Abortion's human face

The following was forwarded by RNC/Life (http://www.rnclife.org/) and attributed to Colorado State Rep.Ted Harvey....

 

"I want to share with you an awesome experience I recently had in the
Colorado House of Representatives. It is a humbling experience to look
back and realize that God used me to play a role in His divine
orchestration.

As I was leaving the House chambers for the weekend when our Democrat
Speaker of the House mentioned that the coming Monday would be the final
day of this year's General Assembly. He went on to state that there were
still numerous resolutions on the calendar which we would need to be
addressed prior to the summer adjournment. Interestingly, he specifically
mentioned that one of the resolutions we would be hearing was being
carried by the House Majority Leader Alice Madden, honoring the 90th
anniversary of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.


As a strong pro-life legislator I was disgusted by the idea that we would
pass a resolution honoring this 90 year legacy of genocide. I drove home
that night wondering what I could say that might pierce the darkness
during the debate on this heinous resolution.

On Saturday morning I took my eight-year-old son up to the mountains to
go white water rafting. The trip lasted all day. As we were driving home,
exhausted and hungry, I remembered that I had accepted an invitation to
attend a fundraising dinner that night for a local pro-life organization.
One of my most respected mentors had personally called me several weeks
earlier and asked me to attend, so I knew I'd have to clean up and head
over.

After our meal, the executive director of the organization introduced the
keynote speaker. I looked up and saw walking to the stage a handicapped
young lady being assisted to the microphone by a young man holding a
guitar.

Her name was Gianna Jessen.

Gianna said "Hello," welcomed everyone, and then sang three of the most
beautiful Christian songs that I have ever heard.

She then began to give her testimony. When her biological mother was 17
years old and 7 ½ months pregnant she went to a Planned Parenthood clinic
to have an abortion. As God would have it, the abortion failed and a
beautiful two-pound baby girl was brought into the world. Unfortunately,
she was born with cerebral palsy and the doctors thought that she would
never survive. The doctors were wrong.

Imagine the timing! A survivor of a Planned Parenthood abortion arrived
in town just days before the Colorado House of Representatives was to
celebrate Planned Parenthood's "wonderful" work.
As I listened to Gianna's amazing testimony the Lord inspired me to ask
her if she could stay in Denver until Monday morning so that I could
introduce her on the floor of the House and tell her story. Perhaps she
could even begin the final day's session by singing our country's
national anthem!


To my surprise she said she would seriously consider it. If she were to
agree, she wanted her accompanying guitar player to stay as well. A lady
standing in line behind me waiting to meet Gianna overheard our
conversation and said that she would be willing to pay for the
guitarist's room. Gianna then said that she would think about it.
As I was driving home from the banquet my cell phone rang. It was Gianna
and she immediately said, "I'm in, let's ruin this celebration." Praise
God!

When Monday morning came, I awoke at 6:00 to write my speech before
heading to the Capitol. As I wrote down the words I could sense God's
help and I knew that this was going to be a powerful moment for the
pro-life movement.


Following a committee hearing, I rushed into the House Chambers just as
the opening morning prayer was about to be given. Between the prayer and
the pledge of allegiance I wrote a quick note to the Speaker of the House
explaining that Gianna is an advocate for cerebral palsy. I took the note
to the Speaker and asked if I could have my friend open the last day of
session by singing the national anthem. Without any hesitation the
Speaker took the microphone and said, "Before we begin, Representative
Harvey has made available for us Gianna Jessen to sing the National
Anthem."

Gianna sang the most amazing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that
you could possibly imagine. Every person in the entire chamber was
completely still, quiet, and in awe of this frail young lady's voice.
Due to her cerebral palsy, Gianna often loses her balance, and shortly
after starting to sing she grabbed my arm to stabilize herself, and I
could tell that she was shaking. Suddenly, midway through the song, she
forgot the words and began to hum and said, "Please forgive me I am so
nervous." She then immediately began singing again and every House member
and every guest throughout the chambers began to sing along with her to
give her encouragement and lift her up.
As I looked around the huge hall I listened to the unbelievable melody of
Gianna's voice being accompanied by a choir of over 100 voices. I had
chills running all over my body and I knew that I had just witnessed an
act of God.

As the song concluded the Speaker of the House explained that Gianna has
cerebral palsy and is an activist to bring awareness to the disease. "Let
us give her a hand not only for her performance today but also for her
advocacy work," he said. The chamber immediately exploded into
applause.she had them all in the palm of her hand.
The Speaker then called the House to order and we proceeded as usual to
allow members to make any announcements or introductions of guests. For
dramatic effect, I waited until I was the last person remaining before I
introduced Gianna.

As I waited for my turn, I nervously paced back and forth praying to God
that he would give me the peace, confidence and the courage necessary to
pull off what I knew would be one of the most dramatic and controversial
moments of my political career.

While I waited, a prominent reporter from one of the major Denver
newspapers walked over to Gianna and told her that her rendition captured
the spirit of the national anthem more powerfully than any she had ever
heard before.


