GOP

Congress - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Republicans - Utah - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Utah’s Mia Love at CPAC

February 14, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The first in my “Challengers” series of interviews I conducted with up-and-coming candidates running across the country. Here I interview candidate for Utah’s 4th Congressional District, Mia Love.

One of the things she likes to say is that “according to the left, I am not supposed to exist.” That because she is a strong, conservative, black woman.

Mia Love is surprising voters in Utah. As Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah she seemed to come from out of no where as far as many voters in Utah were concerned. But she is fast gaining a reputation as a very capable and attractive candidate.

During one of the CPAC panels, Love noted that she is prepared for a fight. “I know that I am going to be a target for the left. I have something to say to them: Game On,” she said.

In fact, she’s already being attacked by the extremists at the Democrat website, Daily Kos. Sadly, the attack on Love is not one based on substance but is a racial attack. At the Democrat site, Daily Kos is attacking Love as, “one of only two African-Americans living in Utah not currently playing for the Jazz.”

Aren’t leftists supposed to hate racism? Not when it concerns destroying anyone that disagrees with them, they aren’t.

Mia Love is sure to become a GOP rock star. All you Utahans, vote for Love!

Please do go to Mia’s website and donate some money, won’t you? http://www.love4utah.com/.
Continue reading “

VIDEO: Utah’s Mia Love at CPAC”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Conservatives - Crony Capitalism - Elections - Energy - GOP - Jobs - Natural Gas - Oil - President - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Sarah Palin’s Main CPAC Speech Points: Did She Sell Out?

February 12, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I am just now back home from CPAC and I thought I’d wrap up my CPAC reports with the main points from Sarah Palin’s CPAC speech. I will have video of a dozen or so GOP candidates for Senate and the House over the ensuing days as well as a short video interview with Daniel Hannan, the Member of European Parliament that made himself beloved to Americans for his impassioned speeches in favor of freedom and liberty.

Those videos will come later, but now, on to Sarah’s speech. As expected, Sarah Palin was met with the most adulatory applause of any CPAC speaker. When she came out onto the stage the house went wild. She had the longest sustained standing ovation of the entire event. Obviously, Sarah Palin is still a rock star to these conservatives.

I live tweeted her speech and following this introduction I’ll repost those live tweets here so that you can see her main points as she delivered them and as I tweeted them. But first my over all impressions.

Palin spent a lot of time smacking President Obama over the head with his smashing failures over the last three years. She made no effort to be coy about it but attacked him head on. As in all her speeches — and I’ve been in the audience for a few of them, myself — she made many allusions to the founders, citing them often. And she ended up with an urgent plea to those watching to fall in behind who ever becomes the GOP nominee “for the sake of our country.” This ending might have surprised, maybe even dismayed her more ideological fans because perhaps she just proved to be just another party woman instead of the ideologically pure representative they’d hoped for.
Continue reading “

Sarah Palin’s Main CPAC Speech Points: Did She Sell Out?”

Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Ethics - GOP - Liberals - President - Republicans - Texas - Voter ID - Warner Todd Huston

Texas AG Sues Feds Over Voter ID Law

February 12, 2012 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

On January 23, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott asked a federal court to clear the way for his state’s voter ID law while he awaits to hear what will happen with his demands that the Department of Justice drop its objections to the Texas law.

Abbott filed an expedited complaint for declaratory judgment (see complaint HERE) based on the fact that several other states have also enacted voter ID laws not to mention that the U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld such laws.
Continue reading “

Texas AG Sues Feds Over Voter ID Law”

Abortion - Elections - GOP - Government - Michael Bresciani‏ - Republicans - Rick Santorum

The Impassioned Message of Rick Santorum, Bella and the Unborn

February 12, 2012 by

-By Rev Michael Bresciani

This may be the most difficult time the nation has ever been through as we approach this critical election year. It is hard to say too much about Mitt Romney when it is well known that regardless of what he is, or is not, he is not Barack Obama. That alone counts for much, but not until he is the last man standing.

Many voters seem to see more when they see Santorum for a second and third time and listen to what he has to say. Sen. Santorum not only could surprise us and leap forward in the race for the nomination, but after taking a second look at this candidate anyone with a reasonable helping of understanding would see that he represents almost everything most conservative Americans want to see in our future as a nation.

Without adding to the redundant comparisons that already are everywhere in the public about Rick Santorum’s views and his record, but rather we could all take another look especially in the light of recent developments regarding the health of his beautiful daughter, Bella.

Bella has suffered with, Trisomy 18; a very rare disease which very few children survive. She recently contracted pneumonia in both lungs. The family was on watch for several days, but Bella pulled through in what her dad called a ‘miraculous recovery.’ The severe crisis was abated for the moment and following the good news, former Pennsylvania Sen. Santorum went back out on the campaign trail with renewed vigor and obvious relief.
Continue reading “

The Impassioned Message of Rick Santorum, Bella and the Unborn”

Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Ron Paul - Warner Todd Huston

CPAC Straw Poll: It’s Mitt!

February 11, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

3,408 CPAC attendees participated in this year’s straw poll, the poll’s second highest number of participants, and they picked Mitt Romney as their man.

With a pool of voters that said at 63% that slashing big government was a main concern for 2012, a 97% disapproval rating for President Obama, and even a 28% disapproval rate the job Republicans in Congress are doing, voters picked Romney over Santorum by only 7 percentage points.

  • Romney 38%
  • Santorum 31%
  • Newt 15%
  • Paul 12%

Paul dominated the CPAC polling over the last two years, but this year he placed a distant fourth place. Paul did not attend CPAC this year and his followers were absent as well. Unless a few of them were out protesting with the Occupiers, of course.

The CPAC poll has no official standing Party-wise, to be sure, but as ACU Chairman Al Cardenas notes it is a good barometer of a nice large slice of the conservative movement.

This result does show the surging Santorum candidacy, though. It is clear that Rick Santorum has at last gotten his chance to be the non-Romney candidate. I think if CPAC were to have been held three or four months ago, Rick would not have achieved this close finish with Romney here at this conservative gathering.

I must say, I had imagined that Mitt might lose to Santorum considering his surging poll numbers out and about in the rest of the country outside CPAC, but I also must say that Mitt’s speech was competent and free of any unforced errors, if you will.

So, there you have it. Mitt barely edges out Rick Santorum as king of CPAC.
Continue reading “

CPAC Straw Poll: It’s Mitt!”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Conservatives - Crony Capitalism - Elections - GOP - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Taxes - Uncategorized - Warner Todd Huston

CPAC Speeches: Contrasting Santorum, Gingrich, Romney

February 11, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

CPAC 2012 featured appearances by the three top GOP contenders who came to ask for the support of the conservatives gathered there. First came former Penn. Senator Rick Santorum, then Governor Mitt Romney, and finally former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, all came to sell their ideas and candidacy.

Rick Santorum

Santorum came out to the most applause of the three, for sure. As he and his family mounted the stage the crowd was obviously eager to hear what the candidate had to say.

“Conservatism did not fail this country,” began the meat of the former Pennsylvania Senator’s remarks, “conservatives failed conservatism.”

Santorum said that in the past we, “listened to the voices that said we had to abandon our principles and our values to get things done, to win.” But no more compromise, he said. “The lesson we’ve learned is that we will no longer abandon and apologize for the policies and principles that made this country great for a hollow victory in November.”

Santorum went on to say that Obamacare was a “game changer” and with it, as the British found with their system, we will never be free again. “It’s about government control of our lives and it’s gotta stop,” he asserted to great applause.
Continue reading “

CPAC Speeches: Contrasting Santorum, Gingrich, Romney”

Alan Caruba - Elections - GOP - President - Republicans

The Looney Tunes Version of the GOP Campaigns

February 11, 2012 by

-By Alan Caruba

I have begun to think of the Republican campaign as a series of Looney Tunes cartoons being replayed again and again. There are filled with a combination of laughs and the fantastical, self-defeating violence of Wily Coyote trying to catch the Roadrunner

As the primary season moves along, I sometimes think that far too many Republicans have temporarily lost their minds. Three years of Barack Obama will do that to you.

