied the claims, saying any account of the Texas congressman's involvement is untrue. Paul was practicing medicine full time when "the offensive material appeared under his name," Benton told the Post, adding Paul abhors it, rejects it and has taken responsibility for it as he should have better policed the work being done under his masthead." The Post also reported, based on an anonymous source, that Paul and his associates decided in the late 1980s to try to increase sales with a "more provocative" strategy, including racial statements. It was playing on a growing racial tension, economic tension, fear of government, the person said. I'm not saying Ron believed this stuff. It was good copy. Ron Paul is a shrewd businessman.

Twitter may self-censor to expand base

more» Newly developed technology will allow Twitter to delete tweets on a country by country basis

Military Cuts Could Mean Trouble for Small Towns

more» Connecticut towns brace for sweeping defense cuts that could eliminate sub and aircraft manufacturing jobs

At Yale, the Collapse of a Rhodes Scholar Candidacy

more» Patrick Witt's supposed accuser has not gone to the police, not filed a formal complaint with the university

Biden: Dems will take the House

more» GOP obstructionism and a strengthening economy will propel the Democrats back into control

Green Energy Irony: Obama’s 22-Vehicle Fossil Fuel Motorcade

more» Yesterday, President Barack Obama rolled through Las Vegas to push for federal investment in clean energy vehicles, making his pitch at a UPS plant, escorted by a motorcade of 22 fossil fuel-burning vehicles. We haven’t seen anything this ironic since Al Gore hopped on a private jet to promote his global warming flick “An Inconvenient Truth.” Kudos to our friends at the Nevada Policy Research Institute who captured the moment on video.

WSJ: Facebook IPO could happen Wednesday

more» Trading of privately held Facebook shares on secondary markets halted Friday, igniting speculation an IPO filing was imminent

Different Missions Set Standard For MAGTF

more» MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. Interventions in Panama and Grenada during the 1980s highlighted the conditions when Marine Air-Ground Task Forces should be used and when other methods are preferred. Though they had nearly identical objectives, one solution was not fit for both. Urgent Fury took place in Grenada in 1983, and [...]

Rep. Gohmert Stands in Support of Saving the American Dream

more» Earlier this week, Representative Louie Gohmert (R TX) visited The Heritage Foundation to show his support for Saving the American Dream as well as our nationwide educational effort with the Family Research Council, the Your Money, Your Values, Your Vote 2012 Tour. Speaking to an impromptu audience gathered at Heritage, Gohmert's passion for America's future came through loud and clear: Some people get so confused about the pursuit of happiness. They think the Constitution guarantees people a right to be happy. That's up to us! The pursuit of happiness comes from …

EXCLUSIVE: Former Clinton Accuser Kathleen Willey Whistleblowing Foreclosure Fraud

more» Kathleen Willey, the former White House volunteer who accused President Clinton in 1998 of sexually harassing her in 1993, is trying to expose potential robo-signing foreclosure fraud from her home state of Virginia–and she's already gone on national television to get the word out to her fellow Americans. Foreclosure proceedings were commenced against Willey in 2010, [...]

Cher is not dead: Pop icon falls victim to Twitter death hoax

more» 'She's so NOT dead,' designer friend said

Former Reagan Adviser Questions NRO Piece About Gingrich’s Gipper Critiques

more» Jeffrey Lord, former White House political director under Ronald Reagan, is slamming a in National Review Online that accuses Newt Gingrich of while he was president. The National Review piece, written by former Reagan Assistant Secretary of State Elliot Abrams, has gained significant traction as many conservatives have come forward to question Gingrich's electability. The former House Speaker has repeatedly cast himself as a "" against the more timid, "Massachusetts moderate" Mitt Romney. Writing in the , Abrams, Lord says, has "been swept up in the GOP Establishment's Romney frothings over the rise of Newt Gingrich in the Republican primaries." But no more, he says, because Abrams has been "caught red-handed in lending himself to this attempted Romney hit job." Some of the top examples Abrams cites come from a statement Gingrich made on the House floor in 1986. Lord obtained a copy of the speech, which he said Abrams is "grossly misrepresenting" as "some sort of anti-Reagan jihad:"

You can read Lord's full analysis .

