ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



First thoughts: Edwards' boost

Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007 9:18 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Julia Steers

 *** Edwards gets a boost: The Edwards campaign nabbed some solid Democratic credential-filled endorsements over the weekend, including a much-needed nod from the Iowa chapter of the SEIU (which Edwards officially receives today) and an enviro endorsement from Friends of the Earth Action. Is Edwards getting these endorsements because these groups know they'll be more important to him than they will be to resource-rich Clinton and Obama? Regardless, they are important boosts in the arm to the Edwards campaign. But also worth noting, the SEIU Iowa endorsement is good for Edwards (because of how it prevents other SEIU state chapters from coming in), but the two labor groups that matter more in the state are AFSCME and UAW. And Clinton may have inside edge for Gerry McEntee’s love.

*** Us versus them: Has there been a tougher politician for official Washington to get to know than Hillary Clinton? Bloomberg's Al Hunt has a great column today about this: "Her campaign has been brilliant. It is great at small stuff like bracket scheduling -- making sure she or a surrogate appears right before and after a major appearance by an opponent. It is equally good on big stuff… It also seems to be joyless, humorless and lacking in heart and soul. A take-no-prisoners, us vs. them mindset has served her well.” More: "She really believes the Washington ‘establishment' is hostile… Moreover, the griping about the media isn't without merit. She is a target of some of America's bloviating television pundits. Yet the Clinton campaign often sees a monolithic media -- whether mainstream print, broadcast or even Internet bloggers -- and it's the enemy. That produces a pervasive cynicism. Ultimately, that may cause problems for her campaign; it certainly will make it harder to govern if she wins the presidency." The irony of ironies is that Clinton may be more anti-establishment than she gets credit for since the Washington establishment is not as open to Clinton as the CW perceives.

*** Tough weekend for Romney? Over on the GOP side, Romney’s line -- channeling Howard Dean from 2004 -- that he represents the Republican wing of the Republican Party drew ire from, well, everyone, including Rudy and McCain. It gave them another opportunity to gang up on him. What do we make of the continued GOP piling on of Romney (and ignoring Rudy for that matter)? There's Dem consensus among the candidates not named Clinton to target the front-runner, but that’s not the case on the GOP side. There seems to be more intra-party venom for Romney than Rudy, which is perplexing to non-GOP insiders. Also, Romney’s straw poll loss in Nevada was pretty embarrassing since he attended and the winner (Ron Paul) did not.

*** Ohio blues: Meanwhile, House Republicans have ANOTHER retirement to deal with: nine-term Rep. David Hobson of Ohio. He's the 12th member of his party -- and third from the Ohio delegation! -- to announce his retirement this year. It’s not a great reflection on the House GOP leader, John Boehner, who is from Ohio. If he can't get his home state House veterans to stay, how can he get those teetering on retirement's edge in other states to stick with him for one more cycle?

*** The week ahead: While labor nods appear to be the order of the week for the Democrats, look for the Republicans to make their Christian conservative case as they prepare for what could be a very important forum in front of social conservative activists at the end of the week. Also today, filing to run for presidential officially opens today in New Hampshire. The first candidate who walked in to file? Per NBC/National Journal’s Mike Memoli, it was a man named Robert Haines.

*** On the trail: Edwards is in Iowa, where he talks about health care and later holds a press avail; Obama campaigns in Wisconsin; Richardson is in New Hampshire; Romney has a golf fundraiser in New York; Tancredo holds a town hall in New Hampshire; and Thompson, in New York City, speaks at the New York Conservative Party’s fall bash before sitting down for a live interview with FOX’s Neil Cavuto.

