The Lone Star State...blue? May it never be!

Well, whether you vote or not, the Republican Party is the ONLY party that protects the unborn (even after they are born). This is just ONE issue God cares about and so should we.  I personally am a conservative but I ALWAYS vote. I have read both parties platforms with my Bible in mind and I find more in the Republican stance that reflects my Christian values than I do with the Democratic platform. See my Bible says, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God" and all these "things" will be added unto you. God cares about the Kingdom (Biblical teachings) not the stuff (economy).  I am NOT saying ALL Republicans are Christians or that all Dem's are not. I am saying that when you compare the PLATFORM in which the members embrace, the Bible and it's teachings seem to be more important to the Republicans than to the Democrats. With this, let us pray! We need GOD'S love to be seen in our hearts, in our homes, in our churches (yes - many churches don't even treat their members as they would themselves), in our cities, in our states and in our nation. Father God, we are SO far from you! Forgive our sins and please heal our land. BRING revival to wake people up to YOUR ways, YOUR truth, YOUR Word. As believers we need to always walk with HUMILITY! HUMILITY....wow, that seems to be a dying word in our culture. Even people in the church, well, sometimes we are the "chief priest" of this error. With this, I share a post I have put on several walls:

Here is a troubling thought...the Lone Star State being blue? What? Unheard of you say? Take a minute to read the article below and then realize that WE as a party really do need to wake-up to the changing times before they change OUR state. We (the Republican Party) have to be better listeners, kinder people and basically work on our presentation and perceived image.

I have watched the second election of a president that I was shocked to see win even once and I have had to ask myself how? Why? What happened? I have talked to many who have voted for him - twice! I have noticed some similar things and this article expresses many of the same issues I have experienced.

One common lure is that people like something for free! All of us do. This isn't just the dirty Dem's who are like this. You know, like when you are at Sam's Club and they are handing out samples for FREE and people swarm the table for a morsel. The Dems are making their "tables" look inviting, hip, cool and trendy while the Republicans come across as arrogant, aloof, and bickering old relics. In the last week I have heard the adjective "pompass" before the name of a Republican several times yet the Dems are wearing the matching "shoe on the other foot" and getting by with it. It's a perception and in this culture of "image" being everything, I think the republican party could stand to find a good "personal trainer" so we can get back in the game.

I can hear it now, it's the liberal media's fault. Well, that IS true to some degree but with facebook, twitter, blogs, you-tube and a host of other social media devices I think we have to stop blaming and start doing! Again, this is a perception that Republicans complain and whine but offer no solutions. All of you reading this have a facebook account yet how often do YOU let YOUR voice be heard on the "issues"? Many of us are silent in our realm of influence (our personal facebook wall) and we wonder why things are changing. It's time we ALL engage our friends. WE have to talk to people around us about sometimes very personal and quite possibly politically incorrect views. Surely you have noticed that the left has NO issue sharing their opinions, anywhere, anytime. I am not advocating rude but we do need to speak up and many of you need to let people around you know your thoughts.

The Republican Party's platform have many of the solutions our nation needs but we have been failing to engage the changing national landscape, one person-at-a-time and therefore, adjusting our delivery of our message to the people. This is NOT about compromise, it's about presentation. A little love goes a long way and being a bit more swavey won't hurt.

The Most Brilliant Daily Show Take Down Ever

So I don't have a lot of time to watch the Daily Show* but every now and then I catch one.  The show usually tends to defend the left and mock the right but a friend sent me this link and I had to share it.  Jon Stewart actually was being open to the hypocrisy that has been going on in the liberal media with this piece and allows his reporter, John Oliver, to address it!

This is EXACTLY what is going on in our country; one side can't or WON'T hear the other.  This reporter even used the language of the very journalist he was interviewing; even their suggestions on irony on how to have a "confrontational" discussion and yet she still DIDN'T get it!  This was crazy, ironic and yet so sad because it shows the level of blindness people have in the media.

You will see Froma Harrop, a journalist and President of the Civility Project from the National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW).  She is absolutely CLUELESS in this piece and she looks foolish!

Take a few minutes and see how out-of-touch she was when interviewed.  The TROUBLING issues is that she is the one writing articles about the answers to the nations whoas regarding civility and communication; unbelievable!

*PARENTAL WARNING: please note - this piece has some offensive language in it.  Most of the language has been bleeped but it is still understandable.

National Defense Authorization Act - Homeland Security Treason

Alright, if you are NOT awake yet America...it is time to AWAKEN!  Under the name of Homeland Security (and more attacks on Americans freedoms) we now have more elected officials throwing away the Constitution of the United States of America.

