National Democrats Convince Cannon Fodder Candidate

By all accounts, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant will enter the US Senate race to take on presumed Republican nominee Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito.

On the surface, it looks like an appropriate move for a popular young statewide officeholder with definite ambitions to rise higher.  She has a strong background as an elected secretary of state with experience as a Charleston television news figure.  Even in a loss, Tennant can use the campaign to reintroduce herself to voters across the state in preparation for a run at the Governor's Mansion.

It is this ambition most threatened by her Senate run. A deeper look shows how dicey this campaign could be for Tennant.

Images like this one have already reappeared.  Standing in front of a sparse crowd of Obama supporters will not win Tennant any support in a state whose Democrats preferred a prisoner in 2012.  Obama has only lost popularity since then.  She struggles to argue that coal jobs have slightly ticked up, but cannot defend the power plant closings that are coming.  Or the dramatic rise in health insurance costs from Obamacare.

In a race for governor in 2016, Obama matters less.  Tennant will have difficulty shaking the perception that she will be anything but a water carrier for the presidency and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Senator Joe Manchin learned that even piecemeal support for Obama policies can take a drastic toll on polling numbers.

Capito's fundraising prowess, formidable campaign team, and popularity have vanquished all comers since 2000.   Few major donors outside of the Democratic Party will seek to invest in a race that has little chance of success.

Tennant's run only makes sense in the national Democratic big picture.  A viable candidate forces the Republican Party to spend resources and raise money in a race that they should ultimately win.  Those resources will not go to tighter races with less chance of success.

She will also have to tie herself even more securely to the highly unpopular national Democratic Party agenda.  A gubernatorial race allows her to stand aloof as Earl Ray Tomblin did.  Tennant cannot erase images from a Senate run that will place her even more strongly into the camp of individuals heartily disliked across West Virginia.  She also cannot haul out the well worn liberal "War on Women" card against a respected, accomplished, and popular female candidate like Capito.

This serves the purposes of the West Virginia Republican Party nicely because it will weaken an individual who was expected to make a strong run  for governor in 2016.

Battles and Debt Ceilings

While hearing of the final plan passed by the House of Representatives and the uproar from all sides, I was reminded of the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864.

Grant moved south towards Richmond and engaged General Lee for the first time. Lee fought Grant in a place where the Confederates had advantages. Grant handled himself well, but could not be called the winner. His troops, accustomed to defeat, started packing their bags to retreat north. Then came their orders. Despite the setback, Grant was ordering them to forge ahead and move south. Campaigns against formidable enemies do not come with perfect victories in individual battles. Only perseverance and trust in the cause will win the war.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

The Boehner Plan passed by the House today is not what we want and far from perfect. However, it is a plan that offers the other side a compromise. They get to spend a little more in the short term, but can't raise taxes, and we all make serious steps towards a balanced budget amendment. It is a reasonable offer, but Reid and the Democrats will reject it anyway next week because it is not what Obama and the radicals want. Republicans took a serious risk in voting for this plan, but if the Democrats respond predictably, they will be the story next week.

Politics is the art of the possible. The voters did not give Republicans much of a power base from which to work in 2010. The House still faces the power of the Senate and the presidency. These are strong obstacles, but they are concerned about the most important base of power. The American people are opposed to more debt. House Republicans worked skillfully in a political sense to obtain the best position possible, putting the Democrats into a corner. Some don't like the political game, but this is how it has worked for centuries.

How do we change things more quickly and get this debt whittled down? Get Obama and the Democrats out of power. Then make Republicans act lie Republicans when they are in control. We are in a state of crisis in this country economically and financially and I think Republicans finally get that. However, they have to work within the system that we have. That means inching forward, never giving up, and taking whatever victories you can get without sending your cart over the cliff with all banners flying.

The Speaker of the House Throws Down the Gauntlet

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid informed the House of Representatives that it need not waste its time repealing Obamacare.

Speaker John Boehner's reply was simple and to the point. Hat tip to RedState:


Senators Reid, Durbin, Schumer, Murray and Stabenow:

Thank you for reminding us – and the American people – of the backroom deal that you struck behind closed doors with ‘Big Pharma,’ resulting in bigger profits for the drug companies, and higher prescription drug costs for 33 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D, at a cost to the taxpayers of $42.6 billion.

The House is going to pass legislation to repeal that now. You’re welcome.

