About One of My Articles and Allen West at the NoisyRoom – Worth the Read!

Below is an article written by and explaining the events of the past couple days concerning our good friend Terresa Monroe-Hamilton at the NoisyRoom, Rep. Allen West and the leftist trolls that spend their days spreading propaganda, stirring the pot of dissent and attempting to destroy anyone they don’t like, confuse the issues and manipulate the public.  It is all right out of their Alinsky Bible ‘Rules for Radicals’ (Kindle) that every concerned citizen, especially Conservatives, should read and understand… it is their playbook.

This situation saddens me even more than normal because it involves two people I love and admire! Terresa is one of the most hard-working defenders of the truth, freedom and our Constitution that I know, who is amazingly generous, knowledgeable and helpful to other bloggers.  She has certainly been a good friend to me personally and a help to us at the AskMarion, DTP, KCP and others.  And Lt. Colonial and former Florida Representative Allen West is someone I admire, trust and is the kind of leader we desperately need during the frightening times we live in, who is a role model and ardent defender of freedom and our Constitution. Both the exact opposite of those who created this situation.  Marion Algier – AskMarion/DTP

AP Photo: Allen West

By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton  -  The NoisyRoom

I have been blogging since right after 9/11/2001. This blog was originally focused on counter-terrorism and is now much more into politics and the Constitution. I mix my own opinions with reporting. That has always been the case. Now, a little opinion piece I wrote on October 29th could potentially hurt someone I very much admire and would never, ever intentionally harm: Allen West. I am addressing this now as articles are being written on it by major news outlets and it has been picked up everywhere. It has grown legs so-to-speak. I am being attacked from all over the Left, including the EPA on this one. West is being maligned and it is just wrong. This is the article in question: Back Door Gun Control Moves Forward.

I awoke yesterday morning to hundreds of emails as par for the course over here. One of them I recognized as a Tweet by a Leftie troll right away. I tend to read those if they catch my attention and unfortunately, this one did. Here is the article that was sent to me: Allen West Plagiarizes Anti-Gun Control Article?

It is known far and wide out in the Blogosphere that I will let anyone and everyone use whatever I have. I am honored that Allen West would use my post. I spoke with his office and it was an oversight. They applied attribution and were very kind, thoughtful and gracious to me. There was no intent to plagiarize or do anything that was out of line. My thanks to Allen West and his team. They are always professional and upfront in whatever they do.

So, if the Left’s intent was to turn us against each other on this minor post, you failed – epically. The Conservative blogosphere as a whole, shares with each other. We have ethics and morals and we help each other. There is no finer example of that out there than Allen West.

Over the years I have seen and heard a great deal of my material “borrowed” in the interest of supporting Conservative causes. While it’s always nice to get credit for one’s work, I always keep in mind the Ronald Reagan viewpoint on this: “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” It is more important that the message gets out, than if I might accrue some little fame, for which I have no use or desire. Get the message out. Revive Conservative principles. Restore the nation. When that’s done, there will be plenty of time to argue over who gets the credit. My greatest worry here, is that I may hurt Allen West, which I would never knowingly do.

There seems to be a trend here of trying to catch Conservatives with their hands in the cookie jar. Last week it was Rand Paul, this week it is Allen West. I agree with Mike Huckabee that it is absurd. I’ve also noted an uptick of those posting comments on Conservative sites telling them a picture is fake or a premise is wrong and it hurts our credibility. I believe these are plants who are actively attacking us and trying to turn us against each other. I’ll have no part in it period. It smacks of the private Romney dinner that was used to destroy his reputation

Now on to the post itself. As I said before, it was an opinion piece. I do them all the time – I’m a blogger, that’s what I do. A friend of mine, Bob Owens, wrote his own piece which takes issue with my facts. Bob is a brilliant writer and has a point. I will share with you what he wrote in a moment. My contention here, is that even though the notifications of closures started under Bush, Obama’s hand-picked staff at the EPA have really ratcheted up the war on coal, energy and America in general. Closing the plant sets a precedent that I still contend will be used against the Second Amendment. As to only a small percentage of lead there being used for ammo, that may be true, but it still does not change the fact that Obama has promised to shut down the power and manufacturing plants, which he is doing. Please don’t give me the faulty ‘Bush started it,’ ploy. Progressives on both sides of the political aisle own this one, but frankly, Obama is bringing the end game to fruition – he knows exactly what is being done and what the end result will be.

Here is the section of Bob Owens’ piece:

The big question about the story is the fact that the Herculaneum is a primary lead smelter — meaning they don’t produce or manufacture the type of lead commonly used for ammo. Most ammo manufactures use secondary lead (i.e. recycled lead).

“(T)he majority of the lead used by ammunition manufacturers comes from secondary smelters that recycle lead from car batteries,” Bob Owens of Bearing Arms said.

And many ammo manufactures back this claim and agree that the Herculaneum closure isn’t some trick play from the White House.

President and Operations Manager of Missouri Bullet Company said that fears of ammo shortage in the U.S. was a “tempest in a teapot,” adding that the Doe Run closure will have “no impact” on his company’s ability to produce ammo.

“We have not begun production at rates that this will impact,” Steve Weliver of Cape Fear Arsenal told me in an email.

“At this time we do not anticipate any additional strain on our ability to obtain lead,” Tim Brandt of ATK (Federal Premium, CCI, and Speer ammunition), said in reference to the Herculaneum closure in a company FAQ.

Owens added: Roughly 80 percent of “lead used in the United States secondary market (which is what most ammunition manufacturers use) comes from recycled batteries and another 7%-9% of lead on the market comes from other scrap sources … Only 10% of the lead in the U.S. comes from mining.”

Further, the EPA’s battle with the Mo. plant dates back as far as 2003. True, recent 2008 regulations played a role in the closure, but President Obama wasn’t even inaugurated yet.

Bob is much more knowledgeable than I am in this area and I respect what he has written. But I stand by what I wrote and how I feel about it. After all, it was an opinion piece. The fact of the matter is, the plant didn’t close under Bush, it is closing under Obama. Allen and I both believe that closing this plant and others will set precedent and is intended to lead to gun control and infringement of the Second Amendment.

Wonkette and the other loons out there can just stuff it. The Left can’t seem to make up their minds – one day I’m a spy, the next day, I don’t exist. But you can bet, I’m not going anywhere and I will keep writing.

I want to take a special moment and thank Becket Adams at TheBlaze for reporting on this fairly and truthfully. He treated not only Allen West, but myself as well, with respect and dignity. They are, in my opinion once again, what a true media outlet should be and I respect them and count them as my favorite news source even more after yesterday’s developments.

Regardless of what I wrote, Allen West and his people are innocent in this and are being needlessly hounded over an innocent and very minor mistake. All of us have forgotten to attribute or have made a mistake while writing. Few of us have the backbone, ethics and courage of Allen West. Recognize all the Alinsky tactics being used from ridicule to pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it, for what they are… just another squirrel moment in politics.

‘Scandalous Hat Trick’: Sarah Palin Shreds Obama & His Scandal-Embroiled White House

Associated Press (AP)

May 16, 2013 9:37pm - Becket Adams – TheBlazeTV

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin posted a lengthy message to her Facebook wall Thursday criticizing the Obama administration for its handling the Benghazi, IRS, and Associated Press phone records scandals:

Scandalous Hat Trick

Mr. President, when it rains it pours, but most Americans hold their own umbrellas. Today in the Rose Garden you dismissed the idea of a Special Counsel to investigate the IRS scandal. With that, your galling political hubris shined bright in the midst of today’s dark clouds.

Mr. President, how can we trust your Justice Department to conduct an independent investigation when there is a systemic violation of the Hatch Act throughout your administration?

Surely you are aware that the Hatch Act prevents certain federal employees from engaging in political activity. Specifically, it’s illegal for these federal employees to engage in action in support of or in opposition to a political party, a candidate for partisan political office, or a partisan political group.

Yet that is exactly what’s happened within the IRS, the Justice Department, and in the Benghazi cover-up. This scandalous hat trick is on your watch. It is not believable that you knew nothing about Obama administration actions in dealing with these scandals. And in regards to Benghazi, when you should have taken appropriate action to save American lives – for instance by calling in the Marines – you were AWOL. Just weeks before the election your team scrubbed the Benghazi talking points in 12 different versions, lied to the American people about some YouTube video being to blame for the deaths of brave Americans who put our country first, and you prove Michael Barone right when he writes, “What actually happened in Benghazi was out of sync with the Obama campaign line.” That’s why you all did what you did. Pure raw politics were at play during a horrific time of loss.

For more evidence of Hatch Act violations right under your nose, simply consider DOJ’s “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into the free press. Do you think they picked up some political talk when tapping the phones in the House press gallery?

Your team is out of control. Those who cannot remember the past and learn from it are doomed to repeat it, and that is exactly what is happening. Look back exactly 40 years ago this week and apply that disheartening chapter of American history to the team you’ve chosen and lead today.

Some of us warned America; we cautioned voters in 2008 that a community organizer with no executive experience and no sense of accountability would be a very poor choice for the nation’s top management position.

Mr. President, you said today that you have “complete confidence” in the Attorney General. America doesn’t. Eric Holder needs to appoint an unbiased Special Counsel to investigate the illegal political action of this administration. And then Eric Holder needs to resign.

Most Americans see ominous dark clouds looming beyond the White House Rose Garden, Mr. President. They’ll roll away only when light is shined on the Obama administration’s antics, and America will only recover when you cease avoiding responsibility in this mission of yours to fundamentally transform America. For that to happen, the press had better learn from their experiences of being duped and provide a deserving public fairer, more intelligent coverage.

Speaking of coverage, glad you finally called in the Marines… shame it was just to hold your umbrella.

- Sarah Palin

Well then. Tell us how you really feel.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

(H/T: Right Scoop). Featured image Getty Images.

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Seems Bomber Jihadists' Money Traces Back to Saudi Arabia and Osama

North Caucasus jihadists’ money traces back to Saudi Arabia and Osama bin Laden

The seed money of major North Caucasus or Chechen terrorist groups such as the Caucasus Emirate, the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade (IIPB), the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (SPIR) and the Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs (RSRSBCM) can all be traced back to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

Although we don’t yet know to which groups the two Russian-born brothers of Chechen descent who were identified as suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings may belong, it’s important to take a look back at the origins of the money behind the North Caucasus jihadist network overall.

Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade

The Council on Foreign Relations says that, “According to the U.S. State Department, the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade is the primary channel for Islamic funding of the Chechen guerillas, in part through links to al-Qaeda-related financiers on the Arabian Peninsula.”

The Middle East Forum has more on IIPB:

In October 1999, emissaries of [IIPB founder Shamil Basayev] and [mujahideen leader] Ibn al-Khattab traveled to Kandahar where bin Laden agreed to provide fighters, equipment, and money to conduct terrorism and aid the fight against Russia. Later that year, bin Laden reportedly sent substantial sums of money to Basayev, Ibn al-Khattab, and Chechen commander Arbi Barayev to train gunmen, recruit mercenaries, and buy ammunition.

The United Nations says that, “With Al‑Qaida’s financial support, Al-Khattab also mobilized fighters from Ingushetia, Ossetia, Georgia and Azerbaijan to fight in Chechnya and Dagestan.”

History Commons offers further details similarities between Ibn Khattab and Osama Bin Laden, and the U.S. and U.K.-based imams who have funded Chechen rebels:

They share fundraising and recruiting networks. For example, a Florida cell of radical Sunnis that is monitored by the FBI starting in 1993 is involved with both organizations (see (October 1993-November 2001). Radical London imam Abu Qatada raises money for jihad in Chechnya (see 1995-February 2001 and February 2001) and is a key figure in al-Qaeda-related terrorism who is in communication with al-Qaeda logistics manager Abu Zubaida. [BBC, 3/23/2004; Nasiri, 2006, pp. 273] The Finsbury Park mosque of fellow London imam Abu Hamza al-Masri is used as a conduit for funds for both jihad in Chechnya and bin Laden’s Darunta camp in Afghanistan (see March 1999 and March 2000-February 2001)…

Khattab repaid Bin Laden in kind: “In October 2001, Khattab sent additional fighters to Afghanistan and promised to pay the volunteers’ families a substantial monthly stipend or a large lump-sum payment in the event of their death.”

Special Purpose Islamic Regiment

In a 2003 study, the CDI found that, “Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network provided much ideological and financial support to the SPIR after the mid-1990′s. The group has been known to engage in kidnapping, extortion, and contract killings as well to generate money.”

Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs

RSRSBCM, like the other North Caucasus terrorist groups, is financially connected to Al Qaeda, as documented in a UN sanctions summary:

In October 1999, emissaries of [RSRSBCM leader Shamil Basayev] and Al-Khattab, who was a leader of IIB, traveled to Usama bin Laden’s home base in the Afghan province of Kandahar, where Bin Laden agreed to provide substantial military assistance and financial aid, including by making arrangements to send to Chechnya several hundred fighters to fight against Russian troops and perpetrate acts of terrorism. Later that year, Bin Laden sent substantial amounts of money to Basayev, Barayev and Al-Khattab, which were to be used exclusively for training gunmen, recruiting mercenaries and buying ammunition.

The RSRSBCM, IIB and SPIR were jointly responsible for the hostage-taking crisis at a Moscow theater in 2002.

