DEBATE POINTS I WOULD HAVE MADE

As Obama

Bush 41 received wide cooperation in pursuing the First Gulf War. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans were wild about the prospect of an American President with a global vision. Why are you, Senator McCain, still talking like the trigger-happy American cowboy?

Senator McCain, did you or did you not vote for Bush in 2000?

As McCain

Why do you have Jim Johnson and Franklin Raines as economic advisors in your campaign - two of the main perpetrators of the economic fiasco involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

Why are you making fun of my age and prior health challenges? I know you approve of aborting those with disabilities. Do you always practice age discrimination, too?  My 96 year old mother wants to deck you.

Some of the folks cheering you on were in countries who had done business with Saddam Hussein which is why they didn't help us. I would never disrespect my country either here, in Vietnam or on any other foreign soil.

FAITH AND FOLLY

First I am going to note a website that has received publicity which proclaims faith but proves folly. Then I will get into the faith and folly of the four candidates for President and Vice President.

Ever heard of Matthew25.org? It is one of those sites that exists to identify a candidate with the true Christian position. Both sides have them. Some exaggerate and misrepresent.  I am not saying that this one is any worse than ones on the right, but this one is being talked about. The premise of this one is that Christians should vote for Barack Obama because he truly cares for the poor. It is honchoed by Mara Vanderslice who also worked for Kerry/Edwards in 2004. I used to belong to Sojourners, Jim Wallis' group, probably the premier Christian left organization. Unfortunately, groups like this, whether left or right, who take their cues from political party talking points are a poor reflection on the church. It is another thinly veiled bitterly partisan site where truth is in short supply. When people on sites like this state that Barack Obama came up on food stamps when he mostly lived in Hawaii with his grandmother who was a Bank Vice President (when he wasn't in Indonesia which doesn't have Food Stamps), and when they criticize Sarah Palin for criticizing their hero, ignoring the extreme subterfuge in their own campaign, there is no credibility. Only the naive and the uninformed run with the information gleaned from sites such as these.

I have duly noted that historically (with the notable exception of the super-rich John Kerry who married into the Heinz fortine), those who press for more government to solve the problems of the poor and afflicted are the LEAST likely to exercise compassion out of their own pocketbooks. Jesus never pressed for government help - he preached tirelessly for us to help each other, and that was the hallmark of Pentecost in the early church. Joe Biden’s paltry $379 for charity last year is under 25% of the average giving in real dollars by our most impoverished citizens, those earning under $15,000 per year. Al Gore was even more stingy at about $100 less than that meager sum. Barack Obama’s giving was likewise dismal until he ran for president and then it shot up to about 6%, still not much when he earned $4 million dollars last year. He has no history I can find of special concern for the poor other than as an object of his political involvement. His half-brother lives in a 6x10 foot hut in Kenya on $12 per year. This is egregious when you consider Obama testified on Rick Warren's forum that America's greatest moral failing was not being our brother's keeper. As one who gave years of my life to help exclusively the poor, I know many in that endeavor do it for many reasons, some sincere, and some not. In contrast, John McCain, whom Dave Letterman pillaried as stingy, gave away 25% of his income. We all know that PRIVATE money accomplishes things far more effectively than PUBLIC money, much of which supports a managerial and administrative class that supports themselves on the poverty industry. Jesus chastised the Pharisees for the practice of “corban”, which is giving away other people’s money. The Pharisees told their parents, we are giving what we would have given to you to God. Nothing is new under the sun.

To use the scriptures to advance the candidacy of two who have not proven to be friends to the poor from their own pockets, and adding insult to injury, the very visible slums built through Barack's corrupt alliances and the less visible people in despair ravaged by high interest rates and nefarious fees from the credit card industry who has Joe Biden in their hip pocket is beyond the pale. NO CHRISTIAN who has the slightest sophistication in knowing the truth would fall for this old wives' tale.

Many old wives' tales persist about the candidates as well. Let's look at the faith of each the candidates and demythologize there. We'll start with John McCain. He is easiest. He was an Episcopalian who relied more on himself than on God until a POW. He learned how to pray, and when the right was finally given. preached at the Hanoi Hilton. He basically did the Episcopalian liturgy which he knew by heart. After some extreme moral failures when he came back, he started to attend the North Phoenix Baptist Church. His second wife Cindy was baptized there. He is still not a member, not having been baptized. He said he wasn't doing it in the political season to avoid being misinterpreted. Why he didn't do it earlier? Who knows - we can only guess. He calls himself a Christian, not a Baptist, and say he goes to that church because he finds the preaching relevant for him. McCain told the watchers of Rick Warren's Saddleback Forum he was "saved and forgiven".  In his writing, he is big on redemption. He realizes men need redemption. He also is turned off by the concept of a "vengeful God". In McCain's words, "I've sort of evolved in my religious faith. And I think probably because of my failings and mistakes in life I'm a much bigger believer in redemption. I really believe that redemption is a very important part of our religion. I'm much more of a believer in a loving God, a personal God. I'm much less inclined in every way to believe in a vengeful God." Like many evangelicals, hell isn't a concept he warms up to. He is also very private about his beliefs and seems to want to keep it that way. Only God knows a man's heart, and McCain's reticence to talk about his faith in other than general terms will likely keep that relationship rather private.

On the other hand, Barack Obama talks about his faith and calls himself a Christian often. We know much more about what he means by that than we do about Senator McCain because he freely talks about his beliefs in depth and an entire book was written about it called appropriately enough "The Faith of Barack Obama" by Steven Mansfield of the New York Times. I recommend it if you have $19.99 to spare. George Gallup consistently finds that if asked if they are born again, most Americans say they are. George Barna is more realistic and asks people to define what constitutes true Christianity. Only a small percentage, fewer than 8% of our nation can answer that accurately. While it is possible that some who can't explain it can still be saved, I take people's word for things. Barack notes that he accepts parts of the Bible, but is incredulous about other parts. He identifies with the suffering of Christ, but is leery about the resurrection. He doesn't see a relationship with Jesus as giving one's life to him, but getting validation for what one already believes. In other words, he isn't embracing Jesus in a way to change him, but to find resolution within himself. Mansfield writes that Barack “was seeking a vessel for his values, a community of shared traditions in which to ground his most deeply held beliefs.” This is rather narcissistic, which matches other character traits he has exhibited in the campaign. Barack was launched of course in 2004's Democratic convention (I believe that speech was far better than the 2008 one - it was far less political than this year's and struck a chord with so many including myself), and Oprah has a major influence on him. Oprah used to attend the same Trinity United Church of Christ, part of one of America's most liberal denominations which accepted homosexual clergy over 30 years ago. This church obviously did not have a small sieve in terms of classifying a person as a Christian. Oprah is thoroughly New Age, a devotee of Eckhart Tolle, who quotes Jesus while denying him. Obama's twisted faith parallel's Tolle's. Oprah actually called Obama "The Truth", a term reserved for Jesus Christ in John 14:6. When you understand the milieu, one can perfectly understand why Obama calls himself a Christian while using the New Age phrase "This present moment" FOURTEEN times in his speech in Berlin. (Google the term if you want to find herbs to use while surfing ObamaforAmerica.com). One can also understand why abortion and homosexuality are no issue to him. Those parts of the Bible are among the ones he finds too hard to believe and accept. He appeals to post-modern (and post-Christian people). No one in the secular media or academia criticizes Obama for being a Christian because they instinctively KNOW that he is not a part of the blood-washed Body of Christ they so vehemently despise. You have to believe that Christ is risen from the dead in order to be saved. You have to repent in order to be saved. Those essentials are by his own admission not at all part of his experience.

Joe Biden is a Catholic by tradition. He has strong family values as attested to by how he responded after his wife was killed. Unless there is some skeleton in his closet, he handled the death of his wife far better than John McCain handled the severe injuries to his first wife Carol, who he unceremoniously dumped for new current wife Cindy. Joe has migrated from a moderate on abortion to a flaming liberal, supporting the infamous Freedom of Choice Act, which enshrines the flawed Roe v Wade, but with none of the limits and without the possibility of reopening it when medical evidence calls into question the time of viability (news-flash, it did that long ago), eliminates state restrictions such as Parental Notification, legalizes Partial Birth Abortion, and forces taxpayers to pay for abortions whether they believe in them or not (typical left-wing dictatorship of the ignorant semi-Christian proletariat. Joe has been in a tussle with numerous Catholic bishops who will not let him have communion. He is in open rebellion against the leadership of the church he CHOSE to remain associated with, without the integrity to leave if his conscience really bothered him (hint - it is not his conscience that is bothering him). Joe's loose handling of the truth pretty much resigns him to a classical religionist who is his own authority, picking and choosing as at a religious buffet.

Sarah Palin was Catholic and then Pentecostal. He former pastor recounts leading her to accept Christ at the age of 12. Her life seems to be one adventure after another, with six colleges, an elopement while pregnant, and a hard-charging take-no-prisoners career. I have seen the videos of her sharing in her church and receiving the laying on of hands from a Kenyan pastor and all the rest. She seems to be genuine in her faith and has attended various churches. She listens to personal prophecy (I have seen and read accounts), and earnestly believes that God does want to use her. Many Christians are satisfied with this. Time will tell. I have noticed rather extreme ups and downs. I believe she has been tied down a bit by handlers, and if so will surely suffocate. I noted in "Disappointment" how I felt when she said she wasn't trying to convert anyone. That IS the Great Commission. If she simply prays and trusts God and lets him put words in her mouth, she has unlimited potential. If she lets herself just be a good Republican, she will follow in the steps of Democrat Bill Clinton. You will remember that Francis Frangipane prophesied that God had great plans for our country under Bill Clinton, but Bill would not let go of his lusts and demons, and what could have been a GREAT Presidency was less than the promise despite some real economic successes which became unglued the last year or so. Kids starting doing a "Monica" and the moral decline and the laissez-faire toward terrorists which led to 9/11 yield a tragic story of promise unfulfilled. I believe that God has given Sarah Palin a lot of favor, but she has to rely on God not herself. The people that God uses are often the least-qualified on paper. It is the anointing that makes the difference. Daniel went into strange territory in Babylon. He learned the culture and ways and remained true to his God. God promoted him above all those with "experience". Daniel admitted he was no better than anyone else. He gave all the credit to God. She will need to study hard but more importantly let GOD give her wisdom.

Barack Obama and Sarah Palin could both be phenomenal under the anointing. Barack has by his own clear admission not yielded his life to Christ, so he is in the flesh and that is bound to fail. Sarah did yield her life to Christ, but as we all well know, that is a continuous process, and she will have to get on her face before God and allow him to fill her fresh with his Holy Spirit in order for her incredible ride to continue.

THE DEBATE ON THE DEBATE

John McCain offered to suspend his campaign and go to Washington to help work out the so-called "bailout" plan. Obama chides him for not "multi-tasking".  Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, has declared there would be more earmarks in this bill than any other. Obama is proving his critics right by not caring that HIS party is trying to benefit financially in this process by incorporating billions of pork, thinking that the desperation to do something will let junk in under the radar.  He is proving that he cares little that the taxpayers will be raped by paying for stuff they don't want in the name of "rescuing" the financial market.  It is critical to stand against this political opportunism. Obama is showing he wants to have it both ways and not take the risks that are required of any effective leader. When we consider that the government could make a trillion or two on Paulson's crafty deal, it is critical that this money go back to the taxpayers and not fund ill-conceived programs that will not do what they were sold to do.

FAST AND FURIOUS

Check out two posts since my last email - these follow below.
"SARAH AND OPRAH" and "DISAPPOINTMENT 2"
In fact check through the archives - some good stuff!

Things are fast and furious...   Some thoughts for you.

CAMPAIGN ADS
We hear lots of complaints about the election ads.  I think McCain's are better, especially the web ads. Frankly, if I were him I would hit harder. Some of the talk show hosts seem to know more about McCain than he knows about himself. That DOESN'T look good. Obama's ads seem to take the high road until you examine the content, which is often misleading. I believe they are bit too teflon, but fluff ads sometimes work. His negative ads don't work at all. He looks like just another slimy politician doing that. Eventually, people decide based upon you you are, not what is in your ads. My suggestions:

For Obama: Show a young girl at a pregnancy counseling center struggling what to do with an unwanted child. She talks about being raped. Flash back to her in her church choir. Have her thoughtfully consider the options and make a prayerful decision she can't keep the baby. She says - "At least he'll be in heaven." It's the least I could do.

For Biden: Show pcitures of him meeting with foreign leaders in charge and in control. Have him laugh and be at ease in shirtsleeves.

For McCain: Have his mother say she is tired of having people bury her son. She can joke, look I'm 96. I'm too young to be losing my baby. And layoff those senior jokes or I'll put up these dukes and level the playing field.

For Palin: Show her in a Black church identifying with core family and moral values. Have her say she shares their pain because she has been disrespected, vilified and dragged into the gutter because of who she is. She notes her husband is part Eskimo and she has heard nasty comments. She says, "I identify with all people who have been discriminated against and I will fight for a more just and open society. It is not enough to be proud of our progress.  We must fight until all the effects of discrimination are stamped out."  She holds hands with the leadership in a circle as they bow in prayer. Banner on screen "Americans who pray together come together."

CONGRESS
Have you noticed there are hardly any ads for Congress?   Actually Congress has more to do with the economy than the President or Courts. Since 1945, the average gain in the stock market was 14% when the GOP held Congress and 7% when the Dems did. This is INDEPENDENT of who is President. While the President is very unpopular, in fact because of the endless battering he has received in the press, the Congress is even LESS popular - from 9% to 25% approval rating depending on who is asking the questions.  If the Congress continues its ways, we are in trouble. It has deeply flawed leadership in both houses which is bitterly partisan. When one party holds the White House AND the Congress, then things move, whether much for the better or much for the worse.  Lady Forester, formerly of the Hillary campaign, is supporting McCain largely for that reason - she is terrified about the quantum changes that a Dem Congress following a free-spending Obama would make. The current crisis squarely has Dem fingerprints on it, given the quid pro quo on letting Fannie and Freddie do dumb things by looking the other way while counting their camoaign contributions. What will be the next one with NO checks and balances?  Lady Forester is right and I think Hillary privately agrees with her.

FINANCIAL MELTDOWN
The financial meltdown was foreseen for some time - it just wasn't expected now.
John McCain was stunningly prophetic in speaking about his co-sponsorship of the Federal Housing Regulatory Act of 2005.

Note especially the end of the next to last paragraph - "If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole." The House was on board, but Senate Democrats INCLUDING Barack Obama, blocked it.

Mr. President, (referring to the Presiding Officer of the Senate) this week Fannie Mae’s regulator reported that the company’s quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were “illusions deliberately and systematically created” by the company’s senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal.

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight’s report goes on to say that Fannie Mae employees deliberately and intentionally manipulated financial reports to hit earnings targets in order to trigger bonuses for senior executives. In the case of Franklin Raines, Fannie Mae’s former chief executive officer, OFHEO’s report shows that over half of Mr. Raines’ compensation for the 6 years through 2003 was directly tied to meeting earnings targets.

The report of financial misconduct at Fannie Mae echoes the deeply troubling $5 billion profit restatement at Freddie Mac. The OFHEO report also states that Fannie Mae used its political power to lobby Congress in an effort to interfere with the regulator’s examination of the company’s accounting problems. This report comes some weeks after Freddie Mac paid a record $3.8 million fine in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission and restated lobbying disclosure reports from 2004 to 2005.

These are entities that have demonstrated over and over again that they are deeply in need of reform. For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—known as Government-sponsored entities or GSEs—and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market. OFHEO’s report this week does nothing to ease these concerns.

In fact, the report does quite the contrary. OFHEO’s report solidifies my view that the GSEs need to be reformed without delay. I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.

I urge my colleagues to support swift action on this GSE reform legislation."


There is obviously enough blame to go around in both parties, but it is stunning to hear people talk about "Wall Street" like they are all Republicans. Lehman was headed by Dems, and Ultra-liberal NJ governor Corzine was head of Goldman Sachs which is still in the Dem corner. Given that the campaign contributions from Fannie, Freddie, et al were dominantly to well-placed Dems such as Chris Dodd and Barack Obama, and they resisted proper reform, they need to take their share of the blame instead of acting in a sanctimonious manner. That said, tax reform is needed which helps small business where most jobs are created and makes sure that very high income people do not escape taxes through shelters and manipulations.


