Michael Steele is the new RNC Chair

The Potomac Highlands Conservative would like to congratulate Michael Steele on his election to head the RNC. We like puppies too!

Press Release

West Virginia YR Chair says “Stimulus Bill Bad for Nation”

Kenova, WV - Wednesday evening, the US House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill termed as a Stimulus Package to the tune of $819 Billion dollars.

"The Democrats on Capitol Hill who voted for this bill should explain to the American people how spending money on things like STD prevention, computers, upgrades to offices, etc will help the American people get jobs,” said Ashley Stinnett, Chairman of the West Virginia Young Republicans. “The overwhelming majority of Americans do not realize what all was in this bill that will be so bad for this nation.”

Even if the debt created will be paid on time, the additional interest alone will surpass $300 billion dollars - twice the amount spent on the war on Iraq .

“This is not a stimulus package, it’s a pork laden bill that amounts to nothing but a huge government expansion at the cost of taxpayers across America ,” said Gary Abernathy, Executive Director of the West Virginia Republican Party.

“It should be noted that not one Republican in the US House voted for this bill, and its negative effects on the US economy are placed squarely on the Democrats’ shoulders,” said Stinnett. “How can future generations be expected to succeed if they are being burdened by irresponsible government spending today?”

Republicans have been calling for tax cuts for employers and citizens in order to help businesses keep jobs and individuals return money back into the economy to turn our economy around rather than more government spending, which is being advocated by the Democrats in Congress.
“All this bill does is create an even bigger government bureaucracy,” added Stinnett.

The Young Republicans is the oldest youth political organization in the nation. Members include volunteers and political activists under the age of 40.

Those interested in joining can email: acscj1980@aol.com.

-30-

Obama Gives the GOP a Nice Bright, Shining Gift of an Issue

Obama (and no, I have not brought myself to put the words "President" and "Obama" together in the same sentence. My mouth chokes on that word combination) just gave the GOP a gift to help us in the midterm elections.

Congratulations, taxpayers of the United States, your hard earned dollars meant for supporting basic services here and expanding democracy around the globe now go to pay for abortions . . . in other countries! Not satisfied with encouraging baby murder here, Obama insists that we pay for murder around the globe.

President Bush cut off funds to international organizations that deal in abortions, an entirely reasonable policy move since every poll shows that Americans on the whole disapprove of the practice. Look for this to be an opening move in a liberal campaign to restore abortion to a culturally acceptable choice. I can remember in movies where abortion was considered as casual as lighting up a cigarette. Thankfully, not anymore. If conservatism accomplished anything, it was pushing abortion into a near pariah category.

Obama does not just want to roll back tax cuts and close Gitmo. He wants to reinvigorate currently moribund liberal ideals. His ambition is to be the liberal version of Reagan, but in some parts of the country he looks more like Big Brother. In DC there are ( I kid you not) hundred foot tall banners of him in malls; his face is on subway tickets and almost anywhere else you can think of. It's a culture war launched against the values you and I hold dear. And I should not neglect to mention that entire subway stations in DC are covered from ceiling to floor in anti-coal propaganda (of course the subway, lights, and much of the rest of the region get their power from coal powered plants.)

As far as abortion is concerned, Obama tried to dampen the impact by using Obamaspeak. "In the coming weeks, my administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world." If you don't know the buzzwords, you'll miss the point. "Family planning" always means "abortion."

Some culture war issues are, in my opinion, fading. Gay unions are increasingly accepted and it is ludicrous to fight the concept. Young voters just do not care. Abortion is always and will always be the brutal murder of innocents. Abortion groups need to get back behind the party that helped them the most, giving money and support. Thankfully Obama gave an issue to galvanize us.

**********************************************************************

George Mason researchers claim that 800,000 fewer people attened the Obamaguration than originally thought. Satellite imagery helped bolster that claim.

It's like missing a crowd the size of the city of Atlanta.

Oops.

Brain Drain

A recent report by West Virginia University shows that under fifty percent of West Virginia college and university graduates find work in West Virginia. As one might expect, high numbers of law and health care graduates stay. This means that newly created experts in business, science, engineering, and other key fields leave in droves.

Right now, WVU, Marshall, Fairmont State, and the other colleges and universities are the stae's greatest resource. We have little trouble attracting smart kids from inside and outside this state. We need to make a priority out of keeping them here. Scenery, quiet small towns, a vital urban center such as Morgantown, and other factors could sell West Virginia IF the state had opportunities.

