By all accounts, this should be a relatively simple task.  How hard could it be, after all, defeating a career ‘DC-insider’ who, according to Democrats, wants to starve children, deprive seniors of their medications and force inner-city minority students to work as janitors; and, according to Republicans, supports an individual mandate, favors amnesty for illegals and has spent much of the last decade lining his pockets as a lobbyist, err historian, for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?  Indeed, defeating Newt Gingrich should be the political equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel.

To further complicate matters for Newt, he continues to run far behind his chief political opponent, Mitt Romney, in money, organization and popularity.  In the next primary state (Florida), Romney and his Super PACs have already spent millions on TV ads all across the Sunshine State, while the cash-strapped Gingrich had yet to run a single TV ad with just 10 days to go until the January 31st primary.  In addition to a large cash advantage, Romney (unlike Newt) also has an organizational apparatus in all 50 states (he’s been running for President practically non-stop for 5 years now); and Romney’s favorability rating among voters continues to be much higher than Newt’s.

So, how then can Newt Gingrich – the consummate inside-the-beltway politico – ever hope to gain his party’s nomination, let alone defeat Barack Obama in November?  Quite easily, actually.  Newt Gingrich will be the next President of the United States if he calls a press conference, stands in front of the television cameras, and delivers the following speech…

My fellow Americans, I stand before you today as a candidate for the office of the President of the United States.  My candidacy, as many of you know, has been an improbable one, to say the least.  It has been full of controversy, chaos and uncertainty.  There were moments when we were totally broke, without a staff, and lacking a clear and coherent message.  In fact, many in the national media have declared my campaign ‘dead’ on numerous occasions, some before the first votes were even cast in Iowa back on January 3rd.

But now, we find ourselves in a position where our solutions-based, ideas-oriented message is fundamentally beginning to gain a foothold with the American people.  We saw this in South Carolina, where, despite all of the vicious and misleading attacks by my opponents and by the press – both on me personally and on my previous work in the Congress – the voters in that state rejected this type of destructive politics, and provided our campaign with a sweeping and historic victory that has reverberated all throughout this country.

My critics say that I am a consummate Washington insider.  They say that I am more concerned with personal accolades than I am with renewing and restoring the American spirit that once was the hallmark of this great nation.  They say that I am a man of unconventional and unorthodox ideas.

Well, I believe that America finds itself in need of some unconventional and unorthodox ideas.  I believe that America needs to have faith in its elected officials again.  That is why I am announcing today that, if elected, I will serve only one term as President of the United States.  Four years, no more.  Frankly, that’s all I will need.  You see, if you would give me the honor and privilege of serving as your President for the next four years, I can directly and unequivocally promise you that I will spend every waking minute of those four years creating the solutions that will renew this nation’s spirit and restore our place as the bright, illuminative beacon to the rest of the world.

Without concern for a second term, I will not be beholden to any Washington lobbyists.  I will not be jetting all over the country holding fundraisers.  There will be no Hawaiian vacations, no golf outings, no extended stays at Martha’s Vineyard.  My sole and singular focus will be on restoring the citizens’ faith and confidence in the American system of governance.

And to assist me in that endeavor, I have recruited a young man who knows what it means to have received God’s blessings of living in the freest and most democratic nation in the history of the world.  Tonight, I am announcing that the United States Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, has agreed to serve as my Vice President should you, the American people, give use the privilege of serving you.  Together, Marco Rubio and I will drastically and fundamentally reduce the federal government’s role in your daily lives.  We will cut federal spending, eliminate burdensome regulations, and most importantly, we will restore your faith and confidence in your government.

You see, I am not running for President for my own personal gain; I am running for President for the sole purpose of restoring America to her rightful owners – her people.  Marco Rubio and I ask that you join us tomorrow to turn the page on the next chapter of this great human experiment called America.  Together, we will fundamentally restore and renew America.  Thank you.  God bless you.  And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Now that would be truly historic…

Cross-posted at PoliticalMommentary.com

Last year at this time, my friend and fellow conservative, Tabitha Hale, wrote a piece entitled “2010: The Year of the Citizen,” wherein she reflected upon the consequential political happenings of 2009 and provided her poignant outlook and predictions for the upcoming new year.  Over the course of the last twelve months — through all the struggles and debates, the ups and downs of the campaign season, the arguments between the left and the right, the arguments between the right and the right, the highs and lows of election night, and the (small) victories and (monumental) cavings of the ‘lame duck’ session — I have often found myself returning to Tabitha’s post (I “favorited” it on Twitter) to refocus my efforts and find some perspective in moments of elation and despair, alike.  As my old high school football coach once said, “You can never allow the ‘highs’ to be too high, nor the ‘lows’ to be too low.  You just have to focus on the task at hand.”  Each and every time I would read it, Tabitha’s post would do just that — refocus my efforts on the task at hand.

And as we enter this new year, that task remains clear.  Near the beginning of Tabitha’s aforementioned post, she wrote the following: 

William Temple said during the 9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington that this fight was a continuation – not a beginning. The things we are fighting for are not new ideas. Freedom from tyranny and a limited government are what our Founding Fathers built an entire nation upon. Here we are 233 years later continuing the battle for the same thing.

