Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Good Faith Deal Could Mean 3 More Circuit Court Judges by Memorial Day AdvanceUSA is encouraged to learn that a good faith deal has been struck in the Senate which would result in three more of the president’s circuit court nominees being confirmed before the Memorial Day recess.  This appears to be an important step toward progress on the crucial issue of judicial appointments, and we hope this will result in the Senate achieving the historical precedent of 15-17 circuit court judges being confirmed in a president’s last two years in office. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) statement: I was encouraged by the Majority Leader’s commitment to confirming three more circuit court nominees by Memorial Day. That will bring the total for the 110th Congress to 10, and it is a good step toward reaching the goal that we outlined at the beginning of this Congress of reaching the historical average.   Because of the Majority Leader’s good faith commitment, I’m confident that we’ll have these three additional nominees confirmed by Memorial Day. Excerpt from Roll Call article (subscription): Dangling the popular highway funding bill as his hostage, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) struck a deal Tuesday night with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to dislodge a handful of President Bush’s stalled appellate court nominees. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:45:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Tuesday, April 15, 2008 AdvanceUSA Interview with Jim Pfaff In our continuing series of interviews for our weekly online newsletter, we recently interviewed Jim Pfaff of the Colorado Family Institute. DH: It’s finally beginning to look like spring here in the Midwest.  Are you still snow-bound out there in Colorado? JP: Here on the Front Range just below the mountains we go back and forth from Spring to Winter all the way until May, but up in the mountains, they’ll have winter and skiing for some time to come due thanks to heavy snow all winter.  They’re not talking Global Warming at the resorts this year. DH: What is the mission of the Colorado Family Institute? JP: Colorado Family Institute (CFI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 research and educational organization committed to strengthening the family.  Our goal is to restore and defend traditional moral principles in the culture by advocating for sound public policy.  We are part of a nationwide network of family policy councils associated with Focus on the Family® and Dr. James Dobson. We educate and equip churches and citizens on important public policy issues that affect marriage, life and the family—and ultimately to shape public opinion on these issues.   DH: How did it get started?  How long has it been around? Read more ... Interviews posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 8:43:09 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Claims of New Human Cloning Technology Are Media Hype, Bioethicist Says” LifeNews reports. Basically, even if iPSC did allow for easier cloning or easier creation of hybrid embryos, it does not change the fact that iPSC is an excellent and ethical source of pluripotent stem cells.  As in many instances, just because a scientific procedure (i.e. induced pluripotent stem cell research) can be abused (i.e. human cloning, human-animal hybrid embryos, etc.) does not mean that procedure is inherently unethical. AdvanceUSA contacted Dr. David Prentice and he concurs that recent “concerns” over iPSC are probably attempts to create hype which undermines the significance of ethically derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) which make human cloning and embryonic stem cell research unecessary. Human Cloning | Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 8:12:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Discrimination or Sensible Religious Freedoms Homosexual activists gathered in our nation’s capital from a few days ago until Tax Day (today) lobbying for what they call “family values.”  Their agenda includes supposed anti-discrimination legislation like ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) and instituting laws which provide what substantively amount to marriage benefits to same-sex couples. Concerned citizens must be careful to clearly state that we do not hate homosexuals or wish to persecute them, but that we strongly object to creating special rights and privileges based on sexual behavior and we believe that organizations and companies should have the right to deem certain behavior unacceptable for their employees. If these legislative goals proceed they will likely include some sort of “religious exemptions” which only protect churches and other explicitly religious organizations, but which do not cover individual employers such as private companies and certain non-profits.  For example, while a Catholic church might be exempted from being forced to hire or accommodate homosexuals or same-sex couples, a Catholic businessman or leader of a faith-based charity would not be protected.  