News and commentary (News & Commentary) 

Japanese create stem cells from wisdom teeth Topic: Abortion Source: Yahoo Daily News - Researchers at the government-backed National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology said they created stem cells of the type found in human embryos using the removed wisdom teeth of a 10-year-old girl. "This is significant in two ways," team leader Hajime Ogushi told AFP. "One is that we can avoid the ethical issues of stem cells because wisdom teeth are destined to be thrown away anyway. "Also, we used teeth that had been extracted three years ago and had been preserved in a freezer. That means that it's easy for us to stock this source of stem cells." (08/22/08) — Saturday 23 August 2008 - 03:07:28

China’s porcelain facade By Mark Alexander Having just returned from Beijing, where I was the guest with a corporate association, it is a bit disconcerting to watch NBC’s glossy coverage of the Olympic games, and China in general, and to endure the echo NBC’s coverage is receiving through other media outlets. The network dared not venture off the reservation, and its coverage offered no observation on the obfuscation outside the Olympic village. Of course, it’s the Year of the Rat. While in China, I enjoyed major Olympic venues, but I was far more impressed by meetings with several Chinese leaders of underground Christian movements, Chinese entrepreneurs, and other Chinese reformers. Suffice it to say, I found China to mirror what I anticipated: A great people enslaved under the rule of the tyrannical Red Chinese government—1.329 billion people, in fact, who share none of the rights outlined in our Constitution, which most Americans take for granted.

Secrets Are No Fun for Unions by Scott Bensing - Who are you voting for this fall? The answer to that question is none of my business. In fact, it is a fundamental American right to have your vote be as private as you wish. Unfortunately, Democrats and their financiers, Big Labor, want to abolish a worker’s fundamental, American right to a secret ballot. Why are they doing this? Maybe because Democrats have openly admitted they owe their 2006 electoral success to Big Labor and have promised the elimination of the secret ballot as a return on investment. That is why during this Congressional session every Democrat in the House and Senate voted to abolish the secret ballot. Thankfully, Republicans in the Senate were able to stop this disastrous bill. ...In fact, alleged coercion for political gain is already occurring. Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation asked the Department of Justice to investigate the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The basis for the request centers on this fact: “The union adopted a new amendment to its constitution at last month's SEIU convention, requiring that every local contribute an amount equal to $6 per member per year to the union's national political action committee. This is in addition to regular union dues. Unions that fail to meet the requirement must contribute an amount in ‘local union funds’ equal to the ‘deficiency’ plus a 50% penalty.” (The Wall Street Journal, 7/28/08)

New Left Wing Anti-Energy Strategy: Drill Nothing, Tax Everything by Newt Gingrich

Gay Activist Tim Gill Rewards N.Y. Lawmakers Who Voted to Gut Marriage - Republicans in the New York Assembly who voted last year to legalize same-sex "marriage" in the state have received thousands of dollars from homosexual activists across the nation. The (New York) Sun reported that the four lawmakers, who rarely raise money from outside their districts, have benefited from a fund-raising network stretching to at least nine states. Not surprisingly, the Gill Action Fund is behind many of those donations. The gay-activist group, founded by computer software mogul Tim Gill, solicited donations at a conference in Miami in the spring. The Republican-led Senate hopes to keep the Empire State from becoming the third state to allow same-sex "marriage." "It's a strong belief among many Republicans that it's not the way to go," Sen. Martin Golden, R-Brooklyn, told The Sun. "It's a core belief that we have. We stick with our core beliefs." In May, New York Gov. David Paterson changed up to 1,300 state policies and regulations to include same-sex couples who were "married" elsewhere.

Proposition 8 to Protect Marriage Receives $1 Million Donation from the Knights of Columbus Catholic Organization

California Teachers Association Declares War On Marriage. An Uneducated War By An Uneducated Teachers Union: California Teachers Association Demands That Voters Give More Money To A Broken Education System At The Same Time that This Teachers Union is Funding the Homosexual Campaign to Defeat Prop. 8, the Marriage Protection Act. On July 17, 2008, California Teachers Association Gives $250,000 To Homosexual Campaign To Defeat Prop. 8, the Marriage Protection Act.

"One hundred and seventy-three despots would surely be as oppressive as one." - James Madison (Federalist No. 48, 1 February 1788) Reference: Madison, Federalist No. 48.

