Dakota Beacon

Fernando Menéndez, a Cuban expert of the Center for a Secure Free Society, noted that when making the announcement, President Raúl Castro—who had been wearing civilian clothes—donned his military uniform to send a signal of who still remains in power. Crony capitalism of the left, if that is an appropriate name for the Chinese model, might create huge opportunities for profits but, as we see in the current disputes in Hong Kong, it can also weaken the struggle for political freedoms and respect for human rights.

At least two bishops have crossed a line by inserting themselves, and perhaps the Church, into a serious political and legal struggle by taking sides with what appears to many Americans, including many Catholics, to be an outrageous political action by an out-of-control President.

A NAKED BET; THE MEANING OF PRETTY QUICK; OIL PRICES HAVE NOSEDIVED; RON OFFUTT; DON’T ROCK THE BOAT; SHIRVANI GAVE IT HIS BEST SHOT; COMMUNITY ACTION OF MINNEAPOLIS; MORE FRAUD; ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL; FATHER AND SON FUN IN THE SNOW; DAKTOIDS

Here is a 32 second video of David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to President Obama introducing the actual architect and implementer of Common Core, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at a 2013 discussion of the Common Core. Axelrod claims that Common Core is an Obama administration initiative. Secretary Duncan agrees with that claim.

North Dakota Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Kirsten Baesler states that:

“Common Core is not “ObamaCore,” as some suggest. The truth is that the idea of Common Core State Standards was well underway before he took office in 2009.”

Bismarck School District states that:

“Myth: The Common Core is the federal takeover of education; it should be called Obamacore.

Truth: The Obama administration wasn’t involved in writing the Common Core, nor is it a federal mandate, though the President does support these standards.”

Is this a false flag deception by Superintendents Baesler and Uselman? Is the deception that all there is to Common Core is “the standards?” Why do the proponents never acknowledge the scope of the structure that the Obama administration required to be put in place for Common Core? That Obama did not write the Common Core Standards somehow only a supporter? Is this a purposeful, and with foreknowledge, deception?

Translated, that means the Speaker is going to stab the "folks that brung'im" in the back. Apparently, Mr. Boehner thinks that granting a blanket amnesty to illegal aliens is fine, as long as Republicans do it.

Only seven days remain until Santa’s big day. For those who haven’t finished Christmas shopping, time is running out. We are down to the wire. Frankly, anyone planning to order gifts “on line” is probably out of luck unless you don’t mind giving presents late. Chances are nil that purchases will arrive before Christmas.

Not to fear! It’s for others to worry and get up tight. After all, it’s Christmas, the season to be jolly, and nothing should steal your joy. Besides, as an experienced procrastinator, I’m here to give all the advice you can stand.

This case is greater than the practical survival of Obamacare. It is a case about the separation of powers. If Congress passes a law, can an administrative department, aided by the courts, work its effective amendment?

Under pressure from Turkey and the Gulf States, policy makers are reviewing U.S. efforts against ISIS, with a view to renewing our push to overthrow the Syrian government. The air campaign against ISIS has enjoyed broad public support. However, fighting for regime change in Syria is not what Americans bargained for.

This makes multiculturalism not only a corollary of, but also a Trojan horse for, moral relativism. And consider the implications. If all values are equal, how can showing cultures equal respect be superior to cultural chauvinism? And what if another culture does prescribe the latter? It then follows that the people within it cannot both have their own culture, unaltered, and accept multiculturalism.

AMAZING GROWTH; A BUMP IN THE ROAD?; “ALL THERE IS TO DO HERE IS WORK”;  A NEW ROUGH RIDER; PEGGY LEE; FROM ROMANCE TO THERAPY; CHRIS MAGNUS; MANNING; DRUNK AND SPEEDING WITHOUT SEAT BELTS; DAKTOIDS

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear King v. Burwell largely because of the gravity of the issue—subsidies for an estimated 5 million people hinge on the outcome as well as other consequences. The key issue is a matter of “statutory construction.” Congress has passed a law, albeit a long and complex one, and in that law there is language which has a plain and unambiguous meaning on its face. The subsidies which reduce the cost of health care insurance for the purchaser are only available for health plans “enrolled in through an Exchange established by the State under section 1311” of the ACA. The federal exchanges are not established by the state. Therefore, plans purchased on those exchanges do not qualify for the subsidies.

Finally, I must pay tribute to the ” the “black sheep,” the “outcast,” the “orphan” of seasonal goodies -- the fruitcake. Personally, I like fruitcake although it’s the one thing we don’t make in our home. Nevertheless, the fruitcake deserves its rightful honor as a holiday sweet. Too often this loaf is treated like zucchini. It’s given away because a) it’s so prolific and easy to buy, and b) even so, nobody wants it. In the spirit of Christmas I suggest we show some gratitude for this humble, calorie-laden brick with this plea: “Send me your tired, your poor, your -- fruitcake!”

Let the baking begin!

