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.

Happy 52nd Birthday, Alaska!

On January 3, 1959, President Eisenhower signed a proclamation that stated Alaska would join the Union as the 49th state. Eisenhower had signed a bill in July of 1958 that made Alaskan statehood a law, but it was not officially proclaimed until the beginning of January 1959. Here is an interesting tidbit regarding Alaskan statehood from Eisenhower's archives (emphasis mine):

President Eisenhower stated his support for the idea of statehood for Alaska early in his administration but also expressed concerns that needed to be overcome before that could occur. The greatest concern was the issue of national security; this was during the height of the Cold War and Alaska was on the border of the Soviet Union. Another concern was the amount of public land in the territory; 99% of the area was owned by the Federal government and a suitable compromise had to be arranged to transfer unreserved lands to the new state government.

I wonder if Charlie Gibson would have condescendingly peered at President Eisenhower if he had shared the bolded concern above in an interview. Alaska's geographic location was a concern during this time of the Cold War, but its position on the globe proved to be a solid justification for statehood as well as its location was helpful in the Pacific theater of World War II. Today, in addition to its abundant natural resources, it proves to also be a strategic location for national security purposes as Governor Palin highlighted in a recent op-ed regarding the START treaty:

New START recognizes a link between offensive and defensive weapons – a position the Russians have sought for years. Russia claims the treaty constrains U.S. missile defenses and that they will withdraw from the treaty if we pursue missile defenses. This linkage virtually guarantees that either we limit our missile defenses or the Russians will withdraw from the treaty. The Obama administration claims that this is not the case; but if that is true, why agree to linking offensive and defensive weapons in the treaty? At the height of the Cold War, President Reagan pursued missile defense while also pursuing verifiable arms control with the then-Soviet Union. That position was right in the 1980’s, and it is still right today. We cannot and must not give up the right to missile defense to protect our population – whether the missiles that threaten us come from Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, or anywhere else. I fought the Obama administration’s plans to cut funds for missile defense in Alaska while I was Governor, and I will continue to speak out for missile defenses that will protect our people and our allies.

When Secretary of State William Seward purchase Alaska from Russia in 1867, many deemed it "Seward's folly", as Alaska was seen as a large, detached, sparsely populated area. However, Alaska's most well known resource, oil, was first discovered just 29 years later when drillers found oil at Cook Inlet in 1896. Alaska's natural resources and location now provide both energy and security to America.

Happy 52nd birthday, Alaska!

Crossposted here and here.

The Message of "Rosie the Riveter"

Earlier this week, the woman, Geraldine Hoff Doyle, who inspired the iconic "Rosie the Riveter" World War II poster shown above died at the age of 86. From CNN:

The woman who inspired the famous World War II "We Can Do It!" poster has died.

Geraldine Hoff Doyle was just 17 when a United Press photographer captured her in 1942 working at a Michigan metal factory, wearing a red polka-dotted bandanna.

Her pretty face caught the eye of artist J. Howard Miller, who had been commissioned by the government to create a series of motivational posters for factory workers.

The face on the poster was Doyle's, but the powerful muscles were not, her daughter Stephanie Gregg of Eaton Rapids, Michigan, told The New York Times.

"She didn't have big, muscular arms," Gregg said in the Times' obituary. "She was 5-foot-10 and very slender. She was a glamour girl. The arched eyebrows, the beautiful lips, the shape of the face — that's her."

Doyle abandoned the factory job after just two weeks, worried that she might injure her hands and not be able to play cello anymore, according to the Washington Post. She took a job at a soda fountain, where she met her future husband.

That poster has come to represent female empowerment for many American women. However, I think its also a representation of American women stepping up to the plate when her country needs them. As you may be able to tell from my blogging "pen name", I'm a big fan of Molly Pitcher--the woman or women who carried water to soldiers fighting in the American Revolution. The true "Molly Pitcher" has been debated, but many historians believe to Mary Ludwig Hays to be "Molly Pitcher":

Some historians, however, believe that Molly Pitcher is really Mary Ludwig Hays, wife of John Hays. She enlisted in the Pennsylvania artillery in 1778, 2 years after her husband enlisted. During the heat soaked Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Mary tirelessly provided water to the fighting soldiers, earning her the nickname Molly Pitcher. When her husband could no longer fight due to heat stroke, Mary (Molly) took his place at the cannon. This battle proved to be a strategical victory for the Continental army as it showed that the informally-trained Continental army could hold their ground against the British army, and it was the last major battle in the northern theater. Two places at this battle site have since been deemed “Molly Pitcher Spring.” She would later receive recognition from General George Washington.

