Recently in White House Category

I like to think that my outrage is in relative proportion to the outrage that generated it in the first place.  I have never been known to give any politician a "pass" nor to overstate the gravity of a politician's anti-separation errors.

So, as in my earlier blog, or in this interview with Fox News, I said what was on my mind about President Obama's use of religious language to get people to rally around his health care plan.  Similarly, I have criticized the way the President has initiated his version of the "faith based initiative."  It is my hope that this kind of specific criticism is useful.  More will come if changes are not made.

Barry, it looks like the White House got the message:  its email 'flagging' operation appears to have been disabled.

As I reported to you last week, the White House launched in early August what can only be described as a citizen reporting program.  The program was unveiled on the White House website by Macon Phillips, the White House Director of New Media.  As you recall, Phillips claimed that "[t]here is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there" both on the web and floating around in chain emails.  Phillips stated that "[s]ince we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

Barry, President Obama opened the door with a brief mention of religious freedom in his 55-minute speech to the Arab world. To his credit, he did bring up the importance of religious freedom, saying:  "Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it."  It's a good beginning, but President Obama must use this opportunity to take some real action - to engage this issue with those in the Middle East who have a notorious record for persecuting Christians and others who do not embrace Islam.  

He did include a couple of lines about 'religious diversity' - "Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld - whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt."

Barry, this is an issue where President Obama must use his presidential clout - this isn't just about religious 'tolerance' - it's about real life-and-death issues facing those who want to practice their religious faith.  We have just completed detailed reports about the persecution of Christians in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Barry, I've just returned from Israel where we have opened an office in Jerusalem.  In addition to our work at the European Court of Human Rights in France, we are working out of Jerusalem on a number of cases involving religious persecution.  We're currently engaged in defending persecuted Christians in places like the Gaza Strip, Syria and Pakistan.  

Not long ago, we assisted in relocating the family of Rami Ayyad of Gaza, an operator of a Christian bookstore, who was brutally murdered by Hamas because of his Christian faith.  We were able to assist in removing the widow and her three children to a safer area and relocating them after his murder.

And with our affiliate organization, the European Centre for Law and Justice, we recently secured an important victory in the United Kingdom  where an immigration court of appeals for the first time recognized the plight of Syrian Evangelical Christians with Muslim backgrounds who faced real danger - including possible death - if they returned home. 

Barry, today's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor  to replace Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court of the United States will generate serious debate about the issue of judicial activism on the nation's highest court.

As we learn about Judge Sotomayor's background and judicial philosophy in the days and weeks ahead, it is important to determine how she views the Constitution and the rule of law. For example, will she embrace her past statement that the "court of appeals is where policy is made?" This nomination raises the issue of legislating from the bench and the appropriate role of a Supreme Court Justice.  We will learn more about her judicial temperament and philosophy in the days ahead.

I'm hopeful that the members of the Senate will ask tough questions about her judicial philosophy and temperament when the confirmation hearings get underway this summer.  The American people deserve to fully understand what kind of Justice Sonia Sotomayor would be on the nation's highest court for decades to come.

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