Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Proposes Reinstating Zelaya

The Washington Post reports: The Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, chief negotiator in the Honduran crisis talks proposed reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya, but with many conditions:

Many of the proposals made by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias at U.S.-backed talks have already been rejected by one side or the other in the dispute over Honduras’ June 28 military-backed coup, which has become a key test for democracy in Latin America and for U.S. diplomacy in the region.

“These agreements must be adopted as soon as possible because each day that goes by increases the weight on the shoulders of an innocent people,” said the Costa Rican president in a statement distributed to reporters.

Arias, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for helping end Central America’s wars, said that under his seven-point plan Zelaya would return to Honduras’ presidency but cede control of the armed forces to an electoral court a month before elections, which would be moved forward a month to late October. The unity government would include representatives of Honduras’ main political parties.

Other points of the plan are an amnesty for all political crimes committed before and after the coup, and that Zelaya agree to not hold a referendum on retooling the constitution – the proposal the sparked the coup. An international commission would monitor compliance with the accord.

There was no immediate reaction to the proposals from representatives of either Zelaya or the interim government of Roberto Micheletti.

Here’s a video essay of the official chronology of events leading to Zelaya’s ouster.

UPDATE:

Proposal REJECTED:

The interim government of Honduras rejected a proposal to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya on a day of crucial talks to resolve the leadership crisis. Negotiations began Saturday following an ultimatum from Zelaya that appeared to leave little room for compromise.

They don’t want the S.O.B back, period.

RELATED:

Babalu reports:

A Spanish Catalan newspaper is reporting that Honduran authorities have seized computers found in the Presidential Palace belonging to deposed president Mel Zelaya. Taking a page right out of the leftist dictator’s handbook, these computers, according to the news report, contained the official and certified results of the illegal constitutional referendum Zelaya wanted to conduct that never took place. The results of this fraudulent vote was tilted heavily in Zelaya’s favor, ensuring he could go ahead and illegally change the constitution so he could remain in power for as long as he wanted to. ACORN, I’m sure, is taking notes.

This is the man that the OAS, the UN, and the Obama State Department want the Honduran people to reinstall as their leader.

MORE:

The Communist Party USA is mobilizing members on Zelaya’s behalf. Here’s The People’s Weekly, paraphrasing Obama’s words when he stated the obvious fact that Zelaya was”Democratically elected” after the crisis erupted:

The situation in Honduras may be coming to a head, as today is what may be the last mediation session in Costa Rica. The people on the streets of Honduras are staying strong and mobilized in support of the return of president Zelaya.

One of the tactics which should be supported here in the US is a House of Representatives Resolution, H Res 630, calling for president Zelaya’s return. It can be read on the Thomas/Library of Congress website, at http://thomas.loc.gov. (just type in the information into the website search engine).

Everybody should be calling, faxing and writing their Congresspersons to ask them to co-sponsor and support these resolutions, which are being promoted by numerous progressive organizations including School of the Americas Watch, Latin American Working Group and others. The resolution has 21 cosponsors so far; it needs many more very quickly to have any impact. The right wing has also introduced a resolution applauding the coup.

Below is a copy of a letter I sent to my two Senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner, asking them to sponsor a companion resolution to H Res 630 in the Senate.

Dear Senator Webb:

I am concerned about the situation in the Republic of Honduras, where, on June 28, the military overthrew the legally elected president, Manuel Zelaya.

Unlike the practice of previous administrations, President Obama took a correct stand by recognizing the illegitimacy of the coup, and calling for President Zelaya’s return to office.

But meanwhile, we are getting reports of serious human rights violations within Honduras, while the de-facto regime installed by the coup has shown itself intransigent against demands from the OAS, the UN General Assembly and others that they return to the constitutional order. They have put out a lot of false stories and have even sent a delegation to Capitol Hill to try and get the support of your colleagues for their illegal ultra-right regime. And although I salute President Obama’s clear statement on the Honduras issue, it is also clear that the U.S. Department of Defense is continuing to support the Honduran armed forces, and various kinds of aid are going to Honduras which can only help the coup regime.

