The "Joe the plumber" white lie!

Obama told a little white lie last night at the debate. He said, “Now, the conversation I had with Joe the plumber, what I essentially said to him was, ‘Five years ago, when you were in a position to buy your business, you needed a tax cut then, and what I want to do is to make sure that the plumber, the nurse, the firefighter, the teacher, the young entrepreneur who doesn’t yet have money, I want to give them a tax break now.”

But if you listen to what he said, he never mentioned anything about 5 years to Joe the Plumber. If you listen carefully to what Obama is saying, however, you do hear that he wants to give the wealth to people who make less than Joe does...just give it to them. Don't believe me, check out the video for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAfGAcz4eY

"Spread the wealth around...?" Hmmm, isn't that rather socialist?

Yet, Obama maintains his socialist stand, even during the debate! As a taxpayer, I don't want my hard earned money going to people who sat on their collective butts and didn't earn it. A vote for McCain is a vote for common sense, and not socialist programs that are foreign, and should stay foreign to this country and what it stands for!

Associations and relations do matter, Mr. Obama!

Sen. Obama keeps trying to brush off the reports of his associations and relations to people involved in one form of terrorism or another. If you don't think this matters so much, senator, what kind of character does that show on your part? I sit here watching the final debate, and any time these associations are mentioned by Senator McCain, Obama stutters, stammers, and makes excuses.

Watch the video I am including here, and you will see for yourselves why associations matter. I hope and pray that you come to understand why Obama is a very dangerous candidate for president!The Video that could cost Obama the election

Here we go again!

So, come to find out that Fred Phelps has opened his mean and ugly mouth.  In an online rant he says that "God hates Nebraska." and all because of those wrestlers who were caught in the online gay porn site.

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Mr. Phelps, you need to stop preaching!  You have it all wrong, sir!  God doesn't hate Nebraska.  God hates men like you who preach that He is hateful, vindictive, and vengeful.  You're not preaching the real gospel.  You leave out God's grace and mercy for every person on this planet!  You are bastardizing the Gospel because of your intolerance and hatred of homosexuals.  It isn't god that hates them...it's you, Mr. Phelps.  Stop misrepresenting God, go read your bible...really read it...and come back when you can teach God's grace and mercy as much as you can His hatred of sin.  Until then, go work at a hardware store or something and get out of the preaching/protest business. 

 

I think, Mr. Phelps, if you read the four Gospels, and read how Jesus reacted to the Pharisees, you might see yourself in those Pharisees.  You ought to, anyway, but probably never will.

 

I don't claim to be a perfect person, and I have my own prejudices and biases.  Yet, in my humanity, I find I can't even think about you, Mr. Phelps without becoming thoroughly angry.  Keep misrepresenting God and He will strike you, Fred, I just know it.  I can only pray that you will repent of your bitter, angry and vindictive portrayal of God and come to see that God is just, but He is also gracious and merciful.

 

As angry as you make me, Mr. Phelps, I also believe that if you repent and are truly sorry for the vitriol you put out there, God will be merciful to you as well.  Give up your doctrine of hatred and anger and God will shed His grace on you.

 

 

Pride, small things, and the parable of the talents.

Matthew 25

 

15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 In like manner he also who got the two gained another two.
18 But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 "Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.
20 He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.'
21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
22 "He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.'
23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
24 "He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.
25 I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'
26 "But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.
27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.
28 Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away.
30 Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

 

 

What are you praying for?  A friend's job situation? Healing for a sick relative?

 

These are not bad things to pray for.  I am not attempting to discourage them.  But in amongst all those prayers are you asking that God empower and enable you to witness to the stranger on the street?  Are you praying that God break your stubborn, foolish pride where it comes to witnessing?

Now, the breaking of pride seems like a big thing, but if we look at things in context, the act of praying for that breaking, of praying that we be a better witness in our towns, cities and wherever we go should, actually, be a small thing...and yet it is something we should do as often as possible.  

 

I know that, for me, the idea of witnessing brings up an issue I have a very tough time with: being different. I think we all know that fear of witnessing to someone we've never met and having them look at us like we're space aliens who just landed in front of them, space ship and all.  We aren't comfortable with being seen as different.  We want to blend in...just melt into and become part of the scenery.

