Conservative Apathy Threatens Homeland

Weekly Standard: Democrats Don't Understand Terror Risks, Must Not Take Power

(Weekly Standard)  This column was written by Fred Barnes.

---

David Kuo, once an official of President Bush's faith-based initiative, published a book this month that attacks the White House for privately ridiculing evangelical Christians while cynically manipulating how they vote. The book arrived, cynically enough, just in time for the midterm election — an election Kuo says Christians should boycott. Meanwhile, the mainstream media, like sportswriters cheerleading for the home team, is predicting a landslide in the interest of promoting one. Their home team, of course, is the Democrats. As for Republican efforts to spur a big turnout on November 7, the press frowns on such cheap tactics. "GOP Aims to Scare Up Big Voter Turnout" was the headline on a Washington Post story last week.

If you suspect there are forces eager to suppress Republican turnout, you are right. Rarely has the press echoed Democratic themes as relentlessly as it has in the closing weeks of the 2006 campaign. And the main theme is that Republicans are about to be blown away. The question now is whether this message will persuade Republican voters to stay home on Election Day. It shouldn't, so long as Republicans — and especially conservative Republicans — act like adults, not like petulant children angry over one thing or another that didn't go their way.

Yes, the Republican performance in the last two years has been disappointing. The Iraq war isn't going well. President Bush and the Republican Congress have spent too much of the taxpayers' money. They got nowhere on overhauling Social Security and only part of the way — beefed-up border security — on immigration reform. The list goes on. Still, the reasons given for staying home on Election Day are pathetically disconnected from the realities of politics and political power.

The president and Republicans need to be taught a lesson: We hear that a lot from conservatives. And maybe Bush and company do. But allowing Democrats to take over Congress won't achieve that. It won't lead to a Republican course correction any more than losing the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections taught Democrats to move to the right. Politics doesn't work that way, and it never has. Losing simply hurts a political party. A landslide loss in 2006 would merely weaken the Republican Party. And, for the foreseeable future, the Republican Party is the only vehicle through which conservatives and moderates can accomplish their goals.

Would Democrats join with social and religious conservatives to curb abortion and block same-sex marriage? Never in a million years. Would Democrats please small-government conservatives by cutting taxes and limiting spending growth? Not a chance. Would they thrill libertarians by pursuing privatization of Social Security or by resisting the demands of the global-warming faddists for a full-blown regulatory state? Don't bet on it. Would they satisfy moderates by compromising with conservatives? Only under duress. Rather, the prerequisite for attaining any of these goals is a Republican Congress. It's as uncomplicated as that.

The other ballyhooed reason for not showing up on Election Day is that Democrats, once in power again, will misbehave so egregiously that Republicans will roar back in 2008, stronger and more conservative than ever. No doubt Republicans thought this in 1954 when Democrats won back both houses of Congress. But that was followed by 40 years of Democratic control of the House and 26 years of Democratic rule in the Senate. And for most of those years, Democrats held on to power in defiance of a rising conservative tide in the country. They know how to keep power once they get it.

National elections are always important. But they are supremely important when America is at war. In Islamic jihadism, we face a foe that is eager to kill Americans in large numbers and as ruthless as it was on 9/11. The difference now is that Democrats no longer want to carry on a real war against terrorists.

In speech after speech, President Bush has evoked the famous words of Winston Churchill in the dark days of February 1941. Churchill declared: "We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job."

Today, Democrats would deny the president the tools. They would weaken, if not eliminate, the Patriot Act. They would halt the tough but entirely legal interrogations of terrorist leaders that have proved so successful in uncovering and thwarting plots to strike America a second time and perhaps a third or a fourth. They would constrain the National Security Agency from eavesdropping on terrorist phone calls to and from America.

In short, Democrats don't take the terrorist threat seriously. They wince when Bush brings up 9/11. They regard his war on terrorism as more a political strategy for winning elections than a necessary plan to wage an offensive battle against terrorists around the world.

Conservatives in particular should know better. They claim to be the grownups of American politics. They understand what's at stake in the struggle against Islamist terrorists. For them to skip out on their obligation to vote in this election over a petty grievance — or, for that matter, over a not-so-petty grievance — would mark them as politically childish.

Kuo, by the way, has been embraced by the media, welcomed everywhere from 60 Minutes to the Colbert Report. His tale of White House hypocrisy in dealing with religious conservatives is bogus. We know this from the number of religious conservatives in high positions at the White House: Bush himself, Mike Gerson, Karen Hughes, Peter Wehner, Tim Goeglein, and that's just for starters. Colbert asked Kuo why he wrote the book. "Because I think someone had to point out that Jesus and George W. Bush are different people," he said. Who knew?


Fred Barnes, for the Editors.

[diamtool]

well, it IS refreshing occasionally to hear from the Kool aid producers rather than just the consumers of their product. Although it is incredible that these neocons are not in hiding , as thoroughly discredited as they are. This gentleman, for one, would have bet everything BUT his or his kid's life that there were WMD in Iraq. Ah! But that was a couple of years ago, and by now we have surely forgotten how wrong they all were. NOT!
True, Democrats are far from perfect, but there is absolutely NO chance that anybody could be as consistently and stubbornly wrong as these people.

God Bless Our Troops
God forgive George Bush and the neocons!

[itchybrain]

"the Republican Party is the only vehicle through which conservatives and moderates can accomplish their goals." What a crock!!!

I'm a moderate Republican and I wouldn't trust the "conservatives" of today to wipe their own butts correctly let alone run the country. The party has been hijacked by religious kooks and wackos like the guy that wrote this tripe.

Stick to your Neocon base and pseudo Christian war mongers (yeah right, Pro Life... what BS) and leave us moderates out of the nightmare you've created. You wan't people to move to the right? You guys need to move back to reality before I'll ever consider myself a Republican and vote that way again. The Republican party has gone nuts and only a fool or a zealot would follow them over the cliff.

[webdepot]

Mr. Barnes,
Your article is not even worthy of a reply.. What a crock of hypocritical, bigoted, one sided clap-trap.... but then... whatever would one expect from a far right wacko claiming to be religious... every one of your views goes directly contrary to the teachings of God..
Love, tolerance, acceptance, humility... yea right...

[cbgb31]

Sounds like he hit a soft spot, webdepot.

[tejasdemo]

Republicans will get us all killed unless voted out. They are clueless.

[phijef]

The press spouting off about a potential Dem landslide, will not make Repubs stay home. In fact, I think it is the opposite. I think the powers that be want to scare the far right loons enough to get them to the polls, thus the 24/7 coverage of a possible change of power. The right wing is desperate, precisely because they know they haven't done anything. Most especially, to be a check on executive power. These rubber stampers need to go. We need real leadership once again. Vote DEM!!!

[diamtool]

"For them to skip out on their obligation to vote in this election over a petty grievance %u2014 or, for that matter, over a not-so-petty grievance %u2014 would mark them as politically childish."

A few not-so-petty grievances...
Started an unneccesary war with very little international support.
Let Osama slip away.
Embarrassed America worldwide with Abu Ghraib and Gitmo.
Bankrupted the budget surplus and left a burden for our grandchildren.
Catered to oil companies and other large corporations at the expense of the middle class.
George Bush comparing himself to Churchill.

OK well maybe the last one IS petty, but I could go on. Had enough? Me too!

God Bless Our Troops
God forgive George Bush

[sstokke-2009]

We have been attacked by the muslim terrorists for years. Since the Carter Administration when they took over our embassy. The Cole. 9/11. etc. How many attacks before the Democrats understand these people want to kill us. We have been at war long before 9/11, and we will be at war even if the Democrats force us to retreat. The terrorists will strike again, and even if the War in Iraq was a mistake, we cannot cut and run. They will follow us home. How many times must Bin Laden tell us they want to kill Americans, and how many times must we be attacked before the Democrats understand we must fight. That we can leave no safehaven for the terrorist anywhere including Iraq.

[cofmanaaron]

Any self-respecting Christian should vote democrat this election. Why? To end the war profiteering (do you actually think Christ approves of what we're doing in Iraq), restore funding for food stamps, and to regain a sense of inclusion and not discrimination in our nation. Christ didn't die so that King George could occupy a country who, hahemmmm, didn't have any connection whatsoever to 9/11; or so that he could starve the poor while giving obscene tax breaks to the very wealthy. Just what kind of Christianity do you conservatives practice? Sounds to me like you're all a bunch of Pharisees. Hint: Jesus reached out to sinners for repentance. You people shun them, and instead of feeding the hungry, you cater to the amoral rich. Yeah, you're values voters alright.

[johnjo2l]

How many tools do the Republicans need? The party that once touted the need for law and order, now excuse themselves frfom enforcing the laws already on the books and refusing to obey the law. The Republicans have used National Security as a political tool, and religious conservatives as a disposable way to power, that could be jetisoned once in power. They preach during the election, to draw attention away from issues that could well determine the future of the countrty, to pander to the religious right, and then ignore them once in power. How long should this be tolerated? Who ever wins the election in November, Congress should begin to rein in an Executive branch thet threatens the liberties and freedoms of everyone, not just Americans.

[ademeyer]

"I think someone had to point out that Jesus and George W. Bush are different people"

When Kerry got swift boated, people said he had it coming for making his war service a centerpiece of his campaign. Well, Bush has been parading his "christian" creds for a long time now - which makes it big news when it turns out faith based initiatives got 20 million FEWER dollars under Bush than they did under Clinton. I say, a politican who uses religion to gain votes, has to answer when his actions belie his words.

Oh, but that's small potatoes, Mr. Barnes says. That's no reason for conservatives to stay home.

OK, how about this: the billions of dollars wasted on the invasion of Iraq that could have been spent building a fence along the border? The tax cuts given to the wealthy while the working class sank deeper into debt? The mismanagement, incompetence and cronyism exhibted in every area of government from the EPA failing to protect workers at ground zero to to the military DEMOTING the accountant who questioned the no-bid contracts awared for Iraq re-construction.

If conservatives can't bring themselves to vote for Democrats, then, please God, let them stay home and lest the rest of us do that disgusting duty.

[cofmanaaron]

Bush cut and ran to war with Iraq before finishing Afghanistan and finding Osama. The Democratic view is that Iraq is doing more harm than good now. It's draining resources badly needed for domestic national security and being able to face Iran and North Korea. 'Cut and run' is just a Republican scare tactic, no democrat wants to see our troops leave before the end of 2007 since we all know what would happen if we left now. But what good are we doing refereeing a civil war? Let's stop being bogged down in Iraq and actually fight the war on terror, instead of distracted by it.

[cofmanaaron]

Distracted by the civil war in Iraq that is.

[stevyz1]

DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK THAT ELECTING DEMOCRATS WILL WEAKEN NATIONAL SECURITY ?THATS JUST PLAIN BULL..THE NOTION THAT REBUBLICANS ARE BETTER AT PROTECTING US?ANYONE CAN SEE THAT THE OPPISITE IS TRUE !!!WE HAVE NEVER BEEN LESS SAFE THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW.!!.OUR MILITARY IS COMPRIMISED! FIGHTING A WAR THAT EVEN IF WE WON(WE ARE LOSING)WOULDNT MAKE US SAFER AT ALL ..ALL REPORTS SAY OTHERWISE
THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE IS WORRIED ABOUT EMBOLDENING THE ENEMY ...BUT STAYING IN IRAQ IS DOING JUST THAT.. IF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION REALLY CARED ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY THERE WOULD BE A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY POLICY TO REDUCE OUR USE OF FORIGEN OIL..WHO IS THE LARGEST FUNDING SOURCE FOR TERRORISM? ITS US !!(AMERICANS)THE AVEREGE AMERICAN JUST DRIVING TO WORK FUELS THE TERRORISTS..WE NEED A MANDATE TO PRODUCE GREEN RENEWABLE ENERGY HERE IN THE US (WHICH WILL PUT AMERICA TO WORK ALSO) WHAT IM SAYING IS WE ARE STARVING FOR LEADERSHIP..AMERICA IS IN GREAT NEED OF SOLID LEADERSHIP ON ENERGY POLICY THAT WILL MAKE US SAFER...

[getcentered]

I'm voting for a Democrat.

I don't believe Republicans are better at defense, actually their record in the last 6 years is a poor one.

THE REPUBLICANS OF TODAY ARE NOT REPUBLICANS. My family has always been swing voters. We know what Republicans are supposed to be.

The GOP/Republicans of today I find a little disgusting.

