Forty-Three Candidates Endorsed by Governor Palin to be Sworn in Today!

In addition to Speaker Pelosi relinquishing her gavel and becoming simply Congresswoman Pelosi again, 37 Congressional candidates and 6 Senatorial candidates endorsed by Governor Palin will be sworn in today. Joining these endorsees are 7 Governors, 2 Attorney Generals, and 1 Secretary of State endorsed by Governor Palin who have taken office or will soon take office at the state level.

Among the Palin endorsed House members are two re-elected women--Washington representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Minnesota representative and Tea Party caucus leader, Michele Bachmann. Eighteen "Take Back the 20" candidates will take the seats formerly occupied by their Obamacare supporting opponents. Wisconsinite Sean Duffy will fill the seat once held by the author of the stimulus bill, David Obey, and Michigander Dan Benishek will take the seat once held by Obamacare traitor Bart Stupak. Tea Party favorites Allen West of Florida and Renee Ellmers of North Carolina will also take the oath of office. Four of Governor Palin's endorsees, Adam Kinzinger, Tim Scott, Cory Gardner and Martha Roby, have been part of the Republican transition team that has helped Republican House members re-implement themselves as the majority.

Among the Palin endorsed new Senators are libertarian Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky and Pat Toomey who replaces Arlen Specter as a Pennsylvania Senator. Tea Party favorite, Marco Rubio, will fill Florida's junior Senator seat after handily defeating Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meeks. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, John Boozman of Arkansas, and John McCain of Arizona will also take the oath of the office.

Due to the verbal support of Governor Palin, the financial support of SarahPAC and conservatives across the country, these House members and Senators will affirm to uphold and defend the Constitution. Shortly following these electoral victories, Governor Palin both encouraged and challenged these newly elected legislators by writing an open letter the Congressional Freshmen which in part said:

Welcome to all Republican Freshmen and congratulations!

Congratulations to all of you for your contribution to this historic election, and for the contributions I am certain you will make to our country in the next two years. Your victory was hard fought, and the success belongs entirely to you and the staff and volunteers who spent countless hours working for this chance to put government back on the side of the people. Now you will come to Washington to serve your nation and leave your mark on history by reining in government spending, preserving our freedoms at home, and restoring America’s leadership abroad. Some of you have asked for my thoughts on how best to proceed in the weeks and months ahead and how best to advance an agenda that can move our country forward. I have a simple answer: stick to the principles that propelled your campaigns. When you take your oath to support and defend our Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of your office, remember that present and future generations of “We the People” are counting on you to stand by that oath. Never forget the people who sent you to Washington. Never forget the trust they placed in you to do the right thing.

The task before you is daunting because so much damage has been done in the last two years, but I believe you have the chance to achieve great things.

You can watch the livestream of the first session of the 112th Congress here starting at noon EST.

Crossposted here, here, and here.

Governor Palin Endorsees Lead the House Transition to Majority

With the GOP gains in the House last week, Republicans are transitioning into their House majority with a team of representatives facilitating this change. Four of Governor Palin's endorsees have been selected to be a part of this team:

House Republicans have tapped two newly elected congressmen who drew tea party backing in their campaigns to help lead the party's transition to power.

Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Tim Scott of South Carolina, who won endorsements by Sarah Palin and support from tea party activists, are part of a newly named 22-member team charged with crafting new rules and smoothing the GOP's shift from minority to majority.

...

Two other freshmen, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Martha Roby of Alabama, are also on the roster.

Walden said he didn't choose the team based on whether they had tea party backing, telling reporters last week that he wasn't sure whether those he was recruiting were supported by the conservative-libertarian movement. "It's a nice cross-section of our Republican conference," he said of the group.

But it's clear Republicans are aware that the grass-roots movement that helped propel them to big wins in last week's elections will be an important part of their new House majority and bolstered Senate minority.

