From Across the Pond: Descendants of Our Founders Rise UP!

Telegraph.co.uk

I do love this one and oh so British,with the "please dos"

The inaugural British Tea Party will take place on Saturday in my home town of Brighton, and I’ll be speaking. Do try to come: here are the details.

Labour has raised more than a trillion pounds in additional taxation since 1997. Yet, unbelievably, Gordon Brown has still managed to run up a deficit of 12.6 per cent of GDP (Greece’s is 12.7 per cent). A far lower level of taxation brought Americans out in spontaneous protest last year.

If you happen to be coming to the Conservative Spring Conference, do please pop in: the Tea Party is five minutes’ walk from the conference venue. It is, however, outside the security zone, and anyone is welcome to come. Oh, and this being England, we’ll be serving actual, you know, tea. I hope to see some of this blog’s readers there.

Good Show!

Pure Michigan: Michigan Dog Wins Westminster!

The Westiminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the Olympics of the dog world and Michigan Scottie, Sadie walked off with the top prize, the gold medal, Best in Show!

A four-year-old Scottish terrier from Michigan has been named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The dog named Sadie is owned by Amelia and Dan Musser of Mackinac Island.
Sadie's official name with the American Kennel Club is Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot.

If you are not from Michigan, Mackinac Island is truly a magical place where motorized vehicle have banned for more than a century and it remains a charming living Victorian community.

It is home to a pre-Revolutionary fort, Fort Mackinac built in 1780.

And Mackinaw Island is also home to the world famous Grand Hotel built in 1887 and boasts the longest Front Porch in the world

I recently was up on Mackinac Island and I can personally testify of the beauty and charm of the island and the magnificent Grand Hotel (picture taken on the porch of the Grand Hotel, Sept. 2009)

Well it just so happens that the owners of the Grand Hotel, are Amelia and Dan Musser!

Does that mean we may get a glimpse of Sadie lounging on the porch of the Grand Hotel?
Let's hope so!

Congratulations Sadie, to the Musser's and Michigan

Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?

"To the character of hero and patriot, this good man added that of Christian. Although the greatest man upon earth, he disdained not to humble himself before his God and to trust in the mercies of Christ.” {Quote by Gunning Bedford, signer of the Constitution}

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible."
George Washington

InfoPlease

Well, according to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.

States Decide on Holidays

The states are not obliged to adopt federal holidays, which only affect federal offices and agencies. While most states have adopted Washington's Birthday, a dozen of them officially celebrate Presidents' Day. A number of the states that celebrate Washington's Birthday also recognize Lincoln's Birthday as a separate legal holiday.

When Was the First Public Celebration of Washington's Birthday?

Washington's Birthday has a history as old as our country. It was celebrated publicly for the first time in the late 18th century, while George Washington was still president.

Washington's Birthday became official in 1885, when President Chester Arthur signed a bill making it a federal holiday. Meanwhile, there was President Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12, which never became a federal holiday but was celebrated as a legal holiday in many states outside the old Confederacy.

In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act, which moved the official observance of Washington's birthday from Feb. 22 to the third Monday in February. Some reformers had wanted to change the name of the holiday as well, to Presidents' Day, in honor of both Lincoln and Washington, but that proposal was rejected by Congress, and the holiday remained officially Washington's Birthday.

Nevertheless, there was a popular misconception that the day had been officially renamed, a misconception only reinforced by the fact that the third Monday in February can only occur between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21. This means that the holiday is always after Lincoln's birthday and before Washington's birthday, without ever coinciding with either. Furthermore, some states which had previously celebrated Lincoln's Birthday dropped the observance after the federal holiday reforms, supporting the notion that the two presidential birthdays had been combined.

While the name change has never been authorized by Congress, it has gained a strong hold on the public consciousness, and is generally used on calendars, in advertising, and even by many government agencies. There have been attempts to introduce legislation requiring federal agencies to call the day Washington's Birthday, but these have never gotten very far. No matter what's in the law books, the popular usage is now well established.

Questions; Ask Them

In case you are one of the 10 or 20 people who haven’t heard of the Glen Beck Debra Medina controversy I might as well weight in here myself. I just happen to be listening to Glenn Beck yesterday and heard the interview live

Glen Beck asks Debra Median, candidate for governor of Texas, “If she believed the government killed 3,000 people on 9/11, and her answer was “I don’t know”

(The interview is at the end of the post)

However I don’t think the larger issue is if Debra Median is a “truther” or not but the fire storm that has ensued by the act of asking a question.

