Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Sotomayor= Newest Addition to SCOTUS?

http://bench.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTZiYjQ1M2EyOTViMDUwOTU3OGRhNGFhZGYzMDc0OGM=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfC99LrrM2Q&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.takimag.com%2Fsite%2Farticle%2Famericas_wise_latina_lady%2F&feature=player_embedded

wonderful, just wonderful.



Saturday, May 23, 2009

1 for 2--We're on Our Way!





Well, at least one of the twigs that comprise the Legislative Branch feels strongly about National Security...Oh, and Mitch McConnell, current Minority Leader/former Majority Whip, gave THIRTEEN SPEECHES on the House floor trying to stop the Senate from shutting down Gitmo,
"raising pointed questions about Obama's plans to close the prison without first explaining where the men held there would be sent. For months, we have been saying what Senate Democrats now acknowledge: that because the administration has no plan for what to do with the 240 detainees at Guantanamo, it would be irresponsible and dangerous for the Senate to appropriate the money to close it, McConnell said shortly before the vote" --Wash. Post

Way to be, (most) Senate Republicans! Forget about the vote from the Senator from our state (See Photo Above). Even though 91.3 billion dollars is tough to stomach, the money goes to our troops rather than midnight basketball leagues for inner-city youth. Let's see if the House and Senate can work together to send a decent bill to Obama.

Trekonomics

For 40+ years now, Star Trek has managed to present us with a utopian vision of the future in which money does not exist while simultaneously never really explaining how this is possible. This is an article about how Star Trek is an economic fantasy and speaks to a false belief in the perfectibility of mankind.

As Mr. Spock would say, "Fascinating."

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Obama at Notre Dame

This past weekend, as I began my travels cross-country, I stopped off in South Bend, IN to see a sister of a friend graduate from Notre Dame's Law school. We opted not to attend Obama's speech (it's probably just as well - reading the transcripts made me really mad), but I did get a chance to to view the thousands of protesters that came to oppose a man who supports abortion speaking at a Catholic school. Many of their signs were really powerful, and it was quite heartening to see so many lined up in support of life.

Obama addressed the controversy in his speech by asking everyone to stop "reducing those with differing views to caricature. Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. It's a way of life that always has been the Notre Dame tradition." I'm not sure how one asks those who see abortion as murder to open their minds to other possibilities. The United States, and the Catholic Church, were founded on principles, and those principles should be defended - not bent to meet a new moralistic code defined by our current government. Obama's diminishing of the issue by attacking those who fight for it is a cowardice move of someone who is unwilling to stand for anything at all.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Running with the Elephants

The other morning, a cold, rainy Saturday, I ran my first 5k after taking some time off my track and cross country training. The gun went off around 8:30 and as I began to take off on the road, I remembered something my coach told us about racing,
"It's up to you, if the person next to you starts to pass you and get ahead,
you have to make a choice to go with them or to become complacent and stay the
pace you're in and eventually fall behind
."

My State Representative edged me around the second mile after I stopped to tie my shoes, he's very fit...On that note, I raced terribly; no breakfast, no warm-up, no stretching, at least the 5k was for charity! That night, post-race, I attended my county's Lincoln Day Dinner Celebration (yes, my State Rep was there!) . If you've never heard of a Lincoln Day Dinner, Wikipedia has the answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Day.

Like other LDD celebrations I've been to, many distinguished guests attended the function. the guest list included Senators and Representatives from the Michigan legislature, local officials, the City of Hillsdale's illustrious mayor, Michael Sessions, candidates vying for the Gubenatorial, Secretary of State and Attorney General spots and a few Congressmen. Michael Zak, the keynote speaker, gave a speech regarding the history of our Grand Old Party. I learned so many facts regarding the truth behind the Liberal agenda to debase the great history of our party--and so did Mayor Sessions.

One of the most important things I got out of the speaker's message and from the others that spoke that night was that we are at a crossroads as a party, which came as no surprise. We've forgotten our past and we're not doing much to stop the spread of the Democrats' influence.
I've heard it amplified at every fundraiser, dinner and event I've been to as well as in every "fair and balanced" media outlet since Obamunism began to sweep the country. That message is clear and cannot be ignored--the Democrats are winning right now.
They are consistenly out-campaigning, out-fundraising, out-performing on the grass-roots level, at every level. In fact, I spoke with a person the other day, a trusted veteran in federal politics, who told me that Obama has already appointed a person to manage his campaign to keep Michigan "blue" and thoroughly Obamunized in 2012. Think about that! Not even a full year has passed in his term and Obama already has his minions strewn across the nation. Well, what does that mean for Republicans?


