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.

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UT Regent Wallace Hall Attacked for exposing Democrat Senator's unethical backdoor deals with University of Texas

It is almost unbelievable that something like this could happen in Texas. University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall was looking into corruption. He uncovered things like letters from Democrat State Senator Judith Zaffirini to Officials at UT trying to get friends of Zaffirini admitted to UT even though they were not qualified and had previously been rejected.

What reward does Hall get for his noble actions to uncover corruption, including financial scandals?

Mr Hall gets rewarded by having Liberal Texas Speaker Joe Straus side with Democrats like Zaffirini and now there is a Texas House investigation into Hall. I suppose I am not surprised that Straus is attacking a good guy who is uncovering corruption...

from Watchdog.org Texas bureau:

AUSTIN — On Dec. 3, 2010, state Sen. Judith Zaffirini tried to use her clout withUniversity of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, writing a letter on behalf of an applicant to the University of Texas School of Law.

On Dec. 14, Cigarroa wrote back, assuring Zaffirini, “I will convey your strong recommendation to President Bill Powers” and “I can assure you that he will receive careful consideration.”

Regent Wallace Hall is facing impeachment for mentioning the existence of two letters like this one. At Hall’s show trial Tuesday before a select committee, his persecutors made it clear their strategy is to accuse him of a crime for sharing this information.

Yet, curiously, the letters themselves were hardly mentioned Tuesday. This is why.

The proper channel for recommendations is the Law School Admissions Council. Letters sent outside that channel are clearly meant to gain the applicant admission through influence rather than merit.

It isn’t hard to understand why Cigarroa didn’t correct or scold Zaffirini — university officials invest a lot in trying to keep Zaffirini and a handful of other lawmakers happy.

There are the flattering notes. “Somehow, a football game is dull without your presence in our suite so I get a little jealous when you are in WP’s suite,” Cigarroa emailed Zaffirini last year. WP refers to UT President William Powers.

Then there’s the money. The five luxury box tickets to all Longhorns home games, which the university system has provided since at least 2010 to Zaffirini, her husband, her son and two of their friends, are worth about $30,000 a year.

Then there are the admissions favors, and the question of how effective and commonplace are letters sent outside of the Admissions Council.

.......

One of the accusations against Hall is that his large records requests have been too much of a burden for the university.

It turns out that Zaffirini, one of Hall’s accusers, is far from shy about imposing work on the public records staff at the university system.

On March 26, Zaffirini filed a massive request for “any and all data that relate in any way to the following categories,” naming Powers, Hall and some two dozen people, dating back two years. The system had to contract an outside company to fulfill the request.

She wrote Cigarroa to complain it was taking staff too long to fulfill her requests.

“Frankly, I don’t understand such delays and what always seems to be an over-abundance of concern about what might be confidential – when, of course, usually it is not,” she wrote.

read there rest of this great article with lots more information here at Watchdog.org

Michael Quinn Sullivan Defends Dan Patrick Against False Attacks from Todd Staples

the following is a press release that I got today from Dan Patrick:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:	Contact:  Allen Blakemore
November 18, 2013	713-526-3399

Todd Staples Levels Another False Charge Against Dan Patrick

Michael Quinn Sullivan speaks out on the latest attack from Todd Staples.

HOUSTON – Last week Todd Staples, struggling mightily to impugn the record of his authentic conservative opponent Dan Patrick, sent out a misleading press release focusing on Patrick’s rating by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility in 2007.  Michael Quinn Sullivan, the leader of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, was quick to rebuke the fact-challenged claim.  In a statement, Mr. Sullivan said:

The fact of the matter is that in 2007 Sen. Patrick voted against the bloated budget and had the 4th-highest rating of all 31 senators on that inaugural Fiscal Responsibility Index.  Since then, Sen. Patrick has consistently ranked near or at the top of the Fiscal Responsibility Index and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility rankings.

By way of comparison, Mr. Staples’ legislative services pre-dates the Fiscal Responsibility Index, it should not be ignored that he voted for a 16% budget increase in 2001 and later – in 2006 – Staples voted to impose the gross receipts tax on Texas’ small businesses.

In Sen. Patrick, we look forward to having a lieutenant governor who has stood steadfast for commonsense budget and property tax reforms, while arguing consistently for making the state senate more transparent and responsive to the people of Texas.