Congressman Walden of Oregon is acting as the leader of this team to help the GOP transition to power.While this may be a "cross-section" of Republicans, it cannot be overlooked that the four freshman House members tapped to assist in this transition were all endorsed by Governor Palin, as Gardner and Roby were also endorsed by Governor Palin. Couple this with the fact that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is throwing her hat in the ring for GOP conference chair, it is obvious that Governor Palin chose to endorse not only strong candidates, but strong leaders. Governor Palin's endorsements made a huge impact on conservative gains in the House last week. Certain members of that House, such as Congressman Bauchus, would do well to take notice of his new colleagues, rather than wrongfully blame her for a Senatorial minority.

Crossposted here and here.

Get Out the Vote for Palin Endorsed Candidates!

Election day is fast approaching! After primary elections, fundraisers, and speeches, it now comes down to the will of the people during a short window of time on Tuesday. The months of a grueling campaign and a the blood, sweat, and tears poured into getting a candidate elected are meaningless unless people go to the polls and vote! There are several ways to you can help support Palin endorsed candidates in the waning hours before Tuesday's election. You can wave signs, paint your car in support of a candidate, make phone calls, and offer to drive people to the polls. You can contact the individual campaigns to see best how you can help in the final hours. Here are the Organize4Palin profiles for each candidate listed by state. Please check out each individual profile for links to see how you can best help these campaigns!

Alabama:

Beth Chapman- Secretary of State

Martha Roby-Second Congressional Seat

Alaska:

Joe Miller-Senate

Arizona:

John McCain- Senate

Paul Gosar- 1st Congressional Seat

Janet Contreras- 4th Congressional Seat

David Schweikert-5th Congressional Seat

Ruth McClung-7th Congressional Seat

Jesse Kelly-8th Congressional Seat

Arkansas:

John Boozman- Senate

Tim Griffin- 2nd Congressional Seat

California:

Carly Fiorina- Senate

Chuck Wilkerson- 30th Congressional Seat

Star Parker-37th Congressional Seat

Colorado:

Scott Tipton- 3rd Congressional Seat

Cory Gardner-4th Congressional Seat

Delaware:

Christine O'Donnell- Senate

Florida:

Pam Bondi- Attorney General

Rick Scott- Governor

Marco Rubio-Senate

Steve Southerland- 2nd Congressional Seat

Allen West- 22nd Congressional Seat

Sandy Adams-24th Congressional Seat

Georgia:

Ray McKinney-12th Congressional Seat

Hawaii:

Scott Henderson-7th State House Seat

John Willoughby-2nd Congressional Seat

Idaho:

Butch Otter- Governor

Illinois:

Adam Kinzinger-11th Congressional Seat

Randy Hultgren- 14th Congressional Seat

Indiana:

Jackie Walorski- 2nd Congressional Seat

Larry Buchson-8th Congressional Seat

Todd Young-9th Congressional Seat

Iowa:

Brenna Findley- Attorney General

Terry Branstad- Governor

Kentucky:

Rand Paul-Senate

Massachusetts:

Sean Bielat- 4th Congressional Seat

Michigan:

Dan Benishek- 1st Congressional Seat

Rob Steele- 15th Congressional Seat

Minnesota:

Tom Emmer- Governor

Michele Bachmann- 6th Congressional Seat

Mississippi:

Alan Nunnelee- 1st Congressional Seat

Bill Marcy-2nd Congressional Seat

Missouri:

Vicky Hartzler- 4th Congressional Seat

Nevada:

Sharron Angle- Senate

New Hampshire:

Kelly Ayotte- Senate

New Mexico:

Susana Martinez- Governor

Steve Pearce-2nd Congressional District

New York:

John Gomez-2nd Congressional Seat

Michael Grimm-13th Congressional Seat

Ann Marie Buerkle-25th Congressional Seat

North Carolina:

Renee Elmmers-2nd Congressional Seat

Ilario Pantano-7th Congressional Seat

North Dakota:

Rick Berg- Congress

Ohio:

Bill Johnson-6th Congressional Seat

Jim Renacci-16th Congressional Seat

Oklahoma:

