Reflections on the State of Affairs in New York     3/11/2008
By Anne Downey

We watch with interest and prayerful consideration the events surrounding our governor and his aides.

The following are the comments of Anne Downey, Concerned Women for America's (CWA) State Director in New York, as she considers the current happenings in New York State:

Concerned Women for America of New York asks for prayers for our governor, his family, all our elected officials, and our state. This is a critical time for our state, as the state budget is due to be released on April 1.

The timing of the recent news events is interesting. On March 10, at 3 p.m., Gov. Spitzer was scheduled to meet with Cardinal Egan and the Bishops of New York to discuss the governor's extreme abortion bill, his reneging on a pledge to support education tax credits, and other crucial issues facing our state. The meeting was canceled as the latest news swept away all other issues.

I close with the following reflection that was included in our November 1, 2007 CWA of New York newsletter: "We watch with interest and prayerful consideration the events surrounding our governor and his aides. Gov. Spitzer, who is very liberal on social issues, came to office with 'a mandate' and certain agendas in mind.

There has been much publicity over the governor's comments earlier this year to a Republican leader that the governor saw himself as 'a steamroller' who would roll over the opposition. Yet we see that events have not unfolded as planned. Portions of the governor's agenda have been derailed or limited. While such is common in politics, we wonder if the hand of the Lord is at work.

It is particularly interesting to me that one of the big derailing events - the governor's aide scandal - involves Darren Dopp, who for years has been a right-hand man to Eliot Spitzer. My husband and I encountered Darren Dopp a few years ago when we defended a crisis pregnancy center against a very broad subpoena served by then-Attorney General Spitzer against more than 20 crisis pregnancy centers in our state. Darren Dopp was the primary spokesperson defending the broad subpoenas, and on several occasions I was interviewed by the media on behalf of the crisis pregnancy centers. Now Darren Dopp, most recently a key aide to Gov. Spitzer, has resigned amidst the 'Troopergate' scandal. That scandal has not only impacted Mr. Dopp but also limited the governor's efforts on various agendas.

We also find our governor currently embroiled in his controversial policy to begin issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens. In the midst of all these events, let us pray that the governor and his staff will pursue policies that are based on Biblical values and that they will turn their hearts to the Lord. Let us pray for righteousness to prevail in our state and for all evil plans to be thwarted. The ultimate 'steamroller' is Jesus Christ, and the Bible tells us that some day every knee will bend to His leadership."

To learn more about CWA of New York, please visit http://ny.cwfa.org, or e-mail director@newyork.cwfa.org

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