Who are the '14 prominent climate scientists' who joined the 2007 Supreme Court case that allowed CO2 to be regulated and who remained silent about errors in Obama's June 2013 CO2 speech?

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"Massachusetts vs. EPA—Timeline, Legal Questions, and Case Details," sierraclub.org, Allowing the EPA to regulate CO2

"On April 2, 2007, in a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Sierra Club, 12 states, 3 cities, and other petitioners by agreeing that carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants can be regulated under the Clean Air Act....

p. 2, "Filing as “amici” for the petitioners:

Fourteen prominent climate scientists, two electric power companies (Entergy and Calpine), four former EPA administrators, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, six states (Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Council of Churches, Aspen Ski Company, North Coast Rivers Alliance, National Wildlife Federation, Alaska Natives, and ocean and coastal groups....
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Petitioners in the case:
 

Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, the District of Columbia, American Samoa Government, New York City, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental Advocates, Environmental Defense, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, International Center for Technology Assessment, National Environmental Trust, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group."...
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Big money was made on the 2007 Supreme Court decision, for example petitioner Entergy's stock peaked on news of the ruling. Entergy stock chart 2003-2013, Marketwatch:
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Entergy stock soared to its then all time high, $107.52 (Source: "On Monday, when the EPA decision came down, Entergy stock jumped to an all-time high of $107.52 per share."...Washington Examiner editorial, "Ruling on EPA favors Big Energy," April 6, 2007, link now inactive). The decision was also a boon for organized crime involved in the carbon trading industry. 
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Question: Who were the "14 prominent climate scientists" who joined the 2007 lawsuit?
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5/16/13, "John Dernbach, a law professor at Widener University in Pennsylvania...represented climate scientists in the 2007 case." parag. 7. ("Could Supreme Court stall climate change regulations?" Reuters)
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Who paid legal fees for the 14 climate scientists who stood to gain financially and professionally from the ruling? 
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Obama's June 2013 CO2 speech contained falsehoods but not 'a peep' from climate scientists about the false claims: 
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6/29/13, "Pielke Jr [who voted for Obama]: "What does it say about the climate science community that the Prez says something easily shown false and no one says a peep?"
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Twitter / RogerPielkeJr: Hurricanes make the list in ...

Hurricanes make the list in Obama's weekly address: "more extreme droughts, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes" http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/29/weekly-address-confronting-growing-threat-climate-change …

Twitter / RogerPielkeJr: Fact: It has been 2,811 days ...

Fact: It has been 2,811 days since the US was last hit by a Cat3+ hurricane, the longest such period since at least 1900.

Twitter / RogerPielkeJr: Fact: On climate time scales ...

Fact: On climate time scales there's been no increase in US hurricanes, normalized US hurricane damage or tropical cyclone landfalls globally

Twitter / RogerPielkeJr: What does it say about the ...

What does it say about the climate science community that the Prez says something easily shown false and no one says a peep? #climatesilence. via Tom Nelson

Twitter / RogerPielkeJr: IPCC: "Observations to date ...

IPCC: "Observations to date provide no conclusive and general proof as to how climate change affects flood behavior" http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2013/01/extreme-misrepresentation-usgcrp-and.html …

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6/30/13, “A Climate Demagogue,” Boston Herald Editorial

“Even those who believe that emissions of carbon dioxide are causing unacceptable warming of the earth–and frankly the evidence for that is thus far less than convincing--should be ashamed of President Obama’s demagogic arguments for action.

The fact sheet on the president’s speech this week said carbon “pollution” is “contributing to higher rates of asthma attacks and more frequent and severe floods and heat waves.” His measures “would protect the health of our children.”

“For the children” usually means the orator has run out of good arguments.

It’s the first assertion we’ve seen that carbon dioxide produces or worsens asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency has never asserted that. The only way a child could be hurt by carbon dioxide, essential for plant life and produced in human breath, would be by being hit in the head with a block of dry ice—frozen carbon dioxide.

In a second badly misnamed “fact sheet”--this one specifically for Massachusetts–the White House seeks to blame “climate change” for tropical storm Irene, emergency room visits due to heat stress in 2009 (it did not include “facts” on whether that was up or down from previous years or even since 2009) and 2380 cases of Lyme disease.

Yes, to hear the Obama administration tell it, we are indeed simply doomed.

However most international and national agencies have found no increase in storm activity. Warming? The alarmist British Meteorological Office finds no warming since 1998 while the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 7.4%.

Doomsday scenarios depend largely on unreliable computer models whose builders have no explanation for such conflicts….

Without believable computer models, it’s senseless to follow Obama down the road of economic self-mutilation.”

=============================== 

Signers to the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

received a $2.8 billion grant from the 2009 Obama stimulus.  

The "US Conference of Mayors" was among petitioners in the 2007 Supreme Court Case, p.2.

 

“A Climate Demagogue,” Boston Herald Editorial. Obama’s “badly misnamed ‘fact sheets’” disagree with national and international agencies. Updated

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Update, 7/1/13, Perhaps in response to Boston Herald editorial, "EPA Research" puts out a tweet saying oh yes, CO2 causes asthma, but they present no science for this claim, just link back to Obama White House claims: "Climate change means increased severe weather and asthma attacks. See what it means for your state: http://1.usa.gov/17A24lp"
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“Most international and national agencies have found no increase in storm activity. Warming? The alarmist British Meteorological Office finds no warming since 1998.”

