Board declares NSA data sweep illegal, says program should be ended

from Fox News:

An independent board tasked with reviewing National Security Agency surveillance called Thursday for the government to end its mass data collection program and "purge" its files, declaring the program illegal in a major challenge to President Obama. 

The president did not go nearly as far when he called last week for ending government control of phone data collected from hundreds of millions of Americans. In its report, obtained by Fox News and scheduled for release Thursday afternoon, The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) said the program ran afoul of the law on several fronts. 

"The ... bulk telephone records program lacks a viable legal foundation," the board's report said, adding that it raises "serious threats to privacy and civil liberties" and has "only limited value." 

"As a result, the Board recommends that the government end the program," the panel wrote. 

It remains to be seen whether Obama will accept all or part of the recommendations, but the findings could nevertheless be used as leverage in federal lawsuits against NSA spying. 

The report concluded that the NSA collection raises "constitutional concerns" with regard to U.S. citizens' rights of speech, association and privacy. 

"The connections revealed by the extensive database of telephone records gathered under the program will necessarily include relationships established among individuals and groups for political, religious, and other expressive purposes," it said. "Compelled disclosure to the government of information revealing these associations can have a chilling effect on the exercise of First Amendment rights." 

The panel added that the program "implicates constitutional concerns under the First and Fourth Amendments." 

read more here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/23/independent-federal-review-board-says-nsa-phone-data-collection-program-should/

Melanie Flowers in Texas 247th judicial race Voted for OBAMA and Donated to pro Abortion Democrats

Information has surfaced regarding Melanie Flowers voting for Barack Hussein Obama and donating to one of the most pro-abortion, Democrat Texas State Representatives, Ron Reynolds. Flowers has been circulating a statement defending her decision to vote for the most anti-American and lawless president in American history as justified by virtue of a “historic moment.” 

In an email forwarded to me on 12/14/2013, Melanie Flowers volunteered an explanation of this decision, saying, “My Republican voting history is the strongest and longest of anyone in this race.  With that said many of our most honored Republican leaders would never have held office if we condemned each one that ever voted in a democratic primary.”  Flowers then went on to list various Republican office-holders who have voted Democrat at one point in their lives, going so far as to name Rick Perry.

Problematically, however, her defense is not logically sound, since those Republicans who at one time voted Democrat, usually switched many years ago and spent the rest of their professional existence voting Republican and never looking back. 

Republicans become Republican because of what amounts to an ideological conversion experience, wherein they realize every message and claim proffered by the other party is either false or misguided – usually both.

If what Flowers claims about her Republican credentials is accurate, then it is even more concerning that she could whimsically abandon her alleged principles, knowing what the other side stands for, simply to take part in a vote for something other than 'the content of one's character' – the core of what most mean when they utter the “historic moment” defense. 

Many momentous events are “historic,” and many of these same events are quite unsavory.  There is nothing excusable about abandoning reason and principle to participate in a popularity contest. 

Judges must have a temperament that is levelheaded and uneasily swayed by emotional pleas, genuine or manufactured.  Voting for Barack Obama (despite everything that was known about his background and publicly available with even a modicum of basic research skills) demonstrates poor judgment or even a complete lack of judgment. 

The facts suggest that Flowers's Democrat liaisons go far deeper than simply one impassioned vote for a maniacal community organizer.  Flowers donated to three separate Democrat candidates as recently as 2010 and one of these candidates is the notorious Ron Reynolds.  Reynolds is a State Rep. who was seen waving a coat hanger in Austin in support of Wendy Davis's pro-abortion spectacle and whose rabid leftist views would discourage many authentic conservative Republicans from even being seen in public places in their company.  A Biblical principle may address the issue more effectively than mere logic:  “Avoid even the very appearance of evil.” 

Would someone with good judgment even contribute a penny to a man who thinks it fine to wave coat hangers in support of being allowed to kill the unborn a few extra weeks?  Common sense provides the self-evident answer. 

Here are a few screenshots taken from Reynold's Facebook in recent months and from news articles:

Also below are some images demonstrating donation history to Democrat contenders in various races:

Obama's Arne Duncan slimes women in Common Core attack - Rep. Stockman Calls for Resignation

the following is a press release I got from Congressman Steve Stockman today:

Stockman asks Obama to fire Duncan over anti-women comments
Obama education secretary says critics are just suburban moms with dumb kids

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Stockman Monday asked President Barack Obama to fire Education Secretary Arne Duncan after comments Friday in which Duncan dismissed opponents of Common Core as suburban moms with dumb kids.

“The Obama administration is now using ‘suburban mom’ as a dismissive slur and even attacking the children of political opponents,” said Stockman. “It’s typical of the Obama administration’s disrespectful treatment of women who express differing opinions. He even called moms and dads with families ‘fringe groups.’”

