An interesting article from www.vdare.com about riders that can be attached to bills. This follows this post about the GOP who voted to fund executive amnesty. This follows this post on HOW amnesty is funded in ways other than the DHS. Remember, “Amnesty” means ANY non-enforcement of existing immigration laws! This follows this comment and this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! Also, you can read two very interesting books HERE.
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Must Pass Legislation: Suggested Riders To Attach To Bills The Obama Administration Wants To Pass

By Federale

Once again there is must pass legislation in Congress. This time it is a transportation bill, the darling eye of many legislators, government contractors, and blue collar white dominated unions. The Republicans are looking to attach other legislation opposed by the Obama Regime in order to cram it down Obama’s throat. Unfortunately, stopping the Obama Regime Administrative Amnesty is not part of the plan to over-ride an Obama veto.

Breitbart by William Bigalow March 4, 2015
Senate Fails To Override Obama Veto On Keystone XL
The GOP, desirous of overriding Barack Obama’s veto of legislation approving the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, failed to do so on Wednesday, with the vote 62-37—five votes short of the two-thirds majority needed…
But the GOP has other plans to get the pipeline approved; Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), who wrote the bill, said the GOP will probably attach the legislation to a long-term transportation funding bill that faces a May 31 deadline. That idea has Keystone backers confident of its passage; they believe that Barack Obama would not veto the six-year highway bill even if the pipeline is attached to it.
Manchin admitted, “This is coming back in the form an infrastructure bill, a road bill that we are all voting for.”

So, must pass legislation supported by corrupt Democrats. Sounds like another opportunity to attack legislation to stop the Obama Regime Administrative Amnesty. And this time it is not a spending bill, so no faux shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security to worry about.
More importantly, this is not a spending rider that will prohibit the use of funds, but is actual legislation that will be permanent, not just for a fiscal year. This gives patriots in Congress the opportunity to permanently end Administrative Amnesties, mandate enforcement, increase use of expedited removal, impose non-feasance standards on DHS employees, and build a fence, all as part of legislation that even liberals want as infrastructure spending is very popular in Congress.
Here are some suggestions for the legislation:

• End the Obama Regime administrative amnesties, DACA and DAPA by prohibiting those programs by name, and prohibiting any similar program, including deferred action, parole-in-place, public interest parole, and delayed enforced departure.
• End the abuse of parole by the Regime by prohibiting all parole of aliens other than for criminal prosecution or for testimony as witnesses in criminal proceedings.
• Expand expedited removal to all aliens unlawfully present; e.g. any alien who entered the United States without inspection and admission or any alien, other than a legal permanent resident without a criminal conviction, who was inspected and admitted but violated the terms and conditions of admission or who overstayed the period of admission.
• Extend mandatory deportation of any alien convicted of a felony in the United States or two or more misdemeanors, as well as any misdemeanor that is a crime involving moral turpitude or illegal drugs. For legal permanent residents and lawfully present non-immigrant aliens, criminal conviction triggers expedited removal.
• Prohibit the granting of employment authorization to any alien unlawfully present or not specifically authorized employment by an Act of Congress.
• Limit Temporary Protected Status to 2 years in the United States. Said aliens may apply for asylum at the end of those two years.
• Reform the Executive Office for Immigration Reform (EOIR) by restricting their authority to review only the cases of legal permanent residents, aliens admitted as asylees, and aliens admitted as refugees. This would not include aliens applying for refugee, asylum, a non-immigrant visa, or legal permanent residency.
• Re-create the Secure Communities program and authorize States and their political subdivisions to detain illegal aliens for 96 hours or three Federal business days, whichever is shorter, at the request of an immigration officer. Agencies who refuse to honor a detainer from DHS will be ineligible for State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funds and any DHS grant funds, or access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and Interstate Information Index (III).
• Re-authorize the 287g program and mandate DHS to accept all previously participating law enforcement agencies immediately as well as mandate accepting any new law enforcement agencies application within 180 days of application. Authorize any State or political subdivision of a State, law enforcement agency to detain and investigate any alien for lawful presence. Mandate real-time availability of an immigration officer to assist either in person or remotely. Authorize the arrest and detention of said aliens until the alien can be interviewed by an immigration officer.
• Require all employees, officers, or contractors who enforce immigration law or who adjudicate benefits, to adhere to non-feasance standards that prohibit said persons from ignoring an immigration law violation and requiring due diligence in response to any allegation, incident, complaint, or information regarding an immigration law violation. Prohibit any disciplinary action against an immigration officer who takes lawful action mandated by legislation. Mandatory termination of any officer, employee, or contractor in a supervisory, management, or executive authority who orders any other officer, employee, or contractor to commit non-feasance, with loss of any retirement benefits.
• Prohibit asylum applications by any alien who enters the United States from safe third country. Identify Mexico, Canada, any nation a member of NATO, the European Union, and any nation with whom the United States has a defense treaty as a safe third country. All applications for asylum and refugee status are to be adjudicated by DHS and are unreviewable by the courts or the EOIR.
• Mandate the use of any excess funds accumulated from immigration benefit applications be used to fund the construction of a border fence at least 25 feet high. Impose a $100.00 addition to the fees for any immigration benefit application to fund the building of a border fence. Prohibit the waiver of any fee for any immigration benefit.
• Prohibit use of any funds received by an agency as fees, fines, seizures, or other manner unless those funds are appropriated by Congress.
• Prohibit the entry of citizens or nationals, except as diplomats accredited to the United States or the United Nations, of any nation that refuses to assist with and accept the deportation of that country’s citizens or nationals. Prohibit any officer of the United States from doing same, with any violation of this to be a mandatory termination offense.
• Prohibit the submission or adjudication of applications for waivers of grounds of inadmissibility of any alien physically present in the United States.
• Authorize any citizen of the United States to obtain a writ of mandamus to enforce any section of this act.

