Mexican Mayors Blame Increased Border Violence on… the U.S.?

A coalition of mayors from four northern Mexican cities are asking U.S. authorities to stem the deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes on the American side of the border.
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders joined the mayors of Tijunana, Ciudad Juarez, Nogales and Nuevo Laredo last week to discuss cross-border issues.  Among them, the Mexcian mayors complained that America’s deportation of convicted criminal illegal immigrants back to the Mexican border is contributing to the recent rise in violent crimes, including kidnapping and other crimes related to the drug trade.
According to Jose Reyes Ferriz, mayor of Ciudad Juarez, of the 80,000 people deported to his town over the past three years, 28,000 had U.S. criminal records, including 7,000 who had served prison time for rape and 2,000 convicted of murder.  Reyes claims that the large number of criminal deportees have contributed to the violence in his town — a town that has reported more than 2,200 homicides so far this year.

Instead of busing these criminals to the border, the Mexican mayors are encouraging U.S. authorities to fly the deportees by plane to central Mexico.  But, according to Fox News, critics on the American side of the border say the Mexican lawmakers are simply trying to “pass the buck” to the U.S., and that the Mexicans should take responsibility for their criminals, who are putting both Mexican and American lives in danger.

New NBPP Vid: King Samir Says Whites Use Black Babies as ‘Alligator Bait,‘ Laments ’Fox Jews’

Watch and listen for yourself if you dare

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nbpp-vid-king-samir-says-whites-use-black-babies-as-alligator-bait-laments-fox-jews/

President Barack Obama, in a rare discussion about his religious beliefs, described himself on Tuesday as a "Christian by choice"

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — President Barack Obama, in a rare discussion about his religious beliefs, described himself on Tuesday as a "Christian by choice" who arrived at his faith in adulthood because "the precepts of Jesus Christ" helped him envision the kind of life he wanted to lead.
Obama talked about his beliefs when he was asked, "Why are you a Christian." The question was posed by a woman at a backyard conversation here, part of a series of meetings Obama is holding to talk informally with Americans.
Some conservatives and political opponents have questioned Obama's Christian faith. In fact, a Pew Research Center poll in August found that 18 percent of people wrongly believe Obama is Muslim — up from 11 percent who said so in March 2009. Just 34 percent said they thought Obama is Christian.
"I'm a Christian by choice," Obama told his audience here. "My family didn't — frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church.
"So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead — being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me," he continued.
"And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God," Obama said. "But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace."
Obama said he seeks to do that through daily prayer and public service. "That's what I strive to do. That's what I pray to do every day," he said. "I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith."
Obama is the son of a Muslim father from Kenya. His mother was from Kansas. As a boy, he lived for several years in predominantly Muslim Indonesia with his mother and Indonesian stepfather. Some think his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, sounds Muslim.
Obama turned his extended reply to the question about his faith into a subtle call for religious tolerance.
"One thing I want to emphasize, having spoken about something that obviously relates to me very personally, as president of the United States I'm also somebody who deeply believes that part of the bedrock strength of this country is that it embraces people of many faiths and no faith," he said. "That this is a country that is still predominantly Christian, but we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and that their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own."
"That's part of what makes this country what it is," Obama said.
Obama was a longtime member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. But during the 2008 presidential campaign he resigned from the church and cut ties with its pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, after videotapes surfaced of sermons in which Wright shouted "God damn America" and accused the government of creating AIDS.
Wright had helped Obama embrace Christianity, officiated at his wedding and baptized Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha.
Obama and his family have worshipped at several churches in Washington, and aides say the president enjoys attending services at the chapel at the Camp David presidential retreat. But he has yet to join a congregation in the nation's capital.
Obama's questioner said she had three "hot topic" questions for him. Her other questions were about abortion and whether he'd take home some of her husband's chili peppers.
Obama said abortion should be "safe, legal and rare" and that such a decision should be made by the woman involved, not the government. And, he said, he'd take some of the peppers to go.

"I like spicy food to go with your spicy questions," Obama said.

Fox news is the Problem - Another one of your freedoms's is getting in Obama's way - Sorry Mr President

By: Dan Weil
President Barack Obama is blasting Fox News as "destructive," saying the cable channel's point of view is "undeniable." Obama made his comments in a Rolling Stone article, reports The New York Times. Fox is in tune with legendary newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst and other media giants who expressed a point of view, Obama said.

“The golden age of an objective press was a pretty narrow span of time in our history,” Obama said in the Rolling Stone interview.

“Before that, you had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition. It is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view.

"It’s a point of view that I disagree with. It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world.”

Obama also said Fox is a winner on the bottom line: "As an economic enterprise, it's been wildly successful."

Coming to your town soon! Wake Up folks -Europe Plots Show Al-Qaida 'Escalation' to Assault-Style Attacks

By: David A. Patten
Intelligence experts warned Wednesday that the massive terror plot involving simultaneous assault-style attacks in London, Paris, and Germany represents a serious escalation in al-Qaida's war with the West, and poses a clear and present danger to the United States.

European counter-terrorism officials are describing the plan of attack as being modeled on the November 2008 assault in Mumbai, India. In that attack, several teams fanned out across the city and used explosives and automatic weapons to kill over 170 people.

Der Spiegel is reporting a 36-year-old Hamburg man was arrested in Kabul in July provided authorities with intelligence about a series of attacks planned for Germany and neighboring European countries. He stated several teams of attackers bearing European passports had received training in remote Waziristan and Pakistan.

The plot is believed related to heightened security around the Eiffel Tower, which has been closed to tourists twice in the past week.

"It's completely certain that at some point, something like that will happen here," Michael Scheuer, former CIA counter terrorism expert who headed the unit assigned to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. "It's not only because you have increasing numbers of young Muslim males who are U.S. citizens who want to act violently, but we have completely neutered our police forces because they have 12 million undocumented aliens that they have to worry about, and they don't know a thing about them.

"So it's a huge problem," Scheuer says, "and not an easy one by any means."
ForeignPolicy.com reported the plot disrupted Tuesday involved "simultaneous Mumbai-style attacks -- with coordinated attackers taking hostages, using guns and grenades -- on cities in the U.K., France, and Germany."

Author Steve Emerson, one of the nation's leading experts on terror, and the executive director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, tells Newsmax that if al-Qaida is shown to be behind the series of attacks that were planned in Europe, "It would represent an escalation, as well as of course an expansion and diversification of their tactics, considering the success achieved in Mumbai."

Several sources say the plot to attack Europe recently shifted into an operational stage in Pakistan. The CIA has conducted a record number of drone strikes in Pakistan in the past month in an apparent bid to disrupt the attackers.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would not address specific threats but told Fox News Wednesday, "We are working constantly to make sure the American people are safe, and that includes plots against soft targets like hotels."

"We certainly have to be on the look-out for Mumbai-style attacks with bombs or assault rifles, at simultaneous institutions or commercial facilities in the United States," Emerson tells Newsmax. "That certainly could be pulled off…"

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that U.S. counter-terrorism officials are working urgently to determine if the European plots also involve an immediate threat to the United States.

"You have folks increasingly concerned about: Is it not just Europe that needs to be careful, but is there a threat here as well?" one U.S. counterterrorism official told the Journal.

Intelligence sources are saying it has been years since a plot on the scale of the European assault has been uncovered.

"This isn't just your typical Washington talk about how the threats have evolved," a counterterrorism official told the Journal. "People are very concerned about what they're seeing."

In some ways, experts say, the latest plot suggests terrorists learned from the relatively simple, brutally effective assault carried out in Mumbai.

Experts continue to believe al-Qaida's chief objective is to carry out an attack on American soil using weapons of mass destruction. But the apparent shift to simultaneous assaults with explosives and automatic weapons, presumably targeting "soft targets" such as hotels, tourist attractions, and mass transportation hubs, shows the organization is also interested in attacks that aren't as lethal, but can be much more difficult to detect.

Andrew McCarthy, the former assistant U.S. attorney who led the 1995 prosecution of "Blind Sheik" Omar Abdel-Rahman, points out the 9/11 attacks took over 18 months to carry out.

"An armed assault, while it's not likely to result in the same number of casualties, is easier in the United States to train for. There are lots of remote areas to train in. The training curve is not as high to get someone ready to carry out an attack like that," he says.

McCarthy also tells Newsmax: "Even if the attackers are not particularly competent, we saw in Fort Hood that one guy shooting a high-powered weapon in kind of a haphazard fashion can still kill a lot of people in a very short period of time."

Kent Clizbe, a former CIA counter-terrorism operative, agrees with McCarthy that one reason terrorists may be shifting their tactics to armed assaults is that larger plots have proven too difficult.

"I think the only thing that's surprising is that they have not done it here yet," he says. "You look at the relative ease with which you can acquire firearms. You can buy a semi-automatic AK-47 pretty easily here."

Clizbe adds that it may be no coincidence the plot occurs as the Iraq war winds down. That conflict, he says, acted like "fly paper" to keep many violent extremists occupied in the Middle East.

"We have a supply and demand problem," Clizbe says. "You have supply building up and up, and they want to do an attack. So the further and further away we get in time from the Iraq war, the more supply of jihadis there is."

Barack Obama, the issue of his eligibility recently reached a flashpoint in a state House election in Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIfMNZqrmZo&feature=player_embedded

 By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily

U.S. President Barack Obama pauses while speaking about the economy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington July 19, 2010. REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS)

In a development that could provide a foreboding look at the 2012 election for Democrats fond of Barack Obama, the issue of his eligibility recently reached a flashpoint in a state House election in Arizona.

Arizona state Rep. Judy Burges, R-Skull Valley, introduced during the last legislative session H. 2442, a proposal requiring future presidential candidates to show they're qualified under the U.S. Constitution's demand for a "natural born citizen."

It was co-sponsored by three dozen lawmakers, and while it eventually died in the face of political opposition in the state Senate, it was one of a handful of state-level proposals that already have developed.

The issue flared during a meeting for state House candidates with editors and others at the Arizona Republic.

According to the newspaper's report, by Gary Nelson, House District 18 Democrat candidate Michael Conway blasted GOP incumbent Cecil Ash for signing onto the bill.

The newspaper reported Conway questioned why Ash would support such a plan, and Ash responded that states don't verify the eligibility of presidential candidates, and he thinks it should happen in the future.

He explained to the newspaper that it hasn't been an issue before, because people know the parentage and heritage of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and others.



"That's not the case with President Obama," he said.

He cited a New York Times poll revealing that 1 in 5 Americans believe Obama foreign-born and another nearly 1 in 4 have doubts.

Conway then pointed to the "Certification of Live Birth" that the Obama campaign posted online during his 2008 race, the newspaper said.

"And you don't think you as a leader had the opportunity to let people know the truth? The electronic copy of the birth certificate had been released. It had been on the Internet. It had been on multiple news networks," Conway claimed.

But Ash pointed out that the online document is not the same as a "birth certificate," and the document posted by Obama could have been obtained under Hawaii law without proof of a birth in the state.

"That is the only copy there is, sir," Conway said, according to the newspaper. "You know this."

Then he accused Ash of being racist.

"The fact of the matter is, if he was white you wouldn't have put the issue forward," the newspaper reported he charged.

Ash said race has nothing to do with GOP opposition to Obama.

"I have never met any Republican who was upset about him being black," the newspaper reported Ash said. "They don't like his politics. They think he's a socialist, and there's a great many who think he's not really a natural-born citizen of the United States."

He said that's what the bill was about: providing a methodology for documentation that would address future questions.

The newspaper explained that Obama was elected both to the U.S. Senate and the Oval Office, "without anyone disproving he was a U.S. citizen."

It also cited "numerous independent investigations" as well as statements from "Hawaii state officials" who confirm Obama was born in the state Aug. 4, 1961.

"That makes him a U.S. citizen, and he, therefore, is constitutionally qualified to serve as president," the reporter wrote.

However, while Hawaii officials have said they have seen Obama's documentation, they have not revealed to the public what information it includes.

WND has reported on multiple legal challenges to Obama over his status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Some of the lawsuits question whether Obama was actually born in Hawaii, as he insists. If he was born out of the country, Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.

Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born.

Further, others question his citizenship by virtue of his attendance in Indonesian schools during his childhood and question on what passport did he travel to Pakistan three decades ago.

Adding fuel to the fire is Obama's persistent refusal to release documents that could provide answers and his appointment of lawyers to defend against all requests for his documentation.

The issue's appearance in Arizona was just the latest incident that has focused attention on the many unanswered questions about Obama's heritage and background.

Among the others that have arisen:


Rocky Raczkowski

Michigan congressional candidate Andrew Raczkowksi

Just one day after a poll by CNN included the startling revelation that 6 of 10 Americans doubt President Obama's birth story, Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski, who won a Michigan GOP primary for Congress over establishment candidate Paul Welday, said he had concerns, too.

According to a report in Politico, he is on tape telling a meeting of supporters in Novi, Mich., "You have a president that seems to be, um ... well ... I don't know if he even has been born in the United States, but ... until I see a birth certificate."

Raczkowski doesn't care that his words are on tape, reportedly being circulated by Democrats in an attempt to damage his campaign.

"They don't need an HD recorder – they can call me. I'm very open, they can call me; we can have an open discussion, perhaps even a debate," he told the publication.

