Sheridan Folger for North East Regional Delegate Patriot Caucus

Fellow Patriots,

If you haven't yet heard about The Patriot Caucus, you should go

check it out as soon as possible. The event, scheduled for April 16-18 2010 in Valley Forge, promises to bring a fresh way of building unity and collaboration
within the liberty movement.

The national infrastructure of The Patriot Caucus is not going to be self appointed. In fact it won't be appointed at all! Instead, the infrastructure is elected.

I'm running for North East Regional Delegate in The Patriot Caucus. But in order to get my name on the ballot in Valley Forge, I need 150 "endorsements" or votes as they're called.

I want 1000!

If you have a minute, please visit my page on The Patriot Caucus and consider supporting my run for North East Regional Delegate. All you need to do to support me is leave a comment on the site.

Please Join the Official Facebook Page and Twitter and SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

Your help on this would be greatly
appreciated!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT ME

Please Join the Official Facebook Page and Twitter and SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

For Liberty & Sovereignty,
-Sheridan Folger

The Patriot Caucus

The purpose of the Patriot Caucus is to directly address each of the shortfalls facing our nation.

-Leadership
-Unity
-Electoral Victory

Before we get in to what the Patriot Caucus is, let’s make sure we know what it isn’t.

The Patriot Caucus is NOT an effort to replace any organization. It is not an effort to duplicate any plans and it is not in place to try to be the “mega group” of the movement.

The Patriot Caucus is NOT a political party, nor does it support or endorse a political party. And the effort is certainly not an effort to back third party movements. In fact, the Patriot Caucus will strive to be as “party blind” as possible with its political activism.

So what is it?

The Patriot Caucus is a peer powered entity being put in place to facilitate an environment of mass collaboration and communication within the liberty movement.

Every leadership position within the national structure will be an elected position. Each of these leadership positions will function as a “delegate” for a district, state or region.

Unlike a political party or existing organization, delegates within the Patriot Caucus exist to build bridges of communication between liberty minded groups and activist hubs. This is to be done with the following action items in play:

-Create a coherent, organized, state based directory of liberty minded coalitions, groups, orgs, think tanks, candidates and more
-Host conference calls and meetings with group leaders and movement organizers across districts and states
-Set up training events in districts and states (with involvement of groups and orgs)
-Collaborate with state and national communications teams to help market and promote events/efforts of existing groups, coalitions and orgs
-Work to ensure less duplication of efforts occurs
-Collaborate with delegates of other states for potential of unified efforts across state borders

And much, MUCH more!

As you can see, Patriot Caucus delegates are not in place to lead organizations. They are, instead, in place to help create unity and collaboration amongst existing groups and orgs. And to take it a step further… help promote and market efforts/events of existing groups and orgs.

The electoral system of the Patriot Caucus is in place to ensure that the structure is not self appointed or partisan in any way. Instead of having individuals self appoint or be appointed, the patriot Caucus creates an environment where states elect their own delegates. And those delegates elect national leadership teams.

This all sounds very ambitious… is it really possible to pull off?

When we first starting debating this idea, we were reminded of the challenges presented to General George Washington back in the late 1700’s. His army was broken into segments, was untrained, wasn’t properly communicating, wasn’t operating with proper resources, and major parts of the army were not supporting each other.

During the winter of 1777-78, Washington set up camp in Valley Forge and began doing what was believed by many to be impossible.

He regrouped, rebuilt, and eventually… reclaimed.

Is the Patriot Caucus possible? Absolutely.

Valley Forge, PA

To take this effort even further, we’ve booked a large venue in Valley Forge for the weekend of April 16-18 of 2010.

On April 16-18, 2010, we will convene for the first annual meeting of the Patriot Caucus in Valley Forge, PA.

There will be no charge for attending the three day event, but there will be a credentialing process. Each state will have a specific number of reserved seats to ensure a voting block for every state in the union.

On April 15th, we will make a move on Washington D.C. for one final warning. One final statement to Congress. One final plea for a reversal.

After the nationwide Tax Day Tea Party, the Patriot Caucus convenes for three days of meetings, panels, training sessions and more.

When we leave Valley Forge on April 19th, we leave prepared to do what is necessary to remove power hungry thugs from Congress and Senate.

This is our government. This is our country. This is our time.

Stay tuned for the public launch of the Patriot Caucus. A website is in the works. Free registration and a nominating process will roll out before the end of 2009.

There is a temporary “planning committee” in place that consists of nine tea party organizers. This committee will serve as the foundational leadership until April 18th, the day the full national infrastructure is voted for and approved to take over the Patriot Caucus.

Please join the Facebook Page and keep an eye out for the next announcement.

For Liberty,
-The Patriot Caucus planning committee

If you have a minute, please visit my page on The Patriot Caucus and consider supporting my run for North East Regional Delegate.

Busted

The Baltimore office of ACORN gives tax advice to two people posing as a pimp and a prostitute who say they want to import underage teenagers from El Salvidor to work in the States as prostitutes. ACORN receives federal funding and has had numerous run-ins with the law usually regarding voter fraud. This however is a new low, at best these ACORN employees are condoning the human trafficking of underage girls, and in reality are likely breaking numerous laws.



Note: Except for when ACORN received government funding, I've posted very little about ACORN post-election. The public had their chance to learn about ACORN if they wished, they made their decision, voted, done deal, the race is over. However, this is insane. Democrats have to step to the plate, and renounce this. I in no way think that candidates aided by ACORN or any rationale human with any semblance of a moral compass thinks that human trafficking is acceptable. However, this is an example of an organization not just acting questionably, but this is evidence that ACORN has completely gone of the rails. Any politician to weak to stand up against ACORN will now be tying themselves to an organization that condoned prostitution and indirectly promoted human trafficking.

