Thirteen Stars and Thirteen Stripes. It was on JUNE 14, 1777, that the Second Continental Congress selected the Flag of the United States. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson signed the Proclamation making JUNE 14 "National Flag Day." On Flag Day, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt stated: "The belief in man, created free, in the image of God-is the crucial difference between ourselves and the enemies we face...God of the free...grant us victory over the tyrants who would enslave all free men." On JUNE 14, 1954, Dwight Eisenhower signed Joint Resolution (Public Law 396) adding the phrase "One Nation Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Eisenhower stated: "From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring than...this rededication of our youth, on each school morning, to our country's true meaning." President Eisenhower ended: "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war."
(American Minute of Bill Federer www.AmericanMinute.com)
Withholding taxes from people's paychecks began JUNE 9, 1943. Congress passed it as an emergency measure to get money to fight Hitler. The idea came from Beardsley Ruml, treasurer of Macy's and chairman of New York's Federal Reserve Bank. Called the "pay-as-you-go" tax, so much money came in with so few complaints that it continued after the war. John F. Kennedy told Congress, April 20, 1961: "Introduced during the war when the income tax was extended to millions of new taxpayers, the wage-withholding system has been one of the most important and successful advances in our tax system in recent times. Initial difficulties were quickly overcome, and the new system helped the taxpayer no less than the tax collector." But Americans weren't always so taxed. In his 2nd Annual Message, 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote: "To proceed as we have begun in substituting economy for taxation." President Andrew Jackson stated in his 8th Annual Message, December 5, 1836: "There is no such provision as would authorize Congress to collect together the property of the country, under the name of revenue, for the purpose of dividing it equally or unequally among the States or the people. Indeed, it is not probable that such an idea ever occurred to the States when they adopted the Constitution." In his Message to Congress, May 27, 1830, Andrew Jackson said: "Through the favor of an overruling and indulgent Providence our country is blessed with general prosperity and our citizens exempted from the pressure of taxation, which other less favored portions of the human family are obliged to bear."
(From Bill Federer's American Minute - www.AmericanMinute.com - June 9, 2011)
Justice Wiggins was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2003 by Governor Vilsack. His current term expires December 31, 2012. He is the chairman of the state judicial nominating commission.Justice Wiggins is ostentatiously registered as an Independent, though not only has he recently been a registered Democrat but he has also donated $4,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party, $2,000 to Democrat Robert Tully’s ’98 campaign for Congress, $1,000 to Tom Harkin’s (D) ’02 reelection campaign, and $2,000 to John Norris’ (D) ’02 bid for Congress.
Justice Wiggins resides in West Des Moines, where he had worked with the law firm Williams, Hart, Lavorato & Kirtley prior to appointment to the bench. He graduated from Drake Law School in 1976.
IJW gives Justice Wiggins a failing grade for his judicial activism.
Activist opinions authored:
Activist opinions joined:
- Varnum v. Brien (2009)
- Simmons v Public Defender (2010)
- Iowa v Wing (2010)
- Galloway v Iowa (2010)
- Ashenfelter v Mulligan (2010)
Activist opinions dissented from:
None.
http://www.iowajudicialwatch.org/meet-your-judges/david-s-wiggins/
American Minute with Bill Federer June 5 JUNE 5, 1967, the Six-Day War began. Egypt sent 80,000 troops and 900 tanks to attack Israel. Jordan and Syria, with Soviet weapons, violently shelled Jerusalem and Israeli villages. Cairo radio announced: "The hour has come in which we shall destroy Israel." The hot line between Washington and Moscow was used for the first time. In a surprise move, Israeli Air Force destroyed 400 Egyptian planes, courageously drove Syria from the Golan Heights and captured all of Jerusalem. In a CBS-TV interview, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion stated: "In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles." Seven months after the War, on Jan. 7, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson toasted Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, saying: "Welcome to our family table...All Americans-and all Israelis-know...that none...can ever live by bread alone... One of your ancestors said it for all men almost 2,000 years ago...for peace it is written, 'pursue it.' That is our intention in the Middle East...To pursue peace... If we are wise, if we are fortunate, if we work together - perhaps our Nation and all nations may know the joys of that promise God once made about the children of Israel: 'I will make a covenant of peace with them...it shall be an everlasting covenant.'"
(From Danny Carrol and Chuck Hurley)
Legislative Republicans in both the Iowa House and Senate have mounted a valiant fight this session to control taxes and spending, while advancing efforts to protect life and the family. We have been determined to present legislative activity in a fair and accurate manner that does not falsely protect or accuse any legislator or political party. We are simply interested in the truth, and the right of Iowans to know that truth and evaluate legislators based on accurate and timely information.