Anthony Tolda

A candidate for Congress in New York's Second District, a seat now held by Democrat Steve Israel, says there is a "usurper" in the Oval Office and impeachment isn't the solution since "that would imply that he held the seat in a valid manner in the first place."

The comments by Constitution Party candidate Anthony Tolda were reported on a blog calling on Obama to release his records.

"For our Constitution to continue to exist much longer Barack Hussein Obama aka Barry Soetoro must be removed from office," the candidate's statement said. "I would not seek to impeach him, as that would imply that he held the seat in a valid manner in the first place."

Tolda's speech was captured in two segments on video:

In it, he references the "usurper" in the office of the president.

But the blog expands on that, noting that Tolda was asked specifically about Obama's eligibility to be president.

The candidate responded, "There is a process to remove seat holders that are not able to legally hold a seat. Until now the highest seat that was removed from the holder in this manner is a seat(s) in the U.S. Senate.

"I will seek to begin this process as soon as I am sworn in. Although I do not intend to pursue an impeachment, I would assist in any efforts started by others in office to impeach. Only so long as I can verify that it would not nullify my plans for the annulment-type removal that has been used on senators unfit to legally hold office in the past," he said.

Indiana congressional candidate Marvin Scott

Indiana congressional candidate Marvin Scott was responding to call-in questions from campaign supporters when he was confronted with a question about his position on the eligibility issue:

Scott, who is challenging Democrat incumbent Andre Carson, said, "Certainly, we have a right to know as citizens of this country. And that particular question has to be vetted over and over again to assure the public that the people who are representing us are fair and have ascended to that particular position because they have met all of the requirements, and therefore they are entitled to by a vote of the populace to be there."

Scott has been a professor of sociology at Butler University for nearly 20 years and for nine years was president of a management-consulting firm.

He's served as a consultant to public schools, colleges, universities and federal courts. His website explains he's running for the House of Representatives because Republicans have a "long and rich history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home."

Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

Louisiana's Vitter says the dispute over Barack Obama's eligibility to be president should be resolved in court.

"I support conservative legal organizations and others who would bring that to court," Vitter said, according to an Associated Press report citing a video of the event.

It's also significant that the AP reported on Vitter's comments. The news wire has stated the president's "birth certificate" has been made public even though the image of the document posted online actually is a "certification of live birth," which was available to those not born in Hawaii.

Want to help find out the real answers? Join others in supporting the national billboard campaign that asks the simple question, "Where's the birth certificate?"

Vitter was responding to a constituent at a town-hall meeting in Metairie, La., who asked about Obama's "refusal to produce" a birth certificate.

The AP reported the crowd applauded the question.

Vitter said he didn't have personal "standing" for litigation. But he said he supports the efforts to bring the question to court.

"I think that is the valid and most possibly effective grounds to do it," he said.

He said "first and foremost" Americans need to "fight the Obama agenda at the ballot box starting this fall."

Vitter said, according to the AP report, that the matters of the nation are too important to be diverted by distractions.

U.S. Rep. Steve King

U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, appears to have suggested he's not entirely satisfied that all the questions about President Obama's eligibility have been answered fully.

The issue came up as he talked about the national debt in a recent address in Congress, televised by C-SPAN and posted on YouTube:

The congressman referred to the estimated $44,000 that each child born in the United States owes at the moment of birth as his or her part of the federal debt.

"We worry about them carrying a student-loan debt … maybe $40,000 in student loans," he said. "We'll, I'd be happy to take that $40,000 loan and a guarantee of a college degree and think that child could pay that off."

But for the $44,000 in federal debt obligations, all the individual gets is access to citizenship in the United States of America, he said.

"Little baby with ink on their foot, stamped right there on the birth certificate – there's one in this country we haven't seen," he said. "But the footprints on those we have seen. Those little babies owe Uncle Sam $44,000."

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C.

Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., said Obama was born "not in Hawaii." He gave the answer during a tongue-in-cheek "interview" on the satirical Colbert Nation show.
The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30 p.m. EDT / 10:30 p.m. CDT
South Carolina's 4th District Primary - Bob Inglis
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Inglis was being grilled about whether he was a conservative.

"Are you conservative enough for the 4th District?" Stephen Colbert asked.

"I sure hope so," Inglis responded.

Inglis noted he had been endorsed by the National Rifle Association and the Christian Coalition.

Then Colbert said, "Complete this sentence. 'Barack Obama was born in ...'"

"Oh," said Inglis, "Not Hawaii."

Champaign, Ill., mayor Gerald Schweighart

A few weeks earlier, the mayor of Champaign, Ill., Gerald Schweighart, said Obama should produce his birth certificate.

The mayor was asked about Obama and responded he doesn't think he's "American."

"If you are not willing to produce an original birth certificate, then you've got something to hide," he said. "If he doesn't have something to hide, produce it."

Others raising questions are Tennessee state Senate speaker Ron Ramsey, Hawaii state Sen. Will Espero, Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Ritze, U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., and many others with similar questions.

Ramsey said, "I don't know whether President Obama is a citizen of the United States or not. I don't know what the whole deal is there."

But Ramsey also said he doesn't believe citizens are concerned about Obama's citizenship status.

"But I'm going to tell you something," he said. "When you walk out on the street down here, people don't really care about this issue."

There also have been efforts to raise the question of Obama's eligibility at the state and national levels. Several state legislatures are working on proposals that would require presidential candidates to submit proof of their eligibility. Among the states where election qualification or eligibility requirements are being considered or developed include Oklahoma, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Virginia and New York.

Hawaii state Sen. Will Espero

Hawaii state Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat, has suggested that legislation could be adopted to release Obama's birth records and satisfy critics.

While Espero said he believes Obama was born in Hawaii, he explained, "My decision to file the legislation was primarily a result of the fuss over President Obama's birth records and the lingering questions."

Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Ritze

Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Ritze sponsored a proposal to demand eligibility documentation from candidates for political office, including the president. Ritze, who says he regularly gets questions from his constituents about Obama's eligibility, said an "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" on the issues of candidate qualifications and eligibility.

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla.

In March 2009, Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., proposed H.R. 1503, known as the Presidential Eligibility Act. It is still pending in a House committee and has nearly a dozen co-sponsors, including Reps. Dan Burton, R-Ind.; Ted Poe, R-Texas; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; John Campbell, R-Calif.; John R. Carter, R-Texas; John Culberson, R-Texas; Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.; Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas; Trent Franks, R-Ariz.; Louie Gohmert, R-Texas; and Kenny Marchant, R-Texas.

The measure seeks to "amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the principal campaign committee of a candidate for election to the office of President to include with the committee's statement of organization a copy of the candidate's birth certificate … to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under the Constitution."

Arizona state Sen. Sylvia Allen

Arizona state Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, said the controversy over Obama and his birth certificate has raised questions.

"It just makes sense and will stop any controversy in the future to just show you are a natural born citizen," she told the Arizona Capitol Times.

Arizona state Rep. Judy Burges

Arizona state Rep. Judy Burges, R-Skull Valley, told WND she has been getting questions from other states about H. 2442, a proposal she sponsored to require future presidential candidates to show they are qualified under the U.S. Constitution's demand for a "natural born citizen." The bill was co-sponsored by some three dozen lawmakers who also want state officials to independently verify the accuracy of documentation.

U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga.

Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., sent a Dec. 10 letter to the White House formally requesting that President Obama address questions about his place of birth – and thus, whether he is qualified to be president. Deal, who is running for governor, said several months ago he would ask Obama to prove his eligibility.

"I have looked at the documentation that is publicly available, and it leaves many things to be desired," Deal said in November.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Even Sarah Palin, former vice-presidential candidate and best-selling author, affirmed that questions about Barack Obama's eligibility for office are legitimate.

"I think it's a fair question, just like I think past association and past voting records – all of that is fair game," Palin said. "The McCain-Palin campaign didn't do a good enough job in that area."

Former House majority leader Tom DeLay

In October, former House majority leader Tom DeLay offered his views on Obama's birth, saying, "Why wouldn't the president of the United States show the American people his birth certificate? You have to show a birth certificate to play Little League baseball. It's a question that should be answered. It's in the Constitution that you have to be a natural born citizen of the United States to be president."

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

Asked whether he believes Obama is eligible to be president, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said, "What I don't know is why the president cannot produce a birth certificate. I don't know anyone else who can't produce one. I think that's a legitimate question."

U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz.

U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., said he believes Obama was born in the U.S., but he also said he thinks the president is trying to hide something:

"I believe he's a natural born citizen of the United States. Therefore, even if he acts un-American and seems to go against American interests, he's still an American-born citizen," he said. "All that being said, probably Barack Obama could solve this problem and make the birthers back off by simply showing ... his long-form birth certificate."

Because that isn't happening, "There's some other issue there."

"I don't know what it is that he doesn't want people to see the birth certificate. I don't think it has to do with his natural-born citizenship," Franks continued. "He's spent an awful lot of money to keep people from seeing the birth certificate. ... I think it has to do with something else."

Feminist icon Camille Paglia

Even feminist icon Camille Paglia, a Salon.com columnist who earlier wrote about the ambiguities of President Barack Obama's birth certificate, told a National Public Radio audience that those who have questions about his eligibility actually have a point. "Yes, there were ambiguities about Obama's birth certificate that have never been satisfactorily resolved. And the embargo on Obama's educational records remains troubling," she wrote.

New Hampshire State Rep. Laurence Rappaport

In September, New Hampshire State Rep. Laurence Rappaport, R-Colebrook, said he was tired of telling his constituents that he's not sure of Obama's eligibility to serve as president. He met with New Hampshire's secretary of state, William Gardner, who oversees the state's elections, to demand answers.

"Regardless of where he was born, is he a natural born citizen as required by the Constitution? I don't know the answer to that," Rappaport said. "My understanding is that … a natural born citizen had to be someone with two American parents. If that's true, his father was a Kenyan and therefore a British subject at the time. Then there's the issue: If he was born out of the country, was his mother old enough at the time to confer citizenship?

"I expect somebody to come up with the legal answers to this," Rappaport told WND, "and so far that hasn't happened."

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz.

In his Jan. 26 appearance on "Hardball," former Rep. J.D. Hayworth was asked by Chris Matthews, "Are you as far right as the birthers? Are you one of those who believes that the president should have to prove that he's a citizen of the United States and not an illegal immigrant? Are you that far right?"

Hayworth replied, "Well, gosh, we all had to bring our birth certificates to show we were who we said we were, and we were the age we said we were, to play football in youth sports. Shouldn't we know exactly that anyone who wants to run for public office is a natural-born citizen of the United States, and is who they say they are?"

"Should the governor of Hawaii produce evidence that the president is one of us, an American?" Matthews asked. "Do you think that's a worthy pastime for the governor of Hawaii right now?"

"No, I ... Look, I'm just saying the president should come forward with the information, that's all," said Hayworth. "Why should we depend on the governor of Hawaii?"

A video of the interview follows:

Prominent commentators

A prominent array of commentators, including Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, Lou Dobbs, Peter Boyles and WND's Chuck Norris and Pat Boone have all said unequivocally and publicly that the Obama eligibility issue is legitimate and worthy.

Longtime New York radio talker Lynn Samuels did the same. "We don't even know where he was born," she said. "I absolutely believe he was not born in this country."

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New strategy unveiled today on answering Obama's eligibility questions. See how you can help.

Related stories:

igibility doubts flooding state-level races

ama's eligibility doubted by surging congressional candidate

Candidate for Congress: 'Usurper' holds Oval Office

Black candidate wonders if Obama 'entitled' to office

Senator: Resolve eligibility in court

Congressman on birth certificate: 'There's 1 we haven't seen'

Congressman says Obama birthplace 'not in Hawaii'

Mayor joins chorus questioning if Obama 'American'

'I don't know whether Obama's a U.S. citizen'

NPR changes archive regarding president's birth

Kenyan officials affirm: Obama 'son of this soil'

Kenyan official: Obama born here

NPR archive describes Obama as 'Kenyan-born'

THE FULL STORY: See listing of more than 200 exclusive WND reports on the eligibility issue

Obama's faith assertion called 'politically driven' 'Too many black 'community organizers' gained power through churches'

By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily

President Obama's statement that he is a "Christian by choice" drew strong reaction on the Web, largely dividing responders into two camps: one supporting him and urging that he focus on programs that better the nation and another contending that asserting he is a Christian doesn't necessarily make him one. "I wonder if our president believes God created the heavens and the earth in 7 days or if he thinks the Bible was fibbing," wrote griffin 76 on a Minneapolis Star-Tribune forum page. "I think I already know his answer based on his stances on abortion and homosexuality." Added ceegee, "You can call me skeptical and a cynic, but too many black 'community organizers' gained their political power through the inner city churches. The church is a means to an end for people like Obama, Jackson Sharpton et al. Attending church is a convenience and seen as a way to network into the community. And one still has to ask why [Obama] attend[ed] Rev. Wright's fiery church for 20 years? I assert Obama's motivations for faith are selfish and political driven." Classic book on USA's Christian heritage: New edition of 100-year-old treasure reveals nation's true religious history Obama's remarks on his faith came in response to a question in Albuquerque, N.M., today from a woman who wanted to know "why he was a Christian." (Story continues below)

"I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't ... frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. My mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me into church. I came to my Christian faith later in life. ... It was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life I would want to lead. Being my brother's and sister's keeper ... treating others as they would treat me ... also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings. ... We're sinful, and we're flawed, and we make mistakes, and we achieve salvation through the grace of God," Obama said.

"We can still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace. So that's what I strive to do and pray to do every day. ... I think my public service is a part of that effort to express my Christian faith," he said. "As president of the United States, I'm also someone who deeply believes part of the bedrock strength of this country is that it embraces people of many faiths and of no faiths. This is a country that is still predominantly Christian, but we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own, and that's part of what makes our country what it is."
The video was posted online by Christian Broadcasting Network and also is embedded:

CBN's David Brody, the organization's White House correspondent, said Obama's comments "sound more evangelical than any of his previous statements about his faith."
"Having said that, to some people it's not going to matter what he says," he continued. "They are going by his actions (his views on abortion, marriage, etc) and what they see as his distorted view of the Gospel message.
"Bottom line: Has the train already left the station on how people view the faith of this president? The words today may not change people's minds at all. Unlike the 2008 campaign when President Obama was in the process of telling America about himself, it's now 2010. Conservative Evangelicals may have a harder time buying this and secular liberals have no desire to hear all of this 'God' talk in public. This president may not be able to win either way," he said.
On Brody's comment page came the suggestion, "If he says he is a christian why is it he seems to be more on the side of the muslim faith than the christian faith? Why has it taken him and his family almost 20 months and to date they still haven't settled into a bible beliving (sic) church? Why does he seem to be going against the christian faith by wanting gays to be in the military."
On the Star-Tribune comment page, one writer cut to the quick.
"I believe that President Obama might believe he is a Christian but living a life you think God wants you to lead doesn't make you a Christian. Believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins is what makes one a Christian," wrote t-petter.
But the cynicism never was far from the surface.
"That there could possibly be a vote or two somewhere in claiming some measure of Christianity," added jackusmc.
"Perhaps if your president's actions followed what he said others wouldn't question his 'faith belief and values,'" added wildrocks.
"He's a Christian because his approval numbers are at an all-time low. It's as simple as that," added rookie6886.
He also came in for some support.
"For the president's political opponents, whose mission from his first days in office, was to destroy his presidency, their motives are soaked in the politics of personal destruction. President Obama's opponents couldn't beat him at the voting booth, so they set out to cripple him by spreading made up fantasies about the president's religion and his citizenship. They stoke hate rallies and hoisted signs of the president in white-face and Hitler mustaches," wrote writruth. "The president's opponents believe that if they can raise enough suspicion, even if they have to lie to do so, it's fair. By any means necessary their mission is to undermine the president's attempt to get the country back on it's feet, to rebuild our manufacturing base, to improve the quality of our kids' public education, to cut our dependency on foreign oil and to end the wars that drain trillions from our treasury, rob our troops of the flower of their youth and leave us less secure in the world."
Another writer, xpylut, identified another perspective: "If you haven't heard of TAQIYYA, google it. Your eyes will be opened to how Muslims are allowed to handle difficult questions."
At USA today, Pathora07 said, "It is nice to see that Obama worships Christ!" which was followed immediately by the comment, "Actually, Obama worships votes."
"'So I came to my Christian faith later in life.' Yeah ... like when he decided to make a run for the White House ... because he was told by his mentor 'Dick Durbin' that a muslim could not get elected," added another forum participant.
WND reported just days earlier that Obama removed the reference to the "Creator" from the Declaration of Independence when he quoted a portion at a meeting of the Congressional Hispanic Congress.
Obama said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
But the actual quotation is:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The video, where the reference appears shortly past the 22-minute mark:

On the Gunny G blog, there was outrage.
"I'm surprised this has not created a stir – perhaps lost in the election results," he wrote.
And at American Thinker, which was among those bringing the incident to national attention, Jason McNew reported on the "long pause" Obama inserted after saying, "created equal."
The report cites him scowling and blinking.
"For once, he may actually have opted to not read something that was on the teleprompter," the commentary said. "It looks like he is disgusted and decided it would be better not to read what the preamble actually says.
"President Obama, if our Creator is not the purveyor of our rights, then who is? The government?" the commentary questioned.

---

So you thought I was the crazy one - You have to ask your self Why - UN and space Aliens

If aliens ever land on Earth there will no longer be any confusion over who will greet them with the news the United Nations is set to appoint an astrophysicist to be their first human contact.
Mazlan Othman is expected to be tasked with coordinating humanity's response to an extraterrestrial visit, if ever required.

The continued search for extraterrestrial communication, by several entities, sustains the hope that some day human kind will received signals from extraterrestrials,' she said.
'When we do, we should have in place a coordinated response that takes into account all the sensitivities related to the subject.
'The UN is a ready-made mechanism for such coordination.'

Friendly? Professor Stephen Hawking has questioned the theory of non-threatening alien visitors, such as ET in the Hollywood film

Plans to make Un -oose the coordinating body for dealing with alien encounters are set to be debated by UN scientific advisory committees.
If the idea is backed it will then head to General Assembly.
Professor Richard Crowther, head of the UK delegation to the UN committee, admitted recently: '[Ms] Othman is absolutely the nearest thing we have to a "take me to your leader" person.'
In April though Professor Stephen Hawking warned that the alien contact, if it ever comes, may not be as friendly as has been hoped.
In a documentary, the 68-year-old scientist said he imagined aliens arriving in 'massive ships' and could try to colonies Earth and plunder the planet's resources.
'We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet,' he said.
'I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.'
He added: 'It would be 'too risky' to attempt to make contact with alien races. If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1315336/United-Nations-appoint-space-ambassador-act-contact-aliens-visiting-Earth.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz10kOHrFvA

Obama thinks people 'got screwed' when U.S. founded 'Everything was peachy keen in America until those racist Europeans showed up'

By Joe Kovacs
© 2010 WorldNetDaily

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Radio giant Rush Limbaugh says President Obama holds the attitude that the original residents of America "got screwed" when the United States was officially founded. The allegation came during the top-rated host's program today, as he analyzed Obama's speech last Wednesday at the Congressional Hispanic Congress. The key section that has become controversial has Obama discussing the days before the American Revolution, which can be viewed at the 21:36 mark on this YouTube video: Obama stated:

Long before America was even an idea, this land of plenty was home to many peoples: to British and French, to Dutch and Spanish, to Mexican – (applause) – to countless Indian tribes. We all shared the same land. We didn't always get along. But over the centuries, what eventually bound us together – what made us all Americans – was not a matter of blood, it wasn't a matter of birth. It was faith and fidelity to the shared values that we all hold so dear. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights: life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The actual quotation from the Declaration of Independence is: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Find out amazing, behind-the-scenes information that the doctor of democracy never talks about on the air in "Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One," direct from WND! "He leaves out 'Creator,'" Limbaugh said. "It was a speech that was on the teleprompter. Either it was on the prompter and he omitted it, didn't say it, or it was not on the prompter. Regardless, it was a purposeful omission." He continued: "This is the thing that's tough for people to get their arms around. They've elected somebody who actually has a grudge against the country as founded. Anytime that I have evidence that concurs with my no-question-about-it-correct opinion, I'm gonna use it. So, eliminate 'Creator,' eliminate God when quoting [the Declaration], and then make the statement, 'Before America came around, boy, look at all these wonderful people who were here who got screwed when America was founded.'" Limbaugh gave his personal translation of Obama's comments about America before the nation's establishment, saying, "We used to share it, everything was copacetic, everything was fine and dandy and then the white European settlers arrived and hello environmentalist – this is right out of the multicultural curricula. The white Europeans arrived, we got syphilis; we got horses; we got environmental destruction; we got racism; we got sexism; we got homophobia. Prior to all those people showing up, this was a dreamland." He attributed Obama's belief system to Black Liberation Theology, which he absorbed from his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. "In Black Liberation Theology, which is the teaching of Rev. Wright," said Limbaugh, "the genocide of the American Indian is a major tenet. Wright preached it constantly, the genocide of the American Indian and Obama heard it. It's a huge, huge deal. And people who speak this way are really just saying everything was peachy keen in North America until those racist Europeans showed up and started oppressing everybody. That's what he believes." Limbaugh then provided what he called "the money quote" from the book "A Black Theology of Liberation" by James Cone, the mentor to Rev. Wright: "The extermination of Amer-Indians (American Indians), the persecution of Jews, the oppression of Mexican-Americans and every other conceivable inhumanity done in the name of God and country, these brutalities can be analyzed in terms of the white American inability to recognize humanity in persons of color."

"This is who animates and informs Rev. Wright who then goes to
the pulpit and preaches sermons based on this stuff," Limbaugh
explained. "Two and two equals four."

House Member Eleanor Holmes Norton made a fundraising call to a lobbyist. The lobbyist wasn’t available, so Holmes Norton left a voicemail.

A couple weeks ago, House Member Eleanor Holmes Norton made a fundraising call to a lobbyist. The lobbyist wasn’t available, so Holmes Norton left a voicemail.

By way of background, with their prospects for November quickly deteriorating, Congressional Democrats are scrambling to assemble the financial resources they hope can stave off their electoral armageddon. Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team are putting a lot of pressure on Democrat members to pony up campaign contributions to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In the article linked above, Politico noted:

In August, Pelosi and other top leaders wrote members, saying, “We need to know your commitment is to maintaining a strong Democratic majority now” and pleading with them to call “to let us know what you are able to do and when.”

The pressure is especially strong on members from “safe” districts, who need little campaign money of their own to win reelection. The catch, though, is that many of these members haven’t amassed vast campaign war-chests, for the simple reason that they haven’t needed them. So, they are scrambling to meet their Pelosi-imposed obligations. Holmes Norton is from one such “safe” district–the District of Columbia.
In the following voicemail recording, Holmes Norton seeks a campaign contribution from the lobbyist and even mentions that she hadn’t previously asked for a donation. Such is the pressure Speaker Pelosi has placed on the members. But, it is the content of Holmes Norton’s message that is interesting. (Note: the first few seconds of the recording, where the name of the lobbyist is said by Holmes Norton, have been redacted by the source.)

Her message raises many concerns.
1. At the very beginning of the message, Holmes Norton notes that the lobbyist:

ha[s] given to other colleagues of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Beyond being a bit heavy-handed, where did she get this information? Such donations are listed in FEC reports, but it is a violation to use that information to solicit campaign donations.
2. More serious, however, is her frequent mention of her seniority and her Chairmanship of a subcommittee. She is attempting to solicit funds based on her past actions taken in her official capacity in Congress. She is implying to the lobbyist that, should he decline to donate, he will be turning down a senior member of Congress who Chairs a subcommittee highly relevant to his “sector”.
3. Worse than that, she details her role overseeing a large economic development project in the District, funded by “stimulus” funds. It would appear that either the lobbyist has an interest in this project, or the Congresswoman thinks he does, as she states she is “frankly surprised” the lobbyist hasn’t given to her. Especially, she notes, because of her

long and deep work …in fact it has been by major work on the committee and subcommittee it’s been essentially in your sector

“In your sector.” This raises additional concerns, and we note potentially relevant laws here:

She who promises, directly or indirectly, any government contract or other government benefit (provided for or made possible by any Act of Congress) as a reward for a political contribution shall be guilty of a misdemeanor (18 U.S.C. § 600).

She who attempts to cause anyone to make a political contribution by denying or threatening to deny any government payment or other government benefit (provided for or made possible, in whole or in part, by any Act of Congress) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor (18 U.S.C. § 601).

Then there are the House Ethics rules, according to House Ethics Manual (2008 Edition):

p. 147: “[N]o solicitation of a campaign or political contribution may be linked to an action taken or to be taken by a Member … in his or her official capacity. … The Standards Committee has long advised Members … that they should always exercise caution to avoid even the appearance that solicitations of campaign contributions are connected in any way with an action taken or to be taken in their official capacity. … [A] Member should not sponsor or participate in any solicitation that offers donors any special access to the Member in the Member’s official capacity.”

p. 150: “[A] Member may not accept any contribution that is linked with an action that the Member has taken or is being asked to take. A corollary of these rules is that Members … are not to take or withhold any official action on the basis of the campaign contributions or support of the involved individuals …. Members … are likewise prohibited from threatening punitive action on the basis of such considerations.”

4. We don’t know from where she made this call, but it is a relevant inquiry. It is, after all, illegal to solicit campaign funds on federal property.
As Holmes Norton repeatedly notes on the call, she is a senior member of Congress. She knows or should know all of this. First elected to Congress in 1990, she took her law degree from Yale University and clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Leon Higginbotham before working as an assistant legal director at the ACLU, law professor at NYU, Chairman of the NYC Human Rights Commission, and Chairman of the EEOC. She is a tenured law professor at Georgetown University and serves on the boards of three Fortune 500 companies.
That a Member like Holmes Norton would leave the foregoing voicemail message must be a testament to the kind of pressure Speaker Pelosi has put on her members. Indeed, she acknowledges this in the call:

As the senior member of the um, committee and a sub-committee chair, we have (chuckles) obligations to raise, uh funds. And, I think it must have been me who hasn’t, frankly, uh, done my homework to ask for a contribution earlier. So I’m trying to make up for it by asking for one now, when we particularly, uh, need, uh contributions, particularly those of us who have the seniority and chairmanships and are in a position to raise the funds.

Note: Beginning this morning, we made several attempts throughout the day to contact Holmes Norton’s office. At least two email requests for comments were sent to the Congresswoman’s Communications Director. Three phones calls and messages were also left. None of these were returned. We made clear we were on deadline, but we held the story for almost an entire day to give Holmes Norton’s office a chance to respond. If we receive a response from her office, we will update the post.
Below is the full transcript of the call:

This is, uh, Eleanor Norton, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Uh, I noticed that you have given to uh, other colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I am a, um, Senior Member, a twenty year veteran and am Chair of the Sub-committee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. I’m handling the largest economic development project in the United States now, the Homeland Security Compound of three buildings being built on the uh, old St. Elizabeth’s hospital site in the District of Columbia along with uh, fifteen other, uh, sites here for, that are part of the stimulus .
I was, frankly, uh, uh, surprised to see that we don’t have a record, so far as I can tell, of your having given to me despite my uh, long and deep uh, work. In fact, it’s been my major work, uh, on the committee and sub-committee it’s been essentially in your sector.
I am, I’m simply candidly calling to ask for a contribution. As the senior member of the um, committee and a sub-committee chair, we have (chuckles) obligations to raise, uh funds. And, I think it must have been me who hasn’t, frankly, uh, done my homework to ask for a contribution earlier. So I’m trying to make up for it by asking for one now, when we particularly, uh, need, uh contributions, particularly those of us who have the seniority and chairmanships and are in a position to raise the funds.

I’m asking you to give to Citizens for Eleanor Holmes Norton, PO Box 70626, DC, 20024. I’ll send you a follow-up note with appreciation for having heard me out. Thanks again.

McConnell Embraces Big Tent GOP

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , during a wide-ranging interview Thursday on the upcoming elections, said his party must embrace candidates across the ideological spectrum if it hopes to retake control of Congress and block President Barack Obama ’s agenda.
“I decided at the beginning of this Congress that the single most important thing I could do would be to help us improve our numbers,” the Kentucky Republican said Thursday evening in an interview in his Capitol office. “I rarely quote Adlai Stevenson for many things. But it was in fact Adlai Stevenson who said: ‘Before you can make policy, you’ve got to win elections.’ And we were sitting there with 40, and then subsequently 41, which is right on the cusp of being irrelevant.”

A few members of McConnell’s Conference, notably Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.), disagree, although a majority of GOP Senators — even those with the most conservative voting records — side with the GOP leader.
“I agree with William F. Buckley, in that I’m always for the most conservative candidate who can win,” McConnell continued. “It’s a statement of the obvious that winning in Maine is different than winning in South Carolina — it just is. And I think it’s important to have a national party that can win in every part of America. And, if you do that, you’ll have a big group instead of a small group. If we had a group of 30 or so who all agree on everything, we’d be entirely cohesive and totally irrelevant. I would rather be less cohesive and more relevant, and more able to impact public policy, which is after all why our voters sent us here in the first place.
“So, put me down for the big tent, for winning everywhere in America we can, and for sorting out our philosophical differences after we get elected, because then you’ve got an actual chance to have an impact on the future of the country,” said McConnell, the GOP leader since 2007.

McConnell said he’s confident that Republicans would gain seats this November, but he was careful not to set expectations too high and predict a GOP rout. However, the Minority Leader is willing to make one prediction: “We’re not going to lose a single Republican incumbent Senator in November.”

Mike Pence: Don't abandon social issues

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence is warning Republicans not to abandon social issues that have been so important to the religious right, even as his fellow House Republicans build an election-year agenda that focuses more on economic policy and government reform.
The Indiana Republican, speaking at the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, heard cries of Pence for president and got a standing ovation when talking about defense policy. He struck a hopeful tone, despite saying that this country has a “mountain to climb.”

“Those that have gone before in your life have climbed their mountain,” Pence said. “They stood for freedom; they stood in harm's way; they demanded a government as good as our people. Now it’s our turn. The time has come to take a stand.”

Pence, echoing a popular sentiment at the event, touched on one of the most vexing issues facing House Republicans: the inclusion of social issues in a governing agenda meant to propel the party into power. Some Republican leaders say their 2010 agenda should avoid culture war issues because they would distract from promoting job-creating measures. Pence fired back, saying Republicans can “can create jobs while protecting innocent human life.”
“We must not remain silent while great moral values are being waged,” he said.
Pence believes that faith in God and freedom will lead Republicans back to power.
If Republicans hold the “banner” of God and freedom high, “I believe with all my heart the good and great people in this land will rally to our cause; we will win this Congress back in 2010; and we will win this country back in 2012,” Pence said.
His speech was long on common Republican themes, like repealing the Democratic health care overhaul, ending bailouts, denying federal funding for abortion and bolstering "don't ask, don't tell."
On defense, Pence took a tough stance, accusing President Barack Obama of abandoning Israel. Pence said he was “appalled” by Obama’s criticism of controversial building in Jerusalem. He said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should not be tried in civilian court.
Pence — who often says he’s a Christian first, then a conservative and then a Republican — is largely seen as having ambitions beyond the House. Indiana has a gubernatorial opening in 2012, and at 78, Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) could be nearing the twilight of his career, creating an opening for a Senate seat.
Among the Values Voter set, Pence is hugely popular. Contrasted with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Pence is seen as the most conservative — socially and fiscally.
And as the House GOP readies its governing agenda, Pence has been pushing — somewhat unsuccessfully — for the inclusion of social issues. He spoke with dire certainty when talking about the peril his party faces if it doesn't include socially conservative tenets in its policies.
“Those who would have us ignore the battle being fought over life, marriage and religious liberty have forgotten the lessons of history," Pence said. "As in the days of a house divided, America’s darkest moments have come when economic arguments trumped moral principles.”

Obama Has Underestimated the Frustration in the Country'

The dramatic ascent of the Tea Party continued in America this week, with the conservative movement scoring another surprise victory in the Republican primary in Delaware. German editorialists digested the news on Thursday and warned that both Republicans and Democrats were right to feel uneasy.

Even a few weeks ago, it was considered impossible that the Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell would win the primary in Delaware. She was long seen as being too far to the right to woo enough votes. On Tuesday, such predictions were consigned to the trash when O'Donnell beat a veteran congressman to secure the Republican nomination in the Delaware race for the US Senate.

The Tea Party movement has won a succession of Republican primaries, with its conservative, anti-establishment candidates. O'Donnell is known for her pro-gun, anti-abortion stance, as well as her belief that masturbation is a sin. In the Delaware primary, O'Donnell got 53 percent of the vote, ousting Mike Castle, a long-standing politician who has represented his party as a state governor and in Congress.
Palin-Backed
"The people of Delaware have spoken. No more politics as usual," O'Donnell told enthusiastic fans after results came out. "The cause is restoring America."
In the weeks running up to her victory, O'Donnell gained publicity with endorsements from Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, and the National Rifle Association.
Recent weeks have brought a string of successes for the Tea Party. In another boost to the grassroots movement, Carl Paladino, its candidate in New York, surprised pundits by wining the Republican nomination to run for governor in November.
The Tea Party movement has enjoyed a comet-like rise since last year. It provides a haven for voters for whom the mainstream Republican Party is not conservative enough, and its popularity is widely attributed to dissatisfaction with US President Barack Obama and frustration with the lackluster US economy. Many observers expect its rise will force the Repubican Party to move further to the right.
On Thursday, German editorialists look at what the latest victory means for US politics.
The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:
"The spectacular successes of the grassroots conservative movement could turn out to be a political boomerang for the opposition Republicans, whose chances for the midterm elections were looking good or even very good. The Republicans will now be drawn further and further towards the right, meaning that they will no longer be an option for non-ideological voters who are disillusioned with the Democrats. In this way the Republicans could jeopardize their own future success. The Democrats' best campaigner isn't Obama, but rather the anti-establishment front of its opponent."
The conservative daily Die Welt writes:
"This sort of nomination is intended as a putsch against the Republican establishment, but it doesn't solve the Democrats' problems. They are threatened by a massive loss of support in the midterm elections, where the whole House of Representatives and a third of the Senate and a large chunk of the governor posts are up for grabs. But the Republicans' goal is to regain the majority in both houses of Congress. If they fail to accomplish this double whammy, the Democrats can breathe a sigh of relief."
The business daily Handelsblatt writes:
"Glen Beck, Sarah Palin and the Tea Party are part of an opposition movement outside of Congress which is moving mountains. This is a revolt against 'Obamaism,' which is seen as representing big government, more taxes, a higher deficit and not enough 'Americanism.' Day by day, it puts more and more pressure onto those at the top."
"In the US, people ... spend time and money supporting the Republicans. Unlike in Germany, in America, which never had a Hitler, being 'right-wing' is not taboo. 'Right-wing' represents Reagan, religion, the free market, individualism, patriotism and small government. In reality, it is an impossible mixture: National pride, God and tradition are conservative 'us' values. The profit motive, competition and a weak state are 'me-first' sentiments ... . But this mixture of conservative values and neoliberalism works well in America, where it transcends social class -- that's the difference to Germany."
The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

"The success of the Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell does not bode well for the Republicans, nor for the Democrats (even if they see it differently at the moment), nor for the whole American political machine." "Obama has underestimated the frustration in the country and the power of the Tea Party movement, which gives the prevailing disillusionment a platform and a voice. It is by far the most vibrant political force in America. Obama's left-of-center coalition, which got young people and intellectuals involved and which appealed to a majority of women, blacks and Latinos, has evaporated into nothing."
"The new right, though, is on the rise. It sets the agenda. America is facing a shift to the right. The Republicans have already marched in this direction of their own accord, regardless how many Tea Party reactionaries get a seat and a voice in Congress in November. The Democrats and the president have been put totally on the defensive. From now on they will only be able to react, rather than act."

-- Jess Smee

In Islam, every structure linked to the faith and its rituals has a precise function and character. A mosque is a one-story gallery built around an atrium with a mihrab (a niche pointing to Mecca) and one, or in the case of Shiites two, minarets

This 13-story multifunctional structure couldn't be any of the above.
The groups fighting for the project know this; this is why they sometimes call it an Islamic cultural center. But there is no such thing as an Islamic culture.
Islam is a religion, not a culture. Each of the 57 Muslim-majority nations has its own distinct culture -- and the Bengali culture has little in common with the Nigerian. Then, too, most of those countries have their own cultural offices in the US, especially in New York.
Islam is an ingredient in dozens of cultures, not a culture on its own.
In theory, at least, the culture of American Muslims should be American. Of course, this being America, each ethnic community has its distinct cultural memories -- the Iranians in Los Angeles are different from the Arabs in Dearborn.
In fact, the proposed structure is known in Islamic history as a rabat -- literally a connector. The first rabat appeared at the time of the Prophet.
The Prophet imposed his rule on parts of Arabia through a series of ghazvas, or razzias (the origin of the English word "raid"). The ghazva was designed to terrorize the infidels, convince them that their civilization was doomed and force them to submit to Islamic rule. Those who participated in the ghazva were known as the ghazis, or raiders.
After each ghazva, the Prophet ordered the creation of a rabat -- or a point of contact at the heart of the infidel territory raided. The rabat consisted of an area for prayer, a section for the raiders to eat and rest and facilities to train and prepare for future razzias. Later Muslim rulers used the tactic of ghazva to conquer territory in the Persian and Byzantine empires. After each raid, they built a rabat to prepare for the next razzia.
It is no coincidence that Islamists routinely use the term ghazva to describe the 9/11 attacks against New York and Washington. The terrorists who carried out the attack are referred to as ghazis or shahids (martyrs).
Thus, building a rabat close to Ground Zero would be in accordance with a tradition started by the Prophet. To all those who believe and hope that the 9/11 ghazva would lead to the destruction of the American "Great Satan," this would be of great symbolic value.
Faced with the anger of New Yorkers, the promoters of the project have started calling it the Cordoba House, echoing President Obama's assertion that it would be used to propagate "moderate" Islam.
The argument is that Cordoba, in southern Spain, was a city where followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism lived together in peace and produced literature and philosophy.
In fact, Cordoba's history is full of stories of oppression and massacre, prompted by religious fanaticism. It is true that the Muslim rulers of Cordoba didn't force their Christian and Jewish subjects to accept Islam. However, non-Muslims could keep their faith and enjoy state protection only as dhimmis (bonded ones) by paying a poll tax in a system of religious apartheid.
If whatever peace and harmony that is supposed to have existed in Cordoba were the fruit of "Muslim rule," the subtext is that the United States would enjoy similar peace and harmony under Islamic rule.
A rabat in the heart of Manhattan would be of great symbolic value to those who want a high-profile, "in your face" projection of Islam in the infidel West.
This thirst for visibility is translated into increasingly provocative forms of hijab, notably the niqab (mask) and the burqa. The same quest mobilized hundreds of Muslims in Paris the other day to close a whole street so that they could have a Ramadan prayer in the middle of the rush hour.
One of those taking part in the demonstration told French radio that the aim was to "show we are here." "You used to be in our capitals for centuries," he said. "Now, it is our turn to be in the heart of your cities."
Before deciding whether to support or oppose the "Cordoba" project, New Yorkers should consider what it is that they would be buying.


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