True enough.  This battle is an eternal struggle – Liberty vs. Tyranny.  No matter how many ‘victories’ we win, the battle always continues.  It would be easy to sit back for now and rest on the accomplishments of “2010: The Year of the Citizen.”  After all, the “citizen” did accomplish quite a lot over the course of the last twelve months:  The “Tea Party” built on the momentum of 2009, and became an undeniable force in American politics.  It can no longer be ignored.  The electoral tidal wave that occurred on November 2nd was truly a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event, sweeping conservatives back into power, not only in the U.S. House of Representatives, but in state houses and governors’ mansions all across the country.  Long-serving dinosaur incumbents were summarily thrown out of office.  Fresh new leadership began to emerge in the conservative movement.  ‘Cap-&-Trade’ died in the Senate, as did the so-called ‘DREAM Act.’  In 2010, the citizen was pissed.  And the citizen rose up.

But, despite all the victories in 2010, there still is much work to be done in 2011 (and beyond).  For far too long, the overreaching tentacles of the federal government have been allowed to weave their way into every fabric of the citizen’s life.  No longer does the citizen have the freedom to make fundamental decisions for himself and his family.  The citizen is told what kind of car to drive, what type of lightbulb he is allowed to install in his home, what manner of healthcare coverage he is to provide for his family, and, yes, what kind of food he is allowed to purchase for his children.

At the same time, our nation’s debt continues to rise, now on the verge of surpassing $14 trillion – that’s $125,935.00 per taxpayer.  The unemployment rate (according to the U.S. Labor Department) hovers near 10%; and the real unemployment rate is probably closer to 22%.  Gasoline prices look to be headed to upwards of $5 per gallon by 2012.  And the housing market continues to be in complete disarray, and possibly on the verge of yet another crash.

In short, the citizen has very little to celebrate this new year.  While we seem to have quelled these overtly vicious attacks upon liberty for now, the citizen can rest assured that the other side is not retreating from this fight.  They are simply reloading.  2010 was, indeed, historic and unforgettable – the “Year of the Citizen.”  But it’s over.  And the next battle begins now.

At this point, most Americans are familiar with John Thune only as a result of his 2004 shocking upset of (then) U.S. Senate Minority Leader, Tom Daschle, in the South Dakota Senate race.  Thune, a proponent of term limits who had previously served 3 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives – and who declined to run for a 4th because he had promised voters he would not (novel concept) – showed tremendous fundraising prowess on a national level in defeating Daschle in 2004.  According to Politico, the Thune people already have a fundraising list of over 100,000 donors as a result of that campaign.  Couple that with the fact that Thune currently enjoys a 70% approval rating among South Dakota voters, and he appears to be unbeatable in his home state.  In fact, six years after defeating Daschle, Thune is up for re-election and Democrats, seemingly sensing the inevitable, have declined to oppose him this time around.

You wouldn’t know that Senator Thune is unopposed in November by his fundraising activities, though.  As of April 1, 2010, Thune had a campaign war chest in excess of $6.5 million, and it’s still growing.  Thune has been on a torrent pace over the past several months – attending events around the country, shaking hands and raising money in support of other conservative candidates.  A recent Washington Post article by Chris Cillizza highlights the fact that the South Dakota Senator will begin to “raise his national profile” by attending some key conservative functions in Maryland and North Carolina this month.  All the while, the quiet, steadily rising tide of “Thune 2012″ supporters continues to swell on Facebook, Twitter and beyond.

At a moment in time when the conservative movement is yearning for that pragmatic, plain-spoken, charismatic leader who can connect with people (the way Reagan did), and effectively (and unabashedly) communicate the conservative message, the man and the hour are about to meet.  Consider the facts…

1.  Obama will be imminently beatable in 2012. What once seemed inconceivable, has become reality.  Independents are jumping ship on Obama and the Democrats in droves.  While it is impossible to predict what may happen between now and November of 2012 to “sway” the voters in one direction or another, one thing is certain – the American conservative movement is in the midst of a renaissance.  This movement is real – there is nothing false, artificial or trendy about the desire of Americans to get their nation’s financial house in order.  Democrats, led by Obama, have overreached in their lust for more federal control over the everyday lives of Americans, and Americans are pushing back in a major way.  The “Stimulus Bill” has failed and healthcare reform was a disaster for Democrats.  While, in the end, Obama was able to convince Democrats to “walk the plank” for Obamacare, Americans felt violated over the way in which Democrats arrogantly thumbed their noses at the voters throughout the whole process.  The voters will not forget – not now and certainly not by 2012.

