Governor-Elect, 2011 Inaugural Committee Partner with Wounded Warrior Project

This is such a great idea out of Governor-Elect Rick Scott. Looking forward to seeing him as the next Florida Governor. If you want to feel good about a candidate, read this article and look at the pictures.

Governor-Elect, 2011 Inaugural Committee Partner with Wounded Warrior Project
November 22, 2010

FT LAUDERDALE — Governor-Elect Rick Scott and Executive Director Steve Nardizzi, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) today announced a partnership between the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee and Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that provides programs and services for injured service members and their families.

“The heroes protecting and defending our nation at home and around the world are the heart of Florida and a shining example for us all. I am honored to highlight their tremendous sacrifices and continued contributions to our state through this partnership with Wounded Warrior Project,” said Governor-Elect Rick Scott.

The 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee is organizing more than a dozen events across the state, many of them free and open to the public, and is funded through the generosity of private donations. Proceeds from these contributions to the Inaugural Committee will be distributed to Wounded Warrior Project.

“Wounded Warrior Project harnesses the strength and determination of the young men and women who serve our nation and I am proud to announce the Inaugural Committee’s commitment to contributing to their valuable work through this unconditional gift,” said Ambassador Francis Rooney, Co-Chair of the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee.

Last week, Governor–Elect Rick Scott visited the headquarters of the Wounded Warrior Project in Jacksonville, Florida where he ate lunch and visited with several wounded warriors transitioning into civilian life after their military service in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Photos courtesy of Debra Cox, Florida National Guard)

“Wounded Warrior Project was born out of, and continues to be sustained by, the spirit of compassion—one wounded warrior helping another. We are thankful for that same compassionate spirit shared by Governor-Elect Scott, the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee, and the people of Florida for their generosity in making this gift possible,” said Steve Nardizzi, executive director of Wounded Warrior Project.

Over 40,000 of our nation’s armed forces have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury. WWP assists wounded warriors and their families through a holistic approach to their recovery, providing programs and services to aid their physical rehabilitation and improve their mental health and well-being.

About Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Politico: Angle's campaign sank candidate

Some people might ask why anyone would cover a campaign that is over and the candidate lost but this is one of those Lessons Learned moments that everyone running for office needs to read.

You don't hire friends to be Campaign Managers. You hire experienced people when you are running for a Senate seat especially against someone like Harry Reid. Tea Party people may be well intentioned but most don't have a clue about how to run campaigns unless they have been working in campaigns for some time. Most are neophytes to campaigns that someone like her Campaign Manager took full advantage of to get his way which cost her the seat. Not sure she would have won anyway with her stance on some issues but she would have had a better chance.

This is another case where the Tea Party Express and Sen DeMint went in full force for Sharron Angle which was a mistake. Don't think much vetting was done on some candidates as they looked for the most conservative to win the primary but in a lot of instances that person was not a good candidate for the general election. This 'purity' crap has to stop if we ever want to take the Senate. William F. Buckley was right when he said "The wisest choice would be the one who would win. No sense running Mona Lisa in a beauty contest. I’d be for the most right, viable candidate who could win.” It was true when he said it in 1967 and is true today.

Takes a lot to win a statewide election and from what was coming out of the campaign all along, there was no ground game by the Angle campaign. Her campaign manager is one of the more inept around although Christine O'Donnell and her campaign manager may be worse if that is possible. Then you can throw in Joe Miller and his campaign in Alaska. These candidates were not vetted properly before the primary when DeMint, Palin, and the Tea Party went all in.

Lessons learned from the Angle campaign is very simple -- wrong candidate was elected in the primary thanks to some people spreading false information about better candidates in order to get her the win. One thing I have learned in recent years is that sometimes the far right and the far left have some things in common like doing anything they can to get their candidate elected including lying if they need to or cheating to win.

