While searching for the cost of a new driver for my husband this morning, I came across an October 26, 2009 Politico piece that stated that Obama has played 24 rounds of golf since taking up residency in the White House. That is a lot of golf.

On November 6th, Obama visited Walter Reed Hospital and the AP reported:

The president met with 19 soldiers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, as well as the families of three soldiers in intensive care, and hospital staff. He also awarded two Purple Hearts.

19 soliders, 3 families and 2 purple hearts - 24 actions. The coincidental occurrence of the 24 stuck with me.

There is a huge time difference between the two “24″s though.

Assuming that Obama uses one golf ball per round, he has interacted with 24 golf balls since taking office. Given the average round of golf is 4 hours and assuming one golf ball per round, Mr. Obama has devoted four hours of his time to each golf ball.

While the AP and other media outlets were in a tither that Obama spent nearly two hours with wounded soldiers, families, staff and awarded two Purple Hearts, the reality of the time is a sad statement in comparison.

Breaking down the numbers by using the President’s schedule found here, and adding 25 minutes to equate to “nearly two hours” (in the interest of fairness, he did extend his originally scheduled visit of 1 hour and 25 minutes to approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes), one can assume the following

1 hour and 50 minutes = 110 minutes

24 actions (meeting with 19 soldiers, 3 families, awarding 2 Purple Hearts)

110/24 = 4.58333 minutes per interaction.

So, a golfball in this administration receives 4 hours or 240 minutes of the President’s devoted attention while the soldiers, their actions and their families receive less than 5 minutes each on average.

I am in favor of some recreational time for the leader of the free world and CinC of our military but I am disturbed by the lack of priorities that have been exhibited by this administration. When a golf ball received more attention than a wounded soldier, there is a disconnect gone wildly wrong and unchecked.

Less time on the golf course, Mr. President, and more time on the course of the country.

On October 15, 2009, U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Williams ruled that Virginia violated the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act by failing to mail over 2000 absentee military and overseas ballots in time to be counted in the 2008 Federal Election.

Judge Williams wrote in his ruling,

“The right to vote means a right to cast a ballot that will be counted.” As a result, the court held that Virginia’s failure to mail absentee ballots to its military and overseas voters sufficiently in advance of the election “offended these voters’ prized right to vote in a federal election[.]”

An article summarizing the decision can be found here.

The right to vote means a right to cast a ballot that will be counted. A Powerful statement.

Virginia is home to over 700,000 active duty and retired military members. In 2000, it ranked as the top state with respect to this figure. Most of the active duty service members came by orders and their spouses and families came with them, making Virginia their homes.

In early 2004, an anomaly in Virginia residency requirements came to light through a very liberal registrar of voters that military spouses, technically, could only register to vote if they could swear that they would be living in Virginia for an unlimited amount of time. We move when we are told to move. We act as the shield and sword on the home front and the majority of us try to make the communities in which we live a better place for those families that follow. We just didn’t have the right to register to vote in the state we called home.

This began a protracted battle between Federal and state officials. Were we covered under UOCAVA or were we not? There were no answers and in an article done by the Military Times, this particular registrar stated that it was a federal issue not a state issue. At the time, the Federal government was viewing it as a state’s rights issue it was a frustrating ooda loop with misinformation being thrown about.

Finally, Delegate Mark Cole introduced HB138 to exempt military spouses and dependents from the archaic requirement of swearing unlimited amount of time for residency.

The House bill was referred to and passed by House Committee on Special Privileges and Elections and then on to a House vote, passing 87-11 (the eleven votes were all Democrats by the way). Once passed in the House, the bill went on to the Senate Privileges and Election Committee on which Creigh Deeds is a member. I was at the hearing to testify if needed. During the hearing, I don’t recall Deeds saying much of interest and the bill was referred unanimously for a Senate vote. And this is where it gets interesting with Creigh Deeds.

