B Relevant

Where do we go from here?

2008-11-10T14:06:00.002-05:00

To steal shamelessly from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita,

“Where do we go from here? This isn't where we intended to be. We had it all, you believed in me, I believed in you. Certainties disappear. What do we do for our dream to survive? How do we keep all our passions alive, as we used to do?”

Yes my fellow Christian conservatives, that is the question: Where do we go from here?

I’ve thought a lot about this in the week since the election. It is almost surreal to me that our nation just elected its most liberal president in history. We elected a man who has made clear is disregard for unborn life. For traditional marriage. For religious freedom. For the primacy of the United States constitution in Supreme Court cases. I could go on and on about why America made the wrong choice.

But the question remains: Where do we go from here? I think the answer is two-fold: Forward and Backward.

Moving Forward

We need to move forward to embrace new technologies for communicating with American voters. The Obama campaign did a much better job of leveraging social networking opportunities than did the McCain campaign. Take a look of the comparison by Adult ADD Strengths of Barack Obama and John McCain's social media presence.

It ain't pretty.

Republicans have got to do a better job leveraging social media opportunities. We can’t expect to reach new audiences through old information streams.

Looking Back

Ronald Reagan captured the hearts of the American people. He cast a vision then painted it in broad, colorful strokes. He created a picture of America of which we wanted to be a part.

Obama worked a similar magic. While conservatives (rightly in my mind) continued to drill Obama to put some substance behind words like “hope” and “change,” the American public embraced Obama precisely because they began to associate him with these appealing concepts. While McCain told us the truth, Obama inspired.

While there will never be another Reagan, we sure could use someone an awful lot like him.

Help Wanted

So to conclude, I put forward the following job opportunity.

Wanted: Republican Presidential Candidate
Seeking a 45-65 year old male or female conservative Republican to run for the nation’s highest office.

Qualifications:
§ Must be “telegenic”
§ Must be inspirational and dynamic when speaking
§ Must exude empathy (or at least sympathy) for the American public’s struggles
§ Cannot be a “downer”
§ Must have a thick skin
§ Someone with his/her own professional wardrobe preferred
§ Must embrace the power of technology and social networks

Experience:
§ College degree (master’s or doctorate preferred)
§ (Popular) Governor of a large state (particularly Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida) preferred
§ Scandal-free record

Other characteristics in order of preference:
§ Black female
§ Black male
§ Latino female
§ Latino male
§ White female
§ Asian female
§ White or Asian male

If you know any good candidates, contact the Republican National Committee.

[Cross-posted at RedBlueChristian.com]

The Passing of Dean Barnett

2008-10-28T12:09:00.002-04:00

Dean Barnett was about as unlikely a radio show host as you could imagine. His incredibly thick Boston accent earned him the nickname “Chowder.” And yet, when he took over the microphone from folks like Hugh Hewitt, you couldn’t help but overlook the accent because Dean was so smart and so likable.

Dean passed away yesterday at the age of 41 after a long battle with Cystic Fibrosis. I had the pleasure of meeting Dean a few years back at a dinner for GodblogCon [a Christian blogger's conference] sponsors and speakers. A strange place to encounter Dean, a Jew. But boy if he didn’t fit right in among noted evangelical leaders. Dean was the kind of guy who would fit in pretty much anywhere. I sat across from Dean at dinner and we talked politics all night. He was an early Romney supporter. I was backing Fred Thompson. But we were both after the same thing: an authentically conservative Republican presidential candidate.

Please join me in praying for the comfort of Dean’s family and friends. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Hugh Hewitt’s tribute to Dean’s life can be found here.

[Cross-published at RedBlueChristian.com]

Can a Christian Vote for Obama?

2008-10-16T17:58:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine and I are at odds over the presidential election. We are both Christians and both love America. He is a Navy veteran and I honor him for his service. But, in my opinion, my friend is backing a lousy candidate for the presidency.

A letter to the editor in the Richmond County Daily Journal went further. The author asserted that Christians can't vote for Barack Obama. So my Obama-supporting friend threw out the question, "Can Christians vote for Barack Obama?"
I think this is the wrong question.

The question isn't "can Christians vote for Obama" (of course they can). The question is SHOULD they vote for him. I say, emphatically, they should not. Here's why:

John McCain will protect unborn life, Barack Obama will not only allow limitless abortions, he'll make the American people pay for them.
McCain will appoint Supreme Court judges who will interpret the constitution not, as Obama-appointed judges would do, make decisions based on their own opinion of right and wrong (a terrifying thought).
John McCain will promote the growth of the economy, not stifle it as Obama would do by taxing small business (the growth engine of our economy).
John McCain will ensure we leave Iraq victoriously. Barack Obama is ready to surrender.
John McCain will promote independence and individual initiative while Barack Obama would incentivize people to remain dependent on government.

The bottom line: Obama would be bad for our nation's security, economy, religious liberty, and morality (protection of traditional marriage and unborn life).

I hope Christians and non-Christians alike won't vote for Obama.

Cross-posted at RedBlueChristian.com.

It’s all about the message.

2008-10-09T18:43:00.004-04:00

The election is a month away. Actually, it’s just 25 days away. And if John McCain has a chance of winning, he has got to get on the right message. He has to talk persuasively about the issues that Americans care about TODAY.

The Economy. The Economy. The Economy.

The Dow has dropped precipitously, closing trading today below 9000 for the first time in five years. Have you checked your 401-K lately? I did. I wish I hadn’t. I haven’t been a very good saver thus far in my life, so I didn’t have that much to lose. But my somewhat paltry investments dropped more than 26% as of Monday. I don’t have the stomach to check it again.

Now don’t get me wrong, for me, the economy still isn’t the most important issue in this election. For me, it is ultimately about Supreme Court judges and the lives of unborn children. But McCain doesn’t need to be talking about that right now. I get it. That’s not the message that is going to connect with voters at this moment in time.

McCain needs to make it plain what the ramifications of an Obama presidency would be for our economy. Obama’s tax and health insurance plans will drastically adversely affect America’s small businesses. According to the National Small Business Association, “one in two Americans in the private workforce are employed by or operate a small business.” If America’s small businesses falter, millions of Americans will find themselves out of a job.

Aside from the personal impact on thousands of families, Obama’s policies would cripple the engine of our economy. Small businesses create far more jobs than big businesses. If the potential for small businesses to create jobs is derailed, our economic engine will stall.

Barack Obama’s election would be disastrous for the ability for our nation to recover from the current economic downturn. It would stifle the growth of our economy. As our economy declines, our security in the world will decline as well.

Senator McCain, make the case. Then make it again. Then make it again.

And I for one pray that people start listening.

(This post was originally published on RedBlueChristian.com.)

Joe Biden Won the Debate; Sarah Palin Won the Night

2008-10-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

I admit it. I’ve never been a Joe Biden fan. I found his conduct as Judicial Committee Chairman during the Bork judicial confirmation hearings appalling. It is maddening to listen to him ask a question of a conservative testifying before a Senate committee. He has earned to sobriquet “Sloe Joe.”

But Joe Biden won the debate last night. He was more detailed in his responses, more at ease with his subject matter, and surprisingly likable. I came away from the debate still disagreeing with him on nearly ever substantive policy matter. He and Obama will still never get my vote, but I like Biden a lot more than I did before the debate.

The good news for conservatives like me is this: Biden’s victory in the debate doesn’t matter. Once the debate was over, who were all of the media talking heads discussing? Sarah Palin. And what were they saying? She exceeded expectations. She demonstrated her command of the issues. She connected with the camera and wasn’t afraid to challenge Biden directly. Palin owned the real event of the night: the dissection of the debate by media.

Anyone but...

2008-02-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

Alright my conservative compadres. I need you to do something for me. First, I need you to pick up your hand (right or left will do). Next, I need you to extend your pointer finger. Got it? Good. Now, I want you to tap your head near your temple and ask, aloud, "Is this thing on?"

The only way I can explain recent comments from several prominent conservative figures is to believe that they have inadvertantly flipped the "off" switch in their brains.

"If McCain is the nominee, I'll campaign for Hillary." What?!

"If McCain's the nominee, I'll sit this one out." Huh?!

People, people, people!!! It is time to get real. My candidate was Fred Thompson, the most conservative Republican who was in this race. But now he is OUT. I don't like it, but I have to accept it. And now, I'm not enthusiastic about any of the remaining candidates. But here's the thing...

I get what is at stake. And what is at stake is judges. SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS. People who will serve LIFETIME APPOINTMENTS. If you don't think that John McCain would nominate a very different type of judge than would Clinton or Obama then you simply aren't engaging all of your synapses.

So, if you have to hold your nose to vote for McCain in November, then run out to a sporting goods store, head for the swimming section, and buy a nose clip. I will never have a McCain '08 sticker on my car. But an "Anyone but Hillary" or an "Anyone but Barrack" sticker? Bring it on.

The Dixie Equation

2008-02-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

Check out professor Chuck Dunn's great blog post on "The Key that Unlocks the White House Door." Here's a snippet:

Who -- Democrats or Republicans -- will nominate a ticket and draft a platform
that appeals to the South? That's the vital question. Why is the South important?
James Carville would put it this way: "It's the Electoral College, stupid."
Which region of the country casts the most Electoral College votes? Here it is.
189 South
124 Midwest
101 Northeast
80 West
44 Mountain States

Bottom Line: Definitely a worthwhile read.

Message Matters

2008-01-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Now that my candidate is out of the race, I am looking at the election from a very different perspective. Because of what I do for a living, I'm looking at the individual campaigns from the joint perspectives of "voter" and "PR professional."

I am in the "words" business. Public relations is essentially all about messages. Ultimately, strategies for delivering a message are irrelevant if the message itself isn't right. In fact, doing a great job at the distribution of a bad message can be disastrous. Here's an example.

Let's say I want to encourage people to look at more than a candidate's pro-life stance when selecting a candidate. I'm trying to say that, when choosing among several pro-life candidates, you need to also consider where they stand on other important issues.

I might try to say this:

Don't vote for any pro-life candidate regardless of his other policy positions.

But what if I said this?

Don't vote for any pro-life candidate, regardless of his other policy positions.

Both are bad messages. The first because the message isn't clear. The second because it actually says the opposite of what I mean.

What I need to say is this:

When choosing among pro-life candidates, don't ignore other policy positions.

Or, to put it in a way that might create a sound bite...

All pro-life candidates are not created equal--at least politically speaking.

Choosing a message that both communicates and resonates is the challenge of all of the remaining pro-life candidates. How McCain, Romney and Huckabee differentiate their messages will be critical to their ability to attract undecided voters.

Get to Know Roe

2008-01-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a rough day for Fred Thompson supporters like me. But it was a rougher day by far for unborn children and those who care about their welfare.

Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, a ruling that made abortion on demand the law of our land. In the 35 years since the Roe decision was handed down, tens of millions of pre-born children have needlessly lost their lives.

And now, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, the Alliance Defense Fund and Concerned Women for America are delivering the disturbing news that America doesn't really have a clue about what Roe v. Wade. The results of the "Roe IQ Test" are bleak. The average score on the quiz was 58%--an "F."

How much do you know about Roe? Take the test and see.

The next president will likely appoint between 1-3 justices to the Supreme Court. We need to vote for a candidate who will appoint judges who will see Roe for what it is: bad jurisprudence and an usurpation of legislative power.

Sadly, that candidate won't be Fred Thompson.

Sad Day

2008-01-22T15:18:00.000-05:00

I'm heartbroken about the news that Fred Thompson has dropped out of the presidential race. This is a great lose for America. Fred tried to refocus our collective attention on what it really means to be a conservative. The Republican party had better wake up and return to the conservative principles that made the GOP truly grand.

Is America ready for a statesman?

2008-01-20T15:25:00.000-05:00

The results of Saturday's Republican primary in South Carolina were disappointing. South Carolinians missed the opportunity to give a much-needed win to an authentic conservative. Listening to Fred Thompson speak, I am struck by the realization that I'm listening to a true American statesman. When Thompson speaks about government, the presidency, policy issues, and America, he is looking down the lens of history. Thompson thinks beyond what is politically expedient and asks what will serve America well for the long run.

Frankly, I’m frustrated. I trust in the genius of the American people, but I wonder if we have become so self-involved, so beguiled by the flash of celebutants, reality stars and faux heroes, that we don’t have the attention spans to think seriously about meaningful matters.

Have we become a nation that would rather have our ears tickled than our souls stirred? Are we a nation of lemmings or of leaders? Are we searching for a celebrity or a statesman for president? We will soon see.

The Thompson/Obama Paradox

2008-01-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

For a while now, I've been asking a simple question...

What if the skill set it takes to become president and the skill set it takes to be an effective president have virtually nothing in common?

The more I've considered the question, the more convinced I am that the two skill sets--in today's 24-hour-a-day media cycle--are in fact very different. Out of this pondering I've developed what I call the Thompson/Obama paradox. Consider...

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson is a man with a set well-defined, solid principles for governance. He has fundamental beliefs about the role of government in society and had develop his policy positions out of this fundamental set of beliefs. This is the kind of thoughtful approach to leadership that makes for a great leader, one that won't be swayed by the changing winds of public--or media--opinion.

But Fred Thompson isn't a great campaigner. He thinks before he speaks. He doesn't seem concerned with delighting the reporter asking the question. He says unheard of things like "we're not going to win New Hampshire." The space around him is a spin-free zone. The media don't seem to know what to do with him, so they don't spend a lot of time covering him.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama is a charismatic speaker. He delivers ideas and inspiration to crowds of thousands--but connects with each listener as individuals. He talks about concepts of "change" and "hope" and people are excited about Barack's vision for America.

But the more people look, the more blurry the vision becomes. A great campaigner, Obama has little policy gravitas. While we know what he isn't for (the status quo), we can't really seem to nail him down on what he is for and how he'll achieve it.

Pre-Television and Internet History

As I think back over the great presidents of our past, I can’t help but wonder… would they be electable today? Would Washington have been considered “too religious?” Would Jefferson have been considered “brainy and boring.” Would Lincoln have been dismissed as being “untelegenic?”

America’s second president, John Adams, once wrote of the White House, “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof."

I join my prayers to his and also pray that the Thompson/Obama paradox does not become our nation’s undoing.

Must-Read Article

2008-01-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

A new article by Rick Moran in the American Spectator discusses Fred Thompson as the "Anti Soundbite Candidate." Here are some excerpts:

... Fred Thompson is perhaps the most substantative candidate to run for
President in many years. He has taken the time to think about what should be
the relationship between the government and the governed. He has framed his
thoughts within the context of a set of bedrock conservative principles that
animates his thinking and generates sound ideas about where America should
be headed.

There is a heft to Thompson, a seriousness of purpose that
none of the other candidates can match.

It is an article definitely worth reading.

Flip for Fred

2008-01-16T13:43:00.000-05:00

Check out this new feature from the Thompson campaign called "Flip for Fred." It is a series of videos from folks who were planning to vote for someone else (Romney, Huckabee, McCain) but, after hearing Fred speak, decided to flip for Fred. Among their stated reasons:

- Thompson is the only true consistent conservative in the field

- Thompson is the candidate with a real plan for addressing the illegal immigration crisis

- Thompson is the kind of solid, assured leader America needs

Bottom line: Take a listen and decide if it is time for you to "Flip for Fred."

It isn't too late for anyone to win...

2008-01-15T18:28:00.000-05:00

I'm writing with a request...

Please don't dismiss any of the Republican candidates for the presidency at this juncture. (Okay, so maybe dismiss Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes.) The Republican nomination is still anyone's ballgame.

Don't believe me? Let's take a trip down memory lane...

Six months ago: Giuliani’s got unbeatable name recognition and likeability ratings... no one can touch him.
Two months ago: Romney has the money and campaign machine that will make him the betting man's choice for the nomination
Post-Iowa: Huckabee has unparallel power to connect with Republican audiences... he could go all the way
Post-New Hampshire: McCain is off and running and will be tough to catch

Bottom Line:

It isn't too late to throw your support behind the true conservative in the field: Fred Thompson.

Why I Support Fred

2008-01-14T18:26:00.000-05:00

[This is a long post, but I hope you'll read it. If not, please do click through here to review Fred Thompson's basic principals about government.]

It is no secret that I support Fred Thompson's candidacy for President. What you might NOT know is why I am so passionate about this candidate. I thought I'd spell it out in the hopes that I might get someone who hasn't considered Senator Thompson to take a closer look or to help motivate someone else to take a reasoned, thoughtful approach to selecting a candidate.

Let me tell you what I believe about the role of the Federal government and what I am specifically looking for in a president.

First, I believe--as our Founding Fathers believed--in the rule of the people. Those in elected office serve us, American citizens and legal residents. The pre-amble to the Constitution lays out what our nation's founders believed to be the rule of government:

1. Form a more perfect Union (establish a nation)
2. Establish Justice (rule of law)
3. Insure domestic Tranquility (prosecute the rule of law)
4. Provide for the common defense (national security)
5. Promote the general Welfare (promote a system that encourages our collective welfare)
6. Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity (guard against any present or future citizen living under a tyrannical system; protect a “we the people” system of government)

In the 10th amendment to the Constitution—the concluding thought of our revered Bill of Rights—the Founding Fathers state: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Simply put, I believe in limited government—particularly Federal government. I believe that government must have a clear, compelling, even overwhelming reason to limit personal freedom. This to me only makes sense: we are, after all, “the people.” Government should only act where we cannot (i.e., establishing currency, defending our security, establishing the rule of law, resolving disputes between states, protecting the foundational liberties the people from the assault of tyranny from within or without… and very little else).

I believe this not because the Founding Fathers said so, but because I believe this is the most rational use of power to promote the security and liberty of the masses.

Second, I believe that the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and many of our most important historical documents recognize the value that our nation derives from our freedom of religion and dependence on our benevolent creator. In founding this nation, we proudly declared that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. While we have shameful periods throughout our history of not living up to this declared belief, it is nevertheless the lynchpin justification for our democratic system of governance.

For this reason, I believe it is the rule of government to defend the Creator-given rights of our weakest members—from the mentally disabled to our most elderly citizens to the unborn.

Third, I am looking for a person of solid character to lead our nation. By character, I am referring to someone who knows what he believes and is not swayed by the whims of fortune or fancy. I’m looking for someone who humbly recognizes his need for a Higher Power to guide and direct him should he secure the office of the Presidency. I’m not looking for a perfect person, but I am looking for someone whose word means something not just for today.

Finally, I am looking for someone who can lead. At the end of the day, the Presidency is a job that requires someone with a sharp mind, the ability to inspire others, the wisdom to navigate through rough waters, and the experience to handle all that the job will throw at him.

Fred Thompson

Looking at all of the current candidates for the presidency of the United States, I am happy to say that one man fits this bill: Senator Fred Thompson. He is an authentic conservative who will govern from a foundational understanding that the nation belongs to the people and that the role of government should be limited to that which it must do—not all that it might do. This fundamental principle will promote our freedom, our security, and our opportunities to pursue happiness.

Sen. Thompson will fight to protect those without a voice to defend their own liberty. There is perhaps nothing more important to me.

Listening to him, reviewing his record, I see that Senator Thompson is a man of tremendously solid character. He tells the truth—even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient. He says what he means and he won’t be changing his mind anytime soon. We don’t have to wonder what his principles are. He’s spelled them out for us (if you read nothing else, read these).

And Senator Thompson can and will lead. He has made of success of nearly everything he has pursued…
… As a young husband and father, he secured his college and law degrees
… As a young lawyer, he prosecuted perhaps the most controversial, visible scandal in recent history—Watergate
… While a successful attorney, he answered the call to serve his state and his nation as a U.S. Senator
… During a distinguished career in law and government, he ventured into unknown territory and created a remarkably successful career as an actor

Bottom Line: As our nation walks through a time of testing both at home and abroad, we need a steady leader at the helm. Fred Thompson is the man for the job.

Addendum: The Thompson Record - Taken from Fred08.com
(Source)

Judges:

Appointing strict constructionist judges who will interpret the law, not impose their views on us by legislating from the bench.

Immigration:
- Securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws. Amnesty is not an option and the toleration of “sanctuary cities” must end.
- Reviewing our immigration laws and policies to ensure they advance our national interests.
- Uniting Americans by welcoming legal immigrants willing to learn English, assimilate into our communities, and become productive citizens.

Taxes:
- Fundamental tax reform built on the principles of simplicity, fairness, and growth.
- A new tax code that gets the government out of our citizens’ pocketbooks, while enhancing U.S. competitiveness abroad.
- Dissolution of the IRS as we know it.

Healthcare:

Every American should be able to get health insurance coverage that is affordable, fully accessible, and portable. Coverage should meet their individual needs and put them in control. Those who propose a one-size-fits-all Washington-controlled program ignore the cost, inefficiency, and inadequate care that such a system offers.

Pin the Tail on the Candidate

2008-01-04T11:51:00.001-05:00

How do we pick a candidate? This is the critical question I've been pondering in light of last night's Iowa caucus results.

As I see it, there are three possible approaches to selecting a primary candidate for whom to vote:

1. Policy approach: A. Consider what you believe to be fundamentally true about the role of government. B. Consider your personal views about the best policy direction on key issues like abortion, taxes, border security, the war, etc. C. Examine the expressed views and positions of all candidates and see who most closely matches your results from A. and B. Viola! You have your pick.

2. Personality approach: Ask yourself: who on "my side" (Republican or Democrat) do I LIKE the most? Who connects with me? Who is most like me? Viola! Your candidate.

3. Lesser of all evils approach: Ask yourself: who turns my stomach the least. Pick him or her while holding your nose.

My guess is that in Iowa, it went down this way: Republicans went with approach number two and came up with Huckabee. Democrats went with approach number three and came up with Obama. (Okay, so maybe I am projecting on the Dems. I admit that I find it impossible to believe that anyone could actually be excited to vote for any of the Democratic candidates.)

One thing I know for sure: people AREN'T taking approach number one. If they were, Republicans would realize that, while he is a terrific human being, Huckabee isn't really a conservative. Being a conservative is about more than being pro-life and pro-public expression of religion (though it is certainly about that). It is about limited government, safe borders, keeping taxes low, and keeping our military strong. Being a conservative is about optimism and pride in what it means to be an American (are you listening John McCain?).

What this country needs is an AUTHENTIC conservative (Fred Thompson). But more than that, what this country needs in an EDUCATED electorate that will select a candidate based on a thoughtful assessment of each candidate’s fundamental beliefs about government and policy.

I'm still hopeful that can happen.

Can Romney's faith speech make a difference?

2007-12-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

The news media has been buzzing about Mitt Romney's upcoming speech on Thursday discussing faith and religion. The question, of course, is whether/to what degree he'll be discussing HIS faith and religion.

In thinking about this speech, I'm asking myself what Romney has to gain and what he has to lose. For me, it all comes down to where people fall in their personal faith and their understanding of Mormonism. The way I see it, here's what the likely outcomes of the governor's speech will be:

With evangelicals with a strong understanding of Mormonism (and believe it to be a cult): Neutral
He has already lost folks in this camp and doesn't really have a chance of regaining them, at least in the primaries.

With evangelicals without a strong understanding of mormonism: Mixed
Some will likely walk away feeling positively towards Romney because of his own sincere faith. Others will walk away suspicious about Mormonism and Mitt.

With cultural Christians who don't care about the Mormonism issue: Mixed
Many may walk away saying that Mitt is just like them - Christian. Others might be wondering why he's talking about religion at all (that's a private matter).

Agnostics: Negative
Time candidates spend talking about religion is wasted time to many agnostics.

Jews/Muslims/Other Committed: No Idea

As one interested in politics and public relations, I'll be interested to hear the speech and see the reaction. As one who falls into the first category above, there really isn't anything the governor could say (except "I've come to recognize that Mormonism is a false gospel) that could sway me to vote for him.

Bottom line: For me, I can't vote for anyone who will give credibility to an evangelizing cult and thus make it easier for people to believe a lie and spend eternity apart from Christ.

Post-Debate Quick Reactions

2007-11-29T10:49:00.000-05:00

No time, but wanted to give some quick reactions to last night's Republican debate:

1. Fred didn't take any major hits. Scored a few points, but didn't knock it out of the park. His great sense of humor continued to show through. And he came across as the true conservative he is. I was sorry to see him use an attack ad rather than tell voters why he'd make a great president.

2. Rudy is a liberal. He's just not as liberal as Hillary. That ain't much of a sales pitch.

3. Mitt seems plastic. Even when he says the right things, he is just trying too hard. He was really flustered by the gays in the military question. Kudos for respectfully not backing down against McCain on waterboarding. Generally, he seemed too practiced and too evasive.

4. Huckabee has a great sense of humor. He took big hits on taxes. He is a genuine guy and that comes across.

5. Tancredo had nothing to lose and he knew it. He added humor and some good thinking to the debate.

6. Ron Paul. What can you say about Ron Paul? He's isolationist in his philosophy. He seems incredulous that nobody agrees with him. A little paranoid.

7. John McCain is an angry man. He looked like he would blow a gasket during the torture exchange with Romney. His rhetoric is depressing ("we failed" was a regular refrain).

8. Duncan Hunter: Not sure why he is still up there. Really a non-player and, unlike Tancredo, didn’t even add comic relief. It is time to go.

YouTube/CNN Debate: Key Appearance for Thompson

2007-11-28T16:54:00.000-05:00

I admit it. I'm nervous. Tonight is sort of a do-or-die situation for Fred Thompson. If he has a weak performance, any momentum he has will be lost. This is really his best chance to pick up speed before Iowa, NH and SC.

Here's what I'm hoping...
- Fred will be the guy with the most substantive answers
- Fred will be the least evasive/spin-free candidate on the stage
- Fred will come across as the rational, consistent conservative he is
- Rudy will be exposed for the liberal he is
- All of the above will happen and every Republican in Iowa, NH and SC will tune in!
- All of the above will happen and the media will report all of the above!

Bottom Line: If you're driving through Gwinnett County, GA tonight and you hear a resounding "Go Fred!!!", you'll know that's just me cheering the Senator on.

Slaying the Wolf

2007-11-27T17:37:00.001-05:00

Yesterday marked my 17th anniversary of being diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as Lupus. I am one of the more than 1 million Americans--90 percent of whom are women--living with this complicated, mercurial disease.

So what is Lupus?

Lupus derives its name from the Latin word for wolf. The name "Lupus" is attributed to a 12th-century physician named Rogerius. He used the term to describe a rash he saw in his patients that to him resembled a wolf’s bite. The rash is a common early symptom of SLE and is today known as a butterfly or malar rash. (Source)

According to the Lupus Foundation of America,

Lupus is a widespread and chronic (lifelong) autoimmune disease that, for unknown reasons, causes the immune system to attack the body's own tissue and organs, including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, or skin.
…

In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissue. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self."

Sounds fun, right? Wait… it gets better. Lupus can be fatal and it is currently incurable!

To be clear, I hate this disease.

But there is some good news about this lousy disease…

Just 20 years ago, doctors didn’t have any idea what caused Lupus. Now we know there is some kind of genetic link.

The treatment of SLE and Lupus nephritis (kidney complications of Lupus affecting 50% of patients) has improved by leaps and bounds.

o According to one source: “During the 1950s, the 5-year survival rate among patients with lupus nephritis was close to 0%.

o Recently, with the addition of immunosuppressive agents, the 5- and 10-year survival rates are documented as high as 85% and 73%, respectively.” (In other words, I get to LIVE!)

When I was diagnosed with Lupus, virtually no one (including several members of the medical profession I encountered) had ever heard of it. Today, while there is still a lot of ignorance about the disease, awareness is growing.

So what can you do to help us beat Lupus?

- Learn the symptoms. If you or someone you know experience several of the following symptoms, it could be Lupus:
* Fatigue
* Joint pain
* Hair loss
* A facial rash on the nose, cheeks and chin
* Sun sensitivity
* Mouth ulcers
* Pain in chest on deep breathing

The sooner you get diagnosed and begin treatment, the better you can combat possible organ damage.

- Support research efforts. Advances in treatment have saved the lives many people with Lupus—including me! A cure for Lupus is possible but more research is needed. Visit Lupus.org to learn more.

- Encourage the people in your life who have Lupus. SLE is a frustrating, depressing, exhausting disease. Encourage your friends and family with Lupus to take care of themselves, get the rest they need and cut themselves some slack about things they no longer have the energy to do. Let them know that they can still have rich, vibrant lives with Lupus.

- Pray. God is bigger than Lupus.

For more information about Lupus, visit http://www.lupus.org/ or call

1-888-38-L-U-P-U-S.

Together, we can slay the wolf.

The Statue of Tyranny?

2007-11-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

Some of our nation’s jurists seem to leave common sense at home before heading to court. Case in point? A 10th Circuit court issued a ruling that basically said localities across the nation were going to either have to display any piece of "art" given to them...or display no art at all.

The practical application of this would mean that, if Podunkville displays a donated statue of a bronze eagle with a banner reading "In God We Trust," it would also have to display the donated statue of a rat holding a sign that says "Ratmen Rule."

After all, we have to be "fair."

Fortunately, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is challenging the ridiculous ruling and appealing to the Supreme Court for a saner judgment. You can read more about their petition here. But my favorite part of the brief is the following:

“Unlike in private speech cases, accepting a monument for permanent display as the government’s own property does not require accepting other monuments in the name of content—or viewpoint—neutrality. Nor does the government’s acceptance of a donated monument require that a government park be turned into a cluttered junkyard of monuments contributed by all comers. In short, accepting a Statue of Liberty does not compel a government to accept a Statue of Tyranny.”

To me, this issue is just further evidence of our culture's obsession with tolerance. We have made a god of tolerance and allowed it to reign over all other virtues—including truthfulness, honor, loyalty and patriotism.

Bottom line: The antidote for "tolerance cultural kool-aid" is common sense.

Election Cycle Laughs

2007-11-19T13:58:00.000-05:00

Mike Huckabee is a funny guy. I've listened to several of his speeches and read one of his books and he always makes me laugh. But even knowing what a great sense of humor he has, I wasn't ready for his latest campaign ad. In the ad, Huckabee says: “My plan to secure the borders? Two words. Chuck Norris.” The ad is laugh-out-loud-funny. (You can view the ad here.)

But it got me thinking... Is this ad a good thing or a bad thing?

On the plus side, it is great to see a presidential candidate who isn't over-the-top serious about himself (or herself).

On the negative side, illegal immigration is no laughing matter. (If I had been an advisor on this campaign, I would have counseled the team to add a shot of Huckabee closing the ad by saying "The tough issues facing America are no laughing matter. As president, I'll be serious about tackling the issues that matter to you.")

The bottom line: Huckabee knew he had to set himself apart from the pack and is leveraging his best asset, his humor, to do so.

Are bloggers journalists?

2007-11-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

HT to Andrew Jackson of Smart Christian for pointing out an interesting post over at the Art of Technology (excerpted below):

No US court has yet weighed in with authority on the debate about whether bloggers count as journalists, but the recent federal decision from South Carolina does indicate that at least some bloggers are journalists. It's not about the title, it's about the content, said Judge Henry Hurlong, Jr.; a journalist turns out to be anyone who does journalism, and bloggers who do so have the same rights and privileges under federal law as the "real" journalists.

More evidence that we're winning in Iraq

2007-11-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

Need more evidence that we are winning the war in Iraq? Michael Yon's must-read article on FoxNews.com is sure to give our collective confidence a boost. In it, Yon writes:

A bishop came to St John’s Church in Baghdad on Thursday, where a crowd of locals welcomed him home. They were joined at the service by soldiers from the 2-12 infantry battalion, many of whom had fought hard to secure these neighborhood streets.
...

The Most Rev. Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of the St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Diocese for Chaldeans and Assyrians in Iraq, officiated standing directly beneath the dome under the Chaldean cross. Speaking in Arabic and English, Warduni thanked those American soldiers sitting in the pews for their sacrifices. Again and again throughout the service he thanked the Americans.
…

Muslims mostly filled the front pews of St John’s, Muslims who want their Christian friends and neighbors to come home. … And so they came to St John’s in force, and they showed their faces, and they said, "Come back to Iraq. Come home." [Blogger's note: View Yon's wonderful photos here.]

