Marriage No Longer England's Cup of Tea

A new report on the crisis of marriage in the U.K. is sending shock waves throughout the nation, as the proportion of Britons who tied the knot in 2006 is the lowest it's been since records began in 1862. The Office for National Statistics said that in 2006 "fewer than ten in every 1,000 single adults in England and Wales" got married. And the biggest culprit for the decline appears to be none other than the British government. The U.K.'s tax code rewards single parents and penalizes married spouses, leading more couples to beat the system by "living apart together" in civil unions. By embracing and even incentivizing these civil partnerships, the U.K. is fueling the traditional family's complete collapse. When you rob marriage of its meaning, as Britain has done, and deemphasize it, a nation naturally experiences less of it. In the U.S., we see the European influence slowly creeping across the pond and into American public policy as more liberals devalue traditional marriage and family. Leaders in the U.K. insist that this report is the wake-up call the nation needed. In the last week, many MPs have pledged to introduce legislation that would entice more couples to marry. Let's pray it's not too late.

Source: FRC.

Common Sense at Last!!!

Common sense has finally prevailed in California, the site of one of the nation's most disgraceful court rulings in at least a decade. The Second District Court of Appeals, which shocked Americans by banning homeschooling by any parent without a teaching license, has vacated its decision. The court has agreed to rehear the case later this spring and is soliciting briefs from various state officials, teacher unions, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. For weeks, the three-judge panel received blistering criticism from state leaders, pro-family organizations like FRC, and hundreds of thousands of American families. In the hands of an activist court, what began as a simple child welfare case turned into an indictment of the entire homeschooling movement. Even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) denounced the ruling, saying, "Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts, and, if the courts don't protect parents' rights, then, as elected officials, we will." The judges' retraction is a testament to the power of the public's response. It still counts!

Source: FRC.

He Is Risen!!!

Several years ago, Mel Gibson's movie Passion of the Christ touched off a firestorm of controversy. Some commentators, even the thoughtful Charles Krauthammer, charged that it was anti-Semitic. But millions of Christians flocked to movie theaters to watch this stunning dramatic portrayal of the events of Holy Week. A quote attributed to the late Pope John Paul II circulated widely at the time: "It is as it was."

We are led to contemplate again this year the events of that long ago week in the Holy Land. Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Tens of thousands throng the streets shouting "Hosanna" and "Hail to the Son of David!" They place their cloaks and palm branches at His feet. By midweek, however, the mood changes. On a day known to history as Spy Wednesday, Judas Iscariot secretly betrays Jesus to the leaders of the Sanhedrin, the legislative assembly. The next day, Jesus has His Last Supper with His disciples. He knows that He will be betrayed. He knows all our hearts. When Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prays that we His followers will be one. That must be our prayer, too.

Taken captive, Jesus is passed back and forth between Pontius Pilate and King Herod. Herod is the man the Romans use to keep the Jewish people in subjection. Pilate and Herod had been antagonists before this time, but they find a common interest in condemning Jesus. Their unholy alliance is sealed in innocent blood. Jesus is led away to be crucified. He endures beating, spitting, and the cruel taunts of the crowd. He does this not just to atone for the sins of the guilty people before Him. They have flocked to see the spectacle of the King of the Jews being slain like a sacrificial lamb. He does this for us, for our sins. While we were yet sinners, Jesus came and died for us.

Indescribable love and unbearable suffering converged in the person of Jesus Christ on that Cross. And when Jesus completed the time of His suffering and anguish - His mission to set us free from our slavery to sin and its hellish consequences - He cried out from the Cross: "It is finished!" Three days later, God showed His resounding approval by raising His Son back to life, and His resurrection gave us an invincible hope.

The Glory of the Resurrection lives on. The tomb where they laid His body is empty. The stone has been rolled away. The Son of Man has ascended and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. This we know. This we believe. It is to this great truth that we bear witness.

I pray that you and your family will be especially blessed this resurrection Sunday. And I say: He is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

The Greatest Man in History

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us!

Remember Jesus loves you and has a plan for your life!!!

Good Friday Service

We had an awesome Good Friday Service at the church last night. It was packed, it was awesome to see so many people, and feel the excitement about remembering what our Lord did for us. It was also great to feel the expectation that everyone has about our upcoming Resurrection Service this Sunday at the Bank United Center at UM.

