YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK

[Soldier4Christ]

Minnesota plan: Clone embryos and kill them!
State House also would force taxpayers to fund program

Lawmakers in Minnesota have given their endorsement to a University of Minnesota plan to clone human embryos for "research," force taxpayers to pay for it, and then kill those embryos when the "research" work is finished.

The preliminary approval came on a recent 68-62 vote in which representatives rejected an amendment would be a true ban on cloning, and the "Kahn Cloning Bill, S.F. 100" could be brought up for a further vote at any time, opponents said.

The amendment provided language that would have promoted ethical adult stem cell research with a true ban on cloning human embryos, but that was rejected in favor of S.F. 100, sponsored by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis.

That plan has been described by supporters as a cloning ban, but it only bans "cloning" that results in a human being, not cloning that results in living human embryos.

"House members … had a chance to do the right thing and protect vulnerable human life, but instead they chose to treat human life as mere raw material for experimentation," said Andrea Rau, a legislative associate with the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. "Citizens are outraged to see their taxes being spent on such unjust treatment of human life."

At the center of the issue are the lives of the unborn embryos. WND had reported just a day earlier on GOP presidential race also-ran Gov. Mike Huckabee had endorsed Colorado's "personhood" plan.

That would simply declare that an embryo from the moment of conception is considered a human being.

"With this amendment, Colorado has an opportunity to send a clear message that every human life has value. Passing this amendment will mean the people of Colorado will protect the sanctity of life from conception until natural death occurs," Huckabee said.

The plan targets an opening created by the U.S. Supreme Court when it found, in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, the right to an abortion. The opinion said: "(If the) suggestion of personhood [of the preborn] is established, the [abortion rights] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment."

Several other states are pursuing the same arguments, either through legislative efforts or, such as in the cases of Georgia and Colorado, through a process that would allow citizens to move forward with protections for the unborn.

Opponents said the Minnesota legislation defines cloning as the process that results in a baby born alive, essentially leaving those lives in the embryo stage as not human.

MCCL said the Kahn plan "provides taxpayer funding for the destruction of human embryos for experiments and also the wanton creation and destruction of human life through cloning at the University of Minnesota."

"The deadly Kahn Cloning Bill … also requires the U of M to kill all cloned human beings or face felony charges. The bill would allow millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to be used to kill living human embryos," the group said.

"The vast majority of Americans are opposed to research that requires human cloning and the killing of human embryos," noted Jenny Hoelscher, MCCL legislative associate. "It is difficult for taxpayers to believe that their elected officials are even considering legislation which would require such massive destruction of human life."

In fact, a report from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops confirms that only one in three Americans is supportive of the idea of government funding of embryonic stem cell research.

The group noted that researchers actually call the process Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer "so you won't know that cloning is being done."

"They want to use cloned human embryos because if they ever develop a treatment, the stem cell line that produces it can be patented and they can reap an enormous profit," the group said. "The cloning process is the same as for reproductive cloning but rather than placing the embryo in a womb, the stem cells are removed for experimentation, killing the embryo."

Bill Poehler, a spokesman for MCCL, told WND his organization believes the plan being pushed by university researchers actually would violate a statute Minnesota already has on the books.

That 1973 law prohibits experimentation on any development of the human being, from fertilization on. He said the experimentation going on at the university now, with private funding, probably violates that law as well, although researchers on the payroll of research efforts have disputed that.

The Kahn Cloning Bill was approved in the state Senate last year, but just now is going through the House, under the state's 2-year legislative session.

"We think it's pretty radical," Poehler told WND.

According to a recent report from the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than a dozen states have laws pertaining to human cloning.

California banned reproductive cloning in 1997, and since then Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota and Virginia have enacted similar plans.

Arizona and Missouri also have measures addressing the use of public funds for cloning, and Maryland bans the use of state stem cell research funds for reproductive cloning, the group said.

But the report said only Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota and South Dakota extended their laws to cover cloning for research.

California and New Jersey specifically allow cloning for research.

Pro-life organizers in Minnesota say they are aware that Gov. Tim Pawlenty has opposed the plan, instead urging lawmakers to "support ethical adult stem cell research," but the ultimate fate of the plan isn't certain.

