Conservative State Project

This Is The End

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:03:00 +0000

Well, friends, after long and careful consideration, I have decided to call it a night and shudder CSP. I've known this day was coming since around April, when I made a deeply regrettable post about RedState Editor Erick Erickson. We may have our differences of opinion, but there was no place for such a post. But that is not the reason I chose to leave. Rather, I've become bored with political blogging and the internet overall. I now see them as seductive wastes of time, when I could better focus my time reading up on things that interest me more than political mudslinging, such as music, and things that pertain to school work. I came into this(political blogging) thinking in terms of being king of my own universe, being a credible resource for information, etc. But since the beginning, I've realized this to be a more complex being that I had originally thought. You have to hunt for the original sources on stories, which I haven't the time for these days due to studying obligations, you have to have administrative skill, which is somewhat lacking on my part, and you have to relentlessly advertise the blog, something that is too time consuming to fit into an already busy schedule. In summary, this was a bit more than I expected it to be. Let the good bloggers blog and weed out the not so good bloggers. If we did a thorough thinning of the herd in the blogosphere, it would be less crowded and we would better know what to link to when a news story breaks. The midnight hour has passed at CSP, and so my friends:

This...is...the...end... UPDATE(1/15/12): You can find me at my other site: http://ridersonthestorm101.blogspot.com/ And you can also find me guest-posting at Politicaldog101 and posting "diary entries" at Redstate.

GA Primary Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:43:00 +0000

Here's a rundown of how I think tomorrow night's GA Primaries will go:

Governor:

Republican Primary:

Handel 27%
Deal 24%
Johnson 19%
Oxendine 15%
McBerry 9%
Chapman 5%
Putnam 1%

Deal wins the Runoff 54-46.

Democratic Primary:

Barnes 55%
Baker 29%
Porter 13%
Poythress 2%
Mangham 1%
Camon and Bolton receive less than 1%.

Deal beats Barnes 52-48.

Lieutenant Governor:

Democratic Primary:

Porter 80%
McCracken 20%

I See Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle beating Porter 57-43.

Secretary of State:

Republican Primary:

Kemp 55%
MacGinnitie 45%

Democratic Primary:

Buckner 27%
Mills 23%
Horlacher 20%
Moore 19%
Sinkfield 11%

Mills wins the Runoff 53-47.

I see Kemp beating Mills 59-41.

Attorney General:

Republican Primary:

Olens 39%
Wood 38%
Smith 23%

Wood wins the Runoff 51-49.

Democratic Primary:

Teilhet 56%
Hodges 44%

Wood beats Teilhet 53-47.

State School Superintendent:

Republican Primary:

Woods 55%
Barge 45%

Democratic Primary:

Martin 37%
Westlake 34%
Farokhi 29%

Westlake wins the Runoff 50.5-49.5.

Woods beats Westlake 58-42.

Agriculture Commissioner:

Republican Primary:

Black 70%
Carter 30%

Black beats Democratic State Senator JB Powell 56-44.

Insurance Commissioner:

Republican Primary:

Purcell 18%
Harp 16%
Knox 15%
Sheffield 12%
Hudgens 11%
Northington 10%
Mamalakis 8%
Collum 7%
Cain 3%

Harp wins the Runoff 53-47.

Harp beats former Democratic State Senator Mary Squires 65-35.

Labor Commissioner:

Republican Primary:

Everson 55%
Butler 45%

Democratic Primary:

Coleman 60%
Hicks 40%

Coleman beats Everson 54-46.

US Senate:

Democratic Primary:

Thurmond 61%
Hadley 39%

Incumbent Republican US Senator Johnny Isakson beats Thurmond 55-45.

CD-2:

Republican Primary:

Keown 54%
Ferrell 29%
Allen 17%

Keown beats Incumbent Democratic US Congressman Sanford Bishop 53-47.

CD-4:

Republican Primary:

Carter 54%
Gause 35%
Ruth 11%

Democratic Primary:

Johnson 67%
Jones 26%
Stokes 7%

Guam does not tip over by a margin of 71-29.

CD-7:

Republican Primary:

Efstration 35%
Woodall 29%
Cox 28%
Kirby 5%
Parrott 3%
Hice, Fincher, and Grist poll below 1%

Woodall wins the Runoff 52-48.

Woodall beats Democratic Financial Executive Doug Heckman 64-36.

CD-8:

Republican Primary:

Scott 60%
Deloach 31%
Vann 9%

I see Scott beating Incumbent Democratic US Congressman Jim Marshall 54-46.

CD-9:

Graves 33%
Tarvin 28%
Hawkins 19%
Reese 14%
Cates 6%

Tarvin wins the Runoff 51-49.

Tarvin beats Independent Marketing Executive Eugene Moon 86-14.

CD-12:

Republican Primary:

Smith 58%
McKinney 33%
Seaver 8%
Horner 2%

Democratic Primary:

Thomas 56%
Barrow 44%

Thomas beats Smith 57-43.

CD-13:

Democratic Primary:

Scott 43%
Frisbee 42%
Murphy 15%

Frisbee beats Scott 51.5-48.5.

Republican Primary:

Honeycutt 51%
Parchment 33%
Dudek 9%
Crane 6%
Orr 1%
Flanegan receives less than 1%.

Frisbee beats Honeycutt 60-40.

Your thoughts.

GA-GOV: Legit, Anti-Handel Arguments

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 22:59:00 +0000

1. "Karen Handel is responsible for the Electronic Voting System in Georgia. In direct and intentional violation of the letter of the Georgia State Constitution Karen Handel bought/caused to be bought a Voting Sysytem that does not have any manner of producing a hsitorical, paper trail of the Votes cast by Georgia citizens. The Gerogia State Constitution specifically and plainly states that this must be part of any Voting System used in Georgia.

Karen Handel violated her Oath of Office and under the precepts of the Georgia State Constitution should have been and should be charged with that crime. Eric - you do go along with the Gerogia State Constituion as being Law, do you not?? Just like the U.S. Constitution, Eric - the Georgia State Constitution is not some paperback novel to be “interpreted” to suit the political hacks and judicial miscreants agenda.

I’m an engineer. The present electronic voting system in Georgia is subject to illicit manipulation by almost any novice teen age hacker. It has no paper trail to validate the vote, should that be required. It is an absolute violation of the State Constitution and Karen Handel is responsible. End of story. The fact that the Courts failed to lawfully address the crime is just another indication of the level of corruption extant in the court system. Great thing about the wording of the Constitution on this matter - NO INTERPRETATION IS REQUIRED TO UNDERSTAND THE INTENT. Karen Handel violated the Law. You like her - go figure??

Karen Handel is just another Republican hack. I’m beginning to wonder about you- Eric. You have to have known about the Voting machine lawsuits and the unlawfull decisions brought down by the judges, also in violation of the Georgia State Constitution. How about that - Eric?? And what about the criminal charges some members of Karen Handels past staff are battling??

Karen Handel is just another Republican hack, who decided that the Gerogia State Constitution wasn’t really Law and could be ignored. How is it that doesn’t bother you - Eric??? Karen Handel is just more of the same political bovine effluent we have seen for years.

No thanks."

2. "Handel was the elected official ( Georgia Secretary of State ) responsible for vetting/approving the purchase. All she had to do was “just say no”; Handel just needed to obey the letter of the Georgia State Constitution. She didn’t do that, did she Hugh?? The bought and paid for judicial system in Georgia has supported her to date. Doesn’t say much for that bunch of judicial miscreants that heard the case; seems they just can’t read well enough to discern the plain English text in the Georgia State Constitution. I will give you the point that Cox should be charged with the same crimes Handel is guilty of.

For those interested folks the url below has a wealth of information on this issue.

http://www.voterga.org/"

Your thoughts.

Former North Dakota Governor Arthur A. Link Dies at 96

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:40:00 +0000

From The Grand Forks Hearld:

Arthur Link, a former North Dakota governor, congressman and longtime state legislator known for environmental stewardship and staying true to his rural roots, died today surrounded by family, a family spokesman said. He was 96.

Link wasn’t feeling well after dinner Saturday and was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, where he developed and was being treated for pneumonia, said Bob Valeu, a family spokesman.

“His five sons, along with his wife, Grace, and grandchildren were with him over the weekend,” Valeu said. Funeral arrangements were pending.

Link was born in Alexander in 1914, the son of homesteaders from Czechoslovakia and Germany, and was raised on the family farm. Friends said he never forgot his upbringing during his four-decade political career, which included only two lost races.

The Democrat advocated for allowing oil-producing counties to keep some tax revenues for road repairs and pushed for strong regulations for reclaiming land mined for coal.

Gov. John Hoeven said Link’s environmental stewardship while governor left a lasting legacy on the landscape of North Dakota’s reclaimed lands, and his “deep faith and principled decision-making throughout his long life” earned him widespread respect and affection.

“He was a remarkable man, a courageous leader and a dear friend,” U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad said in a statement. “He knew what he believed, he knew what he stood for, he knew the values that he had been raised with.”

U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy added: “He approached issues with a strong conscience and the kind of common sense that you get growing up on the prairie. He was interested in results, not the limelight.”

RIP.

June 1 Primary Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:04:00 +0000

Here are my predictions for today's Primaries:

AL-GOV GOP Primary:

Byrne 34%
Moore 31%
James 26%
Bentley 5%
Johnson 3%
Potts 1%
Taylor 1%

AL-GOV GOP Runoff:

Byrne 54%
Moore 46%

AL-GOV DEM Primary:

Davis 55%
Sparks 45%

I see Byrne beating Davis 53-47.

AL-LT GOV GOP Primary:

Ivey 65%
Erwin 28%
Ponder 7%

I see Incumbent Democrat Jim Folsom Jr. beating Ivey 54-46.

AL-AG GOP Primary:

King 64%
Strange 36%

AL-AG DEM Primary:

Perkins 55%
Anderson 36%
Nicrosi 9%

I see this race as a TOSSUP.

AL-State Treasurer GOP Primary:

Wallace Jr. 68%
Boozer 32%

AL-State Treasurer DEM Primary:

Grimsley 73%
Sherer 27%

I see Wallace Jr. beating Grimsley 57-43.

AL-Agriculture Commissioner GOP Primary:

McMillan 58%
Grace 35%
Peterson 8%

I see Democratic challenger Glen Zorn beating McMillan 56-44.

AL-SEN GOP Primary:

Shelby 87%
Moser 13%

AL-SEN DEM Primary:

Barnes 79%
De Moore 21%

I see Shelby beating Barnes 74-26.

AL-02 GOP Primary:

Barber 45%
Roby 38%
Bell 13%
McKinney III 4%

AL-02 GOP Runoff:

Barer 53%
Roby 47%

I see Barber beating Incumbent Democrat Bobby Bright 52-48.

AL-05 GOP Primary:

Brooks 51%
Griffith 42%
Phillip 7%

AL-05 DEM Primary:

Shepard 47%
Raby 44%
Howie 8%
Maker 1%

AL-05 DEM Runoff:

Shepard 51%
Raby 49%

I see Brooks beating Shepard 55-45.

AL-06 GOP Primary:

Bachus 81%
Cooke 19%

AL-07 GOP Primary:

Waller 50%
Salter 41%
Hendrickson 6%
Chamberlain 3%

AL-07 DEM Primary:

Hilliard Jr. 49%
Smoot 40%
Sewell 10%
Bozeman 1%

AL-07 DEM Runoff:

Hilliard Jr. 57%
Smoot 43%

I see Hilliard Jr. defeating Waller 69-31.

MS-01 GOP Primary:

Nunnelee 48%
Ross 39%
McGlowan 13%

MS-01 GOP Runoff:

Nunnelee 58%
Ross 42%

I see Nunnelee beating Incumbent Democrat Travis Childers 50-47.

MS-02 GOP Primary:

Cook 60%
Marcy 31%
Bailey 9%

I see Incumbent Democrat Bennie Thompson beating Cook 66-33.

MS-03 DEM Primary:

Gill 63%
O'Hara 29%
Jackson 8%

I see Incumbent Republican Gregg Harper beating Gill 71-27.

MS-04 GOP Primary:

Palazzo 62%
Tegerdine 38%

I see Palazzo beating Incumbent Democrat Gene Taylor 49-48.

NM-GOV DEM Primary:

Denish 98%
Driggs 2%

NM-GOV GOP Primary:

Martinez 53%
Weh 39%
Domeneci Jr. 7%
Turner 1%

NM-LT GOV DEM Primary:

Campos 41%
Colon 37%
Rael 12%
Pino 7%
Lopez 3%

NM-LT GOV GOP Primary:

Cravens 50%
Sanchez 36%
Moore 11%
Damron 3%

I see Martinez/Cravens beating Denish/Campos 51-49.

NM-State Land Commissioner:

Cornelius 52%
Vassilopoulos 37%
Jackson 7%
Rush 4%

NM-02 GOP Primary:

Pearce 85%
Pirtle 15%

I see Pearce beating Incumbent Democrat Harry Teague 55-45.

NM-03 GOP Primary:

Mullins 59%
Kokesh 41%

I see Incumbent Democrat Ben Ray Lujan beating Mullins 63-37.

Your thoughts.

Memorial Day Open Thread

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:23:00 +0000

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31 in 2010). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I to honor dead Americans from all wars.

More from Wikipedia.

Corporate ID Theft on the GA SoS Website?

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Thu, 20 May 2010 02:26:00 +0000

You be the judge.

And Karen Handel knew about this, but did nothing about it. Just shows you how unqualified she was to hold the office of Georgia Secretary of State, much less Governor of Georgia. I'd support Roy Barnes over her cause we'd know what we're really getting from him than with Handel. Oxendine has proven himself capable of successfully running a campaign for Governor AND efficiently running the state Insurance Department, while Handel can't even efficiently run the Secretary of State's office OR a campaign for Governor. Your thoughts.

May 18 Primary Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:59:00 +0000

Here are my predictions for the upcoming Primaries on May 18:

KY-SEN GOP Primary:

Paul 53%
Grayson 44%
Stephenson 2%
Martin and Scribner poll either at or below 1%.

KY-SEN DEM Primary:

Mongiardo 51%
Conway 45%
Price 3%
Buckmaster and Farmer poll either at or under 1%.

Paul beats Mongiardo 51-49 in the General.

KY-03 GOP Primary:

Lally 50%
Reetz 41%
Hausman 4%
Durbin 3%
Wicker 2%

Lally loses to Incumbent Democrat Yarmuth 53-47 in the General.

KY-05 DEM Primary:

Prince 59%
Holbert 35%
Stepp 6%

Prince loses to Incumbent Republican Rogers 69-31 in the General.

KY-06 GOP Primary:

Barr 48%
Kemper III 39%
Lockett 8%
Barnes 4%
Pendergrass 1%

Barr loses to Incumbent Democrat Chandler 55-45 in the General.

AR-SEN DEM Primary:

Halter 47%
Lincoln 44%
Morrison 9%

AR-SEN GOP Primary:

Boozman 47%
Baker 24%
Holt 19%
Hendren 7%
Coleman 2%
Alexander, Ramey, and Reynolds will poll either at or below 1%.

I see Boozman beating Halter 55-45 in the General.

AR-LT GOV GOP Primary:

Darr 68%
Copeland 32%

I see Democratic challenger Broadway beating Darr 58-42 in the General.

AR-SoS DEM Primary:

Wilcox 55%
O'Brien 31%
Tate 14%

I see Wilcox beating Republican challenger Martin 59-41 in the General.

AR-State Land Commissioner DEM Primary:

Davenport 76%
Bryant 13%
Berg 11%

I see Davenport beating Republican challenger Thurston 64-36 in the General.

AR-01 DEM Primary:

Bryles 30%
Causey 29%
Cook 28%
Wooldridge 7%
Ponder 5%
Green 1%

AR-01 GOP Primary:

Smith 58%
Crawford 42%

AR-01 DEM Runoff:

Bryles 54%
Causey 46%

I see Bryles defeating Smith 54-46 in the General.

AR-02 DEM Primary:

Wills 48%
Elliott 43%
Boling 7%
Kennedy 1%
Adams 1%

AR-02 GOP Primary:

Griffin 60%
Wallace 40%

AR-02 DEM Runoff:

Elliott 51%
Wills 49%

I see Griffin beating Elliott 52-48 in the General.

AR-03 GOP Primary:

Womack 44%
Bledsoe 29%
DeLay 16%
Maddox 7%
Matayo 2%
Skoch 1%
Lowry 1%

AR-03 GOP Runoff:

Womack 62%
Bledsoe 38%

I see Womack beating Democratic challenger David Whitaker 57-43 in the General.

AR-04 GOP Primary:

Gallas 65%
Rankin 35%

I see Incumbent Democrat Ross beating Gallas 56-41 in the General.

PA-GOV DEM Primary:

Onorato 46%
Hoeffel 27%
Wagner 21%
Williams 6%

PA-GOV GOP Primary:

Corbett 78%
Rohrer 22%

I see Corbett beating Onorato 57-43 in the General.

PA-LT GOV GOP Primary:

Beilert 23%
Metcalfe 21%
Cawley 18%
Kennedy 13%
Urban 9%
Pepper 7%
McCue 5%
Diamond 4%

PA-LT GOV DEM Primary:

Saidel 47%
Conklin 42%
Smith-Ribner 11%

I see the General Election as a TOSSUP.

PA-SEN DEM Primary:

Sestak 53%
Specter 46%
Vodvarka 1%

PA-SEN GOP Primary:

Toomey 83%
Lusisk 17%

I see the General Election as a TOSSUP.

PA-03 DEM Primary:

Dahlkemper 92%
Marin 8%

PA-03 GOP Primary:

Kelly 51%
Fisher 32%
Grabb 13%
Huber 2%
Moore 1%
Franz 1%

I see Kelly beating Incumbent Democrat Dahlkemper 51-48 in the General.

PA-04 GOP Primary:

Buchanan 59%
Rothfus 41%

I see Buchanan beating Incumbent Democrat Altmire 50-49 in the General.

PA-06 DEM Primary:

Pike 47%
Trivedi 30%
Sellers 23%

I see Incumbent Republican Gerlach beating Pike 51-49 in the General.

PA-07 DEM Primary:

Lentz 68%
Touey 26%
Conner 6%

I see Meehan beating Lentz 49-48 in the General.

PA-08 GOP Primary:

Fitzpatrick 53%
Jones 34%
Hoffman 8%
Carlineo 5%

I see Fitzpatrick beating Incumbent Democrat Murphy 52-48 in the General.

PA-10 GOP Primary:

Marino 47%
Derk 47%
Madeira 6%

After weeks of recounts, Marino wins by 1 vote.

I see Marino beating Incumbent Democrat Carney 50.1-49.6 in the General.

PA-12 DEM Primary:

O'Brien 46%
Kanjorski 45%
Kelly 9%

PA-11 GOP Primary:

Barletta 77%
Paige 23%

I see Barletta beating O'Brien 53-47 in the General.

PA-12 Special Election:

Burns(R) 52 %
Critz(D) 48 %

PA-12 DEM Primary:

Critz 54%
Bucchianeri 44%
Mackell 2%

PA-12 GOP Primary:

Burns 56%
Russell 44%

I see Burns winning a full term over Critz 54-44 in the General.

PA-13 GOP Primary:

Adcock 48%
Quinter 43%
Haughton 9%

I see Incumbent Democrat Schwartz beating Adcock 63-37 in the General.

PA-15 GOP Primary:

Dent 85%
Benol 15%

I see Dent beating Democratic challenger Callahan 55-43 in the General.

PA-17 DEM Primary:

Holden 56%
Dow Ford 44%

PA-17 GOP Primary:

Argall 55%
Griffith 33%
First 10%
Ryan 2%

I see Argall beating Incumbent Democrat Holden 50.5-49.5 in the General.

PA-19 GOP Primary:

Plaats 64%
Smeltzer 36%

I see Incumbent Republican Plaats beating Democratic challenger Sanders 67-33 in the General.

OR-GOV DEM Primary:

Kitzhaber 59%
Bradbury 36%
Wilson 4%
Obrist 1%

OR-GOV GOP Primary:

Dudley 35%
Alley 29%
Lim 16%
Sizemore 13%
Watkins 4%
Colvin 2%
Karr 1%
Cutright and Forthan will finish either at or below 1%.

I see Kitzhaber beating Dudley 55-44.

OR-State Treasurer DEM Primary:

Wheeler 57%
Metsger 43%

I see Incumbent Democrat Wheeler beating Republican challenger Telfer 58-42 in the General.

OR-SEN DEM Primary:

Wyden 92%
Hooker 5%
Goberman 3%

OR-SEN GOP Primary:

Huffman 30%
Stutzman 24%
Parker 19%
Waldron 14%
Later 9%
Woodland 3%
Dinkel 1%

I see Incumbent Democrat Wyden beating Huffman 60-37.

OR-01 DEM Primary:

Wu 79%
Robinson 21%

OR-01 GOP Primary:

Kuzmanich 41%
Cornilles 38%
Brodhead 12%
Keller 9%

I see Incumbent Democrat Wu beating Kuzmanich 56-39.

OR-03 DEM Primary:

Blumenauer 84%
Sweeney 16%

I see Incumbent Democrat Blumenauer beating Republican challenger Lopez 71-24.

OR-04 GOP Primary:

Robinson 63%
Germond 37%

OR-05 GOP Primary:

Bruun 77%
Thompson 23%

I see Bruun beating Incumbent Democrat Schrader 51-49

Your thoughts.

GA-09 Special Election Thread

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Today's the day when voters go to the polls to elect a new Congressman from my district, GA-09. The candidates running are:

Cardiologist Chris Cates (R)
Former State Rep. Tom Graves (R)
Former State Sen. Lee Hawkins (R)
Retired Neurosurgeon Bert Loftman (R)
Former State Sen. Bill Stephens (R)
State Rep. Bobby Reese (R)
Chickamauga City Councilman Steve Tarvin (R)
Hall County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Freeman (D)
Marketing Exective Eugene Moon (Independent)

I see the election going to a runoff with the results looking like this:

Graves-37%
Hawkins-36%
Stephens-15%
Reese-5%
Tarvin-3%
Loftman-2%
Moon-1%
Cates-1%
Freeman-0%

And the Runoff looking like this:

Graves-57%
Hawkins-43%

What do you think will happen here tonight?

BTW, as an aside, please consider supporting Bert Loftman for this seat. He is the only true Constitutional Conservative in this race.

Meet Mick Mulvaney

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Fri, 07 May 2010 01:56:00 +0000

Conservative State Project Endorses Jimmy Norman for GA State Senate District 49

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:01:00 +0000

I don't normally endorse State Legislature races unless I deem them of great importance, and this is one of those races. Here, we have 2 good candidates for the State Senate seat vacated by Lee Hawkins in his run for Congress. The Special Election for this seat is in 4 days, and we've got no time to lose when it comes to unifying behind the better candidate who falls in line with our beliefs. From what I see, Jimmy Norman is that candidate, and here are the issues I base my support of Mr. Norman on:

1. God Given Rights: Mr. Norman believes that the proper role of government is to protect, not provide, the life, liberty and private property of the citizenry, and that we can run our lives and businesses better than government can. The founders saw that our basic rights such as life, liberty and private property were given to mankind by God, and not government. Governments can either choose to meddle with or protect these rights, not neither. Our federal, state, county, and city governments all meddle with our rights.

2. Tax Reform: Mr. Norman believes that Georgia should implement a state-appropriate version of the FairTax as Georgia’s main tax. For those who don't know, the Fair Tax is a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, Dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and a repeal of the 16th Amendment through companion legislation. By eliminating the Corporate Income Tax, the Personal Income Tax, and Property Taxes, Businesses will stay and grow in Georgia and new businesses will want to move to Georgia due to the favorable tax treatment, promote family productivity and savings, and will ensure the security of a person in his property rights after a mortgage is paid off. This is a very good idea and I believe it will truly help GA's economy in a positive way.

3. Life: Mr. Norman supports the idea of life from conception to natural death. This is one of the few areas where he thinks government has a right to intervene to protect life. He supports the death penalty for the crime of abortion where it is applicable by law.

4. 2nd Amendment: Mr.Norman, along with many other Americans, knows that the Constitution is clear that the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon by any Government or police force.

5. Water Rights: Mr. Norman believes that rain that falls on Georgia belongs to Georgia and no one else.

6. Georgia Budget: Mr. Norman believes that Georgia must adopt a zero-based budgeting process where every department has to justify every dime of taxpayer money received yearly. We should ensure we have people involved in the oversight process who have demonstrated their own ability to properly handle their personal budgets prior to overseeing the budgets of our state. He also believes that we should also eliminate departments and jobs that are no longer needed(My ideas would be any "Czarships", Education, Agriculture, Labor, Homeland Security, Energy, and maybe some others as well). Most large businesses have spent time downsizing and eliminating unnecessary positions over the past few years. Why doesn't Government apply the same things that businesses do?

7. Education: Mr. Norman believes that a child’s education should be based on the choices and control of parents, not bureaucrats, and that school vouchers should be made more available to every child in Georgia, which would remain unrestricted in their use for home schools, private schools, Christian schools, charter schools, tutoring, or government schools.

8. Free Market Solutions: Mr. Norman believes that less government regulation is the key for the success of jobs, businesses, individual people, and our economy. He holds true to the statement that “The government is good at one thing…it knows how to break your legs, and then hand you a crutch and say ‘see, if it weren’t for the government, you wouldn’t be able to walk.’”

And here's Mr. Norman's self description:

"As a Christian Constitutionalist, I see what the Bible and the Constitution have to say about what government should do & that's ALL it should do.

Also, regarding the Bible, there is a difference between what IS a sin and what should be a crime. Just because it's a bad idea it's not necessarily government's role to force behavior. Government's role is to protect Life, Liberty & Private Property. Too often it promotes abortion, takes away our liberties and taxes away our property while trying to micro-manage our whole lives like some kind of OCD nanny with an attitude. No offense to the OCD among us; I have my share."

GA-GOV: Woman Admits Affair with McBerry

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:33:00 +0000

From My Fox Atlanta:

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - In her first television interview Tuesday, a 24-year-old woman said as a teenager she had a romantic relationship with Ray McBerry, who is now a Republican candidate for governor. McBerry denied any misconduct with the young woman.

Rachel Gandee's story first appeared on the internet and in newspaper accounts. Gandee addressed the allegations publicly Tuesday, in an effort she said to put the difficult time behind her.

"I mean, I trusted him so I went to him and he was the youth minister at the time," Gandee said.

Gandee said her relationship with McBerry took place eight years ago, over a period of several months. At the time, Gandee was 16 years old.

"I guess it was like any relationship when you first start off you know, [kind of] kissing, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It just [kind of] grew from there to what eventually happens," Gandee recalled.

Gandee said she and McBerry had sex one time.

Gandee, who is now 24 years old, works in Fayette County as a medical assistant and her husband, Chris, is an emergency medical technician.

"At the time, I was too ashamed and scared and didn't know what to think to say anything about it," Gandee said.

Gandee is now speaking publicly about the relationship, just as the race for governor heats up.

McBerry has been running for governor under a conservative states' rights banner and he has denied any misconduct.

"It's not true. There was no romantic relationship on my end," McBerry said. "The charge of any kind of sexual relationship came out of nowhere last week."

OMG, my head is going to explode due to the sheer sleaziness shown by the sheer sleaziness that is having a sexual relationship with an underage girl. McBerry should be ashamed of himself, and I am re-endorsing John Oxendine for Governor. Your thoughts.

UPDATE: Here's McBerry's e-mail to the GA Young Republicans on his disclusion from the debates:

From: RayMcBerry@aol.com [mailto:RayMcBerry@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 5:03 PM
To: (redacted)
Cc: scheduling@georgiafirst.org; RayMcBerry@aol.com
Subject: Saturday’s Columbia County YR Gubernatorial Debate

Megan,

I have now contacted you twice regarding your violation of the Georgia YR’s rules in not inviting all qualified Republican candidates for the gubernatorial debate in Evans this Saturday. I expressed to you yesterday that I was calling for the purpose of trying to remedy the matter and make sure that you were aware that you are in violation of both the YR and GOP rules and principles; and you acted both unprofessional and discourteous by hanging up on me both times. Your assistant reported to my staff that you were not inviting me because of Ms. Handel’s decision to not appear at your debate if I did so.

Since you have heretofore not contacted my Campaign to let us know that you are extending an invitation to my Campaign to participate, as you are required to do per the Georgia YR constitution cited below, I am sending this email to you to instruct you what you are to do to remedy this problem immediately. I am no longer asking politely; I am giving you instructions. If you do not follow them, I will instruct our Campaign to file the necessary charges against you to have you removed from office and/or censured.

Contact my Campaign scheduling assistant, Jennie Jones, either via email at scheduling@georgiafirst.org or via telephone at 404.916.9252 not later than 5:00pm on Friday 7 May 2010 to invite me to participate in the Evans debate on Saturday. If you call and get no answer, leave a voicemail inviting me to participate and providing whatever information the other candidates have received who are participating. Nothing less will be acceptable.

It is my hope that you will do that which both honours our rules and our principles as fellow Republicans. This is your last opportunity to respond correctly.

Sincerely,

Ray McBerry
Republican for Governor 2010

40 Years Ago Today

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:41:00 +0000

May 4 Senate Primary Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Tonight, there's going to be Senate Primaries in NC, OH, and IN. Here's my predictions for the races:

IN-SEN: Incumbent Democratic US Senator Evan Bayh is retiring. Congressman Brad Ellsworth is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Bank Branch Manager Don Bates Jr., Plumbing Contractor Richard Behney, former US Senator Dan Coats, former Congressman John Hostettler, and State Senator Marlin Stutzman are in the hunt for the GOP nomination. I see Hostettler winning 39-36-23-1-1 over Coats, Stutzman, Behney, and Bates Jr.

NC-SEN: Incumbent Republican Senator Richard Burr is running for re-election. Senator Burr, Asheboro City Councilman Eddie Burks, Electronics Store Owner Brad Jones, and former State Representative Larry Linney are in the hunt for the GOP nomination. Former State Senator Cal Cunningham, Accountant Susan Harris, Attorneys Kenneth Lewis and Marcus Williams, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, and Minister W. Ann Worthy are in the hunt for the Democratic nomination. I see Burr dominating Linney, Burks, and Jones 90-7-2-1. I see Marshall avoiding a runoff over Cunningham, Lewis, Williams, Harris, and Worthy 50-34-11-4 with Harris and Worthy polling at or below 1%.

OH-SEN: Incumbent Republican Senator George Voinovich is retiring. Former Bush OMB Director Rob Portman is unopposed for the GOP nomination. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher are in the hunt for the Democratic nomination. I see Fisher crushing Brunner 67-33.

My Take on the 2010 GA Races-Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Here's a rundown of how I think the 2010 GA races will go:

Governor: Incumbent Republican Governor George "Sonny" Perdue is term-limited. On the Republican side, State Senators Jeff Chapman and Eric Johnson, Congressman Nathan Deal, former Secretary of State Karen Handel, Radio Station Owner Ray McBerry, State Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine, and Wal-Mart Employee Otis Putnam are in the running. On the Democratic side, Attorney General Thurbert Baker, former Governor Roy Barnes, Management Technical Consultant Bill Bolton, Ray City Mayor Carl Camon, Entrepreneur Randal Mangham, State House Minority Leader DuBose Porter, and former Labor Commissioner David Poythress are in the running. The Libertarians have unified behind Grady County Planning Commission Member John Monds. The Independents have unified behind Ray Boyd. Environmental Activist Sam Hay III is running as a write-in candidate. I expect Oxendine and Deal to make it into the Runoff. Oxendine will defeat Deal 59-41 in the Runoff. I expect Barnes to handily emerge 55-34-8-2-1 over Baker, Porter, Poythress, and Camon(Bolton and Mangham will poll below 1%). I see Oxendine prevailing over Barnes, Monds, and Boyd 52-43-4-1. GOP HOLD.

Lieutenant Governor: Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Cagle. On the Democratic side, Journalist Tricia Carpenter-McCracken and Businesswoman and wife of State House Minority Leader DuBose Porter Carol Porter. I see Porter emerging over McCracken 76-24. I expect Cagle to trounce Porter 63-37. GOP HOLD.

Secretary of State: Appointed Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp will stand for election. On the Republican side, Kemp and Sandy Springs City Councilor Doug MacGinnitie are in the running. On the Democratic side, State Senator and 06' nominee Gail Buckner, Attorney Gary Horlacher, Real Estate Saleswoman Georganna Sinkfield, Public Relations Executive Michael Mills, and Businesswoman Angela Moore are in the running. The Libertarians have unified behind Aeronautics Industry Analyst David Chastain. The GOP Primary is a complete tossup. I see Buckner, Horlacher, and Mills as the Democratic frontrunners. Whoever the GOP nominates will defeat whoever the Democrats nominate. Kemp 65-35 over Horlacher, Kemp 61-39 over Mills, Kemp 59-41 over Buckner, MacGinnitie 60-40 over Horlacher, MacGinnitie over Mills 58-42, or MacGinnitie over Buckner 55-45. GOP HOLD.

Attorney General: Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Thurbert Baker is running for Governor. On the Democratic side, former Dougherty Circuit District Attorney Ken Hodges and State Representative Rob Teilhet are in the running. On the Republican side, Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, State Senator Preston Smith, and former US Attorney Max Wood are in the running. I see Teilhet emerging over Hodges 65-35. The GOP Primary is a complete Tossup. Regardless of who wins the GOP Primary, the race is a TOSSUP.

State School Superintendent: Incumbent Republican State School Superintendent Kathy Cox is running for re-election. On the Republican side, Cox and School System Administrators John D. Barge and Richard Woods are in the running. On the Democratic side, University Administrator Beth Farokhi, Educator Sandra Cannon Scott, and Teachers Joe Martin and Brian Westlake are in the running. The Libertarians have unified behind Teacher Kira Willis. The GOP Primary is a complete Tossup. I see Farokhi prevailing over Westlake, Martin, and Scott 57-34-5-4. I see whoever the Republicans nominate defeating Farokhi. Cox 53-42-5, Barge 55-42-3, or woods 57-40-3. GOP HOLD.

State Agriculture Commissioner: Incumbent Democratic State Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin is retiring. The Democrats have unified behind State Senator JB Powell. On the Republican side, Georgia Agribusiness Council President Gary Black and former USDA Official Darwin Carter are in the running. I see Black beating Carter 61-39. I see Black beating Powell 56-44. GOP GAIN.

State Insurance Commissioner: Incumbent Republican State Insurance Commissioner John W. Oxendine is running for Governor. On the Republican side, Attorney's Rick Collum and Maria Sheffield, State Senators Seth Harp and Ralph Hudgens, State Representative Tom Knox, Insurance Brokers Dennis Cain, John Mamalakis, and Stephen D. Northington, and Health Benefits Consultant Gerry Purcell are in the running. The Democrats have unified behind former State Senator Mary Squires. I see Harp, Knox, Northington, and Purcell as the frontrunners for the GOP Primary. Whoever wins will beat Squires by a large margin. Harp 64-63, Knox 64-36, Northington 60-40, or Purcell 59.5-40.5. GOP HOLD.

State Labor Commissioner: Incumbent Democratic State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond is running for the US Senate. On the Democratic side, Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Terry Coleman and Lobbyist Darryl Hicks. On the Republican side, State Representatives Mark Butler and Melvin Everson are in the running. Coleman will defeat Hicks 57-43. The GOP Primary is a tossup. I see the General as a TOSSUP.

Public Service Commission: Incumbent Republican Public Service Commissioner Bobby Baker is retiring. On the Republican side, Developer B. Joseph Brush, State Senators John Douglas and Jeff May, and Non-Profit Executive Tim Echols are in the running. The Democrats have unified behind Government Affairs Consultant Keith Moffett. I see Douglas, May, and Echols as the GOP frontrunners. Whoever wins will handily defeat Moffett. Douglas 62-38, May 60-40, or Echols 58-42. GOP HOLD.

US Senate: Incumbent Republican US Senator Johnny Isakson is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Isakson. On the Democratic side, former Rockdale County Commission Chief of Staff RJ Hadley and State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond are in the running. The Libertarians have unified behind Airline Pilot Chuck Donovan. I see Thurmond crushing Hadley 67-33. I see Isakson prevailing over Thurmond 53-47. GOP HOLD.

US Congress:

GA-01: Incumbent Republican Congressman Jack Kingston is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Kingston. The Democrats have unified behind Retired Farmer Oscar L. Harris II. I see Kingston defeating Harris 70-30. GOP HOLD.

GA-02: Incumbent Democratic Congressman Sanford Bishop is running for re-election. The Democrats have unified behind Bishop. On the Republican side, President of Medical Supply Company Rick Allen, Retiree Lee Ferrell, and State Representative Mike Keown are in the running. I see Keown defeating Ferrell and Allen 58-31-11. I see Keown narrowly upending Bishop 52-48. GOP GAIN.

