As Massachusetts voters, we well understand the conundrum that will be faced by unsuspecting voters across the nation this year.  Is “Republican candidate A” a conservative?  Erick Erickson offers some advice in telling the difference.

For self-described conservatives, it is easy to be pro-life, pro-troops, and pro-tax cuts. In most races, that is not how you separate the wheat from the chaff. You separate them on the basis of their belief in limited government—in short, do they think that government should do stuff. Period. And there is no better bellwether of politician’s proclivities toward limited government than whether they request and defend earmarks.

I know, I know. Many defenders of the Republican establishment don’t want us to talk earmarks. Earmarks are not the problem! They amount to such a small portion of the federal budget. Earmarks are the only way to deal with an intransient bureaucracy. They divide Republicans when we should be focused on battling the Obama Administration’s liberal agenda. Earmarks are the only form of constitutional spending and need to be defended no matter how unpopular. Its about the CONSTITUTION—didn’t you know??

This is a lesson we learned again last week when our new sensation, Senator Scott Brown, voted for a $15 billion jobs bill.  The Boston Herald quoted me as “disappointed”, which is accurate, for myself and many in the Tea Party movement.  I am disappointed but they left out “but not surprised.  Brown is not a conservative.”  We’re disappointed that Brown believes government is sometimes the answer but as informed voters we knew that before we voted for him.  We elected him to block Obamacare.

Yes, earmarks amount to a small percentage of the budget and compared to the enormity of the entitlement crisis of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid they are miniscule. But as Jeff Flake and Tom Coburn have said before, earmarks are the gateway drug to higher spending.

Yes, earmarks afford lawmakers with an avenue to trump some nameless bureaucrat from sending all the federal dollars somewhere else, but then why are you so set on federal dollars flowing to your district? If you believe in limited government, why do you want your district to get its “fair share”?

Yes, Congress does have the power to spend money, but the vast majority of earmarks are spent on completely unconstitutional projects and activities.

Yes, earmarks are “divisive” and making it an issue is bound to put many Republicans in a difficult spot.

Erickson’s point is critical.  Candidates are wooing Tea Party groups all over the nation.  It is buyer beware like never before.  Voting records need to be reviewed – and for those who have not served before, analysis of policy initiatives is necessary.  Is the candidate suggesting more, less or equal government?  If it’s not less government, limited government, shrinking government, move along.  Or at least be pragmatic.  Know well for whom you are voting.  Support enthusiastically those candidates willing to get government out of our lives, with your time & with your money.  I know there are at least a few out there, even in MA.

As spring arrives, the Greater Boston Tea Party will begin distributing our Candidate Questionnaire to state and Federal candidates in MA and we will post the results on this site.  While this is not an endorsement or a guarantee (read my lips…), it is our way of telling candidates for what we are looking.  And it is a great way to hold elected representatives accountable if they do not keep to their word.  We will also encourage candidates to stop in to our Meet Ups and talk with our members in these informal gatherings.  And we will continue to distribute invitations issued exclusively to our membership.  We want voters informed because informed voters make the right decision.

Read the article @ RedState.com.

Cross posted @ www.greaterbostonteaparty.com.

And we all deserve a good laugh!

Congratulations Scott! Stay true to the principles on which you ran and you’ll do just fine.

Join Greater Boston Tea Party members

as we greet

US Senate candidate

Scott Brown!

Monday, January 18th

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

The Boston Garden

1 Legends Way, Boston

If you cannot join us, be sure to check out www.brownforussenate.com for opportunities to donate to the campaign adn volunteer from home to make GOTV calls.

My 2010 New Year’s resolution – To Remember.

To remember what happened, to remember why we are fighting, to remember what we are fighting for, to remember to never forget, to remember to never give up. This is our country and they cannot have it, they cannot have us.

In case you have not yet heard of the epic battle for the future of our country happening right now in, of all places, Massachusetts, here’s an update.

State Senator Scott Brown is running against the most abysmal candidate the MA Dems have ever put forward.  She is s lackluster, has such poor rapport with the voters and such a scandalous history as a pandering and incompetent DA and Attorney General, it’s as if the MA Dems thought they owned the “Kennedy” seat.

Well, the campaign has reached a fever pitch. We in MA, who are working night and day – Republicans, Indies and Democrats, combined with Tea Partiers and 9/12′ers – are not ready to give Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi their 60th vote without a bloody cage match.  Scott Brown has vowed to vote against all tax increases, the HC “obamanation”, Cap and Trade, Amnesty and Card Check.  His opponent has vowed to vote for them.

The rest of the nation is paying attention – are you?  Watch below and then do what you know you should – send $$$$$! Hell, come to town for a week and volunteer – you can stay with me.

A must read – from our friends up North.

‘Tis the week before Christmas and all through the land, not a freedom is safe from Obama’s hand.

Bankers, bewildered, before him now bow, while auto-makers, thankful, praise his cash cow.

With energy and health care nearing control, his grasp on the nation is as he foretold.

The people are stirred by his escapades, and are somewhat shocked by the history they made.

Obama is not what he promised to be; he brings, instead, tyranny.

Read the rest of the brilliant article on tyranny and the death of freedom @ CanadaFreePress.com

Then try to enjoy!  We’re home in the Heartland to spend Christmas with family so you will continue to hear little from me.  Call the Senate in your spare time!!!

To the three of you who visit, my apologies for dropping off the map.  Turns out that turning a tea party into a “Tea Party” is a lot of work.  But, the Greater Boston Tea Party is up and running.  We’re still busy building but please stop by for a visit – www.greaterbostonteaparty.com.

In the spirit of the season, I submit the following, submitted to a local paper in response to the 8 year old suspended from school for drawing a picture of the crucified Christ -

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

…Part Duex

EVERY WHO DOWN IN WHOVILLE LIKED CHRISTMAS A LOT,

BUT THE GRINCH, WHO LIVED JUST NORTH OF WHOVILLE, DID NOT.

THE GRINCH HATED CHRISTMAS THE WHOLE CHRISTMAS SEASON

NO ONE KNOWS WHY, NO ONE KNOWS QUITE THE REASON.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN THAT THE GRINCH WAS JEW,

BUT HE WASN’T, THE GRINCH SIMPLY HATED EACH WHO.

HE HATED THEM ALL SINCE THEY ALL SEEMED SO HAPPY

AND THE GRINCH’S POOR LIFE WAS COMPARATIVELY CRAPPY.

THE GRINCH WAS AN ATHEIST AND MAYBE A COMMIE.

(SOMETHING HE LEARNED FROM HIS DAD AND HIS MOMMIE).

HE DIDNT MIND WINTER SOLSTICE OR KWANZAA

BUT THE CHRIST NAME IN CHRISTMAS DROVE THAT GRUMPY GRINCH GONZA.

BECAUSE JESUS TAUGHT LOVE, GOODNESS, MORALS, AND SUCH

THINGS THAT THE GRINCH DIDN’T PRACTICE THAT MUCH.

BUT YOU KNOW THAT OLD GRINCH WAS SO SMOOTH AND SO SLICK

THAT HE THOUGHT UP A PLAN AND HE THOUGHT IT UP QUICK.

THIS YEAR NO SANTA SUIT, NO TASTY ROAST BEAST

NO TRUSTY DOG MAX OR CRASHING THE FEAST.

NO MORE BROODING IN SILENCE, NO CINDY LOU WHO.

THIS YEAR THE GRINCH WOULD CALL THE ACLU .

SO THE GRINCH GRABBED HIS CELL PHONE, HE GOT ON THE HORN

AND CALLED ON THE MOST VILE LAWYERS EVER BORN.

ATTORNEYS AMORAL, AGGRESSIVE AND MEAN

WHO WORK IN THE WHOLE HATE-AMERICA SCENE.

AND YES, THESE LAWYERS WERE ALL CLOSET COMMIES

(SOMETHING THEY LEARNED FROM THEIR DADDIES AND MOMMIES).

AND THOUGH THEY WERE BAD FROM SHOELACES TO FACES

THEY’D ALL BECOME RICH ON A CONTINGENCY BASIS.

HE CALLED MICHAEL NEWDOW, WHO REALLY HATES GOD

AND SOME MUSLIM LAWYER NAMED TAWFIQ HADAD.

WITH HIS DEVILS IN PLACE AND READY TO SUE

THE GRINCH WAS NOW READY TO SCREW EVERY WHO.

ALL THE WINDOWS WERE DARK, QUIET SNOW FILLED THE AIR,

THE WHOS WERE ALL DREAMING SWEET DREAMS WITHOUT CARE

WHEN HE CAME TO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS THERE ON THE SQUARE.

THE GRINCH SAID “THIS BANNER SIMPLY MUST GO

IT SAYS MERRY CHRISTMAS, IT CLEARLY SAYS SO.

I DON’T BELIEVE IN THIS JESUS CHRIST FELLOW.”

THEN THE ACLU GUYS ALL STARTED TO BELLOW,

“THIS BANNER’S ILLEGAL, INTOLERANT, INTRUSIVE.

THE WHOS MUST REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING INCLUSIVE.”

SO THE BANNER CAME DOWN AND THE WHOS HAD SOME MEETINGS

AND PUT UP A NEW ONE THAT SAID SEASONS GREETINGS.

