After the House this week passed the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, H.R. 1633, the White House announced that President Barack Obama will veto it if it lands on his desk, citing an administration policy statement that says the bill “purports to address a problem that does not exist.”

The “ambiguously written bill would create high levels of regulatory uncertainty regarding emission control requirements that have been in place for years,” the Obama administration’s statement reads.

But U.S. Reps. Cory Gardner, Scott Tipton and Doug Lamborn, all Republicans from Colorado, co-sponsored the legislation anyway. Gardner claims he is wary of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s insistence that her agency has no designs to regulate farm dust.

“The EPA is notorious for trying to implement regulations through the back door, and that is exactly what is happening with regard to farm dust,” Gardner said. “Despite denials from agency officials saying they don’t regulate farm dust, the Energy and Commerce Committee has demonstrated that these denials are nothing more than semantics. During an October hearing on H.R. 1633, the ‘Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act,’ a top EPA official acknowledged that the EPA does regulate ‘course particles in the air,’ which includes farm dust. Therefore, the EPA is in fact regulating farm dust.”

Or could it be the polluters who are trying to go through the back door with H.R. 1633?

“The bill is sweepingly overbroad, creating numerous damaging consequences that appear to be unintended but that would cause real harms to Americans,” John Walke, a senior attorney and associate director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote last month. “The result would be increases in harmful soot pollution – not just coarse particulate matter (PM10) but deadly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – across the country. And not just in rural America but urban and metropolitan areas too. The legislation inexplicably eliminates, weakens or blocks federal Clean Air Act authority over overwhelmingly industrial soot pollution from power plants, manufacturing facilities, mines, other industrial facilities and even the nation’s fleet of motor vehicles …”

The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act — an extension of the GOP-led House’s crusade to undermine the nation’s bedrock environmental laws — is spurring its share of confusion.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bill Donald issued a statement after the vote saying Americans are worried about being fined for moving cattle, tilling a field or driving down a dirt road.

Still, not everyone is buying it.

Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, said he is “disappointed” the legislation passed the House and that representatives are wasting taxpayer time and money.

“As EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has repeatedly said, both verbally and in writing to members of Congress, the EPA is not proposing to revise farm dust regulations,” he said yesterday. “Despite this assurance, misinformation regarding potential dust regulation continues to spread across the country, creating unnecessary concern for farmers and ranchers. Congress should stop politicizing this issue and move on to passing meaningful legislation to help farmers, ranchers and rural communities.”

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The Huffington Post did a video report from the site of the protests, including an interview with protest organizer Bill McKibben.

Paul, who recently formed a “testing the waters” committee for a third presidential run, is not the only conservative author currently on Amazon.com’s, though he might rather not be counted among their company.

Perched atop the list at number one is a book by WorldNetDaily senior staff reporter Jerome Corsi, titled Where’s the Birth Certificate?: The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President. Corsi has authored two previous books slamming Obama, which in turn were criticized for containing factual errors. Corsi’s latest book is set to be released May 17.

Paul, meanwhile, recently gained Chris Matthews’ ‘stamp of approval’ as “not a birther,” during an appearance on Hardball, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Is there something to it, based on what you have heard?” Matthews fished. “Is there any question that our president isn’t legitimate?”

“From my viewpoint, obviously not, because I never bring it up,” Paul, the Republican congressman from Texas replied. “So I’m going to leave it to talk show hosts and to Donald Trump, and let you guys argue it out.”

In a letter to supporters, Paul said his new book is part of his effort to educate the public on issues in preparation for 2012:

“As we stand together, a critical part of our plan must be to educate our family, friends and neighbors about the important issues that we face.  So, to help in these efforts, I have written a new book: Liberty Defined.

Liberty Defined, released just yesterday, is a collection of 50 essays on 50 topics and explains how freedom and free markets can best solve so many of our problems. I believe deeply in these ideas and think this book can be a wonderful tool in our political efforts in 2012.

I will be working hard to promote Liberty Defined, with book signings and speeches around the country and a major media tour including appearances on Fox, CNN, The View and the Colbert Report.”

Just below Paul’s book on the Amazon.com list is Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World, by conservative publisher and pundit Andrew Breitbart. (The electronic version of Breitbart’s book is at No. 12.)

