Obama Backs Ground Zero Mosque

By LD Jackson of Political Realities 

For months now, there has been an ongoing debate about the proposed construction of a Muslim mosque near the area in lower Manhattan now known as Ground Zero. I seriously doubt anyone needs a reminder that this is the area where nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Those events are indelibly embedded in the minds of all Americans. This debate is going on, not just in New York, but across the nation, with politicians from both parties coming down on one side or the other. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a strong supporter of the mosque and it seems that at every turn, those who oppose the mosque are turned away. Efforts to get one building declared a national landmark failed and the plans for the mosque moved forward. On Friday, those supporters got a show of support from none other than President Barack Obama. Here is some of what he had to say, from CNN.

President Obama threw his support behind a controversial proposal to build an Islamic center and mosque near New York’s ground zero, saying Friday that “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.”
“That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances,” Obama said at a White House Iftar dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Obama, who said he was speaking both as a citizen and as president, invoked the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which critics of the Islamic center cite as the main reason for preventing its construction.
“We must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. “The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country.”
“The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable,” he continued. “So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.”
But Obama said one “reason that we will win this fight” against terrorism is “our capacity to show not merely tolerance, but respect to those who are different from us — a way of life that stands in stark contrast to the nihilism of those who attacked us on that September morning, and who continue to plot against us today.”
“This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable,” Obama said. “The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure.”

Let me say, as clearly as I know how, I strongly believe in the freedom of religion in America. It is a very strong part of the foundation our country was built on. Let me also say, as clearly as I know how, that no matter how President Obama invokes that freedom in his support of the mosque, that is not the real issue here. It is being used to deflect our attention away from what is at stake here. Admittedly, I have never been a supporter of the President, but in throwing his support behind the building of the mosque, he has certainly not endeared himself to my heart. I feel like we are being betrayed and I do not say that lightly.
I pose this question to you, my readers. It is a question that has already been asked by former Republican Senator Rick Santorum. How would you react if you learned that a minister who wants to build a church near the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed and it was known that this minister preached racial separation and that King’s death was his own fault? I know that is a hypothetical question, but would it not be the ultimate insult to a man who probably did more to combat racism in America than any other individual? I think we could all agree that would be the case and the minister should find some other piece of land to build his church.
In my opinion, there is little to no difference in that hypothetical situation and the plans now underway to build the mosque near ground zero. If you disagree with that, let me remind you that the one and only reason Islamic terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania is because they hated America and her policies. They felt their religion demanded such action and they followed through with a sequence of events that resulted in the deaths of around 3,000 people. In light of that, I fail to understand how anyone could invoke the freedom of religion clause of our Constitution and say Muslims should be allowed to build this mosque.
We hear a lot these days about how Islam is a religion of peace, but for the most part, it has shown itself to be anything but. I realize the Muslims who are pushing for the right to build this mosque probably had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11, but if they really believe in America and in the freedom of religion we all hold so dear, they would take the honorable course of action and find another location on which to build. Doing anything less is a slap in the face to the victims of the attacks and to the freedoms we have in America. Let them build their mosque, but let them build it far away from the place that claimed so many innocent lives. A line has to be drawn somewhere and ground zero is a good place to start.
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Serious Ballot Measures Deserve Our Attention

80 days until election day!  Several statewide candidates, district candidates, county, and city candidates.  US Senatorial and Congressional candidates.  That's a lot of candidates on which to educate yourself!

Speaking of education, a decision we must make in November, voting yes or NO on State Question 744.  The gist of the state question, is that we must bring funding levels in Oklahoma up to the same level as the regional average.  A region that includes Texas in its funding average, but won't include Oklahoma.  That's right, the formula will NOT include Oklahoma.

Several key politicians in our state including Janet Barresi, Mary Fallin, Todd Lamb, and Randy Brogdon are against the measure.  It's estimated to cost the state of Oklahoma $850 million dollars, but doesn't provide a way to generate the revenue.  What does that mean?  Cutting funding for other areas or tax increases.

At a recent gubernatorial forum, Jari Askins, Drew Edmondson, and Randy Brogdon all agreed that the ballot measure would be bad for Oklahoma.