On referring the bill from Committee for vote, Deeds voted FOR the bill.
On the first read through, Deeds voted FOR the bill.
On the second and final read through, Deeds voted AGAINST the final bill. In fact, the bill HR138ER had overwhelming bipartisan support with the exception of Creigh Deeds and one other Democrat Senator.

When crunch time came, Deeds let military spouses know exactly where he stood on allowing them to register to vote in the Commonwealth.

The recent ruling on absentee ballots for military and the fight to give military dependents the right to register to vote in Virginia highlights a pervasive attitude about Virginia’s Democrats and the military family - we will say we support you but eh, not so much, when it comes down to the wire.

Keeping in mind the judge’s quote of The right to vote means a right to cast a ballot that will be counted and with Virginia home to such a large population of military families is Creigh Deeds the man we want running the Commonwealth? He didn’t even want military dependents voting an election cycle ago. Why would you believe he would protect the rights of a large portion of the state population now?

In Joseph Addison’s 1713 Cato: A Tragedy in Five Acts, there is a profound quote found in Act i, Scene 1:

“Is there not some chosen curse, some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven, red with uncommon wrath, to blast the man who owes his greatness to his country’s ruin!”

If you are not familiar with Addison’s Cato, the theme is statesman’s honor, preserving it above all else. Addison’s impact on the founding fathers can felt throughout, especially Washington. It is an insight into the protection of a republic by those who vow to guarantee its continuation and a very good snapshot on the influence of this thinking, which allowed our early leaders to resist the temptations of power.

In recent years, we have gone through the motions and got caught up in the mantra of elect ability. We have allowed consultants, the media, and the other side to dictate who and what our candidates will be and for what they will stand. The government representatives that we have elected are more interested in getting along than standing for the principles needed to ensure the republic’s continuation. We have begun a very fast slide towards socialism.

Since 2006 and along with the current administration, there has been a chokehold on this country. What has been accomplished, what has been done, what has changed? They point out, with the help of a salivating media, faults, failures and stumbles of the Republicans still blaming everything on President Bush. Even our own leadership fails to answer these charges instead allows a deafening silence. There is neither accountability nor leadership on either side.

It is now time for the Republican leadership to stand up and fight. There is no honor in forsaking your principles to get along. It is time to take your oath seriously and cast spinelessness aside. It is time for the honor of a statesman. Your leadership is being watched – carefully. Sadly, I do not believe it will happen.

The good news is, the people are starting to get weary of this. The recent TEA parties across the nation provided a snapshot of the courage of the every man to say enough. The media coverage (and lack thereof), the Astroturf comments from Nancy Pelosi, the President being “unaware” has been heard by the taxpayers funding the frivolity of this administration and breaking the financial backs of generations to come. The arrogance has been noted and it is understood.

The every man is tired of the politics of politics. We elected you to preserve our constitution and Republic and so far, you have failed. The tea parties are just beginning and will continue because we have lost faith in your abilities to do your job.

The quote itself stands on its own. Is there not some thunder from heaven for those who seek to ruin our country?

The answer is yes and it is we. The distant thunder you hear is us and we are getting louder.

In his 1841 book, On Heroes and Hero Worshiping, Thomas Carlyle credited Sir Edmund Burke with the following quote:

“There were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.”

Nothing has changed in 168 years. The press provides the view of the world in succinct bytes poetically waxed by attractive talking heads and those with an ability to read a teleprompter (another story) to a society all too concerned with time allocation and diminished attention spans.

Have we, as a society, surrendered our desire for truth and fair reporting in favor of 30-second sound bytes of buzz words and favoritism?

Yellow journalism has always been around just as press manipulation has been. After hearing of no confrontation in the build up to the Spanish American War, Hearst told his reporter “You provide me the pictures and I will provide the war”. This is exactly what he did. The quest for ratings was the driver even in the 1800s. Nevertheless, the quest was self-serving for the press and that is no longer the case.

As of late, the press has taken on a different, more nefarious role in the lives of the American public. It is that of surrogate spokesman for the current administration. Few challenge, few diverge from the path of praise. Our national press is an Obama fest of gigantic proportions. Even those who do challenge, challenge in a way that is timid and unworthy of the journalistic fundamentals of who, what, when, where and why. It becomes not what they say, but how they say it.

