See Pelosi’s Remarks for Yourself
"When — when — when my staff person — I'm sorry, the page is out of order — five months later, my staff person told me that there had been a briefing — informing that there had been a briefing and that a letter had been sent. I was not briefed on what was in that briefing; I was just informed that the briefing had taken place."

Kit Bond says CIA doesn’t brief on rejected techniques
Time has this moment of clarity from Senator Kit Bond, who must wonder where the media’s common sense went yesterday. Why would the CIA call a briefing to discuss waterboarding to say they weren’t going to use it?

CEO Junkets Bad/Obama Campaign Junkets Good
And what better way for a new Democratic administration to symbolize cutting out excess in a time of hardship for millions of Americans than to hold a mega-fundraiser in Las Vegas, that urban personification of understatement, for a guy with millions in hand already and no one to spend it against? Though the Democratic Senate majority leader's May 26 fundraiser at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace will feature Strip headliner Midler and songstress Crow, the biggest draw will be the commander in chief himself. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is still huffing and puffing over an offhand remark in which Obama appeared to link Sin City to corporate excess. Imagine that. Remember back in February, The Ticket had a photo of the mayor meeting with nearly naked aides and reported the even newer president was all agitated over luxury bank excursions and he said: "You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime."

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time
A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

Millions in Pork Stimulus goes to dead people
The Social Security Administration, which sent out 52 million checks, says that some of those checks mistakenly went to dead people because the agency had no record of their death. That amounts to between 8,000 and 10,000 checks for millions of dollars. The feds blame a rushed schedule, because all the checks have to be cut by June. The strange thing is, some of the checks were made out to people -- like Romonini -- who were never even part of the Social Security system.

4 US citizens found strangled in Tijuana
The bodies of four U.S. citizens were found strangled, beaten and stabbed in a van in this border city, two days after they reportedly left their Southern California homes for a night at the Mexican clubs, U.S. officials said Thursday. The victims, ages 19 to 23 years old, were found tied up on Saturday, but their deaths were not reported earlier because they were under investigation, said Fermin Gomez, an assistant state prosecutor in Baja California.

Chrysler closing 789 dealerships
Chrysler LLC will close down 789 dealerships, or roughly 25% of the current number, according to a plan filed in bankruptcy court Thursday. The Obama administration, which has pumped more than $7.2 billion into the tottering automaker, has said it hopes the move Chrysler through bankruptcy quickly by creating a shell company that will be owned by a combination of the government, the United Auto Workers union and Italian carmaker Fiat. In assessing Chrysler's viability, the Treasury Department found the automaker could not survive as a stand-alone company. Chrysler had already been in discussions with Fiat about a partnership. The current plan calls for Fiat to assist Chrysler by providing engineering for small and midsized cars.

Food Police Cometh: Senate Considers Soft Drink Tax to Fund Health Care
Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system. The taxes would pay for only a fraction of the cost to expand health-insurance coverage to all Americans and would face strong opposition from the beverage industry. They also could spark a backlash from consumers who would have to pay several cents more for a soft drink. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee is set to hear proposals from about a dozen experts about how to pay for the comprehensive health-care overhaul that President Barack Obama wants to enact this year. Early estimates put the cost of the plan at around $1.2 trillion. The administration has so far only earmarked funds for about half of that amount. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based watchdog group that pressures food companies to make healthier products, plans to propose a federal excise tax on soda, certain fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and ready-to-drink teas.

Hate Crimes Bill becomes Pedophile Protection Act
In its first day, hundreds of Americans have taken advantage of a unique campaign to sound off in opposition to new hate-crimes legislation on the fast track of the U.S. Senate by overnighting letters to individual senators at a significantly reduced price. As WND first reported, the bill stirring opposition from coast to coast, opponents say, would, for the first time, make pedophiles a protected class of victim. Janet Porter, WND columnist and president of Faith2Action, organized the effort to utilize reduced rates for individual letters delivered by Fed Ex to individual senators in bulk quantities. Overnight letters not only have more impact, but can be assured of delivery in time to impact pending legislation.

It's A Good Time To Work For Uncle Sam
President Obama's call last year for "shared sacrifice" doesn't extend to federal employees, at least based on the details of his administration's 2010 budget released this week. At a time when the official unemployment rate is nearing double digits, and 6.35 million people are receiving unemployment benefits, the U.S. government is on a hiring binge. Executive branch employment 1.98 million in 2009, excluding the Postal Service and the Defense Department is set to increase by 15.6 percent for the 2010 fiscal year. Most of that is thanks to the Census Bureau hiring 102,000 temporary workers, but not counting them still yields a net increase of 2 percent in one year. There's little belt-tightening in evidence in Washington, D.C.: Counting benefits, the average pay per federal worker will leap from $72,800 in 2008 to $75,419 next year.

Marriage Between Man and Women – Even Russia gets It!
The Moscow city government on Tuesday blocked an attempt by two lesbians to get married, as Russia's gay activists stepped up efforts to draw attention to homophobia ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest. Irina Fedotova and Irina Chapitko tried to marry at a register office in central Moscow but were told that Russian law only permitted heterosexual marriage. "We cannot accept your request," Svetlana Potamyshneva, head of the register office, told the couple in the presence of journalists and television crews who had been invited by gay activists to cover the event. "Point 3 of Article 1 of the Family Code of Russia stipulates that the regulation of family relations must adhere to the principle of a voluntary union between a man and a woman," she added.

Notre Dame Alumni Withhold Nearly $14 Million for Honoring Obama
Notre Dame alumni who are upset with the university's decision to allow pro-abortion President Barack Obama to give this coming weekend's commencement speech and to give him an honorary degree continue to withhold their donations to the Catholic college. In total, pro-life alumni and donors who feel disenfranchised by Notre Dame's decision have decided to withhold nearly $14 million in gifts they normally would have given.

EPA memo says greenhouse effect not proven?
An EPA finding last month that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health rests on dubious assumptions and could have negative economic impacts, a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) warned. The memo has no listed author but is marked “Deliberative–Attorney Client Privilege.” A spokesman for OMB told Dow Jones Newswires that the brief is a “conglomeration of counsel we’ve received from various agencies” about the EPA finding, the conclusions of which would trigger regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The author(s) of the memo suggest the EPA did not thoroughly examine the relationship between greenhouse gases and human health. “In the absence of a strong statement of the standards being applied in this decision, there is concern that EPA is making a finding based on…’harm’ from substances that have no demonstrated direct health effects,” the memo says, adding that the “scientific data that purports to conclusively establish” that link was from outside EPA.

New Pro-Life Ad Focusing on Adoption, Abortion to Air on American Idol Finale
The same pro-life organization that produced a well-received advertisement on President Barack Obama and abortion has another commercial it will air on the series finale of the popular television program American Idol. CatholicVote.org, sponsored by the pro-life Catholic group Fidelis, is behind the ad, which is part of its “Imagine the Potential” series of television commercials. The latest ad focuses on the lives of political and business leaders, sports figures, and others who all could have become victims of abortion, but, instead, were welcomed into loving families via adoption.

Pelosi Caught in Web of Lies Over CIA Interrogation Knowledge
While Pelosi's press conference this morning was clearly intended to put to rest a process story that all politicians hate, it may well have the opposite effect -- raising more questions about her timeline and her past statements. Make no mistake: Pelosi would not have held this sort of press conference unless she and her inner circle believed that she was losing altitude -- politically -- on the issue. But, her decision to do so could have wide-ranging political implications that will reach from Congress to the White House and back.