The religious freedoms of individuals should be protected, not just the religious freedom of large organizations. The bottom line is that sexual behavior should not be given preferential treatment under law under the guise of anti-discrimination.  Also, the crucial institution of marriage should not be undermined by offering special marriage benefits to same-sex couples. ACTION: We do not yet know when Congress will consider such legislation, but we encourage you to contact your representative and both your senators to urge them to oppose ENDA and other attempts to give substantive marriage benefits to same-sex couples. ENDA | Marriage | Pro Family | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 7:33:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Post-Abortion Women's Group Wants More Anti-Forced Abortion Laws” LifeNews reports. Abortion | Pro Life posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 7:13:17 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Misusing 'Separation of Church and State'” William J. Federer provides some important historical context to the oft-quoted but seldom understood phrase “separation of church and state.” Pro Religious Freedom | Religion in Public posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 7:12:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      National Day of Prayer: May 1 For more information click here. posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 7:10:24 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Schwarzenegger: No to Marriage Amendment” The AP reports on this disappointing news for marriage defenders in California. Marriage posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 6:56:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “President Bush Defends Pro-Life View on Abortion, Stem Cell Research” LifeNews reports. Abortion | Pro Life posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 6:53:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Barack Obama Doesn't Know When Life Begins, He and Clinton OK Abortion” LifeNews reports. Abortion | Election 2008 | Pro Life posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 6:52:05 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Senate Finally Approves Another Circuit Court Judge: More Progress Needed Catharina Haynes’ nomination to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday.  AdvanceUSA has changed its judges graphic accordingly. Click here for a larger image. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 2:12:27 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Judges Dust-Up Recap Here are some helpful resources on the recent Senate dust-up over judges.  Mario Diaz with Concerned Women for America has a helpful piece in Human Events entitled “Time to ‘Walk the Walk’ on Judicial Nominations.” U.S. Senate Confirms First Judicial Nominees of 2008, CitizenLink, April 11 Curt Levey gives helpful excerpts from the senators who spoke out on judges last week at the Committee for Justice’s blog. Thanks to the leadership and courage of many senators one more appellate court nominee has been approved (Catharina Haynes, 5th Circuit).  The Senate still has a long, long way to go to do justice to President Bush’s nominees so we encourage senators to keep up the pressure on judges. As our newly updated graphic shows, the Senate has been acting at a “snail’s pace” on judges and needs to step it up. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 2:10:01 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Monday, April 14, 2008 Adult Stem Cell Hope for the Paralyzed The Metro (UK) reports.  Excerpt: Paralysed [sic.] people could gain the use of their limbs again after scientists found a 'messaging system' that could be used to control adult stem cells.   Researchers found the cells respond to chemical signals which instruct them to help repair tissue.   The work, funded by the Medical Research Council, could eventually lead to the development of techniques to tell adult stem cells to mend the body. Scenta (UK) also reports. Excerpt: Avoiding many of the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells, ASCs could have many therapeutic uses and could potentially be controlled by the chemical signalling [sic.] systems within the body that instruct cells to contribute to tissue repair. Adult Stem Cells | Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Monday, April 14, 2008 6:07:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Thursday, April 10, 2008 “Insufficient Progress on Judicial Confirmations” Say Sen. McConnell and Sen. Hatch Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke out on the slow pace of judges this morning in the Senate.  Excerpt: It’s been 108 days since this Senate confirmed a federal judge of any kind. It last did so the week before Christmas, on December 18, 2007.   Since then, the Senate has made precious little progress on judicial nominations.   It has not confirmed any federal judicial nominees this year, and the Judiciary Committee has held only one hearing on one circuit court nominee since last September.   Today we will finally be able to confirm some judicial nominees. That is obviously good news. But after we confirm the judicial nominees on the calendar that may be it for a while, due to the glacial pace at which the Judiciary Committee is proceeding. We have been informed that the Senate will today consider the following judicial nominees. Brian Miller (Arkansas) James Randal Hall (GA) John Mendez (CA) Stanley Anderson (TN) Catharina Haynes (Fifth Circuit) We are glad to see Catharina Haynes on this list and look forward to adding another number to our circuit court chart comparison, bringing the number of Bush appellate court nominees confirmed in his last two years to a whopping 7 (compared to 15 in Clinton’s last two years). Former Judiciary Chairman Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) also spoke out on judges.  Here is an excerpt from his speech: …one of my colleagues was recently quoted as saying that facts are stubborn things.   The facts are that the majority has virtually shut down the judicial confirmation process. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice posted on Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:40:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      The Danger of Sexually Based Anti-Discrimination Laws The Washington Times reported in February on the case of Elaine Huguenin, a Christian photographer in New Mexico, who refused to take pictures of a lesbian civil ceremony.  Elaine is being prosecuted under anti-discrimination laws and the Alliance Defense Fund is now coming to her assistance.  This case is a chilling reminder of why anti-discrimination laws based on “sexual orientation or gender identity” should be opposed, especially on the federal level (i.e. ENDA).  Here’s an excerpt from the Times: An evangelical Christian photographer was brought before the New Mexico Human Rights Commission after she declined for religious reasons to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony.   When Elaine Huguenin of Albuquerque, N.M., declined in September 2006 an e-mail request from a lesbian couple to photograph their ceremony, one of the lesbians responded by lodging a human rights complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Division, the state agency charged with enforcing state anti-discrimination laws and sending cases to the commission to be adjudicated. LifeSiteNews also reported on this case. ENDA | Pro Religious Freedom posted on Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:37:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Don’t Lump All Stem Cell Research Together” Karen Plant provides us a helpful reminder of the crucial distinction between unethical embryonic stem cell research and other ethical sources of stem cells (adult stem cells, reprogrammed cells, etc.) in the Montana Kaimin. Adult Stem Cells | Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:26:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      FDA to Consider Unethical Embryonic Stem Cell Research CNN Money reports. Our friend Dr. David Prentice was quoted in the piece.  Excerpt: Dave Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the Christian organization Family Research Council, opposes the use of human embryos in research. "You shouldn't be destroying human embryos at the earlier stage of human life to harvest cells," said Prentice, who has a PhD. in biochemistry from the University of Kansas. Other stem cell options are available, he said, such as harvesting them from umbilical cord blood or adult tissue, or "reprogramming" adult cells to behave like stem cells, as demonstrated in recently-released but early-stage studies. Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:25:40 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Wednesday, April 09, 2008 “Scientists Admit Embryonic Stem Cell Research Hasn't Been Successful” LifeNews reports. Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2008 6:34:13 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Florida Senate Committee Approves Abortion-Ultrasound Legislation to Help Women” LifeNews reports.  Let’s hope other states follow suit with this important legislation which seeks to give women complete information of what abortion involves. Abortion | Pro Life posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2008 6:33:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Tuesday, April 08, 2008 AdvanceUSA Interview with Justin Hart Daniel Herbster reporting The Lighted Candle Society is on the cutting edge of the fight against pornography.  They marshal the latest scientific research on the dangerous effects of pornography (on the individual and on society) to fight the porn industry in the courts.  I was able to interview my fellow blogger and facebook friend Justin Hart, who is the Vice President of Communications for the Lighted Candle Society, and the following is the text of that interview. DH: I’ve been familiar with Justin’s work online for several months, and after communicating with him online from time to time it was a real treat to meet him in person at a bloggers meeting in Washington, DC recently.  He’s also one of my “facebook friends.”  I’m so grateful Justin was willing to answer my questions and let our readers know about the great work the Lighted Candle Society is doing.  