The latest from Sarah: A Time To Unite

Sarah Palin's latest Facebook note on the decision of Dede Scozzafava to suspend her campaign for Congress:

A Time to Unite

I want to personally thank Republican Dede Scozzafava for acting so selflessly today in the NY District 23 race. Now it's time to cross the finish line with Doug Hoffman so that he can get to work for District 23 and the rest of America.

With Congress poised to overhaul one-sixth of our economy with so-called health care “reform” (which is really a government takeover of health care) and with plans to enact a cap-and-tax bill just as our economy struggles to recover, Doug Hoffman will be a voice for fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington.

We need candidates like Doug now more than ever. In these final days of the campaign, it's vital that Doug continue to receive the enthusiastic support of those who want to bring common sense to Washington. Let’s help make it happen! You can help Doug by visiting his official website today and offering your support:https://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/donate3.html

- Sarah Palin

The question is how many of Dede Scozzafava's supporters in the Republican Party are to the Right in the political spectrum and will they support Doug Hoffman now. Will they now finally choose principle over party (something they should have done long ago)?

Zelaya's back in (for how long?)

Manuel Zelaya, everybody's favorite despot (based on the reaction of so many countries after his deposal), is now expected to be reinstated as President of Honduras. The problem, however, is what will happen now. Will Zelaya attempt another coup in order to maintain his position (as I and many other people fear) or will his restored tenure end in a matter of weeks and Honduras becomes a constitutional democracy again (as I and many other people hope)? Tough call.

The fact Zelaya attempted to subvert Honduras's Constitution in the first place with an illegal voter referendum makes me suspicious of him already. If he can try and do it once, he can try and do it again. On the other hand, the Honduran Congress (and the Honduran military) was able to thwart Zelaya's efforts, and they may be able to do it again, if necessary.

At this point, all that can be done is hope for the best, but expect the worst.

Down to two in the 23rd

Ace of Spades has some surprising news on the Congressional election for New York's 23rd District. Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign and released her supporters. This now leaves the New York State Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and the Democratic candidate Bill Owens in the race, which will be voted on this Tuesday.

I'm happy to hear Scozzafava has dropped out. Based on what I read about Scozzafava, she is a liberal Republican (the kind of candidate 9/12ers and Tea Partiers would never support for one minute). Doug Hoffman, on the other hand, is the kind of candidate those of us who've participated in Tea Parties, attend 9/12 Project meetings and marched on D.C. last month want to see representing us in Washington.

Keep going, Mr. Hoffman, keep going all the way to Congress. (special thanks to typicalwhitey and RickZ for their comments at Blogmocracy)

Welcome, Frugal Cafe Blog Zone & Jefferson's Rebels; Goodbye, DraftPalin2012 & SteveMaloneyGOP

Steve Maloney's two blogs, SteveMaloneyGOP and DraftPalin2012, have been removed from the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll. All the best to you, Mr. Maloney, in your future endeavors.

Meanwhile, Vicki at Frugal Cafe Blog Zone and Erin at Jefferson's Rebels have been added to the blogroll. Welcome aboard, Vicki and Erin.

The latest from Sarah: Tune in tomorrow

In her latest Facebook note, Sarah Palin has some news about tomorrow's radio address from the GOP:

TUNE IN TOMORROW TO HEAR A HEALTH CARE REFORM PLAN THAT WILL PROVE TO BE THE GAME CHANGER

Mark my words - tomorrow is the game changer! Tune in to hear common sense solutions that bury the false accusations that conscientious members of Congress have no solutions to meet America's health care challenges.

If you're like me, shaking your head wondering why all the miscommunication between Washington and the American people who have been saying, "Please hear what we're saying about our desire for health care reform," then tomorrow will be a refreshing time of clarity for all.

All Americans, and especially colleagues of House Republican Leader John Boehner: please listen to tomorrow's weekly GOP national address. Rep. Boehner will highlight a common sense alternative to Speaker Pelosi's 1,990-page government takeover of health care. I urge you to watch for it. For a preview, go to:http://HealthCare.GOP.gov

You'll hear solutions. You'll hear of real choices based on America's proven free-market principles. You'll know once and for all what the GOP and Independents have been saying all along about alternatives to another big government take over. After tomorrow, you'll know that accusations against the GOP and Independents for not providing solutions are false. Those claims are bogus. There are alternatives. Tune in to Rep. Boehner's address tomorrow to hear them.

I look forward to the game changer!

- Sarah Palin

With the details about the newly released H.R. 3296 being quite ominous, an alternative plan is something needed to combat ObamaCare. Hopefully, the GOP will get its act together and present a solution giving genuine health care reform (and not ObamaCare-lite). Thanks, Governor, for the heads up; I'll be paying attention.

What say you, Roger Goodell?

An interesting video featuring Iowa Congressman Steve King calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell out on his comments about Rush Limbaugh:

Now, while putting aside the question of what Congress's priorities really are if they're wasting their time talking with the commissioner of the National Football League instead of dealing with the real issues affecting us right now, Congressman King was spot on in his questioning, while Commissioner Goodell dodged the question directed at him.

Roger Goodell had plenty to say a couple of weeks ago about Rush Limbaugh and supposedly controversial comments he made (but actually didn't), yet seemed at a loss for words about two of the part-owners of the Miami Dolphins. Somehow, I can't say I'm surprised.

Now isn't that interesting, chapter 28

One of the major points of criticism leveled at Sarah Palin nowadays by leftists (and even some on the Right) is the fact she resigned as Governor of Alaska roughly two and a half years into her term. Thanks to some reporting, the reason for the abruptness of her resignation may now be known.

Fellow Blogger for Sarah Palin Josh Painter posted about the story yesterday, and it's linked to the legal fees Governor Palin had to pay because of the frivolous ethics charges filed when she was in office. The last of the ethics charges, Mr. Painter notes, was aimed at the legal defense fund set up to help pay the legal fees, which would've been frozen while under investigation. As Mr. Painter further notes, this latest development may explain the reason for the abruptness of Governor Palin's resignation and for immediately going into writing her memoir.

Well, now isn't that interesting. The political Left targets Sarah Palin through false ethics complaints, which may have been the deciding factor in her abrupt resignation, and then they start attacking her for resigning halfway through her term (with help, of course, from willing idiots and some on the Right). It's further proof of how far and how willing the Left will go to demonize and destroy this great American.

The latest from Sarah: East Coast Races Impact All Americans

Sarah Palin's latest Facebook note focuses on the impact of two elections in the East Coast:

East Coast Races Impact All Americans

As I stand here in a high school gymnasium watching freshmen girls' basketball games, I'm struck by the sight of America's future right in front of me - these tenacious young women full of energy and intensity - I want them to realize every opportunity this great, free nation can provide.

There are big political races on the East Coast that are coming down to the wire - the results of which will impact policies and political actions that touch all of us in every state. Like other independent Americans, you know I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Republican political committees, so when I tell you that the Republican Governors Association has my complete support and confidence in its campaign efforts back East, know that I really mean it. The RGA is helping lead the conservative comeback beginning this year, and its involvement in the East Coast races is significant. I hope you'll support these efforts, which are vital to the cause for America's freedom and prosperity: http://www.rga.org/initiatives/comeback-fund/.

Let's consider the governor's race in New Jersey. The state has the highest tax burden in the country and the incumbent Democrat governor has only added to the economic burden. He eliminated property tax rebates for middle class homeowners while the sales tax increased. Altogether, taxes on the people in the region have increased by billions of dollars. It’s no surprise that New Jersey has the highest unemployment rate in the region! Thankfully, there is an alternative. Residents there will be better off under an administration that understands the benefits that result when workers are allowed to keep more of what they earn. Watch New Jersey's economy come alive under new leadership that will put government back on the side of the people! Chris Christie promises this new leadership.

Fortunately, New Jersey's Democrat governor is being held accountable with the RGA spending $7 million in the New York and Philadelphia media markets telling the truth about a liberal administrative record while highlighting New Jersey's tax-hiking ways and reminding voters there is an alternative! The NY and Philly markets are the most expensive in the nation though, so the RGA is requesting help to stay on the air. Visithttp://www.rga.org/initiatives/comeback-fund/.

Then in Virginia, there is a clear difference between Republican Bob McDonnell and his liberal opponent. Republican Bob McDonnell is fighting for cheaper American energy and lower taxes, while his opponent wants to raise taxes, and, amazingly, even bragged about having more earmarks than any other state legislator. Bob McDonnell promises to fight for Virginia's hard working families, and he opposes some heavy-handed union leadership efforts that could ultimately hurt employers and employees. The RGA has aired $6 million of TV ads exposing the liberal candidate’s record. I encourage you to help fight for our neighbors in the East by visiting: http://www.rga.org/initiatives/comeback-fund/.

Americans who believe in smaller government and free enterprise have a chance to show Washington that people all across the U.S. don’t want an ever-increasing national debt, more dependency on foreign energy sources, and more wasteful government spending. If, like me, this is what you want to show Washington, then I hope you'll support Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell and the RGA, as great efforts are put forth in these East Coast races.

