Who is My Neighbor?

As all of us know, a volcanic eruption in Iceland recently brought all air traffic in Europe to a screeching, grinding halt. As I have a trip to London scheduled in July, I followed this news item with marked--and slightly frantic--interest.

The other day I read a story about the travelers stranded in European airports for nearly a week now. One traveler complained that they have only been getting one meal a day on the airline and are out of money for anything else. They have no beds, showers, or changes of clothes. Basically, they feel like nobody cares about them.

Then I began to imagine a similar disaster happening in the United States. What if something like this happened in New York? That city wouldn't know what to do with all the relief workers who would converge upon the airports. Churches, charities, and private citizens would do whatever they had to to get through airport security and help the passengers. Instead of news stories where passengers bemoan feeling forgotten, we'd have stories of passengers thanking God for the people who came to their aid.

Conservatives and Christians have plenty of cause to be unhappy with America today. But we ought not forget the good in our nation. And it is good that Americans rush to meet a desperate need. It is good that we help our neighbors. This is an integral part of the American character, and one in which we should all take great pride.

College Republicans will defend the great republic

By: T. Elliot Gaiser

Posted: 2/11/10

Feb. 6, the College Republicans held a convention to adopt amendments to the club's constitution and elect new officers. The amendments were adopted with a super-majority. All of our new officers were elected with solid majorities, and we're completely ready to start impacting contemporary politics.

Abe Lincoln, the GOP's first president, once said, "If we can first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we can then better judge what to do, and how to do it." After the broad defeat of Republicans in the 2008 elections, philosophical differences that had once only been cracks in the coalition built by Ronald Reagen rapidly grew to fissures. The cracks were evident in the 2008 primaries. Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and John McCain each represented a different wing of that coalition.

No one candidate represented all the elements of the coalition, and when McCain won, he failed to reunite the party. Because it presented no coherent ideal, the message of the campaign was roughly "we are experienced mavericks" and "we are against what they are for." Conservatives and independents deserted the GOP in droves.

The last time a party was so fractured, it ceased to be. The Whig party imploded, and with the aid of Hillsdale College professors, the Republican party rose to replace it. The new party rose on the reassertion of a forgotten philosophy: liberty and equality under law. It aimed these twin cannons at the spread of slavery. The party argued from the definition of mankind. And the party won.

It was a question of the definition of humanity. Once again, we are debating human nature. What can "change" our lives? What is it we "believe" in? What gives us "hope"?
One party claimed it had the answer: Barack Obama, and his change - "spreading the wealth" by nationalizing our banks, auto-industry, financial system and health care; increasing the budget by trillions as unemployment hovers near 10 percent. All this, to create a more compassionate, more scientific state. The nature of man, they claim, is best served by government that coddles every need. Man, guiding and guided by the supreme state, is to be trusted, loved, worshiped - because it is men who will give mankind faith, hope and public charity. Because the American people were never given a viable alternative to this message, our republic drifts further toward despotism.

But what can a club of students at a small liberal arts college do about this?
First, we can concentrate on rebuilding our club's active membership. We need a cohesive body that incorporates as many individual talents as possible to truly impact the world for our ideas. And we need to prove to our members that investing time in the College Republicans has a high return, real-world impact.

Second, we can dedicate our efforts to electing Republican candidates all across the country, but especially right here in Michigan in 2010. The congressional district that encompasses Hillsdale is currently held by vulnerable democrat Mark Schauer - a prime opportunity on the way to restoring GOP control of the House. The open race for the Michigan governorship is tilting toward a Republican victory, which could help ensure redistricting in 2011 doesn't gerrymander liberals into another decade of control. Never doubt that a dedicated effort by even a few student volunteers could help make the difference in these crucial elections.

Third, we can devote our actions to the broader context of leading our party, starting with this club, in reasserting the forgotten self-evident truth that man is first a created being, endowed with both reason and passion, and that our political laws ought to be based on the objective, enduring "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God."

I know I will work so that starting on this campus, being a Republican actually means defending this great republic's ideals, upholding limited representative constitutionalism, and leading the charge for self-government under law. I hope you will join us in this effort.

This Week in Copenhagen

I’m an only child. And just so ya know, I’m not a spoiled brat and I’m fully aware that the sun does not rise on my left shoulder and set on my right. I’m also an only child who wants a lot of kids. I’ll be the mom in the 15-passenger van barreling down the street in about 20 years.

At least, that’s what I want. But if the people at Copenhagen have their way, I won’t be able to do it. Some leaders at the climate change have discussed adopting China’s one-child policy to reverse the impending doom of overpopulation.

First of all, the idea that the world is overpopulated is a crock. Ever been to Idaho? Montana? Wyoming? Plenty of room there.

In all seriousness: In Western Europe the population rate barely meets replacement. Russia, Spain, and Italy bottom out at less than 1.54 children per couple, and Iceland, Norway, Ireland, and Spain top the list at 2 or over. The overall fertility trend in Europe has steadily declined since 1980. American fertility just meets the 2.1 children required for population replacement, down from nearly 3.75 in 1960. With so many countries hardly even replacing themselves, how can we have an overpopulation crisis?

Finally, Glenn Beck made an excellent point on his show today. Where’s the women’s rights crowd? They’re always telling the government to stay out of their uteruses and give them total reproductive freedom. Isn’t restricting the number of children you can have a pretty significant violation of reproductive freedom? Why haven’t we heard from them yet?

Healthcare Townhall

Now that the House has passed the Healthcare bill, we're reliant on the Senate to block the bill to stop socialized health care. To help spread information, College Republicans are hosting a Healthcare Townhall, tomorrow, November 10th, at 6:30 in Lane 125. The meeting will feature Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

After leaving home at the age of 16, Dr. Miller-Meeks enrolled in nursing school at San Antonio Junior College. After completing two years of courses, she transferred to Texas Christian University where she earned her bachelor's degree, graduating summa cum laude. Dr. Miller-Meeks then joined the officer corps of the United States Army as a nurse at the age of 20.

Mariannette met her future husband, Curt, while stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Dr. Miller-Meeks completed her Masters of Science in Education at the University of Southern California, soon before her transfer to Seoul, South Korea. After 6 years of active duty, Mariannette entered medical school at the University of Texas and graduated in the top of her class.

After completing her residency in ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, Dr. Miller-Meeks joined the faculty at the University of Michigan and was then recruited back to the University of Iowa as the first female faculty member in the department of ophthalmology. Mariannette has authored numerous articles, presented national lectures and research, was awarded the Charles Phelps Award in 1995, and has been named one of America’s best doctors several times.

Mariannette retired from the US Army Reserve in 1998 after 24 years at the rank of Lt. Colonel, after which she moved to Ottumwa, Iowa to open a private practice.
Dr. Miller-Meeks is currently the councilor for Iowa to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), serves as an associate examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, and was inaugurated as the first female president of the Iowa Medical Society in 2006.

Join us in fighting for our freedom this freedom week!

Great job!

A big thanks to everyone who's helped out Mike Nofs this fall. He won yesterday, moving us a step closer to turning MI red. It was a great day across the nation, with some big victories in VA and NJ, and the overhaul of the gay marriage amendment in ME. Just because the elections are over doesn't mean we get a break, however. With yesterday's results, we've seen how much can happen in a year. With mid-term elections only a year a way, it's as important as ever that we spend this year hitting the pavement, so we can bring about a shift in the thinking of government.

Election Day

While not as flashy as last year, today is Election Day, and a critical part of our role as citizens is to make sure we are represented through our votes. So if you haven't already voted on an early or absentee ballot, make sure you get to your polling place today and make your voice heard. Let's let the Democrats in Washington that we're not happy with the 'change' their offering, and we're ready to show with our local leadership.

Who are we? The Future of the G.O.P. from New York

That's the question many Republicans started asking in 2007 as dozens of G.O.P. contenders for the presidential nomination, ranging from the more liberal Rudy Guilianni to the right-libertarian Ron Paul, struggled to define the legacy of Republicanism. After the defeat of moderate-maverick John McCain, that debate continues.

