Obama’s Ocean and Great Lakes Policy is Clear as Mud

By Rebekah Rast

Approximately 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water. That makes things a bit murky when deciding who controls the world’s waters.

The federal government has gotten its hands wet setting regulations and restrictions in certain parts of our coastlines, lakes and oceans. The various restrictions placed on fishing in some parts of the U.S. are there to make sure species are able to survive and be sustained over time.

But how far do these restrictions need to go? How far is too far?

From what is known about Obama’s Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) effort, he is headed in a direction that goes too far.

This effort includes a land, water and power grab unlike any America has seen. Obama plans to create a network of no-take marine reserves all over the world. To add to this usurping of power by the Administration, states, localities, tribes and individuals will have no say in this massive water grab — not even Congress.

While waiting for his Executive Order to come — it could come any day now — Obama has done well keeping his plans on this issue quiet and complicated.

Get full story here.

Tough Choices on Spending

By Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)

Government spending is out of control and President Obama’s method of throwing more money at our economy is not working. Federal spending cuts need to start somewhere, and there is no better place than a program that can survive on its own.

American taxpayers are subsidizing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to the tune of over $420 million dollars in 2010 alone. CPB is the parent company of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Public Radio (NPR) radio networks.

CPB has requested $608 million for their next funding cycle that begins in 2013. Congress continues to appropriate funding to the CPB well beyond the rate of inflation. Over the past decade, funding for public broadcasting has risen over 26%.

That is serious money.

My bill will amend the Communications Act of 1934 to end all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after fiscal year 2012.

It is time for Congress to prioritize its spending to our nation’s most pressing needs. With the national debt over $13 trillion dollars, the government cannot afford to give handouts to corporations that can easily survive on their own.

Get full story here.

Propped Up

Get permalink here.

Big Government Breeds Hypocrisy

By David Bozeman

We knew it was coming.

Liberals are consumed with the concept of conservative (and in this case, Tea Party) hypocrisy. Finding a sexual indiscretion is their biggest delight, but any contradiction, they think, is their “checkmate” and debate is tabled and they have won the day.

The latest refrain from the left is that conservatives and Tea Partiers are eating their own rhetoric about less government, now that we are demanding action in the wake of the worsening situation in the Gulf. Columnist Leonard Pitts writes that, “as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are no small government disciples in oil spills.” He also states that, “government is not our enemy. . . [it] is the imperfect embodiment of our common will.”

There is a profound difference between government that protects life and property and one that micro-manages more and more aspects of our economic and personal affairs. Protecting national waters and coastlines from an ecological disaster is one thing, mandating my health insurance is quite another.

Another columnist, Froma Harrop, shows particular disdain for those Tea Partiers who still expect their Medicare. She writes, “Hey, the same Constitution (you keep insisting) says nothing about a universal right to health coverage doesn’t guarantee health benefits for older people, either.”

Get full story here.

Did Jack McConnell Lie About ACORN During His Confirmation Hearing?

By Anita MonCrief
Originally Published at NetRightDaily.com.
The ACORN apologists over at Media Matters were hard at work last week as they took time to once again whitewash or ignore the truth in order to protect ACORN. Even though Media Matters claims that my article titled “Radical Judicial Nominee Jack McConnell’s Disturbing ACORN Connections” is “nothing new” and the connections I drew in the article “between ACORN and progressives” are “even weaker than previous conservative attacks,” Media Matters apparently felt a need to try to refute it. Why write about “nothing new”?
Unfortunately for Media Matters, its arguments only work as long as its readers are content with ignoring key facts about ACORN and its role in politics, elections and government itself.
As stated in my previous article posted at many websites, including BigGovernment.com, there are several disturbing connections involving Jack McConnell, the lead paint litigation, and ACORN. Keeping in mind that this is the same “news organization” that still insists that ACORN’s alter ego Project Vote was totally separate from ACORN when Barack Obama worked for them, I will let ACORN’s own words explain its involvement in the Sherwin-Williams California case. The excerpt below is from page 59 of an ACORN report available here

Get full story here.

Former law dean Kagan will make great Justice, say… law deans?

Do law school deans really have a “unique vantage point” from which to conclude that Kagan would make a swell Supreme Court justice? They seem to think that her “work and accomplishments at Harvard” qualify her for the post. Forgive me, because sometimes my suspicious nature gets the better of me, but isn’t it just a little possible that a bunch of law school deans might have a vested interest in promoting one of their own?
Don’t get me wrong. Nominees usually get some letters from various groups supporting them, but Kagan was an elite member of an elitist group of law deans. This letter might appeal to the liberals on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but to the rest of us it’s a kiss-of-death type of endorsement that reminds us of the type of crowd she runs in.
Apparently there was a  White House-organized conference call with reporters on Monday where her willingness to hire conservative professors at Harvard was touted as “powerful leadership.” But when asked about the lack of black and Latino professors at Harvard, Kagan’s defenders started talking about how it wasn’t Kagan’s fault because the hiring process is mostly faculty-driven and like “herding cats.”   No contradiction there. Move along.
And if you haven’t gotten your pro-Kagan talking points from Obama’s Organizing for America website (a product of the Democratic National Committee) with the phone numbers of which conservative radio talk shows to call, you can pick those up here. But if those talk show hosts “challenge your views” remember to “stay calm and firm.”
Or tell them you’re a law school dean. They’ll cower at your “unique vantage point.”

