*Updated Congressional Vote Counts*   You can see how your congressional  House and Senate representatives are planning to vote:
Via ABC News Congressional Whip Polling:
OPPOSE MILITARY ACTION IN SYRIA: 75
LIKELY TO OPPOSE: 150                                        Total Oppose 225
SUPPORT MILITARY ACTION IN SYRIA: 19
LIKELY TO SUPPORT: 25                                       Total Support 44
UNDECIDED: 140
UNKNOWN: 23                                                          Total Undecided 163 (link)
The Huffington Post/Think Progress Polling: (more…)

Unacceptable: pic.twitter.com/woN4vSjEpE

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) August 29, 2013

(Via National Review)  At a town-hall event in Chantilly, Va., yesterday, Gutiérrez told attendees that while he has objections to the immigration bill passed by the Senate earlier this year, he would “vote for that proposal today . . . even under those harsh conditions” rather than not pass anything. He went on to list a series of cautionary tales about the tragedy that would result should Congress fail to pass an immigration bill:

“Today, someone is going to die in that desert, trying to return to their families, women and men are going to die in that desert; someone’s going to lose a finger, a hand, an eye, a life today because an unscrupulous employer is going to put them in harm’s way, someone’s going to die; there’s a woman that’s going to be raped in a field somewhere in America today because she has no rights in this country, and we need to end that; there are children who are going to cry and there are marriages that are going to be destroyed because someone is going to be deported, and there are going to be children that are going to be left orphaned in this country.”  (link)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): We have seen this play before. It is reminiscent of Obamacare, yet another bill that we were told we’ve got to pass it to find out what’s in it. And, unfortunately, it seems, there are some republicans eager to go along with the democrats in the mad rush to pass this bill. In the 2007 immigration debate, close to 50 amendments were considered. In this debate, only nine have been debated. I introduced seven substantive amendments to improve this bill. Not a single one has been considered on the floor of the senate.

My point is very simple: what is the rush? Why are we proceeding gangbusters? And the only explanation that makes sense is there are many senators it seems in this body perhaps on both sides of the aisle that very much want a fig leaf. They want something that they can claim we are supporting border security when, in fact, this bill does not.

The first and most important difference is this amendment provides legalization first and then border security maybe at some time in the future. We have seen this before. In 1986 it was the same promise congress made, and we got the legalization, we got the amnesty and we never, ever, ever got border security. In contrast, the amendment I introduced reflects the will of the American people to have border security first and only then the possibility of legalization.  (read more)

WASHINGTON DC –   With a new poll showing falling support for the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced an accelerated schedule in which the Senate would take a final, up-or-down vote on passing the bill by the end of next week. […]

Reid warned his fellow lawmakers that if they want to consider amendments to the Gang of Eight bill, they need to be prepared to work virtually nonstop between now and then. “This may not be one of our normal weekends,” Reid said. “We’ve got to move forward on this legislation.” (more…)

In response to the NSA leaks, and the bazillions of questions from concerned Americans about their privacy being snooped on by the government, the administration coordinated a Senate Classified Briefing to explain the details of the program.   The intent was to inform the elected Senators so they could answer questions from their state citizenry.

Less than half of them attended.

WASHINGTON DC – Less than half (47) of US Senators attended a classified briefing on Thursday afternoon, instead choosing to head home for the weekend.  The briefing was with “with James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, Keith Alexander, the head of the National Security Agency (NSA), and other officials.”

Wow. (more…)

I’ve begun using the term usurpation to describe this administration, and the co-dependents/ willfully blind who support it.  

The NSA intelligence data mining is clearly unconstitutional under the 4th amendment.  The IRS targeting based on political ideology is also illegal and unconstitutional.   The Dept of Justice manipulating warrants (lying to judges) to gather phone records on AP reporters and Fox’s James Rosen is a clear usurpation of the 1st amendment.

Now the latest usurpation can be seen in the Obama administration using an Executive Order to create de-facto amnesty (XO-Dream Act);  And then to make matters worse – they stop the criminal background checks and ID requirements under such a program.  So anyone can enter the U.S. claim to be whoever they want, and no criminal background check will be done.

And the Congresscritters are worried about Terrorists benefitting from the NSA leaker?  How about they apply the same consideration (ie worry) about open borders without checks for those who cross them and then apply for Dream Act protections? (more…)

Folks, let me be the first on record associated with this Treehouse. THIS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND. We will lead an effort to push back against this ridiculous “UNCONSTITUTIONAL” mandate being put forth by the Holder/Perez Dept. of Justice.

People ask me all the time about the Community Relations Service;  Most have never heard of it.   The CRS is the super-secret and federally protected stealth sect within the DOJ Civil Rights Division.   When I explain the depth of the broad power granted to the CRS – people look at me cross eyed with a stare that says – “no way”!  My response? Yes, way.

Many people cannot wrap their mind around what they hear, it just doesn’t reconcile with everything they have ever thought about freedom.  Even more refuse to consider what is presented to them.  Just like many fine folks in the Treehouse who cannot grasp that there exists a Federal Entity which can, without explanation, force a judge to make a decision or ruling in a way the CRS dictates. It just strikes as unbelievably UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

So this factual example about how the Federal DOJ going to arrest and/or prosecute anyone who defames Islam is aimed more toward those people who refuse to accept the information about the scope of the CRS power: (more…)

WASHINGTON DC – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) isn’t worried about rounding up 60 votes for legislation to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, saying Tuesday in an interview with a Nevada television program that crossing the crucial threshold should be “pretty easy.”

“I talked about this to a number of my senators today…” Reid said, as quoted by the Las Vegas Sun. “I think we have 60 votes. Remember, we start out at 55 Democrats. I think the most I’ll lose is two or three. Let’s say I wind up with 52 Democrats. I only need eight Republicans, and I already have four, so that should be pretty easy.”  (continue reading)

Several frequent and purposeful Treepers have been brought to the Refuge following a crumb trail of diversity in discussion. However, one common ingredient amid all the varying granola’s of conversation is defining the heart of the infection belaying the national rot, “Progressivism”.

If, in 2013, you subscribe your political affiliation to the Democrat Party, you are a progressive. There is no longer a manner of argument, nor level of word-smithing, so great as to evince an intellectual separation. It would be as illogical an attempt as to draw distinctions from Traditional or Moderate Islam while trying to discuss which form of shrapnel is probably contained within the approaching suicide vest.

Like it or not, the Political and Progressive Left has grasped full control of the Democrat Party. It is with that self-evident fact in mind a series of current essays on Modern Progressives has been written. Today we present one such essay brilliantly written by N. A. Halkides; A freelance writer from the Chicago area:

(Via FrontPage Mag) The Progressive believes in precisely two things: his own magnificence and the constructive power of brute force. In combination, they lead him naturally from the role of pestiferous busybody to brutal dictator. Where the productive man dreams of the things he might create if only left alone by his fellows, the Progressive dreams of the world he could create if only the lives and property of his fellows were at his disposal. The roots of his pathology lie in that oldest and most destructive of all human vices, the desire for the power to rule over other men. (more…)