LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING
HOUSE AND SENATE IN SESSION
THE PRESIDENCY
THE CAMPAIGN
For now President George W. Bush continues to pull ahead of Senator John Kerry not only nationally but in virtually every battleground state. Bush is even closing in on Kerry in the traditionally liberal states of New York and New Jersey. The Kerry Campaign seems to be in total disarray, changing battle plans on almost a daily basis. The quick changes in plans to salvage the Kerry campaign have led to huge errors. The Democratic Party is currently running ads to damage President George W. Bush, featuring the comments of discredited CBS newsman Dan Rather. These people are making the Dukakis campaign team look professional! At 72 years old, Dan Rather had hoped to make his mark on this election. It is not a well hidden secret that Dan Rather wanted the credit for knocking George W. Bush out of office as his final journalistic medal; however, it now it appears that his willingness to use forged documents to discredit the President has actually done the opposite. For two full weeks Senator John Kerry has received little or no mention on TV, radio or even the front pages of the national press as political reporters are focused on the gaffs of Dan Rather. If Dan Rather admits the documents he used to discredit the President are false, he is admitting to abetting a felony ….YES, A FELONY CRIME. What has not been widely reported is that it is a major felony crime to forge military documents. It is also a crime to knowingly distribute fraudulent documents for the purpose of affecting the results of an election. While arrests should be made in this case, I am sure the White House has ordered Attorney General John Ashcroft not to make any arrests until after the election on November 2nd. Any arrests of those responsible for distributing the forged military documents before the election would make the President look like he was using his office to suppress public dissent. Having said that, I expect someone, perhaps a Bush critic such as former Guardsman Bill Burkett, with a history of emotional breakdowns, will take the actual fall instead of Dan Rather. Then there is the matter of CBS and credibility. I understand that Dan Rather and the CBS Evening News have fallen behind re-runs of The Simpsons in
MAN BEHIND THE MONEY
The number one chief antagonist of President George W. Bush is an atheist who promotes the legalization of drugs. Who is this man? George Soros. The real hatred of George W. Bush that seeps from the skin of George Soros is caused by his hatred of God. George W. Bush is a man of faith, a man who puts God before everything else, and a man who prays on his knees for God’s wisdom each day. George Soros, on the other hand, worships the logic of man, principally his own logic, and turns to the legalization of drugs for salvation rather than to Jesus Christ. George Soros has given millions of dollars to the cause of legalizing drugs. The Soros Investment Fund is operated out of the Netherlands Antilles which the CIA describes as a “…transparent point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe” and as a “money-laundering center.” Soros also owns a large stake in the Banco de Columbia. Most drugs shipped to the US come from Columbia. CNS News did a lengthy story on Soros’ atheism in December, 2003. Soros can only be stopped by the sunlight of truth shining upon him. The more the public understands about why he hates President George W. Bush, the less likely it becomes that they will believe Soros’ words. Isn’t it odd that the number one supporter of Senator John Kerry is an atheist who supports the legalization of drugs? With his billions comes power. When House Speaker Dennis Hastert mentioned that he had no idea where George Soros got his money, and that “drugs” could be involved, the entire business world went after Hastert. Soros pulls strings in a lot of places. Our organization may find its credit line called next week as a result of this short story. More information on George Soros and the causes he supports: http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pubs.asp?ID=122
FAITH IN THE WHITE HOUSE
I continue to urge Christians of all denominations to obtain copies of the new documentary, George W. Bush, Faith in the White House. Both the DVD and VHS versions are huge best sellers at our Internet store. The 72 minute version on DVD explores the faith of George W. Bush, how it came about, and how it affects his life today. The documentary commentator is nationally known Christian conservative radio show host Janet Parshall. If you have friends and neighbors who don't understand the effect Christ can have on a nation's leader when he really believes the Gospel, I would recommend that you obtain a copy for them. The DVD's are available for just $12.95 each and if you order two or more the shipping is free. We are offering the DVD at a discount below retail because I believe it is important that President George W. Bush's faith in Christ should be known and understood by voters, particularly between now and an election that will set the course of our nation for the 21st century. There is VHS version of George W. Bush, Faith in the White House for those who cannot use the DVD version. For more information click on the image or go to http://www.faithofgeorgewbush.com.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
This past week I had the opportunity to be at an event with Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and to ask her a few questions. In August her Department issued a report titled America's Dynamic Workforce, which I recommend to all. As you know there has been a great controversy over the new overtime rules she issued in August which the unions are fighting. She finds this very odd because the rules do not apply to any union workers and in fact do not apply to any hourly workers at all. The new rules apply to salaried employees and will allow them, for example, to put in their forty hours in four days and take a three day weekend. The rules are simply more flexible for the employees. Several of us asked the Secretary about the attacks on the Administration for jobs lost oversees, commonly called "outsourcing.” CNN's Lou Dobbs has led almost daily attacks against corporations and the Administration for all the jobs "outsourced" to foreign nations. Secretary Chao responded that about 330,000 jobs have been "outsourced;" however, more than 9.9 million jobs have been insourced at the same time. By "insourcing" the Secretary refers to jobs brought to the United States by foreign companies. This had never been brought to my attention before and I had never seen this response by the Administration in the newspapers, and I can see her point. For example the BMW plant in Greensville employs more than 5,000 workers. Many more are employed furnishing auto parts to that 2.5 million sq ft factory. Foreign companies also employ millions of Americans in service jobs, and literally millions of Americans, because of their skills, hold down high paying jobs all over the world. A far different picture than that painted by Lou Dobbs.
THE HOUSE
MARRIAGE
The vote in the House on the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) has been moved to Thursday, September 30th which is only thirty-two days before the election. Pro-gay Democrats will have the opportunity to vote against it just before going home to their constituents to campaign for reelection. The American Family Association has created an Internet site that lists how congressmen stand on the FMA. The site also shows how much money congressmen who oppose the FMA have accepted from homosexual political action committees. Click here to view this congressional information. Contact your congressman on this issue at http://www.house.gov/writerep/
PLEDGE PROTECTION
Congressman Todd Akin introduced last year the Pledge Protection Act of 2003 (HR 2028) which would remove jurisdiction from all federal courts in ruling on what is contained in the Pledge of Allegiance. Akin’s bill was held in the Judiciary Committee for far too long and it now appears that Leadership is going to force it onto the floor within the next few weeks.
CONSCIENCE PROTECTION
Conscience protection for doctors, nurses and pharmacists is getting a lot of good publicity as liberal states try to force health professionals to participate in abortions. This is morally wrong and Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) has managed to insert language into Labor/HHS appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2005 that allows hospitals and individuals to refuse to participate in abortions. There has been a trend, particularly by liberal states, to refuse to fund or even issue building permits to hospitals that refuse to allow the killing of unborn babies on their premises. Under the amendment inserted by Dave Weldon and approved by the full Judiciary Committee, no hospital or individual can be discriminated against for refusing to provide, promote or participate in an abortion. Pro-life supporters must reject any effort to strike the conscience protection language that would protect hospitals and other institutional and individual health care providers from governmental discrimination when they decline to provide, pay for, or refer for abortions. If you have an interest to protecting this language in the Labor/HHS appropriations bill please contact your congressman at http://www.house.gov/writerep/.
THE SENATE
SENATOR JOHN KERRY AND MARRIAGE
Just prior to the release of this update I received an e-mail from Gary Bauer. (Campaign for Working Families) I have copied the information below directly from it because I did not have time for my own research. I trust that Gary is correct and the information is accurate.
After 71% of the people of Missouri voted last month in support of a state amendment affirming traditional marriage, John Kerry told a Kansas City, Missouri NBC affiliate the he too would have voted for the Missouri marriage amendment. But now John Kerry has once again switched sides. In an interview published yesterday in a homosexual magazine, Kerry now insists he was “unbriefed” on the specific language of the Missouri amendment and would not have voted for it. He then goes on to elaborate: “Well, the presidency is the power of bully pulpit to some degree, and you have to talk reasonably to people… Look - you have to begin at a beginning. It took us a long time to pass the civil rights law…It took us a long time for women to get the right to vote in America. You have to fight for things. And you pick a starting point and my starting point is to try to pass ENDA and try to pass hate crimes. And you begin to educate people, and hopefully you change the climate and tone…You've got to begin with ENDA and begin with hate crimes and proceed to grow people's understanding."
INTERNATIONAL
REPRESSION IN SAUDI ARABIA
At long last the State Department has done the right thing concerning religious oppression in Saudi Arabia. For more than a decade I have focused on Saudi Arabia as the heart of the evil of Islamic terrorism. Of all nations in the world, Saudi Arabia has the least religious freedom, yet the State Department has refused to criticize our “ally” even though the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has detailed abuses there. In section II of the report the State Department clearly states, “Freedom of religion does not exist.” This is a major breakthrough for the State Department which has a tradition in both Democrat and Republican Administrations as being docile on the issue of religious oppression. We congratulate Secretary Colin Powell for the courage he has shown in bringing the issues of both religious repression and trafficking in persons to the forefront in the Bush Administration. See the report on Saudi Arabia at: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35507.htm
DO YOU FINANCE TERROR?
Americans hold stock in about 400 companies which work with terrorist regimes around the world such as Iran, North Korea, Syria and the Sudan. These companies help fund these regimes and sometimes actually help them with their programs of mass destruction. You may not hold stock directly in such companies, but your pension fund may have invested in them.
The Center for Security Policy says that “39 of the Top 100 pension systems were found to be invested in more than 100 companies with corporate ties to terrorist-sponsoring states. Of the rest for which there is data, only five hold less than 30 companies with such ties in their portfolios. On average, the Top 100 pension systems invest in 101 companies that have business activities in terrorist sponsoring states. These companies, in turn, are involved in projects in terrorist-sponsoring states valued at more than $73 billion. On average, the Top 100 public funds were invested in: 73 companies doing business in Iran; 24 companies doing business in Libya; 26 companies doing business in Sudan; 31 companies doing business in Syria; and 9 companies doing business in North Korea. On average, the Top 100 pension systems were invested in 17 companies that did business with Saddam Hussein's Iraq prior to the war.” For more information go to http://www.divestterror.org
WEST BANK CHRISTIANS
We are receiving numerous calls and e-mails asking why we have not, of late, offered the Handmade Complexion Soap made by Christian families in the West Bank. As I have explained many times, the transportation from the West Bank to Israel and then to the United States creates a very long supply line. We expect more of the pure olive oil soap to arrive next week from Israel. Feel free to order with the understanding that it may be a week or so before we are able to ship. We have a new system at www.rfcstore.com and your credit card will not be charged until the soap is shipped. Click here to order.
KOSOVO
The white paper I authored about the situation in Kosovo is still available for reading and can be downloaded in PDF format. “Elections” are to be held in October despite the fact that as many as 250,000 Orthodox Serbs have been forced from Kosovo by Albanian Muslims. The election, sponsored by the United Nations without Christian participation will entrench the idea of a Muslim, rather than a multi-cultural Kosovo.
William J. Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition ,
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Religious Freedom Coalition * Copyright - 2004