New Media Alliance - Jim Kouri

By Jim Kouri

This comes to us from Accuracy in Media’s Cliff Kincaid. AIM is an organization that has published a number of my articles and they are considered the news media watchdog group to be reckoned with.

Accuracy in Media editor Cliff Kincaid said that coverage of the Obama campaign’s fierce attack on Jerome Corsi’s book, The Obama Nation, misses the point that the campaign has finally acknowledged that the mysterious “Frank” in Obama’s 1995 book, Dreams From My Father, is in fact the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) member Frank Marshall Davis.

“This identification by AIM and others hasn’t been disputed by the media, which has desperately tried to ignore the Obama-Davis relationship, but the Obama campaign has not responded to it until now,” Kincaid writes in a new column posted at www.aim.org.

Kincaid wrote that, “The admission that Obama’s mentor was Frank Marshall Davis, an identified CPUSA member, can only add to growing public concern about Obama’s relationship with a Communist pawn of Moscow who was the subject of security investigations by the FBI and various congressional committees which examined Soviet activities in the U.S.”

Kincaid notes that a 40-page Obama report that is intended as a “rebuttal” to Corsi’s book makes no admission that Davis was a communist and doesn’t dispute anything Corsi documents about Davis’s membership in the Communist Party. Instead, Kincaid notes, the report attempts to play down instances in which Obama soaks up Davis’s anti-American thoughts and pro-communist “poetry.”

Kincaid praises Corsi’s book, saying, “It is clear that Corsi is to Obama what the National Enquirer is to admitted adulterer and liar John Edwards. The Enquirer exposed Edwards’ secret life when the rest of the media were refusing to investigate the candidate and making fun of the Enquirer.”

AIM confirmed the identity of Frank Marshall Davis and his relationship with Obama last February.

Accuracy in Media is a citizens’ media watchdog organization whose mission is to promote fairness, balance, and accuracy in news reporting. Founded in 1969, AIM is the oldest non-profit press watchdog group in America. For more information, please visit www.aim.org

By Jim Kouri

With the recent testing of missiles by the Iranian military, the world has been put on notice that the Islamofascist nation will continue to be the fly in the ointment for world peace.

The United States National Security Strategy recently acknowledged that this nation faces challenges from Iran, including Iran’s proliferation efforts and involvement in international terrorism.

To address these concerns, the United States employs a range of tools, including diplomatic pressure, a military presence in the Gulf, and economic sanctions. A U.S. sanction is a unilateral restriction or condition on economic activity imposed by the United States for reasons of foreign policy or national security.

The US Congress requested that analysts from the Government Accountability Office review sanctions targeting Iran and their implementation, sanction impacts, and factors limiting sanctions. To conduct the review, the GAO analysts assessed trade and sanction data, information on Iran’s economy and energy sector, and US and international reports on Iran. These GAO investigators also discussed sanctions with US officials and Iran experts.

Since 1987, US agencies have implemented numerous sanctions against Iran. First, Treasury oversees a ban on trade and investment with Iran and filed over 94 civil penalty cases between 2003 and 2007 against companies violating the prohibition. This ban may be circumvented by shipping US goods to Iran through other countries.

Second, the State Department administers laws that sanction foreign parties engaging in proliferation or terrorism-related activities with Iran. Under one law, State has imposed sanctions in 111 instances against Chinese, North Korean, Syrian, and Russian entities.

Third, the Treasury and State Departments can use financial sanctions to freeze the assets of targeted parties and reduce their access to the US financial system. US government officials report that so far the sanctions have slowed foreign investment in Iran’s petroleum sector, denied parties involved in Iran’s proliferation and terrorism activities access to the US financial system, and provided a clear statement of US concerns to the rest of the world.

However, other evidence raises questions about the extent of impact on Iran. Since 2003, the Iranian government has signed contracts reported at about $20 billion with foreign firms to develop its energy resources. Further, sanctioned Iranian banks may fund their activities in currencies other than the dollar.

While Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, according to the November 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, it continues to enrich uranium, acquire advanced weapons technology, and support terrorism.

