E.W. Jackson for Lieutenant Governor: Announcment Video and Letter from Steve Waters

E.W. Jackson announced his bid for Lieutenant Governor at the Republican Advance this past weekend.  He gave the inspiring freedom fighting speech we loved hearing during his senate run earlier this year.  If the convention hall is filled with liberty activists, he could definitely pull off a win.  He will easily be the most exciting speaker there, and asking people to vote after hearing him speak is almost an unfair advantage for him.  His charisma could be particularly important as the race drags on to multiple ballots, and people want the race to end.

The one concern I do have is whether his red meat speeches will be appealing to a majority of the state should he win the nomination.  This is something E.W. Jackson needs to be thinking about now, and it is really only a question that can be answered in November of 2013.

The following is his announcement video, as well as an endorsement letter from Steve Waters, long time conservative campaign manager and the man E.W. recently hired to manage his campaign.  They are both a bit long, but they are both worth considering in their entirety as you evaluate E.W. Jackson.
 
December 3, 2012

Dear Friends,

This past June at the Republican Convention, myself and other conservative movement leaders approached Bishop E.W. Jackson asking him to consider running for Lieutenant Governor in 2013.  This past Wednesday evening E.W. called and asked me to manage his campaign for Lieutenant Governor for the upcoming 2013 GOP Convention.  I accepted his offer with great excitement and enthusiasm.  I know how important the 2013 elections are for us to elect men and women into office that will stand up for the beliefs and principles critical to our way of life as free individuals.  Without any hesitation I know that E.W. has the qualities of leadership needed to lead the fight for what we stand for, as he shares the very principles and beliefs that we hold so dear.  E.W. has devoted his life to defending these beliefs and will be a formidable candidate in the general election next November.

The Virginia 2013 elections are of paramount importance to our Commonwealth and our Nation.  Due to the results of the past election we now know more than ever that our rights, values, liberties and freedoms are under attack daily.  Our core beliefs as Christians and as a free people are under attack as never before.  Everything we hold close and dear to our hearts, our way of life, is under fire from the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of our government.  Our individual states are the only line of defense that we have left at this point to protect us from a run-a-way tyrannical federal government and the progressives in the states that work to undo our liberties, just as the current Administration in the White House is attempting to do.  Unfortunately, our team is emotionally drained right now.  We need a leader(s) that will re-invigorate our spirits and our hopes.  We need a leader who will lead us to fight to safeguard our liberty, values and beliefs.  E.W. Jackson is a leader who will lead our efforts.  This is one of the reasons that I believe E.W. will make a fantastic Lieutenant Governor for our great Commonwealth.

I believe Virginia is critical in this fight because of our rich history in our Nation’s past to lead the way for other states in the fight for Liberty.  I also know that Virginia is no longer a red state at this time and one of the things learned in this past election is that the democrats are very competitive at the state level.  If we are not careful we will begin to lose the majority we have in the House of Delegates, our small margin in the State Senate, and possibly the loss of   the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General positions.

To make matters more troubling, there is a battle for the heart and soul of our Republican Party like I have never seen in my lifetime.  Many in leadership across the nation and in Virginia are once again ringing the bell for our party to water down our values and become less conservative and more moderate if not democrat light.  Have they not learned anything! Pat McSweeney once said, “We don’t lose because we are pro-life but because we are not pro-life enough.”  I completely agree.  I also believe we are losing the marriage battle not because we are wrong but because we are afraid to have the debate and speak out on this very important and controversial issue.  Our party is losing because we are not leading on important issues. We are not engaging and educating the electorate and citizenry on these and other issues that are critical to the survival of our society.  I believe that is the case because who represents our party, with the small exception of a limited few.  I do not believe they have the convictions or moral courage to lead this important debate.  Many of our representatives and leaders in the party tell you that they are pro-life.  They list this position on their websites and in their literature during their campaigns.  They even tout their “pro family” record during their campaigns.  However, when discussions are held behind closed doors or when they cast their votes during legislative sessions they betray us.  We MUST do a better job of choosing our elected leaders.  We need to be very clear, and very strong, to the leaders and elected officials in our party that the time has come for them to be more concerned with losing our support, financial and manpower, than with placating the elites, and liberal democrats who would not vote for them to begin with.

I am supporting E.W. Jackson and leading his campaign because I know he is a person who will lead on our issues and who will never betray them.  He will use his power as Lieutenant Governor to push the republican leadership in the Senate to pass our conservative legislation.  The same legislation that is killed in the State Senate each year, many times by our very own Republican leadership.  As Lieutenant Governor E.W. will have the platform to speak out on the critical issues that are confronting our society.  We need a Lieutenant Governor like E.W. Jackson, that will travel across the Commonwealth advocating on behalf of our issues and who will help to elect strong conservatives to the State Senate using his position of leadership.  E.W. would do a brilliant job in his leadership role of the Senate as Lieutenant Governor.  We need an authentic, passionate conservative to oversee the State Senate.  He will also be a great partner to our nominee for Governor, Ken Cuccinelli.  The two of them will make a brilliant team along with a Republican Attorney General.  E.W. already has a national profile.  Many of you have seen him on FOX News and other networks advocating our issues.  The other fact is that we have to have more diversity on our ticket. He knows the African American Community and having him on our ticket will provide the credibility necessary as we reach out to recruit African Americans into our party.  E.W.’s liberty minded concepts on the role of government will make a refreshing and articulate spokesperson to the younger generation who are concerned about the future of our Nation.  He will be able to connect with members of the Tea Party, supporters of Ron Paul and Libertarians like no one else on the ticket with the exception possibly of Ken Cuccinelli. Together, E.W. and Ken will motivate and empower many conservatives, Tea Party, Ron Paul supporters, Libertarians and  conservative African Americans and other minorities who have stayed out of the political process because of their lack of trust and bad perceptions of our party.  Let’s face it, we do have a branding issue and it is not because of our conservative platform as some have claimed since the losses of this past election.

E.W. has made the commitment to run a properly financed and professionally managed campaign.  He took the first step in fulfilling this commitment when he reached out and asked me to manage his campaign.  Under my leadership we will have a professional staff and will raise the funds necessary to win the nomination and the General Election.  E.W. and myself are committed to winning!  We are putting our campaign infrastructure in place and are finalizing our fund raising plans.  Be prepared, when E.W. calls you, he will be asking for your support and to donate to his campaign and if he does, I humbly ask you to become a part in this campaign whether through financial donations or volunteering.

In closing, I am very excited to work on E.W.’s behalf because of who he is and what he stands for.  This is exactly how I felt in 2008 when I managed the U.S. Senate nomination campaign of another favorite of believers of freedom and liberty, Bob Marshall.  We have to elect and vigorously support candidates like E.W. Jackson.  E.W.’s views and beliefs will inspire people in this upcoming election.  We need a leader who will motivate us once again and who will help to give us hope for upcoming victories.  We have to elect leaders such as E.W. or we can expect the same results time and time again that have happened far too often.  We have to elect leaders who are principled and courageous, leaders who will stay the course of their convictions regardless of political consequences from those in the party that are only concerned with preserving their own presumed power.  We know that winning without principle is not winning at all.  Winning elections based on principles and beliefs is true victory.  True victory is what we will accomplish by electing E.W. Jackson as Virginias next Lieutenant Governor.

Please contact me if you have any comments or questions concerning E.W.’s candidacy.  I encourage you to join our campaign and to help us restore true conservative leadership to the office of Lieutenant Governor.  I look forward to hearing from you soon, especially if want to join the Jackson for Lieutenant Governor Campaign!  We want you to be a part of our team.

Our slogan is “Let Liberty Light the Way for Virginia!”  And if you think about it, that is exactly where the fight is, the problems we face and the solutions...LIBERTY!!!

God Bless you and your families!

Steve Waters

Susan Stimpson for Lieutenant Governor: Experience Matters

When I first heard that Susan Stimpson was running for Lieutenant Governor, I was intrigued.  A young attractive conservative woman could be quite compelling on the Republican ticket in 2013.  Solid conservative activists I appreciate and trust support Stimpson. Chris Stearns invited me to watch her announcement video and released a video personally endorsing Susan Stimpson.  Steve Albertson is as good as they come and also strongly supports Susan.  Patrick McSweeney and Russ Moulton are rumored to be strong supporters and early proponents.  There are even substantial rumors that Cuccinelli encouraged Stimpson to run and is supporting her.

While many good friends that I trust support Susan Stimpson I am concerned by her lack of experience.  My concerns about Susan Stimpson's experience relate both to her electoral and governing experience.

I.  Electoral Experience

Susan Stimpson has one election in her life.  In 2009, she won a board of supervisors race for Falmouth District.  She won this race with 2,424 votes in a four precinct election.  In the high water year for Republicans in Virginia she won with 50.07%.

While she currently serves as Chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, she has not run in a county wide election.  Like many counties across the commonwealth, this position is elected by the supervisors as opposed to the voters of the county.  This is important for people from counties like Prince William and Loudoun to keep in mind since in these counties the Chairman is elected countywide.  Susan Stimpson was elected Chairman in early 2012 after Mark Dudenheffer, the previous Chairman, won his race for delegate.

From a political perspective, why should we have confidence Susan Stimpson can win statewide?  Barely eaking out a win when Republicans won historically statewide does not inspire confidence in her ability to win.  There is also a world of difference between winning a race in 4 precincts vs. statewide.  Is winning four precincts once in a year when Republicans won overwhelmingly really proof that someone has the campaign abilities to win statewide.  When have we ever believed someone is qualified for statewide office because they won 4 precincts under three years ago?

December will tell us how good Stimpson's abilities are in fundraising and building a campaign organization.  However, she seems to have the weakest track record in these categories of any candidate for VA statewide office in 2013 on the Republican side.  

II. Governing Experience

Closely related to the issue of electoral experience is the issue of governing experience.  Susan Stimpson has held elected office for a little over 2.5 years, and has been Chairman of Stafford for a little over 6 months before running for Lieutenant Governor.  This seems to be a very small amount of time to claim credit for the number of reforms she claims to be responsible for.

More importantly though, this comparatively short governing experience means she isn't as familiar with state issues as others.  Candidates like Steve Martin, Scott Lingamfelter, and Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis have much more experience at the state level than Stimpson has at the local level: 24 (6 as Delegate 18 as Senator), 10 (as Delegate), and 10 (4 as Senator, 6 as Delegate) years respectively.  Corey Stewart has served on the local level for 8 years.  While I don't believe you have to have years of elected experience to run statewide, this can impact knowledge of the subjects.  Candidates like Lingamfelter and Martin have an intimate knowledge with state issues because they have sponsored legislation and voted on many of the issues at stake.

Peoples I know who have talked with Stimpson say she is great on principles but sketchy on the details.  This is largely a reflection of her inexperience with the issues.  If she doesn't work hard to learn them soon she may look very weak and inexperienced when on a stage with the rest of the Lieutenant Governor candidates.

As conservatives, nominating the right person is crucial.  Are we sure that making a person with very little experience our standard bearer the right way to go?  Am I missing something?  Does she have experience I am missing?  I am curious to hear responses from those supporting Susan Stimpson. 

Bill Bolling's First TV Ad

I hope you will join me in working to get this man reelected as our next Lieutenant Governor.

Jody Wagner: I failed, Can I have a Promotion?

This is essentially what the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor is doing. She regularly gave innaccurate budget projections, and now wants to become Lieutenant Governor. While Wagner was giving innacurate predictions, Bolling was telling the state these were bad predictions and trying to put the state on a solid financial state inspite of Jody Wagner.

A recent e-mail from Mark Obenshain really makes this clear.

Dear William,

Congratulations to Jody Wagner, who won the nod to be the Democrat's candidate for Lieutenant Governor. You can be sure that she is hoping that Virginians will not notice a certain small blemish on her resume. Ms. Wagner, you see, was Governor Kaine's first Finance Secretary, and under her leadership, the Kaine Administration began to amass a dismal record of projecting the state's revenues. Ms. Wagner left the Administration after so badly missing the revenue projections for the Kaine Administration's first budget that we were running deficits within 3 months of the beginning of the budget cycle. Sadly, the Kaine administration has never recovered and has continued to deliver deeply flawed and politically motivated budget projections. Ms. Wagner, meanwhile, is looking for a promotion.

May revenue reports, out today, show that Virginia is once again in the hole, this time by $288 million, with a month to go in FY 2009. Revenue collection from January through May is down over 15% over the same period the previous year, with no sign of abatement, and the year to date decline is already at 9.3% – worse than the Kaine Administration's revised forecast of 7.3% delivered in February – with a month left to go. In fact, closing the books on a balanced budget will require an 8.1% increase over June 2008 receipts. FY 2010 is rapidly approaching; it begins on July 1, 2009. The budget for FY 2010 relies upon projections of 4.4% annual revenue growth. Sadly, it is all too apparent that rosy revenue projections have failed us yet again, and that the FY 2010 budget is on advanced life support before it even gets out of the gate.

