Friday, December 7, 2012

Confederate soldier’s granddaughter, oldest person in the world, dies at 116

Via SHNV

Mrs. Besse Cooper was the granddaughter of a Confederate soldier, Thomas H. Brown, who served in Company E, 60th Tennessee Infantry. 

MONROE, Ga., December 5, 2012 —  Her snow-white hair gleaming and with a sparkle in her eyes, Besse (pronounced “Bess”) Cooper looked astonished at the crowd who came to celebrate her birthday, her 116th birthday, this past August. And yesterday, still bright and alert, the oldest woman in the world quietly passed away, still not sure what to make of her recognition by the “Guinness Book of Records.”

Mrs. Cooper had her hair done yesterday, had lunch and had watched a Christmas video with friends, when she began having trouble breathing, dying peacefully around 2 p.m.

Granddaughter of Confederate soldier

One of her proudest family connections is that she was the granddaughter of a Confederate soldier, Thomas H. Brown, who served in Company E, 60th Tennessee Infantry. In recognition of his service, Mrs. Cooper was a member of the James M. Gresham Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Georgia Division. His division participated in the battles at Vicksburg, Shiloh and several others.

     Besse Cooper celebrates 116 years
She was very aware of her grandfather’s service as a Confederate soldier, and was proud of her induction into the UDC chapter when two members came to her home to present her with her insignia ribbon of membership last  year.

In an interview with me, Ann Hall of Mrs. Cooper’s UDC Chapter emphasized her ongoing love of education. “She read the newspapers daily, was bright and outgoing, and enjoyed conversations with all who came,” despite the fact that her hearing difficulties made conversation difficult, Mrs. Hall said.

Piers Morgan: Loser

Via Battlefield USA

muskets

Cajun Country Revival - Somebody Loves You

Via SHNV



Portland to Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge: Robert Earl Keen's "Not a Drop of Rain"

Via Keep It Simple Survival

A kiss

Via dashing

?

Via dashing

Street Beat: Tideland News, Carteret County, NC

Tideland News

Q: Do you think the economy will be better next year?

 

Mike Haut of Emerald Isle:

A: Worse, because of the president and the situation in the Middle East."

VMI General Orders May 11 - 14, 1863

 
graveside-mourners 
Cadets at Jackson's Grave, 1868 

Adjutant General's Office Va.
May 11th 1863
Major Gen. F.H. Smith
Supt., Virginia Military Institute

Sir:

By Command of the Governor I have this day to perform the most painful duty of my official life in announcing to you and through you to the Faculty & Cadets of the Virginia Mil. Institute the death of the great and good--the heroic and illustrious Lieut. General T.J. Jackson at 15 minutes past 3 oclock yesterday afternoon.

This heavy bereavement over which every true heart within the bounds of the Confederacy mourns with inexpressible sorrow--must fall if possible with heavier force upon that Noble State Institution to which he came from the battle-fields of Mexico, and where he gave to his native state the first years service of his modest and unobtrusive but public spirited and useful life.

It would be a senseless waste of words to attempt a eulogy upon this great among the greatest of sons who have immortalized Virginia. To the Corps of Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute, what a legacy he has left you, what an example of all that is good and great and true in the character of a Christian Soldier.

The Governor directs that the highest funeral honors be paid to his memory, that the customary outward badges of mourning be worn by all the officers and cadets of the Institution.

By command, W.H. Richardson, A.G.
By Command of Major Genl. Smith. A.G. Hill, Actg. Adjt., V.M.I.

 Head Quarters Virginia Military Institute
May 13th, 1863
General Order No. 30


It is the painful duty of the Superintendent to announce to the officers and Cadets of this Institution the death of their late associate and Professor Lieut. General Thomas J. Jackson. He died at Guinea's Station, Caroline Co. Va on the 10th inst of Pneumonia, after a short but violent illness, supervening upon the severe wound received in the battle of Chancellorsville. A nation mourns the loss of Genl. Jackson. First in the heart of the brave men he has so often led to victory, there is not a home in the Confederacy that will not feel the loss and lament it as a great national calamity.

