One of his positions was that access to healthcard should be a right, not a privilege. I took the position that while I agree that individuals should be given access to healthcare, it was just as moral to make sure our country was fiscally solvent if it was to take on the role of healthcare. To do otherwise would limit healthcare for all and simultaneously lead the USA down the road of fiscal ruin.

I fear for my country the last couple of years. I see the amount of spending from our government seen as a “right” by progressives. And if they can’t tax and spend, then at least they’ll spend and worry about taxing later. And before you jump all over me for being partisan, I include George W. Bush (and George H.W. Bush) and Barack Obama.

From today’s Wall Street Journal, James Taranto discusses a possibly fabricated quote from Aristotle (or possibly Aristotle Onassis), and includes this statement:

Whatever Aristotle might or might not have said, the flip side of establishing a “right” to medical care is that it also entails empowering the government to define the limits of that right.

I think he’s right on. While compassionately I care that all people receive full healthcare, I also compassionately care about the country we leave to our children, one that isn’t bankrupt. In order to provide “affordable” healthcare, the government will be forced to “limit healthcare to the lowest common denominator. That means cutting edge technology will no longer be used, which means future innovations will be canceled.

There are many good reasons to oppose letting the government into our healthcare decisions. Find some other, simple way if you must – a minimum guaranteed payment or tax credit or something. But if the government takes over healthcare, they will both bankrupt our country and hope we will “die quickly” as the Democratic representative Alan Grayson has been saying.

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• Rep. Grayson Says No Apology for ‘Die Quickly!’ Remark (blogs.wsj.com)

Perhaps you should pay attention. What you’re doing now, we don’t like.

Except that’s not the world. Putin will outmaneuver the clueless Obama. The middle east will continue to shun American and call us the Great Satan. China is waiting for the right moment when they own all our assets before they invade Taiwan. Our response will be every bit as lame as our response was against Russia’s invasion of Georgia.

The only way Obama can make it worse is to cripple our GDP for years with excessive liberal pet programs and inflicting a nationalized banking and health care system on us while completely destroying our economy with massive deficit spending and liberal pork spending.

Operation Cripple America now in progress.

And the stock market burned. The Dow was down almost 300 more points today, probably on it’s way to zero.

And Obama dances the congo. I suspect they served appletinis.

A week before that, the foot-stomping sounds of Sweet Honey in the Rock, a female a cappella group, filled the East Room for a Black History Month program first lady Michelle Obama held for nearly 200 sixth- and seventh-graders from around the city.

Cocktails were sipped during at least three such receptions to date, all held on Wednesdays.

Bookending the midweek activity were a Super Bowl party for select Democratic and Republican lawmakers and a dinner for governors, the new administration’s first black-tie affair. It was capped with a performance by the 1970s pop group Earth, Wind and Fire. And a conga line.

The flurry of entertaining is in keeping with the Obamas’ promise to make the White House a more open place for everyone.

The governors’ dinner was “a great kickoff of what we hope will be an atmosphere here in the White House that is welcoming and that reminds everybody that this is the people’s house,” Obama told the state chief executives after they had dined on Maryland crab, Wagyu beef, Nantucket scallops and citrus salad.

Well. I’m glad somebody has money to spend.

In one sense, nothing. Obama’s promises of socialist changes are progressing. Universal health care, nationalization of manufacturers and banking, imposition of union rules, reestablishment of federal funding of abortion, and massive taxing and spending are being implemented at a frightening speed, with no conservative obstacles in sufficient numbers to slow them down.

In another sense, everything. Obama promised to be open and honest, anti-pork, hope and change instead of fear, yet many of the policies were buried inside a pork-laden monstrosity without debate, without the 5-day evaluation, and signed under dire warnings of catastrophe, and sometimes outright lies, such as the re-hiring of manufafacturing jobs and “all economists agree” pitches.

The revolt of hard working American, long overdue, has begun. Trillions of dollars printing are now showing up as inflation. CNBC says “traders revolt” and openly question why diligent homeowners must pay for the mortgages of dlinquent homeowners. Even high school children, governed by emotion instead of experience, said after his appearance this morning that they don’t believe eveything Obama says and understand the Stimulus bill is bad for the economy and is merely a thinly-disguised pork-laden liberal agenda.

One teenager even wore an Obama t-shirt that said, “Hitler gave good speeches, too.”

But the “angry left” is having it’s day, and I see few obstacles in their way for the next two years. It’s amazing the damage they’ve caused already in just 3 weeks of office. What can we do except batten down the hatches and weather this liberal storm?

I’m praying, and I’m buying gold.

Republican Judd Gregg abruptly withdraws his nomination over two irreconcilable differences with Obama. Over meaningful issues, I may add.

“However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.

Good for him. The Stimulus Package has irritated the tar out of me because the secrecy, the fear-mongering, and false premises, the vast scope, the overwhelming quantity and the arrogance of the politicians shoving it down the throat of a skeptical America. The Census issue, drowned out in the noise, is no less an issue. It moves the responsibility for counting Americans next year under Obama’s administration where newly-approved funds in the Stimulus bill funneled to the left-wing Acorn voter cheats will affect the division of power between Republicans and Democrats for the next 10 years.

I’m glad Senator Gregg has decided not to support this atrocity. If only the other 61 Senators supporting him would also realize how bad this is for America.

I keep telling myself that Obama is my President, but I oppose everything he’s done in his first 3 weeks. He ramrods this down our throats, lies about the facts, and when we take issue tells the press that *we* aren’t being bipartisan.

I hope America survives, so I hope Obama fails.

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What we should have learned, I don’t know that we did. What we should have learned is that we have principles and ideals and we should stick to them.

Ronald Reagan knew it, and we gave him victories. The 1994 Republican House knew that, and we gave them victories.

Ever since then, our leaders have been trying to reach across the isles. And we get trounced, every time.

George Bush Sr, “No New Taxes.” Until he reached across the isle, and we voted him out of office.

Republicans spent money in 2004-2006 like, well, like they were Democrats. And we voted them out of office.

What was McCain except a big reach across the isle? Part of the Gang of 14 that chose to work with Democrats instead of pushing for the judicial appointees which we will never get. Not in my lifetime. The Democrats will fill each and every one of those posts with liberal activist judges that should have been filled by conservative strict constructionists. Reaching across the isle hurt the conservative cause. Wait till Obama appoints 4 new judges in his first term to the Supreme Court, and then see if reaching across the isle helped us in any way.

McCain promised to take hatchet to the government spending and cut our earmarks, but when it came time for the $700 billion bailout of our economy, not only did he vote for it, but he also voted for an additional $150 billion in pork. That’s when he lost the election for sure.

Lesson learned. Stick to your principles.

U.S. presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain target religious voters on Saturday when as guests of one of America’s foremost evangelists they discuss faith in public life, AIDS, the environment and other issues.

Neither of the candidates appeal to me from a spiritual conviction. McCain can be downright antagonistic toward evangelical Christians. Obama claims to be a Christian, but his words indicate that he’s more New Age “all paths lead to heaven” type of guy.

And nothing they say will change that. They’ve already told me where they stand, and anything different will cause me to lose further trust in them.

So just focus on the issues, ok? Don’t be a hypocritical religious type if that’s not who you are. I’ll vote for you if I think you’ll be a good leader, keep taxes low, keep government small, keep court appointees faithful to the Constitution, and keep the defense and freedom of our country strong.

And I’ll thumb my nose at you if I think you’re a hypocrite.

News sources come from here and here. Some of my favorite quotes are –

Dobson took aim at examples Obama cited in asking which Biblical passages should guide public policy – chapters like Leviticus, which Obama said suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination, or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, “a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application.”

A casual reading of the bible would certainly find these statements by Obama. A careful reading of the New Testament will show that Jesus says the Old Testament law shows man how impossible it is to follow the law, and that belief in Jesus frees you from the law. In short, a literal interpretation of Leviticus is no longer applicable in our lives.

“Folks haven’t been reading their Bibles,” Obama said.

I would agree with you there, Obama. We just disagree on who those people are.

He said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the “lowest common denominator of morality,” labeling it “a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution.”

Obama’s says that fundamental Christians cannot use their morality to oppose abortion. James Dobson responds with -

“Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?” Dobson said. “What he’s trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe.”

Absolutely. I fight for what I believe in, and it makes no difference why I believe that. Why should I fight for what *you* believe in?

Dobson has not backed off his statement that he could not in good conscience vote for McCain because of concerns over the Arizona senator’s conservative credentials. Dobson has said he will vote in November but has suggested he might not vote for president.

I have the same problem. McCain detests religious conservatives, he has done significant harm to First Amendment consitutional rights with his McCain-Feingold bill, and his stance on lower taxes and limited government is flakey at best. All he has going for him is his strong defense policy. Obama, on the other hand, is a walking Maxist and wants to capitulate to terrorists. I don’t like McCain but I *reallY* don’t like Obama.

Oh wait, here’s a little more ado. I’ve divided this week’s post in sections with a brief description about how this relates to Christian living. Ok, *now* we’re out of ado…

CHRIST. No Christian blogging would be complete without pondering our Lord and Savior and what He means to us. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Doug presents Christ at Creation posted at Bounded Irrationality. Doug examines how Jesus could be present as man and God before creation.

This week at Light Along the Journey John considers what is exactly The Right Thing to Say.

JR Madill presents The Public Spectacle posted at Theology for the Masses.

CHRISTIAN LIFE. It’s one thing to study and pray (well, ok, that was two things), but it’s another thing entirely to live the Christian life. How do you apply and think and live as a Christian?

Patricia presents 30 Ways to Instantly be a Better Parent posted at A Better You Blog.

Stretch Mark Mama presents Passing on Perspective posted at Stretch Mark Mama.

Chad Dalton at The Minor Prophet considers Abraham’s Tradition. Thoughts on Abraham’s burial of his wife Sarah.

Jody Neufeld presents The John Webb Winter Golf Tournament posted at Jody Along the Path. Reflecting on the experience of coordinating this event that raises money for children hospitalized with serious illnesses.

blue skelton presents Simpsons Porn, Funny or Immoral? posted at Production Blog. An article that asks, Is it still a sin to watch pornography if it is a cartoon. We are looking for a other Christian’s Viewpoint on this issue.

BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER. While the glory of the cosmos practically scream out the power and majesty of a creator, to truly know *the* Creator requires study so that God’s Word can speak to you, and it requires prayer so that you can speak to God.

William Meisheid presents Wholistic Salvation posted at Beyond The Rim…. An attempt to look at salvation in a more wholistic [sic] manner.

Ian Spencer presents Dispensationalism and the Interpretation of Scripture Part 2: Prophetic Literature posted at Philosophical Orthodoxy. The second part of a continuing series critiquing dispensationalist methods of interpreting Scripture.

Richard H. Anderson presents Assembly of Yahweh posted at dokeo kago grapho soi kratistos Theophilos.

Tom presents The Remarkable 19th Psalm posted at Thinking Christian. With our modern Christian and scientific viewpoints, we might easily fail to notice what this psalm does not say. It’s an appreciation of the sun, a joyful one at that. And yet–there is not a hint of sun-worship in it. Remarkable.

Ann Shorb presents GOD HAS ME posted at Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Henry Neufeld presents St. John Chrysostom on Hebrews 6 posted at Participatory Bible Study Blog. St. John Chrysostom gives a comprehensive and interesting view of Hebrews 6:4-6 and the impossibility of restoration for the apostate.

Lingamish: The Lord of
Rage Somebody’s knocking at the door. But it’s not who you think.
Lingamish looks at Nahum’s vision of an angry God and finds a hidden place of
safety.

CHURCH. When two or more are gathered in His name, He is there. As a group of Christians, we are the bride of Christ, His church. What do we believe and how to we implement it?

FMF presents How'd You Like to Be Taxed for Going to Church? posted at Free Money Finance. How would you like to pay a tax to go to church?

Steven Krager presents Have you lost faith? | faithdoubt posted at faithdoubt. This is a posting in response to an article about an LA Times writer and his Christian faith journey. It is about problems in the Church and losing faith.

Diane R presents Deacons posted at Crossroads: Where Faith and Inquiry Meet. What are deacons exactly? And why don’t most churches have them? What are they supposed to do? In my church we have one of the best deacon structures I’ve ever seen so our church members won’t fall through the cracks when in need.

Brian Russell of the Real Meal blog
wrote Thinking about
Natural Disasters. In the middle of another hurricane season, it is critical for clear theological reflection on natural disasters and the preparation for a missional response to those who suffer.

RELIGION. Sometimes we study what a Christian is. How does it differ from other religions? How do we see it in public, in politics, in others?

Sammy Benoit presents Islamic Hatred of anything Christian posted at YID With LID.

thomas robey presents “Christian Faith and Reason” posted at Hope for Pandora. “Christian Faith and Reason” is a new magazine that seeks to engage Christians and skeptics on topics of science, politics and faith. The Christian blogging community should check it out and consider contributing a piece for publication.

Ali presents An alternate solution to the American Civil War? posted at Kiwi and an Emu.. Considering, many years too late, how Christians in Northern and Southern parts of the United States could have agreed on the subject of slavery.

Weekend Fisher at Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength discusses Security, Apostasy, and Knowing Christ. A Lutheran’s-eye view of the debates over eternal security and whether apostasy is real, and how Christ is often left out of the debate.

John presents Richard Land and Moral Agency posted at Brain Cramps for God. There’s a new meme in the abortion argument.

Jeremy Pierce presents Barack Obama on faith and politics posted at Parableman. A look at Barack Obama’s thoughts on faith and politics, Part III of a three-part series (the first two looked at John Edwards and Joe Biden).

Mark Olson presents Western Eyes posted at Pseudo-Polymath. Religious toleration, a artifact of the Enlightenment, or might it not be from much earlier.

Whether you’re a liberal or a conservative, this bill should make you suspicious. It was negotiated behind closed doors for 3 months by George Bush and Ted Kennedy. Regardless of your political viewpoint, I know you don’t agree with both of those guys. Nobody can.

The Senate is poised to grant ammnesty to 12 million illegal aliens. If your house was on fire, would you be rebuilding while it was still burning? No, of course not. You’d put the fire out first. If your house was flooding, would you be trying to lay down new carpet? Of course not, there’s still water pouring into your house.

If illegal aliens were streaming into your country because of free schooling, free health care, and free government services, would you grant them amnesty and eventual citizenship in an effort to stop the problem? Or is it possible that free U.S. citizenship might be an incentive to come here illegally?

The bill promises that maybe someday we’ll have a secure border. Sort of like last year’s bill that promised us a fence. Before we do anything about the existing illegal aliens, don’t you think it makes sense to stop the problem from reoccurring first?

CONGRESS: SECURE OUR BORDERS *FIRST!*

Update:
What’s funny about this so far is who’s for and against the bill the first day –

Democrats for it:
Kennedy
Feinstein
Martinez
Chambliss
Isaakson
Salazar

Democrats against it:
Pelosi
Reid
Becerra
Sweeney (AL-CIO President)
Dorgan

Republicans for it:
Bush
McCain
Cornyn (maybe)
Hutchinson (maybe)
Chertoff
Kyl

Republicans against it:
Tancredo
Romney
Lamar Smith

Straddling the Fence:
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards

Oddly enough, Mexicans oppose the plan, too.

I like Christians, I really do. I happen to be one. But those people that routinely exhibit their Christian faith are routinely trashed by the New York Times. George W. Bush, for instance, would never get a glowing NY Times article abut his faith. Instead, we get scare stories about upcoming theocracies and how important the separation of church and state is. So why does Obama get special treatment for his faith? If the New York Times trashes most Christians but praises Obama, then it’s likely Obama is not like the other Christians. My hackles of suspicion are raised.

I repeat my repetition: liberals are going to try to split the conservative Christian vote by portraying themselves as Christian. Conservative Christianity is bad (separation of church and state! we don’t want a theocracy!) while liberal Christianity is good (wow, Obama is practically a saint!) according to liberal media.

“Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go,” Mr. Obama said in paraphrasing God’s message to Joshua.

Now, I’m all in favor of liberals quoting scripture. In fact, I’m all in favor of liberals quoting the entire bible. I think liberals (and conservatives, for that matter) that selectively quote scripture to support their position ought to be challenged by scripture the candidate doesn’t like.

As a presidential candidate, Mr. Obama is reaching out to both liberal skeptics and committed Christians. In many speeches or discussions, he never mentions religion. When Mr. Obama, a former constitutional law professor, does speak of faith, he tends to add a footnote about keeping church and state separate.

What I’ve seen in the news recently is more than just a challenge to church and state; it’s a downright hostility to any public policy that mirrors faith. The recent decision by the Supreme Court to uphold partial birth abortion – a decision Obama “strongly disagrees” with – was decided 5-4 justices. All the justices that upheld the ban had Catholic upbringing; those that voted against it did not. This same New York Times that praises the most holy Barack Obama also decries the influence of Catholics in the partial-birth abortion ban. As if any belief that a Christian might hold is automatically suspect, and Christians are OK only if they actively vote against Christian principle in order to demonstrate their progressiveness.

Color me unimpressed with the New York Times hypocrisy.

• If Kofi Annan were CEO he’d be fired and the media would hound him into the poorhouse. Of course, they won’t do that; for some reason, Kofi Annan is on the Protected Species List for the Mainstream Media. When Kofi Annan was asked if he’d step down now that review of the Oil-for-Food scandal implicated him, Kofi gave a defiant, “Hell no.”
• In a stunning example of the left wing liberals quoting the Bible for their own purposes (expect more of this before the next election, the liberals are just practicing at the moment), the left claim that the Bible says Terri Schiavo should die. The Spoons Experience notes that the devil can quote scripture, too.
• As an example of left-wing kookiness, Paul Krugman for the Boston Globe says that attempts to save Terri Schiavo is an example of right wing extremists that are likely to assassinate liberals. So far, 47 of these right-wing radicals have been arrested trying to deliver water to a dying woman, but I can see how he’d mistake that for the assassination of liberals. Wait, no I can’t.
• According to a MoveOn.org fundraising letter, Former KKK Grand Kleagle and now Senator Robert Byrd has picked up an endorsement from the black freshman Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. Ace of Spades reports that’s like Alan Derschowitz is asking people to help support David Irving’s brave revelations about the so-called “Holocaust.”
• Shayne Raynor is supporting “Day of Truth” which is the counterpoint to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s “Day of Silence”. So far the Gays and Lesbians have over 3000 schools participating.