WITH THE BANNER NOW HISTORY, THE GRINCH STARTED ON

THE SWEET MANGER SCENE ON THE CITY HALL LAWN.

THE ACLU GUYS SAID, “THIS TOO MUST GO.

PUT A KWANZAA DISPLAY UP RIGHT THERE IN THE SNOW!”

MIKE NEWDOW SAID,”WE’VE GOT THESE WHOS OVER BARRELS,

SO IN ALL THE WHOS SCHOOLS WE’LL ELIMINATE CAROLS!”

AND WHILE ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING WHAT DID THE WHOS DO?

WHY THEY DID NOTHING BUT CRY BOO-HOO-HOO.

“WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY. WE DON’T HAVE THE TIME.

THE COURTS ARE AGAINST US. IT’S SUCH A TOUGH CLIMB.

I GUESS WE’LL JUST LUMP IT. THIS MUST BE OUR FATE.”

AND THEY CRIED AND THEY WHINED UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.

THEN THE GRINCH AND THE LAWYERS RAN RAMPANT THROUGH TOWN.

TEARING EACH REFERENCE TO JESUS CHRIST DOWN.

NOW IT’S MANY YEARS LATER AND CHRIST IS ALL GONE

AND THE WHOS ARE ALL WONDERING WHERE DID WE GO WRONG.

OH, SURE, SANTA’S  THERE WITH HIS REINDEER AND ELVES

BUT AS THE WHOS SNOOZED THEY LOST PART OF THEMSELVES.

WITH CHRIST GONE FROM CHRISTMAS THE SPIRIT LEFT, TOO

AND LEFT A BIG HOLE IN EACH SOUL IN EACH WHO.

AND WHAT OF THE GRINCH? HE STILL IS UNHAPPY

BUT IT MAKES HIM FEEL BETTER NOW THAT EVERYONE’S CRAPPY.

SO NOW CHRISTMAS IS JUST A MEMORY FOR WHOS

WHO LET IT ALL GO TO THE ACLU.

Please Visit Zack at Diversity Lane

Finally, something for which to be truly thankful.  Hogan over at RedState has the lowdown on the Senate healthcare reform bill.  No need to spend the holiday weekend reading your upload.  I think we should all print the list out and bring it with us to the Thanksgiving dinner table.  It is time to discover who is on which side.

The word “shall” appears 3607 times, but “freedom” only twice. The word “penalty” and its various forms 163 times, but “liberty” doesn’t appear at all. The word “require” and its forms 1025 times, but the “Constitution” is absent both literally and figuratively. The word tax and its forms appears 183 times, fee 234 times, and “Internal Revenue” 104 times. Other words like apply, rule, culture, diverse, enforce, provide, authority – all words that appear repeatedly, while a word like “own” appears only 11 times.

See the full list at RedState.com

And a Very Happy,

Blessed Thanksgiving!

Arlen Williams

Trying to determine what I could possibly say to my U.S. Senators’ office staffs about the medical takeover bill, that could make any difference, I settled upon telling them this:

The only logical reason to enact this Obama-Pelosi-Reid legislation, is to continue to destroy authentic America, in favor of an authoritarian, Marxofascist revolution.

And it is a violent revolution, whether it brings gunfire or not, since it deeply violates those most fundamental rights, to life, liberty, and property, which define the United States of America.

Are you going to vote for it and in doing so, declare this violent revolution as your aim?

Surely, the crafters of this monstrously complex legislation are not unintelligent, nor its political strategists, guileless. So, what intention for this is left, but the chief result it would have?

That message and questioning are what must be drummed into the media, too — and by word of mouth, and email, blogging, social networking comments, etc., drummed thoroughly into America’s consciousnesses and consciences. After all, that is what this legislation would do. It would tragically harm, not help Americans, medically. It would overwhelmingly harm, not help American society, as it is strategically slipped into the intentionally destructive agenda for “fundamentally changing America” presented not only by Barack Obama, but also by his globalist point-man, George Soros, also Nancy Pelosi, their contemporary “Democratic Party” apparatchiks — and going back, by Cloward-Piven, Saul Alinsky, the Frankfurt School, the KGB, etc.

If you wish to review how one arrives at this conclusion, feel free to peruse the Investigating Obama articles tagged with the label “health control,” or go directly to Dr. David Janda’s open letter, “The Obama Health Care Plan – in One Word.”

As Sarah Palin told Sean Hannity in their recent interview, Americans deserve to be told the truth about those who seek (and have now gained) power. Anything less is irresponsible. So, how can our consciences allow us to keep from telling free Americans the truth concerning what so glaringly threatens to become the end of our history?

Republished with permission from Investigating Obama