But our loss is distinctive. He was peculiarly our own. He came to us in 1851, a Lieutenant and Brevet Major of Artillery from the army of the late United States, upon the unanimous appointment of the Board of Visitors as Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, and Instructor of Artillery. Here he laboured with scrupulous fidelity for 10 years, in the duties of these important offices. Here he became a soldier of the Cross and as an humble conscientious and useful Christian man he established the character which has developed into the world renowned Christian Hero.

On the 21st of April 1861 upon the order of his Excellency Governor Letcher, he left the Institute, in command of the Corps of Cadets for Camp Lee, Richmond, for service in the defense of his state and country and he has never known a day of rest--until called by Divine command to cease from his labors.

The military career of Genl. Jackson fills the most brilliant and momentous page in the history of our country and on the achievements of our arms, and he stands forth a colossal figure in this war for our Independence.

His country now returns him to us--not as he was when he left us--his spirit has gone to God who gave it--his mutilated body comes back to us--to his home--to be laid by us in the tomb. Reverently and affectionately we will discharge this last solemn duty--and
"though his early sun has set
Its light shall linger round us yet
Bright--radiant--blest."
Young Gentlemen of the Corps of Cadets--The memory of General Jackson is very precious to you. You know how faithfully--how conscientiously he discharged every duty--You know that he was emphatically a man of God, and that Christian principle impressed every act of his life. You know he sustained the honor of our arms when he commanded at Harper's Ferry--How gallantly he repulsed Patterson at Hainesville; the invincible stand he made with his Stonewall Brigade at Manassas; you know the brilliant series of successes and victories which immortalized his Valley Campaign, for many of you were under his standard at McDowell, and pursued and discomfited Milroy and Schenck at Franklin. You know his rapid march to the Chickahominy; how he turned the flank of McClellan at Gaines Mill; his subsequent victory over Pope at Cedar Mountain; the part he bore in the great victory at Second Manassas; his investment and capture of Harper's Ferry; his rapid march and great conflict at Sharpsburg; and when his last conflict was passed, the tribute of the magnanimous Lee, who would gladly have suffered in his own person, could he by that sacrifice have saved General Jackson, and to whom alone, under God, he have the whole glory of the great victory at Chancellorsville. Surely the Virginia Military Institute has a precious inheritance in the memory of General Jackson. His work is finished. God gave him to us, and to his country. He fitted him for his work, and when his work was done He called him to Himself. Submissive to the will of his heavenly Father, it may be said of him, that while in every heart there may be some murmuring, his will was to do and suffer the will of God.

Reverence the memory of such a man as General Jackson. Imitate his virtues, and here, over his lifeless remains, reverently dedicate your service, and your life, if need be, in defense of the cause so dear to his heart; the cause for which he fought and bled, the cause in which he died.

Let the Cadet Battery, which he so long commanded, honor his memory by half-hour guns tomorrow from sunrise to sunset, under the direction of the commandant of cadets. Let his lecture room be draped in mourning for the period of six months.

Let the officers and cadets of the Institute wear the usual badge of mourning for the period of thirty days; and it is respectfully recommended to the alumni of the institution to unite in this last tribute of respect to the memory of their late professor.

All duties will be suspended tomorrow.

By Command of Major-General Smith. A. Govan Hill, Acting Adjutant, VMI.

H.Q. Virginia Military Institute
May 14th, 1863
General Order No. 31


The funeral of Lt. Gen. Jackson will take place tomorrow. Maj. Scott Ship Commandant of Cadets will command the Military Escort and direct the procession.

The body will move from the Institute at 11 oclock A.M.

Half hour guns will be fired from sunrise until the procession moves.

The Flags of the State & Confederacy will be displayed at half mast during the day.

I can't believe we made it

Via Cousin Colby

Supreme Court to Review Gay Marriage

ILGA_map_2012_A4

The Supreme Court will take up the issue of gay marriage for the first time, agreeing to rule on a California ballot measure banning the practice and a federal law defining marriage as solely an opposite-sex union.

