According to the liberals, Republicans are to blame for the economic problems America is facing because of deregulation. Because the markets were free to do pretty much as they pleased, the economy failed. So they waltz in to save us all from a free market by enacting rules and regulations to level the playing field for everyone and ensure these economic pitfalls never happen again.

Well, how’s that working out?

Not so well, it turns out.

The liberals claim we simply need to give it more time. But have we seen enough to know we are on the wrong track? The new rules and regulations Democrats have placed on all things financial seem to be stifling any potential recovery. The stimulus was supposed to prevent the jobless rate from rising above 8%, but the Democrats were wrong about that. And Obama was also wrong about the Summer of Recovery – we are now going in the wrong direction and a double dip recession is looking very possible.

The Obama Administration claims their new rules slowed the job losses, but at some point, even without action, the losses would slow and eventually bottom out. The danger now is that the new rules and regulations have actually made things worse and are preventing a recovery. The very rules that were supposed to level the playing field and make sure a similar meltdown could not happen may actually prevent a recovery.

Well, how can we tell if the additional rules and regulations are doing more harm than good? And where do you draw the line between proper regulation and over-regulation?

Consider the following baseball analogy.

There are rules and regulations in baseball, and you must have these rules to make sure everyone is playing the same game. The number of balls for a walk, the number of strikes for an out, the number of outs and the number of innings. These are the parameters within which the game operates. In addition, we must ensure no one has an unfair advantage, so the use of steroids, spitballs and sticky substances are banned. These are all examples of good and fair rules to make sure the playing field is level. And these are all examples of good regulation. The game is decided based totally on the God given skills and talents of the players, and perhaps some luck. Each team has an equal opportunity to win.

Where we run afoul of good regulation and cross the line into bad is when we attempt to level the playing field to guarantee an equal outcome.

The Democrats would see some teams as perennial winners (the rich) and some as perennial losers (the poor).  And it is their tendency to level the playing field as well as the opportunity, all in the name of making things equal. So, the only way to accomplish this is by fundamentally changing the rules.

Some players are power hitters, some pitchers are almost untouchable. Some runners are faster than others. Rather than accept this as a part of life, some are more gifted than others, Democrats are fundamentally changing the rules to handicap those better at the game and artifically prop up the less talented. All in the name of fairness.

Consider the end result of Democrats tinkering with baseball:

The new rules would penalize success and reward mediocrity and outright failure.

Called strikes would be eliminated. If a batter takes four pitches and does not swing, they walk to first base regardless of the pitches. Batters are still allowed to hit away, but a home run awards the other team a run. After all, why should the better hitter not share his good fortune?

So, now that all is fair, what are the unintended consequences the Democrats always overlook?

With this fundamental change, eventually no one would hit the ball. A guaranteed walk is easier and makes more sense under the new rules. A skilled pitcher would become useless and all games would end in a tie. Fan interest would dwindle down to zero no matter how many tickets the government gives away to “stimulate” attendance. The game would be forever destined to obscurity and abandonment.

What the Democrats fail to consider is that even the worst batter on the team has the chance to hit a home run, and the fans hope for a hit. When you take away the risk, the potential and the rewards, the game is not worth playing. There becomes no incentive to excel, to work hard and to even try when we go beyond basic ground rules and attempt to ensure results.

The goal in the economy is to make money. Those that make money spend it. Either through investment or just buying toys. Freely spending one’s money is always preferable to having the money confiscated by the government and redistributed to make the world fair and equal to all.

When you demonize success and tax this success, you put a halt to even attempting to succeed.

Rules designed to level and define the playing field are welcome and necessary. Rules designed to produce a specific outcome, or punish success in the form of taxes, or redistribution will soon put a halt to the activity.

Which is what the Democrats have now accomplished.

When Barney Frank and Chris Dodd began using Fannie and Freddie to allow those that could not afford to own a home to also share in the American Dream, the ripples extended through the economy and led to the catastrophic failures we experienced. When investors bought these bad loans wrapped in portfolios, most were not aware of the toxic content. Those who did know made money by selling worthless investments to others. The inflation of home prices caused by the housing give away encouraged investments based on lies – and vapor – and destroyed an enormous amount of wealth that belonged to people just trying to make a living.

