FamilyFoundationBlog.com

Yesterday, we commented on the far left Southern Poverty Law Center’s aspersions on more than 150 organizations that stand for traditional marriage. Today, we share some thoughts on the subject of Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. In a letter to supporters, he wrote:

The surest sign one is losing a debate is to resort to character assassination. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a liberal fundraising machine whose tactics have been condemned by observers across the political spectrum, is doing just that.

The group, once known for combating racial bigotry, is now attacking several groups that uphold Judeo-Christian moral views, including marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

How does the SPLC attack? By labeling its opponents “hate groups.” No discussion. No consideration of the issues. No engagement. No debate!

These types of slanderous tactics are not limited to a handful of Christian groups. They have been used against voters who signed petitions and voted for marriage amendments in all thirty states that have considered them, as well as against the millions of Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement.

This is intolerance pure and simple. Elements of the radical Left are trying to shut down informed discussion of policy issues that are being considered by Congress, legislatures, and the courts. The SPLC has even admitted that their goal is to censor our views in the media.

We need you to stand with us. Please visit StartDebatingStopHating.com, and join with other national leaders and me in telling the radical Left it is time to stop spreading hate-charged rhetoric about individuals and organizations simply because they disagree with our ideas. Our debates can and must remain civil — but they must never be suppressed.

Remember, if they can silence pro-family organizations, they will attempt to use pressure and the power of government to target pastors and citizens like you who publicly stand for traditional principles.

This is the standard operating procedure for the Angry Left. Having nothing to offer but government control over people’s lives, it demonizes anyone and any group of people who stand for traditional values, because those values are grounded in liberty and freedom which is antithetical to its aims. It’s too much to ask, but if those in the Mainstream Media, who pontificate about the coarseness of our politics, didn’t legitimize attack machines such as the SPLC, the political discourse in this country would improve the next day.

What is sad about the partnership of radical leftists and the MSM is that what they accuse values voters of cheapens the charge against those who actually engage in those behaviors. It’s crying wolf. The fact that this partnership cares not about that reveals its sincerity in exposing true hate and harm at the expense of advancing their radical agenda.

Despite a recent election where Americans rejected their radical agenda,  Congressional Democrats, during a lame duck session, are trying to force an end to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding open homosexuals serving in the military. While the economy still struggles and nearly 10 percent of Americans are out of work as we approach Christmas, Congress focuses on repaying their shrinking base.

To learn more about this battle, Family Research Council Action (see Tom McClusky at FRC’s The Cloakroom blog) will host a live national video Webcast tomorrow, December 2, at 1:00 p.m., entitled, Mission Compromised: How the Military is Being Used to Advance a Radical Agenda.

Veteran military commanders, Members of Congress, and policy experts will join FRC President Tony Perkins . . . 

to assess the Pentagon’s study on the impact of open homosexuality on combat effectiveness and readiness. … and discuss the report’s shortcomings and plans by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to rush a vote during the lame-duck session of Congress without thorough hearings and testimony by battlefield commanders (see entire alert).

According to FRC, the Defense Authorization Act, on which the U.S. Senate may soon vote, not only would force open homosexuality on the military if enacted, it also will turn military medical facilities into abortion centers. Since the vote is expected to be very close, it’s vital that you encourage your friends and family to tune into this live Webcast. Participants also will learn how they can help to stop this last ditch attempt by outgoing liberal senators to force a liberal social agenda onto the military.

In addition to briefing on the significance of this legislation, guests will answer viewer questions via SMS text or e-mail. Guests include: Gen. Carl Mundy, former Commandant of the Marine Corps; Sgt. Brian Fleming, Afghanistan war veteran and Purple Heart recipient; Douglas Lee, Chaplain (Brigadier General, Ret.); Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis, (Ret), Senior Fellow, National Security, Family Research Council; Cathy Ruse, Senior Fellow, Legal Studies, Family Research Council; and Peter Sprigg, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies, Family Research Council.

Please register now (click here) and help spread the word about the live Webcast on December 2.

Virginia U.S. Senator Jim Webb is a key vote in this fight. (Virginia’s other U.S. Senator, Mark Warner, has indicated he supports repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell”). Because of the nature of this crucial vote, we have partnered with CitizenLink (see “DADT” article by Catherine Snow) and FRCAction on this ad running now throughout the commonwealth. Please listen and share this link with as many people as you can.

