NARAL Gets Another Smack-Down In Baltimore

At first, when I saw this piece in Baltimore's Catholic Review, I thought I was reading old news.  After all, didn't a court already strike down the NARAL-orchestrated Baltimore ordinance that would have ordered pregnancy centers to promote abortion?  Then I looked again at my 2011 post.  At that time, a US District Court struck down the law.  A few days ago, it was the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that upheld the 2009 ruling.  That means that the local pro-aborts must have appealed the District Court ruling only to be spanked again.

Thanks be to God in defending crisis pregnancy centers.  Also thanks is due to the Becket Fund and other lawyers who represented the Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns.

Centro Tepeyak Versus Montgomery County

In December of 2009 I posted on hearings held in Montgomery County as the County Council members prepared to do the bidding of their NARAL funders with the passage of the NARAL-orchestrated legislative initiative to hamper the work of the pro-life pregnancy centers.  In Baltimore and Montgomery County the measure passed, but in both cases courts issued injunctions preventing implementation until further review.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit will be reviewing the matter of Centro Tepeyak versus Montgomery County.  (See the docket here)  ADF attorneys will be presenting arguments in Richmond tomorrow (Thursday Dec 6).  Similar measures passed in other areas (again, orchestrated by NARAL) have been declared unconstitutional.  Please pray for a similar outcome here.

Montgomery County CPC Rule - Unconstitutional!

Not all court rulings last week were nonsensical!  Last week the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw the Montgomery County cpc "disclaimer" rule into the dung heap where it belongs.

The Montgomery County Council, following the script dictated to them by NARAL, tried to violate the free-speech rights of pro-life volunteers by passing legislation - literally out of the NARAL playbook.  The first hearings were conducted in December 2009.  I reported extensively on them at that time, using many video and audio clips of the same.  Since over half of the council members at that time were NARAL-endorsed, no  one really doubted that the measure would pass.

Centro Tepeyak Pregnancy Center in Silver Spring MD took the lead in taking the thing to court.  Their efforts paid off.  By the way, the same ordinance passed in Baltimore City also went down in flames.

As you read the Post blog piece, note some of the comments.  Even those who consider themselves "pro-choice" understand the draconian nature of what the local legislatures tried to do.  Hopefully they'll think things through some more and will come to realize that the pro-baby-murder tyrannical mindset can't help but manifest itself in other facets of life and human interactions.

Is Nancy Keenan Starting To Smell The Coffee?

Nancy Keenan, current president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, has announced her retirement from her post effective the end of 2012.  In this Washington Post piece, Keenan says she fears that she is "holding the pro-choice movement back".  Whatever.

But what's really interesting is the distinctions that she sees between pro-life youth and pro-abortion youth; she dubs it the "intensity gap".  Here it is, according to the Post.   "While most young, antiabortion voters see abortion as a crucial political issue, NARAL’s own internal research does not find similar passion among abortion-rights supporters."  She's onto something, although she is not admitting to some very obvious causes.

These young people, pro-life and pro-abortion, have some key things in common:

• They are a generation who did not enjoy legal protection as persons while they were in their mothers' wombs.  The generations preceding them (including Keenan) did enjoy such protection.
• At least one third of their generation is missing due to abortion.  Those aborted individuals might have been a neighbor, best friend, sibling or spouse.  They know it.

So given all that, is it any wonder that the pro-life youth are so passionate to end the scourge that has robbed them of so many people in their lives while the "pro-choice" youth are less than enthused about the same scourge that has deprived them in similar fashion?

As Keenan leaves that atmosphere of death and darkness, let's pray that she continues to wake up.  Perhaps for that intention, we can ask for the intercession of Dr Bernard Nathanson, the late co-founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League who realized the errors of his ways, left that business and died an ardent pro-life Catholic.

NARAL Blood-Feast In DC! Be There!

From Operation Rescue

January 25, 2012

Washington, DC -- Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation encourage all pro-life activists to join Nancy Tanner and the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign on Thursday, January 26, 2012, as they pray and protest NARAL's annual macabre "celebration" of the deaths of millions of innocent babies through abortion.

Pro-life activists will meet at 5:30 p.m. outside the Washington Hilton, where the NARAL event will be held and will stand outside until 7:00 pm. Pro-lifers will then adjourn to a nearby restaurant, but be back outside the hotel before the NARAL party is over.