6/30/13, “A Climate Demagogue,” Boston Herald Editorial

“Even those who believe that emissions of carbon dioxide are causing unacceptable warming of the earth–and frankly the evidence for that is thus far less than convincing--should be ashamed of President Obama’s demagogic arguments for action.

The fact sheet on the president’s speech this week said carbon “pollution” is “contributing to higher rates of asthma attacks and more frequent and severe floods and heat waves.” His measures “would protect the health of our children.”

“For the children” usually means the orator has run out of good arguments.

It’s the first assertion we’ve seen that carbon dioxide produces or worsens asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency has never asserted that. The only way a child could be hurt by carbon dioxide, essential for plant life and produced in human breath, would be by being hit in the head with a block of dry ice—frozen carbon dioxide.

In a second badly misnamed “fact sheet”--this one specifically for Massachusetts–the White House seeks to blame “climate change” for tropical storm Irene, emergency room visits due to heat stress in 2009 (it did not include “facts” on whether that was up or down from previous years or even since 2009) and 2380 cases of Lyme disease.

Yes, to hear the Obama administration tell it, we are indeed simply doomed.

However most international and national agencies have found no increase in storm activity. Warming? The alarmist British Meteorological Office finds no warming since 1998 while the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 7.4%.

Doomsday scenarios depend largely on unreliable computer models whose builders have no explanation for such conflicts….

Without believable computer models, it’s senseless to follow Obama down the road of economic self-mutilation.” via Lucianne


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American student stabbed to death during anti-government protests in Alexandria, Egypt was seeking 'peace and understanding'

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6/30/13, "A Young Jewish Man in Egypt: Delusion vs. Reality," Atlas Shrugs, Pamela Geller

6/30/13, "A Young Jewish Man’s Lethal Arab Spring Delusion," Dr. Andrew Bostom

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6/29/13, "US student stabbed to death during Egypt protests was in the country teaching children English," UK Independent.  "Andrew Pochter was working for a non-profit organisation before starting his junior year at university"

"An American student has been stabbed to death during anti-government protests in Egypt, the US State Department has confirmed. Andrew Pochter, from Chevy Chase, Maryland, was killed after being stabbed in the chest in the coastal city of Alexandria, where anti-government protesters stormed an office of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.

A Facebook post on Saturday that appeared to be from Pochter’s family suggested he was in the country teaching English to children and improving his Arabic. The “R.I.P Andrew Driscoll Pochter” page had also been posted on by colleagues of Pochter at the U.S. educational non-profit organisation where he was working.

The post read: “He went to Egypt because he cared profoundly about the Middle East, and he planned to live and work there in the pursuit of peace and understanding.”...

A statement from Kenyon College said Pochter was interning in Alexandria with AMIDEAST, an American non-profit organisation that runs education and development programs in the Middle East and North America."...

photo of Egypt riot from UK Independent with article about stabbing of American student


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Weekend cinema, Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious

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"Notorious," 1946, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Pamela Geller found this gem on You Tube



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West Virginia Democrat Senator Manchin calls Obama CO2 plan a "war on America"

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6/29/13, "Coal-state Dems chisel away at Obama climate plan," Fox News

"West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, calling the president's plan a "war on America," delivered one of the most forceful rebuttals in an interview with Fox News.

"It's just ridiculous....I should not have to be sitting here as a U.S. senator, fighting my own president and fighting my own government," he told Fox News. "I will continue to reach out, but I need a partner here. I don't need an adversary."

Manchin argued that the coal industry has the technology to reduce emissions. But he said the government, rather than work with the industry, is setting unattainable standards."...via Climate Depot

=================================

Comment: Sorry, Mr. Manchin, you've known this was coming since at least 2008. This is what the radical left has been about for decades. Obama stands with NY and California billionaires who will get even richer at the expense of the poor over something that doesn't exist:

6/14/13, "As Obama moves forward on climate, he faces a tough political task," Washington Post, Juliette Eilperin

Obama attended "a pair of fundraisers just 90 minutes apart in the San Francisco Bay Area last week...as he prepares to unveil a slate of major initiatives on global warming in late June or in July. ...The second event...[was] his private remarks at the home of clean-tech entrepreneur Vinod Khosla....

During an April visit to the San Francisco home of billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer...Obama noted that the issue of climate change “is near and dear” to Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor."...
 
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1/17/08, Obama says he's willing to bankrupt the coal industry:

11/2/2008, "Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry," NewsBusters, Gladnick

"Barack Obama actually flat out told the San Francisco Chronicle (SF Gate) that he was willing to see the coal industry go bankrupt in a January 17, 2008 interview. The result? Nothing. This audio interview has been hidden from the public...until now."...UPDATE: NewsBusters' Tom Blumer has found out that the San Francisco Chronicle story published on January 18 based upon this January 17 interview did not include any mention of Obama's willingness to bankrupt the coal industry which you can hear on the audio. You can read the story here when you scroll down to the "In His Own Words" section. Way to cover up for The One, SF Chronicle!"

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6/26/13, "Obama Is Merely Leveling The Energy Playing Field With Europe – Declares An End To Cheap American Energy," P. Gosselin, NoTricksZone 

"Declaration of war on blue-collar workers

Ironically not long ago the stated objective of western politicians was to generate prosperity for its citizens. Today it’s precisely the opposite. Obama’s plan is nothing less than an assault on American industry and millions of blue collar workers."

