Where are you, NOW?

First unveiled women were compared to raw meat, now it's candy. Expect to see NOW and other perpetually offended feminist organizations marching on the Egyptian embassy in outrage at this affront to women around the world, championing women's right not to wear the veil.

A new Egyptian e-mail campaign compares women without veils to unwrapped candy
attracting flies
Caption: "You can't stop them. But you can protect yourself. Your creator has your best interests
at heart."
Click on France 24 or Jihad Watch to view the image, which is circulating via e-mail in Egypt
to promote the use of the hijab and niqab by Egyptian women.
"The message is the same as that of Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, who in 2006 outraged Australians
by comparing un-veiled women to uncovered meat," according to a Post by Marisol at 
Jihad Watch.

"As usual, the notion of men having the responsibility to control themselves, or even being able to do so, is completely absent," adds Marisol.

"The concept of controlling lust, anger, etc., is not taught in the Arab world."

An American woman married to a "basically enlightened Lebanese husband,"
from an article by Diana West, www.townhall.com

Quote of the Day

“My father and I were pleased to have an opportunity to meet and visit with Sen. John McCain today. Sen. McCain’s office had requested a meeting in recent months and we appreciate the effort he made to travel to my father’s home. The senator and I both have sons currently serving in the military, and also have a common interest in aviation. I was impressed by his personal faith and his moral clarity on important social issues facing America today.

“My father told the senator of the time he met his father on a trip to Vietnam during the war when Admiral McCain was the commander in chief of the Pacific theater and John was being held as a prisoner of war. Admiral McCain invited my father to come see him in Honolulu and they got on their knees and prayed for John during his captivity; and did so again on a return trip. He expressed his gratitude for the senator’s long and brave service to our nation.

“We had an opportunity to pray for the senator and his family, and for God’s will to be done in this upcoming election.”

Reverend Franklin Graham

National Federation of Republican Women Celebrates 70 Years

In 1938, NFRW Founder Marion E. Martin called a meeting at the Palmer House in Chicago to organize hundreds of independent Republican women's clubs across the country into a national organization. This year, the NFRW celebrated its 70th anniversary by returning to its birthplace for a gala luncheon on June 21st. The event served as a reminder of the strength of the past and how it has a direct impact on the future.

Happy Birthday NFRW!

Disastrous Consequences of the Global Warming Hoax

Now here's an environmental group with its feet on the ground - GreenwatchAmerica, pro-environment conservatives exposing the lies of the radical eco-movement. They have a message for John McCain - please get off the liberal global warming hoax bus. If you would like to add your name to their petition, click on the link below.

excerpt

Tell John McCain Not to Get Suckered into Liberal Propaganda on Global Warming

Specifically, John McCain supports what is known as "Cap-and-Trade," a concept that with McCain's support already has a majority of Congress behind it and was just barely staved off by threats of a filibuster and a Presidential veto. Unless we can change his mind, President McCain would push Cap-and-Trade through and sign it enthusiastically.

A report from the Heritage Foundation states that the legislation McCain supports would:

"Single-year GDP losses hit at least $155 billion and realistically could exceed $500 billion in inflation-adjusted 2006 dollars." (Expressed another way, that figure is equal to about $1,550-$5,000 per household!)

"Annual job losses exceed 500,000 before 2030 and could approach 1,000,000."

"The annual cost of emission permits to energy users will be at least $100 billion by 2020 and could exceed $300 billion by 2030 in inflation-adjusted 2006 dollars." (Expressed another way, that figure is equal to about $1,000-$3,000 per household!)

"The average household will pay $467 more each year for its natural gas and electricity in inflation-adjusted 2006 dollars."

"That means that the average household will spend an additional $8,870 to purchase household energy over the period 2012 through 2030."

THAT'S THE PLAN JOHN MCCAIN PROMISES TO PUSH THROUGH CONGRESS AND SIGN AS PRESIDENT. That's something we have to change. That's something we can change!

We respect Senator McCain for being willing to listen to the people on illegal immigration. Now it's time to confront him on the Global Warming issue! Let him know that Global Warming IS NOT scientific fact!

And let him know that you oppose the imposition of new taxes in furtherance of a politically correct MYTH that will hurt American families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Tell him NOW in no uncertain terms!

New taxes, higher taxes, lost jobs, and a diminishing standard of living in pursuit of a myth are not the American way to meet a challenge -- or win the White House in November! Please join us in calling on John McCain to change his position when it comes to advancing the MYTH of Global Warming.

Please use the button below to sign our urgent and vital petition and tell John McCain not to get suckered into the liberal propaganda on Global Warming!

John McCain will listen -- if conservatives join together and shout! Be heard now!

Quote of the Day

"The stakes are real: higher taxes, wasteful spending, more regulation on small businesses, more liberal-activist judges on the Supreme Court and much more hang in the balance should Democrats secure 60 seats in the Senate in the fall. With stakes like these, we have to step forward and be counted."

