Week Ending September 12, 2008 - Washington, DC

President Bush marks the Jihad attack against America / McCain and Obama stand down for 9-11 but attacks on Palin continue unabated / Pelosi dictates that Congress will only work 15 days for the rest of the year / Senator Reid plans nothing /RFC meeting with China's religious leaders / Anti-abortion but pro-Obama? / How I remember 911

NEW CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - The all new September 12, 2008 Chairman's Report is now available to read in PDF format. This issue contains information the political conventions including first hand reporting from St Paul. The Sarah Palin factor is discussed and how she changed the election dynamic. The results of an internal RFC survey of members is also revealed. Click here to view new issue.

THE PRESIDENCY

PRESIDENT BUSH MARKS 9-11 - President George W. Bush marked the seventh anniversary of the Jihad attack on the United States by dedicating a memorial to those who died at the Pentagon, including the passengers on flight 77. He closed with these remarks: "That day of peace will come. And until it does, we ask a loving God to watch over our troops in battle. We ask Him to comfort the families who mourn. And we ask Him to bless our great land." Click here for full text and official photos.

I was driving past the Pentagon on 9-11 just as flight 77 hit. My remembrance of that day was published a year later. Click here to read my personal account of 9-11.

MCCAIN AND OBAMA TAKE BREAK FOR 9-11 - The John McCain and Barack Obama campaigns set aside most of their campaigns on the seventh anniversary of the Jihad attack against the United States. The liberal media blitz against Gov. Sarah Palin did not pause . Liberals are accusing her of trying to ban books at a library (untrue); teach creationism in Alaskan public schools (untrue), and posing in a bikini with an assault rifle (also untrue despite the fact that CNN reported it). However, I did sort of like the cartoon of the Moose saying, "Be afraid, be very afraid.

THE PALIN FACTOR - Polls of Europeans, particularly the British, had Barack Obama the three to one favorite over John McCain; that was before Sarah Palin entered the picture and reminded the Brits of their beloved first ever female prime minister, Margaret Thacher. The tone of the British press has changed somewhat as can be seen from a recent article in the Daily Mail titled, A pistol-packin' Looby Loo: the Left's worst nightmare.

THE CONGRESS

JUST 15 DAYS TO LEGISLATE? - This week I had lunch with Congressman Adam Putnam. As Chairman of the House Republican Conference, Putnam is third in line in the House Republican leadership. The Conference Chairman is charged with articulating his party's message, and with building the agenda for Republicans in the House. He was elected to lead the Republican Conference by his fellow congressmen.

Congressman Putnam told me that leftist Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had scheduled only 15 work days for the rest of year for the House. Of those days, only 14 are before the election and there is just one day of work after the election. She scheduled so few days despite the fact that most of the government's funding bills, which are already months late, need to be passed. Even bills to fund the military have not been passed. Meanwhile, Rep. Putnam said he does expect Pelosi to file dozens of bills to name post office buildings. Boy that sounds important!

SENATOR REID HAS PLANS? - Not much to report in the Senate at all. The Majority Leader of the Senate, Harry Reid, is not going to advance any legislation without the permission of Comrad Obama who is on the campaign trail and falling further behind the McCain/Palin ticket every day. Obama was going to showcase himself on the Senate floor with "education bills" but now does not have the time to come to Washington.

SENATOR BIDEN IN TROUBLE WITH BISHOPS - Two prominent U.S. Catholic bishops this week said that Democratic vice presidential nominee, Senator Joe Biden contradicted church teaching. He said on a TV interview that determining when human life begins is a "personal and private" matter of religious faith not to be imposed on others. Read more. He is just one of many pro-abortion Catholics such as Nancy Pelosi in the Democrat Party.

CULTURE AND RELIGION

ANTI-ABORTION BUT PRO-OBAMA? - A new survey of Catholic voters has been released that shows "active Catholics" support John McCain. But there is an oddity in the poll. 35% of those in the survey who said they would never support a candidate who voted against the Born Alive Infant Protect Act, still said they would vote for Obama. Of course, Barack Obama did vote against protecting infants born alive in a botched abortion. Read more.

NEW CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - The all new September 12, 2008 Chairman's Report is now available to read in PDF format. This issue contains information on the Republican Convention, including first hand reporting from St Paul. The Sarah Palin factor is discussed and how she changed the election dynamic. The results of an internal RFC survey of members is also revealed. Click here to view new issue.

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INTERNATIONAL

CHINA'S OFFICIAL RELIGIONS - There are no denominations in China; this is one of the things I learned from Kan Baoping, the general secretary of the China Christian Council. This week I had dinner with him and Gao Feng, the president of the China Christian Council. Also at the dinner were the heads of the Taoist, Buddhist and Islamic "official" religions in China. I was one of about 12 others who sat at the table with the Chinese leaders to discuss matters of religion in China. Among the things discussed was the arrest of a Christian bookstore owner in China. One of the Chinese Christian leaders present requested that I send him a book I had authored that he had heard of. Photo above is of myself and Kan Boeping. Note: The links above are to CCC official sites. I included these because I thought they may be of interest to you.

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