2.  The Republican field is ripe for the picking. With the exception of (possibly) Sarah Palin, no potential Republican nominee has been able to electrify and unify conservatives.  This was a problem for Republicans in 2008 when John McCain received the nomination by default.  Result? President Obama and super-majorities for Democrats in both houses of Congress.  Don’t look for Republicans to make the same mistake again.  After 4 full years of “Obamanation,” Republicans will be looking for a dynamic, strong leader with broad appeal.  Newt Gingrich?  Tim Pawlenty?  Mike Huckabee?  Probably not.  Mitt Romney?  While he certainly has the executive experience and economic credentials, the former Massachusetts Governor will be hard-pressed to make it out of the Republican primary with the albatross of “RomneyCare” hanging around his neck – oh, and don’t forget the fact that he couldn’t even beat McCain in 2008.  Conservatives are desperate for that unusual combination of substance, charisma and leadership that seems to have eluded them on the national level since Reagan.  Enter John Thune.  Exhibit A:

3.  The Palin Factor. What about the former Alaska Governor and 2008 VP-Candidate, Sarah Palin?  A year ago, she seemed to be the heir apparent to the Republican throne.  Through a series of her own decisions, though, beginning with her resignation announcement over last year’s July 4th holiday, Sarah Palin seems content now playing the role of “King Maker” rather than King (err, Queen).  There is no question that, outside of Obama himself, Sarah Palin is one of the most polarizing figures in American politics today.  This alone, coupled with the absolute smear job that the media outlets and the goons at Saturday Night Live have perpetrated upon Palin, will make it difficult for her to win in 2012.  Plus, one just gets the sense that she’s not too in love with the idea of running for President at this point in her life. And frankly, who could blame her?

For his part, John Thune continues to deflect questions about his prospects of running for President in 2012, sticking to what has become his standard, canned response that he’s “focused on doing everything [he] can to help Republicans gain majorities in the House and Senate in 2010.”  The lifelong South Dakotan seems to have embraced his role as the “dark horse” candidate for now, content to sit back in true midwestern style and let all the dust settle before rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.  As Oliver Cromwell once said, “Keep your powder dry.”  Up until this point, Thune has had the powder in dry storage under lock and key.  But soon, very soon, the lock is comin’ off.  The door will open.  And John Thune will emerge.

“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”  ~Saul Alinsky

The Left has its new target, and he is none other than University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) law professor and current candidate for Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach.  Kobach, a constitutional scholar and former chief adviser and counsel to Attorney General, John Ashcroft, has come under fierce attack in recent days by those on the Left for his leading role in drafting the much-debated and highly controversial Arizona immigration law (SB1070).

Kobach is a regular guest on CNN and the Fox New Channel’s O’Reilly Factor, where he is routinely called upon to give expert commentary and opinion on the constitutional and immigration issues of the day.  Over the past few years, he has had a hand in drafting and/or legally arguing about some of the most important and sweeping immigration reform laws all across the country, including  in states such as Kansas, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and most recently, Arizona.

Since being signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on April 24th, Arizona’s SB1070 has drawn the ire of many, from hispanic groups to the ACLU to the “Reverand” Al Sharpton, and all the way up the ladder to our current President.  Just hours after being enacted, President Obama rushed to the microphones in order to criticize the law (and its drafters) as being “misguided” and ”irresponsible.”  Of course, given the Alinsky-like tactics of the Obama Administration over the past 15 months to isolate, malign, discredit and destroy any of its opponents with respect to any issue, the President’s remarks in this regard really came as no surprise.

What has been somewhat surprising, if not (eh-hmm) hypocritical, has been the reaction of some of Kobach’s colleagues and other “organizations” affiliated with UMKC, who now claim that “sanctions” should levied against Kobach for his work on the immigration legislation.  Consider this story from Kansas City’s local ABC-affiliate, KMBC 9 News, regarding the Kobach situation (watch this video – this is truly unbelievable).

So, Kris Kobach – a university law professor – works on this legislation on his own time (i.e. not the university’s), and because these groups don’t agree with him, he now needs to be “sanctioned” by the university?  What does that even mean?  Are these groups calling for his job?  And what ever happened to a professor’s sacred and hallowed right to “academic freedom,” the likes of which the Left constantly reminds us on a daily basis?

Well, apparently the concept of “academic freedom” does not apply when you are a conservative candidate for Kansas Secretary of State.  Perhaps it is time we expand the “BUYcott.”  Whatever Kris Kobach is selling right now, I’m buying:  http://www.kriskobach.org.

Cross-posted at http://BrentTeichman.wordpress.com

Put more simply – Just because we can do something, doesn’t necessarily mean we should.  As a parent, I certainly can relate to this concept.  Nearly every weekday morning, I awaken my 9 year-old and get this question: “Can I stay home from school today?”  My answer: “No.”  My 4 year-old daughter would like to eat M&M’s and Ding Dongs for breakfast every day.  My answer: “No.”  And my beloved 7 year-old wants her very own real, live horse (mind you, we live in town and don’t even have a fence for our dog).  Thus, my answer?  You guessed it.

“No” is one of the first words we ever learn to speak and one of the easiest in the English language to pronounce.  Ironically, it seems to be one of the most difficult to use, particularly in Washington.  The use of the word “No” – in my opinion – is highly underrated.  Imagine if Bill Clinton had said “No” when Monica Lewinsky strolled through the Oval Office in her little blue dress and snapped her thong in front of his desk.  What if Richard Nixon had said “No” when presented with the opportunity to break into Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel?  What if Neville Chamberlain and the rest of Europe had said “No” to Hitler moving into Czechoslovakia in 1938?

Consider this – Where would we be today had people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. not stood up and said “No – these circumstances are unacceptable.”  What if Abraham Lincoln (the first Republican President) hadn’t said “No” to the expansion of slavery in the United States?  What if our founders had remained silent in the face of tyranny, taxation and oppression?  “No” – it’s a difficult word to say sometimes, particularly when saying “Yes” will result in immediate praise and adoration from others.  But consequences are a stubborn occurrence.

If my 9 year-old doesn’t go to school, he doesn’t become a productive member of society (and I get a visit from Family Services).  If my 4 year-old eats M&M’s and Ding Dongs for breakfast every morning, she thinks I am the coolest dude alive; but, eventually, she has no teeth left and she looks like one of the residents of Sea World.  I could buy my 7 year-old a horse – and once again, I earn the title of “coolest dad on the planet” – until, that is, I get sued by my homeowner’s association and have the folks from PETA standing in my driveway with protest signs.

“No” is a difficult word to say.  Saying “No” takes courage.  The primary reason our nation is on the verge of complete and total financial ruin is precisely because of the fact that politicians from both political parties have lacked the courage to say “No” to anyone for anything for the better part of the last century.  America has become an entitlement society.  Americans have been conditioned into a belief that we can walk into a doctor’s office, be seen, be treated, be healed, pay our $25.00 “co-pay,” and let someone else pay the rest of the bill (oh yes, there is more than just the co-pay, folks).  We have been taught that we can pay people to not work (and then continue to extend those benefits endlessly, as if this encourages the unemployed to run out and find employment).  We have been led to believe that we have a right to own a home even though we don’t have sufficient income to pay for that home (and that when we default on the loan the “evil” banks can be forced by the government to renegotiate the terms of the loan so that it’s “more in our price-range”).  We’ve been eating M&M’s and Ding Dongs for the entirety of our lives and now it’s time to take a good, long look in the mirror.

President Obama and the Democrats in Congress would have you believe that we can continue to eat what we’ve been eating for the last century and that everything will be just fine – “Yes We Can!”  Republicans have expressed a desire to come to grips with our problems; admit our failures; and put an end to this destructive behavior that is leading our nation down a pathway to disaster – “Just Say No!”

On November 2, 2010, you will have the opportunity to make a choice with respect to which path you believe will lead us back to sustained, long-term prosperity – and right now, that choice could not be any clearer.  It’s as easy as “Yes” or “No.”  Choose wisely.

cross-posted at http://BrentTeichman.wordpress.com

History has a way with irony.  On Tuesday, January 19, 2010 – over 236 years after those Americans lit the brushfire that ultimately would begin to burn so hot and so bright that it exploded into revolution – liberty, once again, will place its hope in Massachusetts.  And what once seemed impossible, has now become plausible.

Can Scott Brown really win?  Six months ago, it was impossible.  Six weeks ago, it was improbable.  Six days ago, it was inconceivable.  And yet, with less than 48 hours to go,  the Democrats are jumping on the panic button with both feet.  Bill Clinton was dispatched to Massachusetts over the weekend in an attempt to breathe life into Martha Coakley’s flailing campaign.  President Obama is heading to Boston with Coakley on Sunday in what appears to be a last-ditch effort to rally the left’s “unenthused” base.  In the meantime, all of the polls – including Coakley’s own internals – show Scott Brown surging.  While the race remains “within the margin of ACORN” (H/T Steven Crowder), keep in mind that, as late as mid-October, all of the polls had Coakley enjoying a very comfortable 25 to 30 point lead.

How can this be?  How – in the bluest of blue states, the birthplace of American socialized medicine, the home of Barney Frank - can Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat (err, sorry – the “People’s Seat”) be on the verge of turning red?  Some will credit the socialist agenda of the far-left, as manifested in the health care debate, which, oddly enough, has turned out to be even too much for the “People’s Republic of Massachusetts” to stomach.  Some will call it a reflexive, knee-jerk repudiation of the relentless barrage of programs and pork which have been thrust upon us by the tone-deaf politicians in Washington over the past 12 months.  Still, others will point to the fact that Coakley has presided over what may very well go down as the worst political campaign in modern American history.

While I do not discount the cumulative effect of any of these factors upon the race, I do believe that there is something much larger at play here.  You see, America – ALL OF AMERICA – remains a place unlike any other in the history of the world.  And while we waiver and tire and falter from time to time, in the end, we will always protect liberty.  For the people of Massachusetts, that time is now.  Let freedom ring…

09.12.09 – Some are calling it the beginning of the Second American Revolution.  Yet the hope is (for now at least) that this “revolution” will be fought with words rather than guns; on the battlefield of ideas rather than in bunkers all across the fruited plain.

