PR Director on national radio! (transcript)

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The following is a transcript of PR Director Jeff Emanuel's appearance Tuesday as a guest on the Los Angeles-based nationally-syndicated radio show "Talk Back with George Putnam." The original blog posting on this subject can be seen here.

//BEGIN TRANSCRIPT//

George Putnam: …and all across the world we have youth on a rampage. Mob-ocracy. In France, they’re turning out by the thousands. They’re in the streets. They say that it’s because of jobs—they’re looking for jobs, they’re looking for work. Of course here in the United States of America, they’re protesting with an organized operation. It’s fascinating to me that yesterday when we talked with Ponty Lambrose [sic] he said, “George, don’t you understand that these mass, mass groups—that they didn’t just happen to turn out. No, no—they were sent by communist, Marxist elements. And so we bagan to take another look.

And so its so refreshing when we turn to a youngster who makes only good sense. His name is Jeff Emanuel, a highly-decorated military veteran. He’s a senior at the University of Georgia, where he’s the Public Relations Director of the College Republicans. Oh, my—let’s go to him right now. Hello, Jeff, how are you?

Jeff: Hi George, how are you doing

George: I’m doing fine, and I want to commend you. You are one of the fine young Americans we support, and back, and say, “Hey! Let’s have more of it! Let’s talk about the Constitution, let’s talk about the Bill of Rights, let’s talk about the things that our Founding Fathers pledged themselves to, and gave themselves to us—it’s all been handed to us, hasn’t it, Jeff? All of it.

Jeff: (laughs) Yes, sir, it’s been handed to us very nicely, and we just have to fight to protect it and keep it that way.

George: And we appear to be screwing up! However, in Georgia—in Georgia at this moment, they say, [unintelligible] is going on with an illeg—illegal immigration proposal that’s the most comprehensive to come before the Georgia legislature. Would you outline it for us? Tell us what it’s all about.

Jeff: Yes, sir. What is known as Senate Bill 529, which just passed both houses now of the, uh—the Georgia state government and is waiting for the Governor’s signature, is not only the most comprehensive piece of illegal immigration legislation to come before the Georgia state government, but to—but to be passed by any state of this country. It basically focuses on employers who employ illegal ali—aliens, rather than focusing on the immigrants themselves and rounding them up and sending them back. What it does, is it penalizes employers for—for hiring illegals, especially when they do so at below the minimum wage—pay them under the table, so the folks don’t pay taxes into the system. It—

George: Uh-huh.

Jeff: —it encourages employers to—actually requires employers to register all their workers with Homeland Security, so that we know who’s here, who’s working for them, so that everyone’s paying into the system, and it penalizes employers for hiring illegals who are here.

George: Jeff, tell us about your background. I know that you’re decorated; tell me about your own career.

Jeff: Well, I, uh, graduated from high school in 1998, and after a year of college went into the United States Air Force, and found my way after, uh, quite a few toils and troubles into a—a pretty fun career field which was, uh, had a special operations emphasis, and I ended up fighting in Iraq in the initial—the initial force there, and doing several other things and, basically, getting a chance to be on the enforcement end of the United States Constitution, helping to protect the freedom of folks here and helping to fight global terrorism around the world, which was a great experience to have.

George: Give me your reaction to what you’re witnessing across the world. I talked about “mob-ocracy”—what’s happening among the youth of the world, not over here, but in France and all or—wha, what the hell’s going on?

Jeff: Well, sir, I think a lot of it is, folks are getting caught up, especially in Western civilization, in an “entitlement generation.” Folks expect a lot of things to be handed to them, and when they find out they have to work for it, or follow the rules, they get a little bit upset, and throw in a little bit of organization and getting folks out on the street, and you get what you see in France; you get what you see across the country right now with the immigration protests. Folks think that the laws and the rules don’t apply to them, and that they deserve whatever everyone else has, without working for it, so they get a little upset when they don’t get it.

George: Well now, when I look at the legislature in Georgia, and what is happening there, does it mean that Georgia is going to have to fight this all alone, or do you think it’s, perhaps, a model for the rest of us?

Jeff: We hope that it’ll be a model for the rest of the country, and not only is Georgia’s state legislature doing a good job with it, but one of our—one of our, um, Senators from the state of Georgia, Senator Johnny Isakson, uh, dropped a bill, um, in the United States Senate a couple of weeks ago proposing vast reform along the border, to better equip border patrols, and to better keep illegals out of the country in the first place. We hope that not only will that help, on the national level, uh, the national government picking up its responsibility in keeping illegals out and making sure that folks are rewarded for coming here legally, but are punished for coming here illegally, but also that our state legislation, in this case, will serve as a model, basically to make it an inhospitable environment and discourage illegals from coming here. If every state can discourage illegals from coming, and not provide them the benefits that citizens get, then folks will be more encouraged to come here legally, and to gain citizenship and be naturalized, rather than break the law and come here to hopefully gain benefits.

George: Jeff, don’t go away. This is fascinating, to talk with you. How old are you now?

Jeff: Twenty-six, sir.

George: Twenty-six. That’s just right, and ripe for politics. In a moment I want to talk with you about your own future, and what the future holds for the rest of us.

(Commercial break)

George: And you’re back to the original Talk Back. George Putnam here, speaking with a bright young man twenty-six years of age, and, in my opinion, on the right track. His name is Jeff Emanuel. Highly-decorated military veteran, senior at the University of Georgia, where he’s the Public Relations Director for the College Republicans. And we’re talking about this bill in the Georgia state legislature. The most comprehensive illegal immigration proposal to come before the Georgia legislature, and I’ve got to wonder if this is going to make it through. If the, uh, bill in its present form makes it into law, because it’ll be the strongest state immigration law in all of America. How does it look to ya, Jeff?

Jeff: Well, George, fortunately, uh, we have a strong Republican Governor right now who, uh—

George: Good.

Jeff: —who is in an election year also, so it looks like he’ll sign this bill into law, being for him an election year because 80% of Georgians want something done right now about illegal immigration. The bad news is, it’s going to be tied up in the courts almost immediately, and how long that lasts, and how that comes out, one, you know, one can only wonder.

George: Tell me about the kids on the campus there, among the student groups—pretty, uh, liberal, aren’t they?

Jeff: Well, sir, there are quite a few activist liberal groups here, and a lot of them participated in the Latino walk-out on Friday—

George: Oh, boy.

Jeff: —the “day without Hispanics”—

George: Oh, boy.

Jeff: —and, uh, the—the problem with a lot of that is, one can understand folks protesting something that they’re against, that’s part of the free speech that makes America great, but part of the problem is a lot of them aren’t informed about what’s actually in this bill, and—

George: Exactly!

Jeff: —they’re protesting several measures that are not even in it.

George: Well let’s talk about some of those measures. For instance, it prohibits adult illegal immigrants from receiving many taxpayer-funded benefits; financially penalizes private employers who hire illegals; requires public employers who have—with public contracts, to verify that the workers are in the country legally; and a crack down on human—trafficking.

J: That is all correct, and the human trafficking is a big deal with that, as well.

George: It all makes damn good sense to me, Jeff, and for thirty, thirty-five years I’ve been fighting this battle. I talked about—out here in California—about the invasion of illegal aliens in violation of not only our—our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, everything that’s right about taking an oath to office, but also about the sanctity and sovereignty of the United States of America. What’s happened to these people; what’s happened to the President? Now, are you a Republican?

