Obama's Enemies List: "Strikingly Un-Presidential"

Kim Strassel of The Wall Street Journal is the best addition to Fox News Sunday ever.  Her column being discussed in the above video is something that should be read by every American, but, as is the case with most such columns, it has not been widely distributed except for its publication in the WSJ.  You can read it by clicking HERE.

Brit Hume, as usual, had the most incisive comment on the publication of the "List," when he called it "Strikingly Un-Presidential."  None of the panelists seemed to think this rose to the level of Nixonian list making, but it is frightening all the same.

Rep Gowdy's Questions Demonstrate Ineptness of Sebelius

Bill McGurn posted this video at Ricochet.Com on Saturday with the following comments:

My wife pointed me to this interesting to and fro between HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Congressman Trey Gowdy (R, SC). Mr. Gowdy is courteous but firm, and under his questioning Mrs. Sebelius discloses that she did not consult any Supreme Court ruling on religious liberty before handing down her mandate. 

All in all, it's an incredibly embarrassing performance for a woman who served as a governor and whose husband is a federal magistrate judge. The video captures her irritation as well as her helplessness before some basic questions.

By now everyone is familiar with the HHS Mandate that nearly all health insurance plans cover female sterilization and contraceptives (including abortifacients) free of charge.  The mandate has come under attack by most religious groups in the United States, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a March 14th statement, declared what their opposition to the mandate is NOT:

This is not about access to contraception, which is ubiquitous and inexpensive. . . . This is not about the religious freedom of Catholics only, but also of those who recognize that their cherished beliefs may be next on the block. This is not about the bishops’ somehow ‘banning contraception,’ when the U.S. Supreme Court took that issue off the table two generations ago. Indeed, this is not about the Church wanting to force anybody to do anything; it is, instead, about the federal government forcing the Church . . . to act against Church teachings. This is not a matter of opposition to universal health care, which has been a concern of the Bishops’ Conference since 1919, virtually at its founding. This is not a fight we want or asked for, but one forced upon us by government on its own timing. Finally, this is not a Republican or Democratic, a conservative or liberal issue; it is an American issue.

The irritation and helplessness shown by Secretary Sebelius during the questioning by Congressman Gowdy are manifestations of her arrogance and incompetence, two common traits in the Cabinet of this administration.

Sundays are for Beauty: Sissel & Placido Again

Placido Domingo and Sissel Kyrkjebø together as they were last week in the recording studio, singing Sacred Music.

Have a Beautiful Sunday.

Military Atheists Battle Air Force on Bibles

The military atheists won't go away.  Now they're objecting to the presence of the Gideon Bibles (which, by the way, are provided free by The Gideons International) in lodging facilities on Air Force bases .

...after a legal review, Air Force officials ruled there is no requirement to have Bibles in the lodging checklist. They added that there were no plans yet to remove the books from Air Force Inns.

"We continue to review the situation and weigh our multiple First Amendment responsibilities and obligations," Air Force Personnel Center spokesman Mike Dickerson said in an email. 

However, the Air Force will no longer require that Bibles be put on its checklist of items in lodging facilities on its bases, so if one should be stolen or turn up missing (wonder who would steal one?), it will not be replaced.  

Military Atheists Stop Another Cross

Members of Marine Lance Cpl. Benjamin Whetstone Schmidt's platoon who recently returned from Afghanistan pose at Camp Pendleton, Calif. with a cross they made as a memorial tribute. Placement of religious symbols at the base has been prohibited while the Marine commandant considers the issue in light of a complaint last year by an atheist group. COURTESY PHOTO

/ SA


The Military Association of Atheists and Free Thinkers has complained again about the erecting of a cross to honor a fallen Marine.  The decision by Marine Commandant James Amos on the two crosses already in place at Camp Pendleton is pending at this writing, and, until that decision is made, the ten foot cross made by the buddies of L/Cpl Benjamin Schmidt will not be planted as planned on "Old Smokey," a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Here's a link to the story from today's San Antonio paper:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/military/article/Dispute-grounds-10-foot-cross-3517059.php

If you're unaware of the controversy over the Camp Pendleton crosses, go HERE.

