It Takes A Bishop

Many of you may have noticed that for some time now this blog has taken on a kind of...Catholic flavor to it. There is a very good reason for this: I'm in RCIA classes. That is, Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, for those joining the Catholic Church.

Although I was baptized Catholic years ago, I never received my first communion in a Catholic church, nor was I confirmed. For years my soul drifted aimlessly with no church and no real knowledge of God, nor did I have any real interest for a while. More details can be found HERE if you're at all interested.

In 2000 one of my cousins died at age 29, and I traveled 2 days by car to his funeral which was held at an Episcopal Church called St. Monica's. For those who don't know, St. Monica was the mother of St. Augustine and the person who brought him back to the church. The pastor invited all who had been baptized to come up to the alter to share in the Lord's supper, so I did just that --my first ever communion at any church. That was the moment that pointed me in the right direction, though I would have many more hurdles to jump before reaching the point of no return. That's the point at which you know you now-and-always-will belong to Christ.

Since then I could never quite get myself to join any church. I was then only shopping among the Protestant ones, and although I found many I liked, I never found one where I felt at home. Plus I still had the habit from my childhood of oftentimes making the sign of the cross before and after prayer which put some protestants off, especially the Baptists.

There were many influences which lead me back to the Catholic Church: my friend and blog partner, Kevin, whom I alienated years ago and who took me back as a friend in 2006 (God bless him); Laura Ingraham (whom I've bumped into a few times) and her radio show with frequent guest Ray Arroyo of EWTN; Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia whom I have also bumped into a few times with similar results (I don't believe in coincidental encounters); an encounter with a short, old, diminutive nun at St. Patrick's in Manhattan; and Pope Benedict XVI when he visited (no I didn't bump into him) and was impressed with what he had to say.

Mainly it was the position of the Catholic Church on the life issue that drew me in. Most of the Protestant churches consider themselves pro-life on abortion, but if you visit their websites and read their stand on the issue it's rather weakly supportive. Most say they are against abortion BUT refuse to call for an all out ban, or they say abortion is bad but also understand a woman's right to kill her unborn child. For these positions I believe organized christian religion is losing its cred. So I've never felt at home in protestant churches.

The tipping point came with this ad last November from CatholicVote.com:



I kept getting goosebumps every time I'd watch it (over and over again) and see the words: 67 million Catholics in America. Every time I saw those words I knew I was, always had been, and always would be a Catholic; so at the end of November I decided to stop putting off the inevitable and make it official --I started classes.

This Easter Vigil I will receive the Sacrament of the Eucherist for the first time in a Catholic Church, and at Pentecost I will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation which until now I have put off for three decades. I should point out that most RCIA candidates will be confirmed at Easter Vigil shortly after receiving the Eucherist. But since I am a prodigal sheep (a Catholic returning to the church), the Bishop himself will have to shepherd me back into the flock. My long time friend Kevin will be sponsoring me, and my confirmation name will be Augustine. At long last I will have returned home.

Send A Free Fax To President Bush Asking Him To Pardon Ramos And Compean

Former border patrol agents and current prisoners Ramos and Compean have not been pardoned yet by outgoing President Bush, for reasons we can only imagine. Here is a portion of Laura Ingraham's latest E-blast on the subject:

[As Laura Ingraham Show listeners already know, Ramos & Compean were arrested and jailed after shooting an illegal alien along the El Paso border in 2005. The victim, not that he deserves such a label, was a drug smuggler fleeing for Mexico. He wasn't badly hurt, yet after a problem-riddled trial, the agents received 11- and 12-year sentences. (By comparison, radical attorney Lynne Stewart received 28 months for providing material support to anti-American terrorists.) Since then, Ramos & Compean have been locked up in solitary confinement; Ramos has been beaten by fellow inmates, his home has been burglarized and vandalized; both agents' children are being raised without a father, and their wives have been deprived of their husbands.

Again, all of this comes as payment for their attempts at securing America. Commuting Ramos and Compean's sentences would hardly be partisan or even controversial.

Democrats like Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-Ma.), Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) support commutation, as do all but three of Texas's 34 congressmen. Even Johnny Sutton, the U.S. Attorney who tried the case, has said the decade-plus sentences are excessively harsh.]

You can click HERE to go to Numbers USA to send a FREE FAX directly to the White House to President Bush asking him to pardon those two men. If fact you can send several different FREE FAXES to the President and members of Congress on several issues. For more information click HERE for Roy Beck's blog. Now get busy!

How about a little bit of God's mercy, Mr. President?

MSM's Obama Bias Will Be Damaging For Country

This is how I blog when I'm in a big hurry.

From Laura Ingraham's E-Blast:

[NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

What if a few years ago John McCain had partied the night away with a house-full of assorted terror sympathizers and Fox News had a video of the festivities that it refused to air? The national media would not stop until they shamed Fox into releasing the tape. According to National Review's Andy McCarthy, the Los Angeles Times was given a copy of a tape of Sen. Obama at a farewell party in 2003, held in honor of Rashid Khalidi, the erstwhile terrorist mouthpiece for Yasser Arafat. The newspaper has declined to release the tape. Yesterday we asked listeners to write the Times and demand that the tape be made public. Here's one response:

Readers Rep
Date: Monday, October 27, 2008 16:14
Subject: RE: Not read: The L.A. Times Suppressing Obama's Khalidi Bash Tape?

Thanks for your note. More than six months ago the Los Angeles Times published a detailed account of the events shown on the videotape. The Times is not suppressing anything. Just the opposite -- the L.A. Times brought the matter to light. Please read the article at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-obamamideast10apr10,0,3025411.story Thanks again for taking the time to write.

Jamie Gold
Readers' Representative

Nice try, Jamie. How can the Times possibly argue that the content of this video is not newsworthy?! It's one thing to read what Obama said at the party--it's another to hear him talk about "his friend" in his own words. Big shock that with this lack of news sense and obvious pro-Dem bias, the Times is bleeding money, losing circulation, and laying off staffers.] (end of E-Blast)


It is obvious to most people, especially Hillary supporters, that the Main Stream Media is extremely biased in favor of Obama. Never in recent memory has the MSM ever sold their souls for a candidate. Makes one wonder if several of them have been paid off from the hundreds of millions that Obama has received from "donors" both here and abroad. But the last time the media really came down on one side vs. the other was in 1992 (though not as badly or more obvious than today) in showing their support for Clinton over Bush '41. That resulted in many Republicans accusing Clinton and the Media of "stealing" the election. And I don't have to remind anyone of the seething hatred felt toward the Clinton administration for eight full years. An Obama victory under the current circumstances may result in a country more polarized than anytime since the Civil War.

Laura Ingraham: Obama's Ministry Of Truth

One of several topics discussed in Laura's latest E-Blast:

[OBAMA'S MINISTRY OF TRUTH: Should Obama win in November, thanks and credit will be in order to his 1984-inspired alteration of the historical record. In only the last few months, we've seen the following: When it was revealed in the "Fight the Smears" section of his website that he was lying about his involvement with ACORN (minimizing an actually long-established partnership), his site quietly scrubbed the falsehoods; when a blogger noticed that Michael Klonsky, an unashamed communist education "reformer" happened to be blogging on Obama's site, any hint of his existence was expunged; after Rev. Wright became a household name for his desire to send America to Hell, Obama's site suddenly stopped boasting of his involvement in the campaign; when a video of young California kids appeared singing Obama's glories in a style reminiscent of North Korea, that too was wiped from the e-book of history.

With such a cavalier approach to information control, what exactly we know about Obama -- really and truly -- is harder to discern every day.]

I couldn't agree more. You can subscribe to Laura' E-Blast by going to her website HERE.

Laura Ingraham's Eight Bailout Questions

Just received this E-Blast from Laura a few minutes ago and thought enough of it to rush it to print (so to speak). In it she asks some very poignant questions we should all be asking our legislators before they spend nearly a trillion of our and our children's tax dollars for something they HOPE will repair the current financial catastrophe. Here they are:


1) Since the White House introduced the bailout last week, a number of alternative ideas have been proposed. For one, Michigan Republican Thaddeus McCotter wrote a 10-point plan that carries no cost to taxpayers. Others, like George Soros', are significantly less expensive and, in his estimation, likelier to be effective. Can you explain why this bill is the best option, despite being the most expensive?