Caucasus Emirate

The Caucasus Emirate is a confederation of different Chechen terrorist groups. The International Institute for Strategic Studies notes that in the 1990s, “Al-Qaeda also established a presence in the North Caucasus, where it organized training camps and provided weapons, financing and other logistical support to Chechen rebels.” Previous Money Jihad coverage of the use of zakat to fund jihad in the North Caucuses can be found here and here.

Last year, Caucasus Emirate began demanding “tribute for jihad” by imposing taxes on wealthy residents and businessmen in Dagestan, similar to the forced zakat of the Taliban, taxes levied by Al Shabaab in Somalia, and the revolutionary taxation of Basque separatists and the PKK.

Conclusion

The wealthy Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia, men like bin Laden and Khattab, fanned out in the 1980s and 1990s to wage jihad along the fringes of the Islamic world—places like Afghanistan, Bosnia, and the North Caucasus. They took their own money and the sadaqa donations of rich fellow Arabs to finance their cause. The disease could not be quarantined, and the infection spreads to this day.

Most recently, Chechen jihadists have made the news for joining forces with Syrian rebels, and declaring upon arrival that “Jihad needs very many things. Firstly it needs money.”

So what are the connections between this event?  The money? The Obama’s meeting with the ‘so-called person of interest’ they let get away??  So many questions… again.  So few answers!

Glenn Beck said: “After what I have learned this week I’m a changed person.”  And he has given the the U.S. government until Monday to come clean, or he will be blowing the whistle. 

Beck: “Let me send this message very clear: We know who this Saudi national is. It is in your best interest of the integrity of the people of United States of America. It’s best coming from you, not from a news organization. It’s best coming from you. You have until Monday. We have information on who this man is. And listen to me carefully. In your little “event” world, we know he is a very bad, bad, bad man. I know that doesn’t make any sense to you right now. But on Monday it will…

It makes sense to somebody in Washington.

I don’t bluff. I make promises. The truth matters.

On Monday I reveal everything we know. So let me just say this to those at the highest echelons of government. No the tagging system. They know about events. Not files, events.” 

Read More Here

Please pray for Glenn and his family and pray that other patriots stand-up with him.

Ask Marion - h/t  themuslimissue and George King

The question for the day is… Will the American people stand-up and demand answers… the truth… and consequences for misdeeds or will we let this all go again, like we did Fast and Furious, Benghazi(gate) and so many other questionable actions by this administration (and others) that are covered-up or aided by the Progressive media who support them?!?  It is time to follow our common sense and to dig deep for all the strength we can muster!  For it is beyond time for all freedom-loving Americans to stand-up for the truth!  Time to rebuild!!

Updates: WaPo: Police Released Boston Suspects’ Photos to ‘Limit the Damage’ Being Done by Reddit, Media

Israeli Doctors Are Treating Boston Bombing Suspect: New Details on His Condition

Somewhere along the way we lost our common sense and ability (or interest) to connect the dots!

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev mother told FBI 2 years ago son was involved in Jihad

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The Saudi Saga: Key Information Still Being Revealed in Case of former ‘Person of Interest’ Gov’t Considered Deporting

Video: Glenn Beck Gives Government Until Monday to Come Clean About Boston Bombing Cover-Up

Bombing used to slam patriots as 'hate' group

The Media Want Arabs Exonerated

Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Identified: Video, Photo Images of ‘Dark-Skinned’ Suspect Found – Fox News Confirms That an Arrest Has Been Made… Or Not??

FBI Denies CNN Bombing Arrest Report, Chastises Media

REPORT: Saudi Student -- 'Person of Interest' in Boston Bombings -- To Be Deported...

Obama meets with Saudi foreign minister; not on public schedule...

Obama Invokes Christian Scripture and God During Interfaith Service — and Pledges Boston Terrorists ‘Will Face Justice’

Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American

Limbaugh: Democrats Crave Violent ‘Chaos’ To Justify New Restrictive Gun Laws

MANHUNT: Boston Terror Suspect Dead, the Other on the Loose in Watertown (Check Back for Updates)

Michael Savage Interviews Walid Shoebat on Boston Marathon Bombing Incident – Updated (Great Photos)

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More background on Boston Jihad Bomber: "When we consider prophet Muhammad (s.a.a.w) [may Allah pray for him] as our role model, that's when we achieve true success and a path to Paradise"

Who Is White House visitor Hisham Altalib?  -  Reminder: Who is White House visitor Hisham al Talib?; plus: 2 must-watch Benghazi videos

Sacrificing Freedoms is never the answer!! - “He who choses security over freedom (or liberty) rarely gets either!” …Benjamin Franklin

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Sacrificing Freedoms

Video:  Sacrificing Freedoms

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BIG STORY: Lawsuit Could Potentially Undo ObamaCare!

Jared Law – the 9.12 Project – Cross-Posted at True Health Is True Wealth: This is one of the dozens (okay, thousands) of reasons that ObamaCare is unconstitutional, a horrible idea, and why it must be eliminated, rooted out completely, ASAP.

The fact that ObamaCare originated in the U.S. Senate makes it unconstitutional, independent of its thousands of alternative violations of our NATURAL LAW, Constitutionally-guaranteed rights.

You see, when the U.S. Supreme Court ignored the Constitution and ruled ObamaCare legitimate and Constitutional, their reasoning was that ObamaCare penalties and fees were actually taxes.

But any bill that generates revenue for the federal government through taxes MUST NECESSARILY, BY CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE, ORIGINATE IN THE U.S. House of Representatives!

This has been brought up before, but now a lawsuit is alleging the same.

This is WONDERFUL NEWS!

Here's the story from The Washington Times and The Blaze:

Lawsuit Over Health Care Tax Could Kill ‘ObamaCare’

By Valerie Richardson | Sunday, March 31, 2013

"ObamaCare" looks increasingly inevitable, but one lawsuit making its way through the court system could pull the plug on the sweeping federal health care law.

A challenge filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation contends that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional because the bill originated in the Senate, not the House. Under the Origination Clause of the Constitution, all bills raising revenue must begin in the House.
The Supreme Court upheld most provisions of the act in June, but Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. took pains in the majority opinion to define ObamaCare as a federal tax, not a mandate. That was when the Sacramento, Calif.-based foundation’s attorneys had their "aha" moment.

"The court there quite explicitly says, 'This is not a law passed under the Commerce Clause; this is just a tax,'" foundation attorney Timothy Sandefur said at a Cato Institute forum on legal challenges to the health care act. "Well, then the Origination Clause ought to apply. The courts should not be out there carving in new exceptions to the Origination Clause.

The Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the challenge in November, arguing that the high court has considered only eight Origination Clause cases in its history and "has never invalidated an act of Congress on that basis."

