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This is the first in a series of five policy statements on issues that will come before the 2010 General Assembly. Each one covers one of The Family Foundation’s five areas of principle. The others will follow over the rest of the week.

There are days when I wonder if half the things we hear about in Washington, D.C., are real or if it’s all just a very bad nightmare. Some reports just seem so outrageous.

So when I saw a Fox News headline a few months ago that screamed “U.N. Report Advocates Teaching Masturbation to 5 year-olds,” I had that, Oh, this is going to be another exaggeration moment. Certainly, even the U.N., as wacky as it is, wouldn’t publicly endorse such a foolish concept.

Then I read the report for myself. Believe me, the whole teaching-5-year-olds-about- masturbation-thing is just the tip of the iceberg. There is stuff in here that should make every parent who cares at all about their children shudder, starting with the line “teachers remain the best qualified and the most trusted providers of information and support for most children and young people.”

Teachers? Really? So much for parents.

Until the November 2008 elections, things like the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (see our comment, here), something far scarier than the aforementioned U.N. report, were out there, but had little chance of being accepted by our Congress. The convention is such an assault on your right to parent I can’t really describe it. Essentially, the convention gives children “evolving” rights to choose religion, education, etc., regardless of what their parents say. Now, however, there is a serious effort in the United States Senate to force us to join the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, seriously threatening parental rights in our country, not to mention our sovereignty.

To combat this, parents across the nation are urging Congress to pass a parental rights amendment to the United States constitution. You can learn more about this cause at parentalrights.org.

To assist this effort, The Family Foundation is supporting a memorializing resolution in the 2010 General Assembly that would urge Congress to pass the parental rights amendment. Similar to legislation we supported in 2004 that urged Congress to pass a marriage amendment, a memorializing resolution sends a message to our federal representatives that we want them to protect the rights of parents to raise their children without government interference.

Although the resolution has yet to receive a bill number, it’s patron in the House is Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96, Yorktown). We look forward to updating you on the progress of this legislation throughout the General Assembly and what you can do to help see it pass.

If I seem pre-occupied by cartoons of late (see this Cold War classic), you may be right. I’ve haven’t really thought about it, but do freely admit my affection for Peanuts and Charles Schulz’s Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and gang.

Cartoons, though, have been in the news recently and not always for the most noble reasons. First, the Charlie Brown Christmas special was preempted, somewhat controversially, athough ABC later rescheduled. Now we learn that CBS has corrupted the legendary Frosty The Snowman cartoon. It mashed up an online promo (a “mash” is one medium mixed into another) where it uses actual Frosty scenes to front foul-mouthed audio from two of its sitcoms (See FoxNews.com). The result is an indecent Frosty, zapping Christmas innocence out of any children who may happen upon it thinking it’s the real Frosty.

Ironic that this comes from CBS where, at one time, as I discussed earlier this week, it actually cared somewhat about Christmas. But it isn’t a network that has distinguished itself in recent years, what with Dan Rather and its news division’s pretense of objectivity (See Media Research Center). Cartoons, especially this time of year, especially the classic ones, represent the last remnant of Big Media’s family-oriented culture, of a different, slower paced time, when people and families could gather for a common nationwide experience. Especially during the Christmas season, when parents can pass along the times of their youth to their children. CBS’ move was a step to debase that.

Whether it’s news or entertainment, CBS and its fellow Mainstream Media cohorts fall exceedingly short. Although an obscene rendition of Frosty The Snowman isn’t necessarily shocking anymore (unfortunately), most critics do at least find it disturbing. Which still, rightfully, makes it a sad day for CBS, although less sad for any unsuspecting child (or family) who happens upon this trash.

