Note: On my new -- and, amazingly, popular -- blog: (http://hillarysuportersformccain.blogspot.com, I have a piece today by a superb political analyst, Jean Avery. It's called "The Agonies of Hillary Clinton." Yesterday's piece on the same blog is titled "Hatchets Hacking Away at Hillary." On my Pennsylvania blog, I have a piece about two congressional candidates whom I'm urging to link themselves closely to John McCain's presidential bid. It's a strategy I believe is applicable to most Republican congressional candidates across the nation. If you agree, please forward it to your own favorite congressional candidate. Thanks.
I hope you'll read both and comment if you wish.In recent months, The (London) Economist has written about the fascination many people in Great Britain have with this year's American politics.
In Britain, hundreds of thousands (millions?) of Englishmen and Englishwomen find them awake at 5 a.m. (their time) hanging on the latest results from Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. Some of these people may not know exactly where Indiana or Pennsylvania are, but they're fixated on the Obama-Clinton battles in those states.
The Economist mentions that a lot of people in Britain have a form of "primary envy." They wonder why their own country, one with a parliamentary system, can't have primaries of their own! Obviously, the primaries are great theater. Also, there are clear winners and losers, a situation that's always certain to draw public interest.
The obsession with American politics isn't just something you'll find in Britain. For example, I received the following e-mail from an overseas man, Jim Fryar, an Aussie who's a regular reader of my blogs.
He tells me, " I have been over to HSFM [Hillary Supporters for McCain] a few times, and I regard it as a potential winner for our cause [i.e., the conservative and libertarian one]. "My main concern at present is that Hilary will make it. I realize it's unlikely or highly improbable, but I never underestimate the Clintons, [because] they are as cunning as outhouse rats. . . . It's not over until Obama has the nomination, and even then I think its likely that Hilary would have 2012 in mind and have similar sentiments [regarding] the people we are reaching out to [as possible McCain supporters]."
[Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin would be a great asset to this effort if she were the VP nominee. The "girl" thing is a side issue to this. She is honest, competent, has executive experience, and appears to have the toughs where she needs them. I would not recommend her otherwise. The last thing we need in the future would be a useless VP who we 'owe' for getting us over the line.
"Sarah's main competition would be Mitt Romney, who is also a good choice. Mitt would bring back some of those who backed him but still won't come across to McCain. He would cost us some ultra-conservative support, but I am not sure that this would be a real bad thing if he can bring in greater numbers of other groups.
I think that a great many ultra-conservatives would still support the ticket [McCain-Romney] rather than accept the alternative. If Mike Huckabee and/or Fred Thompson were to support such a ticket, it would go a long way to help.
"That group [ultra-conservatives] worry me as they seem to be pulling us away from the more moderate electorate to the point where I feel some of them actually despise moderates and possibly want them out. I still believe we need the [ultra's] support so we have to be nice to them, but to some extent I think they are costing us, especially among the young [voters that] Romney could appeal to.
"I notice in the NYT an article which suggests that the Latino vote could be crucial and Eric [Dondero, a Texan who broadcasts on BlogTalkRadio/Libertarian] has been pushing this line for the last year, or at least that we do not do enough to get that vote. He also seems to feel that quite a few Latinos don't really like the Democrats as they tend to stand over them. He presented a good case for Bonnie Garcia as a possible VP a couple of months ago. If she were at least to get a prominent place in the campaign, she could be a great asset.
Is Condi [Rice] really 'tainted' [by assocation with the Bush Administration] as some seem to claim? I feel she has handled a bloody difficult role with total credit, and I have great respect and admiration for her. From over here, I don't get the street feel you would have, but on her record I would love to see her on the ticket.In another e-mail Jim said talked about the need in his country and ours for highly skilled immigrants -- in the face of growing anti-immigrant feelings.
"All of us are bound to disagree on some things. I kind of half heard a tv show in the background the other night on our ABC which was interviewing someone with similar views to Marina Kats's. I have been looking for the transcript on their website but it has not come up yet. The interviewee was saying that both of our countries [U.S. and Australia] could lose out badly and the tendency for industry to move offshore could increase if we do not get in more skilled people [immigrants] in a hurry."He adds, "It is almost impossible [in Australia] to get an electrician [in most non-minerals] industries now because of the mining boom."
Jim's knowledge of American politics is quite amazing when you consider that he's in Queensland, Australia. I love the way he talks about "us," referring to American conservatives. Jim sees himself -- and frankly, is -- one of "us." He's very familiar with what's going on in the New York Times and on ABC.
You can find Jim's remarkable blog at: http://jimunro.blogspot.com/. He describes its nature as:"Real World Libertarian: The Politics of Liberty and the Defense Thereof." Occupationally, he is a "former farmer, [and] surface and underground driller now moving into [mining] training and consultancy."
