My Dream Decor

I have absolutely no sense of style, but I've discovered that I have the desire to decorate my living room with a political pop art flair. This would act as a complement to the Rosie the Riveter subtlety in my kitchen. Right now, I only have a Van Gogh "Starry Night" print hanging above my couch. However, I would like to change my living room (or one day,my library) decor to represent that political pop art flair.

A Shepherd Fairey inspired ode to Margaret Thatcher

A potential 2012 match up in comic book form-love it!

Not pop art, but the representation of my blogging pen name-- the female figure of the American Revolution--Molly Pitcher

Carly Fiorina Offers Solutions on Government Spending

Today, GOP senatorial candidate, Carly Fiorina, unveiled a plan to cut spending in Washington including placing a cap on federal spending (including earmarks), allowing people to designate their taxes to help pay down the national debt and greater transparency and forthrightness in legislative spending bills:

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina on Monday proposed a wide-ranging plan to rein in Washington's spending — ranging from a federal spending cap to letting people designate their taxes toward paying down debt.

Fiorina unveiled the proposals to about two dozen Republican students at the University of San Diego and told them that out-of-control government spending continues to "suck more and more of your future from your pockets and into a vast and unaccountable bureaucracy in Washington D.C."

"I think if we do not start fighting for our jobs in this country, then you will not have the same opportunities that I had when I was growing up," she said. "If we do not start getting government spending under control, then we will be saddling you with mountains of debt that you will be unable to repay."

The former Hewlett-Packard Co. chief executive and Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer are in a close contest less than five weeks before Election Day and are trying to position themselves as the one better suited to help turn around the nation's struggling economy.

Boxer campaign manager Rose Kapolczynski said although Fiorina supports limited spending, Fiorina would also fund tax cuts for the wealthy by reducing the amount of money available for student loans and highway improvements.

"Barbara Boxer supports cutting government spending, and this week in the Senate, she's voting in favor of legislation to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas," Kapolczynski said in an e-mailed statement.

Fiorina's plan would give taxpayers the option to designate up to 10 percent of their federal tax dollars toward paying off the national debt by possibly adding a line to tax forms to do that.

If taxpayers designated 10 percent of their federal tax liability toward that end, the government could raise $95 billion in one year.

She said she also wants Congress to prioritize spending, set annual caps and eliminate earmarks.

Earmarks allow lawmakers to direct spending toward projects back to their home state or congressional district. Democratic lawmakers have gradually lowered spending on earmarks in recent years, but not to the degree that some want. Republican lawmakers have agreed to a temporary moratorium on earmarks for the coming fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Boxer obtained 97 earmarks costing $130.4 million this year, and Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a member of the Appropriations Committee, obtained 158 earmarks costing $211.3 million, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, an advocacy group that tracks federal spending. The earmarks funded everything from projects to ease Southern California's congestion to funding research for military-related neurological disorders.

Fiorina called for spending caps like those sought in an amendment sponsored by Sens. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. The amendment would allow for 1.5 percent increases in discretionary spending. A two-thirds majority would be required to exceed the cap. Another $10 billions would be set aside for emergencies.

Fiorina said Congress should evaluate the cost of every bill and put agency budgets and quarterly spending reports online. Legislative bills also should be posted online to allow public comment two weeks before lawmakers vote on it, she said.

The Congressional Budget Office generally provides lawmakers with a major bill's estimated cost. The text of new bills and resolutions is publicly displayed on a web site maintained by The Library of Congress.

In addition, Fiorina proposes reducing the federal work force to 2008 levels by freezing the pay of federal civilian employees and hiring one civilian employee for every two who leave government service. The only exception, she said, would be for those working in areas of national security.

She is calling for ending bailouts and returning unused stimulus money to the Treasury to use it for debt reduction, saying it has not gotten results.

Crossposted here.

Governor Palin Takes on the "Bitter Clingers"

On the campaign trail in 2008,Governor Palin embraced the idea of being a "bitter clinger"--one who clings "bitterly" to guns and religion--a reference to a remark by then candidate Obama. Now Governor Palin is one who speaks out against bitter clingers. She doesn't speak out against those who embrace both their first and second amendment rights; she speaks out against those who bitterly cling to power and to the ideals and mindset of the Establishment and of entrenched politicians in both parties. This is clearly marked by many of her endorsements, the of events that have followed the primaries, and her own political career.