We need to get fired up! Coaches tell their players, "Championships are won in the off-season". That means in order to become successful, hard, efficient and diligent work is needed, even in a non-major election year. (Although there are two State Senate seats up for grabs...)
We need to win. Tell everyone, use the summer to rouse up support!
Let's come together as a party and get to work. It's up to us, the Democrats are passing us--it's a race, but I hope the results are better than the 5k I ran the other morning...


We have to make the choice: Do we "go" with the Democrats' pace and out-do them in every way possible or do we become complacent and weak in our efforts and attitudes and stay the minority party?
Do we forget our rich tradition in fighting for liberty and the principles the Republican Party was founded on or do we constantly remind ourselves of our mission and rise to battle for justice and rebuild our Party?

Michael Zak's website:http://www.republicanbasics.com/
Michael Zak's blog: http://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com/

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Summer Time!

So, we're finally all free from school, and have an entire summer to relax and not think about a single paper. But that doesn't mean that the Hillsdale CR's are taking a break. We're spending the summer gearing up for a great year, and we're going to be blogging all summer long. So keep reading and if you're doing anything cool and Republican-related, leave us a comment and let us know what your up to! Have a fabulous summer!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Law of Unintended Consequences Has Not Been Repealed

I’ve always been a little ambivalent about the Patriot Act, despite my general good feelings toward John Ashcroft. It has been said nothing is more permanent than a temporary government program and I’m not sure the Patriot act is something I want sticking around until the end of time. Necessary for now, maybe. But forever? And whatever good it might do, what bad consequences could come of it, and are they worth it?

One of the questionable results of legislation like the Patriot Act is this. A 16-year-old boy was taken from his home last week by federal agents on suspicion that bomb threats had been made from his computer. In addition to the teenager, the agents took his computer, video game console, router, and school records. He’s currently sitting in a juvenile detention hall in South Bend, IN. Furthermore, he’s been denied due process rights because he’s believed to be an enemy of the United States.

I firmly believe that if a threat is detected it needs to be investigated, though the idea of a 10th-grade homeschooler in Midwestern America becoming a tool of the Taliban makes me raise an eyebrow. However, whether this kid is an enemy of the state or not he’s still an American citizen and entitled to the protection of the Constitution. Were he a foreign suspect, things would be different. But if he is a citizen, the Constitution applies.

Cases like this illustrate why we must be very careful before signing more power over to the government. We want it to protect us—indeed, that is one of government’s most basic functions—but we don’t want a state that can strip us of our constitutional rights at the slightest whim. Unintended consequences are everywhere, and we should always bear them in mind before taking such steps as the Patriot Act.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

If It's Legal, Does That Make It Right?

We're all aware that the economy isn't int the best shape right now. But does this mean it's necessary to legitimize vice? A quick glance at the Google news page reveals plans to legalize online gambling in America and legalize the sale of marijuana to cover California's massive debt. While Governor Schwarzenegger is still against the idea, he does say that he is open to debate. The gambling legislation comes out of the House Financial Service Committee, chaired by Barney Frank. Frank is quoted as saying "The notion that a society should prohibit something entirely because of the possibility that children will abuse it is a terrible blow to liberty." Samuel Johnson once said that gambling is a tax on stupidity. Maybe this new law will make the price of stupidity so high, that people have no choice but to come around to conservative principles and true understanding liberty.

Hey, a girl can dream, right?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/06/lawmakers-bet-internet-gambling-legislation/
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/05/06/legalize-marijuana-schwarzenegger-says-lets-debate-it/

Monday, May 4, 2009

Could the USA become the UAE?

I received this in a forwarded email today. I've heard people talk about how the Islamicization of Europe won't affect the United States, but this video makes pretty clear that within 50 years, unless something pretty drastic changes, Islam will be the #1 religion not just in Europe, but the world.