I was talking to my Uncle in Canada on Thursday and he was telling me about what MY US congress was proposing and I had not heard a word about it...not until a friend posted this link: Freedom Watch.  Seems that in secret John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) have passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a sing hearing a new bill that declares that the entire United States of America is a Battlefield for the Military with the Military Detention of AMERICANS!  Chris Anders (Legislative Counsel for the ACLU) warns us that the worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday (today) for the beginning of debate.

Anders states that the Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.  People WAKE UP!  Your Congressmen need to hear from you.  I don't think the “battlefield” should be in my front yard.  Who are the "good" guys and who are the "bad"?  And more importantly, WHO GETS TO DECIDE?

Ok, we all understand that Americans can be criminals and that they can even be criminals against our very fibers as Americans so our founders defined a class of criminals as "domestic enemies" in the "United States Constitution" for such a thing, but here today and OUR Congress is trying to pass laws that will make ALL American's loose our Constitutional rights!  HELLO - anybody out there??? Time to be CONCERNED!!!

"The homeland is part of the battlefield and people can be held without trial whether an American citizen or not." - Sen. Linsey Graham (R- S.C.).  Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

The senate is to vote on this TODAY and they will define the whole of the United States as a "battlefield" and allow the US Military to arrest American citizens ANYWHERE, without charge or trial!

I am reminded of Hamen and the gallows.  What?  You don't know who Hamen is?  He was an Agagite nobel who lived around the 5th Century BC and was a vizier (a high-ranking political advisor in Muslim government) of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus or better known as Artaxerxes II (King Xerxes).  Hamen was a descendent of Agag, the king of the Amalekites.  Ringing any bells yet? Hamen grew to hate the Jews, all Jews and especially he hated Mordecai and he crafted a plan to have his boss, King Xerxes help him rid the planet of Mordecai and all Jews.    

King Xerxes was the ruler of a massive Persian empire.  Here is the back history.  Xerxes holds a lavish party, initially for his court and dignitaries and afterwards for all inhabitants. He orders the queen (his wife) Vashti to "appear" at the party to show her beauty before the guests. She refuses. Worried all women will learn from this, the King removes her as queen and has her killed.  He then issues a royal decree sent across the empire that men should be the ruler of their households and should speak their own native tongue. He then orders all beautiful young girls to be presented to him, so he can choose a new queen to replace Vashti.

One of these beauties is Esther.  She had no parents and was being cared for by her cousin Mordecai (remember from above - the Jew).  Esther finds favor in the king's eyes, and is made his new queen through Mordecai's instructions.  Esther, of course is also Jewish but she does not reveal this to the King who ADORES her. 

Mordecai discovers a plot to assassinate the King. The conspirators are apprehended and hanged, and Mordecai's service to the king is recorded.  Now fast-forward to when Xerxes appoints Hamen as his new prime minister. Mordechai, who sits at the palace gates, falls into Haman's disfavor as he refuses to bow down to him. Having found out that Mordechai is Jewish, Haman plans to kill not just Mordechai but all the Jews in the empire. He obtains Xerxes' permission to execute this plan, against payment of ten thousand talents of silver, and he casts lots to choose the date on which to do this—the thirteenth of the month of Adar. On that day, everyone in the empire is free to massacre the Jews and despoil their property.

When Mordechai finds out about the plans he and all Jews mourn and fast. Mordechai informs Esther what has happened and tells her to intercede with Xerxes. She is afraid to break the law and go to the King unsummoned as she remembers what happened to the last queen. To go to the King without a summons would incur the death penalty. Mordechai tells her that she must. She orders Mordechai to have all Jews fast for three days together with her, and on the third day she goes to Xerxes who stretches out his scepter (allowing her to come in) to her which shows that she is not to be punished. She invites him to a feast in the company of Haman. During the feast, she asks them to attend a further feast the next evening. Meanwhile, Haman is again offended by Mordechai and consults with his friends. Now Haman listens to his wife's suggestion, and so he builds a gallows for Mordecai.

That night, Xerxes suffers from insomnia, and when the court records are read to him to help him sleep, he learns of the services rendered by Mordechai in the previous plot against his life. Ahasuerus is told that Mordechai has not received any recognition for saving the king's life. Just then, Haman appears, to ask the King to hang Mordechai, but before he can make this request, King Ahasuerus asks Haman what should be done for the man that the king wishes to honor. Thinking that the man that the king is referring to is himself, Haman says that the man should be dressed in the king's royal robes and led around on the king's royal horse, while a herald calls: "See how the king honours a man he wishes to reward!" To his horror and surprise, the king instructs Haman to do so to Mordechai. After leading Mordechai's parade, he returns in mourning to his wife and friends, who suggest his downfall has begun.

Immediately after, Xerxes and Haman attend Esther's second banquet, at which she reveals that she is Jewish and that Haman is planning to exterminate her people, including her. Overcome by rage, Xerxes leaves the room; meanwhile Haman stays behind and begs Esther for his life, falling upon her in desperation. The king comes back in at this moment and thinks Haman is assaulting the queen; this makes him angrier than before and he orders Haman hanged on the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordechai. The previous decree against the Jews cannot be annulled, BUT the king allows the Jews to defend themselves during attacks. As a result, on 13 Adar, five hundred attackers and Haman's ten sons are killed in Shushan, followed by a Jewish slaughter of seventy-five thousand Persians, although they took no plunder. Esther sends a letter instituting an annual commemoration of the Jewish people's redemption, in a holiday called Purim (lots). Xerxes remains very powerful and continues reigning, with Mordechai assuming a prominent position in his court.  (The whole writing is found in the book of Esther.)

What does this have to do with this new law?  These conservative law-makers are like Haman.  They are
building "gallows" to deal with law-breakers but those LOOSELY defined laws will become the very laws used against them in the end.  I don't want my government "arresting" citizens and not giving them "due process" and having them subject to a military style court.  I want the CONSTITUTION for ALL people, FOREIGN and DOMESTIC!  This is NOT a liberal or conservative issue - this is a NATIONAL FREEDOM of ALL AMERICAN'S issue!

To the right of this story is a list of links called IMPORTANT LINKS TO REMEMBER.  Find your representatives both at the local and national level and SPEAK UP!  Let your voice be heard and start ringing the bells and sounding the alarms!


Further reads on the subject:
Arrest McCain and Levin Now
Media's Blackout of the National Defense Authorization Act
Iron Curtain begins Descending onto the USA

Class War

Interesting e-mail that I received today. It reflects the feelings of a lot of people.  Class war at its best.  I have never heard this said as simply or as well.

The folks who are getting the free stuff, don't really like the folks who are paying for the free stuff, because the folks who are paying for the free stuff can no longer afford to pay for both the free stuff and their own stuff..

And, the folks who are paying for the free stuff want the free stuff to stop. And the folks who are getting the free stuff want even more free stuff on top of the free stuff they are already getting!

Now... the people who are forcing the people who pay for the free stuff have told the people who are RECEIVING the free stuff that the people who are PAYING for the free stuff are being mean, prejudiced, and racist.

So...the people who are GETTING the free stuff have been convinced they need to hate the people who are paying for the free stuff by the people who are forcing some people to pay for their free stuff and giving them the free stuff in the first place.

We have let the free stuff giving go on for so long that there are now more people getting free stuff than paying for the free stuff.

Now understand this. All great democracies have committed financial suicide somewhere between 200 and 250 years after being founded. The reason?

The voters figured out they could vote themselves money from the treasury by electing people who promised to give them money from the treasury in exchange for electing them.

The United States officially became a Republic in 1776, 231 years ago. The number of people now getting free stuff outnumbers the people paying for the free stuff.

We have one chance to change that in 2012. Failure to change that spells the end of the United States as we know it.

ELECTION 2012 IS COMING1  A Nation of Sheep Breeds a Government of Wolves!   I'M 100% for PASSING THIS ON !!! Let’s Take a Stand!!!

1. Obama: Gone!
2. Borders: Closed!
3. Language: English only
4. Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights!
5. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before Welfare!
6. NO freebies to: Non-Citizens!

We, the people, are coming.  It is estimated that only 86% will send this on. Should be a 100%.  What will you do?

Act Like a Patriot!

Many of us have heard about the Patriot Act and you may or may not know all that it deals with or what exactly is it suppose to do. 

Well, here is a light-hearted clip to get you up to speed with some of what is contained in the Patriot Act.  I believe this legislation needs a second look.  Let your US representatives know how you feel about it.

Presidential Eligibility and Election ID Card

In all my life I would have never thought how dishonest people would become when dealing with the top of our own National identity.  I guess it is being young and naive that you believe that all people in America LOVE America and want to keep her free and established as our founders did.  In recent years, it has become clear to all of us that there are just as many agendas here in America as there are agendas in the world.  Nothing is new.  Nothing is surprising. Tyranny is always looking to raise it's head and there will always be a group that is trying to conquer the other.

Yesterday, I saw that Arizona is taking the lead with some of the most advanced legislative action regarding proof of eligibility to hold the highest office in the land, president.  Representative Judy Burges has introduced another bill (as her last one fell short last year because of some last minute political maneuvering) that has 16 members of the Senate as co-sponsors.  It will only take 16 votes in the Senate to pass.  In the House there are 50 co-sponsors with the need for only 31 votes for passage.  There are ten other states who are addressing this issue as well (controlling 107 of the electoral college votes).  Seems many are interested in fixing a gap in the current interpretation of the demands set by the U.S. Constitution regarding federal election procedures that allowed Barack Obama to be nominated, elected and inaugurated without providing proof of his qualifications for the office of president in the 2008 elections.

New Hampshire has created a simple legislation to address the issue requiring an affidavit from a candidate stating that their qualifications including age, residence and being a "natural born citizen".  Georgia has gone quite a bit further with legislation HB37 by Representative Bobby Franklin that not only demands original birth certificate documentation but it also provides a procedure for and declares that citizens have "standing" to challenge the documentation.  They go on to state that each political party shall provide each candidate ... original documentation that he meets the qualifications of Article 2, Section 1, Paragraph 1 and Article 2, Section 1, Paragraph 5 of the U.S. Constitution to serve as president of the USA if elected to such office.

So according to the "liberal" media it is just a "minority" of "right-wing" conspiracy theorist who think that Obama was not eligible under the U.S. Constitution to serve as Commander and Chief.  Hmmm - so why are TEN states forming legislation to have candidates PROVE eligibility to serve?  Because the liberal media has is WRONG again!

Vote NO for TX Speaker Joe Straus

You voice must be heard regarding this current Speaker of the Texas House, Joe Straus.  Please, contact YOUR representative!  Here are three easy steps to follow regarding the matter:
1.    Contact your state representative. http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

2.    Send them a copy of the SREC resolution. http://www.unifiedrepublicans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2

3.    Ask your Representative PUBLICLY to announce their support of the resolution for Republicans to select the Republican Speaker by signing on to the website provided for that purpose. http://www.unifiedrepublicans.com/

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I received the following letter today and had to share it.  Here is another Representative, Leo Berman, in his own words, declaring why we conservatives need to un-seat this current Speaker of the Texas House. 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE LEO BERMAN
2109 Dover Lane
Tyler, Texas 75703

November 8, 2010

FROM CONSERVATIVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE LEO BERMAN

Dear Joe:

Abe Lincoln said, “You can fool all of the people some of the time; some of the people all of the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time”.

As a 22 year combat veteran, this is an appropriate week for me to prove the veracity of Abe Lincoln’s wisdom in your particular case and those who compromised their integrity along with you.

At the beginning of last session you and 10 of your cohort Republicans, RINOS would be the proper term, decided you did not want my good friend Tom Craddick, a solid conservative Speaker, to preside over the session. You met and voted among yourselves as to who would be your Speaker candidate.

It fell upon you since you were the least controversial although you were the one with the least service in the House. You had 11 votes but needed 65 more to make the 76 it takes to elect a Speaker.

You decided to go to the Democrats who eventually gave you the 65 votes to win. What did you give them? You gave them a promise not to bring legislation dealing with ILLEGAL ALIENS, PRO-LIFE ISSUES, or VOTER-ID to the House floor and that is exactly what happened during the session. The Democrats loved that deal because they opposed all three issues vehemently.

When I saw that no bills on illegal aliens were coming out of the State Affairs Committee Chaired by Rep. Burt Solomons, I did notice that Democrats were bringing bills to the floor that would have funneled millions of dollars directly to illegal aliens. I started to amend those bills immediately, with simple words which said, “These benefits are for U.S. citizens only”.

Excuse the term, but the Democrats went “nuts” over my amendments and Joe, you tried to come to their rescue. You came to my desk on the House floor and asked what you can do for me (like hearing one of my bills in Solomon’s committee) to get me to stop amending the Democrats’ bills. I could not believe what I heard from you. I asked you if you took the same oath of office that I did and then requested that you leave my desk quickly before I really got angry.

Finally, you single-handedly killed the Voter –ID Bill, a bill that 96% of Republicans in the 2008 Primary election voted to have considered in the next session.

Your Elections Committee Chair Todd Smith, another RINO, finally brought out a Voter-ID Bill with two weeks remaining in the session. You allowed the Democrat Speaker Pro-Tem, Rep. Craig Eiland, to delay the session by 5 full days, which automatically killed the Voter-ID Bill.

You could have stopped that from day 1 through day 5 but you sat on your hands somewhere behind the House Chamber. Your tenure as Speaker was a disaster as far as the fact that you called yourself a Republican.

On the first day of any session, it is a custom in the House that everyone votes for the Speaker candidate with 76 votes. There was not a Red Light on the board. You received every vote according to custom.

However, you and your cohorts, who were now positioned on every major committee, punished conservative leaders like me. Most did not get any major bills out of committee even though all followed the House custom and voted Yes for your Speakership.

Now, you have changed that custom! If you survive and there is a vote on you for Speaker, my vote will light up Red meaning NO. I believe there will be many NO’s on the board since you and your remaining 6 RINOS will keep conservative legislation from the floor.

By the way, the remaining 6 RINOS are Reps. Byron Cook, Charley Geren, Burt Solomons, Rob Eissler, Jim Keffer and you. Closely affiliated with this group are Reps. Dan Branch, Todd Smith, Vickie Truitt, Lois Kolkhorst and others who have written glowing statements about your service as Speaker.

They are all looking for something for themselves and will compromise their integrity for personal gain. I will NEVER compromise my integrity by giving you a green light if it comes to that. My vote will be a strong NO.

Recently, in the days prior to the General election [Nov. 2, 2010] you supported with your presence and funds Democrats who were opposed by substantial Republican candidates. Remember you promised the Democrats that you would not personally oppose one of their incumbents.

When I announced for Speaker and you realized that you had opposition, you shelled out over $700,000 to Republicans some of whom were actually conservatives, but I believe you did so in violation of State law and I filed an Ethics Commission violation against you with both the Ethics Commission and the District Attorney of Travis County. One of your spokesman said my complaint has no merit. We shall see!

To my colleagues in the House, I say you all know what Straus and his 10 cohorts did last session. They compromised their integrity. Don’t compromise yours by voting with Straus and writing fictitious statements about the service he provided. It was a farce! My military career forced me to detest those who would compromise their integrity for personal gain. You all know what I mean!

Sincerely,

/s/Leo Berman

Leo Berman

Time for a New Texas Speaker of the House

As many of you know, Joe Straus has been the speaker of the house for the Texas legislature these past few years and he is in this position as a Republicans.  What you may not know is all the politics that went on behind the scene to get him elected.  Many democrats voted him into this seat as they knew that the speaker appoints the key positions over all the committees.  He is able to appoint all the "chairs" and he did so by giving key Democrats chairmanship over key committees.  Each committee chair sets up the docket or the agenda of bills and sets the of b
ills to be discussed.  With a liberal republican as the speaker the Democrats got their agenda in without the people being the wiser. 

Well this maybe worked when the house was sitting with 76 Republicans to the 74 Democrats as was the case in the last legislature when the "special eleven" Democrats came across the isle to "help" elect him.   These special eleven have been known to call themselves as the "cardinals" and the speaker is their "pope".  They joined together with the other liberal Republicans and with all the Democrats (who were in the minority) and together they created a working majority and elected this liberal Republican (Joe Straus) as House Speaker – that is, he was the choice of Democrats more than of Republicans.

Well now we have a 99 Republicans and YOU the voter need to be made aware of what is going on here in our Texas house and what you can do to fix it.  There is very little about Speaker Straus that would show him to be a republican except for the capital "R" that is put in parenthesis behind his name.  What better way to express my point than to show you his own voting history. 

Here are a few of the bills that this current speaker has supported:

• SB 419 - vote 672 in 2005:  A bill that would make it easier to perform late-term abortions.
• SB 6 - vote 327 in 2005:  A bill regarding homosexuals as foster parents.
• HB 10 - vote 929 in 2007:  A bill regarding expanded casino gambling.
• HB 2265 - vote 749 in 2007: Increased gaming and gambling.
• HB 168 - vote 357 in 2005: Increased sale and consumption of alcohol during Sunday morning church hours.
• SB 1626 - vote 852 in 2005: Making it easier to sell alcohol without community approval as is currently required.
• SB 1 - vote 946 in 2005: Increasing the state budget spending by an amazing 19% over only two years.Groups that supported the speaker:
• In the 2007 session he received a 100% voting record from the radical pro-abortion group NARAL.
• The pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood contributed to his re-election campaign.

Here are some of the bills he opposed:

• HB 2685 - votes 384, 437 and 1407 in 2007: Using statistically-proven methods to strengthen marriage and reduce divorce by encouraging premarital counseling.
• HB 2136 - vote 592 in 2007:  Parental rights, opposing a bill to let parents kno w the service-referrals that school counselors are making for their children.

Some additional facts regarding the Speaker and Bills that were killed:

• Voter ID - which had a 90% support rate among Republicans and had passed the Republican Senate and Governor Perry was ready to sign but it was killed in the house by him and his liberal group of politicians.
• A popular pro-life bill which had 70% support among Republicans and had passed the Republican Senate and Governor Perry was ready to sign but was killed in the house by him and his liberal group of politicians.
• An independent political science professor (Dr. Mark Jones of Rice University) has now statistically proven just how successful the Democrats have been under this Republican Speaker and has authoritatively documented that the Democrats passed more of their agenda under Republican Speaker Joe Straus than they did when Democrat Pete Laney was their Speaker.

So with 99 Republicans elect this year, this issue is resolved, right?  WRONG!!
The following information came from David Barton (former Vice-President of the Republican Party of Texas)and rather than re-writing his entire letter, I thought I would just copy it here for you...

The State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) of the Republican Party of Texas just passed a resolution calling on Republican members of the State House to select their Speaker in Republican Caucus and then carry that selection to the floor of the House and pass it there. http://www.unifiedrepublicans.com/
In this manner, Republicans rather than Democrats will select the Republican Speaker of the Republican-controlled House. If the Republicans in caucus choose Joe Straus as their Speaker, that is fine; at least the decision will have been made by Republicans rather than Democrats.

Regrettably, however, following the passage of that common-sense resolution by the State Party, Speaker Straus' liberal Republicans called the State Party and threatened to withhold $170,000 they had pledged unless the Party rescinded its call for a Republican Speaker to be chosen by Republicans.

Republicans have worked too hard to allow a handful of liberal Republican State Representatives to give the House over to Democrats. In fact, in this election, there will be a significant increase in the number of conservative Republicans elected to the House, making it even more important that the Speaker be chosen by Republicans. In order for our last decade of hard work in electing conservative Republicans to not go to waste, I urge you to:

1.    Contact your state representative. http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

2.    Send them a copy of the SREC resolution. http://www.unifiedrepublicans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2

3.    Ask your Representative PUBLICLY to announce their support of the resolution for Republicans to select the Republican Speaker by signing on to the website provided for that purpose. http://www.unifiedrepublicans.com/

Texas has become the envy of the nation by enacting conservative economic and social policies in the legislature. Let's not let liberal Republicans join with Democrats to stop that progress. Please act today to contact your state representative. After all, what is controversial about Republicans simply meeting together, deciding who will be the Speaker candidate, and emerging with a single voice?  What could be more unifying?

Please act today. And please share this information with your conservative friends.

---end of letter from David Barton.

There are 150 State Representatives in our Texas House so 76 is the magic number.  Speaker Strauss has already announced that he has more than enough support to win re-election as the chamber's leader as he has 122 lawmakers (more than 4/5th of the House membership) who promise to vote for him when the Legislature convenes in January.  Immediately after the elections newly elected Republicans were being "wined and dined" regarding all the "opportunities" that would be available to them if they would "pledge" their support.

With redistricting as one of the many items on the upcoming agenda for this legislature, we NEED a Conservative Speaker MORE than ever before. Voter ID and Pro-life agenda were already stopped under his leadership.

Finally,  here is a list of the 25 members of the Texas House (listed below) who have NOT pledged (this number is now less than 25 as some have now pledged) to Straus.  Look for YOUR representative and see if they have pledged support or not.  Either way (if your rep's name is here or not), contact them and express YOUR opinion and then make the phone call and send them a copy of the resolution that David Barton stated above.  Ask them to PUBLICLY state their support of the resolution and while you have them on the phone voice your outrage if they support Straus!  What we saw in this last election is that WE THE PEOPLE need to continue to SPEAK UP!  We need to make our ELECTED officials HEAR US!

25 Members (Number is the District and the "X" = new member):

• 2 Flynn
• 3 Cain X
• 6 Berman
• 7 Simpson
• 9 Christian
• 12 White X
• 26 Howard, Charlie
• 30 Morrison
• 45 Isaac X
• 61 King
• 66 Taylor, Van X
• 74 Gallego (now has pledged to Straus)
• 82 Craddick
• 83 Perry
• 85 Landtroop X
• 88 Chisum
• 96 Zedler X (he withdrew his initial pledge to Straus)
• 101 Burkett X
• 106 Anderson X
• 107 Sheets X
• 117 Garza (now has pledged to Straus)
• 134 Davis X
• 136 Woolley

Here are the names of the infamous eleven: (as published and distributed at the State Republican Convention in Dallas 2010).
BEFORE the primaries and the elections, these were the remaining ten of the original eleven...Reps. Jim Pitt,s Rob Eissler, Byron Cook, Edmund Kuempel, Jim Keffer, Burt Solomons, Charlie Geren, Tommy Merritt (lost his primary), Delwin Jones (lost his primary) and Brian McCall (resigned to take an appointment to head a Texas college).  If Speaker Straus would have been "elected" among only Republicans, he would never have won this seat.  There were only 10 liberal Republicans who joined Democrats to elect him and he rewarded these ten with choice assignments and committee chars.  The gang of 10 was now down to the gang of 7 (again BEFORE this November election).

A Final List of Reasons Why We Don't Want Joe Straus as our Republican Speaker: (as published and distributed at the State Republican Convention in Dallas 2010).

• He joined John Sharp (D) to host a fundraiser for Patrick Rose (D-incumbent) to defeat conservative challenger Jason Isaac (R - who WON!)
• Texans for Economic Development (TED) is a pro-gambling PAC run by the former head of the State Democratic Party.  Last cycle TED spent $3000,000 in their attempt to defeat conservative House members including Reps. Betty Brown, Nathan Macias, Bill Zedler and Rep. Phil King.  Three of these conservatives lost because the Straus family gave $80,000 to TED. Rep. Phil King was the lone survivor.
• TED ran large amounts of its money through Parent PAC, whose consultant is Roy Fletcher - a business partner with Bil Clinton campaign strategist James Carville.  Like TED, Parent PAC also targets conservatives in the Texas House (and on the State Board of Education), having spent almost $1 million to remove Conservative Republicans.  (Several of Straus' Republican lieutenants also wrote out large contributions to Parent PAC.)
• Speaker Straus' political director is Gordon Johnson, a Democrat who ran TED.  Straus chose as his original Chief of Staff former Democrat State Rep. Clyde Alexander; his new Chief of Staff is Denise Davis, who was a central figure in the House coup to overthrow former conservative House Speaker, Tom Craddick.
• In the spring primaries, Speaker Straus used his resources in attempts to defeat the more Conservative candidate (such as as Van Taylor, Charles Perry and David Simpson) running against a liberal Republican House member.
• This year, 64 Conservative state legislators formed GOPAC-TX in "increase the number of Republicans serving the Texas Legislature by recruiting, training and funding conservative candidates."  After an excellent and effective beginning, Austin lobbyists report that the Speaker put out the word they were to give NO more money to GOPAC-TX; hence, funding has dried up for this outstanding conservative organization committed to defeating Democrats.
• Conservative State Senator Dan Patrick formed Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas (ICROT) for a purpose similar to GOPAC-TX; ad while 90% of House and Senate Republicans joined the group as charter members, Speaker Straus and six of his lieutenants refused to do so.
• Rene Oliveira is a big tax and spend Democrat House member, receiving an abysmal 35% rating from Texas for Fiscal Responsibility.  Nevertheless, Speaker Straus made Oliveira Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee with the responsibility of handling all tax policy; Oliveira has announced that he is seeking $3-4 billion in new tax revenues.
• Speaker Straus made lieutenant Todd Smith Chairman of the Elections Committee and Smith was able to prevent the Voter ID bill from coming to a vote, even though that measure had received the support of 93% of Republican voters in the primary.
• Speaker Straus made Republican lieutenant Burt Solomons Chairman of State Affairs Committee and Solomons kept the pro-life sonogram bill as well as all immigration legislation from coming to a vote.  Incidentally, as a reflection of his philosophy, Solomons had previously even objected to teaching that American is a blessed and unique nation (i.e., American Exceptionalism) and he also adamantly opposed a house bill to have Texas students recite portions of the Declaration of Independence.
• Speaker Straus made Republican lieutenant Edmund Kuempel Chairman of the Licensing Committee and while Straus' other lieutenants kept measure such as Voter ID, immigration and the pro-life sonogram bill from coming to the floor, Kuempel did get pro-gambling bills to emerge from his committee.  (The Straus family owns racetracks and gambling interest across the state and supports gambling and VLTs).
• Control of redistricting for the next ten years and Texas is expected to gain 4 new US congressional seats as well as draw improved prospects for Republican  state legislative districts, Speaker Straus made Delwin Jones (former Democrat and most liberal Republican in the House) Chairman of the Redistricting Committee.
• Speaker Straus inexplicably appointed Democrats Mike Villarreal and Aaron Pena to head redistricting hearing in cities such as San Antonio, Corpus Christi, McAllen, Lubbock, etc. (The testimony collected in those hearings will unquestionably be used in lawsuits filed by Democrat and liberals to contest the redistricting lines that will be drawn next year by Republican leaders and Speaker Straus is aiding this inevitable Democrat challenge.)
• Straus' Republican lieutenants were dispatched into primary races to work against conservative candidates; and in seats where conservative Republican members were retiring (e.g., David Swinford, Frank Corte, Joe Crabb, etc.), they worked to replace the retiring conservative with moderates and liberals.
• Straus Republican lieutenants Charlie Geren, Jim Keffer and Byron Cook aired radio ads supporting Democrat Mark Homer over conservative Republican Kirby Hollingsworth, helping the Democrat to a narrow win.
• Straus Republican lieutenant Jim Keffer did mail pieces for Democrat Mark Strama to help him defeat his Republican opponent.
• Straus lieutenants Dan Branch and Jim Pitts are helping Democrat Ellen Cohen against her Republican challenger, doing events with her in her district.
• Power Houston Democrats Sylvia Garcia (Democrat County Commissioner in Harris County) and Elyse Lanier (wife of the former liberal Democrat mayor Bob Lanier) sponsored a Democrat fundraiser for Speaker Straus with numerous Democrat officials and high ranking union officials.

There are additional examples, but these are sufficient to affirm tat the greatest threat to the conservative Republican gains in the Texas State House is not from Democrats but instead may be from Speaker Straus and his "Republican" lieutenants.

In closing, "Once...I said, 'This is a wonderful time to be alive,' and I meant that.  I meant that we're lucky not to live in pale and timid times.  We've been blessed with the opportunity to stand for something - for liberty and freedom and fairness.  And these are things worth fighting for - worth devoting our lives to.  And we have good reason to be hopeful and optimistic.  We've made much progress already!  So, let us go forth with good cheer and stout hearts - happy warriors out to seize back a country and a world to freedom!" - Ronald Reagan's words from March 8, 1985.

Free Speech! Not So Much Anymore

Last night I heard that Sheryl Crow has written a song entitled Say What You Want. In the song Sheryl slams Sarah Palin and then she went on a rant about her political feelings against the political right and how she embraces and endorses the far-left.   I did some checking and recently, when asked about the Tea Party movement in an interview with Katie Couric, Sheryl said, they (Tea Party people) "haven't educated themselves...they're just p*ssed off.  They're not sure what they're angry at," Crow continued.  "[T]hey don't understand what's happening on Wall Street."

She went on to say that "[K]nowledge is power, and anything less than that when it comes to anger can be dangerous".  Maybe Sheryl should take her own advice and educate herself before she opens her mouth about education.  According to a New York Times poll Tea Party members are "more educated than the general public".  She is the one stirring things up as she went on to say how they (TEA Partiers) are "angery".

It's a free country and people have a right under the First Amendment of the US Constitution to express their opinion.  Right?  Well, maybe not so much anymore!

This morning I receive some information about another song written by a guy named Bryan Glover, a "former" middle school assistant football coach from Williamson County in Franklin, Tennessee.  He too wrote a song (along with a parent from the team) and shared it will his email contacts list.  Seems a few people in that list were parents of some of his football team members.  The few parents went to the principal and demanded his firing.  Well, he is now fired for expressing his free speech rights.

I too have received emails from people who have acquired my address through "events" and these emails were promoting their business or their fundraiser.  I guess it would qualify as SPAM as I didn't give my email for that purpose but a simply notification of the offender is adequate.  At most, the coach just wasn't thinking it through but that is not grounds for dismissal.  Below is the link to the song and the words.  I think this should be the TEA party's new theme song!  I like it!

When You’re Holding a Hammer Everything Looks Like a Nail!

(Click on bottom right corner of link to listen to song)

Words and Music by Kyle Hill and Bryan Glover

He was a little man, just turned three

Took the present from his daddy’s hand

A genuine toy hammer

He started beatin’ to beat the band

He hit the floors and the wall, broke a lamp in the hall,

Started swinging at the puppy’s tail

When you’re holding a hammer

Everything looks like a nail

He was the president, number 44

He says “Trust me, I’m here to help you

I have got some big big plans
You’re gonna love what I’m gonna do”

There’s no problem too big or small

He thinks he’s got an answer that just can’t fail

When you’re holding a hammer

Everything looks like a nail

He thinks big thoughts and he dreams big dreams

But it’s another man’s sweat that pays for those schemes

He don’t care how the little people feel

‘Cause savin’ the world is a big freakin’ deal

So he does his business behind closed doors

And pretends that the world is just beggin’ for more

When the stuff hits the fan he says “Don’t look at me

If you got trouble, blame 43”

Now Congress is saving Wall Street

While they’re watching Main Street fall

They got health care all figured out

But it don’t seem to care much at all

As soon as they save this planet

They’ll put the fire out in hell

When you’re holding a hammer

Everything looks like a nail

They think big thoughts and they dream big dreams

But it’s another man’s sweat that pays for those schemes

They don’t care how the little people feel
‘Cause savin’ the world is a big freakin’ deal
They do their business behind closed doors

And pretend that the world is just beggin’ for more

When the stuff hits the fan they say “Don’t look at me

If you got trouble, blame 43”

There’ll be a party come this November

Where we’re gonna set things straight

All good people gonna gather ‘round

Gonna show what made this country great

We’ll run off the schemers and back-room dealers

So the Red, White and Blue will prevail
When we’re holding the hammer

When we’re holding the hammer

When we’re holding the hammer

Every one of them looks like a nail

Nevada TEA Party

I didn't see this covered on my local news and I assume you didn't as well.  Here is the Harry Reid Retirement Party AKA the Searchlight Nevada TEA Party gathering in March of this year.  Unbelievable the numbers of people that are turning out for these gatherings and it is NO surprise that this was in Senator's Harry Reid's Backyard.  I think you could assume that people are going to vote this November and it doesn't Look Good for the Senator.