In mid-October, everyone was preparing for the first Republican Debate hosted by Fox News. The top-tier debate, as it is known, consisted of candidates Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, and Scott Walker. Well, until the Governor of Ohio John Kasich announced his candidacy. Coming into an already crowded Republican Primary, Governor Kasich unseated Rick Perry from the top tier debate and banished Perry’s campaign to oblivion. After that first debate, he was championed by the media as having a great performance. Several months into the election cycle, some still think that John Kasich is the man to help America. I tend to disagree. Governor Kasich claims, time and time again, to be a leader with conservative, Christian principles who knows how to get stuff done. How conservative is he, really? Let’s look at his political record. In 1994, Kasich was one of the Republican leaders in the House who agreed to a last-minute deal with then-President Bill Clinton to pass the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. He led 42 other Republicans across party lines to vote with the Democrats to ban “assault” weapons.[1] His support of the infamous “assault” weapons ban caused the National Rifle Association to give Kasich an “F” rating in 1994.[2] If this doesn’t give most Republicans a red flag, I don’t know what will. The protection of our Constitutional 2nd Amendment rights are key to the values of the Republican Party. However, this isn’t the only time he’d side with liberals in his life. As Governor, Kasich has championed the Common Core Standards and has accused most Republicans who turned against it of playing politics. Not only that, but the State of Ohio has the country’s ninth-largest achievement gap in reading, as well as the second largest achievement gap in math and the fourth largest in high school graduation.[3] All of this, under his watch. Is that really a conservative, or a RINO? Common Core is known for being a dumbing down of standards that many of us already have in place. Common Core math has been proven to be ridiculously convoluted. If you don’t believe me, check out the Top Ten Most Ridiculous Common Core Math Problems So Far. However, this isn’t the end of the atrocity that is Common Core. One of the books that is recommended reading for 11th and 12th graders is “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize winning author. To summarize the book, it’s a pornographic/erotic novel about rape, incest, and pedophilia.[4] [5] How can any Christian, conservative, or even decent man support these standards, with what’s entailed in them? It is appalling, and diametrically opposed to conservatism. Heck, it’s even diametrically opposed to decency! These are just two of the liberal positions that John Kasich has held over his 36 year political career. His career alone is enough for me to oppose him, but that my friends, is a topic for another article. In conclusion, Governor John Kasich is simply not a conservative, constitutional stalwart. He isn’t. Let us recognize him for who he is: another John McCain, Lindsey Graham, or Mitt Romney. A gutless flip-flopper, who will do anything for a vote. He is more of the same-old, same-old. More centrism. More catering to Obama and Establishment Republicans. More loss of civil liberties. John Kasich is exactly what’s wrong with the Republican Party today. He is also the reason the Republican Party might go extinct. Let’s just hope we can save the Party before that happens.
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CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST 1: "Now that we have the majority, Congressional leadership must send an Obamacare repeal bill to the President's desk! Even if he vetoes it, we must move conservative legislation through Congress and lay the responsibility on the President for blocking it."
ENTER STAGE RIGHT: H.R. 3762 NARRATOR: "H.R. 3762 is a bill passed by both the House and Senate that takes major steps to defund Planned Parenthood and dismantle Obamacare." CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST 2: "Don't be fooled, folks! This is a useless show vote by McConnell and the RINOs so that they can say they voted to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood, but they know it's just another fake show vote -- because President Obama will veto it!" Guest Post by Anthony DeFazio | @anthonyjdefazio on TwitterBetween the Iran Deal, Hillary’s email server, and the omnipresence of The Donald, the realm of politics can sometimes appear to consist of only a few hot button issues. While the aforementioned topics are undoubtedly valid, politics on the local level often gets lost in the proverbial shuffle.
