Columnist: 5 Ways Liberals Misjudge the American People
One of my favorite columnists, John Hawkins, is making a list again.
From his latest column:
One of the reasons liberals tend to do such an incredibly poor job of governing is that they fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the American people. Given that liberals also fundamentally misunderstand Christianity, the Constitution, economics, and human nature, I guess it's no big surprise that they don't get the American people either. Come to think of it, I guess it's pretty much par for the course. I mean, let's face it, without conservatives around to help keep them in check, liberals would utterly destroy everything that is good about America and most of them would be baffled about what they were doing wrong right up until the end. But enough about the Left's general lack of common sense -- let's talk about how they misjudge the American people.
1) They believe the American people want liberal policies. 2) Liberals believe that many Americans don't know what's in their own best interests. 3) Liberals believe that the American people want to be treated like children. 4) Liberals believe that most conservatives are evil. 5) Liberals believe they can lie to the American people without consequence.
There really are two Americas, but the divide is not between rich and poor, black and white, Democrat and Republican.
The gap is between the growing governing elite and the working class paying taxes to support the permanent political class.
From a thought-provoking column by Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson, adjunct faculty member, economist, and contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College:
The truly revolutionary American idea of government as the servant of the people may be fading away. Many of today’s so-called “civil servants” are a protected, privileged class. While Middle America struggles through a difficult recession, a lot of government employees have lived on the gravy train.
Here are some facts to buttress that assertion:
Since the recession began in 2008, a period during which approximately eight million private-sector workers lost their jobs and millions more saw their income decline, the number of federal employees is increasing at a 7 percent per-year rate and their income is holding up quite nicely. According to the Cato Institute, the average federal worker’s pay and benefits now approximates $120,000 per year, or roughly double the compensation of the average private-sector employee. Factor out the lavish government fringe benefits and look at salary only, and the civil servant is still far ahead: $71,197 vs. $49,935.
During this recession, the percentage of federal employees earning annual base salaries above $100,000 increased from 14 to 19 percent. The number of Defense Department employees being paid more than $150,000 per year increased from 1,868 to 10,100. Before, the Department of Transportation had one employee with a salary above $170,000, but now has 1,690.
Read the full column by The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College Web site.
Liberals (and their media allies) underestimate Sarah Palin at their own risk.
She wasn't running for anything in 2009 but still managed to raise more than $2 million for her Political Action Committee.
Palin will be a major player in upcoming elections ... right up to the 2012 presidential race.
From POLITICO:
Sarah Palin raised $2.1 million through her political action committee in 2009, POLITICO has learned, putting the former Alaska governor's take on par with those of her potential 2012 Republican presidential primary contenders.
Palin took in $1.4 million of her total in the last 6 months of the year, after she resigned as governor on July 3. Heading into 2010, SarahPAC, had $900,000 in the bank after contributing $64,600 to dozens of candidates and beefing up its staff from just a handful of operatives.
"We are thrilled," said Meg Stapleton, a senior advisor and spokeswoman for Palin. "Common sense Americans know the direction we need to take this country and that Sarah Palin will be instrumental in taking us there this year. We look forward to the journey ahead!"
Palin's money came predominantly in small donations through the PAC's Web site and a handful of fundraisers. No direct mail solicitations were made.
More than 14,000 people have contributed to the PAC, making 22,000 total donations.
Props for the President at His State of the Union Address
President Obama will need several props to get him through his first State of the Union address, including lifejackets, a box of teabags, a paper shredder, and a new "No Fly" list, says conservative activist Betsy McCaughey.
It didn't take long for the American public to remember why they don't trust liberals in positions of authority, argues columnist Jay Ambrose.
From his latest:
The arrogance was suffocating. Resurrected liberals were practically smirking as they instructed us to sweet-talk our way out of terrorist threats, advised we should quickly duplicate Europe's semi-socialist mistakes and condescendingly dished up all manner of other liberty-smothering ideological inanities that would transform America into a poor imitation of what it once was if anyone actually acted on them.
Ordinary Americans have caught onto all of this, and so, I am sorry, liberals, but the word of the day for you is "lose." Your side has lost elections in New Jersey and Virginia, and now your side has lost the Senate seat previously held by the very liberal Ted Kennedy in very liberal Massachusetts to Scott Brown, a Republican.
The message to the Democrats is simple. Either give up your liberal ways and veer toward the center or face political catastrophe in November's general election. The message to liberals generally is also simple: Get back into your witness protection program.
Read the full column, "Time to hide, liberals," here
This is going to drive the far-left nut jobs at MSNBC and CNN over the edge.
From Jon Friedman at MarketWatch:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Already entrenched as No. 1 in the cable-television news wars, Fox News Channel on Monday hired Sarah Palin as a contributor and strengthened itself further.