I told Jim that "Americans and Aussies" are brothers and sisters under the skin. And as he demonstrates, that's true. May it be ever thus.
Showing posts with label Eric Dondero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eric Dondero. Show all posts
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
IRAQ: CRITICAL TO AMERICA'S FUTURE
If it comes down to guessing who'd prevail -- Hillary or the speeding train? -- I'd be inclined to bet on her.
Please help this site become one of the most influential on the Web. You can do that by sending a link to friends (and political sympathizers) and urging them to visit. It's: http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com. The number of visitors on my "Hillary" site quintupled today. If we could keep that up for 30 days or so, the number of visitors would equal the population of China. :-) They do have computers there, don't they?
As many of you know, I'm deeply involved in a growing national movement to reach out to people who support Sen. Clinton in the presidential primaries -- and get them to vote for John McCain in the general election. As many as 10 million Clinton supporters nationally say they will -- or might -- vote for McCain. If he gets most of those votes, he will win the election. My view of Sen. Clinton is this: yes, I disagree with her on many (even most) issues. No, I don't regard her as "the Witch of Endor." In Pennsylvania, she impressed many of us -- however reluctant we might have been -- with her personal grit and the ferocity of her campaign. In short, in a street-fight I want her on my side. As for Obama, in said street-fight I want him to hold my coat (and Hillary's). I have an important column up today on my new -- and, to my amazement, popular! -- site: http://HillarySupportersforMcCain.blogspot.com ("Hatchets Hacking Away at Hillary"). Please visit and, if you'd like, let me know your thoughts. You can leave comments on the blog or write me at: TalkTop65@aol.com. There's also a lot of discussion of Hillary voters on the important new McCain site: http://mccainnow.com. Please check out "McCainNow."A site you might truly enjoy -- and part of an important national movement -- is: http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com/. Please visit (and return)
"I am in earnest; I will not equivocate; I will not excuse; I will not retreat a single inch; and I will be heard." -- William Lloyd Garrison
Dr. Paul Kengor, distinguished political scientist at Grove City College and expert on Ronald Reagan and many other subjects, asked me about my appearance last night on Eric Dondero BlogTalkRadio show LIBERTARIAN POLITICS LIVElibertarian, Republican, Libertarian Party, libertari
Paul, you can find an archived version by by going to Eric Dondero's site (click above). It's available for at least a week on "Podcast." It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in many years.
Dr. Murray Sabrin, candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in NJ, is a nice man with great views on the economy, but he disagrees with McCain on Iraq. He cited poll numbers that showed 70% of NJ voters "want out" of Iraq. I told him that "70% of NJ voters are dead wrong on that."
Eric Dondero, talk show host and a Navy vet, and I attacked Sabrin's views rather ferociously. I told him (essentially) that if we flee Iraq and al Qaeda takes over in the MidEast the price of oil will be $250 a barrel and our economy and civil society will be destroyed.
I also said that the primary goal of Mideast extremists is "to kill Jews . . . and to destroy Israel." Dr. Sabrin is Jewish and his father was an officer in the Polish Army in WW II. I read a statement by Marina Kats (also a Jew and born in Russia), who's a Republican candidate for Allyson Schwartz's seat, where Marina says she'd like to get out of Iraq as soon as possible but only when it's "safe" to do so -- and serves our "national security" needs.
Eric and I both "accused" (not in a mean way) Dr. Sabrin, Obama, and others of wanting a "Fortress America," an approach that would only encourage terrorists and eventually result in more 9/11 disasters.
I asked Dr. Sabrin, "Don't you think John McCain knows -- more than any other American -- about the horrors and tragedies of war?'
Dr. Sabrin pointed out that we hadn't yet captured Osama bin Laden. I said that was true -- and a black mark on U.S. intelligence, but that we had captured Khalid Sheik Muhammed (KSM), "the architect of 9/11." I said there was some concern about the treatment of KSM, but I didn't give a hoot about what happened with him. I said, "If they boil him in oil, it's better than he deserves." I added that the ACLU was probably in Guantanamo seeing if KSM needed an additional pillow and extra copies of the Koran.
I mentioned with great respect the campaign of retired Marine Colonel Tom Manion (against Patrick Murphy). Col. Manion's son, Travis, a Naval Academy graduate, was killed in Iraq.Eric emphasized that there's a disconnect between war opponents and the soldiers who are serving in Iraq (and Afghanistan).
Eric noted that the soldiers' job is, if necessary, "to die for their country." They don't want to die, but they are willing to pay that price. I cited some wonderful young Marines I know (Adam and Matt) who have served several tours in garden spots that include Fallujah and that absolutely fall into the category described by Eric.
