RFFM.ORG

RFFM.org Launches "Do Ask, Do Tell" Group To Counter Homosexuality In Military--Can You Help?

by Tom Daniels

In December of 1992, even before he began his first term as President, Bill Clinton announced a controversial policy related to the service of homosexuals in the military called, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT).  At the time, the Clinton administration was seriously lobbying Congress to change federal law which prevented openly homosexual individuals from serving in the United States Armed Forces.  Clinton's plan was met by furious criticism from political conservatives as well as military members who said such tampering with federal law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) would negatively impact the nation's ability to defend itself.

Hence, Clinton backed away from his original plans and subsequently introduced the aforementioned "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which is still in force today.  The premise behind DADT is simple, but it has resulted in more confusion, according to many military personnel.  Under DADT, openly homosexual individuals are still prohibited from serving in the armed forces.  However, recruiters and officers are instructed not to ask questions regarding an individual's sexual orientation and members of the military are supposed to keep their personal sexual habits private.

Many believe there is a movement being led by liberal politicians, "gay" activists and some members of the dominant media that would lift the prohibitions that state homosexuals cannot serve in the military under current law.  It must be noted there have been a significant number of individuals discharged from the armed forces because they violated the UCMJ related to their sexual orientation.  However, some sources claim the number of discharges that have taken place in recent years, due to the military's restrictions on open homosexuality, have dropped considerably.

"DO ASK, DO TELL" Group Launched

RFFM.org has launched an effort to counter the pro-homosexual agenda being advanced by some special interest groups.  "Obviously, there are those who want to change federal law regarding homosexuals in the military," said Daniel Zanoza, executive director of RFFM.org.  "Our goal is to form a group comprised of former military officers whose purpose will be to counter the attempts by pro 'gay' special interest groups who want to change federal law.  For now, we are calling the organization, 'Do Ask, Do Tell' and its purpose will be to produce documentaries, form a speakers bureau and launch a campaign of information-sharing that would explain why 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' has not worked and why there needs to be a clear, concise policy regarding this matter."

The issue of homosexuals in the military, once again, came to the forefront during a recent debate sponsored by CNN and YouTube.  Republican presidential candidates were met with a question by an individual claiming to be an "undecided voter" and who was introduced by CNN as a former "Brigadier General" in the United States Army.  It was later learned that Keith Kerr's highest rank in the National Guard was Colonel.

In a letter written to noted-author David Horowitz and published on David Horowitz/frontpagemagazine.com, retired Brigadier General William Becker wrote of Kerr:

Keith Kerr IS NOT A BRIGADIER GENERAL.  HE IS NOT EVEN AN ACTIVE DUTY RETIRED ARMY OFFICER.  HE SPENT HIS YEARS AS A RESERVIST SOLELY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA MILITARY BUREAUCRACY.  HIS BIO IS PUBLISHED IN THE GAY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO VOIDING THE "DON'T ASK DON'T TELL" POLICY.

FOR DETAILS.  YOU MUST NOTE THAT KERR WAS RETIRED FROM THE INACTIVE ARMY RESERVES IN THE GRADE OF COLONEL.  WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW YEARS SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY AS A LIEUTENANT HIS ENTIRE SERVICE WAS IN THE RESERVES IN CALIFORNIA.  HE WAS PLACED IN RETIRED RESERVE STATUS WITH THE CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD RESERVES AND PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL IN THAT FEDERALLY UNRECOGNIZED STATUS.

THIS IS CONSIDERED AN "HONORARY" TITLE SIMILAR TO THE PHD AWARDED BY UNIVERSITIES AS HONORARIUM.  WE WOULD NEVER REFER TO SUCH AWARDEES AS "DOCTOR".  IT IS ALSO NOTEWORTHY THAT HE WAS A GRADUATE OF UC BERKELEY AND SERVED AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN ACADEMIA.

HE HAS NO COMBAT EXPERIENCE DURING HIS 43 YEARS OF "SERVICE" AND IT IS A DISGRACE FOR HIM TO BE ASSOCIATED BY THE MEDIA WITH THE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY!!!!

Besides Kerr's questionable credentials, his appearance on the CNN/YouTube debate had its intended effect.  Once again, the subject of openly homosexual individuals serving in the military is being debated in the public square.

"The attempt to change public opinion regarding homosexuals in the military was made clear in the CNN/YouTube debate when the network went out of its way to create a debate over a subject they wanted to promote," said Zanoza.  "The defense of our nation is at stake.  Military readiness and the morale of those serving in America's Armed Forces should be everyone's foremost concern.  The military should not be used as a laboratory for social experimentation.  Political correctness and all that comes with it is too high a price to pay when our nation's security is at stake."

It would take an act of Congress to change the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  However, the will of the American people should trump the desires of groups who put their self-interest ahead of the nation's welfare.  It's time to join the fight.

For those former military officers and members of the general public who would like to join "Do Ask, Do Tell" contact [email protected].  For those who would like to make a contribution to RFFM.org, please write to:  RFFM.org, 904 21st St., #71, Lincoln, IL 62656. 

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Memories Of A Christmas Past by Dan Gura

We at RFFM.org would like to wish everyone a blessed and merry Christmas!

Memories Of A Christmas Past:  "Dawnszerly" Light by Dan Gura *

It was one week before Christmas and my daughter and I were visiting the crèche in front of our church.  A light snow swirled around us, as Corrina stared in wide-eyed amazement at the life-sized statues in the nativity scene.  She overflowed with curiosity and questions poured out one after another.

"Didn't baby Jesus get cold in the stable?"  "Did Virgin Mary feed Jesus baby food?"  "What kind of diapers did Virgin Mary use?"

"Jesus was born where it's warm all year around," I replied.  "They don't have winter like we do.  And speaking of winter, I'm starting to get a little cold.  How about I answer all of your questions as we walk home?"

"Can't you carry me, Daddy?"

She looked so cute bundled up in her pink snowsuit that I couldn't say no.  "C'mon up," I said, as I hoisted her onto my shoulders.  I had hardly taken a step before Corrina pointed her mittened hand towards the night sky and asked, "Daddy, why is that star so much brighter than all the others?  She's so dawnszerly."

"She's God's reminder that He always watches over us.  By the way," I asked, "what does dawnszerly mean?"

