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Repost – Phil Kerpen Book: Democracy Denied
This is a repost of an article I posted on Oct 6 2011 Phil is a good friend to The Minority Report and we want everyone of our reader to get a chance to read his excellent book!
I just received a signed copy of our good friend Phil Kerpin’s new book Democracy Denied: How Obama is Ignoring You and Bypassing Congress to Radically Transform America – and How to Stop Him.
A little about the book:
Democracy Denied by Americans for Prosperity vice president Phil Kerpen is a guide to understanding and defeating the radical agenda that President Barack Obama is implementing by unilateral regulatory action through his agencies and czars. Democracy Denied exposes the Obama administration’s agenda that disregards the American people, Congress, and the U.S. Constitution—and offers a plan of action to stop it.
Table of Contents
Preface: The Obama Chart
Introduction: Crisis and Transformation
1. The REINS Act: How Three Kentuckians Could Save America
2. The Heat Is On: Global Warming and the EPA (Extreme Power Abuse)
3. Hacking Our Online Rights: The FCC’s Internet Takeover
4. On the Waterfront: The Secret Plan to Force You into a Union
5. Ill-Advised: ObamaCare Keeps Getting Worse
6. The New Golden Rules: Regulations for Every Aspect of Your Financial Life
7. Drilling Down: Assault on Offshore Energy
8. Property in Peril: Obama’s Shocking Land Grabs
9. A Back Door to the Back Door: Phony Regulatory Reform
Conclusion: Restoring the Republic
Acknowledgments
I’m really looking forward to reading this as the reviews, for some names you’ll be very familiar with, are stellar!
“This is a must-read for everyone who values our nation’s bedrock principles. What Obama is trying to unilaterally impose on the American people is nothing short of regulatory tyranny. Phil Kerpen breaks down the Obama administration’s regulatory onslaught and shows those of us who love the Constitution what we can do about it.”
—Mark Levin, bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio host
“Phil Kerpen offers both a warning and a lesson about a radical minority and its concerted efforts to control the lives and voices of all Americans. Democracy Denied is a literal guidebook on the progressive game plan—now it’s up to us to heed the warning.”
—Glenn Beck, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Democracy Denied demonstrates how President Obama is packing federal agencies with handpicked liberal activists who are rewarding campaign allies, punishing opponents, and pushing the failed Keynesian fiscal policies Americans rejected at the ballot box in 2010. Phil Kerpen’s must-read book provides much-needed solutions to the unaccountable bureaucrats who seek to control what cars we drive, the foods we eat, and even the lights we use.”
—U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina)
“Obama is on a mission—to conceal his socialist record behind a veil of moderation. Phil Kerpen pierces that veil and shows the Obama beneath. He has broken the Obama code.”
—Dick Morris, Fox News contributor
“President Obama has sought from day one to bypass elected representatives in Congress and impose his liberal agenda by regulatory fiat. This unchecked regulatory assault is draining the lifeblood from our economy and eroding our liberties. Phil Kerpen’s book is an excellent tool for anyone seeking to understand the consequences of regulatory tyranny and the story of the REINS Act—the most important reform that, if passed, will restore accountability and balance to the regulatory process.”
—U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)
“You know Team Obama is up to no good, but you don’t even know the half of it. Phil Kerpen takes you inside all the back rooms and back doors that these left-wing power-grabbers have used to subvert the will of the people—and trample the rule of law. Democracy Denied exposes you to the true size and scope of the Obama regulatory Leviathan. Kerpen’s comprehensive research will make your blood boil and stir you to action.”
—Michelle Malkin, Fox News contributor and bestselling author of Culture of Corruption
“The American people are the most innovative in the world, but they are being held back by the Obama administration’s extreme regulatory agenda. Phil Kerpen cuts to the heart of this problem and shows us the path forward.”
