The Real Nightmare Before Christmas

As political gaffes go, Hillary Clinton's 30-second "Christmas" commercial has got to be her biggest one yet. Like other candidates from both parties, she was attempting to jump on the bandwagon started by Mike Huckabee, whose own half-minute was a simple and to-the-point "merry Christmas." What she actually accomplished, however, was to reveal her true faith: statism.

The ad shows Hillary labeling presents with titles like "universal health care" and "alternative energy," as though these items are what she wants to "give" to the American people for Christmas. "Where did I put universal pre-K" she wonders aloud, before finding the label in question.

Perhaps the most offensive aspect of the ad—among several—is the fact that Mrs. Clinton has the nerve to present government programs that our money would pay for as "gifts" she wants to give us. Moreover, such programs would be the equivalent of defective $10,000 iPods.

"I'm Hillary Clinton, and I approved this message," says the candidate at commercial's end. Here's hoping everyone notices.

Expelled

This is going to be fun.

Nightmare on Main Street

It’s 4:30 a.m., and the prospect of an Obama presidency is literally keeping me awake at night. As early as March, 2006 I warned my little cadre of readers about the attractiveness of Oprah’s anointed. Three months later, after hearing the freshman senator from Illinois speak for the Democrat’s national convention, I knew I was right:

Obama touches all the right notes, not just for liberals, but for the many conservatives whose values are shaped more by evangelical emotion and traditions than by a conscientiously applied biblical worldview…[However, in reality] Obama believes in the "many paths to God" idea, that Christ has somehow cleansed him of his sin, but that other faiths perceive that Person and that cleansing in non-Christian terms, and that it's fine by him.

That is why he grants moral equivalence to Islam and atheism in this speech. And if that doesn't bother you, well, you'll probably have the chance to cast your vote for him down the road.

Mr. Obama is a profoundly skilled speaker, and I can tell you from having grown up in the Pentecostal church world that persuasive speech wins the modern American heart far more quickly than proven character. Look no further than the unbelievable resurgence of Jimmy Swaggart (who still manages to stay on the air, thanks to the BET network) for proof.

Ever since Ronald Reagan appeared in the late 1970s (and arguably a few elections prior), the public has responded to the more persuasive candidate. (Bush 41 can thank Heaven that his first opponent was the little bobbleheaded Michael Dukakis.)

That’s why I believe that, regardless of Republican moaning about “electability,” Mike Huckabee has a better chance of beating the Democrat nominee than any other Republican. Mitt Romney might be able to win, and he definitely would stand a better chance if he didn’t come across like he’d been practicing in front of a mirror his whole life. Rudy Giuliani, like Huckabee, is good on his feet, but I believe his personal foibles have rendered him unelectable. Fred Thompson always gives his listener the impression than he’d rather be somewhere else and just can’t wait for the interview to end. And John McCain, regardless of endorsements, would get slammed in the general election for the simple reason that you cannot sleepwalk your way into the Oval Office.

The only reason people say Huckabee is unelectable is because they haven’t heard the guy talk. Sure, he’s got a funny last name, bad teeth, and a little Gomer Pyle in his smile. But when the man starts talking all that fades away. He’s probably got too much faith in government (like Bush 43), and definitely too much faith in public education, but compared to the Ken doll from Massachusetts, the serial polygamist from New York, the no-show-even-when-he-shows from Tennessee, and the cadaver from Arizona, Huck is the Gipper reincarnate.

On the other side, Hillary Clinton is saddled by her own personality. In precise terms—and this is strictly an assessment of style, not a personal accusation—she’s butch, and desperately in need of Julie Andrews to leap out of The Princess Diaries and rescue her. What does it say about the poor woman that she loses votes every time she laughs? Not when she loses her temper, or badmouths another candidate‚—no, she loses when she laughs. No wonder she’s had to resort to husband Bill, the best orator besides Obama, yet a liability in his own right.

John Edwards is a better speaker than Hillary, but comes across as having spent even more mirror time than Romney. And the fact that he rates no mention until this far down in the article is indicative of his chances at winning the nomination.

Nope, Obama is my nightmare. He has been for 18 months, and now, like Freddy Krueger, he’s more than just a bad dream.

Let us pray.

An Urgent Plea

A good friend and brother of mine, "John," has been arrested and unlawfully imprisoned by the Chinese government. Following is a press release about his case. Note that his second daughter is an American citizen. Since China frowns on more than one child per family, she would have had no citizenship had she been born in China. Hence, John and his wife timed their visit to America seven years ago for her birth.

I would appreciate it if other bloggers would pick up this as a "meme" and also publish this press release. If ever a blog swarm were needed, it is now.

--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--

In the shadow of gleaming new towers built for the Olympic Games, just outside of Beijing’s city center, one case highlights the religious persecution and corruption of justice that can still happen to ordinary Chinese citizens.

Just months before China is put on the world stage hosting the Olympics, Grace (EnMei) Shi, a 7-year old American girl, has been forced into hiding with her Chinese mother and 11-year old sister. They fear for their own safety and for that of EnMei's father--Weihan Shi--a 37-year old businessman who was informally detained by the police and is being held in an unknown location.

Contrary to Chinese law, officers at the Haidian District Substation of the Beijing Public Security Bureau not only refused to tell the family where Shi is being held, they also would not tell them what he is being charged with, essentially denying him any possibility of legal defense.

He has become a victim of “enforced disappearance” placing him outside of the protection of law--a violation of “The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance“--a U.N. convention of which China is a signatory.

Mr. Shi, a life-long resident of Beijing, and a travel agent active in promoting foreign travel in China during the Olympics, was arrested in his Christian literature bookstore in a high-class business tower near the Olympics Village, along with some of his employees, his younger brother and his wife--Mrs. Jing Zhang--who have since been released after questioning. After 20 police raided their home at 5 AM on November 28th, the Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB) detained Shi’s wife, more than once, to question her in connection with Christian literature confiscated from Shi's home, office and bookstore.

Mr. Shi is now in the eighth day of his detention by the Beijing PSB. The family is concerned that he may be quite ill. As a diabetic, going without his medicine for several days, Shi may already be facing the danger of diabetic shock. The Haidian officers have also refused to allow the family to take Mr. Shi's diabetic medicine to him. There has been no proof or assurance to the family regarding his medical condition. Deprivation and torture tactics are often used by the PSB in their notorious detention centers to force those being held to reveal information about others.

The little American citizen--“Grace”--born during the family’s visit to the U.S. in 2000, and her older sister--“Lily”--are reportedly terrified for their mother and father’s safety after witnessing the raid on their home. The mother and two girls have gone into hiding, fearing the possibility that threatened reprisals against Shi’s wife and two children would be used as an interrogation tactic against him before legal representation can be arranged.

Staffers at the U.S. Embassy have been provided information about the case and are reportedly concerned for the welfare of the young American girl.

For more information, please contact:

Ray Sharpe
President
Bethel Energy Group, Inc, (a client of Weihan Shi’s Beijing travel service)
(618) 780-2742

U.S. Embassy Beijing
Political Section
Mr. Gregory C. May
Tel: (86-10) 6532-3831 x. 6742
Fax: (86-10) 6532-6423
MayGC@state.gov

Beijing Public Security Bureau
Haidian District Substation
Director Zhang Weigang (86-10) 8251-9110, (86-10) 8251-9350

China Foreign Affairs Office
Foreign Spokespersons Office
(86-10) 6559-2311 or cellphone (86) 1391-086-9861

U.S. State Department
Office of Religious Freedoms
Assistant to Mr. John Hanford, Ambassador at Large
Joanella Morales
(202) 647-4359
(202) 647-3209 (fax)
moralesjx@state.gov

Gods & Monsters

Has it ever occurred to you that the reason liberals tend to blame President Bush for everything from homelessness to global warming is because they think a president should rule in those areas?

Every time you hear Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or John Edwards blame Mr. Bush for some societal ill, know this: That candidate wants to assume rulership over that area of society.

Makes Kucinich even scarier, huh?