Mitch Daniels Surrenders the Social Issues

Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana, has been widely touted as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012. He intrigued me because of his ability to cut spending and reform the Indiana state government. However, this weekend he made comments that will hopefully keep his presidential bid from gaining momentum. In an interview with the Weekly Standard, Mitch Daniels made it clear he sees America's fiscal crisis as the biggest challenge facing the nation, and therefore must be the focus of the next president. While this may be true, he believes that to solve America's fiscal crisis the next president "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues." He is even unsure whether he would issue an executive order to reinstate Reagan's "Mexico City Policy." Choosing not to engage the enemy is not calling a truce, it is surrender.

Mike Pence was asked about these comments, and while he refused to criticize Mitch Daniels, he said he, "believes with all [his] heart that the Republicans need to continue the fight for the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage with everything [they've] got in 2010 and in 2012." America's next president must be someone who understands the important of both fiscal and social conservativism. Mike Pence understands and has been fighting for both of those principles. Mike Pence is the kind of president America needs.

In Honor of D-Day

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: ``I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

Ronald Reagan - June 6, 1984

Cuccinelli's General Election Literature Raises Reagan's "Banner of Bold Colors"

While there has been some concern in this election about candidates who almost seem ashamed of their conservativism, Ken Cuccinelli's general election literature doesn't stir up that fear. Throughout the nomination contest Ken talked about how candidates tend to paint themselves as conservatives in a nomination fight just to win the contest. Ken's literature piece let's everyone know he is not one of those people.

The piece opens with a quote from Cuccinelli in which he says,

"Many politicians forget where they draw their authority--from you the people. Government has an obligation to be transparent and to maintain as limited a place in our lives and businesses as possible while protecting our communities. These are beliefs I will carry with me to the state capitol."

Ken continues by laying out specific things he will do as Attorney General. This list of goals includes "expanding opportunity by resisting the growth of government and keeping Virginia a low regulation... state," "preserving property rights and the Constitution--as it is written," and "advancing openness and accountability to give the citizens of Virginia better control over their own government." Thes are all distinctly conservative approaches to government, and I think ones that resonate well with a lot of people. I applaud Ken Cuccinelli for being willing to run as a conservative in a statewide general election. Ken Cuccinelli's new literature raises the "banner of bold colors" Ronald Reagan encouraged Republicans to raise, and I am proud and excited to stand with Ken Cuccinelli.

If you would like to help spread Ken's conservative message across this state, please contact a local victory center and volunteer, or donate to Ken Cuccinelli.

Ken Cuccinelli

for Attorney General of Virginia

$

Here is a photo of the literature piece I described in this post.

U.S. House Passes Resolution Opposing Crackdown on Iranian Protestors

In a sermon today, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that if the opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continued to protest their would be violence. He also declared that the vote in Iran was a fair vote. (He was referring to the vote where Ahmadinejad won his opponents home area, and the results for the nation were announced in neat million vote blocks a half hour after the election.)

In response to these statements, and President Obamas inactivity on this issue Rep. Mike Pence introduced a resolution that condemned Tehran's crackdown on protestors. While discussing the resolution, Mike Pence said, "When Ronald Reagan went before the Brandenburg Gate, he did not say Mr. (Mikhail) Gorbachev, that wall is none of our business." The Democrat Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and cosponsor of the resolution said, "It is not for us to decide who should run Iran, much less determine the real winner of the June 12 election. But we must reaffirm our strong belief that the Iranian people have a fundamental right to express their views about the future of their country freely and without intimidation." The resolution passed the house on a vote of 405-1. The sole dissenting vote was from the king of isolationism and the friend of liberty Dr. Ron Paul.

Senators McCain and Lieberman are considering introducing a similar bill in the senate.

Two Martin Luther King Jr. quotes are particularly poignant when considering the Iranian situation. When it comes to the Iranian protestors...

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

In regards to our need to stand up with the Iranians...

I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. ~Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Replace Atlanta with America and Birmingham with Iran and the quote is very applicable. Let us continue to stand up for freedom everywhere around the globe.

Message concerning Iran from College Republican National Committee Chair Zach Howell

Back in 1981 when the tyrannical Soviet regime was cracking down on the Polish people, Ronald Reagan publicized a telephone conversation he had with the Pope that contained this line, "Our sympathies are with the people, not the government."

Right now, the Iranian people are protesting on the streets of Iran's capital, Tehran – demanding their freedo m, and yet President Barack Obama remains silent.

On the campaign trail, Obama constantly stressed the need to employ America's soft power, our moral and diplomatic clout, around the globe. If there was ever a time to expend America's reserves of soft power in the pursuit of freedom, it is now.

If our leaders will not stand up to tyranny when it stares us in the face, then we must. While the fight for the future of Iran and peace in the Middle East at large is going on inside Iran, there are things you can do to help the Iranian people.

Click here to read the five ways you can take action to help the Iranian people right now!

Last Friday when the Iranian people went to the polls to elect a new president, the election was widely seen as a choice between the radical, holocaust-denying incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the reform-minded challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi. The election was thought to be closely contested, and opinion polls leading up to election day showed Mousavi leading the vote.

So when the results were announced, mere hours after the polls closed on Friday, showing Ahmadinejad with an unbelievable two-to-one lead over Mousavi, even winning overwhelming in Mousavi’s hometown, people cried fraud.

Over the weekend, protesters took to the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran demonstrating in the largest protests since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

As you read this email Iranian students are risking their lives to protest in the streets, to spread their message via social networking sites like Twitter -- while the mullahs and Revolutionary Guard watch and wait, trying to decide whether to mow them down, make them disappear, or give in to their demands.

Meanwhile, the leader of the free world is AWOL. No threats of sanctions. No standing up for the people in the streets. No refusal to recognize the sham government that won via fraud. But Americans can do better. We must.

An oppressed people are yearning to breathe free and you can he lp them in their struggle: http://collegerepublicans.org/help-iranian-people

Now is the opportunity to stand with the Iranian freedom fighters.

Sincerely,

Zach Howell
National Chairman
College Republicans

(Originally posted at PHC College Republicans)

Bob McDonnell, Please Inspire Us

So today's big news in Virginia politics was a Washington Times oped criticizing Bob McDonnell for not signing the pledge to not raise taxes. In it the Times quotes Bob as saying he didn't believe in signing pledges (even though he signed the same pledge a few years ago) and then he says "...and I will tell you that I have no plans to raise taxes." The Times responded by saying

No plans to raise taxes? That answer has too much wiggle room for us.

The rest of Mr. McDonnell's answer doesn't make sense, either. The anti-tax-increase pledge is a guaranteed vote-getter. That's why office seekers sign it every election. In what everyone expects will be a razor-thin race, it is strange to give away a real political advantage.

This comment by Bob McDonnell seems to have conceded the high ground on taxes. This election gives a good opportunity to debate the merits of high taxes vs. low taxes since Creigh Deeds seems unable to find a tax increase he doesn't like. He even voted to increase the gas tax when gas was at $4.00 a gallon. Instead of taking Deeds head on for raising taxes, our gubernatorial nominee is leaving the possibility of a tax raise open. Which lead Not Larry Sabato to ask the fair question Is Bob McDonnell planning a middle class tax hike? If Bob is open to raising taxes we should find out now which ones he would like to raise. This is ironic because we should be telling our friends and neighbors about the taxes Bob has pledged to cut as we go door knocking this Saturday.

This Washington Times oped is only a symptom of a more fundamental problem. There is a fundamental clash going on right now about the nature of campaigns. Should they be about laying out conservative ideas that will win in the district you are from and persuading people to support those ideals, or should they be about "reaching out" to the elusive independents who "decide elections". In this election Bob McDonnell seems to have chosen to ignore his base and reach out to the independents as he seeks to win the governorship of our commonwealth. Ever since February we've been hearing about how Bob is trying to reach out to the middle. He has been talking about green jobs and bipartisanship and ignored the things that inspire people, taxes, guns, and social issues.

Running as a conservative is the path to victory, not political destruction. When was the last time the GOP won the top race on the ticket in Virginia? When was the last time the top of the ticket won in Virginia? Just in case you will point out the obvious that 2004 is old history, let me point you to a couple of recent polls. In a poll Gallup took a moth ago it found that a majority of Americans consider themselves pro-life. In another Gallup poll taken about a week ago found that conservatives (not liberals or independents) comprise the largest ideological group in America. The poll found that 40% of Americans consider themselves conservative while 21% consider themselves liberal, and 45% of independents consider themselves conservative. While these were national polls, I would think they would transfer pretty well to Virginia if there were a Virginia poll on these issues. Even if you want to disagree on this, explain how the Marriage Amendment was passed on the same ballot that George Allen lost on, or how Ken Cuccinelli won in Fairfax in 2007 when Republicans were getting defeated everywhere else. Running as a conservative is what has worked in Virginia and what will continue to work.

Newt Gingrich made this point very well when he said,

Like Reagan, we have to be inclusive, not exclusive. I’m happy Dick Cheney is a Republican. And I’m happy Colin Powell is a Republican

But here’s the key: Being inclusive doesn’t mean going wobbly. It doesn’t mean abandoning our principles.

Reagan called them “first principles.” They are our bedrock beliefs. And in a center-right nation, they are the touchstones that will guide us back into the majority.

