As usual, the Democratic Political machine is rolling along at top speed, using Chicago style intimidation to keep those who are a threat in line, while violating conflict of interest laws like the Hatch Act with blatant disregard.  In an article at The Huffington Post, Michele Somerville writes a veiled threat in her article that is very similar the unspoken practice of intimidation employed by the Obama Administration when dealing with religious organizations who speak out against their wicked policies and practices. She wrote,

"Bishops play a dangerous game when they threaten to use the leverage they think they have to bring secular law in line with canon law. The church receives much financial support from the government in the form of tax exemptions. I don't want to see my diocese or any other lose its tax exempt status, but the bishops are pushing their luck -- which could soon run out, along with the money. The bishops would do well to bear in mind that they are called to be teachers and priests, not emperors. They play fast and loose with their tax-exempt status at their own peril and their recklessness in this puts needy people of all faiths -- and no faith -- at risk."

According to Mark Kelly at Baptist Press, this kind of intimidation was put forth by liberal anti-Christian group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in 2008 against Pastor Wiley Drake and the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, CA, when the Internal Revenue Service opened an inquiry into an Aug. 11, 2007, "personal endorsement" of presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. 

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Using the same tone as Michele Somerville, AUSCS executive director Barry W. Lynn said, ""When Religious Right operatives try to enlist churches in partisan political machines, they are putting those congregations’ tax exemptions at risk. Americans go to church to grow spiritually, not to be lectured on which political candidate to vote for." Although Pastor Drake was cleared in the IRS probe, still the threat of an IRS probe looms for any church that dares to become politically active and support candidates who advocate Biblical principles.

Curiously, when it comes to conflict of interest regarding politics, the Obama Administration seems to have no problem keeping of Department of Health and Human Services  Secretary Kathleen Sebelius employed even though she participated in political activity, while acting in an official capacity as a paid representative of the United States government. According to Jake Tapper at ABC News, Carolyn Lerner, head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel concluded that Sebelius violated the Hatch Act when she served as the Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the February 25, 2012 gala for the pro-gay rights Human Rights Campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina. This activity violated the Hatch Act, that limits certain political activities of Federal employees both on and off duty. The act even further limits the activities of Sebelius, who is a member of the Senior Executive Service.  

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Illinois Republican Rep. Joe Walsh told The Daily Caller he thinks that President Obama should terminate Sebelius’ employment immediately. Walsh told Daily Caller reporter Matthew Boyle, “As the president who said he had ‘put in place the toughest ethics laws and toughest transparency rules of any administration in history,’ I would expect nothing less than for the president to quickly dismiss Ms. Sebelius,” Walsh added, “Her actions were not just a violation of the Hatch Act — they were a violation of the people’s trust who believe that their tax payer dollarsare not being spent to help promote party politics.” According to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, "an employee who violates the Hatch Act shall be removed from their position, and funds appropriated for the position from which removed thereafter may not be used to pay the employee or individual. However, if the Merit Systems Protection Board finds by unanimous vote that the violation does not warrant removal, a penalty of not less than a 30-day suspension without pay shall be imposed by direction of the Board."  According to ChristianNewswire.com, yesterday White House Press Secretary Jay Carney indicated that there would be no serious punishment for Sebelius for violating the Hatch Act at an official appearance in February. He stated that "action has been taken by the Secretary and department to remedy what was the result of an inadvertent error based on extemporaneous remarks." This behavior is typical of Sebelius, who was involved In 2007, as Governor of Kansas, in hosting a party at the official Governor’s Mansion at tax-payer exp... for late-term abortionist George Tiller and his entire abortion clinic staff of about 25 people. Tiller donated heavily to Sebelius’ political campaigns and to the campaigns of those hand-picked by her, according to Operation Rescue which received photos of the party then obtained receipts through an open records request that proved tax dollars paid for the event. According to Cheryl Sullenger at Operation Rescue, "One photo was particularly revealing. It showed Sebelius holding up a campaign T-shirt emblazoned with her name and those of two other Democratic candidates while pointing in apparent

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acknowledgement to Tiller. Caught red-handed, Sebelius at first fumbled to respond to the scandal changing her story several times."  It's quite clear that there is a double standard in politics with regard to tax exempt status and conflict of interest laws. It seems quite clear that any activity that promotes the state religion of secular humanism and immoral behavior by advocating abortion, the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered agenda, or the advance and promotion of Islam goes unchecked, while a special effort to curtail the political activity of Christian conservatives is pursued to the fullest extent allowed by the law. Welcome to the philosophical world of Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and Kathleen Sebelius.