Happy New Years

The ARRA News Service wishes our readers a very Happy New Years!

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Happy New Years [Political Cartoon]

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Tags: LeRay Wright, New Years, political cartoon To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

New U.S. TSA rules effective Jan. 1, 2008

Hat tip to 1389 Blog - Antijihadist Tech for info on new U.S. TSA rules that take effect New Year’s Day 2008 concerning spare lithium batteries you pack and take with you when you travel by air. 1389 reports: "You will no longer be able to pack spare batteries in checked baggage, but, within limits, you will be allowed to pack spare batteries in carry-on baggage. Most lithium batteries for consumer electronic devices such as laptops and video cameras will meet the restrictions. But large, professional-grade batteries may exceed the limits; if you have any doubts, call the manufacturer before you pack your devices for travel."

Don’t Lose Your Batteries to Airport Security! by Gary Krakow, TheStreet.com:

If you’re one of the millions of airline travelers who carry spare lithium laptop, cell phone and camera batteries with you, listen up: The government has some new rules which go into effect on New Year’s Day. Fortunately, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not worried about the batteries installed in your devices, be it an iPhone or laptop. Those are safe to bring along with you on the plane in your carry-on bag. But the TSA is worried about loose, spare batteries. These are batteries with uncovered electrical contacts, which, if touched by other metal objects could cause an explosion and fire during a flight. So, the agency wants to make sure that any spare lithium batteries you take with you on your flight meet its new standards.

From the DOT Safe Travel site:

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:

Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.

You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage

You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!

Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.

You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25.

For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.

Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!

See also: More Info & Photos

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Tags: airlines, batteries, TSA, US law To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Huckabee calls Romney's campaign 'dishonest' [Video]

Mike Huckabee appeared on Meet the Press with Tim Russert on December 30, 2007 and takes on Romney' caparaison campaign ads. Mitt Romney is running a very desperate and, frankly, a dishonest campaign," Huckabee said on NBC's morning "Meet the Press" program. Videos of comments follow:

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

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Tags: GOP, Meet the Press, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, 2008, Republican, Tim Russert, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Edwards surges, Huckabee's bubble bursts

by Steven Thomma McClatchy Newspapers: John Edwards has clawed his way into contention to win Iowa's caucuses on Thursday in the first vote for the Democratic presidential nomination, gaining strength . . . At the same time, Mitt Romney has regained the lead among Iowa Republicans as Mike Huckabee has lost momentum and support, even among the evangelical Christians who had propelled him into the top spot just weeks ago. . . . “On the Democratic side, the race is about as close as it can get, but keep an eye on Edwards,” said Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which conducted the survey. “Edwards has really moved up since our last poll. Obama and Clinton have each slipped a little bit.” The new survey, taken Dec. 26-28, came three weeks after the initial Dec. 3-6 poll.

On the Republican side, Coker said, “Romney has rebounded and the Huckabee bubble may have burst. “Last time, Huckabee was getting all the good press and nobody had put him under any scrutiny. ... Now he’s under the spotlight, and he’s started to wilt a little.” One in three Iowa Republicans say they could still change their minds. No one knows that better than Huckabee, who surged into the lead three weeks ago and now has lost it just as quickly. Huckabee’s support dropped 8 percentage points since the last McClatchy/MSNBC poll Dec. 3-6. A major reason why is that he’s come under sharp criticism from rivals such as Romney, been blistered as a tax raiser in a $500,000 ad campaign aired by the anti-tax group Club For Growth, and faced new scrutiny by the media of his Arkansas record on such issues as pardons. He still ranks tops among Iowa Republicans who rank values and family issues their top concerns. But while the ordained Baptist preacher still leads among the state’s influential evangelical Christians, he’s lost 8 points among them.

Romney, who had led in the state for months before dropping to second place, regained 7 points since early December. Iowa Republicans gave him their highest favorable rating, and he ranked first among GOP voters looking for experience, leadership and the ability to win in November. He also led among voters who ranked immigration, taxes or terrorism their top concerns. A key gain: He now has the support of 27% of the state’s evangelical Christian Republicans, up sharply from 8% several weeks ago. Concerns about his Mormon faith appear to have ebbed. One warning sign for Romney: one-third of his supporters say they still could defect to a rival, while only 22% of Huckabee's backers say that. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Election 2008, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, poll, presidential candidates To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Gov. Records: Huckabee verses Romney - Campaign Ad

Record comparisons -
Gov. Romney verses Gov. Huckabee:

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Tags: ad, Election 2008, GOP, Mitt Romney, political video, presidential candidates To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Romney Verses McCain in Campaign Ads

Former Gov. Mitt Romney takes on varied positions of Sen. John McCain in the following two camapign ads:

"Future"

"Permanently"

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Tags: Arkansas Federation of Republican Women, Election 2008, GOP, John Mccain, Mitt Romney, political video, presidential candidates To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Fred's Message to Iowa Voters

Fred, in his own words to Iowa (and all other) voters, makes the case
for why he's the best man to America's next Commander in Chief.

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Tags: Election 2008, Fred Thompson, Iowa, presidential candidate, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

10 Congressmen Head to the South Pole - God Smiles

Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Arkansas 4th District Representative Mike Ross will join nine other members of Congress for a trip to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. The reason is to study "Global Warming."

According to the itinerary, the delegation leaves Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday. They will be briefed by representatives of the National Science Foundation at the Antarctic Center at Christchurch, New Zealand, before heading to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on Wednesday where they will remain for three days meeting with scientists. They will visit Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Thursday. The congressional delegation will travel to Australia on Jan. 5, where the group will receive science briefings at the Great Barrier Reef and learn about climate change at the Kurunda Rainforest. The delegation returns to the United States on Jan. 8.

Ross is a member of the House Science and Technology Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Both committees will be addressing global warming legislation after Congress reconvenes Jan. 15.

Wonder who will be briefing the delegation -- Gore-ites or real scientists who know the truth? The question is not whether the earth may for extended periods warm or cool -- it does. The question for this trip is whether this Congressional delegation buys into the false belief that it is mankind and not the Sun, our changing orbit, geothermal activity, collisions from space, and other factors to numerous to list that affect these changes. Neither mankind nor "mother nature" controls the weather. God created us to discover and to reason. However, God must truly smile when mankind, like a small child, expresses that they can "control" the earth's climate.

The Bible has a lot to say about God and how He controls the weather.

(Psalms 78:26 NASB) He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.

(Psalms 107:25 NASB) For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea.

(Psalms 135:7 NASB) He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

(Psalms 148:8 NASB) Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

(Proverbs 30:4 NASB) Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know!

(Mark 4:39 NASB) And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

God created the Heavens and the Earth and He controls the weather. You may ask, “Why would God allow 'Global Warming" or 'Global Cooling' and the resulting consequences?” The answer is that God is Sovereign. He can do whatever He wants. He is in control and nothing gets by Him.

I hope that all of our Global Warming delegation believes in God. Because when people in authority do not believe in God, they can believe anything - even junk science. Then they can proceed to tax, control, use and abuse people in an attempt to achieve their biased beliefs. Ecclesiastes 1:8 (NRSV) sums it up best: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun."

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Tags: Bible, Bill Smith, congress, global cooling, global warming, God, Mike Ross, South Pole, US House To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Thompson & Huckabee Fire on Press

Were the candidates really firing on press? Yes - but the difference is that Huckabee erroneously fired a shotgun over the heads of the campaign press corps and Fred with a forthright friendly nature fired a friendly snowball at a reporter. The first could have resulted in the deadly end to a candidates career, whereas the second may have gained the respect of at least one reporter.

Jim Tankersley in The Swamp reported on the "Huckabee's muzzle control problem" where Huckabee accidentally fired his shotgun over the heads of reporters. A rather bad thing for any hunter let alone and "experienced one." Tankersley identifies some consequences for hunters if they had made this potential fatal error. If I had made this mistake (obviously without press) while Pheasant hunting as a teen, after a few choice words from my dad, I would have lost my my hunting privileges for a year. And if I had joked about it, the consequences would have been drastic.

In a separate incident, Fred Thompson in good natured fun defended a staffer in a snowball fight. Friendly snowball fights were always acceptable in my youth. Video below:

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Tags: Election 2008, Fred Thompson, hunting, Mike Huckabee, snowballs, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Fourth Estate Stumbles Again Over Fred Thompson

Hat Tip to Erick at Red State: . . . Jill Lawrence, no doubt feeling slighted by the campaign for not getting a one on one with FDT, had her revenge in USA Today. She writes:

Bill Theobald of Gannett News Service … quotes [Fred Thompson] saying he doesn't like modern campaigning, isn't that interested in running for president and "will not be devastated" if he doesn't win.

After putting that up, she had to correct herself when Bill Theobald told her she got it wrong.

Bill calls to clarify that Thompson said he doesn't like the process of running for president but he does want to BE president.

Perhaps she could have gotten it right the first time. After all, it wasn't even her own first hand reporting. She was reporting on what another reporter reported. Maybe if she didn't feel her ego had been slighted by the Thompson campaign she would have tried to, you know, get it right the first time.

By the way, the Thompson camp was kind enough to send me a transcript so we can see for ourselves just how inaccurate Jill Lawrence's third hand reporting was. The question was, "Do you want to be President?" Based on the question and just the first ten words, you'd think Jill Lawrence could have gotten it right:

"The first place, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be doing this. I grew up in very modest circumstances. I left government and I and my family have made sacrifices to be sitting here today. I haven’t had any income for a long time because I figured to be clean, you’ve got to cut everything off. I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a tv show. I had a contract with ABC radio…and so forth. A man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family which is not a joyful thing if he didn’’t want to do it. I am not consumed by personal ambition. I will not be devastated if I don’t do it. I want the people to have the best president they can have."

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Tags: Forth Estate, Fred Thompson, media bias, Red State To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Bush Pocket Vetos the Defense Bill

Military.com, AP: President Bush on Friday used a "pocket veto" to reject a sweeping defense bill because he dislikes a provision that would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era. In a statement, Bush said the legislation "would imperil billions of dollars of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that nation's reconstruction efforts." The president's objections focused on a provision deep within legislation that sets defense policy for the coming year and approves $696 billion in spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also in the legislation were improved veterans benefits and tighter oversight of contractors and weapons programs. . . .

In a message to Congress, the president said he was sending the bill and his outline of objections to the House clerk "to avoid unnecessary litigation about the non-enactment of the bill that results from my withholding approval, and to leave no doubt that the bill is being vetoed." . . . The disputed section of the bill would reshape Iraq's immunity to lawsuits, exposing the new government to litigation in U.S. courts stemming from treatment of Americans in Iraq during Saddam's reign. Even cases that had once been rejected could be refiled. Bush's aides warned of a dire scenario - a rush of litigation that could freeze tens of billions of dollars in Iraqi assets being held in U.S. banks. Money at the heart of the Iraqi rebuilding effort would be tied up in court, potentially halting the very stabilization efforts that could get U.S. troops home faster, the aides said. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: military defense, President. George W. Bush, veto To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

House mailings cost $20.3 million

Update On Arkansas Delegation who were amoung the lowest users of tax money for mailings: Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR 2nd Dist) spent more than $34,000 last year. Snyder's was 282nd lowest on the list of 436 lawmakers. Mike Ross (D-AR 4th Dist) spent about $32,800 on mailings; Marion Berry (D-AR 3rd Dist) $15,500, though he didn't send out any mass mailings to his constituents, and John Boozman (R-AR 1st Dist) spent about $13,700.
Washington Post (AP): U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail — meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging. They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos and lists of the latest roads and bridges the lawmaker has brought home to the district, an Associated Press review of public records shows. Some offered advice on topics one would more commonly expect to see in a consumer-advice column. . . . former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-GA, who lost her primary race after a high-profile scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer last year, sent out a taxpayer-funded newsletter a few months before the election that included this simple observation: "Convicted felons can vote," she said, if "your" prison sentence has been served, parole or probation completed and fines paid. . . . The franking privilege is one of the main cogs in Congress' PR machine." Franking, practiced since the early days of the republic, lets members of Congress send mail with just a signature where the postage would normally be affixed. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Congress, mail, mailings, franking privilege, mail, US Congress, US House, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Pelosi, Reid, Huckabee, Obama Among Nation's "Most Politically Corrupt"

by Michael Goldfarb, The Weekly Standard: Judicial Watch has named its ten most corrupt political figures of 2007, and the list may surprise. It includes a number of very well-known politicians who have received little attention for their questionable business deals. . . :

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA): ...Feinstein reviewed military construction government contracts, some of which were ultimately awarded to URS Corporation and Perini, companies then owned by Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum...

Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR): ...“[Huckabee’s] career has also been colored by 14 ethics complaints and a volley of questions about his integrity, ranging from his management of campaign cash to his use of a nonprofit organization to subsidize his income to his destruction of state computer files on his way out of the governor’s office...”

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL): ...n 2007, more reports surfaced of deeper and suspicious business and political connections It was reported that just two months after he joined the Senate, Obama purchased $50,000 worth of stock in speculative companies whose major investors were his biggest campaign contributors. One of the companies was a biotech concern that benefited from legislation Obama pushed...

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): ...snuck a $25 million gift to her husband, Paul Pelosi, in a $15 billion Water Resources Development Act recently passed by Congress. The pet project involved renovating ports in Speaker Pelosi's home base of San Francisco. Pelosi just happens to own apartment buildings near the areas targeted for improvement, and will almost certainly experience a significant boost in property value as a result of his wife's earmark...

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV): ...over the last four years, Reid has used his influence in Washington to help a developer, Havey Whittemore, clear obstacles for a profitable real estate deal. As the project advanced, the Times reported, “Reid received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Whittemore.” Whittemore also hired one of Reid’s sons (Leif) as his personal lawyer...

Don't draw conclusions before reading the whole list. I've highlighted Huckabee and Obama (among presidential candidates) because their cases have received less scrutiny to date. It's worth noting however, that Mayor Giuliani and Senator Clinton earned places on the list as well. . . . Lisa Myers of NBC news looked at the Huckabee accusations . In general, they involve a failure to disclose otherwise legal gifts; the receipt by Huckabee of a large number of gifts (valued at twice his annual salary one year), and Huckabee's appointing of some gift givers to unpaid state commissions. Huckabee's defense -- both on his site and to Fox News -- is that he was being hounded by Democrats upset at having a Republican finally win a statewide office in Arkansas. One conservative critic characterized Huckabee's actions as 'Clintonesque.' . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Judicial Watch, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, The Weekly Standard To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Fred Thmpson Superior Understanding of Foreign Policy Issues

The following Fox News reported interview with Fred Thompson concerning the assassination of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto displayed Fred Thompson's superior understanding of foreign policy and global foreign policy issues and problems. Note also that Fred Thompson has been an outspoken advocate for taking the war against Islamic radicals serious. Today the British Telegraph reported that Pakistan has said it has proof that Benazir Bhutto was murdered by al-Qa'eda. An interior ministry spokesman, citing an intercepted phone call, said the killing had been ordered by Baitullah Mehsud, a terrorist allied to the movement.

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Tags: foreign policy, Fox News, Fred Thompson, Pakistan To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Huckabee’s new campaign ads [Videos]

Hat tip to Allahpundit, Hot Air for comments on the following two video ads by Mike Huckabee:

Both solid, the second more so than the first because (a) I don’t trust him [Huckabee] on immigration, although Iowans less familiar with his record probably will, and (b) the personal aspect of the second one calls for sincerity, which Huck has an uncanny ability to project. If I were his campaign manager, I’d jettison the cookie-cutter format of these ads and simply have him give minute-long speechlets while looking into the camera. He’s that good. . . . Give the guy his own spotlight, wind him up and let him go. . . . you can’t help but find yourself looking for reasons to vote for him.

