Reason # 1, 405, 403 to Love the St. Louis Cardinals

I have been a big St. Louis Cardinals' fan pretty much since conception. Actually, since the Cardinals won the 1982 and 2006 World Series, I technically have seen two more World Series victories in my 27 years than the Cubs have seen in the last 102. Note: Life begins at conception, and my mom was pregnant with me in 1982, so I count that one! :)

St. Louis has the best baseball team and fans in the majors! I've disagreed with manager Tony Larussa on many things--benching Ozzie Smith in favor of Royce Clayton, pulling starting pitchers out in the late innings even though they are pitching well, and hiring Mark McGuire as a hitting coach--to name a few. However, I was pleasant surprised to hear his support of the Tea Partiers assembling at Busch Stadium and his support of Arizona's immigration law. Thanks, Tony!

A Eureka Moment for Governor Palin

Governor Palin spoke at an event on Saturday at a California university where she took some time to thank some of the fallen soldiers who were among the attendees. Some of these individuals were Corps men. During her speech, she also referenced a tornado in Kansas that killed thousands of people, or in actuality, a few people.

Oh, wait, what's that? If I click on the links, those gaffes aren't from Governor Palin! They're from the teleprompter reader-in-chief President Obama!?

What Governor Palin actually said was that President Reagan's alma mater was in California, not Illinois. Was this incorrect? Yes. However, it was simply Governor Palin speaking extemporaneously. She was referring to Reagan, as she often does. She happened to be speaking in California, where Reagan spent a significant portion of his life, at a university. The result? A slip of the tongue, not a legitimate lack of knowledge or display of ignorance. Governor Palin clearly knows that Eureka College is in Illinois. I had the privilege of hearing Governor Palin speak in Washington, Illinois, just a short drive from Eureka College, in April. She referenced Eureka College and its proximity to where she was speaking during her amazing speech, at one point saying that a Eureka educated man played better in Peoria ( a short distance from both Washington and Eureka, Illinois) than a Harvard educated man. She obviously knows where Eureka College is!

You have to wonder why the media chooses to make this issue a focus. It's not like we don't have a recession, massive oil spill, SCOTUS confirmation hearing, finance reform bill deliberation, or anything like that going on right now!

Cross posted here and here.

Chicago Area Conservatives on the SCOTUS Decision

As the SCOTUS decision handed down today declared Chicago's ban on guns unconstitutional, and as the state of Illinois has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, let's take a look athow some of the conservative Congressional candidates have responded to the victory for Americans and our Constitution:

Chicago Congressional candidate, Isaac Hayes, who is running against Jesse Jackson Jr, for the 2nd District seat had the following to say about the SCOTUS decision:

Today’s Supreme Court decision will allow residents being held hostage by urban terrorists the opportunity to defend themselves, their families and property. With 26 people being shot in Chicago this past weekend and 50 the week before, it is quite apparent the Chicago gun ban is not working.

Gangs don’t honor gun bans so infringing on the law abiding citizens only leaves them defenseless against violent offenders. In communities across Chicago urban terrorists must now think twice before entering private property.

Republican candidate for the 5th District seat, David Ratowitz, had this to say regarding the decision:

Nearly three decades of historical data have shown conclusively what common sense tells us immediately: unconstitutional gun bans only limit law abiding citizens, they do nothing to keep guns out of the hands of criminals nor do they reduce crime. In nearly three decades Chicago’s gun ban produced no positive results whatsoever

Joe Walsh, Republican candidate for the state's 8th district released the following statement:

The Supreme Court’s decision today in McDonald v. Chicago makes clear what law-abiding Americans instinctively knew already: we have a fundamental right as written in the Second Amendment to provide for our protection and the protection of our families. When we preemptively curtail the Constitutional rights of a law-abiding citizen, as Chicago has done with the handgun ownership ban, we in effect make no distinction between the criminal and the law-abiding. The Court recognized this contradiction in properly defining the Second Amendment as the individual right that it is. This is a historic day for individual freedom as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our nation.

Cross posted here.

