Fwd: Ahead of Key Kabul Meeting, Clinton Woos Pakistan With Aid, But Wants More Counter-Terror Measures

Today's Headlines Monday, July 19, 2010

Ahead of Key Kabul Meeting, Clinton Woos Pakistan With Aid, But Wants More Counter-Terror Measures (CNSNews.com) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai's plans to reconcile with elements among the Taliban will take center stage in Kabul Tuesday, when the world's foreign ministers meet to discuss the country's future... Maryland Becomes Second State to Offer Federally Funded Abortions under Obamacare (CNSNews.com) - Maryland will join Pennsylvania as the second state to use federal tax dollars to pay for abortions under the new health care law signed by President Barack Obama in March, according to information released by Maryland's State Health Insurance Plan... New Regulations Outline Content, Transmission Standards for Every Americans' Electronic Health Records (CNSNews.com) – New regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday outline federal standards for the electronic health records that every American must have by 2014... Obama to GOP: Restore Unemployment Benefits Now Washington (AP) - President Barack Obama took aim at Republican lawmakers Monday, accusing them of holding the public hostage to Washington politics by blocking extended unemployment benefits for millions of out of work Americans... Pro-Lifers Win a Round in Health Care Overhaul Washington (AP) - Abortion foes have scored a victory and traditional allies of the Obama administration are grumbling about a decision to ban most abortion coverage in insurance pools for those unable to purchase health care on their own... CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Mikulski Says Senators Will Question Recess-Appointed Berwick at His Confirmation Hearings Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D.-Md.) told CNSNews.com that senators will question Dr. Donald Berwick during his confirmation hearings--even though Berwick was given a recess appointment by President Obama... OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES GOP Lawmakers Say US Is Backing Draft Kenyan Constitution That Expands Access to Abortion Accusing US of Backing Terror Group, Ahmadinejad Says He Will File Int'l Complaint Over Bombing Judge Extends Order Blocking Oklahoma Abortion Law Islamic Revolutionary Guard Firm Pulls Out of Gas Deal Surprise SC Senate Candidate Makes First Speech Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  COMMENTARY Gitmo, Free Markets and Red Tape By Rich Tucker It's all downhill from here for fans of irony. We've already enjoyed the most ironic news story of the year... A Libertarian's Misplaced Attack on the Constitution By Ken Connor American conservatives are generally associated with a "strict constructionist" view of the U.S. Constitution. They believe America's founding legal document should be interpreted in accordance with the original intent of the Framers when the document was ratified by the original States...

Fwd: National Security Update – Government Contracting for National Security: Tapping Into “The Most Vibrant, Exciting, Capable Private Sector in History”

