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 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
|
|
|
Yeas |
|
Nays |
|
PRES |
|
NV |
|
Republican |
|
43 |
|
3 |
|
— |
|
3 |
|
Democratic |
|
9 |
|
38 |
|
— |
|
3 |
|
Independent |
|
— |
|
1 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
TOTALS |
|
52 |
|
42 |
|
— |
|
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.
Conservatives are often told that abortion really shouldn’t be an important issue when selecting a president because “all he can do is appoint judges.” Our friend Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost clearly explains today why this is not the case. He shows just how much power a president has to help or hinder the pro-life movement.
He lists five specific areas and explains each:
- Preserving the Pro-Life Riders
- Filing of amicus briefs in cases before the judiciary
- Issuance of executive orders
- Selection of political appointments
- Using the "bully pulpit"
He mentions the presidential veto when discussing pro-life riders. This important constitutional power of the presidency can hardly be overstated, especially when Congress is controlled by pro-abortion leadership.
Excerpt:
Christians have an obligation to the most vulnerable members of our society to elect politicians who have both a robust view of human dignity and the temerity to govern accordingly. We betray this duty when we downplay the role the executive branch in advancing the pro-life cause. Judges and legislators matter; but presidents matter too.
To read the full post click here.
AdvanceUSA is grateful to Joe for citing us as a source when discussing the pro-life riders, and hope others will find our site a helpful resource as well.
 The House Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on PEPFAR anti-AIDS funding reauthorization on Thursday, February 28. Call your representative today (especially if they serve on this committee) and urge him or her to vote against the PEPFAR legislation unless pro-abortion code words like “family panning” and “reproductive health” are removed and abstinence education and anti-prostitution language is maintained. LifeNews reports on the abortion funding aspect while the AP reports on President Bush’s statements urging lawmakers to preserve crucial abstinence and faithfulness funding.
Click here for more information on PEPFAR or check the AdvanceUSA home page.
The
Chicago Tribune reports on how adult stem cells could help prevent many amputations. Excerpts:
A new procedure launched at the
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago in January offers hope to patients
with critical limb ischemia (CLI), or severely blocked leg arteries.
Doctors transplanted a purified form of the
patients' own stem cells into their leg muscles to grow new, small blood
vessels and restore circulation in their legs. Two patients underwent the
procedure. They are the first subjects in a 20-site national trial.
…
Losordo said a treatment for CLI could be
available by 2012.
AdvanceUSA
has learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has filed cloture on
the Indian Health Services bill, and a vote on the essential pro-life Vitter
amendment is expected on Monday or Tuesday (25th or 26th). Call both
your senators and urge them to support the Vitter Amendment (# 3896) to the
Indian Health Services bill!
Click here for more information on the imporant Vitter amendment.
 One would expect that Catholic organizations should be able to hire only Catholics or that religious ministries (a church soup kitchen for example) should be able to fire or refuse to hire people who violate that religion’s moral teachings on sexuality. These common sense assumptions could be in danger if “charitable choice” is not protected in the upcoming SAMSHA vote in the Senate.
Charitable choice is what allows religious charities to accept federal funding while taking religious/moral beliefs into consideration when hiring employees. Without these protections religious charities would be forced to compromise their most cherished beliefs in order to continue to minister effectively. Allowing Catholic charities to only hire Catholics or to refuse to hire someone who is an openly practicing homosexual are examples of charitable choice protection.
The Center blog reports on the latest efforts to restrict this important religious liberty in the statutory provisions governing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Senators should be urged to support charitable choice in SAMHSA.
Excerpt from Washington Post story:
Under the Civil Rights Act, religious groups are allowed to only hire people of their particular faith. The battle erupts over what should happen when these groups accept federal dollars.
Supporters of charitable choice said before it was in place many faith-based groups were treated poorly by government agencies and shied away from applying for federal money, fearing they would have to change their religious nature. Many of these groups are highly effective in helping the addicted and mentally ill, supporters said, and without charitable choice, many of them won't apply for federal aid, perhaps dropping out.
