Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.

-- Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.

--Mark Twain

"There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress."

-Mark Twain

Open borders? Mass deportations? How about some common sense instead?
By Peggy Noonan

" ....... I hope the new immigration bill fails. It is less a bill than a big dirty ball of mischief, malfeasance and mendacity, with a touch of class malice, and it's being pushed by a White House that is at once cynical and inept. The bill's Capitol Hill supporters have a great vain popinjay's pride in their own higher compassion. They are inclusive and you're not, you cur, you gun-totin' truckdriver's-hat-wearin' yahoo. It's all so complex, and you'd understand this if you weren't sort of dumb. Read on.

Iranian Leader, "Adolph" Ahmadinejad, Warns Israel It May Be 'Uprooted'

Anti-abortion bill becomes law in Oklahoma

Well of course ... I have been taking shallower breaths

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions Decline

I do what I can .. ya' know?

Al Qaeda Torture Manual Revealed

North Korea Makes Inroads in 'America's Backyard'

"During a three-day visit to Nicaragua this week, a senior North Korean government official announced what he termed a 'most energetic struggle' for 'unity' with Latin America to establish a 'new world.'

Deputy Foreign Minister, Kim Hyong Jun received a warm reception from Nicaragua's recently re-elected president, Daniel Ortega. According to a .............." (more)

Some Fort Worth Students Protest

There are 613 high school seniors from the Fort Worth area who did not pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam.

They can take the test again in July, but for now, and unless they pass the exam on their second attempt, they are non-graduates.

Unlike some other school districts, the Fort Worth Independent School District has decided to bar students who failed the TAKS exam from participating in the commencement ceremonies. This has riled up some students.

And, it has inspired some to protest - and to picket. Here is a photo of a few protesters. Look at the sign being held up by a picketer.
(Shaking head slowly and with pained expression.)"Let are kids walk."
(****SIGH****)

How to End 'Islamophobia'

The latest survey of American Muslims won't reassure their fellow citizens.

BY TAWFIK HAMID
OpinionJournal

"Islamic organizations regularly accuse non-Muslims of 'Islamophobia,' a fear and disdain for everything Islamic. On May 17, this accusation bubbled up again as foreign ministers from the Organization of the Islamic Conference called Islamophobia 'the worst form of terrorism.' These ministers also warned, according to the Arab News, that this form of discrimination would cause millions of Muslims in Western countries, 'many of whom were already underprivileged,' to be 'further alienated.'

In America, perhaps the most conspicuous organization to persistently accuse opponents of Islamophobia is the ......" Read on.

“[L]et us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them... ‘I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.” —Ronald Reagan

From the Patriot Post:

Regulatory Commissars: Keep your laws off my body!

If there’s one thing Democrats love, it’s consistency... some of the time. Citing the need for “consistent” healthcare, the Connecticut State Legislature last week passed a bill mandating that all Connecticut hospitals—including the state’s four Catholic hospitals—dispense Plan B oral contraception to rape victims.

The measure has met strong opposition from Catholic leaders, who argue that it forces them to violate their faith. In a meager attempt to placate the Catholic conscience, the legislature included a semantic caveat fit only for government. By bureaucratic benevolence, hospitals may contract with a third-party healthcare provider to dispense the drug on hospital grounds.

Beyond openly violating religious freedom, the abortion mandate exposes the utter hypocrisy of liberal “logic.” While fighting tooth and nail against government intrusion “in the bedroom” (which, incidentally, is the only place you will find liberals on the side of limited government), Democrats have no qualms about regulating contraceptives in the hospital room. They cry foul when students must recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but they readily force Catholic hospitals to violate a central conviction.

Consistency? Hardly. More like a shallow argument from the camp whose only consistency is the lack thereof.