One of Governor Palin's first endorsements in the 2010 elections was of Texas Governor Rick Perry against challenger Kay Bailey Hutchison. Hutchison has been a member of the Senate for 17 years, and in spite of a promise to her constituents to resign her position to run for Governor, she did not do so. After her loss in the gubernatorial primary, she still sits in the U.S. Senate as one who voted for the bailouts, earmarks, and numerous large spending bills, and she is one who seeks to "moderate" the Republican party at the expense of conservative ideals.

In one of her written endorsements on Facebook, Governor Palin laid out the desire for a businessman to defeat an entrenched bureaucrat when she endorsed Tim Burns in a special election against a Democratic congressional aide:

In a year when Americans are desperate for job growth and frustrated with the reckless spending in Washington, the candidates running in the special election in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District epitomize the problem and the solution. It’s a race between a career Washington bureaucrat and a small business entrepreneur.

This is also seen her Governor Palin's reaction to Senator Murkwski's (sic) write in campaign for Senate, where she has expressed a desire for Senator Murkowski not to launch a write in campaign, but also "welcomed" such a bid, calling such an effort "futile". While Murkowski bitterly clings to power, so does the Republican Establishment when they voted to allow Murkowski to maintain her position of seniority on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in spite of her choice to ignore the will of her fellow Alaskan Republicans.

Governor Palin's stance against the bitter clingers also extends to those Democrats who a clinging bitterly to power and titles, such as in her endorsement of Carly Fiorina as the "only conservative in the race who can beat Barbara Boxer". Of course, you remember that Senator Boxer "worked so hard for that title", a point that Fiorina has hit on very effectively:



This attitude is also seen in how Governor Palin has conducted herself throughout her political career. As an Oil and Gas commissioner and as Governor, she sought to break the connections between entrenched politicians and oil companies--people who took joy in their back room dealings and lined their own pocketbooks when casting their votes. For Governor Palin, it has never been about clinging to power, a title, or a self-serving political relationship. This is a point she has hit on time and time--from her first announcement of her resignation to her most recent appearance "On the Record". Governor Palin isn't one who clings bitterly to titles or power, but happily embraces the opportunity to take on the Establishment in both parties. For her it isn't about clinging to a title,but about making a difference.

Crossposted here and here.

The Illinois GOP Is Focused on Three Key Races

The State Journal Register reports:

As a small business owner, Greg Hopkins is frustrated by the nation’s sour economy and torn on how to vote in November.

Two years ago, he was among the voters who helped Democrat Debbie Halvorson win a seat in Congress from a traditionally Republican district southwest of Chicago. But Hopkins is unhappy with the results, particularly watching banks get a bailout while he struggled to find financing for his business.

“People are looking for a change that has been promised that didn’t come,” he said at his New Lenox store, A Cozy Fireplace.

Now Hopkins is thinking about voting for Halvorson’s challenger, a little-known Air Force pilot who has Sarah Palin’s endorsement.

Halvorson, along with Democrats in two other Illinois congressional districts, is fighting for survival against a wave of voter frustration. Republicans hope to capture the majority of Illinois seats for the first time in seven years, helping the national GOP win control of the U.S. House.

Polls, intensifying Tea Party presence and an anti-Democrat national mood suggest it’s possible.
“It’s an important message to send to Obama: ’Here are some seats we’re going to take back that are right in your backyard,”’ said Tom Erickson, a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman. “The failures of your administration are going to help take these seats back.”

Halvorson’s 11th District, which stretches from Chicago’s south suburbs to Bloomington, may be the Republicans’ chief target. Another is the 14th in Chicago’s western suburbs, where Rep. Bill Foster holds a seat once held by House Speaker Denny Hastert.

Finally, Republicans think they have a chance to defeat Rep. Phil Hare in the 17th, a sprawling district that includes both farm areas and small industrial cities like Decatur.

If Republicans take all three and no other seats change parties, the GOP would end up with 10 of Illinois’ 19 House seats.

...

Halvorson got a whopping 58 percent that year, compared to 35 percent for her GOP opponent. Things aren’t looking so good for her now.

Political analysts say the district is likely to go Republican. Her challenger, 32-year-old Adam Kinzinger, has backing from Palin and tea party groups.

“People are pretty frustrated in this district,” said Glenn Nixon, 40, a police officer who lives in Bourbonnais and is involved in the tea party movement. “Adam is sincere in his drive to serve America. He’s not going to kowtow. He’s going to make the hard decisions.”

...

