AG Cuccinelli Headlines Tea Party Tonight In Manassas, Va.

Dear Virginia Patriots!

Now is the time to join your fellow patriots and stand up for our freedom and say "NO" to BIG GOVERNMENT.

OUR LIBERTY is what makes this country so great!

Bring your Family, Friends, and Flags to Harris Pavilion in downtown Manassas, Va. tonight (June 25) from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is the 22nd anniversary of Virginia's ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. Bring your entire family for a night of festivities with music, friends, and fun and to show your support for our Attorney General and the Constitution!

Scheduled speakers include:
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli
Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall
Dr. John Bruchalski - director of Tepeyac Family Center
Jamie Radtke, President of Richmond Tea Party and Chairman of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots
Sonnie Johnson, President of the Virginia Chapter of the Frederic Douglas Foundation
Marc Aveni - Manassas City Councilman
Jackson Miller - Va. State Delegate

Each speaker will address some aspect of the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the federal healthcare mandate, the lawsuit, the impact of "Obamacare" on the medical community and its patients and the Tea Party movement's vital role in our upcoming November elections.

PARKING: There is lots of parking all around the Old Town. There are the Manassas train depot parking lots, the Old Town parking garage, overflow lots down the street, the BB&T parking lot across the street and street parking back in the residential side of Old Town. All parking is free.

REFRESHMENTS: Chick-fil-A sandwiches, chips, soft drinks and bottled water will be available for sale (Sandwich with chips - $4, drinks - $1). Part of the proceeds will go to benefit Manassas Tea Party.

MUSIC: A DJ wil be spinning disks from 6 pm to 7 pm. We'll be treated to classic rock from the 50s, 60s and 70s, country music, big band, and patriotic standards.

FOR THE KIDS: Manassas Volunteer Fire Department will be on hand with a fire engine for the kids to get their hands on. Also, General George Washington will be on hand in full military regalia to meet the attendees and lead us all in the invocation.

RAFFLE: We will be raffling off two books Friday night. One is Sean Hannity's latest and is signed by Sean. The other is the book on Lincoln's Gettysburg Address by Jack Levin and it is signed by his son, constitutional scholar and radio powerhouse Mark Levin. Tickets are $1 or free with a Manassas Tea Party registration (which requires a $10 annual dues fee).

OTHER STUFF: Manassas Tea Party will be selling their "Freedom is Brewing" Tea-Shirts for $15 apiece and taking pre-orders for the "Freedom is Brewing" bumper stickers at $3 apiece. Other vendors will be on hand selling American flags, Gadsden flags and Don't Tread on Me car flags. Organizations such as the Heritage Foundation, Defundit.org, NoVa Patriots Academy, Campaign for Liberty and numerous others will have booths as well.

COME HAVE A BLAST WITH YOUR FELLOW PATRIOTS!

Miracle in South Africa!

Landon Donovan scores the game winner in extra time (1-0) to advance the U.S. team to the next round of the World Cup.  Perhaps the greatest moment in U.S. men's soccer history!!!

Why Won't Obama Waiver the Jones Act?

Nice piece by Robert Bluey, Heritage Foundation blog guru, which appeared on FoxNews.com.  This is one of the most egregious examples of Obama's catering to the unions of our nation, who strongly supported and funded his campaign.  The Jones Act outlived its usefulness more than half a century ago.  The decision to temporarily waive the Jones Act was a no-brainer.  Unfortunately, we had President Obama to make that decision...

Five years ago, in the midst of another crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bush administration waived the Jones Act, easing the way for foreign vessels to move in U.S. waters and between ports. The decision came with the administration under duress for its handling of Hurricane Katrina.

Today the Obama administration faces a different set of challenges with the Gulf oil spill cleanup.

But unlike his predecessor, President Obama has declined to suspend the law, even temporarily.

Obama's decision has turned into a public relations headache for an administration already reeling from its oversight of the oil spill. European allies, longtime opponents of the Jones Act, have asserted they were turned away when making offers of assistance. The State Department acknowledges it has had 21 aid offers from 17 countries.

Critics in both parties are now seizing on the issue to question the administration's competence. It took center stage at a House subcommittee hearing Thursday.