Molly Pitcher stepped up when she was needed to serve. Many women throughout history stepped up when America called them to do so, as many women did in World War II, as Doyle was depicted, to work in factories, act as wartime nurses, and the like. Women so often serve because of a sense of calling,because they have seen women who have come before them who have paved the way, and some serve and lead for both reasons.

You see it with women like Esther and Deborah of the Bible and Joan of Arc who followed a higher calling. You see it with women like "Molly Pitcher", Martha Washington, and Abigail Adams who were among the Founder Mothers of America, serving and leading in various ways. You see it with women who lead in the sciences like Marie Curie, who won a Nobel Prize in both chemistry and physics, and Rosalind Frankin, who was the woman who discovered the structure of DNA (although she was not appropriately credited). You see if with women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B.Anthony whose leadership would later give women the right to vote.

Although women have been involved in the political process for many years, the past few years have been extraordinary. In 2006, Nancy Pelosi was elected the first female speaker of the House. In 2008, Hillary came closer than any woman ever to winning a major party's nomination for the Presidency, and Sarah Palin came closer than any woman ever to winning the Vice Presidency.

Governor Palin has served and led both because she recognizes those who have gone before and because she does feel a certain calling to serve. After all, so often when the discussion of whether or not she will run in 2012 comes up, she discusses not in the terms of a candidacy, but a service. Governor Palin also so often recognizes those who have come before--speaking often of Anthony and Stanton, recognizing Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro when she was introduced as Senator McCain's running mate , and showering admiration on Margaret Thatcher.

Governor Palin also empowers women much in the same way the "Rosie the Riveter" poster does. The phrase seems simple: "We Can Do It!". However, it speaks volumes. Governor Palin doesn't see womenhood as victimhood. She sees that women are strong and capable. We may have obstacles to overcome in a sometimes unjust world, but we can see them as constructive challenges rather than hindrances. She is the complete antithesis to the Feminist Left who see women as victims and see babies conceived in less-than-ideal circumstances as undesirables. Governor Palin turns both tenets of the Feminist Left on their heads. Women are not victims, and they are strong enough to bring a child into this world, even if the situation is less-than-ideal.

The image of "Rosie the Riveter" show a woman who has rolled up her sleeve and is flexing her muscle--a depiction of work ethic. If the last few months have shown us anything, they have shown that Governor Palin is a woman who believe wholeheartedly in a strong work ethic. She devotes a whole chapter in latest book to work ethic. Every episode of her TV series has Governor Palin highlighting and praising the work ethic of so many of the Alaskan professions that have been profiled.

Governor Palin has certainly stepped up to the plate and has served as a voice of reason as Janne so eloquently wrote earlier this week. So many in America have seen her a voice that speaks for us. Regardless of any future political plans or accomplishments, Governor Palin has encapsulated the message of that poster--one of women's empowerment, self-determination, and strong work ethic.

May Geraldine Hoff Doyle rest in peace, and thank you for the message your image has voiced.

Sophia Petrillo Eats Corn on the Cob

Random post time. I was just going through some videos on my computer, and I found this one from a few summers ago. I have one of the most eccentric cats you'll ever meet. Here's a short clip of my cat Sophia Petrillo with her favorite food, corn on the cob. Everyone love random youtube clips of animals, right?

Governor Palin's Top 10 Policy and Political Statements of 2010

As it is the last week of 2010, in lieu of a "Governor Palin on the Issues" post this week, I'd like to compile a list of Governor Palin's Top 10 Policy and Political Statements of 2010. You can find the first two "Governor Palin on the Issues" posts on monetary policy here and on entitlement programs here. Perhaps this can serve as an easily digestible version of some of Governor Palin's policy stances for Charles Krauthammer, Dana Perino, Peggy Noonan and other Republicans ostriches who have willfully had their heads in the sands for the past two plus years. Through Facebook, op-eds that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and National Review among others publications, and speeches, Governor Palin has weighed in on many of the important policy issues facing America today. She has also been the most bold conservative voice in America--challenging Republicans to stand firmly on the planks of the Republican party. There are, of course, more than ten policy and politically focused areas Governor Palin has taken a stand on this year, but it is my hope that this will serve as a summary. The selection of these particular ten statements are merely the opinion of one ordinary barbarian. They are listed by title and are in no particular order.

1) The Midterms: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward
Following the 2010 Midterm elections, Governor Palin penned a piece at the National Review entitled "The Midterms: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward". In this piece, Governor Palin provided 4 lessons that Republicans can learn:1) set the narrative 2) fight back the lies immediately and consistently 3) get out the mother of all GOTV efforts in 2012 and 4) a winning conservative message must always be carefully crafted. Here is an excerpt from this excellent piece:

The last, and possibly most important, lesson is that a winning conservative message must always be carefully crafted. If candidates are going to talk boldly on the campaign trail about entitlement reform and reducing the size of government, they must be prepared to word it in such a way as to minimize the inevitable fear-mongering accusations of “extremism.” We are quickly approaching a fiscal turning point where these crucial reform discussions will be mandatory. We need to speak about them in a way that the public will embrace. During his first run for the presidency in 1976, Ronald Reagan found out that election campaigns aren’t necessarily the best settings for quasi-academic discussions about issues like Social Security reform. So for his next campaign, he resolved to build his platform out of tried and tested policies like tax cuts. Successful candidates in the next election cycle will have to test and develop similar policy platforms that address the crucial issues of entitlement reform and shrinking government in a way that the voters will find pragmatic and even attractive.

2) Why I support the Ryan Roadmap
A few weeks ago, Governor Palin wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal expressing her support for Congressman Ryan's Roadmap to lead to a more financially stable nation through entitlement reforms, tax cuts, and spending cuts. Here is an excerpt:

Put simply: Our country is on the path toward bankruptcy. We must turn around before it's too late, and the Roadmap offers a clear plan for doing so. But it does more than just fend off disaster. CBO calculations show that the Roadmap would also help create a "much more favorable macroeconomic outlook" for the next half-century. The CBO estimates that under the Roadmap, by 2058 per-person GDP would be around 70% higher than the current trend.

Is Rep. Ryan's Roadmap perfect? Of course not—no government plan ever is. But it's the best plan on the table at a time when doing nothing is no longer an option.

Let's not settle for the big-government status quo, which is what the president's commission offers. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to make these tough decisions so that they might inherit a prosperous and strong America like the one we were given.

3)Peace Through Strength and American Pride vs. "Enemy Centric Policy"
In June, Governor Palin gave a speech at Freedom Fest in Virginia where she spent a large portion of her time speaking critically of President Obama's foreign policy and his disdain for American exceptionalism. She later provided excerpts of this speech on her Facebook page. Here is a small part of that speech:

It’s not the only area where the Obama administration has failed our allies. They escalated a minor zoning issue in Jerusalem into a major dispute with our most important ally in the Middle East, Israel. They treated the Israeli Prime Minister shabbily in Washington. When a Turkish sponsored flotilla threatened to violate a legal Israeli blockade of Hamas-run Gaza, the Obama Administration was silent. When Israeli commandos were assaulted as they sought to prevent unmonitored cargoes from being delivered to Hamas terrorists, the Obama Administration sent signals it might allow a UN investigation into the matter – an investigation that would be sure to condemn our ally Israel and bemoan the plight of Hamas. Loyal NATO allies in central Europe were undermined by the cancellation of a missile defense program with virtually no warning. At the same time, Russia and China are given preferential treatment, while remaining silent on their human rights violations.

4)Bailouts Reward Bad Behavior
During her time as Governor, Governor Palin managed Alaska with such fiscal prudence that nearly bankrupt states like California, New York, Illinois, and Michigan would do well to study and learn from her how to budget and spend appropriately. She wrote a Facebook post highlighting what she did as Governor to help put Alaska on strong financial ground, and she suggests that struggling states who may seek a federal bailout to do the same. Here is a small part of the post:

It’s one thing to veto spending and reduce the size of government when your state is broke. I did it when my state was flush with revenue from a surplus – though I had to fight politicians who wanted to spend like there was no tomorrow. It’s not easy to tell people no and make them act fiscally responsible and cut spending when the money is rolling in and your state is only 50 years shy of being a territory and everyone is yelling at you to spend while the money is there to build. My point is, if I could fight this fight in Alaska at a time of surplus, then other governors can and should be able to do the same at a time when their states are facing bankruptcy and postponing this fight is no longer an option.