Please help spread the word!

Event details:

• What: Pray and peacefully protest outside NARAL Pro-Choice America's Roe v. Wade 39th Anniversary Dinner with Silent No More Awareness Campaign
• When: 5:30 p.m., Thursday, January 26, 2012
• Where: Outside the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Please forward this and post to your social networks!

Yoest-Keenan Debate On The Texas Ultrasound Bill

Last week the Fifth Circuit Court upheld the new Texas ultrasound bill that requires that a woman contemplating abortion be told what the sonograms of their babies reveal.  Abortionists already take sonograms of the babies so that they can plan the procedure and, most importantly, know how to charge the mother for the abortion.  However, many refuse to let the woman actually see the sonogram picture of her baby.  Why?  Because many, if not most women who see that picture opt against the abortion.

Well, the NARAL and Planned Parenthood types have now bunched their undies because they understand (rightly) that the number of baby-murders will drop in Texas, along with their cash intake.  Last week, Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life and Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, appeared together on Fox News Channel to have a brief debate on the matter.  That and LifeNews' analysis is here.  However, if you cannnot see the embedded video of the debate on the LifeNews page, click here.

A few things to note about NARAL's conniption fit here:

1. Recall that NARAL has been spearheading a campaign for the past few years to silence pro-life pregancy centers, claiming that the pro-life centers "offer misleading information".  They claim that they want the women to "have correct medical information".  In Maryland, Baltimore City and Montgomery County had their measures enacted; fortunately, the courts have stymied the measures on constitutional grounds.  So after trying to accuse pro-lifers of not providing "accurate medical information", they're having hissies over abortionists having to provide - accurate medical information?
2. Keenan says the law "forces a woman to have an ultrasound against her will".  That's a flat-out lie.  A woman undergoing an abortion has an ultrasound taken as a routine part of the procedure.  The law merely requires that she be informed of the results of the ultrasound.  Throughout the debate, she repeats that line like a mantra.  That's all she apparently can think to say - and it's a lie to boot.
3. NARAL's antipathy to ultrasounds is understandable.  One of their founders was the late Dr Bernard Nathanson.  While he was in their camp, he was responsible for thousands of abortions, and helped the pro-abortion crowd come up with the slogan "pro-choice".  However, all that happened before the advent of ultrasound machines.  When Nathanson saw some ultrasounds, and one of an abortion in progress, he became convinced of the humanity of the unborn baby.  He did a 180-degree turnaround and became a staunch pro-life advocate (and a convert to Catholicism).

NARAL Editorial In The Gazette - A Call For Letters To The Editor

Several months ago the Gazette ceased home deliveries in my neighborhood, so this escaped my notice until today, when a friend advised me of its existence.  Here it is.  It seems that two NARAL officials are taking umbrage at the truth being told on the pages of the Gazette.  Between then and now, responding letters have been published that shed much-need light through the smoke and mirrors that the NARAL folks attempted to throw in our faces.

Since letters did appear in last week's edition of the Gazette (see here and here for example), I think it quite possible that the Gazette is still accepting them.  So please write to the Gazette!  Send emails to letters@gazette.net, and include your name, address and phone number(s).  Your letters can and will make a difference.

Ms Block's Continuing Series On The CCHD

As promised, I now link to her latest installment.  My comment on her piece will be more of an addendum.  For that, I will hearken back to an earlier post from last year, as we were fighting off the attempt by NARAL to silence pro-life pregnancy centers.

Ms Block makes mention of the Midwest Academy.  It was Michael Voris' Vortex that revealed that Midwest Academy itself was a CCHD grant recipient.  I think it's not too much of a stretch to say that the CCHD helped fund efforts (albeit unwittingly, I hope) to hobble pro-life pregnancy centers and thus to aid and abet baby-murder.

