This is a longer article, but it is a really good historical example of what happens when government tries to take from some to give to others.
The Revolt of the Kulaks Has Begun
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Relationship between Government and Business
Sen Jim DeMint has this cool video that explains what government does to business in such a simple way that even bitter, cynical liberals should be able to get it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5FMjJQAL014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5FMjJQAL014
Rush Takes Apart Mitt Romney's Ideas about Poor People
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/02/01/mitt_makes_himself_a_target_again
The important thing to remember here is that the whole media talking point is that Mitt was good and Newt was bad because we had to worry about NEWT saying things the wrong way!!!!
Gee, how was that again?
The important thing to remember here is that the whole media talking point is that Mitt was good and Newt was bad because we had to worry about NEWT saying things the wrong way!!!!
Gee, how was that again?
Ann Coulter Humiliates Herself
Great article that lays out how low Ann has gone, and how sad her apostasies really are:
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/coulters-shameful-defense-romneycare/354411
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/coulters-shameful-defense-romneycare/354411
The Decline and Fall of National Review
Let me start off by putting this in perspective:
I have been a fan of National Review for almost my entire adult life. I started reading them before my first tour in Iraq, and have had a subscription ever since.
One of my proudest moments as a young guy was when K-Lo posted one of my emails on the corner and talked about it.
Several of my favorite authors work there or contribute.
This magazine has been the foundation of my political exploration as an adult, and has helped to form my opinions, and guide my beliefs.
All this has made their current shilling for Romney all the more dissapointing and discouraging. I can't believe how far off the edge of credibility they have gone to support a man who doesn't deserve the support of the conservative movement. He is a figure of the status quo, and a moderate squish who will do nothing to reverse the horrible policies that have left our country gasping for 80 years.
Right now there should be an ongoing war on the Corner between his supporters and those critical of him. Instead, everything is being framed as how great he is, and how he could be even more awesome. They have allowed a handful of honest articles to come out, but instead of seriously debating them, they have buried and forgotten them.
This is not the magazine that I love.
They are loosing their credibility every day. It kills me to read them now. It's like a bad joke, and I am waiting for them to say "suprise!!" We never meant it!!
But in reality, it is just a fact that they have decided to trade the credibility they had for a little bit of influence among the powerful people in the Beltway.
This is a betrayal of the first order. I still hold out hope that more principled heads will emerge, but in reality I know that it is only a matter of time before they are just generic shills for whatever the Establishment wants them to say.
A sad day in the conservative movement.
I have been a fan of National Review for almost my entire adult life. I started reading them before my first tour in Iraq, and have had a subscription ever since.
One of my proudest moments as a young guy was when K-Lo posted one of my emails on the corner and talked about it.
Several of my favorite authors work there or contribute.
This magazine has been the foundation of my political exploration as an adult, and has helped to form my opinions, and guide my beliefs.
All this has made their current shilling for Romney all the more dissapointing and discouraging. I can't believe how far off the edge of credibility they have gone to support a man who doesn't deserve the support of the conservative movement. He is a figure of the status quo, and a moderate squish who will do nothing to reverse the horrible policies that have left our country gasping for 80 years.
Right now there should be an ongoing war on the Corner between his supporters and those critical of him. Instead, everything is being framed as how great he is, and how he could be even more awesome. They have allowed a handful of honest articles to come out, but instead of seriously debating them, they have buried and forgotten them.
This is not the magazine that I love.
They are loosing their credibility every day. It kills me to read them now. It's like a bad joke, and I am waiting for them to say "suprise!!" We never meant it!!
But in reality, it is just a fact that they have decided to trade the credibility they had for a little bit of influence among the powerful people in the Beltway.
This is a betrayal of the first order. I still hold out hope that more principled heads will emerge, but in reality I know that it is only a matter of time before they are just generic shills for whatever the Establishment wants them to say.
A sad day in the conservative movement.
Sarah Palin- Stalwart Warrior
I guess I haven't spent as much time as I should pointing out how great Sarah Palin has been.
It seemd funny to me at first how she wouldn't endorse Newt, but kept on coming on talking about him. I guess she knew what she was doing!!!
News and opinion shows keep on bringing her on, trying to nail her down on a definite endorsement, and she keeps on spreading the word, and fighting the battles with free air time and media that, if she had already endorsed, she would never be able to get.
She talks about each of the candidates, stressing conservative values, and building them up when they support good principles, and tears them down when they cave.
This is the kind of media savy, strong willed conservative influence that we need ALL our elected leaders, and talking heads to be able to perform.
This is the way to get the message out, and explain why our ideas are the best for our country, and all the people in it.
Sarah may not have run this time, and she may not have even endorsed yet, but I have to give her credit for being a better influence on this whole cycle then many of the other people I used to respect put together!!!
It seemd funny to me at first how she wouldn't endorse Newt, but kept on coming on talking about him. I guess she knew what she was doing!!!
News and opinion shows keep on bringing her on, trying to nail her down on a definite endorsement, and she keeps on spreading the word, and fighting the battles with free air time and media that, if she had already endorsed, she would never be able to get.
She talks about each of the candidates, stressing conservative values, and building them up when they support good principles, and tears them down when they cave.
This is the kind of media savy, strong willed conservative influence that we need ALL our elected leaders, and talking heads to be able to perform.
This is the way to get the message out, and explain why our ideas are the best for our country, and all the people in it.