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is expected to rule on the Justice Department's motion "any day now," said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Paul J. Beard.

The challenge citing the Origination Clause isn't the only lawsuit against ObamaCare, but it is the only one that has the potential to wipe out the entire act in one fell swoop. Other claims, notably the freedom-of-religion cases dealing with the birth control requirement, nibble at the fringes but would leave the law largely intact.

In their brief, attorneys for the Justice Department argue that the bill originated as House Resolution 3590, which was then called the Service Members Home Ownership Act. After passing the House, the bill was stripped in a process known as "gut and amend" and replaced entirely with the contents of what became the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Using H.R. 3590 as a "shell bill" may be inelegant, but it’s not unconstitutional, according to the government motion.

"This commonplace procedure satisfied the Origination Clause," said the brief. "It makes no difference that the Senate amendments to H.R. 3590 were expansive. The Senate may amend a House bill in any way it deems advisable, even by amending it with a total substitute, without running afoul of the Origination Clause."

The brief cites a number of cases in which courts upheld shell bills, but foundation attorneys counter that those rulings involved the Senate substitution of one revenue-raising bill for another.

"Here, by contrast, it is undisputed that H.R. 3590 was not originally a bill for raising revenue," said the Pacific Legal Foundation lawsuit. "Unlike in the prior cases, the Senate’s gut-and-amend procedure made H.R. 3590 for the first time into a bill for raising revenue. The precedents the government cites are therefore inapplicable."

The Justice Department also points out that the court has allowed revenue bills to originate in the Senate if the money raised was incidental to the bill’s mission.

The Affordable Care Act's central purpose is to "improve the nation's health care system," and it fulfills that goal "through a series of interrelated provisions, many, if not most, of which have nothing to do with raising revenue," said the government brief.

Mr. Sandefur disagrees. "What kinds of taxes are not for raising revenue?" he asked.

Legal opinion on the matter is split. Randy Barnett, a Georgetown University Law Center professor, said in an article for the Volokh Conspiracy that, "[I]f any act violates the Origination Clause, it would seem to be the Affordable Care Act."

But Yale Law School professor Jack M. Balkin said the Obama administration has legal precedent on its side, although the lawsuit "may nevertheless become plausible if enough prominent people get behind it and vouch for it."

"And then, perhaps, Chief Justice Roberts, given a second chance, will change his mind — again," Mr. Balkin said in an essay for The Atlantic.

Legal scholars agree on one point: The courts haven’t seen the last of lawsuits against ObamaCare.

"The Supreme Court’s ruling last June was only the end of the beginning as far as ObamaCare litigation is concerned," Cato Institute senior fellow Ilya Shapiro said at the February forum. "The more we read and the more regulations are promulgated, the more constitutional and other defects are found."

Could This Lawsuit Really Kill ‘ObamaCare’?

Apr. 1, 2013 6:34pm Becket Adams

Although it’s widely believed that “ObamaCare” is here to stay, one lawsuit is threatening to undo President Obama’s landmark health care bill.

“A challenge filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation contends that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional because the bill originated in the Senate, not the House. Under the Origination Clause of the Constitution, all bills raising revenue must begin in the House,” the Washington Times notes.

You may recall in June 2012 when the Supreme Court ruled on “ObamaCare” that Chief Justice John Roberts defined the bill as a tax, not a mandate. This, according to the Times, is where PFL attorneys saw their opening.

“The court there quite explicitly says, ‘This is not a law passed under the Commerce Clause; this is just a tax,’” foundation attorney Timothy Sandefur said recently. “Well, then the Origination Clause ought to apply. The courts should not be out there carving in new exceptions to the Origination Clause.”

The Times explains the details:

The Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the challenge in November, arguing that the high court has considered only eight Origination Clause cases in its history and “has never invalidated an act of Congress on that basis.”

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is expected to rule on the Justice Department’s motion “any day now,” said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Paul J. Beard.

The challenge citing the Origination Clause isn’t the only lawsuit against ObamaCare, but it is the only one that has the potential to wipe out the entire act in one fell swoop. Other claims, notably the freedom-of-religion cases dealing with the birth control requirement, nibble at the fringes but would leave the law largely intact.

In their brief, attorneys for the Justice Department argue that the bill originated as House Resolution 3590, which was then called the Service Members Home Ownership Act. After passing the House, the bill was stripped in a process known as “gut and amend” and replaced entirely with the contents of what became the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Though unorthodox, the government motion argues that using H.R. 3590 as a “shell bill” is not unconstitutional.

“This commonplace procedure satisfied the Origination Clause,” said the brief. “It makes no difference that the Senate amendments to H.R. 3590 were expansive. The Senate may amend a House bill in any way it deems advisable, even by amending it with a total substitute, without running afoul of the Origination Clause.”
The brief notes several cases where shell bills have been upheld by courts.

“[B]ut foundation attorneys counter that those rulings involved the Senate substitution of one revenue-raising bill for another,” the Times notes.

The DOJ also points out that the court has allowed revenue bills to originate in the Senate provided “the money raised was incidental to the bill’s mission.”

“Here, by contrast, it is undisputed that H.R. 3590 was not originally a bill for raising revenue,” said the Pacific Legal Foundation lawsuit. “Unlike in the prior cases, the Senate’s gut-and-amend procedure made H.R. 3590 for the first time into a bill for raising revenue. The precedents the government cites are therefore inapplicable.”

The point of “ObamaCare” is to “improve the nation’s health care system,” and it does that “through a series of interrelated provisions, many, if not most, of which have nothing to do with raising revenue,” said the government brief.
But Sandefur disagrees.

“What kinds of taxes are not for raising revenue?” he asked.
Although it’s unclear whether PFL’s lawsuit will scuttle the president’s health care law, one thing is certain: “ObamaCare” has at least one more hurdle to clear before final implementation.

Click here to read the full report.

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See the First Episode from New NRA Contributor Colion Noir! (And It Goes After Obama)

Video:  Colion Noir for NRA News: Episode 1

Colion Noir is the first of a group of new NRA News commentators, which will be revealed later this week. Look for weekly episodes on www.NRANews.com.

Read more at The Blaze…

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Join Glenn Beck Tonight for His 2012 Family Christmas Special - 8pm EST

Video: Glenn Beck’s Family Christmas Special on the Blaze

Not a subscriber? Start your 14-day free trial now

On December 13th at 8pm ET, Glenn invites you into his home with family and friends to enjoy holiday music and touching stories. Watch the children in a real-life nativity play and find out how this year Glenn discovers the true meaning of Christmas. It’s a heartwarming Christmas special for the entire family. Then beginning at 9:30pm ET, stay tuned for American Traditions: Christmas — A look at what Christmas has meant to American families over the years, with appearances by Andy Williams, Peter Billingsley, Janine Turner, Ted Nugent and Santa Claus.