Oregon citizens denied vote on marriage issue The Oregon Constitution says voters have the final say over any laws passed by the state legislature. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, says they don't.

Russia has five goals in its campaign against Georgia. (Heritage.org)

Heritage’s Conn Carroll refutes the spurious claims on the Left that military spending is surging to the point that it’s impacting our economy. with two simple charts. One shows that military spending remains far below where it stood in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s; the other shows how dramatically spending has increased on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security over the same period.

Federal Income Taxes: Who Pays and How Much (pdf) Americans for Tax Reform provides two tables.

Income Redistribution: Corporate tax milestone The United States has made history—but it’s nothing to be proud of. For the first time, our statutory corporate income tax rate is 50 percent higher than the average rate of our international competitors. At 39.3 percent, it stands second only to Japan’s, and the prognosis for U.S. business is not good. According to a new study by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), “[C]orporate taxes are most harmful for growth, followed by personal income taxes, and then consumption taxes.” Apparently, the rest of the world has caught on, but while other nations have been slashing their rates, Washington politicos have refused to budge. Just last week, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) stated, “It’s time for big corporations to pay their fair share,” citing a Government Accountability Office statistic that 28 percent of large U.S. corporations did not pay income tax in 2005 (notwithstanding that 85 percent of these companies made no profits in 2005). Barack Obama’s “solution” is to tax foreign profits where they are earned—in essence driving more American businesses offshore. Meanwhile, John McCain wants to cut the federal corporate tax rate to 25 percent, which is a good start but not enough. As The Wall Street Journal notes, Washington should seriously consider eliminating the corporate income tax altogether. Otherwise, U.S. corporations will increasingly find foreign shores more welcoming than our own. More redistributionist schemes - Barack Obama is an avowed redistributionist when it comes to his individual income-tax plan. He has not been shy about his intention to raise taxes on the “wealthy” —variously defined as those earning anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000 or more per year. For those wondering what he would do with that money, look no further. Obama proposes $1,000 tax credits for those who pay little or nothing in federal income taxes. Not only that, but they would be “refundable,” meaning that if one’s tax bill is $300, the government would pay the taxpayer $700; if the taxpayer owes nothing, he gets the whole $1,000. This is nothing more than robbing one taxpayer and handing the money to one who pays very little or no tax at all. Some might call this the new welfare. Meanwhile, the top individual rate would be increased by 13 percent, to 39.6 percent. That’s the real change you can believe in.

Election 2008 (Voting Resources) 

Calvin Coolidge - "We do not need more intellectual power, we need more moral power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more government, we need more culture. We do not need more law, we need more religion. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen. If the foundation be firm, the foundation will stand."

Thomas Sowell - "Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain."  ...“Obama is being hailed as the newest and freshest face on the American political scene. But he is advocating some of the oldest fallacies, just as if it was the 1960s again, or as if he has learned nothing and forgotten nothing since then... But politics is not about facts. It is about what politicians can get people to believe.” 

Consider these issues and it will become blatantly obvious what Biblical moral virtue each candidate possess: Abortions, God's design of marriage, unequal, unnatural  Rights, Second Amendment, "living" Constitution, U.S. sovereignty and noble power, War on Terror, Border, Illegal Immigration, Unions, NEA and government-run education, taxes, "sustainable development." government-run health care...

From the Left: Symbolism speaks volumes The Democrat National Convention Committee has begun circulating identification badges for the Denver gathering, and the image they chose for the badge says a lot about the party’s views of America and Barack Obama’s place in it. The image essentially depicts an upside down American flag with Obama swathed in the star field in a determined outward looking pose, much like old Soviet propaganda posters of V.I. Lenin or Joe Stalin. An American flag flown upside down is a maritime distress signal, perhaps appropriate considering Obama’s latest polling trends. We don’t expect liberals to have any accurate knowledge of flag etiquette (other than how to burn one), but the image of Obama wrapped in an American flag is grand hypocrisy, considering his refusal to wear a flag lapel pin. Obama’s distaste for Old Glory also extends to his campaign plane. After a $500,000 overhaul of his North American Airlines 757, the American flag that adorned the tail of the jet was replaced with the Obama campaign logo—a fine illustration of his narcissism. The jet lost the carrier’s corporate logo too, itself based on the Stars & Stripes, and apparently a little bit too patriotic for the candidate’s tastes.

