Archive for November 6th, 2008

Election Day has come and gone and my Political Party’s nominee for President has lost. I am disappointed but not disheartened. I am looking forward to the debate within the Republican Party to find our true core again.

A couple of things first, congratulations to President-elect Obama and his supporters. In 2000 and 2004 I was dismayed by the lack of respect and abundance of contempt that President Bush (and those of us that supported him) received from those that lost. Regardless of the deep and substantive differences I have with President-elect Obama it would be a mistake to not recognize how historic his election is. He is the first African-American President and represents the completion of another chapter in America’s troubled history on racial equality. His campaign shattered traditional models of volunteer mobilization, fundraising and technology use. All of which are good things for American democracy. I am sure that in the coming months I will have strong words for him in difference of policy but there will be plenty of time for that.

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Today Congressman Mike Pence issued a letter to his fellow House Republican Conference colleagues officially announcing his bid for the position of Conference Chairman.

Key excerpt:

“As I said two years ago, we must pledge ourselves to promote and defend the agenda the American people elect Republicans to advance: defend our nation, our treasury, and our values. We must again embrace the notion that Republicans seek the majority not simply to govern, but to change government for the better.

“If you elect me as your new Chairman, I would take a page from the playbook of President Ronald Reagan who taught us that it is not enough to believe great things, we must effectively communicate great things to the American people.”

Pence has earned the backing of Leader Boehner (who may yet face a challenge from Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan), Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, and Rep. Devin Nunes, that last two having been rumored to mull a bid for the Conference Chairmanship.

God bless the Onion.

(H/T - Nathan Brindle at One Man’s Vote)

Seems the movement is afoot - from his home state anyway

Digital Journal has the story:

“As Georgia Republican Leadership meet today to plan for the expected run-off of Saxby Chambliss against Jim Martin, my sources tell me Gingrich is having meetings to discuss his own race.”

Mike Pence in a US House leadership role and Newt Gingrich as chairman of the RNC, finally we conservatives can kick the RINOs to the curb and get back to business.

I couldn’t pass this one up.

(H/T - Red State)

On Tuesday night we saw what happens when Republicans stray from the principles of our nation’s founding and attempt to imitate the big government plans of liberalism on a more limited scale. We cannot expect to win elections if we govern without our principles. We cannot expect to regain the majority if we refuse to acknowledge where we went wrong and where we must change. Only when we begin to offer coherent, bold and vibrant solutions to the American people will they then trust us with the honor and responsibility of governing. We didn’t lose in 2006 and 2008 because we weren’t conservative enough; we lost because we weren’t principled enough and we did not clearly convey an alternate-and brighter-vision for what this country can be.

Having had the tremendous opportunity to serve as a Communications Director on a Republican Congressional campaign during this election cycle allowed me to see what is going wrong in House Republican leadership. While our campaign and many individual Republican Congressional campaigns around the country worked hard to convey a serious and positive message with specific details for how we were going to fight for the people in Washington, the same cannot be said of many of those in House Republican leadership. There was very little, if any, substantive and bold leadership coming from those who were supposed to be the leaders of our party in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is time for new leadership in the House Republican Conference.

While current leadership was often found wanting, there were some individual members of Congress who worked hard to build and convey a solid message. One of those individuals was Indiana Congressman Mike Pence. Over the critical summer and fall months of the ‘08 campaign cycle, Congressman Pence worked with fellow House Republicans to build up the conservative alternative to the socialist-leaning policies being trumpeted elsewhere in our party. He took time to campaign on behalf of conservative Congressional candidates in order to build a team that will get things done in the House. He didn’t wait for a leadership title, he started leading when others didn’t.

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When you’re a Democrat congressman just tapped by That One to be his Chief of Staff, one does not worry about IRS audits for abuse of the home based business laws.

However, Illinois Review shows Emanuel and Amy Rule own a home in Chicago, claim their entire home as the headquarters of a non-profit of which they operate and are the sole contributors. One of the few recipients of the charity’s funds is the private school which their children attend. Funneling the funds through this charity front, Emanuel and his partner are avoiding anywhere from $3500 to over $7000 per year in Cook County property taxes.

On top of that could the soon to be White House Chief of Staff be taking IRS business deductions illegally which others were prosecuted for abusing the deductions for “home based businesses”?

Words cannot express my pleasure at this project that they are undertaking.

RedState is pleased to announce it is engaging in a special project: Operation Leper.

We’re tracking down all the people from the McCain campaign now whispering smears against Governor Palin to Carl Cameron and others. Michelle Malkin has the details.

We intend to constantly remind the base about these people, monitor who they are working for, and, when 2012 rolls around, see which candidates hire them. Naturally then, you’ll see us go to war against those candidates.

It is our expressed intention to make these few people political lepers.

They’ll just have to be stuck at CBS with Katie’s failed ratings.

Initial list:

1. Nicolle Wallace
2. Steve Schmidt
3. Mark McKinnon

I have a feeling some Romney people will be ending up on that list as well.

Not from a lack of trying, but I don’t get to write about Mike Pence all that often.

But, Politico reports:

GOP Rep. Mike Pence has entered the race for Republican Conference chairman, while Rep. Jeb Hensarling has bowed out, according to House sources.

Pence is a former chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and one of the leading conservatives in the House. Hensarling is the current RSC chairman, and with both of them in the race, it could have diluted the support either man receive.

Rep, Adam Putnam (Fla.), who was Conference chairman, announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down from the post.

Update - Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is backing Pence’s candidacy, according to Patrick O’Connor.

To bring back strong conversative values to our Party, this is a great move.

No, I don’t think so, but I am finding a bit of humor in that Barack Obama won the presidential election barely 48 hours ago and people already wonder where their money is.

Indianapolis - Lines were long and tempers flared Wednesday not to vote but to get paid for canvassing for Barack Obama. Several hundred people are still waiting to get their pay for last-minute campaigning. Police were called to the Obama campaign office on North Meridian Street downtown to control the crowd.

The line was long and the crowd was angry at times.

“I want my money today! It’s my money. I want it right now!” yelled one former campaign worker.

A former spokesman for the Obama campaign said 375 people were hired as part of the Vote Corps program and said people signed up to work three-hour shifts at a time. Three hours of canvassing got workers a $30 pre-paid Visa card.

The campaign workers are starting to get paid albeit apparently less than they were expecting, according to the link.  And we all know the Obama campaign certainly has/had enough money to pay them.

Maybe this is why most campaigns use unpaid volunteers to do canvassing.

An email making the rounds apparently offers readers the opportunity to watch O’s acceptance speech by clicking on a link.

The link is not to O’s speech but rather a computer virus that will send your keystrokes to a hacker in Russia. Bye-bye bank accounts and credit cards!

And no this is not one of those hoaxes involving icons that look like teddy bears - the website I read this on is VERY reputable.

Just a friendly heads up to all our liberal trolls out there.