Must pass legislation is an opportunity for immigration patriots, let’s hold the RINO feet to the fire as well as those Democrats who want that transportation spending.

Editorial: End the Senate Filibuster Rule!!

Editorial


Now is the time for the Senate to end the filibuster. If an unconstitutional immigration amnesty is done by executive order, and similarly, if states are having their marriage laws dissolved, then the senate needs to do away with the RULE of the filibuster to counter the violation of the LAWS of immigration and marriage that are on the books!


A supporting argument is here http://www.hughhewitt.com/need-speed-budget-among-congressional-gop-growing-case-killing-filibuster/

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Saudi Arabia. This follows this post about sodomy. This follows this post about abortion. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
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World News and Trends: Saudi oil and U.S. dependency

article by Jerold Aust, John Ross Schroeder

With the Middle East holding the majority of the world's oil, what's to come when conflicts boil over?

The recent death of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia created some concern from those nations that are dependent on Saudi oil. A top Saudi diplomat reassured all oil-dependent countries that the Saudis would pump oil "to the best of our capability, with a reasonable price" (CNN, Aug. 2).
"Saudi Arabia holds a quarter of the world's known oil supplies, and crude futures set a new record of $61.57 a barrel after news of Fahd's death. 'I would like to reassure you of our government's pledge to continue King Fahd's legacy of providing the world with a stable and secure source of energy,' Rihab Massoud, the Saudi charge d'affaires in Washington, told reporters" (ibid.).
On March 24, 30 prominent Americans wrote a letter to President George W. Bush about an impending oil crisis. Former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, former CIA Director James Woolsey, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Frank Gaffney and others, including 12 retired generals and admirals, five former secretaries of defense and several retired senators and representatives signed the letter.
Oil is critical for the future of the Western world. Yet the Middle East, rich with that lifeblood of the world's economy, is a boiling stew of conflict of almost every kind. Bible prophecy tells us that it will eventually boil over, igniting a horrendous end-time conflagration that will bring the human race to the verge of extinction.
The only thing that will spare us, in fact, is Jesus Christ's return to earth to save us from ourselves (Matthew:24:21-22 [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.). If you'd like to learn more, request or download our free booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy . (Source: CNN.)

• Good News Magazine

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The Lawless President, Salting The Fields

A timely post about from www.hughhewitt.com about the lawless president. This follows this post about Obamacare and Medicaid.

You can follow me here.