The cases, which the court will decide by June, loom as a potential turning point on one of the country’s most divisive issues. High court review comes as the gay-marriage movement is showing unprecedented momentum, winning victories at the polls in four states this year.

The California dispute will address whether gay marriage is legal in the most populous U.S. state, home to more than 37 million people. The case also gives the justices a chance to go much further and tackle the biggest issue: whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex marriage rights nationwide.

That question is “perhaps the most important remaining civil rights issue of our time,” said Theodore Olson, a Washington lawyer leading the legal fight against the California measure.

In addition to the California case, the justices today said they will review the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that two federal appeals courts said impermissibly treats legally married gay couples differently than heterosexual couples. DOMA, as the measure is known, blocks gays from claiming the same federal tax breaks and other marriage benefits that opposite-sex spouses enjoy.

The case “is of exceptional practical importance to the United States and to tens of thousands of individuals affected,” the Obama administration said in court papers opposing the law while urging the court to review it.

Support for gay nuptials has soared since 1996, when DOMA was approved 342-67 in the House of Representatives and 85-14 in the Senate before being signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

More @ Newsmax

Sniffles? Drink 30 beers

Via Don

 

Consuming large quantities of a key ingredient in beer can protect against winter sniffles and even some serious illnesses in small children, a Japanese brewery said citing a scientific study.

A chemical compound in hops, the plant brewers use to give beer its bitter taste, provides an effective guard against a virus that can cause severe forms of pneumonia and bronchitis in youngsters, Sapporo Breweries said Wednesday.

In research with scientists at Sapporo Medical University, the compound -- humulone -- was found to be effective in curbing the respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, said the company, which funded the study.
"The RS virus can cause serious pneumonia and breathing difficulties for infants and toddlers, but no vaccination is available at the moment to contain it," said Jun Fuchimoto, a researcher from the company.

The virus tends to spread in winter and can also cause cold-like symptoms in adults.

More @ AFP

Israel: We're in the Army now!


More @ Dandrey

Group Plans to Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for President in 2016

Via Hype And Fail

 Group Plans to Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for President in 2016 

Ron Paul has retired. The iconic leader of the libertarian wing of the Republican Party will no longer be around to oppose unconstitutional bills proposed by his former colleagues.

In fairness, Paul has not officially confirmed his plans for 2016, but there is little chance that the good doctor will make another run for the White House.

This has prompted many among his millions of admirers to begin the search to replace their hero.
In February of this year, Reason magazine ran an article under the headline “Who Will Be the Next Ron Paul?” Mike Riggs, associate editor of Reason, highlighted three members of Congress who he saw as potential torchbearers: Justin Amash of Michigan, John Duncan of Tennessee, and Jared Polis of Colorado.

Earlier this week, another potential presidential candidate in the Ron Paul mold was put forward by a faction within the Paul coalition.

Next week, Revolution PAC will reportedly announce the formation of a committee to draft Judge Andrew Napolitano to run as a Republican in 2016 for president.

Notably, Ron Paul once named Napolitano as the man he would choose as a running mate.

Whites Stayed Home And Re-Elected Obama

Via Billy

 


By Dick Morris on December 7, 2012
 
Now that all the data is in, the fundamental reason for Romney’s defeat is apparent, if largely unreported. It is not just that blacks, Latinos, and single women showed up in record numbers at the polls. It’s that whites didn’t.

The final numbers suggest that 91.6 million votes were cast by whites — seven million less than the 98.6 million that were cast in 2008! Meanwhile, 16.6 million blacks voted — 300,000 more than in 2008; 11 million Latinos voted — 1.7 million more votes than were cast by Hispanics in 2008.
We lost because whites stayed home! Particularly among the elderly, the voter turnout was disappointing with seniors casting only 16% of the vote, much less than had been anticipated. (Seniors were the only age group that Obama lost by a significant margin — 15 points).
Why didn’t whites vote and why didn’t we all spot it sooner?

