The Dissident Awakens

Is Anyone Buying McCain?

2008-02-08T17:18:00.000-05:00

I talked about my personal reasoning as to why I'm having a tough time swallowing John McCain as the GOP Nominee yesterday, but I left out one point because I figured it would probably make an entire article in and of itself.

The biggest argument that always comes up in Conservative cooler talk nowadays are the Supreme Court justices.

If you have read Jeffrey Toobin's The Nine (which I highly recommend) then you know that the court is one justice away from swinging to a more Conservative outlook. Maybe even more Conservative than it has ever been.

This is a big deal in just about every facet of the party for varying reasons but there are two major segments that have been salivating over this for years.

On one side, you have what I consider the center of the party, the Reagan group. This segment of the party has always believed in having judges on the court that would interpret the Constitution in its original intent, which was to lay a groundwork for our Federal Government.

There is also the far right wing of the party, which in my eyes would be the religious theocrats. They of course want judges that are going to do their best to abolish Roe vs. Wade.

You can certainly mix these groups together as well because a Reagan conservative doesn't believe in an expansive federal government and probably believes that a decision like abortion is up to the states themselves, and more importantly its inhabitants.

With 6 of the 9 justices over 70, this is a crucial time for advancing the ideals of Conservatism.

Enter John McCain, who has promised only the the most conservative of nominees. Is anyone else having a problem buying into this?

I laid out all the reasoning that I believe points to Mr. McCain's record being a far cry from Conservatism, and on the issue of Supreme Court Justices, I just don't see it happening either.

Just as McCain's record points to the word RINO, I fear his judges would be the Conservative flavor of David Souter rather than John Roberts.

The worst of it all is, this is completely probable thanks to The Gang of 14 which McCain was so proudly a part of.

McCain can nominate the most strict Constitutionalist he wants. He can opt to put forward justices with a very conservative record, but it won't ultimately matter because of filibustering tactics.

McCain could then plausibly use this to advantage and nominate more moderate judges after exhausting all of his conservative options and still save face. After all he tried, but just couldn't get the nominations through thanks to Congress.

Just another reason in my mind to fear John McCain. The man is anything but a Conservative, at least according to his record.

Digg it!

Voting for John McCain....

2008-02-07T20:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, like many true conservatives the idea of me pulling the lever for John McCain isn't sitting well. Frankly, its doing about as well down there as the dinner scene in Alien.

There are a lot of things that Conservatives are going to have to swallow when they walk into that voting booth and close that curtain. Let's take a look at some of the issues I have with a vote for John McCain.

McCain-Feingold: At the center of every Conservative lies the Constitution of the United States. It is what defines our rights as citizens of this great nation. McCain-Feingold ran free speech through the ringers a couple of times, then spit it out on the pavement.

McCain-Kennedy: Otherwise known to the entire nation as the amnesty bill. How many Americans were rallying behind this legislation? If you consider pitchforks and burning torches a success then it was pretty popular. The last time I checked, any form of amnesty is the polar opposite of good Conservative values.

McCain-Lieberman: This one is my personal favorite! We're expected to spend $1.2 trillion dollars on a Global Warming theory. That's right folks, not proven science. Yes, you can argue there is data on either side of the coin that could point to it being reality or a hoax, but does that really make it worthwhile to invest a ton of money into something we aren't even sure on? Oh, and let's not forget, we also let the government tell us what light bulbs we can and can't use.

Now you look at that list, and you probably say Rich, that's the record of a big government liberal! and I would certainly go with you on that one. But the madness doesn't stop here.

I'm told that I should just suck it up and realize that John McCain is the best solution for this nation and our party. I have a couple caveats with this theory.

First of all, our party in its modern form is here because of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. Those two men are the cornerstone of Conservatism.

Goldwater came along to redefine it into its modern philosophies of limited federal government, strong national defense, limited spending and above all personal responsibility.

Reagan rode in at a time when the nation was truly pining for change and picked up that torch when the world was ready and rode into the next decade never looking back, and the rest is history.

Yes, they're also buzzwords that everyone likes to throw around when likening themselves to Conservatism, but there's pretty good reasoning behind that. Telling me that I should consider John McCain's extensive resume with those two seems a little bit obscene, don't you think?

Secondly, the idea that any of this is good for the Republican party.

I consider my beliefs in Conservative ideals aren't far right wing. They're actually very centrist. Reaganism/Goldwaterism is simply Conservatism as we know it. We're what should be the center of the party. That's where the problem is, a candidate like John McCain only pulls our party further to the left.

I do see McCain as a Reagan figure, but an inverse Reagan figure. If Hilary gets the nomination all he does is pull over jaded liberals, but this time they're voting for him because he's their brand of liberal. Not because of any true change.

I have said many times that we need to rebuild the Republican party. This is probably the beginning of that. I just hope there is a country left for a new dawn to occur.

Digg it!

I've Seen the Future

2008-01-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

You have to wonder, how did we get here? You have to think to yourself what happened to our party? What happened to the thoughts and principals of Goldwater and Reagan? Where did the party go wrong?

The answers to those questions may look extremely difficult on the surface but the honest answer is they aren’t, we just need to be prepared to look at the truth.

There isn’t anything wrong with the party or the principals, it’s the people that are calling the shots, and when I say that I mean the voters who are placing the types of politicians in office that run under the guise and masquerade of conservatives.

The irony is rich in today’s controversies of the Republican Party, because it all started where conservatives today want to begin, with Reagan. The day that the religious right stepped into the political arena of our party is the day that the inevitable decline began, and that decline is where we are right now.

The problem that we have is that our own party members have forgotten what the philosophies of Reagan and Goldwater were, and even worse, they’ve forgotten what the word Conservative really means.

It seems that more and more of the voting populace is concerned with moral Conservatives being in office than they are about the traditional issues of conservatism, a strong military, individual freedom, and a small governmental presence.

A quick glance at one of the many liberal cable news networks will simply affirm the fact that any candidate espousing anything close to a true founding father’s sense of what the Republican Party was or is will reveal nothing short of an open assault and dissent upon the beliefs that many of us hold true.

But instead of blaming the many outside influences, we need to look within.

The idea that a candidate for President should share the views of his party and base is of course essential. However, the idea that one should be elected solely on his religious beliefs is completely short sited and off base.

Let’s take Mike Huckabee for example (or as the people of Arkansas like to refer to him, Tax Hike Mike). If you look at him solely on his record you will see something fascinating. You will see the path of a big government, establishment type of politician. It’s plain to see to anyone who spends 15 minutes on Google that Mr. Huckabee’s record does not convey a sense of Conservative principals.

However, he certainly gets votes.

The thing that concerns me is that perhaps a large portion of America is casting votes upon the word of the Falwell’s and Robertson’s and not the issues themselves.

It’s no secret that a large part of the Republican base are devout Christians, and admirably so. However the words ‘Separation of Church and State” never had a more profound meaning in this day and age.

Now before we go any further, let me emphasize here that this is not an affront or a criticism of any religion, or a person’s religious beliefs (Even though that won’t matter and I’m going to get hammered for this).

I commend people who have a strong sense of religion. I admire them. But the fact is that religion and politics simply do not mix.

Picking the President of the United States, our commander and chief solely on what God he worships, or how strongly he believes in that God is insane.

Should we elect a person to office that has an affirmed record of raising taxes, no matter how you spin it? Should we elect a person who allowed Sanctuary cities in their states? (And I’m not specifically talking about Huckabee here either).