GA-03: Incumbent Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Westmoreland. The Democrats have unified behind Educator Frank Saunders. The Independents have unified behind Alan Weaver. I see Westmoreland defeating Saunders and Weaver 68-31-1. GOP HOLD.

GA-04: Incumbent Hank "Guam" Johnson is running for re-election. On the Democratic side, Johnson, former DeKalb County Commission Chairman Vernon Jones, and DeKalb County Commissioner Connie Stokes are in the running. On the Republican side, Publisher Victor Armendariz, Management Consultants Liz Carter and Cory Ruth and Airport Hangar Manager Larry Gause are in the running. I see Guam standing 67-21-12 over Stokes and Jones. I see Carter pausing Gause, Ruth, and Armendariz 57-36-5-2. Guam won't be tipping over this cycle. He'll stand against Carter 71-29. DEM HOLD.

GA-05: Incumbent Democratic Congressman John Lewis is running for re-election. The Democrats have unified behind Lewis. On the Republican side, Attorney Fenn Little and Graphic Designer Kelly Nguyen are in the running. I see Little beating Nguyen 75-25. I see Lewis defeating Little 83-17. DEM HOLD.

GA-06: Incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Price is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Price. The Democrats have no candidates. GOP HOLD.

GA-07: Incumbent Republican Congressman John Linder is retiring. On the Republican side, State Representative Clay Cox, Gwinett County GOP Chairman Chuck Efstration, Real Estate Consultant Jef Fincher, Retiree Ronnie Grist, Minister Jody Hice, Human Resource Safety Manager Tom Kirby, CPA Tom Parrott, and Chief of Staff Rob Woodall are in the running. The Democrats have unified behind Marketer Doug Heckman. I see Cox, Efstration, Kirby, and Woodall as the GOP frontrunners. Whoever wins will defeat Heckman. Cox 62-38, Efstration 60-40, Kirby and Woodall 58-42. GOP HOLD.

GA-08: Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jim Marshall is running for re-election. The Demorats have unified behind Marshall. On the Republican side, Central Fellowship Christian Academy Dean Ken DeLoach, State Representative Austin Scott, and Nurse Diane Vann are in the running. I see Scott trumping DeLoach and Vann 63-29-8. I see Scott defeating Marshall 54-46. GOP GAIN.

GA-09: Former Republican Congressman Nathan Deal resigned on March 21, 2010. A Special Election will be held to see who fills out the remainder of his term. On the Republican side, Cardiologist Chris Cates, State Representatives Tom Graves and Bobby Reese, State Senator Lee Hawkins, retired Neurosurgeon Bert Loftman, former State Senator Bill Stephens, and Chickamauga City Councilman Steve Tarvin are in the running. The Democrats have unified behind Hall County Democratic Chairman Mike Freeman for the Special Election, but no Democrats filed for the General Election. The Independents have unified behind Marketing Executive Eugene Moon. I see the Special and Primary Elections as a tossup between Graves, Hawkins, and Stephens. GOP HOLD.

GA-10: Incumbent Republican Congressman Paul Broun Jr. is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Broun. The Democrats have unified behind Consultant Russell Edwards. I see Broun defeating Edwards 72-28. GOP HOLD.

GA-11: Incumbent Republican Congressman Phil Gingrey is running for re-election. The Republicans have unified behind Gingrey. The Democrats have no candidates. GOP HOLD.

GA-12: Incumbent Democratic Congressman John Barrow is running for re-election. On the Democratic side, Barrow and former State Senator Regina Thomas are in the running. On the Republican side, Special Investigator Michael Horner, Project Manager Raymond McKinney, Aviation Executive Jeanne Seaver, and Thunderbolt Fire Chief Carl Smith are in the running. I see Barrow defeating Thomas 60-40. I see McKinney, Seaver, and Smith as the GOP frontrunners. I see Barrow winning over whoever the GOP nominates. Barrow 52-48 over Smith, 53-47 over McKinney, or 55-45 over Seaver. DEM HOLD.

GA-13: Incumbent Democratic Congressman David Scott is running for re-election. On the Democratic side, Scott, Web Content and Graphic Designer Michael Frisbee, and Regional Manager Mike Murphy are in the running. On the Republican side, General Contractor Mike Crane, Salesman Hank R. Dudek, Small Business Owners Chip Flanagan and Rupert Parchment, Physician Deborah Honeycutt, and Restaurant Manager Dave Orr are in the running. I see Scott prevailing over Frisbee and Murphy 64-27-9. The GOP Primary is a tossup between Honeycutt and Parchment. Whoever wins the GOP Primary will lose to Scott. Scott 70-30 over Honeycutt, or Scott 61-39 over Parchment. DEM HOLD.

Conservative State Project Endorses John Hostettler for Indiana Senate-Revised and Updated

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Joining John Oxendine, Sue Lowden, Mick Mulvaney, Mike Vasovski, and Chuck Purgason on our roster of endorsements is former Congressman John N. Hostettler, and here's the issues and a list of his accomplishments in the House that bring me to my decision:

The Issues:

1. Taxes and Spending: Mr. Hostettler believes that it is not that the federal government taxes too little, it is that it spends too much. As a member of the House, Hostettler consistently voted for tax cuts including the creation of the child tax credit, lowering of capital gains rates and dividend tax rates, accelerated depreciation schedules and the phase out and outright elimination of the estate tax, and that fundamental tax reform is necessary to grow the economy and create long term job growth. He voted to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which authorized the income tax. He also believes that if all taxpaying Americans were compelled to write a check to the federal government for the taxes that are currently withheld, those same Americans would demand that Congress reduce spending and stop taking so much of their hard-earned income. If elected, he will work in the Senate to make permanent the tax cuts passed in 2001 and scheduled to sunset in 2011.

2. Health Care: Mr. Hostettler opposes the government takeover of the US health care system recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. He believes that Congress should allow for more competition and work to reduce health care costs by building on the success of Health Savings Accounts by making all health insurance premiums either deductible or a tax credit, creating Health Marts and Association Health Plans which allow individuals and families to negotiate collectively for health care services based on where they live and on their profession, religion, membership in an organization, etc., allowing health insurance plans to be purchased across state lines, and enacting tort reform, which will result in lower health care costs because medical professionals will not be compelled to practice “defensive medicine” which they do now for no other reason than to defend themselves in a potential lawsuit. If elected, Mr. Hostettler will work to repeal ObamaCare and work to bring our health care system out of the Federal Government's grip.

3. Abortion: Mr. Hostettler is pro-life, period. He believes that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that first and most important of these God-given rights is the right to life. In Congress, Hostettler has voted for the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, the Mexico City Policy which prohibited the use of US taxpayer dollars for abortion and abortion counseling in foreign countries, and the Right to Life Act which would give legal protection to the unborn under the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result of this record, Mr. Hostettler's election to the House of Representatives was consistently endorsed by the National Right to Life and Indiana Right to Life. If elected, he will not give his consent to a judicial nominee if he concludes that the nominee in question believes the constitution allows the destruction of innocent, unborn human life.

4. Marriage: Mr. Hostettler believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. In Congress, he co-sponsored and voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, the utilization of Congress’ authority under Article IV of the United States Constitution to regulate full faith and credit relationships and protects states that do not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples from being compelled to recognize such licenses issued by states that do, and the Marriage Protection Act, the utilization of authority found in Article III to limit the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court. If elected, he will introduce DOMA and MPA and push for their passage so that Indiana is not compelled by a federal court to recognize same-sex marriage licenses issued by another state.

