Behold, the Queen

At 1:42 a.m., early Pentecost Sunday morning, Hadassah Mae Carson was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver.

"Hadassah" is the original Hebrew name of the Biblical Queen Esther, who took a Persian name to conceal her Jewish identity when joining the King Xerxes (Ahaseurus) administration in what is now the Islamic Republic of Iran, about 500 years before Jesus Christ arrived on the world scene in Israel.

"Esther" (Hadassah) uses her position in the King's government to deliver the Jews of the Persian Empire from the anti-Semitic, Hitler-like Prime Minister Haman. *

Hada's name also takes inspiration from chapter 25, verse 2 of Proverbs, sometimes associated with the story of Esther: "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but it is the glory of kings to search things out."

And frankly, I think Mordecai's exchange with his newly royal niece in the Fourth Chapter of Esther is one of the most powerful in all of scripture.

At 4 lbs, 8 oz., Hadassah Mae is getting surprisingly scrappy. As EC describes her: "She is small, but mighty." I'm not sure we'll ever sleep a full eight hours again, but what a strangely satisfying way to spend one's sleepless nights.

BC

*I am also informed by a good friend that when Hitler invaded Poland, he forbade the reading of the Book of Esther and banned the Festival of Purim, a Jewish holiday celebrating the historical event. Turns out he didn't like how the story ended.

Baby C, on the way

Life is about to change in a dramatic way: EC is being induced tomorrow morning at 8am. Needless to say, posting will be light--and no, there will not be a live , minute-by-minute blog feed from my laptop while in the delivery room.

See you on the other side,

BC

Movies actually worth two hours of your time

EC and I are within just a couple of weeks before "Baby C" arrives, so naturally, we are catching about a movie a week on average, preparing for our extended time away from films. Three particularly good movies seen recently include:

1. The Lives of Others (by far the best -- we might buy this one. Recommended to anyone and everyone)
2. The Illusionist
3. The Painted Veil

The Lives of Others won't be out on DVD for a while, but either The Illusionist or The Painted Veil are good choices if you happen to find yourself wandering aimlessly around Blockbuster.

Hill Yes!!

Fyi: I was just offered and accepted a job on Capitol Hill with this office.

I start July 9th.

God hears our prayers.

BC
*For more information* (or just give me a call).

Evangelical, but not a Protestant?

Definitely worth a quick read, below is a brief interview in Christianity Today with former President of the Evangelical Theological Society Francis Beckwith:

"Q&A: Francis Beckwith: Former ETS president speaks about what he takes from evangelicalism back to the Roman Catholic Church."

One fascinating quote from Beckwith:

"I still consider myself an evangelical, but no longer a Protestant."

Read the whole interview for the context.

-BC

Elephantitis of the GOP

I finally watched the second GOP presidential debate via MSNBC.com. This round was a bit spicier, with Rudy G. getting stern on 9/11 with loose cannon Ron Paul. McCain looked Presidential, Romney looked creepily polished, and Huckabee generally made a great deal of sense, but lacks the Presidential aura. (Does "Presidential aura" sound like an invented qualification? Consider that the last time we ignored it, America got Jimmy Carter).

The best one-liner of the night came from Tom Tancredo: "I trust in conversions on the road to Damascus, not conversions on the road to Des Moines" (in reference to Mitt Romney's newfound affection for conservative principles).

I'm still not committed to any candidate, though I do see 1-2 I could potentially get behind. But no one stands out at this point, and I am definitely not comfortable with front runner Giuliani as the Republican candidate. (This reminds me: I still have to comment on Newt Gingrich as a potential GOP candidate).

All this begs the question: Could 2008 be the year when a viable Independent ticket actually competes for the Presidency? We are probably years away from a successful Independent ticket of any stripe. But a political sea change is in the works, with traditional and social conservatives potentially exiled from a Republican party dominated by libertarians.

If Hillary wins the Dems' nomination, and pro-choice, establishment Republican Giuliani grabs the Republican nomination, who would you choose? Is there an Independent ticket you would support, and if so, who?

-BC

Agrarian Conservatism

Below is one of the better rundowns of the political culture of South Dakota - distinguishing by region of the state as well as political philosophy. Typically, people either put SoDak in the "Red-State" camp (which it is, when it comes to electing Presidents and Governors) or in the Prairie Populist camp (which it often is, when electing Congressmen and women).

