Bill Randles joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Randles is running as a Republican for Missouri Governor.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Video: Bill Randles in St. Charles
Bill Randles joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Randles is running as a Republican for Missouri Governor.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
It's Time to End the War on Prenatal Women
Heritage Action for America and pro-life groups are leading the charge to end prenatal discrimination based on gender and race. Contact your Congressman and ask them to vote “YES” on Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act:
Currently, women can receive late-term abortions for the purposes of sex selection. While U.S. law prohibits sex discrimination in employment, education, housing, health insurance coverage and athletics, there is no such protection to the unborn child. PRENDA highlights a particularly egregious and systematic form of violence against women and their unborn daughters, who are overwhelmingly the target of sex-selected abortions.
PRENDA imposes criminal penalties on doctors who knowingly provide sex-selective abortions, and those who persuade women to seek such abortions. It also bars federal funding from any organization which does not comply with the law, and would require medical professionals to report any suspected rule violation.Priests for Life has a little bit more about the pending legislation: Franks to Introduce Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act:
Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-2) has reintroduced this measure to bar any abortion performed because of a baby’s race or sex. Introduced in the previous Congress as HR 1822 [now HR 3541], the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act establishes penalties for abortionists who terminate babies because of skin color or gender.It's time to pass this bill and end the war on prenatal women.
Ron Johnson (R-WI) endorses John Brunner for US Senate
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| US Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) (left) endorses GOP candidate John Brunner (right) for US Senate from Missouri |
Additional videos from the event:
- Businessman and US Senate candidate John Brunner introduces fellow businessman and sitting US Senator Ron Johnson
- Q&A with Ron Johnson at John Brunner HQ. I led off the questioning by asking about the lessons Senator Johnson learned in his race for Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference last December.
Photos:
Video: Dave Spence in St. Charles
Dave Spence joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Spence is running as a Republican for Missouri Governor.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Video: Shane Schoeller in St. Charles
Shane Schoeller joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Schoeller is running as a Republican for Missouri Secretary of State.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Video: Cole McNary in St. Charles
Cole McNary joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. McNary is running as a Republican for Missouri Treasurer.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Video: Scott Rupp in St Charles
Scott Rupp joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Rupp is running as a Republican for Missouri Secretary of State.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Video: Ed Martin in St Charles
Ed Martin joined other conservatives at a St. Charles candidate forum. Ed is running as a Republican for Missouri Attorney General.
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day: Roslyn Schulte
It's been three years since USAF 1LT Roslyn Schulte was killed in Afghanistan. I wrote about her back in 2009. This morning I noticed that Legal Insurrection had written about this fallen hero. I decided to visit her grave site and snap a few pictures (below) and send the best (above) to LI.
Freedom is not free.
Thank you, Roslyn.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Rally for Common Sense Wrap-up
Conservatives from around the midwest flocked to the Patriot Field of Dreams on May 19th, 2012, to attend the Rally for Common Sense in Holts Summit, Missouri. Dozens of speakers and musicians informed and entertained a crowd of about a thousand people. The YouTube playlist above includes the following videos:
- Introduction, Invocation, and Pledge of Allegiance to Begin the Rally
- Michelle Moore spoke of the need to get actively involved in the political system as polling judges/challengers on election days, lobbying your elected officials, and being informed about the issues
- Mason Weaver spoke about the rise of tribalism, Obama's flip-flop on gay marriage, and the uniqueness of America's Civil War in which: "brother fought brother to set strangers free."
- Dr Gina Loudon spoke about how the current administration has diminished the office of the presidency and the need to restore honor among our elected officials
- Lenny McAllister spoke about taking back the greatness of the American dream and the need for each of us must be interactive with our patriotism
- K Carl Smith explained how to reach out to the black community with Frederick Douglass's life story and the values that he represents
- Gary Nolan spoke about how the Tea Party has transformed American politics and needs to continue the fight
- Grandma is a Radical is an original song performed at the Rally for Common Sense
- Bill Looman "went on strike" refusing to hire any more employees until after Obama leaves office to protest the onerous regulations of the current administration
- Stacy Swimp spoke about how conservatives have conceded to progressives and challenged the attendees to put pressure on their legislators to pass right to work laws
- David Roland spoke about the legal fight he helped litigate on behalf of girl scouts who had been fined for selling cookies in their driveway
- Selena Owens spoke about how conservative women will help transform the country and their role fighting against Washington, DC's war on women
- Stacy Washington spoke about her transformation to conservatism and the role her Christian faith played in that transformation
- Alfonzo Rachel spoke of the importance of Christian values and America's founders in forming his conservative political views
- C. L. Bryant spoke about our endowment of God-given freedoms and the need to restrain government
- Kevin Jackson spoke about the role Democrats have played in exploiting blacks from the founding of the country
- William Temple plays "Button Gwinnett" at the Rally for Common Sense
- Alan Keyes spoke about the need to be honest with ourselves about the problems now confronting America and how the Republican and Democrat parties collude to further the interests of the elite establishment
- Herman Cain talked about the ongoing Tea Party revolution, his plan to reform the tax system, and the American Dream
It was an amazing group of speakers. I thought the best political/moral/philosophical commentary was from Alan Keyes, so if you've got a little over half an hour, I think you'll enjoy what he has to say. When it comes to pragmatic political outreach to the black community, K. Carl Smith's framing of the discussion around Fredrick Douglass's life and philosophy was tremendous. Make sure you watch that and then go get his book: Frederick Douglass Republicans: The Movement to Re-Ignite America's Passion for Liberty.