This isn’t a good thing. I’m a seventeen-year-old homeschool student who is interning for a local political campaign in Virginia. After a couple weeks on the job, I’m continually amazed at how little attention people devote to local government. Many have adopted a mindset that local politics is boring–and that only national issues truly matter. I beg to differ. Local politics matter, and undeniably affects you. The schools our children attend, the roads we drive on, and even the water we drink is all within the sphere of influence of local governments. But sadly, the average person probably doesn’t even know the names of their local elected officials. Local politics present a unique opportunity for everyday people to take part in the grand American tradition of self-government. To paraphrase F.A. Hayek, I’d argue that local government is the ultimate school of political training for the public. The experience and knowledge that you can gain is immeasurable. And the best part is that the cost of tuition at this “school” is completely free. All that is asked is that people donate their time. Case in point: All of the volunteers and interns I work with have one simple thing in common. Ever since undercover videos were released that showed Planned Parenthood officials discussing the harvest and sale of the body parts of aborted babies, there has been a renewed push to defund Planned Parenthood. This push has rightly occurred in Congress and state governments, but another way you can help defund the abortion giant is by asking businesses to halt their support of Planned Parenthood. Alliance Defending Freedom lists 33 prominent companies that fund Planned Parenthood, along with contact information for each. Included in this list are businesses like Starbucks, Microsoft, Verizon Wireless, Bank of America, ExxonMobil, and Energizer. Here's what you can do:
For other ways you can take action to defund Planned Parenthood, including contacting your members of Congress, click here. GUEST POST BY KYLE CRYAN, ENDSILENTTRAFFIC.WORDPRESS.COM On a nice warm summer day in June of 2008, my mother was out in our driveway sitting in her purple lawn chair sipping an iced coffee as strangers walked around tables looking at old junk to buy. My mom had always loved a good yard sale. I, however, had to go down and remove at least one stuffed animal from the pile (even though I was a freshman in High School) to be saved from the clutches of an uncaring stranger. While I was sifting through the mound of fluffy eyes, each one begging to be saved, I heard a woman ask a man, whom I assumed to be her husband, if any of these items were either made in America, or Fair Trade. He replied with a sigh and said “Unfortunately no." "I don’t want something made by an enslaved child," the woman replied. “I know honey, me neither.” And with that, the couple walked back to their car and drove off. “Slavery was abolished by Lincoln, so what are they talking about?” I thought. Little did I know, just how far from the truth I actually was. I was fourteen, so my ignorance up to that point could’ve been chalked up to being young and carefree, but the truth is, deep down I knew this to be true. I knew that somewhere in China, India, Thailand…etc, a poor, underpaid (if paid at all) human being was making all of my first world comforts. From my shoes, clothes, and the coffee I have been addicted to since I was ten, most, if not all, have been made by the exploited hands of the innocent. On that day I began a journey. I Google searched “Child Slavery” and was immediately drowning in a sea of facts, percentages, websites, blogs, and pictures of children whom had the same “save me” look as the stuffed animals being sold on my front lawn. But I kept silent; I kept all this inside. I didn’t know who to go to and I didn’t even know what to say. So I prayed from that day on, not just for the freedom of the children and the other men and women, but for the buyers and sellers of these humans to somehow see the terrible error in their gross and inhumane ways. I prayed and kept up with International Justice Mission (IJM) and Somaly Mam, whom, despite the recent expose, is still a hero in my eyes. For years I silently watched movements being made and listened as people spoke up and fought back. But it wasn’t enough; God didn’t create me for the sidelines and I now know that. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Fast forward to college life, as soon as I arrived, I searched for ways to be involved, to create for myself a voice from which only love, acceptance, and truth were being spoken. And as I grew and matured as a person, so did my voice. As a result of this growth, God handed me an opportunity to use twitter to fight against Child Slavery, and stand for 24 hours in the heart of Scranton, PA speaking out against the dark and hidden world a modern day slavery. In those 24 hours, I spoke to many different people from all walks of life and watched as people became more aware of the slavery and human trafficking around them. My heart fluttered at each new person that either my teammates or I spoke with. But this was just one day…I have many more to live. These are the words of the graceful God that I serve: “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.” - Jeremiah 22:3 A life lesson: our silence is just as worse as any evil done; as well as that this world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. I am done being a silent observer. For my God doesn’t create second-string players. Each and every one of us was created as a starting player. Each one of us has a choice, we can either endorse the evil around us with our silence or to yell, scream, and fight…and end the silence. I can’t answer for you. But I choose the latter. Guest post by Kyle Cryan. Used with permission.
Originally posted at endsilenttraffic.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/ending-my-silence-by-kyle-cryan. In 2014, Republicans faced a relatively "friendly" Senate map: most of the competitive races were seats held by Democrats in states that are considered Republican or swing states. That allowed us to flip 8 seats from Democrat to Republican, while holding all the Republican seats. The end result is a 53-47 GOP majority in the United States Senate for the next two years. Enter the 2016 map. Here, the map is more or less flipped. While there are two Democrat-held seats that are expected to be competitive (Nevada and Colorado), the majority of races that are expected to be very competitive will be for Republican-held seats -- Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and a handful of others . As it currently stands, the GOP can only lose two of these races in 2016 -- if it loses three or more, Republicans will lose their Senate majority. The first race in the 2016 cycle? Louisiana's Senate run-off election on December 6, 2014. Yes, I know. 2014 and 2016 are two years apart. But here's the key: if Republicans win the Louisiana race, our incoming majority will be stronger -- a 54-46 seat majority. That means we have a bigger cushion in case 2016 shapes up to be a tough year for the GOP. Don't get me wrong. I am not giving up on holding (and even expanding!) our Senate majority in 2016. We have some very exciting opportunities, such as defeating Harry Reid in Nevada. However, it's better to be safe than sorry, and whether we win or lose the Louisiana Senate race this year could literally decide whether we hold or lose our Senate majority in 2016. Defeat Mary LandrieuMary Landrieu, Louisiana's Democrat Senator up for re-election this year, faces a tough battle. After a well-fought Republican primary, Republicans have united behind Dr. Bill Cassidy, who represents Louisiana's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The latest poll for the race shows Cassidy up by 11% -- but in a December run-off, with Election Day on a Saturday, nothing can be taken for granted.
Landrieu votes with President Obama over 95% of the time. She scores a dismal 3% on the Heritage Action scorecard. And even when she tried to rally Senate Democrats to vote in favor of approving the Keystone Pipeline, she fell just short of the 60 votes needed. Even with all 45 Republican Senators voting for the bill, Landrieu failed to persuade even just 15 Democratic Senators who would be willing to work together and pass the bill. It's time to send Mary Landrieu home. Learn how you can get involved to #DefeatLandrieu by visiting LAGOP.com! You've probably heard by now -- Rick Perry, the Republican governor of Texas, was indicted by a grand jury on allegations that his veto of funding for Texas' Public Integrity Unit was politically motivated. Perry followed through on a veto threat after the head of the unit was arrested for drunk driving and refused to resign despite serving 45 days in jail. The head of a state's Public Integrity Unit serving 45 days in jail for drunk driving? That's just a little bit outrageous, don't you think? If I were in Governor Perry's place, I would have done the same thing. As Senator Ted Cruz pointed out: Unfortunately, there has been a sad history of the Travis County District Attorney's Office engaging in politically-motivated prosecutions, and this latest indictment of the governor is extremely questionable. Here's part of Governor Perry's statement on the indictment: I wholeheartedly and unequivocally stand behind my veto, and will continue to defend this lawful action of my executive authority as governor. We don't settle political differences with indictments in this country. It is outrageous that some would use partisan political theatrics to rip away at the very fabric of our state's constitution. Sign the Stand with Rick Perry petition at rickperry.org/stand-with-rick-perry.
My first Republican county convention experience, summed up in one word: eye-opening. And yes, I know it’s two words joined with a hyphen, but that does count. I wasn’t a delegate (that will have to wait until I turn 18), but went along to watch and learn about the process. And boy did I get a first-hand lesson in good-ol-boy GOP politics. I’ve known for a while now that the Republican Establishment will do anything to get their way. But at the convention, I saw it first-hand for the first time. If the county GOP leadership wanted to pass a motion that sparked any kind of controversy, who needs discussion? It’s must easier, I suppose, to just ignore the man right in front of you requesting to speak (never mind you just let the lady directly next to him speak), take the vote, and then say you didn’t see him requesting to speak after it’s all done and over with and your motion has passed. Oh, and it goes without saying, as soon as you figure out which side the conservatives and tea party Republicans are sitting on, you make sure never to look in the at direction during any time for discussion for the rest of the night. And if all else fails, just yell into the microphone that you’re going ahead and voting on the silly motion. Robert’s Rules were never actually meant to be followed, were they? I’ve heard about these things before, but seeing them happen in front of my own eyes, with people I know and am acquainted with — people who been enthusiastically welcoming me just minutes earlier — silencing and ignoring conservatives, was rather shocking. This is exactly the reason Freedom's Defenders is starting Principled.GOP — to give conservatives the knowledge, connections, and resources we need to fight back. Yesterday’s experience was eye-opening and a stark reminder that there’s a lot of groundwork that needs to be laid to ensure that the Republican party is a conservative party. Please join the cause — click here to learn more about how you can help build a principled, conservative Republican Party. - Peter Original post at www.peterformichigan.com/2014/08/15/lessons-from-a-gop-county-convention. Used with permission.
Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini -- that his faith will remain strong and be strengthened, that God will continue to protect him through this terrible time, and that international leaders will demand and secure his release.
In just over two weeks, Michigan Republicans will head to the polls to pick their candidates for the November general election.
State Representative Tom McMillin is a conservative Republican running to replace retiring Congressman Mike Rogers in Michigan's Eighth District. He'll face former State Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop on August 5th. Both are running on their conservative credentials, but Tom McMillin has a clear record of standing up for Michigan taxpayers that Mike Bishop can't quite match. McMillin is strong constitutional conservative, a champion of religious freedom, and a strong defender of the right to life and traditional marriage. He has been the leader of the fight against Common Core in Michigan's state legislature and strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Learn more about how Tom McMillin is Standing Up. We encourage Republican voters in the Eighth District to vote for Tom McMillin on August 5th. |
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