News of the Week
Election 2012 *************** GOP plots 2013 strategy on health care repeal Turned away at the Supreme Court, congressional Republicans sketched a strategy Friday to repeal the nation's health care law in 2013 that requires a sweeping election victory carrying Mitt Romney to the presidency and the party at least to narrow control of the Senate. *************** Romney raises $4.3M after health ruling Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has raised $4.3 million since the Supreme Court ruled that President Obama's healthcare law is constitutional. *************** Minnesota Is Up For Grabs I have learned from multiple sources that two recent polls, conducted by independent polling firms, show that Minnesota will be in play in this year’s presidential race. Even in blue Minnesota, Obama can’t get to 50%. Accordingly, watch for substantial amounts of money to flow into the state to try to close the small gap that currently exists and win it for Mitt Romney. *************** The Path to 50 With Chief Justice John Roberts’ unthinkable decision to uphold Obamacare yesterday, all focus now shifts to repeal for conservatives. In order to repeal Obamacare, two things must happen: Republicans must retake the White House, and they must retake the Senate. *************** Federal judge rejects Justice Department challenge to Florida voter purge Great news for those who desire fair and honest elections: the Orlando Sentinel reports that U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle has “rejected a request from the Obama Administration to put an immediate stop to [Florida’s] non-citizen voter purge program.” *************** Obama prepping thousands of lawyers for election President Barack Obama's campaign is recruiting legions of lawyers to handle disputes that may arise from now through Election Day. Obamacare *************** Obamacare upheld *************** Public Opinion Of US Supreme Court Deteriorates Following Obamacare Decision *************** The Inside Story on How Roberts Changed His Supreme Court Vote on Obamacare The Obamacare Supreme Court ruling seemed strange. Chief Justice John Roberts’ reasoning was incoherent. The conservative’s dissent read like it was originally meant to be a majority opinion. Now, we know why. According to Jan Crawford of CBS News, John Roberts switched sides in May, withstanding a “one-month campaign” from his conservative colleagues to change his mind. *************** Conservative anger growing over Obamacare decision I ran into a prominent conservative member of Congress Friday night just before the huge storms moved through Washington. *************** Roberts Switched His Vote From Invalidating the Mandate to Upholding It *************** Roberts switched views to uphold health care law *************** Ryan: The Government Does Not Define Our Rights *************** 75% of Obamacare Costs Will Fall on Backs of Those Making Less Than $120K a Year *************** A Modest Proposal Now that the Roberts Court has affirmed that the government has the power to mandate purchases of private goods and services as long as it’s structured as a tax, I propose that we put this new-found authority in the service of an explicit Constitutional right. *************** Do the Court’s Commerce Clause and Necessary and Proper Clause Rulings in the Individual Mandate Case Matter? As I pointed out yesterday, five justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, accepted all the plaintiffs’ major arguments against the individual mandate with respect to the Commerce and Necessary and Proper Clauses. But how much does that conclusion actually matter? My tentative view is that it will have little immediate effect, but may well be significant in the future. *************** Healthcare Explained *************** Old and Busted: Commerce Clause Abuse. The New Hotness: The Tax Catch-All. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” ~ Lewis Carroll There's been a lot of analysis in the wake of yesterday's disastrous (IMO) decision by John Roberts to join the court's liberals and find a constitutional justification for Obamacare, and I thought I'd address a couple of related points that are swirling around (before Ace gets to them in this rare fit of in-before-the-crack-of-noon posting). *************** Bobby Jindal blasts Obamacare, Left responds with sickening vitriol *************** Obama’s gloating gone wrong *************** ObamaCare Ruling: Pure Fraud and No Due Process Led by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court decided that Americans have no right to due process. Indeed, the Court not only upheld a fraud perpetrated on the public — it became a willing participant. The assessment charged for failure to comply with ObamaCare’s “individual mandate,” which requires Americans to purchase health insurance, was presented to the country by the administration and the Democratic Congress as a penalty assessed for lawlessness — i.e., for refusing to honor this new legal requirement. It was strenuously denied by proponents that they were raising taxes. *************** Santelli And The November Obamacare 'Referendum' *************** The Last Firewall Why We Have A United States Supreme Court *************** Full Romney Response to Health Care Ruling: "I Will Act to Repeal Obamacare" *************** Take this tax… Has the Supreme Court ever served as a bulwark of constitutional liberty when the chips were down? Contrary to popular belief, and the Supreme Court’s own conception of itself, I