These were not greedy fat cats. They were normal people playing by the rules that they had always played by, not fully aware that the Democrats had changed the rules for some at the expense of others.

The only way out of the financial mess is to purge the rules that Democrats put in to level the outcome, rather than the opportunity. And this cannot happen as long as Democrats are in charge. Their DNA prevents them from admitting they were wrong. This is something only the Republicans can correct. It is not so much that we are heading in the wrong direction as we are playing by rules now that prevent a recovery. And the word recovery implies that we want to return to the former prosperous state of the economy, not a watered down shell of the former economy. The Democrats appear to have a different definition of recovery.

But we must put Republicans in office that truly understand what fiscal responsibility and a truly level playing field really mean. And once the majorities are turned over to Republicans, we must make sure they do not return to their old ways.

Mark Fitzgibbons has a great post on American Thinker called ‘Compassionate’ nonsense aimed at the Tea Party that calls out George W. Bush Speechwriter Michael Gerson for using anti-Tea Party scare tactics about Social Security.

I especially loved the line:

Hold on seniors. Vote for establishment Republicans or those radical Tea Partiers will steal your Social Security. What? You seniors are Tea Partiers?

There are members of the “old guard” Republican Party that are so off base on this and other issues that it is almost laughable.

Almost.

Want the truth? Read Mark J Fitzgibbons American Thinker article.

Posted at Disrupt the Narrative –

So Democrat State Rep. Jim Dunnam is on the defensive after yesterday’s barrage from the Republicans.  The question here is, and always was, rather simple: Do you live in the district that you represent?  Jim Dunnam doesn’t.  He’s elected in District 57, but he actually lives in District 56.  That’s against the state’s eligibility requirements. Well, the Waco Trib caught up with Dunnam and asked him why there’s so much tall grass in the yard out in front of the in-districe house he claims as his residency, but which he doesn’t actually live in.  You’re going to love this answer. As far as the unmown grass on the Chilton ranch, Dunnam said that was by design. “I cut and sell about 200 rolls of hay a year off the place,” he said, “and before I bought it was owned by the Thigpen Cattle Co. and used as a hay place.” “Between the house and the road, it’s supposed to be high,” Dunnam said. “I do try and cut it close to the house, but I don’t …

Read more here:
Day 2 of Dunnamgate: Dunnam Still Doesn’t Live in District 57

Posted at Disrupt the Narrative –

What is the Republican platform this year?  I keep waiting to hear it. “We Suck Less” really doesn’t cut it, but that seems to be the mantra coming from most Republicans this year.  Where is the bold agenda with fresh ideas or even tried and true old ideas?   The American people are horrified with the statist/socialist agenda that the Democrats are ramming down our throats and we’re ready for a Republican sweep in November, but to simply say that we’re not Democrats is a far cry from the visionary leadership that we crave. Where is the boldness?  Where is the courage? Our friends at Trifecta are saying, if you run without a platform then even if you win you have no mandate to do anything.  Bill Whittle says the platform should be to roll …

See more here:
Republican Messaging

This is not a prediction nor have I lost my mind completely. This post simply answers the question: What is the best case scenario for Republicans in the Senate in November?

Or conversely, how bad could it get for Democrats in the Senate?

As of today, August 22, 2010 Republicans could pick up a maximum of 12 seats in the US Senate giving them a total of 53 seats. And not one seat more.

There are 37 seats up for grabs this year. Of the 37 seats, 19 are presently in Democrat’s hands, 18 belong to Republicans. So, theoretically, the Republicans could walk away with a filibuster proof majority of 60 seats if they hold all 18 and gain all 19 seats that are in Democrat’s hands right now. But that is simply not possible. The Democrats are going to hold onto 7 of those seats as it now stands, no doubt about it. And Republicans are going to hold onto 12 of their 18 seats and they will pick up 3 from the Democrats, no doubt about it.

Additionally, Republicans have pretty good leads, (but not definite victories) in 7 more states.