I have a firm belief in God, I believe in the teachings of the Bible. I want a man in office who shares my intense desire for the following of a higher power, but I don’t want that consuming him. I want a delegate and a fiscally conservative person. I want a leader who has a firm belief on our borders, language and culture. I want a man or woman who has the courage to do what might not always be the populist way of doing things, but a President who follows the beliefs of the Grand Old Party.

We need to STOP voting for people who we believe have great moral standing, and START voting for people who also have great fiscal and social standing as well.

I believe I may have seen the future in politics, and it isn’t a pretty site.

Right now we have three segments of people who are ripping the Republican Party apart and wish to reshape it in their own specific images of what a Republican “is” nowadays.

You have the neo-cons and on one side, the people who believe that Reagan style politics simply means moderation in order to appeal to those disenfranchised Democrats. I have news for you folks, Reagan was not a moderate. The sole reason he appealed so broadly to the Democrats of his time was their disdain for the shape of their party at the time, and this should sound very familiar to you.

You then have the theocrats, the extreme religious right who are bent on dispatching Roe vs. Wade and championing a return to prayer in schools. Now, this is the seemingly difficult part of the equation. The party was founded upon religious freedom and the country itself was established to alleviate the fears of persecution. But, the solution is actually simple.

What we need is a President who truly believes in our founding fathers and their belief of a limited federal government.

I never met Barry Goldwater, Hell I didn’t even know who he was until after he was dead, but I bet I can tell you exactly what he, and people who believed in his style of conservatism would say.

It isn’t the federal government’s job to make decisions on abortion or prayer in schools. It should belong to the states. That’s right ladies and gentleman, one of the cornerstones of the party, the nation state mentality.

If you see something so controversial that it requires a form of legal intervention you stick it on a ballot and you let the population vote on it. It’s really that simple.

We ALL need to realize as a party it is our responsibility to form an opinion upon the issues we believe in, educate ourselves on those matters and then vote for the person who closely resembles those ideals. We need to stop listening to whom televangelists, or anyone for that matter who think they can tell you who to ‘believe’ is the right candidate for America.

The final segment of the party is us. You know who I’m talking to. Those of us who really believe in the undeniable and unwavering beliefs of what our party was founded upon.

Limited government, strong defense, and individual freedom, the REAL founding father’s Republicans are out there. I’m one of them.

I hear these sentiments echoed every day in more places than I can even begin to describe to you.

It’s too late to ponder why we don’t have a real conservative out there. People keep throwing out Reagan’s name as a buzzword, including me, but it’s falling on deaf ears. People simply aren’t that stupid to believe that the ideals and philosophies of Reagan are being remotely practiced in this day and age.

We as a party have two choices right now. Unite or suffer the consequence of our actions.

To be honest, I might like to see what would happen if Obama would win the election. We’d end up with another Carter all over again with a candidate with no experience but we’d also capture that change he’s always talking about, it’s just not the change or direction that the liberals would have you believe it would be.

Maybe we’d then end up with the second coming of Reagan/Goldwaterism in 2012. I’ll be honest with you. I really believe it is coming.

It’s too easy to say you can redefine conservatism by the social ills of the day because you can’t, you cannot restate or reshape a party the way some would like. Conservatism simply does not change, it’s timeless. That is why the constructionists of this country and its ideals were genius. It is defined today by what it was during the inception of this great nation. It has been carried through time by great leaders. And make no mistake, another one is coming. 20 years from now maybe I’ll be talking about the triumphant return of true conservatism in America. I realize now that no matter how much that I may want it, it isn’t going to happen today. But if we take these ideas and really begin building upon them now, image what WE can do in the next four years?

I want you to do me a favor now. I want you to think about the words that Abraham Lincoln spoke in his famous address in Gettysburg.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Although President Lincoln was speaking of the great sacrifices that our divided nation’s armies committed on that day, it’s just a prevalent in this moment as it was then.

It’s time that we all remembered the great sacrifices that this country has experienced, those that we’ve set aside in our minds. It’s time we start remembering what our party was established upon, not what’s popular today or tomorrow.

It’s time we stand up and take our party back.

The Few...The Proud...

2008-01-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

The Republicans!

It appears that I'm not alone in my real conservative thoughts. Now if I could only getting voting populace to jump on board somehow....

GOP Duel Part Deux

2008-01-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

The first thing that came to mind watching the debate in New Hampshire was that it was a much calmer, and more neutered affair compared to last night. Although there were a couple of intense exchanges, it was nothing compared to last nights yelling match.

It certainly appeared that tonight was pick on Huckabee night but I suppose that's what you get when you win the first round. It certainly seemed to me that he could not hold up to the pressure of being attacked, and in my opinion really had a bad night.

I swear if I hear McCain say it wasn't amnesty one more time I think I might scream. To me, he came off once again as doing nothing more than pandering.

Another big night for Fred Thompson in my opinion, he is really turning on the charm and coming off as an intelligent, articulate candidate. As to if that will translate into votes certainly remains to be seen.

I also thought that Mitt Romney responded well to the controversies that were thrown his way as well and really, I believe, hit a home run tonight. This could be a big swing for him in terms of pulling in crucial votes.

The big question is how will this translate into votes come Tuesday? 24 hours to go....

Where have the Real Republicans Gone?

2008-01-06T17:36:00.000-05:00

I realize I spent a good bit of the week hammering on Mike Huckabee, and that stems solely from my general belief that he is not a true conservative. His past record alone on taxation and immigration do nothing but prove he's politics are pretty liberal at best.

After writing maybe my third piece pretty much railing on him, it got me thinking, where are the true Republicans at? Where have they gone?

It seems like to me the entire world has pushed more towards the center than the right like most liberals want to tell us.

I look at the candidates in this race and I wonder what happened to guys like Barry Goldwater?

The closest person we have to that style of conservatism is Fred Thompson, and thus far he has had a very lackluster showing, although that could certainly change.

The thing that disturbs me more than anything is the idea of voting based solely upon religion and forgoing the issues altogether.

I fear that the Republican party as it was is gone, its been washed away in light of neocons and theocrats.

I hope and pray I'm wrong, but where did all the real founding father Republicans go?

GOP Meltdown

2008-01-06T00:57:00.000-05:00

The day started out pretty well for Mitt Romney who won the Wyoming Caucus, but I'm betting that was the highlight.

If you watched the debates, you could certainly see a focused attack towards Romney.

I can't say that this comes as any surprise as he is probably seen as the biggest form of competition from pretty much every camp.

There are two things that came out of tonight that surprised me.

First of all, Mike Huckabee did a good job in keeping quiet. I can understand the fact that he doesn't have his Evangelical base to back him in New Hampshire, but you are getting free face time to espouse your views, so why not engage at every chance you get? I realize his camp is probably biding their time for South Carolina, but it certainly couldn't hurt, unless of course you worry about sticking your foot in your mouth and we all know how good Gov. Huckabee has been in doing that.

The second surprise that came out of tonight for me was how well Senator Thompson performed this evening. I thought he did a very good job at conveying his points as well as countering those who questioned him on them. It certainly isn't too late for Fred either, especially considering the uncertainty that we have on the GOP side right now.

Debate Night!

2008-01-05T15:50:00.000-05:00

Saddle up for a four hour debate extravaganza tonight in New Hampshire.

With their state primary landing on Tuesday, this is a last minute effort to secure some of the few undecided votes left, at least according to this Rasmussen Report.