Good Friday/Purim

Tomorrow an important Jewish holiday and an important Christian holiday coincide. As we Christians solemnly observe Good Friday and anticipate Resurrection Sunday, the most joyous day in the Christian year Jews will be celebrating Purim, which begins tonight at sundown.

Purim recalls the deliverance of the Jewish people from their enemies nearly 2,400 years ago. The Purim story, found in the biblical book of Esther, is one of the most memorable in the entire Bible, one that Jews will hear read in synagogue during Purim services.

Here is the story in a nutshell: The King of Persia chooses a beautiful young woman named Esther to be his queen, unaware that she is Jewish. Esther hears from Mordecai, her uncle, that the King has entrusted the fate of Persian Jews to Haman, the King's top adviser. Haman hates the Jews, and issues an order to kill them all.

At great risk to her own life, Esther reveals to the King that she is Jewish and pleads with him to save her people. He agrees to do so, and, in a fitting twist, hands down to the evil Haman the death sentence Haman himself had planned to give the Jews.

Even if Esther's story is familiar to you, I urge you today to re-read it and reflect upon its timeless message. Esther's bravery and obedience to God, her willingness to put her own life on the line to save her people teaches us a valuable lesson about self-sacrifice and purpose that is as true and meaningful today as it was thousands of years ago.

Haman, too, is more than just a historical figure. Looking around, we can see that there are plenty of "Hamans" in the world today. We hear echoes of Haman in Iranian president Ahmadinejad's frequent calls to destroy the Jewish state… in the pronouncement by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal that, "Before Israel dies, it must be humiliated and degraded"… in radial Muslim clerics who preach that Jews are the "descendants of apes and pigs."

One of the messages of Purim a message that applies to Jews and Christians alike is that in a world with no shortage of "Hamans," we need more "Esthers" committed to standing humbly before God and seeking to defend His people in the face of all difficulties.

I wish a festive Purim holiday to my fellow Jews and, to my Christian brothers and sisters, a joyous Resurrection Day. And, to all, prayers for shalom, peace.

Source:IFCJ

Syria Gets Warned

Israel recently conveyed a warning to Syria through a third party that it would hold Damascus accountable if Hizb'allah launched attacks on the Jewish state, Israeli and European sources said on Friday.Full Story Here.

Can You Believe This?

A Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered Starbucks to pay its California baristas more than $100 million in back tips that the coffee chain paid to shift supervisors.Full Story Here.

Hillary Leads Obama in Gallup National Poll

For the first time in nearly six weeks, Hillary Rodham Clinton leads Barack Obama, 49 percent to 42 percent in daily tracking polling conducted this past Sunday to Tuesday. Could the Obama's pastor controversity have anything to do with it??? Or maybe Linbaugh's operation Chaos? Full Story Here.

Double Standards/Hypocrisy

It took Barack Obama more than a year to repudiate his former pastor's racially charged anti-American tirades, but when it came to denouncing Don Imus for his racial slurs against the Rutgers girls basketball team, it took Obama only a week to demand the shock jock be fired. Full Story Here.

An Ugly Future in a Violent Present

Americans recently got a glimpse of the ugly future we will see if the pro-abortion movement consolidates its position in the upcoming elections. According to Lifenews, the Feminist Majority recently held its young women's leadership conference at the National Education Association. The featured speaker? The infamous abortionist, George Tiller. Tiller regaled the crowd with slides of aborted babies. He condemned "live birth abortion," the process of prematurely birthing babies, as a "sloppy technique," and said "the guy that did that ought to have his head beat up." He also condemned medical care for newborn handicapped babies. He says they're burdens on women and society. It is sad to hear such evil during the holiest week of the year for Christians, the week in which we remember what it means to love others, that is, to be willing to bear their burdens. The handicapped, whether as infants or adults, are not burdens; they are human beings. They are members of our society, our culture, our country. They are not less worthy of love, respect, and care because they are handicapped. But what kind of world will it be where "young women leaders" are told to work for a time when babies are killed rather than cared for? Tiller seems to have forgotten that federal law prohibits the "live birth abortion" he condemned as "sloppy." The Born Alive Infants Protection Act was passed during the Bush administration. It requires standard medical care to be given to babies who survive abortions. But perhaps it is too much to expect him to remember, when the Bush administration itself has done little to enforce the Act and to educate the public about it.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On the evening of the invasion, President Bush told the men and women of the Armed Forces that "the peace of a troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people now depend on you. That trust is well placed." While many things have not gone according to plan in Iraq, our service men and women have certainly earned that trust.