Harry Reid wants to pretend that the House has no power here, but it does. It is the source of all money bills and can defund the whole project. They can use this threat as leverage to completely redo health care and turn it from deform into real reform. Or chuck the whole thing because health care here was much betterthan most places to begin with.

Either way, Speaker Boehner gets it. Thank goodness!

Harry Reid Does Not Believe that "Hispanic-Americans" Can Think For Themselves

Harry Reid once again tried to haul out race as an issue and once again it backfired.

Reid found himself under fire in the 2008 election by referring to Obama's light skin and "lack of . . . dialect." Now he has come out and said that he can't see why any Hispanic-American would be conservative.

Is this not racism? They expect blacks and Hispanics to all follow the same party, same leaders, and same principles. Does anyone suggest that all whites need to follow the same party? How about Asians? Are they expected to all mindlessly follow one leader? Nope, just blacks and Hispanics are expected to stay on the left wing plantation.

Were I a member of these groups, I would take serious offense even if I was already liberal. It echoes the old pre Civil War assertions that blacks have to be guided like children by their betters because they cannot decide for themselves. Republicans preached differently then and differently now.

People of all races, religions, sexual orientations, and anything else you might think of choose the Republican Party because they usually believe in less government, less taxes, and more freedom. When Republicans concentrate on core economic, national security, and freedom issues, they attract supporters from all groups. Republicans increasingly tend to look at individuals more than groups. That leads to less offensive stereotyping than you see from the other side.

Reid publicly stuck his foot in his mouth, but he only said what a lot of liberal/leftists believe.

Breaking News: Republicans Think Obama Is a Socialist!

You may be amazed to hear this, but according to the liberal media, the Republican Party believes that Barack Obama is a socialist.

Even more shocking, Republicans plan to discuss Obama and Pelosi's socialist agenda to try and raise money for the midterm elections!

At fundrasisers' retreat in Florida recently, one Republican attendee carelessly left behind a packet of papers that outlined the top secret, confidential strategy that will describe Obama's Marxist, I mean, Leninist, er I mean Communist, no socialist policies. I know that almost no one out there believes that Republicans might consider Obama a president that leans towards socialism so this information must come at a huge shock.

Even more hair raising were cariciatures of Harry Reid as Scooby Doo and Nancy Pelosi as Cruella De Vil. Oh the humanity!!!!! How low will Republicans descend in their efforts to describe massive wealth redistribution and government takeovers of major industries as socialist?

Donna Gosney, attendee from the West Virginia Republican Party, explained in a quote in an National Public Radio story, "I'm tired of all this politically correct crap. If it's socialism, let's call it that. If not, let's call it something else."

Finally, the liberal media is reveling in the fact that the GOP hands out trinkets to major donors and other activists that are worth far less than the amount donated. I am sure that the Democrats hand out Mazzeratis to their top donors, but the GOP is a little more cash conscious. It probably does come as a shock to rich donors that the lapel pin or signed picture of President Bush they got for their donations may not have a high monetary value.

So let's recap. Republicans think that left wingers like Obama and Pelosi are dangerous socialists. They are willing to poke fun at their images to raise money and sway voters. The liberal media sees this as dredging the bottom of the political barrel.

Sure, it's not the same as calling Bush a Nazi, a moron, a monkey, an evil genius bent on destroying the world, or the idiotic puppet of Karl Rove or Dick Cheney, but hey, that's politics for ya.

Double Standard

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was in trouble before this week, trailing in the polls to any of his three possible Republican challengers. His race is one of at least five between the special election in Massachusetts coming up and November in which Republicans have a strong chance of seizing a seat currently held by a Democrat.

The came the revelation that Harry Reid made disparaging racial remarks about Obama during the campaign of 2008. He stated that Obama did not have an authentic "Negro (yes he used the word "Negro") dialect" except in private conversation. I suppose Senator Reid expected something out of Uncle Remus. Reid later said he was bowled over by Obama's eloquence. Of course all liberals are impressed by the ability to say nothing with absolute style.

This remark says a lot more about Harry Reid than Obama. As far as the issue of "dialect" is concerned (maybe Reid meant accent? I am not sure if he knows what the word "dialect" means) the turning on of an accent in private conversation that you would not use otherwise is not uncommon. It's not deceptive, it reflects the fact that most people act differently in nonprofessional situations as opposed to professional. Most West Virginians can identify with this dichotomy.

