Obama’s ‘Transparency’ A Failure of Leadership

By Robert Romano
 
So much for Barack Obama’s vaunted transparency.
Americans for Limited Government (ALG) is appealing the Department of Labor’s refusal to turn over all documents related to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on enforcement of 185 laws the Department is required to follow. And the organization is still waiting to hear back on key items in the request.
This is nothing new with the Obama Administration. Recently, Crossroads GPS created an online repository for pending FOIA requests with the Obama Administration, called Wikicountability.org.

This included the request that covered the Department’s implementation of an online enforcement database, which should have included prosecutions of corruption in labor unions, ALG says, but was not.
“That data should be in the database, and the question is why not,” ALG President Bill Wilson explained, saying the request was being “stonewalled” by the Department. After all, the prosecution of union corruption is a key item of the Department’s enforcement responsibilities.

He speculated on the possibility that “they don’t want that information to be public because it makes union officials look bad. It may be embarrassing, but we want those documents; the public has a right to know.”
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The Concept Of Limited Government Has Created A Global Revolution

Video by Frank McCaffrey

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Sarah Palin For Secretary of Energy

By David Bozeman

The good news for drivers is that gas prices are expected to fall by roughly 25 cents, just in time for Memorial Day and the summer driving season (which begs the question, where, Bill O'Reilly, do greedy oil execs and conniving speculators figure in when gas prices tumble?).

With election 2012 looming and Sarah Palin very likely not a candidate, the Republican frontrunner should consider the former governor and chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) for the office of energy secretary. The GOP nominee may find her name toxic to undecided voters, but, as president, he (or she), in putting people above politics, will not find anyone more determined to mold a 21st Century energy policy that puts our country first.

Sadly, long-range energy planning only enters the public dialogue when gas prices skyrocket. And in recent weeks, the current administration, through Attorney General Eric Holder, has towed the predictable line of going after price gougers. Talk about innovation. At least President Obama is not telling us, as candidate Obama did, that under his plan costs would certainly rise, and he's not reminding us now to check the pressure in our tires. Furthermore, he has finally come out for drilling — but for Brazil, unfortunately.
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Arctic Council to discuss international cooperation and environmental challenges

New York Times: The Arctic Council, meeting today in Greenland, is expected to sign its first treaty on maritime search and rescue for the Arctic region. The council—which is composed of representatives from Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the US, Sweden, and Finland—was formed in 1996 to promote cooperation and coordination among the Arctic states on such issues as environmental protection and sustainable development. According to Steven Myers of the New York Times, “Officials said they hoped [the treaty] would become a model for increasing international cooperation in the Arctic on far more difficult issues as the pursuit of natural resources sharpens unresolved territorial disputes and raises the prospect of pollution and environmental catastrophes.” Among the attendees is US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is the first US secretary of state to attend one of the council’s biannual meetings.

EUROPEAN UNION REPORT CONDEMNED SO CALLED SYRIAN REVOLUTION AS AN ANTI-SYRIAN ACTION

May 10, 2011 by freedemocraticsyria

On 9 May 2011, Professor Anton Caragea , Director of Institute of International Relations and Economic Cooperation has presented a comprehensive report on Anti-Syria revolution.

The truth behind the lies.

The report had stressed the fact that in Syria there is now revolution in making ,but a classical coup d`etat ,supported by old colonialist powers. ″

Syria is the least possible target for a so called revolution. In front of the country is a leader of undoubtedly huge popularity: Bashar Al Assad. Young, western educated, modernist, reform minded- his rule of just 11 years is miles away from the decrepit autocracy of Hosni Mubarak or Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Bashar Al Assad is having a clear track of successes: opening Syrian society, release of all political prisoners, fighting corruption, opening internet, accepting a western style society and creating a huge social and political base for his government ″ appreciates Professor Anton Caragea .

The reports emphasize the fact that Syria is a viable democracy an open society, in full process of reforms and modernization on all sectors of life, and the main target is just the independent foreign policy that the country is pursuing .  The main vectors for this attack on Syria are according to professor Caragea evaluation : ″the Syrian-Iran alliance it is targeted here. Iran was not attacked yet, because of just one reason: an attack on Iran, will instantly inflame the Middle East ,with Syria supporting Iran and Hezbollah in attacking Israel.

Now, taking Syria out of the equation, will mean the dissolution of Hezbollah, the dismantle of Lebanon and the end of any retaliation possibility for Iran.

The destruction of Iran alliances it is not the only thing at stake in the aggression on Syria.

In the last years Turkey had becoming a worrisome partner for West and Ankara`s  main partner in a new policy toward Arab states and Islamic community is Syria. With Syria, Turkey resolved border issues pending from more than 80 year ago, opened frontiers, resolved the disputes on Euphrates water and opened markets.

This was a success story of unmatched efficiency and now, if Syria collapsed , Turkey new policy will also collapsed and in the Arab world eyes will be just another partner of western aggression and the dream of a Turkey-Arab alliance will be shattered″ .

In this climate of conspiracy and pressure by dint of media manipulation and terrorist attacks the foreign power realized that :″ being impossible to create a revolution inside, Syria was targeted by a media war off unthinkable intensity. Photos and videos from Bahrain where presented on Al Jazeera and western stations as BBC and CNN as images from Homs or other Syrian cities , protest in Alexandria , with Egyptian flags, where portrayed as demonstrators in Latakia and the list could go on indefinitely  .

While in Syria there was no protests, groups of armed gangs where crossed from southern Syria and sent to kill civilians in Deraa, Homs, Hama , Latakia hoping to provoke a civilian reactions against so called army and police atrocities . This had failed one more time, as in Syria everybody knows that the army  will never fire on  protestors or civilians. The high regards that army is having in popular minds blocked this new attempt of spreading chaos″ .

In front of all this failed plots and attack the report of professor Anton Caragea is ending in a brighter light :  ″ people of Syria will always stead fast on their dedication to build an independent and free country by dint of honesty and refusal of compromise .

Syria will always prevail″ concluded professor Anton Caragea

Oprah Winfrey officially has a street

Oprah Winfrey officially has a street named after her. The mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, changed the name of the 100 block of North Carpenter Avenue, where her HARPO Studio sits, to Oprah Winfrey Way. Is there anything this woman can’t do?

During the ceremony yesterday, Oprah said, “That’s better than an Oscar or an Emmy. It is really just a full-circle miracle story that a little colored girl born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on a red dirt road ends up with my name on a street in the greatest city in the world, Chicago. So, thank you.”

Oprah reminisced about first moving to the city that ended up being home to her talk show of 25 years. She came to audition for a hosting job on a show called AM Chicago.

“I thought, even if I don’t get the job, I’ll move into advertising in order to just be able to live in the city, which truly is the greatest city in the world. This place is my Tara. Scarlett O’Hara should have known about Chicago.”

Haley Barbour, Chris Christie And Scott Walker Would Reported Back Mitch Daniels

An interesting development in the 2012 races. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels continues to flirt with running in 2012, and it appears as though if he gets into the campaign he’ll have the backing of some big Republican names.

INDIANAPOLIS — With 1,100 people chanting “Run Mitch, Run,” Gov. Mitch Daniels took the stage here Thursday night and did something he’s never done before: He introduced his wife Cheri, and then he turned the microphone over to her to address the sold-out crowd.

It was Cheri Daniels’ first-ever speech at a big political event in all the years she has been Indiana’s First Lady. And with speculation over whether her husband will enter the presidential race now at a fever-pitch, her mere presence at the podium for the annual state GOP dinner had everyone searching for clues and hidden meanings. The question was heard over and over: Did her willingness to step into the limelight after years as a reluctant First Lady mean she was on board with Daniels making a bid for the White House?

Daniels, who asked his wife to give the speech, didn’t rule it out.

