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In the future, I'd advise against calling anyone's faith "pathetic" and keep it to yourself.  

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In what his campaign is billing as a major policy speech, Mitt Romney will unveil an energy plan Thursday that would give states the power to determine whether drilling and mining should occur on federal lands within their borders as part of a larger effort to increase domestic oil, coal and natural gas production and achieve energy independence.

Under current law, the federal government controls oil, coal and gas permits for federal lands. But in a speech at an oilfield services company in Hobbs. N.M., Romney will argue that determination should be up to state officials, insisting individual states are in a better position to "develop, adopt and enforce regulations" on local basis than the federal government--which his campaign says has been unduly influenced by Washington politics.

A policy paper released ahead of the candidate's speech by the Romney campaign argues President Barack Obama "has intentionally sought to shut down oil, gas and coal production in pursuit of his own alternative energy agenda."

In his speech, Romney will contend that loosening regulations on the energy industry will benefit taxpayers by lowering gas costs and reducing the cost of consumer goods, which have increased as companies pay higher energy prices. He'll argue that allowing more federal drilling will not only bring money back into the nation's budget but would result in lower energy prices that could create jobs, lower the trade deficit and increase the nation's security.

"Allowing for greater domestic energy production will be of immense benefit when it comes to jobs and affordable energy for working Americans and middle class families," Ed Gillespie, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign, said in a conference call Wednesday previewing the candidate's speech.

The push is part of what Romney will tout as effort to achieve energy independence by 2020, a plan that also includes expanding offshore energy development along the coast of Virginia and North and South Carolina as well as approval of the Keystone energy pipeline linking Canada to the United States.

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The push is part of what Romney will tout as effort to achieve energy independence by 2020

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It got me to thinking though, is there anybody here who can explain how Ayn Rand's philosophy is compatible with Christianity?

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Here is the official language, posted on the Democratic Party website:

"The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way. We also recognize that health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions. We strongly and unequivocally support a woman's decision to have a child by providing affordable health care and ensuring the availability of and access to programs that help women during pregnancy and after the birth of a child, including caring adoption programs."

The language was interpreted by conservative critics as an endorsement of taxpayer-funded abortion -- particularly the line about "regardless of ability to pay." And anti-abortion advocates noted that the platform did not mention any exceptions for partial-birth abortion (which is illegal in most cases) or sex-selective abortions -- or include language that was included in the past that stated abortion should be "rare."

Former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, vice president of government relations at the Susan B. Anthony List, said the platform indicates pro-life Democrats have "been left behind" by their party.

"Bill Clinton Democrats talked about wanting to make abortion rare. ... Well those days are gone, they don't talk about that anymore," she said. "This party is full-bore on abortion for any reason at any time."

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The video was widely circulated after it was obtained by Mother Jones, though it had been on the Internet for weeks. It showed Romney speaking at a May 17 fundraiser in Boca Raton, Fla.

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney could be heard saying. "There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it."

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A question. Is there anything good that you think Obama has accomplished during his presidency?

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Joe Biden.  Honestly, I believe he is the ONLY reason nobody has tried to assassinate the president.  

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