Barack
Obama won the Democrat primary races last night in Wisconsin and Hawaii while
John McCain won Wisconsin in the Republican race.
Wisconsin (full
results)
Democrat Primary
Barack Obama 58%
Hillary
Clinton 41%
Republican Primary
John McCain 55%
Mike
Huckabee 37%
Hawaii (full
results)
Democrat Primary
Barack Obama 76%
Hillary
Clinton 24%
To
see how the presidential candidates stand on important issues check AdvanceUSA’s
2008
Candidate Comparisons.
 With the heated Democrat race as close as ever between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and with frontrunner John McCain hoping to “seal the deal” with the Republican party, today’s primary elections will be attracting lots of interest. Democrats will have contests in Wisconsin and Hawaii while Republicans will also vote in Wisconsin and in Washington State. My Way news reports.
AdvanceUSA Blog will post results tomorrow. Until then USA Today will tabulate results as they come in tonight.
Make sure you know where the major presidential candidates stand on important issues with AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.
Congressman
Randy Forbes (R-VA) has introduced a bill (H. RES. 888) which would make the
first week in May “America’s Religious History Week.” Much of the text of the bill would make a
great history lesson in America’s rich religious history. Read the full text
here. Excerpts:
Whereas political
scientists have documented that the most frequently-cited source in the
political period known as The Founding Era was the Bible;
Whereas the first
act of America’s first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with
prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of four chapters of the Bible;
Whereas in 1777,
Congress, facing a national shortage of “Bibles for our schools, and families,
and for the public worship of God in our churches,” announced that they
“desired to have a Bible printed under their care & by their encouragement”
and therefore ordered 20,000 copies of the Bible to be imported “into the
different ports of the States of the Union”;
Whereas in 1782,
Congress pursued a plan to print a Bible that would be “a neat edition of the
Holy Scriptures for the use of schools” and therefore approved the production
of the first English-language Bible printed in America that contained the
congressional endorsement that “the United States in Congress assembled . . .
recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States”;
Whereas, in 1864,
by law Congress added “In God We Trust” to American coinage;
To
read these quotes and many more click here. Or for a version that includes the historical documentation check the PDF
version at Rep. Randy Forbes’ website.
Adult “Stem Cell Treatment Attracts Thousands”
ABC News reports (in a very balanced fashion) on the visible results Paul Flynn has achieved from the adult stem cell therapies he received in China. Excerpt:
Using stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood (UCB), Hu said his company has treated over 2,000 patients since 2005. They claim an 85 percent rate of improvement in a variety of conditions, from spinal cord injuries to autism.
…
"Little things like that. I can jump now, which I couldn't jump earlier. I can jump now, little frog hops, which requires all the contraction and releasing and coordination of all of your leg muscles all at once. So, just little things like that. Squatting, I can squat a little better now without falling over."
His wife, Teresa, has also taken note. "I've noticed a lot of improvement in his walk, his speech, his overall sense of well being," she said.
Unfortunately, many of the results in China have not been submitted for official scientific review, but personal testimonials like Paul’s definitely merit careful consideration.
Paul Flynn with his son Michael in China
Graphic source: ABC News
“Ethical Method of Creating Embryonic-Like Stem Cells Overcomes More Hurdles”
Scientists report that the embryonic-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), which can be obtained ethically from ordinary skin cells, can be used for treatment without causing tumors. One of the chief faults with using normal embryonic stem cells (besides the fact that they require the destruction or endangerment of human embryos) is that they often form tumors. Once again, ethical stem cell research shows the greater promise of actually achieving treatments and cures. LifeNews also reports.
“Racehorse Wins after Pioneering [Adult] Stem Cell Treatment”
Horse lovers, pro-lifers, and medical junkies will be fascinated to learn that adult stem cell treatments are even producing real results in the animal kingdom. Excerpt:
Pioneering stem cell treatment has enabled British steeplechaser Knowhere to come back from severe injuries to win Cheltenham's Gold Cup Trial last week.
Graphic source: horsetalk.co.nz
“UCLA Adult Stem Cell Speech”
Michael Webster shares his success story from having used adult stem cell treatments.