5. Guns: Mr. Hostettler is a staunch defender of our Second Amendment Rights. He is a gun owner and hunter. As a Congressman, he voted to repeal the Clinton Gun Ban on semi-automatic firearms and magazines, led the effort to defund the Smith & Wesson agreement between that manufacturer and the Clinton Administration that would have given preferences to Smith & Wesson after its previous corporate leadership arranged a deal in order to get out of legal proceedings against the gun industry, led the effort to allow civilian airline pilots to carry firearms on board after the 9/11 tragedy was perpetrated by terrorists who were able to overpower pilots and fly airplanes into buildings and a rural field, and sponsored legislation to allow national reciprocity for conceal and carry of firearms. As a result of this record, Mr. Hostettler's election to the U.S. House of Representatives was consistently endorsed by the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America. He will build on the above if he is elected.

6. Illegal Immigration: Mr. Hostettler opposed to amnesty that would grant legal status for the millions of aliens illegally in the United States. As a Congressman, he led the efforts to stop House consideration of the amnesty bill passed by the US Senate in 2006 and voted to build the fence along the southern border and to authorize military personnel to aid in securing the border from the massive influx of illicit drugs and potential movement of terrorists attempting to enter the country from Mexico. As a senator, he will lead the effort to oppose any attempt at amnesty, he will work to further strengthen our borders and give immigration law enforcement the resources and support they need as they protect us, and he will press the Executive Branch to aggressively enforce employer sanctions – in place since 1986 – and turn off the “jobs magnet” that attracts wave after wave of illegal migrants into the United States.

His Accomplishments:

1. In 1995, Mr. Hostettler successfully amended the District of Columbia Appropriations Bill to eliminate the "Domestic Partnership" policy of Washington.

2. In 1995, Mr. Hostettler voted for reinstatement of former President Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City Policy which prohibited the use of US taxpayer dollars for abortion and abortion counseling in foreign countries.

3. In 1996, Mr. Hostettler voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which utilizes Congress’ authority under Article IV of the United States Constitution to regulate full faith and credit relationships and protects states that do not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples from being compelled to recognize such licenses issued by states that do.

4. In 1998, Mr. Hostettler traveled to Moscow as part of a Congressional delegation to discuss U.S. deployment of a national missile defense system with members of the Russian Duma.

5. In 2002, Mr. Hostettler was one of six GOP Members of the United States House of Representatives and one of three Conservative GOP Members to vote against the House resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to preemptively engage in military conflict with the nation of Iraq. At the time, in October 2002, Hostettler said the intelligence supporting the claim of a program of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was "tenuous at best".

6. In 2003, as Chairperson of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, Mr. Hostettler successfully amended the Department of State reauthorization bill to require the State Department to regulate the use of consular cards of foreign nations in the U.S.

7. In 2003, Mr. Hostettler successfully amended the Commerce, State and Justice appropriations bill to discontinue funding of the enforcement of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which called for the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama State Supreme Court House placed there by Alabama State Chief Justice Roy Moore.

8. In 2003, Mr. Hostettler sponsored and voted for the Marriage Protection Act, which utilized authority found in Article III to limit the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court.

9. In 2004, the House passed Mr. Hostettler's Marriage Protection Act (MPA) which would make it illegal for federal courts from imposing Massachusetts same-sex marriage licenses on any other state.

10. In 2005, Mr. Hostettler voted against the unprecedented disaster relief package that Republicans pushed after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

11. In 2006, Mr. Hostettler led the efforts to stop House consideration of the amnesty bill passed by the US Senate.

12. In 2006, the House passed Mr. Hostettler's Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA) which would make forbidden federal courts from requiring defendants such as a Board of County Commissioners to pay a plaintiff's lawyers, such as the ACLU, fees after the federal courts order the removal of a religious symbol such as the Ten Commandments from the County courthouse lawn.

And in 2008, he wrote a book titled "Nothing for the Nation: Who Got What Out of Iraq", a book that has received positive reviews from Conservative minded people. What I just mentioned above makes him, IMO, the best qualified candidate for IN-SEN. However, this is just my opinion, and I’d like to hear yours in the comments.

Iran Sanctions=Act of War

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:43:00 +0000

Former JFK and LBJ Labor Secretary Willard Wirtz has Died

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 03:16:00 +0000

From The Washington Post:

Willard Wirtz, a lawyer and longtime public servant who was secretary of labor under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, died April 24 at an assisted living facility in Washington. He had been in failing health, but the cause of death was not immediately known.

He was 98 and was the last surviving member of the Kennedy and Johnson cabinets.

Regarded by admirers as an icon of liberalism, Mr. Wirtz took to heart the plight of the jobless. "Maybe I do get emotional about the unemployment problem," he told an interviewer in 1962.

But, he said, "I think the situation is so deplorable in human terms that it warrants an indignant intolerance of any explanation for it in terms of any kind of economic analysis."

A gifted mediator, he was credited with a behind-the-scenes role in resolving many thorny labor-management disputes.

After serving as under secretary of labor at the start of the Kennedy administration, he was named to the top post in 1962 when Kennedy nominated then-Secretary Arthur Goldberg to the Supreme Court.
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During his career at the Labor Department, Mr. Wirtz was credited with forestalling or ending several high-profile strikes, including a Longshoremen's strike and another affecting New York's newspapers.

In the Cabinet, Mr. Wirtz helped create programs and policies of Johnson's "War on Poverty." He was a vigorous advocate of retraining for workers to cut unemployment. He sought legislation to root out causes of joblessness and championed remedial education for school dropouts.

RIP.

Ron Paul to Obama: Don't Assassinate American Citizens!

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:29:00 +0000

Jon Stewart Rips Erick Erickson

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:45:00 +0000

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

CNN Hires Erick Erickson

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

This is awesome!

Weekend Open Thread

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:34:00 +0000

What's on your mind.

Erick Erickson Bans another Conservative

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:44:00 +0000

From Conservative Heritage Times:

Erick is up to his old tricks again. He has now banned our friend Bill Greene, the creator of RightMarch, from Peach Pundit, a Georgia political blog that Erick also edits. Bill’s alleged offense was thread hijacking, but it is clear if you follow the link I provided that “Icarus” started the threadjack. “Coincidentally” the subject of the thread hijack was, among other things, the gold standard, an “outside the mainstream” topic that often seems to tip Erick over into one of his periodic taint hunting manias. Bill had already been banned from RedState by one of Erick’s minions for talking up the independent candidacy of Joe Kennedy against Scott Brown. Let’s just say that Erick, like Canadian Universities, doesn’t deal well with dissent.

If someone gets banned for other people’s threadjacking, especially an admin’s thread-jacking, and then isn’t told he’s banned, then the actions of that admin should be called into question, and in fact, that admin should be put on “time-out” until he apologizes to Bill Greene for attacking him without warrant, and learns to stop thread-jacking. Erick Erickson is a neo-con who has turned RedState and now Peach Pundit into what the old German Regime was. They are seemingly working to destroy this guy. And I know what an intolerant person Erickson is because he banned one of my friends Peach Pundit accounts(North Ga Indy) in the same fashion Mr. Greene was banned in, but it was probably because NGI was an ardent Oxendine supporter, and Erick and his boys have gone after my RS account because I don't support their choices for GA-GOV, NV-SEN, PA-SEN, SC-03, MO-SEN, and others(which is probably why my RS diaries always get largely ignored). Just childish. Your thoughts.

{Editors note: I would like to apologize for my over the top tone in my above post. Sometimes, I get worked up over such matters. However, there is a time and a place for such things, and this was neither the time nor the place to go off like that. Sincere apologies, SE}

Homicide Bombers Kill 38 on Moscow Subway

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:57:00 +0000

From Fox News:

MOSCOW -- Two female homicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow's subway system as it was jam-packed with rush-hour passengers Monday, killing at least 38 people and wounding 102, officials said.