[clestes-2009]

The total gall of this article is tremendous!! How can being a democrat possible mean I don't understand terror risks? Being democrat don't make me stupid, which considering that 16 intelligence agencies ALL AGREE that being in Iraq is WORSENING America's terror risk and getting us into Iraq and keeping us in Iraq was and is a Republican idea, that's a real stretch.

And it is tooooo late to worry about it now. You Rep should have forced Shrub and co to do something about Iraq before now. The Rep congress has fallen down on the job and probably going to be made to pay at the voting booth.

[siddin-2009]

Let me just put this out there... EVERY war that we have actually WON has been won via a DEMOCRAT in office. Since when does being a democrat mean that we don't know about the risks?

[sparkcolo]

Yea right. Since when does the Republican party represent the views of moderate Americans?? or the Democratic party for that matter. But this is typical Republican fear mongering. And also this author fails to realize that frequent shifts in power are HEALTHY for a democracy. It keeps the political spectrum. If just one party controlled the government, that would be called fascism.

[sparkcolo]

* political spectrum in the middle

[martinw9]

Alarmist, alarmist, alarmist rhetoric for the advanced Limbaugh fan. Yes, there is a terror threat which has to be taken seriously, but Iraq was never a base for it until this administration downright put it there. Where was the accountability? Involvement in Afghanistan is justafiable, but it was sheer incompetence that led to Osama's escape from Tora Bora. Again, where was the accountability? A nation is not free if its government is not accountable.

[ibcrazybones]

Fred Barnes is an idiot.

[jsilver2th]

Whine. Whine. Republicans crying in their beer again about loosing control of Congress...

Kuo is just saying what everybody knows- the GOP big shots play the fundamentalists as patsies and take them for a ride on their morality roller coaster...

It came out in the Abramoff scandal as well.

Nancy Reagan sitting around the White House making fun of Right to Life.

Santorum has openly gay staff for gee whilickers sake all the while beating on the Bible...

If these people finally get a clue how they've been had there's lot of indications besides that book- like for example how about the GOP performance and record for example...

[zapponet]

"Give us the tools, and we will finish the job."

Didn't Bush say it would be up to the next president?

[afmca]

What garbage. Another election and the Republicans and their bought off journalists bring out the bogey man once again.
The Republicans have done NOTHING in 6 years to enhance homeland security. The Ports are an open invitation to dirty bombs, Airlines cannot screen cargo adequately, our borders are porous, and any terrorist could outfit an army by walking into their neighborhood gun shop. In Iraq, Bush Inc. have increased the number of highly trained terrorists 10-fold since his totally stupid, bungling of this war. With the rewrite of the Geneva rules on prisoners, all Bush as done is label Republicans as war criminals.
Karl Rove has sent his fear mongers out into the populace. Why don%u2019t conservative columnists and commentators forced to acknowledge the are paid for by the RNC and giving talking points directly from the White House. These are illegal gifts and campaign contributions to the Republican Party that must be acknowledged.
Democrats are not unpatriotic, are not soft on homeland security, and are not %u201Ccut and run%u201D terrorist enablers. They realize to win this battle you must not only kill the enemy, but also win the hearts and minds of their potential converts and recruits. This takes more intelligence than the Republican Party and their Conservative columnists can ever hope to possess. Ignorance, Intolerance, and Greed is the only message the worn out, corrupt Republican Party has left to offer Americans.

[bluestardad]

The conservative heartland will hold the Republicans to task for violation of the trust and responsibilities they have with impunity squandered over the last 12 years. They will not be swayed from nor be chided by some paid media stooge for Karl Rove trying to guilt them from their retribution in what ever form they choose to administer it. From Afghanistan, Iraq, Louisiana, harboring gay Republican pedophiles, mocking religious conservatives, corruptions and bribes this administration%u2019s policies are not based on common sense or represent the will of the people who elected them. President Bush has been described that "He's not somebody who gets jumpy at polls." That translates to %u201CI do not care what the People who elected me think%u201D. But that is OK now too because he has exposed his true self to the American People and we are going to dethrone this administration and those who supported it

[oleander8]

What are you smoking, Mr Barnes? It can't be legal.

[observantx]

The term "Homeland" needs to go. What's wrong with "The United States of America"? or "Our Country"?

I and others I know are sick to death of this term and it's use by the current administration in their attempt to recast this county's laws, self image and even centuries old interpretation of the Constitution for their own ends. I call upon this publication and all other media to abstain from using this term.

Our Constitution is titled "Constitution of the United States" Not the "Constitution of the Homeland"

We are "AMERICANS" not "Homelandians", let's use the correct and proper name for our nation.

VOTE these crooks and liars out.

[cathaleen]

First of all I can't believe the evangelicals are so naive as to think that their oddball beliefs
really mattered to the government. They were used
by the Republicans because they're so vulnerable
in believing the bs that George Bush is a right wing christian fanatic. It was all a sham.

[sirrichard42]

Mr. Barnes, your arguments are transparently false.

"Would they (Democrats) satisfy moderates by compromising with conservatives? Only under duress" Please tell me the last time that the GOP satisfied moderates by compromising with liberals? For me, this is one of the most dishearening aspect of the Bush presidency. When he came to power in 2000, I supported Bush over Gore because he claimed to be 'a uniter, not a divider'. But his true colors came out after the election. He does not aim to compromise at all: it's His Way or The Highway. He misrepresented himself in order to get elected.

I will certainly be voting Democratic in the coming election, for no other reason than that if the Legislative and Executive branches are controlled by different parties, it will be that much more difficult for them to mess up our lives. It's time that the rampage of ill-considered conservative policy stop.

[jsummersjr]

I find it ironic that every post on this article is Anti Republican / Anti Bush but then again this is CBS media. With the comments being 100% in agreement with the writer, how do you expect to intrige persons in the center or to the Right to view CBS?

On another note, Democrats have been saying Iraq has gone amuck. However, I have not seen a detail action plan from the Left for Iraq.

One thing not mentioned as a sucess for the current administration.... Dow Jones over 12,000
How did that get over looked?

John D Summers Jr, Raleigh NC

[larendt-2009]

Barnes also would claim that Democrats cause cancer.

[meboard]

jsummersjr, the stock market going over 12,000 has little impact for the vast majority of the citizens who can't afford to participate in stock. There too busy trying to make ends meet and provide for their kids. It's the 10 percent of America that can afford to be giddy about that milestone. And Mr. Bush has little affect on the stock market.

[getcentered]

Democrats BAaaaD. Republicans GOOooooooD.

Oh hell no! I will not be put in check by some fake news pumped out by the neo-cons:

"Arguably the most influential opinion journal at the White House" - The New York Times


I don't care what these fools say about taxes, defense or the economy.

The GOP/Republicans do not have anything of meaning to say.

THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT REPUBLICANS, they are something else. I do not know what that is but I do know what Republicans are supposed to be.

Republicans do not help my way of life. Tax breaks for corporations and the rich do NOT help the little person. I do not care about anything a neo-con theorist has to say about it, because the bottom line is always going to be affected by the greedy penny pusher.

I would rather have a Democrat wasting a billion on helping the poor or disabled or uneducated, than have a neo-con Republican blow a billion on killing tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi and thousands of US service men and women.

To hell with anything closely resembles a Republican. They are not prepared to govern a world power.

[getcentered]

"bluestardad"

I hope your right.

[luvamerica22]

I find it quite amusing that the very people touting about making our country safe from terrorism and promoting war are the very ones who managed to avoid serving in the our military.

Isn't it ironic that most of the decorated war heroes are in the Democratic party but people like Karl Rove and other non military serving liars have managed to convince the Christian conservatives that our brave men of valor are %u201Ccut in run cowards%u201D. GO Figure! Better yet, go learn something or ask GOD to allow you to use your mind to think.

I%u2019m proud to say that I stand with my GOD fearing fellow countrymen who weren%u2019t afraid to put their country before life%u2026

Jim Webb, Senator John Kerry, Representative Charles Rangel, Former Senator Max Cleland, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) and Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate

to name a few


Let%u2019s make America strong and respected again.

Luv America

[ronaldchilcoat]

Mr Barnes whould have us vote for the same bunch of crooks just because they are not Dems. Well I voted for Bush #1 and was sorry - I repeated my error and voted for Bush #2 - and boy was I ever sorry for that. As for congress - they have had 6 years to do something - and what have we got - a bill for a border fence that they themselves say will never be built! - and a rubber stamp for the most power hungry president I can remember in my lifetime! What this country really needs is a 3rd party - a real choice.

