The Texas record.
Posted by Joshua Trevino
Texas has been the home of the last two Republican presidents. With Governor Rick Perry now in the fray, we’re fixin’ to find out if Texas can make it three in a row.

Liberty Institute drops ‘Truth Bombs’: Veterans not allowed to say “God” at funeral services
By Liberty Institute
Today, Liberty Institute launches a series of videos of those most affected by the Houston National Cemetery’s policies and procedures banning the mention of God and prayer during funeral services at the cemetery. Liberty Institute will be back in court on Monday at 9 a.m. for a status conference with Federal District Judge Lynn Hughes in the Rainey et al. v. VA et al. case, which began when Liberty Institute client Pastor Scott Rainey was told he couldn’t pray in Jesus’ name at the cemetery.

Thomas Ratliff shilled for by Kate Alexander
By Daniel Greer
Kate Alexander of the Austin American Statesman engaged in some very loose journalism when she reported that an AG opinion on Thomas Ratliff, an SBOE member embroiled in a conflict of interest controversy, exonerates him.

And the Winning Bumper Sticker is…
Ted Cruz Campaign
You voted, and now we are excited to share with you today the brand new Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate bumper sticker! After hundreds of Texans weighed in on our online poll, the winning selection, “C” is ready to print and ship.

Lee, Barone: Will Rick Perry’s Response ‘Succeed?’
By Tony Lee
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who will most likely throw his hat into the presidential contest in the next two weeks, will speak at the annual RedState conference next weekend, which continues to gain more influence and cache under Erick Erickson’s leadership every year, in Charleston, South Carolina.

“WE NEED ANOTHER DUNKIRK”: 30,000+ TURN OUT TO PRAY & FAST FOR AMERICA AND ISRAEL
By Joel C. Rosenberg
The year was 1940. The moment was one of the darkest in the history of the English people. More than 300,000 British troops suddenly found themselves pinned down in northern France. Nazi forces were bearing down on them. The Brits didn’t have enough ammunition or supplies.

Ken Mercer Asks for Your Help
Ken Mercer Campaign
In 2012 because of redistricting, all seats on the Texas State Board of Education will be on the ballot. Even though many of us just ran in 2010, we will be required to run again in 2012 if we intend to retain our seats.

Unite to Preserve our Free Market
Ted Cruz Campaign
Since we launched our campaign for Senate in January, conservative leaders in Texas and nationally have continued to unite around our fight to preserve the free-market economy and defeat the Obama Agenda.

A Flag On Higher-Ed Hypocrisy
By MQSullivan
Legislative hypocrisy on higher education was on full display as the week ended. Questions about college affordability, accessibility and transparency are decried by legislators as “micro-management,” but legislators have reversed themselves by scheduling a hearing about Texas A&M’s possible move to the SEC.

Improving The Texas Senate
By MQSullivan
Whatever problems exist in the Texas House, the Senate has been historically worse; it’s where good ideas die and bad ideas get new life. Cheerful news from the Metroplex raises the possibility that we can see some serious improvement in the “upper” chamber of the Legislature.

Stopping Schoolyard Bullies
By MQSullivan
With the new school year beginning shortly, it’s a good time to review what we have learned since the spring about schoolyard bullies. You know the kind: they usually spend their days in the administration building. We were reminded during the legislative session that the way to defeat a bully is to stand up to them, call their bluff, and even punch back.

From: JusticeAtTheGate@aol.com
Date: August 1, 2011 10:01:36 AM CDT
Subject: The Most Important Three Words for Gov. Rick Perry’s Call to Prayer

Dear Friends,

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s historic national call to prayer and fasting, The Response: for a nation in crisis, is this Saturday, August 6, when Americans from across the nation will join together on our knees in Reliant Stadium in Houston to repent and pray in one accord to God Almighty for our nation.  The doors open at 8 am.  The program is from 10 am to 5 pm. Hear Gov. Perry’s personal invitation here: www.theresponseusa.com.

There have been legitimate questions and some accusations about The Response.  I’ll attempt to answer some of them here. 

Is there a charge to attend or to park?

There is no charge to attend, but please visit www.theresponseusa.com and click on REGISTER to register your group to attend.  There is a $15 cash charge for parking at Reliant Stadium.

Is this political? 

No.  Gov. Perry approached a friend about filling a stadium with Americans praying and fasting in December.  It took several months to find a location.  First they tried Cowboy Stadium in Arlington but finally secured Reliant Stadium in Houston.  I think the name is significant – Reliant – reliant upon God!  Doug Stringer, founder of Somebody Cares International based in Houston (www.somebodycares.org), had prayed about a Joel 2 Solemn Assembly for two years.  When he got a call about The Response, Doug knew the time was right. 

Here is Tom Billings, Director of Missions for the Houston Baptist Association of churches, speaking with first-hand knowledge about The Response.

http://youtu.be/jFuQLq7o9Lg

Rev. Carolyn Gilbert, founder of Missionaries with the Vision endorses The Response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd68WK8lspA

Will Gov. Perry announce a run for President at The Response?

No – absolutely not! The Response will be prayer, repentance worship and scripture reading.  Although Gov. Perry will have a few minutes on the program, his words will be about prayer, fasting and an appeal to the Lord, calling on our Father in the name of Jesus in unity with all gathered to forgive our sins. 

There will be at least two other Governors on the platform praying or reading scripture. There will be no political speeches, which would be illegal for a 501(c) 3 organization to have. There will be some food sold for those who have to eat and lots of bottled water for the thousands who will be fasting.   There will be no booths to pass out literature, no sermons and no offering. The Governor initiated the event, but he’s not planning it. It’s prayer people that are doing the program.  And thousands of Christians will travel to Houston to get on their knees before the Lord and cry out to our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in unity. It’s not a theological unity or a political unity but an agreement in PRAYER and FASTING that God is our only hope.

When I look at The Endorsers and organizers of The Response, I can find some people that I don’t agree with theologically.  Is Gov. Perry endorsing all these different theological views?  Should I participate if I don’t agree with everyone who has endorsed The Response?

Gov. Perry is not endorsing the Endorsers and the Endorsers are not endorsing Gov. Perry.  They’re endorsing a call to prayer and fasting that an elected official initiated.

Below is a portion of a response that Dr. Richard Land, noted Southern Baptist leader, penned in answer to the above concerns:

Christians don’t require unanimity on every point to agree that coming together to pray for repentance and blessing upon a nation in crisis is both proper and prudent. Those participating in The Response have serious and justifiable concerns about the state of the culture and America’s very future.

As president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s moral and social concerns entity, I often work alongside others who agree on addressing an ethical issue, but whose faith principles may be somewhat at odds with mine. In fact, my denomination’s confession of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message addresses this matter: “Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth” (BFM, XV. The Christian and the Social Order)….

Finally, at the very least The Response’s divergent group of endorsers demonstrates that evangelical Christians are a much less homogenous, monolithic group than the mainstream media has often asserted.

Richard Land | Jul 14, 2011 3:31 PM

Headlines from a Christian newsletter states, “News reports reveal that on July 22nd, Governor Perry stated that he has no problem with gay marriage in New York. Are pro-family leaders that have agreed with boycotting secular companies for their support of gay marriage now going to be consistent and boycott Perry’s prayer event?”

Should Christians boycott The Response? 

No.  We are not asking for agreement on issues, theology or political parties.  We’re agreeing in prayer. However, on the issue of marriage, Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Institute, which is the Texas affiliate for Focus on the Family, states, “Gov. Perry has always supported the Federal Marriage Amendment. That’s never changed. It’s been public. He was trying to say, but maybe not well, that he favors the Federal Marriage Amendment and that is consistent with the 10th Amendment.”

Below is a link to an article from Christian Broadcasting Network to help clear up the marriage issue.

http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2011/07/28/rick-perry-gay-marriage-is-not-fine-with-me.aspx

I heard that an atheist group filed suit against Gov. Perry for initiating and talking about The Response?  Will the atheists succeed?

No.  On July 28, a federal judge kicked the lawsuit out of court.  See: “Huge Win for Free Speech! Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Texas Governor and Prayer Rally” below:

In closing, let me ask for your prayers — for those working on The Response, for the Endorsers, for those mobilizing for it all over the nation and for Gov. Perry. There is a price to pay for standing and calling the nation to prayer and for aligning yourselves with such a call. People you and I love and trust have been drug through the mud by Rachel Maddow and others on the left. I apologize for this one, but you need to see that the attack is not just against Gov. Perry and those of us working on The Response.  It’s against the Lord.  If you don’t want to see and hear Colbert’s vulgarity, disregard this.  Watch the video only at your own risk and only if you cover your heart and mind because of the vulgarity:

http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2011/07/colbert-wants-to-see-a-perry-god-ticket/

May the Lord forgive us and have mercy on those who have no fear of God.

