Throw the Bum(s) Out - Spring U.S. House (of Reps) Cleaning

 

These cartoons can be found at www.TownHall.com. They were drawn by various cartoonists, but they all demonstrate that the Tea Party Movement is not dead as some would have you believe.

 

Portman: A Painful Admission or a Pitiful Betrayal of Principle?

One of my two Senators, neither of which is worth a plug nickel, Rob Portman is a McCain-Romney-Lugar Republican. You spell that R-I-N-O!  George Voinovich, Portman’s Predecessor was a RINO, too. One characteristics of RINOs is that they change their minds and ‘convictions’ almost as much as babies’ diapers need changed. Their promises and their convictions are also full of it…

Well, Senator Portman did it this time. He finds out that his son is a homosexual. So that revelation ‘forces’ him to change his mind in Romneylike fashion. Flip flop, flip flop like a fish out of water… In a tweet earlier this evening I used the words “unprincipled” and “selfish” in describing Portman’s position reversal on the same-sex “marriage” issue. Where is his courage? Where is his conviction? Maybe he never had any true convictions. He may be wishy-washy, just like the “conservative” George W. Bush spending like a liberal much of his time in office.

The following is a press release that I thought captured the essence of what the wayward senator did by betraying traditional, sacred, and biblical marriage because of his “love” for his son.  What his son really needed was tough love, to remind him that homosexuality is an immoral, unnatural, unhealthy chosen course of behavior and life style.  Unfortunately Portman is too typical of the permissive parent who chooses to ignore truth and principle.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Traditional Values Coalition president Andrea Lafferty issued the following statement in reaction to Ohio Senator Rob Portman's recent repudiation of his stance against gay marriage in reaction to his son's homosexual preferences:

These past few days have been very painful ones for me.

Earlier this week one of my children came to me and told me something which was shocking.

He is a drunk driver and has been driving drunk regularly since college.

I have taken several days to reflect on this and I have decided to reverse my earlier opposition to drunk driving.

My child is a drunk driver and I love him. It is a part of his identity, who he is.

I have reflected on all of this, consulted Scripture (the story of Jesus changing water into wine when the wedding he was attending in Cana ran dry is particularly relevant) and decided that drunk driving is a generational issue. Younger people take a much different view of drunk driving than older people.

Therefore, today I am reversing my opposition to drunk driving. My child has caused me to revisit a decision which, up until now, had been based simply on morality.

My child is a drunk driver. That has personalized the issue for me and taken me above the whole discussion of the morality of it. It is now personal with me.

In addition, I would like to say that drunk driving will make all of us stronger drivers. Think of how much more interesting driving will be in the future if more people have the freedom to drive drunk. It will sharpen the defensive driving skills of the rest of us.

"This unreleased press statement follows the same twisted, self-serving logic that several public officials have used in explaining their switch from opposing homosexual marriage to favoring it.

"If you remember nothing else from this exchange, remember this: our children are learners and unable to determine morality and then hand it down to their parents and other impressionable adults. This is one factor in why our culture is so morally upside down!

"This whole line of argument suggesting that opposition to homosexual “marriage” is a personal and “generational” matter is equally silly.

"There are absolutes. There is right and there is wrong. There are objective truths. A civilization which has no governing principles or laws is doomed to collapse. That is the soul of conservatism.

"The tough part of being a parent is telling one of those young souls whom we have been charged with raising that he or she is wrong. But because it is tough that doesn’t mean that we are excused from doing it or we can delegate our responsibility to a teacher or “the village” or some other entity.

"Parents hold the primary responsibility for the upbringing of their children. Parents are fully capable of still loving a child who is wrong.

"American parents hold the power to begin the process of reversing this dangerous downward trend. Our children look to us for direction and we owe them more than a collective shrug.

"I wish no harm to either Senator Portman or his son but they are wrong.

"And Senator Portman’s attempt to use his position in the Senate to affect the future path of our culture and the lives of other Americans compounds the wrong.

"Being a good parent is infinitely more difficult than being a Senator or President. And telling someone you love that he or she is wrong is the most difficult part of that difficult job.

"A nation which recognizes this is on the road to a vast spiritual recovery."

(Please Note: The introduction to this article is satire. Drunk driving is immoral. I abhor it. I also believe homosexuality is immoral and sinful.)

Senator Rob Portman
The Face of Cowardice, Compromise, & Lack of Conviction

Courageous (2011)

I saw this movie, Courageous, last weekend at a large shopping mall near Columbus, Ohio. It was at one of those multiplex theaters, 16 theaters.