EXPERIENCE

As yes. Joe Biden has "deep foreign policy experience". Trouble is, he has been wrong more than right. Other than in teaching, where once you get tenure you can't be fired short of practically killing someone, if you don't do well, you get fired. If your team doesn't win. you get canned. Ditto if you are a fund manager and don't produce. Joe was wrong about Vietnam, facilitating a bloodbath. He was wrong on the First Gulf War. He was wrong on the surge. He even contradicted his own running mate all week about coal, guns, you name it. He said FDR presided over the Great Depression of 1929 and 1930 and went on TV - long before it was invented. The man shows how dumb some of our Senators really are. Have you ever heard West Virginia's Senator Byrd talk? It is embarrassing. Whether Teddy, Joe, Harry Reid, or a host of others, I think the big story is that we have a bunch of unknowledgable incompetents who couldn't hold a middle management position based upon their performance.

McCain is short on "economic experience" they say, yet he foresaw the problem when the rest of them didn't. Now I don't think he is any economist, but he understood enough. The "experts" had nary a clue. What concerns me more about McCain is his impetuousness. I think George Will's column was illuminating, but if I have to choose from impetuousness and wrongmindedness, there is no contest.

Barack Obama has spent most of his first term campaigning, said he had been to 57 states, was wrong on Iraq, insulted the United States before the world. called terrorist-controlled Iran a "tiny country" and in many ways showed he has a long learning curve.

Yet, the ONLY one they hammer EVERY DAY is Sarah Palin. The heads of Afghanistan and Georgia had nothing but praise for her. Governors by nature do NOT come in with foreign policy experience, but they have the executive tools to do fine. I wold much rather have a sincere person who knows they don't know everything but who has values that would lead toward wise decisions. Margaret Thatcher became the leader of the UK with no more foreign policy experience than Palin, yet guided her country well. Looking at John McCain's 96-year old fit-as-a-fiddle mother, I don't think Sarah will have to step in over a dead John McCain anytime soon. You can learn a lot in four years. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili noted than Ronald Reagan has a similar disadvantage, but understood freedom and was responsible for the fall of the iron curtain which gave his country their independence.

NEW YORK JEWISH RALLY

The stop Iran folks bowed to pressure from the left to disinvite Sarah Palin after Hillary removed herself. Sarah is a staunch supporter of Israel (her prepared speech was good and is on the Internet) Faced with extinction. one would have thought the Jewish community would have welcomed such a strong ally. The same oddity exists in Israel - some folks seem to have a death wish.   WARNING - Political correctness may be dangerous to your health.

MEDIA PARTIALITY

Since the media is dominantly behind one party every time, it is a miracle the other party EVER wins. Every victory is celebrated, almost every gaffe and inconsistency is ignored or dismissed with a chuckle. On the other hand, the party without favor is lampooned. Jay Leno had about six jokes on Sarah Palin last night, some very mean, and only one on Biden, with only laughter and no meanness. Politics makes for good jokes, but be even and not hateful.

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi lead the Senate and House Respectively, have very low ratings, but are almost NEVER criticized by the media. GOP leaders with such dismal accomplishments would be subject to a daily drumbeat of ridicule.

It is outright embarrassing on the Davis report in the NY Times on someone connected McCain which edited out critical information that would have changed the whole story from negative to neutral. My sister in NYC knows a journalist who left the Times after years of chafing under the constant direction to slant stories to meet their editorial positions. ABC edited the Palin interview to materially change the effect. I have written more memos to the Associated Press (AP) complaining about slanted articles than I can count. This in nothing new. I have been dealing with this since childhood. It is just that as more kids go to ultra-liberal colleges and spend time in Europe that the biases compound themselves and we end up with a more and more lopsided MSM. It takes effort to check many sources and the average American simply is too lazy to find out the truth. Watching just CNN or MSNBC will tilt you far left. Fox News is considered conservative by many but is actually at about 48 on a scale of 0 ultra right and 100 ultra left. It has the most moderate (close to the center) score of ANY network. The NY Times and CBS are most liberal. Next came CNN, MSNBC and ABC followed by USA Today. There is ample documentation from many reliable studies including a former insider at CBS, but here are just three examples:

The Baltimore Sun, CNN and The New York Times all praised Cindy Sheehan, but all three news publications failed to mention that Mrs. Sheehan is a blogger on Michael Moore's Web site and that Bush has already met with her in the past on a personal basis. They also don't mention that the Sheehan family did "not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy."

Amidst an Iraq War, an Iran Nuclear commencement strategy, John Bolton and John Robert's case, Natalee Holloway and London terrorist attack, a segment was dedicated to the sole purpose for bashing Bush on his vacation time on MSNBC.

The New York Times released nine negative articles about the "anti-Hillary" book recently published, compared to the 0 negative articles released about the "anti-Bush" book written by Kiddy Kelly. There's also Dan Rather's Microsoft Word-created "Bush War Records." The New York Times and The Washington Post both pleaded with lawyers to release Supreme Court Justice John Robert's children adoption files during his nomination battle.

I highly recommend Frank Peretti's novel "THE PROPHET" which was vetted by those in the industry and deemed accurate in its portrayal of how the media really work. I love Peretti, and this is one great book. It is available at most bookstores including Borders and Barnes and Noble.

SARAH AND OPRAH

Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. has several interesting essays you should check out. I recommend you especially read this one. Log on to http://solvinglight.com/blog/sarah-and-oprah In one of his other essays, he details the conformance of the Obama campaign to New Age principles. Eckhard Tolle, Oprah's guru, explicitly denies the deity of Christ and bungles all of his scripture quotes. Oprah uses the word "Christian", as does Obama, and they shared some time at Trinity United Church of Christ, a place where the gospel was rather perverted. The UCC was the first denomination to ordain homosexuals - 30+ years ago! If you look at the lingo Barack uses, it matches Tolle! The global vision with the walls between religions taken down more approximates that prophesied for the Anti-Christ than of the church of Jesus Christ. There is a reason that only Sarah Palin is persecuted for her faith. The devil is not scared of John McCain or Barack Obama. When Hollywood, the media, the press, bloggers, pundits, and entertainers all gang up on her as they have with the most vicious and ferocious attacks that are mean-spirited, filthy, and unhelpful, it is the Christ they see that drives them made. Jesus said that those who hated him will hate us. If we aren't hated, is it because our testimony is either clouded, obscure, or insufficient? I believe if it is, we are like Obama and McCain in not being ridiculed for our religion. Trust me, when I am on hostile left-wing blogs such as the Huffington Post, I get slammed for the sake of Christ. If you don't believe me, just try it. People who never met you, who know nothing about your life and character, will mercilessly ridicule and demean you within seconds of taking a stand for the Lord Jesus.

I hear it said that God wants Obama in the White House because we are entering a season of peace. A season of peace would be great, but the Bible warns us - "they say peace, peace, but there is no peace". As long as their is evil in the world, those forces must be fought and conquered. To dally at the negotiating table with terrorists is to repeat every lesson that should have been learned from history - evil does not negotiate itself away, it must be defeated. Jesus paid a high price to defeat the devil. He did not negotiate with him. It was the same with Israel. When they cozied up to their enemies, they were judged.

So look closely at what Sarah and Oprah REALLY believe. It is a study in contrasts!

DISAPPOINTMENT 2

Anyone hearing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's chilling words on his world without an Israel should be most supportive of the STOP IRAN NOW protest in New York when the Iranian leader is speaking to the U.N. It seems this is one thing we should be able to agree upon, leaving politics behind.  Hardly. Hillary cancelled when she found out Palin would be there.  Then the organizers disinvited Palin, apparently because of Dem pressure.  Obama wouldn't attend, raising even more questions about his seemingly soft stands against Islamic Jihadists and his support of our ally Israel.  Now, Penny Pritzker, chair of Obama's campaign finance committee, and a pioneer in the sub-prime mortgage rip-off, is hosting at her Grand Hyatt a lavish reception for this tyrant in New York. The implications are frightening unless she has some heretofore unknown way of impacting the Iranian leader for the positive. The laundry list of liberal invitees who always seem sympathetic to Israel's enemies gives me no comfort.  This requires need prayer, as there are many in our own country who would celebrate it if we were to fall.