The Lawless President, Salting The Fields

Thursday, November 20, 2014  |  posted by Hugh Hewitt

Pete Wehner is exactly right: “Mr. Obama is about to commit an act of constitutional infamy. This is a stain that will stay with him.”
Wehner also points to another of the Beltway’s very smart, very restrained observers, Ron Fornier of The National Journal, who said of the president in a discussion not of the immigration lawlessness but of the breakdown and patchwork fixes concerning Obamacare that “the central attribute you have to have as any leader, in any walk of life and certainly in government is trust and this president has destroyed the credibility of his administration, himself and government itself.”
Lawless.  Infamous. Untrustworthy.  Echoes of how 1974 must have sounded to folks living in the nation’s capital.
Contrast those descriptions with that given by New York Times essayist Mark Leibovich to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this very day: “[Christie] has a preternatural talent for appearing blunt and insistent when he is being cute and obfuscating. He is also a savvy tactician.”
When I was a young lad, I caddied. $4 a round. $6 for a double.  Three rounds a day on the weekends.  With tips you could make $25 in a day. Not bad for a 12 year old in 1968.
But there were jobs which, with sufficient seniority, you’d skip, even if it was the last bag of the day.  Crazy Lou –who was given to every newbie because he yelled at you.  A particular doctor who played worse then than I do now.  And Mr. D.
Mr. D was a cheater.  It was ignominious to be associated with him.  Everyone knew he was a cheater.  Everyone he played with.  The pro shop staff.  And of course the caddies.  Everybody knew.  He was disreputable.
So Mr. Obama has become, and so he will inalterably remain after 8 PM tonight.  And not just to the Wehners and Forniers inside the Beltway, or me and my colleagues on the airwaves, or the GOP opposition within Congress.
No, Mr. Obama will be known to be a cheater and a fraud to his own party base, and especially to the people he purports to help.  The people in the country illegally will know shortly that this stunt tonight does not help them and may in fact hurt them –badly.  The collision of what is in essence a letter of recommendation from the president to employers with their genuine worries about liabilities under  state law and about their fiduciary duties to their customers is going to be instant, and not to the good of the illegal population.  Employers are going to flee the president’s testimonial that, if he were king of the forest, not queen, not duke, not earl, he’d let this person have a green card.  Because he’s not king, he cannot bless this person’s employment in the real world of tort liability and state law.  He cannot solve the issue of Social Security and unemployment insurance withholding.  What he can –and will do tonight– is mark the illegal as someone not worth the trouble of hiring.
The president simply cannot bestow a green card.  Just a blessing.  An Obama blessing.  The blessing of a cheater.
The president’s lawless act will have the apparently contradictory impact of both making life harder for “those in the shadows” by increasing the reluctance of employers to hire the obviously illegal, while at the same time attracting millions more north across the fenceless border.  Employers are simply going to be less willing to hire the obviously illegal because of a host of other laws the president cannot change, but the underground and top line messaging of the president’s act will be an amplified “Olly olly oxen free” to the millions who wish they were in America and not living in their own country.
Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is of course the first and biggest loser.  This assures a much larger turnout in her run-off against Congressman Bill Cassidy on December 6, and they won’t be rushing to support the cheating president’s close friend Mary who couldn’t even get six of her cheating president’s pals to support her on the pipeline vote.
Other losers are those who would see a common sense reform of the immigration laws.  Whatever people think of immigration reform –and I am for it– they don’t much cater to diktats from D.C.’s first citizen as opposed to deals worked out among competing interests.  That the president is an increasingly powerless lame duck makes the insult more pronounced.  “How dare he?” is on not a few minds.  Democratic minds.  Hillaryworld minds.  Hillary’s mind.
Oh there will be golf claps over at MSNBC, and a few of the professional immigration reform activists –those who aren’t serious about getting a real bill with real reform through a Congress that might have done so, which I hope still will do so but which is increasingly unlikely to act because of the risk of rewarding the president’s lawlessness.
That lack of regard of the institutions of the constitutional government we have is why Senator Lindsey Graham and I disagreed about whether the Senate ought to restore the judicial filibuster anytime soon.  (Graham wants the 60 vote rule patched up and put back right away; I want it kept at 50 at least until we see if a GOP president is elected in 2016 so he or she can have two years of 51 vote confirmations of judges. (National Review’s Ed Whelan agrees with the “punish the Democrats” school. )  It will also be why many immigration reform-minded legislators will slam the door now.
“That which gets rewarded gets repeated” will be their mantra.  They know that a “regularization” –not citizenship– of most of the illegal population, preceded by construction of a long, strong, double-sided fence the completion of which triggers a guest worker program and non-citizens status for most of the illegal population is a good thing.  They learned –again– from 2013’s misfire, just as they learned from 2006’s misfire, to seek the middle way between amnesty and continuation of the status quo.  They were in a position to act in early 2015 –until the president’s wrecking ball swings tonight.
That may be the president’s goal in fact, to wholly wreck a modest but effective border fence/regularization/guest worker program.  Good legislation, easily written.  Short, comprehensible, flexible –a political and policy victory for 70% of the people who care.  The president couldn’t have a GOP Congress doing in a couple of months what he could not yammer his way to in six years, so he is preemptively attempting to destroy the common ground on which Republicans and Democrats could walk on this issue: fence/regularization/guest worker program.  President Obama is salting the fields.
And he is setting himself up in his mind for some post-presidency symposia and thunderous applause moments from increasingly hard-left groups.  Fine.  He will veto the Keystone XL: pipeline when it comes his way as well because he’s counting on Mr. Steyer to take care of him come 2017.
That’s where we are: A widespread recognition that the president cheats, and that he dissembles.  He may outright lie tonight –we will see.
But no one not in love with him as family or a close friend knows other than the truth: He is about to do a very, very bad thing, a disfigurement of the Constitution which will lead to future disfigurements.  Wait until the environmentalists learn that a GOP president can suspend enforcement of their beloved if crazy Endangered Species Act.  Wait until all sorts of special interests realize that their special interest legislation can be suspended at a stroke of a pen.
D.C.’s permanent class may feel an involuntary shudder tonight, when it realizes all that they sell –their access and their ability to deliver lines of law in lengthy bills– is at best fragile.  It is a big night for the president, and a disastrous one for the Constitution.
 

Freebi: Shut it down to stop amnesty‏

An interesting article from https://prayfor.us about shutting down the government to stop Executive Amnesty. This follows this previous post about stopping Lame Duck amnesty. Remember, “Amnesty” means ANY non-enforcement of existing immigration laws! This follows this comment and this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! Also, you can read two very interesting books HERE.
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https://prayfor.us/27838__141117_p4us_fb_no_amnesty_shutdown/

Obama is about to sign his unconstitutional executive order-amnesty for millions of illegal aliens. Mitch McConnell says he's not going to fight Obama on this. But we NEED the Senate Republicans to fight! Pray For US has launched this campaign so you can contact the Senate GOP at no cost to you.

We have to convince the Senate GOP to fight Obama and stop this amnesty by any means necessary.

Sen. Mitch McConnell says he's not willing to risk a government shutdown to stop Obama's amnesty. If he won't do that and he won't impeach Obama, what WILL McConnell do? There's nothing left! There are no other peaceful options! McConnell has signaled to Obama that he can do anything he wants to America for the next two years -- and the Senate Majority Republicans won't do anything to resist! This is not why we elected a conservative Senate majority! Send your FaxGrams to the Senate GOP immediately, at no charge, and tell them to fight! Charles Benninghoff, Founder

We are a nation that was forged by individuals who were willing to draw a line in the sand and would give their lives to stop anyone from crossing that line. Today, sadly, we have individuals like Mitch McConnell who are unwilling to shut down some non-essential services for a few days to stop Obama from erasing the Constitution and two centuries of the rule of law! McConnell says he doesn't want to risk a partial, temporary government shutdown to stop Obama from imposing amnesty for millions of illegal aliens. Such cowardice! It is my belief that the less government, the better government. That, after all, is the foundation of conservatism. The last time the government shut down it was boon for the economy. Take, for example, the much-acclaimed 6% unemployment rate that Obama alleges came about due to government spending. Actually, this is just another lie from Obama. If we use the standards of 1990, the unemployment rate would be 24% - even greater than during the Great Depression! So, how did Obama get to 6%? First, the vast number of unemployed in the United States do not count in unemployment figures because the government now excludes all those who are unemployed but do not qualify to receive unemployment payments any longer. Think of this: a family head is out of work 2 years but is not counted as unemployed because he, or she, ran out of unemployment! This is totally insane! Second, you don't see soup kitchens anymore like we had during the Great Depression because we're running $1 trillion deficits in no small part because of food stamps and welfare payments. Even while the unemployed - who are NOT unemployed by government standards - are collecting welfare (but not unemployment payments) they are sitting at home watching television without a single prospect of work. Third, employers are holding back, not only millions of jobs but also billions in business investments due to the fact that Obama and McConnell working together have created the world's highest corporate tax rates, forcing our corporations to keep their cash in foreign countries and create jobs over there AND NOT HERE! Fifth, McConnell - as we told you in our Ditch Mitch message last week - is a servant to international business interests who want to flood America with cheap labor so that the actual payments for American work goes lower and lower, an effect that McConnell knows will wipe out our formerly-great middle class. While McConnell's bank accounts are getting fat, America's families spread across the great expanses of our amber waves of grain, majestic mountains and frothy shores are becoming ever-more impoverished. FACT: most American families have seen their net worth dive since the ascent of Obama. Seventh, America now has the lowest percentage of its working force actually working than ever before in history. This equals some 90 million Americans either completely out of work or under-employed. Yet, McConnell is not going to fight for them. McConnell is not going to fight for your sons and daughters, your grandchildren, your endowment to the future of America is being lost in the storm of a tide of socialism and bribed politicians like McConnell. We told you last week that we had to Ditch Mitch. Not just a few followers wrote to me personally, every one of whom I responded to, saying to stick with Mitch. I hope you will look closely at what I write in the future. I am not going to mislead you. I am going to tell you what I truly believe to be true, and not water it down. We must Ditch Mitch but now we have to wait 'til January to pick this battle up again. For now, you need to let the GOP Senators know that you didn't elect them as a majority just to watch them roll over for Obama! Send your FaxGrams today and tell them to stand up and fight, even if it means a government shutdown! The Bible tell us, "If the foundations are destroyed, what hope is there for the righteous?" (Psalm 11:3). Obama's amnesty will destroy the very constitutional foundations of this great nation, which is why the Body of Christ must speak out against him right now.

Once again, there is no cost for you to participate in this campaign. All we ask in return is that you share the campaign page on your social media pages with all of your family members, friends and acquaintances. Donations will of course help us to run the campaign even longer, so we can flood the GOP Senate offices with as many FaxGrams as possible. We need to convince them to fight back! Just click here to send your FaxGrams to the Senate GOP at no cost or obligation to you.

Here is the link that you can send to all of your family members and friends to help as well: https://prayfor.us/27838__141117_p4us_fb_no_amnesty_shutdown/

The House Schedules…Nothing! Contact your Representative and the Speaker and ask WHY!!!

A timely post about from www.HughHewitt.com about the House showing appeasement to the President. This follows this post about primaries in Virginia. This follows this post about endorsements for TEXAS. This follows this post about Texas legislators who are graded "Worse than Wendy." This are GOP legislators!  In the meantime, you can get more involved if you like here and read an interesting book HERE.




BLOGGER'S NOTE: Contact your GOP Representative and/or the SPEAKER here and ask why:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/,   http://www.speaker.gov/contact

The House Schedules…Nothing

 posted by Hugh Hewitt

Send

Articles yesterday by the Washington Post’s Robert Costa and by The New York Times’ Carl Hulse and Jonathan Martin emphasize that the Congressional GOP won’t be engaging in any “grand compromises” on anything this year.  The GOP has retreated to its corner and will wait out the 2014 elections while watching the Obamacare train wreck roll out and the Obama foreign policy spread the results of its incoherence.  As Costa puts it:

GOP brass in both chambers have shifted their focus to stability, looking to avoid intraparty drama, rally behind incumbents and build Republicans’ ground game ahead of November’s midterm elections, where they hope to be competitive in a slew of Senate races and hold on to the party’s 17-seat House majority.

In that vein, championing a handful bills on job growth, energy and regulatory policy — all targeted at courting swing voters but unlikely to win Democratic support — has become a priority, with party leaders planning to spend months seeking consensus among Republicans and avoiding talks on controversial matters.

And further on:

At the House GOP’s annual retreat in January, Republicans spent most sessions discussing how to frame the party’s pitch to middle-class voters and get through the debate over suspending the debt ceiling. Influential voices, such as Boehner and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), devoted their speeches to the necessity of a united front and pressuring the president to support the Keystone XL pipeline, among other issues that could be helpful on the campaign trail.

The appetite there for anything resembling a grand bargain on immigration, taxes or health-care reform was nonexistent, according to several aides present, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the meetings were confidential.

On health care, Republicans will offer their own wholesale substitute for the Affordable Care Act in the spring or summer, making full repeal of the law a keystone of their election-year message.

