The World According to Me

Daniel Hernandez, intern, stays by Gabrielle Giffords' side

2011-01-09T11:01:00.001-05:00

Daniel Hernandez, intern, stays by Gabrielle Giffords' side

Amid the tragic, an acts of herosim...Please join me in praying for Rep. Giffords, the familes of the deceased, injured and the family of the young shooter, a mentally distrubed kid who choose to feed himself with hate until hate became him

God Bless America

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-12-22T16:09:00.003-05:00

It’s been an amazing year and a historic election because of the hard work and devotion to our state and country from “ordinary” citizen patriots like you!
I want to thank you for all you do and will continue to do as we enter a New Year, for our great state of Michigan and for our country.

I would also like to encourage you to reach out to those in need in your local community at this special time of the year. There are many worthwhile charities that need assistance. Food banks, Toys for Tots, Angel Trees, Coats for Kids, local Animal Shelter just to name a few.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year

Joan
aka "apackof2"

CALL these 10 Senators and Tell Them to VOTE NO on the DREAM ACT!

2010-12-09T10:41:00.003-05:00

Be sure to give them your name and your zip code especially if one of these is your Senator

Tell them no other countries allow illegals. We are not against immigration, my grandparents came to this country from Italy but they did it illegally.
Coming to America is a privilege, not a right and our laws need to be respected and obeyed!

Call These Senators VOTE NO ON DREAM ACT!

Call to Convention

2010-11-23T09:52:00.006-05:00

Fellow Conservatives Precinct Delegates,

Congratulations! The success of the Tea Party movement is keeping the serious issues we face in restoring our state and Republic, the public spot light combined with activism has resulted in an historic election. However, this is the beginning of a solid foundation in which to built upon to ensure the future of our state and country.

Like it or not, we have a two party system, despite the talk of a 3rd party. Third parties historically have either disappeared or simply cannot win. And to TAKE BACK MICHIGAN we must win and continue to win. Part of that process is for Constitutional Conservatives to become involved in their County party and run from Executive Committee members and County Chairs.

As of now you should have received the official call to the Ingham County Convention on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 7:00pm Hannah Community Center 819 Abbott Rd East Lansing. As you know the purpose will be to select 27 members to he executive committee.

In order to see Constitutional Conservatives in all areas of our local County Party we must begin to build critical infrastructure for a Constitutional Conservative coalition and voting block

The next Convention is not only an opportunity to run for Executive Committee but also to mingle and discovery other Tea Party/ Constitutional Conservative delegates to begin the process of forming a coalition within the County Party

I urge you to send in your desire to be considered to serve on the Executive Committee. You may do so by contacting the Ingham County Chair Linda Tarver at hallelujahllw@aol.com NO LATER THAN 5:00pm on Monday, November 29

TO HELP AT THE CONVENTION:Robert's Rules of Order Motions Chart Robert's Rules of Order Motions Chart
to print and take to the Convention and for future Ingham County GOP meetings.

Additionally and to vacillate identifying fellow Constitutional Conservatives, Grassroots in Michigan is co-hosting the Ingham County Republican Christmas party on December 17^th Details to follow

See you at the Convention!

May you have a blessed and grateful Thanksgiving

TP News: Michigan Sovereignty TEA Party @ the Capitol!! 10-10-10 in Support of the 10th Amendment

2010-09-10T09:03:00.005-05:00

Michigan Sovereignty TEA Party @ the Capitol!!

10-10-10 in Support of the 10th Amendment

Michigan Patriots!!

Join your fellow Michigan patriots as we support our 10th Amendment Sovereignty rights against Unconstitutional Federal over reach such as ObamaCare, a prime example of national law that oversteps state jurisdiction and results in the loss of rights of Michigan's citizens!

Date: Sunday October 10, 2010
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Michigan State Capitol
100 N. Capitol
Lansing, MI 48933

Sign Contest- We LOVE your Signs!! Top 3 Creative and Artistic Signs will receive a Prize!!

Concessions by Clint's Hot Dogs
"All American Food and Drink"

Speakers Include:

Mark Lerner- co-Founded two national organizations; the Constitutional Alliance and Stop Real ID Coalition and is the author of the new book and DVD, "Your Body is Your ID" Available at the event. Mark has spent the last six years openly speaking out against the same industry he once supported. He has testified before many state legislatures, including Michigan on the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and national/international identification cards. Website Click HERE.

Rep. Paul Opsommer- has been on the forefront in Michigan introducing sovereignty legislation including HJR YY , HB6414 and in the fight against the RFID "enhanced" drivers license in Michigan. Website Click HERE.

Bill Schuette- GOP candidate for Attorney General is a former Congressman, Director of Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan State Senator and Michigan Appeals Court Judge and currently an attorney. Website Click HERE.

Ruth Johnson- GOP candidate for Secretary of State, former Michigan House Rep currently Clerk and Registry of Deeds for Oakland County, second largest County. Ruth's investigation helped to expose the "fake" Tea Party and keep them off the November general election ballot. Website Click HERE.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Volunteers- If you would like to help with the TEA Party- please contact Volunteer Coordinator Alexis Millisor: alexismillisor@hotmail.com

SEE YOU THERE!!

NEVER FORGET 9-11-01

September 11, 2001 marks the day when thousands of American citizens were
murdered in a terrorist attack the on World Trade Center, the Pentagon,
American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines
Flight 77, and United Flight 93. That day, left 2,740 dead, 1,609 people
lost a spouse or partner and more than 3,051 children lost parents.

We must never forget those thousands of our fellow Americans or there families and importantly we must never forget that we are still engaged in a war with an enemy who wants to kill us simply because we are Americans and have freedom of worship

Remembering 9-11 Slideshow

Michiganders, 2010 is the year that we must and will TAKE MICHIGAN BACK!

The 2010 elections are only 52 days away!

This is one of the most important elections in our life time.

For 2010 we must turn our attention to home, to our beloved Michigan. As
Michiganders we have seen the results of the same liberal's policies that
the Obama regime is now trying to implement. After 8 years of liberal
"leadership" Michigan is in shambles. Unemployment is at almost 15%, the Car
Capitol of the World has seen a government take over of GM, jobs evaporate,
foreclosures rise and families leave.

Michiganders, 2010 is the year that we must and will TAKE MICHIGAN BACK!

If we are honest with ourselves we must take responsibility for not being
educated and active in the polices that have shaped our lives and hurt
Michigan. We need to change that, for our state, our families, and our
future. We must muster all soldiers in the Constitutional Conservative army!

But How Do We Accomplish This?

WE MUST:

1. Identify Constitutional Conservative Candidates to support with character, in all offices, local, county, state, school boards, and court system, who believe that holding office is a civic duty and that the government is the problem not the answer.

2. Campaigns need two things: People and Money
We must support these candidates with time and/or money. It doesn't matter if you have 1 hour or 40 hours to give, $5 or $5,000. What matters is that you become engaged. Any campaign will plug you in, in an area that you are comfortable with. Literature drops, phone, banks, admin, door-to door etc are opportunities.

Michiganders- We have a tremendous opportunity in 2010!

Why I Support Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State

2010-08-06T09:45:00.004-05:00

Michigan Patriots and Fellow Precinct Delegates,

The Secretary of State is an extremely important position, especially as the incidents of election fraud have been on the increase. The Democrat candidate for Secretary of State is Jocelyn Benson a dangerous Progressive and is part of and funded by a George Soros project called the “Secretary of State Project"

Michigan is one of their targeted states!

In a nutshell, the goal of the Secretary of State Project is to get Progressives in charge and then look the other way when ACORN and SEIU and other Progressive/Liberal groups commit voter fraud by rigging the election for the Democrats. We can not let that happen! We need a strong Conservative backed by Conservatives!

That is why I am personally supporting Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State.

As precinct delegates, elected at our County Conventions, Aug 12, we will decide the Secretary of State candidate that will be on the November Ballot by voting at the Republican State Convention held Saturday, August 28th at MSU Breslin Center, East Lansing

As Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds (Michigan’s second largest county) Ruth Johnson has proven to be diligent in protecting Personal privacy rights by mandating that Social Security numbers on registered documents be removed from public view. More importantly, Ruth is against using RFID (radio frequency identification chips) in our drivers license and will be active in fighting to remove Michigan from the current RFID program. Ruth also has an impressive score in our Mobile Action Patriot Strikeforce Questionnaire HERE

Ruth Johnson isn’t afraid to take on the fight against corruption. While serving in Michigan’s House of Representatives, and as Chair of the GOP Policy Committee and as Assistant Majority Whip Ruth took the lead into investigations of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds at the Oakland County Intermediate School District. Fraud uncovered in the investigation led to criminal charges, and ultimately a conviction.

In addition, as Oakland County Clerk, Ruth Johnson has implemented cost saving programs,cutting her own staff by twenty percent and $1 million out of the Oakland County budget, saving taxpayer dollars.

Furthermore, Ruth Johnson is the first woman County Clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history.

Ruth Johnson has proved herself to be a hard-working fighter for conservative values and principals, an accomplished administrator, who leads by example.

I encourage my fellow precinct delegates to Vote for Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State.

For Michigan and America

Regards,

Joan Fabiano

Organizer

Grassroots in Michigan

Joan Fabiano is among the “pioneers" of the tea party movement, having co-organized the event held at the State Capitol on February 27, 2009, which occurred simultaneously with those in 40 other cities. Soon after she founded the citizen activist group, Grassroots in Michigan.

Fabiano is a retired General Motors employee and United Auto Workers Union member now running a small business part-time. She has lived in the state of Michigan, once considered the automotive capital of the world, throughout her life.

Grassroots in Michigan has organized “Tea Parties” rallies and protest at the State Capitol and at Senator Debbie Stabenow’s East Lansing office as well as across the state. Organizer, Joan Fabiano appeared on Fox Business News with Charles Payne and was invited on the Michigan leg of the Tea Party Express “Vote Them Out” Tour.

Additionally, Grassroots in Michigan has received coverage from Michigan TV affiliates, WILX, WLAJ, and WSYM and others. In the Lansing State Journal, the Detroit Free Press, and various other Michigan and national newspapers, and on radio stations WOOD, WJR, WJIM, and others.

MI Elections MORE RESULTS FROM 2010 M.A.P.S Candidate Questionnaire Results

2010-07-13T16:16:00.004-05:00

ONLY 20 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST 3RD PRIMARY!

MORE M.A.P.S. Candidate Questionnaires have been received and scored and an UPDATED LISTING OF RESULTS to date is below.

We continue to receiverequests for the Candidate Questionnaire and will release additional results as they are scored.
The M.A.P.S.Candidate Questionnaire is NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY CANDIDATE
As a reminder, the purpose of the M.A.P.S. Candidate Questionnaire is to:
1. Provide a tool to help Tea Party adherents identify a Constitutional Candidate with character who is worthy of their time and money; and
2. Encourage adherents to get
involved before the Primary on behalf of their Constitutional Candidate(s) of choice.
Answers were scored from 1-10.
A “10”answer is one that is:
Thoughtful

Specific

Thorough

Responsive

Clear

Demonstrates a strong level of understanding
and commitment to Constitutional Conservative
ideas

REMEMBER: THE BEST WAY TO GET TO KNOW ANY CANDIDATE

IS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM!

Additional sources of research when deciding on supporting a candidate:

Michigan Votes

Right to Life of Michigan

Citizens for Traditional Values (CTV)

Open Congress

On the Issues

Russell Kirk -
Ten Conservative Principals

The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal is a nonprofit educational institute based in Mecosta, Michigan,home of the American writer and thinker Russell Kirk (1918–1994).

Click here for the M.A.P.S CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

LATEST M.A.P.S. Candidate Questionnaire Results

Click on the Candidate Name

Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State

Dan Benishek Candidate for 1st District House Congressional Seat

Brian Rooney Candidate for 7th District House Congressional Seat

Tim Walberg Candidate for 7th District House Congressional Seat

Dennis Lennox Candidatefor 105th District State House of Representatives

Daniel W. Grow Candidate for Attorney General

M.A.P.S CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS

Rocky Raczkowski Candidate for 9th District U.S. Congress

Matt McCormick Candidate for the 23rd District State House of
Represenatives

Karen Hathon Candidate for Eaton County District 01 County
Commissioner

Bob Willett Candidate for 87th District House Representative

Tom Neuenfeld Independent Candidate for Governor

Bill Schuette Candidate for Attorney General

Tom Stillings Candidate for 1st District House Congressional Seat

Michael Ennis Candidate for 9th District State Senate

Lori Levi Candidate for 21st District State
House of Representatives

Michael Shmina Candidate for 32nd District State House of Representatives

Jeff Hall Candidate for 67th District State House of Representatives

Tricia Opper Candidate for 67th District State House of Representatives

Laurie Raines Candidate for 71st District State House of Representatives

Independence Day

2010-06-30T10:38:00.016-05:00

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language"

And rightly so...

John Adams - Declaration of Independence

From the movie “John Adams” may be rented at most video stores

The book “John Adams” by David G. McCullough

4^th of July

"Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march widely considered to be the magnum opus of composer John Philip Sousa. By act of Congress, it is the National March of the United States of America.^[1]

American Beauty

When I first heard this song I knew a video had to made. In the capable hands of Dan Silengo, it is the anthem of Independence Day Tea Party, Lansing, Michigan 2009 ,

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

A mash-up using Carmon's "America Again" to celebrate July 4th, 2010. God bless America! By Dan Silengo,Common Sense Radio

The DRIC Bridge & HB HB 4961- A Conversation with Rep. Paul Opsommer

2010-06-17T16:44:00.003-05:00

Recently I had an opportunity to converse with Rep. Paul Opsommer about the hotly debated DRIC bridge and HB 4961.

Below is the results:

Joan: Rep. Opsommer, thank you for your time. As Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee I appreciate the information you have to share today.

Rep. Opsommer: Thank you, it is my pleasure.

Joan: I have to tell you, HB 4961 is a very confusing bill. I know it is supposed to relate to the DRIC (Detroit International River Crossing) bridge debate, but you would never know that by reading the bill.

Rep. Opsommer: You’re absolutely right, it is confusing. What HB 4961 does is give MDOT new powers to enter into a variety of tolling contracts on their own, without legislative approval. If you’re on the inside you know that one of the projects they would like to do is the DRIC, so that is why the mainstream media is calling it the DRIC bill. But the word DRIC or any of its details aren’t actually in it.

Joan: So why write the bill like that? Wouldn’t it be normal to just write a bill specific for that bridge?

Rep. Opsommer: MDOT absolutely could, and in fact if you look at all the rest of the toll projects we have here in MI they have been authorized only after the legislature has voted to specifically allow for tolling to take place. I have a letter from the Attorney General’s office that confirms that currently MDOT can’t toll bridges, roads, or other projects on their own; they have to get permission from the legislature first.

Joan: And that would go away then if HB 4961 is passed?

Rep. Opsommer: Yes, it would. MDOT would be able to create and enter into these tolling projects on their own, and the legislature would have no say in it. And that would apply not just to the DRIC, but to any project anywhere in Michigan that MDOT would like to toll.

The jury is still out in Michigan on how much people want to see tolling get used; I hear arguments on both sides. But when I talk to taxpayers there is wide agreement that decisions on where to toll, and how high the toll rates can go, should stay with someone who is elected. Otherwise you have unelected bureaucrats making those decisions, and whether you want to call it a toll, a user fee, or a tax, I think we should make sure it is still the legislature who approves the use of toll roads in particular. This is even more important when I hear that toll road rates would be used not just to break even on a project, but as a source of revenue for mass transit and other projects. If you are going to set toll rates not based on breaking even but to generate revenue for other purposes, it is no longer a user fee, it is a tax.

Joan: The Governor has control over MDOT, correct?

Rep. Opsommer: Yes, it is her department, but if you cut out the legislature you lose an important check and balance. The Governor would be able to enter into tolling contracts on her own. In my mind whether you want to look at it as the administration having that power or MDOT, it is very similar either way. Otherwise, you might find that some of the roads in your backyard have been turned into carpool lanes, or toll roads, and there won’t be anything your State Representative or Senator can do about that.

Joan: So they can’t just change the law?

Rep. Opsommer: Maybe going forward, but not after the fact. There is for example a moratorium on these kinds of projects now in Texas, called “Public Private Partnerships”, because people got upset after the law was passed and projects were underway. But the projects that were already started had to be allowed to go forward because the contracts had already been entered into. These agreements can be worth billions of dollars over the life of the contract. They can last 50, 75, even 99 years or more, and the lawsuits that would arise out of trying to break them would be monumental. You remember what happened here in Michigan with the contract for the State Police HQ. That contract would be small peanuts by comparison.

Joan : The term used to describe these projects in HB 4961 is called “Public Private Partnerships” Can you define for me Public Private Partnerships?

Rep. Opsommer: Well, these are generically referred to as “P3s”. I think everyone knows what a public road is, and everyone knows what a private road is. A P3 is kind of like a blend of the two, that depending on who you talk to can either bring the best or the worst of big government and big business together.

Joan: How would you answer that question?

Rep. Opsommer: To me, it all comes down to how much taxpayers can be on the short end of the stick if a toll operator doesn’t get enough revenue. Let me explain how these work. In some cases, what will happen is the state will lease a piece of its infrastructure over to a third party. The state gets a big chunk of money upfront, and in exchange the private operator is allowed to use tolls or charge the state rent on those roads for several decades to both recoup that money and also make a profit. In other cases they will build a new road and essentially do the same thing.

Most people who have called my office are more concerned when existing infrastructure is leased out than they are over when something new is being built. They don’t like the idea that something that they have already paid for and already owned is being handed over. In the case of the DRIC bridge, we would be looking at them building something new. The main concern for me there is whether the state would have to come up with “availability payments” if toll revenue isn’t adequate to cover the cost of maintaining the bridge. Because if the state has to pay, we all know that really means taxpayers.

Joan: What is an availability payment?

Rep. Opsommer: I guess you could best describe it as a form of rent, kind of like a financial guarantee. Basically, MDOT could enter into one of these tolling agreements and structure it in a way where the private operator would be guaranteed a certain amount of money every month. It would be set up so that they would get that money primarily through tolls, but in months when not enough people drove, the state would step in and make up the difference. So that is one way taxpayers could end up on the hook if you do these wrong, because we would have to take that money somehow out of our general fund or gas tax revenue.

Joan: So why would the state make that guarantee? The way I have heard the DRIC bridge described it would be private companies taking on all the risk.

Rep. Opsommer: Well, that is kind of the rub, and the debate, and that is why people realize that a public-private partnership is not the same as a truly private project. In a truly private project, a private operator does assume all of the risk. If they have a month where ridership is down, they eat that. There are no guarantees for them, there are no noncompete clauses to protect them, and they can’t rely on eminent domain to secure property for them. Those are the kinds of questions that need to be answered before you can determine if a P3 is prudent or if it is just a government sanctioned monopoly.

Joan: What is a noncompete clause?

Rep. Opsommer: They can mean a lot of different things, but in general they are parts of these contracts that help to give the private operator certainty that they will be able to make a higher rate of return on their investment. In some past cases, they actually prohibited the public from building for example any new roads that were close enough to the toll road where they might be considered as competition. It is my understanding that type of clause is not used much anymore, in favor of what they call “compete penalties”. This is where the public could still build its own roads, but would first have to pay the operator compensation to retain that right.

So that is another way that tax dollars come into play on these deals. In some cases the contracts are written so that you can minimize the amount of compensation that would have to be owed by intentionally slowing down some other roads to make the toll road look more attractive. There was a case of this in Colorado I was reading about where they lowered the speed limit and added traffic lights on a parallel public road in an effort to get more people to use the toll road instead.

Joan: Really. Is that legal?

Rep. Opsommer: I’m not sure if there have ever been any decided court cases over that, but that is what is in some of these contracts and how they get enforced. These contracts get relied on and when people complain everyone shrugs their shoulders and says I didn’t vote for it, it’s part of the contract and out of my control. That is one reason why I think you still want the legislature to vote on where these contracts can be entered into, so we can put some qualifications on them to make sure they don’t run counter to legislative intent. I’m a free market advocate, but I’m not an advocate for a fixed market based on collusion and public manipulation.

Joan: Rep. Opsommer, you also mentioned eminent domain. Didn’t we change law so that you can’t take private property from one person if you are just doing that for another private entities business purposes or profit? There was a big reaction to the Supreme Court case.

Rep Opsommer: Well, it is my understanding that eminent domain concerns were one of the reasons for the moratorium on these in Texas. Depending on who you listen to they wanted to construct parts of the so called NAFTA superhighway, which was going to be a big project and was going to take a lot of land that some people didn’t want to sell.

I wasn’t there so I don’t know the ins and outs of all that, but I do have a question about eminent domain and how it would work under HB 4961 because of some clauses about additional commercial activities and also how they define an instrumentality of government. So you may not be talking about property just for roads and bridges, but also for gas stations, fast food restaurants, or things like hotels if they are part of the project. And even if eminent domain remains with a public body, it needs to be in a public body wholly from this state, not in a non-domestic instrumentality of government.

Joan: Rep. Opsommer would you please explain what an “instrumentality of government is?”

Rep. Opsommer: That is a good question, I’m not sure if it is entirely clear in HB 4961 as written. My first take on it is that it is a kind of “government authority”. Authorities are new governmental bodies that get made by other governments in order to do things jointly. For example, you may have several fire departments in different communities that come together and form a fire authority that somewhat merges the departments.

In the case of HB 4961, MDOT gets to create new authorities between them and other governmental units to form a new instrumentality of government that would govern a certain project. It would have the powers of MDOT, but other members in the authority would also get to help make decisions. When you look at how HB 4961 defines an instrumentality of government it includes governments from other countries and other states. So if a project gets governed by a mixed authority, you could have people from outside of Michigan having a vote on what happens regarding toll rates or eminent domain on the Michigan side of the border.

Joan: Well I find that alarming! Can you give me an example?

Rep. Opsommer: Well, let’s use the DRIC as an example. You could set it up so that Michigan owns its half of the bridge, and Canada the other half. Michigan then sets the toll rates on its side. That is how the Bluewater Bridge works for example. But if they want to create a new instrumentality of government to be the authority that governs the entire bridge and sets those rates, they need to find a way to bring Canada in. Some other bridges are set up that way.

I think it should be up to the legislature to be part of that process, determining how it would work, rather than just letting MDOT be able to approve it. I mean, Canada is supposedly loaning us $550 million dollars to help build this. I want to make sure there are no strings attached to that money. I don’t want a situation where as a result of that money we only end up owning 40% of the bridge. I don’t want to see a situation where eminent domain decisions are getting made on property holdouts on the Michigan side in way we can be outvoted.

Joan: And that hasn’t that all been decided?

Rep. Opsommer: No, not at all. You will read a lot in the main stream media that would make you think that. But there is nothing official. Remember, as you said, DRIC is not even mentioned in the bill. In fact, Canada or Canadian corporations being an instrumentality of government isn’t limited to just the DRIC. Like most of HB 4961, it is very open ended, and since they want to include governments from even other states, you have to assume that there are other mixed-governance projects like this that they have in mind.

Joan: Is it just Canada, or Canadian Corporations also?

Rep. Opsommer: The bill says both. I am looking into that, and they appear to be corporations that could best be described quickly as similar to not for profit corporations. I wanted to find out if the Ontario pension fund OMERS could be one of those corporations, but if they could I think it would have to be as a sister company.

Joan: Both? That’s another cause for alarm. Who is OMERS?

Rep. Opsommer: They are one of the likely bidders on a P3 for the DRIC. They were recently granted new investment powers by the Canadian government, and as we see more instability in stocks and bonds there is this push to find ways to turn transportation projects into a reliable stream of revenue. I think it is one of the reasons Canada is so interested in doing all of this. They have fought with the Ambassador Bridge on some issues, and if the DRIC would allow them to bypass that and also earn their pension funds profit at the same time, I see how this would be a big win for them.

Joan: So, what are your thoughts? Is the DRIC going to be built?

Rep. Opsommer: I honestly have no idea. It has passed out of the House, and could be voted on in the Senate any day. It’s obviously an important issue I have been involved with, but until I get answers to all of these questions its hard to say with any degree of certainty what it is you are even being asked to vote on. But as long as they are wrapping the DRIC bridge up into the P3 bill HB 4961 it will certainly be a highly controversial issue. I don’t want to see tolling take place in the counties I represent just because of a bridge debate on the other side of the state, especially when HB 4961 would strip me of being able to vote on it.

Joan: Are these laws allowing for that right to be stripped away in other states, or is this just being proposed in Michigan?

Rep. Opsommer: In some they only allow these with legislative approval, but in other cases they are indeed taking that power away. California is an example where their DOT doesn’t have as broad of power as what is being proposed in MI, but they recently changed the law there and stripped away the power from the legislature. So in some ways what MDOT is proposing is less than what they now have in California, but in other ways they want to mirror what Schwarzenegger has done and even go beyond that.

In Chicago they have done a lot of P3 projects, they recently turned their parking meters into a P3 project, and they almost did the same thing with the airport. Things have slowed down there a little because of the scandal with Governor Blagojevich that was in part due to him allegedly trying to raise cash with his unilateral ability to enter into projects like these. That case is now being heard, so we’ll have to see what the facts are in the end.

But Chicago has in general been raked over the coals for these deals because they have almost entirely spent all the money they received on these deals less than 5 years into them when most of the contracts last for 75-99 years. This is how they balanced their budget to a certain degree, but I think eventually they are going to run out of public infrastructure to put on the market, and they’ll end up at the exact same place they started.

Joan: Rep. Opsommer, thank you for your time. I appreciate your updating us on this important issue.

Rep. Opsommer: Thank-you.

RESULTS OF THE M.A.P.S CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

2010-06-12T08:50:00.005-05:00

Michigan Patriots,

The results of the M.A.P.S Candidate Questionnaire is BELOW

The Purpose of the M.A.P.S. Candidate Questionnaire Project is:

1. Provide a tool to help tea party movement adherents determine a Constitutional Conservative Candidate with character who is worthy of their time and money.
2. To encourage involvement BEFORE the Primary (and after) for the Constitutional Conservative Candidate with character, of choice.
The liberal progressives are working hard, we need to work harder in support of our candidates!

M.A.P.S IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATES RATHER A TOOL FOR YOU TO USE TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOICE

Don’t see your candidate?
Any local, state or national Michigan candidate for office who wishes to fill out a Questionnaire may e-mail us at grassrootsinmi@gmail.com and we will be happy to send a questionnaire

We will continue to send out the results of the M.A.P.S. Candidate Questionnaires as we receive them from candidates

REMEMBER: THE BEST WAY TO GET TO KNOW ANY CANDIDATE IS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM!

Additional sources of research when deciding on supporting a candidate:

Michigan Votes http://www.michiganvotes.org/

Right to Life of Michigan http://www.rtl.org/#

Open Congress http://www.opencongress.org/

On the Issues http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

Russell Kirk - Ten Conservative Principals http://www.kirkcenter.org/kirk/ten-principles.html

The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal is a nonprofit educational institute based in Mecosta, Michigan, home of the American writer and thinker Russell Kirk (1918–1994).

Click here for the M.A.P.S CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

M.A.P.S. Candidate Questionnaire Results

Click on the Candidate Name

Bill Schuette Candidate for Attorney General
Tom Stillings Candidate for 1st District House Congressional Seat
Michael Ennis Candidate for 9th District State Senate
Lori Levi Candidate for 21st District State House of Representatives
Michael Shmina Candidate for 32nd District State House of Representatives
Jeff Hall Candidate for 67th District State House of Representatives
Tricia Opper Candidate for 67th District State House of Representatives
Laurie Raines Candidate for 71st District State House of Representatives

FOR MICHIGAN AND AMERICA!

REMEMBERING THEIR SACRIFICE

2010-05-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

To those who sacrificed so much and to their families our eternal gratitude and profound respect....

Memorial Day, holiday in the United States observed in late May. Previously designated Decoration Day, it was inaugurated in 1868 by Gen. John A. Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of Civil War veterans and has since become a day on which all war dead are commemorated.

Known as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years, becoming a holiday dedicated to the memory of all war dead. It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in May...to learn more about Memorial Day

Nothing Hurts More than the Loss of Your Dog

2010-05-20T14:33:00.019-05:00

If you are a “dog parent” no explanation of grief is necessary, if you are not, no
explanation will suffice

I lost my Maddie Monday, May 17th. She was almost 15 /12 half years old. I had just nursed her back from to health from vestibular syndrome, completely healed, and was looking forward to a wonderful summer together. We had just got back from a vacation in the U.P. I have lots of great pictures. This one is one of my favorites

When a terrible accident occurred, something went wrong with the garage door and it opened on its own….it happens sometimes I am told but I never knew

It had opened once that day but when I came back Maddie was on her bed….I know now that it opened sometime soon after we came back from our walk in the park and she thought that we were going for our “neighborhood walk” because the car was in the garage, (Maddie knew that when the car was in a garage it was a neighborhood walk ) so I believe that’s why she went out and started walking to catch up with me on our walk and she just kept walking, she was about 4-5 miles from my house which I would have never ever thought she would go so far…..I looked with a flashlight in my neighborhood for hours…..then came the awful call from the police….I think she made have had a heart attack…so very far for her to have walked.

The Lord is giving me “a peace that passes all understanding”….not that it isn’t very painful, I am grieving and grief must run its course He gave me a vision of Him calling Maddie, patting her on the head and taking her to my “mansion” to wait for me….her long journey was over

I became Maddie’s mom when she was 12 weeks ago. She was a little ball of Chow/Lab red fluff, with a black mask and like the Chow in her, a black tongue I didn’t know her exact date of birth so I assigned her January 22, 1995. Together we were “apackof2”

Maddie was a one of-a-kind. I often referred to her as "Maddie the Wonderdog". You could ask anyone who knew her. Maddie was intelligent, independent, dignified, beautiful, an excellent hunter, watchdog and an amazing athlete, adaptable, adorable, charming, loving companion and travel buddy. I adored her and she loved me with that “unconditional love” reserved for only dogs and God and that dog parents are so very blessed to know.

We always walked, in parks where she could be off leach and hunt. When a youngster
She would take off and be gone too long, sometimes 2 hours while I frantically searched for her, I would go back to where the car was parked and there she would be! She did learn that choices had consequences method, “Good come, no leach, bad come leach”! And she learned to come back when called or tell time and come back in a reasonable period and it became part of our walk…if she took off on an excellent adventure, I would continue my walk knowing that if she didn’t catch up to me on the trail then she would be waiting at the car when I returned.

She always came back. Oh were there a few times when a thrilling adventure took her longer than she should and I would get anxious and worried and look but she always came back, head hung knowing she might get a spanking..(Then a loving)

She was a wonderful watchdog, the Chow in her made sure she only barked when necessary so she was a quiet girl. She had a doggie door and could come and go as she pleased and she preferred to be outdoors protecting our yard from furry critters

She had a "Yuppie Puppy treat machine" that she was a wiz at…a gum ball machine gadget with a fake bone that she pushed and treats came out!

She traveled everywhere with me and was a great traveling companion, always ready for an adventure, quiet so readily accepted anywhere. Five years ago we went out West, Montana, and Wyoming and stayed at motels and the ranch and where ever we went she became the “mascot” She was a welcome guest at friends, even over night.

She would wait patiently for me in the car if necessary. We went everywhere together, even for short errands rides because we just wanted to be together.
She would poke her nose out the window to catch all those great smells! At times, when stopped at a light I would see the driver of the car next to ours looking over at her sitting up so straight, and they would have big smiles, she made such a pretty delightful picture!

She loved to put her head down and to the side and stick her bottom up in the air for a good scratch she did a thousand adorable things that made me laugh, gave me joy, endeared me to her, and made me fall deeper in love.

I was so blessed to be her mom for over 15 years, to know that kind of love. My friend Kevin said, “The only time they hurt you is when they die”
And it’s true

But I know my Maddie is waiting for me in my “mansion”

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2)

It’s personal. My “mansion” will be different from yours. In my mansion will dwell all the dogs I have ever loved and that have so unconditionally loved me. Gloried doggie bodies.

And Jesus does return on a white horse, so where does the white horse cone from?

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ….The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean…..
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16

No, there are animals in Heaven. And my Maddie is there now, in my mansion, patiently waiting for our reunion

"Be comforted, little dog, thou too in the Resurrection shall have a golden tail”
Martin Luther from the book” “A Friend Like No Other" by H. Norman Wright

Tribute to a Dog

The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us, may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.

George Graham Vest - c. 1855

Apackof2

That's the Way Ahuh, ahuh We Like it, Ahuh ahuh!...And a M.A.P.S Update

2010-05-17T15:47:00.015-05:00

Gov Christie tells it like it is..

.....The M.A.P.S Volunteer Campaign Workshop May 13 got off to a great start! Precinct delegates, candidates and a tea party organizer were in attendance and enthusiasm was high.

Request to conduct more Workshops and from candidates for our Questionnaire continue to come in. We are working on an evaluating the Questionnaire and making the results available shortly...please check back!

Some photos from the Workshop

Presenter Kelly Harrigan

During the break....

"Tag Team" Kelly and I field some questions

M.A.P.S is Coming....Are YOU Ready?

2010-05-03T07:52:00.002-05:00

Introducing M.A.P.S…

Dear Fellow Patriot and Constitutional Conservative:

As you know, we need to ensure that Constitutional Conservatives get elected this November so that we can end the Bailout, TARP, Porkulus, Obamacare madness both in Washington and in our own backyard!
As the TEA Party Movement grows and matures, more citizen activists are asking for concrete ways that they can put their energies to work for candidates who will carry their message of constitutionally limited government and fiscal responsibility to Washington, Lansing, county seats, city halls, even school boards. With so many seats up for grabs this year, knowing where to donate time and resources can be overwhelming!

To address this growing need for action-oriented opportunities which will put lead on the proverbial target to stem the tide of the job-killing, freedom-threatening, Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda both locally and nationally, Grassroots in Michigan and the Lansing, MI TEA Party are pleased to announce the launch of the Mobile Action Patriot Strikeforce, or M.A.P.S.

Time: May 13, 2010 from 7pm to 9pm
Location: Community Faith Church
Street: 2495 North Cedar Street (behind Krogers)
City/Town: Holt, MI 48842

As the TEA Party Movement has never been “one-size-fits-all,” some TEA Party activists may choose to engage directly with their local political party, while others may choose to work directly with specific campaigns. M.A.P.S provides a unique opportunity for Constitutional Conservative grassroots activists to come together, as folks did to elect Scott Brown,to provide a manpower boost when and where it is most needed. In doing so, we insure that our principles and values are being advanced in the places that matter most.

Don’t wait!

There’s much work to be done between now and November and the stakes have never been higher.Sign up today at Grassroots in Michigan

We know we want to Take Michigan Back! We also know how to get there from here. We’ve got our M.A.P.S! Now it’s time to roll! Don’t miss out on the fun.

Please join us!

JUST IN! HB 6075: A necessary step to regulate abortion coverage under national healthcare if the Cox lawsuit is not successful

2010-04-26T09:19:00.010-05:00

State Representative Paul Opsommer announced today the introduction of HB 6075, which he said was a necessary step to regulate abortion coverage under national healthcare if the Cox lawsuit is not successful.

"I do not trust a temporary executive order to make sure we're not using taxpayer money to perform abortions", said Opsommer.

Either do we!

Posting from a remote location deep in the Hiawatha National Forest in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan (on vacation at last :)

HB 6075

Tea Party News and Pictures..

2010-04-18T10:23:00.003-05:00

34% Say They Or Someone Close To Them Part of Tea Party Movement

Twenty-four percent (24%) of U.S. voters now say they consider themselves a part of the Tea Party movement, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s an eight-point increase from 16% a month ago. .....TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE CLICK HERE

Sights and Sounds of a Lansing Tea Party

TAX DAY TEA PARTY AT YOUR STATE CAPITOL

2010-04-14T09:45:00.002-05:00

When: April 15, 2010 Noon-2:00pm
Where: The State Capital Building
100 N. Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI

April 15th marks the day when many Americans pay more than their fair share in taxes. Grass roots patriots in Michigan will join thousands across the state of Michigan and the nation to voice our opposition to big government and spending that has pushed the federal deficit to record levels as part of the continuing movement of nationwide “Tea Parties.”

The protest is one of hundreds to be held at the same time in cities and towns all across Michigan and the United States. Tea parties will also be held in Chicago, Washington, Atlanta, Anchorage, Honolulu, Phoenix, Sacramento, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, San Diego, Portland, Ore., and at hundreds of other locations.

Joan Fabiano of Grassroots in Michigan says, “As Michiganders we have seen the results of progressive tax and spend policies. After eight years Michigan is in shambles. Unemployment is at almost 15%, the Car Capitol of the World has seen a government take over of GM, jobs evaporate, foreclosures rise and families leave.”

Fabiano, goes on to say,” 2010 is the year that We the People will "Take Michigan Back" from the politicians and progressive policies that have brought Michigan down a road towards ruin and economic destruction.”

BE THERE!

BRING YOUR STATE OF MICHIGAN FLAG

Just in..Bernanke Warns of Dangers Posed by Deficit

Bernanke on the topic of deficits and government spending: “To avoid large and unsustainable budget deficits, the nation will ultimately have to choose among higher taxes, modifications to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, less spending on everything else from education to defense, or some combination of the above”. Republicans are opposed to raising taxes, and democrats are loathe cut cut entitlement programs, the combination of which help to explain why our country has such massive debt problems......

TODAY! MAKE A CALL FOR MICHIGAN SOVEREIGNTY

2010-04-13T08:23:00.006-05:00

I spoke with Rep. Opssommer yesterday and he informed that he would be having a meeting with Mark Meadows THIS WEDNESDAY about HJR YY

As you recall HJR YY would amend Michigan's Constitution by creating a Federalism Commission to charged with monitoring and reviewing federal laws and mandates to determine if they violate the Michigan Constitution or if they violate such areas as the 9th and 10th Amendments of the US Constitution. If any law is considered unconstitutional then legislation is introduced to nullify it. HJY YY also includes Memorandums of Understanding which have created a “shadow government” by contacts that often exceed authority.

HJR YY is in House Judiciary Committee now.
Committees can be where bills go to die.
We need to get it out and on the committee calendar!

YOU CAN HELP BY CALLING OR E-MAIL TODAY

Tell Rep Meadows you want HJR YY to be put on the Committee Calendar for a hearing

Rep. Mark Meadows, (Chair)
Phone: (517) 373-1786
Fax: (517) 373-5717
Email markmeadows@house.mi.gov

Together we can Take Michigan Back!

AFTER ACTION REPORT: Tea Party Express Michigan

2010-04-12T18:45:00.020-05:00

You'll have to excuse my brevity here but I am still recovering from a whirlwind and demanding tour schedule as a guest speaker for the Michigan leg of the Tea Party Express. Ten cities and over 500 miles in 4 days! Great turnout in all cities and Bart Stupak resigns...Perfect :)

Well every picture tells a story doesn't it? So I'll let the pictures do that PHOTO ALBUM OF TEA PARTY EXPRESS MICHIGAN TOUR

Just a few pictures of the many uploaded to the album...

Escanaba, MI

Sault Sainte Marie, MI

Cheboygan, MI

Petoskey, MI

Traverse City, MI

Grand Rapids, MI

State Capitol, Lansing, MI

Metro Detroit (Clinton Township, MI)

LIVE Blogging from the Tea Party Express!

2010-04-09T14:13:00.001-05:00

Friday, April 9

Just left Escanaba, wonderful turnout of Yoppers Patriots and another sunny day, Mike Cox featured speaker...along with candidates vying for the retiring Bart Stupak's seat, Daniel J. Benishek, Tom Stillings and Don Cooperalong with candidates vying for the retiring Bart Stupak's seat, Dan, Tom Stillings and Don Cooper

Friday, April 9 Live Updates from the Tea Party Express Tour ....up early buses roll out of Ironwood at 7:15am! Great rally....fired up patriots ready to replace Stupak! On our way to Escanaba..

I will live blogging from the Tea Party Express bus so check back for updates

I just arrived in Duluth, MN and at a Rally before heading into Michigan.great sunny day here!

HOPE TO MEET YOU! Come on out to a location near you

2010-04-07T07:43:00.005-05:00

Besides being a speaker, I will be on the Tea Party Express bus doing a daily blog as well as other social networking activities such as Face Book, (search for "Grassroots in Michigan") on Twitter as "apackof2" And MIgrassroots look for the hashtags #mitcot and #TPEXMI hashtags in addition to our Grassroots in Michigan Ning site and our Grassroots in Michigan site

UPDATED Tea Party Express Flier with All MI Cities

Liberal "reporter" and homosexual Activist Tries to Bully His Way Into Private Meeting!

2010-04-02T11:14:00.009-05:00

Many in the tea party movement are aware of the increasing attempts by liberals (progressives) to try and smear tea party activists or tie the whole movement to a few extremists. We are also aware of the intimidation tactics often used by the left to bully or scare tea party activists or even in some cases use physical violence

We are also well aware that these nefarious attempts are because the leftist are genuinely afraid of the affects the tea party movement has had in countering the socialist/fascist agenda by the current administration as evidence by the Unconstitutional abomination commonly known as the health care bill.

Last night, the tea party group, Grassroots in Michigan experienced a taste of these intimidation tactics at a private meeting held for members

First of all it is important to note that citizens have a right to gather at voluntary members meetings. Grassroots in Michigan is not a government entity, non-profit, 501(c) (3) or (4), or incorporated in any way. Grassroots in Michigan is a true grassroots group consisting of like-minded Michigan citizens and as such we have a right to gather and have simple rules.

One such rule is that we do not allow reporters at our meeting. Never have. The reasons are simple, the meetings are for members to discuss various topics without feeling that are under a microscope or that they may be mis-quoted. We want to foster the exchange of ideas within a safe and private environment, which is our prerogative and right.

However that changed last night, Thursday as a “reporter” from the liberal online blog Michigan Messenger, Todd Heywood attempted to bully his way into our meeting and use” ambush” Style interview tactics on our unwary members as they came to the meeting. Questions such as, “Why won’t she let me in and "What is going on in there!” to members who were unaware of that had been transpiring over a period of several days.

I have had a previous experience with Mr. Heywood hostile and un-factual “reporting” in January when he posted this below. The statements in red are attributed to me by Mr. Heywood when they are in fact made by another. My response is below where I point out that fact.

Michigan tea bag protestors won’t join national protest at Detroit Auto Show
I would post the link buy why give them the hits?

By Todd A. Heywood 1/11/10 10:20 AM
As the Detroit Auto Show gets underway this week, thousands are expected to attend the event, including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
That announcement lead the national Tea Party movement to call on their supporters to converge on the auto show to protest “Government Motors.” The folks in the movement are opposed to the bailouts which helped the Chrysler and GM move in and out of bankruptcy quickly last year.

But this weekend, Joan Fabiano from the Michigan grass roots tea party and based in the Lansing area, issued a facebook statement saying the national folks could not count on the Michigan “patriots” to join them in Detroit.

In conclusion it is my opinion that this protest is ill-conceived and quite frankly an attempt at attention grabbing grand standing by those outside and unfortunately inside of Michigan.

Fabiano in her statement reminds the national movement that she is a “Christian” and that there are thousands of Christians who had nothing to do with the bail out but work for GM. To this revelation she asks:
Why must some Americans boycott G.M. and throw INNOCENT people, such as myself, out on the street trying to find another job in this economy? Did I do something wrong? Would you like to see yourself out of a job if your company’s leadership made the errors and you had NOTHING to do with it?

There is irony at work here. Fabiano is a retired General Motors employee who would likely have lost a lot had the Obama administration not stepped in to prop up the nation’s largest automaker and guide it through bankruptcy proceedings. And now she’s shocked — shocked! — that anyone would protest such a bailout.

And yet Fabiano herself rants against the government bailout of the banks. At the July 4 tea party at the state Capitol in Lansing she shouted, “We are tired of the out-of-control spending, tired of the socialization of our government, tired of the erosion of our personal liberties.”

She appears in a movie that protests the similar bailouts of banks. Does she not realize that banks have employees too and that failing to help the banks would also have harmed innocent employees of those banks who were not responsible for the behavior of the company’s leadership?

On her own blog, Fabiano regularly inveighs against government bailouts. It just doesn’t seem to apply when a bailout benefits her.

My Responce:

Joanfabiano 2 months ago
In the interest of truth, which appears to be a foreign concept here judging by this post.......the comments attributed to me by this web site are NOT mine, but were left on a public web site as quoted in my letter by another poster, a current GM worker..."Additionally, I believe this comment left by a current GM worker on yet another “national site” speaks volumes to us Michiganders."Why must some Americans boycott G.M. and throw INNOCENT people, such as myself, out on the street trying to find another job in this economy? Did I do something wrong? Would you like to see yourself out of a job if your company’s leadership made the errors and you had NOTHING to do with it?"

If anyone would bother to actually take a few minutes on my blog, it would become obvious that I favored bankruptcy over a government take over of GM, potentially incurring a loss of income and benefits to myself...But why bother with facts when cherry-picking is easy and fits your agenda?

And first you rail against tea party protests, now you rail when a tea party doesn't protest..so very fickle! Or perhaps it interferes with your "lock step" theory of the tea party movement

However thanks for the PR for my blog and the new film documentary that your low readership may generate

Joan Fabiano

What had transpired over several days was this:

I had posted our Grassroots in Michigan Meet Up on Face Book

I received a message from Todd Heywood asking for the location stating he intended to come to the meeting. Todd Heywood is not my friend on Facebook, however evidently one of my friends passed who was, passed along the invite to our meeting

I replied to him that we allow do not allow reporters at our meetings.

