If you need to be reminded of just how arrogant and destructive this Congress has been an editorial from the Wall Street Journal (9/20/2010, p. 11) should refresh our memories.  As you may recall, the Obamacare bill contained many horrific provisions.  However, one particularly insane diktat towered above the others for inexplicable lunacy.  It required that any business purchasing over $600 from any vendor annually would have to notify the IRS of this by filing a Form 1099.

As the Journal noted, “Business groups, especially small business, had made the vote a priority because of the huge compliance costs this burden will impose.”  One article I read noted the incredible hassle of just finding vendor tax identification numbers.  A private attorney’s IRS help blog observed that “the requirement itself is going to be an administrative nightmare for businesses, especially small business owners who do not have the capacity to keep accurate records of their expenses in such minute detail.”  But no matter.

Senator Johann (R-NE) offered an amendment to repeal this provision.  Fellow Nebraskan, Ben Nelson, offered a compromise raising the amount that triggered the provision to $5,000 – a typically ridiculous proposal from the ruling class meant to appease the peasants.   Johann could only muster 46 votes.  Nelson obtained 56 for faux repeal but couldn’t the 60 that were needed in the Senate.

The vote was ominous.   It was a harbinger of the fight to come in the next and the next Congresses when Republicans try to repeal Obamacare.  As the Journal perceptively observed, “Liberal Democrats will do everything in their power to preserve every part of ObamaCare, so reformers are going to need every Senate seat they can get if they want to do more than posture.”

With that failed effort capping off nineteen months of ignominy I can only think that this Congress deserves a farewell like the one delivered by Oliver Cromwell when he dissolved the Long Parliament in 1653.  Cromwell told the assembled body:

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go!

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Today the Department of Health and Human Services announced newly awarded grant recipients for teen pregnancy prevention programs. Although the program will replace abstinence education grants that expire today (the last day of the fiscal year), a number of anti-abstinence groups are among the major recipients. Included in that group is Planned Parenthood, which will receive $4.5 million dollars, specifically in the states of Florida and Washington. For a full list of newly awarded grantees see here.

Let’s look back on some of Planned Parenthood’s written materials on sex education over the last few months:

In January, Planned Parenthood published “Stand and Deliver: Sex, Health and Young People in the 21st Century,” which recommended that children as young as ten should have mandated comprehensive sex education. It also downplayed the role of parents and accused religious groups of “deny[ing young people] the pleasurable and positive aspects of sex.”

In March, Planned Parenthood released a new sex education guide for HIV-positive children, “Happy, Healthy, Hot: A Young Person’s Guide to Their Rights and Living with HIV.” The guide reads, “[T]here are lots of different ways to have sex and lots of different types of sex. There is no right or wrong way to have sex. Just have fun, explore and be yourself!” “Improve your sex life by getting to know your own body. Play with yourself! Talk about or act out your fantasies. Talk dirty to them.” The same report advocated against national laws that HIV- positive people must reveal their status to their sex partner. Such laws, according to Planned Parenthood, “violate the rights of people living with HIV… There are many reasons that people do not share their HIV status. … They may worry that people will find out something else they have kept secret, like they are using injecting drugs, having sex outside of a marriage or having sex with people of the same gender.”

The last group in the world I would want teaching young people about sexuality is Planned Parenthood. Perhaps parents in Washington and Florida will take this issue to their state health departments.

Follow this link for more information on Planned Parenthood.

Tags: Abortion, Planned Parenthood

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Today Dr. Donna Harrison, OBGYN and president of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) continues explaining the medical perspective and science behind ella, the abortion drug approved by the FDA on August 13th, misleadingly labeled as an emergency contraceptive (EC).

In this short clip Dr. Harrison discusses the different ways ella can work, i.e., “modes of action”. She addresses how ella works in a woman’s body before ovulation, after a baby is fertilized and also after an embryo has implanted. Dr. Harrison also explains how ella’s label as an EC is misleading.

For more information watch the clip below. Please send this information to the women you know. Women who deserve to know the truth about ella — how it will work in their bodies and on their babies.

Tags: Ella

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“The Special Treatment of RU-486,” by Nick Frase, compares RU-486, the one FDA-approved drug specifically for the purpose of abortion, with other drugs that have been withdrawn from the U.S. pharmaceutical market. RU-486 has been connected with a multitude of negative side effects, the most serious being death. Yet the drug is still on the market and moreover, is touted as beneficial for women’s health.

In Frase’s words, “Many drugs have been removed from the market for far lesser reasons than the known risks assumed with taking RU-486. This has some health advocates wondering if the drug is not somehow receiving special treatment over and above its track record.”

In 2006 the FDA acknowledged 232 hospitalizations, 116 cases involving blood transfusions, and, most sadly, 8 deaths related to RU-486 in its first six years of FDA approval. In comparison, some of the drugs that have been withdrawn from the pharmaceutical market include Tysabri — used for M.S. and Crohn’s disease — which was connected with 1 death and 1 adverse event; Raplon — a muscle relaxer — which was linked to five deaths; Lotronex — used for Irritable Bowel Syndrom (IBS) in women — which reportedly received 70 adverse event reports, with 34 hospitalizations and 3 deaths.

Nick surmises that RU-486 has indeed received special treatment. For more information, read the full paper.

Tags: RU-486

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September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. One aspect of which most aren’t aware is that sickle cell anemia is being successfully treated with adult stem cells! In her recent Senate testimony, Dr. Jean Peduzzi Nelson described the case of Joseph Davis, Jr. Joe Jr. was born with severe sickle cell anemia. His parents were told that he probably wouldn’t live to be a teenager. After a search for a matching bone marrow donor came up empty, they were able to use little brother Isaac’s umbilical cord blood to successfully treat Joe Jr., who now leads a normal life. His brother literally saved his life with adult stem cells.

Sickle cell anemia is a serious, life-threatening blood disease. It causes pain, chronic anemia and tiredness, and can lead to severe infections, damage to organs including the heart, kidneys and lungs, stroke and death. About 1 in 500 African-Americans has sickle cell anemia. Adult stem cells are successfully treating sickle cell disease now. A 2007 report in the journal Blood described extremely successful results treating sickle cell disease with adult stem cells, noting that matched donor transplant

“is the only curative treatment for sickle cell disease.”

A 2007 review in Bone Marrow Transplantation noted that:

“Currently, hematopoietic SCT (HCT) is the only intervention that can restore normal hematopoiesis to provide a ‘cure’ in sickle cell disease.”

A 2008 published study led by Dr. Lakshmanan Krishnamurti at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh developed a gentler, easier technique for treating sickle cell anemia with adult stem cells. Dr. Krishnamurti said:

“This study offers hope for a cure to thousands of patients with severe sickle cell disease.”

And a 2009 study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the adult stem cell transplants could work successfully for adults.

Adult stem cells are saving sickle cell patients now!

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As noted before, Dr. Jean Peduzzi Nelson testified at the U.S. Senate hearing on the promise of stem cells, Sept. 16, 2010. Her testimony discussed published adult stem cell science and real results for patients; as she noted, adult stem cells are “the best-kept secret in the galaxy.”

Adult stem cells have shown published success is treatment of chronic (congestive) heart failure. In her testimony, Dr. Peduzzi Nelson discussed the case of Doug Rice. Doug was told that he had only a short time to live due to chronic heart failure after multiple heart attacks. At that time he could hardly walk. He did not qualify for any U.S. clinical trials, so he went to Thailand in early 2006 to be treated with his own adult stem cells (using a technique developed in the U.S. by Dr. Amit Patel.) Since his treatment, Doug’s heart has improved and pumps better, he has more energy and is enjoying life. He surprised even his cardiologist.

Doug Rice is not an isolated case. Recently a German team led by Prof. Dr. med. Bodo Strauer published the results of a long-term study treating a large number of chronic heart failure patients with adult stem cells. The study, published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, is the largest study to date of patients treated for heart failure with bone marrow adult stem cells. A total of 191 patients received intracoronary injections of their own bone marrow adult stem cells, compared with 200 patients who received standard care, and patient health was monitored for up to five years. The results showed that treatment with adult stem cells improves heart function based on a large number of tests, quality of life and survival in patients with heart failure.

Prof. Dr. med. Strauer presented the published evidence at a recent meeting of the European Society of Cardiology. He noted that:

“Our study suggests that, when administered as an alternative or in addition to conventional therapy, bone marrow cell therapy can improve quality of life, increase ventricular performance, and increase survival. Intracoronary therapy has been shown to be effective in acute myocardial infarction, and the STAR-heart study now indicates its efficacy in chronic heart failure.”

Adult stem cells are improving health and saving lives now.

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The Census Bureau hired a lot of temporary workers this year. The decennial census is commanded by the Constitution and has taken place every tenth year, even during times of depression and war. It is vitally important to have an accurate count of the American people. One of the first purposes of the census is that representation in Congress can be properly apportioned. Ever since 1911, the U.S. House of Representatives has been fixed at 435 members. That means every ten years, there will be some states that gain and some states that lose seats in Congress.

It’s good to see that not all the census workers stood around counting each other. We’ll hope for an accurate count. Preliminary estimates tell us that following the next state reapportionment, New York will lose two seats in Congress, while Florida is expected to pick up two. Texas could be the big winner, with a net gain of four seats. Ohio may lose two seats.

This will be the continuation of a pattern unbroken since the founding of the country. The population of the United States has been moving south and west for two hundred years.

