As the debate over an audit of the Federal Reserve intensifies in the House, one camp is trotting out eight academics that it calls a “political cross section of prominent economists.”

A review of their backgrounds shows they are anything but.

In a letter to the House Financial Services Committee earlier this month, all eight wrote that they support the type of amendment now being introduced by Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.). Watt’s approach purports to increase Fed transparency while it actually would tighten restrictions on any audits that could go forward.

The letter was sent around Wednesday by Watt’s staff to members of the committee in advance of a vote scheduled for Thursday.

Watt’s measure is in competition with an amendment cosponsored by Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), which would repeal the restrictions that Watt leaves in place.

But far from a broad cross-section, the “prominent economists” lobbying on behalf of the Watt bill are in fact deeply involved with the Federal Reserve. Seven of the eight are either currently on the Fed’s payroll or have been in the past.

The Fed connections are not outlined in the letter sent around to committee members on Wednesday, but are publicly discernible through a review of their resumes, which are all posted online.

In September, Huffington Post reported that the Federal Reserve has accomplished a soft form of effective control over the field of monetary economics simply by employing — and being the means for career advance — for an overwhelming proportion of the discipline.

Now that the Fed is locked in a legislative battle on the Hill, it can call on those economists to give their “unvarnished” opinions to lawmakers.

The connections that the seven economists lobbying Congress have to the Fed are not incidental and four of them maintain current positions.

Let’s run the traps:

Frederic Mishkin is a former board member, having served from 2006-2008. His career at the Fed stretches back to 1977 and he currently holds two positions: one as a member of the Center for Latin American Economics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where he’s been since 1996; and another as an academic consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he’s been since 1997.

Anil K. Kashyap is currently a consultant with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a position he’s held since 1991. He’s also on the economic advisory panel of the New York branch and was a consultant there in 2003. He was a visiting scholar at the division of monetary affairs at the Board of Governors of in1994, 2001 and 2005 and at the division of international finance in 1997.

Pete Klenow was a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1994-1999, 2003-2004, 2006 and again this year. From 2000-2003 he was also a senior economist at that branch. He’s currently a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, a position he’s held since 2005. He was a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City from 2004-2006.

Ricardo J. Caballero was a visiting scholar at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 2004-2005 and a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Board on multiple occasions.

Robert Hall was a research assistant at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 1982-1984 and an economist there from 1988-1991.

Thomas Sargent was an adviser to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1981 to 1987 and continues to write frequently for Fed-sponsored journals.

Micheal Woodford is currently on the Monetary Policy Advisory Committee of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a position he’s held since 2004. He’s also listed as a consultant to the research department there dating back to 2005. In the past, he’s been a visiting scholar at the Board of Governors and various regional branches in 1987, 1993-1998 and 2000-present, often at multiple banks in the same year.

Economists with Fed connections strongly reject the notion that being paid by the bank influences their thinking. But Robert Auerbach, who spent years investigating the institution and is the author of “Deception and Abuse at the Fed”, says that those economists are simply in denial. “If you’re on the Fed payroll there’s a conflict of interest,” says Auerbach.

The tie between the economists backing Watt’s amendment and the Fed doesn’t by itself mean that it’s bad policy, but it does make clear which amendment is favored by the Federal Reserve. If there’s still any doubt, the e-mail from Watt staff notes that former Fed chairs Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker also support a version of it.

Meanwhile, a broad coalition of liberal organizations is lining up behind the Paul-Grayson amendment, which also has the backing of most Republicans on the committee.

The AFL-CIO and other labor groups, as well as Americans for Financial Reform signed on to a letter posted Wednesday calling for committee members to back the Paul-Grayson approach.

“In creating the Federal Reserve nearly 100 years ago, the Congress envisioned a central bank free from political pressure. But the structure that may have once ensured independence now appears to put the Fed much closer to the financial industry than the American people, who deserve to know who the beneficiaries are,” reads the letter.

The Fed, in other words, is not presently independent of political pressure, but that pressure comes from Wall Street banks rather than from the American people through their elected representatives.

It’s a distinction that the note from Watt’s staff on Wednesday subtly acknowledges, by focusing on legislative and executive branch pressure, rather than financial industry influence. The Paul-Grayson amendment, it warns, “would place the United States well outside of the mainstream of industrialized nations that shield their central banks from political interference by the Legislative and Executive branches of government, with potentially disastrous results to the U.S. economy.”

Commentary from The Liberty Tree Lantern:

Capt. Karl is scratching his head on one part of this article.  The President of the AFL-CIO is a member of the private and exclusive club of megalomaniacs, founded by The Federal Reserve “System” called The Trilateral Commission.  According to their own website their primary directive is to create a One World Government / New World Order.  Such a One World Government would be at the end of the puppet strings of The Federal Reserve cartel of twelve privately owned banks, who created The Trilateral Commission in the first place.  So why is the AFL-CIO bucking the Watt Amendment?  Any comments or info on this readers?   This doesn’t fit any form of logic.  Additionally, as many people know from the 1984 Grace Commission Report, the US Government doesn’t get any income taxes from the American People.  After transfer payments to various Socialist programs, like Social Security and Medicare for example, all income taxes go DIRECTLY to The Federal Reserve “System” for payment on the “Public Debt”.  So EVERY SINGLE PENNY that the US Government spends comes from and is borrowed from The Federal Reserve.  So every single Government program, except a couple of transfer programs, comes from the bottomless money pit at the Federal Reserve, who are the programmers of “The MATRIX” which is our economy based on little pieces of green paper printed out of thin air called FEDERAL RESERVE “NOTES” that our minds have programmed in public schools, the main stream media, The Federal Reserve, and The US Government, to believe are worth 100 cents apiece when in the ‘real’ world, outside of “The MATRIX” which only exists in our minds, they are really only worth 2 – 3 cents now after TARP, Bank and Corporate Bailouts, Stimulus and Socialist spending programs and various Government sanctioned “Ponzi” schemes.  Before this recent accelerated monetary policy programs the Dollar has been worth only 4 cents apiece for decades, even though in our minds we believed that they were worth 100 cents as we have been programmed to believe.  Of course much of the world today is starting to revalue the Dollar to its ‘real’ value of 2 – 3 cents, which will result in “hyperinflation” and, thereby, the total collapse of ‘The MATRIX’ (our economy) that has only existed in our minds for many decades, since fractionalized banking started chipping away from the gold standard and until it completely was eliminated by the US Government, anyway.   The AFL-CIO greatly believes in Socialism and Democracy which is defined as 50% plus one steals the individual rights, liberty, earnings and property, by popular vote and “mob rule”  from the remaining population so that by definition “Democracy” is the purest form of Socialism and/or Communism.  The Constitution, in contrast, “guarantees” a Republican form of government in Article 4 Section 4, so as to protect everybody’s individual unalienable rights, earnings and property from the immoral that would rob and steal and from the mob rule of “The Masses”, as Stalin would advocate.

The AFL-CIO believes in “free stuff” Socialist type programs from the US Government, who gets every single nickel from The FED that they spend.  So the question becomes; Why is the AFL-CIO biting the hand that “ultimately” feeds them from a bottomless pit of printed out of thin air money and whose President is a major member of the Trilateral Commission?  Are they coming to the side of Jeffersonian Constitutionalists now?  And, what about this “broad coalition of liberal organizations that are lining up behind the Paul-Grayson amendment?  Don’t they understand that ALL GOVERNMENT MONEY comes from THE FEDERAL RESERVE and NOT from income taxes?  Haven’t they read the Grace Commission Report?  Without THE FED Socialism and Government “free stuff” couldn’t exist.  I don’t get it? 

Anybody please comment.  If you don’t see a comment box below, just click on the title of this post and one will be produced below for you.

When California Treasurer Bill Lockyer sought a $7 billion federal loan guarantee from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in May, it was a clear indication that states, and not just financial institutions, were struggling mightily to find firm fiscal footing in the face of the Great Recession.

As states continue to grapple with the current harsh economic conditions, the Pew Center on the States has compiled a list of the 10 that are closest to financial collapse, part of a report on the budgetary health of all 50 states. The report warns of potentially damaging consequences if states fail to take decisive measures to fix their money woes.

While California’s economic struggles, such as issuing IOUs to state employees and business contractors, have been well documented, many more states are facing a combination of economic, money-management and political pressures that are driving them to the brink of collapse. The Pew report cites high home foreclosure rates, increasing joblessness, declining state revenues, poor money management, legal and political obstacles to balanced budgets and the size of budget gaps as the six factors that contribute to most of the problems.

States Teetering on the Edge

The report points out that all states but two — Montana and North Dakota — faced budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2010, adding up to an estimated $162 billion in budget gaps. Tax collections in all states declined a record 11.7% from first quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009, and unemployment continued to rise nationally, topping 10% this month.

The Terrible 10

By combining weighted scores for each state’s rank in its six contributory factors, Pew created a list of the 10 that are in the highest degree of peril. They are: California, Arizona, Rhode Island, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois and Wisconsin. Close behind those terrible 10 are Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, New York and Hawaii.

The report also revealed four common problems that hurt the 10 worst states. Several of them are too dependent on a particular industry that has been devastated by the recession, such as gambling in Nevada and tourism in Florida. Many of the states, like California, New Jersey and Illinois, have a long history of borrowing to close budget gaps. Several have legal limitations that prevent them from making adjustments. For example, Oregon has a revenue cap that forces the state to deliver rebates to taxpayers in good times or bad. And most states just put off the tough decisions until it was too late.

Here’s the worst-10 list in the order that Pew ranked each state, with highlights of what hurt each one:

California – Budget shortfall: 49.3%
“California topped all states for the magnitude of its budget shortfall in fiscal year 2010, both in dollars and in share — in this case, nearly half — of its general funds, which pay for most state operations.”

Arizona – Budget shortfall: 41.1%
Like many states, “Arizona’s lawmakers relied on one-time fixes to balance its budgets instead of making long-term changes,” the report said. Lawmakers were still wrestling with a $1 billion gap in this year’s budget in October.

Rhode Island – Budget shortfall: 19.2%
On top of its poor record of fiscal management, “Rhode Island constantly ranks near the top of states with the highest unemployment rates, and last year it had the highest home foreclosure rate in all of New England.”

Michigan – Budget shortfall: 12.0%
“Two of the Big Three Detroit-based automakers went bankrupt in 2009, sending shockwaves through a state that is on track to lose a quarter of it jobs this decade.”

Nevada – Budget shortfall: 37.8%
“Nevada’s unique gaming-based economy is in jeopardy, as is its state budget that relies on gambling sales to provide 60% of its revenues.”

Oregon ­– Budget shortfall: 14.5%
“State revenues plummeted 19% between the first quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, a reflection of Oregon’s heavy reliance on income taxes,” the report said. Voters have rejected adding a sales tax nine times, thwarting attempts at creating a new source of state revenue.

Florida – Budget shortfall: 22.8%
“For the first time since World War II, Florida’s population is shrinking. This is a disturbing revelation for a state that has built its economy — and structured its budget — on the assumption that throngs of new residents will move to its sunny shores each year.”

New Jersey – Budget shortfall: 29.9%
“New Jersey is playing catch-up after years of fiscal mismanagement and a daunting structural imbalance between what it collects and what it spends.”

Illinois – Budget shortfall: 47.3%
“Since the last recession earlier this decade, the state piled up huge backlogs of Medicaid bills and borrowed money to pay its pension obligations,” the report said. The 2010 budget shortfall topped $13.2 billion, among the worst in the nation.

Wisconsin – Budget shortfall: 23.2%
“Wisconsin’s history of budget shortfalls and pattern of borrowing frequently to cover operating expenses, among other measures, made it poorly positioned to weather the most recent severe economic downturn.”

