CONGRESS IN SESSION

THE PRESIDENCY

NATIONAL BAD MOOD

According to the newest national polls, our nation is in a bad mood and this is very bad news for President George W. Bush. A Gallup poll released on May 6th indicates that only 36% of Americans are satisfied with "... the way things are in the United States" and 62% are dissatisfied. The President now has an overall approval rating of 49%, with 56% disapproving of the way he is handling the economy. Also, for the first time a majority of people disapprove of his handling of foreign affairs. Are the American people being fair to George W. Bush? Probably not. The economy is hot. Companies are making money and creating jobs. Unemployment is at its lowest level in forty years. But, people are cutting back their spending at grocery stores in order to pay for gasoline, which is at an all-time high at the pump. People get grumpy when they have to buy hamburger instead of steak. While Americans are in this generally bad mood, the finest we have to offer the world, our fighting men, have been accused of human rights abuses in Iraq. Photos of American soldiers "torturing" Iraqi prisoners have forced the President to apologize on Arab television. Most Americans do not want to see their leaders apologize to anyone for anything. On the other hand, the American people don't much like the alternative. Only 36% of Americans have a "positive view" of John Kerry. Kerry has a real problem with veterans, particularly those he served with in Vietnam. Nineteen of the twenty-three officers he served with and all of his commanding officers have signed a letter stating that he is not fit to be commander in chief. A group of Swift Boat veterans has even opened an anti-Kerry Internet site. The Kerry campaign also received bad news about the economy today. The business sector is on fire and unemployment is declining, which means the only campaign issue John Kerry has left is the war in Iraq. With both campaign camps getting hit with bad news the result is a rolling poll as of yesterday showing American voters split 47% for Bush and 47% for Kerry. This indicates a tough election fight from now until November with virtually any major incident, even just days before the election, affecting its outcome. Unfortunately, this will probably encourage terrorists to mount an attack on American soil just prior to the election as they did in Spain.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

While the nation may be grumpy this month, the President himself continues to show his character and his faith. At a National Day of Prayer Event in Washington, DC, President George W. Bush uttered words that send a chill into the hearts of secularists everywhere when he said, " ... while every human enterprise must end, His kingdom will have no end." The secularists and the God haters honestly believe that utopia can be built on Earth by the minds and the hands of men. No government has ever lasted more than a few hundred years, and our government, like all the others before it, will one day cease to exist as well. Only the Kingdom of God lasts forever. A man who believes this understands his fragility and becomes a more compassionate person. Perhaps this explains the great compassion of George W. Bush which I have seen with my owe eyes. (Click here for a full text of the President's remarks.)

THE SENATE

ANTI-SEMITISM Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) has introduced the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 which would require the State Department to prepare an annual report of "acts of physical violence, harassment of, Jewish people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Jewish community institutions, such as schools, synagogues, or cemeteries, that occurred in each country ..." Senator Voinovich's proposal would be extremely embarrassing to many of our allies in Europe and the Middle East. Acts of anti-Semitism are on the rise in Europe, particularly in France which has a huge Muslim population and a government that is anti-Israel and anti-American. In Egypt and other Arab nations, newspapers and television shower a barrage of anti-Semitism upon the people. Most of the world's anti-Semitism is financed by the rich Saudis. Recently the Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah ibn Abd Al-'Aziz announced that "Zionists" were behind all the terrorist attacks in that kingdom. The Global Anti-Semitism Review Act has cleared the Foreign Relations Committee. (To see Egyptian anti-US, anti-Semitic music video click here broad band or here for 56K.)

SUDAN

The Janjaweed -- government sponsored Islamic militias in Sudan-- are practicing mass murder in the Southern Sudan. Since February of last year at least 30,000 have been killed. Many young boys have been taken into slavery and women have been forced to marry into Islamic families, usually as a second or third wife. For what good it does, even the United Nations "inspectors" now say that "crimes against humanity" are being committed. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a medical doctor, and during Senate recess he often travels to Africa to perform surgery free of charge. Last August he operated on many of the poor at the Samaritan's Purse Hospital in the village of Lui in the Sudan. He has continually tried to bring to the attention of the world the plight of the people of the Sudan under their murderous extremist Islamic government. Unfortunately most of America's news media spend their time bashing our own country and can recognize no evil in any of the terrorist states that exist in the Middle East and Africa. On Thursday May 6th, Senator Frist took to the floor of the Senate and delivered an address on the issue. During his remarks he condemned the inclusion of the Sudan in the United Nations Human Rights Commission. (See Frist's remarks click here). Keep in mind that many Democrats, including Senator John Kerry, believe the United States should take no action in the world without the approval of the United Nations which is actually run by nations such as the Sudan. Perhaps this is why so many conservatives view the UN as a corrupt institution run by corrupt men from corrupt nations.

THE HOUSE

ADOPTION INFORMATION ACT Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis wants to place accurate alternative information in the hands of women before they have an abortion. The Adoption Information Act (HR 1229) would require all "family planning clinics" that accept Title X funds to provide a detailed pamphlet of adoption information to anyone seeking family planning services. Most of the "family planning clinics" are actually abortion operations of which most are run by Planned Parenthood. Since they sell abortions at these locations they have no vested interest in a woman reading accurate information about an alternative to abortion. If a woman decides to carry the child to term and give it up for adoption the "clinic" is out the money for the abortion. Currently HR 1229 has only 52 co-sponsors and more are needed if the bill is going to reach the floor for a vote. Click here to contact your congressman and ask him to co-sponsor The Adoption Information Act (HR 1229).

INTERNATIONAL

ISRAEL

Early today, several staff members from the Religious Freedom Coalition attended the Third Annual Israel Solidarity Event at the Israeli Embassy. Speakers other than myself included Dr. Richard Land, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (Southern Baptist), Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon and Janet Parshall, the nationally syndicated talk show host. Most of the speakers dealt with the media double standard toward Israel. An example cited was the murder of a pregnant woman and her four children by Islamic Jihad last week. After the car was hit by an explosion, it overturned. The woman, who was nine months pregnant, and her children survived the initial attack. The gunmen then approached the car and murdered her and all the children at point blank range, including a two-year-old in a car seat. In the West it was a one day story. However, when the IDF assassinated a HAMAS leader the newspapers ran the story for days with numerous quotes from Islamic sources. The Western media had no problem with the murder of children, but went after the Israelis for killing the leader of a terror cell.

PEACE SOAP

We have just received a shipment of fresh handmade soap made in the Holy Land from olive oil. The soap is made by Christian Palestinians in the West Bank. This is the ONLY income of the Christian families involved. Two of the fathers are under death warrants issued by the PLO and are in hiding in Israel. The soap is made by the families. I have met and worked with these Christian men on my trips to Israel for the past two years. For more information click here or on image.

THE COURTS

As mentioned in last week's update, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Margaret Marshall was the keynote speaker at a Lesbian and Gay Bar Association fund raising event. Her participation was a clear violation of the ethics code of the court. Because she had a vested interest in homosexual marriage she should have recused herself from the now historic case brought before the court that did indeed legalize same-sex marriage. The people of Massachusetts are rightly angered and have begun to fight back. A committee has been formed to remove her and the other three judges who voted in favor of same-sex marriage. Further information is available from the Article 8 Alliance.

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 arrived in our Virginia office just a few days ago. 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 or on the image.

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William J. Murray, Chairman - Religious Freedom Coalition

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