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Politics, Polls

georgia senate race

GOP candidate David Perdue in Georgia Senate race.

A clear front-runner has emerged in the 2014 Georgia Senate race, but whether David Perdue can avoid a run-off is another question, altogether. A Republican candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote in the primary to straight-out win the nomination, or face the second place candidate in a run-off.

Of the 600 likely Republican voters polled in the Landmark/Rosetta Stone poll, 21 percent picked David Perdue, while Rep. Jack Kingston and Rep. Paul Broun were tied at 15 percent. Rep. Phil Gingrey and former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel were behind the pack at 13 and 10 percent, respectively, but roughly 25 percent were still undecided.

Republican businessman David Perdue (yes, he is the cousin of ex-Gov. Sonny Perdue), himself, is a political newcomer despite his family ties. At this point, the fact he is not a career politician is clearly benefitting him in this anti-incumbent environment. Ex-Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel and Rep. Jack Kingston are the establishment’s candidates, while socially conservative Reps. Phil Gingrey and Paul Broun are seeking a promotion out of the House.

Handel, who lost to Gov. Nathan Deal in 2010 by less than 2,500 votes, is competing with Kingston for the top establishment slot, which unfortunately for Handel comes with complete with donations. Jack Kingston is a political ally of Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, and there isn’t room enough for the both of them.

“It may well be that she had her moment in 2010, if these polls are correct,” said Emory political science professor, Merle Black. “But right now, it looks like she’s running a very uphill battle.”

In a separate InsiderAdvantage/Opinion poll, just over 30 percent said they were still undecided, with political newcomer David Perdue leading by a more modest 19 percent. Kingston is trailing in second with 15 percent, which was the same level of support found in the Land/Rosetta Stone poll. With the exception of Kingston, who appears to have slipped to 15 percent and stuck there, the other GOP hopefuls vary at levels of support by statistically significant margins behind Perdue.

Many pundits and Democratic strategists believed that under the right conditions the party could make a play for the seat. Georgia’s other senator, Johnny Isakson (R), recently expressed fear that “a perfect storm” of factors could shift a relatively safe Republican seat into Democratic hands. While Gingrey has a tendency to stick his foot in his mouth, he has nothing on Broun, who has an even longer history of controversial statements. But it is becoming clear that neither candidate seems to be gaining traction.

In the money race, David Perdue is well-funded, and has thus far been spending the most on advertising. Perdue’s spending levels have topped off at $1 million, while Kingston topped off at $800,000. Even though Perdue appears to be the front-runner, if these spending levels hold it will be more than likely that the race will head into a run-off.

The GOP Senate primary for the Georgia Senate race will take place on May, 20. The Democratic nominee will likely be Michelle Nunn, daughter of ex-Sen. Sam Nunn. She has been consistently leading former state Sen. Steen Miles and other political newcomer, Dr. Branko Radolavachi. The general election is rated “Likely Republican” on our 2014 Senate Map Predictions.

Poll Date Sample Perdue Kingston Broun Gingrey Handel Spread
PPD Average 2/13 – 4/16 — 20.5 15.0 12.0 11.0 10.8 Perdue +5.5
InsiderAdvantage 4/16 – 4/16 804 LV 19 15 11 9 13 Perdue +4
Landmark/Rosetta Stone 3/23 – 3/24 600 LV 21 15 15 13 10 Perdue +6
InsiderAdvantage 3/23 – 3/24 893 LV 17 15 10 8 5 Perdue +2
SurveyUSA 3/16 – 3/18 508 LV 29 19 11 12 10 Perdue +10
Hicks/Apache 2/13 – 2/16 923 LV 13 11 11 10 10 Perdue +2
PPP (D) 8/2 – 8/5 260 RV 5 15 19 25 13 Gingrey +6
Landmark/Rosetta Stone 6/17 – 6/17 450 LV 1 7 15 17 14 Gingrey +2

A clear front-runner has emerged in the

Politics

monica wehby expands 2014 senate map to oregon senate

Oregon Republican Senate candidate Monica Wehby at a candidate forum in Lake Oswego, Ore. March 19, 2014. AP

Republicans are now making plays or are surprisingly competitive in blue-leaning states, adding to the political reality that the 2014 Senate Map is expanding in their favor. Whether or not they win some of these races, is irrelevant. Democrats will be forced to spend time, money and other resources that would have otherwise gone toward defending purple and red-state Democrats.

The entrance of Monica Wehby in the Republican primary has given the Republican establishment a candidate they feel they can get behind in the Oregon Senate race. Sen. Jeff Merkley has the occasional embarrassing moment, but it is the fact the ObamaCare rollout was a particularly disastrous rollout in Oregon that gives the GOP confidence in a candidate like Wehby.

Wehby, who is a children’s brain surgeon, has raised more than $1 million already. While she has a crowded field to contend with in the primary, it will be state Rep. Jason Conger of Bend who many GOP voters will find the most viable alternative. Bend is a lawyer who knows how to represent a Democrat-dominated district and still be conservative. While Wehby says she personally opposes abortion and favors same-sex marriage, Bend is open and proud over his opposition to both. 

For Democrats to be forced into defending states they were otherwise projected to win, if not fairly easily, means they will have less time and money to defend other embattled incumbents, such as Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina. Hagan is now trailing most of her top Republican contenders in most polls, and we currently rate the North Carolina Senate race a “Toss-Up” on our 2014 Senate Map Predictions. Her campaign has all but admitted her likely defeat if they do not succeed in changing the composition of the electorate in the fall. Even in presidential election cycles, it is unlikely that North Carolina will be as favorable for a Democrat as it was in 2008, within the next few cycles.

“You want a race,” Preston Elliott told The Washington Post over the weekend. “Even two years out, you could tell this was going to be a tough race in an off-year.”

Elliot helped Senator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) win reelection in 2002 by just 524 votes. In 2006, he served as field director for Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who won by 3,000 votes. And in 2010, he helped Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D) survive a winnable race Republicans, who nominated a less-than perfect candidate in Sharon Angle, flat-out blew.

Still, it will be a heavy lift for Republicans in states like Oregon, Minnesota and Virginia. Since Sen. Merkley defeated Republican Sen. Gordon Smith in 2008, a wave election for Democrats, no Republican candidate has represented the state and no candidate has won a statewide race in Oregon since Smith won in 2002. We originally rated the Oregon Senate race “Likely Republican” based on the weak GOP bench following Rep. Greg Walden, who is the only Republican in the state’s congressional delegation, deciding against a run for higher office.

In Minnesota, which we considered “Likely Republican” early on, but have since changed to “Leans Republican,” candidate recruitment may be the only factor holding the GOP back from making Senator Al Franken really have to work for reelection. A recent poll showed his approval rating falling to 44 percent, with only 41 saying they have a favorable opinion of the freshman and just 40 saying he deserved reelection. Even though many pundits considered — and some still do — Franken to be relatively safe this cycle, Franken only defeated Senator Norm Coleman by a razor-thin voter fraud margin.

A GOP loss in a favorable environment will be a testament to the failure of the Republican Party in a state that is 86.9 percent white. In neighboring Michigan, also a blue-leaning state, Republican Terri Lynn Land is running ahead of Democrat Rep. Gary Peters in the race to fill the seat vacated by Carl Levin. A shockingly strong performance by Land has already taken one typically blue state off the safe table. In an examination of polls conducted before and after the government shutdown, as well as the ObamaCare rollout, we found the two Democratic challengers have consistently trailed both Land and Gov. Rick Snyder.

The 2014 Senate Map is clearly expanding in Republicans’ favor, moving into states once thought safe for Democrats and even a few states where Democrats have made self-inflicting wounds. Democrat Bruce Braley, for instance, is in a nightmare scenario after he was caught on video suggesting Iowa farmers are too stupid to hold high elected office, particularly compared to lawyers.

Preston Elliot and other Democratic strategists are working around the clock to change the composition of the midterm electorate, but even if they find some magic formula to do so, they can’t afford too many more incidents likes Braley’s.

Republicans are now making plays or are

Polls

easter 2014

For Easter 2014 we thought it might be fitting to report on public opinion surrounding Jesus, the status of Christianity in America and faith, in general. What we have found may just shock you, whether you are on the right or left.

