Christian Conservative News Clips 6-24-2010

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Elena Kagan 'A Liberal Political Soldier, Not an Impartial Jurist'

Nominee not fit for Supreme Court

Contact: Demi Bardsley, Concerned Women for America, 202-255- 2278

WASHINGTON, June 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- This morning, Mario Diaz, Esq., Policy Director for Legal Issues for Concerned Women for America (CWA), participated in a press conference in front of the Supreme Court to address the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Diaz was joined by representatives from the Committee for Justice, Center for Military Readiness, Liberty Center for Law and Policy, and Americans United for Life.

Diaz said of Kagan's nomination, "Contrary to the 'blank slate' the White House media machine has tried to sell the American people, an objective review of Elena Kagan's record reveals a surprisingly clear picture of who she is.  Kagan's record is that of a liberal political soldier, not an impartial jurist.

"And that is the real danger of this nomination.  If Kagan, even with her radically liberal ideology, had a clear record of respect for the Constitution and judicial restraint, then we would not have this problem.  But when you believe, as Kagan has stated, that judges can 'steer the law in order to promote certain ethical values and achieve certain social ends,' then it is clear your impartiality must be questioned and you should never be a judge anywhere, least of all on the highest court in the land.

"This issue is beyond politics.  CWA would oppose a judge willing to circumvent the law to achieve the results we want.  Judges must follow the law and the Constitution as written.

"CWA members and state leaders from several states around the country came yesterday to the Capitol to talk to their senators about this nomination.  They expressed a feeling that is palpable to them at the state level: Americans believe the real problem we have is an Executive, Legislative and Judicial branch that continually overstep their Constitutional boundaries.  And we are tired of it.

"Elena Kagan's nomination is just the latest symptom of this disease that has infected Washington, D.C.  She should never be confirmed as the next justice of the Supreme Court."

Full statement can be found here: www.cwfa.org/images/content/kaganpressstatement.pdf

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.

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Christian Leaders Applaud Progress on Iran Sanctions Bill

Christian Leaders Applaud Progress on Iran Sanctions Bill -- Call for Passage and Presidential Signature

Contact: Dave Mohel, 703-548-1160

MEDIA ADVISORY, June 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- Christian Leaders for a Nuclear Free Iran applauds the efforts of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA), for producing a conference report for the respective House and Senate legislation that will significantly strengthen sanctions against the regime in Iran, and urges swift passage and presidential implementation of sanctions on an Iranian regime that is moving closer to nuclear weapons capability every single day.

The House and Senate should pass this legislation before week's end and send it to President Obama, who should sign the sanctions bill in a public ceremony, pledge its immediate and forceful implementation, and reiterate U.S. policy that under no circumstances will we allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

"If the full conference agrees to the draft and it is passed by the House and Senate, it would impose tough, meaningful sanctions against the regime in Iran that is both sponsoring terrorism and building a nuclear weapons capability," according to Dr. Richard Land, of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The conference chairmen announced Monday they have reached an agreement on a draft. Votes are expected Thursday and Friday.

"Congress should pass these sanctions quickly and send them to the President's desk for his prompt signature," Land said. "The administration should publicly and forcefully implement them without delay. Each day that passes without implementing these sanctions is a day Iran gets closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon."

According to the conference chairmen, sanctions under in the draft conference report for H.R. 2194 would:

• Expand the scope of sanctions authorized under ISA by imposing sanctions on foreign companies -- including insurance, financing and shipping companies -- that sell Iran goods, services, or know-how that assist it in developing its energy sector;

• Ban U.S. banks from engaging in financial transactions with foreign banks doing business with the IRGC or facilitating Iran's illicit nuclear program or its support for terrorism

• Impose significant financial penalties and travel restrictions on Iran's human rights abusers.

• Establish three new sanctions, in addition to the menu of six sanctions that already exists under ISA, including: (1) a prohibition on access to foreign exchange in the U.S.; (2) a prohibition on access to the U.S. banking system; and (3) a prohibition on property transactions in the U.S. The Act would require the President to impose at least three of the possible now-nine sanctions on an entity in violation of ISA.

• Ban U.S. government procurement contracts for any foreign company that exports to Iran technology used to restrict the free flow of information or to disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict freedom of speech.

• Require a certification from a company bidding on a U.S. government procurement contract that it is not engaged in sanctionable conduct.

• Provide a legal framework by which U.S. states, local governments, and certain other investors can divest their portfolios of foreign companies involved in Iran's energy sector. Strengthen efforts to stop black-market diversion of sensitive technologies to Iran.

• Strengthen the U.S. trade embargo against Iran by codifying longstanding executive orders and limiting the goods exempted from the embargo.

• Increase substantially the criminal penalties for sanctions violations by U.S. entities.

We are running out of time to apply diplomatic pressures to this dangerous regime, and every day we delay, every moment we fail to show resolve, that regime comes closer to threatening the region and the stability of the world with nuclear weapons.

Christian Leaders for a Nuclear-Free Iran, an ad hoc coalition of evangelical, Roman Catholic and other faith leaders who have come together as a united, ecumenical voice that is reaching out to policy makers and opinion leaders calling for urgent action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The coalition argues that Iran’s nuclear weapons program will destabilize the Middle East, lead to an arms race in a volatile part of the world, and threaten the United States and its allies in Europe.

The leaders include Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship Ministries, Richard Land of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Pat Robertson of Christian Broadcasting Network, Dr. James Merritt of Cross Pointe Church, Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America, Gary Bauer of American Values, Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Dr. John Hagee of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Deal Hudson of the Morley Institute for Church and Culture and Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice.

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850 Orthodox Rabbis: Kagan Not Kosher for Any Court, Threatens Jewish Security

Contact: Rabbi Yehuda Levin, 718-469-6999, 845-642-1679

MEDIA ADVISORY, June 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- Speaking on behalf of over 850 members of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, Rabbi Yehuda Levin issued the following statement of opposition to the confirmation of Elena Kagan as Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court:

While any number of our co-religionists would represent the undeniable, historic Torah values shared by Orthodox and traditional Jews, we are devastated and broken-hearted by the choice of Elena Kagan.  According to the Torah perspective adhered to by our 850-plus member Rabbis, as well as hundreds of thousands of Orthodox and traditional Jews, MS. KAGAN IS NON-KOSHER - NOT FIT TO SERVE - ON THE SUPREME COURT, OR ANY OTHER COURT.

It is clear from Ms. Kagan's record on issues such as abortion-on-demand, Partial-Birth-Abortion, the radical homosexual and lesbian agenda, the "supremacy" of the anti-family panoply over religious liberties of Biblical adherents, et. al., that she will function as a flame-throwing radical, hastening society's already steep decline into Sodom and Gommorah.

It should be clear that Ms. Kagan's long line of forebearers, presumably tracing back to Sinai, would have sacrificed their lives rather than embrace the anti-G-d, counter-sanctity agenda that she has lived and promoted.

We are puzzled as to why President Obama would not honor a different minority with this nomination.  We fear a backlash, fed by pent up grass-roots resentment over extremist decisions Ms. Kagan is bound to issue.

In these socially and economically trying times, we are most concerned about being scapegoated and targeted by even a tiny subset of the tens of millions of citizens simply fed up with an imperial anti-family, anti-Biblical Judiciary (an example being Judge Walker, now addressing California's Prop. 8 ).  We wonder: exactly what was the President thinking?

For the record, let this statement serve as an unequivocal protest, establishing that Ms. Kagan's philosophy and approach are antithetical to traditional Judaism.  We emphatically reject her ascendancy to the Court!

We urge decent Senators of both parties to have mercy on the nation, in light of the direction we are heading.  This nomination must be delayed in committee for as long as possible, and then either voted down or filibustered.  We family and religious people will surely employ our last weapon - the ballot box - to respond to those who ignore this existential threat, and insist on contaminating the cultural wellsprings from which we and our children are forced to drink.

It is late in the game.  We implore voters to convey these concerns to their Senators - feckless and otherwise.

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Protests Over Elena Kagan and Senators McConnell and Kyl: 'Gentlemen, Do You Need a Backbone Transplant? I Would be Happy to Offer You Mine.'

Contact: Katherine Veritas, 904-687-9804; www.overturnroe.com

WASHINGTON, June 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Randall Terry:

What: Protests Regarding Kagan, McConnell, and Kyl.

When: Thursday Morning, June 24, 9:00; 10:10; and 10:45. (Details below.)

Where: Dirkson, Hart, and Russell Senate Office Buildings. (Details below.)

On Thursday, June 24, Pro-lifers from the Washington DC area will gather at the Dirkson Senate Office Building to draw attention to the cowardice and treachery of Senate Republicans, especially Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl  regarding the nomination of a Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

They will have a public demonstration from 9-10 A.M., and then proceed to confront staff in both Senator's offices with the question: "Why does your boss pretend to be pro-life, but he has not committed to filibuster Kagan?"

On Fox News Sunday, Senator McConnell said:

"I think some of her views are quite troubling, at least to me, in the area of political speech and the First Amendment...I think it's entirely too early to determine whether or not this nominee would be subjected to a 60-vote threshold."

Mr. Terry States:

"This is the drivel and blather we are accustomed to from the minority leader. He uses strong rhetoric when it seduces voters, but when it is time to really fight, he refuses. If Senator McConnell needs a backbone, he can borrow mine."

A Year ago, Senator Kyl said similar things on Fox News Sunday,  which amounted to nothing: "I went on to say a lot of things about what I meant by that, and I was distinguishing between a person who is just liberal -- and undoubtedly this nominee will be liberal -- and one who decides cases not based upon the law or the merits but, rather, upon his or her emotions, or feelings or preconceived ideas. That would be a circumstance in which I could not support the nominee..."

This April, on ABC's this week, Kyl stated a filibuster could be "easily avoided" if Obama appointed someone with a "conventional legal outlook." (L.A. Times)

Mr. Terry States: "Senator Kyl is a case study in useless trash-talking and duplicity. Obviously, the record is clear that Elena Kagan will uphold Roe. If Senator Kyl does not have the courage and moral compass to filibuster someone who promotes the wholesale slaughter of the unborn, then he is worse than useless as a 'pro-life senator;' he is a collaborator with the other side."

Times and Locations for Thursday, June 24.

Outside Dirkson Senate Office Building, Corner of 1st and C streets. 9 - 10 A.M.,

Senator Jon Kyl's office: 730 Hart Senate Building, 10:10 A.M.

Senator Mitch McConnell office: 361-A Russell Senate Office Building, 10: 45 A.M.

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Richard Viguerie on the Primary Election Results: This is Not Your Father's GOP
Contact: Bob Sturm, 703-396-6974; after 6 PM Eastern, Bob Sturm or Vi Shields, 703-307-8176 or 703-906-6542; ConservativeHQ.com

MANASSAS, Va., June 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, issued the following statement regarding the results of the Republican primaries in Utah and South Carolina:


      "The significant victories of Mike Lee in Utah and Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Trey Gowdy in South Carolina continue an impressive string of victories by Tea Party favored candidates against Republican establishment supported candidates.

      "The GOP senators, representatives, governors, and state legislators in 2011 will be the most conservative in the last 100 years.

      "The 16 month old Tea Party movement is quickly and extensively changing the Republican Party that was so strongly rejected by the American people in 2006 and 2008.

      "The new Republican Party is not the 2008 party of John McCain, John Boehner, and Mitch McConnell.

      "The big tent--read big-government--Republican Party of George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Tom Delay, and Karl Rove has been swept aside and is being replaced by principled, small-government, constitutional conservatives."


NOTE TO EDITORS: Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called "one of the creators of the modern conservative movement" (The Nation magazine) and one of the "conservatives of the century" (Washington Times). He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.