Son of Oral Roberts Arrested on DUI Charge

Richard Roberts, the son of the late evangelist Oral Roberts, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper stopped the 63-year-old just past midnight driving 93 miles per hour in his Mercedes-Benz.

According to the arrest report, Roberts failed a breathalyzer and field sobriety test.

The officer "detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage about Roberts' breath and person," the report said.

Roberts served as president of Oral Roberts University for 15 years before stepping down in 2007.

He currently hosts a nightly television show called, "The Place for Miracles: Your Hour of Healing."

Sounds like he should be hosting "Happy Hour with Dicky Roberts" 

Evangelical leader urges Gingrich to explain 'turbulent marital history'

A leading religious conservative warned Newt Gingrich Wednesday that he risks losing the support of evangelical women voters if the Republican presidential hopeful refuses to publicly address his "turbulent martial history."

"Mr. Speaker, if you want to get large numbers of evangelicals, particularly women, to vote for you, you must address the issue of your marital past in a way that allays the fears of evangelical women,"

Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said in an open letter to the former House speaker. "You must address this issue of your marital past directly and transparently and ask folks to forgive you and give you their trust and their vote."

I have met and spoke with Mr. Land on a few occasions. I must say I find him a bit off base here. I'm not sure Mr. Gingrich needs to seek forgiveness from anyone but his ex-wives. Trust is indeed an issue but we are not marrying Newt we are voting for him.

Mr. Land urged the new GOP front-runner to take a page out of Arizona Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential playbook.

"Even my own mother, a rock-solid evangelical, was extremely uncomfortable voting for Sen. John McCain until he acknowledged to Rick Warren that the failure of his first marriage was the greatest regret of his life and it was his fault," Mr. Land, referring to the high-profile evangelical pastor who hosted both Mr. McCain and then-candidate Barack Obama in an influential forum during the 2008 race.

Why should any candidate beg forgiveness at the feet of Rick Warren? Mr. Warren himself has done some things that would cost him my vote for president.

There is an evangelical arrogance that appears often in it's leaders and they tend to over estimate their power and influence. How Mr. Land's mother votes does not really matter. She would have had to vote for Obama or not vote. Neither is a good alternative.

Mr. Gingrich's marital troubles, including two divorces have cast a shadow over his political career and presidential campaign, leaving many to wonder whether he can win over social conservatives in the nomination contest, which kicks off in Iowa where evangelicals play a major role.

Two of the Georgia Republicans three marriages are said to have fallen apart thanks to Mr. Gingrich's extramarital activity. Mr. Gingrich has acknowledged cheating on one of them, with his current wife, Callista, while he served as speaker and pushed for the impeachment of President Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair in the late 1990s.

In a March interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Mr. Gingrich touched on his marriage problems, saying he had sought "God's forgiveness" for his actions.

"There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate," Mr. Gingrich said.

"What I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn't trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them," he said. "I found that I felt compelled to seek God's forgiveness — not God's understanding, but God's forgiveness."

Mr. Land, though, suggested in his letter Wednesday that Mr. Gingrich still has his work cut off for him, while advising him to give a speech on his martial history in a "pro-family venue."

"You need to make it as clear as you possibly can that you deeply regret your past actions and that you do understand the anguish and suffering they caused others including your former spouses," Mr. Land wrote. "Make it as clear as you can that you have apologized for the hurt your actions caused and that you have learned from your past misdeeds. Express your love for, and loyalty to, your wife and your commitment to your marriage. Promise your fellow Americans that if they are generous enough to trust you with the presidency, you will not let them down and that there will be no moral scandals in a Gingrich White House."

Is there another agenda here? Mr. Gingrich was a Southern Baptist during his two divorces. He has since converted to Catholic. Will that be an issue for Mr. Land? While I don't condone his actions, I hope Newt tells Mr. Land to get the log out his own eye first.

PETA and the Prez

President Obama earlier this month quietly signed into law a spending bill that restores the American horse-slaughter industry, just a few months after a government investigation said the ban on slaughtering for human consumption was backfiring.

The agriculture spending bill Mr. Obama signed the week before Thanksgiving did not include a ban on the inspection of horse meat — a backdoor prohibition that had, since 2006, effectively halted the U.S. horse-slaughter industry.