According to the GAO report, US agencies do not systematically collect or analyze data demonstrating the overall impact and results of their sanctioning and enforcement actions. Iran’s global trade ties and leading role in energy production make it difficult for the United States to isolate Iran and pressure it to reduce proliferation and support for terrorism.

For example, Iran’s overall trade with the world has grown since the US imposed sanctions, although this trade has fluctuated. Imports rose sharply following the Iran-Iraq war in 1988 and then declined until 1995; most export growth followed the rise in oil prices beginning in 2002. This trade included imports of weapons and nuclear technology, especially from Russia and China.

By Jim Kouri

Gary Sinise and Robert Duvall will lead a star-studded festival to be held May 14-18, 2008 at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC.

Overall, the five-day festival will present both classic and premier films honoring the nation’s men and women in uniform. For the full festival agenda, or to request media credentials, visit http://www.gifilmfestival.com. Scheduled events include:*

– Film screenings presented by award-winning Hollywood actors and directors. Scheduled presenters include Gary Sinise, Robert Duvall, Stephen Baldwin, Ron Maxwell, and Lou Reda, to name a few.

– 24 military film premiers featuring the work of promising new filmmakers.

– A congressional reception honoring members of Congress who served in the military.

– The presentation of the “Corporate Patriot Award,” to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for the company’s philanthropic work on behalf of the American Armed Forces.

– A “WWE Action Fest” at Bolling Air Force Base featuring a WWE autograph session with WWE Superstar Mr. Kennedy followed by a screening of WWE’s The Marine and a special presentation by former Buck Rogers television actor Gil Gerard.

– Panel discussions, including The 100 Greatest War Films of All-Time, War Stories, Faith in the Foxhole, and The Portrayal of GIs in Film and the Media.

– VIP after parties featuring celebrities, top military brass, and filmmakers

– A three-day, onsite exhibit where visitors can learn about veteran service organizations.

– Special appearances by: John Ratzenberger, Dale Dye, Karri Turner, Leeann Tweeden, James McEachin, General Richard Myers, General George Casey, General Richard Cody, The Honorable Dan Glickman, and many more.
“Our mission is simple: To honor the successes and sacrifices ofAmerican GIs through the medium of film. Some of the films will be fanfavorites. Others will be screened for the first time. All will, in someway, honor the courage and selflessness of our fighting men and women,”said GI Film Festival President Brandon Millett.

“The GI Film Festival is acan’t-miss event for anyone who wants to watch great military films, meetHollywood stars and support the troops.” The GI Film Festival is the first and only film festival dedicated tothe American military. GI Film Festival 2007, held Memorial Day Weekend2007, received the George Washington Medal from the Freedom’s Foundationfor the festival’s “exceptional work…promoting an understanding andappreciation for our country’s rich heritage and unique freedoms.”Moreover, one GI Film Festival 2007 premier, Operation Homecoming, was afinalist for the Academy Award for “Best Feature Documentary.”

Ticket prices range from $5 per event to $300 for an all-accessfestival pass, which includes access to all festival events and celebritycocktail receptions, as well as VIP seating for all events. GI Film Festival media partners include: The Military History Channel,The Discovery Military Channel, WUSA-9, WMAL, The Weider History Group, The Washington Times, The Hill Newspaper, and Military.com.

GI Film Festival sponsors include: World Wrestling Entertainment, USAA,Sikorsky, American Airlines, Bank of America, Genius Products, TriWestHealthcare Alliance, and the Motion Picture Association of America. For more information, please visit http://www.gifilmfestival.com. VIP festivalpasses and single event tickets now on sale.

By Jim Kouri

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton finally agreed to appear on the highly-rated Fox News show The O’Reilly Factor. Her interview, which was taped earlier this
week while she was campaigning in South Bend, Indiana, was broadcast on The Factor over two consecutive nights.

On Thursday night, part two of “Hillary in the No Spin Zone” aired, and she was asked questions on the topics of foreign policy, the War on Terror, and illegal immigration. When Bill O’Reilly turned to the immigration debate, he asked, “Will you shut down sanctuary cities?” Hillary responded, “No, I will not.”

