|
|
|
|
«Updated Daily« |
Thursday May 17, 2012
|
Made in the USA since 1998
|
|
Voting to begin the tax-reform process would allow House Republicans to take the lead on the politically charged overhaul before the election.
|
|
GOP Plans Fast Track for Tax Overhaul
The Hill
Speaker John Boehner said in a speech Tuesday that House Republicans would try to attach a timeline to fast-track a broad tax overhaul to a vote extending the George W. Bush-era tax rates before the November elections. The effort is part of a bid by the Speaker to get started early -- and out in front of Democrats -- on a raft of year-end tax and spending provisions that could await congressional action in a lame-duck session. “Our bill to stop the New Year’s Day tax increase will also establish an expedited process by which Congress would enact real tax reform in 2013,” Boehner (R-OH) said in remarks to a fiscal summit in Washington. “This process would look something like how we handle Trade Promotion Authority, where you put in place a timeline for both houses to act. “The Ways & Means Committee will work out the details,” Boehner said, “but the bottom line is, if we do this right, we will never again have to deal with the uncertainty of expiring tax rates.” Democrats have also pushed for far-reaching tax reform, but they reacted skeptically to Boehner’s remarks on Tuesday. |
|
The Dominoes of Cloward-Piven
Frank Salvato, Managing Editor
In 1966, two Columbia University sociologists, Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven, collaborated on a theory to end poverty in the United States. This theory, today, is referred to as the “Cloward-Piven Strategy.” People who are familiar with the likes of Saul Alinsky and William Ayers are familiar with the strategy, as are the full complement of the Progressive Movement. In a nutshell, the underlying principle of the Cloward-Piven Strategy is to so overload the entitlement system – to add so many to the entitlement rolls, that the country’s economic system collapses, unleashing chaos and violence in the streets, thus affecting radical Leftist political change in government. Up until recently this theory has been just that, a theory, and a theory that anarchists and Progressives have salivated over for their want of execution. But today, we are seeing the fruits of the Cloward-Piven Strategy played out to success in Greece and several other financial destitute countries in Europe.
Editor's Note: Her Soul Now
Shines in That City on the Hill
Frank Salvato, Managing Editor
It is with a heavy heart that we inform our readers that Ercille I. Christmas, a featured writer here at NewMediaJournal.us and a friend to all who embrace the idea of freedom, has passed away after a valiant battle with cancer. Ercille I. Christmas was born in the tiny Caribbean island of St. Kitts, the "Gibraltar of the Caribbean". She went through the procedures and processes needed to naturalize to the United States and became a US citizen, something that she viewed as an achievement; a designation she held with great pride, often referring to her new home as, "the land of the free and the home of the brave." For a great portion of her adult life, Ercille performed the duties of a supervisor in the insurance industry. But her life changed on September 11, 2001.
Should We Obey All Laws?
Walter E. Williams
Let's think about whether all acts of Congress deserve our respect and obedience. Suppose Congress enacted a law -- and the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional -- requiring American families to attend church services at least three times a month. Should we obey such a law? Suppose Congress, acting under the Constitution's commerce clause, enacted a law requiring motorists to get eight hours of sleep before driving on interstate highways. Its justification might be that drowsy motorists risk highway accidents and accidents affect interstate commerce. Suppose you were a jury member during the 1850s and a free person were on trial for assisting a runaway slave, in clear violation of the Fugitive Slave Act. Would you vote to convict and punish? A moral person would find each one of those laws either morally repugnant or to be a clear violation of our Constitution. You say, "Williams, you're wrong this time. In 1859, in Ableman v. Booth, the US Supreme Court ruled the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 constitutional." That court decision, as well as some others in our past, makes my case.
Change…and Some Hope
Victor Davis Hanson
The Rasmussen Tracking Poll recently had Romney up 50 to 42 over Obama. At this early juncture, such polls mean nothing -- except as diagnostic indices of why perhaps both candidates go up and down in popularity. So why has Barack Obama plunged in the polls these last few days? The Republican slugfest is over. The media cannot headline any longer the daily conservative suicide. Barack Obama’s job report came out at 8.1% unemployment -- but, more importantly, with information that a smaller percentage of adult Americans are working than ever before, and fewer in absolute numbers than nearly four years ago when Obama took office. So someone must be asking, “What then was the lost $5 trillion for?” Note, in this regard, the 5.4% unemployment rate that won George Bush the slur of a “jobless recovery” in 2004.
