High School Sex Scandal Deepens in Ware Shoals

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Ware Shoals, SC high school sex scandal deepened today with the release of the official Greenwood County Sheriff's investigation report. A link to a pdf file of that report can be found at the end of this article.

Law enforcement officials detail a sordid scandal of sex, lies, alcohol, and betrayal at the Ware Shoals High School. 28-year-old Jill Moore, the high school cheerleading coach and a married mother, allegedly gave alcohol to minors, had a sexual affair with a student, and enticed the participation of one of her cheerleaders in yet another affair she was allegedly having with a National Guardsman.

According to the official report, Moore would remove the cheerleader in question from class in the middle of the day so that the two could go to a local motel, where the cheerleader would engage in sex with a National Guardsman and then watch as Moore engaged in sex with yet another National Guardsman. The S.C. National Guard has stated that the two Guardsmen in question have been suspended from duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

It should be mentioned that according to S.C. law, the 16-year-old cheerleader is of legal age to engage in consensual sex, and therefore, the Guardsman in question will not be charged with rape.

The plot of this story has a curious twist, however. Ware Shoals High School principal Jane Blackwell has been arrested for obstruction of justice. Blackwell allegedly covered up the activities of Moore, and a diary that law enforcement officers seized indicated that Blackwell knew of the affair between Moore and the student in December, the result of her own investigation of Moore.

Law enforcement officials claim that Blackwell allegedly directed the cheerleading squad not to speak to anyone about the case, and hence, the obstruction charge. This is where the facts become fuzzy, however. Apparently some of the cheerleaders took the principal's directive to mean that they were not to talk even to law enforcement officials. Blackwell's attorney, however, states that Blackwell's intent was to silence rumor on campus, pending the outcome of the legal investigation, and that she never intended for them not to speak to law officers about the case.

Within the official documents made public by the Greenwood County Sheriff's Department today, Moore admits that she sometimes took two or three cheerleaders out for drinks and cigarettes after football games. At this point, however, Moore, through her attorney, is denying any affair or getting one of her cheerleaders involved in sexual liaisons.

Needless to say, this news has sent this small South Carolina community into a dizzying spin. Never before in the history of the town has a scandal of this magnitude rocked its soul to its very core. Residents here find the allegations very hard to believe. Yet, upon reading the Sheriff's report, a few are already changing their minds.

Admittedly, the information contained in the report is scandalous and shocking. And if it is true, it will be yet another sad chapter to the rampant and widespread scourge of female teacher-male student liaisons, except this one takes it all a step further. This scandal involves midday rendevous at local motels and a female student joining the coach in her afternoon romps.

A word of caution is in order here, however. As we have witnessed with the Duke lacrosse rape hoax, cases like this MUST not be tried in the court of public opinion. In America, the accused is still considered innocent until proven guilty. That goes for the cheerleading coach, the school principal, the two students involved, and the two National Guardsmen. These persons MUST have their day in court, and only in a court of law can a verdict be rendered.

It would be a shame and a travesty of American justice if Ware Shoals allows itself to descend into a lynch-mob mentality based upon allegations in a sheriff's report. Until these allegations are proven in a court of law, they are simply allegations. As despicable as these charges are to the decency that still exists among most Americans, we also must remember that our system of justice is based upon a fair hearing in court.

The accused in this case must not be found guilty by the public before their day in court begins.

Click here for the pdf file of the Sheriff's report:

Greenwood County Sheriff's Report

The Liberty Sphere Welcomes The Jerusalem Post

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Liberty Sphere is pleased to welcome to our list of links The Jerusalem Post.

Caroline B. Glick is the deputy managing editor of The Jeruslame Post, in addition to her duties as Senior Middle East Fellow at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC. The Liberty Sphere has often pointed readers to the thought-provoking articles of Caroline Glick.

Although the Jerusalem Post is primarily a Jewish publication, they also publish a Christian edition on their website. Simple click on the icon at the top of the page that indicates 'Christian edition.'

It is our pleasure to add The Jerusalem Post to our list of preferred sites.

Caroline Glick Blasts American Jews for Support of Democrats

Charolotte, NC (TLS). Caroline Glick is a brilliant Jewish journalist and expert on Middle East policy. She is the editor of the Jerusalem Post.

In this stinging article, Glick takes to task American Jews for their overwhelming support of Democrats, in spite of the fact that Democrats are today's biggest enemies of Jews in American politics.

Click here to read her editorial in The Jewish Press:

Caroline Glick

Terror Cells In Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, NC (TLS). Thirty-five years ago Charlotte, North Carolina was a relatively small southern city, located on the I-85 corridor near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Today the city is a thriving, growing metropolis, one of the fastest growing in America and consistently rated as one of the most desirable places to live.

Churches can be found practically on every street corner both in town and in its sprawling suburbs. Charlotte has been a steady hub of southern Protestantism for the entirety of its history. That distinction continues today.

This city, therefore, is an unlikely place to find a terrorist cell that is part of a broad network of similar cells that are connected to Hizbollah, the dangerous Palestinian terrorist group associated with murderous attacks on Israel and its allies. Yet right here, in the buckle of the Bible belt, can be found one of the most dangerous and subversive Islamic extremist groups in the world.

In fact, the FBI reports that the entire state of North Carolina has become a common place of refuge for extremist Muslims, perhaps precisely due to the fact that this is a most unlikely place in which to find them. Their work can therefore be undertaken beneath the radar screen.

The FBI is investigating a terrorist network with connections in Raleigh, NC, Charlotte, NC, Greensboro, NC, Dearborn, MI, New York City, and a handful of other cities in America that serve as havens for Hizbollah. According to sources within the nation's counterterrorism apparatus, these terrorist cells did not come to North Carolina after 9/11 or after the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1992. One must go all the way back to the 1980s when a tight-knit group of Islamic extremists attended the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro. There the foundation was laid for what would become a covert haven of Muslim extremists with definite connections to worldwide terror.

This subversive network was built by Sami al-Arian, a professor in computer engineering; his brother-in-law, Mazen al-Najjar; and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Mohammed used the knowledge he gained in engineering at North Carolina A&T allegedly to mastermind the Sept. 11 attacks. He also is suspected of plotting other atrocities, such as the bombing of the USS Cole, the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, and the 1993 World Trade Center attack with his nephew, Ramzi Yousef.

Further investigations have uncovered more criminal activity by the Charlotte cell, including sending money and other aid to Hizbollah, racketeering, and money laundering.

The Counterterrorism Network reports the following:

* U.S.A. v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud et al., Charlotte, North Carolina: 25 individuals charged in connection with cigarette smuggling, money laundering, credit card fraud, marriage fraud and immigration violations. Four individuals were charged with providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, Hizballah, specifically providing currency, financial services, training, false documentation and identification, communications equipment, explosives, and other physical assets to Hizballah, in order to facilitate its violent attacks. In 2003, Mohamad Hammoud was sentenced to 155 years in prison, while his brother, Chawki, was sentenced to 51 months.

* U.S.A. v. Elias Mohamad Akhdar et al. (pdf), Dearborn, Michigan: 11 co-defendants charged with racketeering related to the Charlotte, North Carolina scheme. In January, 2004, Akhdar was sentenced to 70 months in prison and was fined over $2,000,000 after having pled guilty in July, 2003.

* U.S.A. v. Imam Mohamad-Musbah Hammoud, et al., Michigan, Canada (Ontario, Quebec), Lebanon: In March, 2006, 19 co-defendants charged with a racketeering scheme involving contraband cigarettes, counterfeit Zig Zag rolling papers and counterfeit Viagra, counterfeit cigarette tax stamps, transporting stolen property, and money laundering. A percentage of the profits derived from the illegal enterprise were given to Hizballah. On July 7, two of the defendants, Imad Majed Hamadeh and Theodore Schenk, 73 pled guilty (pdf). Hamadeh and Schenk face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

This activity, however, is not confined to aiding and abetting terrorism overseas. The threat to the local area from these terrorist cells that seek safe haven here is very real. The Center for Immigration Studies reports, for example, that 'Kamran Sheikh Akhtar was detained in Charlotte, North Carolina while videotaping buildings there in July 2004. He entered the United States illegally through Mexico in December 1991 and claimed political asylum in 1992. Five years later, in 1997, the asylum request was denied. A month later, he sought to resist removal by filing for residency based on marriage to an American. In March 1998, he is found by an immigration judge to be removable and is given voluntary departure, but a month later the marriage petition secures a permanent residency.'

While using American law to further their subversive agenda, these killers gain asylum throughout the U.S. through the marriage exception, i.e., being married to an American prevents their deportation. Sheikh Akhtar benefitted from such an arrangement and was subsequently caught videotaping buildings in Charlotte.

According to the FBI, Charlotte is a potentially attractive notch in the belt of terrorists. The city's large banking district is considered to be one of the top financial hubs in the nation today.

Not surprisingly, there is a definite Iranian connection to the Hizbollah terrorist activity in Charlotte. According to the Washington Center for Near East Policy, 'Hezbollah operatives in Charlotte, North Carolina, responded directly to Sheikh Abbas Haraki, a senior Hezbollah military commander in South Beirut. At the same time, Hezbolllah procurement agents in Canada who coordinated with the Charlotte cell worked directly with Haj Hasan Hilu Laqis, Hezbollah's chief procurement officer who operates closely with Iranian intelligence.'

Connect the dots. Iran, which is building nuclear weapons to use against Israel, Britain, and the United States, is directly involved with the activity of Hizbollah in Lebannon, with cells operating right here in Charlotte and in other parts of the U.S.

The long and significant history of radical Islam's movements in North Carolina is reason for alarm. For twenty years the area has been the subject of intense scrutiny by Jihadist operatives who have made inroads into the region. That fact that this subversive activity is occurring not only in Charlotte, but in Raleigh, Greensboro, Ashville, Winston-Salem, and other areas of North Carolina should be a sobering wake-up call to citizens who have been lulled to sleep by the six years of calm since the 9/11 attack.

The question is, is this simply the calm before the storm?

Links to Sources for this article:

Carolina Journal

Counterterrorism

Center for Immigration Studies

Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Explosive Shocker on Muslim Keith Ellison and Threat to Senator Diane Feinstein!

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Liberty Sphere has learned that a bombshell shocker has been revealed by WorldNetDaily News, which has examined documents concerning Muslim Keith Ellison, D-MN, and a death-threat years ago to Senator Diane Feinstein, D-CA.

Researching documents going all the way back to the mid-1970s, WorldNetDaily uncovered police reports concerning an attempt to bomb the home of Diane Feinstein. At the time Feinstein was a San Francisco city supervisor. A terrorist organization known as the 'New World Liberation Front' was wreaking havoc on the west coast, placing pipe bombs under police vehicles and murdering a bank customer with a shotgun.

This same organization placed a pipe bomb under the window of the room of Diane Feinstein's daughter. Due to a rare overnight freeze, the bomb failed to detonate.

In 1995, Feinstein testified before the Senate that she had been so traumatized by that event that she bought a handgun and intended to use it protect her daughter and her husband, who at the time was dying of cancer.

It is interesting that Senator Feinstein is a fierce opponent to gun rights, receiving the grade of 'F-' from Gun Owners of America. Yet when she herself felt her life and that of her family threatened, she did not turn solely to the police. She bought, possessed, and carried a firearm, a right guaranteed to ALL Americans under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

You will notice Feinstein's shocking support of gun rights in this story, a fact that apparently she has forgotten.

Enter Keith Ellison. When the perpetrators of the crimes committed by the New World Liberation Front were identified and apprehended, it was discovered that the organization is a terrorist group connected with the Symbionese Liberation Army and that the main suspect in the attempt on the life of Feinstein's daughter was none other than one Sara Jane Olson, who went by the name of 'Kathleen Soliah.'

On the run from law enforcement officials for over 20 years, Olson was captured in St. Paul, Minn. in the year 1999. As it turns out Olson had powerful support from a group called 'Weather Underground,' which was formed as a radical group in the 1960s. The group set up a legal defense fund for Olson, led by one of the group's founders, Bernadine Dohrn.

Now here is the most shocking fact of all. Keith Ellison joined Weather Underground and Bernadine Dohrn in promoting a fundraiser for the legal defense of Sara Jane Olson. Not only that, but Ellison is on record as stating that the incarceration of Olson was nothing more than people trying to 'settle the score with those fighting for freedom during the 60s and 70s.'

Ellison then demanded that Olson be set free.

Thus, Muslim Keith Ellison is on record supporting the full and free release of a convicted terrorist who attempted to kill Diane Feinstein's daughter, and perhaps her entire family, with a pipe bomb.

The Liberty Sphere repeatedly warned readers about Ellison for quite some time prior to the November 2006 elections. Those warnings went unheeded, as voters in Ellison's district in Minnesota elected a person of dubious reputation. Ellison has also been known to call for the release of cop-killers. Yet he sits in the U.S. House of Representatives, in the same Democrat Party as that of Diane Feinstein.

To read the full account from the organization that first broke this shocking story, click here:

WorldNetDaily News

A Confession from a Disgusted Democrat

Charlotte, NC (TLS). Linda Thom is one disgusted Democrat. The lifelong Democrat confesses and complains that her Party has totally missed the boat on immigration reform and that the citizens are increasingly fed up with it.

Sweeping immigration reform is a concept whose time has come in America. Citizens are increasingly up in arms about the country they love slowly fading away as illegal aliens run roughshod over our values and Constitution, showing a total disregard for the rule of law.

Democrats have historically opposed any form of immigration reform, recognizing the fact that illegal aliens represent yet one more minority group from which they can receive votes. Democrats such as Thom, however, have seen through the ruse and are ready to bolt.

