"We Are Less Safe" 

There was a very disturbing discussion on CNN's Sunday talk show "State of the Union." The guests were Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI), the respective chairmen of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. The topic was terrorism, and I suspect most folks (including those in the media) simply tuned it out during the holiday weekend. But what Feinstein and Rogers had to say was alarming.

Consider this brief exchange between host Candy Crowley and her guests: 
 

• CROWLEY: The big question that's always asked, are we safer now than we were a year ago, two years ago? In general?

  FEINSTEIN: I don't think so. I think terror is up worldwide, the statistics indicate that, the fatalities are way up. The numbers are way up. There are new bombs, very big bombs, trucks being reinforced for those bombs. There are bombs that go through magnatometers. … There are more groups than ever and there's huge malevolence out there.

  CROWLEY: So congressman, I have to say, that is not the answer I expected. … Do you agree? 

  ROGERS: Oh, I absolutely agree that we're not safer today for the same very reasons.

These were stunning admissions. As one Washington Post columnist noted, "Feinstein and Rogers can both be counted among the adults in Washington; they do not say reckless things and neither goes off half-cocked. Both have reputations for being candid, measured and informed. Their bipartisan conclusion should be big news."

To her credit, Sen. Feinstein was not afraid to identify the threat nor did she try to downplay or diminish it. She warned that the source of the "huge malevolence out there" came from the "jihadist, Islamic community" that is dedicated to "Islamic Sharia law and the concept of the caliphate." Feinstein added that she saw "more jihadists more determined to kill to get to where they want to get. So, it's not an isolated phenomenon." 

No doubt the Obama White House was not happy with Senator Feinstein. Fighting terrorism is one area where the president still polls relatively well. But the people who know best say we are now less safe. 

Truck Heist Or Dirty Bomb? 

I thought about Sunday's interview when I read this headline while scanning the morning news: "Truck Carrying Radioactive Material Stolen in Mexico." The truck was carrying cobalt-60, which has various commercial and medical uses. In the wrong hands, it could be extremely dangerous. 

Perhaps this is a just vehicle theft and nothing more. But we know Hezbollah and other jihadist groups are operating in Mexico and throughout Latin America, often working with the drug cartels. In the worst-case scenario a gang could be cooperating with Hezbollah to make a dirty nuclear bomb. 

During this time of year, most of us tend to be focused on the blessings of life. We cannot forget that the world remains a very dangerous place and that the ultimate source of our blessings and our security remains the God of Abraham. 

Today's Obamacare Update 

Here are some highlights of today's Obamacare news: 
 

• An audit by the Treasury Department's inspector general warns that Obamacare's tax credits are vulnerable to fraud and that the IRS is not prepared to deal with the problem. 

  This shouldn't surprise anyone. Obama waived the income verification requirements months ago, and the IRS has done nothing to stop billions of your tax dollars from going to illegal immigrants each year. (That's another IRS scandal Congress should be investigating!) 
   

• As Barack Obama and his allies launch their latest campaign to sell the public on Obamacare, a new Gallup poll shows they are facing a very skeptical public, as 54% of adults disapprove of Obama's healthcare scheme. 

  Even worse for the White House, its efforts could actually backfire. The Gallup poll found that the more people knew about Obamacare, the less inclined they were to like it. Those who said they were unfamiliar with Obamacare split 41% in favor to 43% against. But among those who said they were familiar with the law, 59% disapproved while 40% approved. 
   

• The White House is hosting a Youth Summit today to promote Obamacare among those ages 18 to 35. For Obamacare to succeed, it is absolutely critical that individuals in this age group enroll in order to maintain a balance in the exchange between the healthy and the sick so that premiums do not skyrocket even more. But data from the state exchanges indicate that young Americans are not signing up in the numbers needed.

  Worse yet, new polling from Havard University finds that Millennials, who were so important to Obama's electoral success, don't like Obamacare and have turned on Obama. According to the poll, only 41% of Millennials now approve of Barack Obama's job performance. Even fewer (39%) approve of Obamacare, while 56% disapprove of it. And most worrisome for the White House, only 22% said they were likely to enroll in Obamacare.

Syria's Christians Need Your Help 

As the civil war in Syria rages on, the persecution of Christians at the hands of Islamic jihadists continues unabated. Just days ago 12 nuns were kidnapped from a Greek Orthodox monastery. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled to neighboring countries. 

There is something you can do. Christmas for Refugees is hosting a Christmas dinner for nearly 1,000 Christian refugee children in Amman, Jordan. They need your help. Click here to spread a little Christmas cheer in the Middle East.