Jeff: I am, in fact, a Republican and, as you mentioned, the Public Relations Director for our, uh, University of Georgia College Republicans which fortunately is the—the largest chapter of the College Republicans in the country, here at the University of Georgia.

George: Well, how do you feel about the President and his approach to the temporary workers permits, and all that type of thing?

Jeff: Well, one thing about President Bush is he’s always wanted to focus on uniting the country and, and—and being seen as being behind every group, not being against African-Americans, not being against Hispanics, but in this case, it’s what—his guest worker program could be seen as being tantamount to endorsing illegals coming here, and that’s a problem. I—we have to agree with him in a sense that people come here and work hard, and, legally they come here and work hard, they contribute to the economy, and they benefit from the economy; but coming here illegally, a lot of the time they contribute their labor, but they also skew the job market by being paid below minimum wage; obviously, letting them stay here is an endorsement of breaking the law, and, uh, as you mentioned before, the—the United States House passed Resolution 4437 which would make that a felony, being here illegally, um, which seems to be a little bit out of kilter with President Bush proposing a guest worker program which would reward folks being here illegally.

George: Do you believe that the Senate of the United States is sold out to special interests?

Jeff: I believe that special interests have a large voice in government, and that is good and bad. A voice in government by the people is always necessary, and that is part of what makes America great, is that anyone can have a voice in government. However, when those special interests start controlling what is being passed in the Senate, and what isn’t, to the detriment of our society and to the detriment of the application of our laws and the enforcement of our laws, then it becomes a problem.

George: You know, Jeff, as I look at the interference by the Mexican government in particular, Vicente Fox, Manernd, uh, Durbez [sic], another named Castineta [sic], they want the whole enchilada, but they want it on this side of the border. Now, what in hell’s wrong with this, because I look at the Constitution of Mexico, Chapter 3, I’ve got it right here, “Foreigners. Foreigners may not, in any manner, involve themselves in the political affairs of the country.” Those are the Mexicans, speaking about the way they run their government! What about us? What about tit-for-tat?

Jeff: Well, that’s true, and, uh, as you can see in the column that I wrote that was published on Townhall.com on Sunday regarding this immigration bill and immigration policy as a whole, um, part of that is a sign of the greatness of America, and how it’s—and its standing in the world, that folks are fighting, legally and illegally, to get in here, to take advantage of the opportunities that we have, and the great benefits that can come from being in America. The problem is, and we’re going to have to fight it as long as we have this standing as being the greatest nation in the world, is that folks are going to try to circumvent the system and come here illegally, and as long as they can come here and make money that they can’t make in Mexico, then they’re going to be wiring it back home, and, uh, that partly will help the Mexican government encourage folks to come here—so that they can bring money back and contribute to the Mexican economy, rather than contributing to the American economy.

George: Jeff, you speak, of course—(clears throat) pardon me—of the passage, sparking controversy among student groups on the state’s more liberal university campuses, and the pro-illegal-immigration groups. How powerful are they, or are they just a loud minority?

Jeff: Well, I think that we’re seeing a little bit of how powerful they are by these massive, massive protests, across the state and across the country. If you remember, about a week ago we had the third-year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war, which as you mentioned before I participated in, and folks expected these kinds of numbers for that, and I think we’re seeing which base actually has the numbers, and has the power and the ability to turn out. It’s not the anti-war left, it’s the pro-illegal-immigration left, and the problem with that is, like you mentioned before and like I mentioned before, a lot of folks are turning out because there’s so much fear-mongering going on. They’re turning out because they thing things are being proposed in legislation, and being passed in legislation, that are not. They think they’re in imminent danger of having their rights taken away; they think legals and illegals are both in danger; the problem is that folks don’t know the facts, and that they haven’t gotten—they haven’t gotten out and actually read this legi—this legislation themselves; they’re rather getting taken up in the group dynamic, the “mob-ocracy” as you called it, and getting turned out on—on, uh, basically scare-tactics.

George: Well, when you look at the immigration enforcement bill, and you talk about alien amnesty, guest workers and all that type of thing, as twisting of words these days. You’ve got the President of the United States, you’ve got the Cardinal Mahoney here, of the Catholic Church—five million Catholics under his jurisdiction—all taking a stand. One of the hottest, uh, Spanish-language radio personalities here, one of the hottest in the nation, uh—a deejay, joining hands with the radio rivals to urge listeners to turn out for the pro-immigrant rally in downtown Los Angeles; and the organizers all shouting, “Come! Come! Come!” All of them speaking out against America, and, tragically, all of them waving the Mexican flag, and not our great red, white, and blue.

Jeff: That is true, um, and, part of that is—it’s the misconception that is thrown out by those folks who call it “pro-immigration,” “anti-immigrant legislation,” and things like that. Both sides of the political spectrum are far and away pro-immigrant. But, the problem is, one side is pro legal immigration, and the other side is pro-rewarding-illegal behavior, and pro-rewarding-illegal activity, and to—to call it prejudice, racism, anti-immigration, things like that, it’s such a misnomer, and it’s—it’s tapping into that “mob-ocracy” that you’ve mentioned several times, where folks get a little bit scared that something’s going to happen to them, or to someone they know, and everyone else around them is scared of it, so they turn out too, even without understanding exactly what it is they’re protesting for or against.

George: Well, I want to thank you so very much for bringing us up to date on what is being done in the state of Georgia. God bless you for your work, and, uh—

Jeff: Thank you, George, and thanks for having me.

George: I’ll have you again if I may, thank you very much! Jeff Emanuel. Remember the name.

//END TRANSCRIPT//

Cynthia McKinney attacks capitol police officer

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"Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia struck a Capitol Hill police officer Wednesday morning after the officer, not recognizing her as a member of Congress, tried to stop her from stepping around a security checkpoint, police confirmed," reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday morning.

The incident occurred when McKinney was entering a House office building on Capitol Hill. She started walking around a metal detector and X-ray machine at one of the building's entrances, as members of Congress are allowed to do, when the officer tried to stop her, congressional and police officials said.

The officer either tapped McKinney on the shoulder or grabbed her arm, they said. McKinney spun around and struck the officer, though there are conflicting reports about whether she slapped him, punched him in the chest or hit him with a cellphone she had in her hand, they said.

McKinney usually does not wear the special lapel pin given to members of Congress to make them easier to identify, and she apparently was not wearing it Wednesday
morning, congressional and police officials said. Kerri Hanley, of the House sergeant-at-arms' office, said members are not required to wear the pin, though most do.

This is not the first time McKinney has had an encounter with Capitol Hill police. When she first arrived in Congress in 1993, an officer failed to recognize her because she was new and not wearing the congressional pin. After she complained, police put pictures of McKinney up at each security checkpoint to ensure it would not happen again.

This is just the latest from the disgraceful Georgia member of Congress who accused President Bush of "allow[ing] the innocent people of New York" to be "needlessly murdered" on September 11. ("We know there were numerous warnings of the events to come on September 11th. . . . What did this administration know and when did it know it, about the events of September 11th? Who else knew, and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered? . . . What do they have to hide?")

