Mountains out of Molehills: The False Attack on Ryan’s Mountain Climbing

-By Warner Todd Huston

Democrats and their progressive cohorts are now trying to claim that Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan is lying about the number of times he’s hiked Colorado’s mountainsides. Naturally they are garbling the truth. Is there anything these left-wingers won’t try to make into an end-of-the-world outrage?

This faux outrage is, indeed, a “mountains out of molehills” moment, because the facts show this purported controversy is reaching to the heights of pure demagoguery.

These Obama surrogates are claiming that Paul Ryan lied when he said he climbed 40 of Colorado’s 54 mountain peaks that rise to over 14,0000 feet in height — peaks called “fourteeners.” This, they say, is nearly impossible because the amount of time and training that would be necessary to have tackled 40 of Colorado’s “fourteeners” would have left Rep. Ryan little time for Congress.
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Mountains out of Molehills: The False Attack on Ryan’s Mountain Climbing”


Just as Bad: Proof of Ill. GOP Consorting With Union Thugs

-By Warner Todd Huston

Trevor Loudon attended last week’s GOP convention and discovered the sad evidence that the Illinois Republican Party is just as bad as Democrats in its desire to consort with extremist, left-wing Marxists and union thugs — not to mention fill their pockets with that dirty money.

At the GOP convention, Loudon found a crumpled invitation to one of the many soirees that political delegates attend while at conventions, this one specifically for the Illinois Delegation.

But this invite wasn’t just for a normal, GOP-styled party. No, THIS invite was for one sponsored by enemies to the taxpayer, enemies to the U.S. Constitution, enemies to democracy, enemies even to the very Republican Party to which these delegates belong. This party was sponsored by Illinois’ public employee unions, the very groups destroying this nation in general and Illinois most particularly.

As Loudon notes, “How can the Illinois State GOP justify taking money from Marxist controlled labor unions?”

How indeed?

Well, the answer is obvious. The Illinois GOP is but a junior partner to the Democrat Party in the task to destroy the Land of Lincoln. They are out to fill their pockets with taxpayer’s dollars passed through the dirty hands of Illinois’ greedy public employee unions.

Illinois Republicans are equally as guilty as the Democrats.

It is truly disgusting.
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Just as Bad: Proof of Ill. GOP Consorting With Union Thugs”


Paul Ryan: Most Talked About Pol on Facebook

-By Warner Todd Huston

CNN reported this week that Rep. Paul Ryan has become the king of Facebook by knocking President Obama off “the most talked about” list of US politicians.

CNN recently entered into a partnership with Facebook to track things political on the social sharing network and according to the new “Facebook-CNN Election Talk Meter,” in the 54 hours after presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney introduced Rep. Paul Ryan as his choice for the vice presidency, Paul Ryan became the star of social media.

Facebook-CNN talk meter scores

  1. Rep. Paul Ryan 5.21
  2. President Barack Obama 4.84
  3. Vice President Joe Biden 4.01
  4. Gov. Mitt Romney 3.74

In fact, Ryan became such a hot topic on social media that he almost matched Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps on the Talk Meter and that is pretty impressive considering how badly politics typically shows up on Internet “top” lists compared to pop culture and sports. As CNN measured it, in the days after he won all his most recent Olympic medals Phelps rated a 6.51 to Ryan’s 5.21 on the 1-10 scale.
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Paul Ryan: Most Talked About Pol on Facebook”


Lefty Attack: Paul Ryan is a Follower of Ayn Rand

-By Warner Todd Huston

It was only minutes after news broke that Paul Ryan was Romney’s likely pick for Vice President that leftwingers on Twitter began to needle Ryan as a follower of that mean ol’ Ayn Rand, the famed objectivist philosopher of the middle of last century most famous for writing Atlas Shrugged and for being a proponent of what the left says is a less than compassionate philosophy on humanity.