Tony Hayward Gets His Life Back

What's the deal with all this oil?

Finally!

Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg told Sky News Friday the oil major remains on track to carry out a June 4 plan to set up a new stand-alone unit to handle the Gulf of Mexico oil spill response operation under Bob Dudley, who currently serves as managing director for the company. BP CEO Tony Hayward announced the plan two weeks ago. Svanberg told Sky News that Hayward “is now handing over the operation to Bob Dudley” after leading the critical operation for eight weeks.

What should he do with all this new and richly deserved time? Other than work on his sets for next week’s open mic night at the Laugh Factory of course. [MarketWatch]

Yale University Class Day Speaker, President Bill Clinton

Black America loses gamble in electing first black president

By Phillip Jackson

In 2008, black America placed most of its political capital, spiritual energy and financial resources into electing the first black president of the United States. Black community leaders - political, spiritual and media - led us to believe that electing a first black president was a natural extension of the civil rights movement.

They were wrong. In fact, electing the first black president might well have ended the civil rights movement. Black America mistakenly traded the future of its young black men for a black president.

Young black men in America are beyond living in a "state of emergency." Many of them range from "barely surviving" to "no longer existing." This tragedy can be seen in prisons and jails across America, where black men make up 50% to 80% of prison and jail populations although we are less than 7% of the total U.S. population.

Despair also can be seen in our families, where more than 70% of our children are born into single, female-headed households, and in colleges and universities, where black male populations on many major college campuses total a mere 1% to 3%.

Granted, these were all problems before the first black president took office; however, the bottom line is that this president has not committed himself in any way to directly address these issues.

In so many ways, the energy used to support a first black president was energy that should have been used to educate black children, rebuild black families and economically revitalize black communities. As a way of saving our struggling communities, black America took a gamble on supporting a first black president. But we lost.

Over and over, the black community has reached out for help from this first black president, and over and over, he has said, "No!" This first black president has been clear that his job is not to help black Americans but to help all Americans.

All Americans do not need the same help that young black men need. We need only walk down any city street in almost any predominantly African-American community to see residue of the human wreckage of millions of young black men nationwide.

Few leaders - those same political, spiritual and media leaders who advised us to campaign for this black president - engaged in proactive measures to prevent this "silent genocide." The mass destruction of young black American men has been effectively ignored by almost everybody - the government, the media and much of the philanthropic community. And even most black faith leaders stand by and watch this preventable, ongoing, horrific loss of our young black men.

Too few of us are asking: Who are young black women going to marry? Who will be good fathers to tens of millions of black fatherless children? Who will anchor strong families in the black community? Who will build and maintain the economies of black communities? Who will young black boys emulate as they grow into men? Will black America be a viable and valuable community in 20 years?

This demise of black America is happening in front of our eyes because so few of us - black, white or other - really care about these young black men.

Electing America's first black president seems to have cleansed the conscience of most Americans for destroying many past generations of black people. What a cruel hoax to believe that if a black man can become president, then young black men do not have any problems that America is obligated to address.

Correcting the problems of young black men in America will require a comprehensively structured, sufficiently financed, professionally managed, ethically led and committed multipronged effort to systemically address and shift the cascading negative outcomes for black men and boys. Simply telling black men to "man up" will not work.

The real shame of this catastrophe is not that America can't save young black men; the shame is that America won't make the effort to save young black men! Compared with massive government bailouts and frivolous expenditures, the resources required to save America's young black men are minuscule. Saving young black men is an investment in America! A successful effort to save young black men must also address habits, attitudes and behaviors of these youth that have pushed them to the precipice of irrelevance, obsolescence and nonexistence.

To date, precious little has been put in place to stop the ongoing destruction and annihilation of young black men. When our first black president has been asked about helping black men in America, his retort, "I will do what is best for all Americans," is woefully insufficient to address the endangered status of millions of black males in America.

The president must do the best for both, not just for America. In fact, doing what is best for young black men is what is best for America!

Phillip Jackson is founder and executive director of the black Star Project in Chicago.

Innocent Black Man Freed After 16 Years In Jail

From BlackVoices.com:

Jabar Collins spent 16 years in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. He was freed after a judge discovered that prosecuters hid the fact that several of their witnesses who testified, benefited from doing so from the jury.

Sometimes DNA evidence is the reason these men are freed. Other times, it’s witnesses who recant their testimony, false witness identification and coerced confessions.

Click here to read more.

White Man Kills Black Woman With Hammer!?!?…WTH!!!

35-year-old white man bludgeoned a 26-year-old black female to death and then drags her body behind his truck! Pop the hood for more!


According the Orange County Sheriff’s office William Baker Bibb a Caucasian from Texas, killed and dragged Theresa Ardoin’s body a quarter of a mile down a road and threw her body in a ditch. Investigators said that Bibb confessed to the killing by beating Ardoin to death with a hammer, and then tying her body with a rope to his truck and dragged her to a sand pit. The accused claimed that the two of them were friendly and were meeting to do drugs and then have sex. They argued and he hit her with the hammer thus killing her. The authorities are not calling this crime a hate crime at this time.