Click here to listen to the new ad on the U.S. Senate’s vote to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Our sister organization, Family Foundation Action, and CitizenLink, have partnered on a mailer sent to values voters in Virginia’s 11th Congressional district. The campaign there is between first-term Democrat Gerry Connolly and Republican Keith Fimian. The mailer documents Mr. Connolly’s voting record, which received a zero on the Family Research Council Action scorecard. Among the lowlights are a 97 percent voting record in lockstep with the Obama-Pelosi agenda, including voting for the $800 billion failed “stimulus” bill, the monstrous Obamacare government takeover of the health care industry and taxpayer funded abortions.

To view it online, to print or forward the mailer on Congressman Connolly’s record to other voters in the 11th district (or if you don’t live in the 11th but know people who do), click here. 

Most agree this is the most important mid-term election in decades, if ever. It will determine whether we continue on a course sharply to the left, or apply the brakes and set a steady, constitutional course. Be informed and make the best decision you can reach, then  exercise the full power of your citizenship and vote on Tuesday; and think about getting more involved by spreading the word about the 11th district campaign or any of Virginia’s other 10 Congressional districts.

If you live in the 11th district, but didn’t receive the mailer, sign up to get updates from  CitizenLink by clicking here. For those who visit this site but do not receive Family Foundation alerts, click here to sign up.

Two days remain to buy tickets to see Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) deliver the keynote speech at The Family Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Gala, this Saturday, October 9, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Winner of the recent 2012 presidential straw poll at the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit (see video for a preview of what to expect Saturday), Congressman Pence has been turning heads as a rising star in the conservative movement. So much so, in fact, we just learned that Fox News Channel intends to cover the gala!

Last weekend, Congressman Pence, the third ranking member of the House Republican Conference, traveled to Iowa — not by accident, he joked — where he spoke to the Faith and Freedom Coalition dinner (Iowa Independent). A hero among social and fiscal conservatives, Congressman Pence’s remarks were enthusiastically received (see Kathie Obradovich at The DesMoines Register’s Iowa Politcs Blog). In short, he is rising to the top of the 2012 GOP presidential field.

This quote from that speech is an example of why he is held in such high regard by social conservatives (see Caffeinated Thoughts and its podcast):

To those who say we should focus on fiscal issues, instead of the right to life, I say, “What is more fiscally responsible than denying any and all funding to Planned Parenthood of America?” To those who say that marriage doesn’t matter, I say, “You would not be able to print enough money in 1,000 years to pay for the government you would need if the traditional family continues to collapse.”

In addition to registering online, you can purchase tickets by phone through Friday at (804) 343-0010 by Friday. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and is preceded by a private sponsors’ reception and picture opportunity with Congressman Pence at 5:15 p.m.

Here’s one more sample of what you’ll get with Mike Pence:

Pence: God planted America’s seeds of liberty.

Our 2007 gala keynote speaker and author of the New York Times bestseller Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, Eric Mataxas, will lecture on his new work, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. The speech will be Webcast October 7, from Noon-1:00 p.m. by the Family Research Council (register here). Those who saw Eric that night know how engaging, entertaining and enlightening he is. Mixed in with intellectual discussion was a hardy blend of humor and poignancy. In fact, FRC used a review of ours in promoting the lecture. We’re sure this lecture will be worth every minute of your time.

This is what we think of Eric:

[Metaxas'] speaking style, a combination of edgy wit, charm, inspiration, evangelization, thoughtfulness and historical narrative of lessons learned and values by which to live, took the crowd through laughter, pensiveness, inspiration and motivation. The feedback on the entire night was tremendous, with unsolicited compliments calling it the best gala ever.

