YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK

[nChrist]

Just think ... we have people like this still in Congress. I can see why she is with the Green Party ... birds of a feather.

 

Brother, you must remember to be POLITICALLY CORRECT and stop discriminating against the MENTALLY ILL!  After all, Congress is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER!

[Soldier4Christ]

After all, Congress is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER!

They are? I thought it was a requirement to be mentally ill before you could get elected in.

[HisDaughter]

    * "I am surprised she didn't claim it was 5,000 black men and a racist plot by Bush! Liberals eliminated all mental hospitals; now I know why! They would fill them all up!"

    * "I have never heard of her, this lady is a FRUIT LOOP."

    * "Life must be really scary on her planet."

    * "Obviously not the brightest crayola in the box. ... Cynthia...stick a fork in yourself dear....your DONE!"

Brother, you must remember to be POLITICALLY CORRECT and stop discriminating against the MENTALLY ILL!  After all, Congress is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER!

They are? I thought it was a requirement to be mentally ill before you could get elected in.

   You know I love a good wise-crack!

[Soldier4Christ]

3 in 5 voters: Boot
every congressman
59 percent say they'd kick out
all members of House, Senate

If given the choice, a new poll reveals, 59 percent of Americans would sweep Capitol Hill clean of the current batch of senators and representatives to elect an entirely new Congress.

Only 17 percent of those polled said they would be willing to keep the current Legislature.

Rasmussen Reports conducted the national telephone survey on the heels of Congress passing a widely unpopular financial bailout bill, revealing a significant amount of voter dissatisfaction with the nation's current legislators.

The polling firm records a mere 30 percent of voters approved of the bailout, while 45 percent were opposed, and yet Congress passed it, leaving behind some highly critical voters.

The new poll shows only 23 percent of Americans have even a little confidence in the ability of Congress to address the nation's economic problems, and 76 percent doubt that most federal legislators even understand bills before they vote on them.

Further, less than half (49 percent) believe the current Congress is any more capable than a group of people plucked from the phone book, and nearly a third (33 percent) think the phone book congress would do a better job.

Despite the Legislature's dismal 11 percent approval rating, Rasmussen Reports pointed out that 90 percent of Congress is likely to remain following this November's election.

Rasmussen Reports dug into history to reveal that for well over 100 years after the U.S. Constitution was adopted, congressional turnover in national elections averaged about 50 percent. Following the New Deal era, however, those numbers began to decline. Since 1968, no national election has managed to muster even a 10 percent turnover.

The poll showed, however, that despite overall dissatisfaction, Democratic voters were more hesitant to throw the out the current, Democrat-controlled Congress.

Only 43 percent of those polled from Barack Obama's party were willing to sweep Capitol Hill clean. Among Republicans, 74 percent wanted to throw the whole batch out, and 62 percent of unaffiliated voters were willing to join in.

Even so, when asked if they would vote to keep the current Legislature, only 25 percent of Democrats polled wished to retain the current Congress.

[Soldier4Christ]

If they had included us in that poll it would have been a whole lot closer to 100%. 

[nChrist]

If they had included us in that poll it would have been a whole lot closer to 100%.  ;D ;D

Brother, nothing comes close to the DISMAL work of our NON-REPRESENTATIVES! I do have some confidence in some who I know and have followed what they've done since entering office. BUT, that would be very few.

The vast majority of our so-called representatives appear to be CROOKS ON THE VERGE OF COMMUNISM! Their interest is to line their pockets with graft and political corruption, and they could care less about the CONSTITUTION AND THE PEOPLE! In fact, many appear to care less about the survival of the country and have pet money-making projects they're more interested in. I'm especially troubled about the SLIDE INTO COMMUNISM and the lack of guts for any of them to STAND UP!

At this dismal point in time, I would even CHEER for a less than totally honest POLITICIAN who would stand up and TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS! It's sad when there are thoughts that common CRIMINALS have more patriotism and love of country than many of our politicians.

