Friday, February 05, 2010
Joshua DuBois, the White House Office Faith Director and someone who is close to the President on matters of faith tells The Brody File that questioning President's Obama's Christian faith goes "beyond the boundaries of what's acceptable" I spoke with DuBois Thursday afternoon.
The President said the following in his National Prayer Breakfast speech on Thursday:
"Surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship."
Why did the President feel the need to include that line in the speech? I asked Joshua DuBois about that. Video and transcription below.
Joshua DuBois: "I think the general sort of uncivil tone of some of the discourse is troubling not just to the President but to a lot of the people, a lot of the pastors we talk with on a daily basis, folks who may not agree with us on particular issues all the time but when you are doing things like that when you are calling someone's faith into question, when you are questioning someone's motives these are things that feel like they go beyond the boundaries of what's accetable and what's right and so i think that's what he was speaking to this morning."
Thursday, February 04, 2010
President Obama may have been the main attraction at today's National Prayer Breakfast but college football and Heisman Trophy star Tim Teblow wasn't far behind.
Tebow has been in the news recently for this so called 'controversial ad" celebrating life and family that will air during the Super Bowl this Sunday.
Tebow closed the prayer breakfast with a prayer. President Obama had left the room by the time Tebow delivered this. The video of the prayer is below along with the transcription.
Dear Jesus, thank you for this day today. Thank you for bringing together so many people that have a platform to influence people for you.
Lord as we disperse today, let us be united in love, hope, and peace. Lord, let us come together as one and break down all the barriers in between us that separate us. Lord you came to seek and save that which is lost, and we thank you for that. Lord we don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future, and in that there is peace, and in that there comfort, and in that there is hope.
Lord we pray for the people all over the world that are hurting right now.
The verse that comes to mind is James 1: 2-4, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, whenever you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing."
And we pray for the people in Haiti right now Lord, that you make them perfect and complete because you love them and have a plan for their lives, just as you do with our lives now.
So my prayer, as we leave today, that we are united as one because of you. We love you and thank you. In Jesus name, amen.
More here.
The Brody File reports tonight on the first Tea Party Convention down in Nashville. In the piece, you'll hear exclusive interviews with Ralph Reed and Dick Armey. Plus get my analysis.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
This just in to The Brody File. It was sent to me from a White House official regarding President Obama's remarks Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast:
On Thursday, the President will deliver remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. In his remarks, he will discuss the need for civility in the public square, and how Americans can work together in a spirit of good will. He will also stress the importance of an openness to compromise and differing perspectives, to disagree without being disagreeable and to step out of our comfort zones to bridge divides.
If only..... An answered prayer on that one would be nice wouldn't it?
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
The Brody File show for this week is up. We recorded it in Hawaii where the Republican National Committee meetings were held last week. Watch below. I'm in an Hawaiin shirt. That should be reason enough to watch.
Monday, February 01, 2010
The Brody File has exclusive video of Former GOP Majority Leader Dick Armey speaking to conservative caucus members of the Republican National Committee at their meeting in Hawaii last week. He was invited there by the conservative group because as the current Chairman of Freedom Works he is a major player in the Tea party Movement.
Armey had tough words for both President Obama and George W. Bush. He also says the way it stands now, the GOP has already won 15 House seats before even lifting a finger campaigning because of the Democrats overreaching agenda He makes clear that the GOP has had nothing to do with it so far. He also talks about how the GOP has broken hearts along the way and how the Contract WITH America won’t work this time around. He sees it more like the Contract FROM America.
By the way, this WAS NOT an open press event. Rather, The Brody File was exclusively invited in at our request. Please note that because this was not an official press event, the audio is natural sound only but you can still pick it up. Put in your hearing aid.
Dick Armey on GOP Identity crisis:
“Bless their heart. They go through more identity crises than the average college sophomore. They just don’t seem to be able to understand and stay consistently devoted to who they are.”
