King Barack Flips American Voters the Bird
I have never seen anything like this in the sixty-one years of my life:
A United States president, acting like a monarch or dictator, thumbs his nose at the American people he is supposed to lead and protect, granting de facto amnesty to millions of illegal aliens by executive fiat.
President Obama’s November 20 executive action is bad for the country, is a blatant abuse of Constitutional power and directly contradicts the expressed will of the American people.
I will focus on the latter point. He acts like a king with utter disdain for the people.
It’s time to stop tip-toeing around the presidential problem we face. We are being gamed by a narcissistic president who cares more for his agenda than those that he serves..
And here’s what we need to do about it.
Last night President Barack Obama did something that no American president has ever done. He symbolically displayed his middle finger to the American people he is supposed to listen to and represent–as well as the Congress who makes our laws–and acted like a king who creates law, interprets and enforces them.
We haven’t seen those brazen actions on our shores for nearly 240 years when King George III did the same with the American colonists–making laws without their consent–which precipitated the Revolutionary War and the birth of the USA.
When a humble George Washington became our first president, he rigorously resisted the easy temptation to be called “Your Majesty” and rule like a king. No–he said calling him “Mr. President” was enough, and that republican institutions were to make laws only through the peoples’ elected representatives.
George Washington was a humble leader with great character.
Barack Obama seems to be completely lacking in this most important quality of leadership.
In the past few decades we’ve seen other presidents–both Democrat and Republican–chastised by the voters in mid-tem elections–come out humbled and working for the good of the nation.
In 1986, Democrats took over both the House and the Senate during the Reagan years. A humbled Ronald Reagan accepted the verdict of the voters and began working with House Speaker Tip O’Neill for the good of the nation. Economic prosperity followed.
Twelve years later, Bill Clinton’s government was shellacked in the mid-term elections. He, too, humbled himself, listened to the people and committed to working with Capitol Hill on major achievements which included welfare reform and a balanced budget.
When good leaders are rebuked, they learn (even when they may have mixed motives for changing). When bad leaders are chastised, they react in pride and disdain.
Last evening, Barack Obama gave a smooth yet deceptive speech. He decided to go around Congress and allow certain unlawful residents with established roots to “come out of the shadows” because mass deportation of illegal immigrants “would be both impossible and contrary to our character.”
“I hear those concerns,” he added in a speech that quoted both Moses and George W. Bush, but “immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society.”
It all sounded good and almost reasonable at certain points. But the entire presentation was lawless in nature and deceptive to the core.
Before we analyze his action, let’s look at what Barack Obama, acting like a king, did on November 20 to lead our immigration system into certain chaos.
Specifically, the president’s executive action will:
- Create a new deferred deportation program for parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent resident children if they have been in the country for more than five years.
- Grant work permits for three years if they pass background checks and pay back taxes and fees. In nearly all states, the people who are granted legal status will be entitled to driver’s licenses.
- Expand protection from deportation to more “Dreamers,” or people who came to the U.S. illegally as children, and grant more work permits to high-skilled workers.
- Establish a new priority system for deporting illegal immigrants, requiring the Department of Homeland Security to focus on people serving jail time for criminal offenses.
- Add more immigration judges to the border region so illegal immigrants who are deemed low-priority can be released more quickly, and recent border crossers and those with serious criminal records can be deported.
While the president portrayed his edict as necessary to address long-standing immigration problems, giddy Democrats who held immigration parties across the nation also believe President Obama’s action will buy them millions of Hispanic votes and provide progressive candidates with an electoral edge for years to come.
And he enacted the ruling like a tin-pot dictator–against the wishes of the American people. Columnist John Hayward comments:
“It’s still striking that not a single poll can be produced showing majority support for what Obama did last night, including some resistance from people who are generally in favor of all that “pathway to citizenship” stuff but oppose the way Obama is forcing it down their throats. The most recent election could not have made it more clear that the American electorate doesn’t want this. But Obama seized new powers to override the American people, acting as the representative of foreign citizens.”
That’s an incredibly deaf abuse of power and wrong priorities.
The 2014 mid-term elections, which just rolled through the nation as a thunder storm, were a clear repudiation of two Obama policies: Obamacare (ACA) and amnesty for illegals. You can’t interpret the results any other way unless you live in a fantasy world.
Election 2014 was a refutation of Barack Obama’s policies and priorities. As he likes to say:
“Period.”
Let’s analyze the timing of the president’s announcement.
Barack Obama would like us to think that his executive order is based on what he knows is best for the American people and nation.
But that doesn’t square with reality. President Obama and his party controlled both the Congress and the presidency for the first two years of his term. If they really believed Americans wanted to legalize illegal entrants into the country en masse, then it would have been easy to pass comprehensive immigration reform without a fight. Write the bill. Pass it in both chambers and sign it into law.
Why didn’t they do it? Because they knew that the American people didn’t want illegal aliens being treated better than legal-in-the-process immigrants that America has always loved and championed.
We are a nation of immigrants—legal ones!—who believe in the rule of law and fairness.
The Democrats knew this and punted. Barack Obama also knew he couldn’t be re-elected in 2012 if he went against the wishes of the American people on such a major issue.
After he was re-elected, he pushed through the Senate another bill (with the help of a few Republicans) that the House refused to take up. Why did they table it? Because the People’s House knew that the folks didn’t support it.
Why did Barack Obama not push that bill prior to the 2014 elections? Because he knew if he did, then there might not be one Democrat left in either chamber of Congress. The shellacking would have been even worse than it was.
So after hearing the people speak in the 2014 election, he should have humbled himself like Reagan and Clinton and many other presidents, listened to the voice of the people, and gone to Congress after the lame-duck session to put together a good bill that will benefit the America people as well as take into account those who came to our nation unlawfully.
He refused to listen, and with no other elections to bind him, decided to act like a spoiled child or a self-absorbed dictator and rule by presidential fiat.
And why did he do that? Is it because he really wants to do “what’s best for America?”
I don’t think so. It’s a political move—plain and simple. Barack Obama believes that granting de facto amnesty to millions of Hispanics will help the Democrats win elections for years to come.
He did it for votes–nothing else.
So what should we do about this partisan and reckless act by a man who would be emperor?
1. Like the Committees of Correspondence of Revolutionary times, we need to make our voices heard that we want a secure border, a stream-lined legal process for legal immigration, and some penalties and process for those who broke our laws. That applies to adults only (kids are not responsible for their parents’ sins). Both the Heritage Foundation and Bill O’Reilly offer sensible plans for dealing with immigration.
2. We need to pray for the new Congress to wisely resist this president’s authoritarian tendencies in all area of his administration. May God give them specific wisdom to resist bad policies and enact righteous solutions that the nation truly wants and needs.
3. We must have a long memory—two years to be exact—and elect a humble and competent president in 2016 who will help reverse the bad decisions of the past few years and lead America once again into a time of moral, economic, and social renewal.
No more snubs by would-be monarchs should be tolerated in our nation.
To quote the early colonists, “We have no king but Jesus!”
What the Republicans Should Do
The Republican Party clobbered the Democrats in the recent election because concerned voters came out in droves because they do not like the direction we’re heading as a nation.
Republicans now hold 31 state governorships, will end up with an eight or nine vote margin in the US Senate (the most recent pick-up being Dan Sullivan in Alaska), and have more seats in the “People’s House” than anytime since 1929.
That means that the current American electoral map looks pretty red.
Disgruntled Dems and their media allies now talk about “getting along” in Washington and the so-called problem of “gridlock.”
Neither are problems. They are blessings.
Here’s what the Republicans should do.
My Republican wish-list will be put into a David Letterman “Top Ten” format. And since the elections have been so consuming and intense lately, let’s start with another Letterman ten-fer which will get us to laugh a bit before going back to election analysis.
Laughter is good for the soul, both of people and nations (Proverbs 17:22)
A Few Laughs with David Letterman
If you are not a Seattle Seahawk fan, you probably missed a nearly-frightening circumstance that occurred at last Sunday’s game between the ‘Hawks and the New York Giants.
During the pre-game festivities, Taima, the Seahawk mascot–a large, menacing bird–was released as usual in the stadium to take its traditional swoop across the field and land on the arm of its trainer.
Instead of coming down to earth predictably, Taima went up into the crowd and landed on a man’s head, scuffling around on his hoodie. The amazing fan showed great self-control at being dive-bombed by the vicious hawk.
I think I would have been petrified.
Here is David Letterman’s Top Ten on what the man under “hawk-attack” must have been thinking:
Number Ten – “I shouldn’t have used salmon-scented shampoo this morning!”
Number Nine – “Can I keep him?”
Number Eight – “How about a selfie?”
Number Seven – “Can you drop me off in parking lot B?”
Number Six – “Beats the time I was groped by the Philly fanatic.”
Number Five – “He probably smells my hawk.”