Bibb is being held on a $ 1 million bond. Here’s to hoping this dude never see’s the light of day again! It’s sad that in 2010 heinous and despicable crimes like this occur.

Source

Two Ousted SCLC Officers Convene a Separate Board Meeting in Hopes of Regaining Control

By George E. Curry

As the nation was mourning the deaths of civil rights icons Benjamin L. Hooks and Dorothy Irene Height, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s organization, was trying to resolve a nasty split in its leadership ranks that involves allegations of ethical and criminal misconduct.

Last week the splintered board of trustees of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was holding two separate meetings, one in Atlanta, where SCLC is headquartered, and another 211 miles to the west in Eutaw, Ala., the hometown of ousted treasurer Spiver Gordon.

The separate meetings were just another episode in a fierce – and embarrassing – battle to oust Gordon and Board Chairman Raleigh Trammell of Dayton, Ohio after they were accused of diverting at least $569,000 over the past four years from a SCLC account they controlled. The account was initially set up to cover SCLC-related expenses incurred by board members. Unlike other organization accounts, however, it was controlled by Trammell and Gordon and some board members were unaware of its existence.

Read More....

Radio 1 gets new loan, eyes bigger TV 1 stake

WASHINGTON — Radio One Inc., an owner of radio stations targeting African-American listeners, said Wednesday it is refinancing its debt and raising its stake in TV One LLC.

The company said it has obtained a new senior secured credit facility, with a $50 million revolving credit facility and a $350 million term loan. It will use the proceeds to refinance all outstanding debt. Affiliates of Deutsche Bank will provide the revolving loan, and the bank will make efforts to syndicate the term loan.

Radio One said it is also offering to exchange senior debt that was set to expire in 2011 and 2013. The company said it is offering to exchange $1,000 worth of outstanding 8 7/8 percent senior subordinated notes due 2011 for $1,000 worth of newly issued 11 percent senior grid notes due 2017. It will is also offering to exchange $1,000 worth of outstanding 6 3/8 percent senior subordinated notes due 2013 for $900 worth of the same newly issued notes.

The company also said it will offer holders of existing notes who participate in the exchange offer the opportunity to buy a total of $100 million of 8.5 percent/9 percent second-priority senior secured grid notes due 2016. Radio One said it will use the proceeds to pay about $82 million for 19 percent of TV One. Radio One already owns about 37 percent of TV One.

Radio One said holders of about 80 percent of the existing senior notes have agreed to the offerings. At least 95 percent of note holders must tender the notes for the deal to go through.

Shares of Radio One rose 4 cents to close at $2.77.

Opinion: Russell Simmons’ Rush Card – Good or Bad for Blacks?

by Uju Okasi

Black households compose 21% of the 10 million Americans that are considered “unbanked”– unable or unwilling to open checking, savings or credit card accounts. While some find themselves on a Chex Systems database used to deny services to individuals with previous account delinquencies, others, wary of the complex fee matrix imposed by many financial institutions, choose to opt out of banking on their own.

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons reaches out to this population with the Rush Card, a debit card intended to provide African-Americans with a means of financial control and convenience. But the Rush Card has come under fire as critics question the card’s value to the black community. For example, professor of finance at Syracuse University, Dr. Boyce Watkins, is unimpressed with the purported mission. During an interview with radio program, “The Takeaway”, he stated, “It’s a very interesting sort of idea here. [Simmons is] saying ‘I’m giving everyone access to the American Dream,’ but I never really knew the American Dream consisted of having a piece of plastic that puts people further and further in debt.”

It’s worth clarifying a few things about the service. Many assume that the Rush Card is a credit card, but it is in fact a pre-paid debit account. Due to whatever restrictions or mistrust bar working class African-Americans from traditional banking, their options for financial transactions lie in check cashing, in-person payment, and manual cash management. Not only does this slow people down, but, as Simmons’ points out, this may even cost consumers time off work as they attempt to deliver bill payments in person.

The Rush Card extends the conveniences of direct deposit, expense tracking and online payments to individuals in desperate need of alternatives. Since the card is prepaid, it is impossible for the holder to overdraw their account and incur fees. The account also offers an optional feature, RushPath to Credit, which reports successful cable, utility, telephone and other bill payments to credit reporting agencies.

Read More....

Video: Interview with Ronnie Lee Gardner's daughter The Salt Lake Tribune

ALG Encourages House Members to Cosponsor Lamborn Bill Defunding Corporation for Public Broadcasting

June 17th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today called on members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor legislation being introduced by Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-CD5) that would cut the $420 million budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

“It’s time for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stand on its own two feet without taxpayer backing,” said Wilson. “In these troubled economic times, with such pressure on taxpayers with a $13 trillion national debt spiraling out of control, it’s time for Congress to consider cutting non-essential programs like public broadcasting.”

“With over 500 channels available on cable and satellite television, and thousands of radio stations nationwide, the rationale for funding television and radio programs with taxes is no longer even valid,” Wilson added, noting that the CPB’s original mission was to make “telecommunications services available to all citizens of the United States”.

Currently, for FY 2010, the CPB has $420 million appropriated, and has requested some $608 million for its next funding cycle beginning in FY 2013. The CPB is the parent company for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Public Radio (NPR) networks.

In an exclusive interview with ALG News, Congressman Lamborn stated, “If we don’t take the low-hanging fruit then where else will we save the money?”