There is nothing new in the history of the moderate-conservative war to own the G.O.P. identity. After the death of the party's leader in Lincoln, the more hardline Republicans impeached the former democratic-moderate President Andrew Johnson in order to prosecute their reconstruction agenda.

Many see the current struggle in New York's 23rd congressional district - a struggle which saw dueling between G.O.P. titans such as Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich and ended in the more moderate candidate suspending her campaign Saturday - as a similar conflict between the hardliners and the pragmatists. In that case, they see this as suicide for a minority party crucified on a cross of a "take-no-prisoners" ideology, sacrificing any chance of regaining power for the pleasure of platform purity.

I agree that this purification strategy is what my friend Julie Robinson termed "playing tennis without a net." A "litmus test" conservatism, which hauls to the guillitine any candidate without total adherence to a list of true-believer stances on everything from immigration to the campaign finance reform, is unwise and doomed to fail. It is indeed better, as Reagan noted, to support someone you agree with 70% of the time over someone you disagree with all the time. Realism is important. But I do not think that is what is happening in New York's 23rd.

Republican Dede Scozzafava's specific positions that caused the likes of Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck to endorse the Third Party conservative Doug Hoffman are significant. She was pro-choice, pro-homosexual marriage, and pro-Obama stimulas package. I would argue that these issues are uniquely important. The government "stimulas" that borrowed billions and bailed out mortgages is a fundemental question of the individual's responsibility in society. The social questions are fundementally about the definition of family and personhood, or the basic nature of humanity. In fact, I submit that these issues frame the ultimate question which is at the root of all political debates in every generation of Americans.

That question is this: will Americans self-govern our society under the rule of laws founded in the enduring moral order - the self-evident "laws of nature and of nature's God" - or will we govern our nation on the whims of force and man, devoid of any transcendent truth? This question isn't a question that can be answered with a compromise. You can't agree with me on the answer to this question "70% of the time."

In my view, and I think in the view of those who bucked the G.O.P. establishment and endorsed the conservative third party candidate, the issues of abortion, gay marriage, and government dole-outs are the issues that most clearly frame that fundemental quesiton. If someone disagrees with us on these issues, when it really comes down to it, he or she doesn't share much common ground with us at all. Electing someone who disagrees here is anything but realistic or prudent toward Republican ends.

My hope is that between now and the 2010 congressional elections, the G.O.P. will realize that who we are, and who we have been, is the party that first embraces the freedom of self-government under enduring, transcendent law. I hope we will begin setting up a diverse "big tent" that is staked emphatically on that firm, unifying foundation.

A Republican Strategy For Victory?

Until the last four years since 2006, the conservatism of Reagan had built a majority Republican party. Somethings have changed in the world, such as the defeat of the Soviet Empire, that make some specific pillars of Reagan's platform irrelevant today. Other, more general principles, are still quite applicable to our current policy world.

What the Republican party needs, argues this article in Investors Business Daily, is a way to make those principles even more relevant to our present day's difficulties.

How to do that? The author argues:

"The Republican Party has to move from a pro-business strategy that defends the interests of existing companies to a pro-market strategy that fosters open competition and freedom of entry.

"A pro-market strategy rejects subsidies because they're a waste of taxpayers' money and because they prop up inefficient firms, delaying the entry of new and more efficient competitors.

"And a pro-market approach holds companies financially accountable for their mistakes — an essential policy if free markets are to produce sound decisions.

"A pro-market party will fight tirelessly against letting firms become so big that they cannot be allowed to fail, since such firms may take risks that ordinary companies would never dream of."

This advice echoes the words of older elements of a certain strand of conservatism, such as Wilhelm Roepke's strand of classical liberalism that calls for a "humane economy," who argued that mass and "largeness" is ultimately incompatible with free markets because of intrinsic attributes of human nature. It also sounds a lot like the No. 2 man in the 2008 GOP primaries by delegate count, Mike Huckabee, who attracted more support from young voters than any other Republican candidate in the primary race.

Undoubtably, free markets and economic freedom must be part of a real strategy to renew America. Should this freedom concentrate on reduce "largeness" and economic collectivism?

