By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
A U.S. House contest in Southern California may be the country's most bitter — even though both candidates are Democrats and respected, longtime incumbents.
The Turkish ambassador this week accused the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee of a cynical assault over the divided island of Cyprus in an election-year political stunt.
The sale of weapons and other military equipment to our allies and friendly governments has long been an important element of American foreign and national security policy. Arms sales can enhance regional stability, aid in the fight against terrorism, support our friends and help provide jobs for American workers.
A top House Democrat said Thursday he will not cave to the Obama administration's pressure to "dilute" proposed sanctions on Iran's central bank.
Already unhappy with the Obama administration's handling of illegal immigrants in the U.S., liberal lawmakers on Friday asked the government to go even further and make American aid to Mexico based on that country treating immigrants better.
The last time California redrew its congressional districts, Republicans and Democrats cut a deal to preserve all the incumbents, essentially erasing the country's biggest electoral fishing ground from the map in 2002.
Ignoring a veto threat from the Obama administration, Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday pushed through a bill that would cut U.S. contributions to the United Nations in half unless the world peacekeeping body agrees to replace its mandatory dues with voluntary donations.
House Republicans on Wednesday jump-started the immigration debate, pushing through the Judiciary Committee a key immigration-enforcement measure to require businesses to check new employees' work status against a government database — but the fight highlighted deep divides that make it unlikely any bill clears Congress in the near future.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is warning that a congressional effort to cut funds to the country's armed forces would be "a gift" to Hezbollah and its Iranian allies.
Arguing that the United States can no longer blindly turn over billions of dollars to the United Nations, members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the new Congress should withhold contributions to the global body until it adopts serious reforms.
!["Cutting the [U.N.] budget is not enough, because you need to reform the monster, you need to reform the beast, and if you don't get fundamental reform, you are still rewarding a corrupt, mismanaged agency," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. (Associated Press)](http://media.washtimes.com/media/image/2011/01/17/20110117-203128-pic-111362932_s75x100.jpg?39f80c4dafcd216722f9e372cdcc83b66d6a3ae8)
The new Republican majority in the House is poised to revive some old battles over the U.S. government's financial contribution to the United Nations, vowing once again to use the power of America's purse to force what it calls needed reforms at the world body.
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee will seek to hold the Obama administration's feet to the fire on the implementation of sanctions against Iran, undercutting the president's diplomatic efforts to stifle Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
The laws on American inventiveness are being rewritten in a bill headed for a vote in Congress.
In his letter to Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Berman called on Mrs. Clinton to "clearly and forcefully" reprimand Turkey for recent threats over plans by Cyprus and Israel to explore for undersea oil and gas.
"By any interpretation, Turkey's threats constitute bullying and are way out of line," Mr. Berman said.
