After the tragic shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords which claimed the lives of several others, including Federal District Judge John Roll, the progressive left screamed for a return to a level of civility. The civility they were demanding was from their opponents apparently, as they made no move in this direction themselves. The fact that Judge Roll was at the center of the Arizona immigration law dispute, and may actually have been the primary target is beside the point when our socialist opponents want to make the most of a crisis or tragedy.
As we moved forward from that calamity in Tuscon, the left kept up their vicious and, largely unfounded, attacks on anyone exhibiting even a minor degree of common sense. During that time the semi-loyal opposition maintained, in general, a more gentlemanly and ladylike demeanor, refusing to call the regime and its’ supporters on the vile and disgusting behavior and speech visible on the nightly news and in the blogosphere.
In some ways it is a credit to these American patriots that they did not stoop to the level of their opponents. Their behavior was usually measured and circumspect. In some ways it makes one wonder if they take the battle to save our republic as seriously and those who stand against our liberties do. As I noted before, their behavior was usually measured and circumspect – except when it came to dealing with opponents from within their own camp. Read more of this article »
I was chatting recently with a friend in the Republican Party about some of the people looking for the presidential nomination. Although I like and respect the gentleman, it was a meeting of the two kinds of Republicans – one a party person and the other an issue person. We both agreed that the pretender to the presidency was taking us in the wrong direction.
Our solutions, though, would take us in two different directions. The traditional Republican approach is to use conflicts with the Democrats to try to work out a compromise. The idea is to get concessions from the other side – for instance, in giving them a debt ceiling increase in exchange for significant cuts in spending. This traditional approach makes the assumption that they are 1) dealing with people you can trust to keep their word and 2) that we, in our already bankrupt condition, can afford to go even further into debt.
This thinking, I believe, is a result of the normalcy bias that prevents people from seeing the real dangers that present themselves, particularly because they never have been present in the past. It is same normalcy bias that led World Trade Center workers to return to their offices to turn off computers and lights rather than get themselves out of the building as quickly as they could. Some died because of this delay. Read more of this article »
Even though he has not officially announced his intention to make a run for the White House, Donald Trump has shot to the top, or near the top, of many Republican presidential polls, much to the consternation of many who already have an emotional investment in one potential candidate or another… or in their ability to act as king maker within the party. Weather he can ultimately win, or if he would be good for the country is a question for another day.
Many political advisors and analysts will most likely miss, what I believe, is the key to his meteoric rise in this new area of endeavor. If they were to see this, the question would arise, why aren’t they telling their clients to do the same? Instead they keep advising their charges to try to act like statesmen, rather than actually being one.
Trump, with is vast experience in negotiations and public relations, has pulled few punches and is viewing Barack Hussein Obama as an enemy to be defeated rather than someone they have to make nice with. His “go for the throat” style of valuing results over process may frustrate him if he ever has to deal with the Senate, but it resonates with many who see the country falling apart and people in leadership positions who can only express “concern” and spend far too much time explaining why they can’t get the job done. Read more of this article »
There have been multiple studies exploring the positive relationship between church attendance and civic involvement. The most recent I’ve come across one by The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE). To those who understand the balance between depending on the grace of God and working out their salvation with fear and trembling, it is not surprising to see proof even from secular researchers that frequent attendance at worship services is an indicator of greater involvement in community betterment activities – both civic and political. While it is can be argued about the cause and effect relationship, the fact remains that study after study shows that Christians tend to be better citizens… helping out in their communities, taking responsibility to help the disadvantaged and campaigning for the candidates of their choice.
Given that some activities follow the liberation theology radicalism of Jeremiah Wright, it can still be said that though some are misguided, the desire to make a better world and stand up for their fellow man is manifestation of the same James 1:27 that tells us “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” While we may not agree with their approach, this desire is closer to the ideal we are working toward than that of someone selfishly living only for themselves… and we can pray for their redirection and increased understanding. Read more of this article »
President Obama says he wants to find common ground with the GOP as they look for a way to solve the budget impasse. He has this fantasy that there is a common ground between his spendthrift policies and the teaparty inspired push for fiscal restraint and respect for the taxpayers. The sad fact is that some of the old timers in the Republican Party also believe this is possible.
One has to consider if there is really a common ground between wisdom and foolishness… sanity and insanity… right and wrong that is not foolish, insane or wrong in itself. In the quest to be seen as reasonable, many of our congressmen and senators who give really great campaign speeches, act like compromise is the way to get things done. Unfortunately, it is… but not what the people need.