 

God, however, wants us to be set apart from the world...to be different from everyone else.  God wants us out of our comfort zones. I don't know about you, but that makes me a bit edgy and uncomfortable. As it is, I struggle with being seen as different because, growing up, I used to wear thick glasses and didn't see as well as all the other kids.  This got me branded as different.  As most of you know, peer pressure can make kids behave very cruelly. The pressure to conform...to blend in with the other kids can be overwhelming.  I grew to really resent being seen as that which I was...different.  By nature of who I am, I didn't automatically blend in with the other kids.  Things they thought were cool I found to be dumb or uninteresting. Things I thought to be cool, other kids thought to be lame and stupid.

 

Well, as a Christian, my world view is different, and those who don't believe in Christ see my faith as lame and stupid. I am far too aware of this, and that is what has kept me from not only witnessing to others, but praying for the empowerment and enabling to witness to others from God and His Holy Spirit!

 

As I said, praying for this power ought to be a small thing.  In the parable of the talents, which I quoted above, Jesus tells us that if we are faithful with small things, with a few things, he will entrust us with larger things:

 

His lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord.
Matthew 25:21

 

So, should we be surprised when our ministry flounders and we discover that we haven't been faithful with a small thing such as praying for power, courage and whatever else we require to be a powerful witness for Christ?  Is it any wonder that our spiritual engine seems to be stalling when it comes to ministry and we find that we haven't been faithful with the small things?  I beseech you that if God puts it on your heart, you pray for the boldness and courage to witness and the discernment of the times and places God wants you to witness.  Pray that you might be broken of your selfish pride.  Pray that you become able to witness despite that part of you that is all too keenly aware that the rest of the world thinks faith is folly.  Remember that to love Christ and not testify to that love is the true folly.

 

Lord, enable us all with your Holy Spirit.  Make us all bold witnesses to you and your grace and mercy...wherever we may be!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why the price isn't right!

Exodus 22

 

25 "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor; neither shall you charge him interest.

26 If you take your neighbor's garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down,

27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.

 

Exodus 23

 

10 "For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase,

11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove.

12 "Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the alien may be refreshed.

 

Leviticus 19

 

9 And when you get in the grain from your land, do not let all the grain be cut from the edges of the field, or take up what has been dropped on the earth after the getting in of the grain.

10 And do not take all the grapes from your vine-garden, or the fruit dropped on the earth; let the poor man, and the man from another country, have these: I am the Lord your God.

 

As I pointed out in my last entry, we Americans are living in a land of excess.  Yet we have hundreds upon hundreds of people starving.  The poor are not adequately taken care of.  If they are, it is for the sake of appearances:  "Look at the wonderful things I do for the poor!", or political expediency: "Joe candidate was seen serving soup at the local soup kitchen." (which is often done for a mere photo opportunity, not because Joe Candidate really cares about the poor).

 

Our country, our society, sadly, is working on creating more poor, starving people in a way that is sad, sickening, and just plain confusing.  I am sure I am not the only consumer asking why we are paying nearly $4 per one gallon of milk and nearly three and a half dollars for a carton of one dozen large, grade AA eggs.  Why are prices so high?  I know there are a number of economic factors involved, but that doesn't mean it makes sense to me, or for that matter seems right.  Is the old saying true?  Are the rich getting richer and the poor getting pooer?  If so, this is further evidence that we have turned our collective back on God as a country, and are walking further and further from His grace.  I, personally, am of the opinion that there is a level at which these high prices are a sin.  They are a sin because as a result of these astronomical prices, there are families that cannot put a meal on the table. There are single mothers wondering where their next meal will come from.  

 

We have been told by Jesus, Himself, to feed the poor, visit the sick and imprisoned, and yet all we can do is think of ourselves.  That is, those who aren't living in obedient surrender to the Lord Jesus.  Those who live their lives in surrender to Jesus know that it is up to us to do these things or face certain consequences:

Matthew 25

 

31 But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then will he be seated in his glory:

32 And before him all the nations will come together; and they will be parted one from another, as the sheep are parted from the goats by the keeper.

