10:00 AM Daily briefing

10:30 AM Meets with senior advisers

11:25 AM Delivers remarks on the economy at Fire Station #5 in Arlington, Va

2:45 PM Attends a campaign event

8:00 AM Delivers remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast
12:00 PM Meets with senior advisers
1:00 PM Meets Biden for lunch
2:00 PM Meets with Secretary of State Clinton
2:30 PM Meets with Treasury Secretary Geithner

by Jim Ray

When government gets involved in deciding what should be said in a prayer, you can be sure that individual freedoms are in jeopardy. The prophet Daniel found himself in the company of hungry lions after failing to follow official protocol in his prayer routine. And Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, authored a helpful guide entitled the Book of Common Prayer. Many people appreciated the volume, but the Queen, Mary I, didn’t. In fact, she disliked it so much she had Cranmer burned at the stake.

Unfortunately, government meddling in the prayer lives of its citizens didn’t disappear in the middle ages with the bubonic plague. A recent ruling of the Fourth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals lays down the law with respect to what may or may not be said in prayers in certain places.

And the judges’ decision can be boiled down to this simple order: you may pray if you wish, but whatever you do…don’t say Jesus.

The court case was brought against Forsyth County, North Carolina by three individuals who claimed they were made uncomfortable by the Board of Commissioners’ practice of allowing clergy to begin meetings with prayer. The Board has for many years invited local religious leaders – of any and every stripe – to deliver an invocation. As the Court acknowledged, “No eligible congregation was excluded,” and the invitation was issued to religious leaders of all established local congregations in the community, regardless of denomination or faith.

And furthermore, just to be on the safe side, the Board of Commissioners created an official policy clarifying that prayer was not “a part of the public business,” that nobody “shall be required to participate in any prayer that is offered,” and that the opportunity to pray would be granted on a “first-come, first-serve” basis.

But the problem, in the view of the district court, was that too many people were referencing “specific tenets of Christianity” and praying in Jesus’ name – what the court called “sectarian invocations.” In short, it didn’t matter that leaders of other faiths freely mentioned Allah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Mohammad, or the Heavenly Father in their prayers. The court decided that references to Jesus Christ were just too frequent.

This is not surprising, given that the vast majority of the houses of worship in Forsyth County are Christian, but the court nevertheless said that too much mention of Jesus “runs afoul of the promise of public neutrality” as required by the First Amendment.

The solution, the court said, is simple. Prayers may continue if the person permitted to pray will promise to “embrace a non-sectarian ideal. That ideal is simply this: that those of different creeds are in the end kindred spirits, united by a respect paid higher providence and by a belief in the importance of religious faith.”

Federal Judge Paul V. Niemeyer dissented from the majority opinion of the three-judge panel. “The majority has dared to step in and regulate the language of prayer – the sacred dialogue between humankind and God,” he wrote. “Most frightfully, it will require secular legislative and judicial bodies to evaluate and parse particular religious prayers under an array of criteria identified by the majority.”

What happens from here? In January, the United States Supreme Court refused to review the district court’s decision, which means that it cannot be overturned, at least for now. Gleeful representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union are already at work to see that this decision is enforced across the nation, and will also be sending a bill for $200,000 to Forsyth County for its attorney fees incurred in the case.

In the meantime, Christians who have the opportunity to pray in public settings will have to choose whether they will follow the instructions of the Fourth Circuit…or the instructions in the fourteenth book of John. In verses 13 and 14, Jesus says this: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Like the prophet Daniel and Thomas Cranmer – and countless other saints of the past who were told by others how they should pray – you have a decision to make.

Jim Ray is a writer and marketing specialist who currently serves as Estate Gift Representative with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. He also serves on the advisory board for Street 2 Street, a New York-based charity ministering to inner-city youth through the vehicle of sports. Jim and his wife Stacey have two children and reside in Nashville, TN.

by Nikolas Grosfield

Late January in the United States is well-known for at least five things. Snowstorms. The countdown to the Super Bowl. The State of the Union Address. Inauguration Day. And the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that effectively legalized abortion across America on January 22, 1973.

Considered to be one of the high court’s most controversial decisions ever, a group of around 30 pro-life activists wanted to memorialize it in a “March for Life” in Washington, D.C. in 1974. About 20,000 people attended the event. Since then, marches have occurred in the nation’s capital on or near every January 22, drawing crowds ranging from 50,000 to 250,000.

This year’s march was on a bitterly cold day. A high percentage of those in attendance were younger people, including 12-year-olds from as far away as Chicago. “The youth are at the heart of this,” said Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl. “They are just so important to us.”

Perhaps the archbishop was commenting on the trend, according to Gallup polls, of young people becoming more pro-life over the past two decades. Between 1990 and 2010, American adults under 30 became 50 percent less likely to support abortion “under any circumstances,” and 64 percent more likely to oppose abortion “in all circumstances.”

