Dear Angela:

Thank you for contacting me with your opposition to federal funding for Planned Parenthood. I appreciate hearing from you.

It is my understanding that Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services. As part of this effort, provided services include pregnancy testing; gynecological care; HIV testing; prenatal care; and, as you mentioned, abortion and abortion referrals.

Federal law prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars for abortions, but Planned Parenthood does receive federal monies for providing Medicaid care through Title X family planning grants. Legislation introduced by Senator David Vitter, the Title X Family Planning Act (S. 351), would have eliminated this funding by amending the Public Health Service Act to prohibit federal family planning funds from being awarded to any grantees who perform abortions where a woman’s life is not in danger.

As you may know, S. 351 was not passed by the 110th Congress before the session adjourned for all intents and purposes on December 12, 2008. I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind should similar legislation be introduced during the 111th Congress, which will convene on January 6, 2009. Additionally, please know that I will continue working to ensure federal money allocated through these grants is focused solely on the provision of health care for our nation’s underprivileged women as it was initially intended.

Thank you again for contacting me with your comments. The legislative process will only work with the input of concerned citizens, and I encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and ideas.

Sincerely,

Ben Nelson
U.S. Senator

This was in response to that letter I sent Ben Nelson and Chuck Hagel on December 20, 2008.

Have you guys read this one yet?

Chrysler is facing a backlash from taxpayers and conservative groups after the ailing auto company took out a series of full-page newspaper ads last week to thank Americans for “investing” in the company through the government’s $17.4 billion auto industry bailout plan.

Critics say the company, which is expected to receive about $4 billion of that bailout money in the near term, should not be spending its already limited resources on pricey advertisements.

Ya think?

The bailout business is a crock-o-you-know-what!

It’s as if they took out a full page add to thank America for their generosity AND their stupidity all at the same time.

Ugh!

Those “thank you” ads are wasteful. Our government is wasteful. The American people are wasteful. On top of that, our government is just plain ol’ dumb. I will refrain from commenting on the American people until Obama has completed his first 100 days in office.

The ads ran last week in several major daily newspapers, including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since USA Today and The Wall Street Journal are two of the highest-circulation newspapers in the country, full-page ad rates are steep. A full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal runs between $206,000 and $264,000, and a full-page ad in USA Today runs between $112,000 and $217,000.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said in a written statement to FOXNews.com that Chrysler should give back the money.

“Years ago there was a robber who was really polite. He said please and thank you while he was robbing people. At the end of the day, people had their money stolen. Saying thank you doesn’t make it OK. They should give the money back,” Norquist said.

They should give the money back. Our government should make them give the money back right now! Who is watching to make sure that they are spending this money wisely? Oh sure, take my money and do whatever you want to with it. Not!?

Nobody wants to buy a more economic and attractive car right now. Our economy is in shambles and this is NOT the way to jump start it. How many people do you know that are in a position to buy a car right now? Even if they were in a position to buy, the banks are not lending! On top of that, why should the banks lend to somebody that can’t afford to make the payments?

Jump starting the economy is not about dumping money into an industry that does not have the ability to do squat for 100% of those that are living on the streets, living in homeless shelters, depending on food banks, the uninsured, etc.

WASTEFUL!

“On behalf of the 1 million people who depend on Chrysler for their livelihoods, thank you for investing in Chrysler, and America,” says the statement, signed by CEO Bob Nardelli.

Investing in Chrysler is NOT investing in America.

I think I’ll go PUKE now.

While shopping at Sam’s Club over the Holidays I picked up a book that I kept hearing about. I almost left it in the cart after I unloaded all of my purchases in the back of the van.

On the way from Sam’s Club to go home we stopped for Chineese food. While my husband went in to place our order so we could take it home, I started reading and could  not put the book down.

As I mentioned, many people often feel alone at Christmas. Right now, you may not feel like God is with you. But God’s presence in your life has nothing to do with your feelings. Your emotions are susceptible to all kinds of influences, so they are often unreliable. Sometimes the worst advice you can get is “Do what you feel.” Often what we feel is neither real nor right. Your emotional state can be the result of memories, hormones, medicines, food, lack of sleep, tension, or fears. Whenever I start to feel anxious about a situation, I remind myself that fear is often False Evidence Appearing Real. – The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren, Author of #1 New York Times Bestseller The Purpose Driven Life

I liked reading that: False Evidence Appearing Real. (F.E.A.R) I’ve seen a lot of that go on first hand in 2008 and plan to make an effort to be more aware of that F.E.A.R factor so that I may totally and completely avoid it in my life.

glitter-graphics.com

We just wanted to wish our family, friends and acquaintances a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Target National Bank lost this holiday season because they chose to charge me $30.00 on a $10.00 balance.

It was one of those situations where I thought that the entire balance was paid off. I guess it wasn’t and I owed a measly $10.00.

I was shocked and in disbelief when I saw that my credit card statement had been charged an extra $30.00 on a $10.00 balance. I know I keep repeating myself but I still could not understand why they would treat me this way.

I always pay my balance off on time and most of the time it’s the balance in full. I have been a good card paying customer for 7 years.

In our family Don and I usually carry two or three cards for emergencies and most of the time they help to carry us over. We always pay off the balance ASAP.

After this Target National Bank fiasco I decided to go ahead and not use my Target VISA for any purchases this holiday season. Why should I? This is how they treat their good customers?

Instead of using my Target Visa via Target National Bank, I decided to use my DISCOVER card and my two mastercards instead. Guess what? Those balances are paid in full too.

Credit Companies are being horrible to their customers. They take advantage of those that are struggling to pay their bills, raise their interest rates, etc.. and they do the same thing to their customers that are not struggling quite as hard to pay their bills.

I am speechless at the fact that I was charged $30.00 for a $10.00 balance. How dare they do that to me. I am seriously going to give them a piece of my mind if they call me to ask me how come I haven’t cashed in on my reward points OR taken advantant of their so-called lower interest rates.

I’m also getting quite sick and tired of those voice recorded telemarketing calls insisting that I am about to run out on taking advantage of a new lower interest rate. Uh excuse me, I don’t need to take advantage of a new lower interest rate. I have no balances on my credit cards, remember?

I’m also getting tired of stores promising to take money off the total balance of your purchase if you fill out a credit card application. Uh no, I either already have that card OR didn’t you know that filling out too many credit card applications can ruin your FICA score?

Uh Hello!?

Your message was sent to:

Senator Chuck Hagel
Senator Ben Nelson

I am writing to urge you to oppose any legislation that provides or increases taxpayer funding of abortion.

It’s a crime that taxpayers are forced to subsidize the abortion industry, particularly when it is against our own personal morals and beliefs. I strongly urge you to respect my beliefs and those of millions of pro-life Americans across the country. We do not wish to subsidize an industry that damages women’s lives and destroys innocent human life.

Many Senators have expressed a desire to reduce abortions. Retaining restrictions on federal taxpayer funding is the best way to accomplish this in the short term. Even abortion advocacy groups have admitted that restrictions like the Hyde Amendment have contributed to a national decline in abortions.

Please respect the rights of taxpayers and ensure a decline in abortions by maintaining current federal funding restrictions.

I would appreciate a response to my letter.

Susan B. Anthony List Activist

Sincerely
Angela Stevens

When you sign the petition at www.stoptheabortionbailout.com that is the e-mail that will get generated on your behalf. You will select the city and state that you live in and it automatically pulls up your elected officials.

Have you signed the petition yet?

What are you waiting for?

Do it today!

I was all excited about the Turducken that we are getting in the mail today, until I heard about Planned Parenthood’s Abortion Bailout Package!

Here’s what I got in my inbox today.

Yes, I felt it important enough to copy and paste and share it with you.

More and more I can not stand Planned Parenthood, Period!

A message to all members of Team Sarah

December 19, 2008

Dear Team Sarah,

Tired of bailouts?

Well they aren’t going away anytime soon. Now the abortion industry wants one!

We all knew that Planned Parenthood (the number one abortion provider in the country) was going to have a special seat at the table in the Obama administration. Well it hasn’t taken them long at all to roll out their extreme agenda.

Tell your Senator today that Planned Parenthood should not get a bailout.

Go to www.stoptheabortionbailout.com

Abortion groups have submitted their 50 page proposal to the Obama-Biden transition team. At the top of the list? More taxpayer dollars for abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood. How much more? Over 1.5 billion dollars more!

The Abortion Bailout Package:

**$1 BILLION dollars in taxpayer funding for International Abortion Groups like UNFPA, an international aid organization connected to coercive abortion as part of China’s coercive one-child policy

**$700 million in taxpayer funding for “Title X” Health Clinics (aka your local Planned Parenthood affiliate)

**Repeal the Hyde Amendment — Vastly expanding federal taxpayer funding for abortions

**Include Abortion coverage in any taxpayer-subsidized national health care program

**Expand taxpayer-funded abortions through the Peace Corps program

It is an outrage for Planned Parenthood to expect you to give your hard earned dollars to fund the destruction of innocent life.

Join citizens across our great country in telling their Senators to keep your tax dollars out of the abortion providers. Tell them to Stop the Abortion Bailout!

Sign the Petition today!

www.stoptheabortionbailout.com

All my best,

Marjorie Dannenfelser
Team Sarah Co-Founder
SBA List President

Obama Tells Gay Community to Respect Choice of Warren at Inauguration

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama made no apologies Thursday for asking evangelical pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, a move that infuriated gays angry at Warren’s support for California’s Proposition 8 banning gay marriage.

Obama said he and Warren don’t agree on everything, but he’s collected a group of people to appear at his inauguration who share a variety of viewpoints.

Repeating a line from his campaign, Obama said, “We have to disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.”

Obama noted that he was invited to speak at Warren’s Saddleback Church despite Warren knowing that Obama supports gay and lesbian rights, and Dr. Joseph Lowery will give the benediction at the inaugural ceremony. Lowery holds “deeply contrasting views” with Warren on gay rights issues, Obama said.

Still, gay rights groups say they are appalled at the selection of Warren, whose church is 22,000 strong. Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solomnese sent Obama a letter asking him to reconsider what they say is a show of “disrespect” and a “genuine blow” to the gay community.

The invitation to Warren has “tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place” at Obama’s table, reads the letter.

“[W]e feel a deep level of disrespect when one of architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination,” Solomnese wrote.

There is more to what was written so make sure you click that link up there and go back and read the entire article.

I don’t believe that Gay and Liberal groups understand the meaning of the word tolerance. I have experienced the wrath of both and well, they are just plain ol’ mean.

Rick Warren just like every other American out there can support Proposition 8 if they want to and there really isn’t anything that the gay community can do about it.

I honestly don’t understand why gay and liberal groups have to be so nasty and ugly about everything when they bump into people that don’t share their viewpoint? Where is the “tolerance” in all of that?

I don’t believe for a second that the gay agenda is a human rights issue. That’s like trying to say that your sexual orientation has to do with the color of your skin. Black people all over have endured human rights issues. It’s a bit insulting to try and say that who you choose to have sex with in the privacy of your own home is a human rights issue. No, I don’t believe it is.

What is the anti-gay agenda exactly? I don’t believe anybody has said that gay people can’t be gay. Has anybody out there said that?

Warren was not involved in the pastoral leadership that led the campaign in support of Prop 8, although a few days before the election he did release a video and message about his perspective at the request of his parishioners, said Larry Ross, media relations director for the pastor.

Warren “took the biblical perspective on marriage” as a bond between one man and one woman, Ross told FOXNews.com. He said that definition is consistent with Warren’s ministry and 5,000 years of history as well as one embraced by every religion.

Ross added that the pastor’s view is basically “about being for the biblical definition of marriage, not being against anything” else.

But People For the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert said Warren’s support for Prop 8 should have blocked his invitation.

“It’s a huge mistake,” said California gay rights activist Rick Jacobs, who chairs the state’s Courage Campaign. “He’s really the wrong person to lead the president into office.”

Washington Blade editor, Kevin Naff, called the selection “Obama’s first big mistake.”

I’m glad Obama invited Rick Warren to his inauguration. Why not? Rick Warren hasn’t done anything wrong. He hasn’t hurt anybody. He hasn’t rioted in the streets. If anybody should be embarrassed about their behavior it’s how uncivil the gay community has acted with their response to those that support proposition 8.

I believe that marriage was intended for one man and one woman too. I believe that marriage is an institution for families. I also believe that families need a mother and a father. It’s how we were created. It’s how our organs were created to work. It’s how human beings procreate. It’s what sex is all about, right?

The gay community thinks that Rick Warren is the wrong person to lead Obama into office yet Christians everywhere are going to be praying for Obama and we treat even those that we didn’t vote for with a bit of dignity and respect.

The gay community thinks that Obama has made a mistake with this invitation. It’s not a mistake at all – but Obama will make mistakes.

Rick Warren and others are willing to come together to try and focus on what we all do agree on but the gay community and yes, liberal groups will continue to just be mean. It will be the do as I say and not as I do syndrome so long as all of their agenda’s are pushed through.

Why can’t we all just get along? It would be like me saying that I’m going to have a New Years Eve party and you will not be invited because you’re gay. That’s ridiculous.