OBAMA COMPARES HIS PLAN TO POST OFFICE - What a gaff, but don't expect to hear about it from NBC News. Trying to convince the public that government run health insurance would not unfairly compete with private insurance, he compared his plan to the Post Office. He told a live audience that "Fed-X and UPS are doing just fine" and that it is "... the Post Office that's always having problems." This was about the most honest statement he has made to date about his health care agenda. Unlike lean insurance companies competing against each other, the government run option would be operated like any other bureaucracy. Just last year Medicare made over $10 billion in improper payouts that it learned about only later. How many billions of dollars were actually wasted by Medicare will never be known. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. Actual video of Obama's comment.

THE AUGUST RECESS - Both the House and Senate have now gone into August recess and will not return until after Labor Day, which falls on September 7th this year.

HATE CRIMES "AMENDMENT - There was no way to stop the Thought Crimes legislation pushed by radical Democrats in Congress .... BUT ... Senator Sam Brownback was able to add an amendment in the Senate to protect religious speech. Without his amendment it could literally be against the law to quote the Bible on issues of homosexuality. The Brownback amendment was agreed to by an overwhelming majority of the Senate, with a vote of 78-13. Although passed in the Senate, his amendment is not in the House version of the bill. That means it is up to a House-Senate conference committee to decide if it will be in the final bill. Because "Hate Crimes" legislation was attached to a defense authorization bill it is important to contact members of the House Armed Services Committee, both Democrat and Republican, on this issue. Contact List Let them know how you feel about the Brownback Amendment to "Hate Crimes."

ALL NEW AUGUST CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - The all new August 5, 2009 Chairman's Report is now available to read in PDF format. This issue contains more information about our work on Capitol Hill with the new 111th Congress, and also about our work on international issues. Help your Sunday School class understand these issues better. Print out and distribute the Chairman's Report to your class or fellowship this Sunday! Click here to review.

OUR ARIEL MISSION THREATENED - Just before he had a fatal stroke, I talked with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. At the time he made a promise about the town of Ariel in Samaria (some call Samaria the West Bank.) He promised me that Ariel, where we support missions work, would continue to be a part of Israel. Under the Bush presidency that appeared to be true, but President Obama is pushing hard for Israel to not only give up Ariel, but to shrink itself to an area smaller than the city of Houston, Texas. Currently Obama wants construction halted inside of Ariel. See Jerusalem Post article.

JUSTICE FOR AMI - Soon the Religious Freedom Coalition will participate in a petition drive asking the Ambassador of Israel to seek justice for Ami Ortiz. Ami is the son of David and Leah Ortiz who operate a mission to both Israeli and Palestinian Christians in Ariel. Ami was severely injured by a bomb planted by some radical ultra conservative Jews, because the Ortiz family are Messianic Christians. Ami spent many months in the hospital. The police are not cooperating with the investigation and the family is seeking pressure to be put on the Israeli government by evangelicals. Read Ami's story.

PETITION TO HILLARY CLINTON ON IRAQI CHRISTIANS - Read and sign the Internet petition to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The petition urges Clinton to direct our embassies to assist Christians who have fled Islamic terror in Iraq. The petition is located at www.iraqichristianrefugees.org.