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Archive for June 14th, 2007

Ruth Bell Graham Dies

Wife of Billy Graham Succumbs to Lingering Illness, Surrounded by Loved Ones at Her Deathbed

MONTREAT, N.C., JUNE 14—Mrs. Ruth Bell Graham, beloved wife of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, died at 5:05 p.m. today, at her home at Little Piney Cove in Montreat, N.C., surrounded by her husband and all five children. She was 87. Dates and times for a family-only interment ceremony and a public memorial service will be released when available.

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team,” Mr. Graham said of his life-long marriage and ministry partner. “No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together,” Mr. Graham continued. “We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Mr. Graham confirmed today that his wife’s final resting place will be at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the Prayer Garden on the grounds of the recently dedicated Library bearing his name adjacent to his ministry headquarters in Charlotte. Earlier this year the Grahams agreed together that they would be buried side-by-side at the Library, a decision made by the two of them alone.

Ruth Bell was born June 10, 1920, in Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China, the daughter of medical missionaries L. Nelson and Virginia Leftwich Bell. She attended high school in Pyongyang, (now North) Korea. She first came to the United States at the age of 7, while her parents were on furlough. She returned to the U.S. at the age of 17 to attend Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. Shortly after his arrival on campus, she was introduced to “Preacher,” the nickname other students gave the strapping Billy Graham from Charlotte, North Carolina. They were married in August, 1943, following their graduating together that June.

Between 1945 and 1958, Mrs. Graham gave birth to five children, whom she raised—sometimes single-handedly—while her husband was away on extended national and international evangelistic crusades. The three daughters and two sons who survive her are all actively involved in ministry, including eldest son Franklin, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) founded by his father.

“My father would not have been what he is today if it wasn’t for my mother,” Franklin said. “She stood strong for what was biblically correct and accurate. She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn’t right or heard something that she felt wasn’t as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that. Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father.”

In 1959, Mrs. Graham published her first book, “Our Christmas Story,” an illustrated volume for children. She went on to write or co-author 13 other books, many of them works of poetry she wrote as an emotional release while her husband was so often on the road through the years.

“I don’t believe Mother has adequately been recognized and honored for what she had done; because, without her, Daddy’s ministry would not have been possible,” said Ruth Graham, youngest daughter—and namesake—regarding her mother’s influence and partnership in her father’s ministry.

“How does one live with one of the world’s most famous men?” daughter Ruth continued. “God began training my mother for this position years ago in China. Her parents exercised a profound effect upon the development of her character, and laid the foundations for who she was. What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself—dependence on God in every circumstance, love for His Word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile.

“Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances,” the younger Ruth concluded. “She was a lovely, beautiful and wise woman, because early in life she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant, and her vision.”

Mrs. Graham’s significant role in Mr. Graham’s ministry was recognized in 1996, when they were jointly awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a special ceremony in the Capital Rotunda in Washington, which reflected a consensus of love and support from all branches of government in attendance.

Ruth Graham was always a vital part of Mr. Graham’s evangelistic career, and he turned to her for advice and input about many ministry decisions. One of the early uses of media by the BGEA was the “Hour of Decision” radio program begun in 1950, which she named. After her upbringing in China and high school experience in Korea, she continued to have a burden for the people of Asia. She encouraged her husband to visit and later accompanied him during his historic visits to the People’s Republic of China.

Ruth Graham has been in frail health since suffering spinal meningitis in 1995. That was exacerbated by a degenerative back condition that began with a fall out of a tree while helping a grandchild fix a swing in 1974 that resulted in chronic back pain for many years. Bedridden or wheelchair-bound since the late 1990s, Mrs. Graham wasn’t able to accompany her husband during his last few years of ministry, but was always a continued source of inspiration and support for him through her prayers and wise biblical counsel.

Mrs. Graham is survived by her husband Billy; daughters Virginia, Anne Morrow, and Ruth Bell; sons William Franklin, III, and Nelson Edman; 19 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

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While I am not one of those die hard reality show fans, this piece at Macsmind is well worth a listen.

This individual is truly blessed with a wonderful gift.

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As expected Judge Walton has ruled that as far as he is concerned Lewis Libby will go directly to jail and will not pass Go.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal judge said Thursday he will not delay a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby in the CIA leak case, a ruling that could send the former White House aide to prison within weeks.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton’s decision will send Libby’s attorneys rushing to an appeals court to block the sentence and could force President Bush to consider calls from Libby’s supporters to pardon the former aide.

No date was set for Libby to report to prison but it’s expected to be within six to eight weeks. That will be left up to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which will also select a facility.

“Unless the Court of Appeals overturns my ruling, he will have to report,” Walton said.

Let’s see what the appeals court decides, but I’d like to see the president commute the sentence to the probation and fine with no jail term. Then let Libby continue his appeal to clear his name.

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For those following or who choose to find information on the Mike Nifong hearing there is comprehensive information here.

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The purpose of this post is to get the reader to put on his thinking cap and take off his partisan hat.

If we could remove certain Senators from office, or if they were not in the Senate, which Senator(s) would you choose that, if they were no longer in the Senate, would make the Senate a more civil and more productive organization?

Remember, party doesn’t matter and you must give a valid reason and not something along the lines of he does or doesn’t support illegal immigration.

This is not about the president so any comments that bring the president into it will be deleted as off-topic.

If we get a good response to this we will ask about the House at a later date.

So, put your thinking caps on and give us good reasons for what you are advocating.

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants adult children of Congresscritters whose spouses can’t go along for a free vacation to go along for the ride free.

Why not? She wanted a jumbo jet to take her to San Francisco along with her family.

Why not enjoy the perks of office and take the kiddies out for a nice vacation someplace?