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Comments

Molly,Scranton PA... let's see a true liberal trait is that of trying to degrade others....let's see, do you mean like Ann Coulter??????  There's a liberal if I ever saw one!!
Laurie, Manasquan, NJ (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 11:24 AM)
Sorry Laurie, No.  I was referring to the millions of Liberals throughout the country and the dozens you can find on MSNBC’s blogs that do it everyday.  I’m sure if you tried real hard you could find two or three other national figures on the Republican side and some out of the general public, but when it comes to the everyday Liberal they all feel their superiority to others much like you.  Yes, there are some on the Right but the Left is full of those who feel they are God’s gift to humanity.  Have a nice day as I have more important things to attend to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEEjX6j_f4

olbermann calls it right on gulianni
mike, san antonio, texas (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:00 AM)

Olberman is an hack and a second rate sportscaster.  Using this guy as a source or argument for a point just shows how little common sense you have, and a lack of independent thinking.  
Looking for the Truth (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:36 AM)

Looking for the Truth, you still haven't found it.  How about refuting the argument instead of just name calling?  If that's all you've got, you've got nothing.

THE RESURRECTION OF IMUS: RETURNS ON NATION'S TOP TALK STATION
Mon Oct 15 2007 07:52:30 ET



The stunning comeback is a defeat for those who protested and picketed Imus earlier this year.

Imus is said to be particularly incensed by Senator Hillary Clinton's "shameless exploitation" of the Rutgers situation.

The senator, who Imus has called "satan" and the "devil", traveled to Rutgers in April


"Hillary, prepare to meet your maker!" a source close to the host joked early Monday.

Station executives are still tinkering with the new schedule at WABC, which will likely see current morning jock Curtis Sliwa paired with late morning's John Gambling.

Imus will be interviewed by Barbara Walters for a coming special.

Developing...

http://drudgereport.com/flashir.htm

He has never liked her and like him or not he has will will probably have a huge audience, many of whom will probably feel that his punishment was overly harsh.  Good bye Joe in the morning....this COULD be interesting
Well Molly I guess if there are millions of us we must be doing something right!!!  I don't feel superior, I feel a sense of obligation to my fellow human beings and to the morality of trying to make life better for all people not just a priviledged few. Molly, the problem with Republicans is that they don't do humanity very well.  It's not that people with a more liberal way of thinking feel that we are God's gift to humanity but rather that we have an obligation to humanity...to give back and leave this earth a better place than we found it.  It's not superiority...it's caring; something that's sorely lacking among conservatives.
Given the number of lifelong Democrats i know who will  never vote for Hillary, even in the general election, Republicans must be positively gleeful.

It really is sad that all the vaunted intellect of Democrats has boiled down to the prehistoric sentiment "Woman=good.  Man=bad."

Ah well, what more can we expect from the party that though Kerry was more electable than Edwards!
Laurie, good post at 11:58.  The only way the Big Lie works is if no one counters it with the truth.  As soon as you start disproving the lies and misinformation the whole thing just falls apart.
if you want to look at facts, fact is she never met a lobbyist she didn't like, she voted to blow iran up, she does not intend on getting out of iraq, her healthcare plan was written by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, the staff she has surrounded herself with reads like an episode of 'america's most wanted', and you tell me I don't who the real hillary is?

You don't care. You only care about your paranoid fantasies and venting your spleen.

For the THIRD time;

Monday :: Oct 8, 2007
Is Hillary Clinton a "Corporate Democrat"? - Part 1

by eriposte
UPDATE: Also see Part 2 and Part 3.

SUMMARY

This post examines the allegation that Sen. Hillary Clinton ☼ is a "Corporate Democrat" - namely, a person who is beholden to "Corporate America" and who is more likely to support "corporate interests" as President than the interests of average or middle-class Americans.

I find that the existing evidence, based on her Senatorial voting records compiled by Progressive Punch, Americans for Democratic Action, AFL-CIO and SEIU, does not really support this allegation. Indeed, the evidence suggests that Sen. Clinton's voting patterns are substantially and surprisingly progressive (ranging typically from 90-100%), including on corporate or labor issues. There are certainly serious issues where Sen. Clinton has unfortunately taken anti-progressive positions (e.g., her vote for a version of the Bankruptcy Bill in 2001), but the data reviewed here suggests that overall, she is far more progressive than corporatist. In the absence of additional or new data, I have to conclude that the label "Corporate Democrat", as applied to her, is inappropriate and extraordinarily misleading. In other words, while it is true that she has strong links to corporate America and corporatist interests, there is little or no evidence that she systematically votes in lock-step with those interests or even significantly in line with their positions. I provide a few plausible explanations for this dichotomy in the conclusions of this post.



http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/011131.php








You'll ignore it again, and post the same accusations again tomorrow.

