Obama's pay grade

In Reasonably Right this week I wrote about Obama and McCain at Rev. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church forum. Here are some excerpts:

Warren asked Obama, "At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?"

Obama responded, "Well, I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade."

Obama tried to be cute; he tried to say those decisions are best left to God. But Warren was not asking Obama to proclaim, as God's representative on earth, the point at which babies get human rights. He was just asking Obama his view, his opinion.

All of God's decisions are above Obama's pay grade: murder is wrong; rape is wrong; helping your neighbor is good; feeding the hungry is good. Those are God's decisions, based on His perfect nature. Still, Obama can have an opinion about those actions.

Maybe Obama hasn't made up his mind. Obama is young man, lacking the experience to develop a consistent record of achievement.

Warren asked McCain the same question and McCain responded without hesitation, "At the moment of conception. I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress, in the Senate. And as President of the United States, I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies. That's my commitment, that's my commitment to you."

When you choose someone for President of the United States, you are voting for leadership. Leaders are not always right and they don't always have all the information. But leaders have a quality in their character that empowers them with the courage to make a decision. Obama demonstrated that leadership is above his pay grade.

You can read the full column in the Neshoba Democrat here: PERRY/Obama's pay grade