Games People Play–Obama’s The #1 Game Player

Obama Social Security Chess Game SC Games People play  Obamas the #1 Game Player

Life is all a game to Obama. Like playing chess. The game is politics–above all else–at any cost.

Too often, he checkmates his opponents–the Republican leaders. He appears to have about all the cards–so far. But how much longer before his “House of Cards” falls? There are already cracks in his armor, just into his second term–the ones where he could ace out all the Republicans and be in complete control again as he was in the first two years of his first term. He bet on the Republicans folding over the sequestration, but they did not.

He bet that Benghazi’s mistakes would take little notice, as the Republicans would not pursue that, especially after he reportedly “stole” the 2012 election (by only 2.8%–large margin).

He bet they wouldn’t pursue the IRS scandal and the Dept. of Justice AP scandal. After all, he knew nothing about any of these scandals.  But now the liberal reporters are bristling. They are even asking questions (finally) about Benghazi, as it appears it will not go away. He loses the liberal media on his side, and he loses all.

He has bet that winding the war down in Afghanistan and bringing all the troops home at once in 2014 will ignite his base and be a part of his legacy–that he won the war (but with no forethought of how they will get jobs or even medical care, let alone the mess this leaves Afghanistan in.)

He’s bet  that the economy will turn around to make him look good, if they just tax the rich some more–yet we are facing even higher oil prices and possibly high inflation (and still high unemployment.)

He’s bet on amnesty for illegal aliens–11 million of them, and more and more will come then–buying votes in his bid to remake America (so he will have millions more indebted to him and to the liberals.)  He’s stopped deporting aliens and stopped the border fence.  However, Sen. Marco Rubio is working on a path to citizenship for these illegals.  Maybe someday, Hispanics and other illegals will realize that it is not the land of the free and that the Republicans represent their family values (and the liberals don’t really care for them, just for their votes.)

He’s bet that the liberal media will continue to cover up his scandals, his birthplace, and past. But the ‘chickens may come home to roost’ as the media are catching on now and may turn on him so that he could end up his second term either early–after impeachment– or be booted out at the end of his failed Presidency, going down as one of the worst and least experienced Presidents who tried to bring down America (the greatest nation there ever has been.)

All bets are off, Obama! We’ve come back from worse than what we’ve been experiencing today. It’s karma, and right will prevail!

The American Eagle will soar again!

Photo credit: terrellaftermath

The Price Of Indifference…

photo The Price Of Indifference...

When the Democrats took over Congress in 2006, paving the way for the triumphal entry of Barack Obama, a shiver ran down the spines of conservatives across the country. For six years, Democrats had perfected the politics of personal attack, demonizing Bush and Republicans daily, relying on misrepresentations damaging to the country.  A complicit media was glad to assist, and too many voters succumbed to the seductive voice of the serpent.

Leading up to the 2008 election, many voices warned that it would be a serious mistake putting an unknown and unqualified individual in the White House.  Many others pointed out his radical background, his questionable connections to violent radicalism, and his glaring anti-Americanism. These prophetic voices were marginalized with charges of racism; and again, the media cooperated with a global effort to herald a new deliverer.  The Chicago machine had become an international juggernaut funded by foreigners.

After the election came the blitzkrieg: czars, expanded bureaucracy, legislative snowstorms, executive orders, insane spending, etc. In short, radicalization on every front, hope and change turning to fundamental transformation, with the Constitution and economic freedom squarely in the crosshairs.

Enemies of the state were identified, pressed, squeezed, and isolated for ridicule.  The first to feel the full brunt of the Thug Brigade: Sarah Palin.  When the Tea Party hit the streets in 2009 calling only for financial responsibility in government and respect for the Constitution, the Thug Brigade was deployed with the help of the MSM, attacking viciously again with accusations of racism.

The net result: deeping divisions, rancor, economic devastation—all the tools of Marxists for 100 years used to demoralize and conquer from within.

Had it not been for alternative media like Fox, talk radio, conservative publications, and a growing army of citizen activists online, the juggernaut would have entirely overwhelmed traditional Americanism.  As it was, alternative voices were not enough to overcome the juggernaut in 2012, although retaining the House in 2010 (thanks to the Tea Party) at least demonstrated the Founders’ wisdom in installing a system of checks to thwart the ambitions of tyrants.

And now what was predicted is coming true: when you elect corrupt incompetence, (surprise!) you get corruption and incompetence.  The short list of scandals is sufficient to end this nightmare via resignation or impeachment, assuming Republicans don’t fumble the ball: Benghazi, SEAL Team Six, IRS, AP, Fast & Furious, Boston Bombing, EPA, election fraud, Obama’s records, corruption in DOJ, and ObamaCare.  (Did we mention bankruptcy, collapse of the dollar, and escalations by enemies abroad and at home?  Stay tuned.)

Matters have so deteriorated that even the MSM has started seeing the light; and some Democrats have entered the CYA zone, fearing voter reprisals in 2014.

It is now up to public officials, patriots, and alternative media to keep the issues on the table and proceed with formal, criminal investigations, following evidence wherever it leads, even if it leads into the Oval Office.  As Marco Rubio pointed out recently, at the very least, this President has created an atmosphere encouraging IRS criminality; and according to Obama’s own words, he is responsible.  When your ‘leadership’ is nothing more than a revenge campaign, it is no wonder chaos ensues.

Finally, it is hoped that citizens will learn the central lesson here, articulated by Plato 2,400 years ago:

“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

Zuckerberg And Rubio: Amnesty’s Two Indistinguishable Amigos

Zuckerberg SC Zuckerberg and Rubio: Amnesty’s two indistinguishable amigos

Mark Zuckerberg and Marco Rubio have become amnesty’s two indistinguishable amigos. They have morphed into Marco Zuckerberg and Mark Rubio.

You’ve heard the radio spots and seen the television ads featuring Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio talking about the dire need to do something about the “immigration problem” (not “illegal immigration” but immigration.)

During a minute’s worth of huffing and puffing, Rubio tries to bulldoze past any logical objections to erasing our borders with faux tough talk designed to impress us with his credentials as an “insider’ who KNOWS more than we do.

Rubio’s media crusade is funded by liberal Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg.

To impress us, Rubio uses buzz phrases like “conservative immigration reform,” “tough border triggers,” and “no giveaways for lawbreakers.”  That putting these words in Rubio’s mouth is not only breathtakingly insulting to true conservatives (but simply not true) shouldn’t resonate with a liberal like Zuckerberg; but Rubio has been “playing a conservative on TV” long enough to know better.

These spots betray a gross underestimation of conservatives.  Zuckerberg probably believes conservatives marry their sisters and are far less intelligent than he is, but Rubio apparently thinks conservatives are pining for a way to suck up to Hispanics the way white liberals sucked up to blacks and elected Barack Obama.

A new report from Public Policy Polling (a Democrat firm) shows that Rubio is self-immolating with these insulting spots. Conservatives who once saw him as an acceptable GOP nominee for president in 2016 are running away from him in obvious disgust over his decision to do Chuck Schumer’s bidding by erasing our borders.

During the period from May 6 – 9, when asked about Rubio as the Republicans’ 2016 nominee, “very conservative” and “somewhat conservative” respondents supported him at 17% and 18% respectively. That’s down from 26% and 22% from these groups just a month before.

The supreme irony of Marco Rubio’s foolishness is that Hispanics, who hold themselves aloof from participation in our civic life and wait for the best “goodies” package offer before deciding who to support, are naïve enough to believe Rubio’s tough talk and don’t like it.  His support among Hispanics has fallen 5% in the same period.

At this point, only wild-eyed liberals like Zukerberg believe that these spots can erase our borders. Nevertheless, a cunning liberal like Schumer might be using these spots as an opportunity to destroy the foolish Mr. Rubio’s chances of ever running for president.

Blurring the lines between “amnesty amigos” Marco Zuckerberg and Mark Rubio will not end well for the Senator from Florida.

Photo credit: JD Lasica, socialmedia.biz (Creative Commons)

Video: The First 2016 Anti-Hillary Ad

Fox News’ Eric Bolling shared a campaign ad that he said was up for grabs for Joe Biden, Chris Christie, Rand Paul or Marco Rubio to use in 2016.