Van
On believing the polls...maybe maybe not?

The portrait of the Obama campaign operating at ground level among national Democratic voters is a product of a new type of citizen journalism. In an unprecedented effort of campaign reporting, nearly two dozen Off The Bus correspondents monitored Obama Canvass for Change events in fourteen cities in nine crucial states during the past 48 hours and contributed to this report from venues as disparate as Keene, NH, Des Moines and Dubuque, and Minneapolis; Studio City, Corte Madera, Berkeley, Sacramento, Koreatown - Los Angeles, and Altadena, CA; from Boise, Brooklyn and Ballard; from Manhattan, KS, Memphis and Charlotte, NC. (To see all of our campaign monitor reports click here.)
Despite neighborhood and regional differences, and although the levels of sophistication and competency among the individual campaign events varied, our correspondents found several common themes, the most striking of which is to what degree Democrats still declare themselves undecided.



It's difficult to draw hard and fast conclusions from such anecdotal material but it might suggest that the slew of recent polls giving Hillary Clinton a commanding lead in the race for the nomination may be of limited utility. Correspondent Hova found widespread indifference toward Clinton as he went door-to-door with the Obama canvassers: "This was a fairly affluent suburb north of Los Angeles and I was really surprised not to find a single Hillary supporter in the neighborhood."
It's possible that numerous Democrats who have declared for Clinton to a pollster are like the shopper who hoists a likely candidate from the pumpkin bin inside the supermarket door. Maybe a keeper, maybe not, for there's the possibility of a better find further along in produce.
http://www.huffingtonpost
Unlike some press and many of the immature posts by those who like to try to degrade others (a true Liberal trait),
Molly, Scranton, PA (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:49 AM)

This is a ludicrous statement if there ever was one - apparently Molly has never heard of Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly - or even good ole' Jerry Corpus Christi - Apparently Molly has a very short memory, too - Remember the McCain incident and the Swift Boaters incident Molly?

"A true liberal trait"...ha, ha, ha, I don't think so!!
Hey jerry will stay and entertain all, I for one am sending him 3 shit eating dogs!
Molly IS Jerry in drag!
I'm a little tired of people saying that those who dislike Hillary do so only because she is a woman. While I'm sure that there are some people like that out there, it comes off as a little ignorant to make the assumption that this view is a majority one. The same goes for people who think Obama is a Muslim.

I don't care if Clinton is a woman, a man, or some combination of the two. Well, I might care about a combination. But the point is, unless some little person resides in her female body parts and is informing her policy decisions, let us please stop accusing people of being scared of having a woman president.
I must be missing something. In light of how much more money Hillary has raised than John Boy and that her poll numbers are 3-4 times more than his, why would the Iowa SEIU endorse Edwards? Wait a minute. People are still allowed to be free of mind and choice in America right? Oh, OK. Makes sense to me.
Hillary Rodham Clinton will be our next president! Go Hill!!
SOME PEOPLE TEND TO THINK THAT I DON'T LIKE BUSH. WELL IT JUST BECAUSE HE SUCKS ! IT'S WAY PAST TIME TO BEGIN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS, BUT NEVER TO LATE. "IMPEACH BUSH"
"LOL......Maybe if we have to give SCHIP to children between the ages of 18-25, they should not be allowed to vote.  Their minds are still full of mush. "


The VAST, VAST majority of American blood seeping into the Iraqi desert and running into Bahgdad sewers from the war you so whole-heartedly support is from 18-25 yo.  Have you no shame? (And I wouldn't be talking about "mush-heads" if I were you.)
JeanneGA says / MK, all your so called facts are half truths and outright lies.Did you get them from fox news?Figures.Maybe you are voting against her because she is a woman and you have "problems"with woman.
JeanneGA (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 11:56 AM)

 what are the half truths and outright lies? I don't remember posting any, please show me all your facts to the contrary,

 why is it anyone that points out hillary is a corrupt, lying, deceitful, corporate owned bush wanabe, they somehow have a 'problem' with women?