So, let’s not continue to reward irresponsible political behavior. Instead of handing out more federal dollars, let’s give the governors of these debt-ridden states some free advice. Shake off the pressure from public sector unions to cave on this issue. Put up with the full page newspaper attack ads, the hate-filled rhetoric, and the other union strong arm tactics that I, too, had to put up with while fighting those who don’t believe a state needs to live within its means. Stand up to the special interests that are bankrupting your states. You may not be elected Miss Congeniality for fighting to get your fiscal houses in order; but in the long run, the people who hired you to do the right thing will appreciate your prudence and fiscal conservatism.

5) Passing the Buck Doesn't "Plug the D#*! Hole"
Governor Palin was pointedly critical of the Obama administration's mismanagement of the oil spill in the Gulf this past Spring. As a governor of an energy producing state and as a former oil and gas commissioner, Governor Palin's opinion is particularly relevant. In May, Governor Palin posted a note on Facebook regarding this topic. Here is an excerpt:

The 1990 Oil Pollution Act was drafted in response to the Exxon-Valdez spill in my home state. It created new procedures for offshore cleanups, specifically putting the federal government in charge of such operations. The President should have used the authority granted by the OPA – immediately – to take control of the situation. That is a big part of what the OPA is for – to designate who is in charge so finger-pointing won’t disrupt efforts to just “plug the d#*! hole.” But instead of immediately engaging with this crisis, our President chose to spend precious time on political pet causes like haranguing the state of Arizona for doing what he himself was supposed to do – secure the nation’s border. He also spent much time fundraising and politicking for liberal candidates and causes while we waited for him to grasp the enormity of the Gulf spill.

6) Lies, Damned Lies-Obamacare 6 Months Later; It's Time to Take Back the 20!
In September, six months following the passage of Obamacare, Governor Palin coupled endorsements of 20 candidates up against Democrats who voted for Obamacare with a scathing rundown of all the ills of Obamacare. In November, 18 of these districts represented by Obamacare supporting Democrats elected conservatives to fill those seats. Here is a brief excerpt from that Facebook post:

So, yes, those rationing “death panels” are there, and so are the tax increases that the president also promised were “absolutely not” in his bill. (Aren’t you tiring of the untruths coming from this White House and the liberals in Congress?) When the state of Florida filed a challenge to Obamacare on the basis that the mandates in the bill are unconstitutional, the Obama Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the suit by citing the Anti-Injunction Act, which blocks courts from interfering with the federal government’s ability to collect taxes. Yes, taxes! Once the bill was passed it was no longer politically inconvenient for the Obama administration to admit that it makes no difference whether the payment is a tax or a penalty because it’s “assessed and collected in the same manner.” The National Taxpayer Advocate has already warned that “Congress must provide sufficient funding” to allow the IRS to collect this new tax. Pretty soon we’ll be paying taxes just to make it possible for the IRS to collect all the additional taxes under Obamacare! Seems as if this is another surprise that the public found out about after the bill was rammed through.

7) Senate Republicans: Vote No on New START
Governor Palin wrote a piece for the National Review earlier this month outlining why the Senate should not ratify the START treaty with Russia. Many supporters of the treaty tried to claim that President Reagan would have supported the treaty, as one of his goals was reduction of nuclear arms. However, as Governor Palin points out, President Reagan increased not decreased missile defense as President Obama has done:

New START recognizes a link between offensive and defensive weapons – a position the Russians have sought for years. Russia claims the treaty constrains U.S. missile defenses and that they will withdraw from the treaty if we pursue missile defenses. This linkage virtually guarantees that either we limit our missile defenses or the Russians will withdraw from the treaty. The Obama administration claims that this is not the case; but if that is true, why agree to linking offensive and defensive weapons in the treaty? At the height of the Cold War, President Reagan pursued missile defense while also pursuing verifiable arms control with the then-Soviet Union. That position was right in the 1980’s, and it is still right today. We cannot and must not give up the right to missile defense to protect our population – whether the missiles that threaten us come from Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, or anywhere else. I fought the Obama administration’s plans to cut funds for missile defense in Alaska while I was Governor, and I will continue to speak out for missile defenses that will protect our people and our allies.