Open Letter To German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel SC Open Letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Dear Madame Chancellor:

We strongly recommend that Germany reject the entrance of Croatia to the EU. However, if Germany determines it is willing to take on the financial and political risks of admitting Croatia into the EU, then we urge you to require conditions. Absent these conditions, it would be a mistake to admit Croatia into the EU and provide over €11 billion (2014-2020) in EU and German taxpayer funds to the country.  The recommended conditions are as follows:
1. Croatia agrees to accept foreign visiting judges and prosecutors from strong rule of law nations to be empowered with official duties. There are precedents for this in the Balkan region and in Commonwealth nations.
2. With the above assistance, the government of Croatia recovers illicit financial outflows of over €11.4 billion in crime, corruption and tax evasion (during 2001-2010) and confiscates the wealth illicitly amassed by Croatia’s politicians, government officials, and their private partners in crime and pays it back into Croatia’s treasury.
With a politically influenced judiciary, Croatia cannot effectively deal with rampant corruption. Foreign judges and prosecutors will be able to address the illicit outflows and illicit enrichment, and assist in establishing an independent judiciary with a proper foundation of the rule of law. Croatia’s corrupt politicians and their private partners in crime should be prosecuted; their assets in Europe and beyond should be frozen; and they should be barred from all EU offices and European parliamentary seats.
BackgroundThe EU is closing its eyes to organized crime and massive corruption in Croatia. By prematurely accepting Croatia as its 28th member, the EU would not only fail Croatia’s citizens, but also expose EU taxpayers to costly bailouts. In the meantime, an unreformed Croatian government is unlikely to use EU structural funds as intended.

Dr. Daniel Kaufmann’s study, completed at the Washington, DC-based Brookings Institution, with excerpts published in The Wall Street Journal, found that Greece’s crisis was due to rampant corruption and opaque public finances. Croatia is on the path to becoming the next Greece.

For the past two decades, Croatia’s two major political groupings have rotated power while politicians enriched themselves. While engaging in rampant corruption, politicians have blocked judicial reforms, interfered with the judiciary, failed to strengthen the rule of law, encouraged a dysfunctional economy, held fraudulent elections, and brought the government debt down to junk status. Under these circumstances, investors with honest intentions avoid the country.
Investors have no legal certainty and lack the fundamental protection of property rights. According to the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom for Croatia, published by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, “Judicial corruption continues to undermine the rule of law. The court system is cumbersome and inefficient, and backlogs cause business disputes to drag on for years.”
  
Twelve Reasons for Concern

1.  $15.2 Billion in Illicit Financial Outflows (2001-2010) Via Crime, Corruption, Tax Evasion and Illicit  Enrichment Since 1991

Based on the research by Washington, DC-based Global Financial Integrity, Croatia experienced an illicit outflow of $15.2 billion (€11.4b) during 2001-2010 via crime, corruption and tax evasion. Croatia’s government has not yet answered the questions of theOpen Letter of February 21, 2013 co-signed by members of the European Parliament Monica Macovei—Romania’s former justice minister—and Roger Helmer (UK) and Adriatic Institute’s leadership.
Moises Naim, a scholar at the Washington, DC-based Carnegie Endowment for International peace and the author of “Mafia States,” explains: “In mafia states, government officials enrich themselves and their families and friends while exploiting the money, muscle, political influence, and global connections of criminal syndicates to cement and expand their own power.” Croatia fits the description.

2.  Corruption and Money Laundering Related to Hypo Alpe Adria Group (HAAG)

While German taxpayers were bailing out Bayerische LB with €3.75 billion connected to the “losses” of the Hypo Bank in the Balkans, the accounts of corrupt Croatian politicians and criminals remained safe, protected by Liechtenstein’s banking secrecy and its new owner Prince Michael von Liechtenstein. Prior to Bayerische Landesbank’s purchase of the HAAG shell in 2007, Hypo Consultants Group, a lucrative real estate arm of the HAAG owning a portfolio of real estate in Croatia and Serbia, allegedlyestimated at €1.6 billion, was divested. The HAAG branch in Liechtenstein was excluded from the purchase. Germany’s Honorary Consul to Croatia, RobertJezic, who allegedly received HAAG’s loans, was also a lobbyist for HAAG in Croatia.

Over the last 22 years, illicit gains from bribes, phony privatization schemes, illegal trade, and arms and oil smuggling left Croatia and allegedly landed in secret HAAG bank accounts in Austria and Liechtenstein. Part of that money was laundered back to Croatia, and invested in the real estate. The only individual held responsible was Mr. Sanader, Croatia’s former prime minister, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the multiple bribery cases. One of the cases involved Austria’s HAAG. Mr. Sanader is currently appealing the court’s decision.
 