Thomas Sowell: Racism and George Zimmerman

Dr. Thomas Sowell takes the mainstream media to task for once again (in the Trayvon Martin case) "filtering and slanting the news to fit their own vision of the world."

"One of the first things presented in the media was a transcript of a conversation between George Zimmerman and a police dispatcher. The last line in most of the transcripts shown on TV was that of the police dispatcher telling Zimmerman not to continue following Trayvon Martin.

"That became the basis of many media criticisms of Zimmerman for continuing to follow him. Only later did I see a transcript of that conversation on the Sean Hannity program that included Zimmerman’s reply to the police dispatcher: “Okay.”

"That reply removed the only basis for assuming that Zimmerman did in fact continue to follow Trayvon Martin. At this point, neither I nor the people who assumed that he continued to follow the teenager have any basis in fact for believing that he did or didn’t."

You can read the article on National Review Online by clicking on the link below: 

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/297172/racism-and-george-zimmerman-thomas-sowell

American Doctors 4 Truth Take on Obamacare

The video was produced by American Doctors 4 Truth in response to the Democrat ad showing House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan throwing grandma off a cliff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnE83A1Z4U

It really comes down to whether one is inclined to trust his doctor or Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat controlled Senate, and the president. 


H/T: jpa1948

The Camp Pendleton Crosses Must Stay

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers or MAAF, has objected - AFTER TEN YEARS - to the existence of two crosses erected at Camp Pendleton to honor ALL Marines who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The objection by the MAAF is based on the premise that such symbols are not inclusive, because they honor only Christians.  Such people cannot understand that Christians pray for everybody, regardless of their beliefs.  That, simply, is what Christians do, and atheists and freethinkers (if they pause for a moment and actually think) might come to understand that.  We pray that they do so, and also that Marine Corps Commandant James Amos will emulate the courage of his predecessors by making the right decision, and allow the crosses to stay where they are.

Here's the rest of the story from Fox News:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/12/marines-fight-to-protect-crosses-at-camp-pendleton-as-atheist-groups-seek/

Frank Gaffney: The Muslim Brotherhood - An Overview

This was on Caroline Glick's website today, and these are her words:

Today The Center for Security Policy is launching a new website called muslimbrotherhoodinamerica.com. The website presents a ten-part course about the Muslim Brotherhood in America, its penetration of the US government, the conservative movement, the Republican Party, and its influence over the Obama administration. The course is taught by Frank Gaffney, the President of the Center for Security Policy.

All ten parts of the course, as they become available, can be accessed by going to the new website:
http://muslimbrotherhoodinamerica.com/

Fr. Barron on "Bully," The Movie

"Zionism is Synonymous with Feminism"

Why do they condemn Israel for its treatment of women while they ignore the way the rest of the Middle East treats women? Where are the feminist groups on these issues? Why are they not standing up for Israel?

The feminist groups are not standing up for Israel, because they are about as far Left as any group can be, and they simply don't like a nation such as Israel because she does not support their Leftist agenda.  Feminists everywhere will have no credibility until they have the courage to stand up against the treatment of women in Muslim countries.

The above video was forwarded by E-Mail today from a group called "Synonymous."
Here's a copy of the E-Mail:

Hello Ocean Kayaker,

We are Synonymous, a fresh new pro-Israeli web group. We produce short videos defending and advocating for Israel. We came across your blog entry: http://wwwpopblogger.blogspot.com/2011/03/caroline-glick-israeli-feminists-are-no.html

Because of this, we would like to share with you our latest video: Zionism is Synonymous with Feminism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUSw-DLo5S8

We hope the content of the video meets your approval and you'll share it with your friends and followers.

Shalom Aleichem. 