People from Wisconsin;  The question becomes is this reported Wisconsin budget shortfall before OR after the $3 BILLION Dollar heist of the Federal Government “Stimulus” package that our dear Socialist Comrade Governor James Doyle fingered and placed in the budget kitty?  Assuming it is after throwing the Stimulus money in the pot; 1) How bad is the Wisconsin Budget without the $3 BILLION? And 2) What the hell are we going to do next year?  I wonder if WEAC will take I.O.U.s?

Seriously, people of Wisconsin;  Isn’t it time for us to at least agree to talk about these things when we get together at the taverns, cub scout meetings, school functions, church, parades, etc…?  What is this crap about not wanting to talk about “politics” right now?  Any Wisconsin person who says something like that, when somebody who really cares is trying to talk about these issues so that WE THE PEOPLE can learn something about it and then DO SOMETHING ABOUT our State Socialistic / Unionistic Government, ought to have their heads examined!  Our whole State of Wisconsin could collapse just because some/many of us don’t “feel” like talking about it.  YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME, FOLKS.  You better starta talk’n and caring about it,  but fast!

And now the Federal Government wants to pile on Health Care and Cap and Trade (Tax) to add to the cost of the average Wisconsin family budget by as much as $10,000.00 or MORE a year?  And I suppose the State of Wisconsin “might” want to raise our taxes “just a little bit” right?  ARE YOU CRAZY?  Do you know how many Wisconsinites DON’T even have a job?   What is the matter with you State of WI Congressmen?  When are you going to stop listening to WEAC and all the other Unions and do something for the people who put you there in the first place?  BTW: Stealing tax money and doing a “special” project for your local community isn’t going to cut the mustard anymore.  We’re on to that crapola!  We are sick and tired of you guys manipulating our minds and our communities with “be quiet presents”.  That is exactly how we got in this mess and now we understand what you have been doing to us individually, our State of Wisconsin and our country as a whole.  If you want to know where to stick that “special” project for our community just before election time, BEND OVER and we’ll show you!

I have a novel idea!  Why don’t you just let us keep our own money and we’ll do our own special projects?  And, as our money accumulates and we are able to keep more and more of our own earnings and grow and perhaps start our own businesses and hire more people and give them raises, we might even help you out a little as WE decide we want to.  In fact, if you leave us and our earnings alone, we will help out our friends and neighbors in need because we are Godly people who love and care for our neighbors, friends and family.  We see what you did with the money you stole from us turning Wisconsin into the Eighth worse Business Tax Climate State in the entire country <hotlink.  Now it is time for us to see what we can do with our own money.  Let’s see who does it better, Wisconsin Government or Wisconsinites.  Or, are you planning on destroying the rest of our jobs and our lives?

By Drew Zahn
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, has complained that the bill he sponsored calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve has been “gutted” by congressional committee, pointing specifically to a legislator whose campaign coffers have been boosted by the banking industry.

As WND reported, Paul sponsored H.R. 1207, a bill requiring the Federal Reserve – an organization that’s independent from the U.S. government but nonetheless oversees U.S. monetary policy – be opened to oversight by Congress. The plan compiled over 300 co-sponsors in the House before being sent to committee.

But in a telephone interview with a Bloomberg reporter, Paul said the teeth have been ripped out of the bill.

“There’s nothing left; it’s been gutted,” Paul said. “This is not a partisan issue. People all over the country want to know what the Fed is up to, and this legislation was supposed to help them do that.”

Paul told Bloomberg the bill has been stripped of provisions that closed loopholes protecting the Fed, including exemption from audits of transactions with foreign central banks and protected communications between the Board, reserve banks and staff.

 Demand the money managers come clean by signing the petition in support of an audit of the Federal Reserve now!

Paul blamed the chairman of the House Financial Service Committee’s panel on domestic monetary policy, Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., for eliminating “just about everything” in preparation for the bill’s consideration on the floor of the House.

 Watt, is has also been revealed, has significant connections to the banking industry.

It its report, Bloomberg mentioned that Watt’s congressional district includes Charlotte, headquarters of Bank of America Corp., the biggest U.S. lender.

Further investigation through OpenSecrets.org reveals that the largest share of Watt’s campaign contributions in the 2008 election cycle came from the finance, insurance and real estate industries.

Breakdown of industries supporting Rep. Mel Watt’s 2008 campaign (graph from OpenSecrets.org)

In fact, of $609,072 given to Watt, $217,109 – or 35.6 percent – came from the money sector, including over $187,000 – or nearly 31 percent of his total contributions – from political action committees within the finance , insurance and real estate industry. The next highest industry supporting Watt was labor, which contributed only 14 percent of his total war chest.

Furthermore, the four largest contributors to Watt’s cause were Bank of America, Wachovia Corp., American Express and the American Bankers Association.

Keith Kelly, a spokesman for Watt, declined to comment and told Bloomberg Watt wasn’t immediately available for an interview.

Paul, however, told Bloomberg he intends to introduce an amendment that would restore the bill’s legislation to its original language when it comes to the House floor for a vote.

Paul long has been a critic of the secrecy of the Federal Reserve.

“Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar,” he said earlier. “Since 1913, the dollar has lost over 95 percent of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy.”

You’ve never needed to understand money like you need to understand it now! “Web of Debt: The Shocking Truth About Our Money System and How We Can Break Free” unravels the deception of the Federal Reserve and presents a crystal clear picture of the financial abyss towards which we are heading.

“Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight of its operations,” Paul said when the plan to audit the Fed was introduced. “While the conventional excuse is that this is intended to reduce the Fed’s susceptibility to political pressures, the reality is that the Fed acts as a foil for the government. Whenever you question the Fed about the strength of the dollar, they will refer you to the Treasury, and vice versa. The Federal Reserve has, on the one hand, many of the privileges of government agencies, while retaining benefits of private organizations, such as being insulated from Freedom of Information Act requests.”

