"Hit the Road, Barack" -- Will Americans Agree with Ferguson?

Here's a few excerpts from that Niall Ferguson Newsweek article, the one with the head-turning front page that is rapidly becoming famous. (As they said over at Lucianne.com "Interesting what a liberal mag will do to get your attention.")

I was a good loser four years ago. “In the grand scheme of history,” I wrote the day after Barack Obama’s election as president, “four decades is not an especially long time. Yet in that brief period America has gone from the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to the apotheosis of Barack Obama. You would not be human if you failed to acknowledge this as a cause for great rejoicing.”

Despite having been—full disclosure—an adviser to John McCain, I acknowledged his opponent’s remarkable qualities: his soaring oratory, his cool, hard-to-ruffle temperament, and his near faultless campaign organization.

Yet the question confronting the country nearly four years later is not who was the better candidate four years ago. It is whether the winner has delivered on his promises. And the sad truth is that he has not.

In his inaugural address, Obama promised “not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.” He promised to “build the roads and bridges, the electric grids, and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.” He promised to “restore science to its rightful place and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.” And he promised to “transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.” Unfortunately the president’s scorecard on every single one of those bold pledges is pitiful...

Welcome to Obama’s America: nearly half the population is not represented on a taxable return—almost exactly the same proportion that lives in a household where at least one member receives some type of government benefit. We are becoming the 50–50 nation—half of us paying the taxes, the other half receiving the benefits…

Ironically, the core Obamacare concept of the “individual mandate” (requiring all Americans to buy insurance or face a fine) was something the president himself had opposed when vying with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. A much more accurate term would be “Pelosicare,” since it was she who really forced the bill through Congress.

Pelosicare was not only a political disaster. Polls consistently showed that only a minority of the public liked the ACA, and it was the main reason why Republicans regained control of the House in 2010. It was also another fiscal snafu. The president pledged that health-care reform would not add a cent to the deficit. But the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation now estimate that the insurance-coverage provisions of the ACA will have a net cost of close to $1.2 trillion over the 2012–22 period…

Remarkably the president polls relatively strongly on national security. Yet the public mistakes his administration’s astonishingly uninhibited use of political assassination for a coherent strategy. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in London, the civilian proportion of drone casualties was 16 percent last year. Ask yourself how the liberal media would have behaved if George W. Bush had used drones this way. Yet somehow it is only ever Republican secretaries of state who are accused of committing “war crimes.”...

America under this president is a superpower in retreat, if not retirement. Small wonder 46 percent of Americans—and 63 percent of Chinese—believe that China already has replaced the U.S. as the world’s leading superpower or eventually will…

t remains to be seen if the American public is ready to embrace the radical overhaul of the nation’s finances that Ryan proposes. The public mood is deeply ambivalent. The president’s approval rating is down to 49 percent. The Gallup Economic Confidence Index is at minus 28 (down from minus 13 in May). But Obama is still narrowly ahead of Romney in the polls as far as the popular vote is concerned (50.8 to 48.2) and comfortably ahead in the Electoral College. The pollsters say that Paul Ryan’s nomination is not a game changer; indeed, he is a high-risk choice for Romney because so many people feel nervous about the reforms Ryan proposes.

But one thing is clear. Ryan psychs Obama out. This has been apparent ever since the White House went on the offensive against Ryan in the spring of last year. And the reason he psychs him out is that, unlike Obama, Ryan has a plan—as opposed to a narrative—for this country.

Mitt Romney is not the best candidate for the presidency I can imagine. But he was clearly the best of the Republican contenders for the nomination. He brings to the presidency precisely the kind of experience—both in the business world and in executive office—that Barack Obama manifestly lacked four years ago. (If only Obama had worked at Bain Capital for a few years, instead of as a community organizer in Chicago, he might understand exactly why the private sector is not “doing fine” right now.) And by picking Ryan as his running mate, Romney has given the first real sign that—unlike Obama—he is a courageous leader who will not duck the challenges America faces.

The voters now face a stark choice. They can let Barack Obama’s rambling, solipsistic narrative continue until they find themselves living in some American version of Europe, with low growth, high unemployment, even higher debt—and real geopolitical decline.

Or they can opt for real change: the kind of change that will end four years of economic underperformance, stop the terrifying accumulation of debt, and reestablish a secure fiscal foundation for American national security…

That's a Lot of Federal Bullets, Baby.

The FBI, Secret Service, Border Patrol, DEA -- okay. But does the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and, gulp, the Social Security Administration really need to arm its agents too?

And with hollow point bullets?

Indeed, did you even know that these agencies had armed agents who possess the right to arrest you?

This Nanny State thing gets scarier by the day.

Here's part of the Fox News story on the matter.

..."Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately," said a message on the official blog for Social Security's inspector general office explaining the purchases.

The bullet purchases drew widespread attention as the website Infowars.com published several stories on them that were linked off the widely read Drudge Report and other sites. Infowars.com catalogued a string of recent purchases -- first by the Department of Homeland Security, then by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and then the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration solicitation, posted Aug. 7, called for 174,000 rounds of ".357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point pistol ammunition."

Infowars.com speculated that the purchases were being made in preparation for "civil unrest," imagining a scenario of economic collapse where seniors could cause "disorder" if denied their Social Security benefits.

But the Social Security Administration statement, posted Thursday, noted that their agents need firearms and ammo in the course of training, investigations and responding to threats against offices and employees.

"As we said in a recent post, our office has criminal investigators, or special agents, who are responsible for investigating violations of the laws that govern SSA's programs," the office said.

The agency said it has 295 special agents across 66 offices in the country. "These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests," the statement said...

Coping with Car Problems

Boy, it's a busy day.

And certainly not a good day to have car troubles...with both our cars!

But we're coping. Carol came over early this morning and followed Claire down to Christian Car Care where Jeff is going to try and find the problems that have kept us from driving the Buick. Meanwhile, I stayed home because Don was coming over to try and fix a serious brake problem on the Olds. In fact, he's working on it right now and is cautiously optimistic that we can soon take it on the road.

That's good because we have a "When Swing Was King" early this afternoon (our 4th this week) and then an appointment to get a haircut later on.

But before that, it's blogging, sending out an article for the church newsletter, and mowing the lawn. After that, it's sermon preparation, some letters to write, compiling and sending out the week's Top Ten posts from the blog, and maybe (since one of the cars will hopefully be fixed) I'll take Claire out for a late supper somewhere.

That'll be a nice way to start the weekend.

Flannery O'Connor on Ayn Rand

Anna Williams quotes Flannery O’Connor in The Habit of Being: “I hope you don’t have friends who recommend Ayn Rand [pictured at right] to you. The fiction of Ayn Rand is as low as you can get regarding fiction. I hope you picked it up off the floor of the subway and threw it in the nearest garbage pail. She makes Mickey Spillane look like Dostoevsky.”

Interesting.

Because I have never liked Ayn Rand. Both her plots and writing style are about as ponderous and dull as anything I've ever come across. And her much-vaunted philosophy strikes me as ugly and unrealistic. 

But then I don't at all care for Flannery O'Connor either.

Now Dostoevsky and Spillane?

Them I like.

Abortions For the Life of the Mother?

A report to Parliament has revealed abortions performed in the United Kingdom to save the life of the mother are a stunningly low 0.006 percent of procedures.

David Alton, who for 18 years was a member of the House of Commons, wrote, “When the case for allowing legal abortion was first placed before Parliament it was argued that the law needed to be changed to deal with extremely serious situations.

“More than six million abortions later the figures reveal that in 99.5 percent of the cases where an unborn child’s life is ended there is no risk to the health of the mother,” he said.

And please note -- many neonatalogists would argue that the real rate of mother endangerment is even less than the 0.006% figure cited.

Here's more.

How Low Can You Go? Canadian Medical Association Insists Babies Aren't Humans Until Born.

The largest association of doctors in Canada, in an attempt to stonewall a looming abortion debate from being unleashed, voted yesterday to support the wording of the country’s Criminal Code which states that a baby becomes a “human being” only after being born.

Pro-life doctors and leaders have condemned the move as ‘shameful’, ‘unethical’, and ‘defying parody’.

Delegates to the Canadian Medical Association’s annual general council voted on the motion so as to prevent what they called a “backdoor” attempt to reopen the abortion debate. They voted to pass, says a CMA report on the meeting, “a resolution supporting the current wording of the Criminal Code which states that a child ‘becomes a human being within the meaning of this Act when it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother…’”

Canadian Physicians for Life condemned the CMA’s move, saying that “every Canadian doctor knows that the unborn child is a live human being.”...

(Here's more from LifeSiteNews.)

Liberal Media Silent on Anti-Christian Violence

Bias: A gay activist opens fire in a conservative organization's offices, inspired by the steady drumbeat of leftist vitriol against those who value traditional marriage, and no one says a word....

It took CNN two hours and 45 minutes before mentioning the shooting at the advocacy group's office 1.1 miles from the CNN D.C. bureau. On the NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams gave the story just 17 seconds, identifying FRC as a "conservative group" but not mentioning the affiliations and motive of the shooter.

MSNBC's Chris "Tingles" Matthews, who pinned the Giffords shooting squarely on Sarah Palin, said nothing.

No one died, thanks to the security guard who subdued the intruder and took a bullet in the process, but that does not explain the liberal silence.

Is it perhaps because his motivation was the hate speech of the left?...

But then this is the media that scoured Tea Party rallies for racist signs while ignoring the rapes, murders, assaults and vandalism that were all too typical of the Occupy Wall Street protests they embraced…

When liberals say we must civilize our discourse and watch what we say, they mean conservatives should shut up. Liberals can spout all the hate they want.

(From the editors of Investor's Business Daily, "Crickets Chirp When Leftist Hate Inspires Violence.")

Realtors Group Warn of Big ObamaCare Taxes on Property Sales

Huh? What do property sales have to do with health care?

Remember how George Bush #1 was defeated in his reelection attempt because he had reneged on his "Read my lips" promise not to raise taxes?

What then of Barack Obama who also promised the following: “I can make a firm pledge.  Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase.  Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

Barack Obama hasn't kept his word either. Indeed, he's broken that pledge in many ways. Below is the story of just one, a 3.8% tax on property sales. But here are others.

Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare imposes a 3.8% Medicare tax on unearned income of “high-income” taxpayers which could apply to proceeds from the sale of single family homes, townhouses, co-ops, condominiums, and even rental income, depending on your individual circumstances and any capital gains tax exclusions. Importantly, the “high income” thresholds are not indexed for inflation so will reach increasing numbers of middle-class taxpayers over time.

In February 2010, 5.02 million homes were sold, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). On any given day, the sale of a house, townhome, condominium, co-op, or income from a rental property could slam middle-income families with a new tax they can’t afford.

This new ObamaCare tax is the first time the government will apply a 3.8 percent tax on unearned income. This new tax on home sales and unearned income and other Medicare taxes raise taxes more than $210 billion to pay for ObamaCare. The National Association of Realtors called this new Medicare tax on unearned income “destructive” and “ill-advised” and warned it would hurt job creation.

Top Ten Hints for a Successful Marriage

A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to officiate at the wedding of Paul Aylward and Carrie Heiser and the brief sermon I presented was a new version of my Top Ten Hints for a Successful Marriage. 

I first developed that Top Ten for a “Vital Signs Weekend” radio program sometime back in the 90’s. Since then I’ve presented it a to a few live audiences and I once used it as the primary subject of a LifeSharer letter.  Driving home from the festivities, Claire suggested I do it again and her argument was pretty persuasive.  She said, “Look, in nearly 30 years of writing monthly letters, you’ve repeated a LifeSharer what, maybe once or twice? And this is certainly as  timely as ever and the Top Ten Hints you share are insightful and really helpful.  The response the sermon just received shows that.  Besides all that, there are great applications even for those who are unmarried.  So, go ahead.”          

She convinced me.

So August's LifeSharer, which can be read in full at the Vital Signs Ministries web site, contains the 2012 version of the Top Ten Hints for a Successful Marriage.

Go check it out.

A Back to School Reminder

Chastity: The 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does chastity mean? Simple -- refraining from sexual intercourse before marriage and then practicing fidelity, understanding and kindness during marriage.

2. Why should I practice chastity? Well, there are a whole lot of reasons including the often-overlooked spiritual values of purity. But here are a few specifics:

* You won't have to worry about an unplanned pregnancy, a very real prospect for the sexually active. And yes, pregnancy is quite common even when various forms of "birth control" are being used. For instance, birth control failure rates among American teens are almost 20%. And that includes those condoms that "safe sex" advocates are always pushing. Indeed condoms fail in pregnancy prevention 18%-35% of the time!

* You'll be free of sexually transmitted disease. 12 million people contract a STD every year. That's 33,000 people every day! And remember, "safe sex" not only isn't a strong defense against pregnancy, it isn't very safe for you either. Condoms are not effective in preventing you from acquiring, say... Chlamydia, HIV/AIDs, or the Human Papilloma-virus. Yipes.

* You won't have to deal with the loss of self-respect, loss of innocence, worry, distractions from important life goals, guilt, a ruined reputation, exploitation and so on. Plus you'll not be burdened with "damage control" problems (physical and/or emotional) that prior sexual involvement inevitably brings into your marriage.

3. But what if I really love my boyfriend (or girlfriend)? Isn't having sex okay then? No; it isn't. True love is about commitment and a loyal love. It is serving and honoring the other person, seeking their very best. It is not exploitive. Nor is real love insistent on making momentary, risky, physical pleasure the goal of the relationship.

