What Reagan Thought His Kids Should Know; What Obama Thought His Kids Should Know

From American Thinker

By Ed Lasky

 

The mark of a leader is what he believes. Beliefs are the foundation of his life. This is one reason presidential biographies are so revealing and why so often they serve as guides to explain presidential actions. This is often why candidates have their lives examined -- or why they should be examined, since the principles they hold dear are talismans regarding how they will govern as presidents. What a father teaches his kids can be the distillation of the best of these beliefs -- the ones they consider the most vital, if not sacred.

I kept this in mind when reading Peggy Noonan's book on Ronald Reagan, When Character was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan.

Eduardo Verastegui: A Pro-Life, Counter-Cultural Hero

European Parliament Adopts Resolution Condemning Attacks Against Christians

From Vatican Radio

Members of the European Parliament today adopted a resolution condemning persecution and discrimination based on religion. In particular MEP’s condemned attacks against Christians in countries including Egypt, and Iraq.

They also called for a strategy to enforce the human right to freedom of religion, including a list of measures against states who knowingly fail to protect religious denominations.
Lydia O’Kane spoke to MEP Mario Mauro, who is head of the delegation of the EPP group in the European parliament.

He says there is now a growing awareness in Europe of the plight of Christians in many countries.

“I think we are in a very significant moment in the history of the European institutions, because for the first time we declared this kind of judgement, the fact that there exists the problem of persecution of Christians.”

MEP’s also want the forthcoming External Affairs Council of 31 January 2011 to discuss the persecution of Christians and respect for religious freedom. 

Listen to Mario Mauro's interview with Lydia O'Kane. 

Schedule of Events for National March for Life

From LifeSiteNews

By Matt Anderson

In order to help pro-life pilgrims plan their trip for the upcoming national March for Life in Washington D.C., LifeSiteNews.com has compiled a list of events in and around D.C. Please check back frequently as this list will be updated as more details become available. If you know of an event that is not included on this list, contact us here.

 

For Listings of local pro-life marches, as well as bus trips going to the national March for Life from your area, please see: www.marchforlife2011.com 

Saturday, January 22

Mass for Life - Georgetown University
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. 

March for Life Convention
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington D.C.
LSN’s Matthew Anderson and Caitlin Bowers will rotate their presence at the LSN booth in the displays area. Stop by to say hello! 

Sunday, January 23:

Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life
8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
See full schedule.

March for Life Convention
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington D.C 

Students for Life of America National Conference
8:00 a.m. -  9:00 p.m.
North Bethesda Marriott
5701 Marinelli Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20852

March for Life White House Mini-Rally
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Lafayette Park, Washington D.C. 

Opening mass for National Prayer Vigil for Life
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.
All night prayer vigil to follow. See schedule for details. 

Monday, January 24

Giant 2010 Youth Rally and Mass for Life
7:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Verizon Wireless Center - Washington, D.C.

Closing mass for National Prayer Vigil for Life
7:30 a.m.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C.

Lutherans for Life Worship Service
Immanuel Lutheran Church
1801 Russell Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22301 

March for Life Convention
8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington D.C.
Rally for Life
12:00 p.m.
National Mall and 7th Street
Washington D.C.

March for Life
1:00 p.m.
Washington D.C. National Mall
See details and route map.

National Pro-life Youth Rally
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Silent No More Awareness Campaign - testimonies
4:00 p.m.
Steps of the Supreme Court, Washington D.C.
Immediately following the March women from the Silent No More Awareness Campaign will be giving testimonies of their experiences with abortion. 

March for Life Rose Dinner
6:00 p.m.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann to Deliver Keynote Address
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington D.C. 

The Eight States Running Out Of Homebuyers

From 24/7 Wall Street

The single biggest problem in the U.S. real estate market is simple: There are very few homebuyers.

That seems obvious, but the "buyers' strike" has caused house prices to drop, along with an epidemic of foreclosures. What's worse, the long depression in real estate is probably not over. S&P has forecast that home prices will drop by 7% to 10% this year. The S&P Case-Shiller Index has dropped for most of the 20 largest real estate markets over the last several months. RealtyTrac recently reported that more than 1 million homes were foreclosed upon in 2010.

Many economists argue that the housing market may take four or five years to recover. Even if that's proven to be true, the all-time highs of 2006 may never be reached again.

The devastation in some regions will never be repaired. Parts of Oregon, Georgia and Arizona have become progressively more deserted. Since jobless rates may never recover, there is little reason to hope that the populations in these areas will ever rebound. Some homes will be torn down in these pockets of high foreclosures in the hopes that reducing supplies will boost prices. Whether that idea will work in hard-hit areas such as Flint, Mich., and Yuma, Ariz., remains to be seen.

Has RomneyCare Put ObamaCare on a Path to Repeal?

Investor's Business Daily has an excellent article by Sally Pipes on what RomneyCare has done to Massachusetts and why that experience underscores the urgency of repealing ObamaCare.

The Heritage Foundation provides the following snapshot of how Mitt Romney's plan is destroying Massachusetts:

Of the 410,000 newly insured in Massachusetts, three in four are either paying nothing or very little for their insurance and spending has exploded. 

• The health overhaul was really Medicaid expansion, and with the rolls up nearly 25 percent since 2006, Massachusetts is struggling to pay the bills.
• Despite the near-universal insurance, the state still spends $414 million on uncompensated care, an expense that was promised would disappear.
• Emergency room use has not dropped as predicted --from 2006 to 2008, emergency room use under Mass Care increased by 9 percent.

In addition, private employer insurance costs, far from dropping, have continued to increase.  A 2010 study published in the Forum for Health Economics and Policy found that health insurance premiums in Massachusetts, prior to its overhaul, increased at a rate 3.7 percent slower than the national average.  Post-overhaul, they are increasing 5.8 percent faster.  The individual mandate, as onerous as it is, is set at a level to encourage gaming the system, says Pipes.

• A family with an income of $55,000 in 2014 will face the choice of paying $4,428 a year for health insurance or a $550 fine.

• Given that insurance will be available on demand, it is rational to pay the fine until a serious illness strikes.

Ed Secretary: States ‘Dummied Down’ Standards Because It ‘Was Good For Politicians’ Seeking Re-election

When speaking before Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan charged politicians with “dummy-ing down” state education standards under the No Child Left Behind Act to increase their chances of being re-elected.

“Historically in our country, I think particularly under the current law, No Child Left Behind, lots of states dummied down standards,” said Duncan at the National Action Network’s Martin Luther King, Jr. day prayer breakfast on Monday.  “They reduced standards. Why? Wasn’t good for children; wasn’t good for education; wasn’t good for the country -- was good for politicians.”

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