An Attack on Religion?

The US Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, released a press release last week stating that a new element has been added to the Affordable Health Care Act or ObamaCare. (Click to read HHS statement). The new ruling states that all non-profit employers will be now be required by law to provide and pay for insurance coverage to include all forms of birth control, which includes contraceptives, morning-after pills, and abortions.

Problem?  Non-profit employers include religious-based hospitals, charities and schools. One in six hospitals in this country are Catholic-owned hospitals.  

Biggest problem? The Catholic Church does not believe in birth control of any kind.  

Catholic institutions are now being required by our government to provide and pay for measures that fundamentally oppose their doctrine.  They are now required to provide something for their employees, which the Catholic Church teaches as an immoral practice. 

Contraceptives go against their faith.  Our government has asked the Catholic-run institutions to compromise their morals.

Is this an overstep?  Absolutely. 

WSJ Image / Getty Images

 Yet, President Obama signed off on it.  No explanation.  No justification.  Once again, behind closed doors, he passed a piece of legislation that deeply impacts every American.  More surprising? He passed a measure that completely contradicts the very first amendment to our Constitution.

The first amendment to our Constitution states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof..."

A disregard for the Constitution?  I would argue that it is a blatant disregard for that sacred document.

This has received little media attention and yet it spotlights the worst suspicions that Conservatives have had about President Obama.  Suspicions that he is an individual who wants greater government power even if it requires eradicating our liberties.

The White House is beginning to feel some heat for this controversial measure.  

They defend it by saying that the new law does not compel anyone to actually take the contraceptives--the employers must simply provide it.  They also defend it by stating that to sympathize with these religious institutions, they will provide a one-year grace period to comply with the new law.  

According to HHS, nonprofit employers have until August 1, 2013 to comply.  One year to comply or face astronomical non-compliance fines.

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of HHS, is now defending the added clause arguing it "strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventative services."

Where in the Constitution does it say "Congress shall pass no law respecting establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof "unless one can strike an appropriate balance?"  It doesn't.

This is an overstep by our government.  This is an abuse of power at the highest level.

Peggy Noonan, a writer for the Wall Street Journal wrote a fascinating column on Sunday about this latest move by the White House.  (Click to read WSJ column).  She criticized the President, but she also pointed out that there would be backlash.  People of faith are angry.  

Rightfully so.

In her article she wrote, "The (Catholic) church is fighting back. Priests in an estimated 70% of parishes last Sunday came forward to read strongly worded protests from the church's bishops. The ruling asks the church to abandon Catholic principles and beliefs; it is an abridgment of the First Amendment; it is not acceptable. They say they will not bow to it. They should never bow to it, not only because they are Catholic and cannot be told to take actions that deny their faith, but because they are citizens of the United States."

This was a huge mistake by our President, but my fear is that this wasn't just a mistake.  It simply confirms his true intentions--a desire for a stronger, more powerful federal government.  It once again demonstrates a philosophy of government first / people second.  Furthermore, it shows a complete disregard for religious institutions.  

This is not going away.  It has stirred the religious right, religious independents and even religious Democrats.  It is not okay.  It has stirred people of faith and as Noonan wrote, President Obama has awakened a "sleeping giant."

I hope she is right.

A $4 Trillion Dollar Bet

The wounds of our fragile economy are everywhere.  I look around and in my circle of friends, people are still hurting.  Really hurting.  Qualified friends are still losing jobs.  Once financially secure friends are still losing their homes.  Friends who are overly qualified and well-educated are still without jobs and month-after-month they are being overlooked for stable employment.  Fairly priced homes are still saturating the housing market.  Qualified people are being rejected for loans.  People are still hurting.

But I also look around and I see a resiliency and determination that I have never witnessed in my lifetime.  People are tightening their budgets, living within their means and carefully identifying wants vs. needs.    People are making careful financial decisions.

Yet, for the past three years, we have watched our government do the exact opposite.  Why is it that our government has done everything except make fiscally responsible decisions?  Why is it that our president is at the center of this effort?