As we hear the current slew of would-be presidents—particularly those on the left—make pronouncements about our doomed efforts in Iraq, let us remember the small and not-so-small victories like the one celebrated beneath a cross-topped dome in Baghdad this week.

Romney Camp Must Distance Itself from Weyrich

2007-11-14T18:46:00.000-05:00

Paul Weyrich has a lot of groveling to do. He owes an apology to Fred Thompson, to the National Right to Life Committee and to the American electorate—or at the very least to Republican voters. To accuse the Thompson camp of offering the NRLC money in exchange for an endorsement—and to accuse the NRLC of agreeing to such a deal—without a shred of evidence is irresponsible and unseemly. This kind of mud slinging only serves to degenerate public discourse. The American people deserve better.

The Romney campaign’s “no comment” when asked about Weyrich’s unfounded accusations is offensive and likely impolitic. It associates the campaign with Weyrich’s vitriol, making Romney look like a bad sport. (If I couldn’t get the endorsement then I’ll have to throw mud on the guy who did). I’m hoping that in the days ahead we’ll hear a very different answer from the Romney camp.

Bottom Line: Weyrich’s remarks are shameful and Romney should say so.

Is America ready for a presidential candidate who tells the truth?

2007-11-13T11:35:00.000-05:00

A politician who doesn't pander?! Is America ready for this?

Fred Thompson is not your typical presidential candidate. He doesn't tell you what you want to hear. In fact, he often tells you exactly what you don't want to hear. It just happens to be the truth as he understands it.

Thompson is Pro-Life, but he is also for limited government and states rights. For this reason, he can't support a pro-life constitutional amendment. So he is consistent philosophically, but is taking hard hits for it.

Same thing with Gay marriage.

Thompson is also realistic. So he’s not going to promise us pie in the sky when it comes to Social Security and healthcare—no matter how good it might be for his polling numbers. That's not Fred's style.

And political correctness? That's not a phrase in Fred's vernacular. Illegal immigration is a problem. It needs to be addressed aggressively. The war in Iraq is winnable, but it will require us to stay for a while. The straight-shooting Thomson says here are the tough truths; sorry if they are offensive to you.

Fred Thompson has well-defined basic beliefs about the proper role of government in society. His policy positions flow out of those basic beliefs. And just because something is popular, he's not going to abandon his ideology for the sake of popularity (a novel concept I know).

So I ask again, is a politician like Fred Thompson electable? I don't know... but he sure is refreshing.

Thanks Biola and Torrey Honors!

2007-11-12T12:28:00.000-05:00

A sincere thank you to Biola University and the Torrey Honors Institute for all of your efforts to make GodBlogCon 3 such a wonderful event. I, and I'm sure all of the event's attendees, am grateful for your efforts. May God richly bless you.

National Adoption Month

2007-11-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

I was talking to some folks here at GodblogCon to see if they knew that November is National Adoption Month. As I expected, nobody knew. So I figured I should do my part and bring some attention to this important issue.

Did you know that, of the 500,000 children in foster care in the U.S., 118,000 are eligible for adoption? (Source) Anyone who knows anything about the state of foster care in America knows just how traggic this reality is.

But each of us can do something to help. According to Focus on the Family 48 percent of people considering adoption will seek counsel and information from their church.

If you are a member or a regular attender of a local church, think about asking your pastor what your church is currently doing to support potential adoptive parents. If his answer is "nothing" or "very little," ask him to contact Focus' Orphan Care Initiative or Cry of the Orphan for resources.

Another thing, and indeed the most important thing, we can do is pray for the world's orphans. God cares deeply about the plight of the orphan and we should too. In James 1:27, the Word of God says: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

So this November, let's educate ourselves about what we can do to improve the lives of orphans.

Mission-Minded Blogging

2007-11-09T17:29:00.000-05:00

Live blogging from GodblogCon...

Jeff Vandergiessen of Mars Hill Church in Seattle is speaking. He is talking about podcasts and vidcasts/vogcasts. He was talking about asking and answering the question "what is my mission in blogging."

Great question. What IS my mission in blogging? Perhaps the lack of a definitive answer to that question is the reason why my blogging has been so inconsistant. I will be giving some serious thought to this question in the days ahead. The truth is, I love to write. So the fact that I am so rarely using this vehicle to write doesn't make a lot of sense. Much to ponder...

La Shawn!

2007-11-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

Live blogging from GodblogCon...

La Shawn Barber is one of my favorite bloggers. She is such an authentic, transparent Christian.

La Shawn is talking about what good writing looks like on a blog. Here are her tips:

1. Develop a crisp blog style by making the posts easy to read. La Shawn often blogs in an essay style, but she breaks her posts down into sections to keep the readers' attention.

2. Be as descriptive in your titles as possible, but don't mislead.

3. Check your grammar and spelling.

4. Write the way you speak. Is okay to use sentence fragments (if used intentionally).

5. Becoming a good writer takes time.

6. Develop a routine. If you want to build your audience, you must be consistant.

7. Controversy is king in the blogosphere. Provide a safe place for discussion around controversial issue. (La Shawn's own blog is a great example of this.)

8. Dispense with euphimisms.

9. Linking to sources builds credibility and adds depth.

10. Use open comments to create discussion.

11. Be differentg. Find a way to set yourself apart. Develop your own voice and niche.

12. Be bold, passionate and confident.

Be sure to check out La Shawn Barber's Corner.

Exhausted in Vegas

2007-11-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

So here I sit in Las Vegas. In several respects, I'm glad to be here. First, I was able to tick off my my 46th state in my quest to visit all 50 states. Also, I'm thrilled to be a GodblogCon, a conference of Christian bloggers. But Vegas... what a weird town. I was struck by its weirdness as I flew in last night. Other cities seem to have a gradual progression into view. We see a smattering of lights. Then a cluster of lights. And finally a city full of lights. Not Vegas. It comes on you all of the sudden from out of nowhere, fully formed. And then, as you disembark the plan, you are greeted by row upon row of slot machines. In the airport. Finally, there is the "landscape." Contrete and neon. Having spent little time here to date, I will not pass jugement. Just some observations.

Now on to my great reality of the moment. I. AM. EXHAUSTED. Last night, after two previous planes were scrapped due to technical problems--and after hiking up and down the full length of Hartfield-Jackson's terminal A (I thought the exercise my actually proove to be terminal)--I finally found that third time's the charm and took off for Vegas at 10:00 PM EST. Landing at 11:00 PM PST/2:00 AM EST, I finally made it to the hotel at 12:00 PST/3:00 AM EST. And then, just to make sure I was without a scrap of energy today, I received an errant wake-up call at 6:00 AM. AHHHHH.

Must run. Going to hear the fabulous Hugh Hewitt!

Rhett Smith at GodblogCon

2007-11-08T16:27:00.000-05:00

Live blogging from GodblogCon...

Rhett Smith, College Director at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, is talking about new media ministry to the MySpace-Facebook generation. He's talking about his own initial resistance to doing ministry in MySpace and Facebook and what changed his mind. The reality is, the younger generation is "living" in these places and if we are going to impact their lives, we need to connect with them there.

Mark D. Roberts' Devotional Blogs

2007-11-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

Live blogging from GodblogCon...

I wasn't aware of Mark D. Roberts' devotional blogs Pray the Psalms and Pray the Gospels . I am looking forward to checking these out.

GodblogCon!

2007-11-08T13:56:00.000-05:00

Live Blogging... Please forgive the stream of consciousness/stream of interpretation.

Hello blog world! Greetings from, well, BlogWorld! I am here attending GodblogCon and blogging live from Dr. John Mark Reynolds' session. I love this guy... he makes me laugh while spurring me to think more deeply.

Dr. Reynolds just said that blogging should be grand but never grandiose. Good thought.

Now he is talking about "what's in a name" (vis-a-vis our blogs). My blog's name B Relelvant tells you three things:
1. I am a person who tries--most often unsuccessfully--to be cleaver
2. I believe that Christians should be relevant in the world
3. I can't really spell!

Dr. Reynolds is now talking about the dangers of being an uber-ideologue. We should never put the idiology about people. I'm not saying it nearly as well as he is. He's saying that we shouldn't win an argument at the expense of someone else's well-being.

His basic point is that the world we create through our blog must be kept in the greater perspective of our obligations to the real world.

Now, Reynolds' is suggesting we should take a outward focus that has personal applications.

Great quote: Hell is the place for people who say "I" to the "I Am."

Blogging should be about "talking" about this we know or things we don't know but are learning... but it should be about something we are growing in.

John Mark is encouraging us to take a long view of what we write... posts can be accessed for years to come.

Constantly be expanding what you know and have the humility to say what you don't know. Blog about when you are wrong and be transparent. Good thought. Blogging should be about learning publicly, which requires writing humbly.

Moving on...

Evaluate blog posts by examing their qualities of goodness, true and beauty.

Remind ourselves that what appears to be reality may not be God's reality.

Remember that we can learn from our sekular peers in the blogosphere.

Moving on...

If you blog for the sake of blogging, you'll eventually quit. Our goal as Christians should be to see the face of God. Be hope-focused.

Go forward in faith.

If you are going to blog, read books. Don't just rely on others in new media.

Be motivated by love.

Golf Legend, Gentleman Dies at 94

2006-09-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

Byron Nelson, one of golf's legendary players, died this week at age 94. In reading his obituary in the Houston Chronicle, I was struck by this statement:

"Byron Nelson was a man who was at peace, a man whose life and entire being was filled with joy," [CBS Sports anchor Jim] Nantz said. "If you were lucky enough to come into his area, he passed it on to you. For all his accomplishments, the thing that defined the man was his faith, his goodness and his joyful heart and spirit."

Wouldn't it be great if the same could be said of all of us at our passing?

2006-09-25T11:21:00.000-04:00

I love Hugh Hewitt. Regarding Bill Clinton, Hugh blogs:

He and Bush 41 are destined to go down in history as the two presidents who served between Reagan and Bush 43. He and Bush 41 will be the ones that 23rd century school-children will have trouble remembering when they get a pop quiz demanding they list all the presidents.

Read the rest by clicking here.

My Letter to NBC

2006-09-22T11:58:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share a letter that I wrote to NBC this week regarding its new series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

Dear NBC executive,

Free artistic expression is a good thing, isn't it? Without it, art would be cold, socially-irrelevant drivel. But let's be honest, NBC isn't just a conduit of artistic expression. NBC is a business. And so while I respect Aaron Sorkin's right to mock Christians, I want the business of NBC to know that I don't appreciate the network slandering Pat Robertson and mocking evangelicals.

Can you imagine a Christian program calling Al Sharpton a hate-mongering bigot? But somehow, because evangelicals are the target of the Matthew Perry character’s rant, it is okay for Studio 60 to skewer Robertson.

It is a bold move having Sarah Paulson's character be an alleged Christian (a la Victoria Jackson perhaps?). Just know that I'll be paying close attention to the fairness with which this character is written and portrayed. So far, I'm not impressed.

Evangelicals make up a huge portion of your viewing population. It is important to us that evangelicals be accurately depicted on your network. Just so we're clear...

- Some of us actually know how to read (some of us even went to Ivy League schools and hold advanced degrees!)

- Some of us can make a cogent argument when pressed and don’t always revert to “because the Bible says so” when questioned

- Some of us have senses of humor

- Some of us live in homes without wheels and have all our own teeth

Just thought I’d clear those things up in advance. Feel free to pass it along to Mr. Sorkin as an FYI.

Wow! It's been a while.

2006-09-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

So I have stopped blogging.

And I miss it.

But the truth is, I became a little obsessed and frustrated by trying to grow my blog. I don't like to be mediocre. If I'm going to blog, I want to be at the top of Truth Laid Bear's ecosystem, not some lowly amphibian or amoeba.

Maybe I can try again. Take it all less seriously. I guess we'll have to see. Stay tuned.

Pat Robertson Apologizes to Sharon's Son

2006-01-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

Pat Robertson has written a letter of apology to Ariel Sharon's son, Omri. In the letter dated January 11th, Robertson said "I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel for remarks I made at the time [the onset of Sharon's illness] concerning the writing of the holy prophet Joel and his view of the inviolate nature of the land of Israel."

Robertson went on to write, "My zeal, my love of Israel, and my concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks that I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness."

Let us hope that this will help to repair the breach. Moreover, let us hope that, in the future, leaders who purport to represent evangelicals in America will show better judgment before making statements with international ramifications.

Don't Play Politics with Alito

2006-01-09T17:24:00.000-05:00

I know it is a vain hope, but wouldn't it be great of Judge Alito could have a fair, dignified hearing in the Senate? Crazy talk I know, but just imagine it. No ACLJ attacks. No character assignations by the lefty Dems. Just a respectable judicial hearing about his experience and qualifications.

A girl can dream, right?

Told You So

2006-01-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

For those of you who watched, you know what I was talking about when I told you that PBS' Walking the Bible would be great. And thankfully, a LOT of people watched. It ended up being the number 2 show of the evening--behind the National Championship football game.

If you didn't watch episode one, take heart! You can still watch episodes two and three. Each one has "stand alone" potential (i.e., you don't need to have seen ep. 1 to "get" ep. 2).

So, set your TiVos and VCRs for next Wednesday at 8:00 PM to PBS.

Walking the Bible Airs on PBS Tomorrow (Wed.)

2006-01-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

Feel like taking a trip to the Holy Land? Don't have an extra few thousand dollars laying around? No problem. Starting tomorrow night, you can visit the Holy Land from the comfort of your own living room without spending a dime.

Walking the Bible is a three-part primetime mini-series airing on PBS January 4, 11, and 18th. I've been helping to promote the project, so I've had the chance to pre-screen episodes one and two. And I can tell you that they were FABULOUS. Really. Not just because I'm paid to say that.

The series takes viewers to five countries, through four war zones, on three continents. Ever wonder what the Garden of Eden really looked like? Ever thought "maybe the pillar that Lot's wife became is still around"? Ever wondered what it was like for Hagar to head out into the desert with Ishmael? Well author Bruce Feiler did. He did more than wonder... he retraced the first five books of the Bible so he could see for himself. Now we can come along for the ride.

Trust me, it is a trip worth taking.

Taking a Break

2005-12-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

As you've likely noticed, I'm taking a break from blogging this month. Merry Christmas to all. See you in the New Year.

Is America Anti-Christian?

2005-12-05T16:37:00.000-05:00

Is America Anti-Christian? No. Far from it. The overwhelming majority of people in the United States self-identify as Christian. And for those who are not Christian, most would not attack the religious liberty of Christians because they would recognize it as a step toward the attack of their own religion.

So if America isn't anti-Christian, how come it seems that way? How come store clerks are forced into wishing customers a "happy holiday" instead of a "Merry Christmas" (or even a Happy Chanukah for that matter)? Why do music teachers live in fear of being sued if they should dare have their choirs perform Christmas Carols in wintertime performances? Why does every single municipality in this country dread four little letters: A-C-L-U?

I'll tell you why. The "elites." The elites control the media. The elites pay the sue-happy lawyers. The elites control the teachers unions. The elites teach in our colleges and universities. And the elites HATE Christians.

Why do they hate us? Because we dare to say that their "god" of tolerance must bow down to the One True God. We dare to say there is such a thing as truth and it has nothing to do with how you feel or which way the wind is blowing on any given day. We dare to say that there is such a thing as sin, that we all fall into the category of "sinner," and that we really, truly, and unequivocally need a Savior.

So the battle rages on. How do we win? With love in our hearts... and "Merry Christmas" on our lips.

The Right Rx

2005-12-01T16:05:00.000-05:00

Imagine that you had a doctor who didn't want to hurt your feelings. His top priority was to keep you happy, not healthy. Now imagine you had cancer. But he told you that you were fine. You were happy. But you were dying.

Welcome to the Democrats approach to the war on Iraq.

The Dems will tell you what you want to hear: it is time to pull out of Iraq. We don't need to be there any longer. Let the Iraqis fend for themselves. Our soldiers shouldn't have to die for their freedom. Sounds okay, right? But, just as with the imagined doctor, they aren't telling the truth. Our presence in Iraq is essential. Our withdrawal would be a disaster both for the Iraqi people and for our own national security.

It is time to reject the placebo prescriptions of America's left. The right treatment often hurts, but it will ultimately heal.

Pay Stub Horrors

2005-11-29T11:25:00.000-05:00

Have you ever really looked at your pay stub? My advice? DON'T!!!

I had a shock this morning when I glanced a little too long at the old pay stub. I'm giving HOW MUCH to the government each month???? A quarter of my income??? That seems completely insane to me.

Now I know that government does provide us with some important services. They pay our soldiers to fight our wars and keep us safe. They pay our police force to ensure our safety at home. They maintain infrastructure like roads and public sewers. They... what else do they do, again? Oh yes, they dole out social security checks (for however long that may go on).

But a QUARTER of my pay check?! So as I struggle to pay down my debt from hospital bills and graduate school loans (okay, and from car payments and credit card bills), I am thinking that I could really use some of that money back.

What to do, what to do. Does anyone know of a sensible proposal to reduce the tax burden in the United States? If so, email me at believerthinker@gmail.com.

Top 5 Things I Wish There Were More of

2005-11-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

Just a quick list of some somewhat silly things I wish there were more of. Here we go!

#5 Christopher Guest-directed improv movies
#4 Episodes of Remington Steele, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and PBS's The Manor House
#3 Peter Mayle books - Bring me back to Provence!
#2 Katharine Hepburn movies with Cary Grant or Spenser Tracy
#1 Jane Austen novels!

An oldie but (I hope) a goodie

2005-11-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

In cleaning out my files, I came across something I had written a while ago. It made me think of the news coverage of the riots in Paris.

By the way, be sure to check out USA Today today for an op-ed by Franklin Graham.

What if we rewrote history in order not to offend people?

We’d have to erase the part about the Romans throwing Christians to the lions because, after all, we don’t want people to start to hate Italians.

We’d have to pretend that it was aliens who took over the land of Native Americans because, after all, we wouldn’t want anyone blaming Anglo Americans of European descent.

We’d have to make Hitler of “unknown origins” because, after all, we wouldn’t want people hating Germans.

Only one problem of course… it wouldn’t be the truth. And it wouldn’t be history.

Throughout the course of human history, a segment of people of every race and every creed have committed unmentionably heinous acts against humanity. We cannot hold all people of a given race responsible for the acts of a few of their “members.” Nor can we disguise the fact that a given person was of a given race or creed. History is history, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And while some ignorant people may demonize an entire race for the acts of a few (as happen to Asian-Americans during World War II), the solution to this problem is to remove ignorance not to rewrite of history.

Some have argued we should either not tell the story of Jesus’ crucifixion or revise the story because some people may wrongly blame the Jewish people writ large. And while this risk is real, their solution is both faulty and dangerous.

Let us give thanks

2005-11-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

In honor of Thanksiving, I wanted to share President Reagan's 1981 Thanksgiving proclamation. (HT: Laura Ingraham)

November 12, 1981

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

America has much for which to be thankful. The unequaled freedom enjoyed by our citizens has provided a harvest of plenty to this Nation throughout its history. In keeping with America's heritage, one day each year is set aside for giving thanks to God for all of His blessings.

On this day of thanksgiving, it is appropriate that we recall the first Thanksgiving, celebrated in the autumn of 1621. After surviving a bitter winter, the Pilgrims planted and harvested a bountiful crop. After the harvest they gathered their families together and joined in celebration and prayer with the native Americans who had taught them so much. Clearly our forefathers were thankful not only for the material well-being of their harvest but for this abundance of goodwill as well.

In this spirit, Thanksgiving has become a day when Americans extend a helping hand to the less fortunate. Long before there was a government welfare program, this spirit of voluntary giving was ingrained in the American character. Americans have always understood that, truly, one must give in order to receive. This should be a day of giving as well as a day of thanks.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving in 1981, we should reflect on the full meaning of this day as we enjoy the fellowship that is so much a part of the holiday festivities. Searching our hearts, we should ask what we can do as individuals to demonstrate our gratitude to God for all He has done. Such reflection can only add to the significance of this precious day of remembrance.

Let us recommit ourselves to that devotion to God and family that has played such an important role in making this a great Nation, and which will be needed as a source of strength if we are to remain a great people.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 26, 1981, as Thanksgiving Day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and sixth.

Ronald Reagan

Of Love and Hate

2005-11-21T14:20:00.000-05:00

Love: Vice President Cheney

"The flaws in the intelligence are plain enough in hindsight. But any suggestion that pre-war information was distorted, hyped or fabricated by the leader of the nation is utterly false," Cheney said in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. (Source)

Hate: When pink-liberals act like, well, pinky liberals

The views that Samuel Alito expressed on reapportionment in a 20-year-old document could jeopardize his Supreme Court nomination and provoke a filibuster, a leading Democratic senator said Sunday. (Source)

Love: The Absurd

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- A French woman who is terrified of flying admitted in an Australian court Monday that she drunkenly tried to open an airplane door mid-flight to smoke a cigarette. (Source)

Hate: Senseless Violence

A high school guard suffered a heart attack and died Monday while trying to extinguish cars set aflame by vandals in the latest unrest in troubled French suburbs, police said. (Source)

Farewell Mr. Koppel

2005-11-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

It is strange that so many of our news giants are leaving the scene. Another giant leaving is Ted Koppel. When Nightline goes off the air on Tuesday, it is the end of an era. Thanks for the memories, sir.

