Thursday, February 28, 2008
It's True
I couldn't beleive when I saw it either. But, Rush Limbaugh is urging Republicans to vote on the Democratic ticket. And... he wants them to vote for Hillary! You have to read this for yourself!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
It's Here! Super-Duper Tuesday!
My fair state, also known as the bellwether state in elections, votes today. Here are the predictions for today.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Dr.Dobson Will Not Vote for McCain
While John McCain has risen to the top of the heap among contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson remains adamant that he will not support McCain’s bid for the White House.
Dobson, one of the nation’s most influential evangelical Christians, declared more than a year ago that he wouldn't support McCain under any circumstances, saying McCain didn't support traditional marriage values.
A Dobson spokesman told the New York Times’ David Kirkpatrick Wednesday that he stood by that position, and as a matter of conscience could never vote for the Arizona Senator.
According to the paper, Dobson is joined by a slew of other prominent conservatives who oppose McCain on a number of issues:
Talk radio host Mark Levin urged visitors to the National Review’s Web site to “rally for Romney” to ward off a McCain win, saying: “Conservatives need to act now, before it is too late.”
Talker Rush Limbaugh told listeners on Thursday: “McCain is in a lot of these places not actually the Republican candidate. He is the candidate of enough Republicans, but [also] independents and moderates and probably even some liberals.”
Pat Toomey, president of the anti-tax organization Club for Growth, said in comments reported by the New York Times: “I have yet to see McCain make any attempts to reach out to free market conservatives.”
Conservatives fault McCain for voting against President Bush’s tax cuts and a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and for supporting embryonic stem cell research, looser immigration rules and stricter environmental regulations.
Conservatives were particularly irked when McCain made a deal with Democrats to break a deadlock on judicial nominations, according to the Times.
Anger over that compromise was rekindled this week when Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund wrote that McCain had privately criticized Bush’s Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito because “he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.” The McCain campaign denied that report.
Following McCain successes in early primary states, however, other conservatives are beginning to warm up to his campaign:
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, who previously opposed a McCain nomination, said: “He has moved in the right direction strongly and forcefully on taxes.”
Former McCain foe Tony Perkins, a prominent Christian conservative, told the Times: “I have no residual issue with John McCain,” adding the candidate needed to “better communicate” his stand on social issues.
Richard Land, an official with the South Baptist Convention, agreed, noting that McCain “is strongly pro-life.” He said: “When I hear Rush Limbaugh say that a McCain nomination would destroy the Republican Party, what I want to say to Rush is, ‘You need to get out of the studio more and talk to real people.’”
Dobson, one of the nation’s most influential evangelical Christians, declared more than a year ago that he wouldn't support McCain under any circumstances, saying McCain didn't support traditional marriage values.
A Dobson spokesman told the New York Times’ David Kirkpatrick Wednesday that he stood by that position, and as a matter of conscience could never vote for the Arizona Senator.
According to the paper, Dobson is joined by a slew of other prominent conservatives who oppose McCain on a number of issues:
Talk radio host Mark Levin urged visitors to the National Review’s Web site to “rally for Romney” to ward off a McCain win, saying: “Conservatives need to act now, before it is too late.”
Talker Rush Limbaugh told listeners on Thursday: “McCain is in a lot of these places not actually the Republican candidate. He is the candidate of enough Republicans, but [also] independents and moderates and probably even some liberals.”
Pat Toomey, president of the anti-tax organization Club for Growth, said in comments reported by the New York Times: “I have yet to see McCain make any attempts to reach out to free market conservatives.”
Conservatives fault McCain for voting against President Bush’s tax cuts and a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and for supporting embryonic stem cell research, looser immigration rules and stricter environmental regulations.
Conservatives were particularly irked when McCain made a deal with Democrats to break a deadlock on judicial nominations, according to the Times.
Anger over that compromise was rekindled this week when Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund wrote that McCain had privately criticized Bush’s Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito because “he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.” The McCain campaign denied that report.