Impact of Sandy.

There was no good national polling after Sandy struck. Gallup, for example, suspended its polling. At the last minute, it put together a national sample — with lots of disclaimers about the dangers of inaccuracies due to the difficulty of sampling storm-hit areas — and it showed a slight Romney lead.
Romney was, in fact, leading before Sandy and that his chances blew away in the storm with its famous bipartisan photo of Governor Chris Christie with Obama. And there was no way to measure the impact of Sandy since there could not logistically be any polling. Why was I wrong? I’m a pollster, not a meteorologist!

But the real question is why the support for Romney among whites was so shallow that the winds of Sandy blew it away. The answer lies in the fundamental strategic mistake the Romney campaign and the super PACs made in June and July — of not answering Obama’s Bain Capital attacks.
These withering attacks undermined Romney’s standing among white voters and led directly to their diminished turnout. The Romney campaign and the Super PACs were so wedded to their attack ads that they failed to realize that Bain posed a mortal threat to the credibility of their candidate. Many other consultants joined me in pleading in vain for a reply to the Bain attacks, but none was forthcoming.

There is a very good story to be told about Bain and it was masterfully captured in an ad produced by Romney media guru Stuart Stevens but was aired for only limited times and there was no follow up. Had that very ad been run more, Romney would, in my opinion, have been elected president!
The Republican consultants are so enamored of negative ads that they do not appreciate the impact of rebuttal media and its capacity to wipe away negatives and trigger a backlash against the candidate who airs them. But the doctrine of always attack — reminiscent of the French and British generals in World War I — does not permit rebuttals, only new negatives.

And we paid the price.

Gohmert on lunatics: People who contue to do business as usual in DC!:)


The word “lunatic” will be stricken from federal law under legislation that passed the House by a vote of 398-1 on Wednesday.

The congressional action is the most recent effort to eliminate language from the U.S. code that has become outdated or demeaning. Two years ago, Congress removed references in federal law to the term “mental retardation.”

The only “no” vote was cast by Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, who said in a statement that, “not only should we not eliminate the word “lunatic” from federal law when the most pressing issue of the day is saving our country from bankruptcy, we should use the word to describe the people who want to continue with business as usual in Washington.

More @ CBS DC

Gosar questions how bomb suspect was allowed to live in AZ

(Source: CBS 5 News) The office of Rep. Paul Gosar, R-AZ, was approached by bombing suspect Abdullatif Ali Aldosary about getting a "green card."

An Arizona congressman is asking federal officials why the man suspected of detonating a bomb outside the Arizona Social Security Administration office in Casa Grande was allowed to live in Arizona despite being classified a person who had engaged in "terrorism-related activity."

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-AZ, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Wednesday with specific questions about the status of 47-year-old Abdullatif Ali Aldosary.

Aldosary on Tuesday was ordered held in jail pending a preliminary hearing. Investigators said instructions on how to construct an explosive device, bomb-making materials and chemicals were found in his Coolidge home after a small explosion outside the building in downtown Casa Grande on Friday morning.

Aldosary had approached Gosar's office with a request for a "green card" and in November 2011, Gosar forwarded that request to immigration officials.

Gosar said DHS responded by saying Aldosary was not eligible for a permanent change to citizenship "pursuant to the terrorism-related grounds of inadmissibility, and that "individuals who engage in terrorism-related activity … are barred from receiving various immigration benefits."