If something is wrong, like spending money we don’t have, and charging it to to generations not yet born, putting us in debt to people who don’t like us and giving it to, among others, people who have sneaked into our country illegally… then what justification is there for a compromise of any kind? If giving a hundred million dollars to Planned Parenthood to facilitate the killing of babies is wrong… is not giving them fifty million dollars wrong as well. Read more of this article »
My first experience with George Allen came a few years after I escaped from Sopranoland and arrived in the Old Dominion. He was a one term congressman who had just been redistricted out of his seat by the partisan Democrat machine that ruled the commonwealth with an iron fist in those dark, dreary days. He was a young and hungry politician eager to press the flesh and meet the people.
He was running for governor in the early days of 1993 eagerly seeking people to join his “A-Team” as he ran on a “Jeffersonian conservative” platform that included keeping bad actors off the streets longer through the abolition of parole and a generally more efficient government in Richmond. My teenage daughter spent time working at his campaign headquarters and was thrilled when he came around and chatted with those volunteering their time on his behalf.
Much to the chagrin of the entrenched Democrat establishment, Allen won and took up residency in the Governor’s Mansion. He kept his promise to restore truth in sentencing and end the practice of paroling violent criminals long before their time was served. He even went further and made the Department of Motor Vehicles a functioning part of Virginia government. Many other accomplishments marked his time in office, which was ended by term limits, and the citizens were indeed better off for George Allen having served. Read more of this article »
Often these pages offer analysis of events or circumstances based on the writers observations and experience. This time, I’d like to pose several questions for consideration… and provide a context that may help define the difference between right and wrong.
After reading the passage below, it would be good to consider questions like, is it possible for the government to steal? Is it possible for a government to murder. It is generally agreed that it is wrong for a person to take some else’s property or take their life” Is there s difference between something that is right and something that is legal?
Let’s read a little and think about it.
1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” Read more of this article »
It’s New Years Eve and we are about to enter 2011. The past year has been one of tremendous success for the people of the United States… and tremendous failure for our representatives who are charged with the job of guarding our republic and protecting our freedom. Sure some progress has been made in our nations’ capitol, but it has only been to slow down the our plunge into tyranny. The victories we have seen show us what we, the people, are capable of when we get together and stand against our would be masters.
We can sit back in satisfaction for having driven many of the worst offenders from positions of power. But… some remain and they are still determined to impose their will on the American people. If we do sit back and rest on our victories, they will evaporate like our jobs and our national prosperity. Remember the high so many of us felt on election night as we saw one after another of these big government types go down to defeat. That, and the work the legitimate foes of small government heading to Washington, is the payoff for our efforts. Not all of our favorites were elected… but supporting them was still worth our effort.
We have felt, as they say, the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”. This shows we are alive and in the arena. Even though we need to stand against some of his progressive policies, we need to consider the words of Theodore Roosevelt when he said: Read more of this article »
It’s been coming at us for years. Remember those old black and white movies where most of the men wore suits and ties? Beaver Cleaver came home to a mother wearing a nice dress, heels and pearls, and his dad sat around the house in a white shirt and tie. Remember when IBMers were clones in gray suits? Then, corporate offices adopted “casual Friday”… then casual every day. While I’m not a big one for coats and ties myself, I still find it annoying to find myself sitting in a nice restaurant next some guy in shorts, a tank top and flipflops. Even our own president still dresses like a community organizer while his wife often looks like her wardrobe comes from the sale rack at a thrift store.
But, these lowered standards of formality are just minor situations compared to what is now taking place in many airports around the country. Our government is forcing random citizens to parade themselves through a device where some unseen TSA agent sees more of them than if they were on a beach in the skimpiest of bikinis. Should someone have the audacity to object, the alternative is to be felt and fondled in a way that would land the writer and reader in jail were we to do it to some stranger on the street or in the office. Once again our government has taken the authority to set itself above the law it imposes on the citizens.
There have been many thoughts about this practice that is supposed to make the flying public safer and thwart the efforts of those who hate us. Interestingly, the nation that is hated even more than ours has found it unnecessary to resort to such universally obnoxious and intrusive methods. Of course the Israelis use the various intelligence apparatus they have available, but they take the logical steps of concentrating their limited resources on potential fliers who, most normal people, would find the most likely to take destructive actions. They sit them down, look them in the eyes and probe their motives rather than confiscating everyone’s toothpaste. Read more of this article »
A few days before the election received an email blast from the Republican Party of Virginia with the heading Countdown To Victory: It Depends On You!. It’s just a few days to Election Day and the people running the party are calling on the rank and file party sympathizers, the grassroots activists, many of whom are tea partiers, to do the work to keep these leaders and their selected candidates in charge and expand there power base.