Following McCain successes in early primary states, however, other conservatives are beginning to warm up to his campaign:
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, who previously opposed a McCain nomination, said: “He has moved in the right direction strongly and forcefully on taxes.”
Former McCain foe Tony Perkins, a prominent Christian conservative, told the Times: “I have no residual issue with John McCain,” adding the candidate needed to “better communicate” his stand on social issues.
Richard Land, an official with the South Baptist Convention, agreed, noting that McCain “is strongly pro-life.” He said: “When I hear Rush Limbaugh say that a McCain nomination would destroy the Republican Party, what I want to say to Rush is, ‘You need to get out of the studio more and talk to real people.’”
Monday, January 28, 2008
Gingrich rings in on State of the Union before the speech
In a few hours, President Bush will give his seventh State of the Union Address.
There is much the President can rightly say that is good about the state of our union tonight. The men and women of our armed forces are succeeding in Iraq. President Bush will call on Congress to pass earmark reform legislation, something the Republican members have already agreed to do. And, thankfully, in the six-plus years since thousands were murdered on Sept. 11, 2001, America has not suffered another terrorist attack.
But let's be honest: There is also much that is failing our union today.
America is experiencing a failure of leadership on a scale that dwarfs the successes or failings of any individual elected official. It is a failure of our political parties to lead, the failure of Washington to respond to America's challenges, the failure of our mainstream media to tell the truth, and above all, the failure of our political system to provide the change we need.
A System Designed by and for Consultants and Special Interests
It's no accident that "change" has become the watchword of the 2008 presidential election.
But paying lip-service to "change" and actually producing it are two very different things.
Our current system of politics and government can't deliver change, because that's not what it was designed to do. The system was created by consultants and special interests in order to keep the former employed and keep the latter in power.
To get the change we need -- what you have heard me refer to many times as "real change" -- we need to break out of the current system and go straight to the American people.
The Platform of the American People: Play Along at Home During the State of the Union
As you know, at American Solutions, going straight to the American people is precisely what we have done. We spent half a year meeting with you, holding solutions workshops in your towns and online, and asking you directly through a series of national polls what you would like to see changed about America and how.
The result is something that many "Winning the Future" readers are familiar with by now. We call it the Platform of the American People because it is an agenda of solutions for America that are supported by a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
If you haven't read the Platform of the American People yet, you can at AmericanSolutions.com/platform.
The principles that inspired the Platform and the lessons we learned compiling it are also in my new book, Real Change: From the World that Fails to the World that Works, available here.
Will It Be a Real Change SOTU? Or Just Politics as Usual? You Make the Call
Here's one thing you can do: Go to AmericanSolutions.com and print out a copy of the Platform of the American People. And then tonight, as you listen to the President's speech and the subsequent Democratic response, compare and contrast both with the Platform of the American People.
Will it be a Real Change State of the Union? Or just Washington politics as usual?
You make the call.
Tonight's speech is an opportunity for our political leaders in Washington to take up the challenge being clearly sent by voters in the presidential primary: America wants change -- real change -- in Washington.
What To Look for in Tonight's Speech
With your Platform of the American People in hand, here are a few questions to ask yourself about tonight's speech.
Is It an Appeal to Red Versus Blue America or to Red, White and Blue America? It's a media-perpetuated myth that Americans are sharply divided between so-called red and blue states. In fact, America has a natural, overwhelming, center-right majority -- a majority that has a better grasp of the challenges facing us then the professional Washington political class.
Does the President Call for Abolishing the Capital Gains Tax? More than short-term gimmicks, the American economy needs real, permanent changes that will make us more competitive and productive. Abolishing the capital gains tax would create a foundation of new investments for long-term economic growth.
Is There a Call for English as the Official Language of Government? Overwhelming majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents support this and other changes to unify America and defend American civilization.
Does Protecting Legal Immigration and America's Borders Get the Attention It Deserves? Americans favor legal immigration, control of the border, employer responsibility, immediate deportation of illegal aliens convicted of a felony, a requirement to return home to get in line for legal, temporary worker status, and assimilation of new American citizens and legal permanent residents.
Does the Speech Call for Increased Investment in Math and Science Education? The next 25 years will bring four to seven times more advances in science and technology than the previous 25 years. America must seize this historic opportunity to meet some of our most pressing challenges or risk falling behind the rest of the world.
Does the Speech Recognize Our Responsibility To Be Good Stewards of God's Creation? We can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment if we use innovation and new technology rather than litigation and regulation to protect the environment.
What About the Future of Social Security? Americans believe that it is critical that the President and Congress address the health and welfare of Social Security in the next few years. The survival of the system requires optional personal Social Security savings accounts for younger workers.
Does the Speech Rally America to a New Commitment to Freedom of Religious Expression in the Public Square? The best way to ensure religious freedom is to protect all religious references and symbols, including those on public buildings, lands or documents.
Does the Speech Call for Steps to Defend America Beyond the President's Successful Change of Course in Iraq? The Platform of the American People calls for the defense of America and her allies and for the defeat of America's enemies. It also supports Congress' making it a crime to advocate acts of terrorism, the development of programs by the Department of Homeland Security to teach Americans what we can do as individuals to help fight terror, and the use of "computer warfare" to shut down terrorist websites at home and abroad.
President Bush has led the country honorably and ably on many of the questions listed above. Tonight, he and the United States Congress have opportunity to begin to do fundamentally more:
An opportunity to break out of a system that resists real change.
An opportunity to rally the American people to meet our greatest national challenges together.
An opportunity to start moving government from the world that fails to the world that works.
Tonight is truly a unique opportunity. For the sake of my children and grandchildren -- and yours -- I hope our leaders take it.
P.S. -- I will share my reaction on whether or not it was a Real Change State of the Union Address during a webcast this Thursday. Click here to register for the webcast.
There is much the President can rightly say that is good about the state of our union tonight. The men and women of our armed forces are succeeding in Iraq. President Bush will call on Congress to pass earmark reform legislation, something the Republican members have already agreed to do. And, thankfully, in the six-plus years since thousands were murdered on Sept. 11, 2001, America has not suffered another terrorist attack.
But let's be honest: There is also much that is failing our union today.
America is experiencing a failure of leadership on a scale that dwarfs the successes or failings of any individual elected official. It is a failure of our political parties to lead, the failure of Washington to respond to America's challenges, the failure of our mainstream media to tell the truth, and above all, the failure of our political system to provide the change we need.
A System Designed by and for Consultants and Special Interests
It's no accident that "change" has become the watchword of the 2008 presidential election.
But paying lip-service to "change" and actually producing it are two very different things.
Our current system of politics and government can't deliver change, because that's not what it was designed to do. The system was created by consultants and special interests in order to keep the former employed and keep the latter in power.
To get the change we need -- what you have heard me refer to many times as "real change" -- we need to break out of the current system and go straight to the American people.
The Platform of the American People: Play Along at Home During the State of the Union
As you know, at American Solutions, going straight to the American people is precisely what we have done. We spent half a year meeting with you, holding solutions workshops in your towns and online, and asking you directly through a series of national polls what you would like to see changed about America and how.
The result is something that many "Winning the Future" readers are familiar with by now. We call it the Platform of the American People because it is an agenda of solutions for America that are supported by a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
If you haven't read the Platform of the American People yet, you can at AmericanSolutions.com/platform.
The principles that inspired the Platform and the lessons we learned compiling it are also in my new book, Real Change: From the World that Fails to the World that Works, available here.
Will It Be a Real Change SOTU? Or Just Politics as Usual? You Make the Call
Here's one thing you can do: Go to AmericanSolutions.com and print out a copy of the Platform of the American People. And then tonight, as you listen to the President's speech and the subsequent Democratic response, compare and contrast both with the Platform of the American People.
Will it be a Real Change State of the Union? Or just Washington politics as usual?
You make the call.
