Merry Christmas!

Well, every year we have a time set aside where we leave the politics behind, spend time with our families, and remember the Reason for the Season, that is the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. So, with that note, I will wish you a blessed holiday, and resume the political bickering after the holidays are over.

Texas Governor's Race 2010 (Continuation)

Well, I must admit something to you. I incorrectly predicted which race would be the really big one. I assumed that it would be for the Governor's Mansion, but I was wrong. The big race for 2010 (or a special election before that) is for Kay's Senate seat. Several of my main ideas for candidates have announced, or are discussing a run for her Senate seat (Michael Williams, Roger Williams, Greg Abbot, David Dewhurst, Bill White, etc). So, this post will conclude my analysis of the Governor's Race. I will soon start analyzing the Senate race.

Kay Bailey Hutchinson

Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Everyone has been talking about her. But who really knows who she is? Hutchinson was born on July 22^nd, 1943. She was raised in Texas City. She went to University of Texas, and got a Law degree. She was unable to get a job as a lawyer, and so she started working for a Houston news channel as a reporter. In 1972, she was elected to the State House, its first Republican woman. In 1990, she was elected to the office of State Treasurer. This was in a Republican year, which also swept Perry into office. Her big break came in 1993, when Lloyd Bentsen resigned his seat to become Secretary of the Treasury. In the election to finish his term, she won with 29%. In the runoff, she won 67% of the vote. Hutchinson cruised to easy victories every time she has run for re-election. In 2006, she became chairwoman of the Republican Conference, widely considered to be the number 3 position in the Republican leadership ladder. In 2008, she announced that she would not seek re-election to her leadership post, and that she would retire in 2010. On December 4^th, she formed an exploratory committee for a gubernatorial run in 2010.

Hutchinson is an extremely popular Republican who stands a good chance of defeating Perry. Perry really has only one issue that h can use. Kay Bailey Hutchinson is mildly pro-choice. This is unknown to most Republicans, and is a serious problem if they can be told that she is. She was a member of WISH List, which is the largest PAC for pro-choice Republican women. She has stated that she does not believe that abortion should be outlawed, and that Roe v. Wade was the correct decision by the Supreme Court. This is extremely alarming for me, as an ultra-conservative. I am extremely unhappy with Rick Perry, but I simply cannot support someone who is pro-choice. I will feel a little more sure about her if she resigns her seat. Soon.

Texas Governor's Race 2010

2010 Texas Gubernatorial Candidates

With the election over, it is time to start looking at the future. I will start discussing the 2010 gubernatorial election. I will be discussing each candidate, posting my article on each, one at a time. I will order the article with the first part being a biography of the politician, and the second part being my analysis of their chances. One thing is for sure: this election is going to be a battle of heavy weights, and it will be played for keeps. At the time of this writing, it appears that at least three of our most powerful politicians will be running, leaving only one of them an office when this is over. This will also create some room for younger politicians to move up the political “food chain” into the vacant offices.

Rick Perry

Rick Perry was born on March 4^th 1950, near the family ranch in Paint Creek, Texas. He received his Eagle Scout, and then went to Texas A&M University to study Animal Science, hoping to become a veterinarian. Becoming a veterinarian didn’t pan out, but he did spend time as a yell leader at A&M, a coveted position. After school he spent five years piloting C-130s in the Air Force. In 1977 he returned to the family ranch to take up the family trade. In 1984, he won his first public office, as a state representative. He was elected as a Democrat. He remained a Democrat until 1989, when he was passed up for a leadership position, and then switched parties. In 1990, an up and coming political consultant named Karl Rove saw an empty suit where he could put hi talents to work. Perry became one of his creations, and ran for his first statewide office, winning a surprise victory for the position of Agriculture Commissioner against a popular incumbent. This was one of the first signs that the Democrats’ control of the state was starting to fade. In 1998, Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock announced that he was retiring, and Perry announced that he would run for the seat. Now, in many lesser states, the office of Lieutenant Governor is nothing more than an honorary, meaningless office. However, in Texas, the Lt. Governor is more powerful than the Governor, because no legislation can come to the Senate floor, and sub-sequentially be passes, without his personal approval. This puts him in an excellent bargaining position. He served in this office until 2000, when Governor George Bush resigned to become President. Perry survived his re-election, coasting to a 58%-40% victory even though he was outspent by more than 2 to 1. One of his more controversial issues was his role in forcing through the new redistricting plan that was masterminded by Tom Delay. He also pushed through a plan for a new superhighway from Dallas, through Austin, to the Mexican border. This was approved, but two years later, was stopped by the state legislature. The most controversial issue, was when he signed an executive order requiring all Texas teenage girls to receive the HPV vaccination. This made the conservative state incredibly angry, with the state legislature overturning his order with an almost unanimous vote. He won re-election in a 4 way race, with a 39% “majority”. This has caused his nickname of “Governor Goodhair” to be replaced with “39% Perry”. On December 21^st, he will become the longest serving governor in Texas history.

