This installment is one of the more important ones, even though it deals mostly with minor players. This is the one that puts the lie to two very prevalent media myths about NY-23.  See The Other McCain’s excellent write up about Frank Rich and the media’s misrepresentation of NY-23.

The first myth is that the revolt in the GOP in NY-23 was about purity. To hear the media tell it, the Rush Limbaughs, Fred Thompsons, Erick Ericksons and Sarah Palins of the party want to kick out anyone that is not a strict conservative idealogue. The second myth was that it was all about the social issues, that the only reason Dede was unacceptable was because she was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. How then do they explain the support from the following?

Tim Pawlenty - Minnesota’s two term Republican governor is one of a few likely 2012 Presidential hopefuls. In 2006, when Gil Gutknecht lost in CD-01, Mark Kennedy lost the Senate bid, Mary Kiffmeyer lost the Secretary of State office, and races up and down the ticket went badly for Republicans, Tim Pawlenty won reelection. Tim Pawlenty is not a liberal, but his positions on several issues, especially cap and trade, have made conservatives angry with him. Tim Pawlenty is really a true GOP moderate, he is right of center, but not overly so. Clearly his Presidential aspirations spurred him to get involved in NY-23, but even as a moderate, he was comfortable backing Doug Hoffman.

George Pataki and Rudy Giuliani - Both George Pataki and Rudy Giuliani gain no favor from pro-life groups for their pro-choice stances. Considering their positions in New York state and New York city politics respectively, a pro-choice view is not surprising. How is it that these two pro-choice politicians would line up behind Doug Hoffman, an unrepentant pro-life candidate, in a race that is supposed to be about ideological purity? The answer is simple, Dede Scozzafava was so far to the left that she was simply not acceptable even to Republican politicians with somewhat moderate views.

Dick Armey - In 2006, he made headlines for slamming social conservatives for being a problem in the GOP caucus. To his credit, he was not so much saying that social conservatives are bad, but that they were betraying limited government in favor of the social conservative issues. That is a debate left for a different time. What we have is Dick Armey, who clearly does not feel the social issues are the important ones, not only endorsing Doug Hoffman, but traveling to NY-23 to campaign on his behalf.

The Doug Hoffman campaign was a model we need to emulate in every race in the nation. Not the left wing crazy GOP candidate nor the third party conservative, but the coming together of Republicans of varying levels of conservative commitment to oppose the liberal agenda of Nancy Pelosi. NY-23 was the most unusual congressional race in a generation, but we can learn much by looking at it clearly.

Next up: The final installment in the unlikely backers series, and the one you did not expect and do not want to miss.

Sarah!! was catapulted to national prominence when she was picked as John McCain’s running mate. The right instantly fell in love and the left was immediately driven to irrational hate. The left (and some in the GOP leadership) hates Governor Palin for the same reason the right loves her: she is not a member of the elite ruling class. She is similar to Fred!! In many ways; a simple American perspective, an ability to clearly articulate her conservative views, and a natural connection with the average joe. On the other hand, she is more of a populist than an intellectual. She has a keen political mind, but sometimes fails to have the depth behind her arguments that someone like Senator Thompson does. That said, she still compares favorably with intellectual “heavyweights” of the other side such as President Obama and Vice President Biden.

NY-23 would not have been on the map without Fred Thompson, but it would not have received the wide ranging Republican support without Sarah Palin. After Sarah Palin endorsed Doug Hoffman, his campaign received $116,000 in contributions in one day. One of the campaign staffers, who stated that he was not real fond of Sarah Palin, said that the money and phone calls that came in immediately after her Facebook posting was unreal. Erick Erickson here at Redstate took the opportunity to make his headline Palin Wins. Pawlenty Fails. Within days, Tim Pawlenty had thrown his support behind Doug Hoffman, with a stampede of Republicans charging in as well. Whatever a person may think about Sarah, I can think of no other person right (or left) of center with that kind of influence. Sarah Palin is as responsible as anyone else for Doug Hoffman moving from 16% in the polls to 45% on the ballot in three weeks.

I wish I could end the story there, and leave you all with good thoughts about Sarah, but I have to address some negatives to the story. First, Sarah really was a Johnny-come-lately to the NY-23 race. The battle lines had been drawn and the skirmish had begun before she took the field. Understandable, but she gets far too much credit for her decision as if it was a bold move. Her influence was good, game changing even, but she would deserve the accolades much more if she been on the scene earlier.

Secondly, Sarah Palin and many of the other pro-Hoffman groups were probably tactically responsible for Doug’s loss even as they were strategically responsible for his surge. At the end of the campaign, when Scozzafava dropped out and endorsed Bill Owens, Joe Biden and others were able to use Sarah Palin and others as a club to beat Hoffman with. It worked, with late deciders going to Owens. Many of the campaign people on the ground were happy with the money and support brought in by Sarah, but they were also very concerned what her polarizing stature would do. In a district such as NY-23, the general populace does not like Sarah Palin, even if it is because all they know is what the leftist media has told them. If the election had been two days earlier or two days later I am convinced Doug Hoffman would have emerged the victor. More on that in another post.

There is no easy answer on this subject. Sarah Palin has a deep and wide love amongst conservatives, and among a certain set of independents, but the hate from the left and the perception by many moderates is a serious drawback. I am a Palin supporter, and I would be infinitely happy to see her as our next POTUS, but I am starting to question whether nominating her would be wise. With her political talent, she might be able to overcome the perception, and 2012 is a long ways off. I think, as with Fred Thompson, it may be that the best we can hope for from Sarah is destroying the President’s agenda with Facebook posts and launching conservative candidates into the spotlight. If that is the case, it is still a positive for us to have Sarah Palin out there. We just need to be careful how tightly she is connected to campaigns in less than conservative areas.

Some might wonder why I use the term unexpected to refer to Fred Thompson’s support of Doug Hoffman for Congress.  In hindsight, it seems perfectly natural.

Let’s look a little closer though.  NY-23 was originally a small time special election.  The result would not have affected the balance of power in the House regardless of who won.  It is unexpected that anyone at the national level would really get involved.

Fred Thompson found out about the specifics of the race from his wife Jeri.  When he discovered just how liberal Dede Scozzafava was, and what a contrast Doug Hoffman was to the politics-as-usual crowd, he got involved.  First he talked about it on his radio show.  Later he made a formal endorsement, traveled to the district and made TV appearances on Doug’s behalf on Sean Hannity’s show and elsewhere.

Who is Fred Thompson?  Most politically minded people know that he was once a Senator from Tennessee. Most of them also know he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President last year.  His primary campaign theme was "Common-Sense Conservatism", a theme that found its way into Doug Hoffman’s stump speech.  A theme that interestingly enough was the focus of the RNC’s Trevor Francis on a bloggers call after the polls had closed but before we knew the outcome in NY-23.

Fred Thompson is a conservative.  His views and his persona are exactly what conservatism should look like.  He is driven by a simple set of principles which he uses to make his decisions.  Limited government, fiscal restraint, strong national defense and traditional values are part of the common-sense conservatism which Senator Thompson ran for president on and espouses today.  Through his radio show and FredPAC, he is daily influencing the debate in Washington, helping conservative candidates with funds and support, and being a voice for conservatism with the American people.

If Fred Thompson had never taken up Doug Hoffman’s cause, we would likely never have heard of Doug.  The conservatives in NY-23 would still not have voted for Dede Scozzafava, and Bill Owens would still have won the election. However, the NRCC would still think that meddling in local party politics is acceptable.  The NRCC, NRSC and RNC would not have learned a lesson about how powerful the conservative movement is following the summer of the TEA parties.  We don’t have to worry about that, because Fred Thompson was there.  He took up the cause and rallied hundreds of thousands of conservatives around the country to get involved through donations, volunteering and prayers.

If you are interested in conservatism, and in this country returning to the values and policies that made it great, I recommend that you give money to FredPAC, listen to Fred Thompson’s radio show, and pay close attention to what this conservative giant says and does.  It is unlikely that Fred will run for President again, and that is unfortunate, but it doesn’t stop him from being one of the most influential people on the political landscape today.

FredPAC website can be found here - FRED!!

Coming next: Part 4 - About the other political figure involved whose name occasionally appears with exclamation points.

Conservatives won in NY-23. The goal was to stop a liberal Republican. We did that. The goal was to send a message to the NRCC. We did that. The goal was to show that a conservative could be competitive in a district not considered conservative. We did that.