Can Harry Reid? I am still anxious to know what he means by "Negro dialect." This phrase, for which he apologized, reflects his mindset. You cannot apologize away such a stupid statement. What's more, Reid rode the bandwagon on a "Lott" of Republican race misstatements over the years. He was, of course, curiously absent on Joe Biden's remark on Obama being articulate. This comes just in time for Martin Luther King Day, too.

Once said, it cannot be unsaid. What's more, if you ladled out grief for something, you should expect it in return. Harry Reid will not resign, but he will likely lose his election this fall. One more sign of the coming collapse of left wing rule.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - Help Stop Obamacare Now!

Today in Charleston, Joe Manchin, Democrat members of the Legislature, Democrat staffers and Democrat congressional aides will gather to celebrate Senator Byrd becoming the longest serving Congressional member in U.S. history. It is also widely rumored that Senator Byrd himself is planning on attending. But while Democrats party under the dome at the state capitol a defining moment is coming to Washington in this year's health care debate.

Yesterday, Democrat leaders announced they will bring Harry Reid's new health care bill to the Senate floor in an effort to grant the President's Christmas wish for a government takeover of our nation's health care before the end of the year. This is in spite of the fact that no Senator has ever even seen Reid's new bill. It was written in secret behind locked doors by Harry Reid's personal staffers. Reid even hinted he may rush to a vote before the bill's been public for 72 hours, as even some Democrats have demanded.

To begin debate on this new version of Obamacare, Reid will play a shell game. He needs 60 senators to "vote to proceed" to an unrelated piece of legislation, and once he clears that hurdle he will strike that bill's text and insert his new health care bill. But don't be fooled by Democrat senators that say they oppose a government takeover but just wanted to allow debate on health care, they are not being honest.

The simple fact is this: Any senator that votes to proceed to the Reid-Obama bill is voting for a government takeover of your health care.

Call Senators Rockefeller and Byrd's offices right now and demand that they vote against the motion to proceed.

Senator Jay Rockefeller - (202) 224-6472
Senator Robert Byrd - (202) 224-3954

Or show up today at 3 p.m. in front of the Senator Byrd's statue on the second floor Rotunda of the State Capitol and ask Byrd in person not to support Harry Reid's undemocratic parliamentary maneuver "to proceed"

Don't allow Democrats to stick together on the vote to prceed and then allow some vulnerable Democrats to vote against final passage of the bill and claim they tried to stop it. Senators who say they just want to allow for debate are trying to deceive their voters while giving President Obama the crucial votes he needs to pass a government takeover of health care.

Voters should be watching and remember who stands up for their freedom and who stands with the special interests who want to ram through this takeover.

Democrats have now offered 5 different versions of Obamacare (the first House bill, the second House bill, the Senate Finance bill, the Senate HELP bill, and now Reid's bill). And despite the nuances, every Democrat bill we've seen puts Washington in control of health care, slashes Medicare coverage for seniors, raises premiums for families, raises taxes, places bureaucrats between patients and doctors, punishes young adults who choose not to buy coverage, and opens the door to government rationing of care.

We know the Reid plan will be more of the same and cannot be fixed by a few amendments on the Senate floor. The attempt to give Washington control over one-sixth of our economy is rotten to its core. And any improvements made to the bill will be a mirage that will vanish as soon as the bill goes behind closed doors in conference with the Pelosi bill.

Americans have loudly and repeatedly rejected the President's government takeover of health care. It's time to for the Democrats to listen, stop the shell games, and start over with real solutions that will provide every American the opportunity to afford, own and keep a health care plan that best meets their needs. We can have a real debate about common sense solutions, but only if we first stop this government takeover. And we can stop this bill if we let Democrats know they'll be held accountable for their vote next November.

Don't let them vote for a government takeover of health care before they vote against it. The "vote to proceed" to Obamacare may be one of the most important votes any Senator takes.

Make sure that Senator Byrd and Rockefeller both know that we are watching and that we'll remember them partying in Charleston while their colleagues in Washington were enslaving generations of West Virginians in a government run health care system with long lines, rationing and sub-standard care.

(The Preceding is an Action Alert from the WVGOP)

Potomac Highlands Conservative interviews Mike Huckabee

I had a short interview with Mike Huckabee last night as he traveled from Harrisburg, PA to Allentown, PA. Here are a few of his thoughts on recent events, his new book and West Virginia.

On the New York 23rd District race, Huckabee confirms he was asked not to endorse any candidate at the Conservative awards dinner. He believes that a 3rd party candidate is not the way to go and would like to see more conservatives get involved in the Republican Party and not work out side it, but he could never support a candidate liberal candidate like Dede Scozzafava.