The arrangement, reported in the New York Times, has the potential of playing out as a big win for both parties. Read blog item about Palin signing with Fox.
For Fox, the addition gives its conservative political base one more reason to tune in, as Palin is the darling of many sectors of the Republican Party. Fox has surged far ahead of rivals CNN and MSNBC), so it isn't necessarily fretting about losing its sizable advantage in the ratings. But it's always good business to give the people what they want, and they can't get enough of Palin.
Palin, for her part, now has an opportunity to appear as an expert commentator on political and family issues. This enables her to stay in the public eye prior to the 2012 presidential election.
John Hawkins loves to make lists and he's usually right on the money.
His latest: A list of "The Top 10 Conservatives of 2009" -- you know, the people the mainstream media ignores. (I was little disappointed I didn't make the list, John). The list will surprise you.
From his column:
Let's face it: if you're conservative, you're not going to get your proper due from the mainstream media for your accomplishments. Case in point: Barbara Walters named Michelle Obama the most fascinating person of 2009. Really? Based on what? Her big arms? Her terrible fashion sense? The fact that she's married to the worst President in American history?
I mean, you could understand if Walters named Michelle's husband the most fascinating person of 2009. He is at least the President and it is fascinating to wonder if there's anything going on in his head beyond clichés about hope and "must read teleprompter" repeated over and over.
Of course, Barack Obama was Barbara Walters' most fascinating person of 2008. Wonder who'll be next in 2010? Joe or Jill Biden? In any case, just in case no one else does it, I want to give a little credit where credit is due to some of the conservatives who made a real difference in 2009.
Below is Hawkins list and check out the full column at Townhall.com to find out why they made the Top 10.
10) Andrew Breitbart 9) Marco Rubio 8) Rush Limbaugh 7) Jim DeMint 6) Carrie Prejean 5) Dick Cheney 4) Sarah Palin 3) Glenn Beck 2) James O'Keefe & Hannah Giles 1) The Tea Party Movement
Terrific post at the always amusing DotPenn blog setting the record straight about Ebenezer Scrooge's political affiliation.
From "Eleven Reasons Why Scrooge Is A Progressive" --
Ebenezer Scrooge, or just Scrooge, has often been portrayed as a miserly Conservative.
However, a closer examination of the skinflint character from Charles Dickens's Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol, reveals that, on the contrary, Scrooge is a progressive.
Here are eleven reasons why Scrooge is a progressive.
1) Scrooge relies on government programs to handle poverty.
And the Union workhouses demanded Scrooge Are they still in operation? The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full then? said Scrooge.
2.) He ignores private charities as the most effective way to help people in need.
I help to support the establishments I have mentioned they cost enough and those who are badly off must go there.
3.) Scrooge, an environmental progressive, refuses to allow his staff members to burn coal.
Scrooge had a very small fire but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it for Scrooge kept the coal box in his own room and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part.
5.) Afraid his majority cultural lens will drown out alternative voices, Scrooge made sure he never said "Merry Christmas." Prefers the more politically-correct "Bah Humbug."
The Fringe Media (formerly known as the Mainstream Media) has launched an all-out assault on Sarah Palin as she begins her book tour to promote "Going Rogue."
The book goes on sale Tuesday, but liberal book critics and left-wing pundits have already savaged the book, which is destined to become one of the biggest sellers of the year.
Despite the constant negative commentary about Palin in the Fringe Media, a new poll says most Americans share Palin's values.
From Rasmussen Reports:
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republican voters say former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin shares the values of most GOP voters throughout the nation.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of Republican voters disagree and think the 2008 vice presidential candidate does not share their values. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided.
By contrast, 74% of Republicans say their party’s representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years. Only 18% of Republican voters believe their elected officials have done a good job representing the base.
The findings in these two surveys highlight the political debate within the Republican Party. Party leaders worry that Palin is pushing the GOP too far to the right to win general elections by aligning herself with Tea Party voters frustrated with both parties in Washington and the big government policies they have produced.
Still, just 18% of Republicans - and 26% of voters nationwide - see Palin as a divisive force within the GOP. A plurality believes Palin is representative of a new direction for the Republican Party. That view is held by 57% of Republicans and 41% of all voters. A plurality of Democrats aren't sure what to think of Palin's role within the opposing party.
Newsweek Photo of Sarah Palin Shows Media Bias, Sexism
Nice legs. Oh wait, that's Sarah Palin. I thought it was Sports Illustrated, but turns out it's the new issue of Newsweek. When was the last time a "news" magazine put Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi in shorts on the cover?
David Brody, CBN News White House correspondent, says on his blog that this an another example of liberal media bias, not to mention sexist coverage of the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee.
Brody writes:
This cover has got to be a new low right? They don't use a photo of Palin on the campaign trail. No instead they take the sexy Runners World photo. Yes she posed for it but don't tell me they didn't purposely use that photo to make a point? I predict this cover will become a bigger story over the next 24-48 hours and let's face it. This isn't JUST about media bias. This cover should be insulting to women politicians. Where's the sexy photo of Mitt Romney? Why not a picture of Tim Pawlenty with an unbuttoned shirt relaxing on a couch in the Twin Cities?
Join Pennsylvania Tea Party Coalition, Smart Girl Politics, Freedomworks, and other organizations for a Nov. 14 "March on Harrisburg" to take our message of fiscal responsibility and lower taxes directly to state lawmakers. Please join us for a big march and rally on the capitol steps in Harrisburg!
Who: Coalition of Tea Party groups and taxpayer advocates What: March on Harrisburg (State Capitol Steps) When: Saturday, Nov. 14th from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Why: To send a message to state lawmakers that we support limited government and lower taxes
FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey will be the keynote speaker at the state capitol.
To RSVP for the March on Harrisburg, click here. For more details on the march, check out www.PAMarch.com
Sam Rohrer to announce run for governor on Nov. 17
State Rep. Sam Rohrer is expected to announce his candidacy for Pennsylvania governor at a Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Spring Township Fire Company in West Lawn, Berks County.
Rohrer sent the following e-mail today to potential supporters:
Over the past few weeks Ruth Ann and I, and our entire family have been weighing the decision to seek the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania Governor. We've approached it understanding the risk, but knowing fully the incredible need for leadership in our state and nation.
There have been few other moments in my lifetime when the collective call of duty has been greater, and the responsibility to act so urgent. More than winning elections for political parties or discovering a way for Republicans to reach a legislative majority, the 2010 campaign must be waged to give voice for the ideas and principles that matter most.
I want to personally invite you to a special Townhall on Tuesday, November 17 at the Spring Township Fire Department, 2301 Monroe Avenue in West Lawn, PA. I'm organizing this forum to announce the decision on the race for governor, and begin a statewide conversation about the challenges and real opportunities facing Pennsylvania.
We can change the direction of our state, but it will take all of us – "We the People!"
Rohrer, who has represented the 128th House District in southern Berks County since 1993, is best known for leading the fight to eliminate school property taxes in Pennsylvania. He has also taken the lead in the state's rights movement.
If Rohrer decides to enter the 2010 Republican Primary, he will face a crowded field that already includes Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and Congressman Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist.
Rohrer announced the Town Hall Meeting at http://samrohrer.org/, which will probably turn into his campaign Web site after Nov. 17.
Richard Viguerie: Tea Party Activists Are the New GOP
From Richard A. Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, on the withdrawal of GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava from the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district:
"Doug Hoffman and NY-23 is an earthquake in American politics, and is the first of many challenges to establishment Republicans that we will see for the 2010 elections and beyond. The stupid decision by Republican leaders to pour $900,000 into the NY-23rd race against a conservative has unleashed a fury that will lead to new GOP leadership.
"Conservatives anger at Washington-establishment Republicans will cost the national committees tens of millions of dollars as conservative money will start flowing directly to the Tea Parties and their candidates."
I was pleasantly surprised with The Associated Press' coverage of the March on Washington on Saturday, Sept. 12. The wire service, which largely ignored the Tea Parties throughout the year, moved a lengthy article and more than a dozen photographers of the protest. Also, it did not downplay the turnout, putting right there in the lead that "tens of thousands" of Americans marched against Obama and his big government schemes. You can read the AP story and view photos of the event at The Mercury's Web site.
Organizers Predict Thousands of Tea Party Activists Will Attend Saturday’s March on Washington
From CNSNews.com:
"I believe there is a new center in American politics around the idea of what we call 'pocketbook conservatism,' " said Matt Kibbe, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, one of more than a dozen conservative organizations sponsoring the march.
Americans from all walks of life have already pledged to show up, Kibbe said, with virtually every one of them telling organizers the same story: " 'I've never shown up at a Town hall meeting, I've never shown up at a protest, I've never even talked to my congressman, but I have to show up now because things (in Washington) are out of control,' " Kibbe said.
This will likely be the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives ever, according to Adam Brandon of Freedom Works.
The Mother of All Tea Parties is about to hit Washington, D.C.
Americans who believes in limited government, want to see lower taxes, less government and more freedom are invited to join the March on Washington scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.
The 9-12 March on Washington national coordinators are FreedomWorks.org; TeaPartyPatriots.org; and Grassfire.org/Resistnet.com
They are being supported by a who's who of conservative, anti-tax, libertarian, free-market and patriotic organizations.
POLICY BLOG has a information on buses scheduled to take Pennsylvania protesters to the event.
From the official protest Web site:
"It's time to take the tea party movement directly to Washington, D.C. Please join thousands of local organizers and grassroots Americans from across the country as we gather in our nation’s capital to deliver a message to the politicians: Enough!
We've had enough of the out of control spending, the bailouts, the growth of big government and the soaring deficits. And we reject the future tax increases to pay for all of this spending and debt down the road. We are gathering on 9-12-2009 to deliver our message in person that we’ve had enough!"
Talk radio host and author Doug Giles offers encouragement in the form of an open letter to the so-called "mob" of Americans expressing their First Amendment right to free speech during recent town hall meetings with members of Congress.
From his letter:
Isn't it funny that the liberals, who have historically encouraged the contrarian, are now crying foul since conservatives, libertarians and non-Obama addled Democrats have decided, en masse, to become the contrarians and shout Obama, his policies, and his step-n-fetch gofers down?
As you know by now, the Obamanoid's town hall sale of Obamacare ain't going that well for Dems because thinking, unbeholden people aren't buying Barack's crack. So, what did the White House do in light of the GP's legitimate concerns over Barack's proposed legislation? Did they go back and flush it down the crapper? No. Did Obama bend one of his big ears to our bigger concerns? Yeah, right.
No, the White House, in the spirit of tolerance, hope and change officially dispatched some pursed-lip chick to video warn the serfs of Obamaland that if we disagree with His Highness' health scare bill in a "fishy" e-mail or casual conversation then the White House wants to know about it — and we could very well be deep weeds.
What is this, Russia? Did I wake up in Venezuela? Is this an Austin Powers flick, or a joke? If it isn't, I'm screwed; all I have been doing for the past umpteen weeks is ... uh ... disagreeing with B-HO on my show.
Read the full column, "My Fishy Letter of Encouragement for the Town Hall Rebels," at Townhall.com
Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?
Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:
The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.
They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.
They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.
The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.
Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East, way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future.
The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.
Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.
Rep. Pitts receives 'Defender of Economic Freedom' Award
Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) has been awarded the "Defender of Economic Freedom" award from The Club for Growth, a leading free-market advocacy organization.
The award, presented by Club for Growth President Chris Chocola, honors members of Congress who have "a strong voting record on economic growth issues."
Pitts, a Republican, is one of only 13 members of Congress (and the only one from Pennsylvania) to receive a perfect score. (Does it surprise you that all 13 honorees are Republicans?)
"Receiving the 'Defender of Economic Freedom' award is a great honor," Pitts said in a statement. "The best way to get our economy growing again is to free business owners and investors from burdensome government regulations and taxes. More government intrusion into the marketplace is not going to create more jobs."
The award is based on certain votes in 2008 that the Club for Growth tracks on its scorecard. The study also included a comprehensive examination of each lawmaker’s record on pro-growth policies and computed an Economic Growth Score on a scale of 0 to 100. A score of 100 indicates the highest support for pro-growth policies. Those lawmakers scoring 90 or higher receive the "Defender of Economic Freedom" award.
The rating examines legislative actions that reflect the Club for Growth's immediate pro-economic growth policy goals, including cutting and limiting government spending, lowering taxes, expanding free trade, regulatory reform, and deregulation.
From a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano from David K. Rehbein, National Commander, The American Legion:
Your report states that "Rightwing extremists were concerned during the 1990s with the perception that illegal immigrants were taking away American jobs through their willingness to work at significantly lower wages." Secretary Napolitano, this is more than a perception to those who have lost their job. Would you categorize union members as "Right Wing extremists"?
In spite of this incomplete, and, I fear, politically-biased report, The American Legion and the Department of Homeland Security share many common and crucial interests, such as the Citizen Corps and disaster preparedness. Since you are a graduate of New Mexico Girls State, I trust that you are very familiar with The American Legion. I would be happy to meet with you at a time of mutual convenience to discuss issues such as border security and the war on terrorism. I think it is important for all of us to remember that Americans are not the enemy. The terrorists are.
You can read the full letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano from David K. Rehbein, National Commander, The American Legion, at this link.
Less than three months on the job, Barack Obama has designated conservatives as rightwing extremists who pose a threat to his utopian socialist society.
Michael Reagan offers his take on the revelation that the Obama Department of Homeland Security has issued instructions to law enforcement across the county to be on the lookout for potential terrorist acts by conservatives.
From Reagan's column:
Have we really come to this? Has Adolf Hitler's propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels been reborn and recruited by the Obama administration to scare the heck out of the American people with absurdities such as this whacked-out document?
Obviously recognizing that public knowledge of the nonsense alleged in this document is very undesirable, the weirdoes who prepared it did not want you to see it.
They warn: "No portion of the LES information should be released to the media, the general public, or over non-secure Internet servers."
Too bad. The Washington Times got their hands on a copy and revealed it to the entire world.
Once it became public and many Americans reacted in disbelief, the Obama White House disavowed it despite the fact that a document as explosive as this could never have been distributed without the president's explicit approval in the first place.
