I Want To Be The Boss Of Me!

Maybe I'm a radical. Or I have a wide streak of Libertarian running through my Republican heart. But this I know:

• On June 23, 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Kelo vs. New London case. That ruling says a government can steal (oops, I guess they called it "seize") private property for public use, even when it is a for-profit group building a strip mall. I guess one man's castle is another man's Costco.
• On July 1, 2006 the Colorado state government banned smoking inside restaurants and bars and all other commercial indoor properties. Colorado was the 13th state to enact such a ban, with more states to follow. Even New Hampshire, which peers out from behind the muzzle of a gun just long enough to scream its "Live Free or Die" motto has jumped on the smoking ban bandwagon.
• On August 10, 2007 the Louisiana state government banned the wearing of pants that don't fit tightly enough.
• On September 4, 2007 the Ellis County Commission (Kansas) rejected an application to build a wind farm outside of Hays, effectively denying local landowners the right to use their land to make money and creating a previously nonexistent right for residents to control their neighbors' activities.
• Louisiana (again it's Louisiana) is now considering a bill that would require restaurant owners to determine who is "obese" and refuse to serve those customers.
  
• And, of course, here in Michigan our State Senate (Republican controlled regrettably) last week passed a sweeping ban on smoking that includes bingo halls, bowling alleys and even casinos.

What has happened to our America? I don't have a "Don't Tread On Me" flag hanging in my house. But most of us were raised to believe in an America that respected Americans' rights to live their own lives. Their rights to do as they wish, to pursue profitable enterprises, to allow - or not allow - patrons in their bar to smoke, watch TV, throw darts and wear baggy pants.

In the last few years we've seen those rights repeatedly eroded by supposedly well-intentioned governments.

Who anointed our elected representatives to play nanny? Where in the constitution does it say that our elected officials have the duty and power to run our lives and businesses?

And why do we quietly take it?

Red Skelton's Pledge

Patriotism

Pledge of Allegiance
(As originally recited on his TV show)

I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"

I -- me, an individual, a committee of one.

Pledge -- dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.

Allegiance -- my love and my devotion.

To the flag -- our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!

United -- that means that we have all come together.

States -- individual communities that have united into 48 great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country.

And to the republic -- a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

For which it stands, one nation -- one nation, meaning "so blessed by God"

Indivisible -- incapable of being divided.

With liberty -- which is freedom -- the right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice -- the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.

For all -- which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country

and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance...

UNDER GOD

Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said

that is a prayer

and that would be eliminated from schools too?


God Bless America!

School Daze

What do these schools have in common:

ACADEMY OF FLINT
ARTS ACADEMY IN THE WOODS
ATHENS HIGH SCHOOL
BATH HIGH SCHOOL
BERKLEY HIGH SCHOOL
BLACK RIVER HIGH SCHOOL
BLOOMFIELD HILLS ANDOVER HIGH SCHOOL
CANTON HIGH SCHOOL
CESAR CHAVEZ ACADEMY
CITY MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
CLARE HIGH SCHOOL
COLDWATER HIGH SCHOOL
COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD SCHOOL
CRESTON HIGH SCHOOL
DEARBORN HIGH SCHOOL
DEWITT HIGH SCHOOL
DEXTER HIGH SCHOOL
EAST GRAND RAPIDS HIGH SCHOOL
EAST KENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
EAST LANSING HIGH SCHOOL
EASTERN HIGH SCHOOL
EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL
FARMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
FRASER HIGH SCHOOL
FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL
FRUITPORT HIGH SCHOOL
GODWIN HEIGHTS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
GRAND HAVEN HIGH SCHOOL
GREENHILLS SCHOOL
GREENVILLE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
GROSSE POINTE SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
GULL LAKE HIGH SCHOOL
WYLIE E.GROVES HIGH SCHOOL
HASLETT HIGH SCHOOL
HAZEL PARK HIGH SCHOOL
HOLLAND HIGH SCHOOL
HOWELL HIGH SCHOOL
HURON HIGH SCHOOL --Ann Arbor
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL
KALAMAZOO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
KENOWA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL
KELLOGGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
LAKEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
L'ANSE CREUSE HIGH SCHOOL
LANSING SEXTON HIGH SCHOOL
LAPEER WEST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
LOY NORRIX HIGH SCHOOL
MATTAWAN HIGH SCHOOL
MILFORD HIGH SCHOOL
MONA SHORES HIGH SCHOOL
NORTH FARMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
OAK PARK HIGH SCHOOL
OKEMOS HIGH SCHOOL
PINCKNEY COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL
PLAINWELL HIGH SCHOOL
PLYMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
PORTAGE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
PORTAGE NORTHERN HIGH SCHOOL
RIVER ROUGE HIGH SCHOOL
THE ROEPER CITY AND cOUNTRY UPPER SCHOOL
ROGERS HIGH SCHOOL
ROSCOMMON HIGH SCHOOL
ROYAL OAK HIGH SCHOOL
SALEM HIGH SCHOOL
SALINE HIGH SCHOOL
TAWAS AREA HIGH SCHOOL
WEST OTTAWA HIGH SCHOOL
WYOMING PARK HIGH SCHOOL

