Hugo Chavez: Faithful to Death

Chavez, Obama and Castro: Comrades and Amigos

By Paul G. Kengor

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at American Spectator. 
 
There’s an old joke from the Cold War. It went like this: Hardline East German communist Walter Ulbricht (who erected the Berlin Wall) died and went to hell. There, the devil gave him a choice between the socialist sector and the capitalist sector. Devoted to the end, Ulbricht stuck to the faith, saying: “I’ll go to the socialist sector.” “Good choice,” averred the devil. “Over in the capitalist sector, they’re getting the full hellfire treatment. But in the socialist sector, they’ve run out of coal.”

Say what you want of Hugo Chavez, of his tactics, of his beliefs, and (as many are doing) of perhaps where he might be right now, but this much is certain: he stuck to the faith.

Scottish Charity Regulator Confirms Decision to Close Catholic Adoption Agency for Refusal to Allow Same-Sex Couples to Adopt

St. Margaret's Children and Family Care Society has until 22 April to amend its procedures to allow same-sex couples to use its services or it will be taken off the charity register 

From ThirdSector 

Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator

A Catholic adoption agency has lost its appeal against a decision by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator that it must allow same-sex couples to use its services or lose its charitable status.

The Glasgow-based St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society asked the OSCR to review its decision after the regulator ruled that the organisation had failed the charity test because it insisted that potential adoptive parents be married for at least two years.

This meant it was in breach of the Equality Act 2010 by excluding same-sex couples from its services, the OSCR decided.

In an updated report, published yesterday, the OSCR confirmed its original view that St Margaret’s failed the charity test because it discriminated unlawfully on grounds of religion or belief and sexual orientation, and was in breach of the Equality Act 2010.

"OSCR found that the charity does not provide public benefit because the way it provides benefit involves unlawful discrimination, which causes detriment to the public and to particular groups of people, the effect of which outweighs the other, positive effects of the charity’s work," the report says.

"OSCR also found that access to the benefits the charity provides is unduly restricted. OSCR therefore found that the charity fails the charity test and confirmed the decision to direct the charity to meet the charity test."

The OSCR said that St Margaret’s must amend its guidance and procedures by 22 April or face removal from the Scottish charity register.

A spokesman for St Margaret's said: "We are disappointed at the decision. We will consult our lawyers before considering what course of action to pursue. In the meantime, St Margaret’s remains open for business."

The charity has the right to appeal the decision to the Scottish Charity Appeals Panel.

Rasmussen: Americans Feel Most Connected to a Local Religious Group

Most Americans feel connected to a local church or religious organization, and nothing else comes close. Government and politics are near the bottom of the list. 

Generally, people feel that they are connected and play a positive role in some organizations but not others. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults feel at least somewhat connected to their local church or religious organization, with 34% who think they are Very Connected. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Give Mark Sanford an "A" for Audacity, But We'll Take Larry Grooms, Thank You

Mark Sanford: Clever and Audacious

You have to give Mark Sanford an "A" -  for audacity.  It was a clever move to ask the wife he betrayed to run his Congressional campaign.  He must have remembered how philanderer Gary Hart's wife told America that "if it (adultery) doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother you."  Fortunately, Jenny Sanford, who has more smarts and class than the Hart's and Mark Sanford combined, turned him down.

 

We're glad Sanford claims to be repentant and we forgive him and wish him well, but repentance doesn't qualify one for the people's trust and the high honor bestowed with a seat in the United States Congress.  We also think he was right when he used to rail against career politicians.

Larry Grooms: A Faithful Conservative

Let's give the honor to someone who has earned it - a faithful husband, dutiful father, solid conservative and dedicated public servant.  

Larry Grooms will make a superb Congressman for South Carolina's First Congressional District.

