by Thomas Craig

Pardon the pun in the title of this post.  I couldn't avoid it as immature as it is.  With all due respect to the former Vice-President, PLEASE GO AWAY!  I understand that Cheney has a desire not to go down in history as a man who violated and ignored the Constitution ove ra period of eight years.  He abused the powers granted to the Vice President's office and then abused the powers he CREATED for the VP's office.  He sanctioned torture and betrayed every principle that this Nation was founded on.  Now, to add insult to injury, he is presenting himself as a Leader of the Republican Party and is giving advice on how the GOP should shape itself going forward.  Dick Cheney betrayed the Republican Party and its ideals.  Listening to him (as well as most other Republican Leaders over the last eight years) on how to "fix" the Party is like taking advice from Hitler on how to solve the crisis in the Middle East.  Every time the man opens his mouth, Americans cringe.  If you don't cringe, then you haven't been paying attention.  Now one of Cheney's biggest talking points is that the Obama Administration is making America less safe.  I'm not going to argue whether that is true or not, however, I will argue that Dick Cheney is NOT the right messenger for this talking point.  President Bush has shown himself to be the smarter of the two by the sole fact that he has kept a low profile and is avoiding criticizing or defending his administration.  The mere act of commenting on current events by either Bush or Cheney takes away the focus from the Obama Administration and its policies.  That is where we should be focusing our attention.  The Obama Administration LOVES when Cheney speaks and they can only pray that Bush will come out and create a media firestorm.  By doing so, they can move forward with liberal agendas without the proper scrutiny from the media.  Distractions are the most beloved bedfellows of Politicians.  As I often express on this site, we need NEW Leaders to take charge of the GOP and point us in the right direction.  We all look like fools every time a Republican "Leader" takes the spotlight and tries to make a case for why it is okay for America to torture.  The United States of America SHOULD NEVER TORTURE!  We can make a case for setting off a nuclear bomb in Iran if we really wanted to but it would be ridiculous to advocate that.  Why?  Doing so would potentially save American lives down the road.  Why wouldn't we do it then?  Because doing so goes against everything that we believe in.  This all being said, I don't think it would do anyone any good to bring charges against the previous Administration.  What I would prefer to see is the current Administration look to correct some of the mistakes and begin to follow the Constitution once more.  I have not seen that yet.  The President much like his predecessor, enjoys the unconstitutional powers that the Office has slowly usurped over time and unfortunately, Congress is too blind and ignorant to do anything about it.  Now let's see some fresh news faces emerge on the GOP who will shine the light on THAT!

Wow! Is there anything that I could say that hasn't been repeated again and again in the news?  Arlen Specter- Good Riddance!  The man is part of the problem whether he is Republican or Democrat.  Anyone who thinks that spending 29 years in Congress is something to brag about is severely delusional to the state of this Nation.  I am and have always been an advocate for Congressional term limits and people like Specter are exactly the reason why.  Specter has switched to the Dem side because he believes that he DESERVES that Senate seat.  If Republicans won't vote for him, he'll get Democrats to.  Is he that dedicated to helping his constituents?  Of course not!  He thinks because he has been in Congress for 29 years, it is his right to return.  I personally would love to see the entire Republican Party unite as one and do everything within our power to make sure that Specter does not get re-elected.  Republicans from around the Country should travel to PA and campaign for Pat Toomey.  By defeating Specter, it would send a strong message to both Democrats as well as Opportunists everywhere. (Mike Bloomberg, are you listening?)  I don't think there are any Republicans shedding a tear about Specter.  The Senator has abandoned his principles and dignity long ago to appease special interests and lobbyists of all sorts just like all Politicians do when they serve for endless terms.  Specter has acquired money and power in his three decades of serving himself and he will do whatever is possible to hold on to the corrupt position which he has for so long served.  He has control over many things, but the People still have the last say and let's hope that they see this opportunist for what he is and make the right decision in the next election.

by Thomas Craig

"The GOP is DEAD!"  We've heard it before.  It was said after Clinton was elected, after Watergate, etc.  This time seems to be different though.  The GOP is far from being dead and the notion that it is dead is merely the fabricated delusions of left-wing pundits.  What is fueling the left's excitement over this is the great divide between Republicans.  We all still consider ourselves Republicans; however, there are two schools of thought now; the old school and the new school.  The old school contains most of the fools who abused their power over the last eight years, acted more like Democrats than Republicans, and felt that it was more important to focus on "What Would Jesus Do?" instead of how we could get the Country back on track.  I'm not saying that moral issues don't have a place amongst our Party and anyone who is a Republican is someone who admires how the Republican principles encourage family and religion.  The problem I have is that when we want a Leader to commits themselves to religious issues, we go to Church or Temple.  We elect our politicians so that they can fight for our freedoms and opportunities.  I don't need to hear members of Congress tell me that their greatest concern is same-sex marriage when we have an Executive Branch with the powers of a King and a Congress who is so corrupt and ignorant of the Constitution that the Founding Fathers must be spinning in their graves.  The new school of Republicans are borderline Libertarians in reality.  We want less government, less spending, and more individual liberties.  We aren't complete Libertarians due to some key issues with foreign policy being the key difference.  The problem is that the old school is no different regardless of their claims of being so and the new school doesn't trust the old school.  The answer is a new Leader.  Michael Steele has tried to bridge the divide but unfortunately it is looking more and more like he has failed.  When the GOP nominates their candidate for President in 2012, it is that moment when we will see if the Party will be united again.  If the candidate is someone who is clearly from the old school (i.e.- Gingrich, Sanford, Palin, etc), the divide will grow and the GOP will surely lose the election.  The only possible exception to this might be Mitt Romney.  Romney is respected by all Republicans for his financial intelligence and we all recognize the need for that type of experience in these tough economic times.  There are great Leaders who are rising and I have no doubt that we will pull ourselves together once again.  This will take work and compromise within the Party.  The unification of the GOP is possible and very well likely, but it should never be taken as a certainty.

by Thomas Craig

Recently, every time I watch or read the news I am bombarded by a string of Republicans who are so anti-Obama that they insist on criticizing every single action that the President makes.   There were even pundits going into a rage about such ridiculousness as the new puppy that the Obama's received.  Now, I don't want you to worry that I am suddenly turning left in my political views.  I am still as Republican as ever.  That being said, we need to take it down a notch.  There is a difference between intellectual and reasonable debate about the President's actions and pathetically attacking any and all actions merely for the sake of being "anti-Obama".  Let us take two recent events.  First, we have the recent release of the CIA memos showing that the USA did in fact torture both proven and alleged terrorists.  Ever since those memos were released, there have been hordes of Republicans screaming about the risk of letting our enemies know what we will and will not do to them.  Instead of worrying about that, can we instead try to focus on the fact that the United States of America, the beacon of hope and freedom in this world, has for the last seven years been torturing human beings?  I don't care who the human beings are.  We turned our back not only on one of the principles to which this Nation was founded, but to the very idea of America.  Republican, Democrat, or anyone else who calls themselves an American has a duty to condemn those actions.  History will remember the last few years for such violations of the Constitution and our descendants will question our complacency over it, much like we do when we look back at slavery in the last two centuries. 
     We also need to calm down on the rhetoric regarding the President's recent attempts at improving ties with Cuba and Venezuela.  I, nor anyone else, could ever possibly condone the actions and the lack of freedom in both of those Nations.  I don't like these two Countries anymore than I like China.  It is difficult for me to believe, however, that we cannot only befriend China but become its number one customer economically, yet we can't reach out to even speak to Castro or Chavez.  By closing off ties with those Nations, we are hurting ourselves financially and allowing both regimes to open their lands to hostile places such as Russia and Iran.  Our policy should be similar to our policies with China, Saudi Arabia, or Russia.  We don't approve of their actions, however, for the sake of peace we will at least answer their phone calls.  Doing so might even bring some good such as allowing us to promote capitalism (much like China) and giving us a foothold in potential safe havens for anti-American entities.
     The point is, we do not need to throw mud on every single thing that the President does, especially because the current Republican Leaders say so.  Remember, it is the current Republican Leaders who have brought our Party to its knees and have dropped the ball countless times over the last eight years.  Let's use our heads when watching the actions of the President.  We have PLENTY of material to fuel our anger and it is our patriotic duty to watch and question everything that our President does.  All I ask is to just remember that simply because President Obama does it, it does not mean it is automatically wrong.

by Thomas Craig

As the GOP continues to debate over the best way to reassemble a Party which has lost its way, there seems to be a growing divide within our members.  There is a faction of Republicans who believe that the way forward should include returning the Party back to ultra-conservative values where religion dictates the direction of our platforms.  Of course, there are others who want to see the Party move closer to the middle, compromising some widely held religious beliefs for the sake of political gain.  Personally, I think they are both right.  I believe that instead of narrowing the Party down to stances based on religious beliefs or trying to separate our Party from the ultra-conservative factions, we can become a Party that includes us all.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to put flowers in my rifle and start singing John Lennon songs, however I do think that the Republican Party has room for many people who share the basic principles of what a Republican is.  To begin with, a Republican is somebody who believes in limited Government, individual liberty, and both personal and fiscal responsibility.  We believe that we, the People, should be the masters of our Government and not the other way around.  We are law-abiding citizens, however, we acknowledge that there are certain unalienable rights to which we are all entitled to.  While Democrats use the Constitution as their justification for growing power for the Government, Republicans use the one single document that is above the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, to maintain the principles to which our Nation was founded on.  It doesn't matter which hat you wear, just as long as at the end of the day, that hat says GOP on it.  One thing that I think has acted as an impediment to our Party is contradictory actions, which have been a staple of all Members of the Party.  For example, the fact that the Government grew significantly during the last eight years is a complete contradiction to the principles of Republican governing.  We spent ridiculous amounts of money, which was bad enough, however the fact that the money was borrowed from Countries with hostile intentions to the US makes it that much worse.  Gay Marriage is another example.  I know this will get me a lot of jeers from many Republicans but the simple fact is that it is difficult to argue for limited Government, and then advocate for the Government dictating who can and cannot get married.  I'm not saying that People have to morally accept it or be happy with it, but actively opposing it in the form of trying to pass laws to deny it is contrary to the core beliefs of the Republican Party.  Perhaps you, as a loyal Republican, disagree with me.  That's fine if you do because what is important is that at the end of the day, you and I are still Republicans.

by Thomas Craig

I know, the title is maybe a bit much.  I'm having a hard time lately just like I know you are having a hard time as well.  We are standing by and watching our Country change into something and it terrifies us because we don't know what it will become.  What is even scarier is that it seems like our Government doesn't know what it will become either.  I sit and I pray that the Obama administration will surprise us and we will be lifted out of our current state.  Every day that passes, however, seems to convey the message that the President and our Government are in complete disarray.  It seems like our Government is being run no better than a fraternity house.  I'll tell you what I see.  I see a stock market that is failing because of a lack of direction and focus in our leadership.  I see a President who promised to stop earmarks and then goes ahead and signs off to 9000 of them.  I hear a President, who promised America that he has solutions, and instead merely blames his predecessor and throws his hands up as if to say that since he didn't cause it, he shouldn't be held responsible to fix it.  It’s almost as if we should be grateful that he is trying to fix it at all.  I see a Treasury Secretary who has zero faith from the People as well as Congress.  I see Republicans who advocate reforming the Party and vowing to return to our principles, and then go ahead and add in thousands of earmarks themselves.  I see a Speaker of the House who treats her position as if she won the lottery and can say, do, and spend whatever she pleases.  I sense, because my actual sight has never witnessed even a picture of it, trillions of dollars of debt that is borrowed from our Children or China (I'm not sure which is worse).  New taxes will take effect, and old taxes will rise.  Sure, only "rich" people will have their taxes increase.  You won't feel it at all unless of course you happen to purchase goods or services of any sort.  I see trillions spent on bailouts and stimulus.  I hear the call of our Leaders for trillions more to be spent to stop what the free market is naturally trying to accomplish.  Around the world, I see foreign nations test our resolve and flex their muscles and in return we invite them to sit down and talk.  I see Afghanistan failing and Mexican drug cartels pressing hard on our border.
Our individual freedoms are shrinking and our Government is growing.  More than ever before are we so controlled by our Government.  What saddens me is that America asked for it.  They saw a young man who talks a good game and who sold them Heaven itself.  That man is now winging it and trying to learn as he goes.  Of course the alternate option was not much better.
Republicans need to accept the misdeeds perpetrated by the Party during the Bush years.  I supported Bush and so I am guilty as well.  I supported the Patriot Act and I supported the expansion of our Government.  Both violate the Republican principles of individual freedom and limited Government.  I see all of this and I pray that our best days are ahead of us, but I fear that we might not be able to come back from where we are going.

by Thomas Craig

Last night I attended a Young Republicans meeting and of course the discussion revolved around politics.  I soon found myself engaged in a conversation, not about specific policies or complaints about Pres. Obama,  but why so many people who claim to not know much about politics identify themselves as Democrats.  Obviously there were plenty of statements along the lines of just writing them off to being stupid.  I would not go so far as to call them stupid, but certainly ignorant of the issues.  To several people's amazement, however, I was in fact defending these ignorant liberals or "ignor-iberals" as I call them.  You see, Thomas Jefferson put it best when he said "He who would steal from Peter to pay Paul, will always have the support of Paul."  That in a nutshell is the problem with "ignor-iberals".  When you take someone who is politically ignorant, and you boil down the issues into a ridiculously childish premise, you walk away with a simple statement.  "Democrats want to take money from greedy corporations and heartless rich people, and they want to give that money to you."  Wow, what a tremendous theory!  I can completely understand why so many people are for that.  Who wouldn't want free money?  In our group was a young lady who admitted that she was in fact an "ignor-iberal" (she didn't put it like that though).  She confessed to us that she has in fact always referred to herself as a Democrat or at best an Independent (she was there with her Republican friend).  Several people began lecturing and belittling her on her statements.  Is that how we are going to educate people?  I'm sure all that was going through her mind was a confirmation of the ugly reputations of the greedy and heartless Republican.  I approached her and was as kind as could be.  Perhaps nobody ever took the time to break down some of the issues with her and listen to her questions (not even her Republican friend who she was there with).  I carefully explained the fundamentals of trickle down economics to her and she listened intently.  When I finished, her exact words were, "I actually never saw it that way."  She was not stupid and just like most people, when they are presented with an argument based on logic and reason, they are open to it.  Will I see her at the next Young Republican meeting?  Who knows?  At least I contributed a small part to opening her eyes about the Country she lives in.  Now, imagine if all of us did the same when we meet "ignor-iberals".  What a Party we would have!    

by Thomas Craig

Alright, I'll admit it.  I took the bait.  I previously wrote about the ridiculous Limbaugh/Steele feud and continued the discussion.  I honestly could not anticipate how such a silly and meaningless story has been the focal point of the media for days now.  Republicans don't seem to see this "feud" as a big deal.  I couldn't help but wonder why I was hearing so much about Rush Limbaugh and so little about the thousands and thousands of earmarks that are trying to be pushed through as Congress moves forward with the budget.  It finally clicked with me when I was watching the news and they mentioned Terry McAuliffe (Democratic Consultant) was demanding the GOP reject Rush Limbaugh's statements.  You see, when you are trying to spend as much money as possible, and you don't want people to realize that it is their money that is being spent, you need to distract them.  Now I'm not saying that the Democrats planned this feud or that there is some complex conspiracy going on.  Quite frankly, I don't think the Democrats are smart enough to plan this.  I do think that the story has been exaggerated and amplified by the Democrats.  The Republicans, if not distracted by this ongoing defense of who our Leader is, would be front and center in the argument against all the earmarks and wasteful spending.  The Dems have done their job which is distracting us while they pick our pockets.   Now, instead of doing our job, we are wasting time and energy by playing along with this idiocy.  Rush needs to retreat back to his studio and Steele needs to stop addressing this.  The media will follow suit when no Republican wants to address it anymore.  Get back to work gentlemen, because there are much bigger battles to be fought.  

by Thomas Craig

As the Republican Party continues to regroup and return to our core principles, we find ourselves in the predicament of choosing who represents our newly reformed Party.  Not too long ago, Michael Steele was chosen to head the RNC, which I think was a good choice (however, my support has begun to slide a bit).  Steele has been doing an okay job representing the GOP and communicating its message to the People.  Not good, definitely not great, but okay.  He gets points for maintaining a semi-strong presence within the media.  His rhetorical skills, however, need some improvement.  A lot of people are criticizing his pick to lead the RNC and calling it nothing more than a political ploy to make the GOP seem more "minority-friendly".  This is to be expected from the Left, because let's be honest, we would have done the same.  We need Steele to be the loudest one in the room, shouting out our message, and telling each and every American exactly why their best interests lie with the Republican Party.  Furthermore, he needs to explain why the Democrats policies will harm John and Jane Doe.  Spreading the wealth sounds great to those who are receiving the wealth, but it does not CREATE wealth and jobs.  In the absence of this message being shouted from the rooftops, the People will listen to the loudest voice in the room which at the moment is good ol' Rush Limbaugh.  There is some internal conflict at the moment between Steele and Limbaugh regarding who runs the Party.  I don't blame Rush.  If the People cannot clearly have access to Steele and the RNC along with their positions, they will turn to media figures such as Rush who at times do not have the interests of expanding the Party as much as catering to those who are solidly Republican and form the solid right base.  If you aren't happy with the messenger, deliver the message yourself!