Some critics have suggested that Obama is protecting the pocketbooks of his union allies by keeping foreign vessels at bay. But several Jones Act experts told me that makes little sense because unions have minimal influence in the Gulf. Foreign competition, therefore, would do little to hurt their bottom line.

In addition, the Seafarers International Union, while supporters of the Jones Act, maintained good relations with the Bush administration. In 2000, the union donated $3,544 to candidate George W. Bush and nothing to Democrat Al Gore. Bush benefited with a $2,000 donation in 2004, while Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) received nothing. The union didn't donate any money to candidate Obama in 2008.

So why won't the Obama administration simply issue a blanket waiver, just as the Bush administration did in 2005? It would end the controversy and quiet a growing chorus of critics.

The administration defends its stance by citing a well-established waiver process for foreign vessels. In short, a request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection prompts an inquiry to the Maritime Administration, which leads to a search of the U.S. fleet. If an American ship can provide the same services, the request is denied. Otherwise, the foreign vessel gets a waiver.

That process differs from a blanket waiver -- the tactic used by then-Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Bush administration justified the move by citing a need to transport oil and gasoline in the Gulf region.

Jones Act expert Charlie Papavizas said the 2005 Katrina waiver, which lasted from Sept. 1 to Sept. 19, was used primarily to move cargo between ports, but it didn't result in any new foreign ships in the region. "Twenty days is not enough time to reposition and do anything useful," he said.

Mark Ruge, who works with the Maritime Cabotage Task Force, was even blunter: "After the fact, if you look at Katrina and ask, 'What was the advantage to the United States of America by blanket waiving the Jones Act?' The answer is nothing came of that -- nothing that couldn't have been accomplished with the usual process. It was just one more thing you could say you did."

The Obama administration's critics think otherwise and show no signs of relenting.

Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) pressed the president on the Jones Act during a recent face-to-face meeting. LeMieux said the action would signal America's allies that their help is wanted. Given the dire situation in the Gulf, what's the harm?

Two other members from Florida, Reps. Corrine Brown (D) and John Mica (R), said their state is suffering while skimmers sit idle. At a hearing on Thursday, Brown held up photos of vessels in Mexico and Norway, asking, "What is the process for the state to take advantage of skimmers from other countries?"

Mica trained his criticism on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for failing to mobilize the entire American fleet. "U.S.-flag vessels have the capacity to bolster the current oil skimming and removal taking place in the Gulf of Mexico," he said. "Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen oil products wash up on the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida while vessels, which could have been pressed into service, sit idle. This is unacceptable."

With the spill cleanup reaching its 63rd day, is it too late for a Jones Act waiver to have an impact? LeMiuex believes there's still time for foreign vessels to help near the coast, given the uncertainty about how long the cleanup will last. He's disappointed it has taken the administration so long to act.

This, of course, is the primary criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the spill. While the president says he "will not settle for inaction," his failure to waive the Jones Act -- even if for the sole purpose of sending a message to our allies -- suggests he's not doing everything he can.

Arizona Desert Littered by Illegals Crossing Border

Special thanks to Alice B. for passing along these photos and the background information.  What a disaster!

Arizona's Super Highway

Here is a real eye opener for you.  The photos below are from a layup rest area on an "illegal super highway" from Mexico to the USA (Tucson, Ariz.).  This area is located in a wash area approximately 0.5 miles long just south of Tucson.

We estimate there are over 3,000 discarded backpacks in this layup area, including countless water containers, food wrappers, clothing, and soiled baby diapers.  As I kept walking down the wash, I was sure it was going to end just ahead.  But I kept walking and walking and around every corner was more and more trash!

The trash left behind by the illegals is another of the environmental disasters to hit the USA.  Had this been done in one of our great Northwest Forests or Seashore National Park areas, there would have been an uprising of the American people, but this is remote Arizona-Mexican border.

You won't see these pictures on CNN, ABC, NBC, or CBS.  Nor will they mention the disease that comes from the human waste left in the desert.  They do talk about light bulbs a lot though....

This information needs to be seen by the rest of the country!

Happy Father's Day!

The RC Blog wishes all fathers a Happy Father's Day.  Here is a "must read" article from Rebecca Hagelin entitled, "Start a Revolution on Father's Day":

What we need when Father’s Day arrives on Sunday is nothing short of a family revolution, led by America’s fathers.