The Democrats have tried to paint Republican candidates as extreme by calling attention to the unpopular ideas espoused by groups endorsing the challengers. Maybe Kinzinger wants to privatize Social Security, Halvorson suggests. Maybe Republican Bobby Schilling wants to eliminate the minimum wage, says Hare.

Hare won his seat in 2006 after Lane Evans retired, then he ran unopposed in 2008.

But that comfort level has been shaken, prompting Hare to run his first television ad in nearly four years. The Washington veteran’s ad scolds Washington for shipping American jobs overseas and accuses his opponent of backing trade deals and corporate tax breaks that would hurt workers further.

The challenger has targeted Hare’s vote for health care reform and his support for using an Illinois prison to house Guantanamo detainees, among other things. Schilling, who owns a pizzeria, said his focus is balancing the budget. He’s also pledged to reject any pay raises, use his own health insurance and serve only eight years.

“I’m not one of those Washington insiders,” he said. “People are looking for a clean break.”
Like Hare, Foster sometimes sounds like the challenger, not the incumbent.

He voted against a Democratic budget and cap-and-trade-legislation. The physicist calls his opponent, state Sen. Randy Hultgren, a “career politician” and argues Hultgren’s work for an investment firm contributed to the national collapse of housing values.

Hultgren rejects those allegations and accuses Foster of not being visible in the district. “He’s not there listening to people,” said Hultgren.

Read more here.

Adam Kinzinger, candidate for the 11th District, has been covered on C4C on multiple occasions. See here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Bobby Schilling, candidate for the 17th District, has also been covered. See here and here.

Let's meet Randy Hultgren, candidate for the 14th District. Hultgren currently is serving the Illinois state senate. He has the endorsement of several pro-life and pro second amendment groups as well as backing from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. You can read more about Senator Hultgren here. His first election ad is displayed below.





Crossposted here.

Fire Phil Hare, Hire Bobby Schilling

Bobby Schilling is running against Phil " I don't care about the Constitution" Hare for the 17th Congressional district seat in Illinois. This is another Illinois seat with the potential to flip to the Republicans. This race was highlighted by the Hill today as the "race of the day":

If there's one race that could tell the true size of the expected Republican wave this fall, it may very well be Rep. Phil Hare's reelection bid in Illinois' 17th Congressional District.

To say that Democrats began the year not worrying about Hare's reelection chances would be an understatement. The two-term congressman ran unopposed in 2008 and until earlier this month, Hare hadn't run a TV ad since 2006.

But Republican Bobby Schilling is making a race of it in the 17th and the contest has quickly moved into tossup territory.

Like most Republican challengers this cycle, Schilling has focused on Hare's voting record, tying the incumbent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and repeatedly hitting Hare's support for cap-and-trade and the recently-enacted healthcare law.

Hare's district is telling since it's a relatively favorable one for Democrats, stretching from Rock Island in the northwestern part of the state down through central Illinois and Springfield, carefully drawn to incorporate more Democratic territory.

But between a deflated Democratic base and the national environment in 2010, the district isn't even close to Democratic enough to let Hare to breathe easy ahead of November.

Schilling hasn't garnered the full attention of national conservatives just yet, but he did win an endorsement from Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who said, "It's time to retire Phil Hare," in a videotaped endorsement she recorded for Schilling's campaign.

Read more here.

Here is the ad that Congresswoman Bachmann recorded for Schilling:



Crossposted here.

Carly Fiorina Takes on "Ma'am" Boxer in Her First General Election Ad

Carly Fiorina released her first ad in her general election bid against "Ma'am" Boxer. It is a pitch perfect ad aimed at the arrogance of entrenched politicians:

“It has only taken 30 years, but California voters have finally been afforded the complete and accurate picture of Barbara Boxer. In her own words, she demonstrates the arrogance that is the hallmark of a career that has gone on for far too long and will mercifully end on November 2. She’s invested much in furthering her career and liberal ideology but has delivered little for the people of California,” said Carly for California Campaign Manager Marty Wilson. “Boxer’s treatment of General Walsh is seared into the minds of Californians, and this is the beginning of our campaign’s fact-based approach to exposing the lowlights of Barbara Boxer’s career dedicated to raising taxes, increasing the size of government and promoting policies that strangle the private sector’s ability to create jobs. Carly provides the perfect contrast through her background in business and commitment to addressing our country’s challenges with bipartisan, common-sense solutions.