On Thursday I received a phone call from him and as was just getting ready to step into the shower, I told him to call back. He called back and evidently I missed his call. He left a message stating he WAS coming to our meeting.

Additionally he called the church that we rent for our meetings to confirm the location.

Because of his aggressive stance and that he obviously did not respect our rights, we were rightfully concerned that he may try to force his way in, or cause a disturbance to “create” a story.

In order to protect our members and our right to privacy, we went into a “lock down” mode, locking the front door and manning it with a “beefy” patriot allowing invited members entrance. Mr. Heywood, asked several times, why he was disbarred, knowing full well why and continued to “interview” unwary members coming to our meeting. (See video below) It is important to note also that Mr. Heywood positioned himself in front of the church, which is private property. We could have called the police but we knew this was probably what he wanted, to "create” a scene then report on it.

I suspect Mr. Heywood's interest in coming to our meeting was because of our invited speaker, Joe Folland, Michigan Director of Oath Keepers

Recently an extremist group in Adrian,Michigan calling themselves “christain” were arrested by the FBI. There have been attempts by the liberal media to connect these extremists to the tea party movement or other lawful militia groups in a organized campaign to smear the whole tea party movement.

Or perhaps it was because Mr. Heywood knew that I was invited on the Michigan leg of the Tea Party Express III “Vote Them Out Tour Or perhaps both.

The bottom line here is that liberals do not respect the privacy and rights of others. That reported attempts to smear, and intimidate tea party groups are a reality and ARE happening.

However as citizen patriots, these attempts are BACKFIRING and only increases our desire to fight for our country, our form of government, a representative Republic and our way to life and have increased the public awareness of these despicable actions.

"I have not yet begun to fight" John Paul Jones
Naval officer of the American Revolutionary War

ASSERT MICHIGAN'S SOVEREIGHTY! SUPPORT HJR YY!

2010-04-01T09:05:00.006-05:00

Why is HJR YY so critically needed?

If enacted into law and formally approved by voters, HJR YY would:

Amend the state Constitution to Create a Federalism Commission bicameral and bipartisan commission
charged with monitoring and reviewing federal laws and mandates to determine if they violate the Michigan Constitution or if they violate such areas as the 9th and 10th Amendments of the US Constitution

The "why" behind HJR YY is two-fold:
Firstly, in cases where the Joint Federalism Commission determines a violation exists, the law will provide for an expedited process for the commission to then push appropriate legislation to nullify to the floor for voting by all members within 10 session days.

The second "why" that makes this legislation necessary is:

Because of the increasing role of so called "Memorandums of Understanding," "Compacts," and other agreements between Michigan and other governments, most notably at the federal level.

Most voters are not aware of what a "Memorandum of Understanding" is, or that they can carry the formal force of law.

In many cases such memorandums are created under dubious authority. In other cases, the legislature does vote to grant authority for a memorandum to be entered into, but then what the memorandum actually does often exceeds that authority, or delves into areas that are beyond the scope of the authorizing legislation.

HJR YY has been Referred to Judiciary Committee

IMMEDIATE ACTION TO TAKE:
Call the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee to have HJR YY placed on the calendar for a meeting

Rep. Mark Meadows, (Chair)
Phone: (517) 373-1786Fax: (517) 373-5717
Email markmeadows@house.mi.gov

Request that legislation to put on calendar
BE COURTEOUS WHEN CONTACTING THE OFFICES

We will monitor the JudiciaryCommittee Calendar when HJR YY is placed on the Committee Calendar to implement the rest of the ACTION PLAN.
CHECK BACK FOR AN UPDATE

ACTION PLAN WITH LINK TO HJR YY CAN BE PRINTED OUT AND DOWN-LOADED

ACTION PLAN FOR HJR YY PASSAGE

Michigan Tea Party Organizer to Join Tea Party ExpressIII “Vote Them Tour”

2010-03-28T11:17:00.007-05:00

Exciting News! I have been invited to be on the Michigan leg of the Tea Party Express “Vote Them Out” Tour!(On the "About" page under “Special Guests”) The Michigan leg of the tour is April 8-11, and the bus will be coming to Ironwood, Escanaba, Sault Sainte Marie, Traverse City Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit. This is a tremendous opportunity to bring the message of "Take Michigan Back" to Michiganders across the state!

Besides being a speaker,I will be on the Tea Party Express bus doing a daily blog as well as other social networking activities such as Face Book,Search for "Grassroots in Michigan" on Twitter and MIgrassroots look for #mitcot and #TPEXMI hashtags.

Our own Michigan Sovereignty logo is displayed on the Tea Party Express main page under "Sponsors"

Please help to get the word out! A printable Flier for distribution with all Michigan Rally information can be found by CLICKING THE FLIER PICTURE

LET'S HAVE A BIG MICHIGAN TURN OUT!

The leftist are out in full force to prevent our 1st Amendment Rights! Andrew Britbart describes the attempt by leftists to prevent people from coming to the Stop Harry Reid kick off Tea Party Express Rally and throwing eggs at the bus!

Hope to meet you at one of the rallies!

Timeline of Major Provisions in the Democrats’ Health Care Package

2010-03-26T21:13:00.001-05:00

Timeline of Major Provisions in the Democrats’ Health Care Package

So this is what change looks like...

2010-03-23T10:17:00.001-05:00

We Have Not Yet Begun to Fight

2010-03-21T22:31:00.002-05:00

Kill or Nullify Health Care Flash Rally-Protest THIS SUNDAY!

2010-03-20T07:33:00.008-05:00

Time: March 21, 2010 from 2pm to 3:30pm
Location: Capitol Ave in front of the State Capitol
Street: 100 N. Capitol Ave
City/Town: Lansing

The US Congress is poised to "deem and pass" one of, if not the most damaging bill in US history. They are doing this despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans are against it.

WASHINGTON IS NOT LISTENING TO US

It's time to put pressure on our elected officials in Michigan!

If there is no way to kill this bill, then Michigan needs to exert its 10th Amendment Sovereignty and

NULLIFY this bill!

A number of states, like Idaho, are passing provisions that would either prohibit it from becoming a law in their state, or would require the state to file a suit.

Michigan has such a provision. House Joint Resolution, HJR YY introduced by Rep. Opsommer, that is in the Judiciary Committee.
Click to Learn More About HJR YY

This Joint Resolution would amend Michigan’s Constitution to create a Federalism Committee charged with monitoring and reviewing federal laws and mandates to determine if they violate the Michigan Constitution or if they violate such areas as the 9th and 10th Amendments of the US Constitution. Federalism Commission determines a violation exists, the law will provide for an expedited process for the commission to then push appropriate legislation to the floor to nullify.

Rep. Paul Opsommer will be joining us!

**BRING SIGNS, STATE FLAG!**

EXPEL SLAUGHTER!

2010-03-17T09:39:00.004-05:00

CONTACT YOUR MICHIGAN HOUSE REP ASK THEM TO START EXPULSION OF SLAUGHTER ACCORDING TO Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution says that in order for a "Bill" to "become a Law," it "shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Wall Street Journal

Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y

We're not sure American schools teach civics any more, but once upon a time they taught that under the U.S. Constitution a bill had to pass both the House and Senate to become law. Until this week, that is, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving to merely "deem" that the House has passed the Senate health-care bill and then send it to President Obama to sign anyway.

Under the "reconciliation" process that began yesterday afternoon, the House is supposed to approve the Senate's Christmas Eve bill and then use "sidecar" amendments to fix the things it doesn't like. Those amendments would then go to the Senate under rules that would let Democrats pass them while avoiding the ordinary 60-vote threshold for passing major legislation. This alone is an abuse of traditional Senate process.

But Mrs. Pelosi & Co. fear they lack the votes in the House to pass an identical Senate bill, even with the promise of these reconciliation fixes. House Members hate the thought of going on record voting for the Cornhusker kickback and other special-interest bribes that were added to get this mess through the Senate, as well as the new tax on high-cost insurance plans that Big Labor hates.

So at the Speaker's command, New York Democrat Louise Slaughter, who chairs the House Rules Committee, may insert what's known as a "self-executing rule," also known as a "hereby rule." Under this amazing procedural ruse, the House would then vote only once on the reconciliation corrections, but not on the underlying Senate bill. If those reconciliation corrections pass, the self-executing rule would say that the Senate bill is presumptively approved by the House—even without a formal up-or-down vote on the actual words of the Senate bill.

Democrats would thus send the Senate bill to President Obama for his signature even as they claimed to oppose the same Senate bill. They would be declaring themselves to be for and against the Senate bill in the same vote. Even John Kerry never went that far with his Iraq war machinations. As we went to press, the precise mechanics that Democrats will use remained unclear, though yesterday Mrs. Pelosi endorsed this "deem and pass" strategy in a meeting with left-wing bloggers.

This two-votes-in-one gambit is a brazen affront to the plain language of the Constitution, which is intended to require democratic accountability. Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution says that in order for a "Bill" to "become a Law," it "shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate." This is why the House and Senate typically have a conference committee to work out differences in what each body passes. While sometimes one house cedes entirely to another, the expectation is that its Members must re-vote on the exact language of the other body's bill.

As Stanford law professor Michael McConnell pointed out in these pages yesterday, "The Slaughter solution attempts to allow the House to pass the Senate bill, plus a bill amending it, with a single vote. The senators would then vote only on the amendatory bill. But this means that no single bill will have passed both houses in the same form." If Congress can now decide that the House can vote for one bill and the Senate can vote for another, and the final result can be some arbitrary hybrid, then we have abandoned one of Madison's core checks and balances.

Yes, self-executing rules have been used in the past, but as the Congressional Research Service put it in a 2006 paper, "Originally, this type of rule was used to expedite House action in disposing of Senate amendments to House-passed bills." They've also been used for amendments such as to a 1998 bill that "would have permitted the CIA to offer employees an early-out retirement program"—but never before to elide a vote on the entire fundamental legislation.

We have entered a political wonderland, where the rules are whatever Democrats say they are.

Mrs. Pelosi and the White House are resorting to these abuses because their bill is so unpopular that a majority even of their own party doesn't want to vote for it. Fence-sitting Members are being threatened with primary challengers, a withdrawal of union support and of course ostracism.

Michigan's Bart Stupak is being pounded nightly by MSNBC for the high crime of refusing to vote for a bill that he believes will subsidize insurance for abortions.

Democrats are, literally, consuming their own majority for the sake of imposing new taxes, regulations and entitlements that the public has roundly rejected but that they believe will be the crowning achievement of the welfare state. They are also leaving behind a procedural bloody trail that will fuel public fury and make such a vast change of law seem illegitimate to millions of Americans.

The concoction has become so toxic that even Mrs. Pelosi isn't bothering to defend the merits anymore, saying instead last week that "we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." Or rather, "deeming" to have passed it.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER:

Although the White House called for a "simple up or down vote" before Louise Slaughter came up with the idea to use the Constitution like so much toilet paper, Nancy Pelosi in 2008 blocked an up or down vote on drilling, closed down the House and went on a book tour! But for progressives a simple up or down vote is so “yesterday” as they continue their onslaught on our Constitution and our Republic.

However, we, The People, will not slumber nor sleep in our Battle for the Republic!

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
-- Thomas Jefferson

Stupak Waffles on the Health Care Bill!

2010-03-09T10:11:00.003-05:00

Fax and Call Stupak!

From Fox News

Stupak had said last week that nothing had changed and he didn't think the House leaders had the votes to pass the bill.

But on Monday (are we really surprised?) he said he will resume talks with House leaders this week in a quest for wording that would impose no new limits on abortion rights but also would not allow use of federal money for abortions.

"I'm more optimistic than I was a week ago," Stupak told The Associated Press.

Call Bart Stupak and tell him even if all the provisions for abortion are removed you are still against this Bill.

According to The Hill

The "Cornhusker KickBack” is out “President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform proposal released Monday eliminates controversial funds given to Nebraska as part of a deal to win the support of centrist Sen. Ben Nelson (D).”

But the ”Louisiana Purchase” is still in. “Obama’s bill, however, does not specifically remove $300 million of Medicaid funds pegged for disaster relief for which Louisiana is the only state eligible.”

Tell Stupack THIS BILL NEEDS TO BE KILLED, PERIOD!

Rep. Bart Stupak Contact Information

Washington, D.C. Office
Phone: (202) 225-4735
Fax: (202) 225-4744

Petoskey Office:
Phone: (231) 348-0657
Fax: (231) 348-0653

Marquette Office:
Phone: (906) 228-3700
Fax: (906) 228-2305

Alpena Office:
Phone: (989) 356-0690
Fax: (989) 356-0923

Escanaba Office:
Phone: (906) 786-4504
Fax: (906) 786-4534

Houghton Office:
Phone: (906) 482-1371
Fax: (906) 482-4855

Crystal Falls Office:
Phone: (906) 875-3751
Fax: (906) 875-3889

West Branch Office:
Phone: (989) 345-2258
Fax: (989) 345-2285

MARCH MADNESS

2010-03-08T13:22:00.009-05:00

A vote to pass the Health Care Bill could come as soon as March 11

MICHGANDERS WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Despite the pledge to repeal this by some members of Congress, if this Bill passes, it’s nearly impossible to push back an entitlement once it passes. This Bill truly sends America down THE ROAD TO SOCIALISM

THIS IS IT.
After months of calls, faxes, protests and town halls THIS IS THE FINAL PUSH

The progressives are working hard now to get the Bill passed
WE NEED TO WORK HARDER

Michigan Congressional House Representatives NEED to hear from their constituents!

Calls are best, then faxes and then e-mails

If you call, please ask the person answering his or her name, and use their name during your call. Ask that he/she please add this call as a number to count as AGAINST the Health Care bill.

Give them your name and city.

To find your Michigan Congressional House Representative CLICK HERE

Provisions for abortion are still in the Bill
"In total, the Senate bill is the most pro-abortion single piece of legislation ever to reach the floor of the House of Representatives," said Douglas Johnson, federal legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee.
"The so-called abortion limits that are in the Senate bill are all very narrow, loophole ridden, or booby-trapped to expire," he said. He cites as an example a last-minute addition to the bill of $7 billion for community health centers, "from which abortions could be paid with no restriction."

Special Attention to Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. Who along with 11 other Democrat House members have said they will not vote for the health care bill unless it includes more stringent language to prevent federal funding from going toward abortion services.

Call Bart Stupak to encourage to him and his colleagues to continue to hold the line for life and vote “NO” Tell him even if all the provisions for abortion are removed you are still against this Bill.

Rep. Bart Stupak Contact Information

Washington, D.C. Office
Phone: (202) 225-4735
Fax: (202) 225-4744
Petoskey Office:
Phone: (231) 348-0657
Fax: (231) 348-0653

Marquette Office:
Phone: (906) 228-3700
Fax: (906) 228-2305

Alpena Office:
Phone: (989) 356-0690
Fax: (989) 356-0923

Escanaba Office:
Phone: (906) 786-4504
Fax: (906) 786-4534

Houghton Office:
Phone: (906) 482-1371
Fax: (906) 482-4855

Crystal Falls Office:
Phone: (906) 875-3751
Fax: (906) 875-3889

West Branch Office:
Phone: (989) 345-2258
Fax: (989) 345-2285

ALSO:

According to The Hill

The "Cornhusker Kick Back” is out “President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform proposal released Monday eliminates controversial funds given to Nebraska as part of a deal to win the support of centrist Sen. Ben Nelson (D).”

But the ”Louisiana Purchase” is still in. “Obama’s bill, however, does not specifically remove $300 million of Medicaid funds pegged for disaster relief for which Louisiana is the only state eligible.”

And ACROSS THE NATION:

In addition to Michigan Representatives please considering calling, Swing Vote Congressmen PHONE NUMBERS FOR SWING VOTE CONGRESSMEN

Ten Conservative Principles

2010-03-04T07:41:00.007-05:00

From time to time I believe we need to re-visit the roots and foundations of Conservatism especially today as we are engaged in this great battle with modern progressives who seek to transform our form of government,a Representative Republic into another form of government.
And not just for those new to Conservatism but for those of us who have long been engaged in the battle. We need to be able in the battle of ideas to articulate the principals of conservatism that is the foundation and springboard of our activism.

Russell Kirk is considered one of the pioneers of modern Conservatism His 1953 book, The Conservative Mind, gave shape to the conservative movement, giving special importance to the ideas of Edmund Burke. Kirk was also considered the chief proponent of traditionalist conservatism.

The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal is a nonprofit educational institute based in Mecosta, Michigan, home of the American writer and thinker Russell Kirk (1918–1994).

Ten Conservative Principles

by Russell Kirk

Being neither a religion nor an ideology, the body of opinion termed conservatism possesses no Holy Writ and no Das Kapital to provide dogmata. So far as it is possible to determine what conservatives believe, the first principles of the conservative persuasion are derived from what leading conservative writers and public men have professed during the past two centuries. After some introductory remarks on this general theme, I will proceed to list ten such conservative principles.

Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word “conservative” as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.
The attitude we call conservatism is sustained by a body of sentiments, rather than by a system of ideological dogmata. It is almost true that a conservative may be defined as a person who thinks himself such. The conservative movement or body of opinion can accommodate a considerable diversity of views on a good many subjects, there being no Test Act or Thirty-Nine Articles of the conservative creed.

In essence, the conservative person is simply one who finds the permanent things more pleasing than Chaos and Old Night. (Yet conservatives know, with Burke, that healthy “change is the means of our preservation.”) A people’s historic continuity of experience, says the conservative, offers a guide to policy far better than the abstract designs of coffee-house philosophers. But of course there is more to the conservative persuasion than this general attitude.

It is not possible to draw up a neat catalogue of conservatives’ convictions; nevertheless, I offer you, summarily, ten general principles; it seems safe to say that most conservatives would subscribe to most of these maxims. In various editions of my book The Conservative Mind I have listed certain canons of conservative thought—the list differing somewhat from edition to edition; in my anthology The Portable Conservative Reader I offer variations upon this theme. Now I present to you a summary of conservative assumptions differing somewhat from my canons in those two books of mine. In fine, the diversity of ways in which conservative views may find expression is itself proof that conservatism is no fixed ideology. What particular principles conservatives emphasize during any given time will vary with the circumstances and necessities of that era. The following ten articles of belief reflect the emphases of conservatives in America nowadays.

First, the conservative believes that there exists an enduring moral order. That order is made for man, and man is made for it: human nature is a constant, and moral truths are permanent.

This word order signifies harmony. There are two aspects or types of order: the inner order of the soul, and the outer order of the commonwealth. Twenty-five centuries ago, Plato taught this doctrine, but even the educated nowadays find it difficult to understand. The problem of order has been a principal concern of conservatives ever since conservative became a term of politics.

Our twentieth-century world has experienced the hideous consequences of the collapse of belief in a moral order. Like the atrocities and disasters of Greece in the fifth century before Christ, the ruin of great nations in our century shows us the pit into which fall societies that mistake clever self-interest, or ingenious social controls, for pleasing alternatives to an oldfangled moral order.

It has been said by liberal intellectuals that the conservative believes all social questions, at heart, to be questions of private morality. Properly understood, this statement is quite true. A society in which men and women are governed by belief in an enduring moral order, by a strong sense of right and wrong, by personal convictions about justice and honor, will be a good society—whatever political machinery it may utilize; while a society in which men and women are morally adrift, ignorant of norms, and intent chiefly upon gratification of appetites, will be a bad society—no matter how many people vote and no matter how liberal its formal constitution may be.

Second, the conservative adheres to custom, convention, and continuity. It is old custom that enables people to live together peaceably; the destroyers of custom demolish more than they know or desire. It is through convention—a word much abused in our time—that we contrive to avoid perpetual disputes about rights and duties: law at base is a body of conventions. Continuity is the means of linking generation to generation; it matters as much for society as it does for the individual; without it, life is meaningless. When successful revolutionaries have effaced old customs, derided old conventions, and broken the continuity of social institutions—why, presently they discover the necessity of establishing fresh customs, conventions, and continuity; but that process is painful and slow; and the new social order that eventually emerges may be much inferior to the old order that radicals overthrew in their zeal for the Earthly Paradise.

Conservatives are champions of custom, convention, and continuity because they prefer the devil they know to the devil they don’t know. Order and justice and freedom, they believe, are the artificial products of a long social experience, the result of centuries of trial and reflection and sacrifice. Thus the body social is a kind of spiritual corporation, comparable to the church; it may even be called a community of souls. Human society is no machine, to be treated mechanically. The continuity, the life-blood, of a society must not be interrupted. Burke’s reminder of the necessity for prudent change is in the mind of the conservative. But necessary change, conservatives argue, ought to he gradual and discriminatory, never unfixing old interests at once.

Third, conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription. Conservatives sense that modern people are dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, able to see farther than their ancestors only because of the great stature of those who have preceded us in time. Therefore conservatives very often emphasize the importance of prescription—that is, of things established by immemorial usage, so that the mind of man runneth not to the contrary. There exist rights of which the chief sanction is their antiquity—including rights to property, often. Similarly, our morals are prescriptive in great part. Conservatives argue that we are unlikely, we moderns, to make any brave new discoveries in morals or politics or taste. It is perilous to weigh every passing issue on the basis of private judgment and private rationality. The individual is foolish, but the species is wise, Burke declared. In politics we do well to abide by precedent and precept and even prejudice, for the great mysterious incorporation of the human race has acquired a prescriptive wisdom far greater than any man’s petty private rationality.

Fourth, conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence. Burke agrees with Plato that in the statesman, prudence is chief among virtues. Any public measure ought to be judged by its probable long-run consequences, not merely by temporary advantage or popularity. Liberals and radicals, the conservative says, are imprudent: for they dash at their objectives without giving much heed to the risk of new abuses worse than the evils they hope to sweep away. As John Randolph of Roanoke put it, Providence moves slowly, but the devil always hurries. Human society being complex, remedies cannot be simple if they are to be efficacious. The conservative declares that he acts only after sufficient reflection, having weighed the consequences. Sudden and slashing reforms are as perilous as sudden and slashing surgery.

Fifth, conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety. They feel affection for the proliferating intricacy of long-established social institutions and modes of life, as distinguished from the narrowing uniformity and deadening egalitarianism of radical systems. For the preservation of a healthy diversity in any civilization, there must survive orders and classes, differences in material condition, and many sorts of inequality. The only true forms of equality are equality at the Last Judgment and equality before a just court of law; all other attempts at leveling must lead, at best, to social stagnation.
Society requires honest and able leadership; and if natural and institutional differences are destroyed, presently some tyrant or host of squalid oligarchs will create new forms of inequality.

Sixth, conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectability. Human nature suffers irremediably from certain grave faults, the conservatives know. Man being imperfect, no perfect social order ever can be created. Because of human restlessness, mankind would grow rebellious under any utopian domination, and would break out once more in violent discontent—or else expire of boredom. To seek for utopia is to end in disaster, the conservative says: we are not made for perfect things. All that we reasonably can expect is a tolerably ordered, just, and free society, in which some evils, maladjustments, and suffering will continue to lurk.

By proper attention to prudent reform, we may preserve and improve this tolerable order. But if the old institutional and moral safeguards of a nation are neglected, then the anarchic impulse in humankind breaks loose: “the ceremony of innocence is drowned.” The ideologues who promise the perfection of man and society have converted a great part of the twentieth-century world into a terrestrial hell.

Seventh, conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked. Separate property from private possession, and Leviathan becomes master of all. Upon the foundation of private property, great civilizations are built. The more widespread is the possession of private property, the more stable and productive is a commonwealth. Economic levelling, conservatives maintain, is not economic progress. Getting and spending are not the chief aims of human existence; but a sound economic basis for the person, the family, and the commonwealth is much to be desired.

Sir Henry Maine, in his Village Communities, puts strongly the case for private property, as distinguished from communal property: “Nobody is at liberty to attack several property and to say at the same time that he values civilization. The history of the two cannot be disentangled.” For the institution of several property—that is, private property—has been a powerful instrument for teaching men and women responsibility, for providing motives to integrity, for supporting general culture, for raising mankind above the level of mere drudgery, for affording leisure to think and freedom to act.

To be able to retain the fruits of one’s labor; to be able to see one’s work made permanent; to be able to bequeath one’s property to one’s posterity; to be able to rise from the natural condition of grinding poverty to the security of enduring accomplishment; to have something that is really one’s own—these are advantages difficult to deny. The conservative acknowledges that the possession of property fixes certain duties upon the possessor; he accepts those moral and legal obligations cheerfully.

Eighth, conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism. Although Americans have been attached strongly to privacy and private rights, they also have been a people conspicuous for a successful spirit of community. In a genuine community, the decisions most directly affecting the lives of citizens are made locally and voluntarily. Some of these functions are carried out by local political bodies, others by private associations: so long as they are kept local, and are marked by the general agreement of those affected, they constitute healthy community. But when these functions pass by default or usurpation to centralized authority, then community is in serious danger. Whatever is beneficent and prudent in modern democracy is made possible through cooperative volition. If, then, in the name of an abstract Democracy, the functions of community are transferred to distant political direction—why, real government by the consent of the governed gives way to a standardizing process hostile to freedom and human dignity.

For a nation is no stronger than the numerous little communities of which it is composed. A central administration, or a corps of select managers and civil servants, however well intentioned and well trained, cannot confer justice and prosperity and tranquility upon a mass of men and women deprived of their old responsibilities. That experiment has been made before; and it has been disastrous. It is the performance of our duties in community that teaches us prudence and efficiency and charity.

Ninth, the conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions. Politically speaking, power is the ability to do as one likes, regardless of the wills of one’s fellows. A state in which an individual or a small group are able to dominate the wills of their fellows without check is a despotism, whether it is called monarchical or aristocratic or democratic. When every person claims to be a power unto himself, then society falls into anarchy. Anarchy never lasts long, being intolerable for everyone, and contrary to the ineluctable fact that some persons are more strong and more clever than their neighbors. To anarchy there succeeds tyranny or oligarchy, in which power is monopolized by a very few.

The conservative endeavors to so limit and balance political power that anarchy or tyranny may not arise. In every age, nevertheless, men and women are tempted to overthrow the limitations upon power, for the sake of some fancied temporary advantage. It is characteristic of the radical that he thinks of power as a force for good—so long as the power falls into his hands. In the name of liberty, the French and Russian revolutionaries abolished the old restraints upon power; but power cannot be abolished; it always finds its way into someone’s hands. That power which the revolutionaries had thought oppressive in the hands of the old regime became many times as tyrannical in the hands of the radical new masters of the state.

Knowing human nature for a mixture of good and evil, the conservative does not put his trust in mere benevolence. Constitutional restrictions, political checks and balances, adequate enforcement of the laws, the old intricate web of restraints upon will and appetite—these the conservative approves as instruments of freedom and order. A just government maintains a healthy tension between the claims of authority and the claims of liberty.

Tenth, the thinking conservative understands that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled in a vigorous society. The conservative is not opposed to social improvement, although he doubts whether there is any such force as a mystical Progress, with a Roman P, at work in the world. When a society is progressing in some respects, usually it is declining in other respects. The conservative knows that any healthy society is influenced by two forces, which Samuel Taylor Coleridge called its Permanence and its Progression. The Permanence of a society is formed by those enduring interests and convictions that gives us stability and continuity; without that Permanence, the fountains of the great deep are broken up, society slipping into anarchy. The Progression in a society is that spirit and that body of talents which urge us on to prudent reform and improvement; without that Progression, a people stagnate.

Therefore the intelligent conservative endeavors to reconcile the claims of Permanence and the claims of Progression. He thinks that the liberal and the radical, blind to the just claims of Permanence, would endanger the heritage bequeathed to us, in an endeavor to hurry us into some dubious Terrestrial Paradise. The conservative, in short, favors reasoned and temperate progress; he is opposed to the cult of Progress, whose votaries believe that everything new necessarily is superior to everything old.

Change is essential to the body social, the conservative reasons, just as it is essential to the human body. A body that has ceased to renew itself has begun to die. But if that body is to be vigorous, the change must occur in a regular manner, harmonizing with the form and nature of that body; otherwise change produces a monstrous growth, a cancer, which devours its host. The conservative takes care that nothing in a society should ever be wholly old, and that nothing should ever be wholly new. This is the means of the conservation of a nation, quite as it is the means of conservation of a living organism. Just how much change a society requires, and what sort of change, depend upon the circumstances of an age and a nation.

Such, then, are ten principles that have loomed large during the two centuries of modern conservative thought. Other principles of equal importance might have been discussed here: the conservative understanding of justice, for one, or the conservative view of education. But such subjects, time running on, I must leave to your private investigation.

The great line of demarcation in modern politics, Eric Voegelin used to point out, is not a division between liberals on one side and totalitarians on the other. No, on one side of that line are all those men and women who fancy that the temporal order is the only order, and that material needs are their only needs, and that they may do as they like with the human patrimony. On the other side of that line are all those people who recognize an enduring moral order in the universe, a constant human nature, and high duties toward the order spiritual and the order temporal.

Adapted from The Politics of Prudence (ISI Books, 1993). Copyright © 1993 by Russell Kirk.

Additional reading from Russell Kirk

From Across the Pond: Descendants of Our Founders Rise UP!

2010-02-25T21:15:00.006-05:00

Telegraph.co.uk

I do love this one and oh so British,with the "please dos"

The inaugural British Tea Party will take place on Saturday in my home town of Brighton, and I’ll be speaking. Do try to come: here are the details.

Labour has raised more than a trillion pounds in additional taxation since 1997. Yet, unbelievably, Gordon Brown has still managed to run up a deficit of 12.6 per cent of GDP (Greece’s is 12.7 per cent). A far lower level of taxation brought Americans out in spontaneous protest last year.

If you happen to be coming to the Conservative Spring Conference, do please pop in: the Tea Party is five minutes’ walk from the conference venue. It is, however, outside the security zone, and anyone is welcome to come. Oh, and this being England, we’ll be serving actual, you know, tea. I hope to see some of this blog’s readers there.

Good Show!

Pure Michigan: Michigan Dog Wins Westminster!