Continue reading »

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In the following youtube clip, Dr. Donna Harrison, OBGYN and president of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) continues her series of short videos explaining the medical perspective and science behind ella, the abortion drug approved by the FDA on August 13th, misleadingly labeled as an emergency contraceptive (EC).

In this 48 second clip, Dr. Harrison succinctly explains how ella is different than Plan B. The FDA has categorized both drugs as ECs. Until now, Plan B has been the most widely used EC in the United States. But Plan B is in a completely different class of drugs than ella and RU-486. It is believed that Plan B does not impact an already implanted baby, although it can prevent implantation. Ella, however, can work both before and after implantation.

For more information watch the clip below. We encourage you to send this clip and others in the series far and wide to the women you know. Women who deserve to know the truth about ella — how it will work in their bodies and on their babies.

Tags: Ella, Plan B

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On September 16, 2010, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations held another hearing on stem cells. The committee, chaired by Sen. Harkin, had asked to hear about the science of stem cells, but what they got was mostly politics. The witnesses praising embryonic stem cells had few facts or results, relying on hype and empty promises.

Only a single lone witness was invited to testify on the promise of adult stem cells, but Dr. Jean Peduzzi Nelson’s testimony discussed real science and real results for patients. She showed five pictures of patients who had been treated successfully with adult stem cells, discussing their cases and the peer-reviewed scientific publications documenting the success of adult stem cells in each example. As she noted in her testimony:

“The progress of adult stem cells has gone so far beyond these particular patients to long term follow-up results of numerous patients in peer-reviewed published clinical trials.”

The first example Dr. Peduzzi Nelson gave was that of Silvio, who was quadriplegic after a spinal cord injury at the base of his neck, “AIS Grade A”. Grade A is considered the worst, indicating a “complete” spinal cord injury where no motor or sensory function is preserved in the lower body. Silvio was left with no movement of his legs and minimal movement of his fingers. At 2 years after injury, and after intensive rehabilitation failed to lead to an improvement,.he received his own nasal adult stem cells and partial scar removal.

Today Silvio can maintain a standing position and wave without help. With a walker and short braces, he can walk over 30 feet without anyone helping him. He can now move his fingers, which he could not do before.

Silvio’s improvement is astounding. Usually only 5% of AIS Grade A patients improve in grade if a treatment is given at 1 year or greater after spinal cord injury. But using adult stem cells for treatment, Silvio is not an isolated case. Dr. Peduzzi Nelson has worked with Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal on these adult stem cell treatments, publishing the results. In their most recent published study, more than half of the AIS Grade A patients improved at least one grade after adult stem cell treatment. When the adult stem cells are combined with an effective rehab program, 12/13 AIS A patients improved in AIS grade and all of the patients regained some muscle movement in their legs.

The results with patients have been published in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair and in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.

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There was a good article in the Thursday, September 23^rd edition of the Washington Examiner by Timothy Carney.  In this commentary piece (“Tea Partiers Oppose Abortion, Not Just Deficits”) Carney points out that pro-life voters were instrumental in the recent defeats of Lisa Murkowski, Charlie Crist, Mike Castle (“But Castle was also vocally pro-choice.”), and Arlen Specter.  He notes that “the Senate ringleader of this rowdy [Tea Party] bunch is DeMint, a passionate pro-life conservative.”

Here is Carney’s most interesting – and correct – observation:  “But on Capital Hill, the divide between fiscally and socially conservative is a theoretical one.  Almost without fail, the strongest advocates of limited government in Congress are pro-life, and vice-versa. Think of DeMint and Tom Coburn in the Senate and Ron Paul and Jeff Flake in the House — they top the scorecards of the National Taxpayers’ Union and also have perfect scores from National Right to Life.”

Aside from the Tea Party phenomena itself – the most important political development this election cycle involves Sarah Palin.  It hasn’t received much press.  Sarah Palin is changing the Republican Party and making it decidedly more pro-life.  The Washington Post described a May 14, 2010 event this way:

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin told a group of women who oppose abortion rights that they are responsible for an “emerging, conservative, feminist identity” and have the power to shape politics and elections around the issue of life.

Speaking to a breakfast gathering Friday of the Susan B. Anthony List in downtown Washington, Palin urged more than 500 audience members to back only those candidates for public office who are uncompromisingly opposed to abortion.

Palin is doing this by endorsing pro-life candidates only, and she is endorsing excellent female candidates.  If Carney is correct – these politicians like Carly Fiorina in California will be decidedly more conservative on all issues.  But, after several election cycles there may be a cadre of pro-life women in office who will reshape the debate about abortion.  And, this goes to show that Palin isn’t just politicking, she is institution-building.

