Key made from website image could change your vote

Hacker’s trick unlocks all touch-screen systems made by leading company

A hacker, using a photograph of keys to a Diebold touch-screen voting system available on the company’s website, successfully duplicated two that were capable of opening the electronic balloting device now used in many states for elections.

BradBlog.com revealed that a team of computer scientists at Princeton University, who have been studying security issues related to electronic voting, was sent three keys made by a hacker-friend of one of the scientists.

The hacker, Ross Kinard of SploitCast.com had discovered a photograph of keys to Diebold’s AccuVote-TS model for sale on the company’s website. The keys, similar in design to those used to open an office filing cabinet, sold for $5.90 a pair and were shown with the keyed edges clearly visible.

“I bought three blank keys from Ace [Hardware],” said Kinard. “Then a drill vise and three cabinet locks that used a different type of key from Lowes. I hoped that the spacing and depths on the cabinet locks’ keys would be similar to those on the voting-machine key. With some files I had I then made three keys to look like the key in the picture.”

But Kinard did not have access to a Diebold machine.

“Ross sent me his three homemade keys, and, amazingly, two of them can open the locks on the Diebold machine we used in our study!” said J. Alex Halderman, a Princeton Ph.D. student.

Halderman and his team revealed last summer that the Diebold AccuVote-TS was vulnerable to electronic hacking, demonstrating how non-detectable software could be installed to steal votes and leave no evidence of its activity.

Installing the vote-swapping software could be accomplished within 60 seconds if internal access to the machine was available. Access was achieved by removing screws or picking the lock, which one team member was able to do easily in 10 seconds.

The installed software’s viral qualities allowed it to infect other machines and potentially affect the outcome of an election, Halderman claimed.

In the course of their evaluation of the AccuVote-TS, the Princeton team also discovered that all AccuVote-TS devices were keyed exactly the same. While they publicized the vulnerability of the voting machine’s electronics, they did not release information on the use of a common key, so as to not further compromise security. Diebold will only sell keys to licensed owners of its devices.

Kinard’s duplication of the keys from a Diebold photograph made that policy a moot point. While Diebold has replaced the image of the keys on its site with a picture of a digital access card, the original photograph is widely available online.

Further, since Diebold does not uniquely key each machine, each election gives more poll workers an opportunity to copy the key they temporarily have in their possession.

Acknowledging that the photograph had been removed due to the level of interest on the Internet, Diebold spokesman Mark Radke defended the company’s policy of keying all machines of a particular model the same in a telephone interview with CNET News.

“Can you imagine, if the wrong keys went to the wrong precincts the morning of the election, what would happen?” he asked.

Noting that anyone opening a device with a duplicated key would have to break a seal on the machine to access the lock, Radke said the unauthorized entry would be detected.

“These are people that don’t have election experience making some of these comments,” he said.

Former Muslim concerned about Obama’s Muslim heritage

Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
January 26, 2007

Author and former Muslim Muslim Brigitte Gabriel has major concerns about the Islamic background of Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Obama. She feels his election as U.S. President would greatly encourage America’s enemies throughout the Muslim world.

Hear This Report

New York Times bestselling author and former Muslim Brigitte Gabriel says she definitely has concerns about the background of Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who was raised by a Muslim stepfather and attended a Muslim school as a child.

Senator Obama (D-Illinois) has strongly denounced as inaccurate the report on Insight Magazine’s website that claimed he was educated at a radical Islamic school known as a “madrassa” in Indonesia, where he lived with his mother and stepfather between 1967 and 1971. The school in question was, according to the senator, not a madrassa but claims rather that it is a secular institution, which has been open to students of all faiths since before Obama attended in the early 1960s.

But despite the disputed details of the report, Brigitte Gabriel, founder and president of the American Congress for Truth, points out that Obama has had significant Muslim influences in his life. It is a fact that she says “does make me uncomfortable.”

It has been reported, the author notes, that the Illinois senator’s mother married a Muslim after his actual father, also a Muslim, left; and that “supposedly later on he became a Christian.” However, she adds, “I do not know if he became a born-again Christian.”

Gabriel says she is simply uncomfortable with Muslims getting elected to political office in the U.S. “If we elect a Muslim into office, it sends a great message to our enemies that Islam is winning in the United States, America is defeatable” [sic]. And this, she contends, is why Muslims throughout the whole Islamic world were celebrating the election of Keith Ellison, a Muslim American, into Congress.

According to Gabriel, Ellison’s supporters were chanting “Allah Akbar,” the same expression uttered by 9/11 hijackers as they crashed planes into the World Trade Center.

McCain’s commitment to ‘clean’ elections questioned

Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
January 26, 2007

John McCain, a proponent of campaign finance reform, has been asked if he would abide by the limitations imposed by the current presidential public financing system — should he decide to run for the 2008 GOP nomination. The leader of the Center for Individual Freedom says the U.S. senator, who has portrayed himself as a man of principle, owes the American people an answer.

Hear This Report

A conservative group is asking Senator John McCain — currently only a potential competitor for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination — whether he will abandon the public campaign financing system he’s long advocated, should he decide to run.

Shortly after the 2006 mid-term elections, McCain formed an exploratory committee for the U.S. presidency. Polls show that he and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani — like McCain, still an unannounced candidate — would be among the leading contenders for the GOP nomination.

The Center for Individual Freedom, an Alexandria, Virginia-based legislative watchdog, has sent a letter to the Arizona Republican, asking him whether he would opt out of the presidential public financing system during a campaign for the White House in 2008. McCain, along with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, has been a leading proponent of campaign finance reform through legislation that bans soft-money contributions to political campaigns.

Jeffrey Mazzella, president of the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF), says he wonders whether McCain’s “straight talk express” has taken a U-turn.

“Make no mistake; we certainly don’t believe in the public financing system ,” says Mazzella. “We think there’s something fundamentally wrong with using taxpayer dollars, voluntary or not.” But the CFIF leader feels McCain needs to respond to the inquiry about abiding by the limitations of the presidential public financing system.

“For Senator McCain, who has held himself as a man of principle, who has not shrunk at the opportunity to silence the voices of Americans in the legislative process, we feel he owes it to the American people to answer this question,” he says. The Arizona lawmaker, he says, has “made a career out of assaulting the First Amendment under the guise of ‘clean elections’” and so should directly answer the question.

But according to Mazzella, McCain — whom Mazzella labels as “the Senate’s chief campaign finance reformer” — has not yet provided a definitive answer.

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos questioned McCain in November as to whether he would go around the public financing system while running for president in ‘08. McCain said at the time it would depend on what the other candidates do.

Christian radio is having an impact on guerrillas

Christian radio is having an impact on guerrillas

Posted: 22 January, 2007

• Topics in this story:
• colombian guerrillas,
• christian radio,
• trans world radio,
• jim munger,
• fm radio

Colombia (MNN) — Colombia is a country plagued with kidnappings, drug trafficking, and civil unrest. Guerrilla fighters are responsible for much of it. The clashes between guerrillas and government troops are common. However, Christian radio appears to be having an impact on the hearts and lives of some of the guerrillas who are living in the jungle.

Trans World Radio was the tool God used to lead a guerrilla member to Christ, says TWR’s Jim Munger. Munger says, while Trans World Radio broadcasts on powerful AM and short-wave transmitters, they also broadcast on local FM stations. “It was one of these local stations, a small FM station, that could be heard by the guerrillas and he was listening to the Gospel on that station.”

The young man came from a Christian home. “I am the son of a Christian woman,” he writes in his letter. “I carry the memories of her engraved on my heart. Because of my rebellion and poverty, I decided to leave home.”

Munger says this isn’t unusual. “The guerrillas are actively recruiting constantly. And, they are typically recruiting children and young teenagers to be part of their armies.”

