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Tombstone, Arizona (CNN) -- The six Forest Service rangers suddenly crouched, whispering, on their way up the rocky mountain trail. It was early Friday afternoon, the first day of the Tombstone Shovel Brigade, and the rangers were out in force, hiking to the spot where dozens of volunteers worked with picks and shovels to move and bury Tombstone's makeshift water line. Shhh! Look! Do you see it?The rangers stopped in their tracks. Binoculars emerged from pockets, and fingers pointed to a stand of trees. And there it was, a Mexican spotted owl, perched high in a pine tree. It was...

(CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder told the House Judiciary Committee Thursday that the Justice Department will “vigorously use” anti-Jim Crow provisions in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent some southern states from purging ineligible voters from their rolls and enacting voter-I.D. laws. "It is the position of this Department of Justice and certainly this Attorney General that we will vigorously defend and vigorously use Section 5. The need for it is still there." Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires several southern states and counties in states such as California and Florida to get federal “pre-clearance”...

What is ALEC? The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is dedicated to promoting Jeffersonian, free market principles. At ALEC, bi-partisan state legislators from every state come together to develop and share pro-growth, pro-jobs policies. Why Stand With ALEC? Obama's former "green jobs" czar and self-proclaimed communist, Van Jones, has partnered with George Soros and Big Labor to put pressure on state legislators and supportive companies to stop supporting ALEC and their free market agenda. How Can I Help? The left has already been successful in persuading several large corporations to leave the ALEC Private Enterprise Members. Send them, the remaining...

Desperate Dems: Vote against Scott Walker because according to an unconfirmed rumor published on some left-wing website, he fathered a love child 24 years ago With two days to go before Wisconsin’s recall election, Gov. Walker is looking very strong in the polls. According to Intrade, he has a 96 percent chance of winning on Tuesday. Democrats clearly aren’t winning on the issues, but they hope they have found something else that can turn the tide for them. Late Saturday night, a left-wing anti-Walker website reported an unconfirmed, second-hand rumor that Gov. Walker fathered a “love child” 24 years ago.

Editor's Note: This column was authored by Justice Gilpin-Green Individual rights must take a backseat to community interests. Sound familiar? That’s probably because it’s been the ideology that American presidents have been agreeing to since 1992. Enter Agenda 21, the 40 chapter document from the United Nations that establishes environmental “principles” at local, national, regional, and international levels-and the object of Ayn Rand’s nightmare. Defined these days as “sustainable development,” Agenda 21 seeks to transform humanity with “new global ethics.” At the most basic level, beyond the soft words like “sustainability” and “eco-friendly environments”, Agenda 21 takes away private property...

Starting this fall, thousands of poor and middle-class kids will get vouchers covering the full cost of tuition at more than 120 private schools across Louisiana, including small, Bible-based church schools. The following year, students of any income will be eligible for mini-vouchers that they can use to pay a range of private-sector vendors for classes and apprenticeships not offered in traditional public schools. The money can go to industry trade groups, businesses, online schools and tutors, among others. Every time a student receives a voucher of either type, his local public school will lose a chunk of state funding.

ST. LOUIS — U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Wildwood, a candidate for U.S. Senate from Missouri, provided a new twist on a recent argument when he said during a Friday debate he would favor repealing the 17th Amendment. That 1913 addendum to the U.S. Constitution allows state voters to elect U.S. senators rather than having state legislatures appoint them. “I’m very concerned about states’ rights, and if I were to lean one way or the other it would be leaning going back to repeal,” Akin said during a debate sponsored by Springfield television station KY3. The repeal of the 17th Amendment...

...New York Nanny Staters Attack a Loophole: Following the Nanny in chief’s cigarette tax hike, there’s more cigarette tax madness, from New York no less. Despite his abysmal record as Mayor Nanny, this isn’t a Michael Bloomberg driven tobacco tax. Nanny State lawmakers and advocates in Syracuse are pushing New York state to increase taxes on loose tobacco—the kind you use to roll your own cigarettes. Facing Obama and New York State’s high cigarette taxes, people are switching to self-rolled cigarettes and pipe tobacco. This loophole is primed for Nanny State closure because it takes away potential tax revenue from...

Taking an uncharacteristic stand in favor of “states’ rights,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) beseeched President Obama to put an end to federal efforts to impede the production, distribution, and use of marijuana in states where it is legal. “I know how important it is to the President to establish the absolute supremacy of the federal government in all matters,” Pelosi conceded. “I share that goal. Nevertheless, we can’t allow ourselves to lose sight of the fact that marijuana users are a prime constituency of the Democratic Party. So, while I’d normally say ‘screw states’ rights,’ in this case...

