Homeland Security:

“You’re driving along a remote, dusty road, when suddenly you come upon a border patrol checkpoint. There, agents demand to see your identity papers, and search your car. You are taken by surprise, because you know you haven’t wandered across the Texas-Mexico border. In fact, you’re quite sure of that, because you’re driving through rural Wisconsin countryside west of Green Bay. Even the Canadian border is more than 90 miles away.

This scene is not as far-fetched as you might want to believe. The government is turning vast swaths of our country into a “Constitution-Free Zone” in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is allowed to exercise extraordinary authority that would not normally be permitted under the Constitution. The government says that “the border” — where there is a longstanding view that the Constitution does not fully apply — actually stretches 100 miles inland from the nation’s “external boundary.” And increasingly, we are seeing DHS vigorously utilize that authority.

Today we held a press conference at the National Press Club here in D.C. to try to draw attention to this problem — and the fact that, as we showed, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population live within this “Constitution-Free Zone.” That’s 197.4 million people.

We calculated this using the most recent, 2007 numbers from the U.S. Census, and released a map showing the cities and states that are enveloped by this zone. It includes some of the largest metropolitan areas in the country: New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. States that are completely within this Constitution-Free Zone include Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. When you say “border,” they think “all of New England.”

CBP has been setting up checkpoints far inland — on highways in states such as California, Texas and Arizona, and at ferry terminals in Washington State. Typically, the agents ask drivers and passengers about their citizenship. People are also reporting that even after they provide passports or state driver’s licenses, CBP continues to interrogate them and try to pressure them into permitting a search.

At our press conference today in the National Press Club here in DC, two U.S. citizens described their experiences with CBP.

Vince Peppard, a retired social worker, told of being stopped and harassed by the border authorities at least 15 miles from the Mexico border with his wife, Berlant.

Craig Johnson, a music professor at a San Diego college, told how he participated in a peaceful demonstration near the border to protest against the destruction of a state park so that a fence could be constructed along the U.S. border. CBP agents monitored the protest and collected the license plate information of those who participated. Since this protest, Mr. Johnson has twice crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and, each time, he has been pulled aside for additional screening. He was taken to another room, handcuffed and questioned. On his first crossing, he was also partially stripped and subjected to a body cavity search. A CBP agent also told Mr. Johnson that he was on an “armed and dangerous” list. Before the protest, Mr. Johnson crossed the U.S.-Mexico border numerous times without incident. It is difficult to believe that his subsequent harassment at the border is unrelated to his protest activity. If it is related, that would constitute a significant abuse.

Congress needs to hold hearings to investigate these egregious violations of Americans’ civil liberties, and then pass new laws protecting Americans’ rights.

I guarantee you that if these powers are not challenged, if the American people do not push back, sooner or later a factory worker in southern New Hampshire, a farmer in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, or yes, some guy driving across rural Wisconsin, will wake up to find that they have lost their right to go about their business, and travel around inside their own country, without interference from the authorities.”

Click on the map and see what percentage of your state lives in the Constitution-Free Zone:

http://www.aclu.org/privacy/spying/areyoulivinginaconstitutionfreez…

Nearly 100% of California, all of FLorida and Michigan, etc., etc….without constitutional rights!

Though we are running close on time… Anyone can contact the GaGop and
volunteer to “get-out-the-vote”. As of last Friday, they were willing to pay
for airfare and lodging to those that could volunteer their time from Friday
the 28th to Wed Dec 3rd. The GaGop can be reached (202)421-3651 &
georgiadeployment@gagop.com

And…ATTEND A RALLY BY SARAH!

ATLANTA—U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) today confirmed that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will campaign in Georgia with him on Monday, December 1st.

“I was thrilled when I got the call that Governor Palin would be able to make the trip to Georgia to campaign with me the day before the runoff election,” Saxby said. “Julianne and I are honored that she would take the time to travel to Georgia to tell everyone how important this election is and I know that she will receive an enthusiastic welcome everywhere we go.”

Governor Palin will join Saxby for four public rallies across the state on Monday, December 1st: 8:30 am in Augusta; 11:00 am in Savannah; 1:30 pm in Perry; and 4:00 pm in north metro Atlanta. More specific details on exact locations and how to obtain tickets will be available later this week.