We are seeing that in Alaska right now with Joe Miller who refuses to admit that he lost to Lisa Murkowski, the write-in candidate, and according to Anchorage Daily Senator Demint is still funding Miller who has lost except for the final certification which is being held up because of his lawsuit(s). Miller has been on Fox News lying several times and doesn't get called on it which is strange because anyone who has followed the race knows he is lying. Alaska GOP has told him to concede but Miller who was a bad candidate is still looking for more dollars and unfortunately, if the media is right Sen DeMint is sending him more.

Hope some people are realizing because someone was in the military does not make them the best candidate to run. Having been around the Air Force for most of my adult life, there are some really fine people I would vote for in a minute, and there are some I wouldn't vote for if they ran for dog catcher. It is like that in all walks of life and the military is no different.

This is one of the best critiques we have seen about the Nevada Senate race. For someone who supposedly got $14M in donations would like to know how the money was spent by the Angle campaign because most of the ads that went statewide were paid for by the NRSC. What a waste for the NRSC to spend $750,000 on this incompetent campaign. Will give than an "A" for effort as they were working with a candidate campaign that wouldn't listen and had a campaign manager who spent more time in his Missouri home than in Nevada. That was a seat that was winnable, but you don't win with bad candidates and their campaign staff. A good candidate would have taken advice they were being given by NRSC and others to heart instead of relying on friends.

Angle's campaign sank candidate

By SHIRA TOEPLITZ | 11/21/10 5:18 PM EST Updated: 11/21/10 6:13 PM EST

It’s widely recognized that in the marquee 2010 Senate race, Majority Leader Harry Reid ran a nearly flawless, textbook campaign, an operation so extraordinary that it enabled him to defy an almost certain political death.

It turns out he got some inadvertent inside help. Interviews with Nevada and Washington Republicans familiar with the campaign of Reid’s GOP opponent, Sharron Angle, describe a not-ready-for-prime-time effort that was equally astonishing — a model of dysfunction that was as bad as Reid’s campaign was good.

At the center of it was Terry Campbell, Angle’s closest adviser, who held the title of campaign manager.

A longtime political ally to Angle, Campbell ran her campaigns for the state Legislature almost a decade ago before taking the reins of her long-shot Senate primary bid along with another veteran supporter, Jerry Stacy, and several tea party volunteers.

Running a primary campaign out of the candidate’s living room, Stacy and Campbell were the only two staffers on Angle’s payroll — and the only two aides she thanked publicly in her June victory speech.

That proved to be the high point of the campaign.

In one occasion that was emblematic of the chaos that marked the fall effort, Campbell nearly scuttled an appearance by Sen. John McCain while the 2008 GOP presidential nominee was midair on the way to an Angle rally at The Orleans Hotel and Casino.

While McCain was en route to the event, held five days before Election Day, Angle was bombarded with calls from teary tea party activists who begged her not to campaign with the Arizona senator because they contended he was not conservative enough to appear on the same stage with her.

The source of the emotional appeals from some of Angle’s most loyal followers? Campbell himself did the urging, according to multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of the incident. Much to the relief of national Republicans, Angle ignored their pleas, and the McCain event went on without a hitch.

“In the 20 years that I’ve been involved politically, I’ve never had the misfortune of working with such sheer, utter incompetence. Too much is at stake in these political campaigns — people like Campbell don’t need to be anywhere near them,” said Chris LaCivita, who served as political director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee this fall and worked directly with the Angle campaign. “If they were filming a sequel to the movie 'Dumb and Dumber,' Terry Campbell would have a feature role.”

After capturing the nomination, Campbell was consistently unaware of the daily metrics in the campaign, including the cash-on-hand situation and which advertisements were on the air, according to several Republican operatives who were frequently on conference calls with him.

Read more: Politico

The Journal Editorial Review: Deficit Commission -- Paul Ryan: What Conservatives are Missing!