"Oh, Daddy, don't be so silly.  We sing it in the national anthem;  it means beautiful.  O' say can you see, by the beautiful--no most beautiful--light, what so proudly we hail.  C'mon Daddy, you're teasing me because everybody knows that.  I answered your question, now answer mine.  Why is that star brighter than any other star?"

With a smile on my face, impervious to the biting wind, I began.  "She wasn't always so bright.  She used to be a little one just like you.  In fact, she was so small, she didn't even have a name."

"How did she grow up so pretty, Daddy?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, Daddy, I really wanna know."

"Okay, then I'll tell you.  Do you remember in Sunday School when Pastor told the story of the Magi?"

"Yes, Daddy, they brought Jesus presents."

"You're right, they did.  And the way they found the manger was by following a star, a special star that was a thousand times brighter than any other."

"Why was she so bright?"

"Patience Corby, I'm getting there.  One day, about two thousand years ago, an Archangel asked all of the stars, 'Which of you is willing to be of service to our Creator?'"

"The heavenly messenger explained that He needed a special sign, one that would be remembered for all eternity.  God the Father wanted a star to lead the way to the Christ child.  All of the stars eagerly vied for the angel's attention.  A deafening chorus of  'I'll do it,' 'No, I will!' rang out until he explained the star would have to burn a hundred times--no a thousand times--brighter than any ever before in the night sky.  But, by doing so, it would use up all of its energy in just a few days and grow dark and cold.  All of the stars grew silent.  None wanted to make that sacrifice."

"Wow, what happened next?"

"The smallest, dimmest speck of light in the sky..."

"The one with no name?"  Corrina interrupted.

"Yep, that very one, cried out as loud as she could, 'I'll do it.  I don't know if I'm strong enough, but I'll do my best.'"

"Thank you, child.  God never asks more than that," replied the Archangel.

"Preparations were made throughout the universe.  On Christmas night, when Jesus was born, all of the stars in the heavens did a marvelous dance, each moving over to let the little star take its place of honor over the manger in Bethlehem.  A legion of Cherubim and Seraphim soared amongst them proclaiming 'Gloria in excelsis Deo.'  Gathering all of her strength, the smallest, most humble among them began to burn brighter and brighter and quickly became a supernova, the brightest beacon in the clear sky.  By far, she outshined all of the other stars with her brilliance."

"Daddy, I know who she is now...she's the Star of Bethlehem."

"Very good, sweetie.  But she wasn't alone in the sky.  With her were 'a multitude of  the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

"Wow.  What happened next?"

"Shepherds tending their flocks by night looked up in awe at this marvelous sight.  'And lo the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them; and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.'"

"What does sore afraid mean?"

"I think it means they were so frightened they couldn't even run away."

"Wow.  What happened next?"

"That's when the angel told them where to find baby Jesus, 'Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'"

"Did they follow the star?"

"Yes, Corrina, but first they said, 'Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.'  So they gathered up all of their sheep and 'came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.'"

"Didn't the sheep wake baby Jesus up?"

"I'm sure they did, I'm sure they did.  In fact, your great-grandfather Tony used to tell us God allowed the animals in the stable to speak that night."

"Wow, talking sheep!  What happened next?"

"The little star looked down and saw this and knew she could never quit...she had to try even harder.  Far, far away, to the east, in Persia, the Three Wise Men--Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior--were watching the sky for a sign.  They were astrologers and knew every star by heart, when suddenly, an incredibly bright light appeared on the horizon."

"It was the little star, right Daddy?"

"Yep, and she was burning so brightly they knew it was a sign of something miraculous.  Without hesitating, they packed their camels and didn't stop riding until they reached the humble stable."

"Because there was no room at the hotel." Corrina added.

"Hotel?  I guess it was like a hotel.  We usually call it an inn, but it was more like a big house which rented rooms to travelers."

"Did they have a swimming pool?"

"Now who's the one being silly?"

"I am!  So what happened next?"

"The Three Kings finally arrived on January the sixth, which we celebrate as the Feast of the Epiphany.  This was several days after the shepherds had left 'glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen' and they too found the Christ child, bundled in swaddling clothes and sleeping peacefully in His mother's arms while a choir of angels sang Him a lullaby.  Immediately, the earthly kings threw themselves on the ground and worshiped the King of Kings.  Later, as they were laying their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh at the feet of our Savior, the little star began to grow dimmer.  First slowly, then quicker and quicker.  Mary looked up and tears formed in her eyes because she knew the sacrifice that was being made.

"The other stars also noticed this and began to talk amongst themselves, 'What can we do to help her?'  They felt guilty because none of them had the courage to make such a huge sacrifice.  Cries of 'Can't we help her Lord?' echoed across the universe.  Their questions became a prayer to their Creator who heard it and was touched.

"Each star was permitted to give the little star part of their brightness, their life.  Eagerly they came forward, their radiant glow touching her, filling her with a new light, one brighter and more pure than any ever seen before."

"It was dawnszerly!"

"Yes it was--because it was the light of love.  No, Corrina, she never again shined as brightly as she did to announce the fulfillment of God's promise to Adam and Eve, but what she did that night will be a sign for all eternity of God's love for His children."

Copyright 2007 Dan Gura

* Dan Gura is a contributing editor to RFFM.org

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"EMPTY MANGER" TOUR: HOW AN UNBORN BABY WAS SAVED

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE by DAN GURA

On Saturday, December 22nd, the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League will hold their fifth annual "Empty Manger" Christmas Caroling Day.  On that day scores of pro-life carolers will gather in front of area abortions mills to proclaim the birth of the Christ child.  Please join us as we raise our voices to "help dispel the darkness of abortion with the light of Christmas hope."

"The Christmas story is one of hope and joy brought into the world by a newborn baby," commented Pro-Life Action League Communications Director Eric Scheidler.  "At each abortion facility we will gather around an empty manger which symbolizes both the hope that new life can bring as well as the emptiness left behind when an unborn child is killed by abortion.  We want abortion-bound mothers in Chicago and the western suburbs to know their unborn babies are a gift too."

If you join us, I cannot promise you will witness a miracle, but I can tell you on a December morning in 2004 a miracle occurred at one of the busiest abortuaries in the City of Chicago, Albany Medical Surgical Center.  I know because I was there.

Abortion mills are places of despair where the murder of innocents does not stop for Advent.  Abortionists who violate the sanctity of the womb pay no respect to the season and business was booming on that unseasonably warm winter day.  However, the noise of traffic was soon drowned out by a chorus of "Joy to the world!  The Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King," booming forth.  We continued singing as we watched a car slowly drive by.  It paused for a few seconds before turning into the alley which led to the parking lot.

Kathy Meiding, who sidewalk counsels every Saturday at Albany, watched helplessly as the couple drove by her and looked for a spot in the crowded lot. When they exited their car a few minutes later the driver responded to her offer of a rosary "with a barrage of the f-word. He then hustled the woman inside." 

What they did not realize is they were not alone that morning. While Eric Scheidler led two score of Christmas carolers outside "mak(ing) a joyful noise unto the Lord" (Psalm 98:5) the Holy Spirit was inside with them softening the mother's heart.
            
While we gathered on the windswept sidewalk witnessing in song to the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the mother, who was so prepared to end the life of her pre-born child, was being filled with the saving power of His grace.
            
As we stood singing "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night" in front of that most evil place, that mother was sitting in the waiting room feeling her child moving inside her.  This was the inconvenient "choice" which she had come to dispose of, yet now she had doubts.
            
Was it the haunting melody of "What Child Is This?" that made the mother realize the babe in her womb was so sore afraid of her "choice"? Or had she been touched by the empty manger around which we gathered?  It matters not because our humble voices were used as an instrument of His hand; together they rose in harmony to heaven itself.  "Gloria in excelsis Deo."
            
There is an old saying, "When you sing, you pray twice." On that day, our many prayers were answered. "Christ the Lord, the newborn King."
            
"They were inside for about fifteen minutes when the mother walked out and just stood there. She was silent but looked very upset." Kathy rushed over and offered to help her. "The woman said she could hear the singing inside and started thinking about the Virgin Mary and couldn't go through with it," Meiding said later.
            
Kathy escorted the woman around the corner to Women's Center, a crisis pregnancy center for women, where they prayed together for her unborn child.
            
My daughter, Corrina, president of Augustana College Right to Life summed it up, "We all had other places to be--shopping, sleeping in, or decorating our houses--but there is nothing more rewarding then publicly testifying to our love of God and the birth of the Christ Child at the saddest place on earth.  The way He answered our prayers, it was amazing. It was a miracle."
            
A wave of elation swelled through the choir as we learned of the Christmas miracle which had taken place, behind a barbed wire topped fence, but within earshot of our joyful noise.
          
This Christmas season, please remember the sidewalk counselors who witness for life in front of the abortuaries, the Women's Center, and their volunteers who make miracle happen there every day, in your prayers.

This year, due to the ever increasing number of abortuaries including the new "Aurora Abortion Fortress," there will be two tours:  The schedules for December 22nd are:

            Chicago Caroling Tour                                             DuPage Caroling Tour

 

9:00 Planned Parenthood Chicago                            9:00  ACU Health Center
          1200 North LaSalle Street, Chicago                          736 North York Road, Hinsdale

10:00 Family Planning Associates                             10:00 Anchor Health Center
          659 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago              1186 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn

11:00 American Women's Medical Center                11:00 Access Health Care
          2744 North Western Avenue, Chicago                       1700-75th Street, Downers Grove

12:00 Albany Medical Surgical Center                       12:00 Planned Parenthood Aurora
          5086 North Elston Avenue, Chicago                           3051 E. New York St, Aurora

            
The Pro-Life Action League's website [www.prolifeaction.org] has maps which can be downloaded for each stop on the "Empty Manger" caroling tours.  For more information, call the Pro-Life Action League at (773) 777-2900.

Dan Gura is a contributing editor to RFFM.org

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As Huckabee Soars, Attacks Soar, Too: Especially From FOX News?

Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director

I haven't decided who I will support among the gaggle of Republicans seeking their party's presidential nomination.  Well, there's one candidate who I will never support and that's former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

However, like many, I have been astounded by the meteoric rise in the polls of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.  Recent polling indicates Huckabee has a double-digit lead in Iowa and he is also the front runner in Florida.

Huckabee's charge to the front of the GOP pack has brought with it blistering criticism.  But for the first time in over 30 years of watching politics, the liberal mainstream media is being more fair to a conservative than some right wing media pundits, including those who toil for the Fox News Network.

Earlier this year, I wrote a column pointing out the favoritism shown towards Rudy Giuliani by the mainstream press and, surprisingly, Sean Hannity (Hannity + Colmes of Fox News). ["Giuliani candidacy should be unacceptable to pro-life Republicans" http://rffm.typepad.com/republicans_for_fair_medi/2007/05/giuliani-candid.html]  In the fall, a story broke regarding a possible link between the Giuliani campaign and Fox News CEO Roger Ailes which was meant to bolster the former New York Mayor's popularity.

Like many, at the time, I dismissed some of these allegations, but I now have to admit, it appears Hannity was trying to push Giuliani down the throat of his mostly conservative viewers.  Unfortunately for those who seek objectivity in their news coverage, since Mike Huckabee seems to be leaving Giuliani in his dust, the attacks against Huckabee have become even more hot and heavy.  Fox News, the network whose slogan is "fair and balanced," is leading the pack.

EXCUSES FOR HUCKABEE'S SUCCESS

One of the favorite tactics being advanced to diminish Huckabee's recent surge in Iowa involves the make-up of that state's electorate.  Supposedly, the only reason Huckabee now leads Mitt Romney, John McCain, Fred Thompson and Giuliani is because Evangelical Christians, people of strong faith and social conservatives dominate that state's electorate.  Therefore, even though Romney, Thompson and Giuliani have spent literally millions of dollars in Iowa, we are being asked to believe Huckabee's popularity is essentially a political anomaly which will have no bearing on the Republican presidential nomination process.  Even popular Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor) has helped to advance this theory.

The problem with those who use this rationale for Huckabee's political successes is the fact he now leads in Florida.  This state was supposed to be a breakwater for the Rudy Giuliani campaign to stop the momentum of any of his more conservative challengers who may have won in earlier primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.  Therefore, it can be assumed Huckabee's support is real and resonating with the Republican base.  This is a fact that has shocked some fiscal conservatives and the country club set within the GOP who look upon government and politicians strictly to help them accumulate wealth.  This group minimizes the relevance of issues such as abortion, same-sex "marriage" and the attacks on religious freedom in the public square.

