Vice Presidential Nominees?

John McCain's first question as nominee is the most difficult. Who will share the ticket?

Geographical logic points to the South to balance McCain's western origins. He needs to shore up a very questioning southern base, especially if Clinton rebounds and gains the Democratic nomination. A southern conservative would be extremely helpful.

Mike Huckabee looks like a good choice on the surface. He campaigns well in the South due to his impoverished childhood and religious beliefs. Huckabee brings to the table a man experienced in domestic issues. However in this race the GOP should shy away from a "two white guy" ticket. George W. Bush produced the most diverse administration in the history of the country. The Republican Party has done a great job in the past ten years developing female and minority leaders. Who could fit the bill?

Elizabeth Dole currently serves as the US Senator from North Carolina. She formerly ran the Red Cross and ran for president in 2000. She brings assets to the table, such as her congenial husband Robert who ran for president in 1996. Robert Dole also suffered serious wounds in combat and was a leader in the Senate for many years. Dole has avoided the limelight for the past eight years. This could help or hurt.

Senator Mel Martinez from Florida has great influence in that state's powerful Cuban community and could help sway moderate and Hispanic voters elsewhere. California could come into play for the GOP in 2008 and Martinez would only help. Martinez has the confidence of the RNC and has worked very hard to help the national party leadership.

Michael Steele from Maryland has electrifying charisma and energy. When he ran in the last election, civil rights groups in his state showed their hypocrisy by pelting him with Oreo cookies. He also showed an ability to connect with conservative Western Marylanders. I remember in 2006 speaking with some rather confused older voters in West Virginia who expressed the hope that "you help Steele beat Byrd." Steele also holds strong conservative credentials. His ability to make such a strong impression on Western Maryland and Eastern West Virginia means that Steele could find receptive audiences elsewher ein the South. However his national exposure has been limited.

McCain also has an asset in Rudolph Giuliani who has his own backing. For many reasons, he would make an unsuitable vice presidential nominee, but might help the ticket as a proposed Secretary of State or Attorney General. George W. Bush benefited from early speculation that the respected Colin Powell would be his chief diplomat.

The vice presidential nomination is one of McCain's most important choices and will go a long way towards determining whether or not he wins come November.

McCain Wins Nomination

As of Super Tuesday, the Republican Party received the news it had expected for some time. John McCain is the party's nominee for president.

A couple of months ago, this prospect unnerved many conservative Republicans. McCain does differ in opinion from conservatives on some issues. He, along with other Republicans in border regions, has a different idea about immigration than most. McCain's joke about being a "conservative liberal" probably did not help.

That being said, Republicans have not won elections by selecting doctrinaire nominees. Dwight D. Eisenhower campaigned on "compassionate conservatism" that sought to soften the edges of free market economics. Richard Nixon engaged in heavy handed economic controls to try and right the ship after the disastrous Johnson presidency. Neither George Bush could be called right wingers when one examines their policies. Ronald Reagan even evoked savage conservative criticism when he embarked on a peace path towards Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union.

We are conservatives, but we also reason and speak freely. This is why the media loves to pick on conservatism, because we are never unified and our debates usually happen in public. Liberals have ousted their own free thinkers, such as Joe Lieberman (you could call him the Democratic version of John McCain.) Liberals started tearing away at Angelina Jolie's statement that US troops are needed in Iraq to prevent humanitarian disasters. They cannot tolerate deviations from their increasingly left wing agenda.

John McCain is not a 100% right wing conservative, this is true. Neither was any other GOP president. We win elections because we choose and support moderate candidates who think and act on their principles instead of the party line. McCain has sacrificed a great deal for his country and he is the only candidate left that America can trust in a crisis.

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Has Mineral County run out of water yet? Just checking. It would be best to keep any other businesses from coming in just in case.

