Politics

With his impressive victory in Saturday's Nevada caucus, pundits are suggesting that Mitt Romney has a clear path to the Republican nomination. Newt Gingrich's post-caucus speech, meanwhile, was viewed as lacking graciousness and "whiny," and as a sign that his campaign is effectively over.

Romney won with 48 percent of the vote, followed by Gingrich (23 percent), Ron Paul (18 percent) and Rick Santorum (11 percent). The victory came just four days after Romney won the Florida primary with 46 percent of the vote.

Gingrich called a news conference Saturday night to say that he is not leaving the race. more >>

Front-runner Mitt Romney is now the only Republican presidential candidate with Secret Service protection, but is that a good or bad thing in terms of his ability to connect with voters?

For someone who has been the candidate to beat for so long, Romney has not been very successful in connecting with voters. Instead, he has often been accused of being out of touch, aloof, or intentionally ignoring voting blocs – including evangelicals.

The former Massachusetts governor still appears uncomfortable with shaking hands and talking to voters in one-on-one, impromptu situations. Given his already awkward relations with voters, will Romney's new Secret Service Protection only exacerbate the disconnect? more >>

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah) criticized Barack Obama's linking of Jesus Christ's teachings on wealth and the poor with the president's policy call for higher taxes on the most wealthy Americans as heard in his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying the president is not "theologian-in-chief."

Obama told prayer breakfast attendees Thursday morning that his tax policy is influenced by the scriptural saying "for unto whom much is given, much shall be required."

Hatch later sought to set the president straight on Jesus and the Bible. more >>

Today's surprise announcement by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to reverse its decision to fund Planned Parenthood has pro-life groups and advocates shaking their heads. The reversal will mostly likely alienate supporters on both sides, causing even more trouble for the breast cancer group.

The nation's leading advocate for breast cancer awareness previously gave abortion provider Planned Parenthood millions of dollars in grants, including at least $700,000 in 2011 alone.

"Well, I think one of the benefits that has come from this saga is now the broad majority of Americans realize the Komen connection to the world's foremost abortion provider," Brian Harris, the director of Tennessee Right to Life, told The Christian Post. "Millions of pro-life Americans – who have momentum now – will know to avoid any involvement with Komen until they become consistently committed to protecting all human life." more >>

A South Carolina State Senate panel has decided to end state employee insurance coverage for abortions pursued because of rape or incest.

In a 3-2 vote that fell along party lines, the Republican proposal would only allow for funds to go to an abortion if the woman's life was endangered.

Republican State Senator David L. Thomas, one of the panel members who voted for the measure, told The Christian Post that abortion access was not the issue with the proposal. more >>

Led by a New Jersey pastor, a group of Indonesian Christian immigrants and their supporters attempted to pressure a U.S. senator in his Newark office Thursday morning into supporting a bill that would help the group fight against deportation orders.

The crowd of about 20 held a brief rally in front of the office of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) after speaking briefly to the politician's staff, who expressed their moral support for the group of undocumented Indonesians, but made no committing promises, the Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale of the Reformed Church of Highland Park, the group's leader, told The Christian Post.

The undocumented group – mostly fathers with U.S.-born children – are part of a New Jersey community of Christian Indonesian immigrants who came to the U.S. in the 1990s, escaping religious persecution in their homeland dominated at the time by Islamic extremism. The men in question wish to be granted asylum, arguing that they have been honest members of the community and might face persecution back home as Christians. more >>