Former President and Mrs. Bush at Fort Hood

The current White House Administration is already being faulted by some in the media for what appears to be an uncaring attitude concerning the shooting deaths at Fort Hood. On Twitter, Facebook, and other social sites the words “uncaring” “cares more about shout outs” and “insensitive” are being used to describe Obama’s attitude toward the tragedy. Even other countries are starting to notice Obama’s attitude. The Telegraph, Telegraph Link, calls Obama “bloodless” and notes that even Democrats are wondering where his feelings are.

As all the criticism mounts around Obama, one former President and his wife quietly made the trip to Fort Hood, met with families there, and kept the press out. Nonetheless, a visit from a former President never goes unnoticed and it took little time for the leak to reach The Los Angeles Times Times Link. Once again, to his credit, President George W. Bush showed a sense of connection with the people he served and commanded. The difference, this time he did it without the following of a White House photographer and the press. His actions proved that the tears, hugs and emotions we saw when he was in the White House were and still are genuine.

For all the criticism that he has suffered, all the negative press, all the protest, and even the shoe-throwing incident, George W. Bush remained constant. From the onset of his presidency, he set goals. When terrorist caused those goals to have to be set aside, he set new goals for the country and stuck with them. He cried when our nation cried and he hurt when the nation hurt. A lot of people thought those emotions were simply for the press. Today, through a leak to the press, we have seen that the emotions were not for the press, the emotions were for the country that George W. Bush served, loves, and continues to serve even as a private citizen. While this moment may go quietly by and unnoticed by much of the world, I want President and Mrs. Bush to know that many people are thankful for your visit to Fort Hood and to those suffering there. We are thankful for your continued thoughts and prayers for the nation you love.

Only The Starting Point

Facebook, bloggers, news feeds, and the Republican Party website is burning up with the news of Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey Governor races. On the Republican Party’s new website, there almost seems to be a sense that this is the start of something great for the party. You can almost hear the ring that “The Grand Old Party is Back” starting to go around the Internet. Other would be elected Republicans appear almost ready to claim victory in their own races, some over a year away, simply based on New Jersey and Virginia.

I will concede that having a Republican Governor can make a great difference on a state level and that it is an important step. In fact, I believe that we need Republican representation on all levels. However, everyone in the party should be reminded that the fight is far from over and when we really get down to the basics, Virginia and New Jersey governorships are not going to make a huge difference for the country. While not taking anything away from governors around the country, I believe our focus must be the U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress races due in 2010, and then the Presidential race 2012.

As the saying goes, everything in a country goes back to the top. During the Bush years, we had a “War on Terrorism”. This was a clear message to the world that we had enough and that 9-11 would not happen again on George Bush’s watch. Since the Obama Administration has come to power, we now have “Operations Abroad”. Our military is no longer fighting a war on terrorism they are conducting operations abroad. Our new administration has a focus to make “nice-nice” with those it views as our former enemies. One example of how intent this administration is on making “nice-nice” concerns the annual Day of Prayer at the White House. The Annual Day of Prayer was ignored this year with only a memorandum concerning it. A few months later, the President had a state dinner in honor of Ramadan. Obama elected to ignore a tradition started by a Democrat (Truman) and instead elected to honor a holiday supported in the Muslim world where he wants to make “nice-nice”. Moreover, before someone reads this and decides that I’m picking on Muslims, I’ll clarify and say I’m not. The fact is clear; those in the Muslim world (i.e. countries controlled by the Muslim religion) do not like the United States. They burn our flag, attack our military, seek our destruction and cheer whenever anything bad happens to us. Those, sadly, are the facts concerning how the Muslim world feels about America. Our President seems intent on being so nice to our enemies that he has even taken additional actions that should alarm every American. Consider the list below:
• Until this month, military recruiters had been told to stop recruiting new people for the military
• Obama cut sign on bonus’ out of the military for those joining
• The Military is being instructed to no longer use terms “War on Terror”
• Request for reinforcements from Generals in the field appear to be ignored
• To close prisons with terrorist, Obama wants to send the terrorist to countries that will eventually set them free
• Increased attacks in Afghanistan appear to be ignored by the Administration

The actions above do not appear to be those of an Administration intent on defending America. In fact, those actions appear to be just as Obama has made clear. He wants to “extend the hand of friendship to our former enemies”. I’m sorry, but when those he calls “former enemies” continue to bomb U.S. Military, threaten our country, and plan for their next terrorist attack, I do not consider that the words “former” and “enemies” should be used in the same sentence by our leader.

As I was indicating, change at the level of governors will not be change that we in the Republican Party can settle on. We must focus in 2010 and in 2012 on the real change, and as you can see above change at the top is the most important. We must start in 2010 by electing more Republican Senators and Congress representatives. We must follow this up by insisting that those Republicans stand up for the values of our party and the people who elected them.

After the smoke clears in 2010, we must have a Congress and Senate ready to fight the President on every action he takes that is not in the interest of our country. In 2012, we have to elect a Republican President who will remember that he is the President of The United States of America and not the best friend of the enemies of this nation. We are only at the starting point right now.

Hands Off My Health Care Bus Tour in Texarkana

The information below was sent to me and is being posted here for your information:

I just wanted to make sure you all have our information about our Patients First “Hands Off Our Health Care” bus tour on Oct. 23rd & 24th and our AFP Town hall with John Stossel in Texarkana, Little Rock and Jonesboro on Oct. 29th. I hope you will forward this information to your contacts and join us at these very important events!

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid think less personal control over your health care, added layers of Washington bureaucracy, and higher costs is health care reform. We disagree.

Whatever legislation Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid manage to force through Congress will affect you and your family. Shouldn’t they slow down and listen to the American people? Shouldn’t you have a right to know what’s in the bill? Americans for Prosperity thinks so. And that’s why our Hands Off My Health Care Bus Tour is rolling into you area.

On Friday, October 23rd and Saturday October 24 th, at any one of our bus stops,you’ll have an opportunity to hear from experts about what is in the most current bill, how it will affect you and what you can do to stop a Washington takeover of your health care. See the schedule of events below. You’ll be able to sign our petition, write and call your members of Congress, and even host a house party to view our latest video on health care reform.

If you can’t make it to a bus stop, please don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of our health care TOWN HALL on Thursday, October 29 th with national media correspondent, John Stossel! Patients First is bringing John Stossel and Tim Phillips to Texarkana, Little Rock, and Jonesboro to give you an update on health care reform and the opportunity to tell Congress you don’t want government taking over our health care. Register for this FREE event with John Stossel. Click here to register.


On October 23-24 or October 29th, bring a friend . Bring your signs. Sign the petition. Let’s work together to send a strong message to Congress: “Keep your hands off my health care!”

I can’t wait to see you on the road!

Sincerely,

Teresa Crossland-Oelke
Arkansas State Director
Americans for Prosperity



Patients First Bus Tour Schedule in Arkansas
*Schedule subject to change. Be sure to check the Patients First website for updates.

Friday, Oct. 23rd

8:00-8:30 a.m. PINE BLUFF, Jefferson County Courthouse, 101 East Barraque Street

10:00-10:30 a.m. FORDYCE, Dallas County Courthouse, 206 W. 3 rd Street

12:00-12:30 p.m. CAMDEN, Ouachita County Courthouse, 145 Jefferson Street

2:00-2:30 p.m. MAGNOLIA, City Hall, 201 E. North Street

Saturday, Oct. 24th

8:00-8:30 a.m. PRESCOTT , Nevada Courthouse Square, 215 East 2 nd Street

9:30-10:00 a.m. ARKADELPHIA, Sav-U-Mor Grocery Store, 811 Main Street

11:30-12:00 p.m. BENTON, Parking Lot of Goody’s, 1704 Military Road

1:30-2:00 p.m. MAUMELLE, Jess Odom Community Center, 1100 Edgewood Dr.

3:00-6:00 p.m. CONWAY, University of Central Arkansas Farris Center Parking Lot
Tail Gate, 201 Donaghey Ave.

No Words Needed

Enough is Enough!

I heard an old saying a long time ago “Enough is enough”. The saying basically means that the person stating it is tired of something, that something has grown old, or that the person will not accept something anymore. Well, to me enough is enough. Let me take a moment to explain. When Barack Obama wanted to speak to the school children I wasn’t too concerned. I know a lot of my fellow Republicans were, but I wasn’t for two reasons. First, whatever he said was going to get out and back to us through different means and Obama knows that. Second, other American Presidents have spoken to schoolchildren before. President Reagan addressed school children, President Clinton did, and President George W. Bush did. In fact, George W. Bush was reading to schoolchildren on 9-11 when cowards attacked. So, as I said, I wasn’t too worried about Obama. He spoke, the world listened, and the next day we all went back to our lives satisfied that Obama was not raising a Socialist Army in our school children.

Now, on to the “Enough is enough” stuff. As I said, the speech to school children did not bother me. However, the link I found on Facebook today did. In this link, you see school children preparing for some sort of song or show. Apparently these teachers, who by the way are never brave enough to show their own faces, have taught these children such lines as “they are equal in his sight” (in Obama’s sight?). They go on to sound like they are praising Obama even chanting his name as “Barack Hussein Obama” several times. Once the song is ready to go, the children sing to the tune of The Battle Hymn of The Republic with the words changed to talk about Obama. Now if you study history, you’ll find the words we use today were not the original words to The Battle Hymn. It originally stated, “John Brown’s body is…” Sometime later, the song was changed to “My eyes have seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord…” The change in words would transcend generations after the revolt by John Brown prior to the Civil War. The song is sung in churches across America today as a religious hymn and it has rightfully taken its place in those churches as a hymn. However, these teachers use the song with school children, change the lyrics to praise Obama and then have them memorize it. To a Christian, this should be close to outright blasphemy, to a Democrat or Republican (Christians or not) it should a be great cause for concern when anyone, even a President, is elevated to God’s status or to god-like status in the eyes of children or the public.

“I am” is an interesting set of words we use daily. “I am a Republican,” “I am a Christian,” and others ways “I am” is used. However, only one person in history has used it in the context of simply “I am” and that person is God of the Holy Bible. Once again, I have reason for concern about this video. Beyond the concern of the song, the constant drilling of Obama Praise, and the apparent blasphemous use of The Battle Hymn, I find that the poster, shown at about 1:02 into the film, contains the top line of “I am”. The poster then skips a line and has “Barack” on it. Seems to me that they could have made a poster large enough to say “I am Barack” all on one line unless they wanted to have the pause indicated before the next line of the poster was read to imply that Barack is “I Am.” If you think I’m stretching here just a little too much, then consider this: why would they need a poster saying, “I am Barrack Obama”? Are they afraid that someone might forget? Are they afraid Obama might forget? Or, as I believe, are they trying to imply something else? Are they trying to imply that Obama has risen to a new level?

God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Budda, Zeus, Athena and all the other deities worshiped around the world have been run out of America schools. Despite constant cries for prayer and religion in schools by Americans, our government has refused to let it back into the schools. So, why is a human being, Obama, now being elevated to god-like status in our public schools? This should be something for Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhist and everyone to consider very carefully regardless of party affiliation. Enough is enough.

Watch video here:

Huckabee & Haak Stump For Hickerson

If you were in Texarkana tonight, then the place to be was not one of the many outstanding restaurants, theaters or even the fair for that matter. The center of activity for Texarkana tonight was former State Representative David and Debbie Haak’s home. Mr. and Mrs. Haak hosted a fundraiser reception for Prissy Hickerson Prissy's Site . Business owners, lawyers, physicians, and friends were present at the reception with people going around the room like Betty Feir Betty's Site , Mike Richardson Mike's Site , Steve Harrelson Steve's Site and his family,Miss Teen Southwest Arkansas Morgan Harrison Miss Harrison's Site, Frank Poff Frank's Site , Texarkana Arkansas Mayor Horace Shipp Texarkana Arkansas, Miller County Republican Chairman Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Smith MCRC , and too many others to mention here. The two guests needing the least introduction to this outstanding crowd was Janet and Mike Huckabee Mike's Site.

Midway through the evening, Mike Huckabee took time to make a short speech expressing his support for Prissy Hickerson and her campaign for Arkansas House of Representatives District 1. He spoke eloquently about Prissy and told a story of the first time she was introduced to the other members of the Highway Commission when he appointed her the Highway Commissioner for Arkansas. Mike stated that Prissy and her husband Randy were in the office when the other members of the commission came into the room. They immediately started introducing themselves to Randy Hickerson. While Randy enjoyed the attention, all three of them enjoyed the moment they were able to tell the other members of the commission that Prissy, not Randy, was to be the new head of the Highway Commission. He described Prissy as someone who works hard and can get the job done. In closing, Mike noted that he was envious of Prissy because it appeared that she would be running unopposed, something that he wished he could have done himself.

Prissy then made a short speech thanking everyone for taking time to come out and expressing her willingness to serve. She expressed special appreciation to David and Debbie for hosting the gathering and to Janet and Mike for taking time out of their schedule to come from Little Rock to Texarkana for the evening. In closing, she noted that Texarkana, Arkansas once had a sign that proclaimed it as the “Gateway to the Southwest”, a fact she and Mayor Shipp agreed on and that she would like to make Texarkana the “Gateway to the Future”.

Mike and Janet then spent the rest of the evening visiting with guest and posing for pictures. Prissy, true to her nature as a one-on-one person listening to everyone, took time to visit with each guest present and thank them for attending.

Jimmy Carter Racial Expert?

I saw a Tee shirt recently that had a picture of Dr. King and Obama on it. The caption said, “The dream has been realized”. I have to admit, I kinda liked the statement and the meaning. Dr. King dreamed of equality and consequently the Republican Party played a huge role in the fight for equality going clear back to the Civil War. I smiled and thought to myself, “That’s right. We have come so far.”

I respect the President whether he is African-American, white, Hispanic or from another heritage. I do not agree with his views as outlined by the Democratic Party. So debates and discussions are going along nicely and Dr. King’s dreams are being realized in the first African-American President. Then, along comes Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter is a well-respected one-term President who writes books about his faith, the nation, and seems to have a comment for everything that goes on. So what does he say now? He says that Joe Wilson and opposition to Obama’s health care proposals is racially motivated. I’m not sure where President Carter has been for the last year, but he needs to take a look at who is President. He needs to catch up with the nation and realize that we have come a long way since the 1960’s or his 1970’s for that matter. Our nation has worked hard for the equality that Dr. King promoted and I’m proud to say that we have done well. So, maybe, with all due respect, President Carter needs to close his mouth, get back to writing a book about his faith or how to raise a peanut, or something and leave the American Political system alone. We’ve got it under control Mr. Carter.

Oh, and one more thing, Mr. Carter. When you served as President, you did not have one single African-American person or non-white person serve on your cabinet. Reagan had the first Hispanic person to serve on his cabinet, and George W. had an African-American man and woman serve as the Secretary of State. To further this, the Republican National Committee has an African American Chairman. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy do you, with your past cabinet, really think you have a right to say racial politics are being used by Republicans or anyone against Obama’s unpopular plan?

The Truth In Joe Wilson

Okay, let’s face the facts. Joe Wilson screwed up. He called the President of The United States a liar in front of a joint session, all the major television networks, the President’s family, the nation and the world. That was not cool and Joe knows it.

Joe knows it was not right to call the President a liar because he apologized in an ad, he apologized in front of the press, and he called the White House to apologize to the President. The President accepted his apology. Now the nation should be ready to move on.

But wait! Not too fast because the Democrats have realized that Joe said what the rest of the world was thinking. Joe not only spoke the truth, but Joe is making money with it. We all know that guys named Joe have been a problem for Obama (remember the plumber). Now here is a Joe again making problems and making money. Now, a Republican raising money for a campaign…that’s something the Democrats can’t stand. For all their years of pointing at the Republican Party and calling us the “rich” and the “elite” and the “Big Business Types” what the Democrats know is that they are all those things. You don’t believe me? Who raised the most money in the last Presidential Race? Who had an entire television network paid for so he could present his agenda twenty-four hours a day? Who has the biggest wallets in Washington? If you’re searching for the answer, I’ll give it to you, Democrats. I’m not saying there isn’t money in the Republican Party. Sure there is rich Republicans. After all, they worked hard for their money and worked on the ideas of this country to build businesses and industry and help make America the Industrial Power it has been.

So, here we have Joe the Republican making a little money off his mistake. Just in case we all forgot, President Obama has already accepted the apology. Now the Democrats, knowing they are in power and wanting the money have formally rebuked Joe Wilson. They “Rebuked” him…man, talk about a group of people having a ‘Jesus Complex’. Here you have politicians calling politicians liars and other politicians upset about it.