Go to his site http://www.saxby.org/Home.aspx and click on “RSVP for Sarah Palin Events” to get tickets.

This Fairness Doctrine is one that Obama says he is NOT in favor of, though Pelosi and others are. We’ll see if it comes up.

Please read the history and arguments for and against the Fairness Doctrine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

What I didn’t know was that the FCC COULD if they wanted introduce a fairness doctrine of their own.

The Fairness Doctrine has gone through different Supreme Court challenges with different results each time.

One of the elements in this argument is: “The United States Supreme Court upheld the Commission’s general right to enforce such a policy where channels were limited, but the courts have generally not ruled that the FCC is obliged to do so.[1] In 1987, the FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine.”

Where “channels were limited” would really apply only to television. There are thousands of radio stations on the air and thousands of newspapers, but only a handful of TV stations that are usually available to people.

Hint: If the Fairness Doctrine is in danger of passing, we ask that it apply only to television, since the channels are limited. Given the TV media bias for the Democrats, how enthusiastic do you think Dems would be to pass it in that case?

On radio, the conservative talk shows draw a tremendous audience and the stations would do some creative thinking how to implement a fairness doctrine without shutting off the success of the talk shows. They will not want to shut them down because these shows get them ratings. I can even see a talk show inviting those with liberal ideas every other day and watch them get roasted by the listeners…might be kind of fun!

Pelosi is kind of dumb, seems to me…Obama isn’t. I think that’s why he doesn’t mention the Fairness Doctrine. The benefit would not be just to the Democrats.

I would recommend to legislatures that the only way the Fairness Doctrine would be acceptable is if it applied to only television. This might stop the Democrats from pushing it, and if not, we still could win from it.

http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=9154645

Associated Press – October 9, 2008 8:55 PM ET TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – A charity that the Treasury Department linked to the militant Islamic group Hamas has filed a lawsuit demanding that federal officials lift a 2-year freeze of its assets. attorneys for Toledo-based Kindhearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development says the government hasn’t given a reason why it was targeted, and has given it no chance to defend itself. The charity has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Toledo. The ACLU is joining in the suit.

The Treasury Department in 2006 ordered U.S. banks to freeze the charity’s assets, saying it was funneling money to Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist organization. KindHearts officials have denied being connected to any terrorist group.

The charity was shut down in 2006 two days before three men from Toledo were accused of plotting to kill American and allied soldiers overseas. Documents seized by federal agents suggested that 2 of the three Muslim men — who were later convicted — may have had ties to Kindhearts. KindHearts leaders have said it is a nonprofit charitable organization administering humanitarian aid. It estimated the group provided $5 million to $6 million annually in charity assistance.

I figured this would be the kind of association Obama would like so I googled “KindHearts and Obama”, and sure enough:

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.asp…

Two years ago, Hatem El-Hady was the chairman of the Toledo, Ohio-based Islamic charity, Kindhearts, which was closed by the US government in February 2006 for terrorist fundraising and all its assets frozen. Today, El-Hady has redirected his fundraising efforts for his newest cause – Barack Obama for President. El-Hady has his own DEDICATED PAGE ON BARACK OBAMA’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE, chronicling his fundraising on behalf of the Democratic Party presidential candidate (his Obama profile established on February 19, 2008 – two years to the day after Kindhearts was raided by the feds). Not only that, but he has none other than Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, listed as one of his friends (one of her 224 listed friends).

But his leadership of Kindhearts is not the only thing that has brought him scrutiny by federal law enforcement officials. Last summer, El-Hady was questioned by the FBI concerning his knowledge of possible conspirators in a UK-based terror plot.

http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/Toledo07160…

16 July 2007: The Northeast Intelligence Network was first to confirm during the June 30, 2007 edition of the Homeland Security Report that last month’s failed London car bomb plot had its tentacles reaching far into the United States. Now, NBC24, a television station in Toledo, Ohio is reporting that the FBI has questioned a Muslim doctor who recently moved to Toledo from the UK. Toledo also happens to be the corporate home of KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development, an Islamic charity chaired by Hatem El-HADY, a Toledo physician, and a charity that has been the subject of an investigation for its reported ties to terror organizations.