Then the topic goes to VALUES, MORALS, AND ETHICS!  WHERE ARE THEY AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM? OUR PUBLIC OFFICES ARE BEING PRETTY RAPIDLY FILLED WITH COMMUNISTS WHO HATE GOD, HATE AMERICA, AND HATE OUR WAY OF LIFE! We'd better wake up or we'll find a COMMUNIST RADICAL in the Whitehouse soon. NO - I'm not kidding! I'm totally serious, and it makes me SICK! WE NEED TO WAKE UP, BECOME INFORMED, AND START TRYING TO ENCOURAGE CHRISTIANS TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE!

[Soldier4Christ]

That is indeed a fact. Communism is entering our government and it is no longer by the back door but right out in plain sight without any doubts. Unfortunately there are many that are blind to this and are in fact supporting it.

[HisDaughter]

I wish they would've called me!  I'd have LOVED to have given my 2 cents!  But you already know that.... 

[nChrist]

I wish they would've called me!  I'd have LOVED to have given my 2 cents!  But you already know that.... 

       

Sister, I must tell you that a dime's worth is the least that I've ever heard you give, but it was a GOOD DIME'S WORTH!

[Soldier4Christ]

When Same-Sex-Marriage is Legal: No Parental Notification Necessary

This report is from the Family Research Council in Washington D.C. Parents report that their parental rights to prior notification of same-sex-education was denied - BECAUSE, same-sex-marriage is legal in Massachusetts - and legal makes it normal and right. This father ended up in handcuffs and in jail.

Watch this video if you are at all able to. It is important to the well-being of both you and your children.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815825713?bctid=1819819843

[nChrist]

When Same-Sex-Marriage is Legal: No Parental Notification Necessary

This report is from the Family Research Council in Washington D.C. Parents report that their parental rights to prior notification of same-sex-education was denied - BECAUSE, same-sex-marriage is legal in Massachusetts - and legal makes it normal and right. This father ended up in handcuffs and in jail.

Watch this video if you are at all able to. It is important to the well-being of both you and your children.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815825713?bctid=1819819843

Pastor Roger,

This is an excellent video. It is pretty slow in loading, but maybe this is good and means that many people are watching it. YES, this is IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE WATCHED! Parents need to be informed about where things are going. OUR CHILDREN ARE AT STAKE! THE DEVIL IS TRYING TO KIDNAP OUR CHILDREN AND WILL UNLESS WE STOP HIM!

[HisDaughter]

Civil libertarians stunned at poll center dress code
'Policy undermines First Amendment, likely will affect right to vote'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 17, 2008
8:20 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Civil liberatarians have been stunned by an announcement by Virginia officials that there will be a dress code at polling locations on Nov. 4, a move that will "most likely affect the right to vote."

Now John W. Whitehead, the chief of the Rutherford Institute, which pursues issues involving freedom and rights, has written to the state Board of Elections seeking a policy change.

"If you will not stand for the people of this commonwealth, we will," he said.

The state Board of Elections recently adopted a policy that provides, among other restrictions: "No person shall be allowed to show, display, or exhibit any material, object, item, advertisement, or piece of apparel, which has the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate."

Thus, T-shirts, pins, buttons and other "apparel" on behalf of a candidate is banned.

The policy, Whitehead said, has pitted the state board "against the ideals of free expression embodied in the United States and Virginia Constitutions."

"Thomas Jefferson understood that the first duty of government is to protect the freedom of expression," said Whitehead. "Regrettably, the State Board of Elections shirked this important civic duty when it adopted what essentially amounts to a dress code policy. This policy not only undermines the First Amendment right to free speech but will most likely affect the right to vote."

The ban on displaying political messages on apparel at polling places was proposed and approved at the Oct. 14 meeting of the Virginia State Board of Elections. Since its passage, the Rutherford Institute, along with other civil liberties advocates in the state, has voiced concerns that the policy's language is overly vague, which could very well result in local officials across the state gagging free speech and/or disenfranchising Virginia voters.

