In 1787 the founders met for weeks with little progress on how to form our new government. Benjamin Franklin, one of the least religious of the founders, reminded congress that since the beginning of the Revolution the American people and their government had called on God for provision and protection, and that they should continue doing so. Today, with our $15 trillion debt, our $1.6 trillion budget deficit, our double-digit unemployment, a growing military threat from countries like China and Iran, is America now so smart and so powerful that we no longer need to ask God for help?

What does it say about ObamaCare when the Department of Health and Human Services has already granted 733 waivers for businesses that can’t meet its onerous requirements? What will happen to the “unfavored” businesses when the bill comes due for ObamaCare?

The agency’s reach is more invasive than ever, thanks to nearly unlimited resources (its minimum budget alone in fiscal year 2010 was $7.9 billion), the government’s vast arsenal of technology, the interconnectedness of government intelligence agencies, and information sharing through fusion centers—data collecting intelligence agencies spread throughout the country that constantly monitor communications (including those of American citizens), everything from internet activity and web searches to text messages, phone calls and emails. Yet we would do well to remember that governments primarily exist to secure rights. This idea is central to constitutionalism.

Socrates was famous for arguing that in order to be wise, one must know oneself. When the ancient philosopher Thales of Miletus was asked what was the most difficult thing to know, he answered, “Thyself.” Calvin argued that one could not truly know God without knowing oneself and that one couldn’t truly know oneself without knowing God. So why do we find it so hard to truly know ourselves?

An overwhelming number of people in failed marriages cite financial troubles as a major factor in their breakup. It’s not surprising because the way we use our time and money reflects our values. Without a strong set of shared values, marriages may founder. But dealing with finances together can bring a couple closer.

From the beginning of his campaign for Governor, Dennis Daugaard declared “No new taxes.” So far, there have been two sales tax bills presented to this session of the South Dakota Legislature. One of these has already been killed in committee and even though several legislators have shown some interest in the other, there is little chance it will go any where. By now it may also be dead. Today’s column is also throwing in a couple of “games” that our readers may find interesting.

On Monday Feb. 14 the South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee will consider SB 138, a bill to “enact the agreement among the states to elect the president by national popular vote.” This bill would have South Dakota join a movement of others in the United States to abolish the Electoral College method of selecting the president of the United States. The founders set up this system to give smaller states more consideration in presidential elections, and also to safeguard against the fires of direct democracy being manipulated…as Electoral College opponent George Soros would love to do.

These are the best of the best from Dakota Voice last week, including: Barack Obama: Radical in Chief; Dearborn Should Wake up to Creeping Islamic Shariah Law; Super Bowl Entertainment Showcases Degenerate State of American Culture; Message to SD Legislature: The People Are Paying Attention; South Dakota House OK With Welfare Payments to Drug Users; South Dakota House Again Wimps Out Against ObamaCare; and more!

The “scientific” world view is a rather fragile one, in which there is little room for debate outside the accepted parameters of prevailing scientific dogmas. Those scientists with the courage to challenge these dogmas quickly find themselves blacklisted – relegated to the fringes of the profession, unable to secure prestigious positions in the community and unlikely to get their work published in prominent journals. This is hardly conduct befitting a field of study that prides itself on the objective pursuit of truth.

The idea of “gay conservative” is an oxymoron. “Gay” is everything that “conservative” is not. It’s a worldview that is man-centered rather than God-centered. It’s why, like all liberals, they use language to create reality, rather than appreciate that words have meaning that reflect reality.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is warning South Dakota consumers of possible negative collection notices that may appear on their credit report. The Consumer Protection Division has received complaint calls from consumers who claim to have negative information on their credit reports associated with the now closed Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video rental chain.

You absolutely cannot understand today without understanding the yesterdays of history. Founder Alexander Hamilton’s contribution to our country cannot be understated. He was a personal aid of George Washington, elected to the Continental Congress, and wrote most of the Federalist Papers which explained and advocated the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He also planned to start a “Christian Constitutional Society” to support Christianity and the Constitution.

Trust but verify. That is Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson’s advice to the American people concerning House Republicans’ latest promise to attach $100 billion of cuts to an upcoming vote on the budget continuing resolution. The current resolution expires March 4th.

Andrew Klavan of Klavan on the Culture helps us connected the dots to see that the Right wing truly is responsible for all the hate and vitriolic rhetoric in the public square today. It’s easy to see once you walk the cat all the way back and see how it all began, and how it has progressed to leave purveyors of this acidic talk no choice but to do what they do.

Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that the RAND Corporation, a non- partisan and independent organization, has received federal funding to study the effectiveness of the South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Program. A study conducted by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office found that offenders placed at least 30 consecutive days on 24/7 are over 50% less likely to commit another DUI offense.

This is another great excerpt from historian David Barton’s “American Heritage Series,” a set of DVDs which provides phenomenal insight into our nation’s history. This clip deals with Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville and his book “Democracy in America,” a book instrumental to understanding why America is the nation it is, and what makes it so uniquely successful in all of history.

Bravo to South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard for joining with 20 other governors to send a letter to the federal government protesting the damage ObamaCare will do. He and nearly two dozen other governors told Department of Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that ObamaCare favors dependency over personal responsibility and will cause untold damage.

Negeen Mayel and three other Christians were charged in Dearborn, Michigan with Breach of the Peace for discussing their faith with Muslims at the Festival. Mayel, whose parents escaped from Afghanistan after the Russian invasion, couldn’t escape the clutches of the law in Dearborn that won’t allow free speech on public property if it upsets Muslims.

The South Dakota House State Affairs Committee got a second chance today to strike a blow for South Dakota against the unconstitutional ObamaCare legislation with HB 1165. Last week, these Republicans chose to listen to liberal talking points and kill the bill. This week, they just quickly moved to kill the second bill. It’s a sad day when you can’t get a Republican majority to move against an unconstitutional socialist scheme that the rest of the country realizes is a travesty.

A pro-illegal alien Hispanic group called “Somos Republicans” is criticizing South Dakota State Representative Manny Steele (R-Sioux Falls) for his use of the term “anchor babies.” The term was used in discussion yesterday of HB 1199, a bill which sought to prevent illegal aliens from using their children born in the United States as a vehicle to escape judgment for breaking our laws and violating our national borders.

As the Obama Administration continues its estranged relationship with reality, we’re hearing more talk about President Obama’s pet fantasy: high speed rail in the United States. President Obama wants to waste $53 billion on European-style solutions that don’t fit in America. It’s no wonder some states are turning down this “free money.” What’s next: subsidies for rotary phones?

Those on the Left who are always looking for a reason to hate America often go to the Three-Fifths Clause of the U.S. Constitution to make the claim that it is a racist document. Their myopic “interpretation” of this clause from Article 1 Section 2 ignores the context of its inclusion and the reason it existed.

A bi-partisan group of state legislators have united behind to two bills that would protect South Dakotans from dangerous and risky foreign laws. The first bill, SB 201, would prohibit South Dakota courts from using dangerous foreign laws that deprive parties of the same fundamental rights granted under the constitutions of the United States and the State of South Dakota. The second bill, SB 170, would require investment products to carry a disclosure if the security is controlled by risky foreign laws.

When the Southern states seceded from the Union in the Civil War, they did so to preserve the institution of slavery. After the South lost the Civil War, many were resistant even in defeat of allowing black Americans to be full-fledged citizens. The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments became necessary to spell out the full rights of black Americans.

When even Cuba, which minus Chinese assistance lacks the technological capability to do so, is looking to drill for oil in the deep waters just 50 miles off the coast of the U.S., but we refuse to do so, clearly the nation is falling behind in the global energy race. We have to get our priorities straight.