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The Smoking Gun has produced court documents telling us that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, producer of the movie Innocence of Muslims, partnered with Eiad Salameh and that Nakoula was finally caught in 2009 for his role in a check-kiting ring that stole over $870,000 from six financial institutions by using stolen Social Security numbers and identities. In this, we will show how this story is mired in FBI failure and the Eiad connection is crucial in unraveling more facts to this story, since many of his dealings with Nakoula can tell us more about his true motives. After all, Eiad Salameh...

Michael Schuttloffel. Topeka, Kan., Apr 25, 2012 / 04:04 am (CNA).- A proposed ordinance in Hutchinson, Kansas could force individuals and institutions – including Catholic churches – to host and participate in events that violate Church teachings on sexuality. “As far as individuals go, there doesn't seem to be any likelihood that there will be a protection or an exemption for them,” said Kansas Catholic Conference Executive Director Michael Schuttloffel, addressing a proposal to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in the city of Hutchinson.“As far as religious institutions, that will depend entirely on what sort of exemption –...

The culture war might be likened to fighting a war against a coalition of powers. Imagine WWI-style trench warfare on a long front. In the center of the enemy lines are the forces of moral relativism. These forces oppose the idea that there is a universal moral law. On one flank are the forces of the sexual revolution, including gays, feminists, adulterers, the promiscuous, and the pro-abortion folks. On the other flank are the cultural relativists, and multiculturalists. This camp opposes the ideas of truth, beauty, and intrinsic quality. It seeks to suppress the literary, philosophical, and artistic heritage of...

The idea of such a bank has been around since the 1990s but has never gained significant attention until now. In March a bipartisan bill was introduced in the Senate that gained the support of the US Chamber of Commerce, America’s leading business lobby, and the AFL-CIO, the country’s largest labor federation — two groups on opposite sides of most debates. The BUILD Act, proposed by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Kay Hutchinson, R-Texas, and Mark Warner, D-Va., would create a national infrastructure bank that would provide loans and loan guarantees to encourage private investment in upgrading America’s infrastructure. There are...

Several years ago the City of Hutchinson, Kansas, told a federal judge that the city shouldn't be forced to install the sidewalk ramps for wheelchairs required by federal law because it couldn't afford to do so. Since that time the city has given money to a large corporation and spent money on a hiking trail among other things. The city could find money for a hiking trail for the able-bodied but not sidewalks so those with mobility problems could get to the store. Now the hypocritical city staff is trying to convince the city council that people would be required...

Former President George H.W. Bush will endorse Republican Roger Williams this afternoon for the U.S. Senate seat that Kay Bailey Hutchison now holds. The race to succeed Hutchison, who is not seeking re-election, has drawn interest from a number of Republicans, including railroad commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones and Michael Williams. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is also considering a run. Roger Williams is a Weatherford car dealer and former Texas secretary of state who was a major Republican donor before he was a candidate. The Bush endorsement could give his campaign a nice boost, particularly since the field is crowded and...

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison could be the first primary casualty of 2012. The Texas Republican, after years of back and forth over whether she will or won't retire, will have to make a decision soon about 2012. Waiting in the wings are a slate of Republicans who have already spent two years eyeing the race, including some who are prepared to run against her even if she seeks reelection. Hutchison was on the wrong end of a bruising, lopsided primary loss in March to Gov. Rick Perry (R) in which she saw her sterling public image take a big hit....

Breaking News Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison Concedes GOP Gubernatorial Primary to Gov. Rick Perry

.."Over the years, Gov. Perry has established a record that is consistently pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-religious liberty,” said Dr. Dobson. “He has demonstrated his deep regard for the sanctity of life by signing more pro-life bills into law than any other governor in Texas history. He demonstrated his support for the God-given institution of marriage by strongly supporting the Texas Marriage Amendment. And he has helped lead the effort to establish the strongest protections for religious liberty in the state of Texas. No other candidate in this race measures up to the high standards established by Gov. Perry on these...