—U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-Indiana)
“Federal regulations have the slippery tentacles of an octopus strangling businesses, families, and workers. Democracy Denied exposes the threats to economic freedom from Barack Obama’s gang of unelected regulatory zealots.”
—Stephen Moore, senior economics writer and editorial board member at The Wall Street Journal
“The Obama socialist juggernaut is attempting to ride roughshod over the will of the people, skirt existing laws, and sideswipe the Constitution. In Democracy Denied, Phil Kerpen masterfully articulates the challenges we face, and, most importantly, provides common sense solutions and strategies you need to know.”
—Jerry Doyle, nationally syndicated radio host
“As an elected city official, I have seen firsthand how the federal regulatory racket hurts local governments, citizens, and businesses. Phil Kerpen does an excellent job exposing abuses and offering constructive solutions to rein in the autocracy of unelected regulators.”
—Erick Erickson, Editor of RedState.com
“Phil Kerpen has accomplished the impossible: he’s given us a rousing polemic against President Barack Obama without being polemical. He exposes Obama’s hidden agendas with take-no-prisoners investigative spadework instead of conspiracy-theory guesswork. And he shows us from the forefront of the battle how to stop Obama with no-nonsense legislative and political strategies that any citizen can help with.”
—Ron Arnold, Executive Vice President of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, and bestselling author of EcoTerror
Get Your Copy Now!
House Republicans: Our Plan for America’s Job Creators
WASHINGTON- This week, House Republican leadership once again highlighted the House Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators. Since the plan was introduced in May, House Republicans have passed over 15 jobs bills, many with bipartisan support. Unfortunately, these bills are now known as the “Forgotten 15” as Harry Reid and the Democrat-controlled Senate are letting these bills stack up on their doorstep.
House Republicans are calling on the Senate to take up these jobs bills immediately to help restore the confidence of our nation’s job creators and get our country back to work.
The “Forgotten 15” and a summary of the House Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators can be found at http://jobs.gop.gov.
The Plan Summary:
HRP_JOBS_SUMMARY
The Plan:
theplan
Why My Love Affair with Jennifer Rubin Is Over!
Jennifer Rubin has broken my heart. And it’s not just because Rubin pretends that I don’t exist (although she has been studiously indifferent to my overtures).
Nor is it because Rubin has slapped down Erick Erickson (for whom I am not a big fan). No, my problem with Rubin is that, in rightfully punching back at Erickson, she has insulted bloggers everywhere!
In case you missed it, here’s how the Rubin-Erickson brouhaha went down:
Erickson (of CNN and RedState fame) dissed Rubin because, he said, Rubin is an Israeli Likud tool. Why, she even favors freeing Jewish-American traitors who betray America to help Israel!
No, I’m not making this up: That’s what Erickson said, albeit not in so many words. Check it out:
Jennifer Rubin, when not pushing Romney talking points, is in favor of freeing traitors [and] claims to be a conservative covering the conservative movement (though she has nothing in common with conservatives other than hating terrorists).
A conservative friend says she’s best understood as “Likud” rather than Republican or conservative. There’s nothing wrong with being Likud, but one ought to be honest about it.
The charge that Rubin wants to “free traitors,” of course, is an explicit reference to Jonathan Pollard, about whom Rubin has written some exculpatory posts.
Rubin may be wrong about Pollard (certainly, I’m inclined to think so), but to charge that she’s simply an Israeli conservative is a malicious slur. Indeed, it’s an anti-Semitic slur, which asserts that Rubin’s principal loyalties lie not with the United States, but with Israel.
But this is patently absurd — as anyone who’s read Rubin’s voluminous writings knows. She’s written, literally, about dozens of issues other than Israel: Supreme Court jurisprudence, affirmative action, tax policy, the budget, the battle in Wisconsin, union strong-arm tactics, the right to work, et al.
Sure, as a Jew, Rubin has a special interest in Israel; but so, too, do lots of American conservatives (such as myself) who are not Jewish.
