Thursday opinions & news!

• Obama Farm
• GOP senators to DOJ: So, about those unabashedly political “bird death” prosecutions against oil-and-gas…
• MSNBC: Um, we can’t reach a conclusion about whether the Sandy Hook dad was “heckled” or not
• MSNBC ‘essentially’ ran ‘a voter suppression campaign’ against GOP during 2012 presidential election, says author
• Raisin farmers in SCOTUS case face $650K charge if they don’t give half their crop to the feds
• Obama goes 'skeet shooting all the time'? Hardly ever, sources say
• Pushback: Gingrich, Vitter, National Review, Malkin, Coulter, Erickson oppose Rubio’s immigration plan
• The Senate Hearing on Gun Control (Real time blogging of televised hearing)
• UPDATE: Status of Gun Industry

Thursday Cartoons

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Light posting again!

For a few days.  The cartoons will still come up.

Wednesday Cartoons

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Wednesday news & opinions

Politics

• Cruz to Illinois banks, gun companies: Come on down to Texas!
• Officially confirmed: John Kerry, Secretary of State
• Obama: “Now is the time for common sense, comprehensive immigration reform”

Media

• Video: No, the father of a Sandy Hook victim wasn't "heckled" by gun-rights supporters 
• Media Deception: NBC Smears 2nd Amendment Supporters as ‘Hecklers’ of Sandy Hook Victim’s Parent
• Notorious “gun map” wildly inaccurate
• Krauthammer: FOX News should be proud that we annoy Obama so much
• Kirsten Powers: The WH war on Fox News continues
• "60 Minutes" reporter on pattycake Obama/Hillary interview: They knew we weren't going to "play gotcha" with them

Looking Ahead

• We’re all Victor Laszlo now
• Republican Auto-Demoralization 

State Government, Legislation

• What's hot today at the legislature - January 29, 2013

Second Amendment

• MILLER: The cop-killer bullet myth
• Green Berets Sign Letter Supporting 2nd Amendment
• Messing With the Wrong People
• WaPo: Assault-weapons ban is probably DOA
• Bipartisan effort to expand background checks quietly gains steam

Big Government, Corruption

• Report: Treasury approved excessive pay for executives at bailed-out AIG, GM and Ally

January Lecture: The Second Amendment

This is a lecture, presented by Jeff Burkhart, a lawyer from Walla Walla, that focused on constitutional law, but with a brief survey of the law of using lethal force in self defense. The lecture was followed by a Q&A session.

This leads to The video is broken up to stay within YouTube's 15 minute limit. The audio is spotty in places.  Any bad editing is not the fault of the videographer.

The video will automatically start each video in sequence.  If you want to select individual videos to play, go to the YouTube playlist here.

Recorded on January 8, 2013.

Tuesday Cartoons

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Tuesday Opinions and News!

Big Government

• Solis: I really wish I had been able to pass those spectacularly obtrusive farm-labor regulations, darn it
• Business world bracing for flood of new regulations from Obama
• If ‘Assault Weapons’ Are Bad…Why Does DHS Want to Buy 7,000 of Them for ‘Personal Defense’?
• We get £17,680 a year in benefits, buy 40 cigs a day, have a laptop and a home with 47-inch TV.. why work?
• IJ Scores Major Federal Court Victory In Massachusetts Civil Forfeiture Case

Looking Ahead

• Unite or Perish

Socialism, Communism, Liberal Mindset

• Powers: That Obama-Clinton interview looked just like "state-run media propaganda"
• Understanding Obama
• San Diego’s Top Cop: We can disarm Americans within a generation!
• EXCLUSIVE: Journalist Accosted by Security over Mayor Bloomberg Gun Control Question
• Touré: Thank God for abortion
• BREAKING: Lightworker Astride Unicorn Transcends Space-Time Continuum
• CBS's Charles Osgood: 'Is Constitution Truly Worthy of Reverence in Which Most Americans Hold It?'

Civil Discourse

• Father of 6-Year-Old Sandy Hook Victim In Tears: ‘The Problem Is Not Gun Laws’

Politics

• The "Border Control" Con
• Dems reassure supporters: The border-enforcement stuff in the new immigration plan is just a talking point for the GOP
• George Will Schools Donna Brazile: America's 'Going To Be an Assisted Living Home With an Army'
• What Difference, at This Point, Does It Make?
• Suicidal GOP senators join open-borders Dems for Shamnesty Redux
• Democrats beg Obama: Please don't offer your own immigration bill
• Immigration proposal: border security, visa overhaul, then normalization
• More Violent Democrat Rhetoric: “He is our number one target, yes. We definitely want him gone”

Unions

• Ten things you should know about union membership numbers

Core Values

• Aznar: We need to defend Western values

Media

• NYTimes Falls For Soros Group's PR Stunt Against Pro-Lifers
• Emails Reveal FBI Investigating Senator Bob Menendez For Sex With Underaged Dominican Prostitutes; CREW and ABCNews Had Been Aware of the Story Since
• National media focus on small gun-control protest, miss massive March for Life
• Bitterly Clinging to Made-Up Story, WH Has No Plans to Release Non-Existent Obama Skeet-Shooting Photos
• Above the Law: Media Matters Thug David Brock Protected With Illegal Weapons

Second Amendment

• Carolyn McCarthy: Women Shouldn't Use Assault Rifles, They Should Use Rifles InsteadGun Control Requires Our Willing Compliance
• Feinstein's New 'Assault Weapon' Ban: Read It and Sleep
• Update: Obama claim on background checks moved from ‘verdict pending' to 2 Pinocchios 

Agenda 21, EPA

• Study: We all might be "overestimating climate sensitivity"

State Government

• State’s taxpayers overcharged millions for locally built ferries

Wake up America!

Another family business destroyed. It's past time to restore limited government.

Monday Cartoons

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News, thoughts, and opinions for a Monday

Socialism, Communism, Liberal Mindset

• 15 Lies of Liberalism (print dialog box may pop up)
• William Ayers' forgotten communist manifesto: Prairie Fire
• Obama: Why Don't Republicans Believe in Compromise Like I Don't?
• President worried that media just isn’t liberal enough
• Melissa Harris-Perry Admits: U.S. Military 'Despised By Many Progressives'
• Neo-Confederate Judges? Who Knew?

Looking Ahead

• If you want to live long, prosper, and have lots more sex
• Selling a New Generation on GunsNext generation of Catholic clergy more conservative?
• Obama's Second-Term Crisis
• Cruz: Conservatism is ‘on the verge of a rebirth’

Big Government, EPA, Corruption

• Transparency update: Administration legally required to release quarterly stimulus report hasn’t done so since June of 2011As Promised, Obama Energy Policy Bankrupts New Coal Plant
• Starting Today, It's Illegal to Unlock Your Cellphone

Politics

• Obama suggests Republicans unwilling to compromise in gun control debate
• Surprise: Obama Goes Shooting 'All the Time,' He Claims
• My heart bleeds: Senators whine "No Budget, No Pay" is unfair to their family budgets

The Constitution

• MILLER: The assault weapon myth
• Most Gun Owners Would Defy Confiscationx

Education

• Schools’ ‘Zero Tolerance’ Weapons Policies Used To Bully Innocent Children

Foreign Policy

• Foreign Aid: There Are Many Ways Conservatives Can—and Should—Help the Poor
• "I'm gonna miss ya, take a memo"

Second Amendment Legislation Roll Up

There are many problems facing our nation, and not just infringements or violations of the Constitution.  But this is an excellent example of just how Congress works, and and a possible method to help to focus your attention on a specific topic, while discussing (yet another) direct assault on the Constitution.

This listing was extracted from the POPVOX blog, and is a summary of legislation related to the Second Amendment, as of January 25th, 2013. There are 30 bills in this list; 25 are sponsored by Democrats, and 5 by Republicans.  Some Democrats have sponsored more than 1 bill; for example, Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) has sponsored 4: S. 22, 33, 34, and 35 (Perhaps coincidentally, Senator Lautenberg has at least one Democrat seriously challenging him for the 2014 primary election). All of them further impinge upon the Second Amendment to some degree; a few are deceptive in how they do so.

In an example of both, Congressman James Moran (D, VA-8) is sponsoring HR 21, The NRA Members' Gun Safety Act: To provide for greater safety in the use of firearms.  But, according to the Firearms Policy Coalition:

H.R. 21 would extend the Brady Law background check procedures to all sales and transfers of firearms. The bill would also require the reporting of thefts within 48 hours; require that all states that allow residents to carry concealed firearms institute a permitting process requiring that the applicant demonstrate good cause for requesting a LTC and that the applicant is “worthy of the public trust” to carry a concealed firearm in public; and allow the Attorney General to deny the transfer of a firearm or deny a firearm (or explosives) permit to persons known or suspected of terrorist acts.

The text of the bill is consistent with the Coalition's statement, and with Congressman Moran's past legislative activities.  The bill is anything but Second Amendment friendly.  So it's worth noting that you need to read the bill before it's passed in order to know what's in it.