I, for one, was there – a witness to history.  I’m still trying to figure out the progression of events that led to me to the west lawn of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., at precisely 12:12 p.m. on 09.12.09.  I am a 34 year-old American; a father of 3; a small business owner; and a husband to the most ordinary-in-mind, yet extraordinary-in-thought, woman in the world.  I graduated from a small high school, grinded my way to an undergraduate degree; suffered through 3 long years of law school; lived in Missouri my entire life; and, somehow, someway, on 09.12.09, I found myself there – in our nation’s capital – standing face-to-face with hundreds of thousands of Americans, unified in purpose and message: “Don’t Tread on Me.”

It was amazing; historic; momentous; unbelievable and indescribable.  In fact, at one point during the march from Freedom Plaza to Capitol Hill, I sent out a “tweet” from my phone: “I literally have no words to describe this right now.”  Even now, I’m not sure that I do…or ever will.  And yet, when it was over, and we had returned to our hotel room, anxious to view the “postgame” coverage on all the news channels, it was as if nothing at all had happened.  Feverishly flipping through the cable channels and local news stations to find something – anything – about this unprecedented march, it was as if it had all been a dream, a sweet escape from the realities of the harsh condition which has befallen us.  But, I was there! I witnessed it with my own eyes – the passion, the resolve and the sheer determination of hundreds of thousands of individuals acting as one: “e pluribus unum.”

My first reaction was one of disdain and disappointment: “Here we go again…the ‘mainstream media’ buries another story that doesn’t promote and advance its agenda.”  Disgusted and defeated, I was on the verge of throwing in the towel; but then, the strangest thing happened.  I went to dinner with my wife and met up with some fellow 912 marchers and began to discuss the day’s events.  Before we knew it, others in the restaurant were overhearing our conversations; we were overhearing theirs; the bartender was asking questions about ‘all of these people’ who had invaded his city: “What was this all about?” he asked.  “Let me show you our pictures,” we said.  “Wait a second,” the others replied, “take a look at ours.”  We ate, we drank, we exchanged stories, photos, videos, and before the night was over, people from other tables wanted to join in the conversation.  College football games dominated the televisions; Serena Williams dropped F-Bombs at the U.S. Open; the NFL season was set to kick off the next day; it was Saturday night; and nobody wanted to talk about anything but “this movement.”

The next day (09.13.09), before boarding a plane to head back to Missouri, my wife and I decided to “do the touristy thing” and take in a few sites.  We took the long stroll up to the Lincoln Memorial and spent some time reflecting on our Sixteenth President’s words which are literally engraved in stone on the walls of one of the greatest monuments in the world.  I had been there before.  I had read Lincoln’s words on numerous occasions.  But, on this date – at this moment – these words from his Gettysburg Address jumped out and jolted me:

“that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

I think it was at that moment that my revelation occurred – this is no longer about Democrat vs. Republican; Left vs. Right; Liberal vs. Conservative; or Blue vs. Red.  This is about We the People vs. Them.  This is about liberty vs. tyranny. This is about a “sleeping giant” who has been poked and prodded one too many times by an overreaching, overly intrusive federal government and we…have…had…ENOUGH!  Don’t Tread on Me!

So to all you politicians, whether Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative – in the words of President Obama, “Let me be clear” -

“We the People” are done with broken promises; we are done with bailouts; we are done with so-called “stimulus packages;” we are done with you making a career out of being a politician; we are done with you mortgaging our children’s future in order to buy votes to get re-elected; we are done with you creating one set of rules for us and a different set for you; we are done with you apologizing to the rest of the world for America being America; we are done with you calling us “uneducated,” “uninformed,” and “ignorant;” we are done with you not having to balance your checkbook the same way we have to balance ours; and most importantly, we are done with you pitting us against each other!  At the end of the day, we are all Americans, and we are sick of your games.  We refuse to play.  We will start a new game with our rules.

My revelation is that the revolution has begun.  All of this talk of “hope” and “change” – I have finally come to realize that WE are the HOPE; and we ARE the CHANGE.  We the People are the ones who will give “new birth to freedom.”  No one in Washington can do it – not Barack Obama; not any Democrat; not any Republican; not the media – only us.  You and me.  With each day that passes, Democrats and Republicans are becoming more and more irrelevant.  The “press” is becoming obsolete.  They are being replaced by talk radio, internet bloggers, twitter and other social media outlets.  They (a) think we’re too stupid to figure out on our own what’s really going on; and (b) are only concerned about their own financial security and advancement.  Why do you think they spend so much time looking down their noses and demeaning all of these mediums?  Why do you think they try to ignore hundreds of thousands of Americans converging on our nation’s capital to say “we have had enough”?

I still do not understand the progression of events that led me to Washington on 09.12.09.  I still cannot comprehend the historical significance of what I witnessed.  But I do know this – my wife and I arrived home on Sunday evening, 09.13.09, just in time to kiss our children and put them to bed.  As we walked through the door, my 3 year-old came bursting down the hallway, jumped into my arms and said, “Where were you, daddy?  I missed you!”  I squeezed her tightly and kissed her on the head as I replied, “Mommy and daddy were in Washington, baby.”

“Why were you in Washington, daddy?” she said.

“For you, baby.  For you.”