We take a special interest in Israel because we recognize that the Jewish state is a courageous outpost of Western civilization in a sea of Islamist hostility. We realize that Israeli values are American values; and that the strategic interests of our two countries converge in a mightily significant and noticeable way.
The truth is Rubin is one of us: an American conservative. And, as I wrote yesterday, we in the conservative movement are fortunate to have her within our ranks.
Now, Erickson has since apologized, and good on him for doing so:
A friend explained to me the implication [of my remark] — that it suggested a loyalty to Israel above a loyalty to the United States among other things. That’s absolutely not what I meant. And certainly, [I] do apologize for leaving anyone, including Jenn, with that impression.
We can fight on other matters, including whether she’s a conservative, but I don’t question her love of this country.
Alright. Fair enough — although you have to wonder: what kind of boneheaded ignoramus must Erickson be not to realize the anti-Semitic implications of his remark?!
But what really gets my dander up is Rubin’s response when asked about Erickson’s stupidity: “You want a Washington Post journalist to comment on an anti-Semitic screed by some blogger?” Rubin asked. “My arms are not long enough to punch down that far.”
Now, wait just a minute, lady! You may work for the, ahem, Washington Post, but you’re still a blogger, just like the rest of us! And you didn’t always work for the vaunted Post. In fact, you, too, used to toil away in relative obscurity — and in your pajamas, just like us!
So drop the attitude and the condescension, alright? The truth is that some bloggers — including, for instance, Glenn Reynolds, Michelle Malkin, and Robert Stacy McCain — are more influential and widely read than you!
This idea that legacy-media journalists somehow occupy a higher plane than mere bloggers simply isn’t true anymore, and you know it.
Moreover, Erickson may be a blogger, but not all bloggers are like Erickson. And you may work for the Post, but that doesn’t make you any better or more legit than us.
Case closed. And yeah: I’m moving on. Our love affair, Jennifer, is over!
Originally published at ResCon1.
UPDATE: Jennifer Rubin has responded! (Via Twitter.) So maybe I acted too hastily and in a fit of pique. Jennifer, I didn’t mean all those bad things that I said about you. You’re still my favorite blogger!
Apple MacBook Pro Fall 2011 – Review
The good: Incremental updates to the CPU help keep the MacBook Pro line a step above the now-mainstream Air. The trackpad and gesture controls are still the best of any current laptop.
The bad: Unless you need an optical drive, the MacBook Air may be better fit for most, and the Pro still lacks things we’d like to see, such as HDMI, Blu-ray, and USB 3.0.
The bottom line: A MacBook Pro is a significant investment, especially when adding in optional upgrades. Cost aside, there’s not a better choice (there are, however, some close ties) for an all-around powerhouse that will work in the home, office, and in between.
Read the Full Review
Five Things You Need to Know About Obama’s Student Loan Relief Program
President Obama unveiled a plan Wednesday that will ease the burden of student loan debt for millions of borrowers.
The plan will accelerate an existing plan to cap student loan payments at 10% of income to start in 2012 instead of 2014. It will also allow those with split loans from the Direct Loan program and the Family Education Loan Program to consolidate their debts into a single monthly payment. Borrowers that opt for this plan will get a 0.5 percentage point cut in their interest rate.
Obama will use his executive authority as commander-in-chief to enact these changes without needing Congressional approval.
Student loan debt is the second biggest household debt weighing on consumers, and the president’s plans comes on the same day the College Board released a report showing tuition costs continue to rise. According to its report, average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges increased $631 this fall, compared with a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, a record high.
With tuition prices rising quicker than inflation, students are borrowing twice the amount in loans compared to 10 years ago. The average amount of loans a full-time undergrad borrowed last year was $4,963, according to the College Board.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported earlier this month that loans will surpass $100 billion for the first time this year. What’s worse is that there will also be more than $1 trillion in outstanding loans as well, also for the first time ever.
