The Obama administration is appealing the ruling by a federal judge that decided the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.
You can read the Department of Justice notice to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals below but let’s be very clear here. President Obama is a defendant in this case. Hey, conservative Christians how does that grab ya?
You know what else? Shirley Dobson is also a defendant in the case. That’s right. She is the Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and also the wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. President Obama and Shirley Dobson. Co-defendents. How’s that for strange bedfellows?
Read the Notice of Appeal below and then get The Brody File take below:
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
__________________________________________
)
FREEDOM FROM RELIGION )
FOUNDATION, INC., ANNE NICOL )
GAYLOR, ANNIE LAURIE GAYLOR, )
PAUL GAYLOR, DAN BARKER, )
PHYLLIS ROSE, and JILL DEAN, )
)
Plaintiffs, ))
v. ) Case No. 08-CV-588
)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, )
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY )
ROBERT L. GIBBS, WISCONSIN GOVERNOR )
JIM DOYLE, and SHIRLEY DOBSON, )
CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL DAY )
OF PRAYER TASK FORCE, ))
Defendants. )
__________________________________________)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that defendants President Barack Obama and White House
Press Secretary Robert L. Gibbs hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit from this Court’s Judgment of April 20, 2010 (Docket No. 133, 04/20/2010), as
well as all other opinions, orders, and rulings that merge into that judgment, including, but not
limited to, this Court’s Opinion and Order dated April 15, 2010 (Docket No. 132, 04/15/2010)
and this Court’s Opinion and Order dated March 1, 2010 (Docket No. 131, 03/02/2010).
Look, let me ask you a question. Is there going to be any conservative Christian leader and/or group that applaud the president here? I mean this administration DID NOT HAVE to appeal this decision. You can make the argument that it’s a no-brainer to appeal it but it wasn’t a given. And let me just add that my guess is many conservative Christians probably were skeptical that the administration would appeal it in the first place. So many of his critics are out to get this President on the faith issue. You would think when he steps to the plate and does the "right thing" in their eyes they would give him kudos. Not that the President needs kudos from his critics but if the kudos are not forthcoming it may speak to the hypocrisy issue a little bit yes?
Look, either way the bottom line is this: Barack Obama, the President of the United States is defending prayer in the federal court system. That bit of news should not be lost on anyone. Will the press releases commending the administration for doing so follow? I would suspect that if George Bush was President the releases would be flowing. Conservative Christians may not see eye to eye with the President on many issues but isn’t holding hands on this appropriate?
More on all of this here.