The regrettable Congresswoman, of course, also scrambled to lick the feet of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who after 9/11 offered a $10 million check to New York City via Mayor Rudy Giuliani, along with the advice to the US to "reexamine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause" and the insinuation that "the attack on the World Trade Center was the result of America's policy toward Israel."

When Giuliani immediately returned the money, McKinney made a beeline for the cash. "Like a personal-injury lawyer slapping awake an old lady with a broken hip, Ms. McKinney just couldn't resist the smell of bloody money," wrote Jonah Goldberg in the National Review Online. She wrote a three-page letter to the prince suggesting — surprise! — that she knew exactly what to do with his $10 million. "Although your offer was not accepted by Mayor Giuliani," Ms. McKinney wrote, "I would like to ask you to consider assisting Americans who are in dire need right now. I believe we can guide your generosity to help improve the state of Black America and build better lives."

As always, pathetic. I don't believe that there is anything left to say.

Athens GOP Golf Tournament 2006

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The Athens-Clarke County Republican Conference held its second annual Golf Invitational Monday at the Georgia Club just outside Athens. The members of the Athens GOP sponsored a hole (#15) in the name of the UGA College Republicans.

Moderate victory in Israeli elections; Netanyahu's future in question

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"Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared victory for his centrist Kadima party in Israel's elections Tuesday, vowing to act on his own if necessary to draw Israel's final borders and "painfully" uproot Jewish settlers if negotiations with the Palestinians are not possible," the Associated Press reported Wednesday morning.

The turnout was the lowest in Israel's history, and the results showed voters turning away from conventional political parties to an assortment of third parties with agendas ranging from pensioner rights to the legalization of marijuana. The aftermath will likely be a period of difficult negotiations between Olmert and potential coalition partners.

"Today, Israeli democracy has spoken its piece, in a loud and clear voice," Olmert declared. "Israel wants Kadima," which means forward in Hebrew.

Olmert said he was ready for new peace talks and was prepared to make painful compromises such as uprooting some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and allowing Palestinians to have a state. But he demanded that the Palestinians be willing to compromise in return.

"In the coming period, we will move to set the final borders of the state of Israel, a Jewish state with a Jewish majority," Olmert said. "We will try to achieve this in an agreement with the Palestinians."

Olmert has said he would govern only with parties that accept his program, and projections showed a center-left coalition capturing 61 to 65 seats in the 120-member parliament. The hawkish parties fell far short of their plan to win enough seats to block Olmert's program.

As Israel held its election, the Palestinian parliament approved a new Cabinet led by the Hamas militant group.

Incoming Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told Al-Jazeera television that he opposed Olmert's plan. "Such a plan definitely won't be accepted by the Palestinian people or the Palestinian government," he said.

Olmert has said he supports the road map but will not wait indefinitely for a peace deal and would move unilaterally after a reasonable period of time. Turning to the Palestinians, Olmert said: "We are prepared to compromise, give up parts of our beloved land of Israel, remove, painfully, Jews who live there, to allow you the conditions to achieve your hopes and to live in a state in peace and quiet."

"The time has come for the Palestinians ... to relate to the existence of the state of Israel, to accept only part of their dream, to stop terror, to accept democracy and accept compromise and peace with us," he said.

Israeli officials have ruled out talks with Hamas unless the Islamic group renounces violence and accepts Israel's right to exist, demands Hamas has so far rejected. It remains unclear whether Olmert would negotiate with Abbas without a change in Hamas' position.

The severe defeat at the polls for the Likud party left leader Benjamin Netanyahu's political future in question, with many observers predicting that he would retire from politics for good.

Immigration protests orchestrated by media

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"The marching orders were clear: Carry American flags and pack the kids, pick up your trash and wear white for peace and for effect.

Many of the 500,000 people who crammed downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to protest legislation that would make criminals out of illegal immigrants learned where, when and even how to demonstrate from the Spanish-language media.

For English-speaking America, the mass protests in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities over the past few days have been surprising for their size and seeming spontaneity.

But they were organized, promoted or publicized for weeks by Spanish-language radio hosts and TV anchors as a demonstration of Hispanic pride and power."

Adrian Velasco first learned of House legislation to overhaul immigration policy on Los Angeles' Que Buena 105.5 FM. Over two weeks, the 30-year-old illegal immigrant soaked up details about the planned march against the bill from Hispanic TV and radio. On Saturday, he and three friends headed downtown.

"They told all the Hispanic people to go and support these things," Velasco said. "They explained a lot. They said, 'Here's what we're going to do.'"

One of those doing the most talking was El Piolin, a syndicated morning show radio host who is broadcast in 20 cities.

El Piolin, whose real name is Eduardo Sotelo and whose nickname means "Tweety
Bird," persuaded colleagues from 11 Spanish-language radio stations in Los Angeles to talk up the rally on air.

He said he devised the idea of telling protesters to wear white and carry flags to symbolize their peaceful intent and love of the United States. He also urged parents to bring their children to minimize chances of violence and reminded everyone to bring plenty of water and trash bags.

Democrats pledge to 'eliminate' bin Laden; won't say how

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"Congressional Democrats promise to "eliminate" Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006 in an election-year national security policy statement," reported Forbes.com Wednesday morning.

"We're uniting behind a national security agenda that is tough and smart and will provide the real security George Bush has promised but failed to deliver," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

The Democrats again pledge to "double the number of special forces and add more spies," thus purportedly leading to the immediate elimination of the world's most wanted terrorist. As a former Special Operations troop, I have neither the time nor the energy to write here why it is impossible to drop the standards of Special Forces training enough to double the number of operators, and still be able to call them "Special Forces."

Likewise, the continuous call for "strategic redeployment" is a deceptive turn of phrase, as that is a pseudo-military term for "immediate withdrawal." However, calling that by its actual name is clearly impossible for the party of John Murtha--the representative who demanded immediate withdrawal and then, when pressed to vote on the issue, cast a ballot against his own proposal.

As Atlanta radio host Neal Boortz says, "So...more of the same. Unfortunately, their servants in the mainstream media are giving them the headline that they have a plan to catch Osama. But really, they have no plan. just an empty promise. But hey! If politicians have learned one thing in the last 30 years it's that Americans will fall for empty promises. It's the same thing Democrats have been giving us on national security since the days of Jimmy Carter. Appeasement, surrender and cluelessness. Some plan!"

Inspectors smuggle radioactive material across both borders

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"Congressional investigators testing U.S. port security smuggled enough radioactive material into the United States last year to make two radiological "dirty" bombs," reported the Washington Post Tuesday nightreported the Washington Post Tuesday night.

Last December, undercover agents from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) "carried small amounts of cesium-137 -- a radioactive material used for cancer therapy, industrial gauges and well logging -- in the trunks of rental cars" through checkpoints at the US's borders with Mexico (in Texas) and Canada (in Washington state).

The material "triggered radiation alarms, but the smugglers used false documents to persuade U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors to let them through with it." The documents used were forged import licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, made from copies of documents found on the internet.

"These are documents my 20-year-old son could easily develop with a simple Internet search," Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), the chairman of hearings into covert nuclear threats, said before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee yesterday. "It is a problem when it is tougher to buy cold medicine than it is to acquire enough material to construct a dirty bomb."

Jayson P. Ahern, an "assistant commissioner for field operations for Customs and Border Protection, said U.S. customs officers were unable to confirm the validity of counterfeit Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses presented by testers, but a system will be in place within 30 days to do so.

