Believing in America, even now?

Some people ask me, why I still support America? My response is still America is the greatest country in the world. Time and time again we have gone down the wrong track and have been able to go back to where we belong. Even now with these liberal asses in control of this great Country. True Americans are awaking and realizing how horrible things are. Take these T.E.A parties for example, real conservative people (democrats,republicans, and independents), are getting together to protest all this spending. It's been a long time since people have gone to the streets like this to demand change. Again, I do not think negative anymore, because I have trust in American people. Because America is great because of its people, not so much the government nor the military. This was a short post but I did want to encourage everyone of you who has become discouraged. Put your trust back into American people, and take it away from dirty politicians.


Check out my new post coming up: The case for Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling

So long my fellow Conservatives-

David

Cap and Trade

It is late and I should be asleep but I really need to post on this because this is such an important issue about our freedom and liberty as Americans. I am not going to go into it hugely in this post but I want to later this weekend. If you are not familiar with the situation google it and I'll give you an in-depth update on Sunday here. I was on the way to my family reunion in NC and was listening to a play by play by conservative talk radio host Mark Levin on the radio as the lead up and the vote took place. The listeners were able to hear from Patriots Rep. Mark Pence from Indiana and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota who offered in depth analysis of what had happened and what was going on during the time they were speaking on the phone to Mark Levin about the bill. First off I want to commend Majority Leader John Boehner for holding the vote as long as he did as one of the traditional three members of the House who have unlimited speaking power and are allowed to do the equivalent of what would be a filibuster in the Senate. Also, this may be less recognized on conservative radio and Fox News or in other blogs but I want to just commend Whip Eric Cantor and his staff. We may not have heard it but I can assure you that they have been busting their asses for the past 24+ hours trying to get this thing shot down and despite it getting passed, they did a good job for having such a minority. Also I would like to thank and commend Rep. Randy Forbes from VA for putting up an amendment to it and fighting the good fight. I am glad that Virginia's representatives are taking a lead in the stand for freedom and liberty and the fight against socialism. I am going to post a list of the Republican representatives who voted for this bill. We need to let them know that it is their fault that this bill passed and let them know that it will not be forgotten by their constituents or the American people. The bill that they voted for goes exactly opposite of what the Republican Party believes in and the principles that the United States of America was founded upon. I encourage you to contact your Senator (Republican or Democrat) and urge them to vote no to this bill once it is voted on in the Senate. If you live in VA (which I suspect most of you do, though I gladly welcome readers from other states) please contact Senator Mark Warner at 202-224-2023 and Senator Jim Webb at 202-224-4024. If this bill is signed into law by Barack Obama it is going to affect every single American family or business in a negative way. Many jobs are going to be lost and we are just going to have to waste more precious time making sure we comply with ridiculous government regulations. If this is passed America will never be the same. Again, I will have some in depth analysis for you on Sunday. Have a great weekend! And if you live in VA go to your victory office tomorrow and walk door to door for our ticket!!!!!

The 8 Republicans who broke with our core principles and gave up on fighting for values that their party fights for like freedom and liberty are: 

Bono Mack

Castle 

Kirk

Lance

LoBiondo

McHugh

Reichert

Smith (NJ)

New Bob McDonnell Ad

My candidate Troy Bird

I want to tell you guys about my view on the candidate for the House of Delegates in the 11th District: Troy Bird.

As most of you know, I am the communications director for Troy bird. So this view may be a bit biased but I don't really care. Troy Bird comes from an interesting childhood. From being a missionary to Brazil, to living in a tent in Tennessee. Troy lives on the principle "life is a classroom". He truly believes no matter what, you as a citizen in America can make it. Troy truly comes from a humble background. And he still lives a very humble life. Now, enough of me rambling.

Now, most of you who do not know Troy, might be put off by his long hair, tattoo's and ear rings. Fear not, that does not make him a liberal. Troy is a hardcore conservative and will not wavier his beliefs. People in the 11th district do not care on how he looks. They look for substance, and they see that in Troy. He can truly relate to them as a common person, more so than a clean-cut lawyer. Troy has had two jobs to provide for his family, he has been on food stamps to make sure has family has been fed. What other politician do you know that has been through that? He knows what some of these people are going through. He can truly help them out, when he becomes delegate.

Troys platform is this: Make Roanoke's education system strong, not only Roanoke's but the whole State. Find ways to make Roanoke a more job-friendly area. Work with people on creating a long term energy solution, that will save people money.

I want to vote for Troy, Because he is a great candidate, with great idea's. He is pro-life, Pro-2nd amendment, pro-family. He has had a challenging life, but he is making something for himself and that my friends is what America is all about.

To find out more about Troy Bird, please visit his website- www.troybirdfordelegate.com.


So long!

David J O'Neal, Jr

New Contributor

Hey guys I've added a new contributor to the blog and I'd like to introduce you to him. David O'Neal is a friend of mine who I've worked with on the Melvin Williams for House of Delegates campaign and now I am working with him on the Winning Ticket campaign. He is an intern with the Republican Party of Virginia and is the Communications Director for the Troy Bird for House of Delegates campaign. I'm excited about this new addition to the blog and I hope you, the readers, are as well. 

I trust this guy a lot more than I trust the NRSC

Busy on the campaign trail

Apologize again for delays. Been working hard for our winning ticket this week. Expect a full update within 24 hours. 

