Is There a Chance to Stop Sotomayor?

Mark Noonan

Latest poll on it from Rasmussen:

A heavily publicized U.S. Supreme Court reversal of an appeals court ruling by Judge Sonia Sotomayor has at least temporarily diminished public support for President Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, conducted on the two nights following the Supreme Court decision, finds that 37% now believe Sotomayor should be confirmed while 39% disagree.

Two weeks ago, the numbers were much brighter for the nominee. At that time, 42% favored confirmation, and 34% were opposed.

A GOP campaign highlighting the fact that Sotomayor voted to discriminate based on race, and was overturned by the SC she wants to be on, would probably crush her chances – there are enough red State Democrats to do so. The questions remain – will the GOP do it? and would doing it cause damage to GOP hopes for hispanic votes?

Honduras Remains Defiant

Mark Noonan

And good for them – our government is gutlessly following the demands of thugs like Castro and Chavez and minority-elected President Ortega of Nicaragua, but it seems that the majority of the people of Honduras have decided that the rule of law is paramount. Looking around for some Honduran comment on the issue, I found this:

…The President of Honduras in Council of Ministers (Cabinet Council) emitted the Executive Decree PCM-005-2009, through which he called upon a consultation to the people with the ultimate goal of summoning a National Constituent Assembly to emit a new Constitution, which would allow the elimination of the “Articulos Petreos”, an act that is considered unconstitutional and is considered as a crime of Treason to the Country…

…The Attorney General began a judicial action that ended with a decree prohibiting the consultation.

The Executive Decree PCM-005-2009 was never published, making it impossible legally dispute itt, an improper behavior of the Executive Power.

The Attorney General publicly warned that the President’s behavior and that of his advisors was illegal.

The President of Honduras, in Council of Ministers, emitted the Executive Decree PCM-019-2009, through which he annulled the Executive Decree that called upon a consultation related to the summon of a National Constituent Assembly to emit a new Constitution, and replaced it with a new Executive Decree which ordered a national poll that would take place on Sunday, June 28 of 2009, in which the following question would be asked: Are you in favor with the addition of a fourth voting box in the general elections of 2009, in which the people will decide on the summon of a National Constituent Assembly?

The new Executive Decree number PCM-019-2009, dated may 26, 2009, was not published until June 25th of 2009, with the manifested goal that the same would not be judicially challenged.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the General Attorney of State began legal actions to confiscate the poll’s material and named the Air Force Chief as depositary of the confiscated items.

The President and a mob of his followers broke the order of legality, rejected the resolution by the Judicial Power, assaulted the Air Force facilities in Tegucigalpa, where the confiscated material was being kept, misused his authority as President of Honduras, publicly expressed that he would not respect the rulings of the Judicial Power, and put forward that the Legislative Power was not representative of the People, but himself, who had been elected president of Honduras.

The Armed Forces of Honduras re established the order and legality.

The National Congress followed the constitutional process established in the Article 242, regarding the succession of the President in case of a definite absence.

The facts, as known to us outsiders, appear to correspond with this narrative of events – the ex-President of Honduras, emulating Chavez of Venezuela, was attempting to do an end-run around the Honduran constitution in order to secure for himself de-facto unlimited power. Certainly, the ex-President had (and has) some popular support for this, but even if it could be demonstrated that he had majority support for it, the actions taken by him appear to be in direct violation of the Honduran constitution.

The rest of Honduran society decided that, difficult as it was, it was better to get rid of the President than either fall under dictatorship or be forced in to civil war – summoning their legal powers, these opposition forces in Honduras turned the would-be tyrant out. Imagine if an American President attempted to submit a popular, national referendum as to whether or not we should call a constitutional convention? It can’t be done like that – any President attempting to do such a thing would have to be removed from office in order to protect our democratic republic even if such a move could be shown to have majority support. It must be kept in mind that in a democracy, it can never be pure majority rule – that isn’t democracy, that is tyranny dressed up as democracy. The key to successful democratic governance is to have things the government simply can’t do.

