Archives for January 2013

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are relieved the U.S. Treasury rejected the trillion dollar coin idea but are still a bit unnerved so many liberals think it’s a good idea.  They also wonder why Colin Powell is still a Republican if he thinks John McCain and Mitt Romney were too conservative and he thinks tougher border security and voter ID laws are racist.  And they have some fun with New York Sen. Chuck Schumer asking gun retailers to voluntarily stop selling “assault weapons” until the debate is finished in Congress.

It was a busy week for former Vice President Al Gore.  First, he sold Current TV to Al Jazeera.  Now the Capitol Steps recruit Gore to respond to a new report suggesting 2012 is the hottest on record for North America.

Prominent evangelical Christians are alleging liberal bigotry is to blame for pastor Louie Giglio being forced to back out from delivering the benediction at President Obama upcoming inauguration.

The Presidential Inauguration Committee announced Giglio as part of the ceremony on Tuesday.  Within hours, pro-homosexual marriage sites had uncovered a sermon Giglio delivered in the 1990s on the topic of homosexuality.

“If you look at the counsel of the word of God, Old Testament, New Testament, you come quickly to the the conclusion that homosexuality is not an alternate lifestyle…It is sin in the eyes of God, and it is sin according to the word of God,” said Giglio in that sermon.  “Our message is we know Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is powerful enough to do anything and everything. And the only way out of a homosexual lifestyle…is through the healing power of Jesus.”

Most evangelical Christians are wondering what the uproar is all about.

“Louie Giglio was simply reflecting what the scriptures have taught for 2,000 years, what Christianity has believed and taught for 2,000 years,” said Bryan Fischer, director of issue analysis at the American Family Association and host of Focal Point on American Family Radio.  “The viewpoint he expressed in his sermon is the viewpoint that was universally held in the United States from our founding, from Jamestown 1607 all the way up to the mid-1970s there was virtually unanimous consensus about the understanding of homosexual behavior.”

“It’s troublesome to me that he would be accused of being anti-gay,” said Fischer.  “If you listen to that sermon, he is for the homosexual.  Here is a lifestyle that is self-destructive, and he’s offering them hope, he’s offering a way out and he’s offering the possibility of change.  That is not a message that is anti-gay.  It is actually a message that offers hope and redemption to the homosexual.  It’s obviously just bigotry that we was bounced from the platform.”

There have been inaugural prayer controversies before.  After the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush, both Rev. Franklin Graham and Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell were accused of not being inclusive because they prayed in the name of Jesus.  However, Fischer believes the liberal outcry against Giglio takes the intolerance of the political left to another level.

“I think it does represent a watershed moment,” he said.  “This represents a significant shift in the Obama administration that Rick Warren was allowed to be a part of the inauguration in 2008 despite the fact that he was a supporter of natural marriage.  Now someone who holds a virtually identical position to the one Rick Warren held has been banished from the program.”

Fischer says the persistent scorn directed at anyone defending traditional marriage is reminiscent of another controversial chapter in American history and he says a recent quote from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler sums up the attempt to marginalize Bible-believing Christians.

“We’ve got a new form of McCarthyism here,” he said.  “Do you now or have you ever believed that homosexuality is a sin?”

Rather than defend its selection of Giglio, the Presidential Inaugural Committee indicated concern over Giglio’s words from the 1990s.

“They don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this Inaugural,” said committee spokeswoman Addie Whisenant in a statement on Thursday. “Pastor Giglio was asked to deliver the benediction in large part for his leadership in combating human trafficking around the world. As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration’s vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans.”

Fischer finds that statement laughable.  He says while preaching tolerance, liberals are clearly intolerant towards someone who holds different beliefs.

“The inaugural committee does not believe in diversity at all,” said Fischer.  “If they believe in diversity, they would celebrate the presence of Louie Giglio on the platform.  Here is the wonder of the American experiment, that we have room for a wide range of views on controversial topics.”

Instead, he says a very different message is being sent.

“They don’t believe in diversity at all.  They believe in a ‘monoversity’.  ‘If you don’t think like we do, believe like we do, speak like we do you are going to be ostracized, marginalized and silenced,” said Fischer.

And much like the Chick-fil-A flap last year, Fischer says Christians are fed up with the lectures from the left.

“More and more Christians and social conservatives are going to say, ‘Look, I’m tired of us getting pushed around here.  The values that we believe in this area are values that were shared by the founding fathers, same set of moral values that built the United States into the greatest, strongest and most prosperous nation in the world.  I’m tired of backing down on this issue.  I’m tired of apologizing for this.  I’m tired of Christian leaders who apologize for this.  It’s time for us to show some strength and some moxy.  We’re going to start to see some pushback against these bullying tactics from the left,” said Fischer.

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review applaud Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for proposing an end to the personal and corporate income taxes in Louisiana.  They’re also happy to see West Virginia Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller announce he won’t run for re-election.  And they discuss the calculated strategy of CNN’s Piers Morgan to promote gun control non-stop and berate his conservative guests in the quest for higher ratings.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has used some chemical weapons against his own people and will likely use more as his grip on power becomes increasingly tenuous.

That’s the assessment of retired U.S. Army Maj. General Paul Vallely, who also warned of a growing humanitarian crisis among the rebels and explained why he doesn’t fear radicals rising to power if Assad falls.

Vallely says Assad is using the threat of chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction as a last resort, but he says there is compelling evidence some of those weapons have already been deployed.

“He’s already used chlorine gas to an extent, and phosphate,” said Vallely.  “We have videotape of children being hit with the phosphate chemicals and the severe burns.”

Vallely says Assad has many more horrific weapons at his disposal.

“We know that he has sarin gas.  We know he has WMD.  Much of it was transferred from Iraq in 2003 to several sites in Syria,” said Vallely.  “He’s already used helicopters to spray chlorine gas.  That has come from the validation from the Free Syrian Army commanders on the ground who I met with just six weeks ago.”

Government tactics, the use of catastrophic weapons and the onset of winter are combining to create a quickly growing humanitarian crisis among the Syrian rebels.

“Assad is trying to starve the people now in all those areas like Aleppo and Homs,” said Vallely, who notes that supply lines have been cut off, leaving the people without food.  He says Turkey has sent flour to some of the hardest hit areas, but it’s hard to cook anything with it because all available wood is being burned to provide warmth.

But while the conditions seem bleak for the rebels, Vallely believes they will prevail sooner rather than later.

“No, I think it’s maybe shorter than we think.  The Free Syrian Army and others have attacked four of the airports, so you have international flights being cancelled.   The Russians are re-thinking their strategy, so they’re looking at how to remove themselves,” said Vallely, who also says the Iranian are still actively supplying the Assad regime.

One of the greatest concerns about the rebels are the elements with rather clear ties to Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.  Vallely says he understands the fears that backing the rebels could lead to another Egypt, but he’s confident that wouldn’t happen in this case.  He says the U.S. can play a major role without putting any troops on the ground.  Vallely contends supplying them through Turkey would not only achieve a desired result but allow us to identify a legitimate successor to the Assad regime.  His choice for that role is the leadership of the Free Syrian Army.

But even beyond what might come next in Syria, Vallely says it is imperative that Assad be removed from power.

“Assad is worse than Hitler in many ways, and they did nothing about Hitler until it was too late and millions were killed,” said Vallely.  “It’s the same thing with Assad.  Over 60,000 killed now in Syria.”

Ultimately, Vallely sees the civil war in Syria ending much like another uprising in the region, and that would be bad news for Assad..

“His time is numbered,” said Vallely.  “Just like Gaddafi.”

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are pleasantly surprised that an obscure provision in Obamacare may actually thwart part of the Obama gun control agenda.  They also skewer Joe Biden for suggesting that gun law changes could come through executive order.  And they poke fun at Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy for suggesting Redskins star Robert Griffin III blew out his knee due to karma stemming from the team’s supposedly offensive nickname.

Chuck Hagel’s comments that appear critical of Israel and lenient towards Iran are causing a firestorm as the U.S. Senate prepares to consider his nomination to be defense secretary.  But Israelis themselves are apparently unconcerned.

“Most Israelis do not know the man and do not even know his name,” said retired Israeli Gen. Elihu Ben-Onn.  “He’s not very famous.  He’s not very well-known in Israeli public opinion.  We hear from sources in America in Washington that in the past Sen. Hagel said something that the leaders of Israel don’t like.  I must tell you, it is in the headlines but it’s not such a major concern in Israel.”

Gen. Ben-Onn is also bullish on the overall U.S.-Israeli relationship despite some very public disputes between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We now believe those personal (differences) maybe disappeared, and the United States and Israel together will go to the future with hands together,” said Ben-Onn.

The general also addressed the upcoming special elections in Israel slated for Jan. 22.  Ben-Onn says the latest polls suggest Netanyahu’s Likud Party will win the election, but how a new government will be formed is still undetermined.

“The question is who will be the (coalition) partners.  Will the same structure and the same parties be part of the future – the ultra-orthodox parties or maybe central parties or left parties.  This is the main issue, what will be the outcome of the elections and who will help Netanyahu to build the coalition,” said Ben-Onn.

Ben-Onn also commented on the fierce civil war going on among Israel’s neighbors in Syria.  The general says Israel’s aren’t really taking sides but he seemed to prefer the devil he knows in President Bashar al-Assad to what may emerge among the rebels.

“He was a very good leader in the sense that he didn’t start any firing along the border in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria for the last 39 years,” said Ben-Onn.  “His father and he is keeping the same policy, not peace but rather a quiet border which is very nice and maybe in future we’ll have peace.”

“Who will replace him?  Will it be Al Qaeda?  Will it be another of the radical Islamist groups which could start, God forbid, an attack on the northern border?” said Ben-Onn.

However, the general says he and other Israelis condemn any killings of Syrian civilians by the Assad regime.

The fiscal cliff and an an awkward vote for Speaker of the House combined for a rocky start to 2013 for House Republicans, but Georgia freshman Rep. Doug Collins says what will define the GOP in the days to come is firm resolve to address spending, debt and entitlements in a meaningful way.

Collins is a former pastor and military chaplain who represents a newly created district in the Peach State.  He says a lot of Republicans weren’t happy with the final fiscal cliff deal but the real obstacle to progress is President Obama.

“When you have a president who says spending is not the issue and is very content to continue to add to our deficit, it really is such a disconnect and really an arrogancy about this administration and Senate Democrats,” said Collins.  “From our perspective, there’s a unity of going forward saying it’s time to address spending.  The (fiscal cliff) plan that was passed was not something that was not very good to many of us.  That’s past us now.  Now we’ve got to really concentrate on what’s really causing problems and that’s our spending.”

In meeting with fellow freshmen and some veteran GOP lawmakers, Collins says the resolve for the House majority to stand its ground is palpable.

“We are elected representatives.  The House of Representatives represents one-third of this triangle between us and the Senate and the president.  We were elected just like they were and it’s time for us to stand on the principles that got us there.  I think there’s a resolve this time, especially after what’s been going on over the past month,” said Collins.  “Let’s put together a positive outlook forward and that means that we put forward what we believe is best for this country.  It’s reforming our Medicare and Medicaid programs, looking forward to sustainability to Social Security.  These were promises made to the American people but they need to be sustained promises.  And then also just a steady resolve to understand that no matter what, spending is our issue and we’ve got to continue to hold firm on that.”

Collins says Republicans not only need to hold firm in demanding spending cuts but they need to insist upon real cuts right away.

“We’ve got to have spending cuts that are not just projected over 10 years,” said Collins.  “I think there’s got to be real spending cuts that are in the next two years, three years, four years, five years out that are very measurable and very manageable.”

Collins says Congress also has to get back to accounting for spending.  He voted against emergency funding for Hurricane Sandy victims because there weren’t cuts made elsewhere to pay for it.

“I understand needing to help with the Sandy relief and wanting to be part of that, but when we come up with it and say it’s just going to add to the deficit.  We’ve got to get on regular order.  We’ve got to pass budget bills.  We’ve got to pass appropriations bills.  We’ve got to do the job the American people sent us to do.”

Another issue Congress will likely address in the coming weeks is the Obama administration’s push for new gun restrictions.  Collins believes more gun control laws aren’t the answer, and he’s especially concerned about Vice President Biden’s comments suggesting Obama may use executive orders to bypass Congress to get what he wants.

“This president was not elected to do things by himself.  Simply saying that he will handle things by executive order is an affront to the American people and an affront to the Constitution,” said Collins.  “We are not just elected bodies in the House and Senate that were elected there just to go along or rubber stamp whatever he wants.  That is a mistake, and I would urge the president and the administration to head down that path.”

As for the gun policies Obama is pursuing, Collins says as a pastor and chaplain he’s fully aware of the pain and grief involved in these horrific events.  However, he says focusing on the instruments of violence rather than the troubled people behind the murders is a mistake.

“To make ourselves feel better by simply going after a political agenda that deals with one of our base fundamental rights in the Second Amendment is just a mistake,” said Collins.  ” I think it’s an emotional reaction to several events that have occurred over the past year.  That is the message I hear from a lot of people and especially in our district, but my hope would be in this Congress that we would look at the tragedy of what happened with a sick individual who did a sick and perverted and unjust act and look at our response to it.”

Greg Corombos of Radio America and Jim Geraghty of National Review are amused by the liberal media giving President Obama grief over not appointing enough women to high-profile positions.  They also wonder why the Republican Main Street Coalition decided to drop “Republican” from its name.  And they have fun with a new poll showing Congress less popular than head lice, root canals, cockroaches and used car salesmen.

Republicans are ready to shut down the government to force real spending cuts, Harry Reid is an ‘idiot’ and Chuck Hagel should be rejected by the U.S. Senate as our next defense secretary, according to Louisiana Sen. David Vitter.

The second-term GOP senator says many in his party reluctantly went along with the final fiscal cliff agreement but Vitter insists there is a clear line in the sand.

“I wasn’t the overall bill I would have drafted if I were king for the day because it didn’t include major spending cuts and reforms and that’s what we need to do and that’s what we’re turning toward,” said Vitter on the aftermath of the fiscal cliff deal.  “I know people are tired of hearing about showdowns, but the next big showdown is going to be about spending because that’s the fundamental problem and the fundamental challenge which has led to these unsustainable levels of debt.”

Vitter says lawmakers are keenly aware of the debt ceiling debate that will have to happen by early March and he says President Obama’s goal of quietly hiking the ceiling is a fantasy.

“I don’t know any Republican who’s going to be in favor of even considering increasing that without huge spending cuts and reforms.  Certainly, that’s my position,” said Vitter.

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey has said the GOP should be ready for a temporary partial government shutdown and Texas Rep. Kevin Brady backed the idea in an interview with us last week.  Sen. Vitter is also comfortable with that outcome if lawmakers don’t get serious on spending.  And he says Americans should not fall for talking points on the political left suggesting that America will default in the government shuts down.

“We also need to make clear to the American people, we’re not talking about defaulting on our debt.  That is a huge scare tactic,” said Vitter.

The senator also made headlines in the first days of the year for his rebuke of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Vitter referred to Reid as ” an idiot” for suggesting that Hurricane Sandy victims have suffered much worse than Hurricane Katrina victims in his push for disaster relief legislation.  Reid later said he misspoke, but Vitter says his assessment of the Democratic leader remains unchanged.

“We learned what I already knew about Harry Reid I think, that he is an idiot,” said Vitter.  “The statement was just completely wrong factually wrong and idiotic.  It was insulting to gulf coast resident who have been through a lot.  Sandy victims have been through a lot.  That was a horrible storm and horrible human toll.  I’m not trying to compare storms but that’s what Harry Reid brought up.  He not only compared them, he got it absolutely wrong, because by every metric Katrina was the worst natural disaster we’ve ever endured as a country.”

The Senate disaster relief bill was panned in the House because of what the GOP perceived as egregious pork and unrelated money for special interests.  Vitter says it’s important to get wasteful spending out of this and all legislation and Senate Republicans tried unsuccessfully to root out unnecessary spending in the Democratic disaster relief bill.

Vitter says Sandy also revealed the many remaining deficiencies in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  He says there are many improvements that could be made, but he says one great lesson from these storms is the value of pre-existing contracts between local government and contractors for debris cleanup.  Vitter says that provides badly needed jobs in the wake of a disaster and greatly reduces the cost to taxpayers compared to negotiating a contract after a disaster strikes.

Vitter is also bracing for a fierce U.S. Senate fight over the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary.  Vitter is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee which will conduct the confirmation hearings.  While some members remain on the fence over Hagel, Vitter isn’t one of them.  He’s strongly opposed to the nomination.

“Unfortunately, it’s not just one or two stray comments.  It’s a long history on his approach to the Middle East,” said Vitter, who offered a lengthy list of issues where he believes Hagel was badly in error.  “He was one of only two senators who voted in 2001 against renewing the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act.  He voted in 2007 against designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.  He opposed the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act.  He said publicly that an attack on Iran would be exactly the wrong idea.  So at least in his own mind he’s taken that off the table.”

Vitter says Hagel also has a history of criticizing the Israeli lobby, urging direct relations with Hamas and being very bullish on the Assad regime in Syria.

The senator vows vigorous questioning during the confirmation process but would not offer any predictions on the nomination.