Justin, what is the Lighted Candle Society and how did it get started? JH: The Lighted Candle Society was founded in 2001 by Ed Meese (former Attorney General under Ronald Reagan) and John Harmer (former Lt. Governor of California under Reagan in the 60s).  Both John and Ed are veterans of the culture wars, having fought for decency issues over the last four decades. John Harmer is the driving force behind the Lighted Candle Society.  He started the non-profit organization to fight pornography is a very unique and unprecedented way. DH: How long have you been with LCS and what kind of things do you do for them? JH: I've been with the Lighted Candle Society for almost a year now.  They really felt the need to ramp things into high gear.  I came on as Vice President of Communications to make that happen.  I help develop the multiple websites which we maintain, organize our online fundraising efforts, and create our action alerts to our members. DH: How can our readers take a stand against pornography and sexually oriented businesses in their communities? Read more ... Interviews | Pornography posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2008 6:52:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Reprogrammed “Stem Cells Reduce Parkinson's Symptoms in Lab Rats” There is more encouraging news in the potential power of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) which are obtained ethically by inducing ordinary skin cells into an embryonic-like state without actually creating or destroying embryos.  News of treating Parkinson’s with iPSC is especially important in light of the recent misleading media reports that cloning (SCNT) had been used to treat mice with Parkinson’s.  Unlike SCNT, which would be completely unethical in humans, induced pluripotent stem cells offer an exciting and ethical alternative source of pluripotent (can become any type of tissue) stem cells for research and potential treatments. For more information on stem cells check the stem cell page. Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2008 5:23:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Planned Parenthood Kills Record Number of Preborn Babies” CitizenLink reports. Abortion | Planned Parenthood | Pro Life posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2008 5:20:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Is Congress Dangerously Gambling with Gambling?” Paul Weyrich explains. posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2008 5:18:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Monday, April 07, 2008 “Choosing to Eliminate Unwanted Daughters” Jeff Jacoby provides some insightful commentary on the disturbing trend toward sex-selection abortion around the world and here in the United States.  This is yet another reminder of the prevalence of the culture of death in our world.  Excerpt from Boston Globe article: THE UNFETTERED "right to choose" is a progressive value, we are instructed by the abortion lobby - one indispensable to the empowerment of women. But a new study in PNAS (the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) prompts an awkward question: How exactly are American women empowered when abortion is deployed to prevent the existence of American girls? …   But nothing can excuse such abortions in the United States - nothing except the theology of "choice," which elevates the right to an abortion above all other considerations. You don't have to be a feminist to know that being a girl is not a birth defect, or to be horrified by a practice that lethally reinforces the most benighted forms of sexual discrimination. For what kind of feminist would it be who could contemplate the use of abortion to eliminate ever-greater numbers of girls, and not cry out in horror? Abortion | Pro Life posted on Monday, April 07, 2008 5:17:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “When a Needle in the Heart Can Help: Adult Stem Cell Injections Meant to Heal Damaged Cardiac Muscle” The Houston Chronicle reports on exciting medical trials involving ethical adult stem cells being used to treat heart attacks which show encouraging signs of success. Adult Stem Cells | Pro Life | Stem Cells posted on Monday, April 07, 2008 5:15:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Martin Luther King Jr.'s Niece Says Abortion is the New Civil Rights Cause” LifeNews reports. Abortion | Pro Life posted on Monday, April 07, 2008 5:14:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Slavery in the Land of the Free” Ken Connor reminds us that the scourge of slavery continues in our world today, even in the United States.  Part of the reason for this continued trade is the expansion and mainstreaming of pornography and sexually oriented business which fuels the demand for so-called “sex workers” including slaves.  