RANDOM SHOTS! High Gas Prices, Hanks, De Niro, Houston, Going Broke, and More!

FIRST SHOT

Historic High Gas Prices Because Economy Is Doing Better?

Right, and my horse can make a root beer float!

My favorite subject just keeps getting worse. Gas prices are going through the roof. But now, the latest twist from the Liberal controlled News Media is that they're trying to make Americans believe that the reason for the high gas prices is that it's proof that our economy is getting better.

I really believe that the Liberals think we're just stupid and will believe anything they come up with. Sort of like their whole, Obama is our savior thing that they have now stepped back away from.

As most folks know, usually the demand for gas spikes during the summer when lots of people go on vacation, holidays, and basically winter hibernation has ended. The other reason that gas prices typically spike in the summer months is that that is the time of the year that refineries shut down production on certain types of gasoline and go through the process of getting ready to produce gasoline for the summer months.

Less availability means a higher demand, and that usually translates into higher gasoline prices. Cleaner-burning summer-grade fuels which are more expensive to produce increase the price as well.

So what happened between July of 2008 and January of 2009 when gasoline prices dropped by more than half from $4 to $1.83 a gallon at the pump?

Our economy had a 5.4% unemployment rate, and yet the Democrats declared it "The Worse Economy Since The Great Depression" - of course they say that every time they run and there's a Republican Administration in the White House. Don't believe me, well friends, it is just a matter of remembering history.

Some folks think Obama was the first to come along with the catch-phrases "Hope" and "Change" and "The Worse Economy Since The Great Depression" - Heck, Bill Clinton used those very same catch-phrases against George H. W. Bush when he ran against him back in the 1990s. 

Gasoline prices at the pump when Barack Hussein Obama took over the reins from George W. Bush were $1.83 a gallon. Just a few months before, George W. Bush was faced with over $4 a gallon gas prices at the pump. So again I ask, how did he do it? How did he cut gasoline prices in half?

Well Obama says that great Obama Bumper Sticker line, "We Can't Drill Our Way Out Of This Problem!" He believes that we can "Green Our Way Out Of This Problem!"

Well, I think he's full of himself, but that's only my opinion. You see, I really don't have any malice toward the President. Fact is, I just think the man is not very bright. man.

Why not drill in America? Or at the least, the minimum, do what Bush did!

Friends, when gasoline prices hit $4 the summer of 2008, Bush opened up Federal Land for further oil drilling lease and exploration. The Oil market found out what President Bush had done and realized that there would soon be more oil available. Subsequently, within 6 months gas prices were half of what they were.

So far, President Obama has hitched his wagon solely to what is called Alternative Energy. It seems that he has completely limited himself to only Alternative Energy as a way of bringing down gas prices and helping you and me.

It seems to think that he owes his political fortune to the Environmentalists, Wealthy Liberals, and Foreign Oil, who support the abolition of the production of American gas and oil in America.

It is a shame that he is not smart enough to understand that sometimes you have to break from those who you think you owe to truly be your own man. It's a shame to say that slavery is alive and well in the Democrat Party.

SECOND SHOT!

Actor Tom Hanks apologizes for making Racial Slurs during "Blackface" Skit at 2004 Democrat Party Fundraiser

Now friends, I don't usually go around quoting Plato, but I have to agree with him that, "The mask which the actor wears is apt to become his face!"

It seems, these days the mask that has become the real face of Hollywood is a racist Blackface!

March 2011 will go down as a bad month for some of Hollywood's most highly paid Millionaire actors.

Multi-Millionaire Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks is apologizing for appearing in a fund-raising skit along with a person in Blackface in 2004. 

Hanks said in a statement to The Daily Caller that he "was blindsided when one of the parents got up on the stage in a costume that was hideously offensive then and is hideously offensive now. What is usually a night of food and drink for a good cause was, regrettably, marred by an appalling few moments."

Well if he knew it was "hideously offensive" back then, they why use the Blackface actor as a prop and keep the skit going for as long as he and Glenn Frey did? I really believe it became "hideously offensive" to him only recently when the video surfaced showing that he was caught on camera doing such a ignorant thing. 

But Tom Hanks doesn't have to worry too much, he's in the same company as other Liberal Democrats who have done skits and routines in the same way. 

In 1993, white actor Ted Danson ignited a firestorm of controversy when he appeared at a Friars Club roast in Blackface, delivering a risqué shtick written by his then girl-friend African-American comedian Whoopi Goldberg.

In the picture that I posted here, Whoopi Goldberg seemed to be enjoying the skit that her then boyfriend was putting on.

Again, I can't help but think that she would have become completely infuriated if it were a Republican doing a "Step 'n Fetch it" Blackface routine like that. But because of the double-standard, it's OK if Democrats are racists.

Blackface Actors encourage and endorse Racist Black stereotypes based on bigoted portrayals of blacks as stupid, lazy and dishonest.

White actors dressed in "Blackface" goes back a long time, for an example, te term Jim Crow originated in 1830 when a White minstrel show performer, Thomas "Daddy" Rice, blackened his face with charcoal and danced a jig while singing the lyrics to the song, "Jump Jim Crow."

White wntertainers started to blacken their face as characterization of plantation slaves and free blacks during the era of minstrel shows from the 1830s to 1890s.

The famous Al Jolson was one of the first great white-singer actors to do did on film. The blackface caricatures took such a firm hold on the American imagination that audiences expected any person with dark skin, no matter what their background, to conform to one or more of the stereotypes that the entertainers help spread.

As another website put it, "Blackface is more than just burnt cork applied as makeup. It is a style of entertainment based on racist Black stereotypes."
 
Well, time haven't changed all that much for Democrats?

The Daily Caller published a video made at a charity event emceed by Hanks and Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey. In the video, a white man in "Blackface" and an "Afro" wig appears in stage in a Tarzan-like costume holding a giant stuffed gorilla that was up for auction.

On the video, taken from the audience with a handheld camera, Hanks says to the man: "A celebrity in our midst. Who would have thought Bill O'Reilly would have joined us?"

The Daily Caller website said they were sent the video following Hanks' latest narration of a 17-minute campaign video for President Barack Obama.

Congress of Racial Equality representative Niger Innis called the skit "an orchestrated, heinous, and racist ‘Step'n Fetchit’ routine" in an interview with The Daily Caller. Innis has called for Obama to replace Tom Hanks in his re-election campaign video.

Frey tells several of what seemed to be prepared, off-color jokes about the man as he roams the stage.

THIRD SHOT!

More Racism From Hollywood This Time Actor Robert DeNiro Shows He Has No Class!

"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?"

So where does such a classless statement come from? Well, this one came from another ultra-Liberal multi-Millionaire hypocrite.

Fact is, that extremely classless, just plain dumb statement came from ultra-Liberal multi-Millionaire famed Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro at a Star-studded 85-person big dollar Obama Re-election fund-raiser at Locande Verde in Tribeca on Monday night.

Robert De Niro took the mic at the beginning of the night, saying “Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?”

The crowd made up of other multi-Millionaires Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Stiller, Beyonce, and Liberal Hollywood types, collectively answered loudly "No!" - after which De Niro asked, "Too soon, right?"

While tickets to the event hosted by Robert De Niro started at $5,000 for a photograph with the First Lady and a cocktail, they soared to $25,000 to mingle with her - according to the Obama campaign.

Yes, the hypocrites call the Republicans "The Rich!"

On Tuesday, the White House was quick to react to Robert De Niro's racial insensitivities, saying in a statement, De Niro’s jokes about the wives of Republican presidential hopefuls and America’s readiness "for a white first lady" were in bad taste,

The controversial quip was made when De Niro took the stage at a New York fund-raising event featuring Michelle Obama who was there for President Obama.

"We believe the joke was inappropriate," Olivia Alair, Michelle Obama's press secretary said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Obama administration acknowledgment came after White House hopeful Newt Gingrich ripped De Niro, calling his joke “inexcusable” and demanding that President Obama apologize.

Newt Gingirch blasted the Actor on Tuesday in Louisiana, saying, "I do want to say one thing, both on behalf of my wife and on behalf of Karen Santorum and on behalf of Ann Romney, I think that Robert De Niro’s wrong.!"

Then Gingrich went on to say, "I think the country is ready for a new first lady and he doesn’t have to describe it in racial terms."

Ginrich also took a personal hit at the multi-Millionaire De Niro, saying he was "rich enough he probably doesn’t notice the price of gasoline," in addition to being "successful enough he probably doesn’t notice the unemployment rate."

Just as a thought here, can any of you imagine how absolutely outraged everyone would be if a Conservative Celebrity would have taken a mic back in 2008, saying, “Michelle Obama. Now do you really think our country is ready for a black first lady?”

Can you imagine the reaction from the National News Media, if a crowd of Conservatives collectively answered "No!" at which point a Conservative Celebrity would have asked - like Robert De Niro did to the Liberal crowd -  "Too soon, right?"

The News Media would have called the event a KKK rally, and accused everyone there of being nothing but a bunch of Racists. When I hear of things like this, it just enforces my belief that the true Racists are those Liberal Democrats who worship at the alter of bigotry - praying for racial divisiveness.

This sort of thing is done by the Liberal Left all the time, but they feel that they can get away with it because they have friends in the Liberal News Media.

This should not be tolerated by any candidate, and especially the President who should be plenty aware of those trying to divide America on racial grounds.


FOURTH SHOT!

Santorum suggests He'd pick Obama over Romney

Just to show folks that stupid comments aren't limited to Liberals, Republican presidential candidate former senator Rick Santorum said Republicans should give President Barack Obama another term if Santorum isn't the GOP nominee. 


That's a dumb as it gets! But then the not so bright former Senator went on, for a second day in a row, to compare Mitt Romney to an "Etch A Sketch toy."

Santorum reiterated an argument he has made before that Mitt Romney is not Conservative "enough" to offer voters a clear choice in the fall election and that only he can provide that contrast.

"You win by giving people a choice," Santorum said during a campaign stop in Texas. "You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who's just going to be a little different than the person in there."

The he got his jab in by adding, "If they're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk of what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate for the future."

Santorum was referencing Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's comment Wednesday that "everything changes" for the fall campaign. "It's almost like an Etch A Sketch," he said on CNN. "You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again."

