Illegal Executive Order?~Amnesty For Millions

No longer a Nation of Laws, (at least if you have been paying attention to this administration), we are led by a group that seems hell bent on turning this wonderful experiment upside down.

We now face the gravest threat this Republic has ever seen. Democrats are so horrified at their prospects for the fall elections and future elections have been engaged in some really vile secretive activity. What is the fix that this vile group of thugs are seeking to do?

Amnesty by Executive Order.

Like a thief in the dark of night it is their intent to give lawbreakers our rights.

Let me be really clear. I am against any form of amnesty for illegal aliens.

My personal position is that it is much more fiscally responsible to round up every single last illegal and thier anchor babies and send them packing to their country of origin. I am not in favor of any back of the line list anything for those whose first step on our soil is to break the law.

I am also really tired of elected officials on every level justifying not enforcing our laws.

Those that continue ignoring their sworn duty need to be removed from office, by ballot or impeachment, or arrest for aiding and abetting law breakers. ALL OF THEM.

Our elected officials seem to need some Constitutional tutoring, at best and many just need to be voted out of office.

Bill O'Reilly said according to this release http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/barack-obama-impeachment-illegal/2010/06/26/id/363160?s=al&promo_code=A296-1e/barack-obama-impeachment-illegal/2010/06/26/id/363160?s=al&promo_code=A296-1 "Fox News' Bill O'Reilly is warning that if President Barack Obama ever bypasses Congress and uses his pardon power to make millions of illegal aliens citizens, he could face serious calls for his impeachment.

“If President Obama were to sign an executive order giving illegal aliens amnesty, his career would be over and an impeachment movement would explode,” O'Reilly said Friday night on his “Talking Points” segment during his top-rated Fox show.

And then there is this, from an unnamed but reliable source as indicated in the link.

..."The White House would not confirm or deny the claim. It's unclear what section of the illegal immigrant population such a move would target. But the former Bush official said the discussions are real.

"The administration at the very minimum is studying legal ways to legalize people without having to go through any congressional debate about it," the source said, calling the senators' claim credible. "Whether somebody pulls the trigger on that, that's another issue." this quote is from: http://tinyurl.com/2dz3had

"The senators -- Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; David Vitter, R-La.; Jim Bunning, R-Ky.; Saxby Chambliss, Ga.; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.; James Inhofe, R-Okla.; and Thad Cochran, R-Miss. -- claimed in their letter that the administration was looking at extending what is known as deferred action or parole to millions of illegal aliens in the United States." this from, http://www.gopusa.com/fresh-ink/2010/06/amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-by-executive-order.php

Can anyone in their right mind think that giving amnesty to somewhere between 13-20 Million Illegal Aliens, is something that this nation supports?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/25/congress.immigration.reform/index.html

"In late May, a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed that six in 10 respondents found that the federal government should focus on stopping the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S., deporting those already here and supporting more border security."

From Pronk Palisades, here is a link filled with incredible detail for you to use and a vast amount of information and videos about precisely what is underway deep inside the Whitehouse for you to watch. http://tinyurl.com/2c69nwo

Pronk says on his blog: "Comprehensive immigration reform is a code word for amnesty for illegal aliens which President Obama fully supports."

President Obama is seriously considering issuing an executive order that would give nearly 20 million illegal aliens amnesty and eventually full U.S. citizenship.

Should President Obama actually go forward with such an order, he would guarantee the defeat of most Democratic Party candidates running for reelection in 2010 and 2012 as well as his own impeachment and conviction under the U.S. Constitution."

This may explain why Janet Napolitano has gone missing and what she has been up to as indicated in the letter sent by Sens. Grassley, Hatch (R-Utah), Vitter (R-La.), Bunning (R-Ky.), Chambliss (R-Ga.), Isakson (R-Ga.), Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Cochran (R-Miss.).

Pronk goes on to say: “…Several Senators have learned of a possible plan by the Obama Administration that would provide a mass Amnesty for the nation’s 11-18 million illegal aliens. Led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), eight Senators addressed a letter to the President asking for answers to questions about a plan that would allow DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to provide an amnesty if they can’t secure enough votes for a bill in the Senate. …”

Rasmussen says, in this poll that 58% of Americans say no to anchor babies, http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/58_say_no_to_citizenship_for_children_of_illegal_immigrants

Instead of reducing taxes to spur growth this President and his administration is running Public Service Announcements for illegals who should turn their empoyers in if they feel they are being unfairly compensated.

Instead of assisting border states, Eric Holder at the direction of President Obama is planning to sue Arizona.

Instead of marshalling every thing that they can to stop the devastation of the gulf, they have been in the bowels of the Whitehouse concocting this nation breaking nonsense.

Instead of passing a budget The Congress has passed yet another unread piece of Legislation that the Democratic Leadership says you will know what is in the bill once it has passed.

Numbers USA provides an easy and free service to fax elected officials in Washington DC with a petition that you can sign and they will fax for you.
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/

Grassfire also has a fax service, however they do charge a nominal fee and you can select the number of representatives you wish to have sent faxes.

http://grassfire.com/117/petition.asp

Here is a piece from The Heritage Foudation on Illegal Immigration,
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/03/Time-to-Stop-the-Rush-For-Amnesty-Immigration-Reform

A Hat Too Big~A Commander In Chief Too Small

The hat is too big. The man is too small. His animus for the military remains unabated.

Obama is a deeply flawed commander-in-chief, who believes in a Post Modern America, under whose guidance the battlefield and war have been named 'overseas contingency areas' and he has no stomach to fight a war on terror.

No matter how tough he talks or who he bullies, his 'small' hidden persona is always there, and much of America now views Obama as ineffective.

Americans can now clearly see the C.I.C. is naked and that just like the picture the hat does not fit.

A recent publication of an article in Rolling Stone resulted in the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal over off color and disparaging comments of both Eikenberry and Ambassador Holder.

The article written by the Pentagon embedded writer from Rolling Stone can be found here. It is difficult to understand why career officers would be so careless. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236

McChrystal voted for Obama. McChrystal was the architect of the planned surge in Afghanistan. Obama waited for for months to respond to his request for troops, and we are still not at the requested surge strength. He is a storied Black Ops Ranger and his unit was responsible for many of the great successes and captures in Iraq. McChrystal is also responsible for many of the varying difficult rules of engagement. The rules of engagement are equal in their lunacy to the infamous novel and movie, Catch 22.

From: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/mcchrystals-real-offense-96873364.html

..."One soldier shows me the list of new regulations the platoon was given. “Patrol only in areas that you are reasonably certain that you will not have to defend yourselves with lethal force,” the laminated card reads. For a soldier who has traveled halfway around the world to fight, that’s like telling a cop he should only patrol in areas where he knows he won’t have to make arrests. “Does that make any f–king sense?” Pfc. Jared Pautsch. “We should just drop a f–king bomb on this place. You sit and ask yourself: What are we doing here?”

http://www.captainsjournal.com/2009/06/23/changes-to-the-rules-of-engagement-for-afghanistan/

The commander in Chief (despite what he said in the Whitehouse Rose Garden ) happily accepted McChrystal's reassignment, and did not offer him a reassignment or another position, in effect forcing a proud warriors retirement. In effect sending a loud message to the upper ranks of the military.

Good field generals are hard to come by, and the bench is not deep. The likely choice, to fill this big gap and who Obama Maximus called to rescue our efforts in Afghanistan, is none other than the Commander of Centcom, Four Star General Petraeus, author of the surge in Iraq.
This is a demotion for the Centcom Commander and will require him to fill both positions.

Before the elections, MoveOn.org ran an infamous insulting full page ad in the New York Times.

Here is both a quote lifted from a hearing where Senator Obama gives Petreaus a lecture http://thefaithfulskeptic.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/barack-obama-raises-the-bar/
and it can seen in this You tube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9wtAqXq7Sg&feature=player_embedded

"..It is to suggest that if the American people and the Congress had understood then that after devoting $1 trillion, which is what this thing optimistically will end up having cost, thousands of American lives, the creation of an environment in which Al Qaida in Iraq
could operate because it didn’t exist prior to our invasion, that we have increased terrorist recruitment around the world, that Iran has been strengthened, that bin Laden and Al Qaida are stronger than at any time since 2001, and that the process of Iraqi reconstruction and their standard of living would continue to be lower than it was pre- invasion, that if that had been the deal, I think most people would have said that’s a bad deal, that does not make sense, that does not serve the United States’ strategic interests.

And so I think that some of the frustration you hear from some of the questioners is that we have now set the bar so low that modest improvement in what was a completely chaotic situation, to the point where now we just have the levels of intolerable violence that existed in June of 2006 is considered success, and it’s not.