THE ONLOOKER; GOV. JACK DALRYMPLE’S SPECIAL GENIUS; FARGO MAYOR DENNIS WALAKER; NEW PRESIDENT AT UTTC; NO GUNSHOTS; DEAN BRESCIANI; DAKOTA PRAIRIE REFINING; CINDERELLA CITY; BLUECHIP FINANCIAL; MINOT GETS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY; CARRINGTON; THE NEW YORK TIMES

“The biggest threat to marriage is that people have forgotten its purpose,” said Pastor Rick Warren, the 28^th speaker at the conference. “Children who grow up with the presence of a mother and father are more successful in life, are healthier, are stronger, are less likely to be involved in crime, are less likely to go to prison, are less likely to be involved in drug abuse, are less likely to live in poverty. If you really want to support children, we need to support two-parent families, a husband and a wife, a mom and a dad.”

Governor Bobby Jindal: "This was a bait and switch."

Governor Phil Bryan: "State control over the standards turned out to be a myth, and adopting the standards has been required if a state wants to even apply for major federal education funding. So much for no federal control.”

Here in North Dakota the House and Senate Education Committee chairmen, the Superintendent of Public Instruction are in FULL SPEED AHEAD mode for complete systemic reform of the state’s education system. Governor Dalrymple? Silence…..Ø?

No American soldier, sailor or marine should ever be sent into war without a declaration of war issued by the U.S. Congress. If Congress won't issue such a declaration, then troops should not be sent into any battle.

By raising themselves up in the eyes of others they become relevant, meaningful and significant.

These instances of people creating their own relevance seem benign; shallow but benign. Others seek meaning in their lives with action that is not so benign.

What about those who find meaning and significance in destructive behavior? Gang members, westerners who join ISIS, people who riot in Ferguson, Missouri, fall into this category. Aimless people wandering seeking meaning in their lives are very susceptible to finding it in all the wrong places.

Why would people born in the United States want to join a gang or join ISIS? What is their interest? What is the attraction to rioting in Ferguson? Where do these people come from?

Pearson executives saw the potential to secure lucrative contracts in testing, textbooks and software worth tens of millions of dollars.

As the president, Obama continues to display his true roots. He is a community organizer at heart and no different than Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. He came to office with no private sector experience beyond academia and with only 142 days federal experience as Senator. As emperor he sees America as his community to organize.

I have had dozens of conversations with legislators over the years about these exemptions, the original intent was to incentivize developers to refurbish old, worn-down buildings and bring new businesses into downtowns. This particular project, as those in Bismarck know, was a brand-new multi-million dollar building. These sorts of condos are well out of the reach of the average citizen, and providing tax breaks to make it easier for developers to sell them was not the intent of the these laws.

National exit polling from Congressional races tells us some interesting things about the role of religious values in the 2014 midterm elections. It also sends a signal to the Republican Party about its supporters now and in the future

THE LEGACY FUND; LITTLE NORWAY; MONTANA COUNTIES IN THE BAKKEN; OIL AND AG; WHERE ARE AMERICAN INDIANS?; UNDERWATER; HE NEEDED TO RELAX; IS EVILDOER RIGHT?; NOT A LOW TAX STATE; FROM MINNESOTA TO SYRI; SOMALI LEADERS IN THE TWIN CITIES; DAKTOIDS  

The principle of democracy is bad enough in itself. But in practice democracy also breeds corrupt politicians, intent on short-term gain for themselves. The brevity of their tenure gives them an incentive to make hay while the sun shines.

Along with our many other problems, "Americans" (insofar as they still exist) are enduring the slow boil of cultural and demographic genocide. And executive amnesty, as with other kinds of leftist overreach, just may serve to turn that flame up high and rouse people from their torpor.

This is what it boils down to. And there's a reason why people such as Barack Obama don't believe in using immigration controls "vigorously and unapologetically to protect Americans."

So, what now? Should the Keystone Pipeline be built? That's not for me to say and, frankly, I don't see the future clearly enough to know whether it will be economically viable in the coming years. Neither is it for President Obama to say or know. Only the market can tell us which decisions to produce are wise and which are mistaken.

This past weekend the mainstream media just “stumbled” across the Jonathan Gruber video tapes. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor, one of the architects of the very unpopular and very unaffordable Affordable Care Act, admitted in a series of video tapes that the only way Obamacare could pass into law was by deceiving the American people. The video tapes were created in 2013 as Gruber delivered lectures and presentations. To the mainstream media’s discredit, the alternative media has been reporting on Gruber’s pack of lies since July of 2013. A total of five tapes have been revealed with potentially more to be released.

WHAT’S REALLY WRONG?; KEYSTONE XL; HEITKAMP IS A SWING VOTE; DSU RECEIVES ANOTHER BLOW; THERE’S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM; EASY TARGETS; THE TRIB BLAMES RACISM; TRIB NOT IN SYNC WITH READERS; LAUREN DONOVAN; IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE NEWBIES; MARTHA BERGEN (99); GO WEST YOUNG WELLESLEY GRAD; DAKTOIDS 

Both Gates and Hewlett want CCSS to drive the entire public education enterprise– and that includes curriculum.