No Wonder the Democrats in the Senate Won't Pass a Budget

Even if the senate passed a budget, it couldn't be balanced without drastic action according to retired accountant Hal Mason.  So what is our president doing about this catastrophic problem?  He's dividing his time between campaigning, calling for class warfare (the rich aren't paying their fair share), and trying to stir up racial conflict ("If I had a son he would look like Trayvon Martin.").  We're in trouble.

H/T: jpa1948

"Hope to Hypocrisy" Guess Who?

"If I Wanted America to Fail."

This is from FreeMarketAmerica.Org.

Tim Tebow & Bubba Watson: Sports Role Models United by Faith

Bubba Watson, the 2012 Masters Champion, on being asked why he presented Tim Tebow with his Player's Badge (#15) from the final day of the tournament:

"... I just felt like I should give it to him. It's his football number, and I thought he might want it more now that I won," Watson said. "We believe in the Bible and doing good for people. That's our connection. We both play sports, and there are other connections, too, but our first connection is being Christians."

Watson traveled to Jacksonville, Florida five days after winning the 2012 Masters, to participate in the Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic at theTPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra.

Brian Mulroney on Ronald Reagan and Amrican Leadership

Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada (from September 1984 to June 1993), was interviews by Ginni Thomas, and the video was posted at The Daily Caller today.

Sundays are for Beauty: Sissel & Domingo

Placido Domingo and Sissel Kyrkjebø make a great combination.  More to come with them together next week.

Have a Beautiful Sunday.

Chuck Colson (1931-2012) R.I.P.

Chuck Colson is the paradigm for redemption in our society.  His story is known to anyone who is familiar with Richard Nixon and Watergate, but thankfully neither will effect his legacy.  After serving seven months in jail for his part in the Watergate scandal, he made a complete turnaround in his life and in the lives of a great many prisoners since then.  He died today at the age of 80, and the following E-Mail was just received from Robert P. George and Timothy George of The Manhattan Declaration, which, according to  The Messrs. George, "was born in the heart of Chuck Colson."

Here's a copy of the E-Mail:

Dear Manhattan Declaration Signers, Supporters, and Friends,

 Just as Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, we who are our Lord’s disciples weep at the death of Chuck Colson, our beloved friend and brother in Christ, who passed away this afternoon.   We grieve but not as those who do not know that Christ has conquered death.  We mourn the loss of a great leader but we confidently entrust him to Jesus Christ who is our hope in both life and death.  

Chuck lived the principles of the Manhattan Declaration long before it was  drafted.  When humbled by his own failings, Chuck was born again in Christ in 1973.  Only three years later, he founded Prison Fellowship, a ministry that for more than three decades has fulfilled Christ’s command to remember the incarcerated and share the transforming love of Jesus with them and their families.  “I could never, ever have left prison and accomplished what has been accomplished but for God doing it through me,” Chuck said.

In 1991 Chuck began broadcasting BreakPoint Radio, educating Christians to understand their faith as both personal trust and public witness, including the support of life, marriage and religious freedom.  So he called upon all who have faith in the Lord, and indeed on all men and women of good will, to support the sanctity of life, the culture of marriage, religious freedom and the rights of conscience.

And in 2009 the Manhattan Declaration was born in the heart of Chuck Colson.  You are among the now more than 525,000 persons who have committed themselves to this statement of conscience.  Chuck regarded the Manhattan Declaration as a vital act of Christian obedience at this moment in history when foundational principles of our faith and culture are in jeopardy at home and abroad. 

The two of us are committed to devoting our lives to carrying forth the vision and advancing the cause to which Chuck gave himself with unstinted vigor.  His life stands as a testimony to God’s power to transform culture and make a difference. 

Please join us in continuing to pray for Patty and the entire Colson family.  While we all deeply feel this loss, we take heart in the welcoming words of Jesus to all who follow his commands and share his love, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Let us celebrate the life of Chuck Colson – a man of integrity, fidelity, and true Christian faith whose legacy inspires us to ever greater devotion to the principles of the Manhattan Declaration.  

