The Conservative Pirate

A Pleasure Sailing With You

2006-11-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

Hello dear friends,

Many have been asking where I've been over the past several months. I've been shall we say "shipwrecked" for lack of a better term. Due to several personal issues, I've been away from the politcal seas.

With this in mind, I'm making this my last post as The Conservative Pirate. Fear not, although this is my last post as the Pirate, I'll soon be back in a different form picking up from where I left off and still creating havoc for liberals whereever I go.

It has been a pleasure sailing the seas with you all and I shall return. Just like Douglas MacArthur.

Clueless in D.C.

2006-05-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Is is just me or am I starting to see Congress majoring in the minors?

Case in point, congress is right now holding hearings on the constitutionality of the recent raid on Louisiana congressman William Jefferson's office. Political corruption certainly isn't a new thing inside the beltway, but what has me scratching my head is the Republican Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert, raising a fuss over this nonsensical argument over separation of powers along with other members of Congress.

Congress has much bigger concerns to deal with than who has what right to do what. We have a war in Iraq and troops to support. We have an invasion by our so-called friends from Mexico and illegal immigration running rampant with no cohesive border protection policy in sight. We have no serious energy policy to get us off our dependence of oil from countries that would rather blow us up than look at us. And Congress wants to debate why the FBI had no perceived right to search a sitting congressman's office even though they had a warrant? Give me a break!

Congressman Jefferson is currently under investigation for bribery and other charges. There's a videotape of the congressman taking a $100,000 bribe. The FBI found $90,000 in a freezer in his home. Now that's some serious cold cash. If I were a judge, I would definitely think that's enough probable cause to issue a search warrant. Rational people would also think that busting a member of congress is more important than separation of powers.

The bottom line of all this is...

First, the FBI had enough probable cause and a warrant pursuant to the 4th Amendment regarding search and seizure.

Second, Speaker Hastert and other members of Congress (especially Republicans) need to pipe down and make sure they keep their own houses in order instead of complaining about separation of powers.

Third and most important, let this search be wisdom and warning to all members of Congress that the 'culture of corruption' is non-partisan. As my late grandfather always tauight me....stupidity doesn't discriminate.

You’re Kidding Me… Right?

2006-05-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

(A special note of thanks to OregonConservative.com for posting the article from which I’ll be quoting. God bless you for your great work.)

In the wake of last week’s primary, mainstream moderate Republicans are all giddy over Saxton’s win. In fact, some media outlets are looking forward to the battle for Mahonia Mansion.

A recent article n the Eugene Register-Guard from Thurs. May 18th written by David Steves, makes me wonder what on earth are some of these reporters and various others smoking or drinking to come up with some of these ludicrous conclusions. Take for example the headline of the aforementioned article.

“Republican Saxton Leaves Primary With A Unified Party”

Huh? That right there immediately made me suspicious. First of all, given recent blog postings by several conservative bloggers in the region, there are serious questions about whether Ron Saxton is even Republican. Then ever more deluded is the idea that the party is unified. I’ve seen no evidence of it, especially in conservative Republican circles. Many conservatives I’ve spoken to personally aren’t even considering voting for Saxton at all in November.

A combination of Mr. Saxton’s flip-flops on issues such as illegal immigration during the primary, the shabby treatment of Senator Jason Atkinson by talk radio personality Lars Larson, and the growing disdain and disgust of social conservatives feeling like they’ve stitting in the back of the political bus for years has led to a pressure cooker effect among Reagan conservatives that’s about to explode in the Oregon GOP’s face if they’re not careful.

One portion of the article that I found interesting and mildly amusing was this:

“Meanwhile, the Republican nominee, Ron Saxton, appears better positioned than any of his predecessors have in two decades to unite his party and threaten the Democrats' five-term hold on the Oregon governorship.”

Really? Given what I just mentioned in the previous paragraph, Mr. Saxton has a long way to go before anyone can announce he’s unified the Republican Party. If the more staunch conservative elements of the party can’t be convinced to support him, then Saxton has some serious Republican undervote issues to deal with and overcome. President Bush lost Oregon in 2000 by less than 7,000 votes and there were 11,000 Republicans who didn’t even turn out to vote that year. You can’t tell me that in a close race, turning out your own party base doesn’t count for something.

Republican consultant Chuck Adams, when quoted in Mr. Steves’ article, reached another fascinating but deluded conclusion:

“Saxton had several factors on his side. His closest and more socially conservative rival, Kevin Mannix, endorsed the nominee right away Tuesday night. The biggest factions of Republican-voting activists - abortion foes, anti-gay marriage activists, anti-tax groups and property-rights supporters - were behind Saxton.”

Again I would say HUH? Getting support from fiscal conservatives and property rights advocates is easy, but if Saxton was so liked by pro-lifers, then why didn’t he receive any endorsements from Oregon Right To Life or any other pro-life groups during the primary? Kevin Mannix’s endorsement was certainly the gentlemanly thing to do, but it doesn’t guarantee that Saxton will get all of Mannix’s supporters. Saxton is certainly not getting too many of Atkinson’s.

Any support from gay marriage opponents was fairly simple. All Saxton had to do was take the position of House Speaker Karen Minnis and say the people had spoken in 2004, which is the safe road and probably garnered some support from the faith community with the help of supposed pro-family advocates. However, the question of whether or not Saxton would support any kind of civil unions bill is still unanswered in spite of what he may have said in the past. (Saxton’s website’s issues page is being updated, but that’s another issue for another post.)

I do believe Mr. Adams even got in a backhanded insult when he was later quoted in the article when he said:

“Considering he's going up against a Democratic incumbent in a blue state, Adams said Saxton had the best chance to win since Dave Frohnmayer's 1990 gubernatorial bid was spoiled by an independent conservative candidate.”

(Translation: Those *&%#* religious conservatives are ruining the party and they need to be stopped or marginalized before they screw it up for Saxton.)

It may be a reach when I say that Adams like many other self-styled moderates, have a certain contempt for social conservatives, but that’s a reach I’m willing to make given personal experience and hearing the experiences of others throughout the state. It also fuels the fallacy that only a moderate can beat a liberal. All you have to do is go back to Goli Ameri’s 2004 congressional bid to discover the flaws in that theory.

To add more fuel to the fire of social conservatives is a quote in the article from Tim Nashif of the Oregon Family Council:

“Saxton's bread-and-butter issues are the economy, holding the line on taxes and squeezing more efficiency out of government services. But he's done enough with his opposition to gay marriage and support for abortion restrictions, such as parental notification, to satisfy social conservatives, said Tim Nashif, a Portland Republican strategist and head of the anti-gay marriage group, the Oregon Family Council. Nashif said he expected little pressure from social conservatives for Saxton to bring up their hot-button issues in the fall, when independent and Democratic voters would be more likely to see them as reasons to vote against him.”

Nashif, who has had some highly questionable associations and a less than sterling reputation along with more than a few turbulent relationships with many other social conservatives, is perpetuating the perception that Saxton is a pro-family candidate. It’s more like pro-family lite given we have no voting record to go by. At least Mannix and Atkinson do.

This is part of the reason why social conservatives are potentially going to stay home or vote for other candidates in protest because many feel disenfranchised and continually betrayed by party leaders including those who claim pro-life, pro-family views.

When all is said and done at the end of Election day, will we have a new governor or will Oregon be subjected to another 4 years of business as usual politics? If Mr. Saxton were smart, he’d start bridge building with social conservatives because if the election is close, those potential Republican undervotes could easily be the difference between victory and defeat. Reagan conservatives are refusing to take a back seat anymore. Please Mr. Saxton for the sake of your candidacy, work with us and not against us.

The Revolution Beings Today (and it won't be televised)

2006-05-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

Although Jason Atkinson's bid to win the GOP nomination ended last night, the movement he's started has only just begun. Conservatives everywhere are starting to find a new wind in their sails and are looking to vent their frustrations and passions.

There are lingering questions that we conservatives need to answer such as do we support Saxton in order to get rid of 'Over his head' Ted? This can only be answered in the depths of one's own heart. Fortunately, that question can wait until November.

For now dear friends, the pirate will be joining a new Alliance of conservatives and starting the Oregon conservative revolution. I'll be upgrading my weapons and finding more bounty to claim in the marketplace of ideas as well as new allies along the way.

Some more moderate voices will try and pin the blame for the primary fight on us former Atkinson supporters and will continue to insist that conservatives, especially Christian conservatives, are runing the party. My response....SO!

I look forward to joining up with my new partners in crime (and a few old ones too) in taking the GOP back to its conservative roots. It's morning in Oregon again! Vive La Revolution! Vive Ronald Reagan!