Texas has been in extreme drought.  Although there has been rain in several places across the state, wildfires still burn in many parts of the state.  I wouldn’t be the least surprised if it rains and breaks the drought and if the Lord places a rainbow over the gathering of believers humbling themselves before the Lord and confessing our reliance upon God alone in Reliant Stadium.

How can I find transportation from my area?

There are buses going from many cities – Lufkin, Tyler, Center, Del Rio, the Rio Grande Valley, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and many other places.  I don’t have all the information.  There is still room in San Antonio through Cornerstone Church.  A $30 ticket much be purchased in advance.  Call 210-490-1600 to set up a pick-up and payment time.  In the Metroplex, contact Dr. Shirley Clark at Jabez Prayer Network at jabeznetwork@tx.rr.com or (972) 424-2074.  Take your church vans, car pool and make the trip to Houston! 

What are the most important three words for this national call to prayer? 

Just show up!  By showing up in Houston, you will be making a statement: “I’m crossing denominational, racial and political lines to call upon God Almighty.  My prayers may not be heard by the media or anyone else around me, but the Lord will hear.  I’m turning my back on the controversy and accusations to turn my face to our Father, who is in heaven, to hallow His name and to ask the Lord to forgive us personally and corporately.  May our demonstration of humility, worship and intercession bless the Lord and may He hear from heaven and forgive our sins. 

A huge thanks to all who have worked tirelessly to mobilize your area and to pray for The Response.  So many of you have tapped your relationships and used your influence to encourage your networks to attend The Response.  Every email and phone call is appreciated.  I pray even now that plans will be changed to be in Houston.  It’s a date with destiny. 

If you have other questions, please call or email me.  Live streaming will be available at www.theresponseusa.com beginning at 9 am CT on August 6. 

Gratefully,

Alice Patterson
President
Justice at the Gate
PO Box 681148
San Antonio, TX 78268
210-677-8214
www.justiceatthegate.org

P.S.  Here’s what a Jewish rabbi wrote in The Texas Jewish Post, Thursday, July 28 2011.  Be encouraged!

Don’t feel threatened by Perry’s prayer day

To the Editor,

On Aug. 6, 2011, Texas Governor Rick Perry will host “A Call To Prayer,” an all-day Christian fast and prayer service at Reliant Stadium in Houston, seeking Divine assistance for the health, security and prosperity of our nation. As a rabbi, I was touched by his public recognition of the limited role government can play in fixing problems rooted in the spirit, self-centered values and near-sighted vision. Free pills can’t fix soul-ills.

Prayer and fasting—improving ourselves as a means to improve the world around us—is a basic tenet of the Judeo-Christian creed that has made America exceptional in deed, why it has selflessly helped nations in need. It is why America rebuilt Europe after WWII and why it has rebuilt parts of the Middle East as part of its war on radical Islamic terror.

It is these values that secularists find most alarming. It is the spirit of this country, the Judeo-Christian value system which inspires the Heartland, that they seek to downplay, discourage and disengage.

Dear Governor, may God find favor in your prayer and may this nation be protected from threats within and without, achieving deliverance that only God can bring about.

Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt, Dallas

YouTube – Videos from this email

The Most Important Three Words for Gov. Rick Perry’s Call to Prayer
By Alice Patterson
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s historic national call to prayer and fasting, The Response: for a nation in crisis, is this Saturday, August 6, when Americans from across the nation will join together on our knees in Reliant Stadium in Houston to repent and pray in one accord to God Almighty for our nation. The doors open at 8 am. The program is from 10 am to 5 pm. Hear Gov. Perry’s personal invitation here: www.theresponseusa.com.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey Endorses Cruz for Senate
Ted Cruz Campaign
The Ted Cruz for Senate campaign announced the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) on Monday, adding to his existing support from conservative stalwart Sens. Jim DeMint, Mike Lee and Rand Paul.

Take that, Dewhurst: Rand Paul endorses Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate over “establishment” rival
Posted by Sarah Tung
If you’re a Texan, then U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he knows what you want in a U.S. senator. (Hint: It’s not a rich, establishment guy.) The Tea Party freshman today endorsed the Ted Cruz for Senate campaign, touting his personal ties to the Lone Star State: “Having grown up in Texas, I know Texans don’t want a career politician in Senate who will compromise with Democrats to keep growing our out-of-control federal spending and debt.”

Sen. Rand Paul Endorses Cruz for Senate
Ted Cruz for Senate announced Tuesday that U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) endorsed the campaign. Sen. Paul made the following statement:
“Having grown up in Texas, I know Texans don’t want a career politician in the Senate who will compromise with Democrats to keep growing our out-of-control federal spending and debt.

Perry as a (Very Conservative) Democrat
By Mark P. Jones
If Gov. Rick Perry decides to throw his hat into the presidential ring, we can expect enhanced interest in his Democratic past. His uninterrupted tenure in public office began in January 1985 as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. He served two more terms in the House, during the last of which he switched midterm to the Republican Party, before continuing his ascent up the political ladder via election as agriculture commissioner in 1990.

Keep Your Eye On East Texas
By DMatocha
News broke recently that State Rep. and Taxpayer Champion James White will have a primary opponent in the upcoming election cycle. Given that his challenger, Rep. Mike “Tuffy” Hamilton, would have otherwise been paired against one of the three worst Republicans in the House this session, some ulterior motives are likely at play.

Twitter Kills the Most Important State Level Conservative Group in the Country
Posted by Erick Erickson
I have long considered Empower Texans to be the most important and effective state level conservative grassroots organization in the country. These people are not just respected in Texas; they are feared. It is an awesome thing to behold.

Democrats recruiting a “Republican” to run against Ken Mercer
Press Release – Ken Mercer Campaign
Well the liberal Austin bloggers let the political cat out of the bag. It appears that the liberals are anxious to recruit a left-leaning ‘Republican’ to run against me and other conservative Texas State Board of Education members.

Tweet-less
By Empower Texans
Without warning or notification, social media mini-blog site Twitter on Monday simultaneously “suspended” the main Empower Texans feed along with the personal accounts of all staff.

DeMint, a key senator, backs Ted Cruz
By Jason Embry
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican and national hero to many conservatives and tea-partiers, today endorsed Ted Cruz in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Jim DeMint Endorses Campaign
Ted Cruz Campaign
I’m honored to announce that one of the premiere conservative fighters of our time has endorsed our campaign – U.S. Senator Jim DeMint.

As Drought Intensifies, Texas Ranchers Sell Cattle
By Kate Galbraith
Last week, Thomas Hinds delivered more than a dozen calves to an auction house in San Angelo, some 350 miles northeast of his ranch in Sanderson. Less than an inch of rain has fallen on his land since last September, and the drought has made it hard to find find hay, said Hinds, who estimated that the price of feed has also risen by a third since last year.

Bike-Share Boondoggle
By WasteWatch
How much are you willing to pay for a bicycle? $200? $400? That’s nowhere close to what the City of Austin is going to spend per bike for a new “bike-sharing program” downtown. At over $1,500 per bicycle, the Austin City Council is ready to spend $1.8 million on their newest taxpayer boondoggle.

Momentum: By the Numbers
Ted Cruz Campaign
Wow. What a quarter. Our campaign raised almost $800,000—more than anyone else in the Texas Senate race. It’s tremendously humbling and encouraging to receive such broad support.

Schools prepare to sue the state again – Legislature’s school funding ‘mess’ ripped.
By Gary Scharrer
Texas lawmakers who left town recently after cutting public education and doing little to fix school funding disparities have guaranteed another school finance lawsuit, according to educators and lawyers involved in the case.

Education board’s new boss criticized – Comment on need for more ‘conservative Christians’ attacked.
By Gary Scharrer
The new leader of the State Board of Education is already coming under fire by critics who say she is pushing the same sort of ideology that led to her immediate predecessors’ downfall.

As Dewhurst prepares to enter Senate race, some conservatives see a better option
By Jason Embry
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has presided over the Texas Senate for almost nine years, and in that time the Senate has voted to cut billions of dollars in property taxes, require public schools to begin each day with a moment of silence, put new restrictions on abortions and amend the Texas Constitution to forbid same-sex marriage and limit jury awards.

Bottom of the Barrel
By AKerr
At the conclusion of the 82nd Legislative Session three Republican House members found themselves with voting records that abjectly failed Texas taxpayers. Reps. John Davis, Allan Ritter, and Dee Margo were the bottom of the barrel – all scoring a failing “F” on the Fiscal Responsibility Index.

Perry, Social Conservatives and the Road to the Top
by Ross Ramsey
Twenty-six years after he rode into Austin as a Democratic House member from Haskell, Rick Perry sits at the top of one of the country’s most conservative state Republican parties, having forged a coalition of economic, religious and social conservatives that has helped him become the state’s longest-serving governor and poised for a national political run.

Freedom to Pray Upheld
By Christian Law Association
A Texas federal court told the federal Department of Veterans Affairs that it could not prevent a Christian minister from praying in Jesus’ name at a public ceremony. This is a wonderful decision for religious liberty in America since many Christians believe they are required to pray only in Jesus’ name, as the Bible says in verses such as John 14:13: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do.”

Poor-but-happy family says government took six kids because of poverty
By Elizabeth Stuart
From the outside, it’s a storage shed — just 12 feet by 25. But inside the stark corrugated steel walls 35-year-old Chalomane Leonard has made a home for her husband and children. Neatly folded clothes sit on homemade shelves next to canned goods, textbooks and board games. Beaming faces peer out from family photographs.

3 In A Row
Great news: On Saturday, we won the most recent Senate straw poll at the San Antonio Tea Party by a wide margin. That makes it three straw poll victories in a row! These results are very encouraging, and are a direct outcome of the tremendous grassroots support we’re seeing all across Texas.

Rick Perry’s Call to National Solemn Assembly
By Allan Parker
Recently, I was very privileged and honored to be on a conference call with national religious leaders and Governor Rick Perry. He explained his call for a national solemn assembly to repent and seek the Lord on August 6 in Houston, Texas.

Family’s shed plight not hard to relate to
By Lisa Falkenberg
From their tidy brick home adorned with hanging plants and waving American flag atop the chain-link fence, Millie and Vincent Silva pass their days enjoying their retirement, playfully bickering over politics and headlines, and welcoming their grandkids when they visit.

12 Hours: Conservatives United for Cruz
We’ve joined together in supporting Ted Cruz because we believe he is uniquely qualified to win this seat for conservatives and become a national voice for liberty. Ted has a decade-long proven record of fighting for conservative principles and winning on a national level. He has successfully defended the Second Amendment, U.S. sovereignty, the 10 Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, and States’ Rights.

Rick Perry has a history of acrimony with George W. Bush
By Mark Z. Barabak
As he considers a presidential run, some have tried to tie the Texas governor to his predecessor. Despite obvious similarities, their considerable differences have left a lingering hostility between the two men.

Texas Senate race still wide open – Stiff competition for Dewhurst, Cruz
By David Eldridge
With two Republican contenders for the 2012 Senate race in Texas dropping out recently to run instead for a House seat, conventional wisdom has the GOP contest shaping up as a two-man showdown between the “establishment” candidate, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and the tea party insurgent, former Solicitor General Ted Cruz.

Index: Legislature’s Wasted Opportunity
By Michael Quinn Sullivan
In a legislative session controlled by a rhetorically conservative super-majority, they accomplished the bare fiscal minimum but did nothing to control future government growth or expand the frontiers of liberty. This is reflected on the 2011 Fiscal Responsibility index, with legislators averaging a paltry 61 percent.

Texas to defund Planned Parenthood
By Sarah Kliff
The Texas Legislature approved a bill Monday that would both compel the state to push the Obama administration to convert Texas’s Medicaid program into a block grant and defund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.

Perry’s no Bush, when it comes to verbal miscues or message
By Peggy Fikac
He refers to Twitter as “Tweeter,” has been known to say “tryin’” instead of “trying” and might mangle a phrase here and there.

A Word of Caution for Rick Perry
By Daniel Halper
Our friend Doug MacKinnon, a former White House and Pentagon official and author, writes: Okay, so here are some unsolicited but heartfelt words of caution for Governor Rick Perry of Texas as he contemplates whether to enter the Republican primary for President of the United States.

Rick Perry: A Texan’s ‘exceptionalism’
By George F. Will
In the 1850s, on the steps of the Waco courthouse, Wallace Jefferson’s great-great-great-grandfather was sold. Today, Jefferson is chief justice of Texas’s Supreme Court. The governor who nominated him also nominated the state’s first Latina justice. Rick Perry, 61, the longest-serving governor in Texas history and, in his 11th year, currently the nation’s senior governor, says these nominations are two of his proudest accomplishments.

Reagan’s vision lives on in Texas – It’s not complicated: Limited government works
By Michael Reagan
More than three decades ago, my father took ownership of the smoking ruins of the American economy armed with nothing more than four very basic principles: Keep taxes low, restrain government spending, minimize the amount of regulation on private enterprise and keep the money supply sound.