At No. 15 is 63 Documents the Government Doesn’t Want You to Read, by Jesse Ventura, the former pro wrestler, turned Minnesota governor, turned conspiracy TV show host, who also says he would like to be Paul’s vice presidential running mate on his White House ticket.

On the Amazon.com bestsellers list for all books, Paul’s new book is at No. 19 — just below objectivist novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. (Note: Paul’s son U.S. Sen. Randal “Rand” Paul, an ophthalmologist, was not named after the writer, though he’s a fan.)

Meanwhile, as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, Paul’s other son Robert Paul — a family physician in the Fort Worth area — pretty much ruled out a U.S. Senate run of his own on Thursday evening. Speaking to a group of students at the University of North Texas, Robert Paul said, “I’m never going to say I won’t ever run for office, but I think running for Senate probably is not going to happen this time,” according to the Star-Telegram.

At the close of his 2008 campaign, Paul released his book Revolution: A Manifesto, which topped bestseller lists from the New York Times and Amazon.com.

Paul gave out advance copies of the book to people who attended his speech Friday in New Hampshire. For those who weren’t able to make it, the introduction is the next best thing. Paul begins:

America’s history and political ethos are all about liberty. The Declaration of Independence declares that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights, but notice how both life and the pursuit of happiness also depend on liberty as a fundamental bedrock of our country. We use the word almost as a cliche. But do we know what it means? Can we recognize it when we see it? More importantly, can we recognize the opposite of liberty when it is sold to us as a form of freedom?

Paul writes that he embraces the “liberal” agenda — with one caveat, that by “liberal” he means classically liberal, or “the liberal tradition in the true sense, dating from the late Middle Ages until the early part of the twentieth century” — not that of the modern Democratic Party.

However, Paul’s introduction is not filled with partisan attacks; in fact, it doesn’t contain the words “Democrat” or “Republican” at all. Rather, he blasts the federal government as a single entity, writing:

Do our leaders in Washington believe in liberty? They sometimes say they do. I don’t think they are telling the truth. The existence of the wealth- extracting leviathan state in Washington, DC, a cartoonishly massive machinery that no one can control and yet few ever seriously challenge, a monster that is a constant presence in every aspect of our lives, is proof enough that our leaders do not believe. Neither party is truly dedicated to the classical, fundamental ideals that gave rise to the American Revolution.

In the introduction, Paul warns against government intrusion in everyday life, loss of privacy and “dollar hegemony.”

Sometimes it seems like we are living in a dystopian novel like 1984 or Brave New World, complete with ever less economic freedom. Some will say that this is hyperbole; others will understand exactly what I’m talking about,” he writes. “What is at stake is the American dream itself, which in turn is wrapped up with our standard of living.

He writes, “The choice we now face: further steps toward authoritarianism or a renewed effort in promoting the cause of liberty. There is no third option.”

Paul concludes the introduction:

The idea of this book is not to provide a blueprint for the future or an all-encompassing defense of a libertarian program. What I offer here are thoughts on a series of controversial topics that tend to confuse people, and these are interpreted in light of my own experience and my thinking. I present not final answers but rather guideposts for thinking seriously about these topics. I certainly do not expect every reader to agree with my beliefs, but I do hope that I can inspire serious, fundamental, and independent- minded thinking and debate on them.

Above all, the theme is liberty. The goal is liberty. The results of liberty are all the things we love, none of which can be finally provided by government. We must have the opportunity to provide them for ourselves, as individuals, as families, as a society, and as a country. Off we go: A to Z.

“The Texas congressman raised $1 million through his federal PAC and $2 million through Campaign for Liberty, a 501c(4) which cannot transfer funds directly to political organizations,” Politico’s Andy Barr reports.

Paul has been using donations to his leadership committee Liberty PAC to fund trips to important presidential primary states, including Iowa and New Hampshire. Paul launched his Campaign for Liberty (CFL) in 2008 using $1.3 million in leftover campaign funds from his presidential campaign, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. Paul donated more than $220,000 in campaign funds to CFL in 2009 and 2010, as well.

According to Internal Revenue Service documents, CFL reported total revenue of $2.2 million in 2008 and $6.1 million in 2009. At the end of 2009, CFL had a little more than $300,000 in net assets, according to IRS documents.

