GOP Staffer Claims to Live on Food Stamps Without Problems, Suggests Cutting More

/6 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Daily Caller

Photo Credit: Daily Caller

With dozens of Democratic lawmakers struggling to live on a food stamp budget to protest GOP cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a Republican staffer says he is living on a SNAP budget without problems.

Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman’s communications director and agriculture policy advisor, Donny Ferguson, says he has been able to eat well on $27.58 for a week, less than the $31.50 House Democrats have limited themselves to for their “SNAP Challenge.”

“I wanted to personally experience the effects of the proposed cuts to food stamps. I didn’t plan ahead or buy strategically, I just saw the publicity stunt and made a snap decision to drive down the street and try it myself. I put my money where my mouth is, and the proposed food stamp cuts are still quite filling,” Ferguson said of the challenge.

Stockman’s office noted that Ferguson did not use coupons, discount programs, or a shopping list, and he shopped at locations accessible via public transportation.

“Not only did I buy a week’s worth of food on what Democrats claim is too little, I have money left over. Based on my personal experience with SNAP benefit limits we have room to cut about 12 percent more,” Ferguson said.

Read more from this story HERE.

$509K Federal Safe-Sex Study Will Text Gay-Lingo to Meth Addicts

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

A $509,840 grant by the National Institutes of Health will pay for a study that will send text messages in “gay lingo” to methamphetamine addicts to try to persuade them to use fewer drugs and more condoms. The study began in February.

Lead researcher Dr. Cathy Reback of the Baltimore-based Friends Research Institute, Inc., told CNSNews.com how she and her team of health educators will spend the next four years and over half a million dollars encouraging gay meth addicts to cut down on unprotected sex by periodically sending them “gay-specific” text messages.

“We did a pilot about four, five years ago with 52 out-of-treatment MSM (males who have sex with males),” Dr. Reback explained. “And we sent them text messages that were gay specific – used gay lingo – and made references to the connection between high-risk sex and methamphetamine use among MSM.”

The current study, she added, will test the effectiveness of using text messages to alter gay meth addicts’ behavior.

“So what I wanted to do with this text messaging intervention was to optimize the opportunity to get these guys [to have safer sex] by sending text messages as opposed to ‘Come into my brick and mortar site that’s ten miles from your house, and come for a group [session].’ I mean – you know – okay maybe!” Dr. Reback explained.

Read more from this story HERE.

Tea Partyers Rally at Capitol, Blame White House for IRS Mess

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Andrew Harnik

Photo Credit: Andrew Harnik

Thousands of activists rallied outside the Capitol on Wednesday to protest the IRS targeting of conservative and tea party groups, with many of the event’s speakers laying the blame for the fiasco squarely at the White House.

The “Audit the IRS” rally, organized by the Tea Party Patriots organization in response to the agency’s improper scrutiny of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status, drew members and leaders of tea party groups across the country, radio personality Glenn Beck and the Senate’s tea party trio: Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah and Ted Cruz of Texas.

“When Richard Nixon tried to use the IRS to target his political enemies, it was wrong,” Mr. Cruz said. “And when the Obama administration does it, it’s still wrong.”

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, Kansas Republican, said the two presidents have become so intertwined in his mind that he thinks of Mr. Obama as “President O’Nixon.”

Ken Hoagland, chairman of Restore America’s Voice PAC, accused former White House counsel Bob Bauer of sending “memo after memo to the Justice Department, to the IRS and other interested parties urging them to go after law-abiding citizens who wanted to end voter fraud [and] exercise their rights to stop an out-of-control government. This abuse of Americans was directed by Washington at the very highest levels of the Obama administration and campaign.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Obama in Berlin, Calls for Huge Cuts in US Nuclear Arsenal

/3 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

President Barack Obama used a speech in Berlin on Wednesday to call on Russia to revive the push for a world without nuclear arms by agreeing to target further reductions of up to one third of deployed nuclear weapons.

Speaking in Berlin where John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan gave rousing Cold War speeches, Obama urged Russia to help build on the “New START” treaty that requires both countries to cut stockpiles of deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each by 2018.

“After a comprehensive review I have determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies, and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent, while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one third,” he said.

“I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move beyond Cold War nuclear postures,” Obama said at the Brandenburg Gate, which once stood alongside the Berlin Wall that divided the communist east and the capitalist west.

But Republicans quickly warned that the cuts Obama is contemplating would put the United States at greater risk as rogue nations like North Korea and Iran seek to build larger arsenals. Moreover, allies like Japan may move to build their own arsenals as they determine they can no longer depend on the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Read more from this story HERE.

Special Ops General Concerned with ‘Culture, Social Behavior’ Aspects of Women in Combat

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office

Photo Credit: Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office

As the Defense Department rolled out its plans today to integrate women into combat roles, a director at U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) expressed the loudest skepticism from military leaders yet that the administration’s Jan. 1, 2016, goal would go off without a hitch.