Excerpt: Unfortunately, slavery is still a widespread practice all over the world, including the US. The Civil War may have removed the public sanction of slavery, but it is still a common underground practice. Journalist Benjamin Skinner undertook four years of undercover investigation into "human trafficking" (a euphemism for slavery) in order to increase awareness of this international injustice. His research and experiences are chronicled in his recent book, "A Crime So Monstrous." Skinner posed as a customer at underground brothels in several countries in order to get a better picture of the realities of the slave trade. posted on Monday, April 07, 2008 5:13:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Tiller [and Kansas Planned Parenthood] Cases Simplified” Operation Rescue has created a helpful timeline of events to help people understand the outrageous abortion scandals involving late-term abortionist George Tiller and Planned Parenthood of Kansas.  This is an important case for the pro-life movement and we are grateful for this helpful resource. Abortion | Planned Parenthood | Pro Life posted on Monday, April 07, 2008 5:12:22 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)       Friday, April 04, 2008 Yesterday’s “Dramatic Showdown over Judges” Our friends at the Committee for Justice provide an interesting and exciting account of the recent showdown in the Senate Judiciary Committee over the sorry lack of progress on giving hearings or fair up-or-down votes to President Bush’s judicial nominees. We applaud the committee members who spoke up on the issue and encourage them to keep up the pressure until all of the President’s pending appellate court nominations have had hearings and floor votes.  Appointing well-qualified, originalist judges to the federal bench (especially when many courts are experiencing vacancy crises) is too important an issue to do anything less. Please call Chairman Leahy and both your state’s senators and urge them to do their constitutional duty and hold hearing for and vote on the Presidents judicial nominees. Judicial Nominations | Pro Justice posted on Friday, April 04, 2008 7:06:40 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “House Approves Global AIDS Program” The House of Representatives has approved a version of PEPFAR anti-AIDS funding that is much improved from the original version which would have mandated abortion funding, drastically cut back abstinence and faithfulness education, and weakened anti-prostitution provisions.  Though significant improvements have been made to the bill, not all conservatives support the measure because of fiscal concerns over massive spending increases and concerns that there is insufficient accountability over how funds are spent.  The bill will now go to the U.S. Senate. Abortion | Abstinence | PEPFAR | Pro Life | Pro Morality | Taxpayer Funding of Abortion posted on Friday, April 04, 2008 7:03:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      “Junior High Student Tried to Flush Newborn” The Houston Chronicle reports.  Events like this are a sad testament to the prevalence of the “culture of death” in our society. Abortion | Pro Life | Pro Morality posted on Friday, April 04, 2008 7:01:51 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      AZ Marriage Amendment Hits Major Roadblock The Arizona Republic reports.  Despite being held up in the legislature, Arizona marriage proponents are examining their options and planning to move ahead with a constitutional amendment to protect the traditional definition of marriage. Marriage | Pro Family posted on Friday, April 04, 2008 7:00:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Navigation Home | On this page Good Faith Deal Could Mean 3 More Circuit Court Judges by Memorial Day AdvanceUSA Interview with Jim Pfaff “Claims of New Human Cloning Technology Are Media Hype, Bioethicist Says” Discrimination or Sensible Religious Freedoms “Post-Abortion Women's Group Wants More Anti-Forced Abortion Laws” “Misusing 'Separation of Church and State'” National Day of Prayer: May 1 “Schwarzenegger: No to Marriage Amendment” “President Bush Defends Pro-Life View on Abortion, Stem Cell Research” “Barack Obama Doesn't Know When Life Begins, He and Clinton OK Abortion” Senate Finally Approves Another Circuit Court Judge: More Progress Needed Judges Dust-Up Recap Adult Stem Cell Hope for the Paralyzed “Insufficient Progress on Judicial Confirmations” Say Sen. McConnell and Sen. Hatch The Danger of Sexually Based Anti-Discrimination Laws “Don’t Lump All Stem Cell Research Together” FDA to Consider Unethical Embryonic Stem Cell Research “Scientists Admit Embryonic Stem Cell Research Hasn't Been Successful” “Florida Senate Committee Approves Abortion-Ultrasound Legislation to Help Women” AdvanceUSA Interview with Justin Hart Reprogrammed “Stem Cells Reduce Parkinson's Symptoms in Lab Rats” “Planned Parenthood Kills Record Number of Preborn Babies” “Is Congress Dangerously Gambling with Gambling?” “Choosing to Eliminate Unwanted Daughters” “When a Needle in the Heart Can Help: Adult Stem Cell Injections Meant to Heal Damaged Cardiac Muscle” “Martin Luther King Jr.'s Niece Says Abortion is the New Civil Rights Cause” “Slavery in the Land of the Free” “Tiller [and Kansas Planned Parenthood] Cases Simplified” Yesterday’s “Dramatic Showdown over Judges” “House Approves Global AIDS Program” “Junior High Student Tried to Flush Newborn” AZ Marriage Amendment Hits Major Roadblock   Archive < April 2008 > Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22