Ron Paul’s ‘End the Fed’: What we need to do to fix America’s economic policy for future generations

Paul has warned, “The Federal Reserve can enter into agreements with foreign central banks and foreign governments, and the GAO is prohibited from auditing or even seeing these agreements. Why should a government-established agency, whose police force has federal law enforcement powers, and whose notes have legal tender status in this country, be allowed to enter into agreements with foreign powers and foreign banking institutions with no oversight? Particularly when hundreds of billions of dollars of currency swaps have been announced and implemented, the Fed’s negotiations with the European Central Bank, the Bank of International Settlements, and other institutions should face increased scrutiny, most especially because of their significant effect on foreign policy. If the State Department were able to do this, it would be characterized as a rogue agency and brought to heel, and if a private individual did this he might face prosecution under the Logan Act, yet the Fed avoids both fates.”

WND previously reported that the Fed, despite being ordered to disclose to whom it awarded some $2 trillion in discount “stimulus” loans, continues its fight for secrecy.

Sign the petition in support of an audit of the Federal Reserve now!

Ron Paul’s ‘End the Fed’: What we need to do to fix America’s economic policy for future generations

“The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve”

“The Fed: Fraud of the Century” – Unconstitutional cartel literally creates problems it was supposed to prevent

“Web of Debt: The Shocking Truth About Our Money System and How We Can Break Free”

“$700 Billion Bailout”: What it means to you, your money, your mortgage and your taxes

“Bailout: What the Rescue of Bear Stearns and the Credit Crisis Mean for Your Investments”

“Bailout Nation: How Easy Money Corrupted Wall Street and Shook the World Economy”

“Chain of Blame: How Wall Street Caused the Mortgage and Credit Crisis”

“Hope of the Wicked: Master Plan to Rule the World” (book)

“Financial Armageddon: Protect Your Future from Economic Collapse”

Stop the bailout! Magnetic bumper sticker

Surviving economic meltdown in the age of Obama

Get “Taking America Back,” Joseph Farah’s manifesto for sovereignty, self-reliance and moral renewal

 The recently elected Wisconsin Delegates to THE “NEW” Continental Congress 2009 have arranged for a listening session at the Olympia Resort.  This listening session will take place during the Wisconsin Patriot Group Conference also at the Olympia Resort.  You may attend the listening session without registering for the conference.  Here are the basics:

• What: Wisconsin delegates listening session
• Where: Olympia Resort, 1350 Royale Mile Road, Oconomowoc, WI
• When: November 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Who: Open to the people of Wisconsin
• Why: To provide a list of critical issues and resolutions to the delegates that they can present at Continental Congress 2009
• Also see: Wisconsin Delegate Election Results for NEW Continental Congress

You may also want to register to attend the Wisconsin Patriot Group Conference by going to the Wisconsin Grandsons of Liberty Website at http://www.wisconsingrandsonsofliberty.com/ (scroll down).  Bob Schultz, founder of We The People, will be speaking from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will be presenting the Freedom Scroll for all to sign.  You can get information on the origin of the Freedom Scroll at http://www.wethepeoplefoundation.org/UPDATE/Update2009-05-25.htm 

Marc Messina

Wisconsin State Coordinator

Trillions of dollars are being stolen from the U.S. taxpayer.

Right now, you and I are seeing the worst plundering of a country’s wealth in the history of civilization, led by an out of control Federal Reserve.

But together you and I CAN put a stop to it all.

With your help (including submitting the petition linked below to your Congressman and Senators) today, Representative Ron Paul, Senator Jim DeMint and Campaign for Liberty are ready to fight back, by taking the battle straight to the heart of the problem – the Federal Reserve itself.

Just think about the scope of the problem for a minute: The massive, outrageous amount of dollars committed to the economic bailouts in recent months totals:

More than the socialist New Deal … More than the entire Iraq debacle … More than the 1980’s savings and loan mess … More than the Korean War …

COMBINED.

When will it all end?

It’s time you and I put a stop to a renegade Federal Reserve by exposing the Fed’s out of control actions to the American people.  And Congressman Ron Paul and Senator Jim DeMint have a bill before Congress to do just that, known as the “Audit the Fed” Bill (HR 1207 and S 604).

That’s why it’s vital you click here to submit your “Audit the Fed” petition in support of Congressman Paul’s bill.

You see, Audit the Fed already has almost 300 cosponsors!

Now is the time to make sure your Congressman and Senators feel the heat to support the Audit the Fed bill!

If you and I don’t act today, I’m afraid this crisis will end with the economic ruin of every man, woman and child in America.

Today, nearly 13 TRILLION in taxpayer dollars in bailouts and loans has been agreed to by Congress, the Bush and Obama Treasury Departments, and the out of control Fed.

So is it really any wonder more and more folks are starting to realize the Washington, D.C. establishment is hurtling us toward complete economic disaster?

Whether it’s watching a phony “stimulus” package get rammed into law or watching Congress pass a $700 BILLION bank “bailout” under threat of martial law, the American people are agitated and increasingly angry.

That means it’s a perfect time to unleash the pressure of MILLIONS of outraged Americans on the out of control Fed!

So please click here to sign the petition linked below urging your Congressman and Senators to cosponsor and seek roll call votes to pass the Audit the Fed Bill!

As I know you’re aware, the Federal Reserve is shrouded in secrecy.  Their meetings are off-limits to the public.  Their inner workings are off-limits to the public.

And just recently, the Federal Reserve told Congress “NO WAY” when asked to account for $2 TRILLION in taxpayer-backed loans!

Well, why do you think they refused?

They know coming clean with Congress and the American people on how they doled out that two TRILLION dollars would result in an anti-Fed firestorm.

So can you imagine the impact of a full-scale audit? You and I will finally be able to show the American people that the Federal Reserve System leads to:

*** Constant economic crises — the housing crisis and the resulting chaos is just one example of an economic bubble created by centrally-planned interest rates and money manipulation;

*** The destruction of the middle class — as fuel, food, housing, medical care and education costs soar, everyone who is NOT on the government dole is forced to make do with less as the value of their money slowly decreases;

*** Currency destruction — history shows us that riots, violence and full-scale police states can result when people finally realize our money isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on and REFUSE to accept it.

And unless you and I do end the madness in Washington, D.C., we may be closer than we’d like to think to learning that history lesson firsthand — right here in our own streets.