The total running time for all of the videos above is a little over four hours.
Photos of some of the speakers:
Slideshow:
Video: Robert Zubrin: Radical Environmentalists and Other Merchants of Despair
Reason.tv: Robert Zubrin: Radical Environmentalists and Other Merchants of Despair:
"We have never been in danger of running out of resources," says Dr. Robert Zubrin, "but we have encountered considerable dangers from people who say we are running out of resources and who say that human activities need to be constrained."
In his latest book, Merchants of Despair: Radical Environmentalists, Criminal Pseudo-Scientists, and the Fatal Cult of Antihumanism, Zubrin documents the history of dystopian environmentalism, from economic impairment inflicted by current global warming policies to the Malthusian concern over population growth. "Just think how much poorer we would be today if the world would have had half as many people in the 19th century as it actually did. You can get rid of Thomas Edison or Louis Pasteur, take your pick."
Zubrin sat down with Reason Magazine editor in chief Matt Welch to discuss his book, the difference between practical and ideological environmentalism, and how U.S. foreign aid policy encourages population control.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Video: K Carl Smith at the Rally for Common Sense
Author and founder of the Frederick Douglass Republicans, K. Carl Smith joined fellow conservatives on the Patriot Field of Dreams on May 19th, 2012, at the Rally for Common Sense in Holts Summit, Missouri. Smith explained how to reach out to the black community with Frederick Douglass's life story and the values that he represents.
Video: Alfonzo Rachel at the Rally for Common Sense
Alfonzo Rachel, host of PJTV's Zo Nation, joined fellow conservatives on the Patriot Field of Dreams on May 19th, 2012, at the Rally for Common Sense in Holts Summit, Missouri. Zo spoke of the importance of Christian values and America's founders in forming his conservative political views.
Note: The focus is off in the video above. Also, I reached the end of the video tape before Zo was finished so the last couple of minutes of his speech are from my lower resolution camera. Sorry about that.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Video: C. L. Bryant at the Rally for Common Sense
Rev. C. L. Bryant, author of Lead Us to Temptation-Deliver Us to Evil and star of The Runaway Slave Movie, joined fellow conservatives on the Patriot Field of Dreams on May 19th, 2012, at the Rally for Common Sense in Holts Summit, Missouri. Bryant spoke about our endowment of God-given freedoms and the need to restrain government.
Video: Herman Cain at the Rally for Common Sense
Former 2012 GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain joined fellow conservatives on the Patriot Field of Dreams on May 19th, 2012, at the Rally for Common Sense in Holts Summit, Missouri. Cain talked about the ongoing Tea Party revolution, his plan to reform the tax system, and the american dream.
Books by Herman Cain:
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Video: Alan Keyes at the Rally for Common Sense
Noted speaker and political luminary Alan Keyes joined fellow conservatives on the Patriot Field of Dreams on May 19th, 2012, at the Rally for Common Sense in Holts Summit, Missouri. Keyes spoke about the need to be honest with ourselves about the problems now confronting America and how the Republican and Democrat parties collude to further the interests of the elite establishment.
Note: Sorry for the delay posting photos and video from last Saturday's rally. I was working through some computer issues.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Video: The Unintended Consequences of Saving Endangered Species
Don Boudreaux of Cafe Hayek discusses the unintended consequences of legislation. From the YouTube description:
Some government regulations that are made with good intentions still lead to bad results. The Endangered Species Act is a good example of such a law. In this video, economics professor Don Boudreaux examines the Endangered Species Act, and uses it to explain how policymakers' good intentions sometimes go awry. While the law intends to preserve threatened animals, it actually has the effect of giving landowners strong reasons to kill any endangered species they find on their property. This phenomenon is known as "shoot, shovel, and shut up." Boudreaux implores us not to judge a policy by its intentions, but by its results. We can't assume a policy will be good just because the intentions of the policymakers are good.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Serfdom of Iceland
Financial Post: Iceland needs our loonie:
In a globalized world, it is difficult to uphold international living standards when you are cut off from the rest of the globe. This is the situation facing Iceland following the collapse of the krona in 2008 and the resulting strict enforcement of capital controls.
