{"id":30,"date":"2008-08-29T12:22:23","date_gmt":"2008-08-29T12:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lynnvsekulow\/2008\/08\/mccain-chooses-prolife-conserv.html"},"modified":"2008-08-29T12:22:23","modified_gmt":"2008-08-29T12:22:23","slug":"mccain-chooses-prolife-conserv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lynnvsekulow\/2008\/08\/mccain-chooses-prolife-conserv.html","title":{"rendered":"McCain Chooses Pro-Life, Conservative Christian Woman as VP Running Mate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sen. John McCain is announcing that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential Running Mate. Gov. Palin is now the second female vice-presidential candidate to represent one of the major parties.<\/font><\/p>\n

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Social conservatives are pleased with this selection, as am I. Gov. Palin is pro-life in both practice and policy. There are also some reports that she served as a member of Feminists for Life which played a significant role in Supreme Court litigation involving the issue of abortion. Reports are also beginning to surface that Gov. Palin was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes when she was in school.<\/font><\/p>\n

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One of the most interesting aspects of this selection is the issue of experience. This will be particularly interesting in light of some of the criticism directed towards Sen. Obama’s level of experience. It will be worth watching how this plays out in the next several days.<\/font><\/p>\n

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One thing is for sure in this selection, and that is that John McCain did an analysis of where the base of the Republican Party is. Even a maverick has to analyze the base of his political support. Within the context of the Republican Party, the pro-life issue has been non-negotiable. The selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential Running Mate confirms Sen. McCain’s understanding of this. This also makes sense in light of the fact that Sen. McCain himself has a strong pro-life voting record.<\/font><\/p>\n

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I mentioned in a previous post that a sharp contrast on Supreme Court nominees will now be in play. Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden both voted against Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito when they were nominated to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.  <\/span>Sen. McCain supported both nominations and, based on the information we’re gathering concerning Gov. Palin, her judicial philosophy will be in line with our two most recent Supreme Court appointments.<\/font><\/p>\n

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Next week is the Republican Convention, and I expect the country will get to know Gov. Palin in a more personal way. We do know that she is the mother of five children, having her most recent son born in April of this year. It’s already been reported that Gov. Palin refused to let the results of her prenatal genetic testing of her son, Trig, change her decision to have the baby. Trig was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. She’s quoted as saying of her son: “I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?”  <\/span>And when she and her husband were told the news, here was her response:  “We’ve both been very vocal about being pro-life,” Palin said. “We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential.”  (cited here<\/a>)<\/span><\/strong><\/font><\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

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Barry, now here’s the real controversy: Gov. Palin signed a proclamation which declared October 21-27th as “Christian Heritage Week” in Alaska. Here is the exact proclamation<\/a> that was issued:<\/font><\/p>\n

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WHEREAS, the celebration of Christian Heritage Week, October 21-27, 2007, reminds Alaskans of the role Christianity has played in our rich heritage. Many truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christians of caliber and integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith. Some of their legacies are evidenced as follows: <\/p>\n

WHEREAS, the Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Alaska begins with, “We the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land”<\/p>\n

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention stated, “It is impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that, Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it (Psalm 127:1).”<\/p>\n

WHEREAS, George Washington enunciated, “animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity.”<\/p>\n

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote, “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?”<\/p>\n

WHEREAS, James Madison, father of the United States Constitution advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Memorial and Remonstrance.<\/p>\n

WHEREAS, Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation, “Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”<\/p>\n

WHEREAS, George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our United States Bill of Rights, affirmed, “That it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forebearance, love and charity towards each other.”<\/p>\n

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim October 21-27, 2007, as Alaska’s 9th Annual Christian Heritage Week in Alaska, and encourage all citizens to celebrate this week.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

This should certainly spark controversy from your end, Barry, so maybe we’re the first to break it. I think it’s constitutional to have a proclamation like this; I expect you to disagree. Let’s go at it! <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sen. John McCain is announcing that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential Running Mate. Gov. Palin is now the second female vice-presidential candidate to represent one of the major parties.   Social conservatives are pleased with this selection, as am I. Gov. Palin is pro-life in both practice and policy.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abortion","category-courts","category-election-08"],"yoast_head":"\nMcCain Chooses Pro-Life, Conservative Christian Woman as VP Running Mate - Lynn v. 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Jay Sekulow has also served as a faculty member for the Office of Legal Education at the United States Department of Justice.  As a member of the faculty he instructed Assistant United States Attorneys and investigators in the First Amendment issues associated with prosecution of obscenity. An accomplished and respected judicial advocate, Sekulow has presented oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in numerous cases in defense of constitutional freedoms. Several landmark cases argued by Sekulow before the U.S. Supreme Court have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation.  In the Mergens case, Sekulow cleared the way for public school students to form Bible clubs and religious organizations on their school campuses.  In the Lamb's Chapel case, Sekulow defended the free speech rights of religious groups, ensuring that they be treated equally with respect to the use of public facilities.  And, most recently, in McConnell v. FEC, Sekulow ensured that the constitutional rights of young people remain protected with a unanimous decision by the high court guaranteeing that minors can participate in political campaigns. A nationally recognized and respected defender of religious freedom, Sekulow has assembled one of the most prestigious law firms in the nation.  Founded in 1990, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses in constitutional law.  The ACLJ, under Sekulow's direction, is involved in public interest and public policy issues working to protect religious and constitutional liberties. In 2007, the Chicago Tribune concluded that the ACLJ has \"led the way\" in Christian legal advocacy.  In 2005, TIME Magazine named Sekulow one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America and called the ACLJ \"a powerful counterweight\" to the ACLU.  Business Week said the ACLJ is \"the leading advocacy group for religious freedom.\"  Sekulow's work on the issue of judicial nominees - including possible vacancies at the Supreme Court - has received extensive news coverage including a front page story in The Wall Street Journal.  In addition, The National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \"100 Most Influential Lawyers\" in the United States (1994, 1997).  He is also among a distinguished group of attorneys known as \"The Public Sector 45\" named by The American Lawyer (January\/February 1997).  The magazine said the designation represents \"45 young lawyers outside the private sector whose vision and commitment are changing lives.\" Sekulow brings insight and education to listeners daily with his national call-in radio program, Jay Sekulow Live!, which is broadcast throughout the country on nearly 850 radio stations.  Sekulow also hosts a weekly television program, ACLJ This Week, which tackles the tough issues of the day and is broadcast on a number of networks nationwide including the Trinity Broadcasting Network and FamilyNet.  Sekulow is also a popular guest on nationally televised news programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, CNBC, and PBS.  He frequently contributes articles and commentary to national publications and is often quoted in the nation's leading newspapers including USA Today, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Washington Times. A graduate of Mercer University, Sekulow graduated cum laude receiving both a bachelor's degree and doctor of jurisprudence from Mercer University where he served on the Mercer Law Review as an editorial staff member.  Following graduation, Sekulow served as a tax trial attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service.  In that capacity, Sekulow prepared and brought to trial tax cases on behalf of the United States Department of Treasury in United States Tax Court. He also received a Ph.D. from Regent University, with a dissertation on American Legal History, and is the author of numerous publications and law articles. 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