Wilson agreed, saying, “Congressman Lamborn has a point. Congress refuses to cut spending anywhere ever — it has not been able to reduce the debt for over fifty years. If Congress can’t cut public broadcasting, which is absolutely non-essential, it won’t be able to cut anything ever.”

Get full story here.

World Cup: USA v. Slovenia Preview

Is it an exaggeration to say that the USA's game with Slovenia tomorrow is its most important since its knockout round win over Mexico in 2002? I do not think so.

Off of a lucky draw with England in its first match, the USA can virtually assure itself of getting through to the round of 16 with a win over Slovenia tomorrow. A loss would almost certainly knock them out. A draw would force a USA win in its third game, against Algeria to even have a chance to go through.

Should the USA win this game? Yes. Because the USA should win, this becomes a huge, pressure filled game. I hope Bob Bradley puts the right team on the field. I thought he did not in the game against England. On the flip,what I think Bradley should do.

Slovenia is a pedestrian team with meager offensive skills. They will play tight and defensive and hope for a counter goal. The theory is that the USA will have to be more offensive minded to get the win, I agree. But there are different ways to be offensive minded.

After watching a week of the World Cup, I have become convinced that the new Adidas ball is not conducive to possession-based attacks with long buildups. It is conducive to long runs and passes, and shots from outside the penalty box.

USA should put on the field on the offensive side good shooters and players with pace. That of course means Donovan, Dempsey and Altidore. But, in my view, it does not mean Robbie Findley, who has speed, but no long run potential nor is he a finisher. Edson Buddle is opportunistic and shoots. He should clearly start over Findley (if not Buddle, then Hercules Gomez.)

As holding midfielders, Michael Bradley should start again; Ricardo Clark should not. Because Clark is inept at offense, he has gained a reputation as a good defender. I do not see it. Clark makes too many mistakes (such as his mistake on Gerrard that led to England's goal in the first game.) Clark will make the same type of mistakes against Slovenia. I would start Stuart Holden, who not only will be a better defender than Clark, but will get the ball quickly to Donovan or Dempsey. In short, I think Holden is the better player period.

The defense is what it is. Bradley is playing his best 4 and there is nothing more that can be done about that. Cherundulo had a very good game moving forward against England, but I would ask him to stay home more in this game.

In short, I would play conservative at the back and hope that our stars- Donovan, Dempsey and Altidore - can find ways to shoot, and score.

Given the conditions (including the ball) and the relative skills of the teams, this is, in my view, the best strategy for USA.

Snoop Dogg Banned, Now From the Netherlands!

No stranger to being denied access to foreign countries, Snoop Dogg’s banned from a Dutch Festival now! Apparently they aren’t positive he will promote a “open and friendly character” which is what the event is all about. Continue reading for more on the confusion, with more pictures and video.

The crazy part is that Calvin Broadus (his birth name) performs in the Netherlands at least once a year. He openly loves their marijuana availability and seemed to have a great reputation with the area. However, in a shocker he has been denied access!

As I said before, he is somewhat used to trouble and not being allowed into other countries. Here is a quick rundown. Back in 2006 an incident with his entourage in the UK caused him to be denied access to the country since 2007. He also faced drug and gun charges in the US. Following in the same path, Australia had Snoop Dogg banned due to failing a character test.

Well his character is apparently getting in his way again. The Parkpop celebration will start in 10 days, and organizers are now looking for a new headliner. Not much other than the fact that they think he doesn’t have the right character has been disclosed, and many find it shocking!

The rapper’s rep said, “Snoop Dogg is astonished by the decision of the Mayor of The Hague, a town in the south of Holland, to not allow him to perform at the free festival, Parkpop.”

I sure would like to know more about why this happened and so suddenly. A huge promoter in the country was also surprised to hear the news.

“We have never had any issues with Snoop, who has played magnificent shows at many of the festivals we promote such as Lowlands, North Sea Jazz and at several other promoted shows by Mojo.”

Though not in the Netherlands, he will continue his planned trips to some other countries which are still allowing him to perform. What do you think about the latest news with Snoop Dogg? Banned from another country! Be sure to leave me your comments and check out these photos and video.

Nuclear Weapons – U.S. expands sanctions aimed at Iran’s nukes

U.S. expands sanctions aimed at Iran’s nukes
U.S. sanctions against Iran expand to hit more than three dozen additional companies and individuals with penalties meant to curb Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

UN approves ‘toughest ever’ Iran sanctions
The UN Security Council has imposed new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

Are Iran’s nuclear sanctions fair?
The UN Security Council has voted in favour of fresh sanctions against Iran. Do you think these are necessary?

Analysis: Sanctions Unlikely to Stop Iran
Biggest Diplomatic Weapons Against Iran – Oil Embargo, Ban on Gasoline Sales – Were Thrown Out to Secure China, Russia Votes

Analysis: Newest United Nations sanctions are unlikely to stop Iran’s nuclear drive
VIENNA (AP) Washington calls the latest U.N. sanctions on Iran a diplomatic victory, a show of unity by the world’s big powers and a powerful way to prevent the country from making nuclear wea…

Iran A Year Later
There are various opinions being slung about this week, a year after the rigged Iranian elections. This, by Fouad Adjami, is probably the best of them–though it is marred, in the end, by the notion that Barack Obama could have done more, could have done something to support the rebellion that took place, briefly, in [...]

