It’s late tonight (1:09am), but I have been glued to the coverage of the news out of southeast Asia. North Korea claims to have successfully tested a nuclear weapon. There is no definitive confirmation yet, but the U. S. and South Korea say they detected seismic activity in the area of the test. What are the options for the U. S. and its allies in addressing this new threat? Well, it would appear that there are no good options. Any military solution the U. S. might consider would result in a destabilization of the region. 1,000,000 North Korean soldiers would probably march right across the DMZ, and there would be…
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Are You Ready for Speaker Pelosi?
Is it time to hand Congress over to liberal leadership? If the Republicans lose their majority in the House of Representatives this November, Nancy Pelosi, liberal Democrat from San Francisco, will become the next Speaker of the House. The Associated Press reports what she has promised to do in her first 100 hours as Speaker.The most troubling tidbit in this report is not her promises to roll-back the Bush tax-cuts and to raise taxes (though who could possibly be very excited about that prospect?). The most distressing part is her vow to broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds and to do so with what she…
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North Korea’s Turn on the Axis of Evil
In his now famous 2002 State of the Union speech, President Bush warned of an “Axis of Evil” that threatens the security of the world with weapons of mass destruction. The “Axis” included Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. In hindsight, we can all see the President was right. Of course the Iraqi regime is no longer a threat, but Iran and North Korea still are. Both Iran and North Korea are seeking to obtain nuclear weapons.
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The Appearance of Partisanship
Many evangelicals are truly political partisans. There are many others who are not partisan, but nevertheless have the appearance of a partisanship because of their consistent support for Republican candidates. For those of us who fall in the latter category, the explanation is rather simple. The Democrats and Republicans couldn’t be more polarized when it comes to the most important human rights issue of our time–abortion.I cannot improve upon Robert George’s analysis of this polarization and the effect that it has on conscientious, pro-life voters. George writes,
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Ben Witherington Puts Just War Tradition on Trial (at least implicitly)
Maybe he didn’t intend to do this, but New Testament scholar Ben Witherington has put the “Just War” tradition on trial in his most recent blog post. Commenting on the Family Research Council’s recent summit in Washington, D. C., Witherington complains that many evangelical Christians are inconsistent when they vigorously advocate pro-life policies while supporting the war in Iraq. He writes,
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Rosie O’Donnell: Christianity Is More Dangerous Than Radical Islam
Maybe you missed it, but Rosie O’Donnell made some outrageous remarks on “The View” this week. In an exchange with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, O’Donnell said that “Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have a separation of church and state.”You can watch the video of O’Donnell’s remarks by clicking here. Hasselbeck countered O’Donnell’s comments by saying that, “We are not bombing ourselves here in the country. We are being attacked.” Even cohost Joy Behar was compelled to respond to O’Donnell’s outlandish claims saying, “Christians are not threatening to kill us. This group (radical Islamists) is threatening to kill us.” I think most…
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How Could the President’s Speech Not Be Political?
Democrats and media pundits are complaining that President Bush “politicized” 9-11 in his address to the nation last night. Obviously, it was entirely appropriate for him to memorialize and honor the victims and heroes of that tragic day. But is it not also appropriate for the President to speak about the war on terrorism and where our country is in that fight five years hence?My response to the detractors who are complaining that the President politicized the speech is this. How could it have been any other way? Because the Democrats have opposed nearly every thing the President has said or done in the war on terror, the issue is…
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Bob Casey Betrays Pro-life Principles
I just finished listening to the latest “Meet the Press” podacast (see transcript), and I am profoundly disappointed in “pro-life” candidate Bob Casey. Democrat Bob Casey is challenging Republican Rick Santorum for his seat in the U.S. Senate, and it is one of the most watched races in the country. They met on “Meet the Press” this past Sunday to debate the issues.When Tim Russert asked Casey about his position on the so-called “morning after pill,” Bob Casey took a position that cannot be reconciled with his previously stated belief that life begins at conception. Here’s the exchange between Casey and Russert: MR. RUSSERT: The morning-after pill. You in favor…
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Last Word on the CIA Leak Case (a.k.a. “Plamegate”)
Today’s Washington Post provides it’s evaluation of Joe Wilson and the pseudo-scandal he provoked: One of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House — that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame’s identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson — is untrue. . . It’s unfortunate that so many people took [Joe Wilson] seriously (“End of an Affair,” Washington Post).
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Free Scooter Libby!
The call from the Wall Street Journal is for the president to pardon Scooter Libby and to bring an end to the pseudo-scandal known as “Plamegate.” I have been writing about this scandal for over a year (see previous posts) and have become increasingly aware that this entire dust-up was more about partisan politics than it was about truth–at least insofar as it has been covered in the media.Here is what we know today. Richard Armitage leaked Valerie Plame’s identity to Robert Novak. Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush did not. I know this will be a shocker to Joe Wilson who was hoping to see…