Mary Fallin-Governor

Pennsylvania:

Pat Toomey- Senate

Mike Kelly-3rd Congressional Seat

Tom Marino-1oth Congressional Seat

South Carolina:

Nikki Haley- Governor

Tim Scott-1st Congressional Seat

Mick Mulvaney-5th Congressional Seat

Tennessee:

Diane Black- 6th Congressional Seat

Stephen Fincher-8th Congressional Seat

Texas:

Greg Abbott- Attorney General

Rick Perry- Governor

Bill Flores-7th Congressional Seat

Francisco Canseco- 23rd Congressional Seat

Donna Campbell- 25th Congressional District

Blake Farenthold-27th Congressional District

Stephen Broden-30th Congressional Seat

Utah:

MorganPhilpot-2nd Congressional Seat

Virginia:

Robert Hurt-5th Congressional Seat

Washington:

John Koster-2nd Congressional Seat

Cathy McMorris Rogers-5th Congressional Seat

Dick Muri-9th Congressional Seat

West Virginia:

John Raese-Senate

David McKinnley-1st Congressional Seat

Spike Maynard-3rd Congressional Seat

Wisconsin:

Sean Duffy-7th Congressional Seat


Crossposted here.

Supporting Palin Endorsed Candidates in the Home Stretch!

We are now just a week from the 2010 midterm election. As we are all aware, there is a lot at stake. Republicans have the opportunity to take back the House and the Senate just a week from today. The boys of the GOP have put in place their ways to make a mark on these elections. One of the boys has turned the 2010 elections into a political form of American Idol. One of these boys has turned copycat initiatives (and often times, copycat endorsements) and big money donors. One of these boys has created a major funding mechanism to raise loads of cash for candidates.This shows the distinct difference between Governor Palin and the boys. Governor Palin has the backing of the grassroots both through financial support and through action. She does not go about things in the same way that a typical politician does by using gimmicks.

Governor Palin has endorsed 11 Senatorial candidates, 8 gubernatorial candidates, 53 Congressional candidates, 3 Attorney General candidates, 1 Secretary of State candidate, and 1 State Assembly candidate. In the homestretch of this election, we have the opportunity to support candidates by sending money, making calls, going door-to-door, poll watching, waving signs, and supporting candidates online through blog posts and the like. To volunteer in these or other capacities, please visit Organize4Palin. As a reminder, here is why Organize4Palin was launched:

Organize 4 Palin (O4P) is a site many Governor Sarah Palin supporters have been waiting for…a chance to put all of our gifts, talents, and plain old elbow grease to work behind the ideals and leadership of Governor Palin. A sister site to Conservatives 4 Palin and PalinTV, O4P is a grassroots effort and not affiliated with SarahPAC.

With that said, let’s show America what Governor Palin supporters are made of. We are not fans. We are not puppets. We are not easily deterred by the mud slinging left and insider GOP good old boys (and girls). Bottom line? We love our country and have no doubt that Governor Palin is forging the path of common sense leadership we feel confident in following.

What’s to come? Pages for every endorsed candidate, with specific calls to action as needed. Personal accounts for you to share what you are doing to help. A media gallery to share pictures and video of your work. And forums for you to connect and network with other Governor Palin supporters.

Why was this site necessary? We realize there are many positive Governor Palin sites that do wonderful things to promote the Governor and defend her good name. Many in the Palin blogosphere know each other and have worked hard since 2008 to set the record straight. We’ve blogged, commented, created media, donated, and educated friends, family, and co-workers. This will be a place for Governor Palin supporters to shine even more. We’re ready to give it our all in support of Governor Palin’s endorsed candidates. When they win, Governor Palin wins. We can see November from everywhere.