According to a new report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the illegal immigrant population within the United States currently exceeds 13 million, an estimate that has almost doubled since 2000. Given this increasing trend, Hillary’s response should be frightening to American families, who are forced to live with frequent criminal activity committed by illegals in sanctuary cities. Even during the Senate debate of the Grand Amnesty bill last year, Senator Clinton voted against the Coleman Amendment which would have banned sanctuary cities (Roll Call 177).

“It is an outrage that Hillary Clinton is running to become President of the United States, yet she is openly admitting that she will not enforce America’s laws,” said Eagle Forum Executive Director Jessica Echard.

“Sanctuary city policies put all Americans in danger, and as an elected official, Hillary Clinton is well aware of that fact. Do we really want to elect someone who will enable criminal aliens to roam our streets?” she added

Last August, several African-American college-bound teenagers were brutally murdered while listening to music in a playground in Newark, New Jersey, one of many US sanctuary cities. Although Newark is no stranger to violence, the perpetrator was an illegal alien from Peru, who had been previously charged with raping a 5-year-old girl, but was released despite his obvious illegal presence in this country.

“If Hillary Clinton will not enforce the law against sanctuary cities, why should we believe she will enforce any other immigration laws or build the fence?” stated Echard. “She will simply continue the Bush open border policies which she pretends to condemn and that have allowed our illegal immigration population to nearly double since 2000.”

How quickly and conveniently the mainstream news media forget Sen. Clinton’s shenanigans during the protests by illegal aliens that occurred in several US cities at the start of her presidential campaign. Sen. Clinton had moved to the right on issues such as the war on terror and the continuing invasion of the United States.

She slammed the Republicans — especially those in the Bush Administration — for allowing American citizens to be victmized by illegal alien predators.

According to Lt. Steve Rogers, a decorated cop in New Jersey and an award-winning writer, there are tens of thousands of murderers, rapists, child predators, robbers and drug dealers who are illegally in the United States. One study shows over 200,000 criminal aliens are preying on US citizens. Border Patrol agents in the Tucson, AZ Sector have apprehended 27,834 illegal aliens with criminal records, 74 of which were for homicide.

Last fiscal year, the Tucson Sector apprehended well over 14,500 illegal aliens with criminal records. These figures do not include the thousands of criminal aliens apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or those in other Border Patrol sectors in other states. And it doesn’t include the tens of thousands of criminal aliens who are able to escape detection at the border.

Then a mere few weeks later, Senator Hillary Clinton displayed how she can talk out of both sides of her mouth depending on whom she’s addressing. Recently in New York, Senator Clinton, as part of her attempt to re-invent herself, told a cheering crowd that the United States had to protect our borders and deal with illegal immigration.

But, according to the Washington Times, Clinton and her fellow New York Democrat, Senator Chuck Schumer, turned thumbs down on two amendments to a Department of Homeland Security spending bill, which would have funded 2,000 new Border Patrol agents and more than 5,000 new detention beds to house illegal aliens.

On another occasion, according to NewsMax, the former first lady blasted President Bush on border security in a statement posted on her official Senate Web site. NewMax quoted Madam Hillary as saying, “This administration has failed to provide the resources to protect our borders, or a better system to keep track of entrants to this country,” she complained, adding, “I welcome the addition of more border security.” In the past she has claimed to be “adamantly against illegal immigrants.”

Yet Senator Clinton and her comrades voted against border security enhancements, once again displaying her propensity for double-speak. Meanwhile, Senator Schumer’s explanation — once you cut through all the bull — is that there’s just not enough pork in such a bill for New York, since states such as California, Texas and Arizona stand to gain increased funding to control the borders. Senator Clinton, on the other hand, does what she does best: refuses to comment on her actions. She’s probably once again studying the situation to see how she feels about it, a familiar Democrat Party trick to avoid telling the American people what she really believes.

By Jim Kouri

The early 1970s, a famous rock band, The Doobie Brothers, sang “Jesus Is Just Alright with Me", but apparently He’s not alright with the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina.

The incident duriing ACLU started rattling their legal sabers at the Winston-Salem City Council recently, complaining that the decades long tradition of having council meetings opened with a prayer by a local pastor is unconstitutional because the pastors leading the invocation used the name of Jesus.