I'm pretty sure that unless we see some dramatic changes on the Dem side, Obama is going to be their Nominee and I believe New Hampshire will just emphasize that point.

On the GOP side the waters seem to be muddier than ever. Most folks seem to think that John McCain will be the sure fire winner there but there is a lot of time to make ground with tonight looming.

We also have Wyoming casting its Primary today for the Republican side, which I believe is just going to give us an ever murkier picture than before.

One thing of I will be interested to see is how Mike Huckabee stands without his Evangelical base. Will he get blown out of the water tonight, as well as during the subsequent primaries?

Next Up: New Hampshire

2008-01-04T20:08:00.000-05:00

And just as quickly as it started, Iowa is over and we're heading into New Hampshire in the second Primary.

I think we'll see a dramatically different result coming out of Tuesdays vote, I don't believe Huckabee will have his Evangelical base the way he did in Iowa (Then again, I was off the mark big time yesterday). We'll talk more about polls and guesses later, but before we even hit the Primary, we have the debates.

Of course, in true political season conflict, folks are already up in arms over the exclusion of certain candidates. Kucinich has already filed a complaint over the fact that he was left out.

Folks, I love elections and I love our system, but these people have been campaigning for over a year. If you can't meet one simple qualification out of three, then perhaps it's time to fold your tent as well.

It's time to start focusing on America's version of the popular candidates and allow them as much face time as possible. Let's help those undecided people in the country make an informed choice so they can properly cast their vote.

On a quick side note, Judicial Watch has posted their Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians. It truly is a Greatest Hits list including:

1. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
5. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
6. Governor Mike Huckabee
8. Senator Barack Obama

Glenn Beck Does Iowa

2008-01-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

Glenn is hopped on pain medication and gives us his thoughts on the Iowa Caucus and Mike Huckabee. I happen to agree with a lot of what he is saying and it merely helps further bolster my argument that Huckabee is not a true Conservative.

The Iowa Meltdown

2008-01-04T01:06:00.000-05:00

I have to say that Iowa's turnout completely floored me. I honestly never expected the GOP base to lean towards Huckabee in such a dramatic fashion (More on this topic later as well). I suppose the real question all along should have been can he win outside of his evangelical base?

As Mitt Romney stated though, this is the first of 49 other states and the only thing this really confirms in my eyes is that this could be a very interesting Primary season.

Iowa was also the night that saw Biden and Dodd fold their tents for good. This comes as very little surprise to anyone as they never mustered much momentum throughout the year long campaign process.

So now we turn our focus towards New Hampshire. If anything at this point I believe that our picture on the GOP side is as blurry as ever. I don't think we'll have any true idea of who the nomination will go to until after Super Tuesday at the earliest.

Mike Huckabee, the New Howard Dean?

2008-01-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

I was having a talk the other day with a very close friend of mine about Mike Huckabee and why it is that I don't see him winning the eventual GOP Nomination. Through the course of our conversation as I outlined my thoughts (much of which I covered a couple of posts down) my friend made what I thought was a pretty accurate prediction.

"Huckabee is going to be the next Howard Dean".

I don't think i recognized the full gravity of that statement, even though I did agree with him at the time, I don't think he could have been more correct.

As I pointed out yesterday, he basically made himself look like a complete idiot with his intimate knowledge on Pakistan. It seems like every chance he has had in the last two weeks to knock himself backwards, he's been happy to embrace by inserting his foot directly into his mouth. I don't think anyone has forgotten about the pretty scathing question about the Mormon religion to a reporter of all people either.

Fast forward to just yesterday, when he crossed the WGA picket lines to appear on The Leno show.

All of these things are slowly adding up, event by event. You have to wonder if there will be an eventual public meltdown much like the original Dean.

And we draw even closer to Iowa this evening. Get your popcorn...

Good for a Laugh

2008-01-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

With the Iowa Caucus this evening, please enjoy this moment of levity.

Iowa Predictions

2008-01-03T01:56:00.000-05:00

The Iowa Caucus will finally be heating up tomorrow after about a year of campaigning so I thought I should make my predictions as to who I see coming out of this thing on top.

I should point out that Giuliani hasn't really bothered so much with campaigning there, so we can knock him out of the running right off of the bat.

It seems to me that Mike Huckabee has done nothing in the past two weeks but alienate people left and right (more on this later), and I do believe ultimately this is going to hurt him in the final vote. Appearances can be deceiving, but after many debates, I tend to believe Mr. Huckabee is simply a moral conservative with liberal tendencies masquerading as a Republican. His past record on immigration, taxation and his recent foreign policy gaffes are probably enough to sink him pretty well. Oh, and let's not forget ticking off the striking Writer's Guild of America.

Next on the list we have John McCain. I have to say it does surprise me to see him surging the way he has lately, I thought for sure he was done over the summer. Ultimately though, people will remember the now infamous Amnesty bill that nearly gave 12-20 million illegal aliens a free and legal home here in the USA.

Fred Thompson is truly the final frontier for Goldwater/Reagan conservatives, but unfortunately he should have hired a better staff. I think it's too little to late, at least in Iowa. This just goes to show how badly poor campaign strategy can hurt you. You've heard every reason in the book as to why he isn't doing well, but I simply think he comes off as polarizing to some folks and that really hurts him more than anything. I have to admit though, after watching this speech I really felt echos of Reagan all over again in his appeal to disenfranchised Democrats, so who knows about New Hampshire and later primaries.

So that simply leaves us with Mitt Romney. Mostly everyone has been attacking him in their stump speeches as well as using television ads. This is simply because he is peaking just at the right time. I think the best thing he could have done for himself was stepping out in front of his religion, and his speech in Texas did just that. He's just simply been on point lately by not putting his foot in his mouth, and I think that will ultimately translate into an Iowa win.

Final Advantage - Mitt Romney.

We're about 17 hours away.

Holiday Reading & New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-03T00:38:00.000-05:00

I made myself a promise today that I'm going to start writing again daily. Take it for what it is. Now that I've moved half way across the world from the east coast things might be a little different than they were before, but it's better than nothing right? Of course it is.

I thought I'd start off easy and tell you what I've been reading lately and the books I'd suggest picking up.

An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems by Glenn Beck - This book contains chapters of many of the common problems that conservatives care deeply about countered with Glenn's "thinker" solutions. The book is not only common sense thought provoking, but a very funny read as well.

Invasion of the Party Snatchers by Victor Gold - If you are a Goldwater / Reagan conservative then you will surely enjoy Gold's scathing indictment of the GOP and how bowing to the neo-con and theocrat base got us where we are today. For the younger generation like myself, this is nothing short of an education.

Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed Are Tearing America Apart by Patrick Buchanan - Buchanan once again pens an eye opening piece on the decline and likely end of Pax Americana. Pat gives his thoughts on what happened, where we are, and what we must do to protect our sovereign nation and its integrity.

Finding Jefferson: A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery, and the First Amendment in an Age of Terrorism by Alan Dershowitz - Dershowitz's discovery of an original hand written letter gives us great insight to Thomas Jefferson and his thoughts upon what the term Free Speech really means.

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin - Toobin's research into this "behind-the-scenes" novel about the Supreme Court and its members is simply riveting reading. Toobin also points out that Conservatives are one nomination away from dramatically changing the history of the Court's rulings.

Let me know when you've finished those, I've got more. If you have suggestions, please leave them as well.

An Update

2007-12-07T16:49:00.000-05:00

My life has been a little turbulent lately to say the least. I have recently moved to Hawaii and have began a new life here pretty much. I think about writing often, but don't always have a lot of time to do so, and I don't want to be posting half ass stories and thoughts.