Petreaus was brutalized by MoveOn.org in a full page ad in the New York times, and this week was gracious enough to take basically a demotion to fill McChrystal's swift departure, and save Obama from himself.

Hillary Clinton dressed him down in front of the Senate, telling General Petraeus that his progress report on Iraq required “a willing suspension of disbelief,” all but calling Petraeus a liar.

The Senate voted to condemn the “General Betray Us” in an effort to show respect for a worthy and honorable leader over sliming of David Petraeus by Moveon.Org in the now infamous ad. (Which MoveOn.org has now scrubbed from all of their sites.)

None of the Democrat presidential candidates supported it. Obama had voted on another bill half an hour earlier, but didn’t have the courage or integrity to vote to condemn those who attacked a great general at war. He essentially voted “present” yet again. And Hillary Clinton literally voted in agreement with MoveOn.org.

The recorded votes of the Senate can be found here, http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00344if you will note, there were three Senators who did not vote: Biden (D-DE), Cantwell (D-WA), and Obama (D-IL).

After how rudely those in this administration treated Petraeus in hearings prior to the election, with all of their declarations that the War in Iraq was lost, that our soldiers monsters and that Petraeus' surge would be a disaster, I am amazed this honorable heroic man is still willing to answer his country's call.

It is hard to imagine how any military man would be willing to take on this challenge since the Obama administration has set our surrender date as July 2011.

Is there anyone out there that can explain to me how Obama is worthy of being Commander in Chief?

Federal Anarchy And Illegal Immigration

When did it become acceptable for elected officials who are sworn to uphold and defend the laws of cities, towns, counties, states and the Federal government to pick and choose which laws are enforced?

No matter the administration, those on the right or left side of the aisle, our elected leaders at many levels have failed in their sworn duty to uphold and enforce US law.

Their collective failure is beyond despicable.

In 1989 when the first Immigration Reform Bill became law many promises were made. Found here, in a study of INS numbers it showed that the population of illegal aliens had blossomed in 1997 to 5 million, http://www.cis.org/1996IllegalImmigrantPopulation-INS

In 1989, our government promised to seal the border.

In 1989, our government promised to make sure that all who worked in the United States would be legal citizens or have 'green' cards.

Since 1989, every employer did and still does have to be certain that an
I-9 is on file to prove that the person hired has proper photo identification and a valid Social Security Card, and can legally work in the United States, all of them, including santuary cities.

Since that law was passed the sieve that has become our southern border is shameful.

Our immigration problems rage out of control.

In direct violation of the 1996 federal law , the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act ( IIRIRA ) many cities both large and small have chosen to designate themselves as sanctuary cities. The IIRIRA law of 1996 requires local governments to cooperate with Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

However many large urban cities and some small communities have adopted what are called "sanctuary policies." In broader terms, this means that sanctuary policies instruct city employees to break Federal law and not report the presence of illegal aliens living in their communities to the federal government. The policies also end the distinction between legal and illegal immigration--so illegal aliens often benefit from city services too.

Nationally the impact of this lunacy has caused an explosion of budget strains for every state with a border common to Mexico. Healthcare, education, law enforcement and community services provided to these law breakers are wrecking economies in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

A list of sanctuary cities can be found here, http://www.ojjpac.org/sanctuary.asp

As a direct result of administrations from both sides of the aisle's refusal to enforce federal law and make our borders secure, along with policies that enable those who have entered this country illegally to take advantage of don't ask don't tell employment practices we now have over 13 million illegal aliens in the United States.

Phoenix Arizona is second only to narco terrorist states as the kidnapping capitol of the world. http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2009/02/13/kidnapping-capital-of-the-usa-phoenix-arizona/

Due to the refusal of the United states government and officials to enforce United States law, Arizona was forced to take action and passed SB1070, seen here, http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2009/02/13/kidnapping-capital-of-the-usa-phoenix-arizona/

What have geniuses in this administration done? In a continued disingenuous play for votes this administration has decided to file suit against Arizona over a state law enacted to reaffirm Federal Law. Holder is suing Arizona, for buttressing and enforcing current Federal Law. http://www.thefoxnation.com/arizona-immigration-law/2010/06/22/mexico-and-holder-both-suing-az http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/22/mexico-files-lawsuit-overturn-arizona-immigration-law/

Obama Promised 1200 troops along the border. But these troops are not sent to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, but to have desk jobs. John Morton, who heads U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona officials.http://www.alipac.us/article-topic-32.html .