The screed was prepared long before tens of thousands of outraged Americans banded together in today's peaceful Tea Party demonstrations, which by their very nature gave the lie to the outrageous allegations contained in the document.
The demonstrations were conducted by people who believe strongly in the very issues cited by the administration as those that incite violence, yet who themselves abhor violence as a political tactic.
They're getting ready to take names, so beware if you say anything negative about abortion or gay marriage or our out-of-control system of taxation.
Sounding like something out of a Gestapo directive, the document reveals that Homeland Security "will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months to ascertain with greater regional specificity the rise in rightwing extremist activity in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the political, economic, and social factors that drive rightwing extremist radicalization."
Read the full column, "The Obama Administration Says We're Dangerous, Rightwing Extremists," at The Reagan Exchange or Townhall.com
If you believe the U.S. must do more to stem the flow of illegal aliens ...
If you oppose abortion-on-demand ...
If you protest high taxation and out-of-control government spending ...
You are a potential domestic terrorist, according to a new assessment released by the Obama Department of Homeland Security.
This would be the same Homeland Security Department that has banned the use of the word "terrorist" to describe Islamic extremists who want to kill Americans.
Now that we are living in the Obama-nation, the word "terrorist" is reserved for Americans with conservative beliefs.
And you wonder why gun sales are at an all-time high in the United States? It's only a matter of time before the liberal fascists move against Americans who believe in the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano spent Thursday morning making the rounds on the morning news shows to defend the Obama Administration's latest assault on conservative Americans.
From The Associated Press:
Napolitano described the report, issued last week, as part of the department's routine of analyzing intelligence information to give law enforcement agencies guidance on possible security threats.
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, assailed Napolitano's department for the report and pressed the agency to apologize to veterans.
"To characterize men and women returning home after defending our country as potential terrorists is offensive and unacceptable," Boehner said.
Richard Viguerie: Theft of Senate seat by Democrats must not stand
And you thought the Democrats were only trying to steal the presidential election last year.
The theft of the 2008 U.S. Senate election in Alaska by corrupt Justice Department bureaucrats "must not be allowed to stand," Richard A. Viguerie said in a statement today.
"The people of Alaska, and all Americans, must rise up and demand that Mark Begich resign," said Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com. "If corruption this blatant, with consequences this far-reaching, is allowed to succeed, it will bring our democracy itself into disrepute."
Said Viguerie, "Those who corruptly prosecuted this case must be prosecuted aggressively and forced to reveal the names of anyone they conspired with."
Viguerie is a longtime critic of Ted Stevens, who lost to Begich by fewer than 4,000 votes eight days after Stevens was fraudulently convicted.
"I'm no fan of Ted Stevens," Viguerie said. "But I'm a big fan of democracy, and this isn't it.
Two leading conservative state lawmakers are inviting all Pennsylvania residents to attend a rally Monday in Harrisburg to defend the state's sovereignty from continued encroachment from Washington.
Politicians in Washington, D.C., have been exerting undue influence on the states and it's time for them to stop, say Rep. Samuel E. Rohrer (R-128) and Sen. Mike Folmer (R-48), both of whom represents portions of Berks County.
The rally, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for noon Monday in the Capitol Rotunda. For more information or driving directions to the state Capitol, Rohrer's Web site at SamRohrer.com
"If you think the size and scope of the federal government has far exceeded our Founding Fathers' intentions, then we hope you come out Monday to support our cause," Rohrer said in a statement. "For too long, Congress and the president have been encroaching on policy areas that ought to be decided by the states. This rally is the equivalent of posting a 'no trespassing' sign."
Rohrer has introducing a resolution in the state House of Representatives to defend Pennsylvania's sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Folmer will introduce a sister resolution with language identical to Rohrer's in the Senate.
"When our country was founded, our Fathers envisioned a form of government in which the federal government served as an agent of the states – not the states serving as an agent of the federal government," Folmer said in a release. "Today, federal legislation and funding compel states to serve the federal government, a total reversal of the structure originally intended. This rally seeks to remind federal officials of their constitutional limitations while affirming Pennsylvania’s 10th Amendment rights."
The lawmakers' resolutions are part of a larger national trend of state lawmakers who are reasserting the sovereignty of their independent states under the 10th Amendment.
At the rally, Rohrer and Folmer will be joined by lawmakers from other states who have introduced similar measures in their own state legislatures.
Taking its cue from the Obama White House, the liberal media dutifully continues to bash Rush Limbaugh even though the orchestrated campaign to distract the nation from Obama's failed presidency has been exposed.
David Frum, who runs a Web site called NewMajority.com, writes Newsweek's latest cover story about the GOP and the sway Rush Limbaugh has over the party, concluding, "From a political point of view, Limbaugh is kryptonite, weakening the GOP nationally."
Tell us how you really feel, David.
"We are accepting the leadership of a man with an ego-driven agenda of his own, who looms largest when his causes fare worst," Frum says.
And when was David Frum appointed leader of the conservative movement?
Read more about the Newsweek cover story at the link below, but keep in mind that Newsweek is part of the official propaganda wing of the Obama Administration.
For more on Obama's manipulation of the press, check out "How Obama plays the pundits" at Politico.com
If you don't want to waste time on Frum's essay, Newsweek magazine did interview four actual GOP leaders (former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; Rep. Eric Cantor; Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Mark Sanford) about how to reinvent the party.
William Rusher, former publisher of the National Review and former vice chairman of the American Conservative Union, has written his final newspaper column.
After 36 years of writing a weekly column under the "Conservative Advocate" banner, advancing age has caught up with Rusher, who is now 85.
Rusher uses his last column to share some thoughts about where conservatism has been and where it might be going.
Beginning in the 1960s, conservatism has certainly earned the right to call itself a "movement" — indeed, along with its great rival liberalism, one of the two major contenders for political leadership of the American society. Even many Democratic politicians insist today on describing themselves as "conservative," and the movement's influence is both vast and manifest.
Undoubtedly, the most important single factor in the growth of conservatism has been the realization, on the part of individual conservatives, that their views were shared by others, and constituted collectively a formidable national influence. There's a lot to be said for intellectual respectability, and conservatism today indisputably has it. Conservatives in the future will do well to remember this and deploy it in their support.
For the moment at least, the Republican Party is unquestionably the premier vehicle of the conservative movement. This is hugely important, for a political viewpoint needs an institutional vehicle just as much as a political party needs a viewpoint. Conservatism today is broadly comfortable in the Republican Party and would be extremely uneasy trying to adjust to life among the Democrats.
Thoughtful conservatives will realize that this fact makes it dangerous for them to engage in maneuvers that try to narrow the GOP's appeal to militant conservatives only. Conservatism should be the beating heart of the Republican Party, but the party must also reach out to incorporate people who are not necessarily ideologues but are sympathetic to conservative views in a general way.
For the future, conservatives can, I think, be confident that their viewpoint will be represented in the national debate. For conservatism is essentially an analysis of social problems from the standpoint of a particular understanding of human nature. As long as that understanding continues essentially unchanged, the ways of dealing with those problems will remain basically unchanged.
Former Congressman Pat Toomey, who now heads the Club for Growth, narrowly lost to Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2004 Republican primary in Pennsylvania. How different things would be today if Toomey had knocked off Specter.
Writing in National Review Online, Toomey said the surrender of three "liberal Republicans" to the Democratic stimulus plan not only cost the party, but will damage the nation.
From Toomey's column:
If Senate Republicans had united as their counterparts in the House did, President Obama would have had no choice but to include Republican proposals to cut income-tax rates, along with taxes on businesses and investment. These measures would have encouraged workers to be more productive, freed American businesses currently laboring under one of the highest corporate-tax rates in the world, and encouraged investors to support our ailing financial markets.
To be sure, Republicans would have been forced to accept a large dose of spending, but Democrats would have been similarly forced to accept tax cuts they refused to include in the current bill. That is what a real bipartisan compromise would have looked like — not this $800 billion–plus spending spree that tosses a couple of crumbs to Specter, Collins, and Snowe.
The Senate's compromise bill is as fundamentally flawed as the original version. While its supporters claim it will create millions of jobs, they neglect to mention all the jobs it will destroy. The money for the bill has to come from somewhere — and that will be straight out of the private sector, where it could have been invested far more efficiently and productively, creating jobs in the process. The subsidies for "green jobs" will, perversely, end up destroying jobs as the country is forced to waste money producing overpriced, inefficient energy.
Arlen Specter turns 79 today. That's considered young for the U.S. Senate, but it's clear after Specter's defection to the Democrats on the "stimulus" bill that it's time for Specter to retire from the Senate (His current six-year term ends in 2010).
At the very least, Specter should change his party registration to Democratic since he has abandoned the Republican Party time and time again.
From political commentator Lowman S. Henry, writing at Lincoln Blog:
Specter's willingness to abandon his party on the stimulus package is an ominous sign for what will happen on what will be the most critical vote of this legislative session: Card Check. The bill that would take away from workers the right to a secret ballot when deciding whether or not to form and join a union is the litmus test. If Specter defects, labor unions will have the 60 votes they need in the senate to invoke cloture and pass the bill. It would be the single biggest legislative defeat for the business community and worker rights in history.
Also check out a new column from pundit Dick Morris on "Benedict Arlen."
Morris says Specter, along with fellow RINOs Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe "have sold out their party, their state and their supporters."