…Maj. Gen. Bennet Sacolick, director of force management and development at SOCOM, told reporters at the Pentagon today that he’s making no guarantees.

“We have some genuine concerns that must be addressed prior to making an informed recommendation to the secretary of defense, a recommendation which complies with the chairman’s guiding principles of preserving unit readiness, cohesion, and morale,” Sacolick said.

“Of particular concern is our mission set, which predominantly requires our forces to operate in small, self-contained teams, many of which are in austere, geographically isolated, politically sensitive environments for extended periods of time. This complexity requires a unique assessment predicated upon detailed analysis, ultimately providing a single, clear, consistent procedure for execution throughout the SOCOM enterprise”…

“Their concerns are, you know, once again, that you got a 12-men ODA [the primary operational element of a Special Forces company] and an isolated case, how is that — what are the implications there?” he said of the reaction from men in the field. “There’s all those things that we’re concerned about, probably more so than the actual standards in our qualification courses…culture, social behavior. Those aspects of ultimate integration.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Months Later, Deafening Silence from Alaska State Government Regarding Investigation of Assault, Interference with Juneau Pro-Life Protest

/5 Comments/in , /by

photo compre“What does it mean to be illegal? When you go through these various scandals, you are told “this was illegal, that was illegal, the next thing’s illegal.” Nobody gets held accountable. Nobody gets fired. Nobody goes to jail. So what does it mean to say these things are illegal? It’s just part of the decay of bureaucratic big government that is across the board just beginning to fall apart.” —Newt Gingrich

The scandals of the Obama Administration are what Newt Gingrich was speaking of. But he might as well had been speaking of what has happened in the aftermath of events on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol on April 2nd and 3rd of this year when a group of peaceful law-abiding citizens exercising their First Amendment Rights to free speech and assembly, were accosted, physically assaulted, and threatened by employees of the Department of Administration and the Legislative Branch. Using state vehicles and resources, state employees carried out illegal acts that also violated parking laws in an attempt to thwart a peaceful demonstration.

Governor Parnell’s office made a non binding, non committal statement that they would look into the matter when it first happened on April 2 and would make sure it didn’t happen again. Much to the shock, amazement, and frustration of the demonstrators, it did happen, even more strongly, the very next day. So much for Parnell’s standing up to defend Alaskans’ state and federal rights.

Senator Dunleavy was notified and on the Senate Floor spoke of these instances, calling them an outrage and asked that a Senate investigation be carried out.
Senator Huggins, as Senate President has stated in the interim, that a full investigation is underway and for people to allow time the process to work.

After waiting over two months for “the process to work,” I wrote Senator Huggins a letter by email, outlining my concerns [see letter below] on June 7, 2013. Well, it is now June 18th. I have yet to hear a single word from Senator Huggins, except for an automated response stating that his office had received my letter and that he would reply shortly. Apparently, Senator Huggins must use a different dictionary than me since “shortly” is long past and I fear as I said in my letter, it appears that Senator Huggins wants “this matter to be swept under the proverbial rug.”

“We need to fundamentally shake up the entire big government system. There has been a deep deep decay of the bureaucracy of this country—it’s out of control—it’s unaccountable—nobody manages it.—Newt Gingrich

So when people in high positions of leadership in our government, whether it be state or federal, violate and infringe on laws and fundamental GOD-given rights that are protected by the Constitution, both state and federal, and are not held accountable to those laws by others in government and the courts, what is the point first of all, of the laws, and secondly of all the money that is taken from hardworking Americans to pay these leaders whose job IS to uphold the Constitution?

_____________________________________________________________

Senator Charlie Huggins
Senate President

June 7, 2013

Dear Senator Huggins,

I am writing you today regarding the incidents that occurred on or near the Alaska state capitol steps on April 2nd and 3rd of 2013, when the First Amendment rights of peaceful law abiding citizens were violated. [see link]

Many concerned Alaskans, including myself, contacted Senator Dunleavy and asked him to get to the bottom of the issue. He had told us the Senate was investigating this matter.

He has been asked on more than one occasion since then, what the status of that investigation was. His response has been that it is his understanding that it is being investigated and if we want more information we need to contact your office.

Therefore I am contacting you to ascertain what is the status of this investigation? Sen Dunleavy has asked us to give the Senate time to investigate—we have. However it is long past due for a response. Sen Dunleavy asked us to trust in the process—we have. But in the words of the great President Ronald Reagan, we trust but must verify. What is the status?

I hope to hear from you shortly, with a full explanation and straight answers. Given the recent failures of government on Washington D.C. we still want to believe that our rights in Alaska will be protected. However, should this not be the case, I and others are prepared to take this matter to a higher level such as going even further with the news media, ACLU, Liberty Counsel, Heritage Foundation, and any other organization interested in transparent government. We will not let this matter drop. We will not allow this matter to be swept under the proverbial rug. The actions that occurred were blatant violations of the First Amendment. The perpetrators, regardless of position—up to the highest level of government, who ordered Alaska State government employees, property, such as vehicles, and other state resources to carry out these illegal acts—must be held accountable and charged with penalties to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Sincerely,
Amy Walker
Palmer, Alaska

As Alaska Goes, So Goes America?