Analysis: Sanctions unlikely to stop Iran
VIENNA Washington calls the latest U.N. sanctions on Iran a diplomatic victory, a show of unity by the world’s big powers and a powerful way to prevent the country from making nuclear weapons.

Analysis: Sanctions unlikely to stop Iran
Washington calls the latest U.N. sanctions on Iran a diplomatic victory, a show of unity by the world’s big powers and a powerful way to prevent the country from making nuclear weapons. Iran says the sanctions are an unfair attempt to keep it from developing… Iran – Nuclear weapon – Washington – United Nations – United States

US adds individuals, institutions to sanctions list aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear efforts
U.S. sanctions against Iran expanded Wednesday to hit more than three dozen additional companies and individuals with penalties meant to curb Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

A Year After the Elections, How to Deal with Iran
We are dealing with a new Iranian government now, a military dictatorship camouflaged by a patina of religiosity. The Revolutionary Guard is in charge. The religious community is divided.

17 Afghan Military listed as AWOL from Texas U.S. Air Force Base

In a Fox News Exclusive report, I read that 17 members of the Afghan Military, officers and enlisted personnel, have gone AWOL from a Texas Air Force Base. This is the same Air Base where other countries send their military pilots to learn English.

In a lookout bulletin issued by Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Dallas, you will find out that the Afghani men have been issued a Department of Defense Common Access Card with which they could use to enter ANY secure DoD installation.

Just how long have these men been AWOL? I really would like to know why we are just now hearing about this? Do you realize that these men have disappeared over the course of the past

2 years??? Why are we just now hearing about this?

"I can confirm that 17 have gone missing from the Defense Language Institute," said Gary Emery, Chief of Public Affairs, 37th Training Wing, at Lackland AFB. "They disappeared over the course of the last two years, and none in the last three months."

Did Fox News have such an exclusive lock on this information that they sat on it for nearly 2 years? I doubt it that.

Fox News also reports that......

"The bulletin requests, "If any Afghan pictured herein is encountered, detain the subject and contact your local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, the FBI or NCIS.""

"A senior Defense Department official in Washington told Fox News he had no direct knowledge of the 17 men being AWOL."

"The official added that this is not the first time foreign trainees have gone missing, and said some cases in the past have turned out to be more of an immigration concern than a national security threat."

Here is a listing of the names of the 17 Afghan military men:

Ahad Abdulahad, born 5/5/1984

Obaiddullah Abrahimy, born 8/1/1979

Mohd Ahmadi, born 5/5/1978

Khan Padshah Amiri, born 4/1/1978

Javed Aryan a.k.a. Aryan Javed, born 1/1/1987

Abdul Ghani Barakzai, born 8/8/1977

Mohamed Fahim Faqier, born 6/1/1987

Atiqullah Habibi, two dates of birth are listed on the alert: 6/2/1982 and 7/2/1982

Sayed Qadir Shah Habiby, born 5/7/1985

Sayed Nasir Hashimi, born 4/5/1972

Shawali Kakar, born 12/31/1979

Mohd Ali Karimi, born 9/3/1982

Barsat Noorani, born 6/3/1981

Mirwais Qassmi, born 4/24/1974

Ahmad Sameer Samar, born 5/2/1983

Aminullah Sangarwal, born 8/27/1982

Mohammad Nasim Fateh Zada, born 12/4/1966

It remains to be seen if they will attempt to access any of our secure DoD installations. Or perhaps they have done so, and that is the reason for a bulletin suddenly being issued?

Turkey closes airspace to Israel Air Force, Jerusalem declares IHH terrorists

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

Turkey launched a plan Wednesday night (June 16) to campaign on all fronts for a worldwide boycott of Israel and decided to introduce sanctions leading to the severance of bilateral relations. Its pretext was the absence of a formal apology from Jerusalem for the naval commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara ("Blue Marmara"), which left 8 activists dead, and its rejection of an international inquiry of the incident. In Washington, early Thursday morning (June 17), Democratic and Republican members of Congress announced at a press conference that there would be price to pay if Ankara continued its hate campaign against Israel and tight ties with Tehran.

Rep. Mike Pence, the third-highest ranking Republican, said: "There will be a cost if Turkey stays on its present heading of growing closer to Iran and more antagonistic to the state of Israel." Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel called Turkey's actions "disgraceful."

debkafile's sources in Washington note that while the House and the Senate are getting ready for an active response against Turkey for its deteriorating relations with Israel, the Obama administration is standing still, possibly tied down by friendship with the two contestants in Jerusalem and Ankara. The president may also be influenced by some of his closest aides, who are sympathetic to the policies pursued by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and support his aspirations in the Middle East and in the Muslim world.
The most prominent member of the pro-Erdogan faction ion the White House is the president's personal adviser on Muslim affairs, Dalia Mogahed, who does not share the conviction that the Turkish aid society, the IHH, is in fact a terrorist organization, as Israel declared Thursday, June 17 - although more than one European terrorist expert is of that opinion.
The way this declaration was aired by the Netanyahu government was harshly criticized by Israel's security and intelligence sources as too hesitant and uncertain to attract notice, debkafile's sources in Jerusalem report. It was not sourced to any defense ministry official and only appeared in a low spot on a local Channel 2 TV news bulletin.