More @ Tucson News

Jindal: Obama, Congress Are “Psychologically Incapable of Getting our Fiscal House in Order”


Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has penned an interesting op-ed in Politico today in which he recommends four structural reforms congressional Republicans should pursue vigorously during the so-called “fiscal cliff” negotiations. They are as follows (emphasis mine):
A federal balanced budget amendment. States have balanced budget laws, small businesses have to balance their budgets, and families have to do the same. This is an idea that is supported by virtually every American who does not live in the 202 area code. It’s common sense. It is also laughed at in Washington. When you mention the BBA as a solution, they roll their eyes and write you off as a non-serious person. But the American public is dead serious about it, and they should be. 
Place a cap on discretionary and mandatory federal spending by fixing a limit on it tied to a percentage of GDP. Eighteen percent is a reasonable number in my book, but almost any number would be a victory at this point. Require a super majority vote to over-ride this limit, which would allow for recourse in a time of war or other national emergency. Again, this solution makes far too much sense to be taken seriously in Washington, a sure sign that it’s a good idea. This president is rapidly making a permanently higher level of government spending the new normal.
A super majority to increase taxes. Make it harder for the politicians in Washington to simply take more from Americans, thereby forcing them to stop growing government. Yes, Washington hates this idea, so it should be pursued with vigor.
Term Limits. I know, I know, we can’t do that. But we should. And while we are at it, how about forbidding congressmen from lobbying for 5 years after they leave office.

More @ Townhall

George Zimmerman sues NBC, reporters & Prosecutors are stallin

 

George Zimmerman is suing NBC, claiming he was defamed when the network edited his 911 call to police after the shooting of Trayvon Martin to make it sound like he was racist.

The former neighborhood watch volunteer filed the lawsuit seeking an undisclosed amount of money on Thursday in Seminole County, outside Orlando.

The lawsuit claims NBC edited his phone call to a dispatcher last February. Zimmerman describes following Martin in the gated community where he lived, just moments before he fatally shot the 17-year-old teen during a confrontation.

Burglary Suspect Calls 911 for Help After Texas Homeowner Pulls a Gun on Him: ‘What the Hell Are You Doing in My House?’

Via Hype And Fail

 Burglary Suspect Calls 911 for Help After Texas Homeowner Pulls a Gun on Him

A Texas burglary suspect called 911 early Tuesday morning to report that a homeowner was holding him at gunpoint and threatening to shoot him, KDFW reports.

Homeowner James Gerow said he awoke at around 12:30 a.m. and found a man wearing dark clothes and a hoodie inside his Springtown home. He then retrieved his legally owned gun and followed the man out to a truck that was parked in his driveway.

Wielding his firearm, Gerow ordered the suspected burglar to give him the keys to the vehicle and told his wife to call 911 while he held the suspect at gunpoint.

“Yeah, hurry up now. He says my husband’s fixing to shoot him,” she reportedly told the dispatcher.
The burglary suspect was later identified as 41-year-old Christopher Lance Moore. Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said Moore also called 911 for help while he was in his pickup truck.

“I’m not sure. I’m out in the country somewhere and some guy’s got a gun on me,” he said on the emergency call, conveniently leaving out why he found himself looking into the barrel of a gun.

More @ The Blaze

Frustrating Victories in 2012

The country is corrupt to the core with no redeeming values. Secession now. 


As 2012 winds down Liberty Legal Foundation reflects upon a year of frustrating victories, and active hostility from Federal Courts. In two major cases LLF presented arguments to the Supreme Court that positively influenced the Court’s rulings. In both cases LLF’s arguments were not being presented by any other party. Unfortunately, in both cases, the Court went on to create new law in order to avoid the natural results of LLF’s otherwise winning arguments. Let me explain:

LLF filed an amicus brief in the Obamacare litigation last winter. With the exception of Senator Rand Paul, Liberty Legal Foundation was the only party to argue that Wickard v. Filburn should be overturned. Our brief went on to make further arguments and present overwhelming data showing that the Court’s 1942 Ruling in Wickard directly caused exponential growth in federal spending and loss of freedom. See our brief at our website. We argued that Obamacare’s individual mandate is simply the latest example of federal abuse of authority under the “commerce clause,” as expanded by the Wickard ruling.

On June 30 the Court agreed that the individual mandate is beyond the scope of Congressional authority, even when considering the extremely broad Wickard Standard. Unfortunately the Court then redefined the individual mandate as a tax. The Court also made a completely new rule under the tax and spend clause, essentially removing any remaining limitations on Congressional authority to regulate under the tax and spend clause.