If only they would exhibit such concern for the little people when it came time for candidate selection or policy formulation, many more would be out knocking on doors, waving signs, working the polls, talking to their neighbors and a whole host of other activities necessary in winning elections.
It’s sad, but so often we see people entrenched in their positions, more intent on preserving their rank than serving the people who put them there. This should not be interpreted as a rant specifically about RPV, but a general condition in many states and nationally. People in leadership and consulting positions want us to defer to their supposedly superior knowledge and wisdom in picking candidates they deem to be electable, then fall into line and lift these people to be victorious benefactors of the citizens, who are often profoundly disrespected… can anyone say Delaware? Read more of this article »
It has been an interesting evening watching the election returns and trying to make some sense of them. Political prognosticators are something like economists in that if you would lay them all end to end, they still would not reach a conclusion. It appears that we, in the US, have a double minded electorate.
As this is written there are a few things that we can see. Some are positive and some negative for our country, but nonetheless, this is the world we have to live with for the next two years. While we cannot go back and correct mistakes made this cycle, we can learn from them… and it is essential that we learn from them.
At the top of many people’s list is looking at what happened in Delaware. In what was a disappointment for many tea partiers, Christine O’Donnell came up short in her attempt to defeat the “bearded socialist”. Many of us look at Karl Rove and say “shame on you” as his rant against O’Donnell on the night she won the primary was not only ill advised, but dishonest as he, at the time, did not reveal that he was consulting her liberal, defeated opponent, Mike Castle. Other pundits, attempting to show themselves to be above the common folks who make up the tea party, followed suit.
In spite of the fact that these poor unwashed masses were expected to fall in line and back their establishment candidate, they were given permission to vote for the Democrat or sit out the entire process by this behavior. According to FoxNews polling 18% of the Republicans did not vote for their party’s candidate. Given the minority in voter registration in the state, this softened support most likely did not make the entire difference… but it certainly didn’t help. Read more of this article »
With the upcoming election, there are several ideas on the best strategy to save our country from a runaway, out of control president and the socialist mob doing his bidding. Many of them have the virtue of logic on their side, but I believe one is the best for our situation today.
Obviously, the Democrats are in power and are inflicting the greatest harm in the shortest possible time our country has ever seen. This has to be stopped! Anger at Republicans who have failed to follow through on their smaller, less intrusive government rhetoric is completely understandable as well. The desire to reject them both and go down the third party route has a great deal of appeal. In some areas, the Libertarians have been able to exert limited influence and the Constitution Party stands for a pretty impressive set of values, yet they have not been able to market them successfully. In some cases, even Independents have been successful, but not frequently.
So what is the best way to deal with this current threat to our republic? We must begin by understanding that this battle will not be won in the single skirmish on election day. We need to dig in for a prolonged conflict and accept the fact that it will take several election cycles to root most of the scoundrels out of congress. Some are so deeply entrenched in districts with voters incapable of discerning the extent of corruption in their district that they will be in place until they retire or expire.
This means that the first thing we have to do is shut down the Democrats power to inflict damage. It may mean holding our noses and voting for a RINO with whom we only share a common need for air and water. While it may be emotionally satisfying to leave such a so-called Republican hang out to dry as you stay home, it could well be that this vengeful action would put one more Pelosi puppet in place. Because they are united and disciplined, no matter what they tell us, stopping this unholy alliance must be our first priority. Read more of this article »
Sometimes the one we are looking for is staring at from the mirror. We are all looking for someone else to lead us out of this mess. Keep in mind that to everyone around us, each of us is someone else. It’s been said that God is no so much interested in ability, but in availability. Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (NIV)
What is politics? When someone runs for office, they tell us they want to work for the good of the people, help make a better life for their constituents, some even say they want to be a Christian influence in they community. Many sincerely believe this. But, what is really going on when someone is elected to office?
Political activity is actually about the use and control of government power – who is in charge and who does what to whom. With the growing destructive power of both the state and national governments, electing reliable people of good will is more important than ever. Just as important is maintaining on going contact with these people who are so quick with the gladhand during the campaign. These politicians may be done with the voters for the time being, at least until the next election, but the voters cannot afford to be done with the politicians.
The formerly mainstream media is full of reports about Republican leaders talking about compromising with the Democrats on several key issues. The politicians are denying this. As usual, the truth is difficult to discern as both sources have similar credibility quotients. I am believing, or at least hoping, that these reports are false… that they would at least give the concept of having a backbone a try. Read more of this article »
Over the coming 6 days, you should expect to hear two things. 1. Republicans want to cooperate with Obama. 2. Democrats are on the rise, polls are changing, and the losses will not be as bad as predicted.