45% of the vote for a 3rd party candidate who was opposed by the Democrat-Union-Acorn machine and until the last minute opposed by the national Republican apparatus is incredible. Many pundits will dismiss this or try to cast blame at the feet of conservatives, but the number crunchers at the NRCC and RNC and NRSC will be forced to take notice.

With all the emotional investment, as I heard that Doug was about to concede I expected to be crushed by the weight of it. Instead, I found myself smiling through the whole speech. When Doug said that this was just one fight and a fight that was worth fighting, I could barely contain a he** yeah. I sit here, disappointed, but oddly cheerful.

In VA and NJ we dealt resounding blows to the Obama-Pelosi agenda. In NY-23 we lost a fight and improved our strategic position.

Doug Hoffman or another conservative wil run here in a year, and we can win. In a few months, we can put Rubio on the Senate ballot in New York Florida (Thanks to cwilson for catching my typo). We can put Devore on the ballot in California. We can bring this country back from the brink and make it better than ever before. We must not slow, we must not tarry, we must not quit.

The biggest difficulty at this point is that there is only so much to be done to get those people out.  The district has been so deluged with robo-calls, etcetra that people are tired of getting phone calls.  That said, anything that we can do to get more people out, it is vital to get the job done.

I walked all ovr Watertown, NY this morning.  It is considered one of the battleground areas of the state.  Interestingly enough, out of the 30 or so people I talked to at random today, I did not find a single Owens supporter.  Most were for Hoffman, several were unsure or did not plan to vote.  Believe it or not, two of the people I spoke to today had no idea what I was talking about - amazing considering that every other tv or radio commercial is for the race and every street corner has a Hoffman or Owens sign. 

GET OUT AND VOTE - AND THEN GET SOME OTHERS OUT TO VOTE - Let’s bring these races over the finish line.

[Update] Sandy Caligiore, communications director for Hoffman campaign just went on the record with me.  Quote:  We win.

I will update results as we get them, here is link for results from media -
http://watertowndailytimes.com/

[Update 2] Blogger call in a few minutes

[Update 3] The results don’t look good so far, but no one here can get good information on the specifics of where the votes are from.

[Update 4] Doug Hoffman conceded.

I am dissapointed in the results, but I simply can’t be despondent. A conservative 3rd party candidate running against the establishment recieved 45% of the vote in a 3 way race. Although Doug Hoffman didn’t win the election, we still won.

John Rich is not a person that anyone would consider a rabid conservative. He recently was all over radio with the song “Shutting Detroit Down”, a populist lament of bailouts to big business while the rank and file workers lost their jobs. An early support of Fred Thompson for President, he was a supporter of John McCain once McCain won the nomination. He even released a song online, “Raisin’ McCain” in support of the presidential bid.  He also performed at the 2008 Republican Convention.

John Rich is an incredibly friendly person. His flashy country superstar image belies a down home nice guy. Talking to him at the American Legion in Watertown, it felt like he was just one of the many guys in the building. Although there were lots of people looking to shake his hand or get his autograph, he didn’t rush anyone.

John Rich is a good guy who supports Republicans, including a moderate Republican such as John McCain.  It makes it that much more interesting when he takes time out of his schedule to support a third party candidate, including performing for free for several hundred Hoffman supporters in Watertown, NY.

There is no end to celebrity supporters of Democrats and liberals.  The difference is the refreshing humility of John Rich.  Unlike most of his leftist supporting counterparts, you never get the impression that he thinks he is better or smarter than you.  There is a genuine sense that he feels himself to be just one man with a heartfelt opinion, a love of his country, and a desire to see conservative priniciples make us great again.

Two and a half hours left until the polls close - VOTE, and remind anyone you know in NJ, CA, NY-23 or CA-10 to go VOTE.

CPT Scott O’Grady is a former Air Force pilot. His F16 was shot down over Bosnia in a story that spawned two books, a history channel documentary. The movie Behind Enemy Lines was loosely based on his experience.

CPT O’Grady is in many ways an average American. He is a war hero, to be sure, but in all other ways he is just a guy like us. He spoke at length with me about Doug Hoffman and NY-23. He tells about how the country he loves so much has gone so far afield. He laments the incremental loss of freedoms. With his quiet tone he talks about the founders and the brilliance of a country where average people can put down their business for a time and go to represent us in D.C. The problem according to CPT O’Grady is that the professional politicians, the ruling class, has taken over in Washington and the average person has a hard time getting to D.C. and is no longer represented. In his understated way, he makes the case that Doug Hoffman represents the “true sentiment of the American people.”

