This is from yesterday: Karen Harrington is goig up against Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who doesn’t quite have the district that she used to. We’ve talked before, and she had some thoughts on CPAC this time:

Karen’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

This is from yesterday: Karen Harrington is goig up against Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who doesn’t quite have the district that she used to. We’ve talked before, and she had some thoughts on CPAC this time:

Karen’s site is here.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

Twinkie Defense:  A phrase meaning to circumvent responsibility for one’s own actions and instead blame the results of those actions on something illogical and external to oneself.

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number One: “First of all, my investments are not made by me. My investments for the last 10 years have been in a blind trust, managed by a trustee.”  - Mitt Romney, Florida Republican Debate

• Two problems: One, it can be argued (i.e. former Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist) that blind trusts are not always as blind as they appear to be; two, it is not a valid excuse to say, “we’ve learned about this as we made our financial disclosure.”
•  Governor Romney is contending that until he was pressured into financial disclosure, he did not deem it important to know which companies he was investing in and ultimately making money from. Blaming platform conflicting investment decisions on anyone other than himself is disingenuous. If elected president, “it was someone else’s fault” will not pass with the American people.

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number Two: “Actually, Newt, we got the idea of an individual mandate from you.” – Mitt Romney, CNN Debate

• Really? The responsibility for a huge Republican no-no in RomneyCare is attributed, not to Governor Romney who created and passed into law, but to Newt Gingrich?

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number Three: “If illegal immigrants are getting access to additional healthcare in Massachusetts, its liberal Gov. Deval Patrick that has made it easier for them to do so. All of the regulatory activities involving the Health Safety Net Fund, including who could get care, were made long after Mitt Romney left office.” – Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul

• Here Governor Romney blames the illegal immigrant loopholes in his healthcare bill as well as it’s blowing a hole in the state’s budget on his successor. My question is, if assuming it is true that his successor’s implementation of the bill caused these catastrophic problems, isn’t it equally true that responsibility for crafting a bill explicitly denying illegal immigrants care other than emergency (the federal mandate) and ensuring that the new program could be fiscally sustained lies with Governor Romney?
• Passing a fatally flawed law is Governor Romney’s blunder. If he will take credit for the program’s successes, he must also take responsibility for its failures.

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number Four: “I did not have a super PAC run an ad against you (Rick Santorum). That’s, as you know, that’s something which is completely out of the control of candidates.”  “Mr. Speaker, the super PACs that are out there running ads with Ron Paul’s, mine, yours, as you know, that is not my ad. I didn’t write that ad. I can’t tell them how to.” – Mitt Romney in GOP debate

• Mitt Romney’s responding repeatedly that he has no control over the content of a super PAC’s ads have been unending fodder for the media, left leaning and right. Romney’s a Harvard Law graduate; he’s a smart guy. Did he really believe laying responsibility on a surrogate would satisfy the American people? Own up to your attacks, Governor.

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number Five: Wolf Blitzer (CNN debate, January 26):” You had an ad running saying that Speaker Gingrich called Spanish ‘the language of the ghetto.’ What do you mean by that?”   Mitt Romney: “I haven’t seen the ad, so I’m sorry. I don’t get to see all the TV ads.”

• Ok, so let me get this straight, Governor Romney. It’s not your fault if a super PAC running ads promoting your campaign misleads the American people; and, it is not your fault if your very own campaign runs misleading ads even when they end with “I’m Mitt Romney and I approve this message”  Does he seriously think that we’re all daft? How does that work in Romney-land?

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number Six: Fox News Debate, 2012, Gerald Seib: “America Pad and Paper is a company that Bain Capital bought with $5 million, took on more debt to expand, couldn’t pay back the loans, went bankrupt and several hundred people lost their jobs. Bain Capital though, took $100 million in profits and fees. Does that show a flaw in the Bain Capital model? Or is that just the rough and tumble of America capitalism?”  Mitt Romney: “At the time I was at Bain Capital, the business was still going and didn’t go bankrupt.” “Ultimately, do I believe that free enterprise works?  Absolutely.”

• “The job losses are not my fault,” I imagine Romney saying, “I wasn’t around when the company went belly up.” Question: For every job gained, how many thousands of jobs were lost? And where jobs were lost, how many of those companies stayed in business because of the job cuts?
• Jobs gained? Proof Romney is job creator. Jobs lost? Blame American Capitalism.