Sebelius Finds Pictures Of Aborted Babies To Be "A Discomfort"

Recently in Chicago NARAL held a luncheon that doubled as an Obama fundraiser.  Outside, a group of pro-lifers proclaimed the truth of NARAL's murderous nature by holding pictures of aborted babies.  Our less-than-illustrious HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius gave an address.  I suppose "Sebelius was feeling so bileous" (and yes, the pun is intended).  She felt that she had to commiserate with her fellow murder-supporters and acknowledge their pain (without calling it a pang of conscience, of course).  She sniffed, "I know that some people were a bit appalled at walking through the demonstrators as you came to this lunch.  It is a discomfort when you’re coming to lunch, but think about the women who are trying to tap into the health services they desperately need who have to go through that kind of gantlet in order to access all-too-infrequent services…."


A few things for Madame Secretary to consider:

• Your little luncheon, funded at least in part by abortionists to support murder, was a blood-feast.  Most sane people find that appalling, let alone the daily murders of thousands of babies.
• The sight of the babies was probably the only truth the NARAL crowd received that afternoon.
• The truth hurts and causes discomfort only to those who insist on living in deadly fantasy-lands.  Like it or not, we will continue to proclaim that truth.

NARAL: Foiled Again By That Pesky First Amendment!

The liberal lemmings who occupy the New York City Council had passed Local Law 17, which was just a NYC version of the cpc gag law scripted by NARAL.  Of course Mayor Bloomberg signed it, even though he admitted it was unconstitutional.

You will recall that during this past year, the same measure was passed in Baltimore City and Montgomery County.  In both localities, the measure was struck down as being an undue infringement on the First Amendment rights of the pro-life centers and their directors/staff.

Today history has repeated itself in New York City.  I won't repeat the entire article here, but I will congratulate the Alliance Defense Fund and the American Center for Law and Justice, who provided crucial help to the New York pro-life centers.

Major Victory For Montgomery County Pregnancy Centers!

The Alliance Defense Fund is rendering crucial assistance to pro-life pregnancy centers by arguing for the plaintiffs in Centro Tepeyak v. Montgomery County.  In light of the victory won by Baltimore pregnancy centers, a federal court has ordered that the onorous regulation be put on hold.  Read the ADF press release here.

We too believe that the pregnancy centers will prevail against this ludicrous, NARAL-orchestrated farce that was put in place by pro-abortion advocates simply to ensure that blood money flows into the coffers of abortionists.  Thanks be to God, and let's soldier on!

Note: For some background on this matter, check out this blog's archives from December 1, 2009 onward.

Here are some posts regarding the ruling pertaining to Baltimore City:
http://restore-dc-catholicism.blogspot.com/2011/02/yoo-hoo-montgomery-county-council-wakey.html#more
http://restore-dc-catholicism.blogspot.com/2011/01/baltimore-anti-pregnancy-center-law.html

Bernard Nathanson, MD - Requiescat In Pace

Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League who did a complete about-face and became a staunch Catholic pro-life activist, passed away today after a lengthy bout with cancer.  He is best known for his documentary on abortion called The Silent Scream.  More details of his life, his conversion and his tireless efforts for the babies can be found on Lifesitenews.

Eternal rest grant unto him, o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.  May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.

Congratulations To The Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers!

We pro-life folks have long been aware, and grateful, for the yeoman's work that our pregnancy centers do in terms of extending real assistance to moms-to-be who find themselves in dire straits.  Many children are alive today who otherwise wouldn't be without the cpcs, and there would also be that many more profoundly wounded women.

Predictably, the so-called "pro-choice" lemmings aren't so grateful to you in the pregnancy centers, for every woman whom you assist means to them a reduction in revenues from baby-murder.  Last December we saw a concerted attack on the Montgomery County MD centers (look back in this blog's December archives for that saga) and earlier, such an attack took place in Baltimore.  These are being replicated throughout the United States, inspired in no small part by NARAL's "Unmasking Fake Clinics" game plan.

We've become aware of another back-handed compliment that the pro-death cartel has paid to the pro-life pregnancy centers.  They are watching you!  Oh, yes indeedy!  They even have a website dedicated to tracking you!  Uh-oh!!  What is this site?  Drum roll, please!!

www.cpcwatch.org!

Take a look at it.  The way they parrot the NARAL buzz words is so pathetic it's funny!  "Fake clinics", "reproductive justice", "deceptive tactics", etc, they're all there.  CPC volunteers, look under "known clinics".  If you find yours there, consider yourselves honored!

Attacks on Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Now On Federal Level

As we were engaged last December in the struggle to protect pro-life pregnancy centers in Montgomery County Maryland, we learned that the County Council attack was simply part of a larger plot by NARAL to cripple and strangle the pregnancy centers.  Most of the Montgomery County Council is in the back pockets of NARAL and NOW (one, Duchy Trachtenberg, has been or is, NOW Maryland president).

This sort of thing was also successfully tried in Baltimore, and has been attempted in other localities throughout the United States.  It's right out of NARAL's booklet called "Unmasking Fake Clinics - A Step by Step Guide".  And yes, I have a copy!

Now we hear that they are trying this sort of stunt on the Federal level.  Read the Lifesite News article.  These pro-aborts most likely think that with the current leadership in Congress and with the Messiah Most Miserable occupying the White House, they have a window of opportunity and want to seize it.  Perhaps they understandably fear that such window might close after the November 2010 elections.  At any rate, this must be stopped.

The House bill number is H.R. 2478, entitled "Stop Deceptive Advertising in Women's Services Act" (These people are utterly lacking in originality - but that's the least of their problems).  Its two lead sponsors are U.S. Rep. Maloney (D-NY) and Sen. Menendez (D-NJ).  Menendez is "catholyc", by the way.

When this action was being fought in Montgomery County, I reported on that quite extensively during last December and January.  In particular, I posted excerpts from the public Council hearings on this blog,  I urge you to review these posts to get some idea of the nature of this issue.

NARAL Now Gunning After Pregnancy Centers in Austin, Texas

It was only a matter of where and when, but NARAL is going by their little playbook.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/pregnancy-crisis-centers-may-have-to-post-disclaimers-514691.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

Some Additional Thoughts On Post Immediately Below This

I just watched the "CIA" episode for the second time.  If you watched it at least once, you'll notice that one of the prominent recipients of CCHD money was an outfit called the Midwest Academy, started by Helen Booth.  This "academy" is an unabashed school for leftist radicals.  Her husband, Paul Booth, was a speaker at the USCCB "Social Ministry" meeting that I had hoped would have been snowed out.

Now let's jump back a few months, to events particularly relevant to Montgomery County and Baltimore City (and in increasing numbers of localities throughout the US).  As we are all too painfully aware, the pro-life pregnancy centers are under attack by NARAL, as NARAL tries to label them as buffoons.  I stand by my analogy of likening NARAL to the Nazis forcing stars upon the Jews, by the way.

If you recall some of the testimony that I posted on this blog, you'll hear one of the pregnancy center directors state that NARAL's plan is right out of a publication called "Choice Action Kit - Unmasking Fake Clinics - A Step by Step Guide".  All the strategy used by NARAL is spelled out in this 60+ page booklet.  I have a copy. 

In the front of this booklet, NARAL publishes some acknowledgements of gratitude.  Among those to whom NARAL expressed gratitude is - the Midwest Academy!  Now think for a moment!  This "academy" received CCHD money, meaning that Catholic dollars were channelled to a pro-abortion organization for the express purpose of facilitating baby murder!  "But that's in the past!", I hear the CCHD apologists whine.  No, it's not in the past, when the founder's husband addressed a "catholyc" convocation just one month ago!  Who are we kidding here?

Take a look at their website.  Now ask, "why are they addressing Catholics, and what business do they have receiving CCHD money?"

Trachtenberg Wants to Increase Numbers of Abortion Centers in Montgomery County

Fresh from her victory of using the Montgomery County Council to drive a wedge between needy women and the pro-life pregnancy centers, Duchy Tractenberg seems to be setting the stage to drive county tax revenues to foisting pro-abortion "reproductive health services" on these same women.  The February 10th issue of the Gazette reports on a report released by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, D.C.

This report claims that - wait a minute; I'm going to quote the Gazette article so you can get a flavor of the bias of this Washington-Post-owned publication, but I'll make my own emphasis.  Here goes.  "The report, released Jan. 31, found that in 2006 about half of the county's 201,690 women needed contraceptive services and supplies, and of those, more than 30,0000 women and teens in Montgomery County were in need of publicly supported contraceptive services and supplies based on their income and age....Reproductive health services, or contraceptive services, include STD testing, regular gynecologic visits, cancer screenings and family planning services, including abortions, Trachtenberg said."

Let's digest this.  We're being asked to believe that half of Montgomery County's female population wants contraception and/or abortion.  Duchy, if you're reading this, please tidy up your vocabulary.  "Contraceptive services" do not include cancer screenings.  Please differentiate more carefully, especially if you're going to attempt to legislate using such sloppy terminology.

I also dispute the use of the word "need" in terms of abortion.  No woman "needs" abortion any more than she "needs" rape, assault or any other violence to her person, for indeed abortion is violence against women.

This cockamany theory is based upon - bet you can't guess! - a survey of the county's six publicly-supported "women's health clinics".  The solution - to "serve" approximately 100,000 women is to open at least 14 more of these centers, to make up the 20 that Trachenberg thinks is a minimum requirement. 

As you can see from the article, the report was developed by a task force on which sits Tractenberg's husband, Alan Trachenberg, along with medical "experts" and representatives from NARAL and Planned Parenthood.  Notice that there is no representation from that other group that truly does serve needy women.  I speak of the pro-life pregnancy centers - the four privately-funded centers that Tractenberg succeeded in partially stifling.  Thus, a "task force" of pro-abortion people and even those in the abortion business (such as Planned Parenthood) is the sole source for a report that will be used to divert more public funds to anti-life enterprises?  Boys and girls!  Can we all say, out loud, "CONFLICT OF INTEREST"?

So there you have it.  Duchy et al work to hamper the pro-life centers.  Then she paves the way to open more abortion business in the county.  I suppose she feels she has to, since elections are just around the corner, and that pro-abort PAC money is probably looking very tempting right now!

Perhaps, though, I'm getting worked up for nothing.  Tractenberg did say that she'll address this when the county's financial situation improves.  If the Messiah Most Miserable succeeds in tanking out the US economy, all this may well be moot.

Reminder to Montgomery County MD Readers - Council Meeting on Pregnancy Centers Dec 1st

As mentioned in previous posts, the pro-life pregnancy centers in Maryland are under blatant attack.  Pro-abortion tethers are drawing tight around the throats of the cpcs in Baltimore City.  Now they have their sights trained on those in Montgomery County. These people on the County Council are barely making any pretense at impartiality.  It is being held Tuesday, Dec 1st (tomorrow, that is) at 7:30 pm at the County Council office buildings.  Here are directions:

From Rockville Pike (Rt. 355), northbound:
• Turn left on East Jefferson Street
• Turn left on Monroe Street
• Immediate Right turn into Public Parking garage (may cost)
• Walk out of garage, and go left/up hill on East Jefferson
• Turn left at Maryland Ave. (1 short block)
• Office building on the left, #100 Maryland Ave. Building says, "Council Office Building" over front door.
From 270 (Gaithersburg, Damascus, etc.)
• Take 270 Southbound
• Take Exit for Route 28 (may be called W. Montgomery Ave.), going Eastbound
• From Rt. 28/W. Montgomery, turn Right onto East Jefferson St.
• Pass Maryland Ave.
• Turn Right on Monroe St.
• Immediate Right turn into Public Parking garage (may cost)
• Walk out of garage, and go left/uphill on East Jefferson St.
• Turn left at Maryland Ave. (1 short block)
• Office building on the left, #100 Maryland Ave. Building says, "Council Office Building" over front door.

As reported in a previous posting, five of the nine Councilmembers had their names listed on the program of NARAL's last fundraiser (October).  In other words, they had contributed money.  As did pro-abortion members of the MD State Legislature before them, they are attempting to justify their attack based on this sorry excuse for research put out by NARAL.  The obvious question is how can NARAL have any claim at all to the impartiality needed to accomplish any credible research?  The answer is likewise obvious - they can't!

We need to be there.  Most of the council is most likely in the backpocket of pro-abortion money.  The good news is that every one of them is up for election in 2010.  See you there!

Protect Montgomery County Pregnancy Centers! Act Now!

Our efforts to save the pregnancy centers of Montgomery County MD from a draconian attack by pro-abortion members of the County Council are underway.  We will need the fullest participation and cooperation possible from every pro-life person in order to succeed.