There is a mistaken belief on the left that Paul Ryan was somehow programmed by Ayn Rand and that his entire budget plan, his Roadmap For America’s Future, is somehow one great Randian, or worse Darwinian, exercise in the survival of the strongest. The left also chides him for later turning his back on Rand and pretending his ideas really aren’t driven by what they consider to be Ayn Rand’s mean-spirited philosophy.

Neither claim is true.
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Lefty Attack: Paul Ryan is a Follower of Ayn Rand”


Paul Ryan Has Already Been an Effective Obama Critic

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the things that a vice presidential candidate has to be able to do and do well is be an attack dog for the ticket. The best VP candidates have both the credibility and the capability to severely criticize the other team. Even before being picked as his running mate by Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan had proven that he is that man.

Ryan has been the President’s sore spot since the budget and Obamacare debates began early in Obama’s stint in the White House and making him a veep pick for the Republicans is sure to cause no end of heartburn to a president that clearly doesn’t grasp the economic destruction that his own policies have wrought.

Months ago Rep. Ryan had already gotten under Obama’s skin. If you’ll recall in April of 2011 President Obama went out of his way to invite the Republican to a special speech on the budget and then, quite ungraciously slammed him in the speech — without having the decency to either address him or look him in the eye.

Imagine the ignorance of this and how it lowered the office of the President. To have arranged a speech, invited an political opponent, and then dissed him in public like that is the sort of low action of a petty man, not the high actions of a President. And for a President to attack a mere House member at that!

It is patently obvious that President Obama is unnerved by Paul Ryan. And it’s no wonder. You might also recall how Ryan wholly eviscerated Obama’s poor attempt at a budget back in Fed. of 2010.
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Paul Ryan Has Already Been an Effective Obama Critic”


Top Five Reasons For and Against Chris Christie for Vice President

-By Warner Todd Huston

Over the last week or so the buzz surrounding the idea that Mitt Romney is seriously considering New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as his pick for vice president has been building steadily. Christie has become a rock star of sorts among Republicans, conservative and country-clubber alike. But does he make a good candidate for VP? To answer that, here are five pros and five cons on Chris Christie as Romney’s VP.

The conventional wisdom of picking a vice presidential candidate is predicated first on the principle of “do no harm.” The chosen candidate should not hurt the top of the ticket but still be a credible stand-in if the unthinkable happens. This has been violated many times. Does anyone remember Curtis “Bombs Away” LeMay?

The VP candidate should also compliment the ticket bringing things the big guy doesn’t have. He should be able to hit the road as the main candidate’s chief advocate, and even be an attack dog able to smash the other side over the head at every appearance.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has some great attributes in this vein, for sure.

Christ Christie for VP? Heck, Yeah!

1). Executive Experience: Christie was a national favorite right away when he became New Jersey’s governor in the GOP tidal wave of 2010 and as soon as he took office he hit the ground running. Some may say that he’s not been governor long enough to be able to claim experience, but he’s done more as governor in these two short years than any half dozen other governors have done in whole terms worth of time. Plus he was a prosecutor before that so he has a lot of hard experience to rely on.
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Top Five Reasons For and Against Chris Christie for Vice President”


Homer-Lockport Tea Party Screening of ‘Injustice the Film’ — July 30

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Homer-Lockport Tea Party is going to screen a very special movie at 7PM on July 30. The film is titled “InJustice, The Film,” and is a documentary about “greed and corruption in American’s lawsuit industry.”

You can see more info at the InJustice website or at the Homer-Lockport Tea Party site.

The film will be introduced by WLS radio personality Dan Proft and will start at around 7PM on July 30 at 14326 Golden Oak Drive, Homer Glen, Illinois.

I had the pleasure of meeting the director of the film, Brian Kelly, when his film first came out and he had some interesting things to relate about the film.

Interview
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Homer-Lockport Tea Party Screening of ‘Injustice the Film’ — July 30″


Rep. Mike Kelly’s Fantastic Speech on House Floor

-By Warner Todd Huston

“So, do you want know the price of regulations? You want to talk about creating jobs in America? …Take the heavy boot off the throat of America’s jobs creators and let them breathe!” — Mike Kelly, Representative of Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District

On Friday, July 27, Rep. Mike Kelly (R, Penn.) took to the floor of the House of Representatives to slam Washington’s business as usual, red tape attacks on the American business sector.

Obama’s regulations are killing this country.

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Rep. Mike Kelly’s Fantastic Speech on House Floor”


This Jewish Democrat Won’t Vote for Obama Again and There are More Just Like Him!

In a preview of the Republican Jewish Coalition’s upcoming multi-million dollar effort to reach out to Jewish voters, entitled “My Buyer’s Remorse”, the organization today released “Michael,” the first ad in the series.

The ads highlight the real stories of real people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 but, because of his failed economic policies and their concern about his handling of the U.S.-Israel relationship, will not be voting for Obama in 2012.

“These folks, in telling their own stories, give voice to the nagging doubts that many in the Jewish community feel about Obama,” said RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks.

The first in a series of ads by the Republican Jewish Coalition, highlighting the real stories of real people who give voice to the nagging doubts that many in the Jewish community feel about President Obama.

See more at www.MyBuyersRemorse.com


Solyndra Republicans, Why the GOP Cannot be Trusted

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Friday, July 20, Politico reported that GOP leadership in the House beat back an attempt by recalcitrant members of their own caucus to continue to quietly support the sort of pork spending that gave us Solyndra in the first place.

House GOP leadership has been beating the Democrats up for the pure wasteful spending that was Democrat support for the now bankrupted “green energy” company Solyndra. But a few Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee wanted to buck the anti-bailout theme and quietly keep the spending program that allowed the “loans” to Solyndra to continue.

According to Politico:

At least three House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans had publicly expressed reservations about the GOP-backed “No More Solyndras Act” during the past week. They griped, to varying degrees, about a provision that would effectively end the loan guarantee program — and argued that it needs to be reformed, not killed.

As Politico noted, the Wall Street Journal also lambasted these Republicans calling them the “Solyndra Wing” of the GOP and chiding them for loving corporate welfare.

The three Republicans hoping to re-open the corporate welfare spigot are Joe Barton (Texas), Michael Burgess (Texas), and Phil Gingrey (Georgia).

So, as we can see here, there is a large and powerful block of the GOP that is fully in support of the sort of disgusting, un-American waste, and pork barrel spending that results in such programs as the “loan guarantees” that sent millions of U.S. tax dollars into the black hole that is Solyndra — a company that will never pay back the so-called loans afforded it by Democrats wishing to help Obama campaign contributors.
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Solyndra Republicans, Why the GOP Cannot be Trusted”


Dear GOP, Let’s Not Waste Romney’s VP Pick on One of Our Best Guys, OK?

-By Warner Todd Huston


Who should be Romney’s VP pick? I know who it shouldn’t be!

I don’t want Paul Ryan to be Romney’s Vice Presidential pick. I also don’t want Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, or Marco Rubio to be picked. It’s not because I don’t like these guys, but because I do like them. It is precisely because they are good politicians, necessary politicians, effective politicians that I don’t want them wasted as a measly VP pick.

Does that seem counter intuitive? Well, as the founders always used to say, let’s let history be our guide. History tells us that the vice presidency is a career killer, a position to which we should try to avoid nominating our best guys.

Looking over the list of politicians that have run for vice president shows us a long, long list of fellows whose career essentially ended after the conclusion of the election. Even those candidates who won his quest for the second chair often found their political lives at a dead end once their term(s) were over.

Remember all the great stuff that Charles Fairbanks did after he left the Vice President’s chair? How about the heights of success that Vice President Alben Barkley went on to achieve? Does anyone recall the great works that losing VP candidate William Miller was famous for? Neither does anyone else. (Amusingly, Miller was one of the first people to appear on the “do you know me?” commercials for American Express credit cards. That shows how quickly he disappeared from the national scene.)
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Dear GOP, Let’s Not Waste Romney’s VP Pick on One of Our Best Guys, OK?”


American Action Network Launches Anti-Obamacare Ads in California and New York

-By Warner Todd Huston

American Action Network has launched a new series of advocacy ads in the states of California and New York to urge voters to hold their elected officials to account for the regrettable error that is Obamacare. The ads urge voters to support the repeal of the budget-busting Obamacare act.

The ads target six districts: Bill Owens (NY-23), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Louise Slaughter (NY-28), Lois Capps (CA-23), John Garamendi (CA-10), Jerry McNerney (CA-09).

Repeal California

Repeal New York:

AAN recently announced a Continue reading


American Action Network Launches Anti-Obamacare Ads in California and New York”


Washington Post Accuses GOP Congressman of Saying Something He Never Said

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is a perfect example of Old Media “gotcha” reporting. On July 3, the Washington Post attempted to accuse GOP Congressman Joe Walsh (Ill. 8th District) of saying that his Democrat opponent, Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth, is not a hero.

Not only is this perfect as “gotcha” reporting, it also an example of the Washington Post getting its marching orders from the left-wing, George Soros controlled Internet group Think Progress because that is where this faux report originated.

Only July 1, Congressman Walsh held a townhall event near Elk Grove, Illinois, ostensibly to talk about the Obamacare decision issued by the Supreme Court of the United States a few days before. In his comments Walsh brought up those men and women that serve or have served the U.S. in our armed forces, as he always does at the beginning of his appearances. He noted that such heroes don’t usually talk about their service and he used the example of Senator John McCain, who was often reluctant to talk about his service during the 2008 campaign for President.

Eventually, in an offhanded comment, Walsh mentioned Duckworth’s touting of her own service saying, “that’s all she talks about.”

Now, before we get into this further, I was actually at this Walsh Townhall. I reported on it at my Illinois site, but I mention this so that I can tell you my impression of what actually went on there.
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Washington Post Accuses GOP Congressman of Saying Something He Never Said”


Congressman Joe Walsh Has a Message for the Illinois GOP and America

-By Warner Todd Huston

Is Congressman Walsh Making a Populist Run for Illinois Governor?

Joe Walsh is not a rock star like Joe Walsh. Joe Walsh (the Congressman) is not Joe Walsh (The rock singer from the 1970s band The Eagles) yet both were in town this weekend working political ends. Singer Joe Walsh was stumping for Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a practically vacant, establishment Democrat who is good for little else but spewing talking points it doesn’t seem she fully grasps, while Congressman Joe Walsh was across town warning voters at a well attended townhall that thanks to Obamacare, the 2012 election may be our last chance to save America. (http://walsh.house.gov/)


Walsh was in the Elk Grove area to talk chiefly about the historic and historically bad Supreme Court decision that gave Obama a win on his nationalization of America’s healthcare industry. So, Obamacare was the big topic this day.

“I was overwhelmed by the close to 400 people who turned out for today’s forum,” Congressman Walsh stated. “It was clear from the crowd that this decision was not only historic, but also tragic. It’s even more clear that the only way to repeal this unpopular law is to do so legislatively. This health care plan is a job killing bureaucratic mess that is now recognized by the Supreme Court as a massive tax on the struggling middle class. I have made it clear that getting Americans back to work and repealing the President’s health care plan are my top priorities.”


More on healthcare in a moment, but first, after the townhall I had the chance to ask the Congressman some questions about his ideas and his campaign for reelection to his 8th District Congressional seat.

At the outset of our interview, Congressman Walsh had some very stern words for the Illinois Republican Party. In fact, he said the Illinois GOP is currently part of the problem, not the solution.

