The Westmoreland Watchman: May 2009

THE WESTMORELAND WATCHMAN
A PUBLICATION OF THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY CONSERVATIVE COALITION
VOLUME 1, NUMBER 5 MAY, 2009
160 MAUS DRIVE PHONE: 724-863-2520
IRWIN, PA 15642 E-MAIL: [email protected] 724-744-2607
REMEMBER—NO MEETING IN MAY
With all of the pre-primary election work and May 19th being the Primary, we will NOT be having a meeting in May. Many of our fine members will be toiling at the polls on Tuesday and with the Memorial Day celebration approaching, we couldn’t come up with a date in May, so we will not meet again until Tuesday, June 16th.
Hearty thanks to the many folks who used our April hiatus and went to Harrisburg in support of the Second Amendment and the pro-life movement. I believe we made some inroads with our Representatives on both subjects and have a solid majority to stop any further intrusions against these basic rights at the present time. We have a great opportunity to elect a new right-thinking Governor in 2010 and that will go a long way towards ending some of the wild spending that Governor Rendell has been proposing and implementing for the last 8 years. That coupled with a critical U.S, Senate race and the chance to elect some more conservatives to the Pennsylvania House, 2010 should make the Keystone State a crucial battle ground state once again.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the results of the May Primary have given us true conservative and liberal choices for the various judge positions throughout the Commonwealth and individual counties. These judicial seats are very important as they can set the trend and tone for years to come with their decisions, whether right or wrong. The "off year" election turnout is always pathetic and the winners usually are elected by about 15-25% of the eligible voters. It is during these occasions that well organized campaigns can mobilize their blocks of voters to capture these important seats. So while there will be a lot of pre-2010 political discussions for Governor and Senate throughout this year, we must not take our eyes off the task before us to elect judges who are enforcing the Constitution and not making their own laws. There are good people running for judge at all levels so investigate their beliefs and records so you can help elect the right people in November. We’ll have more to say about these various candidates as we learn of their strengths and weaknesses in future issues of The Watchman.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR OUR JUNE 16TH MEETING:
With the Obama Administration spending billions of our tax dollars EVERY DAY on socialistic programs, the American people seem to be mesmerized and unable to grasp the extent to which the Federal Reserve is controlling all our credit and money supply. At our June meeting, we will be showing a new powerful DVD exposing the Federal Reserve System entitled, "Dollars and Sense." Please circle the date and encourage friends and neighbors to attend this important meeting on how our money is being manipulated by un-elected powers that are striving for a New World Order and New World Currency.
This DVD will show how the Federal Reserve creates money out of thin air and manipulates the value of the dollar to give them ultimate control over the purse strings of every American household. It will also inform you that Federal Reserve is actually a private central bank that has been granted the monopoly over the issuance of currency. This power gives it the ability to regulate the price of credit and interest rates and hence determines how much money flows through the economy. Most people think that higher prices cause inflation but higher prices are the result of more money being created by the Federal Reserve. The smoke and mirrors policies of Obama and his predecessors have Americans confused and bewildered about our nation’s money supply, debt and credit situation. This DVD will cut through much of the confusion and hopefully give you a better understanding of how the New World Order crowd is destroying our way of life and economy. Please make every effort to attend the June 16th meeting!
In the meantime, call your Congressman and urge him to support Congressman Ron Paul’s H.R. 1207 that would require a complete audit of the Federal Reserve. This measure already has 40 cosponsors. He also has introduced H.R. 833 that would abolish the Federal Reserve and repeal the Federal Reserve Act altogether! These resolutions are worth your time and effort and may God give us more patriots like Ron Paul in Congress!