I want Bob McDonnell to win this election, and if he is going to do it he needs to do it by winning on first principles. Bob McDonnell has a record as a fiscal and social conservative. However, he is refusing to run on it this cycle. D.J. McGuire theorizes that the western part of the state votes on social issues while the eastern part of the state votes on taxes. I would tend to concur with this theory. If it is true then Bob McDonnell is refusing to run on the two issues that lead to success in Virginia. Even if Bob wants to refuse to talk about taxes and social issues then give us something inspiring. What is the big idea Bob McDonnell is running on? What are the things Bob will do as governor that people can get excited and enthused about? Bob McDonnell I want you to win. Please inspire your base, and since you seem concerned about polls maybe that will help you raise your 78% support among Republicans.

To echo the words of Ronald Reagan, Bob McDonnell please stop running under a banner of pale pastels, but raise the banner of bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all the issues troubling the people.

Since agreeing with Reagan is almost always right...

I don ‘t know about you, but I am impatient with those Republicans who after the last election rushed into print saying, “We must broaden the base of our party”—when what they meant was to fuzz up and blur even more the differences between ourselves and our opponents.

The 65th Anniversary of D-Day

Today marks the 65th anniversary of D-Day. We also recently remembered the five year anniversary of Ronald Reagan's death. As a tribute to Ronald Reagan, and the valiant young men who sacrificed their lives at Normandy I would like to encourage you to listen to Ronald Reagan's D-Day speech which he gave on the 40th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.


Part 1


Part 2

Congress Starts a New Session Today

Reagan famously said, "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."  Today the government is starting a news session for the 111th time and is intent on helping YOU during this session.  You are permitted to be terrified.

Today is largely a ceremonial day with the swearing in ceremonies taking place.  (This means Virginia has a new junior senator today.)  However there are two stories of note on the senate side of congress.  

Roland Burris, the man Governor Blagojevich nominated to take Barack Obama's senate seat has been rejected by the senate, and while he is working with senate leaders to resolve the issue, he may take it to court.

Also the Minnesota certified that Al Franken won the Minnesota Senate recount yesterday.  Norm Coleman is challenging this in court as this was a very fishy recount process.  The Senate Republican leadership have vowed to keep Al Franken from taking his seat until the the legal battle is concluded in Minnesota.  Minnesota law will not issue a certificate of election until the litigation process has ended, however some Democrat senators including Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid are pushing for Franken to be seated immediately.

The irony in all of this is that Reid is refusing to seat Burris because he doesn't have an election certificate but talking of seating Franken without one.  

Reid Spokesman Says There Will "Likely Be An Attempt To Seat" Franken. 

"Jim Manley, the spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday that there 'likely will be an attempt to seat [Franken] this week.' A senior Democratic aide confirmed that Senate Democrats hoped to swear Franken in Tuesday, along with the rest of the freshman senators." (Emily Cadei and Kathleen Hunter, "Senate Democrats May Try To Seat Franken," CQPolitics.com, January 5, 2009)

FLASHBACK: Reid Spokesman Says Roland Burris Could Not Be Seated Unless He Has An Election Certificate. 

"'Until he gets a certificate he is not a senator,' said Jim Manley, spokesman for Reid, D-Nev." (Catharine Richert, "Challenges Could Keep Two Senate Seats Open For Weeks,"Congressional Quarterly, January 1, 2009)

Now that is what I would call fair and open government.

In other senate news we still don't have a replacement for Hillary Clinton's senate seat.

My Heart Goes Out...

As most of you know by now, Jerry Falwell died today from heart failure.

I just wanted to take this moment to offer my condolences to the family.

Also, while I may disagree with him on some theological points, he has done much good for the Christian community. Not least of which are founding Liberty University and the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority was a powerful force in electing Ronald Reagan.

Also pray for the college, their graduation is this weekend.

It's kind of wierd that the two major colleges near our house have been badly hit in the past month.

Thoughts on North Korea in light of their recent nuclear weapons tests

When Neville Chamberlain waved the treaty Adolf Hitler had signed with Britain, did he go down in history as a great diplomat?  NO!!

When LBJ, Carter and others urged apeasement with communist nations, did they go down in history as great diplomats?  NO!!

If the president and the Secretary of State get a treaty signed with the present axis powers (North Korea, Iran, and Syria) will they go down in history as great diplomats?  NO!!

When Churchill fought Germany he successfully ended the threat.

When Reagan took on Russia he successfully ended the threat.

Mr. President take on the evil of our time and don't back down!

In regards specifically to North Korea there are two good options that I have heard proposed.  1. Arm Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan to the teath, including nuclear weapons.  2.Use air planes armed with conventional weapons to take out North Korea's wmd's.

Force not diplomacy ends conflicts.

For full and complete coverage of North Korea's nuclear weapons tests go tohttp://drudgereport.com/