Project Patriot Action

25 books every conservative should read

2009-04-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

*This list is not all inclusive.

In no particular order:

The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes
The Conservative's Handbook by Phil Valentine
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1984 by George Orwell
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand
The 10 Big Lies About America by Michael Medved
Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
New Deal Or Raw Deal? by Burton W. Folsom
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Economic Facts and Fallacies by Thomas Sowell
Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
Edmund Burke by Russell Kirk
The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek
The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater
Up From Liberalism by William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Law by Frederic Bastiat
Attention Deficit Democracy by James Bovard
Scalia Dissents by Antonin Scalia
The Works of Edmund Burke
The Federalist Papers
The Anti Federalist Papers
Democracy in American by Alexis de Tocqueville

Find these books and more at www.theconservativesource.com

Michael Johns to Address Tax Day Tea Party Rallies in Boston, New York and Philadelphia

2009-04-13T19:58:00.001-04:00

Republican strategist and conservative writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst, will speak this week at Tax Day Tea Party rallies in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia as part of a large and burgeoning movement of Americans calling for a new direction in American public policy.

A national grassroots movement rooted in support for tax and regulatory relief and opposed to income redistribution and most federal governmental subsidies and bailouts, the Tea Party movement has blossomed significantly in recent weeks. Based on many of the same principles that sparked the original Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, some 2,000 Tea Party events will be held this week in cities across the United States. Michael Johns, one of several national leaders of the Tea Party movement, will speak at three of the largest Tea Party events:

**On Wednesday April 15, 2009, at approximately 11am ET, Michael Johns will address the Tax Day Tea Party rally in Boston, Massachusetts at the Boston Common at the Massachusetts State House, located at 24 Beacon Street in Boston. The event will be emceed by radio talk show host Todd Feinburg of Boston's WRKO Radio. For further information on the Boston Tax Day Tea Party, see the event's official site at: Boston Tax Day Tea Party.

**Later on Wednesday April 15, 2009, at approximately 7pm ET, Michael Johns will address the Tax Day Tea Party rally in New York City at City Hall Park, located at 249 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Joining Johns in addressing the New York City Tax Day Tea Party will be Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Johns also will participate in the New York City Tax Day Tea Party after-party, to be held from 10pm to 1am ET at The XChange at 640 West 28th Street, Ninth Floor (between 11th and 12th Avenues) in Manhattan. For further information on the New York City Tax Day Tea Party, see the event's official site at: New York City Tax Day Tea Party.

**Finally, later this week, on Saturday April 18, 2009, at approximately 12pm ET, Michael Johns will address the Tax Day Tea Party rally in Philadelphia at Independence Mall, located at Chestnut and Fifth Streets in center city Philadelphia. Joining Johns in addressing the Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party will be radio talk show host Dom Giordano of Philadelphia's WPHT-AM, New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan, National Republican Trust PAC Executive Director Scott Wheeler, and Geno's Steaks' owner Joey Vento. For further information on the Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party, see the event's official site at: Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party.

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him

2009-04-04T11:42:00.003-04:00

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Mourning Christian! why weepest thou? Art thou mourning over thine own corruptions? Look to thy perfect Lord, and remember, thou art complete in Him; thou art in God's sight as perfect as if thou hadst never sinned; nay, more than that, the Lord our Righteousness hath put a divine garment upon thee, so that thou hast more than the righteousness of man--thou hast the righteousness of God. O Thou who art mourning by reason of inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of thy sins can condemn thee. Thou hast learned to hate sin; but thou hast learned also to know that sin is not thine--it was laid upon Christ's head. Thy standing is not in thyself--it is in Christ; thine acceptance is not in thyself, but in thy Lord; thou art as much accepted of God to-day, with all thy sinfulness, as thou wilt be when thou standest before His throne, free from all corruption. O, I beseech thee, lay hold on this precious thought, perfection in Christ! For thou art "complete in Him." With thy Saviour's garment on, thou art holy as the Holy one. "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Christian, let thy heart rejoice, for thou art "accepted in the beloved"--what hast thou to fear? Let thy face ever wear a smile; live near thy Master; live in the suburbs of the Celestial City; for soon, when thy time has come, thou shalt rise up where thy Jesus sits, and reign at His right hand; and all this because the divine Lord "was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

They took Jesus, and led Him away

2009-04-03T11:42:00.004-04:00

"They took Jesus, and led Him away."
John 19:16

He had been all night in agony, He had spent the early morning at the hall of Caiaphas, He had been hurried from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back again to Pilate; He had, therefore, but little strength left, and yet neither refreshment nor rest were permitted Him. They were eager for His blood, and therefore led Him out to die, loaded with the cross. O dolorous procession! Well may Salem's daughters weep. My soul, do thou weep also.

What learn we here as we see our blessed Lord led forth? Do we not perceive that truth which was set forth in shadow by the scapegoat? Did not the high-priest bring the scapegoat, and put both his hands upon its head, confessing the sins of the people, that thus those sins might be laid upon the goat, and cease from the people? Then the goat was led away by a fit man into the wilderness, and it carried away the sins of the people, so that if they were sought for they could not be found.

Now we see Jesus brought before the priests and rulers, who pronounce Him guilty; God Himself imputes our sins to Him, "the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all;" "He was made sin for us;" and, as the substitute for our guilt, bearing our sin upon His shoulders, represented by the cross; we see the great Scapegoat led away by the appointed officers of justice.

Beloved, can you feel assured that He carried your sin? As you look at the cross upon His shoulders, does it represent your sin? There is one way by which you can tell whether He carried your sin or not. Have you laid your hand upon His head, confessed your sin, and trusted in Him? Then your sin lies not on you; it has all been transferred by blessed imputation to Christ, and He bears it on His shoulder as a load heavier than the cross.

Let not the picture vanish till you have rejoiced in your own deliverance, and adored the loving Redeemer upon whom your iniquities were laid

Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth

2009-04-01T11:51:00.007-04:00

"Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth." Song of Solomon 1:2
For several days we have been dwelling upon the Saviour's passion, and for some little time to come we shall linger there. In beginning a new month, let us seek the same desires after our Lord as those which glowed in the heart of the elect spouse.

See how she leaps at once to Him; there are no prefatory words; she does not even mention His name; she is in the heart of her theme at once, for she speaks of Him who was the only Him in the world to her. How bold is her love! it was much condescension which permitted the weeping penitent to anoint His feet with spikenard--it was rich love which allowed the gentle Mary to sit at His feet and learn of Him--but here, love, strong, fervent love, aspires to higher tokens of regard, and closer signs of fellowship. Esther trembled in the presence of Ahasuerus, but the spouse in joyful liberty of perfect love knows no fear.

If we have received the same free spirit, we also may ask the like. By kisses we suppose to be intended those varied manifestations of affection by which the believer is made to enjoy the love of Jesus.

The kiss of reconciliation we enjoyed at our conversion, and it was sweet as honey dropping from the comb. The kiss of acceptance is still warm on our brow, as we know that He hath accepted our persons and our works through rich grace. The kiss of daily, present communion, is that which we pant after to be repeated day after day, till it is changed into the kiss of reception, which removes the soul from earth, and the kiss of consummation which fills it with the joy of heaven.

Faith is our walk, but fellowship sensibly felt is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with Jesus is the well from which the pilgrim drinks. O lover of our souls, be not strange to us; let the lips of Thy blessing meet the lips of our asking; let the lips of Thy fulness touch the lips of our need, and straightway the kiss will be effected.

He was numbered with the transgressors

2009-03-30T12:24:00.001-04:00

Morning & Evening by C.H. Spurgeon

"He was numbered with the transgressors."
Isaiah 53:12

Why did Jesus suffer Himself to be enrolled amongst sinners? This wonderful condescension was justified by many powerful reasons. In such a character He could the better become their advocate. In some trials there is an identification of the counsellor with the client, nor can they be looked upon in the eye of the law as apart from one another.

Now, when the sinner is brought to the bar, Jesus appears there Himself. Hefeel their hearts drawn towards Him. Who can be afraid of one who is written in the same list with us? Surely we may come boldly to Him, and confess our guilt. He who is numbered with us cannot condemn us. Was He not put down in the transgressor's list that we might be written in the red roll of the saints? He was holy, and written among the holy; we were guilty, and numbered among the guilty; He transfers His name from yonder list to this black indictment, and our names are taken from the indictment and written in the roll of acceptance, for there is a complete transfer made between Jesus and His people,stands to answer the accusation.

He points to His side, His hands, His feet, and challenges Justice to bring anything against the sinners whom He represents; He pleads His blood, and pleads so triumphantly, being numbered with them and having a part with them, that the Judge proclaims, "Let them go their way; deliver them from going down into the pit, for He hath found a ransom." Our Lord Jesus was numbered with the transgressors in order that they might

All our estate of misery and sin Jesus has taken; and all that Jesus has comes to us. His righteousness, His blood, and everything that He hath He gives us as our dowry. Rejoice, believer, in your union to Him who was numbered among the transgressors; and prove that you are truly saved by being manifestly numbered with those who are new creatures in Him.

Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled

2009-03-27T07:45:00.002-04:00

"Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled."
Matthew 26:56
He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives, fled from Him in the very beginning of His sufferings. This is but one instructive instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf cometh. They had all been warned of the danger, and had promised to die rather than leave their Master; and yet they were seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels. It may be, that I, at the opening of this day, have braced up my mind to bear a trial for the Lord's sake, and I imagine myself to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity; but let me be very jealous of myself, lest having the same evil heart of unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. It would have been to their eternal honour to have stood at Jesus' side right manfully; they fled from honour; may I be kept from imitating them! Where else could they have been so safe as near their Master, who could presently call for twelve legions of angels? They fled from their true safety. O God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth like fire on the altar when the Lord wills it. These very apostles who were timid as hares, grew to be bold as lions after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the Holy Spirit can make my recreant spirit brave to confess my Lord and witness for His truth.What anguish must have filled the Saviour as He saw His friends so faithless! This was one bitter ingredient in His cup; but that cup is drained dry; let me not put another drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify Him afresh, and put Him to an open shame. Keep me, O blessed Spirit, from an end so shameful.

If ye seek Me, let these go their way

2009-03-26T10:33:00.001-04:00

Jesus said unto them, "If ye seek Me, let these go their way." John 18:8

Mark, my soul, the care which Jesus manifested even in His hour of trial, towards the sheep of His hand! The ruling passion is strong in death. He resigns Himself to the enemy, but He interposes a word of power to set His disciples free. As to Himself, like a sheep before her shearers He is dumb and opened not His mouth, but for His disciples' sake He speaks with Almighty energy.
Herein is love, constant, self-forgetting, faithful love. But is there not far more here than is to be found upon the surface? Have we not the very soul and spirit of the atonement in these words? The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, and pleads that they must therefore go free. The Surety is bound, and justice demands that those for whom He stands a substitute should go their way. In the midst of Egypt's bondage, that voice rings as a word of power, "Let these go their way." Out of slavery of sin and Satan the redeemed must come. In every cell of the dungeons of Despair, the sound is echoed, "Let these go their way," and forth come Despondency and Much-afraid. Satan hears the well-known voice, and lifts his foot from the neck of the fallen; and Death hears it, and the grave opens her gates to let the dead arise. Their way is one of progress, holiness, triumph, glory, and none shall dare to stay them in it. No lion shall be on their way, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon. "The hind of the morning" has drawn the cruel hunters upon himself, and now the most timid roes and hinds of the field may graze at perfect peace among the lilies of his loves.
The thunder-cloud has burst over the Cross of Calvary, and the pilgrims of Zion shall never be smitten by the bolts of vengeance. Come, my heart, rejoice in the immunity which thy Redeemer has secured thee, and bless His name all the day, and every day.

Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss

2009-03-25T11:11:00.002-04:00

Morning & Evening by C.H. Spurgeon

"Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?"
Luke 22:48

The kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Let me be on my guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it did my Master, with a kiss. Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me beware of the sleek-faced hypocrisy which is armour-bearer to heresy and infidelity. Knowing the deceivableness of unrighteousness, let me be wise as a serpent to detect and avoid the designs of the enemy. The young man, void of understanding, was led astray by the kiss of the strange woman: may my soul be so graciously instructed all this day, that "the much fair speech" of the world may have no effect upon me. Holy Spirit, let me not, a poor frail son of man, be betrayed with a kiss!

But what if I should be guilty of the same accursed sin as Judas, that son of perdition? I have been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; I am a member of His visible Church; I sit at the communion table: all these are so many kisses of my lips. I sincere in them? If not, I am a base traitor. Do I live in the world as carelessly as others do, and yet make a profession of being a follower of Jesus? Then I must expose religion to ridicule, and lead men to speak evil of the holy name by which I am called. Surely if I act thus inconsistently I am a Judas, and it were better for me that I had never been born. Dare I hope that I am clear in this matter? Then, O Lord, keep me so. O Lord, make me sincere and true. Preserve me from every false way. Never let me betray my Saviour. I do love Thee, Jesus, and though I often grieve Thee, yet I would desire to abide faithful even unto death. O God, forbid that I should be a high-soaring professor, and then fall at last into the lake of fire, because I betrayed my Master with a kiss.