On the push for a Saturday Health Care Bill vote. He believes that the Saturday vote on health care will cost a lot of Blue Dog Democrats their jobs in the upcoming election. They forget they are working for the people of their district and not Nancy Pelosi.

On his new book, Mike says the new book not a political book and he invited people to visit him on the Simple Christmas Book Tour. The book is an unapologetic book about Christmas and the first Christmas was more Jerry Springer than Oprah. It was an unwed teenage mother in a barn and the lord had humble beginnings. You will laugh and you will cry when you read his personal stories about Christmas.

I asked Governor Huckabee about West Virginian's being registered 2/3rds Democrats, but being conservative and voting for Republicans for President, but supporting Democrats in statewide offices. He said, West Virginia and Arkansas are view similar in people and topography. The people need to ask themselves do the views of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Ried, Chris Dodd and Charlie Rangle reflect their views because West Virginia elected officials are supporting their liberal views and not those of the people of West Virginia. Once the people realize that, then they need to vote accordingly to take the state down the right path.

Harry Reid Doesn't Like Smelly Tourists

Don't you love the fact that Harry Reid doesn't like to smell the American people like me and you when we come to visit the capital. Imagine that, he doesn't like the smell of his bosses.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Reporter and Photographer Arrested At US Representative Russ Carnahan (D) Missouri Rally

Everywhere Democrats go today they attract a crowd. Unfortunately it is not the one they invited.

Representative Russ Carnahan held a typical "town hall" style meeting for liberals, pack it with friends and supporters instead of constituents. As per usual these days, protesters had to remain outside. Apparently, so did the press. The meeting supposedly was on policy for the aging, but Carnahan packed the hall with labor union faithful.

Police came to break up the protest and arrested six people. The reporter, Leah Thorsen, described the jawing between health care deform supporters and free market protestors as "a carnival like atmosphere."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman and photographer Dawn Majors found themselves arrested for "interference" when they tried to take photographs of an injured person. Some of the arrested included left wing activists charged with assault.

Senator Harry Reid and others blame the Republican Party and commentators for the commotion. If they believe that, they are underestimating the resilience of Americans who just want their government to leave them alone. They also ignore the polls that have shown a majority of the people against Obamacare. Many protestors have little direct connection with, and some often have outright contempt for the Republican Party. I'm not saying that is a good thing, but it is a fact.

Some political figures have quietly remarked that they have not seen this much popular anger since the late 1960s. Very rarely does the conservative-libertarian movement muster much activity outside of strongly worded letters and websites. Glenn Beck colorfully described many of the protestors as people brushing Doritos off of their chest, getting up from their favorite movie channels, jobs, or golf games, and going out to directly voice their opinions on serious matters of concern. A GOP state executive committee member told me two years ago "Conservatives just don't protest. they have jobs and families." Now they feel motivated to act. That in itself ought to frighten elected officials. If Joe Sixpack is making signs and marching in the streets, liberals may be on the unemployment lines soon themselves.

Are Obama, Pelosi, and Reid Fascists or Communists?

The question at one point, maybe even a few months ago, would have sounded absolutely ludicrous. We are Americans, they are Americans, we thought. Certainly things will go as they always do. Elected officials will present their ideas, get them knocked down a little by the people, and we will put it off or get something that the people find somewhat reasonable.

Something changed. A motivating force behind Obama and both congressional leaders has them pushing for changes that can lead to nothing but extremely high taxation and significantly rising prices and costs across the board. Meanwhile they extended government control to an unprecedented extent over the private sector. They strongarmed two automobile manufacturers into giving up control, then handed them over to the unions. When they attempted to do the same to the banking sector, many of those institutions rebelled. They gave back the money that was lent to them to escape federal domination. Obama's people even explored ways to try and prevent the return of the money!

Now they want to create a system that eventually will put all health care decisions into their hands. The bill that no one except conservatives read spells out how they will choose which people deserve health care and which do not. Meanwhile taxation destroys the middle class.

Two quotes come to mind. The first says that "The way to crush teh middle class is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation." That was Vladimir Lenin. Next is "Fascism should rightly be called corporatism as it is the merger of corporate and governmnet power."

In either system the government tries to limit, then outlaw dissent through fear. Of course it helps to know a lot about the dissenters. The White House effort to gather information from private citizens on health care deform dissenters was a clumsy attempt to collect a database of opponents. Don't worry, their attempts will get more efficient as time goes on.