[Soldier4Christ]

Oregon ruling denying petitioners' rights appealed
'Government bureaucracy cannot be allowed to disenfranchise voters'

The Alliance Defense Fund has filed an appeal of a federal judge's ruling that Oregon residents have no right to have their signatures counted when they sign ballot initiative petitions, in an attempt to restore voters' rights in the state.

The issue arose over the state legislature's approval, and the governor's signature on, legislation that created "domestic partnerships" for homosexuals and lesbians in Oregon, legislation that overwrote the expressed will of voters in the state.

Several organizations worked to bring the new law to a vote of the people, but state officials said they had invalidated enough signatures on petitions for them to not allow voters to review the issue.

Because the margin of failure was only a handful of votes, several individuals went to their county offices to determine whether their valid signatures had been counted, and when they discovered they hadn't been counted, insisted that they be added.

County officials, citing orders from state officials, refused to do that, and the ADF sued.

Then U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman allowed the state law creating lookalike marriage for homosexuals to take effect, concluding the state has little significant obligation to count voters' signatures on petitions.

That decision now has been appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Notice is hereby given that Plaintiffs Phillip Lemons, Susan Jarrett; Myrna Hines; Jay Sherman … and disenfranchised signers Nos. 1-26, hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th federal Circuit from the judgment denying the plaintiffs relief…," the ADF document said.

"In America, every citizen's voice counts," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks. "Government bureaucracy cannot be allowed to disenfranchise Oregon voters. One of their most important rights cannot be tossed aside."

The original lawsuit was on behalf of Oregonians who had their signatures "wrongfully rejected" from the petition on Referendum 303, which would allow voters to decide the "domestic partnership" issue.

Stunningly, at a Feb. 1 hearing, Mosman, "stated that voters in Oregon have no legal right to have their petition signatures counted," the ADF said.

"Their signatures were genuine, and no legitimate reason existed to refuse to allow these registered voters to participate in the democratic process," said Nimocks. "Our country is founded on the basic principle of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It should stay that way in Oregon."

To Mosman's courtroom, the ADF had submitted briefs showing county clerks simply refused petition signers' requests to count their signatures after they had been "wrongfully rejected."

The petition signature total fell just five short of what was needed in Oregon to put the issue to voters, prompting the proponents to seek a review.

"The right to exercise one's voice in the democratic process is a crucial one, and state and county officials must not infringe upon that right," Nimocks said.

The ADF argued, "The only real dispute in this case is whether the Secretary of State and county clerks can constitutionally refuse to give excluded signers notice that their signatures have been rejected and refuse to give them any opportunity – even when they learn of the disenfranchisement on their own – to verify their signatures and make sure that their vote counts…"

The Associated Press reported that advocates for legitimizing same-sex "couples," were "beaming."

"We're a family. We've been waiting for this a long time," the wire service reported Cathy Kravitz of Portland celebrating.

The idea of same-sex couples already had been rejected soundly by voters in Oregon. In 2004, several thousand same-sex couples were given marriage licenses in Multnomah County, prompting Oregonians to approve by a 57-43 percent margin a constitutional ban on homosexual marriages. A court later nullified the licenses.

That aligned with 148 years of precedent in the state. However, 54 legislators in the statehouse during 2007 and Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski ignored that, working together on the new homosexual couples proposal.

They even included a section in a new law suggesting schools address the "attitudes" of those who do not choose to support those relationships.

The state already has begun implementation of the new law, with plans confirmed by prison officials to allow inmates who are part of a domestic partnership to live in the same prison facility, and in the same unit, a privilege specifically denied married inmates. Same-sex couples have have been registered since Mosman's ruling.

In a column on the issue, Alan Sears, chief of the ADF, noted that the issue of marriage consisting of – and only of – one man and one woman is supported overwhelmingly in the United States. Twenty-seven of 28 states where voters have decided the question, they have limited marriage to one man and one woman.

"Those seeking to fabricate same-sex 'marriage' have long recognized the American public is a roadblock to their success. In 1998, after ADF-allied litigation allowed Alaska citizens to vote on (and pass) a constitutional amendment barring same-sex unions, the ACLU executive director declared: 'Today's results prove that certain fundamental issues should not be left up to a majority vote.'

