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Mitch McConnell In Meeting With Rand Paul In Louisville Today

Rand Paul met with Mitch McConnell around 5:30 this evening at the airport in Louisville after McConnell returned from an event in Murray Kentucky. The meeting is significant in large part because McConnell, the senior senator from Kentucky has been close with the candidacy of Trey Grayson, Kentucky's current Secretary of State and Paul's main primary opponent.  McConnell along with several other United States senators co-hosted a fundraising event for Grayson in Washington DC in September.  The press reports which followed portrayed Grayson as the choice of party insiders.

Paul has recently said that he respects McConnell's success and looked forward to meeting with him, but stopped short of endorsing McConnell as the next GOP leader in the United States Senate over Jim DeMint who had sought the minority leadership spot ultimately captured by McConnell.

For months it has been rumored that McConnell was behind an effort to keep Jim Bunning from seeking re-election and that Grayson was McConnell's hand picked choice to replace Bunning.  The meeting with Rand Paul this evening was initiated by Paul but not until after he had proven himself a viable candidate having out raised Grayson in the last quarter and coming out on top of Grayson in recent polling.

McConnell has previously said he is not endorsing anyone in the primary.  What both men say, if anything, after their meeting tonight will no doubt capture the interest of the national media which has so far found the Paul campaign of great interest.

The "business like" meeting was being conducted in a room near the gate where McConnell's plane landed.  The only other people in attendance were staff.

Rand Paul Could Stumble As Front Runner If His Britches Don't Fit

The race for the seat being vacated by the retiring two term United States Senator and baseball hall of fame pitcher Jim Bunning has had a lead change.  Rand Paul has come from far behind and is now the front runner according to a recent poll.  But his lead may be in jeopardy if he tries to run in britches that don't fit.

After a recent article appeared on NKy.com in which Trey Grayson unloaded on Rand Paul for refusing to endorse Mitch McConnell for GOP senate leadership, the turn of events had begun to favor Paul for remaining his own man, rather than being what some have said about Grayson's relationship with McConnell being that of "an owned man".

But then Paul's official campaign wrote a comment to the NKY.com article in which they said this:

"Everyone is talking about Rand Paul, especially the fading Grayson campaign. Their incessant claims of cornering the market on all things Kentuckian are as tiresome as their endless butt-kissing. Trey's big talking point is that he is a 5th generation Kentuckian as if that qualifies him for anything more than being a glorified clerk in Frankfort." [NKy.com]

When a United States Senate candidate puts in writing the phrase "endless butt kissing" one must ask, what is going on here?

Paul went on to describe a Constitutionally established office in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the current holder of that office, Secretary of State Trey Grayson as a "glorified clerk".  Again, what is going on here?

Wouldn't the use of that kind of language be more easily explained if it had come from one of Dr. Paul's overzealous supporters rather than his official campaign?  Does that kind of rhetoric match the dignity, decorum and respect required of one seeking a seat in the most respected deliberative body in the world, the United States Senate?

The answer to the question might have been revealed in Paul's response to one of Joe Arnold's questions when Paul said that when he entered the race he really didn't expect to get more than about 10% of the vote. 

What seems to have happened is that Paul came into this race wearing a pair of pants fitted to his expectations when suddenly he finds himself in the lead.  In that position he needs to be more careful. 

The risk of him stumbling increases unless he stops running with the style of someone who has grown too big for his britches.

Congratulations Barry O - US Unemployment Now Beats Europe

This from OpenMarket.org:

Unemployment is now higher in the U.S. than in Europe,  reports the Washington Post.  “The official U.S. unemployment rate, reported last Friday, now stands at 10.2 percent,” compared to “9.7 percent” in Europe.   This is the highest rate in more than 26 years, and marks a huge change from the recent past, in which unemployment was double the American rate in much of Europe, such as in France.

Well, he said he had goals, like "fundamentally transforming the United States of America."

Is THIS the kind of CHANGE you were HOPING for?

Did Nancy Pelosi Just Say That "It's fair" To Send People To Jail For Not Buying Health Insurance?

Obviously ignoring her oath to preserve and defend the constitution of the United States Nancy Pelosi responded to a reporters question by saying that she thinks it is "Very fair in this respect" that those who don't buy health insurance could be sent to jail under her legislation.

Get ready America!

Is This An Excuse For Ft. Hood? 'Muslims In Military Suffer"

No wonder the folks who sit in front of their televisions and either don't or can't think for themselves end up victims.  The network news propaganda machines are telling them that everyone is a victim. 

Of course, rarely do they say that about hard working, patriotic defenders of the constitution.  But they did say it about Muslims in the military.  Would that be like, Nidal Hasan the Ft. Hood terrorist maybe?

Drudge Report "Not Accurate" Says White House - Fox Interview Of POTUS In China Unconfirmed

Drudge is reporting that the White House has granted Major Garrett of FoxNews an interview in China.  This report was picked up on several other sites.

