In This Issue:
• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• If You Can't Beat 'Em, Buy 'Em!
• Obama v. America's Surgeons
• About Those Protests
• U.S. Searching For 'Plan B' On Iran
• "Peace Talks" Stalled
• Update: Terrorism Trials
• The Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth." (Job 19:24)
The Daily Brief
1. E-Mails From Public Overload House Web Site - ABC
House Web site overloaded as e-mails on health care flood lawmakers.
- Lord, give wisdom to lawmakers as they consider how they will act on healthcare. We thank You that we live in a nation where the populace is able to respond to the government.
- "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)
2. White House Reviews Names of Recipients of Unsolicited E-Mail on Health Care - Fox News
After a testy exchange between FOX News and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs over an e-mail list, the White House says it will review names of recipients who received unsolicited information to determine how they ended up on a distribution list sent out by the East Wing.
- We pray that the administration is aware of threats to privacy and that they will act to protect the citizens from any unwelcome contacts. May those who are challenging government programs feel safe to continue with their dissent.
- "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence." (Acts 4:29)
3. FDIC chief says parts of regulatory plan won't fly - AP
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair is pushing back against key elements of the Obama administration's financial overhaul plan, saying they wouldn't survive in Congress and calling her own alternatives more viable. In an interview with The Associated Press, Bair said Congress won't approve two major parts of the package: Expanding the Federal Reserve's authority to regulate the largest financial companies and giving a proposed new consumer protection agency examination and enforcement powers over banks. Such authority now belongs to her agency and other bank regulators. "There's a lot of resistance from a lot of different quarters to a lot of the things the administration has submitted," Bair told the AP Thursday. "That is a reality the administration needs to deal with."
- We praise You that there are members of the administration that will serve as checks on any power grabs. Thank You for those in power who were placed there by You to guard the people.
- "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." (Ruth 2:12)
4. Gates: Rebuilding Afghanistan Will Take Decades - Fox News
Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested Thursday that there will be a U.S. presence in Afghanistan for many years to come to rebuild the country.
- Lord, help the US to be faithful to continue work throughout the world where people are being oppressed. We pray for the safety of all our soldiers and for strength for their families while they are away serving.
- "But Jesus said to him, 'No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:62)
5. 'Anti-Israel' adviser top pick for ambassador to Syria? Long considered one of Jewish state's greatest foes in Washington - World Net Daily
Daniel Kurtzer, Obama's Mideast adviser, is the lead candidate to serve as U.S. ambassador to Syria, a senior Egyptian security official told WND. Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, long has been seen in Jerusalem as one of the Jewish state's greatest foes in Washington. He has been identified by Jewish and Israeli leaders, including prime ministers speaking on the record, as biased against Israel and is notorious for urging extreme concessions from the Jewish state. In a surprise move, the White House in June announced it decided to send a U.S. ambassador back to Syria, a dramatic sign of reconciliation between the two countries. The U.S. withdrew the American ambassador to Syria in 2005 after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria was widely blamed in the murder.
- May the administration have wisdom in choosing diplomats and may any who are against Israel be blocked from being appointed.
- "Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him." (Isaiah 1:4)
6. U.S. senators discuss military equipment for Libya - USA Today
A delegation of U.S. senators led by John McCain met with Libya's leader Friday to discuss the possible delivery of non-lethal defense equipment. The visit and Washington's offer of military equipment was another sign of the improving ties between the former longtime adversaries. "We discussed the possibility of moving ahead with the provision of non-lethal defense equipment to the government of Libya," McCain said at a news conference. He gave no details on the kind of military equipment Washington is offering. A halting, five-year rapprochement between the two countries began in 2003 when Moammar Gadhafi renounced terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Earlier this year, Washington posted an ambassador to Libya for the first time in 36 years.
- May we remember the lessons of the past and any evil intent be revealed.
- "I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked." (Psalm 26:5)
7. Canada tracking Russian subs off East Coast - Canadian Press
The air force has sent a surveillance plane to keep tabs on two Russian attack submarines cruising off the East Coast in a patrol that harkens back to the Cold War.
- Lord, if there is any threat in this report we pray for Your protection and for all plots to be exposed.
- "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, the LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:5)
1. 'Hamas ready for Obama's ME peace plan' - Jerusalem Post
Hamas is prepared to deal "positively" with US President Barack Obama's Middle East peace plan, a top political aide to Ismail Haniyeh, the organization's prime minister, said Thursday.