33 And he will put the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

34 Then will the King say to those on his right, Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was:

35 For I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in;

36 I had no clothing, and you gave it to me: when I was ill, or in prison, you came to me.

37 Then will the upright make answer to him, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food, and give it to you? or in need of drink, and give it to you?

38 And when did we see you wandering, and take you in? or without clothing, and give it to you?

39 And when did we see you ill, or in prison, and come to you?

40 And the King will make answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

41 Then will he say to those on the left, Go from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is ready for the Evil One and his angels:

42 For I was in need of food, and you gave it not to me; I was in need of drink, and you gave it not to me:

43 I was wandering, and you took me not in; without clothing, and you gave me no clothing; ill, and in prison, and you came not to me.

44 Then will they make answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food or drink, or wandering, or without clothing, or ill, or in prison, and did not take care of you?

45 Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment; but the upright into eternal life.

 

I admonish those of you for whom paying $3.18 or so for one dozen eggs is nothing like a hardship to buy two dozen eggs.  Keep one for yourself, and find someone in need and give them the second dozen. Don't do it to make yourself look good.  Don't do it to assuage some sense of guilt.  Rather, do it because Jesus asked you to and you love Him enough to be obedient.

 

If I sound like I am crying out "Repent, America, repent! ", well, I am.  I am burdened in my heart with the sense that our country, so richly blessed has gotten too comfortable, too apathetic, too lazy, an d has forgotten just where those blessings have come from.  We are moving in directions that may very well lead to God removing His hand of blessing from us.  In many ways it's as if He has already lifted a finger or two of that hand away from us.  We need to return to Him before it is too late.

  

United States of Excess.

James 2

 

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

16 and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you didn't give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

 

America is a very blessed country. God, in giving us freedom, has provided far more food, clothing and other things than we ever will truly be able to use. Sadly, there are those in our country who are starving, without homes, without even the barest necessities for survival.  Are we called to look at them, shout epithets and crass, throwaway phrases like "Get a job, you bum!"? Not if we are the God-fearing Christians we claim to be. Poll after poll states that somewhere around 80% of Americans claim to be Christian.  Where are the examples, though. Alas, too many "Christians" either fall into the category of those who have a spoken faith, which is to say they are merely self-proclaimed Christians who are not living the life of a real Christian.  They are talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

 

            This wouldn't be so tragic if if it weren't for the evidence of our excess and how we are drowning in it. We have fast food restaurants on nearly every block of our cities and towns.  We have buffet restaurants galore, and any number of other restarurants, diners, pizza places and other food outlets with which to gorge ourselves to oblivion. Yet, out on the streets, out on the highways and byways there are people wondering when they will have their next meal and where it will come from.

            So, yes, we are blessed, but we are not properly sharing the blessings.  Jesus pointed out the error of this, the error of not feeding the poor and what the consequences would be:

 

Luke 16

 

20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.

23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

24 He cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.'

25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.

26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

27 "He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house;

28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment.'

29 "But Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'

30 "He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

31 "He said to him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.'"

 

Jesus also knew that this was a direct consequence of the fact that no one would willingly listen to His own words.  He admonished them knowing full well that few, if any would follow in obedience and make sure that the poor were fed, clothed and sheltered.

            Imagine what it would be like if the owners of all the various buffet restaurants, fast food chains, and other eating establishments took the excess from their kitchens and rather than throwing it all away as is the practice, they went out and distributed it to the poor, needy and hungry. It would revolutionize our country, and it would, more importantly please our Lord, Jesus.  That said, however, this would have to be done with the proper motives.  Forget doing this to make Taco Bell, McDonalds or Pizza Hut look good.  How about doing it because of the abundant love we received from God in the person of Jesus Christ?  How about feeding the poor because God showed us grace?

 

Romans 5

 

8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him.    

 

But that's the problem with America. God, apparently, has been left in the dust of our pursuit of self.  Everyone seems to be out for number one!  At the rate we are going as a nation, we are not just asking for God to remove His hand of blessing, but almost begging for it.    We turn our backs on God and then have the tamarity to bitterly wonder why it is He seems to have turned his back on us?

 

For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.

Luke 9:26

 

We have a long way to go as a country, and we will never arrive at the place we need to be without God.  If this country is ever going to change, if we are ever going to see to it the poor are properly fed and clothed, we must surrender to the transforming power of God!

 

 

 

Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2

 

"Submitted for your approval."

If you are as old as I am, or older, you are familiar with Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" in which the host, Mr. Serling, would open a lot of his stories with the phrase that titles this blog entry...."submitted for your approval."

 

Well, in the case of this blog entry and all the ones to follow, I am submitting it for God's approval.

As I say in the newly edited introduction, this blog is undergoing a transformation.  I plan to use it to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  In past entries I have talked about proclaiming the truth...well the most important truth I know is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God!  It is only through Jesus and his atoning sacrifice that any of us can ever get to Heaven. 

 

Now, you're wondering to yourself "Okay, then, why the new name for the blog itself?"

That's relatively easy!  It has to do with one of my favorite passages from the Gospel of John:

John 9

 

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.
4 I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man's eyes with the mud,
7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent"). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.
8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, "Isn't this he who sat and begged?"
9 Others were saying, "It is he." Still others were saying, "He looks like him." He said, "I am he."
10 They therefore were asking him, "How were your eyes opened?"
11 He answered, "A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.' So I went away and washed, and I received sight."

Being totally blind, I have a certain attachment to this passage, especially since I first really heard it right after losing the vast majority of my vision to a retinal detachment. 

One of the things about this passage that has always stuck with me, though, is the name of the pool and its meaning..."sent."  This is significant on a number of levels.

 

1. Jesus was sent by God to save us, to die for us, and to love us.

 

2.  We who believe in Jesus and try to live in obedience to Him are sent out into the world to proclaim His good news...his Gospel.  Yes, we are sent, blind and sighted alike, deaf or hearing, disabled in any manner or perfectly able, to proclaim His gospel, His grace, and His mercy. 

 

In my case, however, I haven't been doing a lot of proclaiming.  None that is directly tied to the Gospel of Jesus Christ at any rate.  God, of late, had been left out of the equation.  Events in my life have, consequently, brought me around to where I began to realize that God wasn't the factor in my life He should be...I wasn't surrendering my life to Him.  So, I am proactively changing that.  As part of that, I decided to surrender this blog to His desires for it...for the opportunity to proclaim His truth in all its forms!  I know the labels this will get thrust upon me, but I can handle that. As the Apostle Paul says:

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes;
Romans 1:16

 

Blessings to you one and all. 

 

In the name above all names, Jesus Christ,

 

Alan Wheeler

  

Ricky!

Between our society and our justice system something has really run amuck! I am all for rapists, pedophiles and other perverts being put in jail where they belong. I am also for protecting our children from such people. Having a child...okay, a teenager...labeled as a sex offender and lumped in with dangerous predators is just wrong. The below link tells the story of a friend's son. He was just doing what guys his age do. He was deceived by the girl about his age, and is now paying much higher a price than he should, honestly, be paying.

http://www.rickyslife.com

As you will see, something needs to be done! Our laws need changing and kids like Ricky need to be free to be teens without worrying about being wrongly stigmatized for life.

More thoughts about TV and "amusing ourselves to death"

In past entries, I have discussed the book “amusing ourselves to death” by Neil Postman.  I questioned his premise, even though I saw the potential for him to be right on target.  Something I read in the textbook for my political science class has me seeing even more clearly that he is right, we’re on a dangerous path.

 

The text book, “The Promise and Performance of American Democracy” by Jon R. Bond and Kevin B. Smith discusses how television has had an impact on the electoral process.  The prime example being that the GOP (Republican Party) changed its convention role call, done in one night, to spread it over several nights?  Why?  Because of the national TV coverage.  In other words, tradition gave way to playing for the camera.  It isn’t a part of the political process any more as much as an attempt at a television event.

 

I know this isn’t a drastic change in the discourse involved in the convention process, let alone the political process and the process of electing a president, but it is part of a larger phenomenon. 

 

That phenomenon is to get the whole process palatable for the TV viewing audience.  I’m waiting for “American Idol” to become “American President” with Simon replaced by, say, Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin.

 

I’ll be the first to admit, I struggle with any kind of change.  As it is, the whole world has changed drastically in the few short decades during which I have grown up.  To see a change in something for the sake of a television audience, though, is a bit too much for me.  TV should be there to display it to the world, not indirectly or inadvertently mold it to be suitable for broadcast.

 

I used to roll my eyes and sigh with exasperation whenever I heard TV called “the opiate of the masses.”  People borrow the term that Karl Marx used to describe religion, and they borrow it to describe TV and the viewing habits it creates.  I thought that was a bit ridiculous for the longest time.  TV wasn’t going to lead to some Huxlian brave new world, either…not in my book.

 

Well, I am editing that “book” because I am seeing where it could very easily come to pass.  If we’re changing aspects of the political process, even trivial ones, to make it TV-worthy, how soon will it be before the aspects we change become less trivial and more significant?  How long will it take before the electoral process is done by viewers phoning in their votes to “American President”?

 

I could even potentially see someone deciding that perhaps TV is the way to draw younger voters…televise the whole presidential election process from start to finish, dramatize it, throw in some music by currently popular music artists, and bam!  Presidential election in the “real world.”

 

Okay, I realize that this would be a dramatic violating of constitutional principles, and hopefully our country, our society would never let it get that far.  That said, however, if the opiate known as television lulls enough people into a viewing coma, it could very well happen.

 

Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that TV is pure evil.  It has good and bad qualities, just as everything in life does.  I guess I just wonder if maybe Neil Postman was more accurate in his premise than I once thought.  For that matter, maybe even Roger Water’s words inspired by Postman’s book are accurate and some race of extraterrestrials will come along, and they will have the equivalent of anthropologists that discover that we, literally, amused ourselves to death.

 

 

Where is the outrage?

Have Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin read the below article?  If so, where is the outrage?  I know I am outraged.  If we let McCain in as president, it's as bad as allowing Hilary in, if you ask me.  But, oh no!  The radio talkers want to gloss this over because they were focused on Romney being their candidate.  Where did that get them?  Huckabe was the best option, and now they're saying it is impossible.  More on how that is wrong later.  First, read and be angered.  McCain funded by liberals?  Unbelieveable!

 

John McCain funded by Soros since 2001
Candidate's Reform Institute also accepted funds from Teresa Kerry

---

Posted: February 12, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

George Soros

As Sen. John McCain assumes the GOP front-runner mantle, his long-standing, but little-noticed association with donors such as George Soros and Teresa Heinz Kerry is receiving new attention among his Republican critics.

In 2001, McCain founded the Alexandria, Va.-based Reform Institute as a vehicle to receive funding from George Soros' Open Society Institute and Teresa Heinz Kerry's Tides Foundation and several other prominent non-profit organizations.

McCain used the institute to promote his political agenda and provide compensation to key campaign operatives between elections.

In 2006, the Arizona senator was forced to sever his formal ties with the Reform Institute after a controversial $200,000 contribution from Cablevision came to light. McCain solicited the donation for the Reform Institute using his membership on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, he supported Cablevision's push to introduce the more profitable al la carte pricing, rather than packages of TV programming.

 

 

Yet, the Reform Institute still employs the McCain campaign's Hispanic outreach director, Juan Hernandez, as a senior fellow of its Comprehensive Immigration Reform Initiative.

As WND reported, Hernandez serves as a non-paid volunteer for the McCain campaign. A dual Mexican-U.S. citizen, he was a member of former President Vicente Fox's cabinet, representing an estimate 24 million Mexicans living abroad. Hernandez, with a "Mexico first" message, has argued aggressively against building a fence on the Mexican border, insisting the frontier needed to remain wide open so illegal immigrants could easily enter the U.S.

The July 6, 2001, homepage of the Reform Institute archived on the Internet lists founder McCain as chairman of the group's advisory committee.

Prominent senior officials on the McCain 2008 presidential campaign staff found generously paid positions at the Reform Institute following the senator's unsuccessful run for the White House in 2000.

Rick Davis, McCain's current campaign manager, was paid $110,000 a year by the Reform Institute for a consulting position, according to the group's 2003 Form 990 filing with the IRS.

In 2004, Davis advanced to the position of Reform Institute president, with an annual salary of $120,000, according to the group's 2004 Form 990.

