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U.S. Bishops Issue Warning to President-Elect Obama

Posted by Lisa Graas on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 8:30:05 PM
Today the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke out boldly against President-elect Obama's draconian policies on abortion. I was very pleased when so many bishops warned that a vote for a pro-abortion candidate would put one's eternal salvation at risk. I am not surprised that now that the election is over, they are not wasting any time letting Obama know where the Catholic Church stands on these important issues, particularly on abortion. Many Catholics, myself included, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this news today. The text of the statement appears below.

STATEMENT of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops "If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil." (Psalm 127, vs. 1)

The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States welcome this moment of historic transition and look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all. Because of the Church's history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad. The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods.
 
The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents. A good state protects the lives of all. Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This was bad law. The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself.
 
In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any "interference" in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.
 
Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.
 
FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.
 
On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.
 
The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.
 
This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful. We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation. The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.
 
Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government. Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected "watchman." (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.

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O'Reilly and Van Susteren Discuss the Gossip on Palin

Posted by Lisa Graas on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:41:08 PM
Greta Van Susteren was interviewed by Bill O'Reilly on his radio show and they had this exchange regarding Carl Cameron and O'Reilly's reporting on the McCain camp gossip.
Greta Van Susteren: "This is not a whistleblower. When you talk about journalism, we're not peddlers in trash."

Greta is right on the money, incidentally. It is certainly reasonable for a journalist to report comments by anonymous sources in whistleblower cases and other very serious matters where there is no other way to get the information, but FOX News and others resorted to tabloid tactics by reporting the comments of a campaign staffer in a failed campaign, particularly since it is common knowledge among journalists that campaign staffers in failed campaigns sometimes seek to throw others under the proverbial bus.

FOX News prides itself on fairness in reporting and the people have responded by making FOX News the highest rated television news source by far. FOX journalists seem to have reached the understanding that shock journalism is not what gets viewers. Fairness does. Could this be the beginning of the end of that commitment to fairness? I'll keep tuning in to find out.

Note: I heard the reporting on the gossip from Trace Gallagher, Martha MacCallum, Greta Van Susteren, Megan Kelly, Bill O'Reilly, Carl Cameron and Shepard Smith. All of the males in that bunch seemed to believe there was a grain of truth in the report. The females all discounted it as gossip immediately. Could there be a gender connection?

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Now at Amazon: Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill Talk Radio, the Do-Nothing Congress, Companies That Help Iran, and Washington Lobbyists for Foreign Governments Are Scamming Us ... and What to Do About It

 
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Don’t Drink the Sarah Kool-Aid

Posted by Lisa Graas on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 2:41:49 PM
This post was originally published at TeamSarah.org as a message for my fellow Team Sarah supporters.  I post it here at Townhall for those who may still not understand the huge following that Sarah Palin has and also for those who may see her as something more than she really is. 
~Lisa Graas
 
If there’s anything that all Team Sarah members have in common, it is a phenomenal level of admiration for Sarah Palin that I personally have not seen matched in my fifteen years of active political involvement. While it is true that there is a core set of ideals that Team Sarah members hold generally, they are not universally accepted. Among them are a respect for the sanctity of human life, a commitment to limited government and a deep understanding that family always comes first, but country always comes before self. You will find these central beliefs in virtually all Team Sarah members, but not all. So, what is it about Sarah Palin that appeals to so many people from various walks of life? And how can we express what makes this insanely popular political figure unique without drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid? This is not something that I feel I am alone in asking. I believe Sarah Palin herself, as well as Team Sarah organizers, would agree that it would be best if we were to seek solid answers about this for the sake of all of her supporters’ individual well-being, particularly any who may see Sarah Palin as the “be all” and “end all” of our aspirations.

Sarah Palin has something in common with a lot of political figures from history, yet she falls short of being exactly like any one of them. She lacks the experience of a seasoned legislator like Senator John McCain, yet like Senator McCain she is a committed reformer who has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she means it when she says continually that she wants to “put government back on the side of the people”. She hasn’t the Hollywood persona that Ronald Reagan enjoyed before being elected to public office, yet she has the courage and wit that is as inspiring and endearing to many as that of the one whom we affectionately dubbed “the Great Communicator”. Many doors have been opened to her thanks to great women who came before her, yet her struggle against the powerful male-dominated establishment in Alaska politics to the point of resigning in protest over ethics violations and then beating a sitting Republican governor in a primary election is reminiscent of the fighting spirit of the great feminist Susan B. Anthony. Certainly no war hero having charged up San Juan Hill is Sarah Palin, but her love for sports and conservation remind us of Theodore Roosevelt who described the office of United States President as one of “steward of the people”. Yes, there is much missing in Governor Sarah Palin, but so much is present in her that we cannot help but be captivated with a fondness that great leaders rightly have thrust upon them in times when great leaders are desperately needed.
 
