#187 (3/11) Sunday Special - "His Legacy Lives On"

[Note: As we look to another critical Presidential election in November, we MUST remember he who I believe was the greatest President of the 20th century and one of the greatest in history - Ronald Reagan. (I so look forward to meeting him in Heaven.) Today's article speaks to what would have been Reagan's 101st brithday this past Monday. (If you go to the website where this article is located, you will find a related video.) It is followed by a link to a short article on President Reagan's commitment to economic freedom.

Prayer:Heavenly Father, may you again bless America with another President of leadership, strength, good humor, and commitment to the Constitution as Ronald Reaan. Amen.]

One of my favorite Reagan quips is: "Government is like a baby - an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."
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- Mike Brownfield; February 6, 2012
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/06/morning-bell-on-reagans-birthday-his-legacy-lives-on/

Today [2/6] marks President Ronald Reagan’s 101st birthday. Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan made his journey west to Iowa as a radio broadcaster, then on to California to take Hollywood by storm. He crossed America as a spokesman for General Electric, and then — after discovering the import of conservative values — entered the political arena, where he would ultimately lead his fellow citizens out of a wilderness of self-doubt, helping the country come to see that it could be morning in America once again...

Upon his inauguration, Reagan was confronted with a deep economic crisis, one of the worst sustained inflations in America’s history, historically high unemployment, the fallout from an energy crisis, stagnation, massive government spending, an untenable tax burden, a hollow military, and the Soviet threat. Yet in the face of the economic crisis, President Reagan turned toward not more government,but less. And in the face of a global threat, he turned toward a stronger military and international leadership — not a weaker military and retrenchment. Reagan understood as well as any that the framework envisioned by the Founders — and set forth in the Constitution — was one that trusted the people to govern themselves, not one that subjugated them to the rule of the few, as reflected in his First Inaugural Address:

"From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price."

"We hear much of special interest groups. Our concern must be for a special interest group that has been too long neglected. It knows no sectional boundaries or ethnic and racial divisions, and it crosses political party lines. It is made up of men and women who raise our food, patrol our streets, man our mines and our factories, teach our children, keep our homes, and heal us when we are sick—professionals, industrialists, shopkeepers, clerks, cabbies, and truckdrivers. They are, in short, “We the people,” this breed called Americans."

The circumstances that Reagan faced are not unlike those that America sees today. The United States faces the threat of entitlement spending growing out of control, a massive debt, a looming tax burden, soaring energy prices, and security threats around the globe. And like Reagan, America’s leaders are faced with a choice: more government or less, a weaker military or a stronger one? We know from history what Reagan would have done. And we also know why he would have done it.

As we look back, we remember that throughout his presidency, Reagan returned again and again to the idea that in all circumstances and with each decision, he was guided by the Constitution. In his State of the Union speeches, Reagan referred to the Constitution more than any other president in the preceding 50 years. A survey of his presidential papers reveals 1,270references to the Constitution during his eight years in the White House and another 113 mentions of the Declaration of Independence. As part of Heritage’s “Preserve the Constitution” series, we invited two former Reagan Cabinet members and two Reagan historians to discuss how the Constitution provided the foundation of the Reagan presidency. In examining Reagan’s recipe for success, former Attorney General Edwin Meese III, who served under President Reagan, noted “Why was President Reagan so successful? I would suggest that one reason is: He did what the Constitution said he should do, and he did what the Founders had in mind in terms of a constitutional presidency.”

Reagan looked to the Constitution as his North Star in leading the country forward. Today’s leaders have the benefit of that same star — and also of Reagan’s example. To truly honor Reagan’s legacy, we at Heritage each day carry forth the conservative values that our 40th President held so dear. Since 1973, we [of the Heritage Foundation] have worked to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish. We were privileged to stand alongside President Reagan when he articulated his conservative vision for America, and we are proud to continue that work today.
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Follow Reagan’s Footsteps; Renew Our Commitment to Economic Freedom
Anthony B. Kim; February 6, 2012
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/06/follow-reagans-footsteps-renew-our-commitment-to-economic-freedom/

"..Reflecting his strong conviction in freedom, Reagan pointed out in his address to students at Moscow State University in May 1988:'Freedom is the right to question and change the established way of doing things. It is the continuous revolution of the marketplace. It is the understanding that allows recognizing shortcomings and seeking solutions.' President Reagan’s wisdom and insight continue to shine through The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom. In reality, his legacy has lived on through experiences of many developing economies that have joined the free world only in recent decades. The embrace of economic freedom by the young democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union has proved particularly notable, and many other countries have made gains in reducing poverty by adopting measures that open up their economies..."