So, here’s my message.
Democrats: Get over it. You got the money, you have the power, and you’re in charge. Go on with you agenda and leave Joe alone.
Republicans: Well, what can I say? Maybe Joe fired the first true political shot at Obama’s plan in this time of crisis for our country. But Joe, when you know the truth, sometimes it’s best to tell people in another, more positive way.

Just Food For Thought

No matter what we face today, our nation has been through worse.

September 11, 2009

Republicans and Democrats both need to take today to remember those who died eight years ago, those who have died since in this war, and those who continue to fight this war. The day that we forget what happened on September 11, what has happened since that day, and what our military is doing is the day those terrorist win the war they started.

A Visit With Prissy Hickerson

Walking into the home of Mary Hickerson you’ll find it to be a well-kept family home like hundreds of others in the Texarkana area. In all the time I’ve known Mary Hickerson she has never been one to brag about her past work she has done for the State of Arkansas. Instead of boasting or bragging about her history, Mary has chosen to push her mementos of service into a small corner office. Once you move into that office, you’ll find an array of awards, signed photographs, and a couple of matted newspaper articles. It’s a small sample of the collection that Mary maintains stored away in boxes that required prompting from me for her to share. Mary served the state for ten years as the Arkansas Highway Commissioner and I knew there was more history there. Everyone more commonly knows Mary Hickerson as Prissy and she has been a busy woman over the years working for Arkansas.

On more than one occasion, Prissy has stood up for the people of Texarkana and the surrounding areas. If you like the smooth riding, four-lane highway, which stretches from Texarkana to within miles of the Louisiana border, then you have Prissy to thank for that. In fact, the highway’s name is the Hickerson Highway. Other work has included the Texarkana rest stop on the outskirts of town where travelers from the west get their first dose of information about Arkansas. Friendly employees, an incredible building, and clean restrooms greet them as they travel into our state.

As I had the opportunity to read through some of Prissy’s newspaper articles, awards, and plaques, I found an interesting one that noted she was “Standing Up” for Texarkana. It concerns a time during her tenure as Highway Commissioner when another member of the commission wanted to divert 47 million dollars away from projects in the Texarkana area. Commissioner Hickerson stood up and passionately defended the areas right to the money that had been awarded. The end result of Prissy’s willingness to fight for Texarkana meant the money remaining in the Texarkana area. This money in turn produced jobs in the area, road improvements, and revenue to help support the economy. Another article in a paper refers to Prissy as the “Highway Woman”. That article went on to show her push and support to gain money and jobs for the I-49 project, a project that is still producing jobs in the Texarkana and surrounding areas.

Unfortunately, like many other positions in Arkansas, Prissy was faced with a term limit. Once her time as Highway Commissioner was complete, she returned home where she stored away her vast number of accomplishments and has worked diligently with her husband in his dental practice. Fortunately for Arkansas and Texarkana, Prissy could not stay satisfied long. As the current representative’s time continues to draw to a close, it has become apparent to Prissy that Texarkana needs someone strong to continue as District 1’s Representative. Although Prissy has not announced her candidacy yet, she has been exploring the options, building a website, finding backers, and preparing for a run. Her concern is that Texarkana needs continued support to keep jobs in the area and to bring new jobs into the area. Fortunately for Texarkana, if Prissy does decide to run, Texarkana will have a Representative who has already brought millions of dollars into the Texarkana economy. That Representative, Prissy, would now be fighting for Texarkana to bring more jobs, more funding, and an improved economy to the area in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Prissy may be reached through the web at PrissyHickerson.com

Town Hall or Roundtable: Ross in Texarkana

More than a few people were a little confused this afternoon when Congressman Ross visited Texarkana. Reports indicated that 60-80 people were on hand to talk with Ross about health care and the government’s current proposal. While some in the area agree with Ross’ stand, many people were not notified of the visit.

Apparently, we were not the only ones confused about the visit. Steve Harrelson Steve's Round Table Report started sending out Tweets Steve on Twitter to his friends and supporters about two hours before the scheduled meeting. He announced it as a “Town Hall” meeting with Ross. I quickly sent a Tweet back asking if Steve was sure this was a “Town Hall” meeting as it looked more like a forum meeting of some kind. Jason Tolbert of the Tolbert Report also questioned the type of meeting being held The Tolbert Report. By the time I was able to send the message, Steve was already involved in the meeting and unable to respond to the Tweet. Nonetheless, Steve’s Tweets about the meeting only reflected what CNN is still reporting. Even several hours after the meeting, CNN’s website reported the meeting as being “just to the south, Rep. Mike Ross, D-Arkansas, held a town hall meeting” CNN Link and proceeds to have a video link to the meeting in Texarkana. Steve, on the other hand, updated his report to indicate that it was a Roundtable meeting as reflected at his site linked above.

If this meeting was a “Town Hall” meeting as Harrelson and CNN both reported and CNN continues to report, then Mike Ross severely failed to ensure that the public was informed about the meeting. There was no coverage in the local papers and no announcements on radio or television. To make matters worse and more questionable, CNN showed their live coverage from “Texarkana, AR”. As it turns out the meeting, being called a “Roundtable” discussion by some, was actually held in Texarkana, Texas. Mike Ross may want to clear this up by having a joint “Town Hall” meeting with the Texas Congressional Representative here in Texarkana after a little local publicity.

Preparing for Arkansas' Next Senator

It’s official; Curtis Coleman is now running for the U.S. Senate. You may have seen two previous articles here on the man with an “exploratory” web presence Curtis Coleman Site that looked like he was already in the full swing of a campaign. If you didn’t see the articles, then scroll down the screen and take a look.

As many of you know, Curtis made a visit to the Miller County Republican Committee (MCRC) link meeting on Monday night (also documented here). Just two days after that visit, he announced that he is officially running for the U.S. Senate. I’d like to think that the visit to the MCRC propelled Curtis’ confidence over the top and into the race. I’m sure that it was our outstanding discussions, questions, and common values that convinced Curtis that now is the time to run. Am I right Curtis? Well, all kidding aside and in truth, Curtis did tell us that he was very close to making a decision on running for the U.S. Senate. I’m sure the decision was one that came after months of consideration and thought.

Now comes the hard part. We as Republicans must review not only what Curtis Coleman has to say, but also what other potential candidates have to say. In the end, we will send only one person into the final round against a Senator who has been entrenched in her current position for over eighteen years. I don’t know if Curtis will be our party nominee, but one thing is for certain our candidate will be from Arkansas and will know what Arkansas needs. Maybe this alone is something Senator Lincoln should have considered before she decided to spend 99% of her time in Virginia. Just for the record, I want a Senator who listens to me, respects my opinion, and most importantly comes home to his or her home in Arkansas between sessions. So whomever ends up being the Republican nominee, just remember that he or she is really living in Arkansas (you know, where the rest of us voters live).

Curtis Coleman Visits Texarkana

The field of potential candidates for U.S. Senator from Arkansas is starting to fill up and Republicans are looking to unseat Senator Lincoln. Tonight the Miller County Republican Committee heard from one of the, possibly nine, potential Republicans preparing to run against the incumbent Senator. Curtis Coleman made the trip from Little Rock to Texarkana to share his vision for the state’s next U.S. Senator. His vision is simple. He wants to ensure that future generations do not carry the burden of our current tremendous growth in the national deficit.

Mr. Coleman presented a clear message that outlined his business experience, his faith, and his views on the current Health Care Reform that he called “non-specific by design.” Coleman went on to explain that should the current reform being proposed pass, then Americans would be faced with a health care system where choice of services is left entirely up to a branch of the government. This would basically mean “the government might decide you are too old for a hip replacement, or that you are too old to fight cancer,” said Mr. Coleman.

Mr. Coleman also reminded the group “when there is a increase in taxes, there is a decrease in personal liberties.” He feels strongly that the government cannot continue the current trend of building the deficit without increasing taxes. These taxes, as many would agree with Mr. Coleman, will not be on just those deemed by the current administration as rich, but these new and increased taxes will fall to everyone in America. To further the potential problem, these taxes will have to be carried for several generations before they will fully pay the national debt. Mr. Coleman is against increasing the national debt and against raising taxes.

After a short speech, Mr. Coleman entertained questions from the committee members present. He answered questions directly and avoided the “political dance” that many career politicians use. Mr. Coleman apparently learned from his business that you have to be direct with people and you have to be honest, or they won’t come back. Another thing Mr. Coleman learned from his business was the all too familiar problem of working with different government entities. He pointed out to the committee that he had to deal with seventeen different food safety agencies through his business. This alone puts Mr. Coleman in a unique position to understand how we feel when we’re given just one or two government agencies to deal with. As a U.S. Senator, Mr. Coleman wants to reign in much of the wastefulness of those government agencies and focus on health care reform that is not “non-specific” for the American people while reducing the national debt and avoiding increased new taxes that will affect future generations.