The adviser's dumb remark reignited criticism of Romney as the type of politician who will say or do anything to win.

Romney issued a statement expressing disappointment "that Rick Santorum would rather have Barack Obama as president than a Republican. This election is more important than any one person. It is about the future of America. Any of the Republicans running would be better than President Obama and his record of failure."

Newt Gingrich tweeted: "Rick Santorum is dead wrong. Any GOP nominee will be better than Obama."

All of this has had a negative effect on a lot of Conservative voters. It has also had a real damning effect on Republican and Independent voters.

The real harm that this is doing, it's giving the opposition comfort that we who are committed to getting Barack Hussein Obama are divided. And friends, after hearing crap like this coming from a so-called "Conservative" Rick Santorum is really troubling because I thought he was better than that.

Romney is trying to stay about the mud slinging, but still he can't help but put his foot in his mouth. Newt Gingrich just scares most Independent voters into looking somewhere else, and friends - whether we like it or not, we need Independent voters to beat Obama.

Rick Santorum might be a "Conservative" but he too is alienating a lot of folks these days, and honestly I don't think he can draw enough votes to beat Obama.

What these candidates don't seem to understand is that they are educating the public as to who they are and what their personalities are. What they don't seem to understand is that "friendly" gets the votes, "mean spirited" doesn't.

Guys like Santorum don't understand really what's at stake here. Does he want Obama in office another 4 years to make Supreme Court nominations, create more regulation, of course try to completely Nationalize our country in an open effort to turn the United States into a Socialist nation where the people are ruled by the government and not the other way around?

The mistake for all of us to make is a simple one. If you are committed to getting Obama out of Office as much as I am, then I cannot make the mistake of thinking that Rick Santorum is right and that Obama should stay in Office if he runs against Mitt Romney.

I really believe that Obama did not win the race to the White House in 2008, we lost it.

Why? Well, simply put, many "Conservatives" could not find it in themselves to hold their nose like I did and vote for John McCain. To them, John McCain was just "Too Liberal."

I for one still think John McCain is too Liberal and very surprised that he was re-elected in Arizona, but I held my nose and voted for him for the good of the country. I really believe that if others had put aside their dislike for McCain and really took a look at the threat from Obama that they too would have voted for McCain - too Liberal or not.

The problem in 2008 may recreate itself in that Mitt Romney might be advertised as being "Too Liberal" and folks might stay home instead of voting for him if he is our candidate.

We need to get it in our heads that Newt Gingrich is right, any Republican nominee will be better than Barack Obama.

FIFTH SHOT!

Can a Black School Superintendent be a Racist?

Nine employees of the Tukwila School District in Tukwila, Washington, have filed complaints of Racial Discrimination against their Superintendent. Their attorney filed the complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

They each have a story about the comments they've endured. The stories are from Vice Principals, to Teachers, to Dispatchers, you name it.

"She said to me you have to stop being a big, black man scaring our white drivers," says Doc Fells, driver trainer and dispatcher for the district. "And it numbed me."

Imagine that for a moment! But friends, it gets worse than that!

A group of female staffers at Showalter Middle School says their Superintendent once referred to them as "Slaves."

"I was pissed," says Marva Harris, School Security Officer.

"I couldn't believe my ears, she would refer to professional African-American women as slaves," says Teacher Sandra Goins.

The problem that a Liberal state like Washington has is that the schools have been recognized as the most diverse school in the country. Seventy percent of the kids are non-white.

But, the allegations are even more shocking because the Superintendent Ethelda Burke. is Black herself.

It wasn't until coworkers started talking to each other that they realized there was a widespread problem. And they admit their Superintendent's race made them reluctant to put a stop to it.

Wait a minute! Can that be right? Just because of the Superintendent was Black, they didn't want to put a stop to it? Well, it's true!

"For me, I feel a sense of betrayal," says Harris. "That I'm betraying her, because she's a black woman."

"If she wasn't a person of color, me personally, I would have gone after her long before now," says Ritchie Coleman, a bus driver.

The district, the Superintendent, and the board declined to comment citing personnel issues.

No word on whether the Board will treat this the same way as it would if she were a white woman! Does make me wonder if they will?

SIXTH SHOT!


Obama debt hole deeper than George W. Bush's in less than half the time

So OK, but does he give a damn? I don't think so!

Back in 2008, well that was different, President Obama once asked a campaign crowd what to do when you're trying to get out of a hole. Uniformly, the crowd responded: stop digging.

But in only three years, Obama is digging a deficit hole that is a whole lot deeper than the one he complained President George W. Bush had dug during his eight years in office.

From the time Bush took office in January 2001 to his departure on Jan. 20, 2009, the debt increased $4.9 trillion - from $5.73 trillion to $10.63 trillion. The debt now stands at $15.57 trillion, up $4.94 trillion since Obama took office less than four years ago.

When Obama was campaigning, he called the debt increase under Bush "irresponsible" and "un-patriotic."

He told voters back in 2008, "The way Bush has done it over the last eight years is to take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children, driving up our national debt from $5 trillion for the first 42 presidents -- number 43 added $4 trillion by his lonesome, so that we now have over $9 trillion of debt that we are going to have to pay back -- $30,000 for every man, woman and child."

The federal budget Obama sent to Capitol Hill last month projected the debt to reach $16.3 trillion in 2012 and $25.9 trillion in 2022.

Reporters grilled White House press secretary Jay Carney about the administration's criticism of GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan, wondering if that's fair while having a perceived credibility problem of his own.

"We put forward a very clear plan that achieves over $4 trillion in deficit reduction," Carney responded..

Bill Wilson, president of Americans for Limited Government, criticized the president for adding "more debt in a single term than any president in American history."

"By the time his fiscal year 2013 spending has fully gone into effect, Obama will have added a full $5.823 trillion to the debt," he said. "Obama cannot blame his predecessors. By his policies alone, Obama will have increased the national debt by 46.9% by the end of calendar year 2012."

So much for taking care of business.

Between his golf games, vacations, expensive trips, running around the country fund-raising, fund-raising, fund-raising all the time for more and more millions of dollars - its no wonder we are in the shape we're in - we have no President!

SEVENTH SHOT!

Report: US government spent at least $945M on advertising in 2010

On July 30th 2010, the Obama administration released an ad featuring Andy Griffith extolling President Obama's new health care law.

I can't help but wonder if Andy Griffith made a bucks in return for his that endorsement of Obama in 2008. I sure hope not. I remember seeing that campaign ad with him and Ron Howard, and it made me wonder if either of them understood what kind of "Change" they were endorsing?

Federal agencies spent at least $945 Million on contracts for Advertising Services in fiscal year 2010, and that sum doesn't include all public communications expenditures in the agencies reviewed or even all of the executive branch, a congressional report out last week shows.

Congressional Research Service reported that the calculation was incomplete since the total sum may never be fully known.

"It is unclear how much the executive branch, let alone the federal government as a whole, spends on communications each year," the CRS report found.

Of that total that was calculable, more than $545 million was spent by the Defense Department, much of it on ads to attract recruits, CRS noted. Recruiting is important, so I can see spending money on that sort of thing if it is wisely and not foolishly on advertisements that aren't attracting new personnel.

The study, first published by the Federation of American Scientists, was done as the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight reviews 11 federal agencies.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., chairwoman for the subcommittee, issued letters to the heads of the federal departments last month asking for a reply by Friday with a list of contracts since October 2008 for radio and television spots, public relations contracts, direct mailers or other advertising services.

The report found that the agencies are also engaging in using new and social media to communicate -- the government hosts 1,504 federal government domains that carry thousands of websites on them.

Imagine that! They Federal Government has 1,504 domain websites! Why? Why are we spending our money on 1,504 websites? I guess if they can get away with it, they will!

In addition, a Government Accountability Office report of June 2011 found that 23 of 24 Federal agencies surveyed had a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and all 15 of the president's Cabinet agencies have at least one Twitter account.

The justification for this is that "new media" is said to allow for prompt and more intimate communications, but social media may lead to agency employees making misstatements of fact or unsanctioned comments, and oversight can be complicated because communications can be easily deleted, altered, forged and made untraceable.

The report says that advertising serves many purposes, including informing the public of its rights and entitlements, telling the public of the agency's activities, inviting public comment on proposed rules, warning the public of perils, and discouraging harmful or dangerous behaviors.

Agencies "often speak to the public because doing so generally is considered essential to the functioning of representative democracy. If government is to serve the people, then the people must be kept well-informed of the government's activities so that they may judge its work and alter its policies through elections or other means (e.g., advocacy)," reads the report.

According to CRS, over the last 100 years, Congress has enacted three statutory restrictions on agency communications with the public - one to limit hiring of publicity experts, another to prohibit using budget money to lobby Congress, and one to ban using budget money for "publicity or propaganda."

Congress has criticized government spending on advertising on recently House Republicans on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee faulted seven agencies for engaging in propaganda to promote the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act commonly known as Obama Care.

Spending millions on propaganda is banned. But yes, you know as well as I do that some in a shady Administration like the Obama White House will tell you that their's is not propaganda but "educational."

I really believe that this is the White House that will piss on your leg and tell you it's raining on a sunny day!

LAST SHOT!


L.A. Coroner finds Whitney Houston died from drowning and cocaine use

The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled that the final cause of Whitney Houston's death was drowning as well as cocaine use.

According to Chief Medical Examiner Anthony T. Hernandez's report, there was no foul play involved in the Feb. 11 death of Houston.

Toxicology reports found metabolites also contributed to her death. Traces of marijuana and the prescription drugs Xanax, Flexiril, and over-the-counter Benadryl were also found in her system. But, accord to the report, did not play a role in her death. 

The report also says that Whitney Houston suffered from effects of atherosclerotic heart disease. while drowning was Houston's main cause of death, it was aggravated by atherosclerotic heart disease.

Atherosclerotic heart disease occurs when the arteries going to the heart and other organs are hardened because of plaque build-up within the arteries. Atherosclerosis can lead to stroke, heart attack and death, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute explains.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis can be hard to spot, since mild atherosclerosis typically doesn't have any signs, the Mayo Clinic reported. However, if the arteries are seriously clogged and hardened, the blood clot that forms in the artery can break, thereby leading to a heart attack or stroke.