The writers' conclusion? South Dakota is an Agrarian Conservative state:

"The Contours of South Dakota Political Culture"

BC

The Stupid Party, continued

For the sake of completeness, I'll wrap this up: a word on conservatism.

A person's political opinions are, typically, non-rational. Very few people I know use reams of stastical data to determine whether or not their political persusion should be mostly liberal, populist, libertarian, or some other stripe. Instead, these opinions bubble up from beliefs about what the "the State" or government's role should be in relation to individuals, families and communities. (These beliefs, to dig a bit deeper, are dependent on a person's fundamental view of the world: "What is the world for? Why do people exist? Is there a God, and if so, what is his relationship to human beings?").

Russell Kirk is typically thought of as the founding father of American Conservatism. He defines six primary beliefs conservatives hold that distinguish them from other political persuasions:

1. A belief in a transcendent order, which Kirk described variously as based in tradition, divine revelation, or natural law;

2. An affection for the "variety and mystery" of human existence;

3. A conviction that society requires orders and classes that emphasize "natural" distinctions;

4. A belief that property and freedom are closely linked;

5. A faith in custom, convention, and prescription, and

6. A recognition that innovation must be tied to existing traditions and customs, which entails a respect for the political value of prudence (from The Conservative Mind)

But Kirk's conservatism seems a little alien to us today, accustomed as we are to a historical development called "Fusionism", which took place in the 1960s. To make a long story short: In the 1960s, both conservatives and libertarians were concerned about the rising tide of liberal, collectivist public policy (The New Deal, The Great Society, Soviet Russia, etc). Seeing the writing on the wall, conservatives and libertarians clasped hands in the Republican Party, opting for a united resistance against the expanding role of government in society.

Today, most who call themselves "conservatives" actually espouse a strange blend of libertarianism and traditional conservatism. One only has to turn on Fox News for a few minutes to catch this intellectual schizophrenia.

Readers may have noticed EC and I frequently (excessively?) citing Rod Dreher's "Crunchy Conservative" blog. Dreher's "Crunchy Conservatism" is, in his own words, a 21st century version of traditional conservatism, in the tradition of Edmund Burke (see pic above), Kirk and Richard Weaver.

Kirk said it is culture, not politics or economics, that determines the course of a society. And the primary rudder of culture is religion and spirituality. The idea that all the material world rests on a spiritual world is foundational to conservatism.

I believe this to be true.

Some people view modern universities, and especially graduate schools, as the breeding ground for liberal/leftist thought. I am actually leaving graduate school, and the state capitol in Denver, consciously conservative in my political persuasion.

One of my greatest concerns about becoming involved in politics was that I would come to hate "the other side." I don't. If anything, I have more respect for the other side than when I first walked up the Capitol steps in January. "The other side" (be they Republicans or Dems of libertarian, populist, or liberal ideology) is often brilliant, articulate, polite and compassionate. Regretably, I believe they are also frequently wrong about questions of public policy.

Legislative government is in many ways like an athletic event. You know your opponent's sole purpose is to defeat you. Frankly, you might not like anyone from the other team at all. But after several hard-fought skirmishes played within established rules, you see your opponent with a new level of respect. Not agreement, but respect.

BC

Sine Die = "The Last Adjournment"

I know I've said some kind of cynical things about politics and government in the last couple of months, but now on the last day of the 2007 legislative session in Colorado, I can genuinely say that I will miss walking over to the Capitol for work every day. After the last four months, I might have only added fuel to the fire of my interest in politics, policy and government. It's an unfortunate condition, I suppose, but one that I should probably figure out how to manage now.

After spending a few months in belly of the beast, I have created a short Cliff's Notes-style taxonomy of political ideologies:

Libertarian: For this breed, the freer the market, the better. Vote against any tax of any kind, all the time. If a pure libertarian, vote pro-choice in abortion issues, anti-gun control, anti-industry regulation, and pro-gay marriage. Actively try to dismantle the government, piece by piece. Patron saint: Milton Friedman.

Liberal/Leftist: Well-meaning, good-intentioned, brilliant and well-educated. Horribly misguided. Attempts constantly to remedy social, industry and cultural problems with tax increases to fund more and more programs upon programs. Blissfully ignorant of their worldview's Marxist origins. Patron saint: Ted Kennedy.

Populist: A demagaugic, cranky and egalitarian lot. Resentful and inarticulate. Appeals to base human emotions. Patron saint: Lou Dobbs.

Conservative: To be continued...