Does he SERIOUSLY think we'll believe him?

2005-11-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

In answering President Bush's call for the Chinese political regime to grant its people "more freedom to express themselves, to worship without state control and to print Bibles and other sacred texts without fear of punishment," China once again blew its credibility all to bits.

"Chinese people enjoy all forms of democracy and freedom under law, including freedom of religion and belief," a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, Liu Jianchao, said. (Reuters)

Oh really Mr. Liu? Than how do explain the fact that less than one month ago some 50 key Christian leaders were arrested at a retreat in Gougezhuang Village, Laishui County, Hebei Province? And why, if your country supports freedom of religion, were some of those who were arrested beaten and interrogated while in custody? (Voice of the Martyrs)

The United States must continue to keep the pressure on China to ensure that all Chinese citizens will one day--please let it be soon!--be able to worship without persecution or fear.

In Tribute

2005-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Someone rather amazing left the earth this week. He will be sorely missed.

I met Dwight Ozard while we were both consulting for the same ministry. Later, Dwight and I were part of a training trip to Costa Rica with this same organization. Even then, Dwight was suffering from Multiple Myeloma. Though in much pain, he continued to be bright and funny and interested in everything and everyone.

The thing that I respected most about Dwight was that he was truly a believer-thinker. He never espoused a position because he thought he was "supposed to." He and I disagreed a lot about politics, but we both appreciated the fact that we had come to our views honestly and biblically. Each of us started in the same place: with a desire to honor God, believe His Word, and love His people. I think Dwight did a better job at those three things than I have generally done.

I would ask my faithful readers to visit Dwight's site to learn more about him and his life. You'll find, as I did, that Dwight never put a happy face on suffering, but that suffering never diminished his faith. He called crap "crappy" and made no bones about the harsh realities of cancer. But he called God "faithful" and knew Him to be so.

So welcome to heaven Dwight. I rejoice with you that you are now in the presence of the God you so desperately loved.

Please keep Dwight's wife Sheri and his entire family in your prayers.

Well, he's not likely to win Miss Congeniality

2005-11-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else think that Howard Dean sounded more like a beauty pageant contestant than a political party chairman on Meet the Press this weekend? When asked by Tim Russert about the Democratic agenda, Dean responded:

We have an alternative agenda. We made it very clear. We want a strong national security based on telling the truth to our people at home, our soldiers and our allies. We want jobs in America that'll stay in America, and we believe that renewable energy is one of the areas where we can do that. We want a health-care system that covers everybody, just like 36 other countries in the world. We want a strong public education system. And most of all, we want honesty back in government. I think that's a pretty good agenda.

No Tim, that's not an agenda. That is a wish list.

What's next, "I just want world peace"???

Alito and Abortion

2005-11-14T10:09:00.000-05:00

In a report out of The Washington Times today, it was discovered that Sam Alito wrote in 1985 that "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion." While this will certainly make his confirmation hearing even more contentious, Alito's views are good news for those of us who believe in an in-utero child's right to live.

Veteran's Day

2005-11-11T10:45:00.000-05:00

President Bush is to address the progress of the war in Iraq tonight in a Veteran's Day address. Go get 'em, Sir! HT: PoliPundit

Speaking of Veterans Day, let me say a big "Thank You" to all who have served or are currently serving in our nation's military. Our freedom has cost you a lot and we are forever in your debt.

Something to Celebrate

2005-11-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to the Marine Core! Thanks for all you do for the United States of America, its citizens, and its interests around the world.

Semper Fi.

Anybody know any good dirges?

2005-11-09T11:21:00.000-05:00

Not much to celebrate this morning. The Republicans didn't do so well yesterday in the elections. The governorships of New Jersey and Virginia went to the Dems while voters in California voted against Gov. Arnold's ballot initiatives.

And then there was Dover, PA:

Voters came down hard Tuesday on school board members who backed a statement on intelligent design being read in biology class, ousting eight Republicans and replacing them with Democrats who want the concept stripped from the science curriculum. (Source)

Ug.

At least Texas gave us some good news.

Texas voters Tuesday overwhelming approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, making their state the 19th to take that step. (Source)

The big message from Tuesday? We had darn well better be getting our ducks in a row to ensure that the results of the critical 2006 mid-term elections turn out better than those of yesterday's elections.

Elect Vinick

2005-11-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Cafe Hayek has some interesting comments about the "Great Debate" this week on The West Wing. HT: Instapundit via Power Line Blog News

A Franco-phile No More

2005-11-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

I have long had a love affair with all things French. From the sounds of the language (Mais oui!) to the yummy food (crepe anyone?) to the simple elegance of the fashion, I have loved it all. My first trip to Paris was a revelation. I was actually stopped in the street by a man who told me "Pardon me miss, I just had to tell you that you are beautiful." And he said it in FRENCH no less. Needless to say, I felt beautiful in France.

But that was 1992 and oh how things have changed. Paris isn't my Paris anymore. Paris is an American-hating, self-important, a place of conflict and religious hatred. While I was so sad to see the cathedrals turned into tourist traps, I'm even sadder to hear of the aggressive Islamists who are literally turning Paris into a cesspool of violence. And in their efforts to make these extremists feel at home, France has stifled the religious liberties of Christians.

Long before World War II, France and the U.S. enjoyed the status of mutual allies. But apparently, the French have forgotten how U.S. soldiers risked--and many sacrificed--their lives to liberate France from the Nazis. Today France has the nerve to oppose that same kind of liberation for the Iraqis. The French continue to criticize Americans on the national state.

I fear the France I loved is gone forever. I hope I'm wrong. J'adore la langue français et la vrai culture de la France. J'espère qu'il retournera à la France que j'aime.

Riots in France

2005-11-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

There was an important exchange between Hugh Hewitt and Mark Steyn on last night's Hugh Hewitt Show. HT: Radio Blogger for the segment of the transcript below. Click here for the entire transcript.

HH: Mark Steyn, how do you account for the indifference or ignorance of the mainstream media in America?

MS: Well, I think this is now basically becoming a willful effort at misleading. It's not just the United States. Other countries, too, are reporting this as their youths, or their French youth. And it isn't until you get thirteen paragraphs into the story, and they're quoting one of these youths, and you realize he's called Mohammed, that it occurs to you that there might be an ethno-cultural religious component to this situation. And this is absolutely grotesque, because the one...I'm sometimes accused of being terribly pessimistic when I speak in North America. And I always tell Americans and Canadians, that the one great advantage people have, you know, everything may...there may be a lot of bad news in the world, but the one advantage North Americans have, is that Europe is ahead of you in the line. And you have to learn what's happening. You have to confront honestly what's happening with these disaffected Muslim populations in Europe. I mean, most of the September 11th bombers, the Millennium bomber, a lot of these people all passed through various parts of the European welfare state. It's relevant to U.S. security, too.

Maybe it's me...

2005-11-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

I guess I just don't get it. To me, it seems perfectly normal that a young man, faced with the possibility of getting drafted to fight in a war, might take whatever steps possible (and LEGAL) to ensure that he would have the greatest possible chance of avoiding being put in harms way. There isn't anything particularly strange or nefarious about this to me.

While I greatly admire those who fought/fight and those who died for this country, I can't say that I view it as anti-patriotic to be afraid of battle. Nor is it anti-patriotic to serve in non-combat positions or in the reserves.

I think it's time we gave Sam Alito (and President Bush for that matter) a break. (HT: Capitan’s Quarters)

Too busy!

2005-11-02T17:53:00.000-05:00

Too busy to really post today. Let me point you to Hugh Hewitt's page to read Jeff Foxworthy's hysterical take on "You know you are from Ohio if..." Feel free to substitute "Pittsburgh" for "Ohio"... most will still work!

The Party of Accusations, Condemnation, and Obfuscation

2005-11-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

If ever we needed evidence that the Democratic party is bereft of original ideas, it has been amply provided by the latest move by the party's chief obstructionist Senator Harry Reid.

Reid--with an assist from Dick Durbin--has thrown the Senate into a closed session for the first time in a quarter century. Reid wants to know the "real story" behind the U.S.'s entry into Iraq in light of the recent indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Excuse me????

The Reid logic train has surely jumped the tracks. Next thing you know, he'll be asking for a special investigation into why so many presidents are left-handed and what that means for rice crops in Asia.

I guess, as a Republican, I should be thanking Reid for making it that much more obvious to the American people that there are two choices when it comes to politics: the party you may not love and the party of the insane.

So blather on Harry. Oh wait, nobody can hear you because you're in a closed session. Perhaps this really is a boon for the American people!

Linked at La Shawn Barber's Corner, Outside the Beltway, and Basil's Blog

Religion Back on the Air

2005-10-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

Delia Gallaher was recently named CNN’s first full-time faith-and-values correspondent. Gallagher, the network’s Vatican correspondent for the past five years and a former editor at “Inside the Vatican” magazine, is the first full-time religion reporter on a commercial news network since ABC laid off Peggy Wehmeyer in 2001. HT: My colleague Michelle.

It is a good sign that at least one network is recognizing the import of faith and values issues in this country. To be fair, FOX News does try to cover these issues but, at least to my knowledge, has yet to designate a full-time staffer to this issue area.

Thrilled with Alito

2005-10-31T13:13:00.000-05:00

Was President Bush reading my blog last week? I had laid out my criteria for a great nomination to the Supreme Court. I said I was looking for...

1. A conservative judicial philosophy demonstrated in writing over a period of at least 15 years. (CHECK)

2. A documented thorough knowledge of and respect for Constitutional law. (CHECK)

3. High moral character attested to by personal and professional references. (CHECK)

4. No older than 55 years of age. (CHECK)

5. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the ACLU should hate him or her. (CHECK)

The nomination of Judge Alito further demonstrates the President's commitment to a strong judiciary functioning within the role of the judiciary. This is a great nomination.

For more information about Judge Alito, his record and his resume, visit Jay Sekulow's Trial Notebook.

And now for my favorite part... reactions from the lefties.

"The nomination of Judge Alito requires an especially long, hard look by the Senate because of what happened last week to Harriet Miers. Conservative activists forced Miers to withdraw from consideration for this same Supreme Court seat because she was not radical enough for them. Now the Senate needs to find out if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people." - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Rather than selecting a nominee for the good of the nation and the court, President Bush has picked a nominee whom he hopes will stop the massive hemorrhaging of support on his right wing. This is a nomination based on weakness, not strength." - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

"President Bush put the demands of his far-right political base above Americans' constitutional rights and legal protections by nominating federal appeals court Judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor." - Ralph Neas, president of the liberal People For the American Way.