Taxpayer-funded Abortions
House Republicans should be commended for an unheralded effort to protect the unborn. With the passage of HF649, the Human Services budget bill, they voted to stop spending taxpayers’ money to kill unborn babies who are “physically deformed, mentally deficient, or afflicted with a congenital illness.” They also voted against tax-funded abortions in the case of rape or incest, recognizing that the baby is not the guilty party and deserves to live.
The Democrat-led Iowa Senate is trying to reinstate the awful provision that says a handicapped baby is somehow unworthy of legal protection. News received today indicates that House Republicans will insist that the Human Services budget protect handicapped babies. They face a fight from the Iowa Senate Democrats.
Please contact any House Republican and let them know you appreciate their efforts to protect the lives of these innocent babies and that you will pray for their success as budget negotiations continue. They are doing the right thing, and are under considerable pressure to give in and adjourn this extended Session. Also, encourage the Senate Republicans in their support of the House language.
Planned Parenthood
Indiana recently passed legislation to prevent taxpayers’ money from going to Indiana Planned Parenthood, since they do abortions. Other states have done likewise.
Even though Governor Branstad said he would cut funding to Planned Parenthood, Iowa has yet to join other states in cutting off taxpayer funds to this evil organization.
But there is still time!
It looks like the Legislature may be in Session into late June. Iowa should cut off taxpayer dollars to any organization that supports the killing of unborn babies, and we urge Governor Branstad to provide the leadership necessary to do so, as he indicated during his campaign.
Continue praying for our legislative leaders, that they would fear God, and seek to govern justly and responsibly.
With gratitude,
Chuck Hurley
Danny Carroll
(From Rep. Dwayne Alons’ “Capitol Comments”)
Where, oh where, has Senator Gronstal gone? Where, oh where, can he be?
He is absent from the negotiating table, and he isn’t leading any floor action in the Senate to complete the FY 2012 state budget. He said he would have a new proposal not later than Friday, the 27th, for House Republican leadership to consider. He agreed to a meeting and picked the time on the 27th to offer that proposal, but did an “about-face”, canceled the meeting and walked out of the negotiations yesterday. He said he was listening to his caucus who informed him “he is negotiating too much (with Republicans) and he needs to take the dialogue to the public.” Will he really go to the taxpayers of Iowa to hear their voice? Does he remember that last fall, the people of Iowa overwhelmingly voted to stop the out of control spending by choosing a new direction away from complete Democrat control at the Capitol?
Senate Democrats will claim that the outstanding issues are about education and job creation efforts. This is false. The outstanding issue boils down to one thing: Democrats want to spend more money. The House Republican budget plan is a commonsense responsible budget that does not spend more money than the state takes in, while simultaneously providing sufficient funding for education and services essential to Iowans. The budget bills show that the Senate budget, as they passed their version, spends more for on-going expenses than we have in on-going revenue. We cannot continue on that pathway; we must get our fiscal house in order.
My House colleagues and I have told our leadership “hold the line on spending.” There is flexibility within the budget, but the total spending amount, limited by 99% of estimated revenue, is off limits for further changes.
I believe we should be posting a clock to show how many hours have elapsed since the Senate Democrats walked away from the table you purchased where our leadership figuratively remains seated, ready, willing, and able to negotiate. Our sleeves are rolled up, and we bring good faith, reasonableness, and your interests to the table. Oh, and if you see the senator, let him know that every minute that goes by, we remain at the table, with Governor Branstad, with a name tag on Senator Gronstal’s seat. In the waning hours of the 2011 fiscal year, should he choose to return to the negotiating table putting Iowans above politics, we’ll leave the light on for him.
Latest Revenue Numbers
Here is a link to the latest state revenue coming in to the Treasury. It shows another dip in receipts, which should be taken into account as the next budget is finalized. The numbers are through April 30, 2011″ (dated 5/27/2011) and published at:
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/lsadocs/TT/2011/TTJWR009.PDF .
(Capitol Comments – Representative Dwayne Alons)
IN FLANDER’S FIELD
by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.
(For more history on the VFW Buddy Poppy go to http://www.vfw.org/Community/Buddy-Poppy/)
THANK YOU! to every soldier for the sacrifice you make every day on our behalf.
THANK YOU! to every soldier and their family who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America.
Representative John Dingell, one of the most powerful Democrat Representatives in the United States Congress, once said, “I’ll let you write the substance…you let me write the procedure, and I’ll screw you every time,” when talking about legislation.
Liberal Democrat Senator Mike Gronstal lives by these words. And there’s one other code that Gronstal lives by, something we should take note of and apply to ourselves.
Gronstal never (and I mean NEVER) compromises his core principles.
His strict adherence to his core principles combined with the fact that he is the architect of the rules of the Iowa Senate makes him almost a mini-deity in Iowa politics.
Almost.
You see, Gronstal orchestrates everything to come together to give himself and the weak and vulnerable members of his caucus the cover they need to go back home and avoid paying the political price they should be required to pay.