Read her confession here:

Linda Thom

New Update on the Wren Cross at College of William and Mary

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The scandal surrounding the removal of a Cross from the historic Wren Chapel at the College of William and Mary is still brewing. The Liberty Sphere has reported on this story a couple of time over the past few months. Today we have received updated information that indicates students and alums are still fuming over the actions of the college president, who unilaterally made the decision to remove the Cross, and then unilaterally decided on a compromise that he hoped would placate his critics.

They are not impressed.

Over 10,000 signatures have been placed on a petition drive to restore the Wren Cross to its rightful home in the chapel.

The Liberty Sphere had previously called for the dismissal of the college president by the Board of Trustees. This has yet to happen. Yet, as you will read in the article below, the General Assembly of the State of Virginia is threatening action unless the Cross is restored.

Perhaps the Trustees of the college had better get a move on doing something about their wayward President, or else the state of Virginia will intervene. And from what we can tell, the legislature is none too pleased that the Cross was removed.

Read the full account here:

Wren Cross

Embedded in Charlotte, NC: The Stories We Are Following

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Liberty Sphere is embedded in Charlotte, North Carolina in order to closely follow several continually breaking news stories of interest.

First, we were among the first to announce that Republican Duncan Hunter would formally announce his candidacy for President in Spartanburg, South Carolina, about 70 miles south of here. The breakfast meeting in Spartanburg during which Hunter made the announcement provided an opportunity for The Liberty Sphere to get a close-up glimpse into the nature of Hunter the man, his views, and the reaction of those in attendance. This man may well be the candidate to surge to the top once conservatives learn the scoop on this unique American hero/patriot.

Second, we are following the high school scandal in the small South Carolina town of Ware Shoals, located in the northwest sector of the state. This still-developing story involving high school cheerleaders, their coach, and their principal is the talk of the town in Ware Shoals, which is normally a friendly and quiet southern village known for its hospitality.

The Liberty Sphere has learned that allegations concerning the involvement of several local National Guardsmen in the scandal has become part of the investigation.

We will keep you updated.

And third, Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the boomtowns of the South during the past 20 years, is home to a Muslim hotbed that figures into a suspected terrorism ring. This city that is populated with tens of thousands of Baptists who attend massive mega-churches is the unlikely home of a mosque that has been suspected of having connections to international terrorism.

The Liberty Sphere will be following that story.

So, my friends, a lot is happening here, so stay tuned!

DNC Blasts Duncan Hunter

Charlotte, NC (TLS). The Democrat National Committee blasted Republican Presidential contender Duncan Hunter today, claiming that he is 'out of touch' with the American people.

Wasting no time in launching its attack shortly after Hunter announced his candidacy in Spartanburg, South Carolina this morning, the DNC claims that Hunter's views will not resonate with most Americans, in spite of his support for low taxes, a strong military, tough immigration reform, trade policy reform to correct unfair advantage for countries like China which then use the billions we send their way against us, secured borders, and a strong national security policy.

Obviously the Democrats believe that these values will not resonate with most Americans.

They would be very wrong.

Duncan Hunter opposes EMBRYONIC stem cell research because it is unnecessary and because it goes against the principles of human decency. Amniotic stem cell research shows the most promise in curing most of the worst diseases we face. There is no reason to use human embryos in this research.

But of course, it was expected that the DNC would take this position, given that most of their candidates favor abortion-on-demand, are against a ban on partial birth abortion, and are essentially in favor of wide open baby killing with people like Barack Hussein Obama voting against requiring medical care for aborted babies who survive abortion attempts. Obama's support for infanticide has yet to draw forth a single condemnation from anyone in the Democrat Party.

In addition, perhaps most Americans resonate with wide-open borders that allowed 45,000 murders of Americans committed by illegal aliens over the last five years--13 times the number killed in the Iraq War. Let's not forget the Democrat record on immigration. They have fought reform tooth and toenail because it would cut into their voting base.

Or perhaps most Americans resonate with the imprisonment of two American Border Patrol agents who shot at Mexican illegal aliens crossing the border with illegal drugs. Where have the cries been from Democrats demanding the release of those two American heroes? Duncan Hunter has been on the front lines demanding their release.

Maybe Americans resonate with the attempt of Democrats to ban guns, violating the U.S. Constitution. Or maybe they agree with the attempt to rob grassroots citizens and bloggers of their First Amendment right to free speech, such as most Democrats voted to do just last week. Were it not for American patriots who stopped them, the Democrats would have succeeded in the most far-reaching attack on First Amendment rights in the history of this republic.

If the Democrat National Committee thinks it can defend such shenanigans head-on in a side-by-side debate with candidates such as Duncan Hunter, I say, 'BRING IT ON.' We will meet them eyeball to eyeball, toe-to-toe on each and every issue. THEN, let's see if most Americans 'resonate' with Democrats.