The young student athletes I'm watching right now are counting on us to do the right thing - to fight for what is right for America today, and into their future. Electing candidates with common sense and respect for freedom is one way we can fight for what is right.

- Sarah Palin

Liberals, progressives and socialists (especially in Washington) need another wake up call, that we are Americans who want lower taxes, lower spending and limited government. I hope voters in New Jersey and Virginia will send that wake up call.

Welcome, Lisa Graas, Palin Twibe, PalinVision, Reagan to Palin; Good-bye, The Truth

Four more blogs have been added to the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll, but one more has been removed. Lisa Graas, with her own blog, as well as two others (Palin Twibe & PalinVision) and Glenn Mosher at Reagan to Palin have been added. The Truth has been removed at the blogmaster's request; I wish him all the best. And welcome, Lisa and Glenn, to our good fight for Governor Palin.

Rifqa's fate: Possibly sealed

Rifqa Bary was raised in an Islamic family, converted to Christianity, fled to Florida in fear for her life at the hands of her parents. A long legal battle has been waged in Florida to decide the fate of this young girl, and now it is over. The judge in the case ruled Rifqa is to be returned to her parents in Ohio.

With Rifqa going back to Ohio, the fear she may become an “honor killing” victim at the hands of her parents has been stoked. Add to that the possibility the parents may be deported to their native Sri Lanka (they're also apparently illegal immigrants), and the fear is stoked even higher.

If Rifqa is murdered by her parents because she converted to Christianity, her blood will be on the hands of not only the judge who ruled in the case, but also the lawyers who represented her parents, the media outlets who gave slanted coverage favoring the parents, and the law enforcement officials who incompetently handled the investigation of the case.

May God send the Holy Spirit to protect this young girl and her eternal soul.

The latest from Sarah: Support Doug Hoffman

What's been going on in New York State with the GOP there has certainly made me consider the possibility of joining the Libertarian Party. The GOP in New York has thrown their support behind a liberal candidate in an election slated for November 4th, even though there is a conservative candidate in the race as well. That candidate now has a major supporter in his bid: Sarah Palin.

Support Doug Hoffman

The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches! He needs our help now.

The votes of every member of Congress affect every American, so it's important for all of us to pay attention to this important Congressional campaign in upstate New York. I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next Representative from New York's 23rd Congressional district. It's my honor to endorse Doug and to do what I can to help him win, including having my political action committee, SarahPAC, donate to his campaign the maximum contribution allowed by law.

Our nation is at a crossroads, and this is once again a "time for choosing."

The federal government borrows, spends, and prints too much money, while our national debt hits a record high. Government is growing while the private sector is shrinking, and unemployment is on the rise. Doug Hoffman is committed to ending the reckless spending in Washington, D.C. and the massive increase in the size and scope of the federal government. He is also fully committed to supporting our men and women in uniform as they seek to honorably complete their missions overseas.

And best of all, Doug Hoffman has not been anointed by any political machine.

Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty.

Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of "blurring the lines" between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket.

Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.

You can help Doug by visiting his official website below and joining me in supporting his campaign:
http://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/donate3.html.

- Sarah Palin

The Republican Party leadership has an opportunity to strengthen itself with the support of conservatives and libertarians, and what do they do? They throw their support and endorsements behind moderates and liberals instead. Sadly, New York is not the only place.

There's also Florida, where Marco Rubio, a conservative hopeful, is seeking the GOP nomination against Governor Charlie Crist, regarded as a moderate. Even though Eric Dondero at Libertarian Republican writes of a poll taken which puts Mr. Rubio winning the general election by a larger margin than by Governor Crist, who does the GOP leadership support?

And, there's California, where noted columnist Larry Elder, described as a “firebrand libertarian” (sounds really good to me these days), was discouraged by Texas Sen. John Cornyn (current head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee) to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer, having thrown their support behind Carly Fiorina, a candidate they don't expect will win. Absolutely insane.

I hope Doug Hoffman wins the election to represent New York's 23rd District in Congress. I'd say maybe then the GOP heads will learn their lesson, but that would be wishful thinking on my part.

Correction (Oct. 25th, 2:29 P.M. EDT): I realized Doug Hoffman is running for Congress, not the New York State Assembly, and I've since corrected the error. Sorry for the error.

Grassroots News Minute (October 16th)

Regrettably, I've been lax lately in showing the latest news from the NRA-ILA, but here's the latest news, with the focus on McDonald v. Chicago and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's continuing crusade to impose gun control on the country:

Also, I came across an article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about accidental gun deaths. Articles in the Journal Gazette on all things guns tend to favor gun control, so I was surprised to see the common sense in this article. My compliments to Holly Abrams for writing the article.