While he’s given his heart to Jesus, Munger says he’s trapped. “They are threatened with death if they abandon the forces. The Colombian army is seeking them. And, so he’s caught in between being part of an army where he’s not allowed to leave, where over a period of time he’s done horrible things and has seen horrible things. As a Christian now, he doesn’t agree with this, but he’s afraid to leave.”

Munger isn’t surprised by this guerrilla member’s testimony. “There aren’t a lot of radio stations that can be heard there, so they’re almost like a captive audience. When we produce programs we realize that there are people from all walks of life, including guerrillas that are listening and are becoming Christians.”

Munger is asking Christians to pray. “Pray that God will use radio around the world to reach into these hidden places that we couldn’t go. The radio can and it is not bound. It is not limited and God uses it.”

We Can Win the Battle for Life and End America’s Legacy of Shame

January 22, 2007

We Can Win the Battle for Life and
End America’s Legacy of Shame

For the last 34 years, we have been killing off our future generations — 50 million children and counting! Today is the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the cases that together legalized abortion in this nation throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Roe allowed abortion in the second and third trimesters for the “life or health” of the mother, while Doe defined “health” as all factors a doctor may consider, including “physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age – relevant to the well-being of the patient.” As a result, a woman can abort her baby at any time if she can find a willing doctor.

Today, pro-life individuals gathered in many cities across America to remember the unborn who have lost their lives to abortion and their mothers who are also victims of this terrible practice. I joined one of these groups in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Orlando this morning. When I arrived, a friend handed me a sign depicting a tombstone with the names of women who lost their lives as a result of having a legal abortion. It is a stark reminder that many women have been victimized for profit by the abortion industry. As I stood there, an airplane flew over with a photograph of a 10-week old unborn baby and a telephone number for alternatives to abortion. A truck drove by covered with heartbreaking pictures of little aborted bodies. As a group, we joined together to ask the Lord to bring an end to abortion in our lifetime.

After leaving the event, my mind wandered back to January 22, 1985 — the first time that I stood on a sidewalk with a pro-life sign. I had no idea we would still be fighting the battle for the sanctity of human life in 2007. Although abortion has not stopped, we are starting to make progress.

We applaud President Bush for proclaiming yesterday as Sanctity of Human Life Day. He has been a unwaivering advocate for parental notification laws, adoption, abstinence education, crisis pregnancy programs, and vital legislation including the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. We must elect another pro-life President in 2008. We must gain more pro-life Supreme Court justices if we are to continue to chip away at laws supporting the horror of abortion.

I am convinced that we can win this battle if we don’t give up too soon. Join with me and stand steadfastly for life!

– Anita Staver

A Solemn Warning for America

For more information on the sanctity of human life, visit the audio tape section of our online store or call Liberty Counsel at 1-800-671-1776 and ask for our cassette tape by Dr. Larry White entitled, “Solemn Warning to America.” This powerful message warns about the result of this nation ignoring life. For a complete list of our books, brochures, audio and video tapes and other resources, vist our online store.

Support our defense of life

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Law would make Minutemen guilty of ‘domestic terrorism’

Saturday, January 20, 2007 ‘Patrolling to detect alleged illegal activity’ while carrying any weapon would be felony Posted: January 20, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Jay Baggett An Arizona lawmaker has introduced a bill to revise the state’s statutes on organized crime and fraud by defining “domestic terrorism” in such a way that members of the Minuteman Project or other border-patrol groups could be prosecuted and forced to serve a minimum six-month jail term. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (above right), D-Phoenix, introduced HB 2286 in the Arizona House on Thursday. Sinema, formerly of the Green Party, had earlier submitted a bill asking the legislature to make changes to a law used to prosecute customers of immigrant smugglers as conspirators under Arizona’s human trafficking law. “None of us every dreamed it would be used in a co-conspirator fashion,” Sinema said. As WND reported, it was federal inaction that motivated Arizona lawmakers to approve the new law creating the crime of smuggling in 2005. Maricopa County District Attorney Andrew Thomas announced he would interpret the law to mean illegals caught with a smuggler could be prosecuted as co-conspirators if they paid a coyote to transport them across the border. “If the customer pays a dope peddler money, he’s violated the law,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who compares the relationship between coyotes and illegals to drug dealers and their customers. “(Here), they’re paying for transport.” That law was upheld last year by a county judge after defense attorneys questioned its constitutionality. Last month, the same judge who upheld the law also overturned the first jury conviction of an illegal immigrant charged as a conspirator under the law, Associated Press reported. Now, Sinema is targeting border-security groups like the Minutemen with new legislation that would define anyone not formally affiliated with law enforcement, who patrolled in search of illegal activity while armed, as a domestic terrorist. If it becomes law, the bill would impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence, even if prosecutors recommend probation. HB 2286 reads: Sec. 2. Title 13, chapter 23, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-2320, to read: 13-2320. Domestic terrorism; classification A. An individual or group of individuals commits domestic terrorism if the individual or group of individuals are not affiliated with a local, state or federal law enforcement entity and associate with another individual or group of individuals as an organization, group, corporation or company for the purpose of patrolling to detect alleged illegal activity or to individually patrol for the purpose of detecting alleged illegal activity and if the individual or group of individuals is armed with a firearm or other weapon. B. Any city, town or county that suffers injury arising out of a violation of this section may maintain an action in superior court for the recovery of damages or for an injunction, or both. The court may award the successful party reasonable attorney fees. C. If the court sentences the defendant to a term of probation, the court shall order that as an initial condition of probation the defendant be imprisoned in the county jail for a period of not less than six months. This jail term of incarceration shall not be deferred, deleted or otherwise suspended and shall commence on the date of sentencing. This subsection does not apply to persons who are sentenced to serve a period of incarceration in the state department of corrections. D. A violation of this section is a class 5 felony. Sinema and other Democrat legislators joined the ACLU and the American Friends Service Committee as legal observers during the Minutemen’s project on the Arizona-Mexico border in April 2005. “I’ve been monitoring the Minutemen for a year now,” Sinema told vigilantewatch.org at the time, “and they’re just scary.” “Race-based tactics always lead to violence,” she insisted. “Remember, the Ku Klux Klan was the first-ever group to patrol the border between the U.S. and Mexico back in the ’70s.” As WND reported, a leader of the violent, terror-connected Latin American gang Mara Salvatruchas, Ebner Anivel Rivera-Paz, had reportedly issued orders from federal prison to members of his international criminal organization to teach a lesson to the group of Americans taking border control into their own hands. The Mara Salvatruchas, founded in Los Angeles, has become one of the most violent and widespread gangs throughout South America, the U.S. and even Canada. Many of its members and leaders have been deported from the U.S., but the group is said to be deeply involved in cross-border arms-running and drug-smuggling operations, according to U.S. law enforcement sources. Under Sinema’s bill, volunteers who still want to assist law enforcement by being eyes and ears along the border will have to do so unarmed. Sinema was awarded the “Vladimir I Lenin” award from Arizona Federation of Taxpayers in 2005, a tongue-in-cheek honor given to the “most pro-big government legislator.” In 2006, she angered many conservatives when, in a magazine interview, she referred to them as “Neanderthals” and said women and moms who stay at home and don’t work are dependent on men and “leeching off their husbands.” If you would like to sound off on this issue, participate in today’s WND Poll.

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Dolphins Name Cam Cameron New Head Coach

January 19, 2007-The Miami Dolphins today announced thatCam Cameron has signed a four-year contract to become the organization’s seventh head coach. Press Conference Transcript Cam Cameron’s College Coaching Experience Cam Cameron’s NFL Coaching Experience Marty Schottenheimer On Cam Cameron Cameron comes to Miami from San Diego, where he spent the last five seasons (2002-06) orchestrating the Chargers’ potent offense. With Cameron as offensive coordinator, San Diego led the National Football League in scoring last season and finished third and fifth in that category in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Cameron’s play-calling helped San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson become the Associated Press Most Valuable Player in 2006, when he scored an NFL-record 31 touchdowns. In 2003, with Cameron heading the offense, Tomlinson became the first player in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in the same season. While with San Diego, Cameron was also instrumental in the development of Pro Bowl quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, as well as All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates. Prior to joining the Chargers, Cameron had a five-year reign (1997-2001) as the head coach at Indiana University, his alma mater. Cameron was responsible for the creative utilization of Antwaan Randle El, one of the most versatile athletes in college football history. Randle El was a first-team All-America quarterback in 2001, when the Hoosiers averaged 435.3 yards per game on offense. That figure ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the NCAA. The year prior, Indiana averaged 266.4 rushing yards per game, which led the Big Ten and was seventh in the nation. Randle El finished his career as the NCAA Division I-A rushing leader among quarterbacks and was the only player in major college football history to rush and pass for 40 or more touchdowns. Cameron’s first NFL coaching stop came as the Washington Redskins’ quarterback coach from 1994-96. While serving on Norv Turner’s staff, Cameron oversaw the development of 1994 seventh-round pick Gus Frerotte, who became a Pro Bowler in 1996, and Trent Green, who served as the team’s third quarterback in 1995 and 1996 before eventually becoming a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback for Kansas City. Before moving to the NFL, Cameron was an assistant at the University of Michigan from 1984-93, serving the first six of those years under the late Bo Schembechler. He was the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach in 1991 when Wolverines wide receiver Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy. During his 10 seasons as an assistant at Michigan, the program won six Big Ten titles and played in 10 bowl games. In addition to Howard, Cameron was the position coach for future NFL players Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins, Derrick Alexander and Amani Toomer, among others. Cameron was an All-American quarterback for South Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Ind., where he lived with his stepfather, Tom Harp, who coached at Indiana State. He went on to become a two-sport letterman in football and basketball at Indiana, where he graduated with a degree in business in 1983. Cameron earned two letters as a quarterback for Lee Corso (1982) and Sam Wyche (1983) and two (1981-82, 1982-83) playing basketball for Bobby Knight before a knee injury in his senior year ended his playing career. Born Malcom Cameron in Chapel Hill, N.C., he and his wife Missy have three sons, Tommy, Danny and Christopher, and one daughter, Elizabeth.

Accelerating to Mock 1

By John Murphy, Yahoo! Sports January 18, 2007 As four teams prepare to play for the right to play in this year’s Super Bowl, the remaining 28 franchises have turned their attention to the offseason and, most importantly, April’s NFL draft. The addition of several highly rated underclassmen, including LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Arkansas defensive lineman Jamaal Anderson, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch and Ohio State wide receiver/return man Ted Ginn Jr. could lead to teams hustling back to campuses all over the country to review their game films. As many as seven underclassmen could be taken off the board in the top 10 to 12 picks, but the most interesting battle as far as draft position still should come down to whether four-year starter Brady Quinn of Notre Dame can stave off the hard-charging Russell, who outplayed Quinn in the Sugar Bowl. We are heading into the weekend of the East-West Shrine Game, which is followed by the NFL’s unofficial yearly convention at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. However, rather than wait to see how each player performs and how teams address their current needs in free agency, here is our first look at how the top 10 picks could play out in the April 28-29 draft. ADVERTISEMENT if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['52_qBs6.Iqo-']=’&U=13a8fm7m4%2fN%3d52_qBs6.Iqo-%2fC%3d569561.9832058.10760368.1757820%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4336202′; 1. Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell, quarterback, LSU. Russell will head into next month’s NFL combine as the player on the highest rise of anyone in the draft class. He has a unique blend of size, arm strength and ability to become a franchise QB. Teams not only will have to decide how Russell will handle the pressure of dealing with being a top draft choice but also how quickly he can assimilate his game to the NFL. Russell is far less experienced than Brady Quinn but showed up big in crucial wins over Tennessee and then again against Notre Dame. The ability to keep his eyes focused downfield, a rifle arm and eye-opening size would make him a perfect fit for a Raiders team that lacks firepower and punch in their offense. 2. Detroit Lions – Jamaal Anderson, defensive end, Arkansas. The Lions have a lot of decisions to make, starting with quarterback, running back, wide receiver and front seven, because they have injuries, aging veterans and underachievers throughout those positions. The popular vote from fans likely will go to Brady Quinn, but the front office and coaching staff may not have time to develop a young QB when veteran Jon Kitna played well enough at most points of last season to win games. While Calvin Johnson might be the most talented player on the board, a quick glance at Detroit’s depth chart shows the Lions truly could use an impact defensive lineman. That would make Anderson highly attractive. The Lions are the team most others will look toward to make a deal because one of the two top-rated quarterbacks will be available at this pick. (A coin flip at the NFL combine will decide the No. 3 and No. 4 picks between Cleveland and Tampa Bay.) 3/4. Cleveland Browns – Alan Branch, defensive tackle, Michigan. Winning the coin flip next month will offer either the Browns or Buccaneers the chance to find a top-notch prospect when they’re on the clock. Cleveland has a series of issues, starting with the offensive line, but the Browns also need a game-breaking running back and help along both lines. General manager Phil Savage will have the chance to review the idea of handing the offensive reins to Brady Quinn or finding a run stuffer to upgrade the defense’s 3-4 scheme. Branch entered the season as an interesting defender with great size and ability but just an average motor. Failing to overwhelm scouts consistently enough on most game tapes, Branch changed that opinion among the majority of scouts who watched his junior campaign. He would fill a major void for the Browns, clogging the middle while opening up lanes for their outside pass rushers and young linebackers, Kamerion Wimberly and D’Qwell Jackson. Cleveland paid close attention to the interior line position leading up to last year’s draft but opted to take the pass rusher, and addressing the spot this year should come as no surprise. 3/4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Calvin Johnson, wide receiver, Georgia Tech. Should the Bucs lose the coin toss, they still would choose Johnson. Tampa Bay’s offense, although it suffered through a number of injuries, could not put together a consistent game plan of attack from one week to the next. The healthy return of quarterback Chris Simms, running back Carnell Williams and wide receiver Michael Clayton will help, but having a playmaker on the outside like Johnson lining up across from speedy veteran Joey Galloway would open up the running game and provide the Bucs’ quarterback with the type of rare pass-catcher who can make plays anywhere on the field. Clayton has yet to rebound to his rookie-year production, so Johnson’s vertical speed, leaping skills and ability to draw constant double teams greatly would aid their offense. Tampa Bay has needs on the defensive side of the ball that likely will be addressed through the draft, but a receiver like Johnson is too good to pass up here. 5. Arizona Cardinals – Joe Thomas, offensive tackle, Wisconsin. The Cardinals have turned to Ken Whisenhunt as their new head coach. The former Steelers offensive coordinator has a lot of weapons to work with, but he also has one glaring weakness: offensive line. The pending loss of tackle Leonard Davis in free agency will create a further void, paving the way for Thomas to head west on draft day. Thomas has fully recovered from a knee injury he suffered more than a year ago, and he returned to his dominating style during a strong senior campaign. Thomas offers a terrific building block to the O-line, which has been a sore spot over the past five years. Arizona has other areas to address on the defensive side, but finding a tackle who can lock down and anchor the line for the next 10 years is a primary need heading into the offseason. The Steelers have made it a habit of dominating the line of scrimmage during Whisenhunt’s time in Pittsburgh, and it is something he will stress now that he is with the desert birds. 6. Washington Redskins – Gaines Adams, defensive end, Clemson. The Redskins took a major step backward on defense this season, failing to produce enough pressure on quarterbacks and create turnovers. Adams is one of the top defenders in the draft and provides the best set of pass-rush skills to boost a Washington defense that clearly is lacking in that area. Adams started off slowly as a senior before turning up his game through the second half of the season. He has impressive quickness and agility for a 260-pound pass rusher and has tried to increase his bulk/strength at the point of attack. While not a complete player, Adams does possess the primary asset of harassing the quarterback, creating pressure and forcing throws. Those qualities would give the ‘Skins an improved pass defense and likely force opponents into more turnovers in 2007. The scenario makes perfect sense when you review Washington’s depth chart, but do not be surprised if owner Daniel Snyder shows interest in a flashy guy such as Ted Ginn Jr. 7. Minnesota Vikings – Reggie Nelson, defensive back, Florida. The Vikings seemingly have spent the past three to five offseasons trying to rebuild or create the right combination of defenders to stave off another mid- to late-season slide, but things have not gone according to plan. This season, a secondary that included underachieving cornerback Fred Smoot gave up way too many big plays over the top, allowing opposing offensive coordinators to create highlight tapes on a weekly basis. Smoot’s days with the team may be limited, but either way, Nelson is an ideal defender who can help against both the run and pass thanks to his combination of ball skills, range and instincts. He also has the cover skills to man-up against slot receivers and has keen awareness when called on to blitz. It may seem out of the question for Nelson to come off the board this early, but come draft day, he will have the type of meteoric rise that saw Donte Whitner shoot into the top 10 last year. 8. Houston Texans – Marshawn Lynch, running back, California. Head coach Gary Kubiak and GM Rick Smith will work together for the first time in the war room, although they spent plenty of years in a similar capacity while both were with the Broncos. Veteran leadership along the offensive line should be taken care of through free agency, but answering questions at the skill positions is much more difficult. A year ago, the Texans passed on taking a franchise quarterback or running back in order to upgrade the defense’s front seven. They were able to find linebacker DeMeco Ryans, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, in the second round, but a sputtering offense kept them from competing in far too many contests. If the draft follows this form, Houston would be on the clock with a top-rated signal caller and a pair of workhorse backs still available. It seems like the Texans are content with giving David Carr one last chance as their starting QB to see how or what he has absorbed after playing one season in Kubiak’s system, but rotating faces in the backfield has to stop. Lynch is just too good to pass up here, as he can run, catch and provide the big-play ability that only a handful of backs in the NFL possess. Adrian Peterson’s name has often come up or been associated with this pick, but Lynch is a far better fit for the Texans’ scheme because of his above-average hands. Also, both Kubiak and Smith saw the type of instant impact a rookie back brought to divisional rivals Jacksonville and Indianapolis last season. 9. Miami Dolphins – Brady Quinn, quarterback, Notre Dame. The Dolphins still are without a head coach, and rumors have swirled that they might change the front office once again as well. One move that would make sense no matter what is for Miami finally to get a long-term answer at quarterback. Enter Quinn, who could slide down a few picks more than expected similar to Matt Leinart’s drop a year ago. And remember the last time the Dolphins found a franchise QB through the draft? He also was an experienced college quarterback who fell down the draft board for various reasons: Dan Marino. Quinn would start the season as a backup to either Daunte Culpepper or Joey Harrington and would be ready to step into the starting role as early as 2008. The potential for Quinn to slide comes from his ineffectiveness in big games, the number of juniors entering the draft and the need for several teams in front of the Dolphins to find a quick-fix player. Miami was a close evaluator of Jay Cutler leading up to last year’s draft and now again sits in prime position to solidify the quarterback position. The Dolphins’ needs along the offensive line are likely to be addressed in free agency, as are their needs at defensive tackle and safety. Quinn is a good fit for their marketplace, too, because he has a big name but the type of maturity and character to handle the South Beach lifestyle. 10. Atlanta Falcons – Ted Ginn Jr., wide receiver/returner, Ohio State. The addition of new head coach Bobby Petrino and several of his staff members should result in a more wide-open offense. Petrino has been successful at every stop along the way, using a variety of schemes, formations and, most importantly, playmakers in a number of roles. Ginn would provide the Falcons with an impact special teams player and someone with the ability to get the ball via the pass, run and even reverses. Ginn also has been outspoken with his desire to play some cornerback. In any event, Atlanta would add another elite playmaker to a team that already features corner DeAngelo Hall, running backs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood and quarterback Michael Vick. The Falcons certainly have greater “need” issues, such as depth at defensive end because John Abraham cannot seem to stay healthy for a full season, but, as teams have seen with guys like Devin Hester, a player who can change the game with one touch of the ball is too important to pass up. John Murphy is Yahoo! Sports’ NFL personnel and college prospect evaluator. Updated on Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 9:36 pm EST