Although the media and the U.S. public focused primarily on the minimum-coverage requirement, or individual mandate, during the recent oral arguments in the challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before the Supreme Court, the most important issue before the Court may well be the constitutionality of the ACA's Medicaid expansion. There are potential alternatives to the minimum-coverage requirement, but a finding that the Medicaid expansion is unconstitutional could threaten all federal spending programs that set minimum participation standards. Indeed, as Justice Stephen Breyer observed during the oral argument, if the plaintiff's argument is accepted, then “Medicaid has been unconstitutional...

Back in March of last year, Illinois joined a small cadre of states putting a new tax on online sales into law. Backed by Gov. Quinn (D-Ill.), the law was designed to force out-of-state retailers who advertise in Illinois to collect and pay sales taxes. Yesterday, however, a Cook County Circuit judge rightly ruled the law violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that states can not force out-of-state companies to collect and fork over sales taxes levied on in-state consumers, unless they have a physical presence in the state. That landmark case,...

Oklahoma is the only state where Obama did not carry one single county in the last presidential election...not a single one! Take a look: Lately, while a lot of attention has been focused on Arizona 's new immigration law, and a good one it is... LOOK WHAT OKLAHOMA IS DOING Oklahoma passed an amendment,, 37 to 9, to place the Ten Commandments on the front entrance to the state capitol. The feds in D.C., along with the ACLU, said it would be a mistake. But, hey this is a conservative state, based on Christian values...! HB 1330, so... Guess what..........Oklahoma...

Candidate for Senate Dan Liljenquist (left) pledged to The New American that should he be elected to the U.S. Senate he will offer legislation explicitly repealing the indefinite detention provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In a press conference held on April 24 at 2:00 p.m. (MDT), the former Utah State Senator and current GOP challenger to six-term Senator Orrin Hatch described the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA as “an overreach and a violation of the Bill of Rights.” He said that had he been in office when Congress voted to pass the NDAA he would have...

Supreme Court justices strongly suggested Wednesday that they are ready to allow Arizona to enforce part of a controversial state law requiring police officers to check the immigration status of people they think are in the country illegally.Liberal and conservative justices reacted skeptically to the Obama administration's argument that the state exceeded its authority when it made the records check, and another provision allowing suspected illegal immigrants to be arrested without a warrant, part of Arizona law aimed at driving illegal immigrants elsewhere."You can see it's not selling very well," Justice Sonia Sotomayor told Obama administration Solicitor General Donald Verrilli.It...

Immigration: In an unusual move, Arizona's immigration law comes before the Supreme Court before its adjudication by lower courts. Will the high court let states protect their borders by enforcing federal laws the feds won't? The federal challenge to Arizona's SB 1070, the state law designed to help stem the flow of illegal aliens, is headed to an unexpectedly earlier resolution as the Supreme Court has expedited its review and begins hearing oral arguments on Wednesday. This can't be good news for an administration at war with both Arizona and the courts and already fearful that its landmark legislation, ObamaCare,...

North Carolina has been in the media recently for all the wrong reasons, whether it be the state Democratic Party scandal or the John Edwards trial. It is time for the media and the public to talk about the right reasons that attention should be paid to the Tar Heel State, namely that the state is home to one of the most pro-taxpayer pieces of legislation ever crafted. The aforementioned legislation is The Taxpayer Information Act (HB 315), and it is the brainchild of NC Speaker Pro Tem and candidate for Lt. Governor, Dale Folwell. The Taxpayer Information Act is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H8Zc5jN72s&feature=context&context=G2567afcFUAAAAAAAAAA

Nanny Bloomberg’s at it again; exasperated environmentalists try another approach to save spotted owls; and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood moonlights as a traffic cop all in this week’s edition of Nanny State overreach. Highway to Hell: Last week we brought you news of Nanny State regulators at NHTSA battling what they now call “the distracted driving epidemic.” Perhaps they should add Transportation Secretary LaHood to their expanding list of potential distractions. In a fit of self-righteousness LaHood claimedduring a speech this week that he hasn’t used a cellphone while driving in over three years. LaHood also stated that he...

04/17/2012 Constitution Party National Convention to Meet in Nashville Amidst Unprecedented Voter Dissatisfaction with Obama and Romney Constitution Party National Chairman, Jim Clymer, announced the 2012 National Convention of the Constitution Party which will be held April 18-21 in Nashville, Tennessee. “American voters who support limited, constitutional government, traditional American values, the protection of American jobs and preservation of individual liberty can take heart! They will not be limited to a difficult choice between Obama and Romney as the one likely to be the least threat to their life, liberty, property and other interests. The Constitution Party will be offering...