Presidential Report Card Shows Big Difference Between McCain and Obama on Moral and Family Issues "Let the record show that John McCain and Barack Obama are polar opposites on partial-birth abortion, parental notification of abortion, marriage protection on the ballot, homosexual indoctrination of schoolchildren, gay adoptions, gun-owner rights, activist judges, and raising taxes," said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families. "No one should base their vote on personality or mere feelings. Our carefully-researched report card shows you exactly where Obama and McCain stand on issues of importance to voters, their families, and our nation's future." Click here to view the Presidential Report Card (pdf)

Limbaugh Wants Obama-Biden Ticket by Amanda Carpenter - Conservative talk radio titan Rush Limbaugh relished the prospect of an Obama-Biden Democratic presidential ticket on his broadcast Wednesday. “I really hope it’s Biden,” Limbaugh told his listeners. “You don’t want to say that too loud, but I really do hope that it’s Joe Biden, because we’ve got mountains of archival audio on Joe Biden.” “Plus, the arrogance factor times two,” Rush added. “Biden and the Messiah would just be delicious.”

Side by Side transcript of Rick Warren's questions with Barak Obama and John McCain 08/16/08.

Bill Keller, Founder of LivePrayer.com Comments on Rick Warrens Civil Forum - "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well- pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." (1Corinthians 1:21) - What is the message for you today? Simply this: Don't compromise the truth of the Bible or the preaching of the gospel! There are no truer words or greater messages. Men can come up with clever ways to do church, but unless what they are doing is based on the truth of the scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is a meaningless exercise no matter how successful it may seem from a worldly perspective.  Several things are for certain after witnessing last Saturday evening's event at Saddleback. Obama is not a Christian despite his claims to the contrary. Whether or not McCain has been saved is still an unknown. It is clear that neither man will be a friend of God if elected president. Rick Warren is the leading figure in the nation of a dangerous group...a group I have warned you about called the religious left. The reason this nation is spiritually bankrupt is because the truth of the Bible has been compromised and the gospel has been watered down. High profile Christian leaders have become who they are because they are wise business people, smart marketeers, and are clever at manipulating the masses; they did not get where they are because they have a passion for saving souls and leading this nation back to God and biblical values. But fear not; there are many faithful pastors, many men and women who love the Lord, who will not compromise the truth, and who are part of this last day's remnant. These people are not part of the elite who rub shoulders with the powerful and wealthy, but simple men and women of God whose only desire is to serve Him, and to see the lost won to Jesus Christ.

Obama's Code Words by Marvin Olasky  - Journalists used to complain that George W. Bush's speechwriters slipped into his oratory phrases like America's "wonder-working power" that meant one thing to general audiences and another to evangelical supporters aware of the "wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb." Far-fetched? Maybe, but this year Barack Obama is proving to be a master of that art. "Economic justice" and "restoring fairness to the economy" are two of Obama's favorites. Who can oppose justice and fairness? To many Obama disciples, though, those words mandate not just equality of opportunity but a socialistic equality of result. Some in the general public would be less rhetorically transfixed if they understood the code. Here's a more subtle example: Obama's call for nondiscrimination in religious hiring. Obama received a great press last month when he said he wanted to maintain and expand the White House faith-based initiative—except that any program receiving any federal funds could not discriminate in hiring. That sounded good to many: Who can support discrimination? To his disciples, though, the message was clear: Church-related programs will have to hire gays.

Obama's childhood records vindicate Corsi book Photo shows candidate registered 'as an Indonesian citizen and a Muslim' An AP photo that recently surfaced showing Barack Obama registered for school as an Indonesian citizen of the Muslim religion provides tangible evidence for some of the claims made by author Jerome Corsi in his best-selling book, "The Obama Nation."  "The Associated Press document provides additional evidence suggesting the Obama campaign's insistence that Obama was never trained in Islam and he never lived as a Muslim is not accurate," author and WND staff reporter Jerome R. Corsi said. "Moreover, the document indicated that Obama may have been an Indonesian citizen when he lived there," Corsi continued. "This is an issue the Obama rebuttal fails to address at all, evidently conceding the accuracy of the claim." ...Tine Hahiyary affirmed that Barry Soetoro had been registered as a Muslim and took part actively in the Islamic religious lessons during his time at the school. "I remembered that Barry studied 'mengaji,'" she told reporters. "Mengaji" involves recitation of the Quran. "To put it quite simply, 'mengaji classes' are not something that a non-practicing or so-called moderate Muslim family would ever send their child to," wrote the 'An American Expat in Southeast Asia' blog. "The Obama campaign desperately wants to deny Obama was raised as a Muslim child in the four years he lived in Indonesia from age 6 to 10," Corsi said. "These are formative years in a child's religious education."