Tonight's speech is an opportunity for our political leaders in Washington to take up the challenge being clearly sent by voters in the presidential primary: America wants change -- real change -- in Washington.
What To Look for in Tonight's Speech
With your Platform of the American People in hand, here are a few questions to ask yourself about tonight's speech.
Is It an Appeal to Red Versus Blue America or to Red, White and Blue America? It's a media-perpetuated myth that Americans are sharply divided between so-called red and blue states. In fact, America has a natural, overwhelming, center-right majority -- a majority that has a better grasp of the challenges facing us then the professional Washington political class.
Does the President Call for Abolishing the Capital Gains Tax? More than short-term gimmicks, the American economy needs real, permanent changes that will make us more competitive and productive. Abolishing the capital gains tax would create a foundation of new investments for long-term economic growth.
Is There a Call for English as the Official Language of Government? Overwhelming majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents support this and other changes to unify America and defend American civilization.
Does Protecting Legal Immigration and America's Borders Get the Attention It Deserves? Americans favor legal immigration, control of the border, employer responsibility, immediate deportation of illegal aliens convicted of a felony, a requirement to return home to get in line for legal, temporary worker status, and assimilation of new American citizens and legal permanent residents.
Does the Speech Call for Increased Investment in Math and Science Education? The next 25 years will bring four to seven times more advances in science and technology than the previous 25 years. America must seize this historic opportunity to meet some of our most pressing challenges or risk falling behind the rest of the world.
Does the Speech Recognize Our Responsibility To Be Good Stewards of God's Creation? We can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment if we use innovation and new technology rather than litigation and regulation to protect the environment.
What About the Future of Social Security? Americans believe that it is critical that the President and Congress address the health and welfare of Social Security in the next few years. The survival of the system requires optional personal Social Security savings accounts for younger workers.
Does the Speech Rally America to a New Commitment to Freedom of Religious Expression in the Public Square? The best way to ensure religious freedom is to protect all religious references and symbols, including those on public buildings, lands or documents.
Does the Speech Call for Steps to Defend America Beyond the President's Successful Change of Course in Iraq? The Platform of the American People calls for the defense of America and her allies and for the defeat of America's enemies. It also supports Congress' making it a crime to advocate acts of terrorism, the development of programs by the Department of Homeland Security to teach Americans what we can do as individuals to help fight terror, and the use of "computer warfare" to shut down terrorist websites at home and abroad.
President Bush has led the country honorably and ably on many of the questions listed above. Tonight, he and the United States Congress have opportunity to begin to do fundamentally more:
An opportunity to break out of a system that resists real change.
An opportunity to rally the American people to meet our greatest national challenges together.
An opportunity to start moving government from the world that fails to the world that works.
Tonight is truly a unique opportunity. For the sake of my children and grandchildren -- and yours -- I hope our leaders take it.
P.S. -- I will share my reaction on whether or not it was a Real Change State of the Union Address during a webcast this Thursday. Click here to register for the webcast.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Most Disliked
It's no surprise to me, but it turns out that Mitt Romney is the most disliked among his peers. Here's the full story to find out more. And it amazes me that they think it's the attack ads that are behind all this. Who would've thought?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Along with the letter...
I thought this cartoon went along nicely with the letter which everyone still has to read!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
You have to read this!
Memo to the President and Congress: Real Change Now
To: President George W. Bush
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
From: Newt Gingrich
Re: Taking the Rest of the Year off Versus Real Change Now
We don't yet know what the outcome of today's voting in Michigan will be. However, we do know that in the four major contests of campaign '08 so far, the voters have sent a clear and consistent message: real change now.
In both Iowa party caucuses and both New Hampshire primaries, the voters voted for change.
The country is speaking loudly and clearly. The American people are rejecting the special interests, and the bureaucratic status quo in Washington. The question for you now is: What are you going to do about it?
The People Are Voting for Change. What Are You Going to Do About it?
Some argue that Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) victory in the New Hampshire Democratic primary was a sign of a lack of support for change. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sen. Clinton didn't defeat Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) by being the anti-change candidate. She defeated him by successfully arguing that her 35-year record of change was preferable to his promise of future change.
