Unemployment numbers are absolutely dismal. The demand for manufactured goods is constricting. Existing and new home sales are plummeting. Even auto sales are plunging. The Dow Jones Industrial average has declined for six days in a row, dipping that economic indicator back below its powerfully symbolic 10,000 mark.

This is all bad news for America, and calls into question the Veep’s odd and precocious thoughts of a Summer of Recovery.

All the while, we have Speaker Pelosi positing the economic theory that UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS are an ECONOMIC STIMULUS. Morever, and hold your laughter, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS are a JOB-CREATOR. Read it again. No, I promise she said it. Don’t believe me? Watch the video.

PROVIDING ANSWERS

Honestly, where’s the media on this. Here are some questions I want people to ask various government officials — especially Robert Gibbs, Speaker Pelosi, and Harry Reid.

- Just in theory, how does taking money out of the private economy through taxes or borrowing money from a foreign source, and then re-injecting that money through unemployment benefits add net value to the economy? Even if it isn’t WORKING pragmatically, what’s the theory?

- We can see that spending isn’t a stimulus. It didn’t work for FDR in the New Deal, and it isn’t working here as indicated by all the bad numbers. All the stimulus is doing is ARTIFICIALLY propping up bankrupt state governments. Can we admit that?

- Does government debt have practical consequences on our economy right now or in the future?

- Where is Area 51?

- Wait, what? Nevermind.

- Have you even thought about any of these questions before?

On the radio show I often host, I recently brought to the fore a business in my town who uses aggressive, sexually suggestive imagery to advertise their business. Those that listen know the drill and what I’ve asked. Below is the letter I mentioned on the air this morning.

June 16, 2010

Pandora’s Box
6121 Calhoun Memorial Highway
Easley, SC 29640

To the ownership and management of Pandora’s Box,

I am writing in regards to the recent introduction of the panel van, featuring suggestive advertising images, in front of your store in Easley.

First, I wish not to cast judgment or aspersions on you, your business, your employees, or your customers. Simply, my objective is to present a concern of public space and our responsibility to each other in the local community. (more…)

Because of this strong slate of candidates, it’s taken me quite a while to make decisions. But now I’m ready (for the most part), so here’s the official Cory Truax endorsements. My pick is in bold on the list of candidates, and an explanation follows. Whether you agree or not with my choices, GET OUT AND VOTE on June 8th.

GOVERNOR
Congressman Gresham Barrett
Lt. Gov Andre Bauer
Rep. Nikki Haley
Attorney General Henry McMaster

Originally, I did make an endorsement in this race. After new information came to light, I have decided to endorse no one for the June 8th primary. When the inevitable run-off comes two weeks later, I will revisit this race.

Moreover, the rhetoric has become so heated, I’m not even going to give commentary here on any candidate. Any time I have, I’ve gotten verbally assaulted from all angles. I’ve been called a RINO and far-right nut job for endorsing the SAME candidate.

(more…)

So, though I thought I would never have to, I actually want to spend some time now reasserting the very fundamental concept of limited government in America. Once thought an assumption here, recent events and proposed legislation lay bare that many in the governing class believe that there shouldn’t be — and maybe that there indeed is NOT — a limit to government action.

So let’s explore together the basics of our governing philosophy. (more…)

Do you know how many companies would love to not only create the rules, set the prices, and make the regulation for their competitors, but then send their own guys in to compete with the competitors that you already controlled? So, the very people who are on record as wanting to put the health insurance companies out of business have not only taken them over, not only have defined the terms of who they can and can’t cover, but have now begun to push to a government run option to compete with it…and they want us to believe that all the backroom deals, all the bribery, and all the strong arming to first shove an unpopular bill down the American’s throat, that basically nationalized the healthcare industry, now want a Public Option, that all of this is not a government takeover of healthcare? How dumb do they think we are? If recent comments by Bill Maher are any clue, they believe we are merely sheep to be shepherded by a wise and powerful man for our own good, because we are “too stupid to understand the issues.”

Remember also that all of this was to help the poor and uninsured, you know by limiting choices, taxing the job creators and wealth creators, and enslaving them by making them dependent upon the state. After being called kooks, whack jobs, and screw balls by the Democratic Party and the bought-and-paid for media, it turns out that we Republicans, Conservatives, and Libertarians, were right. That after nationalizing the private healthcare insurers and now, not even allowing the ink to dry, progressives are calling for a government run insurance option that will bankrupt the nationalized “private” health insurance companies, thus creating a single-payer universal healthcare system.

