The Brickyard

The Inevitable

2009-09-13T13:26:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. I have been pondering this for some time, but have been hesitant to pull the proverbial trigger.

If you haven't noticed (I'm sure you have), I have been contributing far more to Race42012.com and Conservatives4Palin.com and less here. Furthermore, I did not feel that I could keep this site up to my own standards under my current schedule, which does not allow for daily posts. So, I think that it is probably best that I officially put The Brickyard on indefinite hiatus. I won't say I'm shutting the place down - because I hope to eventually get back to a footing where I can successfully operate an independent blog. However, that is not the position that I am in currently, and I am passionate about both of the other projects to which I currently contribute.

So, obviously I am not going anywhere, but my posts will not be put up here. All of you in the comments section have been fantastic, and I love the feeling of community that we have created. That said, I also know that many of you are already part of the growing and vibrant community at C4P, and we can still get together there. I would also encourage your to get involved in the comments section over at Race42012, as our comments section has a reputation for being overpopulated with Romney devotees (nothing against Gov. Romney, BUT WE DESPERATELY NEED MORE PALIN PEOPLE!)

Also - I link almost all of my posts from my Twitter account and I don't do normal Twitter updates - so if you just want to read my stuff without doing any digging, you can follow me there. I would also add that you don't need a Twitter account to look at my page - so going to that page is basically just the same as coming The Brickyard.

So, this has been fun, but I think that it is best for everyone if we officially move to the next stage. This is not the end, but rather the beginning, and I look forward to continuing our interaction via R4'12 and C4P.

Thank You, Mr. Novak

2009-08-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Me with Robert Novak in August 2006

Robert Novak was a paragon of conservatism and one of the great reporters of our time - as I'm sure you have read today. However, for me, he was also one of the people to whom I owe the life I live today.

You see, Robert Novak was a trustee of the Phillips Foundation, which grants scholarships to conservative student activists and fellowships to aspiring journalists. As a result of my activism in college, I had the privilege of receiving a $7,500 scholarship from the foundation for each of my last two years in school. At the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, this covered my entire tuition plus books. Hence, I could pursue many activism opportunities (including starting a blog) that would have otherwise been put to the side in order to hold down a job. Getting that scholarship - which was meant for the exact purpose of freeing students to pursue conservative activism - changed my life.

So, thank you Robert Novak. I look forward to seeing you again some day. As odd as this may sound - I'm sure they found a place for the "Prince of Darkness" in heaven.

Corazon Aquino, R.I.P.

2009-07-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

People for the Ethi¢al Treatment of Animal$™

2009-07-27T22:52:00.000-07:00

What Might Have Been:

PETA Spokesman Michal Vick Launches
a Yorkie Into Orbit at a PETA Fundraiser

I probably shouldn't be surprised, but it looks like our supposedly saintly friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been caught with their hands in the corruption cookie jar.

Over at Townhall.com, Dwayne Horner has a piece up detailing how the animal rights group seems to have developed a bit of a pay-to-play operation. Or, maybe it was just a coincidence that they launched a campaign against MasterCard while cutting a deal with VISA to issue a special PETA VISA card (with one percent of all purchases made with said card going into PETA's coffers). It's probably also true that everyone's favorite animal lovers had perfectly righteous motives in accusing the IAMS pet food company of animal cruelty - it had nothing to do with the fact that they were getting an 8 percent cut from the sales of a new "holistic" dog food.

Nope - nothing at all is amiss at PETA...and in other news, pigs are sprouting wings and taking to the skies.

Writing for Big Hollywood, Ken Blackwell exposes another potential sellout opportunity for PETA - although luckily this one fell through. Apparently, the dog-lovers were working on a deal with convicted dog-abuser (and former NFL QB) Michael Vick, in which he would film public service announcements condemning dog-fighting. With all due respect to our well-intentioned friends at PETA - rehabilitation is a noble goal, but putting a just-released mutt-murderer in an animal rights PSA is a bit of a stretch...unless you're after money and free publicity, in which case it makes perfect sense.

Listen, I'm sure there are many wonderful (if misguided) people working for PETA, but something definitely smells a little fishy.

Oh...and just in case you were about to mention all of the animals that PETA saves - Horner also pointed out that they only manage to find homes for one out of every 300 animals they take in, with 95 percent being euthanized.

If you to donate money to save animals, I would suggest a reputable conservationist organization like Trout Unlimited - because PETA is obviously not cutting the mustard when it comes to looking out for our furry, feathered, and fishy friends.

Note: Vick photo listed as licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 on Wikipedia - Yorkie photo listed as public domain.

Gov. Sean Parnell (R-AK)

2009-07-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

A lot will definitely be said about Gov. Palin's farewell address today - it was one of the best speeches I have ever heard from her. However, we should remember that today was really Sean Parnell's day. With Palin moving on to bigger things, Gov. Parnell now leads the nation's largest state, and I am enthused to see such a stand-up guy taking the reins. I hope we will be hearing more about him here, because he is the first person in the country to openly taking on the Palin mantle. He is the first official, other than Palin herself, who can be unquestionably labelled as coming from the "Palin wing of the GOP", and so he by nature will play at least some role outside Alaska as an example of how "Palinism" works when the media circus fades. Gov. Parnell's success will be a reflection on his former boss -so for my part, I hope that we can keep one eye on Alaska even as our main focus goes national.

Congratulations to Govs. Palin and Parnell. You both embarked on huge new journeys today, and you both definitely count on the support of this blogger.

BPA Will KILL You! (And Elvis is ALIVE!)

2009-07-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

On June 10, News Channel 13 in my hometown of Colorado Springs reported that, "More potentially harmful health effects have been discovered for the chemical bisphenol A..." To be sure, the language was all couched with qualifiers such as "potential," but the point was clear: We are very afraid of bisphenol A (BPA).

This was merely the latest in a long string of shoddy stories alleging BPA does serious harm. Never mind the fact that the FDA says BPA is fine, the chicken littles in the media love to scare people, so the story was repeated ad nauseum until no one even remembered where the heck it came from.

Just five days after this news story surfaced, however, a California board of seven physicians and Ph.D.s voted unanimously that the chemical posed no serious danger. As the AP reported,

"The panel, comprised of seven physicians, unanimously decided that the chemical known as BPA should not be covered under Proposition 65, a voter-approved measure used by regulators to identify substances that can cause birth defects, developmental or reproductive harm."

Conservatives are notoriously slow to defend products and companies who have come under attack by radical environmentalists, but several conservative bloggers have picked up on this story, and what they have found has been very interesting.

Most interesting to me, was blogger Rob Port, who recently noted that all the attacks trace back to Fenton Communications, a liberal PR firm that was also behind the ‘General Betray Us’ ads:

“Putting aside the fact that the claims were entirely bogus, the fear campaign against BPA was a brilliant business move for Fenton-and a win/win/win for liberals. David Fenton, of course, is a liberal activist. He represents many radical environmental groups like the San Francisco-based Tides Foundation, who could benefit from creating a bogey man. And he also represents trial lawyers, who could make millions by bringing about class action lawsuits against the manufacturers of plastics. Lastly, trial lawyers are major donors to Democratic politicians, so getting them on board was easy. And plastics competitors who didn’t use BPA could now charge absurd prices for their products at upscale stores like Whole Foods, based on the fact that their product (though more expensive) was ostensibly “safer.”

The blogosphere is a wonderful place, but it's still sad that the primary purpose for conservative bloggers is merely to set the record straight - and to correct the mistakes made by the MSM. The "dangers" of BPA are about as real as the Easter Bunny, and I'm amazed that more is not being done to point out this pathetic scare tactic.

Good New Palin Blog

2009-07-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to point everybody over to a fun new blog at nypalinpower.blogspot.com - looks like a great startup and the proprietor is an occasional commentor here. She was nice enough to drop me an email, so I figured I would drop her a link. Here's hoping for a sucessful run. She certainly has a lot of energy, so I would expect this to be a fun blog to read.

Palin Actually EXTENDED Her Influence In Alaska Today

2009-07-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have been asking myself this question for months - "if Sarah doesn't run for re-election, what happens to the pipeline?"

Had she simply not run for re-election, she would have triggered a competitive GOP gubernatorial primary, and run the risk of the "Good Old Boys Club" (or "CBC" for those Alaskans who understand that acronym) taking the GOP nomination and the governorship. Otherwise known as the "Republican Majority", this group is vociferously anti-Palin and even functions as a SEPARATE PARTY in the State Senate - where both the majority and minority leaders are Republicans, due to the "Majority's" decision to govern in coalition with the Democrat's rather than work with their fellow Republicans. If they had taken the governorship, the pipeline project (and many other Palin programs) would have been near the top of the cut list.

However, by resigning now, Palin installs Sean Parnell as an incumbent before the 2010 primary. So, instead of fighting off a strong "CBC" challenger, Parnell will have a much clearer shot at keeping the office in Palinite hands for another four (or possibly eight) years. Sarah Palin did not give up on her reforms today - she institutionalized them, Now, they will not leave office with her, but rather continue under Gov. Parnell.

While we're on the subject of Sean Parnell, I think we need to welcome him to the Governorship. In following Palin for so long, I have followed Parnell by default - both as Lt. Governor and as a congressional candidate. He's a stand-up guy, a fine campaigner, and a fantastic leader for Alaska. In fact, with a little seasoning, he might be a good national candidate himself someday.

So, I'd like to offer a toast to Governor-designate Parnell, all of the accomplishments of the Palin administration, and all of the fun we will be having now that "Gov. Palin" is now "just Sarah". Something tells me this is only the beginning for Sarah, and I for one am more than ready for the next stage of this journey.

Laura Brod and the Most Interesting Race of 2010

2009-06-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

While we still have quite a wait before the 2010 midterms, one thing that can be said with some certainty is that the gubernatorial race in Minnesota is going to be one of the more entertaining contests. The DFL (Democratic Farmer-Labor Party) was already gearing up for a crowdedprimary, and with Tim Pawlenty opting against a third term, we Republicans now have a multi-candidate smackdown of our own (pardon the Jesse Ventura joke).

What’s more, most of the potential GOP candidates are young hotshots rather than established figures – and playing field is ridiculously level. There’s State House Minority Leader and tentative frontrunner Marty Seifert (age 37), and State Rep. Paul Kohls (35). Moving up to the old people, there’s former State Auditor Pat Anderson (43), State Rep. Tom Emmer (48). An then there are the more reasonably seasoned former State House Speaker Steve Sviggum (57) and State Senator David Hann (also 57).

However, the candidate who seems to be generating the most excitement is State Rep. Laura Brod (37), who I first mentioned back on June 3rd. I said back then that I thought she showed great potential. Since then, she has blasted out of the starting gate to set herself up as a potential frontrunner -and she hasn’t even announced her candidacy yet! (Granted, that’s likely coming very soon.) In a recent poll of GOP insiders at the State Central Committee meeting, Seifert won, but there was more focus on Brod’s strong third place showing. It’s nothing to sneeze at when a lowly State Representative blows away a former State Auditor (Anderson) and a former Speaker of the House (Sviggum). And that’s just the insiders. With a the primary still over a year away and not many candidates with name recognition, Brod should be more than able to catch up to Seifert.

Furthermore, some of the lefty Minnesota blogs are already cranking out attacks on Brod (and attacking me for daring to mention her), which makes me inclined to concur with the assertion of Truth vs. The Machine – this woman scares the Dems.

She’s young, she’s fresh, she’s well-spoken, and she knows how to play to Minnesotans. She’s not a perfect conservative, but she is certainly no squish on either fiscal or social issues – and frankly her slightly more moderate environmental positions will be a big help in her state (I love Jim DeMint types, but they don’t play statewide in MN). Also, I would note her stated commitment to the development cellulosic ethanol – which means she’s well aware of the damage that corn ethanol can do to food supplies.

As a hard-core conservative, I would personally have absolutely no trouble supporting her as a nominee, and she also seems to have some credibility with libertarian leaners (my old friend Eric Dondero is as libertarian as they come, and he likes the idea).

So, while she may be a little more Pawlenty than Palin, she’d probably be the most conservative person to hold a major statewide office in Minnesota for a long time – and she’s electable to boot.

The more I hear, the more I like – so unless something changes in a major way, Laura Brod has my endorsement for Governor of Minnesota in 2010.

…and did I mention that Sen. Brod is on Twitter? Definitely someone to follow.

Webathon for Sarah!

2009-06-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I also blog occasionally at Conservatives4Palin.com, and the people over there are doing a webathon this week to help Gov. Palin retire the legal debt from the truckloads of frivolous ethics complaints which have been hurled at her by left-wing activists. Personally, I don't care what you think of Palin herself, it is absolutely unacceptable to sit back and watch as a prominent political figure is subjected to a concerted effort to personally bankrupt her. The people filing complaints about snowmachines and hockey sticks are the some of the lowest scum inhabiting today's political scene, and I think that we are obligated as Americans (regardless of politics) to help Sarah fight them off. If you have a problem with her views, fine, but we should be debating the issues rather than engaging in acts of personal sabotage.

So, please head over to C4P and follow their donation instructions. The goal is to get a half million dollars donated to the Alaska Fund Trust (Palin's legal defense fund), and I think that is a very achievable goal. This is also the first real attempt at an independently operated "money bomb" in the conservative blogosphere, so it is a good chance to show just how much power the internet has. Let's get to work!

Creigh Deeds Thumps Terry McAuliffe in VA Primary

2009-06-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

It’s official - Terry McAuliffe and his mountains of cash will not be competing for Virginia’s governorship this November. Instead, the Democratic nominee will be moderate State Senator Creigh Deeds, who crushed both McAuliffe and former Delegate Brian Moran in tonight’s primary. Local TV here in DC just reported that, with 87% of the vote in, Deeds has 49% of the vote compared to just 27 for McAuliffe and 24% for Moran. This is even more impressive when one considers that Deeds had only about half of the money and staff than McAuliffe threw at the race, and lagged behind Moran on those fronts as well.

In fact, Deeds was lagging in third place in the polls until las month - but for some reason he’s been riding a rocket for to the last few weeks. As he surged to the front, he managed to pick up the endorsement of the Washington Post - which is amazing for a rural moderate who was running against two liberals from the DC suburbs. Now, the erstwhile also-ran has seized the nomination and will face of with the GOP’s Bob McDonnell in November. And while I am 100% behind McDonnell, I have to take my hat off to Creigh Deeds tonight. What he pulled off is flat-out amazing.

On the more practical side, Deeds is probably the toughest opponent for McDonnell. He’s pro-gun, and hails from rural Bath County - deep in the heart of red-state Virginia. This is a guy who can eat into the GOP voting base and knows how to win in GOP territory. He has experience against Bob McDonnell, having run against him for Attorney General and lost by just 323 votes. However, he is also the worst-funded of the three Democratic candidates, and he does trail McDonnell in the polls - so there is some good news.

Still, Creigh Deeds proved tonight that he can come from behind and beat better-funded opponents. So, we are definitely going to have to throw the kitchen sink at this guy - or else we will find ourselves thinking what Terry McAuliffe must be thinking right now: “What the hell just happened?”

UK Elecions - Hell Officially Freezes Over

2009-06-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

The entire European Union Parliament is being elected at the moment - and that is interesting - but I’m personally glued to the British results broadcast on the BBC. British politics is a mess right now due to an expenses scandal in Parliament, support for the ruling Labour Party is collapsing, and all hell is generally breaking loose. And tonight - the craziness has reached a head. A lot of the news is good, but some of it is actually scary.

On the good side, the Conservatives are wiping the floor with everyone, topped the polls in the Labour heartland of Wales for the first time in history. Many results are yet to come in, but Labor is currently fighting for second against the UK Independence Party (UKIP), a Euroskeptic party that sits decidedly to the right of the Conservatives. By the end of the night, I would not be surprised to see Labour in third or even fourth (depending on the performance of the Liberal Democrats, who currently sit fourth).

However, there is also some news - as the racist British National Party (BNP) has won it’s first ever seat in the European Parliament. The BNP has benefitted from the wave of anti-establishment sentiment (which is also carrying UKIP), and while UKIP is mainstream protest vote, the BNP is unfortunately picking up the people who want to flip the finger to the all of the mainstream parties. And while I am all for throwing bums out, I am certainly not for electing parties who only allow whites to join (which is BNP policy).

The BNP breakthrough may also provide a lesson to those of us in the U.S. who are interested in our own experiments in anti-establishment sentiment - the “Tea Party Movement”. We should be more than happy to embrace the mainstream of this movement (independent, Glenn Beck-style libertarians - who I would say are our equivalent of UKIP). However, we need to be very vigilant in making sure that we don’t allow hard-core wackos to ride the wave. Otherwise, we will wind up dealing with our own versions of the BNP.

Luckily, as we have a two party, first-past-the-post system - we will never see racist fringe parties elected here (the BNP made it through via a “proportional representation” system where seats are allotted based on percentage of the vote). However, we still should be watching out for nut jobs who wish too use “tea parties” and other such events to gain legitimacy.

How The NRSC Gets It's Groove Back

2009-05-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

In the last few years, grassroots Republicans have directed a lot of their anger at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and it’s sister organization on the House side - the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). These organizations have unfortunately developed a reputation for two things: shutting down “new blood” candidates in GOP primaries against “old bull” incumbents and sinking GOP candidates by runnning overly nasty smear campaigns against Democrats.

I personally find this to be a travesty, as I think the NRSC and NRCC are two of the most valuable organizations we have. They are supposed to be the ones finding ”new blood”, and talking the best candidates into running. We need them more than ever in the next few years, and there are a few races in 2010 where they have major openings to both pick up seats and rehabilitate their reputation. So, I want to lay out a few suggestions as to how the the NRSC can “get its groove back” quickly and hopefully provide a model of the NRCC to follow.
Specifically, I want to look at two races - one where the NRSC is involved and shouldn’t be and one where they aren’t involved and should be.

First, the Crist-Rubio showdown in Florida. Crist seemingly has a commanding early lead - but Rubio is quickly consolidating a big following in the conservative movement. Personally, I’m a Rubio guy - but I’m also a realist. This is Crist’s race to lose at the moment, and he doesn’t need the NRSC’s help. Furthermore, he has a major image problem with non-Floridian Republicans. I’m not going to call on the NRSC to drop it’s endorsement - what’s done is done - but they would be well served to de-emphasize that race and move on to places where they are needed. Crist can win without them - and they don’t need to get involved in a big-ticket primary between two strong candidates.

On the other hand, the race to unseat Michael Bennet in Colorado is in desperate need of NRSC involvement. The Senator is highly vulnerable, but the GOP is not getting electable candidates in the race. Right now, we merely have and amateur-hour primary between Weld County D.A. Ken Buck (Oh dear…) and Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier (Oy vey…). Nothing against either of these men - but the campaign so far has shown that neither is going to take down even the most vulnerable Democrat. The NRSC actually cited the pickup opportunity in Colorado as a race that they could help with if Crist wins in Florida - but no amout of NRSC money is going to win Colorado if they don’t help us find a candidate now!

So, let’s forget about the Florida fracas, let bygones be bygones, and start using the NRSC for what it was made for - scouting out quality new candidates, talking them into the race, and making sure they win. In Colorado, they have the opportunity to totally resphape the race by pushing Major General Bentley Rayburn in, introducing his spectacular record of acheivement to the voters (how many candidates have managed a $17 billion military budget?), and making sure that he gets connected to national bigwigs who can bankroll him to victory. Seriously - how do you lose with a guy like this? Just give him a budget, wind him up, and watch him make mincemeat of Senator Bennet...

...and if you don't want the general, go pound down John Elway's door or something. Just give us a candidate!

So - this is how the NRSC and NRCC need to be operating in order to heal the rift with the base. These organizations are sorely needed in today's political situation, and there is an opening for them to go from zeroes to heroes very quickly if they allocate their resources properly. Let's forget about the large-scale brouhahas like the Crist-Rubio circus and get the Bentley Rayburns of the world into the races where Democrats are gaining a false sense of security. That is how we can move forward to victory in 2010 and beyond.

...can I just say that this lady ROCKS?

2009-05-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about Sonia Sotomayor - who I'm really not in the mood to comment on.

Instead, I want to give a shout-out to Michaëlle Jean, the Governor General of Canada (Queen Elizabeth II's representative in the country), who has come under fire from mean-spirited environmentalist radicals.

