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3. Government Determined to Waste Money on Catfish

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Published on July 31, 2012 01:46

Morning Briefing for July 31, 2012

RS MB CleanMasthead

RedState Morning Briefing

July 31, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Counting Chickens in Texas

2. The Politician and the Crackhead

4. Don’t Tell the NRA, but Fred Upton is Anti-Gun

———————————————————————-

1. Counting Chickens in Texas

Some friends in Texas are privately worried about Ted Cruz. The polls are very close. David Dewhurst has vastly outspent him. There is a huge turnout happening in random places in Texas — lots of people showing up in the runoff who do not normally vote in runoffs, let alone in Republican primaries.

That could be a sign that people are really fired up for Ted.

That could be a sign that Dewhurst is beating the bushes trying to get Democrats and typically disengaged voters to save him.

The only way to ensure a victory for Ted Cruz today is for you, if you live in Texas, to go vote. If you do not live in Texas, track down any friends you have in Texas and get them to go vote for Ted Cruz.

We need him. Today is election day.

2. The Politician and the Crackhead

If Satan’s best trick is to make us believe he does not exist, his second best trick is to convince us that one more taste of sin will satiate our desire.

It is the same with the politician and the crackhead.

The crackhead holds the pipe in his hands and thinks, “Just one more hit and then I’ll get clean.” It is never really enough. He gets his fix. It wears off. And then . . .

“Just one more . . .”

It is the same with politicians and our tax dollars. “Just one more penny is all we need,” says the politician. But one more penny is never enough. The devil is always in the details.

3. Government Determined to Waste Money on Catfish

It’s easy to guffaw at $14 million in waste when we are running a $1.7 trillion deficit, but let’s not forget our collective (and appropriate) outrage at NPR funding which by many accounts, receives less than $4 million per year directly from the government.

But $14 million is precisely what will continue to be wasted after the House Agriculture Committee approved the Farm Bill while rejecting an amendment by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) which would have streamlined catfish inspections (yes, catfish inspections) and save taxpayers millions.

4. Don’t Tell the NRA, but Fred Upton is Anti-Gun

As we noted last week, Fred Upton is not running on his record as a moderate Republican in the August 7 primary against Jack Hoogendyk. He is eschewing decades’ worth of big government values so he can hold onto his seat in Congress.

One of the most common stratagems employed by moderate Republicans (and Democrats) in an effort to ingratiate themselves to conservative voters is to tout their support from the NRA. In May, Fred Upton sent out mailers, which were overtly political (with his congressional Frank), that flaunted his credentials as an A rated pro-gun congressman from the NRA. The mailers reveal the vacuous content of Upton’s record, as well as the foolish electoral approach pursued by the NRA.

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Published on July 31, 2012 01:45

RSG 2012: Saturday at the RedState Gathering

Saturday, August 4, 2012

8:30 a.m. Morning Overview by Erick Erickson, Editor, RedState.com

9:00 a.m. Welcome by Hon. Rick Scott

Governor of Florida

9:30 a.m. Hon. Karen Handel

Former Secretary of State of Georgia

10:00 a.m. Hon. Jim Jordan

U.S. Representative from Ohio

Chairman, Republican Study Committee

10:30 a.m. BREAK

10:45 a.m. Hon. Ron Johnson

U.S. Senator from Wisconsin

11:15 a.m. Meet the RedState Contributors

Annual Diarist Promotion

11:45 a.m. LUNCH

1:30 p.m. Hon. Sandy Adams

U.S. Representative from Florida

2:00 p.m. Lt. Ron DeSantis (USNR)

Candidate for Congress in Florida

2:30 p.m. Hon. Bobby Jindal

Governor of Louisiana

3:00 p.m. Best selling author David Limbaugh

Author of The Great Destroyer

3:30 p.m. BREAK

David Limbaugh Book Signing

6:15 p.m. Reception

7:00 p.m. Dinner

Presentation by the Franklin Center

for Government & Public Integrity

The agenda remains subject to change.

