Enjoying Freedom Every Day

I've Moved!

2011-10-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm still enjoying Freedom Every Day... but in case you're wondering where my blogs have gone, or why this blog is inactive, I moved to a new website, but will maintain this blog as an "archive" (even though all my blogs are also archived on my new website).

Read more about me and see my current blogs at: www.franciscogonzalez.us

401 K

2011-02-14T13:28:00.001-08:00

I received the message below as one of those email forwards. I thought it was pretty funny, so I'm posting it on my blog here.

Just imagine...

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago,
you will have $49.00 today!

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have
$33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago,
you will have $0.00 today.

But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all
the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you
will have received a $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily
& recycle. It is called the 401-Keg.

A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a
year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons
of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41
miles to the gallon!

Makes you damned proud to be an American!

God Inspires Us To Create

2011-01-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Well, we all know God is everywhere, in everything, even in each of us. Well, that is if we believe God exists. So many today in our culture do not. Even for those of us who do believe, many of us at various times in our life may have questioned God's existence. Or, at least questioned God, questioned why he allows evil things to happen in our fallen world.

Last week, I went on my second adventure on The Rock Boat. It's a fantastic time with about 25 bands and musicians, hosted by Sister Hazel. This year top acts also included NeedtoBreathe, Ed Kowalczyk from LIVE, Green River Ordinance, and many others. Four nights of craziness. At any given time between about 12 noon and 2pm, you have about 2-3 concerts to choose from. You can't possibly see everyone. Well, if you can, you have me beat. There's so much going on. Our boat departed out of Tampa on January 6, coasted into Costa Maya, Mexico on January 8, and then returned back to Tampa on the 10th.

As I sat listening to so many great musicians and artists, as I have through much of my life, I always marvel at their creative abilities - how do they piece together these harmonious sounds and come up with such moving lyrics?

And then, it makes me think about two authors I have read in the past five years. One is Father James Schall, a professor of government at Georgetown, who writes much about philosophy and political philosophy. In his book, On The Unseriousness of Human Affairs, he discusses how we all have a bit of the Creator in us. Think about it. From the beginning, God created us, he created the heavens, the earth, everything. We each have a bit of that "creative" juice in us as well. As Father Schall points out, being creative is something we have built in our DNA, sort of speak. (Ok, I'm seriously paraphrasing here).

I always like his example of the sport of football. How did it start? Someone created a ball (a funky ball at that). They then started tossing it to someone else. Then, others were involved and rules were created. Eventually, teams and leagues were created. And ultimately we professionalized it. He uses this example to teach us something about ourselves - and something about God. Look around at nature, over time God "professionalized" it Himself. Just like God, we mere mortals also want to continue to create and continue to make something we created better, more beautiful, more aspiring. So does God - except that He does it with perfection. Made in His image, we strive towards that perfection, always thirsting to go Higher and find our purpose.

Edmund Burke also comes to mind here. He once stated that "art is man's nature." What he meant by that is something similar to the above examples. God's "art," if you will, is in nature. Look at the Grand Canyon, the vast oceans, the stars, the moon, a lunar eclipse. These are all of the ways God has painted a picture for us. Ever catch a beautiful sunset when the colors in the horizon are in a way you felt you never seen quite like that before? I like to think that is God painting a unique picture just for me that day. His way of saying "hello, this is just for you." It brings a smile to my face, it warms my heart - even if just for a moment. It's God's way of catching us off guard, perhaps in the midst of a "busy" day, doing all those "important" things.

Contrast that with man. Our "nature" is in art. We can only replicate the Creator through art - painting, drawing, performing music, competing in sports, writing, singing, acting, teaching, dancing. As Father Schall would say, it is not our "work" - how we make a living - that defines us as individuals, as human beings. Rather, it is all of these seemingly "unserious" things that shows us what it truly means to be human.

Perhaps this is why I like music so much. It is a creative expression by individuals and by "bands" of individuals that come together to create something beautiful. Some of the highest forms of music have been directly proposed to worship the divine - think of how high liturgical music in church can carry you away spiritually - or how about even a simple rendition of Amazing Grace? Think of Mozart and Beethoven, who had their expression toward the divine. There's a reason their music is considered some of the best of all time.

But even when music isn't created directly for God - it still is inspired by that creative desire that we get from our Creator. We can easily forget those "important" things that keep us busy or stressed out and "lose ourself" in the moment. Why do we put on a cd in the car or on a run? Or even at work? Why do we go to concerts, listening to musicians perform live, singing along with them, perhaps even dancing to the beat? We are drawn towards something higher, something outside ourselves. We each have something to teach each other, we each have the ability to be creative. When we tap into the true spirit of the Creator, we learn something about ourselves and something about Him.

Boycott CPAC

2011-01-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

The Conservative Political Action Conference is the largest annual gathering of conservatives. It takes place each year in Washington, D.C. I attended my first CPAC as a graduate student in 2004. I was privileged enough to be invited to speak on a student-led panel, to discuss the successful conservative student newspaper I helped co-found at the University of Maryland.

After joining the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) later in 2004, I attended the next three CPAC's - 2005, 2006, and 2007 - and had the unique opportunity of being the ISI representative at the CPAC planning meetings. Those were some interesting meetings - which included representatives from about 50 or so organizations that helped pick the theme, the agenda, the panels, and the speakers. It was neat to have a voice in this process. I also had the opportunity to speak on another panel at the 2007 CPAC. When I moved back to Florida at the beginning of 2008 - it almost felt weird not being at CPAC that year, after attending 4 years in a row. I then attended my fifth CPAC in 2009. I have not been back since, mostly just due to logistics in my own time commitments.

However, as I witnessed each year, CPAC was growing fast - almost out of control. "Conservatism" has become more popular and tea party activism, among other factors, has certainly popularized attendance at this conference. I even respect, to some extent, the large amount of young libertarians that have started attending CPAC. As my good friend Jeff Frazee, President of Young Americans for Liberty, has told me in the past, he hopes to inject more pro-liberty, limited government ideas into the conservative movement. I proudly stand with him in that effort.

However, as CPAC has swelled in attendance, what it means to be a "conservative" (note: not a Republican, a libertarian, or a tea party member) has become lost. In fact, a few years back, I started calling the conference the Conservative Political Action Circus, as a joke. To take matters further, I have even suggested that we are all under one big tent (like a circus, get it?) But the tent has now become too big. Too many groups are trying to redefine what conservatism is; meanwhile conservatism itself has become lost in the confusion of a conference that now has nearly 10,000 people in attendance each year.

The conservative movement in America has always been a fractious coalition of many diverse groups. And conservatism itself is not an ideology; it is a philosophy, a way of life. Sure, we conservatives have our own view of what the proper role of government is. While we might have differences on various issues, we stand consistently with the Constitution, which created a federal Republic and a system of checks and balances with a separation of powers. Conservatives believe that all human beings are fallible, and that too much power in the hands of one person - or even one area of government - could lead to tyranny. History has repeatedly proved this theory correct. Our founders rightly incorporated this belief of human fallibility in our Constitution by separating power against itself.

However, conservatism is not limited to what we believe the role of government should be. Rather, it is a philosophy, an outlook, a way of life. It exists regardless of man's relationship to his government. As a conservative, the biggest impact we can have is on the culture, which, as Russell Kirk said, extends from the "cult," a communion of souls, a body of worshippers. Our beliefs, together, form our common culture. And our society's institutions, including our government, are reflective of the culture (not the other way around).

Back to CPAC... CPAC is the "conservative" political action conference. It's NOT a Republican conference, it's not a libertarian conference, it's not a tea party conference. I hope all of these groups come to CPAC and play a role in the discussion about the future of our country, but they must remember that they are only welcome to be part of this private organization when and where they agree with conservative principles. Otherwise, the entire point of the conference is lost. When I go to a libertarian conference, for example, I understand that I am going to have some disagreements - and I respect why those libertarians have the views they do - whether it be differences in foreign policy or social issues.

The first year that CPAC took place in the late 1970s, there were only about 100 attendees. The keynote speaker was a former Governor of California, Ronald Reagan. The people there in that room knew what they believed, they had disagreements I'm sure, but they had a common intellectual understanding of the key tenets of conservatism: a commitment to liberty and limited government, a respect for the Judeo-Christian tradition that undergirds this nation and Western Civilization, and the defeat of tyranny (at that time, communism) at home and abroad.

In 2010, there was a division created at CPAC when the ACU allowed GOProud to be a sponsoring organization. This means GOProud has a role to play in the agenda, much like I did for ISI. While GOProud professes their support for limited government, they also openly accept homosexual behavior. Don't get me wrong, those who practice homosexuality will always be welcome at CPAC. For, we are all sinners, and we cannot (and should not) point at the splinter in our neighbor's eye before we first take out the splinter in our own. However, we also cannot allow an organized group that stands squarely opposed to one of the key tenets of conservatism: a commitment to the traditional moral order as defined by the Judeo-Christian beliefs that are at the underpinnings of Western Civilization. Once we allow our beliefs to be watered down, we open a pandora's box.

On the flip side of this - what if someone started an organization called "Christians for Total Healthcare." They could claim they should be allowed at CPAC because they are in line with conservatism's commitment to family values, and that their group believes, from a Judeo-Christian perspective, that government should provide health care for all. Would that progressive belief be allowed at CPAC? And if not, then why is a group claiming to support limited government allowed if they are openly hostile to the traditional moral values that undergird another tenet of conservatism?

Until CPAC can get a grip on what it stands for and what conservatism is all about, I will join with the Heritage Foundation (the largest conservative organization in the country, and the world) and boycott CPAC. I call on all other conservatives of good faith to do so as well and to express their reasons to the Chairman of the American Conservative Union, David Keene and to CPAC's coordinator Lisa DePasquale. Their contact information is below.

American Conservative Union

(703) 836-8602

2010: My Rockin' Year in Review

2010-12-31T16:19:00.000-08:00

2010 has been an up and down year. For Florida it began with a cold snap. For me, it began on The Rock Boat! What an unbelievable experience that was. We set sail out of Tampa on January 7 for 4 unforgettable nights aboard the Carnival Inspiration. Sister Hazel headlined the “floating music festival” that had about 25 other bands on it. Some new favorites for me by the time the cruise was over included Green River Ordinance, Marc Broussard, and Stephen Kellog & The Sixers. And it was great getting to see so much more Sister Hazel and Wideawake, as well as bands like Augustana live for the first time. And who can forget Tyrone Wells, Gaelic Storm and Jupiter’s own reggae band, B-Liminal?

Well after sailing to Cozumel and back to Tampa, we returned to Tallahassee. Days later, a massive earthquake hit Haiti and brought back images from that poverty stricken country. It seems like a nation of hopelessness with all the doom and destruction they have faced in their history. My roommate Salomon, a native of Haiti, had several family members pass away and others who had amazing survival stories. America once again showed how charitable we are, as thousands of Americans and billions of American dollars poured into Haiti to help. The media covered this story for weeks, but as the year went on, the public’s attention drowned out. The struggles of Haiti continue.

In late January, I was invited to attend a weekend colloquia in Arlington, VA provided by the Institute for Humane Studies. The theme of the weekend was “F.A. Hayek on Liberty.” We were required to read most of Hayek’s “The Constitution of Liberty” and a few other essays. It was a privilege to be a part of this seminar and I learned so much about spontaneous order, among other Hayekian economic theories. I also was able to meet up with a few friends in DC. I almost didn’t get a chance to see my buddy Jeff Frazee, but then bad weather in my connecting city of Atlanta forced an extra day stay in DC. So, Jeff and his wife Amanda put me up for the night.

It’s hard to keep going chronologically with this year, but I’ll try to whip through some major experiences and memories.

Earlier this year, I began a Bible study in the Great Adventure Bible Timeline program. Through 24 weeks (that’s 24 Monday nights), we read through 14 books of the Bible (and then some). 12 Old Testament books and 2 New Testament books (Luke and Acts), not to mention the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It was an amazing experience and it increased my knowledge of my faith. Every Christian (especially us Catholics) should do this. I totally recommend it. Each week, we met in a small group and had an hour long discussion. Then we joined with a larger group of about 50 people and watched a seminar on DVD by Jeff Cavins. That ended in August. In October, I started a new 24-week course. It is much lighter reading. We are simply reading through the Book of Matthew (with some minor supplemental reading). We’re about 6 weeks in and I’m really enjoying it.

This was also my third full year working as Director of Development for The James Madison Institute, Florida’s premier free-market think tank. This was also the Institute’s most successful year on record. Our budget increased substantially. We hired a full-time staff member and added two part-time staff members. We began raising money for a new downtown Tallahassee headquarters (which we plan to close on in January 2011 and move in by summer 2011). Our President was named to the Governor-Elect’s economic transition team. JMI has a staff member, scholar, or board member on every transition team in Florida’s new executive cabinet. And we have more members than ever and are producing studies relevant to Florida’s economic future.

My work with JMI this year took me all over Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton, Naples, The Villages, and Pensacola. Perhaps a few places in between.

I attended the Heritage Foundation’s annual “Resource Bank” meeting, held this year at the Turnberry Isle Resort in North Miami Beach this year. JMI held a reception at their meeting and welcomed hundreds of free-marketers to South Florida in style. The highlighted speeches included Ted Cruz, former Solicitor General of Texas, and Billie Tucker, director of the First Coast Tea Party in Jacksonville. The Heritage Foundation embraced the tea party with the theme of this year’s conference: “From Tea Parties to Taking Charge.”

In September, I traveled to Ohio for the State Policy Network’s Annual Meeting in Cleveland. Not really a city to write home about. But, it was a great meeting as usual. The highlighted speeches included Jeb Bush and Scott Rasumussen, among others.

The weekend before the SPN conference, my buddy Matt Harrison (who runs a think tank in California) and I met up in Columbus, OH to see our Canes take on the mighty Buckeyes of Ohio State. We had a great night out on the town, attended a Canes pre-party and really enjoyed Columbus on a game weekend. I was also fortunate enough to get some great seats provided by a great friend in Ohio. (Thanks Josh!) But that was about it. The Canes had a good first half and the rest of the game -- and the rest of the season -- was all downhill. In 2011, they will have a new coach. I hope he can provide us with the “Golden” touch. I hate to say it, but the Canes may not ever be the same without the Orange Bowl. Their program is in such disarray it makes me cry inside. And sometimes outside.

After an overall great weekend in Columbus, Matt and I drove up to Cleveland early in order to spend a few hours on our Sunday afternoon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was amazing, and by far the best attraction in Cleveland. The city feels like a ghost town on the weekends and evenings. But this museum was worth the visit to Cleveland simply to revisit and learn about the role that rock n’ roll has played in American history and culture.

Speaking of music...let’s back track a bit here...

I spent two great weekends in what has become one of my favorite places in Florida: the Suwanneee River Music Park in Live Oak, FL. In late March, I went to “Springfest” for one night and one morning, crashed at a camp site with some new friends, and saw my boys Scythian perform 3 times in less than 18 hours. What a treat. I went back in late October for “Magnolia Fest” and while Scythian didn’t play that one, we were still treated to some great music. I seem to now be running into some of the other regulars to this incredibly amazing Southern festival. And I can’t say no to the fried oreos.

This was also another year to Rock By The Sea. I returned to the festival this April for some good times with my friends Mike Williams, Matt Farrar, festival organizers Beth Gosnell, Gail Harkins, Ed Moore, and Rick Watson. And now I’m sort of a volunteer and official “ambassador” for Rock By The Sea, which raises money to fight pediatric brain cancer. We also brought our friend Erin Choy with us this time and now she’s a Rock By The Sea’r for life I think. It was also great to have my brotherManny drive all the way up from South Florida to spend the weekend with me and enjoy the great music, incredible weather, beautiful beach, and great times. It was a blast! Festival favorite Sam Thacker and his band also provided great tunes. A few of us were privileged to return to “the island” several times over the summer to hang with Sam, the band, and enjoy SGI some more.

2010 was also filled with politics... as Americans became more engaged than ever.

In March, the government takeover of health care became even more intrusive. As if we aren’t spending enough on Medicare and Medicaid, now the federal government “mandated” that all citizens be required to carry health insurance. And they required all insurers cover everyone - including those with pre-existing conditions. What does that mean? Health insurance becomes more expensive for everyone - and the government will fine or imprison us if we don’t carry health insurance. Well, as it turns out, by November, most Americans were fed up with this continued intrusiveness into their daily lives. Congress flipped as more than 65 Republicans gained seats previously held by Democrats.

My own Congressman, “yellow dog” Allen Boyd lost by double digits to Steve Southerland. I’d like to think my well-publicized blog about “My Encounter with Allen Boyd” had something to do with it. I was able to meet and interact with Steve Southerland and his staff throughout this year and I have high hopes for his ability to be a true patriot in Congress. As a representative of JMI and the Tallahassee Tea Party, I was invited to present our Congressman-elect with two gifts at the December meeting of the Capital City Republican Club. The first was a framed speech that Davey Crockett gave in Congress back in the 1830s. The second was a framed poster of the Kool-Aid man that said “Don’t Drink the D.C. Kool-Aid” (or something like that). He loved them and I hope to see them in his office the next time I visit our nation’s capital.

Here in Florida, a lot more happened politically. As Marco Rubio began surging in the polls, it became clear that Florida’s sitting “Republican” Governor Charlie Crist wasn’t going to be able to beat him in the race for U.S. Senate. So Crist “opted out” of the primary, left the Republican Party, and went straight to November for the general election. At first, it seemed like a good move to win (even if unprincipled). But then, the three-way race turned Marco’s way big time. He won by more than 20 points over the “No Party Affiliate” Crist and by more than that over Democrat Kendrick Meek. For more than two years, I had been saying how fake and shallow and unprincipled Charlie Crist was. 2010 proved vindication. And I have interacted with Marco Rubio on a personal level enough to know he’s the real deal. His speeches at CPAC and on election night have been hailed widely.

For more than a year, I had been saying how the Obama stimulus wasn’t going to work (on top of putting us in debt by nearly a trillion more dollars, not to mention all the other wasteful spending under this President and this Congress). Once again, it was tough being right. Under Crist, Florida’s unemployment went from about 5 percent to 12 percent in less than four years. Under Obama, the national unemployment went from about 7 percent to nearly 10 percent in less than two years. The only thing that was stimulated was the government and its regulation of individuals and small businesses.

It’s no surprise then that the tea party continued to grow in power and influence in 2010. In the primaries, many Republican incumbents were knocked out by more principled outsiders. In Florida, businessman Rick Scott narrowly defeated long-time establishment Republican Bill McCollum. While McCollum may have traditionally been a principled Republican, his being part of the establishment didn’t help him. Scott then went on to beat Democrat Alex Sink, by the slimmest margin of any Governor’s race in more than 100 years. The November elections also increased the Republican majority in both the Florida House and Florida Senate to two-thirds. That’s a veto-proof majority.

Since being elected, Rick Scott is making all the right moves - literally. He has loaded his transition teams with some of the most conservative and libertarian men and women you can find (including my boss!). His campaign motto “Let’s Get to Work” holds great promise for limited government, free market conservatives who want to stimulate the private sector of our economy. We’ll see what gets done in 2011 and beyond. If he is able to accomplish just half of what he wants to, I think he’ll be a transformational governor - something Florida desperately needs at this transformative time in our state and nation’s history. I look forward to being part of the solution through my work at JMI.

This year, my good friend James O'Keefe also formed The Project Veritas with the mission of exposing corruption wherever it exists. I was honored to be asked to join his board of directors and now serve as Chairman. While I have known James for about 6 years now, he was made famous a bit more than a year ago when he released the now famous videos that exposed ACORN. He has also exposed nefarious activities by Planned Parenthood, the U.S. Census, and more recently the New Jersey Educational Association. While James is now famous among many and infamous among others, he brings a dedication to pursuing truth and rightly used the term "Veritas" to name his new organization. We hope he will continue making cutting edge projects and train modern-day muckrakers to be investigate corruption and expose it in unique ways.

This year I continued to be a man on the move...

I spent several weekends in Atlanta. Took a trip there in June to see some friends. Really got a great taste of so many parts of this rockin’ Southern metropolis. I went back through there (one stop each way) on my way to Virginia in August. And in December, I spent an amazing musical weekend for the Rock By The Sea Christmas road show in Atlanta. After seeing many great RBTS bands on Friday night at Vinyl with one of my roommates, Matt Farrar, we went and saw an amazing Sister Hazel show on Saturday at the venue next door, Center Stage. It was also cool to see our buddy Michael Westbrook play guitar for the Nic Cowan band, which opened for Hazel. During one song, Ryan Newell of Sister Hazel joined the stage with them. How cool was that?

As I mentioned before, in August, I went to Virginia for a retreat for a young conservative group I am involved with. About 80 or so young conservatives from all different professions and from many parts of the country traveled to The Homestead resort for three nights - something like 20 Presidents have stayed at this historic, scenic resort that is tucked away in the western mountains of Virginia. We held many discussions on many topics and built friendships through some great times of fellowship. I probably have never been to a conference retreat where there were so many good, smart, and interesting people. It gives me comfort to know these are some of the folks leading the way for the revival of conservative intellectualism in our country. The remnant survives 2010.

During Labor Day weekend, I traveled to New York City to meet my parents and brothers for an incredible weekend. We spent a day at the U.S. Open, attended a NY Yankees game on Saturday afternoon, and saw the musical “Jersey Boys” on Broadway. We had some great meals, saw a few NYC historic sites, celebrated mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, visited a Comedy Club with my brother Tony and spent a night on the town with both of my brothers. A great, full weekend indeed! Family bonding at its max.

I would be remiss without mentioning my own year in sports... on the tennis courts. At the end of 2009, I was “bumped up” to the 5.0 level, which means I was not able to play in any of the USTA leagues this year. There just aren’t enough 5.0 players in town to form a team (much less two). But that meant I had to find a lot more of my own recreational matches, even getting the opportunity to play some of the players on the Florida State University team. It has been great getting to know some of those guys and getting to watch them play. It’s been a pleasure hitting with a few of them.

I think my game really peaked around August and 2010 was certainly the best year for my tennis game since I was about 17. I even suggested at one point that I was hitting and playing better than ever in my life. I am probably in much better condition. The only difference is that my life is too busy (and probably getting too old) to be able to play two matches in a day (much less two matches a day for 2 or 3 days in a row), as I did when I was 17. Other than that, I was on top of my game. That said, the last few months, I haven’t been able to play as consistently. With winter setting in, the cold weather, shorter days, and my own increased travel, all this has left me pretty inconsistent. We’ll see if my game can keep up in 2011. In any case, it’s simply great to be healthy, in shape, and able to be out there on a fairly regular basis. I thank God every day for that.

On Thanksgiving, I was able to run my first 10K in my life. Since I was a young kid, I’ve run 5K’s and the past few years I’ve really gotten back into running for recreation. I think after edging out my friend Isaac Morehouse in the SPN 5K in Cleveland, I got some extra motivation (just teasing Isaac). I ran the Tallahassee Turkey Trot 10K right here in my Southwood neighborhood. Something like 4,000 people participated between the 5K, 10K, and 15K races. My first goal was to finish. My second goal was to be under 52 minutes. I beat them both, with a time of 50:15. That’s about an 8:07 average per mile. I really paced myself well and surprisingly my last mile was my fastest.

I finished off the year by spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with family. I traveled to Interlachen, FL where my Aunt Diane and several uncles and a number of cousins live. My parents and my brother Manny all made the trip there as well, allowing us to spend the holiday together.

I then took my regular trip back to South Florida to visit with my parents and brothers in Delray for nearly a week - and Aunt Diane spent a weekend with us as well. I also was able to see my Abuela, Aunt Barbara, and cousins in Miami on Noche Buena. I had some good times with some friends in South Florida as well, and even made some new ones in the process. I spent all my nights out in Palm Beach County on this trip. It seems I visit Broward (where I grew up for my entire childhood) much less than ever - and Miami (the city of my birth) is barely on the radar.

My brother Tony was only able to be with us for two days over Christmas (due to his sports writing job covering the Orlando Magic and the Orlando-area college bowl games). So, on my way back to Tallahassee, I spent a night in Orlando to hang out with him. I have been able to see him a lot more this past year, since he moved to Orlando. His amazing downtown apartment overlooking Lake Eola has become my regular “crash pad.” But the night of December 29th was the last night I’ll ever stay there. It’s not because he smells...it’s because he’s moving...to San Francisco! (Who knows, he might start smelling soon).

He accepted a job as an AP Sports Writer in San Francisco. At age 25, he’ll be the youngest person in the country with that title. And, he’s earned it with an amazing sports writing career in his first few years out of college. This means that the city of San Francisco (great name huh?) will be on my list of destinations at least once in 2011. I am very proud of him, but also kind of sad that I’ll see a lot less of him in the coming year. It’s almost ironic that I fought so hard with the tea party and the Republican Party to make sure Nancy Pelosi would not be the Speaker of the House....only to have my brother end up living in her Congressional district! Life is full of ironies, including the fact that he will be living in a city that bears my name, but is about as far from me as you can get in the continental United States.

2010 has been a wild ride. I was part of the big fight back against big government and an historic election year. I was part of some rockin’ times on the Rock Boat, Rock By The Sea, and other musical adventures in Southern cities like St. George Island, Live Oak, FL and Atlanta, GA. And I was runnin’ down a dream on the tennis court and on the trails of Southwood. I traveled all up and down the east coast - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, DC, New York, and Ohio all were a part of my 2010. Many great friends and faces along the way. I will not forget all these great people and memorable experiences. Thank you 2010.

My 2011 will begin with the inauguration of Rick Scott on January 4 and another amazing experience on The Rock Boat from January 6-10. Beyond that, only God knows. But it is certainly Him who will light the way. May He make straight our paths.

Rick Scott - The Tea Party Governor - Part 2

2010-09-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is the second in a series of blog posts on why I believe Rick Scott will be the "Tea Party Governor."

As I mentioned in part one of this series of blog posts, when I first learned that Rick Scott was entering the Florida gubernatorial primary against Bill McCollum, I thought it was odd. Since I knew Scott was also an outspoken opponent of Obamacare, I couldn’t understand how Scott could feel he could do any better on the health care issue than McCollum.

And this proves once again why Rick Scott is a tea party patriot. Some have called him out as a fraud. Let me tell you that he is the real thing. Like most tea party patriots, he has been willing to invest his own time, his own money, and his own reputation to do what he feels is best for his country.

There is nothing for Rick Scott to profit by winning the Governor's mansion. In fact, he has said he won't even draw a salary as Governor. He has spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money to obtain a position he won't even take money for. If this isn't one of the highest forms of charity towards his fellow Floridians, I don't know what is. As a tea party patriot, he is restoring the true idea of public service.

And he got in the race against McCollum primarily because of a core principle of the tea party movement. Since its inception almost two years ago, the tea party movement has not only been about lower taxes and less government spending, it has primarily been about changing the culture of politics. It has been about returning the power from the establishment career politicians, like Bill McCollum, to we the people. It has been about getting reckless government spending under control and restoring confidence and trust in the very idea of self-government.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Bill McCollum. I had planned to vote for him. He was even once on my board of directors at The James Madison Institute. I believe McCollum would have had the conservative answer on almost every piece of legislation that came to his desk.

But let’s face it. McCollum has been in office for the better part of his life. In 1980, at the age of 36, McCollum was first elected to Congress, where he served for 20 years. In 2000, he launched an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate. He tried again in 2004 and lost a close primary to Mel Martinez, who went on to win the seat. In 2006, he was elected to be Florida’s Attorney General. Over the last 30 years, McCollum has spent 24 of those years in elected office. Like him or not, he certainly fits the mold of a career politician.

And this is exactly the strategy Scott took to defeat McCollum: Scott got behind the tea party crowd and rallied against the incumbent. 2010 has certainly not been a year that has looked favorably upon incumbents - even (and perhaps especially) incumbents in the Republican Party.

It’s not that McCollum wasn’t conservative enough or that he was a corrupt politician. As I mentioned, I think his record demonstrates the opposite. It’s about the fact that the average voter is “mad as hell” that our elected officials have “lost touch” with reality. When you serve most of your life in political office, there are just many things you can’t relate to as well in regards to how most of us live our lives. In a tough economy with high unemployment and out-of-control government spending, the anger against incumbents mounts even higher - especially when most in government are immune to unemployment (well, until they get thrown out of office).

And all across the country, the incumbents in the Republican Party have fought back - sometimes in nasty ways. McCollum’s strategy should have been to stick with the fact that Scott is a “rookie” (he’s never held political office). Or that he, McCollum, would be the more viable candidate against liberal Alex Sink. Instead, his campaign strategy tried to smear Scott’s personal reputation. When voters saw this, they marched even harder for Scott. And with his own reputation on the line, Scott fought back with his own attack ads against McCollum and ultimately won.

Another trend has since emerged - the incumbent Republicans who are defeated by a Republican outsider - have become “sore losers.” So far, almost a month after the primary, McCollum has not endorsed Scott. This is pretty rare. If Scott (or any “tea party” candidate) loses to an establishment candidate, and doesn’t endorse them, they are called out on it. Yet the entire Republican establishment has let McCollum get away with being a sore loser.

Speaking of the Republican establishment - not one single Republican member of the Florida Legislature endorsed Scott publicly during the primary. I know that as Scott was taking a lead in the polls, a few were privately supporting him. But not publicly. Both the outgoing and incoming Speaker of the House and the outgoing and incoming Senate President (all Republicans) endorsed McCollum in the primary. A few of them even raised millions of dollars for McCollum.

While Scott outspent McCollum, it wasn’t by as much as some have claimed. McCollum not only had the backing of the Republican establishment, but also of all the special interest groups in Tallahassee. Through my job at JMI, I meet many representatives of many of these special interest groups, and all were in the tank for McCollum. In fact, there were a few moments that I saw a paranoid establishment seeking to make sure everyone was on board. That’s the moment I made my final decision to vote for Rick Scott in the Republican primary. A self-financed millionaire: this is what it takes to beat the establishment - and barely.

The tea party has primarily been against reckless and irresponsible spending, but it has also been against elected officials - and the entire establishment apparatus - who arrogantly believe they know what is best for the rest of us.

Rick Scott took on the establishment in his own party and won. The best historical figures in the Republican Party’s past had to do the same thing. That actor from Hollywood never held political office before he became Governor of the largest state in the Union. He would eventually become known to all of us as President Ronald Reagan.

Scott still has a way to go before he gets christened as the next Ronald Reagan. But the tea party isn’t interested in that. What we are interested in doing is what’s right. We like success stories when we see them. We like to see people who have earned their way in pursuing the American Dream. And we like to reward them. And we hope once they get in office, they'll put together solutions that seem like common sense to us.

We don’t think that a political office is for the person who’s next in line. Rick Scott certainly wasn’t on anyone’s radar as the next in line to be Florida’s Governor. That actor from Hollywood could never be Governor, much less President. But history has a way of proving all of us wrong.

Rick Scott: The Tea Party Governor - Part 1

2010-09-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of blog posts on why I believe Rick Scott will be the "Tea Party Governor."

Since its inception almost two years ago, the tea party movement has not only been about lower taxes and less government spending, it has primarily been about changing the culture of politics. It has been about returning the power from the establishment career politicians to we the people. It has been about getting reckless government spending under control and restoring confidence and trust in the very idea of self-government.

I was the primary organizer of the tea party movement in Tallahassee. As an employee of The James Madison Institute (JMI), I spend my days (and many nights) gathering support for JMI so that we can further public policy solutions for Florida that do not depend on government or “other people’s money.” Organizations like JMI exist to educate citizens (and policy makers) about the timeless principles that are needed for liberty to continue to exist and be available for all.

While JMI has been furthering these ideas since 1987, it was the tea party movement that brought the very principles of the Constitution back into the public square in 2009. Apart from my day job at JMI, I spent much of my personal time early in 2009 organizing two tea parties in Tallahassee. In March 2009, we had about 225 people attend, with our guest speaker, Dick Armey of FreedomWorks. That was only a warm-up act for April 15. We had more than 2,000 people come to the grounds of Florida’s state capitol for a “Rally Against Generational Debt.” There were more than 50 such rallies in Florida that day and approximately 1,000 around the country.

As our keynote speaker and local radio host Preston Scott said that day, the tea party isn’t against taxes, per se. We’re willing to pay our fair share. What we are against is the reckless and irresponsible spending by elected officials who arrogantly believe they know what is best for the rest of us.

As the tea party movement grew, the phones began ringing off the hook at JMI and other like-minded organizations. The tea party movement, for the most part, is filled with citizens who were becoming politically active for the first time in their lives. In any case, most in the tea party movement had never been THIS involved in taking action, coming to rallies, calling their elected officials, and even joining Facebook to stay in the loop. These newly active citizens were contacting organizations like JMI, looking for speakers and trying to find out how they could educate their groups and, in some sense, provide entertainment and engaging speakers at their rallies.

As the Director of Development at JMI, I accepted an invitation to speak at a tea party held in Fort Walton Beach, Florida on September 12, 2009. This was the same exact day that tea partiers across the nation were descending on Washington - reports estimate anywhere between 500,000 and one million people attended the rally in our nation’s capital that day.

Meanwhile hundreds of other rallies were taking place in locations across the country - for those who could not spare the time or expense to go to DC. At the rally I spoke at, there were several other speakers addressing the 400 plus crowd of people who came out despite the rain. Luckily, the event was able to be moved under a covered pavilion. One such speaker that spoke just before me was Rick Scott.

Yes, he’s now the Republican candidate for Governor. But I did not detect any political aspirations in him then. He came to speak representing an organization called “Conservatives for Patients Rights.” He spoke eloquently and from the heart. In between speeches, I was able to talk to him for a few minutes. I really liked him. I had read about him a few months earlier when I learned about what his group was doing to fight Obamacare.

I had learned he had already spent millions of dollars from his personal fortune to fight Obamacare and that he was willing to spend up to $20 million to do so. As I spoke with him casually that day, we discussed the hard fight against Obamacare ahead. I think I was most taken aback by the soft tone of his speech. He did not appear to me like a multi-million dollar CEO. In fact, he seemed like a very humble guy - and like “one of us," he clearly articulated an understanding of the threat big government programs, like Obamacare, posed to families, small businesses, and even large health care corporations like the ones he has run.

The Rick Scott name faded into my memory over the next six months or so. That was until the health care bill passed. During that battle, the Obama White House had named Rick Scott public enemy number one. They did not want any prominent people in the health care industry pointing out the fatal flaws in their health care bill.

A few weeks after the bill passed, I learned that Rick Scott was entering the race to become the next Governor of Florida. At first I thought this was odd. I knew his big issue was health care and with Attorney General Bill McCollum suing the federal government on behalf of Floridians, I couldn’t understand how Scott could feel he could do any better on the health care issue than his primary opponent, Bill McCollum.

But eventually I got it. And once I did, I realized that Rick Scott “gets it.” He gets it more than I could have imagined. In fact, I’m a bit embarrassed that he got it a lot earlier than I did. In fact, Rick Scott is a tea party patriot. Some have called him out as a fraud. Let me tell you that he is the real thing. Like most tea party patriots, he has been willing to invest his own time, his own money, and his own reputation to do what he feels is best for his country. There is nothing for him to profit by winning the Governor's mansion. In fact, he has said he won't even draw a salary as Governor. He has spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money to obtain a position he won't even take money for. If this isn't one of the highest forms of charity towards his fellow Floridians, I don't know what is. As a tea party patriot, he is restoring the true idea of public service.

Our family vacation in New York City!

2010-09-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend, I met my parents and two brothers in New York City for a family vacation there. Our main purpose for choosing this city on this particular weekend was to hit up the U.S. Open, take in a game at the new Yankee Stadium, and attend a Broadway show - The Jersey Boys.

We all arrived via Jet Blue airline on Thursday, Sept 2. My brother Tony flew in from Orlando and my parents and brother Manny flew in from West Palm Beach. I arrived about two hours behind them, flying in from Jacksonville. I really enjoyed flying Jet Blue (this was my first time doing so). I loved the little televisions they have at every seat, with 36 different channels via DirectTV. I watched a lot of the US Open on the way up and back.

After arriving into JFK airport, I took a cab ride over to Manhattan to meet my parents and brothers at our midtown hotel, the Wingate Wyndham, located on 35th street, between 7th and 8th avenues. A perfect location, a block from Penn Station, about 7 blocks from Times Square, where they had been walking around before I arrived.

Once I got to the hotel, we then got on the subway and headed downtown. Our first stop was Battery Park, where we looked across the water to see the Statue of Liberty. We then walked over to the Skyscraper Museum. Admission was $5, but it really wasn’t worth it. We then walked another 5 blocks or so to Ground Zero. There’s been some progress there (much more than the last time I visited the site in September 2002). There were also some memorials, especially a few dedicated to the firefighters who lost their lives to save other’s lives. A sacred ground indeed.

From there, we walked a few blocks over to Wall Street, where we walked by the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall, the site of our nation’s first capitol and where our first President, George Washington, took his first oath of office. It’s the heart of our nation’s political and financial history.

Well, it was finally time for dinner. And let’s just say that was a challenge as we didn’t have a real plan in mind, but I was planning to meet up with a few friends in the East Village area after dinner, so we didn’t want to go back to midtown just yet. We eventually made our way to small cafe style restaurant called Jerry’s Cafe. It wasn’t bad. After dinner, they headed back to the hotel and I went and joined my friends for a few drinks at Pete’s Tavern, which is the oldest continuous restaurant and bar in the city (so they claim). They’ve been there since 1864 and I tried their Pete’s 1864 Ale. Not bad either. It was a nice warm evening.

A few of my friends and I stayed out a bit later and hit up a few more establishments a block away from Pete’s. One was the Black Bear Lodge (I no longer felt like I was in NYC - it was a small bar that looked like a ski lodge on the inside - “are we in Montana?,” I thought.) Then we went down the street to another bar that has a live cover band. From there, we took a cab closer to midtown to a southern-feeling establishment, Brother Jimmy’s. It was a lot of fun. Luckily my friend James was able to give me a ride back to my hotel. It was nearly 2am! Where did the time go?

The next morning, we were hoping and praying that it would not rain. Hurricane Earl was skirting the east coast and the day before the weather report said there was a 90% chance of rain. But for how long? Luckily - not long!

We spent all day at the US Open over in Flushing Meadows. We started the day watching Tommy Robredo out on Court 11. Then, we watched 18-year old American Ryan Harrison. He had beaten the #15 seed Ljubic. In this match he took on Stakhovskey. It was a 4 hour plus match out on the Grandstand, with one 30-minute rain delay. It was the match of the day. Not a seat left in the Grandstand (the third biggest court). Harrison lost the match 8-6 in the 5th set tiebreaker, after being up 6-3 in the breaker with 3 match points. It was disappointing for the fans, but hey, this kid is 18 years old! Not a bad showing, after having to qualify for the U.S. Open. I think he’ll be back.

Later, we watched John Isner close out his second round match and my parents and brothers circulated the grounds to see a few other matches. I missed seeing Andy Murray’s match (he was off the court fast). Luckily his match wasn’t enough for him - as just 15 minutes after he was done, I caught him practicing out on the practice courts. Pretty neat to see him in action out there, so close up. We had a great day at the US Open.

We headed back to our hotel in Manhattan and then headed down to Times Square, where we ate dinner at the Hard Rock. A great meal and high quality family time. We all walked back to the hotel and then my brother Tony and I headed out and found a good comedy club at the Times Square Art Center, where about 8 comedians performed for about two hours total. In total we spent $40 - that included admission and two drinks, but all our tax and tip. Not a bad night out.

On Saturday, we all headed to the Bronx to take in a game at the new $1.2 billion Yankee Stadium. We witnessed the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 to extend their winning streak to 8 games - highest of the season. And they ended up losing their game on Sunday, so we saw the final game of their longest win streak of the season. In the stadium, we took in some great food (NY pizza for me!), saw a Yankees museum, and just were in awe over all the amenities this stadium had to offer, including a giant high definition tv screen in the outfield.

After the game, we went back into Manhattan via the subway (same way we got to the Bronx). We then ate dinner at a good Italian restaurant in a more residential area a few blocks away. Then later, Tony and I went back down to the East Village/Union Square area and hit up a few bars. But we didn’t stay out terribly late - just enough to get a bit more of a feel of the town.

On Sunday morning, I went to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with my mom and two brothers. It was a beautiful mass - and as large as that place is - it was PACKED with fellow Catholics. After mass we toured the cathedral, walked around Rockefeller Center, visited the NBC Store (where I marveled at merchandise from shows like Seinfeld and The Office). We then walked by Radio City Music Hall, the NYC hq of Fox News, and strolled right into a Brazilian festival and flea market that took up many city blocks, where they had the street closed. After grabbing some lunch and heading back to the hotel, we then rested up and headed out the door again.

We were on our way to the historic August Wilson Theatre, where we caught a 3pm viewing of the play “Jersey Boys.” This was my first ever show on Broadway - and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! After the show, we grabbed dinner across the street at Victor’s Cafe, a Cuban restaurant that has been there for more than 47 years. After dinner, we walked about 17 blocks back to the hotel - but after that fantastic dinner, we needed the walk and we strolled back through Times Square and in and out of a number of shops and just took in the sites on a beautiful evening, which felt like fall as the temperatures dipped into the lower 60s.

After resting up for an hour or so at our hotel, my brothers and I headed out on the town. Thanks to some tips from some friends, we ended up at the Gin Mill, where the drinks were $3 from 8pm til close. Finally! A reasonable drink in NYC. We were in the Upper West Side, near 81st and Amsterdam and not terribly far from Columbia University, so definitely a mix of young professionals and college kids. We then ended up at Sutton Place, a rooftop bar on the Upper East Side and made it back to our hotel late - about 3am. We were just having too much fun. A great night on the town for three brothers - lots family bonding this weekend!

On Monday, after waking up (which felt like too early after that late night!) I gave my parents and brothers our last few hugs and headed out the door. My flight was a good 5 hours ahead of theirs - so I left the hotel about 11:30am and took the cab back to JFK for my 2:35pm flight. They headed out to see a final attraction or two in the city before they headed back to the airport as well. What a great weekend with the family in the Big Apple! We really had the ideal New York City experience - and we did so much, all in a matter of about 4 days. As Frank Sinatra sang, “I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.” We surely were!

My Message to the Tallahassee Tea Party

2010-08-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight I sent out a pre-primary vote message to the 919 members of the Tallahassee Tea Party Facebook group. Here's the text of that message.

Tallahassee Tea Party,

Tomorrow may be a historic day in Florida, and particularly in Tallahassee. There are many big primary races on both the Republican and Democrat tickets. There are also many non-partisan local races that will be DECIDED tomorrow - by this time tomorrow night we may know who our next Mayor, City and County Commissioners, and School Board members will be.

While many statewide races are simply primaries tomorrow, the local races will mostly be OVER tomorrow. So, if you haven't yet voted via early voting or absentee ballot, you must vote tomorrow at your local precinct.

Many people have asked me "Who is the tea party endorsing?" This question has been posed in races for Governor, US Senate, state representatives, mayors, etc. My answer has always been: "The tea party should not endorse candidates." This movement is BIGGER than that. It's the same reason the tea party movement should not be its own political party - why would we want to confine a movement to a party? The Goldwater Conservatives of the 1960s voted for a candidate, but they took over a party. They were bigger than one man. We must seek to be bigger than the candidates and parties that are offered to us and hold them accountable on a case by case basis.

Tomorrow, and in November, I believe the tea party movement will demonstrate its impact - and no single person or cluster of a few leaders at the head of a party (whether it be the GOP, the Dems or a local or statewide or national tea party coalition) should decide for individuals who they should support.

The entire point of the tea party movement is that we, as individuals, have taken it upon ourselves to be more ACTIVE...to be more ENGAGED...and to make our voices HEARD.

I have been so encouraged by many of you who first become more ACTIVE during the first round of tea parties in early 2009. In the past year and a half, you have also been more ENGAGED - at rallies, on the phone calling your representatives, and more recently out working for individual candidates that YOU personally believe in. We can't all agree on every candidate or race. There are many fine people running (and quite a number of not so fine running as well). But the pure fact that we are part of a movement that shares the founding principles of individual liberty and limited government and the ideas of personal responsibility, is a testament to how powerful this tea party movement has become.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you. Keep up the fight. I believe tomorrow is going to be a HUGE day in Tallahassee. And I think from tomorrow through November we will have plenty of good candidates to get behind as we seek to send Tallahassee and Washington a message...that we the people are more ACTIVE than ever, more ENGAGED on the issues, and that we will in fact be HEARD.

GO VOTE!

Florida's Beaches are Still Perfect

2010-08-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I spent a day at one of my favorite Florida getaways - St. George Island, which is situated on the Gulf of Mexico, just 90 minutes from the state capital of Tallahassee. SGI, as it’s known, always has a very secluded feel to it. It’s why the area is known as Florida’s “Forgotten Coast.”

SGI may not have quite as nice of beaches as Destin, Panama City, or Pensacola, all within a few hours to its west; it may not have the high rise condos and many hotel chains; but it is a beach as untouched as most in Florida. In fact, that’s why I like it. It is a small beach town, with only a couple of locally owned hotels (no high rises). Most of the time if you stay a night, a weekend, or a week, you do so by renting out a beach house. It’s a true island getaway.

As my friends and I got into the water, there was no sign of oil anywhere. This is the oil-drenched Gulf of Mexico we had been hearing about? The only thing we had to fight this day was some possible rip tides, but we kept it safe, allowing ourselves to enjoy the large waves created by Tropical Depression Bonnie (which had passed through the Gulf of Mexico hundreds of miles to the south earlier that day). If we had a surfboard, this day would have been ideal - but so far that isn't a sport I've taken up yet.

We then went and enjoyed some great music at Harry A’s, played by our friend Sam Thacker and his band. To keep things humorous, Sam kept introducing his band with a different name in between every song. “We’re Sam Thacker ... and the brown oysters,” he said one time. Next time it was “...and the dirty pelicans.” Finally, “...the dead manatees.” He meant no harm. And surely this isn’t something to joke about. But as we sat in a bar and grille that continues to serve great seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, as we sat on the beaches and refreshed ourselves in the warm Florida waters, we never saw one ounce of what the mainstream media told us about. Instead it felt like normal times on St. George Island - except for the businesses that are hurt by false, or at least over exaggerated reports.

All I could think of is how this might be affecting the small business along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Florida boasts more than 1200 miles of coastline - and 700 miles of that includes sandy beaches. A few miles near Pensacola have been touched with tar balls, but not much else. In fact, at last check, all of these coastlines and beaches remain open for business. Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Bronson declared this past week that “98% of all seafood in the entire Gulf of Mexico is unaffected and safe to eat.”

One of my favorite past times, especially during the summer, is to get out to the beach and in my opinion, Florida boasts some of the best, most diverse, and most unique beaches around. For my friends outside of Florida, I’m happy to make some recommendations: Amelia Island, Miami Beach, Fort Myers, St. George Island, Destin, and Pensacola Beach are some of my favorites. And I’ve heard so much about Siesta Key (near Sarasota) from others that it may be next on my list to check out. Either way, get to some of Florida’s beaches soon. You’ll understand why it is so many millions of people visit here - and why it is so many others choose to make this state home.

A Day for Charity

2010-06-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I spent the day at two separate charity events in Tallahassee. The first involved playing in a charity tennis tournament that benefits Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida. Each year, this charity, among its many programs, has a Christmas Connection drive, where it provides gifts and services to those in need. The tennis tournament that was held Saturday at Forest Meadows tennis center in Tallahassee raises money for the Christmas Connection drive. It was a round robin style tennis tournament.

I played in the 8.5 men's doubles draw with my friend and JMI member John Brooks and I played in the 8.5 mixed doubles draw with my colleague Laura Ward. I also participated in a serving target contest. All the funds from the tournament registration fees and associated contests go towards the charity. There was a very good turnout and the day started with a blessing by Father Will Ganci, who also played in one of the men's doubles brackets.

It was a scorching hot day, and after playing men's doubles in the morning and mixed doubles in the afternoon, I had to spend a few hours at home rehydrating and relaxing, before I was to take to the dance floor for another charity event Saturday night.

I attended the 6th annual Party4Purpose 80's prom in Tallahassee. Each year, this event is held to raise money for one of many competing charities. The 80s themed event was held at three downtown establishments: Paradigm, Clyde's and Andrews. There were live bands playing cover songs from the 80s, a video screen showing music videos and other clips from 80s movies, as well as DJ's spinning 80s music. And the best part: attendees dress up in costumes as if we were living in the 80s. It was a lot of fun. The cover charge of $10 and part of the drinks consumed go to charity. When attendees enter, they are shown a board of the 7 "competing" charities and they cast a vote for one of them. The one who wins gets all the money that was raised at the event - a winner take all.

This year, the seven local competing charities included: (1) Big Bend Hospice, (2) Big Brothers & Big Sisters of the Big Bend, (3) Capital City Youth Services, (4) Guardian ad Litem, (5) Magnolia School, (6) Ovarian Cancer Alliance of North Florida, and (7) Special Olympics of Leon County.

I personally got a lot out of these two events. They were fun ways to learn about the charitable causes going on right here in Tallahassee. I applaud these two organizations for bringing awareness to these causes by hosting meaningful events to raise money for these great charitable organizations. The organizers of these events put a lot of time and effort into making sure every detail was covered - and the time they devoted to pulling off such successful events is much more than any of us could possibly give. They also showed that when people come together as a community for causes worth supporting, private charity often fulfills the greatest needs in our communities - and they are causes worth supporting with our time, talents, and treasures. For centuries, American civil society has been built through voluntary associations that these charities represent. The tennis tournament and the 80s prom are unique ways in which members of our own community here in Tallahassee came together voluntarily to be a part of this American tradition.

My weekend in Hotlanta!

2010-06-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I took a trip to Atlanta. Although I always like to call it Hotlanta! One, it's usually hot there this time of year. But two, it's a city that's getting more vibrant each time I go. It's literally HUGE. Over the course of more than 2 days I found myself all over the city. What's odd is that all of a sudden I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in Atlanta. Maybe it's the connections of living in the Florida panhandle the past two plus years combined with the travels I did for ISI and working in the conservative movement.

I got up there on Friday night and my first stop was to get some chili burgers at the famous Atlanta joint, The Varsity. It's very conveniently located right off I-75 in the heart of Atlanta. The food there is absolutely gross, but delicious. And well, I had to have it. I'm in Atlanta.

From there I stopped in to see Matt Kabus play some live music at his mother's art show, which was part of a larger art show taking place in the historic Castleberry Hill neighborhood in southwest Atlanta. I first met Matt on The Rock Boat. He played a few acoustic sets on there, but I would have never known. He was one of the many people I met and hung out with on the Promenade deck, listening to other musicians play late into the night. We've kept in touch and before this trip I've only listened to his recorded music via my iPod. This was the first time I got to here a few tunes live and he is a very talented musician, who is still working on finishing college. Meanwhile, as I walked around the art gallery, I couldn't tell who was more talented, Matt or his mother, Lisa Kabus. The art work was incredible. I guess creativity runs in the family.

Well I didn't know anyone there but Matt, and he was kind of busy playing music. Plus I needed to get over to RiRa Irish Pub in midtown Atlanta to see my friends Sam Thacker, Michael Westbrook, and Mike Reddick. They played a couple sets of cover songs. My friend Dom, who just moved to Atlanta from Tallahassee six months ago, also met up with me there and we got the chance to catch up. It's too bad we didn't get a chance to play tennis. Dom is a teaching tennis pro in Atlanta - and he's also a drummer. More on that later.

I stayed to the end of the night at RiRa and then crashed at Sam's place. The next morning watched the first World Cup game with him and his girlfriend Melissa. Then, I was off to go pick up my friend Ezra, who was flying into the Atlanta airport from Miami for a dinner we both were in town to attend that night at Capital City Grille in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. After picking him up we went back to our friend Stan's place, who put us up that night in his house. But he was also hosting a big afternoon party to watch the USA-England game. About 30 people came over and we all just had a blast. I've never seen such a large and boisterous gathering of Americans at a house party for SOCCER! Will World Cup fever finally get Americans into soccer? Or will it forever remain America's future sport? ha

After the game and the party, Stan, his girlfriend, Ezra, and I went to the Capital City Grille to meet up with a few other folks that are part of this emerging social network of young conservatives. I'd tell you more, but... it's kind of a conspiracy. Ok not really, but just an exchange of intellectual ideas with top conservative young adults from around the country who are beginning to make their way in the world. After a dinner in a private dining room with an amazing view from the 8th floor (a dinner which lasted more than 3 hours!) we all walked down the street to East Andrews where my friend Sam was playing a solo set.

While there, we snuck off to a back room where there is a secret bar (seriously, I'm not making this up) called Prohibition. You have to know someone to get in because you walk in through an old style telephone booth. You have to dial the right number on the phone (and apparently the number changes every night or every week or something). We went in there. It was a very nice traditional looking bar that was more like a cigar bar. After a drink and some good conversation, I had to dip out. It was hot and smoky and I can only take that so long. Plus, had to go hear Sam play a few more songs before we dipped out.

Another odd thing - since we all had a few drinks... my friend Stan didn't want anyone to drive home, a mere 10 minutes away. They have this neat service in Atlanta called Zingo. You pay a driver to drive you home. He puts a very small scooter (which disassembles) in the back of the trunk (in this case, the back of Stan's SUV). Once we got home, the driver then rides his scooter back. I think the service cost about $20 (plus tip) for the distance we traveled. Better than taking a cab because you don't have to find a ride back to the bar in the morning to get your car. And you don't need to get a DUI.

Well the next morning, watched a little more World Cup with Stan and Ezra. Then I headed out to meet my cousin Joey for lunch. He is a student at Georgia Tech, getting a second bachelor's degree there. I picked him up there and we ate at a local pizza joint next to campus. It was great to see him and catch up. He's studying away in a mechanical engineering program.

After lunch, I headed east across town barely leaving the city limits to go to an art show/music festival at the Alcove art gallery in Decatur where my friend Dom's band, The Son Red, was playing that afternoon. Boy it was hot! As I waited for Dom's band to get on, I walked around to the many booths where people were selling all sorts of neat art. I happened to be wearing my "Enjoy Capitalism" t-shirt and I had so many people make positive comments about it. One of the vendors even had a 10 minute conversation with me about the future of capitalism and the prospects of drilling after the DeepWater Horizon oil leak. Was I back at my think tank? I was wondering why - at an art show - where most of these folks would appear to be pretty politically liberal - why I would get so many positive comments. Then I thought: of course! They are all participating in the free market at this very moment, selling goods to turn a profit. They are all entrepreneurs! Of course they loved my shirt.

After listening to Dom's band (which was very good - kind of a grunge feel to them) I headed out and swung up to the north side of Atlanta, near Johns Creek, GA in Gwinnett County to see my friends Esther and Seth Weathers. They just got married back in November. I first met Esther at least 4 years ago when I worked for ISI. I met Seth about 2 years ago. I was introduced to him via another mutual friend, and what do you know, he married Esther. Small world. Small conservative world. Through their companies, Weathers Corporation and Wildfire, they build websites and social networking experiences for companies and for political candidates in Atlanta and are tied into the political conservative world of this vibrant and growing metropolis. My visit to see them was short, but at least I got it in.

I eventually had to head out and put a close on a fun weekend. Leaving Atlanta about 6:30 PM, I ventured back south and got back home to Tallahassee about 11:00 PM, only stopping once to get some quick fast food. It was a whirlwind of a weekend. But I got to see so many amazing friends and even made some new ones. It was really neat to spend time in so many different and unique parts of this city - from the southwest historic district, to the heart of midtown, the Georgia Tech campus, to Buckhead, Decatur, and the growing areas of Gwinnett County to the north. A lot of cool things are going to come out of this city - and who knows, they might all come from my eclectic group of friends there. Musically, politically, academically, and socially - Atlanta is a place worth watching - and visiting again, for sure.

I DON'T BLAME OBAMA

2010-06-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past 6 weeks, since the Deep Water Horizon oil leak, many have been pointing fingers at those they deem responsible. BP? Transocean? Halliburton? They were the companies involved in this freak accident. But as the oil keeps gushing from the sea floor without any success of plugging the leak, many have been looking to President Obama and the federal government to take action and use the power of the federal government to stop the oil leak and prevent oil from reaching the shores of Gulf Coast states like Louisiana, Mississippi, and my beloved home state of Florida.

Some are even saying this is "Obama's Katrina." And that's where I say, let's hold our horses. Just as I do not believe George W. Bush and the federal government were to blame for a hurricane hitting the city of New Orleans and causing damage in other states like Mississippi, I also don't think Obama or the federal government are to blame for an explosion on an oil rig miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, which has caused a leak 5,000 feet down on the sea floor.

First and foremost, the responsibility rests with the companies operating the rig. Yes, in this case, this conservative will first blame private companies over the federal government. Some will then say, well the government should have had more regulations in place. Really? Is that what we need? More government regulation?

Private companies have the incentive to regulate themselves and create industry standards. And they are motivated mostly by profit. Let's change the subject for a moment to the airline industry. Airlines are also motivated by profit. They know that no matter how successful they are, one plane crash could put them out of business. Consider the airline industry's record: There are relatively very few commercial plane accidents. They are so rare that when one happens, it's usually in the news for months.

Ok, back to drilling for oil...with that same concept applied. Oil companies are motivated by profit. They know that one accident may not only put them out of business, but could also disrupt the entire oil industry from being allowed to drill further. In the past six weeks, BP has already dished out tens of millions of dollars, are losing hundreds of millions of dollars daily since the spill, and are being seriously damaged in the public relations battle. There's a good chance the many lawsuits already piling up against them will force them to go completely out of business because of this one accident. Even if they do survive as a company, the regulations that will hit them and the entire oil drilling industry will be a severe punishment to their future profits.

With all this in mind, it is plain as daylight to see why the oil drilling industry has an almost perfect record when it comes to safety and almost nonexistent accidents. They have a profit incentive not to spill any oil. The last time something this big happened near the United States was with the Exxon Valdez oil spill in the 1980s. That's more than 20 years ago. Private companies have a profit motive to regulate themselves. And despite this once in a generation accident, that incentive has proven to work pretty well.

So back to Obama and the federal government. Are they to blame? No.

Some will say, "This proves Obama is incompetent." Perhaps this is true. But maybe those who were so quick to judge Bush will rethink this. Why do those in government always look so incompetent? It's not because they are (ok, maybe some are). It's mostly just the nature of how government works. It has no profit incentive. The only incentive elected officials have are to make things look good (whether they are or not) in the public relations battle so they aren't damaged from the events that happen to occur on their watch, in order that they might still be electable in the future. But most people in government aren't elected officials - most are appointed or hired bureaucrats. Their incentives are much less than elected officials - and much, much less than private companies.

The lesson learned here: let the free-market work. Don't blame those in government for things they don't (and shouldn't) control. And don't overreact by giving them more power to regulate the things they should be far, far away from.

The government's role in this case is simply one of being the mediator of the litigations that will follow between the private parties who caused the damage and who were victims of the damage. If those parties involve individuals, communities, towns, or entire states, then we'll see this all played out in the courtroom - and ultimately the private companies who bear the responsibility for this damage will pay and other private entities involved in this industry will take note and impose stricter safety standards on themselves. It would be good for business.

State Sovereignty is Wrong

2010-05-03T20:03:00.001-07:00

Throughout the tea party movement, and among many conservatives and libertarians lately, there have been cries for "state sovereignty." Much of this has to do with a reaction to the overreach of the federal government, which has gone on since the Progressive Era in the early twentieth century and accelerated with the New Deal and the Great Society programs.

The latest infringements of federal power on the states has come in the form of federal bailouts for failed corporations and federal mandates for states and individuals in the realm of health care. But is a cry for "state sovereignty" the answer? According to the U.S. Constitution... absolutely not.

But what about the Tenth Amendment? Let's revisit the words in that amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Now, don't get me wrong. I agree with just about everyone who agrees with what the Tenth Amendment actually says. But let's get things straight. There is a role for both the states and the federal government. The states are not sovereign.

In addition to the use of the term "state sovereignty," some use the term "state's rights." For many others, the use of the term "state's rights" conjures up images of slavery and the Confederacy. Well, both sides of that debate are wrong. It is true that state's have a role to play, but rights? Does the federal government have "rights"? Absolutely not - they have powers delegated to it by the consent of the governed (i.e. "We the People"). In this same sense, states also do not have rights, they merely have powers delegated to them. "Rights" and "powers" are two very different things.

So, what about "we the people"? Do we, as individuals, have rights? Yes. In fact, we're the only ones that do. Our founders also laid out these rights in a very controversial (especially for their time) Bill of Rights. Some at the time, who believed the people already had these natural rights, as granted by their Creator, did not think they needed to be spelled out in the Constitution or in any amendments to that Constitution, for they were a given. But, as a compromise with those that did want them spelled out, they went ahead and wrote these rights into words in order that the Constitution be ratified. Fair enough, but that's where our confusion set in; because for some people today, a written Bill of Rights makes them believe that government is the grantor of "rights." Absolutely not. The people have the rights, as the Declaration of Independence stated, they are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." The people thus have the liberties to govern themselves, with the only exception being the "powers" they consented to have delegated to the various levels of government (local, state, and federal).

For those in our movement that want to reign in the overreaching powers of the federal government, we need to stop using the terms "state's rights" or "state sovereignty." Government (federal, state, or local) does not have "rights." Government only has "powers," and only those powers delegated by we the people.

And individual states are not sovereign. The last time they were sovereign was before the Constitution was ratified in 1789, and arguably before the Articles of Confederation were put into place during the War for Independence in 1781. The states joined together in a loose confederation then and later, under the Constitution, into a federal republic, in which some powers were delegated to the federal government, while others were retained by the states and by the people.

That said it is imperative, for the sake of our Union, that the Tenth Amendment movement should go forward. The federal government has certainly usurped more powers than the U.S. Constitution has granted it. States need to check the federal government's power and use the Constitution to do so. But we must abandon this language of "state sovereignty" and "state's rights" fast, before we lose the ultimate battle. Rather, we need to educate more people on the principle of federalism, which provides a role for states and a role for the federal government. It is part of the ultimate checks and balances, just as (if not more important) than the separation of powers in the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial).

We must get a grip back on the language of the role of the various levels and branches of government. That language is right inside the Tenth Amendment itself. We must speak of the various "powers delegated" and must educate more people on which of those powers are for the federal government and which are left to the states and the people.

Sometimes It's Tough Being Right

2010-04-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, I co-authored a book with my friends Brendan Steinhauser and Steve Bierfeldt. The book, Who is the REAL Barack Obama? For the rising generation, by the rising generation, was a warning to all voters, but especially young people to not get caught up in the hype presented by the candidacy of Barack Obama.

In the book, we demonstrated, through facts (supported by nearly 200 footnotes) that Obama would be the most radically left President we've ever had. Obama claimed he would be a "transpartisan" president, meaning he would transcend partisan politics. As President, he has done nothing more than chart a course as far to the Left as possible. In response, a populist movement known as the tea parties emerged and President Obama has not only not reached out to this popular (and growing) movement of Americans, but has publicly ridiculed them. Do you call this transcending partisan politics?

As a candidate, Obama claimed he would bring "change" to Washington, but again, as we correctly pointed out in our book, he would concentrate more power in Washington and exacerbate our problems further. I could go on and on and an entire new book could be written here.

Today, I hate to say it, but I was right again. More than 14 months ago, I wrote a blog post, "Oust Charlie Crist," issuing "a clarion call to all conservatives inside and outside of Florida: let's oust Crist from the Republican Party." I cited several examples where Crist's policies had been going to the Left, embracing statist policies even before he "embraced" Obama in Fort Myers that same month. His government property insurance scheme (a real "public option"), his state version of a "cap and trade" program with government mandates on energy and holding summits about "global warming." Since then he has committed some real sins against the Right, with his active support of the stimulus which puts our nation further into debt and then his veto against his own party on the bold education reforms passed by the Republican-led Florida Legislature.

Today was no surprise for me. The winds have shifted and Charlie Crist goes wherever the winds move. Unfortunately for him the winds have shifted so much against him he now has nowhere to turn, but only to a lonely desperate road of political isolationism. The party establishment he has called himself a part of for 24 years he now refers to as "a club." When the club embraced him, Charlie was happy to be a part of it. Now that his corrupt cronies (Jim Greer and company) have been found caught red-handed with out of control spending on the GOP donor's dime, he no longer can use the power of the party for his own personal political ambitions. Thus, he realizes he cannot win as a Republican. Down by double-digits in the polls (in some polls more than 30 points) to Republican Marco Rubio, he now abandons the primary race to go straight to November. Desperation has set in and Charlie isn't about to put the interests of his party in front of his own interests.

Many Republican establishment types in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. stayed with Charlie for way too long. For some, almost to the bitter end. With Rubio seen as a rising star and out to a massive lead over both Crist and Meek, these political insiders are anxious to throw jokes at Crist and jump on board the Rubio express. I'm happy to welcome them, but I now see through their own political posturing. It isn't much different than Charlie's. He's simply the one in the spotlight.

Conservatives stand for the timeless principles that our founders placed in the Constitution: limited government, separation of powers, federalism, and the rule of law. They are not difficult principles to stand for if you indeed really stand for them. Barack Obama looks at these founding principles with contempt. Charlie Crist doesn't look at them at all. Barack Obama knows what he wants to do with his power. Charlie Crist simply wants power, like a schoolboy who wants to be Class President. Both are hungry for power at the expense of hardworking Americans simply wanting government to get out of the way so they can live their lives and pursue their dreams. It's no wonder these two embraced each other in Fort Myers, FL in February 2009. They have so much in common with each other and very little in common with average Americans.

So today, it's tough being right. I would have preferred to be wrong about these two men. I would have embraced them had they proven me wrong. But it's hard to escape the truth that facts employ.

So tonight I remind America that I have proved right about these two men in my own careful analysis. I am not simply a "Republican" looking to win. If that was the case, I would not have abandoned Charlie Crist 14 months ago. I would have been riding his wave when he was riding high. I look to principles and purpose. These two men don't have it and it wasn't that hard to tell. Instead of following them, we need to seek to place serious, hard working, thoughtful, principled men and women in office who care about upholding not their personalities, but the Constitution.

Stay tuned America. I'll be offering more analysis and predictions in the future. You just might want to tune in. Foresight is a bitch. It's also a burden.

2009: My Year in Review - Forever Young

2009-12-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

Where did this year go?

In 2009, I began the year with my January 13th birthday. Turning 31, I declared at my birthday party that "31 is the new 21." By year's end, that little joke would turn out to ring true. I got more competitive on the tennis court, I partied with musicians and attended many more musical performances than I had in years, and in Tallahassee, I helped organize thousands of people to come together to take on the forces of big government in a series of "tea parties." So here's a little run through some of the more memorable moments of my year:

In January and February, I saw my Terps and Canes basketball teams come to town. One advantage living in Seminole country is that my ACC teams play here often. Unfortunately, I saw them both lose to a pretty good FSU basketball team. The year was redeemed for me on Labor Day night with a classic Miami win over FSU, decided on a last second play. It was one of the best football games I've ever been to, with a constant back and forth in the score and with my Canes prevailing. Perhaps the neatest thing was seeing more than 20,000 Miami Hurricane fans don the orange and green in Tallahassee and attended a pre-game UM celebration.

In February, I took a trip to Washington, D.C. to see a lot of friends and timed my trip perfectly with the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. This was my fifth time attending CPAC in the past 6 years. During that week, I also attended the first round of tea parties of 2009 and the first tea party (we know of) that took place outside the White House on February 27. About 300 patriots came together that day and my friends Brendan Steinhauser, John O'Hara, and J.P. Freire were the primary organizers. I stayed with Brendan while I was in D.C. and got snowed in for two days. During that time, I plotted and planned with him and was determined to bring the "tea party" movement to Tallahassee. While "snowed-in in DC," I also gave a short lecture at the Heritage Foundation during a special "Conservatism on Tap" event.

Upon my return to Tallahassee, I had two goals: have a tea party on St. Patrick's Day (March 17) and try to get 300 people there. Then, use that as a jumping point for a Tax Day Tea Party (April 15) and get 1,000 people there. The first goal was nearly accomplished, with about 225 people attending and plenty of media attention. But that generated the momentum for April 15. Somehow, someway, we organized well and on April 15, more than 2,000 people showed up to the grounds of Florid'as Historic State Capitol. I was the primary organizer of the event and I also served as the event's emcee, which was really cool. To look out and see that many people - to rally that many people - for the cause of liberty, was an incredible feeling.

More than 1,000 such tea parties were held simultaneously across the nation that day. We helped create a movement - and are now part of the biggest push back against big government perhaps since our nation's founding and the first tea party of 1773.

The tea parties were a reaction to the gigantic growth in government over the past two years, between the "Bush-Obama" bailouts, and now they continue to be a force to fight against the continued government intervention in the economy - whether that be in the area of health care, energy policy, or other regulatory and reckless spending. We cannot push our country any further into debt than it already is. I believe we've reached a breaking point, and the tea party movement has come about to say "enough is enough." Throughout 2009, the Tallahassee Tea Party persisted and has become a large part of the tea party movement.

I did some other traveling this year - mostly related to my job as Director of Development at The James Madison Institute as well as opportunities to come together with others in the conservative movement. (It's hard to believe I'm now wrapping up my full second year with the Institute!)

In late March, I drove over to New Orleans for annual national meeting of The Philadelphia Society, an intellectually conservative group of which I am proud to be a member for the past few years. At that meeting, scholars discussed the future of conservatism and how to bring conservative principles into the 21st century.

In September, I drove to Charleston, SC - my first time there - for a Development Director's retreat hosted by the State Policy Network. I got together with my colleagues in the state-based free-market movement and discussed how to raise more money and grow our organizations' capacities. In November, I traveled with 4 of my colleagues to Asheville, NC and attended the annual meeting of the State Policy Network. More than 600 people attended this year, representing every state think tank in the country. This meeting is always really neat because there is someone from every state in the Union represented. We share best practices and learn from one another about what is working (and what isn't) for free-marketers in the various states.

In August, I traveled to Maryland for a special retreat for about 50 young professional conservatives across the country. I then visited my friends and former colleagues at my old job at ISI in Delaware and then hung out in D.C. for a few days, getting the opportunity to watch some high quality professional tennis at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic - we saw 7 of the top 20 players on the same day, including Fernando Gonzalez, Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling, Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo, and Lleyton Hewitt, among others.

In the past few years, I have been playing more tennis than I have since I was a junior player. This year, I really stepped it up more by playing more and I competed once again in the USTA's 4.5 league here in Tallahassee. This year, our regionals was held in Tallahassee and I had to play 4 singles matches in 3 days - I won 3 of them - all tough matches. Down two players, our team tied for first with the Jacksonville team, yet it wasn't enough. When they went to the "tiebreaker" we lost one more set than Jacksonville, and weren't able to advance. However, I really proved to myself that I could play 4 tennis matches in the same 3 days and play at a high quality level - in July! I was even filmed for a spot on the local Tallahassee news, which showed some of my points.

As I write this, I have just went out and visited my old training ground at Bill Clark's tennis academy in Cooper City, FL. I was out there this week - at the age of 31 - training with some top college and junior tennis players and hanging in there. (And hey, they don't have full time jobs)

My year was also defined by music. I attended the Rock By The Sea charitable music festival on St. George Island. I had never been to SGI before, but this year I made it there 4 times. My first time was for the festival at the end of March. Beautiful weather, great music, good times. I was introduced to some great bands: Sam Thacker and Wideawake becoming some of my friends - and Sam Thacker (and his crew including Michael Westbrook) becoming good friends in the process. I hung out with Sam and his crew 4 different weekends on SGI this year, rocking out at Harry A's, getting in some good beach time, and sleeping it off at the unique beach houses on SGI. One of those weekends was for Rock By The Sea "Lite" in the fall, which benefits Sister Hazel's "Lyrics for Life" charity.

Speaking of Sister Hazel, I got to meet them too. Sam opened up for them in November in Tallahassee. And, my brother Manny (who had just returned from Kentucky was on his way back south on his move back to South Florida) and I found ourselves at the bar with all them later, with Sister Hazel buying us drinks. Pretty cool. Just weeks before on Halloween, I dressed up as a "rock star" and saw Sam open for Corey Smith at Potbelly's in Tallahassee. Even got to hang out with Corey Smith after. Yea, I felt like a rock star all year long - from the tea parties, the tennis competitions, and hanging out with musicians. So I thought, why not just dress up the way I feel?

And how can you not feel like a rock star when you have 250 plus followers - on Twitter that is. I joined this new social networking device and it's become the new way I get almost all my news, at least initially. I first found out about the death of Michael Jackson and the hysterics of "Balloon Boy" on Twitter. Politically, I share lots of information on Twitter and get a lot of updates from the 75 or so people I follow - all via my mobile device. At the end of 2008 I had purchased the Blackberry Storm - my first blackberry ever - and it definitely has "altered" my life in new and interesting ways in 2009 - still not sure its always for the better. What happened to the phone call? It seems all we communicate over now is texts and tweets.

This past August, my paternal grandfather passed away. Due to traveling at the time of his passing (and the insanely fast turn around on his funeral arrangements) I wasn't able to get to his funeral. But a few weeks later I visited his grave in Miami with my grandmother, who survives him. She is the last grandparent I still have alive. His death, at the age of 89, reminded me of all the sacrifices he made for his family - bringing them from Cuba in 1960 and starting a new life in a country. It reinforces for me why I do what I do - promoting liberty and a free economy. He sacrificed so much for it - and thought more about the next generation of his own family.

Well as the year draws to a close, I am writing this blog from my parents home in Delray Beach, FL. I feel like I have spent so much more time in South Florida this year than I have in perhaps as many as 8 years. For six and half years (2001-2008) I lived outside Florida (in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania). Since moving to Tallahassee, I find myself all over the state and the ability to get back to South Florida for work and to visit my family is a bit easier (despite the 6 and a half hour drive each way). But this year, I spent almost a week here during Thanksgiving and now I'm down here for two weeks for Christmas and for some JMI events.

As we look towards 2010, we have a hopeful year ahead at JMI - we are contracting to buy a new building and have a downtown Tallahassee headquarters, we are putting up a new website (any day!) and we will be hiring new staff to help us do more on behalf of the principles we believe will help our state during these challenging times and in the future.

In 2010, we must win our country back. JMI does not get involved in the direct political process (candidates or lobbying, etc). But as for me, the number one man of the year I'll be supporting is Marco Rubio to represent the state of Florida in the U.S. Senate!

Next week at this time, I'll be boarding my first cruise ever - The Rock Boat! It's a 4-night Carnival cruise that will take us from Tampa to Cozumel. The added bonus: there are like 25 bands coming with us and there will be wall-to-wall concerts and fun all day and night. It's going to be nuts. 2009 ended with me feeling that 31 is the new 21 ... and we're bringing that rock star status right into the new year.

Let's see if 2010 can live up to all the hopeful expectations. But thanks 2009 - you wore me out at my ripe old age of 31, but you made me feel young again. Thanks for the memories!

Caught the Spirit of the Suwannee

2009-10-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Magnolia Music Festival, held at the "Spirit of the Suwannee" state music park. It couldn't have been a more heavenly day - clear blue skies, temperature in the mid 70s, dropping to the mid 60s at night. Like much of northern Florida, the park hosts many live oak trees with Spanish moss - and probably not coincidentally the park itself is actually situated in the city of Live Oak, FL.

There were more than 30 bands on hand on four different stages, with bluegrass as the predominant style of music, but not the only style of music. My favorite band, Scythian, is an Irish/Celtic band with a modern edge. Then there was Tornado Rider, whose lead singer plays an electric cello as if it were an electric guitar. He also likes to climb things. What a storm of songs he took us through! Almost all had to do with animals (songs about hyenas, falcons, and even dinosaurs!) And Donna the Buffalo topped things off late at night with some classic bluegrass grooves .

Throughout this great day of music, however, I couldn't help but notice some of the religious undertones to much of the music. And the crowd didn't necessarily appear to be your typical church-going folk.

I am a fan of Seth Walker's blues - this is now the third time I've seen him in northern Florida in the past two years (despite the fact he's from Austin, TX). Like many bluesmen, his lyrics and sound sometimes seem to morph into gospel at times. This is particularly the case in the song "Lay Down (River of Faith)" on his new "Leap of Faith" album. I found a video clip of him performing the song from another show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgLtn04g354&feature=related

The lyrics begin... "Lay down my soul....my soul....I got to lay down...and fly right through heaven's gate...through heaven's gate...I got to lay down."

He played his Saturday afternoon set on the Meadow stage, only a few hundred feet away from the legendary Suwannee River. The lyrics in his song continued, "I'm washing off my hands in the sanctifying water...I'm washing off my hands in the river of faith." As he evoked these words, I felt I needed to go take in a view of the Suwannee River after his set, as water is both purifying and magnificent, especially the great Suwannee River.

Seth's gospel-like blues continued in his lyrics, "Darkness came over me...it came over me...I got to lay down. The devil put tempt in me, put tempt in me...I got to lay it down...What's buried inside of me...inside of me...and I got to lay it all down. Worship a higher love...a higher love...and I got to lay all it down."

Lay it down we must.

Later in the evening just as the sun was setting,, Scythian took the Meadow stage. I have seen them more than a dozen times and know them well. Two of the musicians in the band, Dan and Alex Fedoryka are sons of Ukranian Catholics. There are always good strong messages in most of their songs - from songs of courage like "I Will Go" to adventurous songs such as the "Gypsy Fiddle." They have even made the accordion sexy again with the hip "technocorrdion" song. However, they chose to close with a new song, called "Santa Maria." And I found a video link to them playing this song earlier this month at the Catholic school that Dan graduated from, Franciscan University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPul0XIRxBw

The lyrics feature a fast, repetitive chorus, "Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Santa Maria... save our souls." It was fantastic and beautiful at the same time. The message of the song was to ask "Santa Maria" (St. Mary) for guidance in seeking salvation. And as my friend Heather said, Scythian is not just a great band, but they play with such "joy." Indeed. I've always described them as simply a "fun" band. It's impossible not to have fun at a Scythian show - and nearly impossible not to dance.

Speaking of dancing, we saw a lot of dancing among many of the "hippies" and other folks who come to the "Spirit of the Suwannee" music park. It seems they are trying to get away from the regular lives and embrace a "hippie culture" once again. Some were dancing by themselves, some with others. And some were performing dancing moves I've never seen before (and wouldn't mind not seeing again). But dancing is also an expression of a longing within one self, and is usually done with music invokes something deeper within, perhaps towards something greater above - as Seth Walker might say, toward a "higher love." It almost looked like a religious experience for one man who we saw dancing out in the middle of the crowd.

The songs, dancing, and heavenly setting at the beautiful "Spirit of the Suwanee" state park had much of us catching the spirit indeed.

I will be posting pictures and possibly more commentary in the coming days. But, be sure to join us at the park for Springfest. Mark your calendars now for March 26-28. I think we'll be going for more than one day then and take in the camping experience as well. Then we will see bonfires, sunrises, and breakfast come into play as well.

Music, Tennis, and the Unseriousness of Human Affairs

2009-05-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been incredible and has made me thankful for all the blessings God has continued to shower down on me. First, there is the gift of family and friends that I am always thankful for.

But, let me get a little "unserious" for a minute. And I say "unserious" because I am going to go from talking about God, His blessings, our gifts to... tennis and music. How serious is playing (or watching) tennis? Or playing or listening to music? Well, as a tennis player and a fan, and as one who is a fan of great music, the last two weeks have given me some further insight into how we each use our gifts and talents in creative ways.

We can't all be as great of tennis players as I witnessed at the 2009 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger. These guys were good. While I am sometimes playing tennis - in the heat of the competition - I often forget about all else that is going on in the world, even in my world. It just becomes about the competition of the sport, about perfecting your shots, about moving fast, and tracking down the shots your opponent is hitting back at you. When you hit a great forehand or a great serve, or a backhand you didn't know you had, you feel a sense of glory, as if all the practice and competition came together for that moment.

Then, you go watch some professional players at a tournament like the Tallahassee Challenger and you wonder what sport you thought you were playing. These guys are hitting some sick shots, and they are good. And, the field is LOADED with talent. There's not much of a difference between a guy ranked number 120 and a guy ranked in the 400s. A few points maybe. But they are out there working hard every day trying to get themselves better and trying to compete against the stacked competition. But what they give each of us fans back is a sense of INSPIRATION. I know I am never going to be THAT good (especially at this age), but watching their talent in action INSPIRES us to play on and dares us to dream that we can.

Speaking of a field loaded with talent - I spent the last two weekends listening to some great musicians perform on St. George Island. One weekend had a plethora of great, mostly young, bands at the Rock By The Sea (RBTS) charitable music festival. And this past weekend, one of those bands, the Sam Thacker band returned to perform two more times.

After watching four of their performances in 10 days, I kept thinking to myself, "why aren't these guys bigger yet? And why did I just find out about them?" I mean they're very talented. But then you come to realize there is so much talent out there in the music industry as well, and it's all going to be about what sells and what gets your attention. Like tennis players, they are competing in a field loaded with talent. And these days, its tougher than ever with all that "free" music out there.

But there is something more here - whether its Sam Thacker or some other musicians out there that I have yet to hear play, they are all offering their talents to the world and they are allowing us to partake in their creativity. What gives the artist his ability or his drive to "create"? What gives the tennis player the will to go on and perfect his game?

Well this makes me reflect back to Edmund Burke's phrase, "Art is man's nature." This first means that nature is where we see God's art, God's creation. Man was made in the image of God, and God was the first Creator. So all of us each have some drive inside of us to create something. We create and express ourselves through "art." It is the spark of the divine within us that gives us our ability and our drive to create.

And I would argue tennis, or any sport really, is an art in this sense. As Father Schall outlines in his book, On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs, we don't just create a sport, but we work to professionalize it, to perfect it. When you watch the NFL, it didn't start that way, so professionalized and nearly perfected. It started out with someone creating a weird looking ball, then throwing it around, the designing rules, uniforms, and then one day, it was professionalized.

When you look out on a beautiful beach like St. George Island, or up at the heavenly hosts that dot that landscape late at night, you see God's art - nature - staring back at you, aweing you. On a human level, we can be "awed" by each other's creation as well. Whether that is a song, a talented musician, a tennis player, or the spirit of competition, our drive to create goes on. And that drive to create and the creation itself are inspired by something greater. We all can't sing a song like Sam Thacker or hit a tennis ball like Jean-Yves Aubone, but we CAN be inspired by how they use their talents, how hard they work to perfect them, and then be inspired to join them and partake in creation.

After all, these are the "unserious" things that make us human and help us tap into something greater than ourselves. It is not in our work, in our economy, or in our politics that we find humanity. It is, as Father Schall says, in the "unseriousness" of human affairs.

Tallahassee Tea Party

2009-03-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've been busy helping organize the first Tallahassee Tea Party, in response to the federal bailouts. So, sorry I've been slacking on my personal blog. But check out the Tallahasee Tea Party blog.

We had more than 225 people at the first Tallahassee Tea Party on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. It was a blast.

Oust Charlie Crist

2009-02-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

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!"

Tim Tebow Believes

2009-01-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

No matter if you are a Florida Gator fan or not (and I'm not - although my brother did go to school there, so I did cheer for them to beat Oklahoma), you have to admire Tim Tebow. Some say, you just have to admire him because he's a "good guy." And I agree. But really, you just have to admire him all levels of what we've come to know about him.

If you watched the national championship game against Oklahoma, you saw something amazing. At some point during that game, Tim Tebow just decided he was going to win it. Yes, there may have been more than 100 other players on that field between the two top ranked teams in the nation, but there was one player on that field (some call him "Superman") that just took matters into his own hands. On some big third down plays in the second half, Tebow just took off for first downs. Anyone watching had to have the feeling that number 15 just "willed" his way towards first downs and touchdowns.

Stepping back from the high drama for a moment, we know it is a bit "easier" for Tebow, as this guy is a big dude. That strength allows him to do what he does best. While good genes helps, strength just doesn't land on a person. Rather, it takes hard work to get big, strong, and powerful. Physical and even mental preparation is a key ingredient in just about every sport or competition. But then, with Tebow there is more. He truly has the belief instilled in him that he is going to succeed.

Tebow gets this belief first and foremost from his Christian faith. He is not just one that reads the Bible and practices his faith in worship, but he also allows that faith to flow to other areas of his life - whether that is serving as a missionary in the Philippines, participating in prison fellowship programs, or serving the needy in his own community. He even uses his fame not to draw attention to himself, but to draw the attention towards a higher purpose.

On game days, Tebow often reminds his fans with a Bible passage written on his face paint: Philipians 4:13, which says, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Tim Tebow believes. He knows his ultimate strength - strength of spirit, mind, and character - comes to him from God. It is that firm faith that roots the heart and soul of this incredibly talented athlete who presses forward with the belief that we must all be grateful for the talents God has given us. Tim Tebow teaches us that when we put those talents to proper use, we can achieve great things - on and off the field.

In an era where many are cynical about the youth, particularly young men, Tim Tebow should give us all hope and perhaps lead us to the one God that gives us our true strength.

Real Change Requires Revolution - Website Launched!

2009-01-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Young Americans for Liberty just launched the Real Change Requires Revolution website.

Here's why:

On January 20, 2009... Campuses nationwide will declare that one day of Obama is enough. It's time for change.

America is suffering from unending war, growing debt, reckless monetary policies, and a depreciating economy. Our country desires a new direction and fresh ideas. Barack Obama brings a message of "hope" and "change" and understands the captivating power of words and appeal. His victory was historic, but it was not by chance. A well orchestrated plan executed by top marketers, Internet strategists, and campaign consultants put him in the White House. Americans demanded change, and he supplied an answer.

But, what is that answer? What is this so called change?

The mainstream media has extended its honeymoon with the new administration; even as scandals, bailouts, proposed federal works programs, a falling economy, and questionable cabinet appointments take place.

Many Americans say, "Give him a chance. He can fix our problems." But, why be fooled again?

Government is limited by the United States Constitution for a reason. Society is a responsibility of the people, not the government.

We already know the real Barack Obama. We know his cabinet appointments; we know his voting record; and we know his beliefs. He promises more foreign intervention, more socialism, more restrictions on our civil liberties, and a greater disregard for the Constitution. Rather than wait for another politician to disappoint the American people, let's stand up as patriots and say one day of Barack Obama is enough. It's time for real change.

Pro-Hamas Demonstration in Fort Lauderdale: The War is Here

2009-01-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Tom Trento recorded this video, which warns of the growing radical Islamic force in South Florida – the video is a recording of the pro-Hamas demonstrations in Ft. Lauderdale on December 30, 2008.

Don’t think this is happening only in the Middle East, Pakistan or in Paris or London and Holland. It is right here. The war has reached the homeland, including my hometown of Fort Lauderdale.

2008: My Year in Review

2008-12-31T10:12:00.000-08:00

What a year it has been.

First, in January I moved to Tallahassee, Florida. What on God’s green earth would possess a Miami Hurricane fan to move to the land of the Florida State Seminoles? Well, I guess it was for liberty and to be a part of shaping the future of our sunshine state.

I joined The James Madison Institute, Florida’s premier free-market think tank. So far, the first year as Director of Development for JMI has been great! I have enjoyed my time there, including getting to know my great colleagues, and learning all about public policy issues that affect our state. And, I have continued to learn about the challenges of trying to preserve liberty when government continues to just want to grow! More government = less individual freedom. At JMI we realize we have to continue to provide solutions in the free-market to allow Floridians to continue to enjoy an environment that promotes individual freedom and personal responsibility.

As if my job didn’t keep me busy enough, me and two friends decided to write a book, Who is the Real Barack Obama? For the rising generation; by the rising generaton. The book was written for an audience of young voters and warning everyone that Barack Obama isn’t going to bring any real “change.” But it was more than just about Obama, it also is about what our generation can do to preserve liberty and continue this great experiement in self-government.

Despite our book, Obama did do a nice job taking the “brand” of “change” and committing himself to that brand. His sales job to America and his ability to fundraise using new online technologies and social mobilization has to make us all impressed. The GOP nominating an aging John McCain didn’t really help them much. But I was still surprised to see America elect an avowed socialist with little experience, with close ties to a radical preacher, a domestic terrorist, and other dubious associations. However, I’m not surprised by the associations that are continuing to haunt Obama (Blagojevich anyone?) and the fact that he isn’t bringing any real “change” to Washington – just more of the same – Washington D.C. insiders, mostly connected to the Clinton administration.

For a conservative like myself, this is actually welcome news. Obama isn’t taking the country as far to the Left as he has been throughout his entire lifetime (as we demonstrated clearly in the book). But, I still worry that he will creep us slowly to the Left without us realizing it. Obama is a smart politician, after all. He knows we live in a center-right country and America didn’t elect him because he is a socialist. They elected him because he promised not to be another George W. Bush.

After an embarassing election year, I worry most about the future of respectable journalism in this country.

Unfortunately, the Bush legacy and the Obama legacy may be one in the same – on foreign and economic issues, that is. As our economy waned, the so-called believer in free-markets, George W. Bush told America that the government needed to “bailout” Wall Street. This wouldn’t be the cure-all for the economy, but would help it, he said. Obama agreed. So did John McCain. Do we have any real leaders any more?

Some are now referring to this period as the “Bush-Obama bailout,” which seems to continue each week as the government decides to continue forking out billions (now trillions) of dollars to all sorts of industry, at taxpayer expense. We continue to mount the debt that may cause our nation’s own internal destruction. I continue to recommend this piece by JMI scholar and FSU economics professor Randall Holcombe: Government's Actions Encouraged Wall Street's Risky Business (pdf).

Thankfully, Bush’s commitment to Iraq has proved a success. Unfortunately for John McCain, as our troops succeeded, the war became less of an issue. And McCain himself told us that the economy wasn’t his strong suit (gaffe!). Obama continued to lie to the American people about who he is and what he really believes, and the American electorate bought the smart liar over the honest idiot. Either way, this election season proved that we need better leadership in this country and a better way to educate the electorate, who didn’t seem to know much about the candidates and the issues, and much less so about the role of government as articulated in the U.S. Constitution.

Ok, so back to my year in review: I traveled around Florida meeting lots of JMI members and seeing good friends and family. This is such a great, big, beautiful state. I was everywhere, from Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa, Naples, Orlando, Gainesville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and of course Palm Beach.

I gave lectures about the Obama book at Arizona State, Florida State, the University of Georgia, and LSU. I even got to enjoy a good Georgia-Vanderbilt game in perhaps the best college town in America: Athens, GA. On average, 60 people attended each lecture, with about 80% or more of them being against Obama. The rest engaged me in some good civil dialogue on the issues. It was an enjoyable experience, as me and my co-authors appeared on various local and national radio programs and blogged incessantly on our book website trying to get the ideas out there.

I also traveled back to D.C. once this year, in April, for a conference and to visit some friends. I even ventured to Midland, Michigan for a conference at the Mackinac Center (the equivalent of The James Madison Institute in Michigan). While I lectured on the book and attended the State Policy Network’s conference in Scottsdale, AZ, I also spent some time with my good friend Teddy Sifert and his family, enjoying the heat of Arizona (even in September), shooting some guns in the mountainous forests of Arizona, and enjoying the great outdoors of the American frontier.

In Tallahassee, I made lots of great new friends, which I am grateful for… whether on the tennis court or in the church pews. I am part of a great young adult Catholic group in Tallahassee called the Frassati Society – we have some great adventures in the outdoors, including our recent hike in Florida's Torreya State Park, about an hour from Tallahassee.

Thanks to being back in the year-round warm weather of Florida, my tennis game has benefited from being able to play a couple times a week on a regular basis and finding good players all around town. I even ventured over to Pensacola for my local USTA tennis team’s regional playoff. 95 degree weather in July. Hot, humid, sticky, and sweaty. You gotta love it.

Perhaps the biggest thing for me in 2008 was that I bought a house! On September 15, I moved into a very nice, brand new 3-bed/3.5 bath townhome in the Southwood community of Tallahassee. It was a moment of accomplishment for me and it now gives me a sense of permanence after moving around from place to place. I even scored a good roommate and hope to score perhaps one more in 2009.

Finally, 2008 has ended with a bang as my Miami Dolphins shocked the nation, going from 1-15 last year to an 11-5 record this year, winning the AFC East division and making the playoffs. That was all I wanted for Christmas, and they delivered. On Sunday, I will be going to their first home playoff game at Dolphins Stadium in Miami. A great big thank you goes out to Brett Favre for returning to the NFL, specifically to the Jets, and allowing the Jets to dump Chad Pennington, who ended up being the savior for the Miami Dolphins.

God help the Dolphins, my tennis game, the new President-elect, and the nation in 2009. Most importantly, may the New Year bring YOU and yours many blessings.

I hope we get to enjoy some good memories in 2009.

-- Francisco

Have A Blessed Feast of Christ's Nativity

2008-12-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

This has been a busy year, a busy holiday season. It's been so busy, I haven't been able to find the time (or the energy) to go out, buy Christmas cards, and send them out to everyone. I keep thinking, I know I'm going to forget someone. As I was frantically thinking of this "chore" many of us try to do each Christmas season, it got me thinking of a few things:

1. The loss of permanence: It seems that each year, it gets harder and harder to actually mail Christmas cards to family and friends. Many of us are constantly moving (myself included!) With all the people I have been blessed to have in my life, I couldn't tell you where every single one of them is right now. Of course, many of us "take flight" to the skies (or the roads) often and so we are busy traveling around. But still many others of us do more than that kind of travel, we seem to constantly be moving - from job to job, city to city. Does anyone stay "rooted" anywhere anymore? Where are we going? What are we looking for?

2. Social networking helps? I guess it does. I have found the best ways to keep track of everyone in this "brave new world" is best done through email and social networking platforms like Facebook and MySpace. Shoot, I've even resorted to a blog (again!) to send out my impersonal Christmas card. Social networking via the world wide web seems to help us keep in touch, but it breeds an impersonal nature. Forgive me for contributing further to this decline. Are we more connected, but yet less connected? I look forward to having a good conversation with each one of you in the coming year. I can tell you every simple conversation I have these I appreciate. Every deep conversation are some of the most joyous moments of my life.

3. Staying busy with white noise: With the internet, crackberries (yes, I just caved in and got one), social networking sites, cell phones, i-Pods and all the things that are supposed to free up our time, keep us more connected, and keep us entertained, we seem to be more busy, more distracted, and less satisfied - as individuals. Are we doing less with more? Are we getting more done? Are we really entertained? If so, are we forgetting to stop, pause, think, and reflect? During some day trips I took this year, I went hiking with friends. It was good to just get away, to take in nature, and to just soak up the time spent away from the things that are meant to entertain us. And, getting outdoors with good friends in places away from distraction breeds good conversation, and elevates the soul.

What does this all mean at Christmas? So what does this all mean at Christmas? Let us pause for a moment and reflect on a signature Christmas song that can help us all with the loss of permanance, the impersonal nature of our brave new world, and the busyness and noisyness of life. The song I am thinking of is: "Silent Night." You may be busy at the moment, but please take a deep breath, pause and reflect (slowly if possible) on these lyrics:

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night

Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from

Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Take a look at those lyrics again. There is nothing more glorious than the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is what we celebrate this Christmas - that God entered humanity to save humanity. To the Austrian priest who first wrote these lines in 1816, it took a "silent night" to appreciate the awe of this moment.

In large cities, tall skyscrapers, noise, and the busyness of life seem to get in the way of God - and of appreciating the stillness of our souls. That is why when you are out in the rural countryside, where the sky opens up, the traffic disappears, and the stars ("heavenly hosts") brighten the sky, that is why they call it "God's country." It is no surprise then that this song alludes to "shepherds" who "quake at the sight" (the sight of God entering humanity). Shepherds don't typically roam the cities. They are out in "God's country."

Christmas seems to be the busiest of seasons in our life, but there are also moments this season that allow us to pause, reflect, and open up our souls to all that God has to offer. It is only in a "silent night" that we can begin to see "Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face" and have the opportunity to "Sleep in Heavenly Peace." (How often have we slept that well lately?)

May you and yours enjoy this Blessed Feast of Christ's Nativity. May you have a "silent night," a "holy night," and "sleep in heavenly peace."

St. Thomas Aquinas: No. 1 Football Team in America

2008-12-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

My alma mater, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, has earned the mythical national championship. All the polls are unanimous: the Raiders have secured the #1 national ranking after whooping Lakeland for back-t0-back Florida 5A State Championships.

Here's the full story: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-stthomas122208,0,2835269.story

Politically Correct Seasonal Greeting

2008-12-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

A politically correct seasonal greeting that I got as the result of a forward from a friend. I thought it was prertty funny (and sadly, not so funny to some).

For My Conservative Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

For My Liberal Friends: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Get these RINO's out of the Party

2008-12-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

The following so-called "Republicans" (RINO'S) supported Barack Hussein Obama Jr. for President. Please join me in excommunicating them from the Republican Party by reposting this list and/or sending it to all your Republican contacts!

Jeffrey Hart, National Review Senior Editor
Christopher Buckley, son of the founder of National Review.
Former Los Angeles Mayor, Richard Riordan.
Former Maryland Congressman, Wayne Gilchrest.
Former Bush Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
Former Bush Press Secretary, Scott McClellan.
Former Reagan White House Chief of Staff, Ken Duberstein.
Former Reagan Solicitor General, Charles Fried
Former Reagan White House Counsel, Douglas Kmiec.
Former Governor Massachusetts, William Weld.
Former Rhode Island Senator, Lincoln Chafee.
Former Governor Minnesota, Arne Carlson.
Former Governor and Senator Connecticut, Lowell Weicker.
Former Governor Virginia, Linwood Holton.
Former Governor Michigan, William Milliken.
Former South Dakota Senator, Larry Pressler.
Former Iowa Congressman, Jim Leach.V

* For the record, there are many other RINO's that actually did not support Obama and supported McCain that I would also like to excommunicate from the party. But, we'll save that for another day.

DISCLAIMER: Just because someone doesn't vote for a Republican doesn't mean you should "excommunicate" them from the party. But to actually vote FOR Barack Obama... well, that just defies logic, as Obama stands against just about every conservative principle.

Stupid Electorate?

2008-11-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

A recent Zogby poll shows that only 32% of voters knew that Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. Since 2006, Democrats have controlled both houses - and 68% of voters in 2008 had no idea.

This is just one more reason why we need a more educated electorate. This information is pretty easy to find out. Turn on your nightly news maybe one hour a week, and you would have learned this pretty quick. Now, if voters do not know something about our contemporary political situation, what do they know about the U.S. Constitution and how our government works? The answers may be frightening.

Think you might want to start down that road of learning the first principles of American government? Here's a good place to start.

Who Bails Out the Bail-Outor?

2008-11-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

In a great column in the Wall Street Journal, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford asked the question: "Who bails out the bail-outor?" The federal government is on a spending spree to "save" the economy - at the expense of the American taxpayer.

I think I've heard this story before. Every time this kind of attempt is made, it doesn't work. Sanford even points out the problems that we are simply delaying: "Washington is short on cash these days and will borrow every dime of the $150 billion to $300 billion for the "stimulus" bill now being worked on. Federal appetites may know no bounds. But the federal government's ability to borrow is not limitless. Already, our nation's unfunded liabilities total $52 trillion -- about $450,000 per household. There's something very strange about issuing debt to solve a problem caused by too much debt."

Then he asks, "Isn't government intervention supposed to be the last resort and come only when it can make a difference?"

"In 2008 bailouts became the first resort. Over the past year the federal government has committed itself to $2.3 trillion (including the tax rebate "stimulus" checks of last February) to "improve" the economy. I don't see how another $150 billion now will make a difference in a global slowdown. We've already unloaded truckloads of sugar in a vain attempt to sweeten a lake. Tossing in a Twinkie will not make the difference."

For the full column: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122670755063129989.html

Understanding Taxes With Beer

2008-11-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

The following easy-to-follow story was put together by David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D., Professor of Economics from the University of Georgia.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers, he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man.He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too.It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man.'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all.The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

How the Community Organizer Won Florida

2008-11-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Some of us made fun of Barack Obama for being a community organizer - or rather, for having that on his resume for President. Truth be told, it may be that his community organizing skills were the PERFECT skills to run a successful campaign for the highest national office in the land.

The Miami Herald just published an inside story to how Obama won Florida. In the last four months of the general election campaign, Obama's campaign registered 200,000 new voters in Florida, opened 50 state field offices, recruited 600,000 volunteers and allocated $40 million to fight John McCain. WOW. Did they say 600,000 volunteers? Just in Florida?

Obama's Florida strategy was thorough and simple: ask every supporter to help, give every volunteer a job, register every eligible voter, get ''sporadic'' voters to the polls, and bring the campaign to every pocket of the state. Conservatives: this is what we must do beginning now.

Obama's campaign did it by dividing the state into five regions, or ''pods,'' each with its own staff and message geared to regional concerns. It harnessed social networking on the Internet and cell phones to allow grassroots organizers set up their own voter registration drives, home-grown phone banks and text messaging chains.

Florida represents a convergence of the national campaign's community-organizer approach and Steve Schale's (Obama's state director) view of the state, shaped by two years as political director for House Democrats in which he helped reverse the party's decline by wresting nine legislative seats from Republican control.

A lesson learned for conservatives here in Florida and across the nation. Acquire skills by getting yourself involved in and organizing in your own community. And then build relationships with those on the ground and invest technologies, skills, and creative freedom to each regional and community campaign organizer on the ground. The community organizer learned his skills long ago in the streets of Chicago. It ultimately helped him win a national campaign for the highest office in the land.

Florida's new (GOP) house speaker: "I think we have momentum back"

2008-11-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Ray Sansom (R-Destin), who takes over as the new Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives confirmed what I posted about in my blog earlier about conservatism remaining strong in the state of Florida.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, in his first formal news conference this afternoon, House Speaker-designate Ray Sansom declared victory for conservatives in Florida despite the Obama win, citing weak Democratic performance in legislative races and passage of the gay marriage ban.

"It was a great night for Florida House Republicans," Sansom said in Tallahassee. "I think we have momentum back on the Republican side. ... Florida is still very conservative."

Florida: An Example of How Conservatives Win From Principle

2008-11-05T07:09:00.001-08:00

While defenders of freedom might feel like they've gotten a little kick in the butt last night, we too have reasons to be optimistic. First, I wrote a piece that appeared on our book's website about the election of Barack Obama. Even though I co-authored a book that was very critical of him, I think as Americans, we can all take something "good" out of this result:

But, a few other brief notes. I apologize that Florida went to Obama. At least we kept it close (don't we always?). But, let me tell you where Florida came through.

There are 25 U.S. Congressional seats in Florida. Before the night started, Republicans held 16 of them. We still hold 15. In essence, 60% of our U.S. congressional delegation remains in Republican control - most of whom are solid conservatives. While the GOP lost 2 seats, we won back the seat Mark Foley lost in 2006. So, we only had one net loss in a year where the GOP went down again hard nationally.

Second, even with an Obama victory in our state, Florida passed (with 63% of the vote) a Marriage Protection Amendment for our state constitution. 60% of the vote is required to put something in Florida's state constiution. Our radical state supreme court shouldn't be able to touch that. I have a hunch that the large black turnout for Obama may have actually helped protect marriage as most blacks share the conservative social values.

Third, our very conservative state legislature remains that way. There are a few close races and some recounts being done, but before election day, Republicans had a 77-43 majority in the Florida house and a 26-14 advantage in the state senate. It looks like it will be almost exactly that same control. Obama's victory in our state did not affect the rest of the dynamics here.

The lesson for conservatives is right here in Florida: when you govern from principle, you win and your community, state, and nation is better for it. From my observation, most conservatives here in Florida do govern from principle. I can't say the same for our current Republican governor and he may pay the price in 2010. Voters here were obviously caught up in the "change" factor - as it relates to the national political scene - but they seem to like the way the state is governed. And, the passing of the marriage amendments here in Florida and in places like California, show that this nation is still one made up of traditional social values.

So, there are reasons for conservatives to be optimistic - and as a Floridian, I challenge all conservatives around the nation to look to our state as an example. And despite the total Democrat Party control of the Whitet House and both houses of Congress, America is still the place where all things are possible. (Just ask Nancy Pelosi!)

Sarah Palin Comes Out Swinging

2008-09-03T17:43:00.001-07:00

In a speech delivered tonight to the Republican National Convention, Governor Sarah Palin accepted her nomination for the Vice Presidency. She makes history by becoming the first woman to get on the GOP ticket. She didn't just put on some make up and mosey on out there. She came out swinging!

Here's some excerpts below.

She takes on Obama's "experience" as a community organizer:

"Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."

She takes on the media's abuse of her and her family:

"I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country."

She takes on the Leftists' roadblocks to energy security:

"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems - as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines...build more nuclear plants...create jobs with clean coal...and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources. We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers."

Redemption Day for Team USA

2008-08-24T17:16:00.001-07:00

This Olympics began with tragedy for Americans abroad. Two weeks ago, Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of Hugh McCutcheon, the coach of the U.S. men's volleyball team, was stabbed to death by a Chinese man. McCutcheon's mother-in-law, Barabar Bachman, was also stabbed and hospitalized. She remains in critical condition.

Throughout the games, team members marked their shoes with the initials of Todd and Barbara Bachman as a gesture of sympathy and support. On the very last day of the Olympics, the U.S. men's volleyball team took home the gold, beating the world champion Brazilians in the gold medal match.

Also on the final day of the Beijing Games, the USA men's basketball "Redeem Team" took home the gold, beating Spain 118-107 in the gold medal game. The team, led by star players Kobe Bryan, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Coach Mike Krzyzewski, came to Beijing, to "redeem" the losses suffered by previous U.S. men's basketball teams at the 2004 Athens games and in the world championship games.

It truly was a day of redemption for Team USA. And, the United States had the most overall medals in the final medal count: 110 total medals. While China had the most number of gold medals (51 to the United States' 36), the host nation did not win the overall medal count, falling short by 10 medals, with 100.

What a great 2 weeks in Beijing. Michael Phelps clearly stole the show, but Team USA also proved to be the best all-around nation in the summer games, once again. "USA! USA! USA!"

Michael Phelps: A Ron Paul Revolutionary?

2008-08-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, the Ron Paul Revolutionaries are getting a little giddy this week that Michael Phelps might be a Ron Paul supporter. Why? Well, Check out this article in the Baltimore Sun.

Apparently one of Phelps' best friends, Olympic swimmer Erik Vendt (pictured with Phelps above at the U.S. Olympic trials in June), is a $200 donor to the Ron Paul campaign. Phelps’ coach is a conservative and is a McCain supporter. So, it seems with this influence, Phelps must be leaning towards freedom, though the article says he is pretty much “completely non-political.”

More about swimmer Erik Vendt and his support for Ron Paul:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/specialevents/blog/2008/02/odds_and_ends_from_columbia.html

Video: School choice? "That's preposterous."

2008-08-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

School choice?

"That's preposterous. You can't expect parents to make these choices. I mean how on earth would parents know which schools are best?"

This and more in this cut from a British sitcom which is "required viewing" on school choice.

Order Your Copy of My New Book About Obama!

2008-08-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

I co-authored a book! It is titled: Who is the REAL Barack Obama? For the rising generation; by the rising generation. Two of my good friends, Steve Bierfeldt and Brendan Steinhauser, and myself, wrote this book, which just released this week. There is also a full website where you can learn all about the book and read daily posts from us, the authors. The website is: http://www.whoistherealbarackobama.com/

Links from the website will direct you to how you can order the book.

I encourage you to support us by buying a copy. And, if you like it enough, I encourage you to tell your friends and family and encourage them to buy copies.

More importantly, if you are still contemplating whether or not to vote for Barack Obama (or know someone who is), I encourage you to read this book, which may help you decide if he is worth your vote. This book is NOT a long editorial, but based on the facts, as they are. The primary target audience is the "youth vote" (18-29 year olds). But, we believe it will also be highly useful to all voters.

Also stay in touch with the website to learn about any and all press coverage we receive, as well as speaking engagements we pursue. Already, we have a number of requests to speak on college campuses and various venues. Thank you again for your support!

While the French talk smack, the U.S. deliver one

2008-08-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

"The U.S. men's 4x100m free relay team won gold Monday in the most exciting, most record-breaking, most amazing, thrilling, unbelievable relay anyone could ever imagine," NBCOlympics.com reports.

Did you see this? I watched it live last night. I wasn't feeling terribly well this past weekend, and I really needed to get some sleep, but I stayed up to watch the Men's 4x100m free relay to see if the U.S. men just might do it. If you missed it, you have to watch the replay here.

It wasn't looking good for them to take the gold, but they were fairly secure to get the silver. Just 50m left in the race, the French looked unbeatable. But then... Jason Lezak did the unthinkable. As one report said, "People always step up and do things out of the ordinary at the Olympics." Lezak's 100 m leg was the fastest split in relay history - 46.06 seconds.

The top five teams in this race all BROKE the world record. The U.S. team SHATTERED it, coming ahead a full 4 seconds of the world record, and just 0.08 seconds ahead of the second place French team. It's amazing what the power of competition produces.

Days ahead of the race, when asked about the American team, French swimmer Alain Bernard replied: "The Americans? We're going to smash them. That's what we came here for." Well to give him credit, perhaps Bernard didn't think the Americans could finish a full 4 seconds ahead of the previous world record time. But, it was Bernard who was so far ahead on that final leg. Perhaps some of his smack-talking got to his head.

In the end, it was the American team that won the gold. That's now 2 individual golds for Michael Phelps in his quest to become the greatest Olympian ever. Whatever happens during the rest of the Olympic games, it is clear the U.S. mens swimming team didn't come here to talk smack, but rather to shatter records and take home some gold. In sports, you do your talking on the field of play (or in this case in the water).

Experts: GOP to retain control in Florida

2008-08-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Did you really doubt it? Free-market ideas are flowing across this state like never before. And the GOP is the more free-market oriented party in the state these days. Organizations like The James Madison Institute and the Americans for Prosperity-Florida chapter are growing and getting stronger.

Meanwhile, in the actual political world, great leaders such as outgoing Speaker of Florida's House of Representatives Marco Rubio and his "100 Ideas" are helping create effective conservative leadership in the state of Florida.

According to the liberal Gainesville Sun, experts expect the GOP to retain its nearly 2-to-1 advantage in the Florida House and Senate. Current and future legislators should pick up where former Speakers Allen Bense and Marco Rubio left off - leading the state by limiting the role of government and helping Floridians find solutions in the free-market. Their leadership shows that when conservatives lead from principle, they win. Hopefully conservatives in the rest of the nation will look to Florida as a model to emulate.

President Bush having a ball at the Olympics

2008-08-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

If you watched the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics on NBC (whose coverage sucks by the way - I think there's more commercial time than actual event time), you may have noticed NBC continue to pan over to President Bush as he and Laura sat in the stands. At times, he looked almost bored during the parade of nations, slouching back in his seat, rolling up his program, and acting like... well, one of us.

But then, when the USA team poured into the stadium, the President and the First Lady lept to their feet and waved their U.S. flags.

The President got a little more into the action yesterday and today, as he attended women's basketball, caught some cycling, and even hit around a few volleyballs with the U.S. women's beach volleyball team.

Read more here, with a full slideshow of President Bush sportin' it up in Beijing.

U.S. women sweep medals in fencing; take first U.S. gold

2008-08-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing have begun! And what a fantastic start with probably the most amazing opening ceremonies ever! While China displayed its pride as the host of the 2008 Olympic games, the United States women's fencing team got off to an early start today, winning the gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Mariel Zagunis stood proudly atop the podium, the first American to win a gold at these Olympics. Former president, George H.W. Bush was in the front row as three red, white and blue flags were rising to the rafters., with the U.S. national anthem being played proudly on Chinese soil.

Before the fencing medals were awarded, the Americans had been shut out of Olympic medals, trailing the likes of Cuba, North Korea, Taiwan and Uzbekistan in the overall standings. Then the saber trio went to work, moving the U.S. to the top of the table with three medals. Read more here.

Olympic athletes plan displays of faith in China

2008-08-06T17:54:00.001-07:00

It's pretty well known that in communist countries such as China, religious practices are banned. The almighty State does not want competition. But, no matter how far the State goes to ban religious practices and enforce other totalitarian policies, the one thing the State can't take away is someone's faith - that inner call to holiness.

Some Olympic athletes plan public displays of faith during the Beijing Olympics. U.S. track star Sanya Richards is one of them. According to the Washington Post, Sanya Richards envisions 91,000 fans at Beijing National Stadium and millions more on television watching her cross the finish line first in the 400 meters later this month. Immediately afterward, Richards said, she plans to kneel, say a quick prayer and then point skyward in spiritual appreciation.

"It's important because I want people to know that I'm not the best because I'm Sanya Richards," the American 400 champion said at last month's U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore. "I'm the best because of God. I truly believe we can't will ourselves to win. I hope people see the same thing I see." Richards is among the athletes who openly display their faith on the playing field, and feel the two are inextricably linked.

Read more.

AP: Bush's Iraq war being won

2008-07-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press has finally admitted it: the Iraq war is being won.

From the AP yesterday: "The United States is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost. Limited, sometimes sharp fighting and periodic terrorist bombings in Iraq are likely to continue, possibly for years. But the Iraqi government and the U.S. now are able to shift focus from mainly combat to mainly building the fragile beginnings of peace — a transition that many found almost unthinkable as recently as one year ago."

But now, we've moved into a new phase: "The new phase focuses on training the Iraqi army and police, restraining the flow of illicit weaponry from Iran, supporting closer links between Baghdad and local governments, pushing the integration of former insurgents into legitimate government jobs and assisting in rebuilding the economy."

Is it me, or hasn't it been a while now since we've been winning. A few weeks ago, Iraqi Prime Minister al Maliki declared the war has been won, and last week embraced a timetable for U.S. withdraw. The AP and much of the media followed Obama around the world like adoring fans last week. When they all got back, they must have come to the realization of how safe it was to travel in and around Iraq.

The Obama "We are the World" game: play now

2008-07-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, National Review's "The Campaign Spot" poked a little fun at Obama by putting together a game related to the Michael Jackson-led "We are the World" song. Play this game below to see if you can pick out the right tracks. Did they come from Obama's Berlin speech or from the "We are the World" song.

"There comes a time when we heed a certain call."

Pop quiz, hot shot. Pick out the "We Are The World" lyrics vs. Obama speech lines.

A: "We can't go on pretending day by day that someone, somewhere will soon make a change."
B: "This is the moment we must help answer the call."
C: "But if you just believe there's no way we can fall."
D. "The world will watch and remember what we do."
E. "Let us realize that a change can only come when we stand together as one."
F. "We cannot afford to be divided."
G. "These now are the walls we must tear down."
H. "This is the moment when we must come together."
I. "They'll know that someone cares, and their lives will be stronger and free."

Ok, now click over to National Review's article and scroll down to the bottom to see if you got the answers right.

Electoral Map puts McCain in driver's seat

2008-07-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

CNN has posted a projected electoral map of the United States for the 2008 race. It shows 16 states "safe" for McCain and another 7 states "leaning" McCain, safely giving him 189 electoral votes. Then it shows 10 states "safe" for Obama and 6 states "leaning" towards Obama, giving him 221 electoral votes.

But then it has another 11 states listed as toss-ups: Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.

I am going to bank on McCain winning Florida, Ohio, and Virginia. Though, I think Obama will keep Virginia VERY close. If McCain pulls off those 3 states (which Bush won), McCain gets up to 249 electoral votes. 270 is need to be President. If he can pull off Michigan, he's gold. That gets him to 266. Then, he just needs one more state - even New Hampshire will do. But he can pick from one of the rest as well.

The rest are really toss-ups. But Bush won Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, and Nevada. He did not win Michigan or New Hampshire, but if McCain puts Romney on his ticket, Michigan may tip his way. Both McCain and Hillary beat out Obama in New Hampshire. Remember, Hillary's tears? It got her New Hampshire.

Those 11 states could go many different ways, but the electoral map shows that Obama has a harder road to climb than McCain. The "maverick" is in the driver's seat.

British paper mocks Obama visit: "He ventured forth to bring light to the world."

2008-07-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Even Europeans are seeing through the Obama facade. And, they don't have to put up with it every day. Some of them are sane and see the fake political posturing for what it is. Imagine if a politician from another country came here and wanted to give a campaign speech for their country in front of the Statue of Liberty or the Lincoln Memorial. What would we think?

The Times of London mocked Obama's visit to Europe and the Middle East with their own editorial. Their headline: "He ventured forth to bring light to the world: The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his followers."

Read the full article here.

Video: Al Gore's Global Warming Hypocrisy Exposed

2008-07-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

McCain responds to Obama's worldwide campaign tour

2008-07-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Mark Halperin posted some comments that the McCain campaign released at the conlusion of Obama's "citizen of the world" speech in Berlin today:

“While Barack Obama took a premature victory lap today in the heart of Berlin, proclaiming himself a ‘citizen of the world,’ John McCain continued to make his case to the American citizens who will decide this election. Barack Obama offered eloquent praise for this country, but the contrast is clear. John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it.”

Nice. Finally the McCain campaign takes a swing. Maybe Senator McCain finally woke up and realized the "mainstream" media has a favorite in this race... and it isn't him. I've never been much of a McCain fan, he's just not conservative enough for me. But, given the options in this election, and the future of our Republic, one has to support just about anyone that comes up against Obama. Whatever we can do to stop Obama. And that option is McCain.

Despite some of his policies, McCain has indeed dedicated his life to the service of America. Obama so far has only talked about it. And today, he talked about his desire to serve the world, in spite of America. If McCain can keep taking some swings like his campaign did today, they'll have many realists enthusiatically on board with them to take down Obama.

Only One President at a Time

2008-07-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

I know this sounds repetitive by now, but who does Obama think he is? For the past week, he has gone around the world, playing President. Yes, he's officially on a Congressional fact-finding mission. But, let's be real. He's really on a campaign hype trip.

He began his trip by removing the American flag from his jumbo plane to place his Obama campaign logo on there in replacement. Yes, take down Old Glory for your professionally designed campaign logo. This is similar to when his campaign crafted an Obama-style seal of the President of the United States. This is getting way to creepy for me. 1984? Brave New World? Anyone?

He's not even President yet (and God help us that he never gets to be), but he sure likes playing President. His next book should be called The Audacity of Arrogance.

Today, perhaps he crossed the line the furthest. First, he dared to go to Berlin and give a speech. Berlin, which holds so much history of American involvement and a place where Presidents Kennedy and Reagan gave historic speeches is a place you must "earn" before you attempt such a speech. Obama has such a small record of achievement and almost no political experience, other than campaigning, that he does not yet deserve to give a speech at such a historic place.

Perhaps the Europeans do not even like him as much as those crazy kids in Oregon. Once again, to entice thousands of young people to show up, Obama's speech followed several popular musical acts.

But Obama's speech, as most of them go, included wild declarations. He told the people of Germany: "I come to you as a proud citizen of the United States... and as a citizen of the world." Really? Citizen of the World? The Brave New World? I think maybe Obama has his election wrong. Maybe he should be running to be world President or perhaps chairman of the United Nations. You think he will pull America back from its involvement in the rest of the world? Think again. Like other progressive liberals of history, he wants to further engage America in the world, just in other ways.

He then went on to make further declarations such as:

"Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century"

Did anyone else notice that? "a global commitment to progress." Like abortion on demand? Same-sex unions? Government health insurance for all?

"People of Berlin ... people of the world... this is our moment."

No buddy, this is YOUR moment. Your moment in Berlin, in Germany, in Europe. But, not in America. If anyone votes for you, they're idiots. You're so presumptuous as a candidate, you don't deserve a single vote you get. I am not a citizen of the world. Read your Constitution. If you were born here (as you and I were) or if you were naturalized here (such as my father and your father were), then you are a citizen of the great United States of America. As far as I can tell, there are no alien life forms that we need to represent ourselves to as citizens of the world. And there isn't a world government, unless that's what your aiming for.

We have only one President at a time. And hopefully you'll never know the feeling... as much as you act the part in your playtime.

Who does Obama think he is?

2008-07-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Charles Krauthammer had an EXCELLENT column today in The Washington Post, "Who Does He Think He Is?". I urge you to read it now.

A few tidbits:

"Barack Obama wants to speak at the Brandenburg Gate. He figures it would be a nice backdrop. The supporting cast -- a cheering audience and a few fainting frauleins -- would be a picturesque way to bolster his foreign policy credentials. What Obama does not seem to understand is that the Brandenburg Gate is something you earn."

"Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?"

"It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history -- "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" -- when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow." As economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, "Moses made the waters recede, but he had help." Obama apparently works alone. After all, in the words of his own slogan, "we are the ones we've been waiting for," which, translating the royal "we," means: "I am the one we've been waiting for."

Obama's campaign website removes criticism of Bush's "surge"

2008-07-15T19:00:00.001-07:00

The latest from the AP wire:

Barack Obama's aides have removed criticism of President Bush's increase of troops to Iraq from the campaign Web site, part of an effort to update the Democrat's written war plan to reflect changing conditions.

Debate over the impact of President Bush's troop "surge" has been at the center of exchanges this week between Obama and Republican presidential rival John McCain. Obama opposed the war and the surge from the start, while McCain supported both the invasion and the troop increase.

A year and a half after Bush announced he was sending reinforcements to Iraq, it is widely credited with reducing violence there. With most Americans ready to end the war, McCain is using the surge debate to argue he has better judgment and the troops should stay to win the fight. Obama argues the troop increase has not achieved its other goal of fostering a political reconciliation among Iraqi factions.

This is simply unbelievable. Obama began his campaign calling this war a mistake, calling the surge a mistake, and saying the only "change" of policy would be to bring the troops home, now. Obama played his cards right. He used this rhetoric towards the far left and captured the Democrat Party nomination. Now, his campaign tries to move towards the center and flat out removes any criticism of the surge from its campaign website.

Obama is reading the polls. He doesn't represent a new kind of politics, as he has self-proclaimed. His candidacy now represents the biggest joke in principled politics. He'll do and say anything to get elected.

School choice: change we can believe in

2008-07-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

Some say something is wrong with our education system. Usually the answer they give to solve our problems is: more money. But most studies about money in education actually show that more money isn't the solution. CATO Institute fellow Andrew Coulson has written many articles and books about this subject, including one that appeared in The Washington Post on April 6, 2008. As he points out, most public schools spend more per child than do private schools. Some of the best public schools and districts in the country actually spend less per child than do the worst.

The solution then isn't money. It's freedom. Give parents the freedom to choose the school of choice for their child and learning increases. We are all individuals and education, especially in the information age, should be tailored to our individual choices. We are not pawns that should be used for the service of the state.

School choice actually does exist today, but only for the wealthy. They can send their children to the school of their choice. Low-income and middle class families most often do not have that choice. School vouchers would allow the money to follow the child to any public, private, or charter school of their choice. It's not rocket science. It's common sense. Learn more at: http://www.schoolchoice.org/

School choice. Now that is change I can believe in.

*The James Madison Institute and the Foundation for Excellence in Education brought some true education reformers to Orlando last month to discuss bringing real change to education. Read the Orlando Sentinel article that discusses how we are trying bring about change so that our students can compete with the rest of the world, in the ever emerging global economy.

Youth Will Benefit with McCain: The Change Candidate on Social Security

2008-07-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

If a candidate is running for "change," this year, it isn't Barack Obama. It's John McCain. This blog will take up this theme of "real change" issue by issue over time, through November. For today, the subject is Social Security.

Obama has no plan for reforming Social Security, which is really nothing more than a bogus pyramid scheme by the federal government. Since it's inception, the government has taxed younger workers to pay the benefits for current retirees. There is no arguing about it. You have to pay these taxes, and when I look at my paycheck, 6.2% of the income I earned this week (and every week) is going towards social security. Now, I don't want to get into how much I make, but let's just say that 6.2% is a lot of money for me to pay for someone else's retirement.

If I took that same 6.2% and I had the option of putting it into a standard, conservative 401(k) plan, I could get a lot more bang for my buck when I retire, more than the government promises to pay me, if social security is still around then (I'm not counting on it, and have set up my own retirement account). However, the government doesn't even give me the option to take that money and invest it myself. Many companies will even give their employees a retirement fund or match what they put in, allowing them to earn way more interest than the government. In fact, the government is running a trillion dollar deficit in its entire budget. Much of that is due to social security, which soaks up so much funding.

Regardless of how much someone makes in their income, whether it is $50K, $100K, or $1 million a year, the government still sets aside a social security account for them, paid for by current workers, making far less money. This doesn't make sense and this kind of system cannot last forever.

One well-to-do retiree in Palm Beach, FL put it to me this way: he has a nice house, lives on a golf course, and is set for life. He still gets his social security check from the government. He looks out on the golf course during it's off-peak hours and sees legal Mexican immigrants working on his golf course, probably for a meager salary. Those younger workers, who are just making ends meet, are forced by the government, to subsidize the retirement of people who are sitting around hitting the golf balls all day. Something about this system just doesn't make sense.

John McCain finally called it a "disgrace" this week. He said, "It's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed." Reforming social security: now, that is change I can believe in.

For more facts on social security and how we can reform it by giving younger workers more options with their own money, please visit: http://www.socialsecurity.org/

We Own It. Let's Use it. Drill in ANWR.

2008-07-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

In 1867, the United States government signed a treaty to purchase Alaska. We handed over precious gold to Russia for the territory. Russia was in a difficult financial position and feared losing the Alaskan territory without compensation in some future conflict, especially to their rivals the British, who could easily capture the hard-to-defend region. At the time, some said it was foolish to purchase such a remote, icy region. Ohers called the Russians foolish because of the amount of natural resources, such as oil, that this area contained.

At the time Senator Charles Sumner, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said that if the United States purchased Alaska, “A practical race of intrepid navigators will swarm the coast ready for any enterprise of business or patriotism. Commerce will find new arms…”

But today, the liberal establishment in the United States Congress, following the lead of environmental extremists, have shut off Alaska from the commerce that would help end our dependence on foreign oil. They have promoted and pursued a policy of shutting off and locking up Alaska from the people who purchased it. They have locked up our energy and forced us to pay higher fuel prices at the pump and keep a dependence on foreign oil rather than using the land and resources we already own.

When it comes to ANWR, we own it and we should use it. Let your Congressman know. Otherwise, we'll come off as the foolish ones when we hand our economic prosperity and our national security over to China, Saudia Arabia, and other nations who don't like us.

Christian conservative leaders unified behind McCain

2008-07-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

The religious right threatened to bolt out of the voting booth if John McCain was the Republican nominee for President. But apparently, like myself, Barack Obama is a scarier alternative. What's the old saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Chrsitian conservative leaders gathered in Denver last week and unified behind John McCain. They also approved a "Declaration of American Values" with 10 common goals, such as protecting the sanctity of life and affirming natural, traditional marriage. These are two fundamental tentets of Christianity that Barack Obama has not stood up for, and in many cases, has actually stood against. McCain, on the other hand, has not cozied up to the religious right like some politicians, but his voting record on social issues is definitely more in line with Christian values than Obama.

Bill Clinton: Obama can "kiss my ass"

2008-06-28T17:44:00.001-07:00

As reported on http://www.obama-wire.com/ and in the UK Telegraph, Bill Clinton reportedly told close friends that Obama will have to "kiss my ass" in return for his support. This comes as Senator Obama plans to make a call to President Clinton to ask for his support.

The former President was notably absent during an Obama campaign moment with Hillary Clinton in Unity, NH (unity - get it?) Apparently all is not united in the Democrat Party household.

Obama's link to Elian Gonzalez

2008-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama, a far Left nominee of the Democrat party, is just running out of boots for all the crap he's stepping in. Here's another one.

Remember Elian Gonzalez? The then 6-year old Cuban refugee risked his life coming to the United States, losing his mother in the process. A political battle ensued when Attorney General Janet Reno and the Clinton Administration became involved, forcing the child to go back to Castro's Cuba, where he has now reportedly joined the Young Communists League.

Obama's current foreign policy adviser Greg Craig was the lawyer who represented Elian's father in the custody dispute that returned the child to the communist island. Eric Holder, a member of Obama's vice-presidential selection team, was deputy U.S. attorney general in the Clinton administration when government agents seized Elian from his relatives' home in Miami's Little Havana. Read more here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/06/elian-gonzalez.html

I guess when you're on the far Left, you run out of people you can associate yourself and your campaign with.

Crist joins McCain, supports drilling!

2008-06-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't say it isn't a 180, but Florida Governor Charlie Crist followed McCain's lead and now supports off-shore drilling to help increase the supply of domestic oil resources.

Crist, who has been on the short list to become join McCain's ticket as the nomination for Vice President, endorsed John McCain's plan today to let state's decide for themselves. This is a complete reversal from his previous stances against drilling 50 miles or more off of Florida's coast. But, at least he's moving in the right direction. Read more here:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/17/ap5125840.html

"I mean, let's face it, the price of gas has gone through the roof, and Florida families are suffering," Crist said. "And my heart bleeds for them." (don't liberals usually say that? This is great!)

And then he used a tourism argument to support drilling: "We're a tourist state," Crist said. "We have to protect the beauty of Florida, but we also need to have people have the opportunity to drive here and be able to afford to do that too."

.... it's about time. Elect McCain and let the drilling begin. But keep Crist off the ticket, and make him sign the bill when the Florida legislature gives the green light to let our state decide to take our energy future into our own hands - and out of the hands of terrorist regimes and environmental extremists.

McCain: Let's Drill

2008-06-17T09:50:00.001-07:00

Can I say it? Can I say it? It's about time!

Senator John McCain called yesterday for an end to the federal ban on offshore oil drilling, offering an aggressive response to high gasoline prices and immediately drawing the ire of environmental groups that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has courted for months, the Washington Post reports.

Yesterday, McCain released a statement saying: "Tomorrow, I'll call for lifting the federal moratorium for states that choose to permit exploration. I think that this, and perhaps providing additional incentives for states to permit exploration off their coasts, would be very helpful in the short term in resolving our energy crisis. We've seen the impact of it in the form of food prices, the form of gasoline, and the form of threats of inflation, and indeed indications of inflation. We must embark on a national mission to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gases through the development of alternative energy sources. And, as I said, exploration is a step toward the longer term goal. And, I will repeat my advocacy of a gas tax holiday, which is impacting low-income Americans on a fixed income who are driving automobiles that consume gasoline at a greater rate, and they're driving further, and I think that they deserve a break."

This is common sense. I encourage you all to go to the http://www.americansolutions.com/ website and sign the petition to tell Congress: "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less." Senator McCain got the message and I believe it is a winning message. It's common sense.

Almost two years ago, The James Madison Institute (where I work) has been advocating to open up drilling in Florida's Gulf coast in this Backgrounder article (PDF). A decade ago, Congressional Republicans advocated drilling in Alaska. President Clinton vetoed that. If either of these options would have been explored then, we wouldn't be having the energy crisis we're facing today. Environmental extremists have determined our energy future and they want to continue doing so. It's time we said, "Enough is enough."

I applaud John McCain for this excellent decision to wage a campaign that will directly contrast the Leftist policies of Barack Obama and the Democrat Party.

Jonah Goldberg: Conservatives, fear not

2008-06-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

There was an excellent op-ed by Jonah Goldberg that was published in papers across the country, including in the Orlando Sentinel. He tells conservatives, "fear not." I would recommend this piece: orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/right/olr-syn-gold0609,0,3299991.story

An excerpt:

"... People need to remember that there's a difference between "conservatives" and "Republicans." One reason the Republican "brand" has been so badly tarnished is that Republicans lost credibility as conservatives. They spent money like a pimp with a week to live. They got comfortable with power and the perks that come with it, and they tolerated cronyism and incompetence. And while the GOP is the more conservative of the two parties -- and hence the natural home for the American right -- it needs to be remembered that Republican failures are not synonymous with conservative ones."

"Also, the strength of the conservative establishment shouldn't be discounted. In 1964, Goldwater was almost alone, relying on a couple of magazines to champion his cause. Today, there is an enormous conservative intellectual infrastructure, largely independent of the Republican Party. From proliferating state-level think tanks to massive organizations based in Washington, D.C., such as the Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, the causes of limited government, defending life and promoting free markets are hardly without champions. And thanks to talk radio, Fox News and a general acceptance of conservatism as a legitimate viewpoint, it has never been easier for conservatives to get their arguments to the public .... "

".... Moreover, if conservatives are right about their ideas -- and I think they are -- then socialized medicine won't work, high taxes will be counterproductive, and Obama's promise to mesmerize foreign leaders with his listening skills will not survive contact with our enemies. Al-Qaeda will not defang itself into a Muslim version of the Shriners simply because our president's middle name is Hussein."

"T.S. Eliot was right. There are no truly won causes because there are no truly lost causes. Conservatism's got a lot of life left in it, in part because conservatism is simply a part of American life. And because conservatism has always done better on offense than on defense, the coming liberal maelstrom might be carrying with it the seeds of a conservative revival as well."

Well said, Mr. Goldberg. Well said.

Ron Paul's "Campaign for Liberty"

2008-06-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul is transitioning his campaign for the Presidency to his “Campaign for Liberty.” You can read about it at their new website here: http://www.campaignforliberty.com

I think this is a good call. Ron Paul's campaign for the Presidency has obviously reached an end point, and hopefully most Ron Paul supporters will not stay home, and will not vote for a wasteful third party candidate like Bob Barr. Hopefully they will recognize how much more disastrous Barack Obama will be compared to John McCain. If they don't, they will prove that libertarianism is just as much an ideology as socialism. Conservatives, on the other hand, act prudently, given the realistic choices available.

Once McCain is elected, then we can continue a grassroots effort to pull him and other elected officials towards liberty, rather than towards big government. But it is obvious that Barack Obama wants a big government program for just about everything, including more American involvement overseas through programs such as the "Global Poverty Act." This is more government than any Republican (including John McCain) can stomach.

The Ron Paul campaign may not have won very many delegates, but it captured the hearts and minds of many Americans in a true campaign for liberty. In his new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto, Ron Paul reminds us:

“In the final analysis, the last line of defense in support of freedom and the Constitution consists of the people themselves. If the people want to be free, if they want to lift themselves out from underneath a state apparatus that threatens their liberties, squanders their resources on needless wars, destroys the value of their dollar, and spews forth endless propaganda about how indispensable it is and how lost we would all be without it, there is no force that can stop them.”

JMI: Climate Policies would impose high costs on state

2008-06-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

Margo Thorning, an adjunct scholar of The James Madison Institute and senior vice president and chief economist for the American Council for Capital Formation wrote an article that was recently published in the Panama City News Herald.

The article, "Climate Policies would impose high costs on state," brings up a great point: "As our nation's federal and state governments rush to enact far-reaching legislation on climate change, there has been far too little discussion of the economic costs such policies would impose."

She continues: "Make no mistake: The financial burdens on individuals would be heavy - especially in Florida, where the summer heat and humidity keep energy usage high. In addition, Florida has lots of senior citizens, some in frail health and temperature-sensitive and on a fixed income."

Read on: http://www.newsherald.com/common/printer/view.php?db=newsherald&id=4245

Charlie Crist "a proponent of nuclear energy"

2008-06-11T06:50:00.001-07:00

Well, we're not sure what Governor Crist's task force on climate change is going to produce for Florida's taxpayers, but at least we now have Lt. Governor Kottkamp on record saying: “The governor, like me, is a proponent of nuclear energy. We believe it may have an important role to play in Florida’s energy future,” Kottkamp said. “We must consider, as we continue to grow as a state, how we address our growing energy needs while protecting that natural beauty that draws so many people to the Sunshine State.”

Read more in the Naples Daily News: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jun/10/kottkamp-goes-nuclear-french-energy-company-naples/

* Last week, at the monthly Capital City Republican Club meeting here in Tallahassee, Lt. Governor Kottkamp spoke. I asked him a question about when Florida was going to start drilling off the Florida coast (China and India are going to) and start building some nuclear power plants. He only answered the nuclear power plant part of my question by saying that the Governor was planning a trip to France to learn about how France supplies 80% of their country's energy needs with nuclear power. It is encouraging to see this story, but it's only a start of what needs to happen...

Stop Obama from taking Florida

2008-06-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

I have been of the feeling that I don't think there's any way Barack Obama can win in Florida. But, this morning I came across a story in the Tampa Tribune that is making me a bit more nervous about the Obama machine: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article615083.ece

The story says: "Starting next week, some 400 specially trained Barack Obama campaign "fellows" will fan out across Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, for an intensive six weeks of registering voters, mobilizing volunteers, as well as working to bring Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters into the fold."

Yikes. This is a sign to all conservatives and true patriots of this country that we must get out there and spread the word about Obama. There are plenty of places to get this information. One good place to start is: www.obama-wire.com which has "the good, the bad, and the ugly," on Obama. Take that information and spread it like wildfire across this state (ok, in a period of drought, that probably wasn't the best analogy). But seriously: it is up to us to STOP Obama from taking Florida. Don't allow his henchmen to spread socialist ideas across this free-market state.

Terry Jeffrey: Our Own Oil Cartel

2008-06-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Terry Jeffrey's article yesterday in CNS News talks about why oil prices are so high. And, points to the United States government as the culprits. We are our own cartel.

Here's an excerpt:

Contemplate this the next time you spend $60 or more filling up your tinny little car with gasoline made from imported oil: The U.S. government knows where it can get its hands on more untapped petroleum than exists in the proven reserves of Iran or Iraq, which have 136 billion barrels and 115 billion barrels, respectively.

This unexploited stock of crude is greater than what the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports is in the proven reserves of Russia (60 billion barrels), Libya (41.5 billion barrels) and Nigeria (36.2 billion barrels) combined.

It is more than Hugo Chavez's Venezuela has (80 billion barrels). It is more than is now known to sit beneath the waters and sands of Kuwait (101.5 billion barrels) or the United Arab Emirates (97.6 billion barrels).

So, where is all this oil? And why aren't they pumping it? What cartel is holding it off the market, to drive up prices at American gas stations and American supermarkets? What insidious power is stifling the free market for this vital commodity and thus threatening the vitality of our economy?

It is us, of course. We are the culprits. We are responsible for artificially increasing oil prices. It is our oil that sits untapped beneath our deserts, our forests, our swamps and our oceans. It is our politicians -- the ones we freely elected, and re-elected, and re-elected -- who are not allowing our oil to be drilled by us and sold to us.

Read on: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200806/COM20080604c.html

George Will: The gasoline prices we deserve

2008-06-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen or read it yet, there is a great column by George Will in today's Washington Post. You can read it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/04/AR2008060403052.html

An excerpt:

One million barrels (of oil) is what might today be flowing from ANWR if in 1995 President Bill Clinton had not vetoed legislation to permit drilling there. One million barrels produce 27 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel. Seventy-two of today's senators -- including (Chuck) Schumer, of course, and 38 other Democrats, including Barack Obama, and 33 Republicans, including John McCain -- have voted to keep ANWR's estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil off the market.

So Schumer, according to Schumer, is complicit in taking $10 away from every American who buys 20 gallons of gasoline. "Democracy," said H.L. Mencken, "is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard." The common people of New York want Schumer to be their senator, so they should pipe down about gasoline prices, which are a predictable consequence of their political choice ...

... America says to foreign producers: We prefer not to pump our oil, so please pump more of yours, thereby lowering its value, for our benefit. Let it not be said that America has no energy policy

Read on.

Obama-Wire.com just launched!

2008-06-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce to all my avid readers, that www.Obama-Wire.com just launched. I would announce who has put it together, but let me just tell you it is a friend of conservatives everywhere. No, he's not famous, but maybe some day he will be.

The site is a Drudge Report-style website with lots of news links - most of which expose the truth about Obama. The creators of this website were urged to do this because they can't believe the media hasn't exposed this guy yet. Well, Obama made it pass round one with a pass. But www.Obama-Wire.com will do what they can to make sure he doesn't get a free pass into the most powerful political position in the world.

Please do what you can to promote it, especially in key swing states and swing counties. This is the information age. The battle will be won by those with the most intelligent information.

The battle for conservatism is being waged

2008-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

The battle for the future of conservatism is being waged. The question is are we paying attention? In my last blog post, I cited Senator Tom Coburn's recent WSJ Editorial in which he criticized "compassionate conservatism."

Now, Michael Gerson of the Council of Foreign Relations is taking Coburn to task in a recent Washington Post editorial.

Gerson first puts the substance of the argument on the table for all conservatives: "Compassionate conservatism began with some questions: Is it possible to apply conservative and free-market ideas -- school vouchers, the promotion of community and faith-based institutions, the encouragement of wealth-building and social mobility -- to the task of helping marginalized Americans? In the wake of liberal failures, do conservatives offer any hope to addicts and the homeless, to disadvantaged children in need of mentors and adequate education, to people living among the broken glass of durable poverty?"

Then he begins his defense: "But compassionate conservatism has come under criticism for a variety of reasons. For some, it is fundamentally at odds with fiscal conservatism -- no social priority is deemed more urgent than balancing the budget. For others, it is a violation of their vision of limited government -- the state's only valid purpose is to uphold markets and protect individual liberty. But by drawing these limits so narrowly, such critics would relegate conservatism to the realm of rejected ideologies: untainted, uncomplicated and ignored. And by leaving great social needs unmet, they would grant liberalism an open field and invite genuine statism."

I think the term compassionate conservatism is not only flawed, it is offensive. Is conservatism itself not compassionate? If liberals are for helping the poor, then why do we still have poverty? Liberal policies don't work. When conservative policies have been tried, it has not only worked, but proved popular. Remember welfare reform? We were all told then that welfare-to-work programs were not compassionate. The results have proved the opposite. Meanwhile, we have gone through decades of socialist policies that have not worked and only created more poverty.

In my opinion, Tom Coburn is right that we need to dump compassionate conservatism overboard. Conservatism was working plenty well before we added the so-called compassionate policies to our agenda. If people want big government policies, they'll seek the professionals: the Democrats. Let's get back to our brand of limiting government, and providing free-market solutions.

Senator Coburn: Republicans Are in Denial

2008-05-27T17:42:00.001-07:00

An excellent article in today's Wall Street Journal by Senator Tom Coburn, who writes that "Republicans Are in Denial."

What's he getting at? Here's a clip:

"Unfortunately, too many in our party are not yet ready to return to the path of limited government. Instead, we are being told our message must be deficient because, after all, we should be winning in certain areas just by being Republicans. Yet being a Republican isn't good enough anymore. Voters are tired of buying a GOP package and finding a big-government liberal agenda inside. What we need is not new advertising, but truth in advertising."

"Becoming Republicans again will require us to come to grips with what has ailed our party – namely, the triumph of big-government Republicanism and failed experiments like the K Street Project and "compassionate conservatism." If the goal of the K Street Project was to earmark and fund raise our way to a filibuster-proof "governing" majority, the goal of "compassionate conservatism" was to spend our way to a governing majority."

He slams "compassionate conservatism" and says "Spending other people's money is not compassionate."

Read on here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121184690228421415.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

Obama's Wild Facts

2008-05-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Michelle Malkin has compiled a number of "Barack Gaffes" in her latest column on National Review Online.

Some of the gaffes:

* Last May, he claimed that tornadoes in Kansas killed a whopping 10,000 people: “In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.” The actual death toll: 12.

* Explaining last week why he was trailing Hillary Clinton in Kentucky, Obama again botched basic geography: “Sen. Clinton, I think, is much better known, coming from a nearby state of Arkansas. So it’s not surprising that she would have an advantage in some of those states in the middle.” On what map is Arkansas closer to Kentucky than Illinois?

* And in perhaps the most seriously troubling set of gaffes of them all, Obama told a Portland crowd over the weekend that Iran doesn’t “pose a serious threat to us” — cluelessly arguing that “tiny countries” with small defense budgets can’t do us harm — and then promptly flip-flopped the next day, claiming, “I’ve made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave.”

As Malkin asserts: "Barack Obama — promoted by the Left and the media as an all-knowing, articulate, transcendent Messiah — is a walking, talking gaffe machine. How many more passes does he get? How many more can we afford?"

See more Barack Gaffes in her full column here.

Bush sounded the appropriate alarm

2008-05-20T12:08:00.001-07:00

Last week, President' Bush so-called "controversial" statements at an event commemorating Israel's 60th anniversary sparked a feud between himself, John McCain, and Congressional Democrats, including Senator Barack Obama.

Even though President Bush has not engaged in personal political attacks, Barack Obama, who is running against the notion of the politics of personal destrcution, made an attack on Bush. Obama accused President Bush of "a false political attack" Thursday after Bush warned in Israel against appeasing terrorists. It is interesting that Obama would feel this is a personal attack on him, when Bush didn't name or refer to him or anyone specifically. I guess we see where his weakness is - and where he knows it is.

Bush's statement was simply this: "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along." Bush continued, "We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

I think what Bush did was signal the alarm. He sees the writing on the wall: As his own term as President is coming to an end, a Presidency in which he led a vigorous assault on radical Islamic terrorists, he realizes a new Commander-in-Chief must take over this responsibility. He realizes it is more likely that Democrat President (say, Obama?) will take over the controls and have with them a Democrat-led Congress. Given the Left's weakness on fighting America's enemies, Bush may have just spoken words that historians will uncover later... after the bloodshed that ensues when appeasement is given the green light.

President Bush may not be a perfect President, but one can't argue with his record against terrorism. He experienced 9/11 like the rest of us, and he went on the attack, protecting our nation from it's hostile enemies, and never relenting. Victory is the only option.

Duncan Hunter's son, Iraq war veteran, running for Congress

2008-05-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

California Congressman Duncan Hunter has served as a standout conservative in Congress for 28 years including several years as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He decided to give up his congressional seat last year when he launched his presidential campaign.

I met Congressman Hunter at the New Hampshire GOP dinner in June 2007. I was lucky enough to speak on behalf of Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at that dinner, when Senator Brownback got stuck in DC, deliberating on an immigration vote. I met Congressman Hunter before the dinner and he told me he was a big fan of Brownback. After the dinner - where most of the GOP Presidential candidates gave talks to promote their own campaign (and after I had given the speech for Senator Brownback), Duncan Hunter came up to me and told me I did a great job representing Brownback. "I like Brownback," he said. "You represented him well!"

So I humorously asked him, "Did I win you over?" He laughed. I also gave him my best towards his son, who he said was currently serving over in Afghanistan. He had also earlier served two tours in Iraq as a U.S. Marine Reserve. He also told me then that his son was planning to run for his very own Congressional seat.

Well, now he is. In fact, if Duncan D. Hunter (the younger) is elected to Congress, he will be the first Iraq war veteran in Congress. Let's help him keep his father's Congressional seat and serve our country in Congress as well as he has served it on the battlefield. You can visit his campaign website at: HunterForCongress.com

Russia Parades Nukes on Red Square - Today, 2008

2008-05-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

For a second, I thought I was reading a story about the history of the Soviet Union. But then, I realized quickly that this happened today - Russia! If you don't believe me, see the pictures for yourself: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080509113625.2fytcrew&show_article=1

What else is "new" in Russia? Well, President Dmitry Medvedev just took office, following in the footsteps of "Czar" Vladimir Putin. It looks like Medvedev is getting off to a fiery start, showcasing Russia's military might, just like they did in their "glory" days. Yikes.

Big Government Profits Most from Gasoline

2008-05-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Jonathan Williams at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recently wrote an article that I finally picked up and read today, about how "Big Government Profits Most From Gasoline."

Lately, we are all hurting at the pump, and there are many reasons. Everyone is quick to blame the oil companies, especially when reports about their profits come in. In this article, Jonathan points out that "In all the crusading against oil profits, one very important fact is being neglected: The biggest winner from high gasoline prices is none other than government."

"For starters, American motorists pay an average of 47 cents per gallon in state and federal gasoline taxes. If your vehicle uses diesel fuel, you pay more than 53 cents per gallon on average. Taxes on gasoline don't end there. The government collects billions from energy companies in corporate income taxes, off-shore royalties, severance taxes, property taxes, payroll taxes, the list goes on. According to Department of Energy data, from 1977 to 2004, federal and state governments extracted $397 billion by taxing the profits of the largest oil companies and an additional $1.1 trillion in taxes at the pump—that's nearly three times what the oil industry made in profits over that same period."

Wow. If you want relief at the gas pump, stop pointing your fingers to "Big Oil" and start taking a closer look at Uncle Sam.

Dear Mrs. Clinton: Stay in the Race

2008-05-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

In today's "Best of the Web" on the Wall Street Journal's Opinion page, James Taranto wrtes a letter to Hillary Clinton, urging her to stay in the race. "Don't Let it End," he says.

I agree and this article is great, espcially for nuggets of gold like this:

"These chauvinists think that they can "signal, suggest, insinuate or instigate" you out of the race, and that, being a woman, you'll respond to such cajoling. We know you're tougher than that." - James Taranto

The Case for Charter Schools

2008-05-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Will Okun is a Chicago high school teacher whose column about his inner-city school appears regularly in the New York Times. His personal observations about what goes on in an inner-city classroom and school makes a good argument for rescuing those kids who do desire to learn by providing them with other options.

Will's colum can be viewed here and it's well worth the read: http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/the-mire/index.html

He makes the argument for charter schools.

He says: "I do not blame parents for wanting to surround their children with other children and parents who give education top priority. As her teacher, I wish motivated students like Shatara could attend a charter school where her desire would be the norm and not an aberration. At a charter school, Shatara would probably not have to share a classroom with students whose only interest in school is chaos, money and the opposite sex. She would not be surrounded by failing students actively pressuring their classmates to also denounce academic achievement. She would not have to wait in frustration as a teacher explains the coursework to students who are beginning the class five weeks into the ten-week quarter. More importantly, I believe that Shatara would flourish as a student and as a person in an encouraging and hopeful school community that still believes education is the foundation for a successful future."

(emphsasis added)

Planned Parenthood's Racist Genocide Exposed

2008-04-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in this country today. They also get about $300 million of taxpayer money. Their abortion clinics are predominantly located in or near black neighborhoods. 25% of all abortions in America (roughly 1.4 million per year) are performed on black women.

And, the history of Planned Parenthood stems from the early 20th century eugenics movement started by Margaret Sanger, who viewed blacks as an underclass who needed to be eliminated. Today, Sanger's Planned Parenthood are not only continuing to rid our country of black babies, but are more than willing to take targeted donations for this very purpose. Isn't this 2008?

Call your Congressman. Tell them the United States government needs to defund Planned Parenthood.

They are starting to be exposed. View these videos below to check out the situation yourself.

Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eygv8qEkiFE

Fox News Video: Black protestors outside Planned Parenthood clinics

Barack Can't Win the White House

2008-04-23T06:16:00.001-07:00

I never thought I'd like Hillary Clinton this much. But after seeing her competition, Barack Insane Obama, Clinton looks so much better. Part of me is also beginning to think Obama will be "easier to beat" in the general election.

Think about it. He got trounced in both Ohio and Pennsylvania. Trounced. If a Democrat is going to take the White House, they need BOTH of those states. Ohio is a key battleground state, while Pennsylvania is a state that demographically represents the United States with its diverse populations, large cities and small towns.

If Obama has so much momentum WITHIN the Democrat party, if he is the front-runner, why aren't the Democrats of Pennsylvania getting behind him to end this thing and move on to the general election?

I think this primary - which he lost by 10 points - tells us that he can't win the White House. While I'm not the biggest McCain fan, I am more nervous of an Obama presidency. He has proved himself an elitist who disdains people in small towns who "cling to their guns and their religion." He has a crazy anti-American, racist pastor who he calls his spiritual mentor. His wife was only recently able to say she was proud of America "for the first time in [her] adult life." And, at a recent rally, he gave Hillary Clinton "the finger." He doesn't deserve the Presidency, and I think even Democrat voters are starting to realize this. Thus, he doesn't have a chance in the general election.

But, I'm still cheering for Hilllary, to keep chaos alive.

Are babies ever a punishment?

2008-04-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

"I've got two daughters - nine years old and six years old - I'm going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at the age of sixteen." - Barack Obama, March 29, 2008.

Watch the video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eNzmly28Bmg

Brave New World here we come. I cannot believe Obama (or anyone) would think that a woman could ever be "punished" with a baby. PUNISHED. Wasn't there once a day when a baby was WELCOMED into the world, not viewed as a punishment? In fact, I'd argue most still are - and most women are still excited at the prospect of having a baby.

I have been reading the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It takes place 600 years into the future, when a one world government has transformed the world through scientific and psychological engineering. Efficiency, community, solidarity, and the value of the "collective" are all placed as the highest values. People are genetically engineered and conditioned to perform certain jobs and "everyone belongs to everyone."

But half way through the novel, we discover that not the entire world is under control. There is a group of "uncivilized" people. In that part of the world, "the Reservation," our main characters learn that "in the Reservation, children still are born, yes, actually born, revolting as that may seem ..."

There are other places in the novel where one cannot fathom that a child could be "born" for they are all cloned in this future world - all new people come into the world in a highly scientific and programmed way. There are not supposed to be any "unexpected" births, much less pregnancies. Everything is about efficiency and it wouldn't be efficient for women to unexpectedly become pregnant. That would be revolting.

Obama doesn't want his daughters or any women to be "punished by a baby." He seems to already be living in this Brave New World. The question is, will we?

Is Hillary really an Obama girl? New video

2008-03-28T18:57:00.001-07:00

Is Hillary Clinton really an Obama girl? The real Obama girl is back. She tells us that she "was there [with Obama] back in June, when it wasn't the cool thing to do..."

Now, she's back... and she can't believe Hillary is "still in it." Her advice to Hillary: it's time to get out of the race, "maybe you'll be the VP."

Barack: "He's ready... at 3am... steady." She claims Hillary is still in it, because she's "an Obama girl, too." Maybe she is?

Check out the new videos posted by DC Republican. Hey maybe if Obama becomes President, the Obama girl will keep making these videos. She's hot.

Globalist John McCain taking us to the Left

2008-03-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

I will applaud Senator McCain's efforts to want to "repair" America's image abroad and to work more closely with our allies. But, I am distressed that he wants to not lead our "allies," but cater to them .

He seems to already be doing this on global warming. Even his own website touts the fact that John McCain has "been a leader on global warming" and says this is "an issue we can no longer afford to ignore." Thank you, Al Gore, ... uh, I mean, John McCain.

There is more evidence out there that man-made global warming is a hoax. "If" global warming is happening, well, duh. For billions of years, the earth has had cooling trends and warming trends. We might be in a warming trend, but we're not even sure of that. Just 30 years ago, many scientists were warning of "global cooling." If we're going to work with our allies on this, why not the Czech Republic? Their President, Vaclav Klaus, recently gave a speech in New York City about global warming alarmism.

McCain also wants to shut down our base at Guantanamo Bay and remove our enemy combatives from there (to where? U.S. soil?). This would potentially give the enemies we have captured on the battlefield Constitutional rights if they were to be on U.S. soil. From a conservative standpoint, I know this is a debatable question of whether we should be engaging in this action to begin with. But, so far, its working. If we are investing billions of dollars and thousands of lives to fight a "war on terrorism," why would we stop that by shutting down one of the most effective elements of that war? And why would a Presidential candidate state to our enemies that they won't have to be subjected to a particular kind of "torture" - even in an emergency situation? He has removed all forms of "torture" (and this is a loose term) from even being explored. Jack Bauer wouldn't be allowed to save us.

On many things, John McCain doesn't sound much different than the Democrats. Sure, he wants to prosecute the war against Islamic fascism - but how? Sure, he won't raise our taxes or spend as much as the Democrats. But, he still wants to sign global treaties, which in the end will reduce America's sovereignty. And oh yea... then there's the whole immigration debate.

What is a conservative to do? The choices before us don't seem appetizing.

Military Deaths Decreasing Since 1980

2008-03-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

As tragic as the loss of any member of the US Armed Forces is, consider the following statistics:

The annual fatalities of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2006:

1980 .......... 2,392 (Carter Year)
1981 ......... 2,380 (Reagan Year)
1984 ........ 1,999 (Reagan Year)
1988 .......... 1,819 (Reagan Year)
1989 .......... 1,636 (George HW Year)
1990 ......... 1,507 (George HW Year)
1991 .. 1,787 (George HW Year)
1992 .......... 1,293 (George HW Year)
1993 .......... 1,213 ( Clinton Year)
1994 ......... 1,075 ( Clinton Year)
1995 ........ 1,040( Clinton Year)
1996 .......... 974 (Clinton Year)
1997 ............. 817 ( Clinton Year)
1998 ......... 827 ( Clinton Year)
1999 ......... 796 ( Clinton Year)
2000 ......... 758( Clinton Year)
2001 ........... 891 (George W Year)
2002 .......... 999(George W Year)
2003 ........ 1,228 (George W Year)
2004 ........ 1,874 (George W Year)
2005 ........... 1,942 (George W Year)
2006.............. 1,858 (George W Year)
2007...... 1,014 (George W Year)*

*This is an estimate for 2007 based on deaths suffered in Afghanistan and Iraq (numbers could be higher, but we do not yet have a full report for 2007).

Reagan years (1981-1988): 17,201 deaths
George HW Bush years (1989-1992): 6,223 deaths
Clinton years (1993-2000): 7,500 deaths
George W years (2001-2007): 9,806 deaths

The source of these numbers is included in this CRS report to Congress:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf

Is Obama the Messiah? Change you can BELIEVE in?

2008-03-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

There is apparently a whole website devoted to (mocking) the fact that Obama is the Second Coming. (I think it's mocking it). Here it is: http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/

I also found this You Tube clip on the Obama Messiah website that shows images of Obama interspersed with real quotes of what people have said about him. It is set to Depeche Mode's song, "Personal Jesus." Yes folks... it's Barack Obama, "reach out and touch him." http://youtube.com/watch?v=5UhXaE_XL_8

This has to remind us all of the quote by G.K. Chesterton, “When men stop believing in God they don’t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.”

Finally, if Obama is the Messiah, where was he on Easter Sunday? He missed a great sermon by the NEW pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ who continued with more insane comments. You can read more about that story here: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/23/in-eastor-sermon-trinity-united-pastor-compares-rev-wright-to-jesus/

Michele Malkin asked that same question on her blog. Apparently, Obama headed to the beach. The most likely bet was the U.S. Virgin islands. I think Obama wanted to get as far away from Trinity United Church of Christ as he could. Or maybe he just wanted to spend some days in the sand before he continued to launch his messianic mission.

Hope for the Conservative Future

2008-03-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

You know, there seems to be a constant stream of pessimism coming from conservatives all over the country. Sometimes our laments begin to make us sound like liberals. But, for the most part, conservatives have different complaints than liberals do. We constantly think we're "losing." Part of that reasoning is that we look around and we constantly point to examples of cultural decadence. Even me, with all my optimism, sometimes I fall into this camp of pessimism myself.

This week, I was reading the opening preface to Russell Kirk's Prospects for Conservatives and came across a blurb from Kirk where he talked about a time when he conversed privately with President Richard Nixon. It was just a week into the Cambodian campaign and Nixon asked Kirk, concering the possible decadence of American society, "Have we any hope?" Nixon, with more emphasis, repeated the question to Kirk, "Have we any hope?"

Kirk replied that it is a matter of belief. "If most intelligent and energetic people come to believe the prophets of despair, then indeed ruin falls upon a state, for many folk withdraw to hidie-holes, there to conceal themselves from the coming wrath. But if, rather than despairing, people recognize the gravity of social circumstances and hopefully resolve to take arms against a sea of troubles - why, hope breeds hope, and a nation's vitality is renewed."

Kirk then goes on to remind us that every great civilization has periods of decay. But the especially great ones have periods of reinvigoration. "The conservative renewal in the United States is a response to the challenge of adverse circumstances," he says.

I don't know about you, but Kirk's words give me hope and inspiration. We can listen to the doomsdayers (like even Glenn Beck's laments sometimes sounds like) or we can find hope in our faith and in our principles, and go forward with a new call to action to take on those challenges we face. As I went around the country for ISI and as I go around the state of Florida for the James Madison Institute, I certainly find hope in a new generation of young people that are doing just - putting their principles into action - to carry on the traditions handed down to us and apply them to a new age.

(Some of the people reading this right now are some of those very people I am talking about.)

New Poll: McCain could trounce Democrats

2008-03-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

In a new Rasumussen poll released today, it seems that McCain might just trounce either Democrat nominee. It's early and I'm not really a big believer in polls, but this one did catch my attention.

The polls shows John McCain currently leads Barack Obama 49% to 42% and Hillary Clinton 51% to 41% margin - that's double digits. And, as my friend Dustin Hawkins notes, "only a handful of states are even must-watch as most states are fairly predictable. The big ones to watch are: Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania followed by Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The Democratic candidate would realistically need to take 5 of these 7 swing states."

In other words, there are only so many states where the Democrats are even competitive, and this year there may be some that they don't even compete with McCain on. His "maverick" Republicanism may just help defeat the far Left Democrats.

To top this off, McCain hasn't even been in the spotlight lately, as the Democrats continue to feud over race, gender, the contentious convention, the superdelegates, and the possiblity of seating the Florida and Michigan delegates. Even though Rush Limbaugh isn't a fan of John McCain, his "Operation Chaos" is working.

Obama Throws Grandma Under The Bus

2008-03-18T12:59:00.001-07:00

Obama delivered a speech today on race in America. More like "racism" in America. There were certainly some inspiring moments of the speech, but one has to wonder why, if this subject was so important to him, did he not give it earlier? The fact is Obama only gave this speech at this time to try to salvage his campaign from the PR disaster that his pastor Jeremiah Wright created for him.

During the speech, he spoke like a typical liberal - trying to make moral equivalents on a number of items that are not justified. The biggest mistake the speech made, in my opinion, was the way Obama threw his (still living) grandmother under the bus. He morally equated her private statements to him about some less than hostile racist remarks to the very public and very confrontational racist remarks made by Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

James Taranto comments on this further in his article on "Obama and His 'White Grandmother.'"

Is Obama this ambitious to be President that he would throw his grandmother under the bus? Or is he just arrogant?

Mark Sanford: The Conservative Case for McCain

2008-03-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

In the Wall Stree Journal's Opinion page today, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford made "The Conservative Case for John McCain." Sanford is viewed as one of the very top conservative govnernors in America. Some conservatives wish he would have ran for President.

Sanford has long been a supporter of McCain, but as he mentioned, he "sat out the first half, not endorsing a candidate." Now, he says, "we're at halftime; and the question for conservatives is whether to get off the bench for the second half of the game." He's stepping on to the field for McCain and he believes "it's important that conservatives do the same."

There is a wide margin between John McCain and the two Democrat contenders. As Sanford notes, "Hope alone won't carry us through the shadow of debt."

Is this Sanford's bid for a slot on the ticket? I hope John McCain appreciates the sentiments and puts him on. One might say that ticket would be like Reagan-Bush, in reverse order.

Video of Obama's Pastor Gone Wild: "God Damn America"

2008-03-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

It is clear Senator Obama has an association problem with his controversial pastor, Jeremiah Wright. But, not enough has been made of this relationship or of Dr. Wright's views. ABC News clearly documented some of the controversial statements made by Obama's pastor over the years and provides a video clip.

Some might say, this is "irrelevant." Obama isn't saying this, Jeremiah Wright is. What is relevant though is the people a President surrounds himself by. What is relevant is that this is the very church where Obama "got Christianity." What is relevant is this is a pastor that has been so influential on Senator Obama that Obama himself claims that the title of his book, The Audacity of Hope, was taken from a sermon delivered by Jeremiah Wright. What is relevant is this is the pastor who married Obama and his wife and baptized his children. And what is relevant is that despite the exposure of Jeremiah Wright and his controversial sermons and statements, Obama has refused to denounce, but only to say that Wright is like an old uncle who you sometimes disagree with.

Obama needs to diassociate himself from this radical pastor - or decline his bid for the Presidency of these United States. We cannot have a President who is so strongly influenced by a man who says that blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but should proclaim "God damn America."

Democrats Can't Even Get Voting Right

2008-03-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

So, the Democrats screwed up again. Six or nine months ago, we all thought the Democrat primary would be decided by early February. Hillary Clinton would be the presumptive nominee and it would be the Republicans battling it out. But, that didn't happen. And it's all the Democrats fault, and not only because they have a contested battle, but because of how their ideology affected how they organize their voting.

The Democrats set up their primary voting structure based on their "egalitarian" ideology. Their ideology doesn't believe in this representative Republic, but rather in dismantling this Republic and taking us closer to a Direct Democracy, which our nation's founders detested. Our founders learned from the Greeks that direct democracy doesn't work. But, in the Democrat primary, the "party of the people" relies on direct democracy - most of the delegates in each state are apportioned according to the popular vote in that state.

The Republican Party, however, allows each state to either be a "winner take all" delegates or to do as the Democrats do, and apportion delegates according to how many popular votes were won by each candidate. Because so many of the major states, like California and Florida, have a "winner take all" approach, a consensus winner is more likely to be decided earlier. With a wide field of candidates, John McCain racked up more delegates because he won the popular votes of each state and was able to "win" all the delegates. The GOP race is over and McCain moves on with more momentum.

The Democrats also have another problem - unique to 2008. The DNC didn't want Florida and Michigan voting ahead of the February 5 primary. In Florida, where I live, the Florida Democrats didn't have a choice. The Florida legislature is dominated by Republicans and it was the Florida legislature that moved up our state's primary. So, what is a Florida Democrat to do, but go out and vote (in record numbers by the way) on January 29.

Now, being a fan of tradition, I wasn't a fan of moving up our primary earlier, but it is what it is. The national GOP penalized Florida as well - but didn't silence our votes, but rather just discounted some of our delegates. The DNC on the other hand, "silenced" the Florida voters. And, they also silenced the Michigan voters.

Now, this election has gotten close - all because of an incoherent "egalitarian" ideology that goes against our Constitutional form of government, and because some idiotic party officials that run Howard Dean's DNC didn't want to "cave in" to what the Michigan and Florida legislators did when they moved up their primary. Now, they have chaos. And chaos is exactly what you get when you have direct democracy.

Democrats can't even get voting right - why should we trust them to run our government?

Bull fighting's resurgence in Spain

2008-03-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

The glory days of bullfighting are back. This article in Men's Vogue talks about bull fighting's resurgence and about Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, Spain's best new matador, who has "a nasty habit of getting gored."

If you've never seen a bullfight before, I urge you to get to Spain or the Latin American country of your choice and see one. Man versus beast. It just reminds me of Gladiator or something. And when you're at a bullfight, you feel like you've been removed from modern times. It's great.

Senior Obama foreign policy advisor: Barack and Hillary "both not ready to have that 3am phone call."

2008-03-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama's senior foreign policy advisor, Susan Rice, says that both Hillary and her candidate, Barack Obama, are "both not ready to have that 3am phone call." She said this on Tucker Carlson's MSNBC show.

Watch the clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TumIz2bajus&feature=related

Wow. Well, finally a Democrat honest enough to say that they aren't ready to protect America's national security.... or she just realizes McCain is better.

Obama Lied about meeting with Canadian officials

2008-03-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

In debates in Ohio about the future of NAFTA, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama positioned themselves to say that they believed NAFTA (created under Bill Clinton's presidency) had taken away important industrial jobs in places like Ohio. They both further positioned themselves to say, as President, they would "renegotiate" NAFTA. (First of all, that could be an economic disaster, not just for us, but the world, but that's beside the point). World leaders from many other nations took notice and were alarmed by these reports, particularly those in Canada.

In the days following these very public debates, Barack Obama's senior economic advisor met with officials at the Canadian consulate in Chicago to assure them that Obama's comments were just part of the political posturing he needed to do to secure the nomination - a nomination he thought he would have wrapped up by Tuesday night.

Word leaked to the media that Obama's advisor had indeed met with Canadian officials. When that story first leaked, Obama denied it.

But then, the Associated Press obtained a memo from Canadian officials, which confirmed their meeting with Obama's senior economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee.

Obama has portrayed himself as not the "usual" Washington politician. But in fact, he is. He flat out lied to Americans about his campaign's backdoor meetings with foreign officials about a major trade agreement. What else is Obama lying to us about that we haven't yet found out about? Perhaps this news story, which broke heavily in Ohio and Texas earlier this week (yet was largely ignored by the national media) is why those voters decided not to go with Obama.

He isn't the golden boy he has portrayed himself to be. Rather, he is a typical product of the corrupt Chicago political machine - something even Washington (and America) do not need.

Obama can't handle tough questions

2008-03-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post reported this morning about a press conference yesterday in San Antonio, where Obama was hammered with tough questions, that he simply tried to dodge. According to the Post, once those attempts to dodge questions failed, Obama tried another approach: "We're running late," the candidate said, and then he disappeared behind a curtain.

Obama is running away from the truth. It will eventually catch up to him.

The New York Daily News also reported about an Angry Barack bombarded by media. The tougher questions Hillary and other critics of Obama have been asking still have not been answered. We need to keep asking the questions. The truth will come and he will be exposed.

Obama's Terrorist Friends

2008-03-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last week, The Politico reported reported about who Obama reached out to for support when he began his state senate campaign in Illinois in 1995: American terrorists of the infamous group, the Weather Underground.

Bernandine Dohn and William Ayers are just a few of the most influential liberals in Obama's Illinois district. They are notorious and unrepentant about their role in more than 25 bombings that were a "protest" to the Vietnam War. (some "peace" activists)

The question is, who will Obama have in his inner circles, as President of the United States of America? Who will he continue to court for support? Why are these domestic terrorists able to roam freely? And why are they still of influence in the liberal intellectual circles of Chicago?

Movement Conservatives are "two degrees from Francisco"

2007-07-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

On March 13th of this year, Nathanael Blake wrote in his Human Events blog that he proposes "a new parlor game for conservatives: two degrees from Francisco "Cisco" Gonzales, a great fellow who every movement conservative seems to know (and if they don’t, it’s a cert they know someone who does)."

Nathanael mentioned me because of Elizabeth Kantor's citation of me in her "Conservative Book Notes" blog, when she cited a quote of T.S. Eliot that she first heard from me.

I thank Nathanael for his compliments and perhaps keen observation - an observance that even I am starting to take notice of every time I venture into D.C. or attend a conservative conference... Although I am going to start betting that many conservatives could claim the same of our mutual friend, Brendan Steinhauser, of FreedomWorks. Let the vast-right wing conspiracy continue... (vast?)

ABC News: Brownback Quietly Courting Conservatives

2007-07-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

This recent article by ABC News details how the Kansas Senator, Sam Brownback, is sticking to "a well-honed strategy, waging a classic grass-roots campaign away from the glare of the media spotlight by mingling with activists in living rooms, parks and churches. He's made repeated trips from his neighboring state to campaign in Iowa, where he underscores his cultural ties."

Read more about how Brownback may surprise everyone, including the media, in Iowa: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/WireStory?id=3373429&page=1

Also, check out this YouTube video where "Brownback rides in on a tractor" to an Iowa event held in a barn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-13UheKpAA

This conservative is loudly supporting Brownback.

Owen Harries: The Perils of Hegemony

2007-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

This blog is in a series of posts from my readings of THE RIGHT WAR? THE CONSERVATIVE DEBATE ON IRAQ. Please contribute your comments. The following is a discussion of Chapter 10, a republished article by Owen Harries, June 21, 2004, The American Conservative.

When the Cold War ended, the United States found itself as a global hegemon, writes Owen Harries. Throughout history, there have been plenty of regional hegemonies, but "there has never before been one that dominated the whole system."

According to Harries, when hegemons form, normally other "strong states" have typically joined with one another against the prospective hegemon. So his comments beg the question, should the United States be wary of other such powers today joining forces to oppose us as the only global hegemon? History tells us that we should. To strengthen his argument, Harries goes back to Thucydides' discussion of the causes of war between Athens and Sparta. "What made war inevitable," said Thucydides, "was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in the Spartans."

Why the fear? Because unchecked power creates its own motives and sets its own agenda. So, it seems that Harries is saying - through Thucydides - that whether we like it or not, our own power needs to be checked, or others will ally themselves against us through fear and check it in perhaps a more dangerous way.

"America's emergence as a hegemonic power came not by deliberate effort, but inadvertently, by the default of the Soviet Union," Harries reminds us. The U.S. dominates the world economically and militarily, but mostly with "soft power" as a cultural hegemon.

Harries takes a swipe at Charles Krauthammer's suggestion that between the end of the Cold War (roughly 1990) and September 11, 2001, the United States took a ten-year "holiday from history." But Harries reminds us that during the 1990s, U.S. military forces were more active than during any other time since Vietnam - in the Gulf and in Iraq, in Somalia, in Haiti, in Bosnia, in Afghanistan, in Sudan, in Colombia, and in Kosovo. "Far from thinking the United States was on vacation during these years, other countries were increasingly aware of its dominant presence."

Harries then suggests that what he thinks Krauthammer really meant by his notion that the U.S. took a "holiday from history" during these years, was that the U.S., having become the sole remaining superpower, had failed to develop a grand strategy. Most countries might not feel the need for such a thing, but Americans do. We have had the Monroe Doctrine, the Truman Doctrine, and the Reagan Doctrine. While our forces were deployed many times for various operations under George H.W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton, neither administration had outlined any kind of post-Cold War grand strategy doctrine. And, George W. Bush had campaigned against the idea of nation-building. But then 9/11 happened. "How the Bush administration's foreign policy would have developed in the absence of the Sept. 11 attack, we shall never know," writes Harries. "But in an instant the terrorists gave the country the clear purpose it had previously lacked."

The effort that has been pursued since 9/11 has become too ideological for Harries. A global grand strategy to combat the enemy on various battlefields may have been appropriate, but the heavy emphasis on the ideology of spreading democracy has perhaps led us with too high ambitions and goals that are not realistic. The post-9/11, 31-page National Security Strategy of the United States of America was a document that was supposed to outline a "strategy," but as Harries points out, "for a document concerned with strategy, it puts an extremely heavy emphasis on ideology in defining America's purpose."

Harries points out some keys to this new doctrine: (1) it invites a "double standard" mentality, where the U.S. enforces arms control on other nations, but strengthens its own; (2) it abandons the policy of deterrence, which Harries suggests was vital to dealing with the Soviets; (3) it is unilateral in its insistence that "we will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary."

Given the whole history of international politics, Harries points out how foolish it is to think that other nations will be willing to accept the double standard that the U.S. says it must live by. Will other states make the U.S. the exception in all of history simply because we claim to be a "benign hegemon?" Highly doubtful.

So, back to Iraq. Harries does not think our high goals for Iraq will be successful. If it is, the current struggles will be seen as a learning experience and a "breaking-in period" for a revolutionary new doctine. But if this project is not successful, if the U.S. finds that bringing about a decent political order is beyond its capacity - then the limits of U.S. power will be made evident, and the inclination for other powers to resist the U.S. will be greatly strengthened.

In some further arguments about the idea of exporting democracy and nation-building, Harries echoes the conservative comments made by James Kurth. He then points to building economic institutions as a better solution to helping a democracy grow. Military implementation will not be the answer for "democracy cannot be exported ... to be viable, political institutions and political cultures require a long, organic, indigenous growth ..."