2010-02-17T09:59:00.011-05:00

The Westiminster Kennel Club Dog Show is the Olympics of the dog world and Michigan Scottie, Sadie walked off with the top prize, the gold medal, Best in Show!

A four-year-old Scottish terrier from Michigan has been named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The dog named Sadie is owned by Amelia and Dan Musser of Mackinac Island.
Sadie's official name with the American Kennel Club is Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot.

If you are not from Michigan, Mackinac Island is truly a magical place where motorized vehicle have banned for more than a century and it remains a charming living Victorian community.

It is home to a pre-Revolutionary fort, Fort Mackinac built in 1780.

And Mackinaw Island is also home to the world famous Grand Hotel built in 1887 and boasts the longest Front Porch in the world

I recently was up on Mackinac Island and I can personally testify of the beauty and charm of the island and the magnificent Grand Hotel (picture taken on the porch of the Grand Hotel, Sept. 2009)

Well it just so happens that the owners of the Grand Hotel, are Amelia and Dan Musser!

Does that mean we may get a glimpse of Sadie lounging on the porch of the Grand Hotel?
Let's hope so!

Congratulations Sadie, to the Musser's and Michigan

Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?

2010-02-15T10:41:00.002-05:00

"To the character of hero and patriot, this good man added that of Christian. Although the greatest man upon earth, he disdained not to humble himself before his God and to trust in the mercies of Christ.” {Quote by Gunning Bedford, signer of the Constitution}

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible."
George Washington

InfoPlease

Well, according to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.

States Decide on Holidays

The states are not obliged to adopt federal holidays, which only affect federal offices and agencies. While most states have adopted Washington's Birthday, a dozen of them officially celebrate Presidents' Day. A number of the states that celebrate Washington's Birthday also recognize Lincoln's Birthday as a separate legal holiday.

When Was the First Public Celebration of Washington's Birthday?

Washington's Birthday has a history as old as our country. It was celebrated publicly for the first time in the late 18th century, while George Washington was still president.

Washington's Birthday became official in 1885, when President Chester Arthur signed a bill making it a federal holiday. Meanwhile, there was President Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12, which never became a federal holiday but was celebrated as a legal holiday in many states outside the old Confederacy.

In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act, which moved the official observance of Washington's birthday from Feb. 22 to the third Monday in February. Some reformers had wanted to change the name of the holiday as well, to Presidents' Day, in honor of both Lincoln and Washington, but that proposal was rejected by Congress, and the holiday remained officially Washington's Birthday.

Nevertheless, there was a popular misconception that the day had been officially renamed, a misconception only reinforced by the fact that the third Monday in February can only occur between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21. This means that the holiday is always after Lincoln's birthday and before Washington's birthday, without ever coinciding with either. Furthermore, some states which had previously celebrated Lincoln's Birthday dropped the observance after the federal holiday reforms, supporting the notion that the two presidential birthdays had been combined.

While the name change has never been authorized by Congress, it has gained a strong hold on the public consciousness, and is generally used on calendars, in advertising, and even by many government agencies. There have been attempts to introduce legislation requiring federal agencies to call the day Washington's Birthday, but these have never gotten very far. No matter what's in the law books, the popular usage is now well established.

Questions; Ask Them

2010-02-12T13:48:00.004-05:00

In case you are one of the 10 or 20 people who haven’t heard of the Glen Beck Debra Medina controversy I might as well weight in here myself. I just happen to be listening to Glenn Beck yesterday and heard the interview live

Glen Beck asks Debra Median, candidate for governor of Texas, “If she believed the government killed 3,000 people on 9/11, and her answer was “I don’t know”

(The interview is at the end of the post)

However I don’t think the larger issue is if Debra Median is a “truther” or not but the fire storm that has ensued by the act of asking a question.

Aren’t conservatives supposed to be critical thinkers? Doesn’t critical thinking require asking questions and then assessing the answers according to facts and reason?

Don’t we want as critical thinking conservatives, to know as much as we possibly can about a candidate BEFORE we pull the lever in the voting booth?

“Truthers” ask questions. Does their belief of a government 9-11 conspiracy line up with facts, and reason? Or doesn't it?

If Debra Median is a truther, would that affect her ability to be governor of Texas?
Does it point to her ability for critical thinking? Or wouldn't it?

Questions

Questions should be, and need to be asked of people, groups, institutions, churches, schools etc.

Critical thinking instead of blindly following. That includes Glenn Beck, Debra Medina, Rush Limbaugh, political pundits, so called “national tea party” groups AND candidates.

Another question that needs to be asked is: Does a Texas voter have to vote for any of the candidates running for governor?

Couldn’t Texas voters write in a candidate? Would a large number of write-ins
send a message that Texans reject so called RINOS, pro-aborts and proclaimed “tea party candidates” that aren’t forth coming on major beliefs?

Do Texans need to go back to the drawing board?

Do Americans?

Questions

Questions should be, and need to be asked

Ask them

Say it Out Loud;We're the Party of NO and Proud!

2010-02-10T23:04:00.007-05:00

The latest charge level against Republicans/Conservatives by the Obama regime, is to label the opposition, “the party of no”

Well what is wrong with that?

Of course anyone who believes in the Constitution would naturally be saying “NO!”

NO to an unconstitutional mandate in a bill forcing every American to buy a service

NO to unsustainable government orgy of spending

NO to the erosion of personal liberties, by a government take over of individual health care choices

NO to a government bill that mandates the light bulb or appliance that a citizen must use

NO to the fraud of global warming pushed by the Obama regime, that could cost individual families up to $2,000 per year in increase utilities

NO to Card check” that robs a citizen of their right to vote privacy

NO to appointed “czars”

NO to the taxation without representation of the so- called stimulus bills

NO to a 1.7 Trillion dollar deficit and growing

NO to government take over of private industries (GM)

NO to every unconstitutional and draconian government control bill that the progressives have thrown out the past year

NO, NO a thousand times NO! a 1.7 trillion times NO!

If you child wanted to get drunk and then drive hot rod and drive would you say yes?

Of course not, because you know that it wouldn’t be in their best interest!

Saying No is in the best interests of your constituents and your country!

So Republicans, Conservatives… own the “NO!”

Rob the Obama regime of a silly whiny accusation! Throw it back in their face!

NO is constitutional, NO is right, NO is in the best interest of my constituents, of America, of Americans

Ok are you ready! Say it out loud, “WE ARE THE PARTY OF “NO” AND PROUD!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

When Character was King..

2010-02-06T10:00:00.009-05:00

Remembering Reagan...

(To purchase "Return to Reagansim" items Click HERE )

As we remember "the Gipper" today on the anniversary of his birth, lets not just recall one of the most successful presidents in the history of our country but the man, a man of ideas, principals and faith. And then carry on with those principals, ideas and faith for only then we will be successful in saving our country from the current regime.

Our party must be based on the kind of leadership that grows and takes its strength from the people. Any organization is in actuality only the lengthened shadow of its members. A political party is a mechanical structure created to further a cause.

The cause, not the mechanism, brings and holds the members together. And our cause must be to rediscover, reassert and reapply America’s spiritual heritage to our national affairs.

Then with God’s help we shall indeed be as a city upon a hill with the eyes of all people upon us.

Ronald Reagan, 1977
40th President of the United States

To learn more about Ronald Reagan visit The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation

A wonderful tribute book about Reagan, "When Character was King"

Ronald Reagan Speech - 1964 Republican National Convention

LIBERALS GONE WILD

2010-02-05T11:33:00.007-05:00

The most egregious action was before I could whip out my trusty Flip camera. However, the pudgy man, Erin Fox, in the extreme close up (sorry) is a usual suspect, “community organizer” and MoveOn.org operative

I have encountered him at other actions and his modus operanti is always the same, trying to get in your face to disturb and/or name calling. Although his physical intimidation is getting more aggressive as he realizes that his “religion” the Health Care bill is in big trouble.

The young man with the dark hair that I point out as another “usual suspect” is either a MoveOn.org operative or works for the Democrat party. I recently had another “close encounter” with him at the Sanctity of Life Rally January 22 at our state Capitol, where he was counter-protesting life in favor of abortion.

We had formed a line in front of the counter-protesters and so our backs were turned to them, (not really a good idea when dealing with progressives). His tactic was to come from behind and lean in as close as possible without actually touching to yell things like, “Keep your rosary off my body” (odd coming from a man?) and “pro-family, pro-life”. He can be seen carrying the sign “Keep Abortion Legal” while clutching his upscale brand coffee I am sure Biggy’s is grateful for the pro-abortion “advertising”

See video below of Sanctity of Life counter-protest by these usual suspects

What is really disturbing about this is how militant against life these people are at such a young age. Hearts hardened and conscience seared. However when we realize that these young people have known nothing but legalized abortion in this country, the acceptance of what is “legalized murder” is sadly understandable. Seeing and knowing this, we must consider giving greater time and energy to the pro-life movement. Its a historical facts history that when any civilization no matter how great loses its moral underpinnings then that civilization falls.

The upshot of all of this is that if progressives do not respect life, how can they be expected to respect free speech? Obviously answer, they can’t and they don’t

The Real State of the State

2010-02-03T22:58:00.004-05:00

Governor’s Final State of the State Address Includes Eight Proposed Government Expansions, Three Limitations
Mackinac Center
Michael D. LaFaive
Fiscal Policy Director

MIDLAND — Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s 2010 State of the State address included eight proposed expansions of government and three limitations, according to Mackinac Center Fiscal Policy Director Michael D. LaFaive, who has tallied and categorized annual State of the State addresses dating back to 1969.

“This speech demonstrated the obtuse nature of the political class,” said LaFaive. “Michiganders watched seemingly serious adults leap to their feet to applaud symbolism, ghost jobs and free-trade bogeymen when evidence suggests they have nothing to cheer. Any observer of the last few State of the State speeches would know that this was the same old song and ‘dance with government’ routine.”

The last third of the governor’s address was a summary of economic development deals, many of which involved the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, the state’s premiere tax incentive program. The Mackinac Center has twice proven empirically that MEGA has failed to create jobs in net terms and has shown it may actually destroy them.

“This speech offered little hope to Michigan’s unemployed,” said Michael Jahr, senior director of communications. “It’s remarkable that the governor would claim ‘2009 made clear that the way forward for Michigan is precisely the path we have been forging’ when you consider the massive job losses, precipitous decline in personal income, outbound migration, bankruptcies and foreclosures.”

Proposed 2010 Expansions

1. First, we must invest in Pure Michigan tourism advertising.
2. The federal government will give us $2 billion over the next four years if we can come up with a 20 percent match in state funds… You can continue to ignore this problem, or you can follow the bipartisan transportation funding task force recommendations on how to fix it.
3. Tonight, I am announcing that my budget for the year ahead will restore the Michigan Promise Scholarship.
4. And I’ll urge the federal government to help fund Project Phoenix — our effort to help abandoned auto factories rise from the ashes as new centers of economic activity and job-creation.
5. We'll continue to seek more funding to connect every region of the state — urban and rural — to high-speed internet service.
6. Tonight, I will also ask you to create more opportunities for entrepreneurs by creating a new tax credit for investors who make venture capital available to the Michigan businesses that need it to expand and create new jobs.
7. And this year we’re going to take “No Worker Left Behind” to the next level by opening ten learning labs in Detroit to give new opportunity to workers who need basic education skills in order to succeed in college or technical training.
8. In the year ahead, we are going to focus our economic development efforts on the wind-energy industry to give Michigan the competitive advantage that is today helping us to create jobs in vehicle batteries and solar energy.

Limitations

1. One of those reforms contains incentives to encourage retirement for 46,000 state and public school employees. On average, we’ll replace only two of every three state employees who retire …
2. … and the new hires will come in under a health care benefit plan that will cost 21 percent less.
3. Allowing lifetime health care benefits for lawmakers would only confirm our citizens’ worst fears about government — that it is comprised of those who put themselves first and the public last. I ask you to complete the job.

“In fairness to the governor, her boldest and best proposals were actually detailed last week and included reining in the outrageous cost of government employee compensation,” said LaFaive.

MICHIGAN MY MICHIGAN

2010-01-30T17:36:00.003-05:00

TAKE MICHIGAN, MY MICHIGAN BACK!

Blood Money - An Inconvenient Truth about the Abortion Business

2010-01-29T08:03:00.004-05:00

Blood Money

“Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right granted by the Constitution. No serious scholar, including one disposed to agree with the Court's result, has argued that the framers of the Constitution intended to create such a right. Shortly after the Roe v. Wade decision, Professor John Hart Ely, now Dean of Stanford Law School, wrote that the opinion "is not constitutional law and gives almost no sense of an obligation to try to be." Nowhere do the plain words of the Constitution even hint at a "right" so sweeping as to permit abortion up to the time the child is ready to be born. Yet that is what the Court ruled.

As an act of "raw judicial power" (to use Justice White's biting phrase), the decision by the seven-man majority in Roe v. Wade has so far been made to stick. But the Court's decision has by no means settled the debate. Instead, Roe v. Wade has become a continuing prod to the conscience of the nation.

Abortion concerns not just the unborn child, it concerns every one of us. The English poet, John Donne, wrote: ". . . any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life — the unborn — without diminishing the value of all human life. …..Ronald Reagan

TAKE MICHIGAN BACK!

2010-01-22T11:03:00.005-05:00

Michigan Patriots,

2010-the year we TAKE MICHIGAN BACK! Part 1

2009 was a momentous year because We the People went to war. Not just with those outside our country but from within. We are at war with those who have methodically worked to dismantle our Constitution, torn apart our representative Republic, and who wish to put another form of government in its place.

We have made progress in the “court of public opinion” with President Obama’s popularity plummeting at the polls as we have held tea parties, town halls, protested, called, faxed and e-mailed. The liberals/ socialist /fascists are on the run and we will continue to keep the pressure up...the winning of governors’ races in New Jersey, Virginia, and most recently, the election of Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy’s US Senate seat prove that people are fed up…We have the momentum NOW!

The 2010 elections are one of the most important in our life time.

For 2010 we must turn our attention to home, to our beloved Michigan. As Michiganders we have seen the results of the same liberal’s policies that the Obama regime is now trying to implement. After 8 years of liberal “leadership” Michigan is in shambles. Unemployment is at almost 15%, the Car Capitol of the World has seen a government take over of GM, jobs evaporate, foreclosures rise and families leave.

Michiganders, 2010 is the year that we must and will TAKE MICHIGAN BACK!

If we are honest with ourselves we must take responsibility for not being educated and active in the polices that have shaped our lives and hurt Michigan. We need to change that, for our state, our families, and our future. We must muster all soldiers in the Constitutional Conservative army.

But how do we accomplish that?

WE MUST:

ü Identify Constitutional Conservative Candidates with character, in all offices, local, county, state, school boards, and court system, who believe that holding office is a civic duty and that the government is the problem not the answer!

All Michigan House and Senate seats are up for re-election - we have a tremendous opportunity in 2010!

ü We at Grassroots in Michigan are working on a site that will be “one stop shopping” for information on candidates, races and issues in Michigan as well as tools to research candidates, voting records and ballot initiatives.

ü We also ask Michiganders to send us information about what is going on in your District to grassrootsinMI@gmail. You may have a sneak preview by going here: http://micc.grassrootsmichigan.com/

Campaigns need two things: People and Money

ü We must support these candidates with time and/or money. It doesn’t matter if you have 1 hour of 40 hours to give, $5 or $5,000. What matters is that you become engaged. Any campaign will plug you in, in an area that you are comfortable with. Literature drops, phone, banks, admin, door-to door etc are opportunities.

Part Two:

Take over your Party

Like it or not, we have a two party system, despite the talk of a 3^rd party. Third parties historically have either disappeared or simply can not win. And to TAKE BACK MICHIGAN we must win.

So how do we, as Constitutional Conservatives take over a party?

You want to change the direction? Then find other people who think like you do and get organized “within” the party. Focus on the next set of Republican precinct organizational meetings and county conventions where local party officials are elected, as well as delegates to district and state conventions. Identify the dates and locations and share them with your friends

ü County (Republican) precinct organizational meetings can be found here : http://www.migop.org/index.php/site/contactCountyRep/a/

The little secret among party insiders (of either party) is that the number of people that participate in the actual organizational meetings where leadership is elected is incredibly low. Far lower even than the small percentage that participates in primary elections

Most precinct delegates require little to no campaigning and some are elected with just one vote! Deadline for filing to run in Michigan is no later than 4:00pm May, 11, 2010 at your county, city, or township clerk office.

ü Requirements for becoming a precinct delegate in your county can be found here: http://www.scribd.com/word/embed/25453902" (Printable and downloadable)

ü Application to become a precinct delegate can be found here: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Aff-ID_Precnt_139901_7.pdf

ü Identify those who currently have jobs within your county party and where they stand on our core conservative principles. Then either support them or replace them. It’s as simple as that.

ü Continue to go to your county party meetings, form a coalition with other constitutional conservatives there, vote, go to the state convention, get on the executive committee, run for vice county chair, and then county chair, then you will be helping to pick the candidates on your party ticket!

When you change who is driving, you’ll change where the vehicle is headed. And in the process you’ll build critical infrastructure for the party, which will make it more likely to be successful for the issues you care about – and help build the conservative movement at the same time!

Elections have consequences, as they say, and that applies not just to public office but also to party office. If you’re really committed to conservative principles, then don’t make it any easier for liberals to win - GET INVOLVED!

If you want real change, then focus on the real problem. Change the personnel.

In a nutshell precinct delegates:

What is a Precinct Delegate?
The role of Precinct Delegate is extremely important and is as "grassroots" as you can get. Precinct Delegates are elected by that precinct's voters to serve as a liaison between voters and the Democrat or Republican Party in your neighborhood.

What is a Precinct?
The precinct is the smallest political unit in the country and it is where elections are won or lost. All voters in a precinct vote at one location. It is your neighborhood, where you know the people and the issues most important to them.

What do Precinct Delegates do?
As a grassroots leader for your party in your precinct, a Precinct Delegate might:
1. Help people get registered to vote; take information on issues and candidates to voters
2. Identify and recruit others interested in your party
3. Help turn out your party's vote in your neighborhood on Election Day; or inform party leaders about the issues that concern voters.

Complete printable and downloadable copy here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25453283/What-is-a-Precinct-Delegate

Michiganders, 2010 is the year that we must and will TAKE MICHIGAN BACK!

America Rising...tea party rallies against GOP IL favorite son Kirk

2010-01-11T22:32:00.003-05:00

As reported by Culture Campaign

From "Tea Party Folks Are your neighbors" by Phil Kadner, Southtown Star Sun-Times Media 1/7/10

"We're here to protect the Constitution," Homer Glen resident Mary Lou Benakovich informed me. "We're pro-gun, anti-abortion, anti-tax and oppose RINOs running for office."

"Republicans in name only, RINO," Benakovich explained. "Mark Kirk . . . is a RINO."

This was billed by some as an anti-Kirk rally. Literature distributed at the rally labeled Kirk "pro homosexual," "pro abortion," "a gun grabber" and "tax and spender."

"He's worse than Obama because Obama's a Democrat," Benakovich said. "Kirk claims he's a Republican, but he's a traitor to everything the party is supposed to stand for."

Claris Van Kuiken, 55, of New Lenox, said she joined the movement because she fears politicians are not only attempting to undermine the country but Christian institutions as well, with a vision of a one-world government and occultism.

Stephen J. Balich, the Homer Township clerk and a leader of the Will County Tea Party Alliance, said the group's members are neither Democrats nor Republicans - just voters trying to take their country back.

Every person I spoke with was so bursting with enthusiasm for the cause that I had trouble taking notes.

One man told me he's tired of writing letters to politicians in Washington only to get form letters back saying, "Thank you for writing. Now I'm going to vote the way I want to."

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.

Understanding the Supremacy Clause

2010-01-05T21:11:00.002-05:00

A recent article in the New York Times covered the growth of state-level resistance to a future national health care plan. For example, in 2010, voters in Arizona will have a chance to approve a state constitutional amendment that would effectively ban national health care in that state. Legislators in Florida and Michigan have already introduced similar legislation, and potentially, 15 other states will do so in the 2010 legislative session.

But heres something fundamentally important that NYT writer Monica Davey claims in her article:

The Constitutions supremacy clause ordinarily allows federal law to, in essence, trump a state law that conflicts with it

A best, this is a highly-misleading statement.

There are two main points to make here:

1. The supremacy clause does not allow federal law to trump state law in all situations, or even ordinarily as Davey claims. It only does so when both laws are in pursuance of a power that has been delegated to the federal government by We the People. in the Constitution.

2. We know that this is the case because Monicas version of the supremacy clause was actually proposed by leading founders and rejected. When the Constitution was being drafted, James Madison and others proposed what came to be known as the Virginia Plan. A major part of this plan was to give the congress a veto over state laws. It was defeated. That means, in plain English, the founders considered this idea, and said no. And Davey is irrefutably wrong in her claim.

So we know from this short lesson that the supremacy clause did not authorize the power that Davey is claiming. In reality, things are pretty much the other way around. The biggest Constitutional problems that actually exist in this country are those times when the federal government exercises powers not delegated to it by We the People. And that happens far more often than not.

Unfortunately, though, not enough people know this important history of the Virginia Plan, and this basic premise of the Constitution, so theyre easily swayed by patently false statements by people like Davey and the New York

Call for Nullification

2010-01-03T14:17:00.004-05:00

Nullification is a constitutional theory that gives an individual state the right to declare null and void any law passed by the United States Congress which the state deems unacceptable and unconstitutional. The concept is most well-known in the context of the sectionalist crisis that plagued the Union in the 40 years preceding the Civil War.

The origins of nullification are found in the Federalist-Republican debate of the late 1700s. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798) declared that the states had the right to nullify laws by which the federal government overstepped its limits of jurisprudence.

Truly Home for Christmas- A Memorial to My Brother Jeff

2009-12-25T18:38:00.009-05:00

I'll Be Home For Christmas

I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas….

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams…

………they were aliens and strangers on earth.
Hebrews 11:13

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
2 Peter 3:13

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4

My brother Jeff 55, passed away Wednesday December 23.

He was a gentle, sentimental “teddy bear” of a man. Perhaps that’s why his favorite animals were bears and in fact he had a love of all animals and the great outdoors. He was a passionate and devoted fan of his beloved MSU Spartans and proudly wore his “green and white.” My brother inherited a love of the Christmas season from our dad. Every Christmas Eve he delighted in quoting the traditional saying passed from our dad, “Tonight’s the Night!”

He possessed an sharp, inquisitive mind,before he became so burdened by an awful disease( Schizophrenia ) loved a good story and was a prankster at heart.

My brother loved to reminisce about the 1950’s, a time of his youth, of innocence, a time when our dad was alive, a time of hope when anything seemed possible.And because of his amazing recollection was able to draw out warm and funny memories of those times for me and my family. My brother also loved kids, being a big kid himself and was a very beloved uncle to his nieces and nephews.

My brother lived with mom all his life because of his special needs. After my dad died, he became the “man in her life” so to speak, although he really in many ways stayed her baby.

She needed him... and he needed her.

My mom passed away this June, at almost 93 years “young.” Although she was of what we consider an advanced age she was still was a vital woman, taking care of her household, cleaning and cooking for my brother.

My brother simply could not tolerate her loss.

They had created their own world together and my mom had created a sanctuary for him, a shelter in most ways from the world. So I believe that the Lord in His great mercy gave my brother Jeff his greatest Christmas gift ever, He took him home. Home for Christmas.....with my mom, my dad and the most glorious magnificent Christmas celebration my brother has ever experienced, joyous for one who loved Christmas so much

In years to come, at Christmas I will choose not to think of that one sad act but of him, whole, healed, free and truly “Home for Christmas”.

Love you Jeffie
Joan

Open Call to Congressional Republicans

2009-12-14T19:04:00.004-05:00

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson

I spoke with JB Williams this past Friday and expressed this very same sentiment based out of my frustration...if I was in any way a "muse" for his article then I am damned (excuse the language) proud of it!

In a post on my blog on 10/11/09 I ask the same,.. I want to see some courageous forget-about-my-career action from The Hill!

Lets’ face it what do they have to lose?

Republicans/Conservatives have been shut out, disregarded and disrespected 37 ways to Sunday by this administration, especially by Pelosi and Reid. Remember Pelosi hissed, “We Won” and then proceeded (excuse my language) to bitch slap the Republicans/Conservatives around.

We have had tea parties, calls/faxes e-mails, taken to the streets, counter-protested, gave and went to Town Halls, blogged, YouTubed, we have went toe-to toe and sometimes face-to-face with the opposition. And worked over time because we know it takes ACTION!

I want to see some courageous forget-about-my-career action from The Hill!

Where is our William Wallace?

Instead of focusing on the opposition entirely, perhaps we need to focus and demand that those on our side have a tea party of their own!!

The very future of our country is at stake…TEA PARTY ON THE HILL!

Can we sign and send the JB Williams post below as a FAX to every Republican Leader on the Hill?

House Republican Leader John Boehner

Fax: (202) 225-5117

H-204 The Capitol

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-4000

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor

Fax: (202) 225-0011

Mailing Address

H-307 The Capitol

Washington, DC 20515

Phone Number

(202) 225-0197

The House Republican Conference

Fax (202) 226-0154

1420 Longworth HOB

Washington, D.C. 20515

(202) 225-5107

MICHIGAN Republican House Reps Contact Information

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Fax: (202) 224-2499

361-A Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-2541

Assistant Minority Leader Jon Kyl

(Republican Whip)

Fax: (202) 224-2207

730 Hart Senate Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-4521

Senate Republican Policy Committee

Chair: Senator John Thune

Fax: (202) 228-5429

United States Senate SR-493

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-2321

TollFree: 1-866-850-3855

The Senate Republican Conference

Chair: Senator Lamar Alexander

Fax: (202) 228-3398

SD-455 / Washington, DC 20510

Voice: (202) 224-4944

Open Call to Congressional Republicans

By JB Williams
CanadaFreePress

It’s official folks, with the Democrats steamrolling over the GOP filibuster intended to stop another TRILLION in wasteful spending yesterday, Republicans in congress have been handed their hat once again.

Do you Republicans not know that you are completely irrelevant? Or do you just not have the spine to take a real stand? Democrats are making asses out of all of you!

This is NOT a game! The future of freedom and liberty hang in the balance and most Americans know it! How did you miss it?

Republican congressional votes have NO meaning today. So what, if you are “on-record” voting against the global socialist leap off the leftist cliff? Unless you find a way to derail that speeding locomotive, you will soon burn in a Marxist hell with the rest of us.

When American freedom and liberty are gone and every American is forced into a financial corner where socialism looks better than starvation, it won’t matter who voted against it!

With the loss of the filibuster, Congressional Republicans have only ONE play left to stop the coming train wreck, when Obamunism runs head-on into millions of increasingly angry American patriots in the streets.

Only Congressional Republicans can stop that clash!

Congressional Republicans MUST WALK OUT immediately!

You must pack your bags, close your offices, refuse to enter the congressional chambers for one more pretend vote in which the Democrats will hand you your hat once again.

If Republicans want to harness the power of the Tea Party – 912 – and Town Hall patriots across this land, you can do it in three simple steps…

· Shut down congress by walking out and refusing to return. Can Democrats even call something to a floor vote without a single republican in the chamber? Would they even dare try it?

· Return home and spend time listening to angry patriots in as many town hall meetings as you can schedule. You will earn your pay at a town hall, whereas attending another congressional vote is worse than a waste of time. It’s counter-productive. Go home and listen, don’t talk!

· Grow the backbone to walk away from all of your past mistakes, and line up behind the ONLY people who can put you back in power, the American patriots who stand for a constitutional government and against the current steamroller to socialism.

You have only one other option… to keep doing what you’re doing, which amounts to being a big part of the problem, instead of a part of the solution.

WALK OUT TODAY!

GO HOME! - And set up as many town hall meetings in your home districts as you can fit into your schedule. Earn your paycheck by meeting with the people, so that you can once again begin to represent the will of the people. Don’t talk – LISTEN!

Tell Democrats that if they are determined to lead this country into the toilet, they will have to do it all alone without a single republican in the chamber when they do it, one lousy piece of anti-American legislation after another. Republicans have a very clear choice to make and you had better make it fast! The nation doesn’t need two parties full of leftist losers. Republicans willing to stay in session should be seen not as “RINOs,” but as Democrats… and they will be.

You can take a stand with the 70% of Americans who DO NOT want any form of Cap & Trade, Global Socialized Medicine, a One World Government, the Copenhagen Climate Scam, Amnesty for Illegal’s, or trillion dollar payoffs to leftist organizations and labor unions which only enrich the leftist juggernaut now running roughshod over the nation. Only 25% “strongly approve” of Obamunism as of today… It’s time for you to strike!

Severe situations demand severe action!

We are out of time for any other option. The Tea Party – 912 and Town Hall people will not – I repeat – WILL NOT line up behind Republicans too spineless to put a stop to the hourly destruction of this nation.

Republicans have ONLY one way to regain any form of power, and that is to toss out the politically correct nonsense of the past and line up behind the millions of patriots begging for action across this country!

Republicans either line-up behind the American right in a hurry, or their party is finished, as is this nation.

WALK OUT IMMEDIATELY! – And DO NOT RETURN until you have control of congress next November!

I call upon EVERY Washington DC Republican to walk out NOW!

This is NOT an issue item! This is NOT a circus stunt sideshow. WALK OUT and STAY OUT! Refuse to participate in the rape of this great nation!

If you continue to sit in that chamber and watch the gang rape of this nation, you are NO BETTER than the rapists! GET OUT of that chamber NOW! Let the American people see the rapists clearly!

God help us all if YOU lack the courage to do what must be done to save this nation!

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." - Jefferson

Christmas Gifts for Conservatives

2009-12-12T09:56:00.013-05:00

Gifts for a Conservative Nation...Some shameless promotion here…I have a few shops on CafePress that may provide my readers with the perfect gift for conservative family and friends.
Designs are original done by myself.

CafePress sets the “wholesale” price and the shop keeper (me) then adds to that for profit. I have keep prices as low as possible because my intent is to provide a quality design at the lowest price so the citizens of the Conservative Nation can wear “Right”

Merry CHRISTmas
Joan

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To Purchase Lansing, MI Independence Day Tea Party Items Click this Link

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds" Samuel Adams

Send your Christmas Greeting to Our "dear leaders"

2009-12-02T10:23:00.002-05:00

My intent is to provide projects of "armchair activism" that can be done from home yet still send the message to our Representatives that we will not give up until the ObamaCare Bill is killed. This abomination of government control is a nail in the coffin of our Constitutional personal liberties and in fact our very Republic.

…Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings…. Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! Patrick Henry - March 23, 1775

“Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” Thomas Jefferson

Send a Christmas Greeting to our “dear leaders”!

Front and back of postcards (& list of Senators) can be printed off from this site OR you can download both

Directions:

Click print, you MUST USE LANDSCAPE setting in your printer when you print both the front and back

I also used the “Fast” color setting in my printer to save on colored ink and the front graphic turned out fine
After printing out front of postcard, place GRAPHIC SIDE UP back in paper tray and print out the back of card DON’T FORGET TO CHOOSE LANDSCAPE OPTION in your printer settings

Cut on lines for 4 postcards, address to our "dear leaders (printable addresses for President Obama & senators by state below) sign your name, if you do not wish to use your Street address, please consider your state and zip code to legitimatize your postcard as from a private citizen instead of a Astroturf-type organization

Slap a stamp on ( this is an oversize postcard and only needs postcard postage) and your ready to mail your Christmas “greeting” to our “dear leaders!” Merry Christmas!
Christmas Postcrd

Text on postcard back: "I already have a Savior and its not the government. And I do not want "ObamaCare" under my Christmas tree!

Christmas Postcard Back

Senators by State

Three not to miss!

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylviania Ave NW
Washington D.C. 20500

Speaker Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon HOB
Washington D.C. 20515

Sen. Harry Reid
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washinton D.C. 20510

ObamaCare for Idiots

2009-11-30T18:26:00.003-05:00

A time of Thanksgiving during a time of War

2009-11-25T10:32:00.007-05:00

In 1863 the Civil War was in its second year.

In January of that year President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect.

However September of 1863 saw,
The bloodiest two days in American history that cost the Federals 1,657 dead, 9,756 wounded, and 4,757 missing for a total of 16,170 casualties out of 58,000 troops. The Confederate losses were 2,312 dead, 14,674 wounded and 1,468 for a total of 18,545 out of 66,000 troops.

However in the midst of that terrible Civil War, a war where every casualty was American, President Lincoln issued a proclamation of national day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens....and...fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

Today we are engaged in a war. Although no shots have been fired, or blood shed, our country has been taken over in a bloodless coup by a Fascists regime that seeks to destroy our Republic with a Unconstitutional ideology.

This Thanksgiving let us give thanks for the bounty of America and let us fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand in repentance for our sins and in preserving our Constitution, our Republic and our very way of life as a free people of a Representative Republic that places our trust in God "In God We Trust"

Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day

October 3, 1863

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

A. Lincoln

Outrageous! Have you forgotten Obama?

2009-11-13T09:34:00.008-05:00

From RedState

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and four others accused in the attacks will be put on criminal trial in New York, Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to announce later Friday.

There have been reports in the past month about another potential terrorist attack disrupted in New York City. Bringing these high profile terrorist leaders to New York will just put a target on New York again.

Even worse, the White House is going to subject these terrorists to criminal trials in civilian courts. They will get all the due process rights of citizens in court and potentially will be able to get access to material evidence in a civilian court that could reveal intelligence we’d prefer them not to have.

In a splitting the baby moment, though,

in the announcement Friday will be plans to hold a military tribunal for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, alleged to have planned the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole.

So, the man who blew up New York gets a civilian trial and the guy who blew up the Cole gets a military tribunal.???

This is more than outrageous it is a "clear and present danger" to America's security! Not only in bringing this terrorists to the city where he was the master mind behind the slaughter of 3,000 innocent men and woman but also as the article states, intelligence information will be brought out under discovery. Not to mention that this trial could last for years at what costs to taxpayers?

This is man is not a US citizen, he is a terrorist and self declared enemy of the United States. As an enemy combatant he should be tried at a military tribunal.

And of course the question must be asked, Why the man who blew up New York gets a civilian trial and the guy who blew up the Cole gets a military tribunal.??? What was the criteria used to make that decision??

Call your Congressman and Senator right now. Tell them they should use every tool at their disposal to block this.
The number to call is 202-224-3121.

Wish a Soldier a Merry Christmas - Remembering our Veterans

2009-11-11T10:34:00.003-05:00

Bobby Vinton wrote this song when he was serving in the Military. A lonely soldier, who never received any mail (no goody boxes, no care packages, no home baked cookies, no Halloween candy, no cards, no letters).

On Face book:

First of all THANK YOU ALL!!! This cause is doing tremendous because of each of you taking the time to get involved. We appreciate the cards and prepaid boxes that have been received. You are all going to make such an impact in the lives of the soldiers who will receive these. Just think...if each one of you send just 3 cards, EVERY SOLDIER in Iraq AND Afghanistan will receive a card leaving thousands extra to go to troops in other countries.

As the number of people continue to grow, the same questions seem to be popping up. So here are some answers to the questions that may be hidden around on this page.

1. Do we sign our name?
Soldiers like the personal connection, but you certainly don’t have to if you are not comfortable.

2. Do we put a return address or email?
Some soldiers like to keep in contact with those that have touched their lives while they are so far from home. However, we do understand that some of you wish not to. For those that do not wish to, we are going to include some post cards with the cards for the soldiers to write back and then post them on the site.

3. Do we seal the envelopes?
Please do NOT seal the envelopes. Unfortunately some of the cards do have messages that we would not wish any of these men or women to read while they are serving this country.

4. Do we need to include a stamp on the cards?
No, you do not. We are sending these cards in bulk to chaplains and other service members to be distributed.

5. Can we have school aged children draw pictures?
Absolutely, these men and women love getting pictures from children and many of them have children of their own waiting for them at home. For those of you doing it with classes, please include the school address for the soldier to write back to.

6. Where do we mail the cards?
Amanda Sullivan
Operation Christmas Cards
PO Box 102
Shrewsbury MA 01545

7. Can we send donations instead of cards?
Because of the generosity displayed by so many of you wanting to do more, we have gone ahead to the next step for this.
Checks can now be made payable to "Operation Christmas Cards" and mailed to the address above.

Again, THANK YOU all for supporting these men and women this holiday season though they deserve it year round.

Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have.
Cullanartstudio@aol.com

Thank you,
Amanda and Michelle

Also, I just received this for anyone who is interested in expressing support for the victims of Fort Hood. You may send your cards and letters here:

Ft. Hood Public Affairs Building
1001 RM. W105
Fort Hood, TX 76544

Courtesy of Stephanie S. Jasky, Founder, Director - FedUpUSA.org those son is serving in the Army

Memo to the GOP Campaign

2009-11-10T10:40:00.006-05:00

I get them in the mail. You probably do to. Those request for donations from the RNC. Sometimes they come with an innocuous survey with no brainer questions like "Do you support a massive government run health care system? Check one Yes No

I usually just throw them out. Oh I intended to write a letter and give them a piece of my mind but somehow with the busy life I am leading it just didn't get done. However I still wanted to and felt I NEEDED to send a strong message to the GOP. I know you feel the same and I know, like myself, that despite our best intent, there wasn't the follow through.

So I decided how can I easily get my message to the GOP? How can you?

Well one picture is worth a thousand words...this graphic (below) is down-loadable and printable right off the site!

So next time you get one of those letters from the RNC asking for donations, all you have to do is print out, and return in the conveniently post-paid envelope supplied to you by the RNC!

Share with your friends, lets get thousands upon thousands of these to the RNC! Send the message..WAKE UP GOP!

Memo to GOP

Effective Counter-Protesting 2009

2009-11-09T08:53:00.010-05:00

Are you counter-protesting more and enjoying it less?

Feel your counter-protesting has become less effective?

Perhaps it time to look outside the box for new, innovative and effective ways to maximize your next counter-protest of your local ObamaCare kool aid drinkers, MoveOn.org, ACORN, MEA etc and so on!

The new training video below shows you how! (enjoy:)

Because we all need a good laugh now and then..

The British are Coming!

2009-11-04T09:19:00.006-05:00

This is crunch time folks, all hands on deck needed to defeat the unconstitutional abomination Pelosi Bill in the House H.R. 3962

Join your fellow patriots around the country in a nation wide Nov. 5 D-Day Push to the Defeat Pelosi Health House Care Bill

Melt the phone lines, fax, email, send letter, show up at their on their doors. Fax or Take along a PINK SLIP if you visit your Rep’s Local Office and he/she supports the Bill.

DO WHAT YOU CAN BUT DO SOMETHING!

10 minutes to phone/fax to the time it takes to hop in your car and pay your Rep a visit TO HELP SAVE YOUR COUNTRY.

This BILL is a nail in the coffin of our Republic and every citizen will lose more of their liberties and pay for the “privilege” with INCREASED TAXES

BOTTON LINE: It MUST be stopped

DO WHAT YOU CAN BUT DO SOMETHING!

The phone lines, fax, email, and address of all Michigan Reps can be found HERE

Here is a phone script or Fax page to use. Add or subtract as so desired.

My name is____ I am calling from Michigan, my zip code is_____I am calling to tell Rep or Senator ______ that the Pelosi Health Care Plan needs to be killed.
It is massive government control paid for on the back of the taxpayers and future taxpayers, our children. We need to start fresh with a 10-20 page Bill that includes tort reform, medical savings account, tax breaks, buying insurance across state lines.

We want choice NOT control.

If the Congressman/woman votes for this Bill in any form, I will do whatever I can to see they do not return to Congress.
The very future of our country is at stake!

Thank you

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Nov 3rd

2009-11-02T10:14:00.007-05:00

Is there voting your in County? (see list below)
Your vote determines what happens where you live!

Kalamazoo Residents: there is an important special rights for 'homosexual and transgender initiative' on your ballot, Ordinance 1865 VOTE NO

For more Information on this unconstitutional ordinance by the radical homosexuals to force their lifestyle choice on yet another community see a previous post HERE

Michigan Counties Voting November 3, 2009

Trick or Treat and a Health Care Flier for Mom and Dad!

2009-10-28T09:16:00.008-05:00

Halloween is just around the corner and this year it's just not about costumes and candy.

It's an opportunity to reach others with the truth that you may not otherwise have!

So while you treat the kids with candy, consider treating their parents with the Truth about the so called "health care" plan that is a nail in the coffin of our Republic (coffin image is a perfect fit for Halloween, conjures up images of a creative display for the porch :) AND common sense alternative with an easy action plan to boot!

Below are two fliers that you can PRINT OUT or DOWNLOAD right from this post (Print out one or both) Fold and put in number 10 envelope and when the kids come to your door, you give a treat to the parents!

Copies are 17 cents per copy at Office Max Folding is just 3 cents more and color paper is the same color as white, how about a nice Halloween orange?

Word: PLEASE DO NOT PLACE FLIERS IN THE KIDS CANDY BAG
The bag is for CANDY ONLY and it not appropriate for anything else
The parents who you are trying to reach with the truth will NOT appreciate it and you will lose those whom you are trying to win.

If you are taking your kids trick or treating, take stuffed envelopes along and hand one out at the homes you visit. Once again, please DO NOT HAVE THE KIDS PASS OUT
The kids job is to acquire as much candy as possbile :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

FLIERS:

COMMON AND FISCAL SENSE TO HEALTH CARE

*REFORM NOT CONTROL*

Common and Fiscal Sense to Health Care

What is in the Baucus Health Care Amendment

Just in..COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL TAX HIKES IN HOUSE GOVERNMENT HEALTH BILL102909pr-housetaxhikes

Pelosi Health Care Plan

The bill is 1,990 pages long and contains a separate 13-page bill to repeal the sustainable growth rate caps on Medicare spending. The Bill will cost more than $200 billion and is not paid for, which will break Obama’s promise to Congress during his speech.
The bill contains the word “shall” 3,425 times. Though Steny Hoyer just said the bill was open and transparent, they prevented the American people from attending their publicity rally by checking IDs and keeping people out.
Courtesy of:
Dodgeblogium

Pelosi House HCR Bill

The World According to Me

Daniel Hernandez, intern, stays by Gabrielle Giffords' side

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

CALL these 10 Senators and Tell Them to VOTE NO on the DREAM ACT!

Call to Convention

TP News: Michigan Sovereignty TEA Party @ the Capitol!! 10-10-10 in Support of the 10th Amendment

Why I Support Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State

I encourage my fellow precinct delegates to Vote for Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State.

MI Elections MORE RESULTS FROM 2010 M.A.P.S Candidate Questionnaire Results

Independence Day

The DRIC Bridge & HB HB 4961- A Conversation with Rep. Paul Opsommer

RESULTS OF THE M.A.P.S CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

REMEMBERING THEIR SACRIFICE

Nothing Hurts More than the Loss of Your Dog

That's the Way Ahuh, ahuh We Like it, Ahuh ahuh!...And a M.A.P.S Update

M.A.P.S is Coming....Are YOU Ready?

JUST IN! HB 6075: A necessary step to regulate abortion coverage under national healthcare if the Cox lawsuit is not successful

Tea Party News and Pictures..

TAX DAY TEA PARTY AT YOUR STATE CAPITOL

TODAY! MAKE A CALL FOR MICHIGAN SOVEREIGNTY

AFTER ACTION REPORT: Tea Party Express Michigan

LIVE Blogging from the Tea Party Express!

HOPE TO MEET YOU! Come on out to a location near you

Liberal "reporter" and homosexual Activist Tries to Bully His Way Into Private Meeting!

ASSERT MICHIGAN'S SOVEREIGHTY! SUPPORT HJR YY!

Michigan Tea Party Organizer to Join Tea Party ExpressIII “Vote Them Tour”

Timeline of Major Provisions in the Democrats’ Health Care Package

So this is what change looks like...

We Have Not Yet Begun to Fight

Kill or Nullify Health Care Flash Rally-Protest THIS SUNDAY!

EXPEL SLAUGHTER!

Stupak Waffles on the Health Care Bill!

MARCH MADNESS

Ten Conservative Principles

From Across the Pond: Descendants of Our Founders Rise UP!

Pure Michigan: Michigan Dog Wins Westminster!

Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday?

Questions; Ask Them

Say it Out Loud;We're the Party of NO and Proud!

When Character was King..

LIBERALS GONE WILD

The Real State of the State

MICHIGAN MY MICHIGAN

Blood Money - An Inconvenient Truth about the Abortion Business

TAKE MICHIGAN BACK!

America Rising...tea party rallies against GOP IL favorite son Kirk

Understanding the Supremacy Clause

Call for Nullification

Truly Home for Christmas- A Memorial to My Brother Jeff

Open Call to Congressional Republicans

Christmas Gifts for Conservatives

Send your Christmas Greeting to Our "dear leaders"

ObamaCare for Idiots

A time of Thanksgiving during a time of War

Outrageous! Have you forgotten Obama?

Call your Congressman and Senator right now. Tell them they should use every tool at their disposal to block this.The number to call is 202-224-3121.

Wish a Soldier a Merry Christmas - Remembering our Veterans

Memo to the GOP Campaign

Effective Counter-Protesting 2009

The British are Coming!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Nov 3rd

Trick or Treat and a Health Care Flier for Mom and Dad!

Call your Congressman and Senator right now. Tell them they should use every tool at their disposal to block this.
The number to call is 202-224-3121.