|
Insider Report from Newsmax.com
February 20, 2011
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Michele Bachmann Scores Highest on Immigration
2. Richard Grenell: Jane Harman Should Pay for Election
3. Sen. Hatch Bill Would Plug ‘National Security Loophole’
4. Biggest U.S. Aid Recipients Oppose America at U.N.
5. Rasmussen: Buyers Spurn GM Over Bailout
6. Heard: The Gipper, David Letterman, Obama’s Teleprompter
1. Michele Bachmann Scores
Highest on Immigration
An organization lobbying for a tougher stance on illegal immigration
has rated 10 potential Republican candidates for president in 2012 —
and only Michele Bachmann rates as high as a B-minus.
NumbersUSA grades the candidates based on 12 factors, including
opposition to amnesty for illegals, support for punishing employers who
hire undocumented immigrants, willingness to fund and implement border
security measures, support for ending birthright citizenship, and
opposition to current high immigration levels.
“The 12 categories on this grid deal with the vast majority of problems
with current immigration policies that grant more than 1 million
permanent work visas to immigrants each year, and which allow an
estimated 7 million jobs in construction, service, manufacturing and
transportation to be filled by illegal foreign workers,” the
organization states on its website.
“These policies also drive the majority of additional demands on the
physical, social and natural infrastructures of the country, since new
immigrants and births to immigrants account for more than
three-quarters of the 30 million additional people added to the U.S.
population growth each decade.”
President Barack Obama got the lowest rating, F-minus, with an
“Abysmal” mark in several categories, including opposition to amnesty
and legalization of undocumented aliens.
Among the Republican hopefuls, Chris Christie got an F grade. Haley
Barbour, Newt Gingrich, and Sarah Palin received a D-minus rating.
Palin was applauded with an “Excellent” mark for her position on
securing the borders, but was graded “Unhelpful” in the majority of
categories.
Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee were graded D. Ron Paul and John Thune
got a C-minus, and Tim Pawlenty rated a C-plus.
Boosting Bachmann to a B-minus were “Excellent” marks for her
opposition to amnesty, support for local law enforcement, and her calls
for securing the borders and ending birthright citizenship.
The ratings “are not report cards on past actions, which matter but not
as much as what these politicians now say in the news media or on
official websites,” NumbersUSA says.
“These grades and ratings are about what a hopeful says a president
should do about immigration.”
Editor’s Note:
White House Secrets Revealed As Never Before
2. Richard Grenell: Jane
Harman Should Pay for Election
Former Democratic Rep. Jane Harman should pay for the special election
she necessitated in California when she resigned from the House just
weeks after beginning her term, political adviser Richard Grenell
declares.
Harman, who served eight terms in Congress representing a Los
Angeles-area district, resigned on Feb. 11 to head the Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. As a result,
taxpayers will have to foot the bill for a special election to fill her
seat.
Harman is married to electronics tycoon and new Newsweek publisher
Sidney Harman and is “worth an estimated $300 million, and so she
thinks she can dine and dash at taxpayers’ expense,” Grenell, who
served as communications director for four U.S. ambassadors to the
United Nations, wrote in an opinion piece.
“She quit Congress because the Democrats were no longer in control and
millionaires don’t like to toil away in the minority.”
Grenell questions whether Harman had any intention of finishing her
term, noting that Woodrow Wilson Center President Lee Hamilton
announced in May 2010 that he would be leaving his post.
“If it is found that Harman was already making inquiries to take the
Center’s top job before her November election, then she owes the voters
an apology,” he stated in his article, which appeared on the Huffington
Post website.
“Resigning a few weeks in to a two-year term is offensive to the
voters. Harman should pay for the election to fill her vacancy with her
personal fortune and reimburse the taxpayers for her ego-centric
decision. Harman can afford it.”
Editor’s Note:
Your Tiny Thyroid Linked to Obesity, Heart, 59 Diseases
3. Sen. Hatch Bill Would
Plug ‘National Security Loophole’
Sen. Orrin Hatch has introduced legislation to end the Diversity Visa
Program, which each year brings 50,000 low-skilled individuals into the
United States from countries around the world — including state
sponsors of terrorism such as Iran.
The Diversity Visa Program (DV) is “an unfortunate blind spot in our
immigration system that has outlived its purpose,” according to a
report from the Center for Immigration Studies.
“The applicants for these 50,000 ‘lottery’ immigration slots require
few skills. The program does not know, really, who these applicants are
nor their true purpose in coming to the United States. The program is a
national security loophole, and has been used by terrorists and
organized criminals to not only enter the U.S., but bring others to the
U.S. as well.”
The DV program was created in 1990. In 2009, Iran was the third largest
recipient of DVs among nations in Asia, and 12th largest overall, as
1,117 Iranians were allowed to enter the United States.
Three other nations designated as state sponsors of terror — Somalia,
Syria, and Cuba — received a total of 313 DVs. The visas also went to
residents of Sudan (592 visas) and Yemen (51), two nations with active
terrorist populations, and 253 visas were issued to citizens of
Venezuela.
Receiving at least 2,000 DVs were Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia,
Morocco, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Albania, and Uzbekistan.
“There are no stop-gaps against fraud to determine qualifications nor
properly vet identity or derogatory intelligence to assure that
radicalized individuals do not enter the United States on a DV,” the
Center points out.
At least one terrorist incident resulted from the DV program. On July
4, 2002, Egyptian gunman Hesham Hedayet killed two people at the Los
Angeles ticket counter of Israeli airline El Al before being killed by
a security guard. He had obtained permanent resident status because his
wife got a DV in 1996.
The House voted to abolish the Diversity Visa Program in 2005, but the
Senate never passed the bill.