My response to the campaign thus far may have something to do with the fact that, like Reagan and others, I was once a Democrat and, to borrow a phrase from Paul, First Corinthians, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

These days, a lot of Republicans sound like a kid who sent Santa a list of toys he wanted and, even though he got most of them, he feels compelled to write and ask why he didn’t get all of them.
Continue reading “

The Looney Tunes Version of the GOP Campaigns”

Congress - Elections - GOP - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Ohio: Self-Proclaimed ‘Tea Party’ Candidate Doesn’t Know Who Andrew Breitbart Is?

February 10, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Is it possible these days to be a new, active conservative running for Congress for the first time and not know who Andrew Breitbart is? Me, I’d reckon that an in the know, new candidate that claims to be conservative and a spokesman for Tea Partiers could not possibly be so isolated that he is unaware of conservative media-crusader Andrew Breitbart. But there is a candidate in Ohio who displayed right on his own campaign website just such a display of ignorance on Breitbartania, Breitbartism, or Breitbartness… whatever you want to call it, it just appears that this guy is stone-cold out of touch with the current conservative movement not to know thing one about Andrew Breitbart.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are plenty of 90-year-old, Brahmin conservatives who get flummoxed at “the Facebookings.” I am sure there still exist out-of-touch, elder statesmen of the movement that just haven’t caught up with those newfangled Internet tubes that our friend Al Gore created. I am sure that there are more than a handful of aged establishment types shaking their fist at the Fox News and those darn websheets positive that they’ll never catch on, just as they were sure rock-n-roll was a passing fad. But can you be an up and comer in the conservative movement and be wholly unaware of one of the newest icons of conservatives everywhere?

I am here at CPAC this week and just ran into Joe “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher who was telling me about his run for Congress in the 9th Congressional District. Joe made me aware of a hilarious little example of the abject cluelessness of his opponent. So let me introduce to you one Mr. Steve Kruas. Professional auctioneer actually licensed with the Ohio State Ag Department with well over 300 “successful” auctions under his belt. I guess you don’t need the Internets, talk radio and TV news shows to sell used farm equipment.
Continue reading “

Ohio: Self-Proclaimed ‘Tea Party’ Candidate Doesn’t Know Who Andrew Breitbart Is?”

AFL-CIO - Anti-Americanism - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Liberals - Republicans - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Occupy Wall Street Comes to CPAC, Unions in Command

February 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston


The police had the Occupiers well in hand. Notice they had their ever-present tents, too!

A sizable group of Occupy Wall Street protesters assembled Friday late morning to protest CPAC. Naturally this group was buoyed by big labor because, as we all know, the OWSers aren’t really any sort of grassroots anything but are a wholly manufactured, left-wing, anti-American concern funded and organized by hard core left-wingers.

I decided not to bother engaging with them as I’ve done in the past because I’ve learned that dialog is not what they are interested in. They have their rote and often infantile talking points, slogans, and chants and that is usually all they have to offer.
Continue reading “

Occupy Wall Street Comes to CPAC, Unions in Command”

Elections - GOP - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Warner Todd Huston

Rick Santorum at CPAC

February 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

This morning former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and gave a very solid speech. Mounting the stage with his whole family, he was energetic and in good spirits.

The following are the main points from his address if you’d rather read than watch the video.
Continue reading “

Rick Santorum at CPAC”

Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Cleta Mitchell: GOP Super-Lawyer

February 10, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Without question Tea Partiers are unhappy with the elites of Washington D.C. Yet Cleta Mitchell is one Washingtonian that has became a welcome addition to the campaigns of some high profile Tea Party candidates.

Mrs. Mitchell, you see, is the in-demand, bulldog election law attorney that many Tea Party candidates go to when things began to get heated as they did during the 2010 elections.

Last October the Wall Street Journal noted that Mitchell’s clients included Joe Miller of Alaska, Christine O’Donnell of Delaware, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, South Carolina’s Senator Jim DeMint, Sharron Angle of Nevada, Marco Rubio of Florida and many others.

Mitchell’s latest high profile client is Florida legislator Adam Hasner who is expected to run for the Senate in 2012. The conservative Hasner is a close associate of newly minted Senator Marco Rubio. Between 2007 and 2010 Hasner served as Rubio’s deputy majority leader in the Florida House.