“If it looks like it has momentum and may pass, I may speak out more publicly than I already have.”
- Governor Brad Henry to Oklahoman Editorial Board after saying he opposes SQ 744
 
 
 ”I want to make our schools better and I want every child in this state to get a good education. Unfortunately, SQ 744 doesn’t do that. What it does do is place an enormous unfunded mandate on the state at the worst possible time: right in the middle of a recession and a serious budget crisis.”- Oklahoma Congresswoman Mary Fallin
 
 
“It has consequences far beyond what the promoters believe.  It will cause problems.”
- Lt. Governor Jari Askins
 
 
 ”I haven’t heard anything that would convince me to be in favor of it.”
- Attorney General Drew Edmondson

Yet a recent poll says the voters are in favor of the measure.  65% of those polled intend on voting yes on SQ 744.  To add fuel to the fire the National Education Assoc. has donated $3 million to the proponents of ballot measure.  That's more than either candidate running for governor will spend.

Talking to one local TV station, they reported that the Yes on 744 campaign had already placed an advertising buy on their station in excess of $200,000.  That's just on one TV station.  Get ready for an ad war this election cycle.  This one may be so intense we may forget who's running for governor.

Televised Debate Scheduled for Statewide Candidates

So the gauntlet has been thrown down - a televised debate with a notable moderator.  Let's see who accepts the invite.  I know I'll be there.

Thursday, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m.

Presented by

The Claremore Chamber of Commerce and RSU Public TV

In partnership with RSU and the Claremore Daily Progress

EVENT DETAILS:

·         Statewide Candidates* on the General Election Ballot are invited to participate in this public event.

·         Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Labor Commissioner (others will be invited as space and time permits)

·         This event will be open to the public and be broadcast live via RSU Public TV, RSU Radio and Internet streaming reaching a the eastern half of the State of Oklahoma and beyond. The live broadcast has a potential audience of 1.3 million viewers through RSU Public TV’s primary signal coverage and broadcast through Cable services.  (TV coverage area map and cable listings attached).

·         The RSU Centennial Center venue seats a live audience of 600 for in-person attendance.

·         Full details of the Forum format will be made available to all participants prior to the event.

·        Moderated by Emmy Winning TV Journalist Cindy Morrison, Tulsa

Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin to skip fundraiser, Jeb Bush still to appear

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin will not make it to this evening’s fundraiser for her campaign featuring former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Fallin, an Oklahoma City congresswoman representing Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, flew to Washington because House members are to consider a bill to beef up border security, a campaign spokesman said today.

Fallin also will not appear at today’s meeting of the Oklahoma Federation of Republican Women in Tulsa. State Rep. Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa, will fill in for her during the noon hour event.

Bush is to appear this evening at a private fundraiser for Falllin, who passed up seeking re-election to run for governor. The fundraiser is at the home of former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys. Because of term limits, Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush and the son of former President George H.W. Bush, could not seek a third term as governor.

Obama Earmarks $1 Billion in Stimulus Money for Company in Illinois

Posted by Brian Darling

REDSTATE

The biggest earmark in American history has been doled out to a company in Illinois, the President’s home state, in the name of green jobs.  The President’s $862 billion Stimulus plan has been an abysmal failure.  It provided states and localities with billions in bailout moneys, funded wasteful projects like the Monkey cocaine study at Wake Forest and given false hope to Americans that the President has ideas to turn around the economy.  This earmark is an outrage and the signature project of the President’s Stimulus plan.   Thankfully, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is sounding the alarm bells and educating the American people to this new Obama outrage.

President Obama is earmarking $1 billion in Stimulus money “to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network” in his home state of Illinois.  According to a Department of Energy press release, this billion is being provided to ”FutureGen Alliance, Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Costruction, Inc. to build FutureGen 2.0, a clean coal repowering program and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage network.”  That is right — $1 billion.  This is the largest earmark of money in U.S. history and they are taking money right out of your pocket to pay for it. 

The Department of Energy projects 1,900 jobs as a result of $1,000,000,000 in new spending.  This works out to $526,315.79 of your tax dollars spent per job.  A half million dollars per job seems to be a bad deal for the taxpayer. Of more concern to the taxpayer, Senator Tom Coburn believes this project to be more about bringing home pork to Illinois than providing stimulus to average Americans.

According to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu yesterday:

Today’s announcement will help ensure the US remains competitive in a carbon constrained economy, creating jobs while reducing greenhouse gas pollution.  This investment in the world’s first, commercial-scale, oxy-combustion power plant will help to open up the over $300 billion market for coal unit repowering and position the country as a leader in an important part of the global clean energy economy

Although the President promised to keep the $862 billion stimulus plan free from earmarks, this project was an earmark in the Stimulus, yet the Washington Post reported on March 6, 2009:

Deep inside the economic stimulus package is a $1 billion prize that, in five short words, shows the benefits of being in power in Washington.  The funding, for “fossil energy research and development,” is likely to go to a power plant in a small Illinois town, a project whose longtime backers include a group of powerful lawmakers from the state, among them President Obama.

Now, the Department of Energy has announced the $1 billion in funding for the earmark in President Obama’s home state.  This earmark funnels tax dollars from Americans to Illinois.  Senator Tom Coburn criticized the first version of this project, FutureGen 1.0, and an argues that this project calls in to question President Obama’s Stimulus plan. 

Senator Coburn said of the $1 billion earmark:

This costly and gratuitous earmark further calls into question the integrity of the Recovery Act. This decision appears to have more to do with politics and geography than science. FutureGen 1.0 was called ‘YesterGen’ because it had little scientific value. Now, taxpayers are being forced to finance the largest pork-barrel project in our nation’s history with borrowed money. Adding another $1 billion to our debt for a dubious project will only delay our recovery. 

Coburn isn’t the only one concerned.  Some greenies on left argue that this project is not efficient and will not do enough to protect the environment.  The original FutureGen plan was scaled back and the promises of capturing 90% of carbon emissions became a promise FutureGen could not keep. 

The environmental group, the Clean Air Taskforce, was quoted in the Wyoming Business Report:

The reinstatement of FutureGen should be an important milestone and a day for celebration.  Unfortunately, it is not. In scaling back the amount of carbon the plant will capture from 90 percent to 60 percent in order to cut costs, the Obama Administration has turned FutureGen to YesterGen.

For months, the Obama Administration and Congress said that the Stimulus language was not an earmark for this company in Illinois.  We now know that assertion to be false.  The actions yesterday from Secretary of Energy Steven Chu confirm suspicions that this is the biggest earmark in American history.  FutureGen in Matoon, Illinois gets $1 billion and average Americans are provided with the bill. 

President Obama, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Secretary Chu need to explain to the American people how this happened.  How did this earmark get into the Stimulus?  Why is the Obama Administration funnelling $1 billion into Illinois for a project of dubious effectiveness.  Unemployment today stands at 9.5% and the Stimulus has proven to have had no effect on unemployment rates. 

Ths President’s Stimulus is a failure and many on the Hill are concerned about this project as evidence of special treatment for some companies in the President’s home state.  This is exactly the type of waste, fraud and abuse that motivate average Americans to join the Tea Party movement to continue to distrust the federal government.

Brogdon Endorses District 27 Republican

Josh Cockroft running for State House District 27 received a nice little nugget along the campaign trail:  an endorsement from former gubernatorial candidate and tea party darling - Sen. Randy Brogdon.

At the age of 21, Cockroft is one of the youngest candidates to run for office this year. He managed to gather 744 votes, or 38.10 percent, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board's unofficial results.  On Aug. 24, he will face Richard Bennett in a runoff for the party's nomination.   Bennett, received 456 votes, with 23.35 percent, enough to advance to the runoff with Cockroft.

The winner of the primary on Aug. 24, will face Democrat Chris Odneal in the general election.

Pinnell Touts Unity

Republican Party chairman, Matt Pinnell, said the competitive primary race between Brogdon and Fallin was good for the party and energized a new crop of conservative Oklahoma voters.

"I think it's made Mary a better general election candidate, having to go head to head against Randy," Pinnell said. "As long as we're unified going forward and get those 40 percent who voted for Randy in the primary to vote for Mary and our statewide slate, then that's what I'm focused on."

That remains to be seen, many in the Tea Party movement still hold a grudge against Fallin and doesn't see many differences between she and Jari Askins.

Registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans in Oklahoma, about 49 percent to 40 percent, but trends defy those numbers: The state hasn't voted Democratic in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Any way you look at it, this race is shaping up to be a lot closer than the early poll numbers are showing.

Coburn Blasts the NEA and SQ 744

In a statement today about emergency school aid to Oklahoma and other states, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, blasted the National Education Association and State Question 744, which will be on the ballot in Oklahoma in November and would require a guaranteed level of funding for education in the state.

“Nowhere does the U.S. Constitution give Congress the authority to be responsible for teacher pay in Oklahoma. Teacher pay is a state and local function that should be performed at the state and local level,” Coburn said.
“During this debate I was also reminded why I believe organizations like the NEA are responsible for creating this crisis. President Dennis Van Roekel claimed that my ‘vote reflected a troubling lack of understanding about the impact of this crisis on our students, our communities, and our nation.’ Yet, it is the NEA itself that helped create this crisis by protecting a monopoly of mediocrity in our public education system that is threatening the ability of our workforce to compete in a global economy.
“The union’s critique is especially troubling given the fiscal damage the union is actively working to inflict on the State of Oklahoma. The NEA plans to spend up to $3 million on an Oklahoma School Funding Initiative slated to be on the ballot this November (State Question 744) which would require the legislature to raise school per-pupil spending to the regional average. This is a wrong-headed proposal. Studies show it is the quality of the teacher – not class size or pay level – that determines outcomes for students.
“Plus, this proposal would cost taxpayers in Oklahoma $1.7 billion in its three-year phase-in period alone. The Oklahoma Policy Institute says this initiative ‘would create real and serious damage to the state of Oklahoma.
“If anyone has demonstrated a ‘lack of understanding,’ it is organizations like the NEA who block real reform while spending millions on initiatives that will create a severe funding shortage for all other functions of our state government.”

NewsOK: Inhofe Ad a Mistake

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT  

Published: August 7, 2010A 12-year-old commercial, in which Oklahoma's senior U.S. senator speaks favorably of former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Crawford, aired by mistake, a Cox Communications spokeswoman said Friday. "It looks like human error, so it was our fault," Christine Martin said. "It just ran a couple times."John Doak, Crawford's GOP opponent in the Aug. 24 primary runoff election, issued a news release Friday criticizing Crawford for airing the ad.He said Crawford recycled the commercial to mislead voters.Crawford said he never intended for the ad to run and didn't know it aired until Mark Croucher, another GOP candidate who failed to advance after last week's primary election, told him about it."It was just an error on their part, and that's all I can say," Crawford said. "I don't think it hurt anything because I don't think it showed more than two or three times."

What happened?

Martin said the mistake occurred when Crawford came to Cox and brought along a copy of a 1998 TV ad in which Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, endorsed Crawford for insurance commissioner. Crawford brought the ad along to see about getting a similar ad, without the endorsement, produced.After the meeting, someone at Cox misunderstood what had been discussed, and thinking the 1998 ad was an actual ad, set it up to play during cable television programming, Martin said.The mistake was caught in a short time, she said, and letters explaining what had happened were sent to Crawford and to Inhofe.Doak used his news release to bring up again that Crawford, elected insurance commissioner in 1994, was the target of an investigation by the FBI before losing his bid in 1998 to be re-elected as insurance commissioner.Crawford never was charged with a crime.As far as Inhofe is concerned, a spokesman said the senator avoids making endorsements before Republican voters select their nominees."Senator Inhofe has a policy of not endorsing (candidates) in the primary season," said Jared Young, Inhofe's communications director. "Once the primary is over, then he will look at who is in the race and consider who, if anyone, he wants to endorse."Crawford won 41.7 percent of the votes in the July 27 primary in a three-candidate race. Doak finished second with 39.1 percent and Croucher won 19.2 percent.

Tax Free Weekend!

Beginning at 12:01 am on Friday, August 6, 2010 and ending at twelve midnight on Sunday, August 8, 2010, Oklahoma will hold a sales tax holiday giving shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain clothing and shoes free of sales tax. This includes state and any local sales taxes.

Retailers are required to participate and may not charge tax on items that are legally tax-exempt during the sales tax holiday. The sales tax holiday exempts the sale of clothing and shoes priced at less than $100 from sales taxes.