To view footage of the 912 March on Washington, go to: http://www.politicalmommentary.com

I write to you today in an attempt to address an ongoing problem which seems to be plaguing your administration and this country as a whole.  This crisis first came to my attention during your historic primary election against (then) Senator Hillary Clinton.  At the time, I assumed that the calamity of which I speak simply was a byproduct of your pandering to the far left-wing of the Democrat faction – a perfectly understandable phenomenon given the fact that you stood virtually no chance of winning that storied contest without capturing the votes of the angry, anti-Bush militants who are firmly ensconced within said faction.  Thus, at that time, I put this emerging crisis into the back of my mind and chalked it up to ‘politics as usual.’

However, after your nomination as the Democrat Presidential candidate, and with the debate which later ensued with your Republican counterpart, it became apparent that your conduct was far more problematic and could no longer be dismissed as the mere musings of an aspiring politician who was seeking to exploit the current political environment for his own gain.

And now, sir, I must confess that, with your speech to the Arab World on June 4, 2009, wherein you confirmed my greatest fears as an American citizen, I simply can no longer stand idly by and watch you dismantle over 230 years of American greatness.  This problem of which I speak, of course, is your absolute refusal to acknowledge the very simple fact that, in this world of ours, there is the undeniable existence of “good” and “evil.”

You see, Mr. President, I am of the (increasingly outdated) belief that the United States stands for all that is “good” in this world.  Despite what you and the “enlightened” members of your faction profess, I – like many of my fellow Americans – still believe that all of us are, in fact, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.  I am also of the belief, sir, that when a nation and its leaders begin to surrender the moral high ground to a bunch of evil – yes, I said it…evil – dictators and terrorists, we surrender along with it our very Americanism.  America is good.  America is just.  America is righteous.  Why can you not acknowledge these very simple tenets?  Any intelligent and honest person who has examined the writings of this nation’s founders and studied the circumstances which led to the birth of our great civilization cannot reasonably deny the influence and the involvement of our Creator in its conception.  Likewise, Mr. President, I shudder at the thought of an America that is considered to be the moral equivalent of those same dictators and terrorists you seem so intent on wooing.  Consider the writings of one of our greatest founders, Thomas Jefferson:

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

Mr. President, I, like millions of other Americans, watched your recent speech to the Arab World with great interest.  I hoped and prayed that you (for once) would stand up for me – that you would stand up for America and all that is good and right in this nation.  And I, like millions of other Americans, watched you make apologies for us.  I watched you promise to “seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons.”  As if the holding of nuclear weapons by America was for the same design and purpose of Iran or North Korea holding those same weapons.  I watched you parse words over Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, knowing full well (from Iran’s own statements) that they are pursuing those weapons in order to wipe our greatest ally in the region, Israel, off the map and to intimidate the United States.  And, with unmatched sadness and regret, I watched you marginalize our nation’s suffering and response to one of the greatest tragedies in our history when you said this:

“Nine-eleven was an enormous trauma to our country.  The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals.  We are taking concrete actions to change course.  I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.”

First of all, Mr. President, by my estimation, there is nothing “contrary to our traditions and our ideals” about defending ourselves from evil acts of terrorism.  Additionally, your insinuation that acts of “torture” were occurring at Guantanamo Bay prior to your taking of the Oath of Office have not only been proven false, but your rhetoric in this regard does nothing more than to lend comfort and credibility to our evil enemies abroad (you know – the ones who would continue to kill us and terrorize our citizens).  In fact, I watched your entire speech and then re-read the transcript, and (oddly enough) did not find one mention of the words “terror,” “terrorism” or “terrorist.”  It was as if the events of September 11, 2001, were nothing more than (to borrow a term from one of your colleagues) an “inconvenient truth” for you.

Thus, it is with great honor and an overwhelming sense of duty that I must inform you that, today, my purpose in life has become much clearer.  For today is the day that I commit myself to restoring my country to its rightful place in my Creator’s design.  I shall educate, inform and convince my fellow Americans that your denial of the existence of “good” and “evil” in this world is not only contrary to the teachings of our Creator, but hazardous to our very existence as a nation.

I leave you, sir, with this:

“God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this.” –Benjamin Franklin

All the Best,

Brent Teichman

You can read more from Brent Teichman at http://BrentTeichman.wordpress.com

While the President of the United States is wrapping up his European vacation, fresh off of poo-pooing American ideals and insulting capitalist principles, anger is building across the homeland.  An awakening to the left’s true socialist agenda is beginning to take place.  And a groundswell of support for the idea of American individualism is once again brewing in this nation.  Roughly 2 ½ months into his Presidency, Barack Obama’s approval rating continues to hover right around 60% – a very typical number for any President at this stage of the game.  According to most polls, a majority of Americans purportedly approve of the President and the job that he is doing, but still…it’s there, and you can feel it.