“Stem Cell Storage Turns to Menstrual Source”
The Chicago Tribune reports. Excerpt:
Some call it a curse, some an inconvenience, and some even think of it as a feminine privilege, joining them with the cycles of nature.
Now a Florida firm wants women to think of their monthly period as a precious chance to gather stem cells that could later prove a lifesaver to them or their families.
LifeNews reports. This is even more evidence of why the United
States should never sign the CEDAW treaty.
The
Indy Star reports on this sad
news for marriage defenders in Indiana.
Hoosiers can especially thank State Rep. Patrick Bauer and State Rep. Scott
Pelath for denying them the opportunity to vote on a marriage amendment in
2008.
How
would you respond to the following statement?
"In my opinion, the moral thing for
older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during pregnancy as is
safe for the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21,
and abort the fetus if it does. The brain is the last organ to become
functional."
LifeNews and the News
Observer have the full story.
- Studies in Australia show that adult stem cells are accomplishing incredible results in repairing fractured bones.
- The Temple Telegram has a great biographical piece on Dr. Darwin Prockop who “has been researching adult stem cells for 18 years and yet maintains a sense of wonder about his work.” Dr. Prockop is doing great work, and it is refreshing to hear his expert and honest assessment of the enormous potential of ethical adult stem cell research and of the difficulties and problems associated with embryonic stem cell research. This piece is an exciting read for those interested in the amazing medicinal potential of ethical forms of stem cell research. Excerpt:
There have been no reports of any patient trials using embryonic stem cells, he said.
“There have been some major technological problems,” Prockop said. “One thing is they form tumors in animals that look like the beginnings of cancer and nobody quite knows how to get around this problem.”
Dr. Prockop at work
Graphic source: Temple Telegraph
For more information on adult stem cell successes click here. Or check the stem cell page.
Our friend Curt Levey at the Committee for Justice compares the recent refusal of the House Democrat leadership to allow a vote on the Protect America Act to the obstruction of President Bush’s judicial nominees. Excerpt:
…our view on passage of the Protect America Act is the same as our philosophy on the confirmation of judicial nominees. If senators and House members are sincere in their belief that the PAA is a threat to civil liberties or that the President’s judicial nominees threaten civil rights – they can and should vote against passage or confirmation on the floor. What they should not do is thwart the will of the majority by preventing a fair up-or-down vote.
The Protect America Act and FISA are not major issues for AdvanceUSA, but we certainly share the frustration over the Senate’s intolerably slow pace of confirming judicial nominations and urge a fair up-or-down vote for all the president's nominees.
To see a graphic representation of the slow pace of judicial confirmations click here. For more information on judicial nomination check the AdvanceUSA pro-justice page.
Debra
J. Saunders writes about the animal-rights
terrorists who intimidate or plot acts of violence against researchers involved
with animal testing.
It
is highly ironic that many of the opponents of animal testing are likely also advocates
of unrestricted embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and abortion on
demand.
 Calling all Californians and Hoosiers
(“Hoosiers” are folks from Indiana for all you non-Hoosiers out there)
concerned about protecting the traditional definition of marriage from activist
judges and liberal politicians! You have
urgent and important opportunities to defend the sacred institution of marriage
in your states.
Indiana
The
Indiana Marriage Amendment (S.J.R. 7) was passed by the State Senate but is
languishing in the State House Rules Committee.
In Indiana, a constitutional amendment must be approved by two
consecutive legislatures and then approved by the people. If the House continues to delay, Indiana
voters will be deprived of the opportunity to vote on the amendment on their
2008 ballot and the effort to protect marriage in Indiana will be set back
several years. Defenders of marriage in
Indiana are urged to call and email State House Speaker Patrick Bauer and State
House Rules Committee Chairman Scott Pelath.
Contact
information:
Speaker
Pat Bauer
(D-South Bend)
317-232-9628
h6@in.gov
Chairman
Scott Pelath
(D-Michigan City)
317-232-9647
h9@in.gov
HT:
Brian
California
CitizenLink
reports (article: “California Gets
Ready to Vote on Marriage”) that the California Marriage Amendment is off
to a good start with 100,000 signatures gathered to get it on the 2008
ballot. However, a total of about 1
Million signatures will be needed to do so.
