[Text and Photo courtesy of Michael Zak, from 9/24/07 at www.RepublicanBasics.com]

On this day in 1957, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas.

In September of that year, a few days after passage of the Republican Party’s 1957 Civil Rights Act, Orval Faubus, the Democrat Governor of Arkansas, ordered the state National Guard to prevent the court-ordered segregation of a Little Rock public school. At first, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower tried to negotiate with Faubus, but after several fruitless weeks the President lost patience with his Democrat foe. Eisenhower had not been afraid to take on the Nazis, and he certainly was not going to be fazed by Faubus or any other Democrat challenging the Constitution.

On the advice of his Attorney General, Herbert Brownell, Eisenhower placed the Governor’s soldiers under federal government control and ordered the 101st Airborne to Arkansas. Senators Lyndon Johnson and John Kennedy publicly criticized the President for enforcing a federal court order. Many Democrats actually compared the President’s act to the Soviet invasion of Hungary the year before.

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of this great Republican achievement to protect African-Americans from their Democrat oppressors.

Michael Zak, Popular speaker and acclaimed author of “Back to Basics for the Republican Party”

[Courtesy C.B. Forgotston]

Terrorism is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands.

Today, in a column in the Baton Rouge Advocate, Mark Ballard refers to Internet bloggers and radio talk show hosts as “terrorists.”

Does Mr. Ballard not realize that the Freedom of Speech in the First Amendment is not the exclusive right of the paid media?

Ironically, Mr. Ballard’s own newspaper, in an editorial on September 5 called out Bobby Jindal for refusing to participate in debates.

Apparently, someone not in the commercial media expressing one’s opinion makes one a terrorist. If Mr. Ballard had been alive at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I suspect that he would have call the signers “terrorists.”

C.B.

For LSU fans.

[Courtesy C.B. Forgotston]

BESE member Louella Givens just got the Alliance for Good Government endorsement for reelection
to BESE.

According to the piece by Allen Johnson in this week’s Gambit Weekly, Givens owes the Heh, Heh, Heh,
Ethics Board over $14,000 in fines for failure to timely file campaign finance disclosure reports dating back
to her 2003 election to BESE.

Actually, but for the failure of the Heh, Heh, Heh, Ethics Board staff to even attempt to get a legal judgment
in the last 4 years against her, Givens should not have even been allowed to qualify for this election. See LA R.S. 18:436 (2)(a) .

Perhaps the term “good government” needs to be redefined. And we wonder why we have a reputation for
corruption in LA. We not only tolerate violations of the law by our elected officials, we support it.

C.B.

Author Michael Zak commemorates the 50 year anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, by reminding readers of some poignant American History. Story HERE.

Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana, is among those listed as having received substantial campaign donations from Norman Hsu, a Chinese businessman and Democratic fund raiser who is being investigated by the federal government for violation of campaign finance laws.

In Louisiana, the money trail is often difficult to follow with regard to campaign finance.

One thing is for sure though. Perusing through the Louisiana campaign finance reports of candidates at the Secretary of State’s web site, reveals the desperate need we have in our state for campaign finance reform.

But be forewarned - Louisiana campaign finance reports at every level of state and local government are not easy on the stomach.

More to come…