Several hundred area residents attended a Saturday Burleson Tea Party rally held at Forrest Auto Group in Cleburne. Republican candidates competing in local, state and congressional races shared the stage with other conservative speakers. Signs critical of President Obama’s administration and the Democratic agenda dotted the crowd, although two women displayed signs denouncing Republicans and the Tea Party movement. Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina promised to fight to eliminate property tax and fight eminent domain abuses if elected. “Private property and gun ownership are essential elements of freedom,” Medina said. “If the national government or state takes from people what...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin stumped for Gov. Rick Perry at a rally Sunday in suburban Houston, adding some national Republican star power to Perry's re-election campaign. “I doubt there is another public figure in our country who gives liberals a bigger case of the hives than our special guest today,” Perry said. “At the very mention of her name, the liberals, the progressives, the media elites, they literally foam at the mouth.” Palin appeared with Perry a day after the Republicans' most recent vice-presidential nominee addressed the first national convention of the anti-establishment “tea party” coalition in Nashville, Tenn....

Debra Medina's interview with Judge Napolitano on Fox News Freedom Watch. http://freedomwatchonfox.com/

Are you intentionally lying? Straight from your source: "The surprise, as in the new Rasmussen Reports survey of the GOP gubernatorial primary, is the growing strength of Debra Medina, a businesswoman active in the state’s Tea Party movement. Medina now edges White 41% to 38%."

There is a lady who is a true Conservative running for Governor of Texas and, in the polls, she is closing in on Ted Kennedy's girlfriend, Kay Bailey Hutchison. Her name is Debra Medina. Check out her website: http://www.medinafortexas.com/

The "tea party" movement is showing its strength in Texas, where activist Debra Medina is siphoning votes from two much more familiar names running for the Republican nomination for governor. The Houston Chronicle's profile of Medina is worth a read. With less than two weeks remaining before early voting begins, Medina's campaign appears to be gathering steam; the latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows her drawing 16 percent of the vote, versus 29 percent for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who's trying to make the move from Washington to Austin, and 44 percent for the sitting governor, Rick Perry. The Medina threat...

A popular U.S. senator and an incumbent governor headline a close race, but a feisty conservative activist is gaining ground. ------------------ Last but by no means least is the most conservative of the bunch, Debra Medina. A Republican Party activist and the former Wharton County Republican Party chair, as well as the former state coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty, Medina is an admitted long shot, but she has seemingly pushed an awful lot of the right buttons with her share of likely voters: A new Rasmussen Reports poll revealed a significant shift to Medina among likely Texas primary voters....

Has anyone heard the results of last nights governor debate in Texas? I watched it and thought Medina did an excellent job. I am curious to know who is considered the winner of last nights debate.

The three Republican candidates for governor clashed in a final televised debate Friday night, sharpening their differences as they jockeyed for advantage going into the March 2 primary campaign.VOTE FOR MEDINA IN MARCH 2ND 2010 PRIMARY FOR TEXAS GOVERNOR SHE IS FOR ELIMIINATION OF PROPERTY TAX AND GUN REGISTRATION

"DALLAS (AP) — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and political activist Debra Medina ganged up on front-running Gov. Rick Perry on Friday in the final televised debate before the March 2 Republican primary." Medina won the online vote asking who won the debate with 97% of the vote.

Former President George H.W. Bush officially endorsed Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas, in her gubernatorial primary against sitting Gov. Rick Perry. “Barbara and I are taking this unusual step of endorsing in this primary because of our unbridled belief in Kay,” Mr. Bush said in a statement posted on Ms. Hutchison’s campaign Web site Wednesday. “She is strong. She has proven her steadfast commitment to the issues and values that unite Texas Republicans.” Mr. Perry is ahead in polls leading up to the Republican primary on March 2 — which also happens to be Texas Independence Day.

ESPN analyst Craig James, whose complaints about the way his son was treated led to the dismissal of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, may be considering a career change. The former SMU football player said this week that he might consider running for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s seat when she steps down this year. "I’m a Texan. I’m concerned for our country," James told WFAA-TV. "I disagree with the approach that we’re having, things that are taking place, and so whatever door opens up, I’ll look at it, if and when it opens up." James, 49, joins a growing...

Tea Party groups in Dallas, Austin and Houston are rallying today at the offices of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to protest her breaking ranks with a GOP filibuster aimed at stalling the Democrats’ health care bill. "We want to let her know that we are not happy," said Dallas Tea Party leader Phillip Dennis. "If we can’t trust her to fulfill her promises as a senator, how can we trust her as governor?" Last week, Republican Senate leaders organized a filibuster of a defense spending bill, though that was not the real target. Hutchison said she supported the tactic, but...