The March for Life in Washington has inspired numerous other such events around the country. One of the biggest occurs in San Francisco, one of the most liberal cities in the nation. Named the Walk for Life West Coast, the event started in 2005 with about 7,000 people. In 2011 and 2012, up to 40,000 people attended the walk.

This January, these peaceful pro-life marches in two of America’s most outspoken cities were set against the background of the 2012 presidential election race. All four remaining Republican candidates strongly reject abortion on a personal level, and at least two of them oppose it at the federal level as well.

The White House provided its own context to the Roe v. Wade anniversary with Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, reasserting the position of the Obama administration regarding the new health care law’s mandate on religious groups. She said employers that promote the “inculcation of religious values” will be exempt from having to give their employees health insurance that covers contraceptives (including abortion). However, this narrow exception could only cover churches, synagogues and mosques. Religious organizations and schools, as well as businesses run by anyone who opposes contraceptives, may be forced to pay for them.

Throughout his term, President Obama has supported the abortion rights movement domestically and abroad. It will likely be a major issue in the 2012 elections, as it has been for every president since Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Nevertheless, changing laws or presidents will never be enough to really win the national debate on this issue. Pro-life Christians must work to win their culture on a moral and theological level. Living like Jesus and sharing His message of truth and redemption always provides the best setting for transforming society – and for saving lives.

Please pray for:

• Courage and faith for all families that have been affected by abortion.
• Integrity and wisdom for lawyers, pastors and politicians fighting against abortion.
• Christ-like compassion as you strive to impact your community for eternity.

Nikolas Grosfield edits media reports on U.S. foreign policy and national security. He has a B.A. in History from Cedarville University in Ohio. A columnist from Montana, he has published over 50 articles. He and his bride currently reside in the Middle East.

by Dr. Tom Askew

In December, Presidential Prayer Team told you about the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) attempt to have a nativity display removed from a Texas courthouse. Claiming to be acting on behalf of an unnamed local resident, the Wisconsin-based organization, led by atheist Annie Laurie Gaylor, accomplished nothing.

The local sheriff removed the atheist organization’s banner claiming that Christianity “hardens hearts and enslaves minds” – a banner they had erected after being denied permission by local county commissioners. The Texas Attorney General offered to defend Henderson County should the FFRF file suit. And local pastors organized a rally in defense of local sovereignty and community consensus which drew over 5000 participants. The nativity display remained in place, unscathed, through the Christmas season.

Now the FFRF is back, this time attacking a practice which has been going on peacefully in Florida’s Clay County for over 12 years.

Pastor Ron Baker of Russell Baptist Church has been meeting at the flagpole in front of local elementary schools once a week for voluntary school prayer. “We’re not talking about walking in the classroom and teaching Sunday school,” local school board member Charlie Van Zandt explained. “We’re talking about parents and students gathering in small numbers on school property and praying in small groups for five minutes.”

But that’s not okay with Wisconsin atheist Gaylor and her Freedom From Religion Foundation. In a letter to the school board demanding that the practice be stopped, Gaylor said, “It is grossly inappropriate for principals, teachers, other public school employees, or outside adults to actively participate in or promote student-run religious organizations and activities.” The letter provoked school attorney Bruce Bickner to weigh in, concluding that praying at the flagpole is unconstitutional. “It is a violation of the United States Constitution for a teacher, school administrator or other school district employee to join in a prayer session during their work time,” he said.

But they didn’t. And it isn’t.

Bickner’s recommendation caused the Clay County school board in November to vote 3-2 to ban Rev. Baker from all school campuses. Then in December, the board reversed the vote because some people pointed out the obvious: no school officials were involved on school time. And, according to federal Department of Education published guidelines, prayer on school grounds may be considered a private act falling under the First Amendment “freedom of religion” clause if local school officials will clearly define what the limits and boundaries may be.

To that end, Clay County school officials will be meeting with several law firms for a workshop between February 27 and March 2 to construct an official policy on school prayer for the district. Two Christian law firms, Liberty Counsel and the Alliance Defense Fund, have offered their services in the matter.

Has the Freedom From Religion Foundation set itself up as a “watchdog” to interfere with the peaceful practice of religion which has gone on undisturbed for years? Will local officials continue to be bullied into making bad decisions based on inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation?

Now is the time to pray.

Nothing will defeat the attempts of groups such as FFRF to ban prayer than the effective use of prayer. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16)

• Pray for the protection of religious liberty throughout this land.
• Pray for the advance of knowledge and wisdom so that the uninformed will not be bullied by the deceitful.
• Pray for Annie Laurie Gaylor and the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
• Pray for the Clay County school board as they seek to define an appropriate policy for school prayer.
• Pray for Christian law firms such as Liberty Counsel and Alliance Defense Fund as they vigilantly pursue religious freedom for all Americans.
• Pray for the election of just and wise leaders at all levels of government.
• Pray for national repentance and reformation based on the unchanging truth of God’s Word.

