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 While Sen. John McCain is looking to seal his nomination from the Republican Party tonight over rival Gov. Mike Huckabee, Democrat Sen. Hillary Clinton is in a desperate race to reverse the momentum of Sen. Barack Obama and hold on to viability. Will the general election match-up finally be determined? The elections tonight in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont could be crucial.
AdvanceUSA will post results tomorrow. Until then, USA Today will be reporting results as they come in tonight.
Find out how the major candidates stand on important issues with AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.
Coming Soon: AdvanceUSA will be releasing a special Candidate Comparison for the eventual general election match-up. Stay tuned!
CNS News reports. Excerpt:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told a crowd at
Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, Sunday that he believes the Sermon on the
Mount justifies his support for legal recognition of same-sex unions. He also
told the crowd that his position in favor of legalized abortion does not make
him "less Christian."
By Daniel Herbster
I had the opportunity to speak to sophomore biology students and senior chemistry students at my high school alma mater about stem cells, cloning, and the pro-life cause. The students at Community Baptist Christian School were great, and showed genuine interest in the presentation. I'd like to thank Miss Anderson for inviting me to speak to her students and for taking these photos.
Explaining the science of human embryo development.
For more information about bioethics and life issues check the pro-life, stem cell, adult stem cell, and human cloning pages at AdvanceUSA.org or check the stem cell, adult stem cell, pro-life, abortion, and human cloning categories at AdvanceUSA Blog.
LifeNews reports. Excerpt:
A Johnson County grand jury has failed to
issue an indictment against a Planned Parenthood abortion center near Kansas
City. The verdict of "no true bill" comes after several allegations
that the grand jury process had been distorted by a judge who sided with the
abortion business in limiting the panel's access to abortion records.
The
Washington
Post also reports.
Lee
Culpepper chronicles the advantages
and accomplishments of charter schools.
Excerpt:
Charter schools have benefited from a
similar philosophy. They, too, “accomplish more with less.” They entice
committed families and teachers searching for something better in public
education. They also strike fear in the hearts of teacher unions and slippery
politicians.
Overall, charter schools have produced at
least as good -- but typically better results than traditional public schools.
Charter
schools demonstrate that greater choice and greater parental involvement are
important elements of improving education in America. Having worked in a charter school during
college, AdvanceUSA’s Daniel Herbster can attest to the academic quality and beneficial
atmosphere of those institutions.
 AdvanceUSA is proud of the courageous leadership shown by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) yesterday on the crucial issue of judicial confirmations. As frequently reported by AdvanceUSA, the Senate has shamefully fallen behind on its duty to consider and vote on the Presidents nominations to critical federal court positions. The obstruction is particularly dangerous when considering Circuit Court vacancies. Our friends at the Committee for Justice helpfully report on the leadership meetings that took place yesterday, as well as commenting on the excellent floor statements made by several Senators.
Excerpts:
Monday’s meeting appeared to mark a turning point in what the letter calls the Senate’s “most bitter” controversy. A fight over judges has been brewing for weeks now, as GOP senators have become increasingly frustrated with Leahy’s obstruction of nominees. Sen. Specter had urged his colleagues to postpone any hardball tactics while he tried again to work things out with Leahy. But yesterday, “Specter indicated to the conservative leaders that he too had run out of patience and was ready to lead his colleagues into battle,” said Committee for Justice executive director Curt Levey, one of the participants in the meeting.
…
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the floor after Specter to urge that his “Democratic colleagues resist the desire by some to drag us back into judicial confirmation brinksmanship.” McConnell noted that “many of these [judicial] nominees satisfy most or all of [Leahy’s] specific criteria for prompt consideration: they have strong-home state support, they fill judicial emergencies, and they have good or outstanding ABA ratings.” Nonetheless, McConnell said, “there have been no judicial confirmations so far this year, and there has been only one hearing on a circuit court nominee since September of last year.” In last year’s most contentious fight over a judicial nominee, both McConnell and Specter were instrumental in the successful confirmation of Fifth Circuit nominee Leslie Southwick.
Full story here.
To read the entire floor statements of Senators McConnell and Specter see below:
McConnell: End Brinksmanship on Judicial Nominees
Senator Arlen Specter Speaks on the Senate Floor Regarding Judicial Nominations
AdvanceUSA is encouraged that judicial confirmations might become a major issue in the 2008 election because the best strategy for getting well-qualified, originalist judges on federal benches is to rally voters to hold their elected officials accountable for who they nominate and how they vote (or don’t vote) on nominations.