Mark Darr: An Internet Lt. Governor?

One thing is for certain; the Internet is helping to propel candidates into a statewide spotlight, if not a global spotlight. It was through the Internet that I first learned about the campaign exploratory committee for Curtis Coleman link. From Curtis Coleman, I then learned of another Republican running for Lt. Governor in Arkansas, Mark Darr markdarr.com.

A quick jump over to Mark Darr’s website (don't leave yet) and you will find him someone with a refreshing voice on the Internet. Gone are formal invitations, big speeches, and fancy talk that seem to say one thing, but mean another. Mark’s voice on the Internet is straightforward and more like a conversation you would have with a friend, rather than the conversation you would expect from a political candidate. Let’s face it, most candidates simply want our vote and in most cases will tell us whatever they think we want to hear (you know, like no taxes on the middle class). Mark does not come across this way on his website.

Mark comes across as what many might describe as a “good old Arkansas boy”. He’s been an insurance agent and is a business owner. He is a business owner in the restaurant field and in one of my favorite food areas, Pizza. In his “about Mark” section, he describes himself as a father, husband and the guy who has the pick up truck to help you move. He attended Mansfield High School and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia.

He carries with him a background in politics and business that would make anyone proud. He’s a member of the NRA, served as part of the Social Security panel in Little Rock’s town hall meetings, owns Larry’s Pizza West and The MAD Pizza Company. To top off his background, he’s not afraid to tell you he’s a member of Geyer Springs First Baptist Church and that he has sung in the choir and taught Sunday school.

As the field for Lt. Governor expands over the next year toward the elections, there is one thing that is certain. If Mark Darr translates the person he presents on his Internet site to the voters of Arkansas, then they will be hard pressed to find a more likable person for the position. His opening page notes that he has a “common sense approach” and the supporting pages on the site seem to prove it. I’ve only started following Mark on Facebook and Twitter, but so far that common sense seems to be in all his quick notes there as well. With all this stuff about Mark, I only have one final thought…Hey, Mark, when you come to Texarkana to campaign, why don’t you bring us some of those MAD Pizzas?

The Tolbert Report

Writers already know that there is no greater compliment than to have another writer pay attention to your work. I’m blessed to have received news that another writer read Texarkana GOP. In the world of Arkansas Politics there is one name that comes to mind on the Internet as a constant for conservative information, The Tolbert Report link. Jason Tolbert is an editor, publisher, and blogger not only by his own description, but also by that of several people across the state. You only have to take a moment to look at Twitter to find that The Tolbert Report Twitter link has a following of over six hundred, a very respectable number in the new world of Twitter. To keep up with politics, Tolbert himself is following almost four hundred conservatives, bloggers, and politicians so that he can report accurately in his quick tweets as well as at The Tolbert Report. Jason Tolbert is an accomplished blogger and writer to say the least.

With this much behind The Tolbert Report, you can imagine my surprise when I recently received an e-mail from Jason complimenting Texarkana GOP. Not only did he compliment this small blog, but he also placed it in his blogroll on the opening page of The Tolbert Report. I am honored that someone of Jason’s caliber would take a moment to notice a blog from the far, southwest corner of the state. Not only did he take notice of the blog, but he is now following my Twitter page Twitter link.

The bottom paragraph here is I’m honored to be listed in Jason’s blogroll and to have received a kind note about Texarkana GOP from him. I’m grateful for the publicity he is giving by noticing this blog. So, as I continue to work toward that day when I break over into the big-time and beyond (like The Tolbert Report), I’ll follow Jason for great reporting on Arkansas Politics.

Tax Increase (hint, again)

I’ve said it since the start of the Obama Administration and I’ll say it again, “No administration can give huge amounts of money out, maintain total government involvement, and increase government without raising taxes”. That is just a simple fact that has been proven time and time again throughout history. Big government requires money to operate. Now Obama made himself popular (you know, how you get to be President) by saying only the rich would be taxed. It sounds good in theory. Sure, punish the people who have worked hard to get what they have, increased their income over years, and require them to pay for everyone else’s programs. Sure, that’s fair. That is, it’s fair if we live in a socialistic society. We don’t. If we did live in a socialistic society, then there would be no rich people and we would rapidly move toward a communistic society. But that’s enough; just know that the rich are going to be taxed. If you make a certain amount of money, then you are likely already paying increased taxes and you will next year when you file again. Look for those taxes to increase again drastically in 2013. Why 2013? Obama will be on his second term and he won’t need your donations (or your votes) to run for office. That will be the time he increases taxes on Americans again.

Now, keep in mind what I said about the government will raise taxes. Now, look at what Tim Geithner told in a recent interview on ABC News’ “George’s Bottom Line”Link:

To get the economy back on track, will President Barack Obama have to break his pledge not to raise taxes on 95 percent of Americans? In a “This Week” exclusive, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told me, “We’re going to have to do what’s necessary.”

Geithner was clear that he believes a key component of economic recovery is deficit reduction. When I gave him several opportunities to rule out a middle class tax hike, he wouldn’t do it.

“We have to bring these deficits down very dramatically,” Geithner told me. “And that’s going to require some very hard choices.”

If you ask me, it is very interesting that the man who is the Secretary of the Treasury won’t rule out possible tax increases on the middle class. Apparently, not only did George Stephanopoulos find it interesting, but CNNCNN Link picked it up as well.

As I’ve said here, I have issued a warning of tax increases on several occasions. No longer is it just coming from common bloggers like myself, it is hitting the mainline media as well. My advice is simple, if you want to block Obama from raising your taxes, you’d better get out in 2010 and vote for Republicans in the Congress and in the House of Representatives. It doesn’t matter whether you consider yourself a Democrat or Republican at this point. The fact is, should the Democrats in Congress and the House continue blind support of Obama and his views, your taxes are going to go up. It would be in your pocket book’s best interest to have someone willing to fight on your side and the way I see it, that someone is going to have to be a Republican. On the other hand, if you like giving your money to other people such as car companies, banks, etc, then keep your Democrats in office. I’m sure they will be more than happy to explain, as they take your money, just how it required some “very hard choices”.

Obama, ACLU, and Terrorist

You know, at some point you just have to sit back and say “Duh”. Indications now seem to say that the Obama Administration is going to miss the deadline for their report on Guantanamo. Hello, Mr. President… is it just a little more complicated than you thought before you took office?

Maybe the President should have considered just what his briefing level was on Guantanamo before he promised to close it. Now, according to CNN WireCNN Link, even the ACLU is getting involved. Gee, and here I thought all they wanted to do was run God out of the United States. Turns out I was wrong, they also want to push for the closing of Guantanamo and freedom for those terrorist, potential and otherwise, living there. After all, what do we have to be afraid of? According to the PentagonCNN Commentary only one in seven terrorist return to their former terrorist activity. Those are pretty good odds if you ask me. Sure, let’s just release all the potential terrorist. I’m all for it, on one condition. I want to ensure that they have the name and address of each person in the ACLU pushing for their release. I mean the ACLU members should be fine with this shouldn’t they? After all there is only a one in seven chance that any of those potential terrorist will harm someone in the ACLU.

So, the ACLU still pushes and Obama still listens only now there is a new twist. Just as I wrote in an earlier article, it is very likely that President Obama’s head is still spinning from all the information he learned from President Bush when he took office. For over seven years, President Bush oversaw the protection of the United States. He saw the inside reports, the reports from the press and the reports from the front lines (some which we still haven’t seen). President Bush saw fit to take measures to protect Americans, a task he was elected to do. Now President Obama has been elected to handle that task. I’m sure it is a heavy load for the President. But my message for the President is simple, I respect you, respect your position, and respect you as a person, but in the end you did not know it all like you thought. Now that you are the President, you are required to know it all. Don’t you just get that “Duh” feeling?

Curtis Coleman Explores U.S. Senate

Curtis Coleman is exploring. He’s not heading to the moon or out west; rather he is exploring the possibility of a run for the U.S. Senate. It’s not just any seat that he’s eyeing. He’s looking into taking on Blanche Lincoln who has been entrenched in her current seat since her election in November 1998. For years she has held this seat with little opposition and has rode on her claim to fame as being the youngest woman elected to the United States Senate (a point she makes in her bio section at http://lincoln.senate.gov/). So what mode of attack can Mr. Coleman employ as he “explores” a run for the Senate? The answer is simple, the Internet.