"All our systems worked, and officers appeared to follow our protocols," Ahern said. "But the bottom line is the material was allowed in with questionable documents."

PR Director Jeff Emanuel on national radio!!

Our PR Director Jeff Emanuel was a guest on George Putnam's nationally syndicated radio show this afternoon!

Jeff was on the show for half an hour, where he discussed Senate Bill 529 (Georgia's "Security and Immigration Compliance Act"), the pro-anti-immigration rallies currently taking place across America, and the reactions to immigration reform on University campuses.

Putnam praised Jeff's military service, and called him "a young man headed in the right direction." They also spoke about the UGA College Republicans and the need for more young people like the UGACRs who want to help this country "get back on the right track and stay that way."

Media spotlight: UGACRs consulted on immigration reform protest article

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The UGA College Republicans capped off a weekend of support for immigration enforcement, which included a column on Townhall.com and an appearance on Atlanta radio, by contributing to an article in the Athens/UGA newspaper Red and Black on immigration legislation and the current protests.

Reporter DeShaun Harris wrote:

Jeff Emanuel, public relations director for UGA College Republicans, said his group has no problem with immigrants who come to the United States to better their standard of living as long as they do so legally. He feels recent protests are examples of “fear mongering” because many people opposed to SB 529 have not read the actual bill.

“The bill does not take away the right to medical attention, prenatal care or anything like that. It also doesn’t take away in-state tuition (for illegal immigrants)— it leaves that up to the Board of Regents,” Emanuel said.

As he sees it, the bill is not an anti-immigration bill but rather a way to prevent employers from negatively influencing the job market by hiring illegal immigrants at below minimum wage without tax documentation.

UGACR PR Director Jeff Emanuel on Atlanta radio

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UGA College Republicans PR Director Jeff Emanuel appeared on Atlanta's 640AM WGST Monday morning to discuss Senate Bill 529 and the ensuing pro-illegal-immigration strikes and protests across Georgia and America.

Emanuel was featured on "AM Atlanta with Tom Hughes," where he answered questions regarding the state of illegal immigration in Georgia, the strain illegals put on the state's services, and the reaction to this new legislation on college campuses like the University of Georgia.

His column on Georgia's proposed illegal immigration legislation, published Sunday by Townhall.com, can be seen here.

Town Hall publishes Immigration column

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UGACR www.ugacr.org Public Relations Director Jeff Emanuel's column on Senate Bill 529, Georgia's Illegal Immigration legislation, which debuted on this blog, was published by premiere conservative opinion site Townhall.com Sunday.

The column can be seen here.

An open letter to UGA students

*The following was written by James Garland, candidate

in the non-partisan election for Athens-Clarke County Commission, District 1*

An Open Letter to University of Georgia Students

The Athens-Clarke County Commission routinely imposes various ordinances and bans on the University’s students. Though such attention may be warranted on rare occasions, I feel that local government needlessly targets Athens’ student population as a matter of course. Though any number of examples could be cited, this negative focus is evidenced primarily by the rental registration debacle of three years ago and the current moratorium on the off-campus construction of fraternity and sorority houses.

Such actions by the Commission throw into sharp relief the divergent attitudes of local government toward its student population: we desperately need you to support our economy and enrich our culture, but we don’t want you living in our neighborhoods. That is why I am calling for the creation of a “student-centered” commission district as part of my campaign platform for the district 1 seat on the Athens-Clarke County Commission. As they are the frequent objects of its ordinances, I feel that the University’s students deserve a louder voice in local government.

The voting power of students can easily be concentrated more so than is currently the case. The University’s dormitories, fraternities, and sororities are presently split among commission districts 3, 4, and 7. Although grouping them into a single district would not affect many of the students living off campus, such a grouping would serve to better concentrate students’ voting power. Granted, any such redrawing of district lines probably will not occur until after the 2010 census. Nonetheless, I think the idea should be considered and debated well before then.

For those students who have not already done so, I encourage you to transfer your voter registrations to Clarke County. The staff at the county’s Board of Elections, located downtown at 155 East Washington Street, will gladly assist you. The telephone number there is 613-3150. Once you have registered to vote here, keep a close eye on your commissioners. Rest assured that they are keeping their eyes on you.

Hostages rescued, then spit on their heroes

"Three Christian peace activists kidnapped last year in Iraq were freed Thursday in an early-morning military operation," the Washinton Post reported yesterday.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (motto: "Commited to reducing violence by Getting in the Way") co-director Doug Pritchard said in an interview yesterday,

We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by multinational forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq today. The occupation must end. Today in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies, even when they have committed acts which cause great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families. In a spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet, and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance.

Throughout these difficult months we have been heartened by messages of concern
for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, in Europe, and North America. That support continues to come to us day by day. We pray that Christians throughout the world will in the same spirit call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being held illegally by US and British forces occupying Iraq.

There are two very serious problems with this. First, both the media and the "Peacemaker" group are misleading the public about the nature of the restoration of freedom to these hostages. They were not "freed," as many would be led to believe; they were liberated in a rescue operation by American and British troops, quite possibly Special Operators--coalition forces who, as they have throughout the war, are risking their lives to save those of innocents who foolishly inject themselves into the middle of a combat situation.

Second, rather than thanking the US and her allies for saving their people's lives from brutal Islamist captors, the spokespeople for the "Peacemaker" organization are blaming the US's activity in Iraq for the danger to their people in the first place--and asking that "Christians throughout the world...in the same spirit" as our "Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, in Europe, and North America" also "call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being held illegally by US and British forces occupying Iraq." Tom Fox, the one member of the group who was murdered before being rescued, was tortured and shot in the head last month. One would think that, wherever he is, he is wishing that the oppressive, occupying coalition forces--the "soldier[s]" which he wrote were "as much my enemy as the terrorist[s]," had been able to perform this rescue just a few weeks earlier.

An Army Ranger named Kevin (last names of Special Operations troops are not published, in accordance with USSOCOM and DOD policy) articulated the problem with this and similar situations very well when he called into the Rush Limbaugh radio show yesterday.

What these people, you know, don't realize or maybe do realize and just don't care is that the type of mission that these guys had to go on, the hostage rescue mission, is by far the most dangerous type of mission out there that guys overseas are having to go on. Planning is rushed...

You know, the thing is, the guys overseas that went on--I don't know what unit actually did this, actually that's all classified and everything, but they probably don't care if these guys are ungrateful, that's not really their concern. What really I think probably concerns them is the fact that they're wasting their time. Instead of going and getting terrorists and getting the bad guys and bringing this war to an end possibly over there, they're having to worry about these peace activists, devote time, devote money, devote assets to them instead of possibly going and getting terrorists on that same day.

...Our motivation is not for gratitude. Our motivation is, you know, hunting down and killing terrorists or capturing them. This is just a side mission, and that's not our main objective out there...to rescue peace activists.

Kevin speaks for all of the troops bravely fighting for freedom there and around the world. America's forces continuously put their lives in far greater risk than they would otherwise have to in their effort not only to limit--or eliminate--any civilian injuries or deaths, but also to rescue misguided innocents who wander into the combat zone, thinking that a terrorist who wants to destroy the country of Iraq, as well as the entire Western world, will recognize them as "nonviolent people of principle" and leave them alone--and that the soldier who is firing back at the enemy will lower his weapon and be attacked without retaliation because unarmed men have walked directly into the line of fire. This is tantamount, both in its blatant illogicality and its striking naivete, to wandering onto a race car track and hoping that the drivers, who are all working singlemindedly toward a driving-based goal, will recognize that you do not have a car--and will not only not hit you, but will all stop, agreeably dismount, and walk with you wherever you wish to go.