Obama is more of a fascist than an outright Communist. He will try to preserve the facade of a free market while stealing the capitalist substance. And the middle class? Without prosperity it is reduced to worrying about how to feed itself and pay its bills more than organizing long term political protest. When government controls health care, it will be in a position to discourage opposition. Previous politicians used the IRS to harass opponents, why would a future administration not hold health care access over someone's head?

The future is potentially chilling, but America is fighting back.

Whether they are more fascist or communist is irrelevant because both are the enemies of American style human liberty. It's time to take a stand and get back our Congress next year.

GOP Fundraising Outpaces Democrats in 2009 and Ted Kennedy's Mockery of West Virginia

Sunday, the Cumberland Times-News ran an Associated Press story coming out of West Virginia. The title claimed that the Democratic Party had raised more money than state Republicans, no shock there. It also spotlighted many of the factional divisions plaguing the party this year.

It included a curious nugget of information. Per voter, the West Virginia Republican Party took in over twice as much money as the Democrats. When one breaks down the fund raising, the WVGOP took in almost twenty-five cents per registered Republican voter while the Democrats only took in about ten cents per registered Democrat.

Now this is not yet cause to pop open the champagne, bang on the piano, and sing and dance. Happy days are still not here again. However, this must be recognized as progress. One more step forward in a long journey. Not too long ago a huge debt hung over the head of the party. In 2009 the fund raising numbers have accomplished this even in the middle of a recession and continuing intraparty strife. It shows a Republican base that is still smaller than the Ruling Party, but much more mobilized. The WVGOP has taken some advantage of the national political turn against Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the lefties.

Life provides few magic bullets. Like a coach taking hold of a college football team accustomed to years of losing records, it takes time to construct a program. We have seen strong progress over the last few years as the WVGOP got its house in order. Now it is prepared to build upon a stronger foundation and get back to the priority of electing Republicans to office.

Many kudos to those that have been directly involved in West Virginia Republican fund raising. Stay innovative and keep up the good work. We'll have West Virginia seeing red if we keep at it.

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I don't think anyone should be surprised at this. Ted Kennedy, the all wise moral compass of the liberals, was recorded at least once ridiculing West Virginia. Theodore White in his Making of the President 1968 recalled how at a party full of liberals at Robert Kennedy's house, the moral compass himself indulged in some insulting mimicry of the Southern West Virginia political bosses who enabled his brother to seize the primary in 1960.

We should have learned the lesson a long time ago, through this, through Bill Clinton aides tossing the phrase "trailer trash" around at Paula Jones, that elite liberals in Washington tend to see people like us as sources of votes and ridicule and not much else.

The Ant and the Grasshopper, Updated Version

IN a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”

“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself suffering from hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:

“IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.”

But the grasshopper need not have worried. Barack Obama and his magic elves Pelosi and Reid showed up at the first snowfall. They said "Shame on you ant! Your selfishness does not reflect a proper sense of public duty. Can't you see the grasshopper could not have known the disaster that was to befall him?"

The ant protested, "It is natural and inevitable that winter should always follow summer. That is why I stored my food!"

Obama and his magic elves would hear none of it. They waved their magic wand and took almost 2/3 of the ant's food (this is a New York City ant.) The ant said "Now I don't have enough to last the winter! I have at least earned security and comfort with my hard work!"

But Obama and his elves had already left. The grasshopper went right on singing and not working. The ant suffered in silence. Who cared about the ant?

Here's the question. What happens if the ant decides not to work so hard next summer? How will the grasshopper eat then?

Obama Administration pushes race/sexual orientation based "Hate Crime" bill

According to, Lanier Swann, the special assistant to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Moments ago Majority Leader Reid filed a hate crimes amendment to the DOD Authorization Bill. He then filled the tree, which means no amendments can be offered to his amendment, and filed cloture on the amendment."

The amendment is not based on fairness under the law, but on race or sexual orientation. The facts of the matter are any violent crime is a hate crime and should be punished equally. Race or sexual orientation should never be the basis for the punishment for a crime. Those convicted of a violent crime should be treated harshly and equally no matter if the victim is straight, homosexual, male, female, black, white, etc.

By calling for cloture to rush the bill through, this will limit debate and could allow a race/sexual orientation based bill to move forward into law. We must have equal protection under the law with no special classes of citizens. If you value our nation of equality ask for this amendment to be removed from the bill. The number for the Senate switch board is 202-225-3121.

He Needs to "Reid" Up on the Meaning of Class

Harry Reid can't stop taking pot shots at former President George W. Bush and his family.

Talk about obsession. George W. Bush has ridden off into the sunset, refrained from offering criticism, despite the floundering nature of his successor and the Democratic Congress, and they still can't lay off of him.

Reid in a recent book recounts a converstion with former Senator Lloyd Bentsen in which the failed candidate for vice president referred to Barbara Bush as a b****. Reid commented that the 43rd president must take after his mother.

W may have exited office with low ratings, but the public always held Barbara Bush in high esteem. Perhaps Reid and others fear the bouce that most ex presidents (except Jimmy Carter) receive when they leave office and people gain historical perspective. As democracy continues to survive in Iraq and people figure out that Congress had more to do with the downturn than the president, Bush will be more appreciated. Attacking "Bar" (as her husband affectionately referred to her, is a cheap shot probably designed to bring her son out of his post presidential silence.

Regardless, combine this sort of statement with those of Ms. "white men cannot make good decisions" Sotomayor, Mr. "clinging to guns and religion" Obama, and the general goofiness that drops from the mouth of the vice president and you get a pattern of liberal lack of respect. Democrats may jump on the inflammatory rhetoric of Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reily, but those are not government officials.

Harry Reid is classless and polls seem to indicate that his constituents are starting to agree.

The Inappropriate Sense of Humor of Barack Obama

So Barack Obama, as we saw last week, considers dredging up traumatic memories of 9/11 and scaring New Yorkers half to death to be fodder for a joke. The CNN commentator did not even stray from neutrality as she gleefully introduced the poor attempt at humor. He joked about his children taking Air Force One for a joyride.

The real story here is not the fact that Obama made a stupid and crass joke at the Correspondent's Dinner. No one responded or reacted to this.

The amazing thing is the contrast between Obama's humor and his predecessor. President Bush generally, in such situations, had the self-confidence to ridicule himself. The best example was when he brought out the impersonator and spoke alongside him. President Bush understood that he was funny, but also did not push it past the point where he would injure his dignity as president. Obama is not yet aware that his presidential persona is a huge target for ridicule.

There's nothing wrong with a president lightening up and joking around in the right forum. They still need to be respectful when considering joking about the worst attack on this nation within most of our lifetimes.

Interestingly, Obama was caught laughing at a statement about Rush Limbaugh being killed. Now in an unguarded moment, something similar could happen to any of us. However, compare the lack of comment to the heaps of abuse thrown at CBS golf analyst David Faherty. Faherty toured the Middle East and recounted his assessment of US troops' opinions of liberal politicians. "Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death." In his apology, he explained that he was simply trying to explain how US soldiers feel about their current commander-in-chief. CBS and the PGA Tour blasted his statements, which, like the Rush Limbaugh murder joke, were inappropriate.

Will anyone condemn or distance themselves from Obama and his friend yukking it up over their fantasized death of Limbaugh? Probably not.

Saxby Chambliss and the Coral Sea Plus a Party of the Common Man Update

Last month we took a major hit. Our opposition and their wellplanned and organized attack caught us seemingly unawares. We knew something was coming, but we were not sure how badly it would hit us. The onslaught pushed us to the brink and nearly gave the Democrats complete control of the two elected branches of government, a situation designed to help them gain the third as well.

With the party in shambles, disorganized, and questioning itself, the momentum of the Democrats carried forward. Media figures swooned over the expanding circle of Obama. As President Bush continued to tend to crises inside and outside the country, journalists hung on every possible appointment made by the president-elect. Condoleeza Rice travels to India to confer over terrorism while Obama selects a secretary of state, causing writers to trumpet "co-presidency!"

All seemed to be swept aside until December 2nd. The opposition marched on Georgia, determined to win a stronghold Senate seat that would render their domination complete. Obama, the great political conqueror, allowed his underlings to take on this mop up action. Like a Japanese emperor, his voice is too sacred to be heard live, but he did allow it to be recorded for robocalls.

One of the last leaders standing after the deluge was Governor Sarah Palin who tirelessly campaigned in Georgia on behalf of Chambliss. He could not muster fifty percent of the vote in November, but won by ten percentage points in the runoff.

Our strategy should be clear. Chambliss' win must mark the turning point where the GOP says "you have come this far, but no farther." Palin's leadership helped a vulnerable Republican incumbent achieve a major victory. We must dust ourselves off, rally behind a proven and effective leader, and march forward, slicing away at the Democrats like Nimitz and Macarthur engaged Japan. We did not get it all back at once, but picked the right battles, used resources wisely, and never retreated because we had confidence in the plan and the leadership.