Aren’t conservatives supposed to be critical thinkers? Doesn’t critical thinking require asking questions and then assessing the answers according to facts and reason?

Don’t we want as critical thinking conservatives, to know as much as we possibly can about a candidate BEFORE we pull the lever in the voting booth?

“Truthers” ask questions. Does their belief of a government 9-11 conspiracy line up with facts, and reason? Or doesn't it?

If Debra Median is a truther, would that affect her ability to be governor of Texas?
Does it point to her ability for critical thinking? Or wouldn't it?

Questions

Questions should be, and need to be asked of people, groups, institutions, churches, schools etc.

Critical thinking instead of blindly following. That includes Glenn Beck, Debra Medina, Rush Limbaugh, political pundits, so called “national tea party” groups AND candidates.

Another question that needs to be asked is: Does a Texas voter have to vote for any of the candidates running for governor?

Couldn’t Texas voters write in a candidate? Would a large number of write-ins
send a message that Texans reject so called RINOS, pro-aborts and proclaimed “tea party candidates” that aren’t forth coming on major beliefs?

Do Texans need to go back to the drawing board?

Do Americans?

Questions

Questions should be, and need to be asked

Ask them

Say it Out Loud;We're the Party of NO and Proud!

The latest charge level against Republicans/Conservatives by the Obama regime, is to label the opposition, “the party of no”

Well what is wrong with that?

Of course anyone who believes in the Constitution would naturally be saying “NO!”

NO to an unconstitutional mandate in a bill forcing every American to buy a service

NO to unsustainable government orgy of spending

NO to the erosion of personal liberties, by a government take over of individual health care choices

NO to a government bill that mandates the light bulb or appliance that a citizen must use

NO to the fraud of global warming pushed by the Obama regime, that could cost individual families up to $2,000 per year in increase utilities

NO to Card check” that robs a citizen of their right to vote privacy

NO to appointed “czars”

NO to the taxation without representation of the so- called stimulus bills

NO to a 1.7 Trillion dollar deficit and growing

NO to government take over of private industries (GM)

NO to every unconstitutional and draconian government control bill that the progressives have thrown out the past year

NO, NO a thousand times NO! a 1.7 trillion times NO!

If you child wanted to get drunk and then drive hot rod and drive would you say yes?

Of course not, because you know that it wouldn’t be in their best interest!

Saying No is in the best interests of your constituents and your country!

So Republicans, Conservatives… own the “NO!”

Rob the Obama regime of a silly whiny accusation! Throw it back in their face!

NO is constitutional, NO is right, NO is in the best interest of my constituents, of America, of Americans

Ok are you ready! Say it out loud, “WE ARE THE PARTY OF “NO” AND PROUD!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

When Character was King..

Remembering Reagan...

(To purchase "Return to Reagansim" items Click HERE )

As we remember "the Gipper" today on the anniversary of his birth, lets not just recall one of the most successful presidents in the history of our country but the man, a man of ideas, principals and faith. And then carry on with those principals, ideas and faith for only then we will be successful in saving our country from the current regime.

Our party must be based on the kind of leadership that grows and takes its strength from the people. Any organization is in actuality only the lengthened shadow of its members. A political party is a mechanical structure created to further a cause.

The cause, not the mechanism, brings and holds the members together. And our cause must be to rediscover, reassert and reapply America’s spiritual heritage to our national affairs.

Then with God’s help we shall indeed be as a city upon a hill with the eyes of all people upon us.

Ronald Reagan, 1977
40th President of the United States


To learn more about Ronald Reagan visit The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation

A wonderful tribute book about Reagan, "When Character was King"


Ronald Reagan Speech - 1964 Republican National Convention

LIBERALS GONE WILD

The most egregious action was before I could whip out my trusty Flip camera. However, the pudgy man, Erin Fox, in the extreme close up (sorry) is a usual suspect, “community organizer” and MoveOn.org operative

I have encountered him at other actions and his modus operanti is always the same, trying to get in your face to disturb and/or name calling. Although his physical intimidation is getting more aggressive as he realizes that his “religion” the Health Care bill is in big trouble.

