One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’ Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Yet now there is Twitter, other social networks, and the internet at large. It’s wise for Tweeters and others to understand that the deck is still stacked against those protesting the election. The Iranian government still controls the media, and in a textbook totalitarian move they have banned foreign press. While members of the Twitter community have set up proxy servers for people in Iran to use, the government has shut down known internet connections, which means that in all likelihood a large majority of Iranians are only hearing the official government version of events.

Yet protests continue and news spreads in large part due to Twitter and the internet. This is not something past totalitarian regimes have had to deal with. There are enough Iranians using Twitter (or other forms of communication) to organize that protests continue. The government has not been able to implement complete control. Hopefully those watching, participating, and following #iranelection on Twitter recognize that there is a definite possibility that this ends very badly as totalitarian regimes are also brutal. The reality is that what results from this is wholly a guess, but it changes the playing field and gives voice to those who previously had none. Person to person communication tools change the dynamic shifting, at least some of the power to the people, and puts a crack in structure of totalitarianism.

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Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

As a staunch McCain supporter I’m over the defeat; that is except when the Obama administration attempts to use parts of the McCain platform that they previously criticized. When the Obama administration followed the McCain plan in their Iraq and Afghanistan I was relieved. They weren’t as reckless as their campaign statements made them appear. Also, I have to give them a gamesmanship points (even if they lose honesty points) for completely sticking it to the far left without making them angry. Yet the annoyance started when Obama used the McCain rhetoric about the economy without including all that pesky fiscal discipline. The statements post stimulus about strong economic fundamentals were practically verbatim what Senator McCain said during the election. Now health care is on the table and so is taxing employer based health insurance. Remember Obama campaign ads revolved around the idea that this was a terrible plan for Senator McCain to propose. Now it apparently is not such a bad idea. What makes it worse is that in the McCain plan there was a $5000 tax credit that would have off-set the tax. There will be no tax credit with the Democrat’s plan, so any tax assessed is coming right out of your pocket. I’ll get over the annoyance, but if the Obama administration keeps adapting McCain ideas the least they could do is adopt his fiscal discipline (and math skills) too.

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Obama Using McCain Ideas

Senator Brownback talked to bloggers today laying out the problems with closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. The most pressing of these problems is what to do with the detainees. Senator Brownback explains that one commonly overlooked risk of bringing prisoners to U.S. prisons is that the surrounding prison communities may be subject to violent acts by groups making political statements about the prisoners’ detention. He also explains that the Geneva Convention says that prisoners of war will not be held along with a general prison population. Senator Brownback lays out numerous reasons why closing Guantanamo is poorly thought out, and is decisively lacking a realistic and safe plan. The propsal also lacks support both in Congress and among the American people. A new Gallup poll shows that by a 2 to 1 margin Americans Oppose Closing Gitmo and Moving Prisoners to U.S.

This call is worth listening to as one may be surprised at the number of solid reasons the Senator gives for opposing the Obama adminstration’s call to close Guantanamo.
Blogger Call with Senator Brownback

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Brownback Talks Guantanamo and Foreign Policy

On a blogger call today Senator Coburn and Representatives Nunes and Ryan discussed their alternative health care plan entitled ‘Patients’ Choice Act.’ Representative Nunes noted that the Obama administration has yet to release any of the details of the plan that it is already starting to promote. Summaries of the Patients’ Choice Act as well as additional information are given on Representative Ryan’s website.

“The Patients’ Choice Act of 2009,” transforms health care in America by strengthening the relationship between the patient and the doctor; using choice and competition rather than rationing and restrictions to contain costs; and ensuring universal, affordable health care for all Americans. “The Patients’ Choice Act” promotes innovative, State-based solutions, along with fundamental reforms in the tax code, to give every American, regardless of employment status, age, or health condition, the ability and the resources to purchase health insurance. The comprehensive legislation includes concrete prevention and transparency initiatives, long overdue reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, investments in wellness programs and health IT, and more.

Republican Health Care Alternative, Patients’ Choice Act

Promoted by Dan McLaughlin

The Obama administration is having some difficulty with the economic projections they used to sell the stimulus bill, so they’ve decided to rewrite their projections. The administration projected that the unemployment rate would peak at 8%, it is now at 8.9%. This would lead many reasonable people to think that that the stimulus package has not yet been successful at creating jobs. Hence the Obama administration has written a new economic report. USA Today article White House defends 3.5M job forecast states…

Read More →

Just Released – An Independent Call by Katherine J. Morrison

An Independent Call, is the amusing story of a New Hampshire Independent and McCain supporter in the 2008 election.  Along with a lighter take on the presidential election, An Independent Call gives an insightful look at the political parties, and the media during this two-year long process.

Epping, NH April 19, 2009 – An Independent Call is a fun and original take on the presidential election through the eyes of a New Hampshire Independent and McCain volunteer.  It recounts the journey of a skeptical observer as she was converted into a die-hard McCain supporter. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Republican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at the lowest level politics from an outsider’s perspective. An Independent Call is a mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

An Independent Call is published by Broad Side of the Barn Publishing, and is available for purchase on their website – BroadSideoftheBarn.com.  The author Katherine Morrison is a New Hampshire resident and blogger.  She is the creator/author of PurplePeopleVote.com, and has a background in web development.

Rockingham NH County Commissioner, Maureen Barrows, recommends An Independent Call stating that it is…

“A must read for anyone interested in the day to day life of a volunteer in a political campaign…attention to detail is brilliant.”

For more information on An Independent Call, please visit BroadSideoftheBarn.com.

*Excerpts of An Independent Call also available at BroadSideoftheBarn.com.

RCP article CNN Versus the Tea Parties does an excellent job in explaining why so many in the middle class don’t like Washington’s big spending. The argument about taxes often devolves into condescending remarks from the left stating that these people obviously don’t realize that their taxes will not go up. This is then followed by rather useless statements from the right trying to drum up sympathy for the wealthy who pay a much higher percentage of taxes. Both sides miss two key point; trust and math. What many of the Tea Party participants were saying to the government was,

‘I don’t trust you with my money.’

‘Who will pay for this trillion dollar deficit?’

‘How does this colosal debt really help the country and the economy in the long run?’

‘How will you avoid massive inflation if you keep spending at this rate?’

Fairness arguments fall flat, because life’s not fair, and trying to convince people that the wealthy have a raw deal will not engender much sympathy. ‘What works,’ would be a much better tact for fiscal conservatives, as the Tea Parties showed many people do not feel that reckless government spending ‘works.’

What Ms. Roesgen and others like her do not understand is that some people are interested in more than their own narrow self-interest. Perhaps the protestor she interviewed, who was holding his 2-year-old son, is eligible for a tax rebate. And perhaps his state will get a juicy piece of the stimulus money. It is possible, just possible, that such a bribe does not influence him. Perhaps it doesn’t buy his support because he is skeptical that his taxes can remain low when the federal government is embarked on a record-shattering spending spree. He may be offended by the bailout culture, and worried that the obligations of taxpayers cannot remain low when it seems that every irresponsible borrower, failed car company, and free spending state is being rescued by the federal government. Additionally, he may be dubious that the government will spend the money wisely. It has been rumored that government spending has produced waste, fraud, inefficiency, and corruption. But he also may simply believe that engorging the government and enfeebling the private sector — no matter who is writing the checks — is not good for the economic or spiritual health of the country.

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Middle Class Protest Deserves More Credence

Inappropriate Humor Alert…

Tea Party protesters won a victory today as the mainstream media could not ignore their protests like they have in the past. As expected some of the media described the protesters as radicals (ever-classy and most-trusted Anderson Cooper of CNN used an obscene joke to describe the attendees) despite the pictures showing peaceful gatherings of people of all ages in attendance. Yet media logic dictates if you don’t love Obama, you must be crazy.