America and her allies' Special Operations forces (SOF) are the best trained in the world at a variety of jobs, including counterterrorism and personnel rescue. Unfortunately, with the self-injection of misguided people like the Christian Peacemaker Teams into a combat zone, our SOF troops must concentrate less on the former, as they are forced into performing more of the latter. This puts their lives in greater danger, and keeps us less safe for a longer time, as the best counterterror operators in the world are distracted from doing that mission.

If you would like to help to the families of America's Special Operators who have been killed in the line of duty performing their mission as the tip of freedom's spear worldwide, please consider donating to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation , which provides college scholarship grants, along with financial aid and educational counseling, to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident.

Day 36 of 40 in GA's legislative session

Thursday was day 36 of Georgia's 40-day legislative session. Four days remain.

Highlights:

The House, with changes, passed a Senate bill denying some state services to illegal immigrants and adding a 5 percent surcharge to wire transfers from illegal immigrants. The vote was 123-51.

Representatives, by a 100-54 vote, rejected a measure that would have regulated all-terrain vehicles.

House Speaker Glenn Richardson shot down an attempt by Democrats to require passengers in pickup trucks to wear seat belts.

The Senate unanimously "approved a $18.6 billion spending plan which boosts salaries for police and teachers and would funnel money to more disabled Georgians for community-based care. The budget would also provide money for 4,300 more prison beds to handle the state's booming inmate population and add 1,000 more slots for pre-kindergarten."

Lawmakers honored retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, leader of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Schwarzkopf urged continued support for military personnel.

Here is a link to the summary as published on AccessNorthGa.com: Georgia Legislative Diary for Thursday, March 23The Associated Press

Courtesy of the Gainesville State College Republicans.

Albright: "There is no good vs. evil"

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-albright24mar24,0,5251258.story?coll=la-home-commentary

ABC News executive: "Bush makes me sick"

A top producer at ABC NEWS declared "Bush makes me sick" in an email published by the DRUDGE REPORT Friday.

"John Green, currently executive producer of the weekend edition of GOOD MORNING AMERICA, unloaded on the president in an ABC company email obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT.

"If he uses the 'mixed messages' line one more time, I'm going to puke," Green complained.

The blunt comments by Green, along with other emails obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT, further reveal the inner workings of the nation's news outlets.

A friend of Green's at ABC says Green is mortified by the email. "John feels so badly about this email. He is a straight shooter and great producer who is always fair. That said, he deeply regrets the sentiment expressed in the email and the embarrassment it causes ABC News."

[UPDATE: Green sent email to ABC staff: "By now some of you have seen the DRUDGE REPORT featuring a private email I sent to a colleague in 2004. I want all of you to know how much I regret the embarrassment this story causes ABC. It was an inappropriate thing to say and I'm deeply sorry.']"

Now, close your eyes and repeat after me: "There is no liberal media. There is no liberal media. There is no liberal media. There is no..."

Some "Common Cents" from the UGACRs

Working to help UGA students manage money and stay debt-free!

Recognizing that the average college student has three credit cards and leaves school with over $2,700 in unsecured personal debt (not counting student loans and other educational debt), the UGA College Republicans sought out a familiar face to help their fellow students learn how to avoid this problem, and how to better enable themselves to start off on the right (debt-free) foot when they enter the working world.

Ms. Van Flanigan of Atlanta-based Summit Seminars, the mother of UGACR Chairman Katie Flanigan, presented an overview Wednesday night of the "Common Cents" financial knowledge and responsibility program. The Common Cents program, which was developed specifically for college-age students and focuses on their unique fiscal situation, includes important, often misunderstood topics such as:

A personal relationship with money
How to set a realistic budget
Best banking practices
Income and taxes
How to protect your identity
Credit Cards: Interest rates, grace periods and minimum payments
Credit ratings and their impact on your future

Over forty people attended Ms. Flanigan's interesting, informative, and interactive presentation, which was covered by the Georgia Red and Black. Summit Seminars will be returning Saturday and Sunday, April 8-9, to offer the full seminar. There will be two opportunities to attend, with the program being offered from 1 to 3pm each day. The UGA College Republicans have negotiated a discount for all who register for this vital program, which will help UGA's students maintain the freedom of finishing college and beginning the rest of their lives debt-free

For more information, contact UGACR PR Director Jeff Emanuel at (678)492-8228 or via email at the UGACR Press Office (UGACRPress@gmail.com).

Letter from the Chairman

March 21, 2006

Hello College Republicans, and welcome back!

I hope all of you had a wonderful break, are well-rested, and ready to get back to work for the Republican cause!

Our chapter has seen great success over the past month and I would like to share some of our accomplishments with you. First and foremost, we have a brand new website! Kudos go to our Executive Director Shay Frendt, who dedicated over 20 hours to the creation of this new site.

Three Fridays ago, a dozen College Republicans met to put together and mail out fundraising letters to over 400 Georgia Republicansmet to put together and mail out fundraising letters to over 400 Georgia Republicans. We have already had a great response, and continue to receive donations each day. Many thanks to our Treasurer Preston Mintz for organizing this fundraising campaign and to each of you who took the time to help with this important fundraiser!

March 5-7, PR Director Jeff Emanuel and I attended the American Israel Public Affairs Comittee's "Policy Conference 2006" in Washington, D.C. where we learned a great deal about Israel's continued struggle against Iran and Hamas. This was an excellent conference and I encourage any of you interested in this pressing issue to attend next year. If you would like more information, please contact either Jeff at jemanuel@uga.edu or myself at katiemf@uga.edu. While at the Capitol, we also met with several of the Congressional offices, including Rep. Jack Kingston, Sen. Johnny Isakson, and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who have all shown great support for our chapter and now follow our progress with great interest.

Most recently, Jeff Emanuel has been published twice on Townhall.com. I invite all of you to look at his columns and the hundreds of comments written in response from citizens all over the country. Please click on the following links to view his columns:

Georgia's HOPE Chest

Georgia's Abortion Debate

We have a great deal to look forward to over the upcoming weeks as well! This Wednesday we will hear from Summit Seminars: Foundations in Finance and Self, where Ms. Van Flanigan will provide an information session on her course on financial management. As College Republicans, fiscal responsibility is a key conservative value and Ms. Flanigan offers to teach each of you how to manage your money wisely and how YOU can be in charge of your hard-earned money.

We will be hosting a debate between the GOP Secretary of State candidates, state Senator Bill Stephens and Fulton County Chairman Karen Handel, and will also be hearing from former Senior Airman Jeff Emanuel on his experience as a Special Operator in the War on Terror, candidates for Lt. Governor, state Sen. Casey Cagle and former President of the Christian Coalition Dr. Ralph Reed.

Thanks to all of you for your continued hard work! I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming meetings, Wednesday evenings at 7:00 in room 207 of the SLC.