“Without much notice and even less discussion, ‘civil war’ has become the new abracadabra phrase for American foreign policy... The assumption behind this gambit is obvious: Declaring it a civil war is like blowing a whistle at the end of the game. There’s nothing left to do but pack up the equipment and go home.” —Jonah Goldberg

“The key question for Congress is whether or not Iraq has become the primary battleground against the same radical Islamists who declared war on the U.S. in the 1990s and who have carried out a series of terrorist operations including 9/11. The answer is emphatically, ‘yes’.” —former Democrat Sen. Bob Kerrey

“When we pass a bill that gives people the impression that there are new benefits to be had in the United States... you will have a stampede for the U.S. border that will overwhelm our border forces.” —Duncan Hunter

“A ‘comprehensive’ plan doesn’t mean much if the government can’t accomplish one of its most basic responsibilities for its citizens—securing its borders. A nation without secure borders will not long be a sovereign nation.” —Fred Thompson

NOT TODAY GEORGE, NOT TODAY

“[B]y an intermixture with our people, [immigrants], or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures and laws: in a word, soon become one people.” -- GEORGE WASHINGTON

Left Consumed by Hate, Self-Loathing

By Matt Barber

"The recent media tempest surrounding the passing of Reverend Jerry Falwell has blown away the mask of sublime compassion and tolerance worn by members of the mainstream left. Sadly – pitifully, really – the collective face exposed beneath the altruistic facade is one marred by ugliness and hatred – scarred by latent self-loathing.

Anti-Christian activist and former John Edwards presidential campaign blogger Amanda Marcotte – whom Edwards defended prior to her resignation from his campaign – kicked off the dancing-on-the-grave hoedown on her popular Pandagon website. Upon news of Falwell’s death, Marcotte pronounced, “The gates of hell swing wide open and Satan welcomes his beloved son.” Further down the thread, someone ..... " Read more.

Compromise Virtually Guarantees Noncompliance

"WASHINGTON -- Compromise is incessantly praised, and has produced the proposed immigration legislation. But compromise is the mother of complexity, which, regarding immigration, virtually guarantees -- as the public understands -- weak enforcement and noncompliance.

Although the compromise was announced the day the Census Bureau reported that there now are 100 million nonwhites in America, Americans are skeptical about the legislation, but not because they have suddenly succumbed to nativism. Rather, the public has slowly come to the conclusion that the government cannot be trusted to mean what it says about...."

Read more of George Will.

John Edwards is Stakeholder in Sunken Treasure

"TheStreet.com was questioning Wednesday how much of the $500 million sunken treasure found in the Atlantic last weekend belongs to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

The treasure ship, brimming with gold and silver, was found at the bottom of the Atlantic by exploration company, Florida-based Odyssey Marine Research (OMR).

TheStreet.com has ferreted out that Edwards is the senior advisor and major investor in the major shareholder of OMR, New York-based Fortress Investments, a private equity and hedge fund manager." Read on.

Democrats Slice Missile Defense

"The House of Representatives has cut more than $764 million from the administration's proposed spending of $8.9 billion on missile defenses in the next fiscal year.

The development came as no surprise to Capitol Hill watchers who forecast that the Democratic majority in Congress was licking its chops to cut the legs out from under the administration's controversial plans to begin digging silos for 10 interceptors in Poland and ramping-up a tracking radar in the Czech Republic — all cogs in a system to defend Europe against the long-range ballistic missile threat from Iran.

Some $160 million was cut from funds proposed for the construction in Poland — enough to prevent breaking ground on the silos." Read on.

John Bolton: ElBaradei an 'Apologist' for Iran

"John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, says Europe has to 'get serious” about the threat of Iran’s nuclear push or face grave consequences if Iran develops nuclear weapons.

Bolton, appearing Thursday as a guest on Fox News Channel, said U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran can only go so far toward slowing Iran's uranium enrichment process, but will not stop Iran from developing nuclear bombs.

'Certainly, it’s worth putting more sanctions ......"

The Amnesty Fraud: Part III

By Thomas Sowell

Is Sky Falling on America?

"The suicide-murders and roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan sicken Americans. Soon-to-be nuclear Iran seems loonier than nuclear North Korea. American debt keeps piling up in China and Japan. And we think of angry Venezuela, the Middle East and Russia every time we fill up - if we can afford to fill up.

Then listen to Al Gore on global warming. Or hear Jimmy Carter on the current president. The common denominator is American 'decline.'" Read more of Victor Davis Hanson.