“If there is a ‘War on Women’ the Obama administration just launched a tactical strike,” said Stockman. “Obama should fire Duncan for saying some opponents of Common Core should be dismissed because of their race and gender.”

“It’s fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were, and that’s pretty scary,” Duncan said in a speech Friday in Richmond, Va., addressing the Council of Chief State Schools Officers Organization.

“Common Core is Obamacare for education. It’s a top-down, one-size-fits-all that brings all children down to a common level,” said Stockman. “Opposition comes from men and women of all races who don’t want their children trapped in Common Core’s failure factory.”

Duncan’s remarks were confirmed by Education Department Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach Massie Ritsch and reported Saturday by the Washington Post.

“Opposition to Common Core must be led by the states. Texas may not have officially taken Common Core standards, but they did work with the same groups in the writing of the TEKS. Texas needs to kill CScope and reject Race to the Top funding if we are to get Washington mediocrity out of our schools,” said Stockman.

-30-

Ted Cruz Bill calls for 5 Million dollar Bounty on Heads of Benghazi Terrorists

Now we are talking. If this bill from Texas US Senator Ted Cruz passes, we might actually catch the terrorists who attacked the American Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The United States of America frequently announces million dollar rewards for all kinds of wanted criminals. The most recent reward was created for information leading to the capture of a Mexican Drug Lord. These million dollar rewards work because, well, people like money and will give up information they know for money. So why has the United States NOT already put out a reward for information leading to the capture of the Benghazi terrorists? It is almost as if the Obama administration does not want to find the terrorists because it would expose even more about the botched ""anti Muslim video" cover-up by Obama's administration. Thank you Senator Ted Cruz for taking a stand and really putting forth an effort to find these terrorists.

The following is a press release from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz:

Cruz Proposes Bill to Offer Reward on Benghazi Terrorists

Contact: press@cruz.senate.gov / (202) 228-7561
Thursday, November 7, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced legislation to require the Secretary of State to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information on the Benghazi attacks or information that leads to the capture and prosecution of a suspect.

"The State Department's Rewards for Justice Program exists to help the U.S. identify and apprehend its enemies, but the Obama Administration has not used it to pursue the terrorists who attacked our personnel in Benghazi," Cruz said. "This legislation enables the Secretary of State to offer a substantial reward for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of the suspects who have been identified. U.S. investigators should have all available tools at their disposal to bring to justice those who murdered four Americans in Benghazi, including the first Ambassador killed in service since 1979."

The Rewards for Justice program has been a visible and successful element in the ongoing battle against terrorism. Since 1984, over $125 million has been distributed to more than 80 people.

To date, there has been no reward offered for the Benghazi terrorist suspects under the Rewards for Justice Program. Earlier this week, the State Department announced that they are giving out up to $5 million in exchange for info on drug lords. They did this without any new authorizing or appropriating legislation.

Last year, then-Senator Kerry and Senator Coons offered similar legislation to expand the Rewards for Justice program to help capture Joseph Kony. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and was enacted into law last year.

###

Sen. Cruz's Bill to Offer Reward on Benghazi Terrorists

Houston Chronicle Editor Tim Fleck Attacks Texas Congressman Stockman after Stockman Calls for Investigation into Obama's White House Scandals

Congressman Steve Stockman

You know a conservative leader is doing the right thing when the liberal media attacks him/her. Well, Texas Congressman Steve Stockman is certainly doing the right thing because he has the liberal media attacking him on a daily basis. The next attack is expected to come from Tim Fleck of the Houston Chronicle. Fleck is a liberal editor who used to work for the Houston Press. Fleck takes his bias up a notch above most liberal media though because Fleck, on top of just writing negative articles about Stockman, has also tried to sue Congressman Stockman in the past and has even been accused of breaking into Stockman's home. Apparently, Fleck is not happy about the most recent press release from Congressman Stockman. See press release below after Stockman's statement regarding Fleck.

Statement from Congressman Stockman's Office Regarding Fleck's upcoming Chronicle Smear:

The Houston Chronicle will run the ambush story Sunday that will
misrepresent a recent error made by staffers and make personal attacks against Congressman Stockman.

Two weeks ago Congressman found out two staffers in his congressional office made
contributions not allowed under FEC rules.  As soon he I found out the
contributions were refunded and corrective action taken.

They obeyed the law.  That’s the story.

Or more correctly, the lack of a story.

That is why the Chronicle will try to fluff it up by making other
unrelated and unfounded attacks to create controversy where none
exists.

The reason is simple.  The Houston Chronicle has employed Tim Fleck to
its editorial board. Fleck has been obsessed with Congressman Stockman since June 1996, when he forced his way into his home and verbally abused campaign volunteers until sheriff’s deputies were called. Now he using the Houston Chronicle for his personally crusade. 