Perry has many problems with the conservative base of the Republican party, and must survive a definite nomination battle. However, he does have a few advantages. First, is that he has a fundraising advantage, with over insert number million dollars. Second, he is the sitting governor of the state which will cause many loyalists to vote for him. Third, he is 100% pro-life, which is in opposition to one of his primary opponents.

Hutchinson forms exploratory committee

Well, no surprise, but Kay Bailey Hutchinson has formed an exploratory committee to look into a possible gubernatorial run. So, everybody knew that she was going to do this, so the fight is now on. Personally, I am waiting to see if she resigns her Senate seat to prove that she really wants this job. If she does not, she may have a hard time convincing me to support her.

I'm Sorry

I must apologize for the infrequency of my posting after the election. There are two reasons. First, I am in the middle of finals, and don't have a ton of spare time. The bigger reason is that I am just semi-depressed about the election outcome, and then Republican's hypocrisy over the auto bailout. However, it is time to start looking to the future, and I will start posting soon. Stay tuned for talk of the 2010 Texas political shakeup, and what the GOP should do nationally to revive their image.

Republican Establishment Bailout Lunacy!

John Boehner, the Republican House Leader, is now fighting to stop $25 billion from being given (loaned) to the failing auto industry. Many other Republicans are opposing this. This is absolute lunacy! These people approved $700 billion to bail out the financial organizations, who were the VERY people who got us into this mess, yet they will not allow just 25 billion of that to go to the auto industry that is collateral damage from the financial market! How did these people get into office? I am very interested in two things: politics and cars, so this is hitting close to home. If Republicans bail out the corrupt people who got us into this mess--those same people who are going to expensive resorts after being bailed out--but lets the only American car companies to go under, my support of Republicans is going to disappear. If they are going to throw the American auto industry under the bus, then they need to be thrown under the Republican bus. America does not need leaders like that.

Ins and Outs

Let me explain the top two boxes on the right, labeled "Ins" and "Outs". These are my speculation as to who I think will and will not run for the GOP nomination in 2012. When I update it, I will always tell you in a post, why I am moving someone.

Ins:
Newt Gingrich-Many of his staff members are hinting that this may finally be his year. Also, Robert Novak, typically plugged in, seems to think that Gingrich is running.
Tim Pawlenty- He is non-commital, and after being runner up in the veepstakes, is widely expected to run.
Mike Huckabee-He has a Fox talk show, and is starting a nationwide book tour. Need I say more?
John Thune-He needs to win reelection to the Senate, and then he would be a powerful candidate.

Outs:
Rick Perry-He was considered by many as a candidate, but he told reporters:
"Being the Texas governor is the greatest job in the world and I'm not interested in change," he said. "As a matter of fact, I'm running for re-election in 2010." So, it sounds like he will not be running.

Yes, this is still the same blog.

Howdy everyone,
This is still (or was) Joshua's Political Blog. I have renamed/redesigned it. So, I will still be writing here, it just looks different. If you would like to contribute, email: coderedgop@gmail.com

Your opinion of the new look would be much appreciated.

Palin definitely leaves the door open for a run for President

In an interview with Greta Van Susteren of Fox she was asked about future Presidential ambitions, and she said:
“You know, I have -- faith is a very big part of my life. And putting my life in my creator's hands -- this is what I always do. I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is. Even if it's cracked up a little bit, maybe I'll plow right on through that and maybe prematurely plow through it, but don't let me miss an open door. And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door.”

Sooo, everyone has been speculating on this, but we can now add Sarah Palin to our list of definite "Ins" for the Race for President. We can also almost definitely remove Gov. Mitt Romney from the list. When speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he said:
"I think it's quite unlikely that I would run for office again," he said. "I gave this my best effort. My experience in politics is that the window opens rarely. It opened for me. I stepped through it, got on the stage and did my darnedest to win the nomination. John McCain was successful and I was not."

Bill Filing Starts

Today is the first day that filing is opened for the Texas Legislature. Already some 135 House Bills and 168 Senate Bills have been filed. In the first 3 hours, more than double the bills were filed that were in the entire first day for the last session. It is estimated that 5,000 bills will be filed. And all of them have to be dealt with in 140 days. That rounds out to about 38 bills a day (50, if you don't include weekends). Oh, the joys of a limited Legislative Session. Perhaps it is time to consider an annual session. I don't think it would cause the immediate destruction of the state, but it might help to have more competent bills passed.

Cornyn for President!

Wow! In a couple of my last few posts, I mentioned "Cornyn '12". I had no idea that anyone else was echoing my sentiments until I read this (courtesy of the Houston Chronicle):
"[Running for Chairman of the NRSC] has prompted speculation that the senator [Cornyn] may establish a donor base that could position him for an eventual run for president."

This is incredibly exciting! This is just what the Republican Party needs to cure its woes. John Cornyn has the classic combination conservatism. He appeals to BOTH fiscal, and social conservatives (As opposed to McCain, Huck, Giuliani), he has no significant flip flops (Romney...), and sounds very intelligent in media interviews *cough* Palin*cough*.

Go Cornyn '12!

UPDATE: was reading the news and saw this. Popular governors don't go to Iowa right after an election when their candidate lost, without a very good reason. Looks like it is time to add another to the hunt, 4 years before the election...

We Did It!

Well my friends,
We did it! While John McCain lost (no surprise), but all 3 races that I mentioned earlier, Republicans won! Texas Republicans should congratulate themselves. I am too tired to write more now, but I will later.

This is it!

Well my friends,
Today is the day. Election Day. I urge you to go vote, and bring 5 friends with you. Some races I am most interested in:

US Senate: I fully support Senator John Cornyn for re-election. He is a strong conservative, and an advocate for our rights. He is pro-life. pro-gun, and supports an "all of the above" energy policy. He votes along my ideology almost all of the time, with one large exception.

Congressional District 22: I support Pete Olson, because he is also a strong conservative, running for Tom Delay's old seat against Nick Lamson. He served as chief of staff for John Cornyn.

Congressional District 10: I will always be interested in this race, as this is where I used to live. The DCCC has targeted Rep. McCaul for defeat. I strongly support Rep. McCaul, since he matches my ideology almost perfectly. I don't think he has ever voted "the wrong way".

So, go vote! Vote for John Cornyn! Vote Republican!

Go Vote!

The election is tomorrow. Many people are ready for it to have been over a few eeks ago. Now is the time for one final push! Call your local campaigns, and see if they need any help at the polls, or making calls. But the most important thing to do is vote! If no Republicans come vote, the liberal Democrats win by elimination. So, go vote (straight ticket Republican) and bring at least 5 Republican friends with you to vote. Then make sure that they bring 5 friends, and the movement will be started. Vote Republican!

Fiscal Week

A few months ago, the Cornyn campaign helped kick off a national debate over energy policy with their "Energy Days". Well, they are at it again. This week is Fiscal Week, where Senator John Cornyn has recorded videos on the issue that are available at www.johncornyn.com/news. Many Texans will be guest posting, as well as Gov. Mitt Romney, Grover Norquist, and Congressman Jeb Hensarling. Please help take part in this discussion.

Time to call Texas a Race

According to the most recent poll, John Cornyn has a 15 point lead in the Texas Senate race. 5 months ago, those numbers would not have been insurmountable, but 12 days from the election, there is no way to recover. In my opinion, Rick Noriega might as well concede now, no need to wait. Vote "Big John" Cornyn. Vote Republican.

Political Depression

My dear readers,
I have a confession to make: I am politically depressed. Now, this is not in reference to the state elections, as the Republicans future here still looks bright-ish. John Cornyn is expected to be swept into an easy victory, as well as the party keeping the State House and Senate, and Pete Olson may have a shot at winning District 22. No, I am referring to the national elections, and not just the Presidential Election. It is looking increasingly possible that the Democrats could get a filibuster-proof, 60 vote majority. The Democrats are also expected to pick up seats in the House. Barack Obama is trashing John McCain in the polls, both in the popular vote, and electoral. He is putting traditionally Republican states into play. I have yet to figure out how he does that! And then, in two years, I only have an inner party fight to look forward to. So, I am politically depressed. May God Bless America, despite the party which may be elected to govern.

Cornyn releases new website!

On Monday, the John Cornyn campaign will release their newly redesigned website. This will be in conjunction with the release of several tv ads, that you will be able to view on the website. As a Blogger For Cornyn, I was granted access to the new site, and can assure you that it looks like it will be a much better thought out design from the original. If you have a blog and would like to become a Blogger For Cornyn, and have your blog added to the blogroll, then email: vincent@johncornyn.com with the name of your blog, and its URL.

September 11th: A Nation Remembers--Or Does It?

Today is the 7th anniversary of the heinous attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. A few years ago on this day, thousands of people died in a cowardly attack. Life came to a standstill. Businesses closed. Everybody went home, and wondered if they were safe. I remember the sound of military jets and helicopters flying overhead all night. America was united as it had not been since WWII. We went to war with the guilty parties, George Bush had higher approval ratings than any President in history. For several years, on this day all America would stop what they were doing, and remember the dead. We would renew our resolve to hunt down and kill those responsible. But that has been changing. Today, few people even paused for a moment to remember the fallen heroes. If I had not checked the date, I would never have known that anything tragic had ever happened on this day. America has forgotten. America has gotten comfortable again. We are back to the invincible mindset we had before. I wish I could say today that America remembers, but I cannot. America, for the vast majority, has forgotten. America needs to remember.

McCain is ahead!!!!

According to Gallup's daily tracking poll, John McCain is now ahead by 3 points!! This is surprising from just a few days ago when he was down by 7. But, as I mentioned in my last post, more people watched the RNC than the DNC, which should (and did) result in positive movement for the GOP.

McCain nearing Obama in polls

McCain is only 2 points (on average) behind Obama! Just 4 days ago, he was behind by 7. John McCain also set a world record by having more people listen to a single political speech than any other time in American history. He had 4 million more people watching than did the Olympic Opening. The convention averaged having 4 million a night more than the Democratic Convention. And 10 million more than the average night of American Idol. So, John McCain is generating interest, which usually results in positive movement.

Go RNC!!!!!!

I have been watching the festivities tonight with some apprehension about Sarah Palin would do in the spotlight, and I must say, Sarah Palin is ready for the primetime! She hit her speech out of the park. Romney laid down a very powerful economic speech, which Huckabee then followed up with a very good speech, ending with a very emotionally gripping story, and connecting as only he can. Giuliani was next, and was very aggressive, overall a great speech. He was even able to get in a bitter reference! And then Palin got up to speak, and just did incredibly well! Overall, a great night!

Obama Supporters Want $10 a Gallon Gas!

Hey,
In this new video of protesters on Capitol Hill, Obama's supporters want $10 a gallon gas! Watch the video here.

Go GOP!

Well my friends,
The House Republican Party is at it again: they are continuing their protest of the Democrat's refusal to deal with allowing the US to increase domestic oil production. The protest is having a one-sided debate on the unlit House floor. The protest started on Friday and had something of the flavor of a revival meeting. The protest will continue for an undetermined time. Finally I am proud of something the GOP is doing. If you support it, I would urge that you donate to the Congressional Campaign Committee at: https://www.nrcc.org/donate/default.asp?ID=3

House Democrats turn out the lights, but GOP keeps talking

Courtesy of politico.com I have heard that after the House adjourned at 11:23 this morning without voting on offshore drilling, the GOP decided to stay and discuss the issue. As of the time of this writing, the GOP has been talking for over 4 hours in the dark with no microphones. Several members who had already driven out of town came back, and Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas got off his plane when he heard what was going on. He came onto the House floor still carrying his bags. The Representatives have been enjoying being able to speak without the rules of being in session. The House gallery, which no longer must stay silent, has been chanting "Vote Vote Vote". You can read the full article here: http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0808/House_Dems_turn_out_out_the_light_but_GOP_keep_talking.html
Make sure and follow the links to the updates.

17 Years Old=Second Class Citizen

Memo to Senators Kay Baily Hutchinson, John Cornyn, Congressman Mike McCaul, and respective staff personnel (as well as all other interested parties):
I am fed up with being a second class citizen because I am not 18! Allow me explain: I must pay taxes, but I cannot vote (taxation without representation); I can earn money, but I can't invest said money; I can buy a book, but I can't sell a book; I can put money in a bank account, but I can't take it out; I can buy a cell phone, but can't get service for it; I am taxed, but I can't voluntarily contribute to a campaign; I could go on and on, but I will stop. And BTW all of this is because of either State or Federal Law. Either don't do things like tax me, or allow me to have the privileges of citizenship as well!

Texas is Not A Battleground State!

I apologize for not posting the last few days, i have been visiting two of my brothers, and my sister. Now, back to what I wanted to talk about. A few days ago (While I was gone) the DSCC put up a landing page on their site that said "11 Battleground States" and Texas did not make the cut! I would link you to it, but they took it down after realizing that they were admitting that they had lost already.

Rick Noriega Flip-Flops on Energy

Well my friends,
After months of saying that we cannot "drill our way out of this problem" of high gas prices by drilling offshore and in ANWR, Rick Noriega has flip-flopped. He has now stated that he IS in favor of drilling offshore, and that he would have to "Take another look" at drilling in ANWR. I guess his problem is just that he can't think of anything better than Cornyn can. Well, unless you count pulling all our military out of Iraq and then drilling there for our oil, which he advocated.

Rick Noriega on Energy

Rick Noriega has just released an ad on Youtube promoting his energy policy. You can watch the video here. What this ad boils down to is, Rick Noriega has NO energy policy. He spends almost the entire video attacking John Cornyn. Just as a note, he finds that he can only spend 38 seconds talking about this extremely important issue. Of course, he says how gas prices have risen $2.64 since John Cornyn took office, but I noticed that he does not mention that $1.72 (65%) of that amount has been in the last two years, coinciding with when Democrats took power. He also says that John Cornyn has opposed alternative energy, which is an outright lie. Rick Noriega opposes drilling in ANWR, opposes nuclear energy, opposes clean coal, opposes increased refineries. He is the one who opposes creative solutions to our energy crisis. You can watch Cornyn's videos on the issue here. I encourage you to watch all of Cornyn's videos. Who do you think will be the most capable to deal with our energy problems, Senator John Cornyn, or State Representative Rick "I can't figure this out" Noriega?

When Will Democrats Learn To Do What The American People Want?

I have been reading a lot about offshore drilling. Many people say that they will not be fully online until 25 years from now, but if we do it now instead of waiting for 25 years like last time, then they will be online when we need it. In fact, a majority of Americans (Gallup-57%; Rasmussen-62%) support offshore drilling. So when Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked if offshore drilling would be allowed to come to the House floor, she said "I have no plans to do so". This is the party of the "Common Man"? I think not. Once again, we get an example of the Pelosi Premium (See post on May 12, 2008).

Energy Independance Week

Dear Friend,

Over the course of the next few days, our website is going to engage you and good people across our state who want to know what we can do right now about energy independence, gas prices, and more.

We will hear from experts, listen to folks who don’t necessarily have a PhD but who want common sense to win out over politics. The best ideas don’t frequently come from Washington. And we need good people engaged if we’re going to make a difference now.

I hope you’ll visit our site now by clicking here. And come back frequently for more because it’s going be changing, and growing to include lots of new info.

Now is the time to free our economy from dependence on foreign energy. Come offer ideas and discuss solutions we should be pursuing to bring energy independence to our state and country.

I look forward to your visit. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Cornyn
U.S. Senator from Texas

Texas Governor's Race 2010 Part 1

Texas Governor’s Race 2010

The race for Governor in 2010 has started to have almost as much speculation as the 2008 elections. I will discuss many of the possibilities. These fall onto two groups: announced, and potential candidates. I have split it into two parts to publish.