Mr. Coleman is just about everywhere on the Internet. When Mrs. Lincoln first ran for office, little thought was given to an Internet campaign. Mr. Coleman on the other hand seems to have embraced the use of the Internet as if it is the main gun in his arsenal to take down the entrenched Senator. Consequently, I first learned about the Coleman campaign from the “Coleman for Senate Exploratory Committee” site (http://www.curtiscoleman.com/). This site opens with an exceptional video introduction by Mr. Coleman himself. He magically strolls across your open browser, introduces himself, and introduces you to his campaign. The site goes on to feature his views, what he stands for, a review of his family, his work history, and naturally ways to “join the team.” The site is impressive for an “exploratory” site.

But wait! Much like the pitch salesman, there is more. Mr. Coleman is not sitting still with his well tailored website. You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter. There’s even a group on Facebook for Coleman supporters. On the Twitter site, Coleman has posted links to his extensive written works about our current state of government affairs and even a post welcoming a new grandchild into the world. As a result of the use of Facebook and Twitter, I have received a couple of notes from Mr. Coleman in regards to the local Miller County Republican Committee and mutual friends. He has been open, direct, and quick to respond to any questions I've had.

I’m not going to try to detract from Mrs. Lincoln in this post. Mrs. Lincoln is a Democrat and she has served Arkansas in the Senate. To be honest, I have agreed with some of her votes and disagreed with others. This is a trait common for any elected official, but I have never felt an outreach from Mrs. Lincoln. Sure, she will shake my hand, ask for my vote (and money), and smile at the camera, but she has never reached out to me by snail mail (you know, U.S. Post Office) or by the Internet. Mr. Coleman is raising the bar. He is reaching out to people who reach to him. He’s filling a void often felt by voters when politicians seem uninterested in anything except a vote. He’s blogging, he’s using Facebook, he’s sending messages through Twitter, and he’s listening to people. In the age of Internet, we need leaders who are willing to reach out to the voters using current technology and Mr. Coleman has found that outlet.

What can I say, as a result of Mr. Coleman’s brilliant use of the Internet, I found out more information about him, his campaign, where he stands, and mutual friends we both know. Had it not been for this personal touch and use of the Internet for direct, fast communication, it’s likely I would have seen a sign somewhere asking me to vote for Curtis Coleman, and I would have wondered just who Curtis Coleman is and what he means to me way down in Texarkana.

Curtis Coleman's site
Curtis Coleman on Twitter
Curtis Coleman on Facebook
Curtis Coleman on Blogspot

Psst...Hey, Gibbs..."It was McCain...Obama Ran Against McCain, Not Bush!"

The White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is apparently confused about who Obama’s opponent was in the last presidential election. George Bush has been very careful not to criticize and not to offer suggestions to President Obama out of respect and because he believes it is the right thing to do. When asked about the closing of Gitmo, Bush again stated that he was not going to criticize Obama and that he believes there are people there intent on killing Americans. That is a straightforward, honest answer, and an answer that many Americans would agree with. If you don’t believe Americans would agree with this, just search and see if you can find a city, town, county or state jumping up and down with joy and wanting Obama to send those in Gitmo to them. Hello? Nobody wants the terrorist, potential or real, living in his or her area. After Bush made the comment the press took it to the White House in apparent hopes of stirring up a feud to fuel papers. In the end, all they apparently caused was confusion for the current Press Secretary of the White House who for some reason believes Obama ran against Bush.

Secretary Gibbs had an outstanding comeback to the questions ask. He replied simply, “we won”. When I first read this I was a little confused. I thought he might be referring to the war on terrorism, but if that was the case why do we still have Homeland Security working, why are our troops still abroad fighting terrorist and why do we have money being spent on our nation’s security against terrorist. So, I know that Gibbs must not be talking about the war on terror, but later in the article it became clear. Gibbs stated “we kept score last November and we won.

Secretary Gibbs, yes George Bush was unpopular in the polls at the time he left office. After all the economy was bad, gas prices were high, jobs were being lost, the housing market was crumbling and the war on terror was still going. In the end you and I know that Americas blame the current administration for anything going wrong. If you don’t believe that, then just ask Jimmy Carter what happens when you haven’t won your second term yet and the economy is bad, gas prices are high, jobs are being lost, the housing market is crumbling and you have terrorist acting up around the world (you remember Iran, right Mr. Gibbs?) So, George Bush most likely would not have won an election against President Obama, but once again Mr. Gibbs, Obama did not run against George Bush. Just as a refresher for your future comeback comments, Obama won against John McCain. You know, white haired American War Hero who also showed respect to President Obama during the election and after. It sounds like President Bush and Senator McCain have pretty much shown a great deal of respect for President Obama. Maybe you should consider this and at least show them the respect of learning the name of whom your boss ran against in the election (yeah, the one last November).

White House fires back at Bush comments: 'We won'

Tax Increase Right on Track

Remember all those people yelling and cheering for Obama as he announced we were all going to have to work together to get the country back on track? I do, I cringed when he said it because he wasn’t talking about cutting taxes so we could keep more money. He wasn’t talking about government limiting what physicians can charge and he wasn’t talking about the government paying off physician and nurse education bills so they would be comfortable with charging a mandatory reduced rate. No, he was talking about raising taxes. It’s that simple.

So, how did he play this game. First he gave everyone a nice little tax break. A lot of folks saw a slight increase in paychecks, some people living in nursing homes and institutions got a one time stimulus check (I’m sure they all loaded on the bus and went to spend it at Wal Mart) and some folks flat saw taxes dropped from their paycheck. Yes, completely and I’ve seen those paychecks and the proof. But you cannot have health care reform, save the economy, and get the socialistic programs you want without money. So, where does that money come from? I’ll give you yelling and cheering crowds a hint...You. Yes, you and me are going to pay for all these nice programs.

Now, I know, you still don’t believe me. Like I said, Obama’s game is simple, he comes out and says, “Hey, I’m a nice guy. I’m giving you some money, help, the things you need.” But wait, then he sends out his number one man to say, “Well, we might have to raise taxes to pay for all this, we just can’t rule it out.” Still don’t believe me? Sure, I’m sure as a Republican I’m making all this up just to “Bash Obama” right? I’m having a BO session you think, right? No, here are the words from Biden and you decide what he is saying from CNN.Com’s own pagelink:

(CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday that the Obama administration opposes taxing the medical benefits employers provide workers to pay for health care reform, but he refused to rule it out entirely.

Okay, try as I man, I’ve still not convinced you have I? What about this statement also in the same article, “Biden noted that the administration also seeks to raise $300 billion in taxes by limiting the deductions of high-income Americans”? Now ask yourself what is the definition of “high-income Americans”? Compared to some in Mexico, or Central America, we are all “high-income Americans”. Many of you who stood and cheered and yelled for Obama are “high-income Americans” (Oprah) in my viewpoint. In fact, a great many Obama supports make more money than I’ll ever see (unless someone reads these articles and offers me a commentary job..hint, hint).

So, here’s the way I see it, a “high-income American” is anyone making more money than I do each year. So, Obama will cut out some of your deductions. Oh, don’t worry, us lower income families will likely still be able to take the deduction, but your pay scale will cut you out. Next time before you go yelling and screaming for Obama, you just might want to ask what this man’s opinion is on the definition of “high-income Americans” and just who decides if his definition agrees with the rest of us.

Vote Steve Harrelson…Democrat!

When a Republican supports a Democrat, people seem surprised. All sorts of questions go around the table “How can you support a Democrat?” “You’re going to a Republican meeting and then a Democrat meeting?” and so on. Tuesday evening (6-9-2009) I stood in the hot afternoon sun with other supporters of Steve Harrelson and was not the least bit surprised to see several Republicans in the crowd. There was no intent to sabotage or detract from Steve’s moment, but instead these Republicans were present to support Steve. Support ranged from donations, to well wishing and handshakes. It was support for a man who represents people over parties.

Surprisingly, Steve is one of those Democrats who can transcend political parties after elected. He doesn’t look at people and say, “Well, you’re a Republican and you didn’t support me; therefore I won’t listen to you now that I’m elected.” Instead, Steve recognizes that while he remains a true Democrat at heart, he is elected to represent the people. This young man has what it takes to be Governor, Senator, Congressman or just about any other elected position he wants to pursue because of his ability to cross party lines. Steve has already proven that he can represent the people and not the party once in office.

So, because Steve is able to cross those lines, does listen to people, and works hard at his elected positions, I will once again support his drive for office. The first time he ran, I must confess I was a Democrat. After years of internal conflict, I like to say I came home to the Republican Party, but that’s another story. This is about Steve and he is running for State Senator District 21. It’s an important position in the state of Arkansas and a position that Steve will be able to fill with the same excellence we have seen from him as the House Representative for District 1. Once again, I will be proud to stand at the polls holding a sign for Steve Harrelson; although this time I certainly hope it doesn’t rain most of the day. (And yes, that’s yours truly on the left in the photo with Steve)

Bush Legacy

When asked today what he wanted his legacy to be, President Bush responded with an answer akin to one of the first answers he gave that attracted attention to him. In the early run for the Republican nomination, Bush had been asked who influenced him the most. The point of the question was to prompt such answers as Plato, or Martin Luther King, Jr. Perhaps an appropriate answer would have been Honest Abe, but Bush responded Jesus Christ. He said that Jesus had turned his life around. It was not a politically correct answer to give and the man was not even the nominee for President yet, but still he gave the answer and stood by it. His aides have said since that time that they were shocked by the answer.

So, it should be no surprise that today when asked about his legacy, how did the President respond? "Well, I hope it is this: The man showed up with a set of principles, and he was unwilling to sacrifice his soul for the sake of popularity," he saidlink cnn.com. Well Mr. President, I don’t think for sometime now your soul has been at stake of being lost and as for popularity you were a two term President of the United States of America and a Governor of Texas. That sounds like a man who had the corner on popularity for a good amount of time. I imagine that history will remember the President just the way he wants to be. I further figure that in time America will come to the understanding that President Bush kept us safe for eight years. After all, other Presidents have been unpopular when they left office for doing what was right only later to be very popular (Jimmy Carter).

Changing for Cheney?

He didn’t aspire to be President, he did not have the look of a great President, he had health issues that worried the nation for eight years, and his claim to fame seemed to come at the butt end of hunting jokes, but now his popularity is on the risecnn.com. Dick Cheney’s poll numbers are on the rise. Heck, at this rate if it continues for a few more years, he could run for office again! Why the sudden change (that is a buzz word you know)? The sleepy giants are waking up.

Americans embraced Obama. He was going to bring change, the first black President, a new generation. People yelled and cheered as he said we were all going to have to pitch in and help. Then came change and the battle. Suddenly people are scrambling and completing new W-4 forms. Obama’s change even has some employers withholding almost no taxes. I know of one person that has paid 0 in Federal tax since Obama’s new packet went into effect. You know just as well as I do that someone has to pay those taxes due! And then there is the terrorist. Nobody wants them, but Obama wants to close their prison and bring them to U.S. soil. Suddenly, nobody really wants them at all and the cry is “not in my back yard.” So then comes the voice of reason and that voice is the voice of Dick Cheney. Besides, of all the current administration and the past administration, he’s the only one who has ever shot someone so why should we not listen to the man. I mean really, he’s been the butt of so many jokes for so long and now Americans are saying, “Hey, this guy is making sense.”

But Cheney is not alone in the rise of the polls. Bush’s rank has also rose six points. Americans must be realizing that these two were at the top of the pyramid for all the terrorist activity in the world. They went to bed knowing what American’s faced and they woke up hearing what American’s faced each day for eight long years. Then along comes Obama and everyone got caught up in the flare. He had a twenty-four hour TV spot, he speaks well, and he appeals to people. So here’s the kicker, do I think he should be President? Yes, absolutely. American’s have the great blessing to be able to rule by popular vote (pending your state’s electoral vote count) and in the end the theory is that the person American’s want becomes the next President. American’s wanted Obama and they got him. So, for those American’s now maybe starting to rethink your vote or lack of vote and starting to think, “well, wow, Dick Cheney sounds like a smart guy” just be thankful you live in a country where you can change your view and that the polls will sway back and forth. Oh, and during the next election, try not to get caught up in all the party promises and just take a look at what the person can and is going to really do. Who knows, with the change in polls, it may be time for a Cheney ticket.

Prissy Hickerson Considers Serving Again

A quick Google.com search will tell you a lot about Mary “Prissy” Hickerson. It will tell you that she is the former Chairperson of the Arkansas Highway Commission; it will tell you that she is a Republican; it will tell you that she has raised money, and it will tell you that she is considering a run for the Arkansas House of Representatives District 1. Anyone would argue that she has a significant amount of information floating around cyber space, not to mention the gossip in the city of Texarkana. But what the Google search will not tell you is her commitment to serve.

I recently had the privilege of watching Mrs. Hickerson talk to a group of people about the possible run for the House. She was attentive to all questions, she had intelligent answers, and she flatly stated that she is only at the “considering” stages in a run for the House. Upon closer observation though, you could see Mrs. Hickerson did something few politicians like to do; she followed up with individuals who ask questions on a one-on-one basis. After her brief talk, she sought out each person who had a concern about recent events and she simply talked with them. There were no cameras flashing, no news crews present, and no potential voters watching, but still Mrs. Hickerson took the time to talk to people and to listen. Unfortunately, today most politicians want to answer your question with a public statement such as “We’ll look into that,” or “I was unaware of that,” or “I voted for that because it is the right thing to do.” Those are all simple answers, but when you go to the person who asks the question and say, “Okay, tell me more about your question and did I answer it to your satisfaction?” Wow. You don’t see that. But guess what? You do and I did with Mrs. Hickerson.

Mrs. Hickerson was quick to say that she is a Republican and is proud of being one, but she also says she wants to serve. These are not just words as she has also served on the Texarkana Animal League, a volunteer position to help animals and as you know, dogs and cats don’t vote. Mrs. Hickerson is a kind, outstanding woman who, if she decides to run, will have my full support and assistance in any way I can because she is a person who wants to serve. I hope Mrs. Hickerson decides to go to Little Rock and make a difference again through her service.

Specter's Spectacular Jump Overboard

It’s no use trying to hide or change the fact that many people have jumped off the Republican ship over the last few years. It’s a fact and if it wasn’t then the party would have won the last major election (you know, the one for President). So, a lot of folks are jumping overboard. That’s life. I figure that once those fine new taxes start to hit people, around 2011, that a lot of those people will be yelling for a Republican life vest.

So, this Specter person made a spectacular jump from the Republican boat also. I have a problem with that. I don’t have a problem that he now wants to be Democrat, that’s fine more than half the country wants to be Democrat. I do, however, have a problem with any politician who takes party money, runs on the party lines, gets elected, and then jumps ship after he has been elected. The fact of the matter is, Specter owes the Republicans his seat and he owes them a great deal of money. Furthermore, if he is such an independent thinker and voter that he doesn’t stick to party lines, why would he want to jump off the ship at all?

Okay, get ready for this. He jumped ship to have a “spectacular” publicity stunt and draw media attention to himself. He also jumped ship because over 200,000 registered Republicans in his area changed to the Democratic party. He jumped ship to have the publicity and to ensure those 200,000 new Democrats vote for him. That’s it. It was all about survival. Specter doesn’t want to be booted out.

Now I’m sure some people are reading this saying, “but it’s his right to leave,” and I agree, if he was a private citizen. A private citizen should be able to change parties as often as he or she likes. She should be able to contribute money to the Democrats or the Republicans anytime she feels like it. That’s part of what makes American great. You can be in any party you want and it’s free! However, Specter is an elected official and as such he should remain true to his party at least until he leaves office. It doesn’t matter whether Republicans or Democrats put the person in office, that person was elected on a party ticket. I don’t feel that anyone, while holding office, should be allowed to simply switch parties. If he or she wants to switch parties, leave during the next election, and then come back and run again under the party you want to represent. When you are elected as a Democrat or Republican, you are elected with the backing of the people from that party. Turning after you have the office is as good as slapping people in the face. For crying out loud, next they’ll be giving their first interviews after being elected to office to some foreign news agency. I mean, can you imagine the audacity of that?

Sorry New York: Obama Did Not Mean to Scare You.

The White House apologized for a 747 giving New York a nice reminder flyover todayCNN.COM. What the press conveniently doesn’t want to say is what we all know; the White House represents the Obama Administration. People in New York are calling it “unsettling” and an “absolute travesty”.

