Sarah Palin: Love and Politics

God's Second Commandment is for us to love our neighbors. In that admonition, God didn't leave us a lot of loopholes.

Recently, I wrote the following to a friend (also named "Steve") who's an ardent conservative with a focus on social issues, especially abortion and gay marriage. For Sarah Palin to win the election in 2012, she must reach out -- in a spirit of love and respect -- to people who don't share all of her views.

Steve, at least Jeb Bush's remarks (about the GOP's need to get beyond Reagan) fired up people who truly care about the Republican Party and our beloved country. The basic Republican values should be, to cite Sarah Palin, "liberty, tolerance, and opportunity." I'm sure she would also add protecting our nation's security. We offer those things, and the liberal Democrats do not (although they occasionally claim they do).

One thing we must do -- and Pennsylvania senatorial candidate Pat Toomey must do the same, as I think he will -- is to emphasize that good people are going to disagree on one or more issues. But anyone who supports the principles Gov. Palin outlined is welcome as an ally.

I hope we can turn the "wedge issues" into something more than that. Mainly as a cost-cutting effort, Obama and his allies are creating a culture that "saves money" by increasing the number of abortions . . . and also shortens the lives of the elderly infirm. Obama recently said as much in an interview with the NY Times. [Note: On my other blog, I'll be writing for next week about Obama's disastrous health care proposals.]

I believe these realities will get the attention of people who may dissent with us to a degree on certain social issues. Most people, even those claiming to be pro-choice, are not enthusiastic about increasing abortions, particularly in the second- and third-trimesters. And very few Americans really want to snuff out grandma's and grandpa's lives prematurely . . . in order to save a few bucks.

We need to focus much of our energy on issues where we have a real chance of influencing the political process. We also need to salute our role models, even those who are not "perfect" in their life history. "For all have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God."

Personally, I'd say two of those people are Bristol Palin, now relying on her life experience to support teen-age abstinence, and Carrie Prejean, who will probably lose her Miss California crown, but could gain something much more important: her immortal soul and her relationship with God. In the case of Bristol Palin, yes, she made a mistake (and haven't we all?). But unlike so many girls who get pregnant she didn't compound it with a much worse mistake.

I hope we all try to move our world in a direction where people don't hunker down in ideological camps but instead are able to discuss important issues fairly and honestly. Loving our neighbors is not synonymous with always agreeing with them.

Palin: Ideologue Obama Killed Bipartisanship

In the NY Post on Saturday, Governor Sarah Palin came out swinging on the dismal failures and extreme partisanship of Barack Obama and his Administration. Oddly enough, Obama campaigned as a Democratic version of . . . Sarah Palin. He promised bipartisanship and reform, but has provided neither. The reality is exactly the reverse of what the MSM presented: He's a rookie. Palin is a pro. Obama is a "citizen of the world," while Palin is an American.

SARAH PALIN ON: "I WON" AND THE DEATH OF BIPARTISANSHIP

"Obama soared to victory on the hopeful promise of a new era of bipartisanship. During his inaugural address he even promised an 'end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.'

"Too bad it took all of three days for the promise to ring hollow.

"Start with Obama's big meeting with top congressional leaders on his signature legislation -- the stimulus -- on the Friday after his inauguration. Listening to Republican concerns about overspending was a nice gesture -- until he shut down any hopes of real dialogue by crassly telling Republican leaders: 'I won.' Even the White House's leaking of the comment was a slap at the Republican leadership, who'd expected Obama to adhere to the custom of keeping private meetings with congressional leadership, well, private.

"It's only gone downhill from there. The stimulus included zero Republican recommendations, and failed to get a single House Republican vote.

"It's not just the tactic of using Republicans for bipartisan photo-ops, and then cutting them loose before partisan decisions, that irks Obama's opponents. The new president wasted no time rushing forward with policies and legislation guaranteed to drive Republicans nuts. The first bill he signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a partisan hot-button that drew all of eight Republican supporters in the entire Congress. Then there was the swift reversal of Bush policies on abortion and embryonic-stem-cell research -- issues dear to the Republican base.

Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/100_days__100_mistakes_166177.htm?&page=0

NOTE: PLEASE GO TO MY OTHER BLOG (HTTP://STEVEMALONEYGOP.BLOGSPOT.COM) TO SEE "THE REAL MEANING OF SARAH PALIN."