I can't say that I liked having it on a Sunday morning at 8:00am, but I did watch before church. I am taking part in a voter voices panel for the Des Moines Register. Below is what I sent into them yesterday afternoon.

I was glad that the debate started on the topic of abortion and right-to-life issues. A recent Pew Research poll showed that 47% of GOP voters do not know that Rudy Giuliani is pro-choice. I feel Senator Brownback helped himself in this debate among the conservative base with the pro-life issue.

Mitt Romney helped himself in the Iraq section of the debate with the criticism of Senator Obama, the "from Fonda to Dr. Strangelove" comment was pithy along with his criticism that Obama wants to "have tea with our enemies and bomb our allies." His comment that we need to have a "surge of support" was good regarding more funding, troops, supplies and encouragement.

Regarding a domestic agenda I think that Governor Huckabee came across the strongest in terms of health care, taxes, and infrastructure. Congressman Tancredo and Senator Brownback both stated some bold tax reform views that I think will be popular with the GOP base.

The main thing I feel was missing from this debate was Fred Thompson. If he is going to run, come on already. Get in the race and make a case as to why you should be the next president.

I watched on Fox News this morning while working out that the focus group that watched the debate with Frank Luntz (he run focus groups during all of the presidential debates so far). They felt that Huckabee did the best job answering the questions directly. They felt he was honest, and less scripted in his answers. They thought he "talked to them, rather than at them" which they didn't feel was the case with the other candidates. They resonated with his positions, particularly on health care. Interesting.

No one really hurt themselves, but I'm not sure the sharp exchange between Brownback and Romney helped Mitt Romney - he didn't really address the content of the automated phone call that the Brownback campaign made. All in all I think that Governor Mike Huckabee and Congressman Duncan Hunter were probably the most helped by the debate.

I am looking forward to this Saturday's Ames Straw Poll. If you are an Iowa resident, and need tickets you can get them through the Iowa GOP (if you are in support of a certain candidate you should be able to get a free ticket through their campaign).

Jim Wallis shared two lessons that he learned from his involvement in social justice ministry.

1. "Protest is not enough; it is necessary to show a better way," (pg. 45).

2. "Our most difficult and darkest moments are precisely the time to embrace the nurturing relationships that remind us how precious and sacred the gift of life really is," (pg. 46).

Amen to that.  Focusing on the first lesson he said that it is easier to protest; providing alternatives is hard work.  It takes more creativity and requires more risk, (pg. 46).  Which is precisely why most people just protest or do nothing at all.

Read the rest of this post.

That is an excellent question.  This has been asked a lot.  Is God political?  No.  He is apolitical.  His agenda trumps any political agenda that we may have.  Does He speak to issues that are addressed in the political realm?  Yes, and that is why Christ followers must have a voice in the political realm.  Jim Walls shares in chapter 3 of God's Politics:

Wallis shares in chapter 2 of God's Politics of how you can determine who a politician is - look for the person who is walking around with their finger high in the air trying to determine the direction of the wind. Where the wind blows so they go. He says that we will never see anything accomplished in Washington by replacing one person with a wet finger with another. To truly bring change he says... we need to change the wind.

Change the wind, transform the debate, recast the discussion, alter the context in which political decisions are being made, and you will change outcomes. Move the conversation around a crucial issue to a whole new place, and you will open up possibilities for change never dreamed of before. And you will be surprised at how the politicians adjust to the change in the wind, (pg. 22).

Wallis shares that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was just such a wind changer. Coming back from Oslo, Norway where he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, he stopped by Washington, D.C. to speak with President Lyndon Johnson. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was just passed, but King knew that they needed a voting rights act as well for things to really change for African-Americans. President Johnson said that he had spent all of his political capital on the civil rights act, that the voting rights act would be down the road, perhaps ten years down the road. King went to Selma, AL to continue to push for the wind to change. He rallied people, marched on Selma, drew attention to the continued problems that were going on and the voting rights act came five months later, not ten years. He changed the wind.

Read more.

Just a reminder, I'm reviewing the book, God's Politics: A New Vision for Faith and Politics by Jim Wallis of Sojourners.  The subtitle of this chapter is "Co-opted by the Right, Dismissed by the Left".  In this chapter Wallis encourages us to take back our faith from what he sees as the hijacking of the Christian faith by the Republican Party and the ignoring at best or being hostile to the Christian faith at worst by the Democratic Party.

He states:

It's time to reassert and reclaim the gospel faith - especially in our public life.  When we do, we discover that faith challenges the powers that be to do justice for the poor, instead of preaching a "prosperity gospel" and supporting politicians who further enrich the wealthy.  We remember that faith hates violence and tries to reduce it and exerts a fundamental presumption against war, instead of trying to justify it in God's name.  We see that faith creates community from racial, class, and gender divisions and prefers international community over nationalist religion, and we see that "God bless America" is found nowhere in the Bible.  And we are reminded that faith regards matters such as the sacredness of life and family bonds as so important that they should never be used as ideological symbols or mere political pawns in partisan warfare.

(Read the entire post.)

I started reading God's Politics by Jim Wallis, and thought that I would post a few thoughts about the Introduction chapter: "Why Can't We Talk about Religion and Politics?" 

One of his first statements that caught my eye was:

"sometimes the most strident and narrow voices are the loudest, while more progressive, prophetic , and healing faith often gets missed," (pg. xv)

Some questions that I have about that:

• Who exactly is he calling narrow?  The religious right?  Secular left?  Both?
• What "faith" is he talking about?  That word tends to get through around a lot.  If it isn't biblical faith it is meaningless.

Wallis says that there are two ways that religion has been brought into public life historically:

1. The view that "God is on our side"  which he says leads to "triumphalism, self-righteousness, bad theology and often dangerous foreign policy."
2. Asking of we are on God's side (Abraham Lincoln) which leads to much healthier things - penitence and even repentance and humility, reflection and even accountability.

I don't disagree with his summary of the history of religion in the public life.  I may not concur with the conclusions that he draws.

(Read the rest of this blog post.)

Senator Barack Obama's campaign launched a website today that targets the faith community.  He is the first Democratic canidate to do so.  You can find it at http://faith.barackobama.com/.

This seems pretty shallow when many of his policies are antitheical to a faith position - like being  pro-abortion for example.  I for one will vote for the person who reflects my values and respecting a culture of life starting with the unborn is right at the top of my list.

Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) has demonstrated great leadership and track record in pushing new sanctions on Sudan due to the genocide in Darfur.  He had this to say yesterday regarding the news that President Bush was imposing new sanctions for Sudan.

"It is our moral responsibility as a nation to make every effort we can to stop the innocent bloodshed in the Darfur region," Brownback said. "The moral conscience of America cannot peacefully rest until the innocent are protected and those who have killed over 200,000 human beings are brought to justice... I will continue to fight for those who do not have a voice in the Darfur region... I applaud President Bush for his leadership and urge the international community to come together and fight this humanitarian crisis before more lives are lost."

I leaned today that Senator Barack Obama, doesn't put the butter away after breakfast.  Well, shoot he's got my vote then.

 Governor Chet Culver signed into law "a bill making it illegal to discriminate in employment, public accommodation, credit, housing or education based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity." (Source: Des Moines Register)

The problem with this law isn't that I want gays, lesbians and transgendered (that concept is still ridiculous to me) not to be able to be employed, get a loan, receive an education, obtain housing and the like.  What I don't like is taking what many would argue is a behavior, a choice, a "lifestyle" so to speak and making it a protected class.  Thereby granting them special rights.

As a Christian working for a parachurch Christian organization our rights to association should have been honored, and at the very least, an exemption given, but that is not the case.  Churches are given an exemption for ordained clergy - you have the right not to hire a gay pastor, but churches can not descriminate against secretaries.  One might even wonder if a non-ordained ministry director (such as a youth director) is gay if a church would have to hire that person as well.;  Catholic & Christian schools also receive an exemption with teachers and administrators, but not other administrative staff.  Boy Scouts receive no protection, as I understand this law.

Do we see the problem with this?  It is no longer about equal protection under the law, but now it is about forcing their lifestyle on those who find it sinful.  This is deplorable.  I'm looking forward to 2008, I for one am going to remember what this year's General Assembly has done and will do my very best to remind those around me a well.

 In the Chicago Tribune:

"Many Democratic House members, as Republicans gleefully point out, are resistant to surrendering the perquisites of power now that they finally enjoy some access to them. In the view of reformers, Democrats have passed the absolute minimum ethics package, and they struggled to do that."

Wow I thought a new sherriff was in town?  The only real change in regards to earmarks is that they will now come out in the open as the bill is on the floor for a vote.  A little late then.  No surprise that they are not delivering what they had promised.

Fox News reported today that Governor Tommy Thompson has officially declared that he is running for President.  I'm thrilled that we have another conservative option.  I for one am not ready to declare Guiliani the GOP nominee.  Let the race begin!

During his campaign debut in western Iowa today, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called for U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran, as a way of helping stabilize the Middle East.  The Des Moines Register reported:

"During his campaign debut in western Iowa today, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called for U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran, as a way of helping stabilize the Middle East.

'We have to understand what Ronald Reagan understood, which was that we'll talk even to folks who are your enemies,' the Illinois senator told an audience of more than 2,000 at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs."

So we need to talk to terrorist states, nice.  I believe that it was President Reagan's policy not to negoiate with terrorists.  Also when he talked with the Soviets it was from a position of strength.  I don't think you can really compare Iran with the former Soviet Union.  I'm sure that Iran is going to jump right in there and give us a hand because we talk with them.  Sounds reasonable to me, just as reasonable as leaving Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump alone together in a locked room.