A couple dedicated to one another in marriage exemplify genuine love, a relationship that values one another's total personality (spirit, intellect, emotions, dreams and aspirations) and not only the physical.

4. How can I say "no" without losing my boyfriend (girlfriend)? Set your standards high and don't compromise. Realize that the person who insists on having their way physically is not someone who has your best interests in mind. That's not love. That's using you. And that's a very bad precedent for you life together...even if you stay together. Don't settle for less than you deserve.

5. I have already had sex. So I guess it's too late for me, right? No, not at all. It is never too late to begin doing the right things. You can always start over. And, as a Christian, I certainly stress the availability of forgiveness and empowerment that comes from believing in Jesus Christ. No one was perfect except Jesus. And He paid your penalty and mine when He was crucified. A new start is what Christianity is all about. And a practical application of that wonderful truth is that chastity is within our grasp today. Yesterday's sins and hassles don't need to enslave us.

Look at it this way. Say you've done something foolish and spent all the money in your savings account. Does that mean you can never start saving money again? Of course not. Despite the seriousness of the loss, you simply start over from here on.  It is the same way with your sexual lifestyle. Whatever has happened before, realize it is time to start "saving" again. Begin right now to save sex for its intended purpose -- and that's the delightful, exciting, bonding experience you will share with your future spouse. And among the dividends of your "saving sex" for the right person and the right time are all the benefits to your health, your heart, your mind, and your true love mentioned above.

Chastity? It's a winning lifestyle any way you look at it.

Wow. Did You Miss These?

* Nellie Gray vs Helen Gurley Brown

Barbara Curtis has a brief but profound article in World Magazine that contrasts the lives of two women who died on the same day earlier this week. The women, hedonist champion Helen Gurley Brown of Cosmopolitan and pro-life heroine Nellie Gray, couldn't have led more dissimilar lives -- or have left more divergent legacies. It's a very good piece.

* "Obama's Much-Touted 'Reset' Brings Russian Submarines To Our Coast" (An excellent editorial from Investor's Business Daily. As the wags at Lucianne.com put it, "And here we were worried about teenagers climbing the fence.")

* "Going extinct is no fun"(Singapore's tragic "birth dearth" is briefly explored by Mercator's Michael Cook in this Ruth Institute post.)

Although [Singapore] is situated in a volatile part of the world, the threat is not war or tsunami or cyclone. It is its own imploding birth rate. In finances, Singapore is at the top of the league table; in fertility, it is at the bottom. With a birth rate of 0.78 it has been ranked by the CIA World Factbook at 222 out of 222. To compensate for the falling number of babies, Singapore imports people. About 35 percent of Singapore’s workers are foreign-born and about 23 percent of all residents.

In short, like the great man himself, Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore is slowly dying. The government is trying desperately to boost the birth rate with generous benefits, dating services and louche advertisements. And still the birth rate falls...

* Napolitano’s DHS under fire for “lewd” atmosphere (John Hayward's report in Human Events is an important read.)

* As is Judson Berger's report over on Fox News: ICE chief of staff on leave after new allegations of lewd conduct surface.

* "Facebook stock hits all-time low as insiders get first chance to sell" (In addition to the privacy weaknesses, you had to know Facebook was in trouble when the oligarchy in charge started making all of those intrusive, inefficient and irreversible changes. As the people leave, so too do the dollars that advertisers want to spend.)

* And finally, check out this website and this trailer and figure out how you can see this movie ASAP.

The Pension Fund Disparity: Omaha Just Can't Afford It!

Okay. You've heard the stories about those sky-high, budget-busting government employee pension plans that have put Omaha into such a precarious financial situation. And you've heard some of the numbers involved. But, if your math orientation is anything like mine, you could use a simple visual that illustrates just how wild and irresponsible are these over-payments.

Chip Maxwell provides it. And how!



Of course, this isn't the only reason why so many Omahans are turning against Mayor Jim Suttle and City Hall and towards the new leadership offered by folks like the Omaha Alliance and mayoral candidate Jean Stothert -- but it's an awfully big one.

Sidewalk Counseling: Reacting to a Near Miss

After nearly 30 years of sidewalk counseling ministry, we know how important it is to pray (before we go out and while we're there) for spiritual and physical protection. But then there are moments like one that occurred this morning that underscore that need...moments that almost necessitated the tape pictured on the left.

Claire and Quint and I were standing pretty close to one another on the sidewalk -- close enough to hear each other as we prayed together. But even when we're praying there, we keep our eyes open because we still want to be aware of what's happening in the Planned Parenthood parking lot and on the street. For instance, I give a little wave or nod to almost every driver going by. There's always a few who flip me off, a significantly greater amount who smile and wave back (sometimes with a thumbs up or a honk) and then the majority who desperately determine not to notice the pro-life people standing there.

And, trust me, trying not to notice several people holding large signs of cute babies and colorful banners blowing in the breeze emblazoned with such messages as "Mom, We Care for You & Your Baby" is desperately hard work indeed!

Anyhow, one woman was particularly buzzed this morning. She was zipping down 93rd Street in a new pickup at a really dangerous speed, especially given the curve that's right there at the PP abortion mill. But, as fast as she was going, she stepped on the gas even more when she saw us and purposefully swerved across in order to come as near to the curb as she could in order to scare us. And while doing this, she took one hand off the steering wheel to give us an obscene gesture. It was a dopey, sophomoric move but an extremely dangerous one too as the slightest loss of control would have wiped us out.

As it was, it happened so fast we hardly had time to flinch, let alone be frightened. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for answering those prayers for protection.

However, it was the reaction of the lady driving in the vehicle behind the crazy woman that really got to me. She had observed how the first woman had sped up and swerved towards us and her reaction was pure shock. Her eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth as if she was prepared to scream. I think she truly thought we were going to be run down. But even when we weren't, she still appeared very distressed. She drove by slowly, looking over at us in amazement. I thought she looked like she was about to cry.

Interesting. I have a feeling the lady (the second one) will remember this experience far longer than we will. After all, we're kinda' used to it -- though I'll admit this particular incident rates as an unusual degree of "opposition." But this lady may have seen for the first time just how deep is the divide in today's culture wars and how desperate and wrathful are those who have set themselves against the morals of Christian civilization.

I pray that awakening, as terribly alarming as it seemed to be for her, nevertheless bears profitable spiritual fruit in her life. Who knows, maybe she will be moved to start praying for our protection out there too. We would certainly appreciate that!

Notable Movements Towards the G.O.P.? (And What's a CENGA?)

It shouldn't be much of a surprise that a substantial part of those young Americans that pollster John Zogby calls CENGAs (an acronym for "college-educated, not going anywhere") can now be described also as "former Obama supporters."

Here is news sure to elicit fresh rage from the Dems; namely, that the youth vote that Barack Obama had in his golf bag last time around are beginning to break towards Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.