In his new book, Mataxas took on yet another historical figure whose religious conviction moved him to right injustice: The Lutheran minister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who had a life mixed with religion and intrigue. Here’s a synopsis of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy from Reed Business Information:

In this weighty, riveting analysis of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas offers a comprehensive review of one of history’s darkest eras, along with a fascinating exploration of the familial, cultural and religious influences that formed one of the world’s greatest contemporary theologians. A passionate narrative voice combines with meticulous research to unpack the confluence of circumstances and personalities that led Germany from the defeat of WWI to the atrocities of WWII. Abundant source documentation (sermons, letters, journal entries, lectures, the Barman Declaration) brings to life the personalities and experiences that shaped Bonhoeffer: his highly intellectual, musical family; theologically liberal professors, pastoral colleagues and students; his extensive study, work, and travel abroad. Tracing Bonhoeffer’s developing call to be a Jeremiah-like prophet in his own time and a growing understanding that the church was called “to speak for those who could not speak,” Metaxas details Bonhoeffer’s role in religious resistance to Nazism, and provides a compelling account of the faith journey that eventually involved the Lutheran pastor in unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Hitler. Insightful and illuminating, this tome makes a powerful contribution to biography, history and theology.

Click here for more reviews, information and registration (in person or online).

Today, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia lifted a ban on federal taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research pending further review (FoxNews.com). The ban was in effect from an injunction issued a couple of weeks ago by a federal district court judge in advance of his final (official) ruling in the case. However, the Appeals Court prohibited the injunction, saying it must accompany an official ruling. When he issues his ruling, expected in the very near future, and if he decides that funding embryonic stem cell research violates federal law, he then can re-issue the injunction.    

Supporters of this failed research, which destroys human embryos, have been up in arms since the injunction — which blocks the new federal funding approved by the Obama administration — was issued by the judge, U.S. Chief District Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia (Washington Post). Because of the injunction, the National Institutes of Health suspended consideration of new grants for the research.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said Judge Lamberth’s . . .

opinion noted that “ESC research necessarily depends upon the destruction of a human embryo,” and the plain language of the Dickey-Wicker amendment, passed by Congress every year since 1996, says that no federal funds shall be used for “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed.”

Separately, when ruling on an appeal to stay his injunction (before the appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals), Judge Lamberth correctly noted that his decision was pretty simple to come by, especially since Congress was explicit in passing the law:

In this Court’s view, a stay [of the injunction] would flout the will of Congress, as this Court understands what Congress has enacted in the Dickey-Wicker Amendment. Congress remains perfectly free to amend or revise the statute. This Court is not free to do so. … defendants are incorrect about much of their “parade of horribles” that will supposedly result from this Court’s preliminary injunction.

This new legal battle has ripped open the debate over taxpayer funding of research that is unethical, illegal and a complete failure. Rhetoric from researchers who benefit financially from the grants, as well as the politicians and organizations bent on making sure human embryos are not recognized as having any intrinsic value, continues unchanged. They again claim that the use of embryonic stem cells is the only hope for those who suffer from disease and paint those opposed to embryonic stem cell research as “anti-science.”

The truth is, as usual, much different (see StemCellResearchFacts.org). Those who oppose continued funding of failed ESC research instead point to the multitude of successful treatments and cures from adult stem cell research. Dozens of effective and lifesaving treatments are not simply a pipe dream but a reality with adult stem cells which can be manipulated to act in much the same way as embryonic stem cells. If we want to be pro-science and pro-hope for sufferers of disease, shouldn’t we instead fund and support the science that actually is working and actually produces cures? (Even Dr. Oz agrees!)

That’s the message The Family Foundation takes to the General Assembly every year. If Virginia’s taxpayers are going to be forced to pay for research, it should be research that is not only ethical but also successful. While much of the rest of the world has rejected embryonic stem cell research as a hopeless waste of money, in the United States our politicians continue to try to raid ever diminishing public coffers to prop up failure. It’s another bailout that simply must stop.

Even as the fallout from the Prop 8 ruling is still getting sorted, another legal proceeding dealing with a major marriage protection law is ongoing. But barely. Whereas the defenders of California’s Marriage Amendment filed a prompt appeal and yesterday won a stay on San Francisco Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker’s deplorable decision at least until the end of the year (San Francisco Chronicle), the Obama Justice Department’s weak and meek defense of the federal Defense of Marriage Act appears to have “thrown the match” and it says it is not certain whether it will appeal a recent Massachusetts Federal District Court’s decision that ruled DOMA unconstitutional. As Chuck Donovan writes at The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry blog:

Echoing some of the most notorious boxing matches in the history of the ring, the Obama-Kagan Justice Department engaged in what even one supporter of same-sex marriage, the distinguished constitutional law scholar Richard Epstein, labeled “almost like collusive litigation,” where the adversaries in a case are secretly on the same side.

