Bart Stupak

Every once in a while it is important to remind ourselves that the Religious Right doesn't want our nation's laws to reflect Biblical principles only on issues like abortion or gay marriage, but on all laws.

And though we tend to forget that from time to time, fortunately they are willing to remind us, which is what David Barton and Rick Green of Wallbuilders did today, laying out the case for complete economic deregulation on the grounds that that is what the Bible says that Christians should be free to do as they please, while laws and regulations should only be targeted at "the bad people."

As an added bonus, the guest on today's radio program was Rep. Randy Neugebauer, whom you may remember as the man who screamed "baby killer" at Rep. Bart Stupak during the health care debate, who slammed the idea of bailing out companies because they will never learn their lesson if we don't let them go out of business:

Barton: There is a great Bible verse, 1 Timothy 1, 8-10 where God tells us why he gives us laws. And we should use this as the standard by which we judge laws in a city, or in a county, or in a state, or anything else. Here's was Scripture says, God says "we know that the law is good if one uses it properly." So what is the proper use of the law? It says that "we also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels." So the first point of law is you don't make laws to regulate the good people, you make laws to regulate the bad people. You want to restrain the bad, not restrain the good. So it says "we know the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, and homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine."

The purpose we have laws is to restrain the bad, that is the purpose of government, that is the purpose of law. We obviously have gotten away from that. We have so many laws now that restrain the good folks and regulate the good folks ... if you look at all the bailouts that have happened over the last two years, the only divisions of the economy that needed bailouts were the most heavily regulated divisions, the ones with the most government, and that's insurance, that's real estate, that's banking, you had regulations through the unions on the car dealers that went out of business. The guys that had competitive market stuff, we had a lot of car dealers that didn't go under.

Green: The power of government was coming in to those that did go under controlling it.

Barton: And there is was.

Green: And so the excuse, typically, for these regulations is to keep from having the problems but you the result is ...

Barton: You have more problems every time, because you're violating the Biblical principle that laws are made to restrain the bad, not the good. You cannot violate God's principles and have it work.

[EDIT - Green reiterates this argument to Rep. Neugebauer]

Neugebauer: We should have let those companies fails. You talk about learning a lesson, companies don't learn a lesson when the government and the tax payers bail 'em out. Companies learn lessons when they fail and that makes the market then pay better attention to some of these entities and whether they are providing 'em credit or buying stock in those companies. But if there is this implied guarantee that somehow, don't worry, the taxpayers will swoop in and pick up the tab then there is no encouraging the market to be a little careful in their selection and really no pressure on management to manage their balance sheets better.

Behold the economic ideology driving the Religious Right: Christians don't need regulation because they are good people, and trying to regulate Christians violates God's will, which in turns caused our economy to nearly collapse ... and we should have let it collapse, because that is the only way that business would learn its lesson.

[And, as an interesting side note, when Barton quotes from 1 Timothy, he seems to be reading from the New International Version, as that appears to be the only version that uses the word "properly" while the others use the word "lawfully."  And the NIV version of that passage does not mention "homosexuals" .. but apparently Barton thought it important to add that.]
 

• Rep. Bart Stupak announced that he will not be running for re-election.
• And the Right responds with a unanimous "good riddance."
• In a sign of the times, the Heritage Foundation is launching its own grassroots group, Heritage Action for America.
• Apparently, VA AG Ken Cuccinelli is quite a fan of old-school rap.
• Finally, quote of the day from Rick Green: "If they're looking for a mamsy-pamsy, weak-kneed politician, no good looking right here. That's not what I am or ever will be. But if they're looking for somebody with firm convictions and philosophies, which is what our founding fathers said you needed in every branch, legislative, executive and judicial, that's what I offer."

It seems as if the women over at Concerned Women for America are still not over having had their hearts broken by Rep. Bart Stupak's support for health care reform, which is why they released this video documenting their grief:

Concerned Women for America: You (Stupak) Broke My Heart

It seems that the passage of health care reform legislation has awakened the fury in the Christian Coalition. 