And, if you missed it, be sure to watch Glenn Beck’s Emotional Tribute To His Dog, Victor, who is very ill this Christmas season.

And continue joining us here for The War on Christmas verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion, were are now on part 13 

I don't want much for Christmas, I just want the person reading this to be happy.
Friends are the fruit cake of life - some nutty, some soaked in alcohol, some sweet - but mix them together and they're my friends.

Merry Christmas and let us all take some time to remember the true Reason for the Season

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Beck’s Back: TheBlazeTV Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With DISH Network Launch

by Tiffany Gabbay

Continuing on an upward trajectory, Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of TheBlazeTV– formerly GBTV — with a significant expansion into the world of satellite television. Partnering with DISH Network, Glenn Beck’s online 24-hour news, information and entertainment network will now be available on television exclusively on DISH, joining a host of channels including MSNBC, BBC America, CNN, Current, Comedy Central and FOX News.

After launching exactly one year ago, TheBlazeTV rapidly grew into one of the world’s most subscribed-to online streaming networks. TheBlazeTV will be available to DISH viewers on channel 212 as part of DISH’s America’s Top 250 package or a la carte for $5 a month. The channel launches on Wednesday, September 12, at 5 p.m. EDT.

TheBlaze and its host of established and emerging talent including Andrew Wilkow, S.E. Cupp, Buck Sexton and Will Cain, will offer its programming as a free preview for all DISH customers through Sept. 26.

Of course, TheBlazeTV will continue to be available online at TheBlaze.com, where on-demand programs can be accessed with the click of a mouse-pad.

“After being phenomenally successful with his online streaming network, we’re pleased to host Glenn Beck’s return to broadcast TV, especially during this exciting and important political season,” said DISH CEO and President Joseph Clayton in an official press release. “With Glenn’s return, DISH is truly the one stop for news, opinion and perspective across the full political spectrum.”

Excited for the future, Beck added, “TheBlaze has helped revolutionize television over the Internet and now we are excited to bring the revolution back to traditional television.”

“TheBlaze will be home to news, information and entertainment programming with the facts and stories people care about most and we look forward to kicking things off with DISH.”

Christopher Balfe, CEO of TheBlaze also weighed in, stating that the goal of the company was to “deliver TV over the Internet, not Internet TV.”

“Twelve months later, we’ve succeeded beyond our wildest imagination with content that built one of the world’s largest subscription streaming networks,” he added.

The line-up of programs will continue to grow, as well as feature all of the familiar faces people from around the world have come to know — from The Glenn Beck Program to Liberty TreeHouse, Real News From TheBlaze, to a brand new program hosted by Andrew Wilkow.

What’s more, TheBlaze.com concluded August with its best month ever, hosting over 9 million unique visitors and is led by a formidable team of media veterans including: President and CCO Joel Cheatwood, formerly a Senior Vice President at FoxNews and CNN, President and Chief Revenue Officer Kraig Kitchin who co-founded Premiere Radio Networks, and Betsy Morgan, President & Chief Strategy Officer who formerly served as CEO of The Huffington Post and as a Senior Vice President at CBS News.

TheBlazeTV can now be found on DISH channel 212

Glenn discusses the future of TheBlaze

Well, anyone who hoped they’d seen the last of Glenn Beck on cable television had a very disappointing day. Glenn announced on radio that TheBlaze will debut on DISH today beginning at 5pm eastern time. (TheBlaze TV is still available online via subscription featuring on demand access.) Check out Glenn’s comments and plans for the future HERE.

Media reacts to Beck’s TheBlaze DISH announcement: Favorable? Find out HERE.

Technorati Tags: the Blaze,Beck,Glenn Beck,DISH Network,GBTV,satellite TV,success,victory,alternative media,truth

‘True Racism’: Allen West Calls Out Liberals Who Think Black Conservatives Need ‘Approval’ From Their ‘Masters’

The Blaze:

Congressman Allen West (R-FL) made a number of notable media appearances over the weekend, and is receiving both praise and condemnation for his comments, depending on your source.

On Fox News with Mike Huckabee, West responded to a recent L.A. Times article that said America’s “dirtiest job” is “justifying Allen West.”

West calmly responded, with analysis on who the real “racists” are in politics:

“I really feel that it is [demeaning] to me to think that I need some individual to ‘justify’ me and my existence.

“Look, I went through 22 years being in the military. [I rose] to the rank of Lt. Colonel. I have a bachelor‘s degree and 2 master’s degrees, and for these white liberals to believe they can have this condescending manner toward black conservatives, that we need to have approval from our quote unquote, I guess “masters,” for us to be able to speak — see that’s where the true racism really lies… is with the white liberals who don’t want to see someone such as myself, that broke away from their dependency class, and is out here and able to possibly contend against them with the policies that they are promoting that is destroying the black community.

“I know I’m their #1 target, and it just emboldens me to speak out even stronger. And the heck with them if they think that someone else needs to approve [of] me and what I stand for.” [Emphasis added]

Watch the entire clip, via Fox News, below:

On another Fox News appearance, West reiterated that Obama has gone from “hope and change” to a more divisive and “envious” rhetoric where the administration is trying to separate Americans along gender lines, sexual orientation, and income level.

West also remarked that he does not regret his choice of words at a recent fundraiser, where he reportedly said that Obama doesn’t want people to have the self-esteem of getting up and earning the title of “American.”

“He’d rather have you be his slave and be economically dependent upon him,” West explained.

Watch the entire interview and explanation, via Mediaite or below:

(H/T: Weasel Zippers, Mediaite)

Related: ‘You Can Call it Communism, Progressivism, Socialism, Marxism, (Fascism), Statism’: Rep. West Defends His ‘80 Communists in the House’ Claim

Technorati Tags: Allen West,conservatives,conservative black voices,the Blaze

The Fascist Boogie Fever

By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton - The NoisyRoom

All hail, or should we say ‘heil,’ the rise of the Golden Dawn fascists in Greece. It’s all the rage (literally) in the streets of Greece these days. They now hold 21 seats in the Greek government – about 7% of the controlling body – and combined with the Communists, that control is closer to 20%. And their influence is not only growing there, but in Europe and the US. The darkness is rising once again and the Golden Dawn is telling those in power they should fear them now and indeed, they should take those threats to heart. Golden Dawn is demanding the respect of the Greek people and, with their violent stance, they may enforce it.

From The Blaze:

Golden Dawn leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos told The Associated Press in an interview that his party had delivered a blow against the country’s corrupt leadership.

“They slandered us, slung mud at us, and shut us out of all the news media – the TV channels of the corrupt elite – and we beat them,” the 55-year-old leader said as the votes came in. “The day of national revolution by the Greeks has begun against those who are selling us out and looting the sweat of the Greek people.”