=================================

 6/10/13, "A loud and empty suit in the Chicago style," Quadrant Online, Australia, by Daryl McCann

"The President of the United States appears to have declared peace in the world and war on Americans."

=================== 

Sen. Joe Manchin flunks political courage test. He speaks up when it's too late:

VoteSmart.org

"Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)"

"Joe Manchin III refused to tell citizens where he stands

on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders." (end of page)


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Anti-Obama banners in Egypt, Tahrir Square

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6/28/13, "‘Obama supports terrorism’: Protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square continue to slam POTUS [pics]," Twitchy.com

photo #1 twitterpic

photo #2 twitterpic


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Map of poverty by US counties

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6/29/13, "Which Households Have Incomes Below $30,000?" Zero Hedge

Data from "US Census Bureau, 2006–2010 American Community Survey"


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Chicago Tribune Editorial Board asks for special prosecutor for IRS scandal, doing the job the GOP won't do

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6/30/13, "Editorial: Where's the special prosecutor?" Chicago Tribune Editorial. "The IRS scandal demands an independent investigation."

""It's inexcusable, and Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency, but especially in the IRS, given the power that it has and the reach that it has into all of our lives. ... I'll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again by holding the responsible parties accountable ...."
— President Barack Obama condemning "misconduct" at the Internal Revenue Service, May 15, 2013
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All of us understand that IRS misconduct, right? And we know which parties Obama needs to hold accountable. It's obvious, right? End of story:

We learned at the get-go of this scandal that, during a long run-up to the 2012 presidential election, IRS officials extensively hassled conservative groups that had applied for tax-exempt status. Congressional Republicans pounced on this as an attempt to hijack the election.

But wait. Early last week we read that the agency used keywords such as "progressive" to target left-leaning groups, too, for extra scrutiny. "New IRS chief: Lists targeted more than tea partyers," said the Chicago Tribune. "Documents Show Liberals in I.R.S. Dragnet," said The New York Times. Congressional Democrats pounced on the suggestion that the agency had treated conservatives and liberals with equal indignity.

But wait some more. On Wednesday a Treasury Department inspector general undercut the equal-abuse argument: From May 2010 to May 2012, the IRS had flagged for added scrutiny six of the 20 applicant groups with words such as "progressive" in their titles. "In comparison, our audit found that 100 percent of the (292) tax-exempt applications with Tea Party, Patriots or 9/12 in their names were processed as potential political cases" — that is, groups possibly too political to merit tax-exempt status. "While we have multiple sources of information corroborating the use of tea party and other related criteria," wrote Inspector General J. Russell George, "including employee interviews, emails and other documents, we found no indication in any of these other materials that 'progressives' was a term used to refer cases for scrutiny for political-campaign intervention."

Translation: The IRS was overwhelmingly one-sided in scrutinizing applications. And the agency evidently was completely one-sided in subjecting only conservative groups to long processing delays and lengthy, often peculiar requests. Example: The IRS asked an Iowa anti-abortion group "how all of your activities, including the prayer meetings held outside of Planned Parenthood, are considered educational as defined under 501(c)(3) ...."

So that's where things stand — until fresh reporting, a document leak or perhaps a confession sends the story in some new direction. But seven weeks into this scandal, the fact most Americans know best is that ... they still don't know much that's definitive. The murky intrigue over who provoked what at this agency has become a playpen for politicians. Three among many crucial questions still scream for answers:

•Did someone nudge IRS employees to hassle certain groups or did agency officials spontaneously decide to do that?
•Inspector General George has testified that in June 2012, five months before the election, he told top Treasury Department officials of his probe into IRS targeting. Did his news, with its potential to rock the presidential campaign, stop atop Treasury — or did it make its way even higher in the administration?

•At multiple points in 2012, why did top IRS officials repeatedly mislead Congress by not disclosing — in response to highly specific questions — that the agency was targeting conservative groups?

We can only speculate on which tools will unlock the grimy secrets of this egregious misuse of government authority. An ongoing self-examination by the IRS is laughably untrustworthy. The U.S. Department of Justice also is on the case.

But as we wrote May 23, many Americans won't be much interested in what one arm of the Obama administration concludes about the conduct of other arms — the IRS, the Treasury and possibly the White House. There are times when only a special prosecutor has the independence and credibility to resolve such a politically fraught matter.

Why hasn't Attorney General Eric Holder appointed a special prosecutor? The White House, too, should be clamoring for one: The feds are only three months from enrolling Americans in Obamacare, a program that relies on citizens' willingness to have the IRS even more involved in the financial details of their lives.

We applauded when Obama said he would make sure there will be no such future scandal. But lofty pledges aren't enough. The president and his underlings ought to be instructing a special prosecutor to unravel the still mysterious scandal that confronts them today."

==============================

Comment: The GOP is only interested in two things: making life easy for Obama, and discrediting the Tea Party. That's why they haven't secured a special prosecutor for the IRS scandal. If anything, the GOP owes Obama big time for helping them defeat the TP.
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Special US IG for Afghanistan says nearly $800 million in aircraft contracts should be cancelled as likely can never be used, Obama admin. official says no, won't cancel-BBC

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6/28/13, "US $780m Afghan aircraft purchase 'wasteful'," BBC

"A US watchdog has advised the Pentagon to ground plans to spend $780m (£513m) on 48 aircraft for the Afghan military, as their pilots lack expertise.

