The Morality of Voting for Trump. Really

What a conundrum! Hillary - fuggeddaboudit. But Trump? I am alternately resigned and choking on this. Wayne Gruden has written a long piece worth reading for my fellow Christians who have not gotten past the choking stage. He examines why supporting a clearly flawed candidate is nevertheless the moral choice in this election. See if it gets you past the guttural stage for November.

townhall.com/columnists/waynegrudem/2016/07/28/why-voting-for-donald-trump-is-a-morally-good-choice-n2199564

Definitions are Everything

Pope Francis said yesterday that "every religion wants peace." Well, maybe but it sort of depends on how the term is defined. For example, hypothetically of course, for a religion that requires killing any all infidels that believe differently than they do, it is very peaceful if everyone else is dead. Perhaps the Pope may want to have a discussion with leaders of other major world religions to further define the term "peace." Just saying.  

www.breitbart.com/london/2016/07/27/pope-francis-every-religion-wants-peace/

Losing Streak

Marilyn Mosby, the Maryland state prosecuting attorney in the Freddy Gray case in Baltimore, is 0 for Baltimore Police Department. All officers have either been acquitted or had charges dropped relating to his death after arrest during riots in Baltimore but not until the city had paid Freddy Gray's relatives $3.4 M for absolutely nothing. Is there no limit to what Democrats will do to stay in power? I guess we know the answer to that question. 

www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/27/report-prosecutors-drop-all-charges-in-heroin-trafficker-freddie-gray-case/

Pillars of International Law

Earlier this month an international tribunal ruled that China's claim to its islands in the South China Sea was bogus and China has been hopping up and down mad since then. Ever eager to show its respect for international law, the Russians have joined the Chinese in a joint military exercise to emphasize that China has no intention of giving up its made-from-scratch territories. Obviously, in view of their civilized response, the U.S. can continue blithely cutting its military budget in full assurance of compliance with international norms by these two model citizens.  

townhall.com/tipsheet/justinholcomb/2016/07/28/russia-disrespects-obama-once-again-joins-chinese-navy-in-south-china-sea-for-joint-training-n2199123

Signs of Life

A new poll shows Bud Pierce in pretty much a dead heat with current Governor Kate Brown. Amazing. This is the time for Pierce to get a leg up in the race instead of waiting for the traditional Labor Day campaign start. It would be nice to have some momemtum going into the debate with Brown, who is not particularly good on her feet. Pierce is a decent guy and would make a good first Republican Governor since 1985.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/07/new_poll_shows_oregon_governor.html#incart_river_home

A Heartbeat from the Presidency

Here is a backgrounder on Mike Pence from someone who knows him personally. Rebecca Hagelin's writes regularly in Townhall and is a conservative Christian. She knows him from his work in Congress about which she says:

"But I am clear about the the Mike Pence that I came to know personally from my work in Washington, DC. As a Congressman, he stood firm for the rights of the preborn, small business, and the biblical definition of marriage. He fought against government healthcare and federal control of education. He was a champion of economic freedom, limited government and a strong national defense. He was, and is, inspirational and visionary, and incredibly skillful at fighting the liberal machine and bureaucracy."

And she knows him personally by living in his neighborhood:

"I often saw Mike and his wonderful wife, Karen, strolling hand-in-hand as they went for evening walks through our neighborhood. He was a "regular guy," who always made time to strengthen his family amidst the busyness of life. His was, and is, a calling to fight for the policies that will strengthen all families. And fight he does. His record is sterling, both as a national leader, a neighbor, and a family man."

Hagelin was a Cruz supporter and sorely disappointed when he lost. She has criticized Trump on numerous occasions but the selection of Mike Pence has changed her mind, especially considering the alternative, and she now supports the ticket. In closing she notes:

"Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and the Democratic Party seek to destroy the very freedoms and rich Judeo Christian principles upon which our nation thrives. Now that Donald Trump has chosen Mike Pence, we have a ticket that offers hope for the restoration of this precious gift from God called, "America". For me, the choice is now clear."

