The Senate passed the START treaty today by a 71-26 vote.
13 Republicans voted for the ill advised treaty.
Here's the list, as well as an assessment of their political future:
Alexander, Tenn -- not up for re-election until 2014
Bennett, Utah -- defeated in 2010 primary
Brown, Mass -- the best conservatives can hope for from Massachusetts
Cochran, Miss -- the tea party will find a primary challenger
Collins, Maine -- not up for re-election until 2014
Corker, Tenn -- overconfidently predicted he won't face a tea party challenge in 2012. Sounds like a challenge to me. The Tennessee tea parties may take him up on this.
Gregg, N.H -- retired
Isakson, Ga
Johanns, Neb
Lugar, Ind -- confident he won't face a 2012 challenge. We'll see!
Murkowski, Alaska -- likely re-elected in 2010. Not up again until 2016.
Snowe, Maine -- rumors of tea party challenge in 2012, but no credible challenger in site.
Voinovich, Ohio -- retired
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Michael Steele Should Declare Victory and Walk Away from the RNC
Michael Steele hasn't called me to ask for advice on his career options, but if he were to place such a call, here's what I would tell him:
Declare victory and walk away from the RNC Chair job.
The electoral results have been outstanding, even though you arguably didn't have a lot do with turning the House back over to Republican control. You're not a bad guy, and you do a decent enough job as a spokesperson ...sometimes.
You're a bit gaffe-prone, but more importantly you've failed to understand one key element of the job of RNC Chair.
It's not about you.
The 2012 cycle is going to be very different than the 2010 cycle. The Republicans don't need a gaffe-prone RNC Chair stepping on the very important dialogue that will be developing very shortly among the two dozen or so 2012 Presidential contenders. The future of the Republican Party should be debated in the dialogue between those candidates. You really ought not to figure in that discussion.
Which is why you really should not be running for a second term.
I'm sure FoxNews or CNN could use your talents as a "contributor." You would make more money and have fewer headaches. And, you will legitimately be able to promote your own books there.
You've apparently committed to trying to be elected to a second term. Too bad you didn't have a chance to watch the classic Clint Eastwood western Unforgiven before you decided. If you had, you might have heeded Clint's advice in that film:
"A man's got to know his limitations."
Friday, September 24, 2010
My BBC Radio interview on the Mid-term Elections
You can listen to my BBC Radio interview yesterday here.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton Partners with Tea Party Group to Launch "Election Day Tea Party"
The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition announced today that it has partnered with former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton to launch the Election Day Tea Party project.
You can read the full story here at the TCOT Report
Monday, August 30, 2010
Glenn Beck Calls for a New Great Awakening
Depending on which crowd count you rely upon, up to half a million Americans came to Washington D.C. to listen to Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally this past Saturday.
Mainstream media pundits appeared to misunderstand what Beck was trying to accomplish.
It seems to me he's trying to encourage a New Great Awakening in America. It makes sense that Beck, who has highlighted the English preacher "rock star" who launched the first American Great Awakening in the 1740's--George Whitefield--in his television program would undertake such a project.
This first Christian spiritual movement emphasized the importance of private virtue in the individual. The importance of private virtue throughout the populace was emphasized by all the Founding Fathers--Benjamin Franklin and John Adams in particular.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
A New Political Age in America: The Era of Grassroots Democracy
There is no better day to make this observation than the 4th of July.
America is in the early stages of a new political age. I call it The Era of Grassroots Democracy.
We're in the latter stages of the 20 month gestation period, which began on February 20, 2009 when about 50 online conservative activists organized and planned the very simultaneous nationwide tea parties, which were held on February 27, 2009 in 51 cities and attended by 30,000 activists.
The new Era of Grassroots Democracy will arrive on Election Day, November 2, 2010 when voters tell Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues that she will not be Speaker of the House of Representatives in January of 2011. But the Republican Establishment need not celebrate that victory, nor should they claim much credit for it. The loss of Congress by the Democrats will be powered by the energy and organization of the millions of grassroots conservative activists who comprise the Tea Party Movement.