Yet it’s not just the media searching for crazy. A report was leaked by DHS on “Rightwing Extremism.” To quote the report,

Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.

Dang it, I’m a radical. There were signs, once in high school I got a detention for a overdue library book; even back then I was bad. My internet chatter about obscene government spending has all been a clever ploy to manipulate my readers to take radical action like, ‘vote the bums out,’ or ‘tell your representatives what you think.’ I tell you I’m bad, and if I didn’t have a job or a cold I would have been one of those crazy tea party animals too. You need further proof that I’m a radical? How about this…

Rightwing extremist views bemoan the decline of U.S. stature and have recently focused on themes such as the loss of U.S. manufacturing capability to China and India, Russia’s control of energy resources and use of these to pressure other countries, and China’s investment in U.S. real estate and corporations as a part of subversion strategy.

Well there you have it. I’m concerned that China owns us, and all our debt, I must be a radical. Granted, I’m a centrist on guns and immigration, and lean a bit left on the social issues discussed in the report, but imagine my surprise to find out that I’ve been cavorting with other radicals over the past 2 years by volunteering for the McCain campaign. Pro-life, pro-second amendment, high concentration of veterans, don’t let the good humor, sarcastic wit, family values, and helpful manner fool you – we were all a big bunch of radicals, just ask MSNBC.

Now I know there is a serious side to this report. Every group in every country has its nutballs, and its the governments main job to protect its citizens from radicals of all sorts. Yet this seems like a veiled attempt to blur the line between staunch conservatives and radical Klan-like groups, when in reality that is a very clear and distict line. Veterans in particular are owed an apology for their less than flattering portrayal in this report. As for me, I’m going to keep chattering about the economy, and take pride in the fact that someone out there thinks I’m radical.

You Could Be A Radical Too…

Today is Tax Day Tea Party Day. There are tax protests scheduled around the country, and as I noted in a previous article, they’re even in Vermont. Boston and Atlanta are both expected to have huge numbers of protesters, and while there is no definitve count yet, it appears these Tea Parties will be large enough an numerous enough that even the main stream media won’t be able to ignore them.

A fascinating element of today’s protests is how Tea Party organizers harnessed the power of the internet to generate a truly grass roots movement. I recently wrote in my book, An Independent Call, conservatives do well in top down organizing, yet bottom-up cooperative organizing tends to fall flat. Conservative organizational strength is often dependent of the leadership and make up of each particular group. Yet Tea Party organizers just proved me wrong. What is remarkable about the organization of these Tea Parties is that they are being formed by a wide range of people in different areas of the country who are often not connected to each other.

Also, these protests are not solely the domain of the right. These Tea Parties are showing a wide range of people are fed up with Washington’s tax and spend policies. No doubt these events were aided by the simple fact that they hit nerve with citizens who are bailout weary.

Michelle Malkin’s article A Tax Day Tea Party cheat sheet: How it all started does a nice job in tracing the origins of the Tax Day Tea Parties, and includes a number of pictures from these protests showing that these are peaceful family friendly events.

The Wall Street Journal article Tax Day Becomes Protest Day also gives a nod to the grassroots formation of these protests.

So who’s behind the Tax Day tea parties? Ordinary folks who are using the power of the Internet to organize. For a number of years, techno-geeks have been organizing “flash crowds” — groups of people, coordinated by text or cellphone, who converge on a particular location and then do something silly, like the pillow fights that popped up in 50 cities earlier this month. This is part of a general phenomenon dubbed “Smart Mobs” by Howard Rheingold, author of a book by the same title, in which modern communications and social-networking technologies allow quick coordination among large numbers of people who don’t know each other.

Tea Parties Harness the Power of the Internet

As the States Blog notes…

BOSTON– While there are over 2000 tea parties planned around the nation for this coming tax day, April 15, one of the largest and certainly the most symbolic will be held in Boston. Thousands of participants are anticipated to gather to hear some of the nation’s leading public policy leaders address why our federal government’s policies of excessive economic micromanagement, punitive taxation, and unprecedented wasteful spending are proving damaging to American freedom.