With such high profile clientele, it is no wonder that Mitchell is called the “Republican super lawyer.”
Continue reading “

Cleta Mitchell: GOP Super-Lawyer”

Elections - Frank Salvato - GOP - Government - President - Republicans

How About Letting Us Make Our Own Choices

February 10, 2012 by

-By Frank Salvato

On a stage adorned with American flags and amid the glitter of Las Vegas, Donald Trump, who had been threatening a third party run for the presidency, revealed he is endorsing Mitt Romney for president of the United States. Earlier in the day it had been rumored that ‘The Donald’ would be endorsing New Gingrich but that turned out to be false. Whether ‘The Donald’s’ gurus in media attention planned the “mistake” we will probably never know. A more valid question is this. Why should we care who Donald Trump endorses for President?

To say that ‘The Donald’ has a penchant for attracting the white-hot lights of media attention would be to state the blatantly obvious. For months Mr. Trump advanced the idea that he might enter the race for the presidency but whenever pushed to declare “yea” or “nay” alluded to the ridiculous notion that his contract with NBC wouldn’t “allow” him to run…equal time restrictions, don’t you know. Right. And if you believe that…well, “you’re fired!”

Make no mistake; I am not taking issue with ‘The Donald’ for his unique ability to captivate the media. More power to him. I am taking issue with the mainstream media and those swayed by celebrity endorsements of political figures for even caring. We – as a voting public – should aspire to make our political choices based on our own research and experiences, not the declarations of those lucky enough to have achieved notoriety; famous or infamous.

Continue reading “

How About Letting Us Make Our Own Choices”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Immigration/Immigrants - Jim DeMint - Senate - Taxes - The Law - Uncategorized

A Few Moments With Senator Jim DeMint

February 9, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Senator Jim DeMint (R, SC) is well known as the most conservative man in the upper chamber. He gave a rousing speech here at CPAC and afterward told a small gathering of us that many of the points he made will appear in his forthcoming book, Now or Never, Saving America From Economic Collapse. That message is, he said, that we have only a short time to turn this mess around and get this country back on track.

DeMint said that we need to remind our people — or in too many cases teach them from scratch — about America’s exceptionalism, but we also need to learn what changed from the days when our exceptionalism was better understood by the people. DeMint also noted that one of the problems we have to over come is that the Democrats agenda now prevents them from working in any way with the GOP and because their agenda is so extreme we just can’t compromise with them any more.

“Something’s gotta give,” DeMint said, “We have about a year before its too late
Continue reading “

A Few Moments With Senator Jim DeMint”

Andrew Breitbart - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - GOP - Journalism - Liberals - Media - Media Bias - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Breitbart Editor, Dana Loesch Receives Accuracy In Media Award at CPAC

February 9, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

(Note: The Wardman Marriott lost all Internet connection half way through the event on Thursday and it never came back so no one in the entire building had any connection unless they had their own Internet aircard. I apologize for not getting these up earlier today, but there was no help for it!)

Long-time media watchdog group Accuracy in Media bestowed its Grassroots Journalism Award to the editor-in-chief of BigJournalism.com, one of Andrew Breitbart’s suite of conservative websites on Thursday evening at CPAC.

Of the award and Miss Loesch, Don Irvine, Chairman of AIM, said:
Continue reading “

Breitbart Editor, Dana Loesch Receives Accuracy In Media Award at CPAC”

Conservatives - GOP - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

CPAC 2012 Begins

February 9, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I am here at the beautiful Wardman Marriott in Washington DC this week for the Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC. We will be seeing a whole host of conservative icons coming to speak… and the presidential candidates will be here too (Sarcasm? What sarcasm?). I’ll be covering as much as I can but there is no way to see, hear, do, and talk to it all, for sure.

The Chairman of the Conservative Action Union (ACU), the host organization for CPAC, is Al Cardenas and in his appearance before the press this morning he promised an exciting event.

Cardenas also noted that this year it seems that the contest for supporters being waged by the four remaining presidential candidates is wide open.
Continue reading “

CPAC 2012 Begins”

Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Frederick Meekins - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Senate - Taxes

Stream Of Consciousness Observations Regarding The 2012 State Of The Union

February 9, 2012 by

-By Frederick Meekins

Obama insists he doesn’t want our energy needs linked to unstable parts of the world. Service to do anything about the Occupy beatniks laying siege to a number of parks in Washington, DC?