Here is a transcript of Walsh’s warning to the Illinois GOP.
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Congressman Joe Walsh Has a Message for the Illinois GOP and America”


VIDEO: Karen Harrington At Right Online, Las Vegas — Running for Florida’s 23rd District

-By Warner Todd Huston

I had one more opportunity to interview Florida’s Karen Harrington, this time at the 2012 Right Online conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. (http://www.karenforcongress.com/)

We started off addressing the little controversy that erupted the last time we spoke but soon got into a few other things about her campaign to unseat Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District.

As a reminder, here is the earlier post on the controversy, here below is that interview.
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VIDEO: Karen Harrington At Right Online, Las Vegas — Running for Florida’s 23rd District”


What Happened at the Illinois GOP Convention? Mostly Status Quo, But…

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Illinois Republican Party held its 2012 Party Convention this weekend. On the docket was addressing some asked for rules changes and picking a slate of delegates to the GOP national convention to nominate Mitt Romney to carry the Party’s banner in the upcoming presidential election. My ultimate analysis is that this was a status quo convention, but signs show that the status quo might not be too long for this world.

Two things first, here. One, I have to state up front that I intended to be a delegate from my district at the Illinois GOP convention. I registered as such and was accepted by my man Tim Schneider of the Hanover Republicans, but forces outside of politics (in other words, real life) prevented me from participating to the fullest extent. Regardless, I wanted to let you know of my intentions upfront so that you can see that I am not just a disinterested bystander in this deal.

Two, if you want a blow-by-blow account of the many great speeches, see Cal Skinner’s report at McHenry County Blog. I will mention a few things, but won’t do the speech-by-speech analysis. Skinner covered that very well so I don’t feel the need to cover that ground again.


Rep. Aaron Schock plies the crowd after his address

Now, The single most controversial issue that was on the docket was the decision to initiate direct elections. For instance, there are many Republicans who want to change how the members of the State Central Committee are selected. Currently they are appointed by the committeemen but many voices in the party want to change that. They want these party leaders to stand for election (like the Democrats do, incidentally) instead of being appointed by the votes of the committeemen. This issue has been in debate throughout the state for several years already and I’ve covered that debate many times. (Check my out old coverage of SB600 using the search feature)

I am told that several attempts were made by various committeemen to get this issue its due during Friday’s Committee meetings. The issue failed in committee on Friday, but a spirited debate continued that afternoon, anyway. Ultimately, John Parrot of Congressional District 15 attempted to get the direct elections issue brought to the convention floor on Saturday for discussion and a vote as a separate issue. Instead party leaders decided to allow a “yea” or “nay” vote on Saturday.
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What Happened at the Illinois GOP Convention? Mostly Status Quo, But…”


CPAC Chicago, Part 4: Joe Walsh, Randy Hultgren, Straw Poll Results

-By Warner Todd Huston

Finally, in part four we’ll hear from two solid Illinois Congressmen, the 8th District’s Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren of the 14th. We’ll also hear the, perhaps not startling results of the straw poll, the most important question from which was who Romney should pick for his vice presidential candidate (hint, the top picks weren’t any of his one-time rivals for the nomination).

Congressman Joe Walsh


Rep. Joe Walsh gins up the crowd

Joe Walsh of the Illinois 8th District is the one Congressman that the left wants to eliminate more than any other Republican Congressman. This is because Joe has carved out from among his fellows an outsized voice for conservatism. He appears regularly on TV and radio to tout the conservative message. But he’s become a major target of Democrat redistricting and now faces a tough challenge to be reelected in his newly reconfigured 8th District. Me, I think he can easily beat the know-nothing candidate the Democrats have put up against him, but Joe is taking nothing for granted.