In June the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s official investigative branch, released a report saying the ban had shut down U.S. slaughter, but that only depressed prices for horses here while causing many of the animals to be shipped to “foreign slaughtering facilities where U.S. humane slaughtering protections do not apply.”

In unusually blunt language, GAO suggested Congress and Mr. Obama reconsider the ban.
The options facing Congress were to further ban export of horses for slaughter or to lift the domestic slaughter ban. Congress chose the latter.

And the response from PETA..................................... Still waiting.

Washington Times

Dancing with the Scars

Chaz (Chasity) Bono jumped into the fame spolight as a transgender contestant on Dancing with the Stars. One has to wonder why? She has trouble walking much less dancing. Was it the "freak factor" show producers considered? If so shame on them and why would Bono agree to it?

"Chaz" was born a girl and spent a lot of time and money trying to change that. The result is a sad physical representation of a man. 

Bono's run on the show has ended. "I wanted to show America a different kind of man. If there was somebody like me on TV when I was growing up, my whole life would've been different."

And therein lies the probelm. The reason there was not a person like that is because there should not be. To toss aside and attempt to change how God has created a person is wrong. I can only hope younger folks look at Chasity/Chaz and conclude they don't want to end up like that.

Bono continued: 'So I dedicate everything I did to all the people out there like me, and especially the kids and teens who are struggling.You can have a wonderful great life and be successful and happy'

You can change the outside and fool the world but your soul remains the same. I feel bad for someone so confused in life. It has to be tough to live like like that. Deep inside Chaz is still a female. That won't ever change. It's seems the misguided attempts to fix the issue have only made it worse.

Hundreds Cut By Clear Channel

The bloodletting continues. The rumored CLEAR CHANNEL layoffs are underway. The cuts took place primarily in the smaller markets -- with a few exceptions.
One outgoing programmer told said, "They simply told me that programming would be delivered in a different manner, eliminating the need for my position."

A CLEAR CHANNEL spokesperson explained that the layoffs were not budget related -- rather were a new programming strategy from CLEAR CHANNEL. "We're launching a new strategy for our regional market stations that will improve local programming in smaller markets by using assets and resources in those markets that their competitors don't have. It reflects new approaches to programming, talent, technology and other valuable resources -- based on CLEAR CHANNEL's most effective and efficient stations."

CLEAR CHANNEL declined to comment on specific names or totals of persons leaving the company. But there is an estimate that it's "many hundreds of folks" who are part of the "reduction in force."

I've been down that road and it's not easy. However, that's how Pierce Events was born. I wish the best to each one of them and hope they are inspired to do great things.

Rotten Apple

Owning an iPad pr Apple PC is a requirement in some circles. I haven't bought in. After having to return 4 (yes 4) ipods I became very cautious when it came to Apple products. Oh they are slick and look cool but I need it to work. Therein lies the problem.

While most of the software is great, Apple’s hardware is awful. After meeting several people who work at the "Genius Bar" I was told the repeating issues with my iPod may be how I used it. Huh? I played music on it till it stopped.

I'm not the only one out there. I found all kinds of last ditch efforts to save a dying iPod. Most of them I tried after being told I would just have to buy a new one. So now my cracked screen, grinding had drive, ipod is an expensive paper weight.

Apple has done an amazing job with product development and an even better job at marketing and building brand loyalty. I only wish their product lasted a bit longer.

I know the apple addicts out their are gasping right now but when you go to turn on your ipad, pod, phone or whatever and you get that sinking feeling you will understand.

RIP Steve Jobs. Oh and take my iPod with you.

The Attack on Religion From The West Wing

President Barack Obama bragged about a new regulation, proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services, that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has denounced as an “unprecedented attack on religious liberty.”

The proposed regulation, designed to implement part of Obamacare, will require all private health plans in the United States to cover sterilizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives--including those that cause abortions—without charging any fees or co-pay. These regulations were drawn to implement a provision in Obama’s health-care law that calls for all health-care plans to cover “preventive services.”

Combined with Obamacare’s mandate that all individuals must buy health insurance, the “preventive services” regulation would require all American Catholics to buy health care plans that pay for sterilizations, contraceptives and abortions--all of which violate Catholic moral teaching.