As far as I can tell, it is the Demos who are so far outside mainstream America that they will run as fast as they can from their votes and their record.

Duncan Hunter Announces Presidential Bid

Spartanburg, SC (TLS). U.S. House Representative Duncan Hunter, R-CA, announced his bid for the Republican Presidential nomination before a friendly audience here in the upstate of South Carolina. The setting of the announcement was the luxurious Marriott Renaissance Park Hotel in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at a breakfast gathering entitled, 'America--The Strength of Freedom.'

Spartanburg is located in the overwhelmingly conservative and Republican stronghold of northwest South Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area has experienced tremendous growth through the years with its emphasis on low taxes, a business-friendly environment, and relatively low crime rate. Located 70 miles south of the booming North Carolina metropolis of Charlotte, the Greenville-Spartanburg area is home to the North American headquarters of BMW. The history of the area, however, is deeply rooted in the textile industry, with business mogul Roger Milliken calling the Spartanburg area home.

Milliken was present at the announcement of Hunter's Presidential bid this morning, though he has yet to endorse a candidate. Milliken did state, however, that Hunter's is a 'voice that needs to be heard.' Hunter's support for measures that correct unfair trade imbalances and policies that favor underpaid and unskilled overseas labor makes him an attractive candidate to people like Roger Milliken.

In his remarks today, Hunter stated that he wished to pick up where former President Ronald Reagan left off. Indeed, Hunter's views on government, the military, taxes, family, abortion, and the important place of religious faith in society put him in a unique position among the field of Presidential candidates at present. He is perhaps the only candidate in either Party that has truly remained faithful to the ideas of 'the Reagan Revolution' for the past 25 years since he was first elected to Congress.

Hunter has consistently echoed the Reagan mantra, 'Peace through strength,' in his campaign appearances.

In addition, the candidate is the ONLY candidate in either Party who has achieved the top rating of 'A+' from Gun Owners of America. This sets him apart from gun-grabbers such as John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, John Edwards, Barack Hussein Obama, and Hillary Clinton.

The candidate is also in favor of strict immigration reform, a concept that will definitely appeal to those who are aware of the threat posed to the country from an immigration policy that not only is raging out of control but the laws of which are not even being enforced.

It was Duncan Hunter, furthermore, who initially introduced a resolution demanding the release of the two Border Patrol agents who were recently sent to prison for merely doing the job they were hired to do--protect U.S. borders from illegal aliens who not only cross the border illegally but smuggle drugs into the country.

Duncan Hunter's background is also a refreshing balm to citizens who are fed up with lip-service and no action, and politicians who claim an adherence to religious faith but portray very little of it once they get elected. Rep. Hunter is a devout Baptist layman who has remained faithful to his traditional views on morality, family, abortion, prayer, and freedom of religious expression.

Further, the candidate is a true American hero, having served with distinction in Viet Nam, receiving the Bronze Star for bravery. Hunter's son has served in the War in Iraq on two separate occasions.

Perhaps Hunter's most endearing remarks to this socially conservative and deeply religious audience had to do with the abortion issue. Echoing his remarks to the pro-life rally in Washington on Monday, Hunter stated, 'If we have a judicial applicant, a judicial nominee who can look at a sonogram of an unborn child and not see the value of human life ... if I should become president of the United States, he will not receive a judicial appointment.'

Fundraising will definitely be a challenge to Hunter as he seeks the Republican nomination in a field of candidates who have much more name recognition. However, as the Republican and conservative base gets to know him better, and thoroughly evaluates his stance on the issues that are important to those who love liberty, we could well witness a surge in support of this stalwart of freedom.

We Welcome Ann Coulter to The Liberty Sphere

Good morning!

Today we have the pleasure of welcoming Ann Coulter to The Liberty Sphere lineup of columnists and pundits. Never disappointing readers with her exceedingly witty exchanges and her relentless exposing of the lies of the Left, Coulter's columns are must-reads.

Simply click on her name in the left column in the 'links' section of The Liberty Sphere, and this will take you directly to Ann's latest columns.

High School Scandal Hits Small South Carolina Town

Ware Shoals, SC (TLS). The sleepy southern town of Ware Shoals, located in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina, is an unlikely setting for a major scandal involving a teacher, a principal, and high school cheerleaders. This area is known for its charming southern hospitality, a friendly and safe environment for families, and a deeply religious heritage rooted in Baptist evangelical Christianity.

Most people in these parts were thoroughly shocked when news broke last week that a high school cheerleading coach at Ware Shoals High School had been arrested for giving alcohol to minors and placing those minors in what law enforcement officials described as 'highly inappropriate and compromising situations.' Allegedly, the coach in question would get certain members of her cheerleading squad out of class during school hours to go to an undisclosed location where alcohol would be served, along with the unspecified 'compromising situation.'