History is repeating and a new horror is spreading its wings across the globe and few seem to be taking note of it. France just elected a Socialist leader (actually he’s a Communist; you say potato…) and Islamic fascism via The Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda is sweeping the Middle East. Look at history: Hitler and Islam joined hands in a Kumbaya moment of sociopathic murderous glee to slaughter the Jews last time and you are seeing the exact same moves today. Once again, America sits quietly by as the vilest of coalitions forms to engulf humanity while Satan laughs with delight. Iran is doing the nuclear bump as its evil imp of a leader boldly proclaims that war is not needed to defeat Israel. No… cutting ties and dirty looks should do the trick. Okay, you can stop choking with laughter now. Ahmadinejad is the ultimate trickster – I firmly believe he wants to nuke Israel into the afterlife and you are nuts if you can’t see that. We are on his enemies list as well – right at the top of it actually, with Israel a close second. A well placed EMP or two should take care of the US in the imp’s viewpoint and he may well be right. Millions would die in the aftermath of one second after.

America is not immune to the spread of Golden Dawn’s platform. Certainly, if Obama is reelected we will see it spread. Of course, the name will be different, but the sulfuric stench will be the same. If Romney is elected and then does not follow the will of the people in America, which is a conservative bent by the majority, and goes back to bailouts and stimulus games, you will see the rise of nationalism here as well and that is poison. We dare not go down that road. History shows we could easily do so. There were pro-Hitler movements here in the US the last time this rose from the depths of Hell. Look it up.

The Blaze explains the scenario that could unfold:

Beck explained that the situation in Greece was likely a direct result of something he calls the “Bubba effect.” To refresh your memory on what this theory entails, envision a scenario where, in the wake of an Islamic terror attack and subsequent government ineptitude — particularly as regards national security and immigration — an everyman, or, “Bubba,” pushed to the brink, shoots someone who appears to be Muslim. Citizens rally to Bubba’s defense, blaming the government, not the murderer, for causing the problem in the first place. When citizens’ frustration with government reaches critical mass, a contingent can all too easily use that as an excuse to lash out. As we examine the situation in Greece below, it seems the Bubba effect may have already arrived.

One component leading to the unrest across the eurozone has been the enactment of austerity measures. Billed as an answer to the European sovereign debt crisis, austerity measures focus on achieving reduced levels of spending primarily through cutting public services and programs. This is done so that taxes need not increase to compensate for deficits. Needless to say, whenever public and social services are cut, those who champion said programs, particularly on the left, are bound to pose strong resistance. Such has been the case across Europe, specifically Greece. With the exit of Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is perhaps the only pro-austerity leader left in Europe.

I never thought I would see this happen in my lifetime. It blindsided me and takes my breath away. When I face the evil developing, it causes me to cringe from within and begs me to turn away. I will not and I pray that America and the world will not either. The only way to beat back the darkness is to face it head on and fight with every bit of strength you have physically and in your soul. Death is not the worst thing that can happen to you. History is calling us – which side will each of us choose? I choose the light and will fight to my last breath defending Israel and what is good and right. My course is set, but the world’s is still very much in question. It has taken the world only 70 years to forget the last time we danced with this demon. Shame on us.

Listen to the hardline rhetoric of Greece’s Golden Dawn leader, Nikolaos Michaloliakos. Anti-immigration, isolation, nationalism… spouted with ear-assailing passion and vehemence. Remind you of anyone? All fanatical, charismatic psychopaths share certain traits – loud proclamations, soul-stirring speeches and gut wrenching inclusions meant to ensnare the soul and trap the individual with twisted, seductive language where up is down, wrong is right, death is life.

More is to be gleaned from The Blaze – the only one I know of that’s exposing this spreading cancer:

Vowing to “rid this country of the stench” — a.k.a. immigrants — Golden Dawn’s insignia is entirely too reminiscent of the swastika and its adherents, reportedly clad in black, are often seen physically abusing and intimidating immigrants across the country. Needless to say, Greece’s immigrant community is understandably concerned and opponents are preoccupied with how best to marginalize the Neo-Nazi group that has now gained legitimacy in the halls of government.

Michaloliakos, who is also no fan of the media, said the day of “national revolution by the Greeks has begun against those who are selling us out and looting the sweat of the Greek people.”

It might also be worth noting that “Golden Dawn” takes its name from a “magical order” of Freemasons who practiced in the late 19th and early 20th century Britain. The order has been cited one of the greatest influences on Western occultism.

The silence from the media and the world is deafening and beyond alarming. Israel sees what is happening. What happened to all of us who declared “never again?” Eternity beckons the world into darkness and we are too busy watching American Idol to care. Sigh.

It is true that the Nazis killed not only Jews and Gypsies, but Communists and Socialists. But in many ways, the Nazis shared common goals with the Communists. That is why they were killed – their ideology competed with Hitler’s vision. Particularly, their economic goals were similar.

From the TIME Magazine profile that named Adolf Hitler its 1934 Man of the Year:

“Most cruel joke of all, however, has been played by Hitler & Co. on those German capitalists and small businessmen who once backed National Socialism as a means of saving Germany’s bourgeois economic structure from radicalism. The Nazi credo that the individual belongs to the state also applies to business. Some businesses have been confiscated outright, on other what amounts to a capital tax has been levied. Profits have been strictly controlled. Some idea of the increasing Governmental control and interference in business could be deduced from the fact that 80% of all building and 50% of all industrial orders in Germany originated last year with the Government. Hard-pressed for food- stuffs as well as funds, the Nazi regime has taken over large estates and in many instances collectivized agriculture, a procedure fundamentally similar to Russian Communism.”

There was a direct correlation between poverty, the increase of unemployment and the rise of Nazism. Think it can’t happen here? If we don’t change our course, look in the mirror at Greece. She is our future on a larger, more deadly scale. It took only 30% to elect Hitler and put him in office with an iron-fisted control of the country.

The fascist boogie fever has hit Greece and is dancing its influence across the planet. Spreading anti-Semitism, hate and fear while dancing to the Nazi beat. It’s literally to die for.

Technorati Tags: Fascism,Progressivism. Communism,Socialism,dangerous alliances,Islam,watch the other hand. history,PIIGS,Greece,Bubba effect,EU,eurozonem Sarkowzy,aniti-semitism,watch the other hand

OWS: Occupy Smackdowns

Epic smackdown of smug Occupier

The Blaze:

Hannity Rips Apart Occupy Organizer in Tense Segment: ‘Get Your Ass Out of Bed…and Get to Work!”

Did you know that the NYPD was to blame for the crimes at Zuccotti Park? The rapes, sexual assaults, public urination and defecation?