“Sir” features the infamous exchange between Barbara Boxer and Brigadier General Michael Walsh in which she demands he call her “senator” rather than “ma’am.” “Sir” underscores the arrogance that has become the hallmark of Barbara Boxer’s nearly three decades in Washington and contrasts that to Carly Fiorina’s commitment as a political outsider to focus on bringing people together to get the nation’s economy back on track and restore accountability in our government.

Read more here.

Crossposted here.

Adam Kinzinger responds to Halvorson's Smears

As was reported over the weekend, in the race for the 11th Congressional district seat in Illinois, Adam Kinzinger was portrayed as a Nazi by supporters of his opponent, Debbie Halvorson, last week. Kinzinger has responded to these smears with this ad:



This seat is shown to be either leaning GOP or likely GOP by the Rothenberg Political Report, the 538 blog at the New York Times, CQ Roll Call, and Real Clear Politics. The Cook Political report has the seat as a toss up. Internal polling shows that Kinzinger is up 51-40 over Halverson. See more here.

Cross posted here.

A Tale of Two Tea (Tee) Parties

Here's President Obama's Idea of a Tee Party:



Here's Governor Palin's Idea of a Tea Party:





Any questions?

Palin Endorsed Candidate Gets "Palinized"-Depicted as Hitler

In late March, Governor Palin endorsed a trio of veterans running for Congress. Among these was Adam Kinzinger, who is running for the 11th District seat in Illinois:

The second veteran is Captain Adam Kinzinger, a decorated special-operations pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam is running for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District against a freshman incumbent congresswoman who seemed to pull a bait and switch on voters to get elected. She sounded like a blue dog on the campaign trail, but didn’t vote like one in Washington. Instead, she voted in lockstep with the Pelosi agenda – on Obamacare, the stimulus, cap-and-tax – and the list goes on. She’s part of the reason for Congress’ 11% approval rating. Adam is a strong fiscal conservative with a proven track record as a reformer from his years serving on his local county board. Adam started out in local office, and, like many of us, believes in making government more accountable to the people. When you serve in local office, your constituents truly are your neighbors. Adam understands this, and I know that he will listen to his constituents and work for us, not against us, in Washington. Please visit Adam’s website here to make a donation to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

It isn't too hard to see why Governor Palin endorsed Kinzinger:




Kinzinger is running against Democratic incumbent Congresswoman, Debbie Halvorson. Halvorson has voted lock-step with Speaker Pelosi despite the fact that she ran as an "independent" thinker when elected in 2008. Although more than a month old, the most recent polling data show that Kinzinger has an eleven point lead over Halvorson. Just over a month ago, though claiming no ill will, Halvorson fired her campaign manager, former Clinton campaign worker, Travis Worl. As a side note, Worl had falsely accused Kinzinger of lying about his military record. Halvorson then hired Julie Merz, a member of Halvorson's campaign team since March, as her campaign manager.

Apparently, when some are trailing in a tough campaign, they feel the need to resort to extreme, horrific, and completely uncalled for measures, such as depicting your opponent and other conservatives such as Governor Palin and Glenn Beck as Nazis and chanting out, "outsource Adam, not our jobs". The Left proves its again as possessing no scruples. From Big Government:




Gateway Pundit has identified one of the protesters as none other than Halvorson's newest campaign manager, Julie Merz, who, by the way, also once worked for Speaker Pelosi. Other protesters include Missouri Deputy Field Director for Obama's presidential campaign, Anna Markowski. The protesters, who were picketing against the Americans for Prosperity group in Joliet, ended their night by walking across the street to one of Halvorson's campaign offices.

Pamela Gellar at Atlas Shrugs has a good refudiation of this campaign "tactic" and the complicit media (which Newsbusters also takes on). After all, if it wasn't for double standards, some liberals wouldn't have standards:

The Nazis are coming! That's what the national socialist party is howling. And that which they falsely accuse us of, they do with reckless abandon, painting leaders of the rational as Hitler. They painted Bush with the Hitler brush, and the shill media said nothing, did nothing, saw nothing. But they were only too happy to lie, manipulate images and photoshop pictures to smear and slander good people, accusing us of doing it to the sainted failure in the White House (go here and here). I vlogged their slander (go here to watch video with fauxtography and screenshots back in August 2009).

But now they are actually doing it, gleefully rubbing their hooves, and the silence of the media is deafening. They have no shame. When they deliberately won't report the news because it refudiates their narrative, they lie about it. Take a good hard look around, people: the enemy within, the fifth estate are destroying this country brick by brick, line by line, freedom by freedom.