In 2005, Davis remained president, but his salary dropped back to $45,000 a year, with a time commitment of five hours per week, according the 2005 Form 990.

Carla Eudy, a senior advisor on McCain's 2008 presidential campaign who until recently headed fundraising, was paid $177,885 in 2005 to serve as the Reform Institute's secretary-treasurer.

Other McCain presidential campaign staffers who have found employment at the Reform Institute include Trevor Potter, McCain's 2000 legal counsel, and Crystal Benton, the senator's former press secretary, who served as institute's communications director in 2005 for an annual salary of $52,083.

The Reform Institute regularly has supported McCain in various legislative efforts, including on campaign finance reform, global warming and "comprehensive immigration reform," all efforts widely opposed by many in the party's conservative base.

Arianna Huffington, syndicated columnist and creator of the HuffingtonPost.com, has served on the Reform Institute's advisory committee since the group's inception.

According to FrontPage Magazine, Teresa Heinz Kerry has provided more than $4 million to the Tides Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by anti-war activist Drummond Pike in 1976 with a history of funding causes such as abortion, homosexual-rights activism and open borders.

Financial contributors while McCain was chairman of the Reform Institute also have included the Educational Foundation of America, a group that supports abortion and opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.

The Soros-Kerry funding connection with McCain was first exposed by Ed Morrissey at the Captains Quarters blog in 2005.

Subsequently, David Horowitz's DiscoverTheNetworks.org website and Michelle Malkin's blog gave renewed attention to the Reform Institute's funding ties.

Media wishing to interview the author of this article, please e-mail Tim Bueler.

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Okay, so I don't have to say that what you read above, about McCain is wrong for McCain on so many levels.  If he really wants the conservatives that he needs to win so badly, he better distance himself from this and quick!

 

Now, as to how Huckabee can win, and the concept of him winning being a mathematical impossibility is so wrong-headed, watch the following You Tube video.  You'll see how possible it is. HucksArmy.com put this out, and it makes sense to me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCFrCIt1aas

 

I understand wanting to stop Hilary as Sean hannity wants to do, believe me, that's my goal, too.  I fear, however, in his quest to do so, he lost sight of the candidate we should have been supporting all along...Mike Huckabee.

 

 

 

Graduating from the electoral college.

Before I raise the question on my mind, let me say that I have no real opinion, especially since it is something I have only just begun to ponder.

 

As anyone who knows American history knows, the electoral college was put in place by the founding fathers for checks and balances in elections by the people.

 

Here we are in the 21st Century and in the midst of a presidential election that is, so far, showing no clear cut front-runners for either party.  It would seem, for a number of various reasons, that the system put in place by our founding fathers is becoming less effective, reliable and also less trusted.

 

Have we, in this day and age, grown too big as a country for the electoral college to serve our needs?

 

In addition, are there too many people with personal agendas running for office who make the system inherently flawed?  That is to say, are candidates with truly political motives and huge "political machines" making it more difficult for the electoral college to work?

That said, however, what other system could we use?  I firmly believe in what the authors of the constitution set out to do.  Is there really a better alternative?  If so, what is it and how on earth would we implement it?

 

Okay, those are my rhetorical questions for the night.

Huckabee and Iowa.

Mike Huckabee wins Iowa!  I'm no expert, but I think I have an idea why.

 

Romni went with the negative ads.  Huckabee started to, but publicly...very publicly changed his mind.

 

Pundits thought this was a bad move, disclosing the unused ad to the press.  Wrong!  It's a little something the press demands...full disclousre.  Only problem is, when they get it, they decide they didn't get it on their terms so Huckabee must be up to something sinister.

 

Again, dead wrong.  Huckabee is just being honest, and doing so to the point that the media is befuddled.  This befuddlement comes from the fact that Huckabee is not doing politics as usual.  He is showing honest to God integrity.  I think this integrity paid off in Iowa tonight.  The American public has seen that Mike Huckabee is not politics as usual and that speaks volumes to them.  They see Romni go negative and doing all the usual political posturing and compare it to Huckabee and Governor Mike naturally becomes their champion.  This is a good thing.  The last thing this country needs is a "politics as usual" president.  Huckabee is a refreshing change, and Iowa showed us that tonight.