If you live in California check out the Protect Marriage website to find out
how to sign the petition and find other ways to help the cause.
Visit:
www.ProtectMarriage.com
AdvanceUSA
has learned from friends in the House of Representatives that the Foreign
Affairs Committee hearings on PEPFAR have been postponed until the “week of February
25.”
The presidential primaries held yesterday in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia were clean sweeps. Sen. Barack Obama won for the Democrats and Sen. John McCain won for the Republicans.
For full results check the links below.
Virginia
Maryland
District of Columbia
To see how the presidential candidates stand on important issues check AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.
 Annie Murphy Paul has an eye-opening and even-handed piece in the New York Times today entitled “The First Ache” which extensively documents the medical evidence that unborn children are capable of feeling pain. As noted in the piece, this knowledge has enabled pro-lifers to promote “unborn pain awareness” legislation aimed at humanizing unborn children and attempting to foster a “culture of life” and a culture of concern for the unborn.
Excerpt:
New evidence, however, has persuaded him [Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand] that fetuses can feel pain by 20 weeks gestation (that is, halfway through a full-term pregnancy) and possibly earlier. As Anand raised awareness about pain in infants, he is now bringing attention to what he calls “signals from the beginnings of pain.”
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) have proposed legislation, on the federal level, to inform women seeking abortions that their unborn child is likely to experience pain. For more information on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act check the AdvanceUSA home page or pro-life page.
Consider contacting your representative and both your senators and urging them to support the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (S. 356 / H.R. 3442). Also consider writing an op-ed piece in your local newspaper to inform people about the pain unborn children experience during an abortion.
Today the states of Maryland and Virginia as well as the District of Columbia, hold their presidential primaries. AdvanceUSA Blog will post the results tomorrow. Until then, USA Today will have updated vote results here throughout the night.
Make sure you know where the major presidential candidates stand on important issues with AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.
 AdvanceUSA has learned that Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) passed away this morning from lung cancer complications. AdvanceUSA expresses its condolences to the family of Congressman Lantos, and is thankful for his willingness to serve his nation in Congress. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (which Lantos chaired) will likely postpone Thursday's hearing on PEPFAR until leadership and membership changes are made to the committee.
AdvanceUSA will continue to monitor the PEPFAR issue, and is encouraged that President Bush has indicated his opposition to the bill until the abortion and abstinence policy changes are removed.
The
Wall Street Journal mentions the dangerous
Employment Non-Discrimination Act in an article on several anti-business
bills that could progress in the current Congress. Another concern with ENDA, besides
restrictive government regulation of business, is the threat that
non-discrimination laws based on “actual or perceived” sexual preferences could
pose to religious freedom.
Excerpt:
…the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,
passed the House of Representatives last fall. It would prohibit discrimination
on the basis of "sexual orientation." In short, private-sector
employers who have religious or other objections to homosexuality would be told
their moral views lack legitimacy.
The Bush administration has announced its
opposition, noting that the bill raises constitutional problems and "turns
on imprecise and subjective terms that would make interpretation, compliance,
and enforcement extremely difficult" and is "virtually certain to
encourage burdensome litigation." Sen. John McCain is opposed to such
legislation; Sens. Obama and Clinton are supporters. Sen. Edward Kennedy is
expected to introduce the bill later this year in the Senate. For more information on ENDA click here.
The
closing of five Planned Parenthood “clinics” is great news for pro-lifers. LifeNews
reports.
The Daily Breeze reports. Excerpt:
Researchers at UCLA have become the first
in the state to successfully create skin cells that can be used to treat a
number of fatal or debilitating conditions without the use of human embryos or
eggs.
HT:
Sam Lee
“Charitable
choice” is what allows religious charities to maintain their non-profit,
tax-exempt status while being able to take religious or moral beliefs into
consideration when hiring employees.
