Obama to raise 10-year deficit to $9 trillion
The Obama administration will raise its 10-year budget deficit projection to approximately $9 trillion from $7.108 trillion in a report next week, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday. The higher deficit figure, based on updated economic data, brings the White House budget office into line with outside estimates and gives further fuel to President Barack Obama's opponents, who say his spending plans are too expensive in light of budget shortfalls.

Three States Get 66 Percent of Bailout
Where does the bailout money really go? The Atlantic reports that the bailout is massively concentrated in just a few states. Total bailout funding, according to the ProPublica data, is $476.5 billion to date. One state, New York, has captured $175 billion of that, more than a third. Michigan is next with $80.7 billion or 17 percent of the total, followed by North Carolina with $56.3 billion, Virginia with $54.9 billion, and California with $34.4 billion. The top three states accounted for 66 percent of bailout spending; the top five 84 percent; and the top two more than 10 percent.

Obama Wishes Muslim World A Happy Ramadan
President Barack Obama extended well wishes to the Muslim world - partly in Arabic - and his message goes way beyond a politically correct greeting. Highlighting Obama's escalating outreach to peoples of Islamic faith, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Obama extended them a happy Ramadan via a White House video blog. It may be the first time that a U.S. president has gone to such great lengths to recognize the month-long fasting period of the Muslim world and shows the administration's strategy to get closer to the Arab mind. Like his Cairo speech, Obama's Ramadan greeting was sprinkled with Arabic words and references that were meant both to resonate with the Islamic world - by signaling that Obama knows something about its traditions - and to educate non-Muslims.

Muslims Name Best Holiday Dates 'Obama'
For the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Egyptian fruit sellers have named their best dates of the year after President Barack Obama in a sweet tribute to the American leader for his outreach to the Muslim world. Dates are a traditional food for Ramadan _ which begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world _ since the Prophet Muhammad is said to have used them to break the month's sunrise-to-sunset fast each evening. "We love Obama and so we named our best dates for him," said Atif Hashim at his busy shop in downtown Cairo.

New York Times: Rationing for Elderly 'Not Irrational'
Democrats in Congress and President Obama insist the new Obamacare plan being pushed for a quick vote this September won't hurt the elderly, their Medicare, nor will it lead to rationing. Supporters of the Obama plan say the "rationing" argument is simply scaremongering. Under rationing, elderly patients may be denied life-saving medical procedures and vital drugs. If the patient is deemed too old, scarce health resources should be directed to younger people in need of care. On Friday, the liberal New York Times weighed in, suggesting that indeed critics are likely correct, a new government plan would lead to reduced benefits to Senior citizens.

Specter Calls for Hearings on End-of-Life Care Guide for Veterans
Sen. Arlen Specter on Sunday called for hearings to scrutinize a guide for veterans' end-of-life care which one former Bush official says sends a "hurry-up-and-die" message to injured troops. The guide, called "Your Life, Your Choices," was suspended under the Bush administration but has been revived under the current Department of Veterans Affairs. Jim Towey, former director of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, told "FOX News Sunday" that the pamphlet makes injured veterans feel like a burden, encourages the severely injured to die and should be tossed out.

Obama vs. Obamacare: Funding Abortion and the Truth
View for yourself the truth of President Obama and his dedication to abortion funding through government health care.

Catholic Medical Association Opposes Health Care Bill Over End-of-Life Section
The Catholic Medical Association has announced that it opposes the government-run health care bills in Congress because the House version contains a section that could promote assisted suicide and rationing. The end-of-life counseling portion of the bill has proven extremely controversial.

Pro-life groups organize prayer and protest in response to 'abortion mandate
Responding to President Barack Obama’s efforts to rally sympathetic religious groups to back his proposed health care legislation, pro-life groups have organized prayer campaigns and issued protests of the proposal’s “abortion mandate.”