Why should it be portrayed as a greater tragedy when a “single mother” loses her job rather than a man with a wife that stays at home? Seems both domestic arrangements are in similar positions without income.

In calling for a single source for the unemployed to seek information on training opportunities, doesn’t that involve the federal government assuming more control over education?

Obama insists it should be illegal for students to drop out of school before they are 18. Why should this be a matter of federal interference and what will the punishment be for those leaving prior to that age?
Continue reading “

Stream Of Consciousness Observations Regarding The 2012 State Of The Union”

Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Health - Mitt Romney - Obamacare - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Warner Todd Huston

Rick Santorum’s Romneycare Smack Down

February 7, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I think I am an inch away from endorsing Rick Santorum if he keeps this up. I am sure my endorsement will put him over the top, but that aside Santorum has really been standing as the only actual conservative left in the race at this point. His latest triumph occurred in Minnesota where he raked Romney over the coals for Romneycare — something that not enough people are doing.

Santorum’s charge is simple. How can a guy that still to this day defends Romneycare be the one to take the fight over Obamacare to the President? I’ve been saying for three years that Romney is simply unable to be the candidate to refute Obamacare and I am thrilled to see Santorum saying the same.

At his appearance in Rochester, Santorum said, “Gov. Romney is absolutely incapable of making the case against Obamacare successfully.”

“The problem is, we have a candidate who is running and seen by the media as the prohibitive favorite, who is the worst possible person in the field to put up on this most fundamental issue in this campaign, and that is Gov. Romney,” Santorum said. “The plan he put together in Massachusetts is in fact ‘ObamaCare’ on the state level.”

Santorum’s exactly right, too. How can we believe a word Romney says on repealing Obamacre when he still to this day is a huge supporter of Romneycare and its individual mandate? Especially since early in his campaigning for the presidency Romney said that Romneycare was a model for the nation. Especially since one of his chief advisors says that they really aren’t going to repeal Obamacare despite what Romney says on the stump.
Continue reading “

Rick Santorum’s Romneycare Smack Down”

Alan Caruba - Anti-Americanism - Book Reviews - Budget - Business - Congress - Conservatives - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Ethics - Free Trade - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - President - Republicans - Socialism - Taxes - WWII

The New American Elite

February 6, 2012 by

-By Alan Caruba

The only constant in the life of individuals and nations is change. Since the beginning of the last century, the process or rate of change has accelerated with the invention and availability of a myriad of machines, technologies that have altered the lifestyle of Americans as well as of millions around the world.

Let me put it in personal terms. When I was born in the late 1930s, my Mother washed the family laundry by hand and hung it out to dry on sunny days or in the basement of our home if it was raining. We were not poor. We were middle class. My Father was a Certified Public Accountant and we lived in a spacious suburban home in an upscale New Jersey community. Mass produced washers and dryers would arrive after the end of World War Two.

The differences between lower economic classes, the middle class, and upper classes were well defined back then. All, however, generally held the same values regarding societal institutions such as marriage, religion, national pride. Those values have eroded since the 1960s and Charles Murray, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, whose new book, “Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010” ($27.00, Crown Forum) tells you how and why.
Continue reading “

The New American Elite”

Abortion - Elections - GOP - Mitt Romney - President - Republicans - Ronald Reagan - Warner Todd Huston

Dear Romneyites, Reagan Was NOT an Abortion Supporter!

February 1, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the things that many Romney supporters are using to explain away their decision to ignore Romney’s many flip flops is Ronald Reagan’s one-time support for abortion and his signing of the Therapeutic Abortion Act as governor of California in 1967. But this comparison is a non sequitur. Reagan’s support of that abortion bill and his subsequent turn against it is less like a flip flop than Romney’s about face on the issue. In fact, a review of the two men’s record on abortion makes Romney look worse for the effort, not at all “just like Reagan.”

The first thing to realize about Reagan’s 1967 signing of the California abortion bill was that the whole national debate on abortion was, if you will, in its infancy. It was then not much of a national issue. The arguments for and against abortion had not crystallized into the well-worn positions we now know so well. After all, Roe v Wade wasn’t to catapult the issue to national prominence until 1973.

When this bill came before him in 1967, Reagan was admittedly unsure of what to do with the thing. He dithered for a long time before finally signing the bill because he simply had never given much thought to the issue. He quickly regretted placing his signature on the bill and firmly decided that hence forth he would be pro-life. He never supported an outright pro-abortion measure again.
Continue reading “

Dear Romneyites, Reagan Was NOT an Abortion Supporter!”

Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Ron Paul - Warner Todd Huston

Can’t We All Just Get Along? Is All This Primary Fighting Good?

January 31, 2012 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The campaign for the GOP nomination is really getting hot in Florida. The hard campaigning has caused a lot of bemoaning over the attacks going on between Mitt Romney, his ads and the ads sponsored by his super PAC, and Newt Gingrich’s own attacks. Everyone is concerned that this mudslinging and in fighting may be hurting the GOP. But is it?

Well, relax, everyone. There is nothing unusual going on here. What we are witnessing is really nothing different than we’ve ever seen in this country. In fact, some may recall the viciousness between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in 2007. But memories fade all too quickly and too many jump to this momentary feeling that things are worse now, that today’s political climate pales in comparison to vague, past golden ages that never existed.

All this fighting is a good thing. From it we get to see issues debated in immediate and passionate ways that mere, dispassionate debate will not show us. Sure it’s raucous, loud, maybe a bit unseemly, even. But compared to what our nation’s enemies want to do to us, this is weak brew and if we have candidates that can’t stand up to a few TV ads, then how badly will the wilt in the face of real challenge when in office?
Continue reading “

Can’t We All Just Get Along? Is All This Primary Fighting Good?”

Elections - Frank Salvato - GOP - Government - President - Republicans

There’s a Difference Between Vetting and Smearing

January 31, 2012 by

-By Frank Salvato

Call it wishful thinking. Call it expecting the campaigns to honor what the American people have been demanding for several election cycles. Call it what you will, but I admit, I am one of the life-long Conservatives and Republicans who finds the attack ad blitz being perpetrated by our GOP presidential candidates against one another over-the top and, quite frankly, embarrassing. It is one thing to illuminate an opponent’s past record, even his past behavior where it applies to his ability to execute elected office, but it is quite another to engage in the slash-and-burn, win-at-all-cost political tactics of the Progressive Left. We, as Conservatives and as Republicans are better than that…we have to be.

The recent exchanges between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich about lobbying, taxes, who is more Conservative than who, etc., serve as a perfect example of destruction (read: negative) politics. Truth be told, aside from the fact that we now know Newt Gingrich had a rider in his consulting contract with Freddie Mac that prohibited him – or any of his team – from lobbying, and aside from the fact that we now know venture capitalist Mitt Romney is wealthy and pays the least amount of taxes legally possible, what did we learn from any point brought up by either candidate that weighed heavily on the negative?

For the record, being a venture capitalist is not only legal, when done in a responsible manner, i.e. when done successfully so that investors glean profits from companies that are set on the path to prosperity, they create employment opportunities and products that help the Capitalist economic cycle. The last time I checked the United States employed a Capitalist economic system, much to the chagrin of the Progressive Left.

Continue reading “

There’s a Difference Between Vetting and Smearing”

Barack Obama - Capitalism - Communism - Crony Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Detroit - Economy/Finances - Ethics - GOP - Government - Jobs - Liberals - President - Regulation - Socialism - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

After Billions in Federal Bailouts, Now GM Lobbying States for More?

January 30, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

How much bailing out does one company need? (The correct answer is none, of course) After receiving some $50 billion in tax dollars from us courtesy of Obama’s “cash stash,” GM is claiming success with a “Obama claimed that GM was “back on top as the world’s number one automaker.” But true or not, if all is coming up roses for GM why is the company now lobbying the individual states for mini bailouts?

That is exactly what is happening. The new “big success” automaker is spending millions hiring lobbyists to squeeze more millions out of state legislatures. As Justin Owen notes, GM has “turned to another, smaller government teat,” by putting its hand out to the states. GM, Owen says, “has received another $1.7 billion in taxpayer-funded grants and tax abatements.”