Ours is a broken culture — of fathers and mothers with broken vows, families with broken bonds, and children with broken hearts.

For every 100 babies born in America, 60 are born to a broken family. That is, they are either born out of wedlock, or to a family that will soon suffer divorce. Our teen pregnancy rate is the highest in the Western world. Our little girls are looking and behaving like sex kittens at younger and younger ages. Boys are afraid of marriage, addicted to pornography and have few or no manners. There are about 1.2 million abortions in America every year.

Mothers feel overwhelmed as they seek to "do it all" — earn a paycheck, nurture the children, manage the finances and keep the family together. Much of that is the fault of a radical feminist movement that perverted the battle for equal treatment into a battle for total independence from men. Many men just sat out what became a destructive force, and now all of us — men, women and children — are suffering the painful results as we realize that we really do need each other after all.

Imagine how our culture would be transformed if fathers refused to be bullied by angry feminists and took more of a loving role of responsibility in their own homes. What if husbands started pouring out unconditional and constant love on their wives in the same manner in which Christ pours love out for his people?

Imagine how our culture would be transformed if each dad of a preteen or teenage girl sat down with his daughter, took both of her hands in his, looked at her intently in the eyes and said, "I love you more than the air I breathe. You are a priceless treasure to be valued and respected. I will fight for your honor; I will be here for you," and then consistently taught her the virtues of modesty, chastity and purity.Imagine how young boys and young men would be affected if their dads warned them of the addictive and harmful nature of pornography, admitted to their own battles, and made a vow to their sons to live clean and honorable lives. What if they began modeling for their sons behavior that begins and ends with being a gentleman, and treating women with thoughtfulness and respect — starting with their own wives?

What if dads everywhere started turning off the television and then turning to their children to reclaim lost hours and years? Imagine what would happen if absentee fathers across the nation called the sons and daughters they have abandoned and begged for forgiveness and another chance, and vowed to spend the rest of their lives devoted to them and doing whatever it takes to heal deep wounds? What if they started being the dads they always should have been?

And how quickly would the value of human life increase if dads across the nation started pushing back against a culture that is killing their preborn children? What if fathers claimed their rightful role as the protector of their little sons and daughters, stepped up to the plate and boldly declared their absolute devotion to every child they create? How would the pregnancy and abortion rate and the level of civility and decency in America be affected if men vowed to have sex only with their wives?

So fathers, start a revolution. Be the moral and spiritual leader your family secretly craves. Above all else, strengthen your family by humbling yourself before God and asking for his help and guidance.

Boldly let your buddies know that your family comes first, that you are going to battle for them, and in so doing, you will help create a more civil, thoughtful and moral America.

If you’re already a committed and devoted family father, then raise the bar by spending more time loving your wife, and more time teaching and nurturing your children. Make it a point to find men that are struggling with responsibility and walk along beside them to teach them how to be good fathers, too.

This Father’s Day, help lead the revolution for America's families — starting with your own.

Join Virginia AG Cuccinelli for Informational Webcast on June 16

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli filed a lawsuit on behalf of Virginia to overturn the federal health care mandate following the passage of the national health care bill in March. After weeks of waiting for the federal government to respond, federal officials filed a reply in the U.S. District Court on May 24 with a motion to dismiss the suit, which is what the Attorney General's office expected would happen. Cuccinelli's office responded, and is now waiting on the U.S. to file its reply brief by June 22, and then the oral arguments on the motion to dismiss will take place on July 1 at 10 a.m. - one hour for each side.

If Virginia's case is not dismissed and moves forward, a summary judgment hearing is scheduled for October 18.

On June 16, Attorney General Cuccinelli will hold a webcast to discuss where his team is on the case, what you can expect going forward and the constitutional issues involved. To join the webcast, you must register on the AG's website. The webcast is free and open to the public, but is not paid for at taxpayer expense.

Remember to register and click here for more details on the June 16 webcast!

Happy Flag Day 2010!