Some of your colleagues in the House have introduced a resolution, H Res 630, that I believe expresses a very correct position toward the situation in Honduras. It calls, among other things, for a cutoff of military and other non-humanitarian aid to the coup regime headed by Roberto Micheletti until the latter steps down and President Zelaya is returned to office.

As a Virginia voter and taxpayer, I would like to ask you to introduce a similar resolution in the Senate, or to support such a resolution if another of your colleagues should introduce it.

We know he was elected legally, numbskulls. It’s everything he did and was trying to do afterwards that was the problem.

Previously:

“Final Battle” In Honduras This Weekend?

Report: Sunday’s Violence In Honduras Orchestrated By Chavez

Obama Lies By Omission On Honduras

Clinton To Meet With Zelaya In Washington This Week

Honduran Military Removes Despot From Power

Obama “Stands With Democracy”, Defends Leftist Despot/Thug/Drug Trafficker

Honduran Military Ordered To Turn Back Zelaya’s jet

“Final Battle” In Honduras This Weekend?

The Latest on the Honduras crisis, via Fausta:

Mel Zelaya was giving press conferences late last night, much to the delight of the media who I’m sure loved having to be there as opposed to elsewhere:Ousted Honduras leader gives talks until midnight

An ultimatum from ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya left little room for compromise in U.S.-backed talks Saturday aimed at resolving a crisis that has become the latest test for democracy in Latin America. Zelaya, who was forced into exile in a June 28 military coup, gave negotiators meeting in Costa Rica until midnight to restore him to office, threatening to return to Honduras in secret and attempt to retake power on his own if no agreement is reached. He indicated he would reject any power-sharing agreement, a proposal to be discussed at the talks.

“If at that time, there is no resolution to that end, I will consider the negotiations in Costa Rica a failure,” Zelaya said at a news conference Friday night at the Honduran embassy in Nicaragua. “I am going back to Honduras, but I am not going to give you the date, hour or place, or say if I’m going to enter through land, air or sea.”

He did not say what steps he would subsequently take.

Via Ace:

A top aide to Manuel Zelaya says the ousted president will set up government headquarters inside Honduras, from which he will lead the “final battle” against coup leaders.

Patricia Rodas, foreign minister of Zelaya’s toppled government, says Zelaya is en route to Honduras but she did not provide details as to where he plans to set up the alternative seat of government. Zelaya himself will announce it when he deems appropriate.

Rodas spoke Thursday after arriving in the Bolivian capital of La Paz aboard the plane of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez is an ally of both Chavez and left-leaning Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Yesterday, Zelaya supporters were blocking roads into Tegucigalpa. I’ve seen it commented on Honduran blogs and forums, repeatedly, that Zelaya’s supporters get paid to demonstrate on his behalf.

Honduran blogger, Geraldo Paredes said:

Zelaya just announced his intentions of comming to Honduras to start a civil war,  he wants to come here, most surely on a drug trafficking plane, and start his own puppet government in one of our provinces. Its outrageous!!!!!

How can a thousand people who block streets manipulate a country, please take a look  at the size of their manifestations, they are not huge by any numbers, is just a handful of people who are getting paid to create chaos.

Honduras is NOT on its knees, Honduras is standing, but an angry bunch agitated by Zelaya’s pseudo heroic declarations are trying to stir chaos, they are being supported by Venezuelan agitators.

Things could get ugly pretty quickly over there. Keep an eye on Honduras, this week end.

See also this PJTV SPECIAL REPORT: Despite the Views of the Political Elite, Democracy Prevails in Honduras.