While courts have recognized that states may regulate speech in and around polling places in order to protect the right of persons to vote freely for the candidate of their choice, and to protect against fraud and preserve the integrity of the voting process, the Virginia policy goes much further, he said.

In his letter to Jean Cunningham, chairman of the SBE, Whitehead said, "This statutory attempt to protect voters from political harassment is a far cry from doing away with free speech altogether, especially the kind of passive political expression exhibited on apparel, buttons or other paraphernalia that is now being targeted for censorship by the SBE."

Whitehead said his institute already has been contacted by numerous individuals who are concerned that if they choose to exercise their constitutionally protected rights of the freedom of speech and expression, they will be denied the right to vote.

"Political speech is essential to and is the essence of self-government," Whitehead said. "It is for this reason that the protections afforded to expression under the law have the fullest and most urgent application to speech that relate to politics. In no way does passive political speech as expressed on clothing, buttons, stickers or other paraphernalia threaten the order of polling places or the freedom of other voters to cast their ballots according to the conscience," he said.

Whitehead said absent a response or a change in the policy by Monday means he would consider other options "legal or otherwise."

WND previously reported Missouri state law-enforcement officials supporting Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama were threatening those connected to campaign ads that appeared to be false or misleading, according to their interpretation.

Gov. Matt Blunt likened the intimidation to "police state tactics."

"What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment," he said.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hawaii drops universal health coverage
Governor cites budget shortfalls, other options available

Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched.

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.

"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that was the intent of the program."

State officials said Thursday they will stop giving health coverage to the 2,000 children enrolled by Nov. 1, but private partner Hawaii Medical Service Association will pay to extend their coverage through the end of the year without government support.

"We're very disappointed in the state's decision, and it came as a complete surprise to us," said Jennifer Diesman, a spokeswoman for HMSA, the state's largest health care provider. "We believe the program is working, and given Hawaii's economic uncertainty, we don't think now is the time to cut all funding for this kind of program."

Hawaii lawmakers approved the health plan in 2007 as a way to ensure every child can get basic medical help. The Keiki (child) Care program aimed to cover every child from birth to 18 years old who didn't already have health insurance—mostly immigrants and members of lower-income families.

It costs the state about $50,000 per month, or $25.50 per child—an amount that was more than matched by HMSA.

State health officials argued that most of the children enrolled in the universal child care program previously had private health insurance, indicating that it was helping those who didn't need it.

The Republican governor signed Keiki Care into law in 2007, but it and many other government services are facing cuts as the state deals with a projected $900 million general fund shortfall by 2011.

While it's difficult to determine how many children lack health coverage in the islands, estimates range from 3,500 to 16,000 in a state of about 1.3 million people. All were eligible for the program.

"Children are a lot more vulnerable in terms of needing care," said Democratic Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland. "It's not very good to try to be a leader and then renege on that commitment."

The universal health care system was free except for copays of $7 per office visit.

Families with children currently enrolled in the universal system are being encouraged to seek more comprehensive Medicaid coverage, which may be available to children in a family of four earning up to $73,000 annually.

These children also could sign up for the HMSA Children's Plan, which costs about $55 a month.

"Most of them won't be eligible for Medicaid, and that's why they were enrolled in Keiki Care," Diesman said. "It's the gap group that we're trying to ensure has coverage."

[Soldier4Christ]

Feds confiscate, pirate investor's gun-shop software
Advocates now fear government has 'back door' to private info

A small software company trying to create a program to help gun dealers comply with federal regulations now believes that the government purposefully stalled and then swiped the technology to create a copycat program of its own.

James LaMonte is the CEO and founder of Coloseum Software Corp. in Mansfield, Mass. He believes the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) used the government's muscle to extract technology from his business for its own use.

LaMonte told Gun Owners of America, a non-profit lobbyist group defending Second Amendment gun rights, "As a small business owner, I never would have thought that our biggest competition was the United States government."