They are participating in a "Day of Silence" promoted by a gay and lesbian activist group.

On, Friday, April 25, several dozen schools in Michigan observed "Day of Silence (DOS)." DOS is a nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools.

When AFA alerted parents of this public school classroom disruption by homosexual student activists, many Michigan citizens took action immediately! As a result, 20 schools had their name removed from the participating list. If you haven't gotten involved, it's critical that you do so!

Although this year's Day of Silence has already happened, this is an issue that parents of children in the public school system need to alerted to. More information by the organizers can be found here.

PS - I just want to note that I do not approve of any form of hate speech or actions, but in my opinion the school system is not the appropriate place for this type of action. My children are grown and out of the school system, but I would definitely have kept them home if this kind of wackiness happened when they were students.

Are the penguins confused? Or is it MSNBC?

So, how can a British student skiing on the North Pole manage to encounter penguins? Penguins are only found in the southern hemisphere.

Is confused about which pole she is visiting? Or have the penguins become confused and made a major migration? Or did MSNBC get caught jazzing up their story.

I really wish we could have a fair and honest discussion about global warming. It's just too important to play games instead of reporting honest facts.

See the penguins here. . . . .

143 Days. . . .

One hundred and forty three days is the length of gestation for a goat. Or a sheep. The one hundred and forty third day of the year is May 22. In one hundred and forty three days white grape juice will ferment, but the wine is not yet ready. And cheese has not yet begun to age.

One hundred and forty three days is how long Barack Obama served in the United States Senate before he announced his candidacy for United States President. With that amount of experience, a kindergardener is not considered ready for the first grade - it takes at least 180 days. An unborn baby is not yet viable after one hundred and forty three days.

And I have food in my refrigerator older than that.

Is Barack ready?

McCain's Right RX

Are you ready for Universal Health Care? I'm not either. Trust me, if Hillary or Barack are elected Universal Health Care with all it's problems are just around the corner. Yes, there are problems with the current health care situation, but we need common sense solutions - not a government intervention!

John McCain has a good handle on some of the steps we need to take. If we don't follow through and fix what isn't working properly we can kiss healthcare as we know it good-bye.

Common Sense can be found here

I Couldn't Say It Better. . . . .

Quote:

Like some pagan culture whose members starve in the streets while worshipping the abundant livestock living in their midst, western civilization has amazingly opted to burn its own food supplies in order to produce fuel, though abundant oil supplies lie within its soil and just off its shores.

Meanwhile, the elites who have squandered a disproportionate share of those resources, traveling on their private jets to "environmental conferences," will continue to do so while the common citizen must endure greater and greater hardship in order to merely stay warm and get to work. Yet does the "Earth goddess" rejoice at this? Or is it merely those demigods of liberalism laughing at their extensive ranks of useful idiots? Social "Justice" indeed.

Chalk one up for "environmentalism" that will neither clean the planet nor make life better for its inhabitants. Yet the easily deceived are made to swell with sanctimony while those spearheading the movement gain in power and stature.

Read more here. . . . .

Eliminating "The Other White Meat"

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

The father of our Constitution, James Madison, firmly believed that our republic needed checks and balances to limit the influence of special interests. And yes, he clearly intended to include government benevolence in his objection.

Who wants to risk being called cold hearted or stingy? And that is the problem. It is too easy to assuage guilt with government benevolence. However, taxes should not be collected for discretionary purposes. The agreement between citizens and our government is to provide protection, promote commerce, educate the population and provide important protection from sanitary and public health threats.

Before public funds are spent, we should ask what is the purpose, list your goals, how is "success" measured, what is the application process for receiving the funds, and there should be a fair opportunity for all who wish to benefit from the expenditure of public funds? There should also be a way to ensure accountability and efficiency for the fruits of the taxpayer's labor.

Unfortunately, many government leaders are content to do nice things with other people's money, especially if it creates good will (or votes) from the recipients.

A quote attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville sums up the dangers of loose fiscal policy:

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury."

It's time conservatives start protecting our democracy and demand fundamental changes in the way all levels of government spend our money.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Good Cop: Barack Obama
Bad Cop: Rev. Jeremiah Wright

I could be wrong. Or maybe I've become a conspiracy theorist. It just seems to me that the interplay between Barack Obama and his pastor (excuse me - make that former pastor) could possibly be one of the smartest and riskiest political ploys ever.

While the commentators I've heard on the radio and television are busy talking about Reverend Wright's treacherous undermining of Obama's campaign, I'm thinking to myself that this may be a devious and clever plot between the two of them. You know, the "wink, wink, nod, nod" type of plot.

Think about it a minute. Reverend Wright gets to continue his outrageous anti-American rhetoric, enjoying every minute of his brush with fame. Meanwhile, Barack Obama gets to simultaneously condemn and excuse his old friend. While Obama is reaping the benefits of taking the conciliatory middle road, Obama's core message (and life's work) is still given more media attention than money can buy.

OK, I could be wrong about this. Or maybe I've watched too many episodes of Law and Order, but this is a scenario that makes a lot of sense to me.

An Idiot's Guide to Overcoming Poverty

"One doesn't tackle poverty, like a football player. One shows the way of escape and provides sufficient role models along with capital and moral land educational structures that serve as ladders so people who want to climb out of the hole can do so."

Maybe this isn't the most polite title for a blog, but it does get attention. Cal Thomas wrote a great article outlining a plan that John McCain can use. Read about project HOPEFUL here. (Gotta love the acronym).

The Great Ethanol Hoax

If you're like me you are angry about rising gas prices. And if you're really like me you aren't sure exactly who to be angry with. I listen to people talk about the rising price of fuel, food and a general sticker shock at everything they want to purchase. The price of gas is up at the gas station and the price of milk is up at the grocery store. Mainly they blame politicians for inaction, along with greedy farmers and Big Oil for high prices. And many of them are asking for more corn-based ethanol to help lower prices at the pump.

We have allowed the environmental activists (mainly in the Democratic Party) to essentially block any moves our nation wants to make while looking for a path to energy independence. We know how to get oil from places like Alaska, Wyoming and the Dakotas, but legislation to allow drilling has been blocked. We know oil is available offshore, but we are not allowed to drill due to potential environmental impact even though other nations are drilling for the same oil just a few short miles away. We have even allowed these activists to stop the building of new oil refineries.

Nuclear power could help reduce our energy demands, but again environmentalist activists have blocked the building of new nuclear plants. They've also slowed the building of wind farms through environmental impact studies to see if the wind farms will kill migrating bird. Or maybe even block Ted Kennedy's oceanfront view.

And although we have enough coal to handle our energy needs for decades, the same roadblocks slow the development of coal-based technology.

So that leaves ethanol (also known as "bio-fuel"). Ethanol may well be the biggest con game of them all. Ethanol is 20% less efficient than gasoline. It takes 450 pounds of corn to produce enough ethanol to fill the average gas tank. It also takes 450 pounds of corn to feed one person for a year. Ethanol is too corrosive to be shipped by pipeline so it must be trucked to distribution points. Worse yet, it takes more than one gallon of fossil fuel., coal, oil or natural gas to produce one gallon of ethanol.

To produce enough ethanol to replace the gas we currently consume it would take approximately 482 million acres of cropland. The total cropland in the United States is 434 and that includes cropland used for all food and fiber.

Ethanol would not survive in a free market. Instead we subsidize the production with our hard earned tax dollars.

So, next time you're upset with the skyrocketing price of nearly everything, take a look in a mirror. It's voters. . . . you and I. . . . who need to elect the people who will stop this nonsense and make the decisions that need to be made.

Mitt's Humor

Three months after suspending his Republican Presidential bid, Mitt Romney, not particularly known for his sense of humor, made a surprise appearance at the recent Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner. Mitt delivered a Top Ten list poking fun at himself and his image. . . and threw a few barbs at Hillary Clinton and Al Gore.

Here, in reverse order, are Mitt's reasons for dropping out of the race:

No. 10 There weren't as many Osmonds as I thought.
No. 9 I got tired of the corkscrew landings of my campaign plane while under fire.
No. 8 As a lifelong hunter, I didn't want to miss the start of varmint season.
No. 7 There wasn't room for two Christian leaders in the Presidential race.
No. 6 I was upset that no one had bothered to check my passport files.
No. 5 I'd rather get fat, grow a beard and try for the Nobel prize.
No. 4 I got tired of wearing a dark suit and tie and I wanted to kick back in a light colored suit and tie.
No. 3 When my wife realized I couldn't win the GOP nomination my fundraising dried up.
No. 2 I took a bad fall at a campaign rally and broke my hair.
No. 1 My campaign relied on a flawed campaign strategy that as Utah goes, so goes the Nation.

Good Luck Sir!

He Should Have Stopped At 20. . . . .

Democratic North Carolinians vote in one week and CBS News planned to host a debate last Sunday between the two front runners. It didn't happen. According to a press release from the North Carolina Democratic Party "We regret to inform you that the proposed Democratic Presidential Debate. . . . has been cancelled due to time constraints and logistical issues associated with such a large national event. There were also growing concerns about what another debate would do to party unity."

The "real" story is probably CBS News' take on things:

"Hillary Clinton had accepted the invitation but Barack Obama's campaign had not. In an interview with the Charlotte Observer earlier this month, Obama voiced skepticism about participating in too many debates. "I will tell you, after the 21st debate." Obama told the paper (in advance of the 21st debate). . . . . North Carolinians have had ample 0pportunity to watch these debates. . . . I don't know that they are ending up being more informative than the kind of town hall meetings we've scheduled."

After the last debate, I'm guessing Obama wished he had stopped at 20.

But does it make sense strategically? Obama may be setting himself up for a fall. Remember John Kerry in 2004 - He won the nomination easily with the media buying his "war hero" story. No tough questions, other than ABC's Charlie Gibson who did ask Kerry some tough questions. Once Kerry won the nomination, questions that should have been asked much earlier were finally asked. And the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ultimately did the media's job for them. If Obama succeeds in avoiding the touch questions now, someone will end up asking them in fall.

And then the fun begins in earnest.

Now We Can Exhale!

Michael Bloomberg (Mayor, New York City):

"I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not - and will not - be a candidate for President".

Phew! After holding our collective breath we can finally relax secure in the knowledge that our fun-filled three man race will carry on without additional candidates. Or should I say baggage?

Happy April 15th!

A day like today requires a little bit of levity, so here's my contribution (via Dave Barry). . . . . .

Caution: Put your coffee down before reading. Definitely do not read while swallowing any liquids.

Operation Chaos

While accusing conservatives of convoluted conspiracies usually involving Vice-President Dick Cheney as the mastermind behind all sorts of hare-brained schemes it seems the Democrats are relying on Maxwell Smart as their campaign manager of choice.

Who could have predicted the chaos and weekly drama that has ensnarled the Democratic Presidential campaign process? Hillary under imaginary fire in Bosnia. Barack Obama showing his true elite brand of snobbery in San Francisco. Primary fights in Michigan and Florida. And who could forget the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Operation Chaos seems to be going off without a hitch.

Let us introduce ourselves

Welcome to our blog! We are the Second District (Michigan) Republicans. We hope our blog becomes a place where you can find commentary on local, state and national issues. We also want to use our blog to introduce you to local candidates and allow our local elected officials a place to communicate with their constituents on an informal basis.

Our goal is to update our blog several times each week. We also plan to provide you with important links. In other words, we want to be your "go to" resource.

The other important tool we hope you will use is the opportunity to respond and/or comment so our blog becomes an interactive place where you can communicate with us. So, without further ado, I'll post our very first entry!

Faith