Number Four – “Thanks a lot, Obama!”
Number Three – “My toupee!”
Number Two – “First $12 beers and now this!”
Number One – “Yum, wings!”
If you want to see the hawk landing, and Letterman’s humorous reply, you can view them here.
Oh–one more item on the hawk mal-function. Taima, the Seahawk mascot, to make sure he didn’t get in trouble with the NFL (they have enough problems right now), offered up this “statement” after the incident:
“I apologize to my family, fellow birds everywhere, the Seahawks organization and fans. I am embarrassed by the pre-game incident and poor judgment I showed. Please understand my actions were not consistent with the type of bird I want to become. Go Me’s!”
That’s pretty funny too.
It brings to mind what the Democrats should have said after the people sent them packing November 4th (it seems all we’ve heard are excuses and sour grapes):
Here’s what the Democratic press release should have stated:
“We apologize to you the America voter, and fellow Americans everywhere. We are embarrassed at how we have led this nation in the past six years and the poor judgment we’ve shown on the economy and foreign policy. Please forgive us for ramming bills through Congress and using Executive orders on things not consistent with democratic principles and ideals. We commit to serving the wishes of the people according to the guidelines in the Constitution. Go USA!”
Actually, I think if they’d have shown some humility, their numbers would be already rising. There’s something beautiful about honesty, humbleness and repentance.
But back to some real election analysis.
What the Republicans Should Do
First, let’s dismiss the drivel about “getting along” in Congress and the problem of “gridlock.” These concepts mean nothing in the present battle for America. The national press would have you believe that the Republicans should now somehow “get along” with the Democrats. Translation: Don’t push your Republican/backed-by-the people ideas. Just submit to the Democratic agenda.
That’s nonsense. The Republicans won this election. It’s only right for the Dems to do the submitting to the will of the America people–not the other way around.
As for the concept of gridlock, it’s actually a good thing for the next two years. The press would have you believe that’s bad for America because the mainstream media want secularism and democratic socialism to continue their march. They believe that anything that stops this imperative is “obstructionist,” “partisan,” and yielding to “gridlock.”
Poppycock
When there’s a huge fire consuming the road ten miles ahead, it’s gridlock that saves you from zipping in the flames.
It’s a blessing–a good thing. Necessary to save the Republic.
So what should the Republican Party, in responding to the will of the people, do for the next twenty-four months and beyond?
Here’s my Top-Ten List:
Number Ten – Stop the progressive agenda. Be firm and don’t compromise with bad policies. You won. Act like it. And, in order to reverse the damage that has been down to our nation over the past six years and beyond, the Rs must patiently work toward winning the next presidential election. If they don’t do that, America’s fall may not be reversed. Two-thirds of government is not enough. We need a Reagan-like statesman or woman in 2016 to truly turn our national tide (and slide). Don’t settle for anything less.
Number Nine – Approve the Keystone Pipeline. The US is experiencing an energy renaissance where we could lead the world over the next few decades. The progressive focus on global warming and renewable fuels is a misguided tangent. Let’s become the new Saudi Arabia in the coming decades both in oil and natural gas while protecting our environment. This will bring a surge of good, high-paying jobs.
Number Eight – Pass the Republican alternative to Obamacare sign it into law once the Supreme Court strikes down the illegal exchange subsidies (which may happen next summer). The Republican bill honors pre-existing conditions, forces no one to have insurance, is doctor-patient centered, and is not a one-size-fits all monstrosity. When the Supreme Court rules next summer, millions of people will lose their insurance and need coverage. Force president Obama to sign the Republican alternative knowing that a veto would bring down the wrath of the American electorate and leave millions without coverage.
Number Seven – Focus your rhetoric and priorities on the rebirth of faith, family, and freedom across the length and breadth of the fruited plane. This is what Americans want. It is their birthright. They want to us to remain “America,”–not become a dying, secular socialist democracy. Cast vision for these principles and the people will follow you.
Number Six – Strengthen and rebuild the military by using the power of the purse. We live in a dangerous world where America’s military might is necessary to defeat evil powers. Congress should re-fund America’s heroes to allow them to protect our shores and lift up the lamp of liberty in other nations.
Number Five – Protect our most fundamental right to religious liberty and conscience in all aspects of American society. Pass any necessary laws allowing people to express that faith in and through their businesses, schools, and neighborhoods in the United States without penalty or persecution.
Number Four – Prepare a Balanced Budget Amendment, and promise to pass it when we elect a Republican president in 2016. The 18 trillion dollar national debt has not gone away and may be up to twenty trillion when Barack Obama leaves office. Only a balanced budget amendment can bring our nation back into economic sanity and health.