Finally, I was the last person remaining, so I proceeded to the
microphone and began my speech:

"Members, I would like to introduce you to a new friend and hero of
mine-- her name is Gianna Jessen. She is visiting us today from
Nashville, Tennessee where she is an accomplished recording artist.
She has cerebral palsy and was raised in foster homes before being
adopted at the age of four.


She was born prematurely and weighed only two pounds at birth. She
remained in the hospital for almost three months. A doctor once said she
had a great will to live and that she fought for her life. Eventually she
was able to leave the hospital and be placed in foster care.
Because of her cerebral palsy her foster mother was told that it was
doubtful that she would ever crawl or walk. She could not sit up
independently. Through the prayers and dedication of her foster mother,
she eventually learned to sit up, crawl, then stand. Shortly before her
fourth birthday she began to walk with leg braces and a walker.
She continued in physical therapy and after a total of four surgeries,
she was able to walk without assistance.

She still falls sometimes, but she says she has learned how to fall
gracefully after falling for 29 years.
Two years ago she walked into a local health club and said she wanted a
private trainer. At the time her legs could not lift 30 pounds. Today she
can leg press 200 pounds.
She became so physically fit that she began running marathons to raise
money and awareness for cerebral palsy. She just returned last week from
England where she ran in the London Marathon. It took her over 8 ½ hrs to
complete. They were taking down the course by the time she made it to the
finish line. But she made it none the less. With bloody feet and aching
joints she finished the race.

Members would you help me recognize a modern day hero.Gianna Jessen?
At this point the chamber exploded into applause which lasted for 15 to
20 seconds.Gianna had touched their souls.
Ironically, Alice Madden the Majority Leader and sponsor of the Planned
Parenthood Resolution walked over to Gianna and gave her a hug.
As the applause began to die down I raised my hand to be recognized one
more time.


"Mr. Speaker, members, if you would allow me just a few more moments I
would appreciate your time.

My name is Ted Harvey not Paul Harvey but please let me tell you the rest
of the story.

The cause of Gianna's cerebral palsy is not because of some biological
freak of nature, but rather the choice of her mother.
You see when her biological mother was 17 years old and 7 ½ months
pregnant she went to a Planned Parenthood clinic to seek a late term
abortion. The abortionist performed a saline abortion on this 17-year-old
girl. This procedure requires the injection of a high concentration of
saline into the mother's womb which the fetus is then bathed in and
swallows which results in the fetus being burned to death, inside and
out. Within 24 hrs the results are normally an induced still-born
abortion.

As Gianna can testify the procedure is not always 100% effective. Gianna
is an aborted late term fetus that was born alive. The high concentration
of saline in the womb for 24 hrs resulted in a lack of oxygen to her
brain and is the cause of her cerebral palsy.
Members, today we are going to recognize the 90th anniversary of Rocky
Mountain Planned Parenthood,"

BANG! The gavel came down.

Just as I was finishing the last sentence of my speech.The climax of the
morning.The Speaker of the House gaveled me down and said,
"Representative Harvey, I will allow you to continue your introduction
but not for the purposes of debating a measure now pending before the
House."

At which point I said,

"Mr. Speaker I understand, I just wanted to put a face to what we are
celebrating today".

Silence.Deafening silence.

I then walked back to my chair shaking like a leaf. The Democrats
wouldn't look at me.they were fuming. It was beautiful. I have been in
the legislature for five tough years and this made it all worthwhile.
The House Majority Leader wouldn't talk to me the rest of the day.
Was it because I introduced an abortion survivor, or was it because we
touched her soul? She could hug an inspirational cerebral palsy victim
and advocate, but was outraged when she discovered that the person she
hugged was also an abortion survivor.

The headline in the Denver Post the next day read Abortion Jab Earns
Rebuke. The Majority Leader is quoted as saying "I think it was amazingly
rude to use a human being as an example of his personal politics,"
Yes Representative Madden, Gianna Jessen is a human being. She was when
she was in her mother's womb and she was when she sang the National
Anthem on the Floor of the Colorado House of Representatives.
The paper went on to quote Gianna Jessen, stating she was glad Harvey
told her story.


"We need to discuss the humanity of it. I'm glad to be able to speak up
for children in the womb," she said. "If abortion is about women's
rights, where were my rights?"

Leslie Hanks, one of the matriarchs of the pro-life movement in Colorado,
was in the House Chamber that morning and told me that it was the single
greatest moment she had witnessed in the State Legislature in the 20
years that she'd been lobbying in the Capitol.


All I can say is, "Glory to God!" He orchestrated it all, every minute of
it, and I was so honored to have been chosen to play a part. May we all
continue to be filled with and to fight for the passion of our Lord Jesus
Christ!"

In His service,
Ted Harvey
Assistant Minority Leader
Colorado House of Representatives

 

Rep. Harvey's Legislative profile- http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/house/members/hou43.htm

Dusting off the Constitution

Politicians' Privacy

by Leslie Carbone
http://lesliecarbone.blogspot.com/2006/05/politicians-privacy.html

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are threatening a Supreme Court challenge to the FBI's dark-of-night raid on the office of bribery suspect Rep. William Jefferson (D-Louisiana).

"I ... have serious concerns about ... whether the people at the Justice Department have looked at the Constitution," House Majority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) told The New York Times.