He has since sued Stockman unsuccessfully, and apparently cannot let it go.

Fleck once picked up a coral snake and was surprised when it bit him
and he had to go to the hospital, so he’s not the kind who learns
quickly.

He has written obsessively about Congressman Stockman for 17 years and is now using his position at the Chronicle to continue his obsession by having four different reporters follow Congressman Stockman's and his staff, even watching Congressman Stockman take out his household trash.

One of the reasons Americans are abandoning newspapers in droves is the fact they now try to put journalistic lipstick on a partisan-slanted pig.  The Chronicle’s hiring of Fleck and the upcoming personal attack are why growing numbers of Houstonians don't believe what they read in the paper.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

Friday, November 1, 2013

Contact: Donny Ferguson, Donny@mail.house.gov

Stockman gives Obama impeachment book to every Congressional office, calls for full congressional investigations, prosecution of the White House

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Stockman distributed to all members of Congress this month copies of “Impeachable Offenses: The Case For Removing Barack Obama From Office.”

“I hope this book helps convince my colleagues to hold Barack Obama legally responsible for his disregard for the law.  When told of his offense, Obama sought to cover them up rather than accept responsibility and correct the mistakes,” said Stockman.

Stockman is the sponsor of H.Res. 306, which would force a vote on establishing a Select Committee with full subpoena power to investigate the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on Benghazi.

“Impeachment should only be a rare and last resort, but the book provides important details on the Obama administration’s offenses against office,” said Stockman.

“From Benghazi to Fast and Furious to crony deals for ‘green’ energy to Obamacare the lawless Obama administration must be reined in.  I am calling on Congress to establishment Select Committees on these scandals with full subpoena power,” said Stockman.

“We’ve seen how the Obama administration smears and defames their critics.  Congress should investigate these scandals and turn the matters over to special prosecutors,” said Stockman.

“Impeachable Offenses” is authored by New York Times best-selling authors Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott

-30-

Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.

– General Sam Houston, First President of the Republic of Texas

Donny Ferguson

Senior Communications Adviser

U.S. Representative Steve Stockman (TX-36)

202-225-1555

Federal Workers Offended by Obama's Partisan/Misleading Email Sent to All Government Work Inboxes Blaming House of Representatives for Shutdown

David Bellow Exclusive:

Crossing the line? President Obama sent a partisan/non-factual email to all Federal employees blaming the Republican controlled House of Representatives for the shutdown and claiming that the Senate and the President have nothing to do with the government shutdown. (see Obama's email below)

Federal Workers are not allowed to send partisan/political emails to other government workers using their government email accounts while they are on duty. They do not expect to read any partisan emails either, especially from the government. The government leaders understand this and anything that is sent out is typically always non controversial and non-partisan. That was not the case this week. Imagine the surprise that many federal workers got when they clocked into work and got a partisan email from President Obama blaming the House of Representatives for the Shutdown and claiming that the Senate and President had nothing to do with the shutdown. The email made no mention that it takes three to shutdown the government. The House and Senate and President all have to agree on a budget in order to keep the government going. The shutdown is just as much the Senate's fault for not approving what the House passed as it is the House's fault for not approving what the Senate passed. If you read the email from President Obama you would think that it is only the fault of the House of Representatives because they are not going along with the good plan from the Senate. Oh, and the email made no mention of the threats to veto the House bill. Yes, as much as the President denied his role in this shutdown in the email to all federal workers, the shutdown is just as much his fault because he has threatened to veto everything the House has offered. Also there was no mention of the fact that he, and not Congress, made the decision to shut down the WWII memorial from even allowing veterans to visit it. This memorial does not even need to be "funded" in order to allow people to freely walk to it and look at it.

Below are some of the most outrageous, partisan quotes that Obama sent in a letter to all federal workers via their government work email inboxes: (my comments are in red)

"This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened. And the House of Representatives can end it as soon as it follows the Senate's lead, and funds your work in the United States Government without trying to attach highly controversial and partisan measures in the process." (the Senate and President can also end it as soon as they follow the House's lead. The President forgot to mention that)

"I will continue to do everything in my power to get the House of Representatives to allow our Government to reopen as quickly as possible, and make sure you receive the pay that you have earned." (Ah yes, it is only the House that is not allowing the government to keep running. So the Senate and President have nothing to do with it?)

"more than 50 current or former Federal employees have received the Nobel Prize for their efforts." (Not sure how this has anything to do with the Shutdown, but they also gave war starting Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, so really how credible is one of those awards nowadays?)

"It was grants from the Department of Energy that helped businesses unlock new sources of renewable energy" (like the money given to Solyndra the solar panel company that took taxpayer money and went bankrupt while the executives of the company made millions?)