3.  Extradition of Ex-General Vladimir Zagorec, and Public Assassinations in Zagreb
Vladimir Zagorec, Croatia’s former defense assistant minister and ex-general indicted for embezzling diamonds worth $5 million during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, was extradited from Austria to Croatia on October 2, 2008. According to published media reports, during the war in Croatia, Mr. Zagorec transferred about $450 million to secret accounts in HAAG, which he used as a deposit for his construction projects. Jorg Haider, an Austrian politician who spearheaded Hypo’s foray in the Balkans, and whose wealth of EUR45 million was found in Liechtenstein foundations, was killed in a car accident on October 11, 2008.Prior to his extradition from Austria, Mr. Zagorec allegedly announced that he would reveal 77 secret accounts belonging to politicians in Austria and Liechtenstein. On October 6, 2008, Ivana Hodak, the 26-year-old daughter of a lawyer defending Mr. Zagorec, was executed in front of her apartment, shot twice in the head. On October 23, 2008, a bomb explosion in Croatia’s capital killed Ivo Pukanic, a publisher of an independent weekly Nacional, and another company executive, Niko Franjic. Mr. Pukanic was one of the key witnesses against Zagorec.

Vladimir Zagorec was sentenced to seven years in prison in Croatia. He has not yet publicly revealed the names of politicians withsecret foreign accounts in Liechtenstein and Austria.4.  Ministry of Interior’s Obstruction of Investigations

Tomislav Karamarko, a former intelligence head (currently party leader of HDZ political party, which is under investigation for corruption and for siphoning around €9.5m for HDZ party slush funds used by senior party officials) was hand-picked by Mr. Sanader to immediately replace the Minister of Interior after the assassinations of Ms. Hodak, Mr. Pukanic, and Mr. Franjic.  The only result of the investigations under Mr. Karamarko’s authority was that a homeless person was jailed for allegedly killing the lawyer’s daughter. Tomislav Karamarko eventually appointed his people to police departments.
Croatia’s current Minister of Interior, Ranko Ostojic, has an apparent conflict of interest, having worked for, and resided in a Zagreb apartment owned by, Nino Pavic, a media tycoon. Mr. Pavic is the  owner and founder of EPH, with 50% of the print media market share. As reported by Washington, DC-based Freedom House, Mr. Pavic has not yet been charged in the HGAA corruption scandal, which was allegedly discarded by Croatia’s main prosecutor, Mladen BajicMr. Pavic also has been mentioned as one of the alleged owners of Hypo Consultants Group.  German Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) is a 50% owner of EPH in Croatia.

5.  Persecution of  Journalists and Independent Voices
Just two weeks ago, the Croatian state-run broadcaster’s HRT executive editor Denis Latin and his colleagues were removed from their positions. OSCE expressed concern about the treatment of journalists “following criticism from the country’s Prime Minister Milanovic” and it called “the government and the HRT management to refrain any action that could lead to censorship and threaten editorial independence.”  OSCE also stated, “This action can undermine media freedom in the country…”  According to media reports, HRT’s director, Goran Radman serves on the supervisory board of Hypo Alpe Adria Bank in Croatia and is tied to alleged conflict of interest cases.
TomislavKaramarko, former head of Croatia’s intelligence and minister of interior, and currently HDZ party leader, was called out by journalists and anti-corruption activists for harassment.
Under the title, “Judicial Harassment of Zeljko Peratovic Must Stop,” Reporters Without Borders released this statement, “As he already tried to do last year, [Tomislav] Karamarko probably hopes to be able to convince the court to ban Peratovic from publishing information for an indefinite period, thereby preventing him from working as a journalist, whether writing for his blog or for other media.”
Police protection was denied to media publisher Ivo Pukanic, who was assassinated in a car bomb explosion in October 2008. Those who ordered Mr. Pukanic’s murder have not been found. The assassination attempts on Dusan Miljus, a journalist who has been covering corruption and its ties to organized crime, and Igor Rađenović, director of Zagreb Roads who allegedly unearthed corruption in a company owned by the city of Zagreb, have never been resolved. Journalists on the state-run television HTV have been exposed to constant harassment.

6.  Involvement In the The Balkan Route
Croatia lies on the “Balkan Route,” which originates in Afghanistan/Pakistan via Iran and is used by criminals and terrorist networks to smuggle heroin, weapons, and young women and children into Europe. In the arrest of several Balkan criminals in Spain in February 2012, all possessed official Croatian passports. Further investigations led directly to Croatia’s Ministry of Interior and a record of illegal sale of passports since 2006. This corruption has emboldened Balkan criminals to run an international criminal enterprise and the Balkan Cocaine Ring with direct access to the EU. No high-level official was held responsible in Croatia.
The Balkan Route’s heroin trade is estimated at $20 billion annual market value. The Western Balkans, which includes Croatia, is included in Europol’s organized crime threat assessment.
 