Moreover, they are even now still saying we are misleading the American people by telling the truth about what it is they have been and are now trying to do. With the strange silence by the mainstream media on the thug like tactics of SEIU, the corruption by a Marxist community organizing institution ACORN, and the unsupportable ad hominem attacks on the Tea Party Movement, one has to wonder if there isn’t some sort of “bias” going on here, or am I the only one who believes that the left would be apoplectic if any of the corrupt bargains and deals perpetrated by this administration and the Democrats, were done by Bush and the Republicans? (more…)

The fight isn’t even close to over. I’m going to give you some tangible items to grasp onto in a moment, but let me make my goal clear: to keep you, liberty-loving Americans, from losing hope.

Let me clear: we don’t have time to moap. There’s absolutely no time for hand-wringing or feeling sorry for ourselves or for being angry at the spineless Stupak. We have entirely too much work to do to spend a single second pouting. So, what work lies ahead? Let me share.

It still has to go to the Senate.

While it will only require 51 votes there, Republicans will have the opportunity to offer at least a week’s worth of amendments. All of these amendments will fail. Nevetheless, the proposals and accompanying-speeches will be the building blocks to the winning message for November’s election. We get a week — or more –to expose completely EXACTLY what the President is about to sign.

We fight in the courts.

The federal government has never imposed a mandate of this sort. Can the federal government make you buy something? I don’t think the Constitution allows for it. And I believe most Circuit Courts and at least 5 Supreme Court Justices see it that way as well. We’ll challenge that.

We fight in the States.

The leading contenders for Governor in my great State of South Carolina are already pledging to use whatever legal avenues they can to stop the bill from implementation here. Texas already has a law on the books. More States will follow. When those judicial conflicts hit the Court system, the Tenth Amendment is on our side. So, STARTING TOMORROW, call/email/write your State House Representative and your State Senator. Tell them to act quickly to protect your State from the crippling taxation and mandates in the Senate Health Care Bill.

We fight in November.

Every Democrat on TV today claimed they were going run hard on this Bill. They plan on taking to their constituents their yes vote on this incredibly unpopular bill. Take as an early indicator of their success the Facebook Fan Page of Bart Stupak’s Republican challenger in Michigan. Just hours after Stupak caved, his opponent’s Facebook gained over 2,000 fans. The electoral tide is clear.

Voting for the bill will have electoral consequences, and these statists will see their power evaporate in November.

We fight. And we never stop.

I’m here for the fight. I didn’t come for the kicks and giggles, sunshine and lollipops, rainbows and puppies. I’m here to fight for the cause of liberty until I can’t fight any more. I’m asking you to join that spirit. We lost a major vote in Congress tonight — not our hope. We fight everywhere and every way we can.

And because we fight for the cause of maximum freedom for the maximum amount of people, we fight for justice. And we will win.

REACTION 1: Democrats have anecdotitis

Yeah, we get it: you know people with bad medical situations. But the fact that a lady used her dead sister’s dentures doesn’t mean you should be able to control one-sixth of our economy. The libs fell into the logical pit of argument-by-false-compassion. In essence it’s: Hey, bad stuff happens to people. If you object to my plan to fix it, you hate all those people.

Yes, I know. It’s juvenile and bankrupt of reason. But hey, they’re liberals.

Some of the GOP delegates fell into the same trap, but it was almost to a one, the Democrat speakers wanted to illustrate how thoughtful they were about people with problems. What’s disturbing is that the Dems and Reps that used these stories more for their own benefit than for the benefit of those with the problems. (more…)

VIDEO: Who is this and what did he do with Chris “The Tingler” Matthews?

AHHHHAHAHAHAHA….AAAAHAHAHAHA: Air America files for bankruptcy protection…. again.

HOPE AND CHANGE: Gallup finds 55% of adults — not likely voters — want to halt on talks on health care. Furthermore, FIFTY-SEVEN PERCENT are “unhappy or disappointed” with the President’s first year.

VIDEO: Ed “The Screamer” Shultz said before Tuesday’s Massachusetts election that if Scott Brown wins, “it’s the end of change as we know it.”…. And I feel fine.

And oh yeah, some guy named Scott Brown became the first Republican to win a senate race in Massachusetts since 1972, but that wasn’t all that significant. Was it?

10. Climategate - This story is only now developing, but it will stay with us long into 2010. We now have empirical evidence that the justification for trillion dollar spending plans and demands for lifestyle changes — global warming — may be a completely false premise. Stay tuned.

9. Death of Ted Kennedy - I don’t necessarily have any particular kind words to say about him, but no one can deny his significance to America’s legislative process — and to the family of Mary Jo Kopechne.