Why would a budding entrepreneur with the next great idea want to locate his business here? Modern technology means that a lot of businesses could locate almost anywhere there is wireless internet. Even in areas where business can access this, why would they want to pay higher taxes, slog through more regulatory burdens, and put themselves at risk doing business in a "judicial hellhole?" In such an environment, government investment is about all you can expect because it's tough to sue them and it does not pay taxes.

Getting a small branch of NASA is nice. Convincing the next Bill Gates that this is the perfect place to take a risk and launch a major private initiative is much better. Time for West Virginia to realize that sometimes the business of government must be business.

****************************************************************************

Thank goodness someone, somewhere came to their senses and realized that Congress is a serious institution of government, not a three ring circus or social hour. Caroline Kennedy can safely return to the cocktail circuit and New Yorkers can rest easy. Now, hopefully, we can dispense with the clown that may or may not have been elected by Minnesota.

*****************************************************************************

Speaking of weird decisions . . .

Thank goodness we are about to have a US attorney general who helped the Clinton Administration pardon Puerto Rican terrorists to help solidify Hillary's election chances.

Potomac Highlands Blog featured in Second Life

Second Life is an Internet community and virtual world. Many real world people are taking advantage of it to communicate with the masses. Newt Gingrich routinely gives speeches in Second Life to crowds from all over the US. Each attending via their home computers.

Both McCain and Obama had campaign presences in Second Life to meet and great people. Now the Potomac Highlands Conservative has a presence in Second Life. You can click on this; Potomac Highlands in Second Life. If you have the Second Life software installed on your computer it will take you there, if not then just follow the instructions to download the free software.

Washington, District of Columbia

We decided a couple of days ago to take a family trip to Washington DC. My wife went online, got us an amazing deal on a hotel, and now here we are on a Saturday morning two blocks from the White House. As I look out my window I see a bunch of semi-modern buildings and the Washington Monument peeking out above.

About eleven last night my son and I stepped out to walk around and see what sights we could within walking distance. We walked over towards the Executive Mansion, but found all the good picture angles blocked by the remaining flotsam and jetsam of the inauguration. Washington, in the right areas, has an amazing, maybe deceptively safe feel about it. Of course more police patrol the periphery of the White House than are on duty at any one time in our Potomac Highlands towns.

We walked around to the front and looked at the usual view. The lights had been turned off, bringing a shroud of darkness over the building. A young urban intellectual looking couple walked behind us. The guy pulled out a twenty dollar bill to see if it looked like the building sitting a hundred and fifty yards or so away. They walked on and we remained, looking.

One light burned in the top floor. We speculated, is that the President's light on? It makes you wonder about the person sitting in that lone light. Is he still enjoying the afterglow of being elected president? Has the actual burden of office set in yet? We saw it in President Bush's face these last few weeks. He owned the weight of the world and looked glad to hand it off to another. Sooner or later, Obama will understand the man he bashed for so many months, the same man who treated him with such grace and class since November.

Then we walked to the Mall. At the Washington Monument a few kids stood in front of the harsh lights using their bodies to make shadow puppets. My ten year old son asked what the job of Congress was. I responded by telling him how they made the laws and the president's part in vetoing or allowing legislation to pass, explaining that Dave Sypolt (who Jared has met many times) did the same thing in West Virginia.

Our next stop on the walking tour was the amazing World War II Memorial. It has its own grandeur, especially at night with the soft lights. My son begged to walk to the Lincoln Memorial and so we trudged westward. Along the way we passed a huge group of high school kids belting out "Don't Stop Believin'" which is as good an anthem for this generation to adopt as any.

Well, it's morning. We should be heading over to the Capitol this afternoon for a tour, hitting the Holocaust Museum as well as the Smithsonian.

Washington DC is far from a perfect place and the most important man here is not the guy I voted for. That all being said, this is to Americans what Mecca is to Muslims, Jerusalem is to Jews, and Rome is to Catholics. This is the center of freedom for our nation and the world. The ideals behind this town have revolutionized the planet since the days when this was a swampy and usually uncomfortably hot forest. The standard of humanity is not if people should be free, it is how to get them to that condition. For that we can thank a long line of great men from Washington to George W. Bush. We also hope and pray that the current administration cherishes freedom here and abroad in the same manner as most of his predecessors.