heritage.org | Heritage research | Blog |                         July 19, 2010 Issue in Depth: Private Contracting Contracts are at the center of our nation, after all the U.S. Constitution is a contract between the government and its people. In the midst of two wars, government contracting into the private sector now serves vital roles. They provide our troops with the most innovative technologies as well as supply extra manpower on the ground both at home and abroad. Responsible contracting will require the government to maintain experienced, fully equipped, and trained contracting officers to effectively carry out their jobs. Nevertheless, the continuous push for increased regulations and oversight of the contracting process are having undesired effects. These efforts are doing nothing but adding more bureaucracy while creating a risk-averse environment that stifles creativity and innovation. Making sure that contracting is done right goes to the heart of our democracy. The purpose of a budget is to serve the people. If the government is not being a careful steward of taxpayer dollars through contracting than democracy is at risk. Please see our most recent research on responsible contracting in this week's National Security Update. Latest Research: The Heritage Foundation: Responsible Contracting: Modernizing the Business of Government for National Security Getting contracting right is a fundamental responsibility of good governance—essential to the practice of limited government and fiscal responsibility. It is particularly important in regard to contracting in support of national security activities. Our men and women in uniform who enter harm's way to protect our liberties and freedom deserve the best support we can give them. The Heritage Foundation: Defense Spending Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: Hype, Reality, and Real Solutions Eliminating misspent defense dollars is frequently cited as a remedy for reducing military spending. Such proposals ignore the fact that eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse has historically proven to be a relatively modest source of savings compared to the overall defense budget. In addition, substantial programs already exist to root out unnecessary spending. The Heritage Foundation: Congressional Restraint is Key to Successful Defense Acquisition Reform Everybody concerned should focus on the single most important goal of defense acquisition reform: providing U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines with the most effective weapons and equipment as soon as possible. During this time of war, they are putting their lives on the line for the security of the nation every day. Government leaders in both the executive and legislative branches have a duty to them to give them the best possible chance of surviving the battlefield while fulfilling their assigned missions. The Heritage Foundation: New START: Beyond the Rhetoric In the wake of controversy over private military contracting, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 established the Commission on Wartime Contracting to investigate the issue. The commission is expected to issue an interim report The recently inked United States-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) has ignited the op-ed pages of prominent newspapers and Web sites across the country over the last few days. The Senate much now reflect on the value of the arms control pact - which that legislative body musy decide to ratify or not - to American national security. More Blogs and Commentary: The Heritage Foundation: Contracting in Combat: Advice for the Commission on Wartime Contracting In the wake of controversy over private military contracting, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 established the Commission on Wartime Contracting to investigate the issue. The commission is expected to issue an interim report in 2009 and a final report in 2010. The commission should promote recommendations to improve the government's capacity to make and oversee contracts in an "expeditionary" wartime environment, advocate a more robust and capable contracting force, and propose better doctrine and management processes for deciding when hiring contractors to support military operations is most useful. The Foundry: Towards a More Efficient Military If you've ever waited in line at the DMV or tried to contact the IRS for help with your taxes, you're no doubt aware that government bureaucracies tend to be inefficient. Well, the same thing holds true in the military. The Foundry: New START's Many Problems: What the Experts Say Compiled below are comments made by various experts regarding the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Be sure to follow our continuing coverage of the New START and the impact it will have on America's security.   More Events: July 19, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.  Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Will Obama's Arms Control Agenda Stop With New START? Join us as Henry D. Sokolski shares his findings from his just completed Council on Foreign Relations Working Paper, Controlling the Further Spread of Nuclear Weapons, which offers a critique of our current arms control strategy. July 20, 2010, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Stopping Terrorists at the Front Door: How the Visa Waiver Program Enhances U.S. Security Join us as panelists Marc Frey and C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. discuss the security benefits as well as the future of the Visa Waiver Program. July 28, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Keeping America Free, Safe, and Prosperous: Counterterrorism in the Obama Administration Join us as Representative Peter King (R-NY) addresses counterterrorism in the Obama Administration and the future of homeland security.  Copyright All Rights Reserved © 2009, The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400

Fwd: Morning Bell: What's Attorney General Holder Hiding?

07/19/2010 What's Attorney General Holder Hiding? Imagine arriving at your neighborhood polling place on Election Day and seeing two men guarding the entrance, dressed in paramilitary uniforms, wielding a deadly billy club, shouting racial epitaphs and menacing voters. Would you walk through the door? Now imagine political appointees in the Department of Justice (DOJ) refusing to pursue the case, the U.S. Attorney General stonewalling and refusing to enforce lawful subpoenas in the face of questions about that decision, and the mainstream media remaining silent on the story for a year. This isn't a case of pure imagination. This is, in a nutshell, the true story of the New Black Panther (NBPP) voter intimidation case, and it's one dramatic example of the increased politicization of the Department of Justice under Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama's administration. The story begins on Election Day 2008 in Philadelphia, when two Panthers engaged in a "textbook case of voter intimidation" in violation of the 1965 Voter Rights Act. Their actions were caught on video, and witnesses offered sworn statements that one of the Panthers called poll watchers a "white devil" and a "cracker" who would be "ruled by the black man." Enter the DOJ in early January 2009, which sued the two Panthers, the head of the national NBPP and the party itself (on the grounds that it endorsed the intimidation in Philadelphia and planned to deploy 300 of its members on Election Day, as The Weekly Standard reports). The defendants didn't respond to the lawsuit, the DOJ won a default judgment against them, and it appeared to be an open and shut case - until Obama's political appointees got their hands on it.