When you have more serious atherosclerosis, you may experience heart attack-like pain if the hardening is in the arteries leading to the heart. If the atherosclerosis is in the arteries leading to the brain, you may feel sudden arm or leg numbness, or drooping facial muscles, the Mayo Clinic reported. Atherosclerosis in the arms and legs can manifest as pain while walking.

Chronic kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease and carotid artery disease are other conditions that can be caused by atherosclerosis.

And yes, contrary to what those anti-Smoking Ads on television might try to make you believe, atherosclerosis which can develop into coronary heart disease really is the No. 1 Killer of American men and women according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Houston was found submerged in a bathtub filled with water at the Beverly Hills Hilton just hours before she was due to perform at Clive Davis' Grammy Party. Several bottles of prescription medications were found in her hotel room, but coroner's officials said they weren't in excessive quantities.

L.A. Coroner spokesman Craig Harvey says the results indicate that Houston was a chronic cocaine user. Too bad that's no surprise. 

Supposedly, days before her death, Whitney Houston had spent thousands of dollars on cocaine. That's the story from Houston’s drug dealer who was found and questioned regarding his recent dealings with the fallen star.

Whitney Houston ruled as pop music's queen until her and physical appearance were ravaged by drug use. She died at the young age of 48, though looking at her pictures in recent years she looked pretty worn.

But then again, drug abuse will do that. Fact is that drugs have wiped out the promise and potential of many people in all facets of life - not just the Entertainment Industry, although they do get the headlines when they hit bottom or die.

I can't help but wonder what our society would be like if the Federal Government would take just a small fraction of the money we spend on curbing legal substances like say cigarettes and fatty foods - and instead spend that money in a real effort to curb illegal drug use?

I find it interesting that Liberal Hollywood thinks they are smart enough to tell the rest of America how to live when they are so screwed up!

Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS! Rosie O'Donnel, Fast & Furious Never Happened? 9/11 Suspects on Hunger Strike, Bobbleheads, Sheriff Joe, and More!

FIRST SHOT!

Again, It's Goodbye Rosie O'Donnell!

So OK, Rosie O'Donnell's big return to television was stopped on Friday when the Oprah Winfrey Network canceled O'Donnell's daily talk show after five quick months.

Oprah had once been O'Donnell's biggest cheerleader, even giving the new show her old studio, director, and stage manager. Of course, when you hear about how the arrogant Rosie treated her former staff, it's not that surprising that Oprah's personally ended O'Donnell's run. 

Now that it's been cancelled, staffers from Rosie O'Donnell's ill-fated OWN talk show are coming forward with some great quotes about why it was canned.

"It was such a f$&king hellhole," one former staffer told The Daily Beast.

Again, not surprisingly is the reason for that? Rosie O'Donnell has a reputation in the entertainment industry of being over-bearing and cocky. Her temperamental rants and clashes with staff members are now the stuff that legends are made of.

Staff members were shocked "when O’Donnell clashed with Oprah Winfrey’s longtime director Joe Terry. People thought she humiliated him when she scolded him in front of a live audience for using the wrong camera shots."

Rosie "suggested he didn’t know what he was doing. She fired Winfrey’s Stage Manager because she felt he was ignoring her and not doing his job properly."

Rosie also became extremely angry and unhappy with her band leader, Katreese Barnes, who himself is a two-time Emmy winner, because Barnes couldn’t play obscure Broadway tunes off the cuff.

And, in what is seen as a final insult to the staff, on Friday, when Rosie's cancellation was publicly announced with a glowing statement by Oprah Winfrey herself, Rosie was not in Chicago to personally break the news to her crew. 

No, not the classless Rosie O'Donnell, instead she was Tweeting about what a great time she was having in NYC.

I can only hope that someone in the entertainment industry learns from this. The lesson here is pretty clear.

Oprah proved that you can take someone without a bit of talent, give them their own show, give them all of the opportunity in the world to make themselves a hit, and still that is not enough. The problem is that along with all of that, the person cannot be someone like Rosie O'Donnell who at the end of the day is a know-it-all who sees herself as being superior to others.

SECOND SHOT

Operation Fast & Furious Never Happened?

What am I saying?

Well according to a story in the news lately, the Justice Department Investigators who are investigating the Justice Department's part in Operation Fast & Furious finds no wrong doing by top Justice Department Officials.

Now ain't that a surprise, isn't it! Imagine that!

The Investigators haven't interviewed the Top Justice Department Officials who may have been responsible for the Justice Department Gun Running. And yes, I know the Obama White House and its Justice Department want to call it "gun walking" - but friends, it is government sponsored "Gun Running" pure and simple.

Two top Republican lawmakers are questioning the independence of the Obama Administration investigator tasked with probing Operation Fast and Furious, saying it appears her office is choosing not to interview high-level political employees in the Justice Department.

Rep. Darrell Issa of California and Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa wrote a letter Thursday to Cynthia Schnedar, Inspector General (IG) at the Justice Department, suggesting the office could be shielding close aides to Attorney General Eric Holder from scrutiny.

"Apparently, despite the advanced stage of its review, your office has not interviewed several key figures in Fast and Furious," they wrote of the controversial and defunct "Gun Walking" operation undertaken by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF.

The lawmakers asked why it appears Schnedar has failed to interview three deputy attorneys generals, all appointees close to Holder. They are worried Schnedar's report, which is expected later this year, will avoid casting blame on the Justice Department.

The Inspector General's office is part of the Department of Justice, which is headed by Eric Holder - who also is a subject of the probe.

The agency says it typically interviews witnesses and officials in order of their authority. The IG report is expected to be completed sometime this summer.

"We are unable to comment on an ongoing review," an office spokesperson said in a written statement. "However, in all of our reviews, we follow the facts and evidence wherever they lead us. In many of our past matters, we have interviewed Department of Justice personnel at the highest levels, and we will continue to do so as appropriate."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has repeatedly claimed that he would rely on that report before taking any disciplinary actions and has scolded Congress for initiating its own probe, which he calls a "political witch hunt."  Imagine that!

Meanwhile, an ATF agent who supervised Operation Fast & Furious is also stepping forward with criticism of the Congressional probe saying that Investigation has "mischaracterized" what happened and includes "false and injurious" allegations against him.

In a 27-page letter to Issa and Grassley, a lawyer for former ATF Group Supervisor David Voth says contrary to published reports, Phoenix agents worked in "good faith" to stop guns from going to Mexico.

He also blamed the botched Operation on other factors. Not on poor judgment or lax oversight, but instead on "weak firearms trafficking laws," lack of funding for the task force, a "reticent judiciary in Arizona" and "insufficient cooperation" from other Federal agencies.

Voth, who was ATF's 2009 "Agent of the Year," claims the whistle-blowers who first went to Congress "never once" complained about "gun walking" or their inability to track firearms. He called their Congressional testimony "false."

But wait, that's all well and good except for one problem, Agent John Dodson said that he firmly stands by his story, as do Congressional investigators who have interviewed dozens of government officials who back up Dodson's version of events.

So as much as the Justice Department wants to pretend that their "Gun Running" of Assault Weapons into Mexico and into the hands of the Drug Cartels, who used  those same guns to murder one of our Agents working in Mexico, their attempt to screw with the truth is not working.

They can't sweep it under the rug just because they want to.

Knowing there's a Presidential Election coming up in November, I'm sure the White House wants the public to focus on how inept the Republicans are appearing - instead of asking why hasn't Attorney General Eric Holder been removed and charged with complicity in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Back in November of 2011, a very arrogant Attorney General Eric Hold said that he has not spoken with the family of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, who was murdered in December of 2010 by a group of Mexican Drug Cartel assassins who used two of the Assault Weapons that are tied to "Operation Fast and Furious." 

But, as he told the Senate Committee investigating the crime, he "certainly regrets" what happened. 

He never did offer an outright apology when prompted by a Republican Senator to offer one, instead Holder  said he "can only imagine" the Terry family's pain.

But, he said, it's "not fair to assume" that mistakes made during the botched operation "directly led" to Terry's death.

News Flash! No one is assuming anything! It is a proven fact that two of the guns in the Operation - that Holder was a part of  -  was in fact used to murder Brian Terry!

I know! I know! I'll probably be accused of being a "Racist" for wanting to hold Eric Holder accountable!

Well folks, he screwed up and should be!

Newest Twist To Fast & Furious Case


THIRD SHOT! Two 9/11 Prisoners on Gitmo on Hunger Strike

Supposedly, at least two of the suspects in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks have been on a Hunger Strike at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps since January according to Fox News.

The men are among the so-called "High Value 14" who were transferred from the CIA prisons in Europe in 2006 to the Navy base in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Supposedly, they are protesting conditions at Guantanamo’s Camp 7 and a new policy in which communications between detainees and their defense lawyers are reviewed for security purposes, according to knowledgeable sources who would not provide further detail.

It is not clear whether the men are refusing all foods and fluids or whether they are eating only on an occasional basis. So it might not be a real Hunger Strike, but a so-so Hunger Strike - sort of like what kids do when they pout.

Defense Department spokesman Todd Breasseale said he could not discuss health-related issues of the 9/11 suspects, adding, "the physical well-being of detainees is our primary responsibility, and their security is of vital importance to our mission there. ... Hunger strikes are a form of non-violent protest, and those few who have engaged in this practice are monitored so that their health is never in any real danger. Their vital statistics are routinely monitored and they are not allowed to endanger their lives."

In December, the Admiral who oversees the detention camps ramped up the screening of communications and mail between the lawyers and their clients to keep out contraband. In January, it came to light during a routine military hearing at the base that a copy of Al Qaeda’s Inspire magazine nearly made it into the camps.

Al Qaeda's Inspire magazine is the "How To Be A Muslim Martyr Handbook" for would-be Jihadists.

The American Bar Association has written to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the preservation of attorney-client privilege in the Guantanamo military prosecutions. They are urging Panetta to take immediate steps to "rescind this policy," Bill Robinson III, president of the ABA, wrote that it was especially important in death penalty cases.

The Defense Department’s current policy, Robinson said, "seriously compromises the ability of lawyers to meet their obligations and provide ethically and Constitutionally adequate representation to their clients. It also impairs the ability of these dedicated lawyers to gain the trust and confidence of their clients."