This is Goebbels-style propaganda. Big Media is going down in flames.

The Kinzinger campaign has also responded to this horrible display:

“It was shocking to see the images displayed by protesters in Joliet this week. When I decided to run for office, I understood the nastiness of politics but never envisioned this kind of attack. Congresswoman Halvorson’s campaign has denied involvement, but video of protesters retiring to her office following the demonstration indicates otherwise. The campaign’s spokesman stated that Halvorson shares my concerns about the public display. If that is indeed the case, I respectfully ask that she use the evidence at hand to launch an investigation into the activities of her campaign and its participation in the Joliet protest, and take appropriate action.The following are questions that Congresswoman Halvorson and her campaign need to answer truthfully:

*Was the protest organized or sanctioned by Halvorson, the Illinois Democratic Party or the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee?

*Who are the individuals leading the protest and later seen with Team Halvorson?

*Are the individuals leading the protest staffers or volunteers for Debbie Halvorson?If not, why are they seen entering the Halvorson office after their protest and laughing with Campaign Manager Julie Merz?

It seems that more and more often Palin endorsed candidates have been"palinized"--maliciously treated, maligned, and misrepresented. We have said there are no more free shots allowed at Governor Palin. Shouldn't the same be said regarding those commonsense conservatives whom she supports? If you are able, please take the opportunity to support Kinzinger's campaign and signup at Organize4Palin to assist with Adam Kinzinger's and other Palin-endorsed campaigns.

Crossposted here and here.

Charles Krauthammer Re-Writes the Buckley Rule

In his latest column in the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer triples down on the idea that it was a "capricious" decision for people like Governor Palin and Senator DeMint to endorse Christine O'Donnell and her victory in Tuesday's primary means that Republicans won't have a chance to take back the Senate in November.

He begins first by contradicting himself (emphasis mine):

Bill Buckley -- no Mike Castle he -- had a rule: Support the most conservative candidate who is electable.

...

Of course Mike Castle is a liberal Republican. What do you expect from Delaware? A DeMint? Castle voted against Obamacare and the stimulus. Yes, he voted for cap-and-trade. That's batting .667. You'd rather have a Democrat who bats .000 and who might give the Democrats the 50th vote to control the Senate?

Buckley's "rule" is to support to the conservative candidate most likely to win, yet Krauthammer willfully states that Castle isn't even conservative. Castle is an entrenched, establishment liberal Republican. Many seem to emphasize the supposed electability at the expense of political principles. Principles cannot be sacrificed at the expense of theoretical expediency. Surprisingly, Peggy Noonan of all people seems to get it in her recognition of the Tea Party movement that nominated Christine O'Donnell:

So far, the Tea Party is not a wing of the GOP but a critique of it. This was demonstrated in spectacular fashion when GOP operatives dismissed Tea Party-backed Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. The Republican establishment is "the reason we even have the Tea Party movement," shot back columnist and Tea Party enthusiast Andrea Tantaros in the New York Daily News. It was the Bush administration that "ran up deficits" and gave us "open borders" and "Medicare Part D and busted budgets."

Returning to the Krauthammer article, to be fair, he too has a good grasp of the "Tea Party" movement, but he doesn't make the connection between what the Tea Party values and how those values influence their vote:

Indeed, it[the Tea Party Movement] is among the most vigorous and salutary grass-roots movements of our time, dedicated to a genuine constitutionalism from which the country has strayed far.

And its complaint that it is often taken for granted by the Republican establishment (interestingly parallel to the often-heard African American community's complaint against the Democratic Party) is not to be dismissed. Tea Partyers should not, as many of them fear, simply be used by the Republican Party as a source of electoral energy while their own candidates are ignored and dismissed. But the question is: Which of their candidates?

He then goes on to essentially argues that it's fine for voters to nominate "Tea Party" candidates, but only in states like Alaska and Kentucky where they are more likely to win, supposedly, than states like Delaware. Should Tea Partyers in more liberal states then not vote their principles and nominate more moderate candidates instead? Is "Buckley rule" applied differently in these states?