The planes and helicopters are intended for the Afghan Special Mission Wing (SMW), but the audit found the unit has no command structure.

And only seven of its Afghan pilots were trained to fly with night-vision goggles, according to the report.

It could take 10 years before the unit is self-sufficient, said the watchdog.

The audit also noted the US currently carried out most of the aircraft repair and maintenance for the Afghans.

'Waste of US funds'
 
The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction's report found the Afghans could not carry out counter-militancy missions as most of the SMW's 47 pilots could not fly at night.

The audit also cited difficulties in finding candidates who were literate and able to pass the exhaustive 18-20 month US vetting process....

As a result, the planes "could be left sitting on runways in Afghanistan, rather than supporting critical missions, resulting in waste of US funds", the audit said.

"We maintain that moving forward with the acquisition of these aircraft is imprudent," it added.

The Pentagon has a $218m contract with Nevada-based Sierra Nevada Corporation for 18 PC-12 fixed-wing aircraft and a $554m deal with a Russian firm, Rosoboronexport, for 30 Mi-17 helicopters, according to the audit.

The report recommended the purchases be halted, but Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Michael Dumont said that would "unacceptably delay our efforts to develop the SMW into a capable force"."


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Obama CO2 plan merely leveling the energy playing field with Europe-Gosselin

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6/26/13, "Obama Is Merely Leveling The Energy Playing Field With Europe – Declares An End To Cheap American Energy," P. Gosselin, NoTricksZone

"Europe tells America: please repeat our blunders

Creating high prices for fossil fuels is only one component in “leveling the energy playing field”. Europe also expects America to repeat its renewable energy folly as well. America too must have a truly shoddy patchwork of inefficient and unpredictable renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, and an unstable power grid. Only this way can the playing field between America and Europe truly be level. European companies will then surely think twice about moving their operations to the USA.

Declaration of war on blue-collar workers

Ironically not long ago the stated objective of western politicians was to generate prosperity for its citizens. Today it’s precisely the opposite. Obama’s plan is nothing less than an assault on American industry and millions of blue collar workers." via Climate Depot

=======================

Comment: It won't be news to many blue collar workers that neither political party cares about them. A study of Nov. 2012 election results found 6.1 million "downscale, blue-collar whites" who voted for Ross Perot stayed home:

6/21/13, "The Case of the Missing White Voters, Revisited," Real Clear Politics, Sean Trende

"The most salient demographic change from 2008 to 2012 was the drop in white voters....

These voters were largely downscale, Northern, rural whites. In other words, H. Ross Perot voters....

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As I noted, they tended to be downscale, blue-collar whites. They weren’t evangelicals; Ross Perot was pro-choice, in favor of gay rights, and in favor of some gun control. You probably didn’t know that, though, and neither did most voters, because that’s not what his campaign was about.

His campaign was focused on his fiercely populist stance on economics. He was a deficit hawk, favoring tax hikes on the rich to help balance the budget. He was staunchly opposed to illegal immigration as well as to free trade (and especially the North American Free Trade Agreement). He advocated more spending on education, and even Medicare-for-all. Given the overall demographic and political orientation of these voters, one can see why they would stay home rather than vote for an urban liberal like President Obama or a severely pro-business venture capitalist like Mitt Romney."...

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June 2013 Chicago area manufacturing falls unexpectedly

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 6/28/13, "Chicago PMI cools in June to below-forecast level," Marketwatch

"Growth in Chicago-area manufacturing decelerated in June, as the Chicago business barometer fell to a 51.6 reading from 58.7 in May. That's the largest monthly drop in over four years, though economists had noted that May's reading was unusually strong. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a 55.0 reading."

==========================

6/28/13, "Business Activity Cooled More Than Forecast in June," moneynews.com

"Business activity in the U.S. cooled more than projected in June, a regional report showed, as fiscal constraints and stagnant export markets buffeted manufacturers.

The MNI Chicago Report’s business barometer dropped to 51.6 this month from 58.7 in May, which was the highest in more than a year. A reading of 50 is the dividing line between expansion and contraction. The median forecast of 55 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was 55.

The Chicago index has been out of synch with other regional factory reports, surging in May when others pointed to a slump, and dropping this month as measures from the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Philadelphia point to a rebound. Manufacturing, which makes up about 12 percent of the economy, might be feeling the effects of federal government spending cuts that went into effect in March....

Economists’ forecasts for the Chicago group’s gauge ranged from 51.5 to 58.5."

===========================

6/28/13, "Chicago PMI Plummets By Most In Over 4 Years; Weather Blamed," Zero Hedge

"A devastating 49.0 in April, a surge to 58.7 in May, and then a crash right back to 51.6 in June, far below the expectation of a 55.0, and just above the lowest economist forecast of 51.5. This was the biggest monthly crash in over 4 years. What's another name for this hilarious data series? Why the Baffle with BS Index of course, or Chicago PMI for short. What many saw as definitive proof of an industrial rennaissance in the May number (which only led to a huge ISM disappointment), will mean the economy stasis continues which should at least be good for the market. And since Baffle with BS must continue, look for the Mfg ISM, for which Chicago is a leading indicator, on Monday to be a solid beat. As for the PMI, fear not: it's the weather's fault."...