CAMPAIGN OF MISINFORMATION

Some of the greatest criticism against Huckabee has come from a group called the Club for Growth.  The Club for Growth (CFG), which is a 501(c)(4), endorses Republican candidates who support limited government and lower taxes.  CFG pools member's contributions to help selected Republican candidates.  But some have been critical of the CFG itself for its single-minded Libertarian approach to politics and the group has also been linked with the Clinton machine in Arkansas and the fearsome political war it waged on Huckabee while he was that state's governor.  The facts are Huckabee balanced the budget in Arkansas and he has also pledged not to raise taxes if he were elected President of the United States.

In Illinois, the state where I live, Huckabee's campaign manager is the former Executive Director of the Family Taxpayers Network, an anti-tax organization.  Though I do not propose to be an expert on taxes, as in all things, the truth about Huckabee's record on taxes probably falls somewhere in the middle.  Huckabee does support the Fair Tax initiative which many believe would be a much more equitable system of taxation compared to our current system.  The Fair Tax initiative would eliminate the IRS and some economic experts contend the plan would eliminate many of the abuses which permeate America's present form of taxation.

ATTACKS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Huckabee was recently endorsed by Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist.  Although I disagree with some of Huckabee's past positions in Arkansas, here are the facts on this issue.  Huckabee wanted to provide assistance to the children of illegal immigrants who wanted to attend that state's colleges.  The assistance would equal grants given to in-state legal residents.  However, if you were an American who lived outside the state of Arkansas, a student would not be eligible for the tuition breaks and this is the reason Huckabee's program was widely criticized--and rightfully so.

Since he decided to run for the Republican Party's presidential nomination, Huckabee has stuck to his guns concerning the matter, saying it was not the decision of the children to enter the U.S. illegally.  There also exists the fact some of these children were born in the U.S., which makes them American citizens, regardless of their parent's illegal status.

Huckabee has since pledged to seal the border with Mexico.  According to polling on this issue, by a wide margin the security of our border with Mexico is the major concern of the American people.  Americans do not want amnesty, but they would favor an expanded guest worker program.  In my opinion, some have used Huckabee's former policies as Governor of Arkansas to unfairly criticism him.

The illegal immigration issue is certainly a complicated one.  I believe sealing the border must be America's top priority.  Also, heavy sanctions should be levied against sanctuary cities, including San Francisco and New York which protect illegal immigrants from adhering to our nation's laws.  After these safeguards are put into place, we can then decide what to do about the 12 million or more illegal immigrants who are already here.  Demagoguery over the issue serves no one and does not add one iota to a reasonable political discussion of the debate over illegal immigration.

HUCKABEE CRITICIZED FOR PARDONS

In an interview conducted by Sean Hannity, the host levied a withering attack of Huckabee concerning some pardons he issued as Governor.  One such pardon resulted in the tragic murder committed by an individual who obviously should have served his full sentence as handed down by a judge, after a jury found him guilty.  Huckabee has admitted he made a mistake in the case.  Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, has been one of Huckabee's harshest critics over the issue of pardons.

Here again, the facts regarding Huckabee's tenure as Arkansas governor regarding crime and punishment paints a very different picture.  No matter where one stands on the issue of capital punishment, the fact is 19 people were put to death in Arkansas while Huckabee was governor.  No murderer was put to death in Massachusetts during Romney's term as that state's chief executive.  Again, Huckabee's record has been, in many cases, taken out of context with his entire approach to criminal justice in his state.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Conventional wisdom states the front runner in any campaign will be the target of those pursuing him or her.  I believe this is a fair game approach related to the candidates who are trailing.  However, when the media advances an obvious agenda, meant to degrade a candidate, this crosses the line of journalistic fairness and objectivity.  On Hannity + Colmes, the issue of Mike Huckabee's recent explosion of popularity was presented to longtime Republican operative Mary Matalin.

Matalin launched into a tirade of criticism targeting Huckabee.  What Matalin and Sean Hannity did not divulge on air is the fact Matalin is connected with the campaign of one of Huckabee's opponents, Fred Thompson.  NOTE:  Within the Fox News website transcript of the interview, the fact Matalin was a supporter of Thompson is revealed.

I never thought I'd see the day when a social conservative was treated more fairly by the liberal dominant media than by a network which professes to be "fair and balanced" like Fox.  During an interview with George Stephanopoulos ("This Week with George Stephanopoulos" -- ABC News) the former Clinton operative conducted a fair and concise interview with Huckabee in which Stephanopoulos praised Huckabee's political achievements.  Of course, Stephanopoulos dealt with some of the charges being levied against Huckabee, but I felt overall it was a balanced interview. 

The same can be said when Huckabee appeared on "Face the Nation" with Bob Schieffer (CBS News).  Again, the questioning of Sen. John McCain, which directly followed the Huckabee interview, was less caustic in nature.  But with being the leader in the polls will come more scrutiny and that can be expected.

ORGANIZATION + ELECTABILITY

Another area where Huckabee has come under fire concerns his lack of money and organization.  Personally I can agree with this criticism.  Recently, I spoke with Huckabee's midwest coordinator, Shane Henry, and I was promised an interview.  This occurred nearly three weeks ago and I still am waiting for a response from the Huckabee campaign--besides a note stating they would get back to me.  I feel this is a legitimate criticism of Huckabee's effort and only time will tell if the public groundswell will lead to a greater fund-raising capability on Huckabee's part and along with that would come superior organization.

MY PERCEPTIONS OF HUCKABEE'S CHANCES

As with any candidate, I do not agree with all of Mike Huckabee's past decisions and plans for America if he were elected.  I would just as easily vote for Fred Thompson and, to a lessor degree, John McCain.  Since 36% of Republicans polled say they would not vote for a Mormon, Mitt Romney's electability may truly be questioned.  I cannot vote for Rudy Giuliani because of his support for abortion, same-sex "marriage" and his past position on illegal immigration as New York's Mayor.  There is something the dominant media and some conservative pundits must know.  Unfair criticism of any candidate will only stiffen the resolve of that individual's supporters.  Such is the case with Mike Huckabee.  Obviously, there are some elitist Republicans who believe Huckabee should not be entitled to the Republican presidential nomination.  That decision should be left up to the American people.

Caption for Photo:  Mike Huckabee

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Rob Sherman Is A Narcissist--Our Nation Suffers For It by B.V. Andersen

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter by B.V. Andersen is in response to an RFFM.org commentary titled: "Perhaps Atheist Rob Sherman Needs Pity and Prayer, Instead of Condemnation".  To read that commentary, go to: http://rffm.typepad.com/republicans_for_fair_medi/2007/11/perhaps-atheist.html   Andersen's letter puts the attack on the expression of faith in the public square in America into clear perspective.