Senator Orrin Hatch

Vice Chairman, National Republican Senatorial Committee

Oil Girl & Democrats’ Economics

Tyrannical-minded Dems make Fidel Castro proud: These fellow travelers recycle discredited ideas which are responsible for the deaths of an estimated 100 million people world wide.

"This is mind boggling. The following comment contains no, none, zero hyperbole:

In the following news clip you will hear Democrat Congressmen call for the nationalization of our refining capacity in this country. Then you will hear the discussion of that position by an Obama supporter at one of the anti-industry think tanks.

Click here for the clip about the Democrats' newest idea: communism.

Guys, I’ve got news for you: it’s been tried. It didn’t work out so well… for anyone in the world…

Unbelievable."

Senator Ken Cuccinelli

Virginia 37^th District

Video: Obama's Background Stories are Inconsistent with Known Facts

Newsbusters.org reports that it appears Google, in a move more consistent with their Chinese affiliates, is shutting down blogs perceived to be anti-Obama. Most of the known sites frozen are pro-Hillary sites not falling in line with the Hillary-Obama unity thing. Fortunately, this Google blog site doesn't fall into that category but it begs the question, 'What did Obama know, and when did he know it?'

Gary Bauer: "A Blue State Miracle"

Will "God talk" work for the left or are they just whistling in the dark? Campaign for Working Families' Gary Bauer has an interesting analysis of Obama's chances of swaying faith-based voters.

"Faith has certainly been in the news this week. Barack Obama began running ads touting his “Kansas values.” Dr. James Dobson took aim at Obama’s interpretation of the Constitution as it relates to religion and politics. And John McCain is making serious efforts to reach out to values voters.

In my Human Events column this week, I comment on the results of the expansive Pew Research survey of the religious beliefs and behaviors of the American people, and what the findings may mean for the 2008 elections. You can read my column, entitled “A Blue State Miracle,” at www.humanevents.com."

Gary Bauer

Quote of the Day

"In one of the most blatant and distasteful examples of political hypocrisy in recent memory, Senator Barack Obama threw under the proverbial bus his original promise to stay inside the public financing system if he won the Democrat nomination.

That would be the same bus under which he also threw his grandmother, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, his church and Tony Rezko when they suddenly became politically-inconvenient."

Center for Individual Freedom

Video: Family Research Council's Tony Perkins Asks Barack Obama When Life Begins

“When you get right down to it. What difference does two or three minutes inside or outside the womb really make? One’s ‘late-term’ and the other’s ‘postpartum’. Who’s to say if the postpartum fetus is truly viable? Postpartum fetuses die all the time for all manner of reasons…”
Senator Barack Obama endorsing infanticide.

Well, Obama obviously knows when he would end life but does he know when it begins? Follow the link at the bottom of this post to watch an interesting video.

Video: When does life begin for Obama?

June 27, 2008

"In a speech this Father's Day at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois, Senator Barack Obama remarked that "We need fathers to recognize that responsibility doesn't just end at conception." I applaud the Senator's observation that fatherhood bears great responsibility. However, Senator Obama's record in Congress shows that he has consistently voted to use taxpayer dollars to end life after conception.

I -- along with with my son Samuel -- recorded a video response to this message in which I ask Senator Obama: if my responsibility as a father began at conception, isn't that when the lives of my children began?"

Tony Perkins

Click the screencap above to watch the video at FRC Action's website.

John McCain for President 2008!

A Leader we can Believe In...John McCain

This is a change election and the choice before the American people is between John McCain who will change this nation to lead us forward and Barack Obama whose change will take us backward.

Barack Obama's agenda for change looks to the failed policies of the past. That's not change we can believe in.

Barack Obama does not have the experience and judgment that we need at this critical time in our nation's history.

Barack Obama's idea of change is that big government is the answer for everything.

The American people recognize that John McCain is a leader we can believe in to protect our country, grow our economy and reform our government.

National Federation of Republican Women

Obama: Promise Breaker

John McCain's campaign has released two new web ads "exposing the truth about Barack Obama."

"The first web ad, "Words," focuses on Senator Obama's broken pledge to the American people on public financing. Although he promised to work with John McCain to preserve the current public financing system, Senator Obama ultimately broke his word. Click here to watch this ad.

The second ad, entitled "Dr. No," spotlights Obama's opposition to providing the American people with short-term, near-term and long-term relief from higher energy prices. Click here to watch this ad.

Also, be sure to watch our latest tv ad, "Purpose," about energy security and John McCain's comprehensive and bipartisan plan. It is airing in target states and on cable news, so be sure to watch it today!"