Obama Actions Force GM to Buy Chinese Imports
As thousands of General Motors workers await word on more U.S. plant closures, reports that the company plans to import Chinese-made vehicles to the U.S. have created a political problem for the automaker and the White House. The reports, which GM will neither confirm nor deny, could mean trouble because GM is supported by $15.4 billion in U.S. government loans, largely due to the Obama administration's desire to preserve the company's 90,000 U.S. jobs.

Oprah’s Superfood Killing the Rain Forest
Rising U.S. sales of acai, a purple Amazon berry promoted as a “superfood” on Oprah Winfrey’s Web site, are depriving Brazilian jungle dwellers of a protein-rich nutrient they’ve relied on for generations. U.S. consumers are turning a “a typical poor people’s food into something like a delicacy,” said Oscar Nogueira, who specializes in the fruit at Embrapa, Brazil’s agricultural research company. Spending on acai-based products by Americans seeking to lose weight, gain energy or slow aging doubled to $104 million last year, according to SPINS, a Schaumburg, Illinois-based market research firm. Since U.S. demand took off early this decade, the fruit’s wholesale price in Brazil has jumped about 60-fold, Embrapa data show. Winfrey, 55, discussed the berry with Mehmet Oz on her TV talk show in February 2008, when the New York cardiologist presented his “anti-aging checklist.” It includes acai, blueberries and tomatoes.

Sweden allows sex-selective abortions
Sweden, which legalized abortion in 1938, has taken its abortion extremism one step further by legalizing “gender based” abortion, which allows a mother to decide to abort her baby solely due to his or her sex.

40,000 join pope at Nazareth mass
\ Many of those who gathered in the city, where tradition holds that Jesus grew up, swayed back and forth to Arabic music played over loudspeakers, clapping in unison and waving yellow and white Vatican flags. A yellow and white banner hanging over a stone wall read "Pope, Don't Forget."

Dobson: 'There's utter evil coming out of Congress'
"I'm going to speak very bluntly today because there's no other word for it: the utter evil that's coming out of Congress," he said. "I've been on the air 32 years and I've never seen a time quite like this. "The radical left controls the executive branch through the president, and the Congress where the Democrats have control of both the House and the Senate," he said, adding the courts are expected to move even further to the left.

Public Pools Across Nation spend millions to comply with Federal Regulations
Pools across the US have had to spend millions on drain safety to comply with federal regulations.

Global Warming Bill Another Tax for Nothing in Return
A full implementation and adherence to the long-run emissions restrictions provisions described by the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill would result only in setting back the projected rise in global temperatures by a few years—a scientifically meaningless prospect.

Catholic Congressmen object to Obama Appointment
On Thursday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said more congressmen should join him in objecting to Obama's adviser who attacked the Catholic Church.

Gun-Control Advocate: Napolitano Report on ‘Rightwing Extremists’ Makes Case for Gun Ban
An April 7 report from the Department of Homeland Security branding some conservative groups as “rightwing extremists” is enough reason to revive former President Bill Clinton’s idea of an assault-weapons ban, according to an executive of a gun-control group--the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

This week TKF will focus on the 10th Amendment:

Former Sheriff Stands Up for the 10th Amendment – The Power of the Elected Sheriff!
Oath Keeper Sheriff Richard Mack interview after Oath Keepers muster on Lexington Green, April 19,2009. Sheriff’s have given an oath of office to protect the US Constitution and sheriffs must stand up in support of the 10th Amendment as one of the most powerful elected officials in the US.

Sheriff Mack’s New Book - ‘The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope’
Make sure that every sheriff in the country has received a copy of the new book. We're not going to force them -- er, excuse me... withhold federal money from them -- but we are going to give them an opportunity to read it. With your donations, we can make it happen. When every sheriff understands his duty and functions with the support of those whom he serves, then not only will there be "no sheriff left behind" but we, the people will not be left behind!

Kansas Passes Eminent Domain Law to Protect Landowners
In one of their last votes, Kansas lawmakers have passed legislation to restrict cities’ power to annex land without the property owners’ consent. The measure would prohibit cities from absorbing tracts of more than 65 acres unless the landowners agree. The bill passed early Saturday, just as lawmakers finished their annual session. It’s now awaiting a signature or veto by Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat. Parkinson hasn’t said what he intends to do with the bill. Currently, cities can annex as much land as they want, as long as they have the permission of the county governments. Supporters said in the legislative debate that the changes would protect property rights from cities looking to impose their taxes and land-use rules.

Kansas inmates to get e-mail, banking services
Kansas prisoners will soon have access to limited electronic banking, e-mail and video family visits. The Department of Corrections says it has entered into a contract amendment with Embarq Corp. in Overland Park for the new services. The company already provides inmate telephone services. The deal is expected to improve security and reduce contraband while reducing staff time screening regular mail. There is no cost to the state, and the department will make money from commissions when inmates use the services. E-mails will cost inmates 43 cents apiece.

Urban chicken movement taking roost in KC area
Overland Park homeowner David Crupper will seek a special-use permit to house up to four chickens, even though he already has the birds and a homemade coop in his backyard. No disrespect for the law was intended, he said, but he had to buy the chicks before a farm supply business stopped selling them for the year. Crupper, 25, a financial adviser, is far from a hippie, he said, but he wants to get great eggs from “the girls.” “It’s a nice little hobby people can get behind,” he said, and he thinks his neighbors will support him. Opponents said then that chickens did not belong in Overland Park. Some said the birds were unsanitary. Overland Park City Councilman Jim Hix, who voted against the chickens in 2005, said this week that he would probably do so again. “Wanting eggs is not unique,” he said. “It’s not a good idea to have chickens in a suburban area under normal circumstances.” In Mission, the City Council recently sent to committee a proposal to change its law to allow urban chickens. Jerritt Dayhoff requested the change because her family would like to raise five or six chickens.

Man caught huffing at Wal-Mart for the third time
Sometimes police work gets strange, and what they call “weird news out of Shawnee” happened about 3 a.m. at a Wal-Mart. An officer entered a bathroom stall there to check out a suspected “huffer,” police said. The officer watched the man sniff an aerosol can that contained a compressed gas used as a dust remover, said Capt. Bill Hisle. “As the guy was inhaling it, his eyes rolled back in his head and he kind of passed out,” Hisle said.

Ethics Commission is Unethical
The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission has fully and completely recanted and rescinded its findings and the $7,500 fine it had previously imposed on Kristian Van Meteren for exercising his constitutionally protected rights to free speech. By vacating its prior order after challenge in court, the Commission has both tacitly and, through its counsel at the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, expressly conceded that its actions violated Mr. Van Meteren’s constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech. As such, today’s action is a victory for the liberties of all Kansans. This episode illustrates clearly the abuses that can occur when agents of the State choose to use their power to advance a political agenda, to reward friends, and to discourage political opponents. In fact, were it not for my client’s commitment to liberty, his resources, and his dogged adherence to his clearly protected rights, the Commission would not have been forced to this decision and the speech of all Kansans would remain constrained. The Kansas Legislature should immediately address the unconstitutional statutes and regulations of the Ethics Commission at the convening of the 2010 session. Nothing short of a full review and rewrite of those laws will prevent such abuses from occurring in the future.

Deer Problem, It’s called Hunting!
Connie Kesselring looked out her back window recently and saw 13 deer grazing in her backyard. They’ve destroyed plants and shrubbery and are even eating her evergreens. “There’s deer poop all over the yard and, of course, the dog wants to eat that,” she said. Kesselring moved six years ago to a Lenexa home that is next to Shawnee Mission Park. She was among 40 people who spoke Wednesday at a public hearing on the deer overpopulation at the park. The hearing, held at the Shawnee Civic Centre and attended by more than 100, was conducted by the Johnson County Park and Recreation Board. The board is expected to decide in the next few weeks how to control a deer population at the park that virtually everyone at Wednesday’s hearing agreed was out of control. Duane Schempp of Shawnee seemed to speak for many when he questioned why park and county officials had allowed the problem to become this serious. His message: Get the deer under control. “Get the job done and get it done now,” he said. Board members must decide between lethal or nonlethal methods, and people who testified at the hearing were divided on that question.

