LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 8, 2006
HOUSE IN SESSION / SENATE IN SESSION
THE PRESIDENT
ISLAMIC FASCISM
We are just three days away from the 5th anniversary of the 9-11 Jihad attack on the United States. Over the last few days President George W. Bush has delivered a series of speeches on Islamic terrorism. The nature of the series of addresses is far different from what the President said a few days after the attack when he appeared at the National Cathedral with a Muslim cleric who blessed "all those" who died on 9-11 including the terrorists. The Administration's demented strategy of constantly referring to Islam as a religion of peace while calling for a war against an enemy with no name has finally given way to some common sense. Unfortunately, four years of the ideological battle have been lost while a "religion" that calls for forced conversion, slavery and murder of "infidels" was praised repeatedly. While the President's tone on Islamic fascism has changed dramatically in the last year or so, American religious leaders and the media are still playing by his old rule book. The Episcopal Church invited an Islamic fascist mass murderer and professional torturer to speak at the National Cathedral just four days before the anniversary of the Jihad attack. Former Iranian "president" Mohammed Khatami defended Iran's nuclear program and human rights record. He made it clear he saw nothing wrong with the repressive government of Iran which deprives women of even basic rights, hangs homosexuals in public and beheads people for, among other things, adultery and conversion from Islam. The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane, the Bishop of Washington, sat in awe with his mouth open, lapping up every word as the killer of Christians, Mohammed Khatami, spoke. When not inviting mass murderers to speak at the National Cathedral, the good Bishop stays busy developing church rites for homosexual marriage rituals. Perhaps the Bishop should read the writings of Osama bin Laden to better understand what the true goal of Islamic fascism is about. Just like Hitler's Mein Kampf, the writings of madman Osama are available at Amazon.com. If you want a true understanding of what we face I suggest you read his Messages to the World.
SEPTEMBER 11 REMEMBERED
On the 10th and 11th the President will humbly honor the fallen during the 9-11 Jihad attack against us. He will hold a prayer vigil in New York and then fly to the site where Flight 93 went down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania for a ceremony. He will then finish the day at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. While Democrats will be on the attack during the weekend using the date for political gain, President Bush will take the high road and honor our dead. On the first anniversary of the 9-11 Jihad attack on the United States I wrote an article centered on my personal experiences of that horrible day. On that day I passed by the Pentagon just as Flight 77 slammed into it. Ironically, I was on my way to a press conference with Senator Brownback (R-KS) to promote the Sudan Peace Act, which would have punished the terrorist Islamic government of Sudan for the mass murder of Christians. Wall Street and the White House were on the other side of the issue at the time, and resisted confronting the Sudanese government for fear of affecting the oil markets. The remembrance is very personal in nature, but still one I believe others should still read today. To read my 9-11 Jihad anniversary remembrance in PDF please click here.
CONGRESS
PUBLIC EXPRESSION OF RELIGION ACT
The Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA) shared the number one spot in a tie with the Pledge Protection Act in our survey mailed last month to Religious Freedom Coalition supporters. (No online survey was done.) Because of this strong support, we began to work behind the scenes before the Congress returned from the August recess. Because of the high interest level in PERA, it was brought up for a "mark-up" vote on the first day the Judiciary Committee met on their return. On Thursday, September 7, 2006 the full Judiciary Committee voted to pass the bill out to the floor for a vote. The bill amends 42 U.S.C. which currently allows parties to sue state and local governments claiming their individual rights were violated and demand attorneys' fees in the case if they win. The ACLU and other liberal groups use this clause to threaten lawsuits claiming cities and towns violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution by allowing, for example, city council members to pray before meetings. It is the basis for the suit to remove the memorial cross in San Diego, as an example. This bill stops the ACLU from any further "green mail" of local governments.
PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT
During the August recess our Executive Director, Peggy Birchfield, went door to door in Senate office buildings delivering the petitions favoring the Pledge Protection Act. Although the Senators were back in their home states during the August recess, most of their chiefs of staff were still in Washington. This allowed Peggy to talk to many influential staff members. As a result of Peggy's hard work, two more Senators agreed to co-sponsor the Pledge Protection Act during the August recess. Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) signed on early in August, with Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) coming on board a few days later. Even though we only began the Senate Pledge Protection petition program online early this year we already have eighteen (18) co-sponsors, which is nearly one out of every five Senators. We are very close to forcing the issue with Senate leadership!
ARIZONA
I don't normally talk about election politics, but I am truly disgusted with what is going on in Arizona's 8th congressional district. I have been a long time backer of former state Senator Randy Graf who is running for the seat being vacated by the only openly homosexual Republican congressman, Jim Kolbe. The Republican Party has internal rules that prohibit it from backing any candidate in a primary unless he is an incumbent. Thus, the party can fund liberal Senator Lincoln Chaffee in Rhode Island against conservative Steve Laffey. But, in the Arizona 8th, there is NO incumbent. Despite this fact, the National Republican Congressional Committee has funded $200,000 in advertising for Steve Huffman, who is pro-abortion and pro-homosexual marriage, and favors amnesty for all illegals currently living in the United States. Keep in mind that Arizona is the state of Barry Goldwater and the state most affected by illegal immigration. Sections of the Arizona border area are "no go" for law enforcement agencies unable to control the crime. The Wall Street Journal ran a nearly full page story attacking Graf and claiming that only a "moderate" Republican can win in Arizona. The reality is that big business wants illegals in the USA to keep down the wage scale. Business interests don't care how much damage is done to the social structure of the nation as long as they can make big bucks. This week I authorized my political action committee, GING-PAC, to send more funds to Graf who is 8 points up in the polls, despite the huge expenditures against him by Wall Street and the national Republican Party.
INTERNATIONAL
HOLY LAND TERROR VIDEOS
Our entire stock of VHS format videos on terror and the Holy Land are now just 99 cents each plus shipping. We are moving our Virginia operations center (not our Washington office) on November 1, 2006 and we don't want to move these with us. The selection includes: Holy Land Terror, Christians In Peril, Holy Land Teenagers and Holy Land Settlements . Three of these are Religious Freedom Coalition productions filmed on site in Israel and the West Bank. These will blow out the door fast at these prices, so please order today. Get an extra one and drop it off at your public library. Click here or on image for details!
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William J Murray, Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition , PO Box 77511, Washington, DC 20013 - (202) 543-0300
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