The story continues…

Mark called this afternoon to say that things just keep getting better and better.  His 14 year old daughter, Amber, broke into his shop last night and stole the gun his dad left him. Then she slipped into his room while he was sleeping, and left one of the bullets on his pillow.

This was looked at by the police as a threat on his life. She is in the mental ward of a hospital in our Texas Medical Center. It isn’t the first time she’s been there. She now says she has a second personality, named Annie, and that’s the one who stole the gun. She’s faking it, of course. She has faked mental problems in the past. And the police officer told Mark that she was saying one thing, but her body language was saying another.

The police have told him he needs to go ahead and file charges against her. That will most likely be the only way they can keep her locked up, and get her medical help.

Bethany and I went to the therapy place today to say goodbye to Cruz and give him a gift for the baby, but he had already gone. So we left the gift with the receptionist. They are going to call him and ask him to come by.

After that, we ran to Walmart, because there’s always something else we need. All the walking has not helped my toes. I have had difficulty getting the bleeding stopped.

Debbie’s wedding is just day after tomorrow!

Attempted hit put on Ramos Family

Compean finally speaks from behind prison bars

To Have and to Holder 

For the past few days, conservatives have been tearing their hair out watching the sugary exchanges between Republicans and the President-elect’s top officials. Some of Obama’s most objectionable appointments, including Hillary Clinton, Tom Daschle, and Arne Duncan, have cruised through the first round of Senate confirmation hearings without so much as a peep from ranking GOP leaders. During this friendly procession of the most radical, pro-abortion candidates to date, the Republicans’ indifference was almost nauseating. Yesterday, I had the chance to talk with some senators on Capitol Hill about our concern that Republicans were rolling over on our issues. One of them assured me that the courtesies they were giving Democrats would not prevent a tougher cross-examination today of Attorney General-designate Eric Holder. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) reminded those at today’s hearing, “Next to the president, there is no federal office more important than the Attorney General. The Attorney General has an independent duty to the people and to uphold the rule of law.” This is a task that ranking Republicans argue Holder is not up to. During his stint in the Clinton administration, Holder issued a series of questionable pardons, testified in support of “hate crimes,” tried to restrict the Second Amendment, and couldn’t shake what one magazine called “a record as a lackluster local U.S. attorney, [in which he] sat on …corruption.” With so much at stake for the unborn, religious liberty, and free speech, I hope more Republicans will join Sen. Specter in putting up a vigorous fight now lest we face an even greater one later.

Stimulating Tax Reform 

At a morning press conference, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) of the U.S. House released its proposals for stimulating the U.S. economy by enacting much-needed tax reforms now. To date, the “bailout” packages passed by Congress and the stimulus package to be proposed in the new Congress have directed most of their help to banks and struggling businesses. The RSC proposal, on the other hand, is based on getting tax relief right away to the nation’s families, other consumers, and businesses. It would also seek to ease, by reducing rampant spending now, the crushing burden these packages could otherwise leave for future generations. The Economic Recovery and Middle-Class Tax Relief Act of 2009 features seven tax proposals to aid families, six to encourage entrepreneurship, and two to restrain spending. FRC hails the introduction of this measure, which offers a genuine contrast to the still evolving Obama proposal. Most notably for families, the RSC proposes increasing the child tax credit for 2008 to $5,000, which would provide immediate help to families with children. It would allow those with tax-preferred savings plans the opportunity for one year to make tax- and penalty-free withdrawals that could help in mortgage payments and other emergency needs. The proposal would also lower the U.S. corporate tax rate to 25 percent, which is now among the world’s highest. We will have more comment tomorrow, but the RSC has certainly made a great start.

Of the Court, by the Court, and for the Court? 

Today, FRC officially enters the fray in the California Supreme Court case over the fate of Proposition 8, filing an amicus brief in one of the most significant suits in American history. The people of California have spoken, and it’s their desire that the state’s constitution reflects the historic definition of marriage, that of one man and one woman. This is the same constitution that begins with an acknowledgement of its creator, the sovereign people. And it is those citizens–all 6,358,610 of them–whose rights FRC will forcefully defend in court. By working to strike down Proposition 8, Attorney General Jerry Brown and the other petitioners are essentially saying that the opinions of these justices outweigh those of the entire state. In March, the ultimate question may not be what constitutes marriage but rather what constitutes the California government: democracy or oligarchy? FRC encourages the court to respect 400 years of self-governance and leave the definition of marriage where it belongs–in the hands of voters. To read our brief, which is now before the California Supreme Court, log on to our website, http://www.frc.org.