Regarding Governor Palin's understanding of the Buckley rule, let's see her apply this to one of her endorsements in a liberal state, shall we? In the California Republican senate primary, Governor Palin endorsed Carly Fiorina over who many people saw as the more conservative, Tea Party candidate, Chuck DeVore. Interestingly, polling just before the primary in June showed that more California Tea Partyers supported Fiorina than DeVore, but I digress. Fiorina was perceived as more electable than DeVore (and as current polling shows is poised to potentially defeat "Ma'am" Boxer). Governor Palin noted this in her endorsement on Facebook (emphasis mine):

Carly has been endorsed by the National Right to Life, the California Pro-Life Council, and the Susan B. Anthony List. She is pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-military, and pro-strict border security and against amnesty. She is against Obamacare and will vote to repeal it and prevent the government takeover of private companies and industries. Carly is also a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Like me, she is a member of the NRA, has a 100% NRA rating, and she and her husband are gun owners. She is pro-energy development and believes as I do in an all-of-the-above approach to energy independence. She is against cap and tax. And most importantly, Carly is the only conservative in the race who can beat Barbara Boxer. That’s no RINO. That’s a winner.

Governor Palin understands that if one is to use the Buckley rule, one must embrace both the principles of the candidate and the probability of that candidate's election. As previously mentioned, Fiorina is neck-in-neck with Boxer. O'Donnell, while currently trailing overall, is leading among both Republicans and independents in the most recent poll. For both of these Palin endorsed candidates, their electability and their conservative principles are present.

While Krauthammer has a good grasp of what the Tea Party stands for, he seems to miss the point about how the Tea Party should manifest their principles via their vote. The GOP Establishment was sent a message; it's about conservative principles, not Republican politics.

Related:Mark Levin at his best via the Right Scoop (H/T Stacy):



Crossposted here.

Happy Constitution Day!

Today marks the anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The Heritage Foundation has put out the following video as a reminder to honor one of our founding documents:



If you have the opportunity, today might be a good day to take some time to read the Constitution--the blueprint our Republican Democracy.

Crossposted here.


And just for funnsies:

Fire from the Heartland

There have been strong female conservative voices in the past with the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Phyllis Schalfly, Susan B. Anthony etc. However, in recent years, conservative women have really come to the forefront of the political arena. Their voices are louder; their presence is stronger. There are the writers and commentators like Michelle Malkin, Tammy Bruce, and Ann Coulter. There are the "Tea Party" moms like Dana Loesch and Gina Loudon. There are the politicians like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. There's something different about now. I like it!

This is on my list to see:

Fire From The Heartland from Citizens United on Vimeo.

A Message Has Been Sent to the GOP Establishment

In recent weeks Alaska and Delaware have become the setting for a battle between the GOP establishment and the commonsense conservative movement. A few weeks ago, Joe Miller's win in Alaska GOP senatorial campaign sent political shockwaves throughout the nation, as a conservative, Tea Party candidate defeated a RINO, establishment incumbent. The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a short statement of support for Joe Miller following his victory However, their statement is essentially all the support that they have given to the Miller and the commonsense conservative movement.

Within the last week, Christine O'Donnell received the support of America's leading conservative voice, Governor Palin, Congress's leading conservative voice, Michele Bachmann, and the Senate's leading conservative voice, Jim DeMint. What did that lead to? O'Donnell defeated RINO, Establishment backed candidate, Mike Castle, by a considerable margin. Of course, such news leaves Establishment commentators and pundits with their proverbial panties in a wad. Former Bush advisor, Karl Rove, proves to serve this point rather well:



Interestingly, the candidate whom Rove preferred to win once voted for an impeachment resolution for his former boss, President Bush, but I digress. Suffice it to say, for the Establishment, party politics trump party principles, even going so far as attempted deal making.

A "top Republican official" shared similar sentiments to Rove's following O'Donnell's win:

"Until she demonstrates some viability in the polls we are not going to have any money for her," a top Republican official told CNN. "It is now incumbent on Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint and the Tea Party Express to help support her. They got her here. Now make it happen."

Mike Castle has already stated that he will not be endorsing O'Donnell in the general election, and when asked if the NRSC should support O'Donnell in the general election, a campaign operative said, " they should save their money."

The Tea Party Express has replied:

"We encourage the NRSC to take a night off, get some sleep, and reconsider their rash statements. It is because of inexcusable conduct in Delaware and Alaska that so many conservatives have turned to the Tea Party Express, offering their support and their donations.These people have lost faith in the NRSC as just another big-government, Washington, D.C.-based organization that has contributed to the problems this country currently faces.

"If the NRSC is committed to defeating Democrats in November, then it is time for them to honor their mission statement and do just that. If they fail to do so, then they can expect millions of conservatives to continue to steer their donations and volunteer hours elsewhere.