One thing is sure, though, Joe Walsh knows how to get a conservative audience in motion.
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CPAC Chicago, Part 4: Joe Walsh, Randy Hultgren, Straw Poll Results”


CPAC Chicago, Part 3: Bobby Jindal, Peter Roskam, Michele Bachman

-By Warner Todd Huston

In part three of our series we’ll take a look at the speeches of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam, and Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Bachmann’s speech was quite interesting for its singular focus on a particular jihad-supporting Muslim group that is operating in America today. Bachmann was vehement that Obama ban this group.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal


Gov. Bobby Jindal on the main stage

Jindal is another favorite of the greater conservative movement. He has a very compelling story of immigrant parents that came to America to become part of this great nation to finally see their little son become the most powerful man in their adopted state. It’s the perfect American story, for sure.

Speaking of stories, Jindal has a lot of them especially where it concerns his involvement in the BP Oil spill from 2010. I’ve seen Jindal relate this tale several times and it is always a good one. His description of how the federal government was more interested in observing its silly OSHA than deal quickly with the emergency before them was telling and hilarious — though ultimately sad and infuriating. Since this is standard stump speech stuff of Jindal’s, though, I did not Tweet that segment.

Like the others Jindal started praising the Walker win in Wisconsin. One of his funniest lines was that all the news people were proclaiming that the vote would be so close that it would be a long night for Wisconsin as they tallied the votes. But reality proved that the whole thing was over in a matter of hours with Walker’s landslide. Instead of it being a long night for Wisconsin, Jindal joked that it was instead a “long night at Obama headquarters in Chicago!”
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CPAC Chicago, Part 3: Bobby Jindal, Peter Roskam, Michele Bachman”


CPAC Chicago, Part 2: Richard Mourdock, Chris Christie, Herman Cain

-By Warner Todd Huston

In part two of my coverage of CPACs first Midwestern conference event, we will see some of the high spots of the floor speeches of Indiana Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie – always a crowd favorite – and the redoubtable Herman Cain. Cain also visited the media room and I have video of that below the fold.

Indiana Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock

Richard Mourdock is the current Indiana State treasurer but he also just defeated long-time incumbent Senator Richard Lugar for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate from Indiana. He’ll face the Democrat come November. Mourdock has been widely touted as the insurgent Tea Party candidate that beat Lugar, the old line, establishment man.

“No one expected a lowly state treasurer could take out a 36-year Senator! But we DID,” Mourdock said triumphantly.

Mourdock also noted that Senator Chuck Schumer of New York has called him the “Hoosier headache.” Mourdock was rather proud of that appellation.
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CPAC Chicago, Part 2: Richard Mourdock, Chris Christie, Herman Cain”


CPAC Chicago, Wisconsin Praised, Obama Razed — Part One: Rick Santorum, Ron Johnson

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, Friday evening, June 8, 2012, we marked the end of the first CPAC event held in Chicago and what a great event it was. The triumph in Wisconsin was on everyone’s mind but so was Obama’s dismal record. Not just dismal, but according to several speakers, even dangerous. The economy and the election of Romney were focal points but so was foreign policy this day. One theme, though, was constant: Obama has to go.

Because of other things going on and the several press availability sessions, I didn’t catch every speaker in the main hall, but I did hear the speeches of (in this order) former Senator Rick Santorum, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, Indiana Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Illinois Representative Peter Roskam, Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachmann, and Illinois Representatives Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren. I also heard and recorded the press availability sessions of Herman Caine, Peter Roskam, and Michelle Bachmann and I caught most of Kansas Representative Tim Huelskamp’s.

Other notables whose speeches I missed were Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner, and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

The event was a great success with well over 2,000 participants, all seats filled for the most part during the speeches and some great groups like the United Republican Fund, the Illinois Policy Institute, the Heartland Institute, Champion News, and others hosting and participating.

I’ll say a few words about the speakers I did see in the order I saw them and I’ll do this in a few installments so that this won’t be one long, overly taxing post. Now, as each of these speakers appeared before us I live Tweeted their comments, so the following quotes are pulled from my Twitter feed.