Icelanders can no longer travel freely; we are restricted to roughly €2,000 ($2,570) for travel expenses on each trip. We are restricted in terms of how much support we can give relatives studying abroad and we are completely banned from investing internationally. With the exception of those over 40 who were born on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, no European has ever experienced such a situation.That reminded me of an interesting post at Zerohedge about ancient Rome's nanny state:
Rome had its socialist interlude under Diocletian. Faced with increasing poverty and restlessness among the masses, and with the imminent danger of barbarian invasion, he issued... an edictum de pretiis, which denounced monopolists for keeping goods from the market to raise prices, and set maximum prices and wages for all important articles and services. Extensive public works were undertaken to put the unemployed to work, and food was distributed gratis, or at reduced prices, to the poor. The government – which already owned most mines, quarries, and salt deposits – brought nearly all major industries and guilds under detailed control. “In every large town,” we are told, “the state became a powerful employer, standing head and shoulders above the private industrialists, who were in any case crushed by taxation.” When businessmen predicted ruin, Diocletian explained that the barbarians were at the gate, and that individual liberty had to be shelved until collective liberty could be made secure. The socialism of Diocletian was a war economy, made possible by fear of foreign attack. Other factors equal, internal liberty varies inversely with external danger.
The task of controlling men in economic detail proved too much for Diocletian's expanding, expensive, and corrupt bureaucracy. To support this officialdom – the army, the courts, public works, and the dole – taxation rose to such heights that people lost the incentive to work or earn, and an erosive contest began between lawyers finding devices to evade taxes and lawyers formulating laws to prevent evasion. Thousands of Romans, to escape the tax gatherer, fled over the frontiers to seek refuge among the barbarians. Seeking to check this elusive mobility and to facilitate regulation and taxation, the government issued decrees binding the peasant to his field and the worker to his shop until all their debts and taxes had been paid. In this and other ways medieval serfdom began.Iceland is on the Road to Serfdom. Greece will soon join them as they exit the European Union. And, if we don't address our looming debt, we will too.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Video: Obama's War on Womanhood
From the YouTube description:
If it feels like 1984 in real life, it should. The threats to our religious liberty and conscience rights are very real. The question that needs to be asked of this president is "who decides"? Time and time again, President Obama has affirmed that it is the government who decides -- government who decides what women want and think.
President Obama and his allies in Congress and the abortion lobby must stop the "War on Women" who don't agree with them!
It's President Obama's job to protect the freedom of all women and men to practice their beliefs. Yet, an all-out assault has been launched by this administration on people of faith and conscience. Our rights are at stake and we must do something to stop it now. We must expose him!
Learn more at www.respectmyvoice.com
Book: Spoiled Rotten: How the Politics of Patronage Corrupted the Once Noble Democratic Party and Now Threatens the American Republic
Jay Cost's new book came out on Tuesday and it looks to be a good read. In Spoiled Rotten: How the Politics of Patronage Corrupted the Once Noble Democratic Party and Now Threatens the American Republic, Cost explores the decline of the Democrat party from its noble beginning in 1828 to the present day. From the Amazon description:
With the creation of a partisan spoils system in the nineteenth century, both parties practiced the politics of patronage. But, starting with the New Deal, Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the power of big government to transform whole classes of society into clients of the Democratic party. Urban machines, southern segregationists, and organized labor all benefited from this approach. FDR's successors—Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter—followed suit, turning African Americans, environmentalists, feminists, government workers, teachers, and a number of other groups into loyal Democratic factions. As a result, the Democratic party has become a kind of national Tammany Hall whose real purpose is to colonize the federal government on behalf of its clients.I first began reading Jay Cost just before the 2004 election and have followed his columns as they moved from a personal blog to RealClearPolitics and now as the author of Morning Jay at The Weekly Standard. He's a consistently thought provoking author who uses polling and demographic data as well as statistics to bolster his political analysis.