The collusion boils down to this: attorneys in the Obama Justice Department, who have sworn that they will “well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office” in which they serve, abandoned not one but all four of the bases for DOMA asserted by Congress. “Congress” in this instance was no small minority cobbled together at the last instant for legislation it scarcely debated, but a bipartisan majority that encompassed 85 percent of both houses of Congress, joined by a Democratic president (Bill Clinton) who had access to comprehensive reports that amplified the many grounds for DOMA.

The Justice Department’s concessions were crucial to the outcome in the case. As Judge Joseph Tauro noted, he felt bound to address the detailed justifications Congress provided for DOMA only briefly, because, “For the purposes of this litigation, the government has disavowed Congress’s stated justifications for the statute[.]“

As Family Research Council President Tony Perkins (see FRC Blog) wrote yesterday: 

The Defense of Marriage Act merely defines marriage — for federal purposes — as being between one man and one woman, and protects states from having to change their state definitions. Not surprisingly, a liberal court in Massachusetts — after a weak defense from the Obama Justice Department — ruled DOMA unconstitutional. Amazingly, the federal government appears to be dragging its feet as they contemplate whether or not to EVEN APPEAL the decision! If the Department of Justice does not appeal, it is unlikely outside defenders of marriage will even be allowed to defend marriage in court.

The Department of Justice is supposed to vigorously defend statutes passed by Congress, not to roll over to appease President Obama’s political base.

So, FRC Action has started a nationwide petition to hold the Justice Department accountable and to do its job — appeal and aggressively defend the law of the land. Please take time to sign the petition (click here to sign) and send a clear message to the Obama administration. He has said he believes marriage is between one man and one woman (ABCNews.com). It’s time he proves it with a vigorous defense of federal law he is sworn to uphold.

While contacting Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb over the Elena Kagan confirmation, bug them about the “DISCLOSE Act” as well. The DISCLOSE Act is one of the most anti-free speech pieces of legislation ever crafted and the Senate is close to bringing it up for a vote. The House already passed it.

But don’t take our word for it. The legislation’s authors know its restrictions are unconstitutional because it blatantly put in a clause that prevents courts from hearing claims against it until after the November mid-term elections (see FRC.com)! The bill puts restrictions on what organizations can do and say during campaigns and, worse, must make public its top donors, making them subject to harassment by opponents, such as was done in California to people who donated to that state’s pro-marriage amendment campaign in 2008.

One of its many provisions would curb what people or companies with contracts with the federal government can say or do in support of a candidate or issue in an election. That caused the National Association of Manufacturers, one of a long line of opponents, including National Right to Work, National Right to Life, Family Research Council, FreedomWorks,  the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and dozens more, to oppose the bill. More of its constitutional infringements are described here, by Hans von Spakovsky, at The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry Blog.

But wait. I was taught by a favorite (liberal) college professor never to generalize, so I won’t. Not all organizations are constrained by this bill. You see, the Congressional liberals who wrote it neatly exempted labor unions and other liberal leaning groups, such as the AARP (See Fox News Channel’s Speaker’s Lobby Blog). Incredibly, in what many conservatives call a sell-out, the NRA also backs the bill after it bolted a coalition to receive its own carve out. The NRA’s support was seen by many the reason it escaped the House. More inside D.C. special interest deal making. Wasn’t that going to change with the liberals in charge?

Congresional liberals are running scared. Their agenda is massively unpopular with the public, they are behind in public opinion polls and are on the verge of squandering huge majorities in both chambers of Congress. A recent Supreme Court ruling opened up the gates for more free speech and loosened the strings (see the Chamber’s explanation) on what activities businesses and other organizations can engage in during campaigns, further equalizing the advantages liberals have in the mainstream media, unions and the education establishment, to name a few. The DISCLOSE Act is a last chance, desperation play with the clock running out to preserve its grip on power.

Since the vote is imminent, phoning Senators Webb and Warner may be the most efficient method of voicing your displeasure with the DISCLOSE Act. They an be reahed at the U.S. Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121. Please let them know you wish them to oppose S. 3628, the DISCLOSE Act.