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ACORN Condones Prostitution

Whole Foods CEO Under Fire

Whole Foods is facing a boycott because its CEO John Mackey wrote an Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal opposing government run health care. Mackey's thoughtful article gave eight ideas for health care reform, and is not anywhere near what most rationale people consider provocative or radical. On the contrary, he is one of few public figures to put together a clear, concise, well-reasoned approach to health care reform. For his trouble he's being boycotted by those on the far left who can not accept that not everyone shares their point of view. The WSJ article is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in health care reform...

The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare - Eight things we can do to improve health care without adding to the deficit.

The following excerpt Food Fight Over Health Care, from a transcript of On the Record with Greta Vansusteren, also illustrates that Mackey is good person who does right by his employees, and is absurdly being targeted for vocalizing his opinion on health care reform. Hopefully those who see the injustice in this will counter the boycott by stopping by a Whole Foods store and picking up some groceries.

BRIAN SULLIVAN, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK: The irony of this story, Greta, is that if John Mackey, who is the CEO of Whole Food who has been running the company, started the company in Austin Texas about 30 years ago, if he had positioned what he positioned in "The Journal" when we were not considering health care, this would have been considered radical reform. He said here are eight ideas as a successful CEO that I have, including tort reform, allowing insurers cross state lines, self-directed ideas. And yet he is vilified by some of the more liberal followers out there of the president's plan. They are, as you said, waging war against Whole Foods, 18,000 on Facebook in a boycott. There is Web page set up. And they are calling him, get this, Greta, a right-wing zealot. VAN SUSTEREN: This CEO of Whole Foods, in 2007, he said he had enough money to live comfortably, so in 2007 he cut his salary down to $1 a year, and he donated all of the proceeds from his stock option to charity. This does not sound like a guy who wants to stick it to the poor when it comes to health care. He had a different idea, and that was what was in the "Wall Street Journal." SULLIVAN: He is a self-described libertarian. And I do not know if that was angered some people. Not only was he taking $1, but he pushed this through, Greta, a $100,000 need-based fund for Whole Foods workers. They offer domestic partners same sex benefits at Whole Foods. Heretofore this has been considered a relatively progressive company. Now he comes out and says the government-run plan is not the way to go. And he is absolutely being slaughtered on the left side of the blogosphere.

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A Misguided Boycott Of Whole Foods

An Indepedent Call

My latest book, An Independent Call, is now available at Amazon.com. An Indpendent Call - From New Hampshire On recounts the experience of a wary Independent slowly being won over by the McCain campaign during the primary process, and eventually becoming a campaign volunteer and credentialed blogger. This book relates stories of political craziness from the primaries through the general election, shedding light on the opportunities and experiences provided to those who volunteer. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

Rockingham NH County Commissioner, Maureen Barrows, recommends An Independent Call stating that it is, "A must read for anyone interested in the day to day life of a volunteer in a political campaign...attention to detail is brilliant." --Maureen Barrows

-Katherine Morrison

Free Iran Recap - Freedom Via Internet

Since the election in Iran on the 12th of June, information about the protests and brutal government crackdowns has flowed in via the internet, particularly social media sites, and specifically Twitter. Twitter was the first place to provide information about the protests as the media largely missed the story in the beginning. Now the flow of information out of Iran has slowed due to massive arrests and violent government oppression. Along with the slowing of information, the main stream media's attention has been diverted. Yet this remains a topic that deserves continued public attention. People are fighting for their freedom under unimaginable conditions.

Here is a recap of some of the videos, stories, and information that has come out of Iran along with the role technology has played...

Total Oppression Versus Open Communication in Iran

In an early show of force students were beaten in their dorm rooms, and their rooms were trashed, computers and the like destroyed. Angered by the brutal beat downs, many professors at Tehran University protested by resigning. Hospital workers who treated the students, also disgusted by the government’s brutality, went on strike the following day to protest the students’ treatment.

Foreign media was banned, journalists have been jailed. Due to the crackdown, citizen journalism virtually the only way the story is getting to the rest of the world.

Iranian government claims that death of Neda was staged by the opposition. They prevent any form of public mourning for both Neda and the many others killed in the protests.

Soccer Team Members who wore green armbands during a game are permanently banned from the sport.

British representatives expelled from the country.

Special courts established for trying arrested protesters.

Mass show of force and violent suppression of peaceful protests continue.

Videos: The first video shows the death of Neda a young Iranian woman who has come to symbolize the Free Iran movement. She was shot while simply watching the protests, and reportedly died by her father's side. Be warned that the first two videos are very graphic and disturbing. The third video, while somewhat less graphic, but is also quite disturbing.

*VERY GRAPHIC* Young Lady Dies on Streets of Iran

*Very Graphic* Video of Iran Protests and Man Badly Beaten

Shooting of Iranian Students Caught on Camera

Massive Show of Force on Streets of Iran

Video of voter fraud in Iranian Election

June 20 Iran Protesters Face Off with Police

Crowds During June 20th Protests

Riot Police Attack Protesters in Iran

Video Showing Scope of Iranian Protests

This Week's Articles:

This week a violent beat down of protesters was under reported as the flow of information slows. CNN and the AP both had reports on this brutality...

AP Reports Iran Security Forces Again Beat Down the Opposition Protesters

Distraught woman describes the brutality to CNN, Reports of Brutal Crackdown In Iran

Article's Prior to the June 20th Protests

Concern About Khamenei’s Statements

Arrests and Protests Continue in Iran

American’s Practical Support of A Free Iran

Articles About the Role of the Internet in post-Election Iran

Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’ Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Following Iran Elections on Twitter – A Lesson in Freedom and Technology

Google Farsi - English Traslator: Google launches Farsi - English translator Thursday night/Friday morning. A hugely helpful tool that aids communication, and understanding of news directly from Iran.