Without these protections religious charities would be forced to
compromise their most cherished beliefs in order to continue to minister
effectively. For example, charitable
choice is what allows a Catholic charity to only hire Catholics while refusing
to hire someone who is an openly practicing homosexual.
The
Center blog reports on the latest efforts
to restrict this important religious liberty in the statutory provisions
governing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA).
Over the weekend the battles between the Democrat and Republican nominees continued. On the Democrat side, Barack Obama won the contests in Nebraska, Maine, and Louisiana. On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee won Kansas and Louisiana while John McCain won the Washington State caucuses. However, the Huckabee campaign intends to contest the Washington State results.
For full results of the past weekend’s primaries and caucuses check the USA Today election coverage website.
LifeNews and Breitbart have some helpful analysis of the races tomorrow (Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC).
To find out where the presidential candidates stand on important issues check out AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons.
 Yesterday, at the White House, President Bush “called out” the Senate for its lack of action on important judicial nominations. Appointing qualified, originalist judges to the federal bench is of the utmost importance, but over 180 nominees are currently in judicial limbo. Call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today (his DC number is 202-224-3542) and politely ask him to end the obstruction of the President’s judicial nominees and grant them hearings and a fair up-or-down vote, as is the Senate’s constitutional duty. Excerpt of the President’s remarks:
As President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate qualified men and women for public office. That's my responsibility, I take it very seriously. I have nominated skilled and faithful public servants to lead federal agencies and sit on the federal bench. The Constitution also gives senators an important responsibility. They must provide advice and consent by voting up or down on these nominees. Unfortunately, the Senate is not fulfilling its duty.
The confirmation process has turned into a never ending political game, where everyone loses. With more than a 180 of my nominees waiting for the confirmation process in the Senate, it is clear that the process is not working. About half these nominees have been waiting for more than a hundred days. More than 30 have been waiting a year or more. And nine have been waiting for more than two years.
That's no way to treat men and women who have stepped forward to serve our country, and it's got to stop. It's in our nation's interest that this process change. It's not right to treat these good folks this way. These nominees deserve an up or down vote. Many of them have had their careers on hold. They've got spouses whose lives are stuck in limbo. They have children waiting to find out where they're going to go to school.
To read the full speech click here.
For a helpful White House fact sheet on judicial nominees click here.
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) also spoke out on this crucial issue and his remarks can be read here.
For more information on judicial issues and to view a chart illustrating the Senate’s lack of progress on judges check the AdvanceUSA pro-justice page.
As
the AP reports, proposed changes to PEPFAR funding would side-step the crucial
Mexico City Policy allowing
tax dollars to support overseas abortions.
The AP report also mentions that the Lantos bill would undermine
ant-prostitution regulations and withhold funding from successful abstinence
and faithfulness anti-AIDS education.
The
Foreign Affairs Committee will likely vote on PEPFAR on Thursday, February
14. Be sure to contact
members of this committee and urge them to preserve the crucial pro-life
and pro-morality provisions PEPFAR.
NOTE: Mitt Romney just dropped out of the race. It is not clear how this will affect the upcoming primaries. Will Romney supporters rally behind Mike Huckabee or will he soon drop out?
LifeNews provides helpful reporting and analysis on some of the upcoming presidential races.
On Saturday, three states (LA, WA, and KS) will hold presidential contests. On Tuesday (February 12), Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC will hold their primaries.
I you or someone you know plan to vote in one of these races, AdvanceUSA encourages you to make use of our 2008 Candidate Comparisons with which you can compare the major presidential candidates on important issues.
Be in prayer for your country as momentous decisions are being made which will determine the future of conservatism and of our nation.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee markup for PEPFAR originally scheduled today has been postponed to next week. As currently written, the legislation undermines effective abstinence programs and mandates taxpayer support of overseas abortions. FRC has provided a helpful list of committee members. If your representative is in this list, be sure to encourage him or her to oppose any provisions which undermine the Mexico City Policy, allow tax dollars to support overseas abortion providers or proponents, undermine anti-prostitution regulations, or weakens support for successful abstinence and faithfulness education programs. If these concerns are not met, your representative should be encouraged to oppose the underlying bill. For more information on this issue check the PEPFAR blurb.
Liberals in Congress should stop endangering critical AIDS funding with attempts to advance their anti-life, liberal social agenda.
Ken
Connor writes a helpful
piece at Townhall.com in which he praises President Bush’s bold proposal of
a cloning ban in his recent State of the Union address and also highlights the
recent breakthrough in obtaining embryonic-like pluripotent stem cells from
ordinary skin cells.
We’ve seen some exciting news in the area of ethical adult stem cell research (which does not destroy or endanger human embryos).
- Reuters reports that a 65-year old man received a new upper jaw which was derived from stem cells from his own body. This spectacular operation shows the enormous potential of regenerative medicine apart from life-endangering forms like embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. Excerpt from Reuters:
Scientists in Finland said they had replaced a 65-year-old patient's upper jaw with a bone transplant cultivated from stem cells isolated from his own fatty tissue and grown inside his abdomen.
- The Telegraph (UK) reports that two-year old toddler Sorrel Mason’s life was saved by umbilical cord stem cells donated by a Japanese mother which had been frozen and shipped to the UK. This is another instance of ethically obtained adult stem cells showing life-saving results. Fox News reports here. Excerpt from the Telegraph:
Sorrel's mother described the bone marrow transplant carried out at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children as a "miracle".
"Sorrel would be dead now if she had been left untreated," said Samantha Mason, from Great Wratting, Suffolk, who runs a garden centre with her husband, Robert.
Sorrel Mason: two-year old cancer survivor and adult stem cell recipient
Graphic source: Telegraph (UK)
For more information about the breakthroughs in ethical adult stem cell research click here. To learn more about the stem cell issue check the AdvanceUSA stem cell page and human cloning page.
AdvanceUSA
has been notified by contacts attending C-PAC that Mitt Romney has withdrawn
from the presidential race. CNN
reports.
Because of a court ruling so called “fleeting instances” of indecency or profanity are allowed on broadcast television. CtizenLink reports that federal legislation to close this broadcast indecency loophole is stalled in the U.S. Senate. Excerpt:
Legislation stuck in the U.S. Senate would give the government more power to clean up television.
In order to ensure the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) ability to fine broadcasters over "fleeting" instances of profanity or nudity, the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act (S. 1780) needs to be voted on by the full Senate.
…
Weiss said the law is needed after four television networks sued the FCC for the right to air profanity at any time of day. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the networks last year; the FCC has appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The networks act as if they own the airwaves and are fighting with everything they have for the ‘right’ to pollute them as they see fit,” Weiss said. “The law, however, states that the public owns the airwaves and has some say over how they are used. We have an opportunity right now to directly impact our culture, but we must make our voices heard for that to happen.”
Graphic source: CitizenLink
NOTE: For different conservative perspective on TV indecency regulations check out Stuart Epperson’s testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee in 2006 which was reposted at Townhall recently under the title “The Law of Unintended Consequences: Well meaning efforts to target indecency could come back to haunt us.” Conservatives often disagree about the proper role of government in these matters, but many conservatives recognize a legitimate role for government to prohibit indecency on publicly owned wavelengths (much as governments rightfully prohibit public indecent exposure).
All
the major candidates pledged to continue their campaigns last night. Here is how the delegate race stands for both
Republicans
and Democrats
according to Real Clear
Politics.
Republican
Delegate Race
John
McCain 683
Mitt
Romney 244
Mike
Huckabee 187
Ron
Paul 14
Democrat
Delegate Race
Hillary
Clinton 900
Barack
Obama 824
For
the full results of all of last night’s races check this USA
Today resource.
Make
sure you know how the remaining candidates stand on important issues with
AdvanceUSA’s 2008
Candidate Comparisons.
Excerpt from Reuters report:
A New York appeals court ruled on Friday that valid same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries must be recognized in New York, the first known ruling of its kind in the country, a rights group said.