Neither statement is true of course, but that does not matter. Desperation among democrats and especially the all out panic in media outlets has led them to fabricate stories designed to demoralize the GOP base, and spin massive losses as a win.
It may be true that some establishment Republicans still don’t understand what is expected of them. That’s fine, the next election is coming. What is happening now can be done again in 2, 4, and 8 years. What has begun in America is not a one election fight. A new generation of patriots is committed to turning this ship of state back toward the Constitution, and we are fully aware that it can not be done in one election cycle.
The truth is however that many GOP leaders (especially the soon to be elected, unqualified, inexperienced, fire breathing, Constitutional fanatics) do understand, and fully intend to wreak havoc on DC as usual. Do not be discouraged or dismayed by claims to the contrary, especially when they come to you via outlets such as Network News, New York Times, or the Washington Post. Read more of this article »
When I lived in north Jersey, long before the good citizens had the common sense to elect someone like Chris Cristie, we used to joke about the folks in Bergen County voting early and often. This was even before ACORN raised voter fraud to an art form, a mass produced art form. However, much of the technique involved resurrecting the dead, divining how they would have voted and then go into the voting booth and do it for them… or maybe they skipped most of the process and took the personal information that came with the “walkin’ around money” and followed their orders to vote for everyone with a “D” beside their name.
This sort of thing has been an open secret for years in many urban areas. Unfortunately, the ones charged with maintaining the integrity of the voting system are the very same ones who benefit from the from the dishonest practice. Far be it from me to accuse the party that controls the major densely populated centers as being corrupt. I’ll leave that for the readers to decide.
Many have decided that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. Some people are trying to do something about this. In much the same was as Ryan Buell leads several Penn State students in tracking down disembodied spirits on A&E’s Paranormal State, the folks at the Tea Party Paranormal are attempting to help these disembodied voters remain in whatever eternal destination their lives have led them to. Read more of this article »
This past weekend, several thousand of us in the Old Dominion enjoyed the Virginia Tea Party Convention. Unlike many tea parties in the past, we saw many elected office holders, including the top three offices in the commonwealth and some former Senators, with at least one looking to get back into the game. We were told this was the largest such gathering of it’s kind, and it was the most enthusiastic, involved crowd I’ve been part in years. I was fortunate to run into a lot of old friends and made some knew ones.
While we were regaled by numerous heroes of the movement, including Dick Morris, Ron Paul and Lou Dobbs, along with a few hopefuls and wannabees, the real rock stars of the event were Herman Cain and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. The two were outspoken critics of both parties as they stirred the crowd by talking about how we got in our current mess and what we have to do to get ourselves back the the America we knew and loved.
But, as great a time as we had with the big names, the real heart of the event was the breakout sessions where all sorts of information was available including such topics as A Nation At Risk – Illegal Immigration, How To Use The Tools That New Media Offers and What We Can Learn From Reagan’s Revolution. There was an abundance of knowledge available, and the patriotic Virginians were soaking it up. Read more of this article »
It’s sad what is happening to the National Rifle Association (NRA). For decades they have stood for the rights of gun owners and helped elect legislators who will vote to preserve them. They are still doing this, more or less. However, in their tunnel vision, focusing only on the right to protect ones self with a fire arm, they are exposing the fallacy of any single issue organization.
In pursuing this course, they are being sucked into a trap that could ultimately frustrate their lifelong struggle. This is the same error many pro-lifers make when they only look at the abortion issue. Here in Virginia, we see three Democrat congressmen who vote consistently with the Pelosi, Reid, Obama axis of evil.
However, the Old Dominion is not alone. This pattern is repeated throughout the nation. Go to the NRA web site to see who the Political Victory Fund is supporting in your state. Mr. LaPierre and company, in supporting legislators who vote correctly on various specific bills, ignore the whole body of their work in congress. In supporting Democrat lawmakers, they are, ultimately, empowering Speaker Pelosi and her extreme anti-gun agenda. This is kind of an awkward situation to be in… if it were to be acknowledged. Read more of this article »
“Usually, a figure like Romney is the big shot who arrives in town to boost a little guy like Rubio. This time, it’s the other way round…”
With Marco Rubio pretty much running-away with it in Florida, all those with presidential ambitions on the Republican side are taking-note of the rapidly evolving political landscape in this country… and making hurried adjustments.
Two things have become apparent re. 2012: Better give us a small-government, Reaganite-conservative… the TEA Party movement will hold de facto veto power over the nomination.
And it won’t necessarily be the next-guy-in-line this time, either… both these developments likely sound less than ideal to professional presidential candidate Mitt Romney- the father of RomneyCare does have some explaining to do.
Toby Harnden from The Telegraph (UK) was in Florida this weekend as Mitt was actually stumping for Marco Rubio’s all-but-sealed Senate bid. But with GOP rising-star Rubio up 12 points over Orange Charlie, why was Romney even there… and who was more likely to benefit from the association? Read more of this article »
The new Christine O’Donnell ad running in Delaware is a little different than the type of thing we are accustomed to seeing. It is a peaceful presence in a political world dominated by nasty, negative sounds and images. To be sure, going negative works or it would not be done with such annoying frequency, but not right now.
Ms. O’Donnell is in the midst of a firestorm of hostility, not just from her opponent, but from elements within her own party. The funny thing about her situation is that the more the opposition rants and raves about her imaginary faults, the larger and more loyal her cadre of followers grows. While many of us, myself included, smile every time we see Chris Christie tear the rhetorical heart of some n’er do well progressive, there is a time and place for everything. There certainly will be a time for that in her current campaign, given complete unsuitability for the position of her opponent, Cris Coons.
The press, Coons, who bills himself as “strong, progressive voice for Delaware”, party insiders and even some so-called conservative pundits have tried to label her as a kook, with some flaky ideas and a checkered past. Now just may be the time for some calm, personal assurance the Ms. O’Donnell is, indeed, just like us… disgusted with politics as usual… and wanting to return to the country they knew. Read more of this article »
When I was young, my mother used to say to me, “Do as I say, not as I do.” For as wise as she was sweet, this clever quip never worked for me. The example set in what she actually did had the greater impact on my own choices and behavior. I have otherwise heard it aptly put, “Your actions speak so loud, I cannot hear what you are saying.” In the current political climate heading into the 2010 mid-term elections, the usual siege of campaign rhetoric, promises and smears are no different; these mere, empty, last minute words cannot undo 20 months of choices and behavior, and therefore, no longer have enough depth to hold air let alone our trust.
The polarizing issues of the 2008 Presidential Elections began disturbing the slumber of the politically apathetic. Unfortunately, as often goes with apathy, the awakening comes a day late and a dollar short, now racing from the disadvantage of the back of the field. It’s like “The Frog in the Kettle” analogy: toss a frog into boiling water, it will immediately jump out, but, put the frog in tepid water and slowly turn up the heat, it will boil alive because it won’t even feel it.
While the cost of our apathy eventually gave us an Obama Presidency, fortunately, we the people did feel the heat (called the TARP Bill) soon enough to begin our subsequent uphill fight, furiously calling and writing our respective Congressional Representatives to not support the Bill, all to no avail. Against the will of “we the people,” especially those of us in the Republican Party, even John McCain, the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate, voted in favor of it, speaking huge disappointing volumes. Read more of this article »
The elections of 2008 (and the early elections of 2010) produced two significant phenomena: the “Ron Paul Revolution,” and the “Tea Party Movement.” And, mark it down: both of them will have profound effects upon the upcoming November elections–and upon the 2012 elections as well. Call them what you want, however, America doesn’t need another movement; it needs a genuine revolution.
The Tea Party movement, while still a force with which to be contended, has already been diluted and compromised. The primary elections plainly reveal the reality of this fact. The high spots so far are the defeats of Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Bob Bennett in Utah. The low spots so far are the reelection of John McCain in Arizona and the election of Dan Coats in Indiana.
John McCain’s election, in particular, demonstrates how many conservatives and “revolutionaries” still don’t get it. If any State in the union should have an up-close-and-personal look at what we are up against, it would be the people of Arizona. After all, they are on the front lines in the fight of one of the most important battles currently being waged in our country: illegal immigration. And John McCain is one of the worst offenders in terms of facilitating and encouraging this illegal invasion. Yet the people of Arizona reelected McCain to the US Senate. (It would interesting to know how many illegal aliens voted for McCain, would it not?) Read more of this article »
When Karl Rove was finishing his disastrous interview with Sean Hannity following Christine O’Donnell’s surprising, to him, victory, he illustrated the primary problem with our political system. After doing his best to trash the party standard bearer, he said he was a Republican, and he wanted Republicans to win. He just didn’t think she could get the job done… but he was doing nothing to help.
At first glance, such party loyalty is admirable, but in the current environment where increasing numbers of voters are seeing themselves as conservatives or libertarians rather than identifying with either party, one has to question the wisdom of such a view. If it were simply about having numbers, one would think that helping the primary winner would be at the top of his agenda.