So, how is it that we can keep ourselves from drinking the Palin Kool-Aid? Never fear, fellow supporters! It will surely be a snap considering the fact that she is not going to stand for it for one second if we try. Governor Sarah Palin has a measure of self-confidence that is tempered by two things – a healthy sense of humility and an even more healthy desire that the people be empowered through her service. If we were to become subjects of Sarah Palin, she will have failed in her mission to empower average Americans and I have no doubt but that she would never stand for that.
 
It’s critical that Palin supporters understand what empowerment is to Sarah Palin and, assuredly, as an objective fact. Empowerment is not the ability to continually honor Sarah Palin for being a great leader. No, empowerment is the ability to go forth and do positive things for your country. Whether it be serving the poor, serving on a committee, writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, or educating yourself on the issues so that you can responsibly and honestly educate others, empowerment is authorization to use your strengths to make a better America. If we, as members of Team Sarah, can put as much strength into each of our individual pieces of America as can flow forth from our admiration of Sarah Palin, not only will we have succeeded, but Sarah Palin will have succeeded as well. I believe that she would agree with the assertion that if that does not happen, if we instead opt to drink down the Palin Kool-Aid and expect her to do the job for us, then she will have failed in her role as a steward of the common good.
Lisa Graas is a Generation "X" conservative Catholic mom of four and a member of Team Sarah who blogs on American culture and politics.  She is a mental health advocate and a former pro-life activist/crisis pregnancy counselor. 
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Now at Amazon: The Reagan I Knew
 
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Joe the Plumber: Advocate for Change

Posted by Lisa Graas on Monday, November 10, 2008 1:09:56 PM

Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. "Joe the Plumber", is on a mission. It's a mission to encourage people from all walks of life to become involved in their governance and to make sure our elected officials are held accountable for their policies. Joe is starting a non-profit organization called Secure Our Dream and has a book coming out entitled Joe the Plumber: Fighting for the American Dream.

Liberals will undoubtedly make light of the Secure Our Dream organization because it is founded by Joe the Plumber, or worse, they will try to sabotage it somehow. They've done it to him before. I applaud the man, though, for having the courage not only to do his duty by becoming involved in the political process, but by encouraging others to do the same. "We are Joe" has become more than just a mantra for those who feared an Obama presidency would destroy the America dream for those wanting to start a small business or who are already small business owners. "We are Joe" now means that ordinary working people are uniting in a common purpose to be aware of what is going on in government and to speak out for positive change that will help secure the American dream and against policies that seek to impede it.

I wish Joe the Plumber all the best in this endeavor and I invite my readers to take a look at Joe's site. Empowerment is yours. The only thing standing in your way is you.


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Now at Amazon: Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism

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Susteren Interviews Governor Sarah Palin

Posted by Lisa Graas on Monday, November 10, 2008 11:47:52 AM
Greta Van Susteren interviewed Governor Sarah Palin on Sunday for her program On The Record. Greta offered two photos from the interview on her blog GretaWire. Be sure to tune in Monday night at 10pm Eastern to watch Greta's interview of Governor Sarah Palin.
Tuesday morning, Governor Palin will appear on NBC's Today with Matt Lauer.
Tuesday night, Senator John McCain will be a guest of Jay Leno.

Now at Amazon: The Reagan I Knew
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Seven Challenges of Governor Palin

Posted by Lisa Graas on Monday, November 10, 2008 11:24:59 AM
Originally posted Sunday, November 9, 2008

Today’s Anchorage Daily News reports on the challenges that Governor Palin faces for her political future. It’s important for Sarah Palin supporters to address the challenges and this article from the Anchorage Daily News seems to be a good starting point. Read the article, then consider my view on the challenges listed which I will cover in this article.