Amen. 

townhall.com/columnists/rebeccahagelin/2016/07/16/pence-choice-offers-hope-for-america-n2193726

Talking Mules

I have major differences with Donald Trump. I have even bigger issues with Hillary Clinton. Donald Rumsfeld, W's Defense Secretary, had this to say about the choice: 

"The stakes are enormous. The choices are you can not vote, which as I say if you believe in Democracy is clearly the wrong choice, you can vote for a third party and known you’re going to lose which is kind of like not voting but it’s worse because you end up helping or hurting somebody when you don’t even know who it’s going to be—it’s like three quarters billiards and the balls are going to bounce around and you’re going to be surprised and affect things in a way that is adverse to your interests, or one of the two of them [Trump or Clinton]. And anyone who expects to agree 100 percent—I mean, look, everyone has a right to vote however they want. It’s a secret ballot and they can do what they want. A lot of the people who have spoken out against Mr. Trump are friends of mine, people I’ve worked with, people I respect—and it’s their perfect right to do that. For me, it’s not complicated. I put on a scale ‘who do I agree with most,’ ‘who do I disagree with most,’ and ‘who do I think would be the most damaging to our country’ and there’s no question that four more years of the Obama-Clinton approach to government—and the corruption we’ve seen—and the kinds of people who would be put in government or on the Supreme Court make it not a close call for me, despite any differences I may have with Mr. Trump. I expect differences."

That about says it for me as well. I'm not happy with the choice but you do the best you can under the circumstances. And pray. If God can use a talking ass for His purposes, He can use Donald Trump. 

www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/15/exclusive-donald-endorses-donald-rumsfeld-says-not-even-tough-call-support-trump-president/

House of Cards

No, not the Netflix series with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, but the state Obamacare co-ops that were going to assure universal health insurance coverage. Recently in Obama's own political home state:

"The Illinois Department of Insurance announced this week that it was requesting an order of rehabilitation for the state’s Land of Lincoln Health co-op because of its unsustainable financial position."

Ouch. But wait - that's not all! Only a third of the state co-ops are still standing and they are all expected to fold by the end of the year. And there's even more. Massive rate increases in individual plans (Oregon is 29.3%) will make them pretty much unaffordable too and remember, coverage is mandatory with fines for non-compliance. 

So where does that leave us? Pretty much on schedule for socialized, single-payer medicine which was the goal all along. Enjoy.

townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/07/15/virtually-every-obamacare-exchange-is-on-the-verge-of-total-collapse-n2193039

One at a Time

In these days of racial tension and hatred, here's a story that balances the scales a little. Fred Barley is homeless and pedaled on a bike with all his worldly possessions to Gordon State College in Georgia to begin Fall classes. Barley wants to eventually go to medical school and was eager to start the journey. When he learned that the dorms didn't open until August, he simply camped out in bushes on campus to await the dorm opening, believing that it would be safer than elsewhere. Enter the local police who had received a report of a suspicious person on campus.

Two officers showed up and interviewed Barley but instead of running him in after listening to his story, they paid for 2 nights at a local motel for him out of their own pockets. Things began to snowball from there. The wife of one of the officers put up a Facebook post and suddenly hundreds of people from town and around the country stepped up to help this young man. He is now well-equipped to enter school when it starts. 

Responding to all that has happened, Barley said:

"Some of the gifts aren’t as important as the friends I’ve made. More important than everything -- the clothes, the shoes -- the relationships mean so much more to me..."

He went on to say that God was the one who kept him going and thanked all who helped him in a video post that is well worth watching. This is how to build something that lasts, one at a time, step by step.  

www.wsbtv.com/news/local/homeless-teen-bikes-6-hours-to-get-to-college-sleeps-in-tent/401160413

A Good Choice

Well, it's official - Trump has picked Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana as his VP running mate. Good choice. Pence earned his chops in the House and as governor as a strong advocate for both pro-life issues (he is a Christian) and fiscal sanity and has high marks from political action groups in these areas. He was not afraid to buck House leadership on these issues during his 6 terms as a Congressman and there's no reason to think he will duck them as VP. He is on good terms with a number of lelgislators, including Speaker Paul Ryan. He is not a flashy guy but with Trump on the front end of the ticket, that is not a drawback. 

In the meantime, Hillary has plans to let in 1 million Islamic migrants in her first term, if elected. Think about it. 

www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/14/clinton-resettle-one-million-muslim-migrants-first-term-alone/

A Sunday Prayer for a Nation Divided

A prayer that we as a country need to pray daily. 

townhall.com/columnists/mattbarber/2016/07/10/a-prayer-for-a-nation-divided-n2190503

The State of the Church in France

"A Catholic church in Lyon, France, has sold off statues of monks killed by Muslims, for fear they will provoke attacks." Pathetic. You can be sure that these martyrs are not getting the same treatment in heaven.

www.breitbart.com/london/2016/07/08/church-sells-monks-fear-muslims/

This is Not Fallujah!

It's time to stop the shooting! When America begins to look like Fallujah, everyone goes on hair trigger, especially cops whose lives are on the line everyday. Black lives matter. White lives matter. Brown lives matter. Red lives matter. Yellow lives matter. All lives matter! We are all made in God's image, so people of good will of all colors need to start backing away from the precipice and begin building bridges and seeking unity and turning our backs on hatred. Our leaders need to lead and speak out against violence of all types, not playing politics with this issue. All lives matter. 

Which brings us to people of ill will. They are there. Some want the tension because they make a very good living off of it and frankly a death now and then is good for business. Some are cold, evil political operators who hate this country and would like nothing more than a guerilla race war to heighten their chances of toppling the current order and ushering in their idea of nirvana. Cops, blacks, civilians - their lives are just coins to be spent to get there. The former need to be ignored. The latter need to be identified, isolated and jailed. 

This is not Fallujah, but it will be if Americans of all colors don't step up and stop the slide into hell. It starts with prayer for wisdom in this perilous time and the courage to stand up for what is right. 

RIP Elie Weisel

Mostly unremarked in all the hoorah about Hillary "Bugsy" Clinton is the passing of Elie Weisel. A Holocaust survivor, Weisel emerged from Hitler's concentration camps to avidly pursue peace and do whatever he could to make sure that Jews never again had to experience the horrors that he and 6 million others did. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his efforts, but it was no solace for his seared soul, as this example testifies:

“Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.”

May he now see these same little faces, fully alive in the radiance of God's glory, as he is, welcomed by God Himself through heaven's gates. His faith may have died but God's did not in him. 

www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/world/europe/elie-wiesel-auschwitz-survivor-and-nobel-peace-prize-winner-dies-at-87.html?_r=0

The Banana Republic of America

"To paraphrase the words of Benjamin Franklin, we’ve got a banana republic, if Hillary can keep it."   David French, National Review

www.nationalreview.com/article/437485/hillary-clinton-email-fbi-james-comey-turn-america-banana-republic

A Government of Laws. You Betcha!

"There is no way of getting around this: According to Director James Comey (disclosure: a former colleague and longtime friend of mine), Hillary Clinton checked every box required for a felony violation of Section 793(f) of the federal penal code (Title 18): With lawful access to highly classified information she acted with gross negligence in removing and causing it to be removed it from its proper place of custody, and she transmitted it and caused it to be transmitted to others not authorized to have it, in patent violation of her trust. Director Comey even conceded that former Secretary Clinton was “extremely careless” and strongly suggested that her recklessness very likely led to communications (her own and those she corresponded with) being intercepted by foreign intelligence services. Yet, Director Comey recommended against prosecution of the law violations he clearly found on the ground that there was no intent to harm the United States."  Andrew McCarthy, former U.S. Attorney

There is no requirement in the law for intent. We are no longer a government of laws. John Roberts and his Court cannot read the plain language of the Constitution. FBI Director Comey cannot read the classified information statute. If you are a member of the Democratic Ruling Class, you don't have to trifle with little things like the law. That's for little people. And with that, the United States government has lost its legitimacy. 

www.nationalreview.com/corner/437479/fbi-rewrites-federal-law-let-hillary-hook

Shouting "Allahu Akbar" in an Idaho Bar Is Not a Good Idea

This drunk Islamic yahoo did it over the weekend in Caldwell, ID and survived, which frankly is a little surprising in Idaho. Photos show what appears to be a military person in civvies stripping off the guy's backpack and throwing it a long way from the restaurant. The backpack fortunately only had some bottled water and other harmless items in it. Word of warning, though, sport: Idaho ain't the Bay Area - they see things differently up there. 

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3672651/Drunk-Iowa-man-21-spreads-panic-praising-Allah-bar.html

Happy Independence Day!

Did NY Legalize Dope?

Seriously, what is Bill Kristol smoking? In his efforts to kabosh Trump, Kristol is floating John McCain. C'mon Bill - I respect his military service but McCain is in trouble in his own Senate race in Arizona and got shellacked the last time he ran for President. At least trot out someone with current credibility. Not that it matters - you're a day late and a dollar short. Maybe time to fall on your sword?

www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/30/nevertrumps-bill-kristol-floats-mccain-president-mccains-primary-opponent-pounces/

Nice Line, Jake

“ 'One of the grandest ironies of this political year is that a giant real estate developer in New York is currently living rent-free in President Obama’s head,' CNN’s Jake Tapper noted on Wednesday, after Obama delivered a six-minute lecture on whether Donald Trump was a populist."

Politics is full of irony and the fact that a Presidential candidate under an active FBI criminal investigation for compromising U.S. national security is another example. 
www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/07/01/rent-free-president-obama-cant-stop-talking-donald-trump/

Viel Glück

Germany has extremely stringent gun control laws. The effectivness of these laws can be seen in the picture to the left, which shows an automatic weapons cache located in or near a German mosque. Law-abiding citizens are practicing running and cowering in the event of a terrorist attack like the one that occurred in Paris. How does one say "Good luck!" in German?

townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/06/29/europeanstyle-gun-control-didnt-stop-islamists-from-gathering-weapons-near-this-german-mosque-n2185564

Left Out in the Cold

Here's an interesting statistic. Of all the Syrian refugess admitted to this country since last October, 0.62% were Christians and the rest were Muslim. The demographic makeup of Syria shows that 13% of the country is Christian. Indeed, some of the oldest Christian communities in the world are in Syria. Why the disparity? Good question. Perhaps someone should ask Barack Hussein Obama. 

townhall.com/tipsheet/joepappalardo/2016/06/30/certain-demographics-noticeably-absent-from-syrian-refugees-n2185942

Great News for Boomers!

Never mind anybody who comes after. The Social Security "Trust" Fund (wink, wink) is going bust 3 years earlier than previously projected. Yessir, in 2031Al Gore's Lock Box goes totally belly-up according to actuaries unless serious changes to the current system are made. Of course the longer the delay in taking action, the deeper the changes have to be. Congress couldn't be reached for comment as it was holding hearings on Bernie's free college tuition plan and increasing Medicaid for anybody who wants, or who think they may ever want it, or whatever. 

townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/07/01/whats-that-social-security-is-going-broke-sooner-than-expected-n2186056

Massive Swedish Response to Muslim Sex Abuse

The Swedes are done fooling around with Muslim immigrants who sexually abuse Swedish women and girls. Unveiling green "Don't Touch Me!" rubber wristbands, the Swedish Chief of Police stunned reporters with this massive response to the explosion of sex crimes by Muslims groping and fondling Swedish females. Several reporters were left slack-jawed by what some have described as an "extreme overreaction" to the situation. The Swedish equivalent of CAIR immediately responded with charges of Islamophobia in a broad media attack on the program. 

www.breitbart.com/london/2016/06/30/wristbands-stop-sex-attacks/