From: Gary Welsh
Subject: What Kind of Conservative Are You?
Date: December 4, 2008 9:40:31 PM EST
To: contact@redstate.com

There is nothing more enraging to conservatives like me than conservatives like you who no longer respect the rule of law. Go ahead and make your snarky little comments about the Obama birth certificate issue, but because of idiots like you on our side, this total fraud is now going to be our president. He lied about his birth. He lied about his Muslim upbringing. His college years are a total mystery. Indonesian records show he was adopted by his Indonesian step father and became a citizen there. His autobiography, Dreams From My Father, contains one lie after another. We were told we couldn’t say a damn thing about this issue because of John McCain’s problem with being born in Panama. This is total horse s***. Arnold Schwarzenegger will never be president because of the rule of law, but because idiots like you think you know better and think we all have to be nice little soldiers and go along with the scam, the Manchourian candidate chosen by an illegal secret government that your buddy Newt Gingrich promotes at every turn will do just fine during the Obama years. You and Gingrich should pack up and leave the GOP for good. You sure aren’t helping it out.

No, Gary, I think it guys like you who probably could have been effective mounting an opposition to Obama, but decided to go on a wild goose chase, who are enabling the coming of the Obamessiah.

BTW, I bet you voted for Ron Paul.

Two months ago Sam Van Voorhis calls my old church, says he’s in the PCA, and he needs to know the circumstances surrounding why I was no longer at that church. The church secretary hang up on him after he became angry when she wouldn’t tell him why I was no longer there. The only thing I can connect it to is a couple of posts I wrote questioning who was making the independent expenditures for the party.

A week ago a friend pointed me to the flawed absentee ballot mailer in Georgia and connected it to Sam Van Voorhis.

I called a friend at the NRSC. He confirmed it was Voorhis’s group that did it.

Yesterday I finger Van Voorhis.

Today, Van Voorhis calls the church again, does the same thing, demands to know why I was no longer at the church, etc. The preacher tells me the guy was really rude.

Tonight my friend from the NRSC calls and tells me it was his mistake. Van Voorhis’s group was not connected to the mail piece and Van Voorhis did not get to decide who would do the mail for Georgia anyway.

This all adds up to a barrel of rotten fish.

Insert lines about Denmark here. My gut tells me there is something very suspicious here.

UPDATE: Having posted this, some friends connected to party operations here in Georgia tell me they were told weeks ago that Van Voorhis’s company would be doing the absentee ballot in question.

So it has finally wound up going to the Supreme Court. Big freaking deal. I have asked, and the contributors have long agreed, to avoid this topic.

Now that it is making legitimate headlines, let me offer my very firm opinion on the matter.

(1) There is reasonable doubt on the issue.

(2) The issue is being badly misreported, including making statements about the legal proceedings relating to Phillip Berg and others that are simply not true.

(3) The whole thing with David Souter and Clarence Thomas is offensive to me. The Court treated the matter as any matter would be treated and all of a sudden, because something was done by SCOTUS, the matter has been given a legitimacy it does not deserve. If it were a suit to demand Obama hand over his martian DNA, it would have been treated the exact same way. The only reason Clarence Thomas referred it on to the other black robes is because he has a great sense of humor and knew they all needed a laugh.

(4) And this is my biggest one: let’s say it is all true. Let’s say Obama really is from Kenya. Let’s say the birth certificate, despite being validated by a Republican administration in Hawaii and despite a birth announcement in a Hawaiian newspaper — let’s say it’s all a fraud. So what? Does anyone really, really think five justices of the United States Supreme Court are going to throw him out of office or deny him the right to run again? Seriously? After over 50% of the nation voted to elect him? That will not happen. And if it did, there’d be a greater percentage of people up in arms over than voted for the guy.

So, in all of this talk about the birth certificate, the people pushing the story are distracting themselves from the real news. I bet Obama is really, really thrilled that so many people are focusing on the birth certificate because these same people will wholly ignore all the other stuff.

The real story here is not that Obama is a foreigner. He’s not. The story is Obama’s pattern of lying. It wouldn’t surprise me if he listed himself as Kenyan to get preferred treatment at Harvard. There are lots of lies that I can believe. The man talks out of both sides of his mouth to get his way and get ahead.

But the birth certificate stuff is a total distraction.

Here you go. Have at it.

A couple of things to go over here:

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After being sent home over Thanksgiving to revise their pitches for a multi-billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded “bridge loan” to keep them a float through the end of the year, Michigan’s “Big Three” automakers returned to Capitol Hill this week to renew their respective cases.