That’s why your commitment to helping pass the Audit the Fed Bill — and helping Campaign for Liberty fight this battle — is so vital.

Just a few months ago, there was no chance of passing any legislation like the Audit the Fed Bill.  So I guess there has been one “CHANGE.”

You see, with the piling up of trillions of dollars in out of control “bailouts” of Wall Street and international bankers, even many politicians in Washington want to show you they’re “being responsible.”

What better way for Congress to do this than by auditing the Federal Reserve to account for the trillions stolen from the U.S. taxpayers?

More and more Congressmen are already feeling the pressure and are signing up to support this bill.  I’ve even received word this bill could move in the next few weeks in the U.S. House.

When that happens, you and I must be ready to fight.

And, it’s both a bill we CAN pass, and one that is vital to exposing the massive corruption and dollar manipulation at the Federal Reserve.

You see, after regulating, taxing, spending, borrowing and printing us into what looks like the worst recession in decades, establishment politicians and power brokers are assuring us they’re working hard to “fix” our economic woes.  What is their solution?  You guessed it.  More of the same!

And even if the Audit the Fed Bill is defeated this time, just forcing a vote is a win/win situation.

Can you imagine how many politicians will pay the price at the ballot box in 2010 when you and I tell the American people their Congressman somehow lost trillions of taxpayer dollars and refused to even LOOK for it?

Now we just need to show Congress the American people demand action on the Audit the Fed Bill.  Here’s how we plan to do that.

First, we’re already busy contacting up to five million activists nationwide through mail, phones and email to generate petitions to the U.S. Congress demanding action on Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed Bill.

But that’s just the beginning.  We’ll work the talk radio stations and grant local media interviews to ratchet up the pressure even further on Congress.

And a few days before the vote, if we have the resources, we’d also like to run hard-hitting targeted radio, TV and newspaper ads.

This entire program is designed to send this one, CLEAR message to Congress: Any politician who votes against the Federal Reserve Audit should look for another job.

But such a massive effort won’t be easy — or cheap.

So in addition to submitting your petition, I also hope you’ll agree to make a contribution of $1000, $500, $250, or $100 to Campaign for Liberty.

If $100 is too much to ask right now, please make a contribution of $50 or even $25 today.  Every dollar will help, and every dollar will go to this vital fight.

I know times are hard, but if we don’t take action, the America we see in just a few years could look far worse than even the one we see today.

Can I count on you to join the fight to AUDIT THE FED by clicking here to sign the petition, and by making a generous contribution of $1000, $500, $250, $100, $50 — or whatever you can afford — to Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty?

Sincerely,

John F. Tate
President

P.S. Please submit the petition urging your Congressman and Senators to cosponsor and seek roll call votes on Rep. Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed Bill TODAY!

With Congress spending like never before, and TRILLIONS of new dollars being created out of thin air, it’s never been more important the Federal Reserve’s abuses are exposed to the American people once and for all. And, along with submitting your petition, please make a contribution of $1000, $500, $250, $100, or $50 to Campaign for Liberty TODAY!

Please circulate this message to your contacts in Wisconsin.

The final (as of October 26th) Wisconsin delegation for Continental Congress 2009 is, in order of number of votes:

• Richard Church
• Rudy Eckert
• Michael Staudacher
• Brent Arnold (Alternate)

Other candidates that may have received more votes have since dropped out of consideration.

Richard Church, as the leader of the delegation, has asked that the  people of Wisconsin use a website ( http://cc2009wi.uservoice.com ) he set up to submit suggestions, resolutions and comments to the delegation.  Here is how it works, in Richard’s words:

It allows people to make suggestions and to vote on the suggestions of others. Users can remain anonymous, or they can sign up for an account. The way it works is that you get 10 votes which you can distribute however you want among the suggestions. You can give a suggestion more than one vote if you feel very strongly about it. The more people that vote, the better picture we get of what the major priorities should be. The short address is: http://cc2009wi.uservoice.com

Please feel free to also contact the delegates directly.  The contact information is located on the Wisconsin webpage at http://givemeliberty.org/user/congress/Region.aspx?state=wi 

The Continental Congress will have credibility in direct proportion to the support of the people.  It is up to you and me to restore our Constitutional Republic and reasert our unalienable rights.  The Constitution cannot defend itself.  The time to participate is now.

Please also consider giving a donation to fund the Continental Congress at:

http://www.cc2009.us/donate  This web page has a chart of how the funds will be used.

With liberty for all,

Marc Messina

Wisconsin State Coordinator

Before I get into the details of the title of this post, let me say that I already know some of you are going to want to react to what I write with a bit of malice. I’ve taken a little heat for my post ripping Newt Gingrich about his “Party over Principles” stance over on my personal blog, so I fully understand there are folks who feel very passionate about this issue. But let me also say that for every email against my position, there are twenty in support of it.

If you’re one of the few who are angry about all of this, do us a favor and point the fingers in the right direction.

If you haven’t been following the NY23 special election, I highly recommend you go read the scoop on my blog. In short, the GOP establishment took the liberty movement for granted, jumped behind the wrong candidate (a far left, liberal Republican) and expected the base to just fold and follow their pick without complaint.

At first. this all just appeared to be a poorly calculated decision for the beltway thugs who pretend to be the conservative movement. I mean, back when Newt Gingrich endorsed far left liberal Dede Sozzafava in the race, the grassroots movement was hardly paying attention. It wasn’t until about two weeks ago when the rest of the country realized what was going on.

During the past week, many movement conservatives have shown full support for conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in the race. Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, Club for Growth and MANY others have thrown their political weight behind him.

And not just the “players”… the Tea Party Movement has gotten involved in a huge way. Using the internet as vessel, the message of conservative candidate Doug Hoffman has traveled far and wide, and support for him has exploded.

Which left egg on the faces of all the establishment heads who jumped into the liberal Republican camp early on.

Mistakes were made. No doubt about it. But here is where it gets wild. Instead of doing the right thing, Newt Gingrich and crew have dug in their heels and are strongly defending their position.