Those candidate specific pages have been up and running for weeks. By supporting the candidates that Governor Palin has endorsed, we have the opportunity to see a conservative fill the Senate seats once held by Joe Biden and Robert Byrd. We have the chance to see two women who disrespected military service be called "ma'am" again. We may get see Barney Frank and Harry Reid defeated. If the two candidates Governor Palin endorsed in Illlinois win, Republicans become poised to have more seats in Congress than Democrats representing Illinois. We have the chance to see the first woman elected to the governorship in South Carolina. We have the chance to help see a lumberjacking lawyer from Wisconsin and a rocket scientist from Arizona represent their districts in Congress. We have the opportunity to see a woman who named her kids after Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill be re-elected to the Secretary of State's office in Alabama. These are just a sampling of the candidates endorsed by Governor Palin.The greater importance is that commonsense Constitutional conservatives are poised to take office. To see all endorsed candidates and how you can support them, see here.

November 2nd is just around the corner, and we soon have the chance to party like it's 1773. Let's do all that we can to support these candidates, whether it is financial support, volunteer support, or prayer.

Crossposted here.

Sarah Palin's Fault

Not wanting to be outdone by Politico, the New York Daily News released their own hit piece today which includes quotes from well known GOP operatives such as " a household name and a big time player in Republican circles", "other party elders", "a well-wired Republican political consultant", and "another GOP consultant". Some of these Republican strategists have awfully long names, don't they?

These anonymous sources claim that if Republicans don't win the Senate, it's Governor Palin's fault because she's endorsed Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, and Carly Fiorina. Christine O'Donnell must be closing the gap in the polls against Chris Coons even without much help from the GOP Establishment and the NRSC as President Obama and Vice President Biden will be campaigning in Delaware. This seems to indicate that the race is tighter than public polling may indicate. After annihilating Senator Reid in a recent debate, Sharron Angle has a lead in the Nevada Senate race. In the California race, Carly Fiorina is statistically tied with Ma'am Boxer. These women are still poised to potentially win their races.

Specifically, the NYDN piece asserts that Governor Palin's endorsement must be toxic, especially in California:

Palin is extremely unpopular among indie voters, especially in California. A recent Field Poll found that 69% of California independent voters have an unfavorable opinion of Palin. And independents are nearly a quarter of the California electorate.

Even worse for GOP senatorial and gubernatorial prospects in the Golden State, two-thirds of independents say they're less inclined to vote for a candidate Palin has endorsed.

This must come as a shock to Carly Fiorina supporters. Fiorina has been endorsed by Governor Palin and sees herself as a "practical commonsense conservative like Sarah Palin" (see the 4:00 mark):



Carly Fiorina has embraced Governor Palin's endorsement and has run as a true commonsense conservative. She finds herself neck-and-neck with Boxer with less than two weeks to go before the election. On the other hand, gubernatorial candidate, Meg Whitman, has eschewed any association with Governor Palin, and find herself trailing an unpopular former Governor, Jerry Brown. If the polling numbers that the NYDN touts ring true, then California voters wouldn't be supportive of Fiorina, but would be supportive of Whitman. However, midterm election polling of these candidates seem to indicate that Fiorina, who has embraced Palin's endorsement, is fairing better than Whitman who has tried to distance herself from Governor Palin.

Governor Palin has encouraged partying like it's 1773 after election day in a few weeks, but it seems the media and some of the faceless, spineless members of the GOP want to prematurely point fingers like it's 2008. In fact, anonymous sources say that these unnamed GOP operatives are in contact with geologists and seismologists in Alaska. Remember, in 1964, just a few months after the Heath family moved to Alaska, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska. Now, obviously, this earthquake had to be due to then Sarah Heath's arrival to the state, right? Because Governor Palin is culpable for any potential political earthquakes or natural earthquakes, these GOP operatives are petitioning scientists to rename the space between tectonic plates causing that massive earthquake 46 years ago, "Sarah Palin's Fault". You heard it here first.

Crossposted here and here.

Nunnelee for Mississippi!