I called attention to Barack Obama's statement that if things went to Hades in a handbasket if we withdrew precipitously from Iraq, then President Obama might "reinvade." I pointed out that his irresponsible statement showed Obama was totally detached from the realities in the MidEast and was pandering to the extreme Left.
Near the end of the program I talked about the candidacies of John McCain and (congressional candidates) Melissa Hart, Toni Gilhooley, Michael Livingston, Tom Manion, and Marina Kats. I said that some of them might lose -- and in fact all of them might lose. But if they did, they would not be going "gentle into that good night," but rather go down with guns blazing. My support for them it total because they are absolutely outstanding human beings.(I've added some phrases above for clarification.
I haven't done justice to Eric's wonderful assertion of his own love for America and its servicemen and servicewomen. He said the VA, operating under very difficult circumstances, is doing a "wonderful" job treating American soldiers.
On a past show, Eric Dondero, who has some unusual guests, had me on as a guest with a transvestite "libertarian" from Kansas. At one point on that show I promised that I would move to Kansas to vote for him (her?). Actually, I plan to stay in Ambridge.
All in all, I was very proud to be on the show last night and to have a partner like Eric. I think we are both sick of the "fantasy debate" that usually goes on about the war in Iraq. People who oppose the war have a right to their opinions, but they must make every effort not to frame the debate in a way that endangers the lives of men and women defending this country.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Ferocious Debate on Iraq
I was on BlogTalkRadio Thursday evening with Navy veteran Eric Dondero (host) and Murray Sabrin (Republican primary candidate for NJ U.S. Senate). The broadcast is avaiable (on podcast) at www.blogtalkradio.com/libertarian.
I urge you to listen (only partly because I'm on it and you get to hear my Rochester, NY accent) but mainly because Eric and I launched something you haven't heard recently: a ferocious defense of the Iraq War (and John McCain's position on it). Would love to hear your thoughts at TalkTop65@aol.com.or on the blog comments.
I'll write some on Friday after what Eric and I said. I remember saying that the primary goal of Islamic extremists in the MidEast "was to kill Jews -- all of them if possible" (and the secondary goal was "to kill Americans").
Eric noted -- and I agreed -- that one great reason to be fighting in the MidEast was "revenge for 9/11." He added that most soldiers are willing, if necessary, "to die for their country."We didn't exactly hold back.
Dr. Sabrin said 75% of New Jerseyites wanted U.S. withdrawal. I said that "Then 75% of New Jerseyites are just plain dead wrong." I added that if we fled the MidEast, al Qaeda would take over, oil would go $250 a barrel, and our economy would collapse.
On the show I called attention to the web sites of some superb Pennsylvania candidates: Melissa Hart, Toni Gilhooley, Michael Livingston, Marina Kats, and Tom Manion.
On the show, I read a statement by Republican congressional candidate Marina Kats. She said, "I am supporting the withdrawal of American troops as soon as possible, but only when it is safe to do it for us and our national security interests."
In a story in The Philadelphia Bulletin, Marina suggested what America means to her, an emigre from Russia: "Ms. Kats differs with Mrs. Schwartz [her left-wing Democrat opponent] strongly on whether Washington should act presently to phase out the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Speaking to The Bulletin from her law office in Feasterville, she described looking upon an American flag that was flown for a year and a half over the base of her colleague Christopher Hudock when he was called to active duty in Iraq. Upon returning, he gave Ms. Kats the flag to hang in her office. She describes it as a reminder of the imperative that America prevail."
Marina, meet Tom Manion, a former Marine colonel and also a Republican congressional candidate in PA. Sadly, his son Travis was killed in action in Iraq. Say a prayer for Tom and his son.
Hart: http://www.peoplewithhart.com/
Gilhooley: http://www.gilhooleyforcongress.com/
Livingston: http://www.livingstonforcongress.com/
Kats: http://www.katsforcongress.com/
Manion: http://www.votemanion.com/
Media, candidates, activists, and others: Please feel free to post, reprint, forward, or discuss this piece. Candidates: I hope you'll establish a link on your own web site and tell your visitors that I'll be writing regularly about your campaign. The url for this blog is: http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.
Eventually, our combined efforts should result in tens of thousands of "hits" on your web sites, which will generate various form of support, including contributions. "We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we will all hang separately." (B. Franklin) I receive no financial support or direction from any candidate. If you need to correspond via e-mail, you can reach me at: TalkTop65@aol.com.
I urge you to listen (only partly because I'm on it and you get to hear my Rochester, NY accent) but mainly because Eric and I launched something you haven't heard recently: a ferocious defense of the Iraq War (and John McCain's position on it). Would love to hear your thoughts at TalkTop65@aol.com.or on the blog comments.
I'll write some on Friday after what Eric and I said. I remember saying that the primary goal of Islamic extremists in the MidEast "was to kill Jews -- all of them if possible" (and the secondary goal was "to kill Americans").
Eric noted -- and I agreed -- that one great reason to be fighting in the MidEast was "revenge for 9/11." He added that most soldiers are willing, if necessary, "to die for their country."We didn't exactly hold back.
Dr. Sabrin said 75% of New Jerseyites wanted U.S. withdrawal. I said that "Then 75% of New Jerseyites are just plain dead wrong." I added that if we fled the MidEast, al Qaeda would take over, oil would go $250 a barrel, and our economy would collapse.
On the show I called attention to the web sites of some superb Pennsylvania candidates: Melissa Hart, Toni Gilhooley, Michael Livingston, Marina Kats, and Tom Manion.
On the show, I read a statement by Republican congressional candidate Marina Kats. She said, "I am supporting the withdrawal of American troops as soon as possible, but only when it is safe to do it for us and our national security interests."
In a story in The Philadelphia Bulletin, Marina suggested what America means to her, an emigre from Russia: "Ms. Kats differs with Mrs. Schwartz [her left-wing Democrat opponent] strongly on whether Washington should act presently to phase out the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Speaking to The Bulletin from her law office in Feasterville, she described looking upon an American flag that was flown for a year and a half over the base of her colleague Christopher Hudock when he was called to active duty in Iraq. Upon returning, he gave Ms. Kats the flag to hang in her office. She describes it as a reminder of the imperative that America prevail."
Marina, meet Tom Manion, a former Marine colonel and also a Republican congressional candidate in PA. Sadly, his son Travis was killed in action in Iraq. Say a prayer for Tom and his son.
Hart: http://www.peoplewithhart.com/
Gilhooley: http://www.gilhooleyforcongress.com/
Livingston: http://www.livingstonforcongress.com/
Kats: http://www.katsforcongress.com/
Manion: http://www.votemanion.com/
Media, candidates, activists, and others: Please feel free to post, reprint, forward, or discuss this piece. Candidates: I hope you'll establish a link on your own web site and tell your visitors that I'll be writing regularly about your campaign. The url for this blog is: http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.
Eventually, our combined efforts should result in tens of thousands of "hits" on your web sites, which will generate various form of support, including contributions. "We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we will all hang separately." (B. Franklin) I receive no financial support or direction from any candidate. If you need to correspond via e-mail, you can reach me at: TalkTop65@aol.com.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Calling Hillary Clinton's Big Win
Note: Wednesday evening on my "Hillary Supporters for McCain" site, I posted a piece with information you haven't seen before. It explains "Why Hillary Should be the (Democrats) Nominee." Yes, I strongly support John McCain for President, but I also support basic fairness, which is absent in the Democrats' process. Go to: http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com.
Eric Dondero, a popular host on BlogTalkRadio and blogger at: http://mainstreamlibertarianr.blogspot.com/ sent the following message today:
You all, please take a moment to visit the Blog this morning. I've got an article up praising our own Stephen Maloney of PA for getting the PA predication 100% correct.
Can you all believe this? Stephen bucked the conventional wisdom. Told us last week that Hillary would win by 55% to 45% contrary to all the Pro-Obama propoganda the MSM was pushing at the time, about a "late Obama Surge."
Stephen gave us the view from the ground.
Stephen: You are now officially nicknamed "Nostradamus." Good job my man! Good job!!
Steve adds: I hope you'll visit Eric's site today. Later today (Wednesday), I'll discuss some of the reasons for Mrs. Clinton's big victory. On my site with the most unusual title (http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com/), I'll give some powerful reasons why Senator Clinton should get the Democratic nomination. In November of this year, I'll be voting for John McCain for the presidency, but I believe his opponent should be Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Why the Polls Were Wrong in PA . . .
A week ago, I told Terry Madonna, who heads the Franklin & Marshall College poll (a good one) that I was right and his poll and (most) others were wrong. I said so because people (especially African-Americans) who are voting for Hillary sometimes say they're voting for Obama. It has happened before (Ohio) but the pollsters keep getting it wrong. Michael Barone on FOX said the same thing early last night, even before there were any real numbers out. The exit polls of voters said that Hillary would win by 52-48.
The point is that it's not fashionable in some areas for people to say they're support Hillary. However, when they go in the voting booth, they do just that.
Thanks to everyone who honors me by visiting this site.
Eric Dondero, a popular host on BlogTalkRadio and blogger at: http://mainstreamlibertarianr.blogspot.com/ sent the following message today:
You all, please take a moment to visit the Blog this morning. I've got an article up praising our own Stephen Maloney of PA for getting the PA predication 100% correct.