"When the (new) referendum was submitted to the Oregon Secretary of State on Sept. 26, signatures exceeded the required number by more than 6,000. However, the Secretary of State announced there were not enough signatures to sustain the referendum. The evaluated 'sample' was said to be only five signatures short. If you wonder how this could happen, you aren't alone. As it turns out, there is a very clear explanation – many of the signatures were wrongfully rejected," Sears said.

"Signatures were invalidated for allegedly not matching their voter registration cards, being illegible, or coming from unregistered voters. But according to ADF attorneys who examined the signatures, several of those kicked out did match, were legible, and the affected voters actually were registered. In other words, many valid signers were ignored," he continued.

Clerks then "adamantly"' resisted efforts by signers to authenticate their signatures. "One county clerk even told a rejected signer, in person, and to their face, 'tough nuggets,'" Sears said.

Bill Burgess, the clerk in Marion County, confirmed the state had given county clerks instructions to follow a "precedent" and not correct any incorrectly classified signatures they may have been told about.

[Soldier4Christ]

Feinstein wants CO2 listed as a danger to public health

The Competitive Enterprise Institute, along with several other organizations, is calling for Senator Dianne Feinstein to reconsider a proposal that would list carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act.

In a recent letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, Senator Feinstein (D-California) urged the agency to find CO2 emissions a danger to public health. The finding would lay the groundwork for the first ever CO2 emissions standards for new cars and trucks. However, Competitive Enterprise Institute senior fellow Marlo Lewis warns that the finding would also make CO2 a pollutant that would be regulated far beyond new cars and trucks.
 
"But [the EPA] would also have to regulate carbon dioxide emissions just about everywhere else in the economy," Lewis explains. "And potentially over several hundred thousand small to mid-sized buildings, businesses, and farms could be affected."
 
Lewis says that listing CO2 as a pollutant would not only put a "big chill" on new construction and cripple the economy, but it would also swamp the EPA with applications and hinder them from enforcing what Lewis describes as "critically, statutorily required Clean Air Act obligations."

[Soldier4Christ]

This definitely shows a lack of intelligence as well as education in knowing just how important CO2 is the well being of the world. Yes, a concentrated amount of it in say an unventilated garage can kill a person. Without it in the environment plants cannot sustain life at all. It's past time for the wacko extremists to stop playing god.

[nChrist]

I'd like to know why same sex relationships isn't listed as a DANGER TO PUBLIC HEALTH!

We already have over 5,000 people a day dying of dreaded diseases directly tied to alternative lifestyle behavior.  There are MILLIONS MORE waiting to die with slow and painful diseases that will definitely result in DEATH. CO2 deaths and illnesses would be nothing compared to any one of the massive epidemics already in PROGRESS that are directly caused by PERVERTED AND ABNORMAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY! AND, they are determined to promote more of it with our children.

[Soldier4Christ]

Pro-Life Groups Hit by GOP Lawmaker's Alleged Fraud
Renzi Funneled Hundreds of Thousands from Pregnancy Crisis Centers to Fund First Run for Congress

Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., allegedly defrauded dozens of pro-life organizations for hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund his first congressional bid, according to an analysis of the recent indictment against him, a state insurance claim and an interview with an insurance lawyer involved in the case.

When federal prosecutors indicted Renzi, 49, on 35 felony counts two weeks ago, many reports focused on alleged crimes stemming from a complicated series of land swaps the congressman facilitated.

But the indictment also accuses Renzi, who ran an insurance firm before coming to Capitol Hill, of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums and using the money to fund his congressional campaign.

Organizations such as Arizona Right-to-Life, the Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Wickenburg Pregnancy Resource Center paid insurance premiums to Renzi's insurance firm, Renzi & Company, but received notices their insurance coverage was going to be cancelled for nonpayment, according to a 2003 complaint filed with the State of Arizona. The complaint was first reported by the Phoenix New Times.

According to the indictment, Renzi funneled those payments -- totaling more than $400,000 -- through various accounts and finally to his campaign.

Renzi's congressional office has directed all legal questions to his lawyer, Reid Weingarten. Weingarten did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Renzi says he is innocent.

Renzi has positioned himself as staunchly anti-abortion. "The sanctity of human life should always be upheld, and I will continue to fight for the rights of the unborn in Congress," he said in 2003, as a freshman U.S. representative. In 2006, Renzi received a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee for his voting record.