Fred Thompson, Federalist

By David Davenport
Townhall.com

With 10 republicans running for president, a lot of people are watching one who's not (at least not yet): former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee.

When Thompson sounds one of his favorite themes about federalism, I wish more folks would listen.

Federalism is the old-fashioned idea that everything need not be done in Washington, but that state and local governments also have an important role to play.

From tort reform--which Thompson felt should be left to the states--to No Child Left Behind--Republicans and Democrats alike have been quick to ignore the role of states. Washington, with its one-size-fits-all approach, needs to leave room for states to experiment with welfare reform, education and the environment.

In a presidential campaign, the candidates are quick to say what the federal government can do for you. I'd like to hear more from the man who says Washington should do less, not more.

The Fiscal Cost of Low-Skill Immigrants to State and Local Taxpayers
(Heritage Foundation)

President Bush Ratchets Up Atrocious CAFE Regulations
(Center for Individual Freedom)

Assault on the Great American Cookout

From the media's war on obesity to global warming, grilling and picnic foods just shouldn't be on the menu.

By Julia A. Seymour
Business & Media Institute

What’s on your menu this Memorial Day weekend?

If you thought about grilled steaks, barbequed chicken, burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, deviled eggs, chips, cake, soda or beer, think again.

“We can’t broil and grill anymore?” replied “Today” co-host Ann Curry after a nutritionist said grilling is dangerous. She was talking to Joy Bauer, who said people need to avoid salty foods, grilling, frying and whole milk dairy products." Read on.

Sen. Grassley: Terrorists Will Be Legal

Zogby: Obama Beats 'Rudy McRomney'

"Democrat Barack Obama would defeat any of the three Republican front-runners - "

John Edwards: There Is No 'War on Terror'

Our World: Denial is not a strategy

By Caroline B. Glick

Creating Effective Incentives

By Walter E. Williams:

"What should our response be if terrorists set off a nuclear explosion, or some other weapon of mass destruction, in one of our cities? I put this question to Professor Victor Hanson, senior research fellow at Stanford University's prestigious Hoover Institution, who spoke on the Iraq war at the Wynnewood Institute lecture series.

His answer to my question bore a slight resemblance to a classroom practice of mine. At the beginning of each semester, I tell my students ...."

The Many Myths of Ethanol

By John Stossel

Immigration Inconsistencies

By Tony Blankley:
"Admittedly, as Emerson instructs, 'A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.' Still, Washington at the moment seems to be suffering from notably 'large' and 'inconsistent' minds.

There is, of course, the hilarious inconsistency and largeness of John Edwards charging $50,000 to give a college speech on poverty; specifically noting that we live in two Americas, one rich (those who get paid $50,000 for a half-hour speech) and one poor (those who have to take out a long-term loan to pay for their college textbooks -- and whose college payments paid for Edward's $50,000 speaking fee).

Also, and now famously ...."

The Amnesty Fraud: Part II

By Thomas Sowell:
"Every aspect of the current immigration bill, and of the arguments made for it, has Fraud written all over it.

The first, and perhaps biggest, fraud is the argument that illegal aliens are 'doing jobs Americans won't do.' There are no such jobs.

Even in the sector of the economy in which illegal ..."

Embedded journalists in Iraq are having their minds changed left and right by U.S. soldiers.

BY JEFF EMANUEL
From The American Spectator (via Opinion Journal)

The ACLU is becoming very selective about what it considers "free" speech.

BY WENDY KAMINER

“The goals [of No Child Left Behind] are great, but it is not the federal government’s role to tell the states what to do... There is no constitutional role of the federal government to have the Department of Education. I don’t believe we should have the U.S. Department of Education.” —Rep. Tom Tancredo

“Is it the nothing-can-be-done crowd’s assumption that the fellows who run armies of the ‘undocumented’ from Mexico into America are just kindhearted human smugglers who’d have nothing to do with jihad even if the price was right?” —Mark Steyn

“Does it make sense to risk the lives of Americans fighting terrorist elements in Baghdad while letting them slip across our border without so much as a challenge?” —Alan Keyes