I gave up watching television news after the November elections. However, a few days ago, while waiting for a prescription to be filled, on the waiting room television; CNN was delivering a story “critical” of Obama’s current economic plan. I really did not even hear what they were saying because I was shocked about how it was being said. In reverent, almost timid tones, they were discussing Obama and this plan. The tone said it all. Do not question the man and be humbled before his greatness. Moreover, it was frightening.

It was frightening because the tone. The tonal praise of subservience. The media that want us to believe they are the watchdogs of truth and clarity. The media that assure us that they are unbiased – have surrendered integrity. We, the viewing public, are being subliminally infused with this tone. It is a velvety “Surrender Dorothy” with Dorothy being the critical thinking capacity of the average viewer. It was an epiphany while waiting for Claritan.

We can no longer depend on the Fourth Estate for truth. For they, as Carlyle pointed out, have a more important role than the government that we have entrusted to continue our Republic.

How do we free the chokehold that we willing supplicate to and they consistently supply?

note: I can’t get the cross post thing to work. It is cross posted on my personal blog.

What began as a random thought and an offhand comment on a forum, has taken root.  In a discussion, someone mentioned Martin Luther’s act of protest at the Diet of Worms and the impact of nailing his 96 theses to that door.  It changed history.

This observation was then followed by “what if we taped a copy of the constitution on the courthouse door”?  And so it began.

This question has evolved into an exercise of free speech scheduled for September 17, 2009 - Constitution Day.

On that day, many of us will be gathering at the steps of our local courthouse and we will tape up a copy of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to the door of the courthouse.  Each of us will hold a simple sign that reads “We the People”.  Unlike most protests though, we will not be speaking.  Across our mouths will be a piece of tape and written on each piece tape will be Section/Article/Clause of the Constitution that has been violated by our elected leaders.  (I figure by September, we are going to need a large crowd.)  The tape is to symbolize the silencing of the voices of the people.

We plan to have written materials outlining the violations, hopefully, pocket Constitutions and information on how to become involved. 

I have already had some surprising phone calls from people that want to take part. 

Wish us well.

This election should be a gigantic wake up call for all of us. The ugly truth, in my opinion, is that we got complacent and lazy and it was assumed that the rank and file would always be there, no matter who the candidates were.

The Republican party has always been the party of less government interference, strong national defense, free market systems, and fundamental faith in our country and ourselves. I don’t think we have done a great job in adhering to these principles.

Do I think we are doomed? Do I think it is over? Not by a long shot. In fact, I think that our recent losses could be exactly what we need to look introspectively and decide exactly who we are and what we stand for and if we are going to follow through on those beliefs.

It is now time for us to regroup and rebuild.

First, I urge the party to outreach to all of its members. You committee chairmen have lists of those who are members, have been members and have attended your meetings. Most of you have access to information on those who voted in Republican primaries (or registered Republican), and/or political organizations to which they belong. Send an outreach letter asking them to help in the rebuilding process. Tell them their ideas are valuable and are needed. Allow the rank and file to take ownership of the party and their committees. And when the rank and file speak, LISTEN.

Too often, the committee level leadership follows its own agenda and has almost a secret handshake society. Take stock of your members, find their strengths and utilize those strengths. If you have someone interested in computers, find a way to use their skills. If you have a maven, use them to find others. If you have a fundraiser type, kiss the ground they walk on.

I have a classic example of how we fail to identify the strengths of our members. I attended a Republican women’s leadership course here in Virginia and there was a young, dynamic woman in the course with me. A second year law student, bright, articulate, energetic and extremely gifted at speech writing and analysis. We had a campaign manager come in to give a seminar on campaigns and the young woman asked how she could get involved. The canned answer was “we can always use someone to make calls”. I realize that there is that need but I see many times where talent is cast aside for failing to simply take a moment to find out where a volunteer talents lay and how those could be best utilized.