Alan Nunnelee is running for Congress in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District who desires to bring conservative values to Washington D.C.:

I believe that the strength of America lies in its people, neighborhoods, churches and communities, not in the Federal Government. I want to take Mississippi values to Washington because I believe our leaders can learn something from the good people of Mississippi. I am proud of Mississippi and I will be the same person in Washington as I am here at home – Conservative, pro-life, pro-family, fiscally responsible and a defender of the Second Amendment.

As a Mississippi state Senator Nunnelee has been a reformer on taxes, tort, and Medicaid. He has been a strong defender of the unborn, veterans, and those with physical disabilities. Nunnelee believes that the role of the public sector is to allow the private sector to thrive through limited government and lower taxes. He is a strong proponent of energy independence and is opposed to earmarks.



Crossposted here.

Help Turn Illinois Red with Randy Hultgren!

Today, Governor Palin endorsed Randy Hultgren for Congress:

Want to send a message about President Obama’s out-of-touch agenda? Let’s win some seats in his backyard. As an accomplished businessman and father of four, Randy Hultgren is committed to fighting for lower taxes and constitutional principles to get our country back on track. We can count on Randy to stand up for Illinois families and bring real accountability to Washington. Please visit Randy’s website at www.hultgrenforcongress.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Hultgren is an Illinois State Senator who has experience in the Illinois House and the DuPage County Board and is running for Congress in Illinois' 14th District. During his time in state government, Hultgren has been instrumental in passing medical malpractice reform, freezing property taxes for disabled veterans, protecting elderly consumers from fraud,and, much like Governor Palin, passing legislation that would put the state's financial records online leading to increased governmental transparency.

Hultgren's race against the incumbent Democrat is one of three races in Illinois where the Republican has the real potential to defeat the Democrat. Another such race involves fellow Palin endorsee, Adam Kinzinger.If these three GOP candidates win their races, the liberal bastion of Illinois will have more Republican Congressmen than Democrats!

Hultgren stands for the elimination of the death tax, lowering energy costs, and reducing taxes on small businesses. His economic plan involves freeing up private capital to create jobs. He stands strongly with veterans and has the endorsement of several pro-life organizations.

Below is a video of Hultgren speaking about common sense at an event earlier this month with Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate, Bill Brady, in President Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois:



Crossposted here.

The Left's Hypocrisy on Campaign Funding

Despite President Obama's call for "special interest" groups to remain uninvolved in upcoming midterm elections and the disparagement of the Tea Party movement and its campaign actions by the Democrats, it seems that double standards to occur. Then again as often is the case, if it wasn't for double standards, most of the Left wouldn't have standards.

Under the seemingly benign name of the America's Families First Action Fund, this special interest group has spent nearly $1.5 million for advertising against Palin endorsed Congressional candidates in the last two weeks alone. This includes more than $375K against Wisconsin Congressional candidate, Sean Duffy, more than $400K against Florida Congressional candidate, Steve Southerland, nearly half a million dollars against Arizona candidates, Ruth McClung and David Schweikert, and nearly $200K total against Colorado candidate, Scott Tipton, and New Mexico candidate, Steve Pearce.

The bigger story, however, is not the amount of cash invested in bringing down conservative candidates, but the method behind the madness. The America's Families First Fund is aimed a promoting "progressive issues". This organization did not file "statement of organization" papers with the Federal Election Committee until August,and their skeleton of a website shows no information regarding its supposed focal points and acts primarily as a simply an additional temporary funnel for liberal dollars to flow through. Its contributions come only from a small cadre of big dollar donors and the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Politico describes this PAC as (emphasis mine), "one of three newly formed Democratic committees not aligned with a union that are swooping in during the final weeks, hoping to stall the Republicans’ momentum". However, half a million dollars of their donations came from the International Association of Firefighters, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO is a coalition of labor unions headed by known union "thug", Richard Trumka. You can put lipstick on union funding, but it's still thug backed campaign funding.