To see how the major presidential candidates stand on judicial nominations and other issues, check out AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidates Comparisons.
Commentary by Daniel Herbster
 Last night my pastor gave a report on his recent mission trip to the poverty-stricken nation of Surinam in South America. During the presentation, he happened to mention how the practice of slavery hundreds of years ago has drastically affected the institution of marriage in that land, even to this day.
Apparently, when European colonial powers brought African slaves to Surinam, male slaves were dehumanized to such an extent that they were merely used for breeding purposes without ever being able to behave like actual fathers. This has led to a matriarchal culture where single women are left to raise the nation’s children alone while marriage is often considered unnecessary.
This is sobering evidence of how cultural decisions can have drastic effects on the institution of marriage, and how the deterioration of the family can prevent nations from achieving their full potential. We in America should redouble our efforts to protect marriage by encouraging stable, two-parent families and by protecting the traditional definition of marriage.
LifeNews reports. Ultrasound bills are important steps toward
fostering a “culture of life” in our nation.
Let’s hope even more states take a look at these effective pro-life
laws.
 Today the Supreme Court is meeting to decide whether to hear an appeal by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over an outrageous decision by the 2nd Circuit Court. The 2nd Circuit ruled that “fleeting” instances of profanity were acceptable on broadcast radio and TV at any time of day regardless of the likelihood that children were in the audience. Pray that the Supreme Court takes up this case and gives the FCC the power it needs to enforce common-sense restrictions on indecency over the publicly owned airwaves. On Monday, the high court will announce its decision on whether or not to hear the case.
Regardless of the Court’s decision Monday, this issue reveals the importance of passing common-sense legislation in Congress which will clarify that the FCC can do its job (even for so-called “fleeting” instances of profanity). Our thanks to FCC Chairman Martin for his leadership.
Check back with AdvanceUSA for the latest on this important moral and cultural issue.
As
if Planned Parenthood could sink any lower.
LifeNews reports. Excerpt:
Pro-life members of Congress say the
federal government should stop funding Planned Parenthood through national family
programs because its teen-oriented web site features pornography.
“A
person’s a person, no matter how small.”
Does
that sound like a pro-life slogan to you?
This is a quote from Horton the elephant in Dr. Seuss’s classic “Horton
Hears a Who.” As World
Magazine’s Blog reports, with the release of a new animated film of the
same name, pro-lifers in Colorado are using the quote to demonstrate the need
for a state constitutional amendment to protect the unborn from the moment of
conception.
The
Committee for Justice explains. Here
is a particularly helpful excerpt relating to the role and importance of
judges:
Nonetheless, if you are not a judicial
conservative, you may be asking what’s wrong with judges protecting the weak
from the strong? Well, for one thing, identification of “the weak” is very much
in the eye of the beholder. We’re guessing that Barack Obama does not want
judges to favor gun owners, unborn babies, white men challenging employers’
racial preferences, or property owners threatened by environmental regulations,
no matter how much power they’re up against.
Moreover, the Constitution and the laws
enacted by our elected representatives already contain many protections for
criminal defendants, employees, minorities, women, and the like. The job of a
judge is to dispassionately apply these constitutional and statutory
protections, not to second guess their authors. That’s not to say that a good
judge succeeds at being completely dispassionate in every case. But it is only
the Left that wants to enshrine “what is in the judge's heart” as a “critical
ingredient” in the law, to quote Barack Obama.
Sen. Barack Obama
(D-IL)
Democrat candidate
for president
The
Virginia Senate has voted to prohibit
funds for Planned Parenthood because they advocate for and perform
abortions. Let’s hope other states and
the federal government begin to follow their example. It is a travesty that the largest company in
the abortion industry receives millions of dollars in tax dollars.
LifeNews and KETV
report. It looks like dangerous
loopholes allowing for “clone and kill” research have been removed from this
legislation in Nebraska, causing pro-life organizations to support it for fear
that something far worse would take its place.
Let’s hope Nebraska can continue to avoid following down the same road
that Missouri took
in 2006.
