2010 California Election Forum

A left wing group filed a lawsuit seeking White House records and Secret Service visitor logs to see how many times Christian leaders like James Dobson met with President Bush and his top advisors.

It's none of anyone's business—but an activist judge said they must turn over the records.

This has huge, negative implications for the future.

What president is willing to meet with any Evangelical or Catholic leader if they risk lawsuits seeking records?

What president wants the news media to report on such meetings?

Over the years, presidents have met in time of crisis with special advisors, such as Billy Graham. What president wants every meeting to be made public?

Having just lived through the trauma of the fire near my Lake Arrowhead home, I'm disturbed by an activist judge, and the ultra-liberal political advocacy group Sierra Club.

Back in 2003, President Bush created a long overdue fire suppression plan that allowed for selective cutting of trees and brush between the forest and developed areas.

The plan was probably too conservative, but very practical. It allowed for clearing excess vegetation on 1,000 acres or less and controlled burns in land with 4,500 acres or less.

This could be done without the long, impossible process of environmental review that has hindered clearing the forests.

Before man stopped all forest fires, the forest by fire would clean itself. But in the last 50 years we've allowed vegetation to grow out of control to the long-term harm of the forest.

So the Sierra Club sued—and thanks to an activist judge, the Sierra Club can stop any clearing projects that would save lives and property.

It's wrong and outrageous. Who suffers? The taxpayers who will face huge costs in putting out unnecessary fires. The homeowners who could lose their houses, even lives. The firefighters who risk their lives. And the animals and forest lose too.

This is one reason the upcoming elections in 2008 are so important—selecting judges who do not legislate from the bench.

I'm glad to report Judge Martin Jenkins tossed out Jerry Brown's frivolous suit against the auto industry.

Brown sought to hold six automotive companies responsible for global warming.

This was a huge blow to Brown's environmental crusade. The judge said it was the legislature that makes the law, not judges, for issues like this.

Bottom line: What a waste of tax payer's money and the state lawyer's time for this ridiculous, expensive, irresponsible lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf's comments on a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts parents who object to their 5-year-old son being taught in kindergarten to approve of homosexuality:

“Almost all moral education is indoctrination. It's the reason we have public schools.”

In past issues of Reality Alert, we covered and asked prayer for the Elsinore Christian Center.

The church had been denied permits by the city and the city refused to issue a land use permit that would allow the church to purchase a commercial building for a new sanctuary.

All across America, churches spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (sometimes over $1 million, like Rolling Hills Covenant Church) to government agencies for expansion or building approvals.

This is money that should go to ministry, not city obstacles to allowing a new church or church growth.

Because so many churches have been discriminated against and denied their 1st Amendment rights, Congress unanimously passed RLUIPA (The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act) in 2000.

Attorney Bob Tyler and the Advocates for Faith and Freedom filed suit under RLUIPA in behalf of the Elsinore Church.

The case took seven years and amazingly-by God's grace-the liberal court ruled in favor of the church. The city then settled with the church, awarding it $1,205,000 in damages.

This is exciting and the body of Christ owes Bob Tyler and his group thanks for their efforts to defend the church and set a precedent that will impact the church nationwide as cities discover they can't get away with denying churches their constitutional rights.

We should also thank the church for defending itself-and all American churches-against unconstitutional city rulings. Many churches have blindly accepted city decisions and refused to stand up for their rights, hurting other churches in the process.

I encourage you to make a donation to Advocates for Faith and Freedom to help them in their next battle.

Click here to donate, or click here to find out more about this important organization.

If you have been to the Mojave National Preserve, you may have seen the 8-foot cross erected 73 years ago to honor World War I vets.

The ACLU attacked the cross with a lawsuit. Congress then agreed to a land trade with the Veterans of Foreign Wars—the acre of land containing the cross for five acres owned by the VFW, so the cross wouldn't be on government property.

Now, shockingly, the liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the land transfer.

Now, shockingly, the liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the land transfer...Get the full story. Sign up for a FREE all-access membership by clicking here.

We are glad to report that the United States Supreme Court has again overturned the liberal activist judges' ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

This was the 6th time out of 8 where the Supreme Court reversed the 9th Circuit Court. In this case, a man was sentenced to death for murder. The accused murderer appealed, but a federal judge rejected the appeal.

The man appealed again, but a 3-month appellate panel also rejected his appeal. But then the liberal, antideath penalty judges on the 9th Circuit agreed with the murderer's complaint.

This is another example of the critical importance of appointed and elected judges who wish to uphold the law, not legislating from the bench.

If you're interested in judicial issues, visit our website JudgeVoterGuide.com.

The California Supreme Court has refused to review two lawsuits challenging the $3 billion stem cell initiatives passed by votes with Proposition 71.

The decision was largely political by the activist judges. The suits claimed inadequate state supervision of Proposition 71 and that taxpayers would be harmed by the conflict of interest that will enrich a few at the expense of the taxpayers.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the policy decision at a California library that made meeting rooms available to the public, but denied them for use for Christian services.

Thus, religious free speech is less protected than secular speech—an outrageous affront to a free society.

Across America, the ACLU is using a little-known law that allows them to be awarded enormous attorney's fees from states, cities and school districts.

Here are a few examples:

• $950,000 from the city of San Diego to settle removing the Boy Scout meetings from the city's Balboa Park
• $500,000 in the "Ten Commandments Case" in Atlanta
• $90,000 from the Chicago Unified School District to settle a lawsuit from the Boy Scouts to ban them from using schools for gatherings
• $63,000 from the lawsuit to destroy the Mojave Desert World War I Veterans Memorial
• $1,000,000 (yes, 1 million) in the Intelligent Design case against the Dove, Pennsylvania, school board.

Here is what the ACLU does:

• Threatens a lawsuit if the government doesn't comply. The government understands if it loses (like with a cross or Boy Scouts), it will pay an obscene legal fine. Most government bodies cave in.
• If the government doesn't comply and they settle later, they will pay a huge fine.
• If they fight the ACLU's demands and lose, they suffer a huge fine.

Just the threat of a suit is helping the ACLU win. And if they win in court, they grow rich.

How can this outrage stop? Only if enough Christians go to the public to help stop their war on Christianity.

We need:

1. City, county and state officials who will resist the ACLU. That means Christians must be willing to run for office—and vote in local elections.
2. U.S. Congressmembers and Senators who will change this law. Senator Sam Brownback has a bill in Congress that would stop this.

It's called The Public Expressions of Religion Act. Click here to read Senator Brownback's offcial press release on the bill.