Facts About the True Cost of Illegal Immigration

Testimony of illegal alien care from 1 Florida hospital

No need to editorialize. Here is a sampling of the sort of facts the politicians and pro-illegal lobby want you to ignore, yet expect you to continue to bear the financial burden. Is it any wonder scores of hospitals in border states and elsewhere have shut down or closed their ER units?

A Step Forward for Consumer Cable Choice

Consumers who are opposed to paying for cable channels they don't want should be heartened. The decision by the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to allow a case to move forward that is a direct challenge to the lack of cable choice available to consumers, according to The Parents Television Council.

"We applaud the federal court's decision allowing the class action antitrust suit to proceed to trial on the merits of the complaint. It is a breath of fresh air to know that cable consumers still have a voice in our court system. Sadly, the consumer's voice in Washington DC and elsewhere has been muted by the cable industry's enormous wallet," said PTC President Tim Winter.

"This lawsuit will directly confront the cable cartel's anti-competitive and anti-consumer product bundling practices. Consumers should be allowed to choose and pay for only the cable networks they want, just like they do when they go to a movie at the Cineplex or to buy a magazine at the newsstand. The cable industry has been defiant in providing choice to consumers and it continues to spend millions to keep its unfair bundling in place. We hope that this lawsuit will pave the way for real change in the industry."

If you're tired of paying for cable TV networks you don't watch and find offensive, visit this cool site: http://HowCableShouldBe.com/ - It lets you vote for the networks you watch and are willing to pay for. It tells you how much you could save if we were allowed to choose. It also lets you send your vote to your representatives in Washington DC so they can help make Cable Choice a reality.

Cuccinelli: Transportation is an excuse to reach into your wallet

Democrat Tax Hike

The Senate Democrats have spent the three days of the special session killing every non-tax-hike transportation proposal that we’ve brought them. So far, three of those alternatives have been mine.

Of course, today they passed Majority Leader Dick Saslaw’s tax hike legislation on a party-line vote, 21-16 (three of our folks were missing). No Republicans voted for the bill.

Saslaw’s bill raises your gas tax 6 cents per gallon statewide. He also has regional components. Amazingly, the centerpiece of the NoVa regional component is a ½ cent sales tax hike – the exact item the voters rejected by referendum in 2002 by a strong 55-45 margin; and the centerpiece of the Hampton Roads regional component is a 1 cent sales tax hike – the exact item the voters rejected by referendum in 2002 by the whopping margin of 62-38.

All of the Hampton Roads Democrats and NoVa Democrats voted for this monstrosity – amazing. Um, democracy anyone?

I pointed out that every family and business in Virginia has had to trim every other part of their budget to move money over to transportation (because of higher gas prices), and it’s about time that our own government should do the same thing.

I proposed a bill (I understand that Delegates Cole and Gear had similar bills on the House side) that would have taken ½ cent of the existing sales tax and moved it over to transportation, starting with the next budget. That would be worth $600 million for transportation in the first year of implementation and no programs would need to be cut because the growth in the general fund (where sales taxes go) will be more than $600 million in the next budget, thus, my proposal would only result in smaller rates of growth in other programs funded out of the general fund. This is what I mean when I say that the state government should trim the other parts of its own budget to fund transportation.

You can guess how my bill was received in the Finance Committee! They killed it.

It makes one wonder, is transportation a priority or isn’t it? The Dems’ answer is clearly ‘no,’ instead, it’s an excuse to reach farther into your wallet.

Yoo Hoo! Governor Kaine?

Gov. Kaine appeared for a joint session on Monday and gave a 30 minute speech to the members of the House and Senate on transportation (before jetting back out to campaign for Obama…?). He was warmly received by the Assembly, but I don’t think he got a single round of applause (even from Democrats) for a single substantive thing he said during the entire speech.

Someone pointed this out to me after the fact, as it had not occurred to me at the time, and I have never, ever, seen anything like that. Kaine and the Democrats are so off-kilter that the Governor couldn’t even get a Democrat in the Senate to introduce his own bill! Amazing. For the record, Saslaw’s bill looks nothing like the Governor’s proposal(s). Furthermore, we haven’t heard a peep out of the Guv since he gave his speech.

I have been through a number of special sessions, and others who have been through many more agree, we have never seen a Governor call a special session with virtually no consensus (nor anything approaching a consensus) about how to proceed. This Governor can’t even get his own fellow Dems to support his proposal!

This is obviously the stuff that Vice-Presidential leadership is made of…

Senator Ken Cuccinelli

Virginia 37th District

Quote of the Day: Beware of Cheap Imitations

"Obama's campaign, as we already know, is little more than a collection of poll-tested catch phrases and symbols, but this latest trick is taking it too far. Americans value our patriotic symbols and understand the sacrifices so many have made to ensure their meaning, whether they be the American flag, the flag lapel pin, the Pledge of Allegiance, or the Presidential seal. Cheap imitations may distract us for a moment, but at the end of the day, voters know the real thing.