Exit polling also showed that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) rode to victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary on the issue of change. He was seen by voters as the candidate who would do things differently in Washington.
We Don't Have to Wait for Elections to Have Real Change
The back-to-back electoral earthquakes of Iowa and New Hampshire have sent an important message. Instead of taking the year off and watching the '08 campaign, the President and Congress should focus -- now, without waiting for the elections -- on giving the American people what the real change they clearly want. We need real change because the system seems neither capable nor inclined to serve the American people over itself.
Led by you, the American people have a unique opportunity to seize this political moment.
We have the desire to change our country.
We have an agenda for change, which I describe to you below.
We don't need elections. All we need is the political courage to bring about real change now.
Democrats Can't Bring About Change. Republicans Won't
My new book, Real Change: From the World That Fails to the World That Works, describes how two facts of our political process have historically stood in the way of bringing about real change in the way Washington does business. They can be summed up in four words: Democrats can't. Republicans won't.
The Democratic base of unions, government bureaucracies and left-wing special-interest groups is fully invested in Washington's status quo. For a Democratic politician, to effect change is to risk the wrath of her most important constituency.
As for Republicans, while they're closer to the core values of Americans with their belief in lower taxes, limited government, entrepreneurship and strong national defense, they're still stuck in a minority-party mindset in which they simply do not believe that in issue after issue they hold positions that are held by the majority of Americans. Until Republicans can break out of that, they won't bring about real change.
The Answer: Listen to the American People
If Democrats can't bring about change and Republicans won't, the answer is to go to the source: the American people.
American Solutions has developed a unique political document that can serve as the blueprint for change. It is an agenda of truly "tripartisan" issues -- goals for America that have the support of majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
We spent six months polling Americans and conducting nationwide Solutions workshops to develop this document. We asked Americans what values are most important to them and what solutions they'd like to see implemented to advance these values.
The results were surprising. The politicians may emphasize the negative and the news media may focus on the conflict, but Americans are united when it comes to the substantive changes they would like to see. Americans are so united that this agenda can credibly be called the "Platform of the American People."
Six Areas of "Tripartisan" Agreement among the American People
Tens of thousands of Americans have already downloaded the Platform of the American People from AmericanSolutions.com. And thousands of Iowa residents joined me in a tele-town hall meeting the night before the party caucuses to discuss the platform.
Out of the scores of tripartisan solutions contained in the platform, we have identified six that we believe are achievable by the President and Congress in the coming months and would constitute the start of real change in Washington:
To: President George W. Bush
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
From: Newt Gingrich
Re: Taking the Rest of the Year off Versus Real Change Now
We don't yet know what the outcome of today's voting in Michigan will be. However, we do know that in the four major contests of campaign '08 so far, the voters have sent a clear and consistent message: real change now.
In both Iowa party caucuses and both New Hampshire primaries, the voters voted for change.
The country is speaking loudly and clearly. The American people are rejecting the special interests, and the bureaucratic status quo in Washington. The question for you now is: What are you going to do about it?
The People Are Voting for Change. What Are You Going to Do About it?
Some argue that Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) victory in the New Hampshire Democratic primary was a sign of a lack of support for change. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sen. Clinton didn't defeat Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) by being the anti-change candidate. She defeated him by successfully arguing that her 35-year record of change was preferable to his promise of future change.
Exit polling also showed that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) rode to victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary on the issue of change. He was seen by voters as the candidate who would do things differently in Washington.
We Don't Have to Wait for Elections to Have Real Change
The back-to-back electoral earthquakes of Iowa and New Hampshire have sent an important message. Instead of taking the year off and watching the '08 campaign, the President and Congress should focus -- now, without waiting for the elections -- on giving the American people what the real change they clearly want. We need real change because the system seems neither capable nor inclined to serve the American people over itself.
Led by you, the American people have a unique opportunity to seize this political moment.
We have the desire to change our country.
