Reinventing the Conservative Movement

There has been much talk lately about the Republican Party splitting if certain individuals gain the nomination. There has also been grumblings of the old guard retiring and fresh blood moving the party in a more modern, progressive direction. This will not happen no matter who is the nominee and shouldn't happen no matter the age of the Republican leaders. I am a conservative first and a Republican second in my political mind. The conservative movement has always stood for certain ideas that were not to be compromised. Following are few of those.

A strong national defense - peace through strength. This does not mean being policeman of the world. It does mean standing up for freedom and democracy in the world.

Smaller government through less taxes - The main purpose of the government is to provide for the national defense (see the first point). This nation has slowly evolved into a nanny state that resembles a socialist government in eastern Europe. We fund departments, employ special prosecutors by the hundreds, redistribute wealth and waste money like we actually have it in government.

Grow the economy with real incentives - When businesses retain more of their funds, they can actually hire more people and grow the business, thus spurring the economy into real long term growth (see the second point). Tax rebates in an election year? Who would have ever guessed it? We all know that businesses don't really pay taxes, they simply pass them on to the consumer. This point brings me to the next.

Implement a fair tax - Now it doesn't have to be a flat tax or a national sales tax, but it has to be a simpler, more fair tax. The tax code in America is impractical and outdated. It's bad enough that we pay so much in taxes. Add to it a couple hundred dollars to prepare them and you have insult to injury.

Strong commitment to the Second Amendment - It's not about hunting or target practice. It is a freedom that our founding fathers knew must be kept alive for the democracy to survive. We need to reaffirm our stance that gun control laws only hurt law abiding citizens.

The most important conviction is our stance on Life - We must make it known that over 40 million babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade and we are still fighting for the innocent. We believe in the right to life from conception to natural death, period. We value life as a gift from God, whether there are disabilities or nursing home stays. We will not settle for the situation as it is or turn our backs and say we have done all we can do.

The Conservative movement is alive and well in the real America. An America where people get up and go to work and take responsibility for ourselves and our families. We don't expect or need government to interfere with our lives because we can do it better ourselves, thank you very much. Let's return to our grassroots and remember what got us where we are today. I don't like talk of a remodeled Republican party and with courage we can restore our conservative values to it.

Let Me Run This One Up The Flag Pole and See If Anyone Salutes It

Thanks again Mil for passing this jewel along.

She's no Margaret Thatcher

Cartoon by Pat Oliphant

I don't have to live there to care.

There are some in this little virtual community that feel I have no stake in New Albany or the affairs that govern the city. It is true that I do not live in the city limits. The fact is, I live in the county of Floyd (barely) in the great state of Indiana in the greatest nation that has ever existed. I will defend the people that government tramples - hence the name of this blog. I will speak out on wasteful spending of tax dollars and crooked politicians. I will remind readers of campaign promises and lies that go unreported. I have spoken out on surrounding municipalities such as Charlestown and Jeffersonville. I have blogged about local, state and national topics. I do not blog about the ultimate dream of European style governance that others wish existed here. Comments are always welcome, but my convictions are solid and based in truth and conservative values. I may not live in New Albany, but my love for America and my little piece of that dream compel me to speak out. Even those that disagree with me have acknowledged broken promises by the mayor and have expressed many ways in which the money could be better utilized. Why then do they defend a man that has a record of lies and shadiness? Are they that tightly connected to a party that their vision is blurred? I will continue to speak out against any administration, right or left, that misappropriates the peoples funds or attempts to hide the truth no matter the location.

New Albany to Consider Salaries

That is the headline atop the Indiana section of today's Courier-Journal. Seems like I have heard about this somewhere? The article quotes the new mayor as saying the new salaries are important because they will help him "get moving" with his agenda. His agenda includes attracting more businesses downtown, as well as lining the pockets of a few friends. The last part of the agenda there was derived by the author. How about taking that $160,000, still don't know where they will get it, and hiring three or four more officers? Reducing the crime in downtown might attract more businesses and residents. How about fixing some sidewalks so folks can actually get to the businesses downtown? How about sticking to a campaign promise of not hiring anyone for economic development? Kevin Zurschmeide (R) feels that the mayor should have a chance to hire the staff he needs. Well Kevin, let's make sure that we question authority. Now is your chance New Albany. Tonight's meeting is at 7:30 on the third floor of the City-County building. Let your voices be heard tonight. Are there any fiscally conservative Democrats left? Any concerned citizens? Any New Albanians that are waiting for this sleepy river town to wake up?

Rush the Kool-Aid Man and Indiana's Short Session

I've got a couple things on my mind tonight so this might be all over the place, but here goes. Rush Limbaugh constantly states that he doesn't get involved in primary endorsements, but lately he has done his share of bashing all but two Republican candidates. That sounds an awful lot like and endorsement to me. His argument goes like this - Everyone wants change and the Republicans say the era of Reagan is over. Rush says it isn't over unless we nominate Huckabee or McCain. Then the party will be split and broken forever. I say Bull - oney! How is Rudy more conservative than Mike Huckabee? Rudy is pro gay marriage, pro abortion rights, pro gun control along with a personal history that looks suspiciously Clintonesque. Now Romney looks more conservative than Rudy, but then who isn't? Oh yeah, McCain isn't. Mitt has a history of flipping on issues more than others. Let's not fool ourselves about this man's faith either. Talk about splitting a party. Maybe it shouldn't be an issue, but it is. Rush has made up his mind and has finally let the cat out. He doesn't like middle America, evangelical conservatives. You are smart enough to make up your own mind - aren't you?

Now to Indiana's short legislative session. You see there is no budget to pass this time around and, oh yeah, it is an election year so the good folks take off early to campaign. All the talk has been about property taxes. There is another very important issue that desperately needs your action. SJR 7 is in committee and needs to pass, or a resolution has to be established, for the marriage amendment to appear on the fall ballot. This needs to happen this fall. Presidential elections bring voter turnout up and that will help this cause. Call your representative and tell them to push SJR 7 through, now! This is too important to put on the back burner. I'm sure they can work on two things at once.

Has Conservatism Come To This?

We hear it all the time - The Republican Party is at a crossroads. There is talk of a new party being formed. Controlling interests want to take the party in different directions. Where did it all go wrong. The Republican Party - the party of Lincoln and Reagan - is a mere shadow of its former self. The contract with America that ushered Newt Gingrich and the Republican majority into power in congress in the mid 1990's has vanished. It used to be personal responsibility, lower taxes through smaller government, peace through strength and a return to the moral gravity that founded this country and kept it on track. Now it's earmarks and the largest government since the Great Society. It's breaking from the party to withhold money from the troops. It's limiting free speech by so called campaign finance reform. It's open borders and closed markets. These days it is difficult to tell the difference between McCain and Bill Richardson. At least Richardson has balanced a budget! Let's face it people, none of the candidates on the right are truly right. They all have issues that do not line up with traditional conservative values. Does that mean we split the party or refuse to vote because there are issues? We can't afford that. The alternative is even worse. The grassroots campaign has begun. Just like the summer of 2007 when we crashed the switchboard on the Hill, we need to let these candidates know what we expect. We need to find qualified people to run for office. We need to reclaim the conservative platform before it vanishes. The alarm clock is going off, don't hit the snooze button.