To recap the math, Republicans will have 15 seats when the voting is done and Democrats will have 7 for sure. Republicans will also – most likely – gain the 7 closer, but not runaway states as well. That is a total of 29 seats already spoken for. Which leaves only 8 seats to do battle over. And of these 8, only Florida is in Republican hands today.

So, with 41 seats in the US Senate presently, the Republicans can count on picking up Arkansas, Indiana and North Dakota as a sure thing. Probable pickups for Republicans will be Delaware and Pennsylvania. So, a minimum of 46 Republican seats – a pick up of +5 – will most likely happen. Most predictions for Republicans in the Senate hover around 45 or 46.

So which states are in play?

1. Colorado
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Nevada
5. Wisconsin
6. California
7. Connecticut
8. Washington

Only Florida is currently a Republican seat.

Some of these states will be difficult for Republicans to pull off, no doubt. But they are all within striking distance.

How many seats Republicans will actually have when the election is over is anyone’s guess, but as of today, the maximum seats Republicans could possibly have is 53, or a net pickup of 12 seats.

Here is where we currently stand on the 8 states “in play”.

Toss Ups

Illinois:

Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias are tied in a Rasmussen Poll in the Illinois’ race for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Barack Obama. Both candidates have been dogged by ethics issues, which is apparently the norm in Illinois. One Democrat poll, PPP has Giannoulias up by 2 points.

Nevada:

You would have to be sleeping to not know that Democrat Harry Reid was not in serious trouble against Republican Sharron Angle for Reid’s seat. Reid pumped out millions in negative ads against Angle, which may have initially helped his bid for reelection, but Angle has been hitting back of late, and most polls have this as even.

Wisconsin:

Wisconsin holds a Republican primary on September 14, so polls in this race are likely to change after the primary. Incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold will likely face Republican Ron Johnson, who is expected to win the Republican primary. They are essentially tied with polls showing one or the other leading by a couple of points.

California:

Again, you qualify as living under a rock if you are unaware of the race between long time incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer and her Republican challenger Carly Fiorina. Of the two latest polls, one shows Boxer up by 5% and the other shows Fiorina up by the same margin. This race will be one to watch as we get closer to November. Boxer should be winning this handily. But she is not. If polls are close by late October, this could spell a bad day for Democrats, and push Republicans towards the best case of 53 seats.

Washington:

Democratic Incumbent Senator Patty Murray and Republican Dino Rossi are in a close race in Washington’s U.S. Senate election. Rossi leads in a SurveyUSA poll by 7% while a Rasmussen poll conducted at the same time shows Murray leading by 4%. Looking at the numbers behind the polls, the SurveyUSA poll may have under sampled Democrats while the Rasmussen poll oversampled Democrats a bit. This race is a toss up, but Washington State is definitely in play.

In Play – But Leaning Republican

Colorado:

Republican challenger Ken Buck and incumbent Democratic Senator Michael Bennet are in a close one in Colorado. Both won their primaries last week and turn their attention to each other. The first post primary poll was done by Rasmussen and shows Republican Buck with a 5 point lead over the Democrat. Another one to watch as the fireworks are just getting started.

Florida:

Another race with a Democratic primary yet to go. Republican Marco Rubio will face the winner of the Democratic primary, but the real race is expected to be between Rubio and Florida Governor Charlie Crist with the Democrats all but counted out in this race. Rubio and Crist were locked in a nasty Republican primary with Rubio up by large enough margins that Crist dropped out to run as an independent, which actually brought his chances up quite a bit. Although Crist was a Republican, it is clear he is willing to align himself with anyone – or no one – in his quest for power. Most circles consider Crist a Democrat because of his alignment with Obama on a number of issues. The numbers should start to solidify after Tuesday’s primary, but right now Rubio holds a lead in Rasmussen polling of likely voters while a Quinnipiac poll of registered voters shows a lead for Crist. Since this election is going to be about turnout, the Rasmussen poll of likely voters is more accurate in this race, so the lean goes to the Republicans despite the Quinnipiac results. In no case does this race go to the Democrats. Crist’s numbers also seem to vary depending on the winner of Tuesday’s primary.

In Play – But Leaning Democrat

Connecticut:

Democrat Richard Blumenthal is running against Republican Linda McMahon in Connecticut’s U.S. Senate race.

Blumenthal, the state’s longtime attorney general, picks up 47% of the vote, while McMahon earns 40% in a recent Rasmussen poll.

This race has been getting tighter with the Democrats lead shrinking and the Republican’s lead growing. This one is in play but currently leans Democrat, but is trending Republican.

Conclusion:

Keep an eye on these 8 races. While Republicans are unlikely to win them all, the odds favor a number of them going the Republican’s way. With two and a half months remaining before election day, a lot can and will happen. Never underestimate the Republicans ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and Democrats are dangerous when they are down.

These 8 races will most likely set records for both spending and nastiness in the days ahead. Both sides will be tossing cash to all of these races as control of the Senate is within the reach of Republicans, if they play their cards right. And the Democrats cannot afford to drop these seats if they are to stay in power.

Powerful motivation, power. The control of the senate comes down to the Republicans picking up 6 of these 8 seats, and with only one leaning Democrat, it is not an impossible task.

Won’t this just bash the left’s stereotype that Republicans are Gay Haters. Conservative Ann Coulter will speak at the New York City HOMOCON 2010 gathering for Conservative Gays.

While there are differences of opinion between straight and gay Conservatives, the fact is most understand that it is not our differences that matter as much as our similarities. The GOP is truly a big tent. And no, we are not all the same. Thank goodness for that! If we were all a bunch of mindless robots that all act the same and believe the same we would be, well, Democrats.

When it comes down to it, the tie that binds is an urge for smaller government and a fiscally responsible one that lets us make our own decisions.

From Daily Caller:

GOProud, a Washington-based group that represents gay conservatives, announced Friday that feisty right-wing pundit Ann Coulter would keynote the organization’s upcoming “Homocon” fundraiser party.

“I’m so tickled that she agreed to do it,” Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud told The Daily Caller. “Think about it: She’s hilarious, she’s provocative and, honestly, our folks just love her.”

LaSalvia said Coulter was the only person the group asked to headline the party, and she immediately agreed.

“Of course I’ll do it,” Coulter wrote to GOProud when they asked her to join the event. “I’m the right-wing Judy Garland!”

GOProud used that quip to advertise the event, adding, “our gays are more macho than their straights!” which Coulter wrote in a 2005 article comparing liberals and conservatives.

Coulter took criticism from gay rights advocates in 2007, when she used an anti-gay slur in reference to then-presidential candidate John Edwards. When asked about Coulter’s past comments, LaSalvia said that he would not give in to political correctness.

“This party is about fun. It’s not about placating to the PC crowd,” he said. “Listen, the no-fun police do enough in this world and we want to have a fun party.”

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/08/06/ann-coulter-to-headline-party-for-gay-conservatives/#ixzz0vrzXbt00

Please click the picture or visit GoProud to purchase tickets for the Saturday, September 25 event being held in New York City!

Virginia 7th District Congressman Eric Cantor

Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor held a Business Professionals Reception last night at Sine’ Irish Pub and Restaurant in Richmond’s Historic Shockoe Slip. Despite the heat and humid conditions and the fact that the reception was held on the tent covered patio out back, everyone managed to great time.

Congressman Cantor did not speak long, preferring to mingle among the attendees and speaking one on one to those so inclined, and most were!

But the Congressman’s brief remarks to the crowd were highlighted by the urgency to Republicans to reclaim the House. Although Virginia is only one of 50 state, we have a great opportunity to contribute 10% of the needed margin to take back the House. Congressman Cantor urged his supporters to help put Scott Rigel in the Second Congressional District, Robert Hurt in the Fifth Congressional District, Morgan Griffith in the Ninth Congressional District and Keith Fimian in the Eleventh Congressional District.

That, of course, would include Eric Cantor in the Seventh Congressional District, which was the reason his supporters were there in the first place!

