Blasphemy...

I hope most people who really know me are aware I feel I have close personal relationship with my God.  I say "my" God because sometimes when I hear others describe what "their" God demands from us, I do not recognize "their" God.  My God loves ALL of His children... like any good parent, He provides love, sustenance, guidance, rules, and natural consequences.  Some of His children do not listen to Him, do not follow His teachings, and basically just do their own thing.  I think any parent can relate to that...

I believe, as a loving parent, God does not wish harm upon any of His children.  He may be disappointed in our behaviors, hurt when we do not listen to Him as He tries to talk to us, and angry when we fight with our siblings (His other children).

I believe God has told us not to judge one another-- it is His responsibility to deal with our misbehaviors and poor choices.  I am not referring to the judicial system of punishment, but the spiritual kind.  Who are we to decide which one of His children are not true followers of God?  

I do not pretend to be a Biblical scholar... I more or less follow the basics of His Word.  I will even admit publicly I question the true accuracy of the Bible.  (Hold on, I'm waiting to be struck by lightening... wait for it... wait for it... hmmm... okay, I'm still here, so I'll continue...)  Why do I doubt the accuracy of the teachings of the Bible?  Because over the past thousands of years, it has been rewritten and translated multiple times by imperfect children of God who have had their own bias and opinions.  And I don't think any rational human being can state with all certainty these representatives of God are without imperfections.   All we have to do is look at society's current population of God's "chosen leaders" to see they are as vulnerable to sin and mistakes as you and I.

But I do believe in my heart that God has certain expectations from us...

• LOVE GOD... which means respect Him and obey Him... I personally do not need the Bible or a church representative to tell me what He wants... it's mostly common sense, don't you think?  The Bible and my pastor are loving guides for me, but when it comes right down to it, God directly tells me what He wants me to do.  I don't need an interpreter...
• LOVE ONE ANOTHER... that doesn't mean we get to pick and choose which children we get to love.  Cliques are so junior high, don't you think??  We are to love His children of color, His children who have challenges, His children who live in different countries (or states, if you are an Idahoan who has a particular animosity toward Californians!), His children who know Him by different names, His children who live in ways which are unlike the way you are living... I do not believe He has a clause that tells us to love all of His children except X, Y, and Z.
• DO UNTO OTHERS as you shall have them do unto you... that really shouldn't be that difficult.  Do you want affordable health care?  So do others.  Do you want to be able to work at a safe job and be fairly compensated for your labor?  So do others.  Do you want your family and children to live in a safe neighborhood?  So do others.  Do you want the freedom to worship (OR NOT) in accordance to your personal beliefs?  So do others.  Do you want to have the freedom to marry the partner of your choice?  So do others.  And so on.  It isn't rocket surgery... it's common sense.  And God expects it of us.

So why this rant?  Because I am tired of being embarrassed by certain fellow "Christians".  Those who thrive on hate and foster it in others.  Those who use fear and intimidation to force others to stay silent in the face of evil, to use religion to divide us into "them" and "us", and to claim use God as a reason to be cruel and hurtful to our brothers and sisters.  Most don't see how their actions scream "hypocrisy" to others.

The final straw is a "joke" that is going around on Facebook.  I know my friends who are posting it strive to follow God's teachings.  I just don't understand how they can justify, even as a JOKE, a prayer to our Lord asking for the death of another one of His children.  I don't see them joking about abortions or molesting young children... but somehow they've justified this in their souls.  I can't picture one of my friends joking to their own children to murder a classmate who he/she doesn't like... because they know that would be wrong.  How is this different?

I would like to ignore it and just pass it off as another example of ignorance.  But I can't.  I don't intend to offend or insult people who I really do like and care about, but I feel that God expects me... no, He DEMANDS me to speak up and say:

"Enough is enough, do not let them use My name in such a manner, do not let them abuse My will to amuse one another, do not let them disrespect My power."

No, I don't hear "voices"... but I do feel God speaks to me.  It is His voice which gives me strength and guidance.  And it is His voice which is telling me to not let this occur without defending His name.

It is not funny, people.  It is blasphemy.  And it needs to stop.  

[I can picture my Agnostic and Atheist friends using this as yet another example of how hypocritical "Christians" are... they don't need God to tell them that wanting someone to die, even in jest, is just WRONG.]

Enough is enough...

This was written by my dear friend, Kate Ruef... she took the words right out of my mouth...
I have about had it with the Obama bashing. Give the man a break. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Obama can’t repair the damage of his predecessors in one year. He probably won’t be able to fix it all in his entire term. Did I say probably? He won’t. Period. This country is a mess, and it has been piling up for a long time.

You’re angry? Fine. Direct it toward the people who deserve it. Contact your congressmen and representatives. Contact the elected officials in your states, cities, and towns. Odds are they have been in office a lot longer than the president has. While you’re at it, brush up on your American government. The president only has so much power. He can suggest. He can manipulate, threaten a veto, and cajole. But he can’t make the laws by himself. You want to be angry? Be angry at the lawmakers who chose not to vote about healthcare reform – or any other issue – because they didn’t want to make anyone mad.

You’re afraid? Join the club! We’re all afraid, and probably none of us more than the man sitting in the Oval Office right now. If we make a mistake, we may lose a job opportunity, or maybe some money or a car. If he makes a mistake, he could lose his LIFE. He could be gunned down like a dog in the streets by his own fellow Americans. You think he’s not afraid? You think he’s not doing the best he can with the hand he was dealt? He’s a man, like any other, with a family that depends on him. He has children he wants to see grown and living secure, fulfilling lives, just like many of you. But he has an entire country depending on him, too... looking to him to be some sort of instant savior. You think he’s not feeling the pressure? You think he’s not afraid?

It took years… YEARS… for America to get in the shape it is in. Where were your cries and rallies then? My God, people!! Most of us have trouble putting together all of our children’s toys on Christmas Eve. What makes you think it is any easier to put a country back together??? If Disneyland was bought out - bankrupt and failing - would you blame the new owners if the debts weren’t paid and some of the rides and attractions were not repaired and open for adventurers the next month? How about six months? A year? That’s what’s happened here. We’ve been living fat and happy for a long time, letting things fall into disrepair. Now the “park” is just short of condemned and everyone wants the new owner to reopen immediately. It’s not going to happen. It is going to take a lot of work, a lot of commitment, and a lot of time to get this country back on its feet. Is Disneyland a bad example? How about New Orleans? Obama wasn’t president when Katrina hit. He wasn’t president for a long time afterward. New Orleans is still a mess. Why? Who is to blame for that?

I get it, okay? He’s the PRESIDENT, and he’s responsible. He made all those promises during the campaign and when he took office. You want them fulfilled, and you want them now. He needs time. When our children were born, we promised to take care of them, to protect them from harm, and to raise them to adulthood. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years… eighteen, and sometimes a lot more. And we don’t protect them from every scratch and bump and bruise that comes along, no matter how much we want to. We can’t. Sometimes, the best we can do is to hold them while they cry. That’s part of growing up.