In a showdown between the Obama Administration and the “Town Too Tough to Die,” the U.S. Forest Service is refusing to allow the City of Tombstone to repair its mountain spring water infrastructure after the 2011 Monument Fire destroyed pipelines and catchments. Despite Gov. Jan Brewer’s declared state of emergency to empower Tombstone to restore its municipal water supply, the feds continue to block Tombstone, citing the Wilderness Act, which was passed decades after Tombstone secured the water rights. The Forest Service's decision risks the lives and properties of Tombstone residents and tourists due to the loss of adequate fire...

We are told that it is up to the Supreme Court to determine what laws are constitutional, but that is hardly in line with the limiting principles offered by the U.S. Constitution. That power the courts claim to have is called Judicial Review, and it is addressed nowhere in the Constitution. In fact, the federal courts seized that power for themselves through an opinion written by Justice John Marshall in the Marbury v. Madison case of 1803. Yes, that’s right, the courts gave that power to themselves. By deciding if laws are constitutional, and since the Supreme Court is a...

Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday what has long been known but seldom spoken. During the third and final day of Supreme Court hearings on whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is unconstitutional, Roberts said states have been compromising their sovereignty for decades through increased reliance on the federal government for money and accompanying directions on the governance of state affairs. "It seems to me that they have compromised their status as independent sovereigns because they are so dependent on what the federal government has done," the chief justice said during Wednesday's nearly three hours of...

The Property Rights Alliance is pleased to herald the publication of the 2012 International Property Rights Index (IPRI), the world’s most comprehensive measure of intellectual and physical property rights among nations. Sixty-nine international organizations partnered with the Washington, DC-based Property Rights Alliance and its Hernando de Soto Fellowship program to produce the sixth annual IPRI. The IPRI utilizes three primary metrics to create a composite score: Legal and Political Environment (LP), Physical Property Rights (PPR), and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). Most importantly, the IPRI stresses the great economic disparities among countries with strong property rights and those without. Nations comprising...

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A federal appeals court scolded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday for rejecting a series of state pollution control projects in Texas that federal regulators said failed to satisfy requirements of the Clean Air Act. The ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stopped short of ordering the EPA to accept the previously rejected Texas measures. Yet the three-judge panel directed the agency to take another look at the state's regulations and issue a quick decision.

Several Western states, fed up with a federal government some claim is locking down public land against oil drilling, are demanding Washington return millions of acres to state control. The pleas mark a new front in the battle over states' rights, and one state has already codified its demand into law. Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican, signed a law several days ago that asks the federal government to return 20 million acres, which could be used to develop oil and other natural resources to bolster the state economy. Republican state Rep. Ken Ivory said Tuesday the land is...

When a 1942 Supreme Court decision that most people never heard of makes the front page of the New York Times in 2012, you know that something unusual is going on. What makes that 1942 case — Wickard v. Filburn — important today is that it stretched the federal government's power so far that the Obama administration is using it as an argument to claim before today's Supreme Court that it has the legal authority to impose ObamaCare mandates on individuals. Roscoe Filburn was an Ohio farmer who grew some wheat to feed his family and some farm animals....

Our Constitution is under constant attack.1 One of the most pernicious attacks is being waged by those who seek to override the constitutional provisions under which The States, as political entities, elect the President; and to replace it with a national popular vote (NPV) under which inhabitants of major metropolitan areas will choose the President. What Form of Government Did We Create In Our Constitution? Before you can see why it is so important that The States elect the President, and why the NPV is so execrable, you must understand how our “federal” government was structured and intended to operate....

The prospect of instituting a global tax in some form or another is constantly rearing its ugly head. Bill Gates can often be heard advocating for global taxes on financial transactions, aviation, and energy. There are even serious talks of a U.N takeover of the Internet. The latest foray into global taxation is calls by international organizations and the WHO to institute a global tax on tobacco products through the Solidarity Tobacco Contribution to fund international projects aimed at alleviating global poverty. The level of taxation would depend on the wealth of the country, meaning the U.S. would be hit...

Editor's note: FoxNews.com is pleased to present an excerpt from "Debacle: Obama's War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future " the new book by Grover G. Norquist and FoxNews.com contributor John R. Lott Jr. Chapter 3: The Stimulus Made Things Worse What Was Promised Matt Lauer: At some point will you say, “Wait a minute, we’ve spent this amount of money. We’re not seeing the results. We’ve got to change course dramatically?” . . . President Obama: Look, I’m at the start of my administration . . . And . . ....