think the answer is largely negative. *************** The Supreme Court and Natural Law "Hide The Decline" *************** Coal: The Ignored Juggernaut The most likely fuel for a world in decline Oil, natural gas, and alternatives dominate the headlines when it comes to energy. But there's a big and largely-overlooked revolution occurring with the energy source likely to become the most preferred fuel for a world in economic decline: coal. *************** NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environment Laboratory Carbon Program goes overboard on ocean acidification – leaves uncorrected error *************** Interior secretary: State fracking oversight just isn’t good enough for me *************** Antarctic ice shelves not melting at all, new field data show Twenty-year-old models which have suggested serious ice loss in the eastern Antarctic have been compared with reality for the first time - and found to be wrong, so much so that it now appears that no ice is being lost at all. War & Terror *************** Issa, Grassley release details about Fast and Furious whistleblower retaliation, cover-up House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley are asking the Department of Justice’s internal investigator to hold accountable anyone who retaliated against or threatened to retaliate against Operation Fast and Furious whistleblowers. *************** Assad says Syria at war as battle reaches capital Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared on Tuesday that his country was at war and ordered his new government to spare no effort to achieve victory, as the worst fighting of the 16-month conflict reached the outskirts of the capital. *************** Turkey Says It May Target Any Syrian Forces Nearing Border Buoyed by support from his country’s NATO allies, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syrian forces on Tuesday to stay clear of their troubled border or face a Turkish military response to any perceived threat, following the disputed downing of a Turkish warplane. *************** Thirty-one GOP senators call for special counsel to investigate security leaks Thirty-one Republican senators have signed a letter calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to immediately appoint a special counsel to investigation national-security leaks from the executive branch. *************** Caddell Names National Security Advisor Tom Donilon As Source For Leaks *************** Turkey To Call for NATO Intervention Against Syria? NATO ought not exist at all, and if it must exist, surely Turkey’s Islamist government — friend of Iran, financial backer of the Hamas terrorist organization, facilitator of operations against Israel — has no business being in it. Now, Turkey appears poised to exploit its NATO membership to force the Western intervention in Syria that the Muslim Brotherhood and allied Islamists have been calling for. *************** Turkey turns to NATO after Syria downs jet Turkey is to demand backing from its NATO allies on Tuesday at a special meeting called after Syrian troops shot down a Turkish warplane last week in an incident Damascus said was self-defense but which Ankara branded an "act of aggression". National *************** Darrell Issa Puts Details of Secret Wiretap Applications in Congressional Record In the midst of a fiery floor debate over contempt proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quietly dropped a bombshell letter into the Congressional Record. *************** House, Senate strike deal on transportation bill, student loans Senate and House negotiators have struck a deal to combine the transportation reauthorization, student loan bill and flood insurance legislation in a package expected to pass by the end of the week, according to congressional sources. *************** House votes to hold Eric Holder in contempt of Congress The full House of Representatives voted on Thursday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress over the Justice Department's decision to withhold documents related to the failed Fast and Furious gunwalking operation. *************** USDA suggests food stamp parties, games to increase participation While spending on the food stamp program has increased 100 percent under President Barack Obama, the government continues to push more Americans to enroll in the welfare program. *************** Another "zombie-like" attack? Man eats family dog after police say he ingested synthetic drug K-2 Police in Waco arrested 22-year-old Michael Daniel Monday after they say he ate a dog. *************** Village Voice Writer: Gay Republicans Like “Jewish Nazis” On his blog, nightlife writer Michael Musto calls the gay Republican group GOProud traitors for endorsing Romney. UPDATE: LaSalvia: “Have you seen Michael Musto lately? We aren't going to take serious political advice from a human Muppet.” *************** Homeland Security suspends immigration agreements with Arizona police The Obama administration said Monday it is suspending existing agreements with Arizona police over enforcement of federal immigration laws, and said it has issued a directive telling federal authorities to decline many of the calls reporting illegal immigrants that the Homeland Security Department may get from Arizona police. *************** NC Student Who Videotaped Pro-Obama Screaming Teacher Faces Harassment Remember one month ago, when a high-school junior in the Rowan-Salisbury school district in North Carolina videotaped his teacher yelling at another student that he was being disrespectful for criticizing Barack Obama and that his behavior was a criminal offense? *************** Supreme Court Arizona immigration ruling: Justices clear key part The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a constitutional challenge to a central provision of Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration law, clearing the way for similar legislation to take effect in other states and potentially angering Latinos in a way that could give President Barack Obama an added boost from Hispanic voters in November. *************** Court rejects corporate campaign spending limits The Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed its 2-year-old decision allowing corporations to spend freely to influence elections. The justices struck down a Montana law limiting corporate campaign spending. *************** Court: No more life without parole for juveniles The Supreme Court ruled Monday that it is unconstitutional for states to require juveniles convicted of murder to be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. *************** Obama Administration Seeks to Make American Businesses Subject to International Law Most important story of the weekend, at Ulsterman's, quoting from Huffington Post Economy
& Taxes *************** The Origin of Money Markets are true democracies. The allocation of resources, capital and labour is achieved through the mechanism of spending, and so based on spending preferences. As money flows through the economy the popular grows and the unpopular shrinks. *************** Consumer Spending in U.S. Stalls as Employment Weakens: Economy Consumer spending stalled in May as stagnant wages and slackening employment held back the biggest part of the U.S. economy. *************** Does the Taxing Clause Give Congress Unlimited Power? *************** House puts brakes on taxing cars by the mile The House has approved an amendment that would prevent the Secretary of Transportation from exploring raising new highway revenues by taxing cars for each mile they drive. *************** Was Merkel's Surprising "Defeat" Merely A Gambit For A German Referendum? As details from Thursday's European Memorandum of Understanding, which has all the binding power of a 'highly confident letter' issued by a third tier investment bank, continue to be non-existent, the questions, and conditions, are accumulating fast. *************** S&P says U.S. faces 20-percent risk of double dip The United States faces 20-percent odds of a return to recession, rating agency Standard & Poor's said on Tuesday, although it said a slow recovery remains the company's baseline forecast for the world's biggest economy. *************** Stockton, Calif. to take up bankruptcy budget plan Stockton, California was poised on Tuesday to take a major step toward becoming the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy after talks with its creditors on Monday at midnight. *************** California: Beware costly new tax on wood We’ve all heard about the gimmicks in Gov. Brown’s budget, but his new tax on lumber has largely been ignored. This new tax could strike another blow against California’s crippled housing industry, and increase prices on wood products. *************** Greek Finance Minister Resigns Just Days After Appointment; Cyprus Officially Requests Bailout *************** The Consequences Of The Unthinkable: Here Is What Happens When The Euro Breaks Up Three things will happen simultaneously when the unthinkable finally occurs: i) economic output plummets, ii) unemployment rate soars, and iii) consumer prices explode *************** The margins tax and you Unions’ tax initiative would harm many Nevadans *************** International *************** France 'ready to share budget sovereignty' France must agree to share sovereignty over its budget with its EU partners, French Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac said on Tuesday. *************** The EU Cannot Hold Together The election of France’s socialist government will doom the EU. Why should Germany foot the bill for the largesse of the communists and socialists in Europe? Spain today asked to recapitalize it’s banks. Does anyone think that Greece isn’t going to need money? Just because an election gave everyone a sigh of relief doesn’t mean they are actually going to reform anything. They want to go slower. How about Italy? Portugal? Any better off? *************** France’s president Powerful as well as dangerous Investors beware: François Hollande is set to take France in the wrong direction even faster than you feared *************** Germany Rejects Obama's Criticism in Euro Crisis In a sign of tensions between Berlin and Washington, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said on Sunday that President Barack Obama should focus on cutting America's own budget deficit before advising Europe on how to tackle its debt problems. *************** Opinion *************** Memo to NBC: What the hell is wrong with you? *************** Is the Country Unraveling? *************** Almost Everything Is A Crime In America Now: 14 Of The Most Ridiculous Things That Americans Are Being Arrested For *************** 1979–81 Redux? The Obama administration should call in Jimmy Carter to give them a briefing on what follows the end of a pro-U.S. authoritarian regime in the Middle East. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/303906/1979-81-redux-victor-davis-hanson *************** |
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