Michael Johns to Address September 5 New Jersey Tea Party

National Tea Party leader and conservative writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst, will serve as a headline speaker at the New Jersey Tea Party this Saturday, September 5, 2009. The event will be held from 2pm to 5pm EDT at City Hall Circle Park in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, located at High Street and Market Street in Perth Amboy. It is open to media and the public.

Since April 15, 2009, some two million Americans have attended over 2,000 Tea Party rallies across the nation, and the non-partisan movement has been cited widely for its growing influence in national and New Jersey politics and public policy.

Source: Michael Johns

Michael Johns to Address Los Angeles Recess Rally

National Tea Party leader and conservative writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst, will be a headline speaker at the Los Angeles Recess Rally this Saturday, August 22. The event will begin at 12pm PT at the Wilshire Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Boulevard, in Los Angeles.

This Saturday’s Recess Rallies are supported by a coalition of grassroots organizations and hundreds of thousands of American voters opposed on multiple grounds to House Resolution 3200, America’s Affordable Health Care Act of 2009, and other legislation that would vastly expand the role of the federal government in the management of American health care. In an August 11, 2009 poll conducted last week by Rasmussen Reports, a majority of Americans (53 percent) now oppose this legislation.

The Recess Rallies follow national Tea Party protests held on July 4, 2009, in which an estimated one million Americans in 1,300 American cities and towns participated in expressing their opposition to an expanded federal role in the management and provision of health care and other industry sectors. It is anticipated that 435 such events will be held this Saturday at noon, one in each of the nation’s Congressional Districts. The Los Angeles-based event will be held in the Congressional district of U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who has been one of the strongest proponents of the legislation and who chairs the Committee of jurisdiction for the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Johns is a leading national critic of this legislation, which is being supported by the Obama administration and the Democratic leaderships of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. In his Los Angeles speech, he will address the many components of the legislation that will prove harmful to Americans’ access to quality, reasonably-priced health care services and products, and constructive alternatives that can address the challenges that do exist in American health care.

In addition to his governmental and public policy experience, Johns has over a decade of experience as an executive with health care providers in the pharmaceutical, home health, and medical device and medical supply segments of American health care

In addition, the Los Angeles Recess Rally will feature remarks by Gary Aminoff, President of the San Fernando Valley Republican Club and First Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Republican Party; Jane Barnett, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Republican Party; Ari David, Congressional Candidate to replace Representative Henry Waxman; Michael Fell, Los Angeles Recess Rally organizer; Tony Katz, Los Angeles businessman and Tea Party leader; Robert Pedersen, President of the Westside Republican Club; and Evan Sayet, a conservative comedian and commentator.

Source: Michael Johns

Michael Johns to Address Dover, Delaware Tea Party

National Tea Party leader and conservative writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst, will address the “Silent No More Tea Party” in Dover, Delaware tomorrow, Saturday August 8, 2009.

The event will be held from 2pm to 6pm on Legislative Mall in Dover. It also will feature other national and regional health care and public policy experts, including physicians Janice Chester and Robert Pyles, Colin Bonini of Delaware’s Bad Habit, Ana Puig of the Thomas Jefferson Club, Pell Sherman of the Constitution Party, Nan Swift of FreedomWorks, and Kerri Toloczko of the Institute of Liberty and Conservatives for Patients’ Rights. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be emceed by WGMD 92.7 talk radio host Bill Colley.

Source: Michael Johns

Michael Johns Addresses Independence Day Tea Parties in New Jersey, Texas and Washington, D.C.

Conservative leader and writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst, addressed three large Tea Party events over Independence Day weekend. The national Tea Party movement began this past April, when some 500,000 Americans attended approximately 800 Tea Party events across the nation to express opposition to the growing size of the federal government, high taxes, and various policies of the Obama administration. Independence Day weekend was even larger, featuring an estimated 1,300 Tea Party events in nearly every state in the nation.

Johns spoke at the July 3 New Jersey Tea Party in Summit, New Jersey. The following day, July 4, he spoke at the Washington, D.C. Independence Day Tea Party at the U.S. Capitol. Video of his comments to the Washington, D.C. Tea Party is available in two segments at: Speech by Michael Johns to Washington, D.C. Independence Day Tea Party (first segment) and Speech by Michael Johns to Washington, D.C. Independence Day Tea Party (second segment).

Later on July 4, Johns spoke at the Dallas Tea Party, held at Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas. Additional speakers included conservative author and blogger Michelle Malkin and author and war hero Scott O’Grady, and the event culminated with fireworks. The Dallas Tea Party was attended by 37,000 people, making it the largest Tea Party held in the nation to date. Video of his presentation to the Dallas Tea Party is available in three segments: Speech by Michael Johns to Dallas Independence Day Tea Party (first segment), Speech by Michael Johns to Dallas Independence Day Tea Party (second segment), and Speech by Michael Johns to Dallas Independence Day Tea Party (third segment).

Source: Michael Johns

National Tea Party Leaders Call on Obama to Live up to Meeting Promise

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 1, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Eighteen national leaders of the Tea Party protest movement, which has drawn the participation of hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past few weeks, today responded to President Barack Obama’s invitation to meet with members of the Tea Party movement to discuss solutions to the nation’s fiscal challenges.

Speaking at a townhall meeting in Arnold, Missouri this past Wednesday, Obama said: “So, you know, when you see — those of you who are watching certain news channels on which I’m not very popular and you see folks waving tea bags around, let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we’re going to stabilize Social Security.”

The national leadership team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, one of several organizations that form the grassroots ecosystem of the Tea Party movement, this afternoon faxed a letter to the White House accepting the President’s invitation for such a discussion. “The Tea Party movement has grown because millions of Americans believe the government is heading in the wrong direction and their government is not only not listening to them, but ignoring them. We need to have a serious, public discussion of these issues. We are ready to have that discussion with you and look forward to your response,” the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition leaders wrote in their letter to Obama.

“We have noticed there often appears to be a great divide between President Obama’s political rhetoric and the political reality of his policies and actions,” said Michael Johns, one of the eighteen signators of the letter. “When the President says he is ‘happy to have a serious conversation’ with us about the fiscal state of this nation, we think the next question is when and where, and we hope to have an answer to that promptly so we can present concrete, workable policy ideas,” he said.

Nationwide Tea Party Coalition leader and letter signator Dana Loesch, who led a protest of hundreds during Obama’s Missouri visit this past Wednesday, said: “We didn’t stand out in the street by the hundreds at the townhall meeting simply to create sound bites and stock footage for the news circuit any more than the Sons of Liberty dumped tea into Boston Harbor to become an entry in history books.” “We stood because we want to propose an alternative, and dare I say better, suggestion as to how fiscal matters should be handled. We welcome an open discussion,” she said.

The national leadership team of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition includes 26 of the more than 900 organizers of the April 15, 2009 Tax Day Tea Parties held nationally and attended by an estimated one million Americans. The Coalition’s web site, where today’s letter to the president can be seen, is: http://www.nationwideteapartycoalition.com/.

Source: Michael Johns

Michael Johns to Address Tax Day Tea Party Rallies in Boston, New York and Philadelphia

Republican strategist and conservative writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst, will speak this week at Tax Day Tea Party rallies in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia as part of a large and burgeoning movement of Americans calling for a new direction in American public policy.

A national grassroots movement rooted in support for tax and regulatory relief and opposed to income redistribution and most federal governmental subsidies and bailouts, the Tea Party movement has blossomed significantly in recent weeks. Based on many of the same principles that sparked the original Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, some 2,000 Tea Party events will be held this week in cities across the United States. Michael Johns, one of several national leaders of the Tea Party movement, will speak at three of the largest Tea Party events:

**On Wednesday April 15, 2009, at approximately 11am ET, Michael Johns will address the Tax Day Tea Party rally in Boston, Massachusetts at the Boston Common at the Massachusetts State House, located at 24 Beacon Street in Boston. The event will be emceed by radio talk show host Todd Feinburg of Boston’s WRKO Radio. For further information on the Boston Tax Day Tea Party, see the event’s official site at: Boston Tax Day Tea Party. A video of this April 15, 2009 speech is now available at: Remarks by Michael Johns to Boston Tea Party.

**Later on Wednesday April 15, 2009, at approximately 7pm ET, Michael Johns will address the Tax Day Tea Party rally in New York City at City Hall Park, located at 249 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Joining Johns in addressing the New York City Tax Day Tea Party will be Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Johns also will participate in the New York City Tax Day Tea Party after-party, to be held from 10pm to 1am ET at The XChange at 640 West 28th Street, Ninth Floor (between 11th and 12th Avenues) in Manhattan. For further information on the New York City Tax Day Tea Party, see the event’s official site at: New York City Tax Day Tea Party. A video of most of this April 15, 2009 speech is now available at: Remarks by Michael Johns to New York City Tea Party.

**Finally, later this week, on Saturday April 18, 2009, at approximately 12pm ET, Michael Johns will address the Tax Day Tea Party rally in Philadelphia at Independence Mall, located at Market Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets in center city Philadelphia. Joining Johns in addressing the Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party will be radio talk show host Dom Giordano of Philadelphia’s WPHT-AM, New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan, National Republican Trust PAC Executive Director Scott Wheeler, and Geno’s Steaks‘ owner Joey Vento. For further information on the Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party, see the event’s official site at: Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party. A video of most of this April 18, 2009 speech is now available at: Remarks by Michael Johns to Philadelphia Tea Party.

Source: Michael Johns

Does Michael Vick Really Deserve a Second Chance?

I’ve always been for giving second chances, indeed our nation is a forgiving one.  And we forgive not only people, but entire nations – (Remember the Marshall Plan?).  Deep down, we want to see the down and out guy succeed in life once again, and most of the time irrespective of whatever crime or other “infraction” he or she may have committed.   However, this forgiveness doesn’t happen automatically.  Generally two things must happen.  The perpetrator must “do time” whether that means a jail sentence for the crime if one was committed, or serve some other penance.  Second, they must ask for forgiveness.  

Now then, Michael Vick is finishing up his sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring.  The question is being asked, “Does he deserve a second chance?”, in this case to continue his career in the NFL.   My first inclination is that yes, Michael Vick should be give a second chance just like everyone else.    After all, he did complete his prison sentence and he has asked for forgiveness and is reportedly in discussions with PETA for some service announcement yada yada, but then I started thinking about this.  Given the abhorent social nature of toruring  animals, how can anyone believe that a change of one’s nature can realistically occur?  This isn’t a DUI case where, upon reflection, genuine remorse is possible and even probable.  At which point during Michael Vick’s prison sentence did he get this epiphany, this “aha!” moment when he realized, ” I have done a very horrible thing (over a period of several years), and I will do whatever it takes to make this right!”  Torture of living beings, child molestation, serial killings are sociopathic in nature. 

The following article by Brian Cluxton from HELP FIDO says it even better:

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Michael Vick – Why not everyone deserves a second chance.

Michael Vick has been back in the news a lot the last few days, with his release from prison yesterday. KC Dog Blog has an excellent post about Vick and the HSUS. This morning, I heard Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio talking about Vick’s possible reinstatement to the NFL and he made some great points which got me thinking about this issue again. I have always been in favor of giving people a second chance in life, if they are truly sorry for what they did and want to make amends. And I’ve honestly debated this issue in my own mind – trying to reconcile my own beliefs of giving people a second chance and Vick’s actions. However, here’s why I believe Vick does NOT deserve a second chance in the NFL.
First of all, it’s not like Vick drove drunk, got in a bar fight, used steroids, dealt drugs, committed fraud, cheated on his wife or any one of a number of other illegal and/or immoral activities. ALL of those things and more are horrible. But he tortured and killed innocent dogs with his own hands. This was not just about dog fighting (as heinous and horrific as that is). He tortured animals. He threw dogs to the ground repeatedly until they were dead. He hooked up dogs to electrocution devices, drowned them or beat them to death. This was not Jack Bauer on 24 committing torture to save the world. These also weren’t the acts of a 14 or 15 year old immature kid, shooting birds in the back yard with a bb gun. What kind of person does that? These were completely innocent dogs that just wanted some food, water, safe shelter and some love and attention every once in a while. What would you think of one of your neighbors if you found out they tortured and killed dogs? Anyone that would commit acts of torture like that is clearly a sociopath and has no place in a civilized society, let alone deserving of a second chance.

Source: Journal

Texas Woman Told to Remove ‘Offensive’ American Flag From Office

At first glance, I thought this was just another case of political correctness run amok, (read the story here) but the second read, and the third made me realize that this goes beyond the scope of the normal, run of the mill silliness and garbage we hear about in the press almost on a daily basis.  America in many ways has become a charicature of its former self.  When an employee, and a foreign one at that, and please don’t start on me about my “xenophobic paranoia”, who has the timerity to complain about the presence of an AMERICAN flag in AMERICA and effect the removal of it from an office, even temporarily, then we are heading, as a nation down a road where we lose our identity.  And although there are those who say, But this is an isolated incident”….and it well may be,  but the fact that this story barely measured on the Richter Scale by the press and caused little to no outrage together with the fact that it happened not in in Haigh-Ashbury in San Francisco nor in Vermont, but in TEXAS, a true bastion of patriotic, middle America…remember “Don’t Mess with Texas?” is indicative of our changing attitudes about First Amendment rights and patriotism in America.

Source: Journal

Politics

POLITICS
Open Letter to President Barack Obama from Alumni Group of Intelligence Officials formed to Chronicle and Halt Bush Administration Corruption of Intelligence – Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, CommonDreams.org
Iraq gets ready for the Yanks to go home – Patrick Cockburn
U.S. Needs a Holistic, Cradle-to-Grave System of National Health Care – Carol Miller, ROLL CALL
The Single-Payer [...]

Source: The Coyote Report Political News Blog of a different kind

Gengrich Call on Pelosi to Resign….and so does Common Sense

This from the UPI. 

 U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., should resign, one-time Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich says.

Gingrich, appearing Wednesday on ABC TV’s “Good Morning America” show, said Pelosi isn’t qualified to lead the House because she last week accused the Central Intelligence Agency of misleading her in 2002 on whether terrorism detainees were being subjected to harsh interrogation techniques that many equate with torture, including waterboarding.

“She really disqualified herself to be the speaker,” Gingrich said. “She has a unique responsibility for national security. … She made this allegation that smears everyone who’s trying to defend her.”

 Common Sense Take:

It’s ludicrous in one sense to even discuss this issue as once again, partisanship rules in American politics.  NO dems are calling for her resignation.  But most Americans understand that if the Speaker was a Repulbican, no member of the GOP would be on the resignation bandwagon either.  Having said that….How can anyone who has watched her stumble and stutter as she tried to talk herself out of the pickle she obviously got herself in, believe she didn’t know that waterboarding was being used? 

Records show that Pelosi and several democratic members of congress attended dozens of meetings but she refuses to acknowledge that she was told specifically that that WB was being used.  I guess other Dems, her aide, and the CIA all “misrembered”.

Pelosi was particularly harsh in describing the CIA’s account.

“They mislead us all the time,” she said. And when a reporter asked whether the agency had lied, Pelosi said yes.

But Pelosi defended her own lack of action on the issue, saying her focus at the time was on “wresting congressional control from Republicans so her party could change course”.

This is truly a sad state of affairs. She is on a committee related directly to our national security but her main concern was to seat more dems in power?

So she is either incompetent or lying….or both.

JD

Source: Journal