Barack Obama has shown us all that he is little more than a cheap imitation of the real thing. He simply believes we will not notice the difference."

Cheri Jacobus

McCain: Praises Ruling to Uphold Second Amendment Rights

“Today’s decision is a landmark victory for Second Amendment freedom in the United States. For this first time in the history of our Republic, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms was and is an individual right as intended by our Founding Fathers. …

“Unlike Senator Obama, who refused to join me in signing a bipartisan amicus brief, I was pleased to express my support and call for the ruling issued today. Today’s ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller makes clear that other municipalities like Chicago that have banned handguns have infringed on the constitutional rights of Americans. Unlike the elitist view that believes Americans cling to guns out of bitterness, today’s ruling recognizes that gun ownership is a fundamental right... This ruling does not mark the end of our struggle against those who seek to limit the rights of law-abiding citizens. We must always remain vigilant in defense of our freedoms.”

Senator John McCain

Gilmore: Supreme Court decision is a victory for the Second Amendment

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Gilmore will vote to protect Second Amendment rights and favors appointing constructionist judges.

Alexandria - Former Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the District of Columbia’s ban on possessing a firearm as a victory for the Second Amendment. “Like all Virginia gun owners, sportsmen and hunters I am pleased by the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the unconstitutional ban on possessing a firearm.”

Gilmore, a member of the Board of Directors for the National Rifle Association, has been an outspoken advocate for the Second Amendment. “I have always believed that personal and responsible firearm ownership is a fundamental right guaranteed to us by the Constitution and we must only punish those who use firearms illegally to commit crimes. As Virginia’s U.S. Senator I will vote to ensure the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens are never infringed upon by the Federal government.”

Gilmore noted “Today is another reminder of the necessity of appointing strict constructionist judges who properly interpret the Constitution.”

Urge Defeat of the Gas Tax Hike

The Virginia Family Foundation's Victoria Cobb urges Virginia taxpayers to contact their legislators (that's Delegate Ed Scott for the 30th District) to help defeat the Democrat's Tax Hike Plan.

The General Assembly today recessed until July 9^th, giving legislators an opportunity to return to their home districts to hear from citizens on the proposed 35 percent increase in the state’s tax on gasoline.

Before leaving, the House of Delegates Committee on Rules defeated Governor Kaine’s proposed tax hike package by a vote of 11-4. Two Democrats joined with Republicans in the overwhelming defeat.

Then, the same committee sent the Senate's gas tax hike to the full House floor without recommendation by the same 11-4 vote.

Governor Kaine’s tax bill was never introduced in the Democrat controlled Senate. Instead, yesterday, Democrats in that chamber passed the gas tax bill patroned by Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-35, Springfield). The bill passed 21-16.

Despite another major hike in the price of oil again today, Senate Democrats are unapologetic in their support for the increase in the gas tax.

The vote by the House rules committee today sets up a political showdown on July 9th when all 100 members of the House will have to go on record for or against the hike.

Before legislators return after the Independence Day holiday, they must hear from you! Please express how much a burden a 35 percent increase in the gas tax will be to your family.

ACTION: Please contact your member of the House of Delegates and urge them to reject an increase in the state tax on gasoline.

Click the link below to log in and send your message: http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/vaff25505045.aspx

Victoria Cobb, President

Virginia Family Foundation

Gov. Kaine and Senate Democrats Vote to Raise Your Taxes

If you like paying more at the pump (and every time you make a purchase), thank a Democrat. In fact, thank our own tax and spend liberal, Virginia State Senator Edd Houck (D-17th), because he must have been thinking of you when he voted to raise the gas tax and the sales tax. Below is the Republican Party of Virginia's response to the Democrat's tax hike plan:

"Senate OKs gas tax increase"

That was the headline in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch. As you likely have read in various news reports, the Democratic-led Senate of Virginia made their views on gas prices loud and clear yesterday: "you're not paying enough".

Legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax) proposes to hike gas taxes 6-cents per gallon statewide; a 5% increase statewide in the sales tax; and increases the sales tax on new car purchases.

That's not all! Saslaw's bill also includes additional tax hikes on hardworking Northern Virginia families -- including even higher sales taxes and increasing the taxes for the privilege to sell your home (we aren't making this stuff up). It is worth noting that this NoVA sales tax hike is the very same one voters rejected in referendum in 2002 by a strong 55-45% vote.

First you have Governor Tim Kaine traveling the Commonwealth attempting to sell the citizens of Virginia on his $1.1 billion tax increase plan, and now you have the Senate Democratic leader upping the ante.

But wait... what ever happened to the Governor's plan? Here's what the Washington Post had to say:

"After a day of fierce partisanship and escalating rhetoric, Senate Democrats ignored a proposal by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), approving a plan that would raise the gas tax over the next six years, increase the statewide sales tax by 0.25 percent and boost the tax on vehicle purchases by 0.5 percent."

With the Governor's mansion and Senate both controlled by Democrats, one would think that they could come together and unify behind some sort of plan to address Virginia's transportation challenges. Guess not.

Democrats have little to offer other than the same tired approach of calling for more of your hard-earned money every time government faces a challenge. Raising taxes is the only solution Democrats seem to ever have.

I wonder if Virginia taxpayers can go to their bosses every time they face tight times? Probably not.

Democrats just don't get it.

At a time when Virginians all across the Commonwealth are paying record, wallet-flattening prices at the gas pump, higher food prices, and also trying to negotiate the uncertainty of an economic slowdown, Democrats in Richmond want you to cut your family budget because government refuses to better prioritize it's budget.

The good news is that your General Assembly Republicans are united in opposing these taxes. Not a single Republican Senator supported the Democrat's tax-and-spend plan.

Most people in Virginia believe that when your state budget doubles in 10 years, there are opportunities to find efficiencies and innovations that can make government serve the people’s needs without always resorting to higher taxes as a solution -- and this is exactly what Republicans in Richmond are working to do to meaningfully address transportation over the long term.

Republican Party of Virginia

Jeffrey M. Frederick, Chairman

Bold, new leadership. Now is the time.

Will This Obama video Wake people UP?

"This video on Obama kept me riveted."

http://www.eyeblast.tv/Public/Video.aspx?rsrcID=2036

John L. Gress, Director

BlueRidge Conservative Coalition, LLC

Support the Federal Marriage Amendment

Join the the Liberty Counsel and send a strong "Save Marriage" message to whichever presidential candidate you choose to receive your message, urging the candidate to make marriage protection a key element in the national debate.

Add your voice to the chorus of thousands of like-minded citizens to protect the sanctity of traditional marriage!

Click here to add your name to this important petition:

http://www.libertyaction.org/r.asp?u=8582&RID=11719588

Information Alert: Senate passes gas tax hike

Democrats don't care about taxpayers, and they don't care about how gas prices are affecting consumers. They only care about taking more money from Virginia's citizens. If you like paying over $4.00 a gallon for gas - thank a Democrat.

"Moments ago the state Senate passed a 35 percent hike in the tax on gasoline 21-16, completely along party lines.

Today has been a wild day at the General Assembly, with House and Senate stragegies emerging more clearly and intense debates in Committees and on the floor of both the House and the Senate."

Read more about today's events at www.familyfoundationblog.com

Victoria Cobb, President

Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 5:36 pm

Quote of the Day

"The alternative minimum tax, established in 1970, is not even indexed to official inflation. So middle-class taxpayers are pushed higher and higher into a tax intended for the ultra-rich. The AMT punishes taxpayers for having children or living in a state with high taxes. Thus being hit with the AMT turns many of the tried and true rules of thumb on taxes upside down. Ironically, many of the wealthiest taxpayers are now avoiding AMT penalties entirely. Those with large incomes pay enough tax to avoid th AMT while the middle class is penalized."

David Moratta, President

Marotta Wealth Management, Inc.

Show Us Your Earmarks

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), the nation's largest taxpayer watchdog group (a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government) with over one million members and supporters nationwide is asking for your help in order to force each member of Congress to 'fess up and disclose their earmark requests.

"CAGW is right now waging an aggressive campaign to determine which members of Congress are willing to pay more than lip service to transparency and accountability. By letter and by phone, we are calling on each member of the House and Senate to disclose the earmark requests they submitted to their respective Appropriations Committees.

But we need your help to hold your elected officials accountable.

I urge you to ask your Representative and Senators to disclose their earmark requests.

The leadership of the 110th Congress took control promising the “most honest, most open, most ethical Congress in history” and we are holding them to their word! While House and Senate rules do not require members of Congress to make their earmark requests available to the public, Americans deserve to know on which pet projects their elected representatives would lavish their hard-earned tax dollars.

Transparency is a vital first step toward eliminating the tens of billions of dollars spent on congressional earmarks annually and ending the “culture of corruption” that earmarking breeds.

Help us promote transparency and accountability by demanding that your Representative and Senators release their earmark requests today!

CAGW is publishing the responses of members of the House and Senate on our website, as well as the lists of earmark requests they provide."

Thomas A. Schatz, President
Citizens Against Government Waste

Gov. Kaine's "Special Tax Session"

Victoria Cobb and The Family Foundation are keeping up with the "Special Tax Session" called by Governor Tim Kaine, on their blog at www.familyfoundationblog.com:

"We aren’t calling it the “transportation session” because instead of dealing honestly with the budget, spending, spending formulas and transportation issues, when politicians get together in “crisis” mode to “solve” a problem, it usually means the knee-jerk, reflexive, easy-way-out approach of taking away more hard-earned money from working families by increasing our taxes.