Cuccinelli Consistent, Shannon Shifting

PRESS RELEASE June 20, 2009 For Immediate Release Contact: Chris LaCivita (804) 594-3710 Cell (202) 907-1055 Cuccinelli Consistent.  Shannon Shifting. Cuccinelli answers questions, takes positions - Steve Shannon?  Well, he was there. Candidates agree that debates are substantive for campaigning, agree to hold more. Virginia Beach -                In the Commonwealth's first debate for the office of Attorney General hosted by the Virginia Bar Association, Republican Senator Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Steve Shannon touched on a host of issues that demonstrated a wide difference in opinion and approach as to how they would operate as Attorney General.               Cuccinelli made clear that he would support and defend Virginia's right to work laws, where Steve Shannon has a 100% voting record with the AFL-CIO.  Shannon refused to take a position on "Cap and Trade" - an issue that the next Attorney General will have to deal with as Washington continues to encroach on States economic prerogatives.                 "I am pleased that Steve and I had this opportunity to debate on such a wide variety of topics said Senator Ken Cuccinelli.  Virginians will be surprised to learn that not only will Steve Shannon not take positions on important issues but that if and when he does he will almost assuredly change them. Virginians need an Attorney General they can count on.  As your next Attorney General I will interpret and defend the constitution and will remain consistent in my beliefs" added Cuccinelli.               In a debate lasting a little over an hour, moderated by the Executive Director of the Sorensen Institute at the University of Virginia Bob Gibson, members of the Virginia State Bar and Virginia's current Attorney General Bill Mims could witness first hand Steve Shannon's unwillingness to state a position on any major issue.  His refusal to answer a question on the pending 4th Circuit Court ruling on Partial Birth Abortion and changing (again) position on the marriage amendment is indicative of a man without any sense of direction.  He most certainly will have to deal with these and many other questions as Attorney General, but his silence speaks volumes.               Senator Ken Cuccinelli was the only candidate to unveil any major policy initiatives that he would pursue as Attorney General.  These proposals will be discussed in detail in the weeks ahead, but go to the core of the job of Attorney General.  "The first, consolidating the office of Consumer Affairs under the office of Attorney General would streamline government, provide a clear line of authority for business and get consumers off the Merry-go-around of where to go to get help said Ken Cuccinelli.  How much sense does it make to house part of consumer affairs in the Agriculture Department?" added Cuccinelli.  The second policy initiative would make the Virginia Court of Appeals a middle level of appeal for all cases, unlike its current, very limited authority.  "This will help bring consistent application to the law of Virginia, and will offer the chance for truly meritorious appeals that now do not get consideration because of the Supreme Court's workload limitations," said Senator Cuccinelli.  "It's a change a long time in coming."

Message concerning Iran from College Republican National Committee Chair Zach Howell

Back in 1981 when the tyrannical Soviet regime was cracking down on the Polish people, Ronald Reagan publicized a telephone conversation he had with the Pope that contained this line, "Our sympathies are with the people, not the government."

Right now, the Iranian people are protesting on the streets of Iran's capital, Tehran – demanding their freedo m, and yet President Barack Obama remains silent.

On the campaign trail, Obama constantly stressed the need to employ America's soft power, our moral and diplomatic clout, around the globe. If there was ever a time to expend America's reserves of soft power in the pursuit of freedom, it is now.

If our leaders will not stand up to tyranny when it stares us in the face, then we must. While the fight for the future of Iran and peace in the Middle East at large is going on inside Iran, there are things you can do to help the Iranian people.

Click here to read the five ways you can take action to help the Iranian people right now!

Last Friday when the Iranian people went to the polls to elect a new president, the election was widely seen as a choice between the radical, holocaust-denying incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the reform-minded challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi. The election was thought to be closely contested, and opinion polls leading up to election day showed Mousavi leading the vote.

So when the results were announced, mere hours after the polls closed on Friday, showing Ahmadinejad with an unbelievable two-to-one lead over Mousavi, even winning overwhelming in Mousavi’s hometown, people cried fraud.

Over the weekend, protesters took to the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran demonstrating in the largest protests since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

As you read this email Iranian students are risking their lives to protest in the streets, to spread their message via social networking sites like Twitter -- while the mullahs and Revolutionary Guard watch and wait, trying to decide whether to mow them down, make them disappear, or give in to their demands.

Meanwhile, the leader of the free world is AWOL. No threats of sanctions. No standing up for the people in the streets. No refusal to recognize the sham government that won via fraud. But Americans can do better. We must.

An oppressed people are yearning to breathe free and you can he lp them in their struggle: http://collegerepublicans.org/help-iranian-people

Now is the opportunity to stand with the Iranian freedom fighters.

Sincerely,

Zach Howell
National Chairman
College Republicans

Wanted to pass this along

Ok....I really need to study....this is the last thing I am going to blog today. Just as a preview of the posts I plan to write about why I support Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli I want to pass this along from JR Hoeft of bearingdrift.com:

Specifically, when I see that one gubernatorial candidate has voted over 50 times to cut taxes in his career and another candidate voted for the largest tax increase in Virginia history, wanted to impose a 120% increase in the gas tax during a recession, voted for higher cigraette taxes, et al., I think it’s pretty clear to me as to who I can count on to keep my taxes low.

When I see one lieutenant gubernatorial candidate was so off with her state revenue projections that it generated a billion dollar budget deficit, despite repeated warnings from the other lieutenant governor candidate, it’s pretty clear to me who has a better understanding of the state’s financial picture.

When I see one attorney general candidate who’s voting track record has tacked further and further to the left with every re-election and the other’s remain consistently pro-taxpayer, pro-business, and pro-family, it’s pretty clear to me who I can count on to effectively run one of the state’s largest law firms.

Bloggers for McDonnell

You've probably seen all the buttons on the blog saying Bloggers for McDonnell. The campaign has really taken off with this which I see is a great idea, especially for undecided voters so they can visit blogs and read why the authors of these blogs support Bob McDonnell and the winning ticket for VA. Well I have good news that today the Roanoke Conservative Daily has been placed on the Bloggers for McDonnell blog roll on the McDonnell for Gov. website. Go here and scroll down on the right hand side and you will see the list of blogs that support McDonnell and I am now listed there. Thanks for your support in the short time I have been blogging. Sorry I haven't had an really detailed posts recently, I have been busy preparing for summer school exams up here at HSC but I will be back up and running with detailed daily posts early next week. I still need to post about last weekends Roanoke Valley Republican BBQ! I continue to encourage you to get out and support our winning ticket by making donations and voulunteering. I am including a list of this weeks Victory walk locations all around VA if you are interested in going door-to-door for our winning ticket. I will definitely be out there!

