Senate Serving America Pork and Redistributed Beans Today

By Faultline USA

This Pic from the LA Times shows

Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, from left, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, and Republican Sens. Arlen Specter and Susan Collins arrive to talk to reporters about a deal being arranged on the economic stimulus bill. The compromise, negotiated behind the scenes, would slice some $110 billion from the bill, which had grown to $930 billion as amended on the Senate floor.

(Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images)

According to this morning's Chicago Tribune, a deal was hammered out Friday that will bring about the passage of this dreadful stimulus package, and Republicans may delay the vote until early next week, “but there was little doubt about the outcome.”

Senators said the legislation, which is a cornerstone of Obama's efforts to revive the economy, would carry a price tag of about $820 billion under the compromise deal, though the final figure was unclear. The bill is expected to cost about the same as the $819 billion approved by the House and far lower than the bill as amended on the Senate floor, which had grown to more than $930 billion.

The dirty so-called “Stimulus” deal is almost done with these turncoat Republican Senators we have to thank:

Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania

Three GOP moderates — Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania — quickly declared their support for the compromise. But two other GOP moderates — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and George Voinovich of Ohio — said they would oppose it.

CBS Poll: Support For Stimulus Falls

According to a new CBS Poll nearly half of America is against the stimulus package because they do not believe it will shorten the recession.

(CBS) Slightly more than half the country approves of President Obama's $800 billion-plus stimulus package, a new CBS News poll finds. But support for the bill has fallen 12 points since January, and nearly half of those surveyed do not believe it will shorten the recession.

Contact your Senators today and tell them you don’t want this pork and redistributed beans package!

The Center for Individual Freedom will send out blast faxes to all of the Senators in your name for a price. Here’s what they say:

Tell them in no uncertain terms that the American people DON'T want them to "tinker" with this evil bill or to try to "fix" it. The American people do not want any "compromises" or "amendments" or ANY AMOUNT OF LIPSTICK PUT ON THIS PIG OF A BILL.

The American people want the Obama-Pelosi Theft Act of 2009 DEAD... A STAKE DRIVEN THROUGH ITS EVIL HEART! Tell them - to borrow a phrase from former First Lady Nancy Reagan - they just need to say "NO" and stop this liberal boondoggle!

We don't need compromises! We don't need fixes! We don't need alternative plans that will move America towards SOCIALISM!

Flood the following wavering and compromising Senators TODAY and their staff with your e-mails reminding them that if they vote Yes on this package their constituents will long remember!!!

SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE:  (202) 224-4254

DC FAX: (202) 228-1229

HARRISBURG PHONE: (717) 782-3951

HARRISBURG FAX: (717) 782-4920

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

Scott_Hoeflich@specter.senate.gov

Maria_Plakoudas@specter.senate.gov

Christopher_Bradish@specter.senate.gov

thomas_dower@specter.senate.gov

seema_singh@specter.senate.gov

corene_ashley@specter.senate.gov

regina_campbell@specter.senate.gov

gayle_mills@specter.senate.gov

SENATOR LINDSAY GRAHAM - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE:  (202) 224-5972

DC FAX: (202) 224-3808

COLUMBIA PHONE: (803) 933-0112

COLUMBIA FAX: (803) 933-0957

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

Richard_Perry@lgraham.senate.gov

Lauren_Edwards@lgraham.senate.gov

jen_olson@lgraham.senate.gov

wes_hickman@lgraham.senate.gov

kevin_bishop@lgraham.senate.gov

Matt_Rimkunas@lGraham.senate.gov

Colin_Allen@LGraham.senate.gov

Laura_Bauld@lGraham.senate.gov

Adam_Brake@LGraham.senate.gov

Walt_Kuhn@LGraham.senate.gov

SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE:  (202) 224-2523

DC FAX: (202) 224-2693

AUGUSTA PHONE: (207) 622-8414

AUGUSTA FAX: (207) 622-5884

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

Steve_Abbott@collins.senate.gov

Holly_Nesbit@collins.senate.gov

SENATOR OLYMPIA SNOWE - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE:  (202) 224-5344