All my best,

Katie M. Flanigan, Chairman

Immigration reform long overdue

*An opinion column by UGACR Public Relations Director Jeff Emanuel*

The "most comprehensive illegal immigration proposal ever to come before the Georgia Legislature" made it out of the Georgia sate Senate this month when it was approved by a 40-13 vote of the 56-member body. Althogh the House is expected to pass the bill and Governor Perdue will likely sign it into law, the measure will almost surely spark a major courtroom showdown in the near future.

Senate Bill 529, known as the "Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act" is a much-needed response to the ever-increasing number of illegal immigrants in Georgia (although nobody seems to be able to make an accurate estimate; the number is often listed as "between 250,000 and 800,000"—a margin of error which is so large that it provides an excellent illustration of the problem itself) who benefit from the state's taxpayer-supported programs while avoiding paying into the system. A population can only support so many non-productive beneficiaries of goods and services, and the swelling underclass of illegal immigrants is straining Georgia’s state infrastructure to a point at which further inaction would be extremely detrimental to both the state’s economy and society. "If this bill in its present form makes it into law, it will be the strongest [state immigration] law in America," said state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), one of the bill's sponsors. SB 529, which was a no-brainer to pass in an election year when almost 80% of Georgians want this issue addressed, would "prohibit adult illegal immigrants from receiving many taxpayer-funded benefits, financially penalize private employers who hire illegals, require employers with public contracts to verify that their workers are in the country legally, and crack down on human trafficking." It would not, however, "prohibit the children of illegal immigrants from attending public school, nor would it deny them certain medical benefits, such as emergency medical care, prenatal care and immunizations"—benefits which have already been largely guaranteed by federal courts.

Democrats largely opposed this bill on the stated rationale that illegal immigration should be a solely federal issue. "We cannot be a substitute for the failure of national policy," said one opponent of the bill. Another whined, "if we can't keep them out of the United States, how can we keep them out of Georgia?" Another federal crime, which is completely under federal jurisdiction, is kidnapping. Given such statements, one cannot help but wonder if perhaps Georgia Democrats would prefer that state law enforcement take a completely laissez faire approach to kidnappers who cross state lines into Georgia, as well as to any other perpetrators of federal crimes within the state.

This measure’s passage has sparked controversy among student groups the state’s more liberal university campuses. Various pro-illegal-immigration groups have protested the measure, calling the legislation “troubling” and citing in large part the revocation of illegals’ current ability (which they often refer to as a “right”) to pay in-state tuition rates at state universities (a difference of roughly $12,000 per year). “If you cut that, there’s no way they can go to school,” said a Hispanic Student Association spokesman, who added the dire warning that "educational barriers will only create a negative economic cycle among the illegal immigrants."

Threats regarding the enforcement of our nation’s laws resulting in a a cycle of economic depression aside, this legislation is, for the most part, a very positive step forward on the road to getting Georgia’s, and America’s, ballooning illegal immigration problem under control. The Compliance Act does not advocate deportation or other “inhuman” treatment of illegals, but rather encourages those who are here to make themselves known and to comply with the law, while discouraging those who are elsewhere from migrating to the state of Georgia in hopes of gaining an under-the-radar, illegally “free ride” through the state’s institutions and services—many of which are barely efficient enough to cater to legal, tax-paying citizens. “Undocumented “ students,” for example, are by law illegal; therefore, it makes perfect sense to not guarantee them privileges like in-state tuition, which are reserved for citizens of the state.

The price America pays for being the strongest, most prosperous, and most free nation on earth is that people the world over are constantly striving to immigrate here. A microcosm of that is that many of those people attempt to accelerate their relocation here by doing so outside of the law. We as American conservatives, who pride ourselves on living in a “nation of laws,” must take care to differentiate between those in this country who are law-abiding citizens and legal immigrants, and those whose very being here is a violation of our law.

There will always be a demand for low-wage, high-efficiency unskilled labor, which immigrants today so readily provide. As President Bush said this week, if an “American won't do a job and you can find somebody who will do the job, they ought to be allowed to do it legally.” However, while we American conservatives are, and should be, 100% for immigration, we are, and must be, 100% for the law as well. This has always been a nation of immigrants; our history as a “melting pot” is a large part of what has made us the great nation we are today. However, even more importantly in this modern age of terrorism than ever before, it cannot—and must not—be too much to ask that those who come to this country, be it for the lifestyle, the opportunities, the freedom, or the work, do so legally, and with a full disclosure of their intentions.

President Bush rejects amnesty

President Bush "said he was opposed to amnesty or automatic citizenship for the some 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States" at a news conference Tuesday, according to the American Free Press.

Bush "ruled out amnesty for illegal immigrants but said he favored a "guest worker" program that would provide legal status for workers for a limited time period.

"In my judgment, amnesty would be the wrong course of action," Bush told a news conference.

He said "a whole industry" of exploitation had emerged with workers being smuggled across the US border in dangerous conditions.

Asked about those undocumented workers who have lived in the US for more than a decade, Bush said: "One of the issues is going to be to deal with somebody whose family has been here for a while, raised a family, and that'll be an interesting debate.

'My answer is: That person shouldn't get automatic citizenship'."

Veteran tribute column runs in Red and Black

UGACR PR Director Jeff Emanuel's column on WWII hero Colonel Greg "Pappy" Boyington and the resistance to a memorial in his honor at the University of Washington, which debuted on this blog on February 17, was published by the Georgia Red and Black on Monday. The column as it appeared in the paper can be seen here.

The real Iraq, by Donald Rumsfeld

The following is an op-ed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as published in the Washington Post Monday.

"What We've Gained in 3 Years in Iraq"

Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."

Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.

The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.

Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately.

Consider that in three years Iraq has gone from enduring a brutal dictatorship to electing a provisional government to ratifying a new constitution written by Iraqis to electing a permanent government last December. In each of these elections, the number of voters participating has increased significantly -- from 8.5 million in the January 2005 election to nearly 12 million in the December election -- in defiance of terrorists' threats and attacks.

One of the most important developments over the past year has been the increasing participation of Iraq's Sunni community in the political process. In the volatile Anbar province, where Sunnis are an overwhelming majority, voter turnout grew from 2 percent in January to 86 percent in December. Sunni sheiks and religious leaders who previously had been sympathetic to the insurgency are today meeting with coalition representatives, encouraging Iraqis to join the security forces and waging what violent extremists such as Abu al-Zarqawi and his al-Qaeda followers recognize as a "large-scale war" against them.

The terrorists are determined to stoke sectarian tension and are attempting to spark a civil war. But despite the many acts of violence and provocation, the vast majority of Iraqis have shown that they want their country to remain whole and free of ethnic conflict. We saw this last month after the attack on the Shiite shrine in Samarra, when leaders of Iraq's various political parties and religious groups condemned the violence and called for calm.

Another significant transformation has been in the size, capability and responsibility of Iraqi security forces. And this is vitally important, because it is Iraqis, after all, who must build and secure their own nation.

Today, some 100 Iraqi army battalions of several hundred troops each are in the fight, and 49 control their own battle space. About 75 percent of all military operations in the country include Iraqi security forces, and nearly half of those are independently Iraqi-planned, Iraqi-conducted and Iraqi-led. Iraqi security forces have a greater ability than coalition troops to detect a foreign terrorist's accent, identify local suspects and use force without increasing a feeling of occupation. It was these Iraqi forces -- not U.S. or coalition troops -- that enforced curfews and contained the violence after the attack on the Golden Dome Shrine in Samarra. To be sure, violence of various stripes continues to slow Iraq's progress. But the coalition is doing everything possible to see this effort succeed and is making adjustments as appropriate.