The first part of the The Journal Editorial Review with Paul Gigot video from The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2010, covers the Deficit Commission where Paul Ryan sits as a member. Cong Paul Ryan (R-WI) gives the real facts on Tax Reform by the Deficit Commission. It turns out it is not about raising taxes that we are hearing from some conservative sites and pundits unless you are talking about no mortgage deduction on a 2nd home or a mortgage over $500,000 for starters.  Seems they completely missed the recommendation to lower tax rates on business and individuals with the top rate of individuals going to 28%.

Ryan as a member of the Commission and doesn't like everything and doesn't expect lower tax rates to get approval from Obama because he is a class warfare person who believes in redistributing the wealth of Americans. Ryan said Republicans need to be a pro-growth, low tax party and what the Republicans plans are for the 112th Congress beginning on January 3, 2011. Obama didn't want Medicare or Medicaid looked at by this Commission so they ignored these programs. IMO best guess is because he didn't want Obamacare looked at with a fine toothed comb especially with Paul Ryan sitting on the Commission.

Congressman Paul Ryan takes over the Chairman of the Budget Committee in January and gives his plans on the second part of this video. Gigot reveals that Dave Camp (R-MI) will be taking over as Chairman of Ways and Means which writes the Tax Laws and is made of the same cloth as Paul Ryan. Things should get very interesting House starting on January 3rd.

The video also gives an update on TSA Reviews. Long but well worth watching. Paul Gigot does a very good job of interviewing.




It is time that we start questioning some of the Conservative websites along with the liberal ones and ask what is in it for them when they come out with less than truthful information. One thing is to get contributions to continue their fight from both sides. Be very wary of any site charging to send a fax as this is a great way to raise money for the people who run the site.  It pains me to see the same tactics being used by some members of the right that the left has used.

Anyone can log onto the sites of the Houseor Senate to find the websites of their member of Congress or Senators, click on their link, and leave their comment or call their office if you don't like something. Personal contact with the member from their constituent is much better than a petition signed by many people not in their district or state. Don't forget if you are going to criticize a member be prepared to thank them when they do the right thing. Even if you don't like something they have done, being rude is not going to get you very far. Be reasoned with your complaint because the person answering the phone is not the Member of Congress.

Don't know about anyone else but this 'sky is falling' mentality from some conservative websites is getting really annoying. So many emails I am getting have no basis in fact. On Friday received numerous emails saying a bill was about to be passed in the Senate and send faxes at their website, but the bill has never left Committee.

Then we have the threats now from National Tea Party people along with some Conservatives to do as they say or else. That's beyond annoying and starting a blow back from a lot of individual Tea Party people along with Republican grassroots. What we saw out of the Tea Party Patriots sending out private cell phone numbers and email accounts of incoming Freshman was so wrong and so arrogant. These people talk about elitist, then they should look in the mirror.

The holidays are coming up and time for some people to chill out and not expect to see the bogeyman around every corner. Enjoy the holidays, spend time with your family, and remember on January 3rd, 2011, a new day dawns as the 112th Congress is sworn into office.

Enjoy the Weekend! House of Representative Updates.

To recap the last week after Congress returned, Nancy Pelosi was elected as Minority Leader of the House Democrats even though the more moderates went after her. She won by a large margin because Progressives think they lost so many seats because they didn't go far enough. That is an idea that they need to keep pushing into the 2012 elections.

Cong Charles Rangel (D-NY) will be censured by the House but frankly after being found guilty on 10 counts he should have been ousted from his seat. If he had any ethics, he would resign but those words 'ethics' and 'Rangel' are like oil and water.

Now to the Good News of the week!

Republicans look to be picking up another seat as Ann Marie Buerkle in NY-25 has cleared the hurdle of Onondoga County in NY and only votes left to count are absentee in a county where she has her most strength so you can safely chalk up 241 seats for the Republicans. Most of us in our wildest dreams didn't think we would be at 241 and the Democrats at 194 after the election.

On Wednesday, Nov 17, Republicans elected their new Leadership Team:

Speaker of the House: Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)
Majority Leader: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Majority Whip: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Conference Chairman: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
NRCC Chairman: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Policy Committee Chairman: Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)
Conference Vice-Chair: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
Conference Secretary: Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
Freshman Representative: Rep.-elect Kristi Noem (R-SD)
Freshman Representative: Rep.-elect Tim Scott (R-SC)
Rules Committee Representative: Rep. David Dreier (R-CA)
Chairman of the Leadership: Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)

Congratulations to all the new members of leadership and especially to Speaker-Elect Boehner. We are so happy to see Eric Cantor as Majority Leader and Kevin McCarthy as Majority Whip because along with Paul Ryan, the budget guru, the three of them ran the Young Guns program under the leadership of the NRCC Chair Pete Sessions (R-TX) which helped bring the Republicans all the new faces for the 112th Congress. With the reelection of the NRCC Chair Pete Sessions for another term the Republicans are in the fight for more seats in 2012 with the Young Guns ready to ramp up again. These newly elected Young Guns were prolific fundraisers for their races. It is an exciting time to realize on January 3, 2011, we will have 241 seats in the House versus 194 (tentative) seats for the Democrats.

We hated to see Mike Pence resign as the Conference Chair as he did such an excellent job but he is weighing his options for running for a different office in 2012. We wish him Good Luck in what ever position he chooses to run. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), the new Conference Chair, will do an excellent job as he moves to Conference Chair from Chair of Policy Committee. With two new Freshman, Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Tim Scott (R-SC) on the new Leadership, we expect a lot of new and fresh ideas coming out of this whole group.

Senator John Boehner answers questions about the plane that Pelosi has been using and the direction of the 112th Congress in the latest of his mail bag YouTube videos where he replies to people from his district who have submitted suggestions:




Enjoy your weekend with football or being outdoors in areas where the weather is still fairly warm before the colder temperatures take over.

For those traveling this weekend for the Thanksgiving Holidays next week, have a safe trip!

From Citizens United: What are the Democrats Giving You for Christmas (1, 2, 3)?

No More Boycotts -- Be Thankful to be an American!

There is a disturbing trend happening on the Internet now from the far right non-Republicans who some are sounding more like the far left by the day. My email this morning is filled with emails from websites attacking stores and wanting me to boycott because some store is not going to decorate for Christmas to using XMas for Christmas. The emails are trying to tell me what to think, what to say, and what to do. As a side note this mentality is nothing new. Was at a Republican Women's Meeting several years ago where one of the leaders said "If you don't go to church twice a week, you are not a Christian." Never been back to that group.

This boycott trend is getting annoying. When it first started out it meant something because boycotts would start over major items like some programming on television that was way out of mainstream. Some cable news outlets sponsors were targeted because of information the the cable networks were putting out was false. Took part in many of the efforts trying to get the cable networks to report facts not spin by joining in those boycotts but now the boycotts are happening routinely and have lost any clout they had.

A lot of it seems to be someone who perceives something is against their religion not to mention trolling for dollars to help the fight. Just maybe a company that is on the edge doesn't have money to decorate or decided not to do it this year. It is their choice as a business owner to observe or not observe a holiday. As long as they don't observe any, I don't have a problem. If they decide to observe a holiday other than Christmas, then I have a problem.

There are a lot of thin skinned people right now in the 'my way or no way' crowds from both parties. To those I would say step away from computer and interact with family and friends and get a perspective on life and what is important. Telling the rest of us what to do, what to think, and what to say is not going to work. Calling people names has to end.

Thanksgiving is coming up next week, and we have a lot to be thankful including the fact that this past election showed America truly is a center right country and that is how it should be governed -- not from the far left or the far right.

Economic issues are at the forefront of most people's concerns. Many don't know if they are going to be laid off during the holidays or not as companies continue to scale back partially because of Obamacare and what is around the corner in costs. Another is the Bush Tax Cuts that need to be approved -- we would like them to be permanent but we don't expect this President to go along and we consider it a win if they stay in place for three more years.

Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for the many blessings we have received living in America. Many of us feel so fortunate to have been born in America and give thanks every day that we live here. We are Americans by birth while many are Americans by choice. What other Country in the world do people strive so hard to come here to live and have a better life for their family?

