Friday, June 14, 2013

Friday, June 14, 2013

Defending Faith, Family & Freedom 

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to conservative activists at the Faith & Freedom Coalition's annual conference here in Washington, D.C. The Faith & Freedom Coalition, led by Ralph Reed, is a dedicated ally in the battle to defend our values. 

While it is easy to be focused on the failures of the left-wing agenda -- and they are numerous -- I challenged the audience to hold the GOP's feet to the fire in fighting for our values.

Republican leaders are very passionate about holding down tax rates on billionaires and reforming Social Security. Policies that grow the economy and control our deficit spending are important. So too is addressing our growing virtue deficit.

If conservatives want to capture the hearts and minds of the American people, they need to be just as passionate about policies that ensure children have mothers and fathers, and making sure that unborn babies have more rights than Styrofoam cups. 

Pelosi & Press Laugh Off Abortion 

Kudos to my friend Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ). In the wake of the horrific Gosnell trial, Rep. Franks sponsored legislation to prohibit late-term abortions performed after 20 weeks based on medical evidence that unborn children feel pain. His legislation was approved this week by the House Judiciary Committee and will be debated by the full House next week. 

At a press conference yesterday John McCormack, a reporter for The Weekly Standard, asked House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi, "[W]hat is the moral difference between what Dr. Gosnell did to a baby born alive at 23 weeks and aborting her moments before birth?" 

The pro-abortion Pelosi did not appreciate the question. She snapped, "You're probably enjoying that question a lot. I can see you savoring it." 

At that point, several other reporters in the room laughed, joining her in mocking the seriousness of the issue. How easy it must be for liberals in this town to get up every morning and do what they do knowing a compliant press corps will cover for them. 

Undeterred, McCormack continued to press Pelosi. Visibly angered, she condemned Gosnell's barbaric behavior, but also went on to condemn Franks' legislation as "reprehensible." Then she said this: "I'm going to tell you something. …As a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground to me when you talk about this. I don't think it should have anything to do with politics." 

What exactly is "sacred" to her: the life of the child or the unfettered practice of abortion? I think Nancy Pelosi needs a remedial course in Christian teaching on the sanctity of life. 

I do not believe the sanctity of life should be a political issue either. But so long as the destruction of one million innocent lives continues in this country, I will continue to speak out and work for the day when America lives up to the promise of our Declaration of Independence and guarantees the God-given right to life of every individual. 

Obama Stepping Into Syrian Civil War 

The White House announced yesterday evening that intelligence agencies have confirmed the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime against its own citizens in the Syrian civil war. As a result, the Obama Administration declared it would "increase the scope and scale of the assistance that we provide to the opposition." 

Once again Obama is finding out that as president there is often no good option on the table. The Syrian opposition is increasingly aligned with Al Qaeda. Need I say more? Assad is being backed by Iran and Hezbollah. If they prevail, that is a disaster for America and Israel. 

It would take an incredibly astute president with a well-honed grasp of geopolitical issues and the growing risk confronting the United States to successfully navigate this minefield. Unfortunately, I have little confidence that this will end well. 

Stand With Israel 

Conditions in the Middle East are increasingly chaotic. The Arab Spring Obama cheered has emboldened radical Islamists and destabilized the region. Syria's civil war -- with the U.S. arming Sunni Muslims and Al Qaeda against Iran, Hezbollah and Russia -- has the potential to spiral out-of-control and engulf other neighboring states. 

Meanwhile, the rampant hatred of Israel and America is difficult to comprehend. While most of us are looking forward to fun family vacations this summer, Palestinian children are being trained to fire machine guns, plant bombs and capture Israelis at camps run by Islamic Jihad. 

It's not easy to make your voice heard on complex foreign policy matters, but there is one way you can: Join me in our nation's capital for the Christians United for Israel Washington Summit!

Led by Pastor John Hagee, CUFI's Washington Summit will be held July 22-24. This year's Summit features an outstanding lineup of speakers, including:
 

  • Rep. Michele Bachmann
    Glenn Beck
    House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
    Sen. Ted Cruz
    Gov. Mike Huckabee
    And many more!

Early registration discounts end soon, so please reserve your seats today. I look forward to seeing you there!