Remember earlier today when I talked about trying to find logic and reason in the liberal thought process? Here we go again… Elton John regales with displays of his political and societal wisdom on subjects like welfare, drug abuse, charity, economics, and the proper function of government.

For several decades, certain elements within America have been trying to rewrite our history, attempting to sanitize from it the recognition that our country was settled and founded by committed Christians on Christian principle. Yet the historical record paints a picture overwhelming with evidence that our country, while never a theocracy, has always been Christian in character and principle, with founders who took that faith seriously

Trying to understand the “logic” of the liberal thought process can be a daunting task. But a 2004 interview with Barack Obama where he talks about sin provides very revealing insight into why liberals consider it worse to acknowledge a moral standard and fail to live up to it, than to reject that moral standard outright. Is “sin” really being out of alignment with your own values?

Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano went out of her way yesterday to stress that the TSA pat-downs are “same-gender.” Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) today questioned the propriety of “same-gender’ TSA (Transportation Security Administration) “pat-downs” — if the TSA agents doing the ‘patting down” are homosexual, lesbian or bisexual.

When Elizabeth Marshall Maybee’s grandmother passed in 2005, the ranch was passed down to her. Shortly after, Maybee received a bill from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for $2,005,389.00. The amount she owed the government for the federal estate tax. She is now in a desperate fight to keep a ranch that has been in her family for generations. This is the “death tax” on the “rich” in action.

Because there really are people who want to kill the disabled like Terri Schiavo, the work of Bobby Schindler and his family are extremely important. The work they do through their foundation is invaluable. Not only do they provide educational resources for us all, but they also give help to patients and their families who are in situations like Terri’s.

We are already seeing signs of creeping Islamization in America, and now I read in USA Today and the GW Hatchet student newspaper that there will now be a Shariah-compliant swim time at the university. How else may we expect our politically correct culture to bend the knee to Islam?

According to The Hill, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has now gotten with the program and will support a ban on congressional earmarks. How nice of him to finally join his fellow Republicans. Senator McConnell missed his chance to “lead by example” by opposing the efforts of Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) to end earmarks. This is why a new Minority Leader is needed in the Senate.

America’s legal foundation once sat squarely on Christian principles. As the founders noted in our founding document, the Declaration of Independence, the basis for our rights and freedoms rests with the Creator, who is “the Supreme Judge of the world.” The judiciary was intended to be the weakest of the three branches of government, but as Thomas Jefferson feared, our lack of vigilance has empowered the courts to make our Constitution “a mere thing of wax” they can twist into their own distorted image.

Last week it was reported that South Dakota’s Congresswoman-elect Kristi Noem was considering and being considered for a new leadership post for the incoming House freshmen. Now it seems she has come competition: Rep Tim Scott of South Carolina, another Tea Party-friendly candidate.

Remember earlier this morning Dr. Robert Owens’ article on America’s debt problem and the “solution” of what is called Quantitative Easing? Dr. Owens did a marvelous job of breaking this down for those of us who are a bit challenged when it comes to subjects like this, but this video puts the issue in terms anyone can understand and appreciate.

What happens if you have a bond sale and nobody comes? I guess you buy the bonds yourself. This brings us back to the world not lining up to buy our debt and to the definition of monetizing our debt. This is the government version of paying your MasterCard with your Visa. It may relieve current stress, but it portends future catastrophe. Debtors may appreciate moving their debt around, but creditors want to get paid.

As I understand the law, food served during political rallies is OK, but food served if the voters would then accept rides from volunteers to the polling places is wrong. And, again, according to newspaper stories, that is exactly what happened. There is also a time element in all of this. the food-for-votes on the rez took place during the day when the early voting booths were open and the Noem-Daugaard hotdogs were served during the evening when the voting booths were closed for the night.

An old axiom states that nothing is certain except death and taxes. But now we have to add the skyrocketing costs of a college education. In the last 10 years, in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges increased 5.6% annually on top of a CPI growth of 2%. The average estimated total expenses for a current public in-state four-year student are an astounding $81,356.

In Bill Whittle’s continuing series on what conservatives/Tea Party people believe, this topic looks at immigration, specifically illegal immigration. The Left loves to demonize the Tea Party as being racist, so the fact that most Tea Party people are opposed to illegal immigration (the largest source of which is from Mexico) plays right into that, correct? Well, not really. It can be painful for people on the Left, but let’s look at the facts.

The best of the best at Dakota Voice last week, including: George Soros: The Puppet Master; Natural Law: What Conservatives Believe; State Says No to Shariah Law, CAIR Sues; The Fight for Modesty; New House Leadership Post Created, Kristi Noem Considered; Mystery Missile or Optical Illusion; The United States is a Republic; and more!

Bill Whittle’s continuing exposition on what conservatives and Tea Party people believe looks at gun rights. Yes, guns are fun. Having guns is fun. Shooting guns is even more fun. But guns are more than just fun. They are vital for defense–national and personal. And they are a key element of maintaining our freedom. There is a reason the founders put the Second Amendment into the U.S. Constitution.

There is an apparent lack of biblical “discernment” among Christians. It is time, once again, for the church to examine and discuss (reasonably and with love) the fundamentals of our faith as defined and delineated in the historic creeds, confessions, theology, and doctrines that have come down to us through the centuries. An atheological church is a confused church and this confusion fosters error and compromise.

The South Dakota Republican Party announced today the results of the 2011-2012 State House of Representatives Republican Caucus Election held in Pierre. The Republicans gained 4 additional seats during the November 2, 2010 General Election and now hold 50 of 70 seats in the South Dakota State House of Representatives.

The South Dakota Republican Party announced today the results of the 2011-2012 State Senate Republican Caucus Election held in Pierre. The Republicans gained 8 additional seats in the State Senate during the November 2, 2010 General Election. Republicans now hold 29 of 35 seats in the South Dakota State Senate.

Since (with the exception of the President) no one represents the face of the Left more than Nancy Pelosi, a sizable cadre of Democrats have made it clear that they’d like to see her step aside as the top Democrat in the House. Much to their chagrin, however, Ms. Pelosi is unwilling to cooperate. In refusing to step aside, Ms. Pelosi is sending a message to her fellow Democrats that she values her own power more than the future of her party or the future of the country.

Almost two years ago, a new Democrat administration and congress took control of Washington. They immediately sent out invitations to the American people. “You are cordially invited onto the government plantation. P.S. We’re in charge but you pick up the tab. RSVP by November 2, 2010.”The RSVP’s have poured in and the majority of Americans have replied “Sorry, we’ve got other plans.” But it was mostly white voters who turned down this invitation.

The American Family Association of Kentucky sent out an email this morning in response to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) opposition to Senator Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) efforts to end earmarks. The email calls on Senator McConnell to stop blocking efforts to end earmarks. Senate Republicans need to choose a leader who is serious about obeying the Constitution and is serious about reining in spending by our federal government…and Senator McConnell isn’t that leader.

The Fed’s intervention into the treasuries market certainly makes U.S. debt less attractive, raising the specter that the Chinese and others will dump their holdings. When countries don’t want to buy the dollar, it is a short step to them choosing to dump the dollar. That sparks a dollar run. And only way to prevent it is to act immediately to balance the budget and restore international trust in the full faith and credit of the United States.

Congress meets next week to begin its lame-duck session and Republicans in the House will begin to elect its leadership team as well as committee chairs. Republicans expecting to get their prized Chairmanships might be up for a rude awakening. In this next session of Congress, Republicans are promising change, not more of the same. If this past election proved anything, it was that Americans are tired of the establishment.