From Morris' column:
Collins, Snowe and Specter had a chance to send a message to Obama that he had to deal with the Republican Party to avert a filibuster. They could have made it clear that genuine bipartisan cooperation was necessary to pass legislation. These three senators, pledged to cut taxes and oppose massive growth in federal spending, could have demanded a 2-to-1 ratio for tax cuts over spending, rather than the reverse, as Obama is succeeding in getting.
Instead, the three wimped out and caved in for peanuts from Obama. In doing so, they completely stripped their party of any leverage. There was no point in having gotten 41 votes if the three weakest links could sell the party out.
Specter has no business running as a Republican. Pennsylvania voters deserve better.
ConservativeHQ.com has launched a daily comic strip that it bills as "the conservatives' answer to political comics like 'Doonesbury' and "The Boondocks."
"The strip is for people who can't help but laugh at the politicians in Washington," says ConservativeHQ Chairman Richard Viguerie.
The strip's creators are Steven J. Allen, a journalist and longtime Washington insider, and cartoonist Kevin Tuma.
Congratulations to Michael Steele, who was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee.
I had the pleasure of hearing Steele speak at the 2008 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference and he has the common sense views and the core conservative beliefs to bring the GOP back.
Much to the chagrin of the elite media that despises a strong female leader who espouses traditional America values, Gov. Palin has launched her own Political Action Committee.
The move could be a prelude to a presidential run in 2012 and it can also help the Alaska governor raise money for other conservative candidates.
Sarah Palin's Official PAC is dedicated to "to building America's future, supporting fresh ideas and candidates who share our vision for reform and innovation," according to the Web site.
More on the committee's mission:
SarahPAC believes America's best days are ahead. Our country, founded on conservative principles and the fight for freedom, must confront the challenges of the 21st century with integrity, innovation, and determination.
SarahPAC believes energy independence is a cornerstone of the economic security and progress that every American family wants and deserves.
SarahPAC believes the Republican Party is at the threshold of an historic renaissance that will build a better future for all. Health care, education, and reform of government are among our key goals.
Visitors can sign up for e-mail alerts, donate to the PAC or learn more about Palin.
Washington Times columnist Diana West is troubled by President Obama's demand for $850 billion in new federal spending to get the U.S. economy moving again.
There's no evidence that massive government spending will boost the economy, West argues. And have we forgotten already how the $750 billion "bailout" Congress approved last fall has failed miserably?
From her latest column:
I found myself wondering how Ronald Reagan, entering office in 1981 with high inflation (12 percent) and unemployment (7.5 percent) higher than today (7.2 percent), and a contracting GDP approached hard times. In what turned out to be his first inaugural address, he, too, used the word "crisis" to describe "the economic ills" Americans were suffering. Noting that these ills were a long time coming and wouldn't go away "in days, weeks or months," he said: "But they will go away. They will go away because we, as Americans, have the capacity now, as we have had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom."
"In this present crisis," he continued, "government is not the solution to our problem."
There's a twist. In this present crisis, according to the Obama administration and its stimulus-package trillions, government isn't just the solution, it's our only hope.
"There are really only four things I have a strong aversion to: unloaded guns, dull knives, banjos, and Republicans in Name Only (RINOs)," says Ted Nugent, rock guitar idol, hunter and conservative commentator.
Writing at HumanEvents.com, Nugent says it's time for the Republican Party to purge itself of so-called moderates who have turned their backs on basic GOP principles of limited government, strong national defense and lower taxes.
From his column:
RINOs are Fedzilla punks who feign support for conservative principles only when it serves their political interest. RINOs are also known for their moderate positions such as supporting tax increases, federal "bailouts", "comprehensive immigration reform", advocating more counterproductive gun control that guarantee more innocent victims, opposing the death penalty, and growing and sustaining Fedzilla and all its toxic mongrels by going along with the liberals. RINOs have forgotten President Ronald Maximus Regan's admonition that government is the problem, not the solution.
Nugent says the 2008 presidential race is a clear repudiation of RINOs, including John McCain.
From his column:
John McCain has been a RINO on campaign finance, immigration, global warming and other issues and look what happened to him. He had reached across the aisle so many times to cut deals with the liberals that he had to pick Governor Palin, a true conservative, to try and lure disenfranchised and disgusted conservatives back into the fold. Didn't work. Senator McCain was the wrong candidate at the right time. RINOs lose elections; conservatives win them.
Conservative icon Richard Viguerie says it's not Sarah Palin's gender or her fresh face that has catapulted her to the top of the political arena. It's her principles, Viguerie argues.
Republicans who think they can ride Palin's popularity to victory on Election Day without standing for the same principles are in for a rude awakening, Viguerie says.
Palin is "popular because she holds to the core beliefs of the coalition that elected Ronald Reagan in two landslides -- on taxes, spending, the role of government, and traditional ideas of right and wrong," Viguerie argues.
