Freedom Of The Press? 

Barack Obama made a lot of promises to the American people. His promise about being able to keep your current health insurance if you liked it was labeled PolitiFact's "Lie of the Year."

Obama also promised to lead "the most transparent administration in history." Katherine Meyer, an attorney who has specialized in freedom of information requests since the late 1970s, said the Obama Administration "…is the worst on FOIA issues. The worst. There's just no question about it." 

Meyer added, "This administration is raising one barrier after another. …It's gotten to the point where I'm stunned -- I'm really stunned." 

Far from being open and transparent, the Obama Administration has cracked down on freedom of the press. Remember the Associated Press scandal and the targeting of Fox News reporter James Rosen? Sadly, in recent years the United States has dropped 13 positions in the World Press Freedom index. 

I'm sure you'll recall Obama complaining about how Fox News was so unfair to him during his recent interview with Bill O'Reilly. It seems the White House is about to strike back. 

Federal Communications Commissioner Ajit Pai warned this week that the FCC is planning to "…thrust the federal government into newsrooms across the country." Pai adds, "It plans to ask station managers, news directors, journalists, television anchors and on-air reporters to tell the government about their 'news philosophy' and how the station ensures that the community gets critical information."

Pai suggests that FCC may be attempting to resurrect the so-called Fairness Doctrine, whereby left-wing government bureaucrats determine what is fair and what isn't. 

Fighting Christian Persecution Not A Priority 

The persecution of Christians overseas is one of the most pressing and overlooked issues in America today. As I noted in yesterday's report, there is something terribly wrong when a homosexual football player gets vastly more attention than an American pastor falsely jailed in Iran. 

Elliott Abrams, who sits on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, blasted the administration during congressional testimony yesterday for its inattention to the plight of persecuted believers around the world. 

Referring to Obama's refusal to name an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom for well over a year, Abrams said, "If there is a long vacancy it weakens the attention of the executive branch … and it sends a message to countries around the world of inattention and a lack of concern."

Abrams added that the Obama Administration is not taking full advantage of the authority it has to fight religious persecution under the International Religious Freedom Act, which authorizes the administration to impose tough sanctions on the worst offenders. Failing to use that leverage, Abrams warned, "…sends a message to other governments that we don't care." 

As our nation was founded on the principle of religious liberty, Americans should care tremendously about religious persecution. That's why I am proud to work with Christians United for Israel in calling on members of Congress to support the creation of a special envoy at the State Department dedicated to fighting Christian persecution in the Middle East. 

Global Warming, Anyone? 

Several southern states are getting pummeled by a "catastrophic" winter storm. It is also paralyzing airports along the east coast and much of the nation's capital with some predictions calling for close to a foot of snow overnight. I'm sure folks in Atlanta would welcome a little global warming right now.

Further north, experts are predicting that Lake Superior might completely freeze over. Ice already covers more than 80% of the all the Great Lakes. Yet left-wing politicians continue to clamor on about how we need to empower big government to impose more regulations and new taxes in order to combat global warning. 

Here's something to keep in mind every time you hear talk about global warming: According to Dr. Roy Spencer, a former NASA scientist, 95% of the computer models upon which the left is basing its global warming claims and public policy are wrong.

What kind of policies are we talking about? Well, the EPA is proposing new regulations that could increase electricity prices 70% to 80%. I wonder how many people using electricity to heat their homes this winter would like to see their bills increase 80%.