And here's another item, also certainly infuriating to the White House. It seems that another significant break away from Obama and towards Romney and Ryan is Artur Davis, a four-term Democratic congressman from Alabama who once was an energetic supporter of Barack Obama. Davis has announced he will help stump for the Republican ticket.

15 States Trying Desperately to Protect Marriage...And More

The decision of the Obama administration to change sides in the litigation over the Defense of Marriage Act got lots of mainstream press attention. The recent decision of 15 states to proactively file a brief supporting the Defense of Marriage Act at the U.S. Supreme Court has not gotten the same attention. That’s too bad, because the states’ brief makes some important arguments.

The states point out that the decision the Court is being asked to review creates a legal standard out of whole cloth and that if the circuit court’s analysis were taken seriously, it would require not only the invalidation of DOMA but of every marriage law in the United States. This latter point is crucial. DOMA may be the specific target now, but the litigation over it (and the related litigation over Proposition 8) is, ultimately, about establishing a new constitutional approach to marriage laws (similar to the context specific standards that have arisen in order to protect the “right” to abortion) that could be used to mandate redefinition in every state.

(William Duncan, "Fifteen States Come to DOMA’s Defense" in NRO's The Corner.)

How's That "Sexual Revolution" Thing Working Out For You, America?

Let's add up the results of the sexual revolution, shall we?

* An outburst of brand new sexual diseases (along with skyrocketing rates of the "old" ones).

* No-fault divorce (with the resultant damages to women and children).

* The "silent holocaust" of legal abortion.

* The breakdown of the family, leading to legions of fatherless kids.

* Dramatic increases in sexual assault, child molestation and sex trafficking.

* The promotion of even the most unnatural, dangerous sexual perversions as acceptable.

* An extreme coarseness of culture as innocence, fidelity, and modesty are mocked, denied and trampled underfoot.

Not exactly what we hippies were hoping to accomplish back in the Swinging Sixties, huh?

Well, the latest in a long series of "Oops Moments" for the sexual revolution is the emergence of a new strain of super-gonorrhea that’s proving stubbornly resistant to antibiotics.

As we used to say, payback is a real bummer, baby.

Dustin Siggins has an excellent guest post over at Jill Stanek's blog dealing with this frightening development.

Defenders of the Family Protest Team Obama's "Gay Pride" Promotion

More than 120 pro-family and pro-life leaders from 11 countries signed a letter initiated by the World Congress of Families, protesting the U.S. Embassy's participation in the Prague "Gay Pride" parade on August 18.

The letter notes that the Obama administration has made promoting gay rights – including same-sex marriage – a foreign policy priority. If also observes the irony of those who complain ceaselessly about "cultural imperialism," trying to force the worldviews of the American left on societies with traditional values…

The letter continues: "Regarding 'gay rights,' those caught up in this lifestyle have the same rights as other citizens. This does not include the 'right' to force others to validate a lifestyle they find objectionable, for religious or other reasons. It also does not include the right of men to marry men and women to marry women. The foregoing pseudo-rights do not advance human freedom and dignity but debase them."

The letter supports Czech pro-family leaders who are outraged by this intrusion in their country's internal affairs.

Here's more from the World Congress of Families.

At Last! A Grown-Up To Deal with America's Bankrupt Entitlement Programs

"Clearly, Medicare is not sustainable, especially with more than 70 million Baby Boomers starting to enter the program at the rate of 10,000 a day."

So will any politician admit the incontrovertible truth? Will any accept the grown-up challenge to get busy fixing this huge and disastrous problem?

Introducing a fresh breeze of honesty, Paul Ryan.

...Under Obamacare, the president’s plan to “save” Medicare relies primarily on paying doctors and hospitals less and less to the point that 40 percent of providers will either go bankrupt or stop seeing Medicare patients, according to Medicare actuaries. The dreaded Independent Payment Advisory Board will put the thumb screws on through a rationing strategy.

This is not a solution for a free people. Further, Obamacare doubles down on the fiction by spending the same dollars twice — once to extend the solvency of Medicare and again to pay for Obamacare’s massive new entitlement spending.  Medicare actuaries have chastised the administration and allies in Congress for this double-counting.

In contrast, Representative Ryan’s plan guarantees that seniors would continue to receive a Medicare benefit, with the government’s contribution equal to the cost of traditional Medicare in a given market or the cost of the second-least expensive plan, whichever is less. As Representative Ryan explains, this means the government would fully cover the premium costs of some plans or the cost of traditional Medicare. Those who are older, sicker, or with lower incomes would get additional help.

Nothing changes for those on Medicare today or for those who qualify for Medicare between now and 2022.

After that, seniors would have more choices of plans that are competing for their business, just as the popular Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug plans provide today. These private Medicare plans would have to offer coverage that is equivalent to traditional Medicare. While the benefits and financing structure could vary, the value of the plans would have to be the same.

Experience has proven that consumers choosing from among competing plans can lower costs...

(From "Not Reforming Medicare Is Not an Option" by Grace-Marie Turner over at NRO. It's a superb piece. Go read it in its entirety and pass the word along. The media is on a full scale blitz to distort Ryan's common-sense plans and to demonize him personally. We must do what we can to keep the record straight.)

Planned Parenthood: Behind the Slogans

No Kidding; Obama Is Paying Illegal Immigrants to Come To U.S.

"Barack Obama’s mania to make everyone a dependent of the federal government extends even to illegal aliens."

Here's the cold, hard facts as presented by John Hinderaker of PowerLine and others he cites. Check it out.

Who Bankrolled That Despicable "Romney/Cancer" Ad?

Christian Toto over at Breitbart TV tells us just what sort of mean-spirited "progressives" would bankroll the horrendous smear ad that attempted to link Mitt Romney to a woman's death from cancer.

The recent Priorities USA campaign commercial connecting Mitt Romney to the death of a woman from cancer may rank as the most despicable, and downright dishonest, political ads ever created.

Even the increasingly left-leaning CNN torched it. So did The New York Times.

So who is propping up Priorities USA, a Super PAC created to boost President Barack Obama's re-election chances? Just take a gander at the group's top 10 donors and three celebrity names jump out.

* Hard-left comedian Bill Maher famously cut a $1 million check for the group.
* Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman, who has grown more political and stridently so since Obama took office, did the same.
* DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg coughed up $2 million to help Priorities USA come up with such unsavory, factually bankrupt ads.

Among the others in the Super PAC's top ten donors? How about Irwin Mark Jacobs, the founder of Qualcomm who has an estimated net worth of nearly $2 billion and "pioneered the practice of outsourcing telecommunications jobs." And then there's Fred Eychaner, a "reclusive millionaire media mogul and gay rights activist" and Franklin Haney who "contributed $1 million to Priorities USA. The Tennessee real estate developer, who owns a $23 million Florida mansion built by the Hearst family, has been at the center of a number of federal indictments, lawsuits, and fines. He was indicted for reimbursing associates for making $200,000 in donations to the Clinton/Gore campaigns in 1992 and 1996, and was later forced to pay $12.7 million in damages for a controversial bond sale."