When your committee is rebuilding, look for ways to bring the committee to the attention of your communities. Send newly registered voters in the area a welcome letter thanking them for registering and give them information on their elected officials, important government numbers and websites and do an outreach to those new voters inviting them to join. Give specifics on when the meetings are held and where. Don’t wait for them to find you.

Think about ways to enhance your visibility with the community with good works. Many units have Young Republican clubs in the high schools and most of those young members will attend college. Brainstorm ideas for scholarships through the committee (if eligible) or the Republican Women’s Club or PACs and follow through on those.

Engage in community service outreach such as a food or toy drive, tackle literacy issues in your area to show that we are part of the community and the party is actively enhancing our own home areas.

We have spent too much time being reactive, it is now time to get busy and get proactive.

An interesting post at the Patriot Room via Conservababes.com. A hat tip to princetrumpet.

October 31st, 2008 at 8:16 am
Confessions of a Lawn Sign Stealer
» by Bill Dupray in: Courts, Crime & Punishment, Democrats, Election
Okay. It’s time to play a little pile-on-the-jackass. This smug sonofabitch is a professor who admits to stealing lawn signs. His name is PHIL BUSSE.

Self-described Thief and Tresspasser, PHIL BUSSE

Highway 19 is a busy six-mile stretch of meandering road that links to main interstate artery in southeast Minnesota. More interestingly, the road connects rural, and often conservative, Minnesota to the liberal college town of Northfield. Rolling through pumpkin patches and apple orchids, the highway is postcard beautiful. This summer and autumn it was speckled with McCain signs, their cobalt blue squarely set against the gold and red of fall foliage.

By early October, however, there were no McCain-Palin campaign signs on the eastbound stretch of Highway 19. It wasn’t because loyalties had switched, but because I pulled them out.

So what does Mr. Busse do for a living? He’s a visiting professor at St. Olaf College.

If I were paying tuition for a student at St. Olaf, I would ask for a refund.

Again, full article here.

There have been comments here that should Obama win, we will get what we deserve. I think that is very far from the truth.

I have had the privilege of living and visiting all over the country. I have found that the majority of people are generous and warm and giving. We give to charities, we give to churches, we give of our time.

We give of our treasure. We send our young to war, not to conquer but to give to people the liberties that we enjoy so freely.

When a disaster strikes a community, a state, a nation, we are first in line to help with donations of food, clothing, blood, our time and our prayers. There is a fundamental compassion that lives in the majority of us.

We have a faith in our nation and its fundamental foundations. While it saddens me that most people have never read the Constitution, I believe they have an innate understanding of its principles.

We are also a trusting nation. We elect people to office with the faith that they will represent our wishes and needs. We trust them to do the right thing. We believe in our system of a democratic republic. We have given them the public trust to either hold or defile, the choice to do either lies solely within their hands.

We trusted in the press to be objective. We believed that the media would provide a fair and balanced accounting of the pros and cons of candidates and the elected officials that serve this country not have an agenda to curry favor or to have their choice of candidates promoted.

This giving and this trust, I believe, makes voters naive not lazy or stupid. We want to believe, we want to trust and we want what is best for the country. We go about our daily lives, working, raising families and being who we are. We cast votes for people that are suppose to be watching out for our interests and those of our country.

In this election cycle, we are facing a unprecedented storm of conflict. We have a media pushing a candidate, yet the media was the trusted source of views, we have a socialist who is softly cooing to the American public that he will make it better and aided and abetted by the same media and we have part of the American public that want to believe that they will be sending the best to govern us. It is the clever hope gimmick and the media consistently resonates that off key song.

Do I think Obama will win? No, the American public is coming out of its trusting slumber and waking up to the bias of the media, the pandering of the left and I believe that the American public is starting to see how far off the ideals of this country Obama truly is.

If Obama does win does America get what she deserves? No. America deserves much better.

Last night, on the way home from school, my seven year old initiated a conversation about taxes.

Son: Mom, what are taxes?

Me: There are a lot of different taxes, which ones do you want to talk about?

Son: I dunno, which one can you explain to me.

Me: Well, let’s start with income tax. Say you work for someone and you make $100. Taxes are taken out of that money you earned. So let’s say you earned $100 but the taxes are $20 and that $20 goes to the government to pay for things.

Son: TWENTY DOLLARS?? That’s a lot of money.

Me: Well, it depends on how much you earn. The more you earn, the more taxes you pay.

Son: So why would you want to earn a lot? What do they do with the money.

Me: Sometimes, it’s hard to tell but it is suppose to be used for keeping Americans safe and helping the people that live here.

Son: So why don’t the people it’s helping go out and get a job and earn their own money?

Son: What other kind of taxes are there?

Me: Well, there’s property tax that we pay for the houses, there is sales taxes, personal property tax, social security taxes, taxes on cable and internet, taxes on gas, there’s a lot of them.

Son: That stinks.

Yes it does.

Then he went into how his second grade classmates think Obama is going to win.

Son: McCain’s going to win the election.

Me: That’s right but why are you so sure.

Son: At lunch all I hear is Obama, Obama, Obama is going to win.

Me: Okay, but why do know McCain is going to win.

Son: (As he lets out a big sigh) Mom, the kids that say Obama is going to win still believe in Santa Claus.

Gotta love the mind of a seven year old.

The Blue Star Families For Obama are featured in an article in the Hampton Roads Pilot Online here.

The premise of this article begins with an indication that they hide their Obama signs and they must be very careful at barbeques about their support giving the indication that they are a persecuted minority. A minority yes, persecuted no. Military have consistently been a conservative group, it goes with the territory.

The article continues

But a few military wives have stepped out this year to back the Democratic candidate as members of Blue Star Families for Obama.

Yes they have and it began with Michelle Obama on August 6th.

Michelle Obama shared a stage this afternoon with six hand-picked military spouses in Norfolk as the campaign announced the formation of “Blue Star Families for Obama.”

Link

There is nothing wrong with Obama’s campaign reaching out to the military community however, they became part and parcel with the Obama campaign when they stepped foot on that stage. They are now part of the Obama campaign living within the military community.

But in Hampton Roads, several dozen military family members have organized to target military voters through canvassing and phone banks. They produced an online commercial for the campaign, pitching Obama to the military community.

So we have hand picked wives to run Blue Star Families for Obama and now they are canvassing to reach military families. Exactly where are they getting the information on “military families”? It is networking and through military base contacts. And this is where I have a fundamental issue with this group.

These wives fret about having to whisper about supporting Obama but yet they are willing to use contacts they have acquired through the military to get other families to join them.

I celebrate the diversity of the vote but I celebrate it OUTSIDE of my husband’s command. There is a true potential of undue command influence here, i.e., not bucking a senior officer or enlisted person (or their wife) on issues you may not agree with in fear of retaliaton to the spouse. The go along to get along attitude.

I understand the protocol and I understand that as a spouse, I have a responsibility never, ever to exhibit even a small whiff of undue command pressure.

Again, while I celebrate and cherish the privilege of voting, it saddens me that military families are being used in this election.

So spare me the victimhood of your unpopular positon within the military community while using the resources from that community to change minds.

My Mom is an 81 year old Democrat. She is a Democrat in the style of JFK but has faithfully pulled the D lever every election since she started voting.

She is also internet challenged. Her foray into the internet ended when she asked my brother about the nice man from Nigeria. It shocked her enough she hasn’t touched it since.

We rarely talk politics but one of our last conversations she said she was voting for McCain/Palin. I was stunned and asked her why.

Her response encouraged me. “The media keeps telling how perfect he (Obama) is and no one is perfect.” She actually used the words gushing, dewey-eyed, and giddy in her description of ABC, CBS, and NBC reporters. She said she is suspect since they really don’t talk about his experience but always seem to manage to include McCain’s age. She remembers McCain’s medical records being released, but not Obama’s. She remembers reporters talking about Palin’s college career but not Obama’s. She also noted that they use words like “Presidential hopeful” when describing him but refer to McCain as Senator McCain and Governor Palin as Sarah Palin or Ms. Palin. It hasn’t set well with her. She believes that the respect shown one side, should be shown to the other.

She came to the conclusion since media has been wrong so many times on so many different issues, that their pushing of this candidate isn’t about the country, it’s about them and she’s not about to let them decide based on “their puppy love crush”.

Without any help from the internet, she has drawn her own conclusions in a world that touts Obama.

I think she should get back on the net. If she can see through the media, I don’t think a Nigerian scam email will trick her again.

A recent letter to the editor of our local paper had a Blue Star mom supporting Obama for President. I salute her family’s service however, with a further bit of digging, I found she was Deputy Director of Policy for Blue Star Families For Obama. Part of his campaign targeting military spouses and families.

About four years ago, a startling bit of information popped up via our local Registrar. Technically military spouses and dependents could not vote in the Commonwealth. The wording of the law stated that residents must be able to swear to live in Virginia for an unlimited amount of time. That is next to impossible for a military spouse. We go where and when we are told. During the course of getting this law changed, I heard from Registrars from around the Commonwealth stating that they would never turn away a military spouse. While that was all well and good, the reality was they could.

Because of the distinct possibility of being disenfranchised, we began a battle to get the law changed in Virginia. Delegate Mark Cole sponsored HB138 and introduced legislation to correct this antiquated law. The results can be viewed here.

When HB 138 was introduced and sent to the Special Elections & Privileges (House) the vote for referral was opposed by 5 Democrats.

The House voted and opposition came in the form of 15 Democrats, many from areas of heavy military concentration such as Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Northern Virginia.

The bill was then referred to Senate Committee - Elections and Special Privleges. In all fairness, the bill referred with a vote of 15-0 after a thoughtful and comprehesive look at the bill. I attended that hearing in case I was needed to speak and I must give props to not only Delegate Cole but the representatives from the State Board of Elections. One inane question asked “how do we know that they won’t vote in two places?” The Election Commission rep made it very clear that this was not a problem indicative of the military.

The Senate then votes on the bill and you guessed, the only opposition came in the form of *two Democrats *voting no.

My question is why would you vote for a candidate of a party that, a little over two years ago, didn’t want you to vote at all?

I am not a child of the 60s. In fact, I am around the same age as Obama. I played with Lincoln Logs while the Weather Underground declared war on the US. I was unaware of the extent of the radicalism that permeated the minds and actions of the 60s radicals.

Barack Obama stated that why should it matter what happened 40 years ago when he was 8. However, it does matter, it matters a great deal, especially now since we are suppose to be grown up and most of us are raising children.

I started reading up on the Weather Underground. While I am nowhere near an expert on the subject, the one thing I can tell you, I found few apologies for their declaration of war or the bombings that destroyed property and lives. In fact, what I did find causes me concern because these radicals have mainstreamed into education and children services in America.

Kathy Wilkerson – She apologized for the Weathermen’s tactics but not her radical politics. She now trains math teachers.

Mark Rudd – He stated that while he believes their goal to end the war was justified, and that while their Karx Marx-inspired understanding of the history of U.S. imperialism was valid, the violence they perpetrated performed pursuing the goal of overthrow was wrong. He was a instructor of Mathematics at Central Mexico Community College before retiring.

Bernadine Dohrn – One of the most prominent of the Weathermen group, Bernadine Dohrn now is Director and Founder of the Children and Family Justice Center. The Justice Center as a matter of course, routinely and aggressively opposes “get tough” crime laws. In 1998, Obama voted no against a bill that that would make it a criminal offense for convicted offenders, either on bail or probation to have contact with street gangs. In 1999, Obama voted present on mandating adult prosecution to aggrevated discharge of firearms near schools. He reiterated opposition for serious juevenile criminals to have adult trials. This falls directly in line with the positions of both Dohrn and William Ayers.

Ms. Dohrn still views herself as a radical.