Never before in the history of our nation has a president attempted to mandate individuals put aside their religious and moral beliefs. This a gross abuse of power and a direct attack on the authority of the church.

In comments on the regulation submitted to HHS last month, the Catholic bishops called for the regulation to be “rescinded in its entirety” and described the proposal as “government coercion of religious people.”

Last week, the Catholic bishops distributed an insert for placement in church bulletins all across the country. It called on Catholics to contact HHS to object to the regulation. On their website the bishops are now asking Catholic to write Congress to urge members to support legislation that would overturn the regulation.

Cain Says You're Able

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has a message for those who continue to occupy Wall Street.

“I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration.
Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself! These demonstrations…I honestly don‘t understand what they’re looking for…It is not someone’s fault because they succeeded, it is someone’s fault if they failed.”

A child will kick and scream if you take a toy away. Things are about to change and folks are going to have to actually work and earn everything. Our nation is broke because or government has funded those to lazy to do anything other than put their hand out.

People will get angry. They may even get violent, but it's time we return to the baisc principles of our nation. They only thing  you are promised is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So pursue away if you wish but don't expect anything to be given to you.

Race for the Blur: Why You Should Not Support Komen for the Cure organization

Going back in the Powerblog archives I discovered our first story on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation written in 2007.

Most people know the work of the foundation in the area of breast cancer research and the national "race for the cure".

What many do not know is the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation that so many people support, often gives some of that money to Planned Parenthood, the world's largest abortion provider.

While we have been covering the story for 4 years now Bishop Frederick F. Campbell of Columbus, Ohio, is the latest Catholic bishop to instruct churches and schools that he oversees to not engage in fundraising for the Komen for the Cure organization because of its ties to Planned Parenthood.

Bishop Frederick F. Campbell of Columbus, Ohio, is the latest Catholic bishop to instruct churches and schools that he oversees to not engage in fundraising for the Komen for the Cure organization because of its ties to Planned Parenthood.

The Catholic bishops of Ohio, with the exception of Cleveland Bishop Richard Lennon, eventually released a statement that directs Catholic parishes’ and schools’ fundraising efforts toward activities and organizations fully consistent with Catholic moral teaching. Their conclusion is that, while they support efforts to arrest breast cancer, they don’t believe Komen is the best recipient of funds from Ohio Catholics

Catholic Bishop: Boot Pro-Abortion Politicians From Church

A Catholic bishop in North Dakota recently gave an interview in which he gave some of the strongest comments yet from a Catholic Church leader on the thorny questions of what to do about Catholic politicians who support abortion.

Bishop Samuel Aquila makes it crystal clear he believes there is a process by which Catholic officials should confront pro-abortion politicians and that they should be “expelled” from the Church if they don’t back down from supporting abortion.

This was one of my strongest criticisms of Arch Bishop Donald Wuerl. At a critical time during the last election he refused to take a strong stand and defend church teaching as high profile "catholics" dismissed the abortion issue.

Responding to the question, “How should the Church respond to Catholic politicians who support legalized abortion,” Bishop Aquila says: “Their particular bishops can use the process of correction that is given to us in sacred Scripture, especially in Matthew’s Gospel. Our Lord tells us to speak to the person, and then take two or three others with us if he does not change.”

“If he still does not change, the Church can speak to him, which is done through the bishop. [The bishop] exercises the authority of Christ. Christ then says that if that person is still obstinate and will not change, treat them as a tax collector or Gentile. Expel him,” Bishop Aquila adds.

Far from delighting in throwing people out of the Catholic Church, Aquila said, “We do this out of love for the person, seeking his conversion. He needs to understand that the salvation of his soul is in jeopardy because of the positions he is taking.”

“Catholics are called to defend human life, particularly that of the unborn. The Church’s teaching is clear. If we don’t challenge public officials who reject this teaching, we leave them in their sins and confuse the faithful,” the bishop said.

My thanks to the bishop for consulting scripture in the matter and not just spouting some politically correct answer.

It remains concerning that church leadership is divided on this issues and does not seem to speak with a united voice on the matter. It's time for official clarification to come from Rome.