Posted at Disrupt the Narrative –

Yesterday Obama was on the stump campaigning in Atlanta. He went on about how the Republicans haven’t proposed any new ideas. At one point in his speech he abandoned the teleprompter to deliver his lame comedy routine about the car going into the ditch and now that he and his liberal congress have managed to get back on the pavement, this is no time to turn the “keys” back to the Republicans. I happened to be listening to this on the radio as Obama clumsily delivered  his monologue, in my minds eye, I pictured him not behind the Presidential Seal on the podium but in front of the red brick wall at the improv on open mic night. Anyway, the jokester in chief went on to add that when you want to go forward you put the transmission in D and when you want to go backward you put it in R (at this point the drones roar with laughter). Well the efforts put forth to get out of the…

See the original post:
Obama’s mistaken sense of direction

Watch Charlie Walk

For those of you thinking that Charlie Rangel has finally been caught, please don’t get your hopes up. The verdict is fixed, and Speaker Pelosi has spoken.

There will be a bit of a “tough” theatrical show, Democrats will guffaw behind closed doors and Republicans will demand Rangel’s head on a platter, but the final party line decision will come down in favor of Rangel and that will be the end of it.

The timing tells you all you need to know about the verdict. After two years (or more) of delay, why now?

Obviously, the Kangaroo Court must meet before November. And they must come to a final conclusion before November, lest the Republicans take over and put on a real trial, one where the outcome is not already fixed.

No, Charlie will be a free man, make claims of total exoneration and the air will be filled with racial charges and accusations. And Rangel will continue to milk the public for as long as he wants.

This charade will make Charlie Rangel an untouchable.

Pew Research Center  July 12, 2010

Almost four months after the passage of major health care legislation, the law remains unpopular with the public. Nearly half of Americans (47%) disapprove of the health care law while just 35% approve of the measure. An overwhelming proportion of opponents of health care legislation – 37% of the public overall – favor repealing the legislation as soon as possible. Just 7% say they want to let the law stand and see how it works.

Public opinion toward health care legislation remained very stable in the months leading up to the bill’s passage, and that has continued to be the case. Opinion about the legislation is somewhat more favorable among those younger than 30 than among older Americans; still, nearly as many young people disapprove (38%) as approve (40%) of the law. Among older age groups, opposition surpasses support by significant margins.

While whites disapprove of the law by nearly two-to-one (55% to 29%), non-whites approve of the measure by roughly the same margin (52% to 28%). There also continues to be a wide partisan divide in opinions about health care legislation: Republicans disapprove of the law by about eight-to-one (82% to 10%) and fully 69% favor its repeal. Democrats approve of the legislation, but by a less lopsided margin (65% to 17%), and 12% say it should be repealed. Just 30% of independents approve of the law, while 52% disapprove; 37% of independents say the law should be repealed as soon as possible.

More on the poll here.

From AP:

GOP leader criticizes immigration amnesty proposal

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says if President Barack Obama wants Republicans to go along with immigration reform, he has to drop any amnesty proposal.

The GOP leader says the legislation also would have to “make a real commitment to border and interior security.”

Obama wants to create a way for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants to become citizens, that’s what opponents call amnesty. But the president says illegal immigrants would have to acknowledge that they broke the law, pay fines and back taxes, perform community service and learn English.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he’s committed to passing a bill this year. The Nevada Democrat is in a tight re-election race and could benefit politically from enacting a broad overhaul.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) released the following weekly Republican address.

Text of the speech:

Hello, I am Senator Roger Wicker from Mississippi.

As we enter the third month of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, we continue to learn more and more disturbing information about gross negligence on the part of BP — and about some proposals from the Obama Administration that will do more harm than good.

From the Oval Office Tuesday night, President Obama attempted to recover from a widespread perception that he has not made this crisis a priority.

The public outcry about the President’s inattention has been loud and it has been bi-partisan.

I’m glad President Obama is finally putting this catastrophe at the top of his agenda, but his response has been too slow.  He was slow in listening to state and local leaders, slow in getting skimmers to the Gulf, slow in understanding the seriousness of this crisis, and slow in taking ownership and responsibility for the recovery.  Many of his actions have actually taken us in the wrong direction.