The latest from Sarah: Happy Alaska Day

Sure was a great day when in 1867, Alaska became American:

Happy Alaska Day

In March 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for two cents an acre. On October 18 of that year, authority over the territory of Alaska officially transferred to the United States when the American flag flew over Fort Sitka for the first time. Alaskans have celebrated “Alaska Day” on October 18 ever since. Though the purchase was derided at the time as “Seward’s Folly,” Seward was a visionary, and history has proven that his purchase of Alaska from Russia was never folly. Alaska has contributed greatly to the United States through our export of natural resources – from wild Alaska seafood, timber, and ore to our oil pipeline and future natural gas pipeline. Today we remember the wisdom of Secretary Seward and look forward to the hopeful future of the Last Frontier. Happy Alaska Day!

Today also marks a special occasion for my family as my eldest daughter celebrates her birthday. Happy Birthday, Bristol!

- Sarah Palin

I wouldn't be surprised if William Seward has been resting quite comfortably in his grave, especially since 1896 when gold was first discovered in Alaska and “Seward's Folly” was no longer mentioned. To all Alaskans, I wish you all a happy Alaska Day. I'm proud to call you my fellow Americans. And also, I wish Bristol Palin a happy birthday and many more; I hope your day has been good.

The latest from Sarah: Good intentions aren't enough with health care reform

Sarah Palin is spot on once again with her latest Facebook note, writing more concisely on the problem with ObamaCare and what Americans really want (true health care reform) than I could:

Good Intentions Aren't Enough with Health Care Reform

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has approved its health care bill, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at the long term consequences should its provisions be enacted into law.

The bill prohibits insurance companies from refusing coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and from charging sick people higher premiums. [1] It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders.

However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. [2] Even factoring in government subsidies, the cost of purchasing a plan is much more than $750. The result: many people, especially the young and healthy, will simply not buy coverage, choosing to pay the fine instead. They’ll wait until they’re sick to buy health insurance, confident in the knowledge that insurance companies can’t deny them coverage. Such a scenario is a perfect storm for increasing the cost of health care and creating an unsustainable mandate program.

Those driving this plan no doubt have good intentions, but good intentions aren’t enough. There were good intentions behind the drive to increase home ownership for lower-income Americans, but forcing financial institutions to give loans to people who couldn’t afford them had terrible unintended consequences. We all felt those consequences during the financial collapse last year. Unintended consequences always result from top-down big government plans like the current health care proposals, and we can’t afford to ignore that fact again.

Supposedly the Senate Finance bill will be paid for by cutting Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars and by taxing the so-called “Cadillac” health care plans enjoyed by many union members. The plan will also impose heavy taxes on insurers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and clinical labs. [3] The result of all of these taxes is clear. As Douglas Holtz-Eakin noted in the Wall Street Journal, these new taxes “will be passed on to consumers by either directly raising insurance premiums, or by fueling higher health-care costs that inevitably lead to higher premiums.” [4] Unfortunately, it will lead to lower wages too, as employees will have to sacrifice a greater percentage of their paychecks to cover these higher premiums. [5] In other words, if the Democrats succeed in overhauling health care, we’ll all bear the costs. The Senate Finance bill is effectively a middle class tax increase, and as Holtz-Eakin points out, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation those making less than $200,000 will be hit hardest. [6]

With our country’s debt and deficits growing at an alarming rate, many of us can’t help but wonder how we can afford a new trillion dollar entitlement program. The president has promised that he won’t sign a health care bill if it “adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade.” [7] But his administration also promised that his nearly trillion dollar stimulus plan would keep the unemployment rate below 8%. [8] Last month, our unemployment rate was 9.8%, the highest it’s been in 26 years. [9] At first the current administration promised that the stimulus would save or create 3 to 4 million jobs. [10] Then they declared that it created 1 million jobs, but the stimulus reports released this week showed that a mere 30,083 jobs have been created, while nearly 3.4 million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was passed. [11] Should we believe the administration’s claims about health care when their promises have proven so unreliable about the stimulus?

In January 2008, presidential candidate Obama promised not to negotiate behind closed doors with health care lobbyists. In fact, he committed to “broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are. Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists...” [12] However, last February, after serving only a few weeks in office, President Obama met privately at the White House with health care industry executives and lobbyists. [13] Yesterday, POLITICOreported that aides to President Obama and Democrat Senator Max Baucus met with corporate lobbyists in April to help “set in motion a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, primarily financed by industry groups, that has played a key role in bolstering public support for health care reform.” [14] Needless to say, their negotiations were not broadcast on C-SPAN for the American people to see.

Presidential candidate Obama also promised that he would not “sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days.” [15] PolitiFact reports that this promise has already been broken three times by the current administration. [16] We can only hope that it won’t be broken again with health care reform.

All of this certainly gives the appearance of politics-as-usual in Washington with no change in sight.

Americans want health care reform because we want affordable health care. We don’t need subsidies or a public option. We don’t need a nationalized health care industry. We need to reduce health care costs. But the Senate Finance plan will dramatically increase those costs, all the while ignoring common sense cost-saving measures like tort reform. Though a Congressional Budget Office report confirmed that reforming medical malpractice and liability laws could save as much as $54 billion over the next ten years, tort reform is nowhere to be found in the Senate Finance bill. [17]

Here’s a novel idea. Instead of working contrary to the free market, let’s embrace the free market. Instead of going to war with certain private sector companies, let’s embrace real private-sector competition and allow consumers to purchase plans across state lines. Instead of taxing the so-called “Cadillac” plans that people get through their employers, let’s give individuals who purchase their own health care the same tax benefits we currently give employer-provided health care recipients. Instead of crippling Medicare, let’s reform it by providing recipients with vouchers so that they can purchase their own coverage.

Now is the time to make your voices heard before it’s too late. If we don’t fight for the market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven reform plan that we deserve, we’ll be left with the disastrous unintended consequences of the plans currently being cooked up in Washington.

- Sarah Palin


[1] See http://tinyurl.com/yjs3mgf
[2] See http://tinyurl.com/yfuw3k3
[3] See http://tinyurl.com/yfxq8ca
[4] See http://tinyurl.com/ykefsk6
[5] See http://tinyurl.com/ygf42fj
[6] See http://tinyurl.com/ykefsk6
[7] See http://tinyurl.com/lkvgsp
[8] See http://tinyurl.com/nx4nh6
[9] See ibid.
[10] See http://tinyurl.com/yhhr56v
[11] See ibid.
[12] See http://tinyurl.com/yhzhkvg and http://tinyurl.com/lhyr9o
[13] See http://tinyurl.com/yksd6h3
[14] See http://tinyurl.com/yl9gg27
[15] See http://tinyurl.com/yknpxd6
[16] See http://tinyurl.com/d2k5hb
[17] See http://tinyurl.com/yf8qmfh

Certainly says something to the old saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

Further into darkness

Now, this is scary. In Europe, there's the Lisbon Treaty which if ratified would end the sovereignties of the individual nations. Now a member of the British House of Lords says that my own President, Barack Obama, will sign a U.N. treaty in Copenhagen which will cede American sovereignty to a world government.

I personally hope this individual, a one Lord Monckton, is wrong in his claim, but knowing what President Obama wishes to do as far as “international cooperation” is concerned, it doesn't sound fantastic at all. This fills me with dread. There has never been a more important time to pray for America and the fate of all of us Americans who wish to remain a constitutional republic than now.

Much thanks to cbullitt for giving me the heads up.

Update (1:52 AM EDT): After praying, another very good idea would be to write our representatives in Washington and let them know of the severity of this treaty.

Sarah Palin and “The Era of GOP Women”

At the beginning of this blog post from K. Carpenter at Conservatives4Palin, she had this to say:

I must admit, I was briefly excited yesterday when I went on the Washington Post’swebsite and saw this headline: “The Era of GOP Women”. Then I saw Meghan McCain’s picture next to it. I should have just stopped there and not clicked on the link. Foolishly, I did. Sigh.

After reading the post, I would disagree with Miss Carpenter. It wasn't foolish of her to click on the link. If she hadn't clicked on the link, I wouldn't be able to write about the well written rebuttal she posted yesterday.

The fact the article in question was written by Kathleen Parker doesn't surprise me, as the net worth of her opinion decreased sharply last year during the 2008 election and has remained quite low ever since. The fact she claims the thought of Sarah Palin as the female face of the GOP is being put to rest proves how low her opinion's worth is.

The fact Sarah Palin's popularity remains strong (have you seen the comments at her Facebook notes lately?), that her book (not out yet for another month) is at the top of the lists in sales, and that her name remains at the top of the list of favored candidates for the Republican nomination for President in 2012, tells me the thought of Sarah Palin as the female face of the GOP is alive and well, contrary to what Kathleen Parker says.

As Miss Carpenter concluded in her post:

Ms. Parker, you do not represent my values or my politics...Sarah Palin does!

The same goes with this guy's values and politics.

The latest from Sarah: Drill

Sarah Palin wrote a new article for National Review, of which an excerpt has also been posted as her latest Facebook note:

Drill

Petroleum is a major part of America’s energy picture. Shall we get it here or abroad?