2) We're told the bailout could actually turn a profit for taxpayers. Assuming that's true, how can we be sure the money actually ends up back in taxpayers' hands? For years the Social Security system took in more money than it paid out, yet instead of putting the surplus revenue toward future benefits, Congress snatched that extra cash for general expenditures. Likewise, Fannie and Freddie's "profits," were used for congressional pet projects. With this track record, how can we trust that this program will be any different?

3) The McCain campaign yesterday pointed out that the most recent housing bill gave the government nearly $1 trillion to purchase mortgages. If this is true, why exactly does Congress need to pass this monstrous legislation?

4) Does the latest version of this bill still "allow the government to purchase troubled assets from pension plans, local governments, and small banks that serve low- and middle-income families"? Americans are having a hard enough time swallowing the idea of a bailout for irresponsible home, car, and student lending. The notion that we'll be on the hook for insolvent pension plans administered by awful, union-controlled lawmakers in cities like Detroit and New York is simply insane.

5) Does the bill's preamble still proclaim that the law "provides authority to the treasury secretary to ... ensure the economic well-being of Americans?" Does anyone know if there are limitations to this seemingly unbridled authority? Otherwise, what prevents the Treasury secretary from becoming a de-facto dictator? This strikes me as especially worth discussion.

6) Are there still no meaningful curtailments of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Does the bill contain anything even hinting at accountability?

7) What concrete assurances do taxpayers have that the turmoil's provenance - Carter and Clinton-era social-engineering dictums that upended safe-lending practices in favor of higher minority home ownership - will forever be outlawed? How do we know taxpayers won't be asked to finance another $700 billion bailout in 10 years? What has Congress learned from its past mistakes?

8) After Enron's collapse, former CEO Jeffrey Skilling, then-CEO Ken Lay, and then-CFO Andrew Fastow, were called to testify before Congress. According to the Business and Media Institute, Fannie's and Freddie's overstated earnings were 19 times larger than Enron's fake numbers. So when can we expect Congress to call Jim Johnson, Franklin Raines, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and the rest of Fannie's and Freddie's enablers to testify before Congress?

Botched-Abortion Survivor On A Mission

Gianna Jessen doesn't appreciate Barack Hussein Obama's voting record regarding the IL Born Alive Infants Protection Act, in which he voted 4 times to let babies who survive abortions die. And the biggest reason is that she was a survivor of a botched saline abortion herself 31 years ago. Although it left her with cerebral palsy, today she lives an active life, runs marathons, and makes public appearances to bring to light Obama's true record on the matter. She also has a website called Born Alive Truth which happens to be accepting donations for this very worthy cause.

Gianna has been making the rounds on radio talk shows, appearing Tuesday on Sean Hannity and Wednesday on Laura Ingraham, both of whom found her story quite moving. "Truth is truth and we gotta get it out there," she exclaimed on Laura's show. She then related the story of how she met her birth-mother. "It was an awful time,..." she started. Gianna went on to say that her mother approached her at an event, identified herself, and said "so what do you think of that?!?" Gianna, full of the Holy Spirit, told her birth-mother she was forgiven..

Here is the ad they are running:

pic and ad borrowed from Born Alive Truth.



Update (h/t Michelle Malkin)

Obama fires back with a very slanted attack ad:

And here is Gianna's response:

“Mr. Obama is clearly blinded by political ambition given his attack on me this week. All I asked of him was to do the right thing: support medical care and protection for babies who survive abortion – as I did 31 years ago. He voted against such protection and care four times even though the U.S. Senate voted 98-0 in favor of a bill identical to the one Obama opposed. In the words of his own false and misleading ad, his position is downright vile. Mr. Obama said at the recent Saddleback Forum that the question of when babies should get human rights was above his pay grade. Such vacillation and cowardice would have left me to die if his policies were in place when I was born. Thank God they were not.”

Laura Ingraham To Return To The Radio...Soon

Uh..."don't believe what you read on blogs"...????