The 2003 complaint was filed by an insurance broker who acted as an intermediary between Renzi & Company and the insurance company which held the pro-life groups' policy.

In an interview, a lawyer for the broker confirmed that the payments his company did not receive from the pro-life groups were the same prosecutors allege Renzi embezzled to pay for his congressional campaign.

The lawyer, who spoke on the condition his name not be used, represents North Island Facilities. The company brokered insurance coverage for roughly 50 pro-life organizations in "a multitude" of states through Renzi's firm, the lawyer said, and all had received cancellation notices because Renzi's company had not forwarded their payments.

Coverage for the organizations were never cancelled, the lawyer said, despite the lapse in payment. Months after NIF filed complaints against Renzi & Co. in Arizona, Virginia and other states, Renzi paid the pro-life groups' insurance bills with money from his father, the indictment shows.

According to the indictment, when the groups complained to Renzi that their premiums had not been paid, he said a new insurance company, "Jimcor," now insured the groups and created false certificates as evidence. He later told state officials that those certificates were issued in error, the indictment says.

Elected to Congress in 2002, Renzi has faced pressure to resign from GOP party leaders since the indictment against him was announced two weeks ago. Though he stepped down from his committee seats last year following FBI raids on the insurance business, Renzi has vowed to stay in Congress.

"I will not resign and take on the cloak of guilt because I am innocent," Renzi said earlier this week. "My legal team...will handle these legal issues while I continue to serve my constituents."

[Soldier4Christ]

Anti-War Judge Won’t Allow Foster Child to Join Marines

Children’s Court Commissioner Marilyn Mackel of Simi Valley, California is against our actions in Iraq. With that said, this activist judge felt she had the right to prevent a foster child under her jurisdiction from joining the Marines. This refusal is an obscene abuse of power based solely on her hatred for the U.S. military. And she’s done this before.

The L.A. Daily News gives us the outrageous story of young Shawn Sage, a foster child, who appeared before judge Mackel to ask for permission to sign with the Marines for an early enlistment. Sage is 17 and would have been eligible for a $10,000 signing bonus upon signing. The young man has long dreamed of joining the Marines and is shocked that this judge denied him permission to join.

    “The judge said she didn’t support the Iraq war for any reason why we’re over there,” said Marine recruiter Sgt. Guillermo Medrano of the Simi Valley USMC recruiting office.

    “She just said all recruiters were the same - that they `all tap dance and tell me what I want to hear.’ She said she didn’t want him to fight in it.”

According to the L.A. Daily News, Makel also denied another young foster child who wanted to join the Navy because she feels that all military recruiters are liars and just want “another warm body.”

As Mr. Sage stood before the judge he had the backing of several members of the military as well as his brother and his foster parents behind him. Yet regardless of all the adult support this young man had for his quest, this out of control judge ruled against his right to join our nation’s military.

But something good may be coming from this episode despite of all this military-hating judge’s actions. The legislature is stepping in and doing their job deflating some of this un-American judge’s power. As a result of this judge’s untoward acts, Shawn Sage submitted a proposal to a local California lawmaker’s write a bill challenge and Mr. Sage’s proposal has since become Bill AB2238.

    Assemblyman Cameron Smyth introduced legislation last month that would allow foster teens to enlist in the service without express permission from a judge.

    “Here is one impressive young man who somehow made it through the challenge of the foster system, had a clear sense of a career path and was denied that opportunity by a judge basically because of her personal bias,” said Smyth, R-Santa Clarita, who will honor Sage today at a Royal High assembly. “I find that to be a horrific abuse of her power.”

Now here is as it should be. Instead of shuddering in a corner, afraid of the stolen power that this judge wields like a battering ram against our military, the legislature has stepped in to do something about this abuse of power. I hope all Californians reading this help this legislation along by urging their representatives to support it.

The only way to curb the undeserved power stolen by judges across this country is for the state legislatures to finally stand up to these out of control jurists and take that power away from them via legislation. For far too long judges have been abusing their power and our elected representatives have been shirking their duty to hold these judges in check.

We have allowed the judicial branches of government to get out of all control. It’s about time we brought them to heel.