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Below is video for panel held today at FRC headquarters with Ross Douthat, Lawrence Reed, and Bob Patterson:

Below is the lowdown, and you can find embed code for the video and an audio download here:

Are social and economic conservatism at odds? According to political journalists Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith, … the battles over morality-based cultural issues such as gay rights, abortion and illegal drugs that did so much to drive the conservative movement and dominated the political conversation for more than 30 years have abated, giving way not just to broad economic anxiety but to a new set of emotionally charged issues. (Politico, August 20, 2010 )

Are they right? To answer that question, Family Research Council is hosting an important symposium on the relationship between economic and social conservatism featuring three of the nation’s leading observers of the political scene.

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, formerly a senior editor at The Atlantic, has written extensively about religion, family, and public life. Douthat is the co-author, with Reihan Salam, of Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream (Doubleday, 2008).

Lawrence Reed is president of the Foundation for Economic Education and formerly led the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Under his leadership, the Mackinac Center emerged as the largest and one of the most effective and prolific of over 40 state-based free market-oriented think tanks in the country.

Bob Patterson is a adjunct research fellow at the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society of Rockford, Ill. and editor of The Family in America, which recently published his important article, “Fiscal Conservatism is Not Enough: What Social Conservatives Offer the Party of Lincoln.”

Tags: Bob Patterson, Lawrence Reed, Ross Douthat, Social Conservatism

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The integral relationship between social and economic conservatism is a critical topic that until recently has not received its due attention. But today at FRC we are hosting a lecture on this very issue. If you aren’t in DC or able to attend, you can view via webcast during a more convenient time.

Also, Tom Glessner, President of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), wrote an excellent piece on the financial impact of abortion in the United States.

Included below are a few quotes from his article:

“What impact has this massive destruction of human life had on our current economic situation? A very interesting study called The Cost of Abortion
() gives some insight to this question. The conclusions of this study are staggering and should be taken into consideration by all political leaders who see the state of the economy as the primary issue motivating voters in the upcoming election.

This study begins with the figures for the total numbers of surgical abortions carried out in the United States from 1973 to 2007. An assumption is made that one-half of these aborted children would be female and, based upon figures from the Centers for Disease Control, each female – at age 25 – would have an average of a single child.

The study then combines these calculations to generate a number of “missing persons” from the USA from 1973 to 2007. The Gross Domestic Product per capita for each year is then multiplied by the number of “missing persons”. Accordingly, the sum of lost GDP from 1973 to 2007 due to surgical abortion is nearly $37 trillion.”

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Dr. Donna Harrison, OBGYN, and president of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) has recorded a series of YouTube clips explaining the medical perspective and science behind ella, the abortion drug.

Ella, misleadingly labeled as an Emergency Contraceptive (EC), was quietly approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 13th. Watson Pharmaceuticals, the drug company manufacturing ella, will distribute the drug as early as October, 2010.

In this two minute clip, Dr. Harrison explains from a medical perspective how ella can cause an abortion in a pregnant woman. She also discusses studies of ella on pregnant animals on mice, monkeys and rats.

Tags: Ella

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Back in March C-FAM broke the news that the Girl Scouts of America (GSA) and their parent organization, World Association of Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), distributed Planned Parenthood sex education brochures — for HIV positive youth — during a meeting for young people at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.  Soon after, C-FAM documented the well-established relationship between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.

Mariellen Rechtin is a concerned parent and former Girl Scout leader from Ohio who, deeply troubled by the C-FAM reports, began to conduct her own research into the relationship between Planned Parenthood and the Girl Scouts.

Below are clips from Mariellen Rechtin’s research on the Girl Scouts, as well as links to the sources:

Since the 1990’s the Girl Scouts organization (both GSUSA WAGGGS) has migrated in a more radical, feminist, new age direction.  Consider:  1) “God” being made optional in the Oath; 2) various cases of Planned Parenthood invited to do badge work in councils around the U.S. 3) Radical Feminist, pro-abortion, and lesbian speakers such as Charlotte Bunch, Kavita Ramdas, and Dr. Johnetta Cole receiving awards or speaking at conferences 4) the activist involvement by the World Association of Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) at the United Nations.

Most telling about the Girl Scouts position on the issues of sexual education, contraception distribution to adolescents and abortion are the words posted on the WAGGGS website for the Commission on the Status of Women conference.  It states:

“We demand access to comprehensive sexuality information, services and supplies for all young people.  We need it today – and today needed to be yesterday.  The young people from more than 20 countries and every continent collectively demand their sexual and reproductive rights:

• All young people must have access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and emergency contraception….
• Accessible, affordable and safe abortion should be made part of the minimum package of sexual and reproductive services.”

