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John
Stemberger gives an excellent defense of the proposed Florida Marriage Protection
Amendment and in doing so refutes many of the
objections raised against a federal version. He compares current marriage laws and common
housing regulations to show that defining marriage as a union of only one man
and one woman does not constitute inappropriate discrimination.
Rep.
Henry Hyde was a pro-life champion during his long career in Congress, and an
important provision in federal law “which has prevented federal tax dollars
from being used to fund almost all abortions since 1976” bears his name (the
Hyde Amendment). As LifeNews reports, retired Congressman Henry Hyde will
receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday at a ceremony at the
White House.
To watch
this morning’s hearing on the important, pro-life Mexico City Policy (which prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to international organizations that either provide or support abortions) in the House Foreign Affairs Committee click here. Then click on the “live
WEBCAST” button in the lower right-hand corner.
The hearings are scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Committee website: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/
UPDATE (10:39 a.m.): The Committee has heard some excellent testimony from pro-life advocates. It is now in recess until after some House votes take place.
The
Washington Blade (homosexual news publication) explains the
strategy of the “gay rights” agenda while offering critique to help
proponents obtain the ultimate goal of same-sex marriage. The article suggests a “incremental” approach
in which marriage and civil unions are not discussed until the public is
“ready.”
A
suggested plan of attack includes these stages of building in this order:
- Hate Crimes
- ENDA
- Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell”
- Permanent Partners
Immigration Act
- Civil Unions
- Repeal Defense of Marriage
Act and Overturn State Marriage Amendments
Click here
to read the full explanation.
Star
Parker has an excellent column explaining the
problems with the dangerous ENDA legislation and exposes the hypocrisy of
many radical homosexual organizations.
Excerpt:
We've got legislation moving
through Congress, pushed by gay activists, that would make it illegal for an
employer to not hire, or to fire, someone because of their sexual orientation.
But the head of the nation's largest gay-activist organization asks Obama to
fire a man because he is a Christian and an advocate of traditional values?
For more
information on ENDA click here
or here.
 AdvanceUSA has learned that pro-abortion activists and politicians have the Mexico City Policy in their sites. The Mexico City Policy (first instituted by Ronald Reagan) prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to international organizations that either provide or support abortions. Hearings on this important pro-life policy will be held tomorrow morning in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. AdvanceUSA Blog will work to provide you with the most up-to-date information on the efforts to preserve this crucial pro-life provision.
Some important things to remember concerning the Mexico City Policy:
- Pro-abortionists are willing to sacrifice important foreign policy funds in an attempt to funnel more taxpayer dollars to radical pro-abortion organizations.
- Despite claims that abortion could improve health care in developing countries, it must be remembered that there is no such thing as a safe abortion (it hurts mothers in many ways and is always harmful for the unborn child).
- The Mexico City Policy currently draws a helpful distinction between “abortion” and “family planning.”
- The problem of maternal mortality (women dying because of childbirth) should be addressed through life-affirming health policies.
CitizenLink reports on the upcoming Mexico City Policy hearings here.
Lawyer
and author Wendy Kaminer has a very helpful piece in the Wall Street Journal exposing
the dangers and misconceptions relating to hate crimes legislation now in
Congress. She also makes the case that
civil libertarians wary of government intrusion into personal rights should
support their social conservative cohorts in opposing hate crimes.
She
addresses the charge that the current hate crimes bill does not deal with
speech but only violent crime. She
explains this view but then concludes:
Still, distinguishing hateful bias crimes from other
hateful acts of violence punishes ideas and expression, no matter how
scrupulously the legislation is crafted. When someone convicted of assaulting
one woman is subject to an enhanced prison sentence or a more vigorous
prosecution because his assault was motivated by a hateful belief in the
inherent inferiority of all women, then he is being punished for his thoughts
as well as his conduct.
Hate
crimes should really be called “thought crimes” or “bias crimes” as noted here:
…without directly criminalizing speech, the proposed
Matthew Shepard Act (like other hate-crime laws) does effectively and
intentionally criminalize bias, when bias is shown to bear a direct
relationship to a violent crime.