According to Federal Election Commission documents, Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign transferred $500,000 to his congressional campaign in March 2010, just before he officially terminated his 2008 presidential campaign account.

While, as Politico notes, CFL cannot give funds directly to political organizations, that doesn’t mean the nonprofit isn’t assisting Paul in getting out his libertarian message. For example, according to an email sent out Wednesday by Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), a network of pro-Paul high school and college students, YAL and CFL are co-hosting Paul’s appearances this spring at five college campuses — University of New Hampshire, North Carolina State University, Mississippi State University, Florida State University and University of Nevada-Reno. Paul’s already made his visits to UNH and NCSU, and he’s set to visit the other three in April (MSU on April 20, FSU on April 21 and UN-R on April 28).

With a leadership team that includes several veterans of Paul’s 2008 campaign, YAL is a separate 501(c)4 nonprofit that evolved from Students for Ron Paul, though Paul has endorsed YAL, and CFL gave YAL $25,000 in seed money in late 2008.

In the email, Paul said:

“On April 11th, I will head to Iowa to speak at Dordt College and then attend several events in the East.

On April 20th, I will go to Mississippi State University, and then on to Florida State on April 21st.

On April 25th, I will be in New York City for a book signing and appearances on no less than 6 tv shows, including The View and The Colbert Report.

And finally, on April 28, I will head to The University of Nevada in Reno.

I am also considering an additional trip to New Hampshire in April, and then trips to New Hampshire, Iowa, and Nevada in May.”

In January, Paul made a brief appearance via video feed on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report, where he sparred with New York Times reporter David Leonhardt about monetary policy and the gold standard, as the Texas Independent previously reported.

While Paul’s son U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said it’s probably that one of the Pauls will run for the White House in 2012, neither has committed to a presidential campaign, nor has Ron Paul made a formal decision regarding the U.S. Senate seat opening up in Texas.

However, the rhetoric in correspondence to supporters from the senior Paul seems to indicate that he’s leaning toward a national, rather than a statewide campaign. Paul is using his leadership committee Liberty PAC as his fundraising vehicle in order to finance his trips to the different states.

In Tuesday’s email, Paul said:

“I spent Wednesday speaking with Iowans and meeting with homeschoolers. The response was terrific! Homeschool students really understand the threat big government posses to our country, and they responded wonderfully when I told them about my efforts to get out of the United Nations and to win them $5,000 tax credits. I am also the only major potential presidential candidate who will pledge to abolish the Department of Education.

I also met with the Governor of Iowa and the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party. Just a few years ago, their doors would have no doubt been closed to me, but thanks to all of our hard work, those in power are seeing the strength of our ideas and are becoming more and more receptive. We are winning hearts and changing minds.”

About his visit to New Hampshire, Paul said, “I got the feeling that the Granite State is energized and ready for a Revolution!”

In the email, Paul does not refer to his recent statements on the unconstitutionality of the United States’ involvement in the war in Libya. The Houston Chronicle’s Texas on the Potomac blog republished the latest edition of Paul’s regular column, where he elaborates on his viewpoint.

Meanwhile, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who has been called “the next Ron Paul,” is set to announce his own White House run in April, as our sister publication The New Mexico Independent previously reported.

(Image by: Matt Mahurin)

The release of “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” was timed with a special-needs-centric anti-bullying campaign launched Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

The report was sponsored by Best Buddies, the Special Olympics, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), California Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson and Robin Sinkhorn, mother of “Glee” star Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome and has recently received bullying messages on her Facebook page, according to CNN.

Highlights from the AbilityPath report:

• In 2009 researchers found that only 10 studies had been conducted in the U.S. on bullying and developmental disabilities, but all studies demonstrated that children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be victims of bullying than their non-disabled peers. They also found that the bullying experienced by these children was chronic in nature often directly related to their disabilities.
• A 2009 Massachusetts Advocates for Children survey of 400 parents of children with autism in the state found that 88 percent of autistic children have been bullied at school verbally and/or physically.
• 43 percent of special needs students (ages 6-17) said they were bullied compared to 32 percent of non-special needs students
• 65 percent of parents of children with Asperger’s syndrome reported their students had been victimized by peers “in some way” within the last year
• 47 percent of parents reported their children had been hit by peers or sibling
• 9 percent of special needs students were attacked by a gang and hurt in their “private parts”
• 12 percent of special needs parents said their child had never been invited to a birthday party
• 6 percent of special needs students reported almost always being picked last for teams
• 3 percent of special needs students said they ate lunch alone every day

Check out more stats from the here (PDF).

