Mike Donnelly, an attorney with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) reports home schoolers in Germany are persecuted for their efforts.  Many German families home school in secret. If discovered, parents can be fined thousands of dollars, lose their personal property, face jail time, or even have their children taken from them.

In Switzerland, several cantons are following Germany’s example of severely restricting home schooling.

Read the alarming OneNewsNow account here.

Meanwhile, LifeSiteNews reports that a Brazilian family has been convicted by a second civil court in Brazil for home schooling their children, despite passing government-imposed tests that teachers admitted they could not pass themselves.

The three judge panel in the court of second instance refused even to examine the test results, which give a passing grade to both of their sons for a series of highly rigorous tests on a variety of subjects, including mathematics, geography, science, history, Portuguese, English, arts, and physical education.

“We cannot even allow the examination here of the quality of education that is being given at home, because home schooling never can be substituted for regular instruction,” said a member of the panel. The tests were ordered by a criminal judge who is trying the same case in his own court.

Americans should remain vigilant as these intrusions on parental rights are backed by courts in other nations.

      

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2009 Pullen kicks off bid for re-election: Let’s build on our successes, says Chairman Phoenix, AZ—Randy Pullen today officially kicked-off his bid for re-election as Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, calling on the state’s 1,018 State Committeemen and State Committeewomen to join him in building on the successes of 2008 in [...]

This just in from a source. The AG just laid off huge swaths of the office in anticipation of budget cuts. They were announced today and I think laid off on Monday. My best guestimate would be 80-90 people. In... Greg Patterson

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has an interesting study on the religious breakdown of the 111th Congress.

Using data for Congress from Congressional Quarterly, the Pew study shows Catholics to be the single largest religious group, accounting for 30 percent of lawmakers who take office today.

Protestants, collectively, are broken into more than a dozen denominations, including Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. They constitute 51.3 percent of the U.S. adult population, compared with 24 percent of all the U.S. population who profess to be Catholic.

The study, entitled “Faith on the Hill,” shows the 111th Congress to be the most diverse in more than half a century and finds that Catholics, Jews, and Mormons are among religious groups better represented in Congress than in the nation as a whole.

The entire article, complete with charts, is available here. The study provides an interesting snapshot of congressional representation — viewing elected officials from a different, more personal perspective — yet one that deeply impacts the lives, and perhaps the votes, of many.

      

Jan Brewer is going to be Governor in 2 weeks and let me be the first to say that she's also going to be Governor in two years. The advantages of incumbency are so huge--think Napolitano over Munsil, Hull over... Greg Patterson

Thanks to a new EU rule, British "authorities" are now free to root around in the computers of their subjects, and they only have to come up with the flimsiest of excuses in order to do so.

Actually, since it's an EU directive, any country in the EU is free to dispatch its police to muck around in the hard drives of any of its member nations' citizens.

"Under the Brussels edict, police across the EU have been given the green light to expand the implementation of a rarely used power involving warrantless intrusive surveillance of private property"

Who wants to bet that it won't be "rarely used" from now on? Governments have rarely if ever been granted a power that they didn't immediately abuse.

Here's the incredibly low threshold that must be met in order to allow the warrantless secret searches:

"A remote search can be granted if a senior officer says he “believes” that it is “proportionate” and necessary to prevent or detect serious crime — defined as any offence attracting a jail sentence of more than three years."

The operative word in that statement is "prevent". By definition, that means that no crime has been committed, yet the cops are still apparently empowered to conduct these searches, in some kind of random casting about for "maybe going to be committed someday" acts.

That means, if I've got this correctly, that if some cop in charge "believes" that he can "prevent" some nebulous unnamed crime by intruding into someone's personal life, even with no evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing by that user, then he can invoke this rule and everything will be nice and legal.

The only problem with that is, of course you can prevent crimes by randomly searching thousands and thousands of computers for the one that's being used (or potentially going to be used) for criminal activity. One can also accomplish much the same results by searching thousands and thousands of houses as well. Is that level of intrusiveness next to be approved by Brussels? After all, it's the logical next step, as wrong as it is.

Fortunately for U.S. citizens, we defeated that kind of scheme in this country back in 1993. Does anyone remember Bill Clinton's famous Clipper Chip, which would have allowed back-door access into any American computer by law enforcement? That sort of hardware would have made it much easier on the Europeans of today, who apparently aren't above committing hacker crimes in order to gain access to their targets:

"Police might also send an e-mail to a suspect’s computer. The message would include an attachment that contained a virus or “malware”. If the attachment was opened, the remote search facility would be covertly activated."

Any Americans still wish to be in some kind of world government after hearing about this kind of nonsense?

Residents of England who still care about their privacy, I suggest you decline to open attachments from anyone you don't trust, and immediately employ an encryption solution in order to protect your personal information from being hoovered up by some nosy gendarme who simply feels like doing so. I use and recommend Cryptainer, which is inexpensive and offers the strongest levels of encryption available, as well as being incredibly easy to use (Just don't lose your passphrase, or you're toast). They even offer a free version to try (No, I don't have any financial interest in the product. I just think it works great).

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

The Washington Times reports.  After their recent defeats in California, Florida, and Arizona, “gay marriage” proponents have decided to go after “low hanging fruit” by targeting New England states.  Since Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only states currently recognizing same-sex marriage, these radical activists hope to institute same-sex marriage in six more Northeastern states by the year 2012.  Supporters of traditional marriage will need to be active and vigilant to head off this threat.

 

HT: FRC

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

House Minority Leader John Boehner is upset about proposed rules changes which would make it virtually impossible for the minority to have any voice or input.  Excerpt from Boehner’s article at Red State:

 

President-elect Obama has called for Congress to move quickly and in a bipartisan fashion on legislation to help our economy get back on track. The Democratic majority in Congress has responded by proposing to revoke key elements of the Contract with America — reforms put in place as part of the Contract in 1995 to make Congress more transparent and accountable to the people it serves.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Our friends at FRC are circulating a petition to Chairman Obey to encourage him to preserve important pro-life riders which prevent your tax dollars from supporting abortions.  Tell Congress you don’t want your tax dollars used to support abortion.

The AZ spring gala is coming up on March 7th. Contact AZRTL if you are interested in buying a table. Tables are $1350 each and seat 10. With a prolife governor in office, this is going to be a good year for life.

Mesa City Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh seeks to create a domestic-partner registry for unmarried couples — using the subterfuge of hospital visitations to further his scheme..

Apparently Kavanaugh hasn’t heard about documents that any persons can sign authorizing visitations to non-family members.

The fallacy is that this is necessary. It is desired by the LGBT community to give veracity to their mythical claim that they, like Blacks before them, are being denied basic civil rights. For those who feel the need, preparation of simple and inexpensive documents such as notarized power of attorney, contracts, a will or living will, address a variety of matters with expediency.

This is a ruse to undercut the will of the voters who overwhelming rejected same-sex marriage in the recent November 4, election.

Kavanaugh said he could not cite any cases in Mesa where domestic partners were barred from a health-care facility. But that has been a problem nationally, he said.

Read the daily’s report here.

      

Click to enlarge

By Tom Patterson

As Janet Napolitano leaves Arizona for greener pastures, we should acknowledge that she was an innovative governor who changed the culture of her office. But not in a good way.

NapolitanoHer predecessors recognized the need for responsible management of the budget. Napolitano's reaction to both lean and fat budget years was basically the same: spend, spend, and spend some more. The result is Arizona's huge budget deficit.

Napolitano also earned the dubious distinction of being the first Arizona governor to introduce debt to balance general fund budgets. Debt for operating expenses is wildly imprudent and unconstitutional to boot.

Governors typically employ staff to work with the Legislature on pending legislation. Napolitano, though, repeatedly claimed that she didn't comment on legislation until it "hit her desk." This fomented a needlessly confrontational relationship between the branches of government.

Napolitano also set veto records. Vetoes may occasionally be necessary, but they are a poor substitute for good communication and at least trying to work together.

Unfortunately, Napolitano was so popular with the media that she was largely excused for such antics as intimidating a state commission into illegally changing "Squaw Peak" to "Piestewa Peak." She was allowed to hijack money meant for other projects to fund the Western States Climate Initiative. She got by with claiming credit for the positive effects of tax cuts she had fought against.

Incoming governor Jan Brewer should move aggressively and conspicuously to restore sound practices to the office. We don't want the legacy of the past six years to become the Arizona way.

Tom Patterson is Chairman of the Goldwater Institute, former state Senate Majority Leader, and an emergency room physician. A longer version of this article originally appeared in the East Valley Tribune.

Happy New Year from all of us at CAP! Every year brings change, and 2009 is a perfect example with an anticipated new Arizona governor and a new President.

At Center for Arizona Policy, we’re ready to roll! As the New Year begins, we launch a new look with a new logo and a new website. Our revamped website will bring you the latest news updates daily on issues of importance to our families and a special new feature – “Myth Buster.”