Absurd Mitt Romney Defense Number Seven? Coming soon from a Mitt Romney campaign event near you!

The words “establishment” and “outsider” are wield pretty fast and loose in presidential elections. This election is hardly unique. Not so sure we’re all on the same page though, so I thought I would clarify, at least, from my vantage point.

I’ll start with defining “outsider” by using myself as the example. I am someone who has never held public office, never worked for someone in public office, never had a friend in public office and except for noting a county councilwoman’s presence in a parking lot of the local grocers, I’ve never met someone in public office.

Then, there is the “establishment.” Not the dirty word “establishment,” but you know, the Republican establishment, Democratic establishment, Mass Media “establishment” (just go with it) which can be defined, from where I sit as voter, as a group of people with the same or similar ideological opinions (not using a dictionary here, just telling it like I see it). For example, I would group Rick Perry, Karl Rove and Ronald Reagan in to the Republican establishment. Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and Rahm Emanuel in to the Democratic establishment.

But, there is another “establishment” which is not defined by political party (although, some may be defined as subjective opinion-makers masquerading as journalists). It is defined by actions or, more often than not, as the word establishment connotes, reaction (such as, adding earmarks to a bill because everyone else is doing it: “it’s ok because they’re mine”…think Rick Santorum or “I’m pro choice, no wait, who am I talking to? I mean, I’m pro family.” Or, 2008: “Mexicans? They should all be deported.” 2012:  ”My grandfather is Mexican.”  (whisper) “Do you think that’ll get me the Hispanic vote?” Or, in a recent debate, “I’ve never seen that ad” and seconds later naming 5 things that were wrong in the ad…think Mitt Romney) and sometimes inaction (as in having self-proclaimed big ideas, but never accomplishing a thing…think Ron Paul). I believe the media-types call it, the “status quo?” They should talk, right?

This establishment type, we’ll call establishment type “B,” is someone who is only defined by the group with which they identify themselves and choose to be liked opposed to be effective. They choose to get in line with all the other establishment type B people, instead of exploring the road less traveled.

There is one Republican candidate who is a bona fide, faithful conservative. One who has worked in government, true, Rick Perry has 20 plus years of experience working his way up to leading the 13th largest economy in the world, but he is not defined by his office or swayed to drop his ideals because some “one” may not like him.

I read a great definition of Rick Perry the other day: one whose magnetic personality galvanizes people for some great cause. He can influence others not solely by his words but by his actions. He does what he preaches. He acts as a catalyst and his presence is enough to motivate people.

Rick Perry is an outlier of “establishment B.” Not quite an outsider, but definitely an outlier. He’s assimilated enough to work the establishment without the establishment working him. He is guided by social and economic conservative principles, not Party principles. Although no one in or around government can claim complete autonomic outsider status, Rick Perry is eons ahead of the current crop of Republican and Democratic candidates, from my vantage point.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and an American tradition that has evolved into a world-renowned holiday that brings us the season of the unconditional giving of oneself to others.

While the giving of ourselves may include various different forms of  the giving of one’s time,  love, money, and material things all wrapped up in brightly colored ribbons and bows, today I’d like to celebrate what I consider to be some of the most wonderful gifts being given this year from deep within the hearts and souls of true Patriotic Americans. The gift I speak of is our largely unique, longstanding America freedom from an over-bearing, debt-spending, out of control, tyrannical government that has America on the verge of a financial and moral collapse. The gift of freedom.

America’s collective Christian faith has been at the forefront of America’s unity in of our battle against an oppressive ruling class government since the early days of our founding, starting with our Declaration of Independence from our first oppressor Great Britain, to the world battles against assorted tyrannical madmen such as Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Hugo Chavez etc. Millions of people have migrated to America to escape oppressive, tyrannical rulers and governments for centuries.

That brings us to the current battle in America today against the most dangerous oppressor of modern American history, one which our Constitution has protected us from for some 235 years: Big Government Socialism. Today we no longer have a government that serves the people. Every single prosperous country in the world that has accepted this stealth form of oppressive Communism masquerading as utopian socialism built upon false share-the-wealth promises has ended in chaos and poverty the world over. The prime example of the day that proves this point: The European debt crisis. When taking an objective look into that elitist-ruling-class manufactured crisis that has brought down the governments of Italy and Greece with several more to follow, we see just where that utopian European Socialism leads us once again. The elite are getting bailed out by the working class over and over again without being allowed a voice in the conversation. Crony-capitalist bankers and government-connected thieves are prospering while the working class faces economic Armageddon in what is now called the European Union.

The Socialism-induced collapse of the EU brings us full-circle to what now appears to be America’s last line of defense against the ruling-class oppression of today’s European-style Socialism that now threatens to infect America and wipe out her historic personal freedoms and enduring prosperity. The last line of defense I speak of here, is the coalition of Constitutional conservatives, true American Patriots, to include the all-important group of information sharing citizens, Tea Party political activists, and internet freedom-fighters working 24/7 to inform the public of the dangers of today’s all-too-powerful, constitution-trampling U.S. government. Through this massive effort of self-less giving, these Patriots are indeed our last, best hope of avoiding the stealth European Socialism that now has all of Europe engulfed in poverty, chaos and an uncertain future. America must be made aware of these dangers before they engulf America as they have all of Europe today.

To all of the Patriotic citizen journalists across America, including the engaged stay at home Moms, the concerned senior citizens, the American Freedom groups, the Tea Party warriors, the true Constitutional conservatives of Congress, the information-sharing networks and all of the Patriotic bloggers who continue to give selflessly and tirelessly to stop the big government oppression we are under attack from today, thank you. A heartfelt thank you for uniting to give all of America the greatest gift of all this holiday season: The gift of continuing American freedom and prosperity that has made this nation the greatest nation on earth.  Thank all of you Patriots, and Merry Christmas.   Sincerely,  DJ Redman @conservativedailynews.com

Footnote: As I consider myself to be a citizen journalist writing here at CDN to give the gift of freedom through insightful information-sharing, I would like to add the following info-byte from the UK that shows us the relevancy of certain anti-Americans that constantly denounce and minimize the Christian faith in America, (as in the war on Christmas) in order to install European-style socialism into America:

On any given day- whether here at RedState, Townhall or any other conservative website as well as any liberal website- the majority of discourse is on either general topics like pending legislation/proposals OR Presidential politics. While we here at RS play pundit regarding the GOP nomination and put our two cents worth forward in support of our particular favorite nominee, there is an equally important battle that cannot be overlooked. I looked at articles here and at liberal sites over a week’s time and found that there is bispartisanship when it comes to the congressional elections in 2012. A mere 10% of articles on either side is dedicated to this subject. I realize that most likely that will change as we get closer to the actual election and that the big news of the day is the GOP nomination process playing itself out now.
Let us look at the importance of the Congressional elections. We currently control the House and we should maintain control come 2012. Yes, there will most likely be a loss of seats, but not enough to bring back the era of Pelosi II (thank God). Despite their public posturing, it still looks that come January 2013, the House will be in Republican hands albeit with a slightly smaller majority (maybe 5-10 seats).
The main battle will be in the Senate. There, unless the GOP shoots itself in the foot and pulls a Delaware/Colorado again, the Republicans are poised to win a majority there and take control of the upper house. Thus far, unless something changes- and there is plenty of time for change to happen- I cannot see the eventual GOP candidate, whether Romney or some other candidate, defeating Obama. Too many things would have to happen. There is no doubt that states like Indiana will revert to red, that Missouri will be staunchly in our corner and we may even flip states like Nevada, Wisconsin, or even Iowa and Pennsylvania. Still, there is too much offense to play while Obama has to play defense. And I do not believe anyone in the field has the tools to play the offense necessary to carry states like possibly Ohio and definitely Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. I am not a pessimist, but a realist and I will most definitely fight for and support the eventual Republican nominee because I feel the alternative- Barack Obama and his policies- does not represent the America I love. In essence, this could be the “none of the above” election and unfortunately that would hand victory to the incumbent.
Besides, let us look ahead a little. Who on earth does the Democratic Party have in the pipeline for 2016? Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton? Perhaps the only other viable name I have heard bandied about recently is New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who sounds suspiciously almost Republican of late with his “no tax increase” talk and “high taxes are not conducive to attracting business and jobs” rhetoric. Some other long shots are: Kay Hagan, Tim Kaine (if he wins Virginia Senate race first), Ed Rendell (great for Philly, bad for PA), Russ Feingold (President Feingold? Yeah, right), Mike Beebe (Arkansas again), and God forbid Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Meanwhile, on our side we have Mike Pence (most likely the next Governor of Indiana), Marco Rubio, Susannah Martinez, John Thune, Chris Christie, Mitch Daniels, Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan, and maybe a revamped Tim Pawlenty. All of these names are intellectual heavyweights compared to most of what the Democrats can offer up in 2016. The point is that 2016 may be the better opportunity to win the White House and that a GOP defeat in 2012 should not be a source of consternation.
Some may look at winning the Senate as the booby prize in 2012. That is hardly the case. By winning the Senate, the GOP would set the legislative agenda. Although they would not have a filibuster proof majority, they could still force the President to make some decisions that would clearly pit him and other liberals against the vast majority of Americans- lower taxes, smaller government, repeal of Obamacare, etc. OR, in the alternative, it would force Herr Obama to tack seriously to the center and, in an effort to improve his legacy, actually work more seriously with Republicans rather than be beholden to his liberal base. In either case, a majority in the Senate is a bigger prize than the White House- and more realistic.
In conclusion, it is imperative that the GOP put forward the most winnable nominee in the Senate races. That may involve some compromise on the part of many. For example, an Olympia Snowe may have to be supported because, quite frankly, any GOP alternative simply will not win. We can play the “I’m more conservative than you” game in states like Utah and Oklahoma, but that game is recipe for defeat and disaster, as it was in Delaware in 2008 and Colorado the same year. In fact, I really wish that writers here and elsewhere would agree to an 18 month moratorium on the use of the term RINO.