Announced Candidates

Rick Perry

Rick Perry is, at the time of this writing, the only announced candidate. Rick Perry is currently the longest serving Governor in Texas history. His candidacy for a third four-year term is unprecedented in Texas, in fact, he had to announce, after his official announcement, that he was indeed really running. He won his last general election victory with only thirty nine percent of the vote. Since he became Governor in December of 2000, he has become characterized as a RINO, Republican In Name Only. He did, in fact, only become a Republican in 1989 after being passed up by the Democrats for a leadership position in the Texas Legislature. He has served the state as a Texas Legislator (1984-90), Agricultural Commissioner (1990-98), Lieutenant Governor (1998-2000), and Governor (2000-Present). Quite a resume. He has hurt his support among conservatives with his support for the Trans-Texas Corridor, support for raising the business tax (to lower the property tax), and his Executive Order requiring all young ladies eleven and older to be immunized for HPV. The word on the street is that Perry, or as his opponents call him, Governor Good Hair, will not be re-nominated by the Republicans.

Non-Committal Possibilities

Kay Bailey Hutchinson

Kay Bailey Hutchinson is the senior Senator from Texas. She was first elected to the State House in 1972, where she served until 1976. After that, she served as State Treasurer from 1990-1993 (that office was dissolved in 1994). She was elected to the Senate in June 1993 where she is still serving. She has been making noises about running, however, there is a large chunk of conservatives who will not support her because she is mildly pro-choice. It is widely thought that she will be the Republican nominee, and since she won re-election with 62% of the vote, she would probably be elected.

John Cornyn

John Cornyn is the junior Senator from Texas. He has served as San Antonio District Judge (1984-90), Texas Supreme Court Justice (1990-97), Attorney General (1998-2002) and Senator (2002-Present). Unlike most of the people listed here, Cornyn has made absolutely no indication that he will run. He is, however, the dream candidate of the very large, very powerful, conservative faction of the Republican Party.

David Dewhurst

David Dewhurst is currently serving as Lt. Governor of Texas. He is widely thought to be considering a run. His main problem is that he has been seen as being to cozy with lobbyists. However, if he does not run he will most probably be forced to fight a fierce fight for re-nomination for Lt. Governor.

Dan Patrick

Dan Patrick is the State Senator from District 7, in Houston. Patrick is seen by many as the savior of the Republican conservatives. He owns two radio stations, one in Dallas, and one in Houston, so he is able to spread his message pretty easily. He has shown his political muscle in the defeat of his political enemy, Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale. This did anger many conservatives around the state. He has also opposed the attempt by popular Houston State Representative Charlie Howard to run for a State Senate seat. One of his supporters has put a fifty foot sign along I-10 urging a Draft Dan Patrick movement, an organization has also been founded for this purpose, however, it has never left the ground. Dan Patrick would be a very formidable candidate.

Barack the Short Sighted

Well my readers,
The liberals in the country seem ready to crown Barack Obama King. So, I have decided to add the second part. You know, William the Conquerer, Philip the Bold, Charles the Confessor. So, after Obama's remarks about offshore drilling taking to long, I have decided to crown him Barack the Short Sighted. Honestly, does everything in life have to happen right now. Obama says that offshore drilling would not be fully online until 2030. Fine, hasn't he ever heard of setting things up for your children? Doing something that may not help you? I guess not, but I worry about the day when (If) King Barack is elected. All hail Barack the Short Sighted. (I hope not.)

News Flash To Loony Left: You Can't Touch Cornyn!

Well my friends,
Just about everyone knows that the Loony Left has been dreaming for years about seeing John Cornyn defeated. A few months ago this looked like it could be remotely possible. However, a poll released on the 9th shows John Cornyn with a 17% lead. So liberals, it looks like one of your worst enemies will be returning to the Senate after all. Just a hint, cut your losses and leave Big John alone.

"Big John" Cornyn Ad

I recently had the pleasure of watching the "Big John" Cornyn ad , which is in my opinion the best campaign ad in recent times. The liberal media and left wing wacko bloggers have been going nuts over this. My question to them is: Why can't you let someone have just one lighthearted video without attacking them for filming it. You can view the video at http://blip.tv/file/990887
Watch the video, then let me know what you think.

At 1:45 AM Sunday morning, the fire department was alerted to a fire at the Governor's Mansion. The roof of the home collapsed, the house is thoroughly charred, and the second floor may not be structurally sound any longer. This is a great blow to all Texans, and the Mansion MUST be rebuilt no matter how much it costs. This is the time to be able to fully modernize the mansion, something like the Truman Renovation of the White House. Above are photos of the mansion pre-fire and post-fire.