Each of us has a right to worship in our own way -- some in churches, some in their homes, and some not at all but that's their right. The Freedom of Religion we have been granted keeps America from having a state religion. All our freedoms as so eloquently stated are 'endowed by our creator.' No one group is going to take our freedoms away without a fight. This idea that you can be told what to write or what to say or be called names has to stop. Who gave either side the position of judge and jury over anyone.

There is one thing I always admired about President George W. Bush and that is when he recognized on abortion "you can't change the law, you have to change the hearts and minds of the country." You don't change hearts and minds on any issue by getting in someone's face and giving threats if they don't follow what you say. That's not the way it is done.

As Republicans, we should be thankful the American people woke up and gave us another chance to lead on the economy and healthcare -- two issues which were high on people's minds when they went to vote. I have complete faith in the leadership of the new Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and others of the Republican leadership team and Conference that they will do everything possible to stop the march toward socialism of Obama and Pelosi. It is not a time of celebration in the House, but a time to roll up the sleeves with ideas on how to get this economy moving forward and putting America back on her feet.

With the Senate uniting I have the same hope. What people need to realize that Senators support what their states want or should in a perfect world. Sometimes they might vote for something the rest of our states wouldn't like, but they have to answer to their state not to me or others who don't live in their state.

We are faced with a lot of problems in America right now that have gotten worse the last two years, but Americans have always had a 'can do' attitude and this is no different. The men and women we have elected to the People's House are our voices in Washington. They don't need threats if they don't do something that some group wants, that they are going to be challenged in the next election when they haven't even been sworn in for the 112th Congress yet. What they need is full support unless they prove they don't deserve that support.

You can take it to the bank that these House Republicans from leadership on down are going to govern on our behalf. They did an amazing job in the 111th Congress to slow down the progress of the leftists in their march toward socialism by using every tactic they could find. We expect to see many good things come out of the 112th House starting on January 3, 2011, when Republicans led by the new Speaker John Boehner, who was unanimously elected by the Republican Conference, assumes the Speaker's Chair. We predict that John Boehner and Eric Cantor, new Majority Leader, along with their Leadership team will be the hardest working group we have ever seen the House. We have elected some Republicans with some great ideas that will be coming out in the days ahead.

As Governor-Elect Rick Scott said in Florida along with many other Governors, on January 3rd, the new Speaker John Boehner can join the chorus and declare "America Open for Business!"

God Bless our elected representatives and God Bless America!

John Boehner on Lame Duck Session

Holder Should Resign Or Be Fired, and Obama Should Apologize

We couldn't agree more that it is past time for Holder to go not only on this but many other items.  The fact that he tried this terrorist who murdered innocent people in civilian court should be all we need to know about Eric Holder.  This person was acquitted of murdering 224 innocents by a civilian jury.  Looks like one person held out for acquittal and the rest came around so not to have a hung jury according to the experts.  If there ever was a miscarriage of justice this is it and why terrorists need to be tried in military tribunals not civilian courts where some bleeding heart liberal can mess it up.

We also need to keep the terrorist in GITMO and not bring them to the prisons in this country.  If the far left doesn't like it, tough.  These terrorist want to kill us.  Also time to quit releasing the detainees at GITMO who flock back to the terrorists organizations.  Will someone in this Administration get it through their heads that Islamic Jihadists want to kill us and take over America?

Hugh Hewitt
Holder Should Resign Or Be Fired, and Obama Should Apologize
November 17, 2010

Outrage is growing at the intersection of ideology and incompetence that is the jury's collapse in the trial of Ahmed Ghailani, declared acquitted in the murders of 224 innocents, including a dozen Americans.