"Wake up NRSC, the reason the tea party movement has grown into such a powerful force is because of the failures of establishment organizations such as yours to honor the principles of the Republican Party platform. You tried to force through the most liberal Republican in Congress on the voters of Delaware and they rejected you. Wake up, you are defying your own base, and will end up an irrelevant and impotent organization that serves to only amuse the corrupt political establishment in Washington, D.C."

We often hear of Governor Palin saying, "the planks in the Republican platform are strong", and the Tea Party Express echos these sentiments in their statement. When you look at the candidates the NRSC has supported--Murkowski and Castle-- you see candidates who have supported cap and trade initiatives, who don't support repeal of Obamacare, and who are not pro-life. Are these the kind of strong planks that the Republican party stands upon? The obvious answer is "no".

Much of the Establishment and the GOP have not supported conservative candidates and have even called endorsements by conservative leaders like Governor Palin, who do support the conservative candidate, "destructive","irresponsible", and "capricious". However, the American people have spoken with their voice (and their campaign dollars), and the people of Alaska and Delaware have spoken with their vote. If you don't stand on the planks of the party, you will end up walking the proverbial plank to your own political peril. A "big tent" Republican party is a noble goal, but it is bound only to collapse if its stakes are driven into shallow ground of inconsistent, moderate principles. A message has been sent. It's not about political establishment; it's about political platform. It's not about supposed political expediency; it's about political principles.
This race is also about party unity and the GOP establishment realizing the the candidate to their ideological Left is the true opponent, not the candidate on their ideological Right. Some say that primary wins for candidates like O'Donnell spell a loss of a chance at a Republican majority in the Senate, but what's more important? A Republican majority or a conservative majority? Is the GOP establishment more concerned with putting politicians into office with a "R" behind their name or candidates whose policy positions represent what that "R" truly stands for? Governor Palin called for party unity, as did O'Donnell. If the Republican establishment does not stand behind the candidate that bears their name, they have defeated themselves and have handed victory to the Democrats. A message has been sent to the Republican establishment; it's time for the Republican establishment to join with the commonsense conservative movement to send a message to the Democrats.


Crossposted here.

Governor Palin Warned Us

Earlier this month marked the second anniversary of the Governor Palin's well delivered, prescient RNC speech. During a segment of her speech, Governor Palin sounded the warning bell by laying out a myriad of things that then candidate Obama stood against and a litany of things that candidate Obama would do if elected, as WilsonPickett recently highlighted. Unfortunately for our country, Governor's Palin's prescience has been proven, and now President Obama has accomplished many of the things that Governor Palin had warned about two years ago, as shown in the text from her speech from 2008. The normal text are Governor Palin's words from her RNC speech, and the bold text shows how Governor Palin's predictions about an Obama presidency have actually come to fruition:

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. President Obama has given a speech on the war in Afghanistan at West Point without mentioning the word "victory" once. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot — what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ..During his administration, government has taken greater control over the car (to be fair, this was in conjunction with Bush's earlier work, but supported by President Obama), healthcare, finance and student loan industries... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world President Obama desires to reduce our nuclear arsenal while also making cuts to our missile defense program. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it. President Obama has doubled down on a jobs killing drilling moratorium in spite of court rejection.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America. Both the Christmas day bomber and Time Square bomber, while both thankfully unsuccessful, had ties to al-Qaeda ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Both men were read Miranda Rights. Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more. See Porkulus I, II, and III for starters.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.See here, here, and here for a small taste. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business — like millions of others who run small businesses.

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy?

She warned us:




--This post is a tag team effort from Stacy Drake and Whitney Pitcher. Thank you to Stacy for her suburb video editing skills.

Crossposted here and here.

The 9/12 Project: The Restoration Begins with Us

The basis for the name of the 912 project is two-fold. It both represents a set of 9 principles and 12 values and the common purpose, focus, and unity that we had as a nation on 9/12/2001, following the terrorist attacks that rocked the core of America.

Both last year and this year, the date 9/12 has been used for politically focused events, and there is a place for such events. Washington needs to be restored. Springfield needs to be restored. City halls across America need to be restored. However, restoring our nation begins, not among any political leaders or entities, but among us as individual Americans and American families.

A couple of years ago, I received a church bulletin in the mail with the following story from an unknown 12th century monk:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation, and I could, indeed, have changed the world.