http://www.redstategathering.com

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Published on July 30, 2012 08:56

RSG 2012: Thursday & Friday at the RedState Gathering

Thursday, August 2, 2012

2:00 p.m. Registration Begins

5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Florida GOP Straw Poll Vote

7:00 p.m. Welcome Reception

8:30 p.m. Blogger Happy Hour

Friday, August 3, 2012

8:45 a.m. Welcome by Erick Erickson, Editor, RedState.com

9:00 a.m. Hon. Ted Cruz

Candidate for the United States Senate in Texas

Introduction by Brian Baker, President of Ending Spending

9:30 a.m. Hon. Sharon Day

Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee

10:00 a.m. American Majority training sessions

1:00 p.m. LUNCH

2:00 pm. RNC Presentation by Mr. Matt DeLuca

2:30 p.m. Hon. Reince Preibus

Chairman, Republican National Committee

3:00 p.m. Ice Cream Social

3:30 p.m. Hon. Karen Harrington

Candidate for Congress from Florida

4:00 p.m. Hon. Ken Cuccinelli

Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia

4:30 p.m. Maj. Sean Bielat (USMCR)

Candidate for Congress in Massachusetts

5:00 p.m. Occupy Unmasked

A panel discussion with a preview of Citizens United’s latest movie

6:00 p.m. Reception hosted by Florida Gov. Rick Scott

The agenda remains subject to change.

3. Bloomberg’s Nanny-State Receives Help from Nanny-International

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Published on July 30, 2012 08:21

Morning Briefing for July 30, 2012

RS MB CleanMasthead

RedState Morning Briefing

July 30, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Obama Administration To Increase Fast & Furious After Aurora Shootings

2. Jonathan Chait Hears A Dog Whistle

4. Conservative Grassroots Must Claim Texas Victory

———————————————————————-

1. Obama Administration To Increase Fast & Furious After Aurora Shootings

The only saving grace of having a president devoid of principles, experience, or class is that he and his sycophants, when under pressure, routinely push forward statements and ideas that are so bizarre as to be unbelievable outside a very low-brow comedy routine.

For instance. Having suffered through 40 months of economic mismanagement unlike anything we’ve experienced since FDR, we’re told by the president, with no apparent sense of irony, that the private sector is “doing fine” and it is the government sector, that sector which is loss center on the national ledgers, that is hurting. Ordinarily, hovering with 15+% unemployment (U-6) is not considered “doing fine” and reducing government workers would be seen a good thing for the economy. The same applies with Obama’s essay into economic philosophy where we found that all business success flows from government expenditures via his infamous “somebody else made that happen” comment.

Now we are seeing the same effect taking hold in the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Aurora, CO.

2. Jonathan Chait Hears A Dog Whistle

We’ve been told now for over four years that any criticism of Obama is not based on his ineptness, incompetence, corruption, or moral cowardice but rather on our own racism.

If you want to know why Obama’s “you didn’t build that” statement resonates, it has nothing to do with Obama’s dislike for America or his rejection of hard work and exceptionalism as American values. Rather it is because you are racist. Don’t trust me, Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine, offers this as proof.

3. Bloomberg’s Nanny-State Receives Help from Nanny-International

Since the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, conservatives have been groaning and rolling our collective eyes at Nanny-in-Chief Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s fresh calls for gun control. This followed our recent groaning and collective eye-rolling at the Big Nanny’s moves to ban the Big Gulp. And our prior groaning and collective eye-rolling at moves to ban smoking in outdoor, public places like parks.

We can groan, eye-roll and mock Mr. Bloomberg all we want, of course, but the sad fact is that he has allies. And they’re not just your average nanny-loving American liberals. They include some people with substantially more influence, who work for powerful international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO).