It seems the people's Representatives resent the breach of privacy perpetrated by another government branch.

After all, this isn't just random airport groping or warrantless eavesdropping against the citizens whom Congress ostensibly serves.

This time, a Member of Congress is the victim.

No wonder his colleagues are dusting off the Constitution.

Olmert's Plea

May 26, 2006
—Janet Parshall

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met for the first time with President Bush this week. Among the topics covered were Iran and Olmert's proposal to withdraw from 90 percent of Judea and Samaria.

But danger lurks in the concept of further withdrawals. When Israel withdrew from Gaza, the thanks they received was a Hamas majority in the newly-formed Palestinian Legislative Council. Israeli security will be greatly weakened by offering yet more territory to terrorists--and more terrorists will translate into a greater threat that could easily spill over into the broader Middle East.

President Bush continues to talk about a two state solution. While conceding land, Olmert is also discussing partitions in the city of Jerusalem, a goal clearly articulated by the PLO charter years ago.

With the proposed withdrawal, Hamas and al-Qaeda will take over the territory. Olmert needs to stand firm and wait to see if its neighbor is also willing to sacrifice for peace.

OHIO POLL: BLACKWELL CLOSES GAP ON STRICKLAND

From www.KenBlackwell.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 25, 2006

COLUMBUS The University of Cincinnati Ohio Poll released today shows Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Blackwell significantly closing the gap on his Democrat opponent, Congressman and former psychologist Ted Strickland. Blackwell trails Strickland by only six points with a 3.7 percent poll margin of error. Previous general election polling had Strickland with a double-digit lead.

"Voters are responding to Ken Blackwell's leadership and his ability to work with the Ohio General Assembly to pass tough state government spending controls," said Blackwell campaign chair Lara Mastin. "Ohioans will continue to rally around Ken Blackwell once they become aware of Ted Strickland's inexperience, out of touch voting record and inability to get things done."

Strickland is unable to secure a commanding lead despite a $4 million onslaught of negative advertising against Blackwell during the primary election. In addition, Strickland spent $1.5 million in positive advertising during the same time period.

"Ted Strickland is a classic Washington D.C. tax and spend liberal who has built a career voting for tax increases and against tax cuts," added Mastin. "Ohioans want a leader who will control government spending, cut taxes and create jobs."

Strickland had led Blackwell by 16 percentage points in the nonpartisan Rasmussen Reports poll take on May 8 and by 10 percentage points in the Plain Dealer Mason Dixon poll taken April 24-26.

The Ohio Poll was conducted from May 9 through May 21 with a random sample of 698 registered voters.

-30-

GOP Colleagues Press Sensenbrenner To Tone Down "Net Neutrality"

by David Hatch
Congress Daily AM
May 25, 2006

House Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner is facing pressure from some Republican lawmakers to tone down a telecommunications bill slated for a vote today in his committee.

At issue is Sensenbrenner's network neutrality legislation, which is designed to preserve the openness of the Internet and prevent telecommunications and cable giants from potentially acting as content gatekeepers.

But some Republicans on the committee worry the proposal goes too far to prohibit anti-discriminatory behavior. On the eve of the vote, Judiciary Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Subcommittee ranking member Lamar Smith, R-Texas, was negotiating with Sensenbrenner on a compromise amendment that would remove many of the bill's regulatory restrictions, sources said.

Under the plan, the chairman's bill would stipulate that antitrust laws apply to Internet regulation. But it would drop provisions intended to prevent anti-competitive conduct by phone and cable giants because the language is viewed as too meddlesome, they said.

It was unclear at presstime whether Sensenbrenner would allow the amendment to be offered. A spokesman for Sensenbrenner was not aware of the developments. A spokeswoman for Smith said he "hasn't decided on what course of action to take."

One source noted some Republicans on the panel oppose the chairman's measure but are reluctant to vote against him. "Some feel like they're being asked to walk the plank," the source said.

Republicans are worried that Sensenbrenner's language imposes restrictions on broadband operators before any problems have been highlighted. They also are concerned about a provision that would bar network operators from charging companies for preferential treatment on the Internet.

Companies such as AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner say they need this option to help manage traffic flow. Critics counter that the approach would result in a two-tiered system that would benefit companies that can afford the fast lane, relegating others to a slower stream.

Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., does not support Sensenbrenner's original bill, though he hasn't asked the chairman to modify it. "I really believe we ought to take a deregulatory, or hands-off approach, because I think the market will provide services to customers of the Internet that we can't even imagine," said Feeney, a member of the committee. "The more we try to regulate it, the more harm we'll do."

Sensenbrenner offered his bill last week after the House parliamentarian rebuffed his request for sequential referral of broader telecommunications legislation by Energy and Commerce Chairman Barton. That measure, widely viewed as favorable to the Bells, would grant the FCC authority to adjudicate disputes involving network neutrality and imposes fines of up to $500,000 per violation. It would not give the agency regulatory authority in this area.

The Bells are seeking to derail Sensenbrenner's legislation and have been scrutinizing it for flaws. One problem they flagged -- that it would unintentionally bar the use of parental control technology -- will be addressed by Sensenbrenner today in a manager's amendment.

