Tuesday
WHY DOES OBAMA CONTINUE
TO GO AGAINST OR IGNORE
THE OPINIONS OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE?
`
WE DEEPLY REGRET SAYING THE SAME THING ...
but we are still having computer problems, and like it or not, those
problems seem to be something we are going to have to endure
for another week or two. It is our problem -- not yours -- and we
promise to continue the same level of research, and the same
level of honest, no-holds-barred expressions of the Christian and
Conservative viewpoint on current events. We continue to receive
messages from our readers thanking us, and telling us that they
can't find a similar approach to important issues any where else.
Without debating the accuracy of that statement, we join in the
affirmation of Franklin Graham in a recent issue of "Decision"
magazine: "I won't back down ... I won't shut up ... I can't
help it. It's in my DNA. I am a Christian."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IT IS MORE AND MORE IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO
DISMISS THIS QUESTION: "WHY DOES OBAMA
CONTINUE TO GO AGAINST OR IGNORE THE
OPINIONS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?"
Two issues ago, on Feb. 24, we used this headline to open our
discussion: "Washington is out of touch with, or ignoring
the opinions of most of the American people." Last week
we referred again to that headline, and now this week we find
it still to be timely and applicable.
As last week closed, Mr. Obama had summoned Democrat
members of Congress who were undecided on their positions
on Obamacare, and urged their support for his plan, even going
so far as to say that a timely passage of the measure was
important to the success of his presidency. And along with that
directive, he also set another deadline for bringing the bill to his
desk for signature: March 18, well before the upcoming Easter
Congressional recess and just prior to his overseas trip to
Guam, Australia and his old homeland, Indonesia, where he
lived and grew up in the world's largest Muslim nation.
Nationally syndicated columnist, Matt Towery, expressed our
opinion and our conviction extremely well in these words, "In
my entire career, I have never been as confounded as I am
over President Obama and the Democratic leadership's
obsession with a piece of legislation that not one major
national poll has shown to be popular. A quick glance at
this week's surveys shows about a 10 percent spread
between those who favor the latest health care legislation
and those who oppose it."
To express Mr. Towery's viewpoint in actual poll results,
here are the figures as this week began: Most US voters
-- 55% -- would prefer to see Congress and the president
scrap the present Obamacare plan, and start over with new
and fresh ideas. Only 37% now think it would be better to
build on the present drafts of the plan. Some poll results
have shown as many as 73% favoring scrapping the present
proposals. And on an overall basis, as of this week, 53% of
American voters oppose the health reform concept with only
42% favoring it. Further, poll figures released just yesterday
disclose that 57% of Americans believe this health reform
plan will hurt the economy, with only 25% believing it will
help the economy. The reasons for this continued ignoring of
the expressed opinions of the majority of the American people
by the Obama administration are difficult to grasp. You find
yourself wondering what it is about all the poll numbers that
they don't understand.
And this attitude on the part of the Obama administration and
the Democrat controlled Congress is finding expression in
other polls which have been reported in recent days. For
example, 40% of American voters, nationwide, give President
Obama good or excellent marks for leadership, while 41%
rate the president's performance as poor. Those are the lowest
rates for his presidency to date. And his daily performance
rating index remains mired in negative double digits at -19,
just two points above his all time low of -21.
Also reaching the lowest level of confidence since Obama
took office last January, now only 25% of voters say the
country is heading in the right direction.
All of which brings up a slightly different consideration:
"How the decisions and actions of the Obama administration
affect us as Christians in America." Here are just two very
current examples to consider:
(1) We have often cited comments by Gary Bauer, long time
Christian and Conservative activist, based in Washington, and
close to action on the federal front. Recently in his column "End
of Day" he cited this frightening situation: "Two of our most
cherished freedoms are found in the First Amendment –
the freedom of speech and freedom of worship. In one
recent move, the Obama administration assaulted both.
Four months ago, Tony Perkins, president of the Family
Research Council and a Marine veteran, was invited to
speak at a prayer lunch at Andrews Air Force base. But
the chaplain’s office recently rescinded the invitation. In
a letter, the chaplain told Tony that he was being disinvited
'due to statements posted on the Family Research Council
web site which are incompatible in our role as military
members who serve our elected officials and our commander-
in-chief.'”
Our comment: Did Mr. Perkins or the Family Research Council
do anything to advocate the overthrow of the US government?
Hardly. It goes back to Obama's State of the Union speech where
he urged Congress to repeal the current law of "Don’t Ask, Don't
Tell" with respect to homosexuals in the armed services. Mr.
Perkins had merely expressed his opinion that the present law
should not be repealed -- an opinion shared by some high ranking
military officers. It is a matter of concern for all Christians when
such control of thought and speech can be forced upon the
American people. This could well be just the first open violation
of our First Amendment rights by the Obama administration.
(2) This example does not as much concern an offense against the
Christian faith as it does the potential for such offenses. It involves
the recently enacted Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed by
Congress and signed into law by President Obama on Oct. 28,
2009, as a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for
2010. Speaking in behalf of the measure, Obama's Attorney
General Eric Holder said, "One of my highest personal
priorities upon returning to the Justice Department is to do
everything I can to help ensure that this legislation finally
becomes law." And he added, "President Obama strongly
supports this bill; as you know, he co-sponsored similar
legislation when he was in the Senate."
As the bill made its difficult way through Congress, there was
often expressed concern that it could lead to preventing the free
expression of speech from pulpits as Christian ministers might
cite Scriptural opposition to homosexual behavior. Acting to
prevent such results, Christian ministers in Michigan have filed
a federal lawsuit to challenge the Hate Crimes act on the grounds
that it may criminalize Christian beliefs which are in opposition
to homosexuality. These pastors are seeking judicial reassurance
that they can freely participate in their speech and related
religious activities without being investigated or prosecuted by
the government because of their Christian beliefs. "The real
purpose" of the new law," according to the complaint, "is
not to reduce 'hate crimes' against gays, lesbians,
bisexuals and transgenders but rather to establish 'sexual
orientation' and 'gender identity' as specially protected
classifications under federal law."
These are simply indications of what is happening and what
can happen under the anti-religious, anti-Christian elements
of the overall agenda the Obama administration is advocating.
It all seems to be part of the effort to support Mr. Obama's
boastful claim that America is no longer a Christian nation.
And this leads us once again to the familiar question:
"What can we, as Christians do, in the face of all of these
problems?" In issue after issue we have urged prayer as our
primary weapon to fight these anti-religious, anti-Christian
attacks. To our readers who have written to us to say that
they find it difficult to pray for Mr. Obama, we have urged
that they pray for wisdom to be given to the leaders of our
government so that they might make the right decisions.
We have cited I Tim 2: 1-5 as the Scriptural basis for prayer
for government leaders, or as Paul describes them: "all that
are in authority." And if we read that portion a bit further,
we find Paul saying, "This is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." So
it is clear that we are instructed to pray for our leaders to be
saved. Thus it is certainly appropriate for us to pray for the
salvation of our leaders -- including Mr. Obama -- that they
might know the truth and become Christians.
And to add to our spiritual efforts, as Americans we have the
privilege of voting to elect our leaders, and on the next election
day -- Nov. 2 of this year (now just 237 days away) we can
vote to replace the Liberal, left wing, Representatives and
Senators in the present Congress with Conservatives who
will help reclaim this nation for God and the Judeo-Christian
principles upon which it was established.
There are enough of us Born Again, Evangelical Christians to
accomplish this goal . . . but we must be registered in order to
vote, and we must vote when the opportunity comes to us on
Nov. 2. And remember this warning from a Founding Father:
"The legislative department is everywhere extending the
sphere of its activity and drawing all power into its
impetuous vortex." --James Madison, 1787
Some more "Others are saying" comments which you may
never read, hear or see in the main line media:
Ken Blackwell: "We know President Obama doesn’t like
Winston Churchill. In fact, he tossed the bust of Churchill
out of the White House as one of his first official acts. But
Churchill’s words could come as great comfort to the
Republicans who attended the great Blair House summit:
“Nothing is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.”
Robert Ringer: "While BHO and a handful of far-left
Congresspersons are driven by ideology and really do want
to see the U.S. transformed into a socialist (if not communist)
state ... most are simply ignorant. That's right, even though
they are involved in government and economic issues every
day, they simply do not have an in-depth understanding of
what they are doing. It's so easy to keep saying yes ... Yes ...
YES to spending programs without worrying about how
the bill will ultimately be paid."
Floyd and Mary Beth Brown: "Barack Obama was feted
by many as a messiah. His supporters compared him to
Jesus. He even equated himself to Superman, saying at a
dinner that he had been 'born on Krypton and sent here
to save the planet Earth.' The remark was presented as a
joke, but the effect of Obama's ego is no laughing matter.
Now, just over a year into his term, his legislative agenda
lies in ruins. Despite poll after poll showing that Americans'
main priority is jobs, the president has focused on taking
over the U.S. healthcare system."
Chuck Colson: "Christians no longer have the luxury of
sitting idly by while religious freedom, the sanctity of
human life, and the institution of marriage come under
more assault. Please join us—Christians must stand
together. Go to ManhattanDeclaration.org, read the
document, and sign it today.
David Limbaugh: "President Barack Obama obviously
has no qualms about slandering people or industries that
interfere with his agenda. In the same creepy manner he
defamed the Cambridge Police Department without benefit
of the facts, he is scapegoating the insurance companies
based on his distorted version of facts."
And as usual, a few more of the "One Liners" you seem
to enjoy, and which we found in our research this week:
"Harry Reid is upping the idiocy ante today, as he giddily
reports that it's a good day in America because 'only' 36,000
people lost their jobs last month." -- Glenn Beck
"Just when you think that the Democrats' Health Care Bill is
dead . it rises from the grave like a zombie propelled by the
sheer will of liberals in Washington who think they alone
know what's best for the American people." -- Brian Miller
"The only thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being."
-- Oswald Chambers.
Some Random Afterthoughts . . .
Also on the news issue, in February for the second month in
a row, Fox News (much maligned by the Obama White House)
led all 13 of the top cable news programs in total viewers. Leading
the Fox news lineup were "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Glenn Beck."
And in total day and primetime viewers, Fox topped CNN, HLN
and MSNBC -- combined.
There was good news on the legal front: On March 2, a
federal judge dismissed all claims against Shirley Dobson, the
Chair of the National Day of Prayer Task Force in a lawsuit that
was brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)
against the National Day of Prayer. The FFRF maintains that the
US Constitution was "written to be a Godless document." It may
be noted that the FFRF (which is based in Wisconsin) maintains
this sign in the Wisconsin State Capitol at each Christmas season:
"At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.
There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.
There is only our natural world.
Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts
and enslaves minds."
And mark your calendars: the next National Day of Prayer is
scheduled for May 6, 2010.
We continue to be impressed, and should never forget or
"It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase,
that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever
would be for the good of the United States; and as they
would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be
also a power to do whatever evil they please. Certainly no
such universal power was meant to be given them. It [the
Constitution] was intended to lace them up straightly
within the enumerated powers and those without which,
as means, these powers could not be carried into effect."
--Thomas Jefferson, 1791
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