Circle City News™ Monday, April 26, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PICK JERRY HUGHES

The Indianapolis Colts have taken pass-rushing defensive end Jerry Hughes of TCU with the 31st overall pick in the NFL draft.  Read here.

FEDERAL GRANT TO GRACE COLLEGE IS QUESTIONED

A $150,000 federal grant to Grace College,  a Christian college,  in Indiana is drawing scrutiny from a watchdog group that fears it blurs the separation between religion and government.  Read here.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME?

Republicans sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday suggesting the agency’s civil lawsuit against financial giant Goldman Sachs has created “serious questions” about the SEC’s “independence and impartiality.”   Read here.

Should we be more concerned if Goldman Sachs committed any wrongdoing than when the timing of the charges were filed?  If they did commit fraud, then charges should be filed and they should be punished.  There has been no evidence that the SEC was forced by the Obama administration to sue Goldman Sachs.  It appears that just because a certain group of people did not like the timing of the charges then something must be wrong.  They are not claiming that Goldman is innocent or no charges should have been filed against Goldman.  They just did not like when the charges were filed against Goldman.  So, when should have the charges been filed?

I AGREE WITH NEWT!

Gingrich said the [Tea Party] movement is a “natural expression of frustration with Republicans and anger at Democrats,” which is “more likely to end up as the militant wing of the Republican Party” than as an independent or third party.  Click here.

After letting the tea out of the bag, he tried to clarify  himself.  However, I agree with his first assessment of the Tea Party.  They are the “militant” (or vocally active) wing of the Republican Party and not a new party.  The overwhelming majority of them vote Republican or identify themselves as Republican.  They received their initial news coverage on Fox, which is a Republican news channel.  Republicans have sponsored their events and Republican leaders have spoken at several of their events.  If a Republican disagrees with the Tea Party and does not vote the way they want then the Tea Party calls the Republican a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

Therefore, I do not see what they have to offer that the Republican party has not already offered.  The platform is the same, except the Tea Party leans to the far-right.  There is nothing new with the members of the Tea Party.  They criticize Democrats, liberals and progressives  just like Republicans do.  The only Republicans  the Tea Party criticizes are those that dare to disagree with them.

You got it right, Newt!

ARIZONA BIRTHER BILL

The Arizona House on Monday voted for a provision that would require President Barack Obama to show his birth certificate if he hopes to be on the state’s ballot when he runs for re-election.

First, I understand the Constitution requires the president of the United States to be a citizen.  I agree with that and do not have a problem with it.  My problem is with the Birthers and those that pander to them.  The Birthers are either racist, xenophobic or mentally ill.  There are facts and fantasies.   The Birthers are in the fantasy realm.  They are suffering from believe perseverance phenomenon (a.k.a., confirmation bias ).  Essentially, they choose to believe that President Obama was not born in America, that he is some type of foreigner bent on destroying American, therefore an enemy of American.

I have heard them and their supporters say, “Why won’t he show his birth certificate?”  The fact is he has already shown his birth certificate and it is has been reported in the major news sources, including FOX News.  There was a birth announcement in a local newspaper.  The person in charge of birth certificates said that President Obama’s birth certificate is authentic.  All the court challenges have failed.  There is not one shred of evidence that he was born anywhere else but in Hawaii, which is part of the United States.

Thus, I am not sure what one can do to convince these Birthers that what they believe is a lie.  Surely they do not expect him to go to each and every Birther to show them his birth certificate.  How many of them would even know what a real or fake birth certificate looks like anyway?

ARIZONA IMMIGRATION

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law the nation’s toughest crackdown on illegal immigration. Reaction has pored in from around the world.  Here is a sampling of what’s being said.

The problem with the law seems to be in enforcement.  The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are responsible for immigration enforcement in America.  Any time someone is arrested for a crime then law enforcement can check immigration status and inform ICE that the suspect is not legally in the United States.  As someone concerned about the role of government in my life, I know I would not want the police to have the authority to stop me any time they wanted just because they thought I looked like I an illegal alien.  Although, I am not sure how you can tell by looking if a person is an illegal alien, other then the being  a non-white person.  I do not think most people think of  White Canadians or Europeans as illegal immigrants.  I think the common stereotype of an illegal alien is someone from the Latin American countries first and Islamic countries second.

How will Officer Smith know that a person was just stopped by Officer Jones an hour ago?  Are they going to keep a database on the people they stop so that person does not get stopped again for looking like an illegal alien?

Let the lawsuits begin!