Perhaps the signature show on the leading news network on television is The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel. Reviled by liberals and not often held in esteem by conservatives, Bill O’Reilly is nothing if not at least an interesting character. He certainly has legions of fans who watch his show and buy his books. But in this highly partisan time in our history, where almost everything on television, in movies, online and even on your phone is political, The O’Reilly Factor first got traction more than a dozen years ago not by discussing politics — which it does more than the political shows themselves — but by examining cultural issues.

Mr. O’Reilly has a concern for the debasing of the culture and, long before Glenn Beck, exposed the destructiveness of secular progressives and gave voice to traditionalists who respect values long the bedrock of a flourishing American society that became the envy of the world. He wrote a best selling book, Culture Warrior, about it and even has a “culture warrior” test on his Web site. The questions look like they come out of a Family Research Council survey. 

Inevitably, his show got sucked into the political gabfest, but he reserves a weekly segment called ”The Culture Warriors” that examines the debasing of society. It used to be instructive. Now it’s useless. Whereas his original analysts were adversarial to the muck in pop culture that penetrates the innocence of children or leads to deleterious behavior, the bubbleheads he now employs as “warriors” are nothing more than culture appeasers. One, Gretchen Carlson (a former Miss America and Richmond news anchor), recently said she agrees with homosexual marriage and wouldn’t say if she agreed with abortion. Yesterday, her substitute, Courtney Friel, couldn’t, or wouldn’t, say if she thought a Web ad with eight- and nine-year-old children using the F-word was a bad thing and, if that wasn’t peculiar enough, the other regular, Margaret Hoover (a “pro-choice Republican” who also favors same-sex marriage) said she thought the ad was “funny.” Children using the “F-word” is funny?

To be fair, Mr. O’Reilly remains true to his convictions. But he strains credibility by giving people who agree with the debasement of society the largest platform in cable news to dismiss its adverse affects, a pair who often respond with a rhetorical yawn and a nothin’ to worry about snub. It’s like asking an actor to review his own movie. If he wants people to disagree with him and debate, fine. Let’s have at it. But he should not bill this pair as something they are not, which gives cover to those who can’t wait to think of the next outrageous ad to produce, the next redefinition of marriage, or the next excuse for abortion on demand. If a warrior is one who is opposed to something and willing to fight against it, it looks as if they have already redefined that as well.

From BillOReilly.com: Segment Summaries: Culture Warriors:

On the issue of the kids saying the F-word, Friel pointed out that the parents were apparently okay with it: “The parents all gave permission, and they were on set.” Hoover said that the kids cursing didn’t bother her in the end: “At first I was offended, and then I realized it was a big joke. And I laughed. It was funny.” The Factor didn’t think it was appropriate for the children to be saying things like that: “I would not let my 9-year-old do that. No way.”

The Family Foundation is thrilled to announce that sponsorships and program ads for our 25th Anniversary Celebration Gala, featuring keynote speaker Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.), are now available (here). Find event details, sign up for sponsorships for this exciting event or reserve a program ad by clicking here or by visiting our Gala Web page: www.familyfoundation.org/gala. Individual and couples tickets will be available in mid-August.

This year’s Gala is Saturday, October 9 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. A private sponsors’ reception and photo line will begin at 5:15, followed by dinner at 6:30. The suggested dress for the evening is business attire. Sponsorship benefits for the various levels include seats at Congressman Pence’s table, a private reception and photograph with Congressman Pence, and a breakfast with Historian David Barton. Click here for complete details.

Congressman Pence describes himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order!” An outspoken advocate for the values we share, he has been named one of the 20 most influential conservatives in America and has repeatedly received the “True Blue Award” from the Family Research Council for his commitment to the family and sanctity of human life. Human Events named Congressman Pence “Man of the Year” in 2005. If you have not heard Congressman Pence speak you are in for a real treat!

For out of town guests who wish to stay overnight, a discounted group rate is available at Hilton Garden Inn, at 501 East Broad Street, located directly across the street from the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Please call 877-782-9444 and mention The Family Foundation Annual Gala for more information. The cut-off date for the group rate is September 9.

We look forward to another big turnout in what promises to be a major event in the midst of a potentially historic election year. To register online, click here; to register by phone or for more information, please call The Family Foundation at 804-343-0010 and speak with Dan Thompson or John Downer; or e-mail questions to Gala@FamilyFoundation.org.