Challenge #1: Federal Relations If Obama is serious about energy independence, he will have to look to Governor Palin and vice versa. It’s irresponsible to characterize the gas line project as something that is beneficial solely to Sarah Palin. The gas line is essential to America as a whole, so it should be a priority in any energy plan devised by the Obama Administration. As far as a run for Congress goes, that would be a step backward for any governor, particularly Governor Palin who has already established herself politically at the national level to a great extent, so I’m not even going to go there. Of couse, if that’s what she decides to do, I will support her, but since she is a federalist who cherishes the Tenth Amendment as any conservative does, it seems reasonable to think she would discount the notion in the absence of any peculiar circumstances.

Challenge #2: Eternal Suspicion Any suspicions that the public may have about the governor’s activities will be laid to rest because of the governor’s commitment to two things – transparency and a commitment to work for the benefit of the state of Alaska in all her public endeavors. She has made these things clear time and time again and I trust her to fulfill both. If she fails to do that, I’m sure she stands ready to face the consequences.

Challenge #3: Political Seasoning Governor Palin is no less experienced than many other governors who have been elected as President. Her background and experience are fairly comparable, for instance, with that of Theodore Roosevelt at the time that he was elected as Vice President. Since Theodore Roosevelt is the hero of Senator John McCain, I believe this is one of the biggest reasons he chose Sarah Palin. You probably could not find any other American who more resembles Theodore Roosevelt than Sarah Palin does. The perceived “absence” of political seasoning is just that – a perception. If we grade on a curve by looking at all past presidents, Governor Palin is no less “seasoned” than many others. The view that she needs more “seasoning” is based in something other than traditional views. If we are going to raise the bar, it would be unfair to raise it only for Sarah Palin and no one else.

Challenge #4: The Legislature The Anchorage Daily News certainly has a better feel for the temperament of the Alaska State Legislature than I do. Certainly, the challenges Governor Palin faces now in Alaska have evolved since she was picked to run for Vice President. Time will tell if her enemies in both parties there will seek to throw a wrench into the works of her political aspirations. Her relationship with the Legislature will likely be the subject that generates the most Palin headlines in the next two years, certainly at the state level and perhaps even at the national level.

Challenge #5: The Natural Gas Pipeline Truly this will be the biggest issue on Palin’s plate, but again, the Obama Administration would do well to facilitate the pipeline construction. Palin can do well on this issue provided that there is transparency throughout the process so that Alaskans can make a proper judgment about the role of the Obama Administration, the Legislature and Governor Palin as this process unfolds. The number of new kilowatts generated may indeed be the “make or break” number in the end.

Challenge #6: Family and Friends The question of Palin’s family life should be a non-issue as it is with male candidates. As far as the people she surrounds herself with in the Administration, Governor Palin has helped to get ethics legislation enacted when it comes to nepotism and similar problems. Few have a record of reform on ethics as Governor Palin does, so I don’t see this as a real challenge for her except that her feet should be held to the fire if she doesn’t live up to the ethics rules she has championed.

Challenge #7: The Messes The so-called “messes” outlined in the Anchorage Daily News are not really messes to anyone but people who want her downfall. In the light of day, these things all melt into nothing. The stories about them will not, then, withstand the test of time.

“Bonus Challenge”: After some research on Governor Palin’s relationship with the press, I trust her when she says that she enjoys talking to the media and even believes it to be her responsibility to do so for the sake of getting her message to the people. She understands that people get most of their information through the media. Understandably, she wants to have a level playing field so that she can trust that the media is reporting the news responsibly and are not focused on fabricated scandals regarding her wardrobe and other minor things. If the media would do the job professionally, Palin has a better than average chance of political success. If they are irresponsible, she will not only fade from the political scene but those who support her will be cancelling their subscriptions and turning the channels to other stations.

Now at Amazon: Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned the Political Establishment Upside Down
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Book Review: Alicia - A Story of Holocaust Survival

Posted by Lisa Graas on Monday, November 10, 2008 11:22:19 AM
Those of you who are still feeling down from the sense of defeat after the election may be looking for something to bring you out of it. Do I have a story for you! Alicia is the story of Alicia Appleman-Jurman, a Jewish girl born in Poland who lived during the Holocaust era of World War II Europe. I have read it twice and will surely read it again and again. Alicia Appleman-Jurman describes how she escaped almost certain death time after time as she struggled to survive in a world where few would give safe harbor. If you read any Holocaust biography, be sure that it is Alicia. You won't be disappointed. Alicia is available at Amazon
Alicia: My Story, by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
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