Ridiculous as it may seem, they actually have the gall to blame the fact that they use rules and procedure to kill legislation ON THE RULES AND PROCEDURE! “It didn’t make it through committee,” or “it didn’t have enough support,” is just a false way of saying “we used our numerical advantage in committee to kill the bill and retain political cover,” or “we pretend we are concerned about this issue, but we’ll use the rules that we wrote to keep the bill from coming to a vote, thus giving us political cover.”
In this instance, they want political cover for allowing baby butchering slaughterhouse operator Leroy Carhart to set up shop in Iowa.
Gronstal says that he “reels at the thought of abortion.” But does he tell the rest of the story to the public and that it’s his SOLE prerogative to either call up HF657 (fetal pain bill) for debate or kill it?
NO! Instead, he shoves it in ouir face and lays out a new plan to let Carhart set up a death factory at his leisure and from multiple locations across the state!
So here’s what happens. Gronstal puts Senator Joe Bolkcom on point (Bolkcom’s ex-wife is the former director of the Emma Goldman baby slaughterhouse in Iowa City). He anoints Bolkcom as floor manager of the fetal pain bill, HF657. This way he can say that he’s doing his part and going through the motions following “procedure.” Bolkcom, in return, doesn’t pressure Gronstal to bring it up for debate.
So now “process” is to blame, Bolkcom takes the heat (Bolkcom is safe in his district), and Gronstal issues his sound-bites to the media back home saying how he tried to protect the health of women and children, but Republicans voted it down.
The bill dies.
Bolkcom, in turn, introduces the bill intended to give them political cover, SF534, which allows Carhartt to set up his infanticide center as long as it’s near a hospital that’s able to handle late term abortions gone wrong.
This bill was shceduled for debate last Thursday, but as my right as a Senator, I refused unanimous consent to call it up. That forced them to come back on Monday to debate their “political cover” pro-abbortion bill.
On Monday before Gronstal could be recognized to call up the bill, I invoked Rule 19 of the Senate Rules allows any senator to make a motion that the Senate go to “committee of the whole” to consider a bill (in this case HF657), take a roll-call on what action the “committee of the whole” recommends the Senate pursue regarding a bill and have that vote recorded in the Senate Journal. This is a procedural vote designed solely to identify who stands for life and who stands for murdering the innocent.
At first, the majority leadership ignored my “point of order.” I actually had to raise my voice to an elevated level to force the thugs in charge to recognize me for my perfectly legitimate request! In the end, we got a vote on the fetal pain bill and it failed, 26-23 (one Republican was excused for the day). But I was able to accomplish my mission of separating the wheat from the chaff. I have to admit that it felt god to use their own rules to force them to expose their true colors! This goes back to what I was saying at the beginning of this email. Gronstal and his minions’ true colors are portrayed in the blood of the babies they murder through their direct actions and direct inaction. They aren’t willing to compromise their core principles and belief that murder is acceptable.
My recommendation? I’d say that contacting guys like Gronstal and Bolkcom is a waste of time if your intention is to persuade them to do the “right thing.” Only God and prayer can accomplish that. Rather, continue to barrage them with emails and pdhone calls to ge them on record. Put it in your minds and remember the blood on their hands.
And when the election season comes around, show them no mercy, and give them no quarter. They don’t. I can personally say that in the political arena, they sure don’t. And the babies who pay with their previous lives are an eternal testament to that fact.
Go to their forums and call them to the carpet for their lies.
Tell them you know they hide behind the cover of procedure to prey on the lives of innocent babies. Talk about what they’ve done at your local coffee shop.
Donate to the principled fighters who decide to run for office against them. Get your friends to do the same. Pound the pavement for them.
Knock on doors. Go to town hall meetings. Go to civic events and talk about it with yoiur family and friends.
Work a few hours extra and donate that income to your local incumbent-removal campaign.
Folks, I can’t ell you how much we need everyone to stand up right now and start fighting. If now isn’t the time, when will it be?
Sincerely,
Kent Sorenson
Serving Warren, Madison and SE Dallas Counties
T
American Minute with Bill Federer May 24 William Lloyd Garrison published the Boston anti-slavery paper "Liberator" and founded the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833. Suffering hundreds of death threats for his politically incorrect stand on the value of human life, William Lloyd Garrison died MAY 24, 1879. He wrote: "I desire to thank God that He enables me to disregard 'the fear of man which bringeth a snare' and to speak His truth...while life-blood
warms my throbbing veins...to oppose...the brutalizing sway - till Afric's chains are burst and freedom rules the rescued land."
In "W.P. and F.J.T. Garrison," 1885-89, William Lloyd Garrison wrote: "Wherever there is a human being, I see God-given rights inherent in that being, whatever may be the sex or complexion."
www.AmericanMinute.com