The Federal government has closed a National Park on the border in effect ceding United States property to narco terrorist from Mexico. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/22/mexican-gangs-permanent-lookouts-parkland/


Mexico has determined to join the Holder led Justice Department to join in the suit to be filed by the Federal Government against the State of Arizona. http://tinyurl.com/2bref2d


Hilda Solis has made several PSA's in more than one stunning public service announcement with complete disregard to the law and the fact that illegal aliens who have no right to a job in the United States, has asked them to turn their employers in for unequal pay practices. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_dIWgY7Hms

It is rumored that Obama intends to by fiat issue an Executive Order granting all 13 million illegal aliens amnesty, and a response by Senators can be found here,

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/june-21-2010/senators-challenge-pres-obama-rumors-executive-order-amnesty.html

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/06/21/obama-cracks-down

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9GGGM001&show_article=1

Windy City Shakedown~And the Hollow Bully Pulpit

On January 20, 2008 a cold wind blew into the mall at the Capitol. America in her graciousness and altruism had elected the first sort of 'black' man to be President of the United States Of America, however he threw his white heritage under the bus years ago.

Now nearly 18 months later I wonder how many Americans wish they had not voted for this great pretender.

It was a momentus day. A day of history. There was pageantry, with ruffles and flourishes and a stuttered swearing in. I could coin Biden's famous four word qoute that starts off, "This is a big ______ deal" And it was.

The man with the thinnest resume ever, who had never even managed a lemonade stand was elected President. Every single detail of his life prior to Occidental is clouded and shrouded in mystery. Both parents dead, grand parents dead, no sign of childhood friends with fond memories, and not a trace of his scholastic records to be found or seen as they have been sealed. And I am not even going to even mention the saga regarding his birth certificate.

Nor will I mention the right Reverend Wright, Farrakhan, Rezko, or Frank Marshall Davis, or the likely theory that Bill Ayers, his neighbor edited or rewrote both of his books. Nor the fact that his license to practice law is I believe suspended. Or all his crazy SDS and Weathermen allies and supporters and the ranks of avowed marxist working outside of checks and balances as Czars.

Shortly thereafter it began. First a very unnecessary stimulus bill was rammed through the House and Senate by the super majorities that swept into office with him.

Then came all the disasterous appointments that could not be confirmed because they were all tax cheats. And the Americorps, and then he nationalized the car industry stole Chrylser and sold it to the Italians, and stiffed all the pensions that were tied to Chrysler.

Then came the never ending bowing and apology tours, reporters had tingly legs, he was almost like well, you know, just so cool, so detached, so intellectually superior that he needed a teleprompter to address a kindergarden class. And he started throwing old allies under the bus, the former Soviet States, the I Pod to the Queen. He strong armed big pharma, he strong armed the AMA, the AHA, and allowed SEUI to write both the stimulus and healthcare bills behind closed doors.


We may never know all the back room deals that were made to get that vile legislation through the house and Senate.

He stood in Istanbul and declared "we are not a Christain Nation"

He has missed the fact that with the exception of his minions in the congress and his cronies that the rest of the world has turned their back on his policies and agenda, His mea culpa world wide tin-eared myopic approach and lack of understanding of world history and events have exceeded even the fumbling of Jimmah Cartah. He appears so enamored of his own rhetoric, that he appears near delusional as he lurches from one outrageous claim after another about American values.

His foreign policy faux paux are beyond stunning from inappropriate gifts to foreign leaders and alliances with thugs and despots and supporting worldwide fraud. President Present’s views of the world have weakened America and made us look foolish. He squandered an opportunity to place the Iranian leadership in jeopardy, in his quest of non-existent moderation driven by the despots in the Middle East he has spit upon the sacrifice of thousands of this Republic's beloved heroes.

Then there is also the issue of Sestak and Romanoff and promises made to Specter for him to switch parties.

In the biggest catastrophe to happen in this nation's history he has dithered while the gulf is awash in oil. He strong armed and bullied BP this week, and the dirty little secret is that BP helped Lieberman and Kerry write this latest abomination of Cap and Trade.

His arrogance and lack of respect toward this nation and its history are repeatedly shown in yet one picture after another of him refusing to stand at a ceremony with proper regard.

Our first affirmative action diversity driven elected Commander in Chief has been exposed for the spoiled ungrateful arrogant fraud that he is. Like every other charlatan politician unprincipled deceiver his calculated selfishness and lack of understanding of American traditions, values and our founding principles will in the end be his undoing.