As they debate this issue we’ll be there to shine the light on them and raise awareness of their actions before it becomes too late by tracking every action in committee and on the floor via our blog’s Capitol Square Diary, the very popular feature we debuted during this past session’s regular session.

You can see our first post from today’s opening floor session at www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=329.

We kicked off our coverage of the special session with two poll questions we hope you vote in: “What do you think will happen at the Special Tax Session?” at www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=325; and, “What should happen?” at www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=326.

Expand on your vote by leaving comments on the two threads.

Let’s start a debate and put forth ideas so our elected officials will know what we think. In the end, however, it is still not enough to defeat these proposed tax increases. We need reforms – reform of VDOT, reform of spending formulas such as the SOQs and reform of budget and tax policy.

Other blog posts this week that you will find of interest include the history of Mark Warner’s deceptions on budget and tax policy – it wasn’t just a one-time play: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=321;

The establishment of a values museum in a historic one-room schoolhouse in Louisa County through the preservation efforts of a black Baptist church and a white United Methodist church: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=324;

A commentary on a Gallup poll indicating that Republican voters are increasingly concerned with the moral direction of the country and the repercussions that has for Republican candidates: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=322;

A preview of the Special Tax Session and a reminder to tell your legislators not to tax away still more of your and other Virginia families’ hard-earned money: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=320;

The Summer return of The Quote Of The Day: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=319;

How two major media implicitly admitted bias: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=318;

A commentary on the homosexual “weddings” taking place in California and the renewed vigor the homosexual lobby now has to take on Virginia’s Marriage Amendment – despite the falsity of their claims: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=316; and

The ethically challenged chief judge of the infamously out-of-touch-liberal U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: www.familyfoundationblog.com/?p=313.

We continue to offer you a unique look at public policy and how it affects our guiding principles of faith, traditional values and limited government. It is commentary that provides dimension, insight, clarity and truth – and a little humor now and then.

Not only do we try to make our commentary unique among the dozens of Virginia political and policy blogs, we try to offer exclusive features including interviews with newsmakers.

In fact, we are working to secure interviews with House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith (R-8, Salem), House Republican Caucus Chairman Sam Nixon (R-27, Chesterfield), Chesterfield County School Board member Omarh Rajah and U.S. Senator Sam Brownback. When we know, you’ll know."

Reducing Gas Prices and Foreign Oil Dependence

Timeless Bush Urges Congress To Expand Domestic Oil Production

President Bush called on Congress to help American families by removing barriers to domestic production of oil and gasoline. For many Americans, there is no more pressing concern than high gasoline prices. Behind them is the basic law of supply and demand. In recent years, the world's demand for oil has grown dramatically.

Meanwhile, the supply of oil has grown much more slowly. As a result, oil prices have risen sharply, and that increase has been reflected at American gas pumps. And now much of the oil consumed in America comes from abroad, including from unstable regions and unfriendly regimes. The Bush Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to expand domestic oil production. Unfortunately, Congressional Democrats have rejected virtually every proposal. Now, Americans are paying the price at the pump for this obstruction.

Congress Needs To Respond Now To The President's Call To Expand Our Domestic Production President Bush asks Democratic Congressional leaders to move forward with four steps to expand American oil and gasoline production. With these four steps, we will take pressure off gas prices over time by expanding the amount of American-made oil and gasoline; strengthen our national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil; and strengthen our ability to convince foreign producers to increase their oil and gas production. The results will not be immediate, but the sooner Congress acts, the sooner Americans will be better off. Specifically, to expand American oil production, Congress should:

1. Increase access to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Experts believe that areas under leasing prohibitions on the OCS could produce about 18 billion barrels of oil. Actual resources may be greater, but we will not know until exploration is allowed. The problem is that Congress has restricted access to much of the OCS since the early 1980s. Since then, advances in technology have made it possible to conduct oil exploration in the OCS that is out of sight, protects coral reefs and habitats, and protects against oil spills. With these advances - and a dramatic increase in oil prices - these Congressional restrictions have become outdated and counterproductive.

Republicans in Congress have proposed several promising bills that would lift the legislative ban on oil exploration in the OCS. President Bush calls on the House and Senate to pass such good legislation as soon as possible. This legislation should give the States the option of opening up OCS resources off their shores and ensure the environment is protected. There is also an Executive prohibition on exploration in the OCS. When Congress lifts the legislative ban, the President will lift this Executive prohibition.

2. Tap into the extraordinary potential of oil shale. Oil shale is a type of rock that can produce oil when exposed to heat or other processes. In one major deposit - the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming - there lies the equivalent of about 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil. If it can be fully recovered, it would equal more than a century's worth of currently projected oil imports.

Oil shale is a highly promising resource. For many years, the high cost of extracting oil from shale exceeded the benefit, but today, companies are investing in technology to make oil shale production more affordable and efficient. While the cost of extracting oil from shale is still more than the cost of traditional production, it is also less than the current market price of oil.