This is no accident of timing, either. GM admitted to the Tennessee Watchdog that begging to the states for tax dollars is a concerted effort.
Continue reading “

After Billions in Federal Bailouts, Now GM Lobbying States for More?”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - President - Republicans - Selwyn Duke - Senate - Taxes

In Praise of a Do-nothing Congress

January 28, 2012 by

-By Selwyn Duke

Here’s a question: how can we expect to have small government if we condemn Congress for not growing it?

It’s always a disturbing experience when you’re accosted with a picture of Harry Reid, as I was upon logging on to Drudge last Monday afternoon. But at least his image bore a fitting caption: “MOST FUTILE EVER.” I then clicked the link and found myself at The Washington Times – normally a quite sane organ of the media – and learned the meaning of the caption: the Times was lamenting a do-nothing Congress and presented Reid as its poster boy. Writes the paper, “It’s official: Congress ended its least-productive year in modern history after passing 80 bills – fewer than during any other session since year-end records began being kept in 1947.”

Writes Duke, “It’s official: conservatives are completely confused about what begets big government.”

The paper then expanded on its theme, pointing out that Congress set a record for “legislative futility” according to something called the “futility index.”

I’ll tell you what’s futile: complaining about a loss of freedom while chastising legislators for not spawning enough bills.
Continue reading “

In Praise of a Do-nothing Congress”

Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Ron Paul - Warner Todd Huston

So What About that Pre-Florida Republican Debate?

January 27, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Instead of rehashing the whole January 26 Republican debate, I think it would be easier for me to post here all my Tweets from my live tweet of the debate. Some were fun, some serious and at the end I pass my judgment of how well the participants did. Below you’ll see my tweets, some with comments in parenthesis to put the tweet in context.

  • Aaaand here we go…

Opening Statements

  • I hear that Mitt Romney’s Super PAC said that Newt attacked the National Anthem in Reagan’s era!
  • (Rick says his mother lives in Florida) Uh oh, Rick’s Mommy is a carpetbagging snowbird. Now I cannot vote for him!
  • I’m Ron Paul… now GET OFFA MY LAWN YOU KIDS.
  • CNN’s first question:”Mr. Santorum, if you were a tree, what sort of tree would you be you racist creep?” OK, jess joking

Immigration Questions

  • (On the immigration ad about Romney) Didn’t Newt have that ad axed? Now he’s supporting it? Odd.
  • (Mitt’s Solution)It’s a little late to just “follow the law,” Mitt. We’ve already made a mess of that.
  • Mitt: “Our problem isn’t 11 million grandmothers.” Applause. That was a good one, Mitt!
  • (Questions back and forth between Newt and Mitt for quite some time) I think Santorum and Paul are now in the green room having a snack. Its the Mitt Newtny show!
  • (CNN goes to the Hispanic conference for a question) CNN gives Hispanics their own debate watching room? El separata but equalo?
  • Paul: “Cuba should be our buddies!” To heck with worrying over gulags and political prisoners. So last century, right Ronnie?
  • Does Ron Paul realize that supporting Castro in Miami is probably a bad political move?

Continue reading “

So What About that Pre-Florida Republican Debate?”

Christianity - Dr. Don Boys - Elections - GOP - Mitt Romney - Mormons - President - Religion - Republicans

Questions No Reporter Will Ask Romney!

January 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

We are told that a politician’s religion is private and is of no concern to anyone. In fact, it is supposed to be bigoted to inquire what a candidate believes; however, that is dangerous non-thinking. Since religion is an extremely personal thing making up the character and principles of a person, it is insane not to consider a candidate’s religion.

Harry Truman was a Baptist, but not a very good one; however, what he learned from church and the Bible sure affected millions of people on earth, especially Israel. When Israel declared itself a nation on May 14, 1948, Truman recognized the new state without going through his advisors. He did it knowing most of his close advisors and both the State and War Departments were against the recognition.

The politicians were fearful that Muslim states would cut off our access to oil and the possibility of a Soviet/Arab alliance. May 15, the Arab states issued their statements of opposition and immediately invaded the new nation–and got their tails whipped. (Muslims are slow learners and got their tails whipped repeatedly over the following years.) That first Israeli/Arab war is known as the War of Independence.
Continue reading “

Questions No Reporter Will Ask Romney!”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Joe Walsh - Liberals - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Walsh Schools National Park Service Director About Occupy DC

January 25, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Why does the National Park Service think they should treat Occupy DC with kid gloves? Because they have “occupy” in their name… er… something. At least that is according to the head of the National Park Service, Jonathan B. Jarvis.