Overcoming MS with Adult Stem Cells
WRAL in Raleigh, NC reports on the amazing story of Barry Goudy who no longer has any symptoms of MS thanks to adult stem cell treatments. Click here to see WRAL’s video report on Barry’s story.
Barry Goudy fought his MS with adult stem cells
Graphic source: WRAL
“Medical Journal: Adult Stem Cell Research Trumps Embryonic in Helping Patients”
LifeNews and US News report. Why should we spend the hard-earned money of taxpayers on research that destroys human embryos when ethical adult stem cell therapies are show real-world results?
For more information check the stem cell page and adult stem cell page.
LifeNews reports. Furthermore, our friends in the House tell us
that abstinence and faithfulness education will still be supported, and they
are convinced that language allowing abortion promoting organizations to receive
taxpayer dollars has been fully eliminated.
Our thanks
to all who made their voice heard on this issue. Also, special thanks to Rep. Chris Smith
(R-NJ), Chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus, for his tireless efforts to address
the pro-life and pro-family concerns with PEPFAR.
Rep. Chris Smith
(R-NJ)
LifeNews
has some helpful commentary on
Phill Kline, the Kansas district attorney and former Attorney General who
dared to hold Planned Parenthood accountable to the law. Kline has been unfairly maligned and this
piece helps shed the light of truth on the case.
District Attorney
Phill Kline
Graphic source: LifeNews
The
bi-partisan PEFAR anti-AIDS funding legislation is being marked up right now. To watch the hearings via live streaming
check the website
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and click on the “Live Webcast” link
in the lower right margin or click
here.
Listening
in around 11:30 one could hear Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) give an excellent
defense of abstinence and faithfulness education for combating the global
spread of AIDS. Let’s hope that no tax
dollars will go to support abortions under this bill.
In preparation for
our “Advance Spotlight” in tomorrow’s “Advance Report” weekly e-newsletter,
Daniel Herbster was able to conduct an interview with Micah Clark who is the
Executive Director of the American Family Association of Indiana. Below is the text of the interview.
For more
information on AFAIN and the great work they do for Hoosier families, check out
their website (www.afain.net). To subscribe to AdvanceUSA’s email services
and to receive your own issue of the Advance Report, check the “Get Involved”
box in the left margin.
DH: Thanks
for taking the time to share this information with our readers. What is the mission of the American Family
Association of Indiana?
MC: AFAIN
is Indiana’s only statewide decency organization. We exist to educate Hoosiers on the moral,
cultural, and political issues of the day and how those issues impact Hoosier
families. We are a voice for family
values at the local, state, and federal levels.
DH: How
did it get started? How long has it been around?
MC: AFA of
Indiana was founded in Northeast Indiana near Auburn in 1993 as a state
affiliate of the National American Family Association (based in Tupelo, MS). However, AFA IN is a locally funded and
locally governed non-partisan, non-profit 501c 3 organization. AFA of Indiana is a donation-run
organization, which has become one of the leading and most influential
pro-family organizations in the state.
AFA of Indiana was originally...
CitizenLink reports
on this encouraging news for those concerned about keeping their communities
free from indecency.
As
the Towers
Online reports, the outcome of the upcoming ‘gay marriage’ case before the
California Supreme Court could have drastic implication on the national scene
besides it’s obvious effects on the campaign to approve a marriage protection
amendment in California.
For
more information on the California marriage amendment visit www.ProtectMarriage.com.
 AdvanceUSA is happy to report that the Vitter amendment passed this morning by a vote of 52 - 42. Now Americans can rest assured that their tax dollars will not be used to fund abortions under the Indian Health Services bill (click here for more information). For full vote results and to see how your senators voted on this important pro-life amendment check the vote box below (or click here).
AdvanceUSA thanks all those who called their senators concerning this pro-life matter. The voice of ordinary Americans can make a powerful difference in Washington when people exercise their rights to petition their government and to express their political opinions.
Also, AdvanceUSA thanks Senator David Vitter (R-LA) for proposing and defending this important legislation. UPDATE: LifeNews reports.
Senate Vote on the Vitter Amendment (S.A. 3896) to codify the pro-life Hyde amendment in the Indian Health Services bill
February 26, 2008
Full Results | News Story
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Yeas |
|
Nays |
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PRES |
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NV |
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Republican |
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43 |
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3 |
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— |
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3 |
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Democratic |
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9 |
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38 |
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— |
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3 |
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Independent |
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— |
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1 |
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— |
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— |
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TOTALS |
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52 |
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42 |
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— |
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6 |
See other important Congressional vote results on the Congress Vote Watch page.
