From the desk of ORBUSMAX

Eh… when you are a Red living in a Blue State, you take what you can get.  May have to re-think the idea of holding elections online (half-kidding).

From the Michael Baumgartner campaign (http://www.votebaumgartner.com/):

May 9, 2012, Bellevue, WA – The Baumgartner for Senate campaign hit a milestone this week when they pulled ahead of Maria Cantwell in Facebook “likes.”

At last count, Baumgartner had 10,409 “Likes” on Facebook, 57 more than incumbent Senator Cantwell.

“This is a big accomplishment for our campaign,” said Jami Herring, Communications and Outreach Director. “We’re using Facebook and other new media to interact with voters at a grassroots level.”

Senator Baumgartner is a lot more active that Senator Cantwell on Facebook, Herring noted. Baumgartner’s site has daily updates from the campaign trail, voter surveys, as well as a very active forum in the comments.

“People care about politics,” Herring said, “but the most ‘likes’ we’ve ever received came when Michael announced that his wife, Eleanor, was pregnant with their second child. It was a great moment.”

While the Baumgartner campaign is celebrating this milestone, they’re not slowing down. They’re planning other excursions in social media that tap into other ways to get in touch with voters.

“It’s important to us to make sure that our followers are plugged into the campaign as we move forward,” Herring said. “We’ve used Facebook and other new media to conduct polls, to have live chats about relevant issues, and Senator Baumgartner uses it to tell stories from his days as a diplomat in Iraq. Our followers seem to like it – we get a lot of activity from every post.”

“By far, the most important thing is listening to the voters,” Senator Baumgartner said. “Whether it’s face-to-face or through social media, we’re hearing over and over that people are dissatisfied with Obamacare, with the exploding federal debt, and with the lack of jobs.”

“This is just one of many milestones we’ll meet and then exceed in this campaign,” Herring said, “and we’re grateful for all of the support that Senator Baumgartner has seen – both online and off.”

###

Contact:

Jami Herring

Communications and Outreach

Baumgartner for US Senate

jami@votebaumgartner.com

206-851-3311

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(Hat Tip: Lars Larson)

It’s time to scrap the IRS code and it with something… ANYTHING… that is simpler, more fair, and less wasteful.  And if you need 1 more reason that this should be done NOW YESTERDAY, this news story should be the final straw.  An IRS loophole is sending BILLIONS of dollars every year to undocumented workers (for those of you in Coos Bay, that’s illegals).  And it includes people who have never even set foot in this country.  Seriously, what is it going to take for people to say “Enough!”????

Click Here to Watch News Story On Tax $ To Illegals

The House plans to close the loophole this week in the reconciliation bill.   In information included in an email sent by talk show host Lars Larson, a the vote is likely on Friday, and it contains this provision:

Preventing Abuse in the Refundable Child Tax Credit: Current law provides for a child tax credit in the amount of $1,000 per child under the age of 17 ($500 per child beginning in 2013).  This credit is partially refundable, meaning that taxpayers may, depending on their income and other tax obligations, receive a government check as a result of this credit.  Such checks are considered spending for budget purposes.  Under the rules in effect through 2012, the refundable portion of the child tax credit – sometimes referred to as the additional child tax credit (ACTC) – is capped at 15 percent of the taxpayer’s earned income above $3,000. 

Also under current law, individuals who are ineligible to work in the United States – and are thus ineligible for a Social Security Number (SSN) – can obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for tax purposes.  In 1996, Congress enacted legislation making those without SSNs ineligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a similar refundable tax credit.  However, when the refundable portion of the child tax credit was subsequently enacted in 1997, Congress included no similar limitation, and the Treasury Department has taken the position that it lacks the statutory authority to limit the ACTC to those with an SSN.  Thus, the refundable portion of the child tax credit currently remains available to individuals who are unable to obtain an SSN because they are ineligible to work in the United States.

The proposal from the House Ways and Means Committee would close this loophole and individuals (or at least one spouse in the case of a joint return) would be required to include their SSN on their tax return in order to claim the refundable portion of the child tax credit.  According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, this proposal would save $7.6 billion over ten years.

Let’s hope it passes reconciliation and is signed by the President, and end this nonsense.

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The independent news website The Post and Email has posted a story which includes updated information about Walter Fitzpatrick, who served 25 years in the U.S. Navy and until recently lived in Western Washington.  Fitzpatrick has attempted to pursue legal action related to the eligibility issues surrounding President Obama.  You can get a good summary of Mr. Fitzpatrick’s viewpoint at his Wikipedia page  - I am not going into detail or rehash it here.  What is new and of interest is claims that the FBI has put Fitzpatrick’s photo  in training materials and depicted him and another ex-Navy serviceman as ”sovereign citizens”.

From the first few paragraphs of the article:

(Apr. 30, 2012) — The Post & Email is in possession of training materials used by the FBI across the nation to train law enforcement officers on how to approach those suspected of being members of the “Sovereign Citizen Movement” which one of the narrators claims began in 1992 with the incident at Ruby Ridge, ID involving Randy Weaver.

A CD labeled “Sovereign Citizen Movement and Extremism” which contains several training segments depicting alleged members was produced between June 2011 and September 2011 by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), whose website is flashed on the screen at the conclusion of the presentation with a link to an area of the  website where “law enforcement” can log in to obtain more information.

In October 2010, it was reported that the SPLC was acting as an advisory agency to Obama’s Department of Homeland Security.

The SPLC states on its website that the “Patriot movement” has exploded since 2008 after Obama’s election allegedly because Obama is black and the economy is poor.  The incidents of Ruby Ridge; Waco, TX; and the Oklahoma City bombing mentioned by the SPLC are also pointed out in the training video by a retired ATF agent, James Cavanaugh.  The SPLC considers “sovereign citizens” to be people “whose ideology first developed in white supremacist groups, generally do not believe they are obliged to pay federal taxes, follow most laws, or comply with requirements for driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations.”

The article later goes on to describe how information and photgraphs of Fitzpatrick and Darren Huff were included:

Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, III and Darren Wesley Huff are listed and pictured in a PowerPoint presentation which asks the question “What do They Believe?” appearing over their photographs.  The Post & Email will be inquiring of several attorneys if the materials could be grounds for a defamation lawsuit.

Fitzpatrick has a hearing regarding a charge of “tampering with government records” on Monday, April 30, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. in the Monroe County courthouse in Madisonville, TN.  The court clerk, Martha M. Cook, has admitted that she did not sign the documents used to charge Fitzpatrick and perform a search and seizure of his home for the papers.  The person who signed Cook’s name “MM Cook” has not been identified.  Fitzpatrick’s computer and two printers were taken by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and have not been returned.  The documents in question have been given to law enforcement, although it is unknown if they were ultimately returned to Monroe County.

You can read the whole article at The Post and Email website by clicking here (subscription is required).  I have read most of the article for myself, and while I am still not convinced Mr. Fitzpatrick has grounds for a case regarding circumstances surrounding Obama’s eligibility to serve as President, the details presented regarding alleged harassment and possible defamation by govt officials is pretty disturbing to those of us who believe in strict interpretation of the first and second amendments.

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Did WA State LT Gov Brad Owen misuse campaign funds, and mislead the public about it? The WA State Republican Party (WSRP) seems to think so. On Monday, 4/30/12, WSRP.org sent out the following press release:

Bellevue, WA – WSRP Chairman Kirby Wilbur criticized Lt. Governor Brad Owen’s possible misuse of surplus campaign funds and chastised him for his failure to comply with open government laws.

“Lt. Governor Brad Owen’s office told us that they do not have an accounting of more than $20,000 in surplus funds from their last campaign,” Wilbur said. “They are either misleading the public or they’re the world’s worst bookkeepers.”

Wilbur noted that Owen has previously been fined $7,000 by the state Executive Ethics board for illegally using public funds and resources to campaign against a statewide initiative1. Owen has also been criticized for using public funds to finance a nonprofit he owns.2

The law allows elected officials to use leftover campaign funds for a “nonreimbursed public office related expense” that can be used to pay dues, subscriptions and mileage for an official and their immediate family, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.3

In March, the Washington State Republican Party sent a public information request to Owen’s office, asking for an accounting of their public and “office fund” expenditures. Owen’s office responded that they have no office fund, directly contradicting a public disclosure report filed by Owen in January, 2009.4

“Either his PDC filing is wrong or his office is wrong about the existence of this slush fund,” Wilbur said. “Either way, he needs to account for over $23,000 in campaign money that he transferred to pay for office related expenses.”