SPECTER’S DEPARTURE
Despite all the gloom and doom facing America, there is always some story that makes you feel better. One of these events occurred on April 28th when Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter finally did ALL Republicans a favor by leaving the GOP for "redder" pastures in the Democratic Party. His actions and pronouncements over the last few months show him to be more untrustworthy and unstable than at any time in his long and confused career. Just a few weeks after stating that he wouldn’t change parties, the old weasel did exactly that. Over the years when he voted against conservative policies and acted the maverick, he would state that he was "voting his conscience." This would lead one to believe that he was an independent and had he taken the path that Jim Jeffords of Vermont took a few years ago and declared himself an Independent, he might have retained a crumb of respectability. However, his actions make him a laughing stock among Republicans, and I’m sure many Democrats will be eyeing him with some doubt every time he opens his mouth. Arlen’s genuflecting before Obama, saying that he hopes to help on issues such as amnesty, climate change and health care, made me sick. I hope his departure will once and for all vindicate those of us who for years denounced him as a "RINO" and battled the GOP Leadership that Arlen wasn’t worth supporting under any conditions. I was out of town the week of Specter’s announcement and missed some of the news, but did any one track down Rick Santorum and ask how he felt after destroying his career by endorsing Arlen over the honorable Pat Toomey in 2004? The same question should also be posed to former President George W. Bush. I hope 2010 will afford true conservatives and moderate Democrats an opportunity to clear the stench out of Washington that has been the legacy of Arlen Specter for the last 30 years! Pat Toomey is the man to accomplish this and bring some moral and economic sense back to Pennsylvania. I urge you to support Pat to the hilt in next year’s election!
SECOND AMENDMENT PROGRESS
The 1500 or more Second Amendment supporters that descended on Harrisburg on April 21st were treated to some high-powered speeches by Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America and the President of the NRA. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, who organized the event, gave an excellent talk and is to be highly commended for his faithful stand in support of our right to keep and bear arms. Dozens of Republicans and Democratic legislators were standing shoulder to shoulder on the Rotunda steps in defense of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. State Senator Jessie White introduced a measure called the "Castle Bill", which allows a homeowner to shoot an intruder without having to retreat. A similar measure in the House (H.R. 40) will give the honest gun owner the edge over the criminal element.
There is also some other good news on the Second Amendment front. According to Glen Beck, the state of Montana has passed legislation stating that any firearm and ammunition that is wholly made and kept inside the state will be exempt from any federal regulations. Similar measures are being considered in Utah and Texas and some of our members have contacted Rep. Metcalfe to do likewise in Pennsylvania. This is an excellent way to invoke the 10th Amendment and may spur business interests in every state to set up the manufacturing of firearms and ammunition. Measures like this come under what I’m calling "The 210 Project." This stands for the Second and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution that give us the right to keep and bear arms and also forbid the Federal government to interfere in those matters where the Constitution doesn’t give them any jurisdiction. The Second Amendment and States Rights—what better sounding phrase in the battle to keep our freedoms.
Also, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has added an amendment to the Credit Card Bill that would allow law-abiding people to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. It doesn’t sound too germane to have this in the Credit Card Bill but nevertheless, it passed by a vote of 67-29. Amazingly, 27 Democrats joined 39 Republicans and one Independent to approve this amendment. This amendment allows firearms to be carried as long as they are allowed by federal, state and local laws in those areas. As a rule, I carry a gun in those areas anyway, as every year dozens of people are killed or attacked or meet up with some wild animals with a deadly outcome. Slowly, but surely, it appears that we are making some gains as conservatives. We are finding ways to still use the Constitutional provisions to evade the Socialist and Marxist plans of Obama. Of course, our greatest danger lies in the courts that may overturn these and other pieces of legislation to keep us as defenseless as possible. As we have said before, add to your supply of firearms and ammunition, if possible. A REPORT FROM AFGHANISTAN
Every day we hear about the Taliban making inroads in their effort to topple the Pakistani government and how dangerous this would be, as they could get their hands on the nuclear weapons in Islamabad. Much of their support and operational planning comes from neighboring Afghanistan and Obama is sending more U.S. troops to the region to supposedly counter this threat. One of those soldiers sent to Afghanistan is Sgt. Mark Russak of North Irwin in Westmoreland County. In early 2008, our Coalition Chapter was honored to have Sgt. Russak speak to our membership about his tour of duty in Iraq. Mark is in his mid 40’s and has now been sent on his third tour of duty, this time to Afghanistan as part of an Areo-Medical Evacuation Operation Team. On May 12th, Mark sent me the following report which I think is relevant for you to read first hand from a true patriot:
" I’ve been in Afghanistan for a month now and things are going well. My living situation has recently improved greatly. I am back in a hard barracks with six guys in a room. It is a little tight but my access to the internet has greatly improved. The only drawback is that we are now directly downwind from the sewage pond. With the increased heat ( up in the mid 90’s now), going to the chow hall has become a disciplined adventure of not breathing in your nose but hey, a mission to South West Asia would not be the same without the smell of raw sewage in the air! I kid the young troops here that the most important thing you must bring to any Third World desert deployment is a good sense of humor. No troops can survive without it.