“In debates and written statements, Todd Staples denies that he voted for in-state tuition, driver license’s, and free non-emergency healthcare for illegal immigrants,” said Allen Blakemore, campaign strategist for the Dan Patrick Campaign.  “His record is inescapable.  The Senate Journal shows he did vote for those bills in 2001 and 2003.” (see www.TalkIsCheapTexas.com)

“It is laughable to anyone who follows the Texas Senate for Todd Staples to suggest that Dan Patrick is not a conservative leader in that legislative body," added Blakemore.  “It’s another swing a miss for Mr. Staples.”

###

Allen E. Blakemore

713-526-3399 office

713-705-6159 mobile

Follow me on Twitter

@AllenBlakemore

VA SUED FOR HARASSING CHRISTIAN CHAPLAINS - trying to make them renounce faith or get fired

Wow.... just wow..... There is a real war on Christianity. President Obama took this war to an entire new level when he came in to power. These absurd attacks on the 1st amendment rights of Christian soldiers are getting worse and worse.

from WND:

Military pastors ordered to stop quoting Bible, leave Jesus at home

Two military chaplains are suing Eric Shinseki, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, or VA, for allegedly being harassed and drummed out of a training and placement program because of their Christian faith.

Chaplains Major Steven Firtko, U.S. Army (Retired) and Lieutenant Commander Dan Klender, U.S. Navy, claim they were mocked, scolded and threatened for their faith while enrolled in the San Diego VA-DOD Clinical Pastoral Education Center program, which trains and distributes chaplains to military and VA medical centers in the San Diego area.

According to their lawsuit, Firtko and Klender allege the Center’s supervisor, Ms. Nancy Dietsch, a VA employee, derided them in classrooms and even had one of them dismissed for failing to renounce his Christian beliefs.

Dietsch is also accused of allowing other students to deride Firtko and Klender, mocking them in front of the class and telling Firtko if he held to his beliefs on such things as evolution, salvation and homosexuality, he “did not belong in this program.” Eventually, the lawsuit states, she threatened to dismiss Firtko for refusing to recant his Christian doctrine and ordered he serve a six-week probation.

Read full WND Article here: http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/va-sued-for-harassing-christian-chaplains/#SxSboGLXypb5cQtk.01

Texas A&M Law Professor Wants the 2nd Amendment REPEALED

Texas A&M University is a great school to go to, especially for conservatives. There are all kinds of conservative groups and it is consistently ranked as one of the most conservative Universities in America based on the large percentage of self identified conservatives in the student body population.

Just because Texas A&M is conservative does not mean that Texas A&M does not have some liberal nutjobs though. I remember there being some crazy left wing professors at Texas A&M when I went there.

We can add one more crazy liberal professor to the list.

Apparently, one of the law school professors wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment!

from Red Alert Politics:

A professor at a Texas law school believes she has the solution to gun violence, one that includes the complete repeal and replacement of the Second Amendment.

Texas A&M law professor Mary Margaret Penrose spoke on panel discussing gun control and the Second Amendment during a day-long symposium at the University of Connecticut’s School of Law. During the panel, the professor asked the audience — full of law students and attorneys — if they felt legislation to prevent gun tragedies was successful. As the room remained silent, Penrose then suggested it was time for some controversial changes to be made to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

read the full story about this liberal professor here: http://redalertpolitics.com/2013/11/16/texas-am-law-professor-believes-its-time-to-repeal-the-second-amendment/

Dan Patrick Fought to STOP Texas 20% Tuition Tax - Dewhurst's Chairman Killed Bill - Texas Lieutenant Governor Race Update

Dan Patrick is one of the few leaders in Texas to take a stand against the unbelievable Texas Tuition Set Aside, also known as the Texas Tax on College Student Tuition. That is right, in Texas of all places the State has a law that forces all college students to pay a MINIMUM 20% "tax" that is added to the college tuition that students pay. The tuition tax goes to pay for other people's college tuition. Even if the student is having to take out students loans to pay for their tuition, they still have to pay the tax which means they are taking out a loan to pay for another student's free tuition. UNBELIEVABLE! Texas students are being punished for taking a positive step forward and trying to get a college degree.

Texas State Senator Dan Patrick, who is running for Lieutenant Governor, is known to be a fighter for Texans and for Conservative Values. We all know the high profile issues that Patrick has stood up for like pro-life issues and gun rights issues. Most people have no idea though about the battle that Dan Patrick has fought to stop the Texas Tuition Tax. most people do not even know that there is a Texas Tuition Tax!

Texas Tuition Tax was Hidden. Dan Patrick Exposed it

The Texas Tuition Tax was a hidden tax. Students never had any idea that they were even being forced to pay it as part of their college tuition. When Dan Patrick got elected to the Texas Senate, he set out to go against the grain and expose and stop this tax. The first step in taking down the tax is to inform people about this outrageous tax. In 2009, Dan Patrick introduced and passed SB 1304 to force colleges to reveal to students that they were having a large portion of their tuition set aside to pay for other people's tuition. 

