Skip

Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom and how the Government is taking that away. As an evangelical Christian and Conservative with small "L" libertarian leanings, my fight is with Progressives forcing a collectivized, secular humanistic future upon us. As a TEA Party activist, citizen journalist, and pundit!, my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture.

Er, conditions now placed on that Starting Gate?

The ‘Grok has certainly been following the pathway of Gov. Sununu’s retirement from holding the NH GOP Chair.  In fact, here, I noted that the horse race has started, with four gates already slated for the major names thus far being led to the stalls.  However, in concentrating on the news (and other things call "life" that get in the way of blogging), I put aside the letter that he penned in finally clearing the track.  Hmmm, is that Horse Gate being moved before the horses are positioned (emphasis mine, full letter after the jump)?

CONCORD –  Former New Hampshire Governor and Republican State Committee Chairman John H. Sununu sent the following letter the NHGOP’s Executive Committee this afternoon discussing his decision to retire and the qualifications that the next chairman should have:

…It is important that we elect a new chairman who will be able to maintain and expand our reinvigorated NHGOP grassroots effort for 2012. We worked too hard rebuilding our Party structure to let it revert back to a neglected, ineffective condition.  We are fully aware of how difficult it is for Republican candidates and elected officials to succeed when the State Committee is weak or mismanaged.

"Reinvigorated NH GOP grassroots" – I hate to be a thorn in the side, or point out the obvious, but while the GOP and the NH GOP Chair certainly had their role, I would hardly agree…

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A response to the Concord Monitor on Parental Notification

Concord Monitor

Once again, the Monitor shows its willingness to have Government be a wedge between parents and a minor child over the issue of abortion, even as it makes the attempt to have it look otherwise.  From their editorial:

…The issue might seem like common sense if it’s framed only as an issue of parents’ rights. After all, advocates say, they must be told before their kids are given an aspirin by the school nurse – why shouldn’t they be told before their daughters receive something so momentous as an abortion? No one wants to imagine their 15-year-old in trouble and themselves out of the loop.

"only as an issue of parents’ rights"?  Really – only?  This is simply a "mind brushing" here a la Star Wars ("…there’s nothing to see here…", as if the Force is with them).  Frankly the major premise of the argument, Planned Parenthood pro-abort aficionados aside, IS parental rights and from the get-go, are trying to down play the importance of the issue with a "put-down" (er, shove-down?).  The only reason why the "framing" schtick only makes sense is if one is trying to "re-frame" the issue to something else.

Which, indeed, what the Monitor is trying to do.  As you read the whole piece, it seems that the Monitor has also gotten into the farming biz as they later throw up so many strawman arguments, they must really be farmers (good thing, given the current state of the print media biz – unless the loonies at the FCC get their way and start to subsidize the news-biz as heartily as they do agri-biz)

However, instead of stopping at the last sentence of the ‘graph (and which would have given them some semblance of sanity , they decide to play "Titanic-iceberg tag" with logic.

But we encourage legislators to think hard about the rights of vulnerable teenage girls whose fear of confiding in a parent or a judge – perhaps misguided, perhaps chillingly justified – would keep them from seeking help at all. It is their health and safety that must be paramount.

And that "right" that a minor child would have in this situation is…what?  The only one that can come to mind is that normally given to women who have achieved the age of majority – and sadly, that is the Right to kill an unborn child.  I keep listening and reading this blather of…

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If this was a swim meet, the cadence would be…

(having said it a sufficient number of times in the past): "Swimmers, take your mark!"  But that was then, and now, it is no longer the swimmers’ blocks, let the Horse Race begin! Four Gates – and who will be there at the start? Now that Gov. Sununu has made it official (and yes, I … Read more

You think that he might have learned…

  From the NH Biz Report: Rich DiPentima: The Democratic state rep from Portsmouth says he’s going to sponsor a bill to require that "free portable drinking water" be made available to the public at large public gatherings "lasting a certain period of time."  LSR 2011-H-0027-R Right – another Democrat who blithely expects that people … Read more

My friend is wrong at numerous levels.

