True Conservative

2010-03-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

"Let the word ring forth, from this time and this place, gentlemen, you kill an American, any American, we don't come back with a proportional response. We come back with total disaster!"

-President Bartlet, The West Wing

I'm sick of people thinking that the radicals will just go away if we play nice.

Waterboard away. I'm absolutely disgusted that anyone loses one wink of sleep over how these scumbags feel, or their comfort, or ANYTHING about them. You want to kill my family, my country, and my God? Screw you. You want to see me in hell? You go there first.

New York Dem shows true feelings...

2010-01-20T06:47:00.001-08:00

From cnn.com: "Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-New York, said Tuesday night that the Massachusetts results demonstrated Democrats have to change their strategy on health care."Large numbers of independent voters saying they're upset about health care, that's not just their fault, that's our fault too. And we have to think about what we're doing wrong here, and to have a conversation as if nothing happened, whether you're in Massachusetts or not, is being tone deaf.""

Read it again: "...that's not just their fault..."

News flash: And just how is it at all the voters' fault in any fashion? THE PUBLIC DOESN'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING HEALTHCARE! Don't you get it yet???

No, they don't. And that's why this is going to be a repeat of 1994.

Indoctrination...

2009-09-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hero worship. Cult of personality.

Scary stuff, to be sure. Names such as Hilter, Stalin, and Hussein come to mind.

We may need to add Obama.

Now, those who know me will say that I'm very balanced when it comes to Obama, and I don't believe 90 percent of the crap that is out there on both sides. Nor do I necessarily blame him for this....but it has to stop.

Watch this video...

Could you imagine if this had happened when Bush was in the White House? But it's apparently ok when we brainwash the kids to love our wonderful current leader... (shudder)

So to my liberal friends...you want me to idolize Obama? Sure thing. All he has to do is...well, SOMETHING. He's got the most liberal Congress in memory, goodwill around the globe, and he still can't get anything accomplished.

I'm not blaming Obama for this. What people do outside the White House isn't his fault, or his call. I AM, however, blaming stupidity, and possibly worse than that, naivety. He's not the messiah, folks. Whether or not you're religious, he's really not the savior of the human race. He's a man. A smart one. A misguided one, if you ask me, but smart nonetheless. But he's just a man.

Singing kumbaya isn't going to fix this country. Putting leaders in office who can get things done will fix this country.

Now on Twitter...

2009-08-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

After sitting through the MGSF hearing today, it's time for Twitter. The main purpose will be for liveblogging, but there may be occasional tidbits as well.

Follow me at:

@truconserv

Finally, we hear the word of the day.

2009-08-26T14:03:00.001-07:00

And the word is:

CORRUPTION

Funny how hesitant folks are to use that word. Disappointing.

Ding ding, we have a winner...

2009-08-26T12:34:00.001-07:00

We just heard the MSGF referred to as a "paramilitary organization",
and not in a sarcastic or negative sense.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want paramilitary police
organizations performing civilian law enforcement in MY community!

And that, loyal readers, is the crux of all this. When you place the
police above oversight and tell them it's ok to act like a private
army, that's exactly what you're going to get. When it happens, don't
you DARE wave your hands in the air while screaming, "I don't
understand how this could have happened!"

Break out the popcorn...

2009-08-26T11:49:00.001-07:00

The Metro Gang Strike Force hearing is today at the capitol. There's a
lot of goings-on in the virtual world on this...live blogs, video, etc.

Keep an eye on twincitiescarry.com, the focal point for activism on
this issue.

Why popcorn? Because this is going to be the legislature questioning
how this could have gone so wrong. Answer? Because it was a bad idea
from the beginning.

One nation, pussified...

2009-08-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

I start my day with a dose of the news online. I can't stand CNN or MSNBC, but at least I can see what the other side thinks is important.

From the current front page at cnn.com:

Sources: CIA used drill, gun to coerce prisoner

Let me get this straight...

People are freaking out because we THREATENED to hurt the guy who planned the USS Cole attack?

Are we that far pussified as a nation that we fear using force against those who would have us wiped from the map?

WAKE UP!

You can't reason with terrorists. You can't negotiate with them. They don't care about peace talks, they don't care about rights, they don't care about sanctions, and they won't stop until either they or we are dead. This isn't a difficult equation to solve. They believe they are carrying out the work of their god. The solution is to arrange an in-person meeting.

Terrorists understand only one thing, and that is the application of raw, brutal force. We're freaking out because they THREATENED to hurt this guy? If his discomfort saves the lives of our citizens and soldiers, then bring the pain. Fuck him, and fuck his sick, twisted version of what is a peaceful religion. He can go to hell, and I have no problem with us sending him there.

So where have I been?

2009-08-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I disappeared for awhile. Sorry. :-(

But I've been busy!

For an update of just one of the things I've been a part of, please read:

The Smoking Gun (Pt. 2)

If you back track to the original post, you'll see where I got to play errand boy (and I'm VERY happy to play that role, FYI!) The writing is entirely Joel Rosenberg, and the background owes far more to Andrew Rothman, David Gross, Joe Olson, and others than it does to my trip to the Ramsey County Courthouse. Truth be told, it's an honor just to be able to hang with that crowd.

There will be more from this. Wait and see.

Keep an eye on the group running under the 4409 moniker on youtube as well. I think the best is yet to come.

And with that, yes, you're going to see a bent toward 2A issues in this blog quite often. Why? Because the 2A helps keep the rest in place.

And I'm a NRA member.

And I'm an instructor.

And I'm an activist. A baby one, but one nonetheless.

Limbaugh v. Powell

2009-05-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

This is going to be short and sweet.

Rush Limbaugh is telling Colin Powell to change parties?

Rush, take your fat, obnoxious, pompous, do-nothing-good ass and STFU. Now.

Once you've served your country in ANY aspect other than running your mouth, then you can talk.

There are those of us who think that you are the prime example of why the GOP is in trouble. I'm one of them.

Somebody else said it best...

2009-03-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

I had an entire post prepared on this topic. I'm not saying I won't publish it in the future, but David Frum said it far better in Newsweek.

Why Rush is Wrong

I don't agree with everything here (I don't believe Rush is actually a fan of Reagan, I think he just likes the reaction he gets by invoking Reagan's name), but one thing is certain: if we let Rush speak for the GOP, we're finished.

Republican revolution, round two...maybe.

2009-03-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

President Obama is enjoying legendary popularity these days. Even Republican stalwarts are cautious in their criticism, attacking the policy and not the man (as it should be, by the way). Regardless of job approval, he has an Achilles' heel. His weakness is the same body which gives him his greatest political strength: a Democratic congress.

Our founding fathers may not have envisioned a two-party system, and I guarantee that one-party rule would have terrified them. Our system just wasn't designed to function without debate and opposing viewpoints.

The Republican revolution of 1994 is a prime example. Many people have forgotten just how unpopular President Clinton was in the early years of his presidency. Large tax increases and a disastrous healthcare proposal defined his agenda and served to doom the Democratic Party in those mid-term races. Such policies never would have made it as far as they did if they would have faced an opposition congress. The policies would have been non-starters, Clinton wouldn't have spent his opening years getting (rightfully) blamed by the GOP, and his approval ratings would have been far higher. If his party hadn't lost so badly in 1994, I believe he would have been a one-term executive.

Some might make the argument that having an opposition congress for these last few years didn't help the GOP. I have to disagree by saying that nothing could have help this past year's GOP ticket. I'll go a step further and say that we lost the race the instant that Palin was announced as McCain's running mate.

If the GOP doesn't find a way to reach outside the base that Palin represents, there is almost no chance for recovery any time soon. Pandering to the small percentage of the base that Palin represents is not a strategy...at least not a successful one. The GOP needs to look beyond the small but loud minority and broaden its appeal, leading to a Republican revolution of 2010. More on that to come.

Stop the presses!

2009-02-27T17:47:00.001-08:00

Seriously, stop the presses. Tell TV reporters to shut up, and
threaten to snap the pencils of newsies until they start talking about
something other than the economy.

You want to see the cause of the continued "downturn"? Ask an editor
what sells better, bad news or good news. It's a self-supporting
cycle, and I for one am sick of it.

Started by idiotic lending, continued by idiotic rabble-rousers.
Welcome to the economy, 2009-style.

Blogged from my iPhone

Disaster on the horizon...

2009-02-26T17:25:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Well, it's certainly been awhile! I haven't been silent for lack of topics...and while I would like to claim that delay is due to my day job, I'd be lying. My lack of commentary has far more to do with my blood pressure than with the office.

It's frustrating to watch the MN GOP eat itself from within. I'm tentatively hopeful about the party on the national level (although after his sad performance in response to President Obama's speech, I'm not sure Bobby Jindal is all he's cracked up to be), but I'm beyond annoyed with the decisions being made in St. Paul.

Our party leaders can say whatever they like, but many of us know why the GOP stood no chance in this past election. Conventional wisdom used to say that the Democrats couldn't win elections because they focused on policies instead of politics. The problem is that as the world has become more connected, content is the new gold...and the Democrats were far better poised to push their content over the new mediums.

Voters now have instant access to more information than at any time in human history. It's difficult to twist words and encourage falsehoods for either side when the original source material is available to anyone with an internet connection. In the GOP's case, it wasn't about spin so much as it was about content; the Democrats had more content ready, and now they had a way to distribute it.

I believe in conservative principles, and I believe many other Americans do as well. The issue becomes one of distribution. Unfortunately, the MN GOP (specifically, the Senate Caucus) is about to make a serious tactical error. They aren't focused on the distribution of content; they are focused on the political games that got them into their current mess (e.g. 21 members).

By this point in time, it should be obvious that Norm Coleman's senatorial campaign is in serious trouble. I've met Al Franken, and while I have to admit that he is an intelligent man (regardless of what more visceral bloggers who have never talked to him, much less discussed any issues with him may say), it is still amazing that he could beat a party drum-beater such as Coleman. I'm not sure that the Franken campaign really had to do anything other than sit back and let the Coleman campaign self-destruct. I've never seen a campaign so vicious and bloodthirsty...the problem is, the attacks were all coming from the Coleman camp. Franken used his time to discuss issues, while Coleman used his to draw attention back to Franken...whereupon Franken proceeded to talk about more issues. Oops.

You may ask how the MN Senate GOP Caucus plays into this? Good question. Earlier this year, the caucus fired its longtime chief of staff. Rumor had it that they wanted someone with more of a political mindset. "Great!" many of us said. We thought we would finally see someone who would push conservative ideals and would take the fight to the DFL issue-by-issue. Wow, were we ever wrong.

There are many excellent political websites that cover Minnesota politics. Not more than a few days had passed before the rumors started appearing. Although the public job listing stated an application closing date of 2/23/09, the caucus was already talking to a "top candidate"...Norm Coleman's campaign manager.

Now, perhaps I'm crazy or utterly naive, but does it seem strange to anyone else that coming out of an election where the GOP had just been soundly thrashed, the top candidate for this job is one of the key examples of why we lost???

I think the party leadership may have finally gone round the bend. The quick and dirty (albeit tongue-in-cheek) definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result each time. Masochistic is perhaps a better way of saying it. Either way, this is idiotic beyond belief.

Let me say the following to our party's elders:

STOP CAMPAIGNING AND START GOVERNING!

Political discussion group, round two...

2008-12-30T20:34:00.000-08:00

The first time I tried this, the bickering and fighting on the Politics forum drowned me out. The link to my current invitation is below.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/grp/975168482.html

We'll see if any interest is generated this time around.

I'm preparing a post on the current Illinois mess, but I'm trying to figure out a few issues in my head before publishing. Look for it tomorrow!

Mandatory reading

2008-12-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone! I spent Christmas Day at my in-laws' house in central Minnesota, well away from the distraction of on-line access.

For the "kids" in the family, Christmas morning still unfolds much as it would for those decades younger. We wake up to stuffed stockings and presents under the tree. This year, however, my stocking had an unusual stuffer...

Some of you know that to call me an avid reader is a gross understatement. I had given a list of books to my wife to distribute when she was asked for gift ideas for me. Imagine my surprise when my stocking contained not only a book that wasn't on my list, but one that looked very promising for inspiring a few posts here! The tome in question is by Joe Scarborough, and is entitled "Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day".

This book should be required reading for all young conservatives. It is a behind-the-scenes account of the Republican revolution of 1994, and is quite disheartening at first glance. When you read deeper, however, you realize that Scarborough seems to be writing it so that we may learn from the mistakes of that attempt to massively reform the spend-crazy culture of Washington.

Note the date and time of this post; I'm done with the book. It's a fast read: conversationally-written, excellently paced, etc. It's difficult to not self-examine while reading about the backdoor power-brokering that overwhelmed the idealistic young Congressmen. If you get your hands on a copy, ask yourself whether you identify with the freshmen Congressmen, or the established leadership. If it's the latter and you're in Congress, we're coming for your job.

Getting ready for the legislative session...

2008-12-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing that the DFL is going to hit hard at the beginning of the MN legislative session with social issues instead of fiscal ones. Gay marriage will be the first one up, forcing the GOP to take a hard stance and pushing Governor Pawlenty into a corner in preparation for the gubernatorial campaign in 2010. The GOP needs to come back with difficult budget decisions in response to our state's budget crisis, and needs to make sure the public knows which party is putting the critical issues first.

Dems have easy wins in the social arena. They profess to want to help everyone, it gives voters a warm and fuzzy feeling, and they feel like something is being accomplished. The problem is that extending the power of government takes away individual rights.

Pay attention, everyone...this is going to be an interesting session.

Missing the forest for the trees...

2008-12-12T08:30:00.001-08:00

A parable:

A man with less-than-perfect credit wants to purchase a new car to replace his current vehicle which is outdated and suffers from numerous mechanical problems. He calls and visits various banks and finds out that only one bank is willing to approve a loan for the amount he needs.

Upon visiting the bank, the man is shown a check made out in his name for the amount he requested. The loan officer tells him that once he agrees to a few specific conditions, the check will be signed and handed over. One of the conditions is that the man carry full comprehensive insurance on the new vehicle. Due to his poor credit, the bank requires him to have a much lower deductible than he would normally prefer, which would result in a slightly higher (but still affordable) premium.

The man is indignant and refuses to agree to the conditions. The loan officer reminds him that if he does not agree, the bank will not issue the loan and the man will not be able to purchase the vehicle. The man angrily leaves the bank without agreement, and therefore without the check.

The next day, his failing vehicle breaks down. He now has no choice but to purchase a new car. He goes back to the bank, and the loan officer tells him that the bank will still be happy to loan him the funds, but now the interest rate has tripled, the deductible requirements are even lower, and the bank gets to control how and where he drives the car.

If only he had accepted the original terms...

Let me pose this question to the UAW leadership.

Which is worse for your members, wage concessions or bankruptcy?

From statehouse to courthouse in Illinois...

2008-12-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm so disgusted I can barely see straight.

Yes, I'm referring to Governor Blagojevich of Illinois. What a piece of corrupt trash.

How do people like him and his chief of staff (John Harris) look at themselves in the mirror? I'm sure the money helps, but is there no decency in their souls? Money can't erase a total lack of morals and ethics.

So to you, Governor, let me call it like I see it.

SCUMBAG. That is how you will be known throughout history, and may you enjoy being the guest of the federal prison system when they convict you...and they WILL convict you.

As someone who is contemplating a run for office, this is all the more unsettling. I would like to believe that our leaders are ethical men and women regardless of party, that they truly have our best interests at heart...and then this man gets elected.

It's time to throw the bums out on both sides of the aisle, and we can start with him.

"We the People..."

2008-12-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

The content of the post on Ron Paul has opened the door for me to discuss my favorite topic.

We rally behind the flag because it is a symbol of our nation, but we forget that our nation would not and could not exist without the Constitution. It is the founding law of our land, the principles that give us freedoms of which other nations can only dream.

When it was written, there had never been anything like it in all of human history. No nation had ever attempted the brave experiment our founding fathers set in motion.

Who knew that a few pieces of paper could change the face of the world? Did the authors realize the profound effect their words would have on generations to come?

I had the chance to visit the National Archives in January of 2007 on my honeymoon. D.C. is a ghost town in mid-January, and my wife and I had many of the landmarks to ourselves. Three specific instances stand out in my mind: having the Lincoln Memorial to ourselves, having the Vietnam Memorial Wall to ourselves, and having the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom to ourselves.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

I stood there and stared at that phrase, unable and unwilling to speak in the cavernous room. Good men and women have given their lives in protection of the values embodied in that single sentence. So strong was the faith of our founding fathers in the ability of those words to serve as protection for all the people of the United States that our leaders swear an oath not to the people, but to the Constitution.

We the People, indeed.

Clarifying on Ron Paul

2008-12-05T08:26:00.001-08:00

My comment about Ron Paul representing the future of the GOP polarized a few people, judging from responses I've received. Allow me to clarify a bit...

I'm not saying that Ron Paul needs to be the nominee in 2012 or 2016. What I'm saying is that by the time the next presidential election occurs, we need to be aligned with the vision of true conservatism. Rep. Paul is the current torchbearer within the GOP of Barry Goldwater's beliefs and philosophies. He doesn't pander to interest groups, be they religious or corporate in nature. He supports the Constitution, and the Constitution alone.

How to be a conservative in December 2008

2008-12-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

It's hard to be a conservative these days.

President-elect Obama has made a number of choices that have garnered praise from both the left and the right. Republicans received a very public beating in the election.

I said earlier that it is hard to get in front of people and tell them that government won't solve their problems. Going against the nanny culture that is so popular today is seen as political suicide. The neo-cons screaming about Obama's birth certificate, Clinton conspiracies, broken tax-cut promises and the like don't help the conservative cause.

I'm not losing hope. I believe there is still room for conservatism in goverment, but it must be ACTUAL conservatism, not the doctrine that has been pushed on us in recent years.

I'm calling for a total return to the principles of Goldwater, a reinvention of the GOP. We need to go back to the pre-Reagan era. There is exactly ONE politician on the national stage who embodies those values, and he is Ron Paul. I'm puzzled and disappointed that the GOP treated Rep. Paul as a second-class member of the party when it came to the RNC here in Minneapolis, treating him so poorly that he felt the need to hold his own convention. Ron Paul represents the only future that the GOP truly has, but our party leaders are too blinded by special interests to see it. The Democrats have their unions and environmental groups and the GOP has corporate donors and religious extremists. A special interest is a special interest regardless of party affiliation.

We need to return to the planks of small federal government, strong local government, strong national defense, fiscal responsibility and individual rights. We need to not hide behind the American flag but to wave it proudly with one hand and hold the Constitution in the other.

There is room for conservatism now more than ever, and our job...nay, our duty is to convince the American people that our cause is their cause.

A little spending money?

2008-12-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's because Wednesday is my birthday and I'm feeling a bit
punchy due to getting older.

Maybe it's because I can't comprehend how someone can mismanage a
company so badly as to need a multi-billion dollar loan.

Or maybe I'm just sick of over-compensated idiots crying because they
have more Rolexes than brains.

Ford now says that they don't actually need a loan, but would like to
have a $9 BILLION line of credit from the government regardless.

So would I, but it's not going to happen. My advice to Ford? Shut up,
bring your more efficient and reliable European market vehicles to the
US market, and watch your profits go back up.

Until then, I'll keep driving my Honda Civic. 40 mpg, reliable, and
built in Ohio. Detroit should take notes.

-Blogged from my iPhone

Giving Thanks

2008-11-28T23:24:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving, there are many Americans who wonder what they have
to be thankful for. After all, we are a nation at war, the economy is
lower than it has been in many years, and unemployment is rising by
the day.

In hopes of inspiring others, here is my personal list.

I have a loving family, and I am married to the woman of my dreams.

I have a steady job that pays a decent wage.

I have many friends who enrich my life and work.

I have my health and youth (relatively speaking).

I live in a nation where there is no war and no civil uprising, and
where people are free to worship and speak as they please.

Beyond that...everything else just dims a little and fades into the
background.

May God bless you all as He has blessed me, and may God continue to
bless the United States of America.

-Blogged from my iPhone

Shame on you, CNN

2008-11-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

CNN currently has an article on their homepage that is a supposed
human-interest piece about the automaker bailout.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/24/gm.uaw.family/index.html

These economic difficulties certainly affect the rank and file workers
but was it necessary to turn the article into a UAW feel-good promo,
especially when the monopoly that the UAW holds has helped to cause
this mess?

A lot of the blame rests on terrible management decisions, but
unreasonable union contracts only make things worse. We need to stop
allowing unions to bargain industry-wide.

Let's boot the execs AND the union leaders. Let the workers run the
union as what it was supposed to be...a collective bargaining group
for the employees of a single company. Force the union to bargain on a
company-by-company basis.

-Blogged from my iPhone