The grand pooh-bahs at the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, those champions of Big Government statism and the personal acquisition of power, are on their way out. They are relics of an era gone by, and are too dense to comprehend that reality yet.
No one likes them.
No one respects them.
No one trusts them.
No one believes they act on principle.
No one thinks they are thought leaders with any original ideas to address our country's problems.
This new Era of Grassroots Democracy will have three defining characteristics:
1. It will be Post-Partisan.
2. It will be Ideologically Competitive.
3. It will signal a revival of citizen activism within a new type of intensely engaged, participative grassroots democracy, enabled and accelerated by dramatic advances in technology.
America is in the early stages of a new political age. I call it The Era of Grassroots Democracy.
We're in the latter stages of the 20 month gestation period, which began on February 20, 2009 when about 50 online conservative activists organized and planned the very simultaneous nationwide tea parties, which were held on February 27, 2009 in 51 cities and attended by 30,000 activists.
The new Era of Grassroots Democracy will arrive on Election Day, November 2, 2010 when voters tell Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues that she will not be Speaker of the House of Representatives in January of 2011. But the Republican Establishment need not celebrate that victory, nor should they claim much credit for it. The loss of Congress by the Democrats will be powered by the energy and organization of the millions of grassroots conservative activists who comprise the Tea Party Movement.
The grand pooh-bahs at the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, those champions of Big Government statism and the personal acquisition of power, are on their way out. They are relics of an era gone by, and are too dense to comprehend that reality yet.
No one likes them.
No one respects them.
No one trusts them.
No one believes they act on principle.
No one thinks they are thought leaders with any original ideas to address our country's problems.
This new Era of Grassroots Democracy will have three defining characteristics:
1. It will be Post-Partisan.
2. It will be Ideologically Competitive.
3. It will signal a revival of citizen activism within a new type of intensely engaged, participative grassroots democracy, enabled and accelerated by dramatic advances in technology.
Friday, May 28, 2010
A tale of two Joe Sestak versions of the truth
Sestak Version 1:
February 18, 2010
Larry Kane: “Were you ever offered a job to get out of this race?" (The contest against Arlen Specter)
Joe Sestak “Yes.”
Larry Kane: “Was it Navy Secretary?”
Joe Sestak: “No comment.”
Larry Kane: “So you were offered a job by someone in the White House?”
Joe Sestak: “Yes.”
February 19, 2010
White House Deputy Press Secretary: “You can say the White House says it’s not true.”
You can read the full dialogue here.
Sestak Version 2:
May 28, 2010
Joe Sestak: "Last summer, I received a phone call from President Clinton. During the course of the conversation, he expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background."
Joe Sestak: "He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a Presidential Board while remaining in the House of Representatives. I said no."
You can read the full statement here.
February 18, 2010
Larry Kane: “Were you ever offered a job to get out of this race?" (The contest against Arlen Specter)
Joe Sestak “Yes.”
Larry Kane: “Was it Navy Secretary?”
Joe Sestak: “No comment.”
Larry Kane: “So you were offered a job by someone in the White House?”
Joe Sestak: “Yes.”
February 19, 2010
White House Deputy Press Secretary: “You can say the White House says it’s not true.”
You can read the full dialogue here.
Sestak Version 2:
May 28, 2010
Joe Sestak: "Last summer, I received a phone call from President Clinton. During the course of the conversation, he expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background."
Joe Sestak: "He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a Presidential Board while remaining in the House of Representatives. I said no."
You can read the full statement here.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
SEIU Thugs Trespass on Private Residential Property
You can read Nina Easton's account of 500 SEIU thugs who trespassed onto the property of her neighbor here.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
The Manchurian Citizen: Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad is a confessed Muslim terrorist who was born in Pakistan, moved to the United States as a young adult, and became a naturalized citizen in April, 2009. A few months later he flew to Pakistan where he was apparently trained by the Taliban on how to be a terrorist.