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Tags: Arkansas, Election 2008, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Joseph Farah endorses Duncan Hunter

The ARRA News Service often has excerpts of articles written by conservative Joseph Farah. For this reason, we felt his endorsement and comments noteworthy.

Joseph Farah: Last week, Tancredo withdrew from the race and endorsed Mitt Romney for the presidency. This was a huge mistake by Tancredo. I'm sure he had his reasons. He said he wanted to find a top-tier candidate who was strongest on his pet issue. But, this is the primary season. In the primary season, Americans should pay little attention to the polls and select the very best candidate possible. Actual votes decide who is selected as the party nominees – not polls. . . .

Therefore, today I make a new, personal endorsement for the Republican nomination – Duncan Hunter. I do so with no hesitancy. I do so with great enthusiasm. In fact, I have previously made it clear just how much admiration and respect I have for Hunter.

He's my guy because on all the major issues facing this country, Hunter is right. And he is a proven leader who gets the job done.

Illegal immigration and border security: Duncan Hunter takes a backseat to no one on this issue . . . He took the initiative long ago to protect the citizens of his own San Diego area by building a virtually impenetrable fence that has cut down human trafficking in the area by nearly 100 percent.

Threat of Islamo-fascism: Hunter recognizes the gravity of the war in which America finds itself, whether we like it or not. Hunter has a strong military background and would make an effective leader in a conflict that will not go away unless we destroy the enemy.

Our cultural meltdown: Hunter rejects the madness of political correctness and multiculturalism that is ripping America apart at the seams. He is a man of God who will stand for what is morally right no matter the consequences.

The economy: Duncan Hunter will fight the mindless globalization that is destroying jobs in America and transferring them abroad – bringing in return cheap goods that are often unsafe and little more than junk. He will also cut taxes and revamp the unfair and highly intrusive tax system – both of which will stimulate the American economy.

Matters of life and death: Hunter is steadfastly and consistently pro-life – at both ends of the life spectrum.

There is much more to say about his excellent record and his fearless championing of all that is good and decent about America. The point is this: We don't have to settle for less. We don't have to settle for an imitation of the real thing. We don't have to settle for someone who is right most of the time. Duncan Hunter is the real deal. Support him now – so we don't have to compromise later.

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Tags: Duncan Hunter, Election 2008, endorsement, Joseph Farah, presidential candidate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

AOL online poll "Vote Your Pick for President"

Message from AOL: Checkout the the AOL online poll "Vote Your Pick for President." AOL claims voting is "spam-proofed" -- only one vote is allowed per IP address. The poll is active until 04 January 2008.

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Tags: Election 2008, online polls, presidential candidates, AOL To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

CNN Iowa PSA: Vote Huckabee or Die?

CNN provides an interesting opportunity for Mike Huckabee to push for votes using dead pheasants as an illustration: "These three birds said they would not vote for me on caucus night. See what happened to them? . . . You vote for me, you live -- hum - there you go!"

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Tags: CNN, Election 2008, hunting, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Ottumwa Courier says Vote Fred Thompson

In a significant event in just days ahead of the Iowa caucus, the Ottumwa Courier Editorial Board endorsed Fred Thompson for the Republican Caucus. The paper is an important Iowa newspaper read by both city and rural farm people. You may recall Ottumwa gained national recognition as the home of Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (played by Gary Burghoff) on the TV series hit "MASH." In the endorsement, the Courier identified that ". . . despite the pitfalls of the rough and tumble world of politics, the Republican says Washington, D.C. needs a “consistent” conservative to lead the United States into a new direction. Thompson is unapologetic on his views and is a straight-shooter. . . " [Read More]

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Tags: Election 2008, endorsement, Fred Thompson, Iowa, Ottumwa, presidential candidate, Republican To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Rudy - Surrender is not an option [Campaign AD]

by Patrick Oxford, Rudy Giuliani Presidential Comm.: During World War II, America's greatest generation overcame insurmountable odds to defeat Nazi tyranny in Europe and Japanese imperialism in the Pacific. Their courage, strength and perseverance demonstrated to the world the American spirit can never be broken, and when united there is nothing the American people cannot accomplish together. Now, 62 years later, America faces tyranny in a different form. Islamic extremists threaten our way of life, instilling fear throughout the world. On the day of Sept 11, 2001, al-Qaeda believed they could bring our nation to its knees. Amid the ashes of that tragedy, America stood together ready to prevail against tyranny once again.

As President, Rudy will keep America on offense in the Terrorists' War on Us. He is committed to achieving victory in Iraq and will see that the people of Afghanistan never relive the brutal oppression of the Taliban. The greatest generation taught all Americans that surrender is not an option. Below is a new television ad about the greatness of the American people called "Freedom."

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Tags: campaign ad, Election 2008, Freedom, GOP, presidential candidates, Rudy Giuliani, TV To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Illegal immigrants "self deport" as woes mount

As reported by KeepArkansasLegal: Mexican illegal immigrant Lindi sat down with her husband Marco Antonio in the weeks before Christmas to decide when to go back to Mexico. She has spent three years working as a hairdresser in and around Phoenix, but now she figures it is time to go back to her hometown of Aguascalientes in central Mexico. "The situation has got so tough that there don't seem to be many options left for us," Lindi, who asked for her last name not to be used, told Reuters. The couple are among a growing number of illegal immigrants across the United States who are starting to pack their bags and move on as a crackdown on undocumented immigrants widens and the U.S. economy slows, turning a traditional Christmas trek home into a one-way trip. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: illegal immigrants, self deporting To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Liberals via Daily Kos Attack Rep. John Boozman

by Dr. Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: The Daily Kos is seeking to defeat Rep John Boozman, Arkansas 3rd District U.S. Congressman. Rep. Boozman has done an excellent job as Congressman and has served both Arkansas and the 3rd District, principally a Republican district, effectively.

To initiate the controversy, Daily Kos posted an article by Democrat Drew Pritt addressing his brother Sgt Dave Pritt possible run for office. As both a former military SSgt and retired officer (Major, USAF), I commend Sgt Dave Pritt current service in Iraq. However, brother Drew presents the usual liberal tirade claiming there will be "attack pages or mercilessly talk about you on the blogs and lie....lie....lie. I also know the Republicans play dirty....dirtier than a pig....there's even a book out by a Republican operative entitled HOW TO RIG ELECTIONS." Now who is the one doing the attacks.

Even though Rep. John Boozman has supported funding and support for our troops in the fields, worked for improved veteran's benefits, addressed concerns on the war against international terrorism, and supported securing our borders (definitely not a Bush-Cheney agenda item), Drew Pritt attacks Rep. Boozman as "one of the Bush-Cheney Administration's biggest rubber stamps." Boozman currently serves on three House committees: Veterans Affairs, Transportation & Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs. In the 109th Congress, he was appointed Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee which focuses on ensuring veterans have a smooth transition to civilian life. In the 110th Congress, Boozman returned as a leader of the subcommittee, this time as the groups ranking member. These are not positions that would fall to a junior member of Congress. Drew admits he has run for many offices -- and lost! In his comments, he is letting his liberal bias taint his brother's potential run for office. His rhetoric may be one of the reasons, he lost his own party nomination in the past. If he continues, he will definitely assist Boozman on to another victory and return to Congress.

I am pleased, Drew is proud of his brother's military service in Iraq (unusual for most anti-war liberals). Sergeants perform tasks and direct the troops under them per the orders of the senior sergeants and officers. Service as an enlisted person is not a qualification for Congress especially for one returning directly from the battle field. Rep. (Dr.) John Boozman has already exhibited proven leadership representing Arkansas. Unlike, Drew Pritt who apparently does not wish well for Representative John Boozman re-election, I wish Sergeant Dave Pritt both a safe return to his family and an easy re-introduction to his community (Something Rep. Boozman has already worked diligently to support).

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Tags: Arkansas, DailyKos, John Boozman, liberals, US Congress, veterans

Early primaries - Political Cartoon by Larry Wright

(click here to view)
Larry Wright, Detroit News, Dec 26, 2007
EditorialCartoonists.com

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Tags: Election 2008, Larry Wright, political cartoon, Politics, presidential candidates, primary To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Substance - Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson for President Campaign TV Ad: "Substance"

Crunch Time in Iowa by JP Westerberg

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Tags: ad, Election 2008, Fred Thompson, Iowa, presidential candidate, substance, TV To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Ron Paul Lays An Egg

Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families: Ron Paul's performance on Meet the Press Sunday was a disaster. Host Tim Russert forced Paul to concede that he too had loaded up spending bills with "earmarks" that would benefit only his district. He then tried to argue, disingenuously in my view, that he was justified in doing so because he would later vote against the bills, knowing full well that they would pass. But this hypocrisy was the least of Paul's problems. Before the interview was over, he said he would vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if it came up today, admitted that he had called Ronald Reagan, "a dramatic failure," and insisted we shut down the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security and withdraw all U.S. troops from everywhere in the world. Our enemies must be praying he wins!

But the real kicker was his attack on Abraham Lincoln - the first Republican president in our nation's history. According to Paul, Lincoln should have just bought the slaves. I can't remember the last time, if ever, a Republican presidential candidate managed to attack both Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln in one interview, but Paul managed to pull it off. The real mystery is why anyone who loved Reagan could support this guy who is the exact opposite of what Reagan stood for.

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Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Election 2008, Gary Bauer, Meet the Press, presidential candidate, Ron Paul, Ronald Reagan, Tim Russert To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Will a Dark Horse Take the Republican Reins?

by Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum: Although the next presidential election won't take place until November 2008, and the nominating conventions won't convene until next August and September, the media have been covering the candidates all through 2007 as though they were running a horse race. What is it about presidential politics that evokes horse-race metaphors? The media have designated and re-designated the Republican "front-runner": McCain, then Romney, then Giuliani, then Huckabee. The media are also speculating whether Hillary will lose her front-runner status to Obama. . . .

Early in 2007, the media were confidently announcing that the presidential nominations of both parties would be locked up in the early primaries. It now appears just as likely that the early primaries will confirm the fact that Republicans are divided. Each of the five top-tier Republican candidates has received endorsements from important Republicans, some of whom have state Republican organizations to deliver delegates, and some with large grassroots constituencies. No poll shows any of these candidates with anywhere near a majority of Republican support. . . .

A relatively new book (2003) of political history called "Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield" may provide the model. Kenneth D. Ackerman tells the fascinating story of how the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago deadlocked, with three sets of delegates unwilling to abandon their first choice, and a totally unexpected non-candidate dark horse named James A. Garfield was nominated on the 36th ballot and then elected President. . . . Could Republicans be so divided going into the 2008 Convention that a dark horse could win the nomination? . . . [Read Complete Article]

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Tags: dark horse, Election 2008, GOP, Phyllis Schlafly, presidential candidates, Republican To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Rice: Huckabee's Criticism Is "Ludicrous"

Hat tip to Scott Miller, The Conservative Post, for for his interesting in Condoleezza Rice and the Schmuckabee Smack-down which addressed the following:

CBS News: Secretary Of State Denounces GOP Hopeful's Characterization Of Bush Foreign Policy Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee accused the Bush administration of having a "bunker mentality" concerning foreign policy. In a brief foray into politics, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday denounced comments by a leading Republican presidential candidate that the Bush administration's foreign policy is arrogant and unilateral. "The idea that somehow this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous," she said at a State Department news conference. "One would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy."

Rice did not mention Huckabee by name in her response and at first declined to respond, saying dismissively: "Look, I don't comment on other people's comments. I don't have time, all right. I really don't have time to worry about this." But she then launched into a vigorous defense of the administration's multilateral diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran, and pointed to improving ties with traditional allies in Europe, some of which were strained by the Iraq war. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Condoleezza Rice, Election 2008, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

We Just Want a Frontrunner [Political Cartoon by Scott Stantis]

GOP asks Santa for a Front Runner

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Tags: Merry Christmas, political cartoon, Scott Stantis To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

God's Gift For You! Merry Christmas 2007

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.." ~ John 3:16-17 Merry Christmas from the ARRA News Service editorial staff.

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Tags: Christmas, Merry Christmas, 2007 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Christmas Eve Rasmussen Presidential Polling Numbers

Rasmussen Reports (12/24/07): New polling data released today shows that John McCain has opened up a six-point lead over Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House. At the same time, the former First Lady leads Mike Huckabee by four. Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney have the highest level of core opposition among the leading Presidential candidates--47% are poised to vote against each of them. At the opposition end of the spectrum, John McCain has the lowest level of core opposition. . . .

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll -- Likely Republican Primary voters nationwide for the Republican Presidential Nomination: Mike Huckabee 19%, Rudy Giuliani 16%, John McCain 15%, Mitt Romney 15%, Fred Thompson 11% and Ron Paul 6% (recent daily numbers). Republican voters viewed favorably: Thompson 67%, McCain 65%, Giuliani 65%, Huckabee 64%, Romney 59%. Among all voters, McCain has the highest favorability ratings of any candidate in either party—55%. He is viewed favorably by 43% of Democrats and 60% of those not affiliated with either major party (key stats for all Republican candidates). 74% of Republican voters view Giuliani as politically moderate or liberal. Most also see McCain in that light and a plurality see Romney as moderate or liberal.

Likely Democratic Primary Voters nationwide for the Democratic Presidential Nomination:, Hillary Clinton 40%, Barack Obama 24%, John Edwards 15%. Bill Richardson 3%, Joe Biden 3%, and Dennis Kucinich 3%. (recent daily numbers). Democrats see little ideological difference between Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. 78% of Democrat favorable opinion: Clinton 78%. Obama 66%, and Edwards 63% (key stats for all Democratic candidates). . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Democrat, Election 2008, presidential candidates, Rasmussen Poll, Rasmussen Reports, Republican To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

ICYMI: Do not Call List Extended

Telemarketers beware! General population rejoice. In a press release, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) thanked U. S. Senate colleagues last Tuesday for passing by unanimous consent his legislation, the Do Not Call Extension Act, S. 781, to keep the national Do Not Call Registry free and effective, the Arkansas senator said in a news release. The House had also passed and supported his version of the bill. "Millions of Americans have signed up for the Do Not Call registry and today can enjoy dinner without interruption from telemarketers. My bill keeps the peace for them and ensures the registry remains free and effective for consumers," Pryor said. The registry offers consumers a break from telemarketers, Pryor said in the release. More than 146 million consumers have taken advantage of the Do Not Call Registry, Pryor said.

Prior also said in his release that The Federal Trade Commission's authority to fund the program through telemarketer fees expires soon - at the end of the year - and his legislation will reauthorize the FTC's ability to collect fees from telemarketers to cover the operational costs of the program permanently. Now, telemarketers pay $ 62 for each area code, with the first five area codes free and total fees capped at $ 17, 050. They are required to search the registry every month and drop from their call lists the phone numbers of consumers who have registered. Compliance with the registry has been high, but the FTC has brought enforcement action against 52 individuals and 73 corporate defendants, Pryor said in the news release. Violating the Do Not Call Registry subjects telemarketers to civil penalties of up to $ 11, 000 per violation.

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Tags: Mark Pryor, telemarketer, US Congress

New far-reaching energy bill

by Steve Tetreault and Jason C. Green, Stephens Washington Bureau: Congress passed (314-100) and the President signed into law last week legislation to promote energy efficiency and the use of ethanol fuel as a substitute for gasoline. The bill was one of the final and most far-reaching accomplishments by Congress this year.

Requires automakers to increase the fuel efficiency of cars, small trucks and SUVs by 40 percent, to an average 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

Requires fuel companies to increase their use of ethanol and other biofuels to 36 billion gallons by 2022, a fivefold increase.

Calls for the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012. In the short term they may be replaced by small fluorescent bulbs now on the market that supply as much light using less energy. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: biofuels, energy bill, fuel efficiency, light bulbs, US Congress, US House To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Huckabee Accepting Embryonic Stem Cell Money?

Hat Tip to John Anderson, The Citizen's Journal for the following story. Although the related links and information are damaging we can only "hope" that Huckabee has used better judgement.

Huckabee accepted large sums of money from pharmaceutical company engaged in embryonic stem cell research as "consulting fees"
***** NewsBusters - MSM Ignoring Story on Huckabee Accepting Stem Cell Money
***** Mike Huckabee - "I believe it is wrong to create human life for the sole purpose of research.
"***** Glenn Reynolds - "I've got no problem with taking speaking fees from stem-cell research companies -- but it contradicts Huckabee's positions, doesn't it?
"***** "this report that Novo Nordisk -- the stem-cell company -- distributed 35,000 copies of Huckabee's book, translated into Spanish, for free. No word what Huckabee was paid; possibly nothing, possibly a lot. No doubt people will be asking the campaign about it." - Glenn Reynolds
***** Huck Accepted Large Sum from Company Engaging in Embryonic Stem Cell Research - American Pundit.
***** Mike Huckabee Another Bill Clinton?

Another Huckabee flip flop. They are supposedly researching a cure for diabetes. More inconsistencies and half truths from another man from Hope.This from Bob Krumm, "On April 13, 2007 Mike Huckabee was interviewed by the Des Moines Register. Among the questions was one about stem cells. In response Huckabee said that “I don’t think that the only avenue to curing cancer and heart disease and diabetes and some of the horrible things that inflict Americans is that we have to destroy life in order to create it.” That’s not an absolute denunciation of embryonic stem cell research*, but the “destroy life” phraseology certainly gave the impression to social conservatives that he is against it.Interestingly, just one month later Mike Huckabee produced his financial disclosure statement indicating that he had been paid a $17,500 consulting fee by a leading pharmaceutical company engaged in embryonic stem cell research to find a treatment for diabetes.Obviously, this is a problem for some social conservatives. To others it is an example of the hypocrisy of Huckabee. And to all, that financial statement should raise other alarms.In addition to the payments from Novo Nordisk, Mike Huckabee took a third of a million , much of it from organizations with governmental interests, even while he was Governor of Arkansas. Included in that is a salary from Flagship Global Health. Mike Huckabee served on their board of directors, during the last year and a half of his term as Governor of Arkansas, and is still serving in that capacity."

Can we get a comment from the Huckabee campaign on this ? I'd like to hear his Clintonian answer on this one. John Anderson

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Tags: Election 2008, embryonic stem cell, killing human embryos, Mike Huckabee, stem cell research, stem cells To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

NRSC - Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays

Senator John Ensign, NRSC Chairman, offers warm greetings for a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

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Tags: John Ensign, Merry Christmas, 2007, NRSC, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Practical Advice on Offering English on Latino Radio

by Muriel Schmidt, Ltr to Editor [Ms. Muriel as her friends know her is a senior Ozark Mrn resident who shares her practical advice to help resolve issues. The following is but one example.]:
Hello from the Northwest Arkansas Ozark Mountains,
I think I can give you a concrete solution that would be helpful to our English speaking language of the illegal immigrants:

there are a huge number of radio stations who are all over this nation with LATINO music.

the illegal workers tell us that they are soooo busy working 2 or 3 jobs that they CANNOT attend classes to learn to speak English.

the radio stations are on the air 24 hours, 7 days per week and they they play music and give announcements of all kinds.

because these radio stations are ON OUR AIR, courtesy of our networks. there should be an equal amount of time interpreting the music and announcements in E N G L I S H ... which would help the Latino speakers to hear the same message repeated in English and Spanish. This would be a great way for us English speakers to learn Spanish all at the same time.

There would be no charge, but there should be an obligation for any radio to be promoting the language of the country in which they are located.

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Tags: English, illegal immigrants, Latino, radio station To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Christmas Greetings to Democrats & Republicans

To All Our Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To Our Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Tags: Christmas, Democrat, political humor, Republican, 2007 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Thompson Christmas Holiday Message for the Troops

While other candidates have done Christmas videos, this one is different. Fred Thompson decided to do his Christmas video for the troops.

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Tags: Christmas, Fred Thompson, military troops, video, 2007 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

NO SNOW IN BETHLEHEM?

William J. Murray, Chairman Religious Freedom Coalition: The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Anglican Church, said that Jesus was probably not born in a manger, that there were no animals present and there was "probably" no snow as most Nativity Scenes depict. HMMM ... The photograph at left is of my daughter Katie standing in front of the entrance to the Old City in Jerusalem. As you can see the ground is covered with snow. The day the photo was taken we were to have been in Bethlehem but could not get there because of the snow. If the good Bishop doesn't know that it snows in Bethlehem what does he know about the Nativity Scene? His comments can be found here.

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Tags: Jerusalem, William J. Murray To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

100,000 Strong For Earmark Reform

ARRA News Service supports earmark reform. If you are for
Earmark Reform sign the 100,000 Strong For Earmark Reform.

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Tags: earmark reform, Jim DeMint To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

WSJ: No Truck for Huck

The Wall Street Journal, OpinionJournal.com's James Taranto says he's troubled by Mike Huckabee's health care, foreign-policy inexperience and sectarian religious appeal. Video follows:

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Tags: Election 2008, James Taranto, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, Wall Street Journal To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Mitt Romney's Big Prevarication - Oops

by John Gibson, Fox News: Tall-tales, exaggerations, out and out fabrications — it all opens a Pandora's box of questions from reporters . . . Mitt said, "I saw my father march with Martin Luther King." George Romney was a prominent politician during the civil rights era, and Mitt was trying to say that his family has never bought into some of the ancient texts in Mormon doctrine about black people that sound and feel very racist.

Problem is, now a Boston newspaper has figured out that George Romney did not actually march with Martin Luther King. So now Mitt is out explaining that he didn't mean he literally saw his father march with Dr. King, but that figuratively George Romney marched because he supported King and the civil rights movement. Oops. This is not an explanation you want to get into. It is convoluted and it will never placate some people, especially your opponents. So let this be a lesson. My father would have marched with Dr. King had the occasion arose, that works. But saying you saw your father march cannot be taken any other way than literally. You either saw him or you didn't see him. We're not talking the mind's eye here. . . . [Read More] See also: Did Romney's dad really march with Martin Luther King Jr.? & ROMNEY DEFENDS MLK MARCH REMARK: "The reference of seeing my father lead in civil rights," he said, "and seeing my father march with Martin Luther King is in the sense of this figurative awareness of and recognition of his leadership." "I've tried to be as accurate as I can be," he continued, smiling firmly. "If you look at the literature or look at the dictionary, the term 'saw' includes being aware of -- in the sense I've described."

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Tags: Election 2008, George Romney, Martin Luther King Jr, Mitt Romney, presidential candidate, prevarication To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Hug A Lobster on the Pork Vacation Tour

• For a paper on how President Bush could slash earmarks.
• To read and search Congress' omnibus spending bill.
• To find out what else is sure to outrage taxpayers, visit Omnibusting blog.
• For other research on the federal budget.

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Tags: Congressional Pork, earmarks, Heritage Foundation, omnibus bill To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

2,600 Pages Of Clinton Records Withheld

by Josh Gerstein, The New York Sun: The National Archives is withholding from the public about 2,600 pages of records at President Clinton's direction, despite a public assurance by one of his top aides last month that Mr. Clinton "has not blocked the release of a single document." . . . An official who oversees the presidential libraries operated by the federal government, Susan Fawcett, said in a recent interview that the records were withheld in accordance with a letter Mr. Clinton wrote in 1994 exercising his right to hold back certain types of files and another letter in 2002 about narrowing the scope of his earlier instructions. Asked by National Journal whether Mr. Clinton had "total control" over the closure of records under the confidential-advice provisions of the law, Ms. Fawcett said he did.

At a presidential debate in October, Mrs. Clinton was questioned about language in the 2002 letter that discussed the possibility of withholding some records about the former first lady. Mr. Clinton later called the questions "breathtakingly misleading" and complained bitterly that his wife had been sandbagged. . . . Ms. Cooper said the 2,600 pages of advice are part of about 24,000 pages of closed Clinton White House records. The bulk of the closures likely involve records found in domestic policy and health care files that Mr. Clinton authorized for processing before the library began accepting record requests from the public in 2006. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Clinton Library, Arkansas, freedom of information, Hillary Clinton To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Are Earmarks Returned for Bribes? You Decide!

"A Reading Program's Powerful Patron" by James V. Grimaldi, Washington Post: When Congress decided to appropriate $2 million in fall 2001 to help D.C. kindergartners and first-graders learn to read, city school officials were told that the money could be spent only on the Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program, a new product with virtually no track record. They had just picked a different reading curriculum, and "we didn't want to be guinea pigs," recalled Mary Gill, then the system's chief academic officer.

School leaders did not know that the $2 million was an earmark that had been guided into law by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) just after she had received more than $30,000 in campaign contributions at a fundraiser held by Voyager's founder and chairman.

Landrieu's earmark illustrates the unusual role that Congress has played in shaping the District's troubled school system. No other school budget is subject to approval by Capitol Hill. . . . Landrieu, as the ranking Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate's D.C. appropriations subcommittee until early this year, was a pivotal figure in school spending and policy issues. With the Voyager earmark, she intruded on a curriculum decision normally made by teachers, principals, administrators and educational advisers. "It is unclear to me why Congress thinks they're qualified to do that," said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools . . . .

Landrieu received about $80,000 from Voyager employees and lobbyists . . . . "It is not uncommon for Members of Congress to receive contributions from individuals who support their policy goals," she said in the statement to The Post, echoing a similar response she gave Education Week last year for a story on Voyager's political connections. Voyager employed lobbyists and made political contacts to obtain at least 14 earmarks over five years, worth more than $8 million . . . . Some went to other parts of the country, but most -- $5.23 million -- went to D.C. schools. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: bribes, campaign funds, DC, earmarks, graft, lobbyist, Mary Landrieu, school To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!