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'Dangerous Divisions in the Arab World,' NY Times Editorial Board. Sunni v Shiite violence in Egypt, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria

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6/28/13, "Dangerous Divisions in the Arab World," NY Times Editorial Board

"Even in a region where violence has become all too commonplace, the killing of four Shiite men in Egypt last weekend seemed particularly vicious. According to news reports, a cheering Sunni Muslim mob armed with clubs, swords and machetes raided a house in a Cairo suburb where about 30 people were marking a religious festival and beat, stabbed and lynched the four men. Video footage showed the victims’ bodies, bloodied and motionless, being dragged through the streets. Among those killed was a prominent Shiite cleric, Hassan Shehata.

The incident illustrates a pernicious sectarianism that was largely repressed by pre-Arab Spring dictators but that now threatens Egypt and much of the Arab world. If left unchecked by newly elected leaders who either exploit simmering historical animosities or refuse to address them constructively, divisions will worsen between Sunnis and Shiites or between Muslims and other minorities, like Christians, ensuring prolonged regional turmoil. 

In Egypt, President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni Islamist party from which he hails, have failed to unite the overwhelmingly Sunni country and its Christian and Shiite minorities around a centrist agenda in the post-Mubarak era. Instead, they have solidified ties with Salafist hard-liners in the Islamist camp; derided opponents, including many secularists, as “enemies of Egypt”; and demonized Shiite and Coptic Christian minorities. 

The mob attack came after months of anti-Shiite hate speech; the week before the incident, Mr. Morsi appeared on stage at an event with hard-line Sunni clerics who denounced Shiites as “filthy.” Tensions over Mr. Morsi’s rule have been running strong for some time. On Friday, at least three people were killed and hundreds were injured in protests, and many fear violence during protest rallies set for June 30, the first anniversary of his inauguration. The army has warned it may intervene if things get out of control. Mr. Morsi’s speech to the nation on Wednesday offered little to appease critics demanding his resignation.

The sectarian problem, however, goes well beyond Egypt. In Iraq, renewed killing between Sunnis and Shiites has produced the highest death toll in five years. Part of the blame falls on Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who heads an elected Shiite majority-led government that has never made good on promises to re-integrate minority Sunnis, empowered under Saddam Hussein then banished after his ouster, into politics and the work force. In Bahrain, the royal family representing the Sunni minority has cracked down hard on protests by a Shiite majority population seeking a greater role in political life. Sectarian tensions are also roiling Lebanon and, less so, Turkey. 

Every country’s situation is unique, but to a great extent the regional ferment has been stoked by Syria’s civil war as it spills across the border and ignites Sunnis and Shiites in neighboring states to also attack one another. The conflict began more than two years ago as peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the minority Alawites, a Shiite sect. Now with 100,000 Syrians killed, Sunnis across the region have become incensed by Mr. Assad’s brutality against the mainly Sunni opposition, while Shiites from outside Syria have joined the fight to defend Mr. Assad. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar — Sunni countries with broader strategic interests — are backing the Syrian opposition, while Iran and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, both Shiite entities, are backing Mr. Assad. 

Regardless of what happens in Syria, leaders in neighboring countries need to move quickly to reverse the sectarian slide. That means stating unequivocally that they are committed to the equal rights of all citizens and to ensuring that Shiites and other minorities can practice their religions without fear. Such principles are embedded in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. More broadly, it will require an acknowledgment that elections do not alone produce democracies; that governments need to be inclusive; and that nurturing hatreds, for whatever reason, inevitably backfires and makes stable societies impossible." via Free Republic 

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Jeb Bush kicks off Hillary 2016 presidential campaign in Sept. 2013 by giving her award and gushing about her on anniversary of bloody Benghazi murders

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6/28/13, "Jeb Bush to Present Liberty Medal to Mrs. Clinton on One-Year Anniversary of Benghazi," RushLimbaugh.com

"RUSH: From the Philadelphia Inquirer: Former Florida governor, and touted potential Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, is to present the Liberty Medal to Hillary Rodham Clinton.  "Hillary Rodham Clinton will receive the 2013 Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Jeb Bush, the chairman of the Constitution Center, will present the award to Clinton at a ceremony scheduled for September 10." By the way, that is the day before the one-year anniversary of Benghazi.... 

Someone who is touted as a Republican presidential candidate is going to be presenting it to her because he runs this organization? (sigh) "Well, of course, this will make the Democrats like us!  You know, women will have a greater appreciation for Republicans now that Jeb's in the news!"...

"Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to" covering up what really happened in Benghazi where four Americans are dead in a night of anguish brought about by the total incompetence of the State Department... No, no.  I'm...reading the wrong thing. 

Let's see. "'Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to serving and engaging people across the world in democracy,' said Bush... 'These efforts as a citizen, an activist, and a leader have earned Secretary Clinton this year’s Liberty Medal.'" This is the kind of stuff that causes my friend I was talking about in the first hour to think the Republican Party has been infiltrated. "Tickets for the general public," who can't wait to attend this awards ceremony, "will be made available in August.""...

========================

Comment: It's fine that the Bush crowd wants Hillary to be president. 'What difference does it make?' as they say. America no longer has a 2 party system, is officially a third world toilet.


