The Christian Reformed Church of North America will be cutting staff from its publishing arm in response to profits that, while increasing, are still lagging.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Church's reduction in staff at Faith Alive Christian Resources is expected to be about 18 percent. Mark Rice, director of Faith Alive, told The Christian Post that this transition was part of the rapidly changing world of denominational publishing.

"Faith Alive has been experiencing declining revenues for several years and across many of its core categories like Sunday school curriculum," said Rice. "We have implemented numerous revenue-producing initiatives (e.g., digital publishing, hiring field sales representation, expanding distribution, etc.) and those initiatives are having an impact." more >>

Political insiders say there could be more to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint's decision to resign his seat than just a bigger paycheck at a coveted Washington policy organization. Even some legislators on the hill are pointing out that GOP leaders are relegating their tea party types to the backbench and that is making them seek additional outlets to advance their cause.

Conservatives pay high accolades to DeMint for helping to recruit conservative candidates, oftentimes getting them through crowded primaries before setting the stage for general election victories.

Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, praised DeMint for bringing other conservatives to the Senate such as Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and newly elected Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas). more >>

Former President George W. Bush who has spent the past four years out of the political limelight, addressed immigration reform in a speech in Dallas on Tuesday, saying it would help boost the economy.

"Immigrants come with new skills and new ideas," Bush told those gathered at the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas. "They fill a critical part in our labor market. They work hard for a better life."

During his second term, the former Texas governor tried to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package with the help of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in 2007. However, it was dealt a deathblow by fellow Republicans. more >>

A majority of Democrats indicated they have a positive view of "socialism," a recent Gallup poll found. But a Socialist Party spokesperson maintains that both the Democratic and Republican parties are ineffective.

A late November poll found that 53 percent of Democrats – or those who lean that way – have a favorable view of socialism compared to just 23 percent of Republicans.

In a column in Tuesday's Canada Free Press, conservative activist Robert Rohlfing makes the argument that Democrats should fully embrace socialism and rename their party to better reflect support of programs rooted in socialism, most notably the Affordable Healthcare Act, or commonly known as Obamacare. more >>

A suggestion by some Democrats that eliminating tax deductions for mortgage interest and charitable contributions could be part of a fiscal cliff deal is raising the specter of significant harm for the middle class, according to some experts.

And they are saying the church is at risk as well.

Some believe that President Obama may support eliminating these deductions despite repeated assertions during his campaign that he plans to protect the middle class. more >>

Republican leaders accused President Barack Obama of wasting time on the "fiscal cliff" negotiations in the proposal he offered Thursday. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, in five Sunday talk show appearances, countered that it was a serious proposal and it is now up to Republicans to offer a counter-proposal.

Obama's opening bid in the fiscal cliff negotiations showed a lack of seriousness, Republican leaders claimed on the Sunday talk shows. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) even claimed that the proposal means that Obama wants the nation to go over the fiscal cliff.

"We've got seven weeks between Election Day and the end of the year and three of those weeks have been wasted with this nonsense," Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in an interview on Fox News Sunday that was taped on Friday. more >>