Fred Thompson is back to writing on blogs and such. His new home is Townhall, and his first post is must read. 

The Place to Discuss Our Fundamental Principles

Our nation has some serious issues to work through for today … and for the next generation. Now isn’t the time for conservatives to be looking for a tailored message or a politically expedient route to victory if the end result is going to be the inevitable slide toward the liberalization and secularization of America, and the growth of government and loss of freedom that inevitably ensues. For us conservatives it must be about principles and policies that are grounded in freedom, free markets and the rule of law. 

It really is a shame we got John McCain instead of Fred. 

If these fascists try to cite me for this someday, you can bet your bottom dollar I will perform a little civil disobedience. 

As gas nears $4, Minneapolis eyes limits on engine idling

Star Tribune

Last update: May 15, 2008 - 2:28 PM

Minneapolis City Council members today will hear from city staff members about a proposed ordinance to restrict vehicle idling in most cases to 3 minutes.

The proposal will be discussed at 10 this morning in the council chambers.

Currently, limits are in place for city police and public works vehicles and commercial buses and trucks that burn diesel fuel.

“The new ordinance is designed to improve air quality,” said a news release from the city. “If approved, the measure would make it illegal in most cases to allow a car to idle (except while in traffic) for more than 3 minutes.”

Do they realize that Minneapolis happens to be in Minnesota where it gets very VERY cold in the winter? 

This is a perfect example of liberal politicians politicizing agony of the public. 

Lugnut went to the vet yesterday. There will not be any little Luggers in the future. 

RF Flashback: Thanks Dad

Update: He really hates this collar. I came home to find this laying on the floor. 

But he is feeling better and really wants to play. 

Is it just me or are the solutions being proposed for the $1 billion budget deficit not including anything meaningful that will prevent deficits in the future and in stead may create bigger ones by simply laying the tracks for this to happen again next year? Via Polinaut

Talks are set to resume at 10:30 Thursday morning. They wrapped up negotiations last night at Midnight after DFLers presented their latest budget offer. It includes a property tax cap of 5.5% and has tails of $150 million for property tax relief ($75m in LGA for Senate - and $75m in direct property tax relief for the House).

OK, sure it is a nice feel good gesture for state taxpayers to subsidize my local taxes, but that is spending more state money, isn’t it? And we have done this before. The problem with property taxes is that municipalities are spending like crazy and so are the schools. That’s why your property taxes are outrageous. Municipal Welfare

The plan also takes $2.5 million from Governor Pawlenty’s Achieve initiative and makes cuts of $1 million each to the University of Minnesota and MnSCU and $500k cut to Corrections. There’s saving from a GI Bill, they tap the Worker’s Compensation Special Fund, the Minnesota Investment Fund and the plan requires St. Paul to pay $1.5 million for the Arena loan (which the state will pick up later).

So we’re ’saving’ $5 million, but requiring the state to repay the St. Paul $1.5 million payment in the future. That’s $3.5 million ’saved’ out of $1 billion. And we all know that the Universities will be screaming bloody murder next session and that corrections will start letting sexual predators free because of budget cuts so they can stand there with their hand out next budget cycle. (I mean that last part as a joke, but I wouldn’t be surprised)

There are also fees in the offer. There is a Motor Vehicle transfer fee increase of $10 (it generates $10.2 million) and a $5 increase for professional licenses (Electronic Licensing Surchage generates $3.3 million). The plan also shifts inpatient hospital payments by one month generating $10 million.

So the state has blown its allowance and once again they come back and make us pay for it. Kids in the candy shop? I sure hope they get a tummy ache before the rest of us are broke.

We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem!!!!! 

The Health Plan Reserve Proposal ($50 million) is still on the table but would be backed up by money from the Health Care Access Fund.

So we have money sitting in all sorts of pots, and rather than bail their butts out by using money they already took away from Minnesota families, they are coming back for more. 

DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher said she hoped the offer was a pathway to a deal. Governor Pawlenty’s spokesman said the proposed property tax cap was too high but was optimistic since the two sides are still talking. 

I’m just curious, has there been any discussion on cutting spending? Afterall, that is the problem that caused this deficit. The Governor and Legislature spent more money than it had available. Oh sure, they’ll try to say that revenue was down, but don’t forget they increased spending almost 10% last session. Hell, had they kept it to 3%, they’d have a surplus right now. 

We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem!!!!

I was in the Strib’s BlogHouse again. Blog House: May we suggest a romantic four- to eight-year getaway?

The verdict from Andy Aplikowski at Residual Forces (4) was that McCain needs to find a running mate to shore up his conservative base.

“What McCain needs is to balance himself with his pick, but a Pawlenty choice is more supplemental than it is complimentary. Pawlenty is cut from the McCain mold of Republicans. He is not a ’strict’ conservative who values Reagan principles first. They both share some conservative aspects, but they are both far from strict limited government conservatives.”

Things are looking very ugly for Republicans this election. It appears that Congressional campaign leadership is losing the faith of its members. We have a Presidential candidate that is purposefully disenfranchising segments of the conservative base. And on the Senate end of things, it seems that even with a slim single digit minority, Republicans are unable or unwilling to fight toe to toe with liberal Democrats and instead proud to be working with them.

So what gives? How has this party become so unravelled? How can fringe left wing special interest fueled and funded liberals manage to out ‘message’ the Grand Old Party with voters?

I know why some Republicans in Washington are losing faith in leaders. It is the same reason grassroots activists around the country are fed up and starting to revolt and take it out on whoever they can. 

The leaders have lost sight of why Republicans matter. They’re not supposed to be there to rubber stamp what Democrats want to do to America. They bring balance to the political world. You can’t have single party rule. But unfortunately on some pretty major issues, the Republican message is marginally different or indistinguishable than that of the liberal Democrat’s.

Republicans have fallen for the Dick Morris ploy of ‘triangulation’. While the Democrats stand firm on issue after issue, Republicans think if they play along and compromise their principles “to get stuff done” it will somehow bring comity to Washington and they will somehow be gleaned as favorable in the eyes of voters. 

Yes, the problem can be described simply as Republicans cared more about winning elections than they did about the actual politics.

Their desire to win at all costs has taken the reigns and controls the agenda now in Washington. Gone are the bold ideas and message of conservatism, they’re replaced with the latest polling report and voter ID quota. They have staked out positions on Democrat turf in order to “adopt” moderate and swings voters for an election. The party moved its message to what they thought voters wanted. The problem is that voters don’t know what Republicans really stand for anymore because it seems to change with the tide. They gave up entirely on trying to move voters to our ideas. 

Contacts Does Not Equal Connections

Voter ID has replaced the art of connecting with voters. God bless Karl Rove, but you can’t win elections with spreadsheