"Budgets are moral documents." These words from the Rev. Jim Wallis reflect a simple yet powerful fact about our democratic process: where we put our money reveals how we define our values.

It seems that the main objective of liberals for the last three decades has been to defend the legal and political gains achieved during the last generation of progressives, in the 1960s and 1970s.

From the latest news, you'd think America has turned the corner and is on the road to recovery. Far from it. There are major, structural deficiencies in our system that point in very negative directions.

There is no one "right" religious position on how health care should look; but I believe there are some fundamental moral and even biblical principles on which to evaluate any final legislative agreement.

We've recently seen the abortion rhetoric really heat up to ridiculous proportions. Those with opposing views are being stereotyped and demonized. And facts are taking a back seat to sound bytes.

With an issue like health, the faith community has a unique and important role to play -- to define and raise the moral issues beneath the policy debate.

It's satisfying to lambast a staunch social conservative for an extramarital affair on another continent. But the real failure in this sad story is a political platform based on a personal moral code.