Will Pat Robertson Say Satan Caused Venezuela’s 6.4 Magnitude Earthquke?

Venezuela was hit with a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, causing panic in Caracas.

The head of Venezuela’s emergency services, Luis Diaz Curbelo, said the quake was felt across the country, but the northwestern state of Falcon was the hardest hit with seven people hurt and some buildings damaged.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was 23 miles north-northeast of Puerto Cabello, one of the OPEC nation’s main oil ports. It was below the sea at a depth of 6.2 miles.

Pat Robertson, who one called for the assassination of Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, and believes that Haiti was hit …

Washington Times’s Kuhner: Palin “Chose Personal Enrichment Over Principles And Party”

Jeffrey Kuhner of the conservative Washington Times opines that Palin as pundit “sounds the death knell of her political career.”

If Mrs. Palin’s goal is to provide a lavish income for her large family, perhaps she has made the right move. However, if the former Alaska governor is considering a credible run for the 2012 presidential election, she has made a fatal mistake. She has chosen personal enrichment instead of principles and party

Mrs. Palin’s appeal lies in her populism. She represents the cultural values of Middle America. She is a pro-life social conservative who champions gun rights and limited …

Gates: Military Ill-Prepared To Thwart Threats From Within

Defense Secretary Robert Gates (right) says the military’s ability to ward off threats from within its own ranks is outdated and ineffective. This is based on a review of the November 5 shooting spree at Fort Hood.

Mr. Gates cited significant failings to communicate about internal threats to the security of personnel, as well as a lack of supervision over Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the military psychiatrist accused of the shootings.

As many as eight mid-ranking officers could be reprimanded, accused of failing to properly supervise Hasan, amid fears of continued internal security threats.

The preliminary review was conducted …

Thanks To Obama We’re Further Away From Doomsday. Literally

Citing President Obama’s “pragmatic, problem-solving approach,” the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock from give to six minutes before midnight. The clock has been adjusted only 18 times since it was created in 1947. (h/t Think Progress)

“A key to the new era of cooperation is a change in the U.S. government’s orientation toward international affairs brought about in part by the election of Obama. With a more pragmatic, problem-solving approach, not only has Obama initiated new arms reduction talks with Russia, he has started negotiations with Iran to close its nuclear enrichment …

Obama Wins More Spending Cuts Than Bush

This probably won’t stop the stereotyping of liberals as big spenders, but the fact is that President Obama got 60% of his proposed spending cuts from Congress, including cuts in programs President Bush couldn’t slash.

The administration says Congress accepted at least $6.9 billion of the $11.3 billion in discretionary spending cuts Mr. Obama proposed for the current fiscal year. An analysis by The Washington Times found that Mr. Obama was victorious in getting Congress to slash 24 programs and achieved some level of success in reducing nine other programs.

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By comparison, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget …

Same-Sex Weddings: Good For The Economy

It’s a shame that religion and prejudice get in the way of good public policy.  One way to add an uptick to the economy is same-sex weddings. At the San Francisco trial to overturn Proposition 8, an economist testified that same-sex marriage would bring in $35 million in revenue each year, and millions in additional tax revenue.

Edmund Egan, chief economist for the city and county of San Francisco, said he based his short-term projections on the revenue generated by more than 5,000 same-sex weddings in San Francisco during the five months in 2008 when gay marriage was legal.

Other …

On Thursday’s Radio Show…

• Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) explains why undocumented Haitian immigrants in the U.S. should receive Temporary Protected Status.

• Tea Party Convention organizer Judson Phillips responds to growing concern among Tea Partiers regarding his upcoming event.

• Has President Obama re-energized conservatives, or are they more divided than ever? Alan speaks with David Keene of the American Conservative Union.…

For Haiti, Should Credit Card Companies Waive Processing Fees?

Banks and credit card companies make $250 million a year from the 3% they charge for “transaction costs.”  So, roughly 97% of donations will actually be used to help Haiti.

Those profits rise sharply after major disasters, when humanitarian relief organizations such as Oxfam and Operation USA take in more than 85 percent of their donations via credit card — and the credit card providers, with only a few exceptions, refuse to waive their fees.

Credit card companies have only been willing to waive their processing fee for charity once, Richard Walden, the CEO of Operation USA, tells the Huffington …

Undocumented Haitians Need Temporary Protected Status NOW

Deportations of undocumented Haitians is being halted in the aftermath of that country’s earthquake, but there is more than can and should be done. Andrea Nill quotes Congressman Alcee Hastings (pictured), who says it would be “not only immoral, but irresponsible” not to give temporary protected status (TPS) to undocumented Haitian immigrants in the United States.

“Just when we thought Haiti was in the clear after a mild hurricane season, another natural disaster has rocked our hemisphere’s poorest country. The people of Haiti simply can’t seem to catch a break,” he said. “While I cannot understate the urgency with which …

RIP Teddy Pendergrass 1950-2010

Teddy Pendergrass, the one-time lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, and who became paralyzed from the waist down after a 1982 auto accident, has died of colon cancer at the age of 59.

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Newt: “I’m Probably On A List Of Seven Or Eight Possible Candidates”

Newt Gingrich says he’s one to watch in the 2012 presidential sweepstakes.

“I think I’m probably on a list of seven or eight possible candidates at this stage,” Gingrich said. “We have a lot of people around the country who would like to have somebody who represents a commitment to replace the current failed programs and to develop a set of solutions that are practical and workable.”

Gingrich listed several current and former goverors who he thinks might enter the race. They include former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. He said …