If you're known by the company you keep...

And What Of That Paul Ryan Pick? (Part Two)

Added to yesterday's selections, these articles will help you understand who Paul Ryan is, what he stands for, why his choice is important to the course of the country, and how to inform your friends and neighbors the REAL STORY about the fellow the Democrats are trying hard to demonize.

* "10 Reasons Why Paul Ryan Could Help Mitt Romney Become U.S. President" by Toby Harnden, Daily Mail.

* "Paul Ryan: Mitt Romney's Line in the Sand" by David Limbaugh.

* "The Paul Ryan Pick Is Already Working" by Tim Stanley in the Telegraph.

* "Ryan's Budget Is Radical? Far From It" by John Merline, Investor's Business Daily.

* "The Paul Ryan Choice" by Thomas Sowell in American Spectator.

* "Mitt’s ‘Damn-the-Torpedoes!’ Decision" by Pat Buchanan in Human Events.

A Lovely Start to the Week

What a lovely morning.

Claire and I started with breakfast out on the deck -- Panera's bagels and tea -- while we discussed both the weekend just passed and the plans for the week to come. It was overcast and downright cool. I mean like mid-60s cool. With the scorching, dry summer we've had the last couple of months, this was simply terrific.

The weekend had been a very busy but productive one. It included handing off Molly (our neighbor's dog that we had been "dogsitting" all week) back to her real owner; my traveling to Manning, Iowa to conduct a funeral service (I overshot the interstate exit by more than 20 miles and barely made it); Claire's cleaning the house and preparing for a celebration party for Karla Struble who completed her Master's degree a couple of weeks ago; the party itself with guests made up from our literary club and the Governing Board of Vital Signs Ministries (both groups of which Karla is a part); cleaning up after the party; preparing Sunday's sermon on Matthew 9: 8-26; Sunday church; and a cup of tea with a longtime friend on Sunday night.

We even managed to watch a bit of the PGA Championship on Sunday afternoon. (Well, okay, I did. Claire napped.) And then in the evening we discovered that Hulu features a season of Art Linkletter's classic, "People Are Funny." We watched a couple of episodes and enjoyed them immensely. We heartily recommend them and if, like us, you can connect your computer to your TV, you can enjoy it on a bigger screen. Really delightful.

While still out on the deck this morning, I started editing this month's LifeSharer letter which I wrote last week. And today's agenda, after I finish a bit of blogging, will concentrate on getting it printed, envelopes printed, and then everything combined and sent. We won't make it but it'll be fun trying.

The rest of the week will include several "When Swing Was King" presentations, two shifts of sidewalk counseling at the abortion mill, sermon prep, studying for an upcoming speaking engagement...and, of course, blogging. See you then.

"When Swing Was King" Swings In August

After a well-received start at the Rehabilitation Center of Omaha last week, we tweaked the latest volume of "When Swing Was King" a bit for the next day's presentation at Life Care Center. By the time we got to Immanuel Courtyard on Friday, we'd changed the program by substituting one more song and -- voilà -- it was perfect.

Better still, it was a huge hit with our audiences singing along, applauding, swapping stories, laughing (and an occasional tear), and lots of heartwarming conversation before and after the program.

Boy, we have a lot of fun with this!

This new volume now brings our total of separate "When Swing Was King" presentations to 17. A few more and we won't have to repeat any of the programs for two years! Sure, there's some of the favorite standards that appear in different volumes and quite a few of the photos are repeated too. But each volume remains fresh, vibrant and fun with a nice mix of big band swing, crooners and canaries, novelty songs, and even a little bit of early jazz.

Here's the song list for this volume:

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra (Ray Eberle, vocals) -- 

"When You Wish Upon A Star"

2) Count Basie Orchestra -- 

"Jumpin' At the Woodside"

3) Artie Shaw Orchestra (Helen Forrest, vocals) -- 

"I Have Eyes" 

4) Harry James Orchestra -- 

"Strictly Instrumental"

5) Bob Crosby Orchestra (Dave Street, vocals) -- 

"I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen"

6) Bennie Moten & the Kansas City Orchestra -- 

"Moten Swing"

7) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (Frank Sinatra, vocals) -- 

"How About You?"

8) Guy Lombardo Orchestra (Kenny Gardner, vocals) -- 

"For Me & My Gal"

9) Chick Webb Orchestra (Ella Fitzgerald, vocals) -- 

"I Love Each Move You Make"

10) Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra -- 

"Blue Room"

11) Gene Krupa Orchestra (Carolyn Grey, vocals) -- 

"They Didn't Believe Me"

12) Benny Goodman Quartet -- 

"Moonglow, Take One"

13) Gene Autry -- 

"Deep in the Heart of Texas"

As we've mentioned many times before, we would love to have you come along to be a part of "When Swing Was King." You'll enjoy the program; you'll hear some great stories from the residents of the retirement centers and nursing homes where we play; and you'll be a source of great blessing to them just by being a friend. What d'ya say? The schedule is right here.

And What Of That Paul Ryan Pick?

* "The Ryan Blockbuster" -- New York Post editorial

* "Romney-Ryan Ticket Takes Fight to Obama" -- Brett Decker in the Washington Times.

* "Romney-Ryan Ticket Offers Voters Clean Break from Past Four Years" -- Hugh Hewitt, Washington Examiner.

* "Five Observations on the Selection of Paul Ryan" -- Paul Mirengoff, PowerLine.

 * "The Return of Mediscare" -- Editorial in National Review.

* "What the Ryan Pick Says About Romney" -- Fred Barnes, the Weekly Standard.

Oh, What Horrors the Left Has Caused

And those historic horrors are carefully excused, papered over or ignored altogether by the leftists of today. (Just one example is the forced famine in the Ukraine committed by the Soviets. This photo shows a few of the survivors.)

Here's Walter Williams with a quick history primer. Please have your kids read it carefully...because they're sure not going to learn the truths of history in the government schools, Hollywood films, or PBS documentaries.

In Europe, especially in Germany, hoisting a swastika-emblazoned Nazi flag is a crime. For decades after World War II, people have hunted down and sought punishment for Nazi murderers, who were responsible for the deaths of more than 20 million people.

Here's my question: Why are the horrors of Nazism so well-known and widely condemned, but not those of socialism and communism? What goes untaught — and possibly is covered up — is that socialist and communist ideas have produced the greatest evil in mankind's history.

You say, "Williams, what in the world are you talking about? Socialists, communists and their fellow travelers, such as the Wall Street Occupiers supported by our president, care about the little guy in his struggle for a fair shake! They're trying to promote social justice."

Let's look at some of the history of socialism and communism.

What's not appreciated is that Nazism is a form of socialism. In fact, the term Nazi stands for the National Socialist German Workers' Party. The unspeakable acts of Adolf Hitler's Nazis pale in comparison with the horrors committed by the communists in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the People's Republic of China...

Please read on by going right here.

It's Everyone's First Right

The Depth of the Cultural Divide

It was a very busy weekend and, apart from things relevant to my sermon preparation, I only managed to read a few things. And from those select articles comes one which I must urge you to read...and carefully consider. The article is "Two Tickets: Two Americas" by Stanley Kurtz (published over at NRO) and the insights he shares about the culture war that lies beneath the political campaigns are profound and very important.

...So while an Obama victory would indeed allow the president to entrench some of his most controversial policies, his restless tendency to push things ever further to the left will almost certainly generate dynamic new movements of opposition.

A Romney victory won’t quiet our national conflicts either. Although a Romney victory would be taken by conservatives as proof that we are still a center-right nation, the fact is that the mainstream media and our key cultural institutions are now in the hands of an increasingly ambitious Left. The media barely hides its bias now, and they will come at a President Romney with everything they’ve got. The Obama presidency has given the Left a taste of the transformations it might achieve, and defeat will be dismissed as a merely temporary setback. Now that both sides are out in the open and fully aware of the danger to their preferred ways of life posed by the other camp, we are entering an era of struggle and division that, if anything, exceeds what we’ve lived through for the past twelve years. This isn’t the beginning of the end of our divisions. It’s only the end of the beginning.

Denny & Claire Are "Out of Focus"

We thought we'd better pass on the news that Claire and I are not going to do an interview with Focus on the Family after all. Yes, everything had been set up for August 29 -- after they had rescheduled 3 times -- and we had set everything up here, at church, with the nursing homes, and with friends and family in Colorado. Focus had kept in touch with us and had sent both a hotel reservation number and an explanation of what to expect once we got to the Focus studio. The interview was to be about our ministries in nursing homes, "When Swing Was King," and other services to seniors. We were looking forward to it a great deal. We know that many of you were looking forward to it too and have been praying for the interview's effectiveness in stimulating others around the country to engage in such activities.

That's why we thought it was necessary to let you know about the cancellation.

Well, that's one reason. The other is that this cancellation will affect some of you more directly. For instance, we were going to have a mini-vacation to bookend the interview in order to see friends and family members who live along the Front Range (and there's really a lot of them!) but we will probably have to drop that now. We're really sorry.

There are, of course, a few other things that we regret. Because we were expecting to be in Colorado, I had turned down a speaking engagement at a conference and I told another friend who is looking at surgery that I couldn't help teach his classes at a Christian college. However, we're very pleased that we didn't have to cancel any of our "When Swing Was King" presentations because of the proposed Colorado trip. Claire managed to just move the dates around. That's good.

I would tell you why the interview was cancelled but the fact is that I don't know. We received an e-mail note yesterday from a Focus producer that simply stated, "Due to a change in direction for our programming needs airing in the near future, we’re going to have to cancel this radio broadcast taping." The writer then apologized for any inconvenience it caused us, reminded us that Focus stands behind us in our pro-life work, and told us that listening to the "practice interview" had encouraged his own family to pursue ministries to seniors. That's cool and, though a further explanation for the cancellation would certainly have been welcome, we appreciated his remarks. And we continue to wish Focus on the Family the very best. They have long been an important force for the Kingdom and we pray that the Lord will continue to use their various ministries in wonderful ways.

Again, we're sorry to disappoint those of you who were excited with us about the Focus on the Family interview as well as those who had been praying for the event and the trip. God clearly has something else for us to be doing during those few days and, though it probably won't have the aura of a national radio program, we're kinda' excited to see just what it will be.

It's a Wedding Celebration!

Claire and I are heading out soon for Aurora, Nebraska to witness the marriage vows tomorrow of Paul Aylward and Carrie Heiser. Paul is Claire's nephew (the 2nd son of her brother Tim and his wife Gaylene) and he's a great guy who is studying medicine at UNMC. Carrie is a very sweet country girl turned health professional who we have come to really like as well. We're looking forward to the wedding and, because they will be living in Omaha at least the next couple of years, we're also anticipating the enjoyment of their friendship.

We're taking off today because I'm officiating at the ceremony tomorrow and therefore need to be a part of the rehearsal tonight.

As most of you know, wedding weekends can be awfully tense affairs but we have been delighted to see how laid back and comfortable Paul and Carrie have been about the event. They are wise enough to know that it's the marriage that counts and not just the pomp and circumstance of the wedding. They are an intelligent, delightful and spiritually sound couple and the weekend should be a lot of fun for everybody involved.

Prayers will be appreciated for safe travel for everyone attending, for a lovely and meaningful ceremony, and for the blessing of Paul and Carrie as they start their life together. Thanks.

Unequal Time Has Consequences

Passed along by Dawn Denekas is this spot on observation by missionary leader Paul Washer -- 

"Your children will go to public school…and they will be trained for somewhere around 15,000 hours in ungodly secular thought. And then they'll go to Sunday school and they'll color a picture of Noah's ark. And you think that's going to stand against the lies that they are being told?"

Bone Marrow Transplants for HIV Patients: Another Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough

Adult stem cells are responsible for another incredible scientific breakthrough.

On Thursday at the AIDS 2012 Conference in Washington, DC, researchers unveiled that two HIV-positive men have been found to be HIV-free following bone marrow transplants. Researchers believe giving bone marrow transplants, which by nature involve the use of adult stem cells, to patients undergoing anti-retroviral therapy could potentially cure the AIDS-causing virus.

“We expected HIV to vanish from the patients’ plasma, but it is surprising that we can’t find any traces of HIV in their cells,” said Dr. Timothy Henrich, one of the researchers studying the two men. “It suggests that under the cover of anti-retroviral therapy, the cells that repopulated the patient’s immune system appear to be protected from becoming re-infected with HIV.”

Only time will tell if the two men have been permanently cured of the virus. “Studies over time including biopsies of lymphatic tissue would be required,” said Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease expert from University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The breakthrough bears similarities to the case of Timothy Ray Brown, known as “the Berlin patient,” who says he continues to be cured of HIV after receiving a transplant of cells found to have a genetic mutations making them HIV-resistant.

Bone marrow transplants mark one of the earliest uses of adult stem cells. The first successful one was performed in 1968. Today, they are used to treat a host of blood and bone marrow diseases, blood cancers, and immune disorders. Beyond their use in bone marrow transplants, adult stem cells are used to cure or treat nearly 80 diseases. In contrast to the widely successful adult stem cells, embryonic stem cell research requires taking the life of a living human embryo and has produced no success stories…

(Andrew Bair, "Two Men HIV-Free After New Adult Stem Cell Breakthrough" published in LifeNews.com)

Obama's Joke Is On Obama

Acclaimed writer/reporter Andrew Malcolm (now working for Investor's Business Daily) tells about one of Barack Obama's recent jokes, a joke with an unintended but important meaning.