Mark Obenshain
Virginia State Senator

New Bolling Endorsements

A few days ago the Bolling campaign sent out an e-mail in which the Republican leaders in the 9th Congressional District came out in support of Bill Bolling. These are the people who know Patrick Muldoon best. They called on Patrick Muldoon to stop his "slash and burn" campaign tactics. By this they mean that Muldoon never lays out his record on the issues but simply attacks Bolling. Nomination contests are meant to be a clash of ideas not an opportunity to attack a party leader.

Today, exactly two weeks out from the convention, Bill Bolling announced a new set of endorsements. The e-mail included endorsements from Mike Farris, the NRA, Virginia Society for Human Life, and a quote by Victoria Cobb of the VA Family Foundation.

"I am pleased to endorse Bill Bolling's re-election as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Bill has been a clear and consistent voice for the conservative values we believe in. Bill knows that we need to improve the quality of the educational opportunities we provide to our children, and he has been a strong supporter of educational choice and the rights of parents to home school their children. I am pleased to give Bill my support, and I encourage you to do the same." Mike Farris, Homeschool Lawyer

“On behalf of the over 100,000 members of the National Rifle Association in Virginia, I am pleased to announce your NRA-PVF endorsement for the 2009 Virginia Republican Convention. Your exemplary record of past service in the Virginia Senate and as Lieutenant Governor clearly illustrates your commitment to protecting the rights of law-abiding firearm owners and sportsmen. Based upon your proven record and firm pledge to continue to serve as an advocate for Virginia’s law-abiding gun owners, you have earned an “A+” rating from the NRA-PVF.” Andrew Jennison, NRA-ILA Virginia State Liaison (May 11, 2009 Letter to Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling)

“The Virginia Society for Human Life Political Action Committee (VSHL PAC) is pleased to endorse you for reelection to the office of Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
During your term as Lieutenant Governor, you have advanced and defended pro-life principles. We particularly appreciate the deciding vote you cast on the amendment to the 2008 Virginia budget that would have banned taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, which operates the largest chain of abortion facilities in the United States.” Holly Smith, Chairman, Virginia Society for Human Life PAC (May 14, 2009 Letter to Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling)

“I can honestly say that no elected official in Virginia did more to encourage the passage of the [Marriage] Amendment than you. Your willingness to participate in va4marriage.org events and fundraisers was critical to our success, as was your personal contribution of radio ads across Virginia. Your passionate advocacy for traditional marriage clearly contributed to our victory.” Victoria Cobb, Executive Director, Family Foundation of Virginia (Nov 10, 2006 Letter to Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. The Family Foundation does not endorse candidates for elected office.)

It is great to see these conservative groups and leaders coming out in strong support for Bill Bolling. I hope you will join the conservatives from across this state in supporting Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor at the convention, and throughout the long campaign season afterwards.

Bolling for Lieutenant Governor - Setting the Record Straight on the Life Issue

Earlier I wrote about the attacks on Bolling's record and why I support Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor. Attorney General. In a recent e-mail, Mark Obenshain responds to yet another e-mail from the Muldoon campaign and lays out Bolling's record on social issues. Coming from someone who has worked with Bolling for years in the state senate I think it is definitely a must read article. I hope you will join with me in voting for Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor at the RPV state convention on May 30th.

Friends,

You may have recently received an email from Patrick Muldoon, who is running against Bill Bolling for the nomination for Lieutenant Governor. That email is full of so much inaccurate information that I felt compelled to write and set the record straight.

While I always welcome competition as a method to strengthen our party, and
while I believe that we must hold our public officials accountable for their stances, it cannot be at the expense of the truth.

I’m sad to say that a small group, determined to derail our victory in November, appear to be attempting to smear and falsely attack a man who has been a faithful friend to our conservative cause, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling.

I have known Bill Bolling and served with him in the Senate for years, and I can tell you that his opponent is not telling the truth about Bill’s record.

Let me set the record straight, point by point.

Claim: Bill did not oppose making the Plan B Morning After pill available to minors.

Truth: Bill Bolling has consistently opposed making the morning
after pill available to minors.