MORE:

Honduran interim government sacks 16 diplomats

The Honduran interim Foreign Ministry on Friday sacked 16 diplomats amid an ongoing political crisis in the Central American country. In a statement, the foreign ministry accused these diplomats of engaging in malpractice and embezzlement of state wealth and said will probe into the case together with the judiciary.

Local media reported that all the sacked diplomats have expressed their support for ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

See also Accuracy in Media:

Honduras Can Be Saved from Communism: Interview with Head of Pro-Freedom Alliance in Latin America

Live news feed from Honduras, here.

You can watch the Communists supporting Zelaya at this live news feed: TeleRed.

UPDATE:

intimaralem85 on Twitter:

300 Zelaya backers with machetes in a violent battle against 10,000 peaceful anti-Zelaya protesters in Tocoa, Colon.

Unsubstantiated, obviously.

(…hearing nothing more about that one – almost certainly disinformation).

Another tweet from Twisraeru:

Mel Zelaya ya esta en catracholandia, Manuel Zelaya en Honduras repito en Honduras

Mel Zelaya already in catracholandia, Manuel Zelaya in Honduras in Honduras again

Again, unsubstantiated information.

Previously:

Report: Sunday’s Violence In Honduras Orchestrated By Chavez

Obama Lies By Omission On Honduras

Clinton To Meet With Zelaya In Washington This Week

Honduran Military Removes Despot From Power

Obama “Stands With Democracy”, Defends Leftist Despot/Thug/Drug Trafficker

Honduran Military Ordered To Turn Back Zelaya’s jet

Vladimir Lenin Towers Over Manhatten; Waves Bye-Bye To Wall Street

The owner of the statue, and the rental apartments, “Red Square”, Michael Rosen, says  “If you’re black, if you’re latino, if you have dark skin, and you’re not middle class…uhhh you’re subject to a type of racial oppression, which is um…debilitating”.

He  claims he’s not a commie.

Does Obama have a “Housing Czar”, yet? I think we’ve found his man.

Hat tip: The Conservative News Network.

Video: Obama v.s. Obama On The Stimulus Stabilization Bill

The latest video from GOP.gov:

Where are the jobs? That’s the 787 billion dollar question.

Video: Glenn Beck Covers Obama Science Czar Story

What NRO’s Mark Hemmingway calls nutty, “Dr. Strangelove stuff”, LGF’s Charles Johnson calls “visualizing consequences and possible solutions” which is “part of what science is about”. Hm.  And he considers “Dr. Holdren is not and never has been an advocate for policies of forced sterilization”, to be a convincing renunciation of those policies.

Yeah, well, that’s what I call….a lie.

He signed off on those recommendations in the book. I don’t care how many years ago, or how many authors there were. He was advocating those policies as a solution to our “dire overpopulation crisis”.

I can’t wait to hear his recommendations for the “dire global warming crisis”.

(Yes, those were sneer quotes).

As for Obama’s cop hating “Green Czar”, Van Jones, (not Mark Hemingway, as Beck flubbed),

Newsbusters reports:

Van Jones has a “very checkered past” deep-rooted in radical politics, including black nationalism, anarchism, and communism.

Well you could knock me over with a feather.

Obama And Biden: We Spend Because We Must

Spending money we don’t have is an exalted Democrat ritual. They get excited at the very thought of it. Watch Rachel Maddow’s reaction to this clip of Obama talking about the stimulus, oops, I think we’re calling it the “Stabilization” bill now – (Obama never meant to suggest that the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would actually “stimulate the economy”, lol!)

It was billed as a way  to “jumpstart the economy”. Big dif!

Anyway, watch how excited Maddow gets at the thought of all that spending:

Joe Biden had his turn today, telling a group of seniors that “we need to spend money so we don’t go bankrupt”:

You see…what seems counter intuitive and nonsensical to you and me…makes perfect sense to the liberal mind. All this spending of money we don’t have….is needed so we DON’T go bankrupt.