Americans of faith will celebrate Easter in memory of the supernatural resurrection of Jesus Christ, who proved to believers he was the son of God when he was crucified and rose from the dead.

Most Americans continue to believe Jesus was, in fact, the son of God and rose from the dead three days after his death on Easter Sunday. In a recent survey, a whole 89 percent of Americans say Jesus Christ actually walked the Earth roughly 2000 years-ago, with 69 percent saying he rose from the dead. Only 8 percent of Americans who responded in the survey say they don’t agree with the vast majority, which is in line with other pollsters.

Gallup found that, even though 15 percent claim no religious affiliation, just 9 percent of those respondents don’t believe in God. Despite cries from the New Atheists who say America is becoming more secular, the reverse is true.

During the 1980s and 1990s, a general trend showed a move away from God, particularly among Christian sects in America. However, those trends were never solid, as there was an uptick again in the mid-1990s. Yet new data show not only an arresting of those trends, but a reversal. For instance, according to a Gallup poll taken just before Christmas 2012, a whopping 77 percent of American adults said they are Christian, an uptick of several points from just four years before. Further, the number of those who said they were Protestant increased to 51.9 percent, which is a small downtick from the year prior, but an overall jump up from roughly 38 percent who said the same in 2008.

In part, as the Pew Hispanic Center found, Latinos who are converting from Catholicism or no religion at all have contributed, with the number of Hispanic Protestants increasing this year from the last by over 7 percent. Catholicism still remains the second largest Christian sect in America, with nearly a quarter — or 23.3 percent — of Americans saying they are Catholics. But, in total, 64 percent of Americans say they believe in the God of the Bible, literally speaking.

When we look at the polling data in totality, as I have in Our Virtuous Republic, we found a general distrust of religious institutions following several, seemingly back-to-back scandals that rocked various church sects, such as Jerry Falwell and Catholic molestation charges. Yet, Americans today or not significantly less likely to say God reflects their values or beliefs, while the claim that secularization is catching fire is widely overblown. Sure, secularization by the American left has made some progress, particularly in public policy. But that doesn’t mean the vast majority of Americans agree with it.

A survey conducted in June, 2013, found that a plurality of Americans – 41 percent – believe that the Supreme Court has been “Too Hostile Towards Religion” and inconsistent with our history, while just 15 percent reported they believe the rulings have been “Too Friendly.” Frank Newport, Gallup Editor-in-Chief, stated Gallup’s findings show that 75 percent in the U.S. say it would be positive for society if religion in American was more prevalent. Yet, 77 percent say they believe religion is losing its influence on American life.

A separate, yet similar, survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports, found a majority of Americans believe public schools have gone too far to remove God, and would favor more religious doctrine in education.

Religion, particularly the Judea-Christian sects, have had an enormous impact on the founding of this nation, including the recognition of Natural Law and principles found in our common law system. The North American continent became an attractive prospect for those who believed in Jesus Christ and the resurrection, but found in the New World what had previously been un-reachable; a society where enlightenment and liberty coexisted with the freedom to worship one’s God how they pleased.

As a result, Judea-Christian tenets and principles make up the very foundation of the American national identity, an identify that data clearly show will not easily be stamped out. And as the various surveys above show, nor will it be the case Jesus, or God generally speaking, will be stamped out anytime soon.

(To read and learn more about religion and America, and the psychological effects of religion on American society, check out Rich’s must-read book on American political philosophy, “Our Virtuous Republic: The Forgotten Clause in the American Social Contract”)

For Easter 2014, we thought it might

Opinion

keystone-xl-pipeline

Nearly thirds of Americans support the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

The White House again postponed their decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline, but this time the project was punted until after the 2014 midterms. Everyday Americans will likely be baffled over the president extending the key decision.

The Keystone pipeline would create jobs, increase revenue and save the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars. Republicans, and even some Democrats, are extremely agitated with the White House.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that this well over five-year long process is continuing for an undetermined amount of time,” Senator Heidi Heitpkamp (D-N.D) stated.

The White House falls short again on yet another promised deadline, with the vast majority of Americans — nearly two-thirds — supporting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, according to a recent ABC News/WaPo poll.