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$650 million taxpayer dollars meant for EU water projects in Africa wasted, misspent, British Lords hear. Eurocrats reaction to their complicity in fraud and human misery, 'a grimace and a yawn'-BBC

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6/27/13, "EU aid to Africa badly spent, British inquiry hears," BBC

"A British parliamentary inquiry has heard that more than $650m ( £420m) worth of European Union aid to Africa may have been badly spent. 

The House of Lords Committee on External Affairs is looking into about $1.3bn worth of water projects in sub-Saharan Africa during the past decade.

Fewer than half of a sample of 23 projects met poor people's needs, the committee heard from EU auditors. The problems ranged from the planning stages to the projects' implementation."...

---------------------------------
BBC analyst Mark Doyle: News of squandered taxpayer money was "a yawn" to elites:

"In the hallowed atmosphere of the House of Lords - all oak-panelled walls and leather seats - the questioning was of course polite. 

Their Lordships had, after all, invited the EU watchdogs - the auditors who had spilled the beans - not those who had wasted the money. 

But I still expected a bit of outrage - after all, EU money is partly UK taxpayers' cash. 

But there was none - more a series of rather vague questions. 

Lord Jopling asked the most revealing question, and got the most revealing answer. 

He asked Mr Bostock if the reaction of Eurocrats to his revelations could be characterised by "a grimace and a yawn".

Mr Bostock replied, in a roundabout way: "Yes"."

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Hedge fund billionaire Obama donor Tom Steyer's fortune is from lifetime of investing in oil, gas, and pipeline cos. but he selfishly aims to prevent you from having the chance he did. Under guise of 'caring' about the planet, he's desperately spending big to stop Keystone Pipeline

6/27/13, "Obama Donor Set To Profit From Keystone Demise," IBD editorial

"A billionaire hedge fund manager and Barack Obama donor is pushing the president to stop the pipeline that would compete with one he's invested in. That pipeline could send Canadian oil to China.

Environmental activist Tom Steyer donated as much as he could to get Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey elected to the Senate in the recent special election to fill the seat vacated by now-Secretary of State John Kerry. He wanted another senator who's opposed to completing the Keystone XL pipeline that he says would be an environmental plague on the planet.

A few days before President Obama said that Keystone XL would be built only if it could be shown to have no net effect on greenhouse gas emissions, Steyer, a major contributor to Obama's campaigns, urged the president to kill the project....

Steyer has mounted an extensive campaign to kill Keystone, yet he owes his personal fortune to a lifetime of investments in oil, gas and pipeline companies. He stands to reap another financial reward through the extensive investments his hedge fund, Farallon Capital Management, has made over the last 27 years in fossil fuel companies. These include holdings that could benefit from the blocking of the Keystone pipeline.

Farallon has made millions for its investors, and left Steyer with a net worth estimated by Forbes at $1.4 billion. One of Farallon's biggest holdings is in U.S. pipeline company Kinder Morgan, which has plans to expand a major competitor to Keystone — the TransMountain pipeline.

Steyer has also lobbied against Northern Gateway, which would carry oil from Edmonton to Kitimat, British Columbia, on Canada's west coast. Curiously, he is not opposed to TransMountain, which Kinder Morgan has sought approval to expand.

If that expansion is approved, TransMountain will be the only available outlet for Alberta crude. If Keystone XL is killed, it will leave TransMountain as the only game in town for transporting oil directly from the oil sands to export terminals, up to 900,000 barrels a day. And most of that oil will be shipped west to China.

Steyer stepped down as Farallon's CEO late last year to focus on political and environmental activism. In his newfound fervor to go "green," he says he's directed the fund to divest him of all positions in oil and coal, including Kinder Morgan. But it appears that process is painstakingly slow. Meanwhile, his holdings increase in value as Keystone remains in limbo.
 
Steyer would not be the first Obama donor to profit from the president's energy policies. Obama's favorite one-percenter, Warren Buffett, made a good investment when he bought Burlington Northern Santa Fe in 2010 for $26.5 billion. With the explosive development of the Bakken shale formation centered in North Dakota, its oil riches are shipped south on Buffett's railroad in dangerous tank cars.

Last year's spike in oil production from shale caused a 46% increase in petroleum shipments for Burlington. For 2013, Burlington forecast a 40% increase in crude shipments. The Keystone XL pipeline would put a hole in Buffett's bottom line.

According to the Energy Policy Research Foundation, TransCanada was "looking to expand the Keystone XL capability by offering Bakken oil producers located in Montana and North Dakota a chance to link into the pipeline and send their crude to the Gulf Coast refineries for the first time."

As Al Gore has found out, saving the earth can also "green" your bank account." via Lucianne

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Obama praises national ID cards for voter registration in Kenya--but not Texas

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6/27/13, "WH Touts Kenyan Program to Obtain National ID Cards for Voter Registration," weeklystandard.com, J. Bier

"As President Obama and his family continue their tour of Africa, the White House put out a Fact Sheet entitled "U.S. Support for Strengthening Democratic Institutions, Rule of Law, and Human Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa." One of the first items highlighted by the White House is a $53 million program in Kenya that helps young people "obtain National identification cards, a prerequisite to voter registration."

