Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Standing With Israel & Against Chuck Hagel 

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing this Thursday to consider the ill-conceived and dangerous nomination of former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense. 

Last night I was honored to attend a great gathering of pro-Israel Christians in Washington, D.C. With just a week's notice, Christians United for Israel Action Fund brought 500 people from 46 states to our nation's capital to stand for a strong national defense and a solid U.S./Israeli alliance, and against the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense. 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Pastor John Hagee delivered passionate speeches outlining why Hagel would be a disaster for our national security and for the balance of power in the Middle East. I reminded the audience about Hagel's incredibly bad voting record, but also pointed out his repeated use of rhetoric most often associated with anti-Semites. 

Today, the members of Christians United for Israel Action Fund, fired up from our time together last night, visited over 65 Senate offices, making the case against Hagel in person on Capitol Hill. I accompanied Pastor Hagee to a meeting with Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), an outstanding conservative champion and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

As Iran continues its reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and its meddling in the Middle East, the nomination of Chuck Hagel sends the worst possible signal of weakness and ambivalence to our enemies as well as our allies. 

In fact, I fear that Hagel's nomination will embolden our enemies and invite acts of aggression and terrorism. Add to this the administration's recent arms transfer of F-16s and M1 tanks to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-controlled government and you have a prescription for disaster. 

Here We Go Again 

Yesterday a gang of eight senators -- four Democrats and four Republicans -- announced plans to try yet again to push comprehensive immigration reform through the Senate. The plan is based largely on a 2007 bill that failed after a bi-partisan filibuster. 

We don't know much at this point. All the senators offered yesterday was a brief outline of principles. The details will follow later. But as the saying goes, "The devil is in the details." 

We do know that this plan includes a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal immigrants in the country. However, the senators claim they are making border security a priority because illegal immigrants would not be allowed to apply for citizenship until the borders are secured and verifiable systems are in place to make sure that foreign visitors are not overstaying their visas. The plan would also require the use of an employer verification system. 

Critics are blasting the plan because it essentially grants illegal immigrants an immediate "probationary legal status," allowing them to stay and work in the country as long as they can pass a background check. This is a quasi-amnesty that effectively codifies the controversial executive orders halting deportations that President Obama issued last summer. 

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been involved in this effort. He called into Rush Limbaugh's show today to stress that he would not back any final bill that did not include strict border security triggers. 

Meanwhile, President Obama is unveiling his plans for immigration reform at a rally in Las Vegas today. According to various reports, the president's proposal would have a faster pathway to citizenship because it would not include border security mandates. 

Obama's plan is also expected to pander to the homosexual rights crowd by granting green cards to the foreign same-sex spouses of U.S. citizens regardless of the marriage laws of their states. 

Boy Scouts Lose Merit Badge For Courage 

After years of harassment, lawsuits, boycotts and the loss of corporate sponsorships, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) confirmed yesterday that it is considering a new policy that would open the door to allowing open homosexuals to serve as scout masters. 

Last summer, a special committee reaffirmed the current ban on homosexual scout masters as "absolutely the best policy." But the sudden decision to revisit the policy is reportedly being driven by two corporate CEOs on the BSA's board -- Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young. 

Rather than reversing the policy completely, the Boy Scouts of America appears poised to adopt a "no-policy policy," essentially leaving the decision on scout masters to locally chartered units. Below is an excerpt of a statement from the BSA: 

"Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs. … 

"The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs."

In other words, churches that sponsor Boy Scout units would not be forced to accept homosexual counselors. 

The left has created a juggernaut using every cultural institution -- the media, schools, corporations, government -- to attack the family and turn common sense on its head. What was once considered deviant is now seen as normal. And what was once regarded as healthy and virtuous is condemned as bigotry. Groups like the Boy Scouts come under constant pressure and are threatened with funding cutoffs. Most eventually cave in. 

No final decision has been made yet, but one could come as early as next week. Call the BSA national office at 972-580-2400 or send them a message here.