Last week, he allegedly tried to blow up Times Square in New York City with a bomb planted in an SUV. He was captured on board a Pakistan-bound flight on the runway ready to take off at JFK Airport, and, according to press reports, has confessed that, yes, he is the Times Square bomber.
Only a fool or a co-conspirator would claim that Shahzad is the only "Manchurian Citizen" among us. How many Muslim terrorists have become naturalized American citizens, solely for the purpose of evading detection and being better positioned to launch terrorist attacks on the United States?
My guess is hundreds, if not thousands.
But if you listen to Barack Obama (or New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for that matter), you would get the impression that it is somehow seditious to even articulate this obvious likelihood.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
General Motors and CEO Whitacre Violate FTC "Truth in Advertising Laws" With Debt Repayment Claims
General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre seems to have told a big bold lie in order to deceive consumers and potential future investors in the car maker now owned by the Federal Government as to the financial stability of the company.
In television ads and billboards posted in General Motors show rooms around the country, Whitacre has deceptively given the impression that General Motors has paid back all the money invested in it by taxpayers in full, early and with interest.
The clear implication is that the repayment was made from operational income generated by the successful and profitabl sale of GM autos. Senator Grassley and the TARP Fund Inspector General claim that the repayment wasn't made from operating profits but by shuffling funds from one TARP loan to another.
And the $6 to 8 billion or so paid off in this loan represent barely 10% of the total $60 billion or so of bailout money given to prop up General Motors over the past two years.
What does the Federal Trade Communication, which enforces the "Truth in Advertising" laws have to say about Whitacre's deceptive claim? Here's what the FTC web site has to say:
What makes an advertisement deceptive?
According to the FTC's Deception Policy Statement, an ad is deceptive if it contains a statement - or omits information - that:
(1) Is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably under the circumstances; and
(2) Is "material" - that is, important to a consumer's decision to buy or use the product. I wonder what citizen or company will be the first to file a complaint that Whitacre and General Motors have just engaged in deceptive advertising?
Toyota, which the Federal Government does NOT own, certainly would have reason to claim it has been damaged.
Or perhaps one of the readers of this blog will be the first to file the complaint.
What are the odds that the Federal Trade Commission--which obviously has a conflict of interest because it, like General Motors, is part of the Federal Government bureaucracy--will actually pursue this legitimate complaint against General Motors?
So many opportunities to go after illegal and unethical acts by the Obama Big Government Corporatist Regime. So little time.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
I Will Be Attending the Richmond Virginia Tea Party Tonight
I will be attending the Richmond, Virginia Tax Day Tea Party this evening, where I will have a chance to meet Jamie Radtke, who's heading up the Northern Virginia Tea Party Federation. I will also be talking with the folks behind the Richmond Tea Party TV project.
News reports estimate up to 2,000 tea parties will be held across the country today, almost double the number that were held last year on the very first Tax Day Tea Party.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Obama National Socialism
One year and three months in to the Obama Administration, it's clear that Barack Obama's idea of bringing transformational change to America is about redistributing income from the majority of hard working Americans to special privileged classes. Obama's unique brand of socialism combines the worst of Marxist ideology with the crony capitalism and corruption of Chicago style machine politics.
Obama National Socialism will redistribute income and wealth in America to certain privileged classes from independent groups without political connections. The privileged classes represent about 20% to 30% of the population and include:
· Union leaders and union members, such as members of SEIU and the UAW
· Federal employees
· Non-tax paying recipients of federal transfer payments
· Democratic politicians at the state and national level
· Executives and employees of Main Stream Media companies
· Executives and employees of large corporations who are the beneficiaries of special economic privileges legislated on their behalf by Democratic politicians and administered by Federal bureaucrats.
The independent groups that are not favored, who comprise about 70% to 80% of the population include:
· Small business owners
· Tax paying middle class and upper-middle class workers
Obama National Socialism will redistribute income and wealth in America to certain privileged classes from independent groups without political connections. The privileged classes represent about 20% to 30% of the population and include:
· Union leaders and union members, such as members of SEIU and the UAW
· Federal employees
· Non-tax paying recipients of federal transfer payments
· Democratic politicians at the state and national level
· Executives and employees of Main Stream Media companies
· Executives and employees of large corporations who are the beneficiaries of special economic privileges legislated on their behalf by Democratic politicians and administered by Federal bureaucrats.
The independent groups that are not favored, who comprise about 70% to 80% of the population include:
· Small business owners
· Tax paying middle class and upper-middle class workers
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Jon Voight, National Treasure
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Join Jon Voight, Michele Bachmann, and Barack Obama's cousin Dr. Milton Wolf this Saturday at noon in Washington to rally against Obamacare
Drop everything you're doing.
Grab the car.
Pack up the kids.
Drive to Washington, D.C. to join
actor Jon Voight,
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann,
and Barack Obama's second cousin, Dr. Milton Wolf,
in a rally to oppose Obamacare on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. at noon this Saturday, March 20.
Here's the full press release.
Grab the car.
Pack up the kids.
Drive to Washington, D.C. to join
actor Jon Voight,
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann,
and Barack Obama's second cousin, Dr. Milton Wolf,
in a rally to oppose Obamacare on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. at noon this Saturday, March 20.
Here's the full press release.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Take the Town Halls to Washington
Despite the opposition of the vast majority of the American people to the Big Government health care takeover proposed by the Obama Administration, the President, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi are determined to ram down their socialist health care packages through the Congress.
So be it.
We are not without resources, ideas, or tactics to stop this monstrous abuse of our country's political process.
It's time to take the town halls to Washington, D.C.
For more details, please go to www.takethetownhallstowashington.com
Here's the idea:
Speaker Pelosi fears the unfriendly reception members of Congress who support Obamacare will receive when they return home in April at the Easter recess. In order to avoid forcing members of Congress to listen to their constituents at home, which might stop the bill, Speaker Pelosi is accelerating the process. She wants to force the House to vote up or down on Obamacare before the Easter recess.
If members of Congress won't come to their constituents, their constituents will come to them.
That's why we're launching "Take the Town Halls to Washington" on March 9, and we will keep this project going until March 31, 2010, or whenever Congress leaves for Easter recess.
The idea is to bring a tea party town hall to the 66 members of the House of Representatives whose support of Obamacare is wavering. We want to let them know there is only one vote their constituents will support: No on Obamacare. We are asking local tea party activists to travel to Washington during this period, and make sure that each of these 66 members is reminded every day that if they fail to vote against Obamacare, they will be voted out of office in November.
Bring your video cameras!
Here's the list of 66 members of Congress we intend to inform of their constituents' wishes each day they are in Washington from March 9 to March 31, 2010:
Rep. Michael Arcuri, New York 24th
Rep. John Boccieri, Ohio, 16th
Rep. Allen Boyd, Florida, 2nd
Rep. Christopher Carney, Pennsylvania, 16th
Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, Virginia, 11th
Rep. Henry Cuellar, Texas 28th
Rep. Steve Driehaus, Ohio, 1st
Rep. Chet Edwards, Texas, 17th
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Indiana, 8th
Rep. Bob Etheridge, North Carolina, 2nd
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona, 8th
Rep. Deborah "Debbie" Halvorson, Illinois, 11th
Rep. Paul W. Hodes, New Hampshire, 2nd
Rep. Jay Inslee, Washington, 1st
Rep. Paul Kanjorski, Pennsylvania, 11th
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio, 9th
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona, 1st
Rep. Ron Klein, Florida, 22nd
Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, Florida, 24th
Rep. Jim Langevin, Rhode Island, 2nd
Rep. Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts, 9th
Rep. Daniel B. Maffei, New York, 25th
Rep. Ed Markey, Massachusetts, 7th
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia, 1st
Rep. Glenn C. Nye III, Virginia, 2nd
Rep. Tom Perriello, Virginia, 5th
Rep. Gary Peters, Michigan, 9th
Rep. Nick Rahall, West Virginia, 3rd
Rep. Laura Richardson, California, 37th
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, Texas 23rd
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland, 2nd
Rep. Linda Sanchez, California, 39th
Rep. Kurt Schrader, Oregon, 5th
Rep. David Scott, Georgia, 13th
Rep. Adam Smith, Washington, 9th
Rep. Peter Visclosky, Indiana, 1st
Rep. David Wu, Oregon, 1st
Rep. John Adler, New Jersey 3rd
Rep. Jason Altmire, Pennsylvania 4th
Rep. Brian Baird, Washington 3rd
Rep. John Barrow, Georgia 12th
Rep. Melissa Bean, Illinois 8th
Rep. Marion Berry, Arkansas 1st
Rep. Rick Boucher, Virginia 9th
Rep. Dennis Cardoza, California 18th
Rep. Travis Childers, Mississippi 1st
Rep. Jim Costa, California 20th
Rep. Artur Davis, Alabama 7th
Rep. Joe Donnelly, Indiana 2nd
Rep. Parker Griffith, Alabama 5th
Rep. Baron Hill, Indiana 9th
Rep. Steve Kagen, Wisconsin 8th
Rep. Daniel Lipinski, Illinois 3rd
Rep. Jim Marshall, Georgia 8th
Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah 2nd
Rep. Michael E. McMahon, New York 13th
Rep. Michael Michaud, Maine 2nd
Rep. Harry Mitchell, Arizona 5th
Rep. Collin C. Peterson, Minnesota 7th
Rep. Mike Ross, Arkansas 4th
Rep. Ike Skelton, Missouri 4th
Rep. Bart Stupak, Michigan 1st
Rep. Gene Taylor, Mississippi 4th
Rep. Bart Gordon, Tennessee 6th
Rep. John Tanner, Tennessee 8th
If you want to be part of this project, you can sign up here:
width="760" height="585" frameborder="0" marginheight="0"
marginwidth="0">Loading...
So be it.
We are not without resources, ideas, or tactics to stop this monstrous abuse of our country's political process.
It's time to take the town halls to Washington, D.C.
For more details, please go to www.takethetownhallstowashington.com
Here's the idea:
Speaker Pelosi fears the unfriendly reception members of Congress who support Obamacare will receive when they return home in April at the Easter recess. In order to avoid forcing members of Congress to listen to their constituents at home, which might stop the bill, Speaker Pelosi is accelerating the process. She wants to force the House to vote up or down on Obamacare before the Easter recess.
If members of Congress won't come to their constituents, their constituents will come to them.
That's why we're launching "Take the Town Halls to Washington" on March 9, and we will keep this project going until March 31, 2010, or whenever Congress leaves for Easter recess.
The idea is to bring a tea party town hall to the 66 members of the House of Representatives whose support of Obamacare is wavering. We want to let them know there is only one vote their constituents will support: No on Obamacare. We are asking local tea party activists to travel to Washington during this period, and make sure that each of these 66 members is reminded every day that if they fail to vote against Obamacare, they will be voted out of office in November.
Bring your video cameras!