Obama’s Contempt for the Voters
David Catron
Last week Obama's re-election team released a television ad in a variety of battleground states listing the president's "accomplishments." A shameless knockoff of Ronald Reagan's famous "morning in America" spot, this preposterous piece of propaganda begins with the administration's standard complaint about the economic crisis Obama "inherited" and goes on to claim that he somehow saved the country because, "He believed in us. Fought for us." What he really believes about us, however, is better illustrated by what is missing from the ad. It contains no mention whatsoever of Obamacare, the health care "reform" law that Obama and his supporters have, until the beginning of the current election cycle, referred to as a "historic" piece of legislation and his "most important domestic achievement." Such a glaring omission suggests the president and his advisors believe the voters are too dumb to remember that he and his congressional accomplices wasted a year cobbling together their unconstitutional health care boondoggle while unemployment raged out of control.
Islam Arrives in the Basque Country
Soeren Kern
The Basque regional government in northern Spain is drafting a controversial new Law on Religious Institutions, which states that mosques and prayer rooms with a capacity of fewer than 300 people will no longer require prior local government approval. The draft law is generating considerable opposition from elected officials of all political stripes, who fear the new measure will encourage the proliferation of mosques throughout the Basque region. The mayor of the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz, Javier Maroto, said in an interview that the practical effect of the new law will be that "any fruit and vegetable shop can be converted into a mosque and there will be nothing we can do about it." He has promised to fight the new law, which he believes will encourage "mosques to spring up like mushrooms." The debate comes as a new survey shows that one in four Basques reject the idea of having a mosque in their neighborhood, and according to a new survey commissioned by the Basque regional government in northern Spain, one in five do not want a Muslim as a neighbor.
|
|
|
▪ GOP Plans Fast Track for Tax Overhaul
▪ Moderate Democrats Frustrated by Reids Failure to Produce Budget
▪ Senate Reauthorizes Export-Import Bank
▪ Border Agents Dispute Claim That Illegal Immigrant Tide Is Slowing
▪ Secret Meeting of Soros Progressive Groups Takes Place in Miami
▪ Labor Board Suspends Rule on Union Elections
▪ Greece Attempts to Form Caretaker Government, Avoid ‘Panic’
▪ EU Airstrike on Somali Pirates Echoes US Drone Strategy
▪ North Korea Upgrading Missile Launch Site
▪ Dems Attack Romney Over Layoffs Made by Obama Bundler
▪ Jarrett’s ‘Chicago Connections’ Led to Obama’s Solyndra Visit
 |
Greece Attempts to Form Caretaker Government, Avoid ‘Panic’
The London Telegraph
Greece's political leaders are to meet to form a caretaker government to steer the country to a second election in just over a month, with its euro membership at stake and its president speaking of "fear that could develop into panic." President Karolos Papoulias was forced to call a new vote after failing to cobble together a coalition government. An election on May 6 saw Leftist opponents of Greece's EU-IMF bailout deprive the parties that ran the country for generations of a majority. Polls suggest the Radical Left Coalition, or Syriza, is poised to win the re-run. That prospect has shaken faith in Greece's ability to remain in the single currency and stay solvent, sending the euro and European shares lower, and raising the bond yields that reflect the risk that other European countries will be hurt.
| |
North Korea Upgrading Missile Launch Site
The London Telegraph
North Korea has started work to upgrade its Musudan-ri missile launch site and potentially make the facility capable of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Undeterred by the catastrophic failure of what Pyongyang claims was a rocket putting a satellite into orbit in April from its facility at Tongchang-ri, North Korea is now investing in a larger launch pad at its alternative launch site, diplomatic sources said. Officially known as the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground, Musudan-ri is in the far north-east of the Korean Peninsula and was originally used in the 1990s to test-fire Scud missiles that it built based on Soviet designs. The site underwent a major upgrade in the 1990s and the site was used to launch numerous weapons, including the intermediate-range Taepodong-1 missile.
|
 |
EU Airstrike on Somali Pirates Echoes US Drone Strategy
Chistian Science Monitor
This morning's airstrike on Somali pirates by a European Union military helicopter brings the EU more in line with US military methods in the country, but key differences in priorities remain. The raid, launched from one of nine EU Naval Force warships patrolling off the Somali coast, wrecked five pirate attack boats and destroyed fuel supplies and a weapons cache, officials and witnesses said. It follows a strengthening of the EU force’s mandate, approved two months ago, that now allows airstrikes on known pirate “logistics” on the ground, not just at sea. Military commanders with the EU Naval Force, headquartered in Britain, took pains today to stress that the mission was conducted entirely from the air. “At no point did EU Naval Force ‘boots’ go ashore,” the force's press office said in a statement.
| |
English Language al-Qaeda Training Manual Revealed
The London Telegraph
An English language guide for Westerners seeking to join al-Qaeda has been published, with recommendations on how to cope with the hardships and dangers of life as a jihadist. The guide includes rules such as keeping clean, not using mobile phones and thinking of virgins in paradise when bomber-drones are overhead. Described as a “must-read” source, it has emerged on the internet shortly after it was leaked that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular had been penetrated by a British spy who managed to smuggle out the latest version of their “underpants bomb”. The guide was written by Samir Khan, an American who served as the top propagandist for the Yemen-based branch of the terrorist movement, which is considered the most dangerous to the West. He was killed by a drone attack in September.
|
 |
Moderate Democrats Frustrated by Reids Failure to Produce Budget
Politico.com
The Democratic-led Senate on Wednesday is expected to reject all four GOP budget plans, including the contentious House-passed proposal authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). A fifth budget, offered by Republicans and based on President Barack Obama 2013 spending blueprint, also will likely fall short of the 50 votes needed to pass, dealing the White House an embarrassing election-year blow. But Democratic leaders have defiantly refused to lay out their own vision for how to deal with federal debt and spending, arguing that last summer’s debt-ceiling deal essentially serves as an actual budget. While a budget resolution is non-binding, they say, the Budget Control Act was signed into law. But a few centrists in the 53-member Democratic conference expressed frustration with their party’s budget inaction.
| |
Senate Reauthorizes Export-Import Bank
RollCall.com
The Senate approved legislation today that would reauthorize the Export-Import Bank after rejecting five Republicans amendments, including a proposal to shut down the bank. The bill was approved 78-20 -- with all 20 “no” votes cast by Republicans -- and now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. The House passed the measure last week 330-93. Passage of the legislation came after the Senate defeated an amendment 12-86 from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) that after one year of reauthorization would terminate the bank, which is designed to facilitate the purchase of US exports by foreign buyers. While many Republicans back the bill, conservatives see the bank as a form of corporate welfare that comes at a time when the annual deficit has been more than $1 trillion in recent years.
|
 |
Border Agents Dispute Claim That Illegal Immigrant Tide Is Slowing
The Washington Examiner
The once red-hot issue of illegal immigration has cooled considerably in recent months, in large part because of studies like one from the Pew Hispanic Center that said the flood of people entering the US from across the Mexican border has slowed, and that the number actually returning to Mexico from the US has increased, reversing a decades-long trend. But federal law enforcement agents on the border are skeptical that the illegal immigrant tide is slowing. And new information from the US financial sector shows that more money is flowing from American cities to Mexico in the form of remittances from immigrants than last year. Federal law enforcement officials security is being compromised as the government seeks to keep a lid on the border as a campaign issue during the presidential election cycle.
| |
Brown Proposes Tough Cuts, Tax Hike to Close $16B Gap in Calif.
AP/The Washington Times
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) on Monday proposed more than $8 billion in cuts to close a widening California budget deficit but also said public schools will receive more money if voters approve his tax-increase initiative in November. The governor wants public employees to take a 5 percent pay cut and also seeks cuts to health care and social services. Mr. Brown released his revised spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1, saying the state now faces a $15.7 billion deficit. That is roughly 17 percent of its $91 billion general fund, California’s main checkbook for day-to-day operations. The deficit also is far higher than the $9.2 billion gap Mr. Brown anticipated in January. The anticipated deficit for the coming fiscal year marks a continuation of California’s ongoing budget problems.
|
 |
Secret Meeting of Soros Progressive Groups Takes Place in Miami
Washington Free Beacon
A secretive network of left-wing billionaires and their political operatives descended on the luxurious Biltmore Hotel in Miami over the weekend to discuss strategy for the coming elections. The location of the conference had been kept a closely guarded secret by the members and guests of Democracy Alliance (DA), a collection of ultra-wealthy liberal donors formed in 2005. The conference was attended by the biggest names in liberal politics, including billionaire financier George Soros, who has already pledged at least $2 million to Progressive groups this cycle. The actual amount Soros has contributed may be much higher, according to experts. Attendees roamed the grounds at the 150-acre tropical resort on their way to cocktail gatherings and workshops such as “Occupy the Voting Booth” and “The 1 Percent Rule.”