The bloom is off the rose and the smell of his detritus and lack of grace or humility are apparent to the world. The Nobel committee appears to have rightfully awarded him the Nobel Prize for nothing. ‘Nothing gained’ matches President Presents Foreign Policy achievements and exhibits his failures more beautifully.

Abraham Lincoln was in the end right when he said, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."

President Present will soon experience a life lesson in humility and might gain a deep and broad understanding of Lincoln's wisdom.

Nah, on second thought I doubt that his narcissism will not allow him to have that lesson the rest of us will at least get to laugh as we watch him fall from that perch directly on his ___________________.

Drowning In Oil, Dithering Incompetence and Red Tape

53 Days into the oil spill in the gulf and still not one sign of leadership from team Obama.

Was the Obama administration foolish enough to think that this was an appropriate crisis to use in forcing their vapid energy and green agenda on the United States?

Does Janet Napalitano or Eric Holder have a degree in any discipline in oil exploration, or oil platform management?

What about the vaunted Ken Salazar, Secretary of Interior or 'white roof, white car' Stephen Chu of Secretary of Energy, or Carole Browner at EPA ? This nest of weasels are behind much of the delay pushing their agenda ahead of responsible leadership.

This Administration has proven their complete and total incompetence. From the moment this rig caught on fire this Administration should have been in ready mode. Instead, proper protection for an accident of this nature was not on hand, as it was supposed to be.

It was days before Janet Napolitano stepped forward and more than a week before Obama showed up to take a look.

Now we find out that this administration was offered and refused help, either because of the Jones Act or environmental considerations that only 98 % and not 100% of the oil would be cleaned in the oil filled waters. Many countries, NATO allies, volunteered and thier help would have in the beginning days minimized most certainly the most awful spill in United States history.

The Whitehouse has had, party after party, rock stars, visiting sports teams, and all Obama can do is blame others? He has sent Holder to file suit, has fired the head of the Mineral Management Services the agency that overseas oil platforms who was also awash in bribery and yet more porn viewers. His administration doctored a document produced by oil experts to fit their agenda, even some of the research produced by his administration has walruses and otters in the Carribean.

The experts, recommended by the National Academy of Engineering, say Interior Secretary Ken Salazar modified their report last month, after they signed it, to include two paragraphs calling for the moratorium on existing drilling and new permits.

Here, http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/06/026520.php states, "The administration has decreed a six-month moratorium on exploratory drilling in the Gulf, based on a report that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar wrote for President Obama. Salazar claimed that a panel of seven experts selected by the National Academy of Engineering had peer reviewed his report. It turns out, though, that the seven experts never saw the recommendation for a moratorium, and in fact oppose it:

The seven experts who advised President Obama on how to deal with offshore drilling safety after the Deepwater Horizon explosion are accusing his administration of misrepresenting their views to make it appear that they supported a six-month drilling moratorium -- something they actually oppose. And further states, ..."So this looks like one more instance where the Obama administration is neither honest nor competent, and where its first instinct seems to be to pursue the course that will most damage our economy."

Obama's big solution is to not only cripple this nation with a unwise six month moratorium of offshore drilling not just on the gulf coast, but everywhere. I guess that fits right in his plan of astronomical gasoline prices. What will happen to the prices of all the other products that are made of petroleum derivatives? And the jobs tied to those products?

The Obama administration's inept handling of this will affect the entire gulf shoreline and negatively impact tourism, has hurt fisheries, and for what reason? To forward their insane energy agenda?

It is stunning in a situation where all hands and necessary resources should have been out there poste haste and every solution tried, we the American public and especially those on the Gulf coast were handed dithering and walls of red tape. Clearly this disaster starts with the government and environmental nut cases that created government regulations that made drilling in safer depths impossible. Due to these regulations the Deep Horizon rig was placed 50 miles off shore with the well head 5,000 feet below water gushing thousands and thousands of barrels of oil after the platform collapsed and fell into the ocean.

This map shows how many rigs there are in the gulf, http://thes.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/gulf-of-mexico-oil-rigs/

In recent days, the You tube video from an entrepreneur using hay to soak up the oil which went viral was on Hannity, along with others who have used finely shredded dried Aspen wood, two other oil soaking applications with cloth, and many more ingenious ideas, and this administration and BP have not given any of these remarkable solutions even a second of thought.

I guess it is better to idly hold numerous conferences and blame and threaten derriere kicking allowing the waste to wetlands of the Louisiana coast, and place thousands on the unemployment rolls and wreck the fisheries, and oyster beds, than to try something with out years of study from the environmental whackjobs at the EPA. Their negligence to not only our fragile economy, also now threatens every bit of coastline from East Texas to the West coast of Florida, and maybe the east coast while they dither.

If this had happened under Bush, or any Republican Administration Congress would be raising holy hell, but this nation wrecking bunch are forging forward allowing EPA to ever tighten policies tied to Cap and Trade Legislation and are full steam ahead to shove this vile nation breaking agenda through Congress.

And these same nitwits cannot understand why average Americans are upset. Even Our Gang, or the Little Rascals or The Three Stooges could have been more effective than this bunch that seems preoccupied with fixing elections, man moob wet t-shirt water gun games, schmoozing picnics and not interested in this nations general welfare, or being capable of doing anything that remotely resembles leadership.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/24173

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/capitol/kevin_costner_contributes_to_an_yVw1eioJwK7yslXg8QQ9UM

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/06/obama-on-spill-i-cant-suck-it.html?hpid=news-col-blog

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/11/skimmer-boats-available-no-interest/?test=latestnews

http://www.theweeklystandard.com/articles/how-think-about-oil-spills

From: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/06/08/to-save-the-gulf-send-the-jones-act-to-davy-jones%E2%80%99-locker/

"Within days of the oil spill, several European nations and thirteen countries in total apparently offered the Obama administration ships to assist in the clean-up of the Gulf. When asked about this, a State Department press spokesman refused to identify any offers of assistance.

According to one newspaper, European firms could complete the task in four months, rather than an estimated nine months if done only by the U.S. Working with the U.S., the cleanup could be accomplished in three months. The Belgian firm DEME contends it can clean up the oil with accuracy at a depth of 2,000 meters. Another European firm with capabilities is the Belgian firm Jan De Nul Group. There are also Dutch companies with similar special equipment capable of accelerating cleaning-up the Gulf. The Belgians and the Dutch are also long time NATO allies and as such partners in international security cooperation.

According to the article, no U.S. companies have the ships which can accomplish this task is because those ships would cost twice as much to build in the U.S. as they do outside the country. This is one adverse impact of the Jones Act, which Congress passed in 1920s. This piece of protectionism has only hampered an anemic American maritime industry. It also has prevented a quicker response to the oil spill. European firms do have the expertise to clean up the spill.
If other nations have the technologies to address this oil spill, then the administration does have the ability to accept their help: in response to Hurricane Katrina, for example, Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff temporarily waived the Jones Act in order to facilitate much-needed transport of oil throughout the country.

The Jones Act, which is supposedly about protecting jobs, is actually killing jobs. The jobs of fishermen, people working in tourism and others who live along the Gulf Coast and earn a living there are being severely impacted. There are also additional private sector jobs which are NOT being created in the United States since the Jones Act effectively prices U.S. based companies out of the ability to be competitive on the competitive global market.

As we strive to develop new technologies for a cleaner environment at sea, the Jones Act continues to hobble our own capabilities, sometimes with devastating results.

The Jones Act needs to be waived now in light of this catastrophe and permit those whom we have helped and cooperated with in the past to assist us in our need. After waiving the Jones Act for the Gulf clean up effort, Congress and the administration should repealing it all together."

From: http://blog.heritage.org/2010/06/10/morning-bell-how-the-white-house-is-making-oil-recovery-harder/

"Five weeks ago Escambia County officials requested permission from the Mobile Unified Command Center to use a sand skimmer, a device pulled behind a tractor that removes oil and tar from the top three feet of sand, to help clean up Pensacola’s beaches. County officials still haven’t heard anything back. Santa Rosa Island Authority Buck Lee told The Daily Caller why: “Escambia County sends a request to the Mobile, Ala., Unified Command Center. Then, it’s reviewed by BP, the federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard. If they don’t like it, they don’t tell us anything.”

Keeping local governments in the dark is just one reason why the frustration of residents in the Gulf is so palpable. State and local governments know their geography, people, economic impacts and needs far better than the federal government does. Contrary to popular belief, the federal government has actually been playing a bigger and bigger role in running natural disaster responses. And as Heritage fellow Matt Mayer has documented, the results have gotten worse, not better.

And when the federal government isn’t sapping the initiative and expertise of local governments, it has been preventing foreign governments from helping. Just three days after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the Dutch government offered to provide ships outfitted with oil-skimming booms and proposed a plan for building sand barriers to protect sensitive marshlands. LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) supported the idea, but the Obama administration refused the help. All told, thirteen countries have offered to help us clean up the Gulf, and the Obama administration has turned them all down.
According to one Dutch newspaper, European firms could complete the oil spill clean up by themselves in just four months, and three months if they work with the United States, which is much faster than the estimated nine months it would take the Obama administration to go it alone. The major stumbling block is a protectionist piece of legislation called the Jones Act which requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens. But in an emergency this law can be temporarily waived as DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff did after Katrina. Each day our European allies are prevented from helping us speed up the clean up is another day that Gulf fishing and tourism jobs die.

And then there are the energy jobs that the Obama administration is killing with its over-expansive ban on offshore energy development. Experts–who were consulted by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar before he issued his May 27 report recommending a six-month moratorium on all ongoing drilling in waters deeper than 500 feet–now tell The New Orleans Times-Picayune that they only supported a six-month ban on new drilling in waters deeper than 1,000 feet. A letter from the experts protesting the use of their names to support a ban they actually oppose reads: “A blanket moratorium is not the answer. It will not measurably reduce risk further and it will have a lasting impact on the nation’s economy which may be greater than that of the oil spill. We do not believe punishing the innocent is the right thing to do.”

And just how many innocent jobs is Obama’s oil ban killing? An earlier Times-Picayune report estimated the moratorium could cost Louisiana $2.97 billion in revenue and 7,590 jobs directly related to the oil industry. President Obama still has the power to save many of the jobs. He could reverse his decision and lift the ban. But political considerations make that impossible. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the President was the largest single recipient of campaign contributions from BP and its employees over the past twenty years. Therefore, the President has to put distance between himself and BP, which may be why President Obama has not spoken with BP CEO Tony Hayward one single time since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April. The problem is, vilifying BP’s corporate leadership does nothing to stop the spill or quicken the cleanup.

After the Obama administration refused help from the Netherlands, Geert Visser, the consul general for the Netherlands in Houston, told Loren Steffy: “Let’s forget about politics; let’s get it done.” It’s sound advice, Mr. President. Let’s free local governments to clean up their shores, waive protectionist laws that keep out foreign help, and let the oil workers who can safely do so get back to work. Let’s get it done. "

11 Primaries On June 8th ~ A Task To Sort Out

What a wild year. I have followed elections since I was a child. I cannot recall a wilder year politically. In a year when Republicans should be happily heading towards the fall elections the Conservatives led by Demint and the other Republicans led by Cornyn are in a bitter inside fight for control of the party. So far DeMints choices have fared better, but the Republicans should be developing a platform, and not squabbling with one another. Michael Steele our own affirmative action choice seems unable to help matters and at best ineffective.

We will know much late tomorrow evening and on Wednesday morning, and in the following weeks will will know if the Tea Parties can hold their resolve to flip the house.
You can find tidbits of a forecasts here,

by david Freddoso in the Washington Examiner, http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/incumbents-run-in-fear-election-day-scorecard-for-tomorrow-95804349.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/politics_nation/2010/06/week_ahead_super_tuesday_is_here.html
In recent weeks, Fred Barnes had this interesting column in the Weekly Standard, http://www.theweeklystandard.com/blogs/can-gop-win-senate-2010

Below I have used my two most reliable resources, http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ and http://www.electionprojection.com/index.php

Arkansas

Runoff - Polls For Democrat Nominee
Halter has a slim 4 point lead in one poll and Lincoln a 1.8 lead in the other. With any luck as I see it we can wave goodbye to good ol' Blanche! Arkansas is one of the states that should become a plus for Republicans in the Senate.

California

In California, much to the dismay of many Conservatives Fiorina and Whitman are wildly ahead in the polls, while two true Conservatives, and Tea Party Favorites struggle for recognition Davore (Senate) and Natarelli (Governor). To top it off there are the huge population areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles Basin. Republicans are out registered by Democrats by 2 to 1. Given California's dire financial situation it is hard to say that anyone can correct what is wrong.