Dick Armey: George W. Bush “broke our hearts”
“Bill Clinton was careless, he was self indulgent but he didn’t strike fear in our hearts because we never saw with a purpose of an ideological divine purpose to transform America into something it should never be.”
“And then we took over again with George W. Bush and he broke our hearts but he didn’t do it all by himself. He had a whole Congress help him.”
“How many of you had your heart broken? And then what we found is the Republican party at times can lift our spirits and give us reason to hope and to really care and to dare and to be prideful and to dream and then they can take it all away."
Dick Armey on GOP and Tea Party Movement joining forces:
“So this new force, the grassroots activist force knows that they must if they’re going to preserve liberty in this Republic they must find away to help the Republican Party rehabilitate itself back into the party of Reagan. The party of liberty, the party of Goldwater. “
“If the Republican Party can find its way back there and demonstrate a commitment and a resolve then we’ll have the largest force on the field as their allies because right now the largest force on the field is the grassroots small government activist.”
“Now here’s the deal. The Republican Party standing alone in its confusion can not beat the Democrats. The small government conservative standing alone in their resolve that their mighty as heaven can not beat the Democrats. But if we can bring them together we are the force to be reckoned.”
Dick Armey on GOP Chances in 2010:
“Now here’s where I think we are by the numbers. Obama has scared America so much that today he has put in the bag at least 15 Republican House victories in the House of Representatives. That’s there and by the way every one of those victories that are out they’re in the bag is to no credit to the Republican Party. That’s the first troche (wheel) of change that comes out of bitter disappointment in the Democrats. It’s not enough to get the Republicans to a majority but it’s a pretty darn good beginning. In the senate, there’s probably 5 , maybe 6 seats that he’s put in the bag. Now the question is can the Republican Party restore itself to the point of view where it shows a level of conviction and commitment so it merits our allegiance and if we get it regain the rest of the seats that are necessary.”
Dick Armey on why Contract WITH America won’t work this time:
“The contract with America worked well because we had the credibility. People believed it. And we had an easy job by the way in 1994. All we had to do was say to America is give us a shot at it. Give us a chance. We’re not them. Nobody was alive in this country that could remember ever having been disappointed in a Republican majority. Now these guys have got to go back and say give us a shot at it, we’re not them and by the way we’re not who we were when we broke your heart.”
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Forget Jerry Seinfeld. Forget Friends. The new star of Must See TV night is President Obama.
Call it whatever you want. Whether it was smart, dumb, a gamble, political calculating or all of the above, when President Obama appeared in front of hundreds of chomping at the bit Republicans with the cameras rolling on live TV he not only made for Must See TV, he also provided the much needed transparency jolt that voters want to see. The President passed the test with flying colors.
This was the American version of those back and forth British Parliament sessions. (The only element missing was John Boehner and Eric Cantor in full white wig mode.) It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that President Obama’s decision to step into the GOP lion’s (elephant’s?) den was designed as a political move. He needs some Republicans on board with his agenda and showing up in front of them may expose them politically as the party of No. But to only consider the political implications misses the point entirely. The upside for President Obama after this political grudge match is measurable.
First of all, he now has the ultimate trump card in transparency. To be able to field questions from the enemy on live TV takes guts. Talk about transparent. This is as naked politically as you can get. This could have been a colossal failure. The White House clearly wanted cameras in there for political reasons but don’t think for a second that this couldn’t have horribly backfired. Who’s to say that President Obama wouldn’t have been confronted with some sort of nasty, embarrassing, in your face question? Sort of like a “Joe Wilson on Steroids moment?” You think that wouldn’t have made the “Youtube” rounds and sent Robert Gibbs into defensive daily briefing mode? It’s a chance the President didn’t have to take but he did.
Secondly, to sit there and listen to a talking points question for three minutes and keep your composure showed President Obama at his level headed best. He looked grown up and mature. He gave as good as he received without this developing into a political food fight that only John Belushi could love. In short, he looked presidential.
