But for sure, the most touching moments were while holding my newborn nephew, Ethan Chase Moody… Whether it was realizing he had just released some interesting fluids, dancing the waltz with him to keep him awake so he would sleep at the same time as his parents, or just watching him stare me in the eye while racking him in my arms (and singing to him)… It was amazing sharing the first week of his new life with him!

Oh, and all you moms probably know this, but I thought it was so cool when I realized that pulling his passafier when he started to cry would cause him to suck it back in and stop crying. Plus, I’m still convinced that my sound effects helped

For all of the above, plus getting on a better flight to Albuquerqie after missing my original one, and making it back safely… I am very thankful! And I once again realize how blessed I am. So, major thanks go out to God!

I’m on the bus to the metro now and should be home within an hour or so…

Adios for now!

By Brian Gomez and Jonathan Moody

Published in the July 2009 edition of “Inside ALEC,” a monthly magazine of the American Legislative Exchange Council (www.alec.org).

After years of growing government and regulation in Europe, the results of the latest European parliamentary elections serve as a breath of fresh air. Victories for conservatives in nearly every single European country indicate voters are beginning to lose trust in leftist solutions.

Following four days of voting in 27 countries, the results of the June election deciding the new members of the European Union’s Parliament are clear. Votes across the European map show a strong win for the center-right and collapsing support for the center-left. Overall, the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) has retained its place as the largest grouping, securing 264 seats out of 736, while the Socialist Group in the European Parliament (PES) received only 161. Right-leaning parties came out ahead in Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Spain, Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary. In fact, only in Greece and Slovakia did the left manage to win by small margins. These two countries are now the last bastions of a declining ideology in Europe.

Furthermore, we are witnessing an interesting development in party-politics in Europe with the rise of new groups of conservative political parties such as the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). British Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Dr. Syed Kamall, is excited about this new coalition, which will be the fourth largest, with 55 Members from eight countries. He contends, “This is a milestone for European politics; finally, a center-right group has been formed that aims to move power from Brussels back to national parliaments

and individuals where it belongs.”

So why the collapse in support for the left in a continent where the welfare state has become the standard? Graham Watson, leader of another EU center-right grouping, predicted that the results of this election would represent a rejection of the Socialist approach. “People don’t want a return to socialism and that’s why the majority here will be a center-right majority,” he said. As the final results show, he was right.

Many left-leaning candidates ran campaigns that criticized center-right leaders for failing to regulate financial markets or spend enough to stimulate faltering economies. But voters did not embrace their cause. Instead, European voters opted for center-right candidates who campaigned on conservative solutions to the economic crisis rather than continuing down the path of taxpayer-financed stimulus and corporate bailouts. EPP’s leader, Joseph Daul, said his group of center-right national parties would support a plan ensuring no new money would be allocated to stimulus.

Europe’s tradition of democratic socialism has made it the testing ground for leftist policies in the modern era. However, the shift in the political atmosphere seen in the June European elections would suggest that big government is not the solution. Europe’s declining economic growth for the past five decades further supports this thesis. In the 1950s, the average economic growth of western European economies was 5.8 percent. Since then, it has fallen every decade until it reached 1.7 percent at the start of the 21st century. Now, amidst a global recession, the EU economy has a negative percentage growth. Are we witnessing the final days of European Socialism?

Whatever the potential implications of the June European elections may be, one thing is clear: the United States appears to be on track to merge onto the very road that Europe is looking to abandon. As the United States is beginning to look to increased regulation of markets, large stimulus packages, centralization of government and corporate bailouts as solutions, we ought to ask how such policies worked for our friends across the Atlantic. Through the recent election results, the answer seems to be quite clear – not very well.

Brian Gomez is a Research and Operations Assistant for the American Legislative Exchange Council and a student at the University of Virginia.

Jonathan Moody is the Policy Coordinator and Elections and Ethics Subcommittee Manager for the American Legislative Exchange Council.

By Andy Jones and Jonathan Moody

Published in the July 2009 edition of “Inside ALEC,” a monthly magazine of the American Legislative Exchange Council (www.alec.org).

The action of voting is the foundation of our republic. Yet, in a nation viewed as a model for democracies everywhere, the voting system in the United States continues to be undercut by voter fraud and efforts to circumvent our constitutional election processes. In order to preserve a strong election system, we must be aware of, and proactive against serious threats designed to undermine the integrity of the most important element of our system of government.

Our system of voting continues to be weakened by the threat of voter fraud. One form of fraud that has been frequently documented, especially in the months prior to the 2008 Election, is voter registration fraud. A few memorable cases stand out. In Nevada, for example, authorities seized records from the community group ACORN, accused of submitting fraudulent voter-registration forms. Voters that this group attempted to register included football stars Tony Romo and Terrell Owens, along with the rest of the starting lineup for the Dallas Cowboys. Also in 2008, Florida officials flagged a voter registration application from “Mickey Mouse,” one of hundreds pulled because they were incomplete, duplicates, or just plain fake.