8th District Congressman Joe Walsh (R, ILL) wonders why Park Service personnel are not just tolerating the OWSers but actively assisting them and giving them aid for their protests!

Are we paying our taxes so that the Park Service can become part of an anti-American protest movement? Apparently we are.

Congressman Walsh did a great job showing that these OWSers are not something to be coddled.

(H/T Marathon Pundit)

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Video - Warner Todd Huston

Cut the Spending NOW, Washington

January 24, 2012 by

We are 1,000 without the Democrat controlled Senate authorizing a budget. Worse, the President’s party hasn’t ben offered a budget tis whole time, even back when they controlled the House, the Senate and the White House.

It’s long past time to stop the spending and get serious about our deficit, Washington.

Video courtesy of BankruptingAmerica.org.

Alan Caruba - Anti-Americanism - Anti-War - Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - Liberals - Military - President - Senate - Taxes

Obama Weakens the Military

January 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

-By Alan Caruba

“Si vis pacem, para bellum.” If you want peace, plan for war. The adage is attributed to the 4th or 5th century Latin author Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus’s tract De Re Militari book 3. This fundamental wisdom is being ignored by President Obama, one of two recent Commanders-in-Chief who never spent a day in uniform, let alone under fire.

In a recent American Thinker commentary by Jim Yardley, he said, “It is apparent that the president, in developing his strategy, used the same extensive knowledge, his superior intellect, and worldly wealth of experience that he brought to his strategy for his $800-billion stimulus, his strategy for providing cost-free health care to millions of Americans, and his strategy for using ‘smart diplomacy’ to defuse not spots around the world.”

Perhaps receiving the Nobel Peace Prize barely months into his first year as President has convinced Obama that he is the man to get all our enemies to join hands and sing Kumbaya. Obama accepted the prize that has gone to other seekers of peace like Yassir Arafat, founder of the Palestinian Liberation Organization or co-winners, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore. The IPCC and Gore have led the greatest hoax of the modern era, global warming, and Arafat rejected every effort at peace offered by Israel by going back on his word and using terrorism to achieve his goals.

There is no question that the announced cuts to the U.S. military budget are, in part, the result of the domestic run up of debt and borrowing the followed the financial crisis of 2008; itself the result of bad government policies regarding the wholesale granting of mortgages to people who could not afford homes, then bundling those bad mortgages and selling them as assets to the banks.
Continue reading “

Obama Weakens the Military”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Chicago - Children - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Ethics - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - President - Public Employees Unions - Radio - Republicans - Rights - School Choice - Senate - Talk Radio - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Unions - Vouchers - Warner Todd Huston

Restoring American Exceptionalism – Chicago Townhall

January 24, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I just got back from a wonderful evening taking school choice at the Restoring American Exceptionalism, Chicago Townhall. In attendance were radio talk show host Michael Medved, Fox News contributor Juan Williams, and Dr. Paul Worfel, Director of Education of Trinity International University. The discussion was moderated by John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute.

The event was sponsored by National School Choice Week, an effort by Americans for Prosperity, and is one of many events being held across the country to encourage parents, legislators, and activists to work toward allowing parents a choice in their children’s education. Co-sponsors were Townhall.com, Salem Radio Networks, and Chicago’s WIND Radio, AM 560

Arriving at the sprawling campus of Trinity International University of Deerfield, Illinois, the biting cold outside was quickly forgotten by the warm reception all received by the event staff. The program started promptly with an introduction by local radio host Big John Howell of AM 560, WIND radio who turned the program over to John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute.

The night’s debate was nicely balanced from right, center and left with a panel featuring the conservative side of the debate on education represented by talk show host Michael Medved, the center represented by Fox News contributor Juan Williams, and the more traditional educrat’s position taken by Dr. Worfel.

I won’t repeat the whole discussion, but here are some of the more interesting (and some might say provocative) highlights.
Continue reading “

Restoring American Exceptionalism – Chicago Townhall”