Tag: Government

Guest Voice: Jack Hunter Says "Libertarian or Authoritarian: Which Way GOP?"

Video: (Via Taki’s Magazine)

Transcript: (via Charleston City Paper)

Amongst the many conversations from many quarters about who might lead the Republican Party, I keep hearing one name time and time again – Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. As with Sarah Palin, I intended to keep an open mind about any possibilities in the hopes that a post – Bush presidency, post – McCain campaign GOP might produce leaders who learned the right lessons the last eight years, and yet it seems those singing Jindal’s praises the most are the same Republicans who still defend the indefensible Bush and who campaigned the hardest for the unconservative McCain.

So what’s so special about Jindal? While he’s conservative on gun rights, illegal immigration and social issues, none of this really sets Jindal apart from other Republican leaders. What does set the Louisiana governor apart is that he is a racial minority, and is even being called by some the “Republican Obama,” due to his youth and Indian ancestry. The neoconservatives have been keen on Jindal as well, which is never a good sign, and as with Joe Lieberman and now Hillary Clinton, neocons will support any candidate they see as sufficiently interventionist on foreign policy and who is comfortable with wartime government expansion. And sure enough, Jindal remains a steadfast supporter of the war in Iraq, probably wouldn’t mind invading Iran or sending troops to Georgia, and as a congressman he voted both to make the Patriot Act permanent and for the REAL ID act, an Orwellian scheme so intrusive that it was overwhelmingly opposed by South Carolina Republicans. Well, except Lindsey Graham.

So is a candidate who combines multicultural appeal and Bush Republicanism a winning recipe for the GOP? In playing minority identity politics, the Republican Party will have proven itself no better than voters who pulled the lever for Obama simply because he was black. And in embracing another neoconservative, the Republican Party could further alienate voters who pulled the lever for Obama simply because he wasn’t Bush or a reasonable facsimile.

There is a better path. Instead of rallying behind a governor who really would amount to nothing more than an affirmative action hire, how about a governor whose limited government record would make even Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan blush? South Carolina’s Mark Sanford has long made plenty of enemies amongst Republicans by refusing to deliver politics as usual, and has been getting a lot of press as of late for much the same reason. As many Republicans join Democrats in pressing for more bailouts and begging for money, Sanford continues to chastise his own party for spending the money, will not take money for his own state and refuses to put further in debt, his own country. Unlike many Republicans, Sanford recognizes the failures of the last eight years, even recently dismissing Bush’s big government “compassionate conservatism” as a “disaster.” When asked what the Republican Party should stand for, Sanford repeatedly harkens back to the conservative bedrock principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. “Our niche is maximizing individual liberty” said Sanford of his Republican Party. And the governor’s libertarian approach is undoubtedly what led him to oppose,  unlike Jindal, the implementation of the REAL ID Act.

The two roads that lie before the Republican Party are not the “more conservative vs. more moderate” choice that so many pundits seem obsessed with. For Beltway talking heads, when Republicans win they should become more moderate to stay in power and when they lose they must become more moderate to win elections. They always want “more moderate.” And they’re always wrong.

Obama won the election because he appealed to voters across political, party, generational and racial lines. The only Republican running for president this year who had a similar appeal to such a broad section of voters, and particularly the young voters who energized Obama’s campaign and were invisible in McCain’s, was Texas Congressman Ron Paul. The difference is whereas Obama appealed to so many based mostly on his race and charm, the white, uncharismatic and not-particularly eloquent Paul attracted a diverse base who were in love with his ideas.

As a matter of practical politics, the libertarian, small government conservatism of a Paul or Sanford promises to be a more winning strategy than the authoritarian, big government Republicanism of a Bush or Jindal. Reagan was not off-base when he once said “the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.” And the GOP would do well to champion leaders who actually consider the massive costs of more wars, bigger government and less liberty, instead of another round of Republicans whose enthusiasm for more wars, bigger government and less liberty is always worth any cost.

The Southern Avenger’s Blog

President George W. Bush – "I’m Not A Bible ‘Literalist’"

A rather stunning admission from someone who basically courted the religious right rather heavily. He basically sat down with interview with ABC. (Friendly Territory? Nah. Ergo Palin…)

Something tells me, that if Bush would have admitted this before he was elected in 2000 or reelected in 2004. He would have never made past the primary process. Not a Bible Literalist? 😮 Basically the Bible doesn’t mean what it says? That’s big. Calling Robert Schuller!