Annotations & Elucidations 

The Bell Sounds For Deeds

So much for Republicans for Deeds. Former Senator Brandon Bell, from the Roanoke area, originally, and surprisingly, signed on the Deeds campaign. Unlike three other liberal former senators who call themselves Republicans and announced their support for Senator Deeds earlier in the year, Bell’s endorsement was puzzling. He even announced that he was backing Lt. Governor Bill Bolling for re-election and Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-37, Fairfax) for attorney general. Yesterday, however, whether he’s reading the tea leaves, a bandwagon jumper, or finally read the Deeds platform, he reversed course and now is in the Bob McDonnell camp. The Roanoke Times has the details. Speaking of the Times, it really hit the nail on the head with this headline: “Contrasts sharp in attorney general race.” On the ball, they are, at the Times.

On another note, the federal government can’t get the Pig Flu vaccine in on time, and we’re supposed to trust it with nationalized health care? Not a chance.

News:

McDonnell talks business with Lynchburg furniture maker (Lynchburg News & Advance)

McDonnell wins Bell’s endorsement (Roanoke Times)

Contrasts sharp in attorney general race (Roanoke Times)

Deeds repeats closing debate remarks almost verbatim (Washington Times)

In this show, special guest stars speak for Deeds (Washington Post)

Bolling, Wagner frame campaign on mutually low job evaluations (Washington Post)

Neff mailing compares Bell to bad hubby (Charlottesville Daily Progress)

TAP’s fatherhood program focuses on responsible fathers (Roanoke Times)

National News:

Web makers release tape of Philly ACORN visit (AP/GOPUSA.com)

GOP senator says Obama showing Nixonian tendencies (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama to slash bailout exec pay by 90 percent (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Key senators may rebuff Obama on health care (AP/GOPUSA.com)

U.S. health care tab would grow under overhaul (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Education chief calls for teacher prep overhaul (AP/GOPUSA.com)

CDC concedes vaccine production behind schedule (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary:

Obama Bails Out When Asked About Fox News (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

The Real Flaw: Fox Is A No Fawn Zone (Debra Saunders/GOPUSA.com)

Obama Hits Opponents With Chicago Brass Knuckles (Michael Barone/GOPUSA.com)

Justice Department: Blacks MUST Have Democrat Label To Know How To Vote (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

Annotations & Elucidations 

Story Telling Time For Kaine And Shannon

More of the same in state news today, except for one article, so we added lots of commentary and news on national goings on. A great cadre of writers, from Michele Malkin to Walter Williams to Thomas Sowell weigh in on issues of the day. Malkin and Tasha Easterling take on the White House for taking on Fox News in the digital-era of enemies lists. Dick Morris and Eileen McGann look at the Obama weapon of choice — pessimism. Plus, there are several news stories on health care legislation (children are defined as being as old as 27), praise for homosexuality, opposition to praise for the “Obama song,” Bible verse bans and an update on a girl who has accepted Christ and run away from her Muslim parents. 

Now, about that one article on state news: It seems that DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is at it again, using state time and offices to advance political causes — this time, to help Democrat attorney general candidate, Delegate Steve Shannon, re-write recent history. Either way it’s a Kaine boo-boo: If Kaine’s story is true, he’s helping Shannon in a dubious way. If it isn’t true, then Kaine and Shannon have concocted a story to cover up for Shannon’s lack of depth in understanding the impact of the Melendez-Diaz decision on Virginia, and the need for this summer’s special session.

News:

McDonnell up by 7 points in poll (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Poll: McDonnell maintains lead in race for governor (Northern Virginia Daily)

Virginia Governor Election: McDonnell 50%, Deeds 43% (RasmussenReports.com)

Governor acknowledges talks with attorney general candidate (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

McDonnell says he won’t renew ban on discrimination against gays (Lynchburg News & Advance) 

Deeds and McDonnell Target McDonnell Image (Washington Post)

Mudslinging starts in 51st District race (InsideNoVa.com)

National News:

House bill would require ‘kids’ to be covered to age 27 (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Health care legislation back behind closed doors (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

Bible verse ban spawns ‘wave of support for Christ’ (OneNewsNow.com)