Barack Obama is in front of an audience of very rich people (Yes, President Obama likes some of the 1%, the ones that give him wads of cash and these had all paid $40,000 to hear his brief pitch) and he tells them this story: 

"This does also remind me of the season that we’re in. Jim Messina tells this story, my campaign manager. He was in some event, and this young couple who was there with their adorable four-year-old son, and I guess there was a picture of me somewhere, and so they were very excited.

"They said, 'Sammy, who’s that?' And he said, 'That's Barack Obama.'  'And what does Barack Obama do?' And the boy thinks for a second and he says, 'He approves this message.'"

Andrew Malcom then puts this joke into context:

Obama laughed and so did his wealthy audience. Because its members could afford to hear a different message straight from the source.

But no one, least of all Barack Obama, seemed struck by the fact that after all this time and all this money the only thing an American youngster in 2012 knows about the current President of the United States is that he approves the message in a political TV ad. And this oblivious Chicago South Sider finds that worth sharing publicly.

The thing is, Sammy's right. And that's not funny.

Why All the Losers, Lunkheads and Deadbeat Dads?

Janet Crouse has an excellent column in the Washington Times which details how feminism has used the education system and, more powerfully still, the entertainment industry to elevate women far above their bumbling, stumbling, coarse and clueless opposite sex.

The article is entitled, "Sacrificing Boys to Promote Girls: Pop Culture Is Producing Male Losers." And like all of Crouse's work (Janet Crouse is a respected author and veteran Christian activist who currently serves as senior fellow at Concerned Women for America’s Beverly LaHaye Institute), the article is thorough, well-documented and persuasive.

Here are a few excerpts:

Casual observation of popular culture reveals that boys and men increasingly are being portrayed negatively, in contrast to women, who invariably are seen as more competent, efficient, successful and in charge. Television and Hollywood movies are producing a tsunami of negative stereotypes depicting guys as losers. The typical male portrayed in the entertainment media is clueless, socially inept, irresponsible and immature. He invariably disappoints the women around him and makes thinking people grimace with his callous, self-centered behavior…With girls and women, though, the stereotype is of a smart, witty, take-charge leader who is never at a loss for words, acts appropriately and can be counted on in a crisis…

Children, teens and many adults are, of course, influenced by such stereotypes. They see trendy and popular stars and celebrities as role models from whom they learn and whom they imitate in their own behavior and interactions with others. Decades of such indoctrination have had an effect…

Radical feminism’s disrespect for men and manliness has been especially harmful for children’s well-being because it calls into question all adult authority, including their fathers’. Cartoons, popular movies and television programs portray dads and other male authority figures as out of touch, old-fashioned and prudish. Children regularly are bombarded by derogatory media images of adults who respect or exemplify traditional moral values. Such adults typically are held in contempt, subtly mocked or openly ridiculed. Males in positions of authority and men who hold traditional values and beliefs often are portrayed as buffoons whom no one respects or admires.

The late D. James Kennedy explained that one of the most tragic aspects of our lack of positive adult male role models in our increasingly fatherless culture is that children without fathers of their own seek ersatz fathers, or they seek love in all the wrong places and end up taking out their frustrations and anger by wreaking havoc on society. The end result, too often, is gangs of predators threatening the safety of communities and neighborhoods.

Is it any wonder that many women lament the lack of suitable mates? Is it surprising that marriage rates are at their lowest in American history? Immature, ill-educated men who are unprepared to assume the responsibility of forming and supporting a family are not good husband material. Unfortunately, that doesn’t keep them from siring babies and then leaving their girlfriends to raise the children as best they can. Sadly, radica feminism’s emphasis on women’s liberation has produced a culture that neglects and even disrespects and denigrates men. Ultimately, that is hurting the nation’s girls and women, too.

Eternal Impact: A Story of Cowboy, War Hero & Christian Leader, Ken Korkow

Some of the readers of Vital Signs Blog will already know a bit about Ken Korkow. He has, after all, been involved in Christian men's ministry in Omaha for many years. But whether you know Ken a little, a lot, or not at all, you're going to find this newspaper article fascinating and inspiring reading.

It's a story of a young cowboy who experiences both the honors and the horrors of war (the Vietnam War) only to come home to face the spiritual battles which raged in his own soul. And just as this young war hero rescued his fallen compatriots at Khe Sanh, he too needed deliverance.

He finds it at the place where God provides rescue for us all -- at the foot of the Cross.

The article, very well written by Lance Nixon, was published on the front page of the Capital Journal, the newspaper of Pierre, South Dakota. And, like I said, you'll be enriched by reading it.

Omaha Mayor Gave Secret, Unauthorized Raises to Aides

It looks like Omaha's overspending mayor, Democrat Jim Suttle, has been caught handing out some sizable raises to aides -- raises that had not been approved by the City Council. Indeed, Suttle made requests for the raises in the 2013 budget proposal he sent over to the City Council. But he had actually started paying his people the raises at the start of 2012. Local television station KETV was among those telling the story.

"We decided we'd ask for the payroll records, and discovered they were getting paid a lot more than we approved in the 2012 budget," [Omaha City Councilwoman Jean] Stothert said.

"I'm kind of surprised the mayor didn't share this with us," [City Council President Tom] Mulligan said.

The mayor was conveniently out of town and was offering no comments on the matter though his spokeswoman (a former reporter) insisted there was no "ill intent" in the action. But even she admitted, "In all fairness, you know what? This was not a very good political move."

The specific raises? $25,000 for the mayor's Chief of Staff, $25,000 for the Finance Director, and $9,000 for the Public Works Director.

On her Facebook page, Councilwoman Stothert pointed out, ""You may have heard that Jim Suttle is asking for big pay hikes for his top staff at city hall. Over the last few days, we have learned that, in fact, he’s already paying them these elevated salaries, without telling the taxpayers or the city council. He had promised to freeze their salaries, and that is what we approved in the 2012 budget. I promise you that I will be working hard to stop this deception, and to ferret out other wasteful spending."

These Christians Still Speak Words of Wisdom

Somewhere in the course of your day (or night), give a few moments to consider the following observations of some of the most influential evangelical Christians of all time. Three come from letters and one from a journal entry. But all were written on this very day, August 2nd.

From a letter written by John Wesley on August 2, 1776 -- "Use all the ability which God gives, and He will give you more."

On this date in 1946, Christian apologist C. S. Lewis wrote in a letter, "Apologetic work is so dangerous to one's faith. A doctrine never seems dimmer to me than when I have just successfully defended it."

Martyred American missionary Jim Elliot (photo above) had this prayer in his journal entry from August 2, 1948. "Father, teach me the speed of eternity. Synchronize my movements with the speed of Thine Own heart then, hasting or halting, I shall be in good time."