Oppose Section 220 in S. 1

	Oppose Section 220 in S. 1 Subverts Right of Americans to Freely Petition their Government

Dear TVC Supporter:

We still need your help with this issue. Please contact your two U.S. Senators today and ask that they vote to strip Section 220 from S. 1, a lobby reform bill. Ask them to vote YES on Bennett Amendment No. 20 to strike this section from S. 1.

It is very important that your circle of friends and family know about this crucial issue. Please forward this to them.

While we support most provisions of S. 1, we are concerned about the unconstitutional impact that Section 220 will have on citizens and their right to freely petition their government.

Traditional Values Coalition considers the removal of Section 220 as a key free speech issue for the 110th Congress and will score the vote or any others related to this issue.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that freedom of association and to engage anonymously in grassroots action are activities protected by the First Amendment. (NAACP v. Alabama and McIntyre v. Ohio). Section 220 would clearly raise serious constitutional questions.

There is both liberal and conservative opposition to Section 220. The ACLU wrote the Senate in 2006 “Opposing Expansions of Post-employment Bans and Regulations on Grassroots Lobbying” http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/24423leg20060307.html They remain opposed to legislation that regulates grassroots lobbying.

Section 220, the grassroots provisions of the Senate lobbying reform bill, is not what it has been represented to be by its proponents. In actuality, Section 220 may be the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever proposed in the United States Senate.

This grassroots lobbying provision is an assault on the First Amendment’s right of free speech and of the right of Americans to petition their government for a redress of grievances. It will stifle the ability of grassroots groups to communicate with their members and create a climate of fear over the draconian and unneeded reporting requirements in Section 220.

We oppose Section 220 for the following reasons. It will:

• Require registration and reporting as lobbyists by individuals and organizations who may never have face-to-face contact with members of Congress or staff and who only call upon citizens to weigh in a legislative issue
• Require registration and reporting as lobbyists by vendors hired by any entity to mobilize public involvement in a legislative issue in Congress
• Amounts paid by an organization for the communications would be required to be publicly reported
• Fines and penalties would be established for failure to report amounts spent to mobilize public involvement in legislative issues

Types of communications that would trigger registration and reporting:

Any communication that reaches 500 or more people, including:

• Direct mail – including prospecting fundraising mail that includes communications or petitions to Congress
• Telephone calls
• Newspaper, magazine, print ads
• Paid organizers, including people who are hired to organize a rally, demonstration or public meeting that spotlights an issue before Congress
• Radio / television ads urging people to call their Senator or Representative
• Internet, email, website – no exemption for internet communications
• Bloggers

Examples of Communications that would be covered:

• A state, local or national political party committee sends a prospecting fundraising letter that includes a “Petition to the President” along with the solicitation. Both the party committee and potentially the direct mail vendor must register as lobbyists
• A grassroots lobbying organization runs radio ads in the congressional districts of members on a particular committee, urging people to call their representative to vote for/against a particular bill. The organization must register as a lobbying entity
• Each vendor involved in producing communications for organizations (direct mail, media producers, media buyers, etc.) must also register as lobbyists if an organization pays a vendor for a communication that costs $25,000 or more during the quarter
• A pastor every Sunday for several weeks calls on the congregation to mobilize in support of / opposition to a particular piece of legislation, includes information in a church bulletin, on the website, in a newsletter – the church must register as a lobbying firm. [NOTE: Oddly, the bill’s definition of ‘member’ doesn’t cover church members who don’t make regular financial donations to the church or who don’t have governing rights under their denomination’s principles, so churches are NOT exempt from the bill]

Who is not covered!?

The curious thing about this legislation is that it exempts communications to shareholders, officers, employees and members from these reporting requirements, which includes; labor unions, corporations and even foreign companies. Why is there a carve-out for these entities?

The First Amendment specifically protects the citizens’ right to petition the government for redress of grievance. Section 220 of S. 1 tramples this precious right of citizens and must be stopped!

TAKE ACTION TODAY: Please ask your two U.S. Senators to vote YES on Bennett Amendment No. 20. Section 220 is unnecessary and will do nothing but subvert free speech and the right of all Americans to freely petition their government. In addition to your own action, please forward this to people you know.

Sincerely,
Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, Chairman
Andrea S. Lafferty, Executive Director

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Border Agents Jailed Today for Securing Border!

Two brave U.S. Border Patrol agents — Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean — are headed to prison for a combined 23 YEARS!

Their sentences begin TODAY — January 17 — IN FACT, THEY MAY ALREADY BE IN PRISON ONCE YOU READ THIS LETTER!

Their crime?

Defending our nation’s southern border against illegal alien drug smugglers.

In other words, these two men are in jail for what Congressman Tom Tancredo called, “doing their job” – securing the border.

Here are the facts:

Border Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean spotted a suspicious van on U.S. soil near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The van was being driven by an illegal alien — Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila — who was smuggling 743 pounds of marijuana into the United States.

When the illegal alien and drug smuggler saw Agents Ramos and Compean, he ran for the border. The agents heard gun shots while pursuing Davila on foot.

According to media reports, Davila at one point turned toward the pursuing agents and pointed what appeared to be a gun. The border agents fired their weapons at the fleeing illegal alien drug smuggler.

Davila was hit in his buttocks — although Compean and Ramos apparently did not know it at the time — and Davila didn’t even slow down. He jumped into a waiting van and sped off in the night.

What happened next is so unbelievable, so outrageous that it should boil the blood of every American.

Apparently outraged that a foreign illegal drug smuggler was shot in the buttocks, Johnny Sutton — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas — ordered a full-scale, no stone un-turned, investigation of COMPEAN AND RAMOS!

The illegal alien drug smuggler Davila received full immunity for his testimony against Agents Ramos and Compean. Not only that, he was given full medical care at an Army medical center in El Paso courtesy of U.S. taxpayers.

As The New American put it:

“Incredibly, while agents Ramos and Compean and their families face economic ruin, emotional devastation, and real physical danger, as a result of that 15-minute chase, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila — an admitted felon and drug smuggler — has not only gotten off scot-free, he stands to become a rich man, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayers. In a seemingly unbelievable turn of events, agents for the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security contacted the smuggler in Mexico and offered him complete immunity if he would testify that the Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean had violated his civil rights.”

We couldn’t make this up if we tried.

Sutton charged these two heroes with Causing Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Discharge of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and — get this — a violation of the “civil rights” of an illegal alien.

In other words, he threw the book at them.

What about the illegal alien drug smuggler you ask? DAVILA WAS AGAIN CAUGHT SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO THE UNITED STATES! And Sutton gave him immunity from prosecution from those crimes as well.

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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What Happened at the Trial?

The actual arrest should give you an indication of what is going on here: Instead of calling the two agents into headquarters, the Department of Homeland Security sent two SWAT teams to stage a high-profile arrest at each house, during which they bullied the two men and their stunned and terrified families.

At the trial, the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanov, dismissed Agent Ramos’s testimony that he saw “something shiny” in Davila’s hand. She said Ramos “couldn’t be sure it was a gun he had seen.”

In other words, if it’s dark and you can’t be absolutely certain that the shiny thing you see pointed at you and your fellow agent is a pistol, don’t fire until you get a bullet between your eyes. Then you’ll know for certain it’s a gun.

Also, the prosecutor said it was a violation of Border Patrol policy for agents to pursue dope dealers on the run. As she explained it:

“Agents are not allowed to pursue. In order to exceed the speed limit, you have to get supervisor approval, and they did not.”

Ramos, who had a stellar 10-year record and who had been nominated for the Agent of the Year award, said in reply:

“How are we supposed to follow the Border patrol strategy of apprehending terrorists or drug smugglers if we aren’t supposed to pursue fleeing people? Everybody who’s breaking the law flees from us. What are we supposed to do? Do they want us to catch them or not?”

The answer to Officer Ramos’s question is: OBVIOUSLY NOT!

That’s why criminals like Davila are crossing our borders every single day.

And when two law enforcement officers try to carry out the will of the American people — when they try to do their jobs — they are handcuffed and hauled off to prison.

Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean deserve to be commended for their bravery and service to our country, not charged by our government for supposedly violating an illegal alien drug smuggler’s “Civil Rights.”

What the system has done to these agents is wicked and must be undone immediately.

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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What About the Jury?

Question: What about the jury? Why did all 12 jurors agree that both Border Patrol officers were guilty?

Three jurors now say THEY DIDN’T WANT TO VOTE GUILTY and are disturbed by the verdict.

Robert Gourley, Claudia Torres, and Edine Woods say they were told the verdict HAD TO BE UNANIMOUS, which was flat-out untrue.

After the trial, at least two jurors gave sworn statements that they had been pressured to render a guilty verdict and did not understand that a hung jury was possible.

In addition, some jurors allegedly bullied other jurors, intimidating them into changing their votes.

One juror said he thought that 10 years in prison for the agents was excessive punishment. “Had we had the option of a hung jury,” he said, “I truly believe the outcome may have been different.”

Another said of the jury foreman, “I felt like he knew something about the judge that we did not know. I did not think that Mr. Ramos or Mr. Compean was guilty of the assaults and civil rights violations.”

In light of these juror statements, defense attorney Mary Stillinger asked that the verdict be set aside, but the judge oddly, arbitrarily denied the motion.

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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What are Others Saying?

People all over the country have expressed their indignation at this sickening misuse of our judicial system, which further hamstrings and intimidates our Border Patrol.

Tom Tancredo — Congressman, anti-illegal immigration activist, and author of In Mortal Danger — said: “This is not the message that our legal system should be giving to the drug cartels that are smuggling drugs, people and terrorists across our borders.”

Andy Ramirez, of the non-profit Friends of the Border Patrol, said: “This is the greatest miscarriage of justice I have ever seen. This drug smuggler has fully contributed to the destruction of two brave agents and their families and has sent a very loud message to the other Border Patrol agents: If you confront a smuggler, this is what will happen to you.” [Emphasis Mine]

55 Members of Congress are demanding that President Bush pardon these brave border agents and 12 of these Members sent a letter to President Bush, which reads in part: “We ask that a full investigation of this case be ordered immediately. We are confident that during such an investigation you will find that these Border Patrol agents were acting within the scope of their duty and were unjustly prosecuted. Also, we ask that you use your power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon these two Border Patrol agents.”

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has even called Agents Compean and Ramos, “heroes.”

These expressions of outrage and anguish underline the monumental importance of this case.

The drug cartels, gangs, and even terrorists seeking to exploit our nation’s open borders have just seen the light turn green. The Border Patrol has been stripped naked. It can’t fire a gun without risking more than ten years in prison. It can’t violate the speed limit without saying, “Mother, may I?” And if it detains an illegal alien dealing drugs, it may be violating his civil rights?

If you think illegal immigration is a problem, wait till you see what happens now that Compean and Ramos have been hauled off to prison in chains.

There’s not a moment to lose — without a pardon, Agents Compean and Ramos will languish in a jail while they appeal a conviction that should have never happened in the first place!

These two brave border agents MUST NOT spend one more second in prison. That’s why we must flood Congress and the White House with faxes demanding a full pardon of Agents Compean and Ramos.

Concerned Americans like us must pressure President Bush to issue a full and immediate pardon for Agents Compean and Ramos.

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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These Border Agents Can’t Really Be Innocent?

This miscarriage of justice is so flagrant… so egregious… that many people have written us and asked if we are telling the whole story.