What kind of man : Newt Gingrich ad slams Romney

more» 'What kind of man': Newt Gingrich ad slams Romney

Arizona state senator officially seeking Giffords seat

more» Republican State Sen. Frank Antenori is officially in the race to replace Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Rep. Gohmert backs off comment that people would understand if I got shot [VIDEO]

more» 'I can't deny I said it. Yeah, I did say that but I'll try to avoid that for the future'

Washington Should Reject ‘No Missiles, No Meeting’ Russian Blackmail

more» Recently, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that there may be no summit between NATO and the Russian Federation if no agreement on missile defense is reached. This is understandable: Moscow has so far refused all Western entreaties to sign a workable missile defense arrangement and threatened that the NATO Russia summit may be cancelled. If so, the loss will be all the Kremlin's. NATO should not feel under any pressure to finalize a missile defense agreement, as Moscow is only trying to constrain the development of the U.S. missile …

Which GOP candidate would the Founders support?

more» It would be an easy choice for them to make.

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Says Racist Prep Schools, Not Teachers Unions, Hold Back Blacks

more» Earlier this week, Congressmen Allen West and Tim Scott, former congressman J. C. Watts, congressional hopeful Star Parker, and other prominent black conservatives held the Black Conservative Forum to discuss blacks and the Republican Party. The forum, broadcast by C-Span, was well attended, though neither Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican National Committee bothered to [...]

Vanderbilt Drops the Ball on Religious Freedom

more» Religious groups at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee are banned from making leadership decisions based on religion, thanks to rules set forward by officials enforcing its "nondiscrimination policy." According to the administration, "membership in registered student organizations is open to everyone and that everyone, if desired, has the opportunity to seek leadership positions." That "plurality" became a top priority over religious freedom when a gay student claimed he had been "kicked out" of a Christian fraternity. In response, the university examined the constitutions of some 300 groups and found that several weren't in compliance with Vanderbilt's nondiscrimination policy. The groups included the Christian Legal Society, which violates the policy by expecting its officers to lead Bible studies, prayer and worship at chapter meetings. When John Roberts of Fox News reached out to the university for comment, they only issued the pat statement: "Vanderbilt officials refused to be interviewed, and instead released a statement saying in part "We are committed to making our campus a welcoming environment for all of our students." Unless you're Christian, of course. The rule has been criticized by 23 members of Congress, the national Christian Legal Society, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Nashville, and others. The nondiscrimination policy is a direct contradiction to the school's own words when it insists that students "are entitled to exercise the rights of citizens." George Will, when writing about the issue last fall, noted that the Court has upheld the ability of groups to discriminate when defining themselves:

In wiser moments, the court has held that "this freedom to gather in association . . . necessarily presupposes the freedom to identify the people who constitute the association and to limit the association to those people only." In 1984, William Brennan, the court's leading liberal of the last half-century, said: "There can be no clearer example of an intrusion into the internal structure or affairs of an association than a regulation that forces the group to accept members it does not desire. Such a regulation may impair the ability of the original members to express only those views that brought them together. Freedom of association therefore plainly presupposes a freedom not to associate."

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) had a number of pointed questions about how this rule would work in practice, revealing how shortsighted it is:

If one of the leaders of Vanderbilt's Muslim Students Association were to convert to Christianity, is the group required to maintain that person in his or her leadership role despite the fact that he or she is no longer Muslim?

Vanderbilt informed the Christian Legal Society that its requirement that student leaders "lead Bible studies, prayer, and worship" was against the policy because it implied that these leaders must hold certain religious beliefs. How do you suggest religious groups at Vanderbilt fulfill their purposes without leaders who can accomplish such core tasks of religious leadership?

While this dispute was originally confined to religious organizations, your statement of January 20 states that all student organizations must accept any student as a member or a leader. If a group of straight students-the majority at Vanderbilt-were to join the Vanderbilt Lambda Association, vote themselves into office, and disband the group or alter the group's mission, what recourse would LGBT members of the Lambda Association have?