While his opponent has no record on Plan B, as a member of the State Senate
Bill Bolling:

• Voted to require parental consent before minors can get Plan B
• Voted against allowing Plan B to be distributed over the counter without a
  physician's prescription
• Voted against allowing Plan B to be distributed on Virginia's college
  campuses

Claim: Bill supported mandatory HPV vaccinations for grade-schoolers.

Truth: Bill Bolling has never supported mandating HPV vaccinations
for grade-schoolers, or anyone else for that matter.

In fact, when legislation to mandate the HPV vaccine was introduced in the General Assembly Bill publicly stated his opposition to that legislation and he fought for the no-cause parental opt-out that was ultimately included in the legislation that passed the Senate 40-0. Bill’s position was consistent with the position of The Family Foundation and the Catholic Diocese of Virginia: that parents should be made aware of the link between HPV and cervical cancer, but the vaccination should be a choice that each parent makes for themselves.

Claim: Bill campaigned around the state supporting the HPV vaccine in exchange for contributions from its manufacturer, Merck Pharmaceuticals.

Truth: Bill has never encouraged anyone to get the HPV vaccine.

In 2007, Lieutenant Governor Bolling and his wife, Jean Ann, participated in a bi-partisan national effort called “Ending Cervical Cancer in Our Lifetime.” This program was sponsored by the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association and was aimed at helping women make the connection between the HPV virus and cervical cancer. The program encouraged women to go to their doctors for regular cervical cancer screenings. It did not encourage anyone to get the HPV vaccine. And by the way, the last campaign contribution Bill recieved from Merck was $500, and that was six years ago!

Claim: Bill supports a “hook-up cultural agenda” of promiscuity and unprotected sex, and he is a “favorite Republican” of Planned Parenthood.

Truth: This one is simply laughable.

Bill Bolling is one of our most consistent conservative leaders. He is a family man, a dedicated Christian and a Sunday School teacher. He fought Tim Kaine’s attempts to eliminate state funding for abstinence education. He cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of denying state funds to Planned Parenthood. But there are probably two statistics that sum it up best:

Bill Bolling has a 100% lifetime rating from the Virginia Society for
Human Life.

Bill Bolling has a 0% lifetime rating from NARAL/Planned
Parenthood.

It is unfortunate that Patrick Muldoon feels the need to mangle the record of a good man in order to further his campaign, but the sad truth is that he has no positive record to stand on. By contrast, Bill Bolling’s record speaks for itself:

• 100% pro-family voting record from The Family Foundation
• Endorsed by the Virginia Society for Human Life (2005)
• Supported parental notification and consent legislationSupported a ban on
  partial birth abortions
• Supported higher patient safety standards for abortion clinics
• Cast the tie-breaking vote to deny state funding to Planned Parenthood
• Fought to restore abstinence education funding that Governor Kaine stripped
  from the budget
• Led the fight to pass the Marriage Amendment

That’s a solid conservative record that we can be proud of.

A little over a year ago Bill Bolling put aside his personal ambitions and decided not to seek the Governor’s Mansion. Our party has benefited greatly from Bill’s sacrifice. Perhaps others should follow his example.

If we are going to win in November, we have no time for the politics
of negativity and personal destruction.

I’m proud to support Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and I urge you to do so as well.

Senator Mark Obenshain

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Bill Bolling for Lieutenant Governor

Recently Patrick McSweeney made the headlines by sending out an e-mail urging delegates to support Patrick Muldoon for Lieutenant Governor at the RPV State Convention. So far the entire "case" for Patrick Muldoon has been comprised of nothing but criticisms of Bill Bolling. I have repeatedly asked Muldoon supporters to tell me the reason I should vote FOR Muldoon as opposed to just why I should just vote against Bolling. The only response I have heard is a deafening silence.

There are two things I like to find in an ideal candidate: a commitment to conservative principles, and an ability to get elected. No case can be made that Muldoon has a better chance of being elected than Bill Bolling. Bolling has already shown he can win the Lieutenant Governorship, and has posted solid fundraising numbers (especially when compared to Muldoon). Muldoon has yet to win a single election. He lost bis bid for VA's 9th Congressional seat, lost in a race for Commonwealth Attorney, and his highest elected office is alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Since Muldoon can not try to win on electability all he can try to win on is ideological purity. I am definitely an conservative who believes people should be true conservatives not just suddenly conservative during election season. That is why I have worked hard for Cuccinelli, Jeff Frederick, and Mike Huckabee among others. However Muldoon is just as ideologically impure as he claims Bolling is and does not have the long record of accomplishments that Bolling has. Earlier his connections to Barr Labs and the gambling industry were brought to light. Now Bearing Drift is reporting that Muldoon received over $10,000 from a group that has Barr Labs as a client, and has made donations to Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and others pro-choice Democrats. If Patrick Muldoon wants to have the audacity to criticize Bill Bolling for not being ideologically pure, he needs to make sure his own house is in order first.

Bolling has a record of voting pro-life. He opposed the Warner tax increase when most Republican senators supported it. He actively opposed Tim Kaine's tax hikes and has actively supported Republicans across the commonwealth. He also had the wisdom to not step into the Jeff Frederick fight. Bolling has a proven record on the issues. He has proven his conservative credentials time and again and as a result I am proud to support him. If you are a conservative then please support one of your own, over a political unknown with huge question marks. This is our opportunity to create a strong ticket, sweep the executive offices, and increase our majority in the House of Delegates along the way.

Patrick (McSweeney) on Patrick (Muldoon)

The day after the state central committee removed Jeff Frederick, Patrick McSweeney issued a letter supporting Patrick Muldoon for Lieutenant Governor in what appeared to be an attempt to capitalize on the growing discontent in many conservatives. While Patrick McSweeney went to far, he definitely turned heads with his letter. Mason Conservative came out very strongly against McSweeney on this issue, and Tertium Quids agreed with McSweeney in part and disagreed with him in part.

McSweeney made some good points about the new direction of the RPV, especially it's lack of support for social issues. However Mason Conservative very accurately pointed out that going after Bolling for these problems and with Muldoon seems rather counterproductive.

While the RPV definitely has problems, Bolling has proven himself time and again to be a true conservative, and he has a very good chance at winning in the fall. Patrick Muldoon on the other hand has never been able to win an election, and has few real accomplishments and achievements that could make him a better nominee than Bolling. Honestly I have yet to see a real reason to vote for Muldoon. The only reason I see is that someone has a nitpicky problem with Bolling, or is trying to lodge a protest vote against McDonnell. Neither of those reasons though are reasons to support Muldoon only possible reasons to oppose Bolling.

NOMINATION OF PATRICK MULDOON

I make no pretense that this is the usual nomination speech. Frankly, I’m tired of the usual political speech.

As a party, we simply must begin to talk in a very different way than we have in recent campaigns or we will continue to lose ground.

We all know that the Republican Party today has no clear brand. The choice
is whether to develop a new one or to rediscover our tradition, but abandoned
brand.

That is not the only choice. The more important choice is whether incumbents and their consultants or the grassroots should decide what our brand should be instead of the grassroots.

I nominate Patrick Muldoon for Lieutenant Governor because he is committed
to the Party’s principles; to building a grassroots party and to having the
grassroots decide the most important questions facing us.

Patrick is an exceptionally capable, intelligent and hardworking fellow. Born and raised in Southwest Virginia on a family farm, he has earned both an engineering degree and law degree. In 1996 and 1998, he ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Democrat Rick Boucher in the 9th District. It also took George Washington and Vance Wilkins three tries each to win their first elections.

Patrick’s opponent is the incumbent Lieutenant Governor, Bill Bolling, who has forgotten that having a strong grassroots party means that elected officials must be accountable to the grassroots. After the 2008 Republican State Convention, Patrick’s opponent and an elite few decided that this convention should be as closed and restricted as possible. They decided that they, not the grassroots, would decide who our standbearers would be in 2009.

During the summer of 2008, this group of elites devised a Call for the 2009 convention that would make it very difficult for any candidates to enter the field who had not already announced. They used the only meeting of the State Central committee during the 2008 campaigns between May and November to push through the Call. Instead of planning to help our 2008 candidates, the Central Committee devoted almost its entirety of its September 2008 meeting to controversial procedural issues that had nothing to do with the 2008 elections.

As a result, a great deal of the Party’s energy and focus during the closing weeks of the 2008 campaigns was diverted from the essential tasks of enhancing turnout and promoting our candidates to organizing for the 2009 nomination contests. Lining up petition drives for 2009 candidates, raising money for 2009 candidates and generally speculating about 2009 had never before been allowed to interfere with the immediate challenge of winning the elections only weeks away.