Sarah may not have run this time, and she may not have even endorsed yet, but I have to give her credit for being a better influence on this whole cycle then many of the other people I used to respect put together!!!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
GOP unglued????
That last Shapiro article really has me thinking. The differences in the modern GOP party are really past the point of irrecconciable.
The base is dedicated to original values like limited government, individual responsibility, and bottom up government. Too many in the establishment have completely bought into the idea that they are a permenant aristocracy that is tasked with ruling us benevolently, but that they always know best.
Elections are supposed to disavow these folks of that kind of thinking. Unfortunately, they have devised all sorts of ways to game the system and drag base conservatives across the finish line kicking and screaming with some moderate fluky almost every time. Even in the situations where some legitimate principled person gets thru, they find ways to corrupt them, and get them to come on board as part of the ruling elite.
It's not even like they are the ruling party. The Democrats have been at the steering wheel for over 80 years, as evidenced by the constant growth of government. But in the largest, richest country in human history, apparently the GOP elites have decided that holding permenant 2nd place is high enough on the ladder.
The problem seems to be that they have gotten so used to getting whatever they want from their voters, that they have started taking them for granted. In 2006, and 2008 the voters stayed home, and the GOP openly blamed them for their own mistakes. In 2010, the voters started a movement of their own. GOP elites openly tried to sabotage it, and then in the circumstances that it succeeded, they took all the credit.
Now they are openly trying to force a single candidate down voters' throats, and more then a few are starting to realize that this is not the role of a real democracy. Every advantage is being rolled out for Mitt Romney, including many media sources that are normally considered trustworthy by base conservatives.
It is not making a difference. The open secret is that the base and the elite no longer share the same views.
They are not working towards the same goals. We can fight to get our own candidate through the GOP laid minefield and all the way to the general election where they will anklebite and nitpick him through the entire process.
But why should we? There is no law that says we have to play by their rules.
On the other hand, the electoral college is what it is, and without a Constitutional Ammendment, we will always have a two party system.
But there has been plenty of times in American history when political parties died.
Third party candidates are not the answer. They always benefit the opponent when one side splits it's vote. But I think we might be coming to a time when the GOP is getting ready to drastically change. The entrenched elements will hold onto their power and prestige for everyhing they are worth, because in amny cases, it is all they are worth. They are finding out that they are being forced to answer for their apostasies far more forcefully, and far more frequently. They are being questioned, and their credibility is running out.
The TEA party eruption is not something that is going to go away. The elites are hoping that they can suppress it long enough to get even more entrenched. But it is only a matter of time before they have to answer for what they have caused. And this election cycle has forced their transgressions out into the spotlight in a way that they truly hate. They are being held accountable, and they are trying to force us to give in to their "wisdom", so they can sweep this under the rug that much quicker.
The longer we can keep Newt in the game the better. It will shine the light on these elites that are horribly afraid of people finding out what they are doing. And if things worked out right, we might even make Newt President!!! Imagine these people quaking with fear at the idea of Newt (with a grudge) coming after them from the White House!!!
These issues are festering under the skin of the Republican Party, and it is only a matter of time before they come out.
The base is dedicated to original values like limited government, individual responsibility, and bottom up government. Too many in the establishment have completely bought into the idea that they are a permenant aristocracy that is tasked with ruling us benevolently, but that they always know best.
Elections are supposed to disavow these folks of that kind of thinking. Unfortunately, they have devised all sorts of ways to game the system and drag base conservatives across the finish line kicking and screaming with some moderate fluky almost every time. Even in the situations where some legitimate principled person gets thru, they find ways to corrupt them, and get them to come on board as part of the ruling elite.
It's not even like they are the ruling party. The Democrats have been at the steering wheel for over 80 years, as evidenced by the constant growth of government. But in the largest, richest country in human history, apparently the GOP elites have decided that holding permenant 2nd place is high enough on the ladder.
The problem seems to be that they have gotten so used to getting whatever they want from their voters, that they have started taking them for granted. In 2006, and 2008 the voters stayed home, and the GOP openly blamed them for their own mistakes. In 2010, the voters started a movement of their own. GOP elites openly tried to sabotage it, and then in the circumstances that it succeeded, they took all the credit.
Now they are openly trying to force a single candidate down voters' throats, and more then a few are starting to realize that this is not the role of a real democracy. Every advantage is being rolled out for Mitt Romney, including many media sources that are normally considered trustworthy by base conservatives.
It is not making a difference. The open secret is that the base and the elite no longer share the same views.
They are not working towards the same goals. We can fight to get our own candidate through the GOP laid minefield and all the way to the general election where they will anklebite and nitpick him through the entire process.
But why should we? There is no law that says we have to play by their rules.
On the other hand, the electoral college is what it is, and without a Constitutional Ammendment, we will always have a two party system.
But there has been plenty of times in American history when political parties died.
Third party candidates are not the answer. They always benefit the opponent when one side splits it's vote. But I think we might be coming to a time when the GOP is getting ready to drastically change. The entrenched elements will hold onto their power and prestige for everyhing they are worth, because in amny cases, it is all they are worth. They are finding out that they are being forced to answer for their apostasies far more forcefully, and far more frequently. They are being questioned, and their credibility is running out.
