Breaking: Federal Judge Grants Gov. Greg Abbott’s Request To Stop Obama’s Executive Amnesty

I hate using “breaking” in headlines because it’s such an overused link-bait tactic. But this really is breaking. I can’t find anything on the web other than Texas Governor Greg Abbot’s tweet, minutes ago:

BREAKING: Federal Judge just granted my request to halt Obama's Executive Amnesty Order Nationwide. More later. #txlege #tcot @TexasGOP

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 17, 2015

MORE via WND:

A federal judge in Texas on Monday granted a temporary injunction halting President Obama’s executive-order driven amnesty program.

The ruling from Judge Andrew Hanen ordered the government not to proceed with any portion of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, DAPA.

“The United States of America, its departments, agencies, officers, agents and employees and Jeh Johnson, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; R. Gil Kerlikowske, commissioner of United States customs and Border Protection; Ronald D. Vitiello, deputy chief of United States Border Patrol, United States Customs and Border Protection; Thomas S. Winkowski, acting director of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Leon Rodriguez, director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services are hereby enjoined from implementing any and all aspects or phases of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents … ”

The outline of plans was “set out in the Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson’s memorandum dated November 20, 2014.”

The injunction is until “a final resolution of the merits of this case or until a further order of this court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit or the United States Supreme Court,” the judge ordered.

He cited the Obama administration’s failure to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act.

UPDATE:

Governor Abbott’s statement Via the Houston Chronicle: 

“President Obama abdicated his responsibility to uphold the United States Constitution when he attempted to circumvent the laws passed by Congress via executive fiat, and Judge Hanen’s decision rightly stops the President’s overreach in its tracks. We live in a nation governed by a system of checks and balances, and the President’s attempt to by-pass the will of the American people was successfully checked today. The District Court’s ruling is very clear — it prevents the President from implementing the policies in ‘any and all aspects.’ ”

Following President Obama’s announcement of his plan to take executive action and grant legal status to individuals illegally present in the United States, then-Attorney General Abbott filed a lawsuit challenging the president’s action on Dec. 3. Texas was initially joined by 16 states in filing the lawsuit; that number has since grown to 26 states.

CNS News reported earlier today:

A federal judge in Texas is expected to rule shortly on a lawsuit filed by 26 states asking him to declare President Obama’s executive amnesty unconstitutional under the “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Under a six-page directive issued by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson, DHS will start accepting applications under Obama’s expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program Wednesday unless U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanenissues a ruling blocking the department from proceeding.

During oral arguments on the case in his packed courtroom in January, Judge Hanen, a George W. Bush appointee, said that the Southern District of Texas was the ideal place to decide the executive amnesty issue because “talking to anyone in Brownsville about immigration is like talking to Noah about the flood.”

 SEE ALSO:

Twitchy: Huge: Texas Governor Greg Abbott wins federal injunction against Obama amnesty:

Here's the full 123-page decision in case you care to read it http://t.co/qGZRZpHpEs

— James Barragán 🌟 (@James_Barragan) February 17, 2015

Raging Rudy Giuliani Scorches Obama’s Weak Policies on Iran

During his powerful speech  at the Iranian-American Community symposium “Countering Islamic Fundamentalism, and a Nuclear-Armed Iran” on February 13, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona, former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani excoriated the president for his weak and feckless foreign policies.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Giuliani this animated:

“My 343 firefighters who died on September 11th, my 2700 citizens who died on September 11th, and soldiers of Forth-Hood who died by a man yelling “Allah Akbar” or the Jewish people just setting there, being shot and killed just a few weeks ago in France because they are Jewish. You know what they have in common?”

“They have in common a movement the president of United States will not recognize.”

“They have been murdered, they have been slaughtered, they have been raped, they have been tortured , they have been beheaded, they have been burned by a movement the president of United State will not recognize!”

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?!”

Giuliani noted the current leader of Iran’s long record of duplicity in regards to nuclear power.

“And we’re NEGOTIATING WITH HIM!’ he bellowed.  “This is like playing poker with a guy who has cheated you twice before. You know who does that? A MORON!“

“An agreement with Iran with regard to nuclear power is very simple,” he continued, “Iran should not be allowed to get any nuclear power.”

He said that Obama should not be able to come to an agreement with Iran without the consent of Congress.

Part One:

Part Two:

Giuliani tore into Obama for dishonoring the protected Iranian dissidents at Camp Liberty in Iraq – which he called a virtual concentration camp –  thanks to Obama’s neglect.

He lamented that instead of embracing moderate reforms in Iran, Obama is “selling us out” to the Islamic State.

“It must be stopped. It has to be stopped. Our last resort is our Congress, Rudy declared. “And I implore this Congress to stop this weak president from doing things that will be so difficult to reverse!”

“We will not sell out to Iran the way Chamberlain sold out to Hitler!” thundered “America’s Mayor.”

 Via Iran Liberty:

Nearly 3,000 Iranian dissidents residing in Camp Liberty near Baghdad airport, MEK opposition members and “protected persons” under the 4th Geneva Convention, have for five years been under bloody attacks and an inhumane medical and logistical siege imposed by Iraqi forces loyal to the Iranian regime.

The deteriorating medical situation resulting from the imposed medical siege has raised the attention of international human rights organizations and dignitaries about inhumane conditions in the camp. Numerous international calls for measures to provide care for the patients in the camp have been made by many from numerous countries, inviting the UN and the Obama administration to take urgent action to save the lives of the patients of this camp.

Signatories of the statement emphasized that: “From 2009 when the protection and security of Ashraf residents was transferred to the Iraqi government, the residents have been gradually placed under a cruel and deteriorating logistical and medical siege.”

Because Obama is so desperate with a nuclear deal with Iran, these poor people have been forsaken.

WH Statement on Latest Beheadings Neglects To Acknowledge Christian Faith of Victims

In the wake of the gruesome ISIS (Daesh) video showing 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians being beheaded in Libya,  the Obama White House Sunday put out a statement condemning the atrocity. The statement was noteworthy for what it refused to acknowledge – the Coptic Christian faith of the victims – suggesting an attempt to minimize the religious aspect of the threat of Islamic terrorism.

The White House statement via White House Dossier:

The United States condemns the despicable and cowardly murder of twenty-one Egyptian citizens in Libya by ISIL-affiliated terrorists. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and our support to the Egyptian government and people as they grieve for their fellow citizens.

ISIL’s barbarity knows no bounds. It is unconstrained by faith, sect, or ethnicity. This wanton killing of innocents is just the most recent of the many vicious acts perpetrated by ISIL-affiliated terrorists against the people of the region, including the murders of dozens of Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai, which only further galvanizes the international community to unite against ISIL.

Keith Koffler, who is Jewish, finds the omission to be profoundly offensive:

President Obama’s determination to portray Islamist terrorism as merely “extremism” untethered from any religious motivation has now crossed the line from absurdity into profound offensiveness. These people died, horrifyingly, because of their religion. They are martyrs. But not, apparently, in the view of the White House.

Koffler also notes that the killings did not rate a “presidential” statement.

The statement above was issued by the press secretary, a determination that is calculated based on what the White House perceives as its importance.

Fox News’ Todd Starnes was also offended by the statement, noticing that the White House not only refuses to name the enemy – he refuses to name their victims.

Starnes:  Moral Cowardice: WH Won’t Call Latest Victims of Islamic Radicals ‘Christians’:

 

“The White House denounced what they called ‘the murder of Egyptian citizens.’ Not Christians – citizens. The president couldn’t even summon the moral courage to speak the truth. They’re called Christians, sir.”