But before I do that, each speaker was quite enthusiastic over the win of Governor Scott Walker who defeated an effort by the far left and their union overlords to recall him in Wisconsin. Each speaker praised Walker and crowed about the left’s loss in there. I won’t regurgitate the Wisconsin hunk of each speaker as they were pretty much all the same; exuberant. The essential point was that we are all cheeseheads now.

Rick Santorum


Rick Santorum on the main stage

Former Pennsylvania Senator and recent GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum gave one of his well-crafted, typically workman-like speeches. One of Santorum’s early points was that America is at a “tipping point” and we’d better be there to tip it in the right direction.
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CPAC Chicago, Wisconsin Praised, Obama Razed — Part One: Rick Santorum, Ron Johnson”


Inexcusable: Thad McCotter Out of Congress Over Petition Sigs Snafu

-By Warner Todd Huston

What an inelegant way for such an illustrious career to end — perhaps if only temporarily. Congressman Thad McCotter (R, Mich) not only didn’t get enough signatures on his nominating petitions to get himself on the ballot for his reelection, the petitions his team did turn in were rife with duplicates and outright fraud. Now he’s announced that he is not running for reelection because of all this.

McCotter, 46, has been in Congress for ten years and has been considered a rising conservative star. He even made an abortive attempt to run for the 2012 GOP nomination for the White House. Now, he’s out of Congress on his ear due to nothing other than neglect of the nomination process.

McCotter initially announced that he was going to carry out a write-in campaign but has given up that idea, too.

As he announced the end of his last ditch effort to keep his seat, he had a message for Michiganders. “To those who unhappy at this news, I’m sorry; to those happy at this news, you’re welcome,” he said.

The write-in effort was necessary because McCotter’s campaign utterly bollixed the nominating petitions, didn’t get enough signatures, and clearly committed fraud in order to try and get the petitions in on time.
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Inexcusable: Thad McCotter Out of Congress Over Petition Sigs Snafu”


Racine Tea Party Rally for Scott Walker/Kleefisch (Also Paul Ryan, Dana Loesch, Tony Katz, More)

-By Warner Todd Huston

This morning I got up bright and early, jumped into the car and took a drive up into Wisconsin to witness the Racine Tea Party rally in support of Wisc. Governor Scott Walker. Speakers included the lovely Rebecca Kleefisch (Wis. Lt. Gov.), Rep. Paul Ryan, State Senator Van Wanggaard, Talk Show Host Tony Katz, Breitbart Editor Dana Loesch and more.


Racine Tea Party Main Stage

It was a beautifully sunny day, perfect temperature, a nice breeze swept over those 3,000 or more gathered, and, in fact, you couldn’t ask for a better out doors experience. But beyond the wonderful weather was the upbeat enthusiasm bubbling up from crowd and speakers alike. This was no down in the dumps group. They were ebullient and thrilled to be out and active for the conservative cause.


The crowd as seen from the main stage


Sign: “Republicans are Makers Democrats are Takers”

This recall election is a total sham. For one thing it is practically illicit. The Democrats never gave Walker a chance to do anything before claiming he needed to be recalled for cause. They’ve abused the recall law, too. Officials are supposed to be recalled for malfeasance in office, not mere political temper tantrums. One way to prove that these leftists violated the spirit of the law is the recall Walker website was registered the same day Walker was elected!

Yet, curiously enough there was no hate spewed — though certainly opposition expressed. There was also no upside down American flags, no communist propaganda, no signs with anyone called “Hitler,” and on top of all that there wasn’t a scrap of garbage left on the ground after everyone left. Not much like an Occupy Whatever rally, eh?

