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San Diego, CA, August 25, 2010 -- The most recent total from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse’s Chronology of Data Breaches shows more than a half billion sensitive records breached since 2005, leaving Americans vulnerable to identity theft.

Employees losing laptop computers, hackers downloading credit card numbers and sensitive personal data accidentally exposed online -- the Chronology of Data Breaches shows hundreds of ways that the personal information of consumers is lost, stolen or exposed.

The Chronology of Data Breaches, a project of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse since 2005, lists incidents involving breached consumer information, such as personal medical records, credit card numbers and Social Security numbers.

The most recent total, published last night, is a wake-up call to consumers who think identity theft can’t happen to them.

The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse estimates that the Chronology shows only a fraction of the total number of data breaches.

"This is a conservative number," says Director Beth Givens, "We generally learn about breaches that garner media attention.
Unfortunately, many do not. And, because many states do not require companies to report data breaches to a central clearinghouse, data breaches occur that we never hear about.
Our Chronology is only a sampling."

Data breaches of sensitive information, especially Social Security and credit card numbers, make consumers vulnerable to identity theft. According to a 2009 Javelin Research & Strategy, individuals are four times more likely to be the victim of identity theft in the year after receiving a data breach notification letter.
https://www.javelinstrategy.com/brochure-158

The recently expanded Chronology provides consumers and researchers the ability to perform rapid searches to identify trends in data breaches. It also allows visitors to look up businesses, agencies and organizations by name.

Unfortunately, consumers cannot completely protect themselves from a data breach. It is up to organizations that collect data on consumers to take the steps to ensure the privacy
and security of the data they collect and maintain.

Visit the Chronology now - http://www.privacyrights.org/data-breach

Try the custom sort feature - http://www.privacyrights.org/data-breach#CP

Learn how to take advantage of the Chronology’s interactive features - http://www.privacyrights.org/data-breach-how-to

Resources:
Open Security Foundation’s DatalossDB http://www.datalossdb.org Office of Inadequate Security http://www.databreaches.net Personal Health Information Privacy http://www.phiprivacy.net National Association for Information Destruction, Inc http://www.naidonline.org

IN THE NEWS

OBAMA NATION NEWS

Obama To Replace Washington On Dollar Bill?
http://bit.ly/cQtOWM

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT NEWS

Alaska GOP Sen. Murkowski in jeopardy
http://bit.ly/ciJIeA

Two GOP attorney general candidates websites attacked, Bondis untouched
http://bit.ly/9J03R8

POLICE STATE NEWS

The Government's New Right to Track Your Every Move With GPS
http://bit.ly/bynIOe

The facial recognition software that will put a name to every photograph in the internet
http://bit.ly/bNJtoQ

4th Amendment Violating Mobile X-Ray Scanners Hit The Streets
http://bit.ly/cHmkZr

After Hurricane Katrina, NOLA cops told to shoot looters
http://bit.ly/d9OLUe

Following EPIC FOIA Lawsuit, US Senators Raise Questions About Retention of Body Scanner Images
http://bit.ly/9nDs2y

EPIC v. DHS (Suspension of Body Scanner Program)
http://bit.ly/9ep3X8

Protesters demand withdrawal of G20 charges
http://bit.ly/autOUz

Pentagon Teaches Kindergarten Kids As U.S. Schools Are Militarized For Martial Law Conditioning
http://bit.ly/dB2cnZ

REAL ID & PRIVACY NEWS

Germany to roll out ID cards with embedded RFID
http://bit.ly/b2lXmX

Ex-DMV Employee Sentenced For Issuing Fake IDs
http://bit.ly/d6DPVc

Universities Endanger Students' Privacy
http://bit.ly/cBOxNN

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Bad flash drive caused worst U.S. military breach
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20014732-245.html

Hackers see opportunities in the cloud
http://bit.ly/c5ec4p

Facebook Uses RFID to Track Users' Locations for Advertising Promotion
http://bit.ly/b1siVO

Facebook "Places" Embeds Privacy Risks, Complicated and Ephemeral Opt-Out Unfair to Users
http://bit.ly/avb7l7

Almost one in four security breaches affected health centers in 2010
http://bit.ly/cFpRnc

Hackers steal iTunes accounts, make bogus purchases
http://bit.ly/clY3wG

Hackers Drain Users PayPal Accounts Through iTunes
http://bit.ly/cbj6Vm

DEF CON Survey Reveals Vast Scale of Cloud Hacking
http://bit.ly/bsQDKP

ECONOMIC NEWS

Home Sales Drop 27 Percent In July And Things Are Only Going To Get Worse For The U.S. Housing Industry
http://bit.ly/8ohSa1

Let the Housing Market Normalize!
http://bit.ly/bJWhlp

Eight Banks Collapse Last Week As Questions Arise On FDIC
http://bit.ly/cXTgBf

HEALTH NEWS

Eggs from Iowa farms could come to table near you
http://yhoo.it/cnoX6f

Electromagnetic pulse can be used to disrupt morality in the human brain
http://bit.ly/aHc0zF

52% Concerned About Safety of Vaccines
http://bit.ly/axhonM

Study Links Chronic Fatigue to Virus Class
http://nyti.ms/ax1JTO

A mind is a terrible thing to waste, Reading is fundamental. Everyone needs a college education to succeed. Of course if the ecconomy is in the toilet, then education will not help your child get a job once they graduate from college.

At least it is not expected to happen for another four years, so those who are just starting their four year degree may be able to get a job when they get out. However those who expect to graduate in the next 3 years will not expect to get a job.

So unless you are independently wealthy and can afford to have your 22 year old child live with you the next four years, just don't let them graduate from college. They should work on their Masters or PHD in their field. Then when the job markets open up, they will be the most qualified applicants for the entry level jobs.

In the past, I had the privilege of hearing people like Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's talk about his less than eighth grade education and how he worked hard since the age of 14 to learn the restaurant business and well you know the rest of the story.

Self education and dedication can work for the right people. In the first Great Depression, some smart restaurateurs would give their patrons free peanuts, all they could eat. The idea was to let them get their fill on salted peanuts which they bought at a great price and then sold them soda at 10 cents instead of 5 cents. The result, they stayed in business.

Americans are resilient and our ingenuity has help to create most of the modern technology used today. Education at liberal universities teaching to help grow corporate agendas may not be the best path for any child.

Perhaps, hard work, self education and a determination to succeed is the past course to take.

IN THE NEWS

OIL SPILL 2010 NEWS

Mississippi Shrimpers Refuse to Trawl, Fearing Oil, Dispersants
http://bit.ly/bPy4WQ

BP oil leak victims face strings on $20bn spill fund
http://bit.ly/bkuTN7

Gulf claims chief says no-sue rule was his idea
http://bit.ly/c0dTZ0

BP accused of withholding oil spill data
http://bit.ly/cjU0Jd

OBAMA NATION NEWS

Does Barack Obama want to be re-elected in 2012?
http://bit.ly/djPF4x

Obama: Congress Should Feel Compelled to Pass Jobs Bill
http://bit.ly/c29tgb

One in five Americans believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim: poll
http://bit.ly/95PZaC

White House says Obama is Christian, prays daily - So It Must Be True LOL!
http://bit.ly/aGLomy

Obamas to begin sixth holiday of the year
http://bit.ly/bDQcaQ

OBAMA CARE NEWS

Uninsured Slow To Sign Up For Coverage
http://bit.ly/bbwXNv

POLICE STATE NEWS

Woman Ticketed For For Driving Too Slow
http://bit.ly/9DJmzO

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT NEWS

Iran unveils bomber drone that aims to deliver peace and friendship
http://bit.ly/9Wg8kA

Pakistani flood victims' anger at US
http://bbc.in/9ZBUwZ

Senators line up to tell U.N. to leave kids alone
http://bit.ly/d2SCEQ

Israeli official declares: 'We're preparing for war'
http://bit.ly/ae5Pc8

Blackwater Founder Gives Statements in Fraud Suit
http://bit.ly/bzu3bs

FDA commissioner says agency needs more authority
http://bit.ly/bhnfYd

Philly requiring bloggers to pay $300 for a business license
http://bit.ly/9ICQ1F

Ground Zero mosque modeled after notorious 9/11 mosque?
http://bit.ly/aC072Y

Gov. Paterson Says Mosque Situation Is Getting "Out Of Hand"
http://bit.ly/cAUuXf

Pension Fraud by New Jersey Is Cited by S.E.C.
http://nyti.ms/9T1Udd

New PA big can get two pensions now
http://bit.ly/atdUK7

Why many Pakistani-Americans aren't sending flood donations home
http://yhoo.it/9ldrea

Sen. Al Franken: We Have a Free Speech Problem
http://huff.to/TwUd6

Probe finds hundreds of cases of mishandled evidence in N. Carolina
http://bit.ly/bJPyPa

ECONOMIC NEWS

Three Devastating Tax Waves Will Destroy Many
http://bit.ly/8YhNVO

Mission City Council approves 'driveway tax' to fund ro
http://bit.ly/bJrvnb

China's nine-day traffic jam stretches 100km
http://yhoo.it/cNde4b

Even Tony Robbins Is Warning That An Economic Collapse Is Coming
http://bit.ly/aq61Pl

This Economy Is Ripping The Dignity Of Millions Of Unemployed Americans To Shreds
http://bit.ly/9zKuae

Low pension return may Soak taxpayers
http://bit.ly/d9GaF1

Unemployment Rates by County 2007- 2010
http://bit.ly/3xsef0

And Now We're Headed For The GREATEST Depression, Says Gerald Celente
http://yhoo.it/9YhYhs

CBO: U.S. faces slow recovery, near-record deficit
http://bit.ly/bxXOQ8

U.S. lawmakers cheer as China steel firm backs out
http://bit.ly/ca8hIC

Some government workers get generous raises despite dismal economy
http://bit.ly/czi1N8

Withdrawls From Retirement Accounts Hit Record High
http://bit.ly/9936Cu

Jobless claims rise to highest level in 9 months
http://bit.ly/bT0f4R

DMV offices closed Friday due to furloughs, California state budget
http://bit.ly/bbg7NJ

Growers: USDA must act, prevent sugar supply issue
http://yhoo.it/duUzxi

2ND AMMENDMENT NEWS

GA judge shoots, kills man breaking into his home
http://bit.ly/dbKmxK

Off-duty cop shoots man who broke into his home, police say
http://bit.ly/bDiizl

HEALTH NEWS

Bedbugs & Empire State Building
http://on.msn.com/c3oMaU

Burger King introduces the 2,500 Calorie Pizza Burger
http://bit.ly/aiEUBw

Genetic Modified Foods - Senate Bill S510
http://bit.ly/aK3d9W

Mystery Illness Strikes Football Team
http://yhoo.it/acH99m

FDA exploits salmonella eggs recall to pursue food sterilization agenda
http://bit.ly/ciwCpe

Pregnant Women Should Avoid Diet Sodas
http://bit.ly/dzvY1O

Seasonal, H1N1 flu vaccine to be combined this fall
http://bit.ly/cJpnfn

My 6 Favorite FAT Lies
http://bit.ly/aTiIJR

IMMIGRATION & BORDER NEWS

Headless, mutilated bodies hung from Mexico bridge
http://bit.ly/chC9Uw

Nearly Half of United States Considering Arizona-Style Immigration Legislation
http://bit.ly/dvTWdE

Fight is on over another Arizona immigration law
http://bit.ly/cOpovW

Justice Department Presses Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Civil Rights Investigation
http://bit.ly/9s7JWe

REAL ID & PRIVACY NEWS

DMV Sends D.C. Resident A Driver's License -- Just Not His
http://bit.ly/bRVTBz

Computers fixed after 3 hour outage today at Nevada DMV offices
http://bit.ly/c270gV

DMV Computers Back Online After Outage
http://bit.ly/9ye5pg

Illegal ID ring smashed in Cleveland
http://bit.ly/9X7YKN

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving
http://bit.ly/cS6TGU

Scientists Hack Into Cars’ Computers — Control Brakes, Engine
http://bit.ly/b5xnhT

India arrests hacker who exposed electoral fraud
http://bit.ly/cke1pp

Hackers attack colleges website
http://bit.ly/a5eds6

Researcher told Microsoft of Windows apps zero-day bugs 6 months ago
http://bit.ly/ciGNwy

Sci-fi weapon entering real battles
http://bit.ly/9iLuqO

Pentagon takes aim at China cyber threat
http://bit.ly/909KAB

Actress Cameron Diaz Tops List of Search Threats
http://bit.ly/cTuRwR

Rise of hackers behind Intel's $8bn McAfee bid
http://bit.ly/bUANIK

Want to deter hackers? Make password longer
http://bit.ly/8ZigZt

Phone hackers ripping off Kiwi firms
http://bit.ly/aeCMZQ

Hackers set sights on small businesses, households
http://bit.ly/bI5Y4t

Want to deter hackers? Make password longer
http://bit.ly/8ZigZt

School website hacked by global hacker group
http://bit.ly/aOVcEm

DISASTER NEWS

Chile's trapped miners could be stuck until Christmas
http://bit.ly/csKDqQ

CHRISTIANITY NEWS

When sociology students visit Creation Museum
http://bit.ly/dAKS4h

NOT EXACTLY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

Scientists map North Atlantic garbage patch
http://bit.ly/bvoBzs

MORAL DECLINE & CRIME NEWS

Former Fremont gymnastics instructor, competitor faces felony charges
http://bit.ly/bpcUN7

Quote of the Day: "Even if you don't like drugs, you really, really don't like murder, rape, robbery, and so forth." - Ted Balaker

An important video by Reason.tv and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) succinctly addresses how the War on Drugs cripples police work and endangers children. DownsizeDC.org would like to express our gratitude to Reason's Ted Balaker and LEAP's Neill Franklin for laying out the facts.

We urge you to . . .

* Watch the video
[video:youtubezOHQdKRANA]

* And then tell Congress to watch it too, using our End the Mexican Civil War campaign

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

The Mexican government reports that its War on Drugs has killed 28,000 people over the past four years. This ongoing tragedy is undermining Mexico's stability, which is bad news for the United States.

But that's not the only way drug prohibition is hurting us. I urge you to watch this interview with Neill Franklin, the Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (under 9 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzOHQdKRANA

The video reveals that the Mexican drug cartels have expanded into 230 U.S. cities. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming majority of police 911 calls are related to this illegal drug trade. And yet, as our police go from one drug-related 911 call to the next, most violent crimes go unsolved, including . . .

* 60% of rapes
* 73% of robberies
* 88% of auto thefts
* And 37% of murders

Whereas, in 1963, before the War on Drugs, only 9% of murders went unsolved!

Repealing drug prohibition would put an end to narcotics units and place more cops on the street to "do the work that is supposed to be done."

But unsolved crime is not the only danger caused by the Drug War. Our children are particularly at risk . . .

* Criminals don't ask for ID's to verify the age of their customers
* This means that powerful drugs are more available to kids than cigarettes and alcohol
* Criminals don't care about quality control, so the black market substances that lure our kids are more dangerous than they would be if prohibition didn't exist
* And urban, African-American children are at special risk. They are heavily recruited to the drug trade because juvenile offenders get lesser sentences

Whereas in Portugal, which legalized personal drug possession ten years ago . . .

* There was a double-digit drop in drug use by school-age children
* As well as a double-digit drop in AIDS cases
* The stigma has been removed for people seeking treatment
* And there is MORE MONEY for treatment

Even so, President Obama still wants to increase funding for the War on Drugs!

But the facts are clear. Drug prohibition doesn't work. Repeal the federal drug laws. Our communities will be safer and our children will be better off.

END LETTER

You can send your letter through DownsizeDC.org's Educate the Powerful System.

We also urge you to spread this common-sense message to your friends and Digg it on our blog.

James Wilson
Assistant Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org

IN THE NEWS

OBAMA NATION

Obamas head to Martha's Vineyard for 10-day holiday
http://bit.ly/9JceEq

Obama says economy coming back slowly but surely
http://bit.ly/bXNWUk

AP Poll: Obama at new low for handling economy
http://bit.ly/bOOmMd

President goes for a swim in the Gulf – or does he?
http://bit.ly/bX5ji7

Scathing Congress report slams Obama's 'covert, criminal activity'
http://bit.ly/caGn7U

Obama uses Ramadan dinner to endorse NY mosque
http://bit.ly/b8rXZ0

Previously unknown Obama stepsister dies
http://bit.ly/cs9Jn5

10 key reasons why the Obama presidency is in meltdown
http://bit.ly/9Ot3CD

MAINSTREAM MEDIA

According to Poll Only 25% U.S. Have Confidence in Newspapers and TV News
http://bit.ly/99iRQL

CENSUS 2010

Personal Census Questions Upset Hawaii Residents
http://bit.ly/csxnlF

POLICE STATE NEWS

Charges Against Ice-T Dismissed in Criminal Court Due to DMV Clerical Error
http://bit.ly/bFiXxY

NYPD Knows About Your Secret Underwear Drug Stash!
http://bit.ly/cwjrpd

Russia's New Police State
http://bit.ly/bYIMdN

Denver officials clash over police discipline after brutal video released
http://bit.ly/bL84s8

New Vending Machines Require Thumb Print, Retina Scan
http://bit.ly/98siNS

Army accused of threatening to 'Taser' officer
http://bit.ly/az0FnD

NFL Considers Ball-Tracking Chips for Accuracy
http://bit.ly/ak4UIq

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Workmen paint over dead hedgehog
http://bit.ly/9jKegT

Councils pay for prostitutes for the disabled
http://bit.ly/aXqwEh

ECONOMIC NEWS

22 cities in danger of a double-dip recession
http://bit.ly/aOyKcz

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Fidel Castro fascinated by book on Bilderberg Club
http://bit.ly/cylMv7

Mass exodus planned away from the two major political parties
http://exm.nr/aQ3rvw

Pivotal Senate primary in Washington decided
http://bit.ly/9DrPhA

Blagojevich Convicted on Only 1 of 24 Corruption Counts
http://bit.ly/cDw8dQ

Foreman James Matsumoto: Holdout Blagojevich Juror Argued Politics as Usual
http://bit.ly/d8eK87

Acronyms that accidentally turned naughty
http://bit.ly/dAcvuE

Report: Fed Could Be Forced Into $1 Trillion Emergency Rescue
http://bit.ly/atQeEE

Homeownership to decline further, housing analyst predicts
http://bit.ly/bddrrN

Debts Rise, and Go Unpaid, as Bust Erodes Home Equity
http://nyti.ms/bQBt4T

Fed's Hoenig: Keeping Rates Too Low 'Dangerous Gamble'
http://bit.ly/csirDk

J.C. Penney cuts outlook on consumer weakness
http://yhoo.it/d6H348

Democrats Plain to Raise Taxes on Middle Class Earning $20,000 - $200,000
http://bit.ly/94qdLC

New unemployment claims hit 6-month high
http://bit.ly/bVeXJ3

East Point residents line up again to turn in Section 8 applications
http://bit.ly/cdsK5P

British schoolboy entrepreneur celebrates making his first million at 16...
http://bit.ly/bvdiM1

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Kelly had heart attack, says pathologist
http://bit.ly/9ccR9f

How many socialists sit in Congress today?
http://bit.ly/dzXNsY

70 avowed socialists in U.S. Congress DSA lists members of the 111th session
http://bit.ly/beHIgC

Are you a true Tea Partier?
http://bit.ly/9d7wSi

WND's Miami conference dumps Florida Tea Party
http://bit.ly/blML0Q

Watchdog panel cites global impact of US bailout
http://bit.ly/bbB1PQ

Second New Hampshire Dem. under fire for joking about Sarah Palin's death, resigns from state House
http://bit.ly/ca5PR8

WikiLeaks preparing to release more Afghan files
http://bit.ly/cqMLZq

Real or Imagined? A Critical Review of the SPLC's List of Conspiracies
http://bit.ly/aPogOp

Lockerbie families raise new questions over bomber
http://bit.ly/a08NSi

Bomber freed to die is now being given 'miracle cure' drug
http://bit.ly/abdsQt

HEALTH NEWS

Drug companies accused of 'conning' the public
http://bit.ly/dldLov

Genetically Manipulated Crops: The GMO Catastrophe in the USA
http://bit.ly/aNytR9

Sugar Beets- Monsanto Wins Again
http://bit.ly/cGWqXT

US breast cancer drug decision 'marks start of death panels'
http://bit.ly/aP4UOz

Free school milk: the white stuff might not be the right stuff
http://bit.ly/cMaItL

EPA May Give First Approval of Nanosilver for Fabrics
http://bit.ly/bZeUqi

Poultry fingered as No. 1 food poisoning culprit
http://yhoo.it/9cFmfy

Judge's ruling uproots use of biotechnology beets
http://bit.ly/ad70zZ

Fruit Pulp in Smoothies Linked to Rare U.S. Typhoid Outbreak
http://bit.ly/cabxid

'Statins with your burger?' Doctors want heart pills on menu
http://bit.ly/d78ibc

Activists Take On Fluoridated Water in Wichita
http://bit.ly/b95aLI

MORAL DECLINE

SC police: Mom killed children before sinking car
http://bit.ly/9yYD1D

FDA OKs new, five-day emergency contraceptive
http://yhoo.it/bbE3Di

Italy: Mafia thanks God for new boss - UMMM OK
http://bit.ly/9lg7m7

Lady Gaga IS poisoning children's minds
http://bit.ly/aP1FpS

Everett man jailed on $1 million bail over alleged threat against nurse
http://bit.ly/ba7QPH

HEROIC GRANDMOTHER

Cassidy Blankenbaker, 12, Mourns Hero Grandma Sharrel Blanke
http://bit.ly/a6te6E

IMMIGRATION NEWS

Immigrant license surge argues for two-tier system
http://bit.ly/b90krr

Study: 8 Percent of U.S. Births to Illegal Immigrants
http://bit.ly/9DdAAY

REAL ID & PRIVACY NEWS

State DMV system a special torture
http://bit.ly/bCjrY6

Cell Phones: Easy ID Theft Targets
http://bit.ly/dcynxC

Your Social Security number may not be unique to you
http://bit.ly/dyccRu

Court Rejects Warrantless GPS Tracking
http://bit.ly/a2syMH

Patients’ files left at public dump
http://bit.ly/cN6Dlv

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Tabnabbing is the new way for hackers to steal your personal information
http://bit.ly/8XCnT0

Hackers slash Axl Rose's Twitter account
http://bit.ly/aEyGHw

Geeks turn Army surplus drone into a Wi-Fi network hacking plane
http://bit.ly/9KP6lW

Hacker Technology Exposes Password Security And Risks Personal Information, Research Says
http://bit.ly/cb6yyL

Teen hacker apologises to Justin Bieber
http://bit.ly/d8sT24

Facebook scammers spreading fake 'Dislike' button
http://bit.ly/bNdhUx

Justin Bieber Pranks Twitter Hacker by Posting Phone Number
http://bit.ly/dsH6TN

Feds still questioning AT&T iPad site hackers
http://bit.ly/aS6mJh

Hackers Infiltrate Red Cross Website - Again
http://bit.ly/ckNUaG

Hackers crash car computer while car is driving
http://bit.ly/ayHgoP

Malware Threat At An All Time High
http://bit.ly/aNQDO9

Hackers target intellectual property
http://bit.ly/acLQKu

Hayden: Hackers Force Internet Users to Learn Self-Defense
http://to.pbs.org/9zArdz

Your mobile phone may be bugging you, hackers warn
http://bit.ly/cQ6aAE

Tinos diners hit by credit card hackers
http://bit.ly/dv8cwR

FAA computers still vulnerable to cyberattack
http://bit.ly/bld0IZ

FEARMONGERING IN THE NEWS

U.S. warned of threat worse than Katrina, plague, WWII
http://bit.ly/dnrimZ

Parts of County Building to Reopen after White Powder Scare
http://bit.ly/dz7mM9

HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA

Prop 8 judge called 'tyrannical activist devoted to satisfying himself'
http://bit.ly/9HdTgV

Foes seek to block start of gay weddings in Calif.
http://bit.ly/9kSAi6

SURVIVALIST NATION

The 12 Rules of Survival
http://bit.ly/d8vwuA

Quote of the Day: "I've been hearing that 40 is the new 20. I don't believe that. But I do believe that $40 is the new $20." - Jay Leno

First, the Federal Reserve created money out of thin air to buy so-called toxic assets. This action . . .

* Decreased the value of every dollar you hold by increasing the money supply
* Was taken without your consent
* Was dictatorial, in that it was subject to no outside check or balance by the electorate, or any other branch of government

Since then the Fed has been promising to withdraw the funny money it created to fund these bailouts, so as to protect you from inflation. This promise has not been kept. To be sure . . .

The Fed tells us it's still too early to re-absorb the funny money, because the economy is still weak. But the re-absorption may actually be harder once the economy recovers. To retire the funny money the Fed must be able to sell its assets back into the market, and then "destroy" the dollars it gets in return, but . . .

* People will have better things to do with their money when the economy is booming again
* The Fed may have to sell its assets at a steep discount in order to compete with these better investment alternatives
* These factors could make it very difficult to re-absorb the funny money

Sadly, the Fed has taken a step that will make things even worse. The Fed board voted on Tuesday to spend $10 billion buying government debt.

Just to be clear, it does NOT appear that the Fed is creating new funny money for this purpose. Rather, it has received some income on some of the "toxic" assets it purchased, and is using that money to buy government debt. Even so, this sends a bad message on several fronts. The Fed is . . .

* Signaling that it will not begin re-absorbing its funny money any time soon
* Trying to make it cheaper for the Federal government to borrow money, thereby encouraging more borrowing
* One small step away from doing something very bad -- creating new funny money to buy government debt

We think the Fed is moving in the wrong direction. It should be taking steps to protect the value of your dollars. Instead, it remains committed to policies that carry a high risk of future price inflation that could destroy the value of your savings. Please take action to protect yourself.

One way to do that is to break the Fed's monopoly control over what you can use for money by passing Ron Paul's "Free Competition in Currency Act." Please send a letter to Congress asking for this.

You can copy or borrow from my sample letter . . .

I strongly object to the fact that the Federal Reserve is going to spend $10 billion buying government debt. This is wrong on many levels . . .

* The Fed should be re-absorbing the new money it created during the recent crisis. It should retire this $10 billion instead of spending it.
* The Fed should NOT be doing anything to encourage more borrowing by the Federal government. You guys have spent trillions already, so if the economy is still sluggish it should be perfectly clear that government spending isn't the cure.

But sadly, neither I nor you have an control over the Fed. You guys can't even manage to audit them, even when a majority in Congress favors legislation for that purpose. This makes two things clear to me . . .

* The Fed is a dictatorial institution, beholden to no one
* Congressional leaders control YOU, meaning that I cannot rely on you to represent me

I want you to provide me with evidence to the contrary on this last point. Instead of only doing what your party leaders want, how about doing something that I want, for a change. What do I want? I want it to be legal for me to do business with forms of money other than Federal Reserve Notes. Please break the chains that tie me to the Federal Reserve!

Please represent me. Please serve my interests. Please show a little independence by co-sponsoring the "Free Competition in Currency Act." And please know that I am paying close attention to what you do, and do not do.

END LETTER

You can send your letter to Congress using DownsizeDC.org's Educate the Powerful System: https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/85

And please tell your friends. Forward this message and retweet it.

Perry Willis
Vice President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

IN THE NEWS

BP OIL SPILL NEWS

Chemist: Gulf workers “EXTREMELY sick” and “scared to death to speak out” against BP
http://bit.ly/c38dcx

OBAMA NATION NEWS

Wave Goodbye To Brand Obama
http://bit.ly/9Umdht

POLICE STATE NEWS

New Gulags Announced For Canada
http://bit.ly/cUfWKN

O'Malley installs 105 new spy cameras without citizen oversight
http://exm.nr/9st7hu

Police state, here we come
http://bit.ly/9G7gG5

Nosey cashiers have turned shopping into a Stalinist nightmare
http://bit.ly/ckWm58

Google Takeover Of The Web To End Free Internet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apuXGu4lohk

Facial-recognition technology used to catch identity thieves
http://bit.ly/byxHOr

U.S. Marshals Service Storing Naked Body Scanner Images
http://bit.ly/bh3hzh

Elite Moves To Lobotomize, Zombify Global Population into Lifetime of Servitude
http://bit.ly/cxh9iO

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Will voters turn out for primary election? We hope so
http://bit.ly/9nCvuK

Primary winners highlight political inexperience
http://bit.ly/dqGSNI

Cringe-inducing typo outside N.C. school
http://yhoo.it/9UlGyp

Protect Our Right to Opt Out of Electronic Health Records Systems
http://bit.ly/96qTK2

Ex-Senator Stevens dies in Alaska plane crash
http://bit.ly/ccsZRG

Details emerge from scene of Ted Stevens' plane crash
http://yhoo.it/9ulXvr

The real controversy about Proposition 8
http://bit.ly/9RpaUb

Rangel says he's not resigning despite 13 charges of wrongdoing
http://yhoo.it/b5LGtl

Chinas Trade Surplus Climbs to $28.7 Billion
http://nyti.ms/94oXVQ

1-man, 6-vote racial plan used to choose board's 1st minority
http://bit.ly/9jqELP

WSU law professor says Detroit needs eminent domain to deal with vacancy
http://bit.ly/cByTZJ

Montana Farmers Union opposes using eminent domain
http://bit.ly/a5iqC0

City set to use eminent domain
http://bit.ly/bPW0xD

ECONOMIC NEWS

Trade gap likely points to slower economic growth
http://bit.ly/cCoxGt

Company job openings drop for 2nd straight month
http://bit.ly/dxnkN6

US dollar hits 15-year low versus yen
http://bit.ly/ad9NQ6

Vulture investors are back and making a bundle
http://yhoo.it/a1vAtB

Fed, worried about recovery, will buy US debt
http://yhoo.it/cmDakJ

9 Reasons Why You Won’t See A Jobs Recovery Anytime Soon
http://bit.ly/bwtmcR

15 Economic Statistics That Just Keep Getting Worse
http://bit.ly/8X08oM

Statistics show foreclosures likely to surpass 2009 levels
http://bit.ly/cKt3GF

The Forgotten U.S. Housing Market Foreclosure Crisis
http://bit.ly/aHkw0G

Thousands of online banking customers have accounts emptied by 'most dangerous trojan virus ever created'
http://bit.ly/cfmxrH

Reagan insider: 'GOP destroyed U.S. economy'
http://bit.ly/9bawpV

Economists Cut U.S. Forecasts and See More Fed Action
http://bit.ly/b6gmOi

U.K. Pound Drops as Housing, Retail Data Signal Economic Growth Is Slowing
http://bit.ly/d1Dk1G

Business News You Need Today
http://bit.ly/8XlGPp

HEALTH NEWS

H.R.5786: Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010
http://bit.ly/bWk0ix

Fruits, vegetables fail to ripen as S California nears ‘coolest summer on record’
http://bit.ly/dtaRO7

Chemicals in water supply near Chicago linked to cancer
http://bit.ly/9tUnng

Vaccines Sold, Scam Complete: WHO Cancels its False Alarm
http://bit.ly/boTzNR

NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS

Lindsay Lohan Posing with Baphomet in Clothing Line Promo
http://bit.ly/aUfzYZ

IMMIGRATION & BORDER NEWS

Fingerprint sharing led to deportation of 47,000
http://yhoo.it/96b4qv

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Street traders , okada riders threaten free movement at Computer Village
http://bit.ly/9RWlJ9

Wireless Car Sensors Vulnerable to Hackers
http://bit.ly/aD8TyD

Hackers steal from thousands of bank accounts in latest security breach
http://bit.ly/ds8iJd

2010 Data Breach Report: 10 Tips To Secure Your Enterprise
http://bit.ly/cbuT48

Tumwater teen hacker sentenced for crashing Comcast
http://bit.ly/cgwQum

Yes, Some Hackers Are Hot - But Still Criminals
http://bit.ly/991QqQ

MORAL DECLINE & CRIME NEWS

Michigan serial killer suspected in three Leesburg, Va., attacks
http://bit.ly/ba2qlB

Witness tells police: Man kills roommate, drinks victim's blood
http://bit.ly/cl8XPF

Quote of the Day: "Politicians are worse than thieves. At least when thieves take your money, they don't expect you to thank them for it." -- Walter Williams

Congressional leaders are calling the House of Representatives back for a special session. They want to hold one vote on one bill on Tuesday, and then leave for recess again. What is this bill? It's another bailout -- a $26 billion bailout of wasteful, incompetent state governments.

It's also a pay-off to Democratic special interests like government employee unions (but please don't think for a minute that the Republicans aren't just as bad about this kind of thing).

This bill has already passed the Senate, but it isn't necessarily certain that it can pass the House. Many House Democrats are worried about their re-election prospects, and don't want to vote for another big spending bill. For instance, here's what Collin Peterson (D-Minn) says . . .

"I don’t know how they’re going to pass it. I haven’t really checked with people, but there are a lot of guys who aren’t going to vote for it.”

And, according to Politico, this kind of concern is starting to be a real roadblock for the Democratic spending orgy . . .

"Their fiscal-policy meltdown included the unprecedented failure to consider an annual budget resolution in its usual form and the approval of only two of the scheduled 12 appropriations bills prior to the August recess."

This means we have a real chance to defeat this bailout bill, but only if we register our disapproval now. Make Congress nervous about passing another bailout this close to the election. Send a letter to Congress using our No Bailouts campaign.

The hardwired message on this campaign says "No government money, whether borrowed or taxed, should ever be used to bail out private financial interests, or wasteful state governments."

You can copy or borrow from my sample letter for you own personal comments . . .

Please vote against the $26 billion bailout for state governments. The voters and politicians of these states will never learn to behave prudently if you bail them out. What they need to do instead is cut spending. They need to make choices, instead of expecting the rest of us to pay for their incompetence and irresponsibility. On top of which . . .

I have a strong suspicion that a heaping helping of this $26 billion is simply a pay-off to Democratic constituencies. Well, every member of Congress should remember lessons such as the Cornhusker Kickback. You aren't necessarily going to be loved for playing politics the way it used to be played. Voters in your district are very likely to punish you if you vote yes on this bill. So do yourself a favor . . .

VOTE NO!

END LETTER

You can send your letter using our Educate the Powerful System.

And please alert others about this issue. A vote will likely happen in the next 24 hours.

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

IN THE NEWS

OBAMA NATION

While Obama preaches sacrifice, his family frolics in Spain
http://bit.ly/chFYHd

Minister hammers Obama in bid for Congress
http://bit.ly/ajnBpj

BP OIL SPILL

BP Basher, Oil Expert Matt Simmons 'Dies Suddenly'
http://bit.ly/br1Ckk

Matt Simmons apparently drowned at his home Sunday night - UMM OK...
http://bit.ly/9BadbY

POLICE STATE NEWS

The Toronto Model
http://bit.ly/aoyXP7

NYC to install 1000s of new subway cameras
http://bit.ly/ag57St

Illegal immigration isn't the only thing infuriating Arizona residents
http://bit.ly/bmZPQA

Criminals To Be Microchipped By States
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wrh1QLnvE0

REAL ID & PRIVACY NEWS

Virginia DMV paralyzed by database outage
http://bit.ly/d8o3Op

DMV takes elderly citizen for a ride?
http://bit.ly/b4GjJM

An oversight committee for privacy?
http://cs.pn/93xDcx

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT NEWS

DOJ stalling on MOVE
http://bit.ly/9a3HG0

Iran Unveils New Submarines and Makes More Persian Gulf Warnings
http://bit.ly/dCawkL

86 Days to Decide: Activists Say Tea Party Imposters Infiltrating Elections
http://bit.ly/9tmnrb

When Government Run Businesses Fail
http://bit.ly/bOTtcY

The Coming Collapse of The U.S. Political Establishment
http://bit.ly/bIMFML

Real Americans, but not Real Americans
http://bit.ly/d3MhFe

An unlikely following
http://bit.ly/ctzFfV

ECONOMIC NEWS

Food Inflation Coming To A Household Near You, As Wal-Mart Hikes Prices At Fastest Pace Since Early January
http://bit.ly/9PxlyT

Drivers regret Cash for Clunkers leases
http://bit.ly/dpWJkd

20 Million Homeowners Projected to Be Underwater by End of 2011
http://bit.ly/9FFsRy

Look at Macy's: U.S. tax code encourages companies to rack up huge debt
http://bit.ly/cYubep

Stimulus bill helped some far more than others
http://bit.ly/9gsOwP

Wheat Crisis Threatens Inflationary Timebomb, Food Riots
http://bit.ly/bqGHwT

HEALTH NEWS

Pharmacists, doctors are the new drug dealers who flood the streets with addictive pills
http://bit.ly/cWc85c

Taco Bell eyed as CDC looks into salmonella outbreak
http://bit.ly/9loPrR

Fury in China as female babies grow breasts after drinking milk laced with hormones
http://bit.ly/cHZHjA

