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Kolbe Endorses Ogsbury in CD 5

June 4, 2008 By 15 Comments

Politicker AZ is reporting that former Congressman Jim Kolbe has endorsed congressional candidate, Jim Ogsbury.

“Jim Ogsbury is a principled conservative with deep Arizona roots and an understanding of the issues that face our state and our nation,” said Kolbe.  “He has the toughness and the experience needed to get the Congress working for the interests of people again.”

Ouch! Anyone who has been around the Arizona political scene knows that Kolbe has been no friend to Arizona cultural conservatives. Kolbe was one of the only openly homosexual Republicans in Congress who consistently voted against pro-life legislation (including a ban on partial birth abortion!) and other culturally conservative legislation.

This can only hurt Ogsbury with social conservatives. Scratch another Republican name off the list of candidates who cultural conservative are considering voting for in the primary for CD 5.

Here is a copy of the press release and the American Conservative Union ratings for Kolbe’s last year in office.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Endorsements

McCain and Right to Life

June 4, 2008 By 9 Comments

Red Arizona has posted a story on the satisfaction of Right to Life and the NRA with regard to Senator John McCain. Now once upon a time, I was able to speak on official authority of the organization and its political action committee on the satisfaction of Arizona Right with John McCain. At the time, it wasn’t good and I can tell you that both the state organization and especially the national organization had problems with McCain. This was primarily based on his advocacy of McCain Feingold which hamstringed grassroots organizations from putting out voting records on candidates. NRLC and its state affiliates were not happy with McCain on his support of destructive embryonic stem cell experimentation which has now been proven ineffective compared to its far more ethical and feasible adult stem cell research. I even went to Senator McCain and suggested a way to put himself back into the good graces of these organizations.

Fast forward to 2008 and Senator John McCain is now the Republican nominee for President and slowly the cultural conservative base is realizing that they need to get behind him if they want to prevent a liberal judicial takeover.

However, as someone who watches the pro-life movement’s activities especially on elections, I have not seen any advocacy for Senator McCain. In fact, the most recent political activities have only been in a National RIght to Life Political Action Committee endorsement of Fred Thompson and an Arizona RIght to Life PAC recommendation of Mike Huckabee. Since then, no endorsments have been made to my knowledge. Arizona Political Heat  even confirms this.

At this point, maybe some clarification needs to be made by Red Arizona, the Arizona Right to Life Political Action Committee and the National Right to Life Political Action Committee. Until then the jury remains out on the satisfaction quotient on Senator McCain.

Finally, before some McCain supporter takes me to task over revisiting this old pro-life vs. McCain schism, I suggest they call McCain’s campaign office and suggest that his campaign request a straight talk meeting with pro-life leadership and try to find some common ground.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Sanctity of Life

Ward Connerly to speak to CCM on AZ Civil Rights Initiative; BAMN opposition terrorizing signature gatherers

June 4, 2008 By 5 Comments

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Move over, ACORN, you’re no longer the most frightening organization trying to illegally interrupt the election process in Arizona. The neo-communist Michigan organization BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) has flown in members to Arizona to disrupt the process of collecting signatures for the AZ Civil Rights Initiative. The group originated in response to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which passed a couple of years ago. BAMN uses outrageous methods to attain its objectives, from physically blocking initiative signature gatherers to yelling while they’re trying to collect signatures in order to scare off people from signing. BAMN tried to block signature gatherers a few days ago at a DMV in South Phoenix until the DMV kicked them off the property for violating state law, and yesterday when signature gatherers went to turn in their petitions to the management of the AZ Civil Rights Initiative, a van of BAMN radicals pulled up and started screaming at them, calling them racists, race-traitors, segregationists, etc.

In Michigan, BAMN would take buses into Detroit where predominantly African-Americans lived and bring them to protests to engage in illegal activity such as interrupting civic meetings with yelling and taking over the meetings. BAMN told their recruits incorrect information in order to convince them to participate; instead of telling them the Civil Rights Initiative would ban racial and gender preferences, they told them it would discriminate against minorities and bring back segregation like under the Jim Crow era. This was confirmed when the media would interview them about why they were marching with BAMN; they had no real idea what the Civil Rights Initiative was actually about. BAMN’s tactics of misleading and using minorities for their own purposes, making fools of them, is condescending and racist.

BAMN is working with the Arizona ACLU and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (considered the craziest legislator in the state legislature, even by members of her own party) to brutally challenge AZ Civil Rights Initiative signature collectors. Because they can’t win at the ballot box, and because they can’t even find adequate opposition in Arizona, they resort to flying in out-of-state radicals to terrorize Arizonans. This group should be shunned and avoided at all costs. They are putting on a training session with the Arizona ACLU this Saturday and Sunday. Noticeably, there is no mention of BAMN on the ACLU’s notice about the event. Nor is there any mention of racial and gender preferences; the notice references preserving “equal opportunity” for minorities numerous times however, and claims that the initiative will “re-segregate” society. Those who attend will learn how to: “Volunteer to stand near Connerly’s petition gatherers in public areas and tell voters the truth about the Connerly initiative,” and “Help convince voters that this initiative is not what Connerly says it is.”

Ward Connerly will be speaking to the new group Coalition for a Conservative Majority on June 16, about the initiative and how you can help AZCRI by collecting signatures in spite of this hateful group’s efforts.

The video above is of BAMN with bused-in African-Americans from Detroit interrupting a canvassing board meeting, chanting loudly until the meeting can’t go on, and the BAMN president starts speaking. You can see at least one person get knocked down. BAMN’s protesters then stole $200 from a blind candy vendor.

Below is a video of BAMN at a school board meeting. The second speaker, Luke Massey, carries a knife and makes sure Civil Rights Initiative supporters know.
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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Steps to the White House:President John McCain Starts Today

June 4, 2008 By 9 Comments

 

by Gayle Plato-Besley

It’s good to think like a star athlete when taking on a race. One can be a  relay runner, sprinting along with energy bursts, offered in sound bites,  only to pass the political baton to the next guy.  Or, the athlete can choose to see the win before the race begins.  Once visualized, the runner acts not as a participant but as the winner.  Take a note from the Clinton play book, and see how Hillary did exactly that tonight.  She smiled and spoke as if she was the nominee, took hold of the reigns just like this was day one still spouting her inevitable winning status. 

Hillary Clinton has never been nor will she profess to be the underdog, and that one fact is the key to a President McCain as a reality.   Hillary will take the party fight to the convention if she can.  She’s a lawyer and she’s litigious at her core.   We are at the event horizon being sucked in to the black hole of an inevitable  two-man fight. The Media shines on-’may they go at it like gentlemen and take defensive stands’.  We are a nation that loves to see a good duel.  Yes, the final campaign is on; the gloves come off.  Hillary would never fight head on, as it demeans her as the inevitable one.  Follow her example and assume you are the winner Mr. McCain.  Do Not Engage.

Take your Winner’s Circle-your victory lap.  Every stop is a celebration and your speeches are best when you are relaxed.  Make them townhalls- you’re great there and you can answer any question with tact and accuracy.  As for gloves coming off- get the debates with Mr. Obama going as soon as possible.  President McCain cannot wait in the wings, left or right- it’s all about the West Wing now. 

All paths to POTUS that political spin doctors prescribe may say all of this.  But just in case not, here are a few ideas to get the McCain game on:

1)  Capital Townhall- 50 in 2008

Over the next few months, set up a townhall meeting in every  state capital.  Get back to conservative fundamentals, making states rights a cornerstone of policy. It’s the local, grassroots political actions that brought  John McCain back to life this time. 

2)   Humor

John McCain is a real person of whom others can relate.  Whether 35 or 70, people do like him. He’s relevant and  has a GREAT sense of humor.   Barack Obama isn’t that funny.  Without a written speech, Obama is awkward on his feet and unnatural.  McCain’s talent sings on Letterman and Leno.  John McCain needs to go on The View again, Ellen, The Daily Show, and any lefty lounge act show that seems an odd choice. Get talking and lighten up where and when appropriate because funny is attractive and infectious.  Bill Clinton won the 1992 election with a minority of the popular vote.  In part, it’s because he went on MTV and Arsenio Hall as well as 60 Minutes and Meet the Press.  Catch a bit of McCain today on the late night shows and we will see the vote tally tick up.

3) Center Middle East Policy on Israel

There is no clearer reason for our active involvement in the Middle East.  We are allies with Israel because of strategy, it’s location, and Israel is a democracy.  But we are with Israel as a spiritual ally.  This fact is critical.  We are a Judaic-Christian  society feeling the threat of Islamic Extremism.  Benjamin Netanyahu said it best that the Islamic Terrorists do not hate the West because of Israel, they hate Israel because of the West.  The United States is a target because it is a free power with free thinking people who are allowed to criticize and choose political and religious expression. 

Obama said recently that he does not honor the National Anthem nor the wearing a flag pin as others might find the patriotic symbolism offensive.  The USA is the greatest nation but he doesn’t want to promote it.  Obama shows a fundamental flaw of foreign policy in his naive plans of negotiation with all leaders.  But then, maybe it isn’t ignorance.  I suspect he’s making a very calculated choice to move away from a Judaic-Christian way of existence, World Order rather than American Nationalism, and general appeasement as a policy.  Israel is key and our POTUS needs to defend it and determine Middle East Policy with Israeli interests as paramount. 

 

4)  Choose Sarah Palin as VP Candidate

Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, 44, is the first woman governor,  a staunch conservative, with great approval ratings.  She will be an unknown to many and that will pull in a great flood of scrutiny in the press.  Palin will appeal to many women feeling disenfranchised by Hillary Clinton’s loss.  If Obama does not pick Ms. Clinton as the VP  candidate,  liberal women will not run to Obama.  While Palin differs with liberals on key issues of abortion and gay marriage, she is a symbolic entity, a mother, and an experienced state leader.  

Palin will pull in the moderate voters in general not wanting Obama.  Palin is a great choice as a young, vibrant bright candidate with all of the appeal of Barack Obama, a conservative record stronger than Mitt Romney, and offering a woman’s perspective of Clintonian levels.  Palin is strong on Right-to-Life, Second Amendment, and even contradicts McCain on drilling in Alaska.  Sarah Palin is a winner.

5) Mad Money Economics

Jim Cramer has a following reminiscent of Trekkies tracking  Captain Kirk.  He also presents money matters in a bright, educational way. Cramer pumps up faith in the economy by encouraging personal wealth achieved by doing your homework.  Conservatives- the small business owner, young family man, or concerned investors all want a clear plan of attack to stimulate the economy without tapping the federal till.    Get Jack Kemp out there and talking about Supply Side, Reagonomics of stimulus, deregulation, and simplified taxation.  POTUS-Elect McCain can easily step in as a helpful father figure and needs to do so.  Confidence is critical for a fiscally conservative President.

Finally, we need to see John McCain as he is.  I said it before, let John be John:  the Hero with decades of experience, who was fighting for this country when Barack Obama was potty training; the Angry Father-figure, staunchly defending his country on the global scene;  the Neighbor who knows all of the local news and can tell us about the area where we live  from his years of experience  in it.  Be Patriotic, Honest, Straightforward, Tough, Clever, and Careful.  Present McCain this is your time.  Step out in front of the camera tomorrow and take the Oath of Office telling us you are committed to us as a people.  You are the only Presidential Candidate today with a voter mandate.  We look to you for the next move.

 

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Government, History