By Sarah Palin

Given that we’re spending billions of stimulus dollars to rebuild our highways, it makes sense to think about what we’ll be driving on them. For years to come, most of what we drive will be powered, at least in part, by diesel fuel or gasoline. To fuel that driving, we need access to oil. The less use we make of our own reserves, the more we will have to import, which leads to a number of harmful consequences. That means we need to drill here and drill now.

We rely on petroleum for much more than just powering our vehicles: It is essential in everything from jet fuel to petrochemicals, plastics to fertilizers, pesticides to pharmaceuticals. Ac cord ing to the Energy Information Ad min is tra tion, our total domestic petroleum consumption last year was 19.5 million barrels per day (bpd). Motor gasoline and diesel fuel accounted for less than 13 million bpd of that. Meanwhile, we produced only 4.95 million bpd of domestic crude. In other words, even if we ran all our vehicles on something else (which won’t happen anytime soon), we would still have to depend on imported oil. And we’ll continue that dependence until we develop our own oil resources to their fullest extent.

Those who oppose domestic drilling are motivated primarily by environmental considerations, but many of the countries we’re forced to import from have few if any environmental-protection laws, and those that do exist often go unenforced. In effect, American environmentalists are preventing responsible development here at home while supporting irresponsible development overseas.

My home state of Alaska shows how it’s possible to be both pro-environment and pro-resource-development. Alaskans would never support anything that endangered our pristine air, clean water, and abundant wildlife (which, among other things, provides many of us with our livelihood). The state’s government has made safeguarding resources a priority; when I was governor, for instance, we created a petroleum-systems-integrity office to monitor our oil and gas infrastructure for any potential environmental risks.

Alaska also shows how oil drilling is thoroughly compatible with energy conservation and renewable-energy development. Over 20 percent of Alas ka’s electricity currently comes from renewable sources, and as governor I put forward a long-term plan to increase that figure to 50 percent by 2025. Alaska’s comprehensive plan identifies renewable options across the state that can help rural villages transition away from expensive diesel-generated electricity — allowing each community to choose the solution that best fits its needs. That’s important in any energy plan: Tempting as they may be to central planners, top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions are recipes for failure.

Continue reading my article for National Review by clicking here:

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Nzc2ZjhjY2MwMWUyM2M4NTM5YWRjYTcwMTEzZTNjMTc

The idea of drilling for our own oil makes complete sense. Of course, try telling that to the usual suspects (environmentalists, animal rights activists, their lobbyists, their supporters in Washington and particular state capitals). Drill, Baby, Drill! & Drill Here, Drill Now! may have been derided as just silly campaign slogans, but frankly, I meant it when I said Drill!

What's going on here?

A lot of stuff has been going on lately in regards to important matters I've blogged about in the past: the fate of Rifqa Bary and the fate of Honduras.

The latest news about Rifqa Bary comes from Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs, in which the judge deciding the case declared Ohio has jurisdiction on the matter, but because no documentation has been brought up to prove her parents are legal immigrants, the judge has also made it clear Rifqa will not be returned to Ohio until the documents arrive. The downside to this, however, is that if the documentation doesn't appear (which proves the parents came here illegally), the whole family will have to go to their native country of Sri Lanka. If Rifqa goes with them, it will mean death for her, unless her defenders can arrange for her to remain in America.

As for Honduras, the pressure has continued unabated for the interim government to reinstate the deposed President Manuel Zelaya. News came up, however, that the interim government had agreed to reinstate Zelaya. Then came the news that such a reinstatement had not been agreed upon by the concerned parties.

The fate of both Rifqa Bary and the nation of Honduras remains unsure, but there's still hope Rifqa will be allowed to remain in Florida, and Honduras may remain a free nation. May it be so.

The latest from Sarah: Margaret Thatcher's birthday

Governor Palin's latest Facebook note came this past Tuesday, to wish a happy birthday to one of the great leaders the world has known since Sir Winston Churchill:

Birthday Wishes to Margaret Thatcher

I would like to extend warm birthday wishes to Margaret Thatcher today. Baroness Thatcher continues to remain a role model to many people, particularly women, around the world. Her career is a collection of "firsts." She was the youngest female Conservative Party member to stand for election in history, she was the first woman to hold the title Leader of the Opposition, and she was the first woman to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

As Prime Minister, she took an active role in defending economic freedom and democratic ideals. Her push to privatize British industry and lower tax rates led to a substantial economic expansion in the United Kingdom. She was just as influential in foreign policy. Along with President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, Prime Minister Thatcher recognized the evil of Communism and worked tirelessly to erode the power and influence of the Soviet Union.