Robert P. George

Timothy George

If you have not already done so, please, in memory of Chuck Colson and his tireless efforts to convince everyone to "Do the Right Thing," sign the declaration today by clicking on the link to it in the first paragraph.

Peoria Bishop referred to the IRS

A prominent advocate of church-state separation filed a formal complaint with the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday, accusing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria of violating federal law by intervening in a political campaign.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, alleges that a fiery homily delivered by Peoria Bishop Daniel Jenky last Sunday effectively urged Catholics to vote against President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.  (That's the "alleged" perpetrator in the above photo.)


If you were at all worried about the constitutionality of "hate speech" laws because they charge you for what you MIGHT have been thinking, step up your worrying.  Notice the use of the words "alleges" and "effectively" in the above quoted excerpt from this story in yesterday's Chicago Tribune.

In case you missed our earlier post on the Bishop's homily last Sunday, you can read it HERE and decide for yourself.

Negroes with Guns: Ann Coulter

A World War II Marine veteran, Robert F. Williams, wrote "Negroes with Guns," published in 1962 and available HERE.  It's the story "of a southern black community's struggle to arm itself in self-defense against the Ku Klux Klan and other racist groups."


Ann Coulter's column today at Human Events discusses the lessons of the book in light of the hyper reported Trayvon Martin case and the subsequent ill-advised demand by some for tighter gun control laws.

We don't know the facts yet, but let's assume the conclusion MSNBC is leaping to is accurate: George Zimmerman stalked a small black child and murdered him in cold blood, just because he was black.

If that were true, every black person in America should get a gun and join the National Rifle Association, America's oldest and most august civil rights organization.

Apparently this has occurred to no one because our excellent public education system ensures that no American under the age of 60 has the slightest notion of this country's history.

Gun control laws were originally promulgated by Democrats to keep guns out of the hands of blacks. This allowed the Democratic policy of slavery to proceed with fewer bumps and, after the Civil War, allowed the Democratic Ku Klux Klan to menace and murder black Americans with little resistance.

(Contrary to what illiterates believe, the KKK was an outgrowth of the Democratic Party, with overlapping membership rolls. The Klan was to the Democrats what the American Civil Liberties Union is today: Not every Democrat is an ACLU'er, but every ACLU'er is a Democrat. Same with the Klan.) 

In the preface to "Negroes With Guns," Williams writes: "I have asserted the right of Negroes to meet the violence of the Ku Klux Klan by armed self-defense -- and have acted on it. It has always been an accepted right of Americans, as the history of our Western states proves, that where the law is unable, or unwilling, to enforce order, the citizens can, and must act in self-defense against lawless violence." 

Contrary to MSNBC hosts, I do not believe the shooting in Florida is evidence of a resurgent KKK. But wherever the truth lies in that case, gun control is always a scheme of the powerful to deprive the powerless of the right to self-defense. 

You can read the whole Coulter rant by clicking on the Human Events link above.


H/T: bmck1

Hey, Eric Holder, Even This Lib Understands Voter ID Laws

Fr. Barron on Being Born Again

The soundtrack from Fr. Barron's DVD series, "Catholicism," is now available for purchase; it's terrific!

Bishop Daniel R. Jenky Defends the Faith in Peoria

This was on The Daily Caller today:

An Illinois Catholic bishop had fiery words for President Barack Obama’s “pro abortion and extreme secularist agenda” during a homily over the weekend where he encouraged good Catholics to stand up for their beliefs at the voting booth.

“This fall, every practicing Catholic must vote, and must vote their Catholic consciences,” Bishop Daniel R. Jenky said at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria, Ill. during Mass at an event titled “A Call to Catholic Men of Faith” and posted in full at The Catholic Post.

"Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me." (O God, champion my cause against faithless people: rescue me from evil and deceitful men.)