Earlier this week, they compared its passage to Pearl Harbor and 9/11 and now they are back labeling Rep. Bart Stupak a traitor on par with Benedict Arnold, Julius & Ethel Rosenberg ... and Jane Fonda:

Nearly all Americans, even students in America's politically-correct schools, know who America's number one traitor is, Benedict Arnold, who escaped to Great Britain avoiding arrest and the noose during the Revolutionary War. Most senior citizens, and other knowledgeable Americans, know who Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are, American communist traitors executed for treason at the height of the Cold War.

And many Americans, and virtually all of us Vietnam War veterans, know the treachery of actress Jane Fonda who actually was in our communist enemy's capital, Hanoi, Vietnam, at the height of the Vietnam War pretending to shoot down American pilots with a North Vietnamese artillery piece, a photo which gave huge aid and comfort to our communist enemies all over the world.

Which brings us to America's newest traitor in this infamous list of traitors: Democrat Congressman Bart Stupak from the First Congressional District of Michigan. Last Sunday, Bart Stupak single-handedly provided the enemies of American culture his vote and less than a handful of votes to install socialism (ObamaCare) for the first time in America.

Indeed, on the very morning of the vote for ObamaCare -- on the Lord's Day of all days -- Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi did not have the votes according to one of the most non-partisan voter-counters on Capitol Hill. That is, until Democrat Congressman Bart Stupak made his treacherous pact with Obama and Pelosi.

Let's get this straight: Arnold aided our British enemies, the Rosenbergs aided our Soviet enemies, Fonda supposedly aided our Vietnamese enemies ... and Stupak aided our enemies Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama? 

• Several state Attorneys General have already filed suit against the health care reform legislation that President Obama just signed into law today.
• In related "news," the Religious Right doesn't like the health care bill and is ready to fight.
• Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott will receive the "Vision America Guardian of the Family Award" at the organization's dinner and gala on Monday, March 29.
• A tea party organizer who urged activists “to drop by” Rep. Thomas Perriello’s house to voice their displeasure with his health care vote, but mistakenly gave out the address of Perriello’s brother stands by his research skills.
• Erick Erickson is urging people to send Rep. Bart Stupak (aka "Judas") 100 pieces of silver.
• I genuinely have no idea what the point of this Catholic League press release is supposed to be.
• Finally, the quote of the day from Dennis Prager: "I write the words 'civil war' with an ache in my heart. But we are in one. Thank God this civil war is non-violent. But the fact is that the left and the rest of the country share almost no values. The American value system and the leftist value system are irreconcilable. If the left wins, America's values lose."

• Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer admits he's the one who yelled "baby killer" at Rep. Bart Stupak.
• Andrew Schlafly has been named the new lead counsel for the committee seeking to recall Senator Robert Menendez.
• Several former Texas Supreme Court Justices, including Alberto Gonzales, have endorsed Rick Green's opponent.
• Jim Garlow last week was named chairman of Renewing American Leadership, a group Newt Gingrich formed to champion the country's Judeo-Christian heritage.
• Finally, Randall Terry is demanding that Nancy Pelosi be excommunicated and the removal of Washington DC Archbishop Donald Wuerl for not refusing her Communion.

The American Family Association's Bryan Fischer had not yet weighed in on the House's passage of health care reform legislation when I put together my round-up of right-wing reactions earlier this morning.

And that turned out to be a good thing, because his response deserves its own post, as he declares  4:07 p.m. on March 7, 2010 to be the exact moment that the United States died:

Rep. Bart Stupak will go down in history as a man who will live in infamy. And March 7, 2010 will go down in history likewise as a day that will live in infamy.

It is a rare thing when a nation can point to one specific moment in time in which its tragic destiny was sealed. That moment came today at 4:07 Eastern time.