So, a story of an anti-American judge abusing her power turns out to have a good ending… IF you Californians do the right thing and pass this new law. Otherwise, it will be just another disgusting story of a judge, mad with stolen power, who wrecks havoc with our American traditions.

[nChrist]

WHEW! - Judges like this need to be prosecuted and removed from office. They are each running private little kingdoms, and they play the part of the dictator.

Their job is to fairly apply the Law and Constitution. Nobody cares about their personal whims and opinions unless they are incapable of keeping those whims and opinions OUT of their official duties. Brothers and Sisters, Judges who can and do fairly apply the Law and the Constitution these days are viewed as DANGEROUS. What's WRONG with this picture?

[Soldier4Christ]

New York governor linked to prostitution
Democrat Spitzer reportedly client of ring, Republican leader demands resignation

After a New York Times report broke today linking him to a prostitution ring, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer read a brief statement to media saying he would take time to focus on his family.

"I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family ... my sense of right and wrong," he said at his Manhattan office. "I must now dedicate some time to rededicate my trust to my family."

Spitzer had been scheduled to speak today at a conference attended by more than a thousand Planned Parenthood supporters advocating access to abortion.

The Times cited a source saying the Democratic governor, 48, is identified as a client of the Emperors Club VIP, a high-end prostitution ring under investigation by federal prosecutors. Four people were arrested in the case last week.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press Spitzer's involvement in the ring was caught on a federal wiretap. The official said Spitzer, identified in court papers as "Client 9," was part of an investigation that opened in the last few months.

Spitzer – named by Time magazine as "Crusader of the Year" when he was attorney general – battled corruption on Wall Street, where he made many enemies. He won a record share of the vote in New York's 2006 gubernatorial election, vowing to clean up government.

Spitzer's travel records line up with a client described in court papers who arranged a meeting with a prostitute in Washington, D.C., the night of Feb. 13.

The Times noted that as attorney general, Spitzer prosecuted at least two prostitution rings and spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end prostitution ring out of Staten Island.

"This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multi-tiered management structure," Spitzer said at the time. "It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring."

As WND reported, Spitzer was named last fall as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the public-interest watchdog group Judicial Watch on behalf of a New York taxpayer over the state's policy to provide driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Spitzer's policy became a hot topic in the Democratic presidential race when New York Sen. Hillary Clinton initially indicated support for it but then backed off amid heavy criticism.

Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo called the news "an excruciating personal tragedy for the governor, his family and the rest of our society to whom he has meant so much."

James Tedisco, the leader of Republicans in the New York state assembly, demanded Spitzer resign.

"He has disgraced his office and the entire state of New York," Tedisco said in a statement.

Spitzer said at his news conference this afternoon, "For the past nine years, eight years as attorney general, and one as governor, I have tried to uphold a vision of progressive politics that would rebuild New York and create opportunity for all. We sought to bring real change to New York and that will continue."

Saying he wanted to "briefly address a private matter," he admitted he "acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong. I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better."

"I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals," he said. "It is about ideas, the public good, and doing what is best for the state of New York. But I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.

[Soldier4Christ]

Spitzer scandal reaction
'This is a guy who is so self-righteous, and so unforgiving'

eaction to prostitution allegations against Democratic New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer:

"I obviously am sending my best wishes and thoughts to the governor and to his family. ... Let's wait and see what comes out of the next days. Right now I don't have any comment. I think it's appropriate to wish his family well and see how things develop."—Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and presidential contender endorsed by Spitzer.

"I never try to take advantage or gloat over a personal tragedy. However, this is different. This is a guy who is so self-righteous, and so unforgiving. ... He has to step down. No one will stand with him."—Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

"It is an excruciating personal tragedy for the governor, his family, and the rest of our society to whom he has meant so much."—Former Democratic New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.

"I feel very badly for the governor's wife, for his children. The important thing for the people of New York state is that people in office do the right thing, because there are so many challenges out there and it's important that we govern, move forward to get a proper budget in place."—State Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno, who Spitzer aides were accused of attempting to embarrass.

"For the good of his family, for the good of our state, for the good of the governorship, Eliot Spitzer must resign immediately. He is unfit to lead our state and unfit to hold public office."—state Assembly Republican leader James Tedisco.

