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Wow! The video below is about the most shocking thing — which is saying landfills — I’ve ever seen or heard regarding public education. It will floor you. If you haven’t heard the audio or seen the video yet, or heard media outlets reporting or discussing (debating) it yet, you soon will. It’s a case of The Left taking offense at being called extreme and anti-American when its their own words at work. Not much can be added to what you will see. (See The Blaze.com for more on this story.)

Here’s the background: The Tuscon (Arizona) Unified School District is using a text book for students as early as the 3rd grade, in a course of study called the Ethnic Studies Curriculum, which contains content that not only disparages and lies about America and certain groups of Americans (whites, Christians), but does it in a vile way, including several four-letter words! “Blood sucking capitalists” is about as mild as it gets in this leftist propaganda “text book.”

Parents finally confronted the district school board about this recently, a portion of which is on the video. The school board members act as if this is news to them and one doesn’t even recognize the irony when he asks a parent to stop reading the offending words at the meeting even though children in school are being subjected to them! Still, liberals and teacher union bosses and political hacks, and their liberal legislative allies at all levels of government throughout the country insist nothing is wrong with public education  . . . except a lack of money (which pays for this trash). Amazing!

Warning: The video below contains coarse and vile language.

Oh, wait. Maybe the public schools  just need more money! That’s the answer  . . . it always is!

As with yesterday’s post about the NEA, where a high ranking official without shame articulated that group’s real objectives (money and power) in contradiction to its stated goals of improving education, today we bring you something similar, though thoroughly crude and disturbing, by Planned Parenthood. It’s a video, by our friends at Catholicvote.org, of a Planned Parenthood march and rally earlier this year. The video simply records pro-abortion radicals saying (often screaming) what they believe, while (to put it kindly) distorting what pro-lifers believe. Of course, the Mainstream Media won’t embarrass its own movement by covering such nonsense (but when there’s a Tea Party rally calling for commonsense spending restraint . . . you know what happens). Neither did the MSM cover this rally of “liberals” last year, where participants gladly called themselves socialists and communists. (But let a conservative call these radicals what they admit to being and the media contrives a firestorm.)

Still, it’s important to hear what the pro-abortion side truly believes (government funding and insurance coverage of abortion on demand), in their own (shrill) words. Nothing close to “safe, legal and rare.” Of course, liberals claim that conservatives distort their positions and it is conservatives who are out of touch. But it’s hard to claim Planned Parenthood is reasonable after watching this. As with the teachers union, what Planned Parenthood says (and how it acts) for public consumption and what it sincerely shrieks when it thinks no one is watching is vastly different.

“Government should fund Planned Parenthood.”

“I want Planned Parenthood to be like Starbucks. I want a Planned Parenthood on every corner.”

Speaking of Virginia’s lawsuit against ObamaCare: Remember all the liberal hysteria regarding all the money Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli supposedly is spending on the constitutional challenge to the federal health care law (Richmond Times-Dispatch) — as if government spending has ever been an issue with liberals? Never mind that he is defending Virginia law (the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act), which it is his duty to do.

Where are the howls of disgust by the same people now that the Obama Justice Department refuses to agree (Times-Dispatch) with the Attorney General for an expedited appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court (Washington Examiner)? Without such an appeal, we’re talking at least two cases in U.S. Courts of Appeals, at least another year or more of legal work and court proceedings, endless briefs and motions, travel from Washington to Richmond and Atlanta, meetings, hundreds of hours of federal government employee time and who knows what else it takes to try a case these days — only this will be two cases simultaneously, not to mention any further cases that are filed in federal district courts by other states or aggrieved parties. It’s no exaggeration to say the cost could be in the millions. That’s a lot more than the $350 it cost the Commonwealth to file its case in Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia . . . but a lot less than the $1.1 billion it will cost Virginia to implement ObamaCare. The pricelessness of the hypocrisy is passed only by the reality of the true costs.

Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-35, Springfield) is known for his bluntness. Sometimes that’s refreshing in politics. But there’s a fine line between blunt and crude. Today, on Washington station WAMU-FM’s The Politics Hour, he offered this braggadocio when asked about the abortion center regulation amendment to SB 924 that the Senate approved on a 21-20 vote, as reported by Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post’s Virginia Politics blog:

“Let me just say this: Over the last decade, it’s no secret. I happen to be pro-choice. I’ve been pretty much responsible for bottling up or killing 80 bills.”