Our “Family Facts” updates now will reach you weekly on Fridays and be titled “5 Minutes for Families.” Additionally, we’ll send out Breaking News and Action Alerts when necessary. For those who participate in our Community Action Network or intercessory prayer network, you’ll still get those regular updates.

Though the look has changed, our mission remains the same. More than ever before, CAP will be “Protecting the Family and Preserving the Future.” Simply put, CAP protects and defends the family by influencing policy, communicating truth, and equipping citizens to promote timeless family values.

Next monday, the Arizona Legislative Session begins a new session. Please join us for a special time of prayer at noon this Saturday January 10th at the State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington. Let’s gather to lift up our state, our country, our leaders, and our families in prayer. Throughout the legislative session, you can expect CAP to be at the Capitol, encouraging lawmakers to pass bills that protect our families and uphold our values.

To keep informed during these exciting times, stay updated by reading our 5 Minutes for Families and forwarding them to your friends and family. I challenge each of you to stay informed about the policies that are affecting our families, our children, and our future. With your help and the Lord’s guidance, 2009 will be a great year for Arizona families!

Apparently Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife attempted to go see the new Brad Pitt movie in Delaware last Saturday night, only to be turned away because the theater had already sold out.

Why is this news? That's how things are supposed to work in this country, where we don't have royalty that's allowed to rudely brush by the peasants and grab the best seats in the house, forcing the poor ticketholders to see a later showing.

To their credit, the Bidens didn't try to weasel their way in by playing the "Don't you know who we are?" card, although that would have probably worked on the hyperventilating manager:

"'I was a little excited -- I'm not gonna lie,' said Muhamut, a 21-year-old senior at West Chester University. 'The Secret Service guy told me to calm down.'"

Dear God. They're just ordinary people the same as you, dear.

Hopefully the couple will arrive a little bit earlier the next time they decide to take in a flick, so that they won't be thwarted by the same situation. I know how frustrating it can be to get up for a movie, only to have to settle for a different one because I procrastinated and didn't get there on time.

Mesa City Councilman, Dennis Kavanaugh, has requested the Mesa city attorney to draft an ordinance that will keep a list of couples who are not married but desire the city to keep track of their relationship(s). (Arizona Republic) Following in the footsteps of the City of Phoenix, homosexual and straight unmarried couples would submit their names [...]

Yesterday, Jack Bauer endorsed Exurbanleague in the 2008 Weblog Awards.

Today, we pick up another key endorsement.

My mom wants you to vote for us.


At least, I think she does. It's been a few years since we've talked. Restraining orders have such a chilling effect on familial relationships...

"I am profoundly troubled that the call of this council, issued nearly four days ago, for an end to the violence has gone unheeded,"

UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon, impotently raging against the fact that Israel is finally putting an end to the constant rocket and mortar barrage from Gaza that has killed so many of its innocent citizens.

Considering the fact that groups such as Hamas has never paid one bit of attention to his organization's pronouncements, I'm wondering why he's so surprised.

Here's some more from the would-be "world leader":

"'Even as this crisis rages, let us never forget the underlying issue: there must be an end to occupation, an end to conflict, and the creation of a Palestinian State,' he said. 'Let us not lose sight of our goal: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.'"

That's great and all, except for the fact that the religous fanatics who rule Gaza have stated unequivocally that they won't stop until Israel is wiped off the face of the earth, and the fact that there is no Palestine and no Palestinians, only a mostly Jordanian population that no other Arab country wants to have as citizens because they are so completely useless, except for throwing rocks and chanting slogans. Even Yasser Arafat himself was nothing more than an Egyptian carpetbagger who excelled at stirring up trouble in the region.

It's obvious, as is sadly all too true throughout history, that the Jewish people are going to have to defend themselves from savage attacks, instead of waiting for someone in "authority" to come and discipline the aggressors. I'm not Jewish, but I'm quite proud that my country is backing Israel's defense of itself so completely.

PREDICTIONS BY 'THE GHOST'…………..2009




NOTE: "The Ghost" has the flu so I am posting this....


National Predictions:

The RNC will not pander to the media’s call for more diversity in the GOP and will vote in another white guy as its Chairman.

The new white Chairman of the RNC will pander to the media while pleading for more minority participation and visibility within the GOP.

The GOP will appear as stupid and racist as ever. Perception may not be reality but it sure says a lot about you. Dare I say it………. “Yes, honey, that dress makes you look fat…….. Yes, GOP members, RNC Chairman hopeful Chip Saltsman’s CD with the song, Barack the Magic Negro, makes you look racist, insensitive, home-schooled, ignorant, Southern, stupid, really old, really angry, elitist, scared and pure white.”