Recently in Washington State, seven ACORN employees were convicted of voter registration fraud. These seven employees had turned in more than 1,800 phony voter-registration forms before they were caught. Similar charges were brought against others in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, Connecticut, and other states. In all, more than 14 states have ongoing investigations of voter fraud.

Those are just the fraudulent actions we know of. Across the United States, it is estimated that about 25 percent of voter registration forms are duplicates, and around 1 percent of the forms are bogus – containing fictitious names or addresses.

While the evidence of voter registration fraud is more clearly apparent, voter impersonation fraud is just as simply a threat to the system.

In more than 26 states, voting does not require any form of official identification, much less a government-issued or photo ID. Some of these states require only a voter’s name, address, and signature to vote, while others may only require name and signature. Stronger ID efforts can curb voter identification fraud that stems from loose identification standards at the polls.

Though the incentive is clearly present for people to commit voter ID fraud, it is inherently difficult to catch. As Hans A. von Spakovsky, a former Federal Election Commissioner explained, “It is true that evidence of such fraud is hard to come by, but this is for a simple reason: Election officials cannot discover an impersonation if they are denied the very tool needed to detect it – an identification requirement.”

It is quite clear that our system is vulnerable to voter registration fraud and, despite some claims to the contrary, voter fraud. As such, both are clearly important issues. Voter registration fraud and voter impersonation fraud threaten the integrity of this essential function of democracy. We have seen that such fraud can and does effect elections. In 2001, the Palm Beach Post reported that “more than 5,600 people who voted in the 2000 Florida Presidential election had names and data that perfectly matched a statewide list of suspected felons who were barred from voting.” As we know, Florida was ultimately decided by about 500 votes.

Some states have taken proactive steps to address the problem of voter fraud. One of the most prominent examples – thanks in part to a recent and highly publicized Supreme Court case – is Indiana. Voters in Indiana are required to produce a government-issued photo ID to vote.  Senator Jim Buck, ALEC’s Indiana State Co-Chair, praises the law in maintaining the integrity of elections. He emphasizes, “Securing our identity at the polls, in an era of identity theft, has been enhanced by our voter ID law. All freedom loving people want and depend on accurate elections for confident results. The overwhelming majority of voters in Indiana appreciate and understand the need for this new law.”

In Georgia, in an effort to implement a key provision of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the accuracy of information voters report on their registration forms is compared with state drivers licenses’ and Social Security records for accuracy. As von Spakovsky describes, under the program “anyone flagged as a potential noncitizen would still be registered if [he or she] could confirm to local election officials that he was indeed a citizen. Georgia sent letters to over 4,000 potential noncitizens. More than 2,000 failed to confirm their citizenship, strong evidence that noncitizens were prevented from illegally registering and voting.”

Arizona not only requires that voters provide government-issued ID to vote, but also, uniquely, that proof of citizenship be established when registering. ALEC member Senator Russell Pearce was the author of this reform, which was passed in 2004 as “Arizona’s Citizens and Taxpayers Protection Act” or Prop. 200.

Senator Pearce contends, “the U.S. Constitution established more than 200 years ago that only citizens may vote. With groups like ACORN being investigated in more than a dozen states for voter fraud, requiring proof of citizenship to register is critical. Arizona’s law requiring proof of citizenship has been upheld in seven different court challenges and by the U.S. Justice Department. The law requires everyone to prove their eligibility to vote, with no exceptions. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires states to strengthen the integrity of their voter rolls, as does Title 7, Section 12, of the Arizona Constitution.”

He continues by saying, “requiring photo ID at the polls is also important to prevent fraud at the other end of the process. Valid proof of identification is required to cash a check, apply for welfare, sign a lease, or get a rental card at a video store – certainly voting is more important.”

Mr. von Spakovsky helps to put the issue in a broader perspective, explaining, “voters in nearly 100 democracies are required to present photo identification to ensure the integrity of elections. Our southern neighbor, Mexico, requires both a photo ID and a thumbprint” to vote. Even Iraq, a struggling new democracy, requires voters to dip their fingers in ink after voting – an attempt to insure the fairness of elections by keeping track of voters. If Mexico can implement a successful voter ID requirement and if nations like Iraq are making some attempt to track the identity of voters, there is no valid reason the United States cannot do the same.

It is vitally important to protect the integrity of our voting system in the United States and such protection must come from the state level. That is why ALEC members are actively working on these issues. ALEC currently has Model Legislation supporting ID and citizenship requirements for voters and is continually working on the best model solutions for these important issues. Election reform is both critical and complex, with multiple possible solutions for different states. Therefore, ALEC is uniquely positioned to raise awareness and provide effective solutions to ensure a legal, fair, and open election system.

Andy Jones is a Research and Public Affairs Assistant for the American Legislative Exchange Council and a student at Davidson College in North Carolina.