Postponing a decision for political expediency, seems to be a method that the White House employs often, hoping that voters will simply forget about a great economic opportunity that is knocking at their door.

This latest delay only sparks more questions, or rather suspicions. Tom Steyer, a leftist California business man, promised that he would give $50 million of his own money and bundle $50 million more, which could be used for any Democratic campaign that is anti-Keystone XL.

Could this be the true reason behind President Barack Obama’s reason for such delay, as some pundits are pointing out?

Tom Steyer blieves that the carbon dioxide levels are a “ticking time bomb,” but obviously, Mr. Steyer failed to read an alternative report on climate change, rather than regurgitating the UN-IGO version.

What does Steyer lose if the Keystone pipeline deal passes? In the words of Ms. Morissette, “isn’t ironic” that the Department of Energy just approved another $4 billion in so-called “green energy” projects that stand to benefit Steyer and others? Steyer, as well, was a big supporter of the Solyndra fiasco.

Still, in the end, the $100 million in donations will certainly help Democrats’ chances this fall, but ultimately the 2014 electorate must look more like 2012 then 2010.

“This is just another Democratic tactic to gin up traditional Democratic voting blocs, whose turnout levels normally fall short in midterms,” says Senior Political Analyst, Richard Baris. “Last week it was Al Sharpton and NAN, scaring black voters with photo ID laws,” he added. “Next week, they’ll be back to their ‘equal may’ mantra.”

The White House again postponed their decision

Politics

federal land grab

Utah Speaker of the House Becky Lockhart, right, and other western state officials meet to take a stand against long-term federal land grab, Friday, April 18, 2014. from left to right: Mark Blasdel – Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives, Montana Senator Jennifer Fielder, Scott Bedke – Idaho Speaker of the House, and Speaker Lockhart. (Photo: Scott Sommerdorf – The Salt Lake Tribune)

Over fifty state leaders from nine states gathered for the first time Friday to take a stand against a long-term federal land grab following the Nevada ranch standoff. The Salt Lake Tribune reported on the gathering, during which officials explored options to retake control of state resources — such as timber, oil and various minerals — which for all intensive purposes have been seized by the federal government for so-called “public” use.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) attended the meeting and addressed the crowd during lunch, but it was Utah’s state officials who made the headlines.

“Utah has been way ahead on this,” said Montana state Sen. Jennifer Fielder. “We have to start managing these lands. It’s the right thing to do for our people, for our environment, for our economy and for our freedoms.”

Utah House Speaker Becky Lockhart (R-Provo), headed up the press conference with roughly a dozen other state officials at her side. “What’s happened in Nevada is really just a symptom of a much larger problem,” Lockhart told reporters at the press conference.

“It’s simply time,” said Rep. Ken Ivory, a Republican representing West Jordan. Ivory co-organized the Legislative Summit on the Transfer for Public Lands with state Sen. Jennifer Fielder. “The urgency is now,” he added.

Tensions between supporters of state’s rights and big, centralized government officials have been running high and came to a head when Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy took a stand against the Bureau of Land Management. Citing an endangered desert tortoise, the government sought to roundup and remove Bundy’s “trespass cattle” who were grazing on BLM managed land Bundy’s family settled on in the 19th century.

The BLM oversees more than 245 million acres of public lands nationwide, and roughly 48 million acres in the state of Nevada, including the Gold Butte and Lake Mead National Recreation Area Cliven Bundy is currently using to graze his “trespass cattle.”

“It’s time the states in the West come of age,” Idaho Speaker of the House Scott Bedke said. “We’re every bit as capable of managing the lands in our boundaries as the states east of Colorado.”

While many are citing the fact that the federal government controls roughly 85 percent of the land in Nevada, it is a little known how this came to be.

Nevada’s 1864 Constitution cedes rights to in-state public land to the federal government.

“The people inhabiting said territory do agree and declare, that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within said territory, and that the same shall be and remain at the sole and entire disposition of the United States,” the state Constitution says in the ordinance section. The giving up of public land was a direct result of the early Progressive Movement. Western progressive politicians wanting to increase seniority positions in order to secure federal funds supported the logrolling deal to pass the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments.