Vortex: Obama & The Catholic Church

Sundays are for Beauty: Jimmy Durante

Jimmy Durante was one of our greatest entertainers for 60 years (1920-1980).

This is for all those husbands and wives celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary today.  May God continue to bless them.

Have a Beautiful Sunday.

Time to Stand Up for Life, Marriage, and Freedom

This is from the Catholics Called To Witness website, as is the following:

Will you vote the values that will stand the test of fire? Some things are more important than high gas prices or a faltering economy. They are life, marriage and freedom. This November, Catholics must stand up and protect their sacred rights and duties.

Surely it can go without saying that the message is not only for Catholics, but for all religions that cherish Life, Marriage, and Freedom.

H/T: bmck1

Ramirez on Obama's Obfuscation

(Click to enlarge)

Rick Santelli Deconstructs the Buffett Rule

The outspoken (Deo Gratias) Rick Santelli, the father of the Tea Party, explains quite forcefully the spuriousness of Obama's Buffett Rule.  The fact that it is, indeed, a non solution to the problem will not stop Obama from pushing for it because it's an important piece of his class warfare rhetoric.

The video was on The Foundry (the Blog of The Heritage Foundation) today, along with these comments:

Back in February 2009, CNBC’s Rick Santelli launched a nationwide firestorm when he spoke out from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade about the federal government run wild and President Obama’s mortgage plan, calling for a Chicago Tea Party in July of that year.

Today, Santelli again spoke truth to the American people when he explained why the President’s “Buffett Rule” does nothing to solve America’s fiscal crisis.

Moderate Muslims in the UK

H/T: edscis

John McNaughton: "The Forgotten Man"

Remembering a Patriotic and Courageous President

H/T: jpa1948

Fr. Barron: Andrew Sullivan Doesn't Know Jesus

Hey, Eric Holder: This is Why We Need Voter ID Laws II

When a public figure espouses, publicly, an utterly untenable - and bogus - position, e.g., opposing voter ID laws as racist and designed to suppress the votes of the poor and minorities, he deserves to be made a fool of - publicly.  James O'Keefe and his colleagues at Project Veritas could not have done a better job of making a fool of Mr. Holder, but then it was not too difficult.

Our previous post on this topic is HERE.  This one really deserves to go viral.  For more on Eric Holder, type his name in the "Search This Blog" box on the right under the flags.

An Old 1940 Film as Metaphor

A friend sent this clip from an old 1940 film that was posted some time ago on Vimeo.  More than anything else available on the internet, it presages our future should the current administration be given four more years to deconstruct everything envisioned by the Founders and built by their successors in the past 236 years.

Remember to vote on November 6, 2012.

H/T: jpa1948

He is Risen: Hallelujah!

"THE ANGEL SAID TO THE WOMEN, 'DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR I KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JESUS, WHO WAS CRUCIFIED. HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID.'"

Matthew 28:5-6

Have a Beautiful Easter Sunday.

Holy Week in Rome

A Holy Thursday Meditation from Catholic Fire Blog.

Obama's Upside Down World

This is the chapel at Camp Marmal, a German base in Northern Afghanistan that hosts NATO forces.  It's an interfaith chapel that's supervised by the U.S. Army.  The cross was removed from the tent in December on orders from the Pentagon (the same Pentagon that ordered the disarming of our Marines in a combat zone a few weeks ago before being made to suffer through a speech by Defense Secretary Panetta).

This is the same base in Afghanistan, and that's the gay flag being flown proudly this week.  The photos were on this post from Free Republic.Com, which you might not want to read.

In Obama's Upside Down World of "Doublethink," right is wrong and wrong is right; good is evil and evil is good.

   

"Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” 

― George Orwell, 1984

H/T:rutusmc

Sundays are for Beauty: Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday, and Fr. Robert Barron explains what it all means in the below video from Word on Fire.



Have a Beautiful Palm Sunday.