English at the Olympics

One of the debates we have had and continue to have in our country is whether or not to make English our official language. I have always been intrigued because in the past it has always been assumed by people that I have spoken to and met that English is the main language. I have never begun a conversation asking "Do you speak English?"

Now, as I watch the Beijing Olympics I am amazed to see that the Olympics has no problem with making English the official language, even in a country whose language uses a completely different alphabet. I know that technically the official languages are French, English, and Chinese but what language is posted all over the venues? Everywhere you look you read B-e-i-j-i-n-g 2-0-0-8. I don't know Chinese, but I would be willing to bet that is not written in Chinese. There is no secondary translation, no Chinese version of Beijing 2008 next to the script, just English.

Then there are the uniforms. I was especially humored to see Chinese athletes walking around in white uniforms with big red letters C-H-I-N-A. English has become the most universally accepted language. Yet, we debate that it should be the official language in our country. Athletes from numerous countries are interviewed and fluently speak English.

Fear and Loathing in Charleston, West Virginia

It must already be desperation time for the Charleston Gazette's drive to oust Representative Shelley Moore Capito from office.

Columnist Jim Haught last week produced a long and rambling column, more like a list, of alleged Moore misdeeds. Some of these came to light as a result of the paper's undying obsession with the popular Republican governor. The column raises interesting questions about journalism in West Virginia.

The obvious pride shown by Haught and his employer in taking down Arch Moore should raise a question in anyone's mind (anyone who does not live in a cave or who is not a non thinking left wing liberal) about the other side. Journalists pay lip service to objectivity, but when has the Gazette ever written an expose of a Democratic politician? If you read the pages of the Charleston morning paper, GOP misdeeds happen every day, but Democrats are merely victims of Republican vendettas.

What about the Gazette's undying love affair with John F. Kennedy? Interestingly, as a side note, Kennedy's policies look much more like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush than Obama or Kerry, but the Gazette does not often deal in inconvenient facts. Put a (D) after Reagan or Bush and they'd be heroes worthy of beatification in the Gazette's partisan eyes. While Kennedy's foreign and economic policies often made sense, his West Virginia record was fairly mixed. He brought in the Appalachian corridor system, but to become president had to lie, cheat, and corrup[t his way into office. If you read Dr. Allen Loughry's account of the 1960 presidential primary, you'd probably figure that at the very least, Ted Kennedy (who led the campaign in Southern West Virginia) should have spent some time in a federal prison instead of the US Senate. Loughry, by the way, was a Caperton administration official, not a GOP hatchet man.

If you do not believe him, read Raymond Chafin's Just Good Politics. This autobiography of a Democratic boss in Logan County was written with the help of liberal writer Topper Sherwood. A subsequent and more detailed account written later by Keith Davis was forwarded by Earl Ray Tomblin. They discuss shenanigans that make Moore's alleged offenses look fairly petty, but presented them in a nostalgic, back home sort of manner. Of course Sherwood recently wrote a fawning commentary for the Gazette about Obama. The gist of the book is that Chafin was just helping the folks who helped him like good politicians always do. In reality, Chafin accepted thousands of dollars to buy precincts for John F. Kennedy in his primary campaign. He also used the State Road Commission as a place to reward the politically faithful. Loughry blames this campaign for introducing a whole new scale of corruption to the state political system.

As for Governor Moore, the Gazette never balanced the equation of his political career with his achievements as they certainly have with Democratic politicians who ended up in jail. Moore fought for and got an expanded interstate highway system, for example. During the Flood of 1985 he acted aggressively to secure federal funds, to help the afflicted, and got people's lives back to normal as quickly as possible. Instead of wringing his hands waiting for the president to act (like the Democratic governor of Louisiana during Katrina) Moore did everything the law allowed and then some.

It is time for state GOP press outlets to start shining the lights a little more closely on Democratic politicians and their past. It would only be fair. Questions and rumors about unfair elections have surrounded a few Democrats for years. The people are probably kind of curious to see what would come up.

We won't see this from the Gazette. They are too busy trying to use the problems of twenty and thirty years ago to unseat a popular and effective congresswoman guilty of nothing. It is typical of the Charleston paper to apply this kind of guilt by association tactic, especially since it looks like Capito will cruise to yet another strong victory in November.

