Of course, his ridiculous story line is that the stimulus is working, (just not as good as it should, because of George W. Bush.)  No really, the economy is not really that bad.  (never mind that unemployment is at nearly 10% nationally, and almost 15% in several states including Harry Reid’s, never mind that forclosures are continuing to flood the housing market at unsustainable rates.)  Actually, Obama saved 3.5 million jobs, no really.  (Just don’t ask where.)

So, what we get tonight is $50 billion to help fix our roads and public trasportation.  Never mind that we spent over $800 billion to do that last year but didn’t quite get to it.  (Appearently, there were not enough shovels ready for that project, back then.)  We also should be happy to learn that small businesses will get tax credits for research and development, I guess as long as they don’t make more than $250,000 per year, which puts them in the too rich category.

It seems to me that Obama is a little late on fixing the roads.  Now I understand him trying to fix public transportation, like Amtrack, so Joe Biden can go home, but the plan will be based on economic needs of the area and not infrastructure instability and danger.  In other words, let’s pay off some union workers and to hell with the safety of the american commuters.  (They should be driving bikes anyway.)

Sounds like a plan.

In the fight of his politcal life Harry Reid once again has stepped up to show he is truly the Democrat’s leader.  In a show of that leadership he has broken with the President taking a position against the building of a mosque near ground zero in New York.  In doing so Sharron Angle welcomed Harry to the correct side of the issue. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/08/17/religion_again_takes_center_stage_in_nevada_senate_race_106782.html

However, Sharron Angle would be wise to ignore the Speaker’s new found independance and focus on the issue that will not disappear for the Democrats, jobs and the economy.  With unemployment in Nevada hovering at nearly 14% there is no issue that is more important to voters.  Harry Reid’s response to the bad economy is to spout the Presidential Economic Advisors’ delusional boasting that this administration has created 3.5 million jobs.  The should be only one response to Harry’s dilirious babbling, “Where?”

There is no need to get caught up in the conversations about seperation of church and state.  The only discussion that needs be held is the one that discusses seperating Harry and the state.  With his latest gaff on NPR, he states that the media only mentions the bad news in the economy.  (Is there good news?)  According to Harry, yes, those 3.5 million jobs.

Where?

This is the most important congressional election in our lifetime.  Carl Rove (I am not a big fan of his) said today on Hanity that he projects a gain of 37 seats in the U.S. House this year.  That would leave the Republicans as the minority party.

http://innovation.cqpolitics.com/atlas/house2010_rr  Congressional Quarterly has worse numbers (what else would you expect from CQ?) than that.  But what is interesting at the CQ site is that it shows the races that are vulnerable.  It lists 29 as toss up races.  It lists 31 as leans democrat, and 26 as likely democrat.  It also gives a little out of date information on each race.

Here’s the point.  Too many people who believe that this country is headed in the wrong direction are taking the position, “gee, I’d like to help BUT… (followed by some excuse.)  It is the responsibility of each person on this site to save this nation.  That can only be achieved by getting rid of the knuckleheads in Washington.

My recommendation is to use the CQ site as a war map.  Start with the toss up districts.  Send $10 dollars to each of the candidates in those districts.  That is about $300 to thirty candidates.  Don’t send money in races that have not had their primaries yet.  (Example Alan Greyson Florida 8th, will not have an opponent until August 25th.)

Then go to the likely races a week later.  Find races you can support, send them money!!!  Don’t send it to the Republican Party, send it directly to the candidate.  Everyone knows how to track these campaigns on line.

Please folks! tea party support is great, conservative values are a must, but TOTAL VICTORY is essential to our survival as a nation.  

Oh yeah, DIck Armey was great on Squawk Box this morning.

Three states will choose ccongressional candidates this Tuesday, Missouri, Kansas and Michigan.  In two of those states, Missouri and Kansas, they will select new Senatorial Candidates, with the retirement of Sam Brownback (R) KS, and “Kit” Bond (R) MO.