Americans have been in a daze since the end of World War II.  Over that period of time, we have been induced into a semi-cognitive state by our own leaders and left-wing activists, whose overarching goal has been to grow the size of government, making as many people dependent on government as possible, thereby rendering the private sector, charitable organizations and, yes, the family, irrelevant.  Unfortunately, we, as Americans, have been all too willing to follow along sheepishly, not too concerned about where it was that we were ultimately headed.  All we knew was that we were safe and protected from the rest of the world, our economy continued to grow, and our nation prospered as a whole.  And all the while, the subtle march towards socialism continued…

Then came September 11, 2001.  For an ever-so-brief moment, we were suddenly roused from our slumber.  It appeared as though America was poised finally to open our eyes, shake off the drowsiness and awaken once again to the principles that made this the greatest nation in the history of the world.  But alas, in the weeks and months that followed that fateful day, the ensconced forces of collectivism were allowed to weave their way back into the hearts and minds of a dazed and confused populace, creating doubts about our greatness as a nation and our unmatched compassion as a civilization.  Once again, Americans were convinced that it was all just a bad dream and that it was we who were the problem.  So back to sleep we went…total darkness.

And then it happened.  I can’t tell you exactly when or how, but for the first time in my life, I truly began to feel it.  I think it was sometime between Obama’s European tour with his address to the 200,000 swooning Germans in the summer of 2008 and the overnight smear campaign that was kicked into gear in order to destroy the (then) obscure and unknown Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin that following September.  All of it made me a bit fearful – fearful of where we were headed as a civilization.  Then, fear began to turn to frustration, and frustration to anger.  And I began to feel it…burning deep within.  Since that time, it has continued to burn; and with each day that passes, it begins to burn a little brighter and a little hotter.

You see, I believe that America is still the greatest country in the history of the world.  Despite the fact that a majority of our leaders (including our current President) seem hell-bent on apologizing for America, I am not ashamed of the wars that we have won, the lives that we have saved, the civilizations that we have freed from tyranny and oppression or the overall prosperity that we have spread throughout the rest of the world.  What I am ashamed of are the leaders of my country who feel the need to apologize for America being, well…America.  Unfortunately, the majority of Americans, who have now grown up in a nation wherein they have been taught and conditioned to believe that government has (or is) the answer to every problem, continue to follow along that path, sleepwalking into an even darker future.

The good news is that millions of Americans (albeit a minority) are now wide awake and fully aware of the dangerous path upon which we march.  There is a reason that thousands of “tea parties” are springing up all over America.  At last count, the grassroots organization, TEA (which stands for “Taxed Enough Already”) estimates that over 2,000 organized tea parties will occur on “tax day” (April 15^th) alone.  The latest cable news ratings came out last week, and according to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News Channel owned all of the top 7 slots.  Fox News now has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.  Their 3 most “controversial” (mainstream media code for “conservative”) shows – Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck – are the top 3 shows on cable.  No other show on any other network is even close!  Did you realize that Glenn Beck (considered by all to be the most “controversial”) took over the 5:00 p.m. ET timeslot in January, and according to Nielsen, Fox News’ ratings for that timeslot are up over ninety percent from one year ago? Ninety percent!  Conservatives are catching on to the new media outlets.  Sites like Facebook and Twitter are becoming bastions of hope and support for a disenfranchised minority. 

Yes – minority.  We are still a minority – a very large, informed and lethal minority.  But you know what?  That’s all it takes.  The birth of this nation is evidence of that very fact.  Samuel Adams, one of the most influential (although less-widely talked about) “founding fathers” once addressed the concerns of his fellow revolutionaries, who were fearful of the lack of overall support in America for revolution.  It was no secret that only about 40% of Americans were strongly in favor of throwing off the British government and establishing in its place an independent, self-sustaining and limited form of government.  In a letter to his dubious colleagues, Adams simply replied:

“It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”

Isn’t it amazing – the profound timelessness and stark imagery of the writings of those great Americans who established our nation?  Adams realized then (as is the case now) that real, meaningful change only comes about through the vigilant and relentless actions of an energized and motivated group of people, regardless of size.  So we’re a minority.  So we’re facing the challenge of waking up an entire nation that has been sound asleep for the better half of the last century.  So we’re up against a world full of socialists and fascists who want nothing more than for us to fail.  So what?

Somewhere, somehow, sometime last summer, a brushfire began burning inside of me.  And now it’s my job, and yours, to begin lighting brushfires in the hearts and minds of others.  It’s time to grab our gas cans and our matches and to create as many brushfires as we can.  We need to be pyromaniacs.  We need to build fires.  And soon, we will be a giant, raging inferno all across this nation that cannot be ignored and cannot be extinguished.  Something is happening.  Millions of fires have already been lit…some are just tiny embers or flames which need to be stoked and fanned; and some are furious, rampant wildfires which simply need to be spread.

I can feel it.  Can you?

While the President of the United States is off campaigning in Europe, poo-pooing American ideals and insulting capitalist principles, anger is building across the homeland.  An awakening to the left’s true socialist agenda is beginning to take place.  And a groundswell of support for the idea of American individualism is once again brewing in this nation.  Roughly 2 ½ months into his Presidency, Barack Obama’s approval rating continues to hover right around 60% – a very typical number for any President at this stage of the game.  According to most polls, a majority of Americans purportedly approve of the President and the job that he is doing, but still…it’s there, and you can feel it.

Americans have been in a daze since the end of World War II.  Over that period of time, we have been induced into a semi-cognitive state by our own leaders and left-wing activists, whose overarching goal has been to grow the size of government, making as many people dependent on government as possible, thereby rendering the private sector, charitable organizations and, yes, the family, irrelevant.  Unfortunately, we, as Americans, have been all too willing to follow along sheepishly, not too concerned about where it was that we were ultimately headed.  All we knew was that we were safe and protected from the rest of the world, our economy continued to grow, and our nation prospered as a whole.  And all the while, the subtle march towards socialism continued…

Then came September 11, 2001.  For an ever-so-brief moment, we were suddenly roused from our slumber.  It appeared as though America was poised finally to open our eyes, shake off the drowsiness and awaken once again to the principles that made this the greatest nation in the history of the world.  But alas, in the weeks and months that followed that fateful day, the ensconced forces of collectivism were allowed to weave their way back into the hearts and minds of a dazed and confused populace, creating doubts about our greatness as a nation and our unmatched compassion as a civilization.  Once again, Americans were convinced that it was all just a bad dream and that it was we who were the problem.  So back to sleep we went…total darkness.

And then it happened.  I can’t tell you exactly when or how, but for the first time in my life, I truly began to feel it.  I think it was sometime between Obama’s European tour with his address to the 200,000 swooning Germans in the summer of 2008 and the overnight smear campaign that was kicked into gear in order to destroy the (then) obscure and unknown Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin that following September.  All of it made me a bit fearful – fearful of where we were headed as a civilization.  Then, fear began to turn to frustration, and frustration to anger.  And I began to feel it…burning deep within.  Since that time, it has continued to burn; and with each day that passes, it begins to burn a little brighter and a little hotter.

You see, I believe that America is still the greatest country in the history of the world.  Despite the fact that a majority of our leaders (including our current President) seem hell-bent on apologizing for America, I am not ashamed of the wars that we have won, the lives that we have saved, the civilizations that we have freed from tyranny and oppression or the overall prosperity that we have spread throughout the rest of the world.  What I am ashamed of are the leaders of my country who feel the need to apologize for America being, well…America.  Unfortunately, the majority of Americans, who have now grown up in a nation wherein they have been taught and conditioned to believe that government has (or is) the answer to every problem, continue to follow along that path, sleepwalking into an even darker future.

The good news is that millions of Americans (albeit a minority) are now wide awake and fully aware of the dangerous path upon which we march.  There is a reason that thousands of “tea parties” are springing up all over America.  At last count, the grassroots organization, TEA (which stands for “Taxed Enough Already”) estimates that over 2,000 organized tea parties will occur on “tax day” (April 15^th) alone.  The latest cable news ratings came out last week, and according to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News Channel owned all of the top 7 slots.  Fox News now has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.  Their 3 most “controversial” (mainstream media code for “conservative”) shows – Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck – are the top 3 shows on cable.  No other show on any other network is even close!  Did you realize that Glenn Beck (considered by all to be the most “controversial”) took over the 5:00 p.m. ET timeslot in January, and according to Nielsen, Fox News’ ratings for that timeslot are up over ninety percent from one year ago? Ninety percent!  Conservatives are catching on to the new media outlets.  Sites like Facebook and Twitter are becoming bastions of hope and support for a disenfranchised minority. 

Yes – minority.  We are still a minority – a very large, informed and lethal minority.  But you know what?  That’s all it takes.  The birth of this nation is evidence of that very fact.  Samuel Adams, one of the most influential (although less-widely talked about) “founding fathers” once addressed the concerns of his fellow revolutionaries, who were fearful of the lack of overall support in America for revolution.  It was no secret that only about 40% of Americans were strongly in favor of throwing off the British government and establishing in its place an independent, self-sustaining and limited form of government.  In a letter to his dubious colleagues, Adams simply replied:

“It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”

Isn’t it amazing – the profound timelessness and stark imagery of the writings of those great Americans who established our nation?  Adams realized then (as is the case now) that real, meaningful change only comes about through the vigilant and relentless actions of an energized and motivated group of people, regardless of size.  So we’re a minority.  So we’re facing the challenge of waking up an entire nation that has been sound asleep for the better half of the last century.  So we’re up against a world full of socialists and fascists who want nothing more than for us to fail.  So what?

Somewhere, somehow, sometime last summer, a brushfire began burning inside of me.  And now it’s my job, and yours, to begin lighting brushfires in the hearts and minds of others.  It’s time to grab our gas cans and our matches and to create as many brushfires as we can.  We need to be pyromaniacs.  We need to build fires.  And soon, we will be a giant, raging inferno all across this nation that cannot be ignored and cannot be extinguished.  Something is happening.  Millions of fires have already been lit…some are just tiny embers or flames which need to be stoked and fanned; and some are furious, rampant wildfires which simply need to be spread.

I can feel it.  Can you?

If you’d like to read more, please check out my posts at http://BrentTeichman.wordpress.com