"He was heard in that he feared." Hebrews 5:7

2009-03-24T10:23:00.005-04:00

"He was heard in that he feared." Hebrews 5:7

Did this fear arise from the infernal suggestion that He was utterly forsaken. There may be sterner trials than this, but surely it is one of the worst to be utterly forsaken? "See," said Satan, "thou hast a friend nowhere! Thy Father hath shut up the bowels of His compassion against thee. Not an angel in His courts will stretch out his hand to help thee. All heaven is alienated from Thee; Thou art left alone. See the companions with whom Thou hast taken sweet counsel, what are they worth? Son of Mary, see there Thy brother James, see there Thy loved disciple John, and Thy bold apostle Peter, how the cowards sleep when Thou art in Thy sufferings! Lo! Thou hast no friend left in heaven or earth. All hell is against Thee. I have stirred up mine infernal den. I have sent my missives throughout all regions summoning every prince of darkness to set upon Thee this night, and we will spare no arrows, we will use all our infernal might to overwhelm Thee: and what wilt Thou do, Thou solitary one?" It may be, this was the temptation; we think it was, because the appearance of an angel unto Him strengthening Him removed that fear. He was heard in that He feared; He was no more alone, but heaven was with Him. It may be that this is the reason of His coming three times to His disciples--as Hart puts it-

"Backwards and forwards thrice He ran, As if He sought some help from man."

He would see for Himself whether it were really true that all men had forsaken Him; He found them all asleep; but perhaps He gained some faint comfort from the thought that they were sleeping, not from treachery, but from sorrow, the spirit indeed was willing, but the flesh was weak. At any rate, He was heard in that He feared. Jesus was heard in His deepest woe; my soul, thou shalt be heard also.

His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground

2009-03-23T08:39:00.005-04:00

"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
Luke 22:44

The mental pressure arising from our Lord's struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he distilled great drops of blood! This demonstrates the mighty power of his love. It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best. This precious camphire-tree yielded most sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it giveth forth its best spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound. This sets forth the voluntariness of Christ's sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers to cry, "Spring up, O well;" of itself it flows in crimson torrents. If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the heart. The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial. But see our Saviour in His agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his agony driving His blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth. The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the ground, pictures the fulness of the offering which he made for men.
Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through which he passed, and will we not hear its voice to us? "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the great tempter of your souls.

The Friday Evening Patriot

2009-01-17T14:53:00.001-05:00

In the Shadow of Greatness: Inaugurating a New President

(January 16th, 2009) - In the 220 years since George Washington stood in front of the crowds at the Federal Hall in New York, the eyes of a new nation focused on him, just years… seeming as hours since it had violently burst forth from the womb of its once mother country, looking for strength and leadership, 41 other men have stood in the shadow of that first president to take that oath to assume the highest office of the land. (Read More)

Dear Mr. Obama,

2009-01-03T19:10:00.005-05:00

Mr. Obama, I keep listening to the news reports about the fighting in Gaza, hoping to hear what you plan to do about this. I checked again tonight and still I have not heard from you. Your silence on the matter is deafening. How much longer must we wait before we know how our soon-to-be President will deal with Israel and Hamas?

The answer is the same, time and time again; "There is only one President at a time". Through several major issues our country and yes, our world, face; I have yet to see a response from you. I understand that it is respectful to defer the decisions to the current President, but when has that ever stopped any other politician, including yourself before the election, from making bold statements? Do you have no opinion on this matter just because you haven't been sworn in yet?

Mr. Obama, we want to hear from you. We need to hear from you. We need to know that our country made the right choice when we elected a new leader. We need to know that you can handle the job. I was worried about your lack of experience, your large amount of "present" votes in the Senate; but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. But, Mr. Obama, your lack of response on major issues post-election are appearing to look like "present" votes by the President-elect. I cannot image that you would actually plan to take an attitude of voting "present" in the office of President. Would you?

Mr. Obama, the office of President comes with a lot of responsibility. Decisions need to be made quickly and decicively. I'm sure you know that, though. You do; don't you? You did know what you were getting into; didn't you?

Your Vice Presidential counterpart, Mr. Biden stated during your campaign that within the first few months that you are in office you will be tested because major events will unfold in other areas of the world that will affect the U.S. This seems to be one such test, Mr. Obama. You don't give the impression that you are doing so well on this one.

