In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The First 100 Days
• Good News from the States
• Moderately Alarming
• The Islamic Bomb
• Good News Corner
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The Daily Brief - Wednesday, March 18, 2009
"I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it that men should fear before Him." (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
The Daily Brief
1. What did they know and when about AIG? - ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cue the outrage. For months, the Obama administration and members of Congress have known that insurance giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was flowing and news was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in anger and vowed to yank the money back. Why the sudden furor, just weeks after Barack Obama's team paid out $30 billion in additional aid to the company? So far, the administration has been unable to match its actions to Obama's tough rhetoric on executive compensation. And Congress has been unable or unwilling to restrict bonuses for bailout recipients, despite some lawmakers' repeated efforts to do so. The situation has the White House and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the defensive. The administration was caught off guard Tuesday trying to explain why Geithner had waited until last Wednesday to call AIG chief executive Edward M. Liddy and demand that the bonus payments be restructured.
- Father, we know that procrastination and silence are a decision. We pray that our leaders will get to the bottom of any forestalling of the truth. Pray that the knowledge of and timing of these issues will come to light. While Americans are concerned about their future, leaders closing their eyes to injustices and lavish waste at our expense, is unacceptable behavior. Pray that God will deal swiftly with every offender and that any road blocks to this prayer being answered completely will be demolished.
- "Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- both are detestable to the LORD." (Proverbs 17:15)
2. AIG Bonuses 'Staggering' in Size, Seven Execs Received Over $4 Million Each New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Reveals 'Lavish Multi-Million' Bonus Amounts
The Financial Products Subsidiary may be largely to blame for the near collapse of insurance giant AIG last year, but that did not stop seven executives at that department from taking home bonuses of over $4 million each, with the top bonus recipient earning more than $6.4 million, according to numbers released today by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in a letter to the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Barney Frank (D- Mass.). "Already my Office has determined that some of these bonuses were staggering in size," wrote Cuomo after he subpoenaed AIG Monday demanding the names and job descriptions of those that shared a $165 million bonus pool despite the firm's dismal performance and its acceptance of over $170 billion in bailout funds so far.
- Pray that men will not have allowed greed to be their teacher. Ask the Lord of Hosts to persuade these men to deal with Him on these matters. Pray that He will give them truth in the inward parts and open their eyes to the massive assault that greed has on their lives.
- "Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it." (Proverbs 15:16)
3. Rep. Mack Calls for Geithner to Resign or Be Fired Over AIG Bonuses - Fox News
The Florida Republican becomes the first lawmaker on Capitol Hill to call for the treasury secretary's ouster. Florida Republican Rep. Connie Mack called for Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner to lose his job Wednesday, becoming the first Capitol Hill lawmakers to call for his ouster over AIG's using tens of millions of taxpayer dollars for executive bonuses. "Quite simply, the Timothy Geithner experience has been a disaster. The Treasury Department is in disarray. Taxpayer dollars are being wasted. America's economy hangs in the balance. America needs and deserves a treasury secretary who can truly lead us forward," Mack said in a written statement. He called on Geithner, the former New York Federal Reserve chief, either to resign or be fired, and said President Obama should nominate a new secretary with "the experience and leadership skills America deserves."
- Please agree that only God's purposes will prevail for His truth to be illuminated in these matters. Pray that incompetence will not be allowed to continue to ruin the structure and heart of this country. Pray that Justice will find her feet in The United States of America and any double tongued rhetoric will be exposed and dealt with according to the laws of our land. Pray that men of boldness, true leaders, will not only speak on behalf of truth, but that the Lord would give them strategies to prevail.
- "If favor is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness they deal perversely and do not see the majesty of the LORD." (Isaiah 26:10)
4. Sources: US to sign UN gay rights declaration - Worthy News
The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned. U.S. officials said Tuesday they had notified the declaration's French sponsors that the administration wants to be added as a supporter. The Bush administration was criticized in December when it was the only western government that refused to sign on.
- Father, just like when disobedient children act out, this is a cry for help from the world and a call for prayer for the body of Christ. You have told us to no longer be children, but to grow up in You, Father. Yet like a small child, the world keeps pushing for more of what is not good for them. There is only one way to grow healthy adults spiritually. Please pray that God will have His way on this one and that the prodigals will all come home to Him.