The TEA party eruption is not something that is going to go away. The elites are hoping that they can suppress it long enough to get even more entrenched. But it is only a matter of time before they have to answer for what they have caused. And this election cycle has forced their transgressions out into the spotlight in a way that they truly hate. They are being held accountable, and they are trying to force us to give in to their "wisdom", so they can sweep this under the rug that much quicker.
The longer we can keep Newt in the game the better. It will shine the light on these elites that are horribly afraid of people finding out what they are doing. And if things worked out right, we might even make Newt President!!! Imagine these people quaking with fear at the idea of Newt (with a grudge) coming after them from the White House!!!
These issues are festering under the skin of the Republican Party, and it is only a matter of time before they come out.
The Big Picture
Ben Shapiro does it again!! He uses a great historical perspective to illustrate the growing chasm in GOP ranks over the statist status quo.
http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2012/02/01/the_republican_party_becomes_the_whig_party
http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2012/02/01/the_republican_party_becomes_the_whig_party
miltonwolf.com
A cool quote I got from Milton Wolf's site:
Mitt Romney is Reaganesque like Michael Moore is athletic
and more, from his recent Washington Times article:
Mitt Romney is Reaganesque like Michael Moore is athletic
and more, from his recent Washington Times article:
We’ve reached a before-and-after moment in American politics: Republicans will no longer win elections without Tea Party support. So it’s simply stupefying, then, that the establishment would go to such lengths to demoralize their own lifeline.
Consider the simple math behind Republicans’ decidedly bad losses in 2006 and 2008. Their voters, conservatives in particular, simply didn’t show up. Then in 2010, they did. What changed? In 2012, in Iowa and New Hampshire, fresh off the heels of a multimillion-dollar establishment onslaught against Mr. Gingrich, GOP primary voter turnout had basically flat-lined from 2008, on pace to secure President Obama’s re-election. But in South Carolina, Mr. Gingrich masterminded a dramatic surge that was fueled by his bold and brave stand against the establishment. The result? Voter turnout shot up an astonishing 35 percent above 2008 levels as 155,000 new voters went to the polls to support Republicans.
In Florida, the Republican empire is striking back. Somewhere, way beyond the soon-to-be-forgotten distractions of Cayman bank accounts and trumped-up ethics charges, is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. Mr. Gingrich may be an imperfect vessel for Tea Party support, as the former Alaska governor has said, but in truth, if you connect the dots between the ideals of the Reagan Revolution, Mr. Gingrich’s Republican Revolution and the Tea Party movement, you get a straight line. The GOP establishment is right to fear Newt Gingrich and the Tea Party, just as they once feared Ronald Reagan.
The American Thinker Articles: Mitt's Scorched Earth Win
Great article that is a bit of a time line, looking back and summarizing the GOP race to date:
Articles: Mitt's Scorched Earth Win
Articles: Mitt's Scorched Earth Win
Obama's War on Religion
Obama has decided that whole Constitution thing is just too much of a bummer. He is trying to see if he can directly violate it and get away with it.
He has passed legislation forcing church organizations to provide sterilization, contraceptives, and abortion pills to their employees even if it is direct violation of their religious beliefs.
This is downright abusive. There is no excuse for this and people should be marching in the streets.
It has gotten so politically acceptable in our country to attack Christians that way too many people just see this as par for the course. That is unacceptable. There needs to be a serious reaction to this, so that not only is this legislation tossed in the burn pit, but Obama is thoroughly discredited, and his already slim re-election chances are whittled down to nothing. Politicians need to know that it is political suicide to try to violate American's frredom of religion. The only way we can keep our freedoms is if we make sure that no one in our government would ever dare to touch it.
He has passed legislation forcing church organizations to provide sterilization, contraceptives, and abortion pills to their employees even if it is direct violation of their religious beliefs.
This is downright abusive. There is no excuse for this and people should be marching in the streets.
It has gotten so politically acceptable in our country to attack Christians that way too many people just see this as par for the course. That is unacceptable. There needs to be a serious reaction to this, so that not only is this legislation tossed in the burn pit, but Obama is thoroughly discredited, and his already slim re-election chances are whittled down to nothing. Politicians need to know that it is political suicide to try to violate American's frredom of religion. The only way we can keep our freedoms is if we make sure that no one in our government would ever dare to touch it.
Gingrich winning in Minnesota - Public Policy Polling
GO MINNESOTA!!!!!! Let's keep this up!!!!! NEWT NATION 2012!!!!!!
Gingrich winning in Minnesota - Public Policy Polling
Gingrich winning in Minnesota - Public Policy Polling
A Telling Post from Redstate
If the Obama administration were to construct the perfect candidate for the O to run against, they would assemble Mitt Romney from spare parts. He fits their caricature of the Republican party to a T.
Rich… privileged… top 1% of income… finance geek… Wall Street… out of touch… religious fanatic… scary cult… and the scary cult was openly racist right up ’till 1980 or so.
I don’t know if the myth of Romney’s electability started in the White House, but it might have, and they’re certainly doing nothing to discourage that ridiculous line of thinking.
Romney will be beaten worse than McCain. Our only hope is to nominate a conservative.
Rich… privileged… top 1% of income… finance geek… Wall Street… out of touch… religious fanatic… scary cult… and the scary cult was openly racist right up ’till 1980 or so.
I don’t know if the myth of Romney’s electability started in the White House, but it might have, and they’re certainly doing nothing to discourage that ridiculous line of thinking.
Romney will be beaten worse than McCain. Our only hope is to nominate a conservative.
