Hawaii

Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation is taking a stand for the Birther movement, months after President Barack Obama released his long-form birth certificate to quash discredited claims that he was born outside of the U.S. Naturally, conspiracy theorists were not satisfied by evidence, and the president of one of the country’s leading tea party groups still doubts the President Obama’s citizenship. In a column sent to Tea Party Nation members praising Orly Taitz, the fanatical birther activist who has floated armed rebellion against Obama is now embarking on yet another lawsuit based on research from the birther website World Net Daily. Phillips writes that Taitz should receive an award from the American Bar Association for her campaign to prove that Obama isn’t eligible to serve as president, suggesting she may “deserve a place among the great lawyers of this country”:

Orly Taitz has waged an almost one-woman war on the eligibility issue. She is absolutely convinced that Barack Obama is not legally qualified to be President. She had endured insults, threats, some from Judges, fines and every roadblock the Obama regime could throw her way. Had she been as tenacious on a similar issue with George W. Bush, she would be the toast of the legal community.

Orly probably does not want an ABA award, but she may be getting closer to something of great importance to her. It is the “holy grail” of the eligibility movement.

Orly Taitz may be about to get the original, type written birth certificate of Barack Obama.

…

If Obama was really born in Hawaii and everything is as advertised, his lawyers can simply let the birth certificate be provided to Orly Taitz and that will end the matter. Given the history of the Obama regime and his defense of his birth certificate, even though he has released a forged birth certificate, that is unlikely.

…

Some conservatives derisively dismiss anyone who supports the eligibility issue as a “birther.” There certainly is enough evidence out there to raise questions. The significance of the eligibility issue is what happens if we are right. If Obama was never eligible to serve as President, everything he did is void. Two Supreme Court Justices, gone. A host of Federal Judges, gone. Every bill he signed, gone. Obamacare, gone.

What are the chances of this happening? Who knows? The bigger question is, given the potential reward of undoing everything Obama has done, why any conservative dismisses the eligibility issues, as “birtherism” is simply beyond belief.

If Orly Taitz wins, she will deserve a place among the great lawyers of this country, who fought incredible odds to win justice. The left wing American Bar Association will never give her an award for this. But I’m willing to bet she’s not saving any space on her wall for an ABA award either.

During The Awakening’s panel on “Messaging and Mobilizing a New General of World Changers,” the fear of swelling youth support for marriage equality laws was widespread. Religious Right activists were particularly worried about the results of a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll that found that not only did 53 percent of Americans favor marriage equality, but that support was even stronger among younger Americans: “In an ABC/Post poll five and a half years ago, for example, under-30s were the sole age group to give majority support to gay marriage, at 57 percent. Today it's 68 percent in that group – but also 65 percent among people in their 30s, up a remarkable 23 points from the 2005 level; and 52 percent among those in their 40s, up 17 points.”

While the early morning panel was composed of young conservative leaders and Liberty University students, the audience was largely older and a number of questioners expressed fear over rising support for marriage equality among youth. Thomas Hall, a close aide to Lou Engle and a board member of the dominionist Oak Initiative, lamented the youth energy and support for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and Ryan Sorba admitted that even conservative students are not rallying behind the opposition to marriage equality.

William Estrada, a leader of the homeschoolers group Generation Joshua and the Home School Legal Defense Association, argued that conservative youth are organizing. Estrada mentioned a homeschoolers group in Hawaii, the Guardians of Liberty, who he said singlehandedly convinced former Governor Linda Lingle to veto a civil unions law. “We’re seeing young people standing up for the cause of traditional marriage,” Estrada said. What he failed to mention was that just a few months later, newly elected governor Neil Abercrombie signed the civil unions bill into law with little public outcry.

Marriage equality still faces immense political hurdles, with just five states and the District of Columbia adopting equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians, but the discouragement over the lack of anti-gay fervor among youth at The Awakening should not be taken as a sign that Religious Right activists have any intention of giving up. If their “Religious Liberty and the LGBT Agenda” panel demonstrated anything, it's that the Religious Right is unleashing even more venomous and blistering attacks against gays and lesbians. That is, when they aren't denying the existence of gay people.

Dejected, angered, and confused, last week’s poll by the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow shows the increasing desperation and panic of the Religious Right:

The AFA's Bryan Fischer spent the first hour of his daily radio program doing what he usually does: railing against gays and Muslims. 

But today he kicked off hour two with a special guest: Mike Huckabee. 

Huckabee was there ostensibly to promote his new book but most of the interview spent with Huckabee lashing out at those who have criticized him for claiming that President Obama grew up in Kenya.

Huckabee insisted that he simply misspoke but then agreed when Fischer asserted that Obama's childhood is responsible for instilling some "fundamentally anti-American ideas" in him:

Huckabee: And it's really an indication of just how pathetic some of these folks are who claim to be journalists and reporters and have failed to do a decent job. You know, I admitted that I misspoke on that, but I corrected it. But what I have never done is taken to position that Obama was born in Kenya or Indonesia or anywhere other than Hawaii where he claims to have been born. Frankly Bryan, that is not a popular position with conservatives but it is the position I have consistently taken and I just am very amazed at the firestorm this has caused, especially in light of the fact that the talk show host himself has said there is nothing to it.

Fischer: Well Governor, what got lost in all the shuffle was the legitimate point that you were making which is that we may have a president who has some fundamentally anti-American ideas that may be rooted in a childhood where he had a father who was virulently anti-colonial, hated the British - might have something to do with the President returning the bust of Winston Churchill back to England. You know, I was struck by the fact that when he made his tour to Indonesia, he made a point of going to an Indonesian memorial that celebrated the victory of Indonesians over British troops - again, part of that anti-colonial thing. And so I'd like you to comment on that; you seem to think that there is some validity to the fact that there may be some fundamental anti-Americanism in this president.

Huckabee: Well, that's exactly the point that I make in the book and I don't know why these reporters - maybe they can't read, I guess that's part of it because it's clearly spelled out and I'm quoting a British newspaper who really were expressing the outrage of the Brits over that bust being returned and the point was that they felt like that due to Obama's father and grandfather it could be that his version and view of the Mau Mau Revolution was very different than most of the people who perhaps would grow up in the United States. And I have said many times, publicly, that I do think he has a different worldview and I think it is, in part, molded out of a very different experience. Most of us grew up going to Boy Scout meetings and, you know, our communities were filled with Rotary Clubs, not madrassas.

Later in the interview, Fischer asked Huckabee his thoughts about the news that Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum had been been suspended by Fox News as they mull presidential bids and Huckabee admitted that part of the reason he is in no rush to make any public decision about a run of his own is that, if he does, he'll also lose his gig with Fox. 

Here is the entire nine minute interview:

• PFAW - Right Wing Watch In Focus: Citizenship in the Balance: How Anti-Immigrant Activists Twist the Facts, Ignore History, and Flout the Constitution. 
   
• Steve Benen: How The Media Covers Health Care Rulings, Cont'd. 
   
• Jim Burroway @ Box Turtle Bulletin: Tennessee Lawmakers Propose Ban on Mentioning LGBT People in Schools. 
   
• Nick @ Bold Faith Type: Fact-check: Religious Right Overstates Opposition to Expanding Marriage. 
   
• HRC Back Story: Hawaii Governor Signs Civil Unions into Law. 
   
• Andrea Nill @ Think Progress: TX Rep Introduces Bill To Allow Police To Leave Undocumented Immigrants At Lawmakers’ Doorsteps. 
   
• Warren Throckmorton: Native American columnist blasts Bryan Fischer’s “ugly article.” 
   
• County Fair: Jewish Funds For Justice: Glenn Beck's Apology Is "Not Enough." 
   
• Jillian Rayfield @ TPM: ADL: Beck Comparing Reform Judaism To 'Radicalized Islam' Is 'Bigoted Ignorance.'

Maryland State Senator James Brochin found the testimony from anti-gay activists during yesterday's hearing so "troubling" that he may now support legislation granting marriage equality after previously opposing it:

"The demonization of gay families really bothered me," Brochin said. "Are these families going to continue to be treated by the law as second class citizens?"

I am guessing that it is no coincidence that the vehemently anti-gay activists at MassResistance have sent out an email bragging about the key role they played in prepping the anti-gay forces for this hearing: 

MassResistance has continued its reach into other states where our help is needed.

Yesterday the Maryland State Senate held a public hearing on the explosive "gay marriage" bill SB116, which would force the legalization of same-sex "marriage" in Maryland.

This hearing -- and the Senate vote in general -- was considered a key place to get the bill stopped before it goes to the gay-friendly House and to the Governor who has said he would sign it if it gets to him.

Last week MassResistance was contacted by activists from the statewide pro-family group ProtectMarriageMaryland.  They wanted any help we could provide organizing for and dealing with this crucial hearing.