White House Reveals Firm That Sent Unsolicited E-Mails on Health Reform
The White House hired a private communications company based in Minnesota to distribute mass e-mails, helping to shed light on how some recipients received e-mails in support of President Obama's health care plan without signing up for them, FOX News has learned. The company, Govdelivery, describes itself as the world's leading provider of government-to-citizen communication solutions and says its e-mail service provides a fully-automated on-demand public communication system. It is still unknown how much taxpayer money the White House provides to Govdelivery for its services. Govdelivery sent hundreds of e-mails from senior adviser David Axelrod asking supporters to help rebut criticism of Obama's health care plan circulating on the Internet. It also sent e-mails highlighting Obama's speech to the Muslim world in Cairo and the announcement of Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court nominee. On Monday, the White House implemented several new changes to its Web site, apparently aimed at reducing the number of people who receive unsolicited e-mails and at fighting charges that it's collecting personal information on critics. The White House also pulled the plug on a controversial e-mail address, flag@whitehouse.gov, that was established for supporters to report "fishy" information about health care reform. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has sent a letter to the White House asking for the "full truth" behind the Axelrod e-mails and expressing concern that "political e-mail address lists were used for official purposes."

FOX News Offers White House Examples of Unsolicited E-Mails on Health Reform
FOX News has offered the White House examples of what hundreds of people say were unsolicited e-mails on health care, Barack Obama's presidential campaign or his political organization, Organizing for America, but spokesman Robert Gibbs has declined to respond. The offer comes after a testy exchange on Thursday between correspondent Major Garrett and Gibbs over the e-mail list. The arrogance of Robert Gibbs in incredible.

Climate campaign creates carbon crimes
Customs agents this week arrested nine people in the London area suspected of a multimillion-dollar fraud in trading carbon permits, bringing attention to a rich new field for crime sprung from the fight against climate change. The arrest confirmed fears among law enforcement officers that swindlers - operating from the trading floors of Europe to the tropical forests of the Pacific - are being attracted to a market that has grown to more than $100 billion. Trade in CO2 permits has expanded exponentially since the European Union required thousands of industries to limit carbon emissions to specified targets. Industries exceeding their ceiling can buy credits from companies that have held their emissions below target, acting through commodities exchanges. The average price this year for a ton of carbon is about $15. That carbon market will get a lot bigger if the U.S. Congress passes its own cap-and-trade bill, the central component of President Obama's climate and energy policies.

Taxpayer Cash for Clunker Ideas
That means some 750,000 perfectly good cars never make it to used car lots. People who can’t afford the average $24,000 new car price have to buy a new car anyway. Used car dealers and buyers have dwindling numbers of cars to bargain for. Repair shops lose business. Even worse, trashing all these cars is a monumental waste of precious resources – and all the energy and effort it took to extract metallic ores, hydrocarbons and other raw materials from the Earth, process and refine them, create alloys and plastics, and turn them into engines, chasses, windows, tires and interiors. Every step in that process took enormous amounts of energy – and emitted vast quantities of carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases and real pollutants. There is absolutely no way that these emissions and energy will ever be recouped by any savings the replacement cars might conceivably generate.

Gordon Brown in new storm over freed Lockerbie bomber
Gordon Brown faced fresh questions tonight after it emerged that he discussed with Colonel Gaddafi detailed conditions for the Lockerbie bomber's return nearly six weeks ago, while senior Labour figures warned of an economic backlash from angry Americans "costing our country dear". Downing Street released the text of a cordial letter sent to the Libyan leader on the day that Abdulbaset al-Megrahi was released, asking that the event be kept low key because a "high-profile" ceremony would distress his victims and their families. Previously officials have said that the two men's conversation in Italy at the beginning of July was brief and that, while the Lockerbie case was raised, Brown merely stressed the matter was one for the Scottish government to decide. However, the new letter, addressed to "Dear Muammar" and signed off by wishing him a happy Ramadan, suggests that the decision was well enough advanced and Brown well enough briefed to set terms for a homecoming – albeit unsuccessfully. A jubilant Libyan crowd, some waving Scottish flags, greeted Megrahi at the airport. William Wallace is weeping for his Scottish people!

FBI’s Mueller Says al-Megrahi Release Is ‘Mockery’ of Justice
The Scottish government’s decision to release Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi makes a “mockery of the rule of law” and gives comfort to terrorists around the world, FBI Director Robert Mueller said. “I am outraged at your decision,” Mueller said in a letter to Scotland’s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill dated Aug. 21 and posted on the FBI’s Web site. “Your action rewards a terrorist even though he never admitted to his role in this act of mass murder.”

Next step in H1N1 scare: Microchip implants
A Florida-based company that boasts selling the world's first and only federally approved radio microchip for implanting in humans is now turning its development branch toward "emergency preparedness," hoping to produce an implant that can automatically detect in its host's bloodstream the presence of swine flu or other viruses deemed a "bio-threat."