"If Israel accuses an organization of terrorism, it should do so loud and clear," they said. "We must offer the kind of proof that reverberates strongly around the world. Instead, the information was released almost by stealth and therefore ignored by the international media."
In fact, debkafile's intelligence and counter-terror sources stress the inconspicuous news item was pretty sensational. By listing as terrorists the IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi), a key component of Erdogan's pro-Islamic AKK government's support system, Israel henceforth defines the group as a target for Israel's covert and military operations and exposes its leaders to retaliation for continuing violence against Israel and its interests.
IHH activists were responsible for the violence aboard the Turkish ship leading the blockade-busting flotilla on May 31. Wednesday, IHH headquarters in Istanbul scheduled the launch of an even bigger flotilla for Gaza some time in July. Its new designation empowers Israel's covert agencies and navy to go for its members and ships - at sea and in Turkish ports.

Still hesitant, Israel has started hitting back at Turkey by escalating its military and intelligence responses to Erdogan's provocations.

The day before, the level of confrontation was ramped up by several notches in Ankara, when the Turkish Defense Industry Implementation Committee – SSIK, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Erdogan, decided to freeze 16 security and military agreements signed with Israel.

They include permission for Israel warplanes to use Turkish airspace and apply to intelligence-sharing arrangements and cooperation in combating terrorism and suspend the longstanding, close military and intelligence cooperation between Turkey and Israel.
The two erstwhile allies are left glaring at each other as antagonists, just one step short of declared enemies.

Ankara nonetheless left a narrow opening - whether to appease the military for its loss of a valued strategic partner or to tempt Israeli leaders to continue to delude themselves that Turkey is not a write-off.
Thursday morning, in a briefing to Turkish journalists, sources close to the Turkish prime minister and the SSK exhibited a very long list of the Israeli and Turkish military projects they had cancelled, including the purchase of advanced Israeli Arrow anti-missile missiles. However, Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul commented: "Despite the fact that the decision on the shelving of military agreements had been left to the command of the Foreign Ministry, it would not be proper for the ruling administration to decide on the actions of military companies in both countries."

By this remark, the Turkish defense minister left a small gap for the Turkish government to review each contract separately and to decide whether to implement or revoke it depending on the needs of the Turkish army.

Times Square car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad indicted in NYC on 10 counts

Among the charges are: conspiracy and attempt to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy and attempt to commit international terrorism and other counts, according to a Department of Justice statement. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

(CNN) -- A federal grand jury in New York on Thursday indicted a suspect in the Times Square bombing attempt on 10 counts, some of which carry a mandatory life sentence.

Faisal Shahzad, 30, faces charges of conspiracy and attempt to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy and attempt to commit international terrorism and other counts, according to a Department of Justice statement.

Six of the charges carry a maximum life sentence if convicted, including two that bring a mandatory life sentence, the Justice Department said.

Shahzad, a Pakistani-American, is accused of attempting to set off the botched vehicle bomb in Times Square on May 1. He was arrested two days later while trying to leave the country on a flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Shahzad is expected to be arraigned on Monday, according to the Justice Department statement.

Senior counterterrorism officials said Shahzad also pondered attacks on Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal and the World Financial Center in New York City, as well as Connecticut helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky. He cased some of the targets, the officials said.

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Moonbat Educators: Kids Shouldn't Have Best Friends

Posted by Gregory of Yardale

The "experts" are telling parents that notions of having a best friend are bourgeois and atavistic. In the era of hope and change, children should have many comrades.

The classic best-friend bond -- the two special pals who share secrets and exploits, who gravitate to each other on the playground and who head out the door together every day after school -- signals potential trouble for school officials intent on discouraging anything that hints of exclusivity, because of concerns about bullying.

Christine Laycob, director of counseling at Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School in St. Louis: "We try to talk to kids and work with them to get them to have big groups of friends and not be so possessive about friends.Parents sometimes say Johnny needs that one special friend. We say he doesn't need a best friend."

Yeah, we can't have kids forming bonds of trust and loyalty with other individuals. They might learn the lesson that it's better to rely on another human being instead of the state. Besides, they'll be better off if they hang out with a pack of other comrades. What's the worst that could happen?

ANDRE HARPER OP-ED: I stand with Alvin Greene

By Andre Harper

I don’t know his politics, I don’t know which issues he’s campaigning for, and I don’t know about his background but I do know Democrats. Most importantly, I know racism when I see it. That’s why I’m supporting the candidacy of Alvin Greene in South Carolina. I am not endorsing him but I do endorse his right to run. Liberals hate that I constantly accuse them of being the racists that they are. Too bad. The colossal push to force a black man out of a race he won fairly provides more proof why the Democratic Party is the most racist institution in America today.

The Alvin Greene story reads like a Hollywood script. Here you have a veteran without any political pedigree, get rejected by the party machine then miraculously gets accepted by the people. He achieves the improbable goal of winning his party’s nomination in a statewide race with few resources. Unfortunately for Greene, he has reached far beyond the boundaries reserved for black politicians. He will now suffer the wrath of the Democratic machine because of his ambition and desire to serve his state. While blacks are the most loyal Democrat voters, the party has made it clear that as long as a black person runs for a seat in an all-black district, he won’t have any problem with his party. For the record, Obama doesn’t count. When I say “black,” I am referring to Americans like me that trace their roots to enslaved Africans.

