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!