No longer able to govern for the vast majority of the country, the Democratic party simply taxes Middle America to pay off its clients while hiding its true nature behind a smoke screen of idealistic rhetoric. Thus, the Obama health care, stimulus, and auto bailout health care bill were created not to help all Americans but to secure contributions and votes. Average Americans need to see that whatever the Democratic party claims it is doing for the country, it is in fact governing simply for its base.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Richard Mourdock's Message Resonates
Pictured at right is Democrat Jessica Ehrlich who is hoping to unseat Bill Young (R-FL). When Ehrlich announced her candidacy in February, I reported:
Bill Young has been representing Florida in the US House of Representatives since 1970--almost 42 years. The total accumulated debt of the United States when Young entered Congress was less than $392 billion. Today, it's nearly 42 times that at a whopping $15.4 trillion according to the US Debt Clock. With respect to the debt problem, Bill Young does not appear to be the solution.Today, the US Debt clock indicates that our total debt is over $15.7 trillion. In the two and a half months since Ehrlich's announcement, the national debt has increased almost as much as it had in the 195 years preceding Bill Young's service in the United States House of Representatives.
In her May 10th campaign email, Ehrlich took a page from Richard Mourdock's play book. The subject line of the email was Mourdock's campaign slogan: "It's Time". Hey, you go with what works.
Sarah Palin endorses Ted Cruz for US Senate in Texas
KETK: Palin jumps on Cruz bandwagon in Texas:
Sarah Palin threw her voice into the Texas Republican Senate race on Thursday, endorsing tea party favorite Ted Cruz less than three weeks before the state's primary.
"We're proud to join conservatives in Texas and throughout the nation in supporting your campaign to become the next Senator from the Lone Star State," Palin wrote in a letter to Cruz, which was released by his campaign.Palin's endorsement of Richard Mourdock in Indiana contributed to his lopsided victory over Dick Lugar. It's good to see that she's getting involved in other primary fights. Hopefully, her endorsement of Ted Cruz to represent the great state of Texas in the US Senate will help push him over the top.
Can Europe be Bailed Out?
The Wall Street Journal: Shades of Weimar? Only the ECB Can Save Europe:
The Germans have accepted the notion that the only institution with the wherewithal to save the eurozone is the European Central Bank, and the only way possible for the ECB to do it is by printing euros. Trillions and trillions of euros.
This is a major about face for the historically inflation-averse Germans, for whom the hyperinflation and disaster of the Weimar Republic is still an open wound, Mauldin noted. But there’s no other way around it, because from Greece to Portugal to Ireland to Spain to Italy, there isn’t one government with the capability to overcome what are now, or are quickly becoming, crippling debt burdens.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Video: Your Money, Your Values, Your Vote
Brenda Talent, Lee Presser, Ben Evans, Quena Gonzalez, and Alison Fraser all spoke at the Your Money, Your Values, Your Vote forum in Chesterfield, MO. This was a stop on the FRC and Heritage Foundation sponsored Values Bus tour. The speakers represent both local (Show Me Institute and Heritage Action) and national (Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council) organizations that are working to transform Washington, DC, with conservative fiscal and social policies.
The playlist above includes:
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Indiana Senate: A Tale of Two Statesmen
Senator Dick Lugar's concession speech
Richard Mourdock has defeated six-term Senator Dick Lugar, 61% to 39%, in Indiana's Republican primary.
Dick Lugar is a statesman. I had my doubts about that, but it was driven home when I learned that Lugar would debate his opponent Richard Mourdock. Roy Blunt never did that in his 2010 primary for US Senate here in Missouri. That's the typical path for a well-known candidate: simply ignore the competition and deny your unknown opponent the opportunity to raise their name recognition. Lugar didn't do that. He debated Richard Mourdock and that choice contributed to Mourdock's margin of victory.
Lugar must have known he was in trouble. As I reported earlier, he spent $46k in February on polling and didn't leak any of it to the press. Campaigns only leak positive news, so he must not have had any. And yet he went ahead with that debate. That solidified my respect for Indiana's senior senator.
I'm surprised at the margin of victory. As I reported, Lugar's FEC reports show that he spent over $100k on phone banking and VoIP equipment. I saw that Lugar's campaign made over 1.5 million phone calls. That sort of phone banking operation must be a record for Indiana primary races.
Those of you who tirelessly manned the phones for Lugar--I know it's a tough day--but you are the heroes of Lugar's campaign. I can't even imagine what it must have been like calling into an electorate opposed to your guy 60/40, but you did it 1.5 million times. I'm sure that was demoralizing.
If you were part of that operation, then you need to plan to be Republican heroes in November. The GOP presidential nominee is going to need your help--probably not in Indiana, but almost certainly calling into an electorate somewhere in the country that's more favorable than the one you just faced. This primary was preparation for the general election and you are now battle hardened. Good work.