"It is sad that the president felt he had to pick a nominee likely to divide America instead of choosing a nominee in the mold of Sandra Day O'Connor, who would unify us. This controversial nominee, who would make the court less diverse and far more conservative, will get very careful scrutiny from the Senate and from the American people." - Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

"Now the gauntlet has been, I think, thrown down. It was humiliating, it was degrading and it's a profound and distributing view of Judge Alito that he would uphold spousal notification as he did in the Pennsylvania case, and it raises concerns about his views of women." - Kate Michelman, former president of NARAL-Pro Choice America.

"Justice O'Connor has provided more than a swing vote. She has been a moderating voice on critical civil liberties issues ranging from race to religion to reproductive freedom. Judge Alito’s position on each of these issues has been more hostile to civil liberties than positions taken by Justice O'Connor. His nomination therefore calls into question the court’s delicate balance that Justice O'Connor has helped to shape and preserve." - Steven R. Shapiro, National Legal Director, the ACLU

“I am deeply troubled by this nomination. In several decisions, Judge Alito seems to be arguing for a closer relationship between church and state.” - Barry Lynn, executive director, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State

"NOW is strongly opposed to the elevation of Judge Alito and will activate our members in communities nationwide to defeat his nomination to the High Court. Since Bush caved to the extremists' vicious campaign against Harriet Miers, women's rights supporters have been anticipating that he would bend to their will and appoint a judicial extremist of their choosing. He has done exactly that, and we are ready for the fight." - Kim Gandy, President, National Organization of Women

Linked at California Conservative and Basil's Blog

Establish a Criteria before Soliciting a Replacement

2005-10-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

Here's a crazy thought... Let's determine what EXACTLY we're looking for in an Associate Justice for the Supreme Court before we start floating names for the job. Let's write the recipe if you will. This way, we'll have a common standard (at least common to conservatives) against which we can evaluate possible candidates. Sound good?

Here's my recipe. I encourage you to modify as you see fit. Then we'll let the blogosphere do what the blogosphere does best... sort it all out.

Ingredients for a new Supreme Court Associate Justice:

1. A conservative judicial philosophy demonstrated in writing over a period of at least 15 years.

2. A documented thorough knowledge of and respect for Constitutional law.

3. High moral character attested to by personal and professional references.

4. No older than 55 years of age.

5. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the ACLU should hate him or her.

Optional ingredients: A woman and/or member of a minority group would be a bonus.

Let the pontificating begin

2005-10-27T10:44:00.000-04:00

Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court. Let the pontificating begin. This is when some conservatives say "I told you so," others say "It's a sad, sad day," and liberals just scratch their heads and think about what this will mean for them in the next elections.

Here's hoping the next nominee is a slam dunk for conservatives.

Resource
Miers' letter of withdrawal

Beyond the Pale

2005-10-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

USA Today ran a manipulated a photo of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The result? A demon version of the secretary. What, other than to vilify Condi, could have been their motive for doing this? See Michelle Malkin's post today for the photos, original and retouched.

What Rosa Parks Meant to a Gen-X White Yankee Girl

2005-10-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Rosa Parks was a hero to the civil rights movement. But she was also a hero to a white, middle class, Gen-Xer from Pittsburgh…me.

Rosa Parks was one of my heroes because she epitomized what it meant to be courageous and dignified. She knew her God-given worth and she refused to accept the narrow-minded racism that would have her believe she was less than she knew she was. Mrs. Parks was a lady in the true sense of that word.

In his book, "Stride toward Freedom," Martin Luther King said of Parks that hers was "an individual expression of a timeless longing for human dignity and freedom." All of us can relate to that groaning for freedom. Few of us can understand what it is to have that freedom repeatedly, often violently denied. Mrs. Parks understood.

From all that I know of her, Mrs. Parks was also a Christian. She was a lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. If her trust was indeed in Jesus, Mrs. Parks is now experiencing a kind of freedom of which any of us could only dream—the freedom that is only found in the presence of one's creator.

So thank you Mrs. Parks. Thanks for your courage and your dignity. Thanks for inspiring me to stand up for what I know to be right even in the face of hardship. Enjoy your rest and your reward. I'll look forward to sitting down with you for a chat on the other side.

Linked at La Shawn Barber's Corner, Wizbang, Volokh, and Indepundit.

Now THIS is what I call news!

2005-10-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

Alan Greenspan is no longer going to be one of the most powerful men in the world. Greenspan, who has served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank since God was a boy (okay, for 18 years) is being replaced by Ben Bernanke, the current chairman of US Council of Economic Advisors.

In announcing Greenspan's replacement, President Bush saluted the current Fed Chairmen calling him a "legend" and noting that he "has dominated his age like no central banker in history."

Greenspan has been in imposing figure on the global economics scene for nearly two decades. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that it will be strange not to have him in that chair.

The Blogosphere Weighs in on Miers...

2005-10-24T11:49:00.000-04:00

The Blogosphere has weighed in on Miers...and it's not pretty.

I guess you'd have to say that I am in the "Neutral" camp on Miers.

On the one hand, I trust the president. I believe he believes Harriet Miers will be the kind of conservative jurist he promised us. On the other hand, I want to say to him, "but why couldn't you have gone with a clearer, slam-dunk choice?!" I have been not-so-secretly hoping Miers would step down (not because I don't think she can do the job, but rather for the good of the party, but that seems unlikely.

And so I, like the rest of the nation, will have to wait and see.

Bizarre

2005-10-21T14:14:00.000-04:00

Apparently, the Judge in the Tom Delay trial is a past contributor to MoveOn.org, the world's biggest anti-conservative group (with the possible exception of the ACLU). Judge Bob Perkins "defended" himself by saying that he only gave to support the Kerry campaign.

Delay's attorney Dick DeGuerin then pointed out that the judge that MoveOn.org is an organization that is now selling tee-shirts with Delay's mug shots. The judge said he don't know nothing about no stinkin' tee-shirts (okay, I'm paraphrasing). MoveOn said they've never sold the tee-shirts so nanny-nanny-boo-boo (again, paraphrasing).

This is all just bizarre. If the judge gave money to MoveOn.org, it definitely shakes my confidence in his ability to ensure a fair trial for one of MoveOn's most hated Republicans (and that says a lot, my friend). I will be watching closely how this all plays out.

Linked at:
Blue State Conservatives
Jo's Cafe
Obligatory Anecdotes
Outside the Beltway
The Political Teen
The Indepundit
bRright and Early
Cao's Blog

And they're off!

2005-10-21T12:51:00.000-04:00

Hillary Clinton, who has repeatedly told the media that she hadn't even thought about running for president, now has almost $14 million in the bank for her "reelection campaign." I don't think so. Try her "presidential campaign."

And Newt Gingrich just announced that he is considering a run for the Republican ticket in '08. While I like Newt's positions on most things, I don't think he is elect-able due to a somewhat questionable personal life. I really hope he doesn't run.

Finally, news is out today that Gov. George Pataki may run for the presidency as well. He's not being too subtle about his intentions... he's made three trips to Iowa in four weeks. No disrespect to Iowa, but there is only one reason a New Yorker makes the trip that often and it ain't for the corn.

Umm, Patty? Ever hear of extortion?

2005-10-20T17:57:00.000-04:00

Patty Murray hasn't been doing her vocabulary homework. If she had, she'd know about a little thing called extortion.

Main Entry: ex·tort
Pronunciation: ik-'stort
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Latin extortus, past participle of extorquEre to wrench out, extort, from ex- + torquEre to twist -- more at TORTURE
Definition: to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power

From Power Line via Instapundit via the Anchoress:

Patty Murray is now speaking against the Coburn Amendment, and has just issued a threat against any Senators who vote for the amendment: we on the Appropriations Committee will take a “long, hard look” at any projects in your state. Can anyone say, “culture of corruption”?

Shame on you Patty. You are definitely going to get detention for that one.

Who is Harriet's Fred Thompson?

2005-10-20T12:08:00.000-04:00

Do you remember Senator Fred Thompson? Remember how he shepherded John Roberts through the confirmation process? Well I do. And I'm wondering, who is Harriet Miers' Fred Thompson?

She needs one. She REALLY needs one. Harriet seems to be hanging out there on her own getting the stuffing kicked out of her. Case in point: her Senate questionnaire. Why wasn't anyone (a la Thompson) there to tell her, "Hey Harriet, include a lot of detail in your answers so that you'll not have to look evasive and have to go back and redo the questionnaire." Where was that guy?

So White House, if you're listening, how 'bout giving Fred a call? It certainly couldn't hurt.

Things not Looking Good for Rove

2005-10-20T00:30:00.000-04:00

According to the latest AP report...

Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby discussed their contacts with reporters about an undercover CIA officer in the days before her identity was published, the first known intersection between two central figures in the criminal leak investigation.

The rumors are swirling around about a possible indictment. Lord help us all.

Is it the wrong choice or the wrong strategy?

2005-10-20T00:19:00.000-04:00

There is a burning question conservatives are grappling with: Is Harriet Miers the wrong choice or has just not been properly "sold" to core conservative constituency? The Associated Press' Tom Raum looks at the issue.

Expert Exposes Evolution

2005-10-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

Lehigh University Professor Michael Behe was first to the stand in the Pennsylvania trial over the teaching of Intelligent Design theory. Behe, author of the 1996 best-seller called "Darwin's Black Box," said that evolution alone can't explain the complexity of biological processes evidenced nature. For more, click here.

We Didn't Need This

2005-10-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Arlen Specter and Patrick Leahy are telling Harriet Miers that here homework is incomplete. Leahy went so far as to say that many of her responses "ranged from incomplete to insulting." We definitely didn't need this in light of the already heated debate around this nomination.

Linked at Outside the Beltway

Finding a Middle Ground between Racism and Anything Goes

2005-10-19T11:25:00.000-04:00

Is requiring a photo ID to vote akin to a poll tax? That was the question at issue in a Georgia courtroom yesterday. And, according to U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy, the answer is yes.

The controversy surrounds a law passed by the Georgia Legislature that would require Georgia voters to provide photo identification prior to receiving a voter's ballot. This law was designed to prevent the kind of voter fraud that was alleged in other states during the last presidential election.

In handing down his 123-page decision, Judge Murphy had this to say:

"The photo ID requirement is most likely to prevent Georgia's elderly, poor and African-American voters from voting," Murphy wrote. "For those citizens, the character and magnitude of their injury — the loss of their right to vote — is undeniably demoralizing and extreme." Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Interestingly (at least to me), the U.S. Justice Department did not agree with Judge Murphy. Having reviewed and approved this law, the Justice Department said that it did indeed comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The case is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, so we'll have to wait and see how this Georgia case plays out.

In the meantime, it is important to recognize that this issue is complex—though both sides of the debate would have us think otherwise. I agree that we need to do everything in our power to prevent an undue burden on any one group of our citizenry that would prevent them from exercising their right to vote. But we also have to face a rather harsh reality. People cheat.