When this page is compared to the same coverage of the same day at the conference on International Planned Parenthood Federation’s webpage, one will note that the text and photograph are identical.
In some of its badge requirements, WAGGGS clearly is encouraging a permissive sexuality “protected” by condoms.  Consider the AIDS badge which lists as requirements drawing male and female bodies and identifying the body fluids capable of carrying HIV, visiting a Family Planning Clinic, demonstrate putting a condom on a finger or other suitable device, etc.   An Adolescent Health Badge was developed by WAGGGS and Family Health International as a two year pilot program for eventual availability around the world.
On the GSA website, there is also the “Our Rights, Our Responsibilities” Patch .  Under Section 1, The Right to be Me, there is a link to the UK Children’s Rights Web site which encourages a “Red Ribbon Party” for AIDS.  One of the suggestions for the party is cake sale, and it even encourages the making of a “condom cake” (NOTE: the link worked in April, but was removed a few months later).
A reasonable person could conclude that while WAGGGS/GSUSA may not “force its position” on any individual troop or Girl Scout in the U.S., it has clearly chosen to “take a stance on the issues of sex education, contraception and abortion”.
WAGGGS as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) partnered with the UNFPA, which has a mission to make contraception and abortion available to young people world wide in order to prevent HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, the goal being to improve health and reduce poverty.
More recently, WAGGS endorsed and helped to develop the Guantajuato Statement (NGO Position Statement) that emerged from the World Conference on Youth, in Mexico City in August, 2010. The statement included the following: (entire document can be found here)
“We demand governments…guarantee the rights of young people including…the right to health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights”
“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…evidence based comprehensive sexuality education to achieve Millenium Development Goals (MDG) 5 and 6”  Note:  Evidence based comprehensive sexuality education is sex education that understands that there is no such thing as telling a teen not to have sex and then thinking that they are actually going to listen to you.
“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…Guarantee the full realization of the highest level of physical mental and social health for young people…above all the target lagging farthest behind, MDG 5b – Universal Access to Reproductive Health by 2015”.  Note: MDG5b is all about contraception access for all young people, safe abortion and comprehensive sexuality education.
“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…Fully recognize young people’s sexual and reproductive rights, particularly the right to choose, through achieving universal access to confidential, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services including access to evidence-based comprehensive sexuality education, in informal and non-formal settings.  Implement key effective interventions in the continuum of care for maternal health, including access to a full range of contraceptives and safe abortion.” (emphasis mine)
“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…that Governments recognize LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transsexual) as part of the spectrum of gender identities and ensure that young people that identify themselves as such have their Human Rights upheld.”

Mariellen ultimately came to the conclusion that her family could no longer be involved with the Girl Scouts. Moreover, she now believes that some agendas promoted within the GSA are incompatible with a Christian worldview.

Tags: AIDS, Girl Scouts, Planned Parenthood

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Tomorrow, FRC will be holding a panel lecture examining whether or not there is a war between social and economic lectures.  This panel features New York Times columnist, Ross Douthat, Lawrence Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education, and Bob Patterson, adjunct research fellow at the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society.

You can register for the event by clicking here.

Tags: Bob Patterson, Economic Conservatives, Family Policy Lecture, Lawrence Reed, Ross Douthat, Social Conservatives

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If you are interested in subscribing to The Social Conservative Review, click here.

**Read FRC Action Board Member Rick Santorum’s remarks at the University of St. Thomas, “A Charge to Revive the Role of Faith in the Public Square.”

Educational Freedom and Reform

• “Education Reform Has Jumped the Shark,” Anthony Cody, Education Week
• “Home schooling an option with many aspects,” Laurel L. Scott, San Angelo Standard-Times
• “An Omen For Education Reform?,” The Atlantic
• “Like everything else in TX, home schooling big,” Bill Bumpas, OneNewsNow
• “Politics, not evidence, drive education reform,” Bruce Fuller, San Francisco Chronicle
• “Rhee-Forms Worthy of Imitation,” Lindsay Burke, The Heritage Foundation
• “We Have Too Many Teachers Already!,” Andrew J. Coulson, Cato Institute
• “Helena School Board releases revised sex-ed plan ,” Marnee Banks, KRTV

Environmental Issues

• “Religion Has Scant Effect on Environmental Views, Poll Suggests,” Leslie Kaufman, New York Times
• “Pollution Takes its Toll on the Heart,” PRWeb
• “Iowa measure would create environmental trust fund,” Courtney Blanchard, Telegraph Herald
• “Farmers fear dust rules won’t reflect rural life,” Rick Callahan, The State
• “Environmental Hazards,” Steven F. Hayward, The Weekly Standard
• “Cap-and-trade Opinion Missing a Lot,” Jim Johnston, Environment & Climate News
• “Eco-terrorism an ignored threat,” Chris Woodward, OneNewsNow
• “On the Debunking of Spencer’s Feedback Ideas: An Appeal to Physical Scientists Everywhere,” Roy W. Spencer, Ph.D.

Faith and Policy

• “Leaving out God,” Ken Blackwell, WORLD Magazine
• “Religion and politics really don’t mix,” James Murr, Santa Maria Times
• “JFK’s ‘Religion Speech’,” Fred Schwarz, National Review Online
• “Shariah a danger to U.S., security pros say,” Bill Gertz, The Washington Times
• “Faith and policy: Respect others’ rights, but also their values,” Rev. Robert Sirico, The Detroit News
• “Fear,” Bruce Bawer, City Journal
• “Flights of Fancy: A Review of The Icarus Syndrome by Peter Beinart,” Steven F. Hayward, The Claremont Review of Books
• “The Money of Fools: Cheap political rhetoric like ‘social justice’ has a long, expensive history,” Thomas Sowell, National Review Online
• “Imagining Islam: Wishful thinking will not bring success or security,” Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review Online
• “Islam and Moral Nuance: In general, the Left hates the Right more than it hates bigotry,” Dennis Prager, National Review Online
• “Holy War Over Ground Zero,” Joseph Bottum, First Things
• “Founding Believers,” Joe Carter, First Things

Health Care

• “The Stakes of Obamacare,” Charles Kesler, The Claremont Review of Books
• “Health Insurers Drop Coverage For Children Ahead Of New Rules,” Julian Pecquet, The Hill
• “How ObamaCare Guts Medicare,” Peter Ferrara and Larry Hunter,” The Wall Street Journal
• “Gov’t: Spending to rise under health care overhaul,” Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar, The Washington Post
• “Sebelius Has a List,” Opinion, The Wall Street Journal
• “Data on Teachers: Lessons From Health Care,” Kati Haycock, The Huffington Post
• “USCCB Officials Urge HHS Not to Require Coverage of Contraception and Sterilization,” U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
• “Congressman Bart Stupak Claims Obama Has Upheld Order on Abortion Funding in Health Care ,” Steven Ertelt, LifeNews

Homosexuals in the Military

• “Opposing view on gays in the military: Keep the law in place,” Tony Perkins, USA Today
• “FRC Praises Senate for Stopping Liberal Social Agenda in Defense Authorization Bill,” Press Release, Family Research Council
• “Don’t Ask, I’ll Just Tell You What the Law Should Be: Log Cabin Republicans v. United States,” Hans A. von Spokovsky, The Heritage Foundation
• “Judicial assault on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” Editorial, The Washington Times
• “Senate repeal of ban on gays in military falters,” MSNBC
• “Risky health maneuvers,” Dr. Robert J. Labutta, The Washington Times
• “Bid to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Stalls in Senate,” Julian E. Barnes, Naftali Bendavid, and Adam Entous, The Wall Street Journal
• “The Re-Hollowing of the Military,” Arthur Herman, Commentary Magazine
• “Man chosen to lead Marines against lifting gay ban,” Anne Flaherty, Associated Press

Judiciary

• “Why Constitution Day Matters,” Senator Orrin Hatch, National Review Online
• “Remembering the Anti-Federalists,” John C. Pinheiro, The Acton Institute
• “There Really Is Something Rotten in the Justice Department,” Hans von Spakovsky, The Heritage Foundation
• “Can Stephen Breyer save the Obama agenda in the Supreme Court?,” Jeffrey Toobin, The Wall Street Journal
• “The Rule of Law and the Law of Nature,” Russell Hittinger, First Principles
• “Public Opinion on the Supreme Court, 2010,” Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg, American Enterprise Institute

Marriage and Family

Family Economics

• “After Almost 50 Years, the Gender gap in Pay Still Resonates” Diana Furchtgott-Roth, The Washington Post
• “A Tale of Two Recoveries,” Opinion, The Wall Street Journal
• “The Failure of the Liberal Economic Experiment?” James K. Glassman, Commentary Magazine
• “How Obama Thinks,” Dinesh D’Souza, Forbes
• “Work and the Two Great Love Commandments,” Jordan Ballor, The Acton Institute
• “Is the U.S. Still the Land of Opportunity?,” Karen Campbell, The Heritage Foundation
• “Social conservatives stay in fray,” Ralph Z. Hallow, The Washington Times
• “A Poverty of Statistics,” Nicholas Eberstadt, The American

Marriage

• “Briefs quote Obama in calling for ‘morality’ in Prop 8 case,” Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily
• “The Case for Marriage,” The Editors, National Review Online
• “Defending Prop. 8: California’s Top Public Lawyer and Its Chief Executive Have an Obligation to Defend the Laws of the State Whether They Like Them or Not, and That Includes Proposition 8,” Editorial, Los Angeles Times
• “NY law lets unmarried adults jointly adopt child,” Associated Press
• “How should schools handle transgender kids?,” Denise-Marie Balona, The Orlando Sentinel
• “Study Finds Wider View of ‘Family’,” Sam Roberts, New York Times
• “Federal family leave without pay policy extends to same-sex partners,” Ed O’Keefe, The Washington Post
• “Study breaks down divorce rates by occupation,” Ellen McCarthy, The Washington Post