The rationale for a free and democratic Iraq is as compelling today as it was three years ago. A free and stable Iraq will not attack its neighbors, will not conspire with terrorists, will not pay rewards to the families of suicide bombers and will not seek to kill Americans.

Though there are those who will never be convinced that the cause in Iraq is worth the costs, anyone looking realistically at the world today -- at the terrorist threat we face -- can come to only one conclusion: Now is the time for resolve, not retreat.

Consider that if we retreat now, there is every reason to believe Saddamists and terrorists will fill the vacuum -- and the free world might not have the will to face them again. Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis. It would be as great a disgrace as if we had asked the liberated nations of Eastern Europe to return to Soviet domination because it was too hard or too tough or we didn't have the patience to work with them as they built free countries.

What we need to understand is that the vast majority of the Iraqi people want the coalition to succeed. They want better futures for themselves and their families. They do not want the extremists to win. And they are risking their lives every day to secure their country.

That is well worth remembering on this anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The writer is secretary of defense.

Candidates Debate!

UGA College Republicans to host debate between Secretary of State candidates Karen Handel, Bill Stephens

The University of Georgia College Republicans will be hosting a debate between Secretary of State candidates Karen Handel and Bill Stephens. The April 12 debate between the GOP primary rivals will be held in the University Chapel at 7:00pm. A reception will immediately follow on the Chapel steps.

Fulton County Chairman Karen Handel is the first female Chief Executive of the state's largest and most populous county, and she has been widely recognized as one of the most effective and influential public service and the private sector leaders in the State of Georgia today.

Her renowned career in business and in government has led her to be named:

-'One of the 100 Most Influential Political Leaders in Georgia' by Georgia Trend
-'Georgia Diva' -- an award recognizing the state's leading business women by B2B Magazine
-One of 'Georgia's Most Influential Political Leaders' by James Magazine
-One of the 'Most Influential Atlantans' by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Before running for public office in 2002, she served as the President and CEO of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

State Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens, a graduate of UGA, served as Director of Communications and spokesperson for Governor Zell Miller from 1989 to 1991. He was first elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1998, and has served as Majority Leader since 2003.

For more information, please contact the UGACR Press Office at UGACRPress@gmail.com.

Georgia Conservative Statesman

The Winter 2006 edition of the Georgia Conservative Statesman is out! Check out the pdf version here, or email the UGACR Press Office to find out how to obtain a hard copy. Don't miss the winter issue of the official newspaper of the Georgia Association of College Republicans!

To subscribe or to advertise in future issues, email the UGACR Press Office at: UGACRPress@gmail.com

Perdue still strong in polls

The latest Angus Reid poll shows Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue leading his nearest challenger, Democrat candidate Cathy Cox, by 19 points. The poll has the Governor's approval rating at 58 percent.

Courtesy of the Gainesville State College Republicans.

Harvard finds supporting Israel "against US interest"

Two professors at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government have published a report entitled "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy" which says that the US's support for Israel runs "counter to American national interests."

"The academic paper, whose authors are well-known scholars in the fields of political science and government, sets out to dispute almost every argument of the pro-Israel activists in the US," reported the Jerusalem Post Sunday.

The study "argues that supporting Israel is not in America's best interest and furthermore, that it complicates the US's international stand and its ability to fight terror.

"Israel is in fact a liability in the war on terror and the broader effort to deal with rogue states," the authors write, claiming that "the United States has a terrorism problem in good part because it is so closely allied with Israel." The paper also argues that the US would not be worried about Iran, Iraq and Syria, if not for its close ties with Israel."

The Harvard study "also argues that Israel is not a worthy ally for the US, [and] that it is not a true democracy."

The professors' main claim is that "the powerful pro-Israel lobby in the US is the reason for a biased US foreign policy in the region that favors Israel. They point to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)'s activity in Congress and in the executive branch and talk about how it allegedly "manipulates the media" and "polices academia" in order to make sure the US maintains a pro-Israel approach. The authors add that AIPAC also uses the claim of anti-Semitism, or "the great silencer" as they refer to it, to shut off any criticism of Israel.

The paper voices the claim that pro-Israeli officials in the Bush administration, namely Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith and David Wurmser, were behind the push for war in Iraq and that the pro-Israel lobby was a driving force in encouraging the administration to go to war against Saddam Hussein.

An official with a pro-Israel organization in Washington said that the authors' disagreement 'is not with America's pro-Israel lobby, but with the American people, who overwhelmingly support our relationship with Israel, and with Democrats and Republicans in successive administrations and Congress, who so strongly and consistently support the special relationship between the United States and Israel.'"

There are surely millions who would agree with Professors Mearsheimer and Walt that the world can best be served by every nation, the US included, abandoning the sole fully-functioning democracy in the middle east and embracing radical Islamist states instead. We have little doubt where most of these syncophants reside: Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the remnants of Third Reich Germany, the United Nations, and the American Left--especially within the hallowed halls of academia.

Gore v. Hillary, 2008

vs.

Democrat insiders are taking a possible new try for the presidency by Al Gore very seriously, reports Robert Novak in a Townhall.com column.

Democrats "say he is capable of raising more money than the presumptive front-runner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton's team has attempted to foreclose conventional Democratic money sources, drying up funding for her potential presidential rivals. She has $17.1 million cash on hand, more than any other possible candidate. Her current fund-raising tour is aimed at an additional $40 million.

However, party operatives believe former Vice President Gore can outdo Clinton through unconventional fund-raising on the Internet. By campaigning left of Clinton, Gore appeals to ardent anti-war Democrats. Gore's first presidential run in 1988 positioned him as the centrist candidate, to the right of eventual nominee Michael Dukakis."

"A Farmer and a Georgian's Apology for Jimmy Carter"

The following was written by Oconee County Republican Party First Vice Chairman James Griffith for the March 2006 issue of the party newsletter, "The Elephant's Ear." Provided by the Gainesville State College Republicans .

Some People Never Change

It was the summer of 1980, and I was headed to orientation for college at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga. As I was heading down I-75, around the Cordele area, there was a billboard along the interstate in the middle of a farm field. Being in the middle of the Presidential campaign, it caught my eye. Also, being a Reaganite since 1976, I could not have agreed more. It read “We, the Farmers of Georgia, would like to apologize to America for President Jimmy Carter!” I thought, “Boy that takes guts down here in South Georgia within fifty miles of Plains.” It could not have been truer then and continues to be true today. Jimmy Carter has done admirable things since his presidency (building homes with “Habitat for Humanity as an example) but, it has usually happened without the use of his mouth. Over the years, he has verbally bashed all Republican Presidents, conservative Democrats (moral Democrats), conservative Christians and anyone who did not share his liberal ideas.

