Sudden Outbreak of Common Sense

Illinois Supremes issue major affirmation of 2nd Amendment

"The Illinois Supreme Court today ruled unanimously that a section of state gun law violated the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and affirmed that this right extends outside the home. The ruling constitutes another victory for gun rights in a state that was, until the ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in SAF’s Moore v. Madigan case, the last holdout on concealed carry. The federal court had given Illinois lawmakers 180 days to fix it, and many were dragged kicking and screaming into adopting carry statute earlier this summer. The case of Illinois v. Alberto Aguilar challenged a section of the law that prohibited carrying firearms outside the home." Continue reading →

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Betcha This Government Is Learning To Fear Its Serfs

"Following their tremendous victory in ousting two of Colorado’s dictators, the Basic Freedom Defense Fund (BFDF) and Pueblo Freedoms and Rights (PFR) have drawn a bead on more tyrants. They’re 'polling all Colorado legislators to gauge their support for repealing the very gun laws at the heart of the recalls.' The tone of the questionnaire these folks are sending politicians is especially heartening: polite but insistent, courteous but commanding. From between the lines leaps the warning, 'Answer this, and do it before our deadline of Sept. 30, because if you don’t, we’ll eject you from your cushy position, too.' So refreshing to see taxpayers dictating to the leeches rather than the other way around! " Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBetcha This Government Is Learning To Fear Its Serfs

Betcha This Government Is Learning To Fear Its Serfs

"Following their tremendous victory in ousting two of Colorado’s dictators, the Basic Freedom Defense Fund (BFDF) and Pueblo Freedoms and Rights (PFR) have drawn a bead on more tyrants. They’re 'polling all Colorado legislators to gauge their support for repealing the very gun laws at the heart of the recalls.' The tone of the questionnaire these folks are sending politicians is especially heartening: polite but insistent, courteous but commanding. From between the lines leaps the warning, 'Answer this, and do it before our deadline of Sept. 30, because if you don’t, we’ll eject you from your cushy position, too.' So refreshing to see taxpayers dictating to the leeches rather than the other way around! " Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBetcha This Government Is Learning To Fear Its Serfs

Texas Gov. Rick Perry takes aim at Maryland to lure businesses

"Texas Gov. Rick Perry took a swipe at Gov. Martin O'Malley and Maryland's business climate in radio ads aimed at luring companies and residents to the Lone Star state. 'When you grow tired of Maryland taxes squeezing every dime out of your business, think Texas,' Perry said in the radio advertisement, set to air in the Baltimore-D.C. market this week and provided to the The Baltimore Sun by WTOP. Perry has launched similar advertisements in Missouri, California, Chicago and New York since April. Earlier this year, Perry invited Beretta and other Maryland gun manufacturers to move to Texas after the General Assembly passed new gun laws here." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas Gov. Rick Perry takes aim at Maryland to lure businesses

Secret terrorism court orders declassification of its own rulings

"Court cases before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court — the court that reviews requests by the NSA to wiretap suspected terrorists’ communications — are generally classified. But Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ordered the government to review the court’s opinions on the meaning, scope, and constitutionality of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which authorizes the government to obtain 'any tangible things' relevant to foreign-intelligence or terrorism investigations. Section 215 is the legal basis the NSA claims legitimizes its mass phone records collection program." Continue reading →

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Alan Grayson unloads on “warmongering” and “hubris”

"I have the benefit of knowing what the U.S. military plans are. Members on both sides are extremely well-informed about this. Most of us have been to multiple briefings, in some cases classified briefings. It’s not that people need more information, you know, we’ve got plenty. And what we’re seeing is an extremely risky and fruitless undertaking. I have the sense that the Administration is suffering from some degree of hubris. They claim to know the future reactions of the Syrians, the Russians, the Iranians, Hezbollah. They claim to be able to micromanage this 'unbelievably small' attack. In a way it’s reminiscent of Johnson choosing bombing targets in Vietnam. We all know how that ended up." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAlan Grayson unloads on “warmongering” and “hubris”

The People Say No To War

"What happened? The people happened. Public-opinion polls showed at once that most of us do not want Obama to commit an act of war against Syria. Furthermore, the people inundated Congress with calls and emails. Because of this (and in some cases personal conviction), most members of Congress also do not want war with Syria. Obama got the message: he was heading for sure defeat in the House of Representatives and perhaps in the Senate. He couldn’t bear the prospect of rebuff. Russian president Vladimir Putin gave him a graceful way out. Because the people didn’t want war, when a possible diplomatic solution arose, Obama had to go for it. The people gave him no choice." Continue reading →

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Jews say no to AIPAC and say no to bombing Syria

"We are appalled that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is sending hundreds of people to lobby Congress to approve a resolution to bomb Syria. The media also reports that Sheldon Adelson and the Republican Jewish Coalition are pushing hard for war. We don’t want it to be known that Jews stood silent as the powerful Israel lobby helped push the U.S. into a war in defiance of international law and American public opinion. The Israeli government should stop pointing the finger and admit its own abuses of chemicals. It used white phosphorus in its terrible 2008 attack on Gaza. Over the years it has used tear gas recklessly and killed and sickened many, many Palestinians." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJews say no to AIPAC and say no to bombing Syria

Syria hails U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal as a ‘victory’ that averts war

"A US-Russian plan to remove Syria’s chemical weapons is a 'victory' that averts a war, a Syrian minister said Sunday, as Washington’s top diplomat briefed Israel about the landmark deal. Some Israeli commentators raised the question of whether Washington would lean on Israel to ratify the international treaty banning the use of chemical weapons. Israel signed the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993 but never ratified it, despite demands to do so from Washington and Moscow." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSyria hails U.S.-Russia chemical weapons deal as a ‘victory’ that averts war

NSA chief Clapper: Data spying debate ‘probably needed to happen’

"'As loathe as I am to give any credit for what’s happened here, which is egregious…' said National Intelligence Director James Clapper, 'I think it’s clear that some of the conversations that this has generated, some of the debate… actually probably needed to happen.' Clapper, speaking at a conference in Washington, said the public discussion examining the balance between spying powers and privacy rights 'perhaps' should have taken place earlier. 'So if there’s a good side to this, maybe that’s it,' he said of the Snowden media leaks. His comments were the first time a senior US intelligence figure had portrayed the leaks as sparking a useful debate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA chief Clapper: Data spying debate ‘probably needed to happen’