Because the North and South were happy with their disproportional representation in the Senate, western progressives bribed them with the rights to state public lands. Companies based in the North and South, who were by majority connected to rent-pushing D.C. politicians, were allotted federal funding to manage or extract resources from the land, such as minerals, oil and timber (used for railroads).

 

And the cronyism continues today.

PeoplesPunditDaily.com was able to confirm Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is, in fact, up to his knees in the Nevada land grab. Further, the restriction of land use has nothing to do with a desert tortoise, but rather contracted plans devised long-ago to develop solar farms on the land.

However, these state officials are saying it is time to put an end to centralized control and cronyism. They are arguing that it is time the federal fulfilled the agreement in the 1894 Enabling Act, which was written up when Utah prepared to become a state. But because progressives rose back to power after President Grover Cleveland, they had no intention to make good on those promises.

Over fifty state leaders from nine states

World

Christian persecution in Egypt

Christian persecution in Egypt is on the rise, with young women at higher risk than men.

While millions of Americans are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend, most will not know that Christian persecution in Egypt is on the rise. According to a report by the non-profit advocacy group, International Christian Concern, young Christian women are at greater risk of being kidnapped, tortured and forced to convert to Islam this year as opposed to the last.

Since the so-called Arab Spring ended in 2011, these incidents have grown in frequency. The ICC and other groups in the region estimate that there have been roughly 500 reported cases of young women, alone, being attacked by Muslim men since then. However, unreported cases are frequent and clearly are not reflected in the report.

The young Christian girls are subjected to assault, rape, kidnapping and forced conversion. Sometimes, they are flat-out killed, according to the ICC.

So, what are officials doing to curb the violence and persecution? According to officials from both the ICC and the Clarion Project, which is a US-based non-profit think tank, the answer is nothing.

“Not only are they turning a blind eye, they are often compliant,” said Issac Six, a spokesman for the ICC. He referenced one incident when a young Christian girl’s father was beat up by one officer for simply asking too many questions about what officials have been doing to investigate the abduction of his daughter.

“It’s pervasive; police at the local level are not stopping the abductions. There needs to be more pressure from the top,” he added. “We have seen cases before where we’ve seen victims returned when the police put pressure on the kidnappers. We know it’s possible, unfortunately, the police are often complacent.”

Six added that the problem is largely ignored by the international community and that the U.S. needs to be more vocal about the issue in its dialogue with the Egyptian government.

Amira Hafez Wahib, a 15 year-old Christian girl living in Luxor, never returned to morning prayer service at the local church after asking her mother to quickly pick up an item from a nearby store..

The next day, Amira’s family went to the local police to report her disappearance, but was met with little cooperation since then.

“We received promises from the police here that they would arrest the accused and return Amira to her family, but there is not any positive step from them till now,” said Rafla Zekry Rafla in the report. Rafla is an attorney handling Amira’s case.

Amira, sadly, is still missing, even though her family believes that they know who her kidnapper is. Yasser Mahmoud, a Muslim man and a soldier who was at one time assigned to protect their church, tried to kidnap Amira just a few months earlier at a Christian store near the church where she worked.

The family even tracked down where the man lived with his family, by themselves. Mahmoud’s family told them that they had not seen or heard from him since the very same day that their daughter disappeared. Yet officials have not moved on any of this information.

And the list goes on and on.

Last year, even the Vatican affirmed in a risky recognition that 100,000 Christians are killed each year in the Middle East. When Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tried to raise awareness during the Values Voter Summit last year, he was attacked by a Comedy Central comedian Dean Obeidallah in the Daily Beast. Obeidallah, a Muslim of Palestinian descent, accused the Kentucky conservative of “hate speech” for simply recognizing what even Bob Beckel — a devout liberal and co-host of “The Five” — recognizes, which is that Muslims around the globe persecute Christians.

Obeidallah’s attack prompted PPD to report on the reality of Christian persecution in the Middle East, gauging just how “mainstream” the anti-Christian sentiment in various countries truly is. Obeidallah’s claim that Christian persecution really is just a “few isolated actions by a few Muslims in various countries,” was totally debunked.

The ICC report, as well, suggests that minor incidents are on the rise as well, such as the incident that surrounded a young Christian women who was wearing crosses in public having them violently ripped off their necks. The story harkens back to young Maggie Fazaz, a young Christian girl who had her hair cut after she bumped into a Muslim women on the bus without wearing a veil.

Last August, two Christian women working at a Christian school were groped and assaulted by Islamists. The Daily Mail reported, “dozens of churches, homes and businesses owned by Christians have been attacked and razed to the ground.”

A new poll found that nearly 70 percent of Americans believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days after his crucification. Remember on this Easter holiday that — in Egypt — that could get you killed.

While millions of Americans are celebrating the

Politics

harry reid and Nevada rancher cliven bundy

Harry Reid (left) and Nevada rancher, Cliven Bundy (right). Democratic Majority Leader Reid called Bundy supporters “domestic terrorists.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his supporters are “domestic terrorists,” adding that Bundy does not respect his country or its laws. However, with the help of a friendly national media, Reid continues to boldly weigh-in on the Nevada standoff without having to respond to allegations surrounding his own questionable role in the affair.

While the Las Vegas Journal-Review reported that Reid, the Democrat majority leader, made enflaming comments at the paper-hosted event Thursday, dubbed “Hashtags & Headlines,” not a single question covered his two-front connection to the Bureau of Land Management and a Chinese solar company represented by his son and former Nevada gubernatorial candidate, Rory Reid, which were first raised by InfoWars.com.

“They’re nothing more than domestic terrorists,” Reid boldly stated. “I repeat: what happened there was domestic terrorism.”

The fact that the Las Vegas Journal-Review is still citing the “threatened desert tortoise,” may speak to why Reid chose the venue and was not challenged by reporters.

“Some of the land includes habitat for the threatened desert tortoise, which the federal government is trying to protect by limiting grazing,” wrote Las Vegas Journal-Review reporter, Laura Myers, despite the “save the tortoise” narrative being widely debunked. The Associated Press reported on August 25, 2013, that the desert tortoise, with a life span of 100-plus years, was being euthanized as a matter of public policy.

With the desert tortoise removed as a potential motive for the Bureau of Land Management to restrict public land use in and around Gold Butte and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, investigative journalists are left with Senator Harry Reid and his long history of funneling money to family.

In 2003, The Los Angeles Times reported on a Clark County land bill, which was passed in a late-night session in the dead of night when taxpayers were sleeping. “The Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002” secured an astronomical amount of legislative rents, or pork, for real estate developers, corporations and local institutions that were all paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees to his sons’ and son-in-law’s firms.

More recently, in late March, 2014, Reid was visibly annoyed by reporters when he was forced to answer questions about an illegal $9,064 payment back in December 2012, which was made to “Ryan Elisabeth,” a.k.a. Ryan Elisabeth Reid, his granddaughter.

But it was a land deal in 2012 between Clark County and ENN Energy Group, a Chinese solar energy company represented by Rory Reid, which is of relevance to the Nevada rancher, Cliven Bundy. The land was appraised at $38.6 million, but thanks to Rory Reid being the son of one of the most powerful men in Washington, D.C., as well as the single-most powerful man in Clark County poltics, the Chinese made out like bandits, agreeing to pay just $4.5 million.

Enter Cliven Bundy, who owns what the BLM has dubbed “trespass cattle” currently threatening ENN and other public lands “managed” by the Bureau for the purposes of implementing the “Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States” scheme, which includes the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone, property BLM documents specifically state are occupied by the Nevada rancher. Documents that have now been pulled from BLM.gov stated, “Non-governmental organizations (a.k.a. ENN Energy Group) have expressed concern” that plans for solar farm development were “not durable with the presence of trespass cattle,” i.e. Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy.

In other words, the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone would remain an elitist idea unless Bundy and his cattle were dealt with, which brings us back to Reid and his established connection to the Bureau of Land Management.

On April 9, just a few short days before the roundup, Harry Reid pushed through the Senate confirmation of his former senior advisor, Neil Kornze. By a 71 – 28 vote, Kornze was approved and quickly took the helm at the Bureau of Land Management. The agency oversees more than 245 million acres of public lands nationwide, and roughly 48 million acres in the state of Nevada, including the Gold Butte and Lake Mead National Recreation Area Cliven Bundy is currently using to graze his “trespass cattle.”