So, you can understand our frustration. The individual mandate is beyond Congressional authority under the commerce clause, but the individual mandate still exists. And now the tax and spend clause is wide open for future abuses by Congress.

Liberty Legal also filed an amicus brief in the U.S. v. Arizona case. Again, LLF was the only party making the argument we made. Our brief pointed out that the Obama administration’s own policy violated existing federal law that had been passed years earlier. Specifically, existing federal law prohibited ANY federal agency from refusing to cooperate with state law enforcement when they request the immigration status of arrested individuals. In other words, Obama’s policy and his lawsuit against Arizona, both violated existing federal law.

The Supreme Court agreed with this point. It was one of the very few victories within the Court’s ruling in Arizona’s immigration lawsuit. Most of the Court’s ruling destroyed state sovereignty. The Court did rule that the Obama administration must cooperate with local law enforcement, as required by federal law. 

However, the Court went on to tell all states that they are no longer allowed to enforce federal immigration codes. Understand that this was a completely unique ruling. Never before had the Court told states that they could not enforce federal law.

So, again, you can understand LLF’s frustration.

We are proud of the fact that in both the Obamacare litigation and the immigration litigation the Court’s rulings reflect agreement with LLF’s arguments. We are also frustrated that in both cases the Court changed the rules, making both situations much worse. These two cases represented opportunities to correct glaring errors in federal precedent. Both cases presented opportunities to re-establish essential checks and balances between federal and state powers, and between the branches of federal government. Both cases were golden opportunities to restore Constitutional limitations on federal authority. Yet in both cases the Court created completely new rules that swept away any remaining limits on federal power.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the Court has no excuse. LLF’s briefs made the Court aware of issues no other parties were pointing out. The Court’s rulings reflected the fact that it was aware of these issues. The Courts rulings also reflect that it no longer has any intention of maintaining Constitutional limitations on federal authority. The one positive that can be taken from the Court’s 2012 rulings is this: Because of our legal briefs, no one can claim that the Court didn’t know exactly what it was doing. 

We at LLF will continue to work for Constitutional government and shine a light on federal corruption. 

But we need your help more than ever. As 2012 comes to a close, please remember LLF in your year-end giving.

For Liberty,

Van Irion, Founder

$10,500 - that's the fine for defending our Constitution.

This week the federal court in Memphis Tennessee finalized its order sanctioning LLF’s lead attorney Van Irion. The court fined Van more than $10,000 for defending the Constitution. The court mistakenly claimed that LLF’s eligibility challenge against Obama was identical to dozens of other lawsuits filed against Obama. However, the court’s order sanctioning Van could not cite a single case that was legally identical to the one filed by LLF.

But that didn’t stop the court from sanctioning Van. This week they denied our motion to reconsider, citing procedural excuses rather than responding to our substantive arguments.

The Memphis court’s ruling represents a new high in open hostility from the bench toward attorneys defending the Constitution. Before this case attorneys arguing cases to strengthen constitutional limits on government were given great deference in the types of arguments they could make.  

Until recently, courts encouraged such cases because they recognized that attorneys like Van help keep government in check, and help maintain constitutional standards. Without such attorneys constantly challenging governmental power, such power grows rapidly. The Memphis court’s sanctions against Van have already had a chilling effect upon attorneys defending the Constitution. The willingness of the Memphis court to take this action should serve as a warning to all Americans that the government’s march toward tyranny has reached a new milestone.

LLF will be appealing the courts sanctions to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Win or lose we need your help to continue this fight.

How To Make A Deer Stand

Roundabout via Robert

 1. Start with a small to medium size camping trailer

 

More @ Joe-Ks

Michigan Republicans Get 'Right-to-Work' Bill Through House



 

The House voted 58-52 Thursday afternoon to approve the measure prohibiting most private unions from collecting fees from nonunion employees. The Senate was expected to follow later Thursday, but future votes are necessary because the versions are different.