A DISAPPOINTMENT

I was for Palin while she was a blip on the radar screen. I thought she did well on the first interview on Hannity and Colmes Wednesday. but I was a bit disappointed on the second half and sensed Sean was as well. I saw her video at a church she has since left, and she was passionate about the "Master's Commission" though an extremely unexceptional speaker. I believe it was God alone who raised her up and her speaking ability has certainly soared. Now she says the politically correct thing "I don't want to convert anybody". I understand not being a pest or taking advantage of anyone, but her answer was right out of political correctness. "It's OK for you, but..." Obama just preached about getting in people's faces - the left is far more evangelistic than the right. If you don't want others to have what you have, what good can it be? Mordecai advised Esther, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" If God has indeed raised up Sarah out of obscurity for his purposes, it will work for her if she remains loyal even though sorely persecuted. You cannot curry favor through compromise.

Secondly, she said she supports the teaching of evolution in schools. She had prior said that creation should be allowed to be discussed. Creationist groups agree that having unbelievers teach creationism would be like Obama presenting GOP talking points, but there should be free discourse, students should be able to ask questions, and evolution should not falsely be taught as proven fact, but simply as a hypothesis. The mantra of macro-evolution, still totally unproven, with necessarily atheistic underpinnings, is the kingpin for the radical gay agenda, abortion and the attack against absolute values in our land including the viability of a strict constructionist manner of viewing the constitution. Further, Christians who resist it have been discriminated against and even refused admission to institutions of "higher learning" because of severe and persistent bigotry in this area. Ceding this ground was a major mistake and is not a good aisle to cross.

I am not saying these things because I believe Joe Biden is better. He is a gaffe machine and a proven selfish man (well under 1% charitable contributions, a paltry sum for one who is eager to lift everyone else's wallet for higher taxes) and one who seems not the slightest in touch. His running mate Obama has begun to reveal his true self of late, which is a frightening counterpoint to his carefully crafted image. McCain has been very passive and seems a bit out of touch himself in the Biden mode. I am encouraged by his more animated response to the economic crisis, but it is clear that prayers are needed so that God will invade his life in a whole new way. When McCain appears without Palin, there are lots of empty seats. There is no doubt the McCain campaign would be totally moribund without Palin, hence the special need for her to stick to the straight and narrow. One doesn't have to give sound bites to the opposition or spill one's guts or give red meat to wolves, but when answering, one must combine wisdom and truth and not deny one's core beliefs and values. We don't trust in party or in people, but in God. Without God, no one is worthy of our vote. It is He alone who can bring reform to our country. I do hope Sarah does not get cold feet next time. It does not become a leader in these treacherous times. It is only with God’s hand on her that she can win and accomplish anything.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA NOT DOING ITS JOB

As you know, we try to call it like it is on this blog. The deception is flowing like a river. No one has the power to bring real change except Christ, and neither the Dems or the GOP truly understands our pains. The ad hominem assaults on people is embarrassing. Personal attacks have been most severe on Sarah Palin and Barack Obama, though the age-related attacks on John McCain come in a close third. The main difference is that the Main Stream Media are deeply involved with the attacks on Sarah Palin - EIGHT pages in the Sunday NY Times devoted to the politics of personal destruction. CNN's "Sarah Palin Revealed" spent time on a partisan attack but ignored almost all of the well-documented baggage of Obama, tackling only the Tony Rezko scandal, and then not pressing as hard as the facts would dictate. Some of the parody/racist/ad hominem attacks on Barack Obama are likewise despicable, and are from the kook fringes, but the Main Street Media would have you believe that we are a nation of racists. The fact is that a whole lot of Americans would LOVE to elect a qualified bi-racial man who understands both sides to bring people together once and for all. If Barack Obama were an unequivocal Christian from a church not rooted in liberation theology who is pro-life and with traditional moral values, he would have won in a landslide. As it is, I hear even those supporting him despite core disagreements rationalizing that we have have several pro-life presidents with no change and the president can't do anything about gay "marriage" anyway. Those who were inclined to support him but who cannot ignore the fact Rev. Wright preached a racist sermon the first time Mr. Obama visited his church, who cannot ignore his radical support for what amounts to infanticide, who cannot ignore his gay-friendly agenda, and who have seen in the current economic crisis what happens when democrats are in control of billions of dollars and don't see the same folks in congress further emboldened with a very liberal Democratic president doing any better with the rest of the government and economy.

I'm still waiting for CNN (not holding my breath, obviously) to engage in some truly ground-breaking journalism after fretting so in "Sarah Palin Exposed" about Sarah's little tempests in a teapot. The slant in the media is something I learned as a kid watching them make up their own story on something I witnessed with my own eyes, but the stakes are higher now and it is truly embarrassing to all those interested in true journalism. It is amazing that any GOP people ever win with most of the media campaigning against them at every opportunity.

While those for the GOP generally have looked to sources other than the MSM to get solid information, I have people I value in my life who are in the tank for Obama, and they are basing their choice on extremely incomplete information, as they reject the alternative media and think the NY Times and CNN are paragons of truth and virtue. It seems we hear primarily about only a few stories that don't have strong legs - TrooperGate, Lipstick on Pigs - you've heard it all. Issues we really WOULD want to see explored ON BOTH SIDES are getting short shrift, and that helps no one. Since the NY Times devoted 8 pages Sunday to rehashing all the Democrat talking points about Sarah Palin, here is what I'd like to see the NY Times or some other widely read or seen venue devote another 8 pages or a couple of hours or so to some RELEVANT questions and analysis for the candidates for President and Vice President:

DEMOCRATIC TICKET (Barack Obama and Joe Biden)

1) The top execs who screwed up Fannie Mae (even more than Daniel H. Mudd with his hoped-for $9.3 million and Richard Syron with his hoped for $14.3 million, all for being failures) are former CEO's Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson, and both are economic advisors to Barack Obama - does this mean the GOP is right that Obama's proposed economic policies and massive healthcare initiative will likewise prove to be major disasters?

2) Did Barack Obama really tell Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari to hold off on any deal on troop reductions until after the election, costing American and Iraqi lives in exchange for a better legacy for himself?

3) Did Obama do frequent and costly favors for the Chicago Machine (Daley, Stoger, Jones, et al) in exchange for their help on his quest for higher office as was charged with careful documentation in the mega-seller "The Case Against Barack Obama"?

4) Obama's complaints on "dishonest" ads while his are mean themselves - yikes - a vet loses the ability to easily use a keyboard and that is means he out of touch. In fact, how about all the age discrimination violations that are an epidemic?

5) Explain why the "Bush Doctrine", a term coined by Charles Krauthammer wasn't understood by Charles Gibson or Sarah Palin? To put Sarah's comments in perspective, check out "Think on These Things", a pro-Obama blog which records both Obama's and Biden's comments on the "Bush Doctrine" and the "Obama Doctrine" he wants to use instead, which show an alarmingly unrealistic view of the world by BOTH Obama AND Biden.

6) Why is it that people in Delaware seem to not understand what Joe Biden has accomplished in 36 years in office? Why is it that the nation rejected his candidacy soundly not once but twice?

7) How does Joe Biden's very close ties to the credit card and banking industries that have hurt the middle class enable him to actually help the middle class?

8) Why does Joe Biden's vote against the first Gulf War, which was approved by the United Nations, and both Obama's and Biden's votes against the surge, which has greatly reduced the violence in Iraq, not considered when evaluating their judgment in making decisions which affect our survival in a dangerous world?

9) Why is the record that shows that Obama and Biden BOTH voted for the "Bridge to Nowhere" ignored? Further, since Obama only opposed 10% of earmarks and Biden an incredible 0% of earmarks, why is that OK and Palin's approximately 50% reduction in earmarks a major issue?

10) Why is the fact that since 1945, REGARDLESS of who is President, the stock market has averaged a 7% rise per year when Democrats control Congress and twice that, or 14%, when Republicans control Congress? What are you proposing that would cause over 60 years of history not to repeat itself?

REPUBLICAN TICKET (John McCain and Sarah Palin)

1) What kinds of judges has John McCain supported and what was his rationale?

2) What has McCain learned about the collapse of his first marriage? How does the dishonor shown toward Carole McCain jibe with his self-image as a highly honorable and moral person?

3) How has John McCain's legendary temper affected his tenure in the Senate? What safequards are there with the proverbial red button to ANY president should they go off their rocker?

4) How does John McCain keep current without intensive use of the Internet due to his disability? Does Cindy help him with this or is it relegated to staff? What the qualifications of the staff to decide what he sees and doesn't see or is it no different from the way any President is handled?