One wonders if the current crop of Veterans will rise to the occasion and be part of the effort that brings real representation back to our country. Our volunteer force has been tested in the trials of fire, and now they come back with a passion for the country they have sacrificed for. The now infamous memo from the Department of Homeland Security suggests that returning veterans may be a threat. I submit that DHS is wrong about the nature of the threat. It is a political threat that they pose.

Men and women who have faced the fire of enemies, whether IED’s destroying friends in the next HMMVW, mortars landing on their base while they seek to sleep, direct small arms fire in towers or on patrols or anti-aircraft fire filling the sky, have little to fear from the words of politicians. These men and women are standing up, in big ways and small, and they will not back down from the country the love enough to die for - and to live for.

CPT Scott O’Grady fought for his country in the skies(and on the ground) in Bosnia. Now he does battle in the field of ideas. God bless him and all those who serve.

P.S. If you have an election today - GET OUT AND VOTE.

Bob Adney, field director for Hoffman for Congress greeted me as I came in and immediately asked me to go to work at the phone bank. 

Here in Watertown they have over 40 phone lines humming.  Starting this evening, John Rich and Fred and Jeri Thompson will be holding a rally here.  I will update you all as it happens.

While here I met a fellow named Robert Stacy McCain, you may have heard of him, and we discussed the situation here. 

The consensus we reached is that a key part, ending Dede’s campaign, has been accomplished.  Putting Doug Hoffman in the House will be te finishing touch.  The message we send to Pelosi, et al will be undeniable.  The top Democrats may ignore it, but the “blue dogs” will be running scared.

For those of you who couldn’t be here but want to help follow the information below and make some calls. EVERY CALL COUNTS. If you can only put in a little time or all day tonight and tomorrow, do what you can. We can win this.

Sign-Up: to make calls for Doug: Note after you sign up it will take about 15 minutes for the system to recognize you. They will send you an email letting you know you are good to make calls.
http://bit.ly/2Q6LqZ

Update: This evenings event - Wow!

Fred Thompson is of course the key. He, probably more than anyone, brought this race to national attention. It is unfortunate that Fred Thompson did not become our President last year, but in his current role, he is showing just how valuable he remains to the conservative movement. Money quote: “The Vice President job is to attend funerals…which explains why he was here for the Owens campaign.”

Interesting tidbit: It was Jeri Thompson who brought the Doug Hoffman - Dede Scozzafava race to Fred’s attention. This is the one to watch. Jeri is every bit the ideological and intellectual match for her husband. She was gracious and gave me a quote to share with the readers of Redstate. “I heard Vice President Biden was here earlier today, I also understand that he revealed he was a lifeguard at one time. That surprised me. I didn’t know you could swim with your mouth open.”

Jon Rich gave a geat performance. Highlights:
“I’m not running for anything so I can say what the he** I want. Nancy Pelosi is like a witch flying around on her broom. Someone needs to drop a house on her.”

This town is Fort Drum’s area, home of the 10th Mountain Division. All of the speakers spoke at length about military issues, something dear to my heart.

The key speaker of course was Doug Hoffman himself. He is an unlikely candidate, unassuming, low key. His pitch is simple. He is an average person who wants to fix what is wrong in D.C.

[Update 2]

Last night, after all the fun was over and everyone went their seperate ways I stopped at a convenience store for some snacks before back to my hotel to hit the hay.  The employee at the convenience store commented on my rental car (a 2010 silver Ford Mustang convertible - I got upgraded for free) and we started talking about things.  Turns out he is a National Guard soldier and was in Iraq in 04-05.  We started talking about politics, and he referred to himself as a moderate, not really taking sides.  I asked him if he was going to vote.  He said he might.  I made the case for Doug Hoffman and I used the following points of info -

Doug Hoffman is not a member of the “political class”.

Doug Hoffman wants taxes lowered and less money spent.

Doug Hoffman is a veteran and storngly supports the military.