Corrupt Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich in FBI Custody

Seems the Democrat Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in trouble with the FBI.

MSNBC Reports:

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal charges that accuse him of trying to benefit from his ability to appoint President-elect Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate.

A 76-page FBI affidavit says the 51-year-old Democrat was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.

The affidavit contends Blagojevich discussed getting a substantial salary for himself at a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions. It also says Blagojevich talked about getting his wife placed on corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director’s fees.

The affidavit also quotes Blagojevich as saying “I want to make money” in one conversation.

John Harris, the governor’s chief of staff, was also charged, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Now, because I don’t like to pile on, let me simply say this. Corruption is wrong, Democrats AND Republicans have done it. Recently Ted Stevens was indicted on corruption charges. As well as Democrat  congressman William Jefferson. So, there’s equal amounts on both sides of the aisle.

Let’s hope this slimeball gets what’s coming to him.

Would not it be funny if this guy talked and said that Obama ordered it to happen? Would not it be neat of the Electoral College voted to not to seat Obama as President, because of the corruption charges?

A Man can dream. 😀

Update: Here’s the U.S. Attorney General talking about the charges: (Thanks Andrew)

Others: protein wisdom, Don Surber, Gateway Pundit,Capitol Annex, Vodkapundit, Sister Toldjah, Outside The Beltway, Fausta’s Blog, Townhall.com,

(Thanks to Musing Minds for correcting me on my slight mistake.. ooops! 😛 )

Bill Kristol Enrages Libertarians

Stuff likes this cracks me up. It should not, but it does. 😛

NYT Columnist Bill Kristol basically kicks the Libertarians and fiscal Conservative purists square in the jewels.

Money Quotes:

But conservatives should think twice before charging into battle against Obama under the banner of “small-government conservatism.” It’s a banner many Republicans and conservatives have rediscovered since the election and have been waving around energetically. Jeb Bush, now considering a Senate run in 2010, even went so far as to tell Politico last month, “There should not be such a thing as a big-government Republican.”

Really? Jeb Bush was a successful and popular conservative governor of Florida, with tax cuts, policy reforms and privatizations of government services to show for his time in office. Still, in his two terms state spending increased over 50 percent — a rate faster than inflation plus population growth. It turns out, in the real world of Republican governance, that there aren’t a whole lot of small-government Republicans.

Five Republicans have won the presidency since 1932: Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and the two George Bushes. Only Reagan was even close to being a small-government conservative. And he campaigned in 1980 more as a tax-cutter and national-defense-builder-upper, and less as a small-government enthusiast in the mold of the man he had supported — and who had lost — in 1964, Barry Goldwater. And Reagan’s record as governor and president wasn’t a particularly government-slashing one.

Even the G.O.P.’s 1994 Contract With America made only vague promises to eliminate the budget deficit, and proposed no specific cuts in government programs. It focused far more on crime, taxes, welfare reform and government reform. Indeed, the “Republican Revolution” of 1995 imploded primarily because of the Republican Congress’s one major small-government-type initiative — the attempt to “cut” (i.e., restrain the growth of) Medicare. George W. Bush seemed to learn the lesson. Prior to his re-election, he proposed and signed into law popular (and, it turned out, successful) legislation, opposed by small-government conservatives, adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare.

So talk of small government may be music to conservative ears, but it’s not to the public as a whole. This isn’t to say the public is fond of big-government liberalism. It’s just that what’s politically vulnerable about big-government liberalism is more the liberalism than the big government. (Besides, the public knows that government’s not going to shrink much no matter who’s in power.)

Well, There are some Libertarians that having none of this. Some Libertarians that I happen to read are quite ticked.

David Donadio basically calls Kristol a “Self Loving Liberal” and lays the smack down, albiet nicely:

This is all quite clarifying. In Kristol’s view, modern conservatism has to have “a strong commitment to limited…government,” while passing trillion-dollar drug entitlements. In other words, Republicans aren’t going to restrain the undue growth of government. So, assuming one thinks Obama has a cooler head and better judgment than the GOP has shown on foreign policy of late, why exactly should he vote for Republicans anymore?