Do us all a favor, Mr. Obama; make a decision about how you would deal with this conflict in the middle east, make a public statement and put all of our anxiety to rest. Just prove to us that you know what it takes to be President and we will all sleep better at night. And I would think that you would too.

Respectfully,

Your country.

EXACTLY.

2008-12-18T14:28:00.004-05:00

Today, I received this email from American Solutions:

Dear Matthew,

As an important part of our American Solutions team, you've helped make 2008 a very memorable year.

From the Platform of the American People to the Drill Here, Drill Now petition, we've put forth a bold, positive agenda that impacted the national debate.

More importantly, we achieved real victories, such as lifting an almost 30-year ban on offshore drilling. This proves that real change is doable.

If we are to solve these large problems, we must offer solutions not partisan rhetoric.

Sadly, the Republican National Committee recently posted an attack ad trying to link President-elect Obama to the corrupt Illinois governor.

On Tuesday, our General Chairman Newt Gingrich sent a letter to the RNC urging them to pull the ad down. Click here to read why.

When President-elect Obama arrives in the Oval Office, we ought to be willing to work with him when he's right. When he's wrong, we need to explain why we think so, and propose better solutions.

The election is over, and it's time to do what's best for America. That's the kind of real change we all deserve.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and have a great New Year.

2009 is right around the corner, and we've got a lot of work to do.

Sincerely,

Dave Ryan
President
American Solutions

I added a bit of emphasis there on the parts that I think are so important right now. The election IS over. It's time to stop trying to defeat President-elect Obama and time to start working on solutions for our country! We've got to get out of this 365 day-a-year campaigning mentality.

Yes, I believe we should be working on the 2010 election; on finding and grooming principled candidates to run for office. Yes, I believe that the next election is very important. But right now, in the now, we have got to work on solutions before politics. Winning elections (especially ones that are over) is not as important as keeping America free.

-Matthew J. Cochran

A Decision on Principles

2008-12-13T09:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about pain and principles as they pertain to the failed auto industry bailout. Today I read at The New Republican about Mark Kirk who would seem to be a potential candidate for Barack Obama's vacated seat in the U.S. Senate.

Since his election to the House in 2001, Kirk has often bucked the GOP orthodoxy. While some would call him a “maverick,” others have used the far more unflattering, pre-2008 term – RINO. Kirk styles himself as a social moderate and a fiscal conservative.

The question, then, is it preferable to elect someone with a burgeoning reputation as a Maverick or a RINO, simply to fill the seat with an R, or do we hold out for someone who will embody the principles of the new/old conservatism?

For me, it's a no brainer, and it highlights the problems we're going to have to deal with head on.

Principles cost something - At the risk of emotional overstatement, Thomas Paine encouraged the Revolutionary soldiers with a pamphlet in which he correctly recognized, "That which we obtain to easily, we esteem too lightly." You learn the value and the timeless worth of principles by standing on them through a battle. If we elect another "maverick" senator who we're not really sure whether he's going to be where we are, we've tarnished the brand at exactly the same time we should be polishing it.
Principles take time - This seems like a quick fix boon! But how significant is it that we would have 43 Senators rather than 42? Would that make a huge difference in the voting bloc? Not on the issues where he votes with the left (embryonic stem cell, etc). We have to take the long term perspective on growth & rebuilding. Short term victories that are too good to be true, are probably not that good in the first place and extremely difficult to undo.
Principles won't fail - That's why they're called principles rather than just ideas. They've been tested, poked, prod, and proven over and over again. When we return to being the party of conservative principles, and we find candidates who know and live by those principles, experience will be less of an issue because principled leaders will govern according to principles, not just according to whim or political climate.

We'll see if Kirk runs. My hope is that if he does, and if he truly proves to be conservative-lite, my hope is that he'll continue to serve out his term as Republican Congressman from the North Shore of Chicago, and then will return to his prestigious and storied career in the private sector. It's worth holding out for.

Is Hillary Clinton Eligible to Serve as Secretary of State?

2008-12-04T10:39:00.000-05:00

Is Hillary Clinton Eligible to Serve as Secretary of State?

Not until 2013, says Judicial Watch:

According to the Ineligibility Clause of the United States Constitution, no member of Congress can be appointed to an office that has benefited from a salary increase during the time that Senator or Representative served in Congress. A January 2008 Executive Order signed by President Bush during Hillary Clinton's current Senate term increased the salary for Secretary of State, thereby rendering Senator Clinton ineligible for the position.