Cable and Network News relying on Twitter: Saturday the 20th, with a government imposed blackout of foreign media CNN and others have to rely on citizen journalists along with Twitter and other social media sites to gather news. Protests are scheduled even though Ayatola Khamenei has made statements that suggest a possibly violent crackdown on protesters. Reports of tear gas used and armed police barricades used to disperse crowds.

Students Shot on Camera: A tweet linked to this video of Iranian students being shot

A graphic YouTube video of a woman's death (Neda) becomes a symbol of the movement. Trending topic on Twitter is #Neda as references to the video, and her life show how moved people were by her tragic death.

Mousavi Facebook post: Through a post on Facebook it has been reported that Mir-Hossein Mousavi has stated that he is "ready for martyrdom."

Embassies Take Wounded Iranians: Word spreads quickly on June 20th that many European embassies are taking care of wounded Iranians. These embassies along with their address/directions were also diseminated through Twitter. The safety of the hospitals is in question, and the Canadian embassy is pressured (via use of Twitter) to open its embassy too, yet embassy remained closed on Saturday.

Iran Elections and the Internet

An interesting subplot to the Iranian elections is that the internet is providing people more information than major news networks...Dear CNN, Please Check Twitter for News About Iran

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Since writing about the Twitter Effect in Iran, and the role of the Internet as a whole, I have also been interviewed on radio and TV. For more info on appearances, please visit the Broad Side of the Barn.

Twitter, Iran, and Cracking the Totalitarian Model

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, 'Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.' Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Yet now there is Twitter, other social networks, and the internet at large. It's wise for Tweeters and others to understand that the deck is still stacked against those protesting the election. The Iranian government still controls the media, and in a textbook totalitarian move they have banned foreign press. While members of the Twitter community have set up proxy servers for people in Iran to use, the government has shut down known internet connections, which means that in all likelihood a large majority of Iranians are only hearing the official government version of events.

Yet protests continue and news spreads in large part due to Twitter and the internet. This is not something past totalitarian regimes have had to deal with. There are enough Iranians using Twitter (or other forms of communication) to organize that protests continue. The government has not been able to implement complete control. Hopefully those watching, participating, and following #iranelection on Twitter recognize that there is a definite possibility that this ends very badly as totalitarian regimes are also brutal. The reality is that what results from this is wholly a guess, but it changes the playing field and gives voice to those who previously had none. Person to person communication tools change the dynamic shifting, at least some of the power to the people, and puts a crack in structure of totalitarianism.

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Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

Obama Takes Cues from McCain

As a staunch McCain supporter I'm over the defeat; that is except when the Obama administration attempts to use parts of the McCain platform that they previously criticized. When the Obama administration followed the McCain plan in their Iraq and Afghanistan I was relieved. They weren't as reckless as their campaign statements made them appear. Also, I have to give them a gamesmanship points (even if they lose honesty points) for completely sticking it to the far left without making them angry. Yet the annoyance started when Obama used the McCain rhetoric about the economy without including all that pesky fiscal discipline. The statements post stimulus about strong economic fundamentals were practically verbatim what Senator McCain said during the election. Now health care is on the table and so is taxing employer based health insurance. Remember Obama campaign ads revolved around the idea that this was a terrible plan for Senator McCain to propose. Now it apparently is not such a bad idea. What makes it worse is that in the McCain plan there was a $5000 tax credit that would have off-set the tax. There will be no tax credit with the Democrat's plan, so any tax assessed is coming right out of your pocket. I'll get over the annoyance, but if the Obama administration keeps adapting McCain ideas the least they could do is adopt his fiscal discipline (and math skills) too.

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Obama Using McCain Ideas

Letterman Boycott

Greta Van Susteren is correct in her analysis that Letterman 'doesn't get it'. His defenders don't get it either. While there are numerous issues that these comments bring up. The basic fact remains there are boundaries (or should be), and the children of public figures should be left alone.

Other good articles regarding Letterman's joke and pathetic apology...

Did David Letterman Get a Free Pass

Dear David Letterman

Steele Suggests Boycott of David Letterman

From my perspective Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune in the article Palin is Right About Letterman has it right

For that matter, it's hard to see what Bristol has done to deserve the ridicule. It's not her fault her mother is a national political figure. Dealing with her situation is hard enough without being under a media spotlight.

Instead of acting as though he's the victim of someone else's misunderstanding, as he did last night, Letterman ought to simply admit he blew it, big time, and personally apologize to the Palins and his viewers.

He also should to keep in mind that if you're going to ridicule someone's sex life, you might pick on someone your own size. And make very sure you have the right person.

Letterman Doesn't Get It

Palin Letterman Feud Starting

While the Palin Letterman feud heats up, lets look at why David Letterman's bad joke appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

1. Letterman likely jumped on the Palins' last nerve when he made a crude joke at their daughter's expense. Governor Palin hasn't just been criticized, she and her her family have been attacked in a particularly hateful way, and at some point that has to wear thin particularly when ones children are targetted.

2. The Palin's reaction conqsequently was a little overreaching. It seems unlikely that Letterman was referring to the Palin's 14 year old daughter as the Palins thought. Circumstances pointed to the fourteen year old, but Letterman accurately pointed out that he doesn't have a history of making crude remarks referencing children. However, making vulgar remarks about any of the candidates/politician's kids is inexcusable, they didn't choose the public life and should be left alone (and 18 is still pretty young). The Palin's anger is completely justified and understandable.

