Obama Gets Tough In Middle East 

The Obama Administration is getting tough with countries in the Middle East, but unfortunately it is cracking down on our allies rather than our enemies. 

As we recently reported, the White House is telling the interim Egyptian government, which saved the country from the very real threat of an Islamist dictatorship, that it must bring the radical Muslim Brotherhood back into the government. Sadly, the Wall Street Journal reports that anti-U.S. hostility is on the rise. 

The Obama State Department has once again condemned the Israeli government for approving the construction of homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria. State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said yesterday, "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity and opposes any efforts to legitimize settlement outposts." 

In objecting to these so-called "settlement outposts," the administration gives the impression that it is disputing a few homes scattered across barren hillsides. In fact, nearly half a million Israelis live there. 

And while the administration is cracking down on Egypt and Israel, it is reaching out again to the new regime in Iran. But what is Iran doing? According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran has accelerated its nuclear program, installing 7,000 new centrifuges since the supposedly moderate Dr. Hojjatoleslam Hassan Rouhani was elected president, replacing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 

A congressional delegation is in Israel right now. Here's what Prime Minister Netanyahu told them: 
 

• "I know that some place their hopes on Iran's new president. He knows how to exploit this. And yesterday he called for more talks. Of course he wants more talks. He wants to talk and talk and talk. And while everybody is busy talking to him, he'll be busy enriching uranium. 

  "He (Rouhani) says, 'I talk and I smile and I enrich uranium.' Unhappily, the situation is not getting any better, it's actually getting worse. Iran is determined to get the bomb and we must be even more determined to prevent them from getting it."

IRS STILL Targeting The Tea Party 

This will get your blood boiling, friends. Testifying last week before the House Ways and Means Committee, an IRS agent admitted that the agency is still targeting Tea Party groups for additional scrutiny. 

What is going on at the IRS? This scandal broke months ago and dominated the headlines. One acting IRS commissioner was "fired." Lois Lerner is pleading the Fifth and has been suspended. Another top director has been placed on administrative leave. Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel emphatically told reporters six weeks ago that he had stopped the practice of targeting Tea Party, Christian and other conservative groups. 

But the agent's testimony is clear. Consider these excerpts from a transcript released by the House Ways and Means Committee: 
 

• Committee: If you saw -- I am asking this currently, if today if a Tea Party case, a group -- a case from a Tea Party group came in to your desk, you reviewed the file and there was no evidence of political activity, would you potentially approve that case? Is that something you would do?

  IRS agent: At this point I would send it to secondary screening, political advocacy. 

  Committee: So you would treat a Tea Party group as a political advocacy case even if there was no evidence of political activity on the application. Is that right? 

  IRS agent: Based on my current manager's direction, uh-huh.

This is clearly well beyond just a few rogue agents. We seem to be dealing with an entire rogue agency!

Join Me In D.C.! 

Join me at the 2013 Values Voter Summit, in Washington, D.C., October 11th - 13th. 

The Values Voter Summit is sponsored by American Values, the Family Research Council, AFA Action, Heritage Foundation, Liberty University and Liberty Council. 

This year's Summit features an incredible line up of speakers, including: 
 

• Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) 
• Dr. Ben Carson 
• Lt. Gen. William Boykin (Ret.) 
• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 
• Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) 
• Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) 
• Rep. Steve King (R-IA) 
• Star Parker 
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) 
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) 
• 2012 Vice Presidential Nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) 
• Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) 
• And many more outstanding conservative leaders!

There will be educational sessions on a broad range of topics including: the threat to religious liberty, radical Islam, restraining Big Government and responding to the left. 

American Values will host a special luncheon on Saturday, October 12th. (To attend the luncheon, you must purchase a separate ticket.) Later that evening, there will be a gala dinner honoring Dr. Ed Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation. 

To learn more or to register online, click here now. I look forward to seeing you there!