The hate
crimes bill could also threaten the important constitutional principle
prohibiting “double jeopardy;” being prosecuted twice for the same crime:
But freedom of thought is not the only liberty at stake in
this debate. The Matthew Shepard Act would also subject defendants to double
jeopardy for a single offense. The bill expressly states that defendants
prosecuted in state court may be prosecuted for the same crime in federal
court, if federal officials determine that "the verdict or sentence
obtained pursuant to state charges left demonstrably unvindicated the federal
interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence."
She
concludes her piece noting that the killers of Matthew Shephard were tried and
convicted to the full extent of the law.
Matthew Shepard's killers were convicted of homicide and
kidnapping by the state of Wyoming
and are serving consecutive life sentences. His torture and murder remain awful
to contemplate, but civil libertarians ought not be squeamish about questioning
the consequences of the law that would bear his name.
How would
a hate crimes law have punished them any more?
For more
on hate crimes click
here or here.
Those who
would like to remove all reference to God from public life have been very busy
lately as these three stories illustrate.
 
- Flag folding at National
Cemeteries: Apparently the traditional flag-folding ceremony entitled to
veterans is being forbidden because of its reference to God. Full story from the Associated
Press and One
News Now. Excerpts:
Complaints about religious content
have led to a ban on flag-folding recitations by Veterans Administration
employees and volunteers at all 125 national cemeteries.
Rabbi Yitzhak Miller of Temple Beth
El said he understands the ban. "It is a perfect example of government
choosing to ignore religion in order to avoid offending some religions,"
Miller said. "To me, ignoring religion in general is just as problematic
as endorsing any one religion."
- Certificates for Capitol Flags: As reported
earlier the Architect of the Capitol denied a Boy Scout from
referencing God on the certificate of a flag flown in honor of his
grandfather over the Capitol. The
acting Architect of the Capitol has reversed the decision and will allow
Congressmen to chose what wording is permitted on each certificate, but
some conservative activists are encouraging the White House to nominate a
new Architect of the Capitol to serve a ten-year term. This way the policy could not be
overturned by the next administration regardless of party affiliation.
After the successful confirmation of Judge Leslie
Southwick yesterday
(which took almost 17 months) the number of circuit court judges confirmed by
the Senate in the last two years of Bush’s second term has climbed to a grand
total of five. Obviously, the Senate has its work cut out for it if it is
going to keep pace with the rate of Bill Clinton’s nominees (as the stats reveal).
It is important to note that since the presidential election “season” is
growing so long, there are probably only about 6-8 months left for the senate
to confirm President Bush’s judicial nominations.
To view a larger version click here.
Paul
Kengor at NRO makes the case that Rudy
Giuliani winning the GOP nomination would be a disaster for the pro-life
movement. He uses quotes from the idolized conservative role model Ronald Reagan to illustrate just how
important a pro-life president is to advancing the culture of life and to
taking practical steps to contain and eventually roll back abortion.
Kengor’s views seem to be shared by many in the social conservative movement.
Daniel
Henninger at the WSJ takes a different view arguing that social
conservatives and Giuliani need to come together like mature adults and not
let differences put Hillary Clinton in the White House. Henninger would seem
to have his own supporters in the social conservative movement who see
vacancies on the Supreme Court as the defining issue.
“I
believe no challenge is more important to the character of America than
restoring the right to life to all human beings.”
—Ronald Reagan, January 1984
Our
friend Randy Thomas discusses
the gay gene, scientific research, and overcoming homosexuality through Christ
in a World Net Daily article.
Excerpt:
It's not enough to just study a "gene." Science
must take into account the complex, unique individuals that God made us to be.
Scientists must also study the "why" behind homosexuality that
encompasses identity, motivation and behavioral decisions.
Genetics? No big deal to me. I remember who I was, and
more importantly – I know who I am now.
To read testimonies of people who have abandoned the
homosexual lifestyle and to learn more about an organization helping people
overcome same-sex attraction visit Exodus International. Also, check out Randy’s
blog.
The Daily
Mail reports on this outrageous case. This is an example of what can result
from laws dictating “tolerance” and “non-discrimination” towards
homosexuals. Congress would do well to consider cases like this when they
vote next week on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3685).
More on
ENDA here and here.
Today the U.S. Senate finally did its job and voted on the confirmation of Judge Leslie Southwick for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Southwick was confirmed by a vote of 59 - 38. His confirmation is a victory for defenders of the Constitution and a defeat for liberal extremists who support activist judges. Before Southwick could receive his confirmation vote three-fifths of the Senate had to vote to "invoke cloture" which ended debate, prevented a partisan filibuster, and allowed a fair up-or-down vote on the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick. Cloture was invoked by a vote of 62 - 35. Check the AdvanceUSA Vote Watch page to see how your senators voted on this important judicial confirmation.
For more information on this crucial nomination click here or check the Southwick category here at AdvanceUSA Blog.
Vote to End Debate on Leslie Southwick’s Nomination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
October 24, 2007
Full Results | News Story
|
|
|
Yeas |
|
Nays |
|
PRES |
|
NV |
|
Republican |
|
49 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
Democratic |
|
13 |
|
34 |
|
— |
|
3 |
|
Independent |
|
— |
|
1 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
TOTALS |
|
62 |
|
35 |
|
— |
|
3 |
Vote to Confirm Leslie Southwick to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
October 24, 2007
Full Results | News Story
|
|
|
Yeas |
|
Nays |
|
PRES |
|
NV |
|
Republican |
|
49 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
Democratic |
|
10 |
|
37 |
|
— |
|
3 |
|
Independent |
|
— |
|
1 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
TOTALS |
|
59 |
|
38 |
|
— |
|
3 |
Brent
Bozell provides a thought-provoking and eye-opening
expose on the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. The more Americans know about this gruesome company
the better.
Excerpt:
As much as liberals decry major
corporations that act as if they're above the law, there's always quiet when
the subject is Planned Parenthood,
America's No. 1
corporate provider of abortions. During its 2005-2006 fiscal year, the Planned
Parenthood Federation of America
performed a record 264,943 abortions, reported a tidy profit of $55.8 million
-- and received a record high in taxpayer funding of $305.3 million.
This is one corporation the media
hold in the highest regard. They're not "merchants of death." That
would be the tobacco companies, or gun manufacturers, or hamburger joints.
These are the heroic "providers" of "a woman's right to choose."
Bozell goes on to chronicle recent specific scandals
involving local Planned Parenthood branches.
Read the full article here.
As
reported at NRO’s Bench Memos blog Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has
indicated that Judge
Southwick might finally receive a fair up-or-down vote in the Senate this week. Southwick is a highly-qualified, strong
originalist nominated by President Bush to sit on the 5th Circuit
Court of Appeals but his nomination has been stalled due to liberal slandering
of his character and distortion of his record.
VOTE TODAY: Last night our contacts on the
Hill informed us of the following:
This evening Majority Leader Reid
announced a time agreement regarding the votes on Judge Leslie Southwick’s
nomination.
Under the agreement the Members
have agreed to move to the cloture vote tomorrow morning at 11:00am. Should
cloture be invoked (meaning more than 60 Senators vote in the affirmative), we
would move immediately to the vote on final confirmation. If it is not invoked,
we will return to legislative session.
Southwick would be an upstanding circuit judge who would uphold
the Constitution. Pray that the Senate
treats him justly and votes to confirm his nomination.
Ever
wonder when judicial confirmations became so politicized or what an originalist
judicial philosophy looks like? This Wall Street Journal article answers
those questions while “commemorating”
the twentieth anniversary of the Senate vote to reject the nomination of Judge
Robert Bork who was Ronald Reagan’s pick for the Supreme Court.
Citizens concerned about judicial tyranny would do themselves a service to read
how Judge Bork, who Warren Burger described as “simply the best qualified
nominee [of his] professional lifetime,” was so shamefully treated.
 Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr., (Chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition and author) has written an article criticizing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) because it endangers families and is an insult to the real civil rights movement. First he draws a distinction between this attempt to mandate privileges based on sexual preference and the civil rights movement seeking to prevent racial discrimination. Then he gives five reasons to oppose ENDA. Click here to read the entire article or see below to read Jackson’s five reasons to oppose ENDA.