Courageous begins as the story of four sheriff deputies. Through the stories of their lives and situations that these deputies face, they learn by experience the fact that fatherless children are most likely to get into trouble. Many fatherless children join gangs and end up in jail. Our nation has done a poor job of encouraging and promoting fatherhood. Instead, though what may have been well-intended by some, the welfare state has criminally contributed to the destruction of the family.

These deputies, along with a young Hispanic father, together and individually, discover and decide what kind of fathers that God wants them to be. They begin to take responsibility for their families and children.

The movie delves revealingly into the lives of each man following their evolving decision to become better fathers. Each man faces challenges to his newly acquired beliefs about fatherhood. The movie addresses vital issues in a realistic, serious way, yet with just enough wholesome humor to entertain and inspire.

The men realized their need to spend more time with their families and they begin training them in the Word of God.

This all takes great courage.

RATING
 
This movie is exceptional. It is life affirming and motivation to life live with the purpose for which it was designed by God. It communicates essential and vital issues commonly faced by all men. Courageous is a ‘five star out of five stars’ flick. It can be simultaneously a learning as well as an entertaining event.

Every father, every man should see this movie now while it is playing in a nearby theater, or purchase or rent it when it is available.

The movie has its own website: http://www.CourageousTheMovie.com/.

gregjaye also contributed to the content of this post.

Stupak’s Reelection: Aborted!

“Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak announced he wil not run for reelection.

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“That’s right; thanks to his voting YES on ObamaCare, his reelection plans have now been ABORTED!’”

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- - - NewsBusted, Episode 4/13/2010

NewsBusted is a conservative comedy webcast about the news of the day, uploaded every Tuesday and every Friday. Their newest NewBusted episode includes the excerpt above.

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See right panel of this blog and click on the picture to watch this 2-3 minute comedy YouTube video.

Has the GOP taken itself off life support?

GOP is now terminally ill!


Here is a letter an acquaintance, R.C., wrote to Chairman Michael Steele. I concur with R.C.'s wise words and counsel.

Dear Chairman Steele,

I see that you said recently (again!) that the Republican Party must be open to "abortion rights" candidates. This is only one of the most obvious reasons, and most egregious, that the Republican Party will die, and deserves to.

I disagree with virtually everything the current Democratic Party stands for, but I have to give them credit for at least one thing - they believe fervently and uncompromisingly in many things, and they don't welcome, and support, candidates in their party who hold views that don't line up with those deep beliefs.

The Republican Party, the other hand, obviously believes in nothing, except getting candidates elected who have an R after their name, whatever their beliefs. It is this total bankruptcy of belief, principle, courage, and morals, its utter failure to stand for anything, that has consigned the Republican Party to the dustbin of history, and all I can say is "Good riddance!"

A once great party, the party of Lincoln, the party that abolished slavery, is now a pathetic, contemptible, vote grubbing coalition of political hacks willing to sell their souls for a vote or a buck.

Though I despise the Democrats and don't want to see them re-elected, I'll vote my conscience and my principles in 2010, perhaps the Constitution Party or America's Independent Party - they may not get elected but at least they've got integrity. The Republican Party doesn't even know the meaning of the word anymore.

Yours truly,

R.C., Ohio

Bottled Politicians

High Priced Ordinary Tap Water?

An AOL news article about deceitful marketing practices of water bottlers caught my attention this evening. Much like pretty flashy fancy bottled water containers, filled with ordinary tap water, are politicians who for the most part filled with bluster.

They come with $400 haircuts, facelifts, pretty packages all wrapped in promises and postulates. However, they are lacking in leadership and lacking in principled action above all.

Also, just like those empty plastic bottles they fill up space in our landfills and in Congress. Quite an apt analogy I would say.

These Things I Believe, Too

I just read an excellent article by Chuck Baldwin titled, "Government Arrogance is Out of Control." He masterfully ended it with powerful quotation from Lyn Nofziger. The late Nofziger served as press secretary in the then California Governor Ronald Reagan’s administration and as a White House advisor during the Nixon and Reagan presidencies.

I added the capitalized titles to Noziger’s belief statements. I must say, except perhaps for his last statement, which was tongue in cheek, I would concur with most of Nofziger’s principled beliefs.

THESE THINGS I BELIEVE

by

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Franklyn "Lyn" Nofziger

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(1924 - 2006)
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GOVERNMENT’S LIMITED ROLE

· "That government should butt out.

GUARDING OUR FREEDOMS

· That freedom is our most precious commodity and if we are not eternally vigilant, government will take it all away.

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

· That individual freedom demands individual responsibility.

GOVERNMENT, A NECESSARY EVIL

· That government is not a necessary good but an unavoidable evil.

AN “EVOLVING” GOVERNMENT

· That the executive branch has grown too strong, the judicial branch too arrogant and the legislative branch too stupid.

POLITICAL PARTIES DEVOID OF PRINCIPLES

· That political parties have become close to meaningless.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

· That government should work to insure the rights of the individual, not plot to take them away.

DEFENDING THE NATION

· That government should provide for the national defense and work to insure domestic tranquility.

FAIR TRADE

· That foreign trade should be fair rather than free.

FORIEGN TREATIES

· That America should be wary of foreign entanglements.

DEBT TO LIBERTY

· That the tree of liberty needs to be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

· That guns do more than protect us from criminals; more importantly, they protect us from the ongoing threat of government.

STATES RIGHTS

· That states are the bulwark of our freedom.

· That states should have the right to secede from the Union.

ACCOUNTABILITY

· That once a year we should hang someone in government as an example to his fellows."

Note: “These Things I Believe” was originally published in the 11/9/99 issue of the Federalist Digest.

Ken Blackwell, after the Fall

Why did Ken Blackwell, who ran for governor in Ohio last year, and many other republicans lose their elections in November? Did the GOP candidates lose because they were too conservative for Ohio, as the victorious Democrats now gloat and promote?

It was not because of conservative ideology and principles that the GOP candidates lost. I heard Ken Blackwell speak at luncheon today. The GOP candidates lost for several reasons including the fact that once they gained power, they went into the mode of just protecting the status quo and the power they gained. They did not live and act on their conservative principles. The GOP also forfeited its opportunity to lead because of the moral shortcomings of several of their key office holders. (Although Blackwell did not mention names, to me Governor Bob Taft and Congressman Ney might be good examples of this.) The party and the candidates forgot the moral foundation on which America was built. The duty of conservative politicians is to protect and preserve traditional American values. Some office holders either forgot or they disregarded the principles on which they were elected. (To me former Senator Mike DeWine exemplified this when he teamed up with Senator McCain in compromise on President Bush’s judicial appointments.)

What Ohio needs, yes, what America needs are true conservatives of both party to stick to their principles once elected. These key principles include protection of life, traditional family and marriage, a tax code that serves the taxpayer and not a tax code that is the instrument of government to control and enslave the people. We also need small government. We need politicians who will think right, effectively and efficiently. In other words, we need politicians as well as citizens who do things right and who do the right things.

Ken Blackwell, who now writes for Townhall.com wrote in an article earlier this year saying “Our conservative causes are just as true and worth fighting for as they were on November 6 (the day before the election). So, we must keep perspective, and continue. We must encourage others to also remain engaged in the struggle – to be a force for living change. In more than thirty years of pubic service one thing I have learned is that the only way a cause is truly lost is if the army is scattered and resolved to defeat."

Blackwell noted in the speech I heard him make today in Columbus, Ohio that he experienced 12 election victories and 4 election defeats. In referring to his latest defeat he cited to several quotes. One was something to the affect that one of the miracles of life is our ability to begin again (after a set-back or defeat.) He also said that we should never let any defeat or failure be a period, but only a comma and to continue to be involved.

His hope is that the conservatives, who are in office now, will recruit young staffers, who will also have the same conservative vision. Great cities and great states do not produce great good. It is good people doing good things; it is principled coalition of like-minded groups serving together to gain and use political power wisely thta produce the greatest good.

In further relating to his own defeat in the past election Blackwell used baseball player Willie Davis as an illustration. This same illustration he referred to in his Townhall.com article quoted above, “Although Los Angeles Dodgers’ center fielder Willie Davis was widely considered the fastest man in baseball throughout the 1960s and 70s, he is perhaps more often remembered for a remark he made following game two of the 1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In the fifth inning Davis committed three errors on two consecutive plays. L.A. lost the game 8 to 4 and was swept in the series. When asked about his less than stellar performance, Davis dryly remarked, “It ain’t my life, and it ain’t my wife, so why worry?” Even more important than his amazing speed, Davis had extraordinary perspective.

“More than once since the release of the November 7, 2006 general election results, I’ve given some thought to Mr. Davis’ quip. I have been elected to city council and Mayor of my hometown of Cincinnati. I was three times elected to statewide office, first as State Treasurer, then twice as Secretary of State. Voters from my political party decisively choose me to be their standard bearer in the race for Ohio Governor. When the votes were counted in the general election, however, this time I and other uncompromising conservatives did not come out on top. But beyond personal disappointment there is perspective (a la Willie Davis). And beyond such perspective there is an ironic, yet undeniable sense of accomplishment for many of us.”

Henry Ford once said, “Failure is only an opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”

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In conclusion, Blackwell said that as a result of his defeat in the 2006 election he has learned from his experience; he understands that the GOP was sent a message by the people; and that he personally is intent on redoubling his efforts to make a difference.