And the rest is history.

Thus far, Harry Reid had remained relatively unscathed by this information, largely because the Las Vegas Journal-Review and others are still claiming the “BLM long ago revoked Bundy’s grazing rights on that land after citing concern for a federally protected tortoise.” Yet, both the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Land Management have confirmed that tortoise-related rules have been waved numerous times for solar and wind projects, and the BLM as recently as last fall killed hundreds of the supposedly “protected tortoise.”

Some supposed journalists have even gone so far as to claim the nearly $5 million dollar project wasn’t a big deal because it had been shelved, suspiciously just in time for the military-like assault on the Bundy ranch.

The connection between said solar schemes and Harry Reid is evident from his attendance at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new solar project just a few days ago. But while Mr. Reid with shovel in-hand was digging at the surface of the Nevada desert, we were digging in to these allegations. And PeoplesPunditDaily.com will continue to investigate this story further until Americans can definitely draw a conclusion. 

In the meantime, the attacks on Cliven Bundy will only serve to further fan the flames of outrage from those on both the right and middle of the political spectrum, who feel increasingly alienated by Reid and other big government politicos, in general.

“Well, I guess he’s right,” Bundy told Eric Bolling Thursday. “I don’t know what else we’d be. We’re definitely citizens riled up. I don’t know whether you could call us terrorists. There are the most loving people here I’ve ever met in my life.”

Yet Reid wants the public to see it his way, despite the behind-the-scenes backstory.

“They had sniper rifles in the freeway. They had weapons, automatic weapons. They had children lined up. They wanted to make sure they got hurt first … What if others tried the same thing?” Reid said, suggesting American citizens who exercise their right to bear arms are dangerous to the community. However, as previously reported by PeoplesPunditDaily.com, the Bundy ranch standoff occurred amid reports of excessive arming among federal agencies who traditionally are not seen in a law enforcement light.

Coupled with a sentiment that the Democrat Senate Majority Leader is collaborating with foreign governments to subvert the citizenry, the absence of journalists willing to pursue the truth may just aid in bringing about a most-undesirable conclusion to this story.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday

News

BREAKING: :The U.S. Geological Survey said a powerful earthquake rocked Mexico Friday, calculating its magnitude at 7.5. Officials said the earthquake was centered near the getaway resort of Acapulco, where many Mexicans and some foreigners are currently vacationing for the Easter holiday and Spring break.

A reporter for the Associated Press who was on-scene said it was strong in the resort city where vacationers flocked, but fortunately there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake rocked Mexico City for at least 30 seconds, officials said, and buildings were swaying back-and-forth. People attempted to vacate high rises, opting instead for the safer ground-level streets. Fortunately, because of Easter, the city was not as crowded as it typically would be during Spring break.

The U.S. Geological Survey noted that — due to its location and muddy sentiment beneath the buildings — Mexico City is vulnerable to earthquakes. In 1985, a magnitude-8.1 quake killed approximately 6,000 people and demolished buildings in Mexico City, which is actually centered nearly 250 miles away on the Pacific Coast.

BREAKING: :The U.S. Geological Survey said a

US

Christian radio broadcaster James Dobson

Christian radio broadcaster and president of Family Talk, James Dobson. (Photo: Denver Post)

Christian radio broadcaster James Dobson has been granted a temporary injunction, which, for now will give his ministry a reprieve from the federal government forcing them to include the morning-after pill in its health insurance as part of the ObamaCare contraception mandate.

A federal judge in Denver granted the injunction Thursday.

Dobson filed the lawsuit back in December, arguing the contraception mandate included in the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, forces him to provide specific contraception that violates the his religious beliefs. The Colorado Springs-based ministry, Family Talk, will now be a part of a movement involving other, larger legal challenges currently being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court is now considering the case brought by Hobby Lobby and other employers. On March 25, the high court heard arguments in the long-awaited Hobby Lobby contraception case, which is the highest-profile lawsuit over ObamaCare since the Supreme Court narrowly upheld the law in 2012.

“This is about whether the federal government is forcing people to violate their own faith,” said Texas Senator Ted Cruz, while joining activists.