The Heritage Society of Austin has announced that it has established a fund for donations to help restore the mansion. Contributions can be sent to the society at P.O. Box 2113, Austin TX 78768.

Obama Claims Victory

Obama has claimed victory over Hillary Clinton. This marks the end of a long hard fought primary. Now is the time to start the long, powerful attack on Obama. I, like many conservatives, am not a real big supporter of John McCain. However, Obama has McCain beat in every policy. Long Live McCain!

The Voice of Texas

An organization, The Voice of Texas, has been founded to draft Dan Patrick for Governor. This e-mail has been circulating from their founder, John Thompson:

I just wanted to introduce myself. I am John Thompson from The Woodlands. I am a local Republican and I am sick of how liberal our party is getting. To take matters in to my own hands I started [The Voice of Texas]. The purpose for this website is to draft Senator Dan Patrick to run for Governor of Texas in 2010. As you know Governor Perry thinks he's done a great job securing the border and establishing the business tax - and he deserves another term. Is he your type of Republican?

Senator Hutchinson thinks she's done a great job ignoring Ramos and Compean, killing the border fence, and supporting McCain/Kennedy. Is she your type of Republican?

I think you understand why we need a real conservative to take control of this situation. Please join me in supporting Senator Dan Patrick. I am the only person running this group and I am turning to the local Republican clubs to get word out before the convention. I am hoping to raise some money so that we can distribute materials at the convention.

Well Mr. Thompson, I do not agree with Governor Perry or Senator Hutchinson on the issues, but what makes you think that our type of Republican uses his radio station to bash and defeat a fellow Conservative? Our type of Republican should fit the Christian principles. He should not be greedy for more power, he should not carry a grudge, he should not be lying about a another Christian on the radio. In short, Dan Patrick is not our kind of Republican.


Source: Texans for Honorable Leadership

Pelosi Premium

This is being talked about a lot, but I thought i would write about it too. When the Democrats were campaigning in 2006, Nancy Pelosi said that they would lower gas prices if elected. The average price of gas? $2.33 a gallon. The average price now? $3.72 a gallon. How much longer can Americans trust the Democrats?

Huck-Pac

Well friends,
Contrary to popular opinion, Mike Huckabee is not finished in politics! He has formed Huck-pac to help elect Republicans to the House and Senate, as well as local offices. It is time for the Huckaboom v. 2.0 Go Huck!

Texans Want a Change in Leadership!

Fellow Texans,
In the past day, the amount of visits to this website has been multiplied by 9. This should show us, and Senator Dan Patrick something: Texans are ready for a change in leadership styles! We don't want someone who claims to be a "freethinker", and then tries to force his "free-thinking" on everybody else. We don't want a leader who leads, not by example or persuasion, but by threats and bullying others. Texans want Change! Texans want "Honorable Leadership", not someone who wants to use his office to settle some old political scores, not someone who will do anything to keep power rather than do what is best for Texas and its people! To Dan Patrick: Your days in office are numbered! To everyone who supports freedom, democracy, and the American Way: join Texans for Honorable Leadership, and then tell all your friends about it, and all your friends' friends! We will stop this tyrannical rule by Dan Patrick!

Got to http://texansforhonorableleadership.blogspot.com to join.

Money in Politics

I frequently hear people complain about the amount of money politicians raise and spend, and the influence of special interests that give a ton. I disagree about fund-raising being a problem. In fact. I believe that people out to give more money. Americans have spent more on Coke in the last quarter than they have spent in the last 20 years on electing a good, competent government. No wonder people always complain about politicians! If every American contributed just $10 a month, that would be over $3,000,000,000! That would bring the amount of money raised for a campaign year to over $36,000,000,000! (By comparison, the election are only expected to cost $2,000,000,000, for every single local, state, and national race combined.) If this kind of money is going around, how much influence the rich "fat cats" and special interests will have?

Source for statistics: Opensecrets.org

It is finished!

It is finished, the battle is over. Mike Huckabee has dropped out from the Presidential race, which ends my fight on his behalf.

Texas Republican Race Is Not Over Yet!

Well my friends, Even though the Mainstream Media is painting a picture that the Republican Race, both in Texas and nationally, is over. I don't know about nationally, but Texas certainly is not over! An American Research Group survey that was released today states that McCain has a narrow 4% lead over Mike Huckabee. Is the Texas race over before it started? I think not!