You’re angry? You’re scared? You want jobs and a strong economy back in America? Fine. Boycott the companies that send their jobs overseas. Demand better, safer, more durable products. Give an honest day’s work and take pride in it. It doesn’t matter if you are a janitor or a CEO. Do the work you are paid to do and do it to the best of your ability. Show these companies why American workers are worth a higher wage. Contact your elected officials and demand responsibility and accountability to the working class voters who are the backbone of this nation. Read the Constitution, read the public laws, know your rights… and your responsibilities as a citizen of this country. Citizenship is not a birthright. It takes work. Look up the definition some time. Then look around your neighborhoods, towns and states, and find out what you can do be an active part of America.

I don’t say this lightly. I am not privileged, or rich or even particularly enlightened to what the future may hold. I am just as frightened as anyone else. I have also buried my head as deeply into the sand as anyone else for a lot of years. Now I am waking up. I am coming into my own as a Citizen of the United States. I have come to understand that people die every day trying to come to this country and start a new life. They are glad to take the risk. My great-grandparents took that same risk long ago so that my grandparents, my parents and, eventually I and my siblings could have a life that was better than what they had known. I am sure they had so many reservations, so many reasons not to make the journey that I will never know. I am sure they had doubts and fears. But they left everything behind – friends, family, everything familiar and safe to them. For that, I owe them a debt that can only be repaid one way: by living up to the citizenship they fought so hard to secure for me. We all have the same history, if we only look back far enough. We all owe the same debt to the people who built this nation, the people who made it strong. We owe it to the next generation of Americans to rebuild that legacy of strength and of hope, to make America once again a nation of promise.
~~Kate Ruef

Don't let facts get in the way of your opinion....

"Obama is raising our taxes!"  I'm hearing versions of this wailing and moaning over and over again, every where I go anymore.  Sometimes they add "PelosiRied" (because it's one word to them) and even multiple expletives as well.

And what do they have to base their complaints on?  Nothing... just rumors and propaganda and regurgitation of what they hear from their friends on Fox News.

So, what is going on with our taxes?

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, our federal taxes for the middle-class are at historically low levels.   Simply put, Americans are paying LOWER TAXES, not higher.

In addition, the stimulus package that has all of their panties in a twist is also responsible for CUTTING our taxes and CREATING jobs.

But let's not confuse these folks with facts... they are quite comfortable in their swampy pools of hate, fear, and ignorance... and refuse to budge.  They will continue to spread their toxic venom across the internet and throughout our communities...

If you are offended by what I'm saying, then ask yourself:  Did you read the articles above with an open mind?  Can you find an OBJECTIVE source which disputes those facts?  If the answers are "no", then you are part of the problem.  You have planted yourself in your position and are too stubborn to open your mind to perhaps, just PERHAPS, you are WRONG.

And it's attitudes like that which are destroying our country...

Reason #1969 to vote "NO" for McCain

We do NOT need a third Bush term!!

We do not need more LIES!

We do not need more WAR!

We need the TRUTH!

We need HONESTY!

We need to say ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

END THE WAR... NOW!!!

Vote OBAMA!

If JESUS ran for President...

I posted this two years ago, I'm sure it's been around even longer. But with the current chatter about which Presidential nominee is the best "Christian" for the job... I felt the need to re-post...

Click the image for a bigger picture...

Veterans: NO to McCain!!!

TO: Interested Parties
FROM: VoteVets.org
RE: Senator McCain’s Real Record on the War in Iraq
DATE: February 8, 2008

Senator John McCain presents himself as a maverick and a critic of the Iraq war. But a close read of his record indicates that his position on the Iraq war has consistently matched President George W. Bush’s.

Before The War:
McCain used many of the same arguments as Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney and President Bush when advocating going to war with Iraq.

McCain co-sponsored the Use of Force Authorization that gave President George W. Bush the green light – and a blank check - for going to war with Iraq. [SJ Res 46, 10/3/02]

McCain argued Saddam was “a threat of the first order.” Senator McCain said that a policy of containing Iraq to blunt its weapons of mass destruction program is "unsustainable, ineffective, unworkable and dangerous."

McCain: "I believe Iraq is a threat of the first order, and only a change of regime will make Iraq a state that does not threaten us and others, and where liberated people assume the rights and responsibilities of freedom.” [Speech to the Center for Strategic & International Studies, 2/13/03]

McCain echoed Bush and Cheney’s rationale for going to war. McCain: “It’s going to send the message throughout the Middle East that democracy can take hold in the Middle East.” [Fox, Hannity & Colmes, 2/21/03]

McCain echoed Bush and Cheney’s talking points that the U.S. would only be in Iraq for a short time.

McCain: “It’s clear that the end is very much in sight. … It won’t be long…it’ll be a fairly short period of time.” [ABC, 4/9/03]

McCain said winning the war would be “easy.” “I know that as successful as I believe we will be, and I believe that the success will be fairly easy, we will still lose some American young men or women.” [CNN, 9/24/02]

During The War:

Senator McCain praised Donald Rumsfeld as late as May 12, 2004, after the Abu Ghraib scandal.

Asked if Donald Rumsfeld can continue to be an effective secretary of defense, McCain: “Yes, today I do and I believe he's done a fine job. He's an honorable man.” [Hannity and Colmes, 5/12/04]

Senator McCain repeatedly supported President Bush on the Iraq War – voting with him in the Senate, defending his actions and publicly praising his leadership.

McCain maintains the war was a good idea.

At the 2004 Republican National Convention, McCain, focusing on the war in Iraq, said that while weapons of mass destruction were not found, Saddam once had them and “he would have acquired them again.”

McCain said the mission in Iraq “gave hope to people long oppressed” and it was “necessary, achievable and noble.”

McCain: “For his determination to undertake it, and for his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, President Bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration.” [Plain Dealer, 8/31/04]

Senator McCain: “The war, the invasion was not a mistake. [Meet the Press, 1/6/08]

Asked if the war was a good idea worth the price in blood and treasure, McCain: “It was worth getting rid of Saddam Hussein. He had used weapons of mass destruction, and it's clear that he was hell-bent on acquiring them.” [Republican Debate, 1/24/08]

McCain defended Bush’s rationale for war. Asked if he thought the president exaggerated the case for war, McCain said, “I don’t think so.” [Fox News, 7/31/03]

McCain has been President Bush’s most ardent Senate supporter on Iraq. According to Michael Shank of the Foreign Policy in Focus think tank, McCain was at times Bush’s “most solid support in the Senate” on Iraq. [Foreign Policy in Focus, 1/15/08]

McCain voted against holding Bush accountable for his actions in the war. McCain opposed the creation of an independent commission to investigate the development and use of intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq. [S. Amdt. 1275 to H.R. 2658, Vote # 284, 7/16/03]

McCain praised Bush’s leadership on the war. McCain: “I think the president has led with great clarity and I think he’s done a great job leading the country…” [MSNBC, Hardball, 4/23/03]

Senator McCain has constantly moved the goal posts of progress for the war – repeatedly saying it would be over soon.

January 2003: “But the point is that, one, we will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” [MSNBC, 1/22/03]

March 2003: “I believe that this conflict is still going to be relatively short.” [NBC, Meet the Press, 3/30/03]

June 2004: “The terrorists know that this is a very critical time.” [CNN, 6/23/04]

December 2005: "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have a fair amount of progress [in Iraq] if we stay the course.” [The Hill, 12/8/05]

November 2006: “We’re either going to lose this thing or win this thing within the next several months." [NBC, Meet the Press, 11/12/06]

Senator McCain opposed efforts to end the overextension of the military that is having a devastating impact on our troops.

McCain voted against requiring mandatory minimum downtime between tours of duty for troops serving in Iraq. [S. Amdt.. 2909 to S Amdt. 2011 to HR 1585, Vote 341, 9/19/07; S Amdt. 2012 to S Amdt. 2011 to HR 1585, Vote #241, 7/11/07]

McCain was one of only 13 senators to vote against adding $430 million for inpatient and outpatient care for veterans. [S Amdt. 3642 to HR 4939, Vote 98, 4/26/06]

Senator McCain has consistently opposed any plan to withdraw troops from Iraq

Senator McCain repeatedly voted against a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. [S. Amdt. 3876 to S.Amdt. 3874 to H.R. 2764, Vote #438, 12/18/07; S.Amdt.. 3875 to S.Amdt.. 3874 to H.R. 2764, Vote # 437, 12/18/07; S.Amdt.3164 to H.R. 3222, Vote # 362, 10/3/07; S.Amdt. 2898 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585, Vote #346, 9/21/07; S.Amdt. 2924 to S.Amdt.. 2011 to H.R.1585, Vote #345, 9/21/07; S.Amdt.2 087 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585, Vote #252, 7/18/07; S.Amdt. 643 to H.R. 1591, Vote #116, 3/27/07; S.Amdt. 4320 to S. 2766, Vote #182, 6/22/06; S.Amdt. 4442 to S. 2766, Vote #181, 6/22/06; S.Amdt.. 2519 to S.1042, Vote # 322, 11/15/05]

Senator McCain has consistently demonized Americans who want to find a responsible way to remove troops from Iraq so that we can take the fight to al Qaeda.

McCain: "I believe to set a date for withdrawal is to set a date for surrender.” [Charlotte Observer, 9/16/07]

McCain called proponents of a congressional resolution opposing the troop surge in Iraq intellectually dishonest. [Associated Press. 2/4/07]

The Future:

Senator McCain now says he sees no end to the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.

McCain: "[M]ake it a hundred" years in Iraq and "that would be fine with me." [Derry, New Hampshire Town Hall meeting, 1/3/08]

McCain on how long troops may remain in Iraq: “A thousand years. A million years. Ten million years. It depends on the arrangement we have with the Iraqi government.” [Associated Press, 1/04/08]

Rep. Pence: Legislative Report Week 5

What a week for Democrats!! The Obama rally Saturday was inspiring and then being able to drive back to Gooding for the Democrat Caucus last Tuesday was frosting on the cake. It was great visiting with everyone and listening to politics served up grassroots-style. Gooding County about doubled their last caucus numbers. Also heard great reports from the rest of the District 25 caucuses.

Bad news appeared on the economic scene. Tax receipts are down $35 million for January. If this trend continues, it will not bode well for agency budgets and establishment or continuation of programs. Bare bones budgets are hard on all concerned.

This is the last week for Routing Slips (RS) to be introduced in our afternoon committees (for me Agriculture and Natural Resources). Not only am I listening to 5-8 new concepts being introduced each committee, but was also tying up loose ends and generating support for an RS with Rep. Eskridge dealing with the operation and use of state outdoor sport shooting ranges. It establishes a uniform noise standard for these ranges and offers them grandfather protections from nuisance actions resulting from new housing moving in around them. There is great support state wide from sportsmen and it will be heard Monday.

No concrete information on a teacher pay plan. There is the possibility that the category 4 contract (the one requiring teachers to give up continuing contract) will be dropped as part of the pay plan. Still some movement to better train administrators to evaluate teachers and to supervise improvement plans designed to help a teacher become more proficient. There is a still a lot of support for concurrent enrollment in our high schools. This would allow students to take classes which qualify for both high school credit and college credit at the same time. This would enable students in some cases to graduate from high school with enough credits for an AA degree. College of Southern Idaho is working hard to develop classes available in the Magic Valley. A longitudinal data system which would enable instant access to individual records by authorized individuals looks to be a go. If a student were to move to Gooding from Sandpoint, this system would enable a teacher to instantly access records and put that student in classes at his or her proper level. There will be many other educational uses for this type of statewide data system.

Are you aware of the Department of Corrections has the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) program? This is a free, automated hotline that provides crime victims with vital information and notification 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. This service will allow you to obtain offender information and to register for notification of a change in offender status, such as offender release. This program offers peace of mind to victims of crime and does protect the public. Visit the Idaho VINE hotline at 1-866-9VINE-ID or visit http://www.vinelink.com/.

The Lincoln, Camas, Blaine and Gooding County elected officials were in Boise this week. It was great to talk with all of you. Thanks for the work you do and for the great ideas you come up with for making Idaho such a great place to live.

If you are in town, drop in and personally give me your opinions. Otherwise phone me at 1-208-332-1271, e-mail at dpence@house.idaho.gov, or write P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0038

Corrections I wish I could have made in Gooding: Unethical purchase of house/land

As I mentioned in a previous post, one individual made a lot of statements that my group was unable to correct during the discussion part of the Gooding County Caucus. I would like to address them...

Statement #2: Obama purchased a very expensive house for a very low price from a crook/slumlord blah blah blah...

Mr. Clinton-supporter, again you've tried to sound like you knew what you were talking about and failed miserably.

"In 2005, Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, bid $1.65 million for a house on the south side of Chicago. According to newspaper reports, the owner was also trying to sell an undeveloped parcel of land adjacent to the property Obama was buying, and he wanted the sales of the two to close on the same day. Obama has said that he mentioned he was buying the house to a longtime political patron, Antoin (Tony) Rezko, a developer. Rezko’s wife wound up buying the lot adjacent to Obama’s. At the request of the Obamas, who were seeking a bit more space for their yard, she later sold them a 10-foot wide strip, or about one-sixth, of her land. The Obamas paid $104,500 for it, or about one-sixth of what Mrs. Rezko had paid for the entire property." [More at FactCheck.org]

This information is VERY easy to locate ... FactCheck.org even includes sources. What a concept, don't ya think? Probably not as fun as creative story-telling or blowing things out of proportion or stretching the truth... but it works for me.

Who is Obama???

UPDATE 2/07/08: Due to multiple comments/statements which display either deliberate ignorance or sincere misinformation, I have updated this post.

What are Obama's positions?
There are several locations to find out this information. A simple resource is at Glassbooth.org. This site is very helpful for clarification regarding his position on gay rights, abortion, and guns.

For even more information and research, you can learn more about Senator Obama's positions on the issues on his website.

The most information can be located in his BluePrint for Change ... he states his position, describes what he sees as problems to target, his plans, and his record.

Now people should no longer have an excuse to say "what does he stand for?", "it's all hype", "he has no plans, just promises", and all of the other covers for "I haven't bothered to do the research." What are you waiting for? A 60-second commercial with Paris Hilton to get your attention? This ain't Burger King, folks, this is the future of our country... this is the legacy we're leaving future generations.

But... but... but... he's MUSLIM!!
No, he's not. Never was. The TRUTH is HERE.

But... but... but... he's black!
Um... yeah... and his mother was white... from Kansas. What's your point?

He's not patriotic... doesn't support the troops... etc.
Short and sweet: his grandfather was a WWII veteran and taught him to put his hand over his heart during the pledge, and down by his sides while singing the anthem... which is what they were doing at the time of the infamous picture. For more of the truth, go here.

There are other posts on my blog that address Obama questions... click the tag...

ORIGINAL POST: I am not posting this in order to promote any particular candidate... I respect a person's right to vote for the candidate of your choice, and I appreciate their respect of my own right to vote for the candidate of my choice.

I am posting this because I have received multiple e-mails from people which repeat the rumors of Obama's supposed American citizenship, religious beliefs and so on. Almost every e-mail starts out with something like "I looked it up on Snopes and they said it was TRUE!!"

If you receive a similar e-mail, you may be inclined (as many are in today's busy world) to not do your own research and will believe the statements to be true...

So I just wanted to share the following, because I believe patriotic Americans want to be informed voters, no matter who they decide to vote for... I also hope that if you receive a future e-mail which attempts to spread misinformation, you will research its accuracy before forwarding it to others, no matter WHO it is about or which party the candidate belongs to... www.snopes.com and www.truthorfiction.com are both very good sites for research...

If one actually checked out the Snopes findings (at http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp), one would learn that Snopes has actually determined these rumors to be FALSE, in MULTIPLE parts. It is also determined to be FALSE at truthorfiction.com: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/o/obama.htm.
*Regarding the anthem and hand-over-heart incident, you can research here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp...

For example, the statement:
"ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office — he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran (Their equivalency to our Bible, but very different beliefs)..."

This statement is a mistaken reference to Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison, not Barack Obama. More debunking follows...

Barack Obama, 45, served as an Illinois state senator for several years, and in 2004 he won a seat representing that state in the U.S. Senate. His keynote address before the Democratic National Convention in June 2004 brought him national prominence, and he is currently one of the leading contenders for the nomination to represent the Democratic Party in the 2008 presidential election. Barack Obama has an unusual and interesting background, which the above-quoted piece draws on to paint him as a dangerous, camouflaged radical Muslim.

Much of the information presented therein about his background is distorted and exaggerated, however, and no evidence supports a claim that Obama is currently "ideologically Muslim" or has ever been a "radical" Muslim.

Claim: Barack Obama has been a U.S. senator for only 100 days.

Barack Obama was sworn in as a U.S. senator representing the state of Illinois on 4 January 2005, so as of late December 2006 (when the e-mail about his Muslim background appeared) he had been in that office for two years.

Claim: Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a radical Muslim while admitting that he was once a Muslim, mitigating that damning information by saying that, for two years, he also attended a Catholic school.

Barack Obama has not "admitted" to being a Muslim, nor has any evidence been produced demonstrating that he is, or ever was, a "radical Muslim." (As with everything else in the e-mail quoted at the head of the page, this is asserted as "fact" despite a complete lack of supporting evidence.)

"Senator Obama has never been a Muslim," Obama communications director Robert Gibbs said. "As a six-year-old in Catholic school, he studied the catechism." Barack Obama has been associated with the United Church of Christ since the mid-1980s, describes himself as a Christian, and says that he is "rooted in the Christian tradition."

When he was a child in Indonesia, Obama spent a couple of years at a Catholic school and another couple of years at a school that was predominantly Muslim (because Indonesia itself is predominantly Muslim). In his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, Obama elaborated on his early schooling, explaining that he attended both Catholic and Muslim schools in Indonesia — not out of any particular religious affiliation, but because his mother wanted him to obtain the best education possible under the circumstances:

During the five years that we would live with my stepfather in Indonesia, I was sent first to a neighborhood Catholic school and then to a predominantly Muslim school; in both cases, my mother was less concerned with me learning the catechism or puzzling out the meaning of the muezzin's call to evening prayer than she was with whether I was properly learning my multiplication tables.

Claim: Obama's father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was a radical Muslim who migrated from Kenya to Jakarta, Indonesia. He met Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, a white atheist from Wichita, Kansas at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Obama, Sr. and Dunham divorced when Barack, Jr. was two. Barack Obama's father (also named Barack Obama) was born on the shores of Lake Victoria in Alego, Kenya. Although the elder Obama was raised as a Muslim, no evidence supports the claim that he was ever a "radical Muslim," and Senator Obama's family histories note that his father was an atheist or agnostic (i.e., no longer a practicing Muslim) by the time he married the younger Obama's mother.

Claim: Obama's spinmeisters are now attempting to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came from his father and that influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya immediately following the divorce and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

The notion that "Obama's spinmeisters are now attempting to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came from his father" and deliberately obscuring the "reality" that his father had little "influence over his son's education" is just silly in light of the fact that Barack Obama himself has repeatedly acknowledged that his parents split up when he was two years old and that he scarcely knew his father:

My father was almost entirely absent from my childhood, having been divorced from my mother when I was two years old. At the time of his death, my father remained a myth to me, both more and less than a man. He had left Hawaii back in 1963, when I was only two years old, so that as a child I knew him only through the stories that my mother and grandparents told.

(Barack's only other childhood contact with his father occurred when he was eleven years old, and his father came to visit Hawaii for a month at Christmastime.)

Claim: Dunham married another Muslim, Lolo Soetoro who educated his stepson as a good Muslim by enrolling him in one of Jakarta's Wahabbi schools. Wahabbism is the radical teaching that created the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad on the industrialized world.

The claim that Obama attended a radical Wahabbist school in Indonesia in the 1960s is exceedingly far-fetched, given that:

The large Indonesian community resident in Mecca was a medium through which knowledge about Wahhabism reached Indonesia, but the community itself appears to have remained virtually immune to Wahhabi influences. In reality there was little direct influence of Wahhabism on Indonesian reformist thought until the 1970s.

Insight magazine claimed in a January 2007 article that Barack Obama spent at least four years attending what is variously described as a "madrassa," a "radical Muslim religious school," or a "Muslim seminary" in Indonesia, but CNN has more recently reported that its own investigation found those claims to be false:

[R]eporting by CNN in Jakarta, Indonesia and Washington, D.C., shows the allegations that Obama attended a madrassa to be false. CNN dispatched Senior International Correspondent John Vause to Jakarta to investigate. He visited the Basuki school, which Obama attended from 1969 to 1971. "This is a public school. We don't focus on religion," Hardi Priyono, deputy headmaster of the Basuki school, told Vause. "In our daily lives, we try to respect religion, but we don't give preferential treatment."

Vause reported he saw boys and girls dressed in neat school uniforms playing outside the school, while teachers were dressed in Western-style clothes. "I came here to Barack Obama's elementary school in Jakarta looking for what some are calling an Islamic madrassa ... like the ones that teach hate and violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan," Vause said on the 'Situation Room.' "I've been to those madrassas in Pakistan ... this school is nothing like that."

Vause also interviewed one of Obama's Basuki classmates, Bandug Winadijanto, who claims that not a lot has changed at the school since the two men were pupils. Insight reported that Obama's political opponents believed the school promoted Wahhabism, a fundamentalist form of Islam, "and are seeking to prove it."

"It's not (an) Islamic school. It's general," Winadijanto said. "There is a lot of Christians, Buddhists, also Confucian. ... So that's a mixed school."

The Associated Press reported similarly:

A spokesman for Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs said claims that Obama studied at an Islamic school are groundless. "SDN Menteng 1 is a public primary school that is open to people of all faiths," said the spokesman, Sutopo, who goes by only one name. "Moreover, he studied earlier at Fransiskus Assisi, which is clearly a Catholic school."

Obama later transferred to SDN Menteng 1 the elite, secular elementary school at the center of the controversy. The school is public but is very competitive and has exceptionally high standards. It is located in one of the most affluent parts of Jakarta and attracts mostly middle- to upper-class students, among them several of former dictator Suharto's grandchildren.
Indonesia is home to several of the most radical Islamic schools in Southeast Asia, some with alleged terrorist links. But Akmad Solichin [the vice principal at SDN Menteng 1], who proudly pointed to a photo of a young Barry Obama, as he was known, said his school is not one of them.

Moreover, a statement released by the Obama campaign affirmed that:

In the past week, many of you have read a now thoroughly-debunked story by Insight Magazine, owned by the Washington Times, which cites unnamed sources close to a political campaign that claim Senator Obama was enrolled for "at least four years" in an Indonesian "Madrassa". The article says the "sources" believe the Madrassa was "espousing Wahhabism," a form of radical Islam.

All of the claims about Senator Obama’s faith and education raised in the Insight Magazine story and repeated on Fox News are false. Senator Obama was raised in a secular household in Indonesia by his stepfather and mother. Obama’s stepfather worked for a U.S. oil company, and sent his stepson to two years of Catholic school, as well as two years of public school. To be clear, Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ in Chicago. Furthermore, the Indonesian school Obama attended in Jakarta is a public school that is not and never has been a Madrassa.

Claim: Since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help purge any notion that he is still a Muslim, which, ideologically, he remains today.

As noted above, Barack Obama describes himself as "a Christian," says that he is "rooted in the Christian tradition," and his association with the United Church of Christ began well before his political career. (Obama was first elected to the Illinois state senate in 1996, but he has been involved with the United Church of Christ since the mid-1980s.) The beginnings of Obama's relationship with the church were described in an April 2004 Chicago Sun-Times article:

Obama is unapologetic in saying he has a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ." As a sign of that relationship, he says, he walked down the aisle of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ in response to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's altar call one Sunday morning about 16 years ago. The politician could have ended his spiritual tale right there, at the point some people might assume his life changed, when he got "saved," transformed, washed in the blood. But Obama wants to clarify what truly happened. "It wasn't an epiphany," he says of that public profession of faith. "It was much more of a gradual process for me. I know there are some people who fall out. Which is wonderful. God bless them ... I think it was just a moment to certify or publicly affirm a growing faith in me." These days, he says, he attends the 11 a.m. Sunday service at Trinity in the Brainerd neighborhood every week — or at least as many weeks as he is able.

His pastor, Wright, has become a close confidant. So how did he become a churchgoer? It began in 1985, when he came to Chicago as a $13,000-a-year community organizer, working with a number of African-American churches in the Roseland, West Pullman and Altgeld Gardens neighborhoods that were trying to deal with the devastation caused by shuttered steel plants. "I started working with both the ministers and the lay people in these churches on issues like creating job-training programs, or after-school programs for youth, or making sure that city services were fairly allocated to underserved communities," he says. "And it was in those places where I think what had been more of an intellectual view of religion deepened. "I became much more familiar with the ongoing tradition of the historic black church and its importance in the community. And the power of that culture to give people strength in very difficult circumstances, and the power of that church to give people courage against great odds. And it moved me deeply."

No evidence supports the claim that Barack Obama is, despite his professed Christianity, "an ideological Muslim," and those who have made this claim have offered nothing to support it — no letters or documents in which Barack Obama has ever stated such, no reports of conversations in which he ever admitted such, no revelations from friends or associates that he ever demonstrated such.

Corrections I wish I could have made in Gooding: Missing in Congress

As I mentioned in a previous post, one individual made a lot of statements that my group was unable to correct during the discussion part of the Gooding County Caucus. I would like to address them...

Statement #1: Obama was missing during many Congressional votes.

Mr. Clinton-supporter, may I please point out to you that according to The Washington Post Vote Database (as published in Newsweek, January 21, 2008) that yes, Senator Obama missed 11 votes (1.7%) during the 109th Congress... while Senator Clinton missed 16 (2.5%).

For 110th Congress, Senator Obama has missed 174 votes (38.3%) and Senator Clinton has missed 112 votes (24.7%).

Yes, Senator Obama has missed some votes... so has Senator Clinton. Last year, she missed more than he did. This year, he has missed more than she has. Nothing to brag about for either of them.

So... what was your point again?

Interesting note: Senator McCain missed 58 votes (9%) during the 109th, and 257 votes (56.6%) during 110th.

Call to ACTION!! Si Sue Puede!

Have you heard? Idaho had 22,000 Democrats around the state attend our caucuses on Super Tuesday. That is more than 4 times the turnout in 2004!

What does that mean?

IDAHO IS READY FOR CHANGE…

ARE YOU?

The Idaho Democratic Party sent out an email last week asking Democrats to get involved, and the response has been fantastic. Idaho Democrats are ready to get into the act. They have great program that will make it easy and fun for you to make a difference in 2008.

Become a Neighborhood Leader Today! Click here to sign up!

Or visit www.idaho-democrats.org

You can also sign up directly with our Field Directors. You can contact either Shelley at shelley@idaho-democrats.org or Randy at randy@idaho-democrats.org

Super Tuesday: Idaho update!

Many Idaho bloggers will be reporting on their local caucus activity over at New West/Boise so check throughout the day and night, share the discussion, and report on your own local caucus experience!

Julie will be keeping us informed (and providing a forum for discussion) regarding national results over at Red State Rebels.

The Idaho Democratic Party will report statewide numbers on their website.

Names you will recognize...

UPDATED 2/2/08 8:40PM:
After the original posting, Gov. Cecil Andrus has added his support for Senator Obama. He introduced Obama at today's event... watch it here!

Larry Grant has also provided his endorsement for Senator Obama.

After I made my decision to support Barack Obama, I put forth even more effort to learn more about him. AFTER I decided to campaign for Obama, I found out who else in Idaho is publicly endorsing him.

I can't tell you if knowing this before hand would have hastened my own decision, but I can tell you that once I saw these names below... I knew I had made the right one. -drp

ENDORSEMENT
Jerry and Rickie Brady

Democrats have a host of qualified candidates who could win in November and be exceptional presidents. However the person best suited to our times is Barack Obama.

Why?

The next president must reverse the catastrophic decline in America's moral leadership in the world, a decline that has made us among the least admired nations in the world. Barack Obama can do that.

The next president must cut through the partisanship and divisiveness that have poisoned our public life for 30 years to achieve the unity craved by most Americans. Barack Obama can do that.

As a legislative assistant to Senator Frank Church in the l960's, I had a front row seat for the cascade of critical legislation that followed the death of John Kennedy. Something on the scale of Lyndon Johnson's accomplishments is needed today. If anyone could do that it would be Barack Obama.

The Bush Administration has placed America in a deep financial hole. Any responsible Democrat must reverse the catastrophic rise in the national debt piled on our children while mobilizing a national consensus for universal health care. Those who dug this hole and oppose health care for all will use the filibuster rule in the Senate to resist. In my judgment, Obama has the best chance to rally the nation to override this resistance and renew our country.

Some say Obama should have waited his turn. I say we cannot afford to wait. On many of our challenges, the hour is late and conditions dire. Obama offers the best hope for a breakthrough. Bush, Clinton, Bush and-once again-Clinton does not.

Rickie and I are packing our bags to work for Obama in Nevada come January. We hope Idaho Democrats will do all you can as well.

ENDORSEMENT
Boise City Mayor, Dave Bieter

Dear Obama for America in Idaho:

First, I want to thank the many Barack Obama supporters who turned out in numbers to help me be successful in my reelection as mayor of Boise. Your work made a big difference in my decision of whom to back for president.

But I admit that I took the time between my campaign and before the Iowa Caucus to decide between the candidates. After weeks of following each of them, and before any vote was cast in Iowa, I concluded that I will do whatever I can to ensure that Barack Obama be the next president of the United States.

This is a contentious and often bitter time in America. He is the only candidate who inspires us to push for a future that fulfills the promise our country has always had but too often has failed to fulfill.

Most of all, he is the only one with the courage to speak with hope in a cynical time. He is the right person at the right time for our country, our state and the City of Boise.

IDAHO STATE LAWMAKER ENDORSEMENTS:

State Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett: Dist#25, Blaine, Camas, Gooding, Lincoln
State Senate Assistant Minority Leader David Langhorst: Dist 16, Ada
State Senator Diane Bilyeu: Dist.29, Bannock
State Senator Mike Burkett: Dist. #19, Ada,
State Senator Edgar Malepeai: Dist. # 30, Bannock
State Senator Elliot Werk: Dist.#17, Ada

House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet: Dist.#25, Blaine, Camas, Gooding, Lincoln
House Assistant Minority Leader George Saylor: Dist.#4, Kootenai
House Minority Caucus Chair John Rusche: Dist.#7, Lewiston
State Representative Les Bock: Dist.# 16, Ada
State Representative Liz Chavez: Dist. #7, Nez Perce
State Representative Margaret Henbest: Dist.#16, Ada
State Representative Nicole LaFavour: Dist.#19, Ada
State Representative Anne Pasley-Stuart: Dist.#19, Ada
State Representative Donna Pence: Dist #25, Blaine, Camas, Gooding, Lincoln.
State Representative Shirley Ringo: Dist. #6, Latah
State Representative James Ruchti: Dist. #29, Bannock
State Representative Jerry Shively: Dist. #33, Bonneville

OTHER IDAHO ENDORSEMENTS:
· Paul Woods, Ada County Commissioner
· Jim Hansen, Former State Representative, Executive Director - United Vision for Idaho
· Gail Bray, Idaho's National Committeewoman - Super Delegate, Former State Senator
· Grant Burgoyne, Idaho's National Committeeman - Super Delegate, Private Attorney · Mike Kennedy, City Councilman - Coeur d'Alene
· Steve Scanlin, Former State Representative, Private Attorney
· Brian Cronin, Ada County Democrats Chair, 2004-2007

"Biggest crowd in arena history"

What a wonderful way to start a birthday!! We left around 6AM and drove carefully and slowly to Boise. The angels were with us and we quickly found a parking space reasonably close to the entrance. Thank God we had passes (because of our volunteer work) and we didn't have to stand in the lines that wrapped out to the Green Belt (from what I was told).

I'm hearing that the crowds were the biggest in the Arena's history (estimated to be more than 14,000, with another 2,000 unable to enter). Talk about "WOW"!! For an AWESOME picture of the crowd, check it out here!!

Right now I'm still processing so I can't write any words of wisdom... I'll just post some of my favorite moments...

{Quick insert here: This is the best description of this morning's rally I've read yet... others have more quotes, more details... but this is what I'd have written if I was as talented as he is... the site has been having troubles tonight but keep trying to check out Juggernaut... it's worth it...!}

First I want to say that the introduction by Gov. Andrus was inspiring all in its own. If you don't have the time/inclination to watch the whole thing, at least watch Andrus' intro which includes:

“I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of political candidates come and go. I have not seen since John F. Kennedy in 1960, a candidate that has the capacity to unite and inspire the people of America like Barack Obama.”

Andrus said Obama could bring about change – in Washington, in the economy – and the war in Iraq. “It takes too many. It costs us too many lives. It’s a war that costs us too much. And for what reason? It’s a war that no one can justify. This is a man that can bring an end to that in my opinion,” Andrus said.

Then former Gov. Cecil Andrus introduced “the man I think should be and will be the next president of the United States.”

"He is the custodian of the hope and the dream of millions and millions of Americans.”

Some of my favorite statements from Obama:

“They told me there weren’t any Democrats in Idaho — that’s what they told me. But I didn’t believe them.”

"Our nation is at war, our planet is in peril and the dream that so many generations fought for feels like it is slowly slipping away... You and I together will remake this country, we will remake the world."

"We can help rural communities build new schools. I won't just talk about how great teachers are, I will reward them by paying them higher salaries."

If you watch the video, you will hear him talk about his plans for America's security, meeting the needs of our military, and more...

I remember "do not negotiate in fear, but do not fear to negotiate", why he wants to be President now rather than later (great statement... something about now they want him to wait until they "boil the hope" out of him!), his praise for our troops... oh, heck, I don't have the right words to describe it! WATCH IT!

Complete uncut speech from KTVB here, another video from KIVI here.

More from KTVB and KBCI Channel 2.
Check out photos here.
Idaho Statesman, 2/2/08
Idaho Statesman pics here.

Other blog reporting at this time:
Great post from Julie at Red State Rebels: Barack Obama fires up 14,000+ in Boise
DailyKos: 14,000 for Obama in Boise this morning!!
Ridenbaugh Press: Obama in Boise
(To check for current Idaho blog coverage, go to LeftyBlogs.)

On the flip side, what do you think about THIS???
GOP: Obama hoopla good for Idaho
Republicans say Obama’s visit draws welcome attention, but they’ll still dominate the state.
Wayne Hoffman, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Bill Sali, said Democrats suffer by comparison:

“Clearly, Americans are frustrated by the garbage spilling out of Washington, D.C. ... The question is: What kind of change do they want? If you want bigger government, higher taxes, more expensive energy and the loss of your Second Amendment rights, then I guess Obama’s your guy. I don’t think Idahoans want that.”

I would have included FOX 12 but their top stories at this time did not include any coverage, nor did the Times-News.

Now I think I will go take a nap!!

My path toward Obama

I support Obama as President of the United States of America.

There. I said it.

It was easier to say than it was to decide, that’s for sure.

First of all, my personality type is ENFP... there are lots of academic ways of describing an ENFP (here and here!), but in simple terms, I “go with my gut”.

In addition, I am not astute at political issues... I'm more of a KISS type of person. I struggle to overcome the barrier that creates and really do try to make an effort to educate myself about the areas I'm most concerned with.

However, as a responsible voter, I know that I owe it to myself, my children, my country, and my candidates to not leave it at that. I really need to do my research before I make a final decision.

I went to Glassbooth and compared my priorities and positions on the various issues with ALL of the Presidential candidates.

Surprise… the results were all Democratic candidates!!

Another surprise, as addressed in another post: the top two in which I had the most in common were Kucinich and Gravel. Then it went Clinton, Edwards, and finally Obama. There was only a percentage point or two apart in difference, but Obama was ranked #5!

But my gut still kept leaning for Obama…

So I looked into the two areas in which Obama and I held different positions… and I researched his argument for his position and compared it to mine. He made sense… I didn’t necessarily agree with him, but I could respect the basis of his position.

I still was undecided, however…

Hillary Clinton… wow, the first woman President! She does have many years of experience in the political arena. But… is being the first woman President a good reason to elect her as the leader of our country? Just because she has experience, does that necessarily mean that she’s the best choice? (Haven’t we all had EXPERIENCED bosses or teachers… who still sucked at their job?) She’s got a lot of baggage… very little do I feel is actually her fault… but I’d really like the country to focus on OUR issues… and not the Clintons’. Her interaction with others, her ego, her marital situation… can we afford to take our eyes off the ball? I don’t think so…
I have to say that one simple sentence pushed me over the fence…

I received an Obama brochure in the mail last week… In this campaign flyer, he states he will “take on the drug and insurance lobbyists to cut health care costs for the typical family…”

That leapt out to me… this isn’t the time or place to discuss “why” but it was something I was waiting to hear from one of the candidates. (You can read more about Obama’s health care plan here.)

After I acknowledged to myself that Obama WAS the candidate I believed in, I learned which other Idahoans had endorsed him. This list contained individuals who I deeply admired and respected. People who I knew were more politically astute than I am and who understood more clearly the issues.

I realized then that I had made the right decision.

Fact, not fiction: Part 4

Chicago Tribune, Factcheck.Org, Washington Post:
Obama Never Represented Tony Rezko
January 23, 2008

FactCheck.org
On Clinton's Claim Obama Represented Rezko: "That's Untrue." Factcheck.org reported, "Obama was associated with a law firm that represented the community groups working with Rezko on several deals. There's no evidence that Obama spent much time on them, and he never represented Rezko directly. So it was wrong for Clinton to say he was 'representing ... Rezko.' That's untrue." [FactCheck.org, 1/21/08]

Chicago Tribune
Review Of "Land And Court Document And Law Firm Files As Well As Correspondence And Other Records...Supports [Obama's] Contention That He Did Not Directly Represent Rezko's Development Firm." The Chicago Tribune reported, "Obama angrily rejected Clinton's accusation at Monday's Democratic debate. And a Tribune review of land and court documents and law firm files as well as correspondence and other records related to Obama's eight years as an Illinois state lawmaker supports his contention that he did not directly represent Rezko's development firm. Instead, the records show, he represented non-profit community groups that partnered with Rezko's firm." [Chicago Tribune, 1/23/08]

Tribune Examined Miner Barnhill's "260 Civil And Criminal Cases," IHDA And DOH Files, Clients From Obama's "Unusually Frank Ethics Disclosure Reports" And Found Obama Represented The Non-Profit Partner.

The Chicago Tribune reported, "At the Tribune's request, Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans produced a list of all 260 civil and criminal cases in which the firm filed appearances, and the Tribune separately examined 1990s lawsuits that Rezmar Corp. listed in applications for government grants.

The paper also examined files from the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the city housing department, as well as the hundreds of clients Obama listed in the unusually frank ethics disclosure reports he filed as a state senator from December 1995 through April 2004.

Those and other records disclosed five instances in which Obama did legal work for ventures that included Rezmar Corp. The case of City of Chicago vs. Central Woodlawn Limited Partnership is one example. In 1992, that community group partnered with Rezmar Corp. to rehab the former slum apartment building at 6107-6115 S. Ellis Ave. As work was ongoing, city officials sued the developers, alleging 16 serious code violations at the property, including a dangerously dilapidated porch. Obama and a co-counsel filed appearances in February 1994, but the court records show they appeared on behalf of Central Woodlawn, Rezko's non-profit partner, not Rezko or his company." [Chicago Tribune, 1/23/08]

Washington Post Fact Check:
"Investigations By Chicago Newspapers Have Not Produced Evidence That [Obama] Represented Rezko In A Slum Landlord Business."
The Washington Post reported, "William Miceli, Obama's supervisor at the law firm, said the firm represented the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., a nonprofit group that redeveloped a run-down property on Chicago's South Side with Rezko. He called Clinton's assertion that Obama represented Rezko in a slum landlord business 'categorically untrue. He was a very junior lawyer at the time, who was given responsibility for basic due diligence, document review,' said Miceli, adding that Obama did what he was told by the firm. According to Miceli, that was the only time Obama worked on a Rezko-related project while at the law firm…But investigations by Chicago newspapers have not produced evidence that he represented Rezko in a slum landlord business. What has been demonstrated so far is that he did some due diligence legal work for a joint venture between Rezko and a Chicago nonprofit. Two Pinocchios for Clinton." [Washington Post, 1/22/08]

MINER: OBAMA DID MINOR WORK REPRESENTING THE NON-PROFIT
Miner: Obama Filed Incorporation Papers For The Non-Profits. The AP reported, "Attorneys there say Obama never represented Rezko directly. The future senator did represent community organizations that were Rezko partners in rehabilitating buildings to provide apartments for the poor…Judson Miner, a partner in the firm, said that Obama's role was small. He said Obama did perhaps six or seven hours of work on such projects, mainly filing incorporation papers for the nonprofit groups." [AP, 1/22/08]

Obama Said That Miner Barnhill "Was Representing The Non-For-Profit Partner, Where There's No Allegations That They Did Anything Wrong." Obama said, "My law firm was representing the non for profit partner, where there's no allegations that they did anything wrong. They were simply trying to develop non for profit housing in the district." [Fox News, 4/24/07]

Obama Said That Miner Barnhill Was "Brought In Through [The Non-Profits], Not Through Rezko." The Chicago Tribune reported, "Responding to a Chicago Sun-Times report that Obama's former law firm did legal work for Rezko's low-income housing development business, the Illinois senator said he performed five hours of work on behalf of non-profit housing groups that partnered with Rezko. 'We were brought in through them [the non-profits], not through Rezko,' Obama said." [Chicago Tribune, 4/24/07]

Truth in advertising!!

Fact, not fiction: Part 1

It is so sad to see that some Americans still can't think for themselves, but instead rely on rumors, gossip, and innunendo... the truth is there, if you choose to see it.

Friends shouldn't let friends vote stupid...

BARACK OBAMA and HIS CHURCH

Barack was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. Barack's father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya. His mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in small-town Kansas.

After graduating from Columbia University in New York, he became a community organizer working with churches on the South Side of Chicago. After studying at Trinity United Church of Christ, he was baptized and remains a committed and active Christian.

Trinity United Church of Christ is the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ. It is part of a liberal denomination that was the first to ordain an African American, a woman, and a gay man. Congregants have described it in the New York Times as a "warm and accepting community," and while it is in a predominantly African American congregation, people of all backgrounds attend and are enthusiastically welcomed.

Barack was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on his own personal Bible and continues to attend Trinity United regularly with his family.

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: "'Trinity UCC is rooted in and proud of its Afrocentric heritage,' [Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president] said. 'This is no different than the hundreds of UCC churches from the German Evangelical and Reformed stream that continue to own and celebrate their German heritage, insisting on annual sausage and sauerkraut dinners and singing Stille Nacht on Christmas Eve. Recognizing and celebrating our distinctive racial-ethnic heritages, cultures, languages and customs are what make us unique as a united and uniting denomination.' While Trinity UCC is predominately African American, it does include and welcome non-Black members. The Rev. Jane Fisler-Hoffman, Illinois Conference Minister, who is white, has been a member of the congregation for years."

NEWSWEEK: "Dueling chain e-mails claim he's a radical Muslim or a 'racist' Christian. Both can't be right. We find both are false. If these two nasty e-mail messages are any indication, the 2008 presidential campaign is becoming a very dirty one. One claims that Obama is 'certainly a racist' by virtue of belonging to Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, which it says 'will accept only black parishioners' and espouses a commitment to Africa. Actually, a white theology professor says he's been 'welcomed enthusiastically' at the church, as have other non-blacks. Another e-mail claims that Obama 'is a Muslim,' attended a 'Wahabi' school in Indonesia, took his Senate oath on the Koran, refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and is part of an Islamic plot to take over the U.S. Each of these statements is false. These false appeals to bigotry and fear remind us of the infamous whispering campaign of eight years ago, when anonymous messages just before the South Caroli na primary falsely accused Republican candidate John McCain of fathering an illegitimate child by a black woman."

PROMINENT JEWISH LEADERS: "As leaders of the Jewish community, none of whose organizations will endorse or oppose any candidate for President, we feel compelled to speak out against certain rhetoric and tactics in the current campaign that we find particularly abhorrent. Of particular concern, over the past several weeks, many in our community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama's religious beliefs and who he is as a person. These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate members of our community into supporting or opposing candidates."

JEWISH U.S. SENATORS: "Over the past several weeks, many in the Jewish community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo about Senator Barack Obama's religion and attack him personally. As Jewish United States Senators who have not endorsed a candidate for the Democratic nomination, we condemn these scurrilous attacks. We find it particularly abhorrent that these attacks are apparently being sent specifically to the Jewish Community. Jews, who have historically been the target of such attacks, should be the first to reject these tactics. We won't dignify these falsehoods by repeating them in order to refute them. Instead, we will express our outrage at these tactics, which are being used to demonize a good and decent man and our friend and colleague. Attempting to manipulate voters into supporting or opposing one candidate or another based on despicable and fictitious attacks is disgraceful. These false and malicious attacks should not be part of our political discourse."

It's your ONLY chance!!

If you are Republican or Independent (or ___!) and either still thinking about it or possibly leaning toward a Democratic candidate, please read the following with an open mind...

For ALL Idahoans, it is VERY important for you to know about our political process...

If you decide that you wish to support one of the Democratic nominees for President, you need to know Tuesday, February 5 is a critical day.

No matter what your party affiliation, if you support a Democratic president, Feb. 5 is your ONLY opportunity to participate in the selection of the Democratic candidate for the November election.

Yes, I said "ONLY" opportunity.

The Democratic Party nomination for President is based upon Caucus results... NOT THE MAY PRIMARY. This is new information to me... maybe not to others, but I'm still in the "learning process" of politics!

IF YOU ARE NOT A DEMOCRAT...
The Democratic caucus does not require participants to be members of the Democratic Party!!! We only ask you NOT to vote for a Republican Presidential candidate in the May primary. You can still vote on the Republican side of the ticket in the Primary—just not for President. And however you choose to vote in November is still your choice (obviously!).

IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE...
You can vote in the caucus as long as you are a county resident, whether you are registered to vote at that time or not. (You can register at the caucus if you choose.)

IF YOU ARE 17 YEARS OLD...
If you will be 18 by November 4, you can also participate in the caucus.

IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION...
For further information about your local Democratic caucus, please go to the Idaho Democratic Party website. If you are in Gooding County, you can contact me if you want.

"God's Politics: Why the right gets it wrong, and the left doesn't get it."

It's been over two years since I clipped this review from BushFlash.com ... has anything really changed??? Just a thought...

God's Politics

Why the right gets it wrong, and the left doesn't get it.

By Jim Wallis

The republicans have been able to lay claim to being the "party of God, faith, and family values", while at the same time, they wage illegal wars, punish the poor, exalt the rich, ignore the true value of human life, despoil our environment, and promote lining the pockets of massive corporations, while the least of us suffer the results of their hubris.

Wallis asks us important questions:

"When did Jesus become pro-war?"
Indeed- the right wing claims to be "pro-life"- it rails against abortion, stem cell research, and works itself into a froth over a brain-dead woman in Florida, yet it aggressively persues the death penalty, promotes wars against nations that never attacked, nor threatened us, and condemns universal health care as "socialist." How did this come to be?

"When did Jesus become pro-rich?"
Indeed- the right wing loves tax breaks for the rich, cutting of social programs for the poor, and social infrastructure, in favor of the aforementioned. How did this come to be?

"When did Jesus become a selective moralist?"
Indeed- the right wing loves to condemn those on welfare, those who happen to have been born gay or lesbian, and those who suffer from the great racial divide that still exists in this country. How did this come to be?

It came to be, because we on the left are quick to condemn, and slow to understand. Wallis breaks it down, for anyone who is willing to read, and learn.

Would the Jesus that opened up a can of whoop-ass on the money changers in the temple condone Bush's coddling of Ken Lay, and Enron, who robbed thousands of their pensions and life savings?

Would the Jesus who said "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" condone the Bush Bowl's war in Iraq?

Would the Jesus who said "That which you have done to the least of these, you have done to me", condone the Bush administration's cuts to programs aimed at aiding the poor, the starving, and the homeless?

I think you know the answer...Wallis sounds a clarion call in his book, reminding us that the principles that he, and the millions of other progressive people of faith across this nation are fighting for, are not unique to christianity- they are universal. The only reason that Bush, Frist, and DeLay have been able to co-opt christianity, and bend it to their corrupt will in the poilitical sphere, is that we on the left have been silent, for far too long.

Wallis constantly reminds us that the greatest christian prophetic voice that ever appeared in our nation, Martin Luther King, spent his life fighting poverty, racism, and war. When we turn our backs on the foundations that he built, we let Bush, and his ilk, define the moral paradigm of our country.
The one qualm I have about Wallis' work is that he boasts about the meetings he's had with the Bush Bowl, and the letters that he's sent to the white house. He doesn't seem to realize that in the few times that he's had face time with Bush, his pleas have fallen on deaf ears, and that whatever letters he's sent to Bush were most likely shipped off to the local landfill, after being put through the nearest paper shredder, without even being read.

Wallis doesn't seem to understand the true nature of the beast that we're all fighting against.