Apathy will be the legacy of Romney’s carpet bombing
This is unfortunately the net result of what took place down in Florida. He explains how Romney will drive away voters, and burn out GOP credibility and leave us with a party nothing more then Democrat-lite.
Apathy will be the legacy of Romney’s carpet bombing
Apathy will be the legacy of Romney’s carpet bombing
Florida
Mitt Romney pulled off a win last night by getting overwhelming vote totals in heavily Democratic Broward and Dade Counties.
This came on the heels of his incredible ad blitz campaign where he out spent all the other candidates put together. His ads turned out to be about 90% negative, and heavily funded by Wall Street banks like Goldman Sachs and other bailout recipients.
He still doesn't have a message. Conservatives won't forget how despicable this was, and all the lies he told. He can't inspire people to vote for him, because he is running as the generic status quo candidate, and if he went into specifics, that could be used to pressure him into actually trying later. At this point, the only thing he can do is completely overwhelm his opponents with lies and distortions.
This becomes evident when you look at the polls. Every time Mitt wins, or comes close, voter turnout is way down. Any time people think Mitt has it wrapped up, most people stay home. He doesn't have any enthusiasm. People don't get enthusiastic or inspired by negative messages. On the other hand, when Newt won South Carolina, turnout was huge!!! People came out in droves to vote for a positive message about what America once was, and what it could once again be. This is the kind of voter action that is needed to win elections. This is the kind of message that is needed!!
Mitt is a weak candidate. His lack of core convictions, and lack of a message prevents people from getting behind him, and his negative attacks turns people off. He only won FL by having a 5 to 1 ad advantage. We all know that he will not have anything like that kind of advantage going up against Obama's $1 billion dollar campaign complete with complicit media drones. The GOP Establishment is leading us down the road to another 2008, 2006, 1996 etc. etc etc. The hope is that Obama has been such a spectacularly horrible president that the American people will just let Mitt president for awhile instead. This is a false hope. Obama has built his power on the Democratic legacy of buying votes and support thru government giveaways and crony capitalism. This hasn't changed, and these people won't back off. Mitt is trying to offer them more of the same. Why would they take that when they already have the guy they want?
This came on the heels of his incredible ad blitz campaign where he out spent all the other candidates put together. His ads turned out to be about 90% negative, and heavily funded by Wall Street banks like Goldman Sachs and other bailout recipients.
He still doesn't have a message. Conservatives won't forget how despicable this was, and all the lies he told. He can't inspire people to vote for him, because he is running as the generic status quo candidate, and if he went into specifics, that could be used to pressure him into actually trying later. At this point, the only thing he can do is completely overwhelm his opponents with lies and distortions.
This becomes evident when you look at the polls. Every time Mitt wins, or comes close, voter turnout is way down. Any time people think Mitt has it wrapped up, most people stay home. He doesn't have any enthusiasm. People don't get enthusiastic or inspired by negative messages. On the other hand, when Newt won South Carolina, turnout was huge!!! People came out in droves to vote for a positive message about what America once was, and what it could once again be. This is the kind of voter action that is needed to win elections. This is the kind of message that is needed!!
Mitt is a weak candidate. His lack of core convictions, and lack of a message prevents people from getting behind him, and his negative attacks turns people off. He only won FL by having a 5 to 1 ad advantage. We all know that he will not have anything like that kind of advantage going up against Obama's $1 billion dollar campaign complete with complicit media drones. The GOP Establishment is leading us down the road to another 2008, 2006, 1996 etc. etc etc. The hope is that Obama has been such a spectacularly horrible president that the American people will just let Mitt president for awhile instead. This is a false hope. Obama has built his power on the Democratic legacy of buying votes and support thru government giveaways and crony capitalism. This hasn't changed, and these people won't back off. Mitt is trying to offer them more of the same. Why would they take that when they already have the guy they want?
Conservative Fallout
Great summary of Mitt's role in the GOP Establishment's status quo.
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/02/01/romneys-cheap-and-empty-win
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/02/01/romneys-cheap-and-empty-win
The Next Day Fallout
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/01/31/florida%e2%80%99s-results-are-the-best-that-money-can-buy/?singlepage=true
Here is a good column summing up what Newt's loss in FL means.
Here is a good column summing up what Newt's loss in FL means.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Catholics take a Brave Stand Against Obama
The Catholic Church is fighting mad with the Obama Administration, and nearly every Catholic sitting in a pew this weekend heard the reasons why.
The Health and Human Services Department recently announced it will require all employers (with few exceptions) to provide health insurance to their employees which includes subsidized contraception, sterilization and coverage for abortion-inducing drugs.
This meant that religious institutions, like Catholic colleges and hospitals, or other Christian institutions would be compelled to violate their conscience by cooperating with that which they believe to be wrong. Currently many of these institutions purchase health-insurance plans which do not provide free coverage of these services.
To give an analogy, it would be like the government mandating that all delis, even Kosher delis, serve pork products and then justifying it by saying that protein is healthy, and many Jews who don't follow Kosher laws and many non-Jews go to those delis. The law wouldn't technically ban Jews from owning delis, but it would effectively ban their ability to run them according to their conscience.
Well, the Catholic Church isn't lying down and taking this.
