Cheap Seat Report: Republican Presidential Picks As of Today 11.13.15

Following their last debate.

My picks up to now with information I have up to now: First off, I need to clarify that I am not a Republican, so I have no party loyalty to the Republican party and will never hesitate to throw the party under a bus. That said, I ID myself as more of a Constitutional conservative and the Republican party tends usually to have a better pick of candidates that lean that way. Also, my main focus is on religious liberty...and I have stated many times over the years that I dislike politics as a general rule....but will deal with it when it encroaches on religious freedom.. So, I look for the candidates who I think are most apt and able to address and protect that. Followed by illegal immigration, abortion, and the economy.

1)Ted Cruz. Another impressive debate with the right sound bytes in the right places. His simple flat tax plan would effectively end the IRS and, so, not only revising the tax code...but ending a lot of other federal tyranny with the same plan. The left is crying foul because such

a plan would cost the Fed money. There may be some initial cost......but in the long run.........the freedom to spend your own income goes back to you as a citizen. No one should be overly concerned with the gloom and doomers who feel the world would end if parts of the current governmental system would go bankrupt. Most of it should just by simple reaping what it has sown...but the rest of the Fed jumps in to bail it out. The federal government is a tyrannical monster with lots of evil tentacles.

2) Ben Carson. The attacks by the media have resulted in nothing except to reveal how crooked the media (like CNN and Politico) can be. But that really is not something we didn't already know.  Carson is a soft spoken outsider   and that is a large  part of his appeal. The attacks against Carson came just as he started to take leads in the polls. The Hillary Clinton campaign (aka, the mainstream media) did the best they could to protect their crooked leader but it all went awash.  Herman Cain got the same treatment from the media when he rose in the polls, but though he never admitted his involvement in the sexual harassment, his dropping his race left more questions than answers. As Carson has said, the media should vet candidates...they just need to quit lying about things when they do.   In comparison, though, the media still hasn't vetted Barack Obama and don't seem to be too interested in looking at Hillary.


3) Mike Huckabee. He hasn't polled up there with the big dogs yet, but his commitment is real. The former Baptist pastor has a strong commitment to religious liberty which is an important foundation to be addressing for America to remain the land of the free. When I observe strong Christian candidates I also see that the media tends to  avoid them altogether. But when they do they just don't seem to know how to handle it. It seems like if they suggest they understand then their piers would say they are not being objective. Big news media outlets tend to hire what they call "Religion Specialists" or "Religion Analysts." They tend to be as worthless as integrity in an Obama Department of Justice as they pretend to know everything about all the religions and after diluted analysis reveal they know nothing..and particularly nothing about Christianity.

4) Donald Trump. Last month he was at #3 but I see a few things deteriorating. Eminent domain, his tax plan, and his not so wise attacks on Ben Carson  suggesting Carson is "pathological." I still think Trump is the wild card and still the anomaly so I don't rule him out. Of all the candidates he is probably the one who would shake up DC the most and I don't see that as a bad thing. He is the best candidate on immigration and I concur with his views about Vladimir Putin and Syria.

5) Rick Santorum. He hasn't garnered the evangelical support like he did in his last run. Considering the state of flux "evangelicalism" is in right now I guess that's not to be unexpected. Santorum has a speaking platform as long as he stays in the race, but that's about it.

6) Bobby Jindal. I've liked him as a man of Christan convictions. I am beginning to have doubts about him as man of Christian convictions in a nationally elected position. Issues in Louisiana like unemployment and budgets are increasing as concerns. It gets a little hard to sort, though, since Louisiana--like Mississippi--runs ever  mean, vicious and corrupt campaign seasons. As Louisiana has been in the  process of electing a new governor, a lot of dirt got thrown Jindals way.

 7) Rand Paul. His libertarian ideas are some of the good things about him and his libertarian idea are some of the bad things about him. Like his dad, though, it would appear he would be weak on defense. He would be strong on a social issue like marijuana...but, frankly, no one should care what a candidates position is on marijuana. I certainly don't.  To me it's like asking the "boxers or briefs" question. There's far more important issues to address.