That‘s the story told by OWS organizer Harrison Schultz on Sean Hannity’s show Thursday night on Fox News. The first 90 seconds of the incredible interview set the tone for the entire 10-minute segment:

Video: #Occupy Organizer Claims NYPD Was Behind Rapes & Violence at Zuccotti Park

Occupy Wall Street organizer Harrison Schultz was on with Hannity tonight. Harrison blamed the New York Police Department for the rapes and violence at the #OWS Zuccotti Park camp

Mr. Schultz not only blamed the NYPD for the crimes at Zuccotti, he also educated Mr. Hannity on the occupier’s beliefs about Capitalism and that government should provide all citizens with “basic necessities” such as free education, free medical and dental care, free housing, and free transportation.

Hannity eventually couldn’t take it anymore: “You don’t work, you get free money for school, and you’re [bleeped out on air] complaining and whining,” Hannity said. Later he offered a “suggestion”:

You are 29 years old. Stop wasting your time at Occupy Wall Street. And here’s a novel concept, get up at 6:00 a.m., shovel some coffee down your throat. Hit the pavement, find a job, get to work, stop whining, stop complaining, stop blaming and get your ass out of bed, like everybody else in America, and get to work. How does that sound?

It got even more heated from there, with both Hannity and Schultz taking parting shots at each other.

Watch as the 29-year-old, unemployed grad student tries (unsuccessfully) to keep up with Hannity in one of the most explosive and entertaining news clips we’ve seen in a while

ZoNation decimates Occupy’s covetous logic

Video: Occunuts: OWS May Day Protesters Hate Workers as Much as an Honest Day's Work

Occupy and Tea Party – Does the Media Tell You the Truth?

May Day Alert

Photo:  the Blaze

Be forewarned – Tuesday May 1st (Tomorrow) there will be a MAJOR Occupy outbreak in cities across America.  You can expect them in FAR GREATER numbers than those who went through ‘training’ – they are ‘fired up’ and planning disruption and disobedience – avoid downtown areas as they will not stay put and will be on the move.  This will be the FIRST big demonstration of what promises to be many months of this crap.   Remember, they are hoping to get opponents riled up and on the attack, providing them with an excuse to fight back, but also to gain media attention FOR them and against US.

Coincidental that major OWS rallies are celebrated the same day that Communist countries have celebrated for years?

"If you can’t strike call in sick. If you can’t call in sick hold a slow down.”  Read More »

The Blaze:

Are You Ready? This Week Is Going to Be Huge in the World… And Here’s Why

As much of the country thaws out and heads into spring and, in some places, early summer, the temptation may be to think major news is packing its bags and headed for its vacation home. It’s not. And this upcoming week will blast you back to reality.

(Related: What are the Occupiers planning for tomorrow‘s massive ’May Day’ protest?)

Intrepid financial writer Joe Weisenthal over at Business Insider has put together a list of what’s happening this week and is calling it “one of the biggest weeks that anyone can remember.” That’s a bold statement, but he has the information to back it up. Here’s what he says:

Monday, April 30 is probably going to be the quietest day, but even that will be stacked. On the US economy front, we’ve got fresh data for Personal Income & Spending, the Chicago PMI Report, and the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Outlook Survey. There’s also a boatload of earnings that day, as there will be every other day next week.

Tuesday, May 1 is another big day for meaty data. In the US we get the ISM Manufacturing Index, Construction Spending, and auto sales. Auto sales are particularly important to us, as they make for a great barometer for employment (which we’ll find out a lot more about later in the week). ALSO on Tuesday we get the beginning of one of the most exciting days for the economy: Global PMI Day. That’s when all the countries have their April PMI reports released. It will really kick off with a bang, when the Chinese Manufacturing PMI comes out at 10:30 US time. Actually, Japanese and South Korean numbers come out a bit earlier in the evening, so that’s technically when things will kick off.

Wednesday, May 2 will see a continuation of the PMI releases. In the early hours of the US day, we’ll get fresh numbers for all of the European economies. Then in the US that day we get Factory Orders and the ADP jobs report, a key preview for Friday’s main-event Non-Farm Payrolls Report. And remember, there are tons of earnings throughout.

Thursday, May 3 will see the entrance of the central banks. The ECB is meeting in Barcelona, and will make its latest monetary policy decision at 7:45 AM ET. It is possible that we’ll get some movement, or a chance in policy. The Eurozone is clearly on the skids, economically, and a rate cut is called for. The Mario Draghi press conference at 8:30 AM ET will be scrutinized to see what, if anything, he says about the surge in rates in Spain and Italy and so forth. There‘s been a growing din about ’growth’ in Europe, and how to make it happen. We’ll see if Draghi moves the ball forward on this front. In the US on Thursday we get initial jobless claims (which have been uncomfortably high three weeks in a row), productivity data, and the ISM Services report.

Friday, May 4 brings the granddaddy of economic reports: The Jobs Report. The current estimate is for just 162K new jobs created… which would definitely signal a downshift from the recent trend. Of course, there’s tons of sub-data within the jobs report that will be picked over like crazy.

So that’s the end of the workweek, but the busy week doesn’t end there!

French Socialist candidate Francois Hollande, who is poised to win the country's election at the end of the week.

Sunday, May 6 is elections day! There’s the French election of course. Francois Hollande is the overwhelming favorite to replace conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, potentially throwing a huge monkeywrench into Europe’s plan to place every country into a fiscal straitjacket. Also there are Greek elections, and they’re arguably more important than the French ones. If the two main parties fail to secure a majority in Parliament, watch out! There’s also a chance we’ll see an upsurge in support for the nationalists. And even that’s not it. Italy has regional elections that go from May 6 to May 7, and that will prove to be a major test of Monti’s ability to push reforms. Between the three countries, it‘s possible we’ll see a major negative shift against the status quo.

Francois Hollande, who Weisenthal calls the “overwhelming favorite” to become France’s next president, isn’t just any candidate — he’s a socialist candidate. In fact, he’s throwing around the idea of a 75 percent tax on the country’s wealthy (he believes it’s “patriotic”). Add that to an already-shaky European economy, and our previous report that “Sarkozy and Germany‘s Chancellor Angela Merkel have been the main architects of Europe’s efforts to avoid a collapse of the region’s shared currency,” and this week could be one that the continent’s fragile economy will soon want to forget.

But if that isn’t enough cold water on your face, consider this: May 1 (Tuesday) is also the beginning of the Occupy movement’s “May Day” general strike, which is encouraging the masses to walk out of school and work and refrain from banking and commerce. You can count on seeing several stories about its developments (and antagonistic tactics) throughout the week. Officials in Seattle already fear violence, while New York City is dealing with threats from Occupiers to shut down bridges and tunnels.

Rest up. We have a long week ahead.

