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As if the Obamacare mandate (one of many) that has stirred the pot so predictably on the topic of contraception, abortion and all manner of products and services for having sex to be paid for by those who object for those who do not another Obama-mandate that demonizes some players in the ‘mortgage meltdown’ while allowing others to skate tops this week’s list of scams perpetrated by President Obama.

The mortgage servicing settlement announced by US AG Eric Holder where five banks will pay $20 to $25 billion to subsidize the mortgages of a select group of individuals is absolutely outrageous. Not that they will listen but officials in my fine home state will be hearing from me on the matter. I sincerely think everyone has gone crazy.

This post is a preamble for later ones that will continue on this subject. If you have followed the story behind this BS settlement one thing is clear. Those responsible for the bad things that happened are not limited to the five banks the Obama Administration has ‘fingered’ for this ‘public hanging’.

Since the settlement was announced numerous comments have been expressed pointing to the details of this scam. Something tells me this story will be a target rich environment capable of destroying the Obamanation. Add to that the ‘sex subsidies’ announced with Obama’s ‘contraception/abortion’ mandate and 2012 just got better. That is if you believe President Obama should be sent packing in November.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Republican Members Fight for Jobs As Ranking Member Waxman Calls Pipeline Jobs Not “Real Jobs

February 7, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – The Energy and Commerce Committee today approved legislation to save the job-creating Keystone XL pipeline, a shovel-ready jobs and energy security project that President Obama delayed and ultimately rejected. H.R. 3548, the North American Energy Access Act, will finally put an end to years of bureaucratic delays and expedite construction of the pipeline that would create tens of thousands of American jobs and displace less stable energy imports with millions of barrels of safe and secure Canadian oil supplies.

H.R. 3548, authored by Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), takes politics out of the pipeline decision by removing the president’s authority over the pipeline’s permit and giving it to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The legislation instructs FERC to approve the pipeline within 30 days if the permit remains in compliance with State Department’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which concluded building the pipeline was the “preferred” option. The legislation also gives FERC 30 days to approve the Nebraska re-route once the environmental review is complete and the state’s governor has approved it.

The benefits of the pipeline are clear— job creation, lower gasoline prices, and greater energy security for America. While members on both sides of the aisle have lined up in support of the project, some Democratic opponents continue to try and block the pipeline. Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) went as far as to argue that pipeline jobs are not “real jobs” – a stance that several labor unions representing millions of American workers might be surprised to hear. After all, organized labor has lined up in support of this pipeline because of the jobs it would provide for union workers. Republicans rejected a series of misleading attacks and efforts to distract attention from the popular pipeline project, and the bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 33 to 20.

“It is not unprecedented to lay an oil pipeline across America. Many pipelines already crisscross our great country. Opposition to Keystone demonstrates a lack of knowledge about how energy is moved throughout the U.S., or a desire to gain political points,” said Terry. “Let’s put the politics aside and get on with it. We need the jobs, oil, and energy security that Keystone will bring our country. We’ve got to move the Keystone XL Pipeline forward, despite the president’s effort to kill it – and this bill does just that.”

“This pipeline will allow more Canadian oil to reach American refineries, thereby creating jobs, enhancing the nation’s energy security, and helping reduce the future price at the pump,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “The administration’s own Final Environmental Impact Statement concludes that there is nothing to be gained by rejecting the pipeline. The arguments against H.R. 3548 are as weak as the arguments for it are strong. It’s time to end the delays and start building.”

As previously announced by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), H.R. 3548 will now become part of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act. Chairman Upton said he is pleased to see this legislation be included in this critical jobs and energy package, which would remove barriers to North American energy production and create more than a million private-sector jobs.

February 7, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – The Energy and Commerce committee held opening statements yesterday on the markup of H.R. 3548, the North American Energy Access Act. Republican members touted the pipeline’s numerous economic and energy security benefits while some Democrats attempted to distract the debate by suggesting the pipeline would be built to facilitate oil exports.

“This argument is nothing more than red herring,” said Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY).

Whitfield pointed to a Department of Energy memorandum which refutes Democrats’ argument that the oil transported by Keystone would be sent to China, concluding Gulf Coast refineries will likely consume additional Canadian oil sands well in excess of what would be provided by the Keystone XL pipeline. It also concludes that exports of Canadian oil sands from Port Arthur, Texas, are unlikely.

To suggest the Keystone XL pipeline would be built to ship oil to China defies both common sense and economic sense. If the goal were to get Canadian oil to Asian markets, it would be far easier to build a much shorter pipeline to the west and ship the oil to China—a project Canada is considering now that President Obama has further-delayed the pipeline’s construction.

“We have been told that the new pipeline is not designed to increase supplies here, but rather to export supplies from the Gulf to other countries, including China. But that doesn’t pass the common sense test,” said Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “The real risk of losing out on this energy comes from not building the pipeline. If the U.S. refuses to allow this project to move forward, then not a single drop will come through Keystone XL to refiners in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. The Canadian government would have little choice, as they have made clear, but to pursue other markets for its growing oil production, including construction of a pipeline to the Pacific coast for export to China.”

The U.S. needs oil to supply our refineries and fuel our economy, but our oil supply is currently threatened by instability and political turmoil in nations that may not share our interests, or may be outright hostile towards us. The primary benefit of linking Canadian supplies to U.S. refineries and markets is not to export petroleum products, but rather to increase our energy supplies from our friend and ally so that we can displace imports from unfriendly nations.

“The Keystone XL pipeline will greatly enhance America’s energy security. With this proposed pipeline our crude imports from Canada could reach 4 million barrels a day by 2020, twice what we currently import from the Persian gulf. Enhancing our energy partnership from Canada will strengthen America’s energy future. Each additional drop of oil from Canada offsets a drop of OPEC oil,” said Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), author of H.R. 3548.

The U.S. is both the largest importer of oil and the world’s largest consumer of petroleum products. Common sense dictates that the goods from Keystone XL will get consumed here in the U.S., but flexibility is essential to a functional market. Factors such as economic ups and downs and energy efficiency gains have a major impact on our energy needs at any given time. But one thing that won’t fluctuate is our need for jobs—including those that will be created to build this pipeline. To punish refiners and manufacturers with unnecessary restrictions would be counterproductive.

Richard Green

The race for the U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination took another surprising turn on Tuesday.  Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum was the winner of three nominating contests in the states of Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, providing a major boost to his campaign, and dealing another blow to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s status as the favorite to win the nomination.

Santorum, the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, won the Minnesota caucuses with 45 percent of the vote. U.S. Representative Ron Paul came in second with 27 percent, while ex-Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney finished a distant third with 17 percent.

In the Missouri primary, Santorum won 55 percent of the vote, while Romney came in second with 25 percent and Paul finished third with 12 percent.

In a victory speech in Missouri late Tuesday, Santorum declared “conservatism is alive and well” in Missouri and Minnesota.

“Tonight was a victory for the voices of our party…conservatives and tea party people who are out there every single day and night in the vineyards building the conservative movement in this country…building the base of the Republican party…and building a voice for freedom in this land,” he said.

Santorum also declared himself the true “conservative alternative” to both Romney and Democratic President Barack Obama.  He accused Obama of arrogance for failing to listen to the American people in their opposition to the bailouts for the financial sector and health care reform.

And, Santorum pulled off an upset victory over Romney in the Colorado caucuses, winning more than 40 percent of the vote in a state Romney won by a large margin in the 2008 Republican nominating contest. In this year’s Colorado contest, Romney finished second with 35 percent of the vote, with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich trailing far behind in third place.

Santorum’s triple victories dealt a blow to Romney’s status as the favorite to win the Republican nomination.  Romney congratulated Santorum during a rally in Denver before the Colorado results were announced, but told the crowd he still expected to become the nominee.

“But we are going to take our message of liberty and prosperity to every corner of the country,” Romney said.  “And when this primary season is over we are going to stand united as a party behind our nominee to defeat Barack Obama and restore America to the values that made it the greatest nation in the history of the earth.”

The losses once again raises questions about Romney’s ability to attract support among fervent social conservatives, who appear to be suspicious of his past support for a woman’s right to seek an abortion and a health care system he implemented in Massachusetts.  That lack of support led to Romney’s big loss to Gingrich in last month’s South Carolina primary contest.