"Civil society and independent media play a critical role in any vibrant democracy. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the United States supports efforts to ensure civil society organizations and independent media can organize, advocate, and raise awareness with governments and the private sector to improve political processes, transparency, and government performance.  Examples include: 

In Kenya, the $53 million Yes Youth Can program empowers nearly one million Kenyan youth to use their voices for advocacy in national and local policy-making, while also creating economic opportunities.  In advance of Kenya’s March 2013 general elections, Yes Youth Can’s “My ID My Life” campaign helped 500,000 youth obtain National identification cards, a prerequisite to voter registration, and carried out a successful nationwide campaign with Kenyan civic organizations to elicit peace pledges from all presidential aspirants. [emphasis added]"

 At an August 2012 press briefing, Jay Carney had the following to say about a Texas voter ID law:

And on the voter ID case, I can tell you that, as you know, this administration believes it should be easier for eligible citizens to vote -- to register and vote. We should not be imposing unnecessary obstacles or barriers to voter participation." via Lucianne

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Obama National Security Council officials invited terror-supporting cleric whose boss issued fatwa promoting female genital mutilation to meeting at the White House

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10/15/10, "Female genital mutilation cannot be defended as part of Islam," UK Guardian, George Readings, "Ken Livingstone is wrong to describe Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a leading progressive in the Muslim world" Qaradawi issued a fatwa that female circumcision confers health benefits.

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"Bin Bayyah works for Yusuf al-Qaradawi."

6/26/2013, "White House Rolls Out Red Carpet For Terror-Supporting Cleric," IBD editorial

"In a new low for an administration that courts U.S. enemies, the White House has met secretly with the deputy of a Muslim cleric who has called for the killing of U.S. troops.

On June 13, of all things the National Security Council hosted Sheik Abdullah bin Bayyah for a West Wing chat, where the radical Islamist asked for more support for Hamas and Syrian "rebels," i.e. al-Qaida terrorists.

President Obama's envoy to the Muslim world, Rashad Hussain, and senior NSC aide Gayle Smith reportedly asked for the meeting as a learning session.

Well, here's what the administration apparently didn't learn — or did find out and still didn't care — when it vetted the sheik:

• Bin Bayyah works for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who supports suicide bombings and issued a fatwa calling for attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Al-Qaradawi, who happens to be the spiritual leader of the radical Muslim Brotherhood, also once vowed to "conquer" America.

• His boss is considered so dangerous the State Department has banned him from entering the U.S. every year since 1999. Yet it apparently had no reservations granting a visa to his right-hand man. Why?

In 2004, bin Bayyah joined a radical pro-jihad group — the International Union of Muslim Scholars — which has supported Palestinian terrorists and called for the destruction of the state of Israel.

• Last year, the sheik participated in a conference in Mauritania sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America, which the Justice Department has blacklisted as a Hamas front group and named an unindicted terrorist co-conspirator.

• During his trip to Washington, bin Bayyah also visited the ADAMS Center, a northern Virginia mosque whose leaders' homes and businesses were raided by federal agents after 9/11 for terrorist connections.

It strains credulity that the White House was in the dark about this creep. His statements and videos and associations are readily available on the Internet.

Yet it rolled out the red carpet, legitimizing him and his group — "basically the equivalent of inviting al-Qaida to the White House," said Steve Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, which exposed the secret White House meeting.

We join Emerson in calling for Congress to investigate not only why the Secret Service OK'd a known jihadist's White House visit, but also why Homeland Security signed off on his visa."

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10/15/2010, "Female genital mutilation cannot be defended as part of Islam," UK Guardian, George Readings

"Ken Livingstone is wrong to describe Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a leading progressive in the Muslim world."

"Should a man who supports female genital mutilation (FGM) really be considered a "leading progressive in the Muslim world"?...

The facts are this: Qaradawi, who has been described as the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader, issued a fatwa (hosted on the Muslim Brotherhood's Islam Online website) arguing that "circumcision [in this case cutting the labia minora, not the clitoris – what the World Health Organisation (WHO) refers to as Type IIa FGM] is better for a woman's health and it enhances her conjugal relation with her husband" and that, while it is "not obligatory", "whoever finds it serving the interest of his daughters should do it, and I personally support this under the current circumstances in the modern world"....

Not only is Type IIa FGM far from anatomically equivalent to male circumcision, there are absolutely no health benefits for its subject. According to WHO, if male circumcision is carried out professionally in hygienic conditions it "has significant health benefits that outweigh the very low risk of complications". photo, Livingston and Qaradawi in 2004, getty



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Comment: Even if congress does "investigate," nothing will happen. 

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Senate Amnesty bill fines employers $5000 if they hire citizens over newly legalized aliens, Ted Cruz kindly informs us

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6/28/13, "68 Senators Vote to Create Incentive for Employers to Hire Amnestied Immigrants Over U.S. Citizens," John McCormack, weeklystandardcom

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6/27/13, "Ted Cruz Exposes Amnesty Bill: $5000 Penalty For Hiring Citizens Over Legalized Aliens," FreedomOutpost.com, Dean Garrison