I received this after yesterday’s show from my Illinois based based friend (to be sure, more liberal than I, but still a good friend):

Skip – too much focus on individualism is just republican speak for "get all you can".  We’d be allot [sic] better off if we stopped being so self-centric and focused on what’s good for the majority.  Voting for extending the tax cuts for the middle income is a prime example – the majority.  Holding out for the few rich is just wrong.

In just 4 short sentences, my friend showed an amazing wrong headedness that I would not have expected from a fellow software guy.  We sometimes  disagree on a number of issues, but lately, he’s been sounding (if possible!) even more militant than I am on a lot more topics (I guess that I’ve been more successful than I’ve thought!).  Thus, to read this evoked a "huh?" moment on my part. A few quick thoughts:

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Priorities? You really think they know what the word means?

 

Good heavens!  This kind of thing just makes me wonder if those that we put into Congress understand what they should be doing?  Think about this: "consumers will no longer have to experience being blasted at—it’s a simple fix to a huge nuisance."  Is this what they should be handling, with ALL of the other far, far serious issues that are before them – like, for instance, actually passing the budget bills that would allow the Government to operate?  What to do about the debt they have piled up?  World issues that are now taking center stage?

No, instead, this solon (and those that have agreed with her) decided that the loudness of TVs is a national level.

…Rep. Anna Eshoo’s (D-CA) bill will require commercials to be at the same decibel levels as programs during which they play. Once signed, the CALM Act will give the FCC a mandate to regulate and enforce volume limits on commercials, ensuring that their maximum loudness does not exceed the average maximum loudness of the program they’re accompanying. Advertisers will have one year to implement technology to keep the volume levels in check…

…"Consumers have been asking for a solution to this problem for decades, and today they finally have it," Rep Eshoo said in a statement. Thanks to the CALM Act, "consumers will no longer have to experience being blasted at—it’s a simple fix to a huge nuisance."

A nuisance. Yeah, pretty much, that’s where it registers – as a nuisance! THIS should take up the attention of CONGRESS?? Look, I hate it when…

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Methinks the Law of Unintended Consequences has just bit Zandra in the behind…

UPDATE: The count is up to 222 Obamacare Waivers – roughly 25% are UNIONS!  Way to go, Zandra! ————————————————————————- Quite some time ago (2007), I had this as a post which subsequently was updated a number of times due to this picture of one of Zandra Rice Hawkin’s dupes as I caught the SEIU trying … Read more

RightWingNews Conservative of the Year poll

Our friend John Hawkins over at RightWingNews is very fond of polls and lists – pretty much I read everyone that he puts out either on RWN or in his Townhall columns.  This one, The Right Wing News Bloggers’ Choice Conservative Of The Year For 2010, is an aggregate of 66 of the blogs that responded to him:

The bloggers were all provided with a pre-selected list of 20 candidates that I chose. Out of that list, they were allowed to choose up to 3 names. All 20 candidates will be listed, the top 7 will get an extremely brief profile, and the top vote getter is the Right Wing News 2010 Conservative of the Year. Enjoy!

Close, but no cigar:

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical order):

* Dick Armey/Matt Kibbe (Freedomworks)
…
* Haley Barbour (Governor of Mississippi. Chairman of the Republican Governors Association)
…
* David Bossie (Citizens United President. Citizens United v Federal Election Commission)
* Jan Brewer (Governor of Arizona)
…
* Erick Erickson (Redstate, CNN)
…
* Bobby Jindal (Governor of Louisiana)
* Tim Phillips/Phil Kerpen (Americans for Prosperity)

The "Almost There"’s:

The Runners-Up

5) Allen West (11 votes): West is a newly elected Congressman from Florida. He stands out, not only because he and Tim Scott are the first two black Republicans in the House since J.C. Watts left Congress in 2003, but because he’s a fiery, outspoken Tea Party favorite who has no qualms about standing up for conservatism or speaking out against radical Islam.