Click on the document bellow to see the full letter that President Obama sent on October 1st, 2013 to all federal workers. The particular letter below was sent to all Department of Justice workers from President Obama via Attorney General Eric Holder:

Allen West: Will Obama Identify with Black Teens Who Killed White Boy for Fun?

from The Daily Caller:

On the heels of news that three Oklahoma teens allegedly shot and killed an Australian jogger for sport, former Florida Republican Rep. Allen West lashed out at President Obama and the “race industry crew.”
“‘We were bored & decided to kill somebody.’ 3 black teens shoot white jogger.Who will POTUS identify w/this time?” West tweeted Tuesday afternoon with a link to a New York Post article on the matter.

Following the acquittal of shooter George Zimmerman for the murder of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, Obama said that Martin ”could have been me 35 years ago.” Earlier, Obama had said that if he had a son, “he’d look like Trayvon.”
West cast a wider net on Facebook.
“[S]hall we hear anything from the race industry crew, Hollywood elites, or maybe Oprah Winfrey? The issue is not about proliferation of guns in America. This is about a failing black community and the fact that its young men are desensitized to violence because a gangsta culture promotes it,” West wrote on Facebook, reiterating his Twitter question. “So who will President Obama identify with in this case?”
Chancey Allen Luna, 16, and James Francis Edwards Jr., 15, have been charged with first-degree murder in the Friday shooting death of Australian baseball player Chris Lane in Duncan, Oklahoma. Michael Dewayne Jones, 17, is being charged with the use of a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon and accessory after the fact to murder.
Jones told police that the teens killed Lane “for the fun of it” and because they “were bored and decided to kill somebody.”

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/21/allen-west-on-bored-teen-murderers-who-will-president-obama-identify-with-in-this-case/#ixzz2cqCCMYvf

Dana Leosch: Thousands of Black kids killed every Year by other blacks, why no outrage?

from Red Hot Conservative:

Conservative radio host Dana Loesch guest-hosted last night’s Glenn Beck Program, and she opened the show with an impassioned monologue criticizing those who protest on behalf of Trayvon Martin while ignoring the overwhelming violence gripping the “progressive utopian dream” of Chicago on a daily basis.
“So let’s look at the facts,” Dana said. “Youth are the biggest target in Chicago – black youth. In 2012, Chicago had 100 more murders then in New York City, 215 more than Los Angeles, and according to the Chicago Reporter and other statistics, from 2008 to 2012, half of Chicago’s nearly 2,500 homicide victims were killed before they reached their 25th birthdays.”
That number alone is staggering, but it doesn’t even begin to capture the extent of the problem. The Bureau for Justice Statistics reports anywhere from 8,000 to 9,000 black Americans are killed every year, and 93% of those murders are committed by other black Americans.
So where are the riots, the feigned outrage, and protestors decrying those statistics?
“Now, if all of these people out there protesting for Trayvon are so concerned about the death of a youth, then where have they been these past ten years,” Dana asked. ” It’s a farce. It’s a distraction, and if people really cared about the loss of black youth, they would be asking what the hell is going on in their communities. They would be asking why black youth are dying at an epidemic rate. This violence is a symptom of a problem.”
Aside from the horrendous crime rates, looking at Chicago as a case study is disheartening. Many Chicago communities see half their residents living in poverty with failing schools and very little economic opportunity. Furthermore, the family unit has been all but obliterated.
“Now, these statistics are as equally depressing,” Dana said, “but you know, Chicago is just the progressive utopian dream, right? This is President Obama’s backyard.”
“You have to ask why, with the first black president, are black Americans one of the demographics, along with women, so adversely affected by his policies. Why is dependence upon government assistance at an all-time high,” Dana questioned. “Oh, I see change, but there’s no hope to be found. And why does it take a white girl with American Indian ancestry asking these questions? Why is this not a topic of analysis on BET or One News or with Al Sharpton? That’s the question we should be asking.”

read the rest of the article here: http://www.redhotconservative.com/watch-dana-loesch-slams-zimmerman-protesters-for-their-progressive-utopian-dream/

O’Reilly Tears Into Obama’s Race Speech: President Has ‘No Clue’ How To Combat ‘Gangsta Culture’

from Mediaite:

Bill O’Reilly opened his show Monday night by examining President Obama‘s Friday afternoon speech on race and the Trayvon Martin case. O’Reilly began by saying Obama was “correct in addressing the race issue” but then proceeded to hammer the president for failing to address the “real” problems facing the African-American community.
“The sad truth is that from the president on down, our leadership has no clue, no clue at all about how to solve problems within the black community,” O’Reilly said. “And many are frightened to even broach the issue. That’s because race hustlers and the grievance industry have intimidated the so-called ‘conversation,’ turning any valid criticism of African-American culture into charges of racial bias.” He said it’s these attitudes that have forced African-Americans to “fend for themselves in violent neighborhoods.”
Coming back to Trayvon Martin specifically, O’Reilly said there is only evidence that George Zimmerman “profiled” the 17-year-old because he was “dressed in clothing sometimes used by street criminals”–not his skin color. “It was wrong for Zimmerman to confront Martin based on his appearance,” he said. “But the culture that we have in this country does lead to criminal profiling because young black American men are so often involved in crime.”
This led O’Reilly to pinpoint the primary cause of these statistics: “The disintegration of the African-American family.” More than anything else, he chalked up black crime to the fact that “73% of all black babies are born out of wedlock,” a problem that he said Obama and other civil rights leaders refuse to address. He also pointed fingers at the entertainment industry, and particularly “gangsta culture,” for “encouraging irresponsibility” and “glorifying bad behavior.”

read rest of the article here: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/oreilly-smacks-down-obamas-race-speech-president-has-no-clue-how-to-combat-gangsta-culture/

Big Court Ruling: Obamacare CANNOT be forced upon Hobby Lobby's Christian Pro-Life Owner

This is HUGE News! The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked the Obama Administration from enforcing Obamacare onto Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby was about to be hit with huge fines after the Christian Owners of the business decided to refuse implementing Obamacare. Hobby Lobby objected to being forced to pay for abortions and contraception because it violates their religious beliefs, which is what they would be required to do under Obamacare.

Hobby Lobby WON. This is great news because it shows that, although Obamacare was upheld as a tax, it can be successfully challenged on other grounds such as it violates the First Amendment and Freedom of Religious Expression.

the following article is from CNS News: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/court-gov-t-must-halt-enforcement-sterilization-contraception-abortifacient-mandate

Court: Gov’t Must Halt Enforcement of Sterilization-Contraception-Abortifacient Mandate Against Hobby Lobby

June 28, 2013 - 6:14 PM

---

By Michael W. Chapman

 

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

(CNSNews.com) – Following on yesterday’s 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Hobby Lobby can continue its lawsuit against the Obama administration’s contraception mandate on religious grounds, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma ruled today that the federal government must halt all enforcement of the mandate (and related financial penalties) against the Christian-based company.
Hobby Lobby and sister company Mardel are suing the Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, arguing that to force the company to pay for health insurance that must offer abortion-inducing drugs, as well as sterilization and contraception, is a violation of its religious liberty.
In his order issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton said the “court concludes plaintiffs [Hobby Lobby] have made a sufficient showing to warrant the issuance of a temporary restraining order in the circumstances existing here."
"Accordingly, the defendants [Sebelius and HHS], their agents, officers, and employees are temporarily ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from any effort to apply or enforce, as to plaintiffs, the substantive requirements imposed” by the mandate," said the judge's order.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and President Barack Obama (AP Photo)

In a press release, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents Hobby Lobby, said, “Today, for the first time, a federal court has ordered the government not to enforce the HHS abortion-drug mandate against Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. The ruling comes just one day after a dramatic 168-page opinion from the en banc 10^th Circuit recognizing that business owners have religious liberty rights.   This was the first definitive federal appellate ruling against the HHS mandate.”
“Hobby Lobby and the Green family faced the terrible choice of violating their faith or paying massive fines starting this Monday morning,” said Kyle Duncan, general counsel with the Becket Fund.  “We are delighted that both the 10^th Circuit and the district court have spared them from this unjust burden on their religious freedom.”
“In its landmark opinion yesterday, the 10^th Circuit majority found that ‘no one’ – not even the government – ‘disputes the sincerity of Hobby Lobby’s religious beliefs,’” reads the press release.   “The court ruled that denying them the protection of federal law just because they are a profit-making business ‘would conflict with the Supreme Court’s free exercise precedent.’”
Further proceedings in the case are scheduled for July 19, 2013, in Oklahoma City.

Sen. Ted Cruz Forces Obama to Appoint State Department Inspector General

from the Weekly Standard:

Earlier this week, Texas senator Ted Cruz pledged to block State Department nominees until the federal agency filled the vacant inspector general position. Almost two days later, the State Department nominated Steve Linick for the position, which has been vacant for nearly 2,000 days.

"The President's failure to nominate a State Department Inspector General since taking office in 2009 is unacceptable. The position has been vacant for almost 2,000 days. This is a crucial oversight position and should be a priority for an agency facing substantial management challenges," Cruz said in a statement released Wednesday.
"Until the President acts, I have notified Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that I will place a hold on all State Department nominations."

read rest of story here: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/state-dept-finally-fills-vacant-position-after-cruz-pledged-block-nominees_738139.html

Ted Cruz’s Scathing Message to Obama: ‘Let Me Suggest a Simple Rule: Don’t Give Weapons to People Who Hate Us’

From The Blaze: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/20/ted-cruzs-scathing-message-to-obama-on-senate-floor-let-me-suggest-a-simple-rule-dont-give-weapons-to-people-who-hate-us/

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted President Barack Obama over his decision to intervene in Syria and send weapons to rebel forces.

Pointing out the obvious, Cruz warned that there were al-Qaeda elements supporting the rebels in the region. He also brought up reports of severe brutality and crime at the hands of the “rebels.”

“In recent weeks, a training video has been posted on an al-Qaeda website showing young rebel recruits in Syria singing, not only about overthrowing Assad,” Cruz explained, “but also how quote, ‘the World Trade Center was turned into rubble.’”

Cruz said the real goal of the rebel forces is to overthrow the Assad regime and establish and Islamic state.

“These forces are engaged with a deadly struggle with the Assad regime and President Obama has chosen this moment to signal that it is now suddenly in our vital security interests to intervene in Syria,” he said. “It seems far more likely a recipe for disaster.”
The Texas Republican said arming the Syrian rebels with guns and ammunition will only add to the problem.

“Regardless, let me suggest a simple rule,” Cruz said. “Don’t give weapons to people who hate us. Don’t give weapons to people who want to kill us.”

Cruz also took a shot at Obama for not pitching his plan to arm the rebels directly to the American people, instead having a White House spokesperson deliver the news.

Referring to a recent Pew poll, Cruz pointed out that 70 percent of Americans oppose arming rebels in Syria and do not want to get pulled into another conflict overseas.

“In a case where his policy is so at odds with the will of the people, it’s beholden on the President to make his case and persuade us that this proposed intervention is necessary,” Cruz added.

Featured image via AP

(H/T: Washington Examiner)

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Obama Bashes America - Says Catholic and Protestant Churches are bad and Divide people

from http://hotair.com/archives/2013/06/20/obama-religious-schools-encourage-division/

quote:

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Barack Obama actually made this claim at a speech in Belfast on Monday, but it seems to be gaining traction overnight. His claim, aimed at both Catholic and Protestant “schools and buildings,” came in prepared remarks rather than an extemporaneous response to a question. The Scottish Catholic Observer quotes the argument accurately:

quote:

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The US President has made an alarming call for an end to Catholic education in Northern Ireland in spite of the fact that Archbishop Gerhard Müller told Scots that Catholic education was ‘a critical component of the Church.’

President Barack Obama (above), repeated the oft disproved claim that Catholic education increases division in front of an audience of 2000 young people, including many Catholics, at Belfast’s Waterfront hall when he arrived in the country this morning.

“If towns remain divided—if Catholics have their schools and buildings and Protestants have theirs, if we can’t see ourselves in one another and fear or resentment are allowed to harden—that too encourages division and discourages cooperation,” the US president said.

The US politician made the unfounded claim despite a top Vatican official spelling out the undeniable good done by Catholic education in a speech in Glasgow on Saturday and in his homily at Mass on Friday.

---

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Awesome Tweet from Senator Ted Cruz: Will Obama Background Check Syrians before giving them Guns?

Texas Senator Ted Cruz Tweet:

"Anyone know if President Obama intends to provide background checks on the Syrian rebels before providing them weapons?"

Obama ‘Strongly Objects’ to Religious Liberty Amendment for Military Soldiers

from Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio

The Obama Administration “strongly objects” to a proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday that would have protected the religious rights of soldiers – including evangelical Christian service members who are facing growing hostility towards their religion.
FOLLOW TODD ON FACEBOOK FOR CULTURE WAR NEWS. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!
The amendment was authored by Rep. John Fleming, R-La. It would have “required the Armed Forces to accommodate ‘actions and speech’ reflecting the conscience, moral, principles or religious beliefs of the member.”
The Obama Administration said the amendment would have a “significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale, and mission accomplishment.”
“With its statement, the White House is now endorsing military reprimands of members who keep a Bible on their desk or express a religious belief,” Fleming told Fox News. “This administration is aggressively hostile towards religious beliefs that it deems to be politically incorrect.”
Fleming introduced the amendment after a series of high-profile incidents involving attacks on religious liberty within the military- including an Air Force officer who was told to remove a Bible from his desk because it might give the impression he was endorsing a religion.
He said there are other reports of Christian service members and chaplains being punished for their faith.

• The Air Force censored a video created by a chaplain because it include the word “God.” The Air Force feared the word might offend Muslims and atheists.
• A service member received a “severe and possibly career-ending reprimand” for expressing his faith’s religious position about homosexuality in a personal religious blog.
• A senior military official at Fort Campbell sent out a lengthy email officially instructing officers to recognize “the religious right in America” as a “domestic hate group” akin to the KKK and Neo-Nazis because of its opposition to homosexual behavior.
• A chaplain was relieved of his command over a military chapel because, consistent with DOMA’s definition of marriage, he could not allow same-sex weddings to take place in the chapel.

Last month Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Lee told a National Day of Prayer audience that religious liberty was being threatened by Pentagon lawyers and service members are being told to hide their faith in Christ.
“Leaders like myself are feeling the constraints of rules and regulations and guidance issued by lawyers that put us in a tighter and tighter box regarding our constitutional right to express our religious faith,” he said.
Fleming said the purpose of his amendment is to clarify ambiguities in the Pentagon’s policies.
“The bottom line is the military is bending over backwards to remove – even in the case of chaplains – expressions of faith and conscience,” Fleming said.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, called the Obama Administration’s edict a “chilling suppression of religious freedom.”
“The Obama administration has joined forces with those who are attacking the religious freedoms of those who serve in our Armed Services,” Perkins said. “The Administration’s opposition to Rep. Fleming’s religious freedom amendment reveals that this administration has gone beyond accommodating the anti-Christian activists who want to remove any vestige of Christianity from the military, to aiding them by blocking this bipartisan measure.”
The Family Research Council has also launched a petition drive urging the military to take action. Click here.

read more here: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/obama-strongly-objects-to-religious-liberty-amendment.html

Obama Blames Violence in Mexico on America’s Lust for Drugs, Guns

yes, because apparently those drug cartels would not kill people if they did not get guns from America? I guess there are no guns anywhere else that they can get. I also suppose Obama has never seen a drug cartel beheading video, no guns there! Just a knife. Obama also forgot to mention that his Attorney General Eric Holder allowed rifles to be sold to Mexican Drug Cartels....

from The Blaze http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/03/obama-blames-violence-in-mexico-on-americas-lust-for-drugs-guns/


Speaking in Mexico on Friday, President Barack Obama blamed U.S. gun manufactures for the violence in the country, adding that much of it stems from the American demand for illegal drugs.
“Much of the root cause for violence that has been happening here in Mexico, for which so many Mexicans have suffered, is the demand for illegal drugs in the United States,” Obama said during a speech at Mexico’s Anthropology Museum
He then turned his attention to U.S. gun owners and gun control.
“Most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States,” Obama said. “I think many of you know that in America, our Constitution guarantees our individual right to bear arms. And as president, I swore an oath to uphold that right, and I always will.”
“But at the same time, as I’ve said in the United States, I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common-sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people,” he added.
“That can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States. It’s the right thing to do,” Obama said.

A Tale of Two Speeches: Obama and Tebow Give Americans a Stark Choice

from Kevin Jackson posted at TexasGOPVote.com: http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/restore-families/tale-two-speeches-obama-and-tebow-give-americans-stark-choice-0054031

FRIDAY WAS A DAY OF CONTRASTS.

Earlier that day, I streamed the live broadcast of President Obama addressing Planned Parenthood’s annual gathering in Washington D.C. This smaller, low-profile event in front of a modest gathering of 1000 Planned Parenthood volunteers and supporters, was Obama’s proxy speech given in lieu of the gala’s keynote speech he stepped down from just two days earlier.

While not as prominent, Obama’s early morning remarks were full of the tired euphemisms we’ve come to expect from this, “the most pro-abortion president ever to hold the office.” There was the president’s faux amazement at the crowd’s enthusiastic reception… the promise of continued unwavering support from the White House… the predictable aspersions cast on the prolife community.

What was conspicuously missing from this speech however, was one simple, yet notable word: Abortion.

Despite the fact that last year Planned Parenthood performed a record number 333,964 abortions, generating more than $150 million to this “non-profit” government-subsidized organization, Obama never once mentions it.

Instead he skirts around the weighty issue with gentler nomenclatures like “women’s healthcare” and “reproductive rights.” Obama even throws around the term “pro-choice,” clearly not having received the Planned Parenthood memo from February which announced this word was no longer a part of their lexicon. But hey, for a president who has steadily increased Planned Parenthood’s government funding to record levels of $542 million in 2012, I think America’s largest abortion provider will let his gaffe slide.

It’s hard to imagine a more defiant, arrogant, in-your-face speech than the one Obama gave on Friday morning.

That’s why, when I attended a crisis pregnancy center’s fundraising gala in Dallas that same evening, I was abruptly taken aback by the stark contrast to the earlier day’s event.

Tim Tebow, the celebrated pro-life NFL player, was the featured keynote speaker. Unlike the president, who seemed most comfortable when focusing on the opposition and the embroiled battle for women’s rights, Tebow spoke of ideas like passion, sacrifice and love, life as a gift from God and children as a blessing from His hand.