 the answer could be that some women that support hillary for purely sexist reasons become frustrated when they know that hillary is the fraud I claim she is, being unable to factually deny the truth, they fall back on the tired sexist drivel, whatever

sticks and stones may break my bones,
but you sexist chicks will never hurt me
Citizen J tell that to MK MO he thinks the support for Senator Clinton is ONLY because she is a WOMAN.  He is the ignorant, delusional one!
MK is so afraid he will get President Clinton and not Edwards he has become a raving maniac.
Never see anything in the media as to just how lousy a senator John Edwards was to the people of North Carolina. There is no question he was heading for a big defeat had he chosen to stand for re-election in 2004 rather than seek the Presidency. Anytime an NC citizen needed his help on a matter the response from his office was to ask what was in it for Senator Edwards. Nevertheless, "Pretty Boy" Edwards never missed a photo-op or to take credit for deeds accomplished by others. Of all the Democratic candidates for President, none is more plastic and insincere. Few politicians have been more self-serving.
Well it appears some "chick" has ruffled your feathers
MK MO..hope she cooked your "goose" too!  Good thing she was not a trained sharp shooter in the ARMED FORCES. That would really be worse than "sticks and stones."
Hail President Clinton our next Commander in Chief!
H P Boston,

I'm afraid that, as evidenced by the fact that I felt my statement needed posting, the people for whom it was intended are likely too dense to take heed.
"why is it anyone that points out hillary is a corrupt, lying, deceitful, corporate owned bush wanabe, they somehow have a 'problem' with women?"


"This post examines the allegation that Sen. Hillary Clinton ☼ is a "Corporate Democrat" - namely, a person who is beholden to "Corporate America" and who is more likely to support "corporate interests" as President than the interests of average or middle-class Americans.

I find that the existing evidence, based on her Senatorial voting records compiled by Progressive Punch, Americans for Democratic Action, AFL-CIO and SEIU, DOES NOT really SUPPORT this allegation. Indeed, the evidence suggests that Sen. Clinton's voting patterns are substantially and surprisingly progressive (ranging typically from 90-100%), including on corporate or labor issues."


http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/011131.php

I don't think you only have a problem with women...

Van



The Clintons are not owned by corporations, but global corporatism does indeed trust them more than anyone running now.  Another reason Gore will stay out. (and Hillary will win the whole shooting match!)
Global corporate interests will be served by a Clinton presidency and thus, ironically, by the interests of Bushco as well. None of the Republican candidates is even in the game.

Last word on global corporatism.  No one who is not in bed with this mega-cartel can serve as President of the United States.  If by some miracle of democratic idealism Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich won the presidency, the wheels would come off.  Disaster.  The game is played on a small private field and they are not players.  They have no union card.  No badges. It won't happen because it can't.

The good news is that geo-corporatism is basically apolitical.  They like well run companies (Bush W: NOT) and they like happy healthy consumer/producer mice.  The Clintons will provide that in a true win/win for America, you, me, and our Big Brothers around the world.  That, simply put, is the true American Dream of the 21st century and the Clintons are ready to deliver.

It could be worse.

SIERRA: Thanks for the breakdown on the war votes. Should be very helpful; if we are going to count experience, let's count the POSITIVE experience at supporting what the citizenry you represent(whether you moved to that district just to represent them or not) wants. If we are going to look at integrity, let's look at integrity (and I'd refer everyone to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (see link below), type in the candidates' names and see who comes out clean. Guess whose last chief fund raiser is under indictment? I'd rather have someone I can trust than someone who says what I want them to say.
Laurie, I started out being very excited about Hillary and her candidacy. I started researching, learning about the candidates, and have looked at all of them very carefully; what they stand for and what they say they stand for. She's not my girl.
Mark Thieme / although your statement is accurate, you sure know how to ruin a guy’s day, hard to keep up the political enthusiasm after reading your statement, guess maybe I will stop this foolishness and try to get some work done
Yes - Hillary's campaign has been "brilliant."