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

#183 (2/6) - What the President's SOTU Didn't Say In Foreign Policy

[Note: Yes, there is another area of the President's recent State of the Union that I have not posted an analysis - the area of foreign policy. The article below - and the one with the link provided following it - address what the President failed to mention in his speech about Iran and the war in Afghanistan. As always, we must carefully consider what this President doesn't say as well as what he does.]
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"Iran: Downplayed in President Obama’s State of the Union Speech"- by James Phillips; January 24, 2012
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/24/iran-downplayed-in-president-obamas-state-of-the-union-speech/

President Obama’s state of the union speech tonight mentioned Iran, which poses the greatest immediate challenge to American foreign policy, in only one paragraph. The president stated:

“Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one. The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent. Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.”

But Iran does not seem to be in any hurry to “rejoin the community of nations.” In recent months it has plotted to bomb a Washington restaurant to kill the Saudi Ambassador, sacked the British Embassy in Tehran, threatened to block oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and sentenced to death an Iranian-American ex-Marine who it claims is a spy. Meanwhile, its uranium enrichment efforts have accelerated, bringing it closer than ever before to a nuclear weapons capability.

Given the Obama Administration’s lack of a forceful response to any of these challenges, the President’s promise to “take no options off the table” is sure to be regarded as an empty threat in Tehran. Left unsaid in his reference to “crippling sanctions” is the inconvenient truth that his administration repeatedly has opposed and sought to soften congressional legislation to ratchet up sanctions against Iran. In fact, the most recent U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank were imposed on the administration by Congress, after the Senate voted 100-0 to override the administration’s objections to the sanctions.

A new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press indicates that Iran is regarded by Americans as the foremost national threat to U.S. security. But the Obama Administration clings to its failed diplomatic strategy to engage a despicable regime and has been left behind by an assertive bipartisan majority in Congress, which pushed for the strongest possible sanctions. Nevertheless, the president tonight sought to take credit for “crippling sanctions” that his administration opposed.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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State of the Union: President Obama Glossed over Afghan War
by Lisa Curtis; January 24, 2012
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/24/state-of-the-union-president-obama-glossed-over-afghan-war/

"In listening to the State of the Union, you would never know that the U.S. still has close to 100,000 troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. While President Obama highlighted U.S. gains against al-Qaeda and the significance of the raid that eliminated Osama bin Laden last May, he downplayed the challenges that remain in Afghanistan."

[for #182 (2/5), please scroll down] #181(2/3) - "FACT CHECK: 10 Dubious Claims from Obama’s State of the Union"

[NOTE: I know.I've already posted an article about the President's State of the Union. But there were so many false claims and so much misinformation presented that even with the following article and the links to several others that I present at the end, there is still MORE error in it that has been pointed out. Sadly, it just goes to emphasize why I long ago stopped listening to anything the President says and just wait until the Truth ["of the matter"] eventually comnes out.]

[Once again, please 1) remember to check back here for my Sunday Special; 2) watch this Sunday's broadcast of "Truth That Transforms" Orlando - Sun.-5 pm, ch. 55.1; Mon. 7 pm, ch. 52.2) or download it at www.truthinaction.org; and 3)check out this week's editorial cartoons at www.worldmag.com/editorial cartoons ]
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Article below is by Lachlan Markay; January 25, 2012 http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/25/fact-check-10-dubious-claims-from-obamas-state-of-the-union/

President Obama made a number of questionable statements in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Heritage experts took on some of the policy issues he raised, but we at Scribe thought we would address the simple factual accuracy of 10 of the more outlandish statements from the president.
Quotes are drawn from the president’s prepared remarks.

[1] Claim: “On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen … And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.”

Fact: Using the relevant dates, that number is actually between 33,000 and 63,000.

It appears the president is comparing today’s auto industry employment with numbers from November 2009. The industry – vehicle and parts manufacturers, dealers, wholesalers, and repair and maintenance shops – employs 158,900 more people today than it did then, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But why choose November 2009? When comparing today’s employment with the month the president took office or with the month during which the federal bailout took place, the numbers are not nearly as impressive. Since February 2009, when Obama was inaugurated, the industry has added only 33,700 jobs. Since the following month, when General Motors and Chrysler were bailed out, it has added 63,100 – nearly 100,000 fewer than Obama claimed.

[2] Claim:“It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.”

Fact:Obama has targeted manufacturers with punitive tax hikes. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, it is,on average,20 percent more expensiveto do business in the United States than it is abroad. The reasons: “our policies on taxes, energy, tort, and trade.” American policies cause that imbalance, not subsidies by other countries.