The outrage is growing as Americans learn more and more about how utterly avoidable this outrageous miscarriage of justice was. John Podhoretz's and Jennifer Rubin's criticisms are among the most pointed and both employ the damning word "debacle" in the title, and Powerline's Scott Johnson and John Hinderaker weigh in with "The Failure Option." Eric Holder who repeatedly declared his confidence in this process should resign and the president should apologize to the nation and especially to the families of the victims whose killed now has been declared not guilty

An email from an individual very experienced in federal criminal proceedings comments:

An email from an individual very experienced in federal criminal proceedings comments:


This smells like a compromise verdict to me. On Monday you had the report that a juror asked to be excused, claiming she was the lone holdout and she feared continuing verbal assaults on her by the other jurors for refusing to agree with them.

I suspect the 11 jurors wanted to convict on all counts, and this one juror refused.

In order to reach a verdict, the 11 jurors agreed to join her in acquitting him on all counts but one, in exchange for her agreeing to convict him on the one count -- which sounds the least serious based on its description in the indictment.

But, the potential sentence for that count is a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life. Its up to the district judge to determine how much time he will give him, and the judge can consider all the evidence at trial, including the evidence on the acquitted counts.

To take those counts into consideration in determining what sentence to impose, the judge is only required to find by a preponderance of evidence that the defendant was involved in the criminal conduct for which he was acquitted. He's not being punished for the acquitted conduct, rather, that conduct is to inform the judge about the nature of the defendant's character.

I expect the judge will give him life when all is said and done.

I would like to say "of course the judge will give him life," but who knows? The terrorist should be executed --should have been executed long ago. He murdered hundreds, including a dozen Americans, and his compatriots are cheering this carnival of the incompetent.

Excerpt:  Read More at Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com

Social Conservatives Attack Republican Leadership and Consultants on Behalf of Sen DeMint

Since this blog experienced what happens if you go after Senator DeMint with criticism, we take the stand that these people are sounding more like the left by the day with their threats. The ringleader where this pablam is published isn't even a Republican, Richard Viguerie, but is the same person who wanted Reagan not to seek a second term. He has been causing problems ever since and took over the Libertarian Party which is why we got some of the Libertarians back in the Republican Party. Wondered why all of a sudden they had a social agenda when they never did before. The answer is Richard Viguerie. Anyone who has followed him knows he is a grand stander whose ideas are far outside the mainstream of America. Most of these people we don't recognize their names as well. The few I do, they don't speak for me even a little.

Common Sense tells you that you support candidates from your ideology whether right or left who can win in the general. To choose the most conservative who cannot win is throwing in the towel on your agenda. William F. Buckley was right then and his words still ring true today.

This group of malcontents will never understand that they are criticizing all of us but we are not to criticize their 'leader' is not going over well among those of us conservatives who have common sense and believe you get in politics to win and advance your agenda. Losing is not an option to most of us, and we take it hard when our candidates lose. It makes it worse when your realize this group of malcontents will stay home or trash our candidates for their self-serving benefit, it makes it worse. Who died and made them king of all conservatives?

We have no idea if Senator DeMint supports this but it is causing a rift in not only in the Senate, but among consultants and Republican Conservatives who believe in the Republican Party and are being attacked by these people. Is that these small amount of people want? Threats will never get people to fall in line and in fact, are more likely to backfire.

The backfire has started as Common Sense Republican Conservatives have had it with the far right and the continual threats of the 'my way or no way' crowd. What is the difference between what some of the leftists Democrats did for Obama calling every criticism racist and this? Shutting up people's right to criticize because you don't like what they say is taking away my freedom and that of others.

Anyone with an ounce of brain knows we had some bad candidates that didn't get vetted who DeMint poured money into the races. We also didn't agree with some of the NRSC funding but in the end we won back six seats and should be grateful for that. Not sure some of the seats we lost that money would have made a difference.

With this fight breaking out maybe it is time for Common Sense Conservatives to step forward and tell the people that keep threatening to carry through. The threats and intimidation are using leftist tactics whether they want to admit it or not. Personally know a lot of people that became Independents because of the malcontents on the far right. Can understand why with this example before us, but them and the people who support them are not going to drive us out of the party.   They can take that to the bank!