RINO Hutchinson does it again…LIES about her vote for the filibuster and votes with the Democrats to accelerate a vote on Obamacare.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – An Army cook and single mom may face criminal charges after she skipped her deployment flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her infant son while she was overseas. Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21, claims she had no choice but to refuse deployment orders because the only family she had to care for her 10-month-old son — her mother — was overwhelmed by the task, already caring for three other relatives with health problems. Her civilian attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said Monday that one of Hutchinson's superiors told her she would have...

Here is video of Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson reacting to news of the mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas this afternoon. Latest update, not mentioned in this video, 3:55 PM ET - Now 12 dead and a press conference at Fort Hood just said the shooter is a U.S. Soldier and he has been killed. Two other soldiers have been apprehended and are suspects. . . . (VIDEO)

Kay Bailey Hutchison's campaign for governor has taken shape around two general themes: Rick Perry is bad for Texas, and Barack Obama is bad for the nation. Oh, and she would defend property rights as ferociously as the Texians defended the Alamo. Aside from elaboration on these positions, the public has few specifics from Texas' senior senator on how she would govern if she turns Perry out of the governor's office. This comes despite Hutchison's declaration of specific policy areas she would concentrate on. In kicking off her campaign in August, she stated, "As governor, I will focus on five...

One of the best ways to determine someone's true political philosophy is to observe the people who support him/her. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is planning to run against Governor Rick Perry in the Texas Republican Primary next March, putting the state GOP in a tough spot. They are being forced to take sides against two leaders of the party, each of whom claims to be the more conservative. As I outlined in a previous column, Hutchison is pro-choice (not a conservative position), while Perry is pro-life (a strong conservative position). Hence, although the Senator claims to be a staunch Republican,...

My Op-ed in The Australian By Leah Farrall, Australia I have an op-ed piece out in today’s edition of The Australian called “Detentions come back to bite” It’s about Guantanamo blowback now having very real strategic consequences: the formation of a new strategy to kidnap civilians in Afghanistan in order to secure the release of prisoners taken by America. Sally Neighbour has a front page piece derived from my op-ed here “Afghan foreigner kidnap order by al Qaeda leader Mustafa Hamid”. I haven’t seen the broadsheet yet, so I’m not sure if the photos I provided of Hamid are on...

Mccain's abstain "makes sense" to me, given that he's the de facto amnesty republican. But what's Vitter's excuse? He also had an amendment to defund ACORN, did he not? I say defeat them all in the primaries for their support of this criminal enterprise.

LAKE JACKSON — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, stopped at a Lake Jackson woman’s home Wednesday as part of what she says is an effort to bring the Republican Party back to the people. The GOP gubernatorial candidate made her fifth visit to Anne McKeithan house to discuss her campaign and promote a grassroots effort to re-energize the GOP in Texas. “I just love her,” Hutchison said of a smiling McKeithan. “I can call her for anything and I know she’ll be there. She’s been such a friend and supporter for so long.” Hutchison talked about lowering taxes and...

BOOK REVIEW The Mother of Mohammed by Sally Neighbour Reviewed by David Wilson What drives a blonde Australian beach bunny to go on jihad? That extraordinary question serves as the premise for one of the most absorbing non-fiction titles to surface this year. The Mother of Mohammed (MUP) by Australian journalist Sally Neighbour, 48, digs into the background of the beach bunny in question, Rabiah - born Robyn - Hutchinson, with flair, wit and candor. This book pulls no punches. "She was a scrawny, pale-skinned runt, with a shock of frizzy white-blonde hair and an eye-patch she wore from the...

LUBBOCK, Texas — U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Tuesday she finds "very troubling" statements she says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has made in the past 11 years that federal judges are able to "change policy." Hutchison, in Lubbock to speak on transportation issues, was one of 29 senators — all Republicans — who in 1998 voted against confirming Sotomayor to be a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. Sotomayor eventually was confirmed. Hutchison said her vote against Sotomayor then was about Sotomayor's "judicial activism" as a district court judge. But she said she...

