Pretty busy news day. Some of the stories we are following:
The Justice Department has finally weighed in on Arizona's controversial get tough on illegal immigration law, filing a lawsuit to overturn SB 1070. It also asked the federal courts to grant an injunction to stop enforcement of the measure before it takes effect.
After what can only be described as a terrifically shaky start to the unshakeable relationship, President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally met in Washington, their originally scheduled meeting on May 31 having been preempted by the IDF's deadly raid on a Turkish vessel during an attempt to run the blockade of Gaza. In a related story, Israeli authorities have charged an IDF soldier with manslaughter and other charges for the shooting of a Palestinian woman in the early days of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
The New York Times looks at how tax-exempt U.S. groups are helping to fund illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, contrary to the two-state policy supported by the Obama administration and even to the consternation of Israeli authorities.
A New York Times examination of public records in the United States and Israel identified at least 40 American groups that have collected more than $200 million in tax-deductible gifts for Jewish settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over the last decade. The money goes mostly to schools, synagogues, recreation centers and the like, legitimate expenditures under the tax law. But it has also paid for more legally questionable commodities: housing as well as guard dogs, bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and vehicles to secure outposts deep in occupied areas.
And lest we forget, here's an update from the Washington Post on day 77 of the BP Gulf oil debacle. Turns out BP is not living up to the low standards it has set for itself in containing the spill. As Gomer might say, "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise."
Likely to get lost in the news of the day is the passing of Father Bill Callahan, a one-time Jesuit and long-time progressive voice for peace. He died July 5th due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 78.
Kevin Clarke
Yet the president, Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Obama administration have eagerly and often condemned the new Arizona law for partisan political gain. Can the wishes of the people of the state of Arizona be dismissed so easily and then exploited for political gain by the president of the United States without most Americans noticing the foulness of this kind devisive politcs?
Suing Arizona badly miscalculates the qualitative impact the lawsuit will hve on the rest of the country. President Obama shows himself to be a small man ready to engage in devisive politics. Instead of being presidential and uniting and calming the country his adminstration agitates, wantonly stirs up devisons and initiates broad attacks on the people of a whole state for being self-governing and wanting to solve their very real boarder problem. The president is willfully oppossing the overwhelming majority of Arizona citizens including most of the Arizona Democratic party.
How smart is it to use the power of the Presdiency to attack the Arizona law outside of Obama adminsirtion circles? How insular is the Obama administarion? The idea the people of Arizona like John McCann, whom we all know and who strongly supports this law, are old time, sinster, George Wallace type civil rights violators is not beleivable. The president looks very small in attacking the people of Arizona who have a legitimate conern of protecting their state from many violent criminal acts resulting directly from an notoriously unsecured border with Mexico.
Exploiting the border problem for political gain rather than securing the border is playing with political dynamite. The Obama admisistration parisan use of presidential power will aleinate him from the broader American public. His lawsuit agaist Arizona is an major historic mistake in the making.
This lawsuit shows also that Obama and his advisors have a cultural problem with Americans. They do not undersatnd or apprciate what most Americans expect of their govenment and particularly their president. The Obama administarion regards ordinary Americans' concerns for law and order in sinister terms. The Obama administration wants to deny and reject citizen's expectations in favor of his own private and unexpected views. As a reesult Obama is demonstrating once again his aleination and even antagonism toward America society and values.
Power corrupts. Obama's use of prsidential power against the legitimate whishes of ordinary citizen is haevy-handed arrogance. The president should be a peace with the people of Arizona but is not. Obama knows better than the citizens of a state. Obama's poitical exploition of the people of Arizona demonstates on the part of the Prssident an arrogance of power that all Americans should fear.
Obama lack of care and concern for an effective remedy to the legitimate security needs of the people of Arizona is a telltale indictment of his presidency. Presidents are expected to help Americans.
''n July, Arizona will begin enforcing a new law that requires law enforcement officers to check someone’s immigration status if they have reason to suspect that he or she is in the country illegally. Do you think this is a good idea?''
The response so far is Yes - 95.8%; No - 4.2%.
http://world-news.newsvine.com/_question/2010/05/12/4274124-do-you-support-arizonas-tough-new-law-on-illegal-immigration
I personally want all employers who hire illegals, to be forced to stop or get some type of permit issued by the government for their employment. Most of the high unemployment in the country is with low skilled workers and it amazes me why there are illegals when there supposedly is a labor pool available for low skilled jobs that illegals are assumed to be doing. Around where I live the illegals get $20-$25 per hour for construction work so it is not minimum wage issues.
It appears that the anglo middle/upper middle class will not stop eating out, stop staying at the hotels, eat fast food, eat cheap meats and vegtables, getting their roofs replaced and not even help get their x generation and boomer kids to stop using the smuggled drugs . So please. will they stop complaining about the undocumented who are being lured/funneled over the border. and wake up and recognize that that's where the food, babysitters, the cleaner-uppers ,the homes the lodging, the drugs 'the American Dream Life' is coming from. Think the South 1859.
The nation does not need a spriitual leadership from the Obama administration. The nation needs a sober leadership effectivley dealing with th ecountires many real problems. Leave th egood citizens of Arizona alone. Do not devide and harm the nation.
The presidential role is not to stir up acrimony but to do as he is sworn to do by the constituion "to maintain domestic tranquility".
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2010/07/06/ri_troopers_embrace_firm_immigration_role/
And Missouri is upset because Arizona got all the attention when they have been cracking down for almost two years.
http://ozarkssentinel.com/clients/ozarkssentinel/missouri-ahead-of-the-game-in-dealing-with-illegal-immigrants-p1034.htm?twindow=Default&smenu=145&mad=No
Many criticize the "Vatican" when "it" steps in and over-rules a decision made at a local level
YET
When a local group (Arizona) through local collegiality supports something for their own state, there are calls for a higher authority to overturn local consensus
Subsidiarity for some things, but not for others?
bvo