Can you all believe this? Stephen bucked the conventional wisdom. Told us last week that Hillary would win by 55% to 45% contrary to all the Pro-Obama propoganda the MSM was pushing at the time, about a "late Obama Surge."
Stephen gave us the view from the ground.
Stephen: You are now officially nicknamed "Nostradamus." Good job my man! Good job!!
Steve adds: I hope you'll visit Eric's site today. Later today (Wednesday), I'll discuss some of the reasons for Mrs. Clinton's big victory. On my site with the most unusual title (http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com/), I'll give some powerful reasons why Senator Clinton should get the Democratic nomination. In November of this year, I'll be voting for John McCain for the presidency, but I believe his opponent should be Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Why the Polls Were Wrong in PA . . .
A week ago, I told Terry Madonna, who heads the Franklin & Marshall College poll (a good one) that I was right and his poll and (most) others were wrong. I said so because people (especially African-Americans) who are voting for Hillary sometimes say they're voting for Obama. It has happened before (Ohio) but the pollsters keep getting it wrong. Michael Barone on FOX said the same thing early last night, even before there were any real numbers out. The exit polls of voters said that Hillary would win by 52-48.
The point is that it's not fashionable in some areas for people to say they're support Hillary. However, when they go in the voting booth, they do just that.
Thanks to everyone who honors me by visiting this site.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
LIBERTARIANS SHOULD BACK MCCAIN
Eric Dondero, an important writer and radio talk show host, asked me to write a piece on why libertarians -- believers in economic, social, and political liberty -- should support John McCain. Eric printed the following yesterday on his blog (http://libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com/).
Why Libertarians Should Support John McCain
It appears likely the next President of the U.S. will be either John Sidney McCain or Barack Hussein Obama. As good a man as Bob Barr is, he will not become President in 2009 – or any other year.
When it comes down to actually voting, the vast majority of Libertarians will reject the more liberal candidate (Obama) – and vote for the more conservative one (McCain). That’s because Libertarians reject the liberal narrative and generally accept the conservative one.
George Will recently described the liberal narrative as portraying “most Americans [as] victims of this or that sinister elite or impersonal force – and are not content to cope with life’s complexities without government supervision.” http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GeorgeWill/2008/04/13/fooling_ourselves_into_entitlements
That nanny-state-narrative is completely at variance with the libertarian view of life.
What is the conservative narrative? Here’s how “Lexington,” a super writer for The Economist (and a libertarian) describes it: “American conservatives tend to believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can succeed. This makes them more optimistic than liberals, more likely to feel in control of their lives and, therefore, happier.”
Conservative is not exactly the same thing as libertarian, but the two are compatible, as William F. Buckley, Jr. found 50-plus years ago when he staffed the National Review with a combination of economic libertarians and social conservatives. In contrast, liberalism, the friend of Big Government, generally is the polar opposite of libertarianism.
If you listen to Barack Obama (and Hillary Clinton) on the campaign trail, you hear some scary things. They portray “too many Americans’ as one step away from economic and social disaster. They see as people badly in need of major assistance – their assistance.
John McCain, imperfect as he may be, sees a very different America. It’s the same country whose liberties he was willing to give his life for in Viet Nam. We may not agree with him on every issue, but we can’t disagree that a love for liberty is at the central core of this man’s being.
Even Bill Clinton has said of McCain: “He’s given everything he has to his country – except his life.” President Clinton has never spoken truer words.
In contrast to McCain, Obama essentially portrays America as something resembling Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach,” where “ignorant armies clash by night.” As “Lexington describes Obama’s world-view, America is “a coalition of groups that define themselves as victims of social and economic forces, and . . . [where] its leaders encourage people to feel helpless and aggrieved . . .”
If Obama becomes President, we would become a society of “victims,” all of us clamoring for the government to bail us out of our misery. That would be a disaster not only for libertarians, but for all Americans.
I hope all libertarians do the right thing: voting for John McCain. Also, ask your friends and family members to do the same thing. The future of liberty in this society depends on free people standing up and supporting a man who has devoted his entire life to defending American values and liberties. John McCain is the right man for our cause.
Steve Maloney is a writer and political activist living in a small town near Pittsburgh, PA. He’d like to inform Senator Obama that he is not now – and never has been – “bitter.” He blogs at: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/.
When it comes down to actually voting, the vast majority of Libertarians will reject the more liberal candidate (Obama) – and vote for the more conservative one (McCain). That’s because Libertarians reject the liberal narrative and generally accept the conservative one.
George Will recently described the liberal narrative as portraying “most Americans [as] victims of this or that sinister elite or impersonal force – and are not content to cope with life’s complexities without government supervision.” http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GeorgeWill/2008/04/13/fooling_ourselves_into_entitlements
That nanny-state-narrative is completely at variance with the libertarian view of life.
What is the conservative narrative? Here’s how “Lexington,” a super writer for The Economist (and a libertarian) describes it: “American conservatives tend to believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can succeed. This makes them more optimistic than liberals, more likely to feel in control of their lives and, therefore, happier.”
Conservative is not exactly the same thing as libertarian, but the two are compatible, as William F. Buckley, Jr. found 50-plus years ago when he staffed the National Review with a combination of economic libertarians and social conservatives. In contrast, liberalism, the friend of Big Government, generally is the polar opposite of libertarianism.
If you listen to Barack Obama (and Hillary Clinton) on the campaign trail, you hear some scary things. They portray “too many Americans’ as one step away from economic and social disaster. They see as people badly in need of major assistance – their assistance.
John McCain, imperfect as he may be, sees a very different America. It’s the same country whose liberties he was willing to give his life for in Viet Nam. We may not agree with him on every issue, but we can’t disagree that a love for liberty is at the central core of this man’s being.
Even Bill Clinton has said of McCain: “He’s given everything he has to his country – except his life.” President Clinton has never spoken truer words.
In contrast to McCain, Obama essentially portrays America as something resembling Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach,” where “ignorant armies clash by night.” As “Lexington describes Obama’s world-view, America is “a coalition of groups that define themselves as victims of social and economic forces, and . . . [where] its leaders encourage people to feel helpless and aggrieved . . .”
If Obama becomes President, we would become a society of “victims,” all of us clamoring for the government to bail us out of our misery. That would be a disaster not only for libertarians, but for all Americans.
I hope all libertarians do the right thing: voting for John McCain. Also, ask your friends and family members to do the same thing. The future of liberty in this society depends on free people standing up and supporting a man who has devoted his entire life to defending American values and liberties. John McCain is the right man for our cause.
Steve Maloney is a writer and political activist living in a small town near Pittsburgh, PA. He’d like to inform Senator Obama that he is not now – and never has been – “bitter.” He blogs at: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR JOHN MCCAIN, PLEASE GO TO HIS WEB SITE AT: HTTP://JOHNMCCAIN.COM. THANKS!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Coming Events
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Saturday: I'm attending an event tonight featuring Paul Kengor, a Reagan expert and political science professor at Grove City College, and Melissa Hart, a candidate to regain her congressional seat in the 4th District of PA (the one where I live). They'll be discussing politics in general -- and sanctity of life issues in particular. In the next two days, Sunday and Monday, I'll be writing about the Iowa Caucus, New Hampshire primary, and Melissa Hart's race, which will be one with important national implications.
Last night (Friday), I was on Eric Dondero's radio show, along with Adam Brickley, who's led a brilliant campaign to get Alaska Governor Sarah Heath Palin the second spot on the GOP ticket. If you'd like, you can hear the show by going to: http://blogtalkradio.com/libertarian. Near the end of the show "Gamecock," a legendary blogger and columnist for the Charlotte Observer made some great observations about the upcoming South Carolina Primary.
On January 3, Douglas Gibbs had Melissa Hart on as a guest on his show. You can find the archived version of that show at: http://blogtalkradio.com/politicalpistachio.See you again tomorrow!
Saturday: I'm attending an event tonight featuring Paul Kengor, a Reagan expert and political science professor at Grove City College, and Melissa Hart, a candidate to regain her congressional seat in the 4th District of PA (the one where I live). They'll be discussing politics in general -- and sanctity of life issues in particular. In the next two days, Sunday and Monday, I'll be writing about the Iowa Caucus, New Hampshire primary, and Melissa Hart's race, which will be one with important national implications.
Last night (Friday), I was on Eric Dondero's radio show, along with Adam Brickley, who's led a brilliant campaign to get Alaska Governor Sarah Heath Palin the second spot on the GOP ticket. If you'd like, you can hear the show by going to: http://blogtalkradio.com/libertarian. Near the end of the show "Gamecock," a legendary blogger and columnist for the Charlotte Observer made some great observations about the upcoming South Carolina Primary.
On January 3, Douglas Gibbs had Melissa Hart on as a guest on his show. You can find the archived version of that show at: http://blogtalkradio.com/politicalpistachio.See you again tomorrow!
Friday, December 28, 2007
CALLING ALL BLOGGERS: RUSSELL CAMPAIGN
The blogging community will play an important part in helping Lt. Col. Bill Russell defeat John Murtha. If you look on my other site (one that has the same postings as this one), you'll discover approximately 40 blogs listed as "4 Russell." All these blogs have printed material supportive of Russell; several of the bloggers have contributed to the campaign; a few are actively involved in their own fundraising efforts for the campaign; an important group of the bloggers (Douglas Gibbs, Eric Dondero, Jenn of the Jungle, and Snooper) have interviewed Bill and other people supporting him on BlogTalkRadio.
Traditionally, liberal, the "netroots" (or "nutroots," as some call them) have been better than we conservatives at online politics. That's changing -- as it must if we're to say competitive.
In 2004, Joe Trippi ran the successful Internet campaign for Howard Dean, and it was a tremendous success. In Trippi's book The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, he says that Dean's "Meetup" site had 600,000 participants. The Dean Campaign rasied more than $50 million, much of it coming from people online.
No Republican Campaign has come anywhere close to those numbers, although Ron Paul is setting some records of his own. In one day, Paul raised a total of $10 mllion from people contributing online.
To defeat John Murtha (who will spend $4 million-plus in this election cycle), Bill Russell needs to raise at least $500,000 -- preferably more. As usual, the Murtha campaign will throw money at his supporters in ways that are of questionable legality. In contrast, the Russell effort will be scrupulously legal and very efficient, with every dollar aimed at finding and getting votes.
In terms of contributions, Russell is doing well online, but needs to keep doing better. Correction, those of us campaigning online have to do better. We have to keep spreading the message that Murtha can be beaten -- and will be with the supportive of the conservative online community.
Yes, John Murtha will receive many millions of dollars from lobbyists and companies that he's essentially bought and paid for with federal dollars, a percentage of which are returned to him in the form of campaign contributions.
You can check out the malicious mess that is the Murtha Campaign by going to http://opensecrets.org and keying in the name "Murtha." You'll see that for the 2008 election, he'd already spent by last September 30, a total of almost $700,000. By the December 31 Federal Election Commission reporting date, Murtha will have spent more than a million dollars.
I assure you the contributions didn't come from lobbyists and companies committed to Good Government.
How can those of us committed to Russell overcome that avalanche of payoffs to "The Prince of Pork?" We can do it by outsmarting him in the campaign, which luckily won't be that hard. We can also do it by making the maximum use of an inexpensive medium -- the Internet. For example, this particular communication is not costing me anything, aside from the blood, sweat, and tears always involved with writing.
What do we need? At least 30,000 people online backing the Russell Campaign by advocating his candidacy (relax, we apparently have more than 1,000 already). Of the 30,000 as many as 2,000 should be bloggers. We also need 3,000-plus people to go the Russell web site and contribute money. A lot of contributions of $20, $50, and $100 will go a long way toward defeating Murtha.
Politics isn't brain surgery. It consists of the three M's: message, mobilization (of supporters), and money, which is necessary to get the message out and to mobilize thousands of people to win this race.
What can you do? Be one of those people that spreads the message; also, be a person who asks others to join you in volunteering to help Russell.
The third part is the most important. We conservatives need to start out-contributing the liberals.
Go the Russell web site and so what you can to make sure this outstanding candidate has the support he needs. Trust me: you'll feel good about it.
Traditionally, liberal, the "netroots" (or "nutroots," as some call them) have been better than we conservatives at online politics. That's changing -- as it must if we're to say competitive.
In 2004, Joe Trippi ran the successful Internet campaign for Howard Dean, and it was a tremendous success. In Trippi's book The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, he says that Dean's "Meetup" site had 600,000 participants. The Dean Campaign rasied more than $50 million, much of it coming from people online.
No Republican Campaign has come anywhere close to those numbers, although Ron Paul is setting some records of his own. In one day, Paul raised a total of $10 mllion from people contributing online.
To defeat John Murtha (who will spend $4 million-plus in this election cycle), Bill Russell needs to raise at least $500,000 -- preferably more. As usual, the Murtha campaign will throw money at his supporters in ways that are of questionable legality. In contrast, the Russell effort will be scrupulously legal and very efficient, with every dollar aimed at finding and getting votes.
In terms of contributions, Russell is doing well online, but needs to keep doing better. Correction, those of us campaigning online have to do better. We have to keep spreading the message that Murtha can be beaten -- and will be with the supportive of the conservative online community.
Yes, John Murtha will receive many millions of dollars from lobbyists and companies that he's essentially bought and paid for with federal dollars, a percentage of which are returned to him in the form of campaign contributions.
You can check out the malicious mess that is the Murtha Campaign by going to http://opensecrets.org and keying in the name "Murtha." You'll see that for the 2008 election, he'd already spent by last September 30, a total of almost $700,000. By the December 31 Federal Election Commission reporting date, Murtha will have spent more than a million dollars.
I assure you the contributions didn't come from lobbyists and companies committed to Good Government.
How can those of us committed to Russell overcome that avalanche of payoffs to "The Prince of Pork?" We can do it by outsmarting him in the campaign, which luckily won't be that hard. We can also do it by making the maximum use of an inexpensive medium -- the Internet. For example, this particular communication is not costing me anything, aside from the blood, sweat, and tears always involved with writing.
What do we need? At least 30,000 people online backing the Russell Campaign by advocating his candidacy (relax, we apparently have more than 1,000 already). Of the 30,000 as many as 2,000 should be bloggers. We also need 3,000-plus people to go the Russell web site and contribute money. A lot of contributions of $20, $50, and $100 will go a long way toward defeating Murtha.
Politics isn't brain surgery. It consists of the three M's: message, mobilization (of supporters), and money, which is necessary to get the message out and to mobilize thousands of people to win this race.
What can you do? Be one of those people that spreads the message; also, be a person who asks others to join you in volunteering to help Russell.
The third part is the most important. We conservatives need to start out-contributing the liberals.
Go the Russell web site and so what you can to make sure this outstanding candidate has the support he needs. Trust me: you'll feel good about it.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Your Christmas Gift to Russell
(Above) Portrait of an Angry Loudmouth. . . and a lump of coal for John Murtha, who loves his office but not his country
I sent the letter below to Libertarian-Republican activist Eric Dondero and several hundred of my closest friends and political allies. I've appeared this year twice on Eric's BlogTalkRadio site, as well as on Douglas Gibbs's Political Pistachio, Jenn of the Jungle's "Screw Liberals," and Snooper's program. I recommend all of them, and they're listed on my blogroll. They're helping to transform politics in this country. Of great interest to me, they're all generating donations to the Russell Campaign.
In 2006, Diana Lynn Irey, a dear friend of mine and an heroic figure, ran against Murtha and received 7,000 contributions from all 50 states. In contrast, Murtha got 6,500, although his average contribution was much larger than Diana's. If William Russell can get an unprecedented 10,000 contributions -- many of them $50 or less -- he will send Murtha into an unplanned "early retirement." You can donate to William by going to his site here. Please do so right now.
Eric and Friends: I much enjoyed my appearance on your radio show last night. Jason, who spoke for the Romney campaign, and Norma Jean, who spoke for herself and libertarian views, were excellent. There aren't many radio shows that can produce that sort of dynamism and candor. Norma Jean raised issues in such a compelling way that she did something unusual: she made me re-think my stand on some key issues, especially the need to defer to people who exercise their freedom in unconventional ways.
I truly hope that everyone who follows you, your blog, and your radio show will unite behind the candidacy of Lt. Col. William Russell as he does everything in his power to defeat John Murtha in PA's 12th congressional district.
This may end up as the most important congressional race in the nation. If Murtha goes down, the shock waves would reverberate around the world. This will be a very hard race to win, but it is certainly not impossible. Even at this early stage, Lt. Col. Russell's campaign is shaping up as one of the most imaginative and effective ever waged.
This race can't be won if it restricts itself merely to the 12th District. It must be a national effort, one supported by conservatives and libertarians in all 50 stages. Russell will not be able to outspend Murtha, but he is outsmarting him -- and having a real influence on Murtha's previous position of total opposition to American efforts in Iraq and the Middle East.
When Murtha said, "The surge is working," what he really meant is that he is very concerned about Russell's candidacy.
I urge everyone who believes "Murtha MUST go" to visit Russell's web site. He needs thousands of volunteers around the nation, including those who will join "Bloggers 4 Russell," a rapidly growing group that will eventually include more than 500 bloggers.
Most of all, at this early stage, he needs financial support. People who've never contributed to a campaign before are giving $20, $50, and even $100 or more. Personally, I've given more than $400 and will contribute more, even though I'm not exactly in the category of "affluent." Murtha collects huge bag-fulls of cash from lobbyists and various companies that benefit from his shameful "earmarks."
To counteract that situation, Russell needs many small contributions ($200 or less) from perhaps 10,000 people who love this country and are deeply disturbed by the antics of Murtha.I appeal to everyone to put this appeal on their blogs or to send it to their e-mail lists. Unity and enthusiasm are keys to winning against Murtha.
Lt. Col. Russell, who was born on a military base, has devoted an entire lifetime to supporting and protecting the U.S. Now, it's our turn to support him. Many people have volunteered to solicit financial support for the Russell Campaign. I hope you'll join them.
John Murtha has said that being a congressman is all about "making deals." On the other hand, William Russell believe that being a congressman is all about making this a better -- freer, more secure, more prosperous -- country.
To win, Russell needs to add just ONE PERCENT to the votes George Bush received in the district in 2004. That's certainly not an impossible task. Please visit http://williamrussellforcongress.com/ -- and do so today.
Steve Maloney
Ambridge, PA
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