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Tuesday she finds "troubling" statements she says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has made in the past 11 years that federal judges are able to "change policy." Hutchison, in Lubbock to speak on transportation issues, was one of 29 senators - all Republicans - who in 1998 voted against confirming Sotomayor to be a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. Sotomayor eventually was confirmed. Hutchison said her vote against Sotomayor then was about Sotomayor's "judicial activism" as a district court judge. But she said she will look "afresh" at...

KBH Gubernatorial Exploratory Committee posts Texarkana Gazette Editorial smearing Sarah Palin, and by association, Gov. Perry. ...If Perry relies too heavily on Palin, he may find himself with a lot of time to watch Russians from her front porch come January 2011.

Here is video of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas talking about the Obama Economic Stimulus Plan with Sen. John Kerry on Meet the Press. Here they focus on the opposition to Obama's plan. Moderator David Gregory plays a clip of Rush Limbaugh challenging Republican Senators to stand up and fight Obama's Plan. Hutchinson says without hesitation that she would "fight this bill as it is, absolutely." John Kerry (aka "Lurch") is his usual blowhard self, praising President Obama and blaming the Republicans for playing "politics." Hutchinson was outstanding in this interview. . . . . . . (Watch Video)

Evolving conventional wisdom holds that the growing string of senior Republican senators packing it in for retirement or a governor's office means gloom for the party in next year's midterm congressional elections, which are usually a time for an incumbent president's party to suffer. But, counterintuitively, that may not be the case. Bill Clinton remembers the Republican revolution of 1994 only too well -- and so does one of his top aides then, Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's incoming White House chief of staff. Indeed, Emanuel, who took over the House seat of someone named Rod Blagojevich in 2002, was one...

Being on John McCain's short list for vice president makes Tim Pawlenty a busy guy. One day last week began with a meeting on security for the upcoming Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., where Gov. Pawlenty will play host. Then it was off to Farmfest, the state's biggest agricultural fair. Following that, a side trip to Iowa where, as national co-chair for Sen. McCain's presidential campaign, he passed out tire gauges as a way of poking fun at Barack Obama's suggestion the energy crisis be addressed by having Americans better inflate their cars. The next day it was off...

ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: The Obama campaign signaled a willingness on Thursday to go after Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., for the 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse while saying that the populist argument it is building against John McCain will continue even if the presumptive Republican nominee taps the son of a truck driver as his running mate. "I don't think it's particularly relevant who the running mate is if the running mate is willing to embrace in total the Bush-McCain economic doctrine," Obama strategist David Axelrod told ABC News. "Everyday Americans understand that those policies aren't working for them,"...

As John McCain prepares to announce his running mate on Friday in Dayton, Ohio, speculation is centering on candidates ranging from a former head of the Winter Olympics to an independent senator as the Arizona lawmaker's choice to help him take on Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the historic fall election. With the Democrats' convention winding down in Denver, the focus is shifting to the Republicans, who are scheduled begin their nominating convention in St. Paul, Minn., on Monday. There's a chance the convention could be postponed, however, if Tropical Storm Gustav turns into a hurricane and strikes the...

I'll start: ~~~~ "Could it be Cantor? posted at 1:00 pm on August 28, 2008 by Ed Morrissey The Fayetteville Observer reads a few tea leaves in the veepstakes and suggests that Eric Cantor may become the dark-horse finalist for John McCain’s running-mate. Cantor has not yet appeared on the convention schedule, which would seem strange for such a dynamic member of the House GOP’s leadership. He also represents a Virginia district, which could prove crucial to holding the state for the Republicans in November: Rep. Robin Hayes is predicting that Sen. John McCain will pick Rep. Eric Cantor of...

DENVER — For one last time this morning, Tim Pawlenty went about the business of not answering questions about his immediate political future. Will he — or won't he — be Sen. John McCain's running mate? That's the question about 100 reporters from around the country wanted to ask the Minnesota governor at a Republican Party-sponsored news event. That's the only question Pawlenty didn't want to answer at the session in a light-industrial building on the outskirts of Denver. He's used to this dance, which is expected to finally end late tonight (if the news leaks) or Friday morning, when...