Her life and career serve as a blueprint for overcoming the odds and challenging the "status quo." She started life as a grocer's daughter from Grantham and rose to become Prime Minister - all by her own merit and hard work. I cherish the accomplishments of Margaret Thatcher and will always count her as one of my role models.

- Sarah Palin

Baroness Margaret Thatcher was one of the three major architects in winning the Cold War against the Soviet Union (the other two, of course, being Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II). She also did a great deal to bring her country back to its glory days. All of us in the western world, and countless people in Eastern Europe, owe her a great deal for her efforts in the eleven years she served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Happy birthday, Baroness; you have my deep gratitude. And thank you, Governor Palin, for reminding me of this important event.

Welcome, Vets4Sarah.net

O.P. Ditch at Vets4Sarah.net has joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll. Welcome aboard, O.P., to the good fight for Governor Palin.

Welcome, Political Integrity Now, Team Sarah Conservative Voice, All American Blogger & Half Baked Sourdough

Four bloggers have been added to the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll, Chet at Political Integrity Now, Jane at Team Sarah Conservative Voice, Andrew at All American Blogger and Liz at Half Baked Sourdough. Welcome, guys, to the blogroll, and sorry for taking so long in welcoming you all.

Ohhhhh Brother No. 21: Barack Obama, Nobel Prize Winner?

Over the years, the Nobel Prize has honored the great accomplishments of many people in various fields (science, medicine, literature, etc.), but the honoring of one of this year's prizes has also shown how worthless the honor has become in that certain field. This year's prize for peace is to be awarded to none other than President Barack Obama. OHHHHH BROTHER!

The basis for the prize isn't even for anything the President has done, but to encourage his efforts toward world peace (eliminating nuclear weapons, “easing tensions with the Muslim world” & pursuing international cooperation). Call me crazy but I thought prizes were awarded for accomplishments already achieved. What exactly is the point of giving awards of any kind if they're given for something that may not come at all?

With the Nobel Peace Prize having gone over the years to some real pieces of work (i.e. Woodrow Wilson, Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore), it's no surprise Barack Obama would be included in the list. But with no accomplishments on his slate and still being awarded the Peace Prize, only to encourage his initiatives, what can I say but Ohhhhh brother!

My latest reviews

I've posted reviews of two superb Civil War epics, Gettysburg and Gods And Generals. Go ahead and take a look (and don't think about the shamelessness of my self-promtions while you're at it).

The latest from Sarah: The need for energy independence

Here is the second of two new notes from Sarah Palin on Facebook:

The British newspaper The Independent reported today that Gulf oil producers were negotiating with Russia, China, Japan and France to replace the dollar in pricing oil with a basket of currencies.[1] According to the Wall Street Journal, Arab oil officials have denied the story, but even the possibility of such a talk weakens the dollar and renews fears about its continued viability as an international reserve currency.[2] In fact, today a United Nations official called for a new global reserve currency to replace the dollar and end our “privilege” to run up huge deficits.[3] We can see the effect of this in the price of gold, which hit a record high today in response to fears about the weakened dollar.[4]

All of this is a result of our out-of-control debt. This is why we need to rein in spending, and this is also why we need energy independence. A weakened dollar means higher commodity prices. This will make it more difficult to pay our bills – including the bill to import oil.

In his book Architects of Ruin, Peter Schweizer points out that the Obama administration is focusing primarily on “green energy," while ignoring our need to develop our domestic conventional energy resources.[5] We’re ignoring the looming crisis caused by our dependence on foreign oil. Because we’re dependent on foreign nations for our oil, we’re also at their mercy if they decide to dump the dollar as their trade currency. We can’t allow ourselves to be so vulnerable to the whims of foreign nations. That’s why we must develop our own domestic supplies of oil and gas.

Though the chant of “Drill, baby, drill” was much derided, it expressed the need to confront this issue head-on before it reaches a crisis point.

Bottom line: let’s stop digging ourselves into debt and start drilling for energy independence.

- Sarah Palin




[1] See http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-demise-of-the-dollar-1798175.html

[2] See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125484066563367821.html

[3] See http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.e272eaa74dccc30f21c6ff7638b0f37b.461&show_article=1

[4] See http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091006/ts_afp/commoditiesgoldmetalsprice_20091006144514

[5] See http://www.peterschweizer.com/




*Note: Schweizer’s book is a real eye-opener. The sections on ACORN are quite informative.