Two shocking aspects of this case came to light today, as law enforcement officials arrested the school principal on charges that she covered up the activities of the cheerleader coach. In addition, several school board members in Ware Shoals are family members of the accused coach.

The Liberty Sphere's sources in the area have revealed widespread public skepticism concerning the participation of the high school principal in a cover-up. Her arrest has left citizens in Ware Shoals wondering if perhaps the local law enforcement authorities went too far in attempting to discover a conspiracy where there may not be one. Local citizens seem willing to give the beleaguered principal the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are in.

As for the cheerleading coach, sentiment grows a bit more fuzzy. The thing about small southern towns is that word travels quickly and young people tend to have an inbred conscience, a basic knowledge of right and wrong, that leads them to blow the whistle on any sleazy activity of this nature.

Yet here again, the facts are not yet in. The accused must be given the benefit of the doubt.

Needless to say, however, this case has set the tongues wagging and the town ablaze with speculation. The townspeople who were contacted indicated that things like this are highly unusual in a place like Ware Shoals, and they are ready for the talk of the town to revert back to more genteel topics.

Republican Duncan Hunter To Announce Presidential Bid Today

Washington, DC (TLS). The Liberty Sphere has learned that U.S. House Representative Duncan Hunter, R-CA, shown above, will announce his bid for the Republican Presidential nomination today.

Rep. Hunter will make the announcement in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a place where the Congressman has garnered the support of some powerful and influential business leaders, including textile mogul Roger Milliken. Spartanburg is also located in the middle of an area that has suddenly become one of the most important campaign stops, as the South Carolina primary will be among the very first in the nation. The state has recently been host to visits by a variety of candidates in both parties, such as Mitt Romney, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, and John McCain.

Duncan Hunter will find a friendly audience for his announcement in Spartanburg. His voting record indicates solid conservative credentials, including pro-family, pro-life, tax cuts, national security, border security, and immigration reform.

In addition, Gun Owners of America has given Hunter a grade of 'A+' on Second Amendment issues, making him the ONLY candidate in either party thus far to achieve the top rating.

The National Education Association has given the Congressman one of its lowest ratings, which further solidifies Hunter's conservative credentials. The NEA has long been the nemesis of education reform, choosing instead to place union-style protectionism of teachers above the quality of education.

In addition, Hunter is a strong proponent of correcting the terribly unfair trade imbalance that exists between the U.S. and foreign countries, particularly China. As China quickly becomes a major economic competitor of the U.S., the time is ripe to correct the shocking imbalance in trade policy that gives the Chinese a jaw-dropping advantage when there is no rational reason for it.

It has yet to be seen if Duncan Hunter can achieve the name recognition and 'gravitas' to garner the support of the majority of Republicans. Members of the House suffer in these areas as Governors and Senators overshadow their presence. Yet Hunter is worthy of a hearing.

The Liberty Sphere feels that Duncan Hunter may well be the candidate conservatives are looking for. He has a commanding stage presence and speaks with authority. His views are highly attractive to those of us who value liberty, defense, security, gun rights, and lower taxes.

Out-Nifonging the Nifong: Criminal Charges in Order

Washington, DC (TLS). As most have obviously heard or read by now, the North Carolina Bar Association has charged Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong with misleading the court and withholding crucial evidence in the Duke lacrosse rape hoax. These charges will be added to the ethics charges with which the Bar has already charged Nifong. If found guilty this would be enough to remove Nifong from the Bar, essentially making it impossible for him to practice law ever again.

This should be the very least of his worries.

A new term has been added to the modern vernacular resulting from Nifong's gross misconduct in this case--'Nifonged'--which of course refers to the process of being tried in the court of public opinion rather than in a court of law and then proceeding to drag the accused through the mud in the process. Of course, anyone who gets 'Nifonged' is in dire straits.

In Mike Nifong's case, however, it would seem that the process that bears his name is a perfect fit. After all, each of Nifong's misdeeds were conducted publicly, in plain sight of the watchful eye of the public. The public is therefore an eyewitness to a heinous crime, a dark scheme contrived to win an election by framing or at least aiding in the framing of three young Duke students for crimes they did not commit, thus coming dangerously close to ruining their lives. Each false statement, each misdeed, each deception is all part of the public record, complete with TV cameras, video equipment, digital video and audio technology, all of which have preserved Nifong's prosecutorial misconduct.

Now it is time to 'out-Nifong' the Nifong, so to speak.