John McCain is poised to announce his vice-presidential running mate, hoping to steal the thunder of his rival Barack Obama, whom Republicans are mocking as an 'emperor' speaking on Thursday night at an 'Obamopolis'. The Republican candidate was due to appear with his vice-presidential pick at a rally in Dayton, Ohio on Friday morning, his 72nd birthday. But Republican officials intimated that a name might even be leaked just before Mr Obama accepts the Democratic nomination before some 80,000 people at Denver's Invesco stadium on Thursday. Senior aides to Mr McCain said that three people were on his shortlist -...

With the Minnesota governor in Denver to continue his role as a GOP surrogate during the Democratic convention here, reporters were bent on determining where he stands -- or rather where he'll be standing tomorrow morning. Pawlenty, a much talked-about vice presidential prospect, said that he is "scheduled to be and plans to be" doing a weekly scheduled radio show from the Minnesota State Fair tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. He told reporters that he will be leaving Denver this afternoon, bound for his home state. The interest in Pawlenty's whereabouts comes amidst news that McCain will debut his vice...

A headline like that may seem inocuous enough, but amid the fevered speculation about whom John McCain will select as a vice presidential running mate, maybe it’s a tea leaf. Or maybe not. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in Denver as an unofficial Republican observer during the Democratic National Convention, has canceled several TV interviews that were scheduled for this afternoon, said a Republican spokesman. Pawlenty said his travel plans — he is scheduled to be at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday — remain unchanged. The governor, of course, has long been said to be on McCain’s list of potential...

John McCain is expected to reveal his vice-presidential choice on Friday at a rally in the critical battleground state of Ohio. Mr McCain is seeking to blunt Barack Obama’s hopes of a bounce in the polls after he accepts the Democratic nomination in Denver tomorrow night. The Republican nominee’s move comes after a week in which he and his Republican surrogates have had significant success in inserting themselves aggressively into what was meant to be Mr Obama’s week. Republican guerrilla tactics and attack advertisements have forced the Democrat’s campaign to respond in kind. Mr McCain will appear at a midday...

Kay believes in a woman's right to choose. She openly favors abortion rights. She believes that Roe was rightly decided. She believes the Constitution guarantees a woman's right to have an abortion. Kay Bailey Hutchinson is Pro-Choice, and OPENLY so. DO NOT LET HER SUPPORTERS TRY AND SLIP THIS ONE BY YOU: KBH is Pro-Choice, she is PRO-CHOICE She is PRO-CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CRAWFORD — Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's long-shot prospect for vice president is getting a push from conservative and other pundits in the lead-up to next week's Republican National Convention. The latest flurry of speculation online and on cable television constitutes at least a third or fourth wave of chatter about Hutchison, whose name surfaces occasionally as a possible Republican vice-presidential candidate...

The selection of Joe Biden as Barack Obama’s running mate changes the whole dynamic of the Veep choice now facing John McCain. Sure, Biden brings credibility and experience and reassuring familiarity to the Democratic ticket, but he hardly adds sizzle or novelty. The Democrats feel that they’ve got enough pizzaz with their standard bearer, so it doesn’t hurt that they take a Vice Presidential contender with all the excitement of boiled Brussels sprouts. I hope that this choice now gives John McCain reason to reconsider the safe, reassuring possibilities of Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty—apparently, the two leading contenders for...

The law is full of exceptions, and when it comes to conflicts of interest involving personal investments, Congress found a big one: It didn't write a law. While Congress prescribed a strict conflict-of-interest law for the judiciary, which prompted Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to remove himself from a punitive-damages case involving Exxon Mobil, it didn't apply the same test to lawmakers. That has allowed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to oppose bills that would hurt Irving-based Exxon, in which Ms. Hutchison owns stock valued between $100,000 and $250,000, according to disclosure reports. *snip* Some experts say different rules apply to...

CORPUS CHRISTI — Hutchison plans to run for governor in 2010 The Austin and Republican rumor mills have been in overdrive for months about Gov. Rick Perry's future political plans. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is planning to run for governor in 2010, her spokesman Matt Mackowiak said while he was in town Wednesday. If she resigns her Senate seat to devote her efforts to the governor's race, Perry would name her successor. Mentioned as the top front-runners are Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (who also has indicated that he plans to run for governor), former Secretary of State Roger Williams,...