2. Israel's unexpected gas bonanza gets bigger - World Tribune
Israel has reported an expanded offshore natural gas reserve. A prime contractor in a consortium to search and develop gas reserves reported that Israel's Tamar well contained 16 percent more energy than in previous estimates.
3. Israel Investigating Report Soldier Kidnapped - AP
Police set up dozens of roadblocks across central Israel on Thursday as the military said it was investigating a report that one of its soldiers may have been kidnapped. The alert was sounded after a female soldier reported seeing another soldier being forced into a car outside an army base, the army said. However, it said no further evidence of an abduction has been found. Later, a little known Palestinian group calling itself Al Quds Army claimed responsibility for kidnapping a soldier in an e-mail sent to the Palestinian news agency, Maan. In the e-mail, they promised to release details of the soldier later, said Maan. The army did not say where the alleged incident took place. However, police set up dozens of checkpoints on all roads leading to the West Bank and stopped and searched cars, causing long traffic jams across central Israel.
4. Abbas: No peace talks until Israel freezes settlement construction - Jerusalem Post
Peace talks will not resume until Israel completely freezes construction in settlements, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated on Thursday.
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Buy 'Em!
Proving that the President "can buy me love," the blog of the Los Angeles Times has uncovered a web ad that shows how desperate the Left is for support. The Fund for the Public Interest is actually offering to pay "volunteers" to support the President's takeover. "Work to pass Obama's health care plan and get paid to do it! $10-15 hr!" The ad promises anywhere from $400-$600 a week to people who agree to rally on the administration's behalf, presumably at townhall meetings. Maybe the slogan should be "Work for change--and make some too!" Not everyone has pure motives, but it's somewhat ironic that the Left blames conservatives for "manufacturing" anger when their groups are hiring it! (Family Research Council)
Obama v. America's Surgeons
When President Obama first waded into the public debate over healthcare reform, he insulted pediatricians by suggesting that they were ripping out children's tonsils for extra cash. In New Hampshire this week, he suggested that some doctors are cutting off feet, rather than encouraging diabetes patients to lose weight. Both the AMA and the American College of Surgeons shot back. Here's an excerpt of the ACOS statement:
"The American College of Surgeons is deeply disturbed over the uninformed public comments Obama continues to make about the high-quality care provided by surgeons in the United States. When this man makes statements that are incorrect or not based in fact, we think he does a disservice to the American people . . Obama's remarks are truly alarming and run the risk of damaging the all-important trust between surgeons and their patients. . . we would urge him to have his facts correct before making another inflammatory and incorrect statement about surgeons and surgical care."
About Those Protests
Two polls released this week measured the public's reaction to the healthcare town hall protests, which Big Media and liberal Democrats have condemned as "un-American" and "manufactured anger." According to a Gallup poll, 69% of Americans are closely following the news about the town hall events. How do they feel about the protests? Fifty-seven percent say concerns about the bill are a major reason why the protests are taking place. Independent voters, by a two-to-one margin, are "more sympathetic to the protestors' views." Even 17% of self-identified Democrats say they are "more sympathetic to the protestors' views."
A Fox News poll found similar results. Fifty-two percent of registered voters say the outrage is real; only 29% agree with White House Press Secretary Roberts Gibbs, who called it "manufactured anger." Speaking of the White House, 57% disapprove of the White House request to report "fishy" emails. And when asked how they feel about the government getting more involved in healthcare, only 19% said they felt "reassured," while 17% said it made them "angry" and 31% said they were "frightened" by the idea. And a whopping 92% of voters polled said that they expect members of Congress to read legislation they vote on!
My friends, we are winning this battle! Obama's trillion-dollar socialized healthcare scheme has "reassured" only 19% of voters, while just 29% agree with the Obama/Pelosi Bizarro World view that the outrage is "manufactured Astroturf." We learned yesterday that the volume of e-mail pouring into Capitol Hill is crashing the servers. And it was also reported yesterday that a key Senate committee is going to "pull the plug" on the controversial sections of the bill dealing with end-of-life issues.