Damage control was possible about five days ago, but now they’ve lost their chance. There is no turning back. They made the wrong choice. The refused to admit it and join the true base of the movement. And now they’re actually trying to preach to us that more of the same is needed to fix the problems more of the same created.

Bizarre.

All that said, one would think these groups would now keep their mouths shut and try to minimize the damage, right?

Wrong.

Politico reported today that the NRCC is actually goinjg to step up their efforts and dump another $300,000 into to media buys for far left candidate Dede Scozzafava.

The National Republican Congressional Committee remains committed to embattled GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava in the upstate New York House special election, even as many of the party’s top names throw their support to Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman.

Two party officials tell POLITICO that the NRCC will continue to air TV ads propping up Scozzafava in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 contest and plans to keep up a near relentless barrage of press releases slamming Hoffman.

Scozzafava, a state assemblywoman who supports gay marriage, abortion rights and has a close relationship with leading labor officials in her region, has been the target of sustained criticism from conservatives who claim she is too liberal for them to support her candidacy.

Not only is the NRCC going to waste donor dollars on a failed candidate with no hope of winning the race, they’re also going to attack the actual conservative in the race!

At this point, the only logical conclusion is that the NRCC (a huge hub of establishment consultants who leech off of donor money) and the rest of the old guard will arm itself for battle and wage war against the grassroots base rather than give it control.

For those in our movement who are saying “we don’t need to wage war against the machine right now”… wake up. The machine is waging war against you.

This is a fight the movement has been itching for. In my opinion, we should confront this machine and do so immediately.

Food for thought.

-Eric Odom

Capt. Karl’s Reply / Comment:

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me ten times, shame on me.  How many times do the Republicans get to tell us Jeffersonian Constitutionalists that they are for freedom, liberty and completely support The Declaration of Independence and the dovetail Constitution of the United States only to find out that their actions are, in large measure, opposed to their rhetoric?   After the behaviors of the last Republican Congress I am even beginning to wonder what the term RINO really means any more? 

When in the last ten decades has any Republican party rolled back the heinous usurpations that started with the ratification of the non-ratified 16^th Amendment by the lying Secretary of State Philanderer Knox and his boss in crime President Woodrow Wilson?  Not to mention the Constitutional atrocity of The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 that was passed on either Christmas Eve or the day before when President Woodrow Wilson held corruptible Congressmen from Christmas break to fulfill his commitment to the owner bankers of the cartel of twelve privately held huge banks that now make up The Federal Reserve “System”, for the endless campaign funds that they provided for his election, which allowed the tyrants in the U.S. Congress and several Administrations to borrow us into incremental oblivion and all manner of Constitutional contempt ever since.

Benjamin Franklin once said; “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. “   It should be obvious to all of us now that simply electing Republicans is not the answer to our problems.  The answer is in finding a way to ENFORCE THE LAW that we wrote, established and ordained in The Constitution by our individual authority bestowed upon us by our creator.   Especially, but not limited to, Article 1 Section 8 as further supported by the 9^th and 10^th Amendments in The Bill of Rights.

Is it not clear that, according to THE LAW, the U.S. Government was ‘borrowed’ certain powers by us, from our authority given to us individually by our creator, to ONLY handle these SEVENTEEN ‘enumerated’ powers for the ‘privilege’ of serving us at and for our convenience?  Is it not true that the veracity of this is clearly written in The Declaration of Independence as followed up by the dovetail LAWs as written in The Constitution?  When, may I ask, did any Republican serve to reverse any significant numbers of usurpations of authority enacted through these nearly ten decades of incremental tyranny, which have ultimately resulted in the clear display of despotism we see by our current non-representing Representatives and Administration on TV nightly?

It may be true that Democrats are even worse, but for me, I will never ever vote for a Republican again unless he or she promises to completely reverse EVERY SINGLE character of constitutionally contemptuous usurpation in legislation ever drafted.

 If the Federal Government were to obey the law, especially but not limited to, Article 1 Section 8, can you imagine how, after about five years of the imminent financial hardship which lies before us due to our unsustainable economy based on pieces of almost worthless paper and ink called FEDERAL RESERVE “NOTES” that are worth 100 cents each only in our minds, when in reality they are worth 2 – 3 cents each, crashing,,,  quickly the vast majority of our average common workingmen and women would become relatively wealthy once again in the environment of true liberty and freedom.  The potential of what would happen if the LAW was obeyed by our Federal Government is almost too much for the human mind to comprehend.  Ask yourself, how fast would we individually recover financially if we were free to keep almost everything we earned rather than Government spending it?  Just the thought of all of those Trillions being left in our hands and our economy is utterly mind blowing.

Would any Republican be willing to force compliance with Constitutional Law in full force and effect?  I don’t think that these liars would.  And this comment is coming from a registered Republican and supporter of 32 years.

BUT NO MORE!  You are either for the complete Constitution WORD FOR WORD, in spirit and intent as it WAS meant when it was ratified or you can FORGET MY VOTE!  PERIOD!  You damn lying traitors!

Posted: October 23, 2009
11:15 pm Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

NEW YORK – The integration of the United States with Canada and Mexico, long deemed by many as little more than a fanciful “conspiracy theory,” was actually an idea promoted by the Council on Foreign Relations and sold to President Bush as a means of increasing commerce and business interests throughout North America, according to a top Canadian businessman.

Thomas d’Aquino, CEO and president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives – the Canadian counterpart to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – confirmed in an interview recently published in Canada the accuracy of what WND first reported over three years ago: namely, that the Council on Foreign Relations was the prime mover in establishing the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, or SPP.

Published by the Metropolitan Corporate Counsel Oct. 4, the d’Aquino interview verifies that the creation of the SPP was not a “conspiracy theory” but a well-thought-out North American integration plan launched by his organization, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, along with the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States.

 According to d’Aquino, President Obama wants to continue North American integration under the renamed North American Leaders Summit, provided the North American Competitiveness Council can be recast to include more environmentalists and union leaders.