Phew, I was starting to worry, because  the numbers are saying otherwise. But I’m told that  bringing up the actual numbers is  “fear mongering”, so I’m going to try to keep a positive attitude. We should trust our leaders.

Would they lie to us?

Jim DeMint Speaks Out Against Hate Crimes Amendment

Not that a hate crimes bill wouldn’t be stupid, nonsensical, and offensive all by itself, but it’s doubly so when tacked onto The Defense Authorization Bill to be voted on at 1:00 in the morning…

The criminalization of opinions.

DeMint says the bill implies that “violence committed against certain kinds of victims is worse, and more in need of federal intervention and swift justice than if it were committed against someone else”.

Liberal fascism is on the march.

Pelosi Censored House Republicans Who Wanted To Talk About The Dems’ “Lack Of Transparency”

Via Rep John Carter at Human Events, and submitted for your disapproval:

Monday night Democrats voted to shut down the U.S. House Representatives rather than allow a handful of Republican Congressmen to speak on the floor. What could have been so offensive or frightening about our discourse that Speaker Pelosi felt she had to protect her party by gagging free speech in the House?

In fact, we had planned to speak on the lack of transparency of the House since Democrats took control. We had planned to criticize Speaker Pelosi for repeatedly denying Members, the media, and the public to right to read legislation before it was voted on. We were set to discuss House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s statement last week that if his Members were required to read the Democrats’ healthcare reform package before it was voted on, it would fail.

So the Speaker obviously feels that if the public is truly aware of her party’s agenda, they will reject it. She is now making sure the public is kept in the dark by trampling the centuries-old democratic traditions of the House.

How much more of this is the country going to take? These Dems are in the process of bankrupting the country, and the Republicans have no power to stop it. Is this really what the American people want? Is this really what they voted for in 2006, and 2008?

MORE:

How are these Dems going to hold onto power as it becomes increasingly obvious that the’re destroying the economy and moving the country into full fledged Socialism?

Dick Morris explains Obama’s four part plan to fix future elections:

This is why I’m less optimistic than Ace is on the prospect of Repubs coming back in 2010 and 2012. Ace says:

I really do think the idea has caught hold with a lot of people that Obama is too clever to beat, the public is too stupid to catch on, the media too biased to get the truth out, our own party is too cowardly to fight back, and our own future too set to change.

It’s wrong. Everything can change. Everything can change in a week.

Everyone remember when the Permanent Republican Majority came crashing down?

How about the Permanent Democratic Majority 12 years before that?

That was before the fix was completely in. The Democrats have been working at warped speed to make changes that expand their power and crush opposing views. I think we are in dire straits.

Ace says:

A year ago we laughed at Obama, and now he’s Captain Invincible? What, building on his triumphant record of gaffe after gaffe and failure after failure?

I don’t think so. I think he’s a smooth but gutless punk who’s never had to handle adversity in his life and he’s already cracking under the pressure of it.

And by “cracking” he means the administration’s veiled threat to punish Arizona after Senator Jon Kyl dissed the Porkulus bill. But that of course, isn’t a symptom of Obama cracking under pressure, but an ongoing feature of his Chicago thug-style politics, which we have seen time and time and time and time again. And the reason they do it is because it works:

“They’re saying that you’re either with health reform, or you’re against it. And if you’re against it you can’t expect to be taken care of in the final legislation. They’re not going to save your seat at the table while you’re trying to burn down the room. And the AMA, it seems, got the message.”

Oh what’s this I hear?

The AMA endorses the Rangel/Obama bill.

Hat tip: Atlas Shrugs

Video: Health Care Rationing And You + Link Round-up

This video about the joys of health care rationing is brought to you by our friends at the Sam Adams Alliance:

More information about health care  rationing can be found here.

As I’ve been saying, The “public plan” option is a lie:

RELATED:

Via Gateway Pundit, IBD reports:

Obamacare will outlaw individual private coverage.