Jonathan Moody is the Policy Coordinator and Elections and Ethics Subcommittee Manager for the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Born in my home state of Maryland July 7, 1851, Charles entered a world that would present him with a lifetime of challenges. His father was a slave who had been bought, sold and traded again and again, while his mother was a freed slave woman who had to continuously prove her freedom with documentation that she could not read. One day as a young man, a seemingly irrelevant event would put Charles on a road that would lead him to influence thousands of lives. He came across a wrinkled piece of paper, and excitedly ran to grab it and began his deliberate pursuit to discover what it said. He heard that there was a night school for former slaves about 10 miles away, where he could ask someone to read it for him. After a long day of hard labor, he made the 10 mile trip to the school and discovered the message on the yellowing scrap of paper – an old sales ad. Yet, this did not deter him. He continued to frequent the night school and become hungry for more of God and more knowledge. So, in addition to working long days, he began to read anything he could.

One day Charles was walking by a Church when the music drew him in. As he entered the back doors, every eye was drawn to him and he tried to quietly sneak into a back pew. The music soon ended and a Pastor stood at the front and softly asked for a raised hand from anyone who could read so that the scripture could be read to the congregation. Those sitting in the poor illiterate congregation looked at each other as no hands were raised and then the Pastor pointed to Charles and asked if he could read, to which he hesitantly responded “yes.” He was asked to come to the front of the Church, every eye still staring at him. As he began to read…”For I was hungry…,” hands shot into the air and many shouted “amen.” Charles realized they were responding to what he was reading… the entire Church congregation of poor, illiterate, spiritually hungry people had been praying for someone to be able to read the words of the Bible to them. (This gave me goosebumps… his simple willingness meant so much to so many people hungry to know what that text said.) This led to Charles getting involved more at that Church and eventually preaching and leading music.

He later moved to Philadelphia, a city that, despite some improvements, still had strong racial tensions and divisions. He began working as a janitor at a Church in addition to other physical labor jobs. From someone at the bottom rung of the society in Philadelphia, he would rise from being the janitor to being the Pastor at his Church. Through a journey of challenges, he became a leader in the community and as Pastor, watched his congregation grow from a couple hundred to more than 5,000. In his own unique way, he was able to cut through racial divisions and was respected as a man of power throughout Philadelphia. During his early days as Pastor, many were upset that a janitor was preaching to them and meetings were held in opposition to him. Yet, the author writes of Charles, “He was sure God had called him and he knew he had something to offer.” It was out of that confidence that he pushed through, even when all possible odds were against him, and as a result, lives were changed, and the foundation was laid for those who would follow in his footsteps.

I took the time to summarize this story for various reasons. One is simply to invite you inside my head in order to put the rest of this entry into context. I’m sitting in the Nation’s Capitol 158 years after Charles’ birth, seeing men and women of all colors and nationalities freely interacting with each other. Although I believe that our nation is significantly a more free and prosperous place than it was in Charles’ day, I also believe we still face countless challenges and that just as many people are still in need of hope and love.

In a way, Charles was very blessed, in that his situation drove him to overcome all odds and affect the lives of thousands of people. Now, for many of us, we could comfortably go along uninspired, and make enough money to comfortably survive. For Charles, as a former slave child in the very early days after the end of slavery, there were glaring challenges that drove him to action. So for my life, I pray that I too would be a man of passion, and could be in places where Charles found himself – that I would step up to each opportunity as Charles did when asked to read the Bible that day to a Church full of people eager to hear the scriptures. My dream is that through many simple moments of being available, my life would also touch the lives of thousands of people in a positive way.

Sometimes when we think of our lives making a difference, we think we need to speak to crowd of 100,000 people or be a popular TV commentator. However, I recently have been realizing that we influence the world around us one person at a time. If we positively interract with 5 people a day, that is 1,815 people each year. For instance, during the time as I have been reading and writing here by the fountain outside the U.S. Capitol, I’ve had the opportunity to give a few folks directions, and take pictures of many families, introducing myself and chatting with them. Each time, they were pleasantly surprised when I offered to help and happily waved goodbye and thanked me as they went on their way. I’m realizing that it’s not rocket science to “make the world a better place” one person at a time. For those from other countries that I helped today, because of me, they may go back to their home country saying how friendly Americans are.

Another example today was when I saw a group of cyclists trying to use their camera’s timer option to take a picture and I offered to take it for them. They asked what I was up to and I said my Church met at a nearby school and I was just chilling after lunch before the start of a new week. So I was able to be a friendly ambassador for the United States, God, and the District of Columbia – all while sipping on an iced coffee and blogging on my iPhone. I have to admit, every one of these situations was a lot of fun, but out of all of them, only maybe one or two actually asked, and the others gratefully accepted the offer. So, I want to always keep my eyes open to be a surprise blessing to someone – in the simplest ways. And, just maybe through doing this, and trusting God the best I know how, I may be able to touch the world in a way that Charles Tindley did in my time on this earth.

Welcome to my journey!

- Jonathan A. Moody