Hillary directed Hsu to donate to politicians in early and key primary states. Then most endorsed her - and began engaging state party leaders in changing the primary dates.  Earlier primaries helps Hillary because informed voters are already realizing her ever changing positions and lack of specificity - with lots of fluff.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/26/hsu_raised_big_money_for_clinton_supporters

The media has cast the Hillary-Hsu scandal as "Hsu was a bad man" - while the media CONCEALS the pay-to-play scheme that Hillary initiated with Hsu.

Very little difference in Hillary's and Karl Rove's playbook.

WooHoo!  Go Edwards!
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1007/Early_state_endorsements.html

Jerry Morrison, SEIU Illinois State Council, 312 560-6742

State’s Largest Union Endorses Barack Obama for President



The Illinois State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Indiana SEIU representing more than 170,000 workers has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The union of healthcare workers, security guards, janitors, public workers, home healthcare and childcare workers has a long-standing relationship with Senator Obama and is proud to support his candidacy.



Tom Balanoff, President of the SEIU Illinois State Council, cited Obama’s commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare and to protecting workers’ rights as among the biggest reasons for his union’s early endorsement.



In announcing the SEIU’s endorsement, President Balanoff called Obama, “a real fighter for working families with a proven track record of getting things done.” Balanoff also cited Obama’s early opposition to the Iraq War as proof positive that he has the judgment and vision necessary to serve in the nation’s highest office.



Illinois SEIU is widely recognized as one of the most effective political organizations in the state and is committed to helping organize thousands of its members to volunteer on the Senator’s presidential campaign. Already, hundreds of members are volunteering to phone bank, door knock and to travel to neighboring states to support Obama’s presidential bid.


Mark welcome back!  So we don't got no stinking BADGES?  Ron Paul and Kucinich are just for show?
The name of  the game is consume, consume, consume?
I assume the consume in ONLY from China.?
I know Big oil, drug companies and insurance rule but I hate the feeling of total impotence!
It is hard for me to get serious on this board because I am a pessimist and this is just a place to vent.
As a radical supporter of the First Amendment, I have opposed censoring even the most provocative and distasteful materials.
I do not support anything Rush Limbaugh has ever said, and my own opinion of the man as a human being is quite low.  No, he should neither be censored by the government nor the media.  But anyone who listens to him for "facts" does has not earned and do not deserve the rights and privileges of American citizenship.

This vanreuter character comes blasting on this board with his biased facts as if he were the Word come down.  Like Limbaugh, he cries when his judgment or intelligence is questioned, bleats and blares his acid in whatever direction he pleases.  Like Limbaugh, he is wind tunnel.  

If that is what people want to read on a political blog on Monday morning...well, I think you know my opinion.

Maybe someday vanreuter will have his own radio show where he gets to make fun of others and scream foul at every challenge.

Until then, I'll be waiting, listening, but no longer reading First Read, what was once one of the best political blogs online.  

Best wishes to all who linger here.

Listen to the silence of all those who have left.







Click.
Mark Thieme (Sent Monday, October 08, 2007 2:01 PM)


Silence is golden...your word, not so much.
Mary:
Good luck on that trust thing.  The last politician we could trust was George Washington.  He could not tell a lie.  He did cut down the cherry tree.  He did free his slaves (after he died).

Don't think he is running this time.


Question. How many folks here believe Hillary is beatable for the Democratic nomination?
Lyn, so what? He just doesn't have the balls at this time. Hillary does.
Ah Lyn, thats great for Obama. But Hillary still gets the nomination.
Z-