Congress: It didn’t take long to run into an “uh-oh” moment when reading the House’s “health care for all Americans” bill. Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal.

When we first saw the paragraph Tuesday, just after the 1,018-page document was released, we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.

It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:

“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

See also, The Foundry for Tomorrow’s Health Care Headlines, Today:

A Boston Globe headline today reads Boston Medical sues state for funds. Replace “Boston Medical” with “Local Hospital X” and “state” with “federal government” and you’ll have tomorrow’s headline that will dominate newspapers across the country should Obamacare became law.

Keep reading.

And Michelle Malkin:

Obamacare in the House: Do the Blue Dogs have any bite?

And The Washington Post:

CBO Chief Criticizes Democrats’ Health Reform Measures

Here goes the non partisan Congressional Budget Office with their “scare tactics”, again:

Instead of saving the federal government from fiscal catastrophe, the health reform measures being drafted by congressional Democrats would worsen an already bleak budget outlook, increasing deficit projections and driving the nation more deeply into debt, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this morning.

That’s never stopped the Dems, before.

Gateway Pundit says:  Do not believe the bluedog and pony show. I tend to agree. The conservative, moderate whatever blue dogs have been voting with the majority every time.

Two more important health care videos at KS Meadowlark. (three if you count the one, here).

The Daily Uprising:

The Vaccination Police: Would Americans Give Up Their Liberty for More Health Care?

We understand that Americans still value liberty.  Would they sacrifice it in favor of the value of health care?  Would they approve vaccine “interventions” in their neighbor’s lives out of respect for High Science?  I don’t know, but here’s what the official summary of the draft bill says:

“Authorizes a demonstration program to improve immunization coverage. Under this program, CDC will provide grants to states to improve immunization coverage of children, adolescents, and adults through the use of evidence-based interventions. States may use funds to implement interventions that are recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, such as reminders or recalls for patients or providers, or home visits.”

Previously:

Obama’s Dishonest Debate

More Thug Politics: Health Care Lobbyists Threatened By Senate Finance Chairman

ObamaCare Photoshop

How To Counter ABC’s Health Care Propaganda On June 24

ObamaCare=Public Option=Single Payer=Socialized Medicine

Senate Dems Say You Will Have Health Insurance Whether You Want It Or Not

Audio: Glenn Beck Kinda Loses Patience With Caller

The female caller makes a profound mistake when she accuses Beck of not caring about the trillion of dollar bank bailouts:

Heeheh…wow.

Compare/Contrast Obama/Bush First Pitches

That Fox video that has been making the rounds doesn’t show the result of Obama’s nancyboy whiff at the All Star Game, last night.

Young Nick from The West Coast Outpost found a better clip, and juxtaposed it with President Bush’s masterful first pitch at the 2001 World Series:

Nick’s Obama FailBlog submission is here.

RELATED:

I also hear that Obama, who claims to be a longtime White Sox fan mispronounced, Comiskey Park, which it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Bush would have been pummeled relentlessly if he had done that. And if he had done that, it wouldn’t have been after claiming he was a “longtime fan”, because a longtime fan would know how to pronounce the name of the park. That’s something I would do, (mispronounce the name) but guess what? I ain’t a White Sox fan.

And another avowed longtime baseball fan who really isn’t?:

Judge Sotomayor, in her testimony yesterday, asserted that “Few judges could claim they love baseball more than I do” and that she “grew up … watching baseball.” But a March 28, 1995, story in USA Today, titled “U.S. District judge not a baseball fan,” stated that Sotomayor “grew up a few miles from Yankee Stadium but says she knows little about the sport.” And yesterday she said that “many residents of Washington, D.C. have asked me to look at the Senators” as her new team. But as even a casual baseball fan would know, the D.C. team is the Nationals, not the Senators.