IMMIGRATION & BORDER NEWS

Across Texas, 60,000 babies of noncitizens get U.S. birthright
http://bit.ly/blGxFN

Crash investigations center on illegal immigrant's past
http://bit.ly/adlPfX

Does English immersion assimilate ... or isolate?
http://bit.ly/cnv789

CHRISTIANITY NEWS

Anti-prayer case dismissed
http://bit.ly/ctfnHg

Community supports Bible class in schools
http://bit.ly/df8r3f

Pro-lifer not in violation of 'bubble zone' law
http://bit.ly/9Mf80q

HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA

Kagan - a solid vote for homosexual 'marriage'
http://bit.ly/c3fmot

'Gay rights' ordinance tabled in South Bend
http://bit.ly/bM1GVv

HHS funds 'gay' sex-ed
http://bit.ly/9MfYdM

Schwarzenegger: Gay marriages should resume immediately
http://bit.ly/bweTdW

PUBLIC EDUCATION NEWS

American teachers should revolt
http://bit.ly/bD0d2O

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

TAKE ACTION - The Enclosure of the Internet? Last Day 8/12/10
http://bit.ly/98dqxM

U.S. electricity blackouts skyrocketing
http://bit.ly/chw7s1

The Microsoft Tax: Critical flaw lets hackers take remote control of Windows PCs; Mac unaffected
http://bit.ly/9gcbnM

Hackers break into St. Rep. Mike Boland's e-mail account
http://bit.ly/amJn1g

Hackers Infect Google Image Search
http://bit.ly/d9wkeN

Installing Spyware on Spouses' Cell Phones Currently on the Rise
http://bit.ly/cFyXpk

Robot climbs walls Potential uses: Surveillance, inspection, maintenance
http://bit.ly/9AIaFf

Remember when you were in grade school and you got a gold star for doing well on your test? Well the states that are Real ID compliant are moving forward with the same concept. Show us your papers, let us scan them, put them into a national database along with your biometric photograph that can be read from any face recognition tracking software and you get a gold star.

Whats the big deal? You get a gold star for being a good little sheeple even if you don't know it. Of course your state DMV will get an award for putting all that data into a national database as is the case for the state of Florida. You can see the gold star on the FL Drivers License if you have received one recently or see an example on the Florida DMV web site.

But the Real ID will certainly keep you safe from terrorists? If people really believe that then why didnt Michael Chertof the former Secretary of Homeland Security? He basically asserts that the only real good from Real ID will that it will stop college students who are underage from buying alcohol. I don't think it will even help that. A college student who wants to get alcohol will get alcohol.

It will stop illegal immigrants from getting drivers licenses.Wrong again Real Id has a provision that will allow states to issue Real ID compliant licenses to illegal immigrants.

My information is safe with the DMV...DMV has secure databases and their employees are screened to prevent theft of your birth date, mothers maiden name, social security number, address and medical information. You cannot honestly believe that.

Just visit the archives of this web site to see all of the hacked databases. visit www.epic.org and see all the database and record breaches that have happened since Real ID was enacted. Nearly 500 million and growing! Not to mention all of the abuses from police officers to DMV employees stealing and abusing your information. Hey times are tight and selling data is big business.

Check out some of the most recent headlines
DMV employees suspended, written up, retire
14 NC DMV Workers Disciplined For Accepting Gifts
Former deputy charged with computer crime still working with county computer system
FBI Investigating Mother, Son In Elderly Fraud Scheme

Those stories are all from the state of NC and there are hundreds and hundreds of these stories all around the country.

Well the Drivers Privacy Protection Act will help secure our private information. Wrong! This Act actully allows the DMV to sell, rent or lease all of your information to private corporations and a judge recently held that "Companies Can Buy Bulk DMV Records"

That's right, companies from the US and abroad can buy your information and do with it as they please. Guess what, it doesn't prevent companies form sharing your information overseas to places like India and other underdeveloped nations that have low paid staff.

The Real ID actully makes you more vulnerable to id theft and will only get worse as more DMV's central their data and share that information via internet connections with other state DMV's and the Federal Government.

Of course, many states have refused to accept the gold star and with good reason. More are expected to refuse compliance as the deadline moves forward.

Now in a twist or irony, the gold star was once used as an id system in Nazi Germany, each prisoner in the concentration camp received their star and color codes depending on the reason they were there. For example they would get the color red if they were Political enemies
or purple if they were Jehovah's Witnesses.

One of the companies that is creating the Real ID for the states like, Florida, Nevada (optional) and North Carolina is L-1 Identity solutions / Viisage.

The Real ID Act is completely voluntary, but those who refuse give up essential liberties and those who accept, give up their right to privacy and endanger their identities. You don't have to get a Real ID if you don't want one, but you will not be able to obtain healthcare, bank, shop or even get on the internet in the near future.

This seems to be the marketing plan for the company producing the Real ID Card in North Carolina and many other states. L1 Identity Solutions, the same company producing the National ID Card for China, is pushing this agenda.

In their 2007 investor’s package, they reveal just how much potential earnings there are for identifications like the Real ID and the number is in the billions.

They list potential uses for the Real ID well beyond law enforcement issues and Department of Homeland Security uses. They envision a future where you need your national ID card for Financial, Healthcare and Transportation.

Beyond that they show commercial uses for the identification such as m-commerce which means your cell phone, PDA and other handheld devices used to buy things on the web. Under those guidelines, if you do not have a Real ID, you cannot buy anything.

Likewise, they list e-commerce or shopping online from your home computer. But this isn’t enough. They also suggest you have a Real ID to access the internet.

Sounds bad, but wait there’s more. Their chart envisions a future, where you have to present your National ID Card for all transactions. No card, no gas, no food, no rights.

The chart below is taken from L-1 Identity Solutions 2007 Investors package and clearly shows what plans they suggest for their technology.

L-1 Identity Solutions / Viisage even suggests using your National ID / Real id as your voter id card with your party affiliation on it. Perhaps they will want you to list your religion as well, like the Communist Chinese do.

Both Democrats and Republicans have done nothing to stop this massive system form going into place in many states like North Carolina who will happily accept any monies the Federal Government will give them in order to enhance their system including 3-D imaging.

You can take the gold star if you want to, but many are refusing and risking everything by driving without a valid drivers license because they do not want to risk being put into a massive database, being tracked and living like prisoners in the land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

As for me, I will continue to work with politicians to get the National ID/ Real ID repealed.

STAN UP, SPEAK UP, LIVE FREE

OBAMA NATION NEWS

An August Surprise from Obama?
http://bit.ly/ckyzNJ

'Michelle Obama is a modern-day Marie Antoinette': First Lady slammed for lavish Marbella holiday
http://bit.ly/9aWZ1U

Obama: Taxpayers Will Be Paid in Full For the GM Bailout
http://yhoo.it/9XDkIu

Tell Obama I am not afraid
http://bit.ly/4w2ZQ1

Obama fundraising, defending auto bailouts...Kagan confirmation vote
http://bit.ly/alzvEc

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

ALERT - S510 - Illegal To Grow, Share, Trade, Sell Homegrown Food
http://bit.ly/bdaQmP

Globalists Race To Enforce Criminal Carbon Tax
http://bit.ly/bC6837

Portland, OR Shuts Down Kids Lemonade Stand
http://bit.ly/aysCCU

Federal Workers Pocketed 'Fraudulent' Social Security Payments, GAO Finds
http://bit.ly/clSTXF