And on this date in 1982, as Presbyterian apologist and key pro-life leader Francis Schaeffer dealt with the cancer that would end his life less than two years later, he wrote in a letter, "There is the constant danger of slipping into the idea that if a person has sufficient faith, he will always be healed. This is clearly not what the Bible teaches."

How About That? The Times Speaks Well of Ted Cruz.

New York Times Calls GOP Candidate "An Intellectual Force."Also, Hell's Weather Forecast Calls for Record Lows

Ask yourself if you ever expected to see this headline in the New York Times about a Republican: Senate Candidate in Texas Is Known as an Intellectual Force

That's Jim Geraghty's introduction into this story about conservative Ted Cruz by, yes, the New York Times.

(Update: By the time, I got around to reading the article, the Times had changed the headline. Maybe they had read Geraghty and realized they have been too positive to a Republican after all. Anyway, the new headline, though still somewhat positive, did add a snide reference to the Tea Party -- "A Republican Voice With Tea Party Mantle and Intellectual Heft.")

But do read the piece. It's informative and certainly worthwhile.

Public Schools...or Government Schools? Words Have Meaning.

A rose by any other name? Hardly.

Among the NRO tributes to the late Milton Friedman, Deroy Murdock reminds his readers about the economist's preference for precise language, as in using the terms "government schools" and "death tax" instead of "public schools" and "estate tax."

As a pro-life activist who has, for more than 30 years, battled the distortions of language by "progressive" propagandists (such as the horror of abortion being called "a voluntary interruption of pregnancy," "an evacuation of uterine contents," or "the restoration of normal menstrual health"), I certainly concur with Friedman's suggestions. The first step in effective reasoning (let alone in argument) is insisting that language be precise, relevant and aware of such things as connotations, context and historical usage.

Here's a bit of Murdock's post:

Quite simply, Dr. Friedman urged his supporters to drop the term “public schools” and, instead, say, “government schools.” As he told Reason magazine in December 2005: “I try to avoid calling government schools public schools because I think that’s a very misleading term.”…

The term “public” has a positive ring, as in “public service” and “the public good.” Pro bono publico is a lovely idea.

The word “government” lacks this gloss. It rarely gives people a warm and toasty feeling.

Thus, the term “government schools” stops people in their tracks. It reminds them why schools run by politicians frequently fail: They are part of the same state that too often robs us blind, delivers poor services, and founders in corruption.

Similarly, Americans had little trouble with “the estate tax.” Few people burst into tears at the notion of rich people in “estates” paying higher taxes.

However, when Jim Martin of the 60-Plus Association persuaded fiscal conservatives to decry the “Death Tax,” Americans suddenly became outraged at the fact that Uncle Sam taxes dead people. Support for this levy plunged, and it actually vanished — for one year. Alas, the Death Tax sprang from the dead as part of the 2010 extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

Americans who miss Dr. Milton Friedman can honor his memory and continue his excellent work in modernizing American education. They can abandon the term “public schools” and adopt the phrase “government schools.” While plenty more needs to be done to rescue the American classroom, each of us effortlessly can take this small step forward.

Government Doesn't Create Business. But It Sure Can Destroy Them.

Two days ago, the OhioAmerican Energy company announced it was shutting down its coal mine near Brilliant, Ohio.  That means higher electric prices and a lot of workers out of a job.

And it also means that Team Obama is trying to make good on at least one of its campaign promises; namely, ridding America of coal.

Below are statements from the company's press release.

“Mr. Obama has already destroyed 83,000 megawatts of coal-fired electricity generation in America. Electric prices in the recent PJM Interconnection monthly auction were bid up 800% for 2015-2016 because of this." (Michael T. W. Carey, Vice President of Government Affairs for Murray Energy)
 
“At its peak, OhioAmerican employed 239 local people in high-paying, well-benefited jobs. University studies show that our mines can create up to 11 secondary jobs in our communities, for store clerks, teachers, etc., to serve our direct employees.  Thus, if one uses the 11 to 1 multiplier, the Obama Administration has destroyed  2,868 jobs in eastern Ohio with this forced mine closure. This is a sad day for all of us, and particularly Mr. Robert E. Murray, the Founder of OhioAmerican. He is so distraught that he came to the mine and personally announced the layoffs to each of the employees."" (Stanley T. Piasecki, General Manager and Superintendent)

“There will be additional layoffs, not only at Murray Energy, but also throughout the United States coal industry due to Mr. Obama’s ‘War on Coal’ and the destruction that it has caused to so many jobs and families in the Ohio Valley area and elsewhere. Both Mr. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden stated that there would be ‘no coal in America’ prior to their elections. They are making good on their intentions while they destroy so many lives and family livelihoods in this area for no benefit whatsoever." (Robert E. Murray, the Founder of OhioAmerican)

Today's True Disestablishment Cause: Freedom from Nanny State Media

Jack Niewold, author of Frail Web of Intention and exquisite mini-essays too numerous to count which show up on Facebook, made these cogent observations this morning.

So, the Obama campaign is presenting the Romney trip to England, Israel and Poland as a gaffe-filled disaster. That's not what I and millions of other Americans have seen--those of us who get our news from the free press rather than the statist amen corner led by the choir director New York Times. Romney never looked or sounded better. This kind of distortion and false consciousness is what a campaign that has nothing of its own to cheer about is reduced to.

We talk a lot about disestablishment in this country, by which we mean that we will not tolerate a state-run church. The disestablishment cause for today is to free the country from its state-run media. Beating Obama this fall should be easy. It's beating the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, the LA Times, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, CBS, NPR, and ABC that will be the challenge.

Goodbye, Religious Freedom. (The HHS Mandate Kicks In Today.)

August 1 -- The Health and Human Services mandate requiring "health care" plans to provide contraceptives, abortifacient drugs, and sterilization procedures is now in effect.  In other words, thanks to the Obama administration and the Democrat Party, the direct suppression of religious freedom is now a formal policy of the U.S. government.

And don't think for one moment that Team Obama will be slack in enforcing that policy.

Here's a few salient articles for more information on what 's happening...and what we can expect next.

* "The Mandate Kicks In: The Battle for Religious Freedom and Civil Society Continues" by George Weigel at NRO. (Exceptional piece.)

* "The HHS Mandate Goes into Effect" by the Editors of NRO. (Also excellent.)

* "Obamacare’s Anti-Religious Freedom Mandate Starts Today" by Amy Payne and Sarah Torre at the Foundry, Heritage Foundation.

* "On August 1, Millions of Americans Lose Their Freedom Of Religion" by Christen Varley at Forbes.

* "Affordable Care Act Gives Government Permission to Play the Bully" by Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner at Fox News.

* "HHS-Mandate Injunction Reveals Weakness of Administration’s Arguments" by Carrie Severino at NRO.