4. Conservative Grassroots Must Claim Texas Victory

Rumors of the Tea Party’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, as Mark Twain might say.

Following massive victories across the country, which netted 63 House pickups and seven new Republican senators last cycle, this year alone, the Tea Party has won important primary contests with conservative candidates in Indiana and Nebraska.

But the biggest prize is Texas.

A state of 25 million people with 20 media markets that each possess at least one daily newspaper and one local TV station, if the Tea Party can rise up and defeat an establishment, ultra-wealthy candidate in the largest red state in the country, it will change politics in America.

By now, you know about Ted Cruz.

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Published on July 30, 2012 01:45

Dewhurst in B Minor

Our own Ben Howe put this together for the Ted Cruz campaign in Texas. It is must see TV.

By the way, Ben won’t brag on himself, but he’s available for hire.

1. Obama: ‘We tried our plan and it worked’ – ‘You would think they’d be saying Thank You!’

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Published on July 27, 2012 07:00

Morning Briefing for July 27, 2012

RS MB CleanMasthead

RedState Morning Briefing

July 27, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

2. The Ethanol Chickens Come Home to Roost

3. Is David Dewhurst a Conservative? Of Course Not.

———————————————————————-

1. Obama: ‘We tried our plan and it worked’ – ‘You would think they’d be saying Thank You!’

President Obama’s latest clarification-inducing comment came Wednesday, and it’s eyebrow-raising to say the least. Speaking on employment and the economy, the silver-tongued president declared, “Just like we’ve tried [the Republicans'] plan, we’ve tried our plan, and it worked. That’s the difference.”

Moe, who has graphically shown the fallacy of Obama’s “it worked” claim, summed up his rebuttal by declaring that “the only way that you can possibly justify suggesting that Obama’s economic program ‘worked’ is if you define ‘not working’ as ‘the country is now on fire’.”

Given this obvious state of affairs, Democrats, media, and apologists (but I repeat myself) have once again entered full-on spin-and-clarification mode, claiming (yet again) that their skilled orator and effective communicator in chief has been taken out of context, and that he was actually referring to something else, like the economic policies of President Clinton and his Republican Congress. Of course, a look at the transcript – combined with Obama’s penchant for taking credit for policy successes where (to put it charitably) none is due, makes this claim unlikely at best.

2. The Ethanol Chickens Come Home to Roost

After a year full of victories for big government legislation in Congress, the forces of statism seemed to have met their Waterloo with the farm/food stamp bill. The more people learned of the profligate food stamp spending and the market distorting, risk-inducing agriculture programs contained in the bill, the more they spoke out against this monstrosity. Speaker Boehner has refused to bring the bill to the floor so far.

Seeing their political stock rapidly diminish, the bipartisan coalition of government-run agriculture took a page out of Rahm Emanuel’s playbook and decided not to let the crisis of the summer drought go to waste. They are using evocative imagery of dead crops and the fear of higher food prices to shove this $957 billion behemoth through Congress. Amazingly enough, the Washington Post of all news outlets has injected some much-needed clarity into this narrative.

3. Is David Dewhurst a Conservative? Of Course Not.

But don’t tell that to DC’s chattering class who would have you believe there isn’t any difference between Dewhurst and Ted Cruz. They claim this campaign is just about which kind of “conservative” we will get in Washington — a “veteran conservative legislator” (read: guy who make nice with leadership), or a new member of the “doesn’t-play-well-with-others” caucus.

From Dallas Morning News Editorial Columnist Bill MacKenzie

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Published on July 27, 2012 01:45

Is David Dewhurst a Conservative? Of Course Not.

But don’t tell that to DC’s chattering class who would have you believe there isn’t any difference between Dewhurst and Ted Cruz. They claim this campaign is just about which kind of “conservative” we will get in Washington — a “veteran conservative legislator” (read: guy who make nice with leadership), or a new member of the “doesn’t-play-well-with-others” caucus.

It is “nonsense,” according to George Will for example, that anyone claim Dewhurst to be moderate.

This kind of pabulum is what is nonsense – and a classic Washington two-step around Will’s own (proper) gushing over Cruz a few months ago in which he praised Cruz for being “as good as it gets” and being (hopefully) a part of a cadre of new Senators who “take their bearings from constitutional law” before the New Deal. Sounds like someone has been taken behind the woodshed by Mitch McConnell or some other DC establishment hack and told to “get in line.”

David Dewhurst’s conservative bona-fides are based entirely on Rick Perry’s record. It is so absurd that Dewhurst cannot even vote without taking Rick Perry to the polls with him. This is not difficult. Liberal newspapers endorse him precisely because of his supposed moderation. And his other endorsements are a who’s who of Austin insiders over whom Dewhurst has immeasurable control currently and in the future should he lose. Meanwhile, Ted is endorsed by a veritable who’s who of conservative rock stars – from national movement conservatives like Sarah Palin and Jim DeMint to long time Texas activists like Kelly Shackleford and Cathie Adams.

Let’s take a look at what people who actually follow this stuff are saying or doing:

From the endorsement of the Houston Chronicle:

By our lights, Dewhurst’s service, particularly his leadership of the Texas Senate, has been a model of respectful efficiency. His is a record of fairness and willingness to reach across party lines to do what is best for Texas.

Along with House Speaker Joe Straus, Dewhurst has been a welcome stabilizing influence in an often stormy and polarized legislative process. Isn’t that what’s called for in a divided Washington? We think it is.

Dewhurst has shown in his decade as lieutenant governor that he can build coalitions and work in partnership with others… Cruz came away looking like a guy who knows what he believes, while Dewhurst looked painfully contorted. This leads me back to what I’ve written about in previous posts, and that is I wish center-right Republicans like Dewhurst would just defend their ground, and not try to out-conservative hard-righters like Cruz.

From the Dallas Morning News Editorial

Dewhurst has been bipartisan at times, including appointing Democrats to head committees… and… he has been impressive in other ways, mastering the details of complex issues, for example, and building coalitions to get things done

From Rice University Political Science Professor’s Independent Analysis:

The figure reveals a Dewhurst-run Senate where the senators who enjoyed the most success were in the moderate and center wings of the Republican Party.

I also conclude that Dewhurst frequently used his powers of agenda control to help pass legislation opposed by the most conservative members of the Republican delegation. In addition, the best estimate of Dewhurst’s location along the liberal-conservative continuum which dominates voting in the Texas Senate suggests he is significantly less conservative than approximately one-third of the Republican delegation

Finally – simply take a look at the list of endorsements. It is truly laughable the distinction between the two. Dewhurst is supported by the Austin power circle. Ted is supported by anyone with a clue how badly we need a conservative U.S. Senator from Texas in Washington to protect freedom.

Cruz

Dewhurst

Governor Sarah Palin
Senator Rick Santorum
Tea Party Express
Sean Hannity
Senator Rand Paul
Dr. James Dobson
Family Research Council
Cathie Adams, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, former President, Texas Eagle Forum
David Barton, Founder and President of WallBuilders
Congressman Ron Paul
Congressman Michael Burgess
George P. Bush
Gun Owners of America
Young Conservatives of Texas
Young Americans for Liberty PAC
Peggy Venable, Taxpayer Advocate
Senator Pat Toomey
George Strake, Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
Kelly Shackelford, President of Liberty Institute
Judge Paul Pressler, III
Former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese
Madison Project
C Club of Houston
Mark Levin, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host
Senator Mike Lee, Constitutional Conservatives Fund Chairman
Tim Lambert, former RNC Committeeman
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council
Republican Liberty Caucus
Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum
FreedomWorks PAC
Erick Erickson, RedState.com
Senator Jim DeMint, Senate Conservatives Fund Chairman
Concerned Women PAC
Club for Growth PAC
Citizens United Political Victory Fund
Hon. Ernest Angelo, Former RNC Committeeman
W. Winston Elliot, III, Free Enterprise Institute
Richard Ford, Heritage Alliance
Ann Hettinger, Concerned Women for America-State Director
Hispanic Republicans of Texas
Brent Bozell, Media Research Center

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn
Eagle Forum PAC
Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring
Jim Martin, 60 Plus
Rod Martin, National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Alan Sears, Alliance Defense Fund
Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice
Fred Smith, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Congressman Justin Amash
Raymond J. LaJeunesse, Jr. – Vice President & Legal Director, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation
Robert P. George, Conservative Leader and Princeton Professor
Michael Farris, Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association
Fred Fielding
Hon. Boyden Gray
Hon. Scott Brister
Hon. Diana Denman
Tina Benkiser, Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
Hon. Thomas Phillips

1. Governor Rick Perry

2. Former Governor Mike Huckabee

3. Tom Leppert

4. Craig James

5. Michael Reagan

6. Texas Credit Union League

7. National Association of Realtors (RPAC)

8. Texas Farm Bureau Friends of Agriculture Fund (AGFUND)

9. Texas Oil and Gas PAC

10. Texas Restaurant Association

11. Texas Medical Association TEXPAC

12. Texas State Association of Fire Fighters

13. Texas State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police

14. Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)

15. Texas Municipal Police Association

16. Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association PAC

17. Texas Right To Life PAC

18. Texans for Life* President Kyleen Wright

19. Heidi Group* founder Carol Everett

20. Texas Alliance for Life

21. David received support from three former presidents of the Texas Farm Bureau

22. BEEF-PAC

23. Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association PAC

24. Texas Poultry Federation

25. Texas Retailers Association Political Action Committee (TRAPAC)

1. All Hands on Deck as the Silver-Tongued President Continues Clarifying ‘You Didn’t Build That’

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Published on July 26, 2012 14:57

Morning Briefing for July 26, 2012

RS MB CleanMasthead

RedState Morning Briefing

July 26, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

2. Gallup: (nervously looking around) …DOOM?

3. Stealing Virginia and maybe the presidency

4. The Debt Ceiling Deal One Year Later

———————————————————————-

1. All Hands on Deck as the Silver-Tongued President Continues Clarifying ‘You Didn’t Build That’

Years ago, our own Dan McLaughlin defined ”swiftboating” as “Accurately quoting a Democratic politician’s own words.”

By that definition, President Obama is being swiftboated up a creek without a paddle right now, as constant repetition of his own words has the campaigner-in-chief and every attack dog he can muster working day and night to “clarify” his remarks on small business.

2. Gallup: (nervously looking around) …DOOM?

Gallup did a voter enthusiasm poll, and the results are either gorgeous or hideous, depending on how you look at them. Essentially, it goes like this:

In 2004, Democratic voter enthusiasm was at 68% and Republican voter enthusiasm was at 51%. The GOP happened to win that election, sort-of kind of in a squeaker; then again, this poll is of adults, so you can expect a skew towards the Democrats.
In 2008, the Democrats dropped to 61%… and the Republicans plummeted to 35%. The GOP proceeded to lose that election, and not in a squeaker. It was, in fact, almost a rout.
And today, in 2012? The Democrats’ voter enthusiasm is 39%… while the Republicans are back to 51%.

3. Stealing Virginia and maybe the presidency

The Romney campaign today has requested an investigation into potential election fraud in Virginia, a Key battle-ground state.

The request was necessary because of the shenanigans of the DC-based Voter Participation Center which has mailed voter-registration forms to deceased relatives, children, and even pets.

4. The Debt Ceiling Deal One Year Later

As we approach the 1-year anniversary of the disastrous debt ceiling deal hatched late last July, it is worthwhile to reflect on what we have gained from that legislation. On August 1, 2011, the House passed the Budget Control Act with support of 72% of the Republican conference. The Senate followed suit on August 2, with support of 60% of the Republican conference.

Buoyed by their opposition to Obamacare and Obama’s profligate expansion of government spending, Republicans had a unique opportunity to exact concession from Democrats by refusing to raise the debt ceiling without a parallel agreement for a balanced budget plan. Instead of using their leverage to impel transformation change, Republicans grounded into a double play by boxing themselves into a corner – the sequester corner that they are stuck in today.

2. Obama Campaign Official Sen. Louise Lucas: Romney Campaigning on Racism

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Published on July 26, 2012 01:45

Morning Briefing for July 25, 2012

RS MB CleanMasthead

RedState Morning Briefing

July 25, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. The Desire to Return to the Box

3. Bloomberg: A Little Anarchy Might Help Convince People to Give Up Their Guns

4. We’ve Defeated Fred Upton!

5. Republican Supporters of a Democrat Senate

6. Putting Students First

———————————————————————-

1. The Desire to Return to the Box

Prometheus was a sneaky Titan. He created man despite Zeus warning him not to. Then he brought men fire. In addition to punishing Prometheus, Zeus decided to get even.

He had Hephaestus mold a woman from clay and the gods breathed life into her filling her with all the finest attributes of the gods — beauty, creativity, kindness, and also curiosity.

Zeus then arranged a marriage between the woman and Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus. Prometheus had warned his brother not to accept gifts from Zeus, but the brother did so anyway. He and his wife, Pandora, were given a box with a very clear instruction on it to never open it.

One day, Pandora, overcome by her gods given curiosity, opened the box. Pestilence, plague, disease, and sin poured forth from the box into the world. Last out of the box came hope.

Some will take issue with comparing guns to Pandora’s box, but in the discussion of gun control, Pandora’s box is the appropriate analogy. Try as we might, we will never, ever put guns back into Pandora’s box.

Gun control is a fool’s errand.

2. Obama Campaign Official Sen. Louise Lucas: Romney Campaigning on Racism

Disagreement continues to be defined as racism by the Democrat party. Speaking on the John Fredericks Morning Show, State Sen. Louise Lucas, part of President Obama’s “Truth Team” and an official member of the campaign, accused Mitt Romney of gearing his campaign in Virginia to “fringe racists” which, one can only assume, is anyone that opposes President Obama.

3. Bloomberg: A Little Anarchy Might Help Convince People to Give Up Their Guns

The latest evidence that New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg’s brain is melting into a puddle of hot goo came courtesy of a Monday night appearance on Piers Morgan’s CNN “show.” This time, the pint-sized billionaire with a taste for cradle-to-the-grave control over the proletariat suggested that “police officers across this country…stand up collectively and say ‘we’re going to go on strike’” until the people, in exchange for order, safety, and security, willingly give up their right to bear arms.

4. We’ve Defeated Fred Upton!

Well, not exactly. Fred Upton has defeated Fred Upton.

As the primary season progresses, we’ve see this pattern repeat itself on numerous occasions. There’s an old bull Republican who has been pushing for big government and anti-free-market policies for years. Then, as soon as his primary opponent begins to sow the seeds of disquiet in his district, the old bull lurches to the right, introduces conservative legislation, and attacks his conservative challenger as a liberal.

5. Republican Supporters of a Democrat Senate

In recent years, GOP establishment figures have accused the Tea Party of thwarting a Republican majority in the Senate by nominating conservatives whom they believe are unelectable. One would expect them do elicit a commensurate degree of outrage from the following story reported by The Hill.

6. Putting Students First

One of the things that we should take from the epic battle in Wisconsin as well as the fundamental changes that are taking place in New Jersey, is that real education reform is no longer a “third rail” political issue. Organizations, governors and activists are taking the issue of education head-on and even the National Education Association (NEA) is learning that their time as the dictators of education are over.