8) Marco Rubio. If it had to come down to it, he is probably the only establishment connected Republican I would be OK voting for. His immigration ideas are weak but not the weakest. (That designation goes to John Kasich).

9) Chris Christie. He can quite frequently talk the impressive talk. It's walking that talk that leaves some doubt in my mind. I don't think DC would be anything he would be interested in changing and would likely just assimilate within it.

10) Carly Fiorina. She is the Republican answer to Hillary Clinton: A female who talks out of both sides of her mouth. Her "I'm a victim because somebody said something bad about me and I am a woman" media tours are tiring.

11) Jeb Bush. What can be said about Jeb Bush that can't be summed up in a pretty lame retool of a failing political campaign that says "Jeb Can Fix It." If Jeb could fix it he could fix his campaign.

12) John Kasich. Nada. I'd take more time to write more about him but that's just "too much to do."

 13) Lindsey Graham, George Pataki and Jim "who???" Gilmore. [expletive deleted)

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MEME REPORT:
AS CHRISTIANS, HUMANISM HAS NO PLACE IN OUR HEARTS

Chalk Board Observations 11.07.15

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi - Trailer #2 Green Band (2016) - Paramount Pictures

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MEME REPORT:
OBAMA'S RED LINE

Saturday Read 10.29.15

I havent paid much attention to the news surrounding Ben Carson's involvement with the SDA's any more than I paid attention to the news surrounding Mitt Romney's involvement with Mormonism. As candidates they run to be president of the USA, not president over just Christians who will reject Carson as they did Romney because of their church affiliations. There were many evangelicals who rejected John Kennedy because of his Catholicism. The attached article is extreme, as I have known SDA's who do not follow word for word the teachings of Ellen White even though she essentially founded the church. Heck I know Lutherans who don't know anything about Martin Luther for that matter. When Walter Murphy wrote his famous book "Kingdom of the Cults," he struggled as to whether or not to include the SDAs in it. I might also even though I was once married to one and know her SDA beliefs played a part in the rather quick end to our marriage. That being said, however, it is the content of character that is more important to me as opposed to ones personal views about a religion that someone might be involved with when they dont even know to what extent he/she does believe in it. In short, as a Christian and theologian I have no problem with Ben Carson and his SDA affiliation.
http://cowgernation.com/2015/10/24/newsflash-evangelical-christians-ben-carson-follows-a-cult/


As his surge in heavily evangelical Iowa puts a spotlight on his faith, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is opening up about his membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He embraces it as right for him while also framing his beliefs in broad terms that aim to transcend divisions among Christians.
In an interview with The Associated Press, days after GOP rival Donald Trump criticized Carson's church, the retired neurosurgeon said his relationship with God was "the most important aspect. It's not really denomination specific."
Carson discussed a brief period as a college student when he questioned whether to stay in the church. And in his own criticism, he said it was a "huge mistake" that the top Adventist policymaking body recently voted against ordaining women. "I don't see any reason why women can't be ordained," he said.

From Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ben-carson-seventh-day-adventism/2015/10/31/id/699956/#ixzz3qBc9fzma

 

New results are in from NAEP, the test known as the “report card” for the nation’s schools. They’re not good.
New results are in from the test known as the “report card” for the nation’s schools, and they’re not good.
The U.S. Department of Education just released data from the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress, a nationally representative test measuring student achievement in mathematics and reading. The NAEP, administered every other year in math and reading, often is called the nation’s report card.
There no doubt will be numerous analyses of all the data that NAEP provides, including student subgroups, achievement gaps, state-specific results, charter performance, and progress (or lack thereof) over time.
But at first glance, the new results paint a picture of continued lackluster academic performance.
Math and reading achievement declined for both fourth- and eighth-graders from 2013 to 2015. Mathematics achievement declined at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels, and reading achievement declined significantly for eighth-graders.