1. ENDA would overturn the historical basis of protected class status by adding “actual or perceived sexual orientation.” While every other federally-protected class embodies three standards: an obvious, immutable characteristic; a history of discrimination evidenced by economic disenfranchisement; and political powerlessness, “sexual orientation” falls under none of these criteria. It is an insult to African Americans to grant special protections for “sexual orientation.”
2. ENDA expands civil rights protections on the vague basis of perception. An employee or potential employee could sue an employer for his or her perception of their sexual orientation. Yet unlike the currently-protected classes of race, age, and gender in employment, sexual orientation is not scientifically verifiable. It is an offense to African Americans to equate “sexual orientation” with skin color.
3. ENDA infringes on the religious liberties of our parishioners. As shepherds of our flock, we cannot stand by while our parishioners are forced to ignore their convictions when they leave church on Sunday. ENDA requires people of faith to lay down their religious freedom at the office door. This opposes our beliefs and it is not practical – faith cannot be segmented into only one part our lives.
4. ENDA puts the integrity of our ministries in jeopardy. Many African-American churches run outreach ministries separate from the church to care for our communities. My local church runs a daycare which cares for over 200 children daily and the potential to serve another 100+ children in extended care for those who are in school. ENDA provides unclear protection for schools, while leaving ministries such as childcare, after school programs, and food and clothing banks vulnerable to ENDA mandates.
5. ENDA is a direct attack on our freedom of religion guaranteed in the First Amendment. The Free Exercise Clause in the First Amendment grants all Americans the freedom to practice their faith. ENDA stands in direct opposition to this liberty and must be rejected as a result.
 As reported earlier some pro-cloning members of the media have taken to utilizing the euphemistic “early stem cells” instead of the scientifically accurate term “embryonic stem cells” in an effort to mislead the public into thinking this type of research does not destroy human embryos. Wesley J. Smith has some insightful commentary in which he observes that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) does not recognize the term “early stem cell” and challenges the Kansas City Star (and reporter Kit Wagar in particular) to use scientifically accurate terms.
He also notes that the NIH clearly defines Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) as a type of cloning, unlike what many in Missouri’s pro-cloning movement would have people believe.
For more information on the latest efforts to truly and fully ban all forms of human cloning in Missouri check AdvanceUSA’s Missouri cloning page or visit Cures Without Cloning.
 Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) recently proposed an amendment to the Labor HHS appropriations bill which would have “prohibit[ed] the use of funds to provide abstinence education that includes information that is medically inaccurate.” The “medical accuracy” strategy actually puts unreasonable burdens on abstinence curriculum and would end federal abstinence education as we know it if enacted. Fortunately Sen. Lautenberg decided to remove his amendment, but there is concern among our friends on the Hill that this dangerous amendment could be reintroduced in the future.
One of the reasons liberals oppose abstinence education is the fact that less promiscuity directly threatens the profits of abortion providers and “comprehensive” sex education advocates like Planned Parenthood.
These observations were made by Heritage Foundation scholar Robert Rector whose report entitled “Facts about Abstinence Education” makes a compelling and factual case for abstinence education.
On Thursday night the U.S. Senate defeated an amendment by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) which would have “prohibit[ed] the provision of funds to grantees who perform abortions.” Unfortunately, this amendment failed by a vote of 41 to 52 (vote results here).
The Hyde Amendment, passed by Congress in 1976, forbids federal funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the life of the woman. However organizations like Planned Parenthood often accept federal dollars and claim to use the funds for activities not related to abortions. This amendment would have broadened current law and prevented any money from going to organizations that perform abortions (except hospitals).
This was an important pro-life amendment and Sen. Vitter deserves our thanks for proposing it.
Is it
really any surprise that abortion profiteers want to get a hold of our tax
dollars to advance their radical “culture of death” agenda? LifeNews reports.
 AdvanceUSA was privileged to attend the Values Voter Summit this past weekend which hosted numerous conservative speakers and all nine major Republican presidential candidates (all Democrat candidates were invited but all declined or refused to respond).
The values voters in attendance heard from such notable speakers as Newt Gingrich, Laura Ingram, Star Parker, Robert Bork, Michael Steele, and Paul Weyrich. Additionally, there were panel discussions about conservative women in politics, the power of the media, and battling for the culture through the movie industry. The Summit culminated in a gala banquet honoring the life and ministry of Dr. James Dobson (video excerpts and commentary here) who took the opportunity to clarify his position on voting for a lesser party, pro-life candidate in the event the Republican party nominates a pro-choice candidate.
The National Review observes that after the Values Voter Summit and last night’s Fox News debate, the GOP field is still wide open.
As noted earlier Mitt Romney won the overall straw poll while Mike Huckabee won among voters actually in attendance (full results here).
Continue reading to view video clips of candidate speeches at the Values Voter Summit (more will be added as they become available).
This past
weekend at the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC
a straw poll was taken to determine which candidate values voters were most
likely to support. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won
the overall poll (internet and on-site voters) while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won
among the values voters who voted on-site.
Below are
breakdowns of the poll results for the top five vote-getters courtesy of our friends at FRC.
Which of the
following candidates for President would you be most likely to vote for?
Overall Results
|
Mitt
Romney
|
1595
|
27.62%
|
|
Mike
Huckabee
|
1565
|
27.15%
|
|
Ron
Paul
|
865
|
14.98%
|
|
Fred
Thompson
|
564
|
9.77%
|
|
Undecided
|
329
|
5.70%
|
|
Total
|
5,775
|
100%
|
Onsite Straw Poll
Results
|
Mike
Huckabee
|
488
|
51.26%
|
|
Mitt
Romney
|
99
|
10.40%
|
|
Fred
Thompson
|
77
|
8.09%
|
|
Tom
Tancredo
|
65
|
6.83%%
|
|
Rudy
Giuliani
|
60
|
6.30%
|
|
Total
|
952
|
100%
|
Full
results at FRC.org.
AdvanceUSA will be in attendance at this weekend’s Values Voter Summit
in Washington, DC sponsored by our good friends at the Family Research
Council and others. Conservatives from around the country will be present
to hear well-known conservative leaders and thinkers. All of the
Republican presidential candidates will be in attendance and a straw poll will
be conducted to determine who values voters intend to support.
Check back
with AdvanceUSA Blog next week to see what happens.
FRC has
produced a humorous spoof of a well-know dating service (click
here or see below) to illustrate the importance of really getting to know
presidential candidates and seriously considering just who represents one’s
values and convictions. AdvanceUSA encourages all concerned citizens to
be diligent to inform themselves about the issues and candidates facing our
nation.
As LifeNews
reports Justice Antonin Scalia recently gave a great lesson in originalist
jurisprudence firmly declaring that there is no “right to an abortion”
contained in the U.S. Constitution. While abortion should not be the
only litmus test for appointing judges, any true “strict originalist” would be
able to support Scalia’s common sense pronouncement.
Excerpt
from Fox News article:
Among conservatives, Giuliani’s support falls from 57
percent in the head-to-head race against Clinton
to 42 percent when a third-party conservative is included.
"While some of the conservative Christian leaders are
sounding more positive about Mitt Romney despite his Mormonism, by and large
they are still very negative about Giuliani," said John Gorman, chairman
of Opinion Dynamics. "A significant fraction of voters who might otherwise
support the Republican are also clearly not fans of the former mayor. If given
a chance, they say they’ll vote for someone else. This might diminish somewhat
if the election of Clinton
becomes more threatening to them, but given the narrowness of recent elections,
even a few points could be decisive."
Check out
the detailed
poll results here.
Sen. Tom
Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) have removed the language from the
Labor-HHS Appropriations bill that would have expanded human embryo stem cell
experimentation. The language which was removed would have changed the
cut-off date for utilizing embryonic stem cell lines for research from August 9,
2001 to June 15, 2007.
For more
information on stem cells click here or here.
The
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3685) was favorably reported out of the
House Education & Labor committee by a vote of 27 – 21. Four
amendments were offered to the legislation in order to highlight the severe
danger it poses to religious liberty and to illustrate the litigation nightmare
that would ensue if enacted into law.