The retooled bailout plan included requests from automotive manufacturers that Congress pass legislation requiring every individual to purchase a vehicle (whether or not the definition of “everybody” includes Americans who are under the age of 16 or resident aliens is expected to be worked out at a later time) and mandating the price of gas be cut by 30%.

The preceding paragraph is, of course, not true. However, if it sounds more than a bit over the top to you (as it should), then consider this: America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the official lobby of the national health insurance industry, has made a series of recommendations to Congress for health care “reform” that is identical to the aforementioned example in every way except one: it’s real.

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Matt Lewis pointed it out. So does Michael Barone.

I agree with them. Because Saxby guarantees the Democrats can’t get to 60 in the Senate, Al Franken’s victory becomes rather meaningless to a group of people who don’t much like him anyway. The odds decrease daily that the United States Senate will sit Al Franken — especially considering he has never led during the recount despite his campaign’s statements to the contrary.

For Franken though, tempers are still flaring.

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The city of Chicago is pushing through two changes: first, side streets will now only be plowed during union working hours, which apparently are weekdays 7am-3pm (hat tip: Neal Boortz, via americanthinker.com):

CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Richard M. Daley said Tuesday that city crews will cut back on plowing side streets this winter in an effort to save money. The mayor said the city will only plow side streets during weekday union business hours this winter, rather than during overtime hours.

The other change? City parking meters are being outsourced and will have their rates double or more over the next 5 years, plus the meters will have to be fed 24/7 (hat tip: my wonderful girlfriend):

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From the diaries, by Erick.

The WSJ has an interesting opinion piece written by David Kopel, of the Cato Institute. It discusses the recent news regarding Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress and the incident in a New York nightclub where he possessed an unlicensed, in NY, loaded glock and he accidently shot himself in the leg. The point Mr. Kopel brings up is regarding New York City’s gun law, which states if a person is found to be carrying a firearm illegally, it carries a minimum three and a half year prison sentence, and how it punishes those that are discriminated by the state for not recognizing out of state permits and not issuing permits to non-residents, which in the wake of Heller, is up for discussion.

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Folks, just so you know, we do have a few bugs to work out around here. We (meaning Neil) are working them out as fast as possible. I appreciate all the positive emails and comments about the transition. We thought you’d like it.

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From the dairies by Erick. Dang is it easy to promote now!

Apparently, the Service Employees International Union is worried about the state of California’s budget. The SEIU, one of the nation’s biggest employee unions for state workers, would like Sacramento to know they have a cure for the millions in the red state budget.

Could it be that the union is going to offer cutbacks for its exorbitant union perks? Maybe a cut in their overly generous pension is in order? How about a cut in the pay scale that they enjoy, a scale that exceeds the private sector in nearly every way?

Well, don’t be ridiculous. The union is not offering to help the state with its budget. The union is demanding that the state raise taxes to keep them in the lifestyle to which they undeservedly have become accustomed.

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Yesterday, I wrote about Sam Van Voorhis. He is the independent expenditure guy for the NRSC. People tell me, including people at the NRSC, that Van Voorhis has, in his position as independent expenditure director, directed money to Majority Strategies a/k/a NextWave Communications. Sam happens to run that shop.

You can read about it here.

Today, my preacher calls. Or, I guess I should say former preacher, though he is still my preacher. Christy and I have moved churches.

In any event, my preacher calls and says some guy named Sam Van Voorhis called demanding to know why I no longer go to church there. Sam Van Voorhis claimed to be in the Presbyterian Church of America (my denomination) and insisted on information. My preacher says Sam was rather unpleasant when they would not cooperate.

What is more interesting is that Sam called a few months ago doing the exact same thing to the church secretary. Sam needed, for some reason, to make sure I hadn’t been forced out of the church.

Sam, I think, is looking for dirt on me.

Fascinating.

Hey, don’t scowl at me: scowl at the New York Times.  It’s their headline:

WASHINGTON - On the campaign trail, Senator Barack Obama offered a pledge that electrified and motivated his liberal base, vowing to “end the war” in Iraq.

But as he moves closer to the White House, President-elect Obama is making clearer than ever that tens of thousands of American troops will be left behind in Iraq, even if he can make good on his campaign promise to pull all combat forces out within 16 months.

“I said that I would remove our combat troops from Iraq in 16 months, with the understanding that it might be necessary - likely to be necessary - to maintain a residual force to provide potential training, logistical support, to protect our civilians in Iraq,” Mr. Obama said this week as he introduced his national security team.

