We told you about Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani weeks ago. Pastor Yousef remains steadfast in his Christian faith and has once again refused to recant his commitment to Jesus Christ. He has been sentenced to death for his faith in Islam-dominated Iran. Reports indicate the execution could be carried out soon, as early as tomorrow – Friday – the day Muslims go to the mosque for worship:

International Business Times: Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is facing the death penalty, again refused to convert to Islam to save his life.

Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 for the crime of apostasy because he allegedly abandoned Islam for Christianity. As a pastor, Iranian clerics believe that Nadarkhani was preaching in order to convert Muslims.

Before his last hearing Wednesday, Nadarkhani had been given three previous chances to repent, and all three times he has refused. After his final refusal Wednesday, no verdict has been announced, but many expect that he could be put to death as soon as Friday.

The case has slowly garnered international attention, and there are a number of Christian rights groups advocating for his release.

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner also has spoken out against Iran. . . . Read More

May Pastor Yousef have the strength and courage he needs to continue to stand strong, and may God use his witness to transform the nation of Iran.

Here is a video report out of New Orleans about the outrage among liberals at some billboards posted by a man on his own private property that mock President Obama and his failure in office. One billboard depicts Obama in a diaper, and points out his huge failure to turn the U.S. Economy around, and the blame he tries to place on everyone else.

Liberal protesters, and local Government liberals are trying to take the signs down any way they can.

NewsBusters has more (Via Gateway Pundit).

Here is video of Charles Krauthammer talking about Obama’s incredible weakness right now with Independent voters. His support with them has now sunk as low as 31%. Krauthammer said:

“I think if Obama cannot rise from the 31% approval rating he has among independents, he’s going to suffer a landslide.”

Via Fox Nation

Add Missouri to the list of states likely to have an early Presidential Primary in 2012 – February 7:

AP: Missouri is poised to hold an early presidential primary next year, a move that could inject more confusion into the 2012 election calendar by prompting other states to elbow to the front of the campaign line.

Lawmakers are moving closer to the end of a special legislative session without rescheduling the primary now set for Feb. 7, as national party officials would prefer. The February date would make Missouri’s vote the second presidential contest in the nation, a day after Iowa’s caucuses and before the New Hampshire primary. Saturday is the deadline for states to schedule their 2012 primaries. The prospect of action by Missouri lawmakers before then appears slim. . . . Read More

To make it even more confusing, to avoid losing 50% of its delegate to the 2012 GOP Convention, Missouri may hold the primary on February 7 but actually allocate their delegates to the convention through a caucus system in March – thus not violating the RNC rules about holding their delegate allocation contest prior to March 6.

Here are the latest 40-day polling averages for the 2012 GOP Presidential Candidates. Perry still leads, but as some of the older polls roll off the average in the next couple of weeks, you’ll see that lead come down considerably.

NOTE: We hope to have all the state polls updated by the end of this coming weekend. Still trying to catch up after traveling for a week!

Here is video of Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a wide-ranging interview with Newsmax. During the interview, Perry said his comment during last week’s debate that those who oppose in-state tuition for the children of illegal aliens “don’t have a heart,” was “inappropriate.” (NOTE: Perry addresses the issue at the 5:25 mark of the video).

While the GOP Presidential Primary Calendar is still in flux when it comes to early-voting states, it appears that a long nomination battle will definitely favor Gov. Mitt Romney. For someone to knock Romney out, they will have to do it by Super Tuesday on March 6. If Perry, Cain or someone else is not clearly ahead by then, the primary calendar is squarely on Romney’s side:

POLITICO: . . . One result of the proportional allocation system Republicans installed in August 2010 is this: the candidates will divide the delegates out of the early primary states, which could leave the two frontrunners—Romney and Perry—almost even.

Perry is favored in Iowa, South Carolina and the now-likely Feb. 7 Missouri primary, while Romney has strong support in New Hampshire and Nevada, plus Michigan on Feb. 28. Other crucial early states, like Florida and Arizona, could go either way.

On March 6, a smaller-than-usual Super Tuesday – only about 10 states rather than the 24 in 2008 – is centered in Perry country: Texas and handful of other Southern states.

After the four traditional early states, “it becomes a real game of electoral math,” said Phil Musser, a Republican consultant unaffiliated in the 2012 race.

“I suspect that the Romney people are the only ones to really, truly focus on this map with any seriousness,” he said.

After Super Tuesday and a few other smaller Southern primaries in March, the calendar almost entirely favors Romney – March 20 is Illinois, and April 24 is slated for a slew of Northeastern states that will almost all go to Romney. (As a Northeastern governor, the same math would likely apply to Christie).

The changes to the broader primary structure were made primarily to please GOP officials from around the country, all of whom would like their states to participate in the primary process. A shift toward dividing delegates proportionally in each state makes it hard for a frontrunner to amass big lead—and thus effectively claim the nomination before most states have voted.

But the Romney camp also has had a hand in crafting the calendar. Aides like longtime RNC member Ron Kaufman were on hand to keep an eye on the process, and the former Massachusetts governor’s allies continue to try to tweak the calendar around its edges, and to move up Romney-friendly states. . . . Read More