Dan Patrick's bill to STOP the Texas Tuition Tax was Killed in Dewhurst's Senate Committee

After exposing the tuition tax, Senator Patrick, along with Senator Birdwell, introduced SB 444 in 2011 to END the tuition tax. Patrick's bill never made it out of committee. Not only did many other Senators not support ending the Tax, but even the LT Governor David Dewhurst apparently did not care to end the tax because the bill never even made it out of committee. The Lieutenant Governor of Texas hand picks the chairmen of the Senate Committees. If the LT Governor wants a bill to be voted on by the Senate, the LT Governor can make sure the bill makes it out of committee for a full Senate vote.

I have always thought Dewhurst was a good guy. I believe that personally he is a conservative. We need a fighter though. This is exactly why I supported Ted Cruz for US Senate over Dewhurst. Ted Cruz boldly stands and fights for conservative values while Dewhurst, although he is conservative, does not stand up and fight like he should. I understand bi-partisanship, but many of his committee chairmen are some of the worst liberals in all of Texas. Many issues, like Patrick's Stop Texas Tuition Tax bill, are also left to die in Senate Committees without even being considered for a floor vote.

Thank You Senator Dan Patrick! I know that if you win the Texas Lieutenant Governor election in 2014 then you not hesitate to make sure conservative issues, like stopping the tuition tax, do not get killed in committee.

This Texas Tuition Tax is outrageous and conservatives in Texas need to spread the word about this tax and join in to help Dan Patrick in his efforts to stop it!

Barry Smitherman Sued Obama's EPA 7 times to Protect Texas Oil and Gas - Most Qualified for Attorney General

The Texas Attorney General election is not until the March 2014 Republican Primary, but the race is already in full swing. One candidate is clearly the most qualified and experienced for the job. Barry Smitherman. The Texas Attorney General is the top lawyer for the State of Texas. The Attorney General defends Texas against lawsuits, and he also files lawsuits against others, like Obama, on behalf of Texas in order to protect Texas. When the new Texas late term abortion restrictions passed into law, it was the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, who defended the law in court so that the law could go into effect. When Obama passed Obamacare, it was the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, who sued Obama in order to protect the rights of the people of Texas and to protect the state sovereignty of the State of Texas from the over-reaching healthcare law.

Greg Abbott is stepping down from his current job as Texas Attorney General in order to run in the Texas Governor's race. Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman is stepping up and running to fill the shoes that Greg Abbot will be leaving.

So who in the Texas Attorney General's race is actually experienced and qualified to defend the laws of Texas from President Obama's over-reaching administration?

Barry Smitherman is the only candidate with the qualifications and experience to do the job. Why? Because Barry Smitherman has ALREADY sued Obama's EPA 7 times. Greg Abbott likes to say that he has the best job in the world because he wakes up and gets to sue Obama. Well, if you have to replace Abbott, it should be someone who already knows how to sue Obama and loves doing it. The only person in the race who can say that is Barry Smitherman.

Obama's EPA is constantly coming to Texas trying to kill our oil, gas and energy industry. Obama wants to kill our jobs, raise gas prices, and force his climate change agenda on Texas.

Every time Obama's EPA came to Texas to attack our great State, Barry Smitherman was right there standing tall and fighting back. 

As head of the Texas Public Utilities Commission, Smitherman sued Obama's EPA 5 times. Then, as the statewide, elected Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, Smitherman sued Obama's EPA 2 more times. Suing Obama 7 times is a huge statement and one that clearly shows that Smitherman is already ready to step into the position of Texas Attorney General and keep on suing Obama. Smitherman's record is almost too good to be true so PolitiFact has examined all seven lawsuits and has determined that it is true that Smitherman has sues Obama's EPA 7 times. Smitherman really is as conservative, genuine, and dedicated as he seems. His proven record shows that he is not too good to be true. He is just too good.

I want an Attorney General who is not afraid to go toe to toe with Obama and Barry Smitherman has the proven record to show that he can and will Stand up to Obama and protect and defend Texas. According to the Texas Tribune, during one of Smitherman’s past Public Utility Commissions meetings, chairman Barry Smitherman, in a brief digression from the agends, said that the federal agency was attempting to “disarm the U.S. economy,” with a raft of rules covering everything from fly-ash waste from coal plants to greenhouse gasses.

Lastly, check out the video below from Barry Smitherman's campaign. Smitherman calls for Texans to join his conservative crusade to defend and protect the laws and Constitution of the great State of Texas. Count me in!