Don't Let Their Sacrifice Be In Vain

I have a prediction, I think. I don't know that the economy is going to be the big defining issue in 2010. It could be. But I think that the current war in which our nation is engaged is going to rise to the top issue.

Things aren't going so well for us in Afghanistan, such that our fighting men and women, as pointed out by this article in the Washington Times this morning, are starting to wonder if their sacrifices are in vain. That is shameful. America doesn't have to lose this war. We need a change in strategy, and one that comes from our commanders on the ground, not from Washington politicians. And if the current politicians won't listen, then we need to get more attentive leaders in 2010.

Great News in the Polls

There's great news for republicans in the polls. According to Rasmussen, likely American voters now trust the GOP more on all of the top ten "key issues," including abortion, health care, taxes, education, social security, and national security.

This just goes to show us that America hasn't fundamentally changed its republican ideals. If the GOP can just maintain unity around Americans' core common principles, they can win big in 2010 and start reversing many of the destructive progressive policies that have so beleaguered our great nation for nearly all of the past century.

Less exciting is this: while republicans are currently trusted more on government ethics, their lead on this issue is by only a 4% margin, and 38% of Americans are still undecided between the two major parties. That's a sad commentary on Republicans. If they want to win, they must prove that they indeed walk the walk as well as talk the talk. It has only been the GOP's failure to demonstrate that they truly stand for a transparent culture of honesty and integrity, social virtue, limited government, and prudent international leadership that has cost them the trust and the precious confidence of the American people.

But enough editorializing -- there is work to be done. If you at all available this week, join me in making calls to elect republican leaders this week Monday through Thursday in the Richard Reese conference room, next to the formal lounge, from 6-9pm.

Hate Crimes Bill: An affront to liberty

So congress finally passed the Hate Crimes bill ...

This is classic. Attach a bill that's controversial to a bill that's not controversial and pass it with "bipartisan support." Well, yeah, not passing the bill would mean that our soldiers wouldn't get needed defense funding. Passing the bill, however, means a both-barrels shotgun assault on first amendment rights.

Let be be clear: I am totally against anyone who commits a crime/violence against gays. That's wrong. They are people too, created in the image of God and deserving of dignity and respect.

However, this bill defines "crime" broadly as even SAYING anything that is subjectively offensive about gays. It could, and almost certainly will, be used to bar even religious speech by Christians, Muslims, or Jews, including denoting reading parts of religious texts that any gay person finds offensive as "hate speech" punishable by outrages fines and/or prison time.

For instance, if I were to read Leviticus 18:22 aloud, even in my church, if a gay person happens to feel offended, they could prosecute me on the same level as if I had been member of the KKK spewing threats of violence against racial minorities.

And that, my friends, is an affront to the first amendment and everything America is about. This bill is a shameful assault on free speech and freedom of religion.

This is why it is imperative that the republicans retake congress; so we can repeal this atrocity against our liberty.

We Have Seen the Enemy, and It Is FOX?

On Sunday, WH communications director told the NYT that they treat FOX News the way they treat an opponent. As is imaginable, this got many people over at FOX quite upset, especially Glenn Beck who made a point on his show today to try and take down the WH a few notches.

It's a bit disturbing when an administration begins to label groups in the media as opponents. Our First Amendment provides for the freedom of the press, and not just to the press that likes you. It's frustrating to see the President hand-picking news outlets, which ultimately takes away from their credibility, as if they are known to be supports of the administration, everything they say must be taken into perspective in regards to their bias.

The IgNobel Peace Prize

Yesterday morning we learned that Pres. Obama will receive the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

If this leaves you scratching your head, it gets worse. The deadline for nomination was less than two weeks after he took office.

You may wonder whether Obama has done anything to deserve this award. But according to the Nobel committee chairman, Obama won because of his efforts, not because of the results.

This is patently absurd. You don’t get a paycheck because of the work you might do, you get it for the work you did do. Professors don’t hand out grades for the papers their students might write, but for the ones they did write. Using the Peace Prize as an incentive devalues the award and shows that it's nothing but an ideological beauty contest.

However, through this Obama has finally said one thing I agree with. He does not believe he is worthy to be in the company of the people who have won the prize before him.

You’re right about that, Barry. You’re right about that.

Where Have I Heard That Before?

Exciting news! A new report says that the new health care plan won't raise our deficit. Isn't that awesome news? Are you sold yet? Unfortunately, as the Republican Senators who read the report saw, this doesn't stop the bill for adding a large cost to those of us in the country already paying for our insurance. So now, in addition to shelling out money for yourself, you get to support all your fellow citizens, many of whom don't have insurance because they don't want it.

So while I appreciate the time our Senator spent creating this report, (they could have been doing something really dangerous, like legislating), I'm going to pass on this one. Thanks though!

Terri Lynn Land

We had a great meeting tonight with Michigan SoS Terri Lynn Land. She provided us with a lot of insight into what goes into the job of the SoS. For instance, MI is the only state who puts motor vehicle registration under the SoS, making Mrs. Land responsible for the largest DoS in the nation. We also learned about the process of elections in MI and got some insight on the state's political future. Members had the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the highest-ranking Republican in the state.

A big thanks to Mrs. Land for coming down and to everyone who came out!

How To Lose A War

Check out this article I wrote here that covers the difficulties America is facing in Afghanistan. The latest polling data shows that Americans are starting to realize the nature of the uphill battle for our brave fighting men and women.

Like Carter, it seems Obama is botching our foreign policy in the middle east. That's why we need to keep up the political pressure spread the word....

Chapter Meeting

We're having our first chapter meeting this Tuesday!! 6:30 in the Formal Lounge in Grewcock. Terri Lynn Land, MI's Secretary of State, is coming to speak to us, so it's sure to be a great night.

And for a chance to get involved, come at 5:30 to make phone calls for the Fix-MI center. We'll be phone-banking using a list they've provided to make sure our time is used as effectively as possible to turn MI Red.

Get involved on your campus to make a difference for your country!

Comfort in Predictability

So the Dow Jones took a pretty decent tumble today, as seems to be the trend lately. Obama et al. keep telling us to find the illusive hope we were promised in a rising stock market, only to discover that the rise is very short term and never to the levels it achieved before the crash last fall. The market is simply erratic and generally poor.

Analogous proposition: Pretend we are playing poker and you have a straight flush while I have a pair of threes. You would declare that you win,no? But I, with politics on my side, declare that it's my house and my game and therefore the a pair of threes is the highest possible hand. As I take your money, throw you out, and say, "See you next week!" would you reply, "I'll be there!"?

Essentially, this is what's happening in the market. The government is changing the rules in unpredictable ways according to present circumstances. The market, however, is only as predictable as the policies that govern it. If the government runs around balancing and counterbalancing, bailing out and taking over, regulating and wreaking havoc with an ad hoc, completely unpredictable approach, the market will never improve or even stabilize. If you have money to invest, are you going to trust it to a company that might be absorbed with you crowded out (such as with GM stockholders) or hang on to it? Consumers are not sure what the government is going to do next and therefore do not want to chance their money in some of the most important areas of the market. This contributes to the concept of "consumer confidence" in that consumers can never be confident of the institution's ability to conduct itself as it has. While unpredictability is inherent within the system, the rules of the system itself should be nothing but predictable.

Watch what you call a Holocaust...

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) is refusing to apologize for claiming that the Republican solution to health-care is for people to "die quickly" and instead said “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America.”

If that's what he truly (misguidedly) believes, that's fine, but there's no reason that this should suffice when Rep Joe Wilson's formal apology was required. If you're going to cite a need for civility and respect within the chambers, then it needs to be seen on both sides of the aisle.

Having Fun In Hillsdale

The county fair is going all week and I would highly encourage everyone to take an afternoon or evening and go check it out. Not only can you visit the Hillsdale County Republican Booth in the Merchant Hall, you can have fun riding the rides, eating deep-fried Twinkies and petting the animals. It's a great place for some off-campus fun, and a way to go out and support the community. See you there!