7.  Fraudulent Elections and Other Political Abuses:  One Million Illegal Voters for a Nation of Four Million
In spite of the reports on Croatia’s electoral fraud by Brussels-based The Parliament, a Written Question to the European Commission by Daniel Hannan, member of the European Parliament from UK, and in BBC’s live interview with Stefano Sannino, the European Commission’s director general for enlargement, in December 2011, the EU failed to include Croatia’s democratic deficiency in its monitoring reports. Croatia’s current Minister of Administration, Arsen Bauk, finally admitted in May 2012 that in his country of just 4.2 million people, “over 1 million surplus voters” were on the electoral list in 2011 December’s parliamentary elections.  These illegal votes had a potential to determine more than 70 seats in Croatia’s 151-seat parliamentary assembly.
Croatia’s 2011 parliamentary elections and the January 2012 EU referendum were decided on the basis of more than one million illegal votes. The upcoming elections for the European Parliament and Croatia’s local elections in May of 2013 will be decided through the same fraudulent electoral list.
Sasha Radović (72), retired colonel and anti-corruption activist, was arrested on November 17, 2011, the very day he announced his candidacy in the December 2011 elections. In his many books, Mr. Radovic had exposed political corruption and unexplained wealth of top state leaders, including cabinet ministers and a military general. Extortion charges against Mr. Radović were brought by Ivan Cermak, an ex-general and alleged war-profiteer whose wealth has been investigated by journalists and anti-corruption activists but ignored by Croatia’s authorities. Mr. Radovic is currently appealing the decision of two years of jail time through Croatia’s court system.
Croatia’s current foreign minister, Vesna Pusic, and the Croatian People’s Party (HNS) she heads, forged a coalition with HDSSB political party of Branimir Glavasconvicted of war crimes and serving jail time in Bosnia. Croatia’s electoral commission, presided by the president of Supreme Court Branko Hrvatin, approved Mr. Glavas’ leading the HDSSB list in the 2011 parliamentary elections despite his serving the sentence. Three members of HDSSB were reported for murder threats and a physical attack on a journalist. According to published reports, Mr. Glavas is alleged to have threatened a judge and journalists.

8. State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic’s Blocking of Corruption  Investigations
The current Prime Minister, Zoran Milanovic, investigative journalists, and whistleblowers have accused Croatia’s Chief State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic of blocking corruption investigations. The EU’s Comprehensive Monitoring Report on Croatia, released on October 10, 2012, urged that “further attention should be paid to the system for checking on dismissals of criminal cases by the prosecutor. The current system does not provide for independent checks on decisions by State prosecutors to dismiss reports of crime.”
9. Conflicts of Interest and Abuse of Office
The media have reported conflicts of interest and the abuse of public office. However, those allegedly involved generally have not been prosecuted. Allegations have been made against Croatia’s current Prime Minister Zoran MilanovicPresident Ivo Josipovic; deputy prime minister and minister of foreign and European affairsVesnaPusicfinance ministerSlavko Linic; former tourism minister of the current government Veljko Ostojic; former interior minister Tomislav  Karamarko; former finance minister Ivan Suker; former economy and defense minister BrankoVukelic; former transportation minister BozidarKalmeta; former minister of public works, construction and reconstruction Marina Matulović Dropulicformer minister of foreign affairs Miomir Zuzul; former speaker of the house and currently president of the anti-corruption parliamentary committee Vladimir Seks (who has not yet been charged for alleged war crimes); former minister of public works, construction and reconstruction RadimirCacicformer Prime Minister Jadranka Kosorformer minister of foreign affairs Mate Granic; Istria county prefect and IDS president IvanJakovcic; former foreign minister KolindaGrabar-Kitarovic; chairman of the state-owned oil company, Petrokemija, JosipJagust; and a host of other politicians in Croatia.
The EU’s comprehensive monitoring report from October 10, 2012 stated, “Croatia has not fully implemented the conflict of interest legislation and has overturned the previous provisions on the criteria for membership of supervisory and management boards of public companies.” Vesna Pusic’s attempt to appoint HNS party secretary-general Srecko Ferencak to the supervisory board of a state-run oil pipeline operator, after he was sentenced for embezzlement, would be considered highly problematic in rule of law nations.In sharp contrast to the record in Croatia, Monica Macovei, former Minister of Justice, Romania and member of the European Parliament stated through the EU’s post-accession monitoring mechanism, “1,000 [Romanian] public officials ended up behind bars for corruption.” Based on evidence, Ms. Macovei recently advocated for “the establishment in Croatia of a post-accession mechanism to evaluate the track record of conflict of interest, corruption and organized crime cases as well as the implementation of the judiciary reform action plan.”

