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Twas the last message before Christmas,
:::and all through our house,
:::Downsize DC was busy,
:::scrambling like a mouse.
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:::In this message . . .
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:::* Jim Babka on Arizona radio show today (Sunday)
:::* Jim Babka on Free Talk Live on Christmas Day
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:::Details on both appearances will be provided after my signature. But first . . .
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:::* DownsizeDC.org to launch a special project Wednesday, December 26
:::* Jim Babka to speak at New Hampshire “Free State” Conference
:::* Radio Show Update
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:::Let’s get started . . .
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:::COMING THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS!
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:::Do you like Ron Paul’s “American Freedom Agenda Act?”
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:::Ron Paul’s legislation repeals . . .
Last week, the House of Representatives passed 18 bills amounting to 1130 pages of legislation. The Senate passed 20 bills covering 1126 pages.
Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .::::::Recruit more Downsizers. Forward this to others.::::::Quote of the Day:::::::“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” :::- President James Madison ::::::Subject: Success on multiple fronts::::::Downsize DC pressure works! Here’s the latest evidence . . .
Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .::::::Recruit more Downsizers. Forward this message to others.::::::Quotes of the Day:::::::“This government is acknowledged by all to be one of enumerated powers.”:::– Chief Justice Marshall in McCulloch v. Maryland::::::“We start with first principles. The Constitution creates a Federal Government of enumerated powers.”:::– Chief Justice William Rehnquist in United States v. Lopez::::::“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation and foreign commerce.”:::– James Madison, Federalist No. 45::::::Subject: The Enumerated Powers Act::::::It’s time for Congress to “cite chapter and verse.” When they pass new laws or spend taxpayer money they should be required to point to the specific language in the Constitution that empowers that action. The “Enumerated Powers Act” would require them to do precisely that. Help us bring this bill to a vote.
Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .::::::Recruit Downsizers. Share this with others.::::::Quote of the Day:::::::“Find out just what the people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” :::- Frederick Douglass ::::::Subject: Deflating the deflation myth::::::We are amazed. Ron Paul has set records for fundraising. His poll numbers are also good, despite being rigged to hide the true level of his support. He has attracted followers from all corners — conservatives, liberals, libertarians, and centrists. But most of all, we are amazed by the fact that so many people are attracted to . . .
URGENT NOTICE: My talk tonight at the Columbus, Ohio Ron Paul Meetup is postponed due to extreme weather. Sorry! We are rescheduling. But I’m told the meeting is still happening tonight.
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:::Subject: Two very urgent action items
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:::BASEBALL BUSYBODIES
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:::For those of you who think Congress ought to spend their time reading their bills instead of meddling with Major League Baseball’s steroid policies, now would be a good time to tell Congress to butt out.
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:::Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA.) intend to hold hearings on this issue, and Bobby Rush (D-IL) wants legislation to compell regular drug testing of players. Waxman, you may remember, promised action on scandalous deals between the government and Halliburton. Whatever happened with that?
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:::We suspect that Waxman, Davis, and Rush are interested in baseball because it offers the chance for grandstanding with no real chance of offending any powerful constituency.
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:::This is none of the federal government’s business. Take action and tell Congress to cancel their hearings.
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:::And if you live in Waxman, Davis, or Rush’s district, tell them that if they really have so much time on their hands then they really ought to sponsor the Read the Bills Act. Send your message here.
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:::WARRANTLESS SURVEILLANCE
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:::The “Protect America Act” (PAA), which “sunsets” February 1st, legalizes warrantless spying on Americans. It should simply die. But that appears less and less likely to happen. So now we have to work for the best deal possible. Maybe we can “improve” this bill so much the President will veto it! …and we can drag this out until this law expires!
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:::Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that “both sides of aisle” are convinced “a significant gap [has] emerged in our nation’s foreign intelligence gathering capacity.”
On today’s Downsize DC Conference Call, my one-hour, Sunday radio show, heard at 4:06 PM Eastern (3:06 PM Central, 2:06 PM Mountain, 1:06 PM Pacific), I’ll give you an interesting, almost irrefutable explanation for why the Major League Baseball/Mitchell Report is bad. I’ve changed the minds of avid sports fans with this argument.
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:::We’ll also be talking about a few other things, including serial killers in malls and churches, particularly a new national hero of self-defense. But before I outline those things, I want to announce a personal appearance.
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:::APPEARANCE
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:::Tomorrow, Monday evening, I’ll be a speaker at the Columbus (Ohio) Ron Paul Meetup. The Meetup starts at 7:15 PM and takes place at Whetstone Branch Library 3909 N. High St. Columbus, OH. Details and RSVP are available here.
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:::Please, if you’re in the area, come out and meet me.
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:::BIG NEWS!
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:::The Downsize DC Conference Call is about to
Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .::::::Recruit more Downsizers. Share this with others.::::::Quote of the Day:::::::“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but not notice the log in your own eye?”:::- The Gospel of Matthew, 7:3::::::Subject: Congress on Steroids::::::The members of Congress constantly . . .
- Fail to read the laws they pass
- Violate their oaths to serve, protect, and defend the Constitution
- Squander billions of dollars
- Lose track of billions of dollars
- Confer billions of dollars on undeserving friends
- Get caught in personal scandals involving bribery and moral hypocrisy
- Fail to sweat the details of the laws they pass, delegating un-constitutional legislative authority to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats
And yet . . .
This episode was previewed here, and we asked a question: “Is the War on Terror really real or fiction when 9/11 Tough Guy, Rudolph Giuliani, is doing business with terrorist enablers? ::::::Of course, we also had a Gun Owners of America Update, about candidate Mike Huckabee’s stance on gun rights.
Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .::::::Why do we need the Read the Bills Act?
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:::Here are four quick reasons, found on the Web.
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:::First, we need the Read the Bills Act to keep Congress accountable for their poor votes. Here’s an illustration from a Democratic Presidential debate last month:
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:::”Kucinich demanded the candidates take responsibility for their votes on NAFTA and Chinese trade, along with the Iraq War. When Wolf Blitzer remarked that Kucinich was the only one who voted against the Patriot Act, Kucinich came back with, ‘I was the only one who read it.’” – KCRG.com
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