Opponents of so-called right-to-work measures say they drain unions of money and weaken their ability to bargain for good wages and benefits. Supporters insist it would boost the economy and job creation.

A victory in Michigan would give the movement its strongest foothold yet in the Rust Belt region, where organized labor already has suffered several body blows.
But even before the votes, protesters streamed inside preparing for what appeared inevitable after Gov. Rick Snyder joined GOP legislative leaders Thursday morning in announcing they would push swift passage.

"This is all about taking care of the hard-working workers in Michigan, being pro-worker and giving them freedom to make choices," Snyder said during a news conference with House Speaker Jase Bolger and Senate Minority Leader Randy Richardville.

"The goal isn't to divide Michigan, it is to bring Michigan together," Snyder said.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley repeatedly gaveled for order as Democratic senators denounced the legislation to applause from protesters in the galley. At one point, a man shouted, "Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler! That's what you people are." He was quickly escorted out. Another later yelled, "We will remember in November."

More @ Newsmax

DeMint Move Ignites Talk of 2016 Presidential Run


South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint’s surprise announcement that he will leave the U.S. Senate in January to take over leadership of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank has ignited speculation among grass-roots conservatives that DeMint may use the new post as a launching pad for a presidential bid in 2016.

“Jim DeMint will have a bigger microphone than before,” conservative direct-marketing pioneer Richard Viguerie tells Newsmax. “If he wants to, this opens up a lot more opportunities for him. I think there’s a decent chance that he’ll be a serious presidential candidate in four years.”

Viguerie called the move to Heritage “an intermediate step.”

“It’s going to be a boon to the cause, to Heritage,” he said. “And it gives [DeMint] a major opportunity to run for president in four years. And if so, he would be the instant front-runner among most conservatives.”

DeMint already had effectively term-limited himself by announcing he would not seek another six years in the Senate. When GOP hopes of seizing control of the Senate were dashed in November, he was looking at four more years of life as a back-bencher, with relatively little influence over legislation passed by the upper chamber.

But now, grass-roots sources tell Newsmax, the prospect of a DeMint-for-president campaign is creating significant buzz among movement conservatives.

“I was totally shocked,” Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer tells Newsmax. “When I saw the news Thursday morning, tears welled up in my eyes.

“He is our rock in the United States Senate,” she adds. “But at the same time, I know Jim DeMint, and he is not going anywhere. I have always thought he would make a great president, and I have always thought he should make a run. …I think this is probably a step in that direction, and I hope it is. Because he’s not just a senator, he’s a statesman.”

More @ Newsmax

Properly Observing Pearl Harbor Day


Bernhard Thuersam

The sacrifices of those who served in the American military in December, 1941 should be recounted often for us all to ponder and appreciate and the 3000 Americans who died at Pearl Harbor should not have perished in vain. The sincerest memorial to those who fought and died in this tragedy (and others) is to analyze and discuss the multitude of reasons why it happened, and how do we ensure that American servicemen are not knowingly put in harm’s way for political purposes ever again. As there is far too much information available today for the surprise attack myth to survive scrutiny, and thanks to the Freedom of Information Act and declassification of hundreds of thousands of decoded Japanese messages, we can now get a more clear picture of how events unfolded in 1941.

The myth reported by court historians and the media is that the US was minding its own business until the Japanese launched an unprovoked attack at Pearl Harbor, thereby dragging a reluctant US into a world struggle. In reality, the US under FDR had been deeply involved in Far Eastern affairs for some time, and those policies actually provoked the Japanese attack.

As Oliver Lyttleton, British Minister of Production stated in 1944….”Japan was provoked into attacking America at Pearl Harbor. It is a travesty to say that America was forced into the
War.”

After FDR’s numerous provocations toward Germany without retaliation (while the US was neutral) he switched his focus to Japan and had assistance with Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, who stated in October 1941 that “for a long time I have believed that our best entrance into the war would be by way of Japan”. And as early as January 27th, 1941, US Ambassador to Japan in Tokyo, Joseph C. Grew noted in his diary that...”there is a lot of talk around town to the effect that the Japanese, in case of a break with the US, are planning to go all out in a surprise mass attack on Pearl Harbor. Of course, I informed our government.”