The head of Russia's main security agency said preliminary investigation places the blame on rebels from the restive Caucasus region that includes Chechnya, where separatists have fought Russian forces since the mid-1990s.

The first explosion took place just before 8 a.m. at the Lubyanka station in central Moscow. The station is underneath the building that houses the main offices of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, the KGB's main successor agency.

A second explosion hit the Park Kultury station about 45 minutes later.

Mar. 29: A firefighter and Interior Ministry officers work near the site of the Lubyanka metro station blast in Moscow.

Two female homicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow's subway system as it was jam-packed with rush-hour passengers Monday, killing at least 38 people and wounding over 100.
related links

"I heard a bang, turned my head and smoke was everywhere. People ran for the exits screaming," said 24-year-old Alexander Vakulov, who said he was on a train on the platform opposite the targeted train at Park Kultury.

"I saw a dead person for the first time in my life," said 19-year-old Valentin Popov, who had just arrived at the station from the opposite direction.

In a televised meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov said body fragments of the two bombers pointed to a Caucasus connection. He did not elaborate.

"We will continue the fight against terrorism unswervingly and to the end," Medvedev said. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, on an official trip to Siberia, was being kept informed of developments, news reports said.

The blasts practically paralyzed movement in the city center as emergency vehicles sped to the stations.

ith times like these, this won't be by any stretch of the imagination the last one. Condolences to the families of the deceased. Your thoughts.

Death of Sen. Nancy Schaefer - What the media won't tell you.

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:45:00 +0000

From a Facebook note by Julie Kempson:

From Garland Favorito

Note to VoterGA Supporters:

Normally my communications have been limited to subjects about our electronic voting method, ballot access for candidates and elections related investigations. I feel led to make an exception and bring to your attention another non partisan subject: The high profile investigation that has been initiated into Friday’s death of a former Georgia state senator.

Garland

Saturday March 27, 2010

On Friday, former Senator Nancy Schaefer and her husband were found dead in their home in Habersham County. Even before a GBI investigation could be initiated, media outlets began pronouncing that their death was a “murder-suicide” and shut off most public comment posting on their web sites. The “murder suicide” theory implies that Sen. Schaefer’s husband shot her and then killed himself (or vice versa). Both Habersham County and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation began investigating the case as a “murder suicide” rather than the more obvious “murder made to look like suicide”. Like so many people, I have known former Sen. Nancy Schaefer for 15 years and spoken to several people who know her better than I do. They believe that the “murder suicide” theory is highly unlikely for any one of the following reasons:

1. It is totally against Nancy Schaefer’s consistently strong commitment to the sanctity of life principles that she has fought so valiantly to uphold;

2. Nancy and her husband, Bruce, have five children and more than a dozen grandchildren who they would not choose to leave behind so abruptly;

3. Bruce’s problem with cancer was corrected and under control so there was no reason to end his life as one senator tried to imply;

4. Nancy or Bruce would not likely agree to commit such an act that violates the fundamental principles of their Christian faith;

5. Bruce was retired and the couple did not appear to be in any type of dire financial crisis that would lead them to commit such acts;

6. Bruce and Nancy knew that her sister who had Alzheimer’s disease needed her to help take care of her;

7. Friends who knew the couple best state that Bruce would simply not have the capability to kill his wife;

8. Nancy was dedicated, as a national leader, to help needy people overcome abuse within Child Protective Services organizations;

9. Nancy was actively exposing corruption within the Department of Family & Child Services (DFCS) including actions by the DFCS director in the county where she lived.

10. Nancy knew that she was needed in the fight against child sex slave trafficking in Atlanta which has one of the highest activity rates in the country;

11. Bruce was highly supportive of Nancy’s work for decades and would have little or no reason to suddenly try to kill her at such a critical juncture in her career.

Specifically in Georgia, former Senator Nancy Schaefer had found during the last few years that:

· DFCS in Georgia housed children in a foster home with a known pedophile who molested the children.

· DFCS in Habersham County failed to remove six children from a home where they are being abused and tortured.

· DFCS in Georgia turned two girls over to a California father who had a pornographic video business.

A report that Nancy Schaefer produced on these remarkable cases can be found here:

http://fightcps.com/2008/02/29/report-of-georgia-senator-nancy-schaefer-on-cps-corruption/

Nancy Schaefer was also interviewed extensively by talk show host Alex Jones about corruption in Child Protection Services nationally. A multi-part series of her interview and an Eagle Forum presentation can be found on You Tube here:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nancy+schaefer&search_type=&aq=f

In addition, Senator Schaefer led opposition to HB582 and SB304, two bills introduced by fellow Republicans that would have likely resulted in increasing child sex slave trafficking. These bills would have made it legal for teenagers to participate in certain illicit acts. The bills effectively removed the legal authority that police now have to pick teenagers up and get them into protective custody so that they can no longer be pimped for those acts.

As President of Georgia Eagle Forum, Nancy Schaefer planned to be in Alabama this weekend for an Eagle Forum convention. Instead she chose to stay in Georgia to develop new information that would have further exposed corruption in DFCS and beyond. Many Eagle forum members who were close to Sen. Schaefer were aware of her courageous efforts. None of them believe that either she or her husband was involved in any type of suicide.

It is particularly ironic that the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) chose to quote State Sen. Don Thomas in their March 26 article about Sen. Schaefer’s death. The AJC portrayed him as a friend of the couple even though he lives on the other side of the state from the Schaefer family and was diametrically opposed to many of their core beliefs. Sen. Thomas, the Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, immediately propagated and expanded the “murder-suicide” theory without any first-hand knowledge or evidence. That is very disturbing considering it is his committee that should have been helping to clean up the corruption at DFCS. Activists supporting Sen. Schaefer explained that he constantly advocated increased power and authority for DFCS in spite of the evidence showing the organization was misusing that authority.

With Nancy Shafer no longer on the scene the question may be raised as to how best to continue her legacy. I believe that she would want conservatives, progressives, libertarians, constitutionalists as well as grass roots Democrats and Republicans throughout Georgia to unite and work to rectify the corruption in DFCS and eliminate child sex slave trafficking in Georgia.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT GRANTED

Garland

Just sad. While I did support Jim Butterworth over Shaefer in 2008, she was a good woman who was doing something no one else would about the problem with DFACS. I think this was politically motivated, possibly by the pedophile lovers on the left. Your thoughts.

Ok CSP Readers, Lets Mobilize for A Cause

noreply@blogger.com (SE-779) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Yesterday, Congressman Benedict Stupak voted for HCR, and the mass-slaughter of millions of unborn babies wth it. This pro-life-in-name-only Congressman pandered to us for months on this issue before sending this country up shit creek without a paddle. We are recognizing him today with an honorary position on the Congressional Hall of Shame. You, Mr. Stupak, should be ashamed of yourself. Now, I want to pass along a great idea that I came up with not too long ago. Lets all email him this picture:

and finish it off with this:

Dear Congressman Stupak,

I am very disappointed in your vote on Health Care Reform. By ignoring the will of the people, you have set yourself, the Democratic Party, and most importantly, your country, up for disaster. Shame on you. You have sent you country and millions of unborn babies up the creek without a paddle. I am supporting your opponent in November, whoever he or she may be.

With love,

(insert your name here)

So, can I count on you to do this? Please notify me of your decision in the comments. Congressman Stupak's e-mail address is stupak@mail.house.gov