Stay tuned, over the next few days I'm going to try to get back into it....

In the meantime, get involved. Pick up a newspaper or a book and start educating yourself. It's time we took our sovereign nation back.

The Dem Debate Meltdown

2007-10-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

I decided that I was going to sit down and watch the Democratic Debates last night. I've watched every one thus far regardless of party so I sat down anxiously anticipating a rousing debate on this issues. Boy was I wrong.

Let's start of with Dennis Kucinich. He first caught my attention early on when he claimed that nuclear power was the most expensive and most dangerous power source ever created.

Now, we don't need to debate this whole issue, you can read the Wiki entry and draw your own conclusions there. Believe it or not, I'm going to now reference France in a positive light. Yes, they apply nuclear energy, reuse the waste, and have some of the cheapest power anywhere in Europe. You be the judge there, it's in the above link.

The thing that angers me in this scenario is we have yet another politician (red or blue) stating their opinion as public fact. This is the same type of spin that we need to get rid of in politics. Yes, people should be smart enough to draw their own conclusions, but politicians shouldn't try to mislead them with their version of what is real and what isn't.

Secondly, Mr. Kucinich clearly admitted to seeing a UFO. Now in his defense, he did try to back peddle on it a little bit, but wow. Probably not the best approach to likability I've ever heard of.

Next, let's talk about Hilary.

Now I will concede Russert certainly had it out for her with his line of questioning, however I found them all to be fair questions. It seemed to me that he was simply asking her to quantify past statements of flip flopping that she's made. This is the perceived Democratic front runner after all.

What I did find hilarious was that every other candidate jumped on the bandwagon to attack her as well. Saying that she had a bad night would be putting it very lightly.

I found most of her answers to be nothing more than dances around the question, and most of the time blatantly misleading at best. It seems I'm also not alone on this one.

I'm not quite sure what Bill Richardson believes he will accomplish by suggesting a kinder, gentler approach when it comes to suggesting perhaps Hilary is a friend to special interest groups. I guess spreading the love is a positive quality in a Presidential candidate? I think his approach of touting his record as a mediator and state leader might be a better idea than the peace and love approach.

If I had to pick a standout last night it would have certainly been Senator Obama. I think he answered all of the questions directly, albeit slightly long winded.

John Edwards probably could have made up huge ground as well, but once again, the humanistic ideals of we're all guilty are not the ideals that the American public wants to hear.

Finally, I came to one last conclusion last night. Every Democrat that has ever existed was instrumental in McCain-Feingold. If that's one of your key talking points, you might want to hire a new publicist.

Edwards Better Advocate for Women!?

2007-07-17T15:05:00.000-04:00

Just when you thought it was going to be a slow day on the campaign trail, Elizabeth Edwards opens her big mouth again, this time stating that her husband is a better advocate for women than Hilary Clinton. I'm pretty sure it was a thinly veiled shot claiming Hilary is really a man. ;)

Actually, if you really think about it, Edwards does have nicer hair, dress better, and is at least tolerable in his speaking voice

Maybe Elizabeth Edwards is on to something after all....

Giuliani to Reveal Five-Star Conservative Judicial Advisory Panel?

2007-07-16T15:02:00.000-04:00

So it seems that Giuliani wants to put on a good impression by announcing a power house Judicial Advisory Panel.

I just don't see Conservatives getting behind Giuliani on this move alone, he leans a little more to the right than I think most people would like.

Last week, he was smeared by Firefighters for a myriad of thier own reasons.

What I find hilarious about all of this is if the issue centered around 9/11 then why are just now hearing about it? Say it with me, election year is coming.

I think we can easily conclude that this is certainly another checkmark in the long line of smear campaigns leading up to the primary. The question is how will the general voting populace receive it?

Of course, this is all probably unimportant information. The second Fred Thompson or Newt Gingrich announce, we can stick a fork in Rudy as well.

Edwards Kicks off Poverty Tour

2007-07-16T14:38:00.000-04:00

Does anybody else find the idea of a poverty tour kind of odd?

If poverty is a big issue you want to address, wouldn't taking the fat loads of money you're spending to tour poverty stricken areas and donating to feed said poverty striken people a better idea?

I know I don't need to say this, but it's just another photo opportunity, plain and simple.

Instead of trying to help people that are poverty stricken, why don't we get them jobs and offer them low income housing? Oh wait, we have the welfare system, nevermind.

As long as we have a system in place that makes it too easy for people to not work and make money, we're always going to have 'poverty' issues.

Let's help empower people and get them employed, which in turn would more than likely get them health care as well.

Seems like a good many of the issues Mr. Edwards is concerned about would quickly dissapear, and the kicker is it would probably cost less tax payer dollars to do so instead of hemmoraging money to support those that really don't want to work anyways.

More Staff Depart From McCain Campaign

2007-07-16T14:21:00.001-04:00

When I said last week that the McCain Campaign was finished, I really wasn't kidding.

More major defections today, citing the campaign leaders are no longer there, so these people don't want to be either.

McCain started his decline from the first debate, and continued to successfully kill any hope he had with his stances on immigration and Iraq. Oh, let's also not forget about that whole trampling of free speech.

Let's be honest here, this self clearing per say is nothing but good news for Republican voters because it cleanses the pool of one option. We all knew McCain didn't have a chance in Hell with conservatives anyways, so I suppose this is one positive of the early campaigning this year.

The State of Affairs

2007-07-15T14:54:00.000-04:00

First of all let me apologize for the lack of updates. It has been a crazy week and I'm a little out of gas.

I was fully prepared to relax and pick it up tomorrow but I had a great conversation with an old friend yesteday and I wanted to touch on it.

I hate the word Libertarian. I'm not a Libertarian, I'm a Republican. I'm a founding father's Republican. Most conservatives really are.

The problem that we have here is that we need to mobilize on it. Let's stop being segmented and looking for an alternative, let's rebuild OUR party. Instead of allowing moderates or neo-conservatives to represent us, why don't we start electing true Republicans that share our beliefs? Leaving the party to create a new one doesn't make a difference, it just muddies the water even further. We need to work together and clean house in the way we want, electing the representatives we want.

The only way to fix the state of the Republican party is to assemble and use due diligence. Not seperate.

If we want to save the Republican party and bring it backs to its roots, now is a crucial time to start.

Edwards and Clinton Trample YOUR Freedom

2007-07-13T17:57:00.001-04:00

I was completely ready to take today off until I sat down a while ago to read Drudge.

When I ran across the idea that Senators Clinton and Edwards believe that only "serious candidates" should be at future debates astounded me.

Now first of all, Kucinich is miffed bigtime, and rightfully so.

What completely shocks me here is that these two people somehow think their opinion is just on this topic, when in reality it is the opinion of Americans.

Besides all of the other things these people have said that would hinder the rights that we have in this country, this one takes the cake.

Who in the world would want to vote for an elitist candidate who obviously doesn't give a spit about the opinion of the populace?

Yes, I realize I'm a conservative, and although I'm not so hot on the Republican party right now, I understand how this could be percieved as typical rightist speak.

Believe me when I say this, this situation is not about left or right, it's about right and wrong.

What this basically says to me is that we'll tell you who can and cannot be at these debates, and therefore you'll vote for the candidates that we believe belong here.

The collective of who we deem important will make the call, and then we'll take your considerations under advisement....You know, like Socialism.