Here's the list of 66 members of Congress we intend to inform of their constituents' wishes each day they are in Washington from March 9 to March 31, 2010:
Rep. Michael Arcuri, New York 24th
Rep. John Boccieri, Ohio, 16th
Rep. Allen Boyd, Florida, 2nd
Rep. Christopher Carney, Pennsylvania, 16th
Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, Virginia, 11th
Rep. Henry Cuellar, Texas 28th
Rep. Steve Driehaus, Ohio, 1st
Rep. Chet Edwards, Texas, 17th
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Indiana, 8th
Rep. Bob Etheridge, North Carolina, 2nd
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona, 8th
Rep. Deborah "Debbie" Halvorson, Illinois, 11th
Rep. Paul W. Hodes, New Hampshire, 2nd
Rep. Jay Inslee, Washington, 1st
Rep. Paul Kanjorski, Pennsylvania, 11th
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio, 9th
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona, 1st
Rep. Ron Klein, Florida, 22nd
Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, Florida, 24th
Rep. Jim Langevin, Rhode Island, 2nd
Rep. Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts, 9th
Rep. Daniel B. Maffei, New York, 25th
Rep. Ed Markey, Massachusetts, 7th
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia, 1st
Rep. Glenn C. Nye III, Virginia, 2nd
Rep. Tom Perriello, Virginia, 5th
Rep. Gary Peters, Michigan, 9th
Rep. Nick Rahall, West Virginia, 3rd
Rep. Laura Richardson, California, 37th
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, Texas 23rd
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland, 2nd
Rep. Linda Sanchez, California, 39th
Rep. Kurt Schrader, Oregon, 5th
Rep. David Scott, Georgia, 13th
Rep. Adam Smith, Washington, 9th
Rep. Peter Visclosky, Indiana, 1st
Rep. David Wu, Oregon, 1st
Rep. John Adler, New Jersey 3rd
Rep. Jason Altmire, Pennsylvania 4th
Rep. Brian Baird, Washington 3rd
Rep. John Barrow, Georgia 12th
Rep. Melissa Bean, Illinois 8th
Rep. Marion Berry, Arkansas 1st
Rep. Rick Boucher, Virginia 9th
Rep. Dennis Cardoza, California 18th
Rep. Travis Childers, Mississippi 1st
Rep. Jim Costa, California 20th
Rep. Artur Davis, Alabama 7th
Rep. Joe Donnelly, Indiana 2nd
Rep. Parker Griffith, Alabama 5th
Rep. Baron Hill, Indiana 9th
Rep. Steve Kagen, Wisconsin 8th
Rep. Daniel Lipinski, Illinois 3rd
Rep. Jim Marshall, Georgia 8th
Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah 2nd
Rep. Michael E. McMahon, New York 13th
Rep. Michael Michaud, Maine 2nd
Rep. Harry Mitchell, Arizona 5th
Rep. Collin C. Peterson, Minnesota 7th
Rep. Mike Ross, Arkansas 4th
Rep. Ike Skelton, Missouri 4th
Rep. Bart Stupak, Michigan 1st
Rep. Gene Taylor, Mississippi 4th
Rep. Bart Gordon, Tennessee 6th
Rep. John Tanner, Tennessee 8th
If you want to be part of this project, you can sign up here:
width="760" height="585" frameborder="0" marginheight="0"
marginwidth="0">Loading...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I will be signing Rules for Conservative Radicals at CPAC on Friday, February 19th at 2 pm
For those of you who plan on attending CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington this week, I'll be signing copies of my book, Rules for Conservative Radicals, at the Exhibit Hall just outside the BreakPoint Bookstore at CPAC this Friday, February 19th, from 2 pm to 2:30 pm.
Stop by and say hello.
Stop by and say hello.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Bill Hennessy: Tea Party Republicans can't stand RINOs, Tea Party Democrats can't stand Marxocrats
Bill Hennessy, one of the leaders of the St. Louis Tea Party, and author of the great new book Zen Conservatism, poses this intriguing question:
His answer?
Marxocrats.
You can see his rogue's gallery photo lineup of this crowd here.
The Republicans have RINOs: Republican in Name Only. But what do you call a far left, radical Democrat who would go so far as to eliminate the First Amendment in order to silence dissent?
His answer?
Marxocrats.
You can see his rogue's gallery photo lineup of this crowd here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)