Monday November 06, 2006 Principle-Centered Voting
Voting is a tremendous responsibility - indeed, I believe it is a moral obligation. It is important, then, to inform our votes based on conscience and principle. Archbishop Charles Chaput, current Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archidiocese of Denver, recently published an excellent article on "Seven principles to use in the public square". Among those principles is the following:
Catholic teaching has two basic principles we should use in judging every public issue: First, does this issue advance the dignity of the individual human person; and second, does this issue promote the common good? We can never choose one of these principles to the exclusion of the other. We need to follow both. A public policy can’t truly serve the common good if it violates, or allows to be violated, the sanctity of someone’s fundamental human rights, from conception to natural death.
This is wonderful advice for voters of all religious and political persuasions. ( Nov 06 2006, 10:50:05 AM PST ) Permalink
Sunday November 05, 2006 Words To Live By
"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual - or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." - Samuel Adams ( Nov 05 2006, 05:15:34 PM PST ) Permalink
Thursday November 02, 2006 Republicans Retain Control?
It appears widely accepted now that the Democrats will take back control of the House and possibly the Senate. Listening to pollsters and the media "talking heads", you would think that this is a fait accompli.It is difficult to argue against the notion that the Republicans are heavy underdogs at present. Do not be surprised, however, if November 8 sees the Republicans still in charge, whether they deserve to be or not, of both the House and the Senate. The GOP machine has an impressive ground game, relentlessly campaigning and turning out voters. Moreover, I suspect that the "Republican Base" will become more and more energized as the horrifying thought starts to sink in of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.
In either case - the Republicans retain OR lose control of one or both houses - I hope that they take this election to heart. The record of this Congress has been dismal and the stream of ethics violations and scandals is deplorable. While I do not believe that a shift in power from Rep to Dem is warranted, I do believe that substantive change is required and the American voters have the right, and indeed the responsibility, to demand it. ( Nov 02 2006, 11:35:10 AM PST ) Permalink
Thursday February 03, 2005 Iraqi Elections
I congratulate the people of Iraq on their historic recent elections. I applaud their courage, their conviction, and the commitment they displayed to democratic rule by turning out in huge numbers to cast free ballots.
"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." - George Washington
( Feb 03 2005, 09:43:26 PM PST )
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Wednesday February 02, 2005 State of the Union
Full text of the 2005 State of the Union Address: here.
( Feb 02 2005, 10:21:00 PM PST )
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Thursday January 20, 2005 Inaugural Address Quotes
Freedom is a tremendously powerful force for positive change - here and abroad. Where people are free, as our Creator intended, the forces of tyranny and hatred cannot take hold. This is a point that George W. Bush emphasized in his 2005 inaugural address:"There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom."
"We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world."
"...it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."
"All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you."
"We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul."
Full text of the address here.
( Jan 20 2005, 10:25:22 PM PST )
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Wednesday November 24, 2004 Dan Rather Retiring
Dan Rather announced on Tuesday that he is resigning as anchorman of the CBS Evening News. I, for one, will not miss his brand of journalism or his political bias. I suspect that he will enjoy being able to shed his mantle of supposed objectivity and devote his time as an investigative journalist.
( Nov 24 2004, 04:22:52 PM PST )
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Friday November 05, 2004 Nice Jobs Report
The United States Labor Department reported today that 337,000 jobs were added to payrolls in October. The Labor Department also revised the number of jobs created in September up from 96,000 to 139,000 and revised the number of jobs created in August up from 128,000 to 198,000.
( Nov 05 2004, 10:55:24 PM PST )
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Wednesday November 03, 2004 Election 2004
The fears of many have turned out to be well founded. We have yet another election, the result of which cannot be determined with certainty on Election Day.
That being said, I fully expect - as I have expected throughout most of this election cycle - that the election will result in a victory for Pres. George W. Bush, a majority (for the first time since 1988) of the popular vote for Bush, and net seat gains for the Republicans in both the House and the Senate.
I hope and pray that Sen. Kerry and the Democrats do not decide to mount pointless challenges that, at this point, can only serve to delay the inevitable. It is time to move forward and I believe that many Americans are ready to put the campaign behind them. ( Nov 03 2004, 06:45:39 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [2]
Monday November 01, 2004 Election Day Cometh
'Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.' - Samuel Adams
'The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place as it has for almost two centuries and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-4-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle. ...[W]e are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other....' - Ronald Reagan ( Nov 01 2004, 04:10:42 PM PST ) Permalink
Sunday October 31, 2004 The Importance of Being Informed
As we approach Election Day, I am hearing more and more rhetoric in the media about the importance of voter participation. I certainly do not dispute that voter participation is important. Indeed, I strongly believe that voting is a responsibility. That being said, I am disappointed that much of the 'get out the vote' rhetoric has marginalized or omitted any mention of the importance of an informed populace. Along with our responsibility to vote comes an equally important responsibility to become well-informed before casting our ballots. By all means, please urge your family, friends, and acquaintances to vote this year. But please urge as well that these folks study the issues before 'pulling the lever'.
'If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.' - Thomas Jefferson
( Oct 31 2004, 06:59:13 AM PST )
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