Bruce R. Hough

Martin Luther King Day... better than naming a road after him...

2012-01-16T11:08:00.003-07:00

This brief article from the Heritage Foundation demonstrates the right way to build on the King legacy...

Life-Changing Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The greatest tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., is not to name a street in his honor or celebrate a national holiday. It is to recognize and support those who are working to carry out his vision, those who empower those facing the greatest obstacles through personal relationships that restore the fabric of civil society—without the need for federal government intervention.

As former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp once said, “We need an anti-poverty agenda based on democratic capitalism, not socialism and on private ownership, not government control. Our definition of compassion is not how many people live on the government welfare plantation, but how many of our people are liberated from government dependence.”

Among those ranks of individuals who are carrying out Dr. King’s vision are three young men—Curtis Monroe, Michael Toland, and Roger Marshall—who give their time, talents, and earnings from their day jobs serving as coaches and mentors of at-risk youths in the Benning Terrace public housing development in Washington, D.C.

The investment by this trio of volunteers is, in fact, an act of longstanding gratitude and reciprocity. Two of them grew up in Benning Terrace, and their childhood and adolescence was spent in a war-torn environment in which a familiar face would vanish from the neighborhood nearly every other month as the victim of gang violence.

Fifteen years ago, the lives of Monroe and Toland were salvaged and their futures reclaimed when a cadre of friends who called themselves the Alliance of Concerned Men felt called to intervene after the violence reached a shocking climax: The body of a 12-year-old boy who had been shot execution-style was discovered in a frozen ravine.

The members of the Alliance had at one time been involved with crime, drugs, and violence, but each life had been transformed. Because they were familiar with the day-to-day dangers of life in the inner city and were well-versed in the gang subculture, they readily won the youths’ attention and respect. Through meetings at the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, they developed a plan of action. They shared information with grassroots counterparts who had successfully worked with gang members in other parts of the country. They also connected with David Gilmore, the D.C. housing director at the time, who saw the potential of the intervention and offered to provide jobs for youths who would lay down their weapons.

Warring gang members seized the opportunity to exit the cycle of violence and willingly took on jobs ranging from graffiti removal to landscaping and building repairs. The neighborhood was transformed from a wasteland into a thriving community. There was not a single gang-related death for the next 10 years.

Today, Monroe, Toland, and Marshall, who experienced that transformation firsthand, are investing in a third generation of Benning Terrace kids. Their coaching goes far beyond how to pass a football or block a defender, as they serve as moral mentors and confidantes. Their investment is critical for the futures of each of the youths they work with.

These volunteers also hold weekly group counseling sessions. At a recent gathering, seven of eight participants reported that their fathers were in jail. Statistics show that adolescents who do not live in intact families are more likely to engage in crime and delinquent activity and risky behavior and are less likely to succeed in school. But Monroe, Toland, and Marshall have refused to relegate the young people of Benning Terrace to the ranks of a “lost generation.” They are available on a 24/7 basis for kids who are in need, and they serve as surrogate big brothers and dads, taking them out for pizza after their football games and going to their schools to consult with their teachers.

These men are rebuilding civil society, demonstrating the concern and care for individuals at a personal level that is most effective in transforming behavior and meeting people’s needs.

They exhibit the power of presence—a sharp contrast to the impersonal efforts of government programs or over-reliance on curfews and cameras. Part of a nationwide network, these dedicated community leaders are proving that it is possible to counter the odds of poverty and disadvantage. Instead of surrendering young people to another cycle of generational poverty and accompanying government dependency, these community healers are demonstrating a realistic neighborhood-based alternative to government intervention. Policymakers should take note of the innovation and success of grassroots efforts like Benning Terrace in addressing the social breakdown that so often causes poverty, crime, and community devastation.

Their investment is truly a powerful, living, and longlasting tribute to the vision and sacrifice of Dr. King.

Robert L. Woodson, Sr., is the founder and president of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise located in Washington, D.C. The Heritage Foundation works closely with Mr. Woodson and the center on conservative anti-poverty strategy.

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-03T11:59:00.005-07:00

It is our fondest wish that you have had a wonderful holiday season with family, loved ones, and friends. We wish you a New Year of Hope, Love, Charity, and Prosperity.

May we all work hard this year to better our communities and our nation. It is our hope that we may act in a way that brings our nation closer to the will of God and that we may honor Him with the decisions we make this year.

Our very best,

Bruce and Debra Hough

How President Obama Killed Thousands of Jobs

2011-11-14T08:52:00.002-07:00

Below is a brief article by the Heritage Foundation. It is another example of how ridiculous this President is behaving. Private money, funding a private project, producing thousands if not tens of thousands of jobs (especially when you consider the multiplier effect), helping the U.S. energy situation by actually getting oil from a friendly neighbor to the north rather than from our enemies... what is it about this that doesn't make sense? Even the environmental impact study finds no compelling reason to halt this project. So Obama punts... delaying a project that is truly shovel ready and without using OUR money!!! Another reason why Barack Obama must be a one term president. Read below...

If Americans needed any further proof that the Obama Administration is one of the most political on record, or that, for all the recent demagoguing, it really cares only about re-election, not about job creation, then you need look no further than its cynical Keystone XL oil pipeline decision last week.

Over the last several months, radical environmentalists along with Hollywood celebrity activists descended on the White House in protest, urging President Barack Obama to block the construction of the $7 billion pipeline that would bring in more than 700,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada, to the Texas Gulf coast. Last week, they got their wish.

The Obama Administration on Thursday announced that it would delay a decision on the pipeline until after the 2012 election. In siding with his leftist environmentalist, big Hollywood base, President Obama's ambition is nakedly apparent, as is his total disregard for the 14 million unemployed Americans sitting on the sidelines, waiting for Washington to get out of the way so they can get back to work. And it also shows that for him, politics is more important than achieving true energy independence for the United States.

And here's why: The Keystone pipeline would have done what the President's hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus spending failed to do. It would have created thousands of jobs (tens of thousands, by some predictions), while generating $5.2 billion in property tax revenue for Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas. And it would have done it all with private dollars--not taxpayer dollars.

The kicker is that despite all the hoopla from the enviro-celebrity protests, this pipeline should have been anything but controversial, even by the Obama Administration's own findings. Heritage's Nicolas Loris explains:

Radical environmentalists act as if this is the first oil pipeline being built in the United States. We have 50,000 miles of oil pipeline in this country that have provided massive economic benefits with minimal environmental harm.

In short, building the Keystone XL pipeline is nothing new, and it’s one of the most environmentally sensible ways to transport oil. Even the Obama Administration determined it to be safe when the State Department’s recent Environmental Impact Statement found that the pipeline would pose few environmental risks.

Another important point is that even if the Keystone pipeline isn't constructed in the United States, the resource will still be tapped, and it's going to head elsewhere. Heritage's David Kreutzer explains that the development of Canada's oil sands will be slowed (thereby increasing its cost), and it will be diverted to non-U.S. consumers, meaning that the Canadian oil will be shipped across thousands of miles of ocean to Chinese refineries. Kreutzer's admonition to the Obama Administration?

So, block the XL pipeline if you think the environment will be better served by shipping Canadian oil an extra 6,000 miles across the Pacific in oil-consuming super tankers and then refining it in less-regulated Chinese refineries. In addition, be aware that replacing the Canadian oil means the U.S. also must import more oil by tankers, which are less efficient than pipelines.

The facts, though, don't matter to environmentalist activists. They don't matter to certain celebrities, and now they apparently don't matter to the Obama Administration, either. Evidently, neither do jobs or energy independence. Following the President's decision, actor Robert Redford applauded Obama and said, "This is American democracy at its best: a president who listens to the voice of the people and shows the courage to do what's right for the country." No, Mr. Redford, you're wrong. When the President puts his job over those of tens of thousands Americans, that is politics and a presidency at its worst.

Footloose the Movie Starring Julianne Hough

2011-10-13T15:57:00.009-06:00

Okay, Footloose also stars Kenny Wormald as Ren; Dennis Quaid as Reverend Moore; Miles Teller as Willard; Andy McDowell as Ariel's Mom, Vi; Ziah Colon as Rusty etc. But none of them are related to me, so don't you think I should give Julianne top billing? Yeah, I thought so...

Utah made a bid for this film,(I'm sure they wanted to recreate the movie magic of the original film shot in 1984 at the Lehi Roller Mills), and Craig Brewer who directed and lives in Memphis tried to get it made in Memphis… but Georgia just gave away too many incentives. Living in Utah, it would have been fun to have my little girl working in-state for a change.

I was a big fan of the original for all the reasons you might expect..great soundtrack and great dancing. Kevin Bacon was totally awesome and I really liked Dianne Wiest as long-suffering but wise wife of the overbearing Reverend Moore. In the updated film, I liked the fact that the role of Reverend Moore wasn’t as caricatured with Quaid as it was with Lithgoe. It was more about protecting children from harm than over zealous religiosity. Today's version also provided better context to explain the relationship between Ariel and her father.

I actually like Ren's back story in today's film better. It made him more sympathetic and I especially liked the interaction with his uncle played terrifically by Ray McKinnon. (you may remember him as the suitor to George Clooney's wife in "O Brother Where Art Thou", another favorite of mine.) Miles Teller as Willard didn't steal the show, but he delivered a performance that with weaker leads would have overwhelmed them with his appeal. He was great. And can I say that the Teller scene with Ren's nieces is one of the best new scenes in the movie.

When my wife and I saw a sizzle reel of the movie before it was finally edited, we saw the scene where Ren gets off the bus... tosses his duffel over his shoulder, puts on his sunglasses... and immediately knew this kid had his "cool" on. My wife gave a little swoon to confirm that the girls will definitely like this boy. And, oh by the way... he can DANCE! Big Time!

I’ve seen the movie three times (including the premier in L.A.) and every audience (including the usually jaded L.A. crowd) loved it… lots of interaction between the audience and film.

Oh and Julianne? She did make me tear up at least twice in the film… you can probably guess where when you see it. That should say enough about how I felt about her performance. Yes, I am a very proud papa.

Doing a remake is always problematic… but I believe Director/Writer Brewer and Co-Writer (and original author) Dean Pritchord were able to effectively honor the past and still make the new film appropriately contemporary for today’s audience.

I hope you get a chance to see it... I'm going again at a theater near me.

P.S. My boy Derek played Ren on the West End in London and through out Great Britain to rave reviews a few years back... and Julianne's sisters all danced in the country line dance sequence in the movie as well... just look for the blondes!

Obama's Long, Hot Summer

2011-09-07T09:19:00.002-06:00

Now that Labor Day is behind us, the real political season begins for the race to the Presidency. But the summer season has not been kind to President Obama... but actually it wasn't summer's fault, and it wasn't even George Bush's fault... the fault falls squarely on the shoulders of President Obama himself. His failure to face the reality is taking its toll and his once stratospheric popularity is now at ground level... and he is digging himself a hole that he won't be able to get out of if he doesn't make a 180 degree turn in policy. (I'm not holding my breath!)

Rick Wiley the RNC Political Director sent out a memorandum today that illustrates the reality on the ground regarding the President's decline in popularity in critical states that will help determine who will be the next President. Read below, or click the link.

MEMORANDUM
To: Interested Parties
From: Rick Wiley, RNC Political Director
Date: 9/7/11
RE: A Long, Hot Summer

It was a long, hot summer for President Obama, indeed.
Consumer confidence at its lowest point since 2009; a downgrade to the country’s credit rating; volatile markets; zero job growth in August... more than enough reasons to need a vacation, right? After the President’s poorly-received, taxpayer-funded, campaign bus tour through the Midwest, the heat on President Obama was so great that Martha’s Vineyard must have been a tempting destination. (According to a recent survey by Rasmussen Reports, Obama was one of only a third of Americans who took a vacation at all this summer.) Now that the summer is all but over, it might be helpful to point out to the Obama campaign the damage another few months of failed leadership has inflicted on his approval ratings.

Nationally, according to Gallup’s weekly tracking, Obama ended August with only 40% approving of the job he is doing – matching the lowest weekly approval of his Presidency. His job approval among Hispanics, younger voters (age 18-29), and women also matched their lowest levels of his Presidency, and barely a third (35%) of Independents give him a passing grade. Obama’s +8 approval margin at the end of May (50% approve, 42% disapprove) has turned into a -13 disapproval rate at the end of August (40% approve, 53% disapprove) resulting in a slide of 21 points.

The picture is just as bleak in critical presidential battleground states where President Obama’s approval ratings were already in dangerous territory before the summer, and have seen similar slides since then.

 In Michigan, between May 11th and August 16th, Obama’s approval rating slid 20 points from a -1 margin in May to a -21 margin in August.

 In Florida, the President’s approval rating slid 15 points from +8 in May to -7 in August.

 In North Carolina, the President’s approval rating slid 13 points from +5 in May to -8 in mid-July.

 In Pennsylvania, the President’s approval rating slid 11 points from even in May to -11 at the end of July.

 In Ohio, the President’s approval rating slid 8 points between May and July, falling from +4 to -4.

To make matters worse, yesterday Politico reported only 26% of voters in their most recent Battleground Poll said they would “definitely” vote for Obama next year. If the Obama campaign isn’t careful, this long hot summer could turn into a long cold winter. Fortunately, there will be plenty of warm places for the President to take vacations when that time comes.

http://www.gop.com/index.php/S=63a53c4b706338949e13f8dc0cdf7c32/political/comments/a_long_hot_summer/

Age, Mortality, Winning; or, my latest Wake-up Call

2011-07-05T16:23:00.004-06:00

Sam is my 14 year old. He is the real caboose of the family, being 9 years behind his next nearest sibling. Virtually an only child in a family of 10 kids. He has a shock of shockingly red hair, freckles, and a winning smile… but now, his smile isn’t the only thing winning…

It was just a few years ago, that I would beg Sam to go run with me and his mother… “it’s too hard, it isn’t fun… etc.” I “schooled” him on the most basic of exercise activities and would be on my way back from a run when he had given up before even getting halfway…

Yesterday, I was reminded how far he has come in just a few years. He has developed a competitive attitude… he wants to do better than he did last time.

We decided at the last minute to enter the Annual July 4th Park City 5K. We got there just early enough to get our registration completed, pin our numbers on and head right to the starting line… there were about a thousand people there.

I started toward the back of the crowd explaining to Sam that being in the front wave would be counter-productive; everyone gets caught up in the moment and starts out too fast and it ends up being a stampede that I was not interested in participating in. Sam just looked at me and said, “you go ahead and go to the back, I’m staying up front…”. Wow, was that a wake-up call!

I did go to the back… I know my abilities and limitations… besides, I had my Garmin watch and I could time myself without having to be off the line at the beginning. Look, I knew Sam would “school” me time wise, but just that moment, when he asserted his independence (on Independence Day even!) to go out on his own in an event we were doing together (?), was a moment I hadn’t been looking forward to.

Don’t get me wrong, he wanted us to do this event together. He likes it when we play ball, ride, run, swim, lift, golf, water ski, snow ski, etc. together. But now, it became crystal clear that he didn’t need me to do these things with him … or at least he didn’t need me at the same starting or ending point.

And yes, he smoked me… took third in his age group and about 50th overall. Me, like all my athletic pursuits, I have simple goals… Finish, Finish Healthy, and don’t be last in my age group. I made it through each of these (and still managed to finish ahead of nearly half the crowd…).

I’ve known for a long time that he would be taller than me… (all you have to do is look at the length of his toes!) I’ve always known he would someday outperform me in many a physical test of strength, endurance, and ability. I just didn’t know that it would happen so soon, and in so many ways…

Truth is, I’m really proud of him. He hasn’t always displayed the natural gifts that many of his peers were born with, but he has kept after it and is getting better all the time. He is displaying Ambition, Assertiveness, Competitive Spirit, and a desire to do better than he did last time… That was his goal. He is achieving it. That is winning.

Getting better each outing may not be in the cards for me anymore… though I still have a bit of game left in me, but watching him progress makes my feeble attempts well worth it. I think maybe I need and want him to do things with me… For me, having Sam still wanting to do things with me, is me winning; even if it is at a different starting or endpoint.

Independence Day, Not Just the 4th of July...

2011-07-03T20:19:00.004-06:00

I like the 4th of July. I like the flags waving, breakfast in the park, parades, barbecues with the family, and fireworks. Most of all, I like to think about the Independence in Independence Day.

It could just as well been known as Treason Day depending on your perspective and loyalties. Think about it... for the days following Jefferson's delivery of the Declaration of Independence, members of the Continental Congress were in fact meeting to determine if they were to deliver notice to the British Government that they no longer required, needed, or wanted their "services". To do so would require quite simply a rebellion to throw off the British Monarchy and Parliamentary rule that did not recognize the colonists’ rights for self determination. It wasn't that the members of the Continental Congress wanted mob rule, they in fact believed in the rule of law and wanted it equally and fairly applied.

They wanted the independence that was the genesis of the American experiment that began when British and other western European citizens came to America for religious freedom.

Yes, freedom. The ability to choose. The God given spark that gives man the desire to be free; to pursue the principles of life, liberty, and happiness. These were not "rights" given by King George, in fact they are not "given" by any government to the people, they are inherent in each person. God given.

It is instructive to read the entire text of the Declaration of Independence*. First, Jefferson lays out the philosophy underlying the action of rebellion. These opening sentences are among the most important non-scriptural (some may even regard them as scriptural canon) text ever written. It tells the world why man is entitled to freedom.

Only after establishing the premise of man's inherent rights does Jefferson enumerate the many transgressions against the rights of the men and women living in America.

These 56 men risked all they had, including their lives, to sign this document we hold dear; which today we should refer to when we believe government has infringed the sovereignty of the people; a document we should read often and read to our children. (the full text is reprinted below)

I can't help but think about George Washington and the battles that ensued against all odds. His dignity and leadership were profound. McCullough's "1776" is a treatise that inspires the reader in understanding the hardships and impossible situations that the colonists overcame. It is indeed a miracle that the Revolutionary War was successful and opened the way for the world to see how a democratic Republic could and would be successful. It set the stage for dozens of nations to try the "experiment" themselves.

But even so, most of humanity has never lived in a free society, and most do not now. Rebellion and revolution to throw off the shackles of despotism do not usually result in what we have in America.

Though we still live in the freest land on earth we do have elements in our country and government who believe they know better than Jefferson and the other 55 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. Some believe those notions are antiquated and idealistic in the "real world". Some believe that government should "take care of its citizens" and that government extends certain rights and can therefore restrict them as well... Some believe the constitution is not relevant in this age of electronic communication, high technology, and a global society.

I am not one of those. I believe the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are more relevant today than ever before. I believe that when we abandon principles to expediency and security that we lose our soul as a country, leading to a loss of our God given rights. When the people (and the states and local governments) abdicate to the federal government their rights, we are giving away that which we have no right to give away.

I feel blessed during this time of year and am reminded of the sacrifice our forefathers (and mothers, and sisters, and brothers...) have freely given. Our armed forces are unique in the world as a freer of people. We have provided more opportunity for freedom around the world than any military and any people in history. I am proud of them and all they do and I thank them for their service.

There is a song I used to sing as part of musical group I belonged to as a youth (I'm not saying I was good, but I was enthusiastic). I remember the lyric something like this..."Freedom is a word often heard today, but if you want to keep there's a price to pay, for each generation has to win it anew, 'cause it's not something handed down to you. Freedom isn't free. You've got to pay a price; you've got to sacrifice, for your liberty."

I think we are pretty lucky that most of us don't have to make the sacrifice of our armed forces and those who have died to protect us and our freedoms (our lives). But we can sacrifice our time and treasure(our fortunes) to support worthy causes (our sacred honor) that will help us guard against intrusive government and to support those who will represent us to protect the rights with which we are endowed.

Independence Day is more than the 4th of July... for us it is the acknowledgement that we are a free people and individuals endowed with unalienable rights by our creator... life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

(* Yes, I know that a resolution by Richard Henry Lee from Virginia was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 2nd, 1776 stating that, “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states....and that all political connection between them and The State of Great Britain is, and of right ought to be, totally dissolved.” However, it was the Declaration by Jefferson that eloquently established the legal and philosophical reasoning behind the July 2nd Resolution.)

Text of The Declaration of Independence

Adopted in Congress 4 July 1776

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
W hen, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

W e hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy of the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

W e, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levey war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T17:54:00.003-06:00

I am very grateful for my father... Both of them.

My Father in Heaven for sending me here to experience life and to learn to love and obey him. I am grateful that he sent his son to atone for my sins so that I have the opportunity to return to Him. I love my Father in Heaven.

My father on earth will also be my father forever in our eternal family. But our time together here and now is what I am most grateful for. My dad and I did a lot of stuff together when I was growing up. He was a radio announcer so he was involved in a lot of things that allowed him to use his talents behind a microphone... He DJ'd dances, announced triple A baseball, the drag races, hydroplane races, and many a parade. This meant free entry to all kinds of venues for a young kid that had the curiosity and fearlessness to wander those venues in search of adventure and as many discarded beer and pop bottles I could redeem for a hamburger and a 7 Up soda. (my mother would have killed me if I'd had a cola).

I felt like we were buddies doing stuff itogether in a grown up world. I would run errands for the adults working those venues and felt like a contributor when they needed me. But most of the time dad did his thing and I did mine and then we had the drive home to talk about it or when we could do it again.

Dad got roped into teaching a class at Felts field for the local Civil Air Patrol and I signed up as a cadet. There was a lot that I enjoyed about the CAP, but most of all was the ride home when we stopped at the Taco Time for a tostada. (it seemed they were always playing "Judy in Disguise with Glasses" or "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!!!")