"We can’t possibly expect our Senators to read a 1200 page bill before voting on it. Can we? Well Thank God Ted Cruz read it. Not only did Cruz read it but he schooled anyone who would listen from the Senate floor on Tuesday. Cruz found a loophole that actually penalizes an employer $5000 for hiring a citizen over a legalized alien. Seriously. You can’t make this stuff up. Senator Cruz was quoted as saying:
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“I filed an amendment that would have corrected one of the most egregious aspects of the gang of eight bill as it intersects with Obamacare legislation, namely a penalty imposed on U.S. employers for hiring U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. This bill says if an employer hires a citizen or a legal immigrant, the IRS can impose a $5,000 penalty on that employer. But if the employer instead hires someone with RPI status, that penalty will go away. That is utterly and completely indefensible.”
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“Nobody in this body wants to see African-American unemployment go up. Nobody wants to see Hispanic unemployment go up, youth unemployment go up, union household unemployment go up, legal immigrant unemployment go up. Yet every one of those will happen if this Gang of Eight bill passes without fixing this problem. If that happens, all 100 members of the U.S. Senate will be accountable to our constituents for explaining why we voted to put a federal penalty on hiring U.S.  citizens and hiring legal immigrants. I hope this body will choose to pass my amendment and fix this grave defect in the Gang of Eight legislation.”

It would be very interesting to know whose hand was responsible for slipping this into the bill but it surely won’t be the only surprise that comes from a 1200 page bill that has not been scrutinized by the majority of those who voted to pass it.

John Hayward reports:

Cruz already weathered a few hilariously botched attempts to “fact-check” his claim into oblivion, which ended with the “fact checkers” admitting he was right about the problem, but questioning whether employers would respond to this incentive on the scale he envisions.  (That, of course, is a difference of opinion, not a fact check.)
For added fun, the Weekly Standard collared five of the Democrat senators who voted to cut off debate on the immigration bill, and asked for their take on the problem Cruz describes.  None of them knew if the loophole had been addressed yet.  Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) babbled something incoherent that had nothing to do with the question; Tom Carper (D-DE) snarled that he was too busy to answer the question; and Max “Train Wreck” Baucus, the author of ObamaCare, mumbled: “We’re trying to solve that right now… I don’t know if that’s been solved.”

America, what in the hell are these Senators trying to sell us? I don’t even know where to begin with this story so I believe I will stop while I am ahead. Senator Cruz sums up the problem really well in the video. I will defer to the expert....

This is unreal, unbelievable and unforgivable." via Free Republic



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Mexico Immigration Law says immigrants must "have necessary funds for their sustenance and for their dependents." Mexico Constitution: "Non-citizens are forbidden to participate in demonstrations or express opinions in public about domestic politics," can't have public sector jobs

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MEXICO VS. UNITED STATES: MEXICAN IMMIGRATION LAWS ARE TOUGHER," factreal.wordpress.com

"MEXICO’S IMMIGRATION LAW:(a.k.a. General Law on Population)"

"• Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society:

- Foreigners are admitted into Mexico “according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress.” (Article 32)

- Immigration officials must “ensure” that “immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance” and for their dependents. (Article 34)
- Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when “they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy.” (Article 37)
- The Secretary of Governance may “suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest.” (Article 38)

• Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country:

- Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article 73)
- A National Population Registry keeps track of “every single individual who comprises the population of the country,” and verifies each individual’s identity. (Articles 85 and 86)
- A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number (Article 91).

• Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned:
 
Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117)
 
- Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)
- Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico — such as working with out a permit — can also be imprisoned.
• Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says,
- “A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally.” (Article 123)
- Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)
- Foreigners who “attempt against national sovereignty or security” will be deported. (Article 126)
• Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:
- A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article 127)
- Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented foreigners into Mexico will be fined. (Article 132)

MEXICO’S CONSTITUTION:^[2][4]Mexico’s Constitution (English translation)

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• The Mexican constitution expressly forbids non-citizens to participate in the country’s political life.

Non-citizens are forbidden to participate in demonstrations or express opinions in public about domestic politics. Article 9 states, “only citizens of the Republic may do so to take part in the political affairs of the country.” Article 33 is unambiguous: “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.”

• The Mexican constitution denies fundamental property rights to foreigners.

If foreigners wish to have certain property rights, they must renounce the protection of their own governments or risk confiscation. Foreigners are forbidden to own land in Mexico within 100 kilometers of land borders or within 50 kilometers of the coast.

Article 27 states, “Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters. The State may grant the same right to foreigners, provided they agree before the Ministry of Foreign Relations to consider themselves as nationals in respect to such property, and bind themselves not to invoke the protection of their governments in matters relating thereto; under penalty, in case of noncompliance with this agreement, of forfeiture of the property acquired to the Nation. Under no circumstances may foreigners acquire direct ownership of lands or waters within a zone of one hundred kilometers along the frontiers and of fifty kilometers along the shores of the country.” (Emphasis added)

The Mexican constitution denies equal employment rights to immigrants, even legal
ones, in the public sector.
 

“Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable. In time of peace no foreigner can serve in the Army nor in the police or public security forces.” (Article 32)

• The Mexican constitution guarantees that immigrants will never be treated as real Mexican citizens, even if they are legally naturalized.

Article 32 bans foreigners, immigrants, and even naturalized citizens of Mexico from serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports:

“In order to belong to the National Navy or the Air Force, and to discharge any office or commission, it is required to be a Mexican by birth. This same status is indispensable for captains, pilots, masters, engineers, mechanics, and in general, for all personnel of the crew of any vessel or airship protected by the Mexican merchant flag or insignia. It is also necessary to be Mexican by birth to discharge the position of captain of the port and all services of practique and airport commandant, as well as all functions of customs agent in the Republic.”"...via Mark Levin show

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