And while Obama touted manufacturing on numerous occasions during his speech, he has backed policies that would deal body blows to American manufacturing. His incessant refrain to raise taxes on high-income individuals by allowing the Bush tax rates to expire would also ensnare more than 70 percent of manufacturers, according to NAM. “President Obama’s call for tax increases on small businesses, individuals and investors is a poison pill for our economy,” noted NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

[3] Claim:“[M]y administration has put more boots on the border than ever before.”

Fact: The vast majority of that increase was proposed and implemented before Obama took office.

Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act in 2004, which called for adding at least 2,000 border patrol agents per year. President Bush followed up by sending another 6,000 agents to the border. When that mandate was fulfilled, there were 20,119 active border patrol agents. As of last summer, there were 20,700.

[4] Claim: “We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements we signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal ahead of schedule.”

Fact: Obama chose to delay seeking congressional approval of those agreements for more than two years.

Congress waited for the president to send the free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. He “call[ed] on Congress to pass them without delay,” but it was his administration that was delaying consideration of the measures while it worked to shore up political support and tie stimulus-like spending programs to the agreements.

[5]Claim: “American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years.”

Fact: No thanks to Obama.

The president made a similar claim while informing Americans that he would forego the economic windfalls of the Keystone XL pipeline. He did not mention, of course, that the vast majority of that production has occurred on private lands. On federal land, over which the president has control, oil and gas production is down by 40% under Obama. He has actively pursued policies that limit oil and gas exploration on federal land. There were fewer onshore leases in 2010 than in any year since 1984. The Obama administration held only a single offshore lease sale in 2011.

[6]Claim: “[W]ith only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough.”

Fact: The United States has more recoverable oil than the rest of the non-North American world combined.

The 2 percent statistic is a frequent canard [a fabricated story]of this administration, but is woefully misleading when used to suggest, as Obama clearly did, that the country only has 2 percent of the world’s oil. In fact, the 2 percent figure refers to the amount of oil that is recoverable at current prices and under lands currently available for development.

According to recent study by the Institute for Energy Research, the United States has more than 1.4 trillion barrels of recoverable oil, more than the rest of the world (excluding North America) combined. That’s enough to fuel every passenger car in the country for 430 years. As IER explains, in what could be a direct response to the president’s claim, “It is merely semantics—not a scientific assessment of what America has the capacity to produce—that allows critics to claim repeatedly that America is running out of energy.”

Furthermore, Obama’s Energy Information Administration, noted Heritage’s David Kreutzer, predicts a steady rise in U.S. reserves even on land currently available for exploration. “It projects that improvements in technology and the economics of extraction, production, and sales actually will lead to a 23.7 percent increase in U.S. reserves,” Kreutzer wrote, “even after extracting billions of barrels of oil in the interim.”

[7]Claim: “[I]t was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock – reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.”

Fact:Government funding only marginally contributed to the development of hydraulic fracturing.

The federal government began spending money on natural gas extraction research during the oil crisis in the late 1970s, noted CNN in its own “fact check.” The methods they tested – which included setting off nuclear weapons underground – were expensive and ineffective. Federal support declined as gas prices went back down. Private companies, not the federal government, developed hydraulic fracturing technology that has allowed gas to be extracted inexpensively and en masse.

[8] Claim: “[W]e don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy.”

Fact: Obama just rejected both.

The president killed TransCanada’s application for the Keystone XL pipeline due, he claimed, to insufficient information on its environmental impact. But Obama’s own State Department had already concluded that the pipeline posed “limited adverse environmental impacts during both construction and operation.” The Keystone XL pipeline would have been an economic windfall, and an environmentally sound project. So the president is correct that we don’t have to choose between a strong economy and environmental stewardship. He seems intent on choosing neither.

[9]Claim: “I ask the Senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days.”

[9]Fact: The president has already demonstrated his complete lack of respect for the separation of powers.

After making his four illegal recess appointments to federal office, the president now wants to impose a timeline on the Senate’s advice and consent duties. And while it’s heartening that he will at least pay lip service to those duties, Obama’s insistence that he will pursue his agenda “with or without this Congress” suggests he is ready and willing to yet again spurn the Constitution he is sworn to uphold.

[10]Claim: “Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else – like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.”

Fact:Entitlements drive our national debt, not discretionary spending or tax rates.

This false dichotomy underscores one of the largest omissions of the State of the Union speech. It is not tax cuts that threaten the “investments” the president describes; it is entitlement spending, especially Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. In less than 10 years, as Heritage’s Patrick Louis Knudsen noted last night, total entitlement spending will cost almost as much as the entire federal budget today, crowding out other programs (such as national defense).

Reforming entitlements would eliminate the need for either cuts to Obama’s favorite federal programs or ruinous tax hikes. But the president neglected to discuss entitlement reform in the State of the Union.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Obama v. Obama: The President Takes Aim at Himself
by Helle Dale; January 25, 2012
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/25/obama-v-obama-the-president-takes-aim-at-himself/

'“America is back,” proclaimed the President, who had just boasted of his ignominious troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq. “Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”'

'But wait. Wasn’t it President Obama who came into office touting a more “humble” American foreign policy, who prided himself on “leading from behind in the Middle East,” and who has been taken to the cleaners by Russian arms-control negotiators? What’s more, President Obama, who once publicly doubted America’s claims to exceptionalism, declared in his speech tonight that America “remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs—and as long as I’m President, I intend to keep it that way.”'
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Obama’s State of Omission - by Mike Brownfield; January 25, 2012
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/25/morning-bell-obamas-state-of-omission/

'The President essentially redelivered his 2011 State of the Union address — complete with the same empty rhetoric, class warfare cloaked in “fairness,” and proposals for massive tax and spending increases. The speech was notable for the items he did not mention, including many of the failed spending programs and policies he undertook over the past three years, the foreign policy and defense challenges he has exacerbated, and the economic actions he failed to take that would have created jobs and spurred economic growth.'

#182 (2/5) - Sunday Special - "Football Fan For A Day"

[from Stan: You don't like football?:; you don't feel excited about either team playing in tonight's Super Bowl?; you don't feel it's a Christian "thing to do" to get so wrapped up in sports? Well, before you plan on doing something else, read the article below before you decide whether to have part in a purely American event - for many people as big as any other celebration the entire year, even Christmas! Afterwards, there's a related Sunday Funny and a link to another intersting sports article. (By the way, I'll be rooting for the New York Giants to win!).. ALSO, once again, please remember to watch todays broadcast of "Truth That Transforms" (Orlando - Sun.-5 pm, ch. 55.1; Mon. 7 pm, ch. 52.2) or download it at www.truthinaction.org Today's message is an excellent explanation of God's purpose for our lives, and includes a great explanation of the Christian's cultural mandate. Please don't miss it!
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- The following article was written by Barnabas Piper; January 31, 2012,
http://online.worldmag.com/2012/01/31/football-fan-for-a-day/

Super Bowl Sunday: The day America stops. For four hours in the evening, millions of Americans will be gathered together around televisions to watch the pinnacle game of the National Football League season. I will be among them because football is more than just a game for me; it’s an old friend.

I have loved football since my peewee playing days at Pearl Park in Minneapolis. I fell in love with the Minnesota Vikings during the same time period while growing up just a few blocks from the Metrodome where they play (and have since felt like a lover scorned more often than not). It is not just playing the game that I love, nor is it the Vikings. No, it is the game itself with all of its aggression, drama, skill, passion, competition, and spectacular displays of athleticism.

But just as much as I love football, others of you dislike it or simply don’t care about it. Your passions might be for music, literature, cooking, art, technology, gaming, or any of a million pastimes. And that is fine and good.

But I make one request of you:For one day a year, and one day only, be a football fan.Be a fan for one day for a single purpose: People. Football draws people like moths to a porch light, and through football you can connect with people. There isn’t another social or entertainment event during the year that draws people like the Super Bowl. So take advantage of it!

For one evening take off the earbuds, turn off the Xbox, close the book, and go to a Super Bowl party. Or host one. Or crash one. Just be a part of what people are doing! It doesn’t matter that you don’t like football, don’t care about football, or don’t know about football. Share the food, enjoy the commercials, cringe at the halftime show, and give a football fan the opportunity to show off his knowledge of the game.

As Christians, we are called to love people, to know them well, to care about them. We’re also called to be in community. Our Sabbath day is devoted to worship and fellowship. Does a Super Bowl party fulfill those callings? Not entirely, but it can be fantastic, strategic, fun way to take a step toward obeying. Super Bowl Sunday is an event that transcends fandom and is culturally iconic, so I ask you to transcend your interests. For one day, for a few hours, be a football fan for the sake of knowing and loving people well.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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A Sunday Funny (c/o MikeysFunnies.com)
By the time Ted arrived at the football game, the first quarter was almost over. "Why are you so late?" his friend asked.

"I had to toss a coin to decide between going to church and coming to the game."

"How long could that have taken you?"

"Well, I had to toss it 14 times."
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The Jocks We Deserve - Athletes and Controversy
- By: Chuck Colson|Breakpoint.com; December 19, 2011
Check it out at: http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/18428