We did a lot of other stuff too... working in the yard and garden, water and snow skiing etc. But, in retrospect, the most important thing was, we just did stuff together.

People have called him Bob, Bobby, Bubblehead Bob, or the Voice of North Idaho, but I just call him dad... And, I love my dad, in part im sure because we did stuff together. Happy Dad's Day dad.

"How to Elect a Democrat in Utah" and other remarks by Bruce R. Hough, during today's Utah State Republican Convention

2011-06-18T18:21:00.004-06:00

Good afternoon….

My name is Bruce Hough, and I’m your National Committeeman representing you on the Republican National Committee. I bring you greetings from our Chairman Reince Priebus, who is doing a tireless and outstanding job doing precisely the things that need to be done to make Barack Obama a one term president.

20 years ago, I stood in front of a similar Convention and ended up serving four years as your State Republican Party Chairman. I was 19 when I was elected… okay, it only seemed like I was 19… but the truth be told… it still feels like I’m nineteen when I’m around the energy, passion, and conviction of like minded individuals.

It is Good to be here as a delegate, elected to represent our friends and neighbors at this convention. It is Better to be a Republican Delegate, where I know that on the fundamental issues we are in agreement more often than not; as Republicans we stand for something. But Best of all, we are Americans, gathered together out of a common concern to Protect the Republic, to elect men and women of good character who are capable of representing us. It is America and its constitutional ideals that allow us to freely associate in this good cause and to speak without fear for what we believe. For that I am most grateful.

For those of you who are new to this process and consider yourselves Tea Party activists or 9/12ers, congratulations on becoming engaged in a process that allows you to have a say in the direction of our communities, our state and our Nation. When I became active in politics, yes I actually remember the Goldwater campaign… we weren’t clever enough to have catchy names, but we became known as “movement conservatives” and helped usher in the Reagan era.

But isn’t it interesting that as much as we admire many wonderful but past politicians, that served our country well, that we don’t necessarily agree with everything they said or did. Let’s face it, Adams and Jefferson ran a very nasty campaign… it was just lucky they didn’t have television. The good news of course is that they became friends in their later years.

As much as I love Ronald Reagan, I disagreed with him on granting amnesty to illegal aliens, and now we know how that turned out.

But here is the thing… I agreed with Reagan more than I disagreed with him… and I am forever grateful that he was our president and accomplished the monumental good that occurred under his stewardship.

I disagreed with Bush one on breaking his pledge to not raising taxes. I disagreed with Bush two on Bailouts and the fact that he wouldn’t use a veto pen to help control spending. But I am still grateful that he was president and not Al Gore.
My point is, as former Utah Congressman Jim Hansen used to say, “you don’t shoot a race horse that wins 7 out of ten races…” Maybe your standard is 8 out 10… you need to decide… but let’s be careful to remember all that we do agree on rather than denigrate the character of those who faithfully serve us because we disagree on one or two issues.

Because on any day… I would still rather have a Republican in office who I agree with most of the time than a Democrat that supports the policies of the Democratic Party that are leading this country into an abyss. Yes, I know that some republicans have been participants with the democrats and have contributed to the mess we are in.

Now let me share with you some of my thoughts that should probably be titled, “How to Elect a Democrat in Utah”.

Because we win on the issues, it really comes down to what I call the three Ts.

Tone, Temperament, and Tactics.

The tone we take in our public discourse is telling about ourselves individually and about our party. It is one thing to disagree vehemently on an issue or policy; it is quite another to demonize the person who is expressing their viewpoint on that issue or policy. It gets back to what I learned as a child… the action or behavior or words are what we disagree with and may even condemn as an awful idea or inappropriate behavior; but we treat the person with respect and do not demonize or vilify that person.

A friend of mine just shared a story about his father and an important lesson he learned from him. His father told him that “If you are right, there is no reason to be angry; if you are wrong, you have no right to be angry.”

Our temperament, if angry, can get in the way of communicating our message. It makes it easy for others, including the media, to dismiss us outright if our temperament is always one of anger and who has the loudest voice. Do not confuse passion with anger. I believe that passion will persuade but anger will dissuade anyone from wanting to have a meaningful discourse with us.

Finally Tactics. We only need look at fairly recent history. How in the world did Democrat Bill Orton win a congressional seat in what was arguably the most republican district in the nation? Unfortunately, the tone, temperament and tactics of some in that race were such that the electorate would not return a Republican to a safe Republican seat in Congress. It started with the Republican’s beating each other up so unmercifully that by the time the general election came around and additional negative campaigning continued, the electorate had had it and elected a Democrat.

How did Jim Matheson get elected? Similar story, a very bitter primary. And then, to make matters worse, outside interests came into Utah placed negative advertising against the Democrat and the result? We have had 12 years of Jim Matheson. Outsiders, as good as their intentions are in coming here to “help” us elect good republicans… sometimes just don’t get it. Utah is different than the rest of the country. Hard hitting, personal attack ads that may work in other parts of the country do nothing but hurt our candidates here in Utah.

For me, I would love to see those who feel compelled to insert themselves into Utah’s political process to be for something rather than against something; especially in a primary season. And in both primary and general elections, keep it to the issues; avoid character assassination, or demonizing other candidates.
The success of the Republican Party producing good candidates and winning elections is more important than ever with our country in financial peril and our economy on the edge of the cliff.

We can be successful with the right tone, right temperament, and right tactics… because we are already right on the issues and right to have faith in our constitutional republic, this United States of America, which we hold so dear.

Thank you.

Obama Indicted... by the Numbers

2011-06-03T12:24:00.003-06:00

The economy just isn't getting better... notwithstanding what the new head of the DNC says... sheesh... is she flailing for a response or what... see what I mean on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRPHOT0GHCg&feature=youtu.be

Now, check out the facts below... this is a bigger indictment than today's John Edward's indictment! And, should be a bigger story... but alas, it seems not to the mainstream media.

2002: Last Year The Home Value Index Was As Low As It Is Now. (The Wall Street Journal, 5/31/11)

279: Points The Dow Jones Industrial Average Dropped Yesterday. (Dow Jones, Accessed 6/1/11)

9.1: The percent of unemployment announced everywhere today... yes it's an increase; it's poor job creation in the public sector, only 50,000 versus an expected 150,000.

8: Straight Months Home Prices Have Fallen. (MarketWatch, 5/31/11)

6.9: Points The Institute For Supply Management’s Index Of Manufacturing Fell In May. (The Washington Post, 6/1/11)

3.6: Percent Decrease In Home Prices Over The Last Year. (MarketWatch, 5/31/11)

$1.95: Increase In The Price Of Gas Since Obama Took Office. (Energy Information Administration, Accessed 6/1/11)

1.8: Percent Rate Of Growth For The U.S. Economy, A “Surprisingly Weak” Rate. (The New York Times, 5/31/11)

THEY JOIN THE REST OF THE OBAMA RECORD AND HIS PAINFUL LEGACY OF DEBT, UNEMPLOYMENT AND DESPAIR

$45.9 Trillion: Total Federal Spending Proposed By Obama’s FY2012 Budget Through 2021. (OMB, 2/14/11)

$26.3 Trillion: Projected Federal Debt In 2020 Due To Obama’s Binge Spending. (OMB, 2/14/11)

$14.3 Trillion: Current National Debt. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 06/1/11)

$10.9 Trillion: Amount The Total Gross Federal Debt Will Increase By FY2021 According To Obama’s FY2012 Budget. (OMB, 2/14/11)

$9.5 Trillion: Cumulative Deficits Caused By President Obama’s Proposed Budget, FY2012-2021. (CBO, April 2011)

$6.0 Trillion: Total Interest Payments On The National Debt, FY2012-2021. (CBO, April 2011)

$3.7 Trillion: Amount Added To The National Debt Since Obama Took Office. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 6/1/11)

$2.5 Trillion: True Cost Of ObamaCare Once Fully Implemented. (Sen. Max Baucus, Floor Remarks, 12/2/09)

$1.65 Trillion: Projected Federal Deficit For FY2011 – Will Be The Largest In U.S. History. (OMB, 2/14/11)

$1.42 Trillion: Federal Budget Deficit For FY2009 – Highest In U.S. History. (CBO, 10/7/10)

$1.29 Trillion: Federal Budget Deficit For FY2010 – Second Highest In U.S. History. (CBO, 10/7/10)

$1.14 Trillion: American Debt Held By China. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 6/1/11)

$931 Billion: Net Interest Payment On Our National Debt In 2021 Due To Obama’s Budget. (CBO, April 2011)

$830 Billion: Price Tag Of Obama’s Failed Stimulus. (CBO, 5/25/11)

$575 Billion: Amount Of Medicare Cuts In ObamaCare. (CMS Chief Actuary Richard S. Foster, Memo, 4/22/10)

$569.2 Billion: Amount Of Taxes In ObamaCare. (Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10)

$24 Billion: Stimulus Funds Sent To Tax Cheats. (Government Accountability Office, April 2011)
$16 Billion: Amount Obama Expects To Lost On Auto Bailouts. (Detroit News, 6/1/11)
$2.1 Billion: Amount Treasury Doesn’t Expect To Recover From Chrysler. (The Associated Press, 5/17/10)

44.6 Million: Number Of Americans Receiving Food Stamps. (The Wall Street Journal, 5/31/11)
$18 Million: Cost Of The Stimulus Website Recovery.org. (ABC News’ “The Note“ Blog, 7/8/09)
13.7 Million: Unemployed Americans. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/6/11)

8.6 Million: Americans Working Part-Time For Economic Reasons. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/6/11)

6.5 Million: Number Of Properties Receiving Foreclosure Filings Since Obama Took Office. (RealtyTrac, Accessed 6/1/11)
5.8 Million: Americans Unemployed For Longer Than 27 Weeks. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/6/11)

3.8 Million: Increase In The Number Of People Who Were In Poverty In 2009 Over 2008. (NPR, 9/16/10)

3.1 Million: Number Of Workers Granted Waivers So That ObamaCare Would Not Outlaw Their Health Care Plan. (HHS.gov, Accessed 6/1/11)

1.8 Million: Jobs Lost Since Obama’s Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/1/11)
1.3 Million: Private Sector Jobs Lost Since Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/1/11)

989,000: Americans That Have Given Up Looking For Work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/6/11)

587,000: Avoided Foreclosure ThroughHAMP, Obama Had Promised To Help As Many As Nine Million. (Dow Jones Newswire, 5/6/11; President Obama, Remarks In Mesa, AZ, 2/18/09)

89,000: The Number Of Stimulus Checks Sent To Dead Or Incarcerated People. (The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire" Blog, 10/7/10)

$46,000: Your Share Of The National Debt. (U.S. Treasury Department Accessed 6/1/11; U.S. Census Bureau, Accessed 6/1/11)

38,000: ADP Survey Of Private Sector Jobs Created In May. (NPR, 6/1/11)

23,000: The Number Of Jobs Obama Knew His Drilling Moratorium Would Kill. (The Wall Street Journal, 8/21/10)

3,700: Number Of Tax Deliquents Who Received Stimulus Funds. (Government Accountability Office, April 2011)

2020: Year That Medicare’s Trust Fund Will Be Exhausted. (CBO, March 18, 2011)
1,372: Number Of Waivers Granted To Unions And Businesses So That ObamaCare Would Not Outlaw Their Health Care Plans. (HHS.gov, Accessed 6/1/11)

1,000: Number Of Jobs Obama’s NLRB Is Trying To Kill In South Carolina. (The Denver Post, 5/2/11)

80: Percent Of Small Businesses That Could Be Forced To Change Health Care Plans As A Result Of ObamaCare. (The Washington Post, 6/15/10)
79: Percent Of Stimulus Funds For Wind, Solar And Geothermal Energy Projects That Went To Foreign Firms. (Investigating Reporting Workshop/ABC’s World News Tonight/Watchdog Institute, 2/8/10)

73: Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of Gas Prices. (CNN Poll, 5/24-26/11)

70: Rounds Of Golf Played By President Obama Since Taking Office. (CBS News' Mark Knoller’s Twitter Feed, 5/30/11)

64: Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of The Budget Deficit. (CNN Poll, 5/24-26/11)

58: Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of The Economy. (CNN Poll, 5/24-26/11)

44.8: Top Tax Rate Under By 2014 Under Obama’s FY2012 Budget. (The Washington Post, 5/16/11)

38.3: Average Weeks That It Takes To Find A Job. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/6/11)
37: Percent Of Pre-Existing Home Sales In April That Were Distressed Properties. (San Francisco Chronicle, 5/20/11)

27: Straight Months With Unemployment Rate Above 8 Percent. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/1/11)

15.9: Percent Of Workers Unemployed Or Underemployed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/6/11)

9.1: Current Unemployment Rate. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6/3/11)

$1.95: Increase In The Price Of Gas Since Obama Took Office. (Energy Information Administration, Accessed 6/1/11)

0: Votes Obama’s Budget Received In The Senate. (The Hill, 5/25/11)

0: Other People Obama Will Have Left To Blame For The Failures Of His Economic Policies In 2012. (The American People, 11/6/12)

Thanks to the RNC for putting together most of the extremely well documented info above.

Memorial Day - Rememberance, Honor, Gratitude

2011-05-31T12:42:00.004-06:00

This year, like almost every other year, my wife, mother-in-law, and whoever is still living at home (in this case Sam), and I travel to Nephi and Levan to visit the resting place of several ancestors on my wife's side of the family. My wife's father passed away suddenly a few years back and it is always a day of reflection as to how our lives might be different if he were still with us, especially for his grandson Sam. But, more importantly we have the opportunity to reflect on how he has had an everlasting impact on our lives even though he is not with us in mortality any longer. I asked my wife about what song she would like to hear him sing... his voice was one of his legacies, she didn't hesitate to respond "How Great Thou Art". A reminder that for this brief moment in mortality that we experience, we have the hope of our Savior who prepares the way for us to be together with our families and our Heavenly Father once again.

My father-in-law was a veteran of World War II. He spent time in Europe fighting for man's right to live free. The cemetery in Levan has a beautiful monument to those from that community that made the ultimate sacrifice. It was remarkable how many, literally dozens, from this small community, lost their lives on the battlefields of war.

I am always amazed and humbled by the men and women who are willing to lay down their life for another in the service of our country, our flag, our families, our beliefs. We know of others who will take their own life and the life of others for their beliefs, however misguided. The difference in my mind is that as Americans we give our life for others in these conflicts... we are givers not takers by tradition, by heritage, and by the very design of our American way of life.

My friend Stan Lockhart reminded me of a wonderful Ronald Reagan quote in speaking of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Ronald Reagan said, “It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray haired. But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives- the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for our country, for us. And all we can do is remember.”

Additionally, I hope we remember and revere those who gave of themselves in the service of our country, the wounded of body, mind, and heart and those who come back whole but affected nevertheless by the horrors of battling evil and hatred. We must remember, revere, and be grateful for all who serve.

Bin Laden Dead

2011-05-01T22:25:00.004-06:00

Congratulations to our military and intelligence communities on successfully eliminating Usama Bin Laden as a personal threat to our security. Though this does not end the threat of Al Quaeda he rother extremists from attacking the U.S., it does end an important chapter in bringing to justice he who planned the attack on the U.S. on 9/11. Hopefully, there is some sense of closure for the families of the victims of that horrific day.
.
Congratulations also to the President of the U.S. for authorizing American personnel to carry out this important mission. He gave credit to President Bush for his efforts and I believe gave one of his most objective and content worthy speeches of his tenure. Though the only time I felt he may have been speaking to shore up his political capital was his repeated use of the "I" pronoun in the middle of his remarks. We all know that this was a ten year effort undertaken by professional and career intelligence and military personnel. Nevertheless, congratulations on the stunning result on his watch.

Hopefully, someday, we wil be able to read about one of the most important covert operations in American history. Oh, and can I say how incredibly impressed I am that this has been kept a secret for a full week... That has to be a first.

A Day Late, but then its Never Too Late to Remember

2010-12-08T10:15:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we took time to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor and to thank veterans everywhere for their sacrifice. My wife and I visited Pearl Harbor last January and participated in placing a wreath there. I was excited to see they were updating the visitor's center there as it had not been rejuvenated in many years.

I especially enjoyed speaking with the young seamen and women who piloted our boat to and from the memorial. They were young, intelligent, respectful, and from the heartland of America. They were serving out of choice. I am proud of them, those who sacrificed before them and those who sacrifice now. I especially was cognizant of the fact that those who serve in the military have families who love them and worry for them, and some share in the ultimate sacrifice given by a son or daughter.

My prayers and thoughts are with those that serve and those left behind, even if temporarily.

RNC to Elect New Officers in January 2011

2010-12-07T12:41:00.007-07:00

Every two years, the Republican National Committee (RNC) elects officers to administer the day to day affairs of the party. The RNC has two principle functions, 1st to raise sufficient funds to meet the needs of it's programs to elect Republicans to office each election cycle, and 2nd, to conduct a Presidential Nominating Convention that will effectively showcase its nominee for President of the United States.

The Utah members of the RNC are David Hansen, Utah Republican Party Chairman; Enid Mickleson, National Committeewoman, and Bruce R. Hough, National Committeeman. January 14th will find us in Washington D.C. voting for the new RNC Chairman along with 165 of our RNC colleagues.

Current Chairman Michael Steele has not indicated if he will run for a second term or not. However, in a straw poll held at last Saturday's Utah Republican Party Central Committee, only one member raised their hand when asked if they would support another term by Steele. Everyone else wanted a change in leadership.

Already announced as candidates for the RNC Chairmanship:

Ann Wagner - Former Ambassador to Luxembourg and Missouri State Republican Party Chairman and campaign manager and activist. Wagner successfully chaired the campaign of Senator Elecdt Roy Blount this year. She also served as Co-Chair of the RNC. http://www.annwagner.com/

Saul Anuzis - Former Michigan State Republican Party Chairman, ran for RNC Chair two years ago and was the 4th to drop off the ballot in a 6 person field. Anuzis is known for his porpensity to "tweet" and is new media savvy. A blue collar teamster upbringing, along with his goatee and Harley Davidson adds to his unique persona. http://www.anuzisforchair.com/

Reince Priebus - Current Chairman of the Wisconsin State Republican Party and RNC General Counsel. Priebus enjoyed perhaps the biggest turnaround from a state with mostly Democrats in State and Federal positions to almost all major seats and both houses of the State Legislature converting to Republican. Priebus is highly credited with these major gains including the "early" retirement of Democrat Senator Russ Feingold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kkKjNkThhs

Other potential candidates contemplating a run include:

Maria Cino - A former deputy at the RNC, appointee to the Commerce Department, former CEO of the 1998 Republican National Convetion, and well connected political operative. Cino is generally thought of as a skilled manager.

Gentry Collins - The most recently former Political Director for the RNC who wrote a scathing letter to the Chairman Steele the day Gentry resigned.

There are a few others who have had their name floated, including Former RNC Chairman Mike Duncan who spent the last two years raising money for the Karl Rove Crossroads political organization.

It should be a very interesting few weeks leading up to the election.

Tax Policy is Backwards

2010-12-06T08:38:00.003-07:00

Does anyone beside me find it incredibly disengenous that we are having an argument (dabate) in congress on how long we should keep the "Bush Tax Cuts"?

Please... someone tell me why these cuts are not permanent, thus requiring Congress to vote to actually Raise Taxes if they have the guts to try at some point in the future. It is ridiculous to argue how long a tax cut should last. The only "sunset" provision that should exist is on a tax hike, not a tax cut!

In fact, the best policy would be to have all fees and taxes subject to a sunset provision so that our elected officials would have to justify any reauthorization on each and every fee and tax. We seem to always think that an increase or new fee or tax will somehow be temporary... they never will be unless they have an automatic sunset provision.

For business and individuals to have the confidence to move forward with creating jobs and investing, we need an environment where we have a more predictable tax policy. Putting time limits on tax cuts does no such thing... it simply creates more uncertaintity.

I understand the point of the extension of unemployment benefits in this negotiation, but if you are going to push for a principled agreement, do not sunset cuts, make them permanent. This makes everyone accountable, especially when there is a desire to increase taxes...

No more phony "expiration" of cuts to get a tax increase without a vote.

Women and the Price to Vote

2010-08-24T16:02:00.003-06:00

This was sent to me and I tried posting it well before the election. Somehow it remained in the "draft" stage. It is still worth reading.

This is the story of our Mothers and Grandmothers who lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing
sidewalk traffic.'
(Lucy Burns)
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional
affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with terrible vermin.

(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because -- -why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

(Mrs. Pauline Adams in the prison garb she wore while serving a sixty-day sentence.)

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the poling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

(Miss Edith Ainge, of Jamestown , New York )
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

(Berthe Arnold, CSU graduate)

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, knitting night, quilting night, (girls night), and any where else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

(Conferring over ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution at National Woman's Party headquarters, Jackson Place Washington , D.C. L-R Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, Anita Pollitzer, Alice Paul, Florence Boeckel, Mabel Vernon (standing, right))

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

(Helena Hill Weed, Norwalk , Conn. Serving 3 day sentence in D.C. prison for carrying banner, 'Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.')

History is being made. VOTE

RNC Chooses Tampa for 2012 Presidential Nominating Convention

2010-05-12T20:47:00.003-06:00

The last item of business of the Annual RNC Chairman's meeting in Maryland this week was the decision of the Site Selection Committee to contract with the Host Committee of Tampa, Florida for the 2012 Convention.

Salt Lake City and Phoenix were also in the running but it was always Tampa's to lose. This was their third bid and they had an outstanding host committee headed by Al Austin. I got to meet them when I was the Co-Chair of the Site Selection Committee and am confident that they have all the "juice" to make it happen as a first class event. (Now if everyone will please pray that the Hurricane season arrives very late or not at all during the 2012!!)