The New Conservative Revolution (or Life After Atkinson)

2006-05-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

Jason Atkinson’s campaign for governor has been something of a godsend for conservatives in Oregon. For the first time in quite a while, conservatives actually have a candidate that they can rally around and vote for as opposed to settling for someone and holding their nose while they vote for him/her.

As the primary approaches within the next 36 hours (as of this posting) I have to wonder something that many conservatives haven’t taken into consideration. What happens if Jason Atkinson doesn’t win the nomination? I know some may not want to hear this, but it is a possibility that cannot be ignored.

Senator Atkinson has said on numerous occasions that his campaign is “movement based” and that’s part of the reason why I’ve given him my support. But what happens to the conservative movement once the primary is over and Atkinson doesn’t win? Is the conservative movement going to fold up shop until 2008? I sincerely hope not. There’s too much left to do and resigning ourselves to remain in the political wilderness is not an option.

In my nearly 15 years of being politically active as a columnist and activist, I’ve often wondered about the behavior of some conservatives. It seems that we (conservatives) have this tendency to take our ball and go home when we face a defeat. If this behavior were true of all conservatives, there would be no Ronald Reagan or a Newt Gingrich proposing a “Contract With America”.

In short, the history of conservatives, at least in Oregon anyway, has mostly been outstanding on ideology, but seriously lacking in practicality. If a renewed conservative revolution is going to take place in Oregon, there must be maturity and resolve to stay in the fight for the long haul. Basically, conservatives and conservatism need to grow up.

I know what I just said was harsh, but there’s a method to my madness. In a recent conversation I had with a friend and political ally, I was informed that a mutual Christian conservative friend of ours wasn’t supporting Atkinson because they were offended by something he or his campaign had done to them. Needless to say I was utterly stunned. This is the type of thing that liberals do. Liberals are the ones often offended, that’s why political correctness is so rampant and out of control. It’s almost a liberal’s raison d’etre to be offended.

If this behavior is going to be the norm for conservatives, especially Christian conservatives, then we might as well close up shop now. Conservatives have to understand that nobody is perfect and if we expect perfection, we’re going to be constantly disappointed. There are issues I may not totally agree with Senator Atkinson on, but I still believe he’s the right man for Oregon at this crucial juncture. Unlike state Representative Jeff Kropf, I’m supporting Atkinson even though he hasn’t called me.

We have to get over ourselves. If we truly care about the future of Oregon, then we can’t go around with a selfish mindset. If we focus our efforts on things that will bring the most benefit to others, then we can say that we’ve served the cause of conservatism. Walking around with your feelings hurt isn’t going to get the job done, it makes the conservative movement look bad, and it gives moderates more to talk about at parties laughing at us while we implode.

I’m quite certain that I’m going to get some rude comments after this post, but because I love Oregon and I’m glad to be a conservative, I make these observations as wisdom and warning. Lives and the future are in the balance. Conservative should not be used as a pejorative or as a smoke screen for moderates, but it should be used as a moniker of pride. If others in the GOP have trouble with Reagan conservatives, then that’s their problem. But I’d like to be able to take a sense of accomplishment in a movement that I love very much rather than making excuses for it because of the antics of a few knuckleheads.

Oregon’s new conservative revolution starts on Wednesday, May 17th. I hope you’ll join me as I sail onward to a brighter future for conservatives and for Oregon. A generation of future leaders is at stake.

Atkinson Gains Momentum

2006-05-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

With just one week left before the primary, it seems that Jaosn Atkinson is gaining momentum in the polls.

With a recent endorsement by the Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF), it seems that Atkinson's conservative message is reaching more single issue voters. Why on earth Oregon Right To Life gave their endorsement to Kevin Mannix is truly beyond me considering that Atkinson has a more substantive record on the life issue than Mannix ever did. That's beside the point.

As of May 7th, only 10 percent of ballots had been turned in by all registered voters statewide. With so many Republicans still undecided, I will be doing my part as a concerned Oregoinian to get the word out about Atkinson. Hope you all will join me.

Dairy Farmers Having A Cow

2006-04-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has the insanity about illegal immigration spread to almost epidemic proportions?

I know Oregon is supposed to be this "progressive" state, but what has been recently reported on Lars Larson's radio show took the cake for me.

Jim Krahn, the head of the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, sent a letter to Oregon's dairy farmers asking them to support the planned May 1st walk out by hispanic workers. In the letter, Mr. Krahn asked the state's dairy farmers to show solidarity for the migrant workers and to call for reform by Congress.