ENDA will
be voted on soon (most likely early next week) so keep calling your
representative and urging him or her to vote “No” on ENDA (H.R. 3685)!
Also, an amendment will most likely be offered on the House floor which would
add “transgender” people (cross dressers, sex-change recipients, etc.) to the
special privileges and regulations established by this law.
Continue
reading for more information on the amendments offered and some of the
statements made during committee markup today.
The
Washington Post reports that the director of the National Institutes of Health,
Elias A. Zerhouni, advocates
expanding
unethical embryonic stem cell research despite the fact that
President Bush has instituted ethical guidelines withholding tax-payer funds
from supporting such research.
 Welsey J. Smith reports on this example of anti-life, liberal spin.
Some pro-cloning reporters and publications in Missouri (and elsewhere) have taken to referring to embryonic stem cells as “early stem cells” in an effort to deceive the public. Slowly but surely the general public is realizing that embryonic stem cell research destroys or endangers tiny human lives. Using the euphemism “early” instead of the established scientific term “embryonic” is a desperate attempt to hide that fact.
For more information on the cloning issue in Missouri click here or check the other blog posts in the Missouri category. For more information on stem cells and cloning click here.
Excerpt
from MSNBC article:
"These documents show the reckless and politicized
nature of the FDA's decision to approve the abortion pill," said Judicial
Watch President Tom Fitton. "The FDA certainly has a lot of explaining to
do. For starters, why has the FDA previously refused to disclose the Chinese
connection and the related safety issues? And why did the FDA allow the
abortion lobby to participate in the clinical trial process? The American
people deserve answers."
 Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) has introduced the Pledge Protection Act (H.R. 699) which denies federal courts the jurisdiction to hear cases involving the Pledge of Allegiance. Radical secularists like Michael Newdow and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have shown a clear intent to do away with any reference to God in the pledge of allegiance. This legislation proactively prevents activist federal courts from declaring the phrase "under God" an unconstitutional establishment of religion. Under Article I Section 8 and Article III Sections 1 and 2, Congress has the authority to determine the jurisdiction of federal courts. Please call your representative today and urge him or her to support The Pledge Protection Act of 2007 by signing on as a cosponsor and by eventually voting “Yes” on H.R. 699.
After narrowly losing a fight against a so-called “cloning ban” on the state-wide ballot last year, anti-cloning forces in Missouri have begun the effort to close the glaring loopholes and truly prohibit all forms of human cloning. The proponents of the new constitutional amendment to completely ban human cloning have to gather 139,181 - 151,619 signatures to get the measure on the 2008 ballot.
Their efforts hit a snag yesterday when the Secretary of State of Missouri (Robin Carnahan) released the official ballot summary which reads like an opposition talking point. Understandably anti-cloning groups charge the language is unfair and deceptive. To read the text of the ballot summary click here or continue reading.
Excerpt from Columbia Tribune blog post:
Curt Mercadante, a spokesman for Cures Without Cloning, said the language “in no way accurately reflects what we’re attempting to do.”
“Quite honestly, it sounds like a talking point out of an opposition group’s playbook,” Mercadante said. “What the amendment is attempting to do is very simple: attempting to prohibit all human cloning in the state of Missouri.”
Despite exaggerated claims of the potential of embryonic stem cell research, one disabled Missourian is speaking out against unethical research and supporting the efforts of Cures Without Cloning to truly ban human cloning in Missouri.
Excerpt:
"No matter what potential good may come of it, you know, you can't create and destroy human life for research," said Chelsea Zimmerman from Cures Without Cloning. "It's just wrong."
A car accident nearly eight years ago left Zimmerman in a wheelchair, but this did not change her view of embryonic stem cell research.
"Obviously, I would love to walk again, I would love to see other people out of their suffering," Zimmerman said. "We aren't trying to limit research, and we are in favor of cures, and there are cures and treatments happening with adult stem cells and adult stem cell research."
For more information visit Cures Without Cloning or the AdvanceUSA Missouri/Human Cloning page.
UPDATES:
Text of deceptive ballot summary below:
Even
though Israel has no restrictions on embryonic stem cell research the Israeli
company has decided to invest only in adult stem cells for practical reasons
in its mission to provide treatment for neurological disorders such as Lou
Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's.
Reuters
Excerpt:
Ironically, in the Jewish state of Israel embryonic stem cell research
is less controversial, noted BrainStorm's ultra-orthodox president, Chaim
Lebovits.
Still, the company said it has decided to concentrate on
adult stem cells because they are also easier to control than embryonic cells,
which can give rise to tumours.
Excerpt
from Colson’s
column at Townhall:
One atheist understood the moral consequences of his
unbelief: That was Nietzsche, who argued that God is dead, but acknowledged
that without God there could be no binding and objective moral order.
Of course, the “New Atheists” deny this. Instead, they
unconvincingly argue that you can have the benefits of an altruistic,
Christian-like morality without God.
Nietzsche would laugh—and wonder why they don’t make
atheists like they used to.
“…Dr. Glasser did not have feeling
in his feet before the transplant and now he has feeling in his feet again,
possibly indicating that his peripheral polyneuropathy is improving as well.”
- Ewa Carrier, M.D.
A
debilitating muscle disease that can cause lameness and suffocation is being treated
with adult stem cells in groundbreaking research conducted by The Bone
Marrow Transplant Program at University
of California, San Diego Medical
Center. A
description of the disease is as follows:
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare neuromuscular autoimmune
disease where the body’s immune system, which normally protects the body,
mistakenly attacks itself. The transmission of nerve impulses to muscles
is interrupted, which ultimately prevents the muscles from contracting.
Without the proper nerve impulses, muscles that control breathing can’t
function.
Here’s a description
of how the ethical adult stem cell therapy works:
This new procedure reprograms the patient’s stem cells,
destroying them with chemotherapy, before re-introducing purified blood-forming
stem cells. After the transplant, the modified stem cells build new bone
marrow, renewing the immune system with correct signaling, renewing the immune
system with cells that don’t attack the body.
For more
information on the successes of ethical adult stem cell research click here.
Oregon already has a marriage amendment,
but liberal activists managed to convince the state legislature to pass two
laws which awarded privileges suspiciously similar to marriage to same-sex
couples. An AP
report continues:
State elections officials reported Monday that the effort
fell short 116 valid signatures of the 55,179 needed to suspend the law and
place it on the November 2008 ballot for a popular vote.
LifeNews
reports on the British government’s recent
decision to allow several forms of unethical research.
The British government has caved in to pressure from
scientists there and announced it is backing a revised bill in parliament for
human-animal hybrids, or chimeras. The creation of part-human, part-animal
embryos has pro-life advocates upset as they say it's another step in the
devaluation of human life.
As if
creating human chimera embryos for the sole purpose of killing them for their
stem cells weren’t enough LifeNews continues:
The bill also allows the creation of so-called
"savior siblings" for serious illnesses and not just life-threatening
ones. In addition to taking embryonic stem cells from the human being, the bill
would allow scientists to harvest organs and take "other types of tissue
and cells."
The
Boston Globe reports that a health
panel appointed by Gov. Patrick is seeking to overturn the important stem cell
guidelines former Gov. Mitt Romney instituted to prevent tax-funded unethical
research on human embryos.
Excerpt:
Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family
Institute, said removing the regulations put in place under Romney would open
up a "Pandora's box of creating human embryos in laboratory conditions on
a wide-scale production."
"We need safeguards against the rampant exploitation
of human life," he said. "Harvesting eggs from women is an
exploitation of women and creating human embryos for the sole purpose of
destroying them is an exploitation of human life."
UPDATE: It’s official. As CitizenLink and LifeNews report the health
panel in Massachusetts
has overturned former Governor Romney’s ethical guidelines preventing the
creation of embryos for destructive research.
Excerpt
from LifeNews report:
The Nobel prize committed mentioned embryonic stem cell
research in their citation to the scientists and said, they had discovered
"principles for introducing specific gene modification in mice by the use
of embryonic stem cells."
However, the science behind treating humans with embryonic
stem cells and the work the scientists did is very different and embryonic stem
cell treatments, if they're ever produced, could be decades away because of
various problems such as rejection by a patient's immune system.