 - Even as President Barack Obama sent U.S. troops back to Iraq and ordered the military to stay in Afghanistan, he insisted Syria would remain off limits for American ground forces. Now the president has crossed his own red line.
His deployment of up to 50 U.S. special operations troops into northern Syria to assist in the fight against the Islamic State is the kind of incremental move that has defined Obama's approach to the Middle East in his second term.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/1 /31/with_syria_deployment_obama_crosses_own_red_line_128613.html



Arthur C. Brooks writes in the New York Times:

Scholarly studies have piled up showing that race and gender diversity in the workplace can increase creative thinking and improve performance. Meanwhile, excessive homogeneity can lead to stagnation and poor problem-solving.
Unfortunately, new research also shows that academia has itself stopped short in both the understanding and practice of true diversity — the diversity of ideas — and that the problem is taking a toll on the quality and accuracy of scholarly work.

The ideological imbalance that pervades academia fosters groupthink and undermines critical thinking. The dominance of left-leaning perspectives in academic institutions compromises their commitment to open inquiry and effective education.

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MEME REPORT:
INITIATIVE 42 IS A FAILED REACTION; NOT A RESPONSE

Random Observations 10.02.15 #wordslingerfiles

According to the Chicago Tribune, 96 people have been shot in Chicago in the last week (since Sept 25). That's almost 16 per day. Chicago has very strict gun control laws. http://crime.chicagotribune.com/chicago/shootings

Army Vet Chris Mintz tried to stop the shooter but got himself shot seven times. Mintz knew he was in a "gun-free" zone and obeyed the school's policy.

In the 12-minute Speech on Oregon Shooting yesterday, Obama Referred to Himself 28 Times.

After destroying Chicago public schools, and then working at destroying the nations schools with programs like Common Core, Arne Duncan is resigning. Obama quickly named a replacement, John King, who has spent time destroying schools in New York City with the same agenda but even more aggressively.

The good news so far is that Obama has not said "if you like your gun you can keep it,"

LA Times reporting that Oregon shooter did not like black people. Suggestion for NAACP to call for a ban of:
The Oregon flag, body armor, and I'm throwing in pancakes because he might have had pancakes for breakfast

For the record. though Oregon has a concealed carry law, the campus was still a gun-free zone. The media seems to be pushing the concealed carry narrative. In Oregon, the right to bear arms is protected by Article 1, Section 27 of the Oregon Constitution.

Three websites that are usually good to use as a way to verify news stories: Raw Story, Crooks & Liars, and PoliticusUSA.
By "verify" I mean that whatever they report as "news" means that what really happened is usually the opposite of what they report..

Wolf Blitzer claims he has never seen Obama so angry, emotional and "shaken up." Wolf needs to get out more. .

Shorter Obama: It's the nations fault (except for him because he told us just a few months ago)

A "gun safety law" = "ban" in Obamanese.

Obama is about to get on TV and tell the nation tell how outraged he is at what happened in Oregon. The details are still under investigation, but of course, not having facts has not ever stopped Obama from sharing his opinion before. The two words he will likely use most are: "i" and "guns"

 But the Oregon campus was a "gun free zone." ......

 The fact that Mars seems pretty desolate and NASA has discovered what appears to be some sort of liquid that they cannot even get to proves one thing about the planet: At one time it must of been a planet run by nothing but liberals.

 We are now begging the Russians to negotiate with us ... so they don't shoot down our own airplanes. The biggest humiliation of all is that the Russians today said they are the only air force flying legitimately over Syria, because they have the permission and request of the legitimate Syrian government, and we are violating international law with our missions over ISIS. ---Charles Krauthammer

 Cecile Richards and Hillary Clinton should book a cell together in advance...you know...before any more Democrats get indicted.

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MEME REPORT:
THREE OF THE MOST INEFFECTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR AMERICAN INTEREST & DEFENSE  

Obama Rarely Brings Facts to a Press Conference after any Gun Attack

Obama’s claims about gun violence, including the “facts” he cited to support his call for “common sense” legislation to curb future mass killings, are false. For example, he claimed that “polls” show that “the majority of Americans understand we should be changing these [gun] laws.” Yet, the results of a Gallup survey probing the nation’s response to the stringency of gun laws over a span of two decades tells a different story.

While it is true that the percentage of people who favor stricter gun laws is greater than the percentage of those who favor the status quo or less stringent laws, the trend lines reveal that public opinion has gradually shifted toward a preference for less government intervention.

Obama also remarked, “We know that states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths.”
But Oregon, the state where the murders occurred, just recently strengthened its gun laws.
And– Umpqua Community College, according to its student code of conduct— is a gun-free zone.