Non-Pithy Comments on Fox News' Sexism

"Credentialed ignorance is still ignorance"- Thomas Sowell

Today, Governor Huckabee was on Fox News Sunday, where he was asked about Governor Palin. My criticism today (though it was last weekend) is not necessarily with Governor Huckabee's response, but with Fox News' decision to ask this Governor Huckabee a specific question: " Does [Governor Palin] have the experience? Does she have the knowledge to be President" (see the 8:20 mark of this clip). This isn't the first time that a Fox News personality has asked that same question. Most notably, in Governor Palin's first time on Bill O'Reilly's show, O'Reilly asked Governor Palin if she herself was smart enough to be president?! Has O'Reilly ever asked other prominent politicians and potential presidential candidates if they,themselves, are smart enough or knowledgeable enough to be President? No, he hasn't. Why is this question asked of Governor Palin or about her?

The answer to that very question is one of sexism and elitism. The likes of Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and President Obama haven't been asked by "journalists" if they are smart enough or knowledgeable enough to be President. The one thing that these three individuals have in common, other than their view of Governor Palin as a political threat, is that they all possess a pair of XY chromosomes, something that Governor Palin lacks. The intelligence of male politicians are usually not questioned. Many people bases their perception of Governor Palin's intelligence on one interview more than a year a half ago and a caricature on late night TV. May I remind such individuals, including those producers, editors, and personality who work at Fox News, that true intelligence is not manifested in edited words or a satirical characterization. True intelligence is found in the application of knowledge and life's experiences. True intelligence is what a certain Alaskan governor may call common sense.

Governor Palin did not attend an Ivy League school as the likes of Obama, Romney, and even the Left's former favorite punching bag, President Bush. Governor Palin's education came from a state university in Idaho, but her intelligence came from soaking up life experiences and learning from the past. If anyone has read the Governor's book or watched her speeches, you see that Governor Palin's intelligence comes from recognizes the successes of others and learning from the failures of the past, hence her constant invoking of Reagan. Governor Palin is a sponge when it comes to her life experiences. She soaks up everything around her and applies it. If you take a look at how she has responded to questions regarding the Gulf oil spill, she has discussed what the state of Alaska has done to deal with relationships with oil companies and oil spills. She learns from experience.

Regarding the aspect of Governor Palin's experience, people tend to poo-poo the fact that Governor Palin stepped aside from the governor's office early. However, Governor Palin accomplished all of her goals as Governor of Alaska in just 2 and a half years, including moving forward on ethics reform, the transcontinental pipeline, and forward funding education among other things. This is only as governor, not to mention the experience she has had a major, city council woman, and oil and gas commissioner.

While I still view Fox News as the best source on television, I'm disappointed in the boys at Fox who want to question her intelligence and experience when she has overwhelming amounts of both. Experience is her teacher; common sense is her intelligence. Those are qualities that an Ivy League education cannot buy.

My apologies, Bill O'Reilly, for my lack of pithiness.

Crossposted here and here.

Media Access to Governor Palin's Speech Backfires

A lot of hubbub has surrounded Governor Palin's speech at a fundraiser for California State University-Stanilaus on Friday night. From dumpster diving college students looking for Governor Palin's contract to Governor Palin's "diva-like demands" for bendy straws (oh the horrors) to partisan calls for investigations into the speech by gubernatorial candidates, even before Governor Palin spoke, her appearance caused a great deal of nontroversy, including a request that media have access to the speech. This request was granted, and likely the media was looking for some soundbite or event to make the Governor look bad or unintelligent. The speech was covered by Fox40 out of Sacremento, California. The video and audio from this station was not high quality, but it is available nonetheless. Governor Palin highlighted moral relativism and the importance of the Founders while also drawing out ideas from Reagan, Kennedy, de Tocqueville and others:




Courtesy of the Right Scoop

However, the story that came of this event came not from Governor Palin's speech, but from the ineptness and lack of professionalism of some "journalists" who apparently didn't know or care that they were miked ( you may need to turn up your volume):



Courtesy the Right Scoop

The media opinions, whether or not they belong to the Fox40 people (Fox40 is claiming that the voice heard doesn't belong to their photographer, but doesn't categorically deny that one of their employees is heard) should not have been heard at all. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of a public figure, but to voice your opinion ( i.e. comparing one's speech to a roller coaster or criticizing the number of quotes) while one is at work is unprofessional and is a sad, but truthful commentary on the media today. They are not about objective truth and reporting, but about subjective truth and biased reporting, whether or not it is blatant and well though out, or if it's off-the-cuff. And people wonder why Governor Palin refers to them as the "lamestream media"?! While the media waited with bated breath, longing to hear a dumb statement escape Governor Palin's lips, what we find instead is that the media again reveals its bias. But, hey, if the media in California doesn't like Governor Palin's speech, I think that spells success!