The ramifications of what an individual like Rob Sherman and others of like mind (such as the late Madalyn Murray O’Hair) can do (and have done) through legal channels to affect our society in such negative ways is pretty mind-boggling, isn’t it?  And, like the professed atheist Rob Sherman, I suspect Madalyn O’Hair enjoyed all of the notoriety she acquired from her actions as a professed atheist as well.  What a pathetic display of narcissism when they can tragically affect so many people through their exaggerated sense of importance as they go about the business of trying to draw attention to themselves, and then defend their actions as though their behavior was really relevantly worthwhile.

Actually, narcissism is a mental disorder described as “narcissistic personality disorder” and is a condition described and characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, and an extreme preoccupation with one’s self.

We have to wonder why many in our current society are apparently so easily hoodwinked by these shysters who like to pan themselves and their “causes” off as worthy endeavors, when the root of it is their personal pleasure in blissfully wallowing in all of the attention and sense of “stardom” it draws to themselves.  Unfortunately, it seems to be a malady that far too many politicians suffer from as well. The “Rob Sherman’s” and many politicians all have a great deal in common. They all have a sense of self-importance, and seem more than willing to sacrifice the welfare of their country, family and loved ones to enjoy the fame and notoriety that becomes like a heady wine to their distorted egos.

Under the guise of often pretending to be gurus of justice, they are actually simply exhibiting a narcissistic disorder that inflates their ego.  In some respects, they are like spoiled children (brats?) looking for attention in irresponsible, ridiculous ways; and too many unthinking people simply oblige them by their gullible acceptance; and perhaps without fully realizing it, they are accepting mentally distorted behavior as though it were normal.

Yes, I agree with the suggestion that they probably need pity and prayer for the pathetic way they manage to manipulatively sell their “bill of goods” and themselves, and try to make it sound like something that’s worthwhile, when it’s neither worthwhile or normal behavior. Instead, it’s just another of the distressing factors in our present society that is all too prone to want to be “politically correct” (so to speak).  It’s a society that has been conditioned to be accepting of anything and everything through the misguided concept that we must accept and be tolerant even of the intolerable.  I look forward to the day when a little more sanity can be brought back to our society; because some of the things that seem to simply be taken for granted nowadays (in my opinion) falls into the category of the preposterous and absurd.

B.V. Andersen, Connecticut

Posted Dec. 12, 2008

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CNN/YouTube Debate A Political Ambush Says Former U.S. Naval Officer Who Was There--An Interview with Cy Huerter

EDITOR'S NOTE: Former Naval officer, retired Lieutenant Commander Cy Huerter tells a disturbing story about CNN's November 28th YouTube Republican presidential candidates debate.  Huerter goes on to address the place of homosexuals in the military and gives his opinion on "don't ask, don't tell."

BIOGRAPHY -- CY HUERTER

Cy Huerter is a business and property developer, President of Lake County Indiana Right to Life and Chairman of the Highland, Indiana Republican Central Committee.  His Pro-life support predates the many pro-death government decrees since 1973.  Huerter is a retired Naval Officer, has served on the Board of Directors of Lake Area United Way and is a member of Our Lady of Grace church and the Knights of Columbus in Highland, Indiana.

Huerter's career has included employment and contracting with major corporations and his government service ranges from a Polygraph examiner with the Bureau of Identification, State of Illinois, to a Navy Combat Aircrew Tactical Coordinator/Mission Commander.

Brenda (Billick), Cy's bride of 36 years, teaches English at Chicago Vocational Career Academy.  Their six adult children and three grandchildren are the main reason for the Huerter family’s dedication to a family friendly culture.

Cy Huerter is honored to be able to apply his experience and talents to bring improvements to society.  He believes that we all contribute to the good, bad or ugly parts of the legacies we leave for our region, nation and global communities.  He encourages his associates to respect the many sacrifices of  those who have gone before us and to use their time, talents and treasures to help make our present and future even better.

CY HUERTER -- "In His Own Words"

Q.  You recently attended the controversial GOP presidential debate sponsored by CNN and YouTube.  CNN invited blogger Gordon Bloyer who asked you along as his guest and cameraman.  The debate has created a firestorm of controversy regarding whether CNN advanced an anti-Republican agenda during the evening's events.  But, first, can you share with RFFM.org's readers some of your experiences and thoughts when you arrived at the place YouTube questioners gathered before the debate?

A.  The YouTube agenda for Wed. Nov 28th in St. Petersburg, Florida, included breakfast with the YouTube staff and the 13 or so invited bloggers and their guests.  As far as we could tell, Kerr was the only non-blogger invited and present.  Somehow, he did get his "question" submitted though.  During breakfast, we all introduced ourselves and the YouTube staff reviewed the schedule for the day.  After breakfast, we were escorted by the YouTube staff to the CNN bus, introduced to Anderson Cooper and some of the other CNN staffers gave the bloggers, (not us guests) a tour of the CNN bus, then gave us a tour backstage of the debate area and the rest of the facilities that they provided for us to use for the rest of the day.  We were then encouraged to proceed with our own agenda for the rest of the day.  We were also invited for dinner in the press area prior to the debate, then escorted to our assigned seating.

Q.  Did anything strike you as strange regarding the logistics and those who were invited to the event?

A.  The only thing that appeared to be strange or out of place was Kerr.  He didn't fit in from the get go.

Q.  Do you feel this was an ambush set up by CNN meant to embarrass the Republican presidential candidates?

A.  In retrospect, considering the questions presented from the bloggers, compared to the wide range of significant questions CNN could have chosen, it was no doubt set up to be an ambush, but there were enough Patriotic bloggers and level-headed observers, that the ambush was sprung on CNN.  They were nailed on Fox News just after the debate by Bill Bennett, one of the guest commentators, who said that he was receiving a bunch of e-mails stating that Kerr was part of the Clinton campaign.

Q.  The biggest controversy surrounded a Clinton operative named Keith Kerr, who is a former U.S. Army Brigadier General.  I'm not going to advance Kerr's agenda by repeating his question here, but before the debate began, was it obvious something was amiss?

A.  First of all, Kerr apparently never was an Army Brigadier General.  At best, he made Colonel in the National Guard.  Kerr came across as a phoney from the start.

Q.  Since the debate, it was learned there were other Democratic operatives who were allowed to question the Republican panel.  Obviously, it cannot be proven one way or another whether CNN had an agenda or was simply sloppy to the Nth degree in its planning of the event.  What do you think would have happened if Fox News would have allowed Republican operatives to question the Democratic presidential hopefuls? 

A.  If Fox pulled a stunt like this, they would be crucified.

Q.  Overall, has the reaction by the dominant media addressed the situation adequately in your opinion?
 
A.  No.  The dominant media supports the Democrats and other liberals.  They do not call them to proper accounting.

Q.  You are a veteran of the armed forces, with a long and distinguished career of service to our country.  Let's talk about the issue of homosexuals in the military which was addressed by "General" Kerr, an "openly homosexual" man.  What are your thoughts about the restrictions on homosexuals serving in the U.S. military?

A.  Any active homosexual should be prosecuted, just like any promiscuous heterosexual has been and will be.

Q.  In the early 1990's, then-President Bill Clinton came up with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy which is now implemented within the U.S. armed forces.  Can you talk about "don't ask, don't tell."  Has it worked and, if not, why?

A.  I retired from the Navy rather than serve under the Clinton "DADT" policy.  At least, they did not protect active homosexuals with this policy.

Q.  If you had the power, would you put a clear restriction on preventing homosexuals from joining America's armed forces? 

A.  The problem with homosexuals is that they tend to prey on others.  When they are in a superior rank, enlisted or officer, they will invariably seduce and even rape junior enlisteds and officers.

Q.  To summarize, what did you come away with from your experience while attending the CNN/YouTube debate?  Did it serve our nation?

A.  Yes, the debate served our nation very well because it showed us just how much work there is for Patriots to do in the political arena.

Some Helpful Money-Saving Gasoline Tips That Really Work

by Daniel T. Zanoza, National Director

You've probably heard them all.  Some tips are wacky, some are valuable.  But when we find something that really does work, most of us want to share it with the world.

Such was the case when I was forwarded an e-mail which stated if you followed some simple suggestions, you will save money at the gas pump.  Yeah, sure, I said to myself.  We all have heard similar claims from weird tips designed to help our gardens grow to suggestions that we should cut down to one square of toilet paper at every sitting to help the environment.

There are times when we hear something that simply makes sense.  Such was the case in the e-mail I received about how to save money at the gas pump and, with gas hovering around $100 a barrel, those tips certainly piqued my interest.

So, here are some great tips on how to stretch your gasoline dollar.

When possible, fill up your vehicle in the morning.  As it was explained, cooler A.M. temperatures make gasoline more dense.  When temperatures are warmer later in the day, some of the gasoline you are putting in your tank can change into a gaseous state.  Simply stated, you get more fuel for your dollar when temps are cooler.

Here's another suggestion.  Most gasoline pumps have three settings: slow, medium and fast.  Use the slowest setting possible.  The reasoning behind this is when gasoline is flowing into your vehicle at a very high rate of speed, it creates more vapors.  Again, the result is you are getting less actual fuel in your vehicle than you are paying for.

Following the advice in the next tip may depend on your situation.  If you ever see one of those huge gasoline trucks filling up the gas station's underground tanks, do not fill up your vehicle, if at all possible.  The reason for this is when the station's underground tanks are being filled, the gasoline within them is agitated.  More dirt and other nasties can then be pumped into your car and, folks, that's not a good thing.  Also, with the underground storage tanks being agitated, more heat is created.  Again, heat helps turn gasoline into its gaseous state.  Hence, more fumes, less fuel.

The final tip I received in a forwarded e-mail, which was purportedly written by Juan Vingochea Jr., of Blythe, California reads:  "One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY.  The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank, the less air occupying its empty space.  Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.  Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof.  This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.  Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount."

Taking these suggestions into consideration, I wanted to make sure somebody wasn't selling me a bill of goods.  So my loyal editor checked out Urban Legends, a web site which either confirms or denies items like this.  All Snopes.com said was the status was "undetermined"  [http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/gastips.asp].  So I decided to see if the tips worked myself and they did.

I followed the first two suggestions and took a trip of over 300 miles.  When I returned home, I had more fuel left in my tank than I ever had in at least 20 previous trips of the same distance.  To my pleasant surprise it was an appreciable difference and my gasoline savings may have reached 20 to 25%.  I didn't calculate how much money I saved, but these tips worked and that's all that really matters.  Therefore, if money matters to you, give some of this tips a try.  If you are independently wealthy and rising gasoline prices don't affect you like an Al Gore speech, drive on.  Happy motoring.

Caption for photo: One dollar's worth of gas won't get you far in 2007.

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A small town debate over street name not so ridiculous as it appears by Dan Gura

Time to give Hooker the boot:  "Fighting Joe" over stays his welcome 

How slow of a news day does it have to be for Fox News, ABC & CBS News, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and hundreds of newspapers, blogs and media outlets across the country to pick up a story from a tiny, one horse town nestled in the Black Hills?

The town of Whitewood, South Dakota, has a population of 844 (2000 census) and one controversial street name.  The Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal broke the story by reporting the Reverend David Baer "is out to save the town of Whitewood's honor from the shame of a street named Hooker."

The paper's editorial staff showed their bias when they opined, "We think Whitewater must be a wonderful place to live if its biggest civic problem is a street named Hooker.  The pastor who wants to change it, however, does give us a slight pause about attending church services there."  Me thinks said editor has never graced a pew in any church where morality was preached.

The Journal's story was picked up by the wire services and spread faster than the flu on a cold, wet day.  All accounts seemed to find amusement in Baer's "quest."  Many seemed almost gleeful as they lambasted the Reverend and several sarcastically claimed the inspiration for the name change came "in a message from God." 

I am ashamed to admit that I too was tempted to walk in the footsteps of the misguided and poke fun at the Reverend Baer until I had the opportunity to speak with him.  I found him to be a most sincere man.  He is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America ELCA) in Whitewood.  The church's membership is 224 (Baptized) with an average attendance of 80--almost 10% of the town. Our conversation ranged from concerns with liberalization of the ELCA church in the Chicago region (which was the reason my family and I left for a more Biblically-based church) to Martin Luther's teachings to society's morality being slowly chipped away.

I also learned the a little bit of the history of Whitewater.  The town was plotted by the Chicago & North Western Rail Road in 1877 and east-west streets were named after Union Generals, including Brigadier General Joseph Hooker.  Baer acknowledged the general's name is used in the proper context, nestled among Grant, Sherman, Meade, and even Custer Streets, but feels the name, because of its negative connotations, "doesn't quite lend itself to a family atmosphere." 

"Hooker Street is maybe ten blocks long--not big city blocks--with fifteen houses at best.  Most people in town have a P.O. Box and only one family receives their mail on Hooker Street."  He said changing the name "wasn't really a big deal because the street already changes names to South Street about half way through town."  He proposes changing it all to South Street.

Curious as to why the railroad would give a street a name with such an obvious double meaning, I did some research and found there were more than 1,300 generals in the Union Army, yet only a handful have been honored by having streets named after them; Grant and Sheridan, both victorious heroes, grab the lions share. (2)  I also found asphalt tributes to Hooker in Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Detroit, Michigan; Allston, Massachusetts; Washington, Missouri; Poughkeepsie, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; Martinsville, Virginia; Jackson, Mississippi; and Weiland, Ontario, Canada.  There is even an entire town in Oklahoma named Hooker (population 1,788).

My interest piqued, I set out to learn more about the individual for whom the street in question is named.  In his Personal Memoirs President Ulysses S. Grant described Major General Joseph Hooker as "a dangerous man... not subordinate to his superiors.  "Fighting Joe" (1) Hooker (1814-1879) is best remembered among Civil War buffs for his impotent boast, "May God have mercy on General Lee for I shall have none."  Pride came before the fall and Hooker was knocked senseless by a near miss from a cannon ball while his regiment got thoroughly trashed by the Confederate icon at Chancellorsville. 

Nothing that I can find in his biography makes him street-worthy anywhere but, perhaps, his hometown. Hadley, Massachusetts (which sadly chose instead to honor him with Hooker School).  There seems to be no logical reason why so many cites, villages and Podunk towns have honored a man who could, at best, be called an average army officer, unless it was done as an inside joke.  Is it possible that Civil War veterans, well knowing the rumors of  "Hooker's Brigade," pulled a fast one on the unknowing civilians by slipping his name in with better known generals?  Can't you almost hear their ribald laughter when naive town folk set down roots on Hooker Street?

It is worth knowing that Hooker was guilty by association.  The almost quaint, by today's immoral standards, euphemism hooker has falsely been attributed to the general.  Legend claims a band of prostitutes that followed his division was derisively referred to as "Hooker's Brigade."  Truth be told, the term hooker was used in print as early as 1845, years before Hooker became a public figure.  (Norman Ellsworth Eliason's Tarheel Talk; a Historical Study of the English Language in North Carolina to 1860, published in 1956).  It was just his bad luck to have the same moniker which causes such titillation amongst teenage boys and today's media.

But as Shakespeare said, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," and thus the Hooker name lives on among respectable citizens.  A search of public records disclosed 145 individuals with the surname Hooker own real estate in the six county Chicago area, none of whom seems to be beating down the courthouse door to change their tainted surname.  (My search of public records also uncovered one family named Hitler living in Chicago).  To the contrary, several Hookers have brought glory and respect upon, or in spite of, their controversial name: Johnny Lee Hooker (1917-2001) oft called the World's Greatest Blues Singer; Hooker Furniture (founded by Clyde Hooker, Jr. in 1924 (3); Hooker Chemical; Hooker Headers; and more fishing services with the word hooker in their name than I could snag with a gill net.

And last, but certainly not least, let's not forget that the pride of the Starship Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk a/k/a William Shatner gave up his fazer for a revolver and became a TV-series police officer named T.J. Hooker (1982-1986).

Does their success mitigate the negative connotations associated with a street named after a long dead man about whom few know little--other than the legend of soiled doves following his army?      

What if, instead, it was a rural southern town that had a street re-calling an African-American slur which was left over from the Jim Crow days?  Would we rally behind them and we say keep it for old times sake?  Or would we say we now know better?

So, why all the fuss about a tiny town in one of our less populous states changing a name?  Shouldn't we instead launch a nationwide campaign to stamp out the curious legacy of a second rate general?      

In conclusion, I can only wonder how the media would have responded if Oprah had demanded Chicago's Hooker Street be changed because the double entendre is demeaning to women.  I imagine they would be falling over each other to praise her enlightenment and compassion.  Who knows, maybe the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton have enough of their "ho" outrage left over to join the fight.

(1) The nickname "Fighting Joe", which the general never liked, resulted from the deletion of a dash in a journalistic dispatch that was discussing the Peninsula Campaign and "Fighting" was thereafter linked to his name.

(2) Neither, however, made the list of 76 most common street names in the United States.  Lincoln made number twenty six with 4,044 streets names in his honor.  The top ten are: 2nd (10,866 streets), 3rd, 1st, 4th, Park, 5th, Main, 6th, Oak and 7th.  Hooker also failed to make the cut.

(3) Hooker Furniture's core values are "integrity, listening, caring, innovation, service, responsibility, citizenship, and honesty."

Caption for photo: General Joe Hooker

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Dan Gura is a contributing editor to RFFM.org

Activist Addresses Addiction in Gambling in Poignant Speech to Gaming Board

by Kathy Gilroy, Anti-gambling activist

EDITOR'S NOTE:  The following speech was given at a meeting of the Illinois Gaming Board on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 by Kathy Gilroy.

Good morning, Chairman Jaffe, members of the board, and staff. My name is Kathy Gilroy, and I speak to you today as a member of the public. I have spoken to this board many times already, asking that every casino patron be checked against the “self-exclusion program” list, which now comprises over 5,300 persons.

In my business of insurance, I must submit a suitability form in order to put a client’s money in a fixed annuity, where they earn interest and cannot possibly lose their money. One insurance company I represent will not accept more than 40% of the client’s liquid assets in a fixed annuity. I wonder if any of those 5,300+ persons would like a safeguard like that, to be assured that a gambling company could have, at most, 40% of their liquid assets. Where is this type of safeguard when it comes to gambling?

One important safeguard would be to screen every person at the door of the gambling casino, to make sure that they have not REQUESTED to be banned from gambling. It only makes sense, doesn’t it?