5) What are the logistics in the Palin household with a husband who is extremely active in geographically diverse locations in terms of running the day to day family affairs? I realize feminists aren't supposed to care, but family values people do. Is Todd Palin willing to take primary responsibility for the children when duty calls? (It should also be noted that the National Observatory - The VP's mansion - is FAR CLOSER to the White House than her office is from home now.)

6) What is Sarah Palin's worldview and how does it affect the way she governs?

7) Do McCain and Palin intend to have an active VP from day one in areas other than energy?

8) What are Palin's environmental views? Does she favor industry-led initiatives or government regulations?

9) Does John McCain intend to be a one-term President or go for two? How does he feel about the endless comments and digs about his age? Is his amazingly active and healthy 96 year old mother typical for his family?

10) John McCain has a history of being very critical of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with many of his predictions coming to pass. Since a person in his campaign has taken over Fannie Mae, how independent will that agency be and will McCain be able to exercise the reforms he has proposed?

If you have any questions you want answered, why not add them as a comment on this blog for all to see?

POLITICIANS DEPEND ON IGNORANT VOTERS

Politicians must truly depend on ignorant voters. So few voters really have a wide view of things. From my frequent time in the blogosphere and the print media, I am stunned about how little understanding there is of how things work.  Politicians say what they will and naive people half believe them. We need to look closer.  Let's go by topic...

CHANGE

Change is slow to come to Washington. People have this crazy idea that electing a President will significantly change things. Once in a while it actually happens. With Lincoln; with FDR; with Reagan. The end of slavery, the coming out of the Great Depression, and the end of the cold war (for a couple of decades anyway) were monumental accomplishments. However, most of the time it doesn't change - at least not for the better. Reagan could have done more without the Democratic congress. Clinton foundered the first two years with a massive tax increase from the Democratic congress and he stumbled badly abroad. The revolution of 1994 occurred and with a Republican Congress to be reckoned with, we had prosperity for the final six years. The first six years of W's administration has record low unemployment, low interest rates, and business was pretty good. Then the Dems took control of congress in January, 2007, and it has been a royal mess since. Since the people have this messianic view of their presidents, Clinton got all the credit, W gets all the blame. The fact is that there are three branches of government - the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Unless all change, change is limited.

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY

Jimmy Carter ran as an outsider. Not much changed except the lack of a lot of alcohol at state events. He turned out to be incompetent as head of the military and pushed the same old tired liberal agenda. Obama loves to say McCain represents a third Bush term even though there is reason to believe McCain didn't even vote for Bush after their harsh 200o primary campaign.

Unless McCain gets a GOP Congress, which no one is predicting short of a miracle, he will be crossing the aisle a whole lot and will likely have to compromise a lot to get anything done. If Congress continues to screw up the economy as they have the last 20 months, he will get the blame for things beyond his control. Obama has already shown that he can change at the drop of a hat on the issues. He will acquiesce to the big money backers (a half billion doesn't come without strings) and the Congress which has an 85% disapproval rating, and people will be madder than a hatter when he selects another ACLU Justice like his favorite, Ruth Bader Ginsberg (former Chief Counsel for the ACLU). Obama has a history of catering to special interests - slumlords among them. Unfortunately, given the Congress being on his side, Obama could mess things up a whole lot quicker than McCain could, even if McCain made some dunderhead decisions. McCain's vetoes would simply be overridden if the Dems have a "veto-proof" majority. A Democratic Congress overriding an Obama mistake? Not until the hot place freezes over.

EXPERIENCE

Harry Truman sold ties and belts in Missouri. Dems cannonize him. Many consider a lack of WASHINGTON experience a huge plus. Fewer ties to lobbyists, fewer ties to the good old boy (or girl) network. Yet practical experience is important. Being a Governor or an executive helps. Just look at it as though you were hiring someone - what is on their resume? Not just the time put in, but the accomplishments. What ARE Joe Biden's accomplishments? Did he learn from his mistakes (he voted against the world in opposing the first Gulf War)? Just like evolution is touted as fact, global warming is tied primarily to human activity, and all Christians are equivalent to morons, the Emporers with no clothes will continue to be revealed. I can think of nothing in Joe Biden's background that would make me hire him as an executive of a company, let alone the country. With Obama, his impressive running of the campaign in the early months would have qualified him to head a non-profit, but his inability to stand against entrenched interests and in fact giving them favors and having his family personally profit while in the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate would surely disqualify him from the Presidency.

John McCain is a Senator like Biden. His temper, his erratic decision making, and his first marriage experience all lead to questions of judgment. What he showed as a P.O.W. and as a Maverick in Washington are all positives, yet he was not the first choice of me or of many others. While not disqualified, for many he is a "caretaker candidate" with low expectations. Sarah Palin is actually the only one of the bunch who has the correct temperament to be President. She is self-effacing, trusts in God to lead her, and is not ego driven. That type of experience is something God loves to use. The only one of the four with executive experience doesn't hurt. FDR, Truman, Reagan, and Carter had NO foreign policy experience. She has serious knowledge gaps, but looks like a quick study. Like those who came before, she will go through intensive briefings and will be fine. People who have to learn and depend on the judgment of others often turn out the best.

DOUBLESPEAK

Politicians can vote different ways on the same issues. Depending on how the legislation is packaged, one can vote for something before he votes against it. As the polls develop, you can be on the right side no matter how you voted. Politicians say they are giving you a tax decrease when that is impossible. Obama reiterated that 95% of Americans would get a tax cut. 40% of Americans don't pay Federal Income Taxes. That means 40% of Americans would get a check as a gift, not a tax decrease! If the past is any indicator, taxes will skyrocket. That's what happened when Bill Clinton gave the same tired promise. Likewise, McCain cannot further reduce taxes without increasing the deficit. There is simply too much pork that will stay on the pig unless all the bums in Congress are kicked out (hasn't happened yet). Learn what is possible to do. Know that promises that are impossible will never be kept! If we are at deficit now, you can't fund a trillion dollars in promises by cutting taxes! It is elementary school math. Remember the old saw, if it is too good to be true, it isn't true.

HISTORY

Look back in history. Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat its mistakes. When has massive government spending over the long term EVER helped? Many attribute the length of the Great Depression to FDR keeping in place government programs too long. The Great Society caused family break-ups which have never been healed. Every four years we are promised that our world will be radically different. Yet, if the party that promises the world wins, things are in worse shape when they leave. If the party that controls the Congress is ineffective, the President will be as well. Look at the party's record at the state and local levels. If cities under control of the party promising change are the most miserable in the nation, why should the SAME policies work any better at the national level??? He who is faithful in little is faithful in much.

My friends, politicians depend on you not doing your homework. They depend on you not understanding how government works. They depend on you not understanding how what they are as a person affects EVERYTHING. It really DOES matter. Study often and study well so you will not be taken advantage of by those who succeed only when people are lacking in knowledge and understanding.

IS THERE A LINK? YOU BET THERE IS!

We are awash in political deception these days.  Some of the things I have heard boggle any intelligent mind. As an evangelist, I often see spiritual deception. Sometimes it is extremely obvious, other times subtle. Among Christians, I definitely see a link.  Let's look at spiritual deception first. 

A proponent of the Shem Tov Hebrew Matthew kept emailing me and denigrating me because I did not accept this version of Matthew's gospel which many have found to be hopelessly flawed. Shem Tov was a Jew who lived about a half-millenium ago who happened to be very anti-Christian. He leaves out the Trinitarian "formula" for baptism and indicates there is none born to a woman greater than John the Baptist INCLUDING Jesus. Shem Tov's version is used by some Oneness folks who say there is no Trinity and everyone but them is wrong.  I have also heard much from the Dean Burgon Society who follows only the DEFINED KING JAMES BIBLE.  All other versions are hopeless according to them.  There are folks who call the person of the Holy Spirit an "it",  and there are those who persist in talking about "coming into the presence of the Lord" despite the fact the veil of the temple was torn asunder so we could live in the presence of God.  There are those who say that you aren't saved unless you are baptized and speak in tongues, while others maintain that you are a heretic if you DO speak in tongues.

Actually, determining spiritual deception is fairly easy IF you accept the word of God at face value. Here are the main areas of spiritual deception that I see as commonplace:

1) A belief that Jesus is the way FOR US, but that there are other ways to God. (Bible: No man cometh to the Father, but by me).

2) A belief that those who die outside of Christ will not suffer eternal torment. (Bible references to an everlasting hell are clear and abundant).