There was no prior warning, even to city officials and then suddenly out of the clear blue sky comes a 747 flanked by fighter jets. I cannot even imagine the feelings that people must have had who were there on 9-11. I feel extremely sorry for them and complete disgust at the Obama Administration for their insensitive take on how the people of New York would feel.

Now, on the other hand, if I were a terrorist, this would be great news to me. I’d be thanking President Obama and his administration for desensitizing New York to low flying planes. After all, this time people were evacuating buildings and taking cover. Next time they may just think, “Oh, it’s the Obama Administration doing a fly over again.” The only problem is that next time it may be the little terrorist that watched today. My advice to New York, stay alert. Don’t let this deceive you in case our nation comes under attack again by cowards like on 9-11. I mean, good grief, what was the Obama Administration thinking? Next thing you know they’ll want to close Guantanamo and move all the terrorist to U.S. soil. I mean really, can you imagine that?

The Silent Growth of The Republican Party: Part 2

On January 14, 2009 I wrote an article here titled The Silent Growth of The Republican Party (Read it Here). Some that read it have since scoffed at my ideas that the Republican Party is slowly rebuilding and coming back as a major political force. Well scoffers, take a look now at what CNN.Com reported(CNN Story). It appears I was right.

It looks like a 7-point drop in people supporting the Democrats. This does not surprise me in the least. I’ve said several times that I wish President Obama the best of luck. He is our President whether I supported him or not. He needs luck, prayers, and support as President whether he is a Republican or a Democrat. I’m sorry for those hard-liners of either party who can not accept that, you need to because it is for the good of our country and in the end we are all citizens of the United States first and Republicans and Democrats second. On the flip-side of that coin a 7-point drop means people are slowing realizing that what we said during the drive for the White House was right.

The article calls the gains “negligible” and maybe they are, but gains are gains nonetheless. Remember, I said the Republican Party was silently rebuilding. I have also said on many occasions here that the party must rebuild at the base first and work the way up. To reinstate that again, I believe we have to start with our town, city, and county groups first to rebuild the party. I support the Republican National Committee, but guys and gals…sorry; you have to support the small party groups first.

So, what is a small party group? I’ll give you an example; the Miller County Republican Committee is a small party group. They meet each month; have elected officers, a web page, a budget, committees, and plans. That group has recently joined the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce to help promote ideas. They have had guest speakers, and more importantly they have grown. I myself have joined them in the last year. Through the Internet, they are staying in contact, growing, and rebuilding the party from the streets of Texarkana, Arkansas. Can this little group make a difference? You bet, by supporting local Republicans, we can build a foundation of Republican minded people. Let’s face the facts, what do all politicians want? Higher offices. So if we start by supporting a lower office, let’s say justice of the peace, constable, or judge and they win office. Next those same people may run for state senator, or even governor. Eventually those people run for the United States Senate or Congress. In the end by supporting at the local level, we are…let’s say it together folks… silently rebuilding the Republican Party. For now think small and grow. Oh, and by the way CNN, thanks for pointing out that our younger generations are waking up from the “Obama Nation” in the fourth paragraph with this statement:

"Most of the Democrats' loss of support has come among younger Americans," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "In January, two-thirds of those under the age of 35 said Democratic control of Congress was good for the country. Now that figure is down to 48 percent."

The Tea Party and What You Can Do

A lot of people ask, "What can I do about the problems facing America?" The main concern seems to be our move in the wrong direction to "spread the wealth around" or a more common term "Socialism". Well, here's the short of it. If you will consider doing at least two of the things listed below, you can start making a diffenrence:

1. Join your local Republican Party (usually a county or parish party group)
2. Join the NRA (sounds odd, but their lobby group is strong for your rights)
3. Join the National Republican Party (gop.com will get you there)
4. Contribute to your local Republican Party or National
5. Write, demonstrate and stand up for your rights

America may have made mistakes in Novemeber, only time will tell for sure. But one thing is for sure about the United States, it is never too late to change and it is never too late to make a difference. Why don't you do it today?

Republican Budget Bashed By Press

Reading the current media reports you would think that Republicans cannot even propose a budget alternative without it being bad. In fact, according to the press just about everything Republicans do is wrong. I hope they wake up before Obama-Nation leads us all down the wrong road. We need to look at the facts.

Fact number one, the Republican budget proposes tax cuts that George Bush put in place be continued. It further promotes cutting taxes due from those making up to about $100,000. That sounds good to me since most everyone I know falls well below the $100,000 line. Unfortunately, the press doesn’t focus on this; they focus on the tax cut for the wealthy (anyone over $100,000 or so).

Fact two, why is it bad to give people considered “rich” a tax cut? Consider this; cut the taxes across the board and everyone benefits. The old argument that the rich should pay more taxes just doesn’t hold. I’m by no means rich (remember, I’m well below the $100,000 line), but why should someone be punished with higher taxes for having more money? The press fails to notice that the cut is only by 10% from 35% down to 25%. In the big scheme of things that is not a big cut and again you have to keep in mind the question “why can’t everyone get a tax break?”

Fact three, most of the reports in the press fail to mention the corporate tax cut being proposed. Consider this, everyone says corporations are bad and that they get too much money. Wal Mart is bad, IBM is bad, Microsoft is bad, Apple is bad, U.S. Steel is bad, etc, but stop and think about this… how many jobs are produced by those “bad corporations”? Many people reading this may not realize that we once had shoe companies in the United States. That means that companies that made shoes were based here with people working jobs in plants making shoes. Higher corporate taxes in combination with cheaper labor overseas forced those “bad” corporations to go overseas. That means those jobs, sometimes thousands, were lost. I still remember one of the last U.S. Shoe companies, Converse. They used to be U.S. made, but are no longer due to higher corporate taxes. The fact is lowering high corporate taxes may help attract some of those corporations back to U.S. soil and thereby create more U.S. jobs for U.S. workers.

Sadly, the facts above will not be mentioned in the press. They will talk about all the so-called “bad” Republican budget ideas. Well here is a final fact to consider, no budget is perfect. The Democrats don’t have a perfect budget and neither will we, but the Republican budget is being brought to the table to be viewed and with the current economy everyone’s ideas need to be viewed and discussed for both good and bad points. Unfortunately, the U.S. press only appears to be looking at Republicans as the bad guys.

Behind Closed Doors: What Obama Learned

When Obama ran for office people flocked to his notion of change. Never mind that just about all the presidential candidates going back to Washington have used the word “change” at some point to promote themselves, Obama seemed to have the corner market in the minds of voters. He won and then came the meetings of reality. During the meetings with President Bush, I can only assume that Obama learned things he never suspected. He must have learned also from those secret meetings that sometimes a president has to tell what one Obama supported called “little lies” to the American public for the sake of national security. He must also have learned that not all of his campaign promises could be kept as quickly or even as Obama might have liked. Consider the following:
I will close Guantanamo Bay – Not yet, nowhere to keep the terrorist
I will end the war in Iraq – Where’s the media coverage of this promise?
I will end the war in Afghanistan – 17,000 more troops, 4,000 more and money
Non-emergency bills posted five days before signing– 3 bills have failed this test

What Obama has learned is clear. Just as McCain and Bush were saying, there is no quick, easy fix for Afghanistan or Iraq. So what do you do when you learn that you can’t keep all your campaign promises? Well, you lie. To be fair, I haven’t seen a president yet who has not lied to the country over something. You already know of the big lies from our party, so let’s be fair and say a few of them. Here’s a short list:
I am not a crook (Nixon) – In that case, yeah you were
No new taxes (Bush) – unless you’re forced to do so by Congress
Hostilities have ended (Bush) – well, they didn’t get the message

So, yes, presidents do lie to the American public. Whether they want to do so, are forced to do so, or simply do so for political gain, presidents lie. After Obama became aware that the President knows a lot more than what is released to the press, he too joined this elite group of leaders who are sometimes forced to tell, “little lies”. Welcome to office Mr. Obama. My advice to you is simple; just make sure you steer clear of having to say “I did not have sex with that woman.” It strikes me with Michelle that you might spend the remainder of your term at the Biden’s.

Republican Leadership Needs To Listen (Read)

Okay, I’ll face the facts. The odds of the Republican leadership reading this blog are slim at best. I doubt that there is anyone at the RNC scanning through these blogs that might remotely say, “Hey, this Texarkanagop.blogspot.com blog has some good ideas.” But what can I say, I’m going voice my outlook whether they listen or not.

