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We’ve staged a coup. Unfortunately, to the liberal collective’s the sigh of relief, we didn’t stack the Supreme Court with Matt and Victoria Cobb.

However, the four top ranking members of Virginia government, conservatives all — certainly to the chagrin of the liberal collective — Governor Bob McDonnell, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and House Speaker Bill Howell, all will speak at this year’s Family Foundation Advisory Council Legislative Briefing on Wednesday, February 17.

This is an exclusive annual event for our Advisory Council members. However, it shows how important Virginia’s top officials view The Family Foundation and its most generous donors (click here for the complete benefits of Advisory Council membership).

Our Advisory Council is more than just perks; its instrumental partnership significantly funds the work of the organization during the General Assembly session and year round: The legislative call to action and subsequent victories, The Truth Project training, Pastors For Family Values, local grassroots networks, your voice in the mainstream media, and much more.

For more information about The Family Foundation Advisory Council, The Advisory Council Legislative Briefing, or any of our development activities, contact Dan Thompson at 804-343-0010 or at dan@familyfoundation.org. To donate to The Family Foundation at any level, you may click here.

We just received an e-mail from Planned Parenthood. It’s oh, so heartwarming (not!) to see the abortion industry celebrate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as millions of people in Washington, D.C., today, and elsewhere, mourn the deplorable decision.

This is how they celebrate: They send an e-mail alert that lies about the content of HB 393, a bill passed on a bipartisan 16-6 vote yesterday in the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee. It would add three simple, common sense provisions to unregulated abortion centers. The bill, patroned by Delegate Matt Lohr (R-26, Harrisonburg) goes to the House floor for an up or down vote Monday (contact your delegate).

Just as during their committee testimony yesterday, the e-mail is full of lies about the bill. It’s a standard liberal tactic: The truth is whatever you say it is, no matter if what you say is no where to be found in the bill. For example, PP makes claims about “the architectural, procedural, staffing and equipment requirements of ambulatory surgery centers” which are not in the bill.

The bill mandates three simple things: licensure, an annual inspection and keeping defibrillators on premises. (There are three defibrillators in the General Assembly Building!) Nothing about building codes or staffing. In fact, in 2008, when this same bill came before the Senate Education and Health Committee, and Delegate Lohr offered the committee a substitute in full view of the committee room that specifically limited the bill to those three elements, the PP lobbyist read from her script, not deviating one second, using rote talking points about a bill 10 years old. It was the same yesterday in committee.  

So, thank you PP, for putting lies ahead of women’s safety. Below is the e-mail (apparently sent to non-Virginians as well) in which PP tells its followers how and what to say to lawmakers, word for word.

Dear xxxxx,

Today marks the 37th anniversary of Roe V. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States. Since this time, there have been numerous attempts to chip away at Roe on the local, state, and federal levels. One of the biggest threats to Roe today is decreased access to providers of first trimester abortions. In fact, 87% of counties in the United States do not have abortion providers.

Ironically, members of the Virginia House of Delegates will be voting on HB 393, Targeted Regulations for Abortion Providers, on Monday, January 25. This bill is a thinly disguised attempt to impose burdensome and unnecessary regulations on abortion providers so that the provision of services would become prohibitively expensive and thus out of reach for many women in Virginia. 

Please contact your legislator and ask him or her to OPPOSE HB 393.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):

Your Delegate (if you live in Virginia)

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Please OPPOSE HB 393, Targeted Regulations for Abortion Providers

Dear [decision maker],

I am writing to ask that you OPPOSE HB 393, Targeted Regulations for Abortion Providers. This legislation has little to do with patient safety and is instead intended to decrease access to safe abortion services in Virginia. Abortion care is already provided safely in accordance with state and federal regulatory agencies. Furthermore, the architectural, procedural, staffing and equipment requirements of ambulatory surgery centers are unrelated to the safety of first trimester abortion procedures provided in medical offices.

Compliance with these unnecessary requirements would make abortion services prohibitively expensive to provide and thus unavailable for many women in Virginia.

Please protect women’s access to reproductive health care and OPPOSE HB 393.

We learned today that the Chesapeake City Council caved to the bullying tactics of the ACLU and the so-called “Freedom From Religion Foundation” and changed their prayer policy to censor “sectarian” prayers, or prayers in Jesus name.

This is yet another disappointing case of overreacting to the threats of anti-religious bigots by an elected body that simply does not understand the law. According to the most recent federal appellate court that has reviewed all the case law in this area, neither the Supreme Court or any appellate court has mandated “non-sectarian” prayer at public meetings. It is another success case for the ACLU’s strategy of misleading the public on what the courts actually say.

Religious liberty loses again.

Annotations & Elucidations 

The Late And Washington Post Poll Edition

The big news was from the Washington Post this afternoon, when it releases its latest poll showing all three Republicans — Bob McDonnell, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and Senator Ken Cuccinelli — leading their respective races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general by nine points. The other big news today concerning the statewide races is that Cuccinelli’s opponent for attorney general, Democrat Delegate Steve Shannon, tried to emulate his gubernatorial ticket mate Creigh Deeds in question dodging (see Tertium Quids below). Who does it better? You watch. You decide.

Other than that, the debt is at third world levels, the CBO says BaucusCare is nearly as expensive, the Supreme Court hears a religious liberty case, and a more ineffective “jobs programs” is on its way. The good news is that we have some superior insights from Larry Kudlow, Michelle Malkin, Bobby Eberle, Michael Barone and Lisa Fabrizio on ObamaCare, his Olympic flame-out and political weakness, and how to create real and plenty jobs.  

News:

McDonnell Widens Lead in Virginia Governor’s Race (Washington Post)

WaPo Poll: McDonnell, Bolling, Cuccinelli all +9 (Tertium Quids Blog)

Explicit ‘Banned Book’ Infuriates Virginia Father, Leads to School Review (FoxNews.com)

Democrats beg Deeds for positive message (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

Democrats vowing to hold strong in fight for governor (Northern Virginia Daily)

Deeds avoids Obama, embraces Warner (Washington Times)

Videos Highlight Dueling Images (Washington Post)

Meanwhile, at the AG Debate . . . (Tertium Quids Blog)

Delegates candidates speak at Henrico forum (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Contrasting Candidates Enter Final Month In Race For House Of Delegates (Harrisonburg Daily News-Record)

Hurt will seek GOP nomination to challenge Perriello (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

National News:

Sharp debate at high court over cross on US land (AP/GOPUSA.com)

CBO: Budget deficit triples to record $1.4T in 2009 (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Health bill would cost $829B, cover 94 percent (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Bill increases spending on food stamps, nutrition (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Lawmaker: Cost of presidential copter tripled (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama huddles with Democratic leaders over jobs (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary:

The Mundell-Laffer Solution (Larry Kudlow/GOPUSA.com)

Weak Himself, Obama Draws Strength From Bush (Michael Barone/GOPUSA.com)

O-lympics (Lisa Fabrizio/GOPUSA.com)

Couldn’t the ‘Men in White Coats’ Just Take Obama Away? (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

Spin Doctors For Obamacare (Michelle Malkin/GOPUSA.com)

Obama’s ‘No I in Team Syndrome (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

Annotations & Elucidations 

The Return Of The Editorial Comic/Twisted Tax Logic

When a friend sent me a comic today today, I thought it would make a good addition to the blog. Then I remembered that I used to provide a link to one or more editorial comics each week. So, enjoy. You don’t even have to click a link to get to it.

The big news in the campaign today is Democrat Creigh Deeds’ continuing saga of twisted tax logic. He put up a television ad, then pulled it because he realized it didn’t make much sense for Mark Warner to talk about Deeds lowering taxes yet continuing his (Warner’s) policies (which raised them considerably). Yes, not too clear (see here).

Nationally, the Supreme Court will hear a case about Crosses in the Mojave desert. In Commentary, we have the excellent Thomas Sowell writing on the Obama administration’s reputed brilliance, Bobby Eberle about the same’s indoctrination of our children, and Bart Hinkle about property rights (or, the government trying to take them away). But, in what may be the most entertaining piece today, aside from the comic, is an article from the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot about socialists — who say they are misunderstood. Let them talk to the Obama administration.

News:

GOP candidates tout controlled spending, budget reform (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Jindal boosts McDonnell; Linwood Holton backs Deeds (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Howell decries Deeds’ tax plan for roads (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)

Deeds New Ad Makes Mark Warner a Liar, Quickly Takes it Down (BearingDrift.com)

Deeds gambles on riding Obama’s coattails (Washington Times)

Campaign issue No. 1 (Virginia Business Magazine)

House candidates face off during evening forums (The Daily Press)

Socialists say their true beliefs are being misconstrued (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot)

National News:

The Old Secular Cross? (Washington Post)

Public plan debate could pit Democrat vs. Democrat (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary:

Roanoke: Eminent-Domain Case Looks Like Kelo Redux (Bart Hinkle/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

The Brainy Bunch (Thomas Sowell/GOPUSA.com)

O.K. kids . . . Today’s lesson: Sing Praises to Obama (Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)

Editorial Cartoon:

The following comes from a President of the United Nations:

“I am going home America — farewell.

“For seventeen years I have enjoyed your hospitality, visited every one of your 50 states. I can say I know you well.

“I admire and love America. It is my second home.

“What I have to say now in parting is both a tribute and a warning: Never forget, Americans, that yours is a spiritual country.

“Yes, I know that you are a practical people. Like others, I have marveled at your factories, your skyscrapers and your arsenals.

“But underlying everything else is the fact that America began as a God-loving, God-fearing, God-worshipping people, knowing that there is a spark of the Divine in each one of us. It is the respect for dignity of the human spirit which makes America invincible. May it always endure.

“And so I say again inparting, thank you, America, and farewell. May God keep you always — and may you always keep God.”

Shocking, isn’t it, that someone associated with the United Nations could ever make such a proclamation?

Oh, I forgot to tell you, these are the words of the former president of the U.N., former Philippino delegate to the U.N. and former Ambassador to the U.S., Carlos Romulo. The words above were spoken in 1962 — just as the United States was discovering the so-called separation of church and state; just as the Supreme Court was ordering God out of schools; just as the cultural revolution of the ’60s was about to explode. 

Good thing we know better now. Good thing we didn’t listen to Mr. Romulo and “always keep God.” I mean, look how much better off our nation is today. Lots more abortion, lots more divorce, lots more out-of-wedlock births, lots more crime, lots more greed, lots more poverty, lots more of all those things that make America “progressive”! Good thing we don’t see the divine spark in each one of us — or at least not in the unborn. 

God bless America Amerika.

We don’t have a News Stand for you today, but if you take a look yesterday’s, you will see a link to a post entitled “Desperate Deeds” from Right Matters, a blog at the Washington Post, by conservative writer Ramesh Ponnuru (here). He concisely explains in six points why Democrat Creigh Deeds’ sudden, politically  eccentric attack on Republican Bob McDonnell’s pro-life positions won’t work. Here it is:

Democrat Creigh Deeds, down in the polls in the race
for governor of Virginia, has decided to campaign against Republican Robert McDonnell for having spent too much time during his career trying to restrict abortion. Here are five reasons why this tactic is unlikely to work:

1) Most people don’t enjoy discussions of abortion, and react negatively when people bring it up. The people who vote on the issue already know where the candidates stand and aren’t going to be swayed by ads.

2) Virginia isn’t a strongly pro-choice state. Its current governor, after all, is a nominally pro-life Democrat.

3) A lot of voters know that governors can’t ban abortion — and that Democrats have the White House, the House, and the Senate, and have just made an appointment to the Supreme Court.

4) Voters have other things on their minds, such as the economy, and will find it odd for a gubernatorial candidate to be talking about something else.

5) This campaign tactic puts Deeds in an impossible position. He has to persuade the voters that the candidate who isn’t talking a lot about abortion is the one who is dangerously obsessed with the issue. Good luck with that.

So what do you think? Is Deeds making a big mistake?

Update: I should have added another one. 6) McDonnell is on the right side of public opinion on the specific legislative issues Deeds is pointing at, such as a ban on late-term abortion and a requirement for parental consent.

One can imagine the Deeds team on a conference call last week, depressed by the poll numbers, frantically searching for in issue with traction. Finding none, someone yells, “I’ve got it! Abortion!” “Right,” the others would say, “the abortion card! Let’s play it!” But it’s no winning hand, as documented here.

It’s funny: Liberals always talk about conservatives “taking us back to bad times.” But this demagoguery is the real time warp.

He hasn’t been in office for a week, yet the misfit Al Franken has reverted to form, making jokes at the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor (per AOL news wire, here). Perry Mason jokes, of all things. Probably because he’s so out of his depth he has no clue what to ask. He is a product of TV, after all, so, most likely, that’s the basis for his frame of legal and political references. What’s next, a quote from President Jed Bartlett (West Wing)?

Webster. Clay. Taft. Dirksen. Franken. Embarrassing! The dumbing down of the U.S. Senate (and the country), a monumental achievement not worthy of celebration. (If you haven’t done so, our Al Franken poll remains open. Click here to vote and comment.)

Today’s news leads off with what will increasingly lead the news — the gubernatorial campaign. In this case, a Public Policy Poll, which tracked the Democrat primary, has all three GOP candidates ahead: Gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling both are up by six points, while Attorney General candidate, Senator Ken Cuccinelli is up by seven. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and Washington Times both report. Elsewhere, somehow Sarah Palin has become an issue for McDonnell. Is Rod Blagojevich an issue for Creigh Deeds?

Today is another day where national issues and commentary are more plentiful than the state news. One report we’d like to draw your attention to has to do with the new NIH standards for embryonic stem cell research. OneNewsNow.com reports that the NIH ignored the 30,000 anti-stem cell public comments it received — out of 49,000 total — as it opened up the flood gates of embryo harvesting and sacrifice.

In Britain, meanwhile, in an attempt to reduce Europe’s highest teenage pregnancy rate, the government went about teaching students how to use condoms, spending millions of pounds. Guess what? The rate doubled.

In other news worth your read, new documents link Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor to a radical leftist agenda; a well-know black pastor says President Barack Obama has no “black experience to speak of;” and, thanks to a new ministry, military chaplains are able to get audio Gospels to our troops in the field. 

We’ve also included three Elijah Friedeman blog posts. None are long, but if you read only one, see the new television advertisemnt by Americans For Prosperity explaining the dangers of socialized medicine.

News:

Poll: McDonnell at 49% and Deeds at 43% (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Poll: McDonnell takes lead in Va. Race (Washington Times) 

Va.’s McDonnell ducks questions on Palin aid (Washington Times) 

Obama’s grass-roots network builds Va. staff to promote agenda (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Grogan will run against Loupassi (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

National News:

Public ignored; full steam ahead for embryonic sacrifice (OneNewsNow.com)

New documents connect Sotomayor to leftist agenda (AP/OneNewsNow.com)

Soldiers getting an earful of Jesus (OneNewsNow.com)

Pastor: Obama has no ‘black experience’ to speak of (OneNewsNow.com)

Commentary:

Britain Doubles Pregnancy Rates By Teaching Girls to Have Sex (American Family Association Blog)

Anti-nationalized health care ads released (Elijah Friedeman/American Family Association Blog)

The case against government run health care (Elijah Friedeman/American Family Association Blog)

Is the media starting to turn on Obama? (Elijah Friedeman/American Family Association Blog)

STATEMENT BY VICTORIA COBB, PRESIDENT OF THE FAMILY FOUNDATION OF VIRGINIA, CONCERNING TODAY’S CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT DECISION REGARDING MARRIAGE

It is always a relief, and usually a surprise, when courts do the right thing, but it is never a sure thing. The California Supreme Court today simply upheld the important right of the citizens to recognize the traditional definition of marriage, and the sanctity of the vote. It is ironic, however, that those who claim “every vote counts” are today decrying a decision that validates the voters of California.

The people of Virginia in 2006 voted overwhelmingly to protect the definition of marriage. Like California, our laws protecting marriage were at the mercy of the courts until Virginians were given the opportunity to amend the state Constitution to define marriage. Because of that vote a handful of judges should not be able to toss aside thousands of years of human history and the evidence of social science that marriage between one man and one woman is best for society, families and children.

Regardless of the unpredictability of the courts, the law in Virginia is perfectly clear — we recognize that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and that children deserve both a mom and a dad. Because of that, our children can rest easier.