NH INSIDER

Stopping Obama's Environmental "End-Around":  With the "science" of global warming collapsing like a house of cards, the Copenhagen "climate change" conference accomplishing absolutely nothing and a massive energy tax hike going nowhere in the U.S. Senate, President Barack Obama is now faced with a conundrum. He can either read the handwriting on the wall, or seek to accomplish through regulation what he couldn't accomplish through legislation: the handover of U.S. environmental

The Continuing Federal Land Grab:  The use and abuse of the Antiquities Act, legislation which dates back to the time of Teddy Roosevelt, is nothing new. While the bulk of the national monuments so created came in the first few decades after the Act's 1906 adoption, the practice of creating them was again accelerated with President Carter creating 15 national monuments out of Alaskan territory in 1978. By doing so he throttled the resource development of these areas and angered local officials who wanted Washington's hands off the land.

Beck v. Levin, Part 1:  The first day of CPAC 2010 had concluded by the time I had a chance to actually look at my program. It was then that I realized that Mark Levin was nowhere to be found on the schedule. Strange, I thought. I was 90% positive that I remembered conference organizer Lisa dePasquale Tweeting at least a couple of months prior that Levin was a confirmed speaker this year. Puzzled, I Tweeted a fellow attendee to verify that Levin had been booked. My friend replied that he didn't think so. Since I had left myself open to that 10% margin of doubt, I assumed I had either misread Lisa's Tweet or maybe even dreamed the whole thing. (Yes, I must admit it. Phantom Tweeting has occurred in my dreams. Hello, my name is Glen and I'm a hopeless Twitterholic.)

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Obama's Reconciliation Lie:  Less than one week ago, President Obama stood before an assembled audience of hand- picked sympathizers on healthcare reform at the White House and called on Congress to pass his healthcare reform package into law... again.

Apologists for Global Warming Alarmists Respond to ClimateGate:  Apparently the U.S. National Academies of Science is preparing to push back against the damage that has been done to the cause of global warming alarmism and The New York Times is prepared to weigh in with "news" that boosts the sullied reputation of alarmists.

Union Paybacks Advance Through Obama Administration:  While addressing the National Press Club (NPC) in January, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka predicted The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would pass in "the first quarter of 2010," but declined to say if his organization would support a compromised version.

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Obama's Political Grip Slips:  "[N]ow they've gotten rid of me and it will pass. You connect the dots." That was former New York Democrat Congressman Massa's take on his resignation in light on allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Obama Renews Patriot Act and the NYT Fails To Mention It:  President Obama has signed off on a one year extension of The Patriot Act that won overwhelming congressional approval just over a week ago; not that anyone reading The New York Times would know.

Government Spending Does Not Drive the Economy:  As disturbing new reports come out this month showing that American reliance on government aid is at an all-time high, economists are attempting to quell concerns that the federal spending binge has gone too far. Government spending, they say, drives the economy, and the stimulus bills have saved the economy from dipping into depression. These economists have erred tragically, and their prescription will not only fail to prevent, but will actually help ensure that this recession worsens.

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"Clearly, Harry Reid wants to railroad this nomination through without

any confirmation of these very serious allegations.  It's up to individual

members of the Senate to keep their holds on Johnsen and to at least

demand a recorded vote so that Senate members may be held accountable

for their support."—ALG President Bill Wilson.

March 8^th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today applauded Congressman Steve King (R-IA) for "holding the Department of Justice accountable to fulfill ALG's outstanding Freedom of Information Act request on Obama DOJ nominee Dawn Johnsen."

Dawn Johnsen is Barack Obama's nominee for Assistant Attorney General to the Office of Legal Counsel.

"ALG thanks Congressman King for acting on this urgent matter.  The U.S. Senate, and the American people, have a right to know whether Johnsen circumvented the constitutional process of 'advice and consent,'" Wilson said.

ALG filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Justice Department's (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) attempting to confirm allegations that Dawn Johnsen, Barack Obama's nominee for Assistant Attorney General to the Office of Legal Counsel, has been performing duties pursuant to that office without being confirmed by the Senate, including making hiring decisions.

The ALG FOIA request, filed on October 26^th, 2009, has gone unheeded in spite of a 20-day statutory requirement. 

According Congressman King's letter, "In order to confirm or dismiss allegations regarding Ms. Johnsen's violation of pre-confirmation etiquette and potential disregard for the Constitution's clearly defined Senate confirmation process, I respectfully request that you provide my office with copies of all records of communications between any Office of Legal Counsel officials and Dawn Johnsen regarding personnel decisions that involve hiring, firing, promotion, discipline or any other personnel actions for career and non-career Office of Legal Counsel officials.

"These are the same materials that have been requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by Nathan Paul Mehrens, Counsel for Americans for Limited Government.

"Under the FOIA, all federal agencies are required to receive any response to the request that was filed on October 26, 2009.  The processing time for this request has far exceeded the period allowed under the FOIA.  I am, therefore, making my own request to you for this information and also enclosing a copy of Mr. Mehrens' original request.  I look forward to your response and to both requests being fulfilled in a timely manner."

King recently outlined some of his further objections to the nominee in an exclusive interview with the Washington News Observer.

The story was broken by the National Review Online, where according to the report, Johnsen may have been "involving herself in OLC's decisions on hiring junior lawyers.  If those reports are accurate, Johnsen's actions would seem a serious violation of the Senate's understanding of pre-confirmation etiquette—an etiquette that is especially punctilious for nominees who have generated controversy—and would give senators additional reason to oppose her nomination."

Since the request was filed, over 90 business days has elapsed.  Now, Mehrens has sent a follow-up letter to the DOJ, and Wilson urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to postpone consideration of Johnsen.

Despite the unfulfilled FOIA request, however, the committee voted to approve Johnsen 12 to 7 on March 4^th, as reported by FOX News. 

 According to the law, "Each agency, upon any request for records… shall… determine within 20 days (excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) after the receipt of any such request whether to comply with such request and shall immediately notify the person making such request of such determination and the reasons therefor, and of the right of such person to appeal to the head of the agency any adverse determination."

"Clearly, Harry Reid wants to railroad this nomination through without any confirmation of these very serious allegations," Wilson said, concluding, "It's up to individual members of the Senate to keep their holds on Johnsen and to at least demand a recorded vote so that Senate members may be held accountable for their support."

Attachments:

Freedom of Information Act Request, October 26^th, 2009.

Letter to Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel, February 24^th, 2010.

Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee, February 25^th, 2010.

Letter from Congressman Steve King to DOJ Office of Legal Counsel, March 1^st, 2010.

ALG Backgrounder on Dawn Johnson, December 10^th, 2009.

"The economy, every facet of which runs on energy, mustn't be in the hands of the radical EPA bureaucracy."—ALG President Bill Wilson.

March 5^th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) for introducing legislation that would place a two-year moratorium on any decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cap by regulation carbon emissions.

"Senator Jay Rockefeller has watched as the EPA is moving at lightning speed to issue regulation by fiat to cap carbon emissions, a cap that will devastate the U.S. economy, and is acting quickly to put the brakes on," said Wilson.

"Given a choice between representing his constituents, many of whom work in the coal industry, and the radical bureaucracy of the EPA, who cater to a cult of 'man-made' global warming, Senator Rockefeller has chosen his constituents and the American people at large who oppose carbon caps," Wilson added.

Wilson called for bipartisan support for Rockefeller's bill, potentially merging it with Senator Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) legislation that would overturn the EPA's finding that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health and welfare. 

According to the Washington Post, Democratic Senators Blanche Lincoln (AR), Mary Landrieu (LA) and Ben Nelson (NE) are co-sponsoring Murkowksi's resolution.  And according to Rockefeller's release, Congressmen Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and Rick Boucher (D-VA) are introducing companion legislation.

"The real threat to the U.S. is the EPA enacting by dictate regulations that, in effect, puts the agency in charge of the entire nation's economy.  Members of both political parties must stand together before it is too late to stand up to this tyranny by the EPA," Wilson declared.

"The economy, every facet of which runs on energy, mustn't be in the hands of the radical EPA bureaucracy who place primacy on appeasing the false science of radical environmentalism over the rights and best interests of all Americans," Wilson concluded.