DeMint Fanbois Unite!

Yeah, like I could let this go without comment. Several social conservatives (I'm assuming; I only recognize a handful of names on the list) are peeved at what they think is unfair criticism of Senator DeMint in the wake of the election.

To be honest with you, I think they're trying to seize a bit of victimhood away from Sarah Palin on behalf of DeMint. There was coverage in the papers and the cable news networks about the possibility that Palin cost the GOP some pick-ups in the House and Senate. Oh, and here at the HQ too, I guess. You know what I didn't see? People saying that it was Jim DeMint's fault. [Update: Commenters point me to this Politico piece wherein Lila Munkovski criticizes DeMint. Compared to the wall-to-wall "analysis" on TV, blogs, and newspapers that Palin was subjected to, this is weak sauce.]

Nevertheless, several social conservatives, eager to seize credit...or, um, blame on behalf of DeMint have issued the following fatwa pronouncement:

[1]We do not expect or advocate for ideological purity in the Republican Party, but we do expect the Party’s leadership to rein in those who unfairly attack Senator DeMint, who instead should be given credit for what he has done, and done with such class, honor, humility, dignity and patriotism.

[2]Since Republicans in and affiliated with the Senate who have attacked Senator Jim DeMint have an agenda, and may not heed calls to reason from the Republican leadership, let it be known that continued attacks, whether indirectly or anonymously, will result in conservatives’ responding in word and deed.

[3]Conservatives will not only challenge and beat more Republican senators in Republican primaries, but conservatives will stop funding and volunteering for the NRSC and the RNC. Instead, conservatives will send their money to, and volunteer for, Senator DeMint’s Senate Conservative Fund and the candidates Senator DeMint supports. In fact, it would be our goal for the Senate Conservatives Fund to raise more money than the NRSC.

[4]Conservatives will also work to defeat in Republican primaries those Republicans who retain consultants who criticize or try to undermine Senator DeMint.

There's a bit of preamble, but it contains such awkward (and in a few cases just plain wrong) English, that I won't inflict it on you. (Seriously, to whoever wrote this, go look up the word "unilateral" in a dictionary. It doesn't mean what you think it does.) Definitely click over to see who signed on, though. You'll recognize a few names.

But I want to give a bit of advice to these would-be defenders of Senator Dear Leader (not to be confused with President Dear Leader, the other fellow with an apparent cult following these days).

First, and most importantly, it does no good to threaten the "Party leadership" that they better shape up or else (statement [1]) while simultaneously vowing that no matter what they do (statement [2]) you still plan to defund their organizations and vote them out of office (statements [3] and [4]). Y'see, since you've already declared war, your apparent enemies (?) have little reason to give in to your demands. You showed your cards. Since you obviously have no intention of doing anything other than flipping out on the GOP, there's no point in adopting a policy of appeasement.

Second, I will be astonished if you guys manage to respond "in word and deed" to "indirect and anonymous" attacks on Senator Dear Leader. Right off the bat I'm wondering: how does one meaningfully respond in word and deed to an attack made anonymously? How would you even know at whom to make a response? Or are you saying that anonymous attacks will be met with, err...defunding the NRC and the NRSC and voting against GOP senators in primaries? Because we get that part. Frankly, I just don't think you'll be all that good at it.

Third, a whole bunch of conservatives are now pissed at you for childishly seizing the name "conservative" and purporting to speak for all of them. It's a tone thing. Don't be that guy. It provokes an indignant response: just who the hell are you? Oh, I see you're those people who signed your names to the bottom. I get that. But, again, I don't know most of you folks from Adam. And several of the organizations that appear associated with this pronouncement haven't been all that noteworthy in conservative circles for a few years. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have you on board. But don't you dare try and throw our folks overboard. They're in this too, thank you very much.

