January 8 and 9, 2016


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/armed-militia-takeover-oregon-debate-meaning-of-terrorist/

Militia takeover sparks debate on meaning of "terrorist"
CBS/AP
January 3, 2016

Photograph -- Ammon Bundy KOIN


BURNS, Ore. - They call themselves patriots, defenders of the constitution. They love guns and they hate the federal government. They are largely white, and the numerous self-styled militias popping up across the country have frequently been accused of taking on racist beliefs or practices.

In Oregon, there was a perfect mesh of the love of guns and the hate of the federal government over the weekend when a militia took over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge after protesting the arrest of two ranchers.

Ammon Bundy - the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in an armed standoff with the government over grazing rights - told The Oregonian on Saturday that he and two of his brothers were among a group of dozens of people occupying the headquarters.

Ammon Bundy posted a video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located. Below the video is this statement: "(asterisk)(asterisk)ALL PATRIOTS ITS TIME TO STAND UP NOT STAND DOWN!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! COME PREPARED."

So far, police are keeping their distance from the militia, reports the Oregonian. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said in a statement late Saturday: "A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution."

The situation has led to a debate online, with many making the assertion that the situation would be handled differently if the occupiers were not white. The hashtag #oregonunderattack has sparked a debate about the role of race in official reactions to the situation.


COMMENTS --

Phoebe Robinson @PRobinsonComedy
Blk ppl waitin for National Guard call on militia terrorists the way NG was called for Ferguson. #OregonUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/ROVKgtkHYP
1:14 PM - 3 Jan 2016

Si Erick Henry @Bihhh_Slide
If they were black or Muslim the whole area would've been raided and they all would be dead by now smh #OregonUnderAttack
9:57 AM - 3 Jan 2016



There were many comments to this article, all of which were highly emotional and biased to one side or the other. I will simply say that from what I've seen in my lifetime, there would have been a radically different response if the armed dissidents were brown skinned or non-Christian. I realize that the government is probably hesitant to initiate the kind of gunplay and worse that occurred under President Clinton against a bizarre and heavily armed religious group called the Branch Davidians. It is interesting that they are, however, advocating a partial "overthrow of the US Government," and at this same time several Tea Partiers are calling for a radical change in our government amounting to overthrow in my opinion, under the guise of a Constitutional Convention. My, oh my, do I live in "interesting times!"




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-creating-new-counter-terrorism-task-force/

White House creating new counter-terrorism task force
By STEPHANIE CONDON CBS NEWS
January 8, 2016


The administration is stepping up its efforts to curb the influence that groups like ISIS have in the United States with a new permanent, interagency task force.

The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Task Force will be hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with leaders coming from both DHS and the Justice Department (DOJ). The FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center and other federal agencies will also be involved.

"Countering violent extremism has become a homeland security imperative, and it is a mission to which I am personally committed," DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement the new task force would enable the federal government to more effectively "support local efforts to counter violent extremism."

U.S. recruits tech leaders to help disrupt ISIS

The administration has been working on its CVE efforts for years. In 2011, it issued a "National Strategy on Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States." In spite of its efforts, the White House has seen the influence of groups like ISIS on Americans increase, shown at its worst when the husband and wife team of Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik shot 14 people in the San Bernardino, California last month.

Over the past year, the White House has been ramping up its efforts. Last February, it hosted a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, and last year, DHS established its Office of Community Partnerships to build relationships with "trusted communities" who could help thwart extremist messages.

Then in the summer of 2015, representatives from 11 departments and agencies took a fresh look at the 2011 "Strategy." The new task force aims to fill the gaps identified in the Strategy, such as coordinating and prioritizing CVE efforts across agencies, and communicating those efforts to the public. More specifically, the task force will organize CVE efforts in areas such as research and analysis, technical assistance, and helping to develop "intervention" programs.

In addition to creating this new task force, the administration announced Friday the State Department is establishing a Global Engagement Center, allowing the department to focus more on lifting up the voices of its international partners and to shift away from direct messaging. The U.S. government is aiming to appear more credible abroad by presenting its point of view through local partners.

The new efforts were announced on the same day senior White House officials were meeting with representatives from Silicon Valley to discuss ways the tech sector can work with the government to combat terrorism.



“The administration has been working on its CVE efforts for years. In 2011, it issued a "National Strategy on Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States." …. last year, DHS established its Office of Community Partnerships to build relationships with "trusted communities" who could help thwart extremist messages. Then in the summer of 2015, representatives from 11 departments and agencies took a fresh look at the 2011 "Strategy."

I do hope that doesn't mean all-white, Christian, Republican and otherwise right-leaning communities. We certainly do need to prevent violence, but we need to be careful how we do that. I think more intelligence work and less violent intervention is the way to go.

See the next article on a proposed Constitutional Convention for a real shocker. I wonder how representatives to that convention will be selected. I hope that goodness will prevail over evil on this matter.



http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/texas-governor-calls-for-constitutional-convention/ar-CCiIFz?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

Texas governor calls for constitutional convention
The Hill Harper Neidig
January 8, 2016

Photograph -- Texas governor calls for constitutional convention© Provided by The Hill Texas governor calls for constitutional convention


Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday called for a constitutional convention of states to offer nine amendments in order to “restore the Rule of Law and return the Constitution to its intended purpose.”

“The increasingly frequent departures from Constitutional principles are destroying the Rule of Law foundation on which this country was built,” said Abbott in a statement.

“We are succumbing to the caprice of man that our Founders fought to escape. The cure to these problems will not come from Washington D.C. Instead, the states must lead the way.”

The nine proposed amendments are:

· Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one State.

· Require Congress to balance its budget.

· Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from creating federal law.

· Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from preempting state law.

· Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

· Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law.

· Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.

· Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.

· Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a federal law or regulation.


According to The Dallas Morning News, Abbott said in a speech that he believes a constitutional convention would make the federal government “take the constitution seriously again.”

Article V of the Constitution says that amendments can be added if two-thirds of states agree to a convention, where a three-fourths majority of states is required to pass any proposed amendments.

Abbott's call for a constitutional convention follows that of Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio, who wrote in an op-ed that if elected president, "I will promote a convention of states to amend the Constitution and restore limited government."






January 9, 2016

News Clips For The Day


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/12090770/What-is-the-Mountain-of-Butterflies-Google-Doodle-tribute-to-41st-anniversary-of-the-great-monarch-butterfly-discovery.html

What and where is the Mountain of Butterflies? Here is the incredible story of a decades-long search
By Michael Wilkinson3:49PM GMT 09 Jan 2016

Photograph -- The Monarch butterfly is under threat due to climate change and deforestation in Mexico, where the species migrates to from the the US and Canada in winter Photo: ALAMY

In 1975 a search that has spanned several decades finally came to fruition when volunteers discovered the overwintering place of the monarch butterfly

One of the natural world's most fascinating mysteries, the Mountain of Butterflies, was unlocked 41 years ago today.

The discovery of the overwintering place of the graceful monarch butterfly had taken several decades of searching by thousands of volunteers.

But after trekking across an entire continent for an answer, it was a team led by Canadian zoologists led by Fred Urquhart that final tracked the resting place of the butterflies as they made their migratory journeys south.

Ken Brugger and Catalina Trail's determination helped the team find the answers they had been looking for.

The butterflies attach themselves to oyamel trees in the Sierra Madre Mountains, in eastern Mexico.

The monarch butterfly is under threat due to climate change and deforestation in the country, where the species migrates to from the the US and Canada in winter.

The discovery has been celebrated today by a Google Doodle on the search engine's homepage.

The homage to the discovery was created by artist Kevin Laughlin.