Read the full commentary by Viguerie, "It's Sarah Palin's principles, stupid!" at ConservativeHQ.com
I've been reading a terrific book this summer called "Makers and Takers" by Peter Schweizer.
That's the short title. The subtitle is a bit longer: "Why conservatives work harder, feel happier, have closer families, take fewer drugs, give more generously, value honesty more, are less materialistic and envious, whine less … and even hug their children more than liberals"
Schweizer's previous best seller was "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy," in which he details how many of the best known liberals in the country don't live the lifestyle they promote in public.
Liberal icons like Michael Moore, Hillary Clinton, Ralph Nader, George Soros, Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi simply don't practice what they preach.
For example, Michael Moore, the crusading do-gooder who denounces oil and defense contractors as war profiteers, owned stock in Halliburton, Boeing and Honeywell.
Nancy Pelosi accepted a "champion of labor" award from the United Farm Workers but she and her millionaire husband own a Napa Valley vineyard that won't hire union workers.
"These do-as-I-say liberals don't actually trust their ideas enough to apply them at home," Schweizer wrote in the book. "Instead, when it comes to the things that matter most in their personal lives, they tend to behave — ironically — more like conservatives than liberals. Which can only make one wonder: If their liberal prescriptions don't really work for them as individuals, how can they work for the rest of us?"
The natural progression for Schweizer's argument is to go beyond the political arena in his latest book. What about everyday liberals and conservatives? What makes them different — beyond their political affiliation?
"It is my contention that liberalism and conservatism are not simply political ideologies, but represent divergent ways of life," Schweizer writes in the new book. "For those on both sides, their political views are just the tip of an encompassing worldview that addresses the biggest questions about life. This worldview influences the decisions they make about family, work, community and life."
"Makers and Shakers" divides America into liberal and conservative camps but the kind of people who fall into these categories will surprise you.
Peeling away the propaganda fed to the public by the liberal-dominated media, Schweizer poured through tax records, scholarly research, opinion surveys and private records to develop a profile of the typical liberal and the typical conservative.
What did Schweizer find?
Liberals are, in the aggregate:
… more selfish. Liberals are much more likely to think about themselves first and less willing to make sacrifices for others. They are less interested in caring for a physically ill or elderly family member, and more concerned with ensuring that their own needs are met.
… more focused on money. Liberals are much more likely to report that money is important to them, that they don't earn enough money, and that money is what matters in a job. They are also more likely to be envious of others.
… less hardworking. When considering a new job, liberals are more interested in job security and vacation time than their conservative counterparts. They also tend to value hard work less and embrace leisure as more desirable. Conservatism on the other hand is directly associated with the so-called Protestant Ethic.
… less emotionally satisfied. Liberals are much more likely to suffer from a nervous breakdown, attempt suicide, suffer from depression and be chronically angry.
… less honest. Liberals are more likely to believe that it's okay to be dishonest or deceptive, cheat on their taxes (and their spouse), keep money that doesn't belong to them, and sell a used car with a faulty transmission to a family member.
… less knowledgeable about civic affairs and economics. Despite claims that conservatives are ignorant, studies and surveys show that conservatives and Republicans tend to know more about public affairs, have a better understanding of economics, and do better on word association tests.
Schweizer found that conservatives are, again in the aggregate:
… happier and better adjusted. Conservatives are more satisfied with their lives, their professions, and even their health, even when compared to liberals with the same demographics (age, income, etc.)
… generally more successful parents. Obviously there are many exceptions, but conservatives in general are more willing to make sacrifices for their children, and their children in turn are less likely to take drugs, smoke, or drink at a young age. Conservative families are closer. They are more likely to stay in touch with each other on a regular basis and trust each other more.
… more generous. For all the talk of liberal compassion, the reality is that conservatives are much more likely to donate money and time to charitable causes. Also, the reasons that liberals and conservatives get involved in charities tend to be different. Liberals support charities to "make a statement." Conservatives want to improve the lives of the people they are trying to help.
… less angry. Conservatives are less likely to become angry at someone, less likely to seek revenge, and less likely to throw or break things in a temper.
"The research is clear," Schweizer says. "Looking at data gathered by the most authoritative and reliable academic research centers in the country as well as academic studies published in refereed journals, a pattern emerged that has until now been completely ignored. When compared to conservatives on a long list of personality and moral traits, modern liberals consistently come up short."
"Makers and Takers" is a fast read at 258 pages and the conclusion that "liberalism not only leads to social decay, but can also lead to personal decay" is backed by a wealth of research.
"Liberalism promotes a way of thinking, a way of life, and a pattern of living that are destructive on many levels," Schweizer says.
Tony Phyrillas is the city editor and political columnist for The Mercury, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Pottstown, Pa. Phyrillas has won several national and state awards for his columns. Phyrillas has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and in The New York Times and is a frequent commentator on radio and television programs. He co-hosted "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" on WPAZ 1370 AM.
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