Richard Mourdock's heroes were the countless people across the state that followed the advice in Phyllis Schlafly's 1964 book A Choice Not an Echo and simply took over the party. Schlafly endorsed Mourdock last October. Here's Schlafly talking about the Tea Parties and political strategy:
In St. Louis, I've been impressed by the new media skills of Tea Partiers. Indiana Tea Parties have shown that it's possible to marshal the Republican party to a Tea Party candidate. I'm sure it was a wild ride, but you need to teach the rest of us how to do that.
There are many contributing factors to Lugar's loss, but I think the biggest one is encapsulated in Richard Mourdock's campaign slogan: "It's Time." Lugar served America as a faithful and bipartisan cold warrior with particular attention to international affairs. In recent years, he pushed green energy issues. For instance, he supported Indianapolis based EnerDel with earmarks and, I believe, the occasional favorable word to the Department of Energy to help that battery manufacturer secure more funding.
I'm opposed to those green energy policies, but I never found a circle of government money to EnerDel and donations from EnerDel to Dick Lugar. In Missouri, the Carnahan family wind farm is infamous. Furthermore, Dick Lugar drives a Prius, so he's committed to green energy on a personal level. In contrast, here's Russ Carnahan arriving at an event in an SUV.
Lugar's bipartisanship may have been his undoing because there is simply nothing more bipartisan than additional spending. Spending is the lubricant of bipartisanship. That's what legislative logrolling is all about.
The US has about $15.7 trillion in debt. The age of more spending is behind us; therefore, bipartisanship is increasingly a thing of the past. And that debt curtails our need for international statesmen. Regardless of whether we want to be involved around the world, our financial obligations necessitate that we wont be spending as much overseas. We're entering a time of introspection driven by the fundamental need to reduce our debt. I think Hoosier voters understood this.
The leaders of each age are molded by issues of their time. Lugar's bipartisanship, international outreach, earmarks, and opposition to gun issues (which I suspect was a result of his time as mayor of Indianapolis) are simply lodestones in today's political environment. There are similarities between statesmen from different eras, but these tend to be personal characteristics: humility, humor, resolve, vision. Both Dick Lugar and Richard Mourdock have evidenced these characteristics. Because Mourdock is new on the scene I encourage you to watch these two videos which capture his conviction:
Dick Lugar's time as an active statesman is coming to an end. I'm confident that Richard Mourdock will fill the vacuum left by his departure. He wont replace Dick Lugar, but he will honor Lugar's service in the cold-war by working tirelessly to address our country's fiscal problems.
Indiana can be proud that it has groomed men like Dick Lugar and Richard Mourdock--statesmen of their respective eras--for service to this country. As a fellow American, I'm grateful that you have.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tea Party Pushes Indiana Even Further Right
Indiana Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly told The Daily Caller on Tuesday that he supports the House oversight committee’s efforts to enforce the congressional subpoena of Attorney General Eric Holder over Operation Fast and Furious.
“One of the duties of Congress is to provide oversight of the Executive Branch,” Donnelly told TheDC. “There has been a serious allegation of federal law enforcement misconduct and we need to get to the bottom of this issue without playing partisan politics.”Thank you to all the tools in Indiana's Democrat base that supported this sellout. Now we might just see an investigation of Fast and Furious and some justice for Eric Holder.
Video: Rally for Richard Mourdock
Here are some video highlights from Saturday's Rally for Richard Mourdock in Indianapolis. The rally was sponsored by FreedomWorks. Michelle Malkin keynoted the show. Hoosier Tea Parties deserve the credit for providing the manpower and hard work that's gone into the get-out-the-vote (GOTV).
Below are videos of several of the speeches Saturday. Thanks so much to Alex of ConservativeTVOnline.com. He is by far the best St. Louis-based Tea Party videographer--we all aspire to be as good as him some day!
- C.L.Bryant
- Deneen Borelli
- James Bopp
- Michelle Malkin
- Pastor Carl Kelly
- Brent Waltz
- Dr. Tom Borelli
- Matt Kibbe
- Mike Fichter
- Scott Schneider
Monday, May 7, 2012
David McIntosh's Residency Issues Do Not End on Election Day
David McIntosh is the latest in a string of Republican politicians in Indiana to face questions over his residency. As I blogged in February, Indiana's Secretary of State Charlie White was convicted of six felony counts stemming from the fact that he used the address of his ex-wife while they were going through a divorce. Indiana's senior Senator, Dick Lugar, has faced scrutiny over the fact that he moved to Virginia in 1977. Ultimately, Lugar has been ruled ineligible to vote from the home he sold thirty-some years ago. He's now registered to vote from a family farm.
Greg Wright has retained Jon Sturgill of Eagle & Fein Attorneys & Counselors at Law to help press the case against David McIntosh. Wright was instrumental in bringing Lugar's residency issues to the fore. Wright represents an important aspect of the specialization of the Tea Party movement. Far from being dead, the movement has turned a corner with experts using skills developed over a life-time--or, in some cases, recently acquired--to drive positive, conservative political change.
Wright and Sturgill prepared the following chronology of David McIntosh's residences which they submitted to Madison County (Indiana) Prosecutor Rodney Cummings. Wright and Sturgill contend that McIntosh committed vote fraud and perjury, so while McIntosh's eligibility for the US House is a catalyst, their case is really about whether McIntosh committed vote fraud and/or perjured himself. (Their supporting exhibits are not included below because those documents include personal information which may not be appropriate for dissemination online.)
McIntosh Chronology
The short version is that David McIntosh lost his reelection bid to represent Indiana in Congress in 2000. At that time, he lived in Virginia. Having lost reelection, he was no longer on business for the state of Indiana, so his Indiana residency lapsed. McIntosh has worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for about a decade, but now is running to replace Dan Burton in Indiana's 5th Congressional District. McIntosh has a Virginia drivers license, a million dollar home in Virginia, wife and family in Virginia, a million dollar house in Florida, and he's using the address of a friend's home in Indiana for his voting address. To acquire his Virginia drivers license, McIntosh had to sign under penalty of perjury that he's a resident of Virginia.
Despite appearing to reside in Virginia, McIntosh voted in Indiana in 2008 and 2010. When confronted about his residency by WISH TV's Jim Shella, McIntosh sandbagged and ultimately walked away. Wright and Sturgill have filed a complaint with Indiana's Secretary of State, Connie Lawson (complaint, letter to SoS Lawson). An investigation by the Secretary of State's office will not be completed until after the primary tomorrow. Sturgill, on behalf of Wright, has also written to Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings (letter to Cummings) and the Madison County Election Board (letter to the board).
McIntosh realized that his residency might present a problem, so he had his attorney contact Cummings last July asking the prosecutor for his opinion. Cummings wrote a sort of "get-out-of-jail-free" letter in McIntosh's favor stating, in part [emphasis added]:
Regardless of how Hoosier's vote in Indiana's Fifth Congressional District Republican primary, Greg Wright plans to pursue the charges of vote fraud and perjury against McIntosh. As that unfolds in the courts and news over the coming months, McIntosh will have to deal with some embarrassing questions. How does he reconcile having signed his name to the fact that he's a Virginia resident to acquire his driver's license with his claim that he's an Indiana resident? Has he filed Indiana income taxes as required by law for the period he's lived in Virginia? And why did the Madison County prosecutor take the extraordinary step of advocating for McIntosh's residency?
Hoosier Republicans should carefully consider McIntosh's opponents in the primary voting booth tomorrow. It's a big field, but I'd take a look at Dr. John McGoff and Susan Brooks as worthy alternatives to the politically damaged McIntosh.
Greg Wright has retained Jon Sturgill of Eagle & Fein Attorneys & Counselors at Law to help press the case against David McIntosh. Wright was instrumental in bringing Lugar's residency issues to the fore. Wright represents an important aspect of the specialization of the Tea Party movement. Far from being dead, the movement has turned a corner with experts using skills developed over a life-time--or, in some cases, recently acquired--to drive positive, conservative political change.
Wright and Sturgill prepared the following chronology of David McIntosh's residences which they submitted to Madison County (Indiana) Prosecutor Rodney Cummings. Wright and Sturgill contend that McIntosh committed vote fraud and perjury, so while McIntosh's eligibility for the US House is a catalyst, their case is really about whether McIntosh committed vote fraud and/or perjured himself. (Their supporting exhibits are not included below because those documents include personal information which may not be appropriate for dissemination online.)
McIntosh Chronology
The short version is that David McIntosh lost his reelection bid to represent Indiana in Congress in 2000. At that time, he lived in Virginia. Having lost reelection, he was no longer on business for the state of Indiana, so his Indiana residency lapsed. McIntosh has worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for about a decade, but now is running to replace Dan Burton in Indiana's 5th Congressional District. McIntosh has a Virginia drivers license, a million dollar home in Virginia, wife and family in Virginia, a million dollar house in Florida, and he's using the address of a friend's home in Indiana for his voting address. To acquire his Virginia drivers license, McIntosh had to sign under penalty of perjury that he's a resident of Virginia.
Despite appearing to reside in Virginia, McIntosh voted in Indiana in 2008 and 2010. When confronted about his residency by WISH TV's Jim Shella, McIntosh sandbagged and ultimately walked away. Wright and Sturgill have filed a complaint with Indiana's Secretary of State, Connie Lawson (complaint, letter to SoS Lawson). An investigation by the Secretary of State's office will not be completed until after the primary tomorrow. Sturgill, on behalf of Wright, has also written to Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings (letter to Cummings) and the Madison County Election Board (letter to the board).
McIntosh realized that his residency might present a problem, so he had his attorney contact Cummings last July asking the prosecutor for his opinion. Cummings wrote a sort of "get-out-of-jail-free" letter in McIntosh's favor stating, in part [emphasis added]:
the factual summary and history you offer provides, in my judgement a compelling argument rebutting any asserting that Mr. McIntosh is not a bonafied resident of Madison County, Indiana.Whether or not one is eligible to run for a particular office in Indiana is determined in part by whether or not one is a "resident of" a particular jurisdiction; however, Indiana has a stricter "resident in" standard. To vote in the Hoosier State one must meet the "resident in" standard. David McIntosh does not appear to meet that standard. Advance Indiana discusses the distinction in greater detail.
Regardless of how Hoosier's vote in Indiana's Fifth Congressional District Republican primary, Greg Wright plans to pursue the charges of vote fraud and perjury against McIntosh. As that unfolds in the courts and news over the coming months, McIntosh will have to deal with some embarrassing questions. How does he reconcile having signed his name to the fact that he's a Virginia resident to acquire his driver's license with his claim that he's an Indiana resident? Has he filed Indiana income taxes as required by law for the period he's lived in Virginia? And why did the Madison County prosecutor take the extraordinary step of advocating for McIntosh's residency?
Hoosier Republicans should carefully consider McIntosh's opponents in the primary voting booth tomorrow. It's a big field, but I'd take a look at Dr. John McGoff and Susan Brooks as worthy alternatives to the politically damaged McIntosh.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Video: Humor and Humility in Indiana
I was surprised to learn that Richard Mourdock has a sense of humor. I haven't seen that side of him in the videos I've seen of him before. The video above which was recorded about a week ago. Mourdock cracks a couple of jokes at a gathering of conservatives and Tea Partiers in Madison, Indiana, and then says something profound while talking about the kick-off of his campaign in February of last year. Here's my rough transcript [from 3:12 to 4:35]:
When we began our primary on February 22nd, 2011, I knew it was going to be a long, long slog until May 8th, 2012. When we gathered at the Arch Garden... there were about 200 people gathered that day. And I did something that I know shocked all of them, but I did it to make a promise to them and to put a vow upon myself which was to begin that announcement of candidacy that day by saying that we were going to do something at that moment that we would do again on the night of May 8th, 2012, when this campaign ends--regardless, how this campaign ends. And that is, we began with a round of applause in tribute to a person who's given great public service for more than 50 years of his life, and that is Senator Dick Lugar. He deserves the respect of every single one of us even though we may have times we disagree with him. If you've ever met Mr. Lugar, he is a wonderful man. He is a gentleman--he truly is. He's a very nice guy. I had people--after our debate the other night when the audio went off--they saw us still on camera talking and joking. It is impossible not to like Dick Lugar.
But I do believe, it is time.This dove-tails with a point I made yesterday: Dick Lugar has been ceding the high ground to Richard Mourdock recently. Mourdock is playing his hand well as his words above make clear.
Professor Jacobson of LegalInsurrection no longer feels sorry for Dick Lugar because Lugar still refuses to commit to endorsing Mourdock if Moudock should prevail on Tuesday. Why is Lugar doing that? Poor advice from his campaign staff. That's just more ground that Lugar is ceding in the waning days of this election.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Photos: The Rally for Mourdock
FreedomWorks sponsored a Rally for Richard Mourdock in Indianapolis. That rally was coordinated with a state-wide get-out-the-vote effort. Mourdock is running to be the next US Senator from Indiana. He will face incumbent Dick Lugar in Tuesday's Republican primary. H/T to my two St. Louis-based photographers!
Richard Mourdock Plants Flag on High Ground Ceded by Dick Lugar
Dick Lugar has a reputation that he's built over decades as a thoughtful legislator and statesman, but those credentials stand at odds with his recent statements. Three days ago National Review reported that Indiana's senior senator refused to say whether he will support his opponent Richard Mourdock if Mourdock prevails in next Tuesday's primary. Today, Lugar went even further as Advance Indiana notes:
Sen. Richard Lugar told reporters this afternoon at a hastily called press conference in Indianapolis that Mourdock was "unqualified" to serve in the Senate and pleaded with Democratic and independent voters to request Republican ballots in next Tuesday's primary to save him from defeat. Lugar also continued to rebuff attempts to agree to support Mourdock if he wins the Republican primary.It is the absurd establishment thinking for Dick Lugar to say that Richard Mourdock is "unqualified" because at present Lugar himself is unqualified to be US Senator from Indiana. I apologize in advance for going back to the well--Lugar's residency--but I simply cannot countenance this beltway arrogance. Article 1, Section 3 of the United States Constitution says:
No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.Lugar sold his Indianapolis home in 1977. He was ruled ineligible to vote from that address earlier this year. He's now registered to vote from a family farm. A farm that Lugar's own spokesman, David Wilkie, said this about: "There’s no house at the farm that you would stay in, so far as a physical residence..." Dick Lugar, Indiana's Senior Senator and world renowned statesman, inhabits an open field. Really? Does this octogenarian stay in a tent?
The point is that Dick Lugar does not in any meaningful sense inhabit Indiana, and, in light of the Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution, that makes him look ridiculous when he asserts that his opponent is unqualified.
Calling Mourdock "unqualified" was a mistake. Refusing to support Mourdock if he wins was also a mistake. Lugar's greatest political strength is his reputation, but with those two petty slights, Lugar has ceded the high ground. And Richard Mourdock planted his flag on that hill with the message in the video above: this race isn't about me or Dick Lugar--it's about America. It's not about petty politics; it's about building a better country together.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Peggy Noonan Endorses Dick Lugar
I saw a tweet: "Here's Reagan aide Peggy Noonan's argument for @dicklugar in the #INSen..." and I just shook my head. Peggy Noonan's Case for Dick Lugar is hardly persuasive:
What I don't understand about Dick Lugar's campaign is that he seems to be getting all the wrong endorsements. Sure, Mitch Daniels is a solid endorsement, but John McCain, a union-funded and pro-union Indiana PAC, Arlene Specter, and now Peggy Noonan.
It's an A-team of endorsements if you want to win the moderate middle between the two parties, but they do nothing to help a candidate in a primary. In fact, I think they hurt Lugar's chances next Tuesday because each of those endorsements (excepting Daniels) come with the sort of baggage that reminds voters why they might want to vote for the guy running against Lugar--Richard Mourdock.
While Dick Lugar is collecting the old-n-busted endorsements, Mourdock's gotten the new-hotness: Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, and Michele Bachmann as well as their ideological forerunner who keenly saw the importance of this race last fall: Phyllis Schlafly.
Let me take a moment--seven minutes really--to address Noonan's implication that Richard Mourdock is not a grown-up. We all know how state AGs across the country stood up to Obamacare. Mourdock, as Treasurer of Indiana, stood alone in the fight against the auto-bailouts, he stood alone to fight for property rights. When all of Washington called for the cram down that would destroy Chrysler's creditors, Mourdock fought the battle to the Supreme Court. He stood athwart history yelling: "Stop!"
Now watch the first seven minutes of the video below.
The most recent polls suggest Dick Lugar, the senior U.S. senator from Indiana, first elected in 1976, is on track to lose his primary on Tuesday. I hope he doesn't for a number of reasons but one big one: the Senate needs grown-ups. The entire American government needs grown-ups, from Capitol Hill to the White House to the executive agencies. This is no time to lose one.I had to respond to that tweet, so I sent: "'Reagan aide?' Join us in this century: 'Obama flack'..." Peggy Noonan famously endorsed President Obama in late October 2008. That's the same election cycle in which Senator Lugar was featured in one of Obama's campaign commercials. And that is why Senator Lugar is Obama's favorite Republican.
What I don't understand about Dick Lugar's campaign is that he seems to be getting all the wrong endorsements. Sure, Mitch Daniels is a solid endorsement, but John McCain, a union-funded and pro-union Indiana PAC, Arlene Specter, and now Peggy Noonan.
It's an A-team of endorsements if you want to win the moderate middle between the two parties, but they do nothing to help a candidate in a primary. In fact, I think they hurt Lugar's chances next Tuesday because each of those endorsements (excepting Daniels) come with the sort of baggage that reminds voters why they might want to vote for the guy running against Lugar--Richard Mourdock.
While Dick Lugar is collecting the old-n-busted endorsements, Mourdock's gotten the new-hotness: Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, and Michele Bachmann as well as their ideological forerunner who keenly saw the importance of this race last fall: Phyllis Schlafly.
Let me take a moment--seven minutes really--to address Noonan's implication that Richard Mourdock is not a grown-up. We all know how state AGs across the country stood up to Obamacare. Mourdock, as Treasurer of Indiana, stood alone in the fight against the auto-bailouts, he stood alone to fight for property rights. When all of Washington called for the cram down that would destroy Chrysler's creditors, Mourdock fought the battle to the Supreme Court. He stood athwart history yelling: "Stop!"
Now watch the first seven minutes of the video below.
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