In Milwalkee, 4,609 more people than were eligible to vote cast ballots in the 2004 elections. According to investigators, there were 200 cases of felons voting illegally and more than 100 cases involving duplicate votes, the use of false names and addresses, and even some who voted in the name of a dead person.

In Ohio in 2004, Governor Bob Taft told CNN’s Bill Hemmer that in four Ohio counties, more people have registered to vote than actually live in those counties and are of voting age. (Source)

So what is the answer? I'm not sure. But I know it won't be as simple as ignoring the problem in the name of equality and fairness.

There is nothing fair about rigged elections.

Linked at:
The Political Teen
Bright and Early

Miers Questionnaire

2005-10-18T14:59:00.000-04:00

Crazy busy day today. Not much time to look closely at the recently released Miers questionnaire. Thanks to Red State for providing it in its entirety.

Answering a question about her take on judicial activism, Miers gave an extremely reassuring response.

The role of the judiciary in our system of government is limited. While its role and its independence are essential to the proper functioning of our tripartite system of government, the courts cannot be the solution to society’s ills, and the independence of the courts provides no license for them to be free-wheeling. And, of course, parties should not be able to establish social policy through court action, having failed to persuade the legislative branch or the executive branch of the wisdom and correctness of their preferred course. Courts are to be arbiters of disputes, not policy makers. As has been said many times, the role of the courts is to interpret law and not to make it. My own beliefs about these issues have been formed over many years, and find their roots in the beginning of my legal career.

Basil's Free Lunch

2005-10-17T15:25:00.000-04:00

Be sure to visit Basil's Free Lunch for links to various and sundry.

Who represents evangelicals?

2005-10-17T14:43:00.000-04:00

There is a fascinating article in the Lexington Herald-Reader today (HT to my colleague Jeremy). The article asks if the people that MSM puts forward as "evangelical leaders" are truly reflective of the predominant evangelical point of view. The two people that receive the most criticism in the article are Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. I'll remain mum about my view on the performance of these two gentlemen in media in recent years other than to say that I've met them both (one by phone) and like them personally.

But it is the larger question intrigues me. Who represents me, an American evangelical, in mainstream media? The article names some who have established a foothold in mainstream media and whom polls suggest Christian respect. These leaders include Franklin Graham, Jim Dobson, and Rick Warren. But this group is still considered "second tier" by many in MSM.

Professor Doug Tarpley of Biola University is quoted in the article. He gives a compelling rational for why media turn to such a select--and many would say extreme--segment of the evangelical community. While he acknowledges that some in MSM probably intentionally turn to "very provocative" religious leaders who will make evangelicals look ridiculous, many if not most simply are ignorant about people of faith.

"I don't think it's a cold, deliberate conspiracy on their part. I think it's more a reflection of their education (and) the circles in which they move," Tarpley said. "A lot of these gatekeepers don't really understand religion and evangelicalism."

I am actually fairly optimistic about the expansion of the number of evangelical voices heard in MSM. Every day I read quotes from and watch interviews with leaders like ACLJ's Jay Sekulow, Pastor Erwin McManus, and T.D. Jakes. While MSM still doesn't know what to make of evangelicals, they are starting to learn that there are many of us out here and most of us aren't advocating for the assassination of foreign leaders (at least not publicly!). And so they are broadening their stable of "go-to-guys" in the evangelical community. And that's a very good thing.

Now if we can just get them to realize that not every evangelical has a Y chromosome...

Linked with Outside the Beltway

Anonymous Blogging and Women

2005-10-17T11:42:00.000-04:00

During one of the GodBlogCon sessions, one of the panelists remarked that he couldn't stand it when bloggers tried to hide behind pseudonyms. I went up and spoke to him afterwards to talk about why I've chosen to be "BelieverThinker" and not "Real Name" (you didn't think I was going to tell you, did you?).

For me, it is a combo of factors including the fact that I am in a field where I often have to work with mainstream media. I don't want to have to worry about whether or not I should write something about, say, the Washington Post because I might have to work with them the next day. A nom de plume helps to lesson that anxiety. When I explained this to the panelist, he understood the logic. His main concern was that bloggers not hide who they are as a person (i.e., a Christian, a woman, etc.) and I agreed that that his point was valid.

But I started thinking about the need many bloggers, particularly women bloggers, might feel to protect their identity. Like it or not, we live in a society peopled in part with the nefarious, vicious, and plain old crazy. And being a woman (and particularly a single woman), the world can often seem like a scary place. At times I feel a vulnerability that I would guess would be foreign to most men.

Don't get me wrong...I'm no damsel in distress. I'm a fairly tough cookie. I walk purposefully through both life and parking lots. But I'm not a fool either. I know that I'm not invincible.

So if using a pseudonym helps to give me some sense of privacy and protection, I'm going to use it. And I hope that my fellow bloggers, and visitors, will understand.

Mulling Over Miers

2005-10-17T11:38:00.000-04:00

My friend Skye Puppy has a very interesting post up about how she arrived a the decision to support the Miers nomination. Give it a read. (HT: Hugh Hewitt)

The Women!

2005-10-16T22:25:00.000-04:00

The very vivacious Stacy Harp has written a post about the women of GodBlogCon. Take a look. Also, don't forget to visit my friend at Skye Puppy.

What it means to be a Christian

2005-10-16T22:04:00.000-04:00

LaShawn Barber has a wonderful post up today on what it means to be a Christian. You know, LaShawn is the real deal. Glad to know you sister!

GodBlogCon I and II

2005-10-15T20:40:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Hugh, Dr. John Mark, Matt, Seth, everyone at the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola, and all of the breakout session speakers for a terrific GodBlogCon I. Thanks too to all of my fellow bloggers at the GodBlogCon. What a great conference!

In talking about next year's conference at lunch today, I suggested that GodBlogCon II sounded a bit like a movie sequel. So here are my ideas for naming next year's conference:

- GodBlogCon II: Take no prisoners
- GodBlogCon II: Revenge of the geeks
- GodBlogCon II: Now it's personal

Have a name for the conference? Post it on your blog!

Have a safe trip hope and God bless!

Charmaine Rocks

2005-10-15T10:44:00.000-04:00

Glad I didn't bother trying to blog the Hugh Hewitt panel last night at GodBlogCon (sponsored by Biola University's Torrey Honors Institute). There is no way I could have done it nearly as well as the great Charmaine Yoest. How I've missed Charmaine's blog, Reasoned Audacity, to this point I'll never know. But I'll be a regular visitor from now on.

Cameron Crowe on Hugh

2005-10-14T19:36:00.000-04:00

Hugh's guest is writer/director Cameron Crowe. Crowe, who wrote and directed one of my favorite movies ever--Say Anything, is talking about his newest film, Elizabethtown. There was a special screening here at GodBlogCon of the film (which unfortunately I skipped due to extreme exhaustion/jet lag). It got good reviews from my fellow bloggers. I'll look forward to seeing it.

Beltway Boys on Hugh

2005-10-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

I love Fred Barnes. He's just darn smart. And his daughter Karen and I were roommates and workmates on a summer mission trip what seems like a lifetime ago. Those Barneses are good people.

Right now Fred, Mort, and Hugh are talking about the Miers nomination. The intellectual luminary Barbara Boxer came out with a statement today about her concern over Miers' evangelical Christianity. Heaven forbid that Miers actually has a strong and committed faith!

So will Miers get a fair hearing? It will be pretty tough when those who are "supposed to support her" are some of her biggest critics.

Roe Revisited

2005-10-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Thirty-two years changes a lot. And the Holy Spirit changes even more. Norma McCorvey, "Roe" of Roe v. Wade is challenging the attorney who "represented her" in the landmark 1973 case. At a press conference tomorrow, McCorvey will challenge attorney Sarah Weddington to answer her lingering questions about the Roe case.

Source: Breaking Christian News

Is this a publicity stunt or a legitimate form of discourse? In some ways, it doesn't matter because it will ultimately result in more conversation about this important issue.

Jollyblogger and Evangelical Outpost on Hugh

2005-10-14T18:36:00.000-04:00

David Wayne, the Jollyblogger, and Evangelical Outpost's Joe Carter are live on the Hugh Hewitt Show.

"The growth in Christian bloggging... it isn't about individual people, it is about a community." Joe

The Two Guys I Always Confuse on Hugh

2005-10-14T18:24:00.000-04:00

John Mark Reynolds and Mark D. Roberts (the two guys I always confuse) are live on the Hugh Hewitt Show. The question at hand is (and I paraphrase) is blogging presenting and opportunity for Guttenberg, the sequel?

Here are some highlights: (Caveat: My memory and typing skills may have influenced the acurac of these quotes.)

"Religious conservatives are the most ignored group in the mainstream media."
John Mark Reynolds

"By changing things that I've taken for granted, bloggers have changed my perspective on some things." Mark D. Reynolds

Hugh Live!

2005-10-14T18:14:00.001-04:00

I'm am blogging from a live session of the Hugh Hewitt show right here at the GodBlogCon at Biola (home of the Torrey Honors Institute). Very exciting. Hugh really is the godfather of blogging in general and Christian and Conservative blogging generally. Very exciting!

Torrey Honors Institute

2005-10-14T17:52:00.000-04:00

Fellow GodBlogCon-ers, let's be sure to give kudos to the Torrey Honors Institute specifically and not just to Biola University generally when blogging about the conference. The Fox News story didn't mention Torrey Honors, and while we can't rectify that, we can do our part to elevate the profile of this important organization. After all, the Torrey folks are the people who made GodBlogCon a reality!

Blogosphere Communication Example

2005-10-14T14:49:00.000-04:00

I'm in the middle of a great blogging session on pop culture and the blogosphere(Mark Joseph and Barbara Nicolosi are terrific) at GodBlogCon. But I just came across this and had to blog on it.

Powerline has a letter up from E.J. Dionne wherein he responds to criticism from an earlier Powerline post. This is such a terrific example of the kind of communication that is possible on the blogosphere.

Establishment Clause at Trial

2005-10-14T13:52:00.000-04:00

Where is the line between the government allowing the expression of religion and the government endorsing religion itself? This question will be put under the microscope in a legal trial in Iowa in the weeks ahead.

At issue is InnerChange Freedom Initiative, "values-based prisoner rehabilitation program that has been initially shown to reduce re-arrest and recidivism rates among inmates." (Source)
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is arguing that the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the Iowa Constitution.

Several questions come to mind:

How can a voluntary program be construed as the establishment of religion?

Aren't the funds for the religious elements of this program from private sources?

And, though it can't be used as a legal argument, shouldn't it matter that the IFI program is actually working?

Incarcerated men and women are going to be reentering our communities this year in droves--some 600,000 of them. Wouldn't it be better if they returned to the "outside" having had a personal transformation that will set them on a course that doesn't include more criminal activities?

Just a thought.