This entire story exposes the racism that exists from the surface to the core of the Democratic Party. They have the audacity to ask this man questions that I have never heard asked to any other candidate. Insulting questions like, do you have transportation? Who paid for your filing fee? Why don’t you have a job? I wonder if someone asked Barbara Boxer if she had a car when she first campaigned for the Senate? Probably not. This man is a honorably discharged veteran of our military and deserves our respect. Racist liberals have made an issue about him paying filing fee. What these elitists are saying is that they don’t believe a black man can save $10,000 and spend it on something other than rims and jewelry. Of course the Democrats never hesitate to insult the public’s intelligence by insinuating that he is a Republican plant. If that were the case, surely the GOP would have got a candidate that was remotely organized, had some name ID, and able pretend to be viable. It’s asinine to believe the opposition would go through the trouble of running a clandestine campaign for some random guy.

This whole situation is a great illustration of the Democratic Party political slave plantation. Here we have a black man that has achieved the unthinkable, facing his fiercest opposition from his “so-called” teammates. Playing the role of Sambo, the enslaved slave minion is Rep. Jim Clyburn. It’s always the house Negroes that lead the charge to destroy another black man when they feel their position may be in jeopardy. “I know a Democratic pattern, I know a Republican pattern, and I saw in the Democratic primary elephant dung all over the place,” Mr. Clyburn said. This statement is as ignorant as it is baseless. Situations like this is why so-called civil rights leaders get no respect from me. They only talk racial solidarity when it’s beneficial to them. Playing the role of evil slave owner Simon Legree (this role is interchangeable among Democratic leadership) is former Democratic Congressman Butler C. Derrick Jr. who stated “I do recall when the Democratic nomination to the United State Senate was one of great pride in South Carolina, apparently, that’s not the case anymore.” Surely he means when the Democratic candidate was white like him. He continued “This guy has about as much chance of being elected to the United States Senate as I have to fly around the moon without a spacecraft.”

I can’t vote for Mr. Greene, but I do support his right to run. I am glad to see a citizen of the United States defy the political machine and make the case to the people why he should represent them in Congress. America should know that this is yet another example of the real Democratic Party. I pray that God gives Mr. Greene the strength to withstand the pressure and not to let Democratic Party take away what he has earned. I spent two years writing and researching the Democratic Party in my book Political Emancipation: Observations of A Black Man Who Rejected Liberal Indoctrination and filled it with stories like this. I want America to realize that while liberals and the Democratic Party baselessly accuse conservatives of racism, they continue to practice and perfect it daily.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Author and political analyst, Andre Harper, is the founder and president of The Knowledge Movement, LLC., focused on empowering communities to achieve the American Dream by defying oppressive political agendas. He is a former congressional aide and graduate of Florida A&M University. Harper is a decorated veteran of the United States Army and has been recognized by President George W. Bush, members of Congress, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. And several publications for his service to the community. He originates from West Palm Beach, FL, lived in Cincinnati, OH and now resides in Pennsylvania.

He can be reached at www.AndreHarper.com

Draper, UT - Death row inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner died in a barrage of bullets early Friday as Utah carried out its first firing squad execution in 14

Posted by Baron Von Ottomatic

Well no wonder Barack Obama's Tuesday address has been widely panned. You people are just too stupid. So says CNN:

President Obama's speech on the gulf oil disaster may have gone over the heads of many in his audience, according to an analysis of the 18-minute talk released Wednesday.

Tuesday night's speech from the Oval Office of the White House was written to a 9.8 grade level, said Paul J.J. Payack, president of Global Language Monitor. The Austin, Texas-based company analyzes and catalogues trends in word usage and word choice and their impact on culture.

Though the president used slightly less than four sentences per paragraph, his 19.8 words per sentence "added some difficulty for his target audience," Payack said.

See? All the talk about failing to show leadership and using the crisis to push a climate bill is just white noise from a bunch of drooling, knuckle dragging reprobates that couldn't easily digest Obama's meaty brilliance.

Obama's nearly 10th-grade-level rating was the highest of any of his major speeches and well above the Grade 7.4 of his 2008 "Yes, we can" victory speech, which many consider his best effort, Payack said.

Ah yes, who doesn't remember his melodious Bob the Builder epic from 2008? But isn't "I know Bush is but what am I?" closer to the kindergarten level?

Draper, UT - Utah Firing Squad Executes Convicted Murderer

Draper, UT - Death row inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner died in a barrage of bullets early Friday as Utah carried out its first firing squad execution in 14 years.

Shortly before the shooting, Gardner was strapped into a chair and a team of five marksmen aimed their guns at a white target pinned to his chest.

He was pronounced dead at 12:20 a.m.
Utah adopted lethal injection as the default execution method in 2004, but Gardner was one still allowed to choose the controversial firing squad option because he was sentenced before the law changed. He told his lawyer he did it because he preferred it — not because he wanted the controversy surrounding the execution to draw attention to his case or embarrass the state.

Some decried the execution as barbaric, and about two dozen members of Gardner’s family held a vigil outside the prison as he was shot. There were no protests at the prison.