Why Mark Sanford Wanted His Ex-Wife To Run His Comeback Campaign

Jason Zengerle has a long profile of ex-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in the latest edition of New York magazine that's worth a read for anyone fascinated by the Republican's return to politics less than four years after he became a national punchline thanks to his time "hiking" the Appalachian trail. But the nugget that's making the most headlines this morning is that the Republican asked his ex-wife Jenny to be his campaign manager late last year when he was laying the groundwork for his bid to fill Rep. Tim Scott's old House seat:

When [Mark] first ran for Congress in 1994, he installed Jenny as his campaign manager. He did this for reasons of economy—"You’re free," he told her at the time—but she proved a natural at the job. She blossomed into a shrewd political strategist, running Mark’s subsequent campaigns and becoming his top adviser. Will Folks, a former Sanford press secretary, says, "There’s absolutely no way he would have ever won the congressional seat or been governor without her."  ...

So when Mark came to visit her, he arrived with a proposal. "Since you’re not running, I want to know if you’ll run my campaign," he said. "We could put the team back together." Jenny told him, in so many words, that wasn’t going to happen.

Read more at Slate >>

Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech: Still Relevant, 67 Years On

From Huff Post Politics (UK)

By Philip White

This week marks the 67th anniversary of Winston Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' address (actually named 'The Sinews of Peace'), which he called "the most important speech of my career". And he'd given one or two of those. 

Feast of Saint Casimir, Patron of Poland

The three-handed painting of Saint Casimir is considered miraculous. According to a legend, the painter attempted to redraw the hand in a different place and paint over the old hand, but the old hand miraculously reappeared. The original painting was covered in gilded silver clothing in 1636 and is in Saint Casimir’s Chapel under his tomb .

Prince of Poland, born in the royal palace at Cracow, 3 October, 1458; died at the court of Grodno, 4 March, 1484. He was the grandson of Wladislaus II Jagiello, King of Poland, who introduced Christianity into Lithuania, and the second son of King Casimir IV and Queen Elizabeth, an Austrian princess, the daughter of Albert II, Emperor of Germany and King of Bohemia and Hungary. Casimir’s uncle, Wladislaus III, King of Poland and Hungary, perished at Varna in 1444, defending Christianity against the Turks. Casimir’s elder brother, Wladislaus, became King of Bohemia in 1471, and King of Hungary in 1490. Of his four younger brothers, John I, Albert, Alexander, and Sigismund in turn occupied the Polish throne, while Frederick, the youngest, became Archbishop of Gnesen, Bishop of Cracow, and finally cardinal, in 1493.

Change You'd Better Believe In: Obama Regime Purchases 2,700 Light-Armored Tanks to Go With Their 1.6 Billion Bullet Stockpile

Will the American people and their Congress ask what is going on, or find out only when the infrastructure of tyranny is completed?

From Gateway Pundit

This is getting a little creepy.

According to one estimate, since last year the Department of Homeland Security has stockpiled more than 1.6 billion bullets, mainly .40 caliber and 9mm.

DHS also purchased 2,700 Mine Resistant Armor Protected Vehicles (MRAP).

Modern Survival Blog reported:

The Department of Homeland Security (through the U.S. Army Forces Command) recently retrofitted 2,717 of these ‘Mine Resistant Protected’ vehicles for service on the streets of the United States.

Although I’ve seen and read several online blurbs about this vehicle of late, I decided to dig slightly deeper and discover more about the vehicle itself.

The new DHS sanctioned ‘Street Sweeper’ (my own slang due to the gun ports) is built by Navistar Defense (NavistarDefense.com), a division within the Navistar organization. Under the Navistar umbrella are several other companies including International Trucks, IC Bus (they make school buses), Monaco RV (recreational vehicles), WorkHorse (they make chassis), MaxxForce (diesel engines), and Navistar Financial (the money arm of the company).

DHS even released a video on their newly purchased MRAPs.

Via Pat Dollard:

The MRAP featured in this video is was in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Law Enforcement Day which was held at a local area Target Store. This MRAP is stationed in El Paso, Texas at The Homeland Security Investigations Office. MRAP is a Mine Resistant Armor Protected Vehicle.