Quick point: Terrorists are "Cowards"?

Kathleen Parker writes today in "Capitalism, terrorism strange bedfellows" that terrorists are cowards. It's a side comment, not directly related to her column's primary (and correct) observation that increased terrorism funds increased capital investment which can have the effect of creating an industry addicted to lots of terrorism. It's an important point to make, because one would hope that both government and industry have the self restraint at some point to turn the funding faucet down or off if (when!) security improves and things stabilize. But the perjorative of "coward," while a favorite among those who may want to do what little they can to taunt terrorists from a safe distance, can have the effect of helping our people understand the nature of the threat we face.
Dictionary.com defines coward "as a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person." Now, one could make the case that a terrorist is exercise some forms of cowardice because he's choosing instant death instead of continuing down the road of a Gaza refugee camp, trying to eek out an existence for himself and a future family.

But that is a rather academic definition. The fact is that his worldview, Islamofascism, calls him to zealously throw himself at the enemy (me, and you) and take upon himself some pretty impressive risks, which include dying pretty violently or living to tell about it at the mercy of somebody who doesn't give a rip about all the fuzzy views that the New York Times deems fit to print. This guy knows he's going to die or get tortured for understanding who was helping him to die.

To dismiss terrorists as coward seems to help perpetuate confusion about the nature of our enemy. To regard them as "brave, innovative, smart" and other accolades is not to admire their moral compass or their telos. It's just part of soberly assessing the enemy.

Cheers to Becky Skillman, Esther of our Day?

Curt Smith writes a tribute piece in today’s Veritax Rex blog on Indiana Lt. Gov Becky Skillman. Writing a tribute is an interesting and unusual use for a blog, but if anybody deserves a tribute, Becky sure fits the bill. As a veteran representative in the Indiana General Assembly, the elegant Hoosierette earned her reputation as a rock-ribbed conservative who both campaigned and voted the Right way.

Curiously missing from the tribute was a mention of My Man Mitch, who has courted the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trisexual, asexual, etalsexual, transgendered, reversed gendered, ungendered, omnigendered, and etalgendered ever since beating My Man Miller in the May 2004 GOP primary. To revisit: MMMitch wooed a sufficient number of conservatives with the, "I'm every bit as conservative as Eric Miller and I can win" gospel. That gospel saved MMMitch's candidacy, and to be fair, while history did not afford an opportunity to Eric Miller to prove his electoral heft, MMMitch was ultimate proven quite electable and his win did, in fact, contribute to the saving of babies through passage of a number of very important pro-life victories that social conservatives would not have otherwise realized under a Kernan administration.

But that gospel did seem to lack a sense of inerrancy. Now, coming up on four years and multiple overtures to the GLBTETAL community that offered zero help to the (failed! By a tied committee vote, even!) Marriage Amendment, Indiana’s pro-family advocacy community is fed up with feeling like MMMitch’s jilted political lovers. Some pro-family groups have cut him more slack than others, but I can’t help but wonder if they are preparing to sharpen their hermeneutical moxie as they more carefully review the Governor’s 2008 gospel.

The question becomes whether Becky really has any say or control in how Mitch Daniels governs on these issues important to social conservatives. If Romans 1 and 70%+ of Hoosier Republicans and Democrats (who agree with Romans 1) can’t convince MMMitch that traditional marriage is worth his support, who can? If she has any such sway, I hope she’ll use it soon, for if she waits for her own gubernatorial run in 2012, the courts will likely have rendered the matter moot.

Movie Review: Ratatouille is Brilliant

Ratatouille is brilliant. The movie, that is. Prior to the film, I’d never heard of the dish (recipe) but I was enlightened not only to a higher culinary appreciation but a higher cinematic appreciation. The problem with CGI movies has often been a high budget “wow” on special effects and “woe” on script and plot line. But Director Brad Bird has proven some incredible moxie to balance both in The Incredibles and now Ratatouille. Will I let my children, ages 9 through 2, see the movie? Yes, but I will coach them in advance on a few scenes involving a brief scene of drunkenness, a few references of implied profanity (we don’t allow “oh my gosh” in the family because of it serving something of an introductory drug for more hard core stuff down the road), and kissing scenes between Gasteau, Jr. (the young chef pictured here) and his crush. I’ll then follow up with some post-movie reflection and I’m confident that we’ll have delivered a good inoculation.