The suggestion has been made that judicial immunity may prevent Nifong from facing criminal charges for his misdeeds. However, such immunity clearly does NOT protect judges and attorneys from facing criminal charges if there is sufficient evidence that the counselors in question may have engaged in willful criminal conduct. It is difficult to see how Nifong's behavior can be viewed as anything but willful and criminal. The fact that a District Attorney in the middle of a high profile rape case, with potentially explosive racial overtones, would not even interview the accuser until eight months after the accusations were brought only highlights the calculated manner in which Nifong went about his work to play up the case in the news media, aiding and abetting agitators who worked up the Durham community into a state of frenzy, declaring the accused guilty before the cameras knowing full well he did not have a case, and then cruising to an easy re-election in a town that considered him to be a hero.

A series of crimes have been committed here right in front of the public by one of Durham's heroes.

Criminal charges should be vigorously pursued against Nifong. The man who did not hesitate to seek to ruin the lives of three innocent young men should be shown no mercy in facing his own prosecution.

It is now time for Nifong to be nifonged. This time, however, the charges will not be fabricated. They are all there in the public record.

LIBERTY ALERT!! Anti-Gun Bill on Fast Track in Congress

Washington, DC (TLS). This is an urgent 'Liberty Alert' concerning anti-gun legislation in Congress. Nancy Pelosi is determined to place on the fast track a bill introduced by gun opponent, Representative Carolyn McCarthy, who is seeking to expand the gun-grabbing 'Brady Bill.'

The Brady Gang is well-known in the beltway and around the nation as one of the fiercest and most dangerous opponents to Constitutional rights in the nation. Targeting the right of citizens to keep and bear arms under the provisions of the Second Amendment, the Brady Gang is determined to keep whittling away at gun rights little by little, step by step, bill by bill, until one day they succeed in outlawing guns altogether.

Rep. McCarthy is one of their comrades in this war on Constitutional rights.

The bill she proposes has come before Congress before but was voted down by Republicans who were in control at the time. With Nancy Pelosi's gun-grabbing, rights-robbing gang of thugs in control, however, we can be assured that Pelosi will put the McCarthy bill on the fast track.

Here is a sample letter, provided by Gun Owners of America, that you may use to send to your Congressional Representatives. Simply add your name at the signature line.

My friends, this bill MUST be stopped in its tracks. Contact your lawmakers NOW.

Pre-written letter to your Representative ----

Dear Representative:

Gun Owners of America has told me that anti-gun Rep. Carolyn McCarthy is trying to expand the Brady Law via H.R. 297. Well, on behalf of those millions of Americans who:

* have had their gun purchases held up by the Brady background check system for no apparent reason;

* know of people who have been targets of stalkers or abusive husbands -- and were killed (or simply forced to live in fear) while some bureaucrat in West Virginia fumbled around with their lives;

* have tried to buy a gun when the NICS system was shut down completely -- thereby blocking gun purchases nationally;

* are just curious why the Brady Instant Check -- which was billed as "the gun control bill that would stop future calls for gun control" -- almost immediately became a stepping stone for gun control bills dealing with gun show background checks, private sale background checks, and more personal information for the NICS registration system;

* are wondering why the FBI brags about the number of sales blocked by the Brady check, but can produce no data showing that the Instant check system has any relation to crime reduction;

* are struck by the fact that the anti-gun Clinton administration tried to use the system -- without further legislation -- to impose onerous fees and to retain records forever; and

* are wondering why the folks responsible for Waco and Ruby Ridge should be put in charge of determining whether or not I can have a gun --

I would ask you to oppose H.R. 297, the anti-gun legislation sponsored by liberal Carolyn McCarthy. Thank you.

Sincerely,
(Your name)
---------------
For the complete story on this ominous threat to gun rights, click here to go to the website of Gun Owners of America:

Gun Owners' Alert

GOOD MORNING!

And a hearty 'Good Morning' to each of you on this hump day, Wednesday.

Here are The Liberty Sphere's top stories for today:

**Bush to Congress: 'You Did Not Vote for Failure'
**A Defector from the Jihad--'Now They Call Me Infidel'
**Wolf in Sheep's Clothes: The American Hunter and Shooters Association
**Climate Debate Turns Nasty
**A Liberty Sphere Exclusive--How Environmentalists Consort to Destroy American Free Enterprise--A republishing of a Liberty Sphere classic
**And If You Don't Believe Me, Walter Williams Concurs on Environmentalism

SCROLL DOWN TO READ TODAY'S STORIES ON THE LIBERTY SPHERE...

Bush to Congress: 'You Did Not Vote for Failure'

Washington, DC (TLS). President Bush, speaking to Congress in his 2007 State of the Union address Tuesday evening, stated that when Congress voted to authorize the War in Iraq, 'you did not vote for failure.'

This could well be the key statement of the entire speech.