If you haven't heard the story, Gov. Gen. Jean recently made a trip to the Arctic region of Canada - where the local Inuit community took her on a seal hunt. After they shot a seal, they threw a big feast and offered Jean the traditional honor of eating a piece of the animal's heart (considered a delicacy). Being a good head of state, Jean obliged them by slicing open the dead seal, cutting off a piece of the heart, and eating it.

Naturally, this ritual shocked and horrified greenies around the world - especially considering that Canadian sealskin imports were recently banned by the European Union (who apparently don't like it when cute little seals get whacked).

All kidding aside - the radicals fail to see that seal meat is an important source of nutrition for the Inuit, and seal for them is no different than beef for us. It's not about killing animals for the heck of it, it's about food.

For her part, Gov. Gen. Jean is standing by her actions and rejecting cries of those who want to come between the Inuit and a valuable food source. She is a true public servant, and I only wish our leaders here in America had that kind backbone.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A GREAT NEWS REPORT ON JEAN'S RESPONSE TO THE CONTROVERSY.

Justice Christine Arguello?

2009-05-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from Race42012.com.

I was doing a little surfing on some state-level blogs in my home state of Colorado - and I found an interesting tidbit from last week that seems to have gone largely unreported in the national press. Apparently, Colorado district court judge Christine Arguello confirmed in an intereview with a local paper that she was being vetted for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now, that story is a few days old, but I think Arguello’s name is worth bringing up for one very specific reason: President Obama is facing pressure from a lot of people to appoint a person who meets specific criteria in the areas of demographics, experience, age, attitude, etc. The laundry list of “requirements” is almost nauseating to read - and almost impossible to find embodied in one person. This is why I’m intrigued by this woman - because up to now, she is the only candidate who meets all of the “qualifications”.

Female? Check. Hispanic? Check. Under 55? Check. Lengthy experience outside the courts? Check (only a District Judge since late last October, previously a tenured law professor, a top aide to Ken Salazar, and a counsel to the University of Colorado). Intellectual heft to satisfy Obama’s desire for an academic? Check. “Empathy” for the working class? Check (daughter of a railroad worker, family lived in a boxcar for a while during her childhood).

To top it off, Arguello could be shopped as a “bi-partisan” choice, as she was appointed to her current position by George W. Bush in the last days of his administration. Granted, that probably had more to do with getting her through the Senate, as Bush had specifically chosen not to renominate her earlier in his term (Bill Clinton had nominated her for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and her nomination was still pending when Bush took office).

Her ties to Ken Salazar may also help - as Salazar has himself been agressively pushed for the nomination by Hispanic groups and his fellow Coloradoans. However, as there is an even stronger push for a woman to take the seat, Salazar will likely be unjustly pushed off the short list due to his ownership of a Y chromosome. Arguello gives Obama a chance to tip his hat to both the Hispanic community and Salazar personally while still nominating a woman.

I would also say that her lengthy experience in non-judicial positions, and the fact that she does not sit on a circuit court (a qualification emphasized by several senators) gives Arguello a distinct advantage over the other Hispanic woman being mentioned for the job - Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. And last but not least, Arguello graduated from the same law school as President Obama - if that means anything.

Now, it’s entirely possible that Arguello struck out in the vetting. There could be problems we don’t know about, or the administration could have decided that her views aren’t what they are looking for. However, they have been implying that they are looking at potentially surprising nominees, and at first glance, Christine Arguello looks like their dream candidate.

So, you heard it here first - and while the rest of the world reacts in shock to Judge Arguello’s nomination, we at R4′12 can say that we were watching her all along.

David Williams - Endorsement for an Old Friend

2009-05-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last spring, as my "parting shot" to my alma mater, I had the privilege of serving as campaign manager to David Williams - who was then running for student body president at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS). We won that election, and David went on to start a firestorm of controversy that captured the attention of the local media (and showed just how intolerant left-wing campus groups can be). I'll spare you the details in this post, but suffice it to say that I am very proud of David for standing up for his fight to freedom of thought and I hope you read about his exploits.

David has since become rather popular with the local Republican Party, and yesterday (at the ripe age of 22) he announced his candidacy for the office of County Commissioner in El Paso County, Colorado. It looks like he will face a tough, uphill battle in the GOP primary - but I learned a long time ago that underestimating David Williams was a bad idea. He's always aimed higher than people wanted him to - so this is not necessarily a surprising move for him - and he exhibits a ridiculous amount of determination in pursuing his goals. In college politics, he was an innovator who tried to craft grassroots solutions to problems that most student government officials didn't dare touch (parking fees and bookstore prices) - and I know he would bring that same attitude to local office. Furthermore, I know from experience that David is both a solid fiscal conservative and as stubborn as a mule - both qualities I admire in leaders.

So, David, you have my endorsement...besides I think El Paso County could use a young, outspoken Commissioner who could breathe new life into the County government.

Good luck, old buddy - and give 'em hell.

Announcement

2009-05-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that starting Monday, May 18th, I will be working as an intern for the CNSNews.com division of the Media Research Center. I will be trying to maintain this and other blogs as normally is possible - but I am taking on both a full time job and a long commute. So - I plan to try to keep up, but I just wanted to let you know what was up...just in case.

Sri Lanka War Over?

2009-05-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

I have a real soft spot for the island nation of Sri Lanka. I have personal friends there, so their decades-long civil war is - to a small degree - my problem as well. Hence, I have watched with great interest this year as the Sri Lankan Army has launched a new offensive against the terrorist rebels known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - who had set up a de-facto nation in the North of the island. A few months ago, the government began a new push to root out the LTTE. The rebel capital was captured, along with massive swaths of LTTE territory, and the rebels now hold only a small piece of land.

Today, President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced that all remaining LTTE possessions will be captured and the war ended within 48 hours. I sincerely hope that he can follow through that - as the LTTE has terrorized the country for decades, pioneered the use of suicide bombers (a tactic adopted by Islamofascist terrorists), and conscripted untold numbers of child soldiers. They are one of the world's most prominent and deadly terrorist organizations - and it is high time that they are relegated to the ash-heap of history.

That said, assuming that President Rajapaksa can follow through on his pledge - the real war may just beginning. War-torn Northern Sri Lanka is in shambles, and there is still a lot of lingering tension between the minority Tamil ethnicity (who the LTTE claimed to "liberate" - although "enslave" might be a better term) and the majority Sinhala ethnicity. I am happy to see this long, hard war come to an end - but putting the nation back together could be just as daunting of a task.

Bentley Rayburn and the Forgotten Senate Race

2009-05-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from Race42012.com - click here to read the original.

We’ve talked about a lot of races here at R4’12, and in the absence of an active presidential primary we’ve dwelt on a lot of Senate contests. However, we very rarely talk about one of the best potential pickups for the GOP in 2010: Michael Bennet’s seat in Colorado. Bennet, you may recall, was the Denver school superintendent appointed to serve out the term of now-Secretary Ken Salazar – and he has absolutely tanked in the polls.

While he does stand a chance, Bennet has extreme difficulty polling above 45% in any matchup, and loses to credible Republicans when polled against them. However, while I was back in Colorado last week for my little sister’s graduation, I was appalled to find that the local GOP is overly fixated on the upcoming gubernatorial race, and that the highly vulnerable Bennet may keep his seat simply because the Republicans can’t find a credible challenger. Up to now, only two candidates have entered our primary – and both poll behind Bennet (keep in mind that Bob Beauprez , who got positively squished by Bill Ritter when he ran for governor, polls slightly ahead of Bennet if he were to run).

In one corner, we have Ken Buck – the ultra-conservative D.A. from Weld County. He seems nice – but he is unknown and lacking in charisma. His campaign, up to now, has been a comedy of errors, and while I have nothing against him – he’s not going to win. In the opposite corner is the Ryan Frazier – a young city councilman from the Denver suburb of Aurora. He has the benefit of being young, charismatic, and black – drawing lots of Obama comparisons - but he simply lacks the gravitas to pull this off. Furthermore, he has a reputation as either “very moderate” or libertarian (depending on who you talk to) making it harder to play to the primary electorate out West. Let us remember that Obama, who at least managed to get into the State Senate before going national, only got his Senate seat because of the implosion of his opponents in both the primary and the general election – and Frazier will not be so lucky. He has potential, but he is not even close to ready.

So, we have a dilemma. Neither of the current candidates can win, and almost nobody else wants in. RNC Committeeman Mark Hillman took a pass, and State Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry is leaning toward a run for Governor instead. I personally don’t like the idea of handing the seat to Bennet without a fight – so the only choice we have is to start thinking outside the box and looking for other willing, electable candidates. This brings me to the man I think we should be begging to get in the race. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Major General Bentley Rayburn, U.S. Air Force (Retired).

The general burst onto the scene in 2006, when he made a run for Congress in the state’s fifth district. Despite an absurdly late entry into the primary and a total lack of name recognition, Rayburn shocked everyone by coming third in a crowded six-man primary - besting the sitting mayor Colorado Springs, who came fourth. In my opinion, Rayburn only lost because he was still busy commanding troops while the top two candidates had been building massive local organizations. Personally, I thought he was a joke when he got into that race – but nobody was laughing when he pulled 17% of the vote in an election where the winner (Doug Lamborn) only got about 29%. After that race, I got to know the general personally, and I came to realize that he was the real deal – a solid leader, an honorable man, and the type of no-nonsense guy we need in Washington. The top three candidates from the 2006 race (Rayburn, Lamborn, and talk show host Jeff Crank) quickly started moving toward a primary rematch in 2008, and I knew immediately that General Rayburn was my guy (I had previously supported sixth-place Duncan Bremer, brother of L. Paul Bremer – and for the record I wouldn’t mind seeing Duncan back in politics either).

While Rayburn came third again in the 2008 primary, he improved his vote share to 26% (just 3% short of second place) and picked up a number of high profile endorsements - including Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera. He may not have made it to Congress, but after only two years in politics, Bentley Rayburn had clearly established himself as a force to be reckoned with.
The general’s name was floated for the Senate in 2008, and he has drawn a few mentions for the next cycle, but not many. However, with several leading contenders bowing out and only Buck and Frazier in the race, I would hope that we start talking about him. Seriously, if you had the choice between a rural D.A., a suburban city councilman, or a two-star general who used to be Commandant of the Air War College – who would you pick?

Bentley’s conservative credentials are impeccable on both the fiscal, social, and national security fronts – and he has an extremely tight grasp of both foreign and domestic policy. The only thing that might hold him back is that a lot of the state GOP leadership supported Jeff Crank in the 2008 congressional race, and Mr. Crank has vocally blamed General Rayburn for the fact that he is not in Congress today (an absurd claim, as Doug Lamborn finished way ahead of Crank in the 2008 primary with 45% - and a high number of Rayburn supporters preferred Lamborn over Crank anyway). Either way, when it comes to getting rid of Senator Bennet, I would hope that we can bury the proverbial hatchet and just put a good candidate in the race.

Bentley Rayburn has the experience, the gravitas, and the charisma to take down Michael Bennet - and there is no good reason why the National Republican Senatorial Committee should not be pounding down his door and throwing money at him.

Am I crazy for suggesting this? Maybe – but I’d like to hear from anyone who thinks they have a better idea. And no, “let’s take our chances with Buck and/or Frasier” does not qualify as a “better idea”. I don’t want a questionable candidate who will have trouble taking down one of America’s most vulnerable Senators – I want someone who can pound Michael Bennet into the ground without breaking a sweat. In my opinion, if he were to win the nomination, General Rayburn could do just that.

2008 Rayburn for Congress TV Ad - If you don't think this guy is marketable, you are out of your mind.

Eurovison: Israel in the Finals!

2009-05-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

I know you guys are probably getting tired with my obsession with the Israeli singers in the Eurovision Song Contest - but it is my blog, and politics as usual can wait until after I've had my fill of campy European pop music.

Anyway, the Jewish-Arab duo of Achinoam "Noa" Nini and Mira Awad have made it through the semi-finals and will sing in the final on Friday. I watched the show online, and I wanted to punch the host in the nose when our girls made it through. After he announced Israel as the third finalist, he labeled them "the most politically correct song in the contest" and for some reason felt compelled to remind us that the results were presented in random order. Heaven forbid that we mistakenly assume that a horrible nation like Israel Could place third! And no, he did not continue remind us of the random order of the remaining 8 announcements. Maybe it was innocent, but "innocent slips of the tongue" seem to happen all too often when Israel takes part in international competitions.

Anyway, here's the video of Noa and Mira's the performance. Congratulations to all of the finalists - and for the record, the entries from Andorra and Montenegro got shafted. Both of those girls deserved to move on (sorry - had to go there). Back to politics tomorrow.

Noa and Mira Take Europe's Biggest Stage

2009-05-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone - just so that you know, I'm still alive an finishing up my trip to Colorado (and no, I did not catch swine flu on the plane). There's a lot of interesting stuff going on, and I am more than ready to jump back into blogging.

This week, we launch into Eurovision fever. I've been posting since January on the Israeli entry in this year's Eurovision Song Contest (think American Idol mixed with the Olympics). Specifically, I was incensed by the fact that Israeli Arab singer Mira Awad came under political fire for daring to represent her home country in Europe's leading pop culture event. Luckily, Mira didn't listen to the naysayers, and will take Europe's biggest stage tomorrow night along with her duet partner - Jewish Israeli pop star Achinoam Nini (known as "Noa" outside Israel).

So, let's cheer on our girls in tomorrow's semifinal and hope that they can get enough votes to make it to Friday's final. The competition is stiff - but I think they have a solid chance with their inspirational son "There Must Be Another Way". I'll post video and results here as soon as I know them (the livestream of the broadcast starts at 3 PM Eastern here in the states). To whet out whistles, Eurovison has posted YouTube videos of the rehearsals - so here's our first look at Noa and Mira onstage (and our chance to watch Noa trip over her own dress...I'm sure that will be ironed out by the final performance)

In Memoriam: Jack Kemp

2009-05-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jack French Kemp
1935-2009

A lot will be written in the coming days about Jack Kemp, the 1996 GOP Vice Presidential nominee and patron saint of supply side economics - but for me, Congressman Kemp represents something totally different.

The first political event I ever attended was a Kemp rally during the 1996 campaign. So, Jack, if you have internet access in heaven, please know that tonight I am rembering you not as conservative blogger mourning an economic guru - but as a wide-eyed 10 year-old desperate to get your autograph on a campaign sign (you didn't sign it, by the way, but I kept it on my bedroom wall for the next four years anyway).

Thanks for the memories.

Selflessly Volunteering My Body To Test Joe Biden's Paranoia

2009-04-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

After hearing the Vice President’s remarks this morning - I realized that my coming trip to Colorado was more than just an opportunity to watch my little sister receive her high school diploma (you rock, Katie Bug!), it was a potential opportunity to sacrifice my life for public health research.

Tomorrow morning, I will be boarding a plane to Colorado at Reagan National Airport. Coincidentally, the easiest way to access said airport is via the DC subway system. Hence, I will be testing not one, but two of Joe Biden’s “closed spaces to avoid”.

I may not be blogging much during my trip, but I will be checking in occasionally to inform you as to whether or not I have died of swine flu.

Wish me luck, and we’ll see if pigs (or at least pig flu) really can fly. I only wish I had a T-shirt that said “Official Swine Flu Test Subject - Please Cough”

The Spectre of Specter

2009-04-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

I usually don't do this, but I really want to direct you all to one of the other blogs I contribute to. There is a great ongoing debate on Arlen Specter going on over at Race42012.com - and I am course am contributing. Normally, I would cross-post rather than link - but in this case there is an ongoing, multi-player dialogue, and there really is no way to get a feel for it with out keeping up with all of the players.

College Republican Carnage: 4 Clubs Down

2009-04-26T19:06:00.001-07:00

A quick update to my previous post -two more clubs are officially out of the California College Republicans tonight due to the de-chartering of the clubs at UC-San Diego and UCLA. In protest of those votes, the chapters from Saddleback College and the University of California-Irvine voluntarily de-chartered and walked out of today's convention. This brings the total number of de-chartered clubs to four (UC-San Diego, UCLA, UC-Irvine, Saddleback).

The walkout was also joined by the College Republican chapter from Pasadena City College, as well as numerous delegates from UC-Santa Barbara.

Stay tuned - I'm nowhere near finished with this issue, and it looks like it's onl going to get juicier...

California College Republicans: Excrement Hits Fan

2009-04-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

The California College Republicans convention was today - and my sources inside tell me that it got a little ugly. The UC-San Diego College Republicans were not only denied their charter again, but denied the chance to present their case to the delegates (Chairwoman Inez Feltscher

had been promised the she would be allowed to speak, but was not even allowed onto the floor.) In fact, the entire chapter was forced to stand behind a cordon in the back of the room.

In addition, it appears that a THIRD university fell victim to the State Committee's penchant for de-chartering dissenting clubs. The UCLA College Republicans, key supporters of rechartering UCSD, were denied a charter themselves after showing up a little late - despite the fact that they had been told that they had until Sunday morning to get there and that the chartering deadline was extended three times for chapters who happened to support the state board's agenda. Even more appalling is the fact that the UCLA decision was made on a close voice vote, described by my source as a "screaming match", but that calls for a roll call vote were rejected and victory was declared for the "nays". I'm also told that several chapters actually walked out after the UCLA incident, and more after the UCSD vote.

I will be posting a lot more info on this situation later - including video and documentation of numerous wrongdoings - which I had previously been denied access to in hopes that the state convention would see the light. I'll be posting a lot of other stuff as soon as I get it, but I will start with a copy of the check for $500 which had to be written to the UC-San Diego chapter by the state committee after that same amount was stolen from their bank account by the start-up chapter which then stole their charter. The crazy part of this story is that the final check had to come from the state board rather than the new group of people who took the money - as the funds were apparently donated to the state committee as soon as they were withdrawn (and before the vote to de-charter the club from which they were stolen). I'd love to hear the explanation for that.

I'll be getting a better scan of this check soon (along with other materials), and the CCR State Committee can thank me later for being nice enough to blot out their account and routing numbers.

...and since I'm sure the hateful comments from state committee supporters will start flowing in soon - I'm going to make a rule that will delete anyone who uses profanity, makes absurd personal accusations against other commenters, or attempts to masquerade as me in order to make me look stupid. Though, I will leave most of the vitriol up, as you people seem intent on digging your own hole - which makes it even more fun to antagonize you,

California Corruption Spreads

2009-04-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

You may remember that I touched off a bit of a firestorm when I called the California College Republican State Committee on the carpet for needlessly de-chartering the chapter at UC-San Dieg0 - but now it looks like that's just the tip of the iceberg. Almost the exact same stunt has now been pulled on the College Republican chapter at the University of the Pacific - but this time he people affected decided to put together a video showing all of the documentation. Please watch this in its entirety - its worth 7 minutes and the best stuff is at the end (If the video stops halfway through, restart it and fast forward to the middle - problems with Facebook Video). I think this really speaks for itself, but the one thing I will say is that this madness has got to stop - and if you must engage in corruption, save it until you have an office that actually means something (like Governor of Illinois). This is getting flat-out disgusting, and its time for people bigger than the College Republicans to start taking notice.

Democracy or Dictator - South Africa Decides

2009-04-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

I reported on this story back in January, but today is the day that the yogurt hits the fan. South Africans are voting in an election that, in my opinion, will define their future as a nation - and perhaps the future of the entire region. At the very least, this is the most pivotal election since the end of apartheid.

Not that the outcome is in doubt. Every one knows that that the African National Congress (ANC) party will win well over half the seats in parliament - just like they always do - allowing them to elect their leader, Jacob Zuma, as President of South Africa. There are, however, two big differences this time. The first is that Mr. Zuma is a corrupt barbarian who reminds me far more of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe than Nelson Mandela (read my January column for grisly details). The second is that, for the first time in years, there is the potential that the ANC could lose its two-thirds majority - which allows the party to change the constitution whenever it wants.

Here's why I think this is important: The ANC was an important force in ending apartheid, but its post apartheid dominance has made South Africa essentially a one party state. Furthermore, Jacob Zuma and his supporters have moved the ANC closer to authoritarianism by moving to sideline the supporters of former President Thabo Mbeki - even forcing Mbeki himself to resign and hand the presidency to a Zuma supporter. Luckily, many Mbeki supporters were smart enough to leave the ANC and form their own party, the Congress of the People (COPE), which could pull 10% away from the ANC. This could push the non-ANC parties over the one-third mark.

I have come to think that South Africa will inevitably slide away from democracy unless the ANC's hold on power can be replaced with a true multiparty system, and the emergence of COPE makes this possible. However, I would not be voting COPE today if I were South African, I would be supporting the other major opposition party - the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Despite the media focus on COPE, there are two reasons why I think that the DA is more important to South African democracy. First, the DA is liberal and market-friendly, whereas COPE shares the ANC's socialist leanings. Second, the DA is the only major post-racial party in South Africa. The ANC grew out of the movement to empower the black community (a a good goal under apartheid), and it has remained a black party - and obviously COPE was part of the ANC until last year. The DA, on the other hand, grew out of the anti-apartheid movement among white South Africans. Its current leader, Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille, is a white woman and a former member Black Sash movement - a group of white women who stood against against apartheid and fought for black rights. Zille was also named World Mayor of the Year in 2008.

In any true multiparty democracy, Zille would likely be the runaway favorite to win the Presidency - after all, she's literally the best mayor in the world and shes a former civil rights crusader to boot. Unfortunately, South Africa is a de-facto one-party state, and Zille's DA is forced to fight COPE for a distant second. Meanwhile, the authoritarian Zuma is poised to take power - and the once-venerated ANC is starting to look more and more like the Zimbabwean ZANU-PF party of Robert Mugabe.

So, here's hoping that South Africa takes the right step by denying the ANC its two-thirds majority and continues marching toward democracy. Furthermore, while I am grateful to COPE for taking a stand against Zuma, I fervently hope that the DA can remain the second biggest party.

South Africa has come a long way since the days of apartheid. However, the legacy of that dark time will not be fully eliminated until the country ceases to be dominated by a single party. Furthermore, if apartheid was really in the past, then a tolerant white woman like Helen Zille, who clearly has far more credibility than Zuma, would be able to win election despite the majority-black electorate. However, anyone with a bran knows that Zille will not be President-elect tomorrow morning - proving that apartheid is still alive and well.

To all of my friends in South Africa - the choice is yours. You can keep the ANC supermajority and march toward third-world oblivion, or you can take another tiny step toward a post-racial, democratic future. Take your pick.

RealCYA

2009-04-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

I've talked in the past about the ongoing battle between Hollywood Studios and the makers of the RealDVD software program - which would allow you to save your DVDs on your computer legally (as it adds all sorts of anti-piracy encryptions to copied files). However, this one just seems to get more and more interesting.

First, FreedomWorks has come out with a detailed report on the subject, written by their Chief Economist Wayne Brough. According to Brough, a victory for the studios would actually be a blow to personal freedoms and the competitive marker. If RealDVD is deemed illegal, he says, the resulting precedents would be "much to the detriment of fair use, innovation, and competition."

In addition, it's starting to look like the studios themselves are trying to get in on RealDVD's industry. If you haven't noticed, the sci-fi thriller The Day The Earth Stood Still is now out on DVD, and if you go to the website, they are selling a "3 Disc Special Edition with Digital Copy". Basically, they give you an extra disc that allows you to save the movie on your computer or iPod!

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT REALDVD SOFTWARE DOES!

So, while they are trying to get the courts to make RealDVD illegal, they are starting to build RealDVD capabilities into their own DVDs. So, they clearly don't want to stop you from making digital copies of their movies, they just don't want to share the profits of the technology with other companies. So, this is not really about protecting copyright, it's about the studios covering their rear ends. All of the moralistic huffing and puffing is really just an excuse to shut down a competing company.

"Moderate" vs. "RINO"

2009-04-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the brewing hostility between moderates and conservatives in the Republican Party. Not only does it look like “RINO-hunting” is back in vogue, but we now have “Charging RINOs” to go with them. Meghan McCain, for instance, seems almost giddy about the prospect of a civil war over the soul of the GOP.

Now, personally I fall firmly on the conservative side of this skirmish and there are people who I think the party can do without. On the other, I’ve never been a big fan of “RINO-hunting” or even the term “RINO”. There are a lot of center-rightists in this country, and in many cases they are a great asset to the GOP (and at the very least we need their votes). In fact, I’ve realized just how two-minded I am on the issue by examining my own opinions on two potential Senate primaries in 2010.

On one hand, I would love to see Pat Toomey knock off Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. On the other, I have openly advocated taking out Louisiana’s conservative-yet-tarnished Senator David Vitter and replacing him with the extremely moderate Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao. So, why take out one centrist while working to elect another? For me, the answer lies in defining the difference between what I would call a “constructive moderate” and a “destructive moderate” (or, if you’re not into tact, a “true RINO”) - and I can find no better prototypes than Specter and Cao.

We’ll start with Specter. He’s not necessarily a liberal, and he votes with us most of the time - so it’s hard to make the case that he’s in the wrong party. Furthermore, he seems pretty strongly rooted in his socially and fiscally moderate beliefs. He’s not a guy who operates with his finger in the wind, and I respect that. However, there is a serious problem with his attitude. He has no problem labeling himself as a Republican, running on our tickets, and cooperating with our legislators when we happen to agree with him on something. However, when there are disagreements (and they occur often), he goes completely AWOL.

Not only does he vote with the Dems, but he makes a show of shoving it in our face and kvetching about what a horrible party we’ve become. Yes, he’s with us more often than not, but he only gets excited when he’s poking us in the eye - and he is happy to soak up press that results from being the guy tearing down GOP plans from within. He’s not interested in building the party as much as he is in being the kicking, screaming voice of an otherwise long-dead brand of Rockefeller Republicanism. He has become a cancer, and he needs to be cut out - period.

Now, let’s look at Rep. Cao. He may be almost four decades younger than the Gentleman from Pennsylvania, but like Specter he seems to be a moderate if there ever was one. He’s been a Republican less than two years, he’s open to working with Democrats, and he flirts with breaking ranks on every single budget vote. Furthermore, he is more than happy to request lots of earmarks for his district. Now, in his defense, I would note that he always comes down right on those budget votes and that, as the representative of New Orleans, he has more justification for those funding requests than any other Congressman. Still, we can safely say that he is clearly a moderate on everything but the life issue.

However, Cao’s attitude is radically different than Specter’s. He’s the type of guy who got into politics because he genuinely wanted to help people, and he talks constantly about the fact that his goal is always to do what is best for his district. And whereas Specter is bridge-burner, Cao is a bridge-builder. He’s there to build consensus solutions, and while he sticks firmly to his center-right principles, he’s willing to work with both parties to make sure things get done. That, in my opinion, makes him a class act and the very definition of a statesman. Far from being a cancer, he could be a productive coalition builder in Congress for years to come.

This brings me back to my original point about the rise of moderate voices like Meghan McCain, who not only claim to be the only future of the GOP, but are ready to go to battle for their cause. I happen to have a good deal of respect for Miss McCain, but people like her need to decide whether they are with Specter or Cao. They can work with us to help acheive our common goals - in which case, I’m ready to support them wholeheartedly. However, if they continue the march toward some sort of apocalyptic ideological confrontation between the various wings of the party - they will find themselves significantly outnumbered and doomed to failure.

So, Meghan, shall we build bridges or burn them? The choice is yours.

"The Speech"

2009-04-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

I would be remiss if I did not post a link to video of Gov. Palin's speech in Evansville last night - especial since a lot of the people here were been Palinistas long before most people knew what that word meant. Personally, I thought she did a good job, and - more specifically - that this speech was "vintage Sarah" rather than "campaign Sarah". The tone was relentlessly positive but still brutally honest, and every issue was related to her personal experience. This was how Sarah operated as a candidate and as a Governor - and I'm suddenly very glad that she has so much time detoxing in Alaska. If this Sarah continues to show up, we are well on our way to eliminating the negativity of the campaign - and charging toward a Palin presidency.

Welcome back, Governor.

(Note: I posted a link instead of an embed on purpose - I can't get that cool loop to run like C4P did, and I don't want to post 8 videos)

Noa & Mira - "There Must Be Another Way"

2009-04-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

If you were to mix the Olympics with American Idol - you would probably get something like the Eurovision Song Contest. It's always a huge deal across the pond, as the nations of Europe compete in an continent-wide grudge-match of pop musicians. However, as I reported in January, this year's show took on political significance when a bunch of self-hating Israeli intellectuals begged Israeli-Arab singer Mira Awad not to represent Israel in the competition. Apparently, they were concerned that Mira's duet with Jewish pop star Noa would cause people to have positive feelings toward Israel. Of course, their calls went unheeded, and Noa and Mira have recently released the song they wrote for the contest (see video above).

Bravo to this Arab-Jewish duo for standing up in the face of adversity. I wish them luck in semifinals on May 12th and (hopefully) the finals on May 16th. Personally, I think they should be a top contender, considering their compelling story and Noa's status as a Europe-wide pop icon. I personally think they have a very good song as well, but you never know what the voters are going to like. For instance, consider that the 2006 competition was won by these guys...

...Mommy...make the scary Finland people go away!

Brickyard Profile: Tzipi Hotovely

2009-04-13T18:52:00.001-07:00

Let me talk for a minute about my favorite part of politics. I do a lot of election-watching, but I'm not always watching the top-level dynamics. Instead, its usually more fun to watch the mid-level legislators and candidates. For one, you don't understand any government unless you know who serves in certain key roles. Secondly, and arguably more importantly, the real fun is not in knowing who is in charge now - but who is on the rise. What are the newest dynamics in a country, and who is ahead of the curve in addressing those new realities. Find those people, and you find the power players of the future.

Hence, I tend to do crazy things ... like diverting my focus to first term Alaskan Governors. So, what I've been watching lately in Israel is not the big players, but all of the young parliamentarians who came in with them - and one in particular seems to be perfectly positioned to capitalize on rightward shift in Israeli politics.

Meet Tzipi Hotovely of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party. At age 30, she's the youngest member of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), but she is far from a neophyte. Instead, she was already a well known right-wing pundit in the Israeli media, and Benjamin Netanyahu personally recruited her as a Likud candidate in the last election. Then, she ran in the party's primary to select Knesset candidates and did far better than expected. Instead of winning "realistic" chance of getting elected, she locked up the 18th slot on the Likud list - ensuring her election and blowing past Likud's more established female leaders.

Even better, she sits well to the right of the Likud mainstream, closer to what Israeli's would call a "religious Zionist" ideology. This is very important, considering that the conservative Likud is hemorrhaging votes to hard-right nationalist parties like Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu. However, Hotovely also seems far more palatable to the mainline in Israeli politics, as she chose to run for a mainstream party and has the personal support of Prime Minister Netanyahu (unlike more hard-line Likud rebels).

The Likud will need leaders like Tzipi Hotovely if it wants to continue to fend off Yisrael Beiteinu, and her media background shows that she has the charisma needed to gather a following (not unlike a certain Alaskan Governor). I personally expect her to rise very fast in the Netanyahu government (although she is not a current cabinet member), and would not be surprised to see her leading the Likud Party herself someday.

She may not be making world headlines just yet, but she definitely has the potential to come from nowhere and rocket to the top of the national scene. So, if anyone in the world is going to be the next Sarah Palin - it's Tzipi Hotovely.

Tea-Drinkers

2009-04-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, this blog has not previously addressed the nationwide "Tea Party" movement in opposition to the pseudo-socialist policies being introduced by our new president. This is not necessarily because I am in opposition to the concept, but because I am generally skeptical of the effectiveness of mere protests - especially those that involve large numbers of people scrawling cheeky slogans on posterboard with Sharpie markers. That said, I might be willing to embrace the idea if the people involved can convince me that this is more than just a one-time chance for people to vent their anger. If this is a serious movement that will contribute to long term change - then I just might get off the fence.

Hence, I am impressed with a project being put forward by Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring. Mr. Hanna is trying to create a national coalition by getting all of the Tea Party organizers to have their attendees to text the words "Tea Party"to the 74362. If this succeeds, we will finally have the basis to build an organic, conservative rival to Barack Obama's massive network of supporters.

So, congratulations to Mr. Hanna for finally getting this skeptic to pay attention to the Tea-Party Movement. That said, I still need to see proof that these "Tea Parties" are actually going to do something constructive - because if I see a bunch of mad hatters singing "A Very Merry Unbirthday" on April 15th, I'm tuning out for good.
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Closed for Passover

2009-04-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I started a bit of a riot with my post on UCSD yesterday. We ended the day with almost 1,800 hits and the story was linked by Townhall.com, Michelle Malkin, and CRNation.com. We even generated a response from the state chairwoman of the California College Republicans.

I will have a lot more to say about this and other issues, but unfortunately it will have to Wait. Passover starts tonight, and that's a higher priority. I'll be back on Friday with all the latest on the California slugfest.

Shalom.

Trouble at UCSD: We Have To Help These Kids

2009-04-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has immersed themselves in political life knows that the toughest and dirtiest battles are not fought at the top of the food chain, but the bottom. The watchful eyes of the media largely keep our elected officials in check, but when absolutely no-one is watching, you create the potential for one of the most toxic political environments in the country. I’m speaking, of course, about the College Republicans.

The vast majority of CRs are great people, but there are far too many of us (myself included) who come out scarred and jaded after watching four years of shameless backstabbing, political vendettas, and routine corruption. Often, those who claw their way to the top of the garbage pile go on to become our most aggressive and successful strategists - Karl Rove was national chairman in the 1970s, and Lee Atwater managed his campaign for that office. However, for every Karl Rove, there are probably ten young activists who end up fleeing the cesspool. Most of the time, we “grown-ups” shrug off their antics, because “they’re just college kids” – but eventually somebody has to stand up and say that our young leaders deserve better than to be treated like dog feces. The CRs are an integral part of the party’s operations, and they need to be subject to the same ethical standards we apply to anyone else.

Unfortunately, the only way this situation was going to get the attention it deserved was if it spun far so far out of control that it became newsworthy – and sadly, the California College Republicans (CCR) have finally reached that low. I’ve spent the last several days interviewing people familiar with the situation, and frankly I have been shocked and disgusted by actions of that organization’s leadership.

A plethora of strange and twisted events have occurred in the last few months, all of them connected with the CCR State Committee’s desire to influence the election of their successors - but in order to understand the full scale of the issue, I want to begin with the biggest act of corruption I have ever witnessed in College Republicans:

Last Thursday the CCR State Committee voted 6-1 to revoke the charter of the College Republicans at the University of California–San Diego (UCSD). As a result, all of the members of the UCSD chapter (30 active, over 500 on the mailing list) have been effectively kicked out of College Republicans, and a full 10% of the electorate at the state convention (and a key center of opposition to the incumbents) was eliminated in the blink of an eye. The flippant expulsion of these kids should be enough to provoke outrage – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A quick look at the months leading up to this travesty reveals a sordid tale of corruption and intrigue that would rival the most imaginative works of political fiction.

The whole thing started near the end of last year, when I had the chance opportunity to befriend a young intern by the name of Sarah Johnson (we stayed in the same intern dormitory her in DC) – while I was just getting out of college, Sarah was a wide-eyed 18-year-old who would soon be a freshman at UCSD. We talked a lot about CRs, as I had just finished my career (I was the chapter chairman at my college), and she had been receiving strange Facebook messages about the UCSD CRs impeaching several officers. At the time, we laughed it off - but when she got back to San Diego, she found out that she was not dealing with a run-of-the-mill CR squabble. As she told me Friday, she had “walked into a war zone”.

As it turned out, those Facebook messages she showed me were the first shots in the mother of all collegiate conflagrations. There had, in fact, been an underhanded attempt to impeach the CR chairwoman at UCSD, Dejah Stanley – and it backfired in a big way. Inez Feltscher, who succeeded Miss Stanley as chairwoman, gave me the run-down on the circus that followed. Apparently, one of the club’s Vice Chairs, Megan Rodriguez, wanted Stanley gone (most of the club didn’t). Hence, she called a meeting to impeach Stanley, where the articles of impeachment were convincingly voted down. However, this technicality did not stop the instigators from Facebooking the entire club to notify them that Stanley had been voted out of office. The rest of the club was none too pleased with this stunt, and promptly called a meeting where Stanley’s leadership was affirmed and Rodriguez was unanimously impeached as Vice-Chair - YouTube video of the vote was even made available to prove the integrity of the process. Rodriguez, however, decided not to recognize her removal and insists to this day that she is still the club’s Vice Chair for External Affairs. She was also a member of the CCR State Committee, and she decided to use her connection to make life hell for the club - that’s when the hard-core sleaziness started.

According to Feltscher, members of the UCSD CRs started receiving threatening phone calls from CCR state officials, telling them that (among other things) their involvement in Rodriguez’s impeachment would prevent them from ever working in politics again. As the problems got worse, the UCSD CRs found themselves on the outs with the state committee, and they ended up endorsing “Red State Rising”, a slate of state committee candidates running against the incumbent-endorsed slate (known as “Revolutionize CCR”). At this point, they found out that they were subject to an even bigger state committee vendetta – this one aimed at crushing “Red State Rising” in the election.

I got the details on this second sub-plot from Adam Ellison, head of “Red State Rising” and their candidate for State Chairman. RSR has also experienced the strong arm-tactics employed by certain members of the State leadership, this time in their capacity as representatives of the “Revolutionize CCR” campaign. At the state’s annual Republican convention, one state co-chair even went so far as to imply that physical violence could occur against a consultant for Red State Rising.

Then again, that wouldn’t be terribly surprising to anyone frequenting the comments section at The Dana Report, one of the only blogs covering the election. State Co-Chair Leigh Wolf is a frequent commenter, as are other people involved in the race, and you’d be amazed at the comment threats being fired off on one post written after that convention. One commenter asks another “Alec, are you the dude that got thrashed by Leigh Wolf after passing around some random s*** at the CCR meeting? Saw the camera… just wondering.” Mr. Wolf then responds “Yes he was. You’re a sniveling weasel Alec. Bring that trash to the CCR convention, I dare you.” Another shocked commenter than asks if Wolf is making a threat, and receives a rather chilling response: “Yes Matt Schenk it is a threat. I’m glad you picked that up... I will publicly embarrass and make famous anyone who puts their own agenda before CCR at the expense of CCR’s reputation. So i repeat to (name deleted), Bring that trash to the CCR convention, i dare you.” I might add here was that the person was merely distributing literature noting that impeached UCSD Vice-Chair Megan Rodriguez, now a top-ranking “Revolutionize CCR” candidate, had no business masquerading as a sitting vice-chair of the USCD College Republicans…which brings us back to the plot that resulted in dozens of innocent CRs being thrown out of the organization.

Somewhere in the middle of this debacle, Club Treasurer (and Rodriquez ally) Chelsea Green resigned from the UCSD club along with a few lackeys. She then removed all of the other officers from the club’s bank account and commandeered it for her own use. While the university did ensure that the account was eventually returned to its proper owners, Green did manage to withdraw $500 before ceding back control. Coincidentally, she was also able to form a rival “College Republicans” club (with herself as chair) the very same day. At this point, I should probably tell you about the bogus restraining order filed against a member of the UCSD CRs (thrown out in court), but that would interrupt the story.

The renegades then set out on a quest to get their old club de-chartered by the state committee - not a bad plan, considering that they could abuse Megan Rodriguez’s connections. So, they compiled a mailing list of “members” by trading signatures for Red Bull during finals week. They have yet to use that mailing list, despite being in existence for several months - nor have they even hold single meeting - but they did amass a “membership list” to submit to the state committee in their bid to steal the UCSD charter. So, the state organization scheduled a “debate” between the two clubs to determine which was the “legitimate” holder of the UCSD charter.

Now, one would think that preference would be given to the larger club with a 23 year history. However, through a rather amazing feat of intellectual gymnastics, the charter was awarded to the upstarts who don’t even bother to have meetings. Here’s how it went: First, the committee validated the invalid impeachment of Chairwoman Dejah Stanley (remember her?). Then, they declared that, because the club refused to recognize that impeachment, all actions taken by the club afterward were illegitimate. This invalidated the subsequent impeachment of Megan Rodriguez, meaning that the club could now be charged with preventing their suddenly-unimpeached vice-chair from performing her duties. Furthermore, the committee deemed that, as the rebels did recognize the impeachment of Dejah Stanley, they were the only legitimate CRs at the school.

Personally, I find this entire process appalling – these people are supposed to be the future of our party, and nobody will even slap them on the wrist for unjustly expelling an entire chapter. Not only that, but the chapter was disbanded largely for reasons that had nothing to do with the UCSD feud. Yes, that was the excuse, but I’m guessing that the primary reason had far more to do with eliminating voters who were going to oppose “Revolutionize CCR” in this month’s elections.

It’s high time that somebody stood up to these punks, and I personally am willing to flog this issue until something is done about it. If “Revolutionize CCR” and their state committee friends want to play hardball, then let’s play hardball. From here on in, I’m on a mission to make them famous. Any slimy move they make will be blogged about, fed to my Twitter followers, sent to my mailing list, and forwarded to my media contacts. The only thing that these people are “revolutionizing” is ham-fisted, Chicago-style machine politics, and our kids deserve better than that.

College Republicans is supposed to be a place where our young activists learn about the principles of our party - but if this travesty is allowed to stand, then the only thing they’ll learn is that Red Bull does indeed give you wings. We need to do everything we can to get these kids back into CRs (and maybe throw out the bums that did this to them) – and there is no time like the present to get moving.

RealDVD: It's What the People Want

2009-04-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have gotten up in arms about the battle between the creators of software program "RealDVD" and bigwigs in Hollywood. There's been talk about property rights, socialism, the power of the Hollywood studios, and a range of other issues. However, what wasn't seen until today was just how badly people want the capabilities that the program offers.

According to a survey released by the National Consumers League, a whopping 90% of consumers think they should be allowed to copy their DVD's onto their computers - just like they can do with their audio CDs. Furthermore, 40% said this capability would make them more likely to buy DVDs in the future. So, by trying to keep RealDVD off the market, the studios are actually shooting themselves in the foot.

Listen I can understand why people would be worried about piracy, but frankly it's pretty easy to get illegal, unrestricted piracy software online. If you want to engage in illegal activity, you're not going to bother paying for a program like RealDVD, which has all sorts of safeguards to prevent funny business. It would be far easier (and more profitable) for everyone involved if the studios simply allowed RealDVD and cooperated in efforts to make the program even safer than it already is.

AK Dems Cave on Senate Nomination

2009-04-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

A little more detail is emerging in the wake of yesterday's decision to reject Gov. Palin's nomination of Tim Grussendorf to the State Senate - and it looks like this thing is moving in a positive direction after all.

After the vote, it looks like the Juneau Democrats have had enough of the game and will finally submit a list of three names to Gov. Palin for consideration. Here's the quote from the ADN:

"We're going to try to get three names together tomorrow," Rich Listowski, a state Democratic Party central committee member from Juneau, said on Wednesday evening.

It also looks as if the Dems in the Senate were so obsessed with their petty vendetta that they were willing to to alienate one of their most senior members. Grussendorf was chief of staff to Sen. Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel), co-chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, and it looks like Sen. Hoffman was not at all impressed with the rejection of his top aide. Here's another ADN quote:

Hoffman left the closed door meeting on Grussendorf early. He did not appear happy.

So, the Juneau Dems caved and Lyman Hoffman is on the outs with his caucus.

Palin 2, Senate Dems 0

Grussendorf Bounced

2009-04-01T17:25:00.001-07:00

The Democrats in the Alaska's State Senate have decided to play politics and reject Gov. Palin's appointment of Tim Grussendorf to replace Sen. Kim Elton. No word on vote totals - the whole thing was done behind closed doors. Sarah now has ten days to submit a new nominee.

Let the games begin.

Alaska: Political Circus Back in Town

2009-03-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

THERE ARE ACTION ALERTS IN THIS POST - PLEASE READ THE WHOLE THING

It never ceases to amaze me just how petty Alaskan politics can get sometimes - especially when they smell a chance to stick it to Sarah Palin. This week, the issue is Palin's appointment of anew State Senator to fill the seat vacated by Troopergate ringleader/Obama appointee Kim Elton.

Under law, Palin had to appoint a Democrat - and her appointee then has to be approved by a majority vote the sitting Democratic Senators. Normally, the local party in the vacant district (Juneau, in this case) would forward a list of nominees to the Governor, and one of them would be picked. However, in this case, the Juneau Democrats decided not to submit the traditional three nominations, and put only one name on the list - State Representative and staunch anti-Palinite Beth Kertulla. Palin asked for more names, but the Juneau Dems refused. So, she exercised her right to appoint any Democrat she wished, and instead nominated Tim Grussendorf, who was chief of staff to State Sen. Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel). Grussendorf is clearly qualified for the post, but now some Democratic Senators are trying to defeat his nomination and try to force a Kertulla pick.

This is ridiculous and petty, and I personally think it's time for the Anti-Palin people to stop behaving like toddlers. So, I figure that I will introduce you to each and every one of the people involved in this and tell you how to contact them - just so that they know we're watching. (All names will be hyperlinked to their profiles at the AK Legislature). There are only 9 Democrats in the Senate (5 needed for majority), so it shouldn't take too long to identify the key players.

I talked to someone familiar with the dynamics of the situation, and it appears that two Dems from Anchorage leading the charge against Grussendorf: Sens. Hollis French (remember him?), Bill Wielechowski, and Johnny Ellis. This could be personal for French, who wants to run for Governor in 2010 and would love to shoot down anything Palin does. On the other hand, most of the non-Anchorage Democrats seem favorably inclined toward Grussendorf. He's almost certain to get a vote from his old boss, Lyman Hoffman, and my source seems to think that he's going to get backing from Sens. Donald Olson (Nome), Joe Thomas (Fairbanks), and Joe Paskvan (Fairbanks). If this is true, Grussendorf only needs one more vote to get in, and we have two swing voters to focus our efforts on. They are:

Sen. Bettye Davis (Anchorage)
Sen. Albert Kookesh (Angoon/SE Alaska)

So, if you want to call or email, I would focus on those two - and then make sure to call the other four who seem to be leaning the right way to encourage them. If you want to call French, Wielechowski, and Ellis...well...have fun. Davis will likely be under pressure from the other two Anchorage Senators, so they will need some pushing, and Kookesh could be our best bet seeing as he doesn't have the Anchorage connection (he's also the one making this post possible - the vote is delayed because his plane is snowed in). Granted, he's from Southeast Alaska, so he could have some loyalty to Kertulla.

I'll be doing my best to publicize this, and I will be posting the final votes here - so you will all know who did the right thing and who caved to the pressure from shadow-Governor French. Tim Grussendorf seems like a decent guy, not to mention a longtime staffer for a Democratic State Senator, so there's no reason he shouldn't be voted in (other than personal animosity toward Palin). Plus, Rep. Kertulla wants to run for the seat in the next election anyway, and one Juneau Democratic official told the Anchorage Daily News "she would beat him (Grussendorf) like a drum." So, if that bravado proves true, then this is not exactly putting a crimp on her career.

It's time for Hollis French and his friends to quit with the pettiness, let Grussendorf in, and get back to the serious work of government. Let's do what we can to see that they do just that.

Apology

2009-03-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

To those of you who stop by here every day, I owe you an apology. I have not been maintain this site as I should have, and I will do my best to get back up to speed. Please allow me to explain:

I have been relatively busy offline, as I was in a situation where I had to find a new job very quickly in order to stay here in DC (Luckily, I did accomplish that). This took a decent portion of my time in addition to my current job (which I am still working until mid-April). Furthermore, I have been trying to balance this blog with my status as a contributor to Race 4 2012 (which I hope you all have been reading). Toward the end of last week, I inadvertently touched off a firestorm over there by suggesting Judd Gregg as a VP candidate - which spiraled into a debate on Sen. Gregg's potential presidential prospects, and this idea got a some play in the higher levels of the blogsosphere, so I had to devote some time to it. Plus, R4'12 is presenting me with some interesting dilemmas, as that sites seems to be a very good forum for national-level discussions - which has led me to use The Brickyard for two functions which are rather incompatible - my global politics blogging and the highly localized Alaska blogging that I get involved in as a result of my Palin efforts. So, please bear with me as I try to find the proper balance.

Anyway, I will be posting more in the morning, and this blog is not going anywhere. I hope that you are all still listening and ready to have some good discussions.

Netanyahu Finally Gets His Coalition

2009-03-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like Benjamin Netanyahu will finally be able to take over as Israel's Prime Minister, as he has finally coerced the left-wing Labor Party into joining his coalition government (he had enough seats before, but he wanted to have a broader, non-ideological government).

However, the deal may come with a price, as a large chunk of the Labor Party was hellbent against leader Ehud Barak's plan to join the coalition. If that divide grows, the party which once dominated Israeli politics could shatter - formally marking the end of the Labor era.

Northern Exposure: Kim Elton

2009-03-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, raise your hand if you remember last year’s brouhaha regarding Sarah Palin charging the state of Alaska $17,000 in per diem so that she could live in her Wasilla home while the governor's mansion underwent renovations. I’m guessing that most of your hands went up (or would have, if we were actually in a room together). Well, one of the main people pushing that story was then-State Senator Kim Elton – who has since received a cushy presidential appointment as the Department of the Interior’s Director of Alaska Affairs. However, it now appears that Sen. Elton was himself charging the state even more in per diem. Not only that, it appears that unlike Palin – who was actually billling the state for legitimate expenses - Elton seems to have been abusing the process.

I have a source in Alaska who did some digging through the “Alaska Legislature 2008 Salary and Business Expense Report” – put out by the state’s Legislative Affairs Agency - and it’s truly amazing what was going on. According to my source, Elton charged the state a grand total of $20,681.25 in per diem for the year 2008 – several thousand dollars more than Gov. Palin. That comes out to $122.25 per day through the normal legislative session between January 15 and April 15. Then he charged $160.50 per day for two of the year’s four special sessions (30 days each). So, just on these facts alone, the man is far more “guilty” than the Governor when it comes to per diem.

But then again, travel and lodging costs a lot for legislators in Alaska. It’s a big state, and legislators from far-flung corners of the Great White North have to move to the remote capital of Juneau for the 90-day legislative session. So, for the most part, it is acceptable for these people to collect per diem for their services. It must have been horribly expensive for Sen. Elton, considering that he represents a town of only a few thousand people that is accessible only by boat. It must have cost an arm and a leg for him to get to work from his home town of Juneau!

Yes, you read that correctly. While he was ragging on Sarah Palin for expensing her commutes to Wasilla, Kim Elton was ripping off thousands of dollars from the State of Alaska. While what he did it perfectly legal, I fail to see why he needed more than $20,000 in food and lodging expenses to pay for the quick drive from his house to the Capitol Building. I might also add that, while I only have numbers from last year, Elton charged per diem every year during his decade in the State Senate. Palin, on the other hand, actually charged far less per diem than the previous two governors, who billed the state to live in hotels and rent apartments in Anchorage.

Now, this might seem like a regional story, but in this case, Palin's per diem became a national issue. So, if Kim Elton wanted to ensure that the world found out all about Sarah Palin's use of state funds, then it’s only fair that we examine Elton's own use (and abuse) of said funds– especially since the man seems to have been handsomely rewarded for his efforts against Gov. Palin (he was head of the Legislative Council that "handled" the "Troopergate" mess). Then again, his new job may also be due to his close relationship with Pete Rouse - a former co-worker who served as chief of staff to a young senator named Barack Obama.

People who live in glass houses….

Scottish Muslims Offer to Guard Synagogue

2009-03-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Reading this story really brightened my day. Last week, a Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation in Edinburgh, Scotland was vandalized in an anti-Semitic attack - but it might have been a blessing in disguise, as it sparked a rather remarkable act of interfaith solidarity.

Yesterday, The Scotsman newspaper reported that Ken Imrie, chairman of the Scottish Islamic Association, sent a letter to the synagogue's rabbi in which they not only expressed their "revulsion and horror" at the attack, but put their money where their mouth was. Here's an excerpt:

"We trust you have adequate security arrangements in place, in line with places of worship across the country. If not, such is our strength of feeling on this matter, we would wish to physically guard the synagogue ourselves."

We really need more people like this in the world. Kudos to the Scottish Islamic Association and Ken Imrie for their selfless act of generosity and courage. Personally, I hope that the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation takes them up on their offer - as letting these people actually guard the synagogue would be a tremendous statement against religious bigotry.

Palin Rejects Stimulus Money!

2009-03-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, out favorite Governor is at it again. Today, she rejected a full 45% of the money available to Alaska under the so-called stimulus package. As someone who has followed the Governor for a long time, I know that this is classic Sarah - and it really reminds me of the times she slashed huge sums out of the state budget and slowed the growth of government in Alaska.

One thing you may not have seen in the national media is Sarah's full statement on the subject, but video is available from KTUU News in Anchorage, and I really wanted to show it to you. This is our proof that Sarah is back in "serious executive" mode, and for my two cents, it means that the Sarah Palin we remember from before the VP run is back and better than ever.

Brickyard Profile: Baby's First Coup

2009-03-17T20:14:00.001-07:00

I've had an epiphany of sort about my writing...I really, really like to profile people who I find intriguing. Hence, I think it's time to formalize this process, start using trademark graphics (see below) and make the "Brickyard Profile" a regular feature of this site. Please give me some feedback on the comments in the comments section (good, bad, ugly), and maybe even suggest individuals (foreign or domestic) who you think could be highlighted. So, without further ado, here's our first "official" Brickyard profile - meet Andry Rajoelina.

To put it lightly, Andry Rajoelina doesn't look old enough to lead a revolution. Heck, he doesn't look old enough to shave. He is a little older than he appears, but at 34, the baby-faced former DJ still has six years until he can constitutionally become President of Madagascar. However, if one thing has become clear over the last few weeks, it's that Andry Rajoelina need not be troubled by petty laws and regulations - so it probably shouldn't surprise anyone that he did in fact become Madagascar's President yesterday. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly achieve his impressive feat legally.

Instead, Rajoelina's rise to power resulted from what could arguably be described as the biggest temper tantrum in recent memory. The mess started last month, when now-former president Marc Ravalomanana abruptly fired Rajoelina from his elected office as Mayor of Antannanarivo (the nation's capital). He had every right to be upset, and even to fight his dismissal, but few people would have envisioned what he did next. Instead of merely protesting his dismissal, Rajoelina launched a revolution. He told his followers that President Ravolomanana was a dictator, and that he was misspending public funds - and then on Monday he declared himself president of a new government.

With Rajoelina's people in the streets, and the military siding with the opposition, President Ravalomanana holed up in one of the presidential palaces. His supporters gathered outside and prepared for a confrontation, but Ravalomanana saw the writing on the wall (and the fact that the army had taken control of the main presidential palace) and offered hold a referendum on national leadership. Rajoelina did not think that an election was needed to determine the will of the people, so he refused the offer. Left with no options, the president resigned yesterday and handed power to the military, who immediately handed the presidency to Rajoelina. The takeover was complete

Some might call this a revolution, but I think it's a run-of-the-mill military coup. Rajoelina did not take power through his massive street protests (though they helped); he took power because the military decided to turn on President Ravalomanana. Andry Rajoelina may have rode a wave of popularity, but that does not change the fact that he is not only unelected, but constitutionally disqualified from the office he now holds. Far from exhibiting the traits of a democratic hero, he is showing the trademarks of a a budding egomaniac dictator. Luckily, he has promised elections in two years, but something tells me he will win easily (and probably unfairly) and go on to become the unchallenged leader of an undemocratic Madagascar.

Considering his age, charisma, and organizational ability, this man has the potential to lead his country for a very long time. Combine that with his excessive ego, his inexperience, and the fact Madagascar is already an extremely poor country - and it becomes clear that Andry Rajoelina has the potential to become the next Robert Mugabe if he wants to. However, before we get into any doomsday scenarios for Madagascar, we have to see if the boy king even stays in power. After all, the military turned on Ravalomanana, and they can just as easily turn on his successor.

Will Rajoelina become a major force, or will the world's youngest coup leader become the youngest person to be ousted in a coup? Only time will tell, but regardless of what happens Andry Rajoelina is definitely a man to watch.

Another Domino Falls...

2009-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

First, there was Hugo Chavez - who we all know and loathe - but the thing that a lot of people don't pick up on is that "Chavismo" is not limited to Venezuela. Instead, Chavez launched a domino effect that has reverberated around Latin America. Radical Leftist/Socialist presidents have suddenly shot to power all over Latin America, dramatically re-shaping the region's political culture and making life very difficult for the U.S. Some have become moderate, accepted left-wing leaders, like Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez. However, many of them have lived up to their radical reputations. This brand of leader, who I would call the "Chavitos" (little Chavezs) have become one of the scariest trends in world politics. They include Ecuador's Rafael Correa, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, and - most importantly- Bolivia's Evo Morales (who actually scares me MORE than Chavez himself).

Today, another country has fallen, and the latest Leftist to come to power could be the most important yet - because he is unlike the others and, in my mind, could represent the first incarnation of the second generation of Chavitos. The country is El Salvador in Central America- and the man is former TV journalist Mauricio Funes. On one hand, I'm surprised that it took Salvadoreans so long to lurch leftward, as Mr. Funes' party is one of the most established radical movements in Latin America. While it operates as a political party today, the Faribundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) got its start as a communist guerrilla army and fought a bloody civil war in 1980s and early 90s. However, since going "mainstream", the FMLN has failed to gain the presidency - but that was before they found Mauricio Funes, who was unlike anyone they had put up before.

Until now, the FMLN has run former guerrillas for president, but apparently Salvadoreans were not in the mood to elect bloodied rebel commanders to lead their country - this has allowed the conservative ARENA Party to hold the presidency in a vice-grip since 1989. Funes, however, is not only the first FMLN who did not fight in the war, but seemingly bears no resemblance to the grizzled fighters who founded his party. With his clean-shaven look and his chic modern spectacles, he clearly doesn't come from the bloody jungle battlefields of the 80s. Instead, he is a modern communicator who honed his skills as a TV presenter on "CNN en Espanol". This is not just a change of pace for the FMLN, but for the entire Latin American left, as most of the "Chavitos" got their start as proletarian labor union bosses.

So, we've established that Funes is a different kind of Lefty, but why is that so darn important? Well, it's because he could be a weathervane for the entire region - telling the world how the Chavez movement will age. It seems now that he could easily become a moderate leftist like Lula da Silva in Brazil. If that is the case, he will fit nicely into the international community and won't be terribly noteworthy in the grand scheme of things. However, considering that he did come out of the very radical FMLN, he could instead be the first example of a new Leftist generation of of leaders - "Chavito 2.0" if you will. In other words, his policies could be every bit as radical as Crazy Hugo, but more threatening because of their sleek, non-militant, 21st century look. Everybody KNEW that the first generation of Chavitos were stark raving loons, they might as well have "nut job" tattooed across their foreheads. But if the Funes example holds, that will no longer be the case, and more countries will become vulnerable. Conservative holdouts like Peru and Colombia could fall for the siren-song of the new left, and the takeover of Latin America will become complete.

Which way President Funes will go is anybody's guess. We can pray that he turns out as a moderate - but we need to watch him closely to ensure that he doesn't morph into something far more sinister.

D.S. Simon Interview

2009-03-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion at PRNews' Media Relations Forum here in DC on Tuesday, and along the way I had the added opportunity to be interviewed for the "D.S. Simon Vlog" - a video blog serving the communication community. I wanted to share this interview with all of you, as I thought Mr. Simon had some great questions and I really like his vlog concept. Thanks to PRNews for the invitation, and thanks to Mr. Simon for the interview.

"Defenders of Wild Food"

2009-03-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is great! A friend in AK gave me a link to this new group, and I'm excited to see that someone is finally taking on "Defenders of Wildlife" and the other extremist greenies going after Sarah Palin on the issue of Alaska's predator control programs. Finally, someone has put a human face on our side of the issue! And I think it's great that they parodied the enemy by parodying their name. Be sure to visit DefendersOfWildFood.org for more info. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that somebody is finally taking a shot at the "wolf people" - their disingenuous ads (the ones with the stock footage of airplanes and wolves getting tranquilized) have been an unneeded distraction for far too long, and can't wait to see how they react to be labeled enemies of Native Alaskan culture.

This Sent Chills Up My Spine...

2009-03-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

I was reading today that Britain's last surviving WWI veteran was made a member of the French Legion of Honor today. I found some video of his acceptance speech from the BBC, and I almost cried. I love to put up inspirational stories, and 110 year-old Harry Patch definitely qualifies.

Click here to watch.

In case you didn't understand him, I'm putting the full text of his remarks at the end of this post, but I have a few things to say first. With all of the focus historians put on WWII, the First World War tends to be forgotten...which is a real shame, considering that the last veterans are currently dying out (I think there are two left in the world) These men deserve every bit as much respect as those who fought thirty years later, and I'm glad to see that the few remaining survivors are getting some publicity. But what are we going to do when they're gone? I can't speak for Europe, but I do know that there is, in fact, a WWI memorial next to the Washington Mall - I stop by it every time I visit the memorials. It's tucked off to the side in a stand of trees; it's not well taken care of; and hardly anybody knows what it is. Technically, it's a local memorial to DC residents who died in WWI, but it's the closest thing we've got...so let's at least take care of it. Maybe we could even take a few of those stimulus dollars and clean it up - maybe we could even install a sign to let people know it exists. Wikipedia says that there was a bill introduced last year to expand it and make it a national WWI memorial...I don't know how far that went, but kudos to Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) for the idea. And, lastly, to whoever left that single red rose there on Veterans Day, you're my hero.

Text of Harry Patch's remarks after being made a member of the French Legion of Honor:

"Now, but two of us remain at our post and the people of France, through their president, have honoured us once more by appointing us as Officers of the Legion of Honour."

"Ambassador, I greatly appreciate the way your people respect the memory of those who fell, irrespective of the uniform they wore.

"I will wear this medal with great pride and when I eventually rejoin my mates it will be displayed in my regimental museum as a permanent reminder of the kindness of the people of France."

The Red Button

2009-03-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

It's official, Hillary Clinton has absolutely no business being a diplomat. She would have been a half-decent fit for other departments, like Health and Human Services, but her gaffe yesterday was almost totally inexcusable. If the Obama Administration wants to put more focus on diplomacy as a method of solving our problems, then he should never have put such an amateur in the nation's top diplomatic post.

Now, I actually though that the idea of giving a "reset" button to the Russian Foreign Minister was a good diplomatic gesture, but I am positively steamed at how badly it was bungled. First, Clinton told her Russian counterpart that a lot of work had been put into making sure that that they used the correct Russian word for "reset" (perezagruzka), but gave him a button that actually said "overload" (peregruzka). Not only was there a typo, but it wasn't even written in Russian! The button should have read "ПЕРЕЗАГРУЗКА" (I took some Russian in college), but instead it was written out using the Latin Alphabet!

Apparently, Secretary Clinton's people didn't work as hard as she thought to find the right word, let alone the right alphabet. If the U.S. state department can't figure out how to properly translate one word into Russian, then we have some serious problems to deal with.

This is a minor faux pas in the grand scheme of things, but there is still absolutely no excuse for it. I'm not surprised that Foreign Minister Lavrov said he would keep the button on his desk despite the typo...as it will be a constant reminder that his American counterpart is in over her head.

Troopergate Ringleader Gets Cushy Federal Job

2009-03-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard yet, Alaska State Senator Kim Elton (D-Juneau) has resigned to accept an appointment as the Department of the Interior's Director of Alaska Affairs. Of course, WE all remember Elton as the leader of the council that investigated the Troopergate fiasco, and one of the top guys responsible for blowing those trumped up charges onto the national political scene. So, I guess the moral of the story is that the politics of personal destruction are not only alive and well, but can get you promoted.

Unfortunately, this also shows that President Obama has little intention of working with Gov. Palin on anything, as Elton and Palin are not exactly on good terms. This was evidenced by the tersely worded statement released by Gov. Palin - which included the following:

"Senator Elton pledged his allegiance to President Obama last summer."

There was one thing that came out of this appointment that really interested me...because it may reveal the missing link between the Obama campaign and the prosecution of Troopergate:

"Elton is close to Pete Rouse, who was Obama's chief of staff in the U.S. Senate and is now a special adviser to the president. Rouse and Elton worked together in Juneau in the late 1970s on the staff of Alaska Republican Lt. Gov. Terry Miller."

Hmm....wonder why the McCain campaign's "Palin Truth Squad" never dug up that juicy little nugget.

Comments

2009-03-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

We've had a lot of complaints about comments section not working correctly, so I did a little tinkering with the settings. Hopefully this should solve the problem.

Adam Brickley

Two Interviews

2009-03-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide which of these videos to post, so we're going with both, because they are both relevant. The first is one of my new favorite Congressmen (and hopefully potential Senator) Joseph Cao. He's been on the warpath lately regarding corruption in FEMA's New Orleans office. He's pulling no punches, as you will see in this interview with a local TV station. Go Cao!

Click here to watch.

Second, I wanted to show you this recent Newsweek interview with Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu Party in Israel. I've yacked about Lieberman quite a lot on this blog, both positive and negative, and so I figured I would take this opportunity to let him speak for himself here.

...and now for something REALLY SCARY

2009-03-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

See the little red dot on that map of Africa? That's an itty-bitty country called Guinea-Bissau, and there are two reasons that you need to know about it. The first is President João Bernardo Vieira (the creepy-looking guy pictured above), who was assassinated this morning by rogue elements in the military. That, in itself, is enough to justify paying attention for a few hours. Unfortunately, African leaders get plugged far too often, so it's the second reason that really makes this development scary.Guinea-Bissau may seem like a run-of-the-mill Third World backwater, but nothing could be further from the truth (see video below...you REALLY should watch that).

In fact, the country has become a key linchpin in the international drug trade since 2005. Colombian cocaine cartels have figured out that the government has almost no control of the place, and hence it has become the ideal place to to trans-ship cocaine on its way to the European market (large loads of coke get shipped into the Guinea-Bissau hub, where they are then broken up and shipped around Europe). Needless to say, the effect on society has not been positive, especially when you consider that Guinea-Bissau ranked 175th out of 177 countries on the UN's Human Development Index - which means that it makes Ethiopia look like "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous".

The UN said that Guinea-Bissau was in danger of becoming "Africa's first narco-state", and I think that that the transformation took a dramatic leap forward this week. The local strongman, President Vieira, is dead. In addition, Vieira's top political rival, Gen. Batista Tagme Na Waie (head of the military), was blown to smithereens on Saturday. There is a total power vacuum, and my guess is that the situation will only get worse. Nobody is currently implicating the cartels in either assassination, but I would be flabbergasted if they weren't involved in both.

As I see it, Guinea-Bissau is no longer "in danger of becoming Africa's first narco-state". It BECAME Africa's first narco-state this morning. Now think about this...Guinea-Bissau is on the edge of the Islamic-Christian religious divide in Africa - so the Latin American cocaine cartels are now operating on turf where radical Islam is looking for a toe-hold. Birds of a feather flock together, and when the jihadis set up shop in Guinea-Bissau, this lawless West African backwater could become the birthplace of a toxic alliance between two of the world's two most malevolent forces. Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion, but the potential confluence of radical Islam and the Latin American drug cartels scares the heck out of me.

*Photo of President Vieira and map taken from Wikipedia, both licensed under Creative Commons, see links for details

John Bolton for President?

2009-02-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

Crossposted at Race42012.com

Okay, nobody freak out. I am not…let me repeat…NOT jumping off the Palin bandwagon - not even close. Sarah is my candidate in 2012, period. That said, I think there is a serious problem with our overall field of potential primary candidates: they’re ALL governors

Don’t get me wrong, I like Governors, they make great nominees – but I’m starting to get unnerved by the potential of a primary contested solely by domestic policy experts. Palin, Romney, Huckabee, Pawlenty, Jindal, Crist - ALL lack foreign policy credentials, and it’s going to be harder to give those issues their due if no-one in the field is really well-schooled in that department. In my humble opinion, there absolutely MUST be at least one candidate in the race who can make sure that all of the candidates – including my beloved Sarah – get their feet held to the fire regarding terrorism, defense, international relations, and national security. Some have suggested that David Patraeus could make a wild-card run, but I personally think that’s a pipe dream. Instead, we need to find somebody willing to become a second-tier, single-issue candidate who is in the race in order to channel the debate (much in the way that Tancredo and Hunter kept Immigration relevant in the 2008 primaries…love ‘em or hate ‘em, it worked).

I had previously thought about suggesting firebrand think-tank head Frank Gaffney for this role, but even I knew that was a bit of a stretch. However, after attending yesterday’s session of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), I realized that I had been neglecting one of the conservative movement’s most forceful and eloquent voices on foreign policy issues – Former U.N. Ambassador John “The ‘Stache” Bolton.

As far as I’m concerned, Ambassador Bolton is the complete package politically – he’s ridiculously smart, has a memorable personality, seems to have a lot of fire in his belly, and (most importantly) is one of the more dynamic speakers I’ve seen. He positively brought the house down at CPAC this morning, and I remember that he did the same last year. Anyone would be hard-pressed to handle him in a foreign policy debate, and his dynamism might even give him a chance of pulling off a Huckabee-esque breakout – especially considering that he would have a virtual lock on security-focused voters. The only real problem is that he can be a bit of a bomb-thrower, but that can be an asset in a primary campaign, and it’s definitely a good thing if he were to find himself in contention for the VP slot after the primaries (I would pay good money to see a Biden-Bolton smackdown).

The biggest question is what’s in it for Ambassador Bolton if he doesn’t win (which would be a pretty good bet). Well, he could put himself in the catbird seat for Secretary of State or National Security Advisor if the GOP nominee defeated Obama - or he could use his momentum to launch his own policy organization, dramatically raise his profile in the media, and cement his position as the right’s dominant voice on foreign policy. As I see it, he really can’t lose.

So, do you think that we are going to need a “security candidate” in the 2012 race, and if so, what to you think of the idea of drafting The ‘Stache?

Getting Ready for CPAC

2009-02-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, the internet at my house has been blown out recently...so life's been a little crazy. That said, I'm going to be at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) until Saturday, and I'm going to try to put in as many updates as I can.

Avigdor Lieberman? Foreign Minister? Oy Vey!

2009-02-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm still talking about Israel, but I guess it saves me the trouble of bellyaching about the stimulus package and rest of the depressing news out of the Obama Administration...and you probably find it more interesting than the other story I'm watching, which is the unrest in the French-owned Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique (which you may hear about soon). And, since Sen. Roland Burris isn't resigning yet, we're going to do an update on Israeli coalition negotiations.

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is going to be Prime Minister, but other than that, everything else is up in the air. Bibi seemed prepared to offer the Kadima Party full partnership in the government, with leader Tzipi Livni keeping her job as Foreign Minister and Kadima #2 man Shaul Mofaz taking the Defense Ministry. Sweet deal, but Livni told him to take a hike...she wanted a rotation deal where she would take over as Prime Minister in two years and serve out the second half of Bibi's term. So, Netanyahu had to turn to the left wing Labor Party to save his hopes of forming broad-based "unity government"...but they essentially told him to take a flying leap. There will likely be a second meeting between Netanyahu in Livni, but at this point it looks like the country will instead be governed by a narrow coalition of right-wing parties...which brings us back (once again) to Israel's most fascinating and eccentric politician, Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party.

With Kadima and Labor both rejecting the opportunity to join the Netanyahu Administration, it will now be paramount for the Prime Minister to keep all of his coalition partners happy. Of course, the largest single partner will be Lieberman and his following of hardcore nationalists, and it looks like Lieberman has decided what he wants in exchange for propping up Netanyahu. It's not the Defense Ministry (where I thought he could end up), it's the Foreign Ministry.

Now, let me try to paint a picture of how difficult of a spot this could put Netanyahu in. Let us pretend that America has an Israeli-style government, and John McCain is the Prime Minister-designate. The Republican Party only holds a quarter of the seats Parliament, and Prime Minister McCain's original plan had been to form a coalition with the Moderate Party of America, led by Hillary Clinton (equivalent to Livni and Kadima), but she turned him down. He then turned to the Socialist Party, led by Barack Obama (equivalent to the Labor Party), who also refused (thank goodness). Left with no other option, McCain must turn to the illegal-immigration-focused America First Party, led by firebrand Rep. Tom Tancredo (equal to Lieberman and Yisrael Beiteinu). This actually seems like a decent fit, as the two have a lot in common on spending and foreign relations, and it would be workable except for one thing...in exchange for his support, Tancredo demands that McCain make him Secretary of State.

I don't care what you think of Rep. Tancredo, it would be hard to imagine giving the country's top diplomatic position to an anti-illegal firebrand who is not exactly known for his tact. In the same way, Netanyahu might have to swallow hard before giving the Foreign Ministry to Avigdor Lieberman, who campaigned on the idea of revoking the citizenship of Israeli Arabs unless they take some sort of loyalty pledge...it's a PR nightmare. My guess is that Bibi will try to wheel and deal by offering him another Cabinet position, but assuming Livni doesn't have a change of heart, it seems likely that Lieberman will get what he wants. There are only three top-tier Cabinet ministries: Foreign, Defense, and Finance - and Bibi really wants to keep Lieberman away from the Defense Ministry (equal to Secretary of Defense). I don't think Lieberman is much of an economist - so he's not going to want the Finance Ministry (Treasury Secretary). Hence, it's probably a good bet that Lieberman will become Foreign Minister. Putting him in charge of Israel's relations with the rest of the world is a scary prospect...but putting him in charge of the military would be much scarier.

So, my fellow Americans...get ready to meet Israel's most eccentric leader, as he's now likely to be the first guy you see on CNN whenever Israel ends up in the news. If nothing else, he will definitely be entertaining.

Prime Minister Netanyahu!

2009-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ten days after the elections in Israel, we finally know who won the Prime Minister's office. Earlier today, Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman announced that he would be throwing his support behind Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu when he recommends a Prime Minister to President Shimon Peres. So, while Netanyahu's Likud Party finished second in the elections, he now has the support of both the third-place party (Yisrael Beiteinu) and the fifth-place party (Shas). This puts him within 10 votes of a majority in the 120 seat Knesset with a total of 53 seats (27 Likud, 15 Yisrael Beiteinu, 11 Shas). Theoretically, this leaves Likud in a position to form a coalition of only right-wing parties if necessary (although that is not the preference of either Netanyahu or Lieberman)

Meanwhile, Tzipi Livni of the first place Kadima party is getting no love from her potential coalition partners, as neither the left-wing Labor Party nor the far-left Meretz Party will be recommending that President Peres tap Livni for Prime Minister (they will endorse no one). At this point, Livni has pretty much conceded defeat, announcing that she will reject an offer to join Netanyahu's coalition government - denying him the national unity government he wants (Personally, I think she's quite a sore loser). That said, Netanyahu probably will get a broad coalition, as he is still likely try to bring in the Labor Party.

Either way...we can now finally congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu on his return to power after ten years in the wilderness.

WELCOME BACK, BIBI!

Joining the Race42012 Team!

2009-02-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you all know that, starting today, I will be writing in two different locations. Obviously, things around here are going to continue normally, but I have also been invited too join the team over at Race42012.com (formerly known as Race42008).

Thanks to R4'12 Managing Editor Kavon Nikrad for this opportunity, and I hope that the "Brickyard" crew will join me on this new adventure.

Click here to read my first Race42012 post.

Cao Slams "So-Called Stimulus"

2009-02-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

At this point, just looking at this blog should tell you what I think of Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana. He showed great courage by voting against the Democratic "stimulus" package last week, and he's been getting SLAMMED for it in the media and left wing blogosphere. However, he proved he is more than capable of firing back with a strongly worded letter in this morning's New Orleans Times-Picayune (re-posted below). He may be the single shyest man in Congress, but he certainly doesn't seem to pull any punches when it comes to writing.

According to many in the media, Congressman Cao ended his political career by voting on conscience rather politics - and I last personally would love nothing more than to shove those comments back in their faces. As far as I'm concerned, Rep. Cao proved this week that he is the guy we thought he was when he took down William Jefferson in last year's election. So, for my two cents, it's time for us to circle that wagons around Joseph Cao and do everything we can to make sure that, instead of getting bounced in 2010, he gets a promotion to the U.S. Senate.

---

Anti-stimulus vote tough but justified, Cao says
Posted by Letters to the Editor February 16, 2009 4:44PM

This past Friday, I voted against the so-called stimulus bill. I wanted a bill that would stimulate the economy without wasteful spending and that would answer the needs of my district. Unfortunately, this wasn't it. Voting no was a tough decision -- my most difficult yet in Congress -- but I believe it was the right decision.

President Barack Obama's intentions with this bill were good, but the result is loaded with big government spending and dubious initiatives that will do little to help the average American. The costs of the stimulus bill far outweigh the benefits. Even the White House's own analysis ranked the 2nd District dead last in terms of the number of jobs created yet the bill will increase 2nd District citizens' share of our national debt to more than $38,000 per person.

The passage of the stimulus bill was neither fair nor transparent. The entire process was characterized by traditional Washington back-room dealing and was intended to ram through a trillion-dollar spending frenzy with as little debate and scrutiny as possible.

Some will say I bowed to political pressure to "fall in line" with the Republican Party. This could not be further from the truth. My first and only responsibility is to the people of the 2nd District; I am committed to working with Republicans and Democrats alike to pass important legislation, such as the critically needed children's health insurance program we passed earlier this year.

As your representative, I have worked tirelessly to bring jobs back home, securing $129 million to assist local hospitals and moving forward the backlog of local FEMA projects to restore basic services like firehouses, health clinics and schools. If we can get even a fraction of these projects off the ground, it will do far more for the 2nd District than the stimulus bill.

U.S. Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao

Washington

Enjoy Bottled Water!

2009-02-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

I attended a blogger briefing today at The Heritage Foundation, and one of the presenters brought up something that I just HAD to share with all of you. Apparently, the bottled water industry has become the latest threat to humanity in the eyes of radical left wing green groups. It has a carbon footprint, creates solid waste, and (most importantly, in my opinion) threatens government control of our water supply.

Hence, green groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council are now ordering us to drink tap water...despite the fact that, not too long ago, these same groups were lecturing us on the extreme danger of drinking impure, contaminated tap water. But now, in the name of advancing socialism...I mean...uh..."saving the planet", their stance has changed to "by all means, drink the contaminated water, just be sure you have a filter to protect yourself." And to add insult to injury, cities are now banning bottled water from certain functions and placing "sin taxes" on its sale.

Luckily, our friends at the Competitive Enterprise Institute have set up EnjoyBottledWater.org in order to highlight this moronic crusade against clean water. Be sure to check out the site, watch the featured video, and sign their petition.

Video: Bristol Palin "On the Record"

2009-02-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

As promised, I am posting links to the videos from tonight's "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren". Click here to go to the "On the Record" video list, where the top video is currently Part 1 of the Bristol interview. Then, be sure to check out Part 2 (with special appearances by Sarah Palin and Baby Tripp) and Greta's interview with Gov. Palin at the finish line of the Iron Dog snowmachine race.

Bristol Palin Goes "On The Record"

2009-02-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

TUNE IN TO FOX NEWS TONIGHT AT 10:00 PM EASTERN

Busy day at work today, so full-length posts will be waiting for tonight. That said, I HAD to mention this story quickly. Greta Van Susteren is back in Alaska to check in with the Palins, and she has scored a groundbreaking interview...not with Sarah or Todd, but with BRISTOL Palin.

As far as I'm concerned, sitting down with Greta is a tremendous act of courage for Bristol. Nobody would blame this young woman if she never said another word to the media in her life, so she is really showing some chutzpah by sitting down for a one-on-one interview with a national news channel.

In my personal opinion, Bristol Palin has suffered more degrading abuse by the media than any other person in this country (including her mother and George W. Bush). She deserves our total support, and I think that anyone who reads this blog or participated in the Draft Palin movement is obligated to watch tonight.

Good luck, Bristol...way to show the slimebags that you're not going to be pulled down by their classless lies and smears.

Draft Cao for U.S. Senate

2009-02-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

I watched today's stimulus vote very closely - not because the outcome interested me (everybody knew the monstrosity would pass), but to see how which Republicans decided to break ranks. Actually, I was really only watching one vote in particular, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-Louisiana). Most political junkies will remember Rep. Cao as the giant-killer who took out scandal-ridden Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson on his way to becoming the first Vietnamese-American Congressman in history. He was an instant hero for the otherwise humiliated GOP, but there were a few problems...which is why this post was not written months ago.

First, Cao is a political novice with few defined issue positions other than a staunch pro-life stance and a commitment to redeveloping New Orleans - not to mention a newly-minted Republican (in 2007, he ran for State Representative as an Independent). He cast himself as a totally open-minded post-partisan, and considering that he represents a heavily-Democratic district, many were rightly concerned that he could become one of the most moderate Republicans in Congress. Secondly, Cao's election was a bit of a fluke - facilitated by the incumbent's scandals and and postponed election (due to Hurricane Gustav). Despite his newfound rockstar status, it seemed highly unlikely that he would even come close to winning a second term. How could we be sure that this guy wasn't going to go liberal, and how could we possibly protect him if he did live up to his promise? Today, I think we may have some solutions to both issues.

I was disappointed to hear this morning that Rep. Cao was one of the only Republicans "leaning yes" on today's stimulus vote. His New Orleans-based district REALLY DOES need infrastructure money for reconstruction (and redevelopment was one of his big campaign issues). So, in order to get the funding his district desperately needs, he was openly flirting with becoming the only Republican to support the bloated, non-stimulating proposal. And then the fight over Cao's vote began.

The White House assigned a staffer to do nothing but hound Cao for his vote, and the Republican team started applying pressure too. Cao asserted his independence when asked whether fellow Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise had been assigned to "whip" him into line against the bill, and I admired his response even if I didn't like what it implied, "Steve Scalise doesn't know kung fu. I know kung fu. He can't whip me." However, Cao proved today that he could also withstand direct pressure from President Obama and pundits who said that he had to vote with the Dems to save his chances of re-election - he voted "no".

Now, while his vacillation may have implied greater moderation, I don't think that anyone can now doubt that Joseph Cao is a faithful public servant who is motivated totally by doing what he thinks is right. He has good conservative instincts, he's honest, he's an upstanding citizen, and he's independent minded - so even if he goes a little moderate sometimes, I like him a lot. More importantly, I think he's a tremendous asset to the Republican Party, and we need to make sure that he sticks around for a while...and, no offense, but running him for re-election in a district that's 70% Democrat would be roughly equivalent letting him water-ski in the bayou (otherwise known as "trolling for gators").

Luckily, we do have one - and ONLY one - shot at saving Joseph Cao from certain political destruction in 2010....we can run him as a primary challenger to U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-LA). You may remember that, in 2007, Vitter admitted to being a past patron of the prostitution service run by the now-infamous "DC Madam". This guy is vulnerable, and you can count on the Dems to target him in 2010. So, while Vitter may have a strong conservative voting record, I frankly don't think we should be wasting the party's time and money defending his indefensible actions. In fact, it's likely that Vitter's re-election race will make a mockery of the American political process - as there is already a very strong internet movement to highlight his improprieties by drafting porn star Stormy Daniels to run against him (and Miss Daniels is telling national media outlets that she's seriously considering it).

In all frankness, the people of Louisiana deserve better than the oversexualized circus that would result from a Vitter vs. Daniels race. And, considering the other candidates, the soft-spoken, devoutly religious Cao would probably represent a refreshing change of pace. Furthermore, Louisiana is notorious for corruption, and voters have recently become VERY receptive to candidates with a "clean government" message. This is how Cao got into Congress in the first place, and also how Bobby Jindal got to the governor's mansion.

Cao may be a little moderate at times, but he's an upright, downright honest man and a committed servant of the people. So, he could be just what the doctor ordered for both the GOP and the Great State of Louisiana. In fact, he's probably the only way the Republicans can remove the taint of Vitter without handing the seat to a Democrat. If bloggers start agitating for his candidacy now (and the people here know a thing or two about such operations), we could potentially keep Joseph Cao in Congress AND get rid of a black mark on our party (Vitter) in one fell swoop.

So, I guess my next question is whether anyone here is from Louisiana and how many of you might be willing to help kick-start some "Draft Cao" talk on the blogs (I'm not going to be launching a blog on the subject like last time, but I'm definitely willing to help out someone who will).

NY Gov. States the Obvious

2009-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Headline on MSN this morning: "Governor: 'SNL' is insensitive" Really?! I would never have guessed. It's not like Saturday Night Live has a history of harsh humor or anything...

That was the first Paterson skit from a few months ago, and there was a second one a few weeks ago (you should watch that one too). Now, I realize that Gov. Paterson is different from most political officials in that he is legally blind, and hence SNL made a number of blind jokes. But seriously, it's not news that SNL employs sophomoric and offensive humor. I also find it ironic that Paterson seems more offended by the blind gags than by the portrayal of him as an incompetent cocaine addict.

However, what REALLY sticks in my craw is that, according to the New York Post, "Paterson said the show's continued parodies hurt disabled people not in a position to fight back". Give me a break. This man is the Governor of New York, and it is more than within his power to fight back on behalf of blind people everywhere! In fact, considering that he is from NYC, it wouldn't bee all that hard for him to make an appearance on SNL and confront his impersonator in a skit (like every other politician who's ever been smeared on that show). That would be much better than his current "I'm a disabled victim" shtick...which will do nothing more than encourage SNL to continue ripping him.

I'd probably be offended too, but seriously, Governor, grow up and confront this thing like a man. I'm sure SNL would be more than happy to have you on (they've already figured out that you're the comedic gift that keeps on giving), and you could show a national audience just how competent a blind man can be. It's easy, it's right in your home town, and best of all, it's not in NEW JERSEY!

Peanut-Man Gets His

2009-02-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

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In many cases, public congressional hearings are used merely as opportunities for Congressmen to grandstand and help their own image - and dragging in the guy who ran the salmonella-infested peanut plant strikes me as just such a situation. However, in this particular case, I will give props to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Sometimes, bad guys need to get their comeuppance publicly - and Stewart Parnell got his in a big way today.

I'm sure a lot of you have seen pieces of this on the news, but I really think you need to watch the whole 4 minutes to see just how much of a laughingstock this guy made of himself. It's one thing to take the fifth when asked if you committed a crime, but it's downright ridiculous to take it when you're merely being asked if you heard the previous testimony. Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) did a great job asking just enough questions to make a fool of this guy, and for not letting him go before making sure that Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) got to ask the question that ended up on every nightly newscast in America.

There might not have been much using in brining this guy in in the first place, but it was first-class political theatre. Good work by the bipartisan tag-team of Stupak and Walden.

Israeli Election Liveblog

2009-02-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

Click here to skip to the comments section

8:41 PM - Well, it doesn't look like much is going to change from here on in. Clearly Kadima has the most seats, but the right wing parties won a majority. the decision on who gets to form a coalition goes to the country's ceremonial president, Shimon Peres (a Kadima member). However, Peres will have to meet with the leaders of all the parties to get their recommendations on who to make PM. The kingmaker is probably Avigdor Lieberman of third place Yisrael Beiteinu. I think he's going to recommend that Netanyahu be made PM, but he's playing it coy and leaving open the possibility of joining a Kadima coalition. It's anyone's game, but it looks like there is a good chance that, despite Likud's second-place finish, Benjamin Netanyahu will get into the Prime Minister's office by the skin of his teeth. Since things are stable, I think this will be the last post tonight unless anything big changes. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

7:43 PM - 91% of the vote has been counted, and no major changes. Kadima up to 29, Yisrael Beiteinu drops to 15, Meretz and Jewish home both drop to 3. The reason for this is that the Balad Party, an Arab party, got up to 2% of the vote, passing the minimum threshold to win Knesset seats. Hence, Balad now has 3 seats rather than zero, and the Arab parties now total 11 seats. This is also significant because the #3 candidate on Balad's Kneset list, Haneen Zoubi, is fighting to become the first woman to ever represent and Arab party in the Knesset. So, she will get in if these numbers hold. Two other Arab women have sat in the Knesset, but they represented the mainstream Jewish-based parties. While I really dislike the Arab Parties' views, this is a big victory for women's rights in the Arab world. So, congratulations to Ms. Zoubi on her accomplishment.

6:29 PM - I just got back to my house, and 43% of the votes are in. Now, the seats in the Knesset are divided by the percentage of the national votes each party receives. Hence, the numbers of seats that I will list below are based on what the division will be if the current results remain steady. I will also be listing two breakdowns - one listing the seats won by each party, and one listing how many seats each ideological coalition of parties has won (61 needed for a majority). So without further ad0, here are the current seat totals.

By Party

28 - Kadima (Tzipi Livni)
27 - Likud (Benjamin Netanyahu)
16 - Yisrael Beiteinu (Avigdor Lieberman)
13 - Labor (Ehud Barak)
11 - Shas (Eli Yishai)
5 - United Torah Judaism (Yaakov Litzman)
4 - Meretz (Haim Oron)
4 - National Union (Yaakov Katz)
4 - Jewish Home (Daniel Hershkovitz)
4 - Hadash (Mohammad Barakeh)
4 - United Arab List-Ta'al (Ibrahim Sarsur)

By Coalition

62 - Right-Wing (Likud, Yisrael Beitenu, Shas, Jewish Home, National Union)
45 - Left-Wing (Kadima, Labor, Meretz)
5 - Swing Voters (United Torah Judaism)
8 - Won't help anyone (Hadash, UAL-Ta'al)

So, Livni wins the party vote and Netanyahu has the bigger coalition - and both think they just got elected Prime Minister. It's more likely that Netanyahu will get the nod, but if Livni canswing one or two other parties, Livni could take it.

5:25 PM - Netanyahu's people aren't pleased with the exit polls showing Livni in the lead. However, they are also reminding everyone that those exit polls do not poll the military - which usually skews to the right. I would remind every one that every Israel has a universal draft and mandatory military service, so the army is a big chunk of votes that could push Likud past Kadima in the seat count. Guess we'll find out when we get results.

4:58 PM - Still waiting for first official results.

4:05 PM - Gotta love politicians - not a single vote has been counted and both Netanyahu and Livni's forces have already declared victory. Actually, both have good reason. Exit polls show Kadima winning the most seats of any party. However, the same pols show that Likud-allied parties on the right will pick up far more total seats than left wing parties that would prefer Kadima. So, if the exit polls are right, Livni will head the largest party, but Netanyahu will have a bigger coalition. Oy vey.

3:43 PM - I finally found live streaming TV coverage in English. If you want the same up-to-the-minute info that I'm getting, you can get it from Arutz Sheva Channel 7.

3:12 PM - Polls have been closed for about an hour and all three of the nation's major TV channels have released their exit polls. All three show Kadima in the lead, followed closely by Likud, with Yisrael Beiteinu barely edging out Labor for a distant third. Now, we all know how unscientific exit polls can be, and these results differ starkly from the last phone polls a week ago (which showed Likud first, Kadima second, and Yisrael Beiteinu far ahead of Labor). That said, Kadima leader Tzipi Livni is probably bouncing off the walls right now, while Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor are probably in very bad moods. Either way, there is a lot of counting left to be done. I'll let you know official results as soon as I see them.

12:19 PM - Off topic, but I'm doing a little double dipping today while attending a Club for Growth/Heritage Foundation conference on the stimulus.

10:23 AM - Hadn't thought of this, but it's a good point. The Jerusalem Post is saying that the two ultra-orthodox religious parties - Shas and United Torah Judaism - are freaking out about the high turnout. When you depend on a highly motivated religious minority to win seats - your share of the vote gets diluted when the general public are just as motivated as the ultra-orthodox (who in many cases are ordered by their rabbis to show up and vote for their said rabbi's preferred party).

8:58 A M - Ha'aretz News is reporting unexpectedly high turnout, which probably adds more uncertainty about who will win because all of those people who told pollsters are showing up. We've also had several bits of drama. Protesters in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm, have disallowed anti-Arab fascist Baruch Marzel from serving as an election monitor in that town, and the violence forced police to remove his replacement (far-right legislator Aryeh Eldad). And finally, some lady in Jerusalem got busted trying to smuggle fake Yisrael Beiteiu votes into a polling station.
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It's almost 1:00 AM Eastern Time, which means that polls have been open in Israel for almost an hour (it's almost 8:00 AM there). If you haven't already figured it out, I am absolutely obsessed with this election, as I think the outcome will drastically affect the situation in the Midldle East. Hence, I will be liveblogging the all day - providing you with quick news updates throughout the process. Polls close at 8:00 PM, which will be 2:00 PM here in Washington, DC - so luckily we Americans don't have to pull an all-nighter to watch the results roll in. One quick question for you as readers: would you all prefer that I enter my updates as additions to the top of this post or as seperate posts? Personally, I think it would be better for the comments section if just keep this post active, but I'd like some reader feedback.

Will Benjamin Netanyahu storm back to power after a decade in the wilderness? Will the fast-closing Tzipi Livni and her Kadima Party pull off the upset? Will dark-horse nationalist Avigdor Lieberman and the Yisrael Beiteinu Party shock the world? Will there be anything left of the Labor Party by Wednesday morning? Only time will tell.

Buckle up - because this one is coming down to a phot0-finish and it's going to be one heck of a ride.

Madagascar! (Rated R for Exterme Violence)

2009-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

When most people think of Madagascar, they probably think of the friendly lion, the dancing lemur king, and the cadre of psychotic penguins that we all know from the movie (and if you don't - just ask your kids or grandkids). However, it's a very real place...and right now it looks more like a horror flick than an animated comedy. Numerous people died yesterday in the capital city of Antananarivo, and quite a lot of them were unarmed protesters gunned down by riot police outside the presidential palace.

The mess started a few days ago when the country's President, Marc Ravalomanana, fired the elected mayor of Antananarivo, who also happens to be the Madagascar's leading opposition leaders. The charismatic young mayor, Andry Rajoelina, decided to fight back by launching a grassroots revolution against Ravalomanana's leadership and declaring himself to be the new head of the country. He's now holding lots of protests and rallies, and when one of those protests marched to the presidential place, the police did some unnecessary shooting. I've also read that there are a lot of looting problems.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of either side. Ravalomanana had no business firing a mayor and seems to like his power a little too much. On the other hand, Rajoelina the supposed voice of democratic reform) responded by throwing a hissy fit and trying to take over the country by force...not terribly democratic if you ask me. He also doesn't seem to have a whole lot of respect for the law, as he would be constitutionally barred from holding the office due to the fact that he is under age 40 (he's 34).

Why am I mentioning this? Well, I'm just sick of stuff like this not getting any coverage in our media. I realize that it's not a neat and tidy issue, and that Madagascar may not be a very big country. However, it's just hard for me to stomach that nobody is noticing that this stuff is going on. (Caution, this video is a bit graphic, but I would suggest watching)

Avigdor Lieberman: International Man of Mystery

2009-02-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

I wasn't planning to do another Israel post so soon, but this guy absolutely fascinates me...and has the potential to become a real wild card in our (or anyone's) relations with Israel. Meet Avigdor Lieberman, the man who seemingly came from nowhere to become one of the biggest players on the Israeli political scene. He wont be Prime Minister after next Tuesday's election - that fight is between Tzipi Livni and Benjamin Netanyahu - but the performance of his Yisrael Beiteinu Party will likely determine who does get the big office, and he is going to land a BIG cabinet job regardless. Right now five of the six top stories on the Jerusalem Post's "Election '09" page are about Lieberman or his party, and the banner at the top of the page was edited yesterday to add his picture alongside the leaders of the three major parties. Not bad, considering that Lieberman built his party entirely from scratch in only ten years. So, who is this guy, and how did he pull off one of the most surprising and meteoric rises in world politics?

In a former life, Lieberman was a big player in the Likud Party, and even worked as Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office during Benjamin Netanyahu's first stint as Prime Minister. But in 1999 he ditched Likud and started a new far-right party from scratch, calling it Yisrael Beiteinu ("Israel Our Home"). An unabashed nationalist, Lieberman became known for his harsh anti-Arab rhetoric - demanding that Israeli Arabs swear loyalty to Israel or be stripped of their citizenship - and his controversial peace plan. "The Lieberman Plan" calls for a two-state solution in which predominantly Arab towns in Israel would be traded to Palestine in return for Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Territories.

Yisrael Beiteinu was primarily composed of Russian Jewish immigrants who came to Israel in the late 20th century (Lieberman himself came from Moldova in 1978), and was able to quickly capitalize on support from the immigrant community. Hence, they won four seats in the Knesset (or Parliament) in the 1999 elections, and Lieberman entered the Knesset for the first time not as a mere freshman legislator, but as the leader of a new political movement. He quickly merged Yisrael Beiteinu into the National Union, a coalition of far-right parties that function as one in elections, and contested the 2003 election under their banner. However, he seems to have realized that the Union was holding him back, and Yisrael Beiteinu contested the 2006 election on their own. He made the right move, and Yisrael Beiteinu rocketed to prominence by winning 11 seats.

While the 2006 showing was impressive, it now seems to have been merely warm-up for next week - when Yisrael Beiteinu will likely become Israel's fourth major political party (the other three being Labor, Likud, and Kadima). Polls currently show Lieberman's forces winning between 18 and 20 seats in the Knesset, and still climbing. The Labor Party, once the dominant force in Israeli politics, appears to be eating Yisrael Beiteinu's dust in the race for third place, and the leaders of Likud and Kadima are rushing to kiss up to the suddenly-popular Avigdor Lieberman.

While Lieberman has expressed his desire to join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and the right-wing Likud Party, he may actually be sabotaging that party's chances. Likud voters, disillusioned with their party's drift to the center, are hemorrhaging to Yisrael Beiteinu. Hence, Netanyahu is quickly running back to the right and trying to woo back voters with the promise that Lieberman will get a senior ministry in his cabinet. Meanwhile, Kadima leader Tzipi Livni is also trying to cash in on Lieberman's sudden popularity by publicly declaring that he would be an acceptable coalition partner in her government (despite Lieberman's statements to the contrary).

So, what does this mean for the US? Well, it looks like Lieberman will land one of the major cabinet ministries under either Netanyahu or Livni...meaning he will either be Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, or Finance Minister. If he lands the Foreign Ministry, equivalent to the U.S. Secretary of State, our diplomats will suddenly be dealing with a controversial firebrand as their Isreali counterpart. I said yesterday that Netanyahu might have personality issues with Barack Obama...but there could be even more tension between Hillary Clinton and Avigdor Lieberman. However, I would expect Lieberman to be kept away from the Foreign Ministry, as tact and diplomacy are not his strong suits. More likely, he will be handed the Defense Ministry, putting him in charge of the Israeli military...and if anyone takes less flak from terrorists than Benjamin Netanyahu, it's Avigdor Lieberman. So, having both of them in power simultaneously would be bad news for Israel's enemies. Then again, Yisrael Beiteinu might actually be responsible for installing a leftist government, as they could split the right wing vote with Netanyahu - allowing the dovish Tzipi Livni to run up the middle and become Prime Minister.

Now, to be clear, my endorsement in these elections goes to Netanyahu and Likud. Lieberman is just a tad too radical in his nationalism for my liking, and his distaste for Israeli Arabs doesn't sit quite right with me. That said, it is hard not to admire his work in building Yisrael Beiteinu into a national force so quickly - and it will be hard to ignore the mark he leaves on the Middle East.

Election '09 - Israel Decides

2009-02-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

It is one of the most important decisions of our generation, and the repercussions could be felt around the world...No, I'm not talking about the election of Barack Obama, I'm talking about the parliamentary election taking place in Israel next Tuesday. Obviously, Israel has always been a flashpoint in world politics, but a number of on going situations make this election particularly important.

First, there is a great deal of tension between the Israelis and the Iranians. Second, Israel is coming off a major military offensive in Gaza. And Third, US-Israeli relations could become strained if the new Prime Minister's approach differs from that of Barack Obama. So, with the future of the Middle East hanging in the balance, I will be keeping a close eye on this race as it enters it's final week. Today, I'm putting out a quick primer so that you can make sense of Israel's convoluted political scene - this way I will not have to explain as much moving forward.

The race for Prime Minister basically comes down to two people: former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party (pictured top left), a right wing hardliner; and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (top middle) of the Kadima Party, a dovish centrist. Right now, polls show Natanyahu's Likud barely ahead of Livni's Kadima in the race to become the largest party in the Knesset (Parliament). However, one must win a MAJORITY of votes in the Knesset to become Prime Minister, and Israel's election system makes it impossible for one party to win that many seats. In fact, polls currently show first-place Likud winning only about 30 of the 120 seats. There are a plethora of political parties (11 in the last Knesset), all with different individual quirks, and all taking votes from each other - so it is essential to watch at least the top five to understand what's going on.

The third key player other than Likud and Kadima is the left-wing Labor Party, led by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak (top left). Labor was once the country's dominant political force, and currently in second place in the Knesset behind Kadima. However, the party has crashed in the polls and will be lucky to finish in third this go-round. In a coalition, Labor would be far more comfortable working with Livni than Netanyahu.

However, to remain relevant, Labor will have to hold off the surging Yisrael Beiteinu Party, and it's charismatic leader Avigdor Lieberman (bottom right). Lieberman's forces, supported mainly by Russian immigrants, scored major gains in the last election, and polls currently show them speeding past Labor into third. The right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu represents a HUGE wild card in this election, as most of their votes are being taken from Likud. While most people see Lieberman as closer to Netanyahu in ideology, he also shares several key views with Livni, and could work with either. As of now, Netanyahu's biggest fear seems to be that Livni will win not on her own merit, but because Yisrael Beiteinu will siphon a lot of Likud votes at the last minute.

And finally, the last major force to watch is Shas, led by Eli Yishai (bottom left). Shas is the orthodox religious party of the Sephardim (Jews originating in the Middle East or Spain), and will probably finish fifth. They are right-wing hardliners when it comes to policy on the Palestinians, but skew to the left on domestic issues, as their Sephardic voter base is a poor demographic. They have committed to joining a Netanyahu-led government, but the rub is that they may have a hard time working with Yisrael Beiteinu in a coalition.

So, have I confused you yet? I'm guessing that's a "yes", but I'm doing this now so that I can just cover the horserace when the election actually happens (otherwise I'd have to explain this stuff all in the middle of my coverage...which would REALLY annoy you). For now, just be glad I'm not talking about all of the other parties that will come up later - like Meretz, United Torah Judaism, the Gil Pensioners Party, the National Union, Jewish Home, Hadash, Balad, or the United Arab List-Ta'al.

If you want actual coverage right now (assuming I haven't melted your brain with my list of people and parties), the two leading English news outlets in Israel are Ha'aretz and the Jerusalem Post. This race is going to be a lot of fun to cover.

The Worst Cabinet in History?

2009-02-03T10:23:00.001-08:00

I keep starting blog posts, only to have news break and change my plans. I was going to write about the election in Israel, then Qadaffi got elected head of the African Union...so I was going to write on that, but I had a late night last night, so this morning I decided to to go back to Israel. Then I heard that Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. So, now I feel compelled to comment on Barack Obama's amazing crumbling cabinet. (We'll do Israel tomorrow or later tonight).

If you haven't noticed, our new President is being repeatedly embarrassed by his cabinet choices. First, Commerce Secretary-designate Bill Richardson dropped out after becoming involved in a grand jury investigation. Then, we found out that Attorney General-designate Eric Holder was heavily involved in Bill Clinton's dubious, last minute pardon of fugitive Marc Rich. Then, we heard that there were tax problems surrounding, of all people, TREASURY Secretary-designate Tim Giethner. THEN, Obama created the new position Chief Performance Officer to monitor government spending, only to see nominee Nancy Killefer withdraw today over tax issues. And finally, Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination to lead the HHS Department, which happens to be one of the biggest departments in the federal government.

I haven't been been able to do too much research yet, but so far it looks like the Obama Administration is suffering more embarrassments than any incoming administration in recent memory. It's not uncommon for one Cabinet nominee to bite the dust in confirmation. For instance, George W. Bush lost his first choice for Labor Secretary, Linda Chavez, and George H.W. Bush lost his first choice for Defense Secretary, John Tower. However, losing two is pretty bad, especially when it is compounded by the withdrawal of a high profile non-cabinet officer (Killefer) and major ethical concerns holding up the confirmation of two other cabinet secretaries (Geithner and Holder).

In all frankness, I think that the incoming administration has displayed a rather appalling lack of vetting skills, and they are rightly being embarrassed. I also think that the Daschle situation may have been the last straw for the mainstream media...because if today's coverage on CNN is any indication , the honeymoon may have been officially cancelled.

Super Sunday Confession

2009-02-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

I know this is a political blog...but sometimes you just have to embrace the spirit of the moment, and nobody is thinking about much other than football today. So, we can talk about the stimulus package and the elections in Israel tomorrow. Today, it's time to eat junk food, laugh at commercials and cheer on the team of your choice...which brings me to the subject of this post:

I was raised in Colorado, so the Denver Broncos are the team that I'm most consistently loyal to, but my extended family roots are in Altoona , Pennsylvania. So, when the Steelers make it to the Super Bowl, three generations of Coloradoans embrace their roots and cheer on their team. A lot of the time, I would side with them, but I'm also a guy who loves underdog stories. So, I would like to take this opportunity to express my solidarity with the team that I will be cheering for in today's game:

Here's hoping that Warner and company can bring home the Cardinal's first championship in six decades. LET'S GO CARDS!

Chairman Steele! (Thoughts from the Hotel Lobby)

2009-01-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Michael Steele has been elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and I am personally very pleased. I spent all day camped out in the lobby of the Capital Hilton, where the election took place, and I hoped to send you some updates. Instead, I spent a lot of time fighting the hotel's WiFi system before finally resigning myself to the fact that the stupid thing was never going to work. However, I did get the chance to chat with a lot of people, and I thought the whole experience rather interesting.

A lot of hard-core conservatives seem puzzled about how Mr. Steele (supposedly the most moderate man in the race) stormed to victory over more conservative candidates. In particular, they seem flabbergasted that Ken Blackwell (the most conservative candidate..and my personal favorite) endorsed Steele when he dropped out of the race. Personally, it makes perfect sense to me. Blackwell and Steele share a commitment to radical change in the RNC. They both want to drastically improve the way we use technology, they both want to decentralize, and they both want to make a concerted effort to fight in blue states. A lot of people in the lobby thought that Blackwell's votes, and those from third-place finisher Saul Anuzis, would go to runner-up Katon Dawson (who was supposedly more conservative than Steele). However, this line of thinking made little sense to me, as both Blackwell and Anuzis seemed more aligned with Steele when it came to strategy.

In the final analysis, I think that the voters realized that the RNC Chairmanship is not a purely ideological office - but rather an administrative one. You need a leader who has a firm grasp of conservative ideals (which Steele does), but it is arguably more important to have a chairman with a bold vision and a cohesive, winning strategy for the future. Steele had the commitment to operational reform that Republicans so desperately crave, and that is why he rightly came out the victor today.

The Smartest Politician in the World

2009-01-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

With the Democrats firmly in control here in the United States, it's nice to occasionally see brilliant displays of leadership from right-wing leaders on the international scene. Hence, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is quickly becoming one of my heroes. I already had great respect for him, as he helped unite Canada's divided right into the new Conservative Party of Canada and then led that party to victory in the 2006 election. However, a dramatic turn of events earlier today cemented him as, in my mind, the smartest leader currently on the world stage.

To give a bit of background, Canada's parliament has been a mess since Harper's Conservatives won re-election in September. It was a historic victory, and a humiliation for the once-dominant Liberal Party (which suffered it's worst defeat in history), but the Conservatives fell just short of a winning a majority of the seats in Parliament. This meant that Harper could theoretically be ousted in the unlikely event that the country's three other parties banded together to form a majority. Unfortunately, the unlikely became reality in December when Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion inked a coalition agreement with the socialist New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois (a separatist party from Quebec). This development would have allowed the three parties to remove the Conservative government and make Mr. Dion the Prime Minister - even though he had been roundly rejected by the people in an election. But then Stephen Harper had a stroke of brilliance.

Making one of the most dramatic moves in Canadian political history, Harper asked Governor General Michaëlle Jean (Queen Elizabeth II's representative in Canada) to "prorogue" Parliament - meaning totally shut the place down - until late January. Such action is usually reserved for the end of a Parliamentary session, and had never been used in any other circumstances, but it ended up saving the Harper government. In the short term, it prevented Dion from forcing a no-confidence vote in Parliament. More importantly, it forced the three opposition parties to hold their shaky coalition together for a whole month before taking power...that was what made Harper a genius.

During their month-long time-out, the Liberals decided to throw out the unpopular Stéphane Dion as their leader and replace him with the more moderate Michael Ignatieff. This new leader was less amenable to the idea of overturning the will of the people, and today he pulled the Liberal Party out of the plot to take power. Of course, he left the idea on the table for the future. However, it looks unlikely. By pulling out of the coalition, Ignatieff made the socialists and the separatists so mad that they now seem to be angrier at him than they are at Prime Minister Harper - so I doubt they will be working together any time soon.

By proroguing Parliament, Stephen Harper protected the will of the people, saved a government that was all but dead, ended the career of Stéphane Dion, and set the opposition parties at each other's throats - all in one fell swoop. It was arguably the most brilliant piece of political theatre that I have ever seen in my life. The only consolation for the Liberals might be that, in giving up his chance to become Prime Minister, Michael Ignatieff may have saved his party from oblivion. The plot to oust Harper was highly unpopular, and polls showed that the Conservatives would have absolutely flattened the usurpers in the next election had they gone through with it. If Ignatieff goes on to lose the an election to Harper (which I think he will), he will have committed the ultimate act of personal political sacrifice in order to preserve the Liberal Party.

Something tells me Stephen Harper will be running Canada for a long time to come, and will likely go down in history as one of the nation's great Prime Ministers. So, in the age of Obama, it might be a good idea for U.S conservatives to look to his leadership style as a "North Star" to guide us back to power.

SarahPAC!

2009-01-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

Gov. Sarah Palin took a big step today by launching SarahPAC, her own official Political Action Committee. For those not familiar with the term, a PAC will allow Sarah to raise a lot of money, which can then be distributed to Republican candidates around the country. This serves two primary purposes: First, it gets Sarah into the monetary side of politics, which will help her to network with other Republicans running for office - and it's a lot easier to get people to work with (or endorse) when you personally donated a big chunk of change to their campaign. Secondly, PAC formation can be the first baby step toward a future presidential campaign. It provides a fundraising operation, a rudimentary organization, and (most importantly) a war chest which can be used as seed money when someone does decide to enter a national race. Most of the candidates who entered the 2008 race had personal PACs long before they had exploratory committees. If Sarah does decide to enter the 2012 race, a fully-functional SarahPAC would be able to morph into the Committee to Elect Sarah Palin in 2012.

So, please stop by the shiny new SarahPAC website (and donate some cash if you feel so inclined.) Something tells me that, given the type of following that Gov. Palin has built, SarahPAC could become a VERY sucessful fundraising operation.

Kristol-Damon Smackdown - LET'S GET IT ON!!

2009-01-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

I love it when people are forced to confront their own stupid comments, and Andrew Brietbart may be facilitating just such a situation for actor Matt Damon. Apparently, Mr. Damon referred to Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol as an "idiot" in a recent interview after Kristol claimed that we won the war in Iraq (Note to Mr. Damon: Iraq is currently a functioning democracy...that would theoretically be the definition of "winning"). Anyway, Breitbart is now offering Damon a cool $100,000 to publicly debate Kristol, and he's already confirmed that Kristol is willing to participate.

Personally, I think Damon should put his money where his mouth is and accept. If Bill Kristol is such a moron, then debating him shouldn't be a problem for someone as eloquent and intelligent as Matt Damon. Of course, there's that little thing about Kristol being one of Washington's leading commentators and Damon being a Hollywood actor...but that's probably not even worth mentioning...I'm sure Matt is more than up to the task.

We in the Palin movement are already well acquainted with Mr. Damon's astute political observations, as he was one of the first celebrities to issue an ignorant diatribe about Sarah Palin after her nomination. I was especially impressed as he described what he seems to think is the most important issue confronting America today (start the tape at the 1:20 mark...though the whole thing is pretty entertaining)

After listening to Mr. Damon's uncommonly keen insight into our current political scene, I think I may also have a good idea who might be the best moderator for the upcoming debate. In fact, I think I know an individual who shares a deep concern for Mr. Damon's issue of choice, and would be able to provide adequately intellectual questions for such an occasion:

*Apologies if this post is positively dripping with sarcasm...but this was simply too good to pass up

Good Riddance, Gen. Nkunda

2009-01-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) doesn't get a lot of press, but those that follow the region know that the country is home to one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts on Earth. However, there may be a small glimmer of hope now that rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda is behind bars. This thug and his army forced a quarter-million Congolese civilians to flee their homes last year, so I am positively elated to hear that he is now rotting in a Rwandan jail cell.

Nkunda, a warlord who ran the DRC's largest and most active rebel group, had previously enjoyed the backing of the Rwandan government because he was supposedly trying to fight Rwandan Hutu rebels operating in the Eastern DRC (that is...when he wasn't terrorizing civilians or shooting at the Congolese Army). However, the Rwandans are now cooperating with the Congolese government to root out the Hutu militias, and hence have no more use for Nkunda's antics. So, when Congolese forces forced him to flee in to supposedly friendly Rwanda, Nkunda's old friends arrested him instead of sheltering him.

Now, I'm not naive enough to think that the conflict in the DRC is even close to over. Thre are still a lot of bad people running around that country, and there will still be a lot of shooting. Furthermore, I'm not a huge fan of either the Congolese or Rwandan governments - but the two countries are cooperating with each other for the first time in recent memory, so it is now less likely that another Rwandan-backed rebel movement will take hold in the Eastern DRC (Nkunda's was not the first). So, I'm at least hopeful that there will less death and destruction in the immediate future.

MSM Calls in Hit on Sen. Gillibrand

2009-01-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I am absolutely fascinated (and flabbergasted) by some of the media coverage of today's appointment of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Apparently, our friends at MSNBC are not longer sucking up to anyone with a Democratic Party affiliation. or a left-leaning record. Instead, they are demanding absolute ideological purity. In the video above, Chris Matthews goes a full 11 minutes without saying one nice word about New York's new Senator. Instead, he spent the whole time on the fact that Gillibrand happens to be staunchly pro-gun. He seemed genuinely angry that Gov. David Paterson had the gall to select someone who didn't to toe the left-wing line on every single issue.

I can understand why his first guest, Rep. McCarthy (D-NY), feels the way she does about Sen. Gillibrand - she has a personal stake in the gun issue. However, Matthews conduct is inexcusable for someone who fancies himself a journalist (not that this is anything new...he just doesn't usually do it to fellow liberals).

Obviously, I'm not a Gillibrand supporter, but I do think she will be interesting to watch in the Senate. First, I want to see if the media can stomach a genuine moderate, or if they decide to give her the Sarah Palin treatment. Second, I'm intrigued to see how much of a "Blue Dog" she is now that she's under a microscope.

Something tells me that Kirsten Gillibrand is either going to become our favorite Democrat in the Senate or the biggest flip-flopper in American politics. The question is whether she chooses the path of least resistance or sitcks to her principles.

Senator Gillibrand?

2009-01-22T03:41:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: It's official, Kirsten Gillibrand will be the next U.S. Senator from New York. It's going to be interesting to see how a gun-loving Blue Dog Democrat goes over with the New York liberal establishment. Apparently, several of the state's left-leaning U.S. Representatives are hopping mad, with one even threatening a primary challenge in the 2010 election. It's also worth noting that Gillibrand's congressional district generally leans Republican, so the special election to fill her seat should be competitive.
I've been thinking that this might happen for several weeks now, but I held my tongue considering that Caroline Kennedy appeared to have locked up Hillary Clinton's old Senate seat. However, with Princess Caroline suddenly pulling out of the race, some are speculating that New York Gov. David Paterson is leaning toward the woman who I have always thought to be the biggest wild-card in the selection process.

Meet Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand from New York's 20th District. She's been placed on lists of rising Democratic stars for a while, and when Hillary was first nominated for the Obama cabinet, she appeared on many lists of potential candidates. At that point, she seemed like the best choice for several reasons: First, she was the only person on most of the lists who met one of the key concerns expressed by Gov. Paterson himself - she can win in upstate New York. Second, she's young, dynamic, and marketable in a time when the Democrats are looking to replace their aging generation of female leaders. While most of the other potential candidates are from NYC or the surrounding area, Gillibrand represents a sprawling rural district that engulfs a huge chunk of Eastern New York State. At age 42, she would be the youngest Senator, and she's one of three sitting Congresswomen that I think have the potential to become the Democratic answer to Sarah Palin (the other two being Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota).

Furthermore, Gov. Paterson strikes me as one of the most stubborn and mischievous men in American politics. It takes a lot of determination for a blind man to become Governor, let alone a blind man who refuses to learn Braille or use a cane - so I'm guessing that he resents the pressure he's feeling from the powerful Kennedy and Cuomo dynasties. He's been openly hinting that Caroline Kennedy is not the only candidate, and that he is considering wild-cards, which leads me to believe that he has a similar distaste for the idea of appointing State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (son of Mario). If my read on Paterson is correct, he is probably dead set on making his own choice and relishing the idea of surprising the nation with an underdog.

I won't go so far as to make it an official prediction. But, like I said, I've had a sneaking suspicion that Gov. Paterson has wanted to pick this lady all along. So, With Kennedy out, I'm going out on a limb and saying that I think there is a very good chance that we will soon be talking about Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Sarah Returns to the Glenn Beck Program!

2009-01-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

This may be two days old, but I wanted to comment on it and I didn't think it appropriate during the inauguration. Those Palinites who have been with the movement for a while will remember that one of Gov. Palin's first national interviews as a serious VP contender took place on CNN's Glenn Beck Program. She presented herself fantastically, Glenn loved her, and we were off to the races. Given the significance of that interview, I was thrilled to hear that Sarah would be the featured guest on the first edition of Beck's new show on Fox News.

Personally, I think this interview was almost as interesting as her first time on the program. Here's why: Sarah has practically trademarked her optimism and bubbly personality, but this was the first time I have seen her be genuinely forceful in her delivery. She's growing nicely into her role as a national figure, and if she can keep this up, I think she is well on her way to winning over many of the people who refused to take her seriously during her VP run. Of course, she needs to keep the bubbly, folksy persona that we all fell in love with - and I don't think we need to worry about that - but this attitude is a powerful new weapon in her rhetorical arsenal. She sounded confident, convincing, and perhaps even presidential.

Keep up the good work, Governor!

Congratulations, Mr. President

2009-01-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well, we have a new President. It was certainly quite a spectacle to watch, but for me the most poignant was watching George W. Bush leave on Marine One (Obama's just getting acquainted with the office, whereas Bush is saying goodbye to the last eight years of his life). I actually went outside my house and saluted the helicopter as it flew to Andrews Air Force Base.

I could probably say a lot about politics right now, but that's not terribly appropriate. So, I'll simply express my thanks to President Bush and offer my congratulations to President Obama.

Inauguration Daze

2009-01-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

QUICK NOTE: Gov. Palin did a fine job on Glenn Beck tonight, thoughts on that later (hopefully with video).
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Well, the circus has come to town, and I'm only blocks from the action. I'm not stupid enough to post my address online, but suffice it to say that I live in downtown DC. A lot of the locals are getting out of town, but some (namely myself) are hunkering down in our living spaces until Wednesday.

That said, I hope everybody in town for the inauguration has a good time. I went through Union Station on my way home Saturday night, and the throngs were just starting to hit town. Everybody seemed happy and bubbly, and it was nice to see that...even if I'm not half as excited about Barack Obama. I want them to have fun, because I get the feeling that the next four years aren't going to be all that fun for either of us.

Maybe it was because I was playing the role of the angry local, trying not to get trampled as I lugged my groceries through the crowded train station, but I couldn't help but think about what all of these happy people would be doing four years from now. What would the Obama presidency really represent when we are looking back on it, not forward to it? What happens when Barack Obama ceases to be the first black president and we remember that he is a fallible human bieng? When that harsh reality sets in, it could trigger the greatest crisis in race relations since the 1960s.

Like most presidents, Obama will start losing popularity once he starts making tough decisions. If his leadership is less than stellar, he will be vulnerable in 2012 - and if he does poorly, the man who set himself up as America's messiah could could be voted out in a landslide. That is how things work in a democracy, and the same formula would hold true for any leader. However, if Barack Obama is in danger of being bounced after one term, no one in the media - let alone the Democratic Party - will blame Obama's own performance. Instead, any consequences suffered by the President will be blamed on racism, and certain powerful people will be more than happy to encourage a race crisis in order to maintain power. Hence, while I think that Obama's election showed the defeat of racism in America, his time in power could fan the flames of racial tension hotter than they have been in decades.

To be honest, I feel sorry for the President-elect - nobody should be saddled with such high expectations. Unfortunately, this is the situation he has placed himself in, and thereby doomed himself to at least some level of failure. So, while I would love to see Sarah Palin run over him on her way to the White House in four years, I fear the consequences of an Obama failure just enough to hope that he doesn't fall completely on his face.

Today I'm Listening To....Mira Awad and Noa

2009-01-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I was really having trouble getting riled up about anything today....and then I saw this. A group of radical Israeli intellectuals (both Jewish and Arab) are calling Israeli Arab singer Mira Awad to pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest. Aparently, they think Awad and her duet partner (Jewish singer Achinoam "Noa" Nini) are participating in some sort of "Propoganda machine" to convince us that Israelis do not, in fact, drink the blood of Palestinian babies on a regular basis. Here's a quick excerpt from their open letter to Miss Awad:

"What allows the international community to provide support is Israel's image as a 'democratic,' 'enlightened,' 'peace-seeking' country. Your participation in Eurovision is taking part in the activity of the Israeli propaganda machine"

Personally, I think this is ridiculous and bigoted. Both Awad and Nini seem be strong voices for peace and cooperation, and frankly I think it speaks volumes that they have been selected to represent their country in one of Europe's biggest pop-culture phonomenons (think "American Idol" mixed with the Olympics...that might give you an idea of how big Eurovision is)

ACTION ALERT: Now, if you haven't noticed, I like grassroots internet movements...and this issue has me a little hot under the collar. I know a lot of old Palin people are reading, and I'd be interested to see if y'all had any ideas on how we might be able to show our support for Mira and Noa. I'm thinking we could start by encouraging people to download their music...and maybe we could scare up some votes for them when Eurovision rolls around in March. In the meantime, here's some music to enjoy.

Things I've Learned Since Launching This Blog

2009-01-13T14:51:00.000-08:00

I thought I knew a lot of things about blogging from the "Draft Palin" Experience, but I guess there are some things you only learn by experience - consider the following:

1. If you are in the process of house hunting and/or moving, that is not a good time to launch a new blog

2. It might also be a bad idea to start a blog while changing jobs.

3. If you are going to announce a series of ten columns, make sure you've already written at least a few of them.

Oh well, I guess we all learn something every day, and I'm now in a good position to get back to regular blogging. Also, now that this thing had been up for a little while, I would definitely appreciate some honest feedback on the content. I realize that I can get a little obscure in my subject matter at times, but I'm trying to keep a good mix going. I will guarantee that, come hell or high water, The "10 Names" Series will be finished (namely because I already have the all the graphics made - and there are a few U.S. People on the list that I definitely want to talk about and think you will be interested in). That said, it might not be an everyday thing, becasue cranking out full columns every night can be hard (especially since my real job entails a good bit of writing).

Today I'm Watching...Sarracuda!

2009-01-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

...along with everyone else on the internet. This has got to be the best Palin interview I've seen yet, and it's only excerpts. Can't wait to see the rest (not to mention the documentary film that it will be folded into).

10 Names to Learn: Jacob Zuma

2009-01-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

First off, apologies for not getting this up last night...I am house hunting and often away from my computer. However, I'm hoping that will be the last interruption in the "10 Names" series.
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The fall of South Africa's apartheid regime was one of the greatest victories for human freedom in recent history. Nelson Mandela and his African National Congress (ANC) party secured the rights of millions of oppressed people, and for that they were rewarded with massive electoral success in the post-apartheid era. However, even the best-intentioned movements have their downsides, and power has a way of revealing those weaknesses. In this particular, the ANC has become so dominant in government that, despite being a full democracy, South Africa's political power is almost totally concentrated within that party. Now that's not necessarily bad...if people didn't like the ANC, they wouldn't give them such huge majorities. And for the most part, Mandela and his successor Thabo Mbeki seemed democratically minded. However, the situation also lends itself to potential disaster should the wrong people end up in charge of the ANC - which brings us to Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, who was elected to head the ANC last year and will almost undoubtedly become his country's president in 2009.

As opposed to the smiling Mandela and the strait-laced Mbeki, Zuma's demeanor reminds one more of the "classic" African dictator...as does his his personal and political history. On the political front, his base of support lies in the Left Wing factions of the already leftist ANC - in the party's Youth League, the South African Communist Party, and in the trade unions. He also has been previously charged with corruption (in 2005 - charges dismissed on procedural grounds in 2008) and tried for rape (2005-2006 - found not guilty). Now, I realize that the man was not convicted, but the fact that he has been in court so many times in the last few years seems like a red flag.

The most worrying thing, however, is probably how Zuma's supporters within the ANC have behaved since ousting his rival, President Thabo Mbeki, from the ANC Chairmanship. Rather than let Mbeki finish his presidential term in peace before ceding the ANC nomination to Zuma in 2009, the new Zuma-friendly ANC National Executive Commission voted to "recall" Mbeki from the Presidency last September . This non confidence cause Mbeki to resign and cede the last year of his term to a new caretaker president until Zuma wins election. In my opinion, the dethroning of Mbeki was low, classless, and apparently without purpose.

So, with a guy like Zuma now in charge of the ANC, South Africa faces a defining moment in it's history. Will it keep the ANC as the single major party, allowing Zuma and his successors to continue their antics, or will they continue on the path of democracy? The answer to this question will probably emerge only after Zuma takes office, as the various wings of the ANC will have to decide how long they can stomach him before they splinter off. In the meantime, we can wonder whether South Africa will continue its political development, or whether it will follow "The Strongman" as he marches toward Third World Authoritarianism.

And finally, an interesting sidenote: If elected, I believe that Mr. Zuma would be the first open polygamist to head a major modern democracy...he currently has three wives and thee fiancees according to Wikipedia (along with one ex-wife and another wife who committed suicide).
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Stay tuned as we move from South Africa to Northern Europe to meet "The Enigma". And if you think this list is finished with South Africa, think again...it's one of three countries to score multiple entries on "10 Names".

*Photo in licensed under Creative Commons on Wikipedia

Today I'm Watching...Sarah Palin on Canadian TV

2009-01-07T07:47:00.001-08:00

Finally, a good, solid, fair interview...too bad you have to go to Canada to get some legitimate coverage.

Today I'm Watching...Russian Gas

2009-01-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Disputes over Natural Gas supplies have been a simmering issue between Russia and Ukraine for a while, but today they finally boiled over...and the giant Russia's state-controlled gas monoply, Gazprom, totally shut off the gas supply to Ukraine. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian pipeline is also a primary route by which Russian enters Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Croatia, Turkey, Slovakia, Hungary, etc. Now, I'm not going to get into the debate over who wronged who in the dispute, and frankly I don't care. I am, however, going to say that somebody needs to figure something out quickly...because shutting off the gas to most of Eastern Europe in the middle of winter is a very bad idea. To add insult to injury, Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas tomorrow...I'm guessing that the holiday cheer will be dampened somewhat by the fact that they are all shivering with no heat.

10 Names to Learn: Timothy Geithner

2009-01-05T17:13:00.001-08:00

If there's one issue you won't hear about regularly on this blog, it's finance. Sorry, but dollars and cents confuse me. Still, even I couldn't help but be a little transfixed by the bailout mess that recently occurred. Specifically, I was amazed (and appalled) at the amount of power that was concentrated in the hands of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. With so much control over the economy and the banking system, Paulson has almost certainly become one of the most powerful men in America. This is interesting from a news perspective, but it is also interesting from a structural perspective in the U.S. Government. At the start of the Bush Administration, it was well established that there were the "Big Three" posts in the cabinet (Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General). With the establishment of the Homeland Security Department, it became the "Big Four", and in just the last few months, the rise of Paulson has elevated the Treasury Secretary into the "Big Five"...at least in my opinion.

Still, as the incoming Obama Administration took shape, I think that a good deal of the focus was still placed on the appointees to the traditional "Big Three" jobs (Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, and Eric Holder). On the other hand, we've heard surprisingly little from the man who could be the most important figure in the whole cabinet - New York Federal Reserve Bank President (and Treasury Secretary-designate) Timothy Geithner. He seems unquestionably qualified for the job, having served as an undersecretary in the Clinton Administration and led the most prominent branch of the Federal Reserve, but we don't know much about him other than that he is about to become one of the most powerful men in the Free World.

Timothy Giethner makes this list not because we know what he will or won't do to shake up the U.S. economy, but simply because he will have so much power that it will be impossible for him to not make news on a consistent basis. Furthermore, with Obama throwing his support behind an auto industry bailout (and maybe more future bailouts), it is almost certain the Geithner will quickly surpass Henry Paulson as the most powerful Treasury Secretary in history. At least for the time being, Timothy Geithner is, without a doubt, the world's most powerful "Money Man".

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Stay tuned tomorrow, as we shift gears (and continents) to meet the quintessential "Strongman". And for those of you keeping score at home, there will be one change to the list I provided at the beginning of this week. With all due respect to Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German politician who was to be deemed "The Challenger", events within the last week have bumped him off the list to make way for another figure whose name will remain a surprise.

Rabbi Lau

2009-01-05T14:33:00.001-08:00

I have a column for later tonight, but I just found this video and wanted to share it with those of you who aren't practitioners of Judaism.

In our comfy 21st century world, I think we tend to forget what real leadership and grit looks like...so, in case you were wondering, this is a good example of those qualities.

Today I'm Watching...Minnesota

2009-01-05T08:27:00.001-08:00

Yes, I'm watching Gaza too (who isn't), but frankly I am appalled by the fact that Al Franken will likely be certified the "winner" of Minnesota's Senate seat today. After the 2000 Florida fiasco, I made a decision that I would at least respect legitimate wins by Democrats and not go off on rants about "stolen" elections. However, in this case, I can find no possible way to see the Franken "win" as legitimate. It is almost impossible that Franken would have a lead without the help of several VERY creative decisions by the Minnesota Canvassing Board and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. It board dictated that Republican-leaning counties had to count ballots differently than Democratic-leaning counties (netting lots of votes for Franken), then Ritchie decided to count "improperly rejected" absentee ballots BEFORE many Republican counties had submitted them (Democratic counties had no trouble submitting the, netting 176 votes for Franken). So...I hoped I'd never have to say this in America, but this particular election is DEFINITELY being stolen.

Sick Day

2009-01-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Colds always seem to come at the worst time...like when you are launching a new blog. I have been convalescing all day, and have decided that you deserve a column written by a clear-headed, non-feverish blogger. Everything here should be back to normal tomorrow, including the "Ten Names to Learn in 2009" list.

10 Names to Learn: Benjamin Netanyahu

2009-01-03T17:03:00.001-08:00

If there's anyone on this list who might be disqualified on the basis that he is already a known world figure, it's Benjamin Netanyahu. As the hard-line Prime Minister of Israel in the 1990s, "Bibi" gained a strong reputation and the adoration of right-wing Israel supporters everywhere. Then, in a flash, the youngest Prime Minister in Israeli history was gone - pummeled in the 1999 elections by Ehud Barak of the leftist Labor Party. So, why is a well known figure from the last decade on a list of emerging world leaders? Well, don't look now, but after a decade in the political wilderness, it appears that yesterday's man will soon be back with a vengeance.

After his defeat to Barak, Netanyahu temporarily retired from politics, allowing Ariel Sharon to take over the leadership of his conservative Likud Party. However, Netanyahu would quickly return to the political melee. Sharon went on to become Prime Minister in 2001, and in 2002 he made Netanyahu as his Foreign Minister. After Sharon's 2003 re-election, Bibi moved to the Finance Ministry, where he won praise for implementing free-market reforms on Israel's economy. However, while both were having great success in government, the conservative Netanyahu and the moderate Sharon were locked in a battle for the heart and soul of the Likud Party. They fought a party leadership election in 2002 (with Sharon coming out on top), then entered a bitter feud over Sharon's plan to unilaterally withdraw all Israeli troops and settlements in the Gaza Strip. On August 7th, 2005 - days before the withdrawal was approved - Finance Minister Netanyahu tendered his resignation from Sharon's cabinet. Again, Bibi was totally out of power...or so it seemed.

Then Prime Minister Sharon shocked Israel by announcing that he was abandoning the Likud Party (whose supporters were largely against the Gaza pullout) to form a new moderate party called "Kadima" ("Forward"). Many of Likud's moderate legislators left with Sharon, and Kadima went on to win the 2006 elections under now-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Sharon had a massive stroke and remains in a coma to this day). However, that left Netanyahu as the leader of smaller, but more conservative Likud. Still, after being decimated by both Kadima and the Labor Party in the 2006 vote, many were more inclined to see Netanyahu and his Likud as a fading force on the Israeli scene. That was before Olmert became embroiled in a corruption scandal, and the Kadima-Labor coalition government bungled the Lebanon War in 2007. With the popularity of the government tanking, Bibi quickly ceased to be "yesterday's man" as Likud surged ahead of the Labor and Kadima in opinion polls.

With an election looming in February, Likud remains ahead in most polls, and Benajmin Netanyahu could culminate his ten-year rehabilitation by storming back into the Prime Minister's office. The delicious irony is that, in order to regain power, Netanyahu will have to stare down the two forces that marginalized him in the first place - Sharon's moderate followers in Kadima (now lead by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni) and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who engineered a political comeback of his own to win the Labor Party leadership in 2007.

Should he win the election (he's currently polling neck-and-neck with Livni) , Netanyahu will likely be leading Israel's most hard-line government in recent history. While he was known for being tough on the Palestinians in his first term as PM, this time he be leading a much different governing party. Gone are Sharon, Livni, Olmert, and the other moderates who were once power players in Likud - they're all with Kadima now. Instead, Likud is has swung solidly to the right, and Netanyahu may actually be one of the more moderate members of the party. With a reborn Likud Party behind him, don't expect Prime Minister Netanyahu to take any nonsense from Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran. Bibi has never been hesitant to defend his country using any means necessary, which means that he will not only stand up to his enemies, but also that he will stand up to the new American president if he needs to.

Any terrorist in his right mind knows better than to make Bibi angry, and that's why he earns the title of "The Enforcer".
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Stay tuned tomorrow to meet "The Money Man"

10 Names to Learn: David Cameron

2009-01-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a series of ten posts profiling leaders who could blow on to the world scene in the next year - you may know some of these people already, but hopefully most of them will be new to you. You will not find Barack Obama on this list, or any other established world leader. These are the new faces, the people who are likely to emerge (or in one case, re-emerge) from the relative obscurity of their home countries to to become international figures. Some will be bigger than others, but I can almost guarantee that each of them will make headlines at least once in 2009. So, without further ado, let's meet our first contestant.
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The Conservative (or "Tory") Party was once a dominant political force in Britain. It provided us with Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and a number of other Prime Ministers. One could have said it was the UK's "natural governing party". That was before Tony Blair.

After taking over the socialist-leaning Labour Party in 1994, Blair drug it kicking and screaming to the political center. It was a bold move, and it worked. "New Labour" stormed to power in the 1997 elections, humiliating Conservative Prime Minister John Major and sending the once-mighty Tories into exile for over a decade. Even though his "New Labour" philosophy eventually became yesterdays news, Blair easily won re-election twice. The Tories looked old, disorganized, out of touch, and incapable of stopping the Labour machine. That was before David Cameron.

At only 39 years of age, Cameron became leader of the Conservatives in 2005 and was immediately compared to the young Tony Blair. Like Blair, Cameron was a moderate hellbent on making his party electable again. However, unlike Blair, Cameron did not change the basic values that the Tories stood for. Instead, he figured out how to make the Conservative message marketable in the 21st Century. Where Blair forced Labour away from it's socialist roots and more toward mainstream liberalism, Cameron continues to talk about low taxes, strong families, and free enterprise - he just does it with a different focus. The old drumbeat of "taxes and national security" has been replaced by a new message based on "quality of life issues" like health care, education, and "social justice" (a left-wing term that has been hijacked as a way of talking about what we would call "family values"). In short, he set out to "modernize" the party, and he has done exactly that. As a result of his efforts, the Conservatives have won a large number of local offices (including the London Mayorship) and Cameron is expected to become Prime Minister in the next general election...and that's the rub.

By law the next general election must take place by 2010, but Prime Minister Gordon Brown could call one at any time...in fact, he probably should have called one last year. Brown gained the PM's office when he took over the Labour Party leadership from Tony Blair, and he has not won a mandate from the British People in an election. Traditionally, such unelected PMs are expected to call an election right after taking office. However, facing probable rout at the hands of David Cameron, the unpopular Brown decided that an election would not be the best thing for his career...I mean...for the country at this time. So, there is a chance that Cameron will have to wait until 2010 to get his crack at power. Still, something tells me that, as soon as Brown's poll numbers show that he can win, he will send Brits to the polls immediately.

Fortunately, "New Labour" has become very tired, old concept - and Gordon Brown simply does not have the charisma that Tony Blair used to prop up the party. Odds are that, in the near future, the entire world will know David Cameron not as the man who brought the Conservative Party back from the brink of irrelevance, but simply as "The Right Hounourable Prime Minister".
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So, you've met "The Modernizer", stay tuned tomorrow to see which up-and-coming leader wins the title of "The Enforcer".

Today I am Watching: Sri Lanka

2009-01-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

"Today I am Watching.." will usually be a short feature, but as this is the first one, I'll do some quick explaining. I plan on posting a quick daily update (usually in the morning) tipping you off to a developing news story which I think is worth attention.
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This morning, the big news is out of the island nation of Sri Lanka, where the army has captured the headquarters of one of the world's most deadly terrorist groups - the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE has been terrorizing Sri Lankans since the 1970s, and has been fighting an all-out civil war with the government since 1983. They were also among the first terrorists to perfect the art of suicide bombing. So in a small way, you can thank the LTTE for 9/11 and the frequent terror in Israel. A Sri Lankan friend tells me that this could be "the beginning of the end for the LTTE" and that there are celebrations all over Sri Lanka. This might not get a lot of coverage here in the U.S., but as somebody who knows people in that country, I'm almost tearing up at the idea that the LTTE's reign of terror might be coming to an end.

Stay tuned tonight for the start of the "Ten Names You Will Learn in 2009" series.

3,2,1, Launch!

2009-01-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to The Brickyard! If you’re coming over from Draft Palin, I hope you enjoy the new site – if you’re not, welcome aboard. While there will definitely be a lot of Palin-centered content here, we are going to be talking about much more than Sarah Palin. In fact, we’re not even going to keep the discussion limited to U.S. politics. Anyone who has been to my pre-Palin blog, ConservaGlobe, will know that I am passionate about international affairs, and that I like to bring you stories that may not be making headlines here in America. So, I am hoping that we can develop this blog as a place where conservatives can talk about anything going on in the wide world of politics, regardless of whether it’s printed by USA Today, The BBC , or the Anchorage Daily News. If you’re here for the Palin updates, be prepared for some foreign affairs debates…and if you’re here for the foreign affairs, be ready for a heavy dose of our favorite Alaskan governor.

There are a few more features that I plan on debuting here soon, but I think I’ll keep those under my hat for now. In the meantime, be sure to “follow” me on Twitter, and I look forward to starting this new journey.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be kicking off with series of posts entitled “Ten Names You Will Learn in 2009”, where I will profile ten leaders who you may or may not have heard of…but who could blow onto the world scene in a big way this year. They are:

David Cameron – Great Britain – Leader of the Conservative Party
Benjamin Netanyahu – Israel - Former Prime Minister and current leader of the Likud Party
Jacob Zuma – South Africa – Presidential frontrunner
Timothy Geithner – USA - Incoming Secretary of the Treasury
Michael Ignatieff – Canada - Leader of the Liberal Party
David Miliband – Great Britain - Foreign Minister
Siv Jensen – Norway – Leader of the Progress Party
Susan Rice – USA – Incoming Ambassador to the United Nations
Helen Zille – South Africa – Mayor of Cape Town
Frank-Walter Steinmeier – Germany – Social Democratic Party candidate for Chancellor

Coming Soon

2008-12-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

The Brickyard is under construction...check back real soon

2008-02-25T11:07:00.000-08:00