I'd like to know exactly where in the United States Constitution does it say that Americans MUSTgive Foreigners, and especially terrorists, rights of any sort? To my knowledge, the Constitution applies only to U.S. citizens.

As for conditions at Camp 7, a detention facility that Liberals say is so secretive that no journalist has ever been given access, it is claimed by Civil Rights groups like the ACLU that the camp does not even satisfy the requirements under the Geneva Conventions that establishes minimum guarantees for the treatment of "law of war detainees."

I can't believe that bullshit at all!

After finding out lately that our Defense Department and Navy has been busy building those detainees down there a new $744,000.00 Soccer Field, and have gone out of their way to accommodate the terrorist in their custody with all sorts of religious rights for example, I find it hard to believe that the people in charge down there are cuddling the SOBs.

On Feb. 24, all of the military defense lawyers for the 9/11 suspects at Camp 7, along with the lawyer Abu Faraj al-Libi, a Libyan implicated in a plot to blow up planes over the Atlantic in 2006, wrote to William K. Lietzau, deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee policy. They claimed in the five-page letter that serious deficiencies remain in health care and living conditions.

Of course the lawyers questioned the validity of a 2009 de-classified report that in fact stated that detainees in Gitmo are actually enjoying multiple recreation yards and gyms equipped with "elliptical machines and stationary bikes, soccer balls, racquetballs."

The 2009 de-classified report also states that "Media rooms are available three times weekly for each detainee to watch movies of their choice, read newspapers, magazines (and) books."

There are unofficial reports that the 9/11 Suspects like Micheal Moore films, but anything killing Christians is probably high on their list. But don't worry folks, with "elliptical machines and stationary bikes, soccer balls, racquetballs," it really sounds like more proof that Club Gitmo is alive and well!

FOURTH SHOT!

Bobblehead Dolls of John Wilkes Booth?

That's right! There are actually bobblehead dolls of John Wilkes Booth - and of all places, how about the visitor's center at Gettysburg National Military Park.

So for you folks in other countries who are wondering why I would find this so weird, well it's because the bobblehead doll depicts the man who assassinated one of America's most beloved Presidents - yes, President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

Without a doubt, he was one of America's greatest Presidents. 

The doll of John Wilkes Booth, complete with a handgun, were taken off bookstore shelves a day after a reporter from Hanover’s The Evening Sun newspaper asked about them.

Gettysburg Foundation spokeswoman Dru Anne Neil said the dolls were available only for about a week before the Park Superintendent, the Foundation President, and the Bookstore Manager decided they shouldn’t be for sale.

Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln by sneaking up behind him while the President attended a Play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington in April 1865. Once there, he drew a small single shot cap and ball derringer pistol and shot the President behind the head.

No word in the news story as to who at the Gettysburg National Military Park’s Visitors Center Bookstore would have ordered such a disgusting tribute to that low life coward.

But honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if that same person orders replica toy single shot cap and ball derringer pistols like the one Booth used to shoot the President.

Why not? Most likely that person doing the ordering for the Bookstore has no knowledge of History or how despicable a crime that was!

Now I sort of expected this sort of bobblehead thing to be made in Communist China for some reason, but no its not. The company that makes the bobblehead dolls of John Wilkes Booth is surprisingly an American company located in Missouri.

The manufacturer says their John Wilkes Booth dolls are a top seller - and more are being produced.  But that really doesn't surprise me, especially after I found out that one of their bobblehead dolls is a Super Obama.

What surprises me is that the very same disgusting doll can be found on Amazon.com for sale by the same company in Missouri. Imagine that!

Yes, for $19.95, you too can have a "John Wilkes Booth Lincoln Assassination Bobblehead Doll by The Bobble Head LLC" on Amazon.com !

Can you say "Idjits"?


FIFTH SHOT!

Sheriff Arpaio says Obama's Birth Certificate is a "Forgery"

After putting together his own investigation, a ten page report backs up Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio when he says that he suspects the birth certificate President Obama released last year is a "computer-generated forgery" - and more, Sheriff Joe Arpaio also raised questions about the authenticity of the President’s Selective Service registration card.

In an extensive press conference in Phoenix, Sheriff Arpaio repeatedly said he is not questioning the president’s legal status under the Constitution nor alleging fraud on Obama's part, but did say there is evidence crimes have been committed by someone and his investigation continues.

"Based on all of the evidence presented and investigated, I cannot in good faith report to you that these documents are authentic," Sheriff Arpaio said. "My investigators believe that the long-form birth certificate was manufactured electronically and that it did not originate in paper format as claimed by the White House."

He said he would like Congress to investigate the matter, but short of that, he has an obligation to look into is because of potential violations of Arizona’s laws.

Sheriff Arpaio said he went into the investigation with an open mind, and would have been happy to clear Obama.

Instead, he said, the former law enforcement investigators who he deployed from his "cold case posse" at no taxpayer expense were unable to back up the White House’s story.

His investigators said the image of the birth certificate released by the White House appears to have been created originally on a computer, rather than having been originally made on paper and then scanned.

The investigators said they have identified "a person of interest" in the birth certificate matter.

Sheriff Arpaio’s Chief Investigator on the project said, there are so many questions that he couldn't have cleared Mr. Obama to be an employee of Maricopa County.

Imagine not being able to qualify for a county job like say Animal Control Officer because your background check didn't work out, yet you're still President of the United States?

For myself, I really don't think we'll all find out the truth about Obama's birth certificate until he's out of office and getting that huge pension for being President - illegal or not!

SIXTH SHOT!

Again, Environmentalist Jerkweeds try to ban lead bullets!

Hunters are up in arms over an Arizona-based conservation group latest bid to get the federal government to ban lead bullets, which the environmentalists claim contaminates the food chain.

The Center for Biological Diversity has sent a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency again asking the agency to regulate lead right out of ammunition. It's the second time the group has attempted to get the EPA to take up "their" cause, and the group is currently suing the Federal agency for rejecting their previous attempt.

The crazies at the Center for Biological Diversity has sent a petition to the EPA asking for stricter regulations on the use of lead for hunting ammunition, claiming that the spent casings are a toxic hazard for wildlife and the food chain.
Those nutcases at the Center for Biological Diversity claim that lead rounds left in animals that are shot but get away from hunters harm the food chain. They also believe that the spent casings can contaminate ground water.

What's strange is that those Jerkweeds at the Center for Biological Diversity must not understand what the earth is made of, or what effects groundwater. If they understood what the earth, the ground, the land is made of, the minerals, the composition of the land itself, then they would know that lead is a common element in nature.

And as for polluting the groundwater? Well, that's just asinine to suggest that a single casing in the middle of acres of open country  can effect groundwater table adversely! They can't be so stupid as to think that there are really people who believe their nonsense!

When I was working in Construction back in the mid-1980s before going in the Inspection Industry, the company that I worked for erected Service Stations (Gas Stations). On one particular build, I met a man at a who was trailing the amount of gas present on the earths plates.

Yes, at Gas Stations there are usually test holes available for people to come along and check how much gasoline is filtering out of the underground tanks and into the groundwater. The man that I had met said that he trailed one tank leak for almost 2 miles before it dissolved into being not note worthy.

When I was taking College courses in Welding Inspection, Metallurgy, and Materials Inspection at Contra Costa College, we had a speaker from the EPA come in to give us a talk about pollution. During the break, I asked the speaker if she had ever heard of those testers at Gas Stations. She said she did.

Then she said something that I've never forgotten, it was something that she told me during the break and the rest of the class after the break, "the secret to pollution is dilution." She made it very clear that even trace fuel was hardly detectable when diluted in groundwater.  The effects of rifle casings from hunters would be virtually undetectable in groundwater.

Knowing this tells me that the Center for Biological Diversity is lying!

The truth is that that group has long sought to curb our rights to hunt and own firearms.

"They are like a woodpecker without any wood. They just keep pecking away," Lawrence Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation told Fox News. "It’s clear that their motivation is to end hunting in the United States."

The environmental group claims the EPA has jurisdiction over bullets through the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. But the EPA doesn't see it the same way as that group of Jerkweeds.

In fact, an EPA spokesman told Fox News that the agency denied the previous petition because the agency does not share the opinion it has legal authority over bullets and shotgun pellets.

Keane, who noted that the environmental group's original petition did not exempt police officers or military personnel from using lead bullets, applauded the EPA for understanding its role.

“Regulating ammunition for hunting is simply not in the EPA’s sandbox,” said Keane

Lawrence Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation disputed the group's claim that lead bullets are a threat to anything other than what they are fired at.

"There's no sound science that show lead ammunition having an impact on wildlife population," said Keane, adding that the firearms industry pays a federal excise tax of 11 percent on ammunition, which goes to wildlife conservation programs.

Last month, Rep.Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) has recently authored a bill called the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 which places protections on hunting, fishing and shooting. The bill would clarify that materials commonly used in hunting and fishing fall outside the scope of the EPA's enforcement of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

"Most of our fish and wildlife habitat can be attributed to the taxes paid by the firearms, ammunition and sport fishing tackle industries through sportsmen," Rep.Jeff Miller told Fox News.

"Ammunition prices are already on the rise and imposing a ban on traditional ammunition and fishing tackle would result in considerable reductions in the number of sportsmen participating in the outdoors, and funding the future of our fish and wildlife habitat."

We should all support Rep.Jeff Miller of Florida, the man has way too much common sense to be a normal politician!

Story by Tom Correa

A Great St. Patrick's Day!

Today was one of those days that starts with phone calls.

First it was our American Legion's 1st Vice Commander Neil Steen calling me to tell me that he would be at the dinner tonight at the Post to help out if needed. He has been volunteering to greet our guests and man the ticket table. He is a good man, and I like the fact that he pitches in where and when he can.

The second call came from someone who said that his mother forgot her purse at the Post last night. I said that I'd meet him there, so yes - I finally got going and ran over to the Post.

When I got there, Jerry Combs was already there - and yes, he had already given the purse to the fella that called. Jerry and others were already busy preparing tonight's St. Patrick's Day Dinner!

