CONGRESS IN RECESS UNTIL APRIL 19, 2004

THE PRESIDENCY

By William J. Murray

Most conservatives I meet outside of the Washington Beltway just can't understand how President George W. Bush could be trailing Senator John Kerry in the polls, particularly when Kerry is not being that visible. Actually, the secret Kerry plan is to win the election by being invisible. Kerry and his advisors believe that the American public views President Bush as an out-of-control cowboy who wants to send troops everywhere, and as long as they can keep the voters focused on Bush rather than on Kerry, he can slip into the White House unnoticed. The big Kerry fear is that middle America will learn what he really stands for and what he really believes.

Why is George W. Bush behind the rather unknown Senator John Kerry nationally in the first place?

President George W. Bush was elected to the White House with less than 50% of the popular vote. His advisors had two routes they could have followed to expand his base. The first route would be to use the Presidency as a bully pulpit to win over the people to the conservative causes the President believes in. The second route would be to expand the President's base by making it more "inclusive." The second route was taken and it is now bearing bad fruit. The White House opened a revolving door for groups and individuals who were diametrically opposed to the President's base of support. Homosexual groups, untra-liberal minority groups and Islamic groups (some later linked to terrorists) were made to feel more welcome at the White House than conservatives and evangelical Christians.

Core conservatives, those who had elected George W. Bush, became disillusioned particularly in 2002 and 2003. Then the new "inclusive" groups made their demands--demands such as same-sex marriage, which the President could not in good conscience meet. Now those same groups that were invited into the White House to "broaden the base" are running newspaper and television ads attacking the President.

There is a lesson here for all of us. If you believe in a set of values, as does the President, it is best to win others over to your values rather than to compromise yourself to befriend others. The church in America is learning that lesson as millions of parishioners flee the Episcopal, Presbyterian (USA) and Methodist churches as those denominations move toward accepting the value system of the homosexual community to be "inclusive."

Christ told the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."  (Jn 8:11) He did not compromise God's law by saying, "You are forgiven, and you may continue in sin." Would Christ have had a greater following had He compromised with the Pharisees and agreed to a little money changing at the Temple? Somehow, I just don't think so. Since we conservatives are right, it is our duty and responsibility to win others to our cause. Over the last two decades of staying the course, we conservatives have won the majorities in the House and Senate and most of the governorships and state houses in the nation. Those "conservatives" who compromised their values after being elected to office are for the most part gone. While there are a few like Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) who still believe in the "big tent," that concept is dead. Republicans began winning elections when they took down the "big tent" and said "this is what I believe, take it or leave it." By the way ... There is a good chance that Arlen Specter is going to be defeated in the Republican Primary by a real conservative, Pat Toomey , on April 27th.

President George W. Bush is now back on course. The plan to get the Hispanic vote by legalizing the illegals has died and much of the "big tent" concept to expand the base with "inclusion" has been buried with it. In his last public address he referred to Islamic terrorism, while the "religion of peace" rhetoric that angered so many Christian conservatives has not been used in months. However, a lot of damage has already been done. Elephants have long memories, and it is only a short time until the November election.

I believe that if the President stays the course and delivers the message he believes in, he will be reelected. In that case, the war on terror will continue, Israel will have a secure border and democracy in some form will come to the Middle East. If John Kerry becomes President of the United States, our armies will serve the United Nations which is run by dictators and monarchs. We may actually cease to be a free people, and give up the right to speak our minds without the permission of some International body.

The upcoming election is less about George W. Bush and John Kerry than it is about America. Do we want to be an independent nation seeking our own destiny and defending our own ideals, or do we want to be subject to the rules imposed upon us by an international body run by Third World dictators and Middle Eastern monarchs? Oddly, as of today, half the voters of this nation would prefer Americans bow to the United Nations rather than to God.

HOUSE AND SENATE - No Activity

SEX TRAFFICKING - 21ST CENTURY SLAVERY

By Peggy Birchfield

On April 13th the Religious Freedom Coalition participated in a meeting held on Human Trafficking to preview Health and Human Service's new project, the Rescue and Restore Campaign. The program is being launched to combat human trafficking and to help its victims. Speakers included Steve Wagner of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and Donna Hughes, a professor at the University of Rhode Island along with Pat Trueman, Former Chief of Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice. The Campaign's purpose is to identify and assist victims of trafficking in the United States, and also to increase public awareness. There are different forms of human trafficking, sometimes involving sweat shops, domestic bondage, labor exploitation and forced sexual entertainment. But the most heinous kind is forced prostitution, because it victimizes minor children and young women from impoverished countries, often leaving them with incurable diseases and deep emotional scars. The Rescue & Restore Campaign will launch three pilot programs in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Phoenix. These community awareness campaigns will educate the public, law officials and religious leaders about the plight of victims of sex trafficking. "These victims are often Hiding in Plain Sight" stated Donna Hughes, who has written a practical guide that focuses on identifying victims of sexual trafficking. "We need to be able to see them and understand the conditions of their lives," she explained, "in order to get assistance for them and in order to have the perpetrators arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned."

Human Sex Trafficing is a modern day form of slavery, in which victims are forced into prostitution and used as sex slaves. Between 18,000 and 20,000 women and children are being victimized just in the United States each year. The Human and Health Services (HHS), U.S. Department of State, Department of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security are now taking steps to stop human trafficking. HHS has introduced a hotline number to be publicized on brochures, posters and other materials, so victims of trafficking can contact an aid organization.

HHS - Department for Families and Children has created a web site with educational materials and information for victims, organizations and community services. On a national level, HHS will be educating the public through a series of public television announcements, again informing the victims of the hotline available. These TV announcements offer help to victims of trafficking through a support system to safely rebuild their lives.

The actions of the HHS and other agencies were ordered by the Republican controlled Congress through The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the

Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 (H.R. 2620) both of which provide the tools to combat human trafficking both domestically and worldwide.

Liberals and liberal organizations do not favor trafficking laws, since they see prostitution as a private matter. Liberals believe women should be allowed to sell their bodies if they so desire. Unfortunately it is often the case that these women, particularly those from Third World nations, are not willing prostitutes but have been sold into sexual slavery. Even worse, some of the victims are minor children, both boys and girls.

If you think you know of someone who is a victim of human trafficking, please call the special toll-free HHS information and referral hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

A brand new Ten Commandments silk tie is now available for men! The tie, in your choice of red, blue or tan is custom made of 100% silk for the Religious Freedom Coalition. These ties cannot be bought at any other Internet site or retail store. The ties were made in South Korea and are in route to our Virginia office. They should be ready to ship to you by the end of next week. Over the years we have offered several different inspirational and patriotic ties for men. This is the first tie made specifically for the RFC, and all of us at the Religious Freedom Coalition are very proud of it. I pray you will be equally as proud to wear it. To view the ties please click here.

William J. Murray, Chairman - Religious Freedom Coalition

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