Huckabee says Palestinian State in middle of Isreal Unrealistic
Former Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said it is "virtually unrealistic" for a Palestinian state to be placed "in the middle of the Jewish homeland" and that Israel should be able to build settlements where it wants, according to the Associated Press (AP). "The question is should the Palestinians have a place to call their own? Yes, I have no problem with that," Huckabee said. "Should it be in the middle of the Jewish homeland? That's what I think has to be honestly assessed as virtually unrealistic." Huckabee's view puts him at odds with President Obama, who has called for a freeze on Israeli settlement activity on lands the Palestinians claim.

Islam: America's New Firebell in the Night
I did not know Thomas Jefferson, and I am no Thomas Jefferson. But Jefferson rightly foresaw that slavery and the question of its morality and expansion would be America's “firebell in the night.” We are still coming to terms today with the awful legacy of slavery in a free land. However, Islam represents today's “firebell in the night.” The so-called “religion of peace” stands as a small, but growing, presence in America, and its slowly increasing demands for accommodation have thus far generally met with acquiescence and ignorance. One cannot help but wonder how long it will be before America awakens to the very real threat within its own borders, a threat not only to life but to freedom as well.

The New Mortgage Fraud: Kick ’Em When They’re Down
Mortgage fraud is taking money out of a market working to rebuild itself, and these schemes, along with the intervention it will take to end them, will only slow recovery. They also further deteriorate trust in the housing market, where this quality is critical. We need to trust our builders to build safe homes, trust our realtors to price homes fairly, and trust our lenders to have in mind the best interests of the people who comprise their market. When this trust is damaged, it is more difficult to stem falling home values and housing recessions. Unethical mortgage operations, like all selfish and shortsighted economic activities, do not only harm the immediate victims; they hurt all of us.

Mexico decriminalizes small drug amounts
Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday - a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers. Prosecutors said the new law sets clear limits that keep Mexico's corruption-prone police from shaking down casual users and offers addicts free treatment to keep growing domestic drug use in check. "This is not legalization, this is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty," said Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the attorney general's office. The new law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities no longer face criminal prosecution.

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Rep. Patricia Lightner launches exploratory committee for Congress,br> A possible challenger to Kansas Democratic Congressman Dennis Moore in 2010, Patricia Lightner’s campaign site is PatriciaLightner.com.

The drug GHB is deceptive, deadly and often overlooked
Susan Middleton first learned about GHB when she found a Gatorade bottle containing a clear liquid in her daughter’s freezer in Kansas City, Kan. Inexplicably, the liquid was not frozen. Middleton sniffed the contents. No odor. Her curiosity led her to the Internet. Put in “odorless liquid” and “Gatorade bottle” and up pops gamma hydroxybutyrate, a powerful central nervous system depressant. GHB seemed like the least of her daughter’s problems. But as it turned out, GHB was the root of her problems. Most people fear GHB as a “date rape” drug. But this deceptively dangerous liquid has grown in popularity in recent years with partiers, athletes and others who take it deliberately, sometimes with deadly consequences.

Teenager shot in head during possible drive-by shooting
A teenager was shot in the head late tonight in Kansas City during what police believe might have been a drive-by shooting. Police responded to the shooting about 11 p.m. in the 8600 Block of E. 93rd Place. The injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

City of Wichita Making the News, Literally
In four years, Wichita City Hall has assembled a professional TV studio, hired local journalists and begun producing its own news shows that take government TV well beyond the community calendars and unblinking meeting coverage of the past. Lauragail Locke, a former KSN Channel 3 reporter who joined City Hall last year, said she wants to make sure City 7 is more than a boring government channel. The transformation has a price. Since 2005, the city has spent more than $260,000 on cameras and a studio, including $23,500 to design another studio that was never built, according to a review of city records. Much of the spending has been approved without public discussion along with dozens of other things on the Wichita City Council's consent agenda. The biggest purchase came last December, when council members unanimously approved spending $135,000.

Liberal Move On Groups Crash Healthcare Meetings
We’ve all seen pictures on TV from Town Hall meetings and the debate over health care. In our area, Congressman Dennis Moore refuses to hold such a Town Hall meeting over security concerns, but two other Kansas Congressmen running for the U.S. Senate have or will have Town Hall meetings. In June Congressman Jerry Moran held such a meeting, and tomorrow Congressman Todd Tiahrt will hold a Town Hall meeting in Overland Park. Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins is having a “listening tour” of 25 communities but those are all in her district.