It's not brain surgery...or wait...yeah it is

http://www.freemarketcure.com/brainsurgery.php

This is a short film about the resulting "efficiency" of government, single payor health plans. Health insurance for all sounds great. Who wouldn't love to help provide everyone with health care? It is heart breaking to see a person with cancer or other terminal illness as their health degrades. It is further frustrating to see the family struggle financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Those who oppose universal health care do not oppose it because we don't want to see people get treated, we oppose it because universal health care doesn't mean that we all get universally great health care, it likely means that we all get universally poor health care as highlighted in this video clip.

At the end the health broker asks where his clients will go for surgery if this plan comes to the U.S. Get ready to pack your bags for India.

As Gary Howell says " With government health care you get all of the caring of the IRS combined with the efficiency of the Post Office".

Republican group decries legislator pay increase

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa Peana

March 3, 2008 304-730-4599

Republican group decries legislator pay increase

Leader calls raise ‘an arrogant slap in the face to our working families’

Charleston, WV – Last week, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 4076 which granted its members a five-thousand dollar increase in base pay. “In the biggest display of arrogance and disregard for fiscal responsibility, Democrats in the House and Senate putting their own interests ahead of many more important priorities they should be addressing,” said Lisa Peana, President of the West Virginia Republican Club.

“This bill not only increases the cost of Government to our taxpayers in West Virginia, it also allows for more citizens to become career politicians.”

Awaiting signature by Governor Joe Manchin, the base pay for legislators in both chambers will increase from $15,000 per year to $20,000 per year. The bill also increases per diem pay for legislators staying in Charleston from out of town from $115.00 per day to $130.00.

“According to the Federal Bureau for Economic Analysis , the average West Virginian earns $27,897 per year. A typical West Virginian will have to work 261 days to earn what a Legislator is paid in 60 days in base pay alone.

“It is an arrogant slap in the face to our working families that legislators feel that granting themselves a pay increase is more important that finding ways to cut taxes and bring jobs to our communities.”

House Bill 4076 passed the House of Delegates on Tuesday with 62 yeas, 36 nays, and 2 not voting. The bill was approved by the State Senate on Friday, with 20 yeas, 13 nays, and 1 not present. Governor Joe Manchin has recently indicated that he supports the pay raise and will likely sign it into law, which would grant the legislators their pay increase in 2009.

Related Links:

HB4076 Bill Text

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/RS/BILLS/HB4076%20ENG%20SUB.htm

House Roll Call

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bulletin_Board/2008/RS/House/Votes/00210.pdf

Senate Journal

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bulletin_Board/2008/rs/Senate/S_DAILY_JOURNAL/sdj-52nd%20day.htm#HDO

Per Capita Income by State (2006 estimates, 2005 actual)

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2007/xls/spi0307.xls

McCain won't raise taxes?

McCain told ABC's "This Week" that under no circumstances would he increase taxes, and added that he could "see an argument, if our economy continues to deteriorate, for lower interest rates, lower tax rates, and certainly decreasing corporate tax rates," as well as giving people the ability to write off depreciation and eliminating the alternative minimum tax.---http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_taxes/2008/02/17/73372.html?s=al&promo_code=4568-1

This seems a little odd since he voted against the Bush tax cuts, but I am encouraged to hear that he can at least occassionally sound conservative. Thus far my understanding is that in November we will be choosing between a liberal Republican or a Socialist. Even though I don't share the "suicide voter" mentality as illustrated by Gary Howell in a prior entry, I do share Rush Limbaugh's point that McCain should not try to appease Conservatives by pretending to be Conservative on several key issues. Most Republicans are going to vote for McCain and, hopefully, the idea of Obama or Hillary (note:Hillary used to come first when referring to the duo) in the White House is enough to scare moderates to vote for McCain.

I can't help but to feel that many Republicans are voting with an apologetic mentality. There seems to be a need to make a peace offering with the left by offering a candidate that many on the left can approve of in order to "make-up" for the Bush years. If this is to be the case, McCain may be a good choice for an apology candidate. Afterall, offering a candidate that both sides can live with is certainly better than handing the Democrats the White House by offering a sacrificial, weak candidate.