Sure, she’s been B.S-ing her way through her hearings, but who expected a totally unnecessary whopper about baseball? I guess once you’re knee deep in the bull, it’s hard to wade out of it…

Two Small Victories For Americans Who Question Obama’s Legitimacy

On Monday, a judge in Santa Ana CA agreed to hear Alan Keyes’  case:

Supporters of a case that disputes the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s presidency claimed a small victory today when U.S. District Judge David O. Carter told them to fix their paperwork and that he would listen to “the merits” of their case. But others present for the hearing Monday at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana stressed that the case remains a long way from ever getting a full airing in court and may never get to that point.

The case, Alan Keyes, et al. v Barack H. Obama, et al. was filed on Inauguration Day and is one of a raft of suits alleging Obama is ineligible to be president because he is not a “natural born citizen.” Such claims have fared badly in court to date. In December, for example, the Supreme Court dismissed without comment a case challenging Obama’s right to take the oath of office.

Perhaps because of that history, Orly Taitz, the lawyer who filed the current suit, was greatly cheered by Monday’s hearing. “He’s very determined to hear the case on the merits,” Taitz said, referring to the judge. “He stated, the country needs to know if Mr. Obama is legitimate, if he can legitimately stay in the White House.”

Judge Carter is a former Marine.

Important note, via Defend Our Freedoms:

There was no trial set for Keyes v Obama hearing, July 13th. The judge only permitted Orly Taitz to serve the US Attorney. This case was about procedure in serving the President. Not about merits of the case itself.

Alan Keyes’ blog, here.

The second victory came for U.S. Army Reserve Major, Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, from Florida, who was scheduled to report for deployment to Afghanistan within days. He had filed a restraining order asking for confirmation that his Commander in Chief was legitimately in office.

His attorney, Orly Taitz told WND that the military, rescinded his deployment orders on Tuesday:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

U.S. ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES COMMAND

1 RESERVE WAY

ST. LOUIS, MO 63132-5200

AHRC-PLM-S                                                     14 JUL 2009

ORDERS  A-06-916551R

COOK STEFAN FREDERICK           EAD8                                W096AA

THE FOLLOWING ORDER IS REVOKED OR RESCINDED AS SHOWN.

ACTION: REVOKE

This is a stunning development, that so far the MSM has ignored.

“We won! We won before we even arrived,” she said with excitement. “It means that the military has nothing to show for Obama. It means that the military has directly responded by saying Obama is illegitimate – and they cannot fight it. Therefore, they are revoking the order!”

She continued, “They just said, ‘Order revoked.’ No explanation. No reasons – just revoked.”

A hearing on the questions raised by Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, an engineer who told WND he wants to serve his country in Afghanistan, was scheduled for July 16 at 9:30 a.m.

Dianna Cotter at Examiner.com says:

This has set a precedent heretofore unknown. The entire US Military can now not only question it’s orders, a requirement of their duty when they believe that an order is given illegitimately, but can expect that their orders will also be rescinded should they question the legitimacy of the CIC who is the ultimate Authority in Command. In other words, Obama.

I guess now is as good a time as any to mention this:

UPDATE:

On Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook’s case:

Pentagon orders soldier fired for challenging prez

Report: ObamaCare Bill Includes “Largest Expansion of Abortion Since Roe v. Wade”

Obama famously told Saddleback church Pastor, Rick Warren, last Sept.  that the question of when life begins is “above his pay grade”. But ensuring that that life is snuffed out on anyone’s whim, at any stage in a pregnancy, on the taxpayer’s dime, is most assuredly not.

Last March, pro life groups were shut out of Obama’s “health care summit”, while groups like Planned Parenthood, The Human Rights Campaign, La Raza, The Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the National Partnership for Women and Families were included.

I’d estimate the likelihood of  any pro life provisions making it to the bill are slim to 0. Make that  0.

