What is moral?; Our gread divider invites hatred for job-providers; Dick Durbin can see an illegal as our President; AP fact checks our President; Raising taxes causes pushback; Westboro Baptist Church and Klu Klux Klan at Quantico for training; Chicago Tribune admits failure to report all facts

RedState writes: The Democrats, in particular Joe Biden and Barack Obama, are out to make the moral case for tax increases. They claim the Republican position is immoral.

This is what happens when we debase morality in our American political culture.

For perspective, when Barack Obama was a state senator in Illinois, he was the only state senator to speak in opposition to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. He stood up and made the case that if an infant is born alive in the process of an abortion, the doctor who botched the abortion should be able to finish off the kid, even though the child had exited the womb alive.  http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/06/28/on-immorality/

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National Journal opines: If President Obama's news conference accomplished anything on Wednesday afternoon, it underscored, in striking tones, his strategy for winning the debt ceiling fight with Republicans: Make it a clash of classes.

• Rich versus Poor.
• Us versus Them. 
• Those who support children, food safety, medical research and, presumably, puppies and apple pie versus the rich fat cats who don't.
• Obama stated: "If we do not have revenues, that means there are a bunch of kids out there who do not have college scholarships," Obama said. "[It] might compromise the National Weather Services. It means we might not be funding critical medical research. It means food inspection might be compromised. I've said to Republican leaders, 'You go talk to your constituents and ask them, "Are you willing to compromise your kids' safety so some corporate-jet owner can get a tax break?" [''Since a rise in the use of corporate jets means an increase in our economy, why is he now directing hatred to corporations?  I corporate taxes are raised about the current highest rate in most of the world, the corporations will stop hiring new people, will pass the cost onto purchases of products, and take their business to another country."]  http://nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/obama-it-s-kids-versus-corporate-jets-on-debt-ceiling-talks-20110629
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• RealClearPolitics writes: After using illegal immigrants as props to push the DREAM Act, Sen. Durbin (D-IL) made the following statement at a Senate committee hearing:
  
  "When I look around this room, I see America's future. Our doctors, our teachers, our nurses, our engineers, our scientists, our soldiers, our Congressman, our Senators and maybe our President."  [Yes, this is on video for all to see....]
  
  However, Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution says: "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."  [ It is becoming more clear that Democrats do not believe in our Constitution.]  http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/06/29/durbin_illegal_alien_could_be_our_future_president.html
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• The AP finally does some fact checking: This column lists the ways in which the AP felt compelled to fact check President Obama's speech this week: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-06-29-16-09-16  
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• The Orange County Register reports: Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law California’s tax on Internet sales through affiliate advertising which will immediately cut small-business website revenue 20% to 30%, experts say.
  The bill, AB 28X, takes effect immediately. The state Board of Equalization says the tax will raise $200 million a year, but critics claim it will raise nothing because online retailers will end their affiliate programs rather than collect the tax. http://jan.ocregister.com/2011/06/29/amazon-terminates-deal-with-25000-calif-affiliates/60971/ 
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CNN writes: A law enforcement official confirms members of the Westboro Baptist Church, known for its controversial practice of picketing military funerals, participated in training for law enforcement officials at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia. The sessions were discontinued this spring after Tom Browne, assistant director for the FBI, voiced strong opposition to bringing the group to a military facility.
The story about staff training sessions between the FBI and Westboro Baptist Church members was first reported by NPR News on Wednesday.
Other controversial groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, have taken part in similar training sessions. The purpose, according to the official, is "to expose law enforcement to these groups, see what they are about, and understand their perspective." In addition, the official says, the groups have a chance to hear law enforcement's point of view in a classroom setting. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/29/fbi.westboro/index.html
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American Thinker opines: The editor of a major newspaper has just admitted that he prints propaganda.  There is no other way to describe the decision of Chicago Tribune editor Gerould W. Kern, who refuses to report on the racial aspect of recent mob attacks in Chicago.
Kern explains his paper's "approach" to concealing the truth: "We do not reference race unless it is a fact that is central to telling the story."
In fact, contrary to Kern's supine statement, there is evidence that the victims were singled out because of their race.  Trovulus Pickett, 17, traveled from the 8400 block of South Dorchester to attack and rob at the 300 block of East Chicago Avenue, which is 15 miles away from Pickett's home.  Pickett and his cohorts, who were all black, traveled long distances to attack exclusively non-black victims.  The victims were absolutely not chosen at random.  This gives rise to an inference that the attackers may have been targeted because of race -- a possibility that should be taken seriously.
There is an epidemic of racial mob violence simmering in Chicago, mirroring similar violence around the country.  Amazingly, the New York Times reported on violent mobs in Philadelphia and other cities where "[m]ost of the teenagers who have taken part ... are black and from poor neighborhoods. Most of the areas hit have been predominantly white business districts"¹.  This level of honesty about basic facts is unprecedented in many newspapers.  The Chicago Tribune should take note. http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/06/how_race_gets_rubbed_out_of_the_story.html
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