The only blogs I've seen dealing with Laura's absence are the ones supporting her return to the radio. She must be referring to some other blogs saying she's gone for good. Well, I for one am glad she's returning soon to the airwaves. And per the good people at Talk Radio Network, that return of hers will be June 30th, if not sooner. I'm hoping for sooner. Not that Monica Crowley is all that bad,...but I am growing weary of all those Monty Python references she uses.

In the meantime you can see Laura Ingraham on the Fox News Channel at 5pm as one of several rotating hosts on Just In.


(Hat tip: Conservative Cat)

STAND UP For Laura Ingraham!

Laura Ingraham has a new post on her site linking to THIS PAGE with disturbing news about the possible future of her radio program. Here is a portion:

[People: Laura Ingraham deserves your support.

At her website (www.lauraingraham.com), this message is posted:

NOTE TO LAURA LISTENERS

Due to contractual obligations, for the present time I am unable to reveal why I am not currently hosting The Laura Ingraham Show. Rest assured, this absence is not of my choosing, nor is it health or family related. I am ready, willing and eager to continue the conversation we started seven years ago about politics and the culture. (Heck, if cancer couldn't keep me off the airwaves for long, nothing will.) Keep checking the site for a schedule of my appearances on the Fox News Channel. All queries regarding my on-air status should be directed to Talk Radio Network's management at 541 474 2297 or send an email. Thanks for sticking with me, and...Power to the People!

Laura is the lady who went from appearing on a 1995 cover of The New York Times Magazine in a friend's leopardskin miniskirt for an article about rising young conservatives to leading the counterattack on what she calls (rightly) "the pornification of America" as the most listened-to woman in America, The Laura Ingraham Show, a nationally syndicated radio show)…..

If the Democrats control both the White House and Congress in 2009, talk radio superstars like Laura are expected to come under attack.

We'll deal with that later.

NOW:

(1) Let's tell Talk Radio Network's management that we want Laura back on the air NOW;

(2) Let's tell the local stations that carry Laura's show to let Talk Radio Network's management know that there is no substitute for Laura; and

(3)Let Talk Radio Network's Mark Masters himself know that we Laura fans consider keeping Laura off the air is utterly ridiculous and unfair.

Talk Radio Network's Contact information

P.O. Box 3755 Central Point, Oregon 97502

Phone: 541-664-8827

Fax: 541-664-6250

Email info@talkradionetwork.com ] (Actually you will need to go HERE to contact them.)

I have "met" Laura Ingraham three times, though they were more like encounters since we were never properly introduced. All three encounters were disasters starting with a shouting match over a barking Dr. Troy. This happened 10 years ago in Central Park in NYC before either of us turned our lives to Christ, while the other two encounters occurred four years after the first, but just before our respective "Jesus moments,"--hers in '02 (I think) and mine in '03. In spite of these memorable moments with Laura I have become a huge fan of her's and her show and consider myself a member of her "extended family" of listeners addicted to her program.

I have already left a scathing message on the voice mail of one of the radio executives taking those calls. If you love her show go to the trouble of standing up for Laura. They are taking calls and are likely basing their future response upon our reactions to this news. Now get off your butts and do it!

Laura Ingraham Reminds Us To Be Vigilant

While Laura Ingraham is on vacation(????) she’s sending out E-Blasts. The following excerpt is the reason why I haven’t officially endorsed John McCain and put a banner supporting him on my blog. I can barely handle his green policy only because I have faith that a Republican minority will stand against the worst of it, but it will be hard to hold back the tide of amnesty.

From Laura:

[MCCAIN'S IMMIGRATION "LESSON": If you thought John McCain had learned from his initial amnesty push with Ted Kennedy, you're wrong. We took note back in January when, appearing on Meet the Press, he reflected on the immigration reform implosion, saying: "The lesson is they want the borders secured first." (Note the odious use of "they," rather than, say, "Americans.")

So, lesson learned? Keep dreaming. National Review's Jim Geraghty reports that in a weekend conference call with reporters, campaign manager Rick Davis downplayed concerns that this fanfare for amnesty is politically damaging, claiming it was actually a positive that "may suit to fit him in a general election."

Really. Either Team McCain thinks the leadership of La Raza is a representative sample of the American populace, or he hasn't learned a damn thing about why his amnesty-for-all bill nearly toppled his political career. Sad to say, I'm not sure which it is.]