For at 4:07 p.m. on March 10, 2010, Bart Stupak announced that his pro-life convictions had collapsed like a cheap tent in a slight breeze. As a result, the America we knew and loved is gone, gone, gone.

Fischer followed that post up a short time later with a new post calling on the states to resist Congress and "stand up against the tyranny of the central government" while comparing the government to trespassers and squatters who should be shot and warning that only the 10th Amendment can save this nation from bloodshed: 

Thus what Congress did yesterday in passing the monstrous MussoliniCare bill, will not only bankrupt America, it is flatly and unequivocally unconstitutional and is hated by a majority of the American people. Something is being crammed down our throats that makes us gag and vomit.

The last remedy left - other than bloodshed - is the 10th Amendment, which reserves to the states any power not delegated to the federal government. The central government is exercising a power that it does not have, and can only exercise by usurping that power from the states.

State governments can legitimately and constitutionally decide not to cooperate with the central government on the legal ground that Congress has transgressed the boundaries marked out in our founding document. The central government is trespassing on the sovereign territory of the states, and the states have every right to throw them off their property.

Trespassers can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Squatters can be evicted. If they won't leave, they can be tossed. And in the worst case scenario, if they won't surrender peacefully, they can be shot.

Do I need to point out that just last week, Fischer was featured on the Family Research Council's anti-health care reform webcast along with Rep. Tom Price, (R-GA), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)?

• Sen. Tom Coburn said the American people should be praying that a Senator couldn't make it to cast a vote on health care reform, while a conservative blogger hopes that Sen. Robert Byrd dies.
• Michael Steele says Democrats are "willing to basically flip the bird to the American people" in passing health care reform.
• Rep. Bart Stupak's office has been coordinating attacks on the Senate bill with Republicans and Religious Right groups.
• Media Matters names Glenn Beck its "Misinformer of the Year."
• PolitiFact names Sarah Palin's "death panels" claim it's "Lie of the Year."
• Finally, congratulations to Good as You's Jeremy Hooper and his husband Andrew Shulman for being the first same-sex couple to be featured in Martha Stewart Weddings.

To say that the Religious Right is overjoyed by the passage of the Stupak Amendment, which makes it "virtually impossible for private insurance companies that participate in the new system to offer abortion coverage to women," would be a massive understatement.

The Right hasn't had much to cheer about lately, but a quick look at the statements released shows that while they are still militantly opposed to healthcare reform, anti-choice activists are downright giddy with this victory, with the Christian Defense Coalition proclaiming that it "pounds a nail in the eventual coffin of 'Roe v. Wade'":

"This historic vote in the United States House of Representatives signals the beginning of the end for 'Roe v. Wade.' President Obama made taxpayer funded abortions a key part of his presidential campaign and it was strongly supported by Speaker Pelosi and House leadership.

"Pro-choice groups spent millions of dollars to have taxpayer funded abortions included in healthcare legislation to no avail.

"It is important to note that taxpayer funded abortions were excluded from the healthcare bill because of the votes of Democrats in the House, not conservative Republicans. This vote shows what recent national polls have demonstrated, and that is -- America is turning away from abortion and embracing human rights and a culture of life.

Randall Terry:

Mr. Terry states: "This is a great first step to victory - a touchdown in the first quarter - but we have a lot of fighting ahead of us. Our rejoicing must be tempered by reality. The Senate Bill must also prohibit any money from going to child-killing; and then we must insure that the conference committee does not include child-killing in the final bill, should it pass both houses. We have many hurdles left.

"Those of us who despise Socialism must now broaden our battle to kill the bill entirely. Our biggest battle is to stop the slaughter of children. The next battle is to keep our children from being saddled with trillions of dollars of debt.

"Many of us would rather die half-starved free men than be well fed slaves on Uncle Sam's plantation."

Susan B. Anthony List:

“Tonight the House of Representatives made a principled and politically sound decision to continue our nation’s longstanding policy of protecting taxpayers’ conscience in the area of abortion funding. We urge the Senate to follow suit. We will remain vigilant, and shift our efforts to the Senate to ensure that these same pro-life protections are added to the Senate bill.

“On behalf of the 280,000 members and activists of the Susan B. Anthony List who contacted Congress on this issue, I applaud all those who voted to honor the American legacy of protecting citizens’ conscience from conscription into activity to which most are morally opposed. Congress has sided with the resounding majority of citizens opposed to government funding of abortion. Supporters of government-funded abortion will now have some explaining to do back home, before voters head to the ballot box in 2010.

“If there’s one thing many members of Congress learned from Tuesday’s elections, it’s the danger of being out of step with your constituents. Votes do have consequences, and the recent tensions over health care reform should drive that message home. We will use every tool in our arsenal to ensure the folks back home know the truth about their legislator’s record."

Family Research Council:

"This is a huge pro-life victory for women, their unborn children, and families. We applaud this House vote which prohibits the abortion industry from further profiting from taxpayers by using government funds to pay for the gruesome act of abortion. I congratulate the bipartisan coalition that for months has worked to ensure that abortion is not covered in the bill.

"Since prior to last year's election Family Research Council has been working towards true health care reform that protects life, freedom and families. We supported efforts to ensure the legislation will not be paid for by the lives of future generations. We thank Representatives Bart Stupak (D-MI), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and Chris Smith (R-NJ) for standing with more than 70% of Americans who morally object to funding abortion with their hard earned dollars.

Operation Rescue:

"Today, the voices of 71% of the American people who oppose taxpayer funded abortions were heard loud and clear. We thank each one who took the time to raise their voices in opposition to the Obama-Pelosi-Carhart effort to force taxpayers to fund the shedding of innocent blood through abortion.

"There is still a long way to go to prevent government subsidized health care from paying for abortions. Now the ball is in the Senate's court, and we pray that the common sense displayed in the House on the matter of abortion funding will also prevail in the Senate.

"We will continue to stand on behalf of the voiceless and oppose any efforts to restore abortion funding in any future version of health care legislation. But for tonight, we celebrate this day's pro-life victory defunding abortion, which will save lives and prevent the immoral and fiscally irresponsible bailout of the abortion cartel."

Concerned Women for America:

"Democrats and Republicans came together to ensure federal funds would not pay for elective abortions. They corrected a terrible provision in the bill that would force Americans to subsidize abortion, an act that kills unborn children and harms women. Pro-life congressmen - Democrat and Republican - worked tirelessly to strip an incentive from the bill that would increase abortions by paying for them with government money," stated Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee.

National Right to Life Committee:

NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said: "The Obama White House and top congressional Democratic leaders spent months concealing and misrepresenting provisions that would directly fund abortions through a government plan, and subsidize premiums for private abortion plans. Today's bipartisan House vote is a sharp blow to the White House's pro-abortion smuggling operation. But we know that the White House and pro-abortion congressional Democratic leaders will keep trying to enact government funding of abortion, and will keep trying to conceal their true intentions, so there is a long battle ahead."

Americans United for Life:

Americans United for Life Action President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest said, "The passage of this amendment is a victory for the pro-life Americans across this country who have flooded Congress this week with the message that abortion does not belong in health care. The bipartisan effort that led to its passage, under the leadership of Congressmen Bart Stupak and Joe Pitts, is a step toward a future where both political parties defend Life."

American Center for Law and Justice:

The passage of this pro-life Amendment represents the only bright spot in an otherwise troubling government-run health care package put forth by House Speaker Pelosi. The American people understand that health care should not include federal funding for abortion and we’re grateful to Democrat Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-Mich) and Joseph Pitts (R-Penn) for their unrelenting efforts in protecting the unborn.

The 176 Republicans and 64 Democrats who stood together in a bipartisan defense of life deserve our sincere gratitude. For many of these Members, this vote was cast in the face of serious pressure to oppose the amendment. While there is work yet to do on this issue, this vote represents an extremely significant victory for life.