And here's a release from Citizen Outreach's Chuck Muth

'NET REALITY
May 24, 2006

As savvy and well-informed News & Views readers know, "net neutrality" is a sweet-sounding term which in reality means future government regulation of the Internet. Fortunately, a net neutrality proposal was recently killed in the Energy and Commerce Committee; however, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner is now trying to resurrect it.

The Judiciary Committee scheduled a briefing for his committee today in which the "Net Neutrality Coalition" was invited to provide their insights.

Get a load of who makes up this coalition: MoveOn.org, Free Press, Nancy Pelosi, Ed Markey, REM, Moby, affiliates of the ACLU, Common Cause, Consumers Union, Feminist Majority, labor unions, US Pirg, Progressive Democrats of America and the virulently anti-Bush Public Campaign.

Now take a look at this list of groups who were NOT invited to participate in this briefing to discuss net neutrality before Sensenbrenner's committee:

Citizen Outreach
Americans For Tax Reform
American Conservative Union
National Taxpayers Union
Citizens Against Government Waste
Frontiers of Freedom
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Free Enterprise Fund
National Association of Manufacturers
Chamber of Commerce
Freedom Works
Discovery Institute
National Black Chamber of Commerce
Center For Individual Freedom
Telecommunications Industry Association
Media Freedom Project
The Institute for Liberty
The Heritage Foundation
Americans for Prosperity
Catholic Citizenship
Federalist Society

What's wrong with this picture? Why is the Republican chairman of a Republican-majority committee of the Republican-majority House of Representatives providing a forum on a public policy issue for the likes of MoveOn.org, the union bosses and the ACLU while excluding just about every conservative public policy organization under the sun?

Tomorrow, Sensenbrenner's committee will consider voting for a net neutrality bill. Those of you who want the government to keeps its hands off our Internet might want to call or email the Judiciary Committee and make your feelings known before it's too late.

The phone number to call the committee is (202) 225-3951. Or you can send an email to Chairman Sensenbrenner via committee staffer Rob Tracci at rob.tracci@mail.house.gov

As always, be firm but professional in your comments.

Chuck Muth
President
Citizen Outreach

Statement from the Office of Auditor of State Betty Montgomery

May 18, 2006 Statement from the office of Auditor of State Betty Montgomery Columbus (5/18/06) - Ohio Auditor of State Betty Montgomery was admitted to The Ohio State University Medical Center Wednesday, May 17 for complications following a respiratory virus. Although testing is still ongoing, Montgomery is currently being treated for Guillain-Barr￩ syndrome (GBS), an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves. The condition is not life threatening, however progression of the disorder can be unpredictable and, as is typical for most cases of GBS, Montgomery is receiving treatment in the hospital's intensive care unit. As much as 50 percent of GBS cases develop following a viral infection. Montgomery had been suffering from a chest cold and cough for a little over a week. "We're glad that Auditor Montgomery is getting the treatment she needs," said Chief of Staff Deb Hackathorn. "Work at the Auditor of State's Office will continue uninterrupted and we look forward to her speedy recovery and return to the office." Montgomery is well known for her strong work ethic and demanding schedule. It would come as no surprise to those who know her that any interruption to her regular calendar causes her great frustration. Montgomery recognized, however, that what she had hoped was a simple common cold will require some additional medical attention. Although the recovery prognosis is good, Montgomery will be hospitalized for an indeterminate amount of time for treatment and observation. She anticipates a complete recovery, but different people are affected differently by this syndrome and it is difficult to predict an exact recovery date. Montgomery is currently in good spirits and resting comfortably. ### Paid for by the Montgomery Campaign Committee, Neil Carson, Treasurer, 211 S. Fifth Street, Suite 303, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Paradise lost in the Netherlands

Christian Science Monitor-  http://www.csmonitor.com

Maybe America can provide Ayaan Hirsi Ali the true freedom she yearns for.

By Bruce Bawer, Christian Science Monitor

 

OSLO – If there's anything in Europe today that's more alarming than the number of European Muslims who hold radically undemocratic views (40 percent of British Muslims would like to see Britain under sharia law), it's the feckless way in which government officials tend to respond to those views. Particularly if they include explosions of public complaints and protests.

More often than not, most officials choose appeasement over standing up for democratic values. The exceptions are rare. One of them is Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen - who, faced with the Muhammad cartoon riots, strongly reaffirmed Denmark's commitment to freedom of speech. Another is the Netherlands' Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the former Muslim turned outspoken critic of Islam. Ms. Hirsi Ali, who has been confronted with a relatively sudden and stunning challenge by her country's minister of immigration to her Dutch citizenship, resigned this week from her seat in the Dutch parliament.

Hirsi Ali's name became familiar to many people outside the Netherlands in November 2004, when Theo van Gogh was brutally murdered in an Amsterdam street in retribution for his film "Submission: Part One," a blunt critique of Islam's treatment of women. Hirsi Ali, who wrote the film's script, was herself threatened with murder in a note from Mr. van Gogh's killer.

