Wednesday, October 03, 2007 Judicial Confirmations Slow to a Snail’s Pace UPDATE: To view an updated version (5 Bush confirmations now that Southwick has been confirmed) click here or check this blog post from 10/25/2007. While some may contend that the United States Senate is doing a respectable job in confirming judicial nominees, the stats don’t lie. The U.S. Senate needs to take its constitutional responsibility to provide “advice and consent” on President Bush’s judicial nominations seriously, especially in light of glaring vacancies in the federal courts. If one compared the number of circuit court judges confirmed in the last two years of an eight-year presidential term in which the President and Senate belong to opposing parties, Bill Clinton would be the “hare” while George W. Bush would not even merit “tortoise” status.  AdvanceUSA has prepared this graph which compares the circuit court confirmation statistics of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who find themselves in nearly identical political situations.  Click here for a larger version of this graph. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 10:13:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Hate Crimes: “A License To Kill The First Amendment” Alan Sears does an excellent job explaining what is wrong with hate (thought) crimes legislation and what is specifically so dangerous about the current version passed by the U.S. Senate. Hate Crimes | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 9:30:22 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Check Your Faith at the Door:” Chuck Colson on ENDA Chuck Colson paints an alarming but accurate picture of what could happen in America if the dangerous ENDA bill becomes law in his column at Townhall. Excerpt: Imagine you own a small business—let’s say a donut shop—and you have an employee who is late for work everyday and is rude to customers. When you fire him, he claims it is really because he is gay—and sues.   Or imagine you run a daycare center in your church basement. One day a homosexual applies for a job. When you turn him down, he says you broke the law.   Today, both of these stories are simply scenarios. But by the end of the week, they could be reality. For more information on ENDA check the material on the AdvanceUSA home page or the other blog posts in the “ENDA” category. ENDA | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 9:29:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Constitutional Protections for Pastors” and Churches In a letter entitled “Constitutional Protections for Pastors: Your Freedom to Speak Biblical Truth on the Moral Issues of the Day” several organizations concerned with religious freedom are offering legal advice to pastors and congregations regarding permissible issue-oriented political activity.  Pastors, churches, and Christians should understand their rights and responsibilities to be politically active and involved on the issues facing our nation. Excerpt from letter: As the 2008 elections approach, various groups have launched intimidation tactics in an effort to silence churches and pastors about the great social and moral issues of our time.  Churches and pastors need clear guidelines for permissible political activities to answer to these attacks. CWA has also prepared a helpful resource entitled “Political Guidelines for Churches and Pastors.” For more information on church involvement in political issues check the AdvanceUSA church involvement page. UPDATE: Baptist Press has published this helpful article explaining “what can churches do during elections.” Church Involvement | Pro Religious Freedom | Religion in Public posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 9:27:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Still Hunting for Southwick Votes” Roll Call (full article available by subscription) reports on the efforts to scrounge up enough votes in the Senate to ensure that Judge Leslie Southwick receives fair treatment.  Southwick is President Bush’s nominee for a vacancy on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, is an Iraq War veteran, and was unanimously deemed “well-qualified” by the American Bar Association.   Excerpt:   [Sen.] Cochran [(R-MS)] said Monday that the hurdles to confirming Southwick remain great, but he continues to work with other GOP Senate supporters to try to convince enough Democrats to come on board. He added that he believes if Democratic Senators approach the Southwick nomination with an open mind, then he may eke through.   “The party with the most votes wins,” Cochran said. “And if it’s on a partisan basis, he won’t be confirmed and it would be a tragedy because he is a man of outstanding character who would be an outstanding addition to the court.”   For more information on Southwick’s beleaguered nomination click here or check the related blog posts in the “Southwick” category. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice | Southwick posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 9:15:54 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Court Employees Sue over Banned Lunchtime Bible Study” Excerpt from Online Union-Tribune article:   Two San Diego court employees are suing the Superior Court because they say they have been prohibited from holding a lunch hour Bible study in the courthouse.   The federal civil rights suit claims court officials unfairly denied the group's request to meet in an empty courtroom or jury deliberation room.   The Bible study group had met in the courthouse regularly since 2000, but in April 2006, the suit said, court officials banned the meeting, saying it violated court policy. Pro Religious Freedom | Religion in Public posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 9:14:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Tuesday, October 02, 2007 Clarence Thomas: Model Supreme Court Justice and Man of Character Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is not one to hog the lime light.  He rarely gives public interviews, but now that his new memoir “My Grandfather’s Son” is coming out Thomas has broken the silence to talk about his life and his beliefs.  As his book and numerous interviews reveal he is not only a man of character but also a shining example of what a Supreme Court Justice should be.  His jurisprudence should be a model for future judicial nominees, and presidential candidates should be judged by how likely they would be to appoint judges in the mold of this great American.  Americans need to get to know Justice Thomas in order to be inspired by his story and instructed by his judicial wisdom. Below are numerous resources relating to Clarence Thomas: YouTube video of Thomas’ “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday night: Interviews: Interview with a Grandson: Clarence Thomas on his Memoir By Kathryn Jean Lopez National Review Rush Interviews Justice Clarence Thomas Rush Limbaugh Read more ... Pro Justice posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:15:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Wife of Presidential Candidate Opposes Embryonic Research Despite Her Battle with MS Though she suffers from multiple sclerosis, the wife of presidential candidate Mitt Romney Ann Romney does not support embryonic stem cell research.  She instead chooses to stress the exciting results coming from ethical adult stem cell research while emphasizing the need for clear ethical lines to be drawn in scientific research.  Ann Romney hopes her new website (just unveiled today) will be used to raise awareness of MS while also providing a forum for other things she cares about like recipe swapping and her husband’s campaign.  Kathryn Jean Lopez today writes about Ann Romney’s efforts fighting MS at National Review Online.  AdvanceUSA applauds Ann’s courage in supporting innocent human life despite the suggestions from some that unethical research could one day be used to treat her serious medical condition. For more information on stem cell research check the AdvanceUSA stem cell page and adult stem cell page. Adult Stem Cells | Election 2008 | Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:07:58 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Florida Activist: “Rationale for Marriage Amendment” Our friend John Stemberger with Florida4Marriage has an excellent op-ed in which he explains the rationale for a state constitutional amendment protecting the traditional definition of marriage in Florida.  His reasoning arguably also applies to the national marriage issue. Marriage | Pro Family posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 9:41:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Coach in Court for “Taking a Knee” During Prayer The Rutherford Institute reports (excerpt): The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will hear arguments on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007, regarding the right of the high school football coach to silently bow his head and bend his knee while members of the football team engage in the time-honored practice of student-initiated pre-game prayer. A federal court ruled in July 2006 that officials at East Brunswick School District in New Jersey violated Coach Borden's constitutional rights when they forbade him from bowing his head or "taking a knee" during pre-game student prayers. However, the school district appealed the decision with the assistance of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Pro Religious Freedom | Religion in Public posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 9:39:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      ENDA Update The latest version of ENDA no longer includes “gender identity” as a protected class and contains a broader exception for religious institutions.  However, the legislation still recognizes “real or perceived sexual orientation” as a protected class and adds a two-part test that religious organizations must pass in order to have their beliefs on sexual morality protected.  Furthermore, the legislation still burdens businesses with unnecessary regulation which could cause a litigious nightmare and harm work force morale.  The committee markup originally scheduled for today has been postponed.  AdvanceUSA will continue monitoring the situation closely. UPDATE: Fox News reports on the delay in ENDA legislation due to concerns over “transgender” protections.  The article includes quotes from liberal LGBT activists. ENDA | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 8:57:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Monday, October 01, 2007 Marriage Update: Court Cases Across the Country The Associate Press reports on the many recent court cases involving the definition of marriage. Marriage | Pro Family posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 9:49:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      New Website: “How Cable Should Be” The Parents Television Council has set up a new website called HowCableShouldBe.com.  At this site you can calculate how your cable bill would improve if you could pick and chose what channels your home received, and you can find more information about cable choice. Some in the pro-family community advocate “Cable Choice” as a way to benefit consumers and give families greater control over the programming entering their homes.  