First stop sending out polls with obvious questions to the Republican faithful asking what we can do to improve the party or what Republicans should do. I mean do you think questions like “Do you think America should focus on a strong defense against terrorist” is going to draw a “No” answer? Really, let’s get down to the core values. If you want to know what the problem is with the Republican Party, don’t ask the Republican Party. The loyal Republicans will have different views about what cost the elections, what we should do, and how we can improve. That’s great, but without the miracle of Ronald Reagan’s resurrection, I doubt any of the Republican faithful have a clue as to what is wrong with the party. Get yourself a list of Democratic donors, young voters who supported Obama, and Republicans who have left the party for the Independents or Democrats. Once you have that list, ask them what is wrong with the party. That is the only way to get an unbiased answer to the question of what is wrong with the party.

The second thing the party needs to do is stop pointing fingers and do something. So many of the Republican representatives are busy pointing fingers at the Democrats that they never take time to do anything. We have to be a party of action, not talk. I believe Reagan would tell you that talk without action will get you nowhere. What if he had just run around in 1980 and said, “We have an economic problem” and then never did anything about it? He would have been a one-term president and he would have faded into history like so many others. Take action. AIG is a prime example. Republicans need to be pushing for legislation to punish groups who take government money and abuse it. American’s are struggling to make payments, buy groceries, and just survive from day-to-day, but groups like AIG aren’t trying to help the economy, they are trying to help their own employees.

Finally just spend a little time on the Internet. For example, read the blogs (like this one), read some outrageous ones, and work at the core. If you pay attention to the small groups like The Miller County Republican Committee in small towns you’ll hear the truth. As I have mentioned before, this group has already increased by ten plus members. That may not sound like a lot, but if you multiply that by all the various small groups around, imagine the voting power and support the party could obtain through supporting the smaller groups and just listening to what they have to say and what they see on a daily basis.

Obama-Nation Open to Tax

Hello again Americans we are all one big happy nation and apparently we can now call that nation Obama-Nation. During the drive to become President, Obama criticized McCain for a proposal that would tax some health care benefits. Naturally, Obama FAILED to mention that McCain was proposing some tax credits to families to help offset the health reform needed. Now that Obama-Nation is in full swing, apparently the swing goes back and forth. Obama is now considering a tax on health care benefits. I guess this is what he calls working with Republicans. Oh, and that McCain tax break to help offset the reform of the health care system…Obama still isn’t mentioning it. This must be a new way to stimulate the economy, take already high medical cost and high insurance premiums and add additional taxes to them (psst...Obama-Nation). Don’t you wish elections had a do-over clause?

Thanks Wesley for pointing out this great article:MSNBC.Com

Obama Set to Free Terrorist Supporters?

Watch out fellow Republicans and Democrats who would like to be safe. The Obama Administration is rewriting the rules regarding “enemy combatants”. This rewrite could be the first in several sets to close Guantanamo Bay, a goal of the Obama Administration. Their basis for the entire push is that an enemy combatant is from a nation armed against another nation, so those rules don’t apply to terrorist.

Under these new guidelines, terrorist would be charged or they could not be held without specific “substantial” evidence against them. That could mean that just being a part or a contributor to a terrorist organization would mean that the U.S. government could not hold a person. Someone could financially contribute to the purchase of a bomb, guns, or even let’s say flying lessons (that should remind you) and not be held accountable for his or her actions. The defense? “Oh, I didn’t blow up those Americans, I only sent some money online.” Sorry, a contributor, member, supporter, etc involved with a terrorist organization is just as guilty as the one who did the actual act. If we do not take this stand, then the organizations will continue to be supported and held up by those people hidden behind laws meant to protect us. This new stance will be a green light to anyone wanting to support terrorism either emotionally, financially, or any other means.

In Texas an interesting thing happened at the Battle of San Jacinto. Sam Houston’s troops rallied to the battle cry of “Remember Goliad” and “Remember the Alamo”. Many of Santa Anna’s troops ran and yelled to the Texans “Me no Alamo”. Guess what? The Texans shot them anyway or took them prisoner. Why? Because they wore the uniform of Santa Anna’s military, they supported him, ate with him, and were emotionally tied to putting down the revolution in Texas. To me, that sounds an awful lot like someone who might support a modern day terrorist. They would certainly be yelling “Me no 9/11” even if they had cheered the day Americans died.


CNN.Com Article Source

Bad Bobby

So, by now you have likely heard that Bobby Jindal "made up" or more bluntly "lied" about his nice little story pertaining to a telephone call he overheard and adapted to his speech. Unfortunately, this is not the type of hype and buildup that the Republican party needs rights now. Already people are saying he made the same mistakes that Clinton did years ago in his famous long speech at the DNC, but the fact is apparent here and that fact is Bobby lied.

Bobby Jindal, take a note from other people who have lied both in the Democratic camp and the Republican camp. It is wrong. Nixon will forever be remembered for "I am not a crook" and leaving office in disgrace. People don't think about him opening up China, or any of the other things he did for the country. On the other side of the table, a lot of people associate Clinton with a cigar and a lie about sex (sorry it's true) and they fail to look at anything he may have accomplished for the good of the nation. Telling a lie is not the way to project yourself to people who already feel like they can't trust the government. At the very least, Gov. Jindal, you should have came out and told the truth, but instead you sent your press people out to say there was a "mistake". Republicans must be "Stand Up" people or we won't rebuild this party. Gov. Jindal and others must take responsibility for their actions or how can we expect them to take responsibility for our nation?

Jindal's Volcano: Well Said

Gov. Bobby Jindal didn’t have to wait long for the opposition to jump on words he used to respond to President Obama’s speechCNN Report. Jindal was picked not only because he is a rising star within our party, but also because he has two traits that Republicans need.

First, it is he is young. Let’s face the facts; most people associate the Republican Party with a bunch of middle age guys in suits. Now, here is Jindal on the other side of the middle age factor and a seemingly “down to earth” sort of guy. Wham, a new face for the party!

Second, he speaks well. Jindal is well versed and uses language to his benefit. With a little more practice, he could be the new Reagan our party has been seeking. After all, who could look past such remarks as his reference to being a “pre-existing condition” when his family arrived with him still in the womb? He has the wit, and he has the words. We need this on the front lines for the party.

As for the attacks, sorry folks, Jindal is right. The statement about throwing money into volcano monitoring is right. Let’s not forget that Jindal comes from a state where big government failed to act during what should have been their finest hour. Maybe Jindal could have seen a little better if the money had been marked for hurricane monitoring. Take a moment to count the number of volcano eruptions and compare them to the number of hurricanes and you might find a better place for the money to go.

Finally, just ask the people of Louisiana who was there when recent storms hit. They are quick to tell you that Jindal cancelled his speech at the Republican National Hooray, packed his bags, and came home. The result… Louisiana had their governor on the home front, working for the people who elected him and he conducted one of the best evacuations in the state’s history. He did it without big government, but even more importantly he did it for the people who put their trust and faith in him. Jindal may very well be the man on his way to a future position as President of the United States. If he takes the same attitude toward that job that he has the governorship, then America will be in safe hands.

A Homeless Stage?

Cnn reported the story about a homeless lady asking Obama for help and his administration offering to help the lady find housing Cnn Story. Several blogs on the net are asking if this was a staged stunt and it may well be. The bottom line is the public will likely never know for certain.

On another note, one of the interesting things about the story is that you can find a little fact near the end concerning Chene Thompson. Mrs. Thompson offered to let the woman live rent-free in a home she owns. While the Obama administration offered to hook the lady up with housing authorities that could still leave her on a waiting list, Mrs. Thompson acted by offering the lady a home immediately. If someone reads the story, they will quickly find out that Mrs. Chene Thompson is a Republican and in fact the wife of a Republican Represenative (Rep. Nicholas Thompson). So whether the lady was placed at the meeting as a staged act or not, the Obama administration offered to use big government to help. Mrs. Thompson offered help on her own without the government. Mrs. Thompson showed she is true to her convictions as a Republican who believes in less government and more people helping people. Simple. Big Government = more waiting for the lady. Small Government = people working together. This is the grass roots of our party and an example we must continue to show, share and shine across America.

Miller County Republican Meeting

The Miller County Republican Committee met on Monday 2-9-2009. Several committees were assigned by the Chairman with a good turnout of volunteers. As reported some months ago, the committee continues to grow. I expect that this may be a trend as the new administration appears to be unsure of future tax burdens. The only thing for certain is that you can not spend money without making money and this is something the Republican Party is certain about. We just hope the Obama administration learns this minor fact also.