The morning started with the Americans For Prosperity bus pulling in and a short address by AFP President Tim Phillips who was introduced by California talk show host Tony Katz. Katz also emceed the later Racine rally, as well.
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Racine Tea Party Rally for Scott Walker/Kleefisch (Also Paul Ryan, Dana Loesch, Tony Katz, More)”


Rage in the Illinois House

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois House Rep Mike Bost (R, Murphysboro) came to his wits end over the last second introduction of a pension reform bill by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D). The bill was introduced only minutes before Madigan wanted to force the House to vote on the bill. As the bill was introduced, Bost went nuts on the floor screaming and throwing papers in a rage.

“These damn bills that come out here all the damn time, come out here at the last second!” Bost yelled. “I’ve got to figure out how to vote for my people!”

Bost’s biggest complaint is the fact that for years only one man has had total control over the entire state. That one person would be Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan.
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Rage in the Illinois House”


Foolish Naivete: Sen. Coburn ‘Believes’ Obama Will Become Entitlement Reformer in 2nd Term

-By Warner Todd Huston

Republican Senator Tom Coburn has just completed his transformation into a laughing stock. In an interview with the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein, Coburn claimed that he fully believes that President Obama will become an “entitlement reformer” in his second term.

At the end of Klein’s first part of the interview he asks Coburn if Republicans will do any better to “compromise” with Obama if Obama wins a second term. Here is Coburn’s absurd reply:

We’ve had conversations where he’s told me he’ll go much further than anyone believes he’ll go to solve the entitlement problem if he can get the compromise. And I believe him. I believe he would.

This is the single dumbest thing I’ve ever seen a Republican say. The naivete and stupidity of this naïf is the most gobsmackingly stupid I’ve ever seen.
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Foolish Naivete: Sen. Coburn ‘Believes’ Obama Will Become Entitlement Reformer in 2nd Term”


VIDEO: Senator Mark Kirk on His Rehabilitation ‘Walking Program’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kirk really sounds good for having had a stroke only 15 weeks ago. I am so relieved to see him doing so well and in such seeming mental competence.

He made a very interesting video about his status…

He has a long way to go, of course, but he seems willing and able.

We here at the blog wish him good health and success in his recovery.


I Can’t Agree With Rockford Tea Party Re. Kinzinger Undervote Plan

-By Warner Todd Huston

I write against what I consider the outrages of the left every day. But occasionally someone on my own side, someone I otherwise support, will cast a boneheaded vote, or say something stupid, or advocate for a wrongheaded policy. I have to address such situations when they occur and this week the Rockford Tea Party is under my microscope for advocating that voters in the newly reconfigured 16th District should undervote (as in not vote) for Congressman Adam Kinzinger in the upcoming general election.

Many Tea Party folks in the district west of Chicago and running down the western side of the state are furious that Kinzinger loped over from his 11th District to primary Congressman Don Manzullo, the current 16th District Representative.

Many of these longtime 16th District residents felt Kinzinger was an interloper and in the analysis of voting records it was without a doubt that Manzullo’s was more conservative than Kinznger’s.

But, let’s face it, since the Illinois Republican Party has over the last 10 years failed so miserably to make any headway in this state and since the Democrats have a deadlock on power it was the Dems that got to control the redistricting and they made a map guaranteed to eliminate some GOP congressman or another. As it happens, Don Manzullo’s number came up this year.

This is galling most especially because the reason we had to redistrict in the first place is because we lost population in this Census and that means we lost a seat in Congress. The reason our population fell is because of the failed policies of the Democrats, yet the Illinois GOP is so feckless that it cannot even make the Dems pay for their failures and the Dems ended up being rewarded with control of redistricting, a control that will safeguard their own political power thereby assuring that Illinois will fall even further into the abyss! Nice going Illinois GOP.

Anyway, back to Kinzinger. As you all know, Kinzinger won his primary challenge against long-time Congressman Manzullo. Kinzinger will now appear on the ballot in November to take office in the newly jigured 16th District.
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I Can’t Agree With Rockford Tea Party Re. Kinzinger Undervote Plan”