Actually, for the sake of full disclosure, Ramos and Compean did disregard two departmental procedures, which we will point out just to illustrate the absurdity of this entire prosecution.

First, Compean and Ramos should have NEVER pursued Davila in the first place. Departmental procedures require that agents obtain the approval of a supervisor before pursuing a suspect.

In other words — per departmental procedures — when Davila started to run for the Mexican border, Compean and Ramos should have STOPPED… radioed a superior and asked for permission to pursue him.

As Eagle Forum Founder Phyllis Schlafly put it:

“A major argument used by the prosecution during the trial was that our government has a policy forbidding agents from chasing suspected drug smugglers without first getting permission from supervisors. That sounds like a no-arrest policy . By the time an agent gets permission, a smuggler can be out of sight and safely back over the border.” [Emphasis Mine]

Secondly, Compean and Ramos neglected to mention in their report that shots had been fired. There is no dispute of that fact. Compean and Ramos were wrong…

But… Is it fair and just to send two law enforcement officers to prison for a combined 23 years for pursuing a dangerous drug smuggler and neglecting to report that shots were fired?

Hardly… in most cases, such actions warrant a few days of suspension without pay!

Schlafly again:

“How did the prosecution go from an administrative violation for failing to report a firearm discharge, with the penalty of perhaps a five-day suspension, to prosecution for intent to commit murder?”

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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The U.S. is Sending the Wrong Message to our Border Patrol.

Retired Border Patrol Supervisor David Stoddard — a Border Patrol veteran of 27 years — said of Ramos and Compean’s situation, “This is outrageous. This whole incident tells the Border Patrol agents all over the country it’s better to go out to their areas of responsibility and bring a portable DVD player and watch a movie, because that way you won’t get into trouble.”

In fact, this situation has destroyed the morale of our Border Patrol agents. According to one source, “A lot of agents are now saying, ‘We don’t want to be the next Ramos and Compean.’”

If President Bush pardons officers Compean and Ramos, he will be sending a strong message that America is committed to securing our borders — that our brave border patrol agents can do their jobs without fear of prosecution by our own government.

If he signs these pardons, it will infuse the Border Patrol with a new sense of pride and purpose. They will know the President of the United States stands behind them with all the awesome power of his office.

It’s an outrage that Agents Ramos and Compean will be locked up next to the same brand of criminals, thugs, and gang members that they dedicated their lives to putting behind bars.

And it’s an even bigger outrage that they are convicted and jailed… while our government is trying to grant AMNESTY to at least 12 million illegal aliens currently living and working in our country.

Let’s flood Congress and the White House with faxes demanding a pardon of these two Border Patrol Agents.

Let’s demand that our Congressional leaders, who talk a big game about border security, use their influence to urge the President to exercise his pardon power.

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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Let The Legal System Takes Its Course.

That’s what some — particularly the Administration — are saying. But the appeal process in this country is very long!

Consider the anguish the Compean and Ramos families will face while these brave men spend years in prison — possible with men they helped put away — waiting for the appeals process to run its course.

Ramos has three sons, ages 6, 9, and 13.

Compean also has three children, the youngest only a few months old. His wife is in a wheelchair.

Ten lives ruined because somebody wants to globalize North America.

Please think of these poor people. Pray if you are so inclined.

But most importantly, DO SOMETHING TO REVERSE THIS GROSS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE!

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.

Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.

This terrible wrong must be righted before these brave men spend another second in prison.

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Yours In Freedom,

Jeff Mazzella
President
www.cfif.org

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Border agents sent to prison

Angry Republican congressman calls President Bush ‘disgrace’

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos
embraced his wife, Monica Ramos, two days
before he was sentenced to 11 years in prison
(Courtesy El Paso Times)

Posted: January 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore

Amid protests and a flurry of last-minute efforts by congressmen, two border patrol agents are scheduled today to begin long prison sentences for shooting and wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who was granted full immunity to testify against them.

In an interview with WND, an angry Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., called President Bush a “disgrace” for refusing to pardon Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were sentenced to 12 years and 11 years, respectively, in October. With hopes for a presidential pardon dwindling, the lawmakers had requested that Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez assist in a motion to keep the agents free on bond during the appeals process. But late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso, Texas, ruled the men must surrender to federal marshals at 2 p.m. Mountain Time today.

“This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen,” Rohrabacher said of the president. “It’s shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders.”

The California lawmaker, who has helped lead efforts to obtain a pardon, charged the Bush administration has been playing a “cruel game.” Initially, he said, officials insisted the agents could not be pardoned because they had not filled out the proper paperwork. But Rohrabacher told WND the White House did not explain to the public that the agents were being required – without justification, he contended – to first admit guilt.

Then, last Friday, presidential press secretary Tony Snow addressed the issue for the first time, arguing that prior to the shooting, the agents did not know if the smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, was an illegal alien, and they were unaware he had about 750 pounds of marijuana.

Compean and Ramos say they thought the smuggler had a gun, but no weapon was found.

The agents, Snow said, “had received arms training the day before; that said, if you have an incident like this, you must preserve the evidence and you must report it promptly.”

“Instead,” Snow continued, “according to court documents, they went around and picked up the shell casings. Furthermore, they asked one of their colleagues also to help pick up shell casings. They disposed of them.”

‘Monday-morning quarterbacking’

TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing 1,500 agents, argued failure to report the discharge of a firearm is an administrative offense that, at the most, merits a five-day suspension.

“How that translates into 11- and 12-year prison terms is beyond me,” he told WND. “They fired at someone they believed had a weapon. He resisted their commands, assaulted one of the officers and then wheeled around and pointed something at them. Logic would say it would be a weapon.

“After all the Monday-morning quarterbacking, I would have to come to the same conclusion,” Bonner said. “He’s a drug smuggler, for God’s sake.”

The Department of Homeland Security sent an investigator to Mexico to offer the smuggler, Aldrete-Davila, full immunity in exchange for his testimony against the agents. Now, Aldrete-Davila is suing the U.S. Border Patrol for $5 million for allegedly violating his civil rights.

U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton initially granted immunity to Aldrete-Davila for illegally entering the U.S., drug smuggling and unlawful flight to avoid arrest. Later, Sutton expanded the immunity to cover a second drug offense by Aldrete-Davila – an attempt to smuggle another 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the U.S.

Bonner said Ramos and Compean will be incarcerated at the El Paso jail this week then bemoved to separate low-security federal prisons. He’s concerned about their safety.

“Bad cops are accepted by the prison population, but good cops are not,” Bonner point out. “They’ll be surrounded by people they arrested.”

Rohrabacher suggested Bush was sending the men to prison in order that his immigration policy not be disrupted.

“He talks about being a Christian, but he has shown no Christian charity,” the congressman told San Diego radio host Roger Hedgecock after speaking with WND last night.

Asked by WND for a response to Rohrabacher’s remarks, White House spokesman Alex Conant deferred to Snows comments on the case.

Rohrabacher told WND he sees a serious residual result of the administration’s handling of the agents.

“The word is out that the southern border is undefended,” he said. “Border agents won’t dare to draw their weapons, and the drug cartel will double their effort to drive a wedge in our border.”

Rohrabacher said he has been disturbed by an “arrogant” lack of response from senior Justice Department and White House officials who have “shoved over” their inquiries to lower-level staff.

“I’ve never seen an administration that does it this way,” he said. “In the past, if there is a senior member of Congress calling, it would require a call back directly from the administration official in question.”

The Justice Department did not respond to WND’s request for comment.

Bush has received a letter about the case from more than 50 Congress members, and yesterday an online petition by Grassfire.org with more than 225,000 signatures calling for a presidential pardon was delivered to the White House.

‘We both yelled out for him to stop’

As WND has reported, a federal jury convicted Compean, 28, and Ramos, 37, in March after a two-week trial on charges of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a civil rights violation.

Ramos is an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year.

According to the agents, Ramos responded Feb. 17, 2005, to a request for back-up from Compean, who noticed a suspicious van near the levee road along the Rio Grande River near the Texas town of Fabens, about 40 miles east of El Paso. A third agent also joined the pursuit.

Aldrete-Davila stopped the van on a levee, jumped out and started running toward the river. When he reached the other side of the levee, he was met by Compean who had anticipated the smuggler’s attempt to get back to Mexico.

“We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn’t stop, and he just kept running,” Ramos told California’s Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

“At some point during the time where I’m crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired,” Ramos said. “Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler.”

At that point, Ramos said, Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun.

“I shot,” Ramos said. “But I didn’t think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn’t look like he had been hit at all.”

The U.S. government filed charges against Ramos and Compean after giving full immunity to Aldrete-Davila and paying for his medical treatment at an El Paso hospital.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas issued a statement in September arguing “the defendants were prosecuted because they had fired their weapons at a man who had attempted to surrender by holding his open hands in the air, at which time Agent Compean attempted to hit the man with the butt of Compean’s shotgun, causing the man to run in fear of what the agents would do to him next.”

The statement said, “Although both agents saw that the man was not armed, the agents fired at least 15 rounds at him while he was running away from them, hitting him once.”

Persecution harder; but saved souls bring great joy

Malabar (India), SVM News, 12 January, 2007: The persecuted christians forget hardships and forgive torturings when they see the unlimited number of lost souls are coming towards Christ and experiencing the Salvation. It is a marvellous experience like a woman forgetting the harder pain and rejoice when she see the baby of which she gave birth with an unspeakable pain. Pastor Paul Ciniraj Mohamed, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries said.

He was inagurating the one day fasting prayer for the persecuted christians as well as the annual conference of the SVM which was held in Malabar in India on Friday, the 12th of January.

Christian missionaries to the Muslim world and the converted Christians from Islam facing severe persecution around the globe. Many are murdered, shot dead, burnt dead, beaten, kidnapped, lost houses, lost children and families. But their blood becoming the seed of the church and millions of million muslims are converting to christianity day by day. The Salem Voice Ministries involving in this great task to evangelise and establish the underground house churches in different nations. Paul Ciniraj continued.

There are about one billion and six hundred million Muslims all over the world. You may think is it possible to evangelise them. Yes! It is possible and within few years all of the muslim nations will accept Jesus as Lord. Because our Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

So each and every believer must be having the missionary spirit to convey the Gospel of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to the Muslims without pride, prejuidice and fear. Paul Ciniraj quoted from the Bible Eze 3:18-21.

He described how the Salem Voice Ministries approach the Muslims with the Gospel.

Allah and Yahweh are not the same God. He said. If one did not believe in Jesus as the living God then it is impossible to say they are the same God. We, the Christians must be clear that Muslims believe in Jesus, although not the same exact Jesus of the Bible, and be direct and unabashed about our faith when we witness to Muslims.

Jihad is prescribed in the Koran and Hadith. But there are some specific protocols in Islam like women do not go for Jihad. And also Islam has a lower view of woman than Christianity.

Though Jesus is acknowledged in the Koran, but it has a low views of Jesus. He is portrayed as only human, not as the saviour. According to Islam Jesus never died on the cross but was replaced by someone before he was crucified. And Islam has a low view of the Bible too.

Islam does not believe in religious freedom. But it is the most work-based religion in the world. A Muslim works hard to do good deeds and hope that Allah will like him and allow him to go to heaven when he dies – but there are no guarantees. And Islam is divided among denominations.

Millions are coming to faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is mainly because of eternal security. And also they are attracted by the unconditional love and intimacy with God offered in Christianity. Paul Ciniraj added.

Pastor Shaji Ipe, the General Secretary of the SVM submitted the report.

About 500 missionaries of Salem Voice Ministries labouring Muslim populated countries. They approach Muslims with prayers and the devine love of Jesus Christ. Firstly they find out and visit the depressed families of which any of its members held in prison or having long term sick. Usually they won’t get enough care and love from the neighbours or relatives, but were criticising and abusing unnecessarily.

Missionaries show them real love with counseling, nurturing, clothing, medicating and healing. They assist those families by cleaning the house, cooking the food, bathing the sick etc. Such a concrete relationship they make with each of the families. At the same time they keep good relationship with neghbouring families too. And they gather children to share them stories and funs in which adults also enjoying the programmes. By this way they start Bible classes and worshipping services. Report continued.

Another dramatic development is that many Muslims — including Shiites in Iran and Iraq — are seeing dreams and visions of Jesus and thus coming into churches explaining that they have already converted and now need a Bible and guidance on how to follow Jesus. This is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy of Joel, “in the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days….And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (Joel 2:28-32).

According to the research of Prof. Ilyas Ba Yunus, Al Jazeera.net, a leading Islamic TV channel reported that six million Muslims converting into Christianity in Africa every year. Thousands of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, North African, Kashmiri, Indian, Central and Sout Asian Muslims turn to Christ. Around 50,000 youngsters ex-communicated from Islam in Malaysia because of their Christian faith. Some 35, 000 Turks converted to Christianity last year. A vast number of Mullahs and Imams accepted Christ. 2 million ethnic Muslims converted to Christianity in Russia. 200,000 UK Muslims and 10,000 French Muslims also converted to Christianity.

Report concluded with the quoting of Joel C. Rosenberg, the author of the New York Times best selling political thriller. ‘More Muslims converted to faith in Jesus Christ over the past decade than at any other time in human history. A spiritual revolution is underway throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. As a result, a record number of ex-Muslims are celebrating Christmas this year, despite intense persecution, assassinations, and widespread church bombings’.

A huge crowed was attended the conference in which the majority was the believers of Jesus Christ from the Muslim community. Rev. P.U. Abraham, Pastor Abdul Naseer, Pastor K.I. Kurian, Sister Rukhia Masih, Benny John shared their experiences in the conference.

Salem Voice Ministries,

Devalokam (P.O), Kottayam,

Kerala-686038, India.

http://salemvoice.org

Jimmy Carter: A Weak, Ineffectual President And An Embarrassing And Dishonest Ex-President (Editorial)

By Rev. Louis P. Sheldon
Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition

January 16, 2007 – If historians accurately describe the record of ex-President Jimmy Carter, they will be forced to conclude that Carter was probably the worst President in America’s history.

Why? A bit of history is in order. Those old enough to remember Carter’s four dismal years in the White House should recall that it was Carter who withdrew American support for the pro-Western Shah of Iran for his alleged “human rights” violations.

As a result of Carter’s withdrawal of support from the Shah, the pro-Western nation fell into the hands of the radical Islamist Ayatollah Khomeini, who promptly murdered more than 20,000 pro-Western Iranians by firing squad. Iran became a stronghold for Islamists and destabilized the entire Middle East.

One of Khomeini’s henchmen at the time is now the current President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 1979, Ahmadinejad was a rabid college student who helped organize the storming of the American Embassy on November 4. He was joined in this attack by 400 Iranians wielding sticks and chains. They invaded the embassy in Tehran and held the embassy personnel until January 1981. Ahmadinejad served as a liaison between the hostage-takers and Ali Khamenei, who currently serves as Iran’s Supreme (spiritual) Leader.

By subverting the pro-Western Shah, Jimmy Carter gave us Islamic radicalism in Iran – and a dangerous nuclear threat. Within a year after Khomeini seized power in Iran, it was at war with Iraq. More than 500,000 died in this war. These people died because of Carter’s personal weakness and his outright subversion of the Shah.

In addition, the Soviet Union recognized the weakness of Carter and invaded Afghanistan. In an attempt to protect the Afghans from Soviet oppression, America helped the Mullahs fight back. One of those Muslim leaders was Osama Bin Laden. Carter can be indirectly linked to the empowerment of Bin Laden in Afghanistan and the spread of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Now, the ex-President is in the news again. This time it’s about his anti-Israel book, probable plagiarism and the resignation of 14 Carter Center leaders over his pro-Islamic terrorist comments. They have resigned over concern about lies and distortions in his book. In addition, former Ambassador Dennis Ross is also concerned that Carter ripped off maps that he had created and never credited him in the book. Ross is calling for a correction and attribution.