Pentagon officials are bracing for a fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over her desire to allow lawmakers’ adult children to tag along on taxpayer-funded travel for free.

Pelosi wants them to be able to fill the role of lawmakers’ spouses when the latter are unable to make a trip because of health issues or work commitments.

“It has been longstanding policy that, in the absence of a congressional spouse, the adult child of a member of Congress may accompany the member on official U.S. government travel abroad for protocol reasons and without reimbursing the U.S.
Treasury,” Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said. “Speaker Pelosi believes that a modern policy must reflect the professional responsibilities or health realities that might prevent a spouse from participating, and instead permit an adult child to fulfill the protocol needs of the official trip.”

Pentagon officials say the policy is that the Treasury must be reimbursed at commercial rates for children who accompany members on such trips, often called codels.

Pelosi’s office inquired about such travel on June 1, according to a Department of Defense memo obtained by The Hill.
In a June 8 memo, the head of legislative affairs for the Pentagon, Robert L. Wilkie, told Defense Secretary Robert Gates that he sees Pelosi’s question as a first step toward challenging the policy.

“We were told that the Speaker would expect that members’ children (of married and unmarried [members of Congress]) would not have to reimburse the Treasury,” Wilkie wrote. “We expect future challenges from the House leadership on this policy.”

Congress needs to stay the heck home and forget about taxpayer-funded vacations. This is how we cut pork, I guess, but then again she wants to change the term “earmarks” so we’ll have to call pork something else.

You can put lipstick on it but in the end it’s still a pig.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid must have shaken his head so hard something is rattling inside that is making him seem stupid!

According to Politico Reid has declared Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pace, and the leader of the troops in Iraq, General Petraeus, a man he voted to confirm in January, “incompetent”.

Are we seeing a common thread here? Everyone, according to the Democrats is “incompetent”.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “incompetent” during an interview Tuesday with a group of liberal bloggers, a comment that was never reported.

Reid made similar disparaging remarks about Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said several sources familiar with the interview.

This is but the latest example of how Reid, under pressure from liberal activists to do more to stop the war, is going on the attack against President Bush and his military leaders in anticipation of a September showdown to end U.S. involvement in Iraq, according to Democratic senators and aides.

Reid, who was bashed by Republicans for suggesting earlier this year that the Iraq war was “lost,” is lashing out at top commanders while putting the finishing touches on a plan to force a series of votes on Iraq designed exclusively to make Republicans up for reelection in 2008 go on record in favor of continuing an unpopular war.

Reid, the senators and aides said, does not expect any of the Iraq measures to pass but hopes the effort will drive a deep enough wedge between wavering Republicans and Bush that, by September, Republican senators will break with the president and help end the war.[Emphasis mine. Admin.]

Vote and vote and vote again

“We want them to vote and vote and vote again” on Iraq, said a senior Democratic senator, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss party strategy. “They are going to have to vote on Iraq until they are sick of it.”

The tougher-talking Reid is taking a decidedly harder line on Iraq at a time when anti-war activists are stepping up their criticism of Democratic leaders for not forcing a quick end to the conflict in Iraq.

Besides his comments about Pace and Petraeus, the Nevada Democrat also announced that he wants to hold more votes on ending or scaling back the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Reid should know all about incompetence since he hasn’t been able to accomplish anything in this Congress except tear the country apart more than it was.

How many days and how many tries did it take him and his partner Nancy Pelosi to pass a supplemental spending bill that would not have withdrawal dates in it, knowing withdrawal dates would bring about a veto? If you said 108 you’d be right.

One bill took 108 days to finally be acceptable! Oh, and he supports our troops. Just not the generals who lead them.

Mr. Reid, if these generals are incompetent, then I have one thing to say to you: Pot meet kettle.

Little wonder his approval rating is somewhere around 19% and the overall approval rating of Congress is lower than the President’s.

Hat Tip: Captains Quarters.

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Former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim has died at the age of 88.

For those of you who don’t remember the tall Austrian, it was found out after he left the UN he was collaborating with the Nazis in World War II and was subsequently banned from entering the U.S.

After leaving the UN he was elected president of Austria.

Waldheim, who served as U.N. chief from 1972-81, was first confronted with purported evidence of his personal implication in wartime atrocities when he ran for the Austrian presidency in 1986. He consistently denied any wrongdoing, defending himself against disclosures made by his main accuser, the World Jewish Congress, and by foreign media.

But his initial denial of serving in the German army unit—and then assertions that he and fellow Austrians were only doing their duty—led to international censure and a decision by Washington to place him on a “watch list” of persons prohibited from visiting the United States. That ban was never lifted.

Waldheim’s ascendancy to the presidency led to a bruising controversy at home, and it damaged Austria’s reputation abroad. During his tenure from 1986-92, Austria was largely shunned by foreign leaders, and he never honored his pledge to be a strong president.

The current president of Austria, Heinz Fischer, declared “We have lost a great Austrian.”

I fail to see the greatness of someone who participated in Nazi atrocities.

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For the first time in my blogging history I have exercised my right as the owner of a blog to delete a post I felt was unnecessary.

I’m trying very hard to maintain a balance on this site and not get into a contest to see who can pee higher on the wall.

If the blogger whose post was deleted wants to know why please call or email me and I will be glad to explain why.

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This case is turning out to be death by a thousand cuts.

Lewis Libby is due back in court today to find out whether he will be allowed to remain free while awaiting his appeal.

I’d say his chances for that are slim to none based on what the judge has already said.

Libby’s attorneys are ready to send an emergency order request to the appeals court, asking to allow him to be free on bail while he pursues his appeals process.

If this doesn’t succeed all eyes will be on the president to see if he will pardon Libby or commute his sentence to everything he was already sentenced to except incarceration.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

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