Feeding Frenzy

I have enjoyed watching the liberal media and other Democrats serve one another up over their book de jour Game Change, by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.  Over the weekend, the story broke about Senate majority leader Harry Reid's quote in the book about Barack Obama's favorable chances of winning the '08 election because he was/is "light-skinned" and has no "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one".  Republicans cried foul, calling for Reid's resignation in light of these racially insensitive comments.  True to form, and to their hypocritical double standard, Democrats said Mr. Reid had done nothing of the kind.  In fact, President Obama had accepted an apology from Mr. Reid for his "inartful language in trying to praise me."  Praise, Mr. President?  Narcissists must see it everywhere, even where it's not.  Inartful, clumsy, or whatever, I don't think it was particularly racist either, but had a conservative or a Republican said anything near these same things that indeed would have been a game changer.

The quote from the book that I thought would have received more attention, and indeed it is beginning to, is the one supposedly from Bill Clinton to the late Ted Kennedy, regarding Barack Obama's perceived youth and inexperience, "A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee."  All the TV pundits are beside themselves speculating why the Clinton's haven't responded with their typical push back about such gaffes.  I hate to defend another Dem politician here, but the Clinton's are between the proverbial rock and a hard place on this one.  Cleverly, the authors of Game Change decided to use a quote from a deliciously iconic dead man.  Is Bill or Hillary Clinton going to call Teddy a liar?  Don't bet on it.  The Dems still need his corpse, and what's left of Harry Reid's, to help finalize the passage of Obamacare.

Remarkably, part of the discussion on MSNBC's Morning Joe this morning about Game Change was the book's conclusion that much more investigative reporting needs to be done on candidates and their campaigns.  Had the voter been made aware of more of the behind the scenes drama and shenanigans prevalent in the various presidential campaigns, might the outcome have been different?  Paradoxically, as Bob Woodward pointed out, the least "revealed" candidate in the book turns out to be Barack Obama who must be the least investigated of any candidate in presidential history and who I believe is more suited to the practice and description of "telegenic fraud", rather than the scuzzball John Edwards, who Morning Joe contributor Mike Barnacle labeled as the biggest phony in the book and of the '08 election.

Vote Yes! On Proposal One

During our visit with gubernatorial candidate Sen. Tom George on Wednesday, a question arose over Michigan's interest in a new constitutional convention.  The Michigan Constitution provides a chance for the electorate to vote on whether or not to open a constitutional convention every sixteen years, and the 2010 ballot will offer another opportunity to do so.  The State of Michigan has had six constitutional conventions since 1835, with the most recent one held in 1961-1962.  While a constitutional convention can ultimately be costly, chaotic, and time consuming, I believe it is in the best interest of our citizenry, and would provide the single greatest opportunity to force the kinds of systemic and necessary reforms that could make Michigan a great state once again.

If we can all agree that Michigan is badly broken, and I think that we all can, then what better opportunity will avail itself in the future to fix what desperately needs to be repaired.  If not now, when?  If not us, who?   If you'd have asked me this question a year ago, I probably would have responded with a big NO.  Timing is everything in politics and a year ago conservatives in general, and Republicans in particular, were in no shape to try and dictate their wishes upon anyone.  Now that we've experienced a year of Obama, and here in Michigan we will finally put an end to eight years of Jennifer Granholm, we see where unbridled liberalism and excess can leaves us.

A new constitutional convention, or "con con" would provide the opportunity to fix a whole range of issues, or none at all.  148 delegates would be elected to review the current version of the Michigan Constitution and decide on what changes, across a broad range of issues,  should be made.  Things like a part-time legislature, term limits, local government configuration, right-to-work, public education options, and taxation could be addressed.  Even getting Michigan to adopt a budget or fiscal plan beginning on July 1, instead of Oct. 1, like 46 other states do, could make planning things like school budgets much easier for local school superintendents.

A con con could also be the perfect vehicle for the tea party movement and other conservative groups to weigh in and affect the changes we so desperately seek.  The infusion of their energy and passion could very well tip the scales in favor of putting Michigan on the right track to limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual freedom and economic opportunity.

Visit With State Senator Tom George

Physician/State Senator Tom George (R-District 20), who represents Kalamazoo County and its environs, visited Saginaw yesterday in his quest to become Michigan's next governor.  This was the second time I have had the pleasure to listen to his measured and experienced voice speak on the challenges we face and the fixes required for a healthy Michigan.  I first heard him speak at our county Lincoln Day breakfast last year.  Although our Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, who's also running for governor, was our keynote speaker, Sen. George spoke as did other candidates running for statewide offices.  I was impressed then, and remain so, with his 10 point plan to reform state government, fix the budgeting process, and to create a culture of competitiveness.  You can see for yourself at georgeforgovernor.com.

I told him it was a shame that he didn't come from the kind of power base that our other Republican candidates for governor enjoy, specifically, Mike Cox (mikecox2010.com), Mike Bouchard (bouchardforgovernor.com), Pete Hoekstra (hoekstraforgovernor.com) or even Rick Synder (rickformichigan.com).  All of these men, with the exception of Rick Synder, have large consituencies from which they can draw money, volunteers, and influence.  As noted earlier, Mike Cox is Michigan's AG, Mike Bouchard is currently Sheriff of Oakland County, and Pete Hoekstra is a congressman from Michigan's west side.  Having admitted his difficulties in raising attention and money in a crowed field, it occurred to me that Sen. George's odds of getting the nomination would increase substantially if people like me stopped downplaying his chances of winning.  So Godspeed Sen. George!

Heads Up to Dems

Another link to a great video.

America Rising: An Open Letter to Democrat Politicians

Joe Wilson Was Right

Joe Wilson was right when he blurted out that President Obama lies.  Here's indisputable proof.

Breitbart.tv » The C-SPAN Lie? See Eight Clips of Obama Promising Televised Healthcare Negotiations

If A Tree Falls.....

That giant crash you didn't just hear was yet another titan of Democrat politics' lifeless body falling to the ground under the weight of crushing ambivalence and looming disaster.  Here in Michigan, the Democrat's front runner to replace term-limited Jennifer Granholm for governor, the current Lt. Governor John Cherry, has unexpectedly dropped out of the race.  Siting a lack of interest and money, the Lt. Governor leaves a wide open contest for other Democrat successors to pick up and carry the torch of abject failure, the hallmark of the Granholm administration.

So how bad is the environment for Democrats running for elected office in Michigan in 2010?  The Lt. Governor's story, about his dropping out of the gubernatorial race, didn't even register on a list of the top ten stories published on MLive.com, a statewide online news source.  Under the banner of Most Comments, the most popular story, with 173 comments, was one about the Detroit Lions signing a Canadian league football player.  The Lions were 2-14 this year!  Almost 800 comments were spread about a handful of other Lions stories, whether or not spanking children is a good thing, that thousands of low-income Detroiters will get free high-speed internet this year, or that Michigan Republican congresswoman Candice Miller had introduced legislation requiring President Obama to declare terrorism suspects as enemy combatants.  Yet not a peep about the failed candidacy of the second highest office holder in the state.

As if that wasn't good enough news for Republicans, now we hear that U. S. Senate Democrat stalwarts Chris Dodd (CT) and Byron Dorgan (ND) will call it quits after this year.  Folks they're dropping like flies.  A growing number of Dem lawmakers, from Washington D. C. to California, are refusing to defend their cushy place at the trough, afraid to face an electorate that has become increasingly disgusted with the antics of Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.  It was just a year ago that we were inundated with news stories that foretold a Democrat majority for generations to come.  The re-calibrated story is just how many Republican victories will be posted across this country on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

Firrrrre Up!

I hope everyone had a wonderful time over the holidays and have taken the time to regenerate, reassess, and reassure those you care about, including yourselves, that America's recovery is within our grasp, just around the corner, a few short months away.  Perhaps a full blown economic recovery, with the addition of millions of new jobs, may still allude us for another couple of years, but if we continue our collective and conservative offensive against the most powerfully destructive team of politicians to come down the pike in decades, we will prevail.  Make no mistake about it, Americans have awakened to the ruinous forces of Obamania and are set to deliver a lethal blow to their enterprise in November.

In the meantime, it's not too late to try and stop Obamacare from final passage, or any other of their harebrained schemes.  Let them know repeatedly, that we do not wish to abandon our perch atop the world for a deleterious slide into socialism amongst our European allies.  America has been given a gift by the Almighty to lead this planet toward freedom and prosperity for all.  We will not let that beacon of hope be dimmed by arrogant and fictitious Americans bent on the supplication to others or an atonement for our providence.  Resist, remonstrate, and remove all obstacles of resistance to an American renaissance in the coming decade.  Win in '10.

P. S. No I did not get a Thesaurus for Christmas.