My Man Mitch Your Battered Bride Pledges Fidelty, Sticks and Stones

My Man Mitch: Your Battered Bride Pledges Fidelity, Sticks and Stones

Can Mitch’s Donors and Family groups Donors Referee this Fight?

By Christopher Mann

It’s really hard to think that My Man Mitch is ever more brazenly becoming somebody else’s Man, yet, that is exactly what appears to be happening. I’ve provided three “exhibits” of treachery that give me big time pause, but the ultimate kicker was a brochure produced by a gay rights group in Indianapolis and circulated at a recent Gay Pride event in Indianapolis in which the Mitch Daniels campaign took out a paid advertisement extolling diversity, etc.

In the same publication was a picture of two naked men having sex. No genitalia was exposed, so maybe we are to anticipate the “but it was art” defense (oh, how I hope not) but who knows.

Ok, so we’ve known this ever since Eric Miller lost the primary in 2003 and Mitch subsequently courted the Indianapolis gay community and pledged to continue a pro-homosexual employment policy which not only odiously gives special rights to homosexuals but odiously includes this thing called “gender identity” philosophy. This stuff means, in effect, that the state cannot discriminate against employees who declare a gender identity for themselves other than their biological gender. Gender itself is not defined in the policy, leaving open the possibility that one does not even need a sex change operation, per se, to become a different gender. Some guy can, therefore, just “feel” effeminate one afternoon and since he has the permission to define his own gender identity, he is entitled the legal right to walk in a lady’s restroom.

Whacky, far-reaching possibility, one might say? Ok, then why didn’t the Gov even bother to fix it? (“Fix” it). The policy is an executive order which requires Mitch and only Mitch to fix. Because the GLBT(…) community doesn’t want it fixed. I believe that they want it open, broad, and widely interpretable so that some future judge can be armed to inflict as much collateral nihilism on the family institution as possible.

So what is a conservative to do? Two things: (a) Stand for truth and (b) play the best hand of poker politics in our present Corinthian era.

Stand for Truth

The Gov needs to hear is that conservative organizations, especially among the family leaders like Indiana Family Institute, American Family Association of Indiana, Eagle Forum, Indiana Right to Life, and the like, are called to serve a prophetic role. Their role is to report the truth to their constituencies with a clear conscience before God. Their job is not get Mitch elected. The MMM team may be thinking, “where will the religious right go?” Admittedly, that’s a reasonable political calculation, but it doesn’t take into account every variable.

Play a great hand of poker

Pain is still a relevant factor here. And here’s what I think must happen from now through November of 2008: if 40 lashes would resound to the death of the Mitch Daniels for governor campaign, the Family would probably agree to stop at 39 and therefore balance their roles as prophetic voice and pragmatic political advocate.

The question then becomes, “Mitch, do you want to stop at 5 lashes from the Family now, or would you like 34 more over the next 18 months?” It’s true that we won’t likely have a better candidate to go to than Mitch between now and Nov 08; it’s equally true that Mitch can’t win if he’s pumping iron on page 15 opposite two naked men having sex with each other on page 16 of some homosexual publication. In other words, we won’t win without MD and MD won’t win with the Family. So, what’ll it be? 5? 18? 29 lashes?

To be sure, it takes two to tango. Mitch has 39 lashes he can dish out without killing the Family and his own campaign as well. Mitch can call in chips among political and donor friends from around the state, many of whom are the same donors to the Family groups, and say, in effect, “continuing to support these groups is to continue funding people who have crossed the line and are going to cost us the election. Send them a message now to stop what they’re doing.”

That could very well hurt, as it doesn’t take a very big pebble to rock the boats of these family groups whose annual budgets range from less than $50,000 to $1 million.

