Monday, December 15, 2014

Barker's Newsbites: Monday, December 15, 2014


Here's a beloved American spiritual...

 (Folks... PLENTY of OUTSTANDING versions on YouTube - but this is the one which "spoke to me" today. I urge you to check out versions such as this and this and this... and so on and so forth!)


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6 comments:

William R. Barker said...

* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)

http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2014/december/14/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-a-real-government-shutdown/

The political class breathed a sigh of relief Saturday when the U.S. Senate averted a government shutdown by passing the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill.

* FOR THE REST OF US... WE'RE SCREWED AGAIN.

This year’s omnibus resembles omnibuses of Christmas past in that it was drafted in secret, was full of special interest deals and disguised spending increases, and was voted on before most members could read it.

* AND IF THIS ISN'T AN EXCUSE FOR A REVOLUTION... WHAT WOULD BE?

The debate over the omnibus may have made for entertaining political theater, but the outcome was never in doubt. Most House and Senate members are so terrified of another government shutdown that they would rather vote for a 1,774-page bill they have not read than risk even a one or two-day government shutdown.

Those who voted for the omnibus to avoid a shutdown fail to grasp that the consequences of blindly expanding government are far worse than the consequences of a temporary government shutdown.

* FOLKS. HE'S RIGHT. THESE PEOPLE MAY BE "SLY"... BUT THEY'RE NOT PARTICULARLY BRIGHT... AND THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE. (THEY'RE TOO BUSY FUNDRAISING, DEAL MAKING, AND LIVING THE HIGH LIFE TO READ AND ABSORB INFORMATION.)

Instead of panicking over a limited shutdown, a true pro-liberty Congress would be eagerly drawing up plans to permanently close most of the federal government, staring with the Federal Reserve. (The Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies not only degrade the average American’s standard of living, they also allow Congress to run up huge deficits.)

* WE DON'T HAVE A TRUE PRO-LIBERTY CONGRESS...

(*SHRUG*)

* AND WHY WOULD WE? WE NO LONGER HAVE A PRO-LIBERTY AMERICAN PEOPLE...

(*SIGH*)

* TO BE CONTINUED...

December 15, 2014 at 5:25 PM
William R. Barker said...

* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)

Congress should take the first step toward restoring a sound monetary policy by passing the Audit the Fed bill, so the American people can finally learn the truth about the Fed’s operations.

Second on the chopping block should be the Internal Revenue Service. The federal government is perfectly capable of performing its constitutional functions without imposing a tyrannical income tax system on the American people.

* IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THE IRS IS TYRANNICAL IT'S ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE RELATIVELY IGNORANT... AND BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER GONE AFTER YOU.

(*RUEFUL SMILE*)

America’s militaristic foreign policy should certainly be high on the shutdown list. The troops should be brought home, all foreign aid should be ended, and America should pursue a policy of peace and free trade with all nations. (Ending the foreign policy of hyper-interventionism that causes so many to resent and even hate America will increase our national security.)

* CERTAINLY PAUL IS CLOSER TO THE TRUTH THAN HIS OPPONENTS! JUST LOOK AROUND THE WORLD! WE'RE HATED!

All programs that spy on or otherwise interfere with the private lives of American citizens should be shutdown. This means no more TSA, NSA, or CIA, as well as an end to all federal programs that promote police militarization. The unconstitutional war on drugs should also end, along with the war on raw milk.

All forms of welfare should be shut down, starting with those welfare programs that benefit the wealthy and the politically well connected. Corporate welfare, including welfare for the military-industrial complex that masquerades as “defense spending” should be first on the chopping block. Welfare for those with lower incomes could be more slowly phased out to protect those who have become dependent on those programs.

The Department of Education should be permanently padlocked. This would free American school-children from the dumbed-down education imposed by Common Core and No Child Left Behind.

(Of course, ObamaCare, and similar programs, must be shut down so we can finally have free-market health care.)

Congress could not have picked a worse Christmas gift for the American people than the 1,774-page omnibus spending bill. Unfortunately, we cannot return this gift. But hopefully someday Congress will give us the gift of peace, prosperity, and liberty by shutting down the welfare-warfare state.

December 15, 2014 at 5:25 PM
William R. Barker said...

http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2015

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement in anticipation of the Senate vote on his Constitutional Point of Order to defund President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty:

“Forcing a vote on the constitutionality of Obama's amnesty is important for two reasons. First, since President Obama enacted his unilateral amnesty after the elections, Democrats have never been made to answer for it. Tonight, they will and they will show America whether they stand with a lawless President, who is defying the will of the voters or the millions of Americans who want a safe and legal immigration system.

“Second, it allows Republicans to also show they are committed to ending Obama's amnesty once and for all in the next Congress. If we agree it is indeed unconstitutional, we have no business funding it when the GOP controls Congress next year.

“The Constitution matters, and we must defend it. That is why we have fought so hard to ensure this vote.”

* FOLKS... THIS IS TRUE. TED CRUZ IS THE GOOD GUY. DON'T LET THE USUAL SUSPECTS (PERPS!) FOOL YOU INTO BELIEVING OTHERWISE!

December 15, 2014 at 5:49 PM
William R. Barker said...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/12/15/the-art-of-never-compromising/

Most of the talk about Republican gadfly Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)...

* YEAH, YEAH... "GADFLY"... YOU SURE TOLD HIM!

(*ROLLING MY EYES WHILE SNORTING*)

...in the last few days concerned his role in forcing a delay on passage of the $1.1 trillion spending bill.

* FOR WHICH HE SHOULD BE SINCERELY THANKED FOR - NOT SNIDELY CRITICIZED FOR BY THE LIKES OF JENNIFER RUBIN (THE AUTHOR OF THIS SCREED.)

He was slapped down on his “point of order” by a 74-22 vote, including 20 no votes from Republicans.

* SLAPPED DOWN? DEMOCRATS HAD THE MAJORITY! AS FOR THE 20 REPUBLICANS... 20 RINOs. (20 ESTABLISHMENT GOP SCUMBAGS...)

With the government shutdown avoided for the balance of the fiscal year...

* AT WHAT COST...?!?! (OF COURSE SUCH CALCULUS IS BEYOND MS. RUBIN...)

...the Republicans in 2015 will be able to vote to reverse, de-fund or otherwise try to hobble the president’s immigration order without risking the government’s closure. Hmm, sounds like the best place to be if you are a Republican.

* LET ME GUESS... THE AUTHOR ISN'T A REPUBLICAN... AND CERTAINLY NOT A CONSERVATIVE... (SO MUCH FOR HER RUBIN'S TAKE!)

* NO. NOW... IMMEDIATELY... WAS THE TIME FOR CONGRESS - FOR THE REPUBLICANS ESPECIALLY - TO HAVE GONE ON RECORD DECLARING OBAMA'S ACTIONS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. AND INSTEAD OF FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT THRU SEPTEMBER (YEAH... THAT'S WHAT THEY DID... SURPRISED THAT RUBIN DIDN'T SPECIFY...???) THEY SHOULD HAVE HELD THEIR GROUND AND ONLY KEPT FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT TILL SAY MARCH... AT LAST YEAR'S SPENDING LEVELS.

Criticism of Cruz usually centers on this type of grandstanding at the expense of colleagues.

* "GRANDSTANDING," HUH? IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE RUBIN HELD ANY PRINCIPLES HERSELF THAT SHE FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THEM IN OTHERS.

* AND BTW... CRUZ WASN'T SENT TO WASHINGTON TO MAKE NICE WITH HIS COLLEAGUES. HE WAS SENT THERE TO SERVE HIS CONSTITUENTS AND TO TRY AND SAVE THE COUNTRY! (UNLIKE WITH MOST POLITICIANS, THE FOLKS WHO ELECTED CRUZ KNEW WHAT THEY'D BE GETTING! THEY KNEW THEY WERE ELECTING A MAN OF HONOR AND GOOD JUDGMENT - AND A MAN WHO REVERES OUR CONSTITUTION!)

* RUBIN GOES ON TO FURTHER ATTACK CRUZ FOR TRYING TO "NUDGE" THE WASHINGTON POLITICAL PROCESS BACK TO SANITY... (*ROLLING MY EYES*)... YOU FOLKS CAN FOLLOW THE LINK TO READ HER FULL PORTION OF BILE... (*SNORT*)... SUFFICE IT TO SAY CRUZ WAS RIGHT AND I'M PROUD OF HIM.

* AND NOW... TO GIVE RUBIN'S VENOM IT'S FINAL LIGHT OF DAY...

Cruz is grossly unsuited for the Senate, let alone higher office.

* YES... GOD HELP US FROM MEN OF PRINCIPLE WHO STAND BY THEIR CAMPAIGN PROMISES...

(*SNORT*)

Imagine if he ran a state — or the country — without super-majorities of Republicans.

* WORKS FOR ME!

Things would be worse than they are now.

* NO... (ANY EVIDENCE OR EVEN SERIOUS ANALYSIS TO BACK UP THIS CONTENTION, JEN...???)

Rigidity of mind and contempt for opponents in a president have resulted in paralysis and nastiness for six years, so why repeat the experience?

* "PARALYSIS...!" IS THIS BROAD NUTS...?!?! CHECK OUT THE NATIONAL DEBT ON THE DAY PRIOR TO OBAMA ASSUMING OFFICE. THEN CHECK OUT WHERE WE STAND TODAY. LOOK AT THE WORLD OBAMA INHERITED AND HOW EVERYWHERE HE'S MADE THINGS EVEN WORSE! AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON OBAMACARE...!!! PERHAPS WHAT THIS NATION NEEDS IS MORE - NOT LESS - GRIDLOCK.

And really, if Cruz could find some other way to get attention, get his face on TV...

* UH... JEN...? AREN'T YOU GIVING HIM PUBLICITY RIGHT NOW...???

* FUCKING IDIOT...

* FOLKS... THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND "PALINIZE" CRUZ. YOUR BEST BET... AS ALWAYS... GO TO THE HORSE'S MOUTH - READ WHAT THE MAN SAYS AND DOES AND MAKE YOUR OWN JUDGMENT ACCORDINGLY.

December 15, 2014 at 7:16 PM
William R. Barker said...

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/12/12/House-Senate-GOP-Leaders-Gearing-Up-to-Increase-Guest-Worker-Permits-for-Foreigners

Top Republican leaders in the House and Senate are gearing up to push legislation in the next Congress that would increase the number of foreign guest-workers even in industries that do not need them.

* NATURALLY.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who chairs the Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force, wants to push his Immigration Innovation Act (I-Squared) that would increase the number of high-tech visas, even though there is no evidence that there is a shortage of American high-tech workers.

(*PURSED LIPS*)

Tech industry lobbies, like Mark Zuckerberg's FWD.us, have spent millions trying to secure massive increases in guest-worker visas that would give them an endless supply of cheap foreign labor even as companies like Microsoft are laying off 18,000 American workers.

(*TEARS LITERALLY WELLING UP*)

Hatch, whose "bill was first introduced last year with Republican Marco Rubio and Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Chris Coons" and ended up in the Senate's "Gang of Eight" comprehensive amnesty bill, reportedly said, "I think virtually every Republican would vote for this, and I suspect that we'll get a considerable number of Democrats too."

* RUBIO...

(*SILENCE*)

In the House, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the Judiciary Committee Chairman, told The Hill that House Republican leaders are looking at "legislation dealing with reforming our legal immigration programs, particularly for high-skilled workers and for agricultural workers." He said, “I think that we are going to look at moving those early in a new Congress.”

Last year, Goodlatte hosted a Silicon Valley fundraiser in which donors gave between $10,000 and $40,000. One guest, venture capitalist Rob Conway, said that before he wrote his check to Goodlatte, he "wanted some assurances that Bob Goodlatte would be prepared to discuss immigration reform and what the timetable is for immigration reform, because we’re coming down the wire here with the [midterm] elections [approaching] and we need accountability."

As Breitbart News has thoroughly documented, "despite evidence to the contrary, the tech industry has spent millions trying to get massive increases in the number of H-1b guest-worker visas, claiming that they 'can't find' Americans to do various tech jobs" even though there is a proven surplus of America high-tech workers.

* YEP...

Even President Barack Obama, though he still supports massive increases in guest-worker permits, has said he is "skeptical" of claims from companies — like those in the high-tech industry — that they cannot find enough Americans to fill open jobs.

"I'm generally skeptical when you hear employers say, 'oh we just can't find any Americans to do the job,'" Obama said this week at an immigration event in Nashville. "A lot of times what they really mean is that it's a lot cheaper to potentially hire somebody who has just come here before they know better..."

December 15, 2014 at 11:33 PM
William R. Barker said...

http://www.redstate.com/2014/12/09/now-or-later-why-not-wait-to-fight-over-amnesty/

[Here] is perhaps the simplest and most easily understood argument against acting now to stop the President: Come January the House of Representatives and the Senate will both be held by the Republican Party. It will, therefore, improve their leverage against the President and his unconstitutional amnesty. So we should wait.

Except . . . well . . . except there are some fundamental problems with the argument.

First and foremost, if Republicans really believe President Obama’s action is unconstitutional, they have sworn an oath to uphold, protect, and defend the constitution. Funding the President’s amnesty plan now will violate that oath. It also establishes the precedent that the GOP is willing to fund illegal or unconstitutional acts of the President.

* YEP! ALL CORRECT! (THUS SEN. CRUZ'S ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE GOP FROM ITSELF!)

But there is more than that, and that is substantial in and of itself. Beyond the funding of unconstitutional actions, if the GOP passes a continuing resolution now that only short term funds the Department of Homeland Security, they will be losing leverage because the only focus next year will be DHS.

* DUH!

Additionally, by waiting, the GOP is further and further removed from the offending action, which will cause both a loss of momentum and a loss of the public’s attention. Further, it is not clear that the GOP’s position in the Senate on the matter will be substantially improved in 2015, even with it gaining the majority.

* DUH!

Lastly, and importantly, if the GOP is not willing to fight right now, they will not fight at all and will instead fund the President and move on. In fact, they are even saying so.

(*DOWNCAST GAZE*)

But a GOP majority that has vowed new levels of efficiency in governing is unlikely to allow DHS funding to lapse, meaning that Obama and Democratic leaders will very likely be able to call the Republican bluff.

(*BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL*)

Remember, in 2013, Republicans said the fight against ObamaCare needed to be on the continuing resolution, not the debt ceiling. Once the debt ceiling was extended, the GOP leadership said it needed to fight ObamaCare on the next debt ceiling, not on the continuing resolution.

(*CROOKED RUEFUL GRIN*)

When Cruz and Lee and Bridenstine et al held their ground, Republican Leaders used the “wrong fight” mantra and said they needed to use the debt ceiling to stop ObamaCare. Once the government reopened, the GOP also gave the President a blank check on the debt ceiling while doing nothing on ObamaCare.

* SERIOUSLY... IF NOT VIOLENCE... THEN WHAT...??? "WE WON" THE ELECTION. NOW THE REPUBLICANS WHO RAN ON ONE PLATFORM AND BETRAYING THAT PLATFORM AND THEREFORE US.

Republican leaders are already signaling they are moving on. They will not fight on amnesty. They are moving the goal posts. So if the Republican Party will not stop the President now, with the continuing resolution, they will both be funding an action they claim is unconstitutional and also setting up a 2015 agenda that quickly moves past the issue without doing anything.

* YEP...

In other words, it is now or never. If you do not make your voice heard immediately, the GOP will move on doing nothing to stop the President.

December 15, 2014 at 11:57 PM

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