Pornography

• “Sex is Everywhere,” Marcia Seegelstein, OneNewsNow
• “Child porn law, when misapplied, can victimize kids,” Peter McKnight, The Vancouver Sun
• “Special Report: Confronting the Pornography Epidemic,” Peter C. Kleponis, Ph.D., Catholic Online
• “Pure Hope for porn addicts,” Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow
• “Craigslist to appear before House hearing on sex trafficking,” Cecelia Kang, The Washington Post

Religious Liberty

• “Prop 8 Judge’s Attack on Parental Rights and Religious Liberty,” Peter Sprigg, The Christian Post
• “Rifqa Bary Obtains Permanent Resident Status in the U.S.,” Chris Gacek, Family Research Council
• “Culturally Focusing on the Family,” Matthew Lee Anderson, Christianity Today
• “Fired, in a Crowded Theater,” Meghan Duke, First Things
• “Gay couple awarded $13.4K for rental refusal; Landlord feared God’s wrath if he rented apartment in his house,” CBC News
• “Under Which God?,” Joe Carter, First Things
• “Americans United, allies urge federal appeals court to rehear case challenging religiously based hiring bias,” Alliance Defense Fund
• “Despite Fiscal Concerns, Cultural Issues Still Resonate in Evangelical Epicenters,” Dante Chinni, PBS NewsHour
• “Crippling Our Faith-Based Groups,” Craig L. Parshall, NRB

Sanctity of Life

Abortion

• “Legal Abortion Does Not Always Equal Safe Abortion,” Jeanne Monahan, Family Research Council
• “The right to opinions on abortion,” Deidre McQuade, The Washington Post
• “Women, Abortion, and the Brain,” Evelyn Birge Vitz and Paul C. Vitz, The Public Discourse
• “Abortion does not further children’s health,” Chris Smith, The Washington Post
• “A nation turns away from abortion — It’s not true that abortion statistics are irreversible. Italy proves it,” Vincenzina Santoro, MercatorNet
• “Abortion Groups Praise Newly Named Head of UN Women’s Agency,” C-FAM
• “Young People Launch Pro-Life/Pro-Family “Statement to the UN and the World,” C-FAM
• “Neb. abortion docs to file fetus’ age with state,” Timberly Ross, BusinessWeek

Adoption

• “Appeals court: Florida ban on gay adoption unconstitutional,” Susan Spencer-Wendel, The Palm Beach Post
• “NY law lets unmarried adults jointly adopt,” Associated Press

Bioethics

• “Human Embryos in the Age of Obama,” John Neuhaus, First Things
• “The Predicament: Francis Collins, Human Embryos, Evolution, and the Sanctity of Human Life,” Albert Mohler, Crosswalk
• “A Bulwark Against Barbarism,” By Jennifer Lahl and Elaine Petty, Center for Bioethics and Culture

Cloning

• “Moderate Extremists,” Terence P. Jeffrey, The Patriot Post
• “Gene-Altered Fish Closer to Approval,” Gautam Naik, The Wall Street Journal

Stem Cell Research

• “Stem Cell Ruling Could Focus Funding on Treatments,” Dr. David Prentice, Ph.D. and David Christensen, Human Events
• “Stem-Cell Plaintiffs Cite Ethical Motivation,” Laura Meckler and Janet Adamy, Wall Street Journal
• “Stem cell plaintiffs blast NIH chief, question total funding freeze,” Ivan Semeniuk, Nature
• “Stem cell research is the best-kept secret in the galaxy,” Dr. Jean Peduzzi Nelson, The Hill
• “Poll Shows Opposition to Fed Funds for Stem-cell Research,” Catholic News Service
• “Senator pushes bill legalizing stem cell research,” Jim Abrams, Associated Press
• “The Halting of Stem Cell Research Is the Culmination of a Decade-Long Legal Effort,” Eli Y. Adashi and I. Glenn Cohen, The Huffington Post
• “Stem cells: A legal round table,” Meredith Wadman, Nature