A casual review of AFA, IFI or RTL’s 990s will show that these organizations (a) don’t abort babies, (b) don’t get tons of tax payer money and are therefore (c) dependent on the generosity of conservative donors who are quite well versed in the art, science and valuation of Republican partisan politics.

If a Democratic governor takes over with an R Senate and a D House, much of our gains over the past few years could well be lost. And, thanks in large measure to Mitch, those gains are big:

• The state budget is in the black. (Yes, we now hardly own anything, but Mitch was faced with few other options. We’re in the black, and that’s better than being in the red).
• Faith-based and community-based solutions are working for Indiana. Welfare recipients are better off and prisoner recidivism rates are on their way to nadir levels thanks to the former Hudson Institute brain-in-chief and Oaks Academy founder who profoundly understands and champions the value that faith-based groups offer better solutions for less money (and sometimes even free).
• Pro-life bills have been finally passed by this legislature and signed by Mitch. One could argue that we’d like to see a governor who is not only a supporter, but an advocate, but credit is still due with My Many Mitch for moving the ball in the right direction for Hoosier unborn babies.
• Businesses are coming to Indiana. The nuking of the Indiana Department of Commerce and the creation of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation was a brilliant and very productive move by Mitch, and Indiana is very blessed for it.

Thus, the stakes are high: we need four more years of successes like the above, and I see no other governor on the horizon who can make tough decisions like this. I frankly like having a governor who is clearly wealthy enough to not need the Governor job nor its pension and who has the demonstrated policy brilliance to understand faith- and community-based solutions to social pathologies.

That said, few things make a businessman/donor tremble more than seeing his investment go south because of political temperaments.

Therefore, the three sub-parties of the Indiana Republican Party need to think through Mitch’s homosexual policies pretty carefully, because a fight is looming. Mitch and the Family need to cross the finish line together in Nov 08 looking like a rather congenial and proper married couple or they will otherwise cross the finish line in Nov 08 together with black eyes, missing teeth and nail marks.

I have to say that I prefer the former, but if it means successfully preserving and championing truth at the expense of political expediency, I think most of Indiana’s Family Advocates are (reluctantly) ok with the latter. I am.

Mitch's Treachery Exhibit C, a column by Mary Beth Schneider of the the June 16th, 2006 Indianapolis Star:

“While Republicans running for the legislature are likely to be campaigning heavily on the need for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and on immigration reform, Daniels said neither issue will get emphasis from him.

"I do believe there are other things more important to our future, at least other things that a governor and the people around him can try to work on," he said. "And, secondly, I'm always trying to bring this state together, and we don't have, I don't believe, the luxury of division."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/LOCAL/706160447

 

Mitch's Treachery Exhibit B, an email from Don Wildmon of the American Family Association

From: Don Wildom, AFA

To: ~90,000 subscribers in Indiana

June 22, 2007 

Indiana Governor Shuns Marriage Protection: Welcomes Gay Pride Festival and Parade Instead

Dear Christopher,

In a very disheartening move, Governor Mitch Daniels has shunned the importance of protecting traditional marriage and embraced an Indianapolis “gay pride” parade all in the course of a week.

For three years Governor Mitch Daniels has been virtually silent about the Indiana Marriage Protection Amendment (SJR 7), which stalled in an Indiana House Committee this year on a tie vote.   The amendment protecting Indiana’s laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman, can return in 08 and still go before Hoosier voters next fall for their approval or rejection.   However, the Governor told reporters on Friday that the marriage amendment would not be part of his re-election campaign. "I do believe there are other things more important to our future, at least other things that a governor and the people around him can try to work on," he said. "And, secondly, I'm always trying to bring this state together, and we don't have, I don't believe, the luxury of division."

Yet, six days earlier the Governor was not concerned about divisiveness when his letter to Indy Pride welcoming homosexuals attending a festival and parade was published in the gay pride program.   The annual Indianapolis gay pride event featured such apparently non-divisive items as drag queens on stage, men in leather bondage outfits kissing on the street, and a parade Grand Marshall who was honored for his authoring of a stage play and film called “Southern Baptist Sissies.”    Yet, somehow standing for the importance of both husbands and wives, mothers and fathers to the family unit is not important, and just too divisive!