Michael Steele will continue his God-given mission to give the GOP a huge dose of much needed radical honesty. Thank you Jesus.

More Fortune-500 corporations will bully the “free market” into lobbying for additional corporate welfare.

Bush’s White House cabinet members will suddenly find themselves reaping millions of dollars in windfall profits from defense contractors.

Bush will do a little “consulting” for the Carlyle Group.

Blagojevich has a lot more to say about Chi-town politicians now working in Washington D.C.
There will be another Monica Lewinsky but not another blue dress.


Local Predictions:

1. New Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, will surround herself with young, enthusiastic and common-sense Republicans. You go girl.

2. Jan Brewer will not bow to the demands nor cop the attitude of the Haneyites. You go girl.
3. Current AZ GOP Chairman Randy Pullen is going, going, gone.
4. Rob Haney will spontaneously combust.
5. Sam Crump will set his sights on Washington D.C. and then spontaneously combust when he realizes that he can’t get elected to D.C. via Arizona or California.

6. No one will read Bob Haran’s blog except for those few that he has offered to “take to the desert”……just in case he sets a date for the beat-down.

7. New Desert Ridge Justice of the Peace, Clancy Jayne, becomes a bigger media darling than Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Judge Jayne is offered a multi-year seven-figure deal to star in his own reality show. He bids a fond farewell to his people in DV.

8. Carl Seel does NOT win the Freshman Legislator of the Year award. However, he does win the “Most Lunches Eaten Alone” award.

9. BFFs Sam Crump and Carl Seel appeal to Judge Clancy Jayne for an annulment of their short term relationship. Seel claims that Crump really is a RINO-lover when they had ONLY agreed to be RHINO-lovers.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kim Sabow
January 5, 2009


Brewer Names Richard Bark
As Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy;
Selects Joseph Kanefield as General Counsel

PHOENIX – Secretary of State Jan Brewer today announced other additions to her senior staff, naming Richard Bark as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Mr. Bark will serve as chief policy advisor for the Brewer Administration, overseeing the development and implementation of the incoming Governor’s policy initiatives. Additionally, Brewer selected Joseph Kanefield as her General Counsel. Mr. Kanefield will provide direct legal advice to the governor, provide legal analysis of all legislation to be signed by the governor as well as draft executive orders.

“My top priority is to assemble the best possible team to tackle the dire situation that the state is facing,” stated Brewer. “I am thrilled and honored to add Mr. Bark and Mr. Kanefield to my senior staff.”

According to Brewer, Bark and Kanefield—both accomplished attorneys-- will work together in many areas. “Both of these gentlemen will play key roles in my judicial appointments and in areas of constitutional law,” Brewer said. “The State of Arizona will be well served by their legal acumen.”

Richard A. Bark has served in both the public and private sectors during his 20-year legal and public policy career. Most recently, he has practiced law as a partner in the Phoenix law firm of Gallagher & Kennedy. Prior to his time with Gallagher & Kennedy, Bark served as Director of Policy for the Majority in the Arizona House of Representatives and as Counsel to the Majority in the Arizona Senate.

“Mr. Bark is a very well known and well respected long-time policy expert who will be a valuable asset to the State of Arizona,” stated Brewer.

Bark received a B.S. degree from Arizona State University and a law degree from Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School. During his schooling, Bark interned at the Arizona State Senate and worked at the Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts for two years. He has been a member of the State Bar of Arizona since 1991.

Joe Kanefield has served for five years as Secretary of State Brewer’s State Election Director. Kanefield began his service to the state in 1989 at the Department of Revenue. He then joined the Attorney General’s Office under Grant Woods in 1995. During his ten-year tenure at the AG’s Office, Mr. Kanefield served as the attorney for Secretary of State Betsey Bayless in election matters. He has argued cases before the Arizona Supreme Court, Arizona Court of Appeals and the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also appeared as counsel of record before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the State of Arizona in the private schools tuition tax credit case, Hibbs v. Winn.

“Mr. Kanefield has an outstanding legal mind, and his years of service working directly with State officials and the Legislature will be essential as we move forward in tackling the major challenges we face,” stated Brewer.

Kanefield currently serves as the Second Vice President of the State Bar of Arizona Board of Governors. He teaches election law at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College Of Law and has written several articles on Arizona election law for the Arizona Attorney magazine. He received a B.S. degree in economics from Arizona State University and a law degree from the University of Arizona. He has been a member of the State Bar of Arizona since 1994.