Thursday, January 8, 2015

WASHINGTON UPDATE 01/08/2015

The Grudge Report

Somebody needs to remind John Boehner that it's a gavel, not a hammer! Unfortunately for many of the conservatives who voted their conscience in yesterday's leadership election, that message didn't make it to the House Speaker. The Speaker used his first hours back in power to pummel members who didn't support his reelection.
After the biggest challenge to a Speaker since the Civil War, conservative rebels got a taste of Boehner's displeasure when two were knocked off key committees and another was stripped from a bill he planned to sponsor. For the 24 who stood up to the third-term Speaker, the price of principle is already swift -- and severe.
Within hours of casting their ballots, Reps. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) and Richard Nugent (R-Fla.) got the boot from the House Rules Committee, where both had served last term. Conservative Randy Weber (R-Texas), who backed fellow Texan Louie Gohmert (R) for Speaker, was informed that he'd no longer have the privilege of bringing an energy measure to the floor. "I've already lost the authorship of one bill," Weber fumed. "Look it shouldn't be that way."

For other members, payback is almost certainly on its way. That doesn't bother Congressman Scott Rigell (R-Va.), who insists that his was a "vote of conscience." "Something I share with my staff all the time," he told reporters, "is that I want to serve without fear and leave without regret."
Of course, most of the defectors went into this vote with eyes wide open, courtesy of Congressmen like Tim Huelskamp (R-Kans.), who -- like three others -- felt the stick of leadership when they voted against Boehner in 2012. This time around, the mutiny had twice as many members as two years ago, when the resistance seemed to catch Boehner off guard. "I am already hearing from my colleagues," Huelskamp said, "about retaliation against those who voted their conscience, their constituents, their principles, to change the status quo. My colleagues fully expect that. That's what they expect out of this leadership team."
And while revenge may be gratifying now, its pleasure will be short-lived. After all, these 24 members are being punished simply for listening to their constituents -- the same constituents who rewarded these GOP leaders with the control they're now abusing! If Republicans hope to preserve this new majority and expand it to the White House, they'll need to work with this expanded conservative caucus to rein in big, costly government.
I'm sure Speaker Boehner is frustrated and embarrassed by what he feels is a deep betrayal by conservatives. But the surest way to win people back is not by getting even but by getting to work rebuilding that lost trust. As the Speaker said yesterday, members are "servants in the people's House." It is their "duty and our privilege to lend a willing ear to the people…"
These members' only crime is doing exactly that: listening to the people, 60 percent of whom wanted a fresh face in the Speaker's office. For the sake of the country, let's hope the leaders' antagonism is short-lived. As Congressman Gohmert said on our radio show yesterday, "It would be a shame if the Speaker of the House who has so much power is a sore winner…"

Fire Chief Torched by Anti-Faith Mayor

Atlanta's Kelvin Cochran knows all about fire -- but being fired? That's a whole new experience -- one Cochran hopes other Christians never face. The long-time member of the city's Fire Rescue Department was forced out of the squad in a shocking display of anti-religious prejudice after a distinguished career that an appointment by the Obama administration as the U.S. Fire Administrator.
Unfortunately for Cochran, Mayor Kasim Reed seems intent on making an example of the African-American, who self-published a book -- with the permission of the mayor's office -- on biblical morality. After chatting with a handful of Christian co-workers, Kelvin offered them copies of Who Told You That You Were Naked? which includes a chapter on human sexuality that's consistent with the Bible's teaching on the subject. Despite the fact that Cochran had his superiors' approval, and despite the fact that he only gave the book to friends, he was suspended late last year -- until yesterday, when the Mayor fired him.
In one of the greater ironies of the controversy, the New York Times covered Cochran's story in today's paper, just a few pages over from an editorial in which it proclaims that there are no consequences for religious liberty in the marriage debate! It would be comical if it weren't so tragic. Meanwhile, Mayor Reed, who's feeling the heat from this firestorm, insists that Kelvin's "personal religious beliefs are not the issue" -- which is ridiculous, since that's exactly what he's being fired for!
When Cochran took the oath of office, "it ended with the phrase 'So help me God.' If glorifying God was a violation, he said, 'I should have been fired at the very end of my oath!'"
Obviously, it's one thing to use your platform to intimidate subordinates, but the idea that you should have to surrender your First Amendment rights merely for being a public servant is outrageous. What's to prevent the government from going after another employer or contractor? Clearly, the goal is to sanitize the public space of all religious content -- whether or not it's constitutional, which this is.
First, liberals wanted Americans to check our beliefs at the workplace door. Now they want us to check them at the door to our personal life. Increasingly, the expectation is that anyone in public service shouldn't serve in Sunday school, lead Bible studies, write books, or believe anything contrary to the state religion of secularism.
But contrast Cochran's experience with that of two Rhode Island firefighters. They sued the mayor and fire chief because they were forced to march in a gay pride parade in their official capacity. If anyone was imposing their beliefs on public servants, it's the Providence Fire Department! Instead, the court dismissed the Christians' case, insisting that it was a "legitimate work assignment" and not a violation of their religious beliefs. These judges seem to think it's okay to impose your views on public employees -- as long as they're liberal ones! Imagine if firefighters were ordered to join the March for Life! I'm sure pretty sure the judges would've had a different opinion.
We applaud Cochran for standing up and speaking out. Unless more people do, tolerance will continue to be a one-way street that gives liberals another avenue for running over Christians! Do your part to support Kelvin Cochran by signing FRC's petition and forwarding it to friends.

No Pain Gets Gain...

Hollywood loves reality TV, but when it comes to the reality of what happens in the country's abortion clinics, the Left would prefer to tune out. While the clinics may not all be as filthy as Kermit Gosnell's, the reality of what happens there is still the same: babies born alive die painful and violent deaths. With the images of Gosnell's victims still fresh in everyone's minds, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) hopes more Americans are ready to put an end to this suffering.
Franks, who led the charge for the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the 213th Congress, is hoping to find new momentum for his ban on abortions past five months, introducing the measure on the first day of the new Republican majority. "Knowingly subjecting our innocent unborn children to dismemberment in the womb, particularly when they have developed to the point that they can feel excruciating pain every terrible moment leading up to their undeserved deaths, belies everything America was called to be. This is not who we are," he said.
And an overwhelming number of Americans agree, lining up against the barbaric procedure. Join the movement to pass H.R. 36 by contacting your representative and urging him or her to sponsor it!

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