He noted that most of those anti-abortion bills have died in the Senate’s Education and Health Committee, whose pro-abortion rights membership, he said, he’d helped “engineer.”

“One finally got through through circuitous means,” he said. “Eighty of 81 ain’t a bad batting average.”

Not bad at all, senator, unless you’re one of the hundreds (even thousands) of unborn babies who’ve died because of your obstruction. On the other hand, he didn’t try to fool anyone — no pretense of “safe, legal and rare,” so many liberals try to effect to appease some voters as a sensible position. He gladly took credit for the out of proportion stacking of the Education and Health Committee, as well. But it was nice to see Ms. Helderman’s equally frank, fair and accurate description of Senator Saslaw as “pro-abortion,” a term we expound upon here as the true motivation of many who call themselves “pro-choice.”

Speaking of stacking committees, he was equally blunt on redistricting, saying he expected to redraw district lines in an effort to elect more liberals. The interview also included a surprise caller that sparked real fireworks. It’s worth a listen (you can find the audio here) or a read (you can read the transcript here).

Bringing at least a modicum of school choice and education freedom long has been a goal of reform minded people who realize that the government-run education monopoly is holding back academic achievement. This Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee has a chance to show its open mindedness and independence from the education establishment when it votes on HB 2314, patroned by Delegate Jimmie Massie’s (R-72, Henrico).

The bill establishes a tax credit for businesses donating to non-profit organizations providing scholarships to free and reduced lunch students (family of four earning less than $40,793 per year). Despite fierce opposition from the Virginia School Board Association and the Virginia Education Association, the bill passed the House of Delegates 54-45 this week.

The modesty of this bill is testimony to how tenacious and powerful the Educrat establishment is in Richmond. It will fight to the death anything that hints at cracking its monopoly or reforms it from within. This is no exaggeration. The Educrats even are resisting a bill to provide for more physical education (HB 1644), patroned by Delegate John O’Bannon (R-73, Henrico). (See Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog.)

On the heels of yesterday’s well-attended Family Foundation Day at the Capitol and rally focused on school choice, we think there is real momentum to pass HB 2314. It’s certainly well passed time, considering the state of public education in certain areas of the state and for certain families that are trapped with no option but to attend an inadequate public school.
 
Similar scholarship programs in Pennsylvania and Florida have been huge successes. Florida’s program is a prime example, where demand for a program started in 2001 has grown from $50 million to $88 million, providing scholarships for more than 33,000 low-income children.
 
The bill is designed to avoid the nefarious ”negative fiscal impact” to the state. In fact, the fiscal impact will be all positive. Florida’s program, for example, saved that state $36 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year alone, according to the Florida Office of Program Analysis and Government Accountability.
 
In Florida and elsewhere, thousands of children have been given opportunities for a better education through scholarships created because funding is available. Despite cries of “taking money from children” in public schools, the scholarship programs in other states have in no way negatively affected public schools. 
 
Unfortunately, the Senate Finance Committee has been very hostile to any legislation that provides education freedom to families. Last year, it killed a similar bill by a 9-6 vote — see committee members make outlandish and outrageous comments.
 
In two different polls conducted by, or on behalf of, The Family Foundation or other education freedom supporters over the past three years, large majorities of Virginians have indicated their support for tax credits like the one created in HB 2314.

Certain liberals like to say, “Conservatives want to take us back,” although they never specify where. Perhaps it’s more a case of liberals holding us back — or stuck in the past — with ideas no longer as effective as once were, and never moving forward with proven reforms.

Please contact members of the Senate Finance Committee and urge them to vote for HB 2314. We are close and only need to flip two votes.

This is breaking news and we will have more comment later in an e-mail alert: The pro-life organization LiveAction.org taped an undercover video sting of a Planned Parenthood abortion center in Richmond where staff proved willing and able to aid and abet an undercover ”pimp” looking for abortion services for his illegal alien underage prostitutes! 

Please look out for a Family Foundation e-mail alert this afternoon (sign up now if you do not receive them) to learn more the video, its relationship to General Assembly liberals and what you can do about it. Also, please join us and several national partners in a live Webcast tonight at 8:30 at ExposePlannedParenthood.com to learn more. The alert will include information about the Webcast as well.

Now, here’s the appalling and disgusting video, with LiveAction’s description:

Nothing as vile as this could happen in Virginia, right? Wrong! Time to permanently defund Planned Parenthood!

In January of 2011, undercover investigators walked into Planned Parenthood’s abortion clinic in Richmond, VA. They told the staffer that they manage a prostitution ring of 14 and 15 year old girls.

Wil Planned Parenthood…

1. Comply with the law?

2. Assure the pimp that they are trusted partners with the sex industry?

3. Coach the pimp on how to circumvent parental consent laws for his underage sex slaves to get secret abortions?

Sex trafficking of minors is a federal crime and punishable by imprisonment for 10 years to life.

Any person who aids, abets, or counsels a federal crime to be committed may be punished as if they had committed the crime themselves.

Nothing adequately can explain the pace of the General Assembly. Especially the short session. More goes on that we can — and would love to — report. It is no exaggeration to say that we could employ an entire news team to cover all that we see (and hear). Lobbying and blogging is a killer. But here’s a week in review of some significant legislation. 

We had several legislative victories this week, including five resolutions to amend the Virginia Constitution this morning in the House Privileges and Elections Committee:

HJ 593, patroned by Delegate Bill Carrico (R-5, Galax), is a religious liberty amendment that protects public prayer. It passed by a 14-7 vote after some committee liberals raised several objections.

Also regarding religious liberty, HJ 614, patroned by Delegate Tag Greason (R-32, Loudon), which prohibits the state from blocking tuition loans and grants to students seeking theological education for the purposes of becoming a military chaplain. It passed with only three dissenting votes. This bill was debated thoroughly in sub-committee earlier in the week. The state already pays the salary of chaplains and Delegate Greason’s amendment would allow for tuition assistance as well.

Three limited government resolutions also passed. HJ 539 requires a super majority vote by the General Assembly and local governing bodies to increase state and local taxes; and HJ 540 limits increased spending by the General Assembly and local governing bodies to the previous year’s level plus the percentage increase in population and inflation. Both are patroned Delegate Mark Cole (R-88, Spottsylvania). HJ 539 survived a procedural vote to kill it, and then was reported by an 13-8 vote, while HJ 540 passed by a 11-9 vote. 

Finally, this morning, after extensive debate, HJ 615, patroned by Delegate Bill Janis (R-56, Henrico), the House Majority Whip, passed by a 14-7 vote.  This resolution precludes tax and fee increases in the state budget. Any revenue increase, including the termination of tax credits, would have to be introduced as a separate bill for an up or down vote. In recent years, governors and lawmakers have buried such increases within billions of dollars of spending in the budget. Even when promulgated, many lawmakers had no choice but to vote for such budgets or else precipitate a government shutdown.

The proposed constitutional amendments to protect property rights were carried over and will be heard a week from today. Yesterday, there was good news on taxes: The House passed by a 94-5 vote HB 1437, also patroned by Delegate Cole, which would allow localities the option of ending the BPOL tax. This tax, which was started 199 years ago to fund the War of 1812, is a job killer and well passed its own life expectancy. The same day, by a 97-2 vote, the House approved HB 1587, patroned by Delegate Sal Iaquinto (R-84, Virginia Beach), which would exempt start-up businesses from the BPOL tax for two years.

Earlier this week, the House of Delegates passed another Family Foundation priority piece of legislation:  HJ 542, The Repeal Amendment. Patroned by Delegate Jim LeMunyon (R-67, Chantilly), it would repeal any federal law if two-thirds of the states agree. The bill was hotly debated in both committee and on the floor of the House of Delegates, with opponents making subtle and not so subtle accusations of racism toward supporters.

Next week is the final week before “Crossover,” and with many bills still left to be debated, almost anything imaginable will happen. Even some unimaginable.

What were liberals saying about Virginia’s lawsuit against the federal government’s health care law — that it was a waste of time, that it had no chance, that it was . . . frivolous? Client Number 9 spoke for them all and said “no judge or legal scholar” thought Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had a snowball’s chance in August. The AG told him and all of critics they were wrong. Since March he has taken undignified shots from radical leftists — many granted cover as mainstream by, of course, the mainstream media and Washington elitists — and on Monday he was vindicated.

As expected, there’s been a media crush on the Attorney General Cuccinelli, with the suddenly awaken press wanting to know what this case was all about after all. One telling interview is below, with long-time Washington media stalwart Bob Schieffer of CBS News, who admitted that Mr. Cuccinelli gave him the best explanation of the issue than anyone has ever given him. Amazing! Maybe that conservative whack job really does know the constitution! Bob, you need to get out more. The issue isn’t that complex and smart people don’t exclusively live in D.C. 

Below, are two more interviews, one each with Attorney General Cuccinelli and Governor Bob McDonnell on Fox News Channel with Greta Van Susteran. In addition to the video, here is a great interview the attorney general gave to National Review Online.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli just sent this e-mail to supporters:

As I told you earlier today, Virginia won the first round of the constitutional fight over the federal health care law. I also told you I’d get back to you with more details later in the day, and I’m keeping my promise.

I will tell you up front that I will also go into still more detail later this week — when time allows.

Arguments and Outcomes

There were two basic arguments in this case.

First, Virginia argued that the individual mandate was beyond the power of Congress and the President to impose under the Constitution. Specifically, Congress claimed that their regulatory power under the Commerce Clause allowed them to order you to buy their government-approved health insurance, even if you decide not to buy health insurance.

The judge ruled that the federal government does not have the power to compel you to buy health insurance as part of its attempt to regulate the entire field of health care and health insurance. Thus, Virginia won this argument.

Second, the federal government advanced a ‘fallback’ argument in case it lost on its commerce clause argument. The feds’ fallback argument was that the financial penalty you have to pay if you don’t buy the government mandated health insurance is a tax.

This may sound like an odd argument from a political standpoint — usually they say everything is NOT a tax (in fact, they argued the penalty was not a tax while they were trying to get the bill passed); however, they changed position after the bill became law to try and save the bill. What they were trying to do was to get the courts to agree that because the penalty would presumably raise some revenue, it was therefore a ‘tax’ under the taxing and spending for the General Welfare Clause of the Constitution.

No judge in the country has bought this argument, and Judge Hudson was no exception. He ruled that the taxing power of Congress does not save the bill, because the penalty for not buying the mandated health insurance is not a tax.

The federal government only had to win on either of these two arguments, while Virginia needed to win both to prevail, and we won both!

What’s Next?

Certainly the federal government will appeal their loss in the district court to the 4th circuit court of appeals within the next 30 days. And whichever side loses in the 4th circuit will certainly appeal to the Supreme Court. And no one has any serious doubts that ultimately the constitutionality of the individual mandate will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

That could take approximately (very rough approximation) two years. We are discussing with the Department of Justice accelerating the case, and those discussions have been very cordial thus far. More on that later.

Conclusion

Today is a great day for the Constitution. Today the Constitution has been protected from the federal government, and remember, an important reason for the constitution in the first place was to limit the power of the federal government.

Today is also a day of a small degree of vindication. When we first filed suit, the screeching of the liberals was deafening. Everything from accusing us of playing politics instead of practicing law, to filing what they called a ‘frivolous’ lawsuit.

I want you to know, that our team makes decisions based on the Constitution and the laws. Period. We deal with the consequences of our decisions separately, but first and foremost we have been and will continue to be true to the Constitution and laws of the United States and Virginia, regardless of whether it’s easy or hard in any particular case.

How many times can a president decry his own nation? We know Barack Obama doesn’t think much of certain “bitter clingers.” He also hammers away at people and institutions that create jobs as “selfish.” His administration is more concerned with white Christian veterans from Western states than documented law breakers. We could launch a blog only on the insults he heaps upon his fellow Americans. But yesterday he went a step further and called for the “punishment” (at the polls) of conservatives whom he called “enemies.” So much for the “post-partisan” presidency, the uniting “annointed one.” In the Age of Obama, if you have a different idea you are branded.

I’m not your ruler, daggonit, so go out and punish our enemies!

You have to feel sorry for him, though. He clearly laments the fact that he is not our king, although he governs as a ruler and not a democrat. But let’s give the president some charity. After all, he said his opponents could join him in a car ride . . . only, they must “sit in the back seat” (see Stop The ACLU).

The great conciliator: “Enemies” need to take a seat “in the back.” So much for uniting the country.