Pastors in the Winston-Salem area are already mobilizing to fight this Traditionalist v. Secular Progressive battle in their own backyard.

The establishment clause of the US Constitution’s First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free expression thereof …. ”

Of course, the argument of how the mentioning of the name Jesus during a simple prayer is establishing a national religion appears to escape the ACLU and many legal scholars, and because of nine feckless black-robed lawyers on the US Supreme Court, the confusion will probably continue.

According to the ACLU and their supporters in the news media, when the city council has Christian preachers start its meetings with prayers to Jesus, it stands to reason that “somebody might get the idea that the council favors Christianity over other religions.”

In the eyes of ACLU lawyers and their cheerleaders, someone might get the wrong idea about 75% of the US population favoring Christianity because they attend Catholic or Protestant churches on Sunday. Talk to most practicing Jews and rabbis – not the ACLU and university campus types – and you’ll find they have no problem with Christians praying to Jesus or invoking the name of Jesus whether it’s in the privacy of their homes or at the start of a government meeting.

Does anyone believe that if a rabbi came to a city council meeting and mentioned Yahweh during the opening prayer, the Jewish cleric would be pulling a fast one and establishing Judaism as the national religion? Now, perhaps some Muslims may become offended, but they usually are easily offended as was evidenced by the global uproar over a few Danish newspaper cartoons or a bogus news story about a Koran being flushed down the toilet.

So, using the logic of the ACLU, because a few individuals may feel uncomfortable or offended hearing the name Jesus, invoking his name at a public gathering in a government building must be curtailed due to the offended person’s immaturity? Someone too stupid to understand the difference between tradition and proselytizing should not be allowed in a government building, but then we’d have to fire or impeach half the lawmakers in Washington.

Christian invocations – which are also standard practice before many other government meetings in this region – simply reflect Christian history of the area, and the fact that Christianity is the majority religion.

But the ACLU counters: How would Christians feel if they had little choice but to hear Muslim invocations at government meetings – as millions of residents of the Middle East are forced to do? So not only are Christians exclusionary, but we’re stupid as well and can’t tell the difference between a “tradition” and a religious Jihad. I hear the name Allah all the time and haven’t felt as if the state religion is Islam. In California, while Jesus cannot be uttered in grade school classrooms, children are directed to wear Islamic costumes and read about Allah. Has Islam become the national religion because a bunch of kids mimic Muslims?

The ACLU also claims that the right to free expression of religion ends when it starts to blur the line between church and state. Where does it say that in the First Amendment?
Actually, it was Associate Justice Hugo Black, a former Ku Klux Klan member, who used the term “separation of church and state.” Justice Black was well-known for his hatred of what he termed American Papists.

This council meeting prayer issue first surfaced in Forsyth County when the ACLU expressed concern about sectarian prayer in invocations at meetings of the council and the county board of commissioners. In that case, City Attorney Ron Seeber and County Attorney Davida Martin caved into the ACLU. They said that prayers to Jesus at public meetings could be replaced by either nonsectarian prayer or a moment of silence, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

However, Gloria Whisenhunt, the chairwoman of the Forsyth County board of commissioners said: “I don’t see us banning prayer, and I don’t see us asking ministers to change the way they pray. I don’t think we’re bothering anyone, quite frankly.”

Seeber proposed that clergy, before giving invocations, sign papers agreeing to guidelines to be followed by the pastors as to what is allowed or not allowed during the brief opening prayer.

But – here’s the lunacy – that would smack of clergy entering into a contract with the state, blurring the line between church and state and leaving clergy open to being dragged into court for lawsuits. So the ACLU believes firm guidelines are enough.

In a Winston-Salem Journal editorial on this issue, the writer(s) stated: ” When council members and commissioners consider their options, they should remember that nobody’s trying to end prayer at their meetings. Prayers given by Christian leaders or leaders from other religions that don’t name a specific entity are welcome. So are moments of silence, during which anybody can freely pray to Jesus or Allah or Buddha or whomever.”

Dictators! Reasonable ones perhaps, but dictators all the same.

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he’s a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he’s the new editor for the House Conservatives Fund’s weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He’s a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com. He’s also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he’s syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He’s appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri’s own website is located at http://jimkouri.us