Default rates are also on the rise up to 8.8% in 2009 from 6.7% in 2007, according to federal data; the highest default rates are among graduates from for-profit schools .
Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FastWeb.com and FinAid.org, said the real issue for borrowers is the lack of jobs available after graduation, and those who have jobs are underemployed.
“They’re having trouble getting jobs, and aren’t getting any form of financial relief,” Kantrowitz says. “This announcement draws attention to things that are already available to them, that can help.”
Here’s five things Kantrowitz said borrowers should know about the president’s new plan.
No. 1: Income-based repayment already exists. The IBR plan the president rolled out today is simply a new version of the old plan, Kantrowitz says, only it will be available for borrowers in 2012, rather than 2014 when it was originally slated, and caps monthly payments at 10% of discretionary income. The current plan caps payments at 15% of discretionary income.
“The new plan also accelerates loan forgiveness, after 20 years of payments, instead of 25,” he says. “The existing plan is underutilized, only about 450,000 borrowers nationwide are using it.”
Kantrowitz estimates about 10% of borrowers currently in payment could benefit from this IBR plan. More
UK Man Gets Prosthetic Limb With A Smartphone Dock Built In
The DARPA Arm Imagine a brain-controlled robotic arm that also packed its own connected computer/smartphone/auxiliary devices? FDA via Flickr
Trevor Prideaux was having trouble texting. Prideaux, who was born without his left forearm, used to have to balance his smartphone on his prosthetic arm or lay it on a flat surface to text, dial, or otherwise take advantage of the technology. So with some help form the Exeter Mobility Center in Devon, UK, the 50-year-old Prideaux has become the first person to have a smartphone dock embedded in his prosthetic limb.
With some design help from Nokia and the prosthetics team at EMC, Prideaux’s Nokia C7 is now fixed within his prosthetic forearm (he went to Apple first hoping to mount an iPhone, but Cupertino declined to participate in his project). More
How secure is HTTPS today? How often is it attacked?
This is part 1 of a series on the security of HTTPS and TLS/SSL
HTTPS is a lot more secure than HTTP! If a site uses accounts, or publishes material that people might prefer to read in private, the site should be protected with HTTPS.
Unfortunately, is still feasible for some attackers to break HTTPS. Leaving aside cryptographic protocol vulnerabilities, there are structural ways for its authentication mechanism to be fooled for any domain, including mail.google.com, www.citibank.com, www.eff.org, addons.mozilla.org, or any other incredibly sensitive service:
1. Break into any Certificate Authority (or compromise the web applications that feed into it). As we learned from the SSL Observatory project, there are 600+ Certificate Authorities that your browser will trust; the attacker only needs to find one of those 600 that she is capable of breaking into. This has been happening with catastrophic results.
2. Compromise a router near any Certificate Authority, so that you can read the CA’s outgoing email or alter incoming DNS packets, breaking domain validation. Or similarly, compromise a router near the victim site to read incoming email or outgoing DNS responses. Note that SMTPS email encryption does not help because STARTTLS is vulnerable to downgrade attacks.
3. Compromise a recursive DNS server that is used by a Certificate Authority, or forge a DNS entry for a victim domain (which has sometimes been quite easy). Again, this defeats domain validation.
4. Attack some other network protocol, such as TCP or BGP, in a way that grants access to emails to the victim domain.
5. A government could order a Certificate Authority to produce a malicious certificate for any domain. There is circumstantial evidence that this may happen. And because CAs are located in 52+ countries, there are lots of governments that can do this, including some deeply authoritarian ones. Also, governments could easily perform any of the above network attacks against CAs in other countries.
In short: there are a lot of ways to break HTTPS/TLS/SSL today, even when websites do everything right. As currently implemented, the Web’s security protocols may be good enough to protect against attackers with limited time and motivation, but they are inadequate for a world in which geopolitical and businesses contests are increasingly being played out through attacks against the security of computer systems. More
