Begging Forgiveness

I begged my daughter for forgiveness last night; not for anything I did, but for what I wasn't able to do - prevent the house of representatives from passing a government takeover of health care.

I feel impotent, unable to influence or alter the outcome of the health care because of where I live and who represents (or doesn't represent) me. Peter DeFazio is a popular liberal elected with 83% of the vote in a liberal state, but he votes against me 100% of the time.

Maybe there is something I can do - Oregon isn't the only state I can live in; I hear it's warm in Texas.......

"I pledge that under my plan, no one making less than $250,000 a year will see any type of tax increase, not income tax, not capital gains taxes, not any kind of tax." Presidential candidate, Barack Obama - Dover, N.H., and in a campaign ad "taxing health care instead of fixing it. We can't afford John McCain."

But that was then and this is now. President Obama is "open" to the idea of taxing health benefits - a compromise with other democrats that will increase taxes on all workers who receive employee paid health care. This tax, like most taxes, will hit those who can 'least afford it,' especially hard. Jobs that attract highly educated, skilled employees will always provide perks - more perks than jobs requiring less education and skill. Once the market resets, employers will, once again, pay for health insurance through increased salaries, and the increased costs that will be passed on to the consumer - as a hidden tax that must be factored into the equation, another part of Obama's broken promise.

If this plan goes through, it will be just one more campaign promise that is dismissed with other broken campaign promises.

What a sad commentary on our political system when breaking a campaign "promise" is accepted as a necessary, and a forgiven tool to meeting the ends of winning the next election.

Identity Politics Degrade the Justice System

Identity Politics, the elevation of a small, minority group’s political requirements, and expectations over the requirements and needs of the majority group – the whole, is dangerous and wrong. And choosing a Supreme Court nominee, just because the person can ‘check’ boxes on some sort of ‘-ist’ list or can tout a hyphenated heritage, is risky beyond all explanation.

The Supreme Court is expected to provide blind justice, and a nominee with a political agenda or who wants to steer public policy through the courts rather than through the legislative process, puts the nation in a perilous position.

As alarming as identity politics is to citizens of the United Sates of America, there is no question that Obama will choose the next Supreme Court justice based on some focus group tested, ideology driven, political faction pleasing, set of ‘-ists.’

And the justice system in our nation will be poorer for it.

Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Arlen Specter, for over twenty years, tried to serve two masters - his personal liberal beliefs and the Republican party. Specter has learned a lesson - and hopefully, so have Republicans in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

In order to regain the majority party status in Washington, D.C., Republicans must return to, hold to, and love conservative principles.

No faith in Republicans

I remember spending all day watching the news when Ronald Reagan was shot - during school. I had a teacher who allowed students who wanted to stay and watch, just watch and talk about what happened and what could happen. My first vote - just over three years later, was for Reagan. I chaired a governor's campaign and attended state conventions, and at nine month's pregnant - with my third child - worked the phones for the first President Bush.
Now, I have no faith in the party I so strongly supported and believed in - we have parted ways, but I haven't changed my values. The Republican party left me long ago.
Conservatives need to take the Republican name back. For too long we allowed the left leaning, "fiscal conservatives" moral liberal faction lead our party and enough is enough.

Check my twitter - thezoo6. I'll be tweeting about Oregon and its problems as a warning of where the nation will be in a few years - if republications and conservatives don't unite and fight liberals of all parties.

Chris Dodd, a hypocrite?

How can Chris Dodd look himself in the mirror? An amendment in the Stimulus Package that exempted bonuses, just like those recently paid out by AIG if entered into prior to Feb. 11,2009 from the bill's executive pay restrictions, bears his name. Now he is a leading voice against the contractually obligated payments. I wonder if the fact he was the single largest beneficiary of campaign largess from AIG during the 2008 election cycle has anything to do with his original stance.
The Stimulus and all it's related bills are wrong headed - and everything stemming from the bill is tainted.
It's time to stop the nonsense on Capitol Hill.

Thank You Theodor Geisel

I owe a debt of gratitude to Theodor Geisel. From his writings I learned of integrity and respect for life, how important it is to work together and how critical it is to let your voice be heard.

Although Geisel's works of fiction are intended for a very a specific group, all individuals looking to comprehend conservative principles can understand his writings, even if one can't pronounce the written words.

Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created characters who exemplify conservative principles in simple and understandable terms.

Integrity—doing what you say you will do is a missing in action – unless you are Horton. Horton, who sits on the egg though taunted and teased by friends, in spite of storms and personal danger, remains faithful to his word – “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant…. An elephant’s faithful One hundred per cent!”

Horton teaches of respects for the life of the unborn and risks his own life and reputation to protect the un-hatched egg of the irresponsible bird Mazie.

Horton, truly a pro-life character, protects the unseen and silent in another book, Horton Hears a Who. The characters of Who-ville live in a town in a dust speck. Again, in spite of mocking and outright sabotage by members of the community, Horton protects the lives of the Who’s.

Conservatives can learn many things from Horton, but the most important message is given as Horton is being threatened with death. Rather than giving up and sacrificing the Who’s to protect his own life, he begs for more voices to join the chorus to protect the innocent.

And as the residents of Who-ville can attest, one previously silent person who joins the chorus with a “Yopp,” can, and will, make the difference.

Whether the innocent are the unborn or society’s producers being faced with confiscatory tax rates, conservatives must stand up and let their voice be heard.

Dr. Seuss' writings bear further examination - future blogs will explore the conservative principles espoused by Dr. Seuss.

Taking the Next Step

Opening one's mouth and saying things that aren't espoused by the vocal few is difficult. It could alienate friends and endanger relationships.
But staying silent and allowing the vocal minority to be the only voice heard in my community is no longer an option. Men and women with strong conservative values need to speak - loudly and frequently, and this blog is one way to begin the conversation.
To begin the conversation, conservatism should be explained, and that may be easiest to do by first describing what it is not.
Conservatism is not hatred filled, racist or homophobic. It is not the sole property of rich white men and women. It is not about only abortion and the death penalty, and it certainly is not for the faint of heart.
Conservatism is the belief that all men and women have rights endowed by their Creator. Conservatism is the belief that individuals have the ultimate responsibility to succeed and fail based in their own hard work and enterprise. But mostly, conservatism is the foundation upon which this great country was founded.
This conservative will no longer stand silently by as the nation I love and the city I live in drift further away from the principles the Founding Fathers embraced.