3. Lots of people are fed up with jokes about female politicians always going 'there.' This can be seen in the HillBuzz blog (a Clinton supporters blog) requesting a boycott of Letterman sponsors. The lead in to the joke about the Palin girl was a crack about Palin looking like a "slutty stewardess." Like Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin has been the brunt of jokes and criticism that directly critique her appearance and sexuality. As hated as Bush and Cheney were in the last eight years, no one criticized their appearance or made explicit comments and jokes about them the way they have about Clinton and Palin. Again Letterman stomped on a raw nerve.

4. Some will be angry at the remark, others will be angry at anything referencing Governor Palin. Therefor this is is going to be big. Palin supporters can be quite intense (and oddly similar to the fervent Obama supporters). They're not likely to let it go, and the left's kooky raging Palin hatred means they won't let it go either.

So there you have it, we're in for a broohaha. Letterman's apology was weak because he was starky towards the Palins, and didn't recognize the fact that all of their kids should be off-limits particularly when making off-color jokes. Michael Steele has addressed the Palin Letterman matter by saying,

"Letterman's joke about Sarah and Todd Palin's daughter was thoughtless and tacky," Steele said in a statement to The Hill. "I saw his explanation for the joke, but sometimes the easiest thing to do is simply say 'I'm sorry.'"

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"When Letterman starts making tasteless jokes about kids, it's time to turn the channel,"

Senator McCain defended the Palins saying,

"I don't understand why Letterman would say that about a young woman," McCain said during a telephone interview on Thursday. "They (the Palins) deserve some kind of protection from being the butt of late-night hosts."

As Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune sums up the situation in his article Palin is Right About Letterman by stating...

It's hard to see what Bristol has done to deserve the ridicule. It's not her fault her mother is a national political figure. Dealing with her situation is hard enough without being under a media spotlight.

Instead of acting as though he's the victim of someone else's misunderstanding, as he did last night, Letterman ought to simply admit he blew it, big time, and personally apologize to the Palins and his viewers.

He also should to keep in mind that if you're going to ridicule someone's sex life, you might pick on someone your own size. And make very sure you have the right person.

CBS's Feedback Form

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Palin Letterman Politics

Senator Brownback on Gitmo

Senator Brownback talked to bloggers today laying out the problems with closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. The most pressing of these problems is what to do with the detainees. Senator Brownback explains that one commonly overlooked risk of bringing prisoners to U.S. prisons is that the surrounding prison communities may be subject to violent acts by groups making political statements about the prisoners' detention. He also explains that the Geneva Convention says that prisoners of war will not be held along with a general prison population. Senator Brownback lays out numerous reasons why closing Guantanamo is poorly thought out, and is decisively lacking a realistic and safe plan. The propsal also lacks support both in Congress and among the American people. A new Gallup poll shows that by a 2 to 1 margin Americans Oppose Closing Gitmo and Moving Prisoners to U.S.

This call is worth listening to as one may be surprised at the number of solid reasons the Senator gives for opposing the Obama adminstration's call to close Guantanamo.
Blogger Call with Senator Brownback

Brownback Talks Guantanamo and Foreign Policy « Purple People Vote

Pelosi Apologize or Prove CIA Lied

While some may see the following statements by John Boehner as politically motivated, in truth he has a strong point to make. If the CIA lied to Nancy Pelosi that's illegal, and Pelosi should follow through on providing evidence so that that they will be held accountable. If the CIA did not lie then they are (at least) owed an apology.

Tonight Show Appearance

Free Us Now Radio Featured Guest, Author Katherine Morrison

Featured Radio Presentation

Monday Night May 4th soROARity
Katherine J. Morrison
"Author of An Independent Call"

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Free Us Now guest, Katherine Morrison wrote a book about the 2008 presidential election. The book entitled An Independent Call, chronicles the journey of an Independent New Hampshirite from wary observer of town hall meetings to eventual McCain supporter and volunteer. It is an amusing look at the events of a campaign. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Republican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at the lowest level politics from an outsider's perspective. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

Rockingham NH County Commissioner, Maureen Barrows, recommends An Independent Call stating that it is- "A must read for anyone interested in the day to day life of a volunteer in a political campaign-attention to detail is brilliant."

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No radio needed The Free Us Now Radio show is online - If your computer is down no problem call on the phone and hear the entire show right on the phone- Please come! Monday 10 PM eastern/ Bring your questions.
Call-in 347 539-5420.

Event: Free Us Now Radio Show
Host: BettyJean Kling
Start Time: Monday, at 10:00pm
End Time: Monday, at 11:30pm
Where: http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/NO-WE-WONT
Call-in:  347 539-5420

You Too May Be A Radical...

Tea Party protesters won a victory today as the mainstream media could not ignore their protests like they have in the past. As expected some of the media described the protesters as radicals (ever-classy and most-trusted Anderson Cooper of CNN used an obscene joke to describe the attendees) despite the pictures showing peaceful gatherings of people of all ages in attendance. Yet media logic dictates if you don't love Obama, you must be crazy.

Yet it's not just the media searching for crazy. A report was leaked by DHS on "Rightwing Extremism." To quote the report,

Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.

Dang it, I'm a radical. There were signs, once in high school I got a detention for a overdue library book; even back then I was bad. My internet chatter about obscene government spending has all been a clever ploy to manipulate my readers to take radical action like, 'vote the bums out,' or 'tell your representatives what you think.' I tell you I'm bad, and if I didn't have a job or a cold I would have been one of those crazy tea party animals too. You need further proof that I'm a radical? How about this...

Rightwing extremist views bemoan the decline of U.S. stature and have recently focused on themes such as the loss of U.S. manufacturing capability to China and India, Russia’s control of energy resources and use of these to pressure other countries, and China’s investment in U.S. real estate and corporations as a part of subversion strategy.

Well there you have it. I'm concerned that China owns us, and all our debt, I must be a radical. Granted, I'm a centrist on guns and immigration, and lean a bit left on the social issues discussed in the report, but imagine my surprise to find out that I've been cavorting with other radicals over the past 2 years by volunteering for the McCain campaign. Pro-life, pro-second amendment, high concentration of veterans, don't let the good humor, sarcastic wit, family values, and helpful manner fool you - we were all a big bunch of radicals, just ask MSNBC.

Now I know there is a serious side to this report. Every group in every country has its nutballs, and its the governments main job to protect its citizens from radicals of all sorts. Yet this seems like a veiled attempt to blur the line between staunch conservatives and radical Klan-like groups, when in reality that is a very clear and distict line. Veterans in particular are owed an apology for their less than flattering portrayal in this report. As for me, I'm going to keep chattering about the economy, and take pride in the fact that someone out there thinks I'm radical.

You May Be A Radical Too...

NH Independent and Veteran Canvas Hampton

Excerpt from An Independent Call the story a New Hampshire Independent McCain Supporter

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Finally, on a more upbeat note, one trait that Senator McCain shares with a good number of his fellow veterans is a wicked sense of humor. While I’d like to say that my rationale for voting McCain was all high minded, I have to admit his sense of humor roped me in in the beginning. It’s probably part of the reason I enjoyed so many of the events with veterans; I’m sure there are veterans out there that lack a sense of humor, but overall I found them quite fun to be around.

During the general election I headed out to canvas a neighborhood with a veteran named Wes. He drove; I hopped out and knocked on the doors. We were canvassing Hampton Beach, a sort of unfortunate task in late Fall to early Winter, since not a lot of people stay at their beach house when the temperature drops. The sheets given to guide us to the appropriate address were accompanied by a brief survey asking whether the occupant was home and whom they were supporting for the different elected offices. The numbering of houses and condos on these sheets could be hard to follow, as locations were not necessarily listed in numerical order. Condo complexes could be particularly difficult to figure out. For instance, 5 Ocean Boulevard unit 16 could be a different page from 5 Ocean Boulevard unit 14, and unit 15 would simply not be on the list at all. The other problem was that you often had to be allowed or buzzed into many of these condo complexes. This basically meant looking for condos, routinely unoccupied due to the season that, even if occupied, could not be accessed. Consequently, we’d just drop a stack of literature on their doorstep, which will likely be picked up sometime this coming June.

So in the process of trying to locate a particular address on Ocean Boulevard, Wes backed his car up right into a pole. Looking down, arranging literature at the time, I was startled at the hit and said, ‘Ooo!’ and looked over at Wes. Thinking, this can’t be good we both hopped out of the car and took a look at his bumper. There was a new yellow stripe down the back side of his car and he said, “Ah, it’s just paint.” Relieved that it wasn’t too serious and that the damage didn’t trouble Wes, we hopped back into the car, and started trying to figure out where our next stop was. As we headed forward we spotted the house number of the next stop; Wes hit the brakes and his coffee flew off the dashboard, hitting me in the arm and soaking my left side. This time Wes looked stunned as I sat there looking at my sweater covered in coffee. “Well, it’s not hot,” I said. He handed me towels and clearly felt badly that I was wearing his drink. I had a t-shirt on under the sweater, so I hopped out of the car again, rung out the sweater and dried it off as best I could with some towels, put it back on, and hopped back into the car. While I smelled of coffee all day, the sweater was dark so it didn’t really matter.

We got through the rest of the doors without much incident, but had trouble finding one particular side street. Finally, we found the tiny narrow street in question; we headed down to the end where we eventually spotted the number of the home on a trashcan outside of a sliding glass door. I got out, knocked on the door, and a young guy, who apparently had just woken up, and was wearing a pair of old boxers and a t-shirt opened the door, saying nothing.

‘Hi, I’m a volunteer with the McCain campaign, and…’

‘No,’ he said and he shut the door and went back to bed.

I got back in the car and said, “Obama.”

As we started to head out of the narrow street I looked back, and Wes said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hit anything… …I saw you watching.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything.”

On the way back to the office he said, “You did a good job.”

“Thanks. You too…”

“Except for the pole.”

“Well that and the coffee, but other than that you did a good job.”

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Veteran's Good Humor

In The Beginning - It's Curiosity

Excerpt from An Independent Call the amusing story of a New Hampshire McCain supporter.

In the beginning I just thought I’d go see the different candidates at the campaign events in New Hampshire. Four years prior, not long after I moved to New Hampshire from Massachusetts, my sister was volunteering for Senator Kerry’s campaign. She’s a loyal and active Democrat; our parents are Republicans. We talked on the phone after the Iowa caucuses when Howard Dean screamed during his concession speech. She hadn’t heard it called the ‘I have a Scream Speech’ yet, and I said that I felt for him. I figured if I were in politics that would be the sort of thing that would take me out. It wouldn’t be scandal or corruption; I’d simply do something so embarrassing that no one would take me seriously again.

My sister told of a news clip she had just seen of a woman who had met Senator Kerry, then fainted. The video looked like a shot from the Wizard of Oz with Senator Kerry standing over a pair of feet. I was starting to realize that I had missed quite a show by not attending Primary events, so I simply thought this time it would be interesting to see. I certainly had no plans of picking a candidate early, and no interest in joining a campaign. I thought it might give me something to write about on my website, but basically I was just curious.

Credible ABC Journalist

Since much of today's media has such a blatant school-girl crush on President Obama, it is important to not only point out the shmoes who can't resist telling America that President Obama gives them a, 'thrill up their leg;' it is also important to point out those few journalists who are credible. National Review did this in their article Jake Tapper Isn't Letting Go. The article not only points out that ABC's Jake Tapper was virtually the only network journalist willing to write an article critical of then candidate Obama, but also that he is now pretty much the only one willing to ask Press Secretary Gibbs a tough question during White House briefings. For many Tapper was the first to show Robert Gibbs as a sub-par press secretary when Gibbs refused to take Tapper's questions about transparency seriously, as shown in the clip below. National Review did all of us who are fed up with the over-the-top media bias a service by not only highlighting Tapper as a solid competent member of the media, but also by reminding us that one can't just complain about those who do a poor job, and that it may be even more important that we applaud and encourage those who are competent than it is to gripe about those whose bias is so obsurd and obvious.

Recognizing a Professional Journalist - Katherine Morrison

'An Independent Call' Is Coming

An Independent Call chronicles the journey of an Independent New Hampshirite from wary observer of town hall meetings to eventual McCain convert and volunteer. It is an amusing look at the events of a campaign. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Republican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at the lowest level politics from an outsider's perspective. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

More details at Broad Side of the Barn.

Evan Bayh Opposes Omnibus Spending Bill

Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana wrote an Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal yesterday coming out against the huge appropriations bill that would increase spending eight percent from last year. His article Deficits and Fiscal Credibility is definitely worth a read, below is an excerpt.

This week, the United States Senate will vote on a spending package to fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year. The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 is a sprawling, $410 billion compilation of nine spending measures that lacks the slightest hint of austerity from the federal government or the recipients of its largess.

The Senate should reject this bill. If we do not, President Barack Obama should veto it.

The omnibus increases discretionary spending by 8% over last fiscal year's levels, dwarfing the rate of inflation across a broad swath of issues including agriculture, financial services, foreign relations, energy and water programs, and legislative branch operations. Such increases might be appropriate for a nation flush with cash or unconcerned with fiscal prudence, but America is neither.

Drafted last year, the bill did not pass due to Congress's long-standing budgetary dysfunction and the frustrating delays it yields in our appropriations work. Since then, economic and fiscal circumstances have changed dramatically, which is why the Senate should go back to the drawing board. The economic downturn requires new policies, not more of the same.

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Senator Evan Bayh Rejects Bloated Appropriations Bill

New Hampshire HCR 6: House votes to "Die" rather than "Live Free"

New Hampshire Representatives Vote To "Die" rather than "Live Free"

Click Here To See Pictures From The Event

In what can only be described as a loathsome act of partisanship at approximately 11:00am this morning New Hampshire Legislatures voted
(216-150) not to remove NH HCR6 from ITL. NH HCR6 was Rep Don Itse's
amendment initiated as a 'reminder' for the Federal government that the powers
they possess are in fact few and limited. The resolution re-affirmed

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE UPDATE!! AND THE PICS!!

McCain Upset About Earmark Broken Promise

Presidet Obama's Address

There’s no denying that President Obama is one of the most eloquent politicians to come along in a long time. That was on display last night in his address to the joint session of Congress. The President put forth ideas that certainly show a shift in direction from the previous administration. It was nice to see energy and the environment move up the ladder of national priorities. The president also did a nice job in using his popularity with young people to tell them that he expects that they not only graduate high school, but further their education beyond high school, and he framed it well in terms of being a responsibility of citizenship.

What didn’t add up about the President’s speech was the math. President Obama laid out a number of ambitious goals one of which was cutting the national deficit in half by the year 2013. However, instituting programs such as national health care, making college accessible to all citizens, and instituting a cap and trade initiative on carbon emission is beyond ambitious when also trying to cut the deficit. With a huge stimulus package that just passed, a large appropriations bill about to come up for debate, and the possibly of more money needed for bailout plans, it seems highly unlikely that the national debt will do anything other than balloon even further. This isn’t just an issue of a theoretical debt that will some day have to be paid by the tax payer. This is a basic math problem that could negatively impact the economy for years to come. Government services take on an added appeal if the price tag is ignored, and a better explanation needs to be given of the cost to taxpayers before these programs are rubber stamped.

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President Obama’s Address

Rewarding Bad Behavior

With the recent unveiling of the Obama administration's housing plan there is a growing concern that the government is promoting policies that reward bad behavior and punish good behavior. The housing plan is the latest policy where the government gives money to those who are in over there head. This is a somewhat more palatable policy than preceding bailouts as it focusses on helping the individual with mortgage problems. However, it is following a string of policies that that basically says 'if you screw up, the government is here to give you money.' Businesses and individuals that pay their bills and taxes on time are subsidizing those who don't. The housing plan isn't completely without merit, but this trend of government bailouts big and small is wearing on many as can be seen in this CNBC clip of Rick Santelli becoming fed up with the government rewards for bad behavior on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange...

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Punishing Good Behavior

Be A Part Of The Largest Support For Jeffersonian Principles In Living Memory

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL POST!!

Egregious Disrespect of Constitution Requires Your Support in NH

Update on NH Status . . .

The Federal government has gone far enough. We need to draw a line in the sand. If there is further egregious, serious disrespect of the US Constitution by the Federal government, then New Hampshire must reclaim its sovereignty.

HCR6 came out of committee with a surprise "Inexpedient to Legislate" recommendation.

For those that remember it, this is a replay of the resistance against the bills to get NH out of Real-ID. This is unacceptable. Fortunately, we have a playbook. We know what it takes to move this forward: MASSIVE PUBLIC SUPPORT!

* Emails
* Phone calls
* A massive rally
* YOU!

Time and Place

Date:	Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Time:	8:00am - 9:00am
Location:	NH State House
Street:	107 N Main St.
City/Town:	Concord, NH

Tell NH Reps to overturn the ITL and support HCR6!!!

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?code=H25

lars@taybre.net,
mbaldasaro@comcast.net,
alexis.chininis@gmail.com,
dennis.fields@leg.state.nh.us,
kpanne@juno.com,
georgekatsiantonis@hotmail.com,
kris-e-roberts@live.com,
todd.smith@leg.state.nh.us,
frank.emiro@leg.state.nh.us,
jtwo101588@aol.com,
valerie.hardy@leg.state.nh.us,
cynthiapsweeney@yahoo.com,
baldwindomingo@yahoo.com,
sarah.hutz@unh.edu,
pgmff@comcast.net,
mike.rollo@leg.state.nh.us

Please someone take up a donation and buy these poor Reps a computerbox:
Rep. Leo Pepino (603)624-1476
Rep. Robert Haley (603)668-7832
Rep. Thomas Katsiantonis (603)627-9652

 

Your patriotism,  honor and support are greatly appreciated.

Important Updates About Your Liberty

Over 10,000 e-mails!

interesting things happening in politics both nationally and here in New...

Obama donor who just launched an anti-stimulus effort

As a result of the impending federal actions - Oklahoma takes offensive...

Anti-gun Land Bill On The Move

The Next Boston Tea Party

Our Ailing Educational System Sacrificed to Save A Budget

This Thursday and Friday you can hear NH GOP Chair Gov John Sununu on various radio stations speaking about Governor Lynch's budget.

Thursday -

Show: Howie Carr Show
Stations: WRKO/WNTK/WKBK
Host: Howie Carr
Market: Boston/Southern, NH, Keene, Dartmouth Area
Time: 5:15 PM-5:30 PM
Call In Number: 877-469-4322

Friday -

Show: WGIR Morning News
Stations: WGIR/WGIN/WGIP
Host: Charlie Sherman/Angela Anderson
Market: Manchester/Rochester/Exeter
Time: 7:33 AM – 7:45 AM
Call In Number: 603-645-6161

Show: Open Mic with Dan Mitchell
Stations: WKBK
Host: Dan Mitchell
Market: Keene
Time: 8:08 AM – 8:25 AM
Call In Number: 603-357-1290

Michael Hamilton
Executive Director
New Hampshire Republican Party
10 Water Street, Concord, NH 03301
603-296-5116 (c)
603-225-9341 (o)
mike@nhgop.org

Sheridan Folger,

New Hampshire Warns Federal Government of civil war!

I have had the discussion about a future ‘rebellion’ many times with many folks. Our own editor here at American Daily Review John Barnhart and I routinely discuss the possibility, likelihood etc of an actual uprising. Often many folks disregard such speculation or talk. I am telling you it is not only ‘possible’ it is becoming increasingly likely and increasingly needed!

We here in New Hampshire have fired the first shot across the bow of the federal government by introducing A RESOLUTION affirming States’ rights based on Jeffersonian principles.

If the only way to reel in the federal government or put an end to their destruction of our nation is ‘force’, then force is exactly what me must use!

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST!

Mom Said NO Porkulus!

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

John Adams

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately what with all the brouhaha surrounding the Porkulus bill and other asinine quests of those in Washington. It of course has got me too rambling quite a bit so I thought I might as well jot some of that babbling down.

My mother, much like yours I’m sure, was famous for hurling occasionally befuddling statements at us as kids. Things like;

“Am I talking to a brick wall?” “Are you deaf or something?” “Does anyone in this house listen?” See a pattern here? And of course the typical favorites; “Shut up and Answer me when I ask you a question!” “I hope someday you have children just like you” (careful this curse actually works)

There were always the really confusing ones such as; “Enough is enough!” Huh? And “If wishes were horses...” I’ve never heard the conclusion and I’m somewhat disturbed by how many wishes I may have wasted trying to figure that one out. “I've had it up to here with you.” Now that one would’ve been easier to avoid had she only once given us some inclination as to where the hell ‘here’ was.

There was the infamous “Don’t” list. A veritable cornucopia of kids desires simply round up into a parental manifesto of “absolutely not.”

“Don’t . . . eat that, you'll get worms! . . . Go out with a wet head, you'll catch cold. . . . Make me get up! . . . Run in the house. . . . Sit too close to the television; it'll ruin your eyes. . . . Walk away when I'm talking to you! . . . And on and on and on.

At times she would question or very sense of reality with such conviction us ourselves would take pause . . . “Who do you think you're talking to?” “Who do you think you are?”

Perhaps because of her faith in the aforementioned curse she had no doubt she could simply will things into existence . . . “You WILL eat it, and you WILL like it!”

There was the occasional “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” Line, that remains a subject of great debate to this very day.

Eventually all of the day’s speeches were sure to be followed by the always faithful and dreaded . . . “You just wait until your FATHER gets home!”

This always brought immediate thoughts best described by Ralphie; “It was all over - I was dead. What would it be? The guillotine? Hanging? The chair? The rack? The Chinese water torture? Hmmph. Mere child's play compared to what surely awaited me.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST!!!!!!!!!!!

Sheridan Folger,

What's $1 Trillion?

With the Economic Stimulus approaching the $1 trillion mark, lets look at what $1,000,000,000,000.00 equates to…

$1,597,444 check for all of the 626,000 people that have filed unemployment claims this month.

$227,272 check for all 4.4 million people collecting unemployment benefits.

$333.33 check for every American man, woman, and child.

It would take a worker making $50,000 a year 20 million years to earn $1 trillion.

If ever ticket of every home Red Sox home game at Fenway Park for the 2009 season was sold for $308,642.00 each that would equal $1 trillion.

The GDP of Mexico is just over $1 trillion.

The GDP of India is also just over $1 trillion.

The combine GDP of the following countries is approximately $1 trillion…

Uruguay, Lebanon, Yemen, Uzbekistan, North Korea, Cyprus, Estonia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, Ivory Coast, Panama, El Salvador, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Iceland, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macau, Jordan, Bolivia, Ghana, Brunei, Paraguay, Gabon, Zambia, Uganda, Senegal, Botswana, Honduras, Burma, Albania, Jamaica, Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Nepal, Armenia, Cambodia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Republic of Macedonia, Chad, Mali, Malta, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Namibia, Haiti, Benin, The Bahamas, West Bank and Gaza, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Moldova, Niger, Laos, Jersey, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Aruba, Zimbabwe, Montenegro, Guinea, Malawi, Rwanda, French Polynesia, Fiji, Barbados, Mauritania, New Caledonia, Kosovo, Togo, Suriname, Swaziland, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Somalia, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Lesotho, Eritrea, Belize, Bhutan, Maldives, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Gibraltar, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Djibouti, Liberia, Burundi, British Virgin Islands, The Gambia, Seychelles, Grenada, Northern Mariana Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Comoros, Samoa, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Guinea-Bissau, Dominica, American Samoa, Tonga, Micronesia, Cook Islands, Palau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Marshall Islands, Anguilla, Kiribati, Tuvalu
 
If you'd like your political representatives to now what $1 trillion equates to, their contact info can be found at...
 
Senators - http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
 
Representatives - https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
 

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Stimulating Math

Stimulus Money for Beekeeper Insurance

Republican Challenges to Wasteful Stimulus Plan

Republican Senators put together an alternative stimulus package that has a much lower price tag than the current version of the stimulus bill, as the AP reports that the current plan tops $900 billion. The Republican alternative allows home owners to refinance their home mortgages at a low interest rate that will help the home owner and help stabilize home prices in general. This plan also provides more money for infrastructure projects than the current bill and cuts the payroll tax and the corporate tax to encourage economic growth and job creation. Also, it requires spending cuts once the economy has rebounded helping to limit the amount of future government debt. CNN reports not only that their is a this second bill, but moderates are also working on the current bill trimming the excess pork...

Some Republicans want to take it a step farther than their party's leaders. Ten Republican senators, including Sen. John McCain, want more funds -- almost $90 billion -- for infrastructure. They are shopping around a plan with a price tag of just under $500 billion.

"We can either fight the Democrat proposals, which would increase the deficit incredibly and mortgage our children's futures and not beneficially stimulate our economy, which we will do, in many respects. But we have to have a proposal of our own," said McCain, R-Arizona.

That version of the stimulus measure, put together by Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, is broader than the one proposed by GOP leadership, but narrower than the Democratic bill.

The group of Republicans met Tuesday to discuss their plan because they don't believe their leadership's approach, focusing exclusively on the housing crisis and tax cuts, is enough to jump-start the economy.

Another alternative that's getting a lot of attention is a bipartisan plan from Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson and Maine Republican Susan Collins. The two moderate senators are looking at the current economic stimulus package and trying to scrub it of all spending that they say will not stimulate the economy.

One attempt to trim pork from the current bill was successful. An amendment passed sponsored by Tom Coburn that eliminated a $246 million dollar tax break for Hollywood movie companies.

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Senator McCain has sponsored a petition protesting the current version of the stimulus bill...

Sign Vote No On The Stimulus Package Petition

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Republican Senators Put Together Alternative Stimulus Package

McCain - Protest Stimulus

Senator McCain sent an email to supporters explaining his opposition to the current emergency economic stimulus package stating that...

Yesterday, the Senate began debate on an economic stimulus package that is intended to get our economy back on track and help Americans who are suffering through these difficult times. Unfortunately, the proposal on the table is big on the giveaways for the special interests and corporate high rollers, yet short on help for ordinary working Americans. I cannot and do not support the package on the table from the Democrats and the Obama Administration. Our country does not need just another spending bill, particularly not one that will load future generations with the burden of massive debt. We need a short term stimulus bill that will directly help people, create jobs, and provide a jolt to our economy.

He further explains the myriad of problems with this bloated stimulus package and asks for people to sign a petition to voice their disapproval of this bill.

Sign Vote No On The Stimulus Package Petition

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John McCain Sponsors Petition Protesting Bloated Stimulus Plan

Sheridan Folger and Brad Marston Interivew Ralph Benko

Time:
9:00pm - 10:00pm

Location:
BlogTalkRadio

Contact Info/Phone:
347-945-6189

Description

Colorful, insightful and slightly wicked (in a good way), author Ralph Benko is The Webster, a cross between a tech geek and policy wonk. He shares his expertise on how to further populist conservative politics online: blogs, social networks and anywhere like-minded Americans can join online for news and activism. Join us for one hour with Ralph where he'll discuss:

• The untold story of Internet pirates who attempt to discredit, disengage, and dismay conservative online communities, and what you can do to stop them.

• TheWebstersDictionary.com where listeners can download free, the full eBook edition of this breakthrough book on using the web to create mass movements.

• Reagan2petition.ning.com which is leading the charge to use the bailout money for tax rate cuts in the spirit of Reaganomic free-market capitalism.

This hour will provide every conservative social networker and Internet lover with the simple, powerful, inexpensive keys to transforming the world by using the Web.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/letsgetthisright/2009/01/14/Lets-Get-This-Right-Radio-1

Call in number: (347) 945-6189


Sheridan Folger,