In the interview, d’Aquino traced the origin of SPP to his concerns, following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, that “there was a pressing need to keep the border open for commerce while simultaneously addressing the security needs of the United States and North America as a whole.”

Get “America for Sale: Fighting the New World Order, Surviving a Global Depression, and Preserving USA Sovereignty” at the WND Superstore now.

With this goal in mind, d’Aquino explained that the CCCE by 2003 had “launched an agenda that we called the North American Security and Prosperity Initiative, or NASPI.”

As WND reported in July 2007, the term “Security and Prosperity” was first used by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives in a January 23, 2003, report titled “Security and Prosperity: Toward a New Canada-United States Partnership in North America.”

Then, in 2003, d’Aquino brought the idea to Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations.

“I helped convince Richard Haass at the Council on Foreign Relations that we should put together a trilateral task force to look at the future of North America,” d’Aquino said. “We recruited John Manley on Canada’s side, along with William Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, and Pedro Aspe, the former Mexican economy minister, who had been so influential in promoting NAFTA.”

The result was a CFR Task Force on the Future of North America created on Oct. 15, 2004, and chaired by Manley, Weld and Aspe, precisely as d’Aquino had recommended to Haass.

The CFR Task Force on the Future of North America issued an executive summary, titled “Creating a North American Community,” that was issued March 14, 2005, just days before the March 23, 2005, trilateral summit at Waco, Texas, in which President George W. Bush, then-Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and then-Mexican President Vicente Fox declared the Security and Prosperity Partnership on their own authority, without any approval from the U.S. Congress.

The final task force report, titled “Building a North American Community,” was issued in March 2005, immediately following the Waco summit. (Read highlights of the controversial 59-page CFR report – including calls for increased financial aid to Mexico, the creation of a security border perimeter around all of North America, a reduction in border security between the U.S. and Mexico, and the creation of a new North American tribunal to settle disputes.)

D’Aquino agrees that the Council on Foreign Relations task force was instrumental to the trilateral summit in Waco during which the SPP’s existence was declared, saying in the interview: “The result of all these efforts [by the CFR Task Force on the Future of North America] was that in 2005, Prime Minister Martin, President Bush and President Fox decided to sign what they called the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America – the SPP.”

WND has consistently reported that the two reports issued by the CFR Task Force on the Future of North America constituted the “blueprint” for the SPP unveiled at the Waco summit meeting.

The final CFR report included on page xvii a concise statement of purpose: “The Task Force’s central recommendation is establishment by 2010 of a North American economic and security community, the boundaries of which would be defined by a common external tariff and an outer security perimeter.”

D’Aquino also confirmed, as WND had previously reported, that the North American Competitiveness Council was hand-picked by the Chambers of Commerce in the three countries, without any legislative approval from any of the three nations.

“At their next summit meeting, in 2006, the three leaders invited leading members of the CEO communities in the three countries to provide private-sector input on issues related to competitiveness,” he continued. “From that idea, the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) was born, to be composed of 10 frontline CEOs from each of Canada, the United States and Mexico.” That plan was implemented.

“We produced 10 of our most senior CEOs while the Americans established an executive committee of 15 representing a broad range of large companies with rotating memberships. The Mexicans produced some heavy-duty people – many names you know well.”

As WND reported at the time, the North American Competitiveness Council dominated the third annual SPP summit meeting held in Montebello, Quebec, in Aug. 2007, a fact confirmed by the interview with d’Aquino.

“The first meeting of the NACC with the three leaders took place in Montebello, Quebec, in 2007,” d’Aquino acknowledged. “Our Mexican and American counterparts graciously asked us to write the first NACC report. It was very well received, albeit heavily criticized by unions on the left and others as elitist: ‘Why did these people have access to the national leaders while everyone else was left out?’”

The NACC continued to advise SPP leaders behind closed doors at the fourth annual SPP summit meeting held in New Orleans, in April 2008, as WND reported and as d’Aquino now confirms: “The second meeting of the NACC with the three leaders took place at their summit in New Orleans in 2008 – we were in the room with the leaders for a full hour and a half.”

Whereas Bush was sold on the SPP initiative as a means of enhancing business and commerce in North America, d’Aquino explained, Obama would continue with the SPP only if more environmentalists and union leaders were included in the private advisory group that had consisted entirely of business leaders under the aegis of the NACC.

“When President Obama came to power, he faced a lot of pressure to shelve the SPP and not follow through with the NACC because his advisers were looking for an institution that would also involve environmentalists, union leaders, et al.”

D’Aquino argued that the NACC should continue, and, as WND has reported, the Obama administration is continuing the previous administration’s pursuit of North American integration.

“But at the North American Leaders Summit in Guadalajara this summer, President Calderon and Prime Minister Harper both told President Obama that the NACC was very useful,” d’Aquino said. “In fact, the Canadian NACC group met with our prime minister and his key ministers for an hour and a half on the eve of his departure for the Guadalajara summit. He said that, regardless of whether the NACC continues formally on a trilateral basis, he welcomes our advice on trilateral issues.”

WND has regularly reported that the unannounced goal of the SPP was to create a North American Union, similar to the European Union, by advancing the trade integration realized in NAFTA into continental political integration through the creation of some 20 trilateral bureaucratic working groups and the North American Competitiveness Council, composed of 30 North American business executives hand-picked, 10 each by the Chambers of Commerce of the three countries.

The Obama administration is continuing the SPP initiative under the “rebranded” and “refocused” banner of the less controversially renamed North American Leaders Summit that first met with Obama in Guadalajara, Mexico, last August.

The following is from one of our readers:

Hello everyone,

As an American, if you believe in free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, democracy and free trade then you should become very aware of what is going on in the Whitehouse.   Our president has surrounded himself with very ‘interesting’ people.  He has appointed key ‘czars’ who hold power and influence him on a daily basis.   Who he has appointed reflects directly on him for these are the people he has chosen to advise him.  

Glenn Beck had first uncovered the ‘Green Czar’ named Van Jones.  A personal appointee of President Obama.   Glenn Beck and Fox News uncovered some interesting things about Mr. Jones and his communist ideology.

“Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., had demanded that the Senate Green Jobs and New Economy Subcommittee conduct hearings to probe Jones’ behavior and “reassure the American people that their government is safe from his divisive, incendiary and ultimately counterproductive sentiments.” 

Jones was a self-described “communist” during the 1990s and previously worked with a group dedicated to Marxist and Leninist philosophies. His comments, even in recent years, were often racially charged. He’s blamed “white polluters and white environmentalists” for “steering poison” to minority communities. In 2005, he drew a distinction between white and black youths involved in shooting incidents by referencing the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.”

After bringing to light the truth about Van Jones and his communist ideology, the white house let him very quietly and discreetly resign at midnight over the labor day weekend while everyone was on vacation.  The white house has been incredibly silent about his appointment and is remaining tight lipped.   Now, Glenn Beck and Fox News are looking into other persons who President Obama has personally appointed and is surrounding himself with.   Next is Anita Dunn.   Due to the ever increasing popularity of Fox News for spreading the truth about the President and his appointees, the white has officially gone on an all out war of Fox News.  This is absolutely unheard of.  A news agency that is reporting the truth is now being targeted by the white house for the first time in history.   If the white house doesn’t like what you say about them, they are going to put you out of business.  Gee, what does that sound like, communism?   Hmmm.  Are we really just making this up?????

Please click on the link below in the gray box, titled ‘The radical truth about Anita Dunn’.   And you will be brought to a page with two small video windows.  First watch the top video and then watch the bottom video.   Now due to Glenn Beck bringing to light the truth behind Anita Dunn, another Presidential appointee of Barack Obama, she is now ‘leaving’ office at the end of this month.   As an American who believes in freedom and what our forefathers fought for and our soldiers continue to defend, we must all become aware of the ideology of the man we have elected to lead our country.   Isn’t it interesting that Fox News is the only news program that is reporting these contestable things.  Why aren’t the other news agencies covering these stories.  Fox News is the number one rated news program in America today and its absolutely killing the white house and they are steaming mad about it. 

Whether you are democrat or republican doesn’t matter. What matters is who really is our president and who are the key people he is surrounding himself with????

The radical truth about Anita Dunn*

The Liberty Tree Lanterns sees this as utter oppression and Despotism! 

It is the right of the American people to know what is going on in The White House.  Fox News is truly the only NEWS organization, outside of Talk Radio, that isn’t in the bag of the tyrants of Washington D.C.! 

Something must be done to stop the silencing of TV and soon Internet NEWS sources.  People, you need to decide what you are going to do.  Time is growing short before the day will come that none of us will be able to do anything because we won’t even know what is going on; which is exactly the way Washington wants it. 

 Due to recent events in Washington D.C. The Liberty Tree Lantern is highly concerned about numerous Communistic and controlling  behaviors and actions by The White House as well as both houses of Congress.

The following is from one of our readers:

Hello everyone,

As an American, if you believe in free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, democracy and free trade then you should become very aware of what is going on in the Whitehouse.   Our president has surrounded himself with very ‘interesting’ people.  He has appointed key ‘czars’ who hold power and influence him on a daily basis.   Who he has appointed reflects directly on him for these are the people he has chosen to advise him.  

Glenn Beck had first uncovered the ‘Green Czar’ named Van Jones.  A personal appointee of President Obama.   Glenn Beck and Fox News uncovered some interesting things about Mr. Jones and his communist ideology.

“Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., had demanded that the Senate Green Jobs and New Economy Subcommittee conduct hearings to probe Jones’ behavior and “reassure the American people that their government is safe from his divisive, incendiary and ultimately counterproductive sentiments.” 

Jones was a self-described “communist” during the 1990s and previously worked with a group dedicated to Marxist and Leninist philosophies. His comments, even in recent years, were often racially charged. He’s blamed “white polluters and white environmentalists” for “steering poison” to minority communities. In 2005, he drew a distinction between white and black youths involved in shooting incidents by referencing the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.”

After bringing to light the truth about Van Jones and his communist ideology, the white house let him very quietly and discreetly resign at midnight over the labor day weekend while everyone was on vacation.  The white house has been incredibly silent about his appointment and is remaining tight lipped.   Now, Glenn Beck and Fox News are looking into other persons who President Obama has personally appointed and is surrounding himself with.   Next is Anita Dunn.   Due to the ever increasing popularity of Fox News for spreading the truth about the President and his appointees, the white has officially gone on an all out war of Fox News.  This is absolutely unheard of.  A news agency that is reporting the truth is now being targeted by the white house for the first time in history.   If the white house doesn’t like what you say about them, they are going to put you out of business.  Gee, what does that sound like, communism?   Hmmm.  Are we really just making this up?????

Please click on the link below in the gray box, titled ‘The radical truth about Anita Dunn’.   And you will be brought to a page with two small video windows.  First watch the top video and then watch the bottom video.   Now due to Glenn Beck bringing to light the truth behind Anita Dunn, another Presidential appointee of Barack Obama, she is now ‘leaving’ office at the end of this month.   As an American who believes in freedom and what our forefathers fought for and our soldiers continue to defend, we must all become aware of the ideology of the man we have elected to lead our country.   Isn’t it interesting that Fox News is the only news program that is reporting these contestable things.  Why aren’t the other news agencies covering these stories.  Fox News is the number one rated news program in America today and its absolutely killing the white house and they are steaming mad about it. 

Whether you are democrat or republican doesn’t matter. What matters is who really is our president and who are the key people he is surrounding himself with????

The radical truth about Anita Dunn*

The Liberty Tree Lanterns sees this as utter oppression and Despotism! 

It is the right of the American people to know what is going on in The White House.  Fox News is truly the only NEWS organization, outside of Talk Radio, that isn’t in the bag of the tyrants of Washington D.C.! 

Something must be done to stop the silencing of TV and soon Internet NEWS sources.  People, you need to decide what you are going to do.  Time is growing short before the day will come that none of us will be able to do anything because we won’t even know what is going on; which is exactly the way Washington wants it.