Religious Freedom Coalition - Promoting Religious Freedom and Family Based Legislation

Today the Washington Times editorial cartoon pictured a terrorist lying in bed while Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is polishing his shoes and Senators John Warner (R-VA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are scrubbing his floor. That sums up the dilemma of President George W. Bush in dealing with the Senate and terror. The Democrats and some leading Republicans want to give terrorists the rights the Geneva Convention affords captured soldiers in times of war. This would mean that an interrogator would not be permitted to ask a captured terrorist any questions other than his name, his rank and his membership number in whatever terror group he belongs to. He could not be questioned about any future attacks or his past involvement in the murder of innocent civilians. In other words terrorists with the blood of civilians on their hands would have greater rights than American citizens arrested by the police in a marijuana bust. The President is so concerned about the coddling of terrorists that on Thursday, September 14th, he actually traveled to the Capitol Building to talk to Republican Senators. (Click here for Washington Times story) Addendum: I have great respect for Senator John McCain who endured years of torture in a Vietnamese prison camp. As a uniformed officer he should not have suffered this treatment at the hands of the North Vietnamese. However I, and many others, disagree with Senator McCain that rights equal to those of our citizens should be given to terrorists because of what he wrongfully endured.

THE SENATE

PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT

This week I personally met with high ranking staff in the offices of Senator Jon Kyl and Majority Leader Bill Frist to move the Pledge Protection Act forward. There is no way to get this onto the Floor as a stand-alone issue because that would take six separate procedural events, each allowing as much as 30 hours of debate. With the Senate adjourning on September 29th, this just can't be done. We are now working to add the Pledge Protection Act on as an amendment to an appropriations bill. If this fails, we will have one last chance during a ten day lame duck session in November. With 19 Senators now signed on as sponsors of the Pledge Protection Act we should be able to move forward.

SENATOR REID IS A TWO-FACED LIAR

Senator Harry Reid, the Minority Leader in the Senate, voted for the Child Custody Protection Act (S-403) to send the message to voters in his home state of Nevada that he was really against taking minor girls across state lines for abortions. Then, fifteen minutes after the bill passed he blocked it from going to conference committee with the House version, thus killing it. This is the most two-faced, double-standard act I have ever seen in the Senate, and I have seen a lot in the last two decades working on Capitol Hill. Senator Reid did not do this as an after thought. As the Senate Democrat leader he told vulnerable Democrat Senators to "back it 'cause you need the votes back home, I'll kill it before it goes to conference." This was a pre planned attempt to fool voters back in the states while handing a major victory to the billion dollar abortion industry which funds the Democrat party. Please contact your Senator and let him know what you think of Senator Reid's duplicity.

THE HOUSE

PUBLIC _EXPRESSION OF RELIGION ACT

The Public _Expression of Religion Act (PERA) is in fast forward in the House, having been passed out of the Judiciary Committee last week. The bill now has over 65 cosponsors, but we need more. PERA amends 42 U.S.C. which currently allows parties to sue state and local governments claiming their individual rights have been violated and demand attorneys' fees in the case if they win. The ACLU and other liberal groups use this clause to threaten lawsuits charging cities and towns with violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution by allowing, for example, city council members to pray before meetings. Please contact your congressman and express your views on PERA to him.

THE FENCE

Earlier this week a member of the House leadership told me that they would no longer seek any type of comprehensive solution to illegal immigration because of the Senate amnesty plan. Instead, I was told, the House would pass "bullet" legislation in a series of individual votes. The first of these votes was held on Thursday of this week when the House voted to build 700 miles of fence along the Mexican border. Many Democrats joined Republicans in a lopsided 283 to 138 vote on the fence. In Arizona, which has faced some of the worst effects of illegal immigration on its infrastructure, Republican Jim Kolbe joined the states' two Democrats in voting against the fence. Kolbe, who is openly gay, is leaving the House this year. Former state representative Randy Graf, whom I have personally supported, won a hotly contested primary against Kolbe's hand picked successor on Tuesday of this week. On Thursday, Randy flew to Washington and attended a fund raising event co-sponsored by the political action committee with which I am associated. After months of fighting against Randy, the Republican establishment now welcomes him after his very large six point victory over Kolbe's man. (Click here for details.)

CHAPLAIN'S RIGHT TO PRAY

Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) is working hard to make sure that chaplains in the military are not punished for praying. (Click here for important statement from Congressman Akin.) A bill protecting the rights of each chaplain to have the prerogative to pray according to his own dictates of conscience passed the house using language authored by Duncan Hunter (R-CA). It is being blocked by Senator John Warner (R-VA) who is the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warner has bowed to military brass who say that they should have the final say as to what comes out of a chaplain's mouth. More than 50 chaplains have been punished by the military for using the name of Christ at "inappropriate times." The military brass, for example, may consider it inappropriate to pray in the name of Jesus Christ at the public funeral of a Christian serviceman. Figure that one out! Congressman Akin has personally talked to Senator McCain and to President George W. Bush to get this legislation promptly passed this month. Click here to contact Senator Warner.

INTERNATIONAL

CALLING ISLAM INTOLERANT BREEDS VIOLENCE

"Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence," said Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam. This comment was in response to Pope Benedict XVI having quoted a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Christianity and Islam. The emperor had said, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." The worldwide Islamic response to the Pope having quoted the emperor, is threats of violence. This is the knee jerk reaction of Muslims: "Call me intolerant and I will kill you." Apparently the words of Emperor Paleologos are as true today as they were seven hundred years ago. (Click here for Fox story) (Click here for more on Islamic fascism)

HOLY LAND TERROR VIDEOS

Our entire stock of VHS format videos on terror and the Holy Land are now just 99 cents each plus shipping. We are moving our Virginia operations center (not our Washington office) on November 1, 2006 and we don't want to move these with us. The selection includes: Holy Land Terror, Christians In Peril; Holy Land Teenagers; and Holy Land Settlements . Three of these are Religious Freedom Coalition productions filmed on site in Israel and the West Bank. These will blow out the door fast at these prices, so please order today. Get an extra one and drop it off at your public library. Click here or on image for details!

YOU CAN HELP!

The Religious Freedom Coalition is working on real issues out of a real office on Capitol Hill and that costs money. To help us with our work on Capitol Hill, please make your donation today! Click here to give a gift or send your tax deductible donation to the address below.

Recommend the RFC Update to someone! In 2006 we are praying to top the 100,000 subscribers mark and you can help. If this e-mail has been forwarded to you, please subscribe at http://www.rfcnet.org/subscribe.asp

William J Murray, Chairman

Religious Freedom Coalition , PO Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013 - (202) 543-0300

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This publication is a service of the Religious Freedom Coalition (RFC). Links to political and other sites are for informational purposes and do not constitute endorsement. No statement is intended to assist or defeat any candidate running for public office.

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