3) The Bible is true, but not literally, and must be critically viewed. (Bible: All Scripture is given by inspiration of G0d.  God wrote on stone WITH HIS OWN HAND the Ten Commandments which included a reference to six-day creation).

4) Commands in the Bible are to be culturally defined. (Bible: Paul refers to ALL the Churches of God in terms of order in the church and in the home, qualifications for leaders, etc. Women are disobeying their husbands and usurping authority claiming God told them. People are engaging in improper behavior of all kinds. Our God is one, and the Father and Son always agree with the Holy Spirit, the author of all scripture).

5) New doctrines are being revealed and are needed for this victorious church that is emerging. (Bible: It is a curse to add to the words of this Book. Half verses are taken out of context and concepts such as healing and prosperity being part of the atonement are causing people to be focused on money and success rather than God).

6) It is important to stand for my truth no matter what. (Bible: Pursue unity and do not be divisive. People are campaigning in church for candidates, demonizing other Christians, cutting off fellowship with other believers, ignoring those of different ethnicity, economics, education, or age, and often reject truths that are critical to their success in Christ).

N0w, political deception - that is the whole concept of this blog - how to avoid it. As a blogger I see and hear a whole lot. I get communications from both sides. I post on blogs in the tank for one side or another.  I go on MSM, Huffington Post, conservative, Christian, the whole gamut. You may see my Newshound777 moniker in any number of places. So many political proponents present only ONE side of the arguments, often from highly prejudiced if not outright dishonest sources.  They tend to hate those who disagree with them and engage in ad honimem personal attacks. Both sides cannot be right on everything.

Determining political deception is fairly easy IF you accept objective truth and have a sense of fair play.   Here are the main areas of political deception that I see as commonplace:

1) A belief that one's party is right and the other's is wrong (Truth: No political party is perfect. All individuals have sinned and all parties have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If a person thinks their party or their country is always right, they are deceived. If a person thinks they have all the answers and cannot be touched by something good coming from others, they are DEEPLY deceived).

2) A belief that it doesn't matter who is in power. This belief is that everyone is corrupt and nothing will change until Jesus comes. (Truth: It greatly matters. Without Winston Churchill, it is likely the Brits would be speaking German. Without the strong-willed George W. Bush. it is almost certain that if there was a war to liberate Iraq at all, it would have been abandoned in defeat because of the polls). 

3) Our constitution must be reinterpreted by each generation.  The rules change as we go along. If a political action such as scorning is done by one party, it isn't all of a sudden OK for the other party to do it. If politicians are advocating things that are not right, and we support them uncritically, we are deceived.

4) The ends justify the means. We can do anything we want to destroy another person. If we slander the integrity of someone who disagrees with us, we are in deception.  We should be forceful with political truth just as we are with spiritual truth, but civility is the order of the day. God does not FORCE himself on us. He is a gentleman.

I have heard someone who believes they are above deception categorically maintain that Mr. Obama is a man who will bring peace. I have heard no such claim for Mr. McCain. Most people hope he will reform things, but don't see him in any way as any type of Messiah. The truth is that only JESUS is the Prince of Peace.  The Bible explicitly warns that people will TALK peace, but there will be none til Christ returns. With this type of warning, PLUS the very deep baggage and anti-morality beliefs of this specific man, it is stunning that any Christian could make and spread this claim.  A MAN of peace is indeed prophesied to come, but that is the ANTI-CHRIST. While I would be shocked if Obama were the anti-Christ, I think this is a bit of a dry run on how easily people uncritically accept political spin and ignore the reality. If you present simple verifiable truths to people who have this Messianic take, they refuse to check it out. It reminds me of how the Pharisees rejected Jesus without doing their homework. When you look at the corruption behind any political candidate, and the deeply flawed politics that are the order of the day, it is absurd to attribute to any God-like qualities to anyone save the one (Jesus Christ) who specifically fulfilled all Biblical prophecies concerning the Messiah.   Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke in a church in New Jersey comparing Obama to the Virgin Mary. I don't think I need to elaborate.

I was in a church PRAYER MEETING where people were actively campaigning for a candidate. Not only did they slander, but they lied. They were obviously in deception.  Interestingly, all are also deceived in one or more ways spiritually. They ARE linked. You see, truth is not compartmentalized with God. Truth invades every area of life.  You cannot be totally free of deception even if you are "saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost". If you give room for lies in your life, you are deceived. Many otherwise fine people LIVE in deception. They accept things that aren't true. We know that the truth shall set us free. If we do not live in the truth, we are not truly free.

I met a man who preached a far more comprehensive gospel than most. He tried to overcome the man-made limits we often have when relating to God. Yet he failed to obey the Bible in the key areas of Baptism, Communion, and freedom from partiality. He thought he was on the way to perfection. He was far off the course despite his many victories.

SO MANY in the church are right about some key things, but SO WRONG about other equally important things. This ought not so to be. Let us study to show ourselves approved by God, and may we truly listen to him so we will not operate in deception of ANY sort, political or spiritual.  That's the way Jesus lived - he had a firm handle on it all. Let's do likewise.

SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET

On the weekend after Sarah Palin's nomination, a small army of 30 lawyers and researchers descended on Alaska to dig up dirt. Long before, all manner of negative information was promulgated on Barack Obama. Nonetheless, most of the muckraking centers on the one person who seems to be making the biggest splash. What should have merit and what shouldn't?

JOHN McCAIN

John McCain, like all the other POW's imprisoned with him, eventually broke.  Does this disqualify him? I would feel better had he not, but it is also true that once he did reveal some information, he  did not break again. I would be the last one to condemn him for that. How many politicians have abandoned their principles because of a drop in the polls or negative feedback? There is a world of difference between 5 1/2 years of torture and political pressure.

John McCain could not deal with the fact that his willowy, model-thin first wife Carol was in a horrific accident. She  lost several inches of height and her body totally changed. John was involved in numerous affairs, including with Cindy McCain, whom he married almost immediately after divorcing Carol. This happened twenty eight years ago. While John has accepted full responsibility, his boorish behavior  is severely at odds with his accounts of the power of prayer while in the "Hanoi Hilton".  While David sinned grievously, his repentance was also deep. I cannot judge another man's repentance, but this event alienated him from the Reagans who deeply cared for his first wife. No candidate is perfect, and this sin is unlikely to be repeated, but it does speak to the fact that John has had serious moral issues in his life.

SARAH PALIN

Sarah Palin seemed to have simply a wonderful teen life until she went to college. Basketball and beauty pageants and the great outdoors. Experimentation with marijuana when was legal in her state and attending six schools in six years reveal a turbulance  at that later time.  She eloped with her high school sweetheart after college and had her first son Track just under eight months later. Whether she committed fornication with Todd or the baby was early is open to conjecture. Nevertheless, she was married long before the baby was born.   A deep current confession of faith should be enough to wipe away any and all sins of the past - that is what God does.   Rumors of adultery have proven so far to be groundless.

The pregnancy of Bristol was a skeleton they brought out of their own closet. While regretable, each person is responsible for their own actions. If Bristol marries as is the Biblical proscription, it is over as far as God is concerned. I personally find the sudden concern about working mothers fro feminists amusing, though I personally believe mothers need to be home with their children. Trig was born after Sarah became governor, and it appears she spend considerable time with him, but this acquiescence of Christians to the feminist agenda does bother me.

There are a host of other rumors which boggle the mind. She is accused of banning books (was interested in limiting children's access to inappropriate books in the library which was a project already in progress). She is accused of wanting to teach creationism in the schools. While creationism is true, not many Christians want pagans teaching it in a a cynical way, and after a brief flirtation with the idea, she decided it would be better simply to allow discussion of alternatives to evolution in the classroom, which would be scientifically preferable. The indoctrination of evolutionists with no proof for their hypothesis is another case of the emporer having no clothes. It happens again and again with the secular media. While a member of Church on the Rock, she is accused of going to Wasilla Bible Church which is one of the sponsors of a conference reaching out to homosexuals who want to change. Aside from the false reference to where she attends church, though her church would doubtless support it, and the fact it is not politically correct, I would gladly support such a conference. It is hard to ever keep up with all the rest, most of which should not even be dignified with a comment. There is a constant rumor mill in operation that is perhaps unprecedented in American politics, such is the polarizing effect of this candidate.

BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama has made much of  his single mother upbringing. The truth be told, much of his upbringing was by his grandmother, a bank vice president. He went to an exclusive private school as well. He was not for the most part deprived of anything but a real father, though his grandfather was by all accounts a positive force in his life.

The skeletons of the degree of Muslim influence in his life are yet to be fully known. I saw Libyan leader Qadafi's outright statement on video that Barack was a Muslim who was saying whatever he had to say to get elected, though Obama denies it (except in the alleged slip of the tongue with George Stephanopoulus where he mentioned "his Muslim faith"). Whether he is or is not doesn't matter to me other than if he lied about it. What IS important is what he IS thinking. Belonging to Jeremiah Wright's church which honored Farrakhan so profusely indicates sympathy with those who side against Israel and against America. That "church" is far out, and is in lockstep with many Islamic goals. Participation in the million man march also indicated sympathy with Muslim goals. Adulation from the Arab world indicates they sure believe he is on their side. Why? Most if not all of my Pakistani friends believe he really is a Muslim (Pakistan is over 95% Muslim and their lives depended on knowing who was and who wasn't), and none of the "informed" statements insisting he is "Christian" will convince them.

Obama's following of the Saul Alinsky playbook has been most effective. Most people do not know one of the three dedications in the "Rules for Radicals" that Alinsky wrote is to Lucifer himnself. Alinsky considered Lucifer the first successful revolutionary who received a kingdom for himself! The Bill Ayrs association which was never denounced is halfway out of the closet.

Obama's righteous decent persona is belied by a host of skeletons of corruption in his closet. Tony Rezko and Emil Jones are not the only ones. His participation in "pay to play" especially with slumlords is well documented but not widely disseminated. It was not a matter or one or two isolated instances. It was a pattern over the years. Power before principle will not sit well when these skeletons in the closet get new life.

Obama's extreme beliefs are still not widely known. His position on abortion is more scary than that of ANY other U.S. Senator. His funding sources including George Soros are antithetical to the values of most Americans. One cannot blame him for the left wing blogs and their gross distortions and outright slander any more than one can blame McCain for the right windg blogs and their distortions, but a host of people are doing some very dirty work on his behalf, and his periodic chiding seems to be a bit tongue-in-cheek.

JOE BIDEN

Joe is tied into big money, particularly the credit care industry. Decisions made in the Senate which may have been unduly influenced by these close ties (his son is also a lobbyist for them) have yet to be vetted. Predatory lending practices and a tightening of bankruptcy laws have been the goals of these lobbyists, and they have been mostly successful in this oppression of the poor.

Joe is called a "lunch-bucket" Democrat (ever notice how dozens of journalists all use the same word on the same day? They are in the tank following the faxed or emailed talking points to the letter). He claims to be blue collar. He was anything but. Just read his REAL story.

Joe is considered an "expert" on foreign policy by his party faithful. He has been wrong again and again. He went against the whole western world in the first Gulf War, voting against it. He also voted against the surge. All the skeletons of his words at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have yet to emerge.

Joe's racist skeletons were never in the closet. His demeaning of Obama before he was chosen and his demeaning of those from India are in the public domain. Perhaps there is more where those came from. His plagiarism in law school and in his failed 1988 campaign indicate poor character over an extended period of time.

Joe's years commuting from Washington as a single father were exalted at the convention. In view of the Palin fuss, one wonders how his kids did during that period.

Everyone has at least one skeleton. The big question is - which ones still have legs, and which should be buried once and for all?  It is simple. Skeletons which are still alive in the minds and hearts of the persons involved are to be feared. Those which are old history never to return should be dispensed with.

UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM - PART TWO (RNC)

Gustav flexed his muscle and 2 million people were evacuated (probably 10% of those were mainstream media folks from Minnesota fleeing from the RNC convention. While some may have gone to Louisiana, others went trying to dig up more dirt on Governor Sarah Palin. CBS.com was busy trying to find Levi Johnston's MY SPACE page (Levi is the alleged father of the baby Bristol Palin is carrying). There were three negative stories the next morning on the Alaska Governor on the front page of the New York Times. People were led to wonder how she could be a good mother without disclosing that as Vice President her office will be 10 minutes from her new home, MUCH closer than in vast Alaska. That said, I frankly believe mothers should be with their families until all the kids are in school, and Trig is an infant. Most churches I work with who plan for day care programs SPECIFICALLY exclude infants 30 months or under.  Some social conservatives have in their euphoria to be able to have someone on the ticket who seems to understand their values been curiously quick to adopt the feminist agenda that you can have it all. I'm glad my extremely competent mother stayed home with me. Exceptions have been made for missionaries to send their children to boarding school, but I don't know of any Christians who would advocate a four month old, especially one with special needs, being raised by others. Obviously, among single mothers and the poor, there is not always a choice, and if extended family is available, or there are funds for a nanny, people make compromises.  I can say our family wouldn't have done it voluntarily.  In defense of Mrs. Palin, the baby was unexpected well AFTER she had chosen to be governor. Her youngest daughter Piper was already at an age where many Christian mothers would have been back to work.  I wish I knew the support system better.   Actually, the hardest adjustment might be for Mr. Palin - going from snow machines and the rigors of the North Slope to Washington will be a huge change! There are family issues, but it is amazing that those who have professed to support policies that care not a whit for these things are now condemning her. My take is that she is already a governor, and since she will actually have closer proximity to her family as VP most of the time, in her case it will be an improvement for her family.

The dirt did cast a shadow over the convention - John McCain's presidency would rise or fall depending on Sarah's speech and the RNC counter attack. It seems the media had no such travel plans going to Trinity United Methodist Church or Bill Ayres home to check out scandals in Barack Obama's closet. When Obama said at the Saddleback Civil Form that America's greatest moral failure is that we are not our brother's keeper, but no one went to Kenya to interview his half-brother, who lives on under $1 per month and whom Barack Obama hypocritically offers not even a cup of cold water. Where is the story that Democrats preaching compassion RARELY exercise it with THEIR OWN MONEY? Al Gore have $274 to charity while berating the rest of us. More poor Americans give more to charity from Al Gore, and Barack Obama suddenly increased his giving astronomically when it became politically expedient.

One point of interest is that the white populations of Alaska and Illinois are essentially equal percentage-wise - 67% or 2/3. Most would give the opinion that Illinois is cosmopolitan and Alaska is a backwater. The minorities are different, but a real part of the tableau. One could credibly argue that the cultural differences with the Eskimos (you P.C. people, don't faint - they use that term in Alaska without offense while the eastern Canadians blanch at it) are more far-reaching than differences in the lower 48. I would have loved to hear from an Inuit or Yu'pik  (other than her husband who is part Yu'pik) what his or her take is on the Governor's sensitivity to minorities.

Moving on. Newscasters alleged to be well informed say that a McCain presidency would be the end of abortion - ah.  if only that were true. The fact is the Court and the Congress have a lot to do with it. Christians for Obama justify their support by saying that abortion won't stop with McCain. They are likely RIGHT. Reagan didn't stop it, Bush didn't stop it. In fact, Reagan appointed two Supreme Court justices who ended up prolonging the standing of Roe v. Wade. What many voters do not know, though, it that Obama is pushing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which would remove ALL state restrictions, rules of parental notification, and force ALL people, regardless of their position on abortion, to PAY for the abortions of others, in other words, being complicit in the murder of the unborn. THERE HAS BEEN ALMOST NO COVERAGE OF THIS IN THE MEDIA. They know this would not go over well with many who are NOT anti-abortion. It is an attempted power-grab by co-sponsors including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Joe Lieberman, and others. This law would remove power from any national or local branch of government to do anything to compromise abortion of any kind anywhere. Roe v Wade itself has provision for reexamination when science progresses and even pro-abortion groups acknowledge that "the right decision was reached with the wrong logic". This power grab seeks to avoid the protections of the separation of powers and is being done because Democrats assume they will have a large majority come November. Of course, extreme news bias is nothing new - every Republican is a blubbering idiot and every Democrat is a model of greatness. Odd thing is, the American public manages to rise up over the overwhelming tide of propaganda more often than not. The problem is, the Presidential race often puts congressional races in the background, and the results are often less than satisfactory - there are TWO elected branches of government. Having them fighting each other accomplishes little.