No mention, however, of a messaging strategy built on an aggressive hearings schedule, which continues to be the House leadership’s greatest failure.  They plan for nothing when it comes to moving public opinion and so they achieve nothing when it comes to moving public opinion.
There ought to be well planned and publicized sets of hearings every Tuesday and Wednesday between now and November that cue story-lines and commentary and drive themes for the fall elections.  That calendar of hearings ought to have been developed over the Christmas break, rolled out at the House retreat for review and tweaking, and in place now.  As it is, if any plan exists, it is a secret one, like President Nixon’s plan for Vietnam, but the better money is on there being no plan at all.  The Speaker and his team have great disdain for the idea of shaping public opinion.  The are “old school” which means “huh?”
How hard would it be to actually think through messaging along those lines?  Maybe only one in three hearings would generate traction, but perhaps more than that and in any event, it beats doing nothing and allowing the president to set the agenda each and every week.  Too bad today doesn’t feature a hearing on what went wrong in the Oregon health care exchange, next week a hearing on the medical device tax, and the following weeks hearings focused on Obamacare’s ravaging of religious freedom as the Administration’s war on faith rolls toward an argument before the Supreme Court on the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties Company cases on March 25.
Specificity of subject and thorough questioning works.  Both are learned skilled sets that improve with practice.  No committee seems to have figured this out.
There is plenty to highlight and guide the MSM and center-right media towards, many hours of inquiries to launch that form a coherent, whole narrative and which would improve chances of success in the fall.
To develop such a schedule and insist on it happening would require House leadership –the Senate GOP controls none of the hearing apparatus of course– to oblige the chairs of committee to fall in with a general line and to not allow the appropriators to undo the work come the fall and the next CR.  The GOP cannot control what the president does abroad, and any confrontation with Iran could upend all their plans. (Don’t put it past a desperate president to toss the opening to Iran come October in favor of a policy of ultimatum backed by a threat of force.  The Cuban missile crisis saved Kennedy’s prospects in 1962 though of course JFK did not engineer nuclear brinksmanship for political reasons).
But no matter what the president does and does not do between now and November, the House GOP could at least try to message.

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about U.S. energy problems caused by its foreign policies. This follows this post about the historical character Simon Magus. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

Energy Costs, the Mideast and Illegals Are Americans' Biggest Concerns

article by Melvin Rhodes

A recent poll on NBC's Meet the Press showed Americans are primarily concerned about the price of gas, Iran, illegal immigrants and Iraq. All four concerns are interconnected.

Gasoline has been gradually increasing in price for some months now, reaching almost $3 a gallon by the end of April, an increase of over 50 cents in two months. That's still less than 80 U.S. cents a liter. In the United Kingdom, the same gas was selling for just over one British pound per liter, roughly the equivalent of $2—or two and a half times the American price.
But Americans are more dependent on gas than other nations are. This is because the United States is so spread out. The local grocery store in England is often within walking distance, while in America it is more likely to be miles away. The same goes for the workplace, school, medical facilities and places of entertainment—everything is miles away, an impossible distance to walk or even to cycle. Public transport is very limited and nonexistent in some areas.
Not only are the American people dependent on gas, they are dependent on cheap gas! Any increase in the cost of gas will inevitably have a greater effect on the U.S. economy than a similar increase would have elsewhere. In fact, since World War II a recession has followed every significant increase in the U.S. price of gas.
So it's understandable that the price of gas is the number one concern of most Americans.
What I found particularly interesting in this survey is that all four major concerns are interconnected, but none of the panel on Meet the Press mentioned this. It's as if the price of gas is somehow not connected to events in the real world.
As if to emphasize this, a letter to our local newspaper a few days later said that Washington should simply order suppliers to sell gas at $1 a gallon and then enforce the price! Clearly, not everybody is aware of the law of supply and demand.
Among the causes of the gas price increase are uncertainty over Iran and the continuing war in Iraq, numbers two and four of the primary concerns of the U.S. electorate. What happens in the Mideast largely determines the price of oil. If there are any jitters in and around the Persian Gulf, the price will inevitably go up.
Just as serious weather problems in California can push up the price of strawberries and other fruits, so problems in the Persian Gulf push up the world price of oil. The American president has no control over this. Washington can't suspend the law of supply and demand!
Mideast oil supply at risk
Before the current war in Iraq, Iraq produced 3.5 million barrels of oil a day. Now, it produces only 2 million, creating a 1.5 million barrel per day shortfall. This alone pushed up the world price of oil.
The fear of another conflict in the region, this time with Iran, is enough to send oil futures skyrocketing as buyers look to secure oil for their clients. Also in the Persian Gulf, terrorist attacks by Islamic radicals in Saudi Arabia are on the increase, causing further instability over oil futures.
There's also uncertainty in Nigeria, where local rebels disrupt oil production by frequently kidnapping oil workers. Venezuela, the fourth biggest producer in the world, keeps making anti-American noises, which only add to the uncertainty of supplies from that country. There are also refining problems in the United States, which further erodes supply.
Americans account for less than 5 percent of the world's population, but consume 25 percent of the world's oil. These disparities are unlikely to change in the near future, particularly when you consider that every year the United States adds a few more million people to its population.
Illegal immigration has become an issue recently. Estimates of the number of illegals run as high as 12 million. Whether illegal or not, immigrants are also energy consumers. Moreover, they send home tens of millions of dollars, adding to America's growing trade deficit, a major factor in the current fall in value of the U.S. dollar. This is yet another factor that could add to the price of gas.
It's understandable that people who are suffering economically should want to move to the United States, but it seems that American politicians are unwilling to consider the negative consequences of this massive movement of people.
The spreading urban sprawl is another factor, as people live further and further from their places of work, consuming increasing amounts of fuel in their daily commute.
Problems show a lack of vision
The Bible says "a prudent man foresees evil and hides himself" (Proverbs 22:3A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
See All...). "Hides himself" means that he takes steps to avoid it. Proverbs 27:12A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
See All... repeats the principle, adding another thought: "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished."
The book of Proverbs contrasts the "simple" with the "wise" throughout. A simple person is one who is immature and perhaps irresponsible. Failing to anticipate the future, the shortsighted will reap the unpleasant consequences.
America should learn a lesson from the example of its ancestor, the Old Testament patriarch Joseph. With God's help, he was able to interpret the Egyptian pharaoh's two dreams, which revealed that seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of scarcity. You can read all about this in the book of Genesis, chapter 41.
Taking full advantage of the seven years of warning, Joseph led the nation to prepare itself for massive food shortages that lay ahead. The principle to note here is the need to plan ahead, to prepare for times of scarcity, whether it be fuel or food, or both.
Remember that even food production today is heavily dependent on cheap oil. The United States has had 30 years of warning of possible fuel shortages but is still unprepared. In an emergency, the strategic oil reserve would only provide fuel for a few months. Politicians are calling for the use of the oil reserve to bring the price down now, which defeats the purpose of a strategic reserve, for emergencies only.
The first warning of problems ahead for U.S. fuel supplies came in the aftermath of the October War of 1973, during which Arab OPEC members, angry at U.S. support for Israel, nearly quadrupled the price of oil and reduced the supply. There were long lines of cars at pumps around the world.
Over 30 years later, Americans are even more dependent on cheap gas, and additionally, the population has risen dramatically, adding to the pressures. Growth is still the nation's top economic priority, but perhaps it's time to do a rethink, to ask if the country has reached the limits to growth, at least in some areas.
It's not only fuel that is likely to be a major issue in the future. Food supplies may be also. Last year was the first year in which the United States imported more food than it exported, at least in dollar terms.
CNN's Lou Dobbs has frequently highlighted the fact that by 2020, the United States will be heavily dependent on food imports. This could happen sooner if there is a problem with the oil supply, since oil is needed in the production of fertilizers. Mr. Dobbs has been emphasizing the need to do something about immigration, because it only exacerbates the problem.
The price of fuel is a major priority for Americans. An increase in the gas price will inevitably give a spurt to inflation as the price of gas affects the price of just about everything else. Inflation will also be boosted by the falling value of the dollar, down 7 percent in April, a move likely intended to reduce America's international debt burden and make U.S. manufacturers more competitive. An added threat is the Iranian move to start pricing oil in euros. Other oil producers are likely to follow. This would also push up the price of fuel in the United States.
This world needs leaders with clear vision about how to resolve the mounting problems that face it, not the typical politicians who busy themselves with getting votes and by pointing fingers of accusation at their opponents.
Both major U.S. political parties are quick to accuse the other of being guilty of "a culture of corruption." They may be right. God foretells of our leaders, "…your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them" (Isaiah 1:23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
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The United States is still within a time frame for action, but the clock is ticking. WNP