Keep fighting. Keep calling. Continue e-mailing. And most of all, show up at the town hall meetings. Don't be intimidated! This is your country - fight for it! (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; 8/14/09)
U.S. Searching For 'Plan B' On Iran
The Obama administration, frustrated by Iran's non-response to its diplomatic overtures, is considering policy shifts to ratchet up U.S. pressure on the Tehran regime - while still leaving the door open a crack for negotiations. Officials here believe that keeping a diplomatic option on the table is necessary to build support among key European allies who are increasingly worried about the Iranian threat, but also committed to a broad, multilateral approach to the problem that includes carrots as well as sticks. "Multiple clocks are ticking," said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. Upcoming deadlines include the late September meetings of the G20 and G8 countries, when European leaders want to see tangible progress on the Iran front, and the Obama administration's end-of-the-year target for diplomatic movement. But well before those deadlines "the administration is realizing that its initial overtures have been rejected, and that they now have to start shifting to Plan B," Harris said. (The Jewish Week) Read more.
"Peace Talks" Stalled
US delegates blame Palestinians for no peace talks
The head of a delegation of US Democratic members of Congress blamed the Palestinians on Thursday for failing to hold talks with Israel, calling it the "largest thing" impeding the peace process. "I think the largest thing impeding the negotiations at this point is simply the unwillingness of (Palestinian president Mahmud) Abbas to sit down (with the Israelis)," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters in Jerusalem. Abbas has refused to meet with Israel's new right-leaning government until the Jewish state ceases all settlement construction in the occupied West Bank in line with repeated demands from the White House. Hoyer however said the issue of settlements should be addressed through direct negotiations and said if he had met Abbas during his delegation's week-long visit to the region, he would have asked him to drop "preconditions." (AFP)
Update: Terrorism Trials
Terrorism Trials May Be at New Virginia Court
A new, high-security courthouse in Newport News, Va., could be the site of terrorism trials for some Guantanamo Bay inmates, including the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, if the Obama administration sends cases into the federal courts, law enforcement sources said. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia are competing with the Manhattan U.S. attorney for the opportunity to prosecute high-profile cases, including those of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his co-conspirators, the sources said. Such cases have traditionally been brought in New York or at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, where Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and other terrorism defendants were convicted. (The Washington Post)
The Good News Corner
• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• If You Can't Beat 'Em, Buy 'Em!
• Obama v. America's Surgeons
• About Those Protests
• U.S. Searching For 'Plan B' On Iran
• "Peace Talks" Stalled
• Update: Terrorism Trials
• The Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Friday, August 14, 2009
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth." (Job 19:24)
The Daily Brief
1. E-Mails From Public Overload House Web Site - ABC
House Web site overloaded as e-mails on health care flood lawmakers.
- Lord, give wisdom to lawmakers as they consider how they will act on healthcare. We thank You that we live in a nation where the populace is able to respond to the government.
- "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)
2. White House Reviews Names of Recipients of Unsolicited E-Mail on Health Care - Fox News
After a testy exchange between FOX News and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs over an e-mail list, the White House says it will review names of recipients who received unsolicited information to determine how they ended up on a distribution list sent out by the East Wing.
- We pray that the administration is aware of threats to privacy and that they will act to protect the citizens from any unwelcome contacts. May those who are challenging government programs feel safe to continue with their dissent.
- "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence." (Acts 4:29)
3. FDIC chief says parts of regulatory plan won't fly - AP
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair is pushing back against key elements of the Obama administration's financial overhaul plan, saying they wouldn't survive in Congress and calling her own alternatives more viable. In an interview with The Associated Press, Bair said Congress won't approve two major parts of the package: Expanding the Federal Reserve's authority to regulate the largest financial companies and giving a proposed new consumer protection agency examination and enforcement powers over banks. Such authority now belongs to her agency and other bank regulators. "There's a lot of resistance from a lot of different quarters to a lot of the things the administration has submitted," Bair told the AP Thursday. "That is a reality the administration needs to deal with."
- We praise You that there are members of the administration that will serve as checks on any power grabs. Thank You for those in power who were placed there by You to guard the people.
- "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." (Ruth 2:12)
4. Gates: Rebuilding Afghanistan Will Take Decades - Fox News
Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested Thursday that there will be a U.S. presence in Afghanistan for many years to come to rebuild the country.
- Lord, help the US to be faithful to continue work throughout the world where people are being oppressed. We pray for the safety of all our soldiers and for strength for their families while they are away serving.
