The Congressional Research Service's dirty little Big Green secrets

WASHINGTON EXAMINER/OPINION, 12/17/2010 by Ron Arnold - EXCERPT: "The 900 CRS lawyers, economists, librarians, and scientists (2010 budget: $112 million) produce reports, memoranda, briefings, seminars and confidential consultations to all congressional members and committees that request them. CRS secretly helps lawmakers prepare for debate by providing data to support their positions.

CRS is so secretive that one member of Congress can't find out what it told another. Conversely, if it suits a member's political agenda, he'll get the New York Times to plaster a "confidential" CRS report all over the front page, as Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden did in 2000 with a four-page memo by CRS analyst Ross W. Gorte to bolster his position in a logging controversy. [Emphasis added]

Gorte, a respected CRS analyst since 1983, has become known in Congress as the "go-to guy" for Big Green's no-development brand of "objective, balanced, nonpartisan" reports." Read more at Washington Examiner... Read More......

Don't let government take over all U.S. water!

Senate Bill 787 will change federal jurisdiction over "navigable" water, to give the federal government control over all water everwhere, in municiple reservoirs, and on private lands, and in private wells. This bill ignores state water law authority and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at http://sovereignty.net.

Write or call your senators today!

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) - DC (202) 224-3753, Salem (503) 362-8102
Sen. Ron Wyden (D) - DC (202) 224-5244, Salem (503) 589-4555

(Hat tip: Jerry Jackson - "S-787 - Clean Water Restoration Act - will give the federal government jurisdiction over all water, everywhere, as well as jurisdiction over all activity that affects water wherever it may be. This would give to the federal government effective control over every square inch of land in the United States. It too, must be stopped.") Read More......

Fox News launches 'YOUR WORLD' today - Dems making case for repeal of Obamacare

Fox Business News launches YOUR WORLD with Cavuto on the web today. And lo' and behold, Sen. Ron Wyden's turnaround on health care mandates is featured in a video interview at the top of the page.

Read More......

Wyden Pushing For Oregon Waiver From Health Care Law, Individual Mandate

One of the most innovative voices in the health care debate [according to the Left-leaning Huffington Post], Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), is accelerating the process of exempting his state from some of the national reforms passed under President Barack Obama. ∴ The Oregon Democrat is seeking to take advantage of a provision he helped write into the legislation that allows states to set up their own health care systems as long as they meet minimal requirements established by the Department of Health and Human Services. In a letter to the state's Health Authority office, Wyden announced that he will introduce legislation to accelerate the start date for state waivers from 2017 to 2014, if not earlier for Oregon specifically. Read more at Huffington Post...

Jim Huffman, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, responds... Read More......