In thousands of parishes this weekend, Catholic priests read a version of the following letter to their congregation denouncing this decision as an attack on their religious freedom. Each bishop personally sent the letter out, and so there were some local variations. Here's the one read in the Phoenix Archdiocese. Here's another from the Bishop of Trenton. What follows is from the Bishop of Marquette:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people —the Catholic population —and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies. In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply. We cannot—we will not —comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less. And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision. Sincerely yours in Christ, +Alexander K. Sample Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample Bishop of Marquette
The Health and Human Services Department recently announced it will require all employers (with few exceptions) to provide health insurance to their employees which includes subsidized contraception, sterilization and coverage for abortion-inducing drugs.
This meant that religious institutions, like Catholic colleges and hospitals, or other Christian institutions would be compelled to violate their conscience by cooperating with that which they believe to be wrong. Currently many of these institutions purchase health-insurance plans which do not provide free coverage of these services.
To give an analogy, it would be like the government mandating that all delis, even Kosher delis, serve pork products and then justifying it by saying that protein is healthy, and many Jews who don't follow Kosher laws and many non-Jews go to those delis. The law wouldn't technically ban Jews from owning delis, but it would effectively ban their ability to run them according to their conscience.
Well, the Catholic Church isn't lying down and taking this.
In thousands of parishes this weekend, Catholic priests read a version of the following letter to their congregation denouncing this decision as an attack on their religious freedom. Each bishop personally sent the letter out, and so there were some local variations. Here's the one read in the Phoenix Archdiocese. Here's another from the Bishop of Trenton. What follows is from the Bishop of Marquette:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just been dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people —the Catholic population —and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies. In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to either violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Obama Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply. We cannot—we will not —comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less. And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience,to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Obama Administration’s decision. Sincerely yours in Christ, +Alexander K. Sample Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample Bishop of Marquette
Mark Levin Speaks the truth about Romney
CHARACTER MATTERS AND ROMNEY'S WORRIES ME
by Mark Levin on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 1:57pm
I am beginning to think that the nature and level of attacks being launched by Mitt Romney against Newt Gingrich, which he would surely use against any conservative threatening his nomination, are going to make it very difficult for Romney to unite the different factions of the GOP and the conservative movement behind his candidacy should he win the nomination. While I have said that I would vote for Rick Santorum, I am appalled at the "anything goes" assault on Gingrich. See here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/us/politics/the-calculations-that-led-romney-to-the-warpath.html?pagewanted=all?
Romney is not a conservative in the traditional sense, and he has a record of big-government Republicanism. Even many years after the success of the Reagan administration, he sought to distance himself from Reagan and the GOP, self-identifying as a progressive and independent. Thus, he resorts to spending multi-millions of dollars trashing his opponents, rather than providing thoughtful arguments on conservatism and constitutionalism. Lest we forget, it was Gingrich who was trying to run a positive campaign and who offered to debate Romney one-on-one, asking Romney to stop with the millions in unanswered ads attacking him. Romney declined. I have no doubt that Romney would do the same thing to Santorum if Santorum was rising in the polls, albeit on different issues.
I have said that Romney is in many ways Richard Nixon, and that Romney would not successfully lead efforts to repeal Obamacare but, in fact, would grow the federal government in many respects. Romney's advisor, former senator Norm Coleman, has now said as much. That is Romney's record. Despite having been a businessman, he was not a defender of free market capitalism while governor. Romneycare is, as Santorum pointed out, a top-down government health care system with an individual mandate that is breaking Massachusetts' treasury and destroying private health insurance. It is a disaster. Romney also backed cap-and-trade and TARP (as did Gingrich).
My great fear is, however, that he is the weakest candidate who can face Obama and will go into the general election with a fractured base, thanks to his own character flaws, which are now on display, and his tactics of personal destruction. Moreover, while Romney can swamp his Republican opponents by 3 to 1 or more in every state with his spending advantage, Barack Obama will be raising more and spending more to beat him in the general election, meaning Romney's financial advantage will be non-existent.
We better start paying a lot more attention to holding the House of Representatives and winning the Senate with a bunch of solid conservatives. I have spent a year on my radio show identifying and interviewing these candidates, and will continue to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/us/politics/the-calculations-that-led-romney-to-the-warpath.html?pagewanted=all?
Romney is not a conservative in the traditional sense, and he has a record of big-government Republicanism. Even many years after the success of the Reagan administration, he sought to distance himself from Reagan and the GOP, self-identifying as a progressive and independent. Thus, he resorts to spending multi-millions of dollars trashing his opponents, rather than providing thoughtful arguments on conservatism and constitutionalism. Lest we forget, it was Gingrich who was trying to run a positive campaign and who offered to debate Romney one-on-one, asking Romney to stop with the millions in unanswered ads attacking him. Romney declined. I have no doubt that Romney would do the same thing to Santorum if Santorum was rising in the polls, albeit on different issues.
I have said that Romney is in many ways Richard Nixon, and that Romney would not successfully lead efforts to repeal Obamacare but, in fact, would grow the federal government in many respects. Romney's advisor, former senator Norm Coleman, has now said as much. That is Romney's record. Despite having been a businessman, he was not a defender of free market capitalism while governor. Romneycare is, as Santorum pointed out, a top-down government health care system with an individual mandate that is breaking Massachusetts' treasury and destroying private health insurance. It is a disaster. Romney also backed cap-and-trade and TARP (as did Gingrich).