Our government is borrowing unthinkable amounts of money and placing huge bets on very expensive and unproven programs.  All with the hopes that it will somehow stimulate our economy.  Our leaders are borrowing money that can never logistically be repaid.

I can't think of one scenario where this approach would work in one's personal life.  It would be like watching a family max out every one of their credit cards boasting that excessive spending is justified because it will allow them to benefit from the credit card rewards program.  Boasting that if they just spend enough, they will have enough credit card points for a free trip to Hawaii or a free vacation stay at a luxury hotel.  

This kind of approach to one's financial situation would obviously be foolish and quite frankly, immoral.  

I firmly believe that in every life situation, it is immoral to spend money that can never be repaid. 

For three years, the US Government has tried to spend its way out of financial crisis.  In just three years, trillions of dollars--$4 trillion to be exact--has been added to our national debt which now totals over $15 trillion dollars (US National Debt Clock).  

Trillions of dollars has been borrowed to artificially stimulate our economy.  Trillions has been spent in an effort to create jobs.  Well, three years later, our unemployment is still above 8%.  The housing market is still in disarray.  Social welfare programs for the poor have nearly doubled since 2007.  Furthermore, more than 2.6 million Americans have dropped out of the middle class and are now living below the poverty line.  (CNN poverty rate index report).

This is what we got for $4 trillion dollars?  Has this $4 trillion dollar bet been worth the results?

I would argue, no way.

Mitt Romney advocates that there is a better, more responsible and ethical way to approach our economic crisis.  During his tenure as Governor and during his years in the private sector, Mitt Romney made fiscally responsible decisions.  Over and over again, he balanced budgets, he trimmed excessive spending, he cut unnecessary and expensive programs, he eliminated waste.  He eliminated debt.  He made fiscally responsible decisions.  He lifted financial burdens.  He created jobs.  He did it without raising taxes.  He did it without borrowing money.

Time and again, his fiscally responsible efforts worked.  They enabled profitability.  They created stability.

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One of Mitt Romney's most powerful campaign slogans is, "We have a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in."  I couldn't agree more.

Today, President Obama is making his case for a second term.  He is arguing that with time, he is "getting better."  This president is asking us to continue to place a very expensive bet on a very uncertain future.

America deserves more.

We need a leader with a moral compass to lead us out of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  A leader who has experience making difficult financial decisions.  A leader who is accountable with other people's money.  A leader who believes in fiscal responsibility and accountability.  A leader who has time and again, successfully made weak things stronger.

No more trillion dollar bets.   America needs real solutions.  America needs Mitt Romney.

Another Crucial Win in Another Swing State

Last night's victory in Nevada represents another crucial win in another crucial state.  Mitt Romney won nearly 50% of the vote.  An impressive win to say the least.

AP Photo/Getty Images

Many critics are trying to discredit the win saying that it was predictable in a state where Mitt Romney won in 2008 and also a state with a Republican Electorate that is 25% Mormon.   What these critics don't acknowledge is that Mitt Romney won the Nevada caucuses convincingly in nearly every demographic.  He won nearly every age, income group and minority group.  Furthermore, he won with Tea Party Supporters and Evangelicals.  Much to Newt Gingrich's dismay, Romney convincingly won the support of moderate and conservative Republicans.

***

The energy during Mitt Romney's acceptance speech was remarkable.

He graciously and confidently thanked the crowd for their support and reminded America what the fight for the White House is truly about.  He reminded America of the failed policies of President Obama.

He said, "Four years ago, candidate Obama came to Nevada promising to help.  Today Nevada unemployment is over 12%, home values have plummeted, and Nevada's foreclosure rate is the highest in the nation.  I've walked in Nevada neighborhoods, blighted by abandoned homes, where people wonder why Barack Obama failed them.  Well Mr. President, Nevada has had enough of your kind of help."

Romney said, "Three years ago, newly elected President Obama told America that if Congress approved his plan to borrow nearly $1 trillion dollars, he would hold unemployment below 8%."

Romney pointed out that the national unemployment hasn't dropped below 8% in three years.    He went on to say,  "This week, he's been trying to take a bow for 8.3% unemployment.  Not so fast, Mr. President.  This is the 36th month with unemployment above the red line that your own administration drew.  

"Mr. President, America has also had enough of your kind of help."

AP Photo/Getty Images

Thank you Mitt Romney for demonstrating that this election is not about replacing a president, it is about restoring America to a greatness.  Restoring America to prosperity.  Restoring America to substantive and lasting growth.

Thank you for reminding us that for three years we have been on a path that is not working.  For three years, we have tried to borrow our way out of challenging economic times and it has not worked.  Americans are still hurting.

Thank you for reminding America that we deserve more--for showing us there is a better way to emerge out of the worst economic times since the Great Depression.

Thank you Nevada for recognizing that Mitt Romney is the right leader to help us.

Throwing Darts

This morning Americans finally woke to some positive economic news--during the month of January, 243,000 jobs were added to the economy dropping the unemployment rate to 8.3% percent.

Reports from the White House were that of reserved optimism as they said that these unemployment numbers "were better than expected."

(Is it concerning that they seemed more surprised than we were?)

New York Times ran an article today stating that despite this positive economic news, the president is reluctant to be "overly optimistic" and Democrats are wary of "declaring a full-blown recovery." (Click to read full NYTimes article).  Obama gave a speech this morning warning caution as he suggested that the "numbers will go up and down in the coming months and there are still far too many Americans who need a job or need a job that pays better than the one they have now."

I guess that one can understand their "reserved celebration."  After all, their bold declaration of "Recovery Summer of 2010," turned out to be a total flop.  Nothing more than a flicker of a flame in a smoking fire pit.

Truth be told, the Administration didn't know "recovery" in 2010 and they certainly don't know it now.  They don't know because it is clear that this Administration has no idea what they are doing and they don't know what they are looking for.

For three solid years, we have watched our government throw billions and billions of dollars in  "Recovery Act" money towards stimulus-funded projects which they confidently boasted would create jobs.

It has been three years, what do they have to show for it?  The answer? Unemployment at a staggering 8.3%, a housing market continuing to collapse, millions of Americans barely getting by, $4 trillion in additional debt to the Chinese and a starkly divided nation.

For the past three years, it has been like watching a group of college buddies in a bar playing darts.  Each one brags of skill and confidence, but more often than not, darts are thrown with eyes closed and fingers crossed--each hoping that luck will be on their side to land their dart in the center of the bullseye.

Today's economic news is of course encouraging.  More and more Americans are gradually going back to work.  This is great news.  But is this surge based on the same method of throwing darts with eyes closed and fingers crossed?  I would argue, yes.

We have a long way to go.

As Mitt Romney pointed out today, "The economy grew only 1.7% in all of 2011, the slowest growth in a non-recession year since the end of World War II.  Nearly 24 million Americans remain unemployed, underemployed or have just stopped looking for work.  Long-term unemployment remains at record levels."

I couldn't agree more.

***

Americans are the most determined and resilient people in the world.  We love our country and I have no doubt that as a people, we will be stronger for having endured the worst economic times since the Great Depression, but the truth is, we are losing patience.

We are aching for prosperity and stability.  We are yearning for substance and truth.  Does today's economic news offer greater confidence in our government? I would argue, no.

We have a White House Administration and president that are crossing their fingers and holding their breath as they attempt to artificially jump-start this economy.  They are still "throwing darts at a board."  Leaders that continue to be totally shocked and surprised when economic numbers are "better than expected."

These people are in over their heads.

Even today there is news out of Washington DC that legislators are talking of additional stimulus plans, tax increases and deficit spending.  Yesterday, Senate Democrats introduced a bill called, "Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012," which would require those making $1 million or more a year to pay a minimum 30% percent effective tax rate.  A tax bill that is clearly meant to exploit the controversy over Mitt Romney's tax returns.

President Obama supports this bill which has been nicknamed the "Buffett Rule," which highlights what they claim is unfairness in a tax code where a millionaire pays a lower effective tax rate than most middle income Americans.

The President and Democrats refuse to acknowledge that a lower tax rate on capital gains encourages people like Mitt Romney to place their money in investment firms that are actually creating jobs.  Investment firms that are truly stimulating the economy.  If those investment firms lose 15% of their money, will their ability to create jobs be as significant?

Why do the Democrats think they would be better at allocating a millionaire's taxable income than an investment firm?  One only has to look at Social Security and the Postal Service to realize that the government and prosperity don't exactly go hand-in-hand.

***

Patience is thin.  Americans deserve more.  Today's unemployment numbers offer a flicker of hope, but Mr. President, quite frankly we are tired of watching you throw darts at government programs--hoping with your eyes shut and fingers crossed that it will work.

Just like in life, anyone can learn to play darts, but very few actually perfect the skill of the game. And like in life, very few darts ever hit the target.

Mr. President, I think it might be time to step aside and let a professional officially turn this economy around.  Mitt Romney is an individual who has become an expert at successfully turning things around.  He has done it over and over in his career.

This morning, Romney told reporters, "I am running for president because I have the vision and experience to help rebuild the economy and put us on a path toward greater prosperity for all Americans."

Thank heavens Mr. Romney, we are in desperate need of your expertise.

Image Problem? No a Portrayal Problem

Mitt Romney has been dominating the political news and not because of his landslide victory in Florida or the comfortable lead he is experiencing in Nevada before Saturday's caucus.  (Latest polls have Mitt leading with 45% percent of the vote).  But today, Mitt Romney is dominating the headlines because of one portion of a comment that he made yesterday in an interview with CNN.

AP Photo

In the CNN interview, Romney said, "I'm in this race because I care about Americans.  I'm not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there.  If it needs repair, I'll fix it."  He went on to say, "I am not concerned about the very rich, they are doing just fine.  I'm concerned about the very heart of the America, the 90-95% of Americans who right now are struggling and I'll continue to take that message across the nation."

The CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien apparently only chose to hear one part of his sentence.  She immediately pounced.

She asked him what he meant that he is not "concerned about the very poor."  Romney immediately shot back and said, "Well you have to finish the sentence Soledad.  I said I'm not concerned about the very poor that have a safety net, but if it has holes in it, I will repair them."

He went on to say, "My campaign is focused on middle income Americans.  My campaign is focused on middle income Americans, retirees living on social security, people who cannot find work, folks who have kids that are getting ready to go to college.  These are the people who've been most badly hurt during the Obama years."

It goes without saying that rivals from all sides have pounced and focused on the one portion of the sentence.  It is now being twisted and contorted to portray a false image of Mitt Romney.

***

This side of politics makes my stomach turn.  Distorting Mitt Romney's statement into an indicator that he truly "doesn't care about the poor" is ridiculous and a stretch to say the least.  Shame on the media for feeding that frenzy.  Also, shame on the Democratic National Committee for releasing a political web ad today using only this small portion of his statement to prejudice their base.  

This kind of frenzy is ridiculous and offensive.  It is a distortion and a major distraction to the real issues that are facing our country. 

It is no wonder why individuals with solid values, stellar leadership and good ideas on how to fix broken systems in our country are fearful of running for office.  It is this kind of garbage that turns people away.

Washington Post Photo

The media loves to run stories about how Mitt Romney has an "image problem."  I think it goes without saying that perhaps the media elite need to realize that the only image problem Mitt is having, is the way the media chooses to portray him.

Mitt Romney is an exemplary person.  His experience is invaluable.  He is a man of good, moral character and our country will be better under his leadership and management.

Time and again, Mitt Romney has rescusitated weakened companies to become profitable.  He has fixed the broken.  He has repaired the damaged.  He has demonstrated that he knows how to make institutions thrive.  As Governor, he used the line-item veto power more than 800 times.  He balanced budgets.  He had a bi-partisan record.  He turned a deficit into a surplus without raising taxes--without borrowing money.

Mitt Romney is a disciplined leader who will lead this country to prosperity.

Our current President has not even come close.

AP Photo

I can't wait to see what Mitt Romney will do for our country.  Four more years of stagnant employment numbers, partisan bickering, a sputtering economy and immoral deficits?  This is not good enough.  America deserves more.  America needs Mitt Romney.

Not Everyone Can Be The Quarterback

In the last ten days, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have battled it out for Florida's top prize.  At times, it has been nasty.  According to many, the political ads in Florida have been the most negative on record with over 90% of the political ads carrying a negative tone.

As much as candidates complain about the toxicity of negative ads, the reality is, they work.  They worked for Gingrich in South Carolina with his "Armageddon," and they worked for Romney in Florida, in what Gingrich refers to as, "A carpet bomb" of negative ads.

But last night Romney won the coveted prize in what is undoubtedly a must-win state.  The election outcome was remarkable.  Romney's resounding double-digit win over a surging Gingrich has caught the attention of all scrutinizing analysts.  He won 46% of the vote--an impressive win, to say the least.

AP Photo

In today's revised exit polls, Mitt Romney dominated nearly every age, religious, ideological and ethnic group.

Florida Exit Poll Results: (click for MSNBC's full exit poll results).

• Women : Romney 52-28%
• Latinos : Romney 54-29%
• Moderates: Romney 62%
• 65+: Romney 51-34%
• Evangelicals: Romney 38-37%
• “Somewhat conservative”: Romney 52-32%
• $100K a year+: Romney 52%-30% 
• $200K a year+ (9% of electorate): Romney 60%-23%

The only group where Gingrich did better than Romney was with people who identified themselves as "Very Conservative."  Gingrich won 40% of their vote.

The number one influence for the Florida voter was the candidate who had "the greatest ability to defeat President Obama" in the fall.  Floridians resoundingly believe that Mitt Romney is that candidate.

***

Today many are asking, where does this put Newt Gingrich?

From his speech last night, it is clear that Gingrich isn't going anywhere.  He brazenly insisted that he is staying in the race.  Standing in front of supporters holding signs reading "46 States to Go," Gingrich announced that he will contest every state.  He went even further and boldly predicted that he would win and "will be there in Tampa as the Republican nominee in August."

AP Photo

Yesterday, even before the final Florida ballots were cast in Romney's favor, Gingrich didn't seem phased by a landslide win for Romney.  He told reporters that the campaign was "probably six months" from being over.  "I would say June or July.  Unless Romney drops out earlier."

Wow.  I guess we need to hand it to Gingrich for his self-confidence.  After such a loss, most candidates would be trying to strategize a dignified exit.  But this is Newt Gingrich we are talking about.

***

Today, many have described Gingrich as emboldened and angry.  In no subtle terms, he has basically declared war on a Mitt Romney nomination.  As history has proven, Gingrich does exactly what he says.  He undoubtedly wants to destroy Mitt Romney's chance to lead the Republican party and he seems even more hell-bent on becoming the President of the United States.

My question is, at what cost?

At what point does the "will of the people" overshadow political pursuits?  My fear is Gingrich's desire to become the next President of the United States, will force him to ignore the real motive of this election cycle, which is to replace President Barrack Obama.

I can't help but wonder, has Gingrich truly considered that Americans might not want him to be that replacement?

In his quest to become the nominee, it appears that Gingrich will stop at nothing to portray Romney as a foolish choice.  The problem is that with toxic negative ads, the damage he could do just might really make Romney--the ultimate nominee--too damaged to win over the electorate.

CBS Photo

My hope is that Gingrich will remember that even on a football team, not every player can be the quarterback, however, every player in every position is crucial for the team to win.

So, Mr. Gingrich, in the next few weeks, please realize that as Conservatives, our goal is a Republican win in November.  If you aren't the "quarterback," your contribution and years of experience will still be invaluable in getting America back on the path to prosperity.

Please remember that a real leader knows when to let someone else take the reins.