Tim Pawlenty, Presented in 3-D

That's 3Ds - Dull, Daring and Decisive.

Today, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty formally threw his hat in the ring for the 2012 Republican nomination and the chance to upend President Obama.

Sure, the press politely clapped; then they yawned and looked over their collective shoulders to see what Mitt Romney was doing today.

Yeah, Tim Pawlenty is kinda dull. Given the shellackings the Republicans took in 2006 and agin with the 2008 pairing of overripe John McCain and just under-ripe (and Not Ready for Prime Time)Scotch Bonnet Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

It made many conservatives wistful for the days of Ronald Reagan. President Reagan was many things; among them he was verbose and charismatic; he looked you square in the eye and called you out for the fool your were. He went to West Berlin, looked at that concrete wall that symbolically divided East from West and dared the Soviets to tear it down. It wasn't political grandstanding - he MEANT it.

Then came Scott Brown of Massachusetts. He rolled up his sleeves, drove his pickup truck to every corner of the Commonwealth and upended one of the ultimate political gimmees: a Democrat representing Massachusetts.

He's since been followed by a series of brash, Reaganesque leaders (where positive results = leadership)such as New Jersey's Chris Christie, Texas' Rick Perry and Minnesota's Michelle Bachmann. These people are brash, abrasive, loud and confrontational. They don't suffer liberal fools gladly. And they attract attention to themselves and their accomplishments.

And then we return to quiet, dull Tim Pawlenty. But, y'know what, gentle readers? While Santorum and Cain, Paul and Gingrich and the rest of the pack are pontificating on their platforms of the way they want conservative ideals to prevail, Tim Pawlenty became to the first elected official since Congressman Joe Wilson to look Obama square in the eye and call him a failure to his face.

Maybe I prefer dull to loud. If it gets us out of this political quagmire, I'll gladly yawn and pull the lever for Pawlenty!

**THAT'S MY OPINION AND YOU'RE ENTITLED TO IT!**

Why Don't I Smell Tea Brewing??

I normally don't reference the "Philadelphia, Weakly" freebie fishwrapper, but THIS really hits the mark!

The Republicrats

Is there really a difference between Democrats and Republicans in Philly?

It’s the perfect time for a political backlash in Philly. After the last several months of sheer incompetence on the backs of many city agencies and programs—PPA, PHA, BRT, DROP—you’d imagine there’d be a little more outrage, especially within City Hall’s opposition offices.

And yet, crickets. Hate to say it, but sometimes Republicans can serve a purpose. And the lack of any real Republican voice against the Democratically-led City government has been deafening, especially lately. So, where’s the Republican counter-punch now that we need it?

“If you can’t beat the opposition just based on what’s happened over the last two months, then you’re not going to beat them on anything,” says Adam Lang, 32, a Republican activist and computer network engineer from the Brewerytown-Sharswood area of North Philly. “[Councilmen Rizzo, O’Neill and Kelly] should have been in front of the Inquirer building screaming, holding press conferences, telling everyone, ‘This is why you need to kick these bums out.’ And yet they’re completely complicit.”

Councilmen Frank Rizzo Jr. and Jack Kelly, two of three Republicans on City Council, are enrolled in DROP and scheduled to receive a combined almost-half-million-dollar payout.

(snip)

The change of focus from local to national issues seems to have basically split the Philly GOP into three caucuses: The official party led by Michael Meehan and supported by elected office holders; the Loyal Opposition led by Kevin Kelly; and Reform League Philadelphia, a PAC since founded by Adam Lang. All factions, however, are unorganized.


All of this, gentle readers, is followed-up by a great comment by Dan Hannan:

“Start out by reading "This party sucks" from Philadelphia Magazine back in September of 2009. It is easily found online The Republican establishment in Philadelphia serves the same purpose as the Washington Generals who used to lose to the Globe Trotters each night. It's beyond tragic that the city that once led the world into a new age of unprecedented personal liberty now has elections reminiscent of a Banana Republic. If good men don't step forward and demand better, this city will become indistinguishable from Detroit, and an open air museum to the dangers of apathy and unchecked government expansion.”

Clean Our House Before the White House?

So ponders Erick Erickson:

The Very Necessary Republican Civil War

Posted by Erick Erickson (Profile)

Thursday, December 10th at 5:00AM EST

Yesterday, in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, I said in 2010 one of my big targets is the GOP establishment. Yep. It’s being characterized as a civil war. I prefer to think of it as a coup. It is time for the grassroots to take back the party. If a fight is necessary, I’m game for that.

While I was away from my computer most of the day, that statement kind of exploded yesterday.

But what do I mean? It’s pretty simple.

The media narrative every time Republicans lose is not that Republicans lose, but that conservatives lose. Without fail, every election cycle, made worse by John McCain being the 2008 nominee, is that conservatives cannot win. In 2008, the narrative was that conservatives cannot even make it out of the GOP primary.

Obama's Pants on Fire?

Well, playing the race card has failed, so,....

White House Goes After Glenn Beck 'Smear' and Fox News 'Lies'

The ill will between the White House and Glenn Beck is no secret. The popular Fox News host has said he believes President Obama of having "a deep-seated hatred of white people" and mounted relentless on-air campaigns against two administration officials. After he took Van Jones, the "green jobs czar," and Yosi Sergant, the communications director at the National Endowment of Arts, to task for what Beck said was inappropriate political work, both men quickly resigned.

(snip)

On Wednesday, the White House posted a "Reality Check" on its Web site blog, pushing back directly against Beck and his employer. "Last night Fox News continued its disregard for the facts in an attempt to smear the Administration's efforts to win the Olympics for the United States," wrote Jesse Lee, the White House's online program director. "In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News' Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings."

The Press is Just Figuring This Out?

Bill Cosby's Coming Out as a Conservative?

Comedian Bill Cosby joined forces Sunday with a conservative organization, The Independent Women's Forum (IWF), for a live event and MSNBC program titled "About Our Children. . ." IWF President Michelle Bernard hosted the event, which was held at Howard University and featured a panel of education and parenting experts, including Alvin Poussaint, psychiatry professor at Harvard University; NAACP President Ben Jealous; and Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the D.C. public schools.

The unquestioned star of the event was Cosby, and while he has consistently advocated for individual responsibility and higher education standards, this event marked the first time the comedian and TV legend officially teamed with a conservative organization. That was fitting, because his tough-love message to parents is one a conservative could truly embrace. Cosby took direct aim at parents who can't be bothered to get involved in their child's school.

"Outside of your house, and even in the TV sets, we can't trust those people to tell our children correct things or to give them love," he said. "You've got to go visit the schoolteacher. Someone is spending six to seven hours with your child, and you don't want to know who it is?"

Spreading the Word,...

Friday, May 15, 2009
Are You an Outraged Taxpayer?
Written by Roberta Biros

Are you an Outraged Taxpayer? I know I am.

Are you fed up with paying for your government's IRRESPONSIBLE spending decisions?

Are you tired of politicians who forget that they're PUBLIC SERVANTS?

Are you tired of THEIR voice not being YOUR voice?

These are the words used on StateCapitolProtest.com as they describe their upcoming peaceful protest. Are you intrigued?

Cheney Learns to Shoot Straight

Cheney Emerges as Defender-in-Chief for Bush Years, Says He Won't 'Roll Over'
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has taken an aggressive approach to his post-administration life, holding on to the spotlight in order to defend the Bush administration against criticism from the party in power.

Dick Cheney said Tuesday that he's not going to "roll over" while Democrats accuse the Bush administration of breaking the law with its anti-terror policies.

The former vice president defended his decision to stay in the public eye during an interview Tuesday on FOX News, his latest appearance in a media blitz since leaving office.

Cheney, who has taken heat for remaining so vocal, told FOX News that the Obama administration is "dismantling" the national security policies that kept the country safe since the Sept. 11 attacks. He said he continues to speak out to combat the mounting criticism of Bush-era interrogation policies and weigh in on what he called the "outrageous" debate over whether to punish the officials involved with designing those policies.

"I don't think we should just roll over when the new administration ... accuses us of committing torture, which we did not, or somehow violating the law, which we did not," Cheney said. "I think you need to stand up and respond to that, and that's what I've done."

Speaking Truth to (Gay) Power

Ah,...burqa-burqa-burqa!

My Own Tea Party

Since my job will keep me from the myriad of national and local Tea Parties, I present my own. Made with the Philadelphia blend, guaranteed to create a bitter brew:


This picture and analogy pretty much describes how the Obamistake will eventually screw this country into non-existence:

Water - to make good tea, you need hot water. I use natural gas at my house. Obama is going out of his way to avoid looking for coal, oil and natural gas, opting instead to rely on windmills powered by the hot air generated by Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd and Bawney Fwank.

Tea - you're right, that's Teavana Earl Grey. What can I say, I'm a tea snob? But as my taxes rise to pay for one porkulus program after another, I'll be lucky to be double-dipping Bigelow Tea by 2010!

The Vessel - yeah, the mug is from my job. If the Obamessiah gets his way, healthcare in the US will become nationalized and care will be parceled out not according to need but according to availability. For-profit EMS will go the way of the dinosaur and Reagan Conservatives and I'll be out of a job!

Sugar - I wonder how much sugar will cost if we keep trying to convert all of it to ethanol instead of using the available coal and petroleum under our own soil?

Damn-n-n!

As anybody paid attention to global politics knows, we saw a sea change in most of Europe from leftist and left-center governments to more capitalist, conservatives ones. Hell, even Sarkozy was bold enough to say the French don't work hard enough! So, in the spirit of Monsieur Sarkozy, Frau Merkel of Germany, Signore Berlusconi of Italy and many others in the burgeoning democracies of the East: George W. Bush planted the seeds of a proper government on your soil, so now maybe its time we harvest what we've sown and get our true leaders to grow a spine like this gentleman:

A Bumper Sticker We Need

"I believe in God, that's why I didn't vote for one"

Conservative Blogger Domination!

Top Five spots on the BNN Top 10 go to Conservative blogs!


1 - Tony Phyrillas

2 - PAWaterCooler

3 - GrassrootsPA

3 - The Centist

5 - Policy Blog

Rounding out the Top 20:

11 - Save the GOP

14 - Bluftooni

16 - page13news

19 - Conservative Reform Network

Oddly enough, the Two most influential blogs in all of Pennsylvania, Bitter American and Republican Spyglass keep failing to crack the Top 20!

From the "No Media Bias" Files

So, like most people (other than Steelers and Cardinals fans), last night's Super Bowl was as much about the commercials as the game.

But,...

One particular commercial didn't make the cut this year:




Click here for more information!

And it Begins,....

SarahPAC

Reflections on "W:" An American Hero

Today, at 12:00 noon, power once again passed peacefully to another administration, as it has for more than 200 years.

He graciously worked WITH the incoming administration to ease the transition, unlike his predecessor, who vandalized everything in sight on the way out.

In 8 years, George W. Bush had to fight a three-front war that he never asked for. Less than a year into his administration, the country was suckered-punched in a terrorist attack that belittled the scope of Pearl Harbor. He vowed that it wouldn't happen again on his watch, and it didn't. But that didn't stop the media, both here and abroad, from hounding and belittling him at every opportunity.

Like Barack Obama, he inherited a weak economy, then blamed on the so-called "dot-com bubble." However, the weak economy being inherited by Obama is being laid squarely at the feet of Bush.

He never lost his faith and injected into his administration as often as the law allowed. He was a human being, brought to tears by every American death in this War on Terror; yet, he grabbed a bullhorn at Ground Zero and shouted into the face of our enemy that we would not let this go unavenged.

Today, the press will most likely portray him as leaving the White House with his shoulders slumped in dejection.

But that's not it,...he's just bowing his head in prayer again for this country.

THANK YOU, GEORGE WALKER BUSH!

BTW:

Charlie on the Turnpike and Tony Phyrillas have excellent, and differing, editorials on W"s administration.

The Battle Plan,....

Received from an e-mail from Moshe of the Young Republican Network:


Republican Activists,

This Tuesday marks a moment in history. A time where America is exposed to blatant socialist thinking; yes this is worse than the subversive behavior of the recent Republican Party.

I don't need to harp on this, we're going to get plenty of emails detailing the end of the world, etc. I care more about action than talking. I am, in essence, an activist. ;)

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE'S THE 5 POINT PLAN!

#1 - CONNECT WITH OTHER ACTIVISTS in your area and state. I'm NOT talking about "cocktail Republicans", "Happy Hour Only" YR's, or people who complain all the time. I'm talking about people who understand what it takes to get something done and can move through a thankless job without injury.

#2 - STOP GIVING LIBERALS MONEY in an effort to promote the Republican and Conservative cause! This drives me crazy. Connect with Republicans on Republican platforms. So far I know of several new party movements, including RebuildTheParty and TeamSarah, that are supporting pornography, Democratic fundraising, and liberal platforms - none intentionally. OK, I'll consider #2 TMI at this point but we REALLY need to start understanding what we're doing or things are not going to get better. (Don't feed the gorilla that you're about to fight!)

#3 - WORK TOGETHER! You are not going to create the next MoveOn.org, ever. So get over it. MoveOn.org was NOT grassroots. It was the political arm of George Soros to undermine President Bush. It's popularity came after Soros pumped millions into it. You will not be able to do the same thing without millions of dollars in funding. Where does that leave us? The same place we started... smarter, more motivated, and better connected than the Democrats. We just need to start working together... try these words, HELPING each other in our various projects.

#4 - PLAN, GROW, BUILD! What are your plans in these next 2 years? What are the plans of your local Republican Party? What about candidates? Who's running for office in your area? What can you do to make a race more competitive in this and future races? There's a quote out there that states, "If you fail to plan then you plan to fail."

#5 - Read 1 through 4 again, think about why I'm saying these things, and think about what you can do to "Change the Game"

One of These Things is Not Like the Other,...

So, last week, the Bitter American made his first visit to the doctor's office for 2009. As I was walking from the medical office building back to the parking lot, I noticed something on the corridor walls:

A tapestry with a menorah and the phrase "Happy Hanukkah;" a tapestry with a picture of Mary and Joseph holding the Baby Jesus, illuminated by the Bethlehem Star; and a tapestry with another menorah and black, red and green candles, adorned with the phrase "Happy Kwanzaa."

Notice something??

Let me state it again:

A tapestry with a menorah and the phrase "Happy Hanukkah;" a tapestry with a picture of Mary and Joseph holding the Baby Jesus, illuminated by the Bethlehem Star; and a tapestry with another menorah and black, red and green candles, adorned with the phrase "Happy Kwanzaa."

....tic....

....tic....

....tic....


I'll let you guys be the judge,...

Wow! The First Amendment DOES Apply to Conservapublicans!

69% Say Merry Christmas, but Few Offended by Happy Holidays
Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Americans generally say “Merry Christmas” to greet people at this time of year, but 71% are not offended by others who say “Happy Holidays.”

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 19% typically use the “Happy Holidays” greeting and 23% are offended by it.

While few are offended by casual greeting, retailers must negotiate a trickier path during the holiday season. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of Americans would avoid stores where employees are told not to say “Merry Christmas” and the signs say “Happy Holidays.” Fifty-two percent (52%) would not avoid those stores while 12% are not sure. Americans over 50 are evenly divided as to whether they would avoid such a store while younger adults are less likely to do so.

There are no substantive differences between men and women on the Christmas questions.

Overall, these figures suggest a nation where Christmas matters but so does an acceptance of others.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say Merry Christmas and less likely to shop at stores that don’t.

Our Turn to Hope?

From Politico:

Scandal, appointments give GOP hope
By JOSH KRAUSHAAR | 12/10/08 7:57 PM EST

Even as fallout from Tuesday’s arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clouds the political landscape, one thing is becoming clear: The ripple effect from Barack Obama’s presidential victory is creating promising Republican opportunities across the national map.

Whether it’s the Senate seat Blagojevich allegedly sought to sell in Illinois, the soon-to-be-vacant Senate seats of Joe Biden in Delaware and Hillary Rodham Clinton in New York, or the Arizona governorship that Janet Napolitano will give up to take the helm of the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans are finding an unexpected upside to Obama’s election and subsequent Cabinet picks.

With Blagojevich’s arrest, Illinois Democrats are now scrambling to ensure Obama’s Senate seat remains in their control, amid fears that the scandal could jeopardize the party’s ability to hold what, under normal circumstances, should be a safely Democratic seat. In New York and Delaware, the sudden opening of two solidly Democratic Senate seats also has raised the prospect that Republicans could mount serious challenges.

In Arizona, Republicans will be picking up a governor’s office when Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer takes over for Napolitano. The statewide Republican bench had been thin, but since Brewer will be the incumbent in 2010 with two years of experience under her belt, the GOP is more optimistic about the party’s chances.

If Napolitano finished her term, Brewer likely would have contended with a crowded Republican primary. Now it appears that Democrats will have a contested nomination. State Attorney General Terry Goddard and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon are among potential Democratic candidates in 2010.

Obama’s pick of Napolitano also took her out of the picture for a Senate run against John McCain. Without the two-term Democratic governor as an opponent, McCain is likely to have an easier time winning.

In Illinois, all eyes are on GOP Rep. Mark Kirk, who is considering running for the Senate seat in a special election. He would give Republicans a battle-tested candidate with no ties to the tainted Chicago and Springfield machines. He might otherwise have been unlikely to run statewide, since as a moderate Republican he could be vulnerable in a primary where conservative voters would hold sway.

Kirk isn’t the only credible Illinois Republican mulling a Senate bid. A source close to Rep. Peter J. Roskam said the second-term congressman is also “very interested” in running for the Senate seat and wouldn’t automatically defer to Kirk. Roskam has a more conservative voting record than Kirk and has won election to a suburban Chicago seat during two rough election cycles for the GOP.

“When you’re a party that has had two bad election cycles in a row, you look for the first rays of light at the end of the tunnel,” said Cook Political Report Senate analyst Jennifer Duffy. “And they saw them in Georgia, saw them in Louisiana, and now there are opportunities in Illinois.”

All Hope Not Lost for Conservapublicans!

Louisiana Voters Oust Indicted Rep. William Jefferson
Unofficial results showed Anh "Joseph" Cao, a Republican attorney, denying Jefferson a 10th term.

NEW ORLEANS -- Voters in Louisiana ousted indicted Democratic Rep. William Jefferson on Saturday, instead electing a Republican attorney who will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.

Unofficial results showed Anh "Joseph" Cao denying Jefferson a 10th term. Republicans made an aggressive push to take the seat from the 61-year-old incumbent, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, laundering money and misusing his congressional office.

Cao, 41, won a predominantly black and heavily Democratic district that covers most of New Orleans.

A barrage of election-day automated telephone calls on Cao's behalf flooded the district, including a pitch from the national Republican Party.

New Orleans voters had long been loyal to Jefferson, re-electing him in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke. Late-night TV comics made him the butt of jokes after federal agents said they found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.

"People are innocent until proven guilty," said Faye Leggins, 54, an educator and Democrat who moved back to the city six months ago and still has fresh memories of Hurricane Katrina. She voted for Jefferson on Saturday. "He has enough seniority, so he can do a lot to redevelop this city."

But Republicans argued the scandal had cost Jefferson his clout in Congress. Election Day brought excitement to the state's usually low-key Vietnamese-American community, said David Nguyen, 45, a store manager and Cao supporter.

"The Vietnamese aren't much into politics," he said.

Turnout appeared light in the district, where two-thirds of voters are Democrats and 11 percent are Republicans. More than 60 percent are black.

Though he was the underdog, Cao received endorsements from some Democrat and green-conscious groups as well as the area's Vietnamese-American community. Cao came to the United States as a child after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and went on to earn degrees in philosophy, physics and law.

The election was one of two in Louisiana postponed because of Hurricane Gustav.
In western Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, Republican physician John Fleming defeated Democratic district attorney Paul Carmouche in a very close race to replace U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery, a 10-term Republican who is retiring. Fleming had 48 percent of the vote to Carmouche's 47 percent. Two minor candidates split the remaining vote.

Both candidates had help from national heavyweights. President-elect Barack Obama recorded a radio ad for Carmouche, while Vice President Dick Cheney helped Fleming with fundraising.

The national GOP also backed Cao, an immigration lawyer, with a barrage of advertising portraying Jefferson as corrupt.

Prosecutors contend Jefferson used his influence as chairman of the congressional Africa Investment and Trade Caucus to broker deals in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and other African nations on behalf of those who bribed him.

The 2007 indictment claims Jefferson received more than $500,000 in bribes and demanded millions more between 2000 and 2005, including the $90,000 found in the freezer of his Washington home.