So many of us desire restoration of America. We want our country to get back to the principles of our Founders and our government to return to the blueprint of our Constitution. We want our governmental leaders to uphold their oath of office and to govern with integrity. However, such a change begins not with them, but with us. We have the opportunity to first educate ourselves about the Founding principles of our country and to continue to live our lives with integrity, character, and a strong work ethic. In doing this, we are then afforded the opportunity to influence those around us. We are at different places in our lives and have different sphere of influences that we can effect. Some of us may have a spouse. Some of us may have a spouse and children. Some of us may have grandchildren. Some of us may be single parents. Some of us may be single. We all have the opportunity to influence are families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members, and acquaintances. We have the opportunity to effect change and help to restore America to the Founding principles and values that have made America great.

Restoration begins with us. We have the opportunity and, dare I say, even the obligation to reflect the values of honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, and gratitude. We have the opportunity to change the world by first changing ourselves.

It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.

- John Adams

Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves.

-Thomas Jefferson

It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.

-George Washington

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.

-Thomas Paine

Crossposted here.

Governor Palin on the Events of September 11th, 2001

With the debate and discussion swirling in recent weeks and months regarding the potential mosque at Ground Zero and the once planned Koran burning in Florida, the remembrance of the tragedies of September 11, 2001 and the lives lost that day have not been emphasized appropriately. September 11,2001 was a day never to be forgotten in many of our lives, just as the assassination of President Kennedy and the bombing of Pearl Harbor have been in the lives of many Americans.

Governor Palin has always been one who wants to remember those lost that fateful day and remember the families who suffered a loss on that day. She notes in her book, Going Rogue, that she spent time praying with other Wasilla residents as mayor on the evening of September 11th, 2001. Her parents even went to New York to help in the aftermath of the tragedy. As Governor, in both 2007 and 2008 she declared the day "September 11th Commemoration Day" by remembering those lost and recognizing the soldiers who fight to defend America and those first responders who came to the aid of their fellow Americans:

WHEREAS, we remember and honor the nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania every day and especially this day, the seventh anniversary of September 11, 2001.

WHEREAS, Alaska continues to play an important role in the healing process and in efforts to bring to justice those who would spread terror.

WHEREAS, our military units—whether members of the active forces, Alaska Army and Air National Guard, or the Reserves—are serving in dangerous assignments both far from us and within our own borders. No men or women are better suited for this daunting task. They understand the virtues of freedom, the sweetness of liberty, and the necessity of defending our nation.

WHEREAS, we remember and thank the first responders—the firefighters, police, and emergency personnel—who came to the aid of others, and in doing so, lost their lives. All American lives are protected every day by men and women who work as emergency medical personnel and fire and police workers.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the state of Alaska, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2008, as:

September 11th Commemoration Day

When Governor Palin was running for Vice President in 2008, she visited Ground Zero and the memorial and spent time speaking with New York firemen. Upon visiting the site, she spoke not only of the tragedy, but the unity that the tragedy brought in Americans:

I wish every American would come through here, I wish every world leader would come through here and understand what it is that took place here and more importantly how America came together united to commit to never allowing this to happen again.

Last year, Governor Palin shared on Facebook again her appreciation for America's soldiers and the unity that occurred following the attacks:

As we look back to that tragic day eight years ago we take pride in the fact that we came together as a nation in the days, months and years that followed. We rose to the challenge that fateful day and we still can. And why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans.

I thank all our servicemen and women, in and out of uniform, for keeping us safe over the last eight years in the face of enormous odds.

Please thank a veteran today. They certainly do not look for those thanks, but they have more than earned it.

As we remember and look back at the attacks of September 11th, 2001, let us heed Governor Palin's words to remember those who died, to thank our first responders and soldiers, and to recognize that through tremendous tragedy, Americans were brought together.

Cross posted here and here.

May We Never Forget

September 11, 2010 marks the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. While the attacks physically hit those three locations, they emotionally and psychologically hit the entire nation. That day was one of those defining moments in our history and in our lives–much like the attacks on Pearl Harbor nearly seventy years ago. Words do little justice to express the emotions that many of us felt on that day, but on that day, we came together.

May we never forget. American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 175, United Airlines Flight 93. New York City, Shanksville, Arlington. Men, women, children. Every race. Every background. 3,017 died. More than 6,000 injured. May we never forget.

Cross posted here.

Google: Where are your priorities?

I don't want to be overstated in my frustration, but what's the deal with Google? They paid greater credence to the anniversary of Pacman than the attacks on 9/11 as shown by the following screenshots. What's the deal?

On 9/11/2010:
On 5/21/2010: