In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The First 100 Days
• Dangerous Denial
• The Standard is Poor
• Two Down for the Count
• Bipartisan Pro-Life Victory in Congress
• TOMORROW: Americans Throwing Tea Parties
• Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Thursday, February 26, 2009
"The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:10)
The Daily Brief
1. Obama Unveils $3.6 Trillion Dollar Budget - Fox News
Sets Aside Billions for Healthcare
President Obama on Thursday unveiled a $3.55 trillion budget for next year, a spending plan that sets aside billions for health care and the ailing financial industry and drives up the federal deficit to record levels.
The fiscal 2010 budget increases taxes on the wealthy but is still expected to send the deficit to $1.2 trillion, though the president and his budget director Peter Orszag said the administration has identified $2 trillion in long-term reductions to keep with the president's pledge of halving the deficit by 2013.
• Father we have no comprehension of the size of this budget, nor of the depth of its intrusion into the lives of Americans. As we read about provisions that cut wealthy people's ability to give to charity by several cents on the dollar, and the loss of President Bush's tax cuts in 2010, we pray that Your provision will cover those who will be affected. Lord, we cry out in the Name of Jesus for You to intervene and bring balance to the methods of economic oversight in America.
• "The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, and bear them up forever." (Psalm 28:8,9)
2. Government's plan to fix banks doesn't include 'nationalization' - USA Today
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday the government did not plan to nationalize major U.S. banks, describing instead a "public-private partnership" under which the government would recapitalize ailing institutions to bolster the financial sector, a crucial step for the economic recovery.
• Father, we pray that Your wisdom will prevail over the US banking system, that measures taken to prevent collapse will be effective without destroying the fabric of free American economic systems. While we have heard this optimistic view from Mr. Bernanke, we have also heard talk of nationalization from other key administration players. Lord bring truth from our leaders, and mark their path clearly, if it be not of Your will for us, then we pray Your intervention and mercy.
• "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom od the Son and of His love. . ." (Colossians 1:13)
3. Boxer Seeks to Ratify U.N. Treaty That May Erode U.S. Rights - AP
Sen. Barbara Boxer is pushing the Obama administration to move forward with ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, a controversial treaty that has never gained much support in the U.S.
• Father we pray strongly against this move by Senator Boxer, and ask that You cause ratification to be blocked completely. This treaty destroys the parental ability to teach children anything other than what the government feels is correct. We ask that You protect us from this treaty being ratified by the U.S. Senate.
• ". . . that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." (Psalm 78:5b-7)
4. Saving America: Time to hit the streets? - Augusta Chronicle
Jim DeMint's gentlemanly air and refined tone belie a power and an urgency in his words. The stately senator from South Carolina sees America's unique centuries-old system of freedom dying out. And he thinks we may have to take to the streets to save it.
"I would think it's time to start thinking about peaceful demonstrations," he told us last week. Seriously? Seriously. The power of the people is there. Freedom is in the people's hands right now, and it's about to slip through."
Of course, the recent "stimulus" debate is what's fresh on DeMint's mind. Despite DeMint's putting 15 aides on it overnight, no one in Washington was able to read the bill, which was the most expensive in American history -- as well as being perhaps the most irresponsible.
• Father as word begins to spread of "tea parties", and sovereignty bills, and in general widespread anger over the spending in the stimulus package, we ask for Your intervention to prevent violence on our own soil. We ask that demonstrations of "civil unrest" be calm and filled with trust in You rather than fear and anger. Help Your people to rise up with wisdom!
• "And surely I will constrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege." (Ezekiel 4:8)
5. ADF Wins First Amendment Case in Montana - Alliance Defense Fund
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit reversed a ruling Wednesday which had upheld as constitutional a Montana commissioner's determination that a church violated state law by not registering as an "incidental political committee." Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in June 2004 after the Montana commissioner of political practices began investigating the church upon receiving a complaint from a homosexual activist group because the church spoke in support of the state's constitutional amendment protecting marriage.
• Father, thank You for this victory against those who wish to silence the church. Father we will not bow to the images of the gods of this world. We ask for continued victories in the courts, and men and women of integrity to fight for those victories.
• "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king." (Daniel 3:17)
6. Supreme Court lets city refuse religious monument - Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a Utah city can refuse to put a religious group's monument in a public park near a similar Ten Commandments display.
Jay Sekulow, who argued the case for the city, said, "It's a landmark decision that clears the way for government to express its views and its history through the selection of monuments -- including religious monuments and displays."
• Lord, thank you for this victory! Now cities will not have to display unrelated or strange religious monuments just because of people who want to negate the ones chosen by a city. In this case, the Ten Commandments will stand alone in this park, giving Your truth the preeminence You deserve.
• "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth, and of those under the earth." (Philippians 2:9,10)
7. Mexico Vows More Troops for U.S. Border Drug War - Reuters
Mexico promised on Wednesday to pour more troops into a northern border city at the heart of the country's drug war, where a meeting of federal officials was rattled by bomb scares earlier in the day.
Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, has become Mexico's most violent city as security forces take on drug cartels warring for control of smuggling routes into the United States.
• Lord we pray that You will assign the angelic host around our borders. We pray that you will stand with and fight for both the US and Mexico to destroy the cartels wherever they have created strongholds. We ask for mercy, that the murders would stop, and the cartels be disbanded and cleansed of their violence and greed.
• "His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown." (Psalm 7:16)
8. Mitchell, Netanyahu Huddle on Peace Efforts - NewsMax
The special U.S. envoy tasked with re-energizing stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians met Thursday with Prime Minister- designate Benjamin Netanyahu, a vocal opponent of the negotiations.
The meeting was the first between Netanyahu and George Mitchell since Netanyahu was designated to lead Israel's next government.
The Obama administration has dispatched Mitchell to the region for the second time in its first month, an indication of the new U.S. president's determination to press a resolution of the decades-old conflict. Hillary Rodham Clinton is due in the area next week on her first trip since being appointed the new U.S. secretary of state.
• Lord we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and the integrity of the borders of Israel. We ask that You rise up to protect her and strengthen the resolve of Israel's leaders to stand in Your righteousness. We pray that no peace deal brokered by the US or any other nation will compromise the security and safety of Your people.
• "For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. Also, that the descendants of His servants shall inherit it and those who love His name shall dwell in it." (Psalm 69:35,36)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"LORD has prepared His throne in the heaven; His kingdom rules over all." (Psalms 103:19)
BREAKING: Iran 'Starts' Bushehr Nuclear Plant - Worthy News
In a move raising eyebrows from Jerusalem to Washington, Russian and Iranian officials began a test run of Iran's first Nuclear plant, Worthy News established Thursday, February 26.
1. Netanyahu: Meeting with Livni decisive - Ynet News
Two days before his second meeting with Tzipi Livni, Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu is hinting that he plans to take additional steps in order to bring Kadima into his government.
2. Hamas to Obama: No peace without us - Ynet News
The United States has received a letter from the Palestinian Hamas movement for President Barack Obama, who considers the Islamist group a terrorist organization, a US official confirmed Friday.
3. Bibi against talks with a Hamas-PA gov't - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to lobby Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next week against US recognition of a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas, top advisers to Netanyahu said Wednesday.
4. Hamas and Fatah agree to release detainees to heal rift - London Telegraph
A deal between the Islamic militants of Hamas who rule Gaza and the more moderate Fatah movement in charge of the West Bank is seen as key to moving ahead with Gaza's reconstruction after Israel's recent offensive.
5. Qassam explodes in Sderot; no injuries - Ynet News
A Qassam rocket fired by Palestinians in north Gaza Thursday morning exploded in the yard of a home in the western Negev town of Sderot. No injuries were reported, but a woman was treated for shock, and two adjoining homes sustained minor damage.
6. Israel thanks Cyprus for confiscating Iranian arms on way to Gaza - Jerusalem Post
President Shimon Peres thanked visiting Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kypriano on Wednesday for confiscating Iranian arms that were believed to be headed to Gaza.
The First 100 Days
The First 100 Days: DAY 38
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)
1. White House Budget Plan Leaves Little Room for Error, Economists Warn
President Obama may have a tough time keeping to his tandem goals of cutting the deficit and sheltering middle-class families from tax increases, critics say.
2. Estimated Budget Totals for 2008-2010 Show Government Debt Increase
If passed, President Obama's spending and tax blueprint for 2010 will mean the U.S. government's debt will increase 63 percent in two years.
The publicly held debt -- money that is owed by the government to foreign and domestic creditors -- was 40.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2008. That increased to 58.7 percent based on projections for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1, and will rise again to 64.6 percent in 2010 under Obama's proposed budget.
3. Senate Dems Surprised by Obama Plan to Leave Up to 50,000 Troops in Iraq
Senate Democrats expressed discontent Thursday with plans from the Pentagon to leave a residual force of up to 50,000 troops in Iraq, even as the military pursues a substantial drawdown.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters that he is heading to the White House later in the day to hear an explanation.
"I have been one who has called for significant cutbacks in Iraq for some time. And I am happy to listen to the secretary of defense, the president, but when they talk about 50,000, that's a little higher number than I had anticipated," Reid said.
4. Locke Enters Debate Over Obama's Census Plans
Just hours after being named President Obama's nominee for Commerce secretary, Republicans called on Gary Locke to spurn the administration's plan to assert greater control over the 2010 Census.
5. Obama Seeks to Have Government Pay for College, End Loan Guarantees
A large increase in education spending would make college more affordable under President Obama's proposed budget.
His plan would tie the Pell Grant program to inflation for the first time since the grants began in 1973. The program would grow by more than 150 percent over the next 10 years.
Obama also seeks an end to government-guaranteed loans, an idea sure to upset the nation's lenders. Instead, the government would increase its own direct lending to students in an effort to protect them from turmoil in financial markets.
Dangerous Denial
The new Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, is testifying on Capitol Hill today. Judging from her prepared remarks, it seems the Obama Administration has turned back the clock and entered a dangerous state of denial. According to an analysis by the Associated Press, Secretary Napolitano statement does not once mention the words "terrorism" or "9/11."
Just like treating the terrorists in GITMO as common street thugs entitled to constitutional rights rather than enemy combatants, this is just one more indication of the administration's intention to return to a pre-9/11 mindset and treat terrorism as a criminal offense, not an act of war or barbarism. As we know, September 10th was one of the most dangerous days in America, when our enemies were plotting against us and we didn't realize it until the next day.
Weakness on national security, slashing defense spending, higher taxes and bigger government -- maybe we're going back a lot further than September 10, 2001. It is looking more and more like a return to the "malaise days" of Jimmy Carter! (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; 2/25/09)
The Standard is Poor
His speech may have inspired the nation, but President Obama's economic cheerleading failed to make a believer out of Wall Street. Despite today's bleak news on the trading floor, the comforter-in-chief seemed to accomplish what he set out to do on Tuesday night--raise the spirits of grassroots Americans. Before last night's speech, confidence in the country had tumbled. While an overwhelming majority approved of President Obama (62%), nearly 80% agreed that "things are going badly in the United States." By a noticeable margin, the President has become more popular than his policies.
While people respond to his rhetoric, the market responds to reality--which is why investors have seen an interesting trend each time the President's outlines his agenda for the economy in a major speech. Obama's stock goes up, and the Dow goes down. Like a truth indicator to the President's plans, Wall Street tells us what Obama will not: financial experts have serious misgivings about the administration's approach to the crisis. . . When the President speaks, the market listens . . . and crumbles. (Family Research Council; Excerpt)
Two Down for the Count
As the President zeros in on former Washington Governor Gary Locke (D) to lead the Commerce Department, the personnel headaches continue for Obama's administration. Kenneth Prewitt, the President's choice for census director, joined a long list of Commerce dropouts, citing "personal and professional" reasons for the decision. From 1998- 2001, Prewitt had served in the same capacity under former President Bill Clinton, earning praise for his work from Republicans and Democrats. Just yesterday, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who withdrew his name as Obama's Commerce Secretary, appeared on "Your World with Neil Cavuto" and spoke highly of Prewitt's selection. "[Ken] is a good guy. And I knew him when he did it the last time. And, so, I thought we could [have done] a pretty decent job."
The speculation is that Prewitt had the same concerns about White House politicizing of the census that Gregg did. According to one source, Prewitt felt there were too many differences between how he and Obama viewed the director's role. For the White House, this is another stinging rebuke of its plan to turn the census into a political weapon that could be used to pad the liberal majority. Prewitt's withdrawal will only add fuel to the bipartisan fire that altering the census reporting process will destroy the credibility of the report. (Family Research Council)
Bipartisan Pro-Life Victory in Congress
Yesterday, the battle over pro-life riders got a tremendous boost as 181 House members called on House leaders to keep the measures in the omnibus spending bill. In a show of rare bipartisanship, large numbers of Republicans and Democrats signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.), and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) urging them to protect taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or perform abortion. FRC led the effort to persuade members to co-sign, and the result was an impressive show of solidarity on both sides of the aisle. We hope the overwhelming support for these riders will convince Speaker Pelosi that these policies have a place in Congress regardless of party control. (Family Research Council)
TOMORROW: Americans Throwing Tea Parties
Americans throwing nearly 40 tea parties
Citizens say 'enough is enough,' unite for nationwide protest against spending
Americans are saying enough is enough to extravagant government spending and throwing nearly 40 tea parties across the nation to protest.
Kellen Giuda, a laid-off architect, is organizing his own New York City tea party. He has invited several prominent guest speakers, including politicians, elected officials, an author, blogger, a bond trader and a former contestant on "America's Next Top Model" to speak out against excessive government spending.
"I saw Rick Santelli's rant, live, and thought it was awesome," he told WND. "All of this fiscal irresponsibility is absurd."
He continued, "Then I started hearing about tea parties, and I decided to do it. It's really exciting. There are a lot of people getting involved now."
"Somebody in our government needs to finally pay attention," said Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck on his radio program last week. "It is what I've been talking about that was coming for a very long time, and that is disenfranchisement, which will turn into anger and then turn into God knows what."
CNBC analyst Rick Santelli is hoping those demonstrations will result in real change.
During the televised segment where Santelli revived the term "tea party," CNBC panelist Wilbur Ross, chairman and CEO of WL Ross & Co., interjected, "Rick, I congratulate you on your new incarnation as a revolutionary leader."
"Somebody needs one," Santelli responded. I'll tell you what, if you read our Founding Fathers, people like Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson, what we're doing in this country now is making them roll over in their graves." (World Net Daily)
Some of the cities that will be holding demonstrations on Friday (tomorrow) include Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; and Los Angeles, CA. New York's demonstration is planned for this Saturday; others are planned for later this spring.
Good News Corner
An Interview with God
Dear Friends,
Today is a very special date on our ministry calendar, for it was 15 years ago today that the Lord called us to begin this work: Praying for all in authority on Capitol Hill.
Thank you ALL for your many years of faithfulness to our work, in prayers and in giving, so that we may continue to stand together as watchmen on the wall for our nation.
God bless you!!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