Our
friends in the Senate tell us that the pro-life Vitter amendment (# 3896) will
be considered tomorrow. The Vitter
amendment would prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting abortions under the
Indian Health Services bill.
Call
both
your senators today and urge them to vote “Yes” on the pro-life Vitter
amendment (# 3896)!
AdvanceUSA recently unveiled a new weekly e-newsletter called “The Advance Report.” In each newsletter AdvanceUSA will highlight a conservative organization or cause. In the first issue we highlighted Retired Judges of America. Below is our first Advance Spotlight.
If you would like to receive the Advance Report simply follow these links to join AdvanceUSA or sign up for email. Or you can click on the links in the “Get Involved” box in the left margin of the blog and website. Be sure to fill out our survey when you do so we know which issues about which to send you information (check as many or as few issues as you would like).
Advance Spotlight
 In our first "Advance Spotlight" we would like to highlight the great work being done by Retired Judges of America, an organization of current or retired judges whose mission is to "to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity through the networking of retired and former judges who are committed to upholding the principles of America's Organic Laws as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States." RJA seeks to minister to the spiritual needs of our nation's judges while seeking to protect the Constitution. One example of RJA's contribution to American public life is the uncovering the truth about the Harlan Bible and what it says about our government's religious heritage and basis. If you've never heard about the "Harlan Bible" click here.
Retired Judges of America holds the promise of Isaiah 1:26 as a goal for ministry. "I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city." Check their website (www.retiredjudges.org) and blog for more information.
If you would like to support RJA financially or get involved with their cause check their website for practical ways you can help. AdvanceUSA encourages our readers to support this worthy cause.
Note: The pictured is of Judge Darrell White (retired) who is Chairman of RJA.
See also: pro-justice page, judicial nominations, circuit court judges graph
 Catharina Haynes was nominated by President Bush on July 17, 2007 to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Besides the grave importance of appointing well-qualified originalist judges to federal benches, there is a particular sense of urgency in Haynes’ case because the Fifth Circuit is shorthanded and in desperate need for another judge. Yesterday Haynes was finally questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee. President Bush has called for a swift up-or-down vote on her nomination and AdvanceUSA heartily agrees. To read a fact sheet on Catharina Haynes prepared by the White House click here.
AdvanceUSA calls on the Senate Judiciary Committee to swiftly vote Haynes out of committee, and calls on the Senate to give her a fair up-or-down vote as the Constitution requires.
For more information on judicial nomination click here or visit the pro-justice page.
Do
you think children in the public school system should be exposed to
homosexuality and told that escape from that lifestyle is impossible? CitizenLink reports on this troubling case of
pro-homosexual activism.
For
the truth about overcoming homosexuality through faith in Christ and for
helpful resources, consult our good friends at Exodus
International. Exodus is the largest
network of ex-gays in the world working to help people overcome their
homosexual desires. Exodus focuses
primarily on ministering to individuals, but also desires to speak out on
important cultural issues. AdvanceUSA
welcomes their expertise on these often sensitive issues.
 There is exciting new hope that Missouri voters will be able read an accurate summary of the proposed constitutional amendment to fully ban human cloning in state when they step into the voting booth in November. Most Missourians would likely oppose the cloning of human life for the purpose of destroying it for research, but anti-cloning forces must get their message out despite well funded opposition, media bias, and unfriendly state officials (as in this case). Bioethics expert Wesley J. Smith summarizes the situation:
I admit that I am pleasantly surprised. The pro cloning bias among the political elite and media in Missouri make it almost impossible to get the straight information to the people of MO about this crucial ethical issue. When a new initiative to outlaw all human cloning was filed awhile ago, the Secretary of State wrote a summary that was both inaccurate and breathtakingly biased. Well, lo and behold, a court has righted the wrong.
Also, the AP (via the Columbia Missourian) has a lengthy article explaining the situation and its implications. Click here (PDF file) to read a press release from Missouri Cures Without Cloning.
For more background information about the Missouri case and about the science of human cloning check AdvanceUSA’s human cloning page.
CitizenLink reports. This is great news for other communities who
want to stay safe and free from sexually oriented businesses.
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