My great fear is, however, that he is the weakest candidate who can face Obama and will go into the general election with a fractured base, thanks to his own character flaws, which are now on display, and his tactics of personal destruction. Moreover, while Romney can swamp his Republican opponents by 3 to 1 or more in every state with his spending advantage, Barack Obama will be raising more and spending more to beat him in the general election, meaning Romney's financial advantage will be non-existent.
We better start paying a lot more attention to holding the House of Representatives and winning the Senate with a bunch of solid conservatives. I have spent a year on my radio show identifying and interviewing these candidates, and will continue to do so.
Cain, Thompson, and Michael Reagan
On the last day before the polls open in the FL primary, Newt is traveling the state with Herman Cain, Fred Thompson, and Ronald Reagan's son Michael. Should show the hypocrisy of the backstabbers who have been recently trying to pretend like Newt fought against Reagan while he was in office.
I hope that this strong endorsement by stalwart conservatives helps pull things in Newt's direction. Recent polls have shown him losing by 14-16 points, but last night they started tightening up. He is catching up now, and is only behind by 5-7 points. If he can keep this momentum going, the base of the party just might have a chance to show the GOP establishment who really pulls the leash in a democracy!!!
I hope that this strong endorsement by stalwart conservatives helps pull things in Newt's direction. Recent polls have shown him losing by 14-16 points, but last night they started tightening up. He is catching up now, and is only behind by 5-7 points. If he can keep this momentum going, the base of the party just might have a chance to show the GOP establishment who really pulls the leash in a democracy!!!
SuperBowl 2012 Countdown
It is official: The New England Patriots versus the New York Giants.
The Pats are the obvious favorites in that they have the longest record of most consistently winning in the league for the last few years. They won the SuperBowl twice last decade and went another time. 3 trips in 10 years is quite the feat for a pro team.
On the other hand, the only time they lost was to the Giants. Now the Giants have flashes of brilliance, and when they are on their game, they can be the best, but they also have moments where everything falls apart. It will be interesting to see if the Giants can twice defeat the Pats and solidify their ironic reputation as "giant-killers".
The Pats are the obvious favorites in that they have the longest record of most consistently winning in the league for the last few years. They won the SuperBowl twice last decade and went another time. 3 trips in 10 years is quite the feat for a pro team.
On the other hand, the only time they lost was to the Giants. Now the Giants have flashes of brilliance, and when they are on their game, they can be the best, but they also have moments where everything falls apart. It will be interesting to see if the Giants can twice defeat the Pats and solidify their ironic reputation as "giant-killers".
Romney the Flip Flopper
The reason so many conservatives are casting around, trying to find an alternative to Mitt Romney is his complete lack of any detectable principles.
His flip flops have been so frequent and so obviously self-serving that no one can count on him to stand for anything.
His only real driving force seems to be his ego driven ambition.
The best evidence of this came in the most recent debate, when confronted by how difficult it will be to turn back the signature transgression of our times Obamneycare, and he responded "its not worth getting angry over".
The base is angry. They need someone to stand up for whats right, and fight until we are successful. Someone who was instrumental in the origin of Obamneycare, and "is not angry about it" is not the champion we need.
His flip flops have been so frequent and so obviously self-serving that no one can count on him to stand for anything.
His only real driving force seems to be his ego driven ambition.
The best evidence of this came in the most recent debate, when confronted by how difficult it will be to turn back the signature transgression of our times Obamneycare, and he responded "its not worth getting angry over".
The base is angry. They need someone to stand up for whats right, and fight until we are successful. Someone who was instrumental in the origin of Obamneycare, and "is not angry about it" is not the champion we need.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Conservatives with Newt: Gingrich: Romney ‘was never part of conservatism ...
Conservatives with Newt: Gingrich: Romney ‘was never part of conservatism ...: video platform video management video solutions video player Video courtesy of ABC News - JP
Great interview by Newt!!! This is the kind of thing that lets people know what is really going on!!!
Great interview by Newt!!! This is the kind of thing that lets people know what is really going on!!!
Sarah Palin comes out swinging!!!!!
Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left
by Sarah Palin on Friday, January 27, 2012 at 4:57pm
We have witnessed something very disturbing this week. The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the media and the politics of personal destruction to attack an opponent.
We will look back on this week and realize that something changed. I have given numerous interviews wherein I espoused the benefits of thorough vetting during aggressive contested primary elections, but this week’s tactics aren’t what I meant. Those who claim allegiance to Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment should stop and think about where we are today. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, the fathers of the modern conservative movement, would be ashamed of us in this primary. Let me make clear that I have no problem with the routine rough and tumble of a heated campaign. As I said at the first Tea Party convention two years ago, I am in favor of contested primaries and healthy, pointed debate. They help focus candidates and the electorate. I have fought in tough and heated contested primaries myself. But what we have seen in Florida this week is beyond the pale. It was unprecedented in GOP primaries. I’ve seen it before – heck, I lived it before – but not in a GOP primary race.
I am sadly too familiar with these tactics because they were used against the GOP ticket in 2008. The left seeks to single someone out and destroy his or her record and reputation and family using the media as a channel to dump handpicked and half-baked campaign opposition research on the public. The difference in 2008 was that I was largely unknown to the American public, so they had no way of differentiating between the lies and the truth. All of it came at them at once as “facts” about me. But Newt Gingrich is known to us – both the good and the bad.
We know that Newt fought in the trenches during the Reagan Revolution. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out, Newt was among a handful of Republican Congressman who would regularly take to the House floor to defend Reagan at a time when conservatives didn’t have Fox News or talk radio or conservative blogs to give any balance to the liberal mainstream media. Newt actually came at Reagan’s administration “from the right” to remind Americans that freer markets and tougher national defense would win our future. But this week a few handpicked and selectively edited comments which Newt made during his 40-year career were used to claim that Newt was somehow anti-Reagan and isn’t conservative enough to go against the accepted moderate in the primary race. (I know, it makes no sense, and the GOP establishment hopes you won’t stop and think about this nonsense. Mark Levin and others have shown the ridiculousness of this.) To add insult to injury, this “anti-Reagan” claim was made by a candidate who admitted to not even supporting or voting for Reagan. He actually was against the Reagan movement, donated to liberal candidates, and said he didn’t want to go back to the Reagan days. You can’t change history. We know that Newt Gingrich brought the Reagan Revolution into the 1990s. We know it because none other than Nancy Reagan herself announced this when she presented Newt with an award, telling us, “The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive.” As Rush and others pointed out, if Nancy Reagan had ever thought that Newt was in any way an opponent of her beloved husband, she would never have even appeared on a stage with him, let alone presented him with an award and said such kind things about him. Nor would Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, have chosen to endorse Newt in this primary race. There are no two greater keepers of the Reagan legacy than Nancy and Michael Reagan. What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque rewriting of history. It was Alinsky tactics at their worst.
But this whole thing isn’t really about Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney. It is about the GOP establishment vs. the Tea Party grassroots and independent Americans who are sick of the politics of personal destruction used now by both parties’ operatives with a complicit media egging it on. In fact, the establishment has been just as dismissive of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. Newt is an imperfect vessel for Tea Party support, but in South Carolina the Tea Party chose to get behind him instead of the old guard’s choice. In response, the GOP establishment voices denounced South Carolinian voters with the same vitriol we usually see from the left when they spew hatred at everyday Americans “bitterly clinging” to their faith and their Second Amendment rights. The Tea Party was once again told to sit down and shut up and listen to the “wisdom” of their betters. We were reminded of the litany of Tea Party endorsed candidates in 2010 who didn’t win. Well, here’s a little newsflash to the establishment: without the Tea Party there would have been no historic 2010 victory at all.
I spoke up before the South Carolina primary to urge voters there to keep this primary going because I have great concern about the GOP establishment trying to anoint a candidate without the blessing of the grassroots and all the needed energy and resources we as commonsense constitutional conservatives could bring to the general election in order to defeat President Obama. Now, I respect Governor Romney and his success. But there are serious concerns about his record and whether as a politician he consistently applied conservative principles and how this impacts the agenda moving forward. The questions need answers now. That is why this primary should not be rushed to an end. We need to vet this. Pundits in the Beltway are gleefully proclaiming that this primary race is over after Florida, despite 46 states still not having chimed in. Well, perhaps it’s possible that it will come to a speedy end in just four days; but with these questions left unanswered, it will not have come to a satisfactory conclusion. Without this necessary vetting process, the unanswered question of Governor Romney’s conservative bona fides and the unanswered and false attacks on Newt Gingrich will hang in the air to demoralize many in the electorate. The Tea Party grassroots will certainly feel disenfranchised and disenchanted with the perceived orchestrated outcome from self-proclaimed movers and shakers trying to sew this all up. And, trust me, during the general election, Governor Romney’s statements and record in the private sector will be relentlessly parsed over by the opposition in excruciating detail to frighten off swing voters. This is why we need a fair primary that is not prematurely cut short by the GOP establishment using Alinsky tactics to kneecap Governor Romney’s chief rival.
As I said in my speech in Iowa last September, the challenge of this election is not simply to replace President Obama. The real challenge is who and what we will replace him with. It’s not enough to just change up the uniform. If we don’t change the team and the game plan, we won’t save our country. We truly need sudden and relentless reform in Washington to defend our republic, though it’s becoming clearer that the old guard wants anything but that. That is why we should all be concerned by the tactics employed by the establishment this week. We will not save our country by becoming like the left. And I question whether the GOP establishment would ever employ the same harsh tactics they used on Newt against Obama. I didn’t see it in 2008. Many of these same characters sat on their thumbs in ‘08 and let Obama escape unvetted. Oddly, they’re now using every available microscope and endoscope – along with rewriting history – in attempts to character assassinate anyone challenging their chosen one in their own party’s primary. So, one must ask, who are they really running against?
- Sarah Palin
We will look back on this week and realize that something changed. I have given numerous interviews wherein I espoused the benefits of thorough vetting during aggressive contested primary elections, but this week’s tactics aren’t what I meant. Those who claim allegiance to Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment should stop and think about where we are today. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, the fathers of the modern conservative movement, would be ashamed of us in this primary. Let me make clear that I have no problem with the routine rough and tumble of a heated campaign. As I said at the first Tea Party convention two years ago, I am in favor of contested primaries and healthy, pointed debate. They help focus candidates and the electorate. I have fought in tough and heated contested primaries myself. But what we have seen in Florida this week is beyond the pale. It was unprecedented in GOP primaries. I’ve seen it before – heck, I lived it before – but not in a GOP primary race.