The Missouri senate race is pretty much a done deal as two big family names will clash for the seat.  Democrat Secretary of State Robin Carnahan will try to feed off the name of her father and convince voters that she has her own views independent of the Democrats in Washington.  She will face Rep. Roy Blunt although State Senator Chuck Purgason will try to upset that plan.

The senate race will be one of the closest watched races in the 2010 midterms and will have a great impact on how large the Republican’s wave will be.  CQ rates this race as a toss up.  We all need to get behind our candidate here.  In this state we should be leading considering the path of destruction the Washington Democrats have cut.

In Kansas Reps. Jerry Moran (R) and Todd Tiahrt are fighting to replace Sam Brownback who has retired.  Whoever wins should immediately become the favorite to win the seat.

In Congresssional races,

Kansas 1st is the seat that Jerry Moran has given up to run for senate.  This is a strong Republican district so the winner will become the next representative.  Well known State Sen. Jim Barnett is considered the front runner but challenger State Sen. Tim Huelskamp, has been fighting a strong conservative fight and is backed by the Club for Growth, and just picked up the NRA endorsment.

Kansas 2nd, Lynn Jenkins is the incumbant Republican who should win handily.

Kansas 3rd, In this once Republican stronghold Dennis Moore (D) incumbant has decided not to run and while the state party was scrambling for a candidate, his wife, Stephane Moore appeared and has been annointed as the heir apparent to the seat according to Democrats.  The Kansas Star has chosen to endorse the Democrat citing her background as a nurse that they say qualifies her to understand the health care issue.  State Rep. Kevin Yoder (R) would have none of that and appears to be headed to the Republican primary victory.  State Rep. Patricia Lightner (R) who had previously lost to Mr. Moore is also running.

Kansas 4th, in a district that CQ says leans Republican, (I think the CQ leans left) the leading Republicans are Mike Pompeo a Republican National Committeeman with strong a conservative background and “Wink” Hartman a wealthy oilman among other less notables.  The Democrats will put up Rep. Raj Goyle.

Back to Missouri,

The state is presently split 4-4 between Republicans and Democrats Reps.  There only seems to be two seats in play.  First, is the Missouri 4th, with Democrat Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton facing a rising Republican tide in a district that gave John McCain 61% of the vote in 2008.  Time will tell whether Skelton can continue to vote with Pelosi’s Leftist Democrat machine and still convince the western central Missourians that he is doing the right things for them.  The Republican challengers are state Sen. Bill Stouffer and state Rep. Vicky Hartzler who has raised more money than Stouffer in the first quarter of the year.  Vicky Harzler describes herself as a fiscal conservative and one who can bring mid Missouri values to Congress instead of San Francisco Values.  Bill Stouffer says he’s the right candidate to represent the Republicans because he can appeal to more Democrats.  In a Republican majority district I don’t think that was a wise statement.  http://www.missourinet.com/2009/11/30/once-ignored-fourth-congressional-district-attractive-to-republicans/

Does CQ have a left leaning slant  try this, they reported Missouri 9th, is held by Bliane Luetkenmeyer (R) but his weak showing in 2008 in a conservative leaning district has given Democrats hope that he can be vulnerable.  Follwed by this http://politifi.com/news/Democrats-absent-in-Missouris-9th-Congressional-District-race-371129.html Democrats fail to file in the 9th.  It is an interesting article that seems to spell doom for the Dems in Missouri.  The article is old but interesting.  The primary should reveal much about the winds of change blowing accross the country.  Change, yeah you better believe it’s coming.

Finally, Michigan

Michigan’s 1st, Bart Stupak is retiring.  Is that because he cut a deal to keep abortion funding out of the health care bill only to find that it was in there anyway?  What ever the reason, he is gone and this is a conservative district.  Democrats are putting up Rep. Gary McDowell, who also claims to be against abortion.  The Republicans are Dr. Dan Benishek, who entered the race before Stupek quit, and entered the race himself because of the health care fiasco that was signed into law.  Tom Stillings, Jason Allen, Don Hooper and others all claim to be the candidate of the tea party.   http://ipr.interlochen.org/election-coverage/episode/9189  The Republican winner will have to immediately establish valid credentials and build a campaign to take back this seat.

Michigan 3rd, is a district where Rep. Vernon Ehlers has just retired.  The GOP nomination will go to the person who best represents fiscally conservative values and work for the repeal of the health care bill.  Three names make the possible list for the GOP, Rep. Justin Amash, former Kent Co. Commish Steave Heacock, and State Senator Bill Hardiman.

The most interesting race here, not including the long list of Republicans battling it out in Michigan’s 2nd, (including Jay Riemersma, former NFL player employed with the Family Research Counsel), are the candidates in Michigan’s 7th.  The district currently has a democrat incumbant, Mark Schauer.  CQ lists this seat as a toss up which makes me think the Republican will win.  The real question is “Who is the Republican?”  I have to admit to some bais in this race.  Running in this race is Brian Rooney, an Iraq war veteran and brother of Tom Rooney the freshman incumbant from Florida’s 16th,  congressional district.  They are both the grandsons of Art Rooney, Pittsburgh Steelers former owner.  Their uncle is Dan Rooney, team chairman and U.S. amabassador to Ireland.  I know the Rooney family and can only say great things about them.  They are truly family loving americans who believe in the greatness of this nation and the need to bring it back on course.  This seat is a Democrat seat because of the discontent with George W. Bush back in 2008.  Republican Rep. Walberg was caught up in that discontent and Obama hysteria and swept from office after only one term.  He is running again.

One last district that could come into play is Michigan 9th, if the tide is red Paul Welday, Anna Jenek, former Judge Richard Kuhn, or military veteran and former state rep. Andrew Raczkowski hope to claim this seat back for the Republicans.

If you have any further information on any of these races please add your comments.

Texas has the first of the congressional primaries taking place this Tuesday, and there are a few interesting races to keep your radar screen.  The first race is the District 4 race.  The incumbant, Ralph Hall, is a former Democrat who became a Republican and has served the district for many years.  One of the issues he has been facing is a constituency that wonders whether he has been there for too long.  As the expression goes “he brings home the bacon for his district, but its not clear that voters are looking for more pork whether its their district or someone else’s.  There is also a question about Hall’s position on illegal immigration.  He says all the right things but he not exactly a hard liner on no amnesty.  He does, however, have a positive rating from ontheissues.com and is rated Hard Core Conservative.  He has many primary opponents but one seems to have put together a serious campaign, Steve Clark, a business executive from the area.  Clark has either raised $300,000 or put that amount into his campaign.  Either way, he a serious conservative who believes in his chances of taking the nomination away from incumbant Ralph Hall, in this strong republican district.  There is another candidate named Jerry Ray (Tea) Hall who seems to think he’s a serious candidate but doesn’t really appeal to voters.  Maybe its the pandering name?  Anyway, here are the web sites.  www.ralphhall.com and www.votesteveclark.com 

Another race to watch is the District 17 race.  Incumbant is democrat, Chet Edwards, who has several republican challengers vying for the right to face him in the general election.  The largest campaign account against the incumbant is Bill Flores, a retired businessman from Bryan,TX.  Others who have raised a significant amount are businessman Rob Curnock, College Station educator Dave McIntyre, and realtor Chuck Wilson.  Unfortunately, for each of them the will be going up against the 1.5 million that incumbant Edwards has raised.  In their favor is the makeup of the district that went for McCain 2 to 1 in 2008.  Also, in this year of congressional disgust even though this district is rated slightly democrat by cqpolitics, the incumbent is ranked as a moderate liberal populist.  That could be a problem in the season of the tea party, smaller government backlash.

The last race to keep your eye on is District 23.   Quite frankly, I don’t know how this guy has survived in this district that is rated slightly democrat, 51 to 48.  I don’t know how those numbers can be correct when considering independant voters.  Plus, congressman Ciro Rodriguez, is rated a hard core liberal.  That can’t be good in 2010.  Francisco Canseco has raise a respectable amount in his primary challenge.  This district has a strong hispanic demographic which may explain Ciro Rodriguez’s success.  Another challenger could be Will Hurd of Helotes, TX, who has also raise significant money.

The primary is on Tuesday March 2nd, with a possible runoff on April 13th.  Keep your eyes on these races and if your from Texas let us know what you think.

This Tuesday, on February 2nd, Florida will hold the primary for the 19th congressional district seat vacated by Robert Wexler.  The Democrats include Peter Deutch who is the self appointed successor of Robert, “I don’t even live around here” Wexler.  The other Domocrat is Ben Graber a Democrat thorn in Wexler’s side and anti-war on terror liberal in the mold of Pelosi.

The Republican field includes three men who have never held office but believe that they should be the next corgressman.  For a view of this race go to this website.

http://electioninfo.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/february-2-floridas-19th-congressional-district/

The Republicans have not really done a good job in getting a strong candidate to run in a district that could be a pickup for them.  Instead, the three have been trashing each other with the two front runners Lynch and Budd trading barbs and trashing each other pretty good.  The third candidate, a retired cop, seems like a good guy but well over his head.  Joe Budd has announced that he will not support Ed Lynch if he wins the primary.  Not very promising stuff.  Ed Lynch has run against Wexler before and did not do very well but seems to have learned a lot about campaigning.  Unfortunately, his primary opponent would rather take him down than to run on his own merits.  Let’s see who survives the primary and see if the damage allows them to survive the special election.

Every time this guy opens his mouth he inserts his very large foot in it.  I just saw a great clip from, of all places, Chris Matthews Hardball.  I first saw it thanks to Dan Perrin’s Jan 22nd post.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/01/22/matthews_to_grayson_reconciliation_will_not_work_with_senate.html

What’s important to take from this confrontation between Greyson and Matthews is that Matthews does everything but call Greyson an idiot, which he seems to be.  Greyson is exposed in this clip for exactly what he is, an obnoxious loudmouth politician who will say anything to get his name in the media.  Greyson  tries to convince Matthews that the election of Scott Brown will not stop the runaway health care train disaster because the Senate will pass Health Care Reform in Reconciliation.

Matthews asks if you couldn’t get it done with 60 votes how do you think it will get done with 59?  It’s absolutely hilarious watching this feckless representative feablely try to defend his position.  At one point he even challenges Matthews and his lack of experience in the congress, as though freshman congressman Greyson’s year in Washington gives him great knowledge.  Intead of knowledge it seems to have given him an arrogant chip on his shoulder.  Unfortunately for Mr. Greyson, there are plenty of Republicans ready to knock that chip off his shoulder.

The following is a list of those who have announced their candidacy for the Florida’s 8th district, and their websites.

Republican Candidates:

Peg Dunmire www.dunmireforcongress.com

Dan Fanelli  www.fanelliforcongress.org 

Armando Gutierrez Jr. www.gogutierrez.com

Kurt Kelly www.gokurtkelly.com

Todd Long www.toddlongforcongress.com

Patricia Sullivan www.patriciasullivanforcongress.com

The district itself leans slightly democrat but that may be an overstatement since the election dynamics in 2010 are much different than in 2008.  There is a larger hispanic presence in District 8 than in other Florida districts.  I report this information not to align myself with any one candidate but to give Red Staters an idea of what is happening in a district that will go Red in 2010. 

I am stunned by the announcement of Dede Scozzafava that she is dropping out the race in NY’s 23rd.  I think the last straw was the endorsement of Doug Hoffman by George Pataki.  Pataki has never been considered a right of center Republican much less a Conservative.  In New York, however, the political game is a little more complex.

