Krauthammer on Obama

Bill Clinton: "He is ready to lead."


Charles Krauthammer:

The oddity of this convention is that its central figure is the ultimate self-made man, a dazzling mysterious Gatsby. The palpable apprehension is that the anointed is a stranger -- a deeply engaging, elegant, brilliant stranger with whom the Democrats had a torrid affair. Having slowly woken up, they see the ring and wonder who exactly they married last night.

Thus Spoke Wikipedia

William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962) was an American religious leader and influential public speaker.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister soon after his arrival in the United States as a young adult. He quickly gained attention as an eloquent motivational speaker, and is often regarded today as the forerunner of such contemporary "success coaches" as Anthony Robbins.

An outspoken political conservative, Rev. Boetcker is perhaps best remembered for his authorship of a pamphlet entitled The Ten Cannots; originally published in 1916, it is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln. The error apparently stems from a leaflet printed in 1942 by a conservative political organization called the Committee for Constitutional Government; the leaflet bore the title "Lincoln on Limitations" and contained some genuine Lincoln quotations on one side and the "Ten Cannots" on the other, with the attributions juxtaposed (the mistake of crediting Lincoln for having been the source of "The Ten Cannots" has been repeated many times since, most notably by Ronald Reagan in a speech he gave at the 1992 Republican convention in Houston).

There are several minor variants of the pamphlet in circulation, but the most commonly-accepted version appears below:

1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
   
2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
   
3. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
   
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
   
5. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
   
6. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
   
7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
   
8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
   
9. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
   
10. And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

***

GJ - Many Lincoln quotations are disputed. He said enough wise and witty things that any saying thought to be worthwhile is thought to come from him. Very few historical figures have so many facts disputed about him.

Hurricane Force Winds in Phoenix Last Night, Story Linked on The Drudge Report

The center of this storm passed over the main campus as everyone was driving home. The sky looked just like the video shot during tornadoes, ominous with spectacular lightning displays and falling hail. Such scenes are better viewed indoors, on TV. I was able to drive north, away from the big event.

Major Severe Weather Event Across Phoenix

Updated: 12:00 PM 29 August 2008

During the day of the 28th, the sky was mostly clear across central Arizona. Early indications were that strong to severe thunderstorms were possible that evening, though by mid-afternoon little thunderstorm activity had developed. The weather balloon sounding data from Phoenix Thursday evening indicated that the atmosphere remained very unstable though a cap remained - analogous to a lid on a pot of boiling water (see graphic to right). In addition winds in the mid levels of the atmosphere were over 45 mph from the northeast, strongly unusual and indicative that thunderstorms that develop northeast of Phoenix will quickly move into the lower deserts and be capable of producing damaging winds.

Shortly after 8 PM, thunderstorms began to develop east of Phoenix and moved into the potentially very unstable airmass. The thunderstorms themselves provided enough lift to release the stored energy - they took the lid off the pot. In the ensuing four hours severe thunderstorms spread across much of the south central Arizona, including much of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. These were not your typical monsoon thunderstorms. NWS meteorologists noted the exceptionally strong structure of the thunderstorms, with the storms themselves extending up to 60,000 feet in the atmosphere. At this height the temperature of the tops of the thunderstorms was below -110 deg F (see graphic to right). For a satellite image loop, click here (0.8 MB).

As the evening unfolded several waves of thunderstorms, about four in total, developed generally east or northeast of Phoenix and moved to the west or southwest at speeds ranging from 20 to 40 mph. These types of thunderstorms are referred to as a line echo wave pattern (LEWP); line for a line of storms, echo for radar echoes, wave for the multiple waves of storms. LEWPs are common across the Mid-West United States, especially during the late evening and overnight hours. LEWPs are rather rare across central Arizona. What was even more rare was that the waves were traveling northeast to southwest; in the Mid-West the waves often travel in a general west to east direction. For a radar loop of the full event click here (large file - 17 MB).

80 to 100 mph winds measured by radar.

Early on it became evident that these thunderstorms would be capable of producing severe and damaging winds. This is what in fact happened as significant bow echoes developed within each wave. The highest measured wind speed reported to the NWS was 85 mph, which occurred near central Phoenix. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reached 75 mph. Even the NWS office in Tempe was hit by the damaging winds. NWS meteorologists estimating winds to be at or above 80 MPH at the NWS office. Winds may have actually been higher than reported by any ground-based weather station as the National Weather Service radar recorded winds in excess of 100 MPH just 1,500 feet above the ground (see to right). For a loop of velocity radar data click here (large file - 14 MB).