The interview has not yet been confirmed. When asked about the interview, the White House told Politico, “We’ve not committed to doing any presidential interviews during the trip to Asia with any outlets at this point,” and Drudge’s report is 'not accurate.'"[Examiner.com]

Republicans Edge Ahead In Gallup Poll On Congressional Elections 2010

Republicans have moved ahead of Democrats by 48% to 44% among registered voters in the latest update on Gallup's generic congressional ballot for the 2010 House elections, after trailing by six points in July and two points last month.

FULL STORY HERE

Trey Grayson Attacks Rand Paul, Shot Ricochets Back At Him

The Rand Paul /Trey Grayson matchup is a delightful contest for those of us for whom politics is our life.  Rand Paul has so far mastered the ability to fire back quickly and on target whenever Grayson attacked him. Grayson has now tried to do the same thing but in Grayson's case however the shot may have ricocheted and backfired on him sufficiently that Paul needs to do nothing.

In an interview with Joe Arnold for WHAS, Dr. Paul said that he had plans to meet with Senator Mitch McConnell.  He then said that he wasn't sure if he'd vote to have McConnell or Jim DeMint as the GOP senate leader.  Paul credited McConnell with his success and service to Kentucky, but said that Kentuckians want two senators not one.

Grayson, seen by most as McConnell's hand picked candidate, then tried to fire back, blasting away at Paul for refusing to commit his vote this early saying:

Senator Mitch McConnell been a very effective public servant for Kentucky,...I recognize the importance of that for the Commonwealth, and I will absolutely, 100% vote to keep Senator Mitch McConnell as GOP Leader in the Senate if I am elected.[Nky.com]

But Grayson, who likes to remind people that he is a member of the NRA, seems to have ignored a couple of the NRA safe shooting rules: Always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction. Know your target and what is beyond.

Several of Rand Paul's supporters were quick to remind folks what Grayson had just said in a recent Wall Street Journal article:

He said he speaks regularly with Mr. McConnell, but that he is not shy about criticizing him, particularly on the financial system bailout. "I wouldn't have voted for it, and he did," Mr. Grayson said. "He and I talked about it, and I said, 'I'm going to criticize you on the campaign trail."'

Whether by design or mishap Grayson's shot at Paul  seems to have been turned back on Grayson.  His attempt to reserve for himself the exclusive right to criticize McConnell is precisely the kind of "politics as usual" the Paul campaign is running against. And his failure to recognize the growing movement which in part is being led by Jim DeMint has pegged him as much more of a "follower" than a leader.

It was good to see some life from the Grayson camp, but that life won't last long if they can't avoid self inflicted wounds.

Morning Funnies

Rand Paul To Host Fund Raiser For Jimmy Higdon In Bardstown

Rand Paul will host a fund raising event for GOP state senate candidate Jimmy Higdon in Bardstown on November 30th.  Higdon is the party's chosen candidate designated to run in the special election to replace Dan Kelly in the 14th Senate district.  Kelly resigned his seat and was appointed as Circuit Judge by Governor Beshear.

While many think that Beshear is short sighted enough to use his appointment powers to erode the GOP majority in the state Senate in order to advance his gambling agenda, in point of fact a much bigger issue is at stake for republicans.

With a new census next year the legislature will take up the issue of re-districting.  In Kelly's old district only a balance of power in the Kentucky Legislature can prevent the potential harm to at least one of Kentucky's current republican votes in Congress, Brett Guthrie, who holds the seat vacated by Ron Lewis.

In addition, re-drawing the lines could put Ed Whitfield in jeopardy if the democrats controlled both the house and the Senate.

I'm sure that Rand Paul's decision to help Higdon is also intended to demonstrate to republicans across the Commonwealth that Paul is a "team player", supporting the party faithful's chosen candidate and perhaps helping to bring on board what has turned out to be Paul's very successful fund raising skills for his own campaign.

Paul's front runner status continues to attract attention.  And now the timing of his recently announced meeting with Mitch McConnell coupled with this "party building" effort in support of Jimmy Higdon suggests that perhaps the time has come to stop underestimating the skill of the Paul campaign.

Retired Colonel Says Obama Speech "Offensive"

Retired Colonel Ralph Peters says that Obama's speech regarding the Ft. Hood murders was offensive when he said the act was "incomprehensible" and "hard to understand". 

Peters said this:

"No, it wasn't hard to comprehend and it's not now. It was the act of an Islamic terrorist who gunned down 55 people, 54 people, because he believed he was doing the will of Allah in accordance with the Koran."

Offensive?  Hell, Obama's comments are just plain ignorant and, I might add, dangerous. 

Watch the video:

Who Needed To Profile? Hasan The Murderer Told Them What He Was Up To

Heads should roll.  Not in the Islamist sense, but in the "American court of justice, this kind of thing can't happen, somebody has to answer for this" sense of things.

Nidal Hasan the murderer from the Ft. Hood incident, has been exposed as having sent red flags up everywhere, yet no one did anything about it.