Charlottesville
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Albemarle GOP Office, 455 Albemarle, Charlottesville
RSVP: Chris Leavitt at cleavitt@rpv.org or 804-814-1351

Chesapeake
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Chesapeake GOP HQ 124 S. Battlefield Blvd, Chesepeake
RSVP: Christie Craig at christie.craig@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1946

Chesterfield
Time: 10:00 a.m.
9507 Hull Street Rd., Suite D, Richmond
RSVP: Tim Rose at trose@rpv.org or 804-814-0576

Fairfax
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Bush Hill Elementary School, 5927 Westchester Street, Alexandria
RSVP: Adam Zubowsky at adam.zubowsky@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1450; or Kiley Smith
at kileysmith@rpv.org or 804-814-1752

Fairfax
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Hyland Campaign HQ, 301 Maple Ave W Suite C, Vienna
RSVP: Adam Zubowsky at adam.zubowsky@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1450; or Kiley Smith
at kileysmith@rpv.org or 804-814-1752

Fairfax
Time: 9:45 a.m.
Kings Park Library, 9000 Burke Lake Road, Burke, VA 22015
RSVP: Adam Zubowsky at adam.zubowsky@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1450; or Kiley Smith
at kileysmith@rpv.org or 804-814-1752

Fairfax
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Franklin Farm Village Shopping Center Starbucks, 13330 Franklin Farm Road, Herndon
RSVP: Adam Zubowsky at adam.zubowsky@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1450; or Kiley Smith
at kileysmith@rpv.org or 804-814-1752

Fairfax
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Kerry Bolognese's House, 8306 James Creek Road, Springfield
RSVP: Adam Zubowsky at adam.zubowsky@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1450; or Kiley Smith
at kileysmith@rpv.org or 804-814-1752

Fairfax
Time: 12:45 pm
Safeway Grocery Store, 3043 Nutley Street, Fairfax
RSVP: Adam Zubowsky at adam.zubowsky@bobmcdonnell.com or 804-814-1450; or Kiley Smith
at kileysmith@rpv.org or 804-814-1752

Fredericksburg
Time: 9:30 a.m.
7 Butler Rd Fredericksburg
RSVP: Josh Daniels at jdaniels@rpv.org or 804-814-1850

Loudoun
Time: 10 am-3 p.m.
Sally Mann's Home, 17635 Harmony Church Rd., Hamilton
RSVP: Mary Ann Cannon at marycannon32@gmail.com or 804-814-0740

Loudoun
Time: 10 am-3 p.m.
Maureen Whalen's Home, 43029 Battery Point Place, Leesburg
RSVP: Mary Ann Cannon at marycannon32@gmail.com or 804-814-0740

Lynchburg
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Lynchburg Victory HQ, 3813 Wards Rd. Lynchburg
RSVP: Rachel Pecor at rpecor@rpv.org or 804-814-1428

Newport News
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Meeting location: 12515 Jefferson Avenue
RSVP: Marie Vulaj at mvulaj@rpv.org or 804-814-7913

Prince William
Time: 10:00 am
4431 Prince William Pkwy, Woodbridge, VA
RSVP: DJ Eckert at deckert@rpv.org or 804-814-7779

Richmond/Henrico
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Panera-Virginia Center Commons, 9960 Brook Rd, Glen Allen
RSVP: Julie Coggsdale at jcoggsdale@rpv.org or 804-814-1600

Richmond/Henrico
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Scott Daniel’s Home, 3720 Milshire Place, Henrico
RSVP: Julie Coggsdale at jcoggsdale@rpv.org or 804-814-1600

Richmond/Henrico
Time: 10:00 a.m.
O’Bannon Campaign HQ 8501 Mayland Dr. Ste 107, Richmond
RSVP: Julie Coggsdale at jcoggsdale@rpv.org or 804-814-1600

Richmond/Henrico
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Cold Harbor Elementary School 6740 Cold Harbor Rd, Mechanicsville
RSVP: Julie Coggsdale at jcoggsdale@rpv.org or 804-814-1600

Richmond/Henrico
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Kings Charter Clubhouse 9407 Kings Charter Dr, Mechanicsville
RSVP: Julie Coggsdale at jcoggsdale@rpv.org or 804-814-1600

Richmond/Henrico
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Kroger: Carytown , 3507 West Cary St., Richmond
RSVP: Julie Coggsdale at jcoggsdale@rpv.org or 804-814-1600

Roanoke
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Roanoke Victory HQ, 2706 Ogden Rd, Roanoke
RSVP: Brent Perrin at bperrin@rpv.org or 804-814-1720

Blacksburg
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Blacksburg GOP HQ, 213 Draper Rd NW, Blacksburg
RSVP: Alex Stanley at estanley@rpv.org or 804-212-6566

Marion
Time: 9:30 a.m.
New Pioneer Restaurant, 1587 North Main St., Marion
RSVP: Alex Stanley at estanley@rpv.org or 804-212-6566

Waynesboro
Time: 9:45 a.m.
Willow Oak Shopping Center, 801 W. Broad Street, Waynesboro
RSVP: Craig Orndorff at corndorff@rpv.org or 804-814-0926

Strasburg
Time: 9:45 a.m.
Municipal Parking Lot Behind Building, 163 E. King Street, Strasburg
RSVP: Craig Orndorff at corndorff@rpv.org or 804-814-0926

Winchester
Time: 9:45 a.m.
208 Weems Lane, Winchester
RSVP: Craig Orndorff at corndorff@rpv.org or 804-814-0926

What to expect in the coming days

In the next few days as I head home from Hampden-Sydney I am going to do a blog post on why I support each of our statewide candidates Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Ken Cuccinelli, as well as Marco Rubio who is running for Senate down in Florida (which is a really important seat that we need to keep so we can pick up numbers in the US Senate next year and I'm also going to talk about why we can't let Charlie Crist get that seat) and why you should support them to. So look for those posts this weekend and early next week.

Republicans, Democrats, and Independants agree- Bob McDonnell for Governor of VA

Bipartisan Group of Virginia Leaders Endorse Bob McDonnell for Governor

—“Virginians for McDonnell” Leadership Announced—
Group Includes: Leaders of “Virginians for Mark Warner”; Former Warner Cabinet Secretaries; Former Democratic Delegate; Prominent Supporters of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine from across Virginia

RICHMOND- Just days after the general election gubernatorial matchup was set, a broad group of Democrats, Independents and Republicans announced their endorsements of Bob McDonnell for Governor, and the formation of “Virginians for McDonnell.” The group will be led by Judy Ford Wason, who headed “Virginians for Mark Warner” in 2001 and was a member of the group in 2008, and Wyatt Durrette, former candidate for Attorney General and Governor, who endorsed Tim Kaine for Governor in 2005. Joining the two in the leadership of the bipartisan group are two former cabinet secretaries in the Mark Warner administration; a former Democratic delegate from Chesterfield County; a former Virginia Attorney General who served as Chief Deputy Attorney General under Attorney General Mary Sue Terry (D); the Director of “Virginians for Mark Warner” in 2008 and a host of other leaders from across the Commonwealth.

Regarding the formation of “Virginians for McDonnell” Judy Ford Wason remarked, "Virginians look for strong leaders they can trust and depend on to bring people together to forge consensus on tough issues and advance positive solutions. Bob McDonnell is this type of leader. He has a background in business management, a qualification that is especially important in these tough economic times. As Attorney General Bob worked consistently across party lines on pressing public safety issues and I am confident that is how he will lead as Virginia’s next governor. We face great challenges in Virginia. We need elected officials who have demonstrated their ability to lead and their experience in achieving positive results. Bob McDonnell has demonstrated these qualities as Attorney General and they will serve him well as governor.”

She added, “In each election I, like so many other Virginians, look at the ability of the candidate, not the party label and I have made the decision to strongly endorse Bob McDonnell for governor. I encourage all Virginians, regardless of party, to look at Bob’s record, study his bold policy proposals, and join us in the ‘Virginians for McDonnell’ effort.”

Speaking about the group Wyatt Durette noted, “This group of Virginians is composed of men and women who have not consistently supported candidates of a single party. Rather we are individuals who have chosen to support candidates belonging to both parties, when we believed that was in the best interest of Virginia and the country. This year we have united behind Bob McDonnell because we strongly believe he is best suited to lead Virginia and meet the very significant challenges facing our Commonwealth during the next four years.”

Durette continued, “As Attorney General he has established his ability to work across partisan lines to solve problems, a quality we highly value. While we recognize the role of partisanship in the service of ones principles, we hold equally high the ability to work together and to seek consensus in pursuit of solutions to extremely complex problems. The task of leading Virginia through these challenging times requires a person who knows where the partisan line stops and the governing line begins and Bob McDonnell has demonstrated that he does. Virginians for McDonnell is the vehicle in this election to support a candidate for Governor while maintaining the independence to choose candidates from either party for other offices. Where Virginia’s next Governor is concerned this is not a time to sit on the sidelines. It is time to choose. We have made our choice and we invite all like-minded Virginians to join us.”

Bob McDonnell noted, “Virginia faces many challenges. To create the new jobs and more opportunities that our citizens need we must come together across partisan lines for the common good. As Attorney General I worked across partisan lines to dramatically toughen penalties for sex offenders, combat online crime, reduce burdensome and unnecessary government regulations, and make Virginia safer and stronger. 92 of my 105 legislative proposals passed the General Assembly, with strong bipartisan support. I was particularly pleased that my opponent in this gubernatorial campaign voted for 98% of my successful proposals. That is the record of bipartisan success and cooperation I bring to this campaign and it is the model for how I will lead as Virginia’s next Governor. I am honored to receive the support of so many accomplished leaders. We are running a positive campaign dedicated to reaching out to all voters with policies that will make this a better Commonwealth for all Virginians. Our message is resonating, and I am honored that Virginians are coming together from all regions and parties to support our campaign.”

Today’s announcement was accompanied by an online rollout of a “Virginians for McDonnell” website. The website is located at: www.virginiansformcdonnell.com

“Virginians for McDonnell” Leadership List

Judy Ford Wason
Williamsburg
Wason was the Director of “Virginians for Warner” in 2001 and a member in 2008.
The Honorable Wyatt Durrette
Richmond
Durrette endorsed Tim Kaine for Governor. He was the Republican candidate for Attorney General in 1981 and Governor in 1985.
The Honorable Donald Farley
Dayton
Sheriff of Rockingham County (Independent). Supported Mark Warner for Senate and appeared in Warner’s first campaign commercial.
Link to Coverage of Farley’s Support of Mark Warner: http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=17190&CHID=1
Heywood Fralin
Roanoke
Supported Mark Warner for Senate in 2008. Introduced Warner at Campaign Kickoff event in Roanoke in 2008
The Honorable Alex McMurtrie
Chesterfield
Former Democratic Delegate. Represented the 36th District (Chesterfield, Colonial Heights) from 1972-1981
The Honorable George C. Newstrom
Fairfax
Secretary of Technology in Mark Warner administration
The Honorable Vincent Callahan
Fairfax
Callahan served as Republican member of the House of Delegates for 40 years from 1968 to 2008. He was Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He endorsed Mark Warner for Senate in 2008.
Will Payne
Virginia Beach
Director of “Virginians for Warner” in 2008 Senate Campaign
The Honorable Steve Rosenthal
Chesterfield
Attorney General of Virginia 1993-1994. Chief Deputy Attorney General under Attorney General Mary Sue Terry (D)
Todd Stottlemyer
Oak Hill
Former President and CEO National Federation of Independent Businesses
Garth Wheeler
Virginia Beach
Former President Virginia Fraternal Order of Police. Member of “Virginians for Warner”
Earle Williams
McLean
Candidate for Republican nomination for Governor in 1993. Member of “Virginians for Warner”
The Honorable Jane Woods
Fairfax
Secretary of Health and Human Resources in Mark Warner Administration. Former State Senator and State Delegate
Robert L. Freeman, Sr.
Newport News
Bill Royall
Richmond
John Sherman
Richmond
Mark Gambill
Richmond
Edward L. Hamm
Virginia Beach
John Lawson
Newport News
John Lee
Fairfax
C. Daniel Clemente
Vienna
Barbara Hildenbrand
Williamsburg

###

Authorized by Bob McDonnell. Paid for by McDonnell for Governor

Going to copy this blog post from Stephen F. Hayes of the Weekly Standard about the Iranian elections. More to come on that and more later tonight.

Mr. President, Another Speech Please

By Stephen F. Hayes

Barack Obama should give another speech. Soon, maybe tomorrow. He should address this one to the people of Iran, whose eagerness for a political voice – a real political voice – is obvious in the photographs and reports from the streets of Tehran in the last 24 hours.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s supposedly decisive victory over Mir Hussein Moussavi is almost certainly fraudulent. Most reports over the final week of the campaign suggested that either Moussavi would win outright, by earning more than 50 percent of the votes cast, or that he and Ahmadinejad would go head-to-head in a second election next week. Instead, Iran’s Interior Ministry claims that Ahmadinejad won some 63 percent of the vote to Moussavi’s 34 percent. Unlikely.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs put out a rather limp statement early Saturday afternoon: “Like the rest of the world, we were impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians. We continue to monitor the entire situation closely, including reports of irregularities.”

Shouldn’t the United States government be doing more than monitoring irregularities?

Let’s take the claims of President Obama and his supporters at face value. Let’s assume they are correct that his speech in Cairo, together with the mere fact of his presidency, has given the United States momentum in the region. Let’s assume that Obama meant what he said when he called for a “new beginning” for the region and relations with the United States.

Isn’t now the time to consolidate and build on those gains by using that popularity to destabilize Ahmadinejad and the hardliners in Iran? He does not need to call openly for an uprising, but he should be taking the accounts of reporters and our intelligence operatives in Iran and broadcasting them to the world. He should be amplifying the voices of the Iranians who have, once again, been deprived of any say in how they will be governed, and using them to pressure the Iranian regime at a time when it is plainly very fragile.

The scenes are dramatic. According to the New York Times:

After a mostly quiet morning in Tehran, Moussavi supporters began filtering onto the streets. By early afternoon, thousands had come together, many of them wearing the trademark green of his campaign, chanting angrily that they would fight on as Mr. Moussavi had urged them to do on Friday night when he claimed that he had won and that there had been voting “irregularities.”

Moussavi is not a moderate. He is a proponent of terror, an advocate of Iran’s nuclear program and an anti-Semite who has called for the destruction of Israel. There are many reasons to be skeptical that he would bring serious change to Iran’s foreign policy, if any. But since he was declared the loser in yesterday’s contest, he has boldly challenged the results and, by extension, the mullahs. More from the Times:

“I am the absolute winner of the election by a very large margin,” Mr. Moussavi said during a news conference with reporters just after 11 p.m. Friday, adding: “It is our duty to defend people’s votes. There is no turning back.”

A statement posted on Mr. Moussavi’s Web site on Saturday morning urged his supporters to resist a "governance of lie and dictatorship," according to The Associated Press.

And:

"I’m warning that I won’t surrender to this manipulation," he said, adding that the election outcome “is nothing but shaking the pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran sacred system and governance of lie and dictatorship."

He warned "people won’t respect those who take power through fraud" and said the decision to declare Mr. Ahmadinejad the winner was a "treason to the votes of the people."

This is stunning defiance in a police state. (And perhaps the most interesting sentence in the Times article was the one that reported Moussavi's whereabouts were unknown.) Moussavi's supporters and others are following his lead, protesting in the streets despite the very obvious and serious risks of doing so.

Obama could tap into the enthusiasm and frustration of the protesters with a few well-chosen words about democracy, the rule of law, the will of the people, consent of the governed and legitimacy. He could choose a compelling story or two from inside Iran to make his points most dramatically, perhaps an anecdote about sacrifices some Iranians made to vote or an example of post-election intimidation.

When Barack Obama was elected, his supporters promised that his foreign policy would seek to effect important change in the world without using force, that he would deploy soft power – or, as Hillary Clinton put it during her confirmation, “smart power.”

Now is the time.

Vote Melvin Williams Tuesday June 9 in the Republican Party Primary

Sorry for the absence the past few days. Today I just want to pass along an email and video sent out by Melvin Williams today. I really encourage anyone who lives in the 17th District to give Melvin your vote on Tuesday. He is a great guy who will really bring solutions to our economy and put Virginia and America back on right track. I spent this past weekend working on his campaign and had a great time doing it. In speaking to voters on our door to door walk and while making phone calls I have really seen that the people believe that Melvin is the person who has the leadership ability to represent them during these important and trying times.

Email sent out today by the campaign:

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT June 7, 2009

A number of my opponents have distorted the facts in their attempt to win the Primary on June 9.

Here's the TRUTH:

DISTORTION: None of the other candidates have "real business experience."

TRUTH: Melvin and his wife, Pamela Fulghum Williams, have three businesses: Melvin's law partnership employs five persons; for over seven years Pamela has been an independent financial planner employing three people over the last two years alone; and Melvin and Pamela own and manage residential rental properties that provide housing to families in the Valley and which over the last six years alone have employed more than 50 contractors for various services. If the only "real" business is a business with at least 250 employees then that leaves a lot of us, as small business owners, out in the cold.

DISTORTION: The other candidates have "limited or no prior public service."

TRUTH: Melvin has served the community as an Emergency Medical Technician (6 years), Deputy Sheriff (1 year) and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney (2½ years). Additionally, Melvin has served various organizations, to include the American Legion Boys' State (19 years), Local Colors of Southwest Virginia (6 years), as pastor to four congregations in Virginia (13 years), the Roanoke Rescue Mission (5 years) and as Sunday school teacher, speaker and Vestryman for Church of the Holy Spirit in Roanoke County (5 years). Melvin's life experiences demonstrate a commitment to service and giving back to the community.

DISTORTION: "No one else has acknowledged signing a tax pledge to voters."

TRUTH: From Melvin's website:
"April 15, 2009 - 9:00 AM Melvin Williams pledges that if elected to the House of Delegates for the 17th District he will not vote for any legislation that increases the overall tax burden on the people of Virginia. Taxes should be lowered! Government must become more efficient and realize that it cannot be all things to all people, especially in these dire economic times."

The candidate touting his tax pledge stated at the RVRW's Forum that he would raise taxes in circumstances like "for cost of living".

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Other distortions exist but the bottom line is this: the other candidates promise a government that will fix every problem. This is not conservativism.

We need a government that will get out of the way so that individual entrepreneurship can solve the problems facing our communities; the private sector creates jobs, not government. We need a leader in the General Assembly who realizes that government cannot and should not be all things to all people!

If we rely on the government for everything, then we are enslaved to it for everything. The solution is to relieve the people from the government; relieve the people from a crushing tax burden and the administrative compliance headache that comes with it, relieve the people from over-reaching and unnecessary regulation, and relieve the people from overbearing intrusion into our private lives and decisions for our families.

Melvin Williams seeks a government that will shrink, not expand; relieve not oppress; and empower not emasculate. If you share this view of government, then vote Melvin Williams in the June 9 Primary, and encourage everyone you know to do likewise.

I know it's supposed to be a Daily.........

......and this is my third post of the day. But, I couldn't pass up blogging and saying how excited I am about this:

June 26--6 p.m.
Sen. Ralph Smith's Lendy's Again with Sen. Ken Cuccinelli
The 8th annual 60's drive-in event held in conjunction with Star City Motor Madness will help raise funds and support for GOP Attorney General nominee Ken Cuccinelli. Lendy's food will be served by original Lendy's staff at an original Lendy's location on the 5500 block of Williamson Road.

Young Cons, 2012, GM, and more.

I hope ya'll enjoyed the Young Cons video as much as I did. I am really glad to see other young conservatives out there making there voices heard that they aren't satisfied with the direction is going in. Keep it up guys.

I know this is a little early to talk about this but I there was a video I caught on Foxnews.com today from the show The Live Desk. It talks about how Senator John Ensign from Nevada has just made his first trip to Iowa in hopes of a possible run for the GOP nomination for President in 2012. I'd like to get some of my opinions about 2012 on here so we don't have to discuss it all the time and can focus on the present for the most part until this race becomes something that is truly on our hands as Republicans. First off I'd like to state my position on the primary system. I think the whole primary system is simply flawed. I think it is ridiculous for a small number of voters from states like Iowa and New Hampshire to have such huge control over who our next POTUS is going to be. I think we need to move to a one day primary system where the primary for all 50 states is on the same day to allow for each states to have equal influence. As far as the GOP nominee I like a few people right now. Mitt Romney is obviously already doing some preparation work and has never really stopped campaigning. He is definitely the person who can fix our nation's economic situation and is a very popular face and voice in our party right now. I am also really glad he was able to come to Richmond this weekend and campaign for Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling. Despite this I still hold reservations about his Mormon beliefs, but would definitely support him over most other "possible candidates". Mike Huckabee is also a name that comes up. I think Mike Huckabee is a great guy and was a great Governor but I would really be disappointed if he ran again. I think he has really found his niche with his show on Fox News. I feel he can be a much more powerful voice for the party through his show and his PAC rather than as a candidate. We've been hearing from Newt Gingrich a lot over the past few months I definitely think he is trying to get his name out there in preparation for a run in 2012. He kind of kept quiet in 08 but since BO has taken office he has really been an outspoken critic of the BO administration and of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the Congressional Dems. Newt has a strong following out there and definitely brings a lot to a ticket. That being said there can also be some concern brought up about him being a face of the "old" Republican party of the 90's. Bobby Jindal is also talked about a lot. I love Bobby Jindal and would definitely support him over most of these other guys that I am talking about, but I think Bobby is more concerned with the state of Louisiana at this point in time and depending upon what happens in 2012 I see him more as our guy in 2016 or 2020 (though I would definitely love to see Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli making some noise on a national level by then). Speaking of some Virginians Eric Cantor has had his name thrown around a bit too. I really like Eric Cantor and really enjoyed hearing from him this weekend at the Republican Party of Virginia convention. Everyone in Virginia absolutely loves him including me and has become an awesome voice against the Democrats in Congress. Despite his popularity in his home state of VA some people in the GOP have voiced their dislike for Cantor and his involvement in the National Council for a New America and his trying to "re brand the Republican Party". I believe that Congressman Cantor will be one of the top choices for the Vice Presidential running mate of whoever is the nominee and possibly a Presidential candidate in 2016 or 2020. Today Tim Pawlenty announced that he will not seek a third term which I believe sets him up to run for President. This gives him time to set up his network, staffers, a PAC, and all the preliminary things most candidates do. It also clears from the strictures of tough Minnesota campaign finance laws, which made presidential fundraising tough. He has done a really good job in Minnesota and another guy who like Romney has the tools for the economy. The Democrats in the state legislature sent him $1 billion in tax increases and he vetoed them all. The only thing that I don't like is that he has been touted as a very moderate voice in the party and has been associated a lot with John McCain. As you might already be able to tell I don't think our Party needs to move in a more moderate direction. I think the party needs to move back to its Conservative base and needs to look towards the grassroots activists and average Americans for voices, candidates, and volunteers. Other names being thrown out that I haven't listed above include Mississippi Governor and former RNC Chair Haley Barbour, South Dakota Senator John Thune, SC Governor Mark Sanford, and of course American favorites Sarah Palin and Ron Paul. I don't want to spend anymore time on this issue but I think we have a good slate of possibilities for 2012 and I think if we can do well in VA and NJ this fall and in mid terms next year we will definitely be able to do well in 2012 and by then we could have a more sure idea of who our nominee will be. I would just like to say this first though. I like what Virginia has done in coming to an agreement on Bob McDonnell as the nominee for Governor and saving ourselves a costly and tiring battle going into primaries or a convention. The Dems are still going to be battling it out until June 9 but we are ready to roll and leading in polls over all three candidates. I think one thing that hurt us last year in the Presidential race was the number of people we had running and how long it took. We were so divided and only really became united again when Sarah Palin was added to the ticket and by that time it was pretty much too late. I think we need to come to a consensus early so we can get going. We already know who our opponent is going to be and we can be much more prepared. We need to be a united party and that is the key.

Michael Steele is on Neil Cavuto right now talking about the government take over of General Motors. I am going to keep it short and simple on this. There is no reason for the government to takeover a private company. The failing of GM is the fault of the way the company has been run and we should have just let it fail. As an economics major I have learned time and time again in Econ class that the best way for the economy of the nation to fix itself is to allow your economic actions to be the same as they are in normal times. If you do this the markets will clear and everything will go back to normal. This may not be an instant solution as many impatient people would like, but it would ultimately be the best solution for the economic future of this country. There is no reason for the government to step in a have bailouts and take over private companies. I don't want to get too much more into this because frankly I am sick of talking about GM, bailouts, etc. I just want to let everyone know that as an IndyCar fan I am quite excited about the possibility of Penske Automotive Group purchasing Saturn.

I was going to stop talking about GM but I just saw one thing on Glenn Beck that I couldn't pass up blogging about. Special Assistant to the POTUS for economic policy Brian Deese has been named by the Obama administration as the person who will oversee the re-shaping of GM and American capitalism at the same time. He was highlighted in an article in Sunday's NY Times. The thing about Mr. Deese is that he is one of the top economic advisers in our country yet has no experience in business or economics in or out of the classroom. This will be his first private sector job and there is no indication that he received any training in economics or business while receiving a degree in Political Science Middlebury College or before he dropped out of Yale Law School to work on the Hilary Clinton campaign. If the above sentence is true, which according to the information I have recieved and researched, I, a rising college sophomore, am more qualified to be in charge of the re-shaping of GM and be a White House economic advisor based on my job experience and my economic education. What is our nation coming to?

Mitch McConnell was able to meet with Judge Sotomayor talking about how Republicans are not going to "pre-judge" her and are going to do all proper research and let the process of hearings go through and learn more about her before they make a judgement. I have not had the time to read up about Judge Sotomayor yet, so I will not state an opinion on here yet but I hope to make one in a post in the near future.

That's about all for today. See you all tomorrow.

Young Cons Anthem

Just a little something to check out before today's post. Made by Dartmouth students.

Fox News article about the group

Additionally check out an article about the Virginia GOP statewide ticket of Bob McDonnell for Governor, Bill Bolling for Lt. Governor, and Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General and their stop in Roanoke yesterday.

1st Post

Today with my first post I'd just like to introduce myself and talk about this past weekend's State GOP Convention and a few other things. My name is Will Burton and I am a resident of Roanoke, Virginia as well as a student at Hampden-Sydney College. I've been reading blogs for a while especially conservative blogs and have been A. Very impressed and entertained and B. been motivated to start my own blog and get my opinion out there. I was also inspired to begin blogging by the sheer power that the blogs and Internet can play in society today.

First off I'd like to talk about the State GOP Convention this past weekend. I had an awesome time and was very impressed by everything that went on this weekend. I am a member of the College Republicans here at H-SC and we were enlisted to help Hampden-Sydney alum and Franklin County GOP Chair Bill Stanley in his bid for State Chairman. This was one of the best experiences of my life and my first dip into officially working for a real campaign. I had not met Bill before this past weekend but if you know anything about Hampden-Sydney when another Hampden-Sydney man needs help we would go to any extent to help that brother no matter what the sacrifice. Needless to say I was very impressed with Bill. He is a young, energetic, and smart leader that can really bring a lot to the table for the GOP. He has really done a lot with the GOP in Franklin County. Bill took membership and fundraising to record levels within a matter of months. His achievement was recognized at the 2008 Republican Advance, where the Franklin County Committee was named Fifth District Unit of the Year. I was really glad to be a part of a strong movement that went out and bucked the establishment this past weekend. Pat Mullins represented the GOP insiders of old that our party needs to move away from to succeed again and Bill represented a group of young and energetic grassroots Republicans that are ready to take the party to new and high levels of success that we've never seen before. Despite this I will support Pat Mullins as chairman as his job is very important for the Republican Party in Virginia in a time where we need to unite and come together. I really hope Bill sticks around the Party because he is a leader we need right now. It was such an honor and privilege to be part of Bill Stanley's campaign staff and I am grateful to have had that opportunity.

Friday night I had the opportunity to attend the Restore the Founder's Vision BBQ at the Science Museum of Virginia. I was very impressed with the turnout. This is one of the groups that has spun off from the Tax Day Tea Parties and is really starting to make some noise here in VA. According to their website the group is: "The Virginia Grassroots Conservative Coalition was established to restore the Founders' vision of an American Republic dedicated to the protection of our God given rights to life, liberty and property and to limiting government to preserve our freedom. We believe more government always results in less individual freedom and less prosperity. We must assume far greater responsibility for ourselves, our families and our communities in order to safeguard our rights and secure our future. We are committed to training, organizing, and mobilizing Virginians to be active participants in our communities, government and the political process." It is chaired by for State Party Chairman Patrick McSweeney. Virgil Goode was the MC and really got people fired up. The main speaker of the night was Ken Cuccinelli and he gave an awesome speech about his ideas for restoring the vision of the founders in America and Virginia. I was completely in awe during this speech of Ken's delivery and ideas. This speech IMHO was better than the speech he gave at the convention before the vote. He is really a rising star in the party and I am very excited about his nomination this weekend. I wasn't able to stay for the rest of the dinner because I needed to get over to the Marriott to help get Bill's hospitality suite set up but they had other speakers including Delegate Bob Marshall, Homeschool Lawyer Mike Farris, and a couple pastors. All in all it was a great event and I enjoyed it.

Next was the big day on Saturday. I really enjoyed Sean Hannity's speech. It was very funny especially when he joked on Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy. It was really amazing and moving to hear all the different stories from the people who Bob McDonnell had worked with in the Army, AG's office, Business, etc. It definitely gave us a much larger sense of who Bob is and what kind of Governor he will be in addition to what we already know. I felt like they wanted to give us a more personal knowledge of Bob.

Next, I want to give my take on all the races. For Lt. Gov. I was behind Bolling the whole time. Muldoon just came out of nowhere and I was really frustrated by the fact that he even ran. He ran a huge attack campaign which just consisted of knocking a popular incumbent with false attacks. I really believe especially at this point in history our party needs to stick to what Ronald Reagan said: "Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican." Bolling could have been our nominee for Governor but he stepped back partly in order so we could come together and be united behind one candidate rather than having to deal with a long and drawn out primary/convention fight. I observed the 9th District counting of votes as an official counter for the Stanley campaign. The 9th district is probably the district which has the most beef with Muldoon. He is a former resident of the district and has failed in many bids for elected office there including a congressional bid against Rick Boucher in 1996. Local GOP leaders in the 9th really stood up against Muldoon sending out several emails explaining their past dealings with him and why they support Bill Bolling's candidacy over Mr. Muldoon's. In watching the counts he was getting from zero to one vote in each county and mostly zeros. Definitely a poor showing that could have easily been avoided.

Next for the AG race. My father first told me about Ken Cuccinelli about a year ago. I started following his candidacy, was impressed and got behind him. Due to my obligations over the past year as a missionary in Latin America and with my studies at HSC I wasn't able to meet him until this weekend and I had been looking forward to this for a while. I had heard through my father who had heard through an unnamed official that the Cuccinelli campaign wanted to win the nomination in one vote. I definitely was excited in hearing this but I thought it was a long shot because in my mind Brownlee was very close. I thought Ken gave a great speech though I would have loved to have seen him give his speech from the night before again. Brownlee gave a good speech and I was really impressed that he stepped out in front of the podium. He gave a good speech but by then I was tired of all the Brownlee people touting his credentials as a prosecutor. Although I didn't support Brownlee and don't agree with some of his actions as US Attorney I would love to see him run for something else in the future as he is a good conservative who has a strong following within the state. I was really impressed by Foster this weekend. He is a good guy who could have a strong future as a politician but just didn't have the experience that Ken has as a legislator and Brownlee has as a prosecutor. The school board doesn't really qualify you to be Attorney General IMHO. That being said I would also like to see him stick around and run for something else. I was definitely surprised Ken won in one vote. I thought Brownlee would be a lot stronger but I guess not. He definitely had huge numbers at the convention. I am really excited for the general election and Ken's future as a politician. I am also glad Ken has stuck to his true conservative values and never waivered to satisfy others.

Take a look at Ken's speech from the convention.


If you have a video of Ken's speech from the Restore Founder's Vision dinner let me know because I would love to post it on here. I have been unable to find it on YouTube so far.

The last person I'd like to talk about is Melvin Williams. Melvin is running for retiring Delegate William Fralin's seat in the 17th District. The primary is June 9th and I'd really like you all to consider giving Melvin your vote. Melvin is an attorney at Grimes & Williams, P.C., specializing in litigation of civil and criminal matters in the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Melvin also has served as an interim Pastor at the Church of the Holy Spirit – The River, in Blacksburg, Virginia. He is a great guy and another bright, young face in the future of the Republican Party. He was another guy I had been looking forward to meeting this weekend but had not been able to meet for the same reasons I hadn't been able to meet Senator Cuccinelli. I was very impressed with Melvin. He definitely has the tools to represent the 17th district in Richmond and bring us back to our roots of small government, property rights, and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Check out his recent YouTube video about his social conservative views to get to better know Melvin.

Also check out Melvin's website for more information and to make a contribution.

Finally I'd like to post some pictures of this weekend for ya'll.
Delgates show their support for Ken Cuccinelli

H-SC College Republicans with Bill Stanley after the convention on Saturday.
H-SC College Republicans with H-SC alum State Senator Robert Hurt
Another shot of the H-SC for Stanley for Chair Team