I am sadly too familiar with these tactics because they were used against the GOP ticket in 2008. The left seeks to single someone out and destroy his or her record and reputation and family using the media as a channel to dump handpicked and half-baked campaign opposition research on the public. The difference in 2008 was that I was largely unknown to the American public, so they had no way of differentiating between the lies and the truth. All of it came at them at once as “facts” about me. But Newt Gingrich is known to us – both the good and the bad.
We know that Newt fought in the trenches during the Reagan Revolution. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out, Newt was among a handful of Republican Congressman who would regularly take to the House floor to defend Reagan at a time when conservatives didn’t have Fox News or talk radio or conservative blogs to give any balance to the liberal mainstream media. Newt actually came at Reagan’s administration “from the right” to remind Americans that freer markets and tougher national defense would win our future. But this week a few handpicked and selectively edited comments which Newt made during his 40-year career were used to claim that Newt was somehow anti-Reagan and isn’t conservative enough to go against the accepted moderate in the primary race. (I know, it makes no sense, and the GOP establishment hopes you won’t stop and think about this nonsense. Mark Levin and others have shown the ridiculousness of this.) To add insult to injury, this “anti-Reagan” claim was made by a candidate who admitted to not even supporting or voting for Reagan. He actually was against the Reagan movement, donated to liberal candidates, and said he didn’t want to go back to the Reagan days. You can’t change history. We know that Newt Gingrich brought the Reagan Revolution into the 1990s. We know it because none other than Nancy Reagan herself announced this when she presented Newt with an award, telling us, “The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive.” As Rush and others pointed out, if Nancy Reagan had ever thought that Newt was in any way an opponent of her beloved husband, she would never have even appeared on a stage with him, let alone presented him with an award and said such kind things about him. Nor would Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, have chosen to endorse Newt in this primary race. There are no two greater keepers of the Reagan legacy than Nancy and Michael Reagan. What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque rewriting of history. It was Alinsky tactics at their worst.
But this whole thing isn’t really about Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney. It is about the GOP establishment vs. the Tea Party grassroots and independent Americans who are sick of the politics of personal destruction used now by both parties’ operatives with a complicit media egging it on. In fact, the establishment has been just as dismissive of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. Newt is an imperfect vessel for Tea Party support, but in South Carolina the Tea Party chose to get behind him instead of the old guard’s choice. In response, the GOP establishment voices denounced South Carolinian voters with the same vitriol we usually see from the left when they spew hatred at everyday Americans “bitterly clinging” to their faith and their Second Amendment rights. The Tea Party was once again told to sit down and shut up and listen to the “wisdom” of their betters. We were reminded of the litany of Tea Party endorsed candidates in 2010 who didn’t win. Well, here’s a little newsflash to the establishment: without the Tea Party there would have been no historic 2010 victory at all.
I spoke up before the South Carolina primary to urge voters there to keep this primary going because I have great concern about the GOP establishment trying to anoint a candidate without the blessing of the grassroots and all the needed energy and resources we as commonsense constitutional conservatives could bring to the general election in order to defeat President Obama. Now, I respect Governor Romney and his success. But there are serious concerns about his record and whether as a politician he consistently applied conservative principles and how this impacts the agenda moving forward. The questions need answers now. That is why this primary should not be rushed to an end. We need to vet this. Pundits in the Beltway are gleefully proclaiming that this primary race is over after Florida, despite 46 states still not having chimed in. Well, perhaps it’s possible that it will come to a speedy end in just four days; but with these questions left unanswered, it will not have come to a satisfactory conclusion. Without this necessary vetting process, the unanswered question of Governor Romney’s conservative bona fides and the unanswered and false attacks on Newt Gingrich will hang in the air to demoralize many in the electorate. The Tea Party grassroots will certainly feel disenfranchised and disenchanted with the perceived orchestrated outcome from self-proclaimed movers and shakers trying to sew this all up. And, trust me, during the general election, Governor Romney’s statements and record in the private sector will be relentlessly parsed over by the opposition in excruciating detail to frighten off swing voters. This is why we need a fair primary that is not prematurely cut short by the GOP establishment using Alinsky tactics to kneecap Governor Romney’s chief rival.
As I said in my speech in Iowa last September, the challenge of this election is not simply to replace President Obama. The real challenge is who and what we will replace him with. It’s not enough to just change up the uniform. If we don’t change the team and the game plan, we won’t save our country. We truly need sudden and relentless reform in Washington to defend our republic, though it’s becoming clearer that the old guard wants anything but that. That is why we should all be concerned by the tactics employed by the establishment this week. We will not save our country by becoming like the left. And I question whether the GOP establishment would ever employ the same harsh tactics they used on Newt against Obama. I didn’t see it in 2008. Many of these same characters sat on their thumbs in ‘08 and let Obama escape unvetted. Oddly, they’re now using every available microscope and endoscope – along with rewriting history – in attempts to character assassinate anyone challenging their chosen one in their own party’s primary. So, one must ask, who are they really running against?
- Sarah Palin
Herman Cain endorses Newt!!!
Last night at a dinner in Palm Beach FL, Cain made a suprise endorsement of Newt Gingrich!!
This coming on the heels of a brutal week of Romney calling out every favor he had to try to sling mud at Newt, might just be the bump Newt needs to remain competitive in FL.
This coming on the heels of a brutal week of Romney calling out every favor he had to try to sling mud at Newt, might just be the bump Newt needs to remain competitive in FL.
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