The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued twenty Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and received thirty reports of severe weather during the event. The most significant wind measured was a wind gust of 85 MPH 4 miles SSE of downtown Phoenix by a trained weather spotter. The very strong winds resulted in widespread damage, with central Phoenix and north Tempe taking the brunt of the storm. Media coverage indicated that downed trees occurred over a large area with perhaps thousands of trees lost during the storm. Structural damage was also observed. The images below were taken by NWS Employees. Click on each thumbnail for a full version image.

Prayer Partners with Rome

Inflatable church.

Source

Friends across denominations

As a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, I am also connected to a larger body in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Locally this connects me with other LCMS member congregations. It is called walking together in mission.

Moreover for myself, I have developed friendships with clergy and laity from many other branches of the Christian faith. Father Dan Farley and I have been prayer partners since college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I am reminded to prayerfully support Christian radio and (WCLQ-FM) 89Q because of Coy Sawyer. I have served on the board of directors for both Greater Wausau Christian Services and for the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.

Andrew Plath, 50, Wausau, Trinity Lutheran Church

UOJ Dismembered

Please make Fuller Seminary the capital of orthodoxy. And Willow Creek. And make Ichabod go away forever. Thanks, Larry, Your obedient servant. Amen."

Universal Objective Justification is losing some of its momentum, due to serious study of the issue.

Bruce Church informed me that an LCMS leader recently said, on Issues, etc "God forgave the whole world."

These are typical expressions of Universalism or UOJ, which are the same thing:

1. God forgave the whole world. (Issues, Etc.)
2. God declared the whole world free of sin. (LCMS Brief Statement)
3. Whether they believe or not, everyone in the world is forgiven. (J. P. Meyer)
4. "I am saved, just like you." WELS evangelism motto (another flop).
5. Everyone is forgiven. ELCA
6. Everyone will go to heaven. Universalists.

Where does UOJ come from? The best answer is not historical in nature but doctrinal. History does not provide precise enough explanations, since the past is far messier and confused than digested historical accounts suggest.

UOJ flourished in the Old Synodical Conference, which had Pietistic origins, but did not flourish in the Muhlenberg tradition (General Synod, General Council, both leading to the ULCA, LCA, and--gasp--ELCA). But the Muhlenberg tradition was Pietistic from the beginning, since the pioneer himself came straight from Halle University. The later Midwestern synods were Pietistic, too. Norwegians were hot for UOJ, which may be why Robert Preus got it all wrong at first, but repented in his last book. The Swedes were against UOJ, but they were just as influenced by Pietism as the Norwegians. The favorite Swedish journal for the Augustana Synod was The Pietist, which I once helped archive at the Augustana College Library. So historical lessons do not provide a solution.

The doctrinal answer is much clearer. The question is not whether Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, and "acquired forgiveness," as Pennsylvania recently mentioned. (All the nicnames I use for sources are counter-intuitive, so don't try to figure who he is. The answer is no, no, and NO!) UOJ fans try to use the Straw Man of Limited Atonement. They say, "You favor Limited Atonement!" That means Christ died only for the elect - Calvin's doctrine.

The doctrinal answer is the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. Or, we should teach what the Scriptures reveal about the work of the Holy Spirit. The non-Lutheran Protestants--and Catholics--always divorce the work of the Holy Spirit from the Word. The Scriptures teach clearly and consistently that the Holy Spirit and the Word always work together, never apart from each other.

Therefore, the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith includes the objective truth of the Atonement as the propitiation for the sins of the world, with this forgiveness already earned by Christ being distributed by the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace.

As Luther often stated, the treasure of the Atonement does no one any good if it is not distributed through the Word. The treasure lies in one heap until that happens. But God has designed, created, and supported the pastoral ministry for this distribution.

So it stands to reason that the Enthusiasts, who divorce the Holy Spirit's work from the Word, are opposed to the Means of Grace and enemies of the Bible's foundational doctrine.

The story of Christianity is one of grace. How does one know about forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life? When the doctrine is contrary to the Word of God, all the proposed solutions are wrong.

For various reasons, unknown to me, the Muhlenberg tradition was quite strong on the efficacy of the Word. I recall one liberal bishop saying, in an offhand way, "Everything happens through the Word."

The issue is whether we can find harmonious teaching in the Scriptures, the early Church Fathers, Luther, and the Concordists.

As Pennsylvania said, we can find orthodoxy in the Scriptures alone, as long as we set aside that huge book of unwritten rules.

Palin Choice Stomps on Obama's Moment

Governor Sarah Palin and her husband Todd, with their newborn son Trig, who was born in April with Down's Syndrome. See the story below the fold.