The GOA's website likens what the government allegedly did to Coloseum Software to the IRS creating a "government version" of Turbo Tax to shove the popular tax preparation software company out of business.

The GOA also fears that by muscling a government software program into gun stores, the BATFE may also be seeking an electronic "back door" for unrestricted access to gun dealers' records.

LaMonte explained to WND that when a customer purchases a firearm from a federal firearm license (FFL) gun dealer, the dealer must fill out the complicated Firearms Transaction Record, or form 4473.

Simple and common errors on the form, however, such as writing an "N" instead of the required "NO," are deemed in violation of federal law. If a gun dealer is discovered to commit too many even innocent clerical errors, the BATFE can revoke the dealer's license.

LaMonte cited the case of Red's Trading Post in Twin Falls, Idaho, which has fought for years to survive after the BATFE revoked its license for what the store's manager has called mostly human error in filling out forms.

"This isn't speculation," LaMonte told WND. "The facts are fact: an 85% decrease in FFL dealers in the last 10 years as a result of revocations from clerical errors. … That's the procedure; put them out of business for clerical errors."

So for the last seven years, LaMonte and Coloseum Software Corp. have been working on a program that would check and correct form 4473, guaranteeing it is filled out correctly and in compliance with government regulation.

In April, an FFL dealer filed for permission to use Coloseum's program, which led to a series of meetings between the BATFE and the software company to ensure that the program would be in compliance with the new 4473 form the government will require next month.

As the months and meetings went by, however, LaMonte claims his company was required to surrender extensive information about the specifics of its software, while the BATFE stalled on giving specifics needed to update the program.

"During this six- or seven-month period," LaMonte told WND, "we suspected the government was working with us to get this technology out there for the betterment of the FFL dealers, but it was actually just the opposite. They were using our technology processes in order to stall us in order to get their own technology ahead of us."

The BATFE then shocked Coloseum earlier this month by announcing to the FFL dealers that it was set to release its own electronic form 4473 program.

"We had no idea they were even considering creating their own technology," LaMonte said. "Had we known that, we certainly never would have met with them. We certainly never would have submitted an application to them, because the application was extremely thick with a step-by-step play manual on how the technology works. Had they mentioned it to us, we would have cancelled the meeting."

LaMonte told WND that the government has yet to release November's new 4473 form to his company so Coloseum can update its product.

An official at BATFE deferred to external affairs for comment, though the department has not returned WND's inquiries.

"How can a small business compete with the government?" LaMonte asked. "We can't, because we have to go to them for approval."

[Soldier4Christ]

Military report: Terms 'jihad,' 'Islamist' needed

A U.S. military "Red Team" charged with challenging conventional thinking says that words like "jihad" and "Islamist" are needed in discussing 21st-century terrorism and that federal agencies that avoid the words soft-pedaled the link between religious extremism and violent acts.

"We must reject the notion that Islam and Arabic stand apart as bodies of knowledge that cannot be critiqued or discussed as elements of understanding our enemies in this conflict," said the internal report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times.

The report, "Freedom of Speech in Jihad Analysis: Debunking the Myth of Offensive Words," was written by unnamed civilian analysts and contractors for the U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East and South Asia. It is thought to be the first official document to challenge those in the government who seek to downplay the role of Islam in inspiring some terrorist violence.

"The fact is our enemies cite the source of Islam as the foundation for their global jihad," the report said. "We are left with the responsibility of portraying our enemies in an honest and accurate fashion."

The report contributes to an ongoing debate within the U.S. government and military over the roots of terrorism, its relationship to Islam and how best to counter extremist ideology.

• Read the internal report, "Freedom of Speech in Jihad Analysis."

It cites two Bush administration documents that appear to minimize any link between radical Islam and terrorism.

A January 2008 memorandum from the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties stated that unidentified American Muslims recommended that the U.S. government avoid using the terms "jihadist," "Islamic terrorist," "Islamist" or "holy warrior," asserting that would create a "negative climate" and spawn acts of harassment and discrimination.

Dan Sutherland, Homeland Security officer for civil rights and civil liberties, said the document is not department policy.

"This was a compilation of recommendations and thoughts provided to us by some prominent American Muslim thinkers and never was intended to be Department of Homeland Security policy," he said in an interview.

"If a paper from another part of government says this doesn't make sense, that's a valid point. This memo is a thought piece meant to stir discussion."

Mr. Sutherland said he agrees that a debate on terrorist terminology is needed in describing "the very serious threat we face."

A second document mentioned by the report was developed for the State Department by the National Counterterrorism Center's Extremist Messaging Branch.

It urges officials to use the term "violent extremist" and never to use "jihadist" because that will "legitimize" terrorists.

Michael E. Leiter, director of the counterterrorism center, questioned some of the memo's conclusions during a July 10 Senate hearing, said spokesman Carl Kropf.

"I do think you cannot separate out the fact that the terror fight we are fighting today involves Islam as a religion," Mr. Leiter said under questioning from Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent. He added, however, "the ideology which motivates these terrorists has very little to do in reality with the religion of Islam."

One of the most sensitive issues in the new report involves the word jihad.

An Arabic word derived from the verb meaning "to strive," it appears about 30 times in the Koran, but "the preponderance of references refer to internal striving to prove one's piety," said William Graham, a professor of Middle East Studies at Harvard University.

About 10 references are clearly to fighting, said Mr. Graham, who is also dean of the university's divinity school.

The word, often translated as "holy war," has been used in a military context throughout Muslim history, said Princeton University Professor Emeritus Bernard Lewis, a leading authority on Islam.

Several terrorist groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, include the word in their titles.

The Red Team report said jihad is an obligation of all Muslims under Islamic law and must be performed "until the whole world is under the rule of Islam."

However, the Koran states that the embrace of Islam must be voluntary, Mr. Graham said.

Jim Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, said he had no problem using words such as jihad, provided it was made clear that militant groups were misusing the terms to justify their violent actions.

"They're not talking about jihad in a theological sense," Mr. Zogby said. "Jihad means to struggle or strive for the good and against evil. These people are talking about violent revolution."

Stephen Suleyman Schwartz, executive director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism in Washington, cautioned against interpreting the debate as a dispute between those who think Islam as a whole is bad and those who think Islam as a whole is good.

"Islam is manifestly in crisis, with bad people who are Muslims fighting against good people who are Muslims. That should be the point - how to mobilize the good people against the bad people," Mr. Schwartz said.

The Red Team report said the government documents in question reflect "the views and opinions of a very small [number] of Americans whose contributions may have escaped critical review. ... While there is concern that we not label all Muslims as Islamist terrorists, it is proper to address certain aspects of violence as uniquely Islamic," the report says.

The report notes that some terms for terrorists, such as "Islamo-fascist," are "conspicuously offensive."

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent U.S. Muslim group, has argued that government terminology should minimize any connection between Islam and terrorism to avoid fanning religious hatred.

A council spokesman said Corey Saylor, CAIR's legislative director, recently stated the group's views on the issue in a Detroit News Op-Ed article.

Mr. Saylor said CAIR opposes the use of "jihadist" and other Islamic terms because the use of non-Islamic terms "serves the strategic purpose of isolating extremists and removing the false cloak of religiosity that they use to justify their barbarism."

Marine Corps Maj. Joseph D. Kloppel, a Central Command spokesman, said Red Team reports "are often controversial."

"But the resulting debate sharpens reasoning, forces intellectual integrity, and improves decision making and subsequent action," he said in an e-mail, noting that its products are "designed for internal use" and not meant to represent the personal views of the Centcom commander.

___________


In the US Army, Red Teaming is defined as: “structured, iterative process executed by trained, educated and practiced team members that provides commanders an independent capability to continuously challenge plans, operations, concepts, organizations and capabilities in the context of the operational environment and from our partners’ and adversaries’ perspectives.” (TRADOC News Service, July 13, 2005)