10. Abuse of Private Property Rights 

Individual property rights are trampled on, and, according to the US State Department, the adjudication process in expropriation cases is an area of potential concern for investors. Croatia’s legislature ensured inherent conflicts of interest in the legislative framework for the restitution and compensation of the property confiscated during communism. According to the EU report from 2010, “This strategic move by the Croatian Government and legislature places the rule of law and the rights of people entitled to restitution or compensation in jeopardy.”
11.  Arms Sale to Syrian Groups, in Violation of EU’s Embargo
Croatia was recently reported to be selling arms to Syria. The unanswered questions remain: Where did these arms come from, how were they originally purchased, to whom were they sold, who is getting the proceeds from the sales, and why has the EU not reacted in light of the EU’s embargo?
12.  Depressed Economy
As a consequence of corruption and poor policies, including high taxes, Croatia’s government budget has been drained; business and consumer confidence has been lacking; the economy has been in recession since 2009; unemployment has been growing for years and is now at 22%; youth unemployment has been around 45% since October 2012; public debt and budget deficits are unsustainable; people are suffering from poverty; and people are leaving the country.
………
We look forward to your positive response and leadership in blocking Croatia’s EU accession or requiring the conditions described above.

Sincerely,

Natasha Srdoc
Co-Founder and Chairman, Adriatic Institute for Public Policy
Co-Founder and Co-Chair, International Leaders Summit
Honorable Maurice McTigue, QSO
Co-Chair, Executive Advisory Board, Adriatic Institute for Public Policy
Advisor to US Members of Congress, US Administrations, US State Governors
New Zealand’s Former Cabinet Member, Member of Parliament and Ambassador
Joel Anand Samy
Co-Founder and Trustee, Adriatic Institute for Public Policy
Co-Founder and Co-Chair, International Leaders Summit
Boris Divjak
Senior Fellow, Adriatic Institute for Public Policy
Founder and Board Member, Transparency International, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cc:
Norbert Lammert, The President of the German Bundestag
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister, The Netherlands
Elio Di Rupo, Prime Minister, Belgium
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister, Denmark
Frederik Reinfedlt, Prime Minister, Sweden
Jyrki Katainen, Prime Minister, Finland
David Cameron, Prime Minister, United Kingdom
François Hollande, President, France
Jean-Marc Ayrault, Prime Minister, France
John Kerry, US Secretary of State
Chuck Hagel, US Secretary of Defense
Eric H. Holder, Jr., US Attorney General
Janet A. Napolitano, US Secretary of Homeland Security
Carl Levin, US Senator
John McCain, US Senator
Jeff Sessions, US Senator
Tom Coburn, US Senator
Bob Corker, US Senator
Ben Cardin, US Senator
Jeanne Shaheen, US Senator
Kelly Ayotte, US Senator
Mark Begich, US Senator
Susan Collins, US Senator
Jeff Flake, US Senator
Tim Kane, US Senator
Tedd Cruz, US Senator
Marco Rubio, US Senator
John Boehner, Speaker of the US House of Representatives
Ed Royce, US Congressman
Eliot L. Engel, US Congressman
Christopher H. Smith, US Congressman
Adam Smith, US Congressman
Howard P. McKeon, US Congressman
Frank Wolf, US Congressman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, US Congresswoman
Joe Wilson, US Congressman
Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament
Monica Macovei, Member of the European Parliament, Romania
Roger Helmer, Member of the European Parliament, U.K.
Daniel Hannan, Member of the European Parliament, U.K.
Geoffrey Van Orden, Member of the European Parliament, U.K.
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council
Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
Catherine Ashton, Vice-President, European Commission
Viviane Reding, Vice-President, European Commission
Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement
Photo credit: arne.list (Creative Commons)