Even Admiral Ernest J. King wrote a prescient report on 31 March 1941 that predicted a surprise Japanese dawn air attack on Hawaii as the opening of hostilities. The US had prepared for a Japanese-American conflict since 1906 with “War Plan Orange” which predicted the Philippines as the expected target, attacked by surprise as the Japanese were notorious for. By early 1940 Claire Chennault, the American airman hired by the Chinese, was urging General Hap Arnold and Roosevelt to provide bombers with which to firebomb Japanese cities in retaliation for their attacks on China.

While we cannot excuse Japan’s aggressiveness in Asia in the 1930’s, our government continually provoked the Japanese by freezing assets in the US, closing the Panama Canal to her shipping and progressively reducing exports to Japan until it became an all-out embargo along with Britain’s. The Philippines, by 1941 were reinforced to the point of being the strongest US overseas base with 120,000 troops and the Philippine Army had been called into service by FDR. General MacArthur had 74 medium and heavy bombers along with 175 fighters that included the new B-17’s and P-40E’s with which to attack or defend with. The mobilization of troops and munitions has always been recognized as preparation for attack and we thus assumed this posture to the Japanese.

We then implied military threats to Tokyo if it did not alter its Asian policies and on 26 November 1941, FDR issued an ultimatum that Japan withdraw all military forces from China and Indochina as well as break its treaty with Germany and Italy. The day before the 26 November ultimatum was sent , Secretary of War Stimson wrote in his Diary that “the question was how we should maneuver them (the Japanese) into the position of firing the first shot”. The bait offered was our Pacific fleet.

In 1940, Admiral J.O. Richardson, the commander of the Pacific Fleet flew to Washington to protest FDR’s decision to base the fleet in Hawaii instead of its normal berthing on the US west

coast. His concern was that Pearl Harbor was vulnerable to attack, was difficult to defend against torpedo planes, lacked fuel supplies and dry docks. Richardson came away from

his meeting with FDR “with the impression that, despite his spoken word, the President was fully determined to put the US into the war if Great Britain could hold out until he was reelected.”

Richardson was summarily relieved of command and replaced with Admiral Kimmel, who was still concerned about Pearl Harbor’s vulnerability, but did not challenge FDR.

Also to be considered was the April, 1941 ABD Agreement FDR concluded with the British and Dutch in Indochina that committed US troops to war if the Dutch East Indies were invaded by the Japanese. Add to this the 1940 $25 million loan and Lend-Lease aid provided to China. The Dutch and British were of course eager for US forces to protect their Far Eastern colonial

empires from the Japanese while their military was busy in a European war. And FDR’s dilemma was his 1940 election pledge of non-intervention (unless attacked) to the American people and the US Constitution, which allowed only Congress authority to declare war.

One of the most revealing elements in FDR’s beforehand knowledge of Japan’s intentions was our breaking of the Japanese diplomatic and naval operations codes as early as mid-1939. Copies of all deciphered Japanese messages were delivered to Roosevelt and the Secretaries of War, State and Navy, as well as Army Chief of Staff Marshall and Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Harold Stark. With no deciphering machines in Pearl Harbor, although 3 machines went to Britain, the commanders in Pearl Harbor were left completely dependent upon Washington for information. It must be understood that with this deciphered information, our government officials could not have been better informed had they had seats in the Japanese war council.

It is in this bare political light that Pearl Harbor should be examined and judged for historical perspective. Our military should not be a pawn used by presidents to initiate war and this is

the basic reason the Founders deliberated extensively on the establishment of a standing army which might be used as such. As nothing happens in a vacuum and the post-World War One US Neutrality Acts were in place to avoid the political machinations that dragged us into that conflict, FDR’s very steady erosion of US neutrality and secret agreements led to that unnecessary loss of brave American servicemen. We hopefully have learned from this.