| |
Labor Board Suspends Rule on Union Elections
The Hill
The National Labor Relations Board suspended implementation on Tuesday of a rule that would speed up union elections. On Monday, US District Judge James Boasberg struck down the regulation. In his ruling, the judge said the labor board only had two members vote on the final rule in December 2011 when it needed three members to form a quorum. In the wake of the court decision, the agency is temporarily suspending the rule's implementation, which went into effect on April 30. Further, Lafe Solomon, the NLRB's acting general counsel, withdrew guidance he sent to the labor board's regional offices and told those offices to follow the old union election rule instead. The agency is still considering its response to the court ruling. Unions have criticized the decision. In turn, business groups are pleased by the decision.
|
 |
Video: Muslim Women Hide from ‘Honor Killing’ Relatives
RT.com
The fundamentalist Islamic culture, whether the politically correct among us care to acknowledge it or not, continues to be rife with the barbaric practice of "honor killing." In the fundamentalist Islamic culture, because the life of a woman id worth only half that of a man, the man views all related females as property. This facilitates arranged marriages, forced intercourse and a generally oppressive existence for fundamentally Muslim women, including the practice of "honor killing." In an honor killing, male members of a devoutly Muslim family believe they have the right to kill related females who have "dishonored" the family name, and especially the males of the family. Honor killings are not only prevalent in the Arab Muslim world, but have spread to locations where Middle Eastern Muslims have immigrated.
| |
Ex-Pakistani Lawmaker, Cleric ‘Decrees’ Against Female Education
The Express Tribune
A former lawmaker and cleric from Kohistan district, Maulana Abdul Haleem, termed formal education for women un-Islamic and asked parents to pluck their daughters from school, or else they would be "doomed." The nonagenarian, who was elected to the National Assembly from Kohistan on the now-defunct Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s ticket in 2002, also railed against non-governmental organizations working in the region in his Friday sermon, calling them "hubs of immodesty." "It's beghairti (immodesty) to equip girls with secular education," the cleric said, adding that those Kohistani parents who were sending their girls to schools were acting against "Islamic shariah" and the local customs. “The Kohistani culture does not allow parents to send their pardadar (modest) girls to schools," the former lawmaker said.
|
InFocus David Axelrod: A DtN Profile
Born in 1955, David Axelrod grew up in Manhattan and, from an early age, engaged passionately in politics. At age ten, he canvassed for New York mayoral candidate John Lindsay (Democrat) and, at age 13, sold campaign buttons and bumper stickers promoting Robert Kennedy for President. Axelrod's mother was a writer for PM, a left-wing New York newspaper, which was alleged to have ties to the Communist Party. In 1977, Axelrod completed his B.A. in political studies at the University of Chicago. That same year, he received an internship at the Chicago Tribune. In 1982 he was promoted to become the Tribune’s youngest chief political writer. Don Rose, founder of the pro-communist Hyde Park Voices and a 1960s member the Alliance to End Repression, which was a suspected Communist Party front, has claimed that he and another prominent Chicago communist, David Canter, mentored Axelrod and guided his early political development during this time.
The Briefing Updated May 14, 2012
Civil war is raging in Syria. Al Qaeda is now publicly claiming responsibility for the latest series of major bombings. The Free Syria Army and other armed resistance to the Assad government appear to have been co-opted by the al Qaeda terrorists who have recently infiltrated into Syria and have gone on the offensive. Al Qaeda knows that carrying out successful, “flashy” attacks is the best way to recruit followers and gain control of resistance fighters and their organizations. The Syrian war has spread to Lebanon. Over the last two days sectarian fighting has begun to take hold. The number of dead and the locations where armed conflicts have broken-out increase daily.
|
|
Opinions expressed by contributing writers are expressly their own and may or may not represent the opinions of The New Media Journal, BasicsProject.org, its editorial staff, board or organization. Reprint inquiries should be directed to the author of the article. Contact the editor for a link request to The New Media Journal. The New Media Journal is not affiliated with any mainstream media organizations. The New Media Journal is not supported by any political organization. The New Media Journal is a division of BasicsProject.org, a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) research and educational initiative. Responsibility for the accuracy of cited content is expressly that of the contributing author. All original content offered by The New Media Journal and BasicsProject.org is copyrighted. Basics Project's goal is the liberation of the American voter from partisan politics and special interests in government through the primary-source, fact-based education of the American people.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance a more in-depth understanding of critical issues facing the world. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 USC Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
|
|
|