In the 1970s my father put a plastic marker on several milkweed plants that were growing on the border of his backyard garden to prevent their being mowed down. I was impressed that he had read about the endangered Monarch and did his bit to help them survive. It’s easy to do, and more individuals need to make that simple effort, as well as planting trees on their land if they have enough to support such large plants.

There are now, of course, small “butterfly gardens” being planted on private land in an effort to help. I remember seeing seed packets for such patches of butterfly-friendly plants. Most wild flowers are pretty and though some still persist in calling them “weeds,” many enlightened individuals are doing their part for this effort. Thank goodness. We still need more, though.

Go out into your yard, dig up a patch or border strip and plant the seeds. I don’t want one of my fondest memories to become a thing of the past. There is nothing more graceful and beautiful than lepidopterans; they don’t usually carry diseases to the best of my knowledge and undoubtedly do contribute to plant pollination as do the bees and some other small animals – certain bats, for instance. We shouldn’t forget that the plants we depend on for food require pollinators.

If we allow the beauty and variety of our lifeforms on this earth to disappear due to our negligence, that will be a tragedy as great as the many effects of Global Warming, or Climate Change as some are now calling the phenomenon. The moneyed interests such as individuals and companies whose businesses consist of logging, large scale agriculture and the expansion of city boundaries are forcing the gradual extinction of many species as their habitats are destroyed. We shouldn’t forget that all green plants “breathe” CO2 and release O2 as a byproduct. The human race needs to use more common sense in their actions and contribute the preservation of animal habitats that are so necessary in the world. We shouldn’t forget that the innocent and beautiful biota on this globe are among the most powerful and honest sources of religious feeling and thought.

See Wikipedia for detailed information on the Monarch butterfly -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_Butterfly_Biosphere_Reserve on the.



Remember Bobby Darin, performer of one of my favorite songs -- Beautiful Things”? See the unforgettable lyrics below and listen to it on YouTube.

The world is full of beautiful things
Butterfly wings, fairy tale kings
And each new day undoubtedly brings
Still more beautiful things

The world abounds with many delights
Magical sights, fanciful flights
And those who dream on beautiful nights
Dream of beautiful things

Beautiful days for sunshine lazin'
Beautiful skies and shores
Beautiful days when I can gaze
In beautiful eyes like yours

You wonder why the nightingale sings
Lovers have wings, people wear rings
The world is full of beautiful things
Beautiful people, too
Beautiful people like you

Beautiful days of sun kissed showers
Beautiful sea kissed breeze
Beautiful nights of moon kissed hours
Beautiful dreams like these

Our lives tick by like pendulum swings
Delicate things, butterfly wings
Life is full of beautiful things
Beautiful people, too
Beautiful people like you

Like you, just like you, people like you
Beautiful people like you

Songwriters
BRICUSSE, LESLIE

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC


Read more: Bobby Darin - Beautiful Things Lyrics | MetroLyrics





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/philadelphia-police-edward-archer-shooting-jesse-hartnett-name-of-islam/

Police probe man's claim of shooting cop in Islam's name
CBS/AP
January 9, 2016

Photograph -- Officer Jesse Hartnett, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Play VIDEO -- Surveillance video shows attack on Philadelphia police officer
Play VIDEO -- New picture shows moment Philadelphia police officer was shot
Play VIDEO -- Gunman in custody after ambushing Philadelphia cop
Photograph -- Officer Jesse Hartnett chases after a suspect identified by police as Edward Archer after Hartnett was ambushed in Philadelphia Jan. 7, 2016, in a still taken from police camera footage. PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT


PHILADELPHIA -- Officer Jesse Hartnett was slowly patrolling his usual West Philadelphia beat just before midnight when a man appeared out of the darkness, firing a hail of bullets at close range as he charged toward the policeman's car.

Hours later, police say, Edward Archer confessed to shooting the officer and told investigators he was following Allah, and had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Archer said he believed the police department defends laws that are contrary to Islam, police said.

Local and federal authorities spent much of Friday trying to verify the motive and executing search warrants at two Philadelphia area properties associated with Archer, hoping for more insight into how and why the shooting happened.

Archer's mother told The Philadelphia Inquirer her 30-year-old son had been hearing voices recently and had felt targeted by police. She said the family had asked him to get help.

At a news conference, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross, who just took office Tuesday, didn't label the shooting a terrorist attack, though he said Archer "clearly gave us a motive."

"It wasn't like laying it out completely, chapter and verse for us," Ross told reporters at the department's headquarters as Archer was being questioned upstairs. "We're left to say, 'OK, he's leaving a trail for us. Where's it going to lead us, if anywhere?'"

Ross told CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan his biggest regret was that the firearm used was stolen from a fellow police officer's home in 2013.

"It cuts deep," Ross said. "I mean, things happen, but it cuts deep and deeper."

Investigators believe Archer traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and to Egypt in 2012, FBI special agent Eric Ruona said, and the purpose of that travel was being investigated by the FBI. Police said there was no indication anyone else was involved, and it is unclear if and where Archer practiced his faith locally.

Archer's mother, Valerie Holliday, described her son as devout Muslim. Jacob Bender, the executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, said he contacted about five inner-city mosques and found no one who knew of Archer.

At about 11:40 p.m. Thursday, Archer fired at least 13 shots toward Hartnett and eventually got up next to the car and reached through the driver's side window, investigators said. Despite being seriously wounded, Hartnett got out of his car, chased the suspect and returned fire, wounding his attacker in the buttocks, police said. Other officers chased Archer and apprehended him about a block away.

The 9 mm pistol used by Archer was recovered at the scene of the shooting, police said. Officials said they were trying to figure out how Archer got the weapon and whether it passed through other people's hands since the October 2013 theft.

Last March, Archer pleaded guilty to firearms and assault charges stemming from a 2012 case but was immediately released and placed on probation, court records show. Records also show he was scheduled to be sentenced Monday in suburban Philadelphia in a traffic and forgery case.

The attorney who represented him in the firearms case was unavailable for comment Friday because he was in court, his office said. His lawyer in the forgery case did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Surveillance footage of the attack showed Archer dressed in a white, long-sleeved tunic. When asked if the robe was considered Muslim garb, Ross said he didn't know and didn't think it mattered.

"We've already established why he believes he did it, and that's probably enough," Ross said.

Hartnett, 33, was shot three times in the arm and will require multiple surgeries, but was listed in stable condition at a hospital. Archer was treated and released into police custody.

Ross repeatedly called Hartnett's survival "absolutely amazing."

"It's nothing short of miraculous and we're thankful for that," he said.

The officer's father, Robert Hartnett, said his son was in good spirits.

"He's a tough guy," he said.

Hartnett served in the Coast Guard and has been on the Philadelphia force for four years. He always wanted to be a police officer, his father said.

When Hartnett called in to report shots fired, he shouted into his police radio: "I'm bleeding heavily!"

Jim Kenney, in his first week as mayor of the nation's fifth-largest city, called Archer's actions "abhorrent" and "terrible" and said they have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam.

"This is a criminal with a stolen gun who tried to kill one of our officers," he said. "It has nothing to do with being a Muslim or following the Islamic faith."



“Archer's mother told The Philadelphia Inquirer her 30-year-old son had been hearing voices recently and had felt targeted by police. She said the family had asked him to get help. …. Hours later, police say, Edward Archer confessed to shooting the officer and told investigators he was following Allah, and had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Archer said he believed the police department defends laws that are contrary to Islam, police said. …. Investigators believe Archer traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and to Egypt in 2012, FBI special agent Eric Ruona said, and the purpose of that travel was being investigated by the FBI. Police said there was no indication anyone else was involved, and it is unclear if and where Archer practiced his faith locally. …. Archer's mother, Valerie Holliday, described her son as devout Muslim. Jacob Bender, the executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, said he contacted about five inner-city mosques and found no one who knew of Archer.”


I have to agree with Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia, that these recent converts to the cause of ISIS are not really religious people, but are mentally deranged, basically hostile individuals instead, who really want to go out and shoot someone. Anyone would do, or in this case he has justified that desire by selecting a victim who is supposedly an enemy of his religion, police officers. To focus entirely on Muslims would be first non-productive and second simple group hatred. We should not forget the other potentially hostile religious or social groups either. It includes groups ranging from the Militias, the NeoNazis and the KKK to these radical Islamists, The latest hate group. It is, in my view, a violent crime that was searching for a justification. this police officer had done absolutely nothing to anyone to deserve being shot. Luckily Archer has been apprehended rather than killed. He will be given mental examinations, and then tried. If he does happen to have some cohorts in the US or abroad, hopefully they will be captured as well.






http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2015/12/17/tiny-homes-provide-shelter-for-nashville-homeless.html?utm_campaign=americatonight&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

Tiny homes provide shelter for Nashville’s homeless
by Lisa Fletcher @lisa_fletch & Lisa Binns @binnsee
December 17, 2015

Photograph -- Tiny homes provide shelter for Nashville’s homeless 4:59, America Tonight | November 26, 2015
Photograph -- Peter Regan outside his home. America Tonight
Photograph -- Danny lives in a tent camp in the woods. America Tonight
Photograph -- Asobo is funding his younger brother’s education and hopes that he will be able to move into his own apartment after his brother graduates.America Tonight
Photograph -- After Okoth’s roommates moved out, he couldn’t afford to pay rent. He is applying for jobs and hoping to move into his own place soon. America Tonight
Photograph -- Local homelessness outreach organizations say there could be as many as 8,000 people sleeping on the streets in Nashville.America Tonight



NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s not every day you see houses towed behind pickup trucks, making their way through the center of town. But a few months ago, homes in Nashville, Tennessee began that journey, delivering security and shelter to those who needed it most.

It’s part of a unique project called the Sanctuary. In 2012 the Green Street Church of Christ, which has long been a service provider to the homeless, started offering safe refuge behind the church’s fence to homeless campers. The church’s deacon, Caleb Pickering, says that before he knew it 20 tents were in its backyard. Three years later, Nashville pastor Jeff Carr approached Pickering and the Green Street Church with an idea: Convert the tents into microhomes.

By all accounts, Nashville is a thriving city, drawing tourists and new residents in huge numbers. Forbes named it one of America’s 20 fastest-growing cities in 2015. But according to advocates, that popularity is also driving up the homeless population, with fewer options for low-income housing.

It’s estimated there are roughly 600,000 homeless in the United States. The official numbers for Nashville are around 2,300, but local outreach organizations believe the number is three times that, totaling close to 8,000 men, women and children.

Seven houses are in the place, and more are on the way. America Tonight.

Carr raised the $50,000 needed to construct the six initial homes in just 45 days.

Now with seven homes in place in the Sanctuary and plans for more on the way, these homes provide more than shelter from the elements to the men and women residing in them.

The residents told America Tonight the homes provide dignity, security, and a place to plan their future:

Peter Regan

Peter Regan has been on the streets almost his entire life. The 60-year-old says he is bipolar, but receiving treatment and counseling. His humble home is complete with battery-powered heat and creative storage for his belongings.

“It’s great knowing you can lock your stuff up and it's going to be there when you come back,” says Regan.

He volunteers almost daily as a church van driver. He says it’s his way of giving back and helping others he believes are more in need than himself.

He’s currently looking for work and hoping to transition into his own apartment.

Charles Asobo

Charles Asobo says he fled Nigeria to escape Boko Haram. When the former environmental engineer arrived in the U.S., he found himself alone and out of money. Now he and several others at the Sanctuary work full time for a Nashville moving company. He says he sends his money to Russia to put his little brother through school. Once his brother graduates, Asobo will be able to move out of his microhome and into his own apartment.

“Your privacy gives you time to think on the next step of things you want to do,” Asobo said.

Moses Okoth

Moses Okoth moved from Kenya to Nashville to complete degree in pharmacology. But shortly after graduating, his roommates left. Suddenly, he couldn’t afford the rent and found himself living in his car. He is applying for jobs and hopes to move out of The Sanctuary in the next few months.

“It’s like heaven for some of us," Okoth said. "Here, you’ve got privacy, there’s people that bring food.”

Danny Alexander

Unfortunately, not everyone in Nashville has a roof over his head.

Danny Alexander lives in tent camps in the woods. Like many others sleeping rough in Nashville, Alexander puts his tent on top of anything he can find to elevate and insulate it from the ground.

Earlier this month, members of the outreach group Open Table Nashville were bandaging wounds he suffered a few days earlier, and giving him much-needed supplies.

Taking inspiration from the Sanctuary, Open Table Nashville is on the cusp of opening its own microhome community to offer more suitable temporary shelter to people, like Alexander.

As for the Sanctuary, Pickering says they’re hoping to raise enough money to build microhomes for every resident currently in a tent, and provide additional support services. But he's aware that the Sanctuary isn't going to solve the issue of homelessness in Nashville.

He says, "We're helping 20 people out, which is great, which is what we are capable of doing ... but the community has really got to step up to really get into something as big as solving homelessness."



"By all accounts, Nashville is a thriving city, drawing tourists and new residents in huge numbers. Forbes named it one of America’s 20 fastest-growing cities in 2015. But according to advocates, that popularity is also driving up the homeless population, with fewer options for low-income housing. It’s estimated there are roughly 600,000 homeless in the United States. The official numbers for Nashville are around 2,300, but local outreach organizations believe the number is three times that, totaling close to 8,000 men, women and children. …. Taking inspiration from the Sanctuary, Open Table Nashville is on the cusp of opening its own microhome community to offer more suitable temporary shelter to people, like Alexander. …. As for the Sanctuary, Pickering says they’re hoping to raise enough money to build microhomes for every resident currently in a tent, and provide additional support services. But he's aware that the Sanctuary isn't going to solve the issue of homelessness in Nashville.”


This is the second similar idea I’ve read about in the last couple of years. The first one is to convert those metal containers from container ships. They’re a little larger than these microhomes and can be bought cheaply. These have a more charming houselike appearance, however, whereas the others look just like a shipping container. Those also, however, solve the physical comfort and privacy issues as the Nashville dwellings do. One of the men in Nashville who had been living in his car is now in one of the microhomes and looking for work after having finished a college degree there.

Poverty does not mean stupidity, laziness, or immorality, but is due to a harsh reverse in circumstances at a time when the individual had no employment. Not being able to pay rent means homelessness within a month in many cases and I personally cannot find it in my heart to blame the homeless for their unfortunate condition. Too many of the financially comfortable members of society simply have no concern for their fellow man, no insight into how they became so comfortable, and no intention to try to help out. We’re too often in this country “fat cats” who believe in the divine right of the wealthy to grab and keep everything that they can. They believe it is their innate superiority that is being “rewarded” by God in that way. Unfortunately many churches actually preach that fallacious gospel from the pulpit. It is sickening.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-christie-poverty-can-be-a-difficult-thing-to-talk-about-election-2016/

Chris Christie: Poverty can be "a difficult thing to talk about"
By TIM PERRY CBS NEWS
January 9, 2016

Play VIDEO -- Full Interview: Gov. Chris Christie, December 6
Play VIDEO -- Full Interview: Gov. Chris Christie, October 25


Moments after speaking at a GOP anti-poverty summit in South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie acknowledged that poverty can be "a difficult thing to talk about" in an interview with "Face the Nation" moderator John Dickerson.

"The federal government has so bollixed up this effort to try to combat poverty by being too involved that a lot of folks are uncomfortable with the topic itself." Christie said in the interview, which will air on Sunday's broadcast. "They don't know how to talk about this in real terms."

Christie pointed to his tenure as New Jersey governor to demonstrate how he's talked about poverty and acted to alleviate it. The governor spoke about his effort to double the earned income tax, which he says gave people more of an incentive to work.

"If people decide to go out there, they're going to be making more money working than they're going to be sitting on their couch," Christie explained. "That's where you have to do these things. Give work incentives so the people get back to work."

Dickerson asked Christie about those who believe Republicans don't talk much about poverty "because the poor aren't going to vote" for the GOP.

"I don't believe that's true," Christie replied. "I got 61 percent of the vote in New Jersey. Some really challenged folks in New Jersey economically voted for me in 2013. The fact is they want hope."

"And here's the other thing," Christie continued. "I'm a Republican who campaigns in places where I'm uncomfortable. I go into African American churches. I go into the barrios, to small Hispanic businesses. We have gone and campaigned in all of the major cities in New Jersey, got support from Democratic African-American mayors for reelection...And we need to do that as a party if we're going to be a national presidential party again."

Dickerson later asked the governor about his decision to expand Medicaid in the state of New Jersey under the Affordable Care Act. Christie defended his position, saying that it was good for the state because it made the state money in the end.

"What it did was just have the federal government pick up more of the tab that the state was already picking up. We made about 220 million dollars on Medicaid expansion, which helped us to do other things like cut taxes...do things like the earned income tax credit for people." Christie said.

"Now, if I were president, I wouldn't have expanded Medicaid, but that wasn't my choice. And as governor, my job is to represent the people who have elected me," he added. "We didn't need the federal expansion. We were already protecting a lot of people in New Jersey. What I'm saying is we were paying 50 pecent of that. Now, we're paying none of it. That's a smart thing to do as a fiscal manager in your state, It allows you to do other things. That's why I expanded Medicaid. Not because I philosophically agree with it, but because I'm representing the people of my state."

Tune in Sunday to see more of our interview with Christie! Check your local listings for airtimes.



“Christie pointed to his tenure as New Jersey governor to demonstrate how he's talked about poverty and acted to alleviate it. The governor spoke about his effort to double the earned income tax, which he says gave people more of an incentive to work. …. "And here's the other thing," Christie continued. "I'm a Republican who campaigns in places where I'm uncomfortable. I go into African American churches. I go into the barrios, to small Hispanic businesses. We have gone and campaigned in all of the major cities in New Jersey, got support from Democratic African-American mayors for reelection...And we need to do that as a party if we're going to be a national presidential party again." …. "What it did was just have the federal government pick up more of the tab that the state was already picking up. We made about 220 million dollars on Medicaid expansion, which helped us to do other things like cut taxes...do things like the earned income tax credit for people." Christie said. "Now, if I were president, I wouldn't have expanded Medicaid, but that wasn't my choice. And as governor, my job is to represent the people who have elected me," he added.”


Some of Christie’s comments show that he is indeed a moderate Republican rather than a simple-minded Tea Party rightwinger. It’s unfortunate that he has been tainted by the horrible political vendetta which some of his staffers were responsible for – “Bridgegate.” I hope that he really knew nothing about it until it hit the news, since it was so malicious and harmful. I still will not vote for any Republican, at least not this year and probably not during my time on this earth, but I am glad to see that there are Republicans who haven’t quoted the Romney statement that the poor “don’t vote for Republicans,” so why should they help them or work to gain their votes. Christie's efforts to go among the poor and into depressed population areas show some political insight, and perhaps even some real compassion. At any rate, I like him as a human and a candidate much more than the overconfident fat cats like Romney, Ted Cruz and (especially) Donald Trump.