Oust Charlie Crist

This is the end of the line for me with Florida's Governor Charlie Crist. Although, there were plenty of other reasons not to like him or even consider voting for him again, this crosses the line. Crist will introduce President Barack Obama today in Fort Myers, Florida.

Now, there's nothing wrong with a Governor courteously welcoming a President to his home state. But the problem is - Crist supports Obama's massive socialist welfare spending bill. This bill will not only put us in debt, but it has spending for may liberal special interests. I hope today is the beginning of the end for Charlie Crist.

While Crist has been a "good Republican" on some issues: he favors government transparency (wait, so does Obama, right?) and he has refused to raise taxes and mostly supported many of the major spending cuts (though, he did veto some of the cuts Florida's conservative legislature passed during a special session on Florida's economy). He's also been pretty good on schoo choice (but not nearly as good as Jeb Bush, but who can be that good?) So, even on those issues, he's not as perfect as this conservative would like him to be.

But then things get far worse. Crist has imposed massive government regulation over the property insurance industry - a plan which has reduced competition and forced more Floridians to carry Citizens (the state's insurance company), hich will leave all of Florida's taxpayers on the hook should just one hurricane hit Florida.

And it gets worse. His Governor's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change is setting up to dole out oppressive government mandates and caps on carbon emissions. And now, he is at the trough begging for a stimulus from America's favorite socialist.

I announce a clarion call to all conservatives inside and outside of Florida: let's oust Crist from the Republican Party. Don't give him a platform. The only one he wants is the platform of popularity. Today, Governor Crist put his finger in the air and went where the wind carried him: to the same stage as Barack Obama, calling for the same massive socialist welfare spending program.

Never forget.

Republican Party will be Strong as Steele

Last week was a great week for the Republican Party, as no single member of the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the $850 billion spending bill (the one being touted as a "stimulus" package). They held the line and even brought over 9 Democrats with them. Their vote was bipartisan while the socialists who voted for the spending bill were completely partisan.

But a bigger point of elation for the Republican Party was when Michael Steele was picked to be the new RNC chair. He is exactly what the party needs and I've been saying for a while that the party needs to find a place for Michael Steele.

He is as conservative as they come and represents all the branches of conservatism - fiscal conservative, social conservative, and strong national defense. And he is a great communicator/defender of our ideas. And perhaps his being African-American will help him appeal to other segments of our society where conservatism has not always ventured into. But I also think the fact that he is from Maryland, which is a pivot point between the South and the Northeast, really works well regionally for the future of our party.

I campaigned for the Bob Ehrlich-Michael Steele ticket back in 2002, when I was a College Republican at the University of Maryland. I was a bit uncomfortable backing a pro-choice candidate like Bob Ehrlich, but everything else about him screamed conservatism, and in Maryland (a state where 2/3 of the population are registered Democrats) it is almost understandable why Ehrlich had to run as a pro-choice candidate for Governor. But not Michael Steele. He stood boldly pro-life. As Lt. Governor, he even attended pro-life candlelight vigils.

Unfortunately he lost a close election for the U.S. Senate in 2006. But since his departure from politics, he has done well as a TV commentator, even taking on the likes of Bill Maher from time to time. I met Steele several times in 2002 and 2004 and he was a real class act, very genuine about why he is in this race. And he is also a Catholic, which is even more appealing to me. It was back in 2002 that I learned that he had actually once entered seminary to become a priest. But apparently it was around that time that he met his future wife, and instead ventured into a career in law, and eventually politics, and found his true vocation.

Conservatives can take heart today. It is a great time to be a conservative, where we stand by our principles, despite the prevailing winds of opposition. And, with Michael Steele at the helm, conservatism will once again be "Strong as Steele!"