Once Salt Lake City became a finalist city I was required to recuse myself from the committee as required by party rules.

Congratulations to everyone on the Salt Lake City Host Committee , polictical, governmental, business, convention and visitors bureau, etc. who participated in making Salt Lake City not only a finalist but a real contender. It was clear that the committees visit to Utah was very successful. It was first time visit for many of the committee and they all came away very impressed and convinced that we had the venues, the convention facilities, arena, and infrastructure to put on an outstanding event. Of course the fact that we hosted the Olympics was one of the biggest selling points as well.

As we all know, to get the Olympics we bid several times. This is really no different. You learn some things going through the process so that should we bid again, we would be even more prepared to host a National Convention (Republcan or Democrat... let's face it... I'd be happy to host the Dems here as well... the color of the money they would spend in our community is the same color as Republican money.)

As Scott Beck, the CEO of Convention and Visitor's Bureau indicated to all of us on the Host Committee from the very beginning, bidding on these large conventions sometimes is a 12 to 20 year process. Many conventions are booked out more than a dozen years in advance so an extended timetable for successfully winning a bid such as this is neither unusual nor discouraging.

The good news? We don't need to raise $40m over the next 2 years to put on the event... the bad news is we don't get $170m in economic benefit dropped into our community.

Again, thanks to everyone's great support from my colleagues Chairman of the Utah GOP Dave Hansen and National Committeewoman Enid Green Micklesen, to Scott Beck and his staff at the CVB, Lane Beattie and Natalie Gochnour and their staff and members who participated in hosting the site selection committee, Gail and Greg Miller for sharing the Jazz with the committee one evening and their help in the bid process, Mayors, Legislative leadership, a great legal team led by Todd Weiler, and Governor Herbert and his staff. It was a great team effort and it was one that was surely acknowleged very favorably by the Site Selection Committee. There were many others from the Downtown Alliance to the Boyer Company who helped put on a great show for this bid and I know I have most certainly forgotton many who participated, but know that you are appreciated and that there was real value in this process.

We are definitely on the radar screen nationally and we can always point to our finalist status among 14 cities who had originally indicated an interest in hosting this event.

Good Luck to Tampa!!

Bennett Out - Bridgewater and Lee in Utah Senate Primary Race

2010-05-09T22:13:00.003-06:00

Just a quick observations about the Utah Republican Party Sate Convention yesterday at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah where Senator Bennett did not make it out of convention to become a nominee for his 4th term in the U.S. Senate.

1-Chairman Dave Hansen and Executive Director Ivan Dubois did a great job in pulling off a nearly flawless convention. They and the other officers, staff and a myriad of volunteers did yeoman's service and should be congratulated.

2-Senator Bennett is a class act and an honorable public servant. He finished with dignity and gave two of the best speeches I've heard him give. He has done a lot for the state and deserves to be remembered for all the good he has done. The next time you see him, thank him for his service regardless of whether you wanted him to return for a 4th term or not. There is an old saying that you don't shoot a race horse that wins 7 out of ten races. In Bennett's case he had a much better record than even that.

He was a victim of a time when there is deep frustration and distrust of the status quo in Washington. I dare say that if a national referendum were held today, and the question presented was "should we retire the entire congress"... the majority of this country would probably vote yes.

(A side note: Bob was also the victim of out of state organizations who appear to relish in proving their "power" by even taking out Republicans... (Bob Bennett is no Arlen Specter for heavens sake!) I wish they would focus the considerable money and media more on the races where they can support a Republican against a Democrat... so that our numbers in the U.S. Senate and House would improve. I'll still take a "moderate" Republican over a "liberal" Democrat any day of the week!)

Bob was also a victim of Utah's unique "qualifying" caucus-convention system for becoming a candidate of the Republican Party. The caucus-convention system .

3-However, the Caucus-Convention system does exactly what it is intended to do. Make politics accessible to the grassroots of society, without regard to station or wealth. Those who care enough to take less than two hours out of an evening to meet with their neighbors to elect one of themselves whom they trust to represent them at the State Convention is a microcosm of our democratic republic.

Those delegates become the best informed people on the planet regarding the people who have decided to "enter the arena" for statewide or federal office.

I still like this system because it affords anyone to "enter the arena" at an equal footing. You don't have to be politically connected, you don't have to be wealthy, and you don't even need to know what you are talking about... but then I'm not sure that's a real qualification for politics anyway... okay I'm kidding... but guess what, if you aren't delivering ideas and something to vote for you will get weeded out quickly by a group of your peers...

The one thing that might change on the caucus-convention system is going back to a 70% (maybe even 75%) threshold for becoming the nominee without going through a primary. When I was chairman in the early 90's we changed the constitution to lower the threshold to 60% from 70%. The reasoning at that time was because the primary was held in September and the party candidates spent the entire summer beating up on each other to their sometimes mutual self-destruction and at considerable expense, all the while the democrats would field one candidate and not have to worry about a primary and could save their reputations and money for the general.

However, with the primary now being held in June, raising the threshold would not be that detrimental. Candidly (of course if you are the candidate yourself you may not agree), a primary can be a healthy thing. And gives all the Republican voters a chance to choose their ultimate nominee. It also can build good name identification and polish the message that needs to be articulated in the General Election.

4. One vote (or a few, or 167) really does make a difference. This was no more apparent than in a couple of multi-county legislative races. In one race, an incumbent was ousted and the challenger avoided a primary by just one vote. In another, an incumbent took second place and made the primary against his newcomer challenger by just one vote.

But the biggie? The big one was in the Senate race. in the first round 3,414 delegates voted.
In the second round with just Bennett, Tim Bridgewater, and Mike Lee left to garner votes, 3,404 delegates voted. Just a fall-off of 10 votes. Those ten voters left but wouldn't have made any difference had they stated but in the third round... wow....

Nearly 4 of 5 votes cast for Bennett went to Bridgewater. (That says something about the animosity felt between the Bennett and Lee Campaigns I suppose.) But 167 delegates failed to vote in the third round and Bridgewater only needed 89 more votes to 60% Lee and thus avoid a primary. If the ratio of vote switchers even stayed the same, i.e. 4 of 5 votes... Bridgewater would have won if those 167 delegates had stayed to vote. Lee can probably thank those 167 for leaving the convention to keep him alive to battle through a primary with Bridgewater.

4. The Washington Post has a hard time getting a story straight sometimes... (maybe often depending on who you speak with !). They claimed in a story today that a video taped message by Senator Jim DeMint (who is a terrific conservative in the U.S. Senate incidently) on behalf of Candidate Lee received a greater ovation than even that of visiting Mitt Romney who was at the convention to show his support for Bennett. (Side Note: Romney of course knew -who didn't?-that Bennett was in considerable trouble and could have avoided the scene altogether. You have to give him props for showing some loyalty to Bennett who was one of the first to encourage Romney on his Presidential bid.)

Romney of course has been extraordinarily popular in the state, receiving a greater than 90% vote in the presidential primary last. When he introduced Bennett, the audience did not give him more than a polite ovation (but remember, 2/3 of the attendees already had decided to vote for someone other than Bennett... what could they do?).

The fact that DeMint's Video Tape message received a loud ovation was nearly entirely due to the fact that the time keeper held up the"Stop" sign indicating that Candidate Lee's time had expired and the dutiful delegates, as they did with everyone who went over their time, burst into boisterous applause as a sign to please stop NOW!

So, please Washington Post, do not equate DeMint's applause volume as much more than a signal to stop... Mitt still has a hugely popular base in Utah, make no mistake about that.

5-A Message to Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee. I know you both. I like you both. You are both good men, with wonderful families. Either of you would make me proud to call you my U.S. Senator.

So don't do stupid stuff... The primary should be between two gentlemen of character and honor. Get beyond the convention. Clean Slate. Do not do anything that will bring dishonor to your family name or to yourself. This is an election. It is important. But it is not worth sullying your reputation or disappointing your family by engaging in aberrant election behavior.

I would not take a lot of advice from outsiders who have other agendas at work. I would turn to your values and beliefs and make sure you measure every piece of advice against those.

Make us proud to be an American, a Utahn, and a Republican.

Best of Luck to You Both.

Get off your Tush and Do Something: The Patriot's Guide

2010-05-04T10:03:00.003-06:00

The Heritage Foundation is a great source of information on policy issues. But the following is a great primer and reminder of what we can actually do right now to make a difference as a citizen. Visit their site for more information at http://www.heritage.org/ . Oh yeah, now GO DO SOMETHING!!!

The Patriot's Guide: What You Can Do for Your Country

Get Involved
Practice the Virtues of Self Governance: 1) Be a responsible citizen; 2) Care for your family; 3) Practice your faith and defend your religious liberty; 4) Join organizations and volunteer in your local community; 5) Start a business and invest in America.

Voice Your Opinion: 1) Vote; 2) Write letters and comment online; 3) Contact your elected officials; 4) Call radio shows; 5) Participate in local town-hall meetings, tea party activism and local assemblies.

Encourage Discussion: 1) Start a blog or Web site; 2) Challenge liberals with fact-based arguments; 3) Encourage the media to represent conservative principles; 4) Encourage candidates and elected representatives to learn more about conservative ideas; 5) Get conservative editorials and letters in your local newspaper; 6) Support teachers, educational programs, and schools that teach the truth about America and its principles.

Spread the Word: 1) Talk to your family and friends; 2) Join social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter; 3) Bring issues you care about to your civic, social, church, or business groups; 4) Celebrate America’s heritage and distribute pocket Constitutions.

Join the Conservative Movement: 1) Support think tanks and institutions fighting for conservative principles and polices; 2) If you are a student, apply for an internship, such as the year-round program at The Heritage Foundation. These programs are designed to foster young leaders and help them grow as part of the larger conservative movement.

Rediscover the Principles of Liberty
We Still Hold These Truths: The future of liberty depends on reclaiming America’s first principles. Read We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future, a powerful overview of those principles—how they developed, what they mean, and the debate over their status today. Get a copy of the study guide that accompanies the book, appropriate for self-study, as a teaching manual or as the basis for a discussion group.
The Heritage Guide to the Constitution: Free citizens must understand the extent of their rights and the constitutional limits on the powers of government. Get The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, an easy to understand line-by-line examination of the Framers’ Constitution and its contemporary meaning.

Reading the Right Books: Keep reading and learning! Reading the Right Books is an annotated bibliography of thoughtful books (on history, politics, literature, economics, statesmanship, religion, public policy, and modern conservative thought) recommended as a guide for intelligent, conservative-minded readers who want to prepare themselves for a public life of thought and action.

Follow the Important Issues of the Day
Stay Informed: 1) Go to Thomas.gov and review pending legislation; 2) Track local issues with organizations such as the American Legislative Exchange Council or the State Policy Network; 3) Follow several organizations on Facebook and Twitter so you can get all sides to every story.
Find the Organization That Is Right For You: There are many conservative organizations out there. Decide what issues matter most to you, and then support the appropriate institution. Check out http://www.policyexperts.org/ to help narrow your search.

Go to Heritage.org: 1) Sign up for the Morning Bell at Foundry.org; 2) The Foundry blog at Heritage promotes conservative policies and principles by marrying the best in public policy research with every day’s current events; 3) Read and share our Fact Sheets, which give overviews of the complex issues of our day; and 4) InsiderOnline.org maintains a searchable database of policy research, publications, and legal actions throughout the nation.

Giving to the RNC is a Good Choice

2010-04-04T23:47:00.006-06:00

The good news is the system worked. That's right it worked. The transparency of what happens to money given to the RNC and expended by the RNC is the sunshine that casts the light of truth on what actually happens. Someone (who was either smart enough - or deviant enough - to know what the Voyeur in West Hollywood was) picked up on a questionable expense. They were able to do that because of transparency.

We ought to applaud the fact that the RNC had a policy forbidding such actions and further did not try to hide, diminish or excuse such a flagrant break with policy. Thank you Chairman Steele for taking swift action and for tasking your staff to further tighten policies to help avoid these incidents from happening again! (had this occurred in another party I'm sure we would have heard something akin to "boys will be boys", blah blah blah... Jay Leno may have had it right when he said, "what do you call republicans that go to strip clubs, (comic timing pause), Democrats!).

The punishment fit the "crime", a staffer who wantonly disobeyed policy and directives was fired when it came to light that she had indeed violated policy and the funds reimbursed are now being repaid to the RNC... Choices have consequences.

So why the moral outrage, the "slashing and burning" of the RNC image and why punish the other employees and members of the RNC, its leadership, and maybe most especially, the candidates who will need the support of the RNC? I suppose the obvious reason is there are many in the media and some political pundits and insiders who will look to any incident and take any opportunity to tear down and denigrate an organzation that has lofty principles, values and ideals. Further, many will delight in it just because it is the RNC. I do understand that when you espouse moral values that you become a target and expectations are higher than if you do not.

But the incident was handled properly by the RNC and I haven't seen any reports from the media who have indicated how effectively the RNC leadership dealt with this aberration of behavior by one of its employees.

Yes, Choices have consequences... but when someone speeds through a school zone, who receives the consequence? The person who broke the rule. Not the legislative body who passed the ordinance, not the police chief who is charged with enforcing the law. When an embezzler is caught, that person is punished, not the other members of the organization. Especially when there are clear rules and policies in place.

Choices have consequences... not giving to the RNC will create consequences indeed. The consequence of not being able to support state and local parties and candidates. Just think of the impact the RNC had on the races in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachussets after they contributed 10's of millions of dollars into those states' races! What candidate and party will be negatively affected if people decide not to give to the RNC because of this incident?

If you want to see a return to a more conservative congress and a nation more grounded in the Constitution, then giving to the RNC is a great way to show your support for those principles. The party has raised record dollars this year and spent record dollars in support of Republican candidates and in support of other Republican Parties and Committees. This is no time to slow the momentum, especially when you consider what is at stake in November.

Celebrating Easter... the Foundation of my Faith

2010-04-04T10:54:00.014-06:00

In this season of rebirth, as buds reappear on the trees after a long winter, and the blades of grass green, and the plants push through the once frozen soil, we are reminded of He who was dead and yet now lives, even Jesus Christ. But this wonderous event of the resurrection was necessarily preceeded by the sacrifice of our Redeemer and as the hymn reflects my own thoughts,

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

that for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To RESCUE a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

that he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt:

such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I iwll praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!" (Charles H. Gabriel 1856-1932)

Know that the promise of the Atonement, begun in Gethsemane and culminating on Golgatha, is for us all, if we will but repent of our transgressions and accept Christ's redeeming power.

It is Christ's suffering that satisfies the law of justice that all sins must be punished, and through his mercy, grace and love, he fulfills that law. How unloving would we be if we allow Him to have suffered on our behalf and having already paid the price, we do nothing? All he asks in return is for us to obey his commandments and repent. By doing so we show our love for all He has done for us and we make effective in our lives His Atonement. This is the road to Eternal Life.

And now on this Easter day we celebrate the gift given to all mankind by the Savior. The Resurrection; the promise that all will live again with a body perfected and immortal.

Knowing that Christ Lives is my testimony. And more, He has provided a way back to live with him and our Father in Heaven through His atoning sacrifice for which "I Stand All Amazed!"

This is my testimony:

"I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives, who once was dead. He lives, my ever living Head. He lives to bless me with his love. he lives to plead for me a bove. he lives my hungry soul to feed. He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply. He lives to guide me with his eye. He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my soul's complaint. He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears. He lives to calm my troubled heart. he lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend. He lives and loves me to the end. He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing. He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath. He lives, and I shall conquer death. He lives my mansion to prepare. He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "Iknow that my Redeemer lives!" He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, sweet the johy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer lives!"

(Text: Samuel Medley, 1738-1799; Music: Lewis D. Edwards, 1858-1921)

Why You Should Give to the RNC

2010-04-02T15:54:00.005-06:00

Okay, we get it. A mid-level staffer decides to use her discretion to approve an expense just under her signing authority of $2000 and reimburses a donor for some after hours decadent entertainment. She was wrong to do it and she paid the price by being terminated, because it flat out violated RNC policy and this employee knew better.

The good news is the system worked. That's right it worked. The transparency of what happens to money given to the RNC and expended by the RNC is the sunshine that casts the light of truth on what actually happens. Someone (who was either smart enough - or deviant enough - to know what the Voyeur in West Hollywood was) picked up on a questionable expense. They were able to do that because of transparency.

We ought to applaud the fact that the RNC had a policy forbidding such actions and further did not try to hide, diminish or excuse such a flagrant break with policy. Thank you Chairman Steele for taking swift action and for tasking your staff to further tighten policies to help avoid these incidents from happening again! (had this occurred in another party I'm sure we would have heard something akin to "boys will be boys", blah blah blah... Jay Leno may have had it right when he said, "what do you call republicans that go to strip clubs, (comic timing pause), Democrats!).

The punishment fit the "crime", a staffer who wantonly disobeyed policy and directives was fired when it came to light that she had indeed violated policy and the funds reimbursed are now being repaid to the RNC... Choices have consequences.

So why the moral outrage, the "slashing and burning" of the RNC image and why punish the other employees and members of the RNC, its leadership, and maybe most especially, the candidates who will need the support of the RNC? I suppose the obvious reason is there are many in the media and some political pundits and insiders who will look to any incident and take any opportunity to tear down and denigrate an organzation that has lofty principles, values and ideals. Further, many will delight in it just because it is the RNC. I do understand that when you espouse moral values that you become a target and expectations are higher than if you do not.

But the incident was handled properly by the RNC and I haven't seen any reports from the media who have indicated how effectively the RNC leadership dealt with this aberration of behavior by one of its employees.

Yes, Choices have consequences... but when someone speeds through a school zone, who receives the consequence? The person who broke the rule. Not the legislative body who passed the ordinance, not the police chief who is charged with enforcing the law. When an embezzler is caught, that person is punished, not the other members of the organization. Especially when there are clear rules and policies in place.

Choices have consequences... not giving to the RNC will create consequences indeed. The consequence of not being able to support state and local parties and candidates. Just think of the impact the RNC had on the races in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachussets after they contributed 10's of millions of dollars into those states' races! What candidate and party will be negatively affected if people decide not to give to the RNC because of this incident?

If you want to see a return to a more conservative congress and a nation more grounded in the Constitution, then giving to the RNC is a great way to show your support for those principles. The party has raised record dollars this year and spent record dollars in support of Republican candidates and in support of other Republican Parties and Committees. This is no time to slow the momentum, especially when you consider what is at stake in November.

Oh Yeah, Mr. President... Do You Remember We are in a War Against Terrorists?

2010-01-29T01:42:00.004-07:00

President Obama's State of the Union was basically devoid of any mention of the terrorist threats and declarations of war against the United States. After the Christmas Day Underwear Bomber I would have thought that we might get an update on how the President is actually doing something that is in his job description, i.e.; provide for the common defense/protect the United States and its citizens against enemies from without and within. But for some reason... it didn't make the cut with him or his speech writers...

But criticizing the Supreme Court when they actually overturn bad court decisions and legislation and return free speech rights to the citizens of this country was more important? The President and New York Senator Chuck Schumer are cut from the same cloth on this one... not only was his snipe at the court unprecedented (we have to go back to FDR when he wanted to stack the court to see such disdain from the president towards the highest court of the land). Of course Schumer thinks the court decision to return 1st Amendment rights to the people is "unAmerican". Man alive, what is he smoking, drinking, or hallucinating on?

But I digress... what about the terrorists!!! Oh yeah, we are going to move them out of Gitmo (not actually located inside the boundaries of our country!) and give them safe haven in New York City, pay to give them legal counsel and create a media circus instead of treating them like the military combatants they really are... these guys did not rob a 7-11 convenience store. They want to crash planes into buildings, blow up planes and buildings, kill as many of our citizens as they can and create mayhem to our economic and social systems. What is it about these terrorists and their intentions doesn't the President understand. I'm sure Mayor Bloomberg is excited about the economic impact on his city by holding this sham trial in New York City, let alone the potential threats to the safety of the burroughs and citizens.

The fact is... Obama doesn't get it. His arrogance, palpable to most of us who watch him perform with his beloved teleprompter, is obvious to everyone but himself apparently.

State of the Union - Obama Still Doesn't Get It

2010-01-27T20:40:00.003-07:00

People aren't mad at government because Obama failed to communicate effectively how good his policies are... People are mad at government precisely because Obama, Pelosi and Reid have clearly communicated their liberal progressive agenda. They have made it clear that they believe Government is the answer, the solution, the panacea. Even though the President paid lip service to things that we can all agree on (like getting together and listening to alternatives), he has done that before and unfortunately completely ignored his promises for bipartisanship and transparency. Fool me once, shame on me; Fool me twice shame on you! I'm not sure the people will buy his aw shucks routine tonight.

And pulease... when he talks about how we "can't wait" to do certain things to shore up our economy... why the heck didn't he talk about getting busy on building real energy independence by increasing production and refining capability for oil, gas, and coal. That would do more to bolster the economy and lead to a stronger national defense. But no... he was very weak on energy notwithstanding his mention of nuclear (like that will ever happen while the democrats are in power). As all the Democrats have been.

Props to the president about disclosing on-line all earmarks. If he gets it done, I'll give him the credit. Now, rather than disclosing earmarks... why not just get rid of them.

Newly inaugurated Virginia Governor McDonald did a terrific job giving the Republican response (Sorry Governor Jindal... he put your performance of last year to shame).

He hit on the key issues and reiterated the key points that distinguish the Republican philosophy of job creation and energy independence. Good Job!

Political Litmus Tests are a Bad Idea, Unless You're Acidic!

2010-01-27T19:28:00.002-07:00

On the heels of some unbelievable election success by Republicans over the last several months, including the Governorships of New Jersey, Virginia and the earth tremor election for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts (I think the tremor was Kennedy rolling over in his “resting place”), there are those within the RNC that propose establishing a “qualifications list” of ten issues (referred to as the “Reagan Unity Principle”) for Republican candidates seeking financial support from the RNC.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love for every candidate running as a Republican to agree with me on every issue! I too am frustrated with Republicans in Name Only, who do not vote and act in accordance with our values and ideals. With two faced politicians who say one thing at home and act the opposite in office.

Do I agree with the ten issues written into a resolution for our vote this week? Sure… at least I think I do… but what would someone else think about my stand on those issues? How would they determine what I truly believe?

You see, even though there is general agreement that these issues are important and even fundamental to the Republican Party, (all of which can be found in some form in the excellent National Republican Party Platform), and though the practice of deciding who has adhered to or believes in these principles as a condition of RNC financial assistance sounds good in theory, in practice it is a disaster waiting to happen.

I believe the discussion of these issues are important, they are the soul of the party, it’s what we believe, its why people affiliate together with like minded people who share the same values. My hat is off to those who propose this resolution because it means that people within the party are interested in the fundamentals of our ideology and after all, what we believe is what separates us from the other guys. It’s why we are Republicans.

Here is the problem, a litmus test (and make no mistake, this resolution is a litmus test) by definition is an empirical test. Litmus paper is dipped into a solution to test the acidity or alkalinity of the solution. You can determine whether the solution is acid or alkaline and even determine how acidic or alkaline the solution is. Simple. Empirical.

Unfortunately, people don’t work that way, (Though if we could test a candidate’s acidity it might help us to avoid electing some bad apples!). You can’t dip a list of issues into the heart and soul of a candidate (not even a voting record or list of policy statements) and empirically determine the candidate’s relative conservativeness or how they will vote. Though past actions and statements may be an indicator of a person’s character it is no guarantee of future performance. (I really wanted to use the analogy of dipping a candidate into a list of issues – visually it makes a better picture – but the analogy wouldn’t have been as consistent.)

Problem #1: Arbitrary Standard
The resolution requires that a candidate comply with 8 out of 10 of the enumerated issues. Why eight? When I went to school 7 out of 10 was a passing grade. Why not 6 of 10? At least the candidate agrees with most of the issues. Why not 10 out of 10? Shouldn’t we want the purest of the pure represent us? The fact is 8 of 10 is an arbitrary number that cannot be justified universally or empirically.

Problem #2: Weighted Average
To be totally fair, shouldn’t we weight each of the 10 issues? Surely, each of the issues does not have the same level importance to each person in the party. In fact, I would dare say there are members of the committee and other good Republicans that could allow for less than 8 out 10 issues as long as it wasn’t one of their “sacred cows”, such as abortion.

Problem #3: Judge vs. Judgment
On these 10 issues, there are shades of agreement. What if the candidate says he is anti-abortion, but also believes that abortion should be allowed in the case of rape or incest? Does the candidate qualify? What if they also believe it is permissible under cases of grave fetal deformity or the health or life of the mother? Who decides what does and does not comply with the issue of sanctity of life for each candidate?

What about immigration? What if the candidate believes in controlling the border but also thinks there needs to be a guest worker program? Who decides what nuance and what sub-topic qualifies or disqualifies a candidate? The answer is and should be the constituents who elect them. The voter is the judge when it comes to candidates. Only they individually and collectively can “cast the first stone” or “forgive” the lack of purity of a candidate, because that is what they are tasked to do.

Asking the RNC Chairman to specifically apply an arbitrary litmus test to candidates sets him up to be unduly criticized by those looking for an excuse to do so and does not allow him to exercise his judgment, which is what we elect our chairman to do. Good judgment is the wise use of all available information in making a decision. The chairman, with his team, should be able to determine, based on all the facts on the ground, who should receive resources the party has acquired; resources obtained for the express purpose of electing Republicans.

Problem #4: Sacrifice Good
Would we prefer to give away an election to a bona fide Pelosi/Reid liberal because we are not willing to support a good Republican that “qualifies” on only 7 of 10 issues? That would be ridiculous. Of course I would want to elect that candidate over a liberal Democrat. Does it bother me that a Republican candidate does not agree with me on 10 out of 10 issues? Not if the opposition to our candidate agrees with me on 0 out 10 issues! (Which are mostly liberal, progressive, Democrats!) Come on folks, I don’t want to shoot the race horse that wins a majority of his races. Neither do we want to give away seats to those who would by philosophy enlarge government and inject it more into our lives. We call them Democrats, liberals, and progressives. As my momma used to say, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face!” This resolution if established as policy would do just that.

Bottom-line… don’t tie the Chairman’s hands, don’t create new opportunities for discord, and don’t establish a litmus test. And, do what Ronald Reagan really preached in his eleventh commandment, “thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican”, (at least not to the media).

Wall Stree Journal Editorial on RNC Litmus Test Proposal

2010-01-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808904575025280510237178.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

Wall Street Journal
Review and Outlook

A Small GOP
Litmus tests are for minority parties.
Scott Brown's Massachusetts upset shows that Americans want an alternative to a liberal Democratic majority, but some Republicans are still intent on reminding voters what they don't like about the GOP.
The Republican National Committee holds its winter meeting in Hawaii this week, and party activists may offer a resolution imposing a litmus test on GOP candidates. The brainchild of Indiana lawyer James Bopp Jr.—who has done yeoman work fighting campaign-finance limits—the resolution would bar RNC support or cash to any candidate who agrees with fewer than eight of 10 conservative principles.
The litmus list includes: support for smaller government and lower taxes, troop surges in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense of Marriage Act, containing Iran and North Korea, and gun rights; as well as opposition to ObamaCare, cap-and-trade legislation, "amnesty" for immigrants, union card check and government-funded abortion. We're not sure Mr. Brown would have made this cut.
Supporters call this "Reagan's Unity Principle," but that's unfair to the Gipper. If the elections in Massachusetts and 2006 and 2008 showed anything, it's that Republicans can't win with their base alone. They need independent voters. Those independents don't want to be told that every GOP candidate must first bow to big-shot party vetters.
President Obama's agenda has alienated enough independents that Republicans have the opportunity to compete again in New England, the Upper Midwest and even parts of the Pacific Coast. The National Republican Congressional Committee is vowing to field a candidate in all 435 House districts. Yet the party will be wasting money and credibility if it intends to make candidates in Illinois or Oregon meet a test crafted by Republicans who can win in South Carolina.
The better route is the pragmatism the GOP showed in uniting behind Mr. Brown. The Massachusetts Republican is a fiscal conservative, but his more moderate cultural views made it difficult for Democrats to define him as out of step with most Bay State voters. Mr. Brown's promise to be an independent voice for his state was crucial to giving Republicans their 41st Senate vote.
The purity resolution got rolling last fall, amid tea-party activism and discontent over the GOP's handling of an upstate New York special Congressional election. The party's mistake in that case was its backroom nomination of the liberal Dede Scozzafava without holding a primary.
Any party needs principles, and the failure to live up to those principles cost the GOP control of Congress in 2006. But imposing a litmus test is itself an act of elitism that will make it harder for candidates to forge a winning coalition. Let the candidates sort out their disputes in vigorous primary campaigns.
For example, GOP Representative Mark Kirk's vote last year for cap and trade may hurt him with some voters in the looming Illinois Senate primary, but other voters may put a higher priority on taxes or health care. A 10-point list gives no room for such priority setting or the electoral context. It also reminds voters of the unattractive cast-the-first-stone side of the party's personality.
RNC Chairman Michael Steele has remained publicly neutral on the litmus list, though it clashes with his promise to "listen" to voters and to court independents and Democrats. The 168 RNC members should keep in mind that litmus tests are for losers.

The Irony of the Scott Brown Win

2010-01-19T22:28:00.004-07:00

Scott Brown's upset victory tonight, winning the U.S. Senate Seat in Massachusetts (did I spell that right?) caps off a great season of Republican victories following the governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey. The fact that Brown convincingly defeated the "machine" in a state that has had a Kennedy in office for a half century does not occur without my feeling a strong sense of irony.

By becoming the 41st Republican Senator and thereby giving Republicans a chance for debate on the issues before the Senate, it is very possible that Obamacare will actually be debated and see the light of day before a final vote.

The Irony is that Senator Ted Kennedy, a tireless advocate of big government and a champion of universal health care, whose very name adorns the current legislation, may have, by his passing, created the only opportunity that Republicans have to stop the madness that is the current road toward nationalized health care.

The more Americans know about this proposed legislation, the more clear it is that we need to abandon the overreaching of this currently progressive liberal congress. Come on, seriously... 85% of Americans have health insurance and after a plan that costs trillions of dollars, there will still be 12.5% of Americans still uninsured! Are you kidding? Don't change what is good and works just to insure 2.5% of the population. That is ridiculous.

We have choices. Massachusetts made a great choice tonight. Let's hope that it is the beginning of more good choices to come. To quote Scott Brown, "We can do better"... and not just by electing Republicans over Democrats, but by electing better candidates overall. Candidates who will live, act, and vote in accordance with the principles our founding fathers enumerated in the constitution and who have read and support the Republican Platform.

The legacy of Ted Kennedy may have been written tonight with the election of Scott Brown, not how Kennedy would have wished it written of course... and that my friends, is irony indeed.

Criticisms of Steele Seem Disingenuous

2010-01-14T11:14:00.004-07:00

See the article below for a blow by blow of the criticisms being leveled at GOP Chairman Michael Steele published in the www.Politico.com . But allow me to comment on one of the most ridiculous criticisms mentioned.

Steele is being vilified by some because in response to a question by talk show host Sean Hannity as to whether Republicans would take back the house during the mid-term, Steele demurred by indicating that it might not happen. He went on to say what Republicans need to do to make it happen, but rightly pointed out the squandered opportunity Republicans had when we controlled the house.

Not being a betting man, I would still bet that the same people criticizing Steele for not raising his fist and declaring that we would win the house in 2010 would be the same people who would have condemned Steele for having the lack of professional humility to actually assert such a success could happen and how dare he improperly set expectations! It's one thing to deal with a hostile media and with a progressive democrat party. But, folks, come on... let's stop the nonsense of criticizing our own to the media just because your horse didn't win.

Maybe its time to give the winning horse the benefit of the doubt and start betting on the winner. Dang, I'm not really a betting man, but if I were...

GOP losers target
Michael Steele
By SHAWN STEEL 1/14/10 10:11 AM EST

Shawn Steel points out that Michael Steele racked up zero debt and raised more than $80 million, outperforming Obama's Democratic National Committee. Photo: AP http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31460.html#ixzz0cc1T7bWL

After Republicans won two major governorships on his watch, you would think RNC Chairman Michael Steele would be quite popular with the Washington GOP. In fact, 2009 was the best year for the RNC since 1993 to 1994, the early years of Chairman Haley Barbour’s era.

Moreover, Steele racked up zero debt and raised more than $80 million, outperforming Obama’s Democratic National Committee. Steele fired much of the RNC’s dead wood, recipients of too-costly benefits packages.
So what’s the fuss about?

There are essentially three areas of attack.
Steele was widely quoted suggesting in an interview with Sean Hannity that Republicans would not take back the House in this year’s midterm elections. But later in the interview, Steele explained that Republicans need to act like conservatives to secure the House.

Conservatives don’t trust House Republicans. During the Bush years, House Republicans voted like drunken sailors for more government growth and a historically high level of earmarks. Then they promptly lost control of the House. Conservative estrangement played an important role in this, which Steele emphasized in the Hannity interview. As Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said after the 2006 elections, Republicans lost the election because they lost their way.
Since starting as chairman a year ago, Steele has traveled to more states and communities than most Republican leaders do in a lifetime. He meets with donors and speaks to inner-city ministers. He effortlessly glides from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to Republican Women Federated. No previous chairman has done this. Steele is a national figure, appearing regularly on TV and conservative talk radio.

Then Steele is hit for writing a book, “Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda.” Perhaps the critics ought to read his book before forming an opinion. Leaders write books about what they believe; this is part of winning elections.

Finally, Michael Steele was criticized for accepting speaking fees. Republicans understand that effective CEOs often have outside incomes. CEOs also write books and get paid for speaking engagements and serving on boards.
Steele’s critics fall roughly into three categories. The first group is the RNC dissident losers. Last year’s RNC battle for chairman was tough but historic. The dinosaur RNC ghosts, who once dominated key RNC committees, controlled the agenda and enjoyed exclusive invititations to private parties in the Bush White House, were isolated. There are about a half-dozen left; some have served on the RNC for more than 20 years. Today, they have little, if any, influence.
The second group is made up of Republican D.C. vendors, anyone considered to be “professional” in politics. During the Bush go-go years, the RNC paid millions to carefully favored vendors. The howling you hear is the groans of those who no longer receive unearned no-bid contracts. They don’t like the new sheriff.

Both the RNC ghosts and the aggrieved vendors were active participants in the RNC for a long time. They are unhappy. They dine in the best restaurants, and that’s where they meet with the third class. When disappointed party losers have a grudge, they share it with the press. The mainstream media locusts have a field day seizing an opportunity of showing “major” Republican divisions. The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and “MSMBC” have turned on all spigots in attempts to shut down Steele.

It is the old Washingtonitis syndrome: If you lose your influence, attack the person on top. Most conservatives trust Steele. His wins in New Jersey and Virginia, along with the $80 million raised, fortify his success. With the upcoming RNC winter meeting, Steele is more popular than ever.
Shawn Steel is California Republican Party national committeeman to the RNC. He is a former chairman of the California Republican Party.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31460.html#ixzz0cc1GMZwM

Shawn Steel is California Republican Party national committeeman to the RNC. He is a former chairman of the California Republican Party.
© 2009 Capitol News Company, LLC

My Holiday Greeting and Message

2009-12-27T22:29:00.008-07:00

Sam (pictured above) is the caboose that makes our house seem like it’s full of children even though he is the last one living at home, he’s enjoying lacrosse and cello. Hailey is studying speech pathology at Brigham Young University; Julianne is doing movies and music; Derek has been making music and dancing and has some other entertainment options coming up; Ainsley and Terence with little Evelyn (now a year old) are living and working in New Orleans; Katherine is getting married January 3rd to Tony Phillips, a Nashville musician; Marabeth, Michael and Aidan are in Nashville, running day spas and writing music and chasing Aidan; Riley, DeDe, Griffin and Max are in Bountiful, UT and doing great (we love having grandkids nearby!); Blake and Shante’ spent 8 months in Israel and are now back in Lehi, Ut; and Sharee, Randall, Paris, Willow, Skye, Star, and Bronson moved this year from Coeur d’Alene, ID to Ogden, UT (did I mention that we love having grandkids nearby!!).

Notwithstanding Santa, also pictured above, and all he represents with the spirit of giving, I have had some thoughts about the season I’d like to share with you.

One of the fundamental things about Christmas that seems to get lost in all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday is what the birth of the Savior of the World really means. We rightfully focus on the nativity, which is of course not only one of the great stories of all time but one of the greatest events of all time. But it is only the “beginning” of why we should celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Even the life of Christ, he who lived perfectly as no mortal man could; and who healed the sick and raised the dead and performed many miracles; and taught the multitude the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor, is only part of how we should remember this season. Even his physical death and resurrection, which guarantees all mankind immortality, should not finish our thoughts of Christ in this season.

At this time of year, it seems most fitting to remember the greatest gift Christ gives us, the gift of renewal, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of a redeeming love that allows us, as we repent, to start anew, fresh and clean as the new fallen snow, that many of us enjoy this time of year. Because it is the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that allows us to begin again, to strive to do better, and to know that Christ himself will make up the difference to justify us before God. His Grace and His Mercy Saves Us and Redeems Us.

When we begin a New Year, it seems most appropriate to acknowledge Jesus Christ as He, through his mercy and grace, allows us to begin again, to live the life he would have us live, knowing that only he can fill the gap between what we can do and what God demands.

Many of you who are my friends do not share my faith in Jesus Christ. I respect and admire all who worship according to the dictates of their own heart. Even so, I want you to know that I believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and that by living as he has taught, I hope I can become a more worthy friend to you as well.

My wish is for all of us to have a wonderful New Year and that we and our families may be enriched in association with one another.

May God Bless You,
Bruce R. Hough

RNC Chairman Michael Steele Visits Utah

2009-10-19T20:59:00.005-06:00

Michael Steele visited Utah this past week for a luncheon and a town hall styled meeting with Utah's Governor Gary Herbert. Steele has an easy familial style as he talks about the importance of focusing on what Republicans have in common versus what some in the party tend to do (to the delight of those outside of the party) in focusing on our differences. Though some may think Steele started out a little rocky when he was first elected (including himself) as he spoke to the media like he used to speak as a candidate and a commentator...

He has already come a long way in representing the party effectively in many ways.

First, he has done a good job of administratively organizing the party's staff and filling key positions, some of whom are highly talented people that have not been that involved in organized party politics.

Second, fundraising has been terrific. He has utilized the technology and the issues to make the RNC first rate as a fundraising enterprise, which is a primary responsibility of a political party.

Third, he has not shyed away from the hard job of speaking out on issues that are fundamental to the party and at the same time not cowtow to the elected party leaders in the U.S. Congress. Though we want a cooperative and "simpatico" relationship with our representatives and senators, we cannot abrogate our responsibility as the party when they do not fulfill their commitments to their constituents and to the members of their own party. Steele has stood up and on the ideological right ground.

Finally, he has a sense of humor. Politics can be humorless at times, especially in such serious times. Not taking yourself so serious and being able to appropriately add humor to serious subjects of discussion is a gift not found often in political circles. It adds to the communications process and afterall, the chairman is our chief communicator for the party.

Mr. Chairman, thanks for stopping in Utah for a chance to see you in action on the ground and to help out the local party as we begin the process of preparing for the 2010 elections.

Obama's Speech to Kids: You Shouldn't be Worried

2009-09-08T06:51:00.003-06:00

The fact that the President of the United States is making a speech directly to and directed at secondary and high school students is not something we should be too worried about. Afterall, do we think that he can deliver a message in 18 minutes that will forever negatively influence our children for the rest of their lives? If so, we are doing a pretty crummy job as parents.

First of all, it is the President speaking, not just Mr. Obama. This should be a memorable experience for children to have the President of the United States directly address them, and yes remember for the rest of their lives.

Second, his message (as published ahead of time... smart move! Just like every other major speech he gives...) is primary directed at not quitting and not quitting school. Seems like a pretty good subject to be addressing.

Third, even if we are afraid that his phenomenoal starlike charisma will transform our students into a left leaning zombies... (like many adults during the last election) then please see my introductory point about being an effective parent.

The thing that is nice about children is their openness to ideas. That means the time they spend at home is an opportunity to hear YOUR ideas. Oh, and that shouldn't be, "Obama is bad don't listen to him..."; but rather take the opportunity to talk about what his policies and behaviors are. You know, like... maybe a lesson on free enterprise rather than government control... the idea that failure is as much a part of life and business cycles as is success.

If you think that is too hard to do, then you have already given up on the future of your children and have already given over to the school system, their friends, and the media the task of educating them. I hope those who will be denying their children the opportunity to hear the President are as "selective" about the TV, magazines, books, video games, music and movies they allow their children to be exposed to. (Maybe I don't...)

If that is too daunting a task to control everything the kids are exposed to... maybe the right thing to do is to talk to our kids about what they are bombarded with and give them our ideas and views on the merits or demerits of those things.

Hmmm... talking with our children, communicating our values and ideas with them... a novel idea indeed.

Obamacare: Don't Worry, We'll Tell You What to Say....

2009-08-30T11:55:00.003-06:00

I've heard of opinion polls, I've heard of push polls, I've heard of negative polls, I've heard of phone calls to encourage you to call your congressman on this subject or another, I've heard alot of different political phone calls, but my wife had a new kind of call.

In this one, a young man indicates that he will connect you immediately by phone to a congressman's office, in this case Congressman Jim Matheson (D) of Utah. That's pretty proactive; I call you and then connect you to the person my group is trying to influence.

Of course they don't just want you to give your opinion on this subject or another, they want you to "recite" their message. In this case the young man (even after my wife indicated she would give her OWN opinion) rehearsed no less than three times, specific points she "needed" to include in her message to Congressman Matheson. "You need to say this and then you need to say this and be sure to end by saying this...". Pretty nice of him to make sure my wife had the opportunity to memorize their script.

In fact there were three specific points on why the congressman should support the health care legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, and according to the young man, the congressman needed to hear all three reasons. He repeated what and how she should say it when they would finally be connected to the congressman's office. He was even kind of enough to "stay on the line to make sure you are properly connected...". How sweet.

My wife was connected to the congressman's office, got the voice mail and left her message... oh, did I say she left "her" message? That's right. She has a brain, she has an opinion and she didn't need (or even agree with)the script she was being spoon fed. But thanks for making the call, at least the congressman has someone's independent opinion that may not have reached the congressman's voice mail without the help of that nice young man.

Blame the Republicans for Low Voter Turnout, please… and then, let’s educate citizens.

2009-07-24T00:22:00.002-06:00

The Davidson – Bernick story in Tuesday’s July 21st Deseret News entitled, “Utah next to last in voter turnout”, provided Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen an opportunity to blame Republicans for low voter turnout. She may be right, but not for the reasons she states.

Swensen asserts that low voter turnout is due to her notion that, “the Legislature has made it more inconvenient to register to vote." I’m sure Democrat Swensen has some great anecdotal stories to back this up, but I’m equally sure that this assertion is not the primary cause of low voter turnout.

To blame Republicans for low voter turnout may, however, contain a grain of truth. If you live in one of the best run states in the nation; if the state house is controlled by Republicans; if Republicans generally have done very well at the polls in recent years; if you see no compelling reason to make a change; if there does not seem to be a convincing opposing candidate; then one might determine to stay home because satisfaction typically does not move one to take action. However if that satisfaction is in peril and a contest of note ensues, then I believe we will see action, i.e. turnout, on the part of the voter.

But politics aside, why are eligible citizens in the United States (and Utah) less inclined to vote than many other more infant democracies around the world? During my lifetime, the right to vote has expanded significantly, not only through civil rights legislation but by lowering the voting age. And yet voter turnout seems to be depressed in Utah and with a few exceptions throughout the U.S.

There are some restrictions imposed on voting. You must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age and generally you must have some residency requirement, though this has been reduced significantly over the past 40 years to near insignificance, particularly in presidential elections, where almost half the states have no residency requirement and the rest have a 30 day or less residency requirement. This doesn’t seem to be an onerous restriction that would depress voter turnout, unless we decide that citizenship is too steep a requirement to vote.

Finally, to Swensen’s point, registration does indeed affect voter turnout. Where no registration is required and where registration has been allowed at the balloting location, it is true turnout has been greater. But then again, so has fraud. Especially in today’s environment of massive registration drives we have evidence of organized voter fraud by groups such as ACORN. Making it easier to register seems to bring out the worst in certain groups and individuals to illegally effect election outcomes.

The question should be asked, is low voter turnout bad? If the only way we can increase turnout is to allow easier registration so that last minute voting can be accomplished by those most easily affected by emotion and media and not by studying the issues and facts - which unfortunately does take more time and effort - then does a higher turnout produce a better result?

In the United States we have more frequent elections than almost any other place on earth. It seems we elect everyone… from state Governors to county Surveyors; Auditors to County Councils; etc. We might even assert that with referenda, school board elections, special elections, and regularly scheduled elections, a certain part of the citizenry might even have election fatigue.

But why has Utah become a bottom of the list state on the voter turnout lists? You have to admit that if Mitt Romney had been on the presidential ticket that Utah probably would have had one of the highest turnouts this last election. A favorite son who engendered real enthusiasm among the electorate would have put Utah at the top of the list I am sure.

The contest is key. If there is an exciting contest (close competition) or a compelling candidate there will be a good turnout. Some argue that in a state like Utah, seemingly dominated by one party, that there is no chance for an exciting contest or a compelling opposition candidate. Of course this is a generalization. Remember this state was dominated by Democrats just a couple of decades ago. And Republicans had to make inroads in state dominated by the opposition. And since then, there have been compelling Democrat candidates who have created exciting contests and who have won office when it seemed that the Republican “juggernaut” just couldn’t be broken. Jan Graham, Karen Shepherd, Wayne Owens, Bill Orton come to mind. But again, in Utah as it is elsewhere, if the citizenry is generally satisfied with the results of their leaders and there are no compelling reasons to change, many will stay at home and take no action.

Increasing participation at the polls seems like a good idea. We want everyone to participate (or do we want the informed everyone to participate?). So how do we do it? Why do so many people of age and eligibility stay at home on Election Day?

It is interesting that research (http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting/cps2008.html is the source for most of my facts… the rest is just my opinion!) shows that personal one on one contact with a voter is still one of the best ways to influence someone to go to the polls. A friend or a family member has more influence than a direct mail piece or phone canvass, especially with first time voters. And now the new media of facebook, twitter, et al is making that approach perhaps even more viable.

The literature also points to education as a key indicator of voter turnout. The more education, the more likely a person is to vote. The issues of the day are complex and do require effort to understand. Education prepares us to understand and prepares us to act on that understanding. I believe that this area is critical in advancing good participation and not focusing only on raw numbers of voter turnout. Would you rather have a well informed person vote or someone inclined to vote on mere appearance or emotion? I would hope the former is the ideal of who should be exercising their right to vote.

We live in a mobile society and people now change jobs and locations frequently. This is a phenomenon of the last several decades. Census bureau data indicates that those who live in a single location five years or more tend to vote 20% more than those who have been settled for only one to two years. Stability and connectedness to the community you live in effects voter turnout significantly.

Age is very telling when it comes to voter turnout. If you are under 25 years old you are in a group of slackers when it comes to voting. That isn’t to say that some years and in some races you don’t make a difference, but generally, if you are under 25 you vote in numbers that average some 25% less than those over 65 years of age. Mobility/stability is certainly a factor here, but in any case, the impact of the youth vote generally has been highly over rated. Utah has a young population compared to other states and this alone could have a significant impact on voter turnout comparatively speaking with other states.

What about how we feel about our “public servants” (if we like them) or “politicians” (if we don’t trust them)? If we have a citizenry that feels disconnected from its government and its leaders or if they don’t understand the political process well and are confused by it, the likelihood of wanting to participate will drop as well. At least until there is a compelling candidate or issue that motivates them to action.

We can point accusatory fingers at the legislature and ask them to play more legislative games in setting times and dates for registration (we’ve allowed for early voting to make it more convenient to vote in hopes of increasing participation but this clearly has not happened from the data of the last election ) but the truth is, unless we want to open voting up to manipulation and fraud, it really doesn’t make sense to same day register and vote wherever you want, until we have the affordable technology to verify the legitimacy of the person voting. We cannot legislate citizen involvement; we can only create an environment that will encourage their informed involvement.

I am convinced and I believe the facts support this belief, that the most effective way to increase voter turnout is to educate our citizens about their duties and responsibilities in our democratic republic. This includes an informed citizenry, steeped in the issues, knowledgeable about the candidates, and versed in the veracity and validity of the Constitution of the United States in measuring both.

Is President Obama the Master of Diversion?

2009-06-24T20:16:00.004-06:00

I went to see the Magician David Copperfield a few weeks ago when he was in town... and I ended up really upset. You see, I had heard about his big illusion where he walks through a moving fan and I was prepared to not be amazed... unfortunately he disappeared and then reappeared right behind my seat... I missed the whole thing!!! How did he get right behind me without me noticing it? There was a lot of activity on stage, lights, (I'm sure mirrors!), people, moving props etc. I am sure he managed to divert not only me, but the entire audience, to create the successful illusion.

And now, we seem to have another master illusionist, our President. Does anyone else find it interesting that he has created a major stage show with his National Healthcare program by having ABC Television Network broadcast what many believe will be an upaid infomercial? Whether it will be a fair broadcast on an important issue is almost irrelevant. What is interesting to me is what a complete diversion the Healthcare Broadcast has become. What is it diverting us from noticing? Ahhh, now that is the magic!

Friday, Congress will be voting on the Cap and Trade legislation, or as some more properly identify it, the Cap and Tax legislation. This is a potentially life changing piece of legislation (as is the Healthcare proposal), but no one is paying much attention to it due to the timing and activity on the President's stage and the national media's apparent buy-in to the illusion.

Cap and Trade, er Tax, is simply one of the worst pieces of legislation to be presented in a long time and that is saying something when we talk about the U.S. Congress. President Obama's assertion that only the "polluting" companies will pay the "trade" costs or the tax belies basic economic reality. Let's see, our public utlities will pay for the cost of emitting carbons into the atmosphere, (I'd love to see where all that money will go... maybe Al Gore's carbon tax credit buddies will get some...). The utilities are guaranteed a certain return for being regulated by the government as a utility, and even if they weren't, they'd still have to raise their rates to their customers (that would be you and me) to maintain their viability. If you live in a state with coal burning power plants, let's just say you are in really deep trouble. Cap and Trade, sorry, Tax is perhaps the most regressive of taxes because everyone uses power regardless of economic status and will be hit mercilessly.

It is estimated that Utah alone will see an increase of nearly $300 per month per household. That will certainly hurt the consumer (that's you and me) but, what will it do to small business and to all businesses in general? This is such a bad idea that I cannot see how someone as intelligent as the President is supposed to be, can be so blind to the obvious. But maybe it really is an illusion... or someone is being disingenous.

One thing that is clear from all the smoke and mirrors of this administration; they intend to pass the most liberal and unconstitutional legislation since FDR, and they appear to be doing it by diverting our attention from what they are really doing. We cannot afford to "miss the whole thing" and then get really upset afterwards.

Campaign Finance Reform and Unintended Consequences

2009-06-19T07:20:00.004-06:00

The Governor's Commission on Strengthening Democracy met yesterday and we are now getting down to the nitty gritty. To this point, the commission has received presentations from various sources and some citizen input on a number of subjects that relate to elections, lobbyists, campaign finance, etc.

At some point the Commission will be expected to vote on recommendations and proposals to improve our election policies with the idea of Strengthening Democracy, which is to say; "how can we get more people involved in the political process"?

Lavarr Webb made an important point (and one I discussed early on as the commission began meeting) in that Strengthening Democracy does not necessarily equate with greater numbers of participants, but rather should be measured on the increased number of WELL INFORMED participants. Education, Information, Attention to Issues, Thoughtful Consideration of the Facts, all should be a part of truly Strengthening Democracy.

I opined that I believe limiting contributions to campaigns would do more to restrict our first amendment rights of free speech (though my friend and colleague Ken Verdoia clearly disagreed) than strenghten democracy. Rather, I believe that transparency through immediate electronically posting of contributions and rapid and easy access to that information will empower the electorate to make good decisions.

My concern is, as history has shown, everytime we try to limit someones ability to contribute to campaigns we see creative ways to circumvent those rules. It then becomes a shell game that no one can follow. If it is a strictly open process with enforced reporting requirements and immediate and easy access by the public, then all the gamesmanship is gone and the electorate can make their own judgements on why someone or some group gave a certain amount of money to a candidate.

Everytime we enact more restrictive rules we end up with a plethora of unintended consequences. Our federal election laws are rife with abuses because of the attempt to over regulate. On the State level I hope we can resist the temptation to "do good" by telling people how they choose to support their candidates but instead let's make the system so transparent that it is obvious to all what kind of support our candidates receive.

Governor Huntsman- Obama's Genius Selection

2009-05-17T22:40:00.004-06:00

Say what you wish about Utah's Republican Governor Jon Huntsman, (who enjoys a huge approval rating in Utah despite - or because (?) - his embracing climate change dogma and endorsing civil unions), his selection as U.S. Ambassador to China by Democrat President Barack Obama is pure genius.

Some cynically believe that it will keep Huntsman close, as in, "keep your friends close but your enemies closer", so that his appointment may preclude a presidential challenge in 2012. (Actually, it might set him up as a more formidable challenger if not in 2012, then perhaps 2016...).

The truth is... I'm not sure that Obama could have found anyone else comparable to Huntsman's experience, skill, or diplomatic temperament. He is simply unparalleled in having all the right pieces of the ambassadorial puzzle. This is not a vanity ambassadorship. On the contrary, this position may be the most important foreign post there is.

China holds a lot of U.S. debt. It is a huge and growing economy with a critical impact on the global economy of which we are an integral part. Huntsman's experience as the #2 trade secretary with China prior to becoming Governor will be critical experience.

The fact that he speaks Mandarin fluently and has an adorable chinese adopted daughter is all bonus to his being accepted and prospering in his relationships with China. The fact that he has also served as an Ambassador in the region (Singapore) before is invaluable and will give him credibility with the State Department as well.

The genius of this pick isn't political genius, it is the genius of having the perfect candidate, party label aside, and having the integrity to make the right decision. The genius is doing the right thing.

I Agree with Obama... and with Miss California

2009-04-22T09:24:00.007-06:00

Okay, I didn't watch Donald Trump's Miss USA contest... but of course I heard about it the next morning, not because of who won, but because of who lost and more importantly why she lost. Carrie Prejean, Miss California, lost because she was asked a question that was a "no win" for a pageant contestant that had a judge with a specific agenda. Unless she gave a completely "political" answer where no one would know what the contestant believed (let alone what she actually said, like many politicians). Because the answer she gave actually was what she believed and was based on her religious beliefs and was founded in basic conservative values, it has become a firestorm of sorts.

Let's face it, the questioning judge, Perez Hilton, an openly homosexual "celebrity" blogger, baited her. He new from her bio that she was attending a Christian college and that she was a strong adherent to Christian values. He could have asked her a number of questions that were relevant for the day but instead decided to take one of the most divisive and controversial subjects, for which he admittedly had a specific agenda, and exploit it on national television. I'm not saying it isn't a legitimate question only that it wasn't asked for the right reason.

The fact that Miss California "admitted" to believing that the institution of marriage should be reserved for a man and woman was just too much for the judge. He tanked her probable selection by marking her so far down on the judge's ballot that it was impossible for her to win and then he proceeded to vilify her in the press and to literally call her names that cannot be used in even impolite company.

The problem with all this is that Perez believes activist judges should make the decisions regarding marriage, not the people who go to the ballot box. Of course he only believes that because these judges agree with him and the electorate does not. It is the heigth of hypocrisy of the left and those with agendas outside the mainstream to scream intolerance when they themselves cannot and will not tolerate another's belief or opinion.

In this case, when there are clear differences in opinion on the subject, Miss California should not have been "judged" by the content of her answer but rather by how articulate her answer was given. Clearly, she was not given that benefit by Perez.

Maybe if she had opened her remarks by saying... "I agree with President Obama on this issue" , perhaps that would have been enough to get her by... unless of course Perez actually listened to what Obama said during the campaign (apparently most people didn't), where he agreed with President Bush that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman.

By the way, for the record... I believe that all persons should be treated with respect and dignity (unless of course they are trying to kill us or attack our country... but that's another subject and I digress), and that every person should have the right to enter into civil agreements that allows them to choose who will inherit their estate, who is entitled to visit them in hospitals, who can co-sign on mortgages, etc.

If you are an unmarried person, regardless of sexual orientaion (because candidly I don't want to know what your sexual orientation is, period!), and want to enter into legal civil agreements, it should be allowed. In California every right afforded a married person is legally available to unmarried persons under statute. If you are a single mother and want to have a civil agreement with your best friend you should be able to do it, whether you live together or not. (notice I didn't mention what her sexual orientation is...). If a single man wants to enter into a civil agreement with his cousin, best friend or brother, he should be entitled to do this.

I've hired and worked with people of all ethnicity, religion, and "lifestyle". I have eulogized employee/friends who have died of aids. I have never taken into consideration one's lifestyle in the workplace unless they flaunt it in an inappropriate way. We should all have equal protection under the law and the law should afford all the rights I mention above, not because we create a separate class, but because we are all the same under the law and the law is no respecter of persons.

However, changing the definition of marriage is neither necessary nor prudent in protecting peoples rights. It has been defined the same for millenia and changing the meaning of language to promote a social agenda that is not mainstream or the desire of the electorate is just plain wrong.

I'm still upset that I can't use the word "gay" anymore in its historical and legitimate context, you know like in the old campfire song, "and we'll all be happy and gay", because it has been "redifined" and co-opted to mean something completely different.

Easter Letter to Family

2009-04-12T09:37:00.007-06:00

Debra and I are celebrating Easter with daughter Sharee, Randall, and five of our nine grandchildren, Paris, Willow, Skye, Star and Bronson in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho! What a beautiful place.

But I wanted everyone to know how important this Easter season is to me personally and as your father and brother.

This past week we remembered the entry of Christ into Jerusalem where he knew he would sacrifice himself as the lamb of God. Even his disciples did not understand fully what was to happen...

Friday is the day that we acknowledge his sacrifice on the cross. But it was the night before in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed to the father as his disciples slept, and where he felt the pains and anguish of the sins of all mankind as he paid the price for each one of us. It was here that his divinity as our Savior and his love for each one of us, manifested itself fully.

It is this time of Easter that we should especially examine ourselves and ask what we are doing to make this sacrifice, already made in our behalf, effective in our lives. None of us would want another to suffer for us, but Christ already has. And now it is our turn to make his suffering and anguish of consequence and value. We need only repent of our sins and transgressions and abandon them. If we will do this, not only will we be forgiven and made clean, but Christ's sacrifice for us will not have been in vain.

Of course, to repent may seem difficult. It requires recognition that as mortal beings and individuals with weaknesses, that we have made, are making, and will make mistakes in our life. Unlike Christ, we are imperfect beings and need to be constantly vigilant against temptations. Cultivating a relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ through prayer and the scriptures will help identify those areas we all need help in; virtue, pride, an unkind word... and more.

And yet as overwhelming as recognizing our faults may seem... Know that God, our Father, knows our heart and loves us each one, and gave his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to pay for the sins, not only of "all mankind", but of each one of us individually, you and me.

After acklowledging the sin, we need only ask in faith, with a sincere heart, to be forgiven and then promise to abandon that sin and perform restitution if possible. If we do all that we are asked to do, God will bless us with peace in our lives.

Because we have been given the greatest gift of all from our elder brother Jesus Christ, it is a wonderful time to reflect in gratitude for all that we have been given. All good things come from our Father in Heaven, and yet he has given us our agency to choose how we will use those gifts.

Another one of those gifts is what we celebrate today, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By taking up his life once more, our Savior has opened the gate to immortality for all of us. He lives and we will live not only in this life but in the life to come.

I hope you will watch the attached video. An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Elder Jeffrey R.Holland spoke a couple weeks ago about the Savior's sacrifice. http://www.youtube.com/mormonmessages

I love you all very much and am grateful to be a part of your lives. I pray that we may all do as we have been invited, to "Come Unto Christ".Have a wonderful day!

Love,
Dad, Papa B, Bro

Setting the Record Straight on George W. Bush

2009-04-08T20:25:00.003-06:00

George Bush did plenty wrong... but he also did some things that were VERY GOOD. What amazes me is the ability to revise history before the man could even get back to Crawford, Texas.

I am very disappointed with his willingness to go along with the democrats on a number of issues, not the least of which was the move towards bailouts and an agenda reminiscent of Hoover turning the country over to FDR (and in this case Obama). The parallels are just too obvious to ignore. Nevertheless... Let's set the record straight...

Ed Gillespie wrote an article on RealClearPolitics at the end of last year, December 28, 2008. Here are his points of fact:

Myth 1: The last eight years were awful for most Americans economically and President Bush's deregulatory policies caused the current financial crisis.
*The U.S. experienced its longest run of uninterrupted job growth - 52 straight months, with 8.3
million jobs created during the Bush Administration
This reflected six consecutive years of economic growth from the Fourth Quarter of 2001
until the Fourth Quarter of 2007.
*From 2000 to 2007, real GDP grew by more than 17 percent, a remarkable gain of nearly 2.1
trillion dollars.
In the same period, real after-tax income per capita increased by more than 11 percent,
and there was a 4.7 percent increase in the number of new businesses formed.
*The current crisis: The President and his economic team have taken unprecedented actions to
stabilize the financial sector and avert a collapse.
In April 2001, three months after taking office, the President warned in his first budget
that the size of the two GSEs were a "potential problem" that "could cause strong
repercussions in financial markets, affecting Federally insured entities and economic
activity." In 2003, the Administration began calling for a new GSE regulator, and over the
next five years, the Administration continued to call for GSE reform only to be accused by
Democrats in Congress of creating artificial fears and advocating for ill-advised proposals.

Myth 2: President Bush's tax cuts only benefitted the wealthy and were paid for by sacrificing investments in health care and education.
*There are not 116 million "wealthy Americans," but that's how many taxpayers benefited from
the President's tax relief.
The across-the-board tax cuts provided tax relief to every American who pays income
taxes, created a new bottom 10 percent bracket rate, doubled the child tax credit to
$1,000, and actually increased the share of the Federal income tax burden paid by the top
10 percent of individual earners from 67 percent in 2000 to 70 percent in 2005.
Furthermore, this Administration removed 13 million low-income earners from the income
tax rolls completely.
*President Bush provided more than 40 million Americans with better access to prescription drugs
by creating the market-based Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.
And it is one of the rare government programs that actually costs less than expected.
Projected overall program spending between 2004 and 2013 is approximately $240 billion
lower, nearly 38 percent, than originally estimated, thanks to the market-oriented
principles included at President Bush's insistence.
*Federal spending on education has increased nearly 40 percent under President Bush.
*Pell Grant funding nearly doubled during the Administration, which is expected to help more than
5.5 million students attend college in the 2008-09 school year, 1.2 million more students than
were assisted by Pell Grants in the 2001-02 school year.

Myth 3 and 4: The President's "go it alone" foreign policy ruined America's standing in the world and The war in Iraq caused us to "take our eye off the ball" in Afghanistan and with al Qaeda.
*The United States acted with a multilateral coalition of partner nations to remove Saddam
Hussein from power in Iraq after he failed to comply with the will of the international
community, including numerous United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
*In Afghanistan, approximately forty countries are currently deployed with American forces,
including every one of our NATO allies.
*The President also created a worldwide coalition of more than 90 nations to combat terrorist
networks by sharing information, drying up their financing, and bringing their leaders to justice.
Furthermore, the Administration established the Proliferation Security Initiative, which now
includes more than 90 nations.
*The President successfully pushed for expanding NATO membership, generated international
pressure on Iran to stop it from developing nuclear weapons, and organized the Six-Party
Talks, which have resulted in North Korea committing to give up its nuclear weapons and
abandon its nuclear programs.
*The United States has provided nearly $32 billion for security, political, and economic
development assistance and the international community has provided more than $55 billion to
Afghanistan since 2001.

Myth 5: This Administration has been bad for the environment and ignored the problem of global warming.
*From 2001 to 2007, air pollution decreased by 12 percent, and fine particulate matter pollution
is down 17 percent since 2001. Ethanol production quadrupled from 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to
6.5 billion gallons in 2007, wind energy production has increased by more than 400 percent,
and solar energy capacity has doubled. In 2007, solar installations increased more than 32
percent and the U.S. produced 96 percent more biodiesel (490 million gallons) than in 2006. The
Administration also provided nearly $18 billion to research, develop, and promote alternative
and more efficient energy technologies such as biofuels, solar, wind, clean coal, nuclear, and
hydrogen.
*This Administration has improved and protected the health of more than 27 million acres of
Federal forest and grasslands, protected, restored, and improved more than three million acres
of wetlands, and established the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the world's
largest fully protected marine conservation area (nearly 140,000 square miles).
*This administration has invested more than $44 billion in climate change-related programs.

And one last fact: Our homeland has not suffered another terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. That, too, is part of the real Bush record.

On a Personal Note...CONGRATULATIONS TO JULIANNE FOR WINNING THE ACM NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD!!!!!!

2009-04-07T11:11:00.005-06:00

http://www.acmcountry.com/home/index.php#

Bishop and Chaffetz Describe Obama's Household Budget Buster for Energy

2009-03-30T11:30:00.002-06:00

Well, Obama's first 100 days is full of accomplishments! Of course even I never believed that he could so quickly accomplish the dismantling of the free enterprise system and the increase of spending that will most surely require the Federal Government to become a more complete nanny state.

The increase of energy costs through the President's Cap and Tax proposal is astonishing in its "take no prisoners" effect on ALL persons. This may be the most regressive tax possible and will cost the average household in Utah and Extra $290 per month in energy costs. This is remarkable its face, but in light of Obama's pledge to only tax the rich, it is just downright dishonest.

The following is the press release sent last week by Utah Republican Congressmen Bishop and Chaffetz... click on the title for the link or read below.

Obama Administration's "Cap and Tax" Proposal: Bishop and Chaffetz Opposed to $3.01 Billion Tax Increase on Utahns
March 26, 2009 4:48 PM
Washington, DC – Data released today by the House Committee on Ways and Means demonstrates that every state in the Union – and every American – will be hit hard by a new and highly regressive “Cap and Trade” tax.
The President’s recently-released budget imposes a $3.01 billion tax on Utahns. On a per capita basis, each Utahn will be hit with $1,115.47 in new taxes on their electricity bill alone. Families will be hit even harder. The data show this new tax will increase the average Utah family’s (3.08 people/household) annual electricity bill by $3,435.65 or by nearly $290 per month. While other energy costs are low as a result of the recession, all energy costs will increase as the Administration increases the velocity of its frontal assault on American energy security.

At a recent congressional hearing on energy consumption, Mr. Howard Gruenspecht, an expert witness from the Energy Information Agency (EIA), a non-partisan federal agency dealing with energy issues, was asked what percent of Americans consume some form of energy. He replied: “All of them.” Further, he was also asked what percent of Americans would be impacted by a cap and trade tax. His answer: “Probably all of them.”

Since everyone in America consumes energy, then everyone in America will suffer the consequences of the Obama Administration’s foolhardy proposal to regulate climate change through so-called “Cap and Trade (Tax)” policies. The Administration’s proposal will not only further cripple the economy, it will impose a crushing energy consumption tax on every man, woman, and child in the United States.

In response to this proposal, Congressman Jason Chaffetz said, “With so many individuals already living on the margins, this massive new tax increase will destroy our hope of recovering from the current recession. The financial security of all Americans will be jeopardized if this tax is enacted. Now is not the time to increase taxes, nor is this the way. Despite the President’s assurances that 95 percent of Americans will not see their taxes increase by one dime, the numbers clearly show his plan will actually increase taxes on 100 percent of Americans.”

Congressman Rob Bishop said, "Cap and Tax would be a tremendous burden on all Utahns, but thankfully it is not the only option we have to reach clean air goals. The Western Caucus will introduce other, better options for Congress that meet clean air goals without raising energy costs for all Americans. There are better ways, and we will fight for them."

Ranking Member Camp’s Statement:
http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.gov/showarticle.asp?ID=538

###____________________________________________________________

Committee on Ways and Means Republicans
Dave Kamp, Ranking Republican

New Analysis Shows Massive Spike in Electricity Prices Under Cap-and-Tax (a.k.a Cap-and-Trade)

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) issued the following statement during today’s committee hearing addressing price volatility in climate change legislation. The graph below shows the state-by-state analysis of annual increases in electricity costs that would occur under a 100% auction, as President Obama has called for, to meet his target carbon emission reductions:

“As the data suggests, in almost every case, cap-and-tax increases electricity rates and causes hardships for American families. In the past, providing incentives for renewable and alternate forms of energy has worked at lowering emissions. Congress should not resort to using penalties of an unproven cap-and-tax system that only serves to put millions of Americans out of work and skyrocket the cost of electricity for American families.” To read Rep. Camp’s full statement from today’s hearing on “Addressing Price Volatility in Climate Change Legislation” click here.

Annual Increase in Electricity Costs(based on the Stern Review's recommended carbon price of $85 per ton)

State
Cost at 100% Auction
(in millions)
Increase in Electricity Costs per Capita
.Alabama
7124.6
$1,528.26
.Alaska
367.5
$535.49
.Arizona
4365.3
$671.57
.Arkansas
2240.6
$784.69
.California
4647.8
$126.45
.Colorado
3471.5
$702.81
.Connecticut
981
$280.19
.Delaware
19.9
$22.79
.District of Columbia
578.4
$977.30
.Florida
11077.6
$604.40
.Georgia
7586.5
$783.26
.Hawaii
767.6
$595.87
.Idaho
113.4
$74.42
.Illinois
8567.2
$664.04
.Indiana
10378
$1,627.46
.Iowa
3417.6
$1,138.23
.Kansas
3199.6
$1,141.84
.Kentucky
7677.1
$1,798.23
.Louisiana
4853.6
$1,100.39
.Maine
599.9
$455.69
.Maryland
2832.7
$502.82
.Massachusetts
2279.6
$350.82
.Michigan
6691.7
$668.94
.Minnesota
3304.7
$633.04
.Mississippi
2137.4
$727.35
.Missouri
6785.5
$1,147.83
.Montana
1661.7
$1,717.63
.Nebraska
1876.7
$1,052.30
.Nevada
2206.1
$848.45
.New Hampshire
694.1
$527.51
.New Jersey
1793.8
$206.60
.New Mexico
2782.9
$1,402.42
.New York
5137.8
$263.61
.North Carolina
6450.7
$699.46
.North Dakota
2790.8
$4,350.56
.Ohio
11205.6
$975.60
.Oklahoma
4373.3
$1,200.68
.Oregon
762.1
$201.08
.Pennsylvania
10770.6
$865.23
.Rhode Island
221.2
$210.51
.South Carolina
3473.7
$775.41
.South Dakota
280.5
$348.80
.Tennessee
5090
$819.00
.Texas
21986.2
$903.78
.Utah
3052.4
$1,115.47
.Vermont
1.2
$1.93
.Virginia
4055.2
$521.97
.Washington
1267.1
$193.47
.West Virginia
7207.6
$3,972.29
.Wisconsin
4587.4
$815.11
.Wyoming
3861.6
$7,249.54
Source: Committee on Ways & Means Republican Staff analysis

###

The Disingenuous Debate Over Private Sector Bonuses

2009-03-25T13:21:00.003-06:00

The Federal Government is so "out of control" trying to Control everything it will continue to produce consequences that could lead to the destruction of the free marketplace and capitalism. To abrogate the rule of law over the emotional outbursts from the ilk of Barney Frank and Chuck Schumer is just so ridiculous that it is nearly incomprehensible. Do I think bonuses have been too high among some financial institutions? Sure... but that's not the point. Read the letter below and I think you will understand what I'm saying.

And now, with the move to give NEW POWERS to the Treasury Secretary to take over ANY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (not just banks who received TARP funds) that he deems might have a negative affect on the economy sounds like we are living in Venezuela! Are they kidding? Where will they stop?

The primary reason we are in the mess we are in today is precisely because the Federal Government social engineered the housing market and the economy. Let the marketplace work... yes that means some businesses and people fail... but you know what? That is the beauty of it. It's just like real life...hmmmmm.

What the government can't get through their heads is that people migrate between economic levels all the time... the upper 50 percent are comprised of a lot of people who used to be in the bottom 50% of the enconomy. That's what happens... but when the economy grows there is more opportunity to make even the lower 50% more prosperous than before... Just keep the taxes low, stay out of peoples business, and let the American ingenuity and creativity take over in any legal and ethical way!

Read the letter below... it is instructive.

Op-Ed Contributor
Dear A.I.G., I Quit!

Published: March 24, 2009
The following is a letter sent on Tuesday by Jake DeSantis, an executive vice president of the American International Group’s financial products unit, to Edward M. Liddy, the chief executive of A.I.G.

DEAR Mr. Liddy,
It is with deep regret that I submit my notice of resignation from A.I.G. Financial Products. I hope you take the time to read this entire letter. Before describing the details of my decision, I want to offer some context:
I am proud of everything I have done for the commodity and equity divisions of A.I.G.-F.P. I was in no way involved in — or responsible for — the credit default swap transactions that have hamstrung A.I.G. Nor were more than a handful of the 400 current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. Most of those responsible have left the company and have conspicuously escaped the public outrage.
After 12 months of hard work dismantling the company — during which A.I.G. reassured us many times we would be rewarded in March 2009 — we in the financial products unit have been betrayed by A.I.G. and are being unfairly persecuted by elected officials. In response to this, I will now leave the company and donate my entire post-tax retention payment to those suffering from the global economic downturn. My intent is to keep none of the money myself.
I take this action after 11 years of dedicated, honorable service to A.I.G. I can no longer effectively perform my duties in this dysfunctional environment, nor am I being paid to do so. Like you, I was asked to work for an annual salary of $1, and I agreed out of a sense of duty to the company and to the public officials who have come to its aid. Having now been let down by both, I can no longer justify spending 10, 12, 14 hours a day away from my family for the benefit of those who have let me down.
You and I have never met or spoken to each other, so I’d like to tell you about myself. I was raised by schoolteachers working multiple jobs in a world of closing steel mills. My hard work earned me acceptance to M.I.T., and the institute’s generous financial aid enabled me to attend. I had fulfilled my American dream.
I started at this company in 1998 as an equity trader, became the head of equity and commodity trading and, a couple of years before A.I.G.’s meltdown last September, was named the head of business development for commodities. Over this period the equity and commodity units were consistently profitable — in most years generating net profits of well over $100 million. Most recently, during the dismantling of A.I.G.-F.P., I was an integral player in the pending sale of its well-regarded commodity index business to UBS. As you know, business unit sales like this are crucial to A.I.G.’s effort to repay the American taxpayer.
The profitability of the businesses with which I was associated clearly supported my compensation. I never received any pay resulting from the credit default swaps that are now losing so much money. I did, however, like many others here, lose a significant portion of my life savings in the form of deferred compensation invested in the capital of A.I.G.-F.P. because of those losses. In this way I have personally suffered from this controversial activity — directly as well as indirectly with the rest of the taxpayers.
I have the utmost respect for the civic duty that you are now performing at A.I.G. You are as blameless for these credit default swap losses as I am. You answered your country’s call and you are taking a tremendous beating for it.
But you also are aware that most of the employees of your financial products unit had nothing to do with the large losses. And I am disappointed and frustrated over your lack of support for us. I and many others in the unit feel betrayed that you failed to stand up for us in the face of untrue and unfair accusations from certain members of Congress last Wednesday and from the press over our retention payments, and that you didn’t defend us against the baseless and reckless comments made by the attorneys general of New York and Connecticut.
My guess is that in October, when you learned of these retention contracts, you realized that the employees of the financial products unit needed some incentive to stay and that the contracts, being both ethical and useful, should be left to stand. That’s probably why A.I.G. management assured us on three occasions during that month that the company would “live up to its commitment” to honor the contract guarantees.
That may be why you decided to accelerate by three months more than a quarter of the amounts due under the contracts. That action signified to us your support, and was hardly something that one would do if he truly found the contracts “distasteful.”
That may also be why you authorized the balance of the payments on March 13.
At no time during the past six months that you have been leading A.I.G. did you ask us to revise, renegotiate or break these contracts — until several hours before your appearance last week before Congress.
I think your initial decision to honor the contracts was both ethical and financially astute, but it seems to have been politically unwise. It’s now apparent that you either misunderstood the agreements that you had made — tacit or otherwise — with the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, various members of Congress and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of New York, or were not strong enough to withstand the shifting political winds.
You’ve now asked the current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. to repay these earnings. As you can imagine, there has been a tremendous amount of serious thought and heated discussion about how we should respond to this breach of trust.
As most of us have done nothing wrong, guilt is not a motivation to surrender our earnings. We have worked 12 long months under these contracts and now deserve to be paid as promised. None of us should be cheated of our payments any more than a plumber should be cheated after he has fixed the pipes but a careless electrician causes a fire that burns down the house.
Many of the employees have, in the past six months, turned down job offers from more stable employers, based on A.I.G.’s assurances that the contracts would be honored. They are now angry about having been misled by A.I.G.’s promises and are not inclined to return the money as a favor to you.
The only real motivation that anyone at A.I.G.-F.P. now has is fear. Mr. Cuomo has threatened to “name and shame,” and his counterpart in Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, has made similar threats — even though attorneys general are supposed to stand for due process, to conduct trials in courts and not the press.
So what am I to do? There’s no easy answer. I know that because of hard work I have benefited more than most during the economic boom and have saved enough that my family is unlikely to suffer devastating losses during the current bust. Some might argue that members of my profession have been overpaid, and I wouldn’t disagree.
That is why I have decided to donate 100 percent of the effective after-tax proceeds of my retention payment directly to organizations that are helping people who are suffering from the global downturn. This is not a tax-deduction gimmick; I simply believe that I at least deserve to dictate how my earnings are spent, and do not want to see them disappear back into the obscurity of A.I.G.’s or the federal government’s budget. Our earnings have caused such a distraction for so many from the more pressing issues our country faces, and I would like to see my share of it benefit those truly in need.
On March 16 I received a payment from A.I.G. amounting to $742,006.40, after taxes. In light of the uncertainty over the ultimate taxation and legal status of this payment, the actual amount I donate may be less — in fact, it may end up being far less if the recent House bill raising the tax on the retention payments to 90 percent stands. Once all the money is donated, you will immediately receive a list of all recipients.
This choice is right for me. I wish others at A.I.G.-F.P. luck finding peace with their difficult decision, and only hope their judgment is not clouded by fear.
Mr. Liddy, I wish you success in your commitment to return the money extended by the American government, and luck with the continued unwinding of the company’s diverse businesses — especially those remaining credit default swaps. I’ll continue over the short term to help make sure no balls are dropped, but after what’s happened this past week I can’t remain much longer — there is too much bad blood. I’m not sure how you will greet my resignation, but at least Attorney General Blumenthal should be relieved that I’ll leave under my own power and will not need to be “shoved out the door.”
Sincerely,
Jake DeSantis

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=all

Vote for Julianne - New Artist of the Year on the ACMs

2009-03-22T13:58:00.005-06:00

It's easy and only takes a minute.... thanks !!!

http://www.cbs.com/specials/acma/vote/

the Ballas Hough Band debut on Billboard's Top 200

2009-03-19T16:09:00.003-06:00

They were the highest debut and top selling new artist last week, landing them at #98 on the Billboard Top 200. A nice opening... if you are in Los Angeles anytime during the next 10 weeks, The Ballas Hough Band will be performing at the Grove (a high end indoor/outdoor shopping complex at Fairfax and Beverly (actually Farmer's Market) after the Dancing with the Stars results show every Tuesday night at about 8:30 pm. All live and all rock and roll... lot's of fun!

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?aid=1210491&pid=1061654

Check the following review:

Album Review
Featuring the talents of dancers-turned-singer/guitarists Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, Ballas Hough Band is a poppy outfit that delivers slick, radio-ready modern dance-rock on its 2009 debut album BHB. Best known as dancers on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, Ballas and Hough formed the band while training and dancing in England in 2007. And although it's more than likely that the popularity of the ABC show is a big reason why BHB is getting some attention, the music ain't bad either. Both Ballas and Hough actually play their own instruments and are backed by a legitimate ensemble of bandmembers including keyboardist/vocalist Emily Grace, bassist Sam Marder, and drummer Harry Sullivan. The resulting sound is definitely more rock-informed than one might expect and should draw favorable comparisons to such similarly inclined outfits as Maroon 5 and The Jonas Brothers. Tracks like the club-ready "Do You Love Me?" and the revved-up "Fall" mix high-energy hip-pop and rawk with a teen pop sensibility that should appeal to a generation raised on the legacy of Michael Jackson filtered through American Idol and Justin Timberlake. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide

The Catastrophe that is Global Warming...

2009-03-16T14:34:00.002-06:00

Let's face it... the science is settled on this matter... the trouble is whose science? As I've looked at who is saying what on this subject, it has become ever so clear that the doomsayers on this subject (read Al Gore and his minions...) have an agenda other than the good stewardship and caretaking of the planet. Look, I'm a Boy Scout and have always believed and tried to practice good conservation and care for the resources God has granted us. But the hysteria surrounding global warming, uh, wait... its now climate change... (hmmm, do you suppose they changed the name because we are NOT warming?), seems to have more to do with money and power (read control) than with actually making our planet a healthy place to live.

I enjoyed the article linked here, written by one of those scientists who believes that the catastrophe is not to the planet, but to society... I agree with his premise.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/4990704/Nobody-listens-to-the-real-climate-change-experts.html

Oh yeah, there's alot more where this comes from... alot more credible as well.

Forget Ironman, Titanium Man Goes Under the Knife Once More!!

2009-03-16T00:08:00.003-06:00

Yeah, that's right. That big ugly plate and screws protruding above the natural plane of my shoulder is coming out in the morning. I will no longer be able to gross out young boys or cause women to faint by showing the screw pushing my skin above my shoulder and then moving it in a veritable dance below the surface of the shoulder skin...yuch! I am looking forward to framing the hardware for future viewing... I'm sure I'll miss it as it caused so much joy in my life... (read sarcasm...).

Jason, I missed you!

2009-03-12T23:39:00.001-06:00

Jason, I missed you! EFCA eliminates the requirement for secret ballots if 50% plus one can be "convinced" to sign up for organizing... today a secret ballot is required to organize after obtaining 30% of the employee's signature... big change... sorry you don't get it...

Hey, but the least you can do is help the economy by buying my son's new CD, the Ballas Hough Band. You can feel patriotic by putting cash into the economy and you might even enjoy it... available wherever music is sold!

Time for an upaid commercial announcement...

2009-03-11T23:04:00.002-06:00

My son's band, The Ballas Hough Band, released their first CD yesterday... they had a coming out party at the Grove in Los Angeles where they played cuts from the album and then signed CDs and other stuff for fans at the Barnes and Noble store... You can find them on I-Tunes; www.amazon.com; Walmart, Target and wherever music is sold... They Rock!!!

Oh yeah, and Derek, Julianne and Mark did just fine on Dancing with the Stars too!

And Congrats to the Utah Senate for their vote to protect the Secret Ballot

2009-03-11T23:00:00.002-06:00

Going along with Republicans acting like Republicans and my response under comments to a reader questioning my homework on "card check", all I can say is congratulations to the Utah Senate for giving the citizens of the the State of Utah the right to vote (in secret ballot) for a constitutional amendment to guarantee our rights to a secret ballot in all elections established by local, state, federal governments and in the determination to establish (or not establish) a collective bargaining unit in the workplace. This is extremely important... and now the battle begins on the federal level...

Republicans Acting Like Republicans

2009-03-04T23:34:00.004-07:00

Congratulations to all the Republican members of the Utah House of Representatives for their unanimous vote for House Joint Resolution 8, the Secret Ballot initiative. This vote gives Utahans the opportunity to clarify language in the Utah State Constitution in a 2010 vote which, if approved, will make sure that unions will continue to utilize the secret ballot in union organizing.

This is such a fundamental right for persons to cast a secret ballot that it is surprising that anyone, other than those that want to manipulate outcomes, would not support this resolution.

The federal "card check" legislation is such a travesty that this legislation gives us some hope that we can avoid federal preemption by the democrat controlled congressional mischief making.

I know that for some Republicans, casting this vote today was difficult... it shouldn't have been but the reality is that there was a lot of pressure by unions not to pass this legislation. What is interesting is the overwhelming support by the citizens of Utah to preserve this right, including an overwhelming percentage of actual union members (that is union MEMBERS not Leaders!).

The Republican Party Platform is explicit about our opposition to this insidious legislation that takes away peoples rights to the secret ballot in union organizing. We can congratulate each Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives for holding fast to the fundamental right of the secret ballot and the Republican Platform.

Thank you.

Response to Jason who commented on my Obama wants to "Force" Companies, below...

2009-03-01T21:16:00.005-07:00

Huh? are you serious when you ask if the federal government would really be worse than private banks? Go back and take a look at why banks are in trouble... and you will see a tremendous amount of meddling by the congress in establishing ridiculous lending standards to make it easier to buy homes (i.e. 100% + loans, no down payments, relaxed to almost non-existent qualifications, etc.) and actually threatening banks who did not abide by the cra standards... Oh and then Freddie and Fannie became the "parents" of the system by buying up half the mortgages in sight without a clue as to what percentage were even good... Yes they allowed Wall Street an avenue to be greedy by trading in these bundled mortgages... Then there is the Fed who kept interest rates artificially low; that combined with all the other meddling created a huge housing bubble, in other words they didn't let the free market work, they manipulated it to social engineer the "right" to own a home. I would much rather have the Feds stick to insuring banks and not owning them and not manipulating the market that either forces or induces banks and financial institutions to make bad decisions instead of relying on free market principles. The fact is, I do not want a government determining outcomes... we succeed or fail based on what we do in a free market... at least that what I want.

Oh yeah, besides national defense and interstate highways systems, what has the government done that is better than the private industry? Does the post office come to mind, maybe Amtrak?

CPAC Straw Poll Chooses Romney!

2009-03-01T12:59:00.002-07:00

The Conservative Political Action Conference had their, er... conference last week... and among other things took a straw poll that showed Romney as the top Vote Getter for their presidential preference... Bobby Jindal took second and then it dropped off steeply after that... Huckabee was way down the list... hmmm maybe their is justice afterall... http://www.cpac.org/ go to their website and click on the link to their powerpoint presentation...

Obama wants to "Force" companies to do it his way...

2009-02-24T21:41:00.002-07:00

Okay, I know, the President gave another charming and articulate speech... sounded alot like the campaign trail all over again. He said a lot of the right things but he also had some things in there that had me pretty concerned... The idea that the Federal Government is going to do it better... that his new government programs will "force" business to do it his way... is simply not an American Idea; and compulsion is not an American Ideal.

I loved Arizona Senator Jon Kyl's chart where he showed that Obama's commitment to cutting the deficit occurs automatically if he does nothing... because the deficit he is committing to cut in half isn't the Bush deficit, it is the new deficit just voted on unanomously by the democrats (plus three republican defectors from principle). Can you spell disengenous? Obama obviously didn't want to be too clear on how he was going to do this...

Truth is, Bobby Jindal, governor of Lousiana was terrific with the right message.

Vote For Julianne before March 5th!!!!

2009-02-22T16:41:00.003-07:00

Julianne is nominated for New Female Artist of the Year for the Academy of Country Music (the show is April 5th...). This year the artist is selected by popular vote of the people... so go to http://www.gactv.com/ and click on the "Vote Now" button and select Julianne to help we win... She will really appreciate it and so will I!!

Mitt Romney's take on the Bailout...

2009-02-22T16:36:00.005-07:00

Mitt has a more commonsense approach to this economic disaster... As for me, for heaven's sake, cut the corporate, personal, and capital gains taxes; kill the death tax, and provide tax breaks to companies that hire new employees and invest in plant and equipment. Make tax cuts permanent and put sunset provisions on spending. Government currently has this backwards!

Here's Mitt, http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/06/romney.stimulus/index.html

The Stimulus Bill, or should I say StimuLIE Bill Signed today... Look What's Inside!!!

2009-02-17T14:49:00.003-07:00

President Obama signed the bill in Colorado, (oh yes, a swing state...) after having it available for three whole days... but wait, I thought congress absolutely had to pass the bill on Friday or the country would never recover! No waiting for congress to actually read the thing... Hey they had the entire holiday weekend to read it, since Obama decided it was more important to have a press avail and photo op today than to rush his signature to save the nation!!!

I can't help but believe if they had waited a little longer that the outrage of the public would have made this much more difficult to pass... much to our benefit if it had been killed and they started over on a real stimulus bill instead of an entitlement and spending bill. This bill will make about 60% of the population beholden to the federal government for something... what an interesting way to buy votes... use scare tactics and the threat of total catastrophe to push through a social agenda that would not see the light of day in normal times...

Check out the link below to see how your state will do in getting largesse from Obama and compay (or should I say, Snow, Collins, and Spector and Company!).

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state

No wonder, governors have been lining up with their hands out...

Ballas Hough Band Perform at the Roxy in LA on Feb 15... BE THERE!!

2009-02-14T11:06:00.002-07:00

Okay, on a lighter note, as my wife and I celebrate our wedding anniversary today (yeah, Valentine's Day... how clever!) we are finishing up a day at Zion's National Park (beautiful in the winter and good hiking!) and are on our way to Los Angeles to see Derek and his band the Ballas Hough Band perform at the Roxy on Sunset Sunday night February 15th... It should be a great time... they just got off the road and are back for a show before Derek and Mark do the next season of Dancing with the Stars... check the link for ticket info.. see you there...
http://theroxyonsunset.com/the-bolts-ballas-hough-band/

Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result...

2009-02-14T10:57:00.004-07:00

Yes, the congress (at least the Democrats, with the exception of three Republican Senators that completely lost touch with reality) voted on a 1000 page SPENDING bill that no one had actually read. The rush to pass this begs the question of why would taking two weeks or even two more days make a difference... it wouldn't have. Look at the last "Stimulus" financial bailout that HAD to be passed... It wouldn't have made any difference if they had waited until now... and we could have saved that 700 million as well...

Oh well... Looking at the FDR years didn't really instruct this current crop of Pols very well... We had Hoover/Bush and now FDR/Obama... insanity...

Gotta Show Some Love to My Girl Julianne, Nominated for New Female Artist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music

2009-02-11T16:23:00.002-07:00

Check out the link below... she's in good company...

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b99496_paisley_underwood_swift_score_academy.html

And by now you may know that she will be dancing on the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" and will be paired with her boyfriend, country singer Chuck Wicks ("Stealing Cinderella" and now his new release, "Man of the House").

Derek will be paired with Lil' Kim... yeah, I know... They start rehearsing this week and the show starts on ABC TV March 9th... coincidentally the day before the Ballas Hough Band releases its debut album.

Okay, more politics to come... but hey I'm a proud papa!

If You Really Want to Go Crazy...Read Where the Bailout is Going...

2009-02-10T15:01:00.004-07:00

Can someone please tell me how can 90% of this stuff create jobs? These people are completely nuts. Look at the Health Care line items... 100 pages of how to Nationalize health care without having a public debate on it... simply do as Daschle suggests... "Attach it to an appropriations bill", or in this case a Bail Out Bill.

http://pinkelephantpundit.com/2009/02/10/how-theyre-spending-our-money/

Okay, and to make it even more ironic... GM is laying off 20,000 white collar jobs (what were they doing with that many in the first place?) to qualify for bailout money which is supposed to do what? Increase employment? Does anyone besides me see the complete and utter irony of this? Yes, they need to cut costs to be competitive and yes they need to adjust the size of their workforce to be competitive... but all we seem to be doing is throwing good money (which is questionable since we will be borrowing it from the Chinese) after bad money (which was only bad because we spent it incorrectly in the first place!)

Anyone allowed to vote on this bill should be tested on Economics 101. If they fail... they don't get to vote. Oh, yeah, and if they haven't run a business or had to make a payroll, they don't get to vote. Hmmm, we might not have a quorum... which is just fine with me... I think congress needs to raise their right hand, take the hippocratic (and maybe the hypocritical) oath to first "Do No Harm". Sometimes, taking a deep breath and waiting is the best decision. I don't think another week or two is going to make a bit of difference. On the contrary it might instill confidence in the electorate that our leaders are actually READING the bill before they vote on it! And as important, it might instill confidence in the market and private sector that our representatives aren't willing to just throw money at a problem. Heck, if we did that in the private sector we'd all be out of jobs...

Come on folks, think before you act and don't react to the popularity of a new president who, by the way, did not get a mandate... just a simple majority... and a slim one at that...

Derek and the Ballas Hough Band on GMA this AM

2009-02-05T21:20:00.003-07:00

Yes, you will have to sit through a 30 second commercial... but then you can see the interview and song that the Band performed... The song is entitled "Devastated".

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6811241

Their first single is also on I-tunes under Ballas Hough Band, the song is "Do It For You"...

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=303155083&s=143441

99 cents, a modest donation to the "hope your kids can support themselves" fund.... Of course the CD will be out on March 10th... and I'm sure you will want to download the entire thing...

Enjoy!

RNC Chairman - Out of the Chute on FNS with Chris Wallace

2009-02-04T19:20:00.002-07:00

Check out the Chairman's first foray into the public eye as RNC Chairman...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6ldqU75Mnco

Why Ken Blackwell (purportedly the most conservative candidate) endorsed Michael Steele for RNC Chairman

2009-02-04T18:54:00.003-07:00

Ken Blackwell (a candidate for RNC Chairman last week) is a columnist for www.Townhall.com and his column recites his rationale for endorsing Steele for RNC Chairman.

Blackwell was the 2nd candidate to bow out in a field of five (incumbent Mike Duncan, from Kentucky was first) and was followed by Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis (who is now serving on Steele's transition team, where he will probably focus on technology); in the sixth ballot Steele defeated South Carolina Party Chairman Katon Dawson (a true gentleman of the south). Blackwell was the only candidate who endorsed during the balloting.

http://townhall.com/columnists/KenBlackwell/2009/02/03/why_i_endorsed_michael_steele?page=full&comments=true

Last week, Michael Steele made history as the first African-American elected chairman of the Republican Party. Although the GOP is currently the minority party in our two-party system, Chairman Steele takes the reins at a moment of tremendous opportunity. Mr. Steele’s publicly expressed commitment to conservative principles and the platform of the party, led me to urge the GOP leadership to elect him as chairman.

January 29 and 30 were rollercoaster days for all of us running to become the next chairman of the GOP. We appeared before the members of the Republican National Committee, making our case about how to inspire, rebuild and advance our party.
The Republican Party wins when it holds fast to its principles and articulates bold policy positions embodying those principles. The precepts of limited government, economic opportunity and personal responsibility resonate with Americans. The Reagan Coalition of economic conservatives, social conservatives and national-security conservatives wins elections when our candidates communicate a message of core values, personal and family security, self-sufficiency, and the rule of law.
For Republicans to be successful again, the party must both rebuild our base and expand our reach.
The party’s base is dispirited. Economic conservatives are appalled at reckless spending and endless bailouts. Social conservatives are on defense because some advocate the GOP jettisoning issues such as life, marriage or the Second Amendment.
Abandoning those issues, expanding government and reducing personal liberty with higher taxes will not get voters to support Republicans. If Americans seek more government and higher taxes, they will go to the professionals, the Democrats.
The GOP needs a chairman who will build the party, by mobilizing the base around our issues and reaching new voters with those very same values.
History has proven conservative ideas win. Republican leaders must explain how conservative principles - expressed through bold policies - will improve people’s lives. Show voters how conservative ideas will help them enjoy more freedom, security and a brighter future, and they will vote Republican. The GOP needs a chairman with the ability to project that message.
The GOP also needs a chairman who can go one-on-one against the new DNC chairman. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is a lawyer with excellent speaking and debating skills. The RNC needed a chairman who could effectively lock horns with such a formidable opponent on TV and radio. Mr. Steele has the skills and strength of character to do that.
I served as a vice-chairman of the Platform Committee at the 2008 Republican convention in Minnesota. I fought to make sure that the conservative principles the GOP was built upon were strongly and clearly articulated in the platform. The party has never had a platform that more forcefully proclaims those enduring and defining principles as the one adopted in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Over breakfast on January 30, Mr. Steele and I discussed the 2008 platform. During that conversation he earnestly expressed his full support of the platform. This is a platform that is unabashedly pro-life, strongly grounded in Second Amendment freedoms, and fully embracing limited government and the rule of law.
That conservation and my perception of Mr. Steele’s authentic embrace of those principles provided me with the basis upon which I could endorse him with a clear conscience and firm conviction once I determined it was time for me to exit the race.
The Republican Party has been in decline. Now as the economy contracts and foreign threats gather, there is a push for a radical government expansion where the national government would take over whole sectors of the American economy. At the same time, there is a push to remake our culture and society, even bedrock human institutions and basic individual and family rights.
Against this tide, Republicans must have all hands on deck. In addition to leaders in Congress and among the governors, the GOP needed a chairman who could make the case for Republican principles to the voters.
Americans voted for change. But they did not vote for a socialistic economy, weakened defenses or a never-before-seen social order. The Republican Party must draw a clear contrast for economic freedom, foreign policy predicated on strength, relentless war against international terrorism, and unwavering defense of the American family.
Principle must trump politics. I would rather endorse no one than endorse someone I feared might abandon the GOP’s values and priorities.
I supported Mr. Steele because, by energetically advocating the principles and policies in the GOP platform, he can reunite and grow the GOP once again. Republicans face daunting challenges, but by being true to our principles Republicans can be the real agents of change.

Michael Steele - New RNC Chairman

2009-01-31T17:55:00.002-07:00

It was high drama during the election of the new Republican National Committee Chairman. Originally 7 candidates, whittled down to five before the start of the vote. The first to drop out of the race was actually the high vote getter in the 1st round of voting, incumbent Mike Duncan.

Second to drop out was Ken Blackwell reached his highwater mark on the first ballot as well. Surprisingly, he endorsed Michael Steele. I say surprisingly because some of the supporters of Blackwell had been critical that Steele may be more moderate than they desired. (an assertion that wasn't really supportable).

Anuzis hung on though he really made no movement either up or down and stayed in the 20 vote range... when he went out it was down to Steele and Dawson. Steele needed 6 votes to win and Dawson needed 16 votes to win... it could have gone either way...

Check out Steele's bio below...

National Committeewoman Enid Micklesen and Stan Lockhart, State Party Chairman and I spent considerable time listening to the candidates over the last 60 days and consulting with many of you in the state and elsewhere to figure out who the best candidate was. Ultimately we were united in our belief that Michael Steele was the one to support and continue to support as long as he had a chance to prevail...

We are proud to say we picked correctly... We are also proud to say that the other candidates were outstanding and that we are blessed to have a cadre of such dedicated and inspiring leadership in the party.

I'll post more later, when I get off the road...

In the end... Steele pulled it out and will now be the voice, face, and leadership of the National Party.

Rock and Roll at the Rock and Roll Hotel in D.C.

2009-01-27T23:16:00.002-07:00

My son Derek has a band, now known as the Ballas Hough Band (www.myspace.com/ballashoughband) that will be playing in Washington D.C. on Thursday Night at the Rock and Roll Hotel in D.C. He and Mark Ballas are dancing in the Dancing with the Stars Tour at the Verizon Center and as soon as they finish, they high tail it over to the Rock and Roll Hotel to play a gig... come see him... they are really cookin'. They are signed by Hollywood Records and release a single the first part of February and their CD March 10th... It's all good rock/pop/funk in an all ages venue... so it will be great... I'm guessing they will start playing after 10:30 pm... Love to see you there!!!

D.C. - What a Week its Gonna Be!!!

2009-01-27T23:07:00.002-07:00

Heading to D.C. to participate in the election of a new Chair of the National Republican Committee. The election has heated up and a lot of e-mails have been flying, some not so nice...

I've decided to run for the Western Region representative on the Budget Committee of the RNC. I'm for full disclosure and transparency on the essential information that comprises the RNC finances and I figure I'm a pretty good guy to help that happen...

I'll be updating as the week progresses....

By the way, Steele, Anuzis, Blackwell and Dawson have all agreed to disclose their financials in the run for chair... I haven't heard back from Chip Saltsman or Mike Duncan yet...

The Republican Election Standard - Ethics and Transparency

2009-01-22T19:37:00.008-07:00

You know folks, it is remarkable what has happened in the race for Republican National Committee Chairman. In the past, when we had an "open" seat (i.e. no sitting president to anoint the chairman), we have had spirited contests; but nothing like this year. This is truly an unprecedented election for RNC Chairman, to wit, the numbers....

1-The number of direct mail campaigns from seven candidates has filled a three ring notebook and denuded a small forest;
2-The number of e-mail, twitters, and text messages that should never be read while driving;
3-The number of phone calls has used every one's carryover minutes;
4-The number of public appearances by the candidates has proven that they can all speak on their feet (and their seat) and answer questions from friendly and semi-hostile audiences;
5-The number of personal visits to a large number of states (and U.S. Territories!) to obtain one vote (literally) at a time;
6-The number of anonymous negative e-mails and letters, most likely sent by consultants and not the candidates themselves (at least that is my hope);
7- The number of dollars spent and consultants and staff employed, this could be the single most expensive per capita vote of all time...

A few of my thoughts on what this means:

First, congratulations to each of the candidates. When I first saw the roster of candidates, I have to admit that I was somewhat under whelmed. We didn't have a superstar step forward nor did the committee immediately embrace a new personality to lead the party into a better future. However, because of the personal contact and extraordinary communications efforts by the campaigns it is clear that we have very competent and yes, even compelling candidates. We have seen campaigns that demonstrate this competence and each candidate has demonstrated their commitment to conservative values and making the changes required to move the party forward.

Second, I'm very unhappy with the negative tone that has been foisted upon this election by what I perceive to be those with agendas not necessarily consistent with that of the committee as a whole. How can we claim the high road or the high moral ground when it comes to politics when even an election to influence and persuade 168 people becomes subjected to the kind of innuendo and outright character assassination that we have seen? It is a cowardly act to smear and criticize without divulging who you are and who you represent. I give the candidates themselves the benefit of the doubt that they are honorable and not directing this activity.

Third, in a time when we are appalled by the "alleged" pay for play antics of the Illinois Governor it seems a bit disingenuous for our candidates to engage in the making of specific promises for votes. Okay, I get it that there are rewards for those who step up and make commitments... but let's not kid ourselves... If we are on the receiving end of such offers we should have the integrity to allow whoever is elected to be fully unencumbered from having to reward people for votes cast. Let's keep the new Chairman available to make the best decisions for the national party. And by the way that goes for consultants as well... maybe double. (Okay, I know this sounds naive.. but hey, I can always hope).

And finally, this is by far the most expensive and extensive campaign for RNC Chairman in history. All of this attention to persuade at least 85 people to cast their vote for one person has cost a pretty penny. Some candidates have called in favors, received donations, and had in-kind contributions. Some have 527s through which they are accounting for this flow of money and some will simply file the appropriate IRS forms identifying donors and amounts of monies received and spent in this campaign. I believe that the candidates should fully disclose, before the election, what they have received and from whom.

The RNC does not have a rule on this (it probably wasn't really needed in the past...), but there are rules with respect to the IRS and 527s and it just seems that whatever system they are operating under, the candidates should fully disclose. In the future, the party should establish a rule to specifically address this, such as FEC type guidelines. In either case, Candidates should disclose monies received and from whom, and in addition, what consultants they are either paying or from whom they are receiving in-kind assistance. Transparency in the campaigns for Chairman is essential to instill trust in the process and the party's leadership.

In Conclusion: Notwithstanding the comments above,(which I believe are very important to address), this has been the best campaign for Chairman of the RNC in history because it has fully engaged the entire committee. There have been debates, interviews, forums and one on one meetings by phone, Internet, television, and in person. This process has been good for each member of the committee but especially for each of the candidates. It has personalized them and qualified them to us and made those of us who will vote very comfortable that whoever is elected will do the job that needs to be done. This is not a vote of who will do the least harm; it is a vote for good, better, and best. For that, we can all be grateful.

Check Out the RNC Chairman Profiles BELOW...

2009-01-19T18:42:00.002-07:00

There are 7 profiles below in no particular order. There are links to their campaign sites if you want to know more. I'll be making some comments in the next several days that will give you my impressions of each and what their respective Strengths and Weaknesses may be in my view.

Email me with your comments... thanks.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chairman - Katon Dawson

2009-01-19T18:38:00.001-07:00

Katon Dawson
D.O.B.: 02/29/1956AGE: 52 HOME STATE: South Carolina TITLE: South Carolina Republican Party Chairman WEBSITE: http://www.katondawson.com/TWITTER: @katondawsonPLAN: The Dawson Plan (pdf)
KATON’S OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY:
Katon Dawson was elected Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party in spring 2002 and unanimously re-elected in 2004 and 2007. The fourth-longest serving State Republican Party chairman in the country, Dawson serves on the Budget Committee of the Republican National Committee.
Dubbed “a tough-as-nails southern warrior” by Washington Times Columnist Donald Lambro, Dawson has turned the South Carolina Republican Party’s financial deficit into a large surplus with aggressive fundraising and sound fiscal management. Dawson has broken all previous fundraising records for a state political party chairman in South Carolina.
Historic electoral success has been the hallmark of Dawson’s tenure at the helm of the South Carolina Republican Party. During the four election cycles Dawson has been State Chairman, Republicans have won nearly 80% of the elections in which they fielded a candidate. Under Dawson’s leadership, the South Carolina Republican Party has gained a U.S. Senate seat, re-taken the governorship and picked up two statewide constitutional offices. Republicans have also increased the number of seats the party holds in both chambers of the South Carolina General Assembly. Currently, Republicans hold eight out of nine statewide constitutional offices in South Carolina.
Dawson has been recognized nationally for preserving South Carolina’s First-in-the-South Republican Party Presidential Primary status. The South Carolina Republican Party’s First-in-the-South Presidential Primary has grown in significance over time. Since 1980, no candidate has won the Republican nomination for president without winning South Carolina’s Republican primary. In August 2007, Dawson made a historic trip to New Hampshire’s Executive Council Chambers at the State House in Concord. There, at a nationally televised press conference, he hand delivered a letter to New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner announcing Saturday, January 19, 2008, as the date of the 2008 First-in-the-South Republican Party Presidential Primary.
Dawson has earned extensive coverage by local, statewide and national press. Dawson was the only State Republican Party Chairman in the country to host two live, nationally-televised FOX News Republican presidential candidates’ debates during the 2008 presidential primary season. Dawson has appeared on FOX News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, National Public Radio and Dan Rather Reports. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, TIME, Newsweek, Washington Times and U.S. News and World Report. Dawson’s guest columns have been published in The Politico, The State and the Greenville News.
Dawson participated in a “Presidential Primary Symposium” in April 2008 at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He was the featured speaker at a North Carolina Republican Party dinner in June 2008. He has also spoken to students at the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and Charleston Law School. Dawson served as a panelist discussing presidential politics at the University of Virginia Center For Politics’ 2008 American Democracy Conference hosted by Larry Sabato.
Dawson has been active in Republican Party politics for more than 40 years. On Halloween night 1964, Dawson was just 8 years old when his mother drove him to the downtown auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina, to hear Ronald Reagan stump for Republican presidential nominee Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona. Dawson was a flag-bearer on that historic evening and was honored to meet Reagan that night. “I remembered I wanted to be part of that excitement from that day forward”’ Dawson told the Associated Press in a 2007 interview.
Dawson went on to volunteer for President Richard Nixon and coordinate Students for Gerald Ford at the University of South Carolina. Dawson was member of Young Professionals for Ronald Reagan. Dawson was a regional captain of then-Gov. George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign. Dawson also served as co-Chairman of South Carolina’s delegations to the 2004 and 2008 Republican National Convention and President of the 2004 South Carolina Electoral College.
Dawson is president and general manager of family-owned Burns Auto Parts in Columbia, South Carolina. He is married to Candy. They have two children – Anna and Katon, Jr. Dawson graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1979 with a Bachelors of Science in Management. He is an active member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chair - Saul Anuzis

2009-01-19T18:36:00.001-07:00

Saul Anuzis
D.O.B.: 03/06/1959 AGE: 49 HOME STATE: Michigan TITLE: Michigan Republican State Committee ChairmanWEBSITE: http://www.anuzisforchair.com/TWITTER: @sanuzis PLAN: Blueprint for a GOP Comeback (pdf)
SAUL’S OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY:
Saul Anuzis is not your typical Republican State Chairman. He is an unabashed Reagan-conservative with strong opinions about the role of government. He is also one of the most tech savvy chairmen in the country. The phrases often used to describe him include “constantly inmotion”, “whirlwind”, “true believer” and “man with a plan”. He joined the Teamsters union and rides a Harley Road King. But he leaves the Harley home when he’s campaigning so he can Twitter, blog and blackberry on the road. He is also a Boy Scoutmaster and a hockey dad. And, he is as committed to the Republican Party’s conservative roots as he once was to the liberation of Lithuania, the country his parents fled before seeking the American dream in Detroit, Michigan.
Saul is a believer in the core principles of Republicanism. They are the reason he became a Republican. He certainly wasn’t born into it. Saul grew up in a working class neighborhood in Detroit. He played in the streets with the kids of other autoworkers. He saw Ronald Reagan speak to those workers with a message that spoke to him as well. And he knows that, until we reach those voters again, Republicans will not win.
Saul attended the University of Michigan, Dearborn, where he studied economics. To help pay his way through college, Saul loaded trucks and was a member of the Teamsters Union. It was in college that he got his first taste of politics. There, he helped found a College Republican chapter and served as Student Government President. In 1980, Anuzis was elected as one of the youngest delegates to the Republican National Convention. He went on to attend President Reagan’s first inaugural ceremony that next January. Soon thereafter, he was elected Third Vice Chair of the Michigan Republican Party, and also served two terms as a Congressional District Chairman, precinct delegate and candidate for public office.
Throughout the 1980’s Saul worked in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate for Senator Dick Posthumus of Grand Rapids. Posthumus would eventually become Senate Majority Leader, Lt. Governor and the party’s nominee for Governor in 2002. Saul found himself drawn to Jack Kemp’s free market/empowerment philosophy and played a key role in the Michigan effort for Kemp in 1988.
In 1990, Anuzis took a break from politics to focus on his family and business interests. Today, Saul and his business partner own Quick Connect USA, a telecommunications firm providing local, long distance, VOIP, Internet, and data services to residential and small businesses throughout Michigan. Anuzis serves as Chairman of the company but is currently on a leave of absence and maintains no day-to-day responsibilities due to his responsibilities to the Michigan Republican Party.
In 2005 and again in 2007, Saul was unanimously elected Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. In 2007, he was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee, and, he served on the Committee on Arrangements for the 2008 Republican National Convention. During his time as Michigan Chairman, Saul has actively cultivated relationships with members of the Republican National Committee all across the country. His daily blogs and regular updates are a source of up-to-the-minute information for Michigan activists and national GOP activists as well.
In addition, Saul is a regular contributor to many other right-of-center blogs, and has been recognized by many as one of the most tech savvy of the state GOP chairmen for his use of the latest web tools to communicate with supporters.
Saul is particularly proud of his Lithuanian family’s history. His parents and grandparents both received the Righteous Among the Nations award from Israel’s National Holocaust Memorial, Yad Vashem, for helping, among others, three young girls escape from a Jewish ghetto during World War II.
After the war, Anuzis’ family came to America, where a priest gave his father a set of 19 books on how to become an electrician, a difficult task for a man who was learning to read and speak English at the same time. His father then spent 32 years as a skilled tradesman and UAW member at the Fleetwood Fisher Body Plant on Fort Street in Detroit.
Anuzis is actively involved in several Lithuanian-American organizations and serves on several non-profit boards. He currently serves as the Republic of Lithuania’s Honorary Consul to Michigan. He was also a Gubernatorial Appointee to the Michigan Jobs Commission and the Michigan Export Development Authority.
Saul has been married for 23 years to Lina (Alksninis) Anuzis. They have four sons. Matas attends Michigan State University, Tadas and Vytis are in high school at Lansing Catholic Central, and Marius attends Resurrection Middle School. The family resides in Lansing, Michigan.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chairman - Ken Blackwell

2009-01-19T18:33:00.002-07:00

Ken Blackwell
D.O.B.: 02/28/1948 AGE: 60 HOME STATE: Ohio TITLE: Former Ohio Secretary of StateWEBSITE: http://kenblackwell.com/TWITTER: @kenblackwell PLAN: Conservative Resurgence Plan (pdf)
KEN’S OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY:
Ken Blackwell is the Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at the Family Research Council, and the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow for Public Policy at the Buckeye Institute in Columbus, Ohio. He is a visiting fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the American Civil Rights Union. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Club for Growth, National Taxpayers Union and Pastors Retreat Network. Mr. Blackwell is also the Chairman for the Coalition for a Conservative Majority, and a member of the National Rifle Association’s Public Affairs Committee. He is a columnist for the New York Sun, a contributing editor and columnist for the conservative news and opinion site Townhall.com, and a public affairs commentator for the Salem Radio Network.
He has a distinguished record of achievement as a finance executive, entrepreneur, diplomat, educator and independent corporate director. He is one of the nation’s leading conservative voices and a strong advocate free market enterprise. In 2006, he became the first African-American in Ohio history to be a major party nominee for governor.
In 2004, the American Conservative Union and the Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs honored Mr. Blackwell with the John M. Ashbrook Award for his steadfast conservative leadership. Past recipients of the award include President Ronald Reagan, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick and Charlton Heston.
Mr. Blackwell’s public service includes terms as mayor of Cincinnati, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. In 1994, he became the first African-American elected to a statewide executive office in Ohio when he was elected treasurer of state. He subsequently was elected to two terms as secretary of state.
Mr. Blackwell is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (2003– present), a director of the Academy for Government Accountability (2007–present), and a former member of the federal senior executive service. He was co-chairman of the board of directors of the Campaign Finance Institute (2003–06) in Washington, D.C. and a member of the Harvard Policy Group on Network-Enabled Services and Government (2003–06). Mr. Blackwell has been a member of the national advisory boards of the Princeton Review (2000-06) and Youth for Christ (2003-05). He is a former chairman of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board (1998–2001) and member of the Advisory Panel of the Federal Elections Commission (1999-2003). In addition, Mr. Blackwell served on the board of directors of the ICMA Retirement Corporation (1999– 2004), Fifth Third Bank, Fifth Third Bancorp (1993-94), the Cincinnati Public Employees Retirement System (1985-88) and Grant/Riverside Methodist Hospitals (1996-99).
In 2002, he received meritorious recognition from the Center for Digital Government, and was recognized by Government Technology magazine as one of the top 25 public sector leaders in information technology. He is a past president of the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council. More than 25 years ago, he began his work in using technology to help government fulfill its mission and commitment to citizens as a member of the board of directors of Public Technology, Inc., located in Washington, D.C.
A certified government finance manager, Mr. Blackwell was a 1999 recipient of the Government Finance Officers Association’s Excellence in Government Award. In 2006, he received the prestigious National Leadership Award from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. He was formerly a Fellow at the Heritage Foundation (1990) in Washington, D.C. He has served on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans.
Mr. Blackwell was a delegate to the White House Summit on Retirement Savings in 1998 and 2002. During the 1990s, he served on the congressionally appointed National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform, and in 1998, he co-edited a book with Jack Kemp, entitled, IRS v. The People: Time for Real Tax Reform. In 2006, he co-authored with Jerome R. Corsi Rebuilding America: A Prescription for Creating Strong Families, Building the Wealth of Working People, and Ending Welfare. An advocate for tax simplification and government reform, Mr. Blackwell has testified before Congressional committees on taxation, government operations, election systems, education, and banking matters.
Mr. Blackwell also has served on the boards of directors of the International Republican Institute, the American Council of Young Political Leaders, and the Congressional Human Rights Foundation. He was a scholar-in-residence at the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights at the University of Cincinnati College of Law (19991-93).
As the U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, he led the U.S. delegation to all four of the preparatory meetings for the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and presently serves on the advisory board of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.
His international activities have taken him to 53 countries and strengthened his understanding of emerging international markets and the growth of democracy worldwide. Mr. Blackwell has held the nation’s highest security clearance, and twice received the U.S. Department of State’s Superior Honor Award from the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton for his work in the field of human rights.
He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Xavier University (OH), where he later served as a vice president and member of its faculty. In 1992, he received Xavier’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has been a Fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, the Aspen Institute, the Salzburg Seminar in Austria and the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University (British-American Project). His continuing education has included executive programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard.
Among his awards are honorary doctoral degrees from several institutions of higher education in Ohio, including Ashland University (2002), Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (1999), Lourdes College (2003), Wilberforce University (1980), Wilmington College (1996), Urbana University (1997), Indiana Wesleyan University (2005) and Franklin Pierce College (1992) in New Hampshire. He is a recipient of the Veritas Award (1998) from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut and the President’s Award for Public Service and Leadership (1995) from Central State University in Ohio.
In 1998, Mr. Blackwell delivered the Becket Lecture on Religious Liberty at Oxford University. Since the spring of 2004, he has been a member of the Arlington Group, an influential national coalition of pro-life, pro-family and religious leaders and organizations. He has lectured at Harvard, the University of New Castle in England, and the Moscow State Institute for International Relations in Russia, and the International Academy of Public Administration in Paris. Many of his speeches and lectures have been published in “Vital Speeches of the Day.”
His commentaries have been carried in major newspapers across the United States, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, as well as all major newspapers in Ohio. He is a regular guest commentator for Salem Communications. Salem Communications operates 59 radio stations in 22 of the nation’s top 25 markets and owns 95 stations nationally. He also has been a frequent guest on network and cable news and public affairs programs, including Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, CNN’s Crossfire and Inside Politics, MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, and PBS’s The Jim Lehrer Newshour and Tavis Smiley Late Night.
Mr. Blackwell is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati. He was a founding partner of the highly successful Blue Chip Broadcasting Company, a network of 20 urban format radio stations. At the time of its sale in 2001, Blue Chip Broadcasting had become the second largest African-American owned radio company in the nation. He and his wife of 39 years, Rosa, who currently serves as superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, have three adult children. In 1994, the Blackwells were honored as one of the National Council of Negro Women’s Families of the Year, and, in 1996, Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell together received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Dreamkeeper Award from the Cincinnati Historical Society. In 2006, the Blackwells became minority shareholders in the Cincinnati Reds, the city’s major league baseball team. Mr. Blackwell is a member of the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity, the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, the Literary Club of Cincinnati and is a life member of the NAACP.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chairman - Chip Saltsman

2009-01-19T18:30:00.002-07:00

Chip Saltsman
D.O.B.: 03/24/1968 AGE: 39 HOME STATE: Tennessee TITLE: Former Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee Chairman WEBSITE: http://www.chipsaltsman.com/TWITTER: @chipsaltsmanPLAN: CRepublican Plan for Victory (pdf)
CHIP’S OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY:
John “Chip” Saltsman, Jr. is a Tennessee Republican with the experience, energy, and dedication necessary to bring our Republican Party to resurgent national leadership. As a business owner, as Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, and as campaign manager of a Republican presidential campaign, Saltsman has learned how to compete and how to win.
Born March 24, 1968 in Nashville, Tennessee, Saltsman attended Christian Brothers University in Memphis, at which he earned his bachelor’s and master’s in business administration degrees. Before the Republican Revolution of 1994, Tennessee was represented by two Democratic Senators, a Democratic Governor, and a Democratic State Legislature. With Saltsman’s help, conservatives elected Senator Bill Frist, Senator Fred Thompson, and Governor Don Sundquist that year in a sweeping landslide.
Elected Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party in 1998, Saltsman quickly faced a crisis of conscience when his long-time mentor Governor Don Sundquist made imposition of a state income tax the centerpiece of his second term. Refusing to permit his party to betray its commitment to fiscal conservatism, Saltsman strongly opposed the income tax proposal, which failed after grassroots opposition from conservatives across the state inspired a tax revolt. Today, Tennessee remains one of only nine states without a broad-based income tax.
Saltsman next faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge as he worked to defeat then-Vice President Al Gore in his home state of Tennessee, despite President Clinton’s success there in 1992 and 1996 and despite the fact that Gore and his father had represented the state in the Senate for a combined twenty-six years. Saltsman’s hard work and political leadership ensured George W. Bush’s victory in Tennessee, without which Florida’s narrow margin would have been nothing but an interesting footnote.
Saltsman followed this accomplishment by working as Development Director for Senator Frist at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2002 election cycle, where he helped Republicans regain control of the Senate after the defection of Senator James Jeffords handed the chamber to Democratic control in May 2001.
Saltsman then became Senior Political Advisor to Majority Leader Frist at VOLPAC, a political action committee chaired by Frist and dedicated to recruitment and support of Republican candidates for political office nationwide. In 2004, eighteen of the twenty two races that VOLPAC supported were successful. And, in 2006, VOLPAC helped ensure the election of Senator Bob Corker over Harold Ford, Jr. in Tennessee.
Saltsman was also an important figure in Senator Frist’s preparations for a potential run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and was labeled “Frist’s secret weapon” by Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post and “a multi-talented superstar …[who has] demonstrated uncanny, remarkable leadership in every endeavor he’s undertaken” by Frist himself. However, following the completion of his two terms in the Senate, Frist decided against a run for the presidency. With Frist’s departure from public service, Saltsman became National Campaign Manager for Governor Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign on February 1, 2007.
Saltsman oversaw all aspects of the campaign, including political, fundraising, communications and operations, and he led the dark horse candidacy to a surprise second place in the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll and then to victory in the Iowa Republican Caucuses. Huckabee’s campaign proceeded to record victories in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia on Super Tuesday, before ending his campaign on March 4, 2008 with 270 pledged delegates.
Saltsman is currently considering a run for chairman of the Republican National Committee, so that our party can pick itself up, develop and offer new ideas, introduce new candidates, and present new leadership. Despite our defeat this November, he firmly believes that the Republican Party can arise bolder, stronger, and more cohesive in the months and years to come.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chairman - Mike Duncan (incumbent)

2009-01-19T18:29:00.001-07:00

Mike Duncan
D.O.B.:AGE:HOME STATE: KentuckyTITLE: Republican National Committee ChairmanWEBSITE: http://www.mikeforchairman.com/TWITTER: @rncPLAN: Plan for the Future (pdf)
MIKE’S OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY:
Robert M. (Mike) Duncan, a 30-year political strategist and veteran of Republican politics, was elected as the 60th Chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 2007.
Duncan has worked for and advised Republican candidates and parties at the local, state and national level his entire adult life. He has held a wide variety of positions at the RNC, including General Counsel and Treasurer. During his career, he has served on the campaigns of five Presidents, including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. He has been a delegate to six Republican National Conventions.
Mike’s service has extended to the federal government. In 1989-90, during a sabbatical from his banking career, he worked in the George H. W. Bush White House as assistant Director of Public Liaison. President George W. Bush appointed him to the President’s Commission on White House Fellows in 2001 and nominated him to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board, a position to which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in March 2006.
Duncan has been equally active in his home state of Kentucky, where he helped in the successful campaign to win back Kentucky’s statehouse for the first time in 36 years. In 1998 he took a leave of absence from his business and chaired Jim Bunning’s successful U.S. Senate race. In addition Duncan is a long-time supporter and fundraiser for Senator Mitch McConnell.
A civic capitalist, Mike is active in numerous professional and nonprofit organizations. He served as board chairman of a state university and a private college. He is a Trustee of the Christian Appalachian Project, the 15th largest private social services agency in America. His public service has been recognized with several distinctions, including honorary degrees from the College of the Ozarks, Cumberland College, and Morehead State University. His student-mentoring program, in its 28th year, has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Los Angeles Times.
The Duncan family is the principal owner of two community banks with five offices in eastern Kentucky. Mike has served as President of the Kentucky Bankers Association and as a Director of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank Cincinnati Branch.
Mike Duncan and his wife Joanne are 1974 graduates of the University of Kentucky College of Law. They live in Inez, Kentucky and have one son, Rob, an Assistant United States Attorney in Lexington, Kentucky, who is married to Valerie Ridder of Springfield, Missouri. Mike and Joanne look forward to the arrival of their first grandchild in January, 2009.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chairman - Michael Steele

2009-01-19T18:22:00.003-07:00

Michael Steele
D.O.B.: 10/19/1958AGE: 50HOME STATE: MarylandTITLE: GOPAC ChairmanWEBSITE: http://steeleforchairman.com/TWITTER: @steele4chairPLAN: Blueprint for Tomorrow
MICHAEL’S OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY:
A self-described Lincoln Republican. Michael S. Steele earned a place in history in 2003 when he became the first African-American elected to statewide office in Maryland. His experiences as a successful elected conservative African-American Republican and his engaging speaking style have launched Steele into national prominence. His first major exposure was during an appearance at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Since then President George W. Bush chose Steele to be part of the U.S. delegation to the investiture of Pope Benedict XVI, and as a member of the Presidential Delegation to the Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII in Tanzania. Steele has been an entertaining and eloquent guest on cable political talk shows such as HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.
An expert on political strategy, fund-raising, PACs, and election reform, he is the current Chairman of GOPAC. He has served on the National Federal Election Reform Commission and the NAACP Blue Ribbon Commission on Election Reform.
Born in 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Steele was raised in Washington, DC. He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood, but, ultimately, chose a career in law instead. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991.
He is currently a Partner in the international law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf in Washington, DC. From 1991–1997, Steele was a corporate securities attorney at the international law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Washington, DC, specializing in sophisticated financial transactions on behalf of Wall Street underwriters. He also was a corporate finance counsel for the Mills Corporation and founded his own company, The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm. His writings on law, business and politics have appeared in The Washington Times, Politico.com, Townhall.com, and The Journal of International Security Affairs, among others.
Named a 2005 Aspen Institute–Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership and awarded the 2005 Bethune-DuBois Institute Award for his ongoing work in the development of quality education in Maryland, Steele also has served on a variety of boards and commissions including Export–Import Bank Advisory Board, the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors, and the Republican National Committee.
Lt. Governor Steele serves on the Administrative Board of the Maryland Catholic Conference and is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Landover Hills, MD, where he attends mass regularly with his wife Andrea and their two sons Michael and Drew.

Profiles of Candidates for RNC Chairman - David Gosselin

2009-01-19T18:16:00.002-07:00

David Gosselin Candidate for ChairmanRepublican National Committee
Former New Hampshire Republican State ChairmanFormer Member, RNC
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Video Post: 01/14/2009
Gosselin calls for RNC Resolution in Support of New President
Gosselin answers the questions sent to RNC Chairman Candidatesfrom Morton Blackwell, RNC Committeeman from Virginia.[Click to Read]
Gosselin responds to Republican Defeat in New Hampshire Magazine[Click to Read]

RNC Race - Unprecedented and Extraordinary

2009-01-19T17:57:00.004-07:00

Okay, it may not seem like such a big deal, but it is to the 168 members of the RNC who will vote for the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Unlike years when a Republican President resides in the White House and "picks" a chairman for the committee to "sustain"; this is a real election. I went through one in 1993 when the committee elected Haley Barbour from Mississippi and it occurred again during the Clinton Administration when Jim Nicholsen from Colorado was elected. Each of the those votes took 5 ballots because until someone actually gets 85 votes, we just keep on going... until enough people blink to get a majority.

What is unprecedented and extraordinary this year is the amount of in person campaigining that is going on. First, there was the in person debate (never done before) sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reform, Grover Norquist's group (check out the video on their site....

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=283105-1

Then there were one on one "interviews" by a so-called Conservative Steering Committee (just call it a caucus already) that was also carried by telephone conference call that allowed for remote participation. One of the ostensible reasons for having this meeting was to make sure it was known who was conservative enough to be chairman. In fact, I asked the question to the group assembled to see if anyone on the committee believed that someone was not qualified for lack of a conservative history or philosophy... the answer was a deafening silence... until someone did pipe up and say they didn't think David Gosselin from Connecticut was qualified.

And finally there was a special meeting of the RNC where the candidates once again had a joint forum.

But more than that... every one of the top six canidates have travelled to Utah and met with members of the committee... being Stan Lockhart, Chairman of the Utah Republican Party; Bruce R. Hough, National Committeeman from Utah; and Enid Greene Mickelson, National Committeewoman from Utah. Always considered the flyover state, when there are 3 votes up for grabs and you need 85 to win... every vote really does count.

This is a pretty intense election with all kinds of money, negative campaigning and political intrigue. The election January 30th... Love to hear from you.