The young man with the dark hair that I point out as another “usual suspect” is either a MoveOn.org operative or works for the Democrat party. I recently had another “close encounter” with him at the Sanctity of Life Rally January 22 at our state Capitol, where he was counter-protesting life in favor of abortion.

We had formed a line in front of the counter-protesters and so our backs were turned to them, (not really a good idea when dealing with progressives). His tactic was to come from behind and lean in as close as possible without actually touching to yell things like, “Keep your rosary off my body” (odd coming from a man?) and “pro-family, pro-life”. He can be seen carrying the sign “Keep Abortion Legal” while clutching his upscale brand coffee I am sure Biggy’s is grateful for the pro-abortion “advertising”

See video below of Sanctity of Life counter-protest by these usual suspects


What is really disturbing about this is how militant against life these people are at such a young age. Hearts hardened and conscience seared. However when we realize that these young people have known nothing but legalized abortion in this country, the acceptance of what is “legalized murder” is sadly understandable. Seeing and knowing this, we must consider giving greater time and energy to the pro-life movement. Its a historical facts history that when any civilization no matter how great loses its moral underpinnings then that civilization falls.


The upshot of all of this is that if progressives do not respect life, how can they be expected to respect free speech? Obviously answer, they can’t and they don’t

The Real State of the State

Governor’s Final State of the State Address Includes Eight Proposed Government Expansions, Three Limitations
Mackinac Center
Michael D. LaFaive
Fiscal Policy Director

MIDLAND — Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s 2010 State of the State address included eight proposed expansions of government and three limitations, according to Mackinac Center Fiscal Policy Director Michael D. LaFaive, who has tallied and categorized annual State of the State addresses dating back to 1969.

“This speech demonstrated the obtuse nature of the political class,” said LaFaive. “Michiganders watched seemingly serious adults leap to their feet to applaud symbolism, ghost jobs and free-trade bogeymen when evidence suggests they have nothing to cheer. Any observer of the last few State of the State speeches would know that this was the same old song and ‘dance with government’ routine.”

The last third of the governor’s address was a summary of economic development deals, many of which involved the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, the state’s premiere tax incentive program. The Mackinac Center has twice proven empirically that MEGA has failed to create jobs in net terms and has shown it may actually destroy them.

“This speech offered little hope to Michigan’s unemployed,” said Michael Jahr, senior director of communications. “It’s remarkable that the governor would claim ‘2009 made clear that the way forward for Michigan is precisely the path we have been forging’ when you consider the massive job losses, precipitous decline in personal income, outbound migration, bankruptcies and foreclosures.”

Proposed 2010 Expansions

1. First, we must invest in Pure Michigan tourism advertising.
2. The federal government will give us $2 billion over the next four years if we can come up with a 20 percent match in state funds… You can continue to ignore this problem, or you can follow the bipartisan transportation funding task force recommendations on how to fix it.
3. Tonight, I am announcing that my budget for the year ahead will restore the Michigan Promise Scholarship.
4. And I’ll urge the federal government to help fund Project Phoenix — our effort to help abandoned auto factories rise from the ashes as new centers of economic activity and job-creation.
5. We'll continue to seek more funding to connect every region of the state — urban and rural — to high-speed internet service.
6. Tonight, I will also ask you to create more opportunities for entrepreneurs by creating a new tax credit for investors who make venture capital available to the Michigan businesses that need it to expand and create new jobs.
7. And this year we’re going to take “No Worker Left Behind” to the next level by opening ten learning labs in Detroit to give new opportunity to workers who need basic education skills in order to succeed in college or technical training.
8. In the year ahead, we are going to focus our economic development efforts on the wind-energy industry to give Michigan the competitive advantage that is today helping us to create jobs in vehicle batteries and solar energy.

Limitations

1. One of those reforms contains incentives to encourage retirement for 46,000 state and public school employees. On average, we’ll replace only two of every three state employees who retire …
2. … and the new hires will come in under a health care benefit plan that will cost 21 percent less.
3. Allowing lifetime health care benefits for lawmakers would only confirm our citizens’ worst fears about government — that it is comprised of those who put themselves first and the public last. I ask you to complete the job.

“In fairness to the governor, her boldest and best proposals were actually detailed last week and included reining in the outrageous cost of government employee compensation,” said LaFaive.