Happy Flag Day to everyone.  On April 25, 1976 at Dodger Stadium, Rick Monday of the Chicago Cubs, grabbed and secured the American flag from two muslims attempting to burn our flag in the middle of the playing field. It was an outstanding display of American Patriotism.  A great moment in Major League Baseball history and America's history!

Update on Virginia's Healthcare Lawsuit

Earlier this week, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli provided the following update on the Commonwealth's legal challenge to President Obama's healthcare reform:

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

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

As I wrote all of you last week - the U.S. responded to our lawsuit with a motion to dismiss the case - which we fully expected.

What I didn't share with you was the in-depth legal reasoning behind their claims - and our opposition to their motion to dismiss. Below is a simple but thorough chart which explains our arguments in the case.  I would encourage all of you to take a look - and let me know your thoughts!

The U.S. has to file its reply brief by June 22, and then the oral arguments on the motion to dismiss will take place on July 1 at 10 a.m. - one hour for each side.

If Virginia's case is not dismissed and moves forward, a summary judgment hearing is scheduled for October 18.

The information below is a good preview; however, I hope all of you will sign up to attend our exciting webcast being held on June 16th - next Wednesday - to discuss the case and its foundation. Please sign up by clicking here today!

This case is fascinating, and I would encourage each of you to read our brief, as it is a spectacular mix of Constitutional law, American history and relevant commentary on the process the healthcare bill went through on its way to becoming law. To see a copy of Virginia's brief click here, but the first line gets right to a counter to the US's sickly view of federalism: "In the view of Secretary Sebelius, federalism is so withered and near death that States lack the power and right to go to federal court to test the validity of their own enactments when they conflict with federal law."

It's worth the time to read it, and you'll be better prepared to advocate on behalf of the first principles we're defending. And, by the way, that's also why we'd like you to join us for the webcast on the healthcare law and lawsuit - so you'll better understand why we are doing what we're doing, and you'll be able to educate others on our precious first principles. So, please sign up today! It requires pre-registration.

I hope you like the chart, I happen to think it's a pretty cool way to lay the whole case out at this stage.

Federal Government's Claim:  Virginia is not injured by the federal health care law.
Virginia's Response: 
Because the federal health care law purports to invalidate a Virginia law (the Health Care Freedom Act) under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, Virginia's sovereign interests have been injured.

Federal Government's Claim:  Because the mandate doesn't take effect until 2014, the case is not "ripe".
Virginia's Response: 
1) Based on several previous Supreme Court decisions, if a dispute is certain to occur in the future, this does not prohibit the suit from being brought in the present.
2) Virginia has already been forced to make decisions regarding insurance exchanges under the act, as well as changes to Medicaid. One of those decisions made the commonwealth forego more than $100 million in federal money.

Federal Government's Claim:  Virginia's suit is barred by the Anti-Injunction Act.
Virginia's Response:  The act does not apply to states under these circumstances, because Virginia's action falls within an exception to the act that has been recognized by the Supreme Court.

Federal Government's Claim:  The government has the power under the Constitution's Commerce Clause to mandate the purchase of individual health insurance.
Virginia's Response: 
1) The federal government's argument is contrary to the text of the Constitution.
2) The federal government's argument is contrary to the meaning of the words of the Commerce Clause as understood by the Founders.
3) The federal government's argument is contrary to the historical context of the nation's founding. When Great Britain instituted a tax on tea, the colonists' response was to boycott and to not buy tea. Parliament had the power to regulate commerce, but even it did not attempt to force colonists to buy the taxed product.
4) The federal government's argument is contrary to the traditional uses of the Commerce Clause. The clause has always been used to regulate economic activity; never inactivity.
5) The federal government's argument is contrary to the precedent of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court has set outer limits to the reaches of the Commerce Clause, including in cases such as Lopez and Morrison, saying that the clause must have principled limits, otherwise the federal government essentially would have unlimited power, rather than the limited powers enumerated in the Constitution.

Federal Government's Claim:  Even if refusing to buy insurance is not commerce, the government can still force people to buy health insurance using the Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause.
Virginia's Response: 
1) Since 1819, the Supreme Court has held that any use of the Necessary and Proper Clause must be consistent with both "the letter and spirit" of the Constitution. Any interpretation that would destroy the federal form of government (where federal power is limited only to those powers enumerated in the Constitution, with remaining powers reserved to the states and the people) is not allowed under that standard.
2) In May, the Supreme Court decided Comstock.
The Court adopted a historical approach to the use of the Necessary and Proper Clause. Because the mandate is utterly unprecedented, it is unlikely to be upheld under a historical approach.