The Boston Tea Party on Tax Day will be held:

Date: Wednesday April 15, 2009
Time: 11am ET to 9pm ET (speakers can be heard from noon to 2pm ET)
Location: Massachusetts State House at 24 Beacon Street, Boston

It is becoming more and more difficult to claim that these tea parties are protests from the fringe when one of the most liberal regions of the country has more than a dozen and Tea Parties scheduled in every state… …There are even two in Vermont.

Tea Parties are scheduled around New England – Info provided by Tax Day Tea Party

MAINE

City: Augusta
When: April 15, 5:30-7:00pm
Where: Capital Park
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info: CLICK HERE
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

City: Bangor
When: April 15, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Where:In front of the Federal Court House
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

City: Portland
When: April 15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Munjoy Hill (down on the beach), Cutter St.
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info: CLICK HERE
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

City: Concord
When: April 15, TBD
Where: State Capital
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info: WEBSITE
Facebook Group: Coming Soon!

City: Dover
When: April 15, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm
Where: City Hall
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: Coming Soon!

City: Manchester
When: April 15, 5:30pm
Where: Victory Park
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info: www.thenhadvantage.com
Facebook Group: Coming Soon!

City: Plymouth
When: April 15, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Where: Plymouth Town Common, across from the Town Hall and the Post Office building
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: Coming Soon!

City: Portsmouth
When: April 15, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Where: In front of the North Church Market Square
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info: Bring your Signs!
Facebook Group: Coming Soon!

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MASSACHUSETTS

City: Boston
When: April 15, 10:00am – 8:00pm (main events 11am -1pm and 5pm – 7pm)
Where: Statehouse
Contact:EMAIL
Other Info: www.teapartyboston2009.wordpress.com
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

City: Cape Cod
When: April 15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Hyannis Airport Rotary
Contact:EMAIL
Other Info:pasta dinner and speeches following the protest
Facebook Group:

City: Lowell
When: April 15, 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: JFK Plaza/Lowell City Hall
Contact:EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

City: Pittsfield
When: April 15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Park Square
Contact:EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group:

City: Springfield
When: April 15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Post Office, corner of Main and Liberty Streets
Contact:EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group:

City: Worcester
When: April 15, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Lincoln Square (in front of the Auditorium)
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

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VERMONT

City: Montpelier
When: April 15, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Where: State House Lawn
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: 802.279.1261
Other Info:
Facebook Group: Click Here

City: Rutland
When: April 15, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: Downtown Rutland, Main Street Park
Contact: EMAIL
Phone:
Other Info: Sign Waving Starting at 4:00 pm!
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

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CONNECTICUT

City: Hartford
When: April 15, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Where: North Steps of State Capitol, Capitol Avenue
Contact: EMAIL RICK or EMAIL MATTHEW
Other Info:
Facebook Group:

City: New Haven
When: April 15, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Long Wharf, I-95, Exit 46
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

City: New Milford
When: April 15, 10:00 am
Where: New Milford Green
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info:
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

City: Norwich
When: April 15, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Where: Marina Area Near Gazebo
Contact: EMAIL
Other Info: There is plenty of parking in the marina area and across the street in the parking garage.
Facebook Group: Coming Soon!

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RHODE ISLAND

City: Providence
When: April 15, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Where: City Side Steps of State Capitol
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: 508.243.3824
Other Info: Click Here
Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

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New England / Boston Tea Party Coming Wednesday

I posted an exerpt from by book An Independent Call yesterday addressing the Palin VP Pick and her impressive convention speech that followed. I posted this same article at The Next Right, and the comments left were from anti-Palin folks.

Inadvertantly, they actually pointed out how Palin supporters need to be different than Obama supporters. The biggest favor online folks could do for Governor Palin or any conservative candidate is win the argument about media bias. O-bots in the election took the tact that ‘my guy is flawless and walks on water, your guy has horns and is responsible for all bad in the world.’ This style is still present in many blogs/comments. The reality is that when countering their argument with, ‘No my candidate is great – not yours,’ or trying to defend nasty alligations nothing gets accomplished.