5) Jim DeMint (11 votes): This South Carolina Republican is widely viewed as the prototype of what a conservative Republican should be like in the Senate. Not only was he a ferocious defender of conservative values in D.C., he was an impact player both in the primaries and the 2010 general elections.

The actual contenders for the title:

The Big Three

3) Marco Rubio (23 votes): When Marco Rubio, a young, exciting, conservative, charismatic, Hispanic Republican tossed his hat in the ring for a Senate seat in Florida, the grassroots instantly warmed to his candidacy. However, when Charlie Crist got into the race, the establishment Republicans immediately rallied behind him. That didn’t sit too well with conservatives all across the country who immediately rallied to Rubio’s candidacy. In the end, Rubio’s star power was too much for Crist, who abandoned the GOP and ran as an independent. Happily, Rubio smashed both Crist and Kendrick Meek in the general election and a new conservative star was born…

What, you think I’d give it away? This is what he says this about #1:

Simple: He’s a charismatic, bold, and pugnacious fiscal conservative who has absolutely no qualms about taking on Democrats, the unions, the media, and anybody else who tries to separate ..

of course, GRTWT (Go Read The Whole Thing)

My answers after the jump:

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GrokTALK! – Podcast page for 12/04/10

  Podcast – week of 12/04/10 GrokTALK! Streaming Live!from GraniteGrok To play (or "stream") a clip now, just click on it.  To download it to your PC, right click on it and tell the process where to save the file for you. (Click here for the promo page) Hour 1      Hour 2 Tim … Read more

More on the unemployment picture….

Remember way back when, as Obama announced his support for the Stimulus, that the word was that we HAD to do the Stimulus as soon as possible, otherwise unemployment would just shoot out of sight! Well, THAT worked well, didn’t it? And nothing says "FAIL" like a chart: (H/T: BigGovernment) Yup, the "We’re in the … Read more

Harrell – you need to look before you step; use the grass over there, please.

Oh Harrell, get that stuff off your shoe…please? The spokesman for the New Hampshire Democratic Party said O’Brien is surrounding himself with those who share his “extreme right-wing” views. “Speaker O’Brien has already shown a propensity for having around him extreme, right-wing clones and this hiring is the latest example of that,” Harrell Kirstein said … Read more

Carol Scold-Porter – can she even get it right closing the door behind her?

 

Leave it to Carol to get it wrong on the way to the EXIT door:

FRIDAY UPDATE: BACKING TAX CUTS. Outgoing Democratic U.S. Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes voted Thursday in favor of extending into 2011 the Bush tax cuts for incomes of less than $200,000 for individuals and less than $250,000 for families.

The bill passed the House, 234-188, but it was a largely symbolic vote because the plan would not pass the Senate as written because Republicans want the tax cuts continued for all American, regardless of income levels. Democrats, Republicans and the Obama administration are trying to work on a compromise on how to treat tax cuts for the wealthy.

In a brief statement, Shea-Porter noted that even under the bill passed on Thursday, "Everyone gets a tax cut up to $250,000, even the wealthiest Americans. But lower and middle class families truly need these tax cuts. This bill adds to the debt, but costs $700 billion less than the Republican proposal."

So, both Hodes and Scold_Porter decided that they would go down with the ship with respect to the Democrat Class Warfare Doctrine – "It’s really ours even if you earned it – get over it".  In effect, they have made their stand on "Obama’s Hill" in supporting the Obama Tax Hike of 2010; erect their political tombstones on the crest.

All men are created equal?  No, not in the eyes, hearts, and wallets vacuums of the Democrats.