Adult stem cells have not had those problems and have
already treated patients with dozens of diseases and medical conditions.
 Should U.S. judges consult foreign laws
and precedent when making their rulings or determining constitutionality?
It seems like a pretty obvious answer to most of us,
but to liberal, activist judges using foreign law sounds convenient and
fashionably multicultural.
The
Alliance Defense Fund has released a new video that warns of the dangerous
trend among activist judges
who use foreign law to
advance their liberal agenda through the courts.
Excerpt
from CitizenLink article:
Bill Saunders, senior fellow and director of the Family
Research Council’s Center for Human Life and Bioethics, explained that it's
part of a strategy to achieve what can't be gained through the legislative
branch.
“The social Left, the cultural Left, has known for a long
time that the only way they’re going to achieve their agenda is through the
courts," he said. "So they have looked to international institutions
to try to build up arguments that the ‘international community’ supports
certain things like abortion or gay marriage and that, therefore — according to
them — we in America should pay some attention to that.”
This is
another example of why appointing qualified originalist judges is so crucial to
our nation. Check the AdvanceUSA pro-justice page for more
information.
In an effort
to protect against cervical cancer, some lawmakers and medical professionals advocate
making HPV vaccines mandatory for adolescent girls. As the following
press release demonstrates there are significant concerns regarding the safety
of these drugs. Furthermore, since the human papillomavirus (HPV), often
a precursor to cervical cancer, is a sexually transmitted disease forcing girls
to receive it can significantly undermine parental decisions regarding their
daughter’s personal health and sexuality.
Below is
a press release from Judicial Watch which exposes some of the serious health concerns with a
particular form of HPV vaccine:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: 202-646-5188
October 5, 2007
Judicial Watch
Uncovers New FDA Records Detailing Deaths in
1,824 Adverse Reaction
Reports Related to HPV Vaccine
Judicial Watch Sues
FDA for Producing “Partial Response” to FOIA Request
(Washington, DC) -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group
that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released new
documents obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing 1,824 reports of
adverse reactions to the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), Gardasil,
including as many as eight deaths related to the vaccine. Judicial Watch
had previously obtained 1,637 reports relating to Gardasil on May 15, 2007,
bringing the known total to 3,461 adverse reactions including eleven deaths
since FDA approval. Among the new information uncovered by Judicial
Watch:
Excerpts from The
Hill online magazine:
With just 16
months left until President Bush leaves the Oval Office, there are 48 vacancies
on the federal district and appellate courts, and Bush has yet to nominate
judges for 24 of those seats.
…
Republicans
say if Democrats continue to block Southwick and other qualified nominees, they
will spotlight the “obstruction” in the run-up to the election, an issue that
plays well with and energizes the conservative base. And some blame sprawling
Democratic investigations into the Justice Department and other aspects of the
administration for slowing down the White House’s process in finding suitable
nominees.
“The fairness
doctrine flies in the face of the First
Amendment.”
-Sen.
Norm Coleman
Pointing out that the “fairness
doctrine” is not fair at a Heritage Foundation
event today (video posted tomorrow) Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) said “the
fairness doctrine is the biggest misnomer since jumbo shrimp.” He went on to
explain how the fairness doctrine violates the First Amendment’s protections of
free political speech. He asked rhetorically if we really wanted government
regulators monitoring broadcasts with pencil, paper, and stopwatch enforcing
their idea of “fair and balanced.”
Fortunately Sen. Coleman did not
expect fairness doctrine legislation to make any progress in the current
Congress but voiced his fears that a future liberal administration combined with
a liberal Congress would quickly introduce such dangerous
legislation.
Congressman Thomas Price had a
helpful piece published yesterday entitled “The
Left’s Push to Silence Free Speech.”
Marvin Olasky gives a helpful
explanation of the recent
case of federal prisons removing religious texts from prison libraries in
his article at Townhall. The decision is good news for religious freedom in
America. After the Bureau of Prisons
reexamines their policy hopefully they will institute a sensible policy that
merely prohibits texts that incite illegal activity (such as violence and
terrorism) and does not even bring religion per se into the
picture.
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.
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.
 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.”
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.
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.
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
 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.
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.
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.
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.
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