Recap of my Speech to Founders Values

On Wednesday September 28th I gave a speech about our rights and responsibilities as citizens. If you missed it, you can click here to read a copy of it. To summarize, I called on each of us to look at the life of our First President, George Washington who served his God and his nation for the majority of his life, even when he didn’t want to. Below is an excerpt from the speech:

“Each of us has the responsibility to take charge of our government and to ensure that those around us are doing the same. We MUST go where we are called even when we don’t want to. Washington didn’t WANT to serve but he did and at great personal cost. It’s in the teachings of the Bible, the Torah and Qur’an to obey God’s Will and His commands even when it conflicts with our desires. This goes for politics too. We HAVE to get engaged. We can no longer be the “Silent Majority” we must be the active and vocal majority. We have a responsibility to go out and find our inner George Washington It’s time to actively find people to run for office who think like we do or…if we can’t find someone where we live …we have a responsibility to do it ourselves. We have a responsibility to run for office if no one else well. Even when it isn’t something we WANT to do.

I don’t say this with anything short of a direct engagement myself. As some of you know, I have relented to the pressures from within and from without and decided that I can no longer sit on the sideline as a bystander. I can’t watch anymore as jobs drift away and companies stop hiring. I can’t stand by as our children continue in failing schools. I can’t allow the corruption in Dover to continue unopposed any longer. I have decided to stand; I have decided that I must put my case forward. I have decided to run for office.”

And so I have decided to run for the 11th District State Senate seat currently held by Senator Tony DeLuca. Senator DeLuca is also the current President Pro-Tempore of the Senate and the 3rd most powerful person in Dover. I do not enter into this race alone. My family will be by my side, as well good and close friends but I am also counting on you. As supporters of Founders Values, you have given me the courage and the strength to stand up and be counted. You’ve shown me that I am indeed NOT alone and that the values and principles that I hold dear are valued and held by many Delawareans.

When I go to Dover in 2012 I will not just be opposing Senator DeLuca, I have goals. I will work to restore fiscal responsibility, fix education, enable job creation and demand open and ethical government. I will spotlight the corruption in deals like the Bloom Energy debacle, Delaware’s very own Solyndra and I will fight to reduce the size and scope of government. You can read more about what I plan to do when I go to Dover by visiting my website here.

Your commitment to our cause has given me hope that we can indeed turn Delaware around and now, I’m asking for one more commitment. Will you help me defeat Tony DeLuca in 2012? Will you join our team as we go door to door, make phone calls, send letters and contact local businesses for support? Please click here to join my campaign mailing list. Also, if you can help with a donation of as little as $5, any amount will help me to get the message out, I would be grateful. My opponent is a powerful leader in Dover. He is connected to special interest groups, backed by unions and will get much of the lobbyist money in Dover. I will need every dollar that I can raise to defeat him. I can assure you that I will be careful with every dollar and make sure that it goes to defeating what I consider to be the poster boy for the problems in Dover and “The Delaware Way”. If you’re willing and able to contribute as little as $5 (or as much as $600) to help me defeat Delaware’s 3rd most powerful Democrat in Senator Tony DeLuca, please consider clicking her and contributing what you can. Together, we can take back Dover and reclaim Delaware with common sense and conservative values.

Reviewing a Troublemaker

So the News Journal got their copy of Troublemaker and true to form they set out on a campaign to not only destroy the book but to destroy the author. I was mad, REALLY mad, but just moments before I started writing this post, I read the following hit piece from Chad Livengood at the News Journal. It should have made me mad. Should have…but it didn’t. As I read through the piece, through the long list of backstabbers and second guessers. Through the list of names of people who campaigned for Mike Castle, who developed the “Kill the girl” strategy that the Delaware GOP imployed in a vain attempt to stop O’Donnell from taking down the most liberal member (former) of the U.S. House of Representative, a guy who had destroyed the credibility of every candidate he’d run against and not their policies, I realized something. These are sad examples of what politics has become. Some of these people were great success stories. Some have TREMENDOUS talents. Others are just corrupt political scoundrels. None of them have escaped with their souls intact. 

I’ll tell you, I could go on and on about Maria Evans’ failed career in media (I bet most of you have never even heard of Delaware Talk Radio have you?), Priscilla Rakestraw’s record of making false allegations to the employers of candidates she doesn’t like and Tom Ross’ outright sabotage. I could go on about the failure of the Delaware GOP to hold on to their seats long before the TEA Party came along. I could point out that in politics, it’s apparent that NO ONE is trustworthy or decent. I could…but I won’t because it doesn’t matter. 

Ken Grant can enjoy his time on stage tearing down the work of one of the finest human beings I have ever met (thanks for the extra book sale), laughing it up with all of the Delaware political monsters in the crowd. Priscilla Rakestraw can live out the rest of her short time on Earth being as mean and nasty as she wants to be. Maria Evans can take solace in the fact that she’s assisted in the personal destruction of someone just trying to make a difference. Steve Grossman can sleep well tonight knowing that he stabbed a person that he supported in the General Election in the back. Chad Livengood can rest easy knowing that he has taken an impressive career and splattered it with a huge black spot. Tom Ross can smile knowing that he, as Chairman, ensured she’d never win and Mike Castle, king of Delaware kings, can sit up on his throne in Chateau Country with Chablis and some brie and be content knowing that Christine has been beaten down.