While the Republicans have fewer bills in the pipeline, those are consistent in supporting the Second Amendment to some degree:

• House Resolution 40, House Resolution expressing that active duty military personnel who are stationed or residing in the District of Columbia should be permitted to exercise fully their rights under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
• HR 410, The Restore the Constitution Act: To provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.
• HR 35, Eliminating ‘gun free zones’ in schools. To restore safety to America's schools. 
• HR 133, The Citizens Protection Act: To repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and amendments to that Act. 
• S 82, The Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act: A bill to provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.

All of the bills are listed below the fold.  Sponsors are noted for each bill in italics.  Links to each POPVOX page are not provided; please go to their blog for those.

Note that many bills never make it out of committee, so this is simply an indication of the general direction of each party thus far.  Finally, this list has not been checked against Thomas.gov:

A new means of communicating with Congress?

POPVOX.com seems to be that.  From their "About Page":

 POPVOX bridges the gap between the input the public wants to provide and the information Members of Congress want and need to receive.

Constituent communications are flooding and overwhelming Congressional offices. POPVOX verifies, aggregates, and simplifies communication with Congress on an open and trusted (and nonpartisan) common ground. Advocacy organizations, trade associations, unions and other groups send their members to POPVOX to take action on bills pending before Congress. Congressional staff and lawmakers log into POPVOX to measure the pulse of their district. POPVOX provides a curating interface for anyone — including Congressional staff, the public and the media — to access and understand the voice of the people.

Registration is required, and any opinions offered to Congress must include your contact information, which is consistent with Congressional policy and protocol on their own web sites. 

POPVOX is different in that it tracks legislation, and allows you to directly contact your Congressional delegation for a given bill.  In addition, there's an informal voting mechanism for "support" or "oppose", and links to the various organizations and lobbies that support or oppose a bill. 

But POPVOX is a business -- make no mistake about that.  They make their revenue through advertising and other services.  But they do pledge to protect your privacy.

Please check it out, and see how it works for you.  If nothing else, you can get a summary of legislation in one location, without having to scroll through Thomas.gov

Sunday Cartoons

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News and Opinions For A Sunday

Elections

• Rigging the election for beginners

The Constitution

• How the Filibuster Deal Undermines Senators’ Constitutional Obligations
• more fine print
• "This Will Not Do"

Second Amendment

• The armed homeowner
• "Universal Background Checks" – Absolutely Not
• WHY DO THEY DESPISE THE BILL OF RIGHTS? Gun dealers report Intuit has stopped processing credit-card payments
• Feinstein to promote so-called “assault weapon” ban bill today; don’t be distracted from their real goals 
• Anti-Gun Bills Moving in the Senate
• Tom Coburn talking with Democrats about background check billW.H. gun push narrows to background checks
• “Rigging” the electoral system only is bad when it hurts Democrats
• Not quite what I expected from a Democrat Sheriff
• Gun Owners Refuse to Register Under New York Law
• Holder begins gun-control push

Looking Ahead

• Yes, Mr. President, We Are a Nation of Takers

Politics

• Of course: Feinstein’s assault weapons ban exempts government officials
• Marching For Life

Big Government, EPA, Corruption

• ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER SLAPDOWN FOR WHITE HOUSE: EPA slammed for mandating use of nonexistent biofuels
• VIDEO: Brawl Erupts At Food Stamp Office

Socialism, Liberal Mindset, Communism

• Benito is Your Friend

State Government, Taxes

• Senator Mike Hewitt: His official website
• Distributors, small business owners divided over liquor bill
• Inslee ‘encouraged’ after meeting with AG about marijuana initiative
• Lawmaker proposes capital gains tax to help fund education 
• Muslim Lobby Day in Olympia is second-largest in the U.S.
• Wash. looks to build strict controls for marijuana 
• Regulators Handed State’s New Liquor Market to Big Distributors, Complain Restaurateurs, Retailers
• Could abortion bill split Senate coalition?
• Get Set for a $300-Millionish Problem – Estate Tax Ruling from Supreme Court Spells Trouble for Budget
• Workers Comp Reform Effort Back for Another Round After Bruising Battle in 2011

Media

• Where Did Piers Morgan Come From, Anyway?

Saturday Cartoons

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Saturday news & opinions

Education

• Rotten to the Core (Part 2): Readin’, Writin’ and Deconstructionism

State Government, Agenda 21, Big Government

• Property owners air grievances with Growth Management Act
• It's Legislative Day for the Washington State Dental Association!
• Washington State prepares gun control nullification bill 

Big Government, EPA

• Web of environmental rules threatens Gulf Coast businesses with jail, steep fines
• One step forward, two steps back on EPA overreach
• Is There a Right to Social Security?
• Video: Oregon bill would make cigarettes a “controlled substance”
• Woman Arrested While Refusing Smart Meter Installation on Her Property Tells Us Her Story

The Constitution, Bill of Rights

• Electoral College fixes could backfire, state’s top GOP frets
•  a note on guns
• COUNTY SHERIFF: POWER TO PROTECT
• Taking Away the Supply of Guns
• Court: Obama appointments are unconstitutional
• Gun Laws and the Fools of Chelm

Socialism, Liberal Mindset

•  Rush was right
• Not all Democrats are pleased about this new “Organizing for Action” thing
• Appeals court unanimously rebukes Obama on recess appointments; Update: Most recess appointments no longer legit?
• Who's Afraid of Michele Bachmann?
• Discussing Islam: A Religious Taboo
• Rahm Emanuel Demands Banks Stop Doing Business With Gun Manufacturers… 

Foreign Policy, Terrorism

• NOW THEY TELL US: U.S. Faces "a Growing Jihadist Threat"--Hillary
• Photo of the Day: Tahrir Square Protester Calls Obama a Jerk and an Idiot

Media

• ‘Gun Girls’ Humiliate CNN Tool Piers Morgan

Friday Cartoons

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Friday news and opinions

Civil Discourse

• Discipline

Big Government, EPA

• Policy-Based Evidence-Making at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• Barbara Boxer’s Best Friend: The EPA
• Dems to Obama: You should really exercise some executive action on climate change 
• Obama's covert plans for climate
• Video: FEMA won’t let us rebuild our home

Liberal Mindset, Socialism

• “How to Take Nicholas Burns to School in One, Short PBS Segment”
• Video: Are liberals less tolerant than conservatives on line?
• Revealed: Why Reid will allow Murray to produce a budget
• Allen West: “Now is not the time to play a social experiment with our ground combat forces”
• Ireland’s Roe moment approaches

Politics

• Manchin backpedals on gun control after constituents confront him
• Tell the GOP Leadership What you Think of them
• Morning Bell: The Urgent Danger in the Senate
• Filibuster Deal Restricts Senators’ Rights to Debate Judicial Nominees
• McConnell, Reid agree on rules reform package
• Jindal: The GOP “might need to change just about everything”
• Biden on assault weapons: You’re more likely to hit someone with a shotgun,you know

The Constitution, Bill of Rights

• Feinstein’s Gun Ban Gets Introduced Today
• Thousands Gather in Olympia for the Guns Across America Rally
• Should pro-life Catholics back the Feinstein bill? 

Budget Battle

• Why America’s Going Broke

State Government, Big Government

• HB 1093 would kick taxpayer-funded lobbying to the curb

ObamaCareTax, Big Government

• There’s No Such Thing as a Free Launch

Foreign Policy

• Rand Paul to John Kerry: If it was wrong to bomb Cambodia without Congress’s approval, why is bombing Libya without approval okay?

Thursday Cartoons

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Thursday Thoughts & News

Patriotism

• A Scalia for All Seasons
• NRA chief not exactly wowed by Obama inaugural speech

Looking Ahead

• Targeting the Kids of Gun Owners

ObamaCareTax

• Health Insurance Brokers Prepare Clients For Obamacare Sticker Shock

Education

• Rotten to the Core: Obama’s War on Academic Standards (Part 1)

The Constitution, Bill of Rights

• Why Young Women Want AR-15s 
• Gutenberg’s nuke
• Groupon indefinitely suspends all gun-related deals

Politics

• Reid issues ultimatum on filibuster reform
• In New Term, First Year Is Crucial for Obama Agenda

Budget Battle

• House Debt Bill Puts Senate in a Pickle
• Morning Bell: It’s Time to Balance the Budget
• Murray: Hey, let's try something different and produce a budget
• Crisis, averted: Senate to take up House debt ceiling bill, says Reid

Big Government, Foreign Policy, Corruption

• Boom: CBS’ Sharyl Attkisson tears into Obama Admin over Benghazigate
• Facts and questions about what happened in Benghazi
• Rand Paul to Hillary: Let's face it, you should have been fired over Benghazi
• Obama Moves Fast And Furious On To Hide Gun Hypocrisy
• Hillary: What difference does it make if there were no protests in Benghazi?
• Democrats Grumbling About Obama Lobbying Shop

Socialism, Communism, Liberal Mindset

• Salon: Yeah, abortion takes a life. So what?
• Boehner: I can only conclude from that inaugural speech that Obama wants to annihilate the GOP
• Obama's Progressive Vision: A World Without Political Opposition
• 'More Flexibility': Obama to Govern by 'Executive Fiat' in Second Term
• Top Obama Aide: U.S. System Not Worthy of Obama
• Shock claim: Obama only wants military leaders who 'will fire on U.S. citizens'
• Boston ‘Anti-Crime Advocate’ Shoots Girlfriend in the Head With Illegal Gun 
• In graduate thesis, John Brennan argued for government censorship: ‘Too much freedom is possible’

United Nations, Bill of Rights

• Does UN arms trade treaty figure in Obama administration’s gun control plans?

Wednesday Cartoons

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Wednesday news and opinions

Liberal Mindset, Socialism

• We the Government
• Reid to Senate Republicans: Filibuster deal in 36 hours or face nuclear option
• Democrats: You Can Never Hate Them Nearly as Much as They Hate You
• The Significance of Obama’s Inaugural Address
• Most brilliant speech writer ever uses “peace in our time” in his historic world-changing speech

The Constitution, Bill of Rights

• Video: Tiananmen Square activist speaks up for the Second Amendment 
• Lawless extremists pledge their lives against Obama’s gun grab
• MILLER: National ‘assault weapon’ ban coming Thursday

ObamaCareTax

• Obama concedes: Obamacare didn’t do anything for rising health care costs

United Nations, Agenda 21

• Ban Ki-moon: climate agreement tops 2013 wishlist

Budget Battle

• Charts of the Day: The origin of the debt crisis

Politics

• Sandy Hook Victim's Uncle Offers Proposal to Prevent Mass Shootings
• Just a reminder: Obama’s still lying about his position on gay marriage
• Krauthammer: Obama’s Inauguration Speech Was an “Ode to Big Government” That Declared the “End of Reaganism”

State Government, Taxes, Big Government

• DOE objects to bill that would make junk science public (House Bill 1113)
• Text of new proposed Washington State Income Tax Bill (Senate Bill 5166)

Media

• Facebook Threatens to Shut Down Conservative Site
• Amazon Won’t Explain Why Conservative Book was Suspended

Tuesday Cartoons

Enjoy!

Tuesday opinions and news

Civil Discourse

• Video: The obligatory “Michelle Obama rolls her eyes at Boehner” clip
• The Left's Inability To Be Civil
• The President's Hyper-Partisan Inaugural Address
• Obama Crowd Boos Paul Ryan 
• Show Some Civility, You Nazi Racists!

Socialism, Corruption

• Dems and Their Gun Money
• Obama's Second Inaugural: Definition of 'Liberty' Subject to Debate

Politics

• Cantor: Say, maybe we can get something done this year
• Former RNC Chair Steele Rips GOP For Skipping Inauguration
• Cuomo abortion bill outrageous, says … Democrats for Life

 Second Amendment

• Sen. McConnell: I Will Stop Obama's Gun Grab
• Sen. Ted Cruz Calls Out Obama’s Gun Control Hypocrisy
• Thousands Gather in Olympia for the Guns Across America Rally

Local Government, Taxes

• Voters to decide on Wa-Hi bond issue

State Government, Big Government

• House Bill 1128 Moves Transparency in the Wrong Direction
• Why isn't the Legislature as open as local government?

Media

• CBS political director urges Obama to 'go for the throat' of GOP to cement legacy

ObamaCareTax

• Universities Bludgeon Adjuncts With Obamacare Loophole

Big Government

• Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Washington, D.C.'s Civil Forfeiture Racket

Financial, It's the Economy

• Moody’s New Pension Rules Would Bankrupt Six Cal Counties
• China Equities Turn Inside Out

Monday Cartoons

Enjoy!  Click to enlarge.

 

Monday News & Opinions

Politics

• Top Democrats optimistic Congress will pass gun control legislation, with outside Washington help
• Unprecedented: Obama Campaign to Turn Itself into Non-Profit
• Bill Clinton to Democrats: Don’t trivialize gun culture
• Obama 2.0: Destroy the GOP as National Party
• President Obama to again skip American Legion's Medal of Honor Inaugural Ball, remains only commander-in-chief to do so
• The Party’s Problem
• Axelrod: Obama’s second-term priorities include more than just fiscal crises, you know

Liberal Mindset, Socialism

• The Democracy Initiative: a Coup in Plain Sight
• "These same people believe if you do not work, you are lazy ... ... ... These same people believe that if your children don't get a good education, something is wrong with you. These are the craziest people I have seen in my life. Just absolute nuts. They don't understand that the government's job is to take care of its people."
• The Left Misrepresents South Carolina Tea Party Event
• Time to declare NRA a terrorist organization
• Democratic Mayors Take on Gun Manufacturers

Media

• Reporter: Campaign journalists ‘swooned’ over Obama during off-the-record bar visit

The Constitution, Bill of Rights

• NY STATE ASSEMBLYMAN SOUNDS THE ALARM: Democrats' First Gun Bill Ordered Confiscation of Firearms!
• Thousands of 2nd Amendment Supporters Rally in Albany (Updated with Videos from Across the Nation)

ObamaCareTax

• Obama officials ditch ‘exchanges’ in rebranding of healthcare reform lawObamacare 2.0: Judgment awaits
• We Told You So

Taxes

• Republican governors' plans for no state income tax lauded, criticized

New Front On Terror

Or so elements of the Federal government would have you believe:

A New Anti-Terror Front? Yes, the Government Thinks It’s ‘Right-Wing Extremists’

The world is beset by terrorists — witness the American hostages taken in Algeria this week — but portions of our federal government continue to obsess about alleged home-grown threats from the “far right.”

The Combating Terrorism Center, which is based at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has issued a new report on its website entitled:  “Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right.”

 The author, Arie Perliger, is an instructor at West Point, teaching the same cadets who will, one day, become part of the next generation of leaders in the Army.  If you want more background on this person, try this excellent article.

Sunday Cartoons

Click to enlarge.  Enjoy!

Sunday opinions & news

• On “condemning” our violent culture
• Red-state Democrats may break with White House
• Guns: Hunting Obama's Elephants
• A minority posture for House GOP
• In 2011, more people were murdered with knives, "hands or feet" or "clubs and hammers" than with any type of rifle.
• Vilification of NRA going about as well as you’d expect 
• Huzzah: Appeals court upholds Gov. Walker’s collective bargaining reform law
• Welcome to Tea Party 2.0: Gun Rights Edition

Saturday Cartoons

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Saturday opinion & news

State Government

• GOP leaders respond to Inslee's inaugural speech
• Inslee outlines vision in inaugural address
• Sen. Adam Kline hopes to amend Citizens United decision
• Inslee talks taxes, gun control in first press conference

Politics

• A new strategy for the GOP
• The Country’s Going Straight to Hell, But at Least We’ve Got a ‘Likeable’ President
• I'm Outraged That The NRA Would Mention The President’s Kids — OUTRAGED I TELL YOU!
• Rand Paul hits Chris Christie for criticizing NRA ad, grandstanding on Sandy relief bill
• Obama for America is morphing into a nonprofit advocacy group
• Harry Reid's Great Disappearing Act 

Liberal Mindset, Socialism, Communism

• Biden: We need more gun laws because we don’t have time to enforce the ones we have
• The Gray Lady Confirms Blue Civil War
• NRA President: Death Threats Against Org Reflect Obama's Tactics
• From “fertile” to fertilizer: a debunking of the revisionist history of the origins of the Second Amendment

The Constitution, Bill of Rights

• Just sayin'
• How the NRA is winning

Budget Battle

• Paul Ryan: We’re considering a short-term debt-ceiling extension
• Eric Cantor: 'The last time the Senate passed a budget, the iPad did not exist'

Financial

• US Mint Out Of Silver Coins - Suspends Sales

Education

• Moody’s: Higher Ed Is Failing

Big Government

• School Buses Bankrupting NYC 
• Great news: Interior successfully fast-tracking solar projects in Arizona

Media

• NBC’s Chuck Todd: One must understand who owns guns and where they live
• Affordable Care Act 101: Classes to teach journalists how to properly report stories about Obamacare set to begin
• Today’s gun-control heroes: Time Warner Cable to reject ads that feature semiautomatic weapons
• Newsweek revels in Obama cultism with creepy 'second coming' Inauguration cover
• Newspaper removes map showing location of gun owners in New York State

Looking Ahead

• Shocker: Americans want term limits and end to Electoral College after re-electing a bunch of incumbents

Second Amendment Organizations You Can Support

The National Rifle Association is the biggest organization supporting the Second Amendment, and they are quite effective. But if you want other options, here are some for you:

• Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership
• Second Amendment Foundation
• Gun Owners of America

And, of course, it helps if you write your legislators, state and Federal, and let them know where you stand on the subject of gun control.  It's not all doom and gloom on that front.

Or any other subject for that matter.  Just remember the question Benjamin Franklin gave this answer for:

"A Republic, if you can keep it."

Friday Cartoons

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Friday opinions, thoughts, and news

State Government

• Jami Lund Appears on King 5 News to Discuss Gregoire's Departure

Big Government, Corruption

• Holder Begs Court to Stop Document Release on Fast and Furious
• Sen. Rand Paul on Executive Orders: 'Obama May Have This King Complex Developing'
• Shock: "40% of Gun Sales Aren't Subject to a Background Check" Figure Cited by Obama is Crank

Media

• NBC Admitted: No ‘Assault Rifle’ Used in Newtown Shooting
• NBC wonders: Are we better off than we were four years ago?
• "What does this tell us? It says that politicians hyperventilating about the style of a few semi-automatic rifles are more interested in posing than in actually addressing the issues of violence in American society."

Financial

• Financial Times Analysis: Time to Start Moving Money Out of Supposedly "Safe Haven" US Investments to "Riskier" Bets in the Growing World

Agenda 21

• Wa State Reps battle UN Agenda 21 with new bills

The Constitution, Bill Of Rights

• The Facts About Assault Weapons and Crime 

Politics

• Counsel for the Surrender Monkeys in the GOP
• ATTN Gun Owners: McConnell & Reid Cutting Deal on the Filibuster
• Manchin Gets His
• Chris Christie: Something Must Be Done™
• Christie: NRA Ad on Security for Obama Children 'Reprehensible'
• It’s come to this: White House releases videos of young kids asking Obama for more gun control
• Obama push on gun control puts Reid in tough political spot 

Liberal Mindset, Socialism

• Loathsome nanny-state mayor: I don't 'force anybody to do anything' 
• Another Child’s Life Not Saved By Obama
• Obama voted "present" on 1999 Illinois law to crack down on school shooters

Taxes

• Sorry, middle class. The VAT may be inevitable.

ObamaCareTax

• Southwestern Pennsylvania hospital to stop baby deliveries

Looking Ahead

• "Note to gun-rights supporters: If you were holding anything back in your messaging, this ad is your green light from the left to get as vicious and emotionally manipulative as you can."

Thursday Cartoons

Click to enlarge and enjoy!  Don't forget below the fold.

Thursday news & opinions

Media

• Bob Schieffer Likens Obama 'Taking on the Gun Lobby' to Hunt for Bin Laden, 'Defeating the Nazis'
• Is the White House freezing Fox out of pressers?
• Lib Media Owes Romney an Apology – Chrysler Sends Jeep Jobs to China

Agenda 21

• Roger Kimball: This Metamorphosis Will Require a Permit

The Constitution, Bill Of Rights

• Dueling Headlines, religious freedom edition
• 4 Problems Obama Will Face In Gun Control Push
• New NRA ad: Let’s redistribute school security
• What's In the Obama Executive Orders
• Full List of 23 Executive Actions in Gun Violence Reduction Measures
• Office The Press Secretary: The President’s Plan to Protect our Children and our Communities by Reducing Gun Violence (PDF available upon request if link goes bad)
• HURT: Gun edicts put personal liberty under fire

Big Government

• Experts fear proposed N.Y. gun law might hinder therapy
• A Gun Ban That Misfired
• Undercover Feds At SHOT Show?

Budget Battle

• Republicans push alternative to default in debt-ceiling battle
• AARP Warns Against Cutting Entitlements to Solve Budget Crises

Financial

• Fitch may downgrade U.S. credit rating

Politics

• White House quadruples number of signatures needed to respond to a petition
• Don't Worry Guys....John Boehner Is On The Case Pushing Back Against Obama And The Gun Grabbers

ObamaCareTax

• Whole Foods CEO says Obama healthcare law is 'more like fascism'

Taxes

• Heineman proposes an end to all corporate and income taxes in Nebraska 

Wednesday Cartoons

More below!  Click to enlarge.

News and opinions for a Wednesday morning

Budget Battle

• The House GOP Is Ready To Cave on Sandy Pork . . . And The Debt Ceiling
• House Passes $50 Billion In Sandy Relief (Mostly Unrelated Pork) With Democrats Providing Majority Of The Yes Votes  UPDATE: Less Than Half The Money Is Sandy Related
• Obama Really Wishes He Never Gave This Speech About The Debt Ceiling
• New Social Security Retirees Will Outlive Trust Fund
• New GOP idea: How about offering to raise the debt ceiling for the rest of Obama’s term?

State Government, Budget Battle, Taxes

• Gregoire leaves office with a call for increased spending

The Constitution, Second Amendment

• QOTD: Norton v. Shelby County
• THE SECOND AMENDMENT: What can you do? This.

Financial

• THE OBAMA ECONOMIC RECOVERY: In One Chart
• It Begins: Bundesbank To Commence Repatriating Gold From New York Fed
• Bad news in the euro zone: Germany's economy contracts

Socialism, Communism, Liberal Mindset

• Senate Democrats Encourage Obama to Violate the Constitution
• Transsexual Bullies Successfully Censor Feminist Writers Who Criticized Them
• 'Insulting' words crime which made it illegal to call a police horse 'gay' is to be changed

Politics, Corruption

• Inauguration fund coming up $8 million short?
• Obama Accuses NRA of Ginning Up Fear, Warns Social Security Checks Won’t Go Out Unless GOP Raises Debt Ceiling
• Why Doesn't President Obama Support 'Citizens Against Senseless Violence'?

Core Values

• Mike Pence's first move: A regulatory moratorium for Indiana
• THINK OF THE CHILDREN
•  I agree with James Feehery

Media

• Piers Morgan to Ben Shapiro: How about participating in a townhall debate where my other guests and I can berate you?

For the 2013 Legislative Session....

....send the right message!

Making a difference....

....one e-mail at a time.

As small as it may seem, writing your elected officials can have major impact, if done properly.  It doesn't matter if you are writing FOR or AGAINST some piece of legislation; your voice is heard, even if they choose to vote otherwise.  Members of Congress do weigh the opinions of their constituents, in an informal vote.

And here's a fairly simple way of doing it; every elected official has a "contact me" page, of which many are linked on our side bar.  But one site (Congress.org) puts it all together as one message, if you want it really simplified. Check this out:

Contact Your Federal Officials

Contact Your State Officials

You'll end up getting their e-mails (from which you can unsubscribe), but it's a fairly simple way to contact your Congressional delegation.  If you need to contact just one, go to their "dot gov" page for that.

Tuesday Cartoons

Click and enjoy!  Don't forget what's below the fold.

Tuesday opinions and news

State Government, Taxes

• HB 1183: Embarrassing liquor taxes

Terrorism, Media

• Mostly Peaceful OWS Wannabe Bomber Planned to Blow Up Washington Square Arch

Media, Politics, Corruption

• Obama's Festival of Lies

ObamaCareTax

• Sweet new ObamaCare revision: Mandate, plus?
• IRS Warns Employers: Do Not Try to Avoid ObamaCare Insurance Mandate
• Mandates, Regulation and ‘Rights’

Second Amendment

• BREAKING: Deal Reached in New York?
• Biden: W.H. readies 19 executive actions on guns 
• Obama’s 19 Actions
• Gallup: Dissatisfaction with gun laws jumps to 12-year high
• Schumer to Gun Retailers: Hey, Maybe You Should Stop Selling Guns While We Try to Ban Them
• McCain, Manchin agree - assault-weapons ban going nowhere
• Obama: I'll "vigorously" pursue a "meaningful" assault-weapons ban 
• Guns already allowed in schools with little restriction in many states

Socialism, Communism

• The Problem With The Greens
• Pollution highlights the price China is paying for rapid development (ed: Yeah, we want to be like China)
• Marxism by Any Other Name

 
Big Government, EPA

• The Economic Punishment Agency 

Budget Battle

• White House to Paul Ryan: Yeah, about that budget deadline...

Unions

• NEA gave $15 Million to advocacy groups

Monday Cartoons

More below the fold!  Click to see 'em better.

Monday thoughts, opinions, and news

Budget Battle, Taxes

• Averting the Fiscal Cliff

Budget Battle, Taxes, State Government

• Inslee still says no tax hikes needed for state budget

United Nations

• In the Time of Cholera: How the U.N. created an epidemic -- then covered it up.

Media, Corruption

• Surprise: David Gregory won't be prosecuted for displaying high-capacity magazine on "Meet the Press"

Education

• Survey: Higher ed tuition prices hitting an economic wall?

ObamaCareTax

• Electronic records turn out to potentially add costs rather than reduce them

Big Government

• The Consumer Financial "Protection" Bureau steps into the fray
• Note from a Wise Man

Politics

• White House may back armed guards in schools after all

Looking Ahead

• I Gotta Agree With This

Socialism, Liberal Mindset

• Pretty Nervy for a Guy Whose FIRST Campaign Was ALL About “Traditional Marriage”
• The Wrong Kennedy

Education, Local Government

• How Do You Plan To Vote in the Walla Walla High School Bond?

Education

• Higher Education Bubble: Humanities v. Community College

Second Amendment

• Take Action Now!
• Gun Restrictions Have Always Bred Defiance, Black Markets
• Guns and freedom