The text of the bill has been updated slightly, so please read this; of course we would expect amendments throughout the process.   The Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government, who led last year's fight against granting special rights to "transgendered" individuals, has developed an excellent, two-sided flyer that you can use to educate your friends about this imporant matter.  Download it, print it, email it to your contact list, distribute it - just get the word out.

Let's not put our heads in the sand when it comes to stating quite plainly that the Montgomery County Council is composed of rabid pro-abortion afficiandos.  Maryland NARAL conducts its annual fundraiser in October in Rockville.  In its 2009 List of Sponsors, five of the nine councilmembers are listed; see for yourselves (by the way - Ike Leggett is there, too).   Duchy Trachtenberg, who introduced the bill, is up to her eyeballs in her entanglements with the National Organization of Women (NOW).  This past June, Terry O'Neill, Tractenberg's Chief of Staff, was elected national president of NOW  Upon her election, O'Neill did resign her position with Trachtenberg.  By the way - while O'Neill apparently saw a contradiction in occupying both positions, such compunctions didn't seem to bother Trachtenberg - at least if I read this NOW webpage correctly.  It states that in January 2007, Trachtenberg was both the at-large Councilperson AND president of Maryland NOW!  We now examine this article, written by Dana Beyer, a current staff member of Trachtenberg's; in it, Dr Beyer denigrates good people (us) who dared to exercise our rights as citizens to combat the transgender-rights bill.  It looks like I learned something new.  Whereas I was quite aware of Beyer's affiliation with Equality Maryland, I was unaware, until a few minutes ago, that the good doctor was "Maryland NOW Action Vice President."  Like I said, the entanglements are many and dense.

I could go on and on, but I think we can see that most of the council has vested interests in seeing this bill passed.  Their duplicity is plain.  Even the Washington Post, a newspaper that can usually be counted upon to jump on the pro-abortion bandwagon, took issue with this bill and made plain its opinion that it should be defeated.  The Post takes issue with the inherent duplicity of the bill when it writes, "the proposed disclosure is too cryptic to be an effective alarm bell for many women and yet is suspect because it singles out pregnancy centers while absolving abortion clinics of any disclosure requirements regarding adoption or parenting options."  They've got that right!

Again, please distribute that flyer.  Contact the council (we'd suggest doing so by addressing Phil Andrews, the Council president; all communications to him will be diseminated to the other councilmembers).  Attend the hearings on December 1st; and consider testifying.  Write letters to the editors of newspapers.  And above all, please pray!  We'll keep you posted.

Pelosi Barely Ramrods Death Bill Through the House

As you may have heard by now, HR 3962 was passed by the House late last night by a very slim margin. The Stupak/Pitts Amendment passed earlier that evening by a respectable margin. But let's make no mistake about this. The Stupak Amendment is at best a stale doggie-bone. Make no mistake about it. IF this bill makes it through the Senate and then through reconciliation, abortion funding will be restored.

Why do I say that? Because the pro-aborts don't like the Stupak/Pitts Amendment. Planned Parenthood is now on record as opposing HR 3962. NARAL is having a similar snit-fit. Get this strange statement by Nancy Keenan, NARAL president: "This vote is a reminder to America's pro-choice majority that, despite our gains in the last two election cycles, anti-choice members of Congress still outnumber our pro-choice allies." Well, I sure wish she was right on this, because if she were, HR 3962 would have gone down in flames a long time ago. Not to be outdone by her colleagues, NOW president Terry O'Neill sniffs that, "The House of Representatives has dealt the worst blow to women's fundamental right to self-determination in order to buy a few votes for reform of the profit-driven health insurance industry."

My! Don't these feminazis have a flair for statements long on drama and short on substance? They (and we) know full well that abortion funding will be returned. For thus have these slave-drivers ordered! Make no mistake about this. Obama, Pelosi and Reid are (behind closed doors) saying to these broads, "Yessuh, Massah!" as they click their heals together Nazi-style and go do their bidding.

We will have our work cut out for us. I was at the rally at which Steve King and Michelle Bachmann spoke yesterday. I'd say a good 500 folks were there: not bad for less than 48 hours notice. We've got to keep up the momentum as the focus now shifts to the Senate. I think we can take some encouragement at the slim margin by which the bill passed. Clearly the mystique of the Messiah Most Miserable is wearing thin.