We also saw Palin showing a strong commitment towards being a Republican Party leader. Conversely, Obama has shown either a discomfort or a distaste for helping his fellow Democrats during and after the election. This should win him few real friends on Capitol Hill.

The time is now to plan and organize. Time to reorient our vision and move forward.

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Party of the Common Man Update

Meanwhile the party of the common man says that you stink.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid laughed when he expressed his distaste for the "smell" of people moving through long lines in the summer to tour one of the most important buildings in the country. He said "you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol."

Now a Republican probably would not have said that, at least in earshot of a reporter, but if he or she did it would have been MSNBC's lead story for a week complete with endless discussion of the ramifications for Election 2010.

Obama says we are bitter. Reid says we stink. Great. I love the sympathy of the party of the common man.

Byrd and Reid's Fairy Tales

Stimulus packages are not in themselves bad. Sometimes they can jump start faltering economies. When we consider them, we need to base the decision of whether or not to use them on hard facts. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Byrd issued a joint statement defending their $13.5 billion stimulus package. It claims that the package will produce 635,000 new jobs.

That is pretty astounding but according to the Heritage Foundation and the Washington Examiner, these numbers do not add up. The numbers are based upon a Department of Transportation study that itself claims that such numbers are likely false. The story is linked below.

http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/TapscottsCopyDesk/Byrd_11-12.html

Stimulus is fine and sometimes necessary, but let us have the facts first before we spend.

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Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito was asking the same hard questions of auto executives this week. She asked them to prove the necessity of a bailout package when they had just received a $25 billion loan from the Department of Energy. Capito also pondered why some sectors of the economy received help and others did not, citing the fact that a number of West Virginia firms had gone out of business with no offer of help whatsoever. Her point was that we need our automakers, but we also need assurances that they will make the changes necessary to compete in the long term.

2007 Year in Review

It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another year. 2007, to say the least, has been an eventful year all around.

Riding their wave of 2006, Democrats brought new leadership on the national level in 2007. The faces were new, but the Democrats turned out to be the same tax and spend party that still can not stand up to our nation's enemies.

Nancy Pelosi was selected to be the first female Speaker of the House and together with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; they have managed to make history – by achieving all-time low approval ratings. Never had there been approval ratings lower than what we see in Congress today.

The Democrats believed that they had a mandate to end the Iraqi front of the Global War on Terror. Fortunately for our nation, they have failed to deliver on that campaign promise, along with many others.

Thanks to our nation's resolve, President Bush has changed course in Iraq, by sending a surge of military personnel to the area. The result was lower violence, safer neighborhoods and refugee Iraqis returning home again.

Back home at the national level, we have been enjoying continuous economic growth.
According to the National Bureau for Labor and Statistics, more than 8.1 million mobs have been created since August 2003.

This past September alone, our economy created 110,000 jobs. September 2007 is the 49th consecutive month of job growth, setting a new record for the longest uninterrupted expansion of the U.S. labor market.

With an $8.3 billion reduction in the trade deficit, our exports and Gross Domestic Product have grown 14.8 percent and 3.8 percent respectively. Thanks to the President's tax cuts; we have seen this record job growth, while we continue bringing in record revenues to our nation's treasury. Tax cuts do work.

What we have not seen is the growth coming into West Virginia.

Forbes Magazine recently released their 2007 rankings of states' business climate.
West Virginia dropped to 50th, last in the nation. In 2006, in wake of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana was able to keep us at 49th. But that state's recovery efforts brought them up out of the basement in 2007, leaving West Virginia in last place once again.

According to the US Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia ranked once again 50th in Legal Climate, landing us #1 once again as a judicial hell-hole for the 2nd year in a row.
You would think with ratings such at these, that our new legislature would go to the statehouse and work to make our state business friendly, bring real civil justice reform, and improve our business climate. They did not.

Because Bob Kiss did not run for re-election in 2006 the House Democrats selected a new Speaker: trial lawyer Rick Thompson of Wayne County. Under Thompson's leadership, we continue to see broken promises by the Democrats during the 2007 Legislative session.
On the campaign trail in 2006, many Democrat legislators claimed that they were pro-life and pledged to support parental notification legislation. But with abortion on demand activist Carrie Webster handed the gavel to the powerful House Judiciary Committee, parental notification never saw the light of day.