8 ) An Open Letter to Republican Freshman Members of Congress
In mid November, Governor Palin wrote an open letter to new Congressmen and women challenging them remain true to the principles they ran on and to remember that they are accountable to the voters. In this, Governor Palin also gave a great summary of her stances on the issues of Obamacare, spending, taxes, entitlement reforms, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, the START treaty, and border security among other issues. Here is a small excerpt:

You’ve also got to be deadly serious about cutting the deficit. Despite what some would like us to believe, tax cuts didn’t get us into the mess we’re in. Government spending did. Tough decisions need to be made about reducing government spending. The longer we put them off, the worse it will get. We need to start by cutting non-essential spending. That includes stopping earmarks (because abuse of the earmark process created the "gateway-drug" that allowed backroom deals and bloated budgets), canceling all further spending on the failed Stimulus program, and rolling back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels. You can do more, but this would be a good start.

9)Domestic Drilling: Why We Can Still Believe
Governor Palin's forte has always been energy. As a wife of a former oil field worker, an Oil and Gas Commissioner, and Governor of Alaska, she has the perfect expertise to speak to how energy independence provides jobs and helps secure our nation. She also provides the perfect antithesis to President Obama's overregulation. Governor Palin is a firm supporter of industry oversight rather than industry regulation. This approach holds energy companies accountable to the people while giving them the freedom to produce and provide jobs. Following the Gulf oil spill, Governor Palin offered her continued support for drilling for oil to fuel America:

All responsible energy development must be accompanied by strict oversight, but even with the strictest oversight in the world, accidents still happen. No human endeavor is ever without risk – whether it’s sending a man to the moon or extracting the necessary resources to fuel our civilization. I repeat the slogan “drill here, drill now” not out of naiveté or disregard for the tragic consequences of oil spills – my family and my state and I know firsthand those consequences. How could I still believe in drilling America’s domestic supply of energy after having seen the devastation of the Exxon-Valdez spill? I continue to believe in it because increased domestic oil production will make us a more secure, prosperous, and peaceful nation.

10) Palin to Bernanke:' Cease and Desist'
Governor Palin warned of the hazardous effects of the second round of quantitative easing by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. Printing money will inevitably lead to inflation and other effects that will not help an already severely hurting economy. The National Review Online published some of her remarks on this from a November speech in Arizona. Here is part of that excerpt:

We shouldn’t be playing around with inflation. It’s not for nothing Reagan called it “as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber, and as deadly as a hit man.” The Fed’s pump priming addiction has got our small businesses running scared, and our allies worried. The German finance minister called the Fed’s proposals “clueless.” When Germany, a country that knows a thing or two about the dangers of inflation, warns us to think again, maybe it’s time for Chairman Bernanke to cease and desist. We don’t want temporary, artificial economic growth bought at the expense of permanently higher inflation which will erode the value of our incomes and our savings. We want a stable dollar combined with real economic reform. It’s the only way we can get our economy back on the right track.

Governor Palin wrote numerous Facebook posts and op-eds on a variety of subjects in 2010. This list only provides a small taste. In addition to what was listed Governor Palin wrote about the Bush tax cuts, border security, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the mosque at Ground Zero, among others. Many of these posts were endorsements of candidates who received a great boost from her support. Her 140 character tweets even spoke volumes. In 2010, Governor Palin spoke at various industry conferences, campaign rallies, pro-life events, conservative conferences, and the like. Not too shabby for someone whom, according the Elites, isn't serious about policy; wouldn't you say?

Have a blessed new year, everyone! While many of Americans will be eating black eyed peas to ring in the new year, I hope that the elites acquire a taste for a steady diet of crow in 2011.They'll certainly being eating quite a bit of it in the coming year.

Crossposted here, here, and here.

Juan Williams, Exit Stage Left!

Yet another one of Governor Palin's Fox News colleagues attempted to perpetuate the "dumb" meme regarding Governor Palin. Appearing on Fox News Sunday today, Juan Williams stated:

There's nobody out there, except for Sarah Palin, who can absolutely dominate the stage, and she can't stand on the intellectual stage with Obama.