WV Young Republicans Organized for 2008 Election

WV Young Republicans Organized for 2008 Election

August 11^th, 2008 Contact: Lisa Peana

304-730-4599

Kenova, WV – The WV Young Republicans are poised for the General Election. "Our organization will lay the foundation for tomorrows leaders here in West Virginia,” said Ashley Stinnett, State Chairman, "We are the oldest youth political organization in the nation - which is why it is so important to get our youth involved."

The organization consists of:

Ashley Stinnett- State Chairman and holds a BA from Marshall. Served as Chairman for Wayne Co. YR's and as National Committeeman for WVYRs 2003-2006. Served as interim campaign director for Mike Teets for WV Comm. of Agr. May-July 08. Works in film, journalism, and public relations.

Lisa Peana – serves as Executive Director for the YR’s. She recently served as President of the State Republican Club where she over-saw the recruitment of candidates and is currently a Candidate for the House of Delegates in District 17.

Mike Ankrom – Regional Coordinator. Formerly worked for the WVGOP and as a field rep for Bush/Cheney 04. Currently, he is the Campaign Director for Dan Greear. He holds a BA and Masters from Marshall University.

April Black-Cabell Co officer and Treasurer. April is a Marshall Graduate and works for a Huntington based Law Firm.

Nora Ankrom- Secretary for the WVYR's and recent Marshall Graduate.

Sara Schofield- National Committeewoman with the WVYR's and holds a Bachelor’s and Masters in Biology from Marshall. She is a Putnam County resident originally from Charleston.

"Our main purpose (as an organization) is getting Republicans elected in the Fall. We share the same notion that 75 years of a one party system has crippled every facet of our state from education to jobs,” 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.

The State YR’s Headquaters is located in Kenova, WV. Those interested in volunteering can email: acscj1980@aol.com.

Have You Seen These People?

The following respected West Virginians have come up missing in the last few months. If anyone sees any reports on these people's whereabouts in the state media, Katie bar the door because it is a sure sign the Apocalypse is on the way.

Russ Weeks, Republican Nominee for Governor: This former Vietnam vet and state senator published a book and has toured the state using personal money. He has probably used a much higher percentage of his assets to run than some multi-millionaire incumbents. Weeks has strong positions against cronyism and corruption, but on any given day could be pushed off the news pages by reports of a cat stuck in a tree. Distinguishing characteristics include blunt honesty and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

Charles Minimah, Republican Nominee for Secretary of State: Another veteran, a successful businessman, and another candidate spending more time meeting the people than his opponent. While his opponent spent her youth in a mascot costume, Minimah was serving his country. Minimah is well known for promoting black heritage in the Kanawha Valley and is determined to help the handicapped have better access to voting. When the national media bashed West Virginia as a state of racists after the Democratic primary, you might think that proud newspapermen and women would have cited this gentleman as proof positive of the opposite. Distinguishing characteristics include a strong desire to continue Secretary Ireland's reforms and preventing the bosses from getting their rotten influence back.

Dan Greear, Republican Nominee for Attorney General: If you get your political news from Phil Kabler, you might assume that Greear's consultant Vic Sprouse was running for some sort of statewide office. Amazingly, Kabler's vendetta against Sprouse gets more attention than any of these people actually running for office this year. If you get your news from the Wall Street Journal, you know that Greear is West Virginia's best chance to overthrow an attorney general infamous even within his own party for questionable practices. Distinguishing characteristics include tremendous speaking ability and a passion for cleaning up state government and how the attorney general's office operates. If you see trial lawyers wandering around looking for job handouts, you will not find Greear in the vicinity.

J. Michael Teets, Republican Nominee for Commissioner of Agriculture: The entire country is entering a revolution in agri-energy. West Virginia should be poised to take a strong role in creating new products as well as providing raw materials. Teets may not have been in office for many, many, many years. However his home is in Hardy County where the capital city of state poultry production is located. Distinguishing characteristics include amazing energy and the constant presence and support of his wife, Joyce.

Jay Wolfe, Republican Nominee for United States Senate: Wolfe can be spotted on the correct side of energy debates. He supports the expansion of drilling for oil to reduce prices and foreign dependence. Wolfe also supports reforming the tax code to promote prosperity for all and making revenue collection more fair. Jay Wolfe is pretty easy to spot. He stands head and shoulder above a lot of politicians.

Beth Walker, Republican Nominee for West Virginia State Supreme Court of Appeals: Walker is an amazing individual among those seeking the position of justice. She regards the law as her guide rather than special interests or personal whims. When she joins Brent Benjamin on the bench, the state will finally have a strong and solid group on the bench dedicated to interpreting law correctly and fairly. Walker has legal experience in a wide variety of issues.

If you just read state newspapers (outside of The State Journal, The Charleston Daily Mail, the Mineral Daily News Tribune, and a few others) you won't know that these people even exist because of the bias that permeates the profession. It is up to you, the voters, to go out and educate yourselves since the press won't do it for you. Look up their websites. See what they stand for as individuals. Read non partisan blogs such as Lincoln Walks at Midnight or partisan outlets such as Change West Virginia or The Republican Gazette. In all these places you will see information that will balance the bias of the state news establishment. You know that every vote for the people described above is a vote against seventy-five years of Ruling Party mediocrity.

The People Behind the Scenes Often Make the Difference

Politics, like almost anything else, usually reveals only a small percentage of its actual workings. Television, print, and electronic media show the candidates as they go from here to there, meeting and greeting. Most people do not understand how it takes a physical and financial toll on most candidates to interact with the people and find out what they want and need from their officials.

No one ever sees the hard working and dedicated souls that work behind the scenes to make all this possible. Few politicians have the time or the skill to organize large scale campaigns. They often have to travel to several events in the same day and remember which people are at what place. If a candidate is lucky, they have someone carefully scanning the media, finding out when events are, and making schedules for them. Also most candidates need money. Most in our state live on the same middle class salaries as many of the rest of us and need help from the people. Many would be amazed at how important each candidate considers every donation even and sometimes especially the $10 and $20 ones. Once, Governor Arch Moore received a small donation from an elderly woman that he knew lived on a low fixed income. He tried to return it to her but was met with refusal. She wanted everyone to know that she supported him. Candidates strongly appreciate every bit of support they get.

If candidates are fortunate, they have dedicated volunteers arranging fundraisers for them. One of the best in our region at mastering the fine art of scheduling and fund raising is Christy Barnett of New Creek. In her third year of political work, she has made a tremendous impact in local and state races and has become indispensable to many Republican office seekers. She is also one of the district delegates to the State Republican Executive Committee.

Another important person worth mentioning is Tommy Phillips, President of the Harrison County Republican Club. He tirelessly labors at making the state GOP website one of the most effective and efficient political site in the country while constantly keeping it up to date. Under his control, it has grown into one of the top sources for news and events in the state party. Phillips also manages events for his club and assists the party directly in a variety of capacities. Phillips is definitely part of the glue that holds the West Virginia GOP organization together.

These behind the scenes warriors get little credit, but deserve many accolades. Thanks to all of them who sacrifice their time and energy to bring the Republican Party success in West Virginia.

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

Home sales rose 5.3% nationally in the last report issued. With the nation still in a growth phase, home sales showing signs of life, and gasoline prices starting to drop, it will be interesting to see what the main issues will be in two months should these trends continue.

The New Yellow Peril? Probably not.

Western alarmists have made a cottage industry for over a century in warning Americans and Europeans of "the Yellow Peril." In most variations, some Asian country uses underhanded dealings to gain an advantage over the West. Soon the world will be dominated by China/Japan/India, etc.

Twenty years ago we feared Japan. Japanese work ethic and aggressive investments were going to take over the world and make the US a second rate power. Paul Kennedy in 1988 ended his well received Decline and Fall of the Great Powers with this prediction. Guess what? It never happened. The Japanese overextended themselves, suffered the debilitating effects of a real estate bubble the size of Mount Everest, and have not really seen tremendous economic expansion since the early 1990s. Japan's closed economic system prevented them from growing past a certain point because it prevented truly fair trade. Plus, US industry got its act together and competed more strongly than Japan expected.

Now the new "peril" lies in China. It has over one billion souls, boundless resources, and a will to regain a position of respect not held by them since the 1700s. We risk being fooled again by their tremendous growth numbers and predictions by some experts. Chinese growth does occur at 10% compared to 3% in good years for the US. However in simple numbers, our 3% growth is 3% of a very massive GDP. China's GDP is nothing near ours, so their 10% is actually quite puny. The main problem for China lies in its corrupt and worn out brand of Communism. Like Poland in the 1970s, everyone knows Communism is finished as a system. No one believes in it anymore. However the social betterment promised by Communism has been the historical justification for secret police establishments, torture, and lack of freedom.

The good news is that China has nurtured a growing middle class. Historically, middle classes seek material gains and political freedoms. Chinese middle class members have seen material gains, but political freedom has not occurred yet. Additionally economic opportunities are not fairly open to all. Much of this is reminiscent of France in 1788.

That leads us to the bad news. The rickety and corrupt China that currently confronts us is stable and seeks little more than a chance to expand its economy and be a leader in East Asia. A revolution on one hand would be good because it would free the people. Hopefully it would not lead to a redux of France in the 1790s, a bloodthirsty revisionist state that confronted the entire world violently. China has a historical hatred of Japan and seeks territory from Russia and India. Revolutionaries could potentially seize on these nationalist issues. Luckily it also has little history of seeking to expand beyond its current frontiers. However we must not forget that they have nuclear missiles.

A revolution would be appropriate given Chinese political philosophy. Their mandate of heaven, loosely like our Declaration of Independence, claims that divine Providence will help the people sweep away a government when it is no longer beneficial. Our government must be in a position to anticipate these kinds of events when they occur and channel them in positive directions.

China has a lot of developing and growing pains to experience before they become a true world leader. Structural problems in their economy and social system will prevent them in their current incarnation from becoming a more powerful nation than the United States. The biggest threat they pose comes not from what they are now, but what they could become.

Politicians win when they put the American People First

In the 1990's the Republican Party took control of the US Senate and House when they promised to put the needs of the American people first. Unfortunately once in power they forgot that there primary job was to take care of the nation first and not the special interest groups and the American voter took away their majority in the 2006 election.

The Democrats have not learned from the mistakes of the Republican Congress and are now putting the needs of the special interest ahead of the American people and the people are not happy. Some in the Democratic party are starting to realize that. Surprisingly extreme left wing group, MoveOn.org, is warning members they are loosing the energy argument. In an e@mail to supporters they wrote, "Here's the truth:Right now, progressives are losing this argument." They don't realize they are wrong, just that they are loosing the argument. I can tell them the reason they are loosing the argument is because they are WRONG!

Last week when Congress walked out on the American people without doing anything to help with the current energy crisis. Many in congress had had enough. Republicans have been staying in Washington protesting speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's choice to ignore the plight of the average American. American Solutions held a press conference at the capital on Wednesday.

Unlike the anti-energy elites that have a stranglehold on the Democratic Party, the American people clearly understand that laws of economics still apply. If you increase the supply of any product that price will drop. Drilling for more oil is only part of the answer, but it will bring oil prices down. Ironically Paris Hilton is right on energy policy, we need to move forward on all fronts. We need to drill now, but we also need to explore alternatives such as bio-fuels, wind and solar.

The Republican Party is on the side of the American people on energy policy and for any political party being on the American peoples side is the right place to be. The Republican party should not do what is right for the party, it should do what is right for the American people. If you do what is right for the American people, then it will automatically be what is correct for the party.

The Republican party has been the party of common sense. We used common sense solutions that helped the average American. We got away from the in the 1990's drunk with power. Now we have an opportunity to return to the core values of the American people and the party. Standing firm on drilling for our own oil to bring down fuel prices and help the American people is the right side of the issue.

Howell launches radio ad across district

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Howell

Thursday, August 7, 2008 304-790-9292

Howell launches radio ad across district

Gary Howell, state Senate candidate in the 14th District, is launching a multi-county radio ad touting his belief in lower taxes, stronger education and protecting gun rights.

The ad will play on multiple stations and reach most voters across the seven-county district.

“I’m running an aggressive campaign to take my message directly to the voters,” said Howell. “As our campaign progresses, the citizens of Tucker, Preston, Taylor, Mineral, Barbour, Grant, and Monongalia counties will have a chance to talk with me personally and hear my message delivered in a variety of mediums.”

To listen to Gary’s ad, visit www.garyhowell2008.com

Realistic

West Virginia Congressman Nick Joe Rahall spent some time on the political hot seat recently, getting a good "grilling" series of questions from President George W. Bush about energy policy. The two spent quite some time together, but Rahall came away saying the president was "realistic" about the fact that a Democrat controlled Congress will not lift a finger to help America bring down the cost of energy.

Who is more realistic here? House Republicans stayed in session as House Democrats went on vacation. Republicans, including Shelley Moore Capito, remained in Washington to hammer home the point that Americans want action now. Our prosperity has traditionally come from inexpensive transportation. MoveOn.org has predictably protested the GOP determination to continue the debate in the absence of their opponents. Certainly images of this will end up on commercials this fall. Amazingly, Nancy Pelosi has taken a hard stance on the issue while encouraging House Democrats to show independence by publicly disagreeing with her. To Republicans energy is serious business. To Democrats it is yet another political game.

The Republican Party continues to show the American people its commitment to helping boost the economy (which by the way never went into recession as predicted) while bringing down the high cost of energy. Democrats continue to put the unlikely potential of environmental problems ahead of the real world trouble faced by Americans daily.

Nick Casey, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, must not be aware of his own party's reluctance to do anything. He criticized Senator John McCain's visit to the Marshall University football team, saying he should talk energy prices instead of football. Casey should explain that to House Democrats who refuse to move on energy and would rather go on vacation than even talk about the issue.

Interesting Military Statistics

Thanks to Anne Palmer who sent me a link to a report recently put out by the Federation of American Scientists. This is a non partisan group that often publishes on the internet some fascinating material on the militaries of the world, among other topics.

Some of the numbers that one sees are very interesting. In the three year span that opened the Clinton Administration, 3,328 American service personnel lost their lives. These represented the worst three years of losses during his presidency. Incidentally, this was the high tide of post Cold War budget cutting as well. The highest three years of US military casualties during the George W. Bush Administration in this report (which only extends to 2006) number 5,489. So yes the Bush administration's number is higher; however we must remember that we were fighting a tenacious enemy on two separate fronts in the Bush years.

Amazingly in the top three years of accident related deaths, the Clinton Administration's worst three years totalled 1,714 while Bush's presidency saw 1,825. In time of war, one would expect higher levels of stress and long term deployments to lead to more accidents. They have, but not by a substantially higher number. The figures for self-inflicted incidents are eye opening as well. The media has continually reminded us that our forces are in a seriously strained condition. Undoubtedly the horrors of war do take their toll on each man or woman exposed to them. However, the top three years of self-inflicted incidents during Clinton's term total 718 while Bush's top three years in the study were 579. Almost 150 fewer than in Clinton's first three years of office.

These numbers do not say anything personally about Bill Clinton; however since Democrats including his wife have continually bashed the military's performance at war under Bush, it is worthwhile to listen to what they tell us. Under George W. Bush the military has shown itself to be at a peak of efficiency and effectiveness. This is the result of the pride shown by each serviceman and the leadership demonstrated by officers as well as the determination to see the job finished correctly and effectively.

The report can be read in its entirety at the link below.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf

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

Every day we see Barack Obama shoot himself in the foot. Now he needs to explain why tapping into the strategic oil reserve is a good method to lower gas prices and alleviate suffering now, but tapping into the massive pools off our coastlines and under ANWAR will do no good for decades. Simply put, Obama has figured out that he must deal with John McCain's arguments of substance in some fashion.

Mineral County Republican Candidates Support the Farming Community

Republican candidates in Mineral County support the Ag community by purchasing champion livestock last week at the Mineral County Fair. Above, from left, Sheriff candidate Paul Sabin, Assessor Rose Ann Main, Senate candidate Gary Howell, Delegate Bob Schadler, Amanda Michael, Del. Alan Evans, and Sen. Dave Sypolt with Michael's reserve champion feeder calf. Below, the same group poses with Brent Ebert after purchasing Ebert's reserve champion sheep. Both animals were donated back and reauctioned, and the money given to a 4-H college scholarship fund.

2 West Virginia Congressman vote to keep fuel prices at record levels

While many across the country have canceled vacations due to high fuel cost, Congress decided to take a 5-week vacation of its own. The reason was to avoid solving the high fuel cost problem. The answer is simple; drill for more oil domestically. 71% of the nation now agrees that drilling for our own oil is a good idea.

Many in Congress claim that drilling will not lower the cost of oil. Consider that oil prices in countries that drill for their own oil are the lowest in the world and those that do not are the highest in the world. The laws of Economics are simple. If you increase supply and demand remains the same the price will drop.

Obama made the comment that we all need to inflate our tires to save more fuel. It is true that properly inflated tires will increase fuel mileage, but that is about the equivalent of trying to irrigate the desert with a garden hose. We are dealing with a Congress that doesn’t live like you and I. They do not understand that families are having to make choices on whether or not to go on vacation or buy back to school supplies.

House Vote #566; to leave Washington for a vacation without taking any action to lower fuel prices breaks down like this for the West Virginia delegation.

Aye WV-1 Mollohan, Alan [D]

Nay WV-2 Capito, Shelley [R]

Aye WV-3 Rahall, Nick [D]

Only Representative Capito wanted to stay to vote on a package to lower fuel cost to West Virginians and she had this to say, ““With high energy costs placing such a heavy burden on the lives of West Virginians, it is incredibly frustrating that this Congress has been unwilling to even have open debate on a comprehensive solution.” We must remember when we go to the polls who is with us and who is against us.

Completing Corridor H

According to West Virginia Metro News, the Appalachian Development Highway System (also known as the corridor system) will be completed in twelve years. This includes the completion of Corridor H which will eventually link Moorefield and Elkins.

The Appalachian highways have accomplished a great deal for certain areas of the state. According to Anne Pope, the nation gets back $3 for every $1 invested because of development. Corridor G linking Charleston to the coalfields has seen tremendous growth in the Charleston suburbs. Likely the finishing of Corridor H will have a similar effect in Moorefield and elsewhere since a lot of Washington DC bound traffic will find this route extremely convenient. The ease of travel on these roads should reduce fatalities while making the older two lane roads safer for scenic driving.

However this federal investment should be seen only as a foundation, not as the end. Reforms at the state level to lower taxes and reduce regulations will be needed if economic growth is to occur beyond the immediate vicinity of the highways. The region served by Corridor H at one time was very prosperous. When the railroads connected towns such as Davis to the national network, the region dveloped quickly because of a business friendly environment although some abuses did occur. Our state leaders need to drastically improve the business climate while keeping some protections in place. That will enable the people of West Virginia to get the maximum benefit from the new roads.

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

In other local news, $93,000 in federal funds for the Hampshire County Sheriff's Department has just cleared its first hurdle. Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito helped the funding get past the House Appropriations Committee. If the Democratic Congress approves the funding, it will be used to update records management, facilitate communications between the sheriff's office and other jurisdictions, and fund other necessary items.

It Can Happen Here Too

Last year, Cape Hatteras National Seashore was the subject of a lawsuit launched by environmental extremists. They found a friendly judge who sided with them and issued an ultimatum to local residents, landowners, and tourists. Cape Hatteras National Seashore would be subject to complete closures to the public at any given time, or the seashore would be closed to humans entirely. Why? One species of piper on the seashore was placed on the threatened list. Not the endangered list, the threatened list.

The public was not consulted. Congress did not pass an act. The President did not sign an executive order. A liberal federal judge, without any scientific evidence, sided with environmentalist wackos and limited American citizens' rights to use public land. At one time, judges refrained from acting in such cases because the subject matter was considered more fit for the elected Congress to consider. Liberal federal judges see themselves as a legislature, unelected and serving for life. One of the areas closed was the popular "Point" region, the easternmost American territory on the Eastern Seaboard. Senator Elizabeth Dole and other GOP lawmakers from North Carolina last month launched the uphill battle to restore the rights of human beings to use taxpayer land.

Why does this matter to the Potomac Highlands and West Virginia? Think of all the federal land in the state currently used by West Virginians and those from outside the state. Also consider how much our state depends on tourist dollars. Any special interest group can file a lawsuit and potentially shut down access to parts of the national forest or the New River.

Theodore Roosevelt started the process of setting aside land for public use to preserve for future generations. Now environmentalists want to shut off large tracts of American land from any use whatsoever. We cannot allow the election of a president who will appoint judges who beleive that the law is their mouth.

Ruling Party versus Majority Party

No one has any illusions as to what constitutes the "Ruling Party" in West Virginia. For seventy-five years the Democratic Party has imposed Big Government solutions on the state, correlating with its drastic decline. We dropped from six congressional representatives to three, our economic position lies near the bottom, and studies show that by not keeping up with national population growth, we have lost many hundreds of thousands of productive and intelligent people. All that took place on the Ruling Party's watch.

However they seem scared in West Virginia. A current has formed that might just shift the tide of influence in the state. Six Democratic legislative incumbents lost their seats in the primary, an almost unheard of expression of malcontent within the Democrats' own rank and file. Add that to the fact that the GOP has carried West Virginia in the past two presidential elections handily.

As far as values and principles are concerned, the national Democratic Party has abandoned West Virginia style values. How long can state Democrats support gun rights, property rights, strong national security and oppose abortion at home while supporting people like Barack Obama nationally? When does inconsistency finally get exposed as hypocrisy?

The Democrats currently dominate in registrations and they rule the state. However, as far as values are concerned, the Republican Party is the majority in the state. Through careful and effective education, the West Virginia Republican Party could effect a major shift in the next decade if national Democrats continue to march left.

Hurrah For the Two Party System!

The two party system attracts a lot of criticism in America.

Some critics hate it because they say the parties are too alike in practice and even in ideology. Is this a bad thing? Our parties, for the most part, agree on quite a bit. They agree on the Constitution, democracy, and most Democrats even agree about capitalism. Would the critics rather have a party or two that was opposed to the entire American system?

The two party system moderates the extremes. Liberals have found that speaking and acting too extreme leads to not being elected to office. Most Americans are moderate and vote for moderate presidential candidates. The triumph of moderation means that change occurs with great deliberation. This too rankles some, but the Founding Fathers designed it this way. We debate and discuss changes sometimes too long, but this is better than fast paced change that comes from poor information or emotional appeals.

Our two party system creates real competition in most areas. Democrats and Republicans must remain true to the voters. The recent Republican Congress lost touch with the voters who rightfully kicked them out of office. Now the GOP has worked hard to return to the basic principles that got them elected in the first place. The Democratic Party has struggled with their extremist wing and will have to figure that issue out before Americans will trust them with foreign policy as they did for much of the twentieth century.

West Virginia desperately needs a two party system. Historically it has vacillated between eras dominated by Republicans or Democrats. Odds are that the passing of the New Deal generation and their children will lead to another swing back to Republican dominance. West Virginia's pattern reflects a tendency of the people to get so fed up with the ruling party that they reject it entirely for a generation or two until they get tired of that regime. State Democrats should be fearful that six of their legislative incumbents ended up tossed out by the voters.

However we do not need complete Republican rule in West Virginia for decades; that would lead to corruption and abuse as well. We need a healthy and vibrant two party system that responds to the voters' needs.

Sensible Leadership For Energy Solutions

In the past few weeks, the nation has seen evidence that our leadership has finally started acting on giving America sensible solutions to energy needs. And I don't mean Chicken Little Gore and his dire warnings about the death of human civilization, nor do I mean Ann Barth's interesting, yet not quite accurate statements about the continental shelf.

First we see President George W. Bush lifting the executive order banning continental shelf drilling. Now Congress needs to act to not only save their political skins, but to increase supply as quickly as possible. Critics claim that we may not see the benefit for five years, but won't we still need energy at that point even if they were correct? Wow, what if we had done this five years ago!

T. Boone Pickens, a Texan who made his money in oil, has launched a national campaign to create a more diversified energy base for America. It relies not only on domestically produced oil, but also clean coal technology, more extraction of natural gas, and also wind and solar power. This makes tremendous sense if leaders have the willingness to listen.

This brings us to our own congressional delegation. Alan Mollohan and Nick Joe Rahall continue to strenuously oppose drilling in a few thousand of the million plus acres of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge while continuing to back mountaintop removal coal mining. Do they still get a gold star from the Sierra Club? Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito joined a bipartisan group of twenty members of Congress from across the political spectrum as well as the nation. This group has made progress towards a compromise energy policy. Certainly we must encourage clean power sources such as wind, water, and solar sources, but the nation must understand that fossil fuel use will continue to be the backbone of our supply for a long time.

Americans historically react slowly to problems, but once engaged find solutions quickly. Congresswoman Capito's work on the energy study group not only will benefit her district and state, but also the nation and the world. When it comes to prosperity and security, as goes America, so goes the world. Thankfully we have a member of Congress willing to step up, disregard petty politics, and help lead the way.

The Unrelenting and Mindless Power of Government

One man's weed is another man's salad.

A Keyser pastor, I won't mention his name, intentionally allowed high stands of chicory to grow at the edge of his yard along the sidewalk. Chicory is considered by many to be a weed, but the pastor explained how the roots could be ground into a decent coffee and the shoots used for salad greens. Over and above that, he simply appreciated the beauty of these plants with almost silver stalks and lovely small flowers. Did it look different than other yards? Certainly, but who cares. It is his yard.

Apparently the city cares. Cars speed up Main Street and drug use is rampant. Therefore the city has to go on weed patrol and threaten to cite individuals who choose to allow a few to grow in their yard. He complied and cut the flowers down, but the situation is absolutely ridiculous.

First of all, it is a waste of taxpayer money to even use up the time to cite an otherwise well maintained yard. How can the city complain about shrinking budgets and even think about raising taxes when it uses its resources on this kind of garbage? Real criminals are out there, but we have to pay the city to harass preachers for what they choose to grow in their yard. The bigger issue is the loss of freedom. You don't lose freedom all at once, but in little slivers here and there. They count on the idea that it is more inconvenient to fight city hall than to assert one's right to grow a few harmless plants.