Last night I came home from teaching at 10 PM, sick with grief that I missed the enthronement of Obama. Hail was falling. Lightning streaked across the sky. Tree branches littered the streets. I-17 was so flooded that I wondered if I would stall out in the water. I would have preferred the Left-wing banalities of Obama to a night waiting for AAA to arrive. But I got home safely, without stalling, without needing AAA.

Last night, I almost posted my prediction of the Minnesota governor being selected as McCain's running mate. For months the pro-life conservatives have posted their dreams of Governor Palin being on the ticket. No one thought McCain would do something so wise, so thoughtful, so effective. I did not think so either. McCain in Arizona has a reputation for dissing conservatives.

For those who do not know, the Governor of Alaska is:

1. Pro-life, with a bevy of her own children.
   
   
2. Pro-Bill of Rights, knowing that gun ownership is protected by our most basic document of freedom.
   
   
3. Pro-energy, working hard to get Alaskan resources to the lower 48.

Senator Biden, as an attack dog, will be an embarrassment to the Democrat ticket. Most of his weapons are taken away.

The story for today will be Palin, not Obama.

---

Palin balances newborn's needs, official state duties

By Steve Quinn

Palin balances newborn's needs, official state duties

By Steve Quinn | The Associated Press

The results of Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it."

Palin, known for a resolve that quickly launched her from suburban hockey mom to a player on the national political stage, said, "No, go ahead and tell me over the phone."

The physician replied, "Down syndrome," stunning the Republican governor, who had just completed what many political analysts called a startling first year in office.

She had arrived at the Capitol on an ethics reform platform after defeating the incumbent Republican in the primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. Her growing reputation as a maverick for bucking her party's establishment and Alaska's powerful oil industry quickly gained her a national reputation.

Now she is trying to balance caring for her special-needs child and running a state.

The doctor's announcement in December, when Palin was four months pregnant, presented her with a possible life- and career-changing development.

"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin, a mother of four other children.

"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."

The 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling her husband, Todd, who was out of town, so she could understand what was ahead for them.

Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?"'

There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin.

"We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."

Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the fetus' cells. It's a genetic abnormality that impedes physical, intellectual and language development.

The mother's age is a large factor in the chances of having a Down child. Once a woman turns 40, the chances of having a Down child is 1 out of 100, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

During her first year in office, Palin distanced herself from the old guard, powerful Republicans in the state GOP, even calling on tight-lipped veteran U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens to explain to Alaskans why federal authorities were investigating him.

She asked Alaska's congressional delegation to be more selective in seeking earmarks after what came to be known as the "Bridge to Nowhere" turned into a national symbol of piggish pork-barrel spending.

She stood up to the powerful oil industry, and with bipartisan support in the statehouse she won a tax increase on oil companies' profits.

She also found time to pose for the fashion magazine Vogue while she was pregnant, and she has been mentioned as a potential running mate for presidential candidate John McCain.

Three days after giving birth, Palin returned to work in her Anchorage office, accompanied by Trig and her husband.

This was not a mother's typical visit to the office to show off the new baby; instead, she was serving notice that a child of special needs would not hinder her professional commitments.

"It's a sign of the times to be able to do this," she said. "I can think of so many male candidates who watched families grow while they were in office.

"There is no reason to believe a woman can't do it with a growing family. My baby will not be at all or in any sense neglected."

Neither, Palin said, will the state, as she prepares to lead deliberations for a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline. She calls it the economic future of the state, a means of getting North Slope natural gas to consumers throughout North America.

"I will not shirk my duties," she said.

Other politicians have pressed forward with their careers despite jarring personal news.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards continued with his campaign despite the return of his wife Elizabeth's breast cancer, though he eventually dropped out.

Another elected official who has a child with Down syndrome said that Palin will probably have detractors, but that it shouldn't change ambitions for the mother or child.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican, has just celebrated the first birthday of her son Cole, her first child, who was born with Down syndrome. She is busy campaigning for a third term, and Cole often travels with her between Washington, D.C., and the Pacific Northwest.

"Cole opened my eyes to the pain and trouble a lot of families endure," Rodgers said. "He's allowed me to see people and circumstance more deeply, and the generosity of people.

"It's in human nature to focus on the negative, on what the person can't do. In our mind, we are focused on what he can do, what he will be able to do and do very well."

It's not unlike how Palin sees her child.

"I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

---



James Pethokoukis sends the 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sarah Palin:

Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.

2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was “Sarah Barracuda.”

3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.

4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the “First Dude.” He’s worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world’s longest snowmobile race, four times.

5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.

6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.

7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.

8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.