“Hillary Clinton is twisting herself into a pretzel on Iraq. Her latest effort to find some way to appease the Democratic Party’s anti-war base is a proposal for a vote to ‘deauthorize’ the war. Her proposal is unserious—and consciously so. There has never been such a vote in all of recorded history, and there won’t be one now.” —John Podhoretz

“When America is willing to lead the way, when we meet our commitments and stand with our allies even in troubling times, when we prepare for threats that are on the horizon and beyond the horizon, and when we make the necessary sacrifices and take the necessary risks to defend our values and our interests, then great things are possible, and even probable, for our country and the world.” —Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Probe Carbon Offsets, Congressmen Say

"For those who support it, it offers the reward of 'carbon neutrality' without having to lower one's standard of living. To critics, it allows guilt-free pollution. Either way, the burgeoning carbon offset industry needs more oversight, say two members of Congress.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, Republican Reps. Tom Davis of Virginia and Darrell Issa of California asked for an investigation into emission offset programs.

About 60 different companies sell carbon offsets to .........."

Deep-six the Law of the Sea

"Borrowing the famous words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, 'Old soldiers never die, they just fade away,' we can now see that old treaties never die, they can be resurrected years or even decades after taking what we thought was a knockout punch.

President George W. Bush is scheduled to announce any day that he will breathe new life into the old United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which President Ronald Reagan rejected in 1982. Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley has asked ...."

By Phyllis Schlafly

Border security first, Americans tell polls
From: Washington Times

Lebanon fighting enters third day
From: BBC

Report: John Edwards Charges $55,000 for Speech on Poverty
From: Fox News/AP

Poll of US Muslims Shows One Quarter Justify Suicide Bombings
From: Reuters

As Rockets Fall, Israeli Town Steadfast But Enraged by Gov't Response

Since terrorists in Gaza unleashed their latest round of rockets against southern Israel, Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal has lost 10 pounds, not slept in days, and upped his daily intake of cigarettes from one to three packs. But, he says, he is resolved to stay. So are many residents of this town, although many are also furious at the way their government is responding to the crisis. A 32-year-old woman in the Israeli town adjacent to the Gaza Strip was killed Monday night, and dozens have been injured from the more than 180 Kassam rockets that have fallen in the area over the past week. Full Story

Immigration Plan Could Be Boon for Democrats, Studies Show

"If the immigration reform bill currently under consideration becomes law, it could lead to major political realignment favoring the Democratic Party, studies suggest.

Although the Republican Party seemed to be gaining ground among Hispanic voters in 2004, it lost that momentum in the 2006 election, dropping from 40 percent of the Hispanic vote to 30 percent, according to ......"

State Legislators Call for End to 'Illegal Alien Invasion'

"State lawmakers are banding together to fight the 'dangers' of illegal immigration.

The new nationwide coalition -- called State Legislators for Legal Immigration -- said it is launching an 'unprecedented and historic effort to secure borders and cut off all economic attractions for illegal aliens.'

Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican, made the announcement in Harrisburg on Monday.

Metcalfe is demanding 'full cooperation' from federal, state and local governments to 'secure America's borders against unlawful invasion.' That includes eliminating all economic ......."

Both Sides of Immigration Debate Threaten Backlash

Advocates on both sides of the debate over illegal immigration on Monday threatened a political backlash against elected officials who support the Senate’s compromise on comprehensive immigration reform...

Republican Euthanasia

"As someone who has been highly critical of George W. Bush’s repeated violations of conservative principles for some years, last week brought some vindication. His endorsement of an immigration reform bill that is widely viewed as offering de facto amnesty for illegal aliens seems to have finally gotten to many of those who have defended him down the line and attacked people like me as conservative turncoats. They now realize what I figured out three years ago: he ain’t one of us.

For me, the tipping point was the Medicare drug bill, which was rammed through Congress in the dead of night just hours after a conference agreement had been reached. Neither Bush nor his congressional lackeys dared allow any member to actually read the bill or know what they were voting for because then it would be obvious that the bill was unaffordable and almost certainly go down to defeat. The only hope of passage was stealth, speed and massive political pressure on principled conservative holdouts—a few of whom eventually buckled under pressure and allowed the bill to pass." More by Bruce Bartlett.