8. More Troops Heading to Afghanistan - Not much commentary needed here. We’re in our longest military struggle ever. And we’re fighting in a place many have failed before — including the mighty Soviets. Simply, appreciate and pray for our troops.

7. Health Care Bill Saga - If the statists in the Congress and the White House end up getting what they want from this process, this story will jump to number 1 for next year. Few actions by government could potentially change our lives — literally — than this one.

6. The Mark Sanford Affair - I’ll spend a little more time on this one. (more…)

Conservatives and Republicans want President Obama to fail, and if Obama fails, America fails.

And that’s our topic today. Many of us conclude intuitively that this statement is laughably false. But why? Below, I’ll outline why Shultz and the rest of the Left are plainly mistaken in this claim.

DEFINE THE TERMS

The first step in fleshing this out is to define the terms. And the most important term in that claim is not — sorry, Mr. President — Obama. The most central term is “America.” I believe that when the Left refers to America they are referring to an abstract concept wholly different from the concept those on the right hold.

This conflicting definition of “America” is the foundation of this argument (whether or not hoping a president fails means hoping the country fails). For the liberal, “American success” is characterized as approval from the rest of the world, a vast network of social welfare programs, heavy regulation on business to both “fight climate change” and simply impose punishment for “unfair” achievement, the empowerment of labor unions, and a radically secular culture.

That’s the Left’s agenda. And that’s the Obama administration’s agenda. Thus, when a liberal hears me say, “I hope President Obama fails,” they hear, “You hope our laudable and honorable agenda items fail. And if our agenda fails, America fails.”

But I don’t believe that’s true. (more…)

I mean this truly: when I heard it on the news around 7:00 a.m. Friday morning at the gym, I thought someone was covering an Onion parody. In retrospect, I actually laughed at the thought. Then, I realized it was serious.

A great deal of pundits — on the Left and Right — agreed with my assessment. The Rag (My affectionate moniker for the New York Times) ran — on their website– an op-ed actually calling the award absurd. Even leftists on a PBS show said outright that the president didn’t deserve the award. The reaction ranged from absolute disbelief and incredulity on the right to simple embarrassed surprise on the Left.

Granted, this is a tough one for a leftist. How do you go about defending your president getting this award when the nominating period closed just ELEVEN days after he was inaugurated? Not even the best spinmeisters on the planet (by that I mean me of course) could make a case for a Nobel freaking Peace Prize on 11 days of work.

In any event, to report every side, I should also mention that some absolutely committed Obama-worshipers actually wrote in defense of him winning. One said he won on his words alone — and that his words were enough. Several liberals I know on Facebook and Twitter argued to me that he deserved the award “for inspiring hope” — whatever that is — “in people around the world.” Allow me to very quickly give you my response to that nonsensical prattle.

I guess it’s different in Europe — a place where manhood and a free spirit died long ago. But in America, we don’t award potential. You don’t get prizes or trophies — or at least you shouldn’t — for meaning to, or hoping to, accomplish something. You get the gold when you get the win. You get the reward when the work is done. And I will say it unequivocally: this president HAS NOT DONE THE WORK. Period. (more…)

Listen, if I can’t find a way to blame it on President Obama, it can’t be blamed on President Obama. First, this one doesn’t even need any blame assigned, but if it did, it can’t possibly be placed on Obama or his wife. Folks, an American city lost a bid to host a Summer Olympics. It happens. London beat out New York among other competitors for the 2012 games. That wasn’t anybody’s fault.

Anyway, let me give you the media reaction rundown on everything from the lead-up to the aftermath of the 2016 Olympic city announcement. Most of it is humorously absurd.
(more…)

Still, we should be vigilant not let apparent success make us complacent. We have to be ready to spread what has become an incredible grassroots movement in opposition to massive government spending and behemoth government intervention in our lives. One of the methods whereby we can spread the movement is being ready to answer some obvious questions when those around us present them.

For example, I recently had a dear friend ask this question: “Why don’t you like Obama?” Though the question is based on a false premise, this is a question to which conservatives and liberty-lovers need to have a prepared and compelling answer. In the paragraphs below, I’ll lead you through my response.

CORRECT THE QUESTION

My friend asked the wrong question entirely. My opposition — our opposition — isn’t to Barack Hussein Obama the man. We oppose virulently his philosophy and the consequential policies and agenda. We don’t, and shouldn’t, care at all for President Obama — or any other politician — on any meaningful level. A politician’s value is equal only to the sum of his or her policies, agenda, and political acumen. We need to make clear that we don’t care either way about the person Obama. He’s just a guy with power. In that way, he’s just like Ronald Reagan. The personalities are absolutely irrelevant. (more…)