We have an agenda for change, which I describe to you below.
We don't need elections. All we need is the political courage to bring about real change now.
Democrats Can't Bring About Change. Republicans Won't
My new book, Real Change: From the World That Fails to the World That Works, describes how two facts of our political process have historically stood in the way of bringing about real change in the way Washington does business. They can be summed up in four words: Democrats can't. Republicans won't.
The Democratic base of unions, government bureaucracies and left-wing special-interest groups is fully invested in Washington's status quo. For a Democratic politician, to effect change is to risk the wrath of her most important constituency.
As for Republicans, while they're closer to the core values of Americans with their belief in lower taxes, limited government, entrepreneurship and strong national defense, they're still stuck in a minority-party mindset in which they simply do not believe that in issue after issue they hold positions that are held by the majority of Americans. Until Republicans can break out of that, they won't bring about real change.
The Answer: Listen to the American People
If Democrats can't bring about change and Republicans won't, the answer is to go to the source: the American people.
American Solutions has developed a unique political document that can serve as the blueprint for change. It is an agenda of truly "tripartisan" issues -- goals for America that have the support of majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
We spent six months polling Americans and conducting nationwide Solutions workshops to develop this document. We asked Americans what values are most important to them and what solutions they'd like to see implemented to advance these values.
The results were surprising. The politicians may emphasize the negative and the news media may focus on the conflict, but Americans are united when it comes to the substantive changes they would like to see. Americans are so united that this agenda can credibly be called the "Platform of the American People."
Six Areas of "Tripartisan" Agreement among the American People
Tens of thousands of Americans have already downloaded the Platform of the American People from AmericanSolutions.com. And thousands of Iowa residents joined me in a tele-town hall meeting the night before the party caucuses to discuss the platform.
Out of the scores of tripartisan solutions contained in the platform, we have identified six that we believe are achievable by the President and Congress in the coming months and would constitute the start of real change in Washington:
- Unifying America by making English the official language of government;
- Accelerating energy solutions by dramatically increasing our investments in math and science education and by offering very large prizes, including prizes to invent an affordable car that gets 100 miles per gallon, to create new and safer ways to dispose of nuclear waste, and to find ways to reduce carbon emissions;
- Embracing a "Green Conservatism" that supports building more nuclear power plants to help cut carbon emissions;
- Implementing a prosperity agenda that includes the option of a single-rate tax system that gives taxpayers the convenience of filing their taxes with just a single sheet of paper;
- Defending God in the public square by protecting the words "under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance; and
- Protecting America by making it a crime to advocate acts of terrorism.
Your Challenge: Real Change by Easter
Each of these items has the support of a majority of Republicans, a majority of Democrats and a majority of independents. What's more, each of these goals is achievable and could be passed by Easter.
So this is your challenge: Force the issue of real change now.
In his State of the Union Address, the President should propose an agenda of real change.
And in the next three months, Congress should pass it.
There is no reason to wait 11 months to do what the American people are calling for now.
The President and Congress Have a Choice
The American people have spoken, and now you, our elected officials, must make a choice.
You can take the rest of the year off and watch the mounting frustration of the nation you were elected to serve, or you can spend the next three months collaborating to pass an agenda of real change.
This is a critical time in our national politics.
The American people are calling on you to change the bureaucratic and special-interests status quo in Washington.
Imagine the future of America if you accept this challenge.
Imagine a new era in which the vast majority of Americans are actually represented in government and politics.
Imagine a new era in which we actually get things done.
There is no reason to wait. You can and must act. The American people want real change -- now.
Your friend,
Newt Gingrich
Visit American Solutions!
New News Page
I found a new news website. It is apparently the paper that President Reagan favored. It is called Human Events and it endorses Fred Thompson. So that's something to think about. I haven't really had a chance to look at this page in depth, but most of the headlines are entertaining.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Newt Fans
Here is a little something for everyone out there who wished Newt Gingrich had run for President. It's a weekly letter from him in your email. I like the name of it....Winning the Future.
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