The Bridges of Sedgwick County
Even though they’re large and in some cases bright bronze, you might not notice them as you drive by. Slow down a little, and you’ll see that bridges in Sedgwick County boast handsome commemorative plaques. These plaques serve a useful purpose. They display essential information such as the name of the bridge, the year of its construction, the bridge’s inventory number, and the load standard to which the bridge was built. But the rest of the information, particularly the names of the county commissioners, is superfluous. It may even be harmful, as commissioners or other public officials who know their names will be prominently displayed on public works may call for design or aesthetic features beyond what is actually required. There cost $500 each and some bridges have two plaques for a cost of $1,000 per bridge. Since all bidders for a bridge project face roughly the same cost to provide these plaques, this is a cost passed directly to county taxpayers!

Church Parking Lot Beating Death
Four people have been charged with the beating death of Steven Bertling. He was playing with a soccer ball and a friend in a church parking lot in Independence on August 15 when he was attacked.

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"Washington's books are a mess. Remember when the president promised strict oversight of how states were spending those dollars. Well in the last few weeks we've heard plenty about stimulus waste. Taxpayer dollars earmarked for a homeless program in a town with no homeless problem, millions to extend an art walk in New York and more than a million dollars for sidewalks and trash cans outside a casino in Michigan. This bill was supposed to be about jobs but it's gone off the rails in practically no time at all and millions of your tax dollars are being wasted. It's quickly being turned into a symbol of everything wrong with Washington D.C.. Unchecked spending..."

Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), CPA and former Kansas State Treasurer

Gospel according to St. John 6:60-69

60 These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum. 61 Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? 62 But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you? 63 If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 64 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. 65 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him. 66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father. 67 After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. 68 Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? 69 And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

GRAVE CONCERNS FOR CATHOLICS OVER HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION

The Catholic Church has long recognized the need for reform of America’s health care system. For decades, the Church has advocated the principle that all people should have access to quality health care, and has placed a special emphasis on the plight of the poor in this regard.

Right now, President Obama and his allies in Congress are promoting legislation that would dramatically overhaul America’s health care system. There are actually multiple versions of health care reform legislation under consideration, each of which is enormously long and complicated. What is clear, however, is that the primary bill in the House of Representatives contains unacceptable language giving the Secretary of Health & Human Services (currently Kathleen Sebelius) the power to make unlimited abortion a mandated benefit in the “public option” – the public health insurance plan the government would manage nationwide.

The House bill fundamentally alters the status quo whereby no federal program mandates coverage for elective abortions, or subsidizes health plans that include such abortions. Under the House bill, anyone choosing the public option, which will likely include low-income Americans, will be forced to pay directly and specifically for abortion coverage in the government plan.

Thus becomes clear the danger of expanding federal government control over health care, when the federal government is so hostile to our values with respect to life. Many concerned Catholics believe that any public plan will inevitably lead to taxpayer financed abortion. Yet others fear that without more government involvement, those unable to afford health insurance will be left at the mercy of the free market and the profit motive.

Regardless of one’s views on the particulars of health care reform, it is imperative that all Catholics in Kansas contact their U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators to inform them that any taxpayer funding of abortion is completely and utterly unacceptable. By including these or any other pro-abortion provisions in the final bill, Congress will demonstrate that it is not interested in genuine health care reform. If the legislation becomes a vehicle for expanded access to abortion, it must, and will, be defeated.

It is also important that members of Congress understand that health care reform legislation should not be paid for at the expense of those near the end of life. It is often those, whether elderly or terminally ill, with the highest costs of care who are also most vulnerable to false notions of being a burden to loved ones and society. There is furious debate at this very moment over whether part of the health care reform legislation before Congress would have the effect of encouraging cost-cutting by euthanasia. There should be no grey area. Upon returning to work in September, Congress should act swiftly to ensure that all Americans can feel confident that health care reform is in the service of preserving life, not ending it. Members of Congress are home right now for the August congressional recess, listening very carefully to the views of their constituents in order to gauge what the voters will be willing to support. Now is the time to be heard. Catholics should make their views known respectfully, but firmly. We seek health care reform that improves access for those who cannot currently afford coverage, but unequivocally reject any policies that would require unwilling Americans to fund the evil of abortion.