The newly troubled immigration policy

By Kathryn Jean Lopez

"I've come to hate immigration, which is an awful thing for any American -- and one named Lopez at that -- to admit. Immigration should be an inspirational topic about "huddled masses yearning to breathe free." But in 2007, it's not: It's a contentious, unserious, dangerous topic.

Maybe I've caught Bush Derangement Syndrome. I'd like to believe I have, since that will alleviate my guilt a little. I hate being one of the Bush administration detractors. There's a war going on, and the stakes are just too high to be fooling around and compromising a commander in chief's authority unnecessarily.

I'll compromise where I have to. I'll put up with bad judgment here and there: Harriet Miers? The incompetent Alberto Gonzales? Torching the First Amendment by signing campaign-finance reform? Things like the war are so important that it is easier to look past previous gaffes. He knows there's an enemy out there that hates America.

But Immigration is about the war, too. It's literally our first line of defense. Who gets in and out? Who is here? These are pretty fundamental questions in a country where there are already an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. And yet, the president, instead of taking such concerns seriously, engages in immature name-calling." Read on.

The Amnesty Fraud

By Thomas Sowell

"Nothing is more common than political 'solutions' to immediate problems which create much bigger problems down the road. The current immigration bill in the Senate is a classic example.

The big talking point of those who want to legalize the illegal immigrants currently in the United States is to say that it is 'unrealistic' to round up and deport 12 million people.

Back in 1986 it was 'unrealistic' to round up and deport the 3 million illegal immigrants in the United States then. So they were given amnesty -- honestly labeled, back then -- which is precisely why there are now 12 million illegal immigrants.

As a result of the current amnesty bill -- not honestly labeled, this time -- will it be 'unrealistic' to round up and deport 40 million or 50 million illegal immigrants in the future?

If the current immigration bill is as 'realistic' as its advocates....." Read on.

The Immigration Debacle

"The almost-stealth immigration bill light-speeding its way through Congress represents all that is wrong with politics and an elitist political class that is too far removed from its constituencies.

There is so much wrong with this bill procedurally, and substantively, that one can barely scratch the surface in a short column, but I'll recapitulate some of the most egregious concerns and share a few pet peeves.

First, we are bogged down in a semantic debate over whether the bill constitutes 'amnesty.' Open-borders apologists take umbrage at the term, saying the ..." More by David Limbaugh.

Amnesty by another name

By Cal Thomas

I wish I could believe the president and those senators who claim their agreement on immigration legislation will "fix" the problems of open borders and illegal aliens. I can't, because the public has had no input into the measure; the last time Congress "fixed" the problem, it got worse; and it appears Democrats and Republicans care more about harvesting votes for their respective parties than doing what's best for their fellow citizens.

The bill would allow for the hiring of 18,000 additional border patrol agents, construction of 370 miles of fence and 200 miles of vehicle barriers, ground-based radar, camera towers and aerial vehicles. Employers would have to electronically verify new hires within 18 months and all existing employees within three years. The priority of border security first, legalization second sounds good.

Only after the border is secured, say the senators and White House, will the guest-worker program kick in. Again, I wish I could believe this, but when it comes to immigration, I don't trust either party. It's a safe bet ... More....

Campaign Finance Reform Disqualifies John McCain

"Few political or social positions in and of themselves should disqualify a person from being a candidate for president. Just about every candidate will differ with any of us even on something we consider important. That is why I admire pro-life Republicans, such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who argue that a pro-choice position should not automatically disqualify a Republican from pro-life Republicans' support. A big tent is necessary in politics or one ends up with a small tent and no power.

Thus, I could support politicians with whom I differ on taxation (I support a consumption tax), on education (I support vouchers and think the Department of Education should be disbanded), on a flag-burning amendment (I'm against), on an amendment defining marriage as a man-woman institution (I'm for), and on many more divisive issues."

More by Dennis Prager.

The head of the National Endowment for the Humanities stands up for American exceptionalism.
BY JUDITH H. DOBRZYNSKI

Yes, Iraq is central to the fight against Islamic radicalism.
BY BOB KERREY

Mitt Romney, John Edwards Lead Iowa Poll

Russia Steps Up Spying on U.S.

"Russia’s covert intelligence operations against the U.S. have reached Cold War levels as President Vladimir Putin’s regime seeks to obtain American secrets, according to Washington officials."

WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THEIR ANGER?

“That people on the political Left have a certain set of opinions, just as people do in other parts of the ideological spectrum, is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is how often the opinions of those on the Left are accompanied by hostility and even hatred. Particular issues can arouse passions here and there for anyone with any political views. But, for many on the Left, indignation is not a sometime thing. It is a way of life. How often have you seen conservatives or libertarians take to the streets, shouting angry slogans? How often have conservative students on campus shouted down a visiting speaker or rioted to prevent the visitor from speaking at all? The source of the anger of liberals, ‘progressives,’ or radicals is by no means readily apparent. The targets of their anger have included people who are non-confrontational or even genial, such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. It is hard to think of a time when Karl Rove or Dick Cheney has even raised his voice, but they are hated like the devil incarnate. There doesn’t even have to be any identifiable individual to arouse the ire of the Left... If it is hard to find a principle behind what angers the Left, it is not equally hard to find an attitude. Their greatest anger seems to be directed at people and things that thwart or undermine the social vision of the Left, the political melodrama starring the Left as saviors of the poor, the environment, and other busybody tasks that they have taken on. It seems to be the threat to their egos that they hate. And nothing is more of a threat to their desire to run other people’s lives than the free market and its defenders.” —Thomas Sowell

ROAD MAPS

“But as Americans, our optimism comes not from an analysis of how things are, but from our belief that we can change what we see for the better. We have road maps—at least two of them in fact—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—to guide us. How can we look at the world without thinking about inalienable rights, and doing everything necessary to protect our country? How can we think of fiscal policy or even health-care policy without remembering the limitations appropriately placed upon government and the importance of individual freedom? This is a message that needs to be delivered.” —Fred Thompson

TO: THE WEAK AND FOOLISH

“Because the Democrats are forcing an end to the struggle in Iraq, we must now prepare to fight terrorism in our homeland for the next thirty or more years. This is a war of civilizations. The Islamic terrorists worldwide want to destroy the U.S. and every other Western nation, along with moderate Muslim nations, e.g., Egypt, Jordan, etc. Our very survival as a nation is involved. Will we have the courage and will to do all that will be necessary to prevail? During the Cold War the pols in Washington were mostly united. But now the Democrats are not. There is no safety for the weak and foolish. When you seek to end a war without substantially achieving your essential goals by simply ceasing to fight, it is often a form of surrender. And that’s the way the Democrat-imposed outcome in Iraq will be understood around the world, especially by our enemies.” —Democrat former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch

PLEASE KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING

“This administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement. If we have border enforcement, we will be able at that point to start to regulate the internal problem that we’ve got. Because as long as you’ve got a revolving door and you have no border—and this 2,000-mile porous border, incidentally, is our biggest homeland security problem; it’s not just an immigration problem, it’s a homeland security problem—we need to build the border fence. We need to have a Border Patrol which is big enough to get the job done, and we need to be able to ask people when they want to come into America, knock on the front door, because the back door is going to be closed.” —Rep. Duncan Hunter

ECONOMISTS & POLITICIANS

“It is impossible to understand the history of economic thought if one does not pay attention to the fact that economics as such is a challenge to the conceit of those in power. An economist can never be a favorite of autocrats and demagogues. With them he is always the mischief-maker, and the more they are inwardly convinced that his objections are well-founded, the more they hate him.” —Ludwig von Mises

WHY THE RUSH?