You can decide if the Governor’s endorsement of a gay pride parade and festival last week was mainstream and unifying by viewing these pictures of the Indy Pride event taken by homosexual activists.  Decide for yourself if this is something that Hoosier voters would support far more than the broad support marriage protection amendments have received in 27 states.   (The average vote of support from residents in these states is 67%)

 

Mitch's Treachery Exhibit A, an email from Mike Fichter at Indiana Right to Life sent Tuesday 6/19/07:

IDOH partners with PP

This week's E-mail Lifeline includes disturbing information about the Indiana Department of Health partnering with Indiana's largest abortion provider. I encourage you to help get the word out by forwarding this information to your family and friends using the convenient link provided on this page.

The Indiana Department of Health is partnering with Indiana's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, to host a June 26 appearance by Dr. Michael Carrera, an outspoken critic of abstinence- only programs for schools. According to a Wall Street Journal Report, Carrera says abstinence-only programs "lie to kids". According to the same article, Carrera's approach "gets some kids to delay sexual activity for several years and then to practice safer sex". Carrera is also the recipient of a Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood in South Palm Beach and Broward Counties for advancing "reproductive rights".

It is inexcusable that the IDOH would provide partnership in hosting a speaker who is a harsh critic of abstinence-only education - the same type of education currently taught in Indiana's public schools. Such actions can only serve to undermine those programs that have effectively presented abstinence before marriage as the expected standard for all Indiana school children.

You are encouraged to contact Governor Mitch Daniels to express your concern about this troubling development at the IDOH. Please contact Governor Daniels by calling 317-232-4567 or by e-mail using the convenient link below.

 

HSLDA PAC Endorses Mike Huckabee for President

In a fascinating move, the Home School Legal Defense Association has come out early to endorse a presidential candidate who, at the very is a dark horse. But if there ever was a dark horse I'd love to root for, it would be Mike, or his cousin companion, Sam Brownback.

So, will this do much for the MH campaign? I doubt it, from a purely political and non-providential standpoint. But if there was ever an endorsement to closely monitor in contemporary American politics, HSLDA would qualify. Home schoolers have proven to be a potent force on Capitol Hill, virtually melting the congressional phone lines any time there is a legislative threat to home schooling freedom.

HSLDA's membership will not be so punitive to members of the family, as I suspect zero would support Rudy, few will support Mitt or McCain, and a good number will support Fred. I suspect what this might effect is a very strong showing for MH among religious conservatives and position him reasonably well for a VP role to Fred, or position him very well for a cabinet assignment.

What kind of cabinet assignment? Well, it might be a long shot, but it would be great to see him get HHS; as Gov of Arkansas, MH distinguished himself as a true blue social conservative.

I’ve taken the liberty of editing this into more of a bullet-pointed format; the text of the email remains unchanged.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Home School Legal Defense Association [mailto:hslda@hslda.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 1:52 PM
To: Mr. and Mrs. Christopher M. Mann
Subject: HSLDA PAC--Mike Huckabee for President

 

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From the HSLDA E-lert Service...

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HSLDA PAC--Mike Huckabee for President

 

Dear HSLDA members:

 HSLDA's PAC Committee has taken the historic step of making an early endorsement in the 2008 race for president. We believe that Mike Huckabee, Governor of Arkansas, should be elected the next President of the United States. Mike is a principled conservative, a friend of homeschooling, a man of character, and a man with a mature faith in Jesus Christ.   

1.    Mike Huckabee, as governor, was the first to appoint a homeschooler to the Arkansas State Board of Education and to our knowledge the first to do so in any state.

2.    He is adamantly opposed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and is committed to stopping the erosion of parental rights.

3.    He is pro-life.

4.    He supports traditional marriage.

5.    He believes that the Internal Revenue Service should be abolished and replaced with the Fair Tax--a move that we strongly support because it would greatly benefit homeschooling families.