Earlier this week the President came to the Gulf Coast.  After visiting with him in Mississippi, I was optimistic that he was removing politics from this disaster and focusing solely on fixing the problem.

Republicans in Congress and at the state level looked forward to participating in a bipartisan, non-political solution to the many challenges this disaster has brought.

Unfortunately, we were disappointed.  In less than a day, we were reminded of Rahm Emanuel’s theory of never letting a good crisis go to waste.

In his speech Tuesday night, President Obama made it clear that he intends to exploit this crisis to push his liberal agenda for a cap-and-tax scheme.  This is a disservice not only to the victims and their families but also to the millions of Gulf Coast residents who are struggling in the wake of the spill.

Americans increasingly reject the cap-and-tax proposal because it would drive up the cost of energy and force American jobs overseas.

The President spent more than a third of his address advocating this national energy tax, revealing his true priorities.  Now is not the time to push a controversial, job-killing, partisan agenda through Congress.

In addition to devastating our economy, this proposal would do nothing to fix the disastrous leak or clean up our beaches, marshes, and waters.

Another idea that takes us in the wrong direction is the Democratic plan to increase oil cleanup fees and raid those funds to pay for unrelated programs. These funds are needed to clean up spills, not to satisfy Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi’s desire to raise federal spending.

In addition, the administration’s moratorium on deepwater drilling has the potential to become the third wave of this disaster.  If left in place, the moratorium will permanently eliminate thousands of jobs and drive up the cost of energy for all Americans.  You don’t have to take my word for it.  Earlier this week democratic strategist James Carville said the moratorium was

Along with the spill’s devastation to our fisheries and the administration’s decision to halt our drilling, one of the greatest threats to the economy of the Gulf Coast is the loss of tourism.  Our hotels and restaurants have seen business decrease by as much as 70%.

At a brief press conference on Monday, President Obama pointed out that there are a lot of beaches that are not affected and will not be affected.  I was hoping the President would make this important point to the larger audience Tuesday night, but since he didn’t, I’ll say it again.  The vast majority of Gulf Coast beaches are clear, beautiful and safe.

BP CEO Tony Hayward recently said he wanted his life back and later correctly apologized.  BP put dollars before safety, and we are all paying the price.  We have been told that BP will be held accountable and pay all damages.

But what we in the Gulf states really need is to have our way of life back.  We want our jobs back, our economy back, and we need our tourists back.

So please come and visit us. You deserve a vacation, and we could use the business.

Thank you.

Yesterday morning I received a phone call at work. On my cell phone. The callerID was blocked.

When I answered, the caller immediately identified herself by first name and said she was calling for the Republican Party, although she did not say State or National. But I believe this was the Republican National Committee.

She pretty quickly asked for a donation (and I would have been disappointed if she had not asked).

What happened next convinced me that any future donations I make will not be to the Republican National Committee, or the National Party, but to specific candidates of my choosing and my local GOP Committee.

The caller asked me for a specific amount, $350.00. I politely said that funds were tight now, and told her I was a blogger and spend a lot of time (and money) blogging, covering events and paying for servers, internet access, cameras, etc. But I am not able to donate anything right now.

“Well, how about $300.00?” she asked.

“Sorry” I said. I am unable to give anything right now.

She continued, “This is the most important election of our lifetime. The Democrats, bla, bla bla.”

“I am sorry. Not right now” I said.

“How about $250.00″ she asked.

Ok. I understand the need for money. I really do. I even understand being a little pushy. But this woman rattled on and seemed to ignore every polite refusal I offered.

Yes, this is the most important election of my life. We hear that every election cycle, but it is absolutely true this time. And I am a Republican and want to do my part. And the Democrats are leading us to national ruin, I get that.

But, although I am a Republican, the Republican Party carries a lot of responsibility for creating an environment that allowed the Progressives to push their way to the front of the leadership line. Had Republicans stuck to their Conservative principles instead of “reaching across the aisles” in the spirit of “bipartisanship”, Obama would have never been president and the economy would not be in shambles.