It seems that President Jimmy Carter's post-Presidency has been one continuous work to over shadow his abysmal Presidency. The latest effort to make himself look better was his bashing of President George W. Bush at the Coretta Scott King Funeral. As a Christian (as he says), Carter uses the podium of a funeral (which is to honor an individual's life and legacy), that is being broadcast nationally and internationally, to bash a fellow American. He mentioned the illegal wiretapping of Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King. He did this in reference to President Bush's current secret wiretapping program to battle terrorism. He failed to mention it was a Democratic administration that illegally wiretapped the Kings. His second swipe at the funeral was about the Hurricane Katrina Rescue and Relief effort. He less than subtly blames and accuses Bush of racism, because most of New Orleans was black. He failed, once again, to mention that New Orleans and Louisiana are both run by liberal Democrats, and the first responders are supposed to be local emergency personnel. Sure mistakes were made by all, but not because of racism.

Once again, the Farmers (and Most Others) of Georgia would like to apologize to America for President Jimmy Carter.

James Griffith (part-time farmer)
First Vice Chairman
Oconee County Republican Party

Day 33 of 40 in Georgia's legislative session

Day 33 of 40: A summary of Thursday's activity in the Georgia General Assembly, provided by the Gainesville State College Republicans.

Saddam documents, part 2

Included in the batch of nine Iraqi government documents released Wednesday by National Intelligence director John Negroponte was a letter, dated March 23, 1997, from the Iraqi intelligence service (IIS) "to directors and managers advising them to follow certain procedures [to hide banned weapons programs from inspectors] in case of a search by the U.N. team, including:

-Removing correspondence with the atomic energy and military industry departments concerning the prohibited weapons (proposals, research, studies, catalogs, etc.).

-Removing prohibited materials and equipment, including documents and catalogs and making sure to clear labs and storages of any traces of chemical or biological materials that were previously used or stored.

-Doing so through a committee which will decide whether to destroy the documents.

-Removing files from computers.

The letter also advises them on how they should answer questions by U.N. team members. It says the intelligence service should be informed within one week about the progress made in discarding the documents.

(Editor's Note: This document is consistent with the Report of the Special Advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence, which described a pattern of deception and concealment on the part of Saddam Hussein's government towards the U.N. inspectors in the mid to late 90's. Hussein halted all cooperation with those inspectors and expelled them in October 1998.)"

The above report and summary was provided by ABCNews

Abortion pill killing women; Congress seeks to remove from market

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/17/D8GDJL302.html

New Saddam documents mention Al-Quaeda, WMD

Nine documents from Saddam Hussein's government were released by the National Intelligence Service Wednesday which "discuss Osama bin Laden, weapons of mass destruction, al Qaeda and more," reported ABC News Thursday.

One document, dated September 15, 2001, cited an unnamed Afghani informant quoting Afghani Consul Ahmed Dahastani's claims that:

• Osama bin Laden and the Taliban are in contact with Iraq and that a group of Taliban and bin Laden group members visited Iraq.
• The U.S. has proof the Iraqi government and "bin Laden's group" agreed to cooperate to attack targets inside America.
• In case the Taliban and bin Laden's group turn out to be involved in "these destructive operations," the U.S. may strike Iraq and Afghanistan.
• The Afghani consul heard about the issue of Iraq's relationship with "bin Laden's group" while he was in Iran.

At the end, the writer recommends informing "the committee of intentions" about the above-mentioned items. The signature on the document is unclear.

Document summary and closing provided by ABCNews.

Al Gore, storyteller

While promoting his new, hyperbolic-as-usual documentary An Inconvenient Truth at a convention of theater owners in Las Vegas Monday, Al Gore "told a story about the warm reception he got at a Grover Norquist breakfast gathering here in January."

In Variety magazine's account of the speech, Gore said that Washington, D.C. conservatives in attendance "stood up afterward and said, 'You're absolutely right.'"

"How many conservatives were there actually?" asks the Washington Post's "Reliable Sources" page. "Three people at the convention tell us Gore left the distinct impression he received multiple kudos, "many" in Variety's telling. That got a chuckle from the breakfast club, whose members recall a polite response but only one attendee approaching Gore with praise. Gore's people deny any hyperbole, saying he never claimed more than one enviro-conversion at the meal and may have been misquoted."

Pardon us if we take most of the words of this former Vice-President, who claims to have invented the internet, to have been the basis for the novel "Love Story," and to be the current rightful President of the United States, among other delusions, with a spoonful of salt, a wink, and a nod...all the while shuffling toward the exit.

Do-it-yourself abortion manual a sick scare tactic

A liberal pro-abortion activist has posted on her blog "explicit directions" for a do-it-yourself surgical abortion, ostensibly "in reaction to the new South Dakota law all but banning the procedure," which was signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds on March 6.
The author is a 21-year-old Florida "former journalist turned phone sex operator" whose blog tackles "feminist issues, liberal talk and news analysis."

The post is called "For the Women of South Dakota: An Abortion Manual." The blogger, "who has no medical background, said she has been compiling instructions for several years. She observed an actual abortion, interviewed providers and read medical texts, she said."

"If anyone has a problem with this and they don't think non-doctors should perform medical procedures," she wrote, "there's a simple way to guarantee that won't happen: Make sure Roe v. Wade is not overturned."

Resolution honoring "Hanoi Jane" withdrawn

The Georgia Senate Resolution honoring "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, proposed by state senator Steen Miles, was withdrawn Thursday morning after meeting with unexpected resistance.

Miles "said a representative for Fonda, who is out of the country, asked that she avoid the controversy the effort had stirred."

The actress and activist's seditious activities protesting the Vietnam War, including a trip to North Vietnam in 1972, have given her a well-earned and long-lasting stigma in patriotic circles.

The resolution, "which Miles said is one of several she has pushed honoring Georgia women during Women's History Month, cruised through the Senate on Wednesday before some members realized it was part of a stack of mostly non-controversial resolutions approved because no one objected to them.

Sen. John Douglas, R-Social Circle, later asked that the vote be reconsidered.
"I can think of no living American who is less worthy of this honor," Douglas, chairman of the chamber's Veterans and Military Affairs committee, said Thursday. "She is as guilty of treason as Benedict Arnold and Tokyo Rose."

Miles said she is sympathetic to concerns of military members. She said her brother and ex-husband both served in Vietnam and her daughter currently serves in the Army reserve. But she said Fonda's good works for the past three decades outweigh any negatives associated with her Vietnam-era actions.

The Senate voted 48-1 to reconsider the measure _ a necessary procedure before Miles could withdraw it. Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen, D-Albany, cast the only vote against reconsideration.

Miles then withdrew the effort before senators considered the resolution itself."

Bolton: Iran a threat like 9/11, but with nukes

John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, "compared the threat from Iran’s nuclear programs to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States."

“Just like Sept. 11, only with nuclear weapons this time, that’s the threat. I think that is the threat,” Bolton told ABC News’ Nightline Wednesday. “I think it’s just facing reality. It’s not a happy reality, but it’s reality and if you don’t deal with it, it will become even more unpleasant.”

Bolton’s statements came after the House International Relations Committee voted 37-3 Wednesday to approve legislation tightening sanctions against Iran.

Among other provisions, the legislation "would end U.S. economic aid to any country that helped Iran by investing in its energy sector or permitted a private entity to carry out such investment.

The administration said it could not support the legislation, contending that it would limit the flexibility needed to pursue a diplomatic solution to the stalemate over Iran’s nuclear program.

Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., the committee’s ranking Democrat, said persuasion won’t work with Iran. “We can only hope to inflict such severe economic pain on Tehran that it would starve the leadership of the resources they need to fund a costly nuclear program,” he said."