“This whole business of running for national office–I’m not saying I won’t do it,” he said, triggering loud applause. …

Reflecting what many observers see as weak Republican field, the pressure on Daniels to run has been intense. He has been assured backing from big-money donors who supported George W. Bush, in addition to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, as well as top sitting Republican governors.

Sources tell CBS News popular New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has told Daniels he would back him, as would Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Here’s video of Daniels talking about the potential for a campaign:

The biggest knock on Mitch Daniels seems to be his controversial call last year for a “truce” on social issues. A lot of social conservatives took that to mean giving up on issues like abortion. I took it to mean more a re-prioritizing of issues. We’re in a national fiscal crisis right now. Like it or not, whether gays are allowed to marry takes a backseat.

I haven’t quite put together my calculus on Daniels just yet, but in a field where someone like Donald Trump is being considered a serious candidate, a serious-minded candidate with the sort of backing Daniels can apparently muster may come as a breath of fresh air to a lot of Republicans.
Fun fact: Daniels’ wife Cheri refers to herself as an “honorary Hooters girl.”

John Demjanjuk convicted of being a Nazi death camp guard

Demjanjuk

MUNICH — Retired U.S. autoworker John Demjanjuk was convicted of thousands of counts of acting as an accessory to murder at a Nazi death camp and sentenced today to five years in prison before judges ordered him released pending an appeal.

Demjanjuk was found guilty of 28,060 counts of being an accessory to murder, one for each person who died during the time he was ruled to have been a guard at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.
Presiding Judge Ralph Alt said the 91-year-old was a piece of the Nazis’ “machinery of destruction.”
“The court is convinced that the defendant … served as a guard at Sobibor from 27 March 1943 to mid September 1943,” Alt said, closing a trial that has lasted nearly 18 months.

Demjanjuk sat in a wheelchair in front of the judges as they announced their verdict, but showed no reaction. He has denied the charges, but declined the opportunity to make a final statement to the court.
Demjanjuk’s son, John Demjanjuk Jr., said the defense would appeal. He asserted that “the Germans have built a house of cards and it will not stand for long.”

Alt later ordered that Demjanjuk be freed pending appeal. That is not unusual in Germany and Alt said Demjanjuk, who is stateless and was deported from the U.S. two years ago, did not pose a flight risk.
Defense attorney Guenther Maull said it wasn’t yet clear where Demjanjuk would go once he is freed, but he was likely to be hosted by the Ukrainian community in Munich. The court noted that Demjanjuk, who suffers from a variety of ailments, needs daily medical attention.

Charges of accessory to murder carry a maximum term of 15 years in Germany, which does not allow consecutive sentences for multiple counts of the same crime.

There was no evidence that Demjanjuk committed a specific crime. The prosecution was based on the theory that if Demjanjuk was at the camp, he was a participant in the killing — the first time such a legal argument has been made in German courts.

Thomas Walther, who led the investigation that prompted Germany to prosecute Demjanjuk, said before the verdict that other low-ranking Nazi helpers could now face prosecution.

“It could be very soon that more are brought to the table,” he said. “This case is a door-opener.”

Ron Paul launches bid for GOP presidential nomination

Rep. Ron Paul, a Texas Republican, is running for president for a third time.

The libertarian-leading congressman said in an interview in Friday that voters are increasingly embracing his brand of conservatism.

“The people are agreeing with much I have been saying for 30 years,” Paul said, making his announcement from Manchester on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “The time is right.”

Paul, 75, who has finished strongly in several Republican straw polls, has an ardent, if small, fan base. He showed himself in 2008 to have some ability to raise money, pulling in more than $35 million.

He first ran for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1988, and his views place him squarely outside the GOP mainstream. He opposes American intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in the Friday interview suggested that the United States was heading toward an invasion of Pakistan. He supports drug legalization, is a fierce critic of the Federal Reserve, and wants to sharply curtail the size of government.

He is the father of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has said he would not run for president if his father chose to make another bid.

The elder Paul said he could win the race. “Coming in No. 1 in the Republican primary is an absolute possibility,” he said.