What You Missed In The News!

The pursuit of Constitutionally grounded governance, freedom and individual liberty

"There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily." --George Washington                                       

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America's Bible Hypocrisy: Study Shows Disconnect Between Beliefs and Behavior

The American Bible Society's annual "State of the Bible" study shows most Americans believe society needs the Bible, but few are finding time to read it. A majority of people in the United States believe the Bible contains the best advice for a meaningful life, but they also don't want to take it, and are too busy to read the scriptures. According to the American Bible Society's "State of the Bible 2013" study, 66 percent of Americans agreed that "the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life," while 58 percent say they don't want wisdom and advice from the Bible, and 57 percent say they read it fewer than five times per year. "There is a difference between believing something is beneficial and opening up your heart, mind and life to let that beneficial thing in," Geof Morin, chief communications officer for the American Bible Society (ABS), wrote in a Thursday statement to The Christian Post. He explained that some people "view reading the Bible as taking your medicine," rather than a life-changing encounter with God. But it isn't just a lack of motivation, Morin argued. Sixty-one percent of adults wish they read the Bible more. "It seems that many Americans are letting other priorities get in the way of them opening the pages of the Bible." His organization is trying to fix that.

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White House Petition Asks Obama to give Putin his Nobel Peace Prize

A new petition on the White House’s “We the People” petition submission site seeks to have President Obama hand over his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to Russian president Vladimir Putin, given the former KGB agent’s work in bringing talks over a potential U.S. military assault on Syria to a halt. Petition states Putin “enabled the US to avoid unwanted and unwarranted military action…” Petition states Putin “enabled the US to avoid unwanted and unwarranted military action…” The full text of the petition states:

Where as Mr. Obama made a sincere commitment to starting a war with Syria, engaging our military in unwanted conflict, and doing so without the support of his people we resolve that Mr. Obama should deliver the Nobel Peace prize given to him in 2009 to a man of Peace, the President of Russia, Mr. Putin. Where as Mr. Putin enabled the United States to avoid an unwanted and unwarranted military action he has brought us to the “brink” of peace.

The petition, started two days ago, has more than 100 signatures, but needs over 100,000 within 30 days to necessitate a response from the White House.

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46% Say America Less Safe If Only Cops, Military Have Guns

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Americans think the United States could use more police officers, although nearly half think the country would be less safe if the police were among the only ones carrying guns.  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of American Adults believe there are not enough police officers in the United States.  Only seven percent (7%) think there are too many, while 36% feel the number of police is about right. Those who live in the suburbs feel a slightly stronger need for more police than city and rural residents. 

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Don't Worry Obama, When Your Syria Crisis is Over, Your Scandals Will Be Right Here Waiting on You by Richard Anthony

I am always amazed, but never surprised at the shenanigans of our president. He certainly must believe in his heart that you and I (normal, everyday Americans) are just downright stupid. Thank goodness some of us are "on the clock" to make sure he doesn't get away with it though. President Obama is at the very center of numerous scandals, scandals that if he were any other president, he would have been impeached and sent to jail or if he had any honor, would have resigned. But not so with the "Anointed One."

He has gotten a virtual free pass from the liberal media. Let's take a look at what is going on:

1. IRS targets Obama's enemies: The IRS targeted conservative and pro-Israel groups prior to the 2012 election. Questions are being raised about why this occurred, who ordered it, whether there was any White House involvement and whether there was an initial effort to hide who knew about the targeting and when.

2. Benghazi: This is actually three scandals in one: The failure of administration to protect the Benghazi mission. The changes made to the talking points in order to suggest the attack was motivated by an anti-Muslim video The refusal of the White House to say what President Obama did the night of the attack

3. Watching the AP: The Justice Department performed a massive cull of Associated Press reporters' phone records as part of a leak investigation.

4. Rosengate: The Justice Department suggested that Fox News reporter James Rosen is a criminal for reporting about classified information and subsequently monitored his phones and emails.

5. Potential Holder perjury I: Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress he had never been associated with "potential prosecution" of a journalist for perjury when, in fact, he signed the affidavit that termed Rosen a potential criminal.

6. The ATF "Fast and Furious" scheme: Allowed weapons from the U.S. to "walk" across the border into the hands of Mexican drug dealers. The ATF lost track of hundreds of firearms, many of which were used in crimes, including the December 2010 killing of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

7. Potential Holder Perjury II: Holder told Congress in May 2011 that he had just recently heard about the Fast and Furious gun walking scheme when there is evidence he may have known much earlier.

8. Sebelius demands payment: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius solicited donations from companies HHS might regulate. The money would be used to help her sign up uninsured Americans for ObamaCare. 9. The Pigford scandal: An Agriculture Department effort that started as an attempt to compensate black farmers who had been discriminated against by the agency but evolved into a gravy train delivering several billion dollars in cash to thousands of additional minority and female farmers who probably didn't face discrimination.

10. GSA gone wild: The General Services Administration in 2010 held an $823,000 training conference in Las Vegas, featuring a clown and a mind readers. Resulted in the resignation of the GSA administrator. 11. Veterans Affairs in Disney World: The agency wasted more than $6 million on two conferences in Orlando. An assistant secretary was fired.

12. Sebelius violates the Hatch Act: A U.S. special counsel determined that Sebelius violated the Hatch Act when she made "extemporaneous partisan remarks" during a speech in her official capacity last year. During the remarks, Sebelius called for the election of the Democratic candidate for governor of North Carolina.

13. Solyndra: Republicans charged the Obama administration funded and promoted its poster boy for green energy despite warning signs the company was headed for bankruptcy. The administration also allegedly pressed Solyndra to delay layoff announcements until after the 2010 midterm elections.

14. AKA Lisa Jackson: Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson used the name "Richard Windsor" when corresponding by email with other government officials, drawing charges she was trying to evade scrutiny.

15. The New Black Panthers: The Justice Department was accused of using a racial double standard in failing to pursue a voter intimidation case against Black Panthers who appeared to be menacing voters at a polling place in 2008 in Philadelphia.

16. Waging war all by myself: Obama may have violated the Constitution and both the letter and the spirit of the War Powers Resolution by attacking Libya without Congressional approval.

17. Biden bullies the press: Vice President Biden's office has repeatedly interfered with coverage, including forcing a reporter to wait in a closet, making a reporter delete photos, and editing pool reports.

18. AKPD not A-OK: The administration paid millions to the former firm of then-White House adviser David Axelrod, AKPD Message and Media, to promote passage of Obamacare. Some questioned whether the firm was hired to help pay Axelrod $2 million AKPD owed him.

19. Sestak, we'll take care of you: Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used Bill Clinton as an intermediary to probe whether former Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) would accept a prominent, unpaid White House advisory position in exchange for dropping out of the 2010 primary against former Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).

20. I'll pass my own laws: Obama has repeatedly been accused of making end runs around Congress by deciding which laws to enforce, including the decision not to deport illegal immigrants who may have been allowed to stay in the United States had Congress passed the "Dream Act."

21. The hacking of Sharyl Attkisson's computer: It's not clear who hacked the CBS reporter's computer as she investigated the Benghazi scandal, but the Obama administration and its allies had both the motive and the means to do it.

22. An American Political Prisoner: The sudden decision to arrest Nakoula Basseley Nakoula on unrelated charges after protests in the Arab world over his anti-Muslim video is an extraordinarily suspicious coincidence. "We're going to go out, and we're going to prosecute the person that made that video," Hillary Clinton allegedly told the father of one of the ex-SEALs killed in Benghazi.

23. Get rid of inconvenient IGs: Corporation for National and Community Service Inspector General Gerald Walpin was fired in 2009 as he fought wasteful spending and investigated a friend of Obama's, Sacramento Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson. The White House says Walpin was incompetent.

24. Influence peddling: An investigation is underway of Alejandro Mayorkas, director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who has been nominated by Obama for the number two post at the Department of Homeland Security. Mayorkas may have used his position to unfairly obtain U.S. visas for foreign investors in a company run by Hillary Clinton's brother, Anthony Rodman.

And what do you do if the heat is on? Create a "crisis" to make people think we are on the brink of WWIII, and then slowly pull back and then when WWIII is averted...you're the "hero". Nice, smart, but ultimately this plan will not work, because quite a few people are smarter than Obama thinks. The key to understanding Barack Hussein Obama is; never listen to (or believe) him, but watch what he does. This guy is a master at sleight of hand.

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More Americans Struggle to Afford Food by Alyssa Brown

Americans' overall access to basic needs is close to record-low.  More Americans are struggling to afford food -- nearly as many as did during the recent recession. The 20.0% who reported in August that they have, at times, lacked enough money to buy the food that they or their families needed during the past year, is up from 17.7% in June, and is the highest percentage recorded since October 2011. The percentage who struggle to afford food now is close to the peak of 20.4% measured in November 2008, as the global economic crisis unfolded. This while the Administration focuses on deflecting scandals of their own doing and not freeing the economy for real organic growth.  Mad enough yet?

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GAO: Social Security Made $1.3 Billion in Potentially Improper Disability Payments

Social Security made $1.3 billion in potentially improper disability payments to people who had jobs when they were supposed to be unable to work, congressional investigators said in a report Friday.  With this headline, how can the Democrats (Harry Reid) say the House bill to delay Obamacare is dead?  Let's simply keep up the fraud and waste.

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Dianne Feinstein: "All vets are mentally ill in some way and the government should prevent them from owning firearms"
L.A. Times - "Senator Feinstein insults all U.S. Veterans as she flays about in a vain attempt to save her anti-firearms bill." "Frankly, I don't know what it is about California, but we seem to have a strange urge to elect really obnoxious women to high office. I'm not bragging, you understand, but no other state, including Maine, even comes close. When it comes to sending left-wing dingbats to Washington, we're Number One. There's no getting around the fact that the last time anyone saw the likes of Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Maxine Waters, and Nancy Pelosi, they were stirring a cauldron when the curtain went up on 'Macbeth." "The four of them are like jackasses who happen to possess the gift of blab. You don't know if you should condemn them for their stupidity or simply marvel at their ability to form words."   Some in Washington are so stupid they should all have their mouths sewn shut!