Krahn stated the following talking point in his letter which the ODFA tried to suppress knowledge of:

"We would encourage you as an employer to show support. On May 1st, a white shirt will be considered a symbol of respect and support. Encourage your employees to use American flags; consider supplying a few for them to carry and display."

Among the noxious rhetoric in the letter, other items that were sent to the farmers in this mailing included draft letters to be sent to congressmen and a letter which explained the ODFA's & NMPF's position on immigration policy.

(NMPF is the National Milk Producers Federation)

According to the NMPF, Oregon and Washington are the only 2 states in the nation engaging in this exercise in serious stupidity and they have not and will not support it.

I think there are more than enough people who have grown quite disgusted with the concept that people who have come to this country by breaking our laws can go out, march in our streets with their native country's flag, and tell our lawmakers how they should be treated is something I thought I'd never see in my lifetime. I know that in many cases common sense and good judgment have gone down the sewer, but not to this level.

For people who have broken our nation's laws to demand rights that they have no business having takes a level of unmitigated gall, brazen audacity and a pair of brass ones that I've never seen before. What makes this even worse is that there are well-meaning, but seriously misguided people, who think that these illegals are somehow harmless and have no negative impact on our lives. These same misguided folks also vote the same kind of leaders into office who share this deluded, utpoian view.

For an organization like the Oregon Dairy Farmers to ask their members to support a walk out by mostly illegal aliens is ludicrous at best. Some ODFA members are speaking out in opposition to this silliness and the rest are hopefully giving Mr. Krahn an earful.

I know several farmers and I don't think that any one of them would ever support such a lame proposal especially on a day that is most associated with communism and socialism. You call that American? I certainly wouldn't.

What's So Special About The Special Session?

2006-04-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, well. It seems that our illustrious governor 'Over His Head' Ted Kulongoski has called a special session of the legislature this coming week to address the ongoing whining over school funding.

I don't make the previous comments lightly or glibly. Having had a family that produced 3 teachers, I understand and appreciate the importance of education. I consider myself blessed to have a mother who was so concerned about my education, she made me travel across Portland to make sure I had the best education available. I thank her for that even to this day.

But the same gripes, moans, and whines about not having enough money for education has fallen upon my deaf ears long ago. When we spend over 10 thousand dollars per student per year K-12 (all funds money) and we only have only 70 percent of kids graduating, then we have more than a mere funding problem. We need some serious reform and an overhaul of the current system.

One aspect of the whole education silliness that has bothered me for years is the academic achievement gap among minority students and their white counterparts. Many a Portland School Board meeting in recent years has erupted into near rioting when the legitimate concerns of black parents were consistently ignored by a supposedly compassionate school board in the cradle of diversity and tolerance. So much for that idea.

The issue of the schievment gap has yet to have a real resolution. If you don't believe me, take a good look at Portland's Jefferson High School and other Portland area high schools. In the 2002-2003 school year, 4 out of the 5 worst high schools in Oregon for CIM & CAM performance were in the Portland School District. To my knowledge as of the the time of this posting, the situation hasn't improved all that much, if at all.

Albert Einstein said it best when he described the true definition of 'insanity'. It's doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Throwing money at the school crisis has done little or any good for the students for over 20 years, but has helped the OEA and other public employee unions keep their PERS pensions in fairly good shape.

Now before you teacher's union members and other state employees begin having enough cows to start a dairy farm, hear me carefully. I know there are some very good and dedicated teachers out there and they deserve to be paid more than what they're getting. I've also never begrudged any state employee good pay and a decent retirement plan. But let's get real here. Nowhere in the private sector do you get a garaunteed return on your retirement investment. That's a big part of the education crisis, PERS costs.

This isn't an article on PERS, but it can't help but be mentioned when you discuss education. Let's talk about how we can keep 30 percent of kids from dropping out of school (most of them minorities). Let's talk about inovation, educational choice, and stop treating education as a 'one size fits all' issue. Then we can more bang for our tax dollars and actually get kids educated and not indoctrinated.

There are much better things that kids can be doing than participating in immigration reform protest on school time when they could actually be learning something that will make them competitive in the 21st centruy global economy.

The day politicians, teachers unions and other public employees stop using our kids as political weapons and renounce their need for greed and control, we can actually say we did something really significant for education. Until then, it's just another dog and pony show where more taxpayer dollars are wasted, more rhetoric is spewed, and I have to buy more antacid because my stomach will be doing cartwheels.