New York is one of the few states that allows other parties to hold a line in voting booth.  It’s not unusual for a Republican to court the Conservative party line.  The election totals add the votes that candidate garners on all party lines.  Al D’Amato, George Pataki, and Rudy Gulianni all won with their names on the Conservative party line as our friend Erick has already pointed out.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/10/27/what-of-pataki-damato-and-guiliani/ 

Now, with Dede out it allows us red state bulldogs to wonder.  Is the tide finally turning?  Have the moderates finally taken notice that they cannot survive without us?  Time will only tell.  Our message is winning out and that message is one that resonates with voters.  The time is now to step up our efforts.

Hoffman is now the choice of both Conservatives AND Republicans.  It’s just peculiar how the Republicans are all falling into line.

You may wonder what this topic has to do with the Red State site?  I was in a Palm Beach County courtroom on Friday and was able to hear the most incredible story of love and courage and I thought that I would share it with you.  In case you didn’t hear this story and don’t about it, I warn you that it is  an horrific, disgusting account of the most brutal attack that ever taken place in this country.  It left me wondering whether we have finally slipped over the dark edge into a world of chaos.

The attack took place in a govenment run housing project.  A 17 year old knocked on the door of a woman who had just gotten home with her 12 year old son after a day of working delivering telephone books.  The 17 year old had a gun.  He forced his way into the apartment and then opened the door for nine other gang members who after ripping the phones from the walls proceeded to rape and torture this poor woman for over two and a half hours.  The end finally coming after the woman was forced to engage her 12 year old son in sexual acts.

I have tried to describe this as delicately as possible because the actual events were so horrifying that any normal reaction should be “stop I don’t want to hear that.”  Only I sat there, in the courtroom with tears streaming down my face as I listened to this poor woman.  She spoke of such terror and such unspeakable violations of her home, of her body, of her child.  I thanked God for my own life and prayed that He grant her mercy in hers.

It was reported in the news, of course, never a mention that these teens were black youths, all from a disintegrated remnant of a family, not that that excuses barbaric behavior.  Instead, it was reported as if this is what we can expect in society today, that this is just another bunch of kids getting into trouble, that we somehow must understand that it’s just part of our culture.  WELL I DON’T UNDERSTAND!  I DON’T ACCEPT THAT IT IS EXPECTED!  I DON’T CHALK IT UP TO POOR KIDS GETTING INTO TROUBLE!

This was as disgraceful as anything that happened in Rwanda and it happened five mile from one of the richest towns in our country.  The message is not that we must understand these poor children or see them as cultural victims.  The message is that we have lost our children, at least a certain group of our children.  There shall be no mercy for them except that our Supreme Court in its lack of wisdom has found that death is not proper punishment for capital crimes where the victim survives.  Have we lost our backbone?  Has the rod that we placed in the socially experimented closet now come back to strike us? 

 If we are relegated to talk then we must speak with force.  Our schools have unfortunately have rendered talk impotent.  When you talk to your children about music and entertainment tell them that messages that subjugate women into objects are anti-christian, anti-american and just simply immoral.  Instead of awarding with grammies and rewarding with obscene dollars we should be chastising and ostracizing these cultural parasites.  Yet, with each dollar the entertainment industry generates another cultural value is compromised until finally we ask ourselves,  ”so what is torture anyway?  Is it pouring water in the mouth of a terrorist?  What about pouring ammonia inside a woman to burn away the DNA evidence?

God help us!  How low can we sink?

Yesterday I was horrified to see the media clips of the Scottish government’s release of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the convicted terrorist of Pan Am flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland.  Apparently, officials in Scotland were over-whelmed with compassion for the murdering scoundrel because he is dying of prostate cancer.  The jubilant celebrations upon the arrival of the mass murderer in Libya were stark in contrast to the morose resignations of the victims.  Apparently, Scottish compassion doesn’t extend its reach to the innocent victims and their family as they watched this killer walk away from justice after a mere eight years in prison.

This link attached is the victims’ web site.  You may express your outrage there.  Please remember their loss, be respectful, and show true compassion.

www.victimsofpanamflight103.org