One illuminating interview was of J.C. Watts with Sean Hannity. Up until a week ago, J.C. was conflicted on who to vote for. He was seriously considering Mr. Obama. J.C. is right is his observation that many in the G.O.P. feel the evangelicals are taken for granted and that there are still racial undertones which limit its appeal across the board. J.C. is right. Simply saying you are against abortion is not enough unless you work for change and endure the wrath of the media. Constantly saying that we shouldn't feel guilty for the sins of our forebears is not enough. There REMAINS heavy racial undertones - I know, I hear it OFTEN. I honestly don't think Democrats are any more enlightened than the G.O.P. in this regard, as I have seen a lot of hypocrisy by hyper liberals. The same is true of sex discrimination - have you noticed how pervasive in the liberal media (and Jay Leno of course) is the mantra that older Americans are someh0w unworthy of office and about to die). McCain's MOTHER is 96 and looks fit enough to run for office. I didn't hear anyone in the convention call them on this discrimination. 

The brutality of Democrats against Sarah Palin with ad hominem attacks is incredible. I know. I have been on Politico and the Huffington Post. I stand up for the truth in these hostile venues. I didn't many posts from Christians and those with moral values. This is war, my friends - if you don't fight, we will lose. Hold your nose and post, post, post...

With the abbreviated convention, Tuesday brought the trio of President Bush (via video), Fred Thompson, who came into the battle late and had a disappointing - though far better than Joe Biden's - primary showing, and the suddenly indispensable Joe Lieberman. One wonders why Barack Obama didn't pick Joe Lieberman himself (ha, ha). President Bush only used fewer than 10 minutes, but he used them to praise John McCain's record and have some fun with John McCain being a thorn in his side many times. I wish he would have joked about his popularity rating being twice that of the Dem-controlled Congress. You gotta play offense.

Fred Thompson was the attack dog of the night with some of the best sound bites against Obama I have heard and gave Sarah Palin a big boost while dissing the Beltway folks. One wonders where this fire was during the primaries - he would have done far better, perhaps even gaining the nomination himself. Very moving was the detailed account of McCain's tenure in the Hanoi Hilton which was longer than most students spend getting a bachelor's and a master's degree - 5 1/2 long years. John's "Maverick" attitude was praised perhaps a bit too much, given some of the flawed legislation he was instrumental in passing by "crossing the aisle."

Joe Lieberman took the stage and explained why he was there - why the country matters more than politics. One would only hope that politicians would heed that priority, but I am not holding my breath. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try. The applause for Lieberman in praising Clinton's working with the G.O.P.'s majority in congress showed some growth from the days of seemingly endless videos and stories seeking to undermine his presidency. His call for national unity was noble, but with our deep divisions that seem so intractable, I believe that is a tall order. Switching from Fox to CNN, they were falling over themselves saying no one would pay any attention and that everyone wanted change. While in the tank for Obama, which is nothing new, they gave no reasons why the Democrats represent change. The DNC convention was warmed over 2004, 2000, 1996. etc. The RNC was all about change - crossing the aisle, warmly welcoming Joe Lieberman who disagrees with them on 95% of the issues, and putting a Maverick woman on the ticket. Irony indeed. I had to switch back to Fox so my dinner wouldn't come up. It amazes me how condescending and partisan some of these so-called journalist are - but I have known that since I was first exposed to the biased media firsthand at the age of 9 or 10.

On Wednesday, Rudi Guliani had his barbs for the Left-Wing Media and Hollywood. He treated the election as a job interview with two resumes. You can guess the rest. His critique of the Georgia crisis was most pointed, as Barack had made a major gaffe not knowing Russia had veto power on the security council. He also contrasted the party's differing visions for the country.

Wrapping up Wednesday was Vice President nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin - the aggressive basketball playing, moose-stew loving, gun-toting creationist Pentecostal beauty queen mother of five married to a man with 1/8 Yup'ik aboriginal Alaskan blood. The "Super-Mom" as they say. Well, she got her thunderous applause at the beginning, and she served up raw moose meat all night. Her husband must be one tough cookie. Her grasp of the energy situation was as expected her strongest point, with a fair amount of foreign connections to that thrown in. With the idea of moral clarity as opposed to carefully crafted nuances, one gets the idea that Putin would strongly prefer the European-sounding Obama to this pit-bull hockey mom who would seem to not run very easily from a fight. She contrasted her experience and plans with Obama's in terms of taxes, and proved an able booster of McCain's great appeal as a Maverick who has learned about evil first-hand. I believe this was the first time BOTH CNN and FOX lauded the same person on the same night.The difference was that CNN was dissing Sarah Palin before the speech and FOX offered opinions from both sides including Obama's man. CNN's Paul Bagala was the main dissenter as we knew he would be no matter whom John McCain nominated. You get the impression that if CNN was still on the air then, Paul would explain away the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and tell people it really didn't happen. On to the Huffington Post and the articles that appeared to have been crafted for posting regardless of what she said. I dutifully put up rebuttals. People have to realize that these folks are against ALL Christians, all people with traditional moral values, period. People who know NOTHING about me or my advance education TRASH me online because I say something different from the Kool-Aid they drink. Trust me, it has less to do with Sarah Palin than ANYONE, including YOU who stand for anything other than free sex, killing preborn infants, casual drug use, endless government and taxes (regardless of previous performance) and surrender in Iraq, reducing America to a third-rate power devoid of ALL Christian influence.

The contrasts with Hillary Clinton were striking. One gets the distinct feeling that Sarah would never put up with serial adultery no matter what the prize at the end might be. She respects herself too much for that. You also don't get the feeling of victimhood. Believe me, given the press of the week, she had every right to feel like a victim. She came off like a woman and was forceful without being strident. I believe a lot of women will be more attracted to her model than Hillary's.

Cindy McCain is often perceived as tough and cold. Her speech showed a warm and humanitarian side which undoubtedly would undoubtedly have improved her image had she not worn an outfit costing between $299,100 and $313,100 (according to Vanity Fair anyway) on the opening night.  About $280,000 of that was in the earrings, but can you say "Rick Republicans?"  Yeh, yeh, I know that Dems are crazy spenders as well, particularly the Hollywood types. When the Bible teaches modesty, did you know that the COST of clothes and jewelry was the main point? Sarah Palin's wardrobe was the polar opposite (pun not intended). She frumpifies herself on purpose to have the stereotypical librarian look to try to avoid the jealous digs of other women. Maybe she'll get some contact lenses, let her hair down after the election and trade in Target (or wherever she got that stuff) for at least Chico's. Laura Bush proved you could be an elegant librarian who broke the stereotype.  Sarah could learn from her in that regard.

John McCain had a hard act to follow and wrapped up the convention with a Town Hall style speech on a reduced spare platform which was a great contrast with the DNC's "Greek Temple". The moving introductory video was a clarion call to care for others and use the convictions from the freedom stolen from you to fight even harder for the freedom of others. No way to argue against that.

McCain spoke kindly of Barack Obama and his supporters, which was classy. One would hope the harsh tone of the campaign ads on both sides will stick to issues and maintain decorum. He expressed compassion with many specifics for standing with those who are struggling. Many believe some government programs are needed, which the G.O.P. tends to eschew, but no one can argue that so many government programs are frought with waste and often serve to employ indifferent bureaucrats more than solve problems. I would hope that in the effort to purge out the ineffective, care will be taken to preserve and enhance what IS working. The message of change - getting back to basics, the culture of life.

McCain expressed solidarity with those who have lost their jobs by reforming the unemployment system to better train people for jobs in the new economy and use government assistance to help those in low paying jobs during the retraining process make up the income gap. School choice, new drilling for oil, and the reduction of foreign aid to hostile nations grew enthusiastic cheers from the faithful. Sadly missing was any talk about bring us together (separations among people based upon ethnicity, economics, age, and sex are still with us - if I were up there I would also have noted that it is the liberal blogs which are the most divisive these days and joked that with genes from a well-preserved 96-year old mother, reports of my demise were premature and I could be around for 6 terms if they didn't have term limits).

Tough talk on Russia and in forming alliances based upon common vision as well as being careful with the military resonated because of his unique perspective. McCain's trademark bipartisanship was a bit less enthusiastically received in the hall, but I believe it will resonate with many Americans watching who are tired of the parties demonizing each other. The most impressive part was his call to stand up and fight for the good of the country with the good old American optimistic spirit that nothing is impossible when we all work together.

On to the campaign - we will see how well all the ideals expressed by Barack Obama and John McCain are lived out by the candidates AND their supporters.