Specifically, Article I, section 6 of the U.S. Constitution provides "No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time." The provision is seen by most as designed by our Founding Fathers to protect against corruption...Continue reading on Judicial Watch >>

Xerox - Let's Say Thanks

2008-12-02T01:14:00.001-05:00

Unity - Today’s Most Needed Trait

2008-11-29T12:35:00.001-05:00

This piece originally appeared on dontgomovement.com

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:35 PM CST

In-fighting is part of politics. There are fierce battles for position and conflict over who gets the credit and who the blame.

Usually it’s kept from public view. But not always. The very public spat between Ron Paul supporters and the rest of the Right is a good example of a “not always” moment. So is Mike Huckabee’s lambasting of Libertarians. And Christians are being scape-goated for the GOP’s declining brand popularity due to strongly held views on social issues and Creationism.

Unchecked, the Right may succeed in disemboweling itself. Staunching the bleeding is hard as restricting faith to the heart prevents mental use of biblical warnings about divided houses. Worse, successful “kills” deplete the Right’s strength. We agree on more than we disagree. There are some very real differences and these will need to be worked out. But using exclusion as a tool in this working out is precisely the wrong approach.

Coexisting is not the same as embracing. Social Conservatives can work with Libertarians without embracing the legalization of all drugs and eradication of all borders. Libertarians can reciprocate without “walking an aisle” or surrendering any presumed intellectual superiority. This strengthens us all at little cost. Intentionally devouring one another, on the other hand, not only thins the ranks physically, it depletes stores of philosophical and principle based strength as well.

Consider the Christians. What is to be gained and what lost if we politically excommunicate them?

No more sheep bleating about abortion and the sanctity of marriage. No more accusations of ignorance over Creationism or Intelligent Design. If that is all that’s lost, perhaps it’s a good thing to give believers the “Left Foot of Fellowship” as they exit the building. But what else do we lose?

We lose the stature and strength Christianity has to speak truth to power. From Nathan to King David and John the Baptist to Herod to William Wilberforce to Slavers and today’s Pro-Lifers, Christianity has been the platform from which many a naked emperor’s exposure has been exposed.

We lose the foundation from which to fight the relativism of the Left. The culture we enjoy did not simply arise from nothing. Christianity provides instruction to those who value it. Imperfectly built structure? Absolutely. But a valuable structure, nonetheless. 16th Century Europe birthed two influences on developing Western Civilization. The Renaissance, steeped in “Man is the measure of all things”, gave us Humanism and the French Revolution with its horrors. The Reformation, steeped in “God is the measure of all things”, gave us the means to judge the behavior of all men, even Kings, and the American Revolution with its Freedoms and Rights.

Evangelicals who would force Libertarians from the ranks produce a similar drain. The works of Hayek, Rand and von Mises may not be theological masterpieces in the Christian sense. But their impact on Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness cannot be overestimated. We need people who champion their beliefs as we need those who champion Christian faith.

Those with their minds made up will accept no argument to the contrary. To them I offer a hearty Godspeed and Fair Winds. You are going where I cannot and dare not follow. But for those who agree, and more importantly to those who are unsure, I offer a welcome to the Don’t Go Movement. Based on the premise that which unites us is more important than that which divides us, DGM is a community dedicated to working together despite differences. The New Testament word for “unity” is “symphonia”. The unity of the disparate instruments in a modern symphony is not all sounding the same. Rather it is all sounding together, at the proper time and with their individual contributions.

At DGM you’ll find a broad range of philosophies and principles. While all are Right of Center, not all who are Right of Center hold them. It makes for spirited debate. It makes for a learning experience. And serving in unity makes us a near unstoppable force when we turn, as one, to focus on that which we both hold dear.

Join us won’t you? Woodwind or brass, percussion or string, we’ve got a chair with your name on it. Come lend your passion to the pieces we play. You won’t be sorry!

Written by: Blue Collar Muse

Real Conservatives Will Support Obama

2008-11-12T23:32:00.004-05:00

Among the many differences that exist between conservatives and liberals, allow me to point out this one. While liberals loved to see failure in George W. Bush, at the cost of troops lives, national security, etc, conservatives will not do so with Barack Obama.

True conservatives love America more than they oppose Barack Obama. We will not allow him to fail because the cost of such a thing would be too great. What would it profit us to gain the whole world and yet lose our souls? It would not be worth it to stand in a pile of rubble saying "We told you so". To the liberals that would have been the dream fulfilled. To stand among the ruins of a nation torn to shreds, just to be able to say, "we told you this guy was bad". Conservatives will do no such thing.

When President Obama is wrong, we will oppose him adamantly. We will try to force his hand to carry out policies that truly are the best for America. If we suceed at this, and he gets credit, so be it. If Obama's legacy is one of uniting the nation and making this a safer and better country for our children, then it would be better than the satisfaction of getting to say that we were right.

We are not like them. We care more about the future of the nation than the legacy of Obama. If he is hailed as a hero and we are scorned as the bad guys, but we live in a better place because he did not fail due to our help, so be it. We are not so concerned with our own reputation that we would sacrifice the good of the country to "win".

True conservatives will support Obama, because true conservatives put country first. America cannot afford for President Obama to fail. We will fight with all we have for our cause. And if President Obama adopts our policies and he gets the credit, we take it as a victory that he did it; not as defeat that he didn't fall on his face. We will choose patriotism over politics. In the end, we seek a safe, strong, prosperous America.

Whoever the President may be.

The Dontgo Movement

2008-11-12T23:19:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Dontgo Movemovement! Reforming the conservative movement!

Obama 2.0

2008-11-12T21:05:00.001-05:00

OBAMA 2.0

In the 21 months we have seen the largest and longest as well as the costliest election in the nation’s history. Well over a billion dollars has been spent to get us where we are today. Millions of people have logged on to the internet to blog and volg about the President Elect and his ideas to “Change” the country. Change is coming alright. The new President will do a lot with the internet during his time in office. He has accumulated over three and a half billion email address and there is no telling how many cell phone numbers his can text and he plans to use them to inform and reform. "He's built the largest network anyone has ever seen in politics, and congressional Republicans are clueless about the communications shift that has happened," Democratic strategist Joe Trippi proclaims. The results, he says, "will be amazing to watch." So keep an eye out, its no longer personal ads and credit card offers that will be spamming your in box. Be on the look out for the spam of all spam, “Obama Spam”. With the world moving faster and faster into the electronic age this may be the only way for him to reach some citizens. Most of us are tired of the news after such a long election. I personally an exhausted over all the information and promises I have had to absorb over the last 2 years. So the internet makes sense. While some won’t turn on the news for what ever reason they may have most of America will still check their email everyday or if you’re like me every 30 min. So welcome the era. Obama's team is determining how best to convert his army of online activists into a viral lobbying and communications machine. Staffers are reluctant to discuss specifics, but Obama clearly is poised to become the first truly "wired" president of the digital age. Instead of the President’s normal radio address I figure we will see and Obama address on youtube every week. So hang on to your laptops and smart phones. Al Gore may have invented the internet (as well as global warming) but Barrack Obama will define it.

Elected on Merit?

2008-11-07T08:34:00.002-05:00

Some say that you can't buy an election. Obama proved that wrong. He not only set the record for being the first African-American elected to the highest office in the country but he also set another record. President elect Obama spent more on an election than anyone in history. With television commercials out numbering John McCain 2 to 1 as well as radio ads and even advertising on popular video games. Then there was his Obama power half hour, a 30 ad with no commercial breaks.
As we move more toward a lifestyle where the Internet over whelms TV and radio, Obama still flooded the airways. But I have to ask "was Obama elected on his own merit?" I say he was not. In my opinion he was elected for other reasons. First he was not Bush or a republican. Second 90% of Hollywood and the music industry wanted him, with songs being written and celebs like P-diddy (or what ever his name is this week) putting up videos on youtube McCain never stood a chance. Rather than support a man who has half a century of experience serving his country, we elected a man the Hollywood told us to. The other reason he was elected i feel was for his race. When it all is said and done I can make excuses all day why he was elected but I can tell you he wasn't elected for his Merit. He has no history in the Senate. He went from being a community organiser to President in just a few short years.
Now don't get me wrong I'm not against change. I know we need to make some changes but the changes this man is proposing will cripple the economy even more if not completely. Taxing business causes people to loose jobs. Then those people cant pay bills. Houses get foreclosed and the housing market takes a fatal downward spiral.
All around the world people blame Bush for the housing crunch and failed economics. Maybe he could have spent a little more time in the last 8 years on the economy and less time on saving a country that just doesn't care. The fact of the matter is is reaches so much further than President Bush. This started during the Clinton administration when he ordered fannymae and freddie mac to lower standards and boost home ownership. What that caused was people to buy homes they couldn't afford. Then you have to put blame on the Federal Reserve. When interest rates were a little higher people wouldn't buy homes. But the feds kept lowering the rates and people took loans they couldn't afford. Basically people just want someone other than them selves to blame. If you take time to look at it it is really self inflicted. People were unhappy with the President and worried about everything and quit investing in the stock market, pulled money out of other investments. When all we had to do was keep business as usual. The other problem is there is no accountability. No one is being held responsible for these bad loans. If the people who lied about there income to get the loan in the first place were prosecuted then maybe people would think twice before falsifying income. The more you analyze it the more it makes since!