Sen. Hatch, R-Utah, has introduced a bill containing a provision that
would repeal the DV program unless Congress specifically reauthorized
it.
In support of the bill, the Center praises Hatch for “not shying away”
from the obvious: The DV program “has outlived its usefulness.”
Instead, it “assertively creates national security vulnerabilities by
admitting foreign nationals it cannot viably vet from state sponsors of
terror, acts to support criminal human trafficking, and perpetuates
low-skill economic migration during a time when Americans need jobs
desperately.”
Editor’s Note:
The IRS’ Worst Nightmare — How to Pay Zero Taxes
4. Biggest U.S. Aid
Recipients Oppose America at U.N.
Of the 15 countries receiving the largest amount of aid from the United
States, 14 voted against American positions at the United Nations more
than half the time — including Afghanistan, Egypt, and Mexico.
That troubling fact comes to light as a congressman is putting forth an
amendment to cut off U.S. aid to nations that routinely oppose American
positions at the world body.
According to the amendment from Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, a
U.N. member state could not receive aid if it voted contrary to the
American stance more than 50 percent of the time in the most recent
session of the U.N. General Assembly.
The Foreign Relations Authorization Act requires the State Department
to send to Congress a yearly report on how other nations voted in the
General Assembly, compared to America’s vote.
The most recent report, for 2009, shows that of the 15 nations that got
more than $300 million in American aid during the fiscal year
coinciding with the year under State Department review, only Israel
voted with the U.S. more than half the time — 97 percent.
Ethiopia, a big aid recipient, voted with America just 8.6 percent of
the time. The rest of the 15 nations were Sudan (16.4 percent), Egypt
(17.7), Jordan (21.3), Uganda (22.4), Kenya (28.1), Zambia (28.8),
South Africa (29.4), Afghanistan (29.9), Nigeria (30), Pakistan (30),
Tanzania (32.3), Colombia (33.3), and Mexico (36.8).
Of the 53 nations in Africa, only one — the Seychelles — voted along
with the U.S. the majority of the time, while European Union members
sided with America 63.9 percent of the time.
Although the United States pays 22 percent of the regular U.N.
operating budget, CNS News observes, its vote holds no more weight in
the General Assembly than a vote from any of the other 191 members,
including those that contribute less than 0.1 percent of the budget.
Other amendments proposed in Congress would go even further than
Gohmert’s. One from Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., would prohibit the U.S.
from paying any dues at all to the U.N.
Editor’s Note:
Is Your Prostate Keeping You Up at Night?
5. Rasmussen: Buyers Spurn
GM Over Bailout
A significant number of Americans are less likely to buy a General
Motors vehicle because the company received a taxpayer bailout and then
was taken over by the federal government, a Rasmussen poll reveals.
In the new survey, 44 percent of adult respondents said they are less
likely to purchase a GM car, just 8 percent are more likely, and the
remainder said the bailout has no impact on their buying decisions.
By contrast, 45 percent of respondents said they are more likely to buy
a Ford vehicle because the company did not take any bailout funding
from the government. Ten percent said they are less likely and the rest
said the company’s decision has no impact on what car they will buy.
More than one in five respondents, 23 percent, said they or someone
they know avoided buying a GM car due to the bailout, while 17 percent
said they or someone they know bought a Ford vehicle because of the
company’s decision not to take bailout funds.
Rasmussen also found that 57 percent of voters believe the government
bailouts of banks, automotive and insurance companies were bad for the
country.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that taxpayers will lose
$19 billion as the result of the auto bailouts.
Editor’s Note:
This ‘Great Super Cycle’ Could Destroy Dollar
6. We Heard: The Gipper,
David Letterman, Obama’s Teleprompter
THAT President Barack Obama referred to himself as “The Gipper” —
Ronald Reagan’s nickname — at White House press secretary Robert Gibbs’
final press briefing.
Obama recounted an anecdote from the 2004 Democratic National
Convention when he was undecided about what tie to wear just 10 minutes
before he was to deliver his speech.
“I had bought five, six ties,” he said when he appeared with Gibbs at
the Feb. 11 briefing. “[First lady] Michelle didn’t like any of them.
“Then somebody said, ‘What about Gibbs’ tie? That might look good.’ And
frankly, Robert didn’t want to give it up because he thought he looked
really good in the tie. But eventually he was willing to take one for
the Gipper, so he took off his tie, and I put it on.”
THAT “The Late Show with David Letterman” was duped when it wrongly
announced that actress Lindsay Lohan would appear on Thursday’s show.
Just hours after the announcement, Lohan said on Twitter: “I am not
going to be doing David Letterman. I’m not sure how this happened.”
Tom Keaney, a spokesman for Letterman’s production company, said on
Wednesday: “We made a mistake. Someone purporting to be a friend of
Lindsay’s reached out to the show yesterday, allegedly on her behalf,
and booked her to appear.
“Clearly, the person was not authorized to make commitments on her
behalf.”
Lohan was recently arraigned for the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace
from a jewelry store.
THAT when it comes to the Republican House’s battle with President
Obama over cutting federal spending, it’s getting personal.
An amendment proposed by Rep. Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican,
would eliminate funding for Obama’s teleprompter.
Womack later withdrew the amendment, but he told Fox News: “I think we
made our point. We’re asking people to do more with less. And I think
the president ought to lead by example. He is already a very gifted
speaker. And I think that’s one platform he could do without.”
Another amendment, proposed by Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer,
would strip funding for the alteration, repair, or improvement of the
executive residence of Obama’s White House.
Editor’s Note:
12 Fruits and Vegetables With High Levels of Pesticides
Read the story with links to Editor’s Notes at Newsmax
|
|
|
|