William Ayers – He is described as a Early Childhood Education theorist and is a Distinquished Professor at the University of Illinois College of Education. Mr. Ayres has stated that he felt the Weather Underground did not do enough and that tactics such as using bombs is not out of the realm of possibility now.

Jeff Jones – Now a media consultant and campaign strategist, his client list includes Healthy Schools Network and Time Out for Testing. While he felt the guerilla tactics used by the Weathermen had run its course, I can find no apologies for the tactics (or the outcome) themselves.

Mike Klonsky – Runs a blog for education and social justice on the Obama site and was also involved in education. In fact, Mr. Klonsky received $175,000 from the Obama led Annaberg Challenge to run Small Schools Workshop. Mr. Klonsky was probably the most hardline Maoists from the Weatherman days. I want to point out that as late as 1981, Mr. Klonsky traveled to China and was honored with elaborate state dinners.

These are just a few of the members of Weathermen group. All dating back to 30/40 years ago. What is becoming apparent is that they are still radicals and as I stated early, make little or no apologies for the actions that caused death and destruction in an attempt to overthrow the government.

What is nerve jangling is that it seems that the role that these people have taken on in their lives revolves around the young and education.

I cannot help returning the Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto – one of the tenants of Marxism is to educate the young to conform minds to the new ideology.

So yes, what happened forty years ago does matter.

I have had some interesting conversations with Republicans and conservatives, reminiscent of the Star Wars Trilogy. While they emphatically state they are going to vote, they follow with “ I have a bad feeling about this.” My question is “well, what are you going to do about it?”

If you have a bad feeling about a future event, then you have the potential to shape the outcome now.

While it is paramount that each of us gets to the polls and vote, it is also imperative that we do everything within our power to provide accurate information to, engage, and empower other voters.

Talk to your neighbors, your friends, someone in the checkout line at the grocery store. Call McCain headquarters and volunteer a day, an hour, or whatever time you have to help the campaign. Sign up to make calls from your home. Stuff envelopes, go to rallies, write letters to the editor, call a radio station, do ANYTHING, but do not just sit there.

On Election Day, hold a brunch for your neighbors and all of you head to the polls together. Offer shuttle services to voters who might need a ride, call your family and friends, and harangue them about getting to the polls. Host an election return party with admission being “I voted” sticker on guests shirts.

It is not our actions that will cause failure, but our inactions that will allow it.

Use the force, Luke.

It makes you wonder what is happening in the other 56 states.

Frederick blasts teacher’s union for coordinated Obama campaign activities in public schools

10/1/2008 7:46:00 AM

GOP Chairman calls “Obama Blue Day” an abuse of taxpayer and student trust.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Woodbridge, Virginia (October 1, 2008) – Delegate Jeffrey M. Frederick, Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, called it an “outrage” upon learning that the Virginia Education Association (VEA) was coordinating political activities on behalf of Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama at Virginia public schools.

A widely-circulated email originating from Doris Boitnott in the VEA government affairs department addressed to VEA President Kitty Boitnott, among others, asks teachers to wear blue for “Obama Blue Day.” The email further asks teachers to register or recruit two voters to support Obama, saying, “There are people out there not yet registered. You teach some of them.” (emphasis added)

“Teachers are hired to teach, not use their taxpayer funded positions to coerce and indoctrinate our children to their political agenda,” said Frederick. “It is an outrageous breach of public trust and an abuse of taxpayer resources that teachers chose to use school grounds as a political base to persuade students to their point of view in their parents’ absence.”

Frederick said that school boards and parents will likely be concerned when they learn that these activities are going on at schools when they believe their kids are there to get a “non-partisan education.” As authority figures in the classroom, Republicans said, teachers put students in an awkward position should those students disagree, and they usurp parental rights when attempting to educate children about political views.

Political advocacy during school hours is not unprecedented for the VEA, even though most school boards prohibit it. During past campaign seasons, school divisions have reprimanded teacher unions for using school resources, like email, for political purposes.

“Political views of teachers have no place in the classroom or on school grounds during the school day”, Frederick added.

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