Values Voter News

President Obama Weekly Address-"President Obama talks about his budget request that he released this past week to Congress. Washington, DC"-I couldn't find embedded video so just click on link to cspan.

Republican Weekly Address





House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Weekly Legislative Briefing-"House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) conducts a weekly briefing on legislative issues in the 111th Congress. Washington, DC : 15 min."-Link to Pelosi's statement last week at cspan.

House and Senate Republicans Announce Launch of House-Senate Fiscal Responsibility Working Group-"Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), House Minority Whip, and other members of the GOP Leadership spoke to the media to announce the launch of the House-Senate Fiscal Responsibility Working Group. Washington, DC : 21 min."-Link to cspan video cast of Republicans launching of the House-Senate Fiscal Responsibility Working Group.

From JillStanek.com....

Pro-lifers dissed by both Dem and GOP House leadership

I've written several times (here and here) on a letter circulated by pro-life Congressmen Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Heath Shuler (D-NC) for signatures, which they submitted to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week....

The letter garnered an unprecedented 180 signatures, thanks in large part to many of you, encouraging your congresspersons to sign. The letter urged House leaders to leave all pro-life riders intact in the appropriations bill, such as the Hyde Amendment, which bans taxpayer funding of most U.S. abortions, conscience protection for health care providers, and taxpaid prohibitition of human embryo research. Read the letter and its impressive list of signers here.

When the appropriations bill was unveiled February 24, it did leave all pro-life riders intact - except the Kemp-Kasten provision, which allows the president to withhold family planning funding from any organization s/he determines is involved in coercive abortions or sterilization.

Liberals added a provision carving out funding for the United Nations Population Fund, which is involved in reproductive coercion in China, and from which President Bush withdrew funding.

The new provision states UNFPA can get funding at Congress's discretion no matter what any president thinks, and actually no matter what international law it violates, even terrorism. Liberals then appropriated UNFPA $50 million for Fiscal Year 2009.

Recall 180 of 435 members of Congress signed a bi-partisan letter urging House leaders not to do what they did. That's no small minority. Only 38 more members would give pro-lifers the majority.

Then it got worse. On February 25 the Democrat led House Rules Committee blocked Rep. Chris Smith from introducing 2 amendments for a House floor vote: one to overturn President Obama's executive order giving taxpayer money to international abortion groups, and one to restore the Kemp-Kasten language to bar UNFPA from getting taxpayer money.

Then it got worse. Republican leadership had one option left it chose to ignore, adding to the snub. As the minority party it could have made a motion on the floor to amend the UNFPA. And it did not. As Family Research Council wrote:

If Republican leaders weren't willing to use their right to offer this amendment and force a vote on this pro-life provision, it's unclear whether they will fight for other pro-life measures on appropriations bills that are scheduled to move through Congress this spring.... [A]lowing liberals to gut a pro-life rider, one which was designed to prevent our complicity in China's egregious one-child policy, is something Americans do not accept."

Pres. Obama Announces Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Proposal-"President Obama was joined by his economic team as he made remarks about his release of an outline for the fiscal year 2010 budget."-9 minute video link from Cspan.



Republicans respond

Republican House & Senate Budget Cmte. Response to President's FY 2010 Budget Request-"Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) and House Budget Committee Ranking Member Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) held a press conference to discuss President Obama's FY 2010 Budget Request."-33 minute video link from Cspan.

Democrats respond

Democratic House & Senate Budget Cmte. Response to President's FY 2010 Budget Request-"Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) held a press conference to discuss President Obama's FY 2010 Budget Request."-28 minute video link from Cspan.

Dow has dropped the day Obama announced budget proposal and on the 27th it has dropped another 119 points to drop over 200 points since his proposal and almost 300 points since his address to the nation on the 24th.

Related:YouTube video of African American pastor being harrassed by pro-aborts and guess who the authorities threaten with jail time
African American Pro-lifer threatened with 4 years in jail even though witness testified that no use of "force against them, threatened them, or.."
Breaking News. Pro-life pastor sentenced to 30 days in jail, three years probation and fined $1130.

What was Pastor Walter Hoye arrested for - Audio Interview?

I spoke with Pastor Walter Hoye about his arrest and conviction for harrassment. He was accused of "harrassing women seeking services from the abortion clinic". This is another one of those cases where you won't believe what is happening in America. It seems as if we are getting closer to the Nazi state more and more every day.

You can read our article to get more information about this case, but before you do, listen to Pastor Hoye tell you what happened in his own words.

In this interview you will get a link from Mr Hoye to watch actual video footage of how actually this man was being harassed on the days in questions. You can see some on YouTube below. And in an interview at Washington Watch Weekly Radio Show - February 27, 2009 he said that the officer said that his "got Jesus?" hat would be in violation of this law cause Jesus would encourage women not to have an abortion. He said to the judge before his sentencing that no matter what he was still going to continue doing what he was doing namely reaching out to woman with the love of Jesus Christ.

Some interesting bills going thru. The one I have been monitoring is the Fairness Doctrine which is losing in the Senate which is great from radio broadcast freedom. Before one is going to pass a Fairness Doctrine that effects radio they need to clean up the act at Big Media where there is no conservative alternative unlike radio where there are liberal alternatives. But notice that even if the Fairness Doctrine fails which in my opinion it should liberals are using another tactic. Pay attention to it in the months and bills to come. Read second article.

D.C. ‘Voting Rights’ Bill Reappears in Congress-"The bill would give District of Columbia residents a voting member of Congress, and to balance that extra Democratic seat, heavily Republican Utah would get an extra congressional representative.

The bill would bring the total number of U.S. representatives to 437, the first increase in the number of House members in 96 years.....The Founding Fathers said the House of Representatives “shall be composed of Members chosen every second year by the People of the several States.” They also set up a federal district as the “seat of government” – an entity distinct from a state. The Constitution gives Congress the power to “lay and collect taxes over such District.”

Giving D.C. residents voting representation in Congress should be done by amending the Constitution, not by legislation, Sen. Mitch McConnell argued on the Senate floor in 2007."

Senate Backs Amendment to Prevent 'Fairness Doctrine' Revival

The Senate approved an amendment Thursday that would outlaw the so-called "Fairness Doctrine," an off-the-books policy that once required broadcasters to air opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint's amendment passed by a wide margin of 87-to-11. The South Carolina senator had attached his proposal, called the Broadcaster Freedom Act, to a bill to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House.

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It's unclear whether the amendment will survive as Congress debates the voting rights bill. But the measure served to effectively put the Senate on record as opposing a revival of the Fairness Doctrine.

However, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin also won approval for an alternate amendment that would order the Federal Communications Commission to encourage radio ownership "diversity."

A DeMint aide said Durbin's measure will "impose the Fairness Doctrine through the back door by trying to break up radio ownership."

The aide called the Durbin proposal "an attempt to break up companies like Clear Channel and hurt their syndications and therefore putting many local radio stations out of business that depend on those syndicated shows for revenue."

The measure passed by a vote of 57-to-41.

The media control doctrine is a policy created decades ago but abolished in the late 1980s that required broadcasters to provide opposing views on controversial issues of public importance.

Though President Obama remains opposed to any effort to renew it and the Federal Communications Commission claims it is not in any talks to revive the policy, a few Democrats have voiced strong support for the media control policy in recent weeks. Republicans like DeMint in turn pushed legislation to forestall any move to bring back the doctrine.

"We need to make it a law that the FCC or this Congress cannot implement any aspect of the Fairness Doctrine," DeMint said.

FOX News' Trish Turner and Brian Wilson contributed to this report."

9th Circuit is 0 for 6 Before the Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection yesterday of an antitrust “price squeeze” claim is the sixth decision this term overturning or vacating decisions by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court has yet to affirm a decision by the San Francisco-based appeals court this term, the Daily Journal reports (sub. req.).

The Supreme Court ruling yesterday rejected a claim that an AT&T subsidiary engaged in an illegal price squeeze by charging competitors steep wholesale rates for high-speed Internet service. The court said companies that operate at both the wholesale and retail levels have no duty under federal antitrust law to offer competitive wholesale prices, according to the Daily Journal story.

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The 9th Circuit has a reputation as a liberal and often-reversed appeals court. Last term, the Supreme Court ruled against the 9th Circuit in eight out of 10 cases, the Daily Journal story says.

This year doesn’t look any better for the circuit, according to University of Pittsburgh School law professor Arthur Hellman. "At this point, it looks as though the 9th Circuit's reversal rate this term will be at the high end for recent years," Hellman told the Daily Journal."

Related: Interesting facts on United Auto Workers Union....
Want to see Ford's Auto Worker's union contract. All 22 pounds of it, 9 inches thick and 2,215 pages full.
Union Workers at Big Three Automakers average $73 an hour compared to Toyota at only $47.60, Honda $43 and Nissan $42!!!

But first concerning Obama's speech. Citizenlink responds.



Americans Reject Sequel to Auto Bailout

Supplying Detroit automakers with more taxpayer dollars to ward off bankruptcy doesn't fly with most Americans, 72% of whom say Congress should not authorize the additional $21 billion in emergency loans that General Motors and Chrysler are now requesting. Only 25% say Congress should provide the money.

President Barack Obama intimated in his speech before Congress Tuesday night that he, himself, does not want to reward the auto companies for their past poor performance. However, it is hard to find a constituency within the American public that might agree with his simultaneous commitment to help them anyway. The highest levels of support for granting the auto industry a second round of loans are found among self-described liberals (35%) and Democrats (33%).

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54% Say ‘No’ To All Bailouts

"....So what do Americans think about all these bailout requests?

Given the choice between federal bailouts for the auto companies, the finance industry and financially trouble homeowners or no bailouts for any of them, 54% say no bailouts period.

Just 26% support bailouts for all three, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty percent (20%) aren’t sure which course is better to follow.

Investors, with their eyes on the financial markets, are even more strongly opposed. Sixty-two percent (62%) of investors say “no” to all three bailouts, with 24% who favor them. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of non-investors support the bailouts, but 45% are opposed...."

Support wanes for additional automaker aid

"...

That's a huge, and fast, change of heart. In December, before the government approved emergency auto loans, the poll found that 61% favored some kind of government help.

"The more people understand what's wrong with General Motors, (GM) the less willing they are to support it," says Porter Stansberry, head of Stansberry & Associates Investment Research...."

Florida

New Student Organization Recognition Policy at Univ. of Fla.

It appears that the University of Florida has revised its student organization nondiscrimination policy. On July 10, 2007, the ADF Center for Academic Freedom and the Christian Legal Society filed suit on behalf of Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) because the University refused to grant BYX official recognition. As a Christian student organization, BYX requires members and leaders to profess faith in Jesus Christ, subscribe to the fraternity's doctrinal statement, and adhere to its Code of Conduct. The University said that these requirements violated its nondiscrimination policy. The case was appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit enjoined the University’s nondiscrimination policy pending appeal. The circuit court heard oral arguments on December 10, 2008.

According to the University’s website, the nondiscrimination policy now says:

Student organizations that wish to register with the Center for Student Activities and Involvement (CSAI) must agree that they will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, or veteran status as protected under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.

A student organization whose primary purpose is religious will not be denied registration as a Registered Student Organization on the ground that It [sic] limits membership or leadership positions to students who share the religious beliefs of the organization. The University has determined that this accommodation of religious belief does not violate its nondiscrimination policy.

It is unclear what effect, if any, this will have on BYX’s litigation."

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Related: CLS and ADF attorneys filed Beta Upsilon Chi v. Machen in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Gainesville Division, in July 2007 (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4177). The injunction from the 11th Circuit is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BYXinjunction.pdf.
In December 2006, the University of Georgia agreed to recognize BYX on its campus after CLS and ADF attorneys filed suit there (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3941).

Update: Utah Senate Signs Off on Move to Create Legal Defense Fund for Abortion Ban-"The Utah House voted 47-16 for the bill earlier this month and the Senate followed suit on a 22-3 vote Thursday. House Bill 114 would help the state pay any legal fees associated with a defense of an abortion ban through the year 2014"

Montana also passes pro-life bill see: Montana Senate OKs Legislation to Revive Parental Notification Law on Abortion and Arizona House committee endorses pro-life bill-"The House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday endorsed the Republican-sponsored bill on a 5-0 vote, with Democratic opponents boycotting the hearing and not voting on the measure....The legislation would require a pre-abortion waiting period and mandatory disclosures to women seeking abortions. It also allows pharmacists and health care providers to refuse to participate in abortion or emergency contraception on moral grounds. Other provisions toughen the existing law on parental rights."

Related: Great, great grandson of William Wilberforce supported Personhood bill passes North Dakota house 51-41 and heads to Senate but that's not all...

South Carolina House Passes 24-Hour Abortion Wait Bill, Born Alive Measure

The South Carolina state House on Tuesday passed a bill that requires abortion businesses to give women a 24-hour reflection period before an abortion as soon as Wednesday. Legislators also signed off on the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act to protect babies who survive abortions.

The current waiting period is just one hour and state legislators believe 24 hours gives women considering an abortion more time to reflect on its risks and alternatives and will lower the number of abortions.

Rep. Greg Delleney, a Republican, is the chief sponsor of the bill, which won approval form two House committees.

Tuesday, House members defeated five amendments intended to weaken the 24-hour waiting period and ultimately passed the bill on a 83-23 vote.

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Delleney explained that the bill does little to change the existing Woman’s Right to Know Act passed in 1994.

If an ultrasound is performed, the waiting period begins after the ultrasound. If no ultrasound is performed, the waiting period begins after the woman receives written materials describing the risks of abortion and alternatives to abortion such as adoption.

Delleney says South Carolina requires a 24-hour waiting period before other actions such as obtaining a marriage license and refinancing a house, yet abortion is a life and death decision.

"If you wait 24 hours to be married and three days before you can buy a house," Delleney said. "I don't know how this is such a drastic bill to give the mother 24 hours to determine if she wants to go through with this procedure."

Meanwhile, the born alive bill declares that any child who is born alive, including those who survive abortion, have the same constitutional rights as any other person.

An infant born alive “deserves the same rights as anyone else,” Representative Delleney said.

There were no attempts to weaken the bill which passed 105 to 5 and mirrors the federal bill former President Bush signed into law in 2002.

Both bills now move to the South Carolina Senate where companion bills have been filed.

They enjoyed the support of South Carolina Citizens for Life and other pro-life groups including the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and the Palmetto Family Council.

ACTION: To see how your representative voted on the legislation and amendments, go to www.schouse.gov and click on the House Journal for Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Use the search function to find H3245, the 24-hour waiting period before an abortion ,and H3342 for the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act.

Related web sites:
South Carolina Legislature - http://www.scstatehouse.net
South Carolina Citizens for Life - http://www.sclife.org

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Read Judge Owen’s full decision-Concerning article below.

Late Term Abortionist Tiller Will Stand Trial after Judge Denies Motion to Suppress Charges

By John Jalsevac

WICHITA, KS, February 25, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - District Court Judge Clark V. Owens released his decision this afternoon denying the motions filed by late-term abortionist George R. Tiller, which asked the judge to suppress evidence against him and dismiss the 19 pending criminal charges involving illegal late-term abortions.

The decision means that Tiller will stand trial to answer to the charges of performing late term abortions.

In his decision Judge Owens addressed all the concerns that Tiller's attorneys brought up over six days of testimony, especially those alleging outrageous governmental conduct involving former Attorney General Phill Kline.

Kline, who spearheaded not only the case against George Tiller, but another against Kansas Planned Parenthood, has been the subject of intense criticism on the part of both Tiller's and PP's defense teams. They have alleged improper conduct on Kline's part in an effort to recover potentially damning medical records that Kline obtained during his investigations.

However, hearings that have been held in regard to Kline's conduct have vindicated him and ensured that both of the cases moved forward.

Last month during a dramatic hearing that addressed Kline's conduct in pursuing the charges against Tiller, a former staffer with the Johnson County district attorney's office, who had been subpoenaed by Tiller's own defense as a key witness, instead testified against Tiller and in favor of Kline. In her testimony Linda Carter vehemently denied that Kline had pressured her to influence former Attorney General Paul Morrison (with whom Carter had been having an affair) to prosecute Tiller, as Tiller's attorney Dan Monnat had alleged.

Instead, Carter said she was certain Tiller had conspired with Planned Parenthood to break the law and circumvent Kansas' late-term abortion laws, and ought to be prosecuted.

"I saw the truth with my own two eyes," she testified. "I saw the records and made my own opinion."

In today's ruling Judge Owens responded to criticisms of Kline that emphasized his personal pro-life position, observing, "While Phill Kline testified that he would like for all abortions to be outlawed, his investigations made no attempts to prevent lawful abortions from being performed in the State of Kansas. His procedures have certainly been questioned by the Kansas Supreme Court, but his conduct in the investigation does not merit the sanction of the dismissal of the charges or suppression of evidence.

"The motion to dismiss or suppress is therefore denied."

"Once again, under microscopic examination to an unprecedented degree of scrutiny, a court has found no wrongdoing in the investigation by the former attorney general," said Caleb Stegall, a member of Kline's defense team, according to the Wichita Eagle.

"This decision brings us one step closer to justice," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We continue to pray that true justice will be served on behalf of the innocent, viable babies wrongfully killed by Tiller."

Tiller is scheduled to go to trial on March 16.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Witness again Vindicates Phill Kline: Case against Tiller to Continue
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09010904.html"

Below you can take action by calling Congress or emailing since Democrat leadership has stopped a debate on the issue and find out what's worse yet.

Jill Stanek reports....

Breaking news: Congress increases "family planning" budget by $95.5 million to whopping $852 million

Yesterday the Democrat-controlled Congress posted its Fiscal Year 2009 funding plans
online.

The Omnibus Appropriations Act includes this:

• Title X Domestic Family Planning increase of $7.5 million to $307.5 million (2.5% increase from $299 million in FY08)
• International Family Planning increase of $88 million to $545 million. (19% increase from $457 million in FY08)
• A provision allowing Planned Parenthood and university clinics to buy contraceptives at a cut rate....
  
• 
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  The International Famly Planning increase includes $50 million allocated to the United Nations Population Fund, which President Bush blocked through the Kemp-Kasten provision due to UNFPA's involvement with coerced abortions and sterilizations in China.

  President Obama has already stated he plans to fund UNFPA despite Kemp-Kasten. ("Provided further, That none of the funds made available in this Act nor any unobligated balances from prior appropriations Acts may be made available to any organization or program which, as determined by the President of the United States, supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.")

  Kemp-Kasten has always been applied at the President's discretion. But a new provision takes the decision about specifically UNFPA away from the president, in this case relieving Obama of bad PR while at the same time stopping future presidents from removing UNFPA funding who might deem UNFPA ineligible under Kemp-Kasten."

  Democrats Shut Down Pro-Life Move to Stop UNFPA-Forced Abortion Funding

  Democratic Party leaders in the House of Representatives shut down an attempt by a leading pro-life congressman to fix a budget bill that authorizes funding to a group that has supported forced abortions in China. Rep. Chris Smith hoped to amend the omnibus budget bill to strip UNFPA funding.

  As LifeNews.com has reported, the appropriations bill Congressional Democrats put forward to fund the federal government through the end of the years restores funding to the United Nations Population Fund.

  Not only is UNFPA funding approved, Democrats increased it from $40 million to $50 million for the year and went further by weakening the Kemp-Kasten law that prevents forcing taxpayers to fund groups that back forced abortions.

  Smith, a New Jersey Republican, offered an amendment to restore a consistent application of Kemp-Kasten for all organizations the federal government funds, including the UNFPA.

  The Smith amendment would have closed the loophole Congressional Democrats put in the Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 1105) that explicitly requires funding for UNFPA notwithstanding any provision of law such as Kemp-Kasten.

  However, member of the House Rules Committee passed a close rule guiding debate on the bill that prevents Smith from getting a debate and vote on his amendment in the full House.

  Smith also wanted to offer an amendment to limit international family planning funds to those organizations that certify that they will not perform abortions or lobby for the legalization of abortion.
  
  That would have the effect of reversing President Barack Obama's decision to overturn the Mexico City Policy and force taxpayers to fund groups that promote and perform abortions overseas.

  However the Rules Committee shot down that potential amendment as well.

  Sending taxpayer dollars to the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, has been controversial because the group both advocates for abortion and has been involved in China's population control program.

  Several investigations have shown the UNFPA to work hand-in-hand with the family planning officials in China that enforce its coercive one-child policy with forced abortions and sterilizations as well as other human rights abuses.

  Every year during his presidency, President Bush withheld tens of millions in taxpayer funds from the UNFPA, but Congressional Democrats, with a friend in Barack Obama in the White House, have restored the funds.

  The omnibus bill adds language that makes it so the president or his administration is not required to sign off on the funding and make sure the UNFPA is not violating the Kemp-Kasten law which forbids funding groups involved in forced abortions.

  The language causes a concern for pro-life advocates because it ties the hands of future presidents who want to limit UNFPA funding because of its involvement in China's forced abortion population control program. As a result, pro-life advocates may have to approve new language in a future bill for a future pro-life president to withhold the money in the manner Bush did.