Speier, Sinkhorn and Potter testified before Congress in support of a new bill that would require schools receiving federal funding to report the number of bullying incidents and whether the victims are children with special needs.

Here’s a Fox 9 News video showing “Glee” actress Lauren Potter testifying before Congress on her experience with bullying in school:

School bullying has been on Congress’ agenda lately. Last week, the Obama administration held the first anti-bullying conference at the White House following a recent spate of high-profile teen suicides that stemmed from bullying in school. At the conference Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban discrimination in public schools against LGBT students.

Chris Geidner of the Washington D.C. based Metro Weekly reports on the planned conference and the president’s participation:

Calling it an issue “very near and dear to the president and first lady’s heart,” [White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody] Barnes noted that the president had recorded an “It Gets Better” video and said that the conference would include “students and parents and teachers and others impacted by bullying” and address, among other topics, “ways to take action to address [bullying] in their communities.”

The announcement was good news to Kevin Epling, co-chair of Bully Police U.S.A. The East Lansing resident lost his teenage son, Matt, in a bullying related suicide in 2002. Since then, Epling and his wife Tammy have been actively engaged in pushing the state legislature to pass a comprehensive anti-bullying bill.

Michigan is one of only five states that does not have an anti-bullying law. Legislation has been stonewalled by Republican leadership for years.

“I am very happy that President Obama has called this conference so this invisible epidemic will get the attention it deserves. We have lost far too many children to one of the most preventable things in our schools: peer to peer abuse,” Epling tells Michigan Messenger. “My hope is that an important voice will be there at the table along with educators; Parents who have lost children to bullycide who can help guide the change by actually exploring past problems and not just ‘theorizing’ what could happen. Ask those who have lived and have already been working with schools. .

“Honestly it should have never taken so long for this to happen, but it has because adults are the ones who don’t want to change. If you ask the students they are tired of the bullying they want things to change but the biggest problem with anti-bullying is the adults,” he continued. “Adults who are afraid of change even when the prognosis is very good.”

The White House is responding to a string of highly publicized bullying related suicides across the country. Those suicides gave birth to the “It Gets Better” campaign — an internet driven program wherein adults video words of support for teenagers who are being targeted with bullying.

President Barack Obama is one of many politicians who released a video for the program. Vice President Joe Biden also released a video.

Politifact started with President Obama.

“We will not be adding more to the national debt,” President Obama said, after he released his budget for fiscal year 2012, starting in October.”

We looked at the numbers, though, and found that the debt continues to grow because of interest on the debt service. The White House didn’t count the interest in their estimates. We rated his statement False.

“The federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs,” Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, referring to growth in the last two years.

We rated this False, because it counts temporary Census workers as new federal jobs. Those Census jobs are temporary and go away when the once-a-decade Census is over.

“We can save $125 billion in simply not giving out money to Medicare recipients that don’t exist for procedures that didn’t happen,” from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif).

We looked into that number, though, and found the total also included improper payments for programs including Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment insurance, Social Security and the school lunch program. Medicare is the government agency with the largest chunk of improper payments, but it’s still less than half the total. We rated his statement False.

PolitiFact confirmed other statements:

“The debt will soon eclipse our entire economy,” from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.).

We found that the United States’ total debt at the start of the year was $14 trillion. We also found that the size of the U.S. economy, measured by the gross domestic product, or the value of all goods and services, was about $14.745 trillion last year. After discussing the nuances of the data and different ways to look at the public debt, we concluded Ryan’s statement was True.

“One of the biggest causes of our soaring debt and economic insecurity ends up being Pentagon spending. The budget for the Pentagon consumes more than half of our discretionary spending,” from Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).

Our partners at PolitiFact Ohio rated that True, keeping in mind that total discretionary spending includes both domestic and international spending.

“Eliminating earmarks does not reduce spending,” from Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

Ending earmarks would stop pet projects for lawmakers, but it wouldn’t directly reduce overall spending. We rated Lugar’s statement Mostly True.