- "But Jesus said to him, 'No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:62)
5. 'Anti-Israel' adviser top pick for ambassador to Syria? Long considered one of Jewish state's greatest foes in Washington - World Net Daily
Daniel Kurtzer, Obama's Mideast adviser, is the lead candidate to serve as U.S. ambassador to Syria, a senior Egyptian security official told WND. Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, long has been seen in Jerusalem as one of the Jewish state's greatest foes in Washington. He has been identified by Jewish and Israeli leaders, including prime ministers speaking on the record, as biased against Israel and is notorious for urging extreme concessions from the Jewish state. In a surprise move, the White House in June announced it decided to send a U.S. ambassador back to Syria, a dramatic sign of reconciliation between the two countries. The U.S. withdrew the American ambassador to Syria in 2005 after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria was widely blamed in the murder.
- May the administration have wisdom in choosing diplomats and may any who are against Israel be blocked from being appointed.
- "Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him." (Isaiah 1:4)
6. U.S. senators discuss military equipment for Libya - USA Today
A delegation of U.S. senators led by John McCain met with Libya's leader Friday to discuss the possible delivery of non-lethal defense equipment. The visit and Washington's offer of military equipment was another sign of the improving ties between the former longtime adversaries. "We discussed the possibility of moving ahead with the provision of non-lethal defense equipment to the government of Libya," McCain said at a news conference. He gave no details on the kind of military equipment Washington is offering. A halting, five-year rapprochement between the two countries began in 2003 when Moammar Gadhafi renounced terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Earlier this year, Washington posted an ambassador to Libya for the first time in 36 years.
- May we remember the lessons of the past and any evil intent be revealed.
- "I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked." (Psalm 26:5)
7. Canada tracking Russian subs off East Coast - Canadian Press
The air force has sent a surveillance plane to keep tabs on two Russian attack submarines cruising off the East Coast in a patrol that harkens back to the Cold War.
- Lord, if there is any threat in this report we pray for Your protection and for all plots to be exposed.
- "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, the LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:5)
1. 'Hamas ready for Obama's ME peace plan' - Jerusalem Post
Hamas is prepared to deal "positively" with US President Barack Obama's Middle East peace plan, a top political aide to Ismail Haniyeh, the organization's prime minister, said Thursday.
2. Israel's unexpected gas bonanza gets bigger - World Tribune
Israel has reported an expanded offshore natural gas reserve. A prime contractor in a consortium to search and develop gas reserves reported that Israel's Tamar well contained 16 percent more energy than in previous estimates.
3. Israel Investigating Report Soldier Kidnapped - AP
Police set up dozens of roadblocks across central Israel on Thursday as the military said it was investigating a report that one of its soldiers may have been kidnapped. The alert was sounded after a female soldier reported seeing another soldier being forced into a car outside an army base, the army said. However, it said no further evidence of an abduction has been found. Later, a little known Palestinian group calling itself Al Quds Army claimed responsibility for kidnapping a soldier in an e-mail sent to the Palestinian news agency, Maan. In the e-mail, they promised to release details of the soldier later, said Maan. The army did not say where the alleged incident took place. However, police set up dozens of checkpoints on all roads leading to the West Bank and stopped and searched cars, causing long traffic jams across central Israel.
4. Abbas: No peace talks until Israel freezes settlement construction - Jerusalem Post
Peace talks will not resume until Israel completely freezes construction in settlements, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated on Thursday.
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Buy 'Em!
Proving that the President "can buy me love," the blog of the Los Angeles Times has uncovered a web ad that shows how desperate the Left is for support. The Fund for the Public Interest is actually offering to pay "volunteers" to support the President's takeover. "Work to pass Obama's health care plan and get paid to do it! $10-15 hr!" The ad promises anywhere from $400-$600 a week to people who agree to rally on the administration's behalf, presumably at townhall meetings. Maybe the slogan should be "Work for change--and make some too!" Not everyone has pure motives, but it's somewhat ironic that the Left blames conservatives for "manufacturing" anger when their groups are hiring it! (Family Research Council)
Obama v. America's Surgeons
When President Obama first waded into the public debate over healthcare reform, he insulted pediatricians by suggesting that they were ripping out children's tonsils for extra cash. In New Hampshire this week, he suggested that some doctors are cutting off feet, rather than encouraging diabetes patients to lose weight. Both the AMA and the American College of Surgeons shot back. Here's an excerpt of the ACOS statement:
"The American College of Surgeons is deeply disturbed over the uninformed public comments Obama continues to make about the high-quality care provided by surgeons in the United States. When this man makes statements that are incorrect or not based in fact, we think he does a disservice to the American people . . Obama's remarks are truly alarming and run the risk of damaging the all-important trust between surgeons and their patients. . . we would urge him to have his facts correct before making another inflammatory and incorrect statement about surgeons and surgical care."