Number Three – Change the tax code either through a Flat Tax or Fair Tax and lower the corporate income tax rates to the lowest in the world. This will bring trillions of dollars back home for investment, create fairness in the tax system, and stimulate the growth of millions of jobs over the next decade.
Number Two – Seal the southern border with fences, boots and technology. Then streamline and increase legal immigration to two or three million a year while sending any current illegal immigrants to the back of the immigration line.
Number One – Champion the sacredness of marriage between one man and one woman and commit to rebuilding the American family (especially in cities and minority areas). Marriage and family are the cornerstones of any great society.
These are the ten things that Republicans should do to bring God’s blessing back to the United States of America.
Those are my ideas. I’d love to hear yours.
Political and Spiritual Repentance Bring Twin Rays of Hope
A political tidal wave washed ashore in the United States last night, bringing some hope to a struggling and fearful nation. A few weeks prior, another important but quieter riptide was set in motion in parts of the American nation.
One of these waves was political and the other was spiritual. At the center of both stands the re-emergence of a very important theological truth:
Repentance.
Political and spiritual repentance brought twin rays of hope to America today.
How so?
In my early years as a follower of Christ I wasn’t taught much about the concept of repentance. In fact, in some early discipleship classes, I was told that repentance was an Old Testament concept (primarily) and that it had been superseded in the New Testament by grace and faith.
Then I began to read the Bible for myself and found the word and concept of repentance all over the New Testament. For example:
- The first words that Jesus said when he began his earthly ministry are found in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News.”
- Thirty three times the word repent or repentance is mentioned in the NT books and letters (e.g. Matthew 4:17, Acts 20:21, Romans 2:4, 2 Corinthians 7:9,10 and Revelation 2:5).
- In the first recorded sermon of the Early Church era (Acts 3:19), Peter doesn’t mention the word “faith.” In order to be saved he tells people: “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
My early teachers must have been confused about the concept of repentance. Repenting from sin and error seems to be at the center of both the Old and New Testament teachings.
During my early missions training, I read Mother Basilea Schlink’s excellent book Repentance: The Joy-Filled Life which was required reading in our YWAM schools. That, and my continued reading of Scripture settled me in the truth that repentance was a critical character quality for both individuals and nations.
Repentance is necessary and it brings both joy and hope!
So what does this old theological word really mean?
Our English word repentance comes from the Greek equivalent metanoia which simply means to “re-think,” “change your mind,” or do a U-turn in thinking which, in turn, changes your life.
Sometimes we associate this change of mind with tears, regret, and an emotional experience that we call “repenting.” But the feelings are not the critical element.
Change of thinking is the key.
Changing your mind and life is a vital concept. We come into right relationship with God by re-thinking or changing our minds about our sin and rebellion against God. We’re wrong. God is right. Our change of mind leads to a change of direction–we stop living for ourselves ands start living for God and His glory.
That U-turn–from self-centered living to a God-honoring lifestyle–brings great joy and hope, not just on this earth but a promise of eternal life.
It might be true to say that nothing brings more joy and hope than the fruits of repentance.
Enter the 2014 election.
A Political Tidal Wave
Though I was expecting some change in direction in the American nation through last night’s election, the tidal wave of results truly amazed me and stunned most political pundits.
Politically, America repented last night. Some significant majorities “re-thought” their position on the way the nation was going and changed their votes to point us in another direction. To state it in negative form, they repudiated the growth of incompetent Big Government and decided to give the Republican Party a chance to take us back to smaller government, economic growth, moral values, and national strength.
This was nothing less than political repentance. Call it what you want–buyer’s remorse, seeing the consequences of bad policies, or feeling the pain of domestic and foreign upheavals–the American people went to the polls last night and RE-THOUGHT the direction they wanted America to go.
Their change of mind–repentance–gave birth to a historic change in voting:
- US Senate: The American people gave the Republicans majority control of the Senate with 8-9 pickups (Louisiana needs to go to a run-off). That was big deal, throwing out Majority Leader Harry Reid and bringing in Mitch McConnell and a new slate of leaders.
- US House of Representatives: Added 14 seats to the House of Representatives–the highest total Republicans have had since 1946. The House stands at 247-183, well beyond what analysts expected. A few races in Arizona and California were not called on Tuesday night.