So, yes, we need to purge the Progressives. But my work inside the Republican Party does not include supporting fiscal suicide in the spirit of bipartisanship. I want to make sure not one dime of my money goes to John McCain and other RINO’s – which is exactly where my donation to this woman was headed.

I want to thank this embarrassingly persistent woman who has been trained to harass the party faithful and not take “no” for an answer. Without her call, I would have never contemplated formulating a personal policy of directing my limited financial resources only to specific candidates.

In fact, I just made a couple of small donations to two candidates I truly believe in. And I am 100% certain this money will not be spent on strip clubs.

Donate to Sharron Angle and help her beat Harry Reid in November.

Donate to J.D. Hayworth and help him beat John McCain in the primary.

Or join your local GOP Committee and work to take back our country.

And the next call I get from the Republican Party, I know just what I am going to say.

“Until you prove you are able to support only true Conservatives who put people before the party, I will direct what little I have to donate to the candidates who believe in Conservative principles. Until I feel you can be trusted again, not one dime of my money will go to you.”

And a special thanks to the Republican in charge of phone harassment for my new found clarity on this issue.

The Tea Party smoked in Nevada and the Progressives smoldered in Arkansas. Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) defeated the Progressive’s choice who was backed by $10 Million in Union money. Lt. Gov. Bill Halter’s massive influx of money was not enough to overcome even Democrats disdain for the Progressive failures forced on the citizens of the country.

High, sustained unemployment and more debt than we can ever repay has angered the voters. The people of Arkansas showed that the only thing they like less than a Democrat that has lead to this economic crisis are the Progressives that put us in this mess.

While the Mainstream Media tries to focus in on voter anger at incumbents, the Arkansas results make it clear that the anger aimed at incumbents is directed at anyone that has voted for Tarp, bailouts, and the wasteful spending going on in D.C. The Republicans that resisted are safe.

America is anxious to restore fiscal sanity and controls on the runaway spending. Gridlock is a welcome thing.

Lincoln will feel the voter’s ire in November as she ends her political career.

Republican Charles Djou Wins Obama's Hometown Seat

The PA-12 race was won by a Democrat who was running as far away from the Progressive Socialists Pelosi, Reid and Obama as possible. As we pointed out earlier this week, this was hardly cause for a Democratic celebration. The clear message from voters was the total rejection of the Obama Administration’s overreaching and Socialist agenda. Democrat Mark Critz will now be put to the test. If he lied to voters and votes with Pelosi, he faces another election in November. A very short grading period indeed.

The Liberal spin has been that the PA-12 Democratic win, in a district with a 2 to 1 Democratic advantage has pulled them “off the mat”. Well, this loss in Hawaii has put them back on the mat.

On Saturday, a special election was held in Hawaii featuring three candidates, two Democrats and one Republican. The Republican, Charles Djou won with 39.7% of the vote. So, the Democratic spin is that their vote was split and the Republican benefited. Democrat Colleen Hanabusa was second at 31 percent, with Democrat Ed Case third at 27.8 percent.

But…

This is President Obama’s Home District (arguably) and Obama won 72% of the vote in 2008. So this represents a 24 point swing away from Democrats and towards Republicans, a fact that all Democrats should find both telling and disturbing.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) wanted to support Democrat Ed Case, the most conservative candidate, but liberal Hawaiian State Senator Daniel Inouye has a feud going with Case because of a 2006 challenge Case mounted against Hawaii’s junior Senator Daniel Akaka. Apparently Inouye is not in a very forgiving mood. Case promised strong support for President Obama’s agenda, making him a lap dog for the radical Socialist policies of Pelosi and Obama, but his Blue Dog record makes him unacceptable to the far left.

Democrat Colleen Hanabusa had the support and endorsement of the left wing spinners MoveOn.Org. That tells you all you need to know about her.

The bad news for Democrats is that the September Primary will most likely feature a contest between Hanabusa and Case. There was a 3 point difference between them (31% – 28%) meaning a close primary is likely in store for the Democrats. The rift within the Democratic party will be interesting to watch. The DCCC apparently understands the voters have shifted to the right, even in liberal Hawaii. Their support of Case is an indication that they are willing to support more conservative Democrats over the more Liberal ones because they can always pressure the vote if needed, but need a Democrat elected. Which is also an admission that the DCCC understands that Obama’s leftist agenda is coming to a close.

This is a bitter disappointment for Democrats and it will be interesting to watch how the independents vote in November. Should Hanabusa win the primary, as many expect, the anti Obama vote will likely go for Republican Djou.

While this seat will most likely go back to the Democrats in November, it will be a costly race for them. The DCCC has already spent $300,000 in negative ads against Djou, look for far more money to be spent between the primary and the general election disparaging the Republican. Ironically, this may serve to drive more independents and Conservative Democrats to cast their vote for Djou.

For all the readers of Virginia Right (if any!) in Kentucky today I don’t have to say anything else!  Vote for Rand Paul!  Chris Stirewalt, the political editor at the Washington Examiner, is suggesting that Paul’s victory will make non-intervention, especially in Afghanistan, a more popular political issue:

ProjectVirginia's Ford O'Connell - a rising star

UPDATE: I received the following email from Ford O’Connell: Thank you for your kind words and the blog post.  It is truly an honor to be named a 2010 Rising Star, but the award does not belong to me.  It belongs to Steve Pearson, the ProjectVirginia Team, and the conservative and Republican activists of Virginia.

I did omit Steve Pearson from this post. Steve is a technical rock star and deserves a reward (or a portion of this one) without a doubt.

-Editor

Ford O’Connell, co-founder of ProjectVirginia PAC, an organization that was an immeasurable asset to many Virginia Republican Campaigns last year has been named by Campaign & Elections Politics Magazine a “rising star” awards recipient for 2010. The award is reserved for political consultants, campaigners or advocates under age 35 and went to 15 Democrats, 15 Republicans and 11 nonpartisans. (Yes, Ford is one of the Republicans.)

I first spoke with Ford last summer in connection with an inquiry about ProjectVirginia. As a “techie” myself, I was rather unimpressed with the way a lot of Republican campaigns were using some of the new media. Or rather, how they were not using it.

Ford and I spent about an hour on the phone talking about the issues and I decided to write a blog post about their work here. ProjectVirginia became involved with several campaigns that I was following and I was amazed as the transformation took place.

Ford and I communicated back and forth, but did not meet in person until the 2009 Republican Advance in Williamsburg last December. And we even managed an outing in Georgetown during CPAC this year involving the Pelosi Piñata Incident as it’s called.

To those who know Ford O’Connell, the award is simply confirming what they already knew.

Remember the name: Ford O’Connell. He is published in all the important publications, (and some not so important ones like the Washington Post).

You will hear that name again!

Dems Cash in on hedge funds

It seems pretty obvious when you follow the money trail. Democrats are up to their necks in special interest money. Republicans are barely past their ankles.

From Daily Caller:

The world’s top-earning hedge fund managers have bankrolled almost exclusively Democratic campaigns, according to Silla Bush of The Hill:

The top 10 highest-paid hedge fund managers in 2009 have dished out campaign contributions almost only to Democrats.

Over their lifetimes, those managers have given almost $33 million in campaign contributions to Democrats, according to research by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and that is based on data maintained by the nonpartisan CQMoneyline.

The same managers gave roughly $600,000 to Republicans, according to the research. The contributions went 98 percent to Democrats and two percent to Republicans.

David Kernell, the son of a Tennessee Democratic Lawmaker, broke into Sara Palin’s email during the 2008 election.

A jury today convicted the dirty tricks Democrat operative of  obstruction of justice and unauthorized access to a computer, but he was acquitted on a charge of wire fraud.

The jury deadlocked on the Identity Theft charge, which could be filed again.

Kernell faces 20 years for the obstruction charge.

Let’s hope the maximum sentence is meted out to deter this type of behavior in the future. Democrats must learn that hacking into private information of Republicans is a crime, be it Sarah Palin, or Joe the Plumber.