Finally, this move by The White House to allow cameras in for the event played right into one of the President’s main strengths. In case you haven’t noticed, the guy is smart. Every time a Republican had a fact, the President had one to match. While you may not agree with the President’s argument, he was able to argue his point but not come across as argumentative. That’s not easy. With all due respect to the President’s ability to give a good speech, he’s actually better without the teleprompter. It makes him less robotic and instead more real. Lofty rhetoric sounds nice but talking regular makes for more believability.
In a day and age where voters are angry and skeptical of politicians, a transparent and open dialogue between the President and his critics is needed in the worst way. We can only hope that there are more of these to come. The American people want to see it. We deserve to have a front row seat. After all, we’re paying top dollar for it right?
While there was a political motive behind this (when is there ever not a political motive? That’s why it’s called POLITICS) that doesn’t change one simple fact: The President of the United States took a gamble. He showed up. He took the GOP’s best shot and while he probably didn’t leave the room with fewer critics, he left with something far more important: more credibility with the American people who want to see politicians stand up, start solving problems and act like grown ups rather than little children.
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Brody File is reporting tonight from the RNC Winter Meetings in Hawaii.
Here in Honolulu the Republican Party avoided the appearance of a huge intramural fight by NOT taking up or even voting on the controversial Reagan Resolution which some have called a "purity test".
More below from the Assocated Press:
The Republican National Committee, pressed to find a way to more clearly distinguish itself from Democrats, on Friday adopted a rule that requires GOP candidates to support the party's platform to obtain financial support.
The resolution, enacted by voice vote with no opposition at the party's winter meeting here, is an alternative to a more stringent proposal that would have required GOP candidates to support 10 policy positions if they wanted party help.
That proposal, sponsored by Indiana RNC member James Bopp and backed by the RNC's more conservative members, was strongly opposed by party Chairman Michael Steele and a group of state party chairs.
The alternative, offered by RNC member Bill Crocker of Texas, does not contain a specific litmus test and thus grants party officials more flexibility in how to vet GOP candidates seeking party support.
It urges leaders of local, state and national Republican parties to ''carefully screen'' the voting record and positions of Republican candidates that want party backing, and determine whether they ''wholeheartedly support the core principles and positions'' of the party as laid out in its platform.
The platform is adopted every four years at the party's presidential nomination convention.
The new rule will not prevent support for moderate Republican candidates but will bar funding for those judged to be too far to the left, Crocker said.
''No more Scozzafavas, please. No more Specters, please. No more Chafees, please,'' Crocker said, referring to Dede Scozzafava, a GOP candidate for a U.S. House seat in New York whom conservatives opposed; U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched his party registration from Republican to Democrat last year, and former U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, a liberal Republican.
Crocker urged the party to ''present candidates who will be attractive'' to the people who like those in the Tea Party who are really dissatisfied with our political conduct over the past several years.''
Bopp withdrew his proposal and supported the alternative, contending it will be more effective because party leaders will have to consider a broader range of issues than just those cited in his resolution.
His proposal would have barred financial help for GOP candidates who disagreed with three or more of 10 policy positions, including support for ''market-based'' health care reform and climate change policies, and opposition to gun control, government abortion funding and amnesty for illegal immigrants.
There appeared to be some disagreement over the practical effect of Crocker's resolution. Bopp said it requires party leaders to compare GOP candidate positions to the party platform. But Bob Tiernan, the GOP state chairman in Oregon, insisted it is not binding.
''There's nothing mandatory in it,'' Tiernan said.
This is probably the best outcome Republicans could hope for at this point. It keeps the mainstream media away from writing constant stories about dissension within the GOP. However, the reality is that this "compromise" resolution really doesn't have much teeth in it at all so it makes you wonder the following: Where exactly is the accountability in all of this? The line in the sand still seems murky. That's not going to help the GOP with the tea party crowd.
The sponsor of the "purity test" resolution is Jim Bopp. Watch for interview clips with him early next week on The Brody File.