While there is some debate among conservatives over whether certain cable choice legislation inappropriately allows the federal government to over-regulate business, it is undeniable that greater cable choice would be appreciated by many consumers. Broadcast Indecency | Pro Morality posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 9:47:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Reproductive Technology and the Right to Life” Ken Connor takes a look at “reproductive technologies” and uses some solid biblical principles to help people think about these procedures.  He does not condemn procedures like in vitro fertilization (IVF) but rather cautions people to carefully consider their options and condemns anti-life actions such as allowing “excess” embryos to be discarded.  This is a helpful piece for anyone studying IVF, bioethics, or the rights of human embryos. Pro Life posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 9:43:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Friday, September 28, 2007 “Democratic Candidates Say They're OK With Second-Grade Teacher Reading Gay Prince Fairy Tale” Fox News reports that in a Wednesday night debate the three Democrat frontrunners (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards) revealed that they thought the homosexuality-promoting children’s book “King & King” was acceptable curriculum for second graders. Election 2008 | Marriage | Pro Family posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 7:47:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      "Clarence Thomas: My Confirmation Hearings Were Really About Abortion" In an in-depth interview for “60 Minutes” Clarence Thomas recounts that the reason his nomination received such vitriolic opposition was his strong pro-life stance on abortion.  The interview will air this Sunday night on CBS at 7:00pm Eastern.  Justice Thomas is also promoting his new autobiographical book entitled “My Grandfather’s Son.” UPDATE: See the video of Justice Thomas’ interview on “60 Minutes” here. Abortion | Pro Justice | Pro Life posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 7:44:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Federal Abstinence Funding Running Out” CitizenLink reports: The clock is running out on federal abstinence funding. If grants to the states are not renewed by Sunday, abstinence-based sex education will be a rare commodity in public schools. A letter to members of Congress by the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) thanks Congress for extending abstinence funding even for three short months but urges a much longer reauthorization to ensure that these effective programs continue. Abstinence | Pro Morality posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 7:42:28 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Wesley J. Smith: No Brakes on the Runaway Embryonic Stem Cell Research Train Wesley J. Smith comments on the current state of unethical embryonic stem cell research and the multiple deceptions used by proponents. Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 7:41:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Ruling Allowing New Jersey Abortion Practitioner to Mislead Women Appealed” LifeNews excerpt: An attorney for a woman victimized by an abortion is appealing the decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, which determined that an abortion practitioner didn't mislead her. Rosa Acuna says she was incorrectly told by abortion practitioner Sheldon Turkish that she was not aborting a human life when she had an abortion in 1996. The case could eventually come before the U.S. Supreme Court. Abortion | Pro Life posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 7:38:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Prisons to Restore Purged Religious Books” For Now The New York Times reports that the Bureau of Prisons has announced it will reconsider its policy regarding the approval of religious texts in the nations’ prisons and will immediately restore the confiscated books back to prisons (except for books deemed obviously to incite violence) until the policy can be reevaluated. Rather than having a government agency determining what acceptable religious texts are, a sensible alternative would be to have the Bureau of Prisons prohibit any text which is deemed to incite violent or illegal activity.  In this way the government would not be seen as “establishing” a particular religion but would be merely enforcing a sensible measure to prevent violence and terrorist recruitment in our nation’s prisons.  Religion would no longer be the issue. Pro Religious Freedom posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 2:55:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “General Pace Causes Stir at Senate Hearing Over Homosexual Remarks” Fox News article excerpt: Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, caused a stir at a Senate hearing Wednesday when he said he believes homosexual activity is immoral and should not be condoned by the military. It’s amazing that uproar ensues from simply saying homosexual behavior is immoral. posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 2:53:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Thursday, September 27, 2007 Vote Results from Hate Crimes Vote This Morning The United States Senate voted this morning on an amendment to the Defense bill that would make hate (thought) crimes based on “perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity” a federal matter.  