Gannett Newspaper - Link Only: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120315/NEWS/303150098/TN-House-passes-resolution-condemning-Agenda-21?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

The Texas Public Policy Foundation recently updated a key chart from their 2010 paper, Texas vs. California: Economic Growth Prospects for the 21st Century.TPPF Vice President of Research Bill Peacock on the chart’s importance: The chart shows that Texas has much lower government spending as a percentage of the private economy than the U.S. or our largest competitor, California. In other words, Texas generally imposes a lower spending burden on it citizens, which translates into lower taxes. But a low spending burden isn’t a constant in Texas. The chart also shows that Texas spending burden has increased at certain times....

Even when I agree with Rick Santorum, listening to him argue the point almost makes me change my mind. I also wonder why he’s running for president, rather than governor, when the issues closest to his heart are family- oriented matters about which the federal government can, and should, do very little. It’s strange that Santorum doesn’t seem to understand the crucial state-federal divide bequeathed to us by the framers of our Constitution, inasmuch as it is precisely that difference that underlies his own point that states could ban contraception. Of course they can. States could outlaw purple hats or...

The federal government will stop funding a Texas health program that serves 130,000 low-income women because of a state law that bars abortion-affiliated clinics from getting public money, a top U.S. health official said Friday. The federal money, which covers 90 percent of the state's $40 million program, will be phased out between May and September because the law violates federal regulations requiring that women have a choice in medical care, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during a trip to Houston. That means the Women's Health Program will join a long list of programs nationwide on the...

Lawmakers who want to seize control of federal lands are pushing a legal battle they insist is winnable despite multiple warnings their effort is highly unconstitutional and almost sure to fail in court. Utah is poised to become the first state to pass a package of bills that demand the federal government relinquish claims to huge sections of public land. A proposal that advanced Wednesday demands that by 2014 the federal government cede control of nearly 30 million acres -- nearly 50 percent of the entire state. A bill setting an identical deadline is also moving in the Arizona Legislature....

Legislation recently introduced in the Michigan Senate to authorize the state's entry into a multi-state Health Care Compact. If approved by Congress - and the chances for that may be less unlikely than they first appear - this would profoundly shift the balance of power away from the federal government and back to the states in a critical area. The multi-state Health Care Compact would devolve all regulation in this area to states and turn over funding for the two largest health-related social welfare programs — Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor — to states through no-strings-attached...

http://www.mittvmitt.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=K9njHHyRI7g (half a million hits and climbing)

DES MOINES - Iowa's guns rights would be among the strongest in the nation, under a proposed state constitutional amendment that cleared the Iowa House this week. Democrats say the measure would eventually allow people to bring guns into Iowa's schools, the Capitol and other public buildings. That concerns county officials. "I think one of the concerns for counties is in our courthouses where there are emotional situations, what that could lead to, particularly domestic disputes," said Sioux County Supervisor Mark Sybesma. "In our treasurer's office, a lot of times people come in very disgruntled - emotions and that type...

Just one month from today, Japan will lower their corporate income tax rate from 39.5 to 35 percent. When they do so, the United States will officially have the dubious distinction of possessing the highest corporate income tax rate in the developed world, a federal/state integrated rate of 39.2 percent. ... Country Corporate Income Tax Rate United States 39.2% OECD Average 25% Canada 27.6% Mexico 30% Japan 35% Germany 30.2% France 34.4% President Obama last month proposed a plan to raise net taxes, but in the process lower the U.S. corporate rate to about 32 percent... Read more: http://www.atr.org/one-month-worlds-highest-corporate-tax-a6748#ixzz1nyr3QeES

With his presidential aspirations riding on support in the Deep South, NewtGingrich opened his final one-week dash to the crucial Georgia primary on Wednesday with a states' rights plea laden with racial symbolism. His setting was the chamber of Georgia’s House of Representatives. From the rostrum, Gingrich told lawmakers that he would fight for a “very strong” states'-rights platform at the RepublicanParty’s national convention this summer in Tampa,Fla. “I want to return power back home to an extraordinary degree,” said Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker who represented Georgia in Congress for 20 years. For generations, politicians in the South...

Texas is going ahead with its secession plan--from Planned Parenthood. Late last year, the state quit its partnership with the abortion tycoons, dropping Planned Parenthood from its lucrative contract under Texas's Women's Health Program. Attorney General Greg Abbott and state legislators were adamant that health providers who offered abortions had no business participating in the program. With $16 million up for grabs, leaders passed an outright ban on Planned Parenthood, ending its eligibility for the state's Medicaid funding. That didn't sit well with the Obama administration, which swooped into Texas and demanded the state reconsider. When it wouldn't, officials with...