The 14 Carter Center officials who resigned sent a joint letter to Carter. In it, they said: “We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position. This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support.”

But, wait. There’s more! Not only is Carter in the news over his anti-Israel, pro-Islamist screed, but he and Bill Clinton have decided to create a broad and “inclusive” Baptist movement to overcome what they see as a negative image of Baptists. Carter and Clinton announced their new project at the Carter Center on January 9.

They claim they want a Baptist movement that is more concerned about the environment and global conflicts. Jimmy Carter should know about global conflicts. He helped foment several wars while President. And perhaps Bill Clinton wishes to create an inclusive Ten Commandments that does away with such negative commands as “do not commit adultery,” and “do not lie.”

Carter and Clinton are the perfect pair for subverting Baptists because both of them have difficulty telling the truth. The world would be better off if both of them kept their mouths shut, but this is unlikely to happen. Both are ego-driven and can’t stand to be out of the limelight—even if it’s negative publicity.

I’m afraid we’re going to be enduring their underhanded activities for years to come. Let’s pray that they fail in all of their efforts.

“Socialism or Death” in Venezuela

By Jacob Laksin
FrontPageMagazine.com | January 16, 2007

January of 1989 was a particularly grim month for Cuba’s communist regime. An enfeebled Soviet Union was promising to make peace with the West and threatening to suspend aid — Cuba’s economic lifeblood — to its client states. Communism was everywhere on the defensive. Sensing the changing tide, Fidel Castro gave an impassioned defense of his dictatorship, then already 30 years old, committing Cuba to a fight to the finish, to “socialism or death!” The record of Castro’s crimes, its death toll likely stretching into the tens of thousands, has now revealed this to be a distinction without difference.

Fast forward to January of 2007: In Venezuela, Castro’s reverent student, Hugo Chavez, seems determined to follow in his path. In a line that must have warmed the heart of the decrepit tyrant in Havana — assuming he is still alive — Chavez last week committed his country to Castro’s course: “Fatherland, socialism or death,” Chavez declared, “I take the oath.”

It is rare for authoritarians of the Left to show their true colors so vibrantly. But where in the past it was possible to dismiss Chavez as a standard-issue demagogue, a charge his September bloviating at the United Nations about “the devil” President Bush did much to bolster, the latest developments make a compelling case that Chavez is what he always said he was: the next Fidel Castro.

Consider Chavez’s pledge to turn Venezuela into a “socialist state.” This is not, to be sure, the first time that Chavez has staked his country’s future on a discredited ideology. Never before, however, has he moved so dramatically to put his radical vision into practice. “All of that which was privatized, let it be nationalized,” Chavez announced this week.

He left little doubt about his sincerity. Private properties have already been seized for redistribution. Now power and telecommunications companies have been forced under state control; four prominent oil projects, currently administered by foreign companies, are next in line for official expropriation. Venezuela’s central bank also bids fair to become a holding of the state.

Such legally suspect measures are bound to provoke criticism and opposition. Chavez has therefore also sought to silence dissenting voices. With that aim in mind, the government has refused to renew the broadcast license of Radio Caracas Television. Ties to the political opposition have evidently made the television network intolerable for Chavez, who seems intent on turning the country’s media into personal p.r. agencies. Taken together with previous attempts to muscle private networks off the air and the scandalous Law on the Social Responsibility of Radio and Television of 2004 — one of whose provisions imposed 20-month prison sentences for the crime of “disrespect” to government authorities — an unmistakable pattern of government attacks on free expression and press independence emerges.

As if the writing on the wall were insufficiently clear, Chavez has also decided to spell it out — in the country’s constitution. Last week brought news of Chavez’s plan to ask the National Assembly, Venezuela’s equivalent of Congress, for power to pass a series of “revolutionary laws.” (Seeing as the assembly is packed with Chavez loyalists, who are unlikely to refuse their leader anything, the entire consultative process is so much political theater.) One of these laws would eliminate presidential term limits, enabling Chavez to seek office after his final term expires in 2012. Of course, with immanentizing the eschaton being a notoriously time-consuming process, Chavez has already confessed his preference for remaining in office until 2031. Venezuela, meet your new president-for-life.

Predictably, Chavez still has his defenders. In the United States, the task of condoning every new attempt to consolidate power as an affirmation of people’s democracy in action has been taken up most prominently by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Economic and Policy Research. The center’s co-director, Mark Weisbrot, has reliably praised Chavez’s Venezuela as a “democratic” country and hailed the alleged success of the government’s economic policies.

In an interview last week with FrontPageMag.com, Weisbrot struck the same theme. In Chavez’s attempt to do away with private property, to silence opposition media and indefinitely to extend his political prospects, Weisbrot saw “nothing too radical.” Since many of the enterprises seized by the state were “previously state-owned,” Weisbrot explained, “there is nothing all that radical about returning them to state ownership.” That private owners were unwilling to part with their companies did not impress Weisbrot, who admitted that he was “not sure what the complaint is — and what it has to do with democracy.” The bottom line, Wesibrot argued, was that “Chavez ran on a program of ‘21st century socialism,’ and won 63 percent of the vote, the largest majority of 9 elections in Latin America last year. So it should not be cause for surprise, or alarm, that the government would attempt to deliver some of what Venezuelans voted for.”

One may reasonably dispute whether the backing of slightly over half the population can be construed as carte blanche for turning the country into a communist backwater. Still, there is no gainsaying that Chavez had the support of a sizeable segment of the population. How that has come to pass, however, does Chavez — and those who continue to applaud him — little credit.

First, Chavez has plied the impoverished company with government largesse. Included in the welfare package are government-provided food, housing, gasoline, healthcare, and education through the university level; the constitution even contains special benefits for “housewives.” In other words, Chavez has used the country’s vast oil wealth to buy his people’s support. Not the least of the problems with this approach is that it’s entirely dependent on oil prices and, as such, unsustainable. As much was confirmed last month by the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects report. Pointing out that “the government’s antibusiness posturing” has produced a drop-off in oil production, the report predicted that Venezuela could not maintain its current rate of economic growth. The good times cannot last.

Second, Chavez has ruthlessly exploited the ethnic resentments of the pardos, the dark-skinned majority that by some estimates makes up 80 percent of the country’s poor. Indeed, a central component of Chavez’s popularity has always been his skill at stoking contempt for the lighter-skinned elite, the so-called mantuanos, who are held up in the popular imagination as a malignant fifth column. Chavez himself as made a generous contribution to this perception, using campaign stumps to rail against the hated “oligarchs” — widely understood as a reference to the white business class — and other “enemies of the people.” Chavez’s apologists on the Left prefer not to dwell on this history, and no wonder: The great “progressive” hope of Latin America, the reviler of George W. Bush, has fueled his political career on the fires of old-fashioned prejudice.

Not so long ago, policy wonks downplayed the impact of Chavez’s provocations. Venezuela’s democratic institutions, the reasoning went, would constrain his worst excesses. That view is becoming increasingly untenable. The military, the judiciary and the attorney general’s office have become appendages of the government; the National Assembly, boycotted by opposition parties, is effectively a rubber-stamp legislature. Should Chavez get his way — and in this political climate it would be foolish to bet otherwise — governance will soon become the exclusive privilege of a single party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. If this is democracy, there is nothing democratic about it.

“We’re heading toward socialism, and nothing and no-one can prevent it,” Chavez said this week, in another tribute to his Cuban mentor. All the evidence indicates that he has Castro’s ambition. If he should also end up having his success, one can only say: Pity the Venezuelan people.

Jacob Laksin is a senior editor for FrontPage Magazine. His e-mail is jlaksin@gmail.com