It is reported that Rove made numerous visits to various tea party leaders, and to O’Donnell herself, asking them to back off this contest. In his not so humble and quite possibly not quite accurate opinion, the man who voted consistently with the other party, against his own, was a better choice than the one who actually stood for the smaller, less intrusive government principles the the Republican Party says it stands for. Read more of this article »
As I write this, Christine O’Donnell has just soundly defeated the Delaware manifestation of the progressive darling of the party insiders. Even Karl Rove could not wait to break Reagan’s 11th commandment… a commandment, by the way, that is only dusted off when one of their number is in line for some richly deserved comeuppance. The manipulators exist to pick winners and losers and control party direction. They tell us their wisdom is the path to be best victory we can expect… and some may actually believe it.
Over the past months, the party establishment has done it’s best to poison the waters for this lower class woman who just wasn’t qualified to join their club. She is in favor of such “fringe issues” as abstinence, a social issue that beltway denizens see as a distraction and she holds such odd ideas as fiscal responsibility and keeping the government out of our lives.. They have told all sorts of tales about this lady. Not having been privy to her personal life, now or in past years, I cannot verify the accuracy of the mud that has been slung at her, but it certainly has little to do with the problems facing our country. Read more of this article »
For years, too many to count, those of us who are hard core conservatives, some that may be called the religious right, have been used and abused by the political establishment. They have been happy to have us walk the neighborhoods, pass out literature, stand in the rain at the polling places and the like, but actually help select candidates or help define policies… heaven forbid. Insiders and consultants tell us they really appreciate our involvement, but that not enough of the public can accept our ideas, since we are a little out of the main stream.
Perhaps this is why we find ourselves in our current predicament. Really conservative candidates have been discouraged and faced outright opposition by the Republican Party, and their existence is not even acknowledged by the Democrats. Those finding themselves in positions of power are loathe to actually follow through on the campaign promises to cut back on the size and reach of our ever more overbearing government.
Just as the states are being left with no choice but to disregard mandates and stand against the federal government for the good of their own citizens – for the good of the country we can no longer be compliant lackeys happily accepting our place on a stool at foot of our more “reasonable” leaders. We have been let down by those who, most likely, really believe they are doing the best they can under the circumstances. The fact is, their best has not gotten the job done. Read more of this article »
I find myself in the unusual position of defending Congressman Anthony Weiner… though not completely. The video above, which was widely disseminated shows the man breaking decorum in the House of Representatives. Surely we can’t always function in the mode of anger, but as Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” and later in the chapter, “a time to be silent and a time to speak.”
What we saw in the explosion was a man filled with passion. Unfortunately, that passion was directed in the direction of one bad and false idea after another. Yet, his behavior shows an anger and impatience with those who value process and procedure over results. We see so many of our elected representatives who have accepted the “dignity” of their position and the push to “go along to get along” as a straight jacket and muffler that keeps them from keeping their campaign promises to really make the changes in our government that the people want and need.
This past week I watched an interview where Karl Rove called the President “disingenuous”. One definition of this word that I found was, “not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness.” Other terms used by the loyal “opposition” include “hypocritical” and “deceptive”. They commentators are being nice, not wanting to accuse a fellow member of the club of what he truly is… a liar! These niceties, while remaining civil, tend to blunt the message that the man and his party cannot be trusted, and that there are dire consequences for us if we don’t stand up to the hopey changey propaganda coming from the people in charge and formerly mainstream media. Read more of this article »
There is a movement afoot that has kept pretty much under the radar, that will take us one more step toward establishing national government supremacy over the free and sovereign states. It is called the National Popular Vote movement. Up to this point, such conservative bastions as Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii, Washington and the Peoples Republic of Maryland have approved the cockamamie plan to ignore the voters of their state and instruct their electors to cast their votes for the winner of the national popular vote.
I will have to admit that there are some aspects of this that does seem to be appealing. Who could be opposed to the President being selected by the majority of voters? This is the way it is meant to be. However, when you consider that nine or ten states could make the voters in the rest of the country irrelevant, it doesn’t seem to be such a good idea. What follows from this is that there would be even less incentive for national candidates to deign to visit the smaller, less populous states.
Polling tells us roughly 70% of the American people would be in favor of simply going by the total votes for each candidate. I have no doubt that the numbers support this. What I wonder is if these good people would be so agreeable if the question were asked how they felt about representatives from their state casting votes contrary to the majority of their neighbors. As with any poll, the way you phrase a question has a great influence on the results. Read more of this article »
I don’t often write about the topic of racism as many people attach too much of an emotional component to the topic that it is difficult to discuss it rationally. When those plotting behind the closed doors of the White House hear criticism, their knee-jerk reaction is that the only reason we are not blindly following their beloved leader is that America is basically corrupt and evil and we are not willing to follow a minority President. They somehow miss the fact that many of us hold Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi in the same low regard as the President. However, letting the facts get in the way would negate their favorite charge.