The executioners were all certified police officers who volunteered for the task and remain anonymous. They stood about 25 feet from Gardner, behind a wall cut with a gunport, and were armed with a matched set of .30-caliber Winchester rifles. One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot.

Sandbags stacked behind Gardner’s chair kept the bullets from ricocheting around the cinderblock room.

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Gardner was sentenced to death for a 1985 capital murder conviction stemming from the fatal courthouse

shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during a failed escape attempt. Gardner was at the Salt Lake City court facing a 1984 murder charge in the shooting death of a bartender, Melvyn Otterstrom.

Gardner and his defense attorneys fought to stop the execution to the end. They filed petitions with state and federal courts, asked a Utah parole board to commute his sentence to life in prison without parole, and finally unsuccessfully appealed to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gardner even tried to appeal to the general public, setting up an interview with CNN’s “Larry King Live.” But the Utah Department of Corrections canceled the phone interview minutes before it was scheduled to take place Wednesday.

Gardner spent his last day sleeping, reading the novel “Divine Justice,” watching the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy and meeting with his attorneys and a bishop with the Mormon church. A prison spokesman said officers described his mood as relaxed. He had eaten his last requested meal — steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7UP — two days earlier.

Members of his family gathered outside the prison, some wearing T-shirts displaying his prisoner number, 14873. None planned to witness the execution, at Gardner’s request.

“He didn’t want nobody to see him get shot,” said Gardner’s brother, Randy Gardner. “I would have liked to be there for him. I love him to death. He’s my little brother.”
Gardner’s attorneys argued the jury that sentenced him to death in 1985 heard no mitigating evidence that might have led them to instead impose a life sentence for the man who described himself as a “nasty little bugger.” Gardner’s life was marked by early drug addiction, physical and sexual abuse and possible brain damage, court records show.

“I had a very explosive temper,” Gardner admitted.
The execution process was set in motion in March when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from Gardner’s attorney to review the case. On April 23, state court Judge Robin Reese signed a warrant ordering the state to carry out the death sentence.

At that hearing, Gardner declared, “I would like the firing squad, please.”
The firing squad has been Utah’s most-used form of capital punishment. Of the 49 executions held in the state since the 1850s, 40 were by firing squad.

Gardner was the third man killed by state marksmen since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling reinstated capital punishment in 1976. The other two were Gary Gilmore, who famously uttered the last words “Let’s do it” on Jan. 17, 1977; and John Albert Taylor on Jan. 26, 1996, for raping and strangling an 11-year-old girl.
Historians say the method stems from 19th Century doctrine of the state’s predominant religion. Early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believed in the concept of “blood atonement” — that only through spilling one’s own blood could a condemned person adequately atone for their crimes and be redeemed in the next life. The church no longer preaches such teachings and offers no opinion on the use of the firing squad.

The American Civil Liberties Union decried Gardner’s execution as an example of what it called the United States’ “barbaric, arbitrary and bankrupting practice of capital punishment.”

At an interfaith vigil in Salt Lake City on Thursday evening, religious leaders called for an end to the death penalty.

“Murdering the murderer doesn’t create justice or settle any score,” said Rev. Tom Goldsmith of the First Unitarian Church.

Burdell’s family opposes the death penalty and asked for Gardner’s life to be spared. In a taped statement, Burdell’s father, Joseph Burdell, Jr., said he believes his son’s death was not premeditated, but a “knee-jerk reaction” by a desperate Gardner attempting to escape.

But Otterstrom’s family lobbied the parole board against Gardner’s request for clemency and a reduced sentence.
George “Nick” Kirk, was a bailiff at the courthouse the day of Gardner’s botched escape. Shot and wounded in the lower abdomen, Kirk suffered chronic health problems the rest of his life.
Kirk’s daughter, Tami Stewart, said before the execution she believed Gardner’s death would bring her family some closure.

“I think at that moment, he will feel that fear that his victims felt,” she said.

At his commutation hearing, Gardner shed a tear after telling the board his attempts to apologize to the Otterstroms and Kirks had been unsuccessful. He said he hoped for forgiveness.

“If someone hates me for 20 years, it’s going to affect them,” Gardner said. “I know killing me is going to hurt them just as bad. It’s something you have to live with every day. You can’t get away from it. I’ve been on the other side of the gun. I know.”

Los Angeles Lakers Win 2010 NBA Championship

Congrats to the Los Angeles Lakers who won the 2010 NBA Championship on Thursday night over the Boston Celtics 83-74 (Game 7 Live Blog).  The Lakers won the series 4 games to 3.
It was an ugly game for three quarters before the Lakers rallied in the 4th to come from behind and win the franchise’s 16th championship.  Kobe
Kobe Bryant was given the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award for his play against Boston. Some, including myself believe it should have gone to Pau Gasol for his immeasurable play throughout the series.
Bryant struggled in the closer tonight but finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds despite shooting just 6-24.  Gasol had 19 points and 18 rebounds. Ron Artest was strong as well with 20 points – 5 rebounds – 5 steals.
The title is the 5th for Kobe and 11th for Lakers head coach Phil Jackson.  Phil is undecided at this point if he will return to the Lakers next year.

Read more: http://bumpshack.com/2010/06/17/los-angeles-lakers-win-2010-nba-championship/#ixzz0rCWz1aLS