  The new language also goes much further than merely exempting the UNFPA from the Kemp-Kasten law. It is so broadly worded that the UNFPA will receive funding notwithstanding the operation of any provision of law.

  As a result, even if the UNFPA were to violate provisions of law unrelated to abortion, it would still receive funding.
  
  He said as much in his statement concerning his executive order to overturn the Mexico City Policy and make taxpayers fund groups that perform and promote abortions overseas.
  
  ACTION: Contact your members of Congress and urge them to oppose funding the UNFPA and its pro-abortion activities. You can find contact information at http://www.house.gov/writerep or call 202-224-3121. Ask themto oppose HR 1105 because of it."
  

  

Dow Jones responds poorly to Obama's speech 2 days after speech (dropping over 160 points since speech). Obama seems to be making it clear he is not going to be a pro free market president by most measures of what would be considered a pro free market president. Which means job losses and Big Government must remember that every penny it gets comes from the free market so to create a Government job at the expense of a free market one can not go on forever. Don't bite the hands that feeds yah and millions others. The only time the market responded well to Obama was he was hinting at changing his tax policy. Now that he has gone back on that there is nothing that Obama has said that the market responded well to that I am aware of. See documentation of this below.



The Standard is Poor

His speech may have inspired the nation, but President Obama's economic cheerleading failed to make a believer out of Wall Street. Despite today's bleak news on the trading floor, the comforter-in-chief seemed to accomplish what he set out to do on Tuesday night--raise the spirits of grassroots Americans. Before last night's speech, confidence in the country had tumbled. While an overwhelming majority approved of President Obama (62%), nearly 80% agreed that "things are going badly in the United States." By a noticeable margin, the President has become more popular than his policies.

While people respond to his rhetoric, the market responds to reality--which is why investors have seen an interesting trend each time the President's outlines his agenda for the economy in a major speech. Obama's stock goes up, and the Dow goes down. Like a truth indicator to the President's plans, Wall Street tells us what Obama will not: financial experts have serious misgivings about the administration's approach to the crisis. The correlation below is really quite striking. When the President speaks, the market listens... and crumbles.

November 5, 2008 (Wednesday after Election Day): -486 (5.0%)

January 9, 2009 (one day after Obama speaks at George Mason University on "need" for $800 billion stimulus package): -143 (1.6%)

January 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day): -332 (4.0%)

February 10, 2009 (one day after Obama declares that without a stimulus, "an economy that is already in crisis will be faced with a catastrophe"): -382 (4.6%)

February 17, 2009 (market opens for the first time after Congress passes $787 billion stimulus on February 13; Obama signs bill into law, declaring, "The stimulus lets Americans claim destiny."): -298 (3.8%)

February 19, 2009 (one day after Obama announces potential mortgage relief plan): -90 (1.2%)

February 25, 2009 (one day after Obama's first speech to the full Congress): -80 (1.1%)

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Related: Obama may raise taxes on businesses and investors in those business after all.-(02/25/2009)
Obama may raise taxes on businesses and investors in those business after all. (02/20/2009)
Market is responding poorly to the actions of Obama and congress after the first week of the signing of the stimulus bill?(02/20/2009)
Poll after Poll and Dow Jones after Dow Jones shows that Americans and Investors do not believe the economic stimulus plan is the plan of recovery...(02/17/2009)
Dow Jones falls again after Stimulus bill passes in the Senate and new financial plan unvieled...(02/11/2009)
Dow Jones drops 375 points to 8000.86 since the stimulus bill passed on the 28th.(01/31/2009
The Dow Jones fell 4 percent. The worst performance on any Inauguration Day ever... (01/22/2009)
Dow has gained 1400 points since 11/21/2008 after dropping 2000 points from 11/4/2008 to 11/20/2008 inspite of recession and unemployment news... (12/09/2008)
Dow has dropped over 2000 points since election day.... (11/20/2008)
No President-elect in the postwar era has been greeted with a more audible hiss from Wall Street. (11/13/2008)
How did the Dow Jones fair the second day after Obama election? (11/07/2008)
Worst post-election day in at least 28 years for the Dow (11/06/2008)

See next blog to see how the economy has responded to Obama's speech and plans and why. Which may be more important then polls, conservatives or liberals.

Pres. Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress-I couldn't find the code to embed so click on link to CSpan for Obama's address.

Below is Republican response by Bobby Jindal the Governor of Louisiana.


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Review of speech from a conservative perspective.



For Big Media's filtering for contrast: Obama 'Grabbed Center,' Jindal 'Far Right,' 'Micro-Cosmic' Chat?

Some of the odd and/or noteworthy takes in television coverage following President Barack Obama's Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress:

- On MSNBC, Chris Matthews predicted "we're going to hear a fairly right-wing speech tonight," from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal in response to Obama, because "the only position left in America right now politically that he's left open is on the far right, and Bobby Jindal is headed for it," along with Sarah Palin, since "Barack has grabbed the center with the charm he showed tonight in his excellent rhetoric."

- ABC's Charles Gibson, who like his broadcast network colleagues refrained from labeling Obama or his speech as liberal, introduced Jindal with an ideological tag: "He is a very conservative Republican and you'll hear that reflected, I think, in his remarks tonight."