 Previously: 

Video: Pope denounces slaying of Egyptian Copts by ISIS – With Updates

ISIS Slaughters 21 Coptic Christians In Libya – Obama Golfs

 SEE ALSO:

The Atlantic: What ISIS Really Wants:

The piece is the size of a novelette – but well worth your time.

Western officials would probably do best to refrain from weighing in on matters of Islamic theological debate altogether. Barack Obama himself drifted into takfiri waters when he claimed that the Islamic State was “not Islamic”—the irony being that he, as the non-Muslim son of a Muslim, may himself be classified as an apostate, and yet is now practicing takfiragainst Muslims. Non-Muslims’ practicing takfir elicits chuckles from jihadists (“Like a pig covered in feces giving hygiene advice to others,” one tweeted).

I suspect that most Muslims appreciated Obama’s sentiment: the president was standing with them against both Baghdadi and non-Muslim chauvinists trying to implicate them in crimes. But most Muslims aren’tsusceptible to joining jihad. The ones who are susceptible will only have had their suspicions confirmed: the United States lies about religion to serve its purposes.

 NRO: Krauthammer’s Take: ISIS Is ‘Genocidal Movement Akin to Nazism’

 Make no mistake about the seriousness of the threat posed by the Islamic State, says Charles Krauthammer. In the wake of the murders of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, “[ISIS] is not just Islamic radicalism anymore, or Islamic terrorism, which is only a tactic. This is really Islamist supremacy. And in that sense, it is akin to Nazism. That was racial supremacy; here it’s Islamist.”

“The ideology of ISIS is clearly supremacist,” said Krauthammer on Monday’s Special Report, “in the sense that anybody who is not Islamic in their understanding is to be either enslaved or eradicated. This is a genocidal movement. You kill Christians, you kill Jews, you kill Yazidis (but you may in certain circumstances enslave them). That’s what we’re up against, and we have an administration that will not even admit that there’s a religious basis underlying what’s going on.”

Video: Pope denounces slaying of Egyptian Copts by ISIS – With Updates

At the Vatican today Pope Francis denounced the slaughter of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, saying they were “assassinated just for being Christian.” The Pope also said, “The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard.”

The comments came during his meeting with a delegation from Scotland.

Via the Holy See Press Office Pope Francis said:

I would now like to turn to my native tongue to express feelings of profound sorrow.

Today I read about the execution of those twenty-one or twenty-two Coptic Christians. Their only words were: “Jesus, help me!”.

They were killed simply for the fact that they were Christians.

You, my brother, in your words referred to what is happening in the land of Jesus. The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard. It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ.

As we recall these brothers and sisters who died only because they confessed Christ, I ask that we encourage each another to go forward with this ecumenism which is giving us strength, the ecumenism of blood. The martyrs belong to all Christians..

Via ROME REPORTS in English

Via WTNH News8:

“There are new concerns in Italy because one ISIS member says on the video that one of the group’s goals is to conquer Rome, the See of Catholicism.”

Via Iraqi News:

On Wednesday, the so-called Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant threatened to launch a war against the Catholic Church and an invasion of Rome, after publishing a picture of its black flag fluttering above the Vatican.

ISIS issued in its electronic magazine a threat to the heart of Christianity (Rome) after publishing a picture of a black flag waving above the Vatican, threatening to “wage war against the Catholic Church.”

 

Nowhere do they explain how they would manage to invade Italy.

MORE:

POTUS called on the besieged people in the unholy mess of a country Libya has become, to step up to the plate and come up with a “political solution” so they can deal with the terrorists his administration armed. 

Obama’s statement:

The Obama administration, in a statement released by press secretary Josh Earnest late Sunday, called the killing of the 21 Egyptian men a “despicable and cowardly murder” that should accelerate the need for a political resolution to the burgeoning conflict in Libya.

“We call on all Libyans to strongly reject this and all acts of terrorism and to unite in the face of this shared and growing threat,” the statement continued. “We continue to strongly support the efforts of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General Bernardino Leon to facilitate formation of a national unity government and help foster a political solution in Libya.”