Hirsi Ali knows a good deal about her film's subject: As a young girl in Somalia, she was a devout Muslim who wore full hijab. Later, however, experiencing Western freedoms as a refugee in the Netherlands, she took an increasingly critical view of the oppression and intolerance she had witnessed in her youth - and that to her horror, she saw around her in Dutch Muslim enclaves. After 9/11, she rejected Islam entirely. Years of menial jobs and university study preceded her election to the Dutch parliament, where she called on her government to challenge the abuse of women in Muslim communities, advocated the closing of state-funded Muslim schools which taught children to hate infidels and democracy, and proposed legislation to protect girls from genital mutilation.

Even after van Gogh's murder, unintimidated by death threats and by the need for daily round-the-clock armed protection, Hirsi Ali continued to speak truth to power. She was the kind of immigrant whom democratic leaders should hold up as an example; indeed, she was the very model of a responsible citizen of a democracy. Yet many of her fellow politicians - mired in traditions of consensus and trouble-avoidance - viewed her as they had viewed van Gogh and the murdered politician Pim Fortuyn, as a troublemaker.

Even Hirsi Ali's neighbors in The Hague turned on her. A few weeks ago, anxious about living near a woman who was a terrorist target (no matter that she was a target precisely because she was defending their freedoms), other residents in her apartment building won a court battle to evict her. In recent days, Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk has gone one better, citing incorrect details on Hirsi Ali's applications for asylum in 1992 and citizenship in 1997 (which Hirsi Ali admitted to, and explained, years ago) as justification for rescinding her Dutch citizenship.

Next week, Hirsi Ali plans to move to Washington, D.C. Here in Europe, a continent where the likes of Norway's Mullah Krekar - founder of the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam - are able to live free and undisturbed, it's clear why Hirsi Ali has been the victim of this lightning-fast attempt at denaturalization: By continuing to lift her voice in anger, she stands in the way of an illusory "multicultural harmony."

Fortunately, not everybody in the Dutch parliament is against Hirsi Ali. Ms. Verdonk is now under fire and may lose her job, and Hirsi Ali may well receive a new passport. Yet whatever happens, the fact remains that she has been put through a disgraceful episode which, like the murders of Mr. Fortuyn and van Gogh, is a stain on the Dutch heritage of freedom and tolerance.

That one of the noblest and bravest among Dutch public servants has faced the prospect of losing her citizenship is a measure of the degree to which some Dutch leaders prefer attacking the messenger over dealing with the acute social problems facing their country. In the US, Hirsi Ali will doubtless remain an eloquent voice for freedom; one can only hope that Americans will heed her message. The Netherlands' loss will be America's gain.

• Bruce Bawer is the author of "While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam Is Destroying the West from Within" (Doubleday). He lives in Oslo.

Senate considers HB 347-- Your Help Needed!

From the Buckeye Firearms Association-

 

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3130

 

By Linda Walker,

Sr. Leader/Volunteer Development Coordinator
Buckeye Firearms Association

The Senate Criminal Justice committee heard additional testimony for HB347 on Wednesday. This hearing, like last week's at which Larry Moore testified on behalf of Buckeye Firearms Assoc., was for proponent, opponent and all interested parties. The hearing wrapped up with 5 individuals giving testimony.

Less than compelling opponent testimony was given by gun ban extremist Toby Hoover, representing her "coalition of two", the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence. The usual rhetoric was presented by the head puppetmaster. Over and over again legislators heard the same cries..., "for the safety of officers", "out of respect for the officers", "people have the right to know there's a gun in the car", "this bill will make it easier for people carry weapons", "preemption", "murder, suicide.....,"! It's endless with the tales these people twist this House Bill into.

Ultimately, Toby wrapped up her tale of woes with commenting "that the only difference between a law-abiding citizen and a criminal is one bad decision". What a low opinion of humanity she possess that she equates law-abiding citizens so close to the criminal mind!

Click on 'Read More' for the full hearing summary and information on WHAT YOU CAN DO to help get HB347 voted out of committee.



Next up was Toby's apprentice, Rosie Craig, from Shaker Heights. Besides representing OCAGV, Ms. Craig also represents the Brady Campaign and the Million Mom March. She was briefly into her testimony when it struck me as being very familiar. Checking my past notes from her testimony given Jan. 31, I discovered that this was the very same speech she'd given before a House committee in January, word for word, verbatim! Given that Sub House Bill 347 has changed from the original, one would think Craig would have taken the time to modify her fear-mongering...

On the proponent side, Ohioans for Concealed Carry's Jeff Garvas offered testimony along with 2 other gentlemen. Garvas' comments reiterated the need for state-wide preemption and removal of the "plain sight" carry in a motor vehicle provision.

---

Your help is urgently needed! HB347 continues to face stumbling blocks with Gov. Taft, the OSHP, and others. Attempts are being made to roll back the improvements made in HB347. As you know, this piece of legislation passed the House overwhelmingly, and contains many favorable provisions for gun owners.

This was after months of negotiations and compromises. Now, certain factions are going to the Senate in an attempt to renege on these compromises. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN HELP US STOP THIS! Unfortunately, these people have a sympathetic ear in the Senate, due in large part to Gov. Taft's baseless objections.