A recent survey found that the majority of Americans oppose the contraception mandate imposed on businesses by the president’s health care law. While 51 percent oppose the idea of mandating businesses to provide contraception, just 38 percent say they agree with it. A plurality, 49 percent, said they favor a religious exemption from the mandate in a separate survey.

Dobson is the founder and president of Family Talk, a ministry with a nationally syndicated radio show, newsletter and website. Prior to founding Family Talk, Dobson founded the conservative Focus on the Family ministries, which he left in 2010 for Family Talk. According to he lawsuit filings, the ministry has 28 full-time employees.

Christian radio broadcaster James Dobson has been

Markets, Opinion

regulations

The Obama administration has called for more regulations on private industry this year. In fact, as first reported by CNSNews.com, the Obama administration was 153.2 percent higher in his first term than during the first five years of the Bush administration, according to data from the Heritage Foundation.

The net result has been lower wages, lower productivity, less jobs and no increase in safety or quality of product. While this White House calls for higher wages, their actual policies are driving them down, making it harder for people to find jobs.

Maybe we can convince Team Obama to regulate themselves a little bit.

It’s important to understand the difference between regulations and laws. Laws are basic and necessary to the function of society. Laws, I’m talking about, are laws against murder, fraud and thievery. Regulations and oversight are different. These are rules by which a business operates on a day-to-day business. Government seeks to increase regulations and oversight in an effort to increase the safety and efficacy of businesses.

It has the opposite effect, unfortunately.

As you increase regulations and rules on a business, or an industry, you limit the ability of small business to compete with the larger companies. Larger businesses have teams of lawyers and analysts at their disposal to review and coordinate the business around these rules. Smaller businesses, which operate on tighter profit margins, can’t afford these luxuries and so cannot start up new competing businesses or must close altogether. If they are able to survive, they do so at a lower profit margin and so must hire fewer people and limit expansion. This reduces competition against the “big boys,” stifles creativity and keeps prices high.

It also actually increases criminal activity, fraud and dishonest business practices.

As a business is forced to run their operation by tighter restrictions, larger businesses hire analysts and experts to find ways around the law in order to maintain profitability. This in turn causes a business to cut corners and costs in places it probably shouldn’t, resulting in lower quality goods at higher prices.

The securities industry is one of the most highly regulated and overseen businesses in the country. Yet, it didn’t stop Bernie Madoff from ripping off billions of dollars from investors. More regulation and oversight would not have stopped him; criminals will always find a way around the law. However, more regulation will only make it more difficult for an honest businessperson to operate profitably, thus driving the gap between what crooks can offer and what an honest businessperson can offer to compete.

Free market economics force the makers of shoddy goods off the market since consumers will naturally gravitate toward higher quality products. Of course, a free market must be combined with the enforcement of basic societal laws. It’s against the law to kill people with tainted food, but we don’t need more rules and regulations that quash competition and increase costs. If a charge of manslaughter is not going to deter shoddy products, a large fine certainly won’t provide any more disincentives.

Take a look at beef, pork, shrimp and egg prices over the last five years. The USDA, FDA and BLM have made such onerous rules that it’s becoming impossible to turn a profit. One of the reasons Mr. Bundy up in Nevada is refusing to pay grazing fees to the BLM is that, if he did, he would have to operate under such restrictive guidelines he could not operate his business profitably any longer.

Chinese goods are made under some of the strictest government controls in the world. They are heavily monitored and restricted. Yet the incidence of shoddy and dangerous goods is absurdly high compared to their American counterparts. Why? This is because Chinese manufacturers routinely bribe inspectors and circumvent regulations in an effort to maintain profitability.

The answer to fraud and criminality is to make the marketplace free so that businesses can operate profitably. Thousands of businesses around the country operate on a daily basis in an honest and ethical manner. They want to not because of government regulation, but rather because they seek to gain more customers by offering quality products. Businesses that injure or rip off their customers don’t last long in a free and open marketplace. However they thrive in a heavily regulated and monitored environment.

The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.

Thomas Purcell is a nationally syndicated columnist,  host of the Liberty Never Sleeps podcast hour, and author of “Shotgun Republic.”

As you increase regulations and rules on

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