Gateway Pundit: Egyptian President Bombs ISIS – Offers Condolences to Copts at St. Mark’s Church

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Sunday that Egypt would retaliate against the killing of 21 Egyptian Copts by the Islamic State (ISIS) group in Libya.

https://twitter.com/zaidbenjamin/status/567225460044857344

Weasel Zippers: Obama Gets In Presidents Day Round Of Golf, Islam Terrorism Continues:

Via USA Today

President Obama is getting in a last round of President’s Day weekend golf in California before returning to Washington on Monday.

Obama and his playing partners arrived at the Porcupine Creek Golf Course in the Palm Springs area shortly before 8 a.m., local time.

The course is owned by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison.

Forum: What Do You Like Most About Where You Live? What Would You Change?

Every week on Monday morning , the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher’s Forum, short takes on a major issue of the day, the culture, or daily living. This week’s question: What Do You Like Most About Where You Live? What Would You Change?

The Right Planet: One thing I like about living in Indiana is the people. The “folks” are pretty down to earth here–a lot of “salt of the earth” types–which I prefer. There is a very strong work ethic in this neck of the woods. I’ve always respected and admired that. There’s more of a “get ‘er done” mentality in the Midwest. Additionally, things are pretty stable here economically as well. You can buy a home for a reasonable price, among other things, unlike places like California or New York.

My only complaint is winter. I really hate winter. I, myself, do not have a love affair with the whole “change of seasons” thing. I would change that if I could. Although, admittedly, I enjoyed the climate when I lived in Los Angeles. But we dealt with smog alerts, brush fires, and earthquakes–and the resulting aftershocks that lasted for weeks or months. Yeah, I don’t miss that, for sure. The other advantage is the locale. If you want a big city experience, you can head toward Chicago. If you want a small town experience … well, they’re everywhere here. If you want an “international” experience, you can head toward Canada. Being located smack dab in the middle of the country also has its advantages should a SHTF event ever occur.

Laura Rambeau Lee,Right Reason :I have lived in the Tampa Bay area for most of my life, having moved here from Pennsylvania with my family in 1970. While many people believe Florida is the state where people go when they retire, the average age here is in the low to mid 40s.

Located near the Gulf of Mexico and the beautiful beaches along the Gulf coast, it is a great place for those who love boating, scuba diving, sunbathing, or fishing. If you are into sports, we have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (football), the Tampa Bay Rays (baseball), the Lightening (ice hockey) and the New York Yankees have their spring training here.

Tampa International Airport is one of the best airports in the country and was ranked third among global airports serving between 15 and 25 million passengers a year in 2013. In 2013 it was also ranked third best airport in North America. We also have several large cruise lines leaving out of Tampa every week for voyages to the Caribbean Islands.

We are within an hour and a half drive to Orlando and Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. Busch Gardens is right here in Tampa and visiting the Lowry Park Zoo is a great way to spend a day with the family.

MacDill Air Force Base is home to Central Command and the military makes up a lot of the residents of the Tampa Bay area, many who remain here after they retire.

With the University of South Florida and the USF Medical School, along with the Moffitt Cancer Center, medical care and facilities are state of the art.

If seeing Broadway shows is your thing, we have the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center bringing full seasons of classic Broadway and off Broadway shows.

No matter what type of food you crave, you can find it in Tampa. The Columbia Restaurant is world renowned for its Spanish and Cuban cuisine. We have major steak house chains, as well as many wonderful Thai, Indian, Korean, Brazilian, Chinese and Italian restaurants.

On the negative side, progressives are trying to force urbanization and multi-use development into the old downtown area, as are many similar sized cities. We have a large conservative presence in the Tampa Bay area and have been successful in stopping the push for increases in our sales tax to promote the building of light rail within the city with promises of jobs and economic development. We have been able to defeat these referenda in Hillsborough and surrounding counties with overwhelming opposition from voters. Even after these defeats they continue to push this agenda and we have been forced to continue to fight their efforts. It would be nice if our trusted servants would listen to the voters and stop pushing this agenda and wasting time and tax payer money on these special interest development plans.