Other News for Social Conservatives

• “Modernity’s Uninvited Guest,” Theodore Dalrymple, City Journal
• “OIG: FBI Inappropriately Tracked Domestic Advocacy Groups,” Andrew Cohen, The Atlantic
• “Will God Save the Democrats?” Wendy Kaminer, The Atlantic
• “Immigration Doublespeak,” W. James Antle, The American Spectator
• “Darwin’s World of Pain and Wonder,” Algis Valiunas, The New Atlantis
• “A Big Tent on the Right: The multiplier effect of adding Tea Partiers to social–conservatives,” Jeffrey Bell, The Weekly Standard
• “Rebranding Conservatism: A Localist Alternative to Babylon on the Potomac ,” Craig Shirley, The Washington Times
• “Creeping Islamic Fundamentalist Law Threatens Human Rights ,” Deborah Weiss,  The Washington Times
• “I.R.S. Looks at Finances of Bay Area Clinic ,” Katharine Mieszkowski, New York Times
• “Compassionand Choices Uses Murder/Suicide to Advertise Doctor Prescribed Death in Montana,” Wesley J. Smith, First Things
• “America’s One-Child Policy: What China imposed on its population, we’re adopting voluntarily,” Jonathan V. Last, The Weekly Standard
• “The Sources of Liberal Intolerance,” Carson Holloway, The Public Discourse
• “What Do Social Conservatives Want,” David Boaz, Cato Institute
• “Spartacus All,” T.M. Moore, The Colson Center

Tags: Abortion, Economics, Education Reform, Environmental Issues, Faith, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Social Conservative Review, Stem Cell Research

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[The following is a speech I delivered on September 11 & 12 at Lutherans for Life conferences in Iowa.]

The date was January 23, 1973. I was in Washington, D.C., walking the corridors of Congress, hunting for a job. I had my resume in hand and my list of contacts to see. I was having no success.

And I had just been crushingly defeated the previous November in my race for the state legislature in New York. It was a race everyone said I could not lose. But when Democratic Party fundraisers in Albany learned I was anti-abortion, they pulled back the $25,000 they had promised me, and my sure-thing became a sure-loss.

My spirits could hardly have been lower. I was not a Christian believer in those days. So I didn’t cry out to the Lord to sustain me.

Then, I picked up that Tuesday morning’s edition of the Washington Post. The big, stunning news of the day was that former President Lyndon B. Johnson had died of a heart attack. And the end of the Vietnam War—coming just days after President Nixon’s second inauguration—dominated the capital’s attention.

Then, lower down in the Post on that gray and grim January day, was the news of Roe v. Wade. Abortion laws throughout the nation had been overturned by the Supreme Court, the story read. The long fight over liberalized abortion was over. All the editorials in the Eastern press said the Court had the final say and that it had done the right thing.

I thought it was over, too, and I was miserable about it. On top of my own defeat, on top of my struggle to get a job, now came this.

I finally landed a job. The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party hired me as a fundraiser. I drove all over Northern Minnesota for a year. There, I met folks at the grassroots of politics. In the agricultural western part of the state, up north on the Iron Range, in the lake city of Duluth, people told me over and over they were against this abortion ruling. Couldn’t the Minnesota DFL do something about it?

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In the wake of the controversy surrounding ella, the abortion drug produced by Watson Pharmaceuticals, MSNBC today is reporting new and serious allegations that another Pharmaceutical giant, Johnson and Johnson, has been withholding critical information about the health side effects of another reproductive medication, ortho evra, commonly called “the patch.”

The patch has reportedly caused at least 23 deaths in women who have taken it since FDA approval in 2003. This is in part likely due to the fact that the patch allows for a large amount of estrogen to enter a woman’s body (60% more than “the pill”). MSNBC is claiming that Johnson and Johnson have known about the deadly risks, but have hidden this information. Apparently the FDA has also been looking into these allegations for two years, but have not taken any action…

Tags: Abortion, Ella

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Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Pete Sessions have come under criticism recently (including from FRC President Tony Perkins) over their decision to help the “Log Cabin Republicans” (LCR) raise money to elect pro-homosexual candidates by speaking at an LCR event on September 22.  Those who bought tickets to the event were clearly told that the “proceeds benefit LCR PAC.”

The Log Cabin Republicans have been at the forefront of trying to mainstream radical homosexual activism within the Republican party. They have tried to perpetuate (and Cornyn and Sessions seem to have fallen for) a myth that they are faithful Republicans who only have a small quibble with conservatives on issues involving homosexuality. But LCR’s refusal to even support George W. Bush for re-election in 2004 is but part of a large body of evidence that LCR is far out of the Republican mainstream.

In fact, this might be a good time to remind people why the group call themselves “Log Cabin Republicans” in the first place. The LCR website says, “The name of the organization is a reference to the first Republican President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a Log Cabin.  President Lincoln built the Republican Party on the principles of liberty and equality.”

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Below is video of Bishop Harry Jackson’s press conference hosted yesterday (September 20, 2010) at FRC Headquarters in Washington, D.C.:

Participants:

Bishop Harry Jackson, Chairman, High Impact Leadership Coalition

Pastor Aubrey Shines, Tampa, FL

Pastor Christopher Brooks, Detroit, MI

Bishop Leon Benjamin, Richmond, VA

Reverend Dean Nelson, Washington, DC

Austin Nimocks, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund

Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council

Tags: Don't Ask Don't Tell

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