Update on VA lawsuit against Healthcare Law

Thank you Conservative Girl for posting this letter from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. As I reported on May 26, the Obama administration is filing for dismissal of VA's lawsuit arguing the constitutionality of the Healthcare law. Mr. Cuccinelli explains what is going on better than I can.

Dear My Fellow Virginians,

I am writing you tonight to make sure you know of an important development in Virginia's case against the federal healthcare law. Today, Virginia filed its brief in opposition to the federal government's attempt to dismiss Virginia’s lawsuit against the new federal healthcare law.


While it's over two months since we first filed this suit - in legal terms, this case is moving at a lightning pace!


The US responded to our lawsuit with a motion to dismiss the case - which we fully expected.


Below is a simple but thorough chart which identifies the US's arguments in the case, and explains our response to each one. I would encourage all of you to take a look - and let me know your thoughts!

Thomas Retiring

Right from the donkey's mouth, the Huffington Post reports:

Helen Thomas, the 89-year-old veteran White House correspondent, will retire effective immediately in the wake of her offensive comments on Israel.

"Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately," a Hearst Newspapers statement said. "Her decision came after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet."

Keep up the good fight, fellow bloggers. Americans need to realize that Washington is overrun with Progressives who have little in common with the average American's beliefs.

Race to Mediocrity

NJ Governor, Chris Christie's town hall speech last week was terrific. He rightly accused teachers unions of forcing teachers to pay dues then using a substantial portion of that money, not to improve the quality of education, but to further their political agenda.




About the same time, someone sent me this article: Standardizing Mediocrity in America’s Public Schools. I have heard almost every teacher I know, complain about No Child Left Behind. They say it forces them to teach to the test, that it's more like No Child Rises Above. One teacher actually had hopes that Obama would get rid of No Child Left Behind.

Instead, we get Race to the Top. This thing was crammed into last fall's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and provides over $4 Billion to school districts who "advance reforms around four specific areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools."

Sounds harmless enough so far until we learn that the winners, consisting of a minimum of 15 states, are then legally bound to adopt the standards and assessments. 15 states that will then become partners with the US Department of Education to provide standardized curricula to the rest of the country. Am I skipping a few steps in between? Sure. But this sure looks like a Nudge to me.

Remember, these are the same people who did away with the wildly successful voucher program in DC. I'm highly suspicious anytime the federal government sticks its nose in things that should be handled on a state and local level.

Thomas Dropped

In reaction to her antisemitic statements last week, Helen Thomas' agency released the following statement today:

It is with a heavy heart that Nine Speakers, Inc. announces its resignation as the agent for Helen Thomas, Dean of the White House Press Corps.

Ms. Thomas has had an esteemed career as a journalist, and she has been a trailblazer for women, helping others in her profession, and beyond.

However, in light of recent events, Nine Speakers is no longer able to represent Ms. Thomas, nor can we condone her comments on the Middle East.

Nine Speakers will continue to enthusiastically represent all of our other current and future clients.

Good riddance you bigot.

Warm Fuzzies Getting in Trouble

As promised, and back by popular demand (not), pictures of my chickens. Here they had made their way into my front yard and gardens. My guard cat, Trevor, was off duty until we could get another supply of Frontline Plus. Ticks on the cat or chickens in the garden, it's a tough call.

Bad chickens....

No Mosque at Ground Zero

Thank you Opus, for turning me on to this video.

Muslims are planning to build a mosque at Ground Zero with opening day set for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Americans and New Yorkers especially, we need to stand up and say NO. Build your mosque somewhere else but you will not disgrace the memory of the 3000 men and woman who were slaughtered that day.

White House to Netanyahu: Don't Come

Just as I'd suspected. Israel National News is reporting that the BO and his buddies made it clear that they did not want Prime Minister Netanyahu to keep his scheduled visit to the White House.

In the hubbub surrounding the “battle of the flotilla,” Netanyahu’s quick reversal of his decision to remain in the United States has been largely ignored. It turns out that Obama told him to leave because he didn’t want Netanyahu to use the White House as a stage on which to present Israel’s side of the story.

And maybe he needed more time to hang with Paul McCartney....

More links between the White House and the Flotilla

As if ties between BO, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn and Jodie Evans weren't tying the administration a little too closely to the Free Gaza movement, I just came across this World Net Daily article:

TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND
White house linked to flotilla organizers
Israel official ties president's adviser to controversial 'Free Gaza Movement'

Seems the president's counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, John Brennen may be a bit too cozy with radical Islamic groups. I would argue the same to be true about the president himself.

Mishmashed thoughts on Israel and Progressives

I was awake about half the night last night. I made the mistake of leaving my bedroom door open and Marauder spent the whole night purring, bathing and playing pounce with Trevor. When I was lying awake I could not stop thinking about Israel, the Jews and the Progressives. Here are some of my thoughts:


- Jewish people overwhelmingly supported Obama in 2008 and usually support Democratic candidates. It's these same Dems/Progressives who are anti-Israel.

-How can Dems/Progressives claim to be pro-diversity then so blatantly attack a minority? And why doesn't anyone see their hypocrisy? Look at this, this is from Code Pink's website: Gaza Freedom March. Remember, Code Pink's founder is a friend of BO.