Democrats in Congress are standing in the way of further development. Last year, Democratic leaders used the omnibus spending bill to insert a provision blocking oil shale leasing on Federal lands - President Bush calls on Congress to remove that provision immediately.

3. Permit exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In 1995, Congress passed legislation allowing oil production in a small fraction of ANWR's 19.6 million acres, yet President Clinton vetoed the bill. With a drilling footprint of less than 2,000 acres - about 0.01 percent of this distant Alaskan terrain - America could produce an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil. This is the equivalent of roughly two decades of imported crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

Scientists have developed innovative techniques to reach ANWR's oil with virtually no impact on the land or local wildlife. These techniques are currently being utilized successfully in other areas. President Bush urges Members of Congress to allow this remote region to bring enormous benefits to the American people.

4. Expand and enhance our refinery capacity. It has been 30 years since our Nation built a new refinery, and upgrades in our refining capacity are urgently needed. Refineries are the critical link between crude oil and the gasoline and diesel fuel that drivers put in their tanks. America now imports millions of barrels of fully-refined gasoline from abroad, imposing needless costs on American consumers and depriving American workers of good jobs.

President Bush is proposing measures to expedite the refinery permitting process. The President proposes that challenges to refineries and other related energy project permits must be brought before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals within 60 days of the issuance of a permit decision. In addition, the President proposes that the Secretary of Energy be empowered to establish binding deadlines for permit decisions and to ensure that the various levels of approval required in the refinery permitting process are all handled in a timely way. And Congress should allow new refineries to be built on abandoned military bases. These Proposals Will Take Years To Have Their Full Impact, But That Is No Excuse For Delay For the long run, we are dealing with the demand for oil by promoting alternative energy technologies. President Bush's Administration has worked with Congress to invest in gas-saving technologies like advanced batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, mandated a large expansion in the use of alternative fuels, and raised fuel efficiency standards to ambitious new levels. With all these steps, we are bringing America closer to the day when we can end our addiction to oil.

Building on this progress, President Bush announced the "Twenty in Ten" initiative in his 2007 State of the Union address. Congress responded to this challenge and passed and the President signed, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), which mandates that fuel producers use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel by 2022. EISA also requires a national fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 - which will increase fuel economy by 40 percent and save billions of gallons of fuel.

National Federation of Republican Women

Quote of the Day

"It is ironic that many people use "Islamism" as a figleaf term to avoid speaking about Islam itself; they pretend that the political and imperialistic and supremacist elements of Islam are not deeply rooted within it, but are merely "Islamist" inventions that can with relative ease be eradicated and are already rejected by the Islamic mainstream."

Robert Spencer

More on the Muslim women who attended the Barack Obama rally in Detroit

Investigative reporter Debbie Schlussel... "uncovered the disturbing connections of these Obama supporters...

No doubt many of you are familiar with Debbie’s excellent work. For those of you who are not, I encourage you to check out her blog at debbieschlussel.com. Debbie is a fierce opponent of Islamofascism, and I’m proud to be on the same team with her."

Gary Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

Tell Your Legislators that Raising Taxes Isn't an Option

Below is a message from the new RPV Chairman Jeff Frederick. Follow the links and send a message to your legislators to tell them you are taxed enough. However, if you really believe that Governor Kaine and his Democrat cohorts need your money more than you do, and can spend it better than you can, you can contribute anytime to the "Tax Me More" Fund.

Legislature back in session. Beware!

This morning, members of the General Assembly are on their way to Richmond to convene in special session. Governor Tim Kaine summoned legislators to the Capitol to once again attempt to force a massive tax increase on hard working Virginia families in the name of increasing funding for transportation.

Of course, transportation is a top priority for many Virginians, but with the state budget increasing by nearly 50% in just the last 5 years; state spending at an all time high; and continued growth in state revenues, government doesn't need more of your money.

Democrats, led by Kaine, are proposing billions in tax and "fee" increases, including hikes in the gas tax and sales taxes. At a time when working Virginians are facing skyrocketing gas prices, higher food prices, a collapsed housing market, job insecurity and a sluggish economy, now is exactly the wrong time to ask people to pay yet even more.

After all, it was just 4 years ago that Mark Warner broke his campaign promise and stuck Virginians with the largest tax increase in our long 400 year history.

Luckily, General Assembly Republicans are united in opposing these tax hikes. Republican Delegates and Senators are hard at work to constitutionally lock the transportation trust fund; dedicate existing revenues to transportation; implement more public-private partnerships to build and expand roads; and to enact comprehensive reform of VDOT, including auditing the agency and the prioritization of projects based on 21 Century metrics, like eliminating or reducing congestion.