Editorial: What will the House GOP do for the debt limit?

Editorial


As the debt limit comes up, will the House GOP attempt to repeal the Veteran's COLA decrease, repeal the Medical Device Tax of Obamacare, and/or attempt to get the Keystone XL pipeline? We shall see!

The House GOP is fretting again, which is all it seems to do.

A timely post about from www.hughhewitt.com about the House GOP's next move. This follows this post about the House GOP's problems. This follows this post about a Coca Cola Super Bowl ad. In the meantime, you can get more involved if you like here and read an interesting book HERE.

Every Member Of The House GOP Can Be Reached At 202-224-3121

 posted by Hugh Hewitt

The House GOP is fretting again, which is all it seems to do.  Some of its members want a showdown over the debt limit.  Some of us want spring training to hurry up and get here.  The president is hoping the GOP does something to take the millions of eyes off the CBO report on Obamacare’s epic failures.
The Senate GOP is hoping to do nothing that screws up what appears to be a huge year for their number, with voting beginning in eight months.  Can the House GOP avoid doing something really stupid for eight months?
So what to do about the debt limit, which must be raised?  Treat it as the last key legislative act before the voting begins, which it may indeed be (absent some burst of common sense on something like a bipartisan “safe harbor” law for data breach victims.)
The House should hike the debt enough to get to February 2014, attaching to it as a condition of the borrowing authority only (1) the repeal of the cut to the COLA of career military retirees (the only $6 billion we won’t borrow shouldn’t be the $6 billion to go to the men and women who have served at least 20 years in uniform, including all of the past dozen years of wars and who knows how many deployments) and (2) repeal of the medical device tax, which remains an object of bipartisan hatred, one which received a vast bi-partisan vote in the Senate a year ago in favor of repeal.
Thus Speaker Boehner could achieve two very good things and dare the Senate to say no to either or both.
Call the Speaker, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and your GOP representative and urge this approach, via 202-224-3121.
The GOP cannot win the debt limit battle but it can win the Senate, by triumphing in just six of these 14 races:

Dan Sullivan or Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell v. Senator Mark Begich in Alaska.
Rep. Tom Cotton v. Senator Mark Pryor in Arkansas
Randy Baumgardner, Ken Buck, Owen Hill, or Amy Stephens v. Senator Mark Udall in Colorado
? v. Rep. Bruce Braley in Iowa
Rep. Bill Cassidy or Rob Maness v. Mary Landrieu in Louisiana
Terri Lynn Land v. Rep. Gary Peters in Michigan 
Mike McFadden v. Sen. Al Franken in Minnesota
Rep. Steve Daines v. Sen. John Walsh in Montana ( the Lt. Gov. of the state who is expected to be appointed to replace Max Baucus very soon.)
Scott Brown or Mark Steyn* v. Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire (we can dream, can’t we?)
Thom Tillis v. Senator Kay Hagan in North Carolina
Dr. Monica Wehby v. Sen. Jeff Merkly in Oregon 
Mike Rounds v. ? in South Dakota
Ed Gillespie v. Sen. Mark Warner in Virginia
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito v. ? in West Virginia
The debt limit hike is simply a tool for restoring an unjust and politically poisonous cut to the career military COLA and forcing Democrats in the Senate to live up to their word to get rid of the ruinous medical device tax which is, of all the taxing features of Obamacare, the very worst.  Take a couple of clean, clear wins and move on to hearing after hearing after hearing as the stage setters for a choice in November that confronts the American electorate with a clear path forward to more of President Obama or a decisive retreat from the mistake of 2012.