The pro-abortion zealots reach to great lengths to justify the barbarity they support. Thers at Whiskey Fire put up a snark-filled “rebuttal” to this RedState post from the Directors, replete with the typical dehumanization of the unborn, as if the unborn were somehow a different species, and an inane accusation that the RedState post might incite violence. But Thers isn’t alone; Media Matters also makes the same accusation. Go ahead and read them.

The key question I had after reading them, did these people get an education or were they simply passed from grade to grade to get them though and out of the education system?

Read More →

Conservative character-content voters shame Democrats’ race-based identity politics

The Powers That Be (Neil) report that the non-artist variously known as gamecock, Mike DeVine, DeVine Law and Cockstradamus has been “registered” at Redstate for exactly 5.0 years.

Drudge failed to pick up the story, but the anniversary of the registered birth of “gamecock”  and my native Palmetto State’s recent conservative character-based election triumph, reminded me of my first tumultuous day at Redstate, made so by a GOP racial paranoia that Tim Scott’s election proves is unwarranted.

Gamecocks are fighting birds, the University of South Carolina baseball team version of which is only three wins away from the school’s first men’s national championship, but I digress.

The law school matriculation version of the pampered-between-fights bird that hired out a Clemson engineer with an alarm clock so he could sleep in, happened upon Redstate on the authority of Rush Limbaugh, after 15 years of matriculation at his Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies, including parodies.

The issue that animated this former Democrat that day in The Year 4 B.O. (pun intended due to the stink beginning in The Year One A.O.), was a discussion of the criteria President Bush should use in appointing a new Chief Justice to the Supreme Court.

Liberals were making their usual identity politics based demands, so during the back and forth, I borrowed a page from the left’s affirmative action playbook and suggested that given the denigration of denigration of white men by the left in academia, movies and the culture in general, that it would be best for my son to see a good white male role model.

I was briefly banned for a few hours but us reinstated after writing a short biography explaining my circle of black and white friends that moved on from race years ago; that Redstate should understand as Rush does that no matter how careful we are, the Media will call us racist; that we are entitled to parody too, just like the left; and that actual voters, black and white resent the Media and Dems’ false racism charges.

The Tim Scott victory over Strom’s son affirms a lifetime of rooster crowings

My dad coached the first integrated Little League teams in Spartanburg, blessing me with many close black friendships. My dream was Martin Luther King’s: equal treatment under the law. I wanted my black friends to be able to pursue the American dream just like the white son of a railroad carman.

The dream advanced so much in a state dubbed “too small to be an empire, yet too large to be an insane asylum” (something about an incident at Fort Sumter…)  from the 70s thru the 80s that Strom hired Armstrong Williams; racist jokes became a cause for ostracization among most whites; and more blacks moved back in than moved out.

Yet, from the perspective of a then young Democrat, it seemed that my party elders’ eyes remained glazed over with Bull Connor playing a Republican. Democrats would label Republicans as racist for being against certain laws, yet most of the Republicans I knew actually hired blacks.