To the Government: Get out of my life, and leave me alone!

I have long known that the government is way to involved in my life, such as regulating how much water can come out of my shower. However, I have once again been reminded of how our government has grown too much. I was reminded of this as I was reading Motor Trends, looking at all the "musclecars" and thinking about how I will by one of them in a few years. (You know the kind I'm talking about: Looks like it is going 100 MPH when it is stopped, rumbles so much you would think God is clearing His throat, etc.) And then I read that due to the increased CAFE restrictions, this is likely the last generation of musclecars, which really bothered me. If I want to buy a car that gets 8 MPG, then that is my business, it is my money I will be spending, not the government's. If they want to encourage cars with better fuel economy, then they should cut spending, and give people some tax credits for having a fuel efficient car, not ban the kind of car that I am planning to buy! So I have one sentence for the government: "Get out of my life, and leave me alone!"

Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday wins for Mike Huckabee are proving his electability, and reviving his campaign! At the time of this writing, Mike Huckabee has been declared the winner in 3 states! That is only 1 state less than John McCain has won. I would like to know, how can the media justly say that this is a 2 person race between Romney and McCain, when (at this time) Huckabee has won 3 times as many states as Romney?

Moratorium on GOP Earmarks!

Minority Leader John Boehner of the House of Representatives has proposed a 1 year moratorium on earmarks by Republicans. This is a great idea! the only question is: Why do we even have to propose this? Why isn't it already a standing rule with Republicans?

Exit Polls From South Carolina

There are some interesting results from S.C. exit polls. Mike Huckabee won among people who considered themselves very conservative 38% to McCain's 19%. But among independents McCain won with 39%. Is the winner, with all the independent voters, representative of the Republican party? Most probably not.

Will Michigan knock McCain off stride?

As I am watching the returns, it looks like Romney is going to win, if so, will this knock John McCain off of his new found stride that he gained in the NH Primary? Tell me what you think.

A New Era in Politics?

Well my friends,
After the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, I am starting to think that one of The Truths of Politics has started to fail. Actually a few of them.
The first and main one is The Truth that negative campaigning works. Both of these elections have been won by the victim of the attacks rather than the attacker. Does this show that negative campaigning is losing its potency. I hope so! I don't mind Republicans going negative on Democrats, but I do mind Republicans going negative on each other. I guess I believe in Reagan's 11th commandment for Republicans, which is "Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican". I believe that this applies in all but a few cases, such as a RINO like Rudy Giuliani. Negative ads if unsuccessful only hurt the nominee who survived them. It is also harder to support the nominee is only a few months earlier you were attacking him. I want candidates to tell me why they should be the President, not why the other guy shouldn't be the President.
The second Truth that is being questioned is that a candidate has to have loads of to run a successful campaign. This is being disproved by Mike Huckabee who has seen incredible gains in the amount of support while spending a fraction of what the other campaigns are spending.
In closing, it is time for things to change, and it is looking like 2008 will be the year to start the change!

My challenge!

Well, since I cannot legally donate to Huckabee, I have thought of a challenge for people. For every dollar someone donates using my donor code, I will pass out 1 flier that I have had printed. So far I have raised $15 and passed out 15 fliers. Will you help spread the word?

Donor Code: R292

Lets keep the momentum going!

Well y'all,
After Huck's win in Iowa momentum is on our side! The money has started to pour in like it never has! Grassroots membership is up, and peoples interest in learning about Huckabee is on the rise. (My readership almost doubled after the election.) So I would encourage you to do 3 things. First, is to take the pledge at http://huckabeemomentum.com the pledge is to give just $25 if 10,000 people sign up for the pledge. The second thing is to actually donate as much as you can afford. You can use this link: http://www.mikehuckabee.com Please go to the contribute tab, and when you donate please enter donor code: R292 because for every dollar donated through that donor code, I will pas out one flyer. This is a challenge for y'all to work on. So far I have raised $15, and passed out 15 fliers. The third thing is to spread the word about Huckabee to your friends and family. So, lets get busy!

Huckabee Won!!!

Well y'all,
Huckabee has won in Iowa. Even after Mitt Romney went REALLY negative. People say that going negative is the way to win, but it didn't tonight. Is this the start of a new era in American politics?