If a member of the College Republicans joins the College Democrats to discover their plans for political activism and report those plans back to the College Republicans in order to thwart them, do the College Democrats have any way to stop him or her?

Under this policy, must an ideological student journal like Vanderbilt's Orbis accept editors or publish columnists who disagree with, mock, or denigrate its progressive political views?

Many groups in the Occupy movement choose to make decisions by consensus. How could a Vanderbilt-based Occupy group operate if a small group of students joined specifically to prevent the group from acting in any way by constantly preventing a consensus from forming?

If a student were to join an environmentalist group like Vanderbilt SPEAR and then use his membership in that group to increase his or her credibility when publicly criticizing the group's positions in the Nashville or Vanderbilt newspapers, what could the group do to prevent this?

It is unlikely any response will be forthcoming: FIRE has written to officials at the school before, and have received no response. Even more likely, these are questions the officials have never even considered, and will have a hard time answering.

Warren Buffett: Stop talking about the woman I keep dragging into the spotlight

more» Warren Buffett: Stop talking about the woman I keep dragging into the spotlight

Sarah Palin: Establishment is trying to crucify Newt Gingrich

more» Plus, backlash to The Drudge Report.

Raiders make it official, hire Dennis Allen as head coach

more» Allen replaces ex-coach Hue Jackson after he was fired for leading the team to an 8-8 season

Before and After: See the Man Given $22M for Two Years of Solitary Confinement Without a Trial

more» A New Mexico man has been awarded $22 million for violating his constitutional rights after he was held in solitary confinement for two years and even had to yank his own rotting tooth out of his mouth. Stephen Slevin, 58, from New Mexico, as reported , received the huge sum 10-figure sum after bringing accusations against Dona Ana County jail for leaving him to rot after he was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Authorities didn't give him the healthcare he needed and throughout his incarceration treated him inhumanely. Albuquerque civil rights attorney Matthew Coyte said his client then began to deteriorate while in isolation, :

Visit msnbc.com for , , and

"It's not good for Mr Slevin for sure and it's not good for this country. It has to stop," he said. (h/t )

Buddy Roemer calls bullshit on the politicians

more» Buddy Roemer calls 'bullshit' on the politicians

Obama's Failing Record: The Numbers Do Not Lie

more» Following President Barack Obama’s self-congratulatory State of the Union address, Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, produced a simple chart that tells the real story of the Obama administration: America Before President Obama Took Office and Now Before Now Change Number of Unemployed1 12.0 Million 13.1 Million +9% Long-Term Unemployed2 2.7 Million 5.6 Million +107% Unemployment Rate3 7.8% 8.5% +9% High Unemployment States4 22 43 +95% Misery Index5 7.83 11.46 +46% Price of [...]

Santorum actually opposed individual mandate in 1994 race for U.S. Senate

more» 'There are lots of mandates we put on people and they don't obey. That's wrong. That's not the American way of doing things'

On Keystone, Congress Steps Up

more» Whether he likes it or not, President Obama's logic-defying but unsurprising decision to deny TransCanada the permit to construct a 1,700-mile long pipeline to deliver up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada, to Gulf Coast refineries put the ball in Congress's court and some Members are seizing that opportunity. On January 24, Representative Ted Poe (R TX) and 11 co-sponsors, including Representative Dan Boren (D OK) introduced the Keystone For a Secure Tomorrow Act (K-FAST) that would approve TransCanada's permit submitted to the Department of State (DOS) on September …

Demi Moore smoked something, had convulsions : 911 call

more» Voices on the call say that the actress is 'convulsing' and 'burning up'

Continue reading more in the archives»

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Wisconsin School Punishes Christian Kid for Being a… Christian Kid

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CBS Radio affiliate ignores pro-lifers in March for Life slideshow

Movie Review: COURAGEOUS – ‘Honor Begins at Home’

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Former Reagan Adviser Questions NRO Piece About Gingrich’s Gipper Critiques

What kind of man : Newt Gingrich ad slams Romney