Fiorina RCP Average 5/19 - 6/6 -- 43.2 21.6 16.2 Fiorina +21.6
Whitman RCP Average 5/19 - 6/6 -- 54.6 25.8 Whitman +28.8

Iowa
In Iowa Branstad is firmly ahead in the Republican primary for Governor.
Primary - Polls
Des Moines Register 6/1 - 6/3 501 LV 57 29 8 Branstad +28
Grassly should hold his seat despite his early treachery with the Healthcare bill.

Maine from http://www.electionprojection.com/blog/tags/megov_2010.php
"Governor: Democrat John Baldacci is term-limited. He is currently serving his second four-year term in Augusta. Looking to occupy the Governor's Mansion after he leaves are no less than 20 different folks, 7 Republicans, 7 Democrats and, in keeping with Maine's political DNA, 6 independents. At this stage it is highly difficult to pick the nominees - much less the next governor. Polls don't help much, giving nobody a clear advantage. So, the preliminary projection leans left just as Maine does."

Primary
I can find no primary polling data for Maine.

Montana
In Montana, I can find no information, the Governor is not up for re-election, nor are either of the two Senators.


Nevada
Talk about controversy. Nevada has a ton of it. As one of the states hit hardest by the recession it has more vacant homes on the market than any other. The unemployment rate is highest in Nevada, and the Tea Parties have different favorites, today in a rare departure, TPN endorsed Tarkanian, other Tea Parties have endorsed Angle, and both have surpassed Lowden recently in the polls. Earlier in the year all were well ahead of the weasel Harry Reid. In the last few weeks Angle has pulled ahead, and in a heads up poll leads Reid by 4 points. Reid has a campaign chest of some 9 million bucks so no matter who challenges him this weasel will need to run through all of his lives and with any luck we will be able to say "poof" goes the Weasel this fall

Primary - Polls
Senate RCP Average 5/31 - 6/3 -- 33.0 24.7 24.3 Angle +8.3
Governor RCP Average 5/31 - 6/3 -- 47.3 28.3 Sandoval +19.0

New Jersey
New Jersey who we all grew to love and heaped tons of praise on elected on of the most exciting and straight speaking governors in years. Neither Senate seat is up for reelection, and I could find no data on the Congressional races, let us hope that Christie has some magic and some coattails.

North Dakota
from: http://www.electionprojection.com/2010elections/statepages/nd10.php
Senate

Primary
05/19/10 Rasmussen Reports Hoeven 72% - Potter 23%

CD-AL

05/27/10 Larry Sabato Pundit Change: Toss-up to Lean GOP
05/20/10 Rasmussen Reports Berg 52% - Pomeroy 43%
05/21/10 RATING CHANGE: Weak Pomeroy to Weak Berg
05/15/10 CQ Politics Pundit Change: Lean DEM to Toss-up

South Carolina
from: http://www.electionprojection.com/2010elections/statepages/sc10.php

Primary - Polls

Senate

05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) DeMint 49% - Rawl 30%

Governor

05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) Haley 45% - Rex 36%
05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) McMaster 42% - Rex 36%
05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) Barrett 38% - Rex 36%
05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) Rex 40% - Bauer 38%
05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) Haley 44% - Rex 34%
05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) McMaster 43% - Sheheen 36%
05/23/10 Public Policy Polling (D) Barrett 43% - Sheheen 33%

CD-1
05/15/10 CQ Politics Pundit Change: Likely GOP to Safe GOP

CD-5
05/23/10 Public Opinion (R) Spratt 43% - Mulvaney 41%

South Dakota
From: http://www.electionprojection.com/2010elections/statepages/sd10.php

Primary
Governor

05/26/10 Rasmussen Reports Knuppe 47% - Heidepriem 34%
05/26/10 Rasmussen Reports Munsterman 46% - Heidepriem 38%
05/26/10 Rasmussen Reports Howie 49% - Heidepriem 36%
05/26/10 Rasmussen Reports Knudson 49% - Heidepriem 34%
05/26/10 Rasmussen Reports Daugaard 51% - Heidepriem 36%

CD-AL

05/27/10 Rasmussen Reports Herseth-Sandlin 48% - Curd 41%
05/27/10 Rasmussen Reports Herseth-Sandlin 46% - Noem 43%
05/27/10 Rasmussen Reports Herseth-Sandlin 47% - Nelson 43%
05/27/10 Larry Sabato Pundit Change: Toss-up to Lean DEM

Virginia

The other fair state that gave us a big surprise with McDonnell earlier in the year, has no Senate Races or race for Governor. I can find no primary statistics for the House of Representatives in Virgina.