Yet, your legislators need to hear from you. Write your Delegate and state Senator and urge them to oppose higher taxes and fees (click here).

Forward this [information] to your friends and family so they can make their voice heard!

Now is not the time for government to require you to cut your family budgets because government won't better prioritize its budget.

Send a message now to your legislators telling them that raising taxes isn't always the solution to every challenge.

Republican Party of Virginia

Jeffrey M. Frederick, Chairman

Obama Plans to Disarm America

Making the email rounds: this video should be required viewing for every voter, at least those who are concerned about national security.

"This should get your dander up.

This is an uninterrupted 51-second video of Obama speaking; he's telling us exactly what he will do to the military...watch it before this too is removed off the web site.

Pass it on... the USA needs a Wake-up call.

Obama Plans to Disarm America

This is absolutely shocking & reprehensible. He plans to unilaterally disarm our nation.The question is... for what? And more specifically, for whom ?!!!!!!!!"

Melva

Quote of the Day

"The Democrats have said for over 20 years and continue to say that “it will take ten years to extract any oil if we started to drill today.” First of all, that fact is disputed. With new technology, some believe that extraction can begin in 2 years or less. Second, this is the same argument Democrats have used for decades to block drilling. However, using the Dems’ own verbiage, had we lifted the ban on drilling ten years ago it’s doubtful we would be in the predicament we find ourselves today. In essence, we would probably already be energy independent."

SherZieve

We Can Drill Our Way Out of This

The New Media Journal

Advocacy Journalism

Warner Todd Houston has an excellent article at Newsbusters describing how Democrat operatives, masquerading as journalists, have been willingly enthralled by Barack Hussein Obama's overtly communist-style presentation of himself as a messiah.

Click here to go to the article.

George Will's article at Townhall.com details Obama's hate mongering lies about race and crime. Obama presented himself as a candidate who supposedly didn't want to make the election about race, but evidently that was just another lie.

Click here to go to the article.

Quote of the Day

"America's deep ocean energy reserves are estimated to hold more than 600 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas resources and 100 billion barrels of oil." That's enough natural gas to heat 100 million homes and enough oil to replace Middle East imports for decades. With Americans suffering at the gas pump and with higher energy bills, it's a no-brainer that the OCS [Outer Continental Shelf] should be developed."

Greg Schnacke, President of Americans for American Energy, a national grassroots group that promotes greater domestic energy production and less reliance on foreign energy.

Strike back and silence this attempt at censorship!

In the Democrat's perfect world, Americans would only be allowed to think the way they tell us to. To facilitate this, Democrats are once again pushing the so-called Fairness Doctrine, another left-wing attempt to silence diversity of thought in America. The Media Research Center, needs you to sign their special Citizen Petition to stop this Marxist grab for control of the air.

"Even though they virtually dominate the media on television and in print, liberals are now poised to go after the top prize: talk radio.

Despite the fact that there is no market for their radical ideas, they are building the case to use the FCC to censor free speech by resurrecting the Fairness Doctrine -- a blatant form of government control of ideas that could banish the conservative voice from the airwaves!

Right now, a bill is being prevented from getting to the floor for a vote by liberal leadership in Congress. This bill - the Broadcaster Freedom Act -- would permanently ban the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" and bring about true Radio Independence once and for all.

Conservative Action Awaits

Each year, we celebrate our country's Independence on July 4. This year, we’d like to celebrate Radio Independence Day, but we need your help!

We must join together to save the free debate of ideas from government censorship! That's why we're asking you to sign our special Citizen Petition to stop the Fairness Doctrine. Please go here now:

http://www.mrcaction.org/512/petition.asp?pid=16837381

Timing is Critical

We want to present Congressional leadership with at least 100,000 petitions demanding the Broadcaster Freedom Act be brought to a full floor vote before the Fourth of July!

Every member of Congress needs to go on record on this vital First Amendment issue -- but we need your help, first.

This bill will languish in committee unless we can rally members of the House to sign a "discharge" petition that would bring the bill to the House floor for a vote.

Right now, 194 members of Congress have signed the discharge petition, but getting the remaining 24 signatures--the key signatures we need will require a massive grassroots effort!

That's why we need you to sign this petition right now and help make this July 4 Radio Independence Day.

Please go here:

http://www.mrcaction.org/512/petition.asp?pid=16837381

Our Full Commitment

Let's face it. The Left still dominates the mainstream media. The last main barrier to total control is conservative talk radio!

Imagine a world without Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Mark Levin or Laura Ingraham.

That is why we are dedicating every possible resource at the MRC's disposal to fighting this effort to gag conservative ideas. We must keep talk radio free and independent of government control.

It is time to rally for Radio Independence Day, and we're counting on you to help us strike back and silence this attempt at censorship!

Thank you in advance for taking a stand to ensure that conservatives have a voice in our society."

Douglas C. Mills
, Executive Director

Media Research Center