Court rulings such as this one powerfully illustrate the need for a federal constitutional amendment to protect the traditional definition of marriage. Otherwise, unelected federal judges will spread gay marriage across the country by judicial fiat, all while misapplying the “equal protection” and “full faith and credit” clauses of the U.S. Constitution.
For more information on protecting marriage click here. Check out AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate Comparisons and see how the presidential candidates stand on the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment.
AdvanceUSA
blogger Daniel Herbster will be live-blogging tonight from an undisclosed
location with other conservative activists as the Super Tuesday vote results
come in. USA Today will be posting
the latest poll results here.
Click
“read more…” to see the latest updates from AdvanceUSA.
Check
AdvanceUSA’s 2008 Candidate
Comparisons for more information on where the candidates stand on important
issues.
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was begun in 2003, has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and will be up for renewal this year. Unfortunately, there is an aggressive push by liberals to disregard current stipulations that mandate funding for the “AB” (“abstinence” and “be faithful”) portion of “ABC” education (“C” = condoms). The new efforts would allow funding for “reproductive health” (a.k.a “abortion”) and ease the regulations that require groups receiving PEPFAR funds to pledge opposition to prostitution. The liberals claim to want only to fund “what works” despite the mounting evidence that teaching abstinence and faithfulness (as is done in Uganda) and taking a strong stance against prostitution are the most effective ways to combat the spread of the dreaded AIDS virus. Also, Americans should not have to subsidize overseas abortions with their tax dollars so Congress should be wary of allowing funds for “reproductive health” purposes as this is a broad term used by liberals to promote abortion.
Our friends in Congress tell us that PEPFAR will likely be considered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on February 7. If your representative sits on this committee call him or her today and encourage them to be sure to 1. attend the February 7 hearings, 2. voice their support for abstinence funding and anti-prostitution efforts, 3. oppose taxpayer funded “reproductive health” (abortion), and 4. vote against any amendments which would weaken these crucial provisions.
Pro-human
cloning forces often resort to distorting the terms of the debate in order to
advance their cause. The cloning battle
in Missouri provides many examples.
Missourinet reports on the attempt
to correct the inaccurate ballot summary language
issued by the Missouri Secretary of State.
Unless fixed, the current summary language totally distorts what the
proposed amendment to completely (and truly) ban human cloning would actually
do.
For
more news and information on the cloning battle in Missouri (and to read
the text of the actual amendment) click here.
AdvanceUSA will be covering the results. For a list of states holding primaries or caucuese tomorrow scroll down to Thursday's postings.
Sen.
Arlen Specter spoke out today in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal
about the deportable
lack of progress in the Senate on approving federal judges. In
particular, he cited the cases of Peter Keisler and Robert Conrad, both highly
qualified nominees who have been nominated to important Circuit Courts, who are
still awaiting approval or committee hearings. Here are some excerpts of the
piece:
In President Clinton's
final two years in office, the Senate confirmed 15 circuit court nominees;
thus, much work remains to be done. There are currently 14 circuit court
vacancies, with a nominee pending for nearly all of the seats. The Senate must
confirm nine more circuit court nominees this year to keep pace with President
Clinton's confirmations during his final two years in office.
It would be a shame if the
preliminary steps the Senate Judiciary Committee took in 2007 were lost in
2008. To date, it has been four months since the committee held a hearing on a
circuit court nomination. Several highly qualified candidates have been
awaiting hearings for many months, and it is my hope that Chairman Patrick
Leahy and I will be able to schedule prompt hearings for all of these fine men
and women. At a bare minimum, nominees received from the president in 2007
deserve a committee hearing and a vote before the end of 2008.
…
In 2008 we will set
important precedents for how the next president's nominees, whether Republican
or Democrat, are treated in the Senate. Americans of both parties are demanding
change; we should not wait until November to give it to them.
Last
year AdvanceUSA prepared a graphic which visually illustrates the statistics
cited in Senator Specter’s piece. The statistics don’t lie. See for
yourself.
You
can view this graphic by clicking
here or by checking the home page
or pro-justice page. Or
see the smaller version below.
To
see a larger version click here.
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