In short, grow up. The GOP just made massive gains in the House and Senate. Instead of pulling together to kick the shit out of Obama and the Democrats during the lame duck, you want to beat up your fellow conservatives and Republicans for imaginary slights to your Senator Dear Leader. Trust me when I say that Jim DeMint and his putative place within the "movement that is the successor to Ronald Reagan, William F. Buckley, Jr., and other great progenitors of the conservative movement" is less on the minds of the average GOP voter than you think.

Source: Ace of Spades HQ

No Presidential Talk Until after New Year's Please!

This is getting annoying that candidates are coming out of the woodwork saying they might run. Our new 112th Congress doesn't take office until January 3rd, 2011, and no talk of who is going to run for President should even be discussed before that. We have just come off a long election season and a lot of people who were involved in races would like some time to decompress from a campaign and enjoy the holidays without being bombarded.

The spotlight right now should be on the House and Senate where there is a lame duck session in progress, and plans are being made for the 112th Congress. That should be it until 2011 but now Republicans have some grand standers that cannot wait to get the word out they are considering running. Trust us doing this right now with the lame duck in session is not winning any support. We are tired of campaigns and candidates right now when we still have candidates whose races are in recount or contested.

On that note, Lisa Murkowski has been declared the winner by the AP and LA Times in Alaska. If all the disputed write-ins were tossed (they won't be), Miller doesn't have enough votes to win or even qualify for a state paid recount. Now he wants the State to pay for all votes to be counted by hand not machine even though he doesn't qualify. Since many states use the fill in the dots and those votes are pretty accurate tallies, no way he makes up the votes but it keeps him in the spotlight so more people will send money. With the lawyers he hired, he is turning into an Al Gore lite.

Miller is one candidate that vetting didn't catch because he had his records sealed and used the Obama defense from them being unsealed but it didn't work as the courts finally unsealed them. Once they were unsealed and people found out what a horrible candidate he was, the write-in for Murkowski took off.

Telling Alaskans they were basically too dumb to write in Murkowski was a dumb move on Miller's part or telling Alaskan tribes they should speak English or not vote was another dumb move. Having the Tea Party Express camp out in AK for weeks was another dumb move. After Palin pushing him against Murkowski, he refused to say if he thought she was qualified to be President. Anyone who sent money to his campaign should ask for a refund. If Miller's records had come out before the primary, he never would have won.

This is a perfect example of why all the records of a candidate for national office should be an open book. This idea that someone wants our vote but won't release details of their background has to end.

Like or dislike Murkowski, she ran only the second write-in campaign for Senator in the history of the Senate. The lies told about Murkowski by Miller supporters were mind boggling, and we are not a Murkowski fan. Frankly never paid that much attention to her but if we were in Alaska, we would have been writing in Lisa Murkowski.

About some of those challenged ballots by the Miller supporters:

Murkowski, Lisa
Lisa Murkowski Republican (they said that one meant they wanted Miller)
M in cursive rest printed perfectly
r that someone said looks like a v

You get the picture of why the election board supervisor didn't toss some of those write-ins when it was obvious who they voted for -- caused Miller to be the laughingstock with some of the ballots that they wanted tossed. They were set aside and even then with set aside ballots Miller still does not have the votes. Not to mention a lot of Miller supporters are now backing Murkowski in Alaska because of Miller's actions in the recount and all the truth coming out on his background.

This has been an interesting race to watch and shame on Fox News for giving Miller so much air time to spread his half truths and a few lies. Most of the fraud he said happened was for consumption of the lower 48 to send him money as it was never reported to the election board by the poll watchers but it was after he hired one of the sleeziest election lawyers, Floyd Brown, of Willie Horton fame. All of a sudden fraud appeared out of nowhere when he talked to the media but no complaints filed.

Murkowski hired Ben Gingsberg of Bush 2000 fame who is an expert on election law and spent little in Alaska when he discovered the voting was proceeding in an honest manner.

We are happy to see that the unethical Joe Miller is not going to be the Senator from Alaska. Last thing the Senate needed was another unethical person -- they have enough. Anyone who scams the system like Miller has is not someone you want in the Senate.