HB 347 passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support. There is no reason for it to be sabotaged in the Senate.

IT IS CRITICAL YOU WRITE YOUR LEGISLATORS RIGHT NOW! Every second you delay is another improvement that is being dealt away by those who don't care about the absurd laws you labor under.

 

SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT IT IS TIME FOR THE POLITICS TO STOP, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS TO START.

Click HERE to be taken to a form that will automatically send a letter to Senate President Harris, Governor Taft, Senator Padgett, Speaker Husted and your individual representative and senator.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL YOUR GUN OWNING FRIENDS! We need overwhelming response on this immediately.

The time to show your support is before the improvements are finally eliminated, not complaining about it after the fact.

Once again, please CLICK HERE to write your elected officials - your help is needed TODAY!

Strickland and Brown back-benchers?

Today an AP article reports on a ranking of power and influence of members of Congress and Senate.

 

Interestingly, the Ohio Democratic party candidates for Governor and Senator rank near the bottom of the barrel.

 

Rep. Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Sen. Mike Dewine, ranked # 315 out of 438 congressmen and non-voting delegates in the House.  Dewine came in #26 out of 100 Senators.

 

Rep. Ted Strickland, who is taking on Ken Blackwell for the Governor's office, ranked a paltry #402.  Lowest of any Ohio Congressmember who has served at least one full term.

 

With influence like this is there any wonder these guys are looking to move on?

 

-RL

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In Congress, Fame Doesn't Guarantee Power

By JIM ABRAMS, AP

WASHINGTON (May 17) - The best known members of Congress aren't necessarily the most powerful.

The Democrats' last presidential candidate, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, for example, is ranked 61st in terms of clout among the Senate's 100 members, according to a new analysis.

A much junior colleague and likely competitor for the party's White House nomination in 2008, New York Sen. and former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, ranks 41st.

Both are well behind lesser known Republican Reps. Jerry Lewis of California and Don Young of Alaska, respectively chairmen of the House Appropriations and Transportation committees and listed as the third and fourth most powerful House members.

The survey, which ranks every member of Congress based on very Washington wonk criteria - committee and leadership positions, political influence and legislative activity - puts Republican John McCain of Arizona as the third most powerful senator.

Ahead of him are Majority Leader Bill Frist, who's vying with McCain for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, followed by Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The only Democrat to make the top 10 Senate list was Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who placed fifth.

Among others with possible presidential aspirations, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania was 12th, Joe Biden, D-Del., was 28th, George Allen, R-Va., was 42nd, Russ Feingold, D-Wis., was 82nd, and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., was 89th.

The rankings were put together by Knowlegis, a company that provides services and software for government relations professionals. Limited to activities in 2005, the rankings are out of date in at least one case.

Soon-to-be-retired Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was listed as the second most powerful member of the House, behind Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert. DeLay stepped down as majority leader last fall after being indicted in an investigation into alleged illegal use of campaign funds. He has announced he will resign from the House in June after several members of his staff became embroiled in lobbying scandals.

California Rep. Nancy Pelosi was the top-ranked Democrat in the House as minority leader. She placed eighth on the list of most powerful House members.

See the full ranking at-

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/index.tt

Conservatives Need 12-Step Program to Manhood

by Ann Coulter
Posted May 10, 2006

 

It's pretty pathetic when a Kennedy is too drunk to drive into the Potomac. After the visibly intoxicated Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car into a police barrier near the Capitol just before 3 a.m. last Thursday morning, he explained to the police he was hurrying back to the Capitol for a vote, a procedure known on the Hill as "last call." It could have been a lot worse: Patrick's designated driver that night was Ted Kennedy.

At some point in his scrolling list of excuses, Kennedy eventually claimed he was addicted to prescription drugs and checked himself into the newly opened Kennedy Wing of the Mayo Clinic. He explained he had been "sleep driving." If people fall for his story, his father, Ted, plans to attribute his last immigration bill to "sleep legislating."

Coming right on the heels of a three-year witch-hunt directed at Rush Limbaugh for an addiction to prescription drugs because of his politics -- as well as the continuing threat to put Tom DeLay in prison because of his politics -- you would think there would be at least some serious discussion of prosecuting the young Kennedy for his addiction to prescription drugs, too.

Perhaps the Republican attorney general in Washington needs to interview Democratic Palm Beach prosecutor Barry Krischer, who wasted three years and untold taxpayer dollars trying to frame Limbaugh, about the danger to society of prescription drug addiction.

Baseball has a system to protect batters from being hit: If your pitcher hits one of our guys, our pitcher will hit one of your guys. This is also the only argument that ever works with Democrats.

Democrats adored the independent counsel statute -- until it was used to catch an actual felon in the Oval Office. Then they noticed all sorts of problems with the law. Democrats swore up and down that women never lie about rape -- until that same felon was credibly accused of rape by Juanita Broaddrick on "NBC News," not to mention the four other card-carrying Democratic women who described being raped by Bill Clinton in eerily similar detail in Christopher Hitchens' book "No One Left to Lie To."