A new voter survey indicates Republican support for Romney has fallen nationwide during the past month, while another survey found he would lose the November general election to Obama.

(source: VOA News)

Santorum Hat Trick Puts Him 2nd in Delegate Race

Former Sen. Rick Santorum moved into second place Tuesday in the race for delegates with wins in Republican presidential caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota.

Santorum Wins Big, Romney Stalls

A resurgent Rick Santorum made a clean sweep in presidential contests Tuesday night that showed the importance Christian activists hold within the GOP.

It’s not time to pop the champagne corks yet but conservatives won big last night. Rick Santorum won all three contests. The view from this blog expects Mr Santorum to continue advancing to the GOP nomination and these wins should allow his campaign to raise more money for the battle.

Yes indeed, this blogger supports Rick Santorum for President in 2012. Santorum won Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado so far. Let’s help him win more.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Santorum wins Missouri GOP presidential primary
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rick Santorum has won the Missouri Republican primary, a nonbinding election that carries bragging rights but does not award any delegates in the race for the presidential nomination….

Santorum leads in early Minn. GOP caucus returns
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Sen. Rick Santorum jumped ahead Tuesday night in early returns from Minnesota’s caucuses, hoping to extinguish front-runner Mitt Romney’s modest campaign winning streak and launch a comeback of his own in the race for the Republican presidential nomination….

In Minnesota, Santorum ahead in early returns
WASHINGTON (AP) — With 9 percent of Minnesota’s precincts reporting, former Sen. Rick Santorum is jumping to a lead, with 44 percent support, hoping to extinguish front-runner Mitt Romney’s modest winning streak and launch a comeback of his own…

Keeping things in perspective I’m optimistic and realistic. This blogger supports Rick Santorum for President in 2012. The news above suggests the ‘media’ the ‘pundits’ and those who can influence elections though their interests are suspect may distract attention from the contributions of a real conservative.

Those who attack Santorum’s compassionate conservatism do so with ill-intent. He advocates for all and staunchly defends our nation’s founding principles as did those who gave them to us.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

While attending to the tasks of publishing this blog’s content and message I found a comment about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and Planned Parenthood controversy worth presenting and here it is:

Fleming: Planned Parenthood isn’t Very Pro-choice
Washington, D.C., Feb 3 -

Congressman John Fleming, M.D., (LA-4) released the following statement today in response to the furor created by Planned Parenthood and its pro-abortion supporters over a private organization’s funding decisions:

“Here’s what we learned from the so-called pro-choice movement this week: a private organization should not have a choice about where to donate its own funds. Under extreme pressure from the left, the non-profit, non-partisan Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation was ridiculed for not complying with the dogma of Planned Parenthood. The pro-abortion intolerance is at times breathtaking and disturbing. By threatening Komen, it became clear that pro-abortion supporters were more than willing to jettison women’s health issues in favor of blind support for the nation’s largest provider of abortions.

“Planned Parenthood and its liberal supporters showed their true colors this week: intimidation. With shrillness and threats, they took aim at a cancer foundation because it exercised its right to choose.  Intimidation is always the tool of the desperate.”

Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small businessowner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.

Thank you Congressman John Fleming, M.D. for your common sense appraisal of the situation. It has been the observation of this blogger that liberals are quick to point out what they believe to be their ‘rights’ but not their ‘responsibilities’. While liberals cast abortion as a woman’s right to choose they ignore the rights of the unborn.

They also ignore the fact that becoming pregnant with the obvious exceptions is the result of a choice. Add to that the fact that more than half of all abortions performed are not the woman’s first and the scam is exposed. Abortion is contraception for dummies with the exception of the obvious and rare medical or criminal circumstances that define some pregnancies.

If enough Americans are unable to understand the principles of rights and responsibilities with regard to individual behavior restoring America becomes a bigger problems than it needs to be. The entitlement community and the philosophy that ‘if it feels good do it’ is a leftover from the last time radical thinking tried to destroy our nation. The diminishing size of the greatest generation must be renewed by the baby boomers who followed to support traditional American values.

The survival of our nation and the principles it stands for depend on it.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com