“It’s understandable that the White House and its Senate negotiating partners want to rush through the compromise immigration bill they agreed to Thursday. Supporters acknowledge that the delicately balanced legislation could collapse if a single destructive amendment is attached to it. Its sponsors admit they want to minimize the political debate. ‘We all know this issue can be caught up in extracurricular politics unless we move forward as quickly as possible,’ says Sen. John McCain, a key architect of the bill. But this is no way to debate the most sweeping change to our nation’s immigration laws in two decades—especially since the last comprehensive attempt, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, failed so spectacularly. The new bill is set to pass with much less analysis in the Senate than the 1986 law, known as Simpson-Mazzoli, had. Senators did not even receive the bill draft until midnight Saturday. After a test vote scheduled for today, Majority Leader Harry Reid is planning a final vote on the bill this Thursday, only one week after the compromise was struck. Shouldn’t senators have time to actually read the bill they’re being asked to vote on?... Why the rush? Because, to be blunt, the senators don’t trust the American people to make sound judgments on such emotional issues as family reunification and national sovereignty.” —John Fund

Public High School Prevents Student Christian Bible Club; Thomas More Law Center Sues

"ANN ARBOR, MI – For over nine months Aaron Grider, a sophomore at Farmington High School in Michigan, has been unsuccessfully trying to get his Christian Bible club recognized by the school as an official noncurriculum-related student club in order to receive the same benefits as other student clubs at the school. School officials told him that because his group’s purpose was religious, and not secular, it would not become a recognized student group. Aaron contacted the Thomas More Law Center, a national Christian legal advocacy group based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Thomas More Law Center announced today it has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Aaron, his parents and the Bible Club, “ALIVE,” in the Federal District Court in Detroit. The lawsuit alleges that the Farmington Public Schools and several school officials violated Aaron’s constitutional and statutory rights by refusing to give a student-led Bible club the same rights as other student-led groups." Continue reading here....

The Ultimate Winner on the Immigration Issue

By Jennifer Roback Morse

"My Fellow Americans, By the time I am sworn in as President, the current Congress will have passed “comprehensive immigration reform, ” because the elites of America have decided that’s what we need. But the ordinary citizens of the United States want and deserve the rule of law. The advocates of reform insist on rushing a debate on a bill so detailed that it requires one thousand pages. At this time, it is not humanly possible to know what immigration law will look like when I take the oath of office as the head of the Executive Branch of these United States. I want you, the citizens of the United States, to know what I intend to .... "

Lying About Taxes

"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In routine party-line votes last week, both houses of Congress completed action on a Democratic-crafted budget containing the biggest tax increase in U.S. history. That this was overlooked attests to the legerdemain of Sen. Kent Conrad of Bismarck, N.D., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

Conrad, a 59-year-old third-termer, is a monotone orator whose use of statistical charts betrays his dozen years as a North Dakota state tax collector. He seems so straight an arrow that it is hard to accuse him of the big lie. But that is precisely what he has done.

Conrad has repeatedly insisted ...."

More by Robert D. Novak

THE LEFT LOATHES TALK RADIO

By Hugh Hewitt

It is no secret that the left in America loathe talk radio--it is the medium where the conservative counter-revolution in media was launched and where huge audiences gather daily to hear Rush, Sean, Bill Bennett, Dennis Prager, Laura Ingraham and Michael Medved and, yes, me. We have succeeded in building large audiences and profitable shows. Hosts from the left side of the spectrum have not been able to achieve these results.

Not surprisingly, noises have been heard coming from the democratic-controlled Congress about legislating censorship for the radio via the Orwellian-named "fairness doctrine." This relic from the days of limited broadcast outlets demand "fairness" in the coverage of all issues--which in practice means no issue discussion at all. The censorship being discussed on Capitol Hill has one aim--to shut down the free flow of information and wide open debate.

Hugh suggests we contact our congressman and senators and tell them to keep their hands off the radio dial. We probably should. So get active - call them, email them.

While we are at it we should bend their ears a great deal on the sad immigration bill they are trying to ram home before Memorial day. Setting artificial deadlines whereby they "must" get something done, doing it behind closed doors, without the usual discussion and committee hearings is damn maddening.

You know if Teddy Kennedy is for it, it's a bad deal. We know Bush will sign it, because he is out in left field with this issue.

Jed Babbin of Human Events says we "have to do to the immgration bill what we did to the Supreme Court nomination of Hapless Harriet" .... we need to Make it a Miers Moment.

John Fund, writing for Opinion Journal echoes my sentiments exactly with his opinion piece, Don't Run for the Border: America needs comprehensive immigration reform, but not a law enacted in haste.