UPDATE:

We should also mention that May 2 is the one year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden. An Associated Press piece notes that while Al Qaeda is severely hampered, it still hopes to avenge the death of its leader, and U.S. citizens abroad have been warned about possible retaliation on Wednesday.

Related:

Need To Avoid the Police During May Day Protests? There’s an App for That! Meet ‘Sukey’

Curiously, clicking on the link that claims to point you to Sukey's executive summary takes you to a blank page.  Read More »

"We take issue with the protesters’ approach to property rights."  Read More »

Help Save USMC Sergeant Rex

Please contract your U.S. Senator, Senator Chuck Schumer, USMC or Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, who oversees military service dog training to help save Sgt. Rex and unite him in retirement with his partner Marine Cpl. Megan Leavey.

Marine Cpl. Meagan Leavey and her canine partner, Sgt. Rex, were trained to detect roadside bombs and other materials. Now, she's trying to adopt him before he's put to sleep.

‘REX is my partner. I love him’ – Retired marine fights to adopt military dog before it’s put to sleep.

The Blaze Marine Cpl. Megan Leavey served with her four-legged partner Sgt. Rex through two tours in Iraq, completing hundreds of missions searching for roadside bombs until an insurgent explosion took them both out of service.

More than five years later, Leavey, 28, is fighting to adopt the dog she handled since her earliest days as a Marine before the German shepherd is put to sleep.

“Rex is my partner, I love him,” Leavey, who lives with her father in Rockport, N.Y. and works as a dog handler, told MSNBC. “We have been through so much together…I’ve spent day and night with this dog. It’s a very strong bond.”

Leavey was discharged in Dec. 2007, but Rex — considered a valuable work dog — was put back in service after he recovered from his injuries. That was until a month ago, when he was diagnosed with a kind of nerve paralysis that left him unable to serve, the Westchester Journal News reported.

It’s now a race against the clock as Leavey struggles to cut through military red tape and adopt Rex before he is put down. “As a safety precaution, they don’t give all dogs away,” she told the Journal News. She said Rex, a strong “alpha dog,” never hurt anyone he wasn’t supposed to.

“The dilemma with me is the minute they say he can’t be adopted, because he‘s sick and because he can’t work, they’d have to put him to sleep,” she said. “Not because he’s too sick to live a good life, but because they can‘t utilize him so it wouldn’t make sense for them to keep a dog they’re not going to work at the kennels. I don’t want to let that happen.”

But time is ticking, she said. “This is not [the Marines'] first priority,” Leavey told New York Fox affiliate WNYW-TV. “A lot of times it gets lost in the shuffle.”

To help speed the process up, she reached out to veteran’s organizations and to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, who oversees military service dog training. In the letter, Schumer detailed the relationship Leavey and Rex had and credited them with saving countless lives, according to the Journal News.

If Leavey’s request is granted, Rex will enjoy a sizable home with a fenced-in yard. Until she hears more, all she can do is wait. “It’s a partnership,” Leavey told the newspaper. “I feel like I know Rex so well. I’m so looking forward to seeing him again.”  barenakedislam

Sergeant Rex: The Few. The Proud. The Marine K-9 that Must Get Home

What will it take to realize the contributions that dogs provide to humanity in peacetime and in war? If you’re going to say a cup of Alpo, then maybe you should own a cat. Seriously. Without question, dogs have proven their place within the echelon of our combat fighters serving overseas. At home, they’re just as capable of saving lives, detecting cancer, building morale, helping the blind or just making you laugh. Some of them can even dial 911 nowadays.

They know your quirks. They understand you too damn well. They can sense your enemies. No matter what they persevere through in life, they without question will remain by your side until the very end.

Maybe you think that sounds a bit “extreme” for some folks who don’t see dogs taking their rightful place by the side of man (and women). Well if you’ve ever been crossing a street wondering when the next IED will go off around you, then you’d probably have a change of thought. I could not even imagine doing this, let alone having a furry companion by my side wondering what danger the next dark, dusty, street corner could bring. The more we look at our dogs as accessories, the more damage we’re doing to their existence. We are short changing the number one species on this planet that can help progress humans beyond our own character flaws. Put a peace-preaching animal lover in the same room with a hard-as-nails veteran K-9 handler and rest assured they will have a lot in common. How many people do you know are capable of loving you for who you are while at the same time taking a bullet for you – without question?

Steadfast loyalty, trust, and instinct are something that no cruise missile or predator drone can ever come close to. You can enhance weapons system all you want, but a dog will get by in the field without tools, batteries, or even body armor. The evolution of our dogs in war did not require a circuit board upgrade, they simply adapt by nature. During World War I they were tasked with killing rats in the trenches. Today they faithfully serve our soldiers as patrol dogs, IED detectors, scouts, messengers, and even parachute behind enemy lines. One could argue that, along with our omnipotent United States Army Rangers, our war dogs will always “lead the way“.

During two dangerous tours of duty in Iraq, a German Shepard named “Sergeant Rex” lead the way along with his handler, Corporal Megan Leavey. Both of them were severely injured in an IED attack. As you can imagine and IED can inflict as much mental damage as physical damage to a soldier. These scars do not stay in Iraq. They come home with you. Her K-9 partner does not just deserve “to come home”. It is required that Rex comes home to be with Megan and live a normal life that he earned, as did Megan, in Rockland County, NY.

Sergeant Rex, at 10 years old and considered no longer serving, probably possesses the same stubbornness and vigor as General George S. Patton. Old and wise beyond his years, seeing firsthand the intensity of combat, his situation is mired in “bureaucratic red tape”. Our politicians say they are trying to “work the channels” so Megan and Rex can be reunited through adoption.

A battalion of Marines, gear, and tech can be deployed anywhere in the world within 24 hours or less. You’re going to tell Corporal Levy that you can’t fast track a dog adoption? You don’t need a government accountant to figure this out. After all, our politicians fly luxury jets across the country to attend cocktail parties and rallies. Wouldn’t it be nice if he could hitch a ride back to New York?

Imagine a dog that saves your life in war, only to be left behind while you go home to relive, re-imagine, and repeat every nightmare scenario that you encountered during your tour(s). Now imagine this dog, who probably saved countless other Marines, has to sit in a kennel with other dogs – only waiting to be put to sleep.

Fellow soldiers recount their experiences with each other as a form of therapy. Sergeant Rex, alongside Megan, forged through blood, sweat, and fire must start a new life and serve his country in a civilian capacity. Like two old soldier buddies sitting on the porch recounting their days in Korea or Nam, you simply cannot deny this companionship. It is a companionship that leads the way for humanity.  by gspecadmin on March 10, 2012

BNI READER Barbara kindly gave us a link to Baghdad Pups. I’m going to write to them and see if they can help with this. Maybe you can too: OPERATION BAGHDAD PUPS

Source: Just One More Pet