Iraq Progress Good?

2007-07-12T15:59:00.000-04:00

Our administration is stating that thus far the movement in Iraq is going well, and that 8 of 18 steps have been achieved.

Of course, reactions have been mixed across the board.

As I said earlier, I wish we were more concerned with the issues in our own country such as border security and foriegn energy dependencies. However, we are making great progress in the liberation of Iraq, and I applaud our troops for it.

My only real qualm here is that we haven't fought this war properly since day one. Either do it, or don't. We need to stop pandering in a middle ground, and do everything we can to secure Iraq and achieve our goals there. We also need to take care of our issues at home. That should be our first priority above everything else.

Summer of Terror Continues

2007-07-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has a feeling that this is going to be one hot summer for terrorism. Yesterday, reports began to surface that Al-Qaeda had reached levels seen in 2001, near the 9/11 attack. Chertoff apperared on Good Morning America today however, and refuted that claim.

So where does this leave us? I have to admit that personally I was all for the war on terror in the begining of this all. I also understand that pulling our troops out at this point would be nothing short catastrophic to the Iraqi people.

I feel like the older I get ( a ripe old 28 now) I become more of a Nationalist. The only thing I think about this issue now is why are we there when we haven't even sealed our borders?

This is in no means a slam on our troops who put their lives on the line to allow me the freedoms I have. This is however a philosophical question of why we are at this point in our country, and what can we do about it now?

Right now I'm not really sure there is a good answer to that question.

Unity 08 and Law and Order

2007-07-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

I've spoken before about Fred Thompson and his Law and Order factor. I truly believe that it gives him a leg up simply because he is more recognizable to the common person. Those of us that watch politics like a hobby know all about him, Joe Blue Collar probably doesn't know where all the candidates stand.

Of course it is very early, and I think the American populace has yet to garner a huge interest because of the length of time to the elections.

Last night, another Law and Order star appeared on O'Reilly. Sam Waterston is now pitching the idea of Unity 08 on cable network news.

The idea is pretty simple. Anyone can goto the site and nominate their idea of an ideal Presidential/Vice Presidential combo. The community will then vote their nomination, and those candidates will run as Independents.

I have to say I like the idea. This is truly a for the people, by the people scenario, but I just don't see it garnering a whole lot of steam.

I think a third party is a good idea, the more choices people have the better than can identify with candidates.

My stance is that I'm an old school, founding father style Republican. Not the wishy washy crap we see today. If we would all take the bull by the horns, we could reshape our parties in the way that we want them. For me, the tradition that our party was founded upon. This type of grassroots action can help us all bring our party back to the ideals that it was founded on.

RFK Jr. Goes off the Deep End?

2007-07-10T15:11:00.000-04:00

Does anyone else find it highly ironic that a person with access to the Kennedy Trust, which was made from big business America, is now calling said corporations traitors for not doing their part to help Global Warming?

So your family makes an obscene amount of money, but now that's not good enough because their horrible corporations are ruining the environment and doing nothing about it?

And they say Conservatives are fear and hate mongers. Give me a break.

TeamWTFOnline Wants You!

2007-07-10T14:55:00.000-04:00

I have a group of pretty good friends that run a nice little forum based around some great causes. Team Wants To Fold Online is a group of guys that run some easy to install programs that help do research for things like cancer cures.

You basically install a small program on your computer than will run in the background and churn information, helping to research certain aspects of the diseases, and hopefully lead us closer to a cure.

This costs you absolutely nothing, and is a snap to install. If you like good causes, this is certainly an easy one to get into.

McCain's Sinking Ship

2007-07-10T14:34:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like you can officially stick a fork in the 2008 McCain Campaign. Most of his important staff members are leaving.

Sordid speculation is flying as to the exact means to this end, but any way you slice it this is another bad piece of news for this Presidential bid.

I've always looked at McCain as I do Giuliani. He's too far in the middle for my tastes, and too liberal in others. I just don't really consider him a conservative.

If you couple that thought with the last debate, where he repeatedly shot himself in the foot, you can surmise how we've ended up here.

This is actually good news in my eyes. The less serious candidates we have, the better picture we'll have painted. We just have too many damn candidates, period.

One could argue that politics like that of McCain and Giuliani would allow them to pull voters from both sides of the fence, but I'd rather us clean the pool instead of muddying it further.

John McCain has turned into the Republican martyr, that's for sure.

Live Earth Lukewarm

2007-07-09T16:07:00.000-04:00

I have to say I'm not shocked at all that Live Earth didn't draw big television ratings.

I'm willing to wager that most of the people that went didn't go solely because of the cause, but probably to see the bands themseleves.

I believe that the majority of the American populace probably realized what a hypocritical affair the whole idea of 27 concerts preaching conserving energy and being more green.

Bush Denies Congress Access to Aides

2007-07-09T15:30:00.000-04:00

Once again President Bush has evoked executive privledge to deny a Congressional request for testimony from two former aides.

The big story here is that there really isn't any story. Once again, the President used an option that he, and every President have always been well within their defined rights to do.

Unless someone can expose some major controversy they simply are not going to remove this President from office.

The thing that aggrivates me more than anything about this situation is that we've wasted more time pandering and make attempts to do something that is extremely difficult at best to do at this time.

Could we maybe work on getting that whole immigration deal wrapped up? Could we please apply our energies to something that will make a positive change in this country and knock off all the crap?

Oldest DNA Ever Recovered Shows Warmer Planet

2007-07-08T13:20:00.000-04:00

DNA recently found shows that Greenland was once an area with trees and insects thriving on it.

This is another example in the huge list of information that suggests that our planet has gone through trends of warming and cooling over the centuries. Scientists are now suggesting that perhaps trends in the sun's electro-magnetic radiation may be the cause of our temperature changes, and not any emissions we're putting out.

Nowadays, the global warming debate has really turned more into a personal belief situation. You can pretty much find data to support either theory, and data to poke holes in that information as well.

The big question isn't does it exist or is it something else, it's what we can do. As I've said many times, let's implement those new technologies in our own homes. Let's use less energy and reduce our dependency on foriegn oil. By doing these simple things we cannot only decrease emissions, but we can also save ourselves money in the long run. That is the pulse of the American populace.

Giuliani The Firearm Champion!?

2007-07-07T16:57:00.000-04:00

It seems the former Mayor of New York is now doing a bit of flip flopping of his own. When asked at a recent appearance about his record on firearms, he emphatically declared we have the right to bear arms. Now hang on a second...this is the same Rudy Giuliani right? The same guy who lobbied for and instituted strict gun control laws in New York?

Now, he did specifically say it didn't matter if he believed in it or not, and that he was a Constitutionalist. Does this sound like someone who is trying to have it both ways? As we have seen time and time again in this Presidential race, this kind of behavior simply alienates people. Any firearm enthusiast already knows the politics here, believe me. I have much more respect for people who will stand by thier personal beliefs and allow me to decide if I support it rather than trying to be both teams at once.

Mr. Giuliani will serve as an honorary race offical for tonight's Pepsi 400, obviously attempting to secure the southern NASCAR vote. One would wonder how well he'll be received with the actions he has displayed in the past few days.

Live Earth Saves the Planet...Maybe Not

2007-07-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

Anyone else find it hilarious that Live Earth is using up a massive amount of fuel, electricity, creating huge heaps of waste, and shooting our carbon footprint through the roof?

If you really want to increase awareness about a perceived global warming issue, maybe it would have been less hypocritical to just use a press release or a website. Of course, liberals and global warming believers everywhere will conveniently ignore this situation.

As I've said before, I respect the fact that people want to cut our emissions and use more energy efficient technology, but not because of global warming. I'm a technology fan, and if we have it, we should use it.

This type of personal truth is just another example of how not to promote an issue.

Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers

2007-07-06T19:08:00.000-04:00

Got this e-mail today and found it hilarious.

A Lady wrote a lot of letters to the White House complaining
about the treatment of a captive insurgent (terrorist) being held in
Guantanamo Bay

She received back the following reply:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington , DC 20016

Dear Concerned Citizen:

Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our
treatment of the Taliban and Al Quada detainees currently being held at
Guantanamo Bay , Cuba .

Our administration takes these matters seriously and your
opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington

You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of
citizens like yourself, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist
Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for
Killers" program, or LARK for short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have
decided to place one terrorist under your personal care.

Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for
transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday.

Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is
to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in
your letter of complaint. It will likely be necessary for you to hire
some assistant caretakers.

We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards
of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly
recommended in your letter.

A lthough Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope
that your sensitivity to what you described as his attitudinal problem"
will help him overcome these character flaws.

Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere
cultural differences. We understand that you plan to offer counseling
and home schooling.

Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand
combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil
or nail clippers. We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these
skills at your next yoga group. He is also expert at making a wide
variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may
wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might
offend him.

Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters
(except sexually), since he views all females as a subhuman form of
property. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him and he has
been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply
with the new dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate
attire.

I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the
burka -- over time.

Just remember that it is all part of "respecting his culture and
his religious beliefs". Wasn't that how you put it?

Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks
like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job. You take good
care of Ahmed - and remember, we'll be watching.

Good luck!

Cordially, your friend,

GEORGE W. BUSH

Read it and Weep

2007-07-06T16:33:00.000-04:00

Hilary Clinton a Marxist? @ Townhall

Quick Candidate Rundown @ Conservative Voice

Global Warming and your Wallet @ New York Times

British Police Charge Iraqi Doctor @ Fox News

OSHA Proposal Would Kill Your Local Gun Stores

2007-07-06T16:22:00.000-04:00

OSHA is proposing new regulations that would essentially cause a whole mess of issues for your local gun store.

Essentially these new sanctions would make it just about impossible to sell firearms and ammo in the same building. Yes, you read that right. It actually gets even worse. We're also talking black powder, primers, percussion caps etc. If you own a firearm, I'd suggest you hit the link above and read up on it. Then pick up the phone or write a letter to voice your displeasure on these proposed rules.

We still have the opportunity to let our voices be heard and hopefully have these ridiculous sanctions adjusted or removed altogether.

Live Earth Weekend

2007-07-06T11:34:00.000-04:00

Live Earth weekend is finally here, and it couldn't come at a better time for Al Gore.

Gore's son caught headlines earlier this week with his arrest. The former Vice President has stated that his son's problem is a private matter, I don't think so Al.

If you chose to campaign heavily on what you believe is a global issue, then nothing is a private affair. You are in the public eye by choice, therefore your entire life is an open book.

With the concerts being this weekend however, it should help shift public interest from his family issues to the benefits themselves.

I caught the senior Gore on Larry King last night, and I have to say I do respect the man and his convictions. According to him, they are doing extensive work at home to be a more green family. He's certainly out there informing people on his position....but I still think he's crazy.

The funny thing is that the entire media is focusing on the 'heatwave'in Vegas. Wow 116 degrees in July...in the desert. Isn't it about that every year in July?

The bottom line here is that the general population simply isn't going to care about these issues until it starts directly effecting them. Gas hit 6 bucks a gallon, then people will start thinking about hybrid and alternative fuel technology.

If gas prices keep rising, then we'll see outcry and public concern.

The vast majority of America does not care about anything that doesn't not directly hinder them, and obviously we haven't got to that point yet.

Ron Paul in Iowa

2007-07-06T10:20:00.000-04:00

I had mentioned Dr. Paul's massive draw after the Iowa Forum. Below is the YouTube video of that day.

Dr. Paul is also appearing on ABC News this Sunday.

The Freedom Alliance

2007-07-05T21:21:00.000-04:00

If you are the type of person that enjoys giving money to wonderful charities, please take a moment to read up on The Freedom Alliance. No matter how you feel on our present situation in Iraq, great charities like this show how much we really do care and support our troops.

45 Muslim Doctors Planned US Terror Raids

2007-07-05T17:38:00.000-04:00

The release of recently uncovered terror plots against us is yet another disturbing link in the long chain of violence, but it does emphasize a few points.

First of all these threats were made by doctors. Yes, doctors. Men that have an education. Terrorists are not always of lesser intelligence. In fact these men could have possibly been recruited because they would draw less suspicions. There is no true face of terror, it could be anyone, from any walk of life, at any time.

Second of all, this isn't the fault of Muslims, it's the fault of radical extremists. Laying blame at the feet of every Muslim on the planet doesn't solve anything.

I believe that this further emphasizes that our border security needs to be paramount. What would stop someone from just walking over in the middle of the night?

Certainly the argument can be made that men like this will attain passports and easily come in the country via typical means, which is probably true, but that's where the intelligence information our government and our allies are gathering.

Yes, it isn't a perfect world by any means, but we have to take every step we can to ensure another disaster does not happen on our soil.

The $1250 Dollar Haircut

2007-07-05T15:03:00.000-04:00

Alright, first of all I am no fan of John Edwards and his politics. I completely detest the idea of nationalized health care mainly, so therefore I really don't pay much attention to him. Let me say I think he is a great speaker and a very magnanimous candidate. As a person, I'm sure he's a very nice person, but I'm not having a beer with the man anytime soon.

I also lost great respect for the man when his wife called in to Chris Matthews to jump Ann Coulter. Yes, the remarks Ms. Coulter made were a bit off color to begin with, but the way the whole ordeal was framed was far from truthful.

Now today, we're hearing word of what will soon be the infamous $1200 dollar haircut. This can also be called the Campaign Killer. You can make any excuse you want. The guy cuts good hair, I didn't know it was so expensive, the other guy made the appointments, it ain't going to matter.

This is not an example of fiscal responsibility, or general responsibility period if you want to play the 'I didn't know' angle. This is going to completely tick off the people who are donating to his campaign. Surely the words 'Is this where my donation is going?' has been uttered more than once thus far.

Should the amount of a haircut sway a persons opinion of a political candidate for President? Probably not in the grand scheme of things. Will it? Absolutely.

Immigration Reform in 6 Easy Steps

2007-07-05T13:21:00.001-04:00

Since this week will probably be rather slow in the news world, I thought I'd take a minute to go over my take on Immigration Reform. Below are my easy steps for success.

1) Secure the border by building a wall. All 700+ miles.

2) Hire additional border agents, give them firearms and allow them to use them without fear or prosecution. Let them do their jobs.

3) Encourage illegal aliens to register with the government. Also impose the active pursuit of nationalization.
Failure to comply results in immediate deportation. This is the most difficult of issues to tackle. I am in no way for amnesty, however, how feasible is it to think we can round up 12-20 million illegal aliens and deport them? If we require them to register and set strict sanctions on them, we will still greatly decrease that number. Also, by enforcing registration we can also form a paper trail and allow a case by case evaluation.

4) Require any illegal alien that will not comply with registration, or commits a crime, is immediately deported.

5) Excessively fine any business found to be employing illegal aliens. Any illegal found to be working without registration is immediately deported.