In a clear challenge to Democrats who now wish to cut and run in Iraq, in spite of the fact that most of them voted to authorize the President to invade, Mr. Bush makes his case for the necessity of the troop surge in order to secure Baghdad as part of a broader war that could well prevent the entire Middle East from disintegrating into violence and total collapse. Such a scenario would be devastating in our attempt to keep at bay the evil forces of Islamic Jihad.

For the United States to withdraw now would spell catastrophe for the entire region which would then fall to the extremists and terrorists of Iran and Syria.

'This is not the war we entered when we first went into Iraq,' stated the President, 'but this is the war we face now.' After a string of history-making successes in Iraq the enemy fought back in 2006. Such periods of battering occur in war. This is to be expected. However, we must not allow the enemy to crush our will and resolve.

We must remember that the United States brought about the following resounding successes:
--the removal of one of the most brutal dictators in human history
--the set-up of a provisional government based on democratic principles
--the formulation of a Constitution that is the most democratic in the Muslim world
--the election of a government under the provisions of that Constitution.

We have come too far to turn back now. As the war has morphed into a terrorist-insurgency from Syria and Iran, it is even more vital that the United States turns up the heat to beat back these threats to human liberty.

As expected, the Democrat response to the President's address, presented by Virginia Senator Jim Webb, was more of the bolderdash of excuses to accept defeat. Mr. Webb and his comrades need to be reminded that when Democrats by overwhelming majorities voted with Republicans to authorize this war, they did not vote for failure. They voted for victory, and nothing less than victory will be acceptable.

A Defector From Jihad--'Now They Call Me Infidel'

Nonie Darwish, shown above, is one of the most brilliant--and courageous--women in the world today. Raised in an environment where Islamic Jihad was a way of life, Darwish later renounced the Jihad in favor of Israel, the United States, and the War on Terror. She has become a powerful spokesman for freedom all over the world, exposing the bitter hatred and violence that is an integral part of Islamic Jihadists.

For this she has endured ridicule, vilification, slander, and death threats. Some leftist college campuses in America have withdrawn speaking invitations from her in response to threats of violence from Muslims students and their apologists among the liberal intelligentsia.

In the article below, David Forsmark of Front Page Magazine examines Darwish's monumental book, 'Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror.'

Click below for this must-read.

Now They Call Me Infidel

Wolf in Sheep's Clothes: American Hunters and Shooters Association

Washington, DC (TLS). One of the prevailing tactics of the extremist Left in this country of late is encapsulated by these words, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, and take them out from the inside.' In short, it is the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing effect. Such persons can do more damage by pretending to be for us than they can by fighting us openly.

Thus, they take their war against us underground, engaging in covert action to subjugate liberty while pretending to be all for liberty.

Such is the case with the American Hunters and Shooters Association. One would think from the name that this organization would stand for Second Amendment rights, seeking to protect the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In actuality, this organization seeks to divide gun rights groups in order to weaken them as a voting block. Their goal is more gun control, and their most vocal proponents are some of the most relentless enemies of the Second Amendment in America today.

For more about this group, click here:

GunLawNews

Climate Debate Turns Nasty

Washington, DC (TLS). Activists within the environmentalist movement are attempting to shut down debate about climate change and global warming. Determined to turn theory and hypothesis into 'science by consensus,' these ideologues demand strict adherence to their dogma that global warming has but one major cause--the activity of man.

Any scientist or climatologist who dares disagree based upon observable, hard science, is considered a heretic to be shunned.

Even a meteorologist on The Weather Channel asserted that any meteorologist that did not believe man caused global warming should have his/her credentials removed. This is in spite of the fact that there is widespread disagreement among scientists, climatologists, and meteorologists concerning the cause of global warming.

As I have written to you before in my Liberty Sphere exclusive that exposed the environmentalist movement as a political movement seeking to alter the course of society by restricting liberty, free enterprise, and capitalism, the issue is not global warming at all. The earth warms and cools in cycles, usually as a result of the sun's activity. Greenhouse gases can collect in the atmosphere totally apart from man's activity, as it was recently discovered that the planet Venus is uninhabitable due to its lack of a force field above its atmosphere to shield it from solar rays, causing the build-up of greenhouse gases.

This is not to mention that the earth has been in a gradual state of warming since the end of the last Ice Age.

That expose of the environmentalist movement will be re-posted today.

This is a singularly important matter, my friends, for much more is at stake here than simply what types of cars we drive. The environmentalist movement has a vested interest in placing the blame for climate change solely on man so that a different paradigm for existence can be ushered into society that is based not upon liberty but upon restrictions placed on citizens from a centralized source--the government.

The article below is a must-read on this continually breaking story.

Climate Debate CNS News