Dr. Tom Askew has been an educator in both public and private schools for 37 years, in Hong Kong, Germany, Georgia, and Arizona. He is currently doing educational consulting and instruction for Christian schools in Arizona.

Howard Gruenspecht received his B.A. from McGill University and his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University. Over the past 30 years, he has worked extensively on electricity policy issues, including restructuring and reliability, regulations affecting motor fuels and vehicles, energy-related environmental issues, and economy-wide energy modeling. He was a Resident Scholar at Resources for the Future for seven years. He also served as Director of Economic, Electricity and Natural Gas Analysis in the Department of Energy’s Office of Policy, having previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Environmental Policy.

Gruenspecht was Senior Staff Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton Administration, with primary responsibilities in the areas of environment, energy, regulation and international trade.

His other professional experience includes service as a faculty member at the Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University, Economic Adviser to the Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission, and Assistant Director of Economics and Business on the White House Domestic Policy Staff during the Carter presidency.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy.

IN THE NEWS: The U.S. Energy Information Administration is likely to raise by a substantial amount its existing estimate that U.S. oil production will grow by 550,000 barrels per day by 2020, to just over six million barrels daily. The forecast will include new production data from developing oil fields, including the Bakken shale area in North Dakota, which could hold as much as 4.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil. There has been a decrease in the estimate for the Marcellus shale source for natural gas despite production booming in the Marcellus Shale which underlies areas in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and other surrounding states.

Elijah Eugene Cummings was born in January 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Baltimore City College and later from Howard University with a B.A. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland, and was engaged in the private practice of law for 19 years.

Cummings served in the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland General Assembly for a combined total of 16 years.

He has been a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Maryland’s 7^th district since 1996. He is presently the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

He is married to Maya Rockeymoore Cummings. The family are Baptist.

IN THE NEWS: The ongoing debate about who should shoulder the burden of deficit reduction continues as lawmakers struggle to reach a deal. Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland sent a letter to the conference committee asking conferees to oppose an additional one-year pay freeze for government workers that would follow the two-year pay freeze already in place. He argued that reductions in the federal workforce means government employees are having to work harder than ever with fewer resources and shouldn’t have to give up more.

Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg was born in March 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. She attended James Madison High School, and graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After receiving that degree she enrolled at Harvard Law School, where she was one of only nine women in a class of more than five hundred. She later transferred to Columbia Law School where she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree. She has since been awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Willamette University and Princeton University.

Justice Ginsburg was a professor of law at Rutgers University for nine years, and then she taught at Columbia, where she became the first tenured woman professor. She co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, and a year later became the ACLU’s General Counsel.

President Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and she served there for 13 years until joining the Supreme Court. It was President Bill Clinton who nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and within a few months she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In 2009, Forbes magazine named her among the 100 Most Powerful Women.

Justice Ginsburg is the widow of the late Martin Ginsburg who died in 2010. They have two children. She is Jewish.

IN THE NEWS: On her visit to Egypt, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is scheduled to meet with senior court officials, the head of the High Elections Commission and Egypt’s Grand Muffti. Her visit follows Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner who went to Cairo last week. The visits coincide with the opening of Egypt’s Parliament and the commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the start of the Egyptian Revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood group overwhelmingly won the parliamentary election.

Kathryn A. Condon received her BA from the University of Rochester in New York, and an MBA from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. She received additional education at the Army Management Staff College.

She was a Revenue Officer for the Internal Revenue Service, before becoming involved with activities on behalf of the U.S. Army. Since employed by the Army she has worked at West Point, Fort Belvoir, and in offices at the Pentagon. She was the first civilian Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. She was the Deputy to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, and oversaw one of the largest commands in the Army, with more than 50,000 employees in 149 locations worldwide, including more than 40 states and 38 countries.

Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Condon served as the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Army, as an adviser responsible for researching, analyzing and development commendations on national security and Army strategic issues and trends.

She was elected for the Senior Executive Service in 1997, and became the Executive Director of the Army National Cemeteries Program in June 2010.

IN THE NEWS: A process to address problems and deficiencies at Arlington National Cemetery was the subject of a Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, Committee of Homeland Security and Government Affairs, along with the Department of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office. Issues of improper burials, unmarked sites, and discarded remains were brought before Congress over the last couple of years. Said Ms. Condon, “Arlington has made monumental changes in the last 19 months and we continue to move forward each and every day, putting our progress with respectable processes with predictable results.” Some of their activities include completing a review and accounting of all gravesites and inurement niches at Arlington, and creating defined accountability processes integrated into Arlington’s daily operations and rigorous employee training. They are also working with state-of-the-art technology for all record-keeping. Among the national cemeteries in the United States, Arlington is unique. It is the only national cemetery that routinely holds graveside services and provides full military honors for eligible veterans. There are more than 4 million visitors annually, and approximately 27-30 funeral services per day, five days a week.