Mike Pearce for State Representative

I know that Mike Pearce is not running in Travis or Williamson County, but it is refreshing to find a conservative that truly believes and is running on the values that we, as conservatives, believe in. In light of how un-enthusiastic our top of the ballot candidates are now, it is is time to put our efforts into helping conservatives win their seats in down-ballot races.

Mike is running, as a Republican, in State House District 55 to replace the retiring Diane Delise. This district encompasses most of Bell County, including Temple, Belton, and Harker Heights. Mike is a fiscal conservative who is running on cutting the state budget and returning the money to taxpayers in the form of tax cuts.

Mike is a former teacher who developed his own cirriculum. He now runs his own small business promoting his history and civics cirriculum around the country. As a former teacher, he knows the problems that face our schools and advocates school vouchers as the first step to fix these problems.

Mike has garnered the endorsements of Cathie Adams (Texas Eagle Forum), Peggy Venable, Empower Texans PAC, Young Conservatives of Texas and three State Board of Education members in Ken Mercer, Gail Lowe, and Terri Leo.

Check out Mike's issues and resume at www.voteformikepearce.com.

Rooster Andrews

Saturday, at Belmont Hall at the UT campus, will be a memorial service for William "Rooster" Andrews. Rooster died this week at the age of 84. He will be remembered as an ambassador for the University of Texas.

I know Rooster should be remembered for more. He should be remembered as an ambassador for life. He was a kind and gentle man, full of wit, honest, full of integrity, and full of passion for every person. We can all learn a lot from Rooster Andrews. If we all decide to be all God made us to be and become an ambassador, striving to serve others and make your fellow man better than yourself.

What Happened to Republicans?

What Happened to Republicans?
Randy A. Samuelson

Just ten years ago, the Republican Party of Texas was working towards being the majority party in Texas for the first time since Reconstruction. Now, it is 2008 and Republicans are about to lose the majority that was held for only a brief moment in history. What went wrong?

In 1960, John Tower was elected as Senator, marking the first Republican elected statewide in Texas since 1874. From there, the conservative revolution began in Texas with Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Republicans, through extensive grassroots efforts, worked hard to elect Republicans in the general elections in the 1970’s, culminating in Governor Bill Clements in 1978. In the 1980’s, Republicans convinced many conservative Democrats to switch parties, including Senator Phil Gramm. In the 1990’s, the Republicans went for the gusto and worked toward becoming the majority party in the Texas Legislature by winning the Texas Senate, and in 1998, Republicans took control of the Texas cabinet by sweeping the statewide elected positions. In 2002, Republicans took control of the Texas House for the first time since 1877.

What happened?

It is now 2008 and the primary is upon us. Republicans in 2008 are at risk of losing the majority in the Texas House. Governor Perry was re-elected in a plurality election in 2006 in which 60% of Texans voted against him and his policies. Republicans, who drew Congressional seats for themselves, lost those seats to Democrats in 2006 (Bonilla and DeLay). The Republican Party Headquarters is more concerned about fundraising than block-walking.

Many people will say that Democrats are tarnishing the Republicans’ voting records, but is that really the case? Republicans deserve their poor voting records in many cases as they have created a new business tax and increased spending at both the local and state level. But, if these elected officials are voting their districts, can they really be blamed?

The Democrats in Texas are employing the same strategies that knocked them out of the majority party over the past 30 years. The Democrats are running one polished candidate that adheres to their platform against a field of Republicans who represent a factionalized GOP base. The Democrats are also recruiting young workers in the same fashion that the Republicans recruited in the 1970’s. By focusing on the down-ballot races and at grassroots efforts, Democrats are planning to take back power in the same way that the Republicans did in the 1990’s.

The 2008 Republican Primary is loaded with young candidates who are running to move the Party back to the platform and competing with candidates who strive to increase the role and power of government. This will be a bellwether election as to which direction the Republican Party in Texas will move to. If the winning candidates support expanding the role of government, spending increases, and tax increases, then the conservative movement needs to rethink its positions and marketing strategies. Maybe Republicans in the Texas Legislature are better off in the minority party so they can complain about issues louder instead of leading the conservative cause.

Rep. Duncan Hunter Drops Out Of GOP Presidential Race - Politics News Story - KGTV San Diego

Because of the lack of media coverage of his campaign, the video embedded in the web page linked below will likely tell you more about Duncan Hunter and his campaign than you ever saw or heard while he was a candidate:
Rep. Duncan Hunter Drops Out Of GOP Presidential Race - Politics News Story - KGTV San Diego

State of the Presidential Primary Race

John McCain has just won a narrow but crucial victory in South Carolina's GOP primary, winning 33% of the vote against Huckabee's 30%, and adding further clarity to a race that has been a bit topsy-turvy. Call it "The Comeback RINO, part two" - McCain played his cards well in this evangelical and military-retiree heavy state. Meanwhile, out west, Mitt Romney won a decisive 51% win in the Nevada caucus, taking along with it more delegates than were at stake in South Carolina.

So where is the race now?

Duncan Hunter has officially dropped out today. Fred Thompson, who staked his ground in South Carolina but ended up way short of Huckabee and a distant third, is a press release away from the same. The pundits are casting aspersions on Rudy Guiliani's lifeless corpse of a campaign, which has shown no sign of life in the first 6 primaries; Florida is make-or-break for him; even Ron Paul has won more votes than Rudy. The media is unofficially calling Huckabee dead, as he was unable to parlay his Iowa win into anything but 2nd and 3rd place showings since, including the most evangelical state in the nation, South Carolina. His runner-up speech was defiant in his promise to his flock to keep on marching, but where will he win?

After Romney's wins and 'silvers' in early primaries, Romney now still leads in total votes and total delegates. He also likely is the one remaining candidate who can fund enough of a campaign to sustain the nationwide Super Tuesday on February 5th.

Thus, the race is down to McCain and Romney as the viable candidates with a shot at the nomination, and with McCain the annointed media frontrunner on the basis of his South Carolina win. Other candidates are battling increasingly long odds. It moves to Florida, which will now be a Battle Royale to further winnow the field. NRO says:

Florida is now in the spotlight and will have the job of disposing of Rudy and giving either McCain or Romney a leg up for Super Tuesday. When looking at the big prizes on Feb. 5, one must still assume that Rudy wins NY. But other then that it’s wide open (yes, even New Jersey) and the big prizes will be contested between McCain and Romney, largely decided by whether the polls are closed to independent voters or not.

Thus we have two secnarios. In one, McCain (or Romney) rolls on through Florida decisively and parlays that into a big Super Tuesday win. In the other, the Super Tuesday outcome is indecisive ... in which case, the GOP nomination could be decided by the voters in later primary states, like Texas.

Yes, it is possible the GOP nomination will get decided here in Texas.

UPDATE:
Fredheads in state of grief

Duncan Hunter pulls out of the race

MEDIA ALERT

Congressman Duncan Hunter returns to San Diego tonight,
Saturday January 19, 2008
Media Opportunity at 8:00 PM (PST)
Broadway Pier at the end of Broadway St, San Diego

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 19, 2008

San Diego, Calif.

We started this campaign a year ago right here, in San Diego Harbor, against the backdrop of American Naval power. We launched a campaign emphasizing a strong national defense, enforceable borders and restoring the industrial base of America.

Today we end this campaign. The Nevada caucuses reflecting only 2% of the vote for me. I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it's time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable.

It's time for me to gear up for 2008's defense bill that will be put together over the coming weeks. There is work to be done in the areas of troop protection and new capabilities to be deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. And over the horizon, the emergence of Communist China as a military super power will require a new emphasis on U.S. capabilities in undersea warfare, space, and long range air-power.

The best way to maintain a new era of peace is for the U.S. to remain strong. Over the coming year I will endeavor to help craft a defense bill that meets the new security challenges.

Since our campaign began over 200,000 additional manufacturing jobs have been lost. 1.8 million jobs have left the U.S. for China. This fracturing of the U.S. industrial base is a long term threat to America. I hope that the remaining candidates will recognize it and address it. As the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, I will seek to address it.

Only hours ago a border patrolman was killed in the California Desert. This tragedy emphasizes more than ever the compelling case for the completion of the border fence. Since I wrote the bill that mandates 854 miles of double border fence only a few miles have been constructed. Over the next year in Congress I will do everything in my power to get that fence built.

Finally, for Lynn and me, the campaign over the last year has shown us this: America is a wonderful country. Our people have great character and goodness, and the meeting of new friends has enriched our lives.

The failure of our campaign to gain traction is mine and mine alone. But we have driven the issues of national security, the border fence, the emergence of China and the need to reverse bad trade policy. Because of that, this campaign has been very worthwhile, and for the Hunter family, a lot of fun.

To our friends and supporters and volunteers: many thanks. And now it's time for me to focus on developing a 2008 defense bill that serves our troops and our nation.

Thanks, and God Bless America.

Duncan Hunter



Gary Becks
Hunter for President

Media Relations

Hunter for President, Inc.

9340 Fuerte Drive

La Mesa, California 91941

United States

The Unbelievable Huckabee

Michell Malkin says "I don’t believe Mike Huckabee" on his conversion from an immigration drag queen who was seriously pro-amnesty to getting tough on immigration.

Huckabee wants big Government to outlaw push-polling by 527s and yet it's his own campaign supporters engaged in sleazy push-polling calls, putting out vicious smears against the Thompson, McCain and Romney campaigns.

Huckabee is a terrible choice, perhaps the worst choice, in the nomination race for many reasons:
1. Soft-on-crime Governor who went on a pardon/commutation spree that included freeing a dozen murderers and hundreds of other felons from jail early
2. Pro-instate-tuition for illegal aliens and for other giveaways
3. A liberal Tax-and-spender who increased taxes by 50% as Governor
4. Dissembled about his record when challenged
5. Not a conservative, but hurt conservatives in Arkansas, and called them "Shiites" when they opposed him
6. Had numerous ethics violations, including issues of taking public money for private use
7. Has flipflopped on immigration, on tax pledges, on Cuba, and other issues
8. Is an incompetent Jimmy Carteresque boob on foreign policy who even joked about his ignorance on the topic
9. Will get beaten easily by the Democrats
10. Is a nanny-stater in favor of smoking bans and CO2 caps

In a CNN interview he said the constitution is a Constitution is living, breathing document, while his website says the opposite.

Mike Huckabee is the least conservative, least qualified and now is showing himself to have the least ethical and least credible campaign of all the candidates. Unbelievable that this man is a serious candidate for President.

Whither the Conservative Movement?

Newt Gingrich talks with Rush Limbaugh about the relevence of the Reagan revolution and ideas for conservative change in the 21st century. Newt:

The challenge is for our generation to come up with a platform that is as bold, a set of solutions that are as bold, as Reagan was in 1979-1980. Reagan didn't go around and say, here's what Eisenhower would have done. He didn't go around and say here's what Goldwater would have done. He went around and said, look, here are the core, unchanging principles. Freedom works, bureaucracy strangles, lower taxes give you more freedom and give you more choices, you're better at creating jobs than government is, and he walked through a series of things like this, and then he turned those into very specific, very practical programs.

Here's Rush:

I think they think that people like me are worshiping a cult of personality with Ronald Reagan when in fact those of us who view Reagan the way I do stress conservative principles and the success that comes with it. It's fine and dandy to come up with scores of proposals, and to have policy this and policy that for dealing with various issues, but that only scratches the surface. A list of policies to take to the American people without a core principle underpinning to justify those policies and explain why they will work, is senseless. ...

The era, the Reagan era, is not over because conservatism is not over. If the Reagan coalition is dead, what replaced it? Somebody tell me that. Nothing has replaced it and that's why so many people are scratching their heads, why so many people a little nervous because there isn't any real leadership out there that causes people, inspires people to get behind it, go rah-rah, and make certain things happen. That's what's missing. Reaganism is leadership. Reaganism is conservatism. It's not a personality cult. ... We're always being told, "Abandon this Reagan stuff, Rush, it's old hat." It's not old hat. It's freedom.

We need ... both. We need timeless rock-solid principles; we need to never abandon faith in freedom; and we need new ideas, new applications of those timeless principles, to address the new problems that confront us.

2007 is coldest year this century

The Reference Frame reports that Cooling trend makes 2007 coldest year in 9 years.

The only thing hotter than ever is the global warming hype, which hit a peak in 2007. Maybe they are desperate for the CO2 regulations before people realize its an overhyped phenomenon.

After the Iowa Clusterhuck

George Will surveys the damage.

Romney wins Wyoming

This will probably be the most under-reported story in the nomination race this month, so let's mention it: With 91 percent of precincts reporting, Romney has won eight of Wyoming's 12 delegates in the Jan 5th caucus. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has won two, and California Rep. Duncan Hunter has won one. Zero for Huckabee, Zero for McCain, Zero for Rudy Guiliani.

Bravo to Mitt Romney for the win, and its good to see conservative candidates get on the scoreboard. Hunter, the guy that USA Today says should step off the campaign trail right now has more delegates than Rudy. Maybe it's Rudy who should step aside?

As of tonight, Mitt Romney leads the delegate count for the Republican nomination. Despite the Iowa caucus result - the ClusterHuck - Romney is neither down nor out.

Romney 8 delegates 5 alternates (67%)
Thompson 2 delegates 1 alternate (25%)
Hunter 1 delegate 1 alternate (8%)
McCain 1 alternate
Uncommitted 4 alternate

USA Today tries to off the candidacies of Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson

Iowa was barely over caucusing when USA Today Editors decided they knew better than Republicans in the other 49 states and better than the not yet chosen delegates to the 2008 Republican Party National Convention, who is worthy to continue the race for the Republican Party Presidential Nomination. My question for the USA Today Editors is, who in the name of democracy made you the politburo?

Click link to read the USA Today Editorial Iowa results hold lessons for the long road ahead

Note: The remainder of this post is a re-write of my comments to the Editors of USA Today Editorial.

Regarding the Editor's dictum that "...it's long past time for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., to depart the scene", I beg to differ and am reminded of the words of Mark Twain: "The report of my death is an exaggeration."

On the contrary, Huckabee is the one that may be living on borrowed time. Consider for instance Bruce Walker’s American Thinker article, "Mike Huckabee and Christian Duty". I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Walker on the total unacceptability of Huckabee’s call for Christian-State-Socialism (my term, not Walker’s).

That read reinforces my conviction that Duncan Hunter is the right man for the job. He will empower private industry, not expand government. He is the only candidate that understands and has articulated in clear and salient detail the economic and military threat to the US posed by China. He does not throw up his hands about the threat, but has proposed a viable solution to it—(1) Fair Trade in place of [un]Free Trade, and (2) empowering our manufacturing base (by fixing the trade [in]equity problem and also by tax relief targeted at manufacturers, thereby creating JOBS) so as to keep our economy and military strong.

Duncan is also unwaveringly pro-life (at both ends of life) and has remained solidly against illegal immigration since before such a stance became fashionable. He built the fence on the border in San Diego, and it works. He thus has a proven track record of protecting our borders against illegal entrance of “immigrants” (many hardened criminal and some terrorist—a few perhaps with WMD’s) who do not respect us or our law enough to obey it like desirable foreign visitors and immigrants have been willing to do throughout the life of our great nation.

I have met Duncan Hunter and can attest that he is presidential in intellect, articulation, appearance, and persona (and he can properly pronounce “nuclear”, thus. nü-klē-ər). Texas Republicans chose him over all the other candidates at the 2007 Republican Party of Texas Straw Poll event last August. I voted for him in that event. I am currently planning to vote fore him on March 4, 2008.

Please take a good look at Duncan Hunter for President. He plans to do his Christian duty to protect our way of life and our right to exercise our Judeo-Christian duties freely, using the means by which God prospers us through our Judeo-Christian faith, a Free Trade domestic economy, and Fair Trade based international trade system where we are not forced to redistribute those means either by unFree Trade or by government managed socialism.

New Leadership at TCRP with Rosemary Edwards

The TCRP (Travis Coutnry Republican Party) will have new leadership this year. A few weeks ago, Rosemary Edwards threw her hat in the ring to run as TCRP Chair. The current Chairman Alan Sager announced his retirement almost immediately, clearing the way for new leadership. Rosemary Edwards has been locally active and a precinct chair for the last few years, and should be able to pull together the activist base and unify a local party that has been a bit frayed.

Travis Republicans seem as rare as a Barton Creek salamander these days, with just a handful of Republicans elected in Travis - Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, JP Judge Bembry, and Constable Bob Vann; leaving about 50 other county and below seats to the Democrats, as well as all six state Representatives. In 2002 the Republicans had three of the six Travis House seats, so it's been a drastic decline.

When you've had a rough few years for Travis Republicans and you are down this much, you can only go up. In 2008, we have Republican candidates in four of the six House seats in Travis, and Don Zimmerman is running for the Travis county tax assessor post. It's time for a fresh start for the TCRP, and the new leadership of Rosemary Edwards at TCRP will be good for local Republicans and good for travis county voters.

Cynthia Dunbar Filing For CD-22

H/T to RedState:

According to the Texas GOP website, Cynthia Dunbar filed for the already crowded primary for the Tom DeLay seat for Congress. It is South Houston/Pasadena/Sugarland. This seat is currently held by Democrat Nick Lampson, and is heavily Republican territory. 10 other candidates have filed including Shelly Sekula-Gibbs and State Rep. Robert Talton.

Dunbar is a staunch limited government Conservative. She represents disctrict 10 on the Texas Board of Education. Top Texas GOP consultant Michael Franks described her filing as "stunning." Franks also said that Dunbar is very "Cato Institute" oriented.

Another development, Andy Mann did not file for Texas CD-14: The Ron Paul seat as expected. Mann is a helicopter pilot from Galveston and supporter of NASA. Instead he endorsed Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden against Ron Paul. Peden is a limited government Conservative, but much more mainstream than Paul.