National Delurkers Week.

So declared by Ace. Look at it as an open thread. If you haven't commented. Go ahead. It won't kill you. Just be nice. That's all I ask.

The Abramoff lobby scandal.

I'm just now reading up on it. Newsweek has this article. This line pretty much sums up the mistake many Republicans made:

When the Republicans took over the House in 1994 for the first time in 40 years,
they postured as reformers. But they were soon lapping at the trough just as
greedily as the Democrats, only with better discipline.

The bottom line is accepting favors and luxury gifts from rich lobbyists. An age old story. What is it with these people??? It's like no matter what your intentions, greed gets the best of you in Washington D.C.

Does McCain's reforms look so wacky now? So many Republicans can't stand him for that, but it looks like we can say at least he tried to do something about this insane amount of money and corruption that occurs when one steps into public office in Washington D.C.

I think a lot of it has to do with keeping up with the Jones. The politicians see everyone else living well, and why not??? Free stuff should just not be part of the package. Ever. You are there as a public servant, not a privileged rich boy or girl. Get your job done. Then if you want to make some money AFTER you leave office and fly around the world, then do so. But not while you are on my payroll.

Enough already. Let's clean house. Let's make sure both Republicans and Democrats understand that this is important business, doing the people's work. It is not a country club. I'm ashamed of the Republicans involved.

Alito Stuff.

The Captain is live blogging the hearings and doing a great job. Orrin Hatch is also making some interesting observations:

2:14 - If the Democrats were as interested in fighting terror as they
are in fighting Alito, we'd all be safe.
2:16 - Very pleased with Alito's
performance; says his demeanor and performance ranks up there with John Roberts.
2:17 - Kennedy and Biden blew the Vanguard issue out of all proportion. He
reminded us that the agreement was that Alito would recuse himself from cases in
the initial period of his service.
2:20 - Hatch, like Frist, expects a
party-line vote.
2:22 - Abortion is the be-all, end-all issue that provides
the main identity for Democrats.
2:27 - Hatch says the GOP is ready to
counter a filibuster with the Constitutional option. He hopes that the Senate
would move away from treating the Supreme Court nominations through a partisan
filter. Republicans accepted Breyer and Ginsburg overwhelmingly because they
were qualified, regardless of their personal beliefs. He recalled when the
Democrats released medical records to smear Rehnquist.

You can't argue the fact that Breyer and Ginsburg got through and they were as leftwing as Alito is rightwing. Fairness just doesn't seem to be a word the Democrats understand.

Also read The Captain's post on women from "Operation Outcry" who came to support Alito and make people aware of the horror abortion has brought on their lives and the lies that were told that led to that place.

Here is today's transcript of the hearings via Powerline

Alito Hearings.

I'm sorry, but I feel exactly like Derbyshire. But stay there at The Corner for updates. Like this hilarious one:

TEDDY KENNEDY THINKS THERE MIGHT BE A MORAL PROBLEM... [JPod]...with Samuel Alito's Vanguard account. Being lectured on moral matters by Teddy Kennedy is like getting childcare tips from Andrea Yates. Posted at 11:29
AM

RNC Blogger Forum.

Captain's Quarters is liveblogging it. He just spoke to Senator Frist with this interesting and important quote:

10:28 - Senator Frist confirms for me that no one who got briefed on the NSA
intercept has, to his knowledge demanded an end to this program. When I asked
him if the program had stopped attacks on this country, he immediately and
unequivocally said, "Yes."

Enough for me. Should be enough for all of us.

Scroll on down on at the Captain's Quarters and read about the Alito hearings as well.

Perception is everything.

I want to make one more important point about the religious right and then I will be quiet on it for a while.

I mentioned before that the FRC seemed to be preaching to the choir. The mistake I feel all people of faith do is let the media define who they are for the general public. One of my commenters said something that I have heard before. He said that we on the right care more about the unborn than we do the born. Nothing could be further from the truth. My Church alone has 85 ministries that serve the poor including helping to pay rent, utilities, and phone. We have a incredible food for the poor program and we are the sole provider for a boarding school for poor children in Guatemala. And that is just a few of our ministries.

In every city I have lived in my Church has been like that. From prison ministries to nursing homes, from additiction ministries to homebound visits, every Church I know of serves the poor in a variety of ways.

The crisis pregnancy center I volunteered for had no paid employees. We provided doctor care, lamaze classes, diapers, baby food, cribs, layettes, car seats, and a book of resources 2 inches thick. If we didn't have it, we would find it for those mothers in need.

There is no doubt in my mind that that Christians in this country do an enormous amount to help and serve the poor, they just don't do a very good job at letting the general public know they do.

I was reading an article by a minister in the Philadephia paper that said that Christians need to relay a message more about what they are for than what they are against. He had a very good point. We are a visual society and Christians have to step up to the plate and show who they really are. After speaking with some of those young protestors, I realized that the misperceptions are enormous.

Here is the problem though. Although Christ certainly called us to care for the poor, I don't think he really intended for us to advertise it.

But still, there must be a way to end the judgmental, finger pointing perception of Christians that the media has siezed upon, and show the true nature of most of the Churches in America. And that is one of compassion, forgiveness, and an abundance of love and caring for the "least of these."

Pictures From Justice Sunday Weekend!

Bloggers Row! In the media room. Me, Captain Ed, Stacy, and La Shawn.

These are the three young men protesting who I posted on earlier.

This shows the gospel choir (they were AMAZING!) and the front of the church taken from the balcony.

Charmaine (with Pastor Lusk) at the Press Conference. Sorry, some of my pics came out fuzzy.

Pastor Lusk and Tony Perkins at the Press Conference.

Our dinner the night before. From left to right around the table. Captain Ed, his first mate, Charmine, me, La Shawn, and Dawn (Charmaine's assistant) Stacy and Jack came later.

I'm Back.

I had a wonderful time in Philly. Charmaine, La Shawn, Stacy, and The Captain were delightful to meet and hang around.

Regarding Justice Sunday, the speeches were pretty short and sweet. They were definitely directed toward preaching to the choir. I don't know if that is exactly what they wanted or not. I'll post a bit more on that tomorrow. I will post some pics tonight too.

Many more protestors showed up a bit later. I would guess about 200 (with torches! I wondered where the pitchforks were?). My leftie brit friend dave wanted to know why we didn't debate the protestors we spoke with. Well, we had "media badges" on, so we were acting like "reporters." Now, since we were "the media," I was amused how the protestors just assumed we agreed with them.

I did ask the young men who were against a "theocracy" (one had a t-shirt that said "Jesus, protect me from your followers") if they felt it was acceptable for a judge to have faith just as long as he didn't bring that ideology to the bench? They said yes that would be acceptable. So I asked them if there was a difference if a person with leftwing ideology brought that to the bench? They said there was no difference. They wanted "neutrality."

It's funny. When it comes to some basic things, those on the left and right actually agree on many things, or at least how we should get to the answer. We just talk past each other so much we never hear what the other is saying.

Bishop Wellington Boone speaks.

All I can say is that black preachers could teach the white guys how to speak the way that people will listen. Wow. He is amazing as well. He asks how do people expect people of faith to spread the gospel if they don't speak out. (but he said it much better)

Pastor Lusk is ending with prayer, asking all pastors to come down and pray with him. There has been a great deal of prayer tonight for the unborn. Nice.

There is some irony that the issue that the left holds so dear-- abortion, is really what created the political religious right. People of God could not let such an injustice, as the destruction of our unborn children, continue.

Check out the rest of the bloggers for their takes on Justice Sunday.

Captain Ed, La Shawn, and Charmaine.

Check out Stacy's site for more protestor pics.

Ever crazy stuff.

Dr. Falwell speaks.

Dr. Falwell says that he started the Moral Majority years ago not to say the rest were the immoral minority, but to say that he felt the majority of Americans were moral and wanted good morals in our society.

He says issues like abortion were not political, but moral issues and people of faith had an obligation to get involved in these issues.

He is encouraging everyone to call Washington and show support for Judge Alito.

Dr. Dobson speaks.

If you have read my recent post of the speakers here, you know how much I admire Dr. Dobson. The media is trying hard to paint him as religious nutty and he certainly is not.

He is asking questions to the audience.

Should children be able read the Bible and pray in school? Should children be able to say the pledge of alliegence with "under God" included?

I might add here that no one wants any child to be forced or even asked to do these things, only the freedom of children who have faith to do these things in their free time.

Dr. Dobson is speaking of partial birth abortion and the horror of it. He says the Supreme Court will be deciding that soon. The court will also be deciding whether marriage is defined as a union of a woman and a man or not. He is saying these are things that we the people should be deciding. ( I agree )

He says the good news is that Alito is a wonderful nominee for the Supreme Court who Dobson believes will be an originalist. One who is a strict constitutionalist.

Pastor Lusk speaks again.

I can't tell you how impressed I am with this man as a speaker. He is mesmerizing. He is strongly pro-life. He talks about being called an "Uncle Tom." He says he may not speak for all black folk, but he says he speaks for a lot of black folk. His love for his faith and God is inspiring to hear.

This man, my fellow Christians friends, is the black leader we have been looking for.

Dr. Alved C. King speaks.

She begins by showing a remarkable beautiful singing voice.

She speaks of materialism and how we are leaving God behind in this country. She quotes her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King speaking of a God who is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. She speaks of the God who gave us the stars, and we do not need the material goods we seek, we need God, whether we realize it or not.

She prays a prayer of blessings from her father. She ends singing "We Shall Overcome."