Kristol is surely right that a platform geared toward libertarians would fall flat, but he seems to have missed the memo that a platform geared toward neocons isn’t exactly going anywhere either. If the Republicans are going to alienate economic conservatives, foreign policy realists, and a whole rising generation that’ll eventually get wise to the fact that it’s footing the bill for all these bloated entitlements, what’s left? Somewhat socially conservative, self-identifying liberals who support school choice and tax cuts and Israel?

That’s not the swing vote, it’s the staff of The New Republic.

Stephen Bainbridge was not so nice about it, he basically said, “Excommunicate Kristol”:

Kristol thus reaffirms his position at the heart of the trio of reasons the conservative movement is in trouble: Iraq, K Street, and big government conservatism.

It’s true that government has a role. It’s true that sometimes government needs to do big things (like World Wars and bailing out the financial sector). But Kristol wants us to basically punt on the idea that government can be useful, productive, and effective at doing the big things society needs and still be a limited government.

The USA does not need two parties of big government. It doesn’t need two parties that support the nanny state. It doesn’t need two Mommy parties.

The USA does need at least one Daddy party. It needs at least one party that believes in individual freedom and limited government.

The GOP needs to become that party.

The GOP and the conservative movement don’t need Bill Kristol and his ilk. It’s time to kick his ass out.

Memo to Kristol: Put the pin back in the grenade! Before someone or yourself gets hurt! I mean, turning on your own base, which is mainly fiscal Conservatives and Libertarians is just not smart Bill, really. I thought even you would have known better than this.

To what was said above, let me simply say this. That only people that are getting any sort of anything out of this, is liberals. Hell, if they read this, they would be busting a gut laughing. I mean it cracks me up, because the Republican Party seems to be at a loss as to why their party is in such disarray. I submit this as one of the reasons.

The again, this is the same nimrod who was totally wrong about Iraq.

Others: (Left and Right) – Ross Douthat, Upturned Earth, The Corner, The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room, Copious Dissent, Below The Beltway, Wonkette, Right Wing Nut House, StephenBainbridge.com, RedState, Washington Monthly, The New Republic and Reason

Good Time for a Missile Strike!

Video: (Via Breit Bart)

AP has the Details.

If you have a problem with what I just wrote. I encourage you to take a look at the ISLAM section of my Bookstore. Especially this title HERE. Perhaps you should also check out the section on 9/11. Maybe you’ll have a dfferent view after you buy some books telling of the horrible carnage and death that took place that fateful day. Yet, we have bastard Liberals, like “The One” who want to try and talk with these monsters. Perhaps it is because he’s one of them.

So, Bush, you’re already the lame duck, you know where most of the money came from anyhow. Why not just authorize a missile strike and wipe out all of ISLAM in one great swoop? A missile attack, and the President’s outlawing the Pratice of Islam in this Country, would be the ultimate act of justice to all of those who died on September 11, 2001.

NYT's Timothy Egan takes Joe Wurzelbacher to the woodshed

First off, let me just say that I agree with the premise of this article.   However, the way it was written and tone of the article, comes off sounding very high brow and elitist sounding.   I am, of course, referring to the article written by NYT guest columnist Timothy Egan, who’s filling in for Moreen Dowd.    I was going to quote some of that here. But I think I’ll just let you click the link on his name there and let you go read what was written. Here is my take on what was written:

While some of what was said was actually factually correct, Joe was not a licensed Journeyman Plumber in Ohio. He was, in fact, an apprentice. He never intended to buy the shop he worked for, because it was not even for sale.   The information about the supposed tax violations, even if all that is true. How this information was gained, is what burns me. How is it, that the Liberals who have been whining and crying about the FISA Bill, are all too eager to dig up information about someone who happened to challenge Barack Obama on one of his polices.

In fact, I will make a direct accusation on this Blog. I believe, personally, that Barack Hussein Obama personally asked that political operatives within the Democratic Party, working in Governmental positions in Ohio to dig up information on “Joe The Plumber” in order to discredit him.  I realize that this can never be proven, because nobody within the Democratic Party is going to go against “The One”.

So, the next time, some idiotic Liberal tries to tell you about Nixon and how evil he was, just tell them, Barack Obama did basically the same thing. Only difference is, he did not get caught.

Others: NewsBusters.org, Tim Blair and Flopping Aces

Soldier's Daughter gets wish for Christmas

If this does not make you emotional or even a little dewy eyed. You don’t have a damn soul.

Story via WXII TV:

PILOT MOUNTAIN, N.C. — A woman and 2-year-old daughter welcomed home a sergeant Thursday night who had been serving in Afghanistan since March.

Kensley Penney said she promises this year she has been a good girl. She said she does just what grandma asks and kisses her special doll with her father’s picture every night.

“When we go to bed, we say prayers and ask Jesus to keep him safe,” Kensley’s grandmother, Patty Childress, said.

Kensley is hoping these good deeds will be enough for Santa Claus to give her the two special requests she has this Christmas.

“I asked her if she wanted a new doll or a stroller, and she said, ‘I don’t know,’ and then a week later she said, ‘I want a blue truck and my daddy,'” Childress said.

Her father, Sgt. Scottie Penney, has been serving in Afghanistan since March.

Penney’s wife, April, said it’s been hard for her, but that it’s been especially tough on Kensley.

Scottie Penney’s family worked very hard to keep him in his daughter’s life, even though he was thousands of miles away from home.

“There are pictures all over the house, and like I said, she has our daddy doll,” Childress said. “When she can, she gets on the Web cam with him and makes funny faces. She knows who daddy is.”

In fact, Kensley sleeps cuddled up with her father every night. His picture is on a special doll that her family said she takes everywhere.

Thursday night, Penney walked into Pine Hills Church in Pilot Mountain to surprise his daughter.

The moment was caught on camera.

Kensley waited patiently in her grandmother’s arms to tell Santa Claus her special Christmas wish Thursday night.

“I want my daddy,” Kensley told Santa.

Kensley even practiced a song for Santa Claus, hoping it will help get her wish granted.

Kensley’s constant singing must have paid off, because the Pine Hills Church Santa delivered her Christmas wish right in time for the holidays.

“It was pretty nice,” Scottie Penney said. “We have been planning this for some time. I had mixed emotions about how (Kensley) would react.”

The rest of the room burst out in tears when Kensley and her father reunited.

Scottie Penney said it was also a surprise for him and his wife to see the community supporting them.

“It was very emotional,” he said. “I didn’t see anyone who had a dry eye. It was so great to see the love and support of our community and people who care.”

You see, it is because of stuff like this right here. Is why I am a Libertarian Conservative Blogger, this is why I decided that the Democratic Party was not that Party that loves America, Respects it’s Military. I mean, you need look no further than Michelle Malkin’s Blog to see that.

….and while I am on it. These are the people that voted for that idiotic Communist NEGRO into the White House, them are HIS people.

(removed because bad language… I should not post when I am emotional.)

God Bless that little Blondie bundle of Joy. Especially on Christmas Day. 😀

(H/T AllahPundit)

Alfonzo on The "Declaration of Dependence"

An Excellent Video:

Now, towards of the end of this. He gets off into the weeds about the Unions. I’ll give him a pass on it. Because some of the stuff he says, I kind agree with. But he went overboard with the “They should gotten out from under them years ago…” I disgree with that crap. But the rest of the video is right on point.

Of course, if I was a real butt hole, I could say if it weren’t for the Democrats, his black ass would not have half the freedom that he has now. But to counter that, If it were not for Abe Lincoln, he would be still in chains. So, it evens out. 😀

Still I wish there were more black people, like Zo here who believed this way. But unfortunately most of them got sucked into that stupid socialist identity politics crap. Thanks to tools like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Good show Zo, as always man. 😀

Uh…Hugh?

Replying to this Bunch of Drivel:

As I discussed with economic guru Brian Wesbury on tonight’s show, the GOP should demand a real concession as part of a quick deal to get Detroit cash.  I think the price from the Dems should be a cut in the corporate tax rate for MI- and OH-headquartered businesses to Ireland’s 12.5%.  As Wesbury said, it would spark a huge economic revival in the Wolverine and Buckeye states –just huge.  And the teaching moment would be huge as well.

Detroit is going to get the money now or in February.  So get something worth having, House and Senate GOP.

Uh, Hugh? Has anyone bothered to inform you that you all are in the minority in Congress? I mean, you all had your chance in 2003 till 2006 to stop the economic crisis and you sat around and did nothing. You ought to hope that “The One” does not force the desolving of the G.O.P. and outlaws Conservatism in General.

Somehow, I highly doubt at Tax decrease would even help. We’re in a recession, in case you didn’t know. Of course, being the wealthy radio star and all, I would not expect you to know this.