- "Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth." (Ephesians 4:14)
5. IDF chief: Strike on Iran a concrete option - Worthy News
Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi tells US colleagues there is still time to deal with Iranian threat, says Israel too prefers sanctions to military option; cuts visit short due to developments in Shalit negotiations IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, who is on an official visit to the United States, told his American colleagues Monday that the Iranian threat could still be handled via sanctions, but stressed that an Israeli military strike was a "serious" option.
- As things heat up in the Middle East, ask God to put His Strong Arm around Israel to protect her. Father, give Israel wisdom and guidance to go forward. If ever she listened to Your Voice, let it be now. Only the heart of God holds the wisdom she needs now.
- "Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught." (Proverbs 3:25-26)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15)
1. Assad: US could mediate Syria-Israel talks - Ynet News
Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country could hold direct peace talks with Israel if the United States acted as an arbitrator, according to an interview published on Wednesday.
2. 'Israel could attack Iran with missiles' - Jerusalem Post
A new report has assessed that Israel could use ballistic missiles to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, rather than air power. The report also warns that such action could trigger a response that would escalate to include the use of WMDs.
3. Former MI chief: Israel can't face Iran alone - Ynet News
Former Military Intelligence chief Major General Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash on Wednesday told Ynet that "Israel cannot deal with the Iranian threat on its own. It can only take part in a course of action".
4. Israel's national security aide barred from U.S. - Washington Times
Uzi Arad, who is expected to serve as national security adviser in the next Israeli government, has been barred from entering the United States for nearly two years on the grounds that he is an intelligence risk.
5. EU's Solana: Don't drop two-state solution - Jerusalem Post
The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned on Monday that the bloc may reevaluate its ties with Israel.
The First 100 Days
DAY 58
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)
1. Fannie Mae to Pay Bonuses of up to $611,000 for Four Execs
Government-controlled mortgage finance titan discloses plan for bonuses of $470,000 to $611,000 for four top executives, on top of their base salaries, as sibling company Freddie Mac plans similar awards.
2. Obama Pushes Limits on Banking Industry, Says 'Buck Stops With Me'
President Barack Obama said Wednesday he wants legislation providing greater regulation of financial institutions like American International Group so taxpayers won't be left "holding the bag" when companies fail.
Standing on the White House lawn as he prepared to go to California, Obama again called AIG's executive bonuses "outrageous." But he said the problem goes deeper than that.
3. Locke Gets Friendly Questions at Senate Confirmation Hearing
The former two-term Democratic governor must be approved by the full Senate before joining President Obama's Cabinet as commerce secretary.
4. Rep. Mack Calls for Geithner to Resign or Be Fired Over AIG Bonuses
Florida Republican Rep. Connie Mack called for Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner to lose his job Wednesday, becoming the first Capitol Hill lawmakers to call for his ouster over AIG's using tens of millions of taxpayer dollars for executive bonuses.
5. AIG Puts New York Building on the Block
The embattled American International Group is trying to rake in another $100 million by selling its 66-story Art Deco headquarters in New York City, according to a newspaper report.
6. Former Bush Aide Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison
A former aide to George W. Bush was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for stealing nearly $600,000 from a government program that promotes democracy in Cuba.
(All articles from Fox News)
Good News from the States
ASCs Make Spine-Tingling Progress
Where President Obama would not draw ethical lines, some states have not hesitated. In the wake of the executive order to approve federal funds for embryonic stem cell (ESC) research, three states are refusing to have their convictions steamrolled. Georgia, Mississippi, and Oklahoma are all staging their own protest of the President's decision by passing bills that either ban the funding of ESC or promote real progress through adult stem cells.
In response to [last] Monday's White House ceremony, the Georgia Senate rallied to ban ESC research by a 34-22 vote. Down in Mississippi, State Rep. Tommy Reynolds pushed for a ban on research that destroys the lives of human embryos in the latest budget bill and passed it through the House. Just yesterday, nearby Oklahoma passed a bill 99-0 that would direct more than $1 million toward the real progress of adult stem cells.
This week's good news was multiplied by the announcement of the miraculous spinal cord treatment out in California at DaVinci Biosciences where researchers successfully treated patients with their own bone marrow stem cells. "It is important to note that all of our patients with acute injuries improved significantly with no signs of deterioration." said team leader Dr. Francisco Silva. Those results should make the administration's investment in expensive embryonic failures all the more scandalous. .
· Heavenly Father of the Unborn, please save these Embryonic Stem Cells who don't have the chance of developing in their Mother's womb . . . only in a petrie dish, to be scheduled for scientific destruction! May all funding dry up for the barbaric practice of Embryonic Stem Cell harvesting, and may Adult Stem Cell Research funding and experimentation continue and flourish through Your provision Father, please bless Georgia, Mississippi and Oklahoma who are choosing life through Adult Stem Cell Research, and may other States follow their lead in this successful scientific and medical field. We thank You for sending Jesus to earth in the form of a baby to save us from our sins, because he understands what it is like to be an embryo. In Your Son's precious Name we pray. Amen.
· "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious are also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:16-17)
Moderately Alarming
If you thought the first 57 days of the President's vetting squad were bumpy, buckle up! Today, word leaked out that the White House plans to follow-up its dismal track record on executive nominations (12 dropouts and counting) with the opening round of judicial picks. The first, who has yet to get the official nod, is said to serve "as a signal" for the President's upcoming bench appointments. "We would like to put the history of the confirmation wars behind us," one White House official said to the New York Times.
If only it were that easy. David Hamilton, whom the President plans to nominate as his judicial bellwether, appears to be as moderate as Obama himself (which is to say, not at all). As an Indiana trial judge, he ruled against abortion waiting periods, permitting chaplains to offer Christian prayer at the Indiana state house, and stiffer regulations for sex offenders. Hamilton's resume includes a post with ACORN, a clerkship with liberal Judge Richard Cudahy, and a stint as the former head of the ACLU's Hoosier chapter. President Obama and the New York Times believe this qualifies him as "moderate," but his record on the bench suggests a hostility to good law on issues of life and faith.
In the case Hamilton is most recognized for, the judge struck down 188 years of allowing sectarian prayer to open the Indiana legislature, claiming it "advanced Christianity." Hamilton's opinion makes it painfully obvious how he would rule on matters of religious liberty if he were confirmed to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
"The Founders also knew centuries of history in which religious conflicts had caused war and oppression. They recognized that even the best intentions of people of faith can lead to division, exclusion, and worse. And they recognized that a majority who sees its faith as true and benign can be tempted in a democratic republic to try to use the power and prestige of government to advance that faith in ways that would actually divide and exclude." Surely these aren't the same Founders, like John Quincy Adams, who said, "The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity."
The historical reality is that the U.S. Constitution does not forbid Indiana from doing what it had always done, that is, allowing each day's chaplains to pray for the legislature as they see fit. To do otherwise and prescribe the form of prayer--be it sectarian or non- sectarian (if such a prayer actually exists and is not itself a new sect)--is what the Constitution actually forbids: state interference with the exercise of religion. That Obama's first major judicial nominee would overturn two centuries of settled First Amendment law to erect the ACLU's interpretation in its place is deeply troubling. (Family Research Council; 3/17/09)
The Islamic Bomb
Remember when President Bush shocked elites and liberals everywhere by naming Iran and North Korea an "axis of evil"? Our new president wants to hold out an "olive branch" of peace to these rogue regimes. To Obama, the only "axis of evil" is Limbaugh, Cheney and American free enterprise. But while our apprentice president aims his harshest rhetoric at conservatives and business executives, America's enemies continue their march for dominion.
Iran's "president," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has taken to routinely mocking the United States and Barack Obama. He recently said this of President Obama: "You take your decisions, and we do our work. You are too small to block our path." The "path" he refers to is Iran's development of nuclear weapons, which day-by-day is coming closer to reality as Barack Obama and his team beg for negotiations with the tyrants of Tehran.
Obama's mistakes on domestic and economic issues are obvious and sometimes make headlines. His foreign policy failures are accumulating daily without much fanfare, but with significant long-term damage to the interests and safety of the United States. The odds are overwhelming that someday soon it will be evident to everyone that Iran's Shiite radicals possess nuclear weapons. On that day, Israel will be in danger, terrorists will have a source for weapons of mass destruction and the U.S. position in the Middle East will be incredibly more difficult to maintain.
Is anyone "home" at the White House? (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; March 17, 2009)
Good News Corner
JUST FOR FUN . . .
Which cell group do you belong to?
Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin. Their leader, Osama Bin Lucifer, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy.
However, there have also been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. This group appears to be very weak. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along.
Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return.
Which cell group do you belong to?
(Submitted by: Diane in Ohio)
We sure are blessed to be joined with the "Bin Prayin" group!! AMEN!!