Where we do see racially based data collection, distinction and analysis is in our census form. I was fortunate enough not to get the long form that wants to know how many toilets I have and how often I use them, but I did get the short form which I found quite offensive. Unfortunately, being a white Christian of European descent, my opinions are of absolutely no consequence to those currently in power. However like most similar people, I have too many important things on my plate to carry on endlessly about the unfairness of our government and society.
This time, however, I shall speak up. At a time when our country needs unity more than ever, and from an administration that said it would bring us together, we do not need to encourage people to see themselves broken down into eighteen competing racial groups with a miscellaneous category thrown in for good measure. The citizens of this great country are all Americans. We need to see ourselves as Americans. Not even as hyphenated Americans… that, too, is a divisive view of our population. Read more of this article »
Many of cheered announcement of Senators Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan, that they would not seek re-election this year – actions brought about by declining… no make that nosediving,,, polling numbers for two men that some actually call “The Honorable” with a straight face. In a way it is good to see the rebellion of the tea party movement removing some of the worst of the worst from the Senate… with more to come. However, before we get too excited about the political demise of these dynamic Ds, lets look at this a bit closer.
As incompetent as the Democrats are in their leadership of the country, they are consummate politicians. As badly as the bungle ruling, they understand how to get elected and retain power, which is their sole purpose in life. Maybe it’s just finely tuned political instincts or prompting from the dark side, but these two dropping out of their respective races was a stroke of pure genius.
These two… with others to come… didn’t have snowball’s chance in hell of holding on to their seats. By dropping out now, they have removed the focus of public hostility for their personal corruption and incompetence, and the party now has the opportunity to run a fresh face who can lie to the public telling them that he wants nothing to do with Obama’s plans and schemes. They believe the people have such short memories and are so gullible as to believe campaign promises from the Obamessiah’s henchmen. It is our job to see that this does not happen. Read more of this article »
During Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, he said the following:
“Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst and to provide for it.”
Later in his historic speech Henry said, “Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, Sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, Sir, is not to the strong alone. It is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, Sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable. And let it come! I repeat it, Sir, let it come!” Read more of this article »
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Read the First Comment 
After the tragic shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords which claimed the lives of several others, including Federal District Judge John Roll, the progressive left screamed for a return to a level of civility. The civility they were demanding was from their opponents apparently, as they made no move in this direction themselves. The fact that Judge Roll was at the center of the Arizona immigration law dispute, and may actually have been the primary target is beside the point when our socialist opponents want to make the most of a crisis or tragedy.
I was chatting recently with a friend in the Republican Party about some of the people looking for the presidential nomination. Although I like and respect the gentleman, it was a meeting of the 
Even though he has not officially announced his intention to make a run for the White House, Donald Trump has shot to the top, or near the top, of many Republican presidential polls, much to the consternation of many who already have an emotional investment in one potential candidate or another… or in their ability to act as king maker within the party. Weather he can ultimately win, or if he would be good for the country is a question for another day.
There have been multiple studies exploring the positive relationship between church attendance and civic involvement. The most recent I’ve come across one by 
President Obama says he wants to find common ground with the GOP as they look for a way to solve the budget impasse. He has this fantasy that there is a common ground between his spendthrift policies and the teaparty inspired push for fiscal restraint and respect for the taxpayers. The sad fact is that some of the old timers in the Republican Party also believe this is possible.
My first experience with George Allen came a few years after I escaped from Sopranoland and arrived in the Old Dominion. He was a one term congressman who had just been redistricted out of his seat by the partisan Democrat machine that ruled the commonwealth with an iron fist in those dark, dreary days. He was a young and hungry politician eager to press the flesh and meet the people.
It’s New Years Eve and we are about to enter 2011. The past year has been one of tremendous success for the people of the United States… and tremendous failure for our representatives who are charged with the job of guarding our republic and protecting our freedom. Sure some progress has been made in our nations’ capitol, but it has only been to slow down the our plunge into tyranny. The victories we have seen show us what we, the people, are capable of when we get together and stand against our would be masters.
It’s been coming at us for years. Remember those old black and white movies where most of the men wore suits and ties? Beaver Cleaver came home to a mother wearing a nice dress, heels and pearls, and his dad sat around the house in a white shirt and tie. Remember when IBMers were clones in gray suits? Then, corporate offices adopted “casual Friday”… then casual every day. While I’m not a big one for coats and ties myself, I still find it annoying to find myself sitting in a nice restaurant next some guy in shorts, a tank top and flipflops. Even our own president still dresses like a community organizer while his wife often looks like her wardrobe comes from the sale rack at a thrift store.