Republican Assembly Gives Atkinson A Boost

2006-04-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Republican Assembly in Lane County unanimously have given their endorsement to State Senator Jason Atkinson in his bid for Governor on Saturday.

This endorsement from the Assembly will hopefully give a boost to Atkinson's campaign as well as assurance that the conservative base of the GOP is well served.

With a little over a month left before the primary, it's not known if the Assembly's endorsement will have any real impact, but it certainly couldn't hurt too much at this point.

Only time will tell if the momentum that Atkinson has been building will get him over the top and the candidacy in May.

More Money for Portland Schools... I Don't Think So

2006-02-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Reports surfaced today that Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski is expected to make a proposal during his State of the State address on Friday to ask the legislature to approve using $500 million dollars from state reserves to help alleviate the Portland School District's deficit. This is a seriously stupid idea from the get go for a variety of reasons.

First of all, the fact that Kulongoski is asking the legislature for even more money than it got during the regular session of the legislature is audacious enough on its own. We already fund state schools at a near ridiculous level as it stands now. We still have a high drop out rate, an achievement gap between minorities and whites that gives the Grand Canyon a run for its money, and a public pension system that makes up a disproportionate amount of state education funding.

Second, the fact that Kulongoski even wants to make one particular school district an exemption to state funding laws only adds fuel to the fire of resentment that already exists between Portland and the rest of the state.

Third and most annoying of all, to enable the Portland School District's fiscal irresponsibility and dysfunction, which has gone on for years, only lets the Portland School Board know that they can continue their highly iratic spending and continual mismanagement of priorities with impugnity.

I don't know about you, but I have no intention of letting my hard earned tax money be used to subsidize the largess of a school district that has a proven track record of serious mismanagement, fiscal folly, and misguided political motives.

Some people may think that I'm cruel and don't care about kids and they are free to do it, but if the Portland School District can't get its house in order then don't be surprised if the house falls. And no safety net on earth can stop it no matter how good our intentions may be. Which by the way, the road to hell is paved with the same.

Who Are The Real Racists?

2006-02-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

With Black History Month just getting underway along with the recent passing of Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr. Martin Luther king Jr., a few pet peeves of mine need to be addressed.

With the often vitriolic rhetoric and incessant accusations of racism leveled by the Congressional Black Caucus, civil rights leaders and their allies in the media against President Bush, Republicans, and conservatives in general, it absolutely amazes me that when you look at history, the facts don't even come close to supporting these baseless and divisive charges.

NAACP chairman Julian Bond in a Feb. 1st speech in North Carolina made the asinine assertion that:

"The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side,"

Mr. Bond also continued his tirade of name calling by accusing Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and her equally illustrious predecessor Colin Powell of being "tokens". This isn't the first time Mr. Bond and the leadership of the NAACP have ventured into blatantly partisan waters. Former NAACP president Kwiesi Mfume called conservative blacks "ventriloquists dummies". So much for embracing diversity.

I'm utterly amazed at how easily many black Americans are quick to embrace all kinds of lies and fairy tales just because some civil rights "leader" or minister says so. This is a gospel that has led to more societal dysfunction in black America for the past 40 years. The intellectual laziness of blacks to do the most basic of homework shows me that too many sheep are all too happy to be led to the proverbial slaughter.

In the case of the recently departed Mrs. King, Georgia governor Sonny Purdue has granted the honor of Mrs. King's body to lie in honor in the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. She is the first black American to be granted this honor in the state's history. An honor granted by a Republican governor. President Bush and the First Lady will be attending the memorial service for Mrs. King on Tuesday in Atlanta.

In 1968 when Dr. King was tragically assassinated in Memphis, then Georgia governor Lester Maddox, a Democrat and renown segregationist, never granted Dr. King the same honor. A fact that has been conveniently overlooked by the mainstream press and civil rights leaders because it doesn't fit their template or agenda.

When civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks passed away in the fall of 2005, Her body was to lie in honor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Parks became the first woman and the second black American to receive this honor. An honor granted by a Republican president.

The history of both political parties on civil rights and racism is like comparing apples to oranges. The entire hisrtory of Democrats, Republicans, and civil rights is best saved for a book, not a blog posting. For black leaders to continue this nonsensical demagoguery about Republicans and racism, it's a sure path that only leads to certain irrelevancy and marginalization.