In 2006, West Virginia House Democrats argued that they supported the parental notification bill, but were protecting the committee process by failing to discharge it from then House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jon Amores' desk.

Twelve current House Democrats failed on their promise to fight for parental notifications by voting with former Speaker Kiss and Chairman Amores to prevent consideration of parental notification on the House floor last year. "Protect the Committee Process" was their mantra.

The committee process didn't seem as important with 2006 Mine Safety Bill demanded by Governor Manchin in the wake of the Sago tragedy. It passed in 6 hours and completely bypassed the committee process altogether - the same process they were so adamant about protecting when pro-life members were trying to protect the unborn. In 2007, the parental notification bill and all other pro-life bills were pronounced dead on arrival. The "pro-life" Speaker will not stand up to his Judiciary Committee Chairwoman.

In 2006, Democrat Doug Reynolds of Cabell County had promised that he would vote against renewing a temporary gas tax. In 2007, Freshman Delegate Doug Reynolds broke his campaign promise and voted to keep the gasoline tax increase permanent.

Another item on the Democrat agenda was the expansion of gambling in West Virginia to include Las Vegas-style table games at the racetracks.

This arguably unconstitutional vote allowed only four counties to have a voice in what affects the entire state. There are people who live within sight of the Tri-State Greyhound Park in Cross Lanes who were denied the right to decide if they wanted table games in their backyard, because they lived on the wrong side of the Putnam-Kanawha county line. However, people over forty miles away on the Kanawha side Montgomery had a vote.

The residents of the Putnam side of Nitro were let down by their legislators: Delegates Dale Martin and Brady Paxton. Both Democrats both voted for passage of the table games bill and in the process allowed their constituents to be disenfranchised.

The legislature also deemed necessary that our cities and municipalities in West Virginia would be allowed to pass home rule ordinances. A five-year pilot program will soon be in place for five cities. Home Rule will give these cities power to create their own taxes to be imposed on citizens and businesses, the same citizens and businesses that are over taxed as it is..

Nowhere in this legislation was the requirement that citizens within these city limits would have a vote to permit these changes. Officials will soon have the power to impose yet more taxes on working families that already face one of the highest total tax burdens in the nation.
Instead of shifting some of the power to tax to the local level, the Democrats simply are planning on allowing another government hand in your pocket, without reducing your tax burden at the state level.

In a futile attempt to appear to be "pro-business", the Democrats enacted a reduction in the Business Franchise Tax - by a whopping quarter of one percent (.25%). Small businesses nibble on the crumbs handed down by the ruling party, and real tax reform is once again forgotten. With the Democrats running the legislature, we can forget about eliminating regressive business taxes that are in place such those levied on inventory, machinery and equipment.

Other bills that the legislature spent their limited sixty-day session on were: allowing the transportation of roadkill across state lines, building prison nurseries for inmate mothers, and clarifying that fish feces were not sludge.

As another year end draws near, we hold our glasses high and hope that 2008 and the election that it carries will bring the changes we desperately need.

Giddiness Over Iran

The media is giddy. Democrats are giddy. Even Iran is Giddy. What is the source of all this giddiness?

The National Intelligence Estimate laid what has been touted as a bombshell, that Iran has not actively tried to produce a nuclear weapon since 2003. Harry Reid of course used it to promote Bush as a warmonger trying to start a conflict with Iran for no real reason. The media, Nancy Pelosi, Ron Paul, the Iranian president and every other opponent of Bush's policy will pile on, once again touting a Bush failure, but hold on a second.

Seems to me that this 2003 date seems vaguely familiar. Why on earth would Iran select 2003 as a year to fall into line with the world's demands (minus France, Russia and all else making money off of Iran) to stop pursuing nuclear weapons. Did Iran just pick this day out of the clear blue? The Democrats and the media may have missed it, but I doubt thinking people have.

Cause and effect. We invaded Iraq in 2003 over the issue of weapons of mass destruction. Even the mullahocracy has a sense of self-preservation even though they discourage it in others. They understand the possibility of the United States targeting their regime next and shut down their program.

For four years they have not had an active program, but that does not mean they do not pose a threat. Iran continues to produce for its nuclear reactors the kind of enriched uranium that can be used for weapons. George W. Bush's policy in the Middle East once again has borne fruit. First Libya committed to disarming, now we see that Iran did the same. Only continued pressure and the threat of force will keep Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Once again President Bush should receive the credit for removing a potential threat to the United States before it becomes too dangerous.