Cross posted here and here.

Governor Palin, Governor Huckabee and Mary Jane

Governor Mike Huckabee was recently on the late night Fox News program, Red Eye, a show that is a blend of politics, culture, and humor. While the show is intended to be funny, the attempt at humor by Huckabee is seething with jealous and contempt. Governor Huckabee attempts to poke fun at Governor Palin's truthful, pragmatic answer to a question about the legalization of marijuana. As the clip shows, Governor Palin clearly states that she is opposed to the legalization of marijuana, but she also recognizes that perhaps there are more important issues that law enforcement officers should focus upon. What law enforcement matter has Governor Palin recently stood strongly for? Arizona's immigration law, perhaps? What was Governor Huckabee's take on this law? Huckabee stated:

I understand why it was passed and why 70 percent of the people of Arizona support it. They're angry, they're frustrated, and they're scared. There are a half-million illegals who have poured into their state.

America is a lot like Disney World in that once you get a ticket, you're in. You don't have to keep showing your ticket to keep riding the rides. That's the whole point of liberty.

Governor Huckabee expressed opposition to the new law by using a nonsensical analogies. If his analogy was properly applied, it would indicate that those who came to America illegally were ones who hopped the fence rather than purchasing a ticket. Poor analogy aside, what does Governor Huckabee's stance on immigration really mean? It means he isn't opposed to the fact that Arizona is a major pipeline for marijuana trafficking into America. Up to 10% of all marijuana produced in Mexico is funneled through a vulnerable area of the Mexican/Arizonan border, which makes up only 4% of the US/Mexico border. If the efforts of Governor Brewer, with the support of Governor Palin, are successful, the nation will be more secure, and illegal drug trafficking will be mitigated. So, Mr. Huckabee while you're making tool-ish jokes about Governor Palin and drug use and lamely trying to compare her to Jesse Ventura, she is standing firmly for secure borders and strongly against the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

Related: You can hear Tammy Bruce eviscerate Huckabee on this appearance here.

Crossposted here.

An Alternative for Illinois Conservatives

William F. Buckley's voting strategy was to vote for the conservative most likely to win. Well, what if there are no conservatives in the race? This is the situation that Illinois voters are faced with in November's general election. The Democratic nominee Alexi Giannoulias is liberal and carries the baggage of his family bank, where he was once a VP, has been closed by the FDIC. Republican nominee, Mark Kirk, is a pro cap and tax, pro partial birth abortion, anti gun candidate who has lied about his military accolades.

The deadline for filing for a spot on the November ballot was yesterday, and a slew of candidates have submitted their names for consideration. One is Randy Stufflebeam, who is running on the Constitution Party ticket

Randy Stufflebeam is a 22 year Marine veteran and has previously served as the chair of the Illinois Constitution party. Stufflebeam is pro-life and is committed to returning the US Senate back to the principles of the Constitution. You can read more about Stufflebeam here.

You can see the list of other candidates here.

Crossposted here.

Governor Palin and the Constitution

A couple of weeks ago I received a mailing from SarahPAC with the following text:

Dear Whitney,

I am inspired by the American patriots across our nation who want to bring Congress back to the ideals of our Founding Fathers.


The White House and Congress need to hear that Americans don't want cradle-to-grave government control of our lives. We don't want government bureaucrats deciding what kind of light bulbs we should use, what kind of cars we should drive, and which doctors can and can't care for us and our families.


Liberal politicians should not be trying to re-write the U.S. Constitution. Our Constitution is a centuries-old gift from our steadfast Founding Fathers. We cannot sell out our sovereignty, surrender our God-given rights, or falter in the War on Terror.