Now is our time.

2008-11-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

The election has ended and the sun has set. Today, the sun once again rose as it will continue to do under an Obama Presidency. Today, as the smoke clears and we contemplate why we lost and why they won, let's not get drastic.

I've already heard conservatives say that they want to move out of the country or that they want to leave the Republican Party. Please reconsider. If a marriage is broken, we don't just leave it, we try to fix it. The same should be true of our country. If we don't like the way things are going, we work to fix it; we don't abandon it. America has been good to us and we owe it to her to stick this out and preserve her.

On the notion of leaving the Republican Party, some may think this sounds strange coming from me. After all, I've been one who refused to join Republican clubs, or affiliate myself with the party because so many politicians have ruined it. But I've awakened to a concept that I didn't get for a while. It's not those of us who belong to the party that have brought it down. It's the politicians that the voters have just rejected that have put this black mark on a once great political party. But it is us who will bring this party from the ashes and make it great again. This is our time to start over.

This is our time to rebuild the Republican Party with the values and policies that WE believe in. This is our time to rise up leaders within this party like Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, and Eric Cantor among others, who espouse conservative values. They are the future of this party's leadership. We are the future of this party's base.

Instead of lying down and accepting defeat, we must use this opportunity to start over. We can use the fact that America rejected the same-old, same-old politicians of this party to our advantage. We can use this as our mandate to rebuild a party that will be grounded in true conservative values and actions.

Do not take this as defeat. Take this as redirection. Right-face and march on.

Ok, tell me why this won't work - by Willie Lawson

2008-11-06T13:50:00.001-05:00

The Republicans have just been dealt a crushing defeat. So crushing Adam Putnam is moving from the spotlight of the party to prevent himself from being a target next time. That makes me very sad. But we move forward! This weekend the Republican party must begin the mid-term election campaign. Looking at each and every election in the country. I mean in the entire county at every level, which is why you have to start today. Its time for the party to start a star search for people that are going to be the next set of rising stars for the next 16 years. Those people that are doing well at the local levels throughout the country. Find those people that have the following, the organizational skills, the personalities, and the what hollywood calls the "it factor" to spark people. Now are you saying that we should turn government into a popularity contest? Well I submit that has already been done and I didn't do it.

So heres the plan: Start date: March 1, 2009
Target Cities: Tampa Fl, San Diego Ca, Dallas Tx. Louisville Ky, Philadelphia Pa.
Concept: "The New Face of the Republican Party!
Abstract: On screen collage of many multi ethnic faces. Screen opens to show (for
example) 30 something African American male at children's sporting event
saying I am the new face of the Republican Party. Expand to factory worker
saying same thing.. you get the tone...

This is the national public relations campaign. This TV campaign will be followed up to voter registration drives that start and remain in those cities. Then as that campaign is expanded voter registration campaigns follow in every city that the ads are run. Billboard ads are a part of this ad campaign as well. "Street Teams" that are on college campuses are started and provided with literature, training and support from the local party offices. The focus for local offices is to stay focused on local races. Stay completely "grassroots"! Sponsor "Picnics for the Poor" campaigns. Open places for struggling families to have Thanksgiving dinner. Make sure people know about it though! Come on folks this is a campaign after all! Openly support the "Toys for Tots" effort in the local community! That a twofer there! Supporting the military and children! Come on people this is not that hard! Since when did liberals corner the market on compassion? Oh yeah, if possible, support job boards in those communities that republican business owners can put people to work. Run those boards out of the local republican HQs! Heres the tagline: "Others talk about putting people to work, Republicans put people to work!" All the while promoting local conservative issues, local conservative candidates, building coalitions and raising money!

Some people might say its not strong enough to stem the tide of the liberals. I say it will be like Novocain, give people alot of and and it always works. Tune in the Willie Lawson Show Noon to 2:pm EST to here more about the plan

REPLY TO THIS POST HERE.

Matt's speech at the Rally For The Conservative Cause

2008-11-02T23:47:00.002-05:00