The Italian Vanity Fair magazine reported this week that Barack Obama’s half-brother has been found in Kenya, living “on less than a dollar a month.” George Hussein Onyango Obama was born of the same father as Barack, but he claims, “no one knows I exist.” George has met Barack only twice in his life, the second time on the senator’s trip to Kenya in 2006. “It was very brief, we spoke for just a few minutes. It was like meeting a complete stranger.” What was that Obama said about “the least of these” the other night at Saddleback? At least Bill Clinton gave his half-brother Roger a pardon. “If anyone says something about my surname,” says George, “I say we are not related. I am ashamed.” We assume that means he’s ashamed of his brother.

Democratic Platform's Hidden Soros Slush Fund by Michelle Malkin - Buried in the 94-page document is a noble-sounding proposal to create a "Social Investment Fund Network." The program would provide federal money to "social entrepreneurs and leading nonprofit organizations [that] are assisting schools, lifting families out of poverty, filling health care gaps, and inspiring others to lead change in their own communities." The Democratic Party promises to "support these results-oriented innovators" by creating an office to "coordinate government and nonprofit efforts" and then showering "a series of grants" on the chosen groups "to replicate these programs nationwide." In practice, this Barack Obama brainchild would serve as a permanent, taxpayer-backed pipeline to Democratic partisan outfits masquerading as public-interest do-gooders. This George Soros Slush Fund would be political payback in spades. Obama owes much of his Chicago political success to financial support from radical, left-wing billionaire and leading "social entrepreneur" Soros. In June 2004, Soros threw a big fundraiser at his New York home for Obama's Illinois Senate campaign. Soros and family personally chipped in $60,000. In April 2007, Obama was back in New York for a deep-pocketed Manhattan fundraising soiree, with Soros lurking in his shadow.

Campaign healthcare plans As we hurtle toward the political party conventions, John McCain’s health plan proposal is starting to garner attention for its potentially significant impact on the U.S. health insurance market. The centerpiece of the McCain plan is directed at the market segment where individuals purchase their own coverage to achieve taxation parity with the employer-sponsored market. McCain’s market-oriented proposal of allowing tax incentives for the purchase of personal health insurance may substantially reduce the uninsured population in the country. It will have significant other results. For example, McCain’s plan will likely cause a transition of many in the employer-sponsored market to the private market. If employers decide they no longer need to incur the expense of providing insurance, they can opt out, knowing their employees will be covered. On April 15th a family that buys its own insurance would receive a $5,000 credit ($2,500 per individual). Of course, the government will eventually tax employer-sponsored coverage as income, providing yet more incentive for workers to purchase their own insurance. Other significant changes would occur making the personal plans portable between states and jobs and exempt them from the multitude of expensive state requirements that have driven up the cost of coverage dramatically since the Clinton era. In addition, McCain has proposed creating government-run risk pools to cover those who are ill who are otherwise unable to obtain coverage. In contrast to McCain’s bold market-oriented makeover of our healthcare system, Barack Obama mainly proposes limiting our healthcare choices to the fiscally insolvent Medicare and Medicaid system in the hope things somehow work out. Perhaps if Mr. Obama’s own healthcare were left to the tender mercies of a government program careening towards insolvency, he might reconsider his desire to sentence others to that same dismal fate.

Indoctrination: "Mainstream" Media & Education? - (Education?) The good, the bad, and the ugly...Without a Heritage every generation starts over  Will our descendants know moral virtue? The primary responsibility of education DOES NOT belong to schools.  (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

"A trained intelligence can do much, but there is no substitute for morality, character and religious conviction."  President Calvin Coolidge