“The budget for the Lt. Governor’s office has skyrocketed during the past decade, and we wanted to see where all the money was being spent,” said Wilbur. “They’ve added employees and Owen is constantly on junkets. The office fund was just a small part of the expenses, but we didn’t expect they would deny having such a fund.”

The Lt. Governor’s office disclosed documents to the WSRP showing that, since 2000, the office has increased total employee salaries from $220,000 to over $460,000. Owen is well known for his frequent travels to far off regions, including Spain, India, China, Brazil, and Taiwan.

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If you haven’t read any stories recently about illegal immigration, prepare for your blood to boil and read on.

From the Examiner.com,  “Sanctuary City” status taken to new heights in Los Angeles:

In a move that’s sure to disturb Americans seeking a solution to the illegal alien problem, California’s ”City of Angeles” is taking its sanctuary title more seriously than most by ordering police officers to stop enforcing a state public safety law because it creates an “unfair burden” for illegal immigrants, according to a report by a top Washington, DC-based public interest group.

A few weeks ago, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ordered the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to stop impounding the vehicles of illegal aliens who are unlicensed drivers for 30 days as per California state law, according to Judicial Watch, a non-profit organization that investigates and exposes government corruption and abuse.

(Photo: LAPD)
Even more ourageous is that the police chief, Charlie Beck , says the impound law presents an “unfair burden” and “disproportionate blow” for illegal aliens.  This is not sitting well with the police union:

The Los Angeles police union is outraged and is charging the mayor with putting politics above public safety. “This new policy will result in innocent people being injured and killed,” the union said in a statement posted on its web site.

There aren’t many times when I agree with a public sector union, but on this issue they are right on the money.  One more example of how our UN-secured borders are real threat to this nation.

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Looks like that despite the ‘tough talk’ from Portland Mayor Adams, the city is about to give in to some of the demands from the Occupiers.  From the OREGONIAN website:

Adams wants to take up the call to invest Portland taxpayers’ money following the guidelines of the “Move Your Money” movement. It’s not clear yet what his proposal may involve, but a draft is expected this week and it could look like Seattle’s, which is largely aspirational.

Adams also wants a Portland resolution aimed at corporate personhood, another target of protesters. It’s unclear when this will emerge.

On Dec. 2, Adams tweeted this: ”We will have a resolution on topic too RT @occupy_thyself LA to be the first city to call for end of corp personhood. #opdx #pdx“

Just what the Northwest needs during a recession: more demonization of those who keep the economy going, and more coddling of those who site around like spoiled brats, demanding everyone else pay attention and give them things they can’t earn themselves.

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I hope all of you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, as we celebrate one of the most important traditions of our great nation. I have included some links to get you in the spirit of the holiday, along with one of the funniest TV episodes ever. Enjoy!

S & L - Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

Lars Larson Audio – What  Thanksgiving Means To Me

Rush Limbaugh – The Real Story Of Thanksgiving

Victoria Taft – Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Our Daily Journey – Psalm 128 1-14

RWN – Let Us Give Thanks To god Above

Hot Air – Counting Our Blessings

Gateway Pundit - 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Fellowship of the Minds – Thankful for our troops

Sarah Palin – A Personal Thanksgiving Reflection

Big Govt – A Message of Hope, Redemption, and Dada

WKRP in Cincinnatti – “Turkeys Away” (Funny part begins at 17:00)

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Last week, former GOP WA state legislator Alex Deccio passed away at the age of 89. He served 32 years in the state House and Senate, retiring in 2006. He was a fairly powerful and respected elected official who was known for his bi-partisanship on many issues.

As a member of the alternative media who follows Northwest politics pretty closely, I was surprised I hadn’t heard about Deccio’s death until today, over a week later. I wondered how I could have missed something this significant.

A few days earlier, rising Democrat star legislator Scott White was found dead while attending a leadership conference in central Washington. Just 41, his tragic and sudden death was widely reported by Northwest and National media for several days. You would have had to have been off the grid for a week not to have heard about it.