On May 20, 1998, Prof. David S. Ruder of Northwestern University School of Law and former Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission delivered testimony before the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. He said, “I believe I am well qualified to present my observations and recommendations.” He discussed the similarities between gambling and the securities markets. Both involve uncertainty regarding outcome. Both are regulated. The SEC requires full disclosure, including risk factors. Despite the SEC’s emphasis on disclosure as the primary means of protecting the public, it also has rules to protect investors who are not financially sophisticated. With regard to speculative securities, the NASD declares members’ sales efforts to have exceeded the reasonable grounds of fair dealing if recommendations of speculative, low-priced securities are made to a customer without knowledge of, or attempt to obtain, information regarding the customer’s financial situation, investment experience, and investment objectives. The NASD member must determine if penny stocks or options, for example, are suitable for the investor, since they COULD LOSE THEIR MONEY. The suitability requirement must be met even with institutional customers with as much as $10 million, or even more, under management. The responsibility for suitability lies, not with the investor, but, with the broker.

Prof. Ruder said that the public interest would benefit if some of the lessons from the securities industry were applied to gambling, in order to prevent undesirable economic injury to those who gamble. He recommended full disclosure, suitability testing, and his final recommendation was that, “Consideration should be given to finding ways to protect those who are either financially unsophisticated or unable to bear the risk of loss, such as by RESTRICTING ACCESS TO GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS or access to certain kinds of gambling.”

I submit to you that there are 5,300+ persons in Illinois who, in the securities scenario, are saying, “Don’t sell me that penny stock, or don’t sell me that option.” What would happen to the securities broker who did so anyway? He or she would be sanctioned with a huge fine, lose their license, and be convicted of fraud or even theft. What happens to the gambling company that allows the “self-excluded” person to gamble anyway? NOTHING!!! Yet, isn’t the scenario really the same?

Not only should casino patrons be carded to keep out those who have declared that gambling is unsuitable for them, but there also should be sanctions for the gambling company that takes their money anyway. Just as in the securities industry, there should be responsibility by the promoter, in this case, the gambling company. I suggest a huge fine, lose their license, and be convicted of fraud or theft.

Look at what is happening in the mortgage business today. Despite all of their disclosures, rules, and sanctions, who is at fault, the lenders or the unsophisticated borrowers? Many are blaming the lenders, and even the regulators. Casino gambling is yet another financial arena. Who is at fault if there are no protections for unsophisticated gamblers? Do you suppose some will blame the regulators?

The last time I spoke to this board I told how products that hurt a certain percentage of consumers, such as toys with lead-based paint or even dogfood, are taken off the market. The public demands it. There are 5,300+ persons in Illinois who are saying, “Don’t let me be a consumer of this product that will hurt me.” This product is gambling. Will you sell it to them anyway?

Individual racetracks have a form of “self-exclusion” program. The Illinois Lottery also has announced that they are implementing a “self-ban” program. It would be very helpful if the compulsive gambler could be allowed to sign up for their choice of programs to be excluded from in one visit, if they have multiple types of gambling problems. Is that possible?

Of the three, the Lottery Control Board, the Racing Board, and the Gaming Board, I believe the Gaming Board is the best regulator and the most capable of coordinating these multiple programs.

You are courageous to even be having this hearing. It is a difficult job you have and will, undoubtedly, cause some criticism, no matter what you decide. If, in fact, you do decide to extend your carding at the door to all who enter a gambling casino, I congratulate you on taking a step that will cause 5,300+ Illinois people and their families to have a product taken off the market that is harmful to them. If you do take this step, Chairman Jaffe, I will then agree with you that the Illinois Gaming Board is, indeed, the best in the country. Thank you for your consideration of my requests. I know I speak for many who are not here today.

Note:  The next meeting of the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) will be held on Tuesday, December 18th at 1 P.M. in the 5th floor auditorium of the IGB office, located at 160 N. LaSalle St in Chicago.  The meeting is open to the public.

Below is the contact information for anyone wishing to send comments to the Illinois Gaming Board. 

Send e-mails to: Gene O'Shea, Spokesman, IGB at: [email protected]

Call the IGB at: (312) 814-4700

Or write the IGB at: Illinois Gaming Board, 160 N. LaSalle St., #300, Chicago, IL 60601

Openly Gay General Gets Notoriety For Bad Behavior: Sign Of The Times

RFFM.org Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, National Director

I haven't quite figured it out yet.  Were those participating in the Republican Party's presidential debate which was carried on CNN and in conjunction with YouTube naive or stupid?  I just don't understand why Republicans continue to let themselves be punching bags on a network currently designed to craft their demise.

Practically everything has been said about what took place last week during the CNN/YouTube debate.  The network missed the fact that an "openly gay man," who was a general for 43 years, was a Clinton operative to boot.  OK, let's just say things happen.  But then we learned two other so-called undecided voters, who were given an opportunity to question the Republican panel, were also political hacks for the Obama and Edwards campaigns respectively.  Such alleged oversight pushes the boundaries of believability beyond credibility.  At the very least, CNN failed miserably when it came to security and it would not be far-fetched to say the whole thing might have been orchestrated.

However, what struck me the most is, once again, bad behavior was rewarded by the mainstream media and our culture in general.  Former Brigadier General Keith Kerr not only violated the rules of the debate when he crashed the CNN party, he also admitted he violated the law for 43 years when he was a homosexual serving within the U.S. Armed Forces, irrespective of "Don't ask, don't tell."  You would think a man who held this former rank would be beholding to a higher level of integrity, but Kerr went on to take further advantage of his deception and there were plenty around to help him do so.

Shortly after the debate ended, Kerr was interviewed on CNN.  He was not chastised, as one would think, by the CNN host.  To the contrary, Kerr was given more time to expound on his agenda which led to the question he posed to the candidates regarding why homosexuals are not allowed to openly serve in the military.  Yes, more rewards for bad behavior.  It has become a hallmark of our society.  Make a sleazy homemade sex tape and you can get a television career, like Paris Hilton.  The examples go on and on.  I do not need to list them because it would further advance the negative premise of this column.

On Monday night, the former general will appear on The O'Reilly Factor with host Bill O'Reilly (FOX News).  More reward for something that should elicit shame from our society.

Only CNN knows if the Republicans were victims of a carefully orchestrated ambush which resulted in Democratic political operatives trying to make the event as uncomfortable as possible for GOP candidates.  However, for a moment, imagine if a group of Republican hacks made their way into a Democratic debate on the FOX News Network.  The dominant media would be screaming bloody murder from the rafters.  Some call CNN the Clinton News Network and, quite frankly, they have done little to shake the perception of bias the network has earned over the years.  But there is no reason to reward Kerr or anyone else for breaking the rules of the debate for a self-serving agenda.  This goes for Bill O'Reilly, CNN or for whomever the shoe fits.