Write your two Senators and tell them the Top 5 Reasons to Build the Keystone XL Pipeline

A timely post about from http://buildkxlnow.org about asking your Senators to build the Keystone XL pipeline. This follows this post about the Arab Spring.  In the meantime, you can get more involved if you like here and read an interesting book HERE.




Write your two Senators and tell them


Top 5 Reasons to Build the Keystone XL Pipeline

1. Over 40,000 jobs will be supported.
2. 830,000 barrels a day of North American crude oil pumped into U.S. refineries.
3. Pipelines are the safest way to transport energy resources.
4. 43% reduction in overseas crude oil imports.  
5. Will help reduce gasoline prices.  

A very interesting post from www.stratfor.com about OPEC, which supplies most of the world's oil. This follows this post about Iran possibly walking away from its recent deal with the U.S. This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries. For more about what you can do to get more involved click here and you can read two very interesting books HERE.

The Future of OPEC

 

Pump jacks in the Kurdish town of Derik, on the border with Turkey and Iraq, Nov. 25. (ACHILLEAS ZAVALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

The prospect of revitalized oil production in Iraq and Iran may add to tensions between those two countries and Saudi Arabia over production quotas. On Dec. 4, representatives of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will meet in Vienna to discuss a number of topics. OPEC is facing two challenges. First, OPEC's historically biggest consumer -- the United States -- is rapidly increasing its own domestic production. At the same time, OPEC must deal with plans to expand oil production envisioned both by Iraq and Iran, which could lead to lower prices than the cartel desires. Ultimately, however, emerging markets in Asia will set global demand, and their energy thirst will determine the scale of the problem OPEC faces.

Analysis

OPEC was organized in the early 1960s by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Venezuela with the primary goal of unifying the five countries' oil export policies -- and hopefully dictating a high price for their oil. The five countries certainly possessed that power when the cartel was initially formed, and while the cartel still produces about 40 percent of the world's oil, OPEC's dominance has declined over the years. Today, only Saudi Arabia and to a certain extent the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait retain the ability to voluntarily adjust production levels. OPEC's other members -- Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador and Angola -- must maintain production to finance their national budgets. Effectively, this means that OPEC wields nowhere near the power it once did. Even a producer of Saudi Arabia's size is barely able to change the price of oil through boosting or cutting production.
A new wave of oil production outside the cartel has already hit. Production in the United States has increased to an estimated 8 million barrels per day -- the highest level since the 1980s. Elsewhere, production is set to take off in Canada and potentially Brazil. At the same time, increased production outside OPEC is dwarfed by the ambitious expansion plans put forward by OPEC members Iraq and Iran. While production outside the cartel is manageable, together with Iraq and Iran's plans it could represent a significant threat to oil prices in the latter half of the decade.

Iraq and Iran's Ambitions

Iraq's energy sector has been revitalized after the past five years and is now producing nearly 3.5 million barrels per day. Its oil ministry has set several ambitious goals, including production hitting 9 million to 10 million barrels per day by 2020. Iran, too, sees prospects for boosted production on the horizon. Complementing the negotiations with the United States on a possible long-term rapprochement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has started a significant reform campaign hoping to bring oil production back to the pre-sanction level of 4.2 million barrels per day within six months and increase it to the pre-revolution level of 6 million barrels per day within 18 months. To be clear, both goals are not attainable within their respective time frames, but significant increases are possible.
The amount of production that comes online in Iraq will largely depend on two factors. First, the political system and violence will shape the pace of investment and regulatory procedures, such as issuing contracts and permits. Second and more important, there are logistical limitations to bringing online that level of production in such a short period of time. Some of these limitations can be overcome with proper coordination between international oil companies, oil services providers, the Shia surrounding the Basra region and the various political interest groups in Baghdad. Adroit cooperation between all of these parties is unlikely, meaning Iraq will fall short of Baghdad's lofty goals, but Iraq can reach about 5 million to 6 million barrels per day by 2020, and closer to 6 million to 6.5 million barrels per day within a decade.
For Iran, the challenge is somewhat simpler, since its limitations are largely caused by external sanctions. As seen in other countries, typically when oil production has been interrupted following regime change, sanctions and other causes, production levels rarely reach the level achieved prior to the disruption. However, should sanctions be removed, Iran could quickly revive about half of its offline production within 12 to 18 months -- about 500,000 to 750,000 barrels per day. In the longer term, there are some reasons to believe that Iran could buck the trend and increase its production back to previously achieved levels, and perhaps even increase it, but the time frame would be measured in years, not months. All of this, of course, is subject to geopolitical events that could slow the process down or stop it entirely -- such as internal backlash in Iran and a slow timetable for negotiating with Washington. After bringing shut-in production back online, Iran (like Iraq) is more likely to slowly increase its daily oil production by about 250,000 to 300,000 barrels per year, pushing Rouhani's goals to after 2020.

OPEC Going Forward

OPEC is facing short-term and long-term challenges. In the near term, rising production in the United States and Canada has been unexpectedly quick -- increasing by 1 million barrels per day in each of the past two years. Although most of the U.S. increase has been offset by production taken offline due to instability in Libya, added U.S. exports have already forced Saudi Arabia to reduce production levels at times to maintain prices. U.S. production is set to grow by another 1 million barrels in 2014, potentially straining OPEC's preferential price points.
In the longer term, Iran and Iraq's production is the key issue. Should Iran and Iraq together boost production to a reasonably achievable level of 11 million barrels per day by 2020, that would represent an increase of 5 million to 6 million barrels per day above present levels. OPEC's production quotas have already been a source of tension among its members, but producers have always found ways to skirt around them. That may no longer be possible. While Iran's domestic consumption will increase significantly, the potential export increases are still too high for Saudi Arabia to offset. This will cause stress within the organization among regional rivals Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia may ask Iran and Iraq to voluntarily limit export growth, but without other incentives there is no reason to believe they would do so when it is in their short-term economic interest to boost exports as much as possible.
Increased exports by Iran and Iraq also play into the broader rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran over issues such as the Syrian civil war and Iranian influence in Saudi Arabia's border regions as well as its oil-producing Shiite-dominated Eastern Province. Historically, Saudi Arabia has argued for increased production from the cartel to preserve OPEC's market share, since high prices have helped encourage alternative energy development elsewhere, whereas Iran and Iraq have argued for moderate production levels and strong prices. Additionally, while Saudi Arabia can afford to sell oil at $85 per barrel, many of the governments surrounding it need prices at or above $100 per barrel, and Riyadh does not want to see its neighbors engulfed in even more turmoil than they already are due to lower oil revenue. Iran and Iraq are pursuing this boost for their long-term production and believe they can do so without reducing prices by relying on increased demand from developing Asian markets.
Asia is now the world's biggest net importing region -- bigger than Europe and North America combined. Naturally, this has led to increased codependence between OPEC and developing Asian countries, principally India and China. Indeed, China has massive projects with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. China's footprint has expanded dramatically in Venezuela and it imports about 15 percent of its oil from OPEC member Angola. India has also deepened its connections to OPEC countries and has emerged as Nigeria's biggest customer.
As OPEC's biggest customer, Asia will continue its strong demand in the near future, and so stress on OPEC will not necessarily mean lower oil prices. The impact on long-term prices is less certain, however; the price will be determined not only by the size of Asian growth in the future, but by global oil supplies in non-OPEC countries as well. While OPEC historically has been used as a political tool to increase oil prices or place an embargo on exports, as can be seen from the 2008 price spike, OPEC's modern challenge is more concerned with keeping oil prices reasonably low, not artificially raising them or embargoing oil. In order to preserve its long-term health, OPEC will need to preserve relatively low oil prices, both to ensure that developing markets in Asia can afford to keep buying the oil and to prevent alternatives such as shale oil, electric cars or natural gas-to-liquids technology from becoming more economically feasible. Furthermore, tempered oil prices for consumers in Asia will only reinforce the region's economic growth, contributing to increased demand for OPEC's oil.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this analysis misstated OPEC's member countries and mischaracterized production quotas.

      

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What Do You Mean By 'Success'?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about what success is. This follows this post about the mother of Jesus. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

What Do You Mean By 'Success'?

by James Firth



Source: Amanda Stiver

Recently, a Royal Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, placed a lawsuit against Forbes for defamation because the magazine underestimated his wealth in their annual “Rich List” of the world’s wealthiest people.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was ranked the 26th richest person in the world by Forbes with an estimated net worth of $20 billion US Dollars. He claims that the magazine underestimated his total wealth by $9.6 billion and thus harmed his business standing and public image of his financial standing, (Josh Halliday, “Saudi Prince Launches Libel Action Against Forbes Magazine Over Rich List,” TheGuardian.com, June 6, 2013).

The measure of worth

Being financially well-off is nice, and humankind generally strives to be successful, but what kind of success should we be chasing?

Is it having the most toys or the latest technology gadget? Is it having the most friends? Or always being top of the grade in every subject in school?

All these things can be beneficial in the right time and place, but being a Christian is all about moderation.

So what does God view as success?

In the book of Joshua, after Moses had died and Joshua was chosen to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land God gave Joshua this encouragement:

“Be strong and courageous, because you'll be leading this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Only be strong and very courageous to ensure that you obey all the instructions that my servant Moses gave you—turn neither to the right nor to the left from it—so that you may succeed wherever you go. This set of instructions is not to cease being a part of your conversations. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to carry out everything that's written in it, for then you'll prosper and succeed. I've commanded you, haven't I? Be strong and courageous. Don't be fearful or discouraged, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9 [6] Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

[7] Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

[8] This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

[9] Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.



See All..., ISV)

For Joshua to be successful the Lord expected him to follow these tenets: be courageous, obey instructions, meditate, do what is expected of you, and avoid becoming discouraged.

The one thing God doesn’t mention is the endless pursuit of wealth.

Plan for success

Solomon, the wisest man that lived, speaks on success, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

See All..., NIV) Solomon was indeed successful, but he lost balance and the acquisition of wealth and wives became his focus later in life.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 [19] Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

[20] But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

[21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.



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Working hard to make a living and being careful with our resources are good habits to develop, but Christ warns against making money our only goal.

Let’s not have our focus be on collecting the most social media “friends” possible, acquiring the most wealth, or the biggest house that money can buy. If we really want to be a story of success, then we must set our goals for life and align our value system with the example set by Jesus Christ.