I figured since I was already there that I would get my chores done behind the bar to get ready for the folks tonight. Frank Sousa came in, and a minute later Dorothy Mechling walked in. Frank decided to come by and ask if he could be of help. Dorothy jumped right in setting up table decorations.

I filled the coolers, the ice chest, cleaned a little, that sort of thing. I saw that I needed a few things from the store and knowing that Steve Duman was 5 or 6 miles closer to town than I am, I called him to ask if he was running into town before coming out to the Post. After he heard what I needed, he ran into Jackson to pickup what we needed. The man is a Saint!

Then the snow started. Nice big fluffy snow. And yes, I loved it because we need it. We need it because unlike other parts of the country - this has been a very mild winter and we need the water.

Winter came to Glencoe yesterday with much needed rain. And friends, it rained hard. Thunder, lightning, cold rain came down in buckets last night. Everyone up here knew the snow was coming today, and yes around 1pm it did.

That's one thing about living up here, everyone watches the weather this time of year.

Then the phone started ringing with people asking if we'd still be open as planned? A lot of folks look forward to Jerry's Great Corned beef & Cabbage, so the answer was a definite "you betcha!"

I ran home to clean up a little and pickup Deanna, then when I got back I immediately jumped behind the bar to tend to business. I cannot tell you folks how wonderful it felt seeing all our friends and neighbors walk in the door.

The snow did not stop outside, but people still came. And friends, it was a full house of what looked like some very happy folks!

Yes, we are a Vets Club. But we are also a huge part of our Community, and our neighbors know that we appreciate and thank them for their support of our Post.

All the laughter, the fun, the jokes, and of course the great food, yes it was a great time!

We opened at 4pm and I finally turned off the lights and locked the door at 9pm tonight. It was a long day, but well worth it! Jerry and his crew in the kitchen did an outstanding job, and I really hope he knows how thankful I am for all that they did today.

Volunteers make any organization like our America Legion Post run. Without them, yes nothing takes place. They are not "employees." No, they are not. Actually, none of us are employees. We are all Volunteers.

I look at all of the Officer positions with the Legion as that of being a sort of Steward. Because of that, I know that I will take care of my responsibilities until the next 2nd Vice takes over. At that time, he can run things the way he sees fit.

In the mean while, I'm tasked with doing my best in my area of responsibility. And that, my friends, is as a sort of morale officer in charge of the bar, the kitchen, and making sure we have activities and fun.

Though I don't have to answer to anyone except myself, there is no "power" in any position at the Post. Its all about honor and responsibility.

It is a point of honor that pushes me to do as good as I can. But friends, it's volunteers like Jerry, Neil, Steve, and all of the others, that get things done and make my job work. I can only hope they know how much I appreciate their jumping in and rolling up their sleeves.

Yes, I'm retired. So all in all, I see this as a way of giving back to my community and fellow veterans. In my position, I've tried to come up with ways of boosting morale.

But honestly, no matter how many ideas for events that I can come up with, no matter what I or someone else comes up with, ideas are just ideas. Its our volunteers that make them happen.

Trust me when I say that I learned a long long time ago that ideas to do this or that - ain't worth diddly squat without great people supporting it. They make things happen.

One neighbor by the name of Don Ames, whose family has been in these parts since the California Gold Rush put together a series of books chronicling our area.

In those books, they show account after account of parties, dances, balls, that the Miners and Loggers and the Merchants used to have throughout the year. Those books prove, that even back in the 1860's during the California Gold Rush, that men and women needed to get together and take time off away from their troubles and toil and celebrate life!

We are a small country American Legion Post. We are in a place that has a population of 189, and that is something that we need to remember when thinking about what we need to keep going. A couple things that our little post has going for it is that we are absolutely blessed with having a great community of really great folks.

Each month, we are slated to do something in the way of a party or a dance or a bar-b-q. Whether its Jerry doing his magic in preparing a great Corned beef and Cabbage Dinner or Santa showing up for the kids up here - my mission is to try to do what those old timers and their wives knew way back when - we should aways take time out from a lousy economy and high gas prices to celebrate life - even if it is in the smallest ways!

For you folks who helped tonight, and for you folks who braved the lousy road conditions to come out and enjoy St Patrick's Day with us, thank you for all of you support!

Have a great night, and may God bless you and yours.

Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS! Voter ID Laws, Hawaii's Most Wanted, Union Award For China, and More!

FIRST SHOT

Feds say No Voter-ID for Texas!

Like you, I need a picture identification of some sort for all sorts of things these days.

When I go to the bank to make a transaction, the store to cash a check, picking up certified mail, entering an Emergency Room for treatment, checking into the Veterans Hospital to make my appointments, when I'm stopped by the Police, or even signing up for insurance, like you, I need to produce an identification card (ID) of some sort with a picture on it.

So why is it that the Obama Administration and the Democrats in the Federal Government have a problem with us having to produce some sort of a picture ID when we show up to vote?

That is the basic question as to what the heck is going on with the Obama Justice Department these days.

This week the Feds, the Justice Department, blocked the new Texas Voter-Identification law. Their reasoning is that it targets that state’s Hispanics.

But how does that work?

First it was South Carolina and now it's Texas. Both states have had their Voter-ID laws rejected by the Justice Department for questionable reasons.

Both states have Republican-controlled legislatures trying to combat both Illegal Immigration, and both are trying to combat Voter Fraud in their states. So where's the problem?

Well, the Federal Government by way of Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez says he was using the Federal Government’s power under the Voting Rights Act to block the state’s law because "data show that Hispanics could be twice as likely as other groups to lack the right kind of identification."

Picture IDs? How can any American not have a picture ID? And why only Hispanics?
To me it all sounds like bullshit but Perez said in a six-page letter to Texas officials, "Hispanics disproportionately lack either a driver’s license or a personal identification card issued by [the state’s Department of Public Safety], and that disparity is statistically significant."

Wasting no time at all, Texas has already asked a Federal Court to hear the case - so a judge will have the final say.

Yes, the timing of the Obama Administration’s move left some Republicans questioning the motives.

"Today’s decision reeks of politics," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican and former judge who said the Justice Department is trying to "carry water for the president’s re-election campaign."

The issue is likely to play as well on the Republican campaign trail, where presidential candidates have said they would drop objections to voter-identification and state immigration laws.

At stake is the thorny question of which is a bigger problem in the country - Voter Fraud or Vote Suppression.

While there have been high-profile cases of invalid registrations, Civil Rights groups like the ACLU have argued that there is little evidence of fraud at the polls. They say the bigger problem is the enactment of laws that make voting tougher. 

These groups are either lying or obviously stupid. Why?

Well, during the last Presidential Election in 2008 voter fraud was ramped. So if they were informed of the case of 43 people all registered at one 2 bedroom home, or that Mickey Mouse was registered along with other fictitious names by groups like ACORN who Obama once worked with, then they are uninformed at best - and just plain stupid at worse.

Of course since those Civil Rights groups know better when they say that there is little evidence of fraud at the polls - then I can only assume that they are lying.

But hey, maybe stupid is how stupid thinks!

"This new law is a clear-cut attempt to suppress minority votes and stymie minority participation in our democracy," said Gary Bledsoe, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Texas State Conference, who cheered the Justice Department’s decision.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said voter fraud is a real danger and that his own office has won 50 convictions for election fraud in the past decade. He said the Justice Department has prosecuted more than 100 cases in that time.

He listed cases including a woman who submitted her dead mother’s ballot, a person who voted twice on Election Day, and an election worker who fraudulently cast a ballot under the name of a voter who shared his last name.

Texas Democrats blocked the Voter-ID law for years, but Republicans captured a super-majority in the state’s House and put the legislation through.

The same scenario played out in other states last year, usually after Republicans won or expanded majorities and pushed Voter-Identification laws. In December, the Justice Department blocked South Carolina’s new Voter-ID law, and department officials have said they are looking at other states’ laws.

Of course part of what makes this look very suspicious is that while states with republican legislatures are coming under scrutiny, states like Rhode Island with a Democrat-controlled legislature passed a law imposing a picture- ID requirement in 2014 and it was signed by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee - all with nothing said from the Democrats in the White House.

The Supreme Court has upheld Indiana’s voter-ID law, and both the authors and backers of the Texas Voter-ID statute said it was modeled after Indiana’s voter-ID law. The only difference is that the Texas statute is more restrictive in its list of acceptable identifications.

So I guess they won't accept my COSTCO picture ID! Oh well!

Voters who cannot present identification are allowed to cast provisional ballots but must return within six days with the required ID or must sign an affidavit saying they lost their identification in a natural disaster or have a religious objection to being photographed.

Texas is one of a handful of states that is required to submit new voting changes to the Justice Department. The department can block any changes it deems will have an adverse impact on minorities, and only a court can overturn its decisions.

That's why Texas wasted no time in taking the Justice Department to court! They knew what was coming from an Obama Justice Department that may be trying to allow illegals and criminals the opportunity to vote.

Criminals? Yes, registering to vote under a fictitious name is a crime.

And yes, none of this surprises me coming from the Obama White House!

SECOND SHOT

American Labor Union says China "Best Friend of American Worker"

No, I didn't read it wrong. I read it twice myself, because like you - I couldn't believe it!

Fact is that America’s biggest Maritime Labor Union has presented its "Best Friend of the American Worker Award" to the Premier of China, according to official reports from that Communist nation.

The International Longshoremen’s Association gave the award to Wen Jiabao to mark China’s "great contributions in creating more job opportunities for U.S. workers," the semi-official China Daily reported.

Chinese ambassador Zhang Yesui received the award on Wen’s behalf at a ceremony at the Port of Boston in Massachusetts. The award coincided with the 10th anniversary of the first direct shipment to Boston by COSCO, not to be confused with COSTCO, which is a giant shipping company owned and operated by the Communist Chinese government.

The International Longshoremen’s Association vice-president William McNamara presented the award.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin confirmed the award during a press conference, reported on the Chinese Embassy’s website saying,  "The award … is to thank the Chinese Government for its efforts to encourage Chinese enterprises' investment in the U.S. and to promote bilateral economic cooperation and trade. This gratitude is sincere and heartfelt."

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which claims to have 65,000 members, mainly on the East Coast was surprisingly quiet about the award and makes no mention on their website of their giving China their award.