State custody step for Rifqa “just a guise’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Parents voice opposition to Obama ‘praise song’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Homosexuality not a ‘civil right’ (OneNewsNow.com)

Commentary:

Who’s Behind the White House War on Fox News? (Michele Malkin/GOPUSA.com)

White House Goes After Fox News (Tasha Easterling/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Pessimism: Obama’s Political Ally (Dick Morris & Eileen McGann/GOPUSA.com)

Magic Numbers In Politics: Part II (Thomas Sowell/GOPUSA.com)

Academic Dishonesty (Walter Williams/GOPUSA.com)

Lurching toward Sodom  and Gomorrah (Bryan Fischer/Rightly Concerned Blog)

Wealth Redistribution On Steroids (David Limbaugh/GOPUSA.com)

First we announced the blockbuster news that the keynote speaker at our Annual Gala on Monday, October 26, would be former Arkansas governor and Fox News host Mike Huckabee, whom you can hear in an exclusive interview at 5:30 this afternoon (or on archive, later) by clicking here. (For more information, click here.)

Now we have are proud to announce that our musical guest will be none other than Springsteen! No, this isn’t a cheap trick, where we will use a projection program to simulate an in-person appearance. This will be the real, live thing!

As those who were born in the USA, a land of hope and dreams, we don’t want our principles to fade away. We believe that better days are ahead for the American land. It’s not a leap of faith to believe that glory days await for those willing to stand up and fight for our principles. We weren’t born to run, we were born to stand! So, we bring you Springsteen! That’s Alana Springsteen. The eight-year-old extraordinary talent is going to sing the national anthem to kick off the Gala. Check out this phenom at her Web site, here. 

Governor Huckabee isn’t the only national media figure who speak at the Gala. Bishop Earl Jackson also will join us. Bishop Jackson, former director of the Christian Coalition’s Samaritan Purse, is a nationally recognized pro-family leader who appears regularly on national television. Joining him in the program are Speaker of the House of Delegates Bill Howell (R-28, Fredericksburg) and Delegate Mark Cole (R-88, Fredericksburg), who will make a special presentation.

More than 1,100 seats now are reserved and space is running short, so if you haven’t reserved your seat please do so today as we may reach capacity soon! We have contracted with the Richmond Marriott, directly across the street from the Gala’s venue, the Greater Richmond Convention Center, for a block of rooms for Gala guests. To make reservations for the significantly discounted group rate, please contact the Marriott at 1-800-228-9290 and mention The Family Foundation Gala. For questions, or to register by phone, please call The Family Foundation at 1-804-343-0010, or e-mail dan@familyfoundation.org for more details.

By any objective measure, the best and most loved speech at the Republican Party of Virginia Convention in late May was not given by any of the statewide candidates, Congressmen or members of the General Assembly, nor even conservative radio and Fox News commentator Sean Hannity. It was by the Commander of the VPI Corps of Cadets Adnan Barqawi. He simply brought down the house with several thunderous standing ovations with a talk that was at once humorous, stirring, patriotic, enlightening and unapologetic about his legal immigration to America, values, love of country, America’s place and meaning in the world, freedom and assimilation (as opposed to the hyphenization society so many foist on us today).

If you haven’t seen his speech, we encourage you to watch it by clicking here.

Of course, if you saw it live and want to see it again or share it with others, we highly encourage that, too. But if that isn’t enough, Barqawi has accepted an invitation to speak at the 38th Annual National Conservative Fourth of July Soiree. If you haven’t been to this event before and haven’t made Independence Day plans yet, you owe it to yourself to attend. The Soiree is one huge family picnic gone the good kind of wild, with hundreds of conservatives from all over the mid-Atlantic and beyond who come for the day and then to see the D.C. fireworks at night (or other sight seeing).

The event features barbecue food, a patriotic band, plenty of entertainment for children (including a petting zoo) and the opportunity to make numerous new friends — and it’s free! (Guests are requested to bring a dish of food to share). Plus, this year, it will have what surely will be another unforgettable speech by the very impressive young leader, Adnan Barqawi. The festivities will be held from Noon to 4:30 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, just west of Washington off I-66.

The Soiree is hosted by conservative stalwart Morton Blackwell and the Leadership Institute, a conservative continuing education center that trains conservatives in political, campaign, public policy and communications strategies. For more information on the Soiree, simply click here to visit its Web site.

Who recently said that marriage between one man and one woman is the “traditional and universally recognized form of marriage”? If you guessed Carrie Prejean, who lost her Miss California crown last week (see Fox News) — after pageant officials said she could keep it — for speaking out in favor of traditional marriage, or some right-wing Christian fanatic you are . . . wrong.

However, if you guessed Tony West — Ding! Ding! Ding! — You win.

Who’s Tony West? He is the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and he filed the legal brief defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act in federal court June 11 (see here). The Obama administration, in fact, is asking the federal court to dismiss the case, brought on by a “married” homosexual pair.

Now, major homosexual special interest groups are going ballistic, with a leader of one blasting the president in a personal letter (see Wall Street Journal). Not only that, but the New York Times is steaming mad, too. The poor president can’t get a break. 

In the brief, the administration sounds as right-wing crazy as the 57 percent of Virginians who voted for our Marriage Amendment, unintended consequences and all:

In allowing each State to withhold its recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, Congress was merely confirming longstanding conflict-of-laws principles in a valid exercise of its express power to settle such questions under the Full Faith and Credit Clause. That Clause ensures that each State retains the authority to decline to apply another State’s law when it conflicts with its own public policies. DOMA is fully consistent with that constitutional principle, as it permits States to experiment with and maintain the exclusivity of their own legitimate public policies — such as whether that State chooses to recognize or reject same-sex marriages. Similarly, in relation to plaintiffs’ purported “right to travel” claim, DOMA simply does not impinge upon anyone’s ability to travel among the States. Again, it merely permits each State to follow its own policy with respect to marriage.

Although the administration says it wants to repeal DOMA legislatively, it also says that while it is still the law, it is constitutional, and must be defended. Admittedly, this position is surprising coming from a president who, as a law professor, said restraints had to be put on the Constitution (hear for yourself) and believes in courts making policy rather than inerpreting the law, but it is refreshing — and correct — nonethesame.

It’s also fun to see liberals disillusioned with their ”anointed one” whom they unceasingly, thoughtlessly adore. A little wedge on the left is never bad.

Now the Obama administration has itself in a pretzel, not only casting doubt on his sincerity on homosexual “rights” (he’s abandoned other promises as well), but establishing a precedent for defending laws it disagrees with by abandoning its advocacy of judicial activism. That said, we doubt it has established a pattern, but will still watch whether the administration continues this intellectual honesty regarding the proper roles of the legislative and judicial branches.

As mentioned in the previous post, there was a shocking result Tuesday night in Alexandria: A Republican, Frank Fannon IV, and a GOP-endorsed independent, Alicia Hughes (a former Miss Black USA), won seats on the city council by defeating Democrat incumbents (see Washington Post). Hughes, a federal government patent attorney, could not run as a partisan because of the Hatch Act.

It was the first Republican election victory to the Alexandria City Council since 2000 (Alexandria Times, here). That’s right — Democrats had whitewashed Republicans ever since. If this was Little League, they would have invoked the ”mercy rule” long ago.

Of course, many, including GOP establishment types, are tripping all over themselves to talk about a nascent Republican ripple in Northern Virginia, after this and a Fairfax special election win in March, as well as two nail-bitingly close special election losses early this year. Meanwhile, Fox News and Weekly Standard pundit Mary Katherine Ham had her own, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, take (here).

But what caught our eye is not what the Republicans have learned since November or what new campaign techniques they’re using to counter the much advanced Democrats, as fascinating as that is (see Alexandria Gazette here), it’s what Democrat gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran must learn before the June primary.

As Jim Geraghty of National Review’s Campaign Spot blog writes:

“There are also some interesting signals about the upcoming gubernatorial primary and general election. Ginsberg worked a polling place yesterday, and said he saw a supporter of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe handing out literature — but not one for the candidate with the local roots, Moran. ‘I don’t know to what extent the Moran people were working the polls for this election, but this result, coupled with the race for his state House seat, should be reason for some concern on his part.’”

The seeming paradox here is that as Moran as moved further and further to the left (see here), perhaps the most liberal locality in the Commonwealth is edging —granted, at an Eastern Box Turtle’s pace — to the middle. Beside last night, his Democrat successor retained his House seat by a mere 16 votes in a January special election. So, if his liberal message isn’t resonating there, where will it? Furthermore, whether he wins the Democrat nomination or not, will his campaign have pulled the Dems too far left, even for certain portions of blue Virginia? It all remains to be seen, of course, but the interim trends are fascinating.

In today’s News Stand we learn that late-term abortions are bad (of course), that lawmakers learned transparency is good (about time), Terry McAuliffe can raise tanker ships of money (not surprising), and that Republicans love a good fight, especially when it’s among themselves (history always repeats itself). It’s all for the learning. Enjoy.

News:

Late-Term Abortion Provider on Trial for Allegedly Aborting Fetuses Illegally (FoxNews.com)

Va. lawmakers find transparency is good for government, politics (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Hearing Tests Political Wills (Harrisonburg Daily News-Record)

Now that we’ve got the stimulus, what to do with it? (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) 

GOP chairman unsurprised Republican congressmen seek his ouster (Richmond Times-Dispatch) 

Va. GOP Leader Tightens His Grip (Washington Post) 

Speaker Howell calls for Frederick’s ouster (BearingDrift.com)

Fundraiser McAuliffe fills his war chest (Washington Times)

Fairfax Election Shifted Course (Washington Post)

The Clintons are looking to expand their political empire into Virginia. While most thought the 2009 Democrat nomination for governor would be between two established Virginia pols, Delegate Brian Moran (D-46, Alexandria) and Senator Creigh Deeds (D-25, Bath), it looks like a complete outsider to Old Dominion politics, Terry McAuliffe, the very top Clinton lieutenant — he was handpicked by Bill to run the DNC and was Hillary’s presidential campaign chairman — wants to usurp the nomination from both Moran and Deeds. McAuliffe, a native New Yorker, while never active in Virginia politics, doubtless is familiar to many, showing up on any and all political television shows, even on Fox News (to the chagrin of The Angry Left).

While he’s floated the idea for some time, he pretty much gave away his intentions last night to a Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter:

McAuliffe, 51, who lives in McLean, is considering seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2009. He said he will make a decision after the Nov. 4 election, but he indicated he likely would run.

So, the Clintons want to creep into Virginia? Arkansas and New York aren’t enough. There is a method to the madness here: Hillary lost the Virginia primary, huge. But suppose the Democrat presidential nomination is open again in 2012? Having a friendly governor here to swing Virginia’s Democrat delegates her way would be significant. All of a sudden, Delegate Moran and Senator Deeds have a lot more to be concerned about than only each other.

McAuliffe has his baggage, though. He’s never been fully vetted by the Mainstream Media for a get-rich-quick scheme in the Global Crossing bankruptcy scandal; and the media, for all his thousands of appearances on their networks, have never questioned him about the widely known Teamsters money laundering scheme he hatched; nor have authorities fully investigated him for it, even though several Teamster bosses went down for their participation. (Maybe because it was during Bill’s presidency?) Other McAuliffe money scandals, where he enriched himself, are well documented here, at Counter Punch. He’s escaped scrutiny thus far. Charmed? Or just well protected?

But does he want to risk all of it coming out in a gubernatorial campaign to a state he has little connection? For Clinton creep, apparently yes.