Those are conservative arguments, delivered to a moderate.  Guess what?  He told me he really wants to go and pull the lever for Doug Hoffman and assured me he would vote for Doug Hoffman today.  As we go through the rest of this election and into 2010, what are you doing to influence your friends, family and neighbors to vote?  You will be surprised as you find how easily many self-identfied moderates, independents and liberals are swayed by conservative arguments - as long as they are exposed to them.

Back to it now, will check back in about the campaign activity this morning and wil be at the Hoffman HQ this evening as results start coming in.

[Update 3] The Other McCain wrote a flattering piece about me, and I’ll link it here Boots on the ground - one of the most interesting aspects of this trip has been interacting with bloggers and reporters also covering this race.

[Update 4] - Continued here: http://www.redstate.com/hooah_mac/2009/11/03/boots-on-ground-in-ny-23-part-2/

Owens-

• President Obama
• DNC

Scozzafava-

• NRCC
• RNC
• Newt Gingrich
• DailyKOS
• Margaret Sanger Award

Hoffman-

• Fred!!
• Club For Growth
• Police Benevolent Association
• Concerned Women
• Citizens of the Republic
• Susan B. Anthony List
• American Conservative Union
• Citizens United Political Victory Fund
• Campaign for Working Families
• NYS Right to Life PAC
• GING-PAC
• Conservative Victory Fund
• Eagle Forum
• 912candidates.org
• Nat’l Organization for Marriage
• America’s Independent Party
• Steve Forbes
• Sarah Palin
• Wholesaler-Distributor Political Action Committee
• Freedoms Defense Fund
• U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas)
• U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota)
• And others

Looking at those lists, which candidate do you feel more comfortable with?  This race has become the testing ground.  How effective and influential are we as conservatives?  I challenge everyone reading this to give $50 to Doug Hoffman’s campaign today, then post below to encourage others about what you are doing.  If you can give more or can only give less, go for it.

http://doughoffmanforcongress.com/

If you can find the money but choose not to give, don’t complain in the future when the National Republican Apparatus continues to ignore our wishes and the winning path of conservatism.  Everyone already knows that Scozzafava can NOT win this race, it is just not possible.  She is a horrible candidate and does not have the support of her base.  The NRCC is only still supporting her because it refuses to admit its mistake.  Hoffman can win, and his winning will echo throughout the corridors of power, both within our party and without.

What was the most interesting fact of all about the candidate’s forum is that all of the serious candidates could be easily characterized as conservative. Let me introduce a few of them -

Pat Anderson - Former State Auditor who is running primarily on a “cut government” platform. Her main points at the candidate’s forum revolved around cutting the state government’s spending, taxing and influence in the lives of Minnesotans. Her presentation at the convention itself before the straw poll consisted of filling the stage and the area around it with MN, US, and Gadsden flags, brought in to the beat of a revolutionary era dressed drummer.

Tom Emmer - Current member of MN state house. Is a passionate and fiery conservative, not afraid to yell a little in his presentation. A big focus of his campaign is making MN more business friendly. In the candidate forum he spoke for photo ID laws for voting, removing excess government and stated that in reducing government, “the sky is the limit”. He also took the time to emphasize that he would continue the Pawlenty tradition of being present at every military arrival and departure for MN troops.

Paul Kohls - Also a member of the MN state house. He has repeatedly called for a state spending freeze. One of his top priorities is education. He used the term “educrats” in his discussion of state education. His strategy for victory is to use his good temperament to persuade the middle to choose conservative ideas.

Marty Seifert - Former minority leader of state house. His most recent claim to fame is doing a very good job of keeping the caucus together to give Governor Pawlenty the ability to veto bills without fear of Republican defectors overturning them. Making Minnesota a favorable environment for business is his biggest pitch, focusing on taxes, fees and regulations that have been driving businesses out of the state. He said that we don’t need to hold the line on taxes, we need to reduce them. He also released a “contract with Minnesota” type plan so that the MN GOP can run with a coherent message. When asked about bipartisanship, he turned the conventional definition of it around and said that he is all for bipartisanship, he would be very happy to have the democrats vote with us.

There are other candidates, but I focused on these because they either have the best chance of winning or had some interesting things to say. The other candidates either were completely uninteresting or a little fruity.

The moderator noted that all of the expected and announced DFL candidates for Governor are on record wanting to raise taxes and asked for a show of hands who would raise taxes. None of the GOP candidates did, bringing chuckles from the crowd.

I managed to speak one on one with every one of the candidates mentioned above, and think highly of the conservative principles I sensed in all of them. At the end of the post I’ll talk a little bit more about who is the best choice in my opinion. But first…

If you are still reading, you are either a Minnesotan, interested in Minnesota politics or you want to know why I referenced the 1994 GOP in the subject line. Since shortly after the 1994 sweep, the Republican party lost its way. In a quest to grow and maintain power, it fell for the idea that it needed to be in the center to win elections. The argument continuously put forward was that conservative principles could not be implemented and defended if Republicans did not win elections. The result a decade and half later? Conservative principles have not been implemented or defended and Republicans have not been winning elections.
The political landscape is changing very rapidly right now. If the GOP can channel the energy from the tea parties into election victory and follow that with legislative success, conservatism will once again drive this country forward. If they don’t, it may be nightfall for the U.S. and for freedom in the world and the west.
It is exciting that all indications are the MN GOP understands this. Every one of these candidates recognized the importance of the tea parties. Every one of them recognized that the GOP can not expect anything out of the middle of the road other than getting run over. It is my hope that this filters up to the national party very fast. One of the key indicators to me about the future of the GOP and the future of the U.S. will be the Rubio - Crist contest in Florida. If Rubio wins the primary, there is hope that the darkened sky is signaling the sun coming up on another morning in America. If Crist wins…well, I would recommend buying flashlights.
Although the GOP has failed many times in the last decade, they have been generally trying to go the correct way. Contrast that with the left. The left’s assault on reason, economics and liberty have brought them to the place they occupy now. America cannot afford to be at the mercy of the anti-intellectual left any longer.

Minnesota Governor Conclusion:

I am very strongly in support of Marty Seifert. Check out his website Seifert for Governor and drop him some money if you can. He is an incredibly personable man, a good speaker and he has a real plan. His experience in the legislature shows he has the leadership and the contacts in the house to accomplish his agenda. He is also committed to electing more Republicans to the state house and senate, and in my opinion he is the only candidate with a real shot at doing so.
I spoke with every one of these candidates at length and discussed them with many of my Minnesota political contacts. Marty is the first MN statewide candidate I feel comfortable and confident in supporting in at least a decade. I will be overseas and unable to help much with his campaign next year, so I hope some of my fellow conservative Minnesotans can step up. Governors races are very important, particularly as we see more overreach by the Federal government. We need conservative Governors who can tell the feds no from time to time.

Everyone is debating and discussing, arguing and accusing on all these issues. Average American is concerned about whether he can get $4500 for his old car or whether Uncle Sam is going to pay for his Viagra.

Meanwhile, here are some friends of mine that I have never met –

Army Pfc. William Z. Vanosdol 23 Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq

Army Pfc. Morris L. Walker 23 Paktika Province, Afghanistan

Army Staff Sgt. Clayton P. Bowen 29 Paktika Province, Afghanistan

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Adam F. Benjamin 34 Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Marine Lance Cpl. Leopold F. Damas, 26 Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Army Sgt. 1st Class William B. Woods Jr., 31 Ghazni, Afghanistan

Army Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush, 22 Herat, Afghanistan

These are all young men who willingly put their lives on the line every day. Unfortunately, neither you nor I will now get a chance to meet them. Each of them died this week in incidents directly related to enemy action in OEF/OIF.

Honor the Fallen

Those of us in the military are still fighting, and dying, because YOUR lives and freedom depend on it. You maybe didn’t know it because casualty counts are no longer a tool for one particular political party to gain power. In addition, Dancing with the stars, Michael Jackson’s death and what might or might not be in Tom Ridge’s book are much more interesting to the news media’s talking heads.

We don’t ask for much, you all know that. Indeed, without exception, we are a little embarrassed when we are thanked on the street. I don’t think it is too much to ask that people at least remember we are still out there, rough men prepared to do violence on your behalf so that you can sleep peaceably in your beds at night.

Regardless of the occupant of the oval office, regardless of the party in charge or the policy du jour, my brothers and sisters and I put on our uniforms and go into harm’s way, because we love this country and we revere the Constitution and the freedom that makes this country such a unique place in all of history.

Don’t forget us!

Note: I am currently preparing for another deployment to Iraq (at last word, we might still be shifted to Afghanistan) but will not be leaving until the beginning of next year as it stands right now.

We are a mostly working class town strongly steeped in the idea of Minnesota nice. For those who have never visited our state, that means we are quiet and don’t like to rock the boat or offend anyone. Minnesotans by and large are not overly social creatures, and we tend to keep our opinions to ourselves.

April 15, 2009. In the middle of the work day, 450 people (some credible reports put it as high as 600 people) found the time on their lunch hour or time off to attend the Tax Day Tea Party. It was an exciting event, with people well-behaved and respectful of each other, even as they made sure that the powers that be knew how they felt about the shape our country is in.

At the entrance to the area where the group was meeting was a sign that set the tone. In red, white and blue it said - “St. Cloud is Taxed Enough Already! God Bless America”.

Therein lies the clear difference between the Tea Parties and the typical leftist protest. We came not to denigrate our nation, but to demand that our leaders restore and preserve its greatness. Many homemade signs were in view, most decry the tax and spending and the failure of Congress to actually read the “stimulus” bill before they made it law. Note the American flag held proudly.

And again, despite being at a protest against the government of these United States, the pledge of allegiance was said, at the urging of the crowd.

One the main organizers of the event, Kathleen Virnig, was kind enough to talk to the camera to send a message to those of you who agree with the sentiment of these parties, and to urge you to take the next steps…

Lastly, someone I am proud to consider a new friend, a local radio personality and an all-around very smart guy, Dan “The Ox” Ochsner with a message of encouragement and perseverance-

Please support The Ox, 1450knsi.com and all the others who toil away daily in the attempt to keep this country headed towards more liberty and more prosperity. Also, do not forget, as The OX says, we are not only right, we are correct.

I had to look at her, because I couldn’t imagine that she was serious.  It seems many of the American people have forgotten about the TWO wars we are still fighting.  A disengaged public was convinced by the MSM that the wars were all President Bush’s fault.  Now they naively believe that the exit of Bush is the end to the conflicts.  Most of us know better, but it is important for us to keep it in mind, and to remind our fellow countrymen of what is truly happening in the world.

Even more, when Iraq does come to a close(we’ve won and it is just a matter of finishing the clean up), and Afghanistan ends(if President Obama doesn’t manage to screw it up), understand that for many the war never ends.  Hundreds of thousands of veterans will still be fighting these wars every night in their dreams and every day in moments of reflection.  Several of my family members work at the VA hospital here in town, and the old Korean and Vietnam war vets still struggle with what happened decades ago.  Pray for the veterans.  More than that, understand and honor the sacrifice they have made for YOU.

Let me leave with a video I found today.  It is not my kind of music, but the lyrics and the sentiment could have been pulled directly out of my head in those quiet moments of thought.  It is one of the most powerful videos I have ever watched:

If I were King - Queensryche

I feel hurt, and somewhat depressed, not so much because of all the negatives that are to come for our country, but because I truly feel that the people of this country broke faith with the men and women of the armed services by electing Barack Obama to the Presidency.

That said - if you read my previous post, I do not fight for the President, nor for the electorate, nor for a political party or a prevailing mood in the country. I do not require gratefulness or compensation to do what I do.

I fight for the Flag - which still waves.

I fight for the Constitution - though bruised and battered it still stands as the supreme law of our land.

I fight for the ideals of freedom, liberty and justice - Which are still to be found in more abundance in the United States of America than anywhere else in the world or in human history.

I defend the rights of the American people, and I will fight no less because they misuse or disuse those rights.

God bless America. There is much wrong here, most of the Republican party elected officials and nearly all of the Democrat party elected officials don’t deserve the positions they hold. We can fix that. We must fix that.

When Iraq looked darkest, the soldiers of the United States Army woke up each morning and did their jobs. They did not despair, because the mission must be completed. Because we did not faint from our duty, the people of Iraq have a greater chance of living free than they have had for the last 30+ years.

There is a lesson in this. When you give up, you lose. As long as you are in the fight, and particularly when truth and justice are on your side, victory is an option. As conservatives and as patriots, it is now more important than ever that we answer our country’s call. How many Democrat seats were unchallenged in this election? How many conservatives failed to participate in both the GOTV and voting itself? What have we all done to educate voters about the realities of government?