I guess they might want to keep it sort of secret. After all, China is taking more and more manufacturing jobs from the United States every time you turn around.

And of course, there is that other little thing that a Labor Union might not want to talk about.

It is very well documented that China still uses forced labor and child labor of the type that American Labor Unions first fought against when they were first establishing themselves as being on the side of workers.

So can you say Union Hypocrites!


THIRD SHOT!

Hawaii's Most Wanted - Give Me A Break!

On KHON channel 2 News, they have a segment they call Hawaii's Most Wanted. On March 10th, they featured a woman by the name of Thomasina Kamana.

When I first saw the title of the story Hawaii's Most Wanted: Thomasina Kamana immediately I thought Bank Robber, Drug Dealer, Kidnapper, Attempted Murderer.

But Wow, was I wrong!

Thomasina is wanted on two warrants in connection with a couple of Shoplifting Cases.

That's right, Hawaii's Most Wanted is a Shoplifter!

This is crazy, but it gets even more silly as the segment even had a representative from the Honolulu Police Department go on camera and tell the public why they are looking for this notorious criminal - the now famous Thomasina Kamana. 

"On November 10, 2010 at 3 p.m., Kamana entered the Safeway store on Pali Highway and was observed putting six trays of steaks into her backpack. She was stopped outside the store and placed under arrest for theft," said Sgt. Kim Buffett of CrimeStoppers.

She stole 6 steaks! Call SWAT! Get the FBI! Notify the Justice Department!

She stole 6 steaks from Safeway supermarket, but that was only the start of her crime spree!

Six days later after the big heist of bagging 6 steaks at Safeway, the now famous Thomasina Kamana was arrested for theft at Wal-Mart after a loss prevention officer saw her put clothes in her backpack and leave without paying.
She's now wanted on two $20,000 warrants for not complying with the terms of HOPE Probation.

HOPE Probation (Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement), is the first and only of its kind in the nation. Probationers in HOPE Probation receive swift, predictable, and immediate sanctions - typically resulting in several days in jail - for each detected violation, such as detected drug use or missed appointments with a probation officer.

Thomasina Kamana is 31-years-old, 5'7" tall, 133 pounds, looks local, most probably Hawaiian, and since she stole 6 steaks has probably just attended a Bar-B-Q wearing a new shirt from Wal-Mart.

"She is known to frequent the Waianae area and she has six prior convictions," HPD Sgt Buffett says.

If you know where the now famous Thomasina Kamana is, please tell her that her Shoplifting is the biggest thing that the Honolulu Police have to concern themselves with. They obviously have nothing else to do!
 
 
FOURTH SHOT!
 
He Bit Off Part Of Basketball Coach's Ear
 
Massachusetts dad, Timothy Forbes, age 34, allegedly went nuts Friday when his 6th-grade son's basketball team lost a game.
 
Police say he attacked the winning team's coach and bit off part of his ear, according to USA today.

This is no joke! This guy must have been crazed! The unidentified coach was rushed to the hospital where his ear was surgically reattached.

When the game ended - at Holy Name School in Springfield - Timothy Forbes allegedly barreled through several 10 to 12 year-old kids before he made it to the coach.

"During the brief but violent assault assault, part of the coach's [left] ear was bitten off," Police Sgt. John Delaney told The Republican.

Other parents reportedly tried to pull Forbes off the coach, but the alleged assailant fled before the Police arrived on the scene.

So where's the surprise there, unlike on TV the Police are normally nowhere around when things happen. Most of the time, they show up an hour after called to take a report.

The biting parent turned himself in at the Springfield Courthouse on Monday and pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct, assault and battery, felony mayhem and other charges.

From reports, this is not that strange. The incidence of spectator violence at sporting events appears to be increasing at an alarming rate in present-day society. Violence at sporting events is not an uncommon occurrence.

Some folks are trying to say that we live in a more violent society, but I don't agree. Violence at sporting events is nothing new, and nit restricted to the United States.

During the Sydney Riot of 1879, up to 2,000 fans invaded the pitch and disrupted play after an umpiring dispute broke out between members of the visiting English cricket team and the New South Wales Cricket Association; two English players were assaulted, with three fans being arrested.

In 1912, during a Baseball Game between the New York Highlanders and the Detroit Tigers at Hilltop Park in New York, Tigers outfielder Ty Cobb ran into the stands and assaulted a handicapped fan, Claude Lueker, after Lueker had heckled him throughout the first three innings.

Cobb was suspended indefinitely and fined $50 for the incident, and his teammates, though they were certainly not fond of Cobb actually went on strike to protest the suspension

In 1922, after being ejected from a Baseball Game for throwing dirt in the eyes of the umpire, Babe Ruth chased a heckler through the stands. When the fan ran out of reach, Ruth returned to the dugout roof and challenged any fan in attendance to fight him. Ruth was suspended for seven games and fined $200 for the incident.
 
In 1955, midway into the first period of a game at the Montreal Forum between the Montreal Canadians and the Detroit Red Wings, Canadians fans who were outraged at the remainder of the season suspension handed to superstar Maurice "Rocket" Richard for knocking out linesman Cliff Thompson during a fight in a March 13 game, pelted Red Wings players, officials, and NHL President Clarence Campbell and his fiancee with debris as the Red Wings built up a 4–1 lead.
 
After police set off a tear gas bomb inside the Forum and ordered a total evacuation, a furious and bloodied Campbell ruled the game a forfeit to the Red Wings.
 
In 1961, in the first half of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland Indians outfielder Jimmy Piersall was attacked by two Yankee fans who ran onto the field. Piersall quickly took care of the first fan with a single punch, then went after and chased after the other who was intercepted and pummeled by Indian teammates Johnny Temple and Walt Bond.
 
In 1971, during the bottom of the ninth inning of the final game of the Washington Senators in Washington before their move to Texas, hundreds of disgruntled Senators fans rushed the field and vandalized RFK Memorial Stadium. They actually forced the Senators, who were leading the New York Yankees 7–5, to forfeit the game. Three men were arrested for disorderly conduct.
 
Another part of that riot was that Major League Baseball would not return to the U.S. capital until 2005, when the Montreal Expos moved south to become the Washington Nationals.
 
In 1974, Someone came up with the great idea of  "Ten Cent Beer Night" for a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Subsequently, fans were served as many 10-ounce cups of beer as they wanted for 10¢ each.
 
After numerous instances of drunk fans being involved in throwing things and running onto the field, streaking, the situation finally boiled over in the 9th inning when a fan ran onto the field and snatched Rangers outfielder Jeff Burroughs' cap and glove.
 
Burroughs' teammates charged out to his aid, followed by hundreds of Cleveland fans who poured onto the field.

In the chaos, believe it or not, Indians manager Ken Aspromonte ordered his players to grab baseball bats and protect the Rangers from their own fans.

Rangers manager Billy Martin actually grabbed a bat and ran into the crowd, Rangers pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the back of the head with a metal chair, and chief umpire Nestor Chylak was hit in the head with a chair thrown from the stands. Nine people were arrested, and the game was forfeited to Texas.

In 1979, at the end of a Hockey Game between the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden, Bruins players climbed into the stands to fight with Rangers fans after Stan Jonathan was hit across the face with a rolled up program and Terry O'Reilly's stick was stolen.

This incident was made infamous by Mike Milbury removing a fan's shoe and beating him with it. Four Rangers fans were arrested, with O'Reilly suspended for eight games and Milbury and Peter McNab for six games by NHL president John Ziegler; all three players were also fined $500.

This incident resulted in the installation of higher glass panels enclosing rinks in hockey arenas.

From 1979 to 1985, I was one of the Supervisors in charge of Security for the San Francisco 49ers. There were many instanced of violence with spectators in those days at Candlestick Park.
 
As recently as 2002, a shirtless father and son ran from the stands at Chicago's Comiskey Park and attacked Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa. The coach suffered a cut forehead.

In 2003, after a Padres game at Qualcomm Stadium, 22-year-old Jeremy Lindsay was beaten into a coma in the parking lot. He died seven weeks later.

Again in 2003, Giants fan Marc Antenorcruz was shot and killed by Dodgers fan Pete Marronin the parking lot of Dodger Stadium, following a late-season Dodgers-Giants game. Marron was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. A second defendant, Manuel Hernandez, plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter and had his 15 year sentence suspended.

In 2004, when the San Diego Chargers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium, three Chargers fans beat a Jaguars fan unconscious in front of dozens of people.

Also in 2004, during a game between the Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco was ejected, arrested, and charged with assault and battery after he threw a metal chair into the stands that hit a fan, Jennifer Bueno, breaking her nose and causing a gash which required stitches.

Francisco was released on $15,000 bail and suspended for the remainder of the season by MLB. He pleaded no contest to the charges, and was sentenced to anger management classes and a work program.

In 2007, Francisco finally settled a civil suit brought on by Jennifer Bueno.

In 2009, a man stabbed his "friend" in the stadium parking lot after the home opener in which the Dodgers beat the Giants 11–1. Arthur Alvarez was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Alvarez, who contended that he was knocked to the ground and acted in self-defense, was later acquitted by a jury.

Of course in 2011, Bryan Stow, a 42 year-old Giants' fan from Santa Cruz, was critically injured when he was attacked by two Dodgers fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after the Dodgers and Giants opened the 2011 season.

Stow, a paramedic and father of two, sustained severe injuries to his skull and brain and was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident. A suspect, 31-year-old Giovanni Ramirez, was arrested in connection with the crime.

Ramirez was never formally charged and was declared innocent in July 2011 when Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood were arrested and charged in the crime.

Lawyers for Stow say his medical care is expected to cost more than $50 million. On September 27, 2011, relatives reported that Stow showed signs of improvement and even went outside for the first time in six months. Stow began an intensive therapy program in the Rehabilitation Trauma Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on October 11, 2011. On December 19, 2011, NBC's Brian Williams aired the first interview with Bryan Stow.

To me, I still don't understand how others who were there witnessing the attack - didn't come to Bryan's aid.

Especially, especially, after they saw Bryan Stow’s limp body collide with the pavement and seeing Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood take turns kicking Bryan in the head.

This sort of violence is not new, but that doesn't excuse it.

LAST SHOT!

I love Samoans, they are great people!

When I was growing up in Hawaii, I learned how traditional and close Samoan families really are.

Because of my experience knowing Samoans, it doesn't surprise me that they are usually deeply religious and conservative. They really are great people.

So what do you get when 50 or so Samoan Republicans gather in a restaurant-bar in American Samoa? Well, you get a Samoan Republican Presidential Caucus.

Since American Samoa is a United States territory, the Republicans in Samoa got their chance on Tuesday to participate in the presidential selection process.

Republicans met at Toa Bar & Grill to choose delegates to the Republican National Convention and vote on a presidential candidate. For them, Mitt Romney is their pick!

As for the six delegates picked at the caucus, well they will join three American Samoa "super-" at the convention.

Now if you wanted to join the fun at the Toa Bar & Grill, I would say that you should have gotten started a while ago. 

American Samoa is located about 2,300 miles south of Hawaii, and will take about 5 hours and 40 minutes to get to Pago Pago from Honolulu. 

Of course if you did go to Samoa, you may have wanted to stay.  

Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS! Tom Hanks Loves Obama, Greedy Lottery Winner, and More

FIRST SHOT!

Tom Hanks goes all in for Obama's re-election.

The Multi-Millionaire Hollywood Star is the voice behind a short film that can only be described as a loving tribute to President Obama's term in office.

Yes, Hanks is the same hardcore Democrat who donated $10,000 to Bill Clinton's Legal Defense Fund when Clinton's people needed money to go after Monica Lewinsky's character. Hanks didn't seem to care that it was Clinton who proved to be wrong in that case, even after it was proven that Bill Clinton committed perjury during his Grand Jury testimony.

In 2008, Tom Hanks backed Barack Obama and went out of his way to compare him to Franklin Roosevelt and even Ronald Reagan believe it or not. Of course it did not bother Hanks that Obama had no experience in the working world never the less a executive of a business, State, or Federal Agency.

People forget that FDR was the Secretary of the Navy before he was President, and Ronald Reagan was the Governor of California - which of course means that he acted as the Chief Executive of the State.

Obama had no executive or management experience on his resume when he ran for president. In fact, the only candidate on the presidential ticket in 2008 with executive experience in running a State was former Governor Sarah Palin who was running as Senator John McCain's Vice Presidential running mate. Of course the Liberal Media attacked and ridiculed Sarah Palin horribly.

Their Democrat's propaganda machine went into full gear to demonize and tear down any credibility of Sarah Palin. And because of a few small gaffs, the Liberal Media tried to make her into a laughing stock.

Never did they talk about Obama's inability to know some of the most basic fundamentals of United States government or how it works. Heck, the man didn't even know how many States there are. Something that is fundamental to a child's education here in America.

Someone told me that he didn't know how many States there were because he was brought up in a Muslim county overseas until the age of 10 or 11. I assumed that since he was a Senator from Illinois, he would at least know the basics of what makes America and her people what we are.

In 2008, after listening to him speak, it became fairly apparent that Obama would have a difficult time passing the test that Immigrants have to pass to become United States Citizens.

None of that seems to have bothered Tom Hanks. It was evident that he was more concerned about a Black American becoming President instead of the most competent man becoming President. In a video that he made in 2008, he kept reminding his viewers that this was a historical moment.

In that video, Hanks went on to say, "I want Barack Obama to be President of this country, a country that once said people with his skin color were 3/5ths a human being."

I guess, if a Celebrity is going to endorse a candidate - then the color of a candidate's skin is as good as any other reason to endorse him or her as any other!

I mean, why really care about qualifications right?

Now Tom Hanks is endorsing Obama again in 2012, this time he narrates a 17 minute propaganda film called "The Road We've Traveled" which celebrates Obama as a President.

Of course, like neglecting to look at his qualifications for the office of president, Hanks and the film maker who put this piece together have conveniently neglected the overwhelming failure of the Obama Presidency. But then again, that is something that most on the Left to do.

In the past, Tom Hanks has made it clear that America is in the War on Terror out of racist motives. He said so much when he compared America's war on Terrorism to America fighting the Japanese in World War II.

In an interview with Time magazine, Hanks, who starred in the World War II drama "Saving Private Ryan" and produced both "Band of Brothers" and the HBO series "The Pacific" with Stephen Spielberg, compared the Japanese conflict to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hanks told the magazine, "Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as 'yellow, slant-eyed dogs' that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what's going on today?"

Then Hanks brought up the comparison again while promoting "The Pacific" during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

He said, "'The Pacific' is coming out now, where it represents a war that was of racism and terror. And where it seemed as though the only way to complete one of these battles on one of these small specks of rock in the middle of nowhere was to - I'm sorry - kill them all. And, um, does that sound familiar to what we might be going through today? So it's - is there anything new under the sun? It seems as if history keeps repeating itself."

I can only hope that Tom Hanks does not see racism everywhere in America.

I believe that the Left's promotion of Barack Obama is based on their racist views of America. It seems to me that the Left is just too frightened to admit that Barack Obama has been a failure. It seems that they are afraid of being called "Racist" if they do.

I think that's why many on the Left blindly support Obama. I really believe that the Left doesn't want to face the truth about what he's done in office. Too many on the Left are too worried about being labeled "Racist" if they speak the truth about Obama's record since the election.

It is very apparent that the Left fears being called "Racist." I think that that is the reason that they are so quick to toss around that label.

Barack Obama has been above criticism to a certain extent. And yes, I really believe its because he's black.

I really believe this to be true. From what I've seen since he has become President, it is more true than not.

And what do I base that on? Well, when millions of Americans across the country joined the Tea Party and openly criticized Obama's policies, his policies, they were immediately labeled as "Racist,""Bigots," and "White Supremacist" in the Liberal Media. The Left's lie is to say that that didn't happen!

Instead of saying "I want Barack Obama to be President of this country, a country that once said people with his skin color were 3/5ths a human being," I wish Tom Hanks would have said what he likes about Barack Obama's policies.

Obama's ideas and policies were not the focus of the video in 2008. From the video, it was not why he supported him in 2008. Because of that, I can't help but wonder if that's still the reason Tom hanks supports Obama in 2012.  I really hope it's not just because he's black.


SECOND SHOT!

Michigan woman who won $1M lottery kept using food stamps

Yes, I'm sure most out there have heard that a Michigan woman who won a $1 Million lottery continued to collect $200 a month in food stamps. Well, to be more specific, she did until she boasted about her situation to a local TV station and State officials stepped in to put a stop to it.

Amanda Clayton hit the jackpot in the "Make Me Rich!" lottery game show in October. Then she took the lump sum of $700,000, and allowing for taxes, she was left with about $500,000.

The 24-year-old, who is unemployed, said she continued to receive public assistance - even though she hit the lottery.

"I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn't, I thought, maybe, it was OK because I'm not working," Clayton said. "It's hard. I am struggling. I feel that it's okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay. I have two houses."

Wait a minute! Where do people like this come from? What is this crap? She can't be that stupid! But since they didn't say anything she figured she'd just keep collecting from the State, like I said, where do people like this come from?

And listen to her justification as she says, "I thought, maybe, it was OK because I'm not working. It's hard. I am struggling. I feel that it's okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay. I have two houses."

She got half a million dollars! And by the way, how does a person with two houses get food stumps and assistance? How did she qualify? Why didn't she sell one?

This last week, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) said Amanda Clayton was no longer receiving benefits and warned that people who continued to receive handouts in such circumstances may face criminal investigation and be required to pay back those benefits.

A bill to stop lottery winners from continuing to cash in on food assistance has passed the state House and lawmakers are pushing for the Senate to approve it as well.

This is the sort of person that has screwed up things to such an extent that States or the Feds feel that they need to pass more and more regulations and laws that affect all of our lives.

She's part of the reason we live in a Regulation Nation today wityh laws and regulations for every aspect of American life.


THIRD SHOT!


Bikini Parade 2012: Guinness World Record Set In Panama City Beach, Florida

So OK, I'll admit that I've had my concerns about the quality of education in our colleges and universities. And yes, I really believe that America's educational system is not what it used to be.

Yes, Federal regulations are putting companies out of business and sending jobs overseas. Yes, it may seem like President Obama is working contrary to our interests. Yes, it might look like America is behind the Japanese and Germans when it comes to building good quality cars.

But folks, when it comes to Bikini Parades, America leads the way."

That's right! When it comes to American students going on Spring Break, it seems they raise to the top of their class in having a great time and enjoying themselves. And of course, how else do they enjoy their time away from classes - have a Bikini Parade!

It was reported that Australia set the previous Guinness World Record for longest bikini parade last year, with 357 participants. But that comparatively puny number was crushed this month in Panama City, Florida, when 450 women glad in bikinis marched down the beach to get America to the top spot.

Karly Quinn, who was one of the Panama Beach bikini gals, summed up the significance of the historic event this way, "This is the most exciting day of my life, tears were coming out of my eyes, I'm so proud of the United States."

While chanting, "U-S-A! U-S-A," the 450 women walked one mile across Panama City Beach to break the record, according to Alabama Live.

Panama City Beach officials couldn't be more proud of their community's place in history, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"We are thrilled to have challenged and broken the record for the World's Largest Bikini Parade" Dan Rowe, president of the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau said in a statement obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.

And now, without further condescension, check out these photos from this year's record-breaking march and last year's Australian parade.

My only question, how many of them are Georgetown University Law Students who may need financial assistance to get contraceptives?

LAST SHOT!


School Threatens to Remove Student From Honors Society Over Church Work

So a Virginia high school is threatening to remove a student from the National Honor Society because she completed community service work at a local church.

But it appears the student is not going to take this sitting down. In fact, the 17-year-old High School Senior filed a Federal Lawsuit claiming that she is a victim of religious discrimination at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

"In essence, she was targeted and discriminated against solely because of the religious nature of her community service work," said Matt Sharp, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund. Sharp is represented the unidentified student in her lawsuit.

"There’s no honor in penalizing an honors student’s community service to children just because it happens to be faith-based," Sharp said. "Positive community service and leadership like this should be encouraged by schools, not subjected to unconstitutional discrimination."

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology had trouble accepting her community service last fall when the student submitted her required hours for membership in the National Honor Society.