"I feel bad for him and his family but until he makes a more complete statement, I have nothing more to say."—Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer.

"These are serious and disturbing accusations that are completely at odds with the man I know. They come as a complete shock. ... He will have to regain credibility not only with his family but with the public."—Democratic New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

"It is hard to see how Gov. Spitzer can hope to govern effectively while the political, governmental and legal consequences of his behavior swirl about him. ... He should resign immediately, so New York's government can effectively return to serving its citizens."—New York Republican Party Chairman Joseph Mondello.

"Gov. Spitzer is a dedicated public servant with a long record of bringing positive change to New York. This is not the time to play politics, particularly as investigations are ongoing. Until all the facts of this case are known, we should all exercise caution and restraint."—Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Nathan Daschle.

[Soldier4Christ]

Spitzer's hard, fast fall
'The Sheriff of Wall Street' built career on ethics

From Mr. Clean to Client 9, allegations that Gov. Eliot Spitzer was involved in a prostitution ring mark a mortifying fall for a politician whose career was built on ethics.

"Crusader of the Year" proclaimed Time magazine in 2002, when Spitzer was New York's wildly popular attorney general. Spitzer made his name taking on Wall Street barons and analysts who failed to play fair with everyday investors. Profiles of Spitzer then were rife with reverential references to his square jaw and his crime-busting predecessor, Eliot Ness.

None of that squares with explosive reports Monday that Spitzer's involvement in a prostitution ring was caught on a federal wiretap. Law enforcement officials said Spitzer is identified in court papers as Client 9.

"Here's a guy whose entire career has been based on being 'The Sheriff of Wall Street,' 'Mr. Morality,' the guy who is standing firm for ethics in government," said Maurice Carroll, director of Quinnipiac University's Polling Institute. "For Eliot Spitzer, it's a double surprise because it's his whole public persona."

Spitzer promised to tackle the notorious dysfunction of Albany with the same gusto he took on Wall Street. He won the New York governor's race in 2006 with a record-setting share of the vote and rumbled into office with his signature mix of aggression and cockiness. He signed five reform-related executive orders before he was officially sworn in on New Year's Day and was soon making trips to the home districts of lawmakers to denounce them if he felt were in the way of his reform agenda.

Spitzer allegedly described himself as a "steamroller" in a profanity-laced phone call to a Republican legislative leader. The nickname stuck. Some saw it as indication of a more arrogant side to Spitzer. In December 2005, John Whitehead, a former top Wall Street executive, wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Spitzer threatened him in a telephone conversation earlier that year, saying, "I will be coming after you. You will pay the price," for publicly criticizing Spitzer's investigation of an ally, AIG insurance magnate Maurice Greenberg.

Spitzer denied threatening Whitehead.

Though Spitzer came into office like gangbusters, he lost steam last summer amid a scandal involving efforts by top aides to governor to embarrass Republican state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a chief political rival, over use of state aircraft.

Bruno, who was back on his heels for months in the face of Spitzer's whirlwind, snatched back the offensive.

Spitzer's popularity plummeted even further last year when he proposed making it easier for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. Republicans opposing the unpopular plan were soon joined by Democrats and Spitzer eventually surrendered as polls showed most New Yorkers would be unwilling to re-elect him.

Only recently did Spitzer's poll numbers begin nudging back up. And this month, the Senate Democrats won a special election in a deep-red Republican district in northern New York with the help of Spitzer's political machine. It got them within one seat of capturing control of the Senate for the first time in 40 years, one of Spitzer's long-stated goals.

It looked like Spitzer was mounting a modest comeback.

[Soldier4Christ]

Caution voiced on 'mental health parity' bill

Family Research Council, a prominent pro-family group based in Washington, DC, warns that legislation approved by the House requires employers to offer mental health coverage for people who need therapy because of their deviant sexual lifestyle.

The House easily passed a bill Thursday to require health insurers to provide the same level of coverage for mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction. But the so-called "mental health parity" bill is drawing criticism from the Family Research Council (FRC), which argues the legislation would "force businesses to provide healthcare for mental 'conditions' like necrophilia, pedophilia, cross-dressing, and gender identity confusion."