At CPAC, Texas Gov. Rick Perry quipped, “I haven’t left the fight; I just went home, reloaded my Mag and am fighting on a different front.� Clearly, he wasn’t kidding. Texas today cut Medicaid funding to abortion providers — even though the administration threatened to cut the state’s funding if it did so. The Daily Caller reports: On Thursday, Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Thomas Suehs signed a rule at the behest of lawmakers and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott that will formally ban Planned Parenthood affiliates and other abortion providers from participating in Texas’ Women’s Health Program.The administration...

Last month, the House Judiciary Committee passed the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2011, H.R. 1433. This bill would suspend federal economic development funds for two years to any state or municipality that expropriates private property via eminent domain for a private purpose. H.R. 1433 enjoys the bipartisan support of Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) as well as more than two dozen other co-sponsors. If enacted, this legislation would strike at the heart of the 2005 Supreme Court decision Kelo v. City of New London. This ruling allowed government entities to expropriate private property at...

The measure has the backing of the Senate's top two leaders -- President Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, and Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock -- who have signed on as co-sponsors. "The federal government has excessively abused the authority of state and local governments for some time," Albers said, explaining why he sponsored the proposal. SR 889 has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

OKLAHOMA CITY — A special guest speaker adressed today's joint session of Oklahoma Legislature. Newt Gingrich only spoke to lawmakers for just over 10 minutes, but his message was focused. He said, "I want to talk about three examples of the change we need." At the top of the list, he touted a movement started by Gingrich and managed by Texas Givernor Rick Perry to strengthen the 10th amendment and return power and tax money to the states. It's something Ronald Reagan tried to do 30 years ago and failed. Gingrich says times have changed. "And there's a lot deeper...

No Child Left Behind is an example of why the 'one size fits all' mentality is an improper way to govern. Placing standardizations as well as allocating specific resources at the federal level is not working. Our education system is decaying. With increasing costs and decreasing scores it is clear that reform is necessary to ensure that the future of our nation have the knowledge and skills to compete in a global economy. Chairman Kline of the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee is sponsoring two pieces of legislation to address this issue. The two bills reform federal education...

Could there be a real awakening - the removal of the Establishment's shackles from elected officials and their votes - if Americans vote in a non-Romney nominee? I imagine the GOP Establishment cringes at the idea - the spectacle and sense of power that would create [shrink government; states' rights, remove Federal Agencies.....] in "We the People!" This conservative "revolution" could have positive consequences outside of the Executive. Will our elected officials' loyalty return to their constituents and away from their fear of party leadership's power over their re-election fate? Will they remember who they serve? Will more conservatives rally...

Amidst flowery February orations, in retrospect, the Civil Rights movement’s main beneficiary appears to be Washington. State segregation ceased, which is well, but forced federal integration remains, well, wrong. Washington rightly overturned denials of freedom oppressing southern blacks, but did so by infringing on others’ liberties elsewhere. En route, civil rights became the sine qua non of American statism. Civil rights legislation provided the primary catalyst for government’s escalation since WWII. Sadly, the Civil Rights Act brought neither legal equality as proposed in theory; nor equality of outcomes to which the Left strove in practice. The CRA failed doubly. First,...

On February 13, a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at eminent domain abuse sailed through both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. This legislative action qualifies the amendment for a plebiscite vote in November. The amendment would stipulate that compensation resulting from eminent domain seizures include lost profits and access in addition to the value of the underlying real estate. This change has the support of Virginia property rights advocates including Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. If enacted, this constitutional amendment would strike at the heart of the 2005 Supreme Court decision Kelo v. City of New London. This ruling allowed government...

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, in her State of the State Address, outlined a bold plan for tax reform focused on reducing rates and consolidating Oklahoma’s seven tax brackets. The plan would end Oklahoma’s complicated seven bracket income tax structure that begins taxing on the first penny any Oklahoman earns, instead replacing the structure with three brackets – Oklahoman’s making below $15,000 a year would pay a 0-percent rate, those making under $35,000 would pay a 2.25-percent rate, and those making $35,000 and above would pay a 3.5-percent rate. The Tax Foundation ranks Oklahoma as 38th in the nation in terms...

Nowhere is the haughtiness of American politics better displayed than with our dueling former Speakers. The latest love spat between Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi illuminates America’s sorry political state. She keeps coyly insinuating she knows something and will time its release for maximum damage. It appears Mr. Gingrich is finished anyway, and I’m no fan. His infidelities trouble me. His overarching concern seems to be Newt Gingrich, a not uncommon trait in politicians, but hardly the attribute of a transcendent leader. His prior associations with Mrs. Pelosi promoting Cap and Trade and frequent policy flip-flops reveal an unscrupulous opportunist....