To the end, Scold-Porter also stays true to her mantra that "the little people cannot do anything without Government".  This was the main point of her race with Congressman Guinta:

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Accountability – next installment – the US House TEA Party Caucus

Gadsen FlagTEA Party: Taxes Enough Already.  A general philosophy that Government has become too enthralled with using other peoples’ money.  That it has become too big, too intrusive, too cumbersome, way too inefficient, and too far removed from the principles enshrined in our Founding documents: protecting individual Rights and property and a limited government.

Earmarks have certainly been in the news – those "small" incidentals added by our Federal legislators that tack on costs and direct spending. While small only in comparison with the humungeous Federal spending overall, they became a focal point as an indicator of the crass indifference to what most TEA Partiers believe to be the jobs to which these folks are elected.

First there was "November is coming".  Now, it is "Hold them Accountable", and indeed, we shall.  Especially true in the case of those legislators that have self-identified themselves aligned with TEA Party philosophy. 

In this case, of calling for "no earmarks" yet asking and receiving such.  Smooth move?  Not really, Jackson.  Sure, there are those within this caucus that have called for no earmarks and have walked the talk:

NAME AMOUNT
Bachmann (R-MN) 0
Broun (R-GA) 0
Burton (R-IN) 0
Coffman (R-CO) 0
Luetkemeyer (R-MO) 0
Lummis (R-WY) 0
Marchant (R-TX) 0
McClintock (R-CA) 0
Myrick (R-NC) 0
Neugebauer (R-TX) 0
P. Sessions (R-TX) 0
Pence (R-IN) 0
Roe (R-TN) 0
Shadegg (R-AZ) 0
T. Price (R-GA) 0
Westmoreland (R-GA) 0

But alas…

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Great, now even the NH House Speaker wants to add to my work burden…

Yet another person trying to tell us what to do!  From the Laconia Sun today (pg9), there was an article in which new NH House Speaker Bill O’Brien was outlining his vision: “Leave the disparagement, mistrust and indignation to the editorial pages and the blogs,” he said. That would be us….and the proper place as … Read more

You know who I blame for this?

As Ann Marie pointed out, bullying has become quite the topic in schools today thanks to a new law that purports to be the "fin du fin" of the issue – top down control from Concord with a strictly controlled law that does not allow for absolutely minimal "local control" over what happens in the schools.

Look, I can agree with sentiment.  I was bullied in high school – I was one of the nerds.  And contrary to today’s politically correct, pacifist education world, I solved the problem myself in a most incorrect fashion.  No, I didn’t knock the snot out of my main protagonist; rather, a head lock was turned into a full Nelson and then I simply kept squeezing until he dropped. And cried.  And cried some more.  He never bothered me again.  His friends left me alone, too. A mark was left on him, but not a physical one – it was unnecessary.  The point was made, learned, and kept

Is that THE solution as well?  No, and I willingly admit to such.  It worked for me and in that situation.  And I didn’t have to run to the Government (the teachers or the Administrators) to solve my problem, either. And I didn’t have to resort to perverting some base principles in doing so. I realize that today is a different time and place – at least that’s what others keep telling me.  However, they seem to have this great problem in answering my question: sure and indeed – but do we have to have basic principles changed?

Funny think, principles.  Often, base principles never changed – or shouldn’t be changed.  So, in the context of the above, add this from this article in the Concord Monitor on this.  Tell me, what’s wrong here?  And what is the two principle that these seem to advocate for (one obvious and one not-so-obvious)?

‘If someone writes something mean about you on Facebook, your mom might tell you not to look at it or to just turn off your computer. But that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt you, because your friends can still look at it. And it might make it hard to go to school. So the mean person should get in trouble at school."…

…"A student should have the right to say what they want in a text message or e-mail, but not if it’s going to hurt someone’s reputation – like calling a person fat or stupid or saying that you hate them," a girl from a parochial school wrote. "I personally know someone who had that happen to her, and those comments never go away."

"The First Amendment gives us the right to say what we want in this country, but not if it affects our right to a safe environment," a local high school boy wrote. "I know a kid who doesn’t like to come to school out of fear."

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