A Christian author is encouraging believers to avoid getting caught up in the crass commercialism that surrounds Christmas.

Millions are familiar with the poem "The Night Before Christmas," and several years ago, it inspired poet Jim Chapman to pen a similar work titled "The Night After Christmas." ( Twas 'The Night After Christmas' )

"About 12 [or] 13 years ago, I ran across a statement that martyred missionary Jim Elliot made, and apparently he felt the same way about Christmas," Chapman explains. "He was troubled by...the commercialism and all this pressure for gift-giving and what not, and he wrote to his then finance Elizabeth one year and said, 'It seems to me we would all have a better attitude toward the whole thing if someone would write a realistic poem on the night after Christmas to counterbalance the magical effects of the imaginative night before.'"

(A number of years ago my friend Cal Thomas wrote a column and did a radio commentary in which you wrote and said it is time to take Christ out of Christmas. I believe people of faith need to get away from the Christmas culture and put our focus on Jesus. No there is nothing wrong with giving a few gifts but too often in America and the West people try to buy the love of others. Lets not forget Christmas is not about going to the mall and  giving or getting lots of gifts. Christmas for us who are people of faith should be about God sending his son Jesus  to die for our sins.)

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson joined fellow Democrats in voting to pass the Senate health care bill this morning before lawmakers left town for Christmas.

That final vote required only a simple majority, but on several procedural moves this week, Nelson provided the crucial 60th vote to move the legislation forward. Nelson said after the final vote that he felt good about supporting the legislation. (Nelson votes yes )

"I know there are a lot of people who have an opposing point of view," Nelson said.

He said Americans already uneasy about the state of the economy have been confused by misinformation about the complicated health care bill.

"It's not surprising that people are upset," Nelson said.

Nelson said that if Congress fails to act, the cost of health insurance will continue to increase beyond the ability of people to pay.

"For those who just simply say do nothing, they're ignoring the reality of what's going on," Nelson said.

(Most people agree changes need to be made but we all know government always helps when it starts a new program right? Not!  If Ben thinks this is going to save people money he is dreaming. Look for higher taxes and more taxes. I thought the Democrats were put in power because the other party couldn't  stop spending but now the Democrats are doing that at a higher rate. Even so called middle of the road Democrats like Ben Nelson. The voters should demand answers when they are home during Christmas break and we should make Nelson and all the Senators who backed this government program pay as soon as they are up re-election.)

Republicans are stepping up their efforts to persuade more House Democrats to switch parties and are zeroing in on a second-term Pennsylvanian who acknowledged the efforts but said he has "no plans" to do so.

Democratic Rep. Chris Carney received a phone call Wednesday from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) asking him to consider becoming a Republican, a top GOP official told POLITICO. ( ANOTHER DEM MAY BOLT PARTY... )

Carney's office at first did not comment other than to acknowledge the call, but Carney released a statement Wednesday night saying, in part, "I appreciate the Republican Party's outreach, but I have no plans to change parties.

(I have come to the conclusion if you are pro family, pro life, and want lower or less taxes you no longer have a seat at the table if you are part of Democratic party.) 

 Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history.

"We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people," Obama said shortly after the Senate acted.

"This will be the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security passed in the 1930s," said Obama, standing with Vice President Joe Biden in the State Room of the White House.

The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate.

(I will agree with the left today's vote will make history. Sadly it is not good history and will cost our nation much in values, and taxes. It is my hope when they try to  bring the Senate and House bill together true pro life congressmen unlike Sen. Ben Nelson will stand up for the unborn. This  vote also will make history because it took place on Christmas Eve a day- night which should be about faith, God, and family not rushing a bill to be passed which is what the Democrats did. Read more on this issue Health care reform bill passes Senate, moves to final stage.)

Sen. Ben Nelson today defended the various deals he secured in exchange for his support of the Senate health care bill.

The Nebraska Democrat has been taking heat from fellow senators, pundits and his constituents for those deals, particularly an arrangement that has the federal government covering all of the cost to Nebraska of the bill's Medicaid expansion.

Nelson called the criticism a "tempest in a teapot."

(Sen. Nelson showed the people of Nebraska and America that he can be bought. Shame on him. The actions that Nelson took was not the will of the majority of  Nebraska voters. Shame on him. If the election was held today he would pay for his  sell out vote. Read more on this issue Nelson defends health care role.)

So much for Sen. Ben Nelson's "line in the sand" against government funding for abortion.

"I don't ordinarily draw a line in the sand, but I have drawn a line in the sand," the Nebraska Democrat said on Dec. 4, promising he wouldn't vote for government health care if it paid for abortion. Mr. Nelson's principles barely lasted two weeks. By Saturday, he announced that he would provide the 60th vote needed to pass government care. The man's word is meaningless.

(The above is part of an  editorial that was in the Washington  Times. Based on what I have read and heard it looks like the Times is making a correct point. Ben Nelson was one of the few Democrats who was pro life and standing up for the unborn. If the deal he made is going to keep our tax money from paying for abortion why has no pro life leader or group defended Nelson. Not one of them has said this was a good deal and will keep babies from being murdered.  I think the director of Nebraska Right to Life spoke for many of us who are pro life in  the state of Nebraska and around the nation." There is no pro-life Nebraskan more devastated by Sen. Nelson's actions than myself. I have defended his record to Nebraskans and believed that he would stand on pro-life principles as he has on numerous occasions in the past. ... Sen. Nelson obliterated the hope of pro-life Americans who saw him as the last man standing between expansion of government funding of abortion and the Hyde Amendment.")