[mjv2944]

There's not a nickles worth of difference in the parties. Both are equally corrupt and out of touch with reality. Well run campaigns of a third party might just kick their collective butts. You don't think that things could get this messed up by one party, well right now repubs are definitely in the lead as they are the majority party, but the dems don't have a whole lot to brag about. The houses of congress need a complete cleaning out. Bring on term limits, 4 for the house and 6 for the senate.

[susankh]

If I were a Republiclan I would not be so quick to point out that Bin Laden is still out there because that only demonstrates how ineffective the Republicans have been at fighting terrorism. Why would you vote for a party that has failed for 5 years to get the job done?

Ah, Mr. Barnes...thank you for providing the perspective of the man in the pointy-hat sitting on the three-legged stool in the corner!

We so seldom get to hear from genuine dunces.

[tibu987]

9/11 would have happened even if Democrats were in office. I believe that all this partisan bickering is useless.
What we need are new people with fresh ideas, with honesty, with genuine concern for the rights and safety of all Americans.
People that will unite, not divide us.
Vote out the incumbents, Dems and Repubs, those that have been feeding at the public trough for years.
Vote for term limits when possible.

[philcons]

After reading Fred Barnes' opinion on conservatives in the upcoming election, two "points of light" were obvious.

What was most obvious was that Mr. Barnes did not deny that Bush, et al had failed the conservative cause miserably. Also obvious was the glaring omission of any proposal to correct the current sad state of affairs in American government.

Instead, Mr. Barnes chose to play the same old trumpet: no matter how bad things are under the current regime, FEAR greatly what may arise if it is replaced by democrats. Mr. Barnes, you, like the Republican Party, seem to have missed the point: true conservatives in this country are tired of bandstand politics, "sound bight" conservatism, twisted truth, arrogant attitudes, and entrenched, corrupt and inept politicians who think that as long as they pay lip service to an issue to which they are not truly endeared, eventually it will go away.

As a true conservative, I am offended that the you would ask that I support a party that represents an interest different than my own. MJV2944 and rchilcoa are absolutely correct: what we need is a strong 3rd party and term limits. Neither the Democratic nor Republican parties are inclined or equipped to represent the interests of most Americans -- what good is tenure and experience among those who are arrogant, most concerned with re-election, corrupt, or devoted to the fringe.

[shingles1]

Fred Barnes would certainly know all about Presidential tools.

[mrcodpiece]

That shingles1 is hard to top!
Keep it up, pal!

[mushtush1]

What we need are new people with fresh ideas, with honesty, with genuine concern for the rights and safety of all Americans.

I absolutely agree. Both Congress and the President have demonstrated they totally lack connection to the pulse of most Americans.

I will be truly impressed when Congress and the President lower their salaries to the average earned by most Americans, then eliminate their own pensions and replace it with a 401K plan where their employer's (the American people)contribution is limited to matching 50% their own contributions up to the first 6% of their paychecks.

This would be generous compensation, consider what they get accomplished.

That would go a long way to restoring trust.

[bluestardad]

Be Ever Vigilant. Bush and Rove will do anything to stay in power up to an including flooding key districts with fake absentee ballots tampering with electronic voting machines, and bussing in voters who are not from the districts to vote, or even starting another war with and suspending civil liberties postponing the mid term vote. There is a great possibility for this administration to tamper with the electronic voting machines to the point that very subtle differences will take place in Key races just enough to tip the vote in their favor but not enough to cause a full scale American Revolution leaving some doubt, but just enough to throw key races in the Republican Favor. Watch out for this election coup.

[kaliveotin]

I dont know why evangelicals would be suspect of the administration. They signed on to oppose abortion and gay rights, but what they've got was a pro-War, pro-torture, administration. I dont think Jesus was much of a pro torture advocate but I'm sure Rush Limbaugh and Carl Rove could point out how I'm misinterpreting the Bible.Fred Barnes is often an entertaining talking head, too bad its empty. He has no empathy for what it means to be a true American, who supports the constitution including the BILL OF Rights. The meek shall eventually inherit the government. Barnes, your kinds days are numbered.