Conservatives will continue to be threatened with prison on trumped-up charges until Democrats start having to worry about being prosecuted for minor offenses, too -- though, in Kennedy's case, not as minor as Rush Limbaugh's offense, which never involved smashing his car into a police barrier. (In Rep. Kennedy's defense, at least he didn't drown the woman in his car and then disappear for nine hours.)

Democrats have declared war against Republicans, and Republicans are wandering around like a bunch of ninny Neville Chamberlains, congratulating themselves on their excellent behavior. They'll have some terrific stories about their Gandhi-like passivity to share while sitting in cells at Guantanamo after Hillary is elected.

For a political party that grasps the concept of victory against foreign enemies, Republicans can't seem to grasp that concept when it comes to domestic enemies. Instead of taking a page from Sun-tzu's "Art of War," when it comes to fighting liberals, American conservatives prefer the Jimmy Carter unconditional surrender strategy.

Patriotic Americans don't have to become dangerous psychotics like liberals, but they could at least act like men.

Why hasn't the former spokesman for the Taliban matriculating at Yale been beaten even more senseless than he already is? According to Hollywood, this nation is a cauldron of ethnic hatreds positively brimming with violent skinheads. Where are the skinheads when you need them? What does a girl have to do to get an angry, club- and torch-wielding mob on its feet?

There is not the remotest possibility that a man who was recently defending shooting women in the head for wearing nail polish will so much as be snubbed on the Yale campus.

The only violence on college campuses these days occurs when people like David Horowitz, Michelle Malkin and me show up to give a speech in defense of America. Then we need bomb-sniffing dogs and a lecture hall lined with armed police. But a Talibanist goes about his day at Yale unmolested.

Conservatives may shrink from confrontation with howling, violent liberals, but as General "Buck" Turgidson in "Dr. Strangelove" informed the milquetoast president still hoping to avert a nuclear confrontation with the Russkies: "Well, Mr. President, I would say that General Ripper has already invalidated that policy."

Well, conservatives, I would say liberals have already invalidated your "Let's all just get along" policy.

The violence and threats of imprisonment have started. Now the only question is whether conservatives will choose victory.


Ann Coulter is Legal Affairs Correspondent for HUMAN EVENTS and author of "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Slander" and most recently of "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)."

The Blackwell Revolution

By Star Parker
Scripps Howard News Service
May 8, 2006

As the Republican Party flails around trying to regain its bearings, party operatives should take a close look at Ken Blackwell, who just won the Republican primary in the governor's race in Ohio.

Blackwell decisively defeated Jim Petro, Ohio's attorney general, garnering 56 percent of the vote, and now has a shot at becoming the first black Republican governor in the nation's history. Initial polling shows him trailing his Democratic opponent Congressman Ted Strickland. However, it's early in the game and Blackwell, a former Xavier University football star, is both a competitor and a winner.

Blackwell also is a man of principle and is that rare and unusual politician who is clear, upfront and uncompromising about those principles. He serves up his agenda, a combination of limited government, fiscal conservatism and traditional values, in a straightforward way that makes typical political gurus and consultants wince. But, like Ronald Reagan, Blackwell knows that Americans respond to honesty and he also knows that he is right.

Conventional wisdom is that he's too conservative. There is also concern that Ohio is in such bad shape, and that the current scandal ridden Republican governor is so unpopular, that the door is wide open for a change in party.

But, in fact, Blackwell's clear and honest conservatism is the answer to the concerns about the state's economic problems and the problems with government corruption.

The point is that corruption is the product of big, undisciplined government, and this is exactly what Ohioans have gotten from their current regime. It is a joke to think that the way to solve corruption is to throw out a big government Republican and replace him with a big government Democrat.

The Cato Institute issues a bi-annual fiscal policy report card of the nation's governors. They grade governors, A to F, on their spending and tax policies. Not only did Ohio's Governor Taft receive an F, but his overall rating was dead last of all governors. Under his leadership, real annual per capita spending, according to Cato, has increased a whopping 5 percent per year. Over the last 10 years, total government spending in Ohio has risen 20 percent faster than personal incomes.

If corruption is the symptom of big government, economic performance is the victim. The Ohio economy has been sputtering. It is 47th out of the 50 states in job creation and has one of the nation's lowest growth rates. According to The New York Times, the state "has lost 175,000 manufacturing jobs in the last 10 years and ... an average of 65 people ages 25-39 leave the state every day."

While other politicians are offering up the usual government engineered schemes to revitalize the economy of Ohio, Blackwell understands that the last thing that Ohioans need is more government.

He has proposed a constitutional amendment that would put a cap on growth of state and local spending of 3.5 percent, or the sum of the rates of inflation and population growth. Exactly the kind of formula that makes conventional politicians cringe, which is exactly what is happening.

However, he also knows that there are two sides to the coin of social and economic vitality. One is to keep government in check. The other is to maintain a positive healthy moral environment that sustains individuals and families. So Blackwell supports constitutionally protecting traditional marriage and he opposes abortion. And, he supports school choice.

So, in fact, Ken Blackwell has not stopped smelling the roses of the Reagan revolution. Or, perhaps I should say the American Revolution.

His opponents call him "radical" and an "extremist." His primary opponent called him "goofy."