The winters are relatively mild. As we see the north-east being hit with severe blizzards this year, we are enjoying lows in the low to mid 40s and highs in the low 60s to mid 70s.

The cost of living is relatively low, and Florida has no state income tax. Whether you are looking for a cosmopolitan atmosphere or a laid back rural lifestyle, you can find it in the Tampa Bay area.

 Ask Marion : I live in Temecula California and have lived in southern California for most of my life.

The things I like best about where I live is that you can do pretty much everything you can think of from here. You can surf in the morning, go snow skiing the same afternoon and then go to a Hollywood premier that same evening… should you so desire.

You also have access to people and things in the greater LA area that if you pursue them could help you make a difference… from politics to rescuing pets to affecting our entertainment industry and culture.

I am also very proud that the people of Temecula-Murrieta had the courage to take a stand against amnesty and President Obama’s illegal policies.

What I’d like to change about where I live is the progressive culture and liberal politicians who have taken over one for the most beautiful states in America and moved it to a state that people want to leave instead of come to.

Well, there you have it!

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. and every  Tuesday morning, when we reveal the weeks’ nominees for Weasel of the Week!

And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it...or any of the other fantabulous Watcher’s Council content.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y’know?

ISIS Slaughters 21 Coptic Christians In Libya – Obama Golfs

While the president was on the left coast enjoying a weekend of golf and fundraising, ISIS (*Daesh) released another gruesome video on Sunday that graphically shows the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,  after meeting with the country’s top military commanders, vowed that his country would respond to the deaths and called for a seven day mourning period.

Via Reuters:

Speaking on national television hours after the release of the video, Sisi said Cairo would choose the “necessary means and timing to avenge the criminal killings”.

Egypt’s state news agency MENA quoted the spokesman for the Coptic Church as confirming that 21 Egyptian Christians believed to be held by Islamic State were dead.

The footage showing the deaths of the Egyptians appeared on the Twitter feed of a website that supports Islamic State, which has seized parts of Iraq and Syria and has also beheaded Western hostages.

In the video, militants in black marched the captives, dressed in orange jump suits, to a beach the group said was near Tripoli. They were forced down onto their knees, then beheaded.

In the video, the terrorists also vowed to expand the Islamic caliphate to “conquer Rome” — perhaps a reference to the fact that ISIS/Daesh is now less than 500 miles from the southern tip of Italy.

Via Walid Showbat: “Even under the blade, some were making their last prayers and as the blade came to their neck they all cried in unison “Ya Rabbi Yasou’” (O My Lord Jesus) the caption by ISIS stated “these insisted to remain in unbelief”. In other words, they were given the option to convert or die and everyone of them refused, even unto death.”

A caption on the five-minute video read: “The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church.”

One of the ISIS/Daesh mutants stood with a knife in his hand using language our president would appreciate: “Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for.”

It was only a week-and-a-half ago that Obama was telling Christians to not get on their “high horse” about ISIS/Daesh terrorism because “during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.”  Detractors accused the president of advancing the terrorists’ own talking points by invoking the Crusades – if you can believe that.

Speaking of “crusaders,” US Army Veterans, and other Westerners have been flowing into the Middle East by the thousands to help Christians (and Kurds)  fight the the terrorist scourge.

Saint Michael, the archangel of battle, is tattooed across the back of a U.S. army veteran who recently returned to Iraq and joined a Christian militia fighting Islamic State in what he sees as a biblical war between good and evil.

Brett, 28, carries the same thumb-worn pocket Bible he did whilst deployed to Iraq in 2006 – a picture of the Virgin Mary tucked inside its pages and his favourite verses highlighted.

“It’s very different,” he said, asked how the experiences compared. “Here I’m fighting for a people and for a faith, and the enemy is much bigger and more brutal.”

Thousands of foreigners have flocked to Iraq and Syria in the past two years, mostly to join Islamic State, but a handful of idealistic Westerners are enlisting as well, citing frustration their governments are not doing more to combat the ultra-radical Islamists or prevent the suffering of innocents.

The militia they joined is called Dwekh Nawsha – meaning self-sacrifice in the ancient Aramaic language spoken by Christ and still used by Assyrian Christians, who consider themselves the indigenous people of Iraq.

A map on the wall in the office of the Assyrian political party affiliated with Dwekh Nawsha marks the Christian towns in northern Iraq, fanning out around the city of Mosul.

The majority are now under control of Islamic State, which overran Mosul last summer and issued am ultimatum to Christians: pay a tax, convert to Islam, or die by the sword. Most fled.

Dwekh Nawsha operates alongside Kurdish peshmerga forces to protect Christian villages on the frontline in Nineveh province.

Via Walid Shoebat,  Mustafa Bakri a TV commentator struggled to hold back tears as he announced the news of the beheadings, cutting the segment short.

“Just now they announced the butchering of 21 Egyptians comes to us now. I have seen their family and have seen their pitiful condition and how they live in such poverty … young men, like roses” says Bakri asking for an intermission after he realized he could not hold his tears.

Disturbing photos of cages filled with little children in orange jump suits are making the rounds.

Shoebat reports that ISIS is using the images to propagandize against the coalition bombings.

Translating from the original article, it states:

“Activists on social media on a Sunday morning had a number of children crammed inside a cage as a symbolic gesture with fire approaching them as a snapshot aiming to draw attention to the disastrous situation to remind the world about the blood and carnage and fires caused by bombs and rockets from the [coalition] bombing. Children were dressing in orange, which is the same cloak that the Jordanian pilot captive “Muaz Kasasbeh” wore when he was killed by ISIS when he was burned to death. Children were filming this scene in a place where the regime made a massacre which claimed the lives of about 50 people …”

It is the oldest trick of the devil. He tells his subjects to murder. But when retaliation comes and as a result folks are killed, he accuses the other side of murder.

Liberals fall for it every time.

Meanwhile, Obama has been in Palm Springs for a fun weekend getaway with “the boys.” It has, after all,  been at least six weeks since the man has had a vacation. He is overdue. And so are Michelle and the girls, who are in Aspen for their annual ski vacation.

Via White House Dossier:

He played Saturday at the Sunnylands retreat in Rancho Mirage, where he has visited now four times since 2013. At your expense.

Obama golfed with three old friends – Bobby Titcomb and Greg Orme, who flew in from Hawaii, and Marty Nesbitt, who is from Chicago. Given the amount of time he spent on the links, it looks like he might have racked up 27 holes or so circling the nine-hole course. It was his third time golfing this year and the 216th of his presidency.

As he has before, Obama is staying at the home of his interior decorator, Michael Smith, and Smith’s partner, James Costos, who is the U.S. Ambassador to Spain.

Isn’t that special?

RELATED:

Breitbart London: ‘SAVE THE LAST BULLET FOR YOURSELF’: SAS WILL NOT BE TAKEN ALIVE BY ISIS:

Elite British forces in the SAS have been told not to allow the Islamic State to take them alive, according to the Daily Star. Special Forces have been ordered to “fight to the last man” with commanders telling them “save the last bullet for yourselves”.

The SAS have been operating in ISIS-controlled territory for some time, but the new rules were issued after the brutal murder of a Jordanian pilot. Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh was burned alive earlier this month, after his plane was downed.

A source said: “The SAS have been told that if they are captured they can expect to be tortured before being beheaded, disembowelled or burned alive. They know there is virtually no chance of being rescued.

*I’m transitioning from ISIS to Daesh. It’s the least common name for the mutants, but it’s one they hate the most – so I’m using it.