The reality is the media hates Palin specifically and conservatives generally, and no individual will be able to defend the Governor from the onslaught of obsurd media and blog attacks. However, as a group we can win ‘the media sucks’ argument, because the facts are overwhelmingly on our side. The trick is to let the O-bot’s nastiness, and attempts to redirect the argument, roll off ones back. Be calm, levelheaded, and persistent, and bloggers/commenters could start impacting the way people view the media. Getting angry won’t achieve anything, but logic may. The biggest challenge to Republicans right now is the media. My plan is take a deep breath, keep the topic on media bias, and comment, comment, comment, and/or blog, blog, blog.

An excerpt from the soon to be released, An Independent Call by Katherine Morrison.

The week before the convention Governor Palin was picked as Vice President. Conservatives were excited and the media freaked. While I had heard of her (because of a blogger who advocated for her tirelessly), I really didn’t know much about her, but the pick seemed to make sense, and I was excited by the selection. She’d have to perform, but she fit the ticket for several reasons. She made the ticket historic and exciting. She appealed to the right, which was never really fully behind Senator McCain, and she had the potential to appeal to women and a variety of niche groups. The ticket seemed to be an, ‘I am what I am ticket,’ as neither candidate seemed interested in pretending to be something they were not. Her selection refocused the message of the ticket on reform, putting a more pointed spin on the theme of change.

She clearly brought a lot of excitement to the ticket and the convention. The first day of the convention was seriously scaled back due to hurricane Gustav. This basically bumped the President, which had its advantages politically, and left Mrs. Bush and Mrs. McCain to make short statements, which were well done and well received. Senator Lieberman had the prime time speech the second night, and there was a focus on pulling in groups like Hispanics, Independents, women, and others.

Then there was Thursday. The crowd was already charged up for the night of headliners. Michael Steele came out and made a speech that really engaged the audience, and revved up the room even more. Mayor Giuliani then made a strong speech that led into Governor Palin’s speech.

Governor Palin then blew the roof off the place. Everyone knew she had to perform and boy did she ever. Line after line she had every one in the arena jumping right out of their chairs. The media had spent the week slamming her, investigating her family, and exhibiting a level of unprofessionalism previously unmatched. When she ticked off a line about not caring about being accepted by the media elites, the crowd went crazy and started chanting, ‘NBC, NBC…’

I sat with a fellow blogger up in the nosebleed seats being both thrilled and stunned. I was just hoping she’d perform well, but had no expectation for her to deliver like that. It’s a speech I will remember to the day I die; it was that good.

National Review did all of us who are fed up with the over-the-top media bias a service by not only highlighting Tapper as a solid competent member of the media, but also by reminding us that one can't just complain about those who do a poor job, and that it may be even more important that we applaud and encourage those who are competent than it is to gripe about those whose bias is so obsurd and obvious.

All but three Senate Democrats voted against an amendment, “To increase transparency by requiring five days of public review of legislation before passage by the Senate.” This simply states that bills that are rushed through the Senate would have to garner 60 votes only if they had not been posted online for five days. The irony of the Democrat’s opposition is this measure is taken directly from the Obama presidential campaign. President Obama promised more transparency in the government by posting bills online for citizens to review prior to a vote. Apparently all Democratic Senators except, Senators Bayh, Nelson, and McCaskill disagree with this increased transparency. This measure doesn’t exclude a majority vote on any bill it simply protects against slipping measures into a bill without an adequate review, a protection against situations like the AIG bonus fiasco. It would be interesting to hear the individual Senator’s reasons for opposing transparency, and if the President is planning to stick to his campaign promise of putting bills online for review prior to a vote.

More information on the Cornyn Transparency Amendment

Democrats Vote Against Transparency

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Purple People Vote

Broad Side of the Barn – An Independent Call