A few days before the election received an email blast from the Republican Party of Virginia with the heading Countdown To Victory: It Depends On You!. It’s just a few days to Election Day and the people running the party are calling on the rank and file party sympathizers, the grassroots activists, many of whom are tea partiers, to do the work to keep these leaders and their selected candidates in charge and expand there power base.
It has been an interesting evening watching the election returns and trying to make some sense of them. Political prognosticators are something like economists in that if you would lay them all end to end, they still would not reach a conclusion. It appears that we, in the US, have a double minded electorate.
With the upcoming election, there are several ideas on the best strategy to save our country from a runaway, out of control president and the socialist mob doing his bidding. Many of them have the virtue of logic on their side, but I believe one is the best for our situation today.
What is politics? When someone runs for office, they tell us they want to work for the good of the people, help make a better life for their constituents, some even say they want to be a Christian influence in they community. Many sincerely believe this. But, what is really going on when someone is elected to office?
Over the coming 6 days, you should expect to hear two things. 1. Republicans want to cooperate with Obama. 2. Democrats are on the rise, polls are changing, and the losses will not be as bad as predicted.
When I lived in north Jersey, long before the good citizens had the common sense to elect someone like Chris Cristie, we used to joke about the folks in Bergen County voting early and often. This was even before ACORN raised voter fraud to an art form, a mass produced art form. However, much of the technique involved resurrecting the dead, divining how they would have voted and then go into the voting booth and do it for them… or maybe they skipped most of the process and took the personal information that came with the “walkin’ around money” and followed their orders to vote for everyone with a “D” beside their name.
This past weekend, several thousand of us in the Old Dominion enjoyed the Virginia Tea Party Convention. Unlike many tea parties in the past, we saw many elected office holders, including the top three offices in the commonwealth and some former Senators, with at least one looking to get back into the game. We were told this was the largest such gathering of it’s kind, and it was the most enthusiastic, involved crowd I’ve been part in years. I was fortunate to run into a lot of old friends and made some knew ones.
It’s sad what is happening to the National Rifle Association (NRA). For decades they have stood for the rights of gun owners and helped elect legislators who will vote to preserve them. They are still doing this, more or less. However, in their tunnel vision, focusing only on the right to protect ones self with a fire arm, they are exposing the fallacy of any single issue organization.
The Reaganite Republican 
by Wendi Lynn G
The elections of 2008 (and the early elections of 2010) produced two significant phenomena: the “Ron Paul Revolution,” and the “Tea Party Movement.” And, mark it down: both of them will have profound effects upon the upcoming November elections–and upon the 2012 elections as well. Call them what you want, however, America doesn’t need another movement; it needs a genuine revolution.
When Karl Rove was finishing his disastrous interview with Sean Hannity following Christine O’Donnell’s surprising, to him, victory, he illustrated the primary problem with our political system. After doing his best to trash the party standard bearer, he said he was a Republican, and he wanted Republicans to win. He just didn’t think she could get the job done… but he was doing nothing to help.
As I write this, Christine O’Donnell has just soundly defeated the Delaware manifestation of the progressive darling of the party insiders. Even Karl Rove could not wait to break Reagan’s 11th commandment… a commandment, by the way, that is only dusted off when one of their number is in line for some richly deserved comeuppance. The manipulators exist to pick winners and losers and control party direction. They tell us their wisdom is the path to be best victory we can expect… and some may actually believe it.
For years, too many to count, those of us who are hard core conservatives, some that may be called the religious right, have been used and abused by the political establishment. They have been happy to have us walk the neighborhoods, pass out literature, stand in the rain at the polling places and the like, but actually help select candidates or help define policies… heaven forbid. Insiders and consultants tell us they really appreciate our involvement, but that not enough of the public can accept our ideas, since we are a little out of the main stream.
There is a movement afoot that has kept pretty much under the radar, that will take us one more step toward establishing national government supremacy over the free and sovereign states. It is called the 
I don’t often write about the topic of racism as many people attach too much of an emotional component to the topic that it is difficult to discuss it rationally. When those plotting behind the closed doors of the White House hear criticism, their knee-jerk reaction is that the only reason we are not blindly following their beloved leader is that America is basically corrupt and evil and we are not willing to follow a minority President. They somehow miss the fact that many of us hold Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi in the same low regard as the President. However, letting the facts get in the way would negate their favorite charge.
Many of cheered announcement of Senators Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan, that they would not seek re-election this year – actions brought about by declining… no make that nosediving,,, polling numbers for two men that some actually call “The Honorable” with a straight face. In a way it is good to see the rebellion of the tea party movement removing some of the worst of the worst from the Senate… with more to come. However, before we get too excited about the political demise of these dynamic Ds, lets look at this a bit closer.
During Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, he said the following:
