Nebraska isn’t usually a pin on the map of political hotspots, but that all changed this week with Omaha’s candidates for mayor. Thanks to Heath Mello’s (D) pro-life views, a race that would have been a footnote in the national news has exploded into a front-page headline about the DNC’s hard ideological line on abortion.

After years of squeezing out socially conservative Democrats, the party is struggling to win back seats in the heartland, where voters might lean left on economic issues, but pro-life, pro-faith roots run deep. New DNC chairman Tom Perez tried to walk that line with an endorsement for Mello, only to face fire from the abortion militants in his own camp. Without pulling the DNC’s support, he sent a chilling message to all Democratic candidates that nothing less than unconditional surrender on life would be tolerated. “Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman’s right to make her own choices about her body and her health,” Perez said. “That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state… At a time when women’s rights are under assault from the White House, the Republican Congress, and in states across the country, we must speak up for this principle as loudly as ever and with one voice.”

Telling pro-lifers to drop dead isn’t exactly the smartest political strategy, Dave Freddoso points out. In his op-ed, “Democrats Unlearn Their Own Election History,” he — like a lot of voters — couldn’t believe his ears. “It is puzzling that the head of a political party, whose job is to win elections, would send such a clearly exclusionary message to officeholders and candidates without whose victory his party would probably remain a minority forever.”

Obviously, Perez seems intent on following Hillary Clinton into some of the most radical terrain on abortion ever broached. From her shameless support of taxpayer-funded abortion to her elevation of groups that illegally sell baby body parts, the former First Lady was determined to make November’s election about an extreme social agenda that’s increasingly out of touch with women. And she paid dearly for it. With Planned Parenthood cheering her on, Clinton rushed to embrace the “abortion-ization” of the Democratic Party without any regard to the political consequences. Which, on November 8, were many.

Ignoring thousands of pro-life Democrats, the DNC’s platform was a case study in over-the-top extremism. For the first time in history, it called for overturning the Hyde and Helms Amendments, demanding that federal taxpayers fund abortion-on-demand at home and abroad. (Not only did DNC leaders want abortion to be a routine medical procedure, they wanted Americans to pay for the entire world’s!) That in itself was a crystalizing moment for the country, which could only marvel at the sharp contrasts between the two parties.

Under the GOP platform, Republicans reiterated their support for the walls between taxpayers and the dark world of abortion, calling on Congress to make the Hyde Amendment permanent in all walks of government funding — including health care. They also insisted on defending the First Amendment rights of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and organizations when it comes to issues like abortion funding, procedures, drugs, and health insurance. The Democrats supported Planned Parenthood by name. The Republicans, for the first time, called for defunding it. In every possible way, the parties confirmed what everyone already knew: they are polar opposites.

It’s those growing ideological differences that set the stage for inner-party squabbles like Mello’s. If anyone needed proof that the mushy middle is shrinking, it’s the drama playing out in Omaha. Hopefully, the GOP will learn from Nebraska (and from last November) that being a social squish doesn’t work. Donald Trump won the election by appealing to his base, not bowing to moderates. In a political arena with fewer gray areas, what wins elections is taking a strong stance — which, in the GOP’s case, also happens to be the popular one.

While the DNC continues to shamelessly promote abortion right up to the moment of birth, polling shows that it’s a far cry from voters’ position on the issue. Almost eight in 10 Americans (78 percent) would limit abortion to the first trimester — including 62 percent who call themselves “pro-choice.” Voters let the DNC know what it thought about its extreme social agenda last November. I hope the GOP was listening!

(Originally published here.)

On a West Wing and a Prayer

Since President Trump took office, he’s encouraged more than a few faith-based initiatives. But this one involves his own team! On a weekly basis, members of the Trump cabinet are meeting for a time of prayer and devotions. Together with Vice President Mike Pence, the group holds the sessions under the leadership of the Capitol Ministries’ Ralph Drollinger. “In terms of a country’s health and direction, when its leaders are seeking God, the nation is in a position to be blessed by God in ways that are ‘far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,’” Drollinger told CBN.

Throwing open the door to Capitol Ministries, which also hosts weekly Bible studies in the House and Senate, is just one of the signs that the White House is under new management. After eight years of the most hostile attacks on faith in America, the simple fact that the administration is encouraging its people to live out their beliefs is a powerful example of the change taking root. And if anyone needs spiritual encouragement, it’s the men and women in the most influential seats in Washington. Although the president hasn’t attended yet, he has an open invitation. “This has been a wonderful time of prayer and fellowship as I am presently teaching through the Sermon on the Mount — as well has handing out my weekly written Bible study as a homework assignment on a particular topic,” Drollinger said.

Of course, the Trump administration isn’t the first to host Bible studies. George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon all took time out of their days for prayer and devotions. For so many, though, this simple show of faith is a breath of fresh air for leaders whose beliefs were suffocated under Barack Obama. Fortunately, Donald Trump and Mike Pence recognize that our government shouldn’t fear faith, but welcome it. And joining in office prayer is some on-the-job training we could all use!

(Originally published here.)

Kentucky Goes to the Matt for Religious Liberty

While the Left is trying to shove faith out the school door, at least one state is hanging a shingle that says: Christians welcome here! After declaring 2017 the Year of the Bible, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) went on to prove it, signing two bills into law that give the state the right to teach elective classes on God’s Word. Among other things, the state’s Department of Education was ordered to draft policies that show Kentucky’s hospitality to optional Bible classes.

It’s high time, State Senator C.B. Embry (R) said, for children to have a better understanding of the Bible. “I don’t think there’s another document in the history of our culture that has had more impact on our culture, our society, or our values than the Bible,” he told reporters. Even the state’s Democrats agree. Sen. Robin Webb (D) cheered the law, saying, “This gives some level of protection to the districts that do this, because it will provide a framework to pass constitutional muster and scrutiny, and requires the Kentucky Department of Education to conform to federal law.”

A month earlier, Bevin also made it clear that his administration wouldn’t tolerate the religious censorship that’s become so common on college campuses. As part of his pro-First Amendment flurry of activity, he inked his name to a measure that insists students “can express religious and political viewpoints in public schools and on college campuses without interference from administrators.” It would be tough to find someone who’s done more for the freedom of belief in such a short amount of time than Gov. Bevin. We’re deeply grateful for the example he’s been to other leaders on the issue. One thing’s for certain: Religious liberty has a friend in Kentucky!

(Originally published here.)

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC. Reprinted by permission.