LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING JULY 8, 2005
HOUSE AND SENATE IN RECESS UNTIL JULY 11, 2005
THE COURT AND THE PRESIDENT
MAKE IT STOP
I am receiving an average of 100 e-mails a day just from my "inside the Beltway" contacts concerning the appointment to the Supreme Court that George W. Bush has not yet made. The "inside the Beltway" crowd has more or less conceded that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be the nominee. On Thursday Paul Weyrich , who is a conservative coalitions leader in Washington said of Gonzales, "I will neither support nor oppose him." He went on to say, "I can't support him because of my constituency , and I can't oppose him because I can't hurt this presidency. I think it would be an unfortunate choice." Those comments sort of sum up the mood among conservatives who believe that the Gonzales choice has already been made. While Gonzales is a "law and order" conservative and an "economic" conservative, he is not a social conservative. Most of the pro-family, social conservative groups have dug in their heels to fight this nomination and many have begun to spend money to do so even though the appointment has not been made. MEANWHILE: The Democrats hate this man and accuse him of writing a letter from the White House to approve the "torture" of Islamic terrorists and murderers we are holding. With virtually every Democrat against Gonzales it would take only five Republican social conservative Senators to vote with them to block the appointment.
ENTER SENATOR SCHUMER AND SENATOR REID
Meanwhile, Democrat Senator Chuck E. Schumer (D-NY) was overheard talking on his cell phone on an AMTRAK train about the Supreme Court nomination. He said it was war regardless of who the President appointed. "It's not about an individual judge… It's about how it affects the overall makeup of the court," he said. The conversation was reported at the Drudge Report and indicates how hardline leftist Democrats will react to any nomination. On the other hand his boss (sort of) Minority Leader Reid said, "Alberto Gonzales is qualified." I found this statement odd coming from Senator Reid, since he voted against Gonzales during his confirmation vote for the office of Attorney General.
AND FINALLY THE PRESIDENT ON GONZALES
Alberto Gonzales may get the nod from President George W. Bush if for no other reason than all the criticism that has been leveled against him. President Bush is loyal to his friends and Alberto Gonzales is a good personal friend of his. The President has not taken the criticism of Gonzales well. On Monday he told USA Today, "Al Gonzales is a great friend of mine. When a friend gets attacked, I don't like it." KEEP THIS IN MIND: George W. Bush is no dummy regardless of what Michael Moore would have you believe. Bush is smart and full of surprises, as the Democrats have learned again and again. There may be a Gonzales "decoy strategy" that the Attorney General is going along with to help the President hide his true intentions.
SPEAKING OF TERROR
The attack on London will push France even further away from the West. Under the leadership of President Jacques Chirac, the nation of France has sold out its Western allies to appease the millions of Muslims who have been imported into France as laborers and domestics. The French city of Marseilles has turned Islamic and now resembles North Africa more than France. As the day of terror in London wore on and one world leader after another condemned the attacks on British civilians, Chirac was still talking about how bad English food is. Earlier he had said that "One cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad." Oddly he had made this statement to German Chancellor Schroeder and Russian President Putin. German and Russian food is also some of the most bland, horrid tasting stuff on the face of the planet, not counting Hawaiian poi of course. (Please no nasty e-mail's about the poi ... its a joke, OK?)
Under Chirac, France has tied itself at the waist to the Islamic nations of the world, becoming their number one military supplier. Our President, on the other hand, could not have been clearer in his condemnation of Islamic terror:"On the one hand, we have people here [at the G-8 Summit] who are working to alleviate poverty, to help rid the world of the pandemic of AIDS, working on ways to have a clean environment. And on the other hand, you've got people killing innocent people. And the contrast couldn't be clearer." President Bush made the comment after Prime Minister Blair, the host of this year's summit, left the meetings to return to London to inspect terror damage.
SENATOR TED KENNEDY
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is still the only member of the Senate who has not visited our troops in either Afghanistan or Iraq. Have you asked him why?
DO FAMILIES DISPLAY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
Last Thrusday during our news conference introducing the Religious Freedom Amendment on the steps of the Supreme Court I wore a bright red Ten Commandments tie . At one point in the press conference I lifted the tie off my shirt and asked those present, "When will the Cour
t forbid me to wear this tie with the Ten Commandments printed on it because I am standing on government property?" This was a real question. The Court is following "international law" and instinct, not the Constitution of our nation. Already in several cases the Court has referred to "international law." In France a farmer was ordered to take a cross off his property because it was visible from the road. Is this the "international law" the court will follow in the future? To counter the movement toward secularism in the courts and in the culture we must display the symbols of our faith. This is why I have a Ten Commandments plaque displayed in my office and why I wear Ten Commandments and other "religious" ties to events, even events at the White House. Ten Commandments ties and Ten Commandments plaques made of Jerusalem stone are available from the Religious Freedom Coalition Internet store. Click on the images to learn more.
INTERNATIONAL
TONY BLAIR, THE G-8 AND PALESTINIANS
The eight most powerful men in the world met in Scotland only to have the city of London bombed by Islamists. In response Prime Minister Tony Blair obtained a commitment of $3 billion (yes billion) to be sent to the Palestinian Authority. Announcing the deal, Blair told reporters: "We offer today this contrast with the politics of terror. Yesterday evening the G8 agreed a substantial package of help for the Palestinian Authority amounting to up to $3bn in the years to come, so that two states - Israel and Palestine - two peoples and two religions can live side by side in peace." Meanwhile the calls from the Islamic pulpits controlled by the Palestinian Authority continue to call for the death of Israeli citizens. PA controlled radio and TV continue to air material calling for violence. Yet, there was no condition put on this money to the PA to stop the teaching of a culture of death in the media or the PA controlled schools.
SAMARIA AND BETHLEHEM
I will be in Samaria and Bethlehem during the first week of August. This will be my second trip to the Middle East this year. My primary objective will be to arrange the infrastructure for giving scholarships to deserving Christian youth to attend Christian schools in Bethlehem. I will also be working to arrange for business ventures in Bethlehem to help Christian families stay in the birthplace of Christ. Christians once numbered 85% of the population of Bethlehem, and they have now been reduced to less than 20%. Unless Christians in the West reach out and help the Christians in and around Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ will become nothing more than a theme park operated by Muslim businessmen. Your support is needed for our work in Bethlehem. LAST WEEK WE RECEIVED TOTAL ONLINE DONATIONS OF $80. Of that $80 one man sent a gift of $50. Our annual operating budget is over one million dollars. We need at least another $250,000 for Bethlehem and the West Bank this year. Please help with a gift to our work in the Holy Land at this secure link or mail a gift to RFC Bethlehem Project, PO Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013. If your church or corporation would consider a grant please call Scott Parker at 202.543.0300.
OLIVE OIL SOAP AVAILABLE AT YOUR CHURCH?
Can your church help families in the Holy Land by selling handmade olive oil soap? For several years the Religious Freedom Coalition has offered 100% olive oil soap handmade by Christian families in Samaria. The men of these families are converts from Islam and have been accused of being "collaborators" with Israel. As a result they have death warrants against them and cannot return to their villages. Your church can offer the soap for sale and send the proceeds to the Religious Freedom Coalition. Please call Scott Parker in our office at 202-540-0300. The soap is still available to individuals for just $3.95 per bar! To learn more about this handmade olive oil soap click here or on the image.
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William J. Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition, P.O. Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013. Phone: (202) 543-0300
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