6) Reform the national application process. Hire more workers and make the process more efficient so we can
faster process legitimate canndidates.

See, that really isn't so bad, is it?

Al Gore III Arrested on Drug Charges

2007-07-05T09:43:00.000-04:00

Doing a 100 miles an hour on the freeway is never a good idea, especially when you have a pile of illegal drugs in the car. I did however find it funny that he was driving a Prius. I suppose the Gore's practice what they preach to some extent. I say some extent because I've seen the reports of the amount of electricity the man uses. Kind of ironic, isn't it?

One good thing to come out this situation is that he is going to seek treatment. I'm no expert in drug addiction, but I do know that in life sometimes a wake up call is needed.

Now, I suppose I should explain that I don't believe in Global Warming. Do me a favor here, don't send 8000 facts or flood the Comments section. You can easily find information that points to the fact that there really isn't any effects, but anyways. I certainly believe in Global Climate Change and trending.

But you know what, I agree with Mr. Gore. If we have the technology to decrease our emissions and waste, why shouldn't we do it? It certainly can't hurt.

The one thing I'm curious about is if this could be a potential spoiler for a possible Presidential run. If Mr. Gore would decide to run, and believe me he certainly could and win the nomination, I have to wonder if other candidates would attempt to use this in a smear campaign.

I could certainly see a Clinton for one taking full advantage of the situation. And yes, that Clinton. The Clinton's are people that are out solely for themselves and their goals. Knocking Gore down to serve them would certainly be of zero issue to them.

Now I'd like to ask a quick favor. If you are out there reading and like what you see, take a minute to throw a vote in for me. You can use the buttons below. I also have these in the Shameless Plugs section to the lower right, so if you have an extra minute while reading, help me get the word out. Thank you!

Read it and Weep

2007-07-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

Al Qaeda Warned British Cleric @ Fox News

Journalist Alan Johnston Freed @ Fox News

Ron Paul Comments on Scooter Libby @ YouTube

Ron Paul Channel @ YouTube

Happy Independence Day

2007-07-04T12:41:00.000-04:00

I'm going to find some news links and some fun YouTube videos and call it day. Happy Independence Day. Take a moment today to remember the countless heros that have helped establish and defend the freedoms we are blessed with today. Remember them in your prayers. Have a look at the history of this holiday, and enjoy your grilling and fireworks. Check back tomorrow for your regularly scheduled dose of conservative ramblings.

Republican Fundraising Numbers

2007-07-04T12:14:00.000-04:00

I found the annoucement yesterday evening of the quarterly fundraising report very interesting.

The first conclusion that will probably be made is that the democratic candidates have done much better to this point and that's such a bad sign...blah blah blah.

I see this much differently than most media outlets will see.

First of all, it so early in the game to be running the campaigns at the level we are. The mass majority of people don't even get interested until the debates closer to the primaries. What we're dealing with right now are the political activists of our country. I really do believe that most conservatives haven't garnered much interest yet because of it.

Secondly, I still don't think we've seen the predominate Republican candidate yet. I don't think that Giuliani is the man. I believe that people don't have their preferred man to rally around.

It's a shame, because I really love Ron Paul. He would get my vote in a heartbeat. But I have to think that when and if Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich announce their bids, it will be a totally different story.

The true Conservative base simply does not have a candidate to rally behind yet. Rudy, for example, is a much more moderate candidate than most people think.

As I've said before, I respect the fact that certain people do not believe in entering the race at this point, but we need a candidate that the American Conservative party will rally behind.

Hillary Responds to the Libby Commutation

2007-07-03T14:46:00.000-04:00

Hello Pot, meet my friend Kettle.

As I said earlier I don't agree with the commutation, or possible full pardon as being reported, but when you were also part of an administration that was initiating shady back-door pardons as well, you should really keep your mouth shut.

The American people are not morons, and do remember these things. This is a prime example of why she is falling in the polls like a stone. The people of this country remember, and do not uphold hypocrisy as a positive value in a Presidential candidate.

Leave Early This Week

2007-07-03T14:25:00.000-04:00

If you are traveling in a major this week you might want to consider leaving a little early as security has been turned up a notch.

This is a normal response after the events of the past week.

The one thing I often wonder, do you think terrorists are honestly going to attack on a Holiday when everyone is on their toes? Maybe I'm wrong here, maybe there is a 'they think we could, but probably won't, so let's do it.' Also, you can only have so much manpower on the ground. I would think any plan would be to strike in the place least expected that can cause the most amount of damage.

At any rate, say a prayer to the Higher Power you believe in and hope for a safe Holiday.

McCain Going Down?

2007-07-03T12:42:00.000-04:00

It appears that things in the McCain camp aren't so peachy.

I really thought that he shot himself in the foot at the last debate, and it appears he might be quickly becoming the first casulty of this Presidential Election.

Unfortunately for Mr. McCain, he has been all over the map when it pertains to the issues. Once again, the conservative base wants a conservative candidate. McCain and his policies are too far in the middle for him to ever do well in either party really. Hopefully, he'll take note of this and avoid running again, unless he decides to radically reform his ideals.

Libby's Sentence Commuted

2007-07-03T09:56:00.000-04:00

Our President has decided that Scooter Libby's sentencing was a bit harsh and has commuted his sentence.

Now before I get to the complaining part, let's make sure we're on the same page. Libby was not pardoned, he was commuted. The President decided to remove the jail sentence, but he still pays the fine, has a criminal record and must perform community service. When this came down late last night, it was an outrage that he got off free, well he didn't.

This is the part where the Republican says it was a just move and the penalty was too harsh, right? Wrong! This man was tried and convicted. The judicial system passed their punishment, which is what he should be serving.

President Bush had no business whatsoever sticking his nose in there and doing anything. It shows favoritism for one thing, and sets a horrible example. Of course, this present administration has time and time again proved that it feels it is above the law.

Now I know, party line conservatives everywhere will make the comparisons to President Clinton, and how many pardons he used himself, but that isn't the point. The point is it's wrong to stick your nose in there and do anything. Not about politics here, it's about right and wrong.

Clinton certainly did pardon many people who probably did not deserve it as well (including his brother) but that doesn't make it right for either of them.

If you really want to pardon someone, why can't we pardon the border guards that were imprisoned for shooting a known drug dealer in the ass, and were sentenced to prison for doing their jobs.

George Bush is the leader of our country, and should be the highest example we have, that simply isn't the case in these situations.

Download Ron Paul on Colmes

2007-07-03T09:44:00.000-04:00

If you missed Ron last night and would like to hear his interview, you can download it right here. The link is actually in the first section listed under Friday. Note the date of 7/2.

Ron Paul on Alan Colmes Tonight

2007-07-02T19:23:00.001-04:00

Dr. Paul is going to be appearing on the Alan Colmes show tonight. The show begins at 10PM EDT. Check here for listings in your area. You can stream the show online as well.

Immigration Reform

2007-07-02T18:46:00.000-04:00

Since I was discussing our border situation I felt like I should share some opinions on the matter that I agree with.

Summer of Terror?

2007-07-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

After events in Glasgow and London, U.S. law enforcement agencies feel that this could be a Spectacular Summer of Terror. Signs and intelligence are said to be looking very similar to that of pre 9/11 information.

Anytime we see activity like this it always gets me thinking of the border situation. All those miles of unfenced, unguarded land.

I often worry that terrorists are sneaking over the border late at night, carrying suitcase style nuclear weapons.