We went right to action:  

• We provided them with our hard-hitting 4-page handout "What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts". This pamphlet has been successfully used in by activists California, Florida, Iowa, Hawaii, Maine, and other states. We encouraged them to disseminate it as widely as possible, especially to legislators. It had an immediate effect. It was used as testimony by citizens testifying. At least one Senator on the panel used it in his questioning.
   
• On Friday MassResistance held a 1½ hour conference call with key activists from ProtectMarriageMaryland. We briefed them on the kind of tactics they could expect from the homosexual lobby, and strategies they could use to counter them.
   
• We contacted over 100 MassResistance activists who live in Maryland and encouraged them to testify at the hearing and work with ProtectMarriageMaryland.

• Joe.My.God: Convicted Sex Offender Arrested At Scott Lively's Coffee House.
• Steve Benen: Must We Parse The Meaning of the Word "Open"?
• Rachel Slajda @ TPM: DeLay Blames Liberal Jury For Conviction.
• Sandhya Bathija @ AU's Wall of Separation: A Tale Of Two States: Kansas Opts For Government-Sponsored Religion, While Hawaii Respects Diversity.
• Media Matters: Right-Wing Media Strain To Find Ways To Attack Obama's Memorial Speech.
• Tanya Somanader @ Think Progress: Gohmert Says FBI ‘Stonewalled’ On Shooter Profile To Avoid ‘Embarrassing’ Obama’s Constituents.

• PFAW: In an Open Letter, People For Urges ABC to Distance Itself from Breitbart.
• SPLC: Extremist ‘Patriot’ Pastor Videotapes Another Tense Traffic-Stop Encounter.
• Political Correction: Tom Tancredo Plans To Start A Revolution.
• Jason Hancock @ Iowa Independent: King refuses to explain vote against bill combating rape on tribal grounds.
• Alan Colmes: GOP Post-Election Day Goal: Stopping Sarah Palin; Viewed As A “Disaster In Waiting.”
• Rachel Tabachnick @ Talk To Action: The Apostles and Transformation - Why They Are a Threat to Pluralism in Hawaii.
• Media Matters: KTVA calls claims pushed by Palin on Fox News Sunday "absurd."
• Brad Johnson @ Think Progress: ‘Kill Some Crackers’: GOP Group Pays Fox Affiliates To Influence Election With Anti-Obama Propaganda.

Last week I wrote a few posts continuing our on-going look at the rise of the New Apostolic Reformation and self-proclaimed prophets and apostles like Lou Engle, Cindy Jacobs, and the like within the traditional Religious Right movement.

Today, I want to call attention to this really great post by Bruce Wilson at Talk To Action about Duke Aiona, the Republican candidate for Governor in Hawaii, and his ties to Jacobs, Ed Silvoso, and various other NAR leaders ... and I especially want to highlight Wilson's excerpts from books in which both Jacobs and Peter Wagner lay out the importance of the practice of burning and destroying items associated with witchcraft, the occult, or any other religion:

During a worship service that evangelist Cindy Jacobs held on October 7, 2008, at Ed Silvoso's 18th International Institute on Nation Transformation, in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Jacobs called on assembled local area pastors at the conference,

"Pastors, sanctify your people! You go and you tell 'em, if you have any idols in their homes we're gonna to burn 'em! If you have any witchcraft items in your homes, you bring 'em Sunday and we're gonna burn 'em! We're not gonna have witchcraft in this church!"

Jacobs was not merely referring to objects associated with contemporary interpretations of Wiccan practice, or with Satanic ritual. Cindy Jacobs and her colleagues, Peter Wagner, Ed Silvoso, and others in the New Apostolic movement cast their net of purported "witchcraft" and "idolatry" over objects associated with major world religious traditions such as Catholicism, Mormonism, and all Eastern religions, and also many native art objects.

As Cindy Jacobs wrote in her book Deliver Us from Evil (Regal Books, from Gospel Light, 2001),

"There are certain occult items were are not to possess. If we own any of the following objects we need to get rid of them. If the object was at any time worshiped as a god or used in the worship of a false god, then we should burn it or otherwise destroy it.

It is not unusual for tourists to bring home keepsakes from faraway lands that have demonic attachments or are idols. What we often do not realize is that these objects can curse us. For instance, many people purchase African masks that have been used in worship ceremonies. Others buy native art such as Kachina dolls, statues of Hindu gods and statues of Buddha. Back home, havoc starts to reign in the form of sickness, tragedy, depression of marriage break-ups. Usually the person does not know why these things have happened."

...