Long story short, I was won over to modern day conservatism by Reaganite policies that work for all Americans as contrasted by Democrats that favored proven failed policies.

I left the Dem Party because I care about the poor, lower income and middle class families and abhor racism.

It is an insult to treat blacks as fragile children that mustn’t be offended. My first dead-tree MSM conservative voice column for the Charlotte Observer pled with whites to stop have the guts to treat blacks as equals instead of by the rules of political correctness. Live color-blindness.

What led to SC’s superior race relations and gamecock’s Southern race relations-superiority

In short, more practice than other states as to the former, and the discovery of latent, unintentional (mostly) anti-Southern bigotry among many well-meaning Redstate commenters, most of whom never lived in the South and know few blacks and were also quite ignorant of the non-PC black/white culture among most blacks and whites in the South.

Add to that the shared Judeo-Christian values that caused whites to buy into the moral argument.

At first, the bias I saw hurt me personally, but after much prayer concluded that I shouldn’t expect those up North to be as advanced in an area we have had so much experience with.

Most of these types also bought into judging The South by whatever anecdotal stories the Press chooses to highlight.

GOP frees all from poisonous Democratic-Party identity and race based politics

One thing I have always loved about the Republican Party from the first day I joined in 2001 is that conservatives care about policy and that if you will pass the right laws, they will support you.

I knew in the mid-80s that white racism was no longer a major impediment to the pursuit of the American dream by blacks. Quite frankly, there would be more elected black Republicans if they had only run years ago. It was never a question of Republicans not being willing to vote for Blacks that support conservative policies.

The main impediment had been the spectacle of the exodus of Dixiecrat segregation stars into the GOP due to Democrat-majority sponsored civil rights laws. Never mind the fact that more Republicans voted for the laws and that racists were never given any voice in the GOP. The branding was done just as LBJ’s welfare state commenced to destroy a great society of middle class black men and make Uncle Sam their Democrat daddy.

The other great impediment to black Republican recruitment has been the cultural ostracization of so-called Uncle Toms, but the prospect of from no less than 3-7 elected black Republicans in the House next January threatens that paradigm.

Tim Scott can talk Low Country to James Clyburn’s face embodying by his mere presence the total refutation of most of ObamaDems’ justification for existing as a party to be bulwark (read subsistence living in exchange for votes) against Racist White America.

When white Republicans give you two-thirds of their votes instead of to a fine young conservative son of a state icon, Clyburn’s wiggly contrived congressional district looks pathetic.

Soon, there could be so many black elected conservatives that the media won’t have the air time to schedule Clarence Thomas-type high tech lynchings for all of them.

Blacks suffering from a Great Recession Obama hasn’t ended by January 2011, will be afforded the spectacle of Black men and women on the floor of the House opposing ObamaDem policies that would make that black voter’s gasoline cost more; his dollars worth less; and illegal alien votes cancel his.

The day Frank Robinson was fired

Someone once told me that the more important moment in achieving equality was not when Frank Robinson was hired to manage a major league baseball team, but rather when he was fired for losing too many games, just like a white manager.

Obama will be fired because of failed liberal Democrat policies, just like Jimmy Carter was. Hopefully the Tim Scotts of the world will help the 90% of Blacks still voting for Democrats more clearly see that the same whites that hired him didn’t turn racist when they fire him.

Black and White and Redstate all over

There simply is no better conservative interaction site than Redstate, which also turned out to be the catylyst for a second gamecock career and the acheivement of a my second lifelong dream (law was the first) to write for a major newspaper.

Redstate debates were my proving grounds which led to The Minority Report and, Dave Hinz whom we all miss after his tragic death last year, and who edited my submissions to victory in a contest for the Charlotte Observer conservative voice columnist position.

Redstate has really been my conservative world. The conservative epiphany occurred after leaving my hometown for Atlanta, where I have been too busy with work to do more than vote as far as politics is concerned. I got burnt out on campaigns and party activities and positions as a Dem in the 80s and 90s, and am really as issues guy anyway.

My work for the party and the cause is writing, including whistle-blowing on the Dems I know so well.

Redstate has really helped make the second stage of my life much more meaningful than it otherwise would have been. I pursued happiness at Redstate and found it.

Can’t ask for more than that…except for a Gamecock national championship in baseball next week.