/3 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: TownHall

Photo Credit: TownHall

Mid-term elections are problematic for the party holding the Presidency; mid-term elections following scandals or highly divisive policy choices are particularly problematic.

The Republican Party experienced disaster in 1974 following Watergate, the granddaddy of all modern political scandals, losing 49 seats in the House and four in the Senate, giving Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in that body. When Reagan won his second term in 1984 (carrying 49 out of 50 states), the GOP held a 53 to 47 majority in the Senate only to give up 8 seats in 1986 and control to the Democrats following the Iran-Contra Affair.

Bill Clinton sold himself as a New Democrat in 1992, but after seeking to implement Hillarycare and raising taxes, voters sent his party to the cleaners in 1994, with the Republicans gaining back control of the House (in a 54 seat swing) and the Senate (9 seat change) for the first time since the 1950s.

The mid-term elections of 2010 followed a strikingly similar path. After the passage of the Stimulus Bill and Obamacare, the Democrats experienced the greatest reversal of party fortunes in House history. The GOP picked up 63 seats and leadership of the House, as well as 6 seats in the Senate, though Democrats retained control of that body.

Both scandal and unpopular policy choices are once again in the mix as 2014 begins to take shape, and the outcomes in a few key states may change the entire balance of power in Washington.

Read more from this story HERE.

Unusual Record-Setting Heat Wave Baking Alaska (+video)

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

A heat wave hitting Alaska may not rival the blazing heat of Phoenix or Las Vegas, but to residents of the 49th state, the days of hot weather feel like a stifling oven — or a tropical paradise.

With temperatures topping 80 degrees in Anchorage, and higher in other parts of the state, people have been sweltering in a place where few homes have air conditioning.

They’re sunbathing and swimming at local lakes, hosing down their dogs and cleaning out supplies of fans in at least one local hardware store. Mid-June normally brings high temperatures in the 60s in Anchorage, and just a month ago, it was still snowing.

Read more from this story HERE.

Legislation Finalizing Sealaska Land Claims Advances in U.S. Senate

/1 Comment/in , /by

Photo Credit: SitNews

Photo Credit: SitNews

The Southeast Alaska Native Land Entitlement Finalization and Jobs Protection Act (S. 340) was approved Tuesday by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by unanimous voice vote. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.

The measure provides Sealaska Corp., the Alaska Native regional corp. for Southeast Alaska, with 70,075 acres to finalize transfer of land owed to the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

“It has taken six years, but today we’ve taken a major step toward fulfilling the promise made to Southeast’s 20,000 Alaska Natives more than four decades ago,” U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said. “This has been a difficult process because every acre of the Tongass is precious to someone, but we have worked tirelessly with all of the stakeholders to address their concerns. I truly believe that all of that work has resulted in the best bill possible. It will help the region’s timber industry grow, while at the same time protect more than 150,000 acres for fisheries and habitat.”

Under ANCSA, which extinguished aboriginal land claims in Alaska, Sealaska was entitled to an estimated 375,000 acres of the 16.9-million acre Tongass National Forest to help improve the livelihoods of its shareholders. The government never made good on its promise.

Sealaska is currently owed some 85,000 acres, but under the compromise worked out in Murkowski’s bill it will accept about 15,000 acres less in exchange for 68,400 acres for timber harvesting, 1,099 acres for renewable energy resource and recreational tourism projects, and 490 acres of Native cemetery and historic sites.

Read more from this story HERE.

TWA 800 Investigators Claim NTSB Conclusion “Falsified,” Explosions Outside Plane Brought it Down

/22 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: CNN

Photo Credit: CNN

Skeptics who have long theorized that TWA Flight 800 was brought down by sinister forces will get a fresh surge of energy when a new documentary attempts to disprove that the 1996 crash was accidental…

It includes six members of the accident investigation team who, publicists say, will “break their silence” on the cause of the explosion.

They will petition the National Transportation Safety Board to reopen its investigation some 17 years after the B-747 fell in pieces into the waters off of Long Island, New York.

They include Hank Hughes, who served as a senior accident investigator with the NTSB and helped reconstruct the aircraft following its destruction. Also included, Bob Young, a top TWA investigator who participated in the investigation, and Jim Speer, an accident investigator for the Airline Pilots Association.

“These investigators were not allowed to speak to the public or refute any comments made by their superiors and/or NTSB and FBI officials about their work at the time of the official investigation,” a news release announcing the documentary said.

“They waited until after retirement to reveal how the official conclusion by the (NTSB) was falsified and lay out their case.”

Read more from this story HERE.