After all, according to Williams, Governor Palin is nothing but a centerfold for conservative men, right? What should we expect? How in the world could a state college educated female and former journalist carry a candle to a Ivy League educated male president?

However, perhaps this time Williams is right. Governor Palin and President Obama can't stand on the same stage. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post describing the difference between Governor Palin's intelligence and President Obama's intellectualism:

The critics of Governor Palin’s intelligence miss the distinct difference between intelligence and intellectualism. Intelligence involves the ability to process and apply information in a successful manner. By comparison, Thomas Sowell, an esteemed economist, author, and favorite of Governor Palin’s, describes intellectualism: “at the core of the notion of an intellectual is the dealer in ideas, as such–not the personal application of ideas”. In 2009, Sowell wrote a book entitled Intellectuals and Society where he highlights how the role of “intellectuals” have negatively influenced all aspects of society–from economics to law to the media. The common thread that runs through each aspect that Sowell covers in his book is that intellectuals feel that they are needed to dictate to the unwashed masses how they should conduct their lives. This is where you get the intellectual politicians who feel that they should control the economy through regulations, taxation, and the like, and this is also where you get the pontificating pundits who feel that they know best. After all, they have the Ivy League education and the self-declared credentials to do so, right?

In just under 2 years as president, Obama has ushered in the government takeover of the healthcare, college loan, banking, and internet industries, in addition to extending the extensive government involvement in the auto industry that he supported during President Bush's administration. President Obama has given further regulatory control to unelected agencies like the EPA, FCC, and FDA. He has added more to the national deficit in 2 years than his predecessors did in more than 200 years. His stimulus package led to over 10% unemployment, when it was promised to prevent unemployment from going over 8%. President Obama kowtowed (or as I like to call it, bowtowed) to both America's enemies and union bosses. He pushed for a treaty with Russia that allows Russia to continue to produce nuclear weapons while America must halt weapon production; all the while reducing funding for missile defense. He mishandled America's most destructive environmental disaster in history by blaming the previous administration for his own appointees' failures. He is joined with foreign nations in suing the state of Arizona for desiring to enforce federal border security and immigration laws.

As Governor, Sarah Palin put $5 billion in state savings and decreased state spending by more than 9%. She reduced earmark requests by 80%. She stands for smaller government and reduced intervention by unelected, appointed bureaucrats. She stood firmly against the stimulus package and called for President Obama to veto the bill. She stood against cuts to missile defense and called for the Senate to not verify the START treaty. She called for the President to turn away from his "enemy centric" foreign policy. She stood for oversight of the oil industry and federal responsibility in cleaning up the oil spill, rather than burdensome, job killing regulations and drilling moratoriums. She stood with Governor Brewer in a desire to secure the border.

Governor Palin has private sector experience as a journalist, fisherwoman, and small business owner in addition to nearly twenty years of political experience between the city council, mayor's office, Oil and Gas Regulator, and Governor. President Obama has experience as a community organizer, state senator, and US Senator. By the time President Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Governor Palin already had three times as much executive experience as President Obama currently has. She has had to balance a budget as a small business owner and a governor, and she has understood the importance of handling both prudently and responsibility. President Obama established a deficit commission after he signed legislation that added more than a trillion dollars to the deficit--willfully oblivious to the effects of his lack of executive experience.

If you juxtapose President Obama's experience, policies, and record against Governor Palin's experience, stances and record, then I suppose Williams is right. Governor Palin cannot stand on the "intellectual" stage with Obama, and rightfully so. While President Obama' s supposed intellect has made us a less secure nation in every sense of the word, Governor Palin's gubernatorial record and stances would lead America to a more financial stable and a more secure nation.

Governor Palin stands on the stage of common sense, practicality, and smart governance. Juan Williams and President Obama can exit stage left.

Crossposted here, here, and here.

Reagan's 1981 Christmas Address

I ran across this Christmas address from Reagan's first Christmas as President in 1981. Reagan blends a spiritual and patriotic message into his optimistic address. It is my hope that at Christmas 2013, Lord willing, America will receive a similar presidential message from a President Palin. I would like to wish all who happen to stop by this little blog a wonderful Christmas. God bless.