Things are moving forward with our mission. We have our (AEOT) Areo Medical Evacuation Operation Team tents set up and functional. We started flying missions and helping our Canadian comrades in the Trauma Center. They are a fine group of Doctors, Nurses and Technicians and it has been an honor to serve beside our allied neighbors to the North. This is a NATO base and everyone works together for the good of the Afghani people and our future. As I’m sure you have all read in the paper or seen on TV, troops continue to pour into the area. Southeast Afghanistan is where the fight is and Kandahar is its main city. This area reminds me a lot of Al Anbar, Iraq before the "Awakening." It is hot, dry, dusty and the people are severely oppressed and prone to violence because of the Radical Islamic movement. One additional problem thrown into the mix is Opium. The Opium harvest season is coming to an end so now the Taliban have their pockets full of "Drug Money" and a dry environment to operate in, and the violence will increase. I don’t know if you are all aware that 90% of the world’s opium comes from southern Afghanistan. Heroin comes from opium and is the drug that is destroying our youth and at the same time feeding the terrorists that are sworn to destroy us. Talk about irony: The poison that kills our young people and steals our future also pays our enemies to kill our troops! I’m asking a lot of questions about this situation and I’m reading a book on narco-terrorism. In the future I will have more to report on this subject. Our goal here in Afghanistan, like Iraq, is two fold. We must aid the freely elected Afghan government in providing security and infrastructure for the Afghan people and destroy a very determined and often suicidal enemy. Afghanistan is a country that stands at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. It has been the battleground of many empires for thousands of years. Armies of the Persians, the Greeks (Alexander the Great), the Huns, the Arabs (Islamists), the Mongols (Genghis Khan), the British, the Soviets and the United States have fought here in this land for reasons too numerous to list in this e-mail. It is a fascinating story of history and if you want to fully understand the dynamics of this corner of the globe and this war, I suggest you start from the very beginning. The beginning for the United States started in the 1980’s supporting the Mujahadin against the Soviets. Unfortunately, once the Soviets were defeated, a power vacuum was created and many tribes, warlords, political and ethnic groups fought for control of the country. The radical Islamists known as the Taliban (Students or Seekers) took control of Kandahar in 1994 and eventually took the capitol of Kabul in 1996. They were and continue to be supported by Osama Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terror network. Just like in Iraq, losing is not an option here!
The Kandahar Province and the other provinces along the southern border with Pakistan have also been very supportive of the Taliban. Mullar Omar, the leader of the Taliban is from Kandahar. The majority of the people in this area of southern Afghanistan and western Pakistan are Pashtun. The Pashtun people are the world’s largest remaining tribal society. The Pashtun Tribe makes up nearly 40% of the population of Afghanistan and has ruled this country since its inception in 1747 under King Ahmad Shah Durrani. Hamad Karzi, current President of Afghanistan is also Pashtun and was born in Kandahar. Karzi was once a supporter of the Taliban but disagreements in ideology, foreign involvement and the assassination of his father in 1999 changed his views, and he became a leading Afghani figure against the Taliban. Karzi has become devoted to defeating the Taliban, determined to bring about his father’s wishes for a multi-ethnic, broad-based government in Afghanistan. Changing the hearts and minds of the Pashtun people is the only way to win this war. Skeptics across the country say this is unlikely to occur but these are the same liberal whiners who said we could never win in Al Anbar, Iraq. No job is impossible for the United States military. Trust in your troops and support the mission we were sent to accomplish. That is all we ask. Once again I’d like to say thank you so very much for all your support in the past and today in the present. My gratitude to you all is immeasurable and I thank God daily for this blessing. Keep informed, put your faith in the Lord and know that your military stands ready to do whatever is required to preserve our freedom and security in this "War on Terror."
Sgt. Russak concludes, quoting Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is my right hand, and I will not be shaken." TAKE TIME TO PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS EVERYDAY!
This report from a local patriot puts into perspective what we are facing in that region and he is absolutely right when he said "losing is not an option here."
While Nancy Pelosi and other domestic enemies continue to worry about CIA water-boarding and the detainees at Gitmo, the terrorists are plotting to destroy our way of life. Let’s pray that Pelosi’s lies about the CIA report are fully uncovered and she is dethroned as Speaker. Of course Homeland Security Czar Janet Napolitano has listed many of us on the domestic terror list because we might have served in the military, may be pro-life, or are against illegal immigration and amnesty. Or we might have a Ron Paul for President bumper sticker our car! These actions and comments show the Obamanites are very worried about us—let’s keep the heat on by using the truth and give them more to worry about than they ever thought possible!
THE FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL EYE OF THE HURRICANE
Over the last two months or so, the Stock Market has rebounded nearly 20% and there are many people who are being led to believe that the recession will end by 2010. Just like there is a calm when the eye of a hurricane passes over an area, I believe greater dangers are down the road. With the trillions of dollars in debt and spending being racked up by Obama, there is virtually no way to avoid rampant inflation at some point in the near future. His control over General Motors and Chrysler and recent forced dealership closings with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs is a stark warning of the Socialist agenda Obama and his leftist crew has for America. And now the same group of Marxists who are undermining the free enterprise system are planning to tackle healthcare and come up with a national plan by the end of July! The government-caused banking nightmare is nowhere close to being solved with billions more being dumped into the system each week. Now Obama is eyeing overseas assets and is exploring ways to place a heavier tax on them. Watch your Swiss Bank Accounts!
The cost of gasoline has jumped 30 cents in the last two weeks, but not a voice of sanity has been raised from the Obama team about tapping into the trillions of dollars worth of energy that lie offshore and underneath our land. While I believe the recent Swine Flu scare is a diversion to keep people from focusing on Obama’s actions, behind the scenes he is moving to weaken America’s sovereignty. Photo opts with Chavez in Venezuela and encouraging ties with Cuba will have a very detrimental effect on our allies in Latin and South America. While embracing Marxists tyrannies, Obama has no problem snubbing friendly countries like Columbia.
He continues to hammer away at the "greed" of corporate America and is constantly urging Americans to give more of themselves to their communities, just what you would expect from a "community organizer." Words are being re-defined everyday and in the world of Obama, the word "volunteer" is at the top with new meaning. My wife and I have volunteered for nearly 40 years at church, Meals on Wheels, visiting shut-ins and other causes. Many of you likewise have spent countless hours of your own volition in the service of others, expecting nothing in return. But now Obama and Washington don’t believe that volunteerism can survive without government and authorized $5.7 billion for the Serve America Act. Nearly 250,000 new positions will be created during the next eight years, most of them in direct conflict with true non-profit organizations and true volunteers. The way ACORN and other agencies have turned political, there is real concern that some of these new "paid volunteers" could be diverted into areas of political use for "America", meaning the Democratic Party!
In summary, make personal preparations, work for our freedoms day and night and pray mightily to God!