Publicly at least, Mr. Obama has not set a firm number for that “residual force,” a phrase certain to become central to the debate on the way ahead in Iraq, though one of his national security advisers, Richard Danzig, said during the campaign that it could amount to 30,000 to 55,000 troops. Nor has Mr. Obama laid out any timetable beyond 16 months for troop drawdowns, or suggested when he believes a time might come for a declaration that the war is over.

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This is your must read of the day.

The impulse to blame social conservatives arises nearly every time Republicans fail. They were blamed for the elder Bush’s 1992 defeat, as though he would have won if only Pat Robertson had not spoken at the Republican convention. They were blamed for losses in the House in 1998. And now they are being blamed for McCain’s rout.

Exactly, and without them the GOP can’t win.

Ramesh continues

If the pundits’ advice were right, Republicans would be doomed, since they are highly unlikely to take it. Luckily, that advice is misguided. No, actually, it is worse than that: The case that an overemphasis on socially conservative positions has been a major cause of Republican defeats is obviously ridiculous.

Hahahahaha. This is way too funny.

Elections officials in Minnesota’s largest city today discovered that one precinct came up 133 ballots short of election day totals, resulting in a net loss for Democratic challenger Al Franken of 36 votes.

The development wipes away what had been a boon for Franken in his bid to overtake Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, after Ramsey County officials found an additional 37 votes for Franken from a Maplewood precinct on Tuesday.

Mind you, Franken has been telling everyone he was in the lead. Not quite so now.

Karma.

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There is a minor little skirmish going on in feminist-land over the quasi-revelation that Michelle Obama will be spending more time raising her kids than in trying to be the Assistant President. It seems the fems are looking more for a Hillary activist-type than a Jacqueline Kennedy-style Cosmo fashion plate & stay-at-home mom. For right now, Mrs. Obama appears to be headed down the mommy path.

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The hard left, I must say, has shown remarkable patience in light of the middle ground the Obama Administration-In-Waiting has cautiously taken since election day. Oh, there’s been some grumbling about all the Clintonistas the O-Team is stocking the executive branch with, The One’s realization that perhaps it might be best to let the Bush tax cuts simply expire rather than repeal them during a recession and his decision to keep SECDEF Robert Gates around for a while. But the more unhinged of those Obama supporters hoping for change haven’t rioted in the streets in large numbers. There have been no hostages taken with demands that the post of Secretary of Defense be renamed to Minister of Peace and Dennis Kucinch appointed.

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Mark Kilmer wrote about him here. Mark noted:

Unnamed Senator talks to Roger Simon of Politico.com:

“I don’t think we have learned much from the election in terms of what people want to see,” he says. “We have the same gridlock.”

By the “same gridlock,” he means that party hard-liners, both Democrats and Republicans, will remain in control of the machinery of Congress. And that means more of the same. It means more politics as usual — especially in his party.

“We need someone who speaks from the center,” he says. “Sarah Palin is not the voice of our party.”

It perhaps will surprise no one to learn that “Senator Anonymous” is none other than Senator Mel Martinez.

Roll Call reports today Senator Martinez did not even bother telling NRSC Chairman Senator John Cornyn that he was going to retire.

Good riddance.

My name is John Fleming and I am running for Congress in Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District. We are the last congressional race in the country. Voters go to the polls this Saturday, December 6, and I am asking each of you to join my campaign and help start the movement to take back the House. I am a man of conviction, drive and the desire to uphold America’s constitution. I want to go to Washington with a single purpose: to represent the people as a servant leader.

I am a true social and fiscal conservative. Unlike many so-called politicians today, I am standing firm on my conservative values and traditions. My top priority is helping our economy by supporting tax cuts and drilling to create American jobs.

I am endorsed by Governor Bobby Jindal, Senator David Vitter, Representative Charles Boustany, Representative Steve Scalise, Representative Rodney Alexander and Representative Jim McCrery.

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Are they asking us to vote? Yes, actually, they are. And the following got my “Die” vote in spades.

Just so you’re clear, Jesus mocking the Bible is “funny”, whereas voting on a matter of law is tantamount to enslavement.

You know, first it was “The More You Know”. Then “This is your brain on drugs”. Then “George Bush hates black people,” “Yes We Can,” and “Don’t Vote” … when are television and Hollywood going to stop cramming their religion down our throats? Aren’t they, like, against proselytizing?

When Hollywood and their Democrat underlings see your religion they say keep it in your pants. And that’s about the only thing they want out of the public square.