Read HERE, HERE AND HERE

Let's not go hunting for the guilty in the same way we've hunted Bin Laden.  Find the guilty NOW and get this cancer out of our military.

Morning Funnies

WHAS Joe Arnold's Scoop: Rand Paul Scheduled To Meet With McConnell

Joe Arnold interviewed Dr. Rand Paul this evening for WHAS in Louisville and boy does the report he filed tell a story that no one would have expected just a few weeks ago:

So who is he and does he have a chance?  

Most Kentucky political observers expected the democrats to duke it out in the senate primary while Republican Trey Grayson sat back and prepared for the fall campaign.

But Rand Paul and the sudden uprising of fiscal conservatism in the tea party movement appears to have changed all that. 

Rand Paul's fearlessness is triggering anxiety among the GOP establishment, who did not expect a senate primary fight.

The party can't ignore Paul now.  He was leading in the last week's WHAS11/Survey USA poll.

But the real blockbuster in Joe's report is that Rand Paul is scheduled to meet face to face with Mitch McConnell (later this month rather than Friday as originally reported).

My, my, my.

For the text and video of Joe's great report CLICK HERE

Chairman Mao Loving White House Insider To Step Down

Chris Cillizza writing for "The Fix" is reporting that Anita Dunn will be stepping down as White House Communications Director at the end of the month.  Dunn is the woman who claimed that Chairman Mao was one of the people she turned to most for inspiration.  She has also been the target of Glenn Beck for several months now.

Dunn's departure will make the second adviser to the president to leave the administration after being exposed by Glenn Beck for comments which seemingly indicated admiration for communism as a core political philosophy.  The first was "Green Czar" Van Jones.

FULL STORY HERE

Remembering The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald November 10, 1975

Want To See Something Pretty Fantastic? Watch This.

Performed at the US Naval Academy:

Eric Holder Subpoenas Web Server For Personal Identification Of Readers

In a shocking display of government power, the FBI has issued a subpoena to a web server in Philadelphia.  According to CBS the US Attorney's subpoena demands the production of

"all IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us" on June 25, 2008...to "include IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information," including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers' Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on. 

Making this investigation more mysterious is that Indymedia.us is an aggregation site, meaning articles that appear on it were published somewhere else first, and there's no hint about what sparked the criminal probe.

This is not, however, the first time that the Feds have focused on Indymedia -- a Web site whose authors sometimes blur the line between journalism, advocacy, and on-the-streets activism. In 2004, the Justice Department sent a grand jury subpoena asking for information about who posted lists of Republican delegates while urging they be given an unwelcome reception at the party's convention in New York City that year.

"Our fear is that this kind of bogus gag order is much more common than one would hope, considering they're legally baseless," [Kevin Bankston, a senior staff attorney at the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation] says. "We're telling this story in hopes that more providers will press back and go public when the government demands their silence."

Keep an eye out folks for the increased efforts to silence the new media.  As Bill Withers might have said "Ain't no sunshine when we're gone.  Only darkness everyday."

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaking To Group With Islamist Ties

First we had a president bow before a Saudi King, then he proudly announced his Muslim roots and reached out to Iran all the while criticizing Israel for provoking the Palestinians.  Soon a member of our own military with known terrorist ties goes on a killing rampage at Ft. Hood in Texas.

Now this from POLITICO:

Attorney General Eric Holder has agreed to give a keynote speech next week to a Michigan group which includes the local branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations even though the FBI has formally severed contacts with the controversial Muslim civil rights organization.

The FBI claims it cut “formal contacts” with CAIR after federal prosecutors in the 2007 criminal trial of officers of a Texas-based Islamic charity, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, introduced documents the government said showed links between CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, which gave rise to Hamas.

“Until we can resolve whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and HAMAS, the FBI does not view CAIR as an appropriate liaison partner,” FBI Congressional liaison Richard Powers wrote in an April letter to Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)

Really?  I mean, no kidding, really? 

If we have gotten to the point where we've let our guard down so much that a Muslim extremist can be promoted to Major, what makes you think we are any more careful when choosing advisers to the Commander in Chief?

Grayson Breaks Silence, Takes Strong Stand

When it comes to using the old media and the new media, Rand Paul has been running circles around Trey Grayson for months.  Last night Grayson broke what has been a virtual silence in an hour long conference call with conservatives.

Though much of what Grayson said here in November bears a striking resemblance to what Paul has been saying for months, Grayson did take a very strong stand on abortion, an area where Paul's views have opened him up to some criticism.

"To me, life begins at conception, and abortion is murder" Grayson said as he vowed to support a federal ban on abortion.

Paul has likewise stated his opposition to abortion and his support of the sanctity of life legislation currently being supported by his father, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. 

But some critics have said that legislation does not go far enough. 

For example Judie Brown of the American Life League says this about the Sanctity of Life Bill:

I have read the language of the 'Sanctity of Life Act' sponsored by Ron Paul and found it lacking in two critical areas.

First of all, it uses the word 'conception' which has been co-opted by the culture of death and could be interpreted to mean that babies who are living but have not implanted would not be protected by the language.

The second flaw is that the proposal returns the ability to decide who should live and who should die to each of the 50 state legislatures and by doing this undermines the principles of personhood whereby every innocent human being deserves respect and human rights protected by law regardless of which state they reside in prior to their birth.

Support for this law is tantamount to being "pro-abortion."

-- Judie Brown, American Life League

Both candidates in this Senate race seem to be running from the right side of the party.  The question for many voters will be which one will they trust to stay there once in office.

Morning Funnies

Military Knew Ft. Hood Shooter In Contact With Al Qaeda

This from ABC News:

U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.

What kind of politically correct, post Obama, bow before Kings, proud of his Muslim roots BS is this?  Seriously, who ever dropped the ball on this one needs to be "brought to justice".

Did Rand Paul Step In It, Or Land It?

Late last week Rand Paul's campaign manager posted a snippet on Facebook in essence accusing Trey Grayson of using intimidation to get or keep the support of GOP officials.  He even used the words "Big Government Strong-arming.  Although the topic attracted several comments on the social networking site, not much more has been said about it in the media.

But the question which arises from this comment by the Paul campaign is why, if the allegation is not true, have we not heard a denial from the Grayson camp?  After all, when Grayson accused Paul of not being a Kentuckian, Paul immediately responded by reminding folks that he has been a Kentuckian longer than Grayson has been a republican.  That allegation and the reply both appeared in several places over the next few days.

The Paul campaign has so far refused to provide any details in support of this, their latest shot at Grayson, but more disturbing is why Grayson has not denied what could be interpreted as an allegation of illegal conduct.

If David Adams is wrong, he might have "stepped in it"?  If he is right, he might just have landed the knock out punch.

Morning Funnies

Pelosi Threatens Liberty

A criminal statute threatens.  If you don't comply with the law, you are forewarned that your life, in some cases, your liberty, in other cases and your property in most cases, will be taken away from you by force if necessary.  Armed agents of the government are empowered to take you into custody, jail you and confiscate your property through fines if you are found guilty of non-compliance.

So, are you still on the fence with regard to the clearly unconstitutional health care bill currently under consideration?   Well, be forewarned:

Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail.  The JCT letter  makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

In response to the JCT letter, Camp said:  “This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail.  It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”[Ways and Means Committee Website]

New Ad: Stop Abortion Funding In Healthcare Proposal

***SHOCKING CONNECTION?*** Ft. Hood Shooter Involved With Obama Transisiton Team?

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the man who shot and killed 13 people and wounded 30 more at Ft. Hood yesterday was listed as having participated in the Obama transition task force, according to World Net Daily.

In a document published by the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University, Hasan is listed on page 29 as having participated in an event from which the report "Thinking Anew-Security Priorities For The Next Administration: Proceedings Report of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force, April 2008-January 2009" was published in May of this year. 

Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University affirmed to WND in a telephone interview this morning that the Nidal Hasan listed as attending the meetings of the HSPI Presidential Transition Task Force was the same person as the alleged shooter in the Fort Hood massacre.

"Muslims should stand up and fight the aggressor," Hasan said about America before he and possibly other Muslim soldiers at Fort Hood shot 43 fellow soldiers, killing 12, who were returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"He said Muslims had a right to attack" the U.S., said Col. Terry Lee, who worked with Hasan at the Texas post, where the devout Sunni Muslim refused deployment. "He said Muslims shouldn't be fighting Muslims," he added. "He was very clear on that."

According to an explosive new book, "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America," Hasan is just the tip of a jihadist Fifth Column operating within the ranks of the U.S. military- which is too blinded by political correctness to see the threat. [WorldNet Daily]

The Huffington Post confirms via George Washington University that WND's claims are grossly overstated.

"[Hasan] has no role on the task force, other than the fact that he attended these meetings as an audience member, as did hundreds of others." Hasan's name appears on the list of participants only because he provided the HSPI with an RSVP, indicating his attendance. [GWU director of HSPI Frank] Cilluffo told me, "We always record RSVPs and publish them as a matter of transparency, and will continue to do so."

Hasan is not connected in any way to George Washington University or the HSPI, University officials have said.  WorldNet Daily is the main source for the stories regarding the Obama birth certificate issue.

Watch This Video And Feel Your Blood Boil

I just saw this video of the way in which the Democrats, or at least one democrat, on at least one occasion, conduct business in OUR House of Representatives.  Your blood should boil.  It was published by Eric Cantor.

Can We Please Profile Now?

According to reports coming out this morning, the shooter at Fort Hood in Texas yesterday who killed 13 and left 30 wounded in a murderous rampage shouted "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire.  Of course that is the Islamic phrase for "God Is Great" allegedly shouted by the pilots who flew planes into the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001 and shouted from the rooftops the night of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.

Now before we search the bra of another college girl flying home for Christmas, or make a wheel chair bound grandma leave her toe nail clippers behind could we please stop pretending that the enemies of our way of life are not currently, and predominantly, Islamists, like Major Nadal Malik Hasan who shouted the Jihad war cry as he was killing innocent Americans?

It doesn't have to be an official policy, but if the rest of us are a little worried about the Iranian guy in front of us as we board a plane, can't we at least allow law enforcement and military officials a bit more freedom from the politically correct BS being hyped by our esteemed president who earlier this year declared the United States to be on of the the largest Muslim nations in the world? 

Can we please profile now?  Maybe just a little bit?

Trey Grayson Phones It In, Flubs It Up

At the UK forum the other day Rand Paul appeared and spoke to the students, but none of the other leading candidates for the United States Senate made the trip.  Paul made light of Trey Grayson's absence, saying that perhaps he was too busy studying the recent poll results which put Paul ahead of Grayson among likely republican voters.

But then the forum moderator made a phone call to Trey and let him speak over the Public Address system from Frankfort.  Okay, but then Trey tried to do a homey little connection with the group and fell flat on his face.  Here's the video, take a look:

Look Trey, catch the wave man. The typical phony politician image is being rejected all across America. If you want to win this thing then you have to play the new game, and if your old coach won't let you, change coaches.

What Is Damon Thayer Up To?

Ky State Senator Damon Thayer has made good on his promise to file a bill seeking to put expanded gambling on the ballot for consideration by the voters, perhaps as early as next November.  So now the question is, what's Damon up to?

First, his long standing relationship with the horse industry might be argued as his motivation, since the biggest proponents of slot machines in the Commonwealth are the race tracks.  But according to the Lexington Herald Leader, they are opposed to Thayer's bill.

[T]he bill has gotten a cold reception from the horse industry, which views it as hostile because it would not guarantee racetracks got expanded gambling. Instead, the racetracks would have to compete openly against other potential operators for a slots facility in their counties.

Also, the bill would require local voter approval, which would give opponents two chances to block slots.

Horsemen have characterized Thayer's bill as a political move that offers too little too late. [Lexington Herald Leader]

Second, Thayer represents voters in Owen, Grant, Scott and southern Kenton counties.  There are no race tracks in his district.  Neither is his district comprised of folks likely to be big proponents of gambling of any sort.

Of course Thayer has said that this bill is designed to get the issue on the table instead of allowing it to fester in Frankfort and distract government from the serious task of dealing with budget problems in the upcoming session.

But others in the know have said that Governor Beshear has shown "zero" interest in dealing responsibly with the root cause of Kentucky's fiscal issues and has instead placed all of his chips on the casino solution.

For example, some republicans contend that if the government would eliminate the prevailing wage law we would see considerable savings in tax dollars spent on government projects.  In addition, if Kentucky became a "right to work" state we would be much more competitive when it came to attracting new industry to the Commonwealth which in turn would provide jobs and revenue now being lost to other states in much more palatable industries than the cry that we are losing out to neighboring casinos.

Instead of pre-filing bills to deal with these issues and then taking the lead to convince the voters that we can fix our problems without trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor, Thayer could have shown more boldness.

So one has to wonder, what is Damon Thayer up to?  Who is behind his bill and are the track owners right that this is just some sort of political game playing?

If Thayer wanted to remove gambling as an obstacle to getting more serious business done in Frankfort, ("We must move forward so that the Governor can focus on working with the General Assembly in a bipartisan manner to address the serious public policy issues facing Kentucky") his decision to pre-file a casino bill which is likely to become the focal point in the upcoming session needs a little more explaining than that which he has given it thus far.

Living In Exile: Will Social Conservatives Have A Home In The New GOP

EDITORIAL:

Article after article has been written discussing the so called "split" within the republican party.  And of course for those who think that separating babies from their mother's wombs with a suction hose is okay, well, tearing things apart is something to be celebrated.

Yet despite the hope of all conservatives that the republican party quickly sober up from its post Bill Clinton period of partying like a bunch of drunks indulging heavily in the intoxicating world of arrogance and a sense of superiority, there is clearly a looming problem for the GOP as it starts down the road to recovery.

A recent political cartoon makes the point that the resurgence of the GOP is based upon its image as the champion of fiscal conservatism.  However, that same cartoon suggests that in order to redefine itself for a broader appeal, the GOP must abandon its identification with social issues.  And of course we all know what that means.  "Social issues" is a code phrase for "pro-life".

Rush Limbaugh has said many times that the New England elitist republicans want to control the party and wish the GOP would jettison the pro-lifers.

I suspect that this cocktail set found a kindred spirit in Barack Obama when he told a group of donors in San Francisco that "those people" in our part of the country were bitterly clinging to guns and religion with antipathy towards people who aren't like them.  If Limbaugh is right, a similar arrogance prevails among the Rockefeller republicans from whose ranks we get Rudy, Bloomberg and Olympia Snowe.

Yes we all need a group of committed leaders who practice, not just preach, a conservative fiscal agenda.  Yes we know that Medicare is bankrupt, Social Security is bankrupt and that we are borrowing or printing money at a rate which will ultimately destroy us if someone doesn't take hold of the reins and stops this runaway stage coach before it goes over the cliff.

But what will happen to the social conservatives if the newly re-formed republican party kicks them out?  Where will they go?

Certainly they won't find a home among democrats.  And whether they form a new party or just sit on their hands, abandoning them will not help the republicans win elections.

In all of politics there is one good lesson.  Those who hold power control the agenda.  Therefore, in order to control the agenda you must first gain power.  It might be that the fiscal conservatives can glue together enough independents and worried democrats to win a few seats that have recently gone blue, but odds are without the social conservatives they will still come up short.

What the GOP needs to do is get behind those in Congress who want to pass some form of sanctity of life legislation which will satisfy the pro-life Americans and get that issue off the table.  In order to gain power under the newly designed identity as the financially responsible party, the GOP must have the votes of social conservatives and must get them solidly on board early.

Stop playing around with pro-life issues.  Find a way to get the votes to get that issue passed and then tackle the budget issues.  Let's get our priorities in line and make life as certain in America as death and taxes.

Planned Parenthood Leader Resigns

A Planned Parenthood leader has resigned after watching an ultrasound image of an abortion.  There is hope for mankind when our souls finally convince our brains.  Here is the video interview:

***THE ARMED CITIZEN*** An Every Friday Feature

An electrician was asleep with his wife when they were awakened by a knock at the door. The man feared something wasn't quite right about the early morning visitor, so he put a handgun in his pocket just in case. As he opened the door, police say two suspects tried to push their way inside. The man drew the gun from his pocket and fired twice, hitting both suspects. The suspects fired a return shot as they fled. One of the suspects died nearby. Police were seeking his accomplice. (News Sentinel, Knoxville, TN, 08/06/09)

REPRINTED WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE NRA

Morning Funnies

New Television Series "V" Dares To Make Fun Of Obama?

A new television series has premiered called "V".  Do you think these clips might be poking some fun at Obama?  Take a look:

Backroom Deal Will Hide Abortion Funding From Public In Healthcare Bill

Congress has been exposed for making a backroom deal which will keep abortion funding language in the health care bill hidden from public view until the last minute where it will be re-inserted just before the vote.

Lawmakers said the abortion compromise may not be included in the final version of the bill to be released as soon as Wednesday, called the “manager’s amendment.” Instead, it may be included in the “rule,” which is done the day before the vote. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday he did not consider that a violation of his pledge to have the bill language available for three days before a vote.

“If Democrats continue to add closed-door deals to their bill after their manager’s amendment has been introduced, they will break their 72-hour promise,” said Brad Dayspring, spokesman for House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.). “What else might they include in the final version without Congress and the American people knowing about it?”

Centrists and liberals are at odds over language that some interpret as allowing federal funds to go toward abortions.

FULL STORY CLICK HERE

Man Shows Up At His Own Funeral

From MSNBC:

A Brazilian bricklayer reportedly killed in a car crash shocked his mourning family by showing up alive at his funeral.

Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, 59, had identified him as the victim of a Sunday night car crash in Parana state in southern Brazil, police said.

As is customary in Brazil, the funeral was held the following day, which happened to be the holiday of Finados, when Brazilians visit cemeteries to honor the dead.

He did not get word about his own funeral until it was already happening Monday morning.

A police spokesman in the town of Santo Antonio da Platina said Goncalves rushed to the funeral to let family members know he was not dead.

"The corpse was badly disfigured, but dressed in similar clothing," said the police spokesman, who talked on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to discuss the case. "People are afraid to look for very long when they identify bodies, and I think that is what happened in this case."

What 'WE' Is McConnell Talking About?

EDITORIAL:

Jacob Payne over at PageOneKentucky noted that Kentucky's Mitch McConnell yesterday expressed optimism for the 2010 elections based upon Tuesday nights election of republican governors in Virginia and New Jersey.  But who the hell does he think gets the benefit of those results, him?

McConnell, R-Ky., said the election results will make it more difficult for the president to convince Democrats to support a sweeping health care bill.

McConnell offered strong support for Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, the one Republican who has voted in favor of Democrats’ health care proposals to date.

“The return of the independents is extremely important. And if they’re there a year from now, we’ll have another very good election.” [ABC]

"We" who, Mitch?  The republican power brokers, like yourself, who continue to support RINO's for the sake of party label only?  Don't you get it?  The move afoot in this nation is not based upon blind party loyalty. 

The move afoot in this country is based upon a new awareness that the only loyalty that counts is a loyalty to the people and principles of this nation which have made us great.  And that "we" ain't you.

Rand Paul Makes Time For Voters, Others Just Make Excuses

Jack Brammer writing for Bluegrass Politics says that Rand Paul made the time and drove 100 miles to attend a forum in Lexington designed to get more young people involved in the political process, while Trey Grayson phoned in with an excuse, and Daniel Mongiardo and Jack Conway just couldn't find the time.

Paul, who has been very serious in his delivery so far on the campaign trail took Grayson's absence as an opportunity to inject a little humor into the event. "He said he thought Grayson, a fellow Republican, may be “too busy reviewing the latest poll results” to attend the forum", Brammer writes.  A new Survey USA poll shows Paul leading Grayson among likely republican primary voters.

Morning Funnies

The Bad Lesson That Is The GOP

Paul Ibrahim, writing for the North Star National has hit upon a disturbing trend.  A bunch of former GOP donors are finding more than one reason to not send money to the RNC, republican candidates or their local party.

“No one’s life is a waste,” a colleague wrote me in reaction to Dede Scozzafava’s withdrawal from the NY-23 congressional election. “You can always serve as a bad example.”

While we can certainly agree with this statement, it is about time we ask, how many bad examples does the Republican establishment need before it learns its lesson?

In 2004, strong support from the Republican establishment allowed liberal senator Arlen Specter to survive a Republican primary challenge from conservative congressman Pat Toomey by a minuscule margin.

In 2006, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) wholeheartedly catapulted itself into a Rhode Island Republican primary, where it spent $1.2 million on behalf of left-wing senator Lincoln Chafee and against his conservative opponent, Steve Laffey, while the Republican National Committee (RNC) deployed the 72-hour get-out-the-vote drive it usually saves for general elections against Democrats. At around the same time, conservative Virginia Senator George Allen lost reelection by a razor-thin margin, handing the Senate over to the Democrats. To say that all the resources wasted by the Republican establishment in Rhode Island would not have had a good chance of giving Allen an extra 0.2 percent of the vote in Virginia would be naïve, to say the least.

In incredible irony, conservatives who had contributed money both to Laffey and to the Republican Party (with the assumption that the money would be used to protect conservative policies against liberal ones) were now seeing their hard-earned cash fighting itself on the airwaves of Rhode Island. Chafee won the primary, lost the general election, and when he no longer needed the Republican establishment, he predictably left the Republican Party and endorsed Barack Obama for President.

Of course, this does not mean conservatives should withhold their money from all elections. There are alternatives. They can contribute to individual candidates.

But enough with the blind contributions to the Republican Party, and with the blind voting for establishment-backed candidates. That the establishment attempts to save face every time it loses, at it is doing now by supporting Hoffman two days before the election, should not blind anyone from the fact that only hours ago, it was throwing money at a genuine leftist while trashing Hoffman, and that in the coming months, it will be supporting a decidedly non-conservative Charlie Crist over a perfectly conservative and perfectly electable Marco Rubio in the Florida Republican Senate primary.

Thus, until the Republican establishment truly gets it – and it might take a long time – conservatives must unite in pledging not one more cent to the Republican Party. There is no sense in subsidizing a permanent Republican minority – and one that isn’t even true to its principles.

For a continued discussion of the un-learned lessons of the GOP, this one article is a must read for conservatives who continue to get fund raising letters from the GOP establishment.  The upshot of the article?  "Not one more cent to the Republican Party"

"The Hill" Says The Real Winner Is Ron Paul

When "The Hill" speaks, people listen.  Just listen to what they said today:

Forget the spin and the slop. The real winner of the 2009 elections is the public official and candidate who has championed the core insurgency driving the election. It is Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul.

Paul embodies the anti-Washington, anti-tax, anti-big government, anti-financial insiderism viewpoints that are galvanizing large numbers of activists and voters. It is not a majority, but a majority has never been Ron Paul's goal. Paul is a conviction politician, an idea man, an advocate and a change agent.

I agree with some things Paul says, and disagree with others, but the truth of the matter, politically, is that his agenda has moved center stage and his people are highly motivated and this is a serious movement that is underestimated and misunderstood by Washington insiders.

But for now, for today, my take is forget the smarties and forget the smoothies, because the real winner of the 2009 elections is the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Ron Paul.

FULL STORY HERE

Same Sex Marriage Rejected In Maine

Voters in Maine repealed a state law which allowed for same sex marriages.  Many had suspected that Maine would be the most likely place for the legislation to survive, however its defeat there brings the total to a unanimous 31 states which have said "NO" to same sex marriage when it has been put to a vote by the people.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.

With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.

The contest had been viewed by both sides as certain to have national repercussions. Gay-marriage foes desperately wanted to keep their winning streak alive, while gay-rights activists sought to blunt the argument that gay marriage was being foisted on the country by courts and lawmakers over the will of the people. [Yahoo News]

Chi-Coms Threaten War In Outer Space

Over two years ago I warned you that the United States was becoming increasingly more vulnerable to the Communist Chinese in the area of cyber and space warfare.  Now they have admitted their plans.

China’s air force chief has called military competition in space “inevitable”, a departure from Beijing’s past insistence that it is not pursuing space programmes for military purposes.

“The militarisation of the sky and space is a challenge to the peace of mankind. In the face of this challenge, you don’t have a voice unless you have power. Only if you have strong power can you protect and safeguard peace,” Gen Xu was quoted as saying.

Read Full Story At Financial Times

New York 23 Race Won By Dem With Less Than 50%

"Ordinary Guy" Doug Hoffman stepped up and ran for Congress in NY district 23.  He ran as a conservative.  The Republican candidate, Dede Sozzafava, dropped out, but remained on the ballot.  Between them they got 52% of the vote against the democrat, Bill Owens, but Owens won.

According to the latest news this morning, with 88% of the vote counted, Hoffman conceded to Owens who is apparently the winner with only 49% of the vote.  The majority of the voters wanted somebody else.

Yet you can bet your sweet bippy that the democrats will spin this as a victory for themselves against the backdrop of a night when John Corzine (D), governor of New Jersey was defeated despite substantial efforts on his behalf by President Obama.  They will also use the NY race to offset their stunning loss in Virginia where conservative candidate Bob McDonnell trounced the democrat, Creigh Deeds in a state which made history by voting for Barack Obama last year.

All in all the night clearly spoke to a growing dissatisfaction with the current progressive fiscal agenda being pursued by Obama, Reid and Pelosi.  It also spoke loudly for the role of independents in the upcoming elections of 2010 as they broke heavily for the conservative candidates in what many see as a complete reversal of their course over 2008.

Morning Funnies

Poll Says Paul Beats Grayson In Primary, Grayson Beats Dems In November

The results of the Survey USA poll released tonight by WHAS now has newcomer Rand Paul winning the republican primary over Trey Grayson.  But the poll also shows Grayson winning against either of the democrats in November with Paul's best showing being a tie against Daniel Mongiardo who is the likely  pick of the democrats by a margin of 11 points according to the survey.

News around the nation will certainly be buzzing about the timing of the Paul campaign in a year when outsiders like Doug Hoffman in New York and conservative republicans like Chris Christie in New Jersey and Bob McDonnell in Virginia have sent a message to both entrenched democrats and republicans alike in Washington DC.  Paul's stunning performance in Kentucky is surely a shock to many party loyalists.

What might be even more shocking is the poll taken during a conference call tonight initiated by Congressman Jim DeMint with conservatives around the nation.  Those numbers for Paul are out of this world, with nearly 80% of the nationwide callers expressing a preference that Paul be in the Senate over what many think was Mitch McConnell's pick, Trey Grayson.

And notice that I said "was".  Speculation is not just mine that Grayson's loss of poll position coupled with his second place finish in the fund raising race last quarter might be just the combination of factors to make Mitch McConnell's support of Grayson cool faster than a freon blast.

Paul's response was the simple message that there is more work to do.  Grayson dismissed the loss of position by saying "polls numbers bounce around".  Meanwhile, back at the bat cave, somebody is dialing around the Commonwealth asking folks if they'd like to vote for Cathy Bailey.

Stay tuned.  This one is going to be incredible.

Hold On To Your Seats, Survey USA Senate Race Poll Results Due Out Tonight At 6 PM

 WHAS 11 is reporting that a new poll in the United States Senate race is coming tonight:

Be sure to watch at 6pm tonight on WHAS11 News for the exclusive poll results. 

On August 18, the WHAS11/Survey USA poll gave Republican Secretary of State Trey Grayson a 37% to 26% lead over Bowling Green eye doctor Rand Paul.  The August poll also indicated that Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo led Attorney General Jack Conway 39% to 31% in the Democratic Primary.

Stay tuned at 6pm for a snapshot of where both primary races stand today.

American Mainstream = Republican Mainstream

Mary Cary writing for US News from the Thomas Jefferson Street Blog made this very apt observation today:

The media and their friends on the left, including White House adviser Valerie Jarrett on ABC News, are doing their best to turn Dede Scozzafava's withdrawal from the race and endorsement of her Democratic opponent into another example of Republican feuding over "litmus tests." They just can't help themselves. In fact, Jarrett calls Republicans "more and more extreme," yet it's the liberals who have worked themselves into a hissy fit of angry rhetoric. Take a look at Frank Rich's column in today's New York Times—far more extreme than anything being said on the right: "The riotous and bloody national GOP civil war" has devolved into a "wacky paranoid cult" that is "re-enacting Stalinism in full purge mode." It's not the people on the right—the ones who've been "outed" as moderates, supposedly—who are calling each other Stalinists. Ironically, it's the left who are upset about the Republican base.

Maybe it's because they can see what's happening. Democrats can read the polls: Independent swing voters are moving toward the right, and the Republican base. The wide American mainstream is broadening to include fiscal conservatives—yes, some of whom have all sorts of opinions on social issues—but they are united in their concern about the growing size and scope of government. Wasn't that the lesson of August's tea parties—that people of all stripes are concerned about massive government growth? Isn't that what's really threatening the left?

Spot on Mary.  That is precisely what is really the left's biggest fear, that the patriotic American is awakening, and the numbers are awesome.