9. She’s a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

10. Elected in 2006, she’s Alaska’s first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.

Church Growth - Computer Virus

A message from Spydawn.


When I got the Spydawn (also Defender2008 or Defender2009) virus, I removed it manually. Then I uninstalled an old Norton antivirus to put a new version on. Big mistake. Spydawn took over with a vengeance and I could not get the browser to work at all.

Spydawn is obviously written so that it will re-install itself after manual removals.

Church Growth in the Lutheran Church is the same kind of virus. Everyone with an IQ higher than room temperature knows CG is a flop, a failure, and a fraud.

This is what has already happened when people finally got wind of CG, as they said about the neighbors who started raising hogs - CG re-installs itself so it cannot be removed.

McGavran, Larry Olson's hero, refused to use the term Church Growth for an extensive period of time. Did that mean he changed his views? Not at all.

I was pleased to hear that Church Growth was pounded so thoroughly in Columbus, Ohio, that Mike Nitz complained he could not even mention the word when he was called to St. Paul's. Still, he had a woman teaching men (usurping authority and teaching men) on Sunday mornings. I was blasted for mentioning that fact at a pastoral conference. Unwritten rule in WELS - never deal with an issue directly. (The unwritten rule book is bigger than the Phoenix Yellow Pages.)

Church and Change, the agency of apostasy in WELS, does not call itself Church Growth and avoids the term in its propaganda, but its agenda is clearly directed against Lutheran doctrine, Lutheran worship, Lutheran practice. Or, in making a decision between tawdry marketing and Biblical principles, they went for tawdry marketing.

When Wayne, of blessed memory, was writing for the official magazine of WELS, he denied there was any CG in WELS, but if there was, it was OK. That settled the matter officially. Besides, Valleskey--who never went to Fuller, wink, wink--said they should all spoil the Egyptians, that is, nab the precious metals and jewels of the Pasadena Synagogue of Satan. Frosty Bivens said, "Amen. Amen. Let it be so."

The Issues in WELS people finally stirred themselves and wrote something about Church Growth. That is akin to Mrs. Noah saying on the Ark, "It looks like rain."

ESSAY: Pastor Aaron Frey of Tawas City, MI, will present an essay entitled Tendrils of the Church Growth Movement. This paper was prepared by a four-man study committee from the Michigan District and was presented at this summer's Michigan District Convention. Pastor Robert Koester is preparing discussion questions that will help to stimulate the discussion of this paper.

I believe Koester is one of many WELS pastors who did, did not, go to Fuller. He ended up being a critic of CG, according to legend. I cannot say for sure, because I found that writing against false doctrine, speaking against false doctrine, going to individual leaders about false doctrine, was strictly a solo effort. It only took WELS pastors another 15 years to catch on they do indeed have a problem with Deformed doctrine.

The official rebuttal to everything published and said against CG was: "What does he know? He doesn't have a degree from our beloved Sausage Factory! He does not fit, so we are acquit (sic)."

Astonishing Lack of Smarts for a College Prez

How many things are wrong in this photo?

Iowa Central president receives $400K for resignation

Iowa Central Community College President Robert Paxton will collect $400,000 from the school in return for his resignation.

After 13 years as president of the Fort Dodge school, Paxton resigned Wednesday, one day before the school’s board of trustees was scheduled to discuss an undisclosed “personnel matter.”

The special meeting was called after The Des Moines Register published a July 4 photograph of Paxton aboard a boat with a group of young people, holding the spigot of a small beer keg suspended over a young woman’s open mouth.

College trustee Mark Crimmins was aware of the photo before it was published and told the Register that Paxton had done nothing improper and the matter wasn’t deserving of the board’s attention.

When questioned by the Register, Paxton initially denied knowing anything about the photo or any recent boat outings with young people. After being told that Crimmins had already informed the Register that he had seen the photo and the two men had discussed it, Paxton acknowledged the photo’s authenticity. He said he had done nothing illegal or improper.

But the photograph, along with Paxton’s explanation for it, was picked up by other media outlets and sparked a heated debate in Fort Dodge over the personal conduct of public officials.

At today’s board meeting, the trustees met for eight minutes and agreed, without discussion, to accept Paxton’s resignation and approve a compensation package for him. The deal calls for Paxton to receive $200,000 in January 2009 and $200,000 in January 2010...

Paxton, 52, has said all of the people who were drinking in the boat when the photograph was taken were of legal age. He said the beer keg was broken and wasn’t dispensing beer into the young woman’s mouth. He said his 19-year-old son, who was arrested for second-offense drunken driving early the next morning, was in the boat but was not drinking.

He's Not Too Black to be President...

He's too green.