As Peter Wagner wrote in his book Hard-Core Idolatry - Facing the Facts,

Doris was preparing to travel to Argentina with Cindy Jacobs for the climactic evangelistic campaign. As she was reading scripture the morning she was to leave, the Holy Spirit told her that in Resistencia they must burn the idols, like the magicians did in Ephesus. Ed Silvoso, Cindy Jacob and the Resistencia pastors agreed. So the evening before the evangelistic crusade, all the city's believers came together for prayer. The leaders explained how important it would be to do spiritual housecleaning in their homes before they came to the meeting. They began mentioning the kinds of material things that might be bringing honor to the spirits of darkness; pictures, statues, Catholic saints, Books of Mormon, pictures of former lovers, pornographic material, fetishes, drugs, Ouija boards, zodiac charms, good luck symbols, crystals for healing, amulets, talismans, tarot cards, witch dolls, voodoo items, love potions, books of magic, totem poles, certain pieces of jewelry, objects of Freemasonry, horoscopes gargoyles, native art, foreign souvenirs, and what have you.

The believers agreed to obey God and to cleanse their homes, even if it meant giving up what might have been expensive items. They were to wrap each item in newspaper to protect privacy, and then cast the objects into a 55-gallon drum set before the platform the following night. The drum was heaped to overflowing! They poured gasoline on it and set it on fire."

On a related note, last month I wrote that various leaders would be gathering in Washington DC before the election as part of an effort called "The Shift" which is intent on "electing a new leadership for the United States of America" and now it looks like Chuck Pierce, Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, and Dutch Sheets will all be participating as well:

Clearly, this is an Esther moment for the Church of Jesus Christ to step in and reverse the wicked plot of the enemy who is determined to destroy our nation. So we must ACT NOW!

Come as we gather together leading apostles, prophets and intercessors to pray and decree a supernatural shifting of America back to Godly values. Link arms with us as we let the Holy Spirit birth through us the third great awakening that will cause radical reformation across the land. As the elections are upon us, let us seize the moment to affirm God’s new chosen leaders who are humble yet whose hearts are uncompromisingly set on the values of Heaven—those who love life and justice, compassion and truth more than their own reputation or gain.

...

The nation is methodically being pushed to abort her assignment of being a beacon of freedom, hope for the struggling nations, publisher of the Gospel and supporter of Israel.

The Shift is a call to the Bride of Christ who solely contains the power of God to rescue the nation from the spirit of greed that is destroying our nation, and realign our country with her destiny course.

For this history-making event, we are gathering around apostles, prophets and intercessors in the spirit of worship and prayer to declare our utter dependency on Christ to heal our land. Join us as we partner with thousands across the nation and activate this dramatic shift. God is not just changing the fiber of our government; He is also causing reformation across all seven mountains that shape our culture and society.

History has witnessed the Ancient of Days who used His prophets to change entire nations overnight and turn captivity into triumph time and time again. That same Spirit who was upon Haggai, Ezra and Nehemiah and the joy that strengthens the people to finish the rebuilding of the temple is upon us now.

The finished work of Christ on the Cross has provided us with an out-of-all-proportion solution to every human dilemma, including today's complexities. There are supernatural solutions waiting to be released into the fiber of our families, our economy, and the laws governing the land. Join as we corporately honor Christ by embracing what His blood paid for in full.

Extraordinary economic miracles are ready to explode upon our nation as we gather around the Throne of God in holy assembly. New signs and wonders of unprecedented proportion will become the clear guideposts on the road to recovery.

As we gather together with faith-filled joy and expectancy for the manifestation of His Kingdom reign thundering here on earth as it is in Heaven.

• Alex Seitz-Wald @ Think Progress: Quran Destroyer Randall Terry Dismisses 9/11 Families’ Concerns About Politicizing Terror Anniversary.
• Jillian Rayfield @ TPM: Anti-Mosque Rally All About How It's Not About Intolerance.
• Andy Birkey @ Minnesota Independent: Minnesota Family Council wants gay marriage at center stage in guv race.
• Ann Friedman @ The American Prospect: The Forever Culture War.
• Raw Story: Florida Governor Charlie Crist prepared to endorse broad swath of gay rights.
• Sarah Posner @ Religion Dispatches: The Non-Existent Tea Party-Religious Right God Gap.
• Steve Benen: A Court Confirmation Crisis Without Precedent.
• Adam Serwer: Forbes Embraces Birtherism Lite.
• Rachel Tabachnick @ Talk To Action: Will Hawaii Be The Next 'Transformation' Conquest For The Apostles And Their Prayer Warriors? and "The Head And Not The Tail" - Battle Cry For The Seven Mountains Campaign.