Lifesite News reports:

“The two central ‘health care reform’ bills currently moving in Congress – the Kennedy bill and the House Democratic leadership bill – each contain provisions that would, if enacted, represent the greatest expansion of abortion since the Supreme Court handed down its Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion in 1973,” said NRLC Federal Legislation Director Douglas Johnson in a press release Friday.

“These bills contain multiple provisions that would result in federally mandated insurance coverage of abortion on demand, massive federal subsidies for abortion, mandated creation of many new abortion clinics, and nullification of at least some state limitations on abortion.”

Johnson explained to LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) today that the bulldozing of pro-life protections flows from what he calls the “abortion mandate” embedded in the bill.

“We know from a great deal of experience and many court decisions that [an 'essential benefits package'] will include elective abortion unless Congress explicitly says otherwise,” said Johnson.

“Once abortion is defined – as it would be – an ‘essential benefit,’ then other things flow from that,” he continued.  “The law requires that every health network show that it has adequate access to these mandated services. … So you would have federal bureaucracy refusing to certify health plans unless they show they have local access to abortion. There would have to be the establishment of many more abortion providers across the country to meet this mandate.”

Even that, said Johnson, would not change America’s abortion landscape enough to fit the scope of the bill.

Asked whether he foresaw the elimination of state abortion regulations such as waiting periods under the reform package, Johnson replied, “that would certainly be targeted as an obstacle to what’s now under this bill … a federally guaranteed service.  It’s in conflict with the purpose of the federal law.”

Asked about the bill’s similarity in effect to FOCA – legislation that would make abortion a “right” not subject to any government regulation – Johnson said the bills as they stand “have kind of a built-in Freedom of Choice Act.”

“There may still be some particular situations or laws that touch on abortion outside the context of healthcare delivery so that I don’t say they exactly duplicate each other,” he said, “but the major purpose of the FOCA to strike down [abortion regulations such as] the parental notification, the waiting period – these kind of things would be, quite likely, nullified under this healthcare legislation.

“But the general principle is quite clear in the bill: that once the feds have said this is a service you have a right to, no state could stand in the way of it.”

I’m not sure how all this squares with Obama’s promise to the Pope , last week, that he was committed to reducing the number of abortions in the U.S. Maybe it’s just me, but I would think that making abortion more accessible and affordable would actually increase the number of abortions.

Obama’s choice of “Science Czar”, the forced abortion and strerilization proponent, John Holdren, makes me suspect that that is  the ultimate goal.

Like I was saying the other day, watch what he does, not what he says…..even if you’re the Pope.

Help Stop Government Censorship Of The Airwaves

Support the Walden-Pence Broadcaster Freedom Amendment.

From Congressmen Mike Pence and Greg Walden:

… the Broadcaster Freedom Amendment  would prevent the FCC from re-implementing the ‘Fairness Doctrine’ or imposing proposed broadcast localism regulations for one fiscal year.

Don’t think it can’t happen. We’ve seen in six short months what can happen. We’ve seen the totalitarian intincts of the Dems in power.

Call your Congresscritter and let them know how you feel about this. Contact info, here.

Was Obama Snubbed By The Russians?

It sure looks like it, but likely wasn’t (see update).

Check out this footage, taken last week of Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev making their way down a receiving line:

The media sure didn’t hype this like they hyped the Bush snub that wasn’t,  last November. Remember how the “pathetic” and “like the most unpopular kid in high school” Bush, was supposedly snubbed at the G-20?:

The difference in the two videos, is of course the fact that Bush didn’t put his hand out to shake with anyone, because he had already shaken everybody’s hand. Obama may have already shook hands with the people in the line, too, but if he was putting his hand out to shake, again,  they were undeniably ignoring him.  You would think that they would shake it again for appearance sake. If they hadn’t already shook hands, then wow —-awkward!

The reset button must be defective, or something.

UPDATE:

Geoff comes up with the most plausible explanation…he’s introducing Medvedev to the people in the line, who were perhaps his staff or embassy folks.

Well, nevermind!