States respond in health care overhaul lawsuit
http://bit.ly/aIa5dQ

Judge OK with government prying into personal information
http://bit.ly/9bZAro

Kagan confirmed as Supreme Court justice
http://bit.ly/9k1BfU

South Carolina's Graham, DeMint part ways on Kagan
http://bit.ly/d0WGE1

Elena Kagan tied to Obama's birth certificate
http://bit.ly/bmu29v

POLICE STATE NEWS

National Guard Man Faces 16 Years In Jail For Videotaping Police Officer
http://bit.ly/asbFxu

Speed cameras have caused 28,000 accidents in a decade
http://bit.ly/b1Lyws

Ageing irises could confound biometric checks
http://bit.ly/cTEEpg

Police officers ’smashed OAP driver’s window and dragged him out of car’
http://bit.ly/c9jf4x

REAL ID & PRIVACY NEWS

Billionaire Donald Bren targeted in $1.4-million ID theft
http://bit.ly/bsNpg0

NC DMV worker accused of running loan scheme from work
http://bit.ly/dvWVkx

Real ID still on track - Its disliked by Real conservatives too
http://bit.ly/apiJW0

Man's Watch Robbed At Home; Finds Robber Wearing It At DMV Later
http://bit.ly/9z6OYF

Reality sets in for states on Real ID
http://bit.ly/bv1Fho

PUBLIC EDUCATION NEWS

Valedictorian Exposes Education Sham
http://bit.ly/bPLt2G

ECONOMIC NEWS

IRS To Withhold Indicator That Shows Refunds Owed To Taxpayers
http://bit.ly/dCuEoO

Food stamp use hit record 40.8m in May
http://bit.ly/bdK1Ss

Economic recovery falls to thrifty consumers
http://yhoo.it/93ER9o

Uninsured throng free clinic — a symptom of bad economy
http://bit.ly/aYkuLK

In an uncertain economy, shoppers are choosy again
http://yhoo.it/dvOq7j

HEALTH NEWS

Junk food-addicted rats chose to starve themselves rather than eat healthy food
http://bit.ly/9POgSt

Teenagers want fluoride-free water
http://bit.ly/9PUhzl

Poison Tap Water Exposed As Soft Kill Weapon
http://bit.ly/bb3Ql9

MORAL DECLINE NEWS

Mom who starved son praised by judge
http://bit.ly/dzC66B

Homestead dad held without bail after toddler beaten in 'boxing lesson'
http://bit.ly/c8uqem

JUSTICE SERVED NEWS

Toyota Driver Freed From Prison, Prosecutor Drops Charges
http://bit.ly/c9kPx6

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Hackers find a new target in payroll processing
http://bit.ly/cqn7GR

Google Denies 'Devil's Pact' With Verizon on Tiered Services
http://bit.ly/c5EdzA

FCC scraps Net neutrality talks
http://politi.co/aklF8o

On Facebook, wife learns of husband's 2nd wedding
http://bit.ly/aZ5tFZ

HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA NEWS

New campaign demanding 'gay' Prop 8 judge be booted
http://bit.ly/cXBrl9

SECOND AMENDMENT NEWS
U.S. Senate Confirms Anti-gun Radical to the Supreme Court
-- Time to help GOA hold the turncoats accountable
http://gunowners.org/a080510.htm

No no, just kidding. She did say that, but naturally the message that voters sent somehow isn’t the message that’s landed in her inbox. As she understands it, the message from last night is, “We’re still too ignorant and/or partisan to understand how great ObamaCare is.” Which fits right in with how she’s spun this boondoggle all along: It’s not the law itself that’s the problem, it’s the fact that Democrats “overpromised” on it. Poor liberals, forever having their ingenious policies tripped up by inept “messaging.”

Good news, though, I guess, for any Missouri voters who meant to signal that their opposition to ObamaCare shouldn’t be taken seriously: Your elected representative has heard you loud and clear.

McCaskill said she understood what Missouri voters had been trying to say about the healthcare reform law for which she had voted in the Senate. But the centrist senator downplayed the vote as a result of heavy Republican primary turnout and a lack of education about the effects of the law.

“I certainly noticed the vote on Prop C, the healthcare law, and: message received,” she said Wednesday in a conference call with state reporters.

“I think there has been … a lot of noise about the mandate that people have gotten so focused on that they don’t realize that there’s going to be more access and affordability and more choices,” she said.

High Republican turnout did contribute to the size of the landslide, but as both Ed and Michael Tanner explained this morning, even a unanimous vote on the GOP side couldn’t have gotten you to 71 percent overall. A lot of indies and Democrats — specifically, Democrats motivated enough to vote in a primary — had to be onboard to push past the supermajority threshold. No wonder Newsweek’s spinning as hard as it is to turn last night into some sort of grand defeat for tea partiers: When you’ve got enough bipartisanship on a core tea-party plank to crack 70 percent in a swing state, you’d better work overtime on the “messaging.”

In fairness to McCaskill, she did mention in passing on today’s conference call that there’s a lot of work to do on “the provisions of the law,” not just in making sure that the benighted doofuses who voted on Proposition C fully understand it. Exit question: Does that mean she’ll join the GOP next term in trying to repeal the mandate? Since, you know, the message has been received and all.

Source: hotair.com

IN THE NEWS
MILITARY ALERT

'Stop-loss' pay unclaimed by thousands of troops
http://bit.ly/cdfldBTFO1

OBAMA NATION

Send Obama a "Dear John" Letter For His Birthday!
http://bit.ly/cjCgIm

Taxpayers shell out $700,000 for Obama's ad campaign to improve opinion of healthcare plan
http://bit.ly/9LIbNQ

Thanks Obama: More Illinoisans on Food Stamps Than Ever
http://bit.ly/c7cVKF

Poll: Obama's approval among blacks dips
http://bit.ly/9r6FW6

Obama job rating sinks to record lows: Gallup Poll
http://bit.ly/bLhR10

OBAMA CARE
McCaskill on Prop C passage: “message received”(But she still ignores voters)
http://bit.ly/dbuhru

Virginia AG: Obamacare threat to nation
http://bit.ly/8X8So7

POLICE STATE NEWS

Feds admit storing checkpoint body scan images
http://bit.ly/cvtYje

Group Says Body Scanners Can Store, Transfer Images
http://bit.ly/9ZxqT3

Lawsuit challenges airport full-body scanners
http://bit.ly/boJpjU

Congressman Wants Wikileaks Leaker Executed
http://bit.ly/deGsoA

Ice-T 'Outraged' Over Arrest ... Wants to Sue DMV
http://bit.ly/d2m2rd

REAL ID & PRIVACY NEWS

Disasters and Your Privacy
http://bit.ly/9hAn8h

"One Subject at a Time Act" (OSTA)
http://bit.ly/sZ5Bm

San Francisco Grand Jury Indicts Viola
http://bit.ly/aNobVh

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

New London man fasts to protest water bill
http://bit.ly/aVPufM

Breitbart: Enemy of the left with a laptop
http://bit.ly/ciXVa6

BP: Blown-Out Gulf Well Is in 'Static Condition'
http://bit.ly/cZZLaO

Another incumbent down as Michigan Rep. loses
http://bit.ly/dk1DCx

ALERT Senate to Vote on Kagan -- Time for a last round of calls
http://bit.ly/aTEBSK

Kagan's Alarming Record: Military, Guns, Abortion, Immigration
http://bit.ly/cLdyp4

This Is Monumental! Private Citizen Sues The Feds
http://bit.ly/9WX7es

Protesters hang Graham in effigy
http://bit.ly/cyuzKM

MIT WikiLeaks case turns spotlight on hacker culture
http://bit.ly/c8fh1M

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad survives grenade attack on his convoy
http://bit.ly/d0vhib

Iran denies reports of attack on President Ahmadinejad
http://bit.ly/a0vFi5

Intel Experts Warn Obama Israel May Bomb Iran This Month
http://bit.ly/dkXN8J

Fake Al Qaeda Actors EXPOSED!
http://bit.ly/dlhZj

ECONOMIC NEWS

Rolling Firehouse Closures Begin In The City
http://bit.ly/aEXHz8

Focus on the Family trims workforce again
http://bit.ly/bC2czj

HEALTH NEWS

Dangerous supplements What you don't know about these 12 ingredients could hurt you
http://bit.ly/9DKGIZ

Patient sews up own leg after long E.R. wait
http://bit.ly/a26eYj

Breast cancer test questioned as study finds only one life saved per 258 women screened
http://bit.ly/cS2nJZ

Cancer cells slurp up fructose, U.S. study finds
http://bit.ly/bVzQX7

Army Suicide Report Ignores Role of Suicide-Inducing Drugs
http://bit.ly/dfp9xo

World Health Organization: Fluoridate Water-Supply Population-Specifically
http://bit.ly/dmzJDw

MORAL DECLINE

NC: DMV worker accused of inappropriate relationship with tee
http://bit.ly/ajk8Lj

GLOBAL WARMING HOAX & WEATHER

Nasa scientists braced for 'solar tsunami' to hit earth
http://bit.ly/ccg7M9

Climate Scandals: List Of 94 Climate-Gates
http://bit.ly/cXQkje

IMMIGRATION NEWS

Police: Illegal Immigrant Driving Drunk Kills Nun
http://bit.ly/be9XnN

Virginia Attorney General Issues Immigration Directive
http://bit.ly/ddN8QT

Culture of child rape being imported by unchecked, illegal immigration
http://exm.nr/9C7Dfn

TRADGEDY IN THE NEWS

Plane crashes into building in Phoenix, Arizona
http://bit.ly/8ZZep1

Six teens drown trying to save each other from Red River sinkhole
http://bit.ly/9sq8F0

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Calif. agencies could keep tech weaknesses secret
http://bit.ly/9SEqGu

Hackers Targeting Vital Infrastructure, DHS Sends Special Teams to Fight Back
http://bit.ly/cWUFqB

Hackers demontsrate how attack can identify user's location
http://bit.ly/b0bKoT

Internet Security: Top 7 Tips for Creating and Managing Online Passwords
http://bit.ly/acC0jE

Hackers could enslave iPad, iPhone: security firms
http://bit.ly/9WTGZt

Criminals, spies swamp cyber world: experts
http://bit.ly/deSijy

Will the Show-Me State Show Us How to Nullify ObamaCare?

Michael Tennant | The New American
Sunday, 01 August 2010

The growing movement for state nullification of ObamaCare may get another boost on August 3. Missouri’s primary election, to be held on Tuesday, August 3, includes a ballot question asking voters if state law should be amended to “deny the government authority to penalize citizens for refusing to purchase private insurance or infringe upon the right to offer or accept direct payment for lawful health care services.”

According to a July 31 New York Times report, the initiative is part of a campaign by a conservative group called the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has already succeeded in getting similar measures enacted by legislatures in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, and Virginia. In addition, Arizona and Oklahoma have state constitutional amendments to nullify the individual mandate on their November general election ballots. (Florida had one as well, but a judge threw it off the ballot because he thought the wording of the amendment’s explanation was misleading.)

Missouri’s question ended up in the primary election as a result of a compromise between Republican and Democratic state legislators. Explains the Times: “The Democrats agreed not to filibuster if the referendum was held during the August primary rather than the November general election, said State Senator Jane Cunningham, a Republican who sponsored the bill. With an open seat for the Senate on the line, the Democrats did not want to encourage heavy turnout among conservatives in November.” The referendum approach also had the advantage of not requiring the Democratic governor’s signature, unlike actual legislation.

The Times reports that the campaign in favor of Proposition C, as the referendum is known, “has been a low-key affair, with no television advertising, debates or celebrity Facebook endorsements.”

A group known as Missourians for Health Care Freedom, says the paper, “raised $75,000 as of July 24, enough for radio advertising, yard signs and get-out-the-vote telephone banks, but not enough for television commercials.” The group’s radio ad asks, “Do you think Washington knows what’s best for you and your family?”

Meanwhile, adds the Times, “The only organized opposition — beyond a Facebook page — has been mounted by the Missouri Hospital Association, which has spent more than $400,000 to send mailings to hundreds of thousands of homes, according to financial disclosure reports. The brochures warn that approval of Proposition C could burden hospitals, and their insured patients, with the cost of uncompensated care for people without health coverage.” A spokesman for the hospital association told the newspaper, “There’s an argument that a vote for Proposition C is a vote in support of freeloaders,” though he admitted that “we don’t want it perceived that we’re opposing it.”

Interestingly, while the hospital association, which stands to benefit financially from ObamaCare, is opposing Proposition C, the Missouri State Medical Association, which represents doctors, is supporting it. Doctors, of course, recognize many of the inherent problems with ObamaCare, most especially its rending of the doctor-patient relationship and replacing it with a bureaucrat-patient relationship — and all the additional red tape it means for their offices.

As a full-throated supporter of ObamaCare, the Times does its best to minimize the importance of the referendum and to portray it as nothing but a GOP ploy. The very first paragraph of the Times’ supposedly objective story declares that the vote “seems likely to be a low-turnout affair among an electorate dominated by Republican primary voters and conservative activists.” It later says the referendum “is seen as an organizational test for the Tea Party and like-minded conservatives” and quotes the executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party, who claims the proposition is “a ploy by the Republicans to get their base excited.”

Undoubtedly politics plays into it — indeed, as mentioned above, the very timing of the referendum was the result of a political deal — but surely the fact that a significant number of voters and state legislators believe that their state needs to take a stand against overweening Washington control suggests that there is more to it than simply politics.

Speaking at a rally for Proposition C, State Senator Jim Lembke, a Republican, indicated what that “more” is: “This health care thing is just a vehicle, a vehicle for the debate about what is the role of the federal government and what is the role of the states.” That is, does the Constitution — particularly the Ninth and Tenth Amendments — really mean what it says, or can the federal government overrule it simply by passing a law?

Clearly not everyone thinks the Constitution should be declared legally dead yet. The Times notes that “elected officials in 22 states, almost all Republicans, have filed lawsuits challenging the so-called individual insurance mandate. Among them, Virginia has made a direct claim that the federal law conflicts with its own 2010 statute, which asserts that residents of the commonwealth cannot be compelled to obtain health insurance.” Missouri’s own lieutenant governor, a Republican, is the most recent state official to file suit against the mandate.

The virtue of state legislation, as opposed to lawsuits, is that it can also prevent states from enacting their own individual mandates if ObamaCare is declared unconstitutional or is repealed. Recall that the Missouri question asks for state law to deny “the government” — all levels, not just the federal — the authority to force people to buy health insurance.

Of course, as opponents of Proposition C pointed out to the Times, even if the proposition passes, it doesn’t mean Missouri law will actually change to reflect that. It is merely a statement by the voters that the law should be amended to nullify the individual mandate; it doesn’t force the state to do so.

Still, as the paper says, supporters of the proposition believe that “a substantial victory … will convey a message of discontent with expansive federal government and rally other states and candidates to press the issue through the fall campaign.”

As one who would like to see many other states follow the lead of those who have already voted to nullify at least part of ObamaCare, this author says to Missourians: Show me how it’s done on Tuesday.

SOURCE:
www.thenewamerican.com

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