Republicans recently took victory away from liberals in three states and sent a message to Congress and the White House that Americans are fed up with politicians trying to impose more big-government policies on our nation.

Now I'm asking for your help to carry that momentum across the country.


What Americans want is a return to the values our Founding Fathers fought and died for. Government should get out of our way so we can raise our families, run our businesses, and keep more of our hard-earned money.


So many people have asked me what can we do to save our country from politicians who want to take away our basic rights. What we can do, Whitney, is join the effort and help send pro-family, pro-American patriots who share our beliefs to Congress.


If you're ready to join the movement, please use the enclosed reply form to send your best gift possible to SarahPAC today. We'll use it to change our nation to the ideals that matter to all of us. Thank you for joining me to keep America the country we know and love!

With an Alaskan heart,
Sarah Palin

Emphasis mine.

I was particularly struck by her emphasis on the words "Founding Fathers" and "Constitution". While the current administration is operating with the goal of fundamentally transforming our nation, through her endorsements and her voice, Governor Palin is operating with the goal of fundamentally restoring our nation to the principles it was founded upon.

Our Constitution has three main themes woven throughout its text:a limited federal government, appropriate powers given to states, and emphasis on individual freedoms. These are all themes upon which Governor Palin has build her political philosophy. Governor Palin is a very strong advocate for 2nd amendment and 10th amendment rights. She believes that the branches of government must not be twisted. In her speech at the Southern Republican Leadership Convention, she has called out the EPA, an agency of unelected bureaucrats housed executive branch, for legislating from the executive branch. She does not believe judicial officials should legislate from the bench. She does not believe the federal government should go beyond its powers to infringe upon states' powers. However, she is not only going to speak out when the federal government overreaches, she is also going to speak out when the federal government is not fulfilling one of its Constitutional roles, as she has done by standing with Governor Brewer with regards to border insecurity in Arizona.

If one examines the premise of the writing of the Constitution--the Preamble--one can see that Governor Palin is lock step with every principle in that famed, beautifully simple paragraph. Governor Palin believes that it is "we the people", not the "we the governing authorities" that make have founded and maintain this country. Governor Palin believes that justice must be established and domestic tranquility ensured by properly prosecuting terrorists, securing our border, and taking our enemies seriously. She believes that the common defense must be provided for. She has spoken out against the President for drawing back nuclear weapons and cutting funds for missile defense.Governor Palin believes in promoting the general welfare, not by creating and perpetuating entitlement programs, but by removing burdensome regulations and taxation from businesses, families, and individuals so that they have the opportunity to better provide for their own welfare. Governor Palin supports securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. She understands that in order to have such liberty, government must not impinge upon individual freedoms, nor should our nation become beholden to foreign countries because of a dependency upon foreign fossil fuels, when America has abundant sources here. She sees that the current trajectory of our nation's spending puts us on a path towards insolvency,and she has even called such spending generational theft. Blessings of liberty will not be passed on to our posterity if our nation is drowning in debt.

I support Governor Palin because she stand for the Constitution and the principles of the Founders, and she supports candidates who do the same. While time will tell if she runs for President, she has my support if she does. There is no one else out there who, upon taking the oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, will mean every word of that oath and will not risk perjuring herself by uttering those words. For those reasons alone, she has my support.


Crossposted here and here.

Blog Posts for the Week of June 13th-Updated

So I've been a bit lax about cross posting my original blog posts. I've decided to at the very least provide links to what I've written on a weekly basis. Here are this week's post:

Central Illinois 912 Project blog:

Flag Day: Recognizing the Adoption of the Stars and Stripes

From the Central Illinois 912 Project Prayer Committee: Faith, Social Justice, and the EPA


The Palination blog (crossposted at the Palintwibe)

The Meeting of Two Iron Ladies?

Governor Palin: the Principled Pragmatist

Governor Palin's Response to President Obama's Oil Spill Address


The LOTUS (Laptop of the United States):

Does Chavez "Drill, Baby, Drill"?

Two Iron Ladies to Meet?

Sarah Shows her Bear Bias ;)


Conservatives4Congress:

IL-11: What Would Adam Kinzinger Do in Congress regarding the Oil Spill?



I welcome constructive criticism! :)