One has to wonder if it will take another disaster of massive proportions in this country to get our borders sealed, at least to an acceptable level to ensure these actions aren't really taking place.

I don't have anything against people coming to America. That's why we're all here. I do however have a problem with Mexico dumping the people they don't want in their country here, or illegals coming over simply to work and make money, only to return to Mexico.

I understand that our immigration system is a very long process, and I do believe that we need reform there as well. Hell, the whole system needs a good reset. We could start by enforcing the laws we have in place though.

I pray every night that we don't see another horrid event in this country, and I hope to God I'm wrong on that one.

The State of the GOP

2007-07-02T16:07:00.000-04:00

Hi, my name is Rich, and I'm a Republican. I'm not proud to admit that at the moment, as I feel that our party is in a state of disarray.

MANY conservatives in this nation feel that they their party no longer represents them. It seems that personal gain, special interest and ear marks have taken over our government.

I don't fault this at the system level. The two party system is certainly a way to ensure the best form of balance that we can attain. The problem we have right now is with the people that are running it.

You see a lot of political writers and talk radio hosts were outraged over last week's amnesty bill (and rightly so), screaming that we all need to leave the party because our best interests are not being represented.

I think that statement is actually very shortsighted and will only hurt us further in the long run. If everyone up and leaves, that simply gives the people in power further control, because there won't be anyone left to steer it back to its conservative roots.

Now isn't the time to turn our backs and walk away, it's time to get involved and make our opinions on important matters known.

The first thing we need to do is contact our representatives and let them know what we desire in terms of immigration, ear marks, energy reform, special interests etc. Make your voice heard.

After we've all called, or even sent an e-mail or letter, then the watch period begins. We need to keep close eye on these men and women and see which way they are voting. If your ideals are still not being represented then we simply vote them out of office.

It's time for a great clearing off in our government. The answer isn't leaving the party, it's rebuilding it in the image of our conservative roots.

Obama Raises at Least $32 Million

2007-07-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

Senator Obama has certainly had a great second quarter.

One has to wonder how this speaks to Senator Clinton and her chances, especially considering the latest Gallup Poll. Maybe people are getting tired of the Amazing Monotone Woman?

I watched the Democratic Conversation last week, I won't call it a debate because it was more of a love fest. (I guess I should explain that I do not vote for party tickets, I vote for the best person that is in line with my beliefs). At any rate, I really cannot stand to hear the woman talk. She elevates to that level of yell and just stays there. I (break) BELIEVE (break) THIS (break) IS (break) THE...nevermind you get the point. It gives me a headache.

At this point, we are so far off from anyone actually casting a vote, but I have to feel that lately all Hilary has been doing is hurting herself in the long run. The longer the campaign trail, the longer you have to shoot yourself in the foot.

Maybe people are just fed up with the Hilary train.

Ron Paul in Under 9 Minutes

2007-07-01T23:35:00.000-04:00

If you like what you hear, please watch more.

You can also visit Dr. Paul's website.

Go Get 'Em Ron!

2007-07-01T15:29:00.000-04:00

After being excluded from The Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Relief's forum for Republican Candidates, Mr. Paul decided to organize his own gathering in less than a week. Mr. Paul's presentation outdrew the forum itself.

The lesson here? The people's opinion matters much more than any organizers of a forum. Maybe next time the ICA wants to organize a forum they'll invite the candidates the people want to see and not the ones they deem credible.

Newt...Fred...Anybody!?

2007-07-01T14:38:00.000-04:00

First of all it amazes me that it's July 1st, and we've already been discussing this Presidential Nominations since January. At the rate we're going campaigning for the 2012 election will begin in December...of this year.

Being a conservative that is generally fed up with both major parties at this point, I've yet to even see a candidate that I'd be willing to vote for.

Enter Newt Gingrich and Fred Thompson.

Now Fred has said publicly on many occasions that he believes it is to early in the game to announce any sort of Presidential announcement, and if he decides to run he'll announce it around September.

Newt has been rumored to be considering a run as well, one that hinges on the success of the Thompson campaign. You have to wonder the logic in that. Is it that he realizes the GOP is already crowded? Or is he concerned about siphoning votes away and damaging the integrity of the party in winning the election?

The pool on the GOP side is crowded, really crowded. It could be possible that Mr. Gingrich is more concerned with the party on a whole than he is himself at this point. Or maybe he just likes Fred's stance on the issues.

I have to think that Fred Thompson is the dark horse for the GOP right now. People can't seem to find any dirt on the man, including polling his ex-girlfriends who all said he was a wonderful person. Not only that, he's got the Reagan Factor in that he is also a recognizable television personality. If you don't think that factors on a huge level in this day and age you are crazy. Recognition in this day and age is even more paramount than ever. Yes a lot of folks are more educated on the issues, but everyone watches Law and Order.

My other consideration on the long list for me personally would be Ron Paul, but we all know he is an extreme long shot at best.

The point of this entire mess is that the GOP needs to realize that conservatives are looking for conservative candidates, not progressive or moderate ones. While I applaud both Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Thompson for their convictions I think it's really time that someone steps up to lead this party into the future.

The Unfairness Doctrine

2007-06-30T18:53:00.001-04:00

We've heard a lot of rumbling this week about bringing back the Fairness Doctrine and I'd like to take some time to dicuss it.

First of all, the original intent of these rulings was to ensure that both sides of any controversial issue be represented in the media...in 1949. When the policy went into place, we didn't exactly have the massive amount of media coverage that we have today.

This week, members of Congress began rumbling about the need for a reinstating of the Doctrine. What sense does this make? The reasoning in my eyes is simple, but on quite a few different levels. We'll run these down one step at a time.

The past week, the whole country has been in an uprise over the proposed Amnesty Bill that was on the Senate floor. Now of course, conservative talk radio was up in arms over the whole. And frankly, the whole think stunk to high heaven, but it's over and done with so we'll leave that one be. At any rate, every major conservative host was urging people to pick up the phone, send e-mails, make your voice heard. So what happens? Well everyone did just that. For once, the vast majority of Americans stood up for what they believed and made it know that the Bill was a pile of horse crap. Consequently, down goes the Bill.

Now almost immediately, you literally see Congressmen and women standing up and screaming that talk radio is a problem that needs to be dealt with. Wait, a minute here....Now I have a problem.

All of the sudden talk radio is running the country. Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity (who were specifically singled out) are obviously in the charge.

Basically (again in my humble eyes) the main reasoning for a move like this has nothing to do with fairness in presenting ideals on a specific issue, but to silence the people that stongly appose these types of legislation.

It has nothing to do with liberals getting equal time. We've tried that. It doesn't work. I'm not saying that people don't want to listen liberal ideas, then again the general ratings speak on that point.

Here's the heart of it. First of all, most liberal hosts are boring. They aren't engaging or fun to listen to. Second of all, do liberals really need radio as well? Isn't enough that they have the majority of television and print? Perhaps the whole thing comes down to one simple thing. Conservatives listen to talk radio because it's the last frontier for us. So do us all a favor, and let it be. If you can't win an election with talk radio in play, you have a lot more problems than "fair time".

Now let me preface this final question on the matter with the fact that the following is not meant to be insulting or negative to Mr. Limbaugh or Mr. Hannity. Could Rush and Sean effect the outcome of an election or control Congress? No. People that listen to their shows are generally informed and intelligent people. Maybe their motivators at best, encouraging people to move forward and make a difference, but that was the point of this country to begin with, wasn't it?