- On CBS, Katie Couric reacted to Obama's speech with some strange "cosmic" analogies, touting how Obama had succeeded in his effort to "really connect the dots, in a way, to explain to people that micro-cosmically this will help them, this is just not a national macro-cosmic plan for the economy."

- Couric's colleague Jeff Greenfield hailed how "this was actually a fireside chat. This is what I found so fascinating" as "it reminded me, in some sense, of the radio speeches FDR gave where he talked about complicated issues in simple ways."

[This item, by the MRC's Brent Baker, was posted late Tuesday night on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

Matthews did at least acknowledge that in his speech Obama was saying "I'm a left of center President" and Olbermann echoed how Obama plans to fix things "in a left-wing, in a liberal fashion."

The closest anyone on ABC, CBS or NBC got to labeling Obama came when Couric, following Jindal, observed that the two speeches displayed the "ideological fault line" in today's politics.

Gibson noted, the MRC's Rich Noyes alerted me about the Obama speech, that "this is an expensive speech when you look at it line by line in what he wants to spend."

MSNBC at about 10:15 PM EST, as provided by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth:

KEITH OLBERMANN: There is still the partisanship that Washington will never get rid of. What can the Republican response be, however, to one in which there seemed to be so many themes? How do you come out against recovering the nation's sense of self and its optimism? How do you come out against words like "boldly," "wisely," "swiftly," and "aggressively"?
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Keith, my friend, I think we're going to hear that in a few minutes. I think we're going to hear a very negative speech in terms of what we just heard from Bobby Jindal. Bobby Jindal -- I'll say it as I said before the speech tonight by the President -- is running for the outside rail of the Republican Party, the right-wing rail. He is going to try to offer up a sort of Reaganite government-is-bad, big-spending-is-bad, taxes-are-bad, we got to go spend more money on defense, and we have to keep fighting as many wars on as many fronts as possible. I think we're going to hear a fairly right-wing speech tonight in response to this. I think, although I'll say the spine of his speech was left of center, it was done with such charm and good politics, and, as Rachel and yourself have pointed out, it won a hearty response tonight.
The only position left in America right now politically that he's left open is on the far right, and Bobby Jindal is headed for it. So I think there's a confluence of purpose here. The people running for President on the Republican side already are headed to the right â€" and that includes Governor Palin and Huckabee and this fellow speaking tonight â€" and that's all the room that's left on that side because Barack has grabbed the center with the charm he showed tonight in his excellent rhetoric.

Jeff Greenfield on CBS, shortly after Couric's remarks about the "micro-cosmically" and "macro-cosmic" aspects of Obama's address: "This was actually a fireside chat. This is what I found so fascinating. From the very first sentence he basically said to the Congress 'I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the people who sent us here.' And it reminded me, in some sense, of the radio speeches FDR gave where he talked about complicated issues in simple ways. Obama tried to explain how he got into this mess, why will my program make it better. Very intensely personal in the sense of talking to people at home watching one or two at a time in front of their TVs."

Here are more stories updated from yesterday from Media Research Center at: Stephanopoulos: Obama Speech 'Made a Start in Inspiring Hope'
• CBS's Rodriguez: Public 'Loved' Obama, Jindal a 'Debbie Downer'
• ABC Saw 'Hard Core' Conservative Bush in 2001; No Label for Obama
• Matthews: Obama 'Wowed,' Jindal 'Odd,' DeLay Calls Chris 'Biased'
• Obamas 'Hip,' CPAC Like a 'Star Trek Convention' Says Matthews
• Wash Post Gossip on Jindal: 'I Found His Manson Eyes Disturbing'

Related: Couric and CBS caught in bias by omitting an important poll finding from their own poll...

A study and report documenting how the networks covered the biggest spending bill in history...

A couple of weeks ago was reported the first personhood amendment to pass in a state house in the US in North Dakota at Great, great grandson of William Wilberforce supported Personhood bill passes North Dakota house 51-41 and heads to Senate but that's not all... and now we have the first personhood amendment to pass in a state senate in the US in Montana. Get yourself on the PersonHoodUSA email list. Click link below after you read.

From Personhoodusa.com....

Helena, Montana - 02/26/2009 - Montana's Senate passed constitutional Personhood Amendment, SB 406, in a 26-24 vote. The amendment, introduced by Senator Dan McGee, passed on its third reading on the Senate floor this morning. This is the first Personhood Amendment in U.S. history to pass a State Senate.
"Senator Dan McGee, writing the language of SB 406 himself, has shown what it truly means to be pro-life," stated Keith Mason, of Personhood USA. "Senator McGee's successful efforts on behalf of all human beings at all stages of human life are a giant step forward in historic efforts to ensure the rights and protection of every individual."
SB 406, which defines person for the purposes of application of inalienable rights, states, "All persons are born free and have certain inalienable rights...person means a human being at all stages of human development of life, including the state of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency."

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"Praise God! The honor of being the first State Senate in U.S. history to recognize the personhood of pre-born children goes to Montana," commented Cal Zastrow of Personhood USA. "Thanks to the leadership of Sen. Dan McGee, The Montana Personhood Amendment now moves forward to the State House of Representatives."
SB 406 must continue on to pass the Montana House of Representatives with a majority vote of 74. Once it passes, it is to immediately become a part of the state's constitution. The race is on between Montana and North Dakota for the first Personhood legislation in our nation's history, as Montana's Personhood Amendment continues on to its House of Representatives, and North Dakota's Personhood legislation continues on to its Senate.
Personhood USA is a grassroots Christian organization founded to establish personhood efforts across America to create protection for every child by love and by law. Personhood USA is committed to assisting and supporting Personhood Legislation and Constitutional Amendments and building local pro-life organizations through raising awareness of the personhood of the pre-born.