It all lies in the interpretation. What is a weed and what is useful? When did we grant the city the right to decide for us what is useful and what is ugly? The same danger lies in the enforcement of litter and cleanup ordinances. Government should never pass judgment on aesthetics. Most people may not like the commode used as a planter, but it is that person's right to use it as such. Not to mention the possibility that they could claim that it is art and get it protected by the First Amendment.

In cases where the public health is not directly threatened, no government should judge for the public what an individual decides to put in their yard or what they allow to grow in their yard. Government is the same in all times and places in that it is always mindless and relentless. Only a government properly restrained by the law can be trusted. Give government the power and they will use it badly in almost any situation.

Sheep and Wolves

One of Blackstone's most memorable legal maxims is that the sheep ought not be left in the care of the wolves. This idea drives much of our legal thought and policy because it represents common sense. You cannot leave the vulnerable to the whims of the predator.

Which brings us to Charles Minimah. The Republican Party selected Charles Minimah as its nominee to ensure that West Virginia elections remain as fair and free of corruption as possible. Minimah has a strong track record as an effective businessman and community leader. State GOP laders know that he will continue Betty Ireland's zealous commitment to fair state elections. Minimah also wants to make voting as accessible as possible to the handicapped, elderly, and others.

If Charles Minimah is the shepherd to our more corruption free election process, the Democratic Party represents the wolf. They selected a young anchorwoman with an attractive face, name recognition, and a commitment to the Democratic Party as their nominee. Certainly some of them long for the bad old days before Secretary of State Ireland took office and elections were easier to manipulate. She has in four years erased almost all of the cometary vote and Minimah will continue to prevent West Virginia's deceased from playing a role in the political process. Put the inexperienced candidate with close ties to the Democratic machine into office and our clean elections will be placed in jeopardy.

Elect Charles Minimah because we must not allow our elections to be in the hands of predators that want to manipulate them.

Vacationers and the $4 gallon of gas

I had heard the stories of how people are skipping vacations because of the high price of gas, even talked to people who were not vacationing because they tallied up the price of gas and it would cost too much. I expected less traffic this weekend when I drove to Va. Beach area, but that wasn't the case. Since I have family living in Richmond, Va and Newport News, Va, my wife and I have been regular travelers of that route for the last two years. Traffic was at least as bad if not worse for our trip than in prior years. I don't know the statistics of visitors to the beaches this year, but if my extra 2 hours of traffic delays yesterday are any indication, beach vacations are as popular as ever. My hotel had not reduced it's cost to attract customers in a dwindling vacation market, on the contrary, they were booked to capacity as were all the other hotels in the area. When I thought about this long and hard I realized that even though gas prices doubled in the last year or so, compared to the cost of the trip, it wasn't a big increase. Not big enough to cancel plans or to skip driving to Newport News for a family members wedding. My minivan holds about 20 gallons of gas. So a complete fill-up adds about $40 compared to $2 per gallon gas prices. That tank of gas could get me there and almost back home. So my gas price may be $40-$50 higher than in previous years. My hotel was $250 for two nights, and I spent over $150 on meals and the customary round of pre-wedding golf. That was a 48 hour trip. Had we gone for an entire week, our budget would have been around $2500 and the extra $50 in gas wouldn't even be noticed.

We rarely think of it in total cost terms. My wife shops for the lowest price on gas. But even a 10 cent savings per gallon only saves us about $2 or the cost of my cup of coffee on a fill up.

Guess what the most popular vehicle on the road was...not just an SUV, but Chevy Suburban and Ford Expedition sized SUVs. The super-SUVs. And reasonably so, the space makes your drive more comfortable, and the extra large gas tanks makes it so you don't have to stop to fill up en route. My sister-in-law drives a Hyundai Tiburon and had to stop 2x in her trip from Western PA to Va Beach to fill up. When you have kids in the car, stopping is a 20-30 minute ordeal, not to mention the possibility of sturring up a fight or interrupting a movie. So the large SUV may add $100+ to your gas bill, but having space (with kids that translates into peace and quiet) and saving 4-5 stops and 2 hours of travel time is worth a 4% increase to the vacation budget. With the extra space, one can bring your own beach equipment, bikes, etc. which will save money and time over renting this equipment upon arrival. The benefits seem to outweigh the extra cost of gas and neither the low gas mileage nor the $4/gallon price tag seem to have slowed down vacationer traffic.