The bottom line here is that all of this, from Day 1 of her getting into the race till now was predictable. Anyone who is anyone saw this coming. The News Journal has always been just a tin can and string away from the DNC HQ and let’s face it, the Delaware GOP elites have long ago realized that “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”. Nothing I can say, no evil words, no backroom truth, no startling revelations about these cats is going to undo what they’ve done. So none of these people (except Mr. Grant…again, thanks for the book sale) is going to read Christine’s book. That’s fine, she didn’t expect you to. She didn’t write it for you. She wrote it for the people who TRULY supported her, not the ones who showed up just for the paychecks. She wrote it for the people who bucked the establishment trends, not those who buckle underneath it because they were born into it. She wrote it for the people who want to CHANGE politics, not the people who are desperately trying to keep it the same. She wrote it for conservatives and independents, not for progressives and liberals. 

Truth be told, Delaware is the small town of states. Just like any small town upstart who challenges the lifelong political culture of a backwoods North Carolina town, a challenger to the Delaware establishment will be ostracized and beat up. If that North Carolina challenger wrote a book, after facing down a popular Mayor in a heated election, it’s unlikely many town members would buy their book. The same thing is happening here. I don’t believe that many people in Delaware will buy Christine’s book, not because it’s bad, but because they are too closed-minded to see beyond their own irrational hatred of a true patriot. They hate me too and I just don’t care. Because you see, I know something they don’t know. I know that for every plank they tear out from underneath our feet, we receive yet another Blessing from God. By the time they have ripped all the planks out, we’ll be able to float away.

So the title of this blog said “Reviewing a Troublemaker” and we’ve spent a lot of time reviewing Chad Livengood’s predictable and sad hit piece. Now I’d like to take some time to do what a decent reporter in Chad’s shoes would have done which is to review the book. I’m not going to pluck out a sentence here or there about the most damaging parts of it though. I think Chad’s covered that, thanks Chad! What I’m going to do is tell you what you’re going to see in the other 350 pages that Chad didn’t bother to read.

“Troublemaker: Let’s do what it takes to make America great again” is a fantastic book that really brings you into the struggle that the TEA Party faces. For those of you who don’t know who the TEA Party are and what they stand for, Christine shows you who they are: They’re you. You’re frustrated by the lack of jobs, so is the TEA Party. You’re upset at the down economy, so is the TEA Party. You’re angry at the corrupt political class in Washington, so is the TEA Party. You’re worried about the future for your kids, so is the TEA Party. You’re scared that out nation is going in the wrong direction, so is the TEA Party and so is Christine O’Donnell. You see, Christine got one thing right in the infamous “Witch Ad”, she is you. We’ve all said things that we wish we hadn’t, we’ve all quoted something kooky from a story we read and we’ve all questioned authority. The difference is that the TEA Party has simply acted on that questioning and so has Christine O’Donnell. She stood up, like the TEA Party did and said “Enough is enough, we want our country back from the political elites and the special interest groups.” That’s why she took on her own party first. You see, Christine ran a write in campaign in 2006 when she was asked by some of the political establishment and some close friends (for different reasons) to do so. Her write-in candidacy was designed by the political establishment to do one thing, stop Mike Protack (another person who bucks the establishment trend and scares the crap out of the elites). For Christine, it was an eye opening look at politics in America. In 2008, she had think long and hard but she decided to seek the party’s nomination to challenge Joe Biden. Not because she liked the smears and lies and distortions from the 2006 campaign but because she loved Delaware, loved America and thought that Joe Biden was not the right answer for either one. Truth be told, most people in Delaware agree with her but elections here are more about WHO you know than WHAT you know (a simple glance through the current and recent Delaware political class will prove that). 

For a girl who grew up in a small house with a big family, Christine is surprisingly outgoing in public. Behind the scenes, as I came to know her, she’s quiet and thoughtful. She reminds of, well of me to be quite honest. She’s dealing now with what I dealt with throughout Jr. High and most of High School. She’s right on the edge of cool, right on the edge of being part of the crowd but there’s one problem, she won’t go along with their dastardly plans. She won’t drink that vodka or take that hit. She’s got one thing I didn’t have though, the willpower to see through convictions. See I eventually took that hit, drank that vodka and drove the getaway car. She won’t. I think that’s what inspires me about her. It’s what makes me want to defend her every chance I get, whether it’s using the left’s own science against them (Mice with human brain cells: Live Science & National Geographic) or calling them to task for using the same tactics against her that they rail against. The fact of the matter is that, as Christine explains in her book, she’s a Troublemaker because she won’t play ball their way. Yea, you’ll read about her childhood, her father as Bozo the Clown (and what a great guy he is) and her reversal from political liberal and pro-choice to pro-life conservative. She’ll walk you through her 2008 Senate campaign against Joe Biden and her 2010 Senate campaign against Mike Castle and Chris Coons. Sure, you’ll read a little about the infamous “Witch Ad” but you’ll also read about the real sad shame of the Widener debate when Chris Coons, a long time lawyer and a crowd of up and coming lawyers in the auditorium had trouble explaining the First Amendment to the Constitution. You’ll see how the political class will stop at nothing to derail those who it sees as obstructions to their goals and how they really just don’t care who they affect or how. I am personally well aware of this fact, their false accusations against me, labeled me a campaign finance violator and have cost me employment outside of politics. The book isn’t exclusive to political campaigning though. Christine offers some real solutions to Americas problems and many of them harken back to the original problem solvers, America’s founding fathers. While some will question these policy suggestions, those in the TEA Party and those with common sense will see them as excellent ways to move our country forward while returning our nation to the timeless principles of liberty that our founders held dear. 

Christine tells a story that many of us in the TEA Party could tell but there are so many different reasons to read this account. For TEA Party members, it will validate much of what you’ve felt over the last 10 years. For those going into politics, it really runs down the problems that you are going to face with taking on the established political class. For women, Christine shows the incredible double standard among not only the politicians but among the liberal media as well. If I had to summarize that part, I would say that the women’s lib[eration] movement only works if the woman in question is a lib[eral]. If she’s a conservative, feel free to bash away. Christine doesn’t come away whiney or downtrodden but rather stronger for the criticism she’s faced and wiser for the experience. She comes away more convinced than ever that conservatism is the right answer to America’s problems and you will too. The book is a must read for TEA Partiers, political novices and young women. It’s a snapshot of what Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann and even Hillary Clinton to some extent, have faced over the years and it’s evidence that the political class is running in abject fear of the TEA Party and conservative thought.

So...Why can't Christine O'Donnell dance?

By Pat Fish

Last night I checked in on Facebook and read an entry by Christine O’Donnell herself.  She said she’d been officially offered a chance to dance on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and she wanted input as to what we all thought.

I’m quite sure COD got a bunch of answers , yea or nay, warnings or possible problems, yada, yada.   I don’t necessarily want to write about whether or not COD should dance or not.  For there are those living in this tiny state who need my help.

 This morning I chanced to hear WGMD’s Dan Gaffney’s morning show.  He brought up the matter of COD’s possible participation on DWS, which was a fine topic.

The COD derangement folks came out in full force.

Folks, get down on your knees and thank your Lord this morning that Christine O’Donnell is not living, rent free in your head, feeding your irrational hatred, nourishing a loathing that is based on pretty much nothing.

One such COD derangement sufferer called in and I, early in the snowy morn, said a silent prayer for this poor afflicted chap.

First, there are the COD derangement sufferers who declare, with a disdainful sniff, that COD is nothing but a big attention seeker and this DWS gig will satisfy that crime against humanity committed by COD for her daring, DARING I TELL YOU, to think that the likes of SHE should aspire to be a damn U.S. Senator, doesn’t that bitch know that only the very special, the very enlightened, those whose very heads are surrounded with blinding halos, should so aspire?

Of course the woman seeks attention!  SHE RAN FOR A SENATORIAL POSITION FOR GOD’S SAKE.  Do these COD derangement sufferers think that all those other fine senators now sitting in America’s  House of Lords spent their lives under covers, hiding from any sort of attention, all filled with their own nobility of such levels that attention, fame and fortune will seek them out?  Do these poor COD derangement sufferers think that those who think they have what it takes to be a Senator, a Representative in America’s House, a President, every actor and actress or wannabe, successful or not, DO NOT WANT ATTENTION?

Another symptom of COD derangement syndrome is being not all that bright, please understand this.

The COD derangement sufferer of the morning Gaffney show really was afflicted badly.  He went on and on about how COD wanted attention (the HORROR of it), how he doesn’t think he could stand exposure to COD another minute (might be a candidate for assisted suicide here), on and on with a vitriol so typical of COD derangement sufferers.

“She’s an awful person, she has no resume”, this COD derangement sufferer said.  I know it’s just my opinion but I suggest my opinion’s as good as this nut still obsessed with COD hatred.  But Christine O’Donnell is a very nice young woman, she speaks very well, she’s a Christian. She is no way an “awful” person and while I’m no psychiatrist, I’ve met a lot of people in life’s route, some of them pretty awful.  Christine O’Donnell is not awful, not even close.  I’m just so sorry but because you don’t like a particular candidate, for whatever even appropriate reasons, does NOT make that person an awful person.

As for COD’s resume, is this COD derangement sufferer looking to offer COD a job?  What the hell difference does it make what COD does for a living?  I don’t recall anyone every so interested in what either Joe Biden or Mike Castle did before becoming a permanent public employee.  Nothing wrong with this but as a resume it’s hardly the stuff that would impress.

It’s just so sad that these COD derangement sufferers (I heard Karl Rove is still recovering) are still out there, still with minds consumed with unreasonable hatred, still able to be sparked to irrationality by the mere mention of her name.

They wonder why us boobs who voted for COD could possibly have done such a crazy thing.

See, had COD been elected to the Senate, it was no matter if she ever wanted to dabble in witchcraft, if she almost declared bankruptcy, if she had a checkered career path.  We truly believed that if COD was sitting in that Senate she would vote FOR Conservative causes and while I know those with full blown COD derangement syndrome can’t comprehend such a concept, this is all that really matters when choosing someone to represent what YOU believe.

I say Christine, dance if you want to.  For if you suddenly were to enter a convent and perform enough miracles to elevate you  to Mother Theresa status, those who are afflicted enough to have full blown COD derangement syndrome will never get over it.

Pray for them, for they have lost their rational minds.

Wisconsin shows Delaware how it's done

Delaware Governor Jack Markell was acosted by a state worker at a townhall this week who asked "When am I going to get a pay raise?"  Markell answered, "I don't know...I don't know..."  With everything going on in Wisconsin with the public employee unions protesting Gov. Scott Walker's decision to close the state's $1.8 Billion shortfall by asking the public employees to...*GASP* contribute to their retirement plans, healthcare and the bill would " make various changes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages. Total wage increases could not exceed a cap based on the consumer price index (CPI) unless approved by referendum."  In addition, Walker's bill cuts elected official and political appointee retirement calculations down to public employee levels.  Currently, those officials are given higher payouts.  Another contention with the bill is the removal of collective baraining for certain state workers such as family child care workers,  University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic employees, University of Wisconsin faculty and academic staff.  In short, "This bill limits the right to collectively bargain for all employees who are not public safety employees (general employees) to the subject of base wages. In addition, unless a referendum authorizes a greater increase, any general employee who is part of a collective bargaining unit is limited to bargaining over a percentage of total base wages increase that is no greater than the percentage change in the consumer price index."

You can read the bill summary here and the full bill here.

The bill calls on public sector employees to up their healthcare contribution from 6% to 12% (the average private sector employee contributes 24% to their plan) and it calls on them to contribute 5% to their pensions while the average private sector worker contributes just over 50% to their plans.

Walker's bill has led to teachers unions and other employees unions staging walkouts, using CHILDREN as protest tools (despite the fact that most of the children have NO IDEA why they are protesting).  It has led to teachers and other union members carrying signs depicting Scott Walker as Hitler, placing bullseye targets on him and even calling Gov. Walker, a dictator.  The video below depicts some of the scenes from the Wisconsin protests and the rhetoric (that I remember the left BLASTING the TEA Party for after a left leaning psychopath shot a Democrat Congresswoman):

So what does this have to do with Delaware?  Well, as I mentioned, state workers (and their union leaders) right here in Delaware are beginning to call for pay raises and they have been resistent to any changes in their current compensation package.  Delaware is facing a $280 million budget shortfall and since Delaware has a balanced budget amendment that gap must be closed.  Delaware's largest employer is the state of Delaware which is followed by New Castle County government and therefore, government workers are one of the greatest costs to the state.  This includes police, EMS, teachers, inspectors, clerks, mechanics, electricians, construction workers, drivers, office managers, etc. and is not limited to public safety employees despite the fact that the left will point to teachers, police and EMS technicians as the only people affected.

I want the people at the top to take the cuts first like everyone else.  I want to see our politicians and public servants sacrificing FIRST.  Governor Markell likes to talk about the 20% paycut he took but he fails to mention that the office of the Governor had an 18% pay INCREASE when he was elected.  He then took a 10% pay cut right off the top, meaning that the office of the Governor actually got an 8% pay INCREASE when he took office.  Now he has taken another 20% pay cut after his 8% raise.  So he has now finally taken a 15% pay CUT from where he SHOULD have been when he was elected.  So while I would like the cuts to come from the top, there comes a point where we have to realize that cutting the pay at the top will not solve all of the budget problems.  There also comes a point where the state has to recognize that it is living beyond its means and needs to change the way it does business. It’s time to make cuts and these unions and state workers with these incredible compensation plans to recognize that they have been living beyond their means: http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Delaware_state_government_salary

State workers and their union leadership are beginning to spend time and money pointing out that the state workers are being punished for planning for their retirement and that they are the scapegoats for the economic disaster.  They are saying that state workers make less in pay than those int he private sector in exhcange for better benefits.  I decided to look into these "facts" and what I've found is a bit disturbing.  The average salary for FT state workers in Delaware is $50,124.  The average Delaware worker’s salary (including public AND private sector employees is $46,270. Some simple math helps you find out that the average private sector worker makes $42,416 which is almost $8,000 LESS than state workers. Not to mention, we private sector workers pay for our medical plans…which the state workers don't.  State workers (as illustrated below) pay nothing for their healthcare or their family's healthcare unless they want the ultra-high end plan with little to no office co-pays and other "perks" that many private sector employees don't even have the option to purchase. The chart below details the payouts from the state and from the state employees per month in order to receieve the plans.  You will also notice that they pay a whopping $193 per mth for the highest end plan.  The average private sector worker pays around $250 per mth for a MUCH less comprehensive plan.  In fact, the avg private sector worker pays $250 per month for the same plan that the Delaware state workers pay $82.44 per month for.

Oh and their definied benefit package which they call "prudent planning"?  They contribute 3%. jus like the average private sector employee.  So what is the difference?  The state contributes 7.5% MORE to that plan but in the private sector you MIGHT get the 3% matched by your employer if you are lucky.  The real problem is that the average private sector employee contributes to a defined CONTRIBUTION plan that grows as you contribute which is called a 401(k) whereas the state workers contribute to a defined benefit package that grows at an ASSUMED rate (meaning it could grow less or more) of 8% per year.  NOTHING is growing at 8% per year right now and that is why these plans are rarely offered in the private sector.  These plans are usually only seen in industries where unions control the collective bargaining and negotiations.  Unions have such a stranglehold on political candidates and wield so much power today that they often have a TREMENDOUS advantage over corporations and even governments.  Let's remember here that While that doesn't mean we shouldn't honor the committments we've made in the past, these are CLEAR reasons why we should follow the example of Gov. Walker in Wisconsin and restructure the deals going forward.  A final look over the pension funding shows that Delaware has about $700 million in unfunded liabilities.

It's pretty clear from our look over the FACTS that the union leaders and their spokespersons are at best misleading Delaware citizens and at worst, out right lying to the people.  I will leave it to you to decide which it is but the facts are unmistakeable.  State workers make more than private sector workers on average, they pay less for their healthcare benefits and they contribute far less than the average state worker to a pension plan that most people couldn't even dream of.  It's time to fix our fiscal house and it's time to decrease the size and scope of our government.  Noone wants to see people unemployed but unfortunately, that means we have to look into how to make government more efficient and how to transition public employees to private sector employment.  Of course, that means that the government will have to actually help the private sector create jobs, something Alan Levin and Jack Markell can't seem to wrap their arms around...but that's for another post.

Where is our response?

In the last 3-4 years Delaware has lost two auto plants, an oil refinery, 750 jobs at HSBC and now hundreds more will be leaving Wilmington Trust thanks to the merger with M&T Bank.  These are just the bulk losses.  Gone with them are THOUSANDS of support jobs and small businesses whose customer bases lost their jobs in these major layoffs.  Since 2007 it has been one hit after another but what do we hear from our leaders in Dover?  *Crickets* *Crickets*

To be fair to the Markell administration the auto plant closings occurred on the watch of Governor Minner.  Of course, Jack Markell was Gov. Minner's Treasurer and he was fully aware of the economic problems we faced and if he wasn't than he was derelict in his duties.  The reality is that in just a few years during two Democrat administrations, Delaware lost more than 3,700 jobs.  For all the economic star power in the Markell Administration, including Alan Levine (of Happy Harry's fame) whose cross the party lines appointment was seen as genius and an illustration of a Governor who understood the challenges in front of him.  Democrats and Republicans alike praised Markell and to this day he is given a pass.  No one from either party questions the fact that Delaware has not created jobs.

You would think that the administration would have worked to bring new businesses in to replace jobs being lost but you would be wrong.  The Chrysler plant, when abandoned by Chrysler was not turned over to flourishing companies like Ford, Hyundai, Nissan or Toyota.  Instead it was sold to the University of Delaware who will now embark on a decades long cleanup project to make the facility into a new medical complex.  They've promised grandiose plans that will lead to thousands of jobs but of course, they're long term projections.  The old GM Boxwood plant?  It's now owned by another company with lofty long term goals and no immediate results.  Fisker will employ 2000 autoworkers when it finally reopens the plant and begins making taxpayer funded electric cars.  Never mind the fact that every car it sells is subsidized 50% by state and federal taxpayers and that in all likelihood each car built will represent a net loss of taxpayer dollars.  Valero closed back in 2009 and nearly 1000 people lost their jobs.  In what represents the best hope for the creation of new jobs, it is expected that the plant will reopen under new management (PBF Energy, a foreign owned company has agreed to take ownership) this April and that 700 jobs will be picked up.  Still, that is assuming that everything goes to plan.  As for the more than 1400 jobs lost in the banking sector?  *Crickets* *Crickets*

Yet, still, we hear NOTHING from Dover and even LESS from the opposition party.  Where are the Republicans?  Why aren't they calling on Markell to produce jobs the way we hear John Boehner and Paul Ryan calling on the Obama Administration?  It's called "The Delaware Way".  The misnomer is that this is a unique brand of civility in Delaware but in reality it is nothing short of cowardice and wanton disregard for the business of the people.  It's very much the reason why there is single party rule in Delaware.  The Delaware Republican Party is scared to DEATH to call a spade a spade.  Sure, you may see a few people (like me, Charlie Copeland, Dave Anderson...etc.) with blogs who are critical of the administration but where are the press releases from the Delaware GOP leadership railing against this hemorrhaging of jobs and the lack of economic growth?  Far from being an act of civility, this silence is an act of servitude where the Delaware GOP ignores the transgressions of Delaware's ruling Democrat Party and in exchange is allowed a few token election wins.  Who would want to vote for a party that just does what the other party wants them to do? 

I'm calling on the Delaware Republican Party to STAND for something.  STAND UP for these people who have lost their jobs.  STAND UP for these people are desperately in need of help.  BE the GRAND old party again.  Stop maintaining the status quo and start rocking the boat.  Delaware needs leaders and there are people in the Delaware GOP who I KNOW can provide the leadership we need in order to turn our situation around.  What we need is for those leaders to STAND and to stop waffling.  Make your CASE...and the people will follow you.  I'm reminded of one of my favorite movies....Braveheart:

Craig: Sir William, where are you going?

William: We have beaten the English, but they'll come back because you won't stand together.

Craig: Well what will you do?

William: I will invade England and defeat the English on their own ground.

Craig: Invade? That's impossible.

William: Why? Why is that impossible? You're so concerned with squabbling for the scraps from Longshank's table that you've missed your God given right to something better. There is a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.

---

Robert the Bruce: Wait! I respect what you said, but remember that these men have lands and castles. It's much to risk.

William: And the common man who bleeds on the battlefield, does he risk less?

Robert the Bruce: No, but from top to bottom this country has no sense of itself. Its nobles share allegiance with England. Its clans war with each other. If you make enemies on both sides of the border, you'll end up dead.

William: We all end up dead; it's just a question of how and why.

Robert the Bruce: I'm not a coward. I want what you want, but we need the nobles.

William: We need them?

Robert the Bruce: Aye.

William: Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don't follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they'd follow you. And so would I.

---

Donald Trump to run for President in 2012

That's right folks.  "The Don" is more than considering it.  He's told close friends and relatives to get ready because after "The Apprentice" wraps up he's announcing it publicly on NBC.  That's the report from Newsmax who cites sources close to Trump.  Only time will tell, Trump has flirted with the idea of running before but nothing materialized.  With that said, Donald Trump has been a leading opponent of Obama and his policies and is rabidly pro-defense.  Trump was willing to cut Obama slack early on but his tone has hardended over the last couple of years as he has seen the direction in which Obama is driving the country. 

Trumps largest concerns are jobs and the economy, America's standing in the world, our weakening defense and China holding our debt.  Trump has some interesting ways to tackle these concerns as well, including an interesting plan to tax China and using those revenues to pay down our debt with China which would lock the nation into a cycle of debt reduction.  Basically the idea is that China will HAVE to pay the tax if it wants to recoup it's investment in American debt.  Could China call the debt and eat the losses?  Perhaps, but Trump obviously thinks it's unlikely and given that Donald Trump has grown and grown and grown as a businessman, I'm inclined to believe him.  He's also recently inserted himself into the NYC Mosque controversy and offered to put up a portion of the money needed to move the mosque to a location more conducive to building bridges and providing access to Muslims. 

Weighing Trump down is a 14 yr old case involving a New Jersey widow whose home Trump tried to have the government condemn so he could expand his casino.  This suit was CLEARLY in violation of the right to property and was not a proper use of eminent domain.   Has "The Don" changed his tune?  Is this worse than 30 years of attendence at Reverend Wright's church?  Is it more harmful than being a radical socialist for ones entire life?  Only time will tell but Newsmax has a poll that shows Obama up 53-47 over Trump right now.  If the economy worsens, as Trump lays out his plan, he is likely to close that gap.  If nothing else, this will be an interesting primary and general election cycle.

A case for Tom Kovach

Regular readers of this blog will recall that I laid out a compelling case for why I think Tom Kovach deserves a look when we go to the polls on Jan 13th to vote for a new New Castle County President.  Most importantly, Tom's opponent, Tim Sheldon, is a former VP of the AFL-CIO (I mean, can you GET anymore Progressive than that?).  Some folks have gotten hung up on the fact that Kovach has been labeled as the "hand picked candidate" of former Congressman Mike Castle.  C'est la vie folks and we have to deal with it.  We could stay home, protest our vote and say we won't vote for Castle's guy.  We could vote for the Libertarian candidate James Christina and he might get just under 10% of the vote.  In the end that does one thing, it ensures that Tim Sheldon, former VP of the AFL/CIO has a smooth road to NCC President. 

Sure, Kovach went on with Glen Urquhart on WILM today and espoused the wonders of the RGGI that has continuously depressed jobs, shrunk the economy and driven up the price of energy but he didn't sound real confident in those statements so I think we can still talk him down from the regional cap and trade ledge.  Look, the fact is that we tried the whole "elect the radicals to prove a point" thing in 2008 and we got Universal Healthcare....you put Tim Sheldon in the Presidents seat and you might as well call us the New Castle Socialist County.  Besides, if Tim Sheldon were to beat Mike Castle's hand picked candidate for Council President, that would leave the DE GOP leadership looking...well worse than it already does and we can't have that now can we?  C.R. also has a pretty compelling reason why Kovach is the choice over at Resolute Determination.

Gov. Dupont is a TEA Partier

Former Delaware Governor Pete Dupont is one of the most respected living politicians in the state and when he speaks, Delaware listens.  Gov. Dupont is a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal and other national publications.  During his tenure as Governor, Delaware experienced a rapid and expansive growth and for that reason, Delaware looks to him as a leader to this day.  He is a fiscal conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan and Calvin Coolidge, cut the taxes, reduce the spending and adhere to the Constitution.  Pete Dupont is in fact, a TEA Partier.  Gov. Dupont even honored the Delaware TEA Party groups by being the headline speaker at the 2010 Wilmington Tax Day TEA Party held annually at Dravo Plaza.  He addressed a crowd of hundreds who turned out on April 15th and he called for government to reduce spending, cut taxes and shrink the size of government across the board. 

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this week, Gov. Dupont explains the Nov. 2nd elections and calls Obama to the carpet.  He calls for Obama and the new Republican majority in the House to shrink government and remove burdensome regulations so businesses can expand again, cut taxes to stimulate the economy as the Reagan, Kennedy and Coolidge administrations did before them, reduce government spending by cutting discretionary spending and finally to repeal and replace Obamacare with common sense alternatives.  He cited a 136 page rule inserted by DHSS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that places the federal government into a role traditionally held by the states.  He left out however, a regulatory reform from the radical Dr. Donald Berwick and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services that will create the much maligned "Death Panels" that Democrats (including President Obama) promised would be removed from the health care law.  Berwick's rule will allow doctors to be paid for providing "end of life counseling" which will be used along with "Comparative Effectiveness Research" to determine the most cost effective future treatments.  By creating an incentive for doctors to "counsel" seniors as to how long they may or may not want to live, the government is effectively removing choice from the equation.  Medicare doctors, who already enjoy a unique control over their patients, will have a financial reason to ensure that every patient receives counseling on how long they should live. 

In the end, Dupont calls on the new Republican House to "Get to it" and begin the work to reform government.  Understanding that the road will be hard and paved with bumps, the new Congress and the improved Senate must fight to reduce the size of government, limit spending, reduce the tax burden and replace Obamacare with common sense reforms while returning choice and competition back to the people and the states.  Gov. Dupont is a TEA Partier at heart and he espouses the values and the principles which we hold dear.  In Delaware, we could not have a better man to look to for guidance as a grassroots movement.  I join Governor Dupont in his support of the new look Congress.  "Let's get to it".

Media gets it wrong again on No Labels

As usual, the media flubs it. Linda Killian has a piece running on in the AOL political section today on No Labels, a new progressive front group founded by some of the top progressive establishment types in America (and Canada). Sadly, her piece misses the mark on so many levels. For one thing, she claims that there are “nearly 40 percent of American voters who consider themselves Independents”. Now, in reality, about 18% of Americans are registered Republicans, 23% are registered Democrats and about 14% are registered independents. Those who consider themselves “Independent” who are not registered, registered as another third party or even registered under one of the major parties bumps the number up to about 33%. However, a closer inspection of the American ideological spectrum through actual data shows a stark contrast between her context and the political realities. Even giving her the benefit of the doubt in claiming that 40% of the nation is “Independent”, the ideological breakdown done by Gallup way back in June of this year (2010 for you progressives out there) shows that the number of people calling themselves “Conservative” or “Very Conservative” has actually risen 2% from this time last year and the number stands at 42%. Another 20% consider themselves liberal or very liberal and political moderates are down to 35%. Additionally, of those registered Independents, 36% consider themselves politically conservative and disenfranchised with the parties while 41% consider themselves politically moderate.


None of this means that moderates aren’t important mind you. The TEA Party groups that sprang up across the nation tapped into the spirit of bipartisanship and reaching a MAJORITY of American voters by focusing on jobs, the economy and placing limits on the federal government. There is absolutely room for us to have discussions WELL across the political spectrum but that is not what progressive groups like No Labels see to do. These groups seek to stifle public debate and keeps the decision making process amongst an elite few. This group has been created by an army of progressive supporters of President Obama because these folks have decided that somehow America wants progressivism despite overwhelming data to the contrary. 51% now say they are worse off under Obama and 66% say the country is heading in the wrong direction under progressive leadership. Jobless claims are hovering just around the 10% mark and there is little urgency by the political class to do anything about it. The American people are not that stupid. That is why Americans rejected the founders of No Labels resoundingly in 2010. Mike Castle and Charlie Crist are founding politicians of the group and both were ousted in their own party primaries (Crist switched to the Independent line just before the primary he was clearly going to lose to Marco Rubio) and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh is stepping down from the Senate because his own reelection chances were slim. Kirsten Gillibrand from New York held on to her job in Washington and NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg spent $85 million of his own vast fortune on changing the rules to run for a 3rd term.


All of this begs the question, If such an overwhelming majority of Americans want bi-partisanship and efficient government, why did they oust candidates like Castle and Crist who have a lengthy record of crossing the aisle to work with increasingly liberal Democrats? The answer may lie in a recent survey that was pointed out in The Hill back in April of this year (2010). The study found that 4 in 10 TEA Party members was either a Democrat or an Independent. 57% of the TEA Party members were Republicans while 41% were Democrat or Independent. With the media having spent a great deal of time painting the TEA Party as a vast right wing conspiracy and a group of far right wingnuts, you would expect the numbers to be a little more weighted than that right? Further evidence that political moderates by and large actually find the TEA Party more than palatable is found in the same study which saw 2/3rds of the TEA Party considering themselves conservatives, 26% moderate and 8% liberal. So, No Labels considers itself a counter to the TEA Party and a moderate progressive voice for a majority of Americans yet, 26% of moderates agree with the TEA Party and consider themselves a part of the movement? That makes no sense.


So who is No Labels really out to support? The political class (these are big government, progressive, establishment types). This group is out to support a full 14% of the American population. They see power slipping from their grasp and they won’t let it go gently into that good night. They see their backroom deals in smoke filled rooms dissipating before their eyes and it scares them because if they lose this, what else do they have? It’s sad to see people who began their careers with the best of intentions, slip into such dark and lonely places. Thank God the majority of the American people are too smart to fall for these kinds of tricks.

Background:
Peeling back the labels on "No Labels"
Castle joins other progressives in creating "No Labels"

Peeling back the labels on No Labels

Fans of this blog will recall that yesterdays post examined a new progressive group launched by Mike Castle and a host of other establishment political types.  For those of you who might be reading this blog for the first time and who may not be familiar with the term “Progressive” in politics, please begin your study here.  The term sounds benign, even wonderful, moving the country forward and progressing sounds appealing.  The problem is that along the way, as you evolve the government, individuals lose their personality and individuality.  You will need to understand Progressivism to understand the rest of this post.

Today we will focus on some of the founders of No Labels and their affiliations.  No Labels lists 11 founding members on their website and while each of these founding leaders is indeed linked to Progressive or liberal causes, we’ll examine 6 of them in total and 2 in this post. 

David Frum

American progressives (as you know from the history lesson above) have learned that in America’s political structure, it is imperative that you work within BOTH major parties if you are going to accomplish any REAL lasting changes.  In a Republic built to allow laws to be written, removed and reinstated depending on how the  people feel, it is increasingly difficult (and rightfully so) to fundamentally transform America.  That is why progressives cannot be pigeon-holed into only the Democrat Party.  Look at Teddy Roosevelt, perhaps the biggest Progressive to every become President, who was a Republican!  In fact, today, the Republican Party is nearly as progressive as the Democrat Party.  John McCain, Mike Castle, Olympia Snowe and Lisa Murkowski are just a few examples of Republican progressives serving in Washington, D.C. right now. 

Progressives also understand the need to make their views appear mainstream and accepted across the political spectrum in order to build support on both sides of the issues.  That is why modern progressive Republicans have attempted to call themselves conservatives in order to provide a “conservative voice” who can champion their causes.  Frum is a so called “conservative voice” who is frequently called upon by liberal sources like the New York Times, MSNBC and the Washington Post to provide opinions from “the other side”.   

Frum grew up in Ontario, Canada and his first real political move at age 14 was to volunteer for a member of the Canadian “New Democrat Party”.   After attending Yale and working for the Wall Street Journal and Forbes he did work at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (a conservative think tank in NYC).  Once President Bush was elected in 2000, the Canadian citizen (he received his U.S. citizenship on 9-11-07) was appointed as a speechwriter for economics in the White House where he worked from 2001 to 2002. Beginning in 2003 he worked at the American Enterprise Institute but was let go in March of this year amid his criticism of Fox News and the conservative opposition to Obamacare. 

This is not the first time Frum had been discharged amid controversy.  In 2008, Frum broke with National Review Online when he started The New Majority which has become a centrist funding arm.  Frum has also categorized younger readers as “a generation often repelled by today's mainstream conservatism” and he has consistently attacked conservative positions that conflict with President Obama’s agenda.  Frum has supported Obama and progressives in feuds with other more conservative columnists like Stanley Kurtz.  In fact, Frum has increasingly bucked the ideas of conservatism in favor of more populist and progressive positions even to the point of being widely considered to be a progressive plant in the media who practices “pragmatic conservatism” which is little more than slower progressivism.  He has also consistently attacked the TEA Party as being “too conservative” or “lacking pragmatism”.  He has joined a slew of progressive Republicans who have rejected the ideas of reducing the deficit by using the principles of Reagan who lowered taxes to drive up revenue and cut spending to balance the budget. 

Frums conservative credentials are weak when viewed in the overall context of his writing and political viewpoints.  It certainly doesn’t help his cause that his wife, author Danielle Crittenden, is a long time Huffington Post contributor.  In the end it’s pretty clear that Frum is little more than a shill for the progressive movement in general and specifically for the Republican Establishment progressives who value remaining in power far more than retaining freedom and liberty for the people.

Holly Page

Holly Page’s credentials from the No Labels website describe her as having spent 13 years at the Democratic Leadership Council (with the last 5 spent as Executive VP).  The site glosses over her real job which is as a lobbyist with Fontheim International.  Let’s go back just a moment and introduce you to the DLC.  It was started in 1985 by Will Marshall and Al From in response to the dramatic losses by Democrats in the 1984 General election when Reagan conservatism paved the way for Republicans.  Reagan’s natural conservatism reached out to the American middle class, a group that had long been courted by and been loyal to the Democrat Party.  Democrats had lost the popular vote badly and From and Marshall founded the DLC and it’s think tank the “Progressive Policy Institute” in order to discover ways to win back the American middle class.  DLC, PPI and their latest initiative “The Third Way” are aimed at using the moderates and the concept of bi-partisanship to push through the progressive agenda and encourage an ever growing, ever more powerful government.

Mrs. Page has played a key role with the DLC and is responsible for “The National Conversation” which is the largest gathering of Democratic elected officials outside of the DNC.  She brokered a deal with Harvard and the Aspen Institute to provide leadership development training to progressive elected officials.  Holly is also responsible for setting up the first ever online town hall with President Clinton in 1998 and a World Leaders Summit for the Third Way.  She is a dedicated progressive who has worked for progressive political candidates for almost two decades. 

This concludes today’s look at the leaders of “No Labels” and gives you an idea of what you will find in the weeks to come as we begin to peel back the label on the people behind the organization.  You will see the progressive roots in each leader and the connections to other progressive organizations.  The media has called this group “MSNBC’s TEA Party” and to prove its effectiveness the leaders spent the last 12 months preparing a launch event that drew 1,100 people to Columbia University in NYC.  By contrast, the 1^st ever April 15^th TEA Party in Wilmington, Delaware drew nearly 1,500 in the cold and driving rain.  Outdoor events across the state drew nearly 2,500 participants.  New York City is 9 times the size of Delaware in terms of population.  I’m just sayin’.

Next up: Jonathan Cowan and Mark McKinnon