Tom McClusky, FRC's vice president for government affairs, says the legislation would include coverage for every bizarre "condition" found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
 
"Everything from jet lag to gender identity disorder, transvestic fetishism, [and] a number of other categories I wouldn't even want to go into right here," says McClusky. "And there's no conscience protections for employers who would be then forced to possibly pay not only for whatever psychiatric care that these people needed, but also in certain cases this legislation could be used to help pay – make an employer and the insurance companies pay -- for sex change operations."
 
According to McClusky, says there is another troubling aspect to the bill.
 
"Both the Senate and the White House are in agreement that the House legislation just cannot pass and should not pass," he continues. "In both pieces of legislation though there also needs to be some protections that – [be]cause thanks to Doe v. Bolton, the companion case to Roe v. Wade – this bill could [force]...insurance companies...to pay for abortion when the abortions are incase of the mental health of mother -- something that Doe v. Bolton and Roe v. Wade both allow for."
 
The White House opposes the House mental health bill, but favors a less-expansive version passed unanimously by the Senate last September.

[Soldier4Christ]

Bush says border solution includes swinging door
'Temporary worker program' to let people cross boundary needed

The solution to security issues on the United States' border with Mexico will need to include some sort of swinging door so that workers can come and go as they want, according to a spokeswoman for the White House.

The response came from spokeswoman Dana Perino, who answered a question from Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White Hosue.

He asked:

"Reuters reports that our Customs and Border Protection Commissioner admits that the U.S. may not meet the goal of essentially stopping illegal immigration from Mexico by 2011. And my question: What does the president believe would help most in this effort, more border security personnel, more miles of border fence, or more enforcement of immigration regulations nationwide?"

"The president thinks that all of those issues are important, but he would add another measure, which is a temporary worker program so that we could have a legal mechanism for people who want to cross the border and work in America, but also want to go back home," she said.

The Reuters report cited an admission from Ralph Basham, commissioner of the U.S. Customers and Border Protection, who said in 2005 the government projected having "operational control" of the border within five years.

However, in testimony before Congress, he said the Secure Border Initiative included several assumptions, and some of those underlying events have not happened.

"We're going to be pushing to meet those goals … but I cannot with any assurance tell you right now that we'll meet them," Reuters reported he told a meeting of the House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security.

One congressman, Kentucky Republication Hal Rogers, said the bottom line has to be, "We are going to secure our borders and end illegal immigration."

But Basham said one of the factors on which the protection was based was the assumption about a comprehensive immigration reform package, dubbed an amnesty program by opponents, which failed in Congress.

Officials also said the "virtual fence" that has been built along a 28-mile section of the border in Arizona has been delayed by technical problems, and opposition from landowners along the border also is delaying plans for 670 miles of fencing.

In a second question, Kinsolving asked, "Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has just written a new book entitled, 'On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For.' And my question: Does the former governor of Texas who is now president agree or disagree with this title?"

"I don't know if he's even aware of the book. And Gov. Perry was around last week and talked to him. I'm going to move on," said Perino.

Kinsolving followed with the question that: You don't want to leave the impression the president opposes both Perry and the Boy Scouts, do you?

"Of course he doesn't," Perino said.

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

There is a trend emerging: whatever is good or right is delayed or stopped. Increasingly, VOTES of the people are even ignored. We see examples of this over and over again.

With the current political climate, sex scandals with a prostitution ring are small in comparison to many other things going on in the open. We are actually watching evil of all kinds come out of the closet. What's left to be shocked about?

[Soldier4Christ]

Posting anonymously to be a crime?
Lawmaker wants $500 fine for 1st offense, $1,000 for each after that



Kentucky Representative Tim Couch filed a bill this week to make anonymous posting online illegal.

The bill would require anyone who contributes to a website to register their real name, address and e-mail address with that site.

 Their full name would be used anytime a comment is posted.

If the bill becomes law, the website operator would have to pay if someone was allowed to post anonymously on their site. The fine would be five-hundred dollars for a first offense and one-thousand dollars for each offense after that.

Representative Couch says he filed the bill in hopes of cutting down on online bullying. He says that has especially been a problem in his Eastern Kentucky district.

Action News 36 asked people what they thought about the bill.

 Some said they felt it was a violation of First Amendment rights. Others say it is a good tool toward eliminating online harassment.

Represntative Couch says enforcing this bill if it became law would be a challenge.