Federal Government's Claim:  Even if the government cannot win using the Commerce Clause and Necessary and Proper Clause arguments, the federal health insurance mandate can be justified under the government's taxing authority.
Virginia's Response:
1) The penalty for not buying insurance is not a tax. Congress called it a "penalty" and claimed authority to act only under the Commerce Clause. To argue otherwise now ignores what Congress actually did.
2) A penalty for inaction is not a tax of any kid known to the Constitution, when judged historically.

Strasburg Dominates In MLB Debut

Stephen Strasburg, making his MLB debut for the Washington Nationals tonight, struck out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates batters enroute to a 4-2 victory.  The 14 strikeouts were a team record. Strasburg, the 2009 No. 1 overall pick out of San Diego State, lived up to the billing as one of the greatest pitching prospects of the last half century.

Nationals Park was electric tonight as Strasburg pitched seven complete innings striking out the side in both the sixth and seventh innings.  Like all rookie, power pitchers, Strasburg will take his lumps during this rookie season, but with his progress and the selection earlier this week of Bryce Harper as the 2010 overall No. 1 pick, the future is looking bright for Nationals fans.  A few good free agent pickups over the next few off-seasons in terms of additional starting pitching and the Nationals will be contenders within 2-3 years.  RC Blog is looking forward to seeing Strasburg pitch in person during the season!

Administration Ignores Hay as Viable Option to Clean Oil Spill

We are at Day 49 of the Gulf Coast oil spill and there are a number of innovative ways to take control of cleaning up the spill, most of which are being ignored by the Obama Administration.  Just saw a company that has developed a spill cleanup option that uses regular old hay.  It picks up 80-90 percent of the oil spill quickly and effectively.  They tried contacting the Administration and were ignored.  Check out the video demonstration...

A Friday of Frustration, Fun, and Sadness...

It was quite a day yesterday -- one filled with frustration and fun, but ended with sadness...

Employment Numbers Released -- In the morning, the Obama Administration released the May employment numbers for the country and their policies and the impossible-to-fail stimulus bills have created a whopping 20,000 private-sector jobs.  The other 411,000 jobs created in May were ALL government jobs and mostly temporary Census-related jobs.  Absolutely incredible!  We added more than $1 trillion of debt with all the promises made about all the new jobs that would be created.  Hopefully, citizens will learn that government doesn't stimulate real jobs, only the private sector can do that.  Sadly, additional burdens on small businesses like Obamacare will make it even more difficult for job creation.

Nationals Win! -- Went to my first Nats game of the year last night and saw the rising Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2.  There was definitely a different atmosphere in the stadium in terms of those coming out to the park.  It seems like the team's overall improvement and the anticipation of Stephen Strasburg's arrival next week has attracted the "20-30 somethings" in town.  There were fans tailgating near the public lots and just a different environment.  It was nice to see especially with the low crowds of the past few years.  The team has the No. 1 pick in Monday's draft so they are definitely on the right track.  Ryan Zimmerman continues to show why he is the best third baseman in the National League, both with the glove and the bat.

Legendary Coach John Wooden Passes Away at 99 -- Towards the end of last night's Nats game, I went to ESPN.com on the BlackBerry and saw the news flash that legendary UCLA coach John Wooden had passed away at 99.  Coach Wooden is not only recognized as the greatest sports coach in American history, he is also considered one of its greatest motivators.  His coaching record speaks for itself -- at UCLA, he won 620 games in 27 seasons and 10 NCAA titles during his last 12 seasons, including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. His UCLA teams also had a record winning streak of 88 games and four perfect 30–0 seasons. They also won 38 straight games in NCAA Tournaments and a record 98 straight home game wins at Pauley Pavilion. Wooden was named NCAA College Basketball's "Coach of the Year" in 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973.  He is in the basketball hall of fame as both a coach and a player (Purdue).  He was recognized as such a great coach and motivator that the Pittsburgh Pirates offered him the manager's job in the early 1970s, even though he had no substantial baseball experience.

What made him so successful?  It was his attention to detail.  The stories are legendary.  Each year, his team's first practice did not include basketballs.  All of his players spent the practice time working on putting on their socks properly.  Why?  Because if they didn't put their socks on properly, they would develop blisters and then the player would not be effective for the team.  The second day of practice, the players graduated to lacing shoes, making sure that they put an equal amount of tension on each set of eyelets.  These first two days of practice took place each and every year, even when UCLA was at the height of their dominance.  Can you imagine the look on the faces of 10 McDonald's All-Americans when they come to UCLA as freshmen and practice putting on socks and shoes?

His greatest impact to his players was off the court.  He remained close to all of his players after they graduated and many of them remained close to him even 40 years after graduating. 

I could go on and on about Coach Wooden -- his only love in life whom he met when he was a teenager, his wife Nellie who passed away 27 years ago (he wrote her love letters every month after her death); his "Pryamid of Success" (download here), which I keep next to my desk at work; and his strong sense of faith.

Here is ESPN's tribute to the great Coach John Wooden:



To learn more about Coach Wooden and his inspirational life, visit http://www.coachwooden.com/.

Liberty Central Off and Running!

The RC Blog is pleased to report on the many successes of Liberty Central since its official launch on May 25.  We have included a link to the LC site on our "Favorite Organizations and Web Sites" listing since early 2010 and the growth of the organization in just a few short months has been remarkable.  We encourage all RC Blog readers to take a few minutes to visit the Liberty Central web site and consider becoming a member. Here is a recap from Ginni on the many successes Liberty Central has recently enjoyed:

Dear Patriot –

I would like to introduce you to my brand new organization, Liberty Central. Please click here to watch my welcome message. Liberty Central launched this past week and generated fantastic results, thanks to our entire team. Many fellow citizens are embracing Liberty Central’s mission and we hope you will join us. We will listen, inspire, and activate so that together, we can secure the blessings of liberty.

During the course of this past launch week:

(1) We had over 45,000 visitors to Liberty Central and more than 160,000+ page views, with the average visitor spending an astounding 4:00+ on LibertyCentral.org.
(2) Close to 1,000 people called Congress to stop the EPA’s cap-and-trade style carbon permitting process, to repeal the healthcare bill, to tell Congress not to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and to help prevent “stimulus 4,” or HR 4213, which includes more than $100 billion in new spending.
(3) 400+ people emailed us with questions and problems, and we responded to almost every one of them within 48 to 72 hours to help build the Liberty Central community and deliver on our promise to listen to the American people.
(4) We now have 29 “Friends of Liberty” Central, and 44 more organizations in queue, as we forge terrific working relationships with them to pursue our mission of listening, inspiring and activating the American people.
(5) We have appeared on national media outlets to promote Liberty Central’s mission, including Fox News, Conservative Outlooks blog, Smart Girl Politics, From the Right Radio, and a syndicated radio station broadcasting throughout the state of Wisconsin.

In response to our “Helping the Wounded Veterans” video salute, we received emails from members asking how they could support the wonderful efforts of Liberty Central! Cindy is expecting a few shipments of quality clothing to support her goal of providing quality clothing to the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom!

So what does this all mean? It means our mission and our Pledge to Activism have struck a cord with Americans.

Liberty Central.org is America's Public Square. We will harness the power of citizen voices, inform everyday Americans with knowledge, and activate them to preserve liberty. When you visit our website, please 'Take the Pledge to Activism'. We hope to show you that activism can be easy...and fun. In just 3 to 5 minutes a day, you will find opportunities to help return our country to a government that adheres to our core founding principles of limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise and national security.

We aim to become a part of the daily routine for all Americans, by providing three simple yet exciting ways for Americans to get involved:

1. Joining our vibrant, two-way conversation,
2. Being inspired by heartfelt stories from great Americans and
3. Easily contacting Congress to let them know your opinions on how they should vote on current legislation.

But why just read about us? Have you checked out our Introductory Video from Herman Cain? Please send your friends, too. Click here to view Liberty Central's Introductory Video and see what's ahead on LibertyCentral.org.

We thank you for taking an interest in Liberty Central and the support you’ve shown for the causes of Liberty. We hope you will join us to help return our country to a government that adheres to our core founding principles. I talk about this on my latest interview on NewsmaxTV (click here for NewsmaxTV interview) and on Fox News Sunday (click here to view Fox News Sunday segment).

We want to hear from you on how to continually make Liberty Central better and more effective. We are confident that our organization, in partnering with other like-minded groups and individuals like you, will play an important role in altering the course our country is currently traveling. NOW is the time to make a difference and Liberty Central wants to show you how. We look forward to having you explore our new website at LibertyCentral.org and hearing your feedback.

God Bless this Nation and its heritage,

Virginia “Ginni” Thomas and the Liberty Central Team

Scorecard of Catholics in Congress (Senate)

To follow up on yesterday's post on House rankings of Catholics, here is the Senate version.  The Senate rankings are based on votes on the following Senate bills:  "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" (April 2007); Banning funding of organizations that support coercive abortion programs (September 2007); Boxer Amendment to overturn pro-life "Mexico City Policy" (September 2007); Funding of overseas pro-abortion groups (Mexico City Policy) (January 2009); Health coverage for "Unborn Child Act" (January 2009); Funding of U.N. Population Fund (March 2009); Nelson-Hatch Amendment to restrict funding of abortion in health care bill (December 2009); and Health care restructuring -- ending debate on the Reid bill (December 2009).

Here are those Catholic Senators will a 100% score from Catholic Advocate:

Sen. George LeMieux (FL)
Sen. Jim Risch (ID)
Sen. Sam Brownback (KS)
Sen. Jim Bunning (KY)
Sen. David Vitter (LA)
Sen. Mike Johanns (NE)
Sen. George Voinovich (OH)

Those key Senators with a 0% score:  Dodd, Harkin, Durbin, Kerry, Mikulski, McCaskill, Leahy, Cantwell, and Murray.

Scorecard of Catholics in Congress (House)

Special thanks to "Catholic Advocate" for preparing a listing of Catholics in Congress and their votes on key bills over the past several years.  Today, the RC Blog will focus on the House of Representatives; tomorrow we will feature the U.S. Senate. 

Each "Catholic" member of Congress was rating on his/her vote on the following seven House bills: (1) "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" (June 2007); (2) Roll Call #684 (July 2007); (3) Smith-Stupak Amendment to protect "Mexico City Policy" (June 2007); (4) "Foreign Relations Authorization Act -- Office for Global Women's Issues" (June 2009); (5) District of Columbia funding bill (public funding of elective abortion) (July 2009); (6) Deny certain federal funds to Planned Parenthood (July 2009); and (7) Stupak-Pitts Amendment -- Government run health insurance plan cannot cover abortion (November 2009).

Here are the members who received a "100%" score:

Rep. Dan Lundren (CA)
Rep. Devin Nunes (CA)
Rep. George Radanovich (CA)
Rep. Edward R. Royce (CA)
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL)
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Rep. Tom Rooney (FL)
Rep. Phil Gingrey (GA)
Rep. Jim Marshall (GA)
Rep. Jerry Costello (IL)
Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN)
Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN)
Rep. Steve King (IA)
Rep. Joseph Cao (LA)
Rep. John Fleming (LA)
Rep. Steve Scalise (LA)
Rep. David Lee Camp (MI)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI)
Rep. Blaine Leutkemeyer (MO)
Rep. Gene Taylor (MS)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
Rep. Chris Smith (NJ)
Rep. Peter King (NY)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC)
Rep. Walter Jones (NC)
Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC)
Rep. Steve Austria (OH)
Rep. John Boehner (OH)
Rep. Bob Latta (OH)
Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH)
Rep. Pat Tiberi (OH)
Rep. John Sullivan (OK)
Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (PA)
Rep. Tim Murphy (PA)
Rep. Kevin Brady (TX)
Rep. Michael McCaul (TX)
Rep. Doc Hastings (WI)
Rep. Paul Ryan (WI)

Way too many 0% scores to list, but I'll name just a few:  Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran from Virginia; Patrick Kennedy (RI); Joe Sestak (PA); Charlie Rangel (NY); and Nancy Pelosi (CA).