Students are required to perform at least 12 hours of service to maintain membership. Sharp said his client had more than 46 hours of service – working with children in her church’s “Kids Quest” Sunday school program.

And even though she completed more than the minimum requirement, the school's faculty adviser told the student that her hours would not count because her work was done in a church and was in violation of district policy.

According to the ADF (Alliance Defense Fund), the Fairfax County School Board’s Faith-Based Service Policy states that in order to be considered for credit, faith-based activities "must have a secular purpose…and may not include preparation or participation in the performance of religious services."

The National Honor Society (NHS) addressed the issue in a memorandum dated April 2010 and titled, "Can activities done for a religious group be counted as service hours for members completing NHS or NJHS chapter service requirements?"

According to reports, the National Honor Society said the answer is “yes and no.”

According to the memorandum, teaching Sunday school at church "may be readily fall under the aspect of leadership experiences also required of members. Assuming the responsibility for preparing and presenting lessons and supervising a group of students for an hour would generally be seen as evidence of demonstrated responsibility and leadership skills for an individual student."

However, the NHS defers final permission to the individual school district, noting "One can argue both sides of this question."

Sharp said the school system’s behavior has been outrageous.

"It’s the school policy that prohibits any credit for community service done at church,” he said. “She sees a need and is passionate to help these children. But because it’s done through her church she was told her hours would not be recognized, but if she had gone to the local Boys and Girls Club and done the exact time of work she would have been given credit."

Unless his client makes up the 12 hours of community service along with four additional hours, her name will be submitted for removal from the National Honor Society.

"This really is an outrageous example of targeting religious community service and religious beliefs for discrimination," Sharp said.

I agree, but I believe that this discrimination is only targeted toward Christians. I really believe if this situation was one where a Muslim student was being targeted - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the ACLU would be there at her defense faster than you can say Mecca! 

Story by Tom Correa

Under Obama, Oil and Gas Production in Decline on Federal Lands by 40%

Below, I have posted an article entitled IER Analysis: Oil and Gas Production Declines on Federal Lands in FY2011.

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) posted this article on their website, and in my opinion, this is information that we the public needs to know. 

This is the sort of facts and figures that we all need when we contact our Representatives and Senators asking them why Domestic Oil Production is down instead of up? to turn up the

Because of a turbulent Middle-East, I would think that our Federal government is taking actions to increase our Domestic Oil and Gas production output.  Instead, the more I read, the more I find out that the Obama Administration is slowing production - not increasing it.

This is an interesting article in that it was written by the Institute for Energy Research as an answer to  Representative Edward Markey (D-Mass.) recently sent a letter to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

It appears the Congressman was unhappy about the way the Energy Information Administration reported its findings on Domestic Oil and Gas Production on Federal lands.

The letter from the Institute for Energy Research (IER) states clearly that "while the data disparity noted in Rep. Markey’s letter may lead some to believe that EIA’s under-reporting of production on federal lands gives cover for failed Obama administration policies, the facts remain unchanged. Production on federal lands is down ... There is clearly a need for policy changes that encourage energy production on federal government lands."

To quote Rob Bluey's article on Energy Production:

Despite the Obama administration’s restrictive policies for oil and gas production on federal lands, overall production still increased thanks to the pro-energy policies in states like North Dakota.

“North Dakota has been the poster child for what can happen when we unleash free enterprise and allow states to develop and commercialize their resources,” Heritage’s Nick Loris wrote recently on The Foundry. “North Dakota is drilling at record pace.”

The result: North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 3.4 percent, the lowest in the country. According to a recent report from IHS Global Insight, North Dakota already returned to pre-recession employment along with energy-rich Alaska. Texas is expected to do so in the first quarter of 2012, followed by Nebraska and South Dakota next year.

Those states all have something in common: energy production.

That policy aligns with recommendations from Obama’s own Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which yesterday issued a report calling for more energy production that includes drilling and pipelines. Here’s the language from the Jobs Council report:

As a nation, we need to take advantage of all our natural resources to spur economic growth, create jobs and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. First, we should allow more access to oil, natural gas and coal opportunities on federal lands.

Where sources of shale natural gas have been uncovered, federal, state and local authorities should encourage its safe and responsible extraction.

While the administration has supported holding additional lease sales and evaluating new areas for drilling, further expanding and expediting the domestic production of fossil fuels both offshore and onshore (in conjunction with more electric and natural gas vehicles) will reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil and the huge outflow of U.S. dollars this reliance entails.

In addition, policies that encourage rapid lease development while emphasizing the highest safety standards will ensure companies responsibly drill for natural gas or oil and mine for coal or other our minerals in federal areas in a timely manner.

With the Keystone XL decision, Obama rejected that advice. “At a time when unemployment remains unacceptably high, Iran is threatening the Strait of Hormuz, and Canada is looking to take this oil elsewhere, it is difficult to understand how the President could say no to thousands of jobs and an increase in energy supply from our ally,” Loris wrote in reaction to the decision.

- end quote.

So why isn't the Obama Administration and its Democrats in Congress more worried about increasing production and subsequently making America more energy independent while lowering gas prices at the pump?

I don't know why Obama has made it so tough for Oil Companies to produce on Federal land. Some say it's to keep gas prices high to force people to turn to alternative energy. Some say it is to force Americans to accept his plan to fundamentally change America.

I don't know what his reasons are for not helping Americans. I really believe that, and its what I also get from the article below, it seems that Democrats like Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) are more worried about trying to cover their backsides in an Election Year than they are about helping Americans.


IER Analysis: Oil and Gas Production Declines on Federal Lands in FY2011

Posted February 23, 2012

"EIA has included information on the production of oil and natural gas on Federal lands in the AER that significantly under-represents what is actually occurring:" letter from Rep. Edward Markey to Howard Gruenspecht, Acting Administrator of the Energy Information Administration.

Representative Edward Markey (D-Mass.) recently sent a letter to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) requesting the agency fix a problem with oil and gas production data on federal lands it reports in the Annual Energy Review (AER).

Markey’s interest in writing to EIA was to indicate that the production volumes reported on Federal lands by EIA were low, and to point out that production rose in fiscal year 2010, rather than declined as the EIA data showed and as the Institute for Energy Research (IER) and the Heritage Foundation reported on their websites.

EIA has yet to correct its reporting problem, and is waiting on the Department of the Interior (DOI) to provide correct data. In the meantime, IER painstakingly generated the available data for fiscal years 2006 through 2011 from reports buried in the Department of Interior’s website.

IER found that oil production on federal lands in FY2011 did, in fact, decline from the fiscal 2010 level and natural gas production on federal lands declined in FY2010 and then again in FY2011. While the Administration is correct that oil and gas production in the United States is rising, the data show that where the federal government was in charge oil and gas production fell last year on taxpayer-owned lands.

What Does the ONRR Data Show?

In FY2011, oil and natural gas production on federal lands declined from their 2010 levels: oil production on federal lands declined by 11 percent and natural gas production on federal lands declined by 6 percent. Meanwhile, there was a 14 percent increase for oil production on private and state lands and a 12 percent increase for natural gas production on private and state lands.

Sources: Department of the Interior, Office of Natural Resources Revenue, http://www.onrr.gov/ONRRWebStats/ExportReport.aspx?report=AllNonRevenueVolumesByCategoryAndCommodity&yeartype=FY&year=2011&datetype=AY
and http://www.onrr.gov/ONRRWebStats/Disbursements_Royalties.aspx?report=AllReportedRoyaltyRevenues&yeartype=FY&year=2011&datetype=AY

Moreover, natural gas production on federal lands in FY2011 declined by 27 percent from its FY2009 level, when it peaked at 6.82 trillion cubic feet, while natural gas production on state and private lands increased 28 percent over that time period.

Sources: Department of the Interior, Office of Natural Resources Revenue, http://www.onrr.gov/ONRRWebStats/ExportReport.aspx?report=AllNonRevenueVolumesByCategoryAndCommodity&yeartype=FY&year=2011&datetype=AY
and http://www.onrr.gov/ONRRWebStats/Disbursements_Royalties.aspx?report=AllReportedRoyaltyRevenues&yeartype=FY&year=2011&datetype=AY

The above trend indicates the Obama Administration policies that IER reported are causing lower oil and natural gas production on taxpayer-owned lands.[iv] These policies include limiting the offshore areas where oil can be produced, leasing much less land than previous administrations, cancelling oil leases, withdrawing oil leases and slow-walking the issuance of permits that allow domestic energy production. (For more of the Obama administration’s anti-energy actions, click here.)

Data Issues

In obtaining the data for this analysis from the DOI’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) website, IER noted the following:

•Data were unavailable on the ONRR website for non-revenue production on federal lands prior to fiscal year 2006. IER received the following message when asking for fiscal year 2005 data: “An error has occurred while processing your request. Please try again. If the problem persists, please contact MMS Customer Support at 1-877-256-6260. When speaking with customer support, a federal official stated that “an error has occurred in the MRM Statistical Reporting application.”

•The data given to Rep. Markey by ONRR is different from what is reported on the agency’s website. For example, in his letter to EIA, Rep. Markey indicated that non-revenue oil production on federal lands in FY 2010 was 312 million barrels, but the ONRR website reports 351 million barrels.

•Non-revenue production volumes by fuel type are not evident on ONRR’s statistical website. For more about ongoing data transparency issues at the Department of Interior, click here.

Conclusion

Rep. Markey was right to ask the U.S. Energy Information Administration to correct its information in the Annual Energy Review, which are not easily obtainable from the Department of Interior either by the general public or by other federal agencies or the Congress.

And while the data disparity noted in Rep. Markey’s letter may lead some to believe that EIA’s under-reporting of production on federal lands gives cover for failed Obama administration policies, the facts remain unchanged. Production on federal lands is down, while production on state and private lands is up.

Indeed, if ONRR’s data volumes are correct,there are abundant reasons to believe that current policies holding public lands captive from resource development serve to make federal lands increasingly unattractive to energy producers.

Our nation needs to produce energy, revenue and especially, jobs. Meanwhile, state and private lands are rapidly increasing energy production. There is clearly a need for policy changes that encourage energy production on federal government lands.

Author: IER


Reprinted here as a service to the public.

by Tom Correa