Unfortunately the amendment passed by a vote of 60 - 39.  Fortunately, there appear to be sufficient votes to sustain the veto the president has promised. To see how your senators voted see the vote chart below. For more information on hate crimes click here or check the other blog posts in the hate crimes category. Senate Cloture Vote on the Kennedy Amendment (S.A. 3035) adding federal hate crimes language to a war funding bill (60 votes needed to pass - PASSED) September 27, 2007 Full Results | News Story     Yeas Nays PRES NV Republican 9 39   — 1 Democratic   50 — — — Independent   1 — — — TOTALS   60 39 — 1 Hate Crimes | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 4:40:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Traditional Marriage Still has a Chance in Oregon AdvanceUSA is happy to report that the efforts to protect marriage in Oregon have seen success.  Earlier this year the Oregon legislature passed two laws which overturn the 2004 voter-approved state marriage amendment.  These laws, among other things, would award marriage benefits to same-sex couples.  The group Restore America announced Wednesday that they have collected 63,000 signatures, approximately 7,500 more than needed, to halt the enforcement of the laws and allow them to be overturned by a vote of the people next year. Below is the Restore America press release announcing the signature collection success: Read more ... Marriage | Pro Family posted on Thursday, September 27, 2007 4:27:07 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Wednesday, September 26, 2007 “Get the ACLU Out of Our Bathrooms”: Workplace Problems Will Worsen if ENDA Passes Terence Jeffrey’s article at TownHall is a startling reminder of what could happen if Congress passes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).  He explains the case of a male bus driver in Utah who decided he wanted to use women’s public restrooms while undergoing hormone treatments to supposedly “change his sex.”  He sued his employer after they refused to allow his behavior, and the 10th Circuit Court upheld the decision of the employer to forbid his use of women’s restrooms.  CitizenLink comments on this case and clearly explains how ENDA could cause such cases to multiply across the country and would likely force employers everywhere to comply with such outrageous demands. For more information on ENDA click here. ENDA | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:46:43 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Poll Shows Abortion Important to Voters” LifeNew reports. Abortion | Pro Life posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:44:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Research: Adult Stem Cells Could Make Liver Transplants Unnecessary The UK’s Telegraph reports that new research suggests that adult stem cells could be used to regenerate damaged or disease liver tissue possibly eliminating the need for liver transplants. For more news on the exciting successes of adult stem cell research click here. Adult Stem Cells | Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:43:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “House Legislation Would Curb School Choice” CitizenLink reports that the latest version of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which is due for reauthorization in the House, undermines important school choice provisions. Pro Family | School Choice posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:42:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Tuesday, September 25, 2007 A Hate Crimes Surprise Today in the Senate! Urgent Action Needed! Startling new developments have arisen regarding the hate (thought) crimes bill.  Today Sen. Harry Reid offered hate crimes legislation as an amendment to the Defense Department reauthorization bill.  Because of the method he used to offer this amendment, it could be voted on as early as Wednesday but certainly by Thursday. Please make every effort to call both your senators today and urge them to vote "No" on Senate Amendment 3035 (i.e. "hate crimes amendment") to the Department of Defense reauthorization bill!  Hate crimes laws are unjust, constitutionally questionable, and a subtle, yet very real, threat to religious freedom.  For more information on hate (thought) crimes legislation check the AdvanceUSA home page or the hate crimes category at AdvanceUSA Blog. To protect equal justice under the law and religious freedom, please call your senators today! Hate Crimes | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 9:27:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “ENDA: Workplace is the Wrong Place for Sexual Politics” This CitizenLink article powerfully explains some of the practical problems with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which makes “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity” a privileged legal status (on the same legal footing as race or religion) in employment matters. For more information on ENDA check the AdvanceUSA home page or past blog posts in this category. ENDA | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 9:21:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Public Prayer Cancelled At Ceremony Honoring Murder Victims The Associated Press reports on this story of outrageous anti-God sentiment in Madison, Wisconsin.  Apparently liberal groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation will not rest until all public recognition of God is forbidden. Pro Religious Freedom | Religion in Public posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 9:19:44 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Wait A Minute” Says Pro