Tuesday night, June 10th, 2014 residents of Virginia’s 7th district made history by voting out Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary election. Cantor, a career politician and neo-conservative was ousted in favor of newcomer David Brat, a local university economics professor.  Brat is being hailed as a “tea party” candidate, and while his views seem to align well with those generally held by tea party affiliates he actually received no backing from the major tea party organizations, due to the evidently misled belief that Cantor was untouchable. Brat’s win truly is a history making event, and one that sends a shock wave through the GOP establishment.  Late night’s victory marks the first time in US history that a House Majority Leader has been unseated in a primary election.  The implications of this win are far reaching.  Cantor has been a vocal supporter of amnesty measures for so-called illegal immigrants – an issue that has been coming to a head recently with immigrant children currently flooding over the US-Mexico border as an unforeseen ramification of President Obama’s recent declaration that children would not be deported. Mr. Brat was able to use this to his full advantage to […]

I talk a lot about politics.  I have a blog that focuses largely on politics (thanks for reading it).  I read a lot about politics.  Well, I also tried to break into politics and I’m considering giving it a second go.  Unfortunately, it’s left me ill at ease and struggling with what I view as a moral dilemma. In 2012 I ran for my local Republican committee.  I was seeking election to the position of Committeeman.  This is basically the lowest level of elected political office.  The role is that of “vote-getter”.  Responsibilities include voter registration, staffing the polls on election day, signature collection to get candidates on the ballot, “get out the vote” efforts, door-to-door canvasing and placing all of those political signs that appear everywhere before an election. At the time when I ran for the position it was vacant, and had been for over a year.  I contacted my county GOP and expressed interest in fulling the vacancy, which can be accomplished by appointment by the GOP county executives.  I had a meeting with the GOP executive responsible for my part of the county which I thought had gone well.  My appointment to the post never came […]

On Monday, October 17th Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul released his “Plan to Restore America”. The plan outlined some bold objectives for his first term in office if elected including $1 trillion in cuts the first year and a balanced federal budget by year 3. Dr. Paul does this all without raising any taxes. In fact, he lowers and eliminates some! The plan calls in a reduction of corporate tax to 15%, and the elimination of capital gains tax, the “death tax”, and taxes on personal savings accounts, while extending the Bush tax cuts. In order to achieve the massive spending cut, the government workforce will be reduced by 10% through attrition and the Departments of Energy, Commerce, Interior, Education, and Housing and Urban Development would all be eliminated with certain functions moving to remaining departments.  The plan will end the wars and cut all of that funding, while maintaining Defense spending and cutting all foreign aid.  It will cap all Federal Government spending at 2006 levels as well as abolish the TSA and turn those security duties over to the private sector. To foster an environment in which the economy can recover and jobs can be created Dr. Paul […]

Lately Rick Perry has been all over the headlines.  He is the new media darling in the race for the Republican Party nomination.  Talk of Perry entering the race has been going on for months, but was recently confirmed by his formal announcement, made the day of the Ames, IA straw poll.  Ever since he has been touted as the candidate to beat in the Republican race; taking the lead spot from Mitt Romney in nearly every poll.  As the new leader, he is drawing flack from all over the political spectrum.  He is a target of Democrats and competing Republicans. So who is Rick Perry?  Is he just another man running in an already broad field, or is he truly the candidate to beat?  Is he really the kind of person we want in the White House?  Does he have a consistent and Constitutional stance on the issues?  These are a few of the questions that will be addressed as we delve into Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Perry. ♦♦♦ Personal Life James Richard “Rick” Perry was born on March 4, 1950 in Paint Creek, TX.  His father was a Democrat, which is the party Rick Perry held to until […]