Related articles:

Barry Smitherman saved Texas Taxpayers OVER $130 MILLION – Slashed Spending, Cut Budgets – Attorney General Race Update

Texas Right to Life Endorses Barry Smitherman for Attorney General

Smitherman REJECTS Budget Increase - Paxton, Branch APPROVE Increases - Texas Attorney General Race

Paxton and Branch Missed Hundreds of Votes in Legislature – Texas Needs a Full Time Attorney General

Statement by Barry Smitherman in response to USDOJ Challenge to Texas Voter ID Law

The Race for Texas Attorney General - Barry Smitherman's Record

AG Candidate Dan Branch Joined House Democrats Seeking to Expand 3rd Trimester Abortions

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

TX Cop Drunk Driving with Children gets taxpayer PAID Leave following arrest in Beaumont

So a cop in southeast Texas gets arrested for being wasted and driving with small children in the back seat. What is his punishment? The Beaumont Police Department gives the guy a paid leave. In other words, the drunk driving cop gets a paid vacation that taxpayers are funding. Doesn't sound like much of a punishment does it? If you are going to pay the guy at least don't completely take send him home. Take his badge and take him off the streets but make him clean toilets or something instead of him getting a paid vacation.

from the Beaumont Enterprise:

A Beaumont police officer is on paid leave after being arrested on a felony charge of driving while intoxicated.

Sgt. Chuck Havard, with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said officer Richard Rovera was stopped by a state trooper June 15 around 7 p.m. at the intersection of Jade Avenue and 60th Street. Rovera had three minors under the age of 15 with him in the vehicle.

The trooper performed a field sobriety test, and Rovera was taken into custody and booked into the Jefferson County Jail.

Havard said the Department of Public Safety was not releasing any additional information about the arrest as of Tuesday.

Beaumont Police Department spokesman Sgt.Rob Flores said his department was contacted about the arrest, and the decision was made to put Rovera on paid administrative leave.

Flores said the department is not issuing any more information about the case until a grand jury makes a determination.

According to Jefferson County Jail records, Rovera was released June 16 after posting a $10,000 bond.

Under the Texas Penal Code, driving while intoxicated with a child passenger is a state jail felony punishable by between 180 day and two years incarceration and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

TMonzingo@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/thmonzingo

Massive Cartel Smuggling Tunnel Found Under U.S./Mexico Border

the following article is from Brandon Darby posted at Texas GOP Vote:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has uncovered a massive tunnel Mexican cartels created to smuggle drugs and possibly human beings from Mexico into the United States. Authorities are describing the tunnel as “an elaborate cross border tunnel.”

The tunnel stretched from a warehouse in Tijuana, Mexico to a building in a San Diego, California industrial park. It was complete with its own electric rail system, lighting, and ventilation systems. Authorities describe the tunnel as “the most sophisticated tunnel discovered along the border in two years,” and it stretched six football fields in length.

In a rare move, the U.S. Attorney’s Office directly blamed Mexican cartels for the operation. “The cartels have spent years and tens of millions of dollars trying in vain to create an underworld of secret passageways to move huge quantities of drugs at will,” said U.S.

Attorney Laura Duffy, the head of the office prosecuting the case. The U.S./Mexico border is wide open for much of its nearly 2,000 miles, and U.S. Border Patrol Agents have spoken out publicly through their union, the National Border Patrol Council, on the obstacles they face in trying to secure the border. However, the open nature of such border crossings allows only trickles of drug smuggling and human trafficking in comparison to the large scale single shipments that a tunnel such as this makes possible. There have also been recent cases of U.S. law enforcement accused of receiving payments to allow such shipments to cross the U.S./Mexico border.

Such tunnels are also a grave concern in the realm of national security and terrorism. In 2012, the United Nations (UN) acknowledged that individuals from known terror states and regions, including the Horn of Africa, were traveling to Central America and then following the same paths and networks as illegal immigrants from Central America and Mexico to illegally enter the U.S.

According to ICE, this particular tunnel was found by pure chance by one police officer doing his or her duty. The officer pulled over a truck in San Diego for traffic violations and realized the vehicle contained three tons of marijuana. After this initial chance encounter, investigators began monitoring the area. Days later, they executed search warrants on two warehouses and found both the tunnel and a storage building for what came through the tunnel from Mexico. In addition to 17,292 pounds of marijuana, U.S. authorities also seized 325 pounds of cocaine.

This tunnel was the eighth large scale tunnel discovered in the San Diego area alone since 2006. A reported 75 cross-border tunnels have been detected by U.S. authorities in total.