DC FAX: (202) 224-1946

BOSTON PHONE: (207) 622-8292

BOSTON FAX: (207) 622-7295

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

John_Richter@snowe.senate.gov

Anna_Levin@snowe.senate.gov

SENATOR MITCH McCONNELL - REPUBLICAN

DC PHONE:  (202) 224-2541

DC FAX: (202) 224-2499

LOUISVILLE PHONE: (502) 582-6304

LOUISVILLE FAX: (502) 582-5326

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

Fred_Karem@mcconnell.senate.gov

Adam_Howard@mcconnell.senate.gov

Hannah_Benton@mcconnell.senate.gov

robert_steurer@mcconnell.senate.gov

julie_adams@mcconnell.senate.gov

scott_raab@mcconnell.senate.gov

allison_thompson@mcconnell.senate.gov

Reb_Brownell@mcconnell.senate.gov

leann_crosby@mcconnell.senate.gov

Moon_Sulfab@mcconnell.senate

SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN - INDEPENDENT

DC PHONE:  (202) 224-4041

DC FAX: (202) 224-9750

HARTFORD PHONE: (860) 549-8463

SAN FRANCISCO FAX: (860) 317-2242

EMAILS TO CONTACT:

vance_serchuk@lieberman.senate.gov

clarine_nardi_riddle@lieberman.senate.gov

frank_rowe@lieberman.senate.gov

Technorati Tags: SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER,SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN,SENATOR MITCH McCONNELL,SENATOR OLYMPIA SNOWE,SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS,SENATOR LINDSAY GRAHAM,economic stimulus bill,compromising,compromise,Senate,Senators

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Stop the Simulation

This message from the American Conservative Union offers a free and easy way to email your Senators, telling them to vote against the fraudulent Economic Stimulus plan. Please take immediate advantage of it.

By now, you know the Liberals in Congress were shocked by the vote on the so-called 'stimulus' bill in the House of Representatives in which every single Republican voted 'No'. You helped by sending thousands of constituent letters to your members of Congress. Now they are desperate to get Republican votes in the Senate because they know, in their heart of hearts, this trillion-dollar monstrosity won't work! Even some Democrats are not committed to vote for this terrible bill. The final vote will be held sometime between today and Sunday. You must weigh in right now to have an effect. TAKE ACTION NOW. GO HERE AND SEND YOUR SENATORS A LETTER URGING THEM TO VOTE 'NO' ON H.R. 1, THE SO-CALLED 'STIMULUS' BILL The Obama Administration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have stated that this bill contains "immediate spending combined with tax cuts to stimulate the economy" but this has been exposed as a fraud. The Congressional Budget Office, controlled by Democrats, reported that the most of the spending won't happen until after 2010. Instead, this bill is filled with billions of dollars of pet programs congressional Liberals have been waiting to pass, such as $500 million to spruce up the National Institute of Health and $125 million for the Washington, DC sewer system. NO TAX CUTS: Like the House bill, the Senate bill contains no actual tax cuts, just temporary tax rebates and some adjustments to business taxes. As for the rebates, most will go in the form of checks to people who do not pay taxes. Only 3 percent of the spending will go to highway projects, and the Congressional Budget Office found that only a fraction, $4 billion, could be spent within two years. SHAM COMPROMISE: For two days, a "Gang of 20" Senators have been negotiating what they call a "Bi-partisan Compromise". They first claim they would cut the bill by one-third to $650 billion. But after meeting with President Obama they abandoned that goal and said they would aim at $800 billion the same as the House bill. Of course, any wasteful programs cut in the Senate can be put back in by the House/Senate conference that will follow. Meanwhile, every amendment to bring real tax relief to individuals and small business-a true stimulus program-has been rejected on the Senate floor. CONTACT YOUR SENATORS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW TO LET THEM KNOW YOU OPPOSE THIS PORK BARREL MONSTROSITY HIDDEN ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: After the 'Stimulus' bill passed the House, it was discovered that the bill includes language that could seriously affect religious freedom for students. On Page 164, Section 803 prohibits the use of federal funds for religious institutions but it also affects secular colleges and universities. Vague language could prevent colleges and universities from receiving funds to repair facilities if they are used for a religious purpose such as Bible study. Threatened with lawsuits, this could lead to schools deciding to prohibit these activities to make sure they get the money. IT'S TIME TO TAKE ACTION. GO HERE AND SEND A LETTER TO YOUR SENATORS. URGE THEM TO VOTE 'NO' ON H.R.1, THE SO-CALLED 'STIMULUS' BILL We at the American Conservative Union thank you for all you do to advance conservative free-market principles. Sincerely, Larry Hart Director of Government Relations American Conservative Union

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Death of the Family

by Findalis

To many young men these days it is a why bother getting married and raising a family. It is not necessary to have 2 parents in a home, all you need is one, just a mother will do. After all the UN agrees with you.