6.    He believes and is willing to say that Islamic extremism needs to be understood as a theologically driven threat.

7.    He believes that America must be strong, but should never be perceived as a bully.

8.    He believes that our borders must be secured not only from illegal immigration but from the growing trend among American judges of "illegally importing” international law into our American judicial systems.

There are a few other candidates in the race who are properly described as principled conservatives. None of the media’s “frontrunners" would qualify for this designation. But we believe that Mike Huckabee is by far the best communicator in the race--he is able to articulate his conservative principles in an incredibly winsome and articulate manner. 

Moreover, among the principled conservatives, Huckabee is the only one who has been a governor. And we have not elected members of either the Senate or the House--and certainly not a mayor--as President of the United States in nearly a half century. 

We believe that Mike Huckabee may be the only candidate in the race who could defeat Hillary Clinton in 2008. Because of her past support for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we believe that it is absolutely essential to find a candidate who can beat her. If she is elected president, both homeschooling and parental rights would be in serious jeopardy.

To date based on early polls, we are told that Rudy Giuliani is the front-runner for the GOP nomination. It is our judgment that Giuliani cannot possibly beat Hillary Clinton. Since 1976, no person running for president as a moderate Republican has ever won the election. (Not everyone running as a conservative proved to be a true conservative, but we are analyzing elections.)

Ford and Dole—both moderates—lost in 1976 and 1996. Reagan, a clear conservative, won landslides in 1980 and 1984. George H.W. Bush portrayed himself as a Reagan man in 1988 and won. But as president he violated his famous "read my lips-- no new taxes" pledge, and was defeated in 1992 when it had become clear to America that he was a moderate. George W. Bush ran as a conservative and was elected in 2000 and 2004. 

Moderate Republicans simply cannot win the presidency. If the nation wants a Democrat, they choose the real thing. This is particularly true on the abortion issue. Giuliani supports Roe vs. Wade and will never win the support of the crucial block of social conservatives.  Hillary Clinton will be elected president if Giuliani is the candidate. We think this is true of any of the other front-runners--none of whom comes close to being labeled a truly  principled conservative. Do not believe the early polls. History is a far better means of analysis. No moderate Republican can be elected president.

We have taken this historic step of an early endorsement because the process of electing our president is based on a radically different timetable in this election. The vast majority of the primaries will be earlier than ever before. If we do not act now, all conservatives will be driven from the race by lack of funding and we will be left with only unacceptable choices.

Thus, we urge our members to do four things:

1.    Support Mike Huckabee in your state's presidential primary (or other nomination process).

2.    Please pray for him on a regular basis.

3.    Please consider volunteering for his campaign. You can view his website at http://www.explorehuckabee.com/.

4.    Please make a donation TODAY to his campaign at https://www.explorehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contribute.Home.

 
Do not think that your gift is insignificant because you cannot give thousands of dollars. A campaign like Huckabee's will only work when thousands of friends network together giving, $25, $50, $100, or even just $10 each. Frankly, a campaign that receives $25 from 10,000 people is far stronger than a campaign that receives $10,000 from 25 people. 

Grassroots conservatives often complain about the big-dollar types who try to control the process. The only solution is for a whole bunch of small-dollar people to stand together and give together. And the left has learned to drive millions of people to websites and to fund large campaigns based on grassroots supporters who contact their friends and urge them to get involved.

It is far safer for an organization like ours to sit silently on the sidelines for a long time. But, it is our judgment that we must get behind a conservative candidate who will provide a viable option to Hillary. Moreover, many of us have waited a long time for a presidential candidate who is a truly qualified and articulate man who shares our values down to his core. Mike Huckabee entered politics for the same reason that most of us began homeschooling. He wants a future that is grounded upon timeless values.

We think that the time is now. Please support Mike Huckabee.
Sincerely,

J. Michael Smith HSLDA President
Michael P. Farris HSLDA Chairman & General Counsel
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The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:
Home School Legal Defense Association

P.O. Box 3000

Purcellville, Virginia 20134

Phone: (540) 338-5600

Fax: (540) 338-2733

Email: info@hslda.org

Web: http://www.hslda.org
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Free Federal Money for Farmers, but Titanium Strings attached...

I wonder if it is useless to get worked up over corporate welfare for farmers, but I still just marvel at how the Fed maintains control over who farms what in Indiana. Come, oh Free Market, come.

---

From: Congressman Joe Donnelly [mailto:joe.donnelly@congressnewsletter.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 4:51 PM
To: Christopher Mann
Subject: PRESS RELEASE:DONNELLY, ELLSWORTH: SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES FARM FLEX PILOT PROGRAM IN 2007 FARM BILL

 

June 19, 2007 Unsubscribe Update My Profile Congressman Joe Donnelly, 2nd District of Indiana Website | Biography | Contact | Services | District | Legislation | Newsroom | Issues DONNELLY, ELLSWORTH: SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES FARM FLEX PILOT PROGRAM IN 2007 FARM BILL     (Washington, DC) Today, the Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a mark-up of the farm bill’s Commodity Title.  During consideration, the Subcommittee approved an amendment to include a Planning Flexibility Pilot Program at the request of Congressmen Brad Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly.   “Indiana farmers made it clear that having the flexibility to decide what crops to plant and where was important to them,” said Ellsworth. “As a member of the Commodities Subcommittee, I was pleased to offer this amendment on behalf of myself and Congressman Donnelly. While we are glad to see a pilot program for Indiana farmers approved at the Subcommittee level, this is just the first step. We’ve still got a long road ahead of us. We will continue to advocate for this program and Indiana farmers as work on the Farm Bill progresses.”      “Congressman Ellsworth and I heard from numerous farmers in our districts that there is a genuine need for this greater planting flexibility,” Donnelly said. “I’m pleased that we were able to advocate for allowing Hoosier farmers to plant more acres of specialty crops, like tomatoes, and bring their needs to the attention of the chairman and the committee as a whole.”   The pilot program, which is limited to 10,000 acres in Indiana, would allow farmers to plant tomatoes on base acres—those acres which are eligible for crop subsidies—without penalty.  In order to participate in the program, growers must have a contract to grow tomatoes for processing and must grow tomatoes as part of a crop rotation designed to achieve pest and disease management benefits.   Under current law, farmers who wish to grow fruits and vegetables on base acres must forfeit their land’s base classification, disqualifying the land from ever receiving subsidies on program crops produced on that land.  These planting restrictions pose a significant challenge to farmers who have traditionally grown tomatoes in rotation with soybeans.  Because soybeans are considered a program crop, many farmers are unable to produce tomatoes without paying this significant and permanent penalty.     Under the pilot program, participating farmers will forgo farm payments in the year that that they produce tomatoes with the understanding that the land will remain eligible for crop payments in subsequent years.  The pilot program, as written in the subcommittee’s Commodities Title, will sunset with the Farm Bill in 2012.   After being approved by the subcommittee, the pilot program must be approved by a vote of the full Agriculture Committee. If approved, it will become part of the larger farm bill considered by the entirety of the House later this year.   The Senate and the House must each create and pass their own Farm Bill every five years. The two bodies then meet to negotiate a final version in a conference committee. That final version is then sent back to each legislative body and if approved, the bill is sent to the president for his signature.   ### Contact Congressman Joe Donnelly South Bend Office 207 West Colfax Avenue South Bend, IN 46601 Phone: 574.288.2780 Fax: 574.288.2825 Washington Office Congressman Joe Donnelly 1218 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202.225.3915 Fax: 202.225.6798 Logansport Office 300 East Broadway Suite #102 Logansport, IN 46947 Phone: 574-753-2671 Fax: 574-753-7615 La Porte Office 809 State Street, Room 502B La Porte, IN 46350 Phone: 219.326.6808 ext. 414 Michigan City Office 100 East Michigan Boulevard Michigan City, IN 46360 Phone: 219.873.1403 ext.308 Write to Congressman Joe Donnelly Update My Profile - Unsubscribe - Privacy Policy