- Governors: Grew Republican governorships to 31 versus 17 Democrats, with Vermont headed into a run-off and Alaska still being counted (if Republican Sean Parnell loses, it will be to independent Bill Walker.) That’s a net gain of four governorships for the GOP. This leaves Democrats at their weakest point in state legislatures since the 1920s.
- State Governments: Republicans seized new majorities in the West Virginia House, Nevada Assembly and Senate, New Hampshire House, Minnesota House and New York Senate, The West Virginia Senate is now tied. (Control of several legislative chambers was still up in the air early Wednesday as counting continued in several tight races that will determine control of the Colorado Senate, New Mexico House and Maine Senate.)
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The lone bright spot for Democrats was holding majorities in the Iowa Senate and Kentucky House.
I remember being in Washington, D.C. during the days of the Reagan Revolution which brought a conservative president into the Oval Office and threw many liberal bureaucrats out of town. They called that era “Morning in America.”
We’re not there yet, but I see this morning a shining ray of political hope.
All because a majority of the American people repented (re-thought and changed their votes).
A Spiritual Rip-tide
Something else happened on the Sunday before election day (and the weeks and months that led up to it). Thousands of Christian leaders and their people gathered in a Houston Church to show solidarity during “I Stand Sunday.”
You’re probably aware that Houston Mayor Annise Parker, an avowed lesbian and LGBT activist, recently rammed through the city of Houston an ordinance that became known as the “bathroom bill” which allowed trans genders to use any facility they wanted.
In other words, if you were a man but wanted to be a woman, you could use the ladies’ restroom in any public facility (and vice versa). The residents of Houston didn’t like the intrusive bill and collected 50,000 signatures (30,000 were required) to bring it to a vote of the people.
The activist mayor not prevented a vote on the measure (how’s that for “We, the people”), but issued subpoenas to five local area pastors demanding their Free Speech-protected sermons, bulletins, letters etc. Mayor Parker was ticked off that the pastors had mobilized their people to gather the 50,000 signatures that were required to put the referendum on the ballot.
Her actions were shades of Nazi Germany or Communist China–not America.
Instead of Mayor Parker winning her way, she accidently lit a fire storm of protest from a sleeping church that woke up to realize that basic religious rights were being trampled by secular zealots and needed to be resisted.
The Church’s “repentance”–re-thinking their need to be the salt and light in this nation while facing outright persecution–caused them to rise up nation-wide to send Bibles to Mayor Parker’s office, start a cascade of prayer for revival, and led to the scheduling of “I Stand” Sunday on November 2 where thousands gathered in a Houston Church to speak up for freedom.
We can especially thank Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council for leading the “I Stand” charge.
One observer described “I Stand” this way:
“With more than 7,000 looking on within the sanctuary, there was no mistaking the energy and enthusiasm in the auditorium, as people stood and cheered for nine minutes as dozens and dozens of the area’s pastors marched into the sanctuary for the “I Stand Sunday” kick off. As Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, told listeners, ‘it is time to wake up from our slumber! While Mayor Parker may have overstepped her bounds, that was only possible because the church had fallen asleep at the gate.'”
“’Our greatest problem,’ Dr. Floyd said, ‘is not in the White House, but God’s house!’ If you’re wondering why things like this are happening in cities like Houston, Fayetteville, and San Antonio, look in the mirror. The blame for this doesn’t rest with Annise Parker or the city — but every Christian, who has quietly stepped into the shadows on tough truths.'”
“‘It’s because a lot of people in our churches have said, “I just don’t want to get involved,” former Governor Mike Huckabee explained. ‘My dear friends, when the government comes to your pastor and says, “Cough up all of the sermons, sermon notes and correspondence that the pastor has had with his own parishioners,” you are already involved.'”
“‘It’s time’, Dr. Floyd and others pointed out, ‘to get right with God.'”
Just prior to the “I Stand” event, hundreds of pastors had participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday–an opportunity to resist some unconstitutional edicts of the IRS regarding free speech in the churches. In 2008, 33 churches participated in the thrust.
In 2014, 1600 churches joined the movement.
Numerous prayer thrusts, Pulpit Freedom Sunday, and the “I Stand” movement all galvanized this fall to call the Church in America to repentance–to change our minds and actions–to see people come to Christ in our nation and resist the advance of evil.
A spiritual rip-tide is beginning in this nation that brings a shining ray of spiritual light to the horizon.
In summary, God is moving in the Church and in our nation that could bring positive affects to our nation and the world in the coming years.
Repentance–continuing and deepening repentance–is the key to both, and can bring back hope that comes through change.