An interesting cast of characters have given six figures to this PAC themselves. These donors include Agnus Gund who fought for " fair elections" by removing "special interest"funding. Ironically, this very issue that Gund fought against is the very issue upheld by the Supreme Court in the Citizens United vs. FEC case allowing organizations like the America's Family First Fund to operate to oppose candidates. George Marcus and Stephen Silberstein, both big time Democratic donors, gave a combined $350,000 to America's Families First. Rob McKay, HuffPo blogger and chairman of the Democratic Alliance, contributed $100,000 to this PAC. McKay's Democratic Alliance is supported by George Soros, supported ACORN, and had a role in the Norm Coleman-Al Franken recount in Minnesota's 2008 Senate race.

PAC expenditures went toward political consulting groups such as Project New West, whose President has worked for the DNC and NARAL pro-choice America among other Left leaning organizations. They also employed the communication consulting of Winning over Washington led by Ramona Oliver who has prior experience with SEIU and EMILY's List. Nothing says "America's Family First" like strategies provided by groups lead by individuals proudly supportive of pro-"choice", pro-thug union groups,right?

The Democrats as a party and the Left as an ideology try to claim to support the "little guy". However, when their causes are supported in large part by Union backed PACs and wealthy donors some with nefarious ties, this hardly seems to be the case. The "little guy" that Governor Palin has been referencing in her recent speeches are the same people who are expressing support for the the Tea Party movement and Governor Palin's PAC itself. Although the FEC rules for a 401 (c)4 organization like America's Families First and a national leadership PAC like SarahPAC differ, recent quarterly reports show a great grassroots support from small donors, even more so than President Obama's leadership PAC prior to his run for the Presidency. In spite of negative campaigning by corporatistic PACs, the election is ultimately decided by the "little guy" at the ballot box.

You can help positively support these targeted Palin endorsed candidates and others by visiting Organize4Palin.


Big thanks to Stacy for her assistance with research for this post.

Crossposted here.

Meet Bill Marcy for Mississippi's 2nd District!

At Organize4Palin, Karen Allen writes:

This is a fun (but true) video that a Bill Marcy (MS-2) supporter made. Bill put it on his website. Learn more about and donate to Bill HERE.

And here’s what one of his supporters posted on his Facebook:

Ed Holliday: Bill is building excitement! You can feel the momentum. I was with Bill in Washington as he met with Sarah Palin. I saw them speak and look each other in the eye and I knew then that Sarah understood what a dynamic person and candidate that Bill is. There as Bill and Sarah spoke I realized that Bill is Mississippi’s… conservative grizzly bear and he’s not afraid of the big bad Bennie wolf. Go get ‘em. Bill!

Marcy is a former Chicago police officer worked as a security director in the private sector before moving to Mississippi in 2001. He is running for Congress is Mississippi's second district against incumbent Bennie Thompson who supported both Obamacare and cap and tax and has voted on Democratic party lines 98% of the time. Marcy is a pro-life, pro-free market, pro energy development, anti-bailout conservative. Marcy distills his political worldview on the frontpage of his website:

The 2nd District needs a better tomorrow, a stepping stone to a brighter future. While others work to set America back, we will work to take America forward.

Every day, our Government takes one more step towards encroaching on our civil liberties, and worse yet, spending our hard earned money on policies that do not meld with our core value system. And some of our Congressional leaders are battling for power and position within their political parties, instead of representing the constituents.

I believe that our Constitution guarantees – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Government’s job is to govern, not to restrict our prosperity as secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.

Together, we can point our Country back to the values that our Founding Father’s(sic) envisioned. I’m Bill Marcy, and I want to be a part of building the landscape of better education, better jobs and a better, safer life for our children.

If you are able, please support Marcy's campaign with your time or donation. To support any of the candidates endorsed by Governor Palin, please visit Organize4Palin.

Cross posted here.

Four Palin Endorsed Candidates Make Time's Top 40 under 40 List

Four candidates endorsed by Governor Palin in the upcoming 2010 elections have made Time Magazine's top 40 under 40 list in their "new civic leaders" category. These candidates include Sean Duffy, Nikki Haley, Adam Kinzinger, and Marco Rubio. The article profiles each candidate individually. Here's what they had to say:

Sean Duffy:

Duffy, 39, may be best known for his turn on MTV's The Real World or perhaps as a five-time world-champion log climber. But in northwestern Wisconsin, the Republican is thought of as the district attorney who cracked down on child sex crimes. That law-and-order rep has made him the front runner for the state's 7th Congressional District seat. And his clever television commercials, in which he out-lumberjacks his rivals, have gone viral.

Who is your political hero/inspiration?
Ronald Reagan

What's your go-to political blog?
Real Clear Politics and Redstate.com

If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
I loved my job as a prosecutor. If I wasn't running for Congress I'd still be a DA and a lumberjack competitor.

What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
The most overlooked issue facing America is the economic nuclear bomb we have given to China thanks to Washington's inability to reign in spending. Our reliance on China to fund projects we can't afford does not come without serious national security implications.

Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
I'm a father and a husband first. In five years, I hope representing Wisconsin's 7th District will also be on that list.

Nikki Haley:

Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, may seem an unlikely figure to lead the rebirth of South Carolina's Republican Party. But when the stiletto-heeled 38-year-old bested three white men to win its gubernatorial nomination in June, she proved that the good-ol'-boy culture of Southern politics is no match for a charismatic conservative newcomer who promises to shake up the Palmetto State.

Who is your political hero/inspiration?
Margaret Thatcher.

What's your go-to political blog?
Redstate.

If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
I'd be back to my roots in small business.

What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
Understanding that tax dollars don't belong to government, that people pay this money in and how elected officials spend it matters.

Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
Continuing to remind people the power of their voice and that elected officials work for the people, not the other way around.

Adam Kinzinger:

As a sophomore in college, Kinzinger beat a three-term incumbent for a seat on the McLean County, Illinois, board of supervisors. Now, after a stint in Iraq with the Air Force, the 32-year-old Republican is taking on another Democratic incumbent, in the state's 11th Congressional District.

Who is your political hero/inspiration?
I consider both Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan to be amazing political figures. During times of great national distress, both men saw beyond the current difficulties the Union was facing and knew that the American spirit would prevail. When I toured the Lincoln Library in Springfield, IL, I noticed something never before pointed out to me — the rapid aging of President Lincoln during his time in office, and the great stress his eyes showed during the height of the war. He made the difficult decision of leading a nation to unity, when he could have instead ended the war in quickly by simply accepting a divided Union. Similarly, President Reagan took over a nation overwhelmed by malaise, a stagnant economy, and an imposing Soviet power. He would not accept the status quo, and instead led the nation with a clear vision of where America could once again return.

What's your go-to political blog?
Politico.com and realclearpolitics.com

If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
Flying planes for the Air Force. I still fly as a reservist, but had I not been running for Congress, I would be flying full time. It's quite a job!

What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
Education. As we have seen, students are turning less and less to STEM areas of study (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). While it is good to have a wide variety of educated students, those core proficiencies are essential for us to maintain our technological edge and our manufacturing superpower status. America has the strongest economy in the world — bar none, but we must continue investing in our future in order to maintain that.

Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
That is not an easy question to answer. I hope to earn the trust of voters in November and am passionate about serving my District in Congress for a period of time — but only as long as that passion stays alive. I am committed to public service in some form, and whether that means holding elected office or not remains to be seen.

Marco Rubio:

When he became Florida's youngest House Speaker, Rubio received a golden sword from then governor Jeb Bush — a gift that confirmed Rubio, now 39, as Bush's political heir. If the son of Cuban exiles can win the state's open Senate seat, he'll go from prodigy to bona fide conservative hero.

Who is your political hero/inspiration?
Ronald Reagan

What's your go-to political blog?
Red State

If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
Practicing law, teaching and trying to land an NFL front office job.

What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
The national security component of our federal debt.

Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
Hopefully in the U.S. Senate working to protect America's exceptionalism.

Crossposted here and here.
To support these or other Palin endorsed candidate, please visit Organize4Palin.