In cities across our country, streets will be filled with anti-military zealots blocking traffic, disturbing the peace, and protesting our continued presence in Iraq. Whatever your views on the war, let's not lose sight of the men and women who are serving. By choosing to serve us, our all-volunteer force puts an enormous strain on their personal lives and families. While service members fight abroad they are missing the special moments many of us take for granted. They can't take the day off to celebrate holidays with loved ones. They miss anniversaries, birthdays and even the births of their own children. These are tremendous acts of selflessness.

Please take time today to show your support for our troops. Pray for their continued strength, for their safety, and for their families while they sacrifice to establish peace in a troubled world.

Is the Third Intifada Coming?

Washington sources report that Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas has put President George W. Bush and secretary of state Condoleezza Rice on notice. He has sent them a warning that he means to break off peace talks with Israel unless prime minister Ehud Olmert comes through with concessions by April. Full Story Here.

Methodists Invite Children Into Alternate Universe

The book, “From Palestine to Seattle: Becoming Neighbors and Friends” published by United Methodist Church is billed as a “storybook on Israel and Palestine” for children six through 12. This is no benign Sunday school text, however. It is a well-crafted bit of propaganda that portrays Israeli security checkpoints as the cause, not the result, of Palestinian violence. Full Story Here.

China Can't Hold a Torch to Olympic Standards

China may have agreed to start talking about human rights, but getting officials to act on them is an entirely different matter. In the last year, hundreds of church leaders have been brutally arrested and detained. Others have been sent to remote labor camps, where the regime plans to "reeducate" them on matters of faith. However, as the situation worsens in China and more Christians are persecuted, the U.S. is letting the opportunity to demand better behavior slip away on the eve of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Rather than leverage the influence of the international community to pressure the Chinese to clean up their act, the State Department has taken an unusually mild approach to the scores of human rights violations perpetrated by China. Just months before Beijing takes the global stage as host of the 2008 Games, China is absent from the list of the world's most "systematic human rights violators" in the latest U.S. report. Instead, the Chinese were listed with other nations which "continue to deny citizens basic human rights."

The administration's position undermines human rights advocates around the world who see the Olympics as a chance to prod China to end its cycle of abuse. Now the State Department seems more intent on befriending the Chinese than spotlighting their legacy of violence and oppression. Calls and letters which called for U.S. intervention in the case of 21 captive pastors, continues to go unanswered by the administration.

Gauges of Sin

A new study from Ellison Research shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans (87%) believe in the notion of "sin" as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective." The survey, which included over 1,000 adults, also compared 30 of the most objectionable behaviors and whether respondents qualified them as "sinful." Adultery tops the list 81 percent of Americans consider it a "sinful" activity. There was also a majority of individuals who believe racism (74%), drug use (65%), abortion (56%), and homosexual sex (52%) are also sins. Interestingly enough, more people believe that it's sinful to gossip (47%) or swear (46%) than engage in premarital sex (45%). The major disparities in the survey were mostly political not religious in nature. Among liberals, only 77 percent believe in the concept of sin, compared to 94 percent of conservatives. It's encouraging to know that in this day of moral relativism that a majority of Americans still recognize and believe that there is such a thing as sin, even if there are devils in the details.

Source: Family Research Coalition.

Thinking Outside the Box...Office

Just how much impact do family values have on Hollywood? A lot, according to a study released by the Nielsen Company. In its research of 400 films from 2005-2007, the amount of profanity in a PG movie was the biggest indicator of how well it did at the box office. On a scale of one to 10--10 being the most offensive--movies that scored a 0.8 on the profanity scale made an average of $69 million. On the flip side, the profits for a film that scored a 2.8 were nearly slashed in half, drawing an average of only $38 million. Surprisingly, the amount of profanity--more than sexuality or violence--was the most significant indicator of how well a PG film would fare. According to Research and Marketing Director Dan O'Toole, PG language is what makes the difference between a box office winner and loser. Hollywood is no different from any other industry when it comes to the bottom line. Money talks, and we can only hope that more producers start listening.

Source: Family Research Council.