Obama also said:

“Let’s be clear: At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. It doesn’t happen in other places with this kind of frequency.”

Yet, data compiled by the now-defunct website RampageShooting.com compared mass shootings in the U.S. to eleven other developed nations, which also evidences the opposite of his remarks. RampageShooting.com’s data reveals that mass shootings occur 21 times more frequently in Norway and two and a half times more often in Finland than they do in America.
In fact, there are five countries that have a higher rate of rampage killings than the U.S.

SOURCE: Constitution.com

 

Obama Pushes Religious "Except when I say so" Freedom at Dem Fund Raiser

According to most liberal lefties, the First Amendment is important..unless it is applied to something we don't like.

Associated Press reported:

• Freedom of religion isn’t reason enough to deny any American their constitutional rights, President Barack Obama said Sunday as he addressed members of the LGBT community, one of his major sources of political and financial support.
  
  Speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser, Obama said it’s important to recognize that some parts of the country remain uncomfortable with same-sex marriage and that it will take time for them to catch up to the majority of Americans who support such unions.
  
  But while Americans hold dear the constitutional right to practice their religion free from government interference, he said that right can’t be used to deny constitutional rights to others.
  “We affirm that we cherish our religious freedom and are profoundly respectful of religious traditions,” Obama said during remarks that were interrupted by repeated applause and cheers. “But we also have to say clearly that our religious freedom doesn’t grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights.”

And he added:

• “And tonight, thanks to the unbending sense of justice passed down through generations of citizens who never gave up hope that we could bring this country closer to our founding ideals … we now live in America where our marriages are equal as well.”

Which begs the question, equal to what?? But, again, it's the liberal lefty straw man: Religious people want to deny gay people a Constitutional right. But, of course, the real narrative is: Go get gay married.  The religious people just do not want to be forced to participate or endorse gay marriage. 

Random Observations 09.22.15

During an interview on Face the Nation on Sunday, John Dickerson asked Hillary Clinton to describe herself in three words

She responded:
“I mean, look, I am a real person, with all the pluses and minuses that go along with being that and have been in the public eye for so long that I think — you know, it’s like the feature that you see in some magazines sometimes: Real people actually go shopping, you know?”

 Susan Rice will be on Face The Nation next Sunday to blame the other 50 words on a video.

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 Socialists see the glass as being half theirs.


 "I think Brian Williams easily won both GOP debates." -Brian Williams [now at MSNBC]


 Obama, a transvestite, and the Pope walk into the White House.....and we'll find out how that turns outs after tomorrow.  DC is taking a lot of safety precautions for the Pope's visit. But, the Vatican couldn't protect the Pope from the Obama agenda. Though the Vatican asked them not to, Obama has invited several LGBT and transgender activists to the White House to "meet" Pope Francis.


As Frankenstein read his news feed this morning, a headline reminded him of his childhood.

From the More Proof Evolution is False File:
If evolution was true, people who live in Chicago would be bullet proof by now.


 “I don’t need to be lectured by Ted Cruz or anybody else about conservatism." --Trent Lott [why the establishment Republicans will never get it)


 By applying MSNBC;s standards they set for themselves over the last 7 years, by going after Ben Carson they must be racist

 Left wing media didn't want Donald Trump to respond to Muslim question issue. They wanted Trump to say the media was right & he is wrong. CNN anchors seem a bit deflated that he didn't respond the way they wanted. MSNBC is running documentaries from 8 years ago so I guess their rage will have to wait til Monday.

 I have to agree 100% with Donald Trump on the Muslim question issue. He has no obligation to defend Obama. McCain used to apologize for things people said about Obama all the time in 2008 and look where it got him.

 News just reported that Obama and Raul Castro talked on the phone today. They supposedly discussed their differences, which means it was probably a very short phone call.

 Last week the liberals wanted Donald Trump to shut up; Now they're complaining because he is not saying anything.

 The first Democrat debate will also be held at a library. Presuming, of course, that Leavenworth Federal Prison has a library.

 80% of MSNBC viewers think Trump should correct anyone who says Obama is a Muslim. I'm just curious how they got 80% out 4 people.

 All these media outlets claiming who won the debate don't get it. The VOTERS decide who won the debate on election day.

How Kim Davis Could Have Been President of the United States

Viola Davis isn't all over the news today because she won an Emmy. She is all over the news today because she is a black woman who won an Emmy. She is now an iconic "hero." Bruce Jenner is now a "hero" because he decided to call himself Cait and wear women's clothes. Jason Collins is a "hero" not because he plays basketball, but because he is a basketball player who is "gay."  There's more, of course.

 If Kim Davis was a black lesbian transgender basketball playing actress who issued marriage licenses to anyone for any reason..she would likely have already been nominated by the Democrat and Republican party as their 2016 nominee. The media, who would have already skewed the polls to reflect her popularity, would be announcing her as the next President of the USA just by default. 

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MEME REPORT:
THE HYPOSCRISY OF CAIR:

 

Obamanista Regime Invites LGBT Activists to Proselytize the Pope During Whitehouse Visit

“It is so fitting that the least friendly administration to religion in history would invite a collection of pro-abortion nuns, Catholic gay activists, assorted dissidents and religious rebels to attend Pope Francis' visit to the White House on September 23.”
-- Bill Donohue, president of Catholic League

-- From "Vatican expresses irritation with WH over guest list" by Jesse Byrnes, The Hill 9/18/15

The Vatican is expressing displeasure with the Obama administration's move to invite certain LGBT activists to the White House for Pope Francis's visit next week, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A senior Vatican official told the newspaper about worries that photos with transgender activists, the nation's first openly gay Episcopal bishop and another activist could be interpreted as a papal endorsement.

The Vatican official said the presence of several of the activists was irritating given that it is unclear whether the White House has yet invited any anti-abortion advocates, a top issue for U.S. bishops.

White House aides on Thursday evening downplayed differences between positions of the pope and the Obama administration, instead focusing on potential areas of mutual interest, such as climate change.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

The Pulpit has become Impotent

[Use By Permission] Josh Buice:

When we have many pastors who are unsure if calling abortion sinful is crossing the line in their role as pastor, it’s no wonder the people in the pews are confused. When there is no prophet in the pulpit who will stand and tell the truth, the people will be led astray by popular opinion. Men will not teach their families to oppose the barbaric practices of abortion when the Word is not proclaimed faithfully. Little girls will be raised to think that an “unwanted pregnancy” is merely an inconvenience that needs to be dealt with in order to pursue academic, athletic, and as Hillary Clinton calls it, “family planning” goals. The way in which this unwanted pregnancy is dealt with in the abortion process is nothing less than murder. It’s a barbaric practice that needs to be outlawed in our land.

The calling to preach the truth involves the mandate to tell the truth. To preach the Word of God means to tell people what God has to say regarding the issue of life, the sanctity of life, and the sin of murder. We need a prophet in the pulpit who would be willing to call out to Washington like John the Baptist did with Herod. How would John the Baptist address the open practice of abortion for profit in America? What would Paul say if he walked out of the subway into the grass of the Washington D.C. lawn and started preaching the truth? If asked, what would you say about abortion? Do you know what the Bible says?

As Christians, we don’t fight against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6). We are in a spiritual war. However, the church of Jesus Christ cannot sit back and remain silent on these issues. We must stand firm, preach the truth, and seek to change culture by the gospel. Standing upon the clear teachings of Scripture regarding the sanctity of life is essential. For far too long, the church has remained silent or muzzled on this issue. Until the American people see the importance of preserving life and protecting the unborn babies – politicians will continue to support this bloody organization. Justin Taylor has provided specific information on how to contact your representative in Washington and make your voice known over this issue. You can visit his article over on the ERLC site.

Psalm 139:13-16 – For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. [14] I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. [15] My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. [16] Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

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MEME REPORT:
OBAMA WHITEHOUSE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT "LAWFUL" MEANS

Religious Freedom Report 09.17.15

An appeals court has ruled that Obama's health care law violates the rights of religiously affiliated employees by forcing them to provide  contraceptive coverage.

Reuters:

A U.S. appeals court has ruled that President Barack Obama's healthcare law violates the rights of religiously affiliated employers by forcing them to help provide contraceptive coverage even though they do not have to pay for it.
Parting ways with all other appeals courts that have considered the issue, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis on Thursday issued a pair of decisions upholding orders by two lower courts barring the government from enforcing the law's contraceptive provisions against a group of religiously affiliated employers. Circuit Judge Roger Wollman, who wrote Thursday's decisions on behalf of a three-judge panel, said the court must defer to the employers' "sincere religious belief that their participation in the accommodation process makes them morally and spiritually complicit in providing abortifacient coverage."
The cases are Dordt College et al v. Burwell, No. 14-2726, and Sharpe Holdings Inc et al v. U.S. Department of Human Services et al, No. 14-1507, both in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

Radio host Bryan Joyce chastises Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz for standing up for Kim Davis but not for Charee Stanley.:

It's odd that Frazier would say Cruz is "committed to defending" religious freedom, because incidentally, there's another woman in the United States who, just like Kim Davis, says her religious freedom is under attack. But Cruz is nowhere to be found. Neither is Huckabee! Not only are they not meeting with this woman, but as far as I know, neither one of them has even bothered to drop a dime and call her.
The woman I speak of is Charee Stanley, a 40 year-old flight attendant who converted to Islam two years ago. She says she came to a mutual agreement with her employer, ExpressJet, whereby other flight attendants would serve alcoholic beverages to any passengers requesting a drink on her flights. But after her fellow flight attendants complained to management, Stanley says ExpressJet reneged on their agreement, and placed her on unpaid leave.


 For three years, Charee Stanley has been a flight attendant with Atlanta-based ExpressJet Airlines. But, two years ago, she chose to be a Muslim. The Washington Post said that "Stanley’s conversion brought an outward change — she started wearing a hijab. But the 40-year-old flight attendant also felt that her new faith prevented her from fulfilling what some might consider a fundamental part of her job: serving alcohol." The missing problem, however, is why did she wait TWO years to suddenly decide her religious freedoms were being violated??



Speaking to students at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Tuesday, September 15, 2015, Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said, “Our society has become so blind by its quest to redress wrongful discrimination against one class of people that it is now in danger of creating another victimized class: people of faith like you and me.”

It appears, though, that even the Mormons have their tares amongst their wheat: Hermia Lyly wrote at "Young Mormon Femninists" in an open letter to Rasband:
My wife and I listened to your devotional from our home, hoping to hear words of comfort and love. Within a few minutes, we had to turn off your devotional address–both my wife and I were sweating and nearly shaking because we were so disappointed by your message. While my response to you is regrettably incomplete because I did not finish listening to your devotional, I felt the need to protect my home from your words.

"Sweating and shaking?" Really? Sounds like a tactic used by the Freedom from Religion Foundation where atheist heads explodes every time they see a cross or a commandment in public.

I have seen some touting a poll by ABC/Washington Post:

• An ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Tuesday has found that the majority of Americans believe that Kentucky clerk Kim Davis should be required by law to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, and said that equality under the law trumps a person's religious beliefs when the two come in conflict.

But, read the fine print. This is a sampling of 1,003 people. I don't think a case could be made for it speaking for the entire USA 

•  A quick word on the polls, a practice which is central to modern analyses of political races. I believe that polls are far more scientifically unreliable than they are generally made out to be, and think that wild inductions are not the safest way to go. Talking to 200 people and deciding what 200 million are thinking is . . . risky. --Doug Wilson

In Oregon there is another government official who risks losing his job because he does not want to officiate over any same-sex marriage.:

 An Oregon judge is fighting an investigative panel’s accusation that by declining to perform same-sex weddings on religious grounds, he violated both the state’s constitution and code of conduct for judges.
This and other allegations could result in the judge’s suspension or removal from office. Vance D. Day, one of 14 judges on the Marion County Circuit Court in Salem, Ore., readily admits that he asked an assistant not to schedule him for same-sex marriages but instead to arrange for another judge to officiate.
Performing the marriage of two men or two women “conflicted with his firmly held religious beliefs,” Day told the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability.

And in Ohio:

 An Ohio church is suing a strip club and its scantily clad staff for protesting outside the house of worship during the past five years. The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://www.dispatch.com ) New Beginnings Ministries Pastor William Dunfee filed the lawsuit against Foxhole strip club owner Thomas George and his employees last Friday in Columbus federal court.
The suit claims the topless protesters violated the Warsaw church's First Amendment right to religious freedom and the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
Dunfee is asking the court to order protesters to stop blocking church entrances, intruding on church property and intimidating parishioners.
George called the claims "very false." He organized the protests after losing a suit against the church in 2009 for picketing outside his establishment.

Depending on where this goes in court, a precedent could be set on whether or not it is OK for naked people to protest in front of your church during services.  

President Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry warns of the possible “Side Effects” that may result from the absurd agreement.

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MEME REPORT:
HILLARY TRIES THE "HUMOR" BIT

Roskam: President Obama Broke the Law by Not Turning Over Side Deals

Calls on House to Pursue Legal Action Against the Administration

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06), co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, released the following statement after House passage of H. Res. 411, offered by Congressmen Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and Lee Zeldin (R-NY), which finds that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015:
“President Obama broke the very law he signed by failing to provide Congress with the Iran-IAEA side agreements. Withholding these documents from the American people and their elected representatives completely discredits the transparent review process the Administration was legally obligated to provide. In light of this vote, I believe the House should pursue legal action against the Administration for its blatant disregard for the law. I want to thank Congressman Pompeo and Congressman Zeldin for their relentless efforts to expose these side deals and push for this important vote.”

Click here or below to watch Roskam's Floor speech urging passage of H. Res. 411:




Background:
According to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (emphasis added):

“Not later than 5 calendar days after reaching an agreement with Iran relating to the nuclear program of Iran, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership—(A) the agreement, as defined in subsection (h)(1), including all related materials and annexes;”

“The term ‘agreement’ means an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran that includes the United States, commits the United States to take action, or pursuant to which the United States commits or otherwise agrees to take action, regardless of the form it takes, whether a political commitment or otherwise, and regardless of whether it is legally binding or not, including any joint comprehensive plan of action entered into or made between Iran and any other parties, and any additional materials related thereto, including annexes, appendices, codicils, side agreements, implementing materials, documents, and guidance, technical or other understands, and any related agreements, whether entered into or implemented prior to the agreement or to be entered into or implemented in the future;”

Franklin Graham Encourages Obama to Establish Safe Zones in Syria for Refugees

Dear Mr. President,

With nearly 40 years of experience in international relief work, assisting refugees and displaced people from Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, I would like to add my voice to those supporting the establishment of safe zones in Syria. This would allow Syrians fleeing from areas of conflict inside the country to find safety, food, medicine, and shelter, and stay within their borders, nearer their homes, until a political and military settlement has been reached. Most refugees that I have worked with over the years desire to eventually return home. As we have all seen, fleeing to another country adds great risk to their lives and exposes the refugees to exploitation by unscrupulous people who deal in human trafficking.
Establishing safe zones would require partnership with and military assistance from our allies in Europe and the Middle East, and it would require a considerable commitment from the United States. Without action I believe this crisis will only escalate. Europe and the United States will be unable to handle the flood of people; and the long-term implications are great with the possibility of ISIS infiltrating the refugees and bringing their terrorist activities onto our shores. It is more effective, more economical, and safer to work with our partners and deal with the problem there.

Mr. President, I ask you to lead the way in an alliance to provide safe zones inside Syria’s borders. I pray that God will give you His wisdom as your decisions will affect the lives of so many. God bless you.

Sincerely,
Franklin Graham

On That Iran Deal? Hillary Helped

"Though President Obama deserves ultimate responsibility for the string of concessions that ultimately convinced Iran that it could sign a deal with the U.S. while retaining its nuclear option, it was Clinton who first steered the nation down that path. Though her zeal for a deal may not have equaled Kerry, his appeasement-oriented diplomacy built on the concessions that Clinton began. It was her aide Jake Sullivan who did much of the negotiating with Iran both during her time and state and later after Kerry replaced her. Even if she now wishes to hedge her bets on the deal, it’s obvious that she deserves a considerable share of the blame for a negotiating strategy shift that made getting a deal the priority rather than stopping Iran’s nuclear program."  --Jonathan Tobin 09.09.15 [Commentary]

 

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MEME REPORT:

THE QUESTION AND THE MOTIVE

 

Kim Davis Has Been Arrested; The Gay Mafia Erupts with Joy

 Their message is simple: We rule

• A federal judge here on Thursday ordered a Kentucky clerk jailed for contempt of court because of her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

• The clerk, Kim Davis of Rowan County, was ordered incarcerated after a hearing here before Judge David L. Bunning of Federal District Court. The contempt finding was another legal defeat for Ms. Davis, who has argued that she should not be forced to issue licenses that conflict with her religious beliefs.

• “The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order,” Judge Bunning said. “If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that’s what potentially causes problems.”

• Judge Bunning said Ms. Davis would be released once she agreed to comply with his order and issue the marriage licenses.  --New York Times

• That fascinating question arose as part of a crusade by Rowan County, Kentucky, Clerk Kim Davis to seek a religious exemption from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Before the U.S. Supreme Court put the kibosh on her claim, Davis in her legal brief argued that she understood her oath of office "to mean that, in upholding the federal and state constitutions and laws, she would not act in contradiction to the moral law of God."

•  Why? Because her oath included the words, "So help me God." Of course, the oath of office prescribed by the U.S. Constitution doesn't include those words. George Washington famously added them after taking the oath of office as president, and tradition has maintained them. Davis's claim, however, is nevertheless intriguing. It implies that obedience to divine law is somehow baked in to one's constitutional duties and obligations. --Newsday

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MEME REPORT:
OBAMA'S  MOUNT OF DENIAL

Dershowitz: Obama is a failure by his own standards

“I think this will be his legacy in terms of international relations and I think it will result in an increase in the nuclear arms race, an end to anti-nuclear proliferation, an increase in the likelihood of war, and a greater gulf between Israel and the United States. All of which he promised would not happen..............If you judge president Obama by his own standards, he is an abject failure when it comes to international relations. Forget about my standard or yours. By his own standard he is an abject failure when it comes to dealing with Iran.” --Alan Dershowitz 08.05.15 [The Observer]

If the New York Times is right, then defending Islam is defending Rape as a religious rite.

In an extensive report, the New York Times detailed the theologically-grounded regime of rape and sexual slavery of the Islamic State group, which has taken over large areas of Iraq and Syria and extended its tentacles into other areas of the world. The jihadist group revived slavery last year, finding justification in the Quran and shariah law. They cite the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, who held slaves.

In the moments before he raped the 12-year-old girl, the Islamic State fighter took the time to explain that what he was about to do was not a sin. Because the preteen girl practiced a religion other than Islam, the Quran not only gave him the right to rape her — it condoned and encouraged it, he insisted.

He bound her hands and gagged her. Then he knelt beside the bed and prostrated himself in prayer before getting on top of her.

When it was over, he knelt to pray again, bookending the rape with acts of religious devotion. 

So when Obama defends the religion of Islam, which evokes its adherence to the Quran, is he not also defending their religious rite of rape? 

SOURCE: Aletia

Idaho Sheriff Tony Liford: government permission to hide guns does little to deter crime or shootings

Teton County, Idaho Sheriff Tony Liford endorsed statewide permitless concealed carry Wednesday, saying government permission to hide guns does little to deter crime or shootings.
“I don’t know what it is about a concealed weapons permit that makes everyone feel better,” Liford said.
His comments came just more than a month after a state law allowing permitless concealed carry in unincorporated county areas took effect, which Idaho lawmakers wrote and passed this year.
Liford, a retired New York City cop, said concealed carry without government’s approval doesn’t bother him and he’s not concerned with the safety of his deputies.
“If you’re carrying a gun and you’re a bad guy, then you’re a bad guy,” he said. “Bad guys have concealed weapons permits.”

SOURCE: Idaho Reporter

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 MEME REPORT;
BARACK OBAMA SAYS REPUBLICANS ARE LIKE TERRORISTS; BUT STILL WONDERS WHY REPUBLICANS WON'T WORK WITH HIM