What this group of elites never acknowledged was that they were abandoning
an unspoken, but reasonable and longstanding rule that all of our energy and focus be devoted to the elections at hand. Candidates for nomination in future races generally honored that rule. Patrick’s opponent and others in this group of elites put personal ambition and other concerns ahead of the best interests of our 2008 candidates and the best interests of the Party.

What is equally troublesome is that Bill Bolling and others in the elite group do not believe that Bolling should be required to account either for his past actions and positions or for the positions he intends to take during the 2009 campaign if he is nominated. The obvious conclusion is this: Patrick’s opponent and his elite group don’t want a public discussion about what our brand should be. They and only they will decide.

I am impressed with Patrick’s background and ability. Even more, I am impressed with his commitment to our principles and his willingness to hold fast to them in the face of vigorous opposition. I am impressed that he wants to rebuild this Party as a true grassroots party.

I am greatly disturbed that Bill Bolling has decided to abandon, downplay or remain silent about the principled positions that the grassroots of this Party has repeatedly
endorsed. His consultants have advised him that he cannot win the general election by advocating our well-established positions on social issues, limited government and individual liberty.

The new Republican message, we are told, must be that Republicans are better equipped than Democrats to solve people’s everyday problems.

Please take a moment to reflect on this new message. It necessarily means that ours has become a radically different party. We are no longer committed to encouraging individuals, families, religious organizations, voluntary associations and the free market to solve our problems. We will now look first to government to solve our problems, just as Democrats do. Our new brand is that Republicans can give people better government and maybe just a little bit less government than the Democrats. No matter how it is dressed up, that means expanding government.

This new brand is not one that the grassroots of the Party has ever embraced. Why should we blindly accept the brand chosen by Party elites?

Bill Bolling has decided that Republicans should either hide or compromise their positions on social issues. He never consulted the grassroots about that. We want candidates who will unapologetically defend those positions, not act as if they are afraid of them.

President Obama has reversed executive orders issued by President Bush to protect human life. Where are the Republican leaders who should be challenging President Obama for his actions?

Because many of our elected officials went along with higher government debt and spending while Republicans controlled the General Assembly, Congress and the White House, the Party has little credibility now when it calls for limiting government. The grassroots never endorsed this abandonment of the central principle of our Party, but we have not held our elected officials accountable for doing so.

At a time when the Democrats are further diminishing the role of the states in our federal system, where are our Republican leaders? Where is Bill Bolling? Is federal stimulus money so precious that Virginia should meekly accept any conditions that President Obama and Congress attach to the receipt of that money?

At a time when we face a serious threat of being disarmed by our government, where is Bill Bolling?

Because so few of our Republican elected officials and candidates actually understand or are willing to stand up for our principles, voters fail to appreciate the role that individuals, families, religious organizations, voluntary groups and the free market should play in solving problems. This has meant that the debate has been reduced to whether Republicans or Democrats are better suited to providing government solutions. Is it any wonder our Party is losing ground?

When we most need committed, articulate and principled candidates, too many of our candidates are listening to consultants who tell them not to tie themselves to controversial social issues or to advocate limited government because polls indicate that voters are opposed to those positions. Our candidates should be changing public opinion, not compromising our principles to placate public opinion.

The contest for the nomination for Lieutenant Governor offers a clear
choice.
· Patrick will campaign to
protect human life from conception to natural death.
· Bill Bolling has said that
Republicans must downplay their traditional positions on social issues in order
to win.
· Patrick wants to return to
traditional conservative principles of personal responsibility, community
self-help, parental control and reliance on private initiative and enterprise to
solve our everyday problems.
· Bill Bolling has a platform
that proposes new legislation to solve the citizens’ everyday problems and has
supported intrusive measures such as the human papillomavirus vaccination
legislation.
· Patrick opposes legislation,
such as the 2007 transportation statute (H.B. 3202), that provides for the
imposition of taxes by unelected bodies, abusive driver fees and billions of
tax-backed debt without voter approval.
· Bolling supported H.B. 3202 in
2007.

The grassroots should choose candidates who will change minds, not change our principles. Patrick’s opponent has already decided that he will not be that kind of candidate.

That is why I am nominating a courageous young man who is fully prepared to defend our principles, even when the public appears to oppose them. I ask you support Patrick Muldoon. Let’s restore the proper, traditional conservative Republican brand that has brought us statewide victories in the past.

Thank you.

Patrick McSweeney