And, of course, the left translates his stand for traditional values, which Americans overwhelming support, as "gay bashing."

We are in challenging times. Ohio is in many ways a poster child of the problems that the country is facing. If we check the track record of history, or even look around the world today, it is clear as a bell that countries with undisciplined government are both corrupt and poor. It is also clear that social vitality, that is traditional values and intact families, coincides with economic prosperity.

I have long felt, counter to the conventional wisdom that Republicans recruit blacks, that blacks will play a key role in defining and leading the Republican Party. It is because the black community needs the agenda of limited government and traditional values like oxygen.

The beauty is that it's an American agenda. Not an ethnic or racial or special interest agenda.

So watch Ohio. It may tell you a lot about the country's future.

(Star Parker is president of CURE, Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education (www.urbancure.org) and author of the new book "White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay.")

Tuition Soars Due to Knowledge Shortfall

 
by Ann Coulter.

Ann Coulter is Legal Affairs Correspondent for HUMAN EVENTS and author of "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Slander" and most recently of "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)."

 

 

 

Every sentient, literate adult knows that the current spike in gas prices is 90 percent due to forces completely beyond the control of Congress, the White House or even "Big Oil" itself. The laws of supply and demand determine gas prices the same way those laws determine the price of eggs, acid-washed blue jeans and Kanye West downloads.

 

What determines the price of college tuition? It certainly isn't the quality of the product -- as copiously demonstrated in David Horowitz's new book, "The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America."

The two big topics on CNN last week were 1) high gas prices and 2) the high cost of college tuition. (Also a story about an angry Hispanic lacrosse player who vanished from a cruise ship during Bush's low poll numbers.)

CNN reports that college tuition has risen an astonishing 40 percent since 2000. But the proposed solutions to the exact same problem -- high prices for gasoline and tuition, respectively -- were diametrically opposed.

The only solution to high gas prices considered on CNN was to pay oil company executives less, perhaps by order of the president. But somehow, no one ever suggested that the solution to the high price of college -- far outpacing inflation -- was to pay professors less. In that case, the solution is for the government to subsidize college professors' salaries even more than it already does.

Based on CNN's special coverage of high gas prices, the unfolding crisis in college tuition ought to be reported like this:

Coming up, soaring prices at the colleges. Who's to blame? How can you keep your child in college and cash in your wallet? And Harvard outrage, big education makes big bucks, but we pay the price. So should President Bush limit prices? ...

To our top story now. It seems like a summer ritual. Rising professors' salaries mean rising tuition prices. But this year, sticker shock at the tuition window is fueling more concern than ever. And it has many people asking where is it going to end?

JAMIE COURT, CONSUMER RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Every time you see the price of tuition go up, you can hear "ka-ching, ka-ching" in the bank accounts of the college professors.

That's how oil company profits are reported. Why not subsidize the oil companies, which provide a product essential to allowing 300 million Americans to live, and put a cap on the price of college, which seems designed to turn out more liberal parasites on the productive?

As economist Richard Vedder of Ohio University has demonstrated, every time the government subsidizes college tuition through tuition tax credits, college tuition rises by the precise amount of the tuition tax credit.

How about investigating the "shameful display of greed" by college professors?

Liberals think hardworking taxpayers who can't afford gas should pay more in taxes because it is vitally important that young people be taught that America is the worst country on Earth and that the American bond traders who were murdered on 9/11 deserved it.

Maybe with a little less subsidized tuition, colleges couldn't afford luxuries like non-Indian of Indian studies professor Ward Churchill. He makes $120,000 a year as a department head at the University of Colorado, in addition to many speaking fees paid to him by other institutions of higher learning -- all heavily subsidized by taxpayers.

In addition to providing a vital product, former Exxon CEO Lee Raymond has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering.

Churchill doesn't have a Ph.D., not even one of those phony ones you have to buy on the Internet before you can host your own show on Air America Radio. He does not produce a product that allows New Yorkers to eat without turning 90 percent of the city into an agricultural processing plant.

His list of academic achievements consists of his majoring in communications and graphic arts. That's the only part of his resume that has not already been proved false, probably because no one would make that up.

Churchill's written oeuvre consists of rants about how the Americans who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11 deserved it: "Well, really. Let's get a grip here, shall we? True enough, they were civilians of a sort. But innocent? Gimme a break. ... If there was a better, more effective, or in fact any other way of visiting some penalty befitting their participation upon the little Eichmanns inhabiting the sterile sanctuary of the twin towers, I'd really be interested in hearing about it."

And thus, Churchill joined the ranks of Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Faulkner and other great writers who use the phrase, "Gimme a break." Perhaps he expresses himself better in "graphic arts."

American taxpayers subsidize the most cretinous, idiotic, hate-filled lunatics in the universe -- and liberals are demanding that we direct our hate toward people like Lee Raymond who allow us to go to the bathroom indoors.

How about Congress having weekly hearings on the price of college and the salaries of professors like Churchill? Horowitz has already provided the witness list for the first two years.

Cuyahoga voting problems

Word is that Cuyahoga county is having a problem with absentee ballots.

 

About 17,000 absentee votes will not be counted until after midnight, says our source.