So I thought about both stories and wondered why there was such a discrepancy in coverage. Was I being a conspiracy theorist? Well, maybe not according to a couple of Google News searches I did:

Google news search: washington senator “alex deccio” – 8 RESULTS

Google news search: washington senator “scott white” – 393 RESULTS

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**** UPDATES BELOW – CONFIRMATION ****

This past weekend during the Occupy Portland protests, a fellow Tweeter (@kurtbradwill) was watching a livestream of events and claims to have seen a protester comparing “working to get ahead” to a sign above WWII Nazi death camp at Auschwitz  that read “work will set you free”.

@OccupyPDX responded: “Feel free to post the context of that comment as well”.  Not exactly a denial.

After a little more back and forth, Bradwill says he found the archived video.  Only problem: Bradwill says it appears the tape was edited and the event in question was scrubbed out.  He says what he saw should be somewhere around the 10:45 mark of the clip.

This story is still developing, as Bradwill says he is trying to contact the person who shot the video to see if he has the original footage.

1:25 PM Update – I was able to view the clip showing the protester speaking to the crowd, comparing “working hard” with the Nazi death camp sign (with the crowd chanting back in approval). It’s legit, and in my opinion really disgusting. The owner of the video has as of now decided not to make it public. Here is what Tweeter Bradwill emailed me:

“I don’t think it will stay public, I told him if even just the audio was public it would be ok and give him and the occupier more anonymity, trying to quell any fears he had about that…”

2:10 PM Update – An update from Bradwill: “… this is the latest response I’ve gotten. “I will have to ponder a bit to see if it is in the best interest of all involved for me to release the video or audio to you” Coincidentally, I went to Jamison Sq. (where they moved their shindig) and I got something punctured into my tire. Had to get home before the thing blew out, and changed to the temp. spare. So I actually have to go to Les Schwab right now…”

As Jim Hoft from Gateway Pundit likes to say: “Just like the Tea Party”.

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Not a good day for the Church of Global Warming: Lawsuit (by kids) demanding govt fix the (non)problem is thrown out; Calls for more action to reverse global warming… even if it’s only ‘theoretical’ and could yield ‘unintended and even irreversible consequences’; Another major climate model flaw discovered (will the Northwest media report ?); And….. ready for the coming ICE AGE?

1.) In Montana, the State Supreme Court throws out a lawsuit – brought by kids – to require the state to curb greenhouse gases.  As reported by The Missoulian:

Siding with Attorney General Steve Bullock, justices wrote in Wednesday’s order that the case raised too many questions about Montana’s contribution to a global problem for a ruling on purely legal questions as sought by the plaintiffs. ”The court is ill-equipped to resolve the factual assertions presented by the petitioners,” justices wrote.

2.)  Via The Guardian: Leaked documents ahead of key Lima meeting suggest UN body is looking to slow emissions with technological fixes rather than talks.

But here’s the problem:

In a move that suggests the UN and rich countries are despairing of reaching agreement by consensus at global climate talks, the US, British and other western scientists will outline a series of ideas to manipulate the world’s climate to reduce carbon emissions. But they accept that even though the ideas could theoretically work, they might equally have unintended and even irreversible consequences

I happened to re-watch “The Day The Earth Stood Still” the other night.  Always wondered what became of Klaatu – now I know.

3.) H/T to NwRepublican, another major flaw discovered in the Climate Change Model: “Sierra et al. discovered that climate models are presently incapable of accurately modeling the release of CO2 from the soil, which holds multiple times more carbon than the atmosphere. In essence, climate model predictions will continue to be wrong as long as soil CO2 releases continue to be incorrectly accounted for.”

Oops.

4.) And finally, guess what: more proof we are headed for an Ice Age

And just in case you missed it from earlier in the week, a stunner from U of Washington Prof and big-time Climate Change believer Cliff Mass:

“The bottom line is that there has NOT been major snowpack losa during the past few decades in the western U.S. and the long-term trend, starting over a hundred years ago, is gently down with some natural variation on top of that… We are in the early days of the warming and most of the action is yet to come. We need to be very careful on jumping to conclusions too early, since that only aids the deniers and skeptics who are just looking to pounce on excessive claims.”

How many more jobs are going to be lost… how much more public and private money is going to be wasted… and how much more personal freedom is going to be taken away…. before we all say “ENOUGH!”???

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