The Sopranos are Alive and Well, Living in Italy

As the Italians prepare to elect a prime minister, it seems that they have other things to worry about. My favorite country it seems is embroiled in a fight of dire proportions. No one will win next month's elections in Italy, especially not the nation's citizens. For all the campaign rhetoric about change and reform, everyone seems dead set on ignoring the country's fundamental problem: organized crime, or what we might call our criminal economy a.k.a The Mob. Full Story Here.

Another Political Scandal

Political worlds were shaken yesterday when the inappropriately named "Mr. Clean," New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, earned a new nickname as "Client 9." The governor received his new nickname after it was discovered that he had paid thousands of dollars to transport a prostitute across state lines.

Beyond the public humiliation that this type of behavior always causes to innocent family members, who have my prayers, Gov. Spitzer's alleged actions are criminal, a felony under the Mann Act, which bans the interstate transport of women for "immoral purposes." The New York governor arranged for the prostitute's Amtrak ticket from New York to Washington.

Four other defendants charged last week in the sting that swept up Mr. Spitzer have already been charged under the act. Calls for Spitzer's resignation have been swirling amid threats of impeachment. Only Mr. Spitzer can decide if he should resign; however, voters certainly have the right to consider whether or not he is qualified to stay in office.

Gov. Spitzer, who is hailed for his public dedication to strong ethics, has actually built much of his political reputation as a bully towards pregnancy care centers and pro-life organizations and as a champion of abortion-on-demand and NARAL. As New York's attorney general, Elliot Spitzer spent taxpayer time and treasure attacking those who aid pregnant women. Shortly after winning the governorship, he pushed for legislation that would have made abortion in New York even more pandemic while stomping on the rights of religious providers like Catholic hospitals. In his time of need now he will likely turn toward his family; it's a great sorrow that so much of his career has rested on vicious attacks on family values.

Source: Family Research Council.

Southern Baptist Convention jumps on Bandwagon

Despite growing research to the contrary, a handful of leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have formally jumped on the global warming bandwagon, calling it an urgent issue for its 16.3 million members. The proclamation, signed by SBC President Frank Page, came as a shock to the members of America's largest Protestant group, which has long been skeptical of such claims.

This global warming pronouncement is a definite departure from official statements from the SBC membership, which passed a resolution just last year questioning the evidence of global warming. This past week in New York City, a group of 100 leading scientists on the issue released a new report stating that there is no "convincing evidence" of a man-made global warming crisis. Instead, they demonstrated through data that the world has been experiencing a noticeable cooling pattern over the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the signatories of the SBC declaration, none of whom are scientists, insist that the threat to the environment "requires government action to assure the health and well-being of all people." While environmental conservation and less dependence on foreign energy sources are vital concerns to all people of faith, the global warming agenda threatens to be a wedge issue that divides and distracts Evangelicals.

Unfortunately, these SBC leaders are lending credibility to a movement that sorely lacks it. Like the Evangelical left, these SBC leaders are relying too heavily on government intervention, which usually creates a bigger mess than it solves.

Christians must take a balanced approach to the stewardship of our planet one that doesn't rush to bad conclusions, bad science, bad policy, and bad results.

Source: Family Research Council.

The More Things Change, The More they Stay the Same

Now that Fidel Castro has officially stepped aside, Cubans are complaining more than ever before on conditions in their island nation — but the new government has given little hint that significant change is imminent.

That’s the report from Mark Potter, an NBC correspondent who has traveled to Cuba many times over the last two decades.

“I have never heard so many everyday Cubans openly criticizing life on the island as I did during this last trip to cover Raul Castro’s officially taking over the presidency from his ailing brother Fidel,” Potter writes in a blog.

“In past years, such public complaining would have been punished and was rarely heard.”

The impetus for much of the new Cuban carping is Raul Castro himself, who after becoming interim president more than a year ago urged Cubans to openly express their grievances, Potter notes, adding that the Cubans are “fed up with low wages that can’t even cover basic necessities, overcrowded buses, meager supplies in government-run stores and long waits and too few workers in Cuba’s vaunted health care system.”

Among the other major gripes of Cubans — especially younger ones — are:

Not having open access to the Internet and satellite television.
Being barred from buying or selling a home or car.
The lack of citizen access to Cuba’s luxury hotels, where only foreign tourists are allowed.
Inability to travel outside the country without prior government approval.
Many Cubans had rising expectations of change following Raul’s call for criticism and Fidel’s departure — but they were dashed on the day Raul formally became president, Potter reported.

That’s when the government announced that the new first vice-president was not a younger reformer, as widely hoped, but a hardliner — 77-year-old Communist Party ideologue Jose Ramon Machado Ventura.

One Cuban woman told Potter she was going to sit down and cry.

At It Again!!!!

Planned Parenthood Accused of $180 Million Fraud, the latest victim of Planned Parenthood's thieving appears to be none other than the California government. A former Vice President of Finance for the L.A. affiliate, P. Victor Gonzales, has filed a whistle blower suit in federal court, claiming that Planned Parenthood committed years of fraudulent over billing against government-funded programs. Gonzales submitted documents spanning the late 1990s to 2004, including a series of audits, which suggest that the nation's biggest abortion merchant may have swindled upward of $180 million from California taxpayers. Gonzales says he was fired in 2004 after repeated attempts to address the "illegal accounting, billing, and donation practices of Planned Parenthood" with his supervisors. According to Gonzales's attorney, Planned Parenthood manipulated its status as a charitable organization in order to buy contraceptives at a discounted rate, then billed the state's Medi-Cal program for 12 times as much as it paid. The Los Angeles Times obtained copies of the 2004 audit, which substantiates over $5.2 million in overbillings at the San Diego branch during fiscal year 2003 alone. In total, the overcharging is said to exceed $10,000,000 a year. In addition to the birth control scam, Gonzales also claims that the Los Angeles branch violated the IRS code that prohibits political advocacy from charitable organizations by forwarding about $12,000 a month to the Sacramento branch for "lobbying" expenses. At least one PPLA executive used a corporate credit card to make Victoria's Secret and private video purchases on the government's dime. And the list of alleged abuses goes on. Although the suit was filed in 2005, it was made public on Friday--much to the dismay of the PP spokesmen, who were already facing a public relations nightmare after tape recordings revealed that employees agreed to accept racially-motivated donations. We can only hope that California responds swiftly to investigate this charge of gross exploitation of taxpayer dollars. Regardless of the outcome, we urge the state to move quickly, as Virginia has done, to de-fund Planned Parenthood and end its relentless cycle of exploitation against women, children, and taxpayers!

Source: Family Research Council.

They Have Arrived!!!

Kyle Busch nabs Toyota first Cup victory with Atlanta win; Stewart second. This sport has been dominated by domestic brands. Now we will experience a foreign invasion. Check out the top ten:
1. Kyle Busch, Toyota
2. Tony Stewart, Toyota
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
4. Greg Biffle, Ford
5. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
6. Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet
7. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
8. Matt Kenseth, Ford
9. Brian Vickers, Toyota
10. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
Full Story Here.

Harvard Update

At Harvard University, the debate over religious tolerance is getting physical. At one of the campus gyms, the school has agreed to ban men during certain hours of the week to accommodate Muslim women who say "it offends their sense of modesty to exercise in front of the opposite sex." The decision has been incredibly unpopular across campus, and for good reason. In the name of broadmindedness, the administration is giving preferential treatment to one religion over the others. The policy, which is being implemented on a trial basis, goes well beyond inconveniencing the men in the student body. It shows Harvard's willingness to push conformity with Islamic law. Unfortunately, we are seeing an outbreak of this type of reverse discrimination in schools across the country. They make special concessions for Muslim students to practice their religion but stifle the rights of Christians to publicly pray or worship. Promoting modesty has not been high on the Ivy League's agenda in other settings either. Make no mistake. The Islamic community is testing the waters here to see how far this notion of "tolerance" and "political correctness" will take them in accomplishing their broader agenda.

Border Incident Probed In Times Square Bombing

Nearly a full day after the explosion in Times Square, law enforcement officials said they had no suspects. Story Here.

UN Security Council fails to Condem Jerusalem Massacre

The UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement overnight Thursday on issuing an official condemnation over the deadly shooting attack in Jerusalem's Mercaz Harav Yeshiva because of Libyan opposition. Full Story Here.

Meet Obama's Pastor

In a sermon delivered at Howard University, Barack Obama’s longtime minister, friend, and adviser blamed America for starting the AIDS virus, training professional killers, importing drugs, and creating a racist society that would never elect a black man as president. Read Article Here.

Huckabee Prepping for 2012 Bid

Huckabee intends to use as a model Ronald Reagan’s efforts following his failed run in 1976 and leading up to his success in 1980, the Washington Post reports. Full Story Here.

McCain Not Attracting Evangelicals

Evangelicals sent a strong message in Tuesday's Republican primaries in Texas and Ohio by voting overwhelmingly for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, while almost every other Republican demographic group chose Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), exit polls show. Full Story Here.

Obama E-mail: Clinton Desperate

Barack Obama’s campaign has sent out a fundraising e-mail downplaying Hillary Clinton’s victories in Tuesday’s primaries and calling her campaign “increasingly desperate.” Read Article Here.

Republicans Helped Hillary Win Texas

Republican crossover voters apparently helped win the Democratic primary in Texas for Hillary Clinton — with one in every 10 Democratic votes came from Republicans. Full Story Here.

Terror Attack in Jerusalem

Washington, D.C., March 6, 2008) Horrifying news out of Jerusalem today, eight killed after a terrorist opened fire with a machine gun at a religious school in Jerusalem. The attack stunned Jerusalem residents in that not a single terrorist action took place in the Holy City in all of 2007. Israeli security forces are moving quickly to seal the city and prevent any additional attacks.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas immediately denounced the attack while Hamas praised it. In Gaza, Palestinian crowds began celebrating the Jewish deaths, dancing in the streets and handing out candies.

Nevertheless, officials in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government said peace talks with the Palestinians will go on. Many Israelis fear, however, that such talk means Olmert remains committed to dividing Jerusalem and giving the West Bank (Judea & Samaria) to forces hostile to the Jewish State.

More details on the shooting: "One terrorist infiltrated a rabbinical seminary at the entrance of Jerusalem and opened fire after nightfall Thursday, police said," according to Ynet News. "The ZAKA emergency response service has confirmed at least eight people have been killed in addition to the terrorist. Jerusalem police commander Aharon Franco refuted initial reports from the scene claiming there were two gunmen. Franco said that only one attacker opened fire at the seminary and told reporters at the scene that ''an Israeli army officer nearby'' shot the gunman dead. The 'Galilee Freedom Brigades' - an Israeli-Arab group - has claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks in Israel in the past....There were no attacks by Palestinian terrorists in Jerusalem during 2007, though police and the military claimed to have foiled many attempts. Between 2001 and 2004 Jerusalem was a frequent target of Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings on buses."

Source:Joel C. Rosenberg.

Huckabye

Super Tuesday II, as it was dubbed, did determine who the Republican nominee will be. As the votes were counted in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont Tuesday night John McCain surpassed the 1,191 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination. Mike Huckabee, who continued to draw strong social conservative support in Tuesday's primaries, congratulated McCain and announced he was stepping out of the race.

Despite his exit, no one can deny how influential Mike Huckabee was in championing values issues in this crucial race. While Tuesday night was clearly a victory for McCain, the Arizona senator acknowledged that his work is just beginning. To succeed in his bid for the White House, McCain must consolidate his support among conservatives, including social conservatives, which will not happen just because he is the Republican nominee.

In the wake of the Republican scandals that began to surface in 2006 and the failure to advance most of the social conservative agenda, unqualified support for the GOP has diminished. A poll released last month by George Barna revealed that if the election were held then, only 45 percent of Evangelicals would vote for a Republican candidate. That number is down from 85 percent of Evangelicals who voted for George W. Bush in 2004.

John McCain will have to convince social conservatives that their issues matter and that he can talk about them as a candidate and act upon them as president. The contest for the Democratic nomination appears to be a new version of my favorite show "Survivor," as Hillary Clinton managed to keep her campaign alive by winning the primaries in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island. The focus now shifts to the April contest in Pennsylvania as the next possible deciding point for the Democratic Party.

Source: Family Research Council.

Religion of Peace Strikes Again in Pakistan

At least 40 people murdered in a suicide bomb attack at an anti-terrorist tribal meeting in northwestern Pakistan.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A suicide bomber blew himself up Sunday at a large meeting called by tribal elders pushing for peace in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 40 people and injuring more than 100, witnesses and officials said.

It was the third suicide bombing in as many days in the volatile northwest, where security forces were battling pro-Taliban Islamic militants.

Thousands of people were at the meeting in Darra Adam Khel in North West Frontier Province about 25 miles south of the provincial capital, Peshawar. The five tribes involved wanted to finalize a resolution calling for punishing anyone who sheltered or helped militants, including those of al-Qaida and the Taliban, Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said on state-run Pakistan Television.

Alam Khan, a tribesman who attended, said a young man walked up to a group of elders and blew himself up.

Source: Little Green Footballs.

Jewish Backlash Against Obama

Jewish voters in New York State including Democrats could support Republican John McCain in the November election if Barack Obama wins his party’s nomination, according to Fredric U. Dicker’s “Inside Albany” column in the New York Post. Full Story Here.

What is he talking about?

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told a crowd at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, Sunday that he believes the Sermon on the Mount justifies his support for legal recognition of same-sex unions. He also told the crowd that his position in favor of legalized abortion does not make him "less Christian. Full Story Here.

Ricin update

FBI agents wearing protective suits searched Sunday for the deadly poison ricin at a suburban home where a man possibly sickened by the deadly poison had once lived. Full Story Here.

Vegas Update: Weapons, Anarchist Cookbook Found

The ricin found in Las Vegas is almost certainly part of a deliberate plot of some kind; authorities continue to insist there was “no link to terrorist activity,” but now they’ve found firearms and an “anarchist cookbook.” Check the article below:

LAS VEGAS - As police tried to piece together how a rare, deadly poison ended up in a motel for transients, the 57-year-old man who could hold the key lay unconscious in a hospital.

Adding to the mystery, police said firearms and an “anarchist type textbook” were found in the same room where the ricin was discovered two days later.

Capt. Joseph Lombardo said at a news conference late Friday that the book was tabbed at a spot with information about ricin. Police found the firearms and books on Tuesday after a manager at the Extended Stay America motel called police upon discovering weapons, he said, without elaborating. After authorities seized the book and weapons, tests for ricin were conducted but came back negative, Lombardo said.

He said a 53-year-old friend or relative of the sick man contacted motel management on Feb. 22 to inform them about pets in the room.

Earlier Friday, police Deputy Chief Kathy Suey said the friend or relative found two vials of ricin on Thursday after going to the motel to retrieve the hospitalized man’s belongings. Authorities on Friday confirmed that the vials contained ricin. It was unclear how long the vials were in the unoccupied motel room, and whether they might have been overlooked when ricin tests were conducted on Tuesday. Lombardo did not address such questions during the brief news conference.

“The only positive tests (were) on the powder in question” in the vials, he said.

Authorities said there was no apparent link to terrorist activity, and no indication of any spread of the deadly substance beyond the vials. The 57-year-old man was the last to stay in the room, and has been in critical condition since calling an ambulance on Feb. 14 complaining of respiratory distress.

Authorities offered little more about the man’s identity: He left pets in the room and was not considered a suspect. A dog was found dead, but the animal had gone at least a week without food or water, Suey said.

Source: Little Green Footballs.

Jihad Warriors/Whiny Crybabies

As usual, when Palestinian sneak attacks get too brazen and Israel strikes back, the brave jihad warriors turn into whiny crybabies.

And the media immediately start propagandizing for all they’re worth. Check it out:

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinians threatened Saturday to call off peace talks with Israel after 35 Gazans, at least half of them civilians, were killed in pitched battles between Israeli troops and rocket squads that escalated sharply.

Israeli troops, backed by tanks and aircraft, went after militants who bombarded southern Israeli communities near Gaza with rockets and mortars. The 35 deaths pushed the Palestinian death toll to 65 since fighting flared Wednesday. More than half of those killed were civilians.

The spike in violence came as Israel was threatening to launch a broad invasion of Gaza, and just days before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to arrive in the region on her latest peacekeeping mission.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia said Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas, recommended suspending peace talks at a meeting Saturday in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

“I think it will be suspended,” Qureia said. “What is happening in Gaza is a massacre of civilians, women and children, a collective killing, genocide,” Qureia added. “We can’t bear what the Israelis are doing, and what the Israelis are doing doesn’t led the peace process any credibility.”

Notice: this is Fatah, whining about Israel cracking down on Hamas, even though Fatah and Hamas are pretending to be enemies.

Source: Little Green Footballs.