WHATEVER THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT BUSH...HE IS OUT...DONE...OVER WITH...OUR MAIN CONCERN SHOULD BE WHO IS NEXT...
BUSH SUCKS WE ALL AGREE YIPPEE...BUT THIS POST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT SO EITHER CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING USEFUL AND LESS REDUNDANT OR KEEP YOUR SAME OLD TIRED POST, THAT YOU PUT UP ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE,(BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THAT SAME STATEMENT FROM YOU ON AT LEAST FOR DIFFERENT FIRST READ POSTS),TO YOURSELF...
Luarie from Manasquan NJ, I stuck up for you last week against Jerry but I will disagree with you today concerning Hillary.  I do not want Hillary to the Democratic nominee but I will vote for her if she is.  It is not because I am a mysogynist or because I can't stand the idea of a woman being president.  I don't like her because I think she is the epitome of politics as usual.  She may be more competent and intelligent than George Bush but I think you will see her extend the policies of the corporate interests in this country and help them extend their influence as much as any past president (sans Duhhh-bya) and extend the national polarization which exists at this time.  I would vote for a woman who held similar ideas as Obama, Edwards & Paul if one existed.  Fact is, I think this country is ready for and should have a woman President; just not Hillary.
Why in God's name isn't MSNBC or any of the other MSM reporting the fact that John Edwards is actually the most "electable" of the Dem candidates in a general election? They are enamored of reporting the polling data that shows Clinton ahead in the primaries, yet have totally ignored three recent & well-respected polls showing that Edwards handily beats ALL the Dem candidates, including HRC & Obama, when matched against any of the leading Republican candidates. There's a huge disconnect here, and I think it's partly because Clinton has already been coronated the nominee, and the media simply ignores any data that shows she is weaker than Edwards in the GE. And also because voters today don't want to be bothered doing their own research on the candidates' stands on the issues. They prefer the soundbites.
Laurie I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the comment about sexism. The people in Jerry's party think women are great if they "know their place. Ronald Reagan's first wife, Jane Wyman only made one comment about him when he was running for president. She said he told her "We will get along alright as long as you let me do the thinking".
MK,MO-
Thank you, those are all the things I have wanted to say but couldnt quite write it out as well as you did...
Laurie, Nanasquan, NJ-
I am all for a woman president, just not Clinton,, and as much as I'd love to see a woman in the white house I wont vote for her ever....
--kim--

--Mormon faith, which some don't count as being a "true Christian"--

"true Christian"  If I put a Mars Bar into a Snickers wrapper, does that make the Mars Bar a Snickers? Today LDS claim that since "Christ" is in the name of their religion, they are "Christian." That is like saying all Latino sons named "Jesus" are the Christ, or all named "Christian" are Christian.

"True" Christians will NOT claim SPIRIT-BROTHER OF LUCIFER is their Christ. (e.g. just one example of where this is taught; in LDS-Gospel Principles, revised 1979, ch.3, and throughout LDS teachings/scriptures).

Lucifer was "Created" by the "true Christ." Lucifer was created an angel, but he wanted to become a god, have a throne above the stars (e.g. Isaiah 14).

Notice, please, the name of LDS: Church of Jesus "Christ-OF" Latter Day Saints...NOT: Latter Day "Saints-OF Christ."

WHO IS this Christ-OF LDS? A christ who is spirit-brother of Lucifer, was conceived by a dead-man-God of flesh and bones, a God who has many wives begetting him many spirit children, among whom are, LDS-Christ and Lucifer-Brothers...

LDSChrist WHO OFFERS MANKIND HIS WAY TO BECOME GODS--THE VERY PRIDE, AND COVETOUSNESS OF GOD ALMIGHTY, THAT GOT LUCIFER THROWN FROM HEAVEN!! THE VERY PRIDE, AND COVETOUSNESS OF GOD, THE VERY LIE OF LUCIFER THAT GOT FIRST MAN THROWN FROM GARDEN OF PARADISE!! ("you will not die, you will become as God")(e.g. Isaiah 14; Genesis 3; [LDS]Moses 4; LDS-Gospel Principles, revised 1979, ch.3; also, LDS Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; 132).

Salvation for "true" Christians is Instantaneous. The very instant we accept GOD's "GRACE"--GOD'S GIFT, FREELY GIVEN, WITHOUT MERIT, UNEARNED, RECIPIENT UNWORTHY OF(e.g. Ephesians),we are born again, of the Spirit. "...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...That which is born of the flesh is flesh;" (LDSChrist born of LDSGod who is flesh and bones (LDS doctrine & Covenants 130:22). "and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." ("...she was found with child OF the HOLY GHOST...that which is conceived in her is OF THE HOLY GHOST (the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD. Matthew 1:18,20,)."...Except [someone]be born of water and of the Spirit, he[/she] cannot enter into the kingdom of God"(John 3:5), When a mother goes into labor to give birth to her child-in-the-flesh, her "water" breaks forth. When we are born again, GOD'S SPIRIT breaks forth, annointing us...we become "Christ-annointed"-ones, Christ-ains. In that instant, by GOD'S Grace, because He loves us so much, we receive Everlasting Life(ZOE-the best of the best forever).

"As many as received Him, (The CHRIST)to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...full of grace and truth....For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.(John 1:12-14,17)

We are made joint-heirs with Christ...that does NOT mean we become gods. If I inherit joint-ownership of acres of land, along with my brother, and my brother is Mayor of the entire city, including the acres I inherited in joint-ownership with the Mayor, that doen't mean I, too, become a Mayor, or ever will.

"But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son...to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons(Galatians 4:4a-5). This doesn't mean, if there is a SON who is KING, that all adopted sons will be King.

READ ISAIAH 44, just one example of GOD'S declaration that HE, ALONE, IS GOD, THERE IS NO OTHER, NEVER HAS BEEN, NEVER WILL BE. Yet LDS teach there are many gods and they, too, may become gods someday. (e.g.[LDS]Abraham; Doctrine & Covenants 132)Are they "true" believers of GOD? No.

To slap the name of Jesus, Christ, God, the Holy Spirit on anything, anyone, cannot make them "true Christians," "true God" "true Holy Spirit."

If someone came along and said they heard from Bhudda that from now on people should only listen to those who claimed to be modern prophets of Bhudda and from now on these would be "true Bhuddists," would that make them "true" Bhuddists? Should Bhuddists since ancient times now become "false" Bhuddists because someone had assumed Bhuddist names/words/phrases, claiming to be the "true" Bhuddists? Should these new "Bhuddists" be accepted because they carry the name "Bhudda" or else, those who follow the Bhuddism of centuries, who do not accept different Bhuddism, be called "bigots" "intollerant" "persecutors" ??? Would "true" Bhuddists care if those following "modern prophets," who claimed age-old doctrine were wrong, if pseudo-Bhuddists called the Bhuddists of ages bad names for not accepting them, would they care? I think not. I think, rather, they would pray for them to see the truth, as "true" Christians pray today.
 
HP:
Yeah.  Me too.  Mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!

As Buck (Gene Hackman) said to Clyde (Warren Beatty) in "Bonnie and Clyde"....

"...so, uh, Clyde... whaddawe gonna...do?"



jl:
No fan of Romney here.  Must point out, it's "Buddha."  And yes, such splintering has occurred in Buddhism for 2500 years.  And in Judaism, Islam and, last but not least, Christianity.

Christianity as we know it was invented in 325 at the Council of Nicea.  It was presided over by a pagan Roman emperor (Constantine) who saw it in the interests of the Empire to take this little bickering group and turn them into soldiers for Christ and Rome.

Funny things happen on the way to the Colosseum.

Romney is just another pagan for sale to the Empire.

    i know today will be the day Pat Tillman's mother learns the truth about her son's death otherwise, it will turn out to be another
Good afternoon, just keep in mind Bush sucks ! Impeach Bushie for a cleaner America !
Impeach Bush, he sucks !
Mark Thieme... As Thelma(Geena Davis) said to Louise
(Susan Sarandon) Movie of the same names.........

FLOOR IT!
I go away for a couple of hours and a firestorm breaks out LOL.

If the democrats are so bent on calling people 18-25 children, let them have the guts to come out and say it.  By calling people 18-25 children, the liberals have put themselves in a corner.  A lot of people 18-25 are pretty pissed right now that the democrats consider them children.  If you are going to treat them like children libs, go all the way!
MR. CRAIG SUCKS AND STILL IN OFFICE ! ALL REPUBLICANS SUCK !


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