Open Government? Regents says no to open records of University Presidents Spending
The Kansas Board of Regents has declined to release findings of an audit it commissioned to mark the transition of Kansas State University presidents, claiming an exemption to the state’s open-records law. According to its response Tuesday, the Board conducted a “2009 exit analysis of Kansas State University President Jon Wefald focusing on certain non-state accounts administered or controlled by the president or his direct subordinates.” The Regents, however, said the findings of the study are off limits. This is believed to be the first time the Regents have conducted such an audit, though the new practice will mean similar audits of outgoing Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway and president of Pittsburg State University Tom Bryant.

Prison closing in El Dorado
The closing of the minimum-security unit at the El Dorado Correctional Facility will mean the loss of thousands of hours of inmate labor, officials said. The Kansas Department of Corrections announced the prison's closing this week. The closing, part of $6 million in cuts the Department of Corrections is making, is projected to save the department $1.2 million.

"I exercised my freedom of speech. And I was punished for doing so. This should not happen in America!”

– Carrie Prejean, Miss California, speaking on her answer to the question that Marriage should be between a man and a woman.

From Proverbs 16:9
The king's lips are an oracle; no judgment he pronounces is false.

12 This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.
15 I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.
16 You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

Notre Dame Response: Don’t Show Up!

This Sunday I will have the privilege of being with many of the pro-life students of Notre Dame University. Seniors who have decided not to take part in their graduation have invited me to lead them in prayer, in an alternate ceremony on another part of the campus, at the very hour that pro-abortion President Obama will speak and be honored by the University.

In standing with these students, I am standing with the true spirit of Notre Dame: a pro-life spirit, in harmony with human reason and Catholic Faith. The scandal that has been generated does not represent what Notre Dame is all about; it represents a radical betrayal of what Notre Dame is all about. I am encouraged by the pro-life activities of so many student groups on this campus – activities that are carried out all year round.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholics, hundreds of priests, and dozens of bishops have called upon Notre Dame to end this scandal by withdrawing its invitation to President Obama. The result of that demand is not in our control. But one final response to this scandal is fully in the control of each graduating senior: don’t show up. Don’t participate in an event which will only serve to obscure rather than highlight the Church’s pro-life teaching and the true spirit of Notre Dame. Instead, come to the Class of 2009 Vigil for Life. The seniors who do this are manifesting the real meaning of commencement: they are carrying out the witness to truth and service that their hard-earned degrees have prepared them to give in the world.

We shouldn’t at all be surprised that many others will fail to understand not only the courageous actions of these students, but also the concern voiced by so many across our nation. After all, the fact that many don’t have a problem with Barack Obama sitting in a place of honor at a Catholic Commencement is simply a corollary of the underlying problem that so many don’t have a problem with Barack Obama sitting in the White House. Our concern is not just that he is at odds with Catholic teaching. Our concern is that he is at odds with American teaching, and the very meaning of public service – which requires being able to tell the difference between serving the public and killing the public. He should neither be at Notre Dame nor in the White House.

Nearly a thousand priests and deacons have joined their voices to a statement that Priests for Life has written, and we invite more to sign up at this link. Meanwhile, we invite all the faithful to join the Notre Dame students in a Rosary Campaign for reparation for this scandal, and for the conversion of the President and all who support legal child-killing. Please let us and the students know how many rosaries you pledge to pray this week; go to www.PrayerCampaign.org.

And finally – let every commencement ceremony include a prayer for those who would have graduated had they not been killed by abortion. It’s the least we can do!