Many here treat politics the same way that video games treat soldiering: A ten minute glory run. In realit it takes 9 weeks of 7 day a week, 24 hour a day, grueling training to make your average civilian into Army material. That’s 9 weeks of boring, hard work. Then months of additional training to teach them their jobs. Then the tedium and hard work truly begin. Are you willing to fight for what you believe in, or are you content to try playing “political call of duty” every 2 or 4 years?

If the people of the United States of America elect Barack Obama to the Presidency, they have broken faith with us.

When our beloved country called, we stood up. These last few years it has not been easy. Seeing our brothers fall, witnessing firsthand the terror of combat and the horror of war, we have continued to stand. Most of us will never be whole again. Many returned missing arms or legs. Nearly all of us returned missing part of our humanity. We have sacrificed marriages, money, comfort and maybe even a little sanity. No matter how daunting the day, whether 120 degrees in the deserts of Iraq, or freezing cold in the mountains of Afghanistan, rain or shine, we stood up. Our youth, our innocence, and so much more laid on the altar of freedom.

I have no regrets. Regardless of the pain, the emotional turmoil, the things I missed and the difficulties I have yet to experience, I am proud of what I have done. For the Flag, for the Constitution, for the desperate peoples of a war torn nation, for 9-11, for the greater good of freedom throughout the world - these are the thoughts for which I fought, and for which I fight.

What to you is worth fighting for? What is worth a little discomfort in your life? While young men and women bleed and die half a world away, how dare you whine about a temporary setback in your 401k? While 19 year olds face the klaxons and explosions in the night, how dare you to pick a Commander-in-Chief for them based on carbon credits.

If you love this country, and if you respect the men and women that defend it then vote today for John McCain. Then call, email and otherwise convince everyone else you know to do it as well. More than any other election in history, honor depends on the outcome.

It was something else entirely. Most of you know I an Army Reserve soldier. Most of you know I served a year in Iraq. What most of you don’t know is that I live in blue-purple Minnesota. What none of you could possibly know is that I drive 70 miles to work and 70 miles home each day, and have a U.S. Army sticker on my truck.

Why is that significant? About once a day on average I receive a gesture of support from someone that passes me and sees my Army sticker(most people pass me because I am compulsive about sticking to the speed limit.) Today, on the way to work and on the way home one third to half of all the people that passed me(seriously that many), gave me a “thumbs up”, or mouthed “good job”, “way to go” or “thank you”. Moms, dads, kids, young ladies(don’t tell my wife) and young men; all ages and genders and types were doing it.

I pondered this for much of the day, and it finally occured to me why today was different from yesterday and the days preceding it. Last night John McCain made people proud to be Americans, and reminded them of the sacrifices made in service of this country.

If John McCain has awakened the heart pounding patriotism that hasn’t been widespread since the days of “Morning in America”, then this one is in the bag. I’m not trying to say that nothing can change or that much more work isn’t ahead of us, but this is the most encouraging sign I’ve seen. Final caveat - it is indeed anecdotal, but the difference was so dramatic that I can’t ignore it.

Lastly, in case you missed it: This Fredhead is now “all-in” for McCain-Palin. More on that to come.

I found myself with tears in my eyes repeatedly. Half of the time it was because I was laughing that hard. The other half it was tears of pride in this great nation.

I noticed throughout the movie that they clearly had the help of real Service Members, because unlike most Hollywood movies, there weren’t all those annoying little details that let you know these guys didn’t really know how to wear the uniform or salute. In the Afghanistan scene, I felt for a moment I was back overseas, and when the explosions went off, I had a rough moment, but I felt pride watching the very real depiction of American soldiers running TOWARDS the explosions while the Michael Moore character ran the other way.

There is also a serious scene with George Washington in St. Paul’s cathedral, followed by a poignant reminder of 9/11 and the realities of terrorism. The movie is funny and still sober; it is very patriotic, without being preachy. It has some of the trademark Zucker stunts – like accidently knocking the whole family of sick kids off a pier – but that doesn’t define the movie like you would expect. The one drawback is that it really isn’t a kid friendly movie, due to language and a few crude gestures.

I STRONGLY recommend that you find your way into the theater on October 3rd to watch this movie. Not only is it an enjoyable film, but if it has box office success, it will be a kick in the pants to liberal Hollywood.