As I was taught by my late grandfather, if people want to hang themselves, just supply the rope, get out of the way and let them do the rest.

Coretta Scott King: Free At Last

2006-01-31T19:32:00.000-08:00

Coretta Scott King, the widow of renown civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away this morning at the age of 78. She had been in recovery from a stroke and heart attack she suffered in the fall of 2005.

Although the exact cause of death has yet to be determined at the time of this posting, its impact has been immediately felt. Flags are flying at half staff in Georgia and in Washington D.C. to honor the death of Mrs. King. Goergia Governor Sonny Purdue has made the rotunda of the State Capitol in Atlanta available for the body to lie in state and President Bush began his annual State of the Union address honoring Mrs. King and her numerous accomplishments. Mrs. King death comes only a few short months after civl rights pioneer Roas Parks passed away last year at the age of 92.

I can only hope that the Congressional Black Caucus and other supposed civl rights "leaders" will actually behave themselves and show some decorum and not use the occasion of Mrs. King's memorial to push forth their warped gospel of victimology as they have at celebrations honoring her late husband in times past.

Coretta Scott King is a woman to be admired. For her conviction, courage, and steadfast devotion to her husband and the ideas he espoused. The civil rights movement has lost another gracious warrior. However, I can't feel all that sad because I have to believe that she's been reunited with her husband and together they can say...

Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty we're free at last.

Alito, Democrats, & The True Meaning of Insanity

2006-01-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

As I watched television over the weekend, I was reminded of the old saying that goes something like this. The true meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

Needless to say I was surprised (and not surprised) to hear that there's an effort by some seante Democrats to try and filibuster the confirmation of Judge Sam Alito and delay the vote long enough so President Bush can't tout another victory before Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

(Side note: There are far too many people in this country whose only reason for being is to vehemently hate George W. Bush. A piece of good advice, going around with so much hatred in your life and heart is no way to live.)

Not surprising (again), this insane effort is being led by by Massachusetts' favorite sons or sons of *$#!& depending on your viewpoint, John Kerry and that paragon of virtue Ted Kennedy. If Alito's confirmation wasn't so crucial to the future of this nation, I could actually laugh at this. I say this for the following reasons:

First, there's not enough votes to sustian the filibuster. The Gang of 14 should see to that.
Second, Democrats know that there's not enough votes to stop Alito's confirmation when it goes to the floor vote.
Third, for liberals to engage in this type of obstructionism doesn't help them in the short term given what happened during the hearings with Alito's wife being brought to tears.
Fourth, they've obviously forgotten happened to the great obstructionist Tom Daschle in 2004.

This futile effort and the inane babblings of these certain senators has proven that too many in the modern Democratic Party are at the beckon call of the ACLU, radical feministas, and the usual way out in left field suspects.

To the seante Democrats; if you're going to oppose Alito, just vote no, take your loss, and get ready for the next battle. You've already have a bad enough reputation after the vicious berating you gave Alito and his wife's reaction.

If you're going to let Ted Kennedy, Charles "Chuckles" Schumer, and Patrick Leahy be your voices of reason, then speak on. It'll make great entertainment and even better fodder for conservative talk radio. I just hope I can make a reasonable profit on the DVD sales.

Oregon Needs Help...BAD

2006-01-29T07:37:00.000-08:00

Having traveled the political seas of Oregon for several years, I've discovered far too many reasons to become cynical. After years of Democrat rule, Oregon is solidly on the fast track to certain implosion. The elections of Barbara Roberts, John "Dr. No" Kitzhaber, and "Sleepy" Ted Kulongoski have proven that beyond a shdow of any doubt. Many Oregonians across the politcal spectrum have wondered is there any hope and in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I'm one of them.

I am beginning to think that Oregon does have a chance to turn things around for the better. At a recent Oregon GOP meeting, the Republican National Committee has considered Oregon a potential "pickup state" for the number of governorships it now holds. Not that I'm really all that concerned about national politics, but Oregon needs a change in its leadership and it needs it badly. No longer can we afford (literally and figuratively) an elitist political class that has no courage of conviction or isn't firmly grounded in reality. This is why I've taken the great blogger ocean in search of fuzzy thinking and to plunder liberal ideas no matter where they're found.

In the next few weeks as I go sailing about before the May primary, I will bring you insights and thoughts as well as my gubernatorial pick for the Republican primary.

For now friends, I hope to see you out in the ocean of ideas as I begin my adventures.