Our proper course is to respect the people of Honduras and allow them to work this out on their own – we certainly don’t need to be taken in train by the likes of Chavez and Castro.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-05

Matt Margolis

Reid Will be Beaten by Whomever the GOP Nominates

Mark Noonan

Handing it to us on a silver platter:

“I think I am an expert on getting things passed,” Reid told the Sun. “And before anyone gets too high and mighty about principles, they should understand that principles are in the eye of the beholder.”

Well, Senator, the people of the State of Nevada are beholding you – and you won’t be a Senator come January of 2011.

This is just so “Democrat” – who cares what is right or wrong, as long as power is exercised and Democrats can do whatever they please, its all good. We’re gonna have to change that…

Obama May Ignore Constitution, Rule by Decree

Mark Noonan

No, I’m not kidding:

With the clock running out on a new US-Russian arms treaty before the previous Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, expires on December 5, a senior White House official said Sunday said that the difficulty of the task might mean temporarily bypassing the Senate’s constitutional role in ratifying treaties by enforcing certain aspects of a new deal on an executive levels and a “provisional basis” until the Senate ratifies the treaty.

If isn’t ratified then it isn’t a treaty and thus isn’t a law – the President cannot enforce figments of his imagination. This is grounds for impeachment, if he does it…though with solid “don’t-give-a-hoot-about-the-constitution” Democrat majorities, nothing will come of it…

Phrase of the Day

Mark Noonan

The place of religion in America? Let’s ask the man best positioned to judge:

Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. – George Washington

Obama to Kneel Before Shrine of Chamberlain?

Mark Noonan

Goodness, I hope this report isn’t true:

The United States is opposed to enacting a new set of financial sanctions against Iran that are due to be discussed in the G8 summit next week, diplomatic officials in New York reported Friday.

According to officials, sanctions against Iran are expected to top the G8’s agenda. Sources are also predicting a pointed debate between the heads of the industrialized nations over an appropriate response to Iranian authorities’ suppression of reformist demonstrations in Iran led by Mir Hossein Mousavi and other Iranian opposition leaders…

…diplomatic sources in New York reported that American officials are working behind the scenes to prevent new sanctions from being imposed against Iran.

U.S. officials claimed that a tough stance toward Iran could backfire, bringing about an opposite outcome to that desired by those who support such measures.

The Obama administration, according to the diplomatic sources, has discarded the notion of direct talks with Iran. However, the United States is still interested in re-engaging Iran through the renewed discussion of its nuclear program through the five permanent United Nations Security Council members and Germany.

Obama, if you are doing this, then you are a fool; and your folly will eventually be paid for by human blood. You can’t do this – you can’t back off on sanctions and then hope to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran: if you back off, you see, all you’ll do is convince the blood-soaked mullahs that you are a coward and that they can get away with anything as long as you are in office. Doesn’t matter if, deep down inside, you have an American backbone – the damage will be done and no one will ever believe you have it. And like the appeasers of old, you might be forced to show a bit of steel at the worst possible moment.

I drove around town a bit today and the American flag is still flown proudly by Americans – don’t make betray the trust of those who showed their patriotism today..

Tea Party Day

Mark Noonan

Instapundit has a running list of Tea Party demonstrations around the country – though the one in Obama’s Chicago is really good; I especially liked the T shirt telling us what O.B.A.M.A. really stands for.

Did you attend one today? Any thoughts on this growing American Revolution against Obama and his Social Democrats?

It Profits a Man Nothing to Gain the Whole World, and Lose His Soul…

Mark Noonan

…but for Malta?

Today the White House announced that President Obama will nominate Douglas Kmiec, a Catholic and self-described pro-life law professor, as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta.

If approved, Kmiec would become the ambassador to the Catholic island nation, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily.

Dr. Kmiec, who is currently a law professor at Pepperdine University, came under fire last year when he announced his support for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. He has held firm that Obama will reduce abortions through his policies, though the President favors legalized abortion.

In contrast to the Obama Administration, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca of Malta has previously spoken out about the role Christian politicians must take in respecting life in all stages. During a Maltese Independence Day celebration in 2004, he noted that these politicians “should reject abortion and euthanasia, work for sustainable economic and social development and be in solidarity with the weakest and most vulnerable.”

Kmeic sold out the Church, poured feces over his life’s work – and his reward is the trivial ambassadorship to Malta. I hope its worth it for him…that’s a lot to give us for so little gain.