He challenged the crowd of nearly 1,000 (ironically the same number of attendees that were at Obama’s speech), to give of themselves sacrificially to rescue children from abortion – yes, the same abortion that Obama celebrated just 12 hours earlier at the Planned Parenthood breakfast.

As Tebow shared the familiar story of how his mother refused to abort him, even when the physicians warned her that giving birth would most likely kill her, I was further struck by this irony: Obama was born to an unwed mother, during a time when single motherhood was a scarlet letter. His mother had neither the means nor the family support to ease the burden of raising a baby.

But she defied the cultural sway and chose life. And fifty years later, that same son, President of the United States, rails against Americans who work to rescue babies in the womb, babies facing grim circumstances…just like he once did.

Tim Tebow understands the gift of life he’s been given; he knows that his life could have been terminated. And he uses his platform to draw attention to the plight of the unborn…those just like he once was.

Obama comes from a position of entitlement, where life and success are reserved for the select few, within the boundaries of convenience. He doesn’t speak of passion, or love, or sacrifice. Because in his worldview, these ideas hold no individual power.

Instead he gives credence to rights, choices and battles. These are the weapons in an ideologue’s arsenal.

Yes, last Friday was a day in contrasts. On one side was the unwavering commitment to a future full of more death, more exploited women and more defiance all neatly wrapped in a women’s healthcare package.

On the other side, resides almost a sublime wonderment for life, the intrinsic power of love, and the clarion call to sacrificially help broken women, rescue unborn children, and support scared moms-to-be.

The side America chooses will reveal the heart of our nation.

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To read more by Kevin Jackson, visit TheBlackSphere.net.

Sen. Cruz Releases Inaugural Report on Obama Administra​tion’s Unpreceden​ted Attempts to Expand Federal Power

Press Release of Senator Cruz 

  Sen. Cruz Releases Inaugural Report on Obama Administration’s Unprecedented Attempts to Expand Federal Power 
 

Contact: (202) 224-5922 / press@cruz.senate.gov
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released a report – “The Legal Limit: The Obama Administration’s Attempts to Expand Federal Power” – that analyzes six instances in the last 15 months where the U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously rejected the Obama Administration’s arguments for increased federal power.
“When President Obama’s own Supreme Court nominees join their colleagues in unanimously rejecting his Administration’s call for broader federal power six times in just over one year, the inescapable conclusion is that the Obama Administration’s view of federal power knows virtually no bounds,” said Sen. Cruz. “This is a deeply troubling pattern that we will continue to highlight as long as this Administration continues seeking ways to expand its power in direct violation of Americans’ constitutional rights.”
Sen. Cruz’s report highlights the six cases that the Supreme Court has unanimously rejected since January 2012. Had President Obama’s Department of Justice been successful in its cases, the federal government would have the power to:

• Attach GPSs to a citizen’s vehicle to monitor his movements, without having any cause to believe that a person has committed a crime (United States v. Jones);
• Deprive landowners of the right to challenge potential government fines as high as $75,000 per day and take away their ability have a hearing to challenge those fines (Sackett v. EPA);
• Interfere with a church’s selection of its own ministers. (Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. EEOC);
• Override state law whenever the President desires. (Arizona v. United States);
• Dramatically extend statutes of limitations to impose penalties for acts committed decades ago. (Gabelli v. SEC); and
• Destroy private property without paying just compensation. (Arkansas Fish & Game Commission v. United States).

The arguments advanced in these cases demonstrate an astonishing view of federal power on behalf of the Obama Administration that is worthy of further examination.

View the full report HERE: The Legal Limit: The Obama Administration's Attempts to Expand Federal Power

Obama, Holder Want Amnesty but Trying to Deport Christian Homeschooling Family Knowing They Face Persecution in Germany

http://mariomurilloministries.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/usa-trying-to-deport-christian-homeschooling-family-knowing-they-face-persecution/

Obamacare Going Back to Supreme Court in 2013 over Contraception Requirement Violating Religious Freedom?

Supreme Court orders new look at Liberty University's health care challenge

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider Liberty University’s legal argument that President Obama's health care law violates the school’s religious freedom.
The case will be returned to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.
“Today’s ruling breathes new life into our challenge to ObamaCare,” Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which filed the suit on behalf of the school, said Monday. “Our fight against ObamaCare is far from over.”
A federal judge in 2010 rejected Liberty’s claim, and the appeals court later ruled the lawsuit was premature and failed to address the substance of the school's arguments.


Read rest of Article here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/26/supreme-court-orders-new-look-at-health-care-challenge/%20?test=latestnews#ixzz2Dn6MQTy8