At a recent colloquium in Mexico City, Arie Hoekman, a UNFPA representative from the Netherlands, told participants that high rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births represent the triumph of “human rights” over “patriarchy.”

Jacobs stated, “Ironically, the UNFPA ignores international law and their own UN declaration on the basic human rights of children and the natural family as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Section 16 of the United Nations UDHR adopted in 1948 states that, ‘the family is the natural fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state.” Furthermore, UDHR states, “men and women of full age, without any limitation, due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family.’”

Jacobs charged: “Deconstructing the natural family has always been high on the agenda of groups like UNFPA. Ignoring international and domestic laws, they pursue this goal relentlessly through funding and promoting abortion, contraception and coercive population control – such as China’s one-children-per-family policy.

Jacobs continued: “There are reams of data showing that children from broken homes, either through divorce or failure to form families, have much higher levels of drug and alcohol abuse, crime and mental illness then their counterparts from intact families. But, perhaps Hoekman thinks these social pathologies also represent the triumph of human rights over patriarchy.”

We can look at some the volumes of studies and statistics that support the conclusion that children raised in one parent households are likely to be very disadvantaged compared to those children raised by 2 parents. And yes there are many people who have successfully raised children while single, but it is a scientific fact that 2 loving parents are always the best for the emotional wellbeing of any child.

Looking at just one state: North Carolina, I found this study on just this issue:

Children in Single-Parent Families in North Carolina:
A Growing Problem
by Paul A. Buescher, Ph.D.

Most single parents do raise children who become successful adults. However, children growing up in single-parent households have twice the risk of repeating a grade in school, having behavioral problems, dropping out of high school, and being out of work; and girls raised in single-parent households have twice the risk of becoming teenage mothers. Over 85 percent of single-parent families are headed by mothers. About half of the children and mothers in families headed by women live in poverty. However, even when income is taken into account, children from singleparent families fare worse than those from two-parent families.

Most single parents are in their 20s and 30s, not in their teens. In North Carolina, single-parent families represent more than one-fourth of all families with children. Families (single-parent and two-parent) with related children under age 18 comprise about one-third of all North Carolina households. Contrary to popular perceptions that depict the typical household as a married couple and their children, such households represent less than one-fourth of all households in North Carolina.

Please read the whole report here. It is a fascinating study into the problem.

Unlike the UN and Mr. Arie Hoekman, the majority of sociologists, child psychologists, educators, religious leaders, and even President Barack Obama all realize the importance of the 2-parent system backed by marriage.

It is only the fools from the UN who actually believe that a child being raised by a single parent is a good thing.

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The Rockets Continue to Rain Down

By Findalis



On January 17, 2009 Israel stopped Operation Cast Lead so that Barack Obama's inaugural would be free from riots over the action. Hamas claimed that they too would cease-fire. But like everything a Palestinian says, it is just a lie to deceive the useful idiots in the Western Media. A cease-fire means both sides stop their attacks, not just one.

Used with permission from the Sderot Media Center:

Grad rockets return to Ashkelon: Rockets Continue to Strike Israel in February

Palestinian rocket fire against Israel continued throughout the first week of February despite the unilateral ceasefire declared by Israel and Hamas two weeks ago on Sunday, January 18.

Around 18 Qassam rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza and struck Israel on Sunday February 1. Four of the mortar shells exploded in the Sha'ar Hanegev region of the western Negev, injuring three Israelis including two IDF soldiers and one civilian. Three other rockets struck the Eshkol region, with one rocket landing between two kindergartens. No injuries or damages were reported.

On Monday evening, February 2, the Tzeva Adom sounded in the city of Sderot. The Qassam landed in open fields outside Sderot, reportedly wounding no one and causing no damage.

On Tuesday, February 3, a Grad type missile struck the center city of Ashkelon early in the morning, as Ashkelon children made their way to school. At 7 am, the air raid siren sounded in Ashkelon followed by the Grad explosion. The Grad rocket struck a residential neighborhood in central Ashkelon, landing between buildings and smashing into the rear of a vacated bus. One woman was lightly injured in the attack and three people went into shock. All were evacuated to Ashkelon's Barzilai Medical Center. Rocket shrapnel damaged several cars, and shattered windowpanes.

This was the second time that a Grad rocket was fired at Ashkelon since the ceasefire began. On Saturday January 31, a Grad rocket slammed just south of Ashkelon, exploding in an open area with the siren blaring throughout the city in the early morning. During Operation Cast Lead, nearly 100 Grad-Katyusha rockets struck Ashkelon within three weeks.

Despite the Grad rocket attack on Ashkelon, Kerem Shalom, Karni, Nahal Oz and Erez crossings operated throughout Tuesday, enabling a total of 218 trucks with 6106 tons of supplies into Gaza. Over 446,000 liters of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power station and 250 tons of cooking gas were transferred via the Nahal Oz fuel depot on Tuesday, followed by another 200 trucks of humanitarian aid on Wednesday.

Over 30 rockets, mortar shells, and Grad missiles have been fired at Israel since the ceasefire began.

Israel has responded by conducting strikes on tunnels Hamas continues to use smuggle weapons from Egypt and Hamas training positions.
*YNetnews.com, Haaretz.com, and Imra.org.il contributed to this report.

Again I turn to you and ask:

How long would your government allow rockets to be fired into your community, your town? How long do you think any government would allow such attacks on their citizens? And if you did strike back, would the world call you a terror nation for doing so?

No of course. But Israel was forced by the US to stop its operations. And the rockets still fall.

And no one will stop them.

The people of Sderot are fed up. They are tired of the lies from both their government and the Palestinians. They want peace, but will willingly go to war. And they are hurting.

You can help. Take a moment out of your day and pray for the people of the area. You can sign up for a Code Red Alert. "SMS Blasts" is designed to blast SMS alerts to subscribers interested in instant notification in the event of a crisis in Israel. It is free. You can join their Facebook group. That is free too. And if you are able to, you can donate to the Sderot Media Center. Your small donation when combined with others goes a long way to ease the suffering of the people of Sderot and the region. Just click on either logo on the top or bottom of this post.

Thank you. And may G-d provide relief for these people soon.


A note to my fellow bloggers:

Feel free to cross post this with a link back to me at Monkey in the Middle

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We ARE watching, Mr. President!

From the 9/11 families:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2009

Member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
will Join other 9/11 Relatives In Meeting with President Obama
at the White House to Discuss Closing Guantanamo

Contact: Valerie Lucznikowska cell: 917-757-7031
Adele Welty ph: 718-461-8837

Valerie Lucznikowska, a member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, will be among the relatives of 9/11 victims meeting with President Obama at 3:30pm today in the Roosevelt Room in the West Wing of The White House. Ms. Lucznikowska will be delivering a letter signed by over 100 people who lost relatives on 9/11 who support the President's actions to shut down Guantanamo.

In the letter, 157 signers call for a full return to the American justice system for prosecutions of terrorism suspects so that due process can be restored. They write: "As 9/11 family members we care deeply that justice be served in these prosecutions, which are often perceived by others as vindication for our loved ones."

The full text of the letter is as follows:

Dear Mr. President,

As people who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, we support your decision to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and to end the Military Commissions that are being conducted there. It is our belief that these proceedings violate not only our own Constitution, but the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law, putting into question the validity of any verdict. It is especially egregious to us that the detentions, torture and trials have been conducted in the names of those family members we lost on 9/11.

We are deeply troubled that the Guantánamo proceedings have not only denied the detainees their rights as human beings, they have tainted the reputation of this country around the globe. We hope that the evidence against these defendants will be presented in Federal Court in compliance with due process of law under the Constitution. After consulting with Constitutional lawyers, we are confident that it can be done. As 9/11 family members we care deeply that justice be served in these prosecutions, which are often perceived by others as vindication for our loved ones.

We look forward to continuing our conversation with you on this issue.

Peaceful Tomorrows was founded, in 2002, by family members of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. who have united to turn their grief into action for peace and justice. Their founding mission statement called for "a multilateral, collaborative effort to bring those responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks to justice in accordance with the principles of international law."

We are ALL watching you, Mr. President. Do the right thing.

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