For Interviews please call Personhood USA @ 202-595-3500 or
Senator Dan McGee 406-628-6534
For More Information please visit www.personhoodusa.com.

Personhood USA PO Box 486 Arvada Co 80001

Related: What the FOCA? Time magazine and the New York Time's crusade against the unborn.-Especially the article from the New York Times as they don't report the whole story about Governor Sebelius. Below you will get a lot more.

Pro-lifers Call HHS Candidate Sebelius 'The Most Pro-Abortion Governor in the Country'

(CNSNews.com) - Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), the leading candidate to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is “the most pro-abortion governor in the country,” according to pro-lifers.

Sebelius, who is reportedly President Obama’s top choice for the position of HHS secretary, has often stirred controversy within Kansas due to her history of vetoing abortion legislation -- and her alleged connections with Wichita-based late-term abortionist George Tiller.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that she is the most pro-abortion governor in the country,” said Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy analyst at Operation Rescue in Wichita.

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The president’s first choice for the Cabinet position – former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle – withdrew earlier this month because of personal tax issues.

Much of the controversy surrounding Sebelius revolves around her alleged relationship with George Tiller, one of the country’s most well-known late-term abortionists.

Pro-life enthusiasts were outraged after pictures of the two surfaced from an April 2007 reception at Cedar Crest, the governor’s mansion, thanking contributors to her campaign.

“This is a man who boasts of performing over 60,000 abortions -- he claims to do 100 a week -- and who specializes in killing kids in the second and third trimester,” Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights said in a statement.

The governor’s office dismissed the outrage, saying the event was a prize of a charity auction in which Tiller had been the highest bidder and the governor did not have a say in who would attend the event.

Last May, meanwhile, Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, whose archdiocese includes northeast Kansas, called on the governor to stop receiving Communion until she disowned her support for the “serious moral evil” of abortion.

In a statement released to CNSNews.com, Sebelius said that despite her personal beliefs against abortion, her role as an elected official has forced her to compromise on the issue.

“Abortion is a personal decision made by a woman in consultation with her doctor, her family, and her clergy,” the governor said. “While my beliefs teach me that abortion is morally unacceptable, as a public official, I have worked hard to ensure that abortions are rare, safe, and within the bounds of the law.”

But pro-lifers say some of Sebelius’ actions as governor suggest otherwise.

In 2008, Sebelius vetoed a bill that would have strengthened the state’s ban on late-term abortions by authorizing private lawsuits against providers. The bill had passed in both Kansas legislative houses by a 2 to 1 margin.

In 2007, she vetoed a bill that was designed to require specific medical reasons for late-term abortions. The governor also vetoed abortion legislation in 2006, 2005 an 2003.

Moreover, records show that Sebelius received funds from Tiller during her campaign for and service as insurance commissioner. Between April 1994 and September 2001, Sebelius received $12,450 from Tiller, his wife, or his medical practice.

Reports have also pointed to a $120,000 contribution by Tiller to the Democratic Governors Association in 2006. The DGA has given $200,000 to the Bluestem Fund – Sebelius’ political action committee.

Christian Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, told CNSNews.com that Kansans on both sides of the aisle have been concerned with the governor’s behavior when it comes to abortion – and abortionists like Tiller.

“It's one of those things that we, as Kansans, really don't like to be talked about a whole lot, but it's needed,” he said. “People need to talk about Kathleen Sebelius' radical stances on abortion because Kathleen Sebelius isn't (just) pro-choice -- she's pro-Tiller. She's pro-abortion, and that's just the way it is.”

Some, however, say Sebelius is primarily a moderate technocrat.

Donald Haider-Markel, a public policy professor at Kansas University, said he sees the governor as “mostly moderate” on a variety of hot button issues, including abortion.

“The Legislature, of course, puts bills in front of her that she has to address,” Haider-Markel told CNSNews.com. “But for the most part, it’s not an issue that she raises herself in either direction.

“As a Democrat in a Republican state with a significant grassroots movement on social issues, she's mostly just tried to avoid the issue whenever she can. People know that she's pro-choice, but she's mostly tried to avoid the issue whenever possible.”

But Sullenger said that when it comes to abortion, the governor has been anything but moderate.

“To say that she’s moderate on abortion is like saying Stalin was moderate on communism,” she said. “It’s just a ridiculous statement.”

Haider-Markel, meanwhile, attributed Sebelius' success – first, as state insurance commissioner running for statewide office, and as a twice-elected governor -- in part to being able to keep from taking sides on controversial issues.

Sebelius’ office pointed to a number of health care initiatives it said the state has taken during her tenure, including her Healthy KIDS program -- which pays 90 percent of the health care premiums for children of low-income state employees, a plan that was expected to cover more than 2,000 children.

In 2005, her aides say, the governor doubled tax credit for small businesses providing health coverage to their employees, allowing the state to rank first in employer health care affordability later that year.

Even the GOP’s Morgan said Sebelius’ track record suggests she would pursue appropriate health care for Americans – especially children.

But Morgan said he worries how the governor’s stances on abortion would affect her policy as a Cabinet member.

“I don’t doubt that Kathleen Sebelius believes that once people are born, they should be given whatever health care this nation offers,” Morgan said. “The problem with Kathleen Sebelius is it requires somebody to be born before she gives a damn about them.

“I think it’s interesting that she’s getting ready to take the lead at something called ‘health and human services’ and it’s arguable what her definition of human is,” he added.

Haider-Markel, meanwhile, said Sebelius’ biggest drawback may be the fact that she is “not seen as a strong leader.”

“She doesn’t really get out in front of issues, whether it be abortion or trying to provide some type of universal healthcare coverage as being issues that she has to face,” he added.

“Part of the problem that she would have is that she’s not really the kind of politician that gets out in front of issues and brings other people to her position,” he said. “Daschle had those qualities. I’d be hard-pressed to say Sebelius has those qualities.”

Also, see White House Officials Discuss Potential Abortion Fight Over A Sebelius Nomination for more discussion.

Gitmo in Conformity with Geneva Convention, Obama-Ordered Report Confirms

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The task force assigned to review Gitmo was headed by Admiral Patrick Walsh, vice chief of Naval Operations. Walsh told reporters Monday that the investigation was conducted over 13 days and consisted of more than 100 interviews including prisoners and guards.

“All interrogations are voluntary; approximately one-third of the sessions are at detainees’ request,” the report states. “Given the length of time that most detainees have spent at Guantanamo, the primary focus of the interrogation is to gather security and force protection information related to the operations of detention camps. The current nature of the intelligence mission lends itself to the use of direct approaches and small incentive items to encourage detainees to volunteer information.”-Click on link for more.

Virginia Senate Kills Prayer 'In Jesus Name'

Contact: Chaplain Klingenschmitt, www.PrayInJesusName.org, 719-360-5132,

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Update to: Democrat gets partial birth abortion ban passed in Arkansas and says pro-abortion congress may overturn the Federal Ban...

Arkansas Enshrines Partial-Birth Abortion Ban into State Law

By Kathleen Gilbert

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, February 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe on Friday signed into law a state ban on partial-birth abortion, following the bill's overwhelming support in both Congressional houses.

The ban, which was sponsored by Democrat Rep. Dawn Creekmore, passed the House of Representatives 84-6 on Wednesday, and the Senate 30-3 on Thursday. Republican Sen. Cecile Bledsoe sponsored the bill in the Senate.

Creekmore told the congressional committee that, although the gruesome procedure is already banned by the federal government, state law should adopt the ban as well, in case the Democrat-led federal Congress overturns the national ban.

The Arkansas law is similar to the national version, except that it authorizes the state medical board to seek action against doctors who perform the procedure, and that those convicted could be punished with up to six years in prison. The federal ban carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Both the ACLU and Planned Parenthood spoke out fiercely against the bill, arguing that it contained no exception in case the procedure is deemed necessary to protect the mother's health.

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However, health professionals have often testified that partial-birth abortion - whereby a child is delivered, except for the head, and then the skull is punctured and brain sucked out - provides no therapeutic benefit for the mother.

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) could "conceive of no circumstance in which it (partial-birth abortion) would be needed to save the life or preserve the health of a mother," according to a June 2003 letter to Congress from AAPS member Dr. Jane Orient."

Webcast -- Same Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty

» Monday, 01/26/2009 06:30 PM (EST)

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ADF attorney Jordan Lorence particpated in a marriage debate at Georgetown Law School which is webcast here.

ADF press release: ADF attorney to debate same-sex ‘marriage,’ religious freedom at Georgetown

Related: What the FOCA? Sign with over 650,000 others....

Time Magazine's Crusade Against the Catholic Church

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Times Glosses Over Kansas Gov’s Radical Pro-Abortion Record

In a story today on President Obama’s likely choice of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services, The New York Times glossed over the nominee’s radical pro-abortion record in two sentences: “One issue that could draw attention is her stance on abortion. A Roman Catholic who says abortion’s wrong, Ms. Sebelius vetoed a bill requiring clinics to report information on why a late-term abortion was performed, drawing the condemnation of the archbishop of Kansas City, Kan.”

The Times refuses to call the procedure what it manifestly is — a partial-birth abortion — choosing instead the values-neutral expression “late-term abortion.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has asked Sebelius to refrain from taking communion, due to “scandalous behavior that has misled people into dangerous behavior,” on the abortion issue.

In a May 26, 2008 column in The Washington Post, Robert Novak called the governor “the national pro-choice poster girl.”

Last April, Sebelius vetoed a bill to strengthen regulation of late-term abortions. She vetoed other restrictions on abortion in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The governor personally recruited and funded a candidate to run against then-Attorney General Phil Kline, who was prosecuting partial-birth abortionist George Tiller. Thanks largely to money Sebelius raised for his opponent, Kline was defeated at the polls.

Tiller donated $120,000 to the Democratic Governors’ Association, which in turn contributed $200,000 to Sebelius’ PAC to fund pro-choice candidates, in what right-to-lifers allege to be a money-laundering scheme.

In April, 2007, Sebelius reportedly held a private party in the governor’s mansion for Tiller and the staff of his clinic, at a time when the abortionist was under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office.

If George W. Bush had nominated for Secretary of HHS a governor associated with Operation Rescue, you can bet The New York Times would have reported it in more than two sentences buried in an article touting the nominee as a well-qualified moderate."