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Don't Be Fooled by Newt Gengrich

Most Americans who read Russian President Vladimir Putin’s letter to the New York Times probably came away at least a little bit ticked off.  Purporting to “speak directly to the American people,” Putin made a case against a U.S. strike on Syria, arguing that America must act through the United Nations. He further claimed that chemical weapons were used not by the Syrian regime but by the rebel forces and alluded wildly to “reports that militants are preparing another attack—this time against Israel.” Putin concluded by lecturing Americans on democracy and challenging the idea of American exceptionalism. “It’s extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation,” he said. “...We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.” This affront to Americans’ core beliefs was posted online on September 11, leaving many readers more than a little offended. But we shouldn’t be. As I argued on Crossfire last night, Vladimir Putin isn’t worth being offended by.

Virtually everything in his letter was a lie or completely disingenuous. We should laugh at it. The United Nations and International Norms? Putin invaded neighboring Georgia without asking for UN permission. His policies have killed hundreds of thousands of Chechens. And he has blocked the efforts of western nations to deal with rogue states like Iran and Syria for years. Putin doesn’t care about international norms! Democracy?

Putin has ruled the country like a dictator for thirteen years. When the Russian constitution prevented him from running for a third term, he installed a puppet president in his place and waited until he could retake the office. His regime has had journalists critical of his rule killed and it has locked up political opponents. Putin doesn’t care about democracy! American Exceptionalism? Religion? Human Rights?

Putin is a KGB thug. In response to U.S. travel and financial restrictions on Russian human rights abusers, he retaliated by banning the adoption of Russian children by Americans. “There are probably many places in the world where living standards are better than ours,” he said. “So what? Shall we send all children there, or move there ourselves?” He is deeply committed to Russian strength and would love nothing more than to see the United States weakened internationally. His idea that “it’s extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional” is completely contrary to the American tradition but a perfectly Soviet mindset. No one should be fooled by Putin’s letter. He cares about one thing in Syria, and that’s Russian power. He wants his client Assad to survive, and he wants to keep his naval base there (Russia’s only military installation on the Mediterranean). His attempt to argue in the New York Times on idealistic terms is laughable and transparently dishonest.

[note: Putin thinks of himself as exceptional.  One only has to examine his behavior]

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Senate Tries to Divvy Up First Amendment Rights by Tad Cronn

The Senate is considering a so-called shield law that would protect journalists from having to reveal their confidential sources when they report on the news. While on its face it may sound like a good idea, the only reason governments ever create shield laws is because they want to spell out circumstances under which they can go after people who spill the beans about government secrets and corruption. Under the First Amendment, Americans have the right to say anything they like about any piece of news they want, so long as it doesn't actually cross into the realm of treason or other criminal activity. Most politicians realize they aren't going to get anywhere trying to punish an outfit like the New York Times when it prints secret information leaked to them by a government official or other source. But small time reporters, writers and bloggers? Well, that's a different matter. Crooked politicians don't want to have to put up with the insects of the journalism world, and they ultimately want to keep all the media in line. That's where shield laws like the proposal before the Senate come in. They allow petty tyrants to define who is and is not covered by the First Amendment. Courts tend to go along with this form of limiting freedom because it has the appearance of protecting speech while actually doing the opposite. Old-time corporate media types are even happy to lend a hand in crafting these press limits, as they are doing with the Senate bill, particularly when it might hinder the competition. These days, that competition comes mostly from online media, which is precisely the group the proposed law likely won't protect. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said, "The fundamental issue behind this amendment is, should this privilege apply to anyone, to a 17-year-old who drops out of high school, buys a website for five dollars and starts a blog? Or should it apply to journalists, to reporters, who have bona fide credentials?" "Bona fide credentials," of course, means only those journalists Feinstein and other politicians approve of, most likely the ones who don't ask tough questions. Democrats Feinstein, Chuck Shumer and Dick Durbin have been pushing hard for this bill, but Republicans like Jeff Sessions are in on it, too. Sessions complained in committee that the definition of a journalist in the bill was too broad. Online journalist Matt Drudge was irate about the bill moving forward through Congress. His outlet is one example of the media sites that would most likely be unprotected. After calling Feinstein a "fascist," Drudge tweeted, "Gov’t declaring who qualifies for freedom of press in digital age is ridiculous! It belongs to anyone for any reason. No amendment necessary." Drudge points out that a judge once ruled he was not a journalist or newsgatherer. "Millions of readers a day come for cooking recipes??!" he commented. But that's the real point of a shield law, to protect only those journalists who are allies of the party in power.

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