About Those Protests
Two polls released this week measured the public's reaction to the healthcare town hall protests, which Big Media and liberal Democrats have condemned as "un-American" and "manufactured anger." According to a Gallup poll, 69% of Americans are closely following the news about the town hall events. How do they feel about the protests? Fifty-seven percent say concerns about the bill are a major reason why the protests are taking place. Independent voters, by a two-to-one margin, are "more sympathetic to the protestors' views." Even 17% of self-identified Democrats say they are "more sympathetic to the protestors' views."
A Fox News poll found similar results. Fifty-two percent of registered voters say the outrage is real; only 29% agree with White House Press Secretary Roberts Gibbs, who called it "manufactured anger." Speaking of the White House, 57% disapprove of the White House request to report "fishy" emails. And when asked how they feel about the government getting more involved in healthcare, only 19% said they felt "reassured," while 17% said it made them "angry" and 31% said they were "frightened" by the idea. And a whopping 92% of voters polled said that they expect members of Congress to read legislation they vote on!
My friends, we are winning this battle! Obama's trillion-dollar socialized healthcare scheme has "reassured" only 19% of voters, while just 29% agree with the Obama/Pelosi Bizarro World view that the outrage is "manufactured Astroturf." We learned yesterday that the volume of e-mail pouring into Capitol Hill is crashing the servers. And it was also reported yesterday that a key Senate committee is going to "pull the plug" on the controversial sections of the bill dealing with end-of-life issues.
Keep fighting. Keep calling. Continue e-mailing. And most of all, show up at the town hall meetings. Don't be intimidated! This is your country - fight for it! (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; 8/14/09)
U.S. Searching For 'Plan B' On Iran
The Obama administration, frustrated by Iran's non-response to its diplomatic overtures, is considering policy shifts to ratchet up U.S. pressure on the Tehran regime - while still leaving the door open a crack for negotiations. Officials here believe that keeping a diplomatic option on the table is necessary to build support among key European allies who are increasingly worried about the Iranian threat, but also committed to a broad, multilateral approach to the problem that includes carrots as well as sticks. "Multiple clocks are ticking," said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. Upcoming deadlines include the late September meetings of the G20 and G8 countries, when European leaders want to see tangible progress on the Iran front, and the Obama administration's end-of-the-year target for diplomatic movement. But well before those deadlines "the administration is realizing that its initial overtures have been rejected, and that they now have to start shifting to Plan B," Harris said. (The Jewish Week) Read more.
"Peace Talks" Stalled
US delegates blame Palestinians for no peace talks
The head of a delegation of US Democratic members of Congress blamed the Palestinians on Thursday for failing to hold talks with Israel, calling it the "largest thing" impeding the peace process. "I think the largest thing impeding the negotiations at this point is simply the unwillingness of (Palestinian president Mahmud) Abbas to sit down (with the Israelis)," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters in Jerusalem. Abbas has refused to meet with Israel's new right-leaning government until the Jewish state ceases all settlement construction in the occupied West Bank in line with repeated demands from the White House. Hoyer however said the issue of settlements should be addressed through direct negotiations and said if he had met Abbas during his delegation's week-long visit to the region, he would have asked him to drop "preconditions." (AFP)
Update: Terrorism Trials
Terrorism Trials May Be at New Virginia Court
A new, high-security courthouse in Newport News, Va., could be the site of terrorism trials for some Guantanamo Bay inmates, including the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, if the Obama administration sends cases into the federal courts, law enforcement sources said. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia are competing with the Manhattan U.S. attorney for the opportunity to prosecute high-profile cases, including those of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his co-conspirators, the sources said. Such cases have traditionally been brought in New York or at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, where Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and other terrorism defendants were convicted. (The Washington Post)
The Good News Corner
"I Will Rise"
Our hope rests in the LORD . . .
Please enjoy this inspirational song,
as you seek His face this weekend.
Shalom . . .
Our hope rests in the LORD . . .
Please enjoy this inspirational song,
as you seek His face this weekend.
Shalom . . .