With the weakening of the American dollar continuing, the likely increase of inflation rates in the country and the continuing efforts of the Obama administration to keep spending money it doesn't have like there's no tomorrow, the outcome looks very grim unless something is done. Governor Palin has presented two solid solutions to the problem. Hopefully, we the people will get the message across to Washington before the hole it's dug the whole nation into gets too big to get out of.

Thank you again, Governor Palin, for your words. You do a much better job of articulating your opinions than I. I'll also need to take a look at Peter Schweizer's latest book.

The latest from Sarah: Afghanistan

Sarah Palin has posted two new items on Facebook; this is the first of the two, with the subject being Afghanistan:

For two years as a candidate, Senator Obama called for more resources for the war in Afghanistan and warned about the consequences of failure. As President, he announced a comprehensive new counterinsurgency strategy and handpicked the right general to execute it. Now General McChrystal is asking for additional troops to implement the strategy announced by President Obama in March. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers in harm's way in Afghanistan right now. We owe it to all those brave Americans serving in uniform to give them the tools they need to complete their mission.

We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. The 9/11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan, and if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will once again find a safe haven, the Taliban will impose its cruelty on the Afghan people, and Pakistan will be less stable.

Our allies and our adversaries are watching to see if we have the staying power to protect our interests in Afghanistan. I recently joined a group of Americans in urging President Obama to devote the resources necessary in Afghanistan and pledged to support him if he made the right decision. Now is not the time for cold feet, second thoughts, or indecision -- it is the time to act as commander-in-chief and approve the troops so clearly needed in Afghanistan.

- Sarah Palin

After emphasizing on the need to get out of Iraq now and focus the military action on Afghanistan, fighting al-Qaeda (as they also emphasized), to see these same people wobble on the matter of Afghanistan is despicable. There are American troops fighting and risking their lives on the other side of the globe, and all the equipment and manpower needed should be given to them post haste. It's no time to play politics with the lives of our troops, of the Afghan people and ultimately, America (as far as the War on terror goes).

Thank you, Governor Palin, for your words.

Now isn't that interesting, chapter 27

You know, it is of my opinion that nobody ever seriously expected the outcome to be this. Nobody ever expected who the first city to be eliminated from consideration would be. And yet, it happened.

The President of the United States, the First Lady and one of the world's most famous TV personalities traveled all the way to Europe to participate in lobbying for the city's bid. The President's influence was said to be strong enough to give the city a good chance of winning; in fact, a win seemed all but likely. And yet, it didn't happen.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided earlier this afternoon which of the four contenders would get to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, and yes, Chicago was the first city eliminated from contention. Tokyo was the next city to fall off the wagon, so to speak, leaving only Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.

And the winning city turned out to be: Rio de Janeiro! Now isn't that interesting?

After all the efforts by the Obamas to try to secure the winning bid for Chicago, they couldn't convince enough IOC voters to support the Windy City. Doesn't say much about the power of influence the President and his wife have with the world, does it?

Well, I can tell you a number of Chicagoans are happy about the outcome; the people behind the website Chicagoans for Rio 2016 already have a note of thanks to those who left e-mails and comments.

For myself, it's actually bittersweet; sweet because those who stood to gain from Chicago having the winning bid (people and groups I suspect are corrupt) now get nothing. Also, residents of Chicago, who already have to deal with the city's current deficit, won't have a likely addition of billions put onto their bill.

And it's bitter because the Olympics won't be coming to America for a while (at least nine, but more likely eleven or thirteen years). Despite the possible corruption and the huge debts likely to be incurred from hosting the Olympics, it's still a cool thing for an event like the Olympics to come here (especially if they had come to Chicago, which isn't far from where I am by car or train).

In any event, Rio will be hosting the 2016 Games, so I have just under seven years to save money and head out to see the Games (if I decide to do so, of course). An interesting possibility.

A dark milestone

Except for the Soviet Union, it is the longest lasting Communist regime in existence, now at sixty years of age. Six decades ago, Mao Tse-tung won the long fought civil war in China against Chiang Kai-shek and formed the People's Republic of China. What has followed in the decades since has been very dark indeed.

Celebrations were held in Beijing, and even in New York, the Empire State Building shone in colors of red and yellow to commemorate the anniversary. Frankly, I'd rather remember other dark milestones in Red China's history which led to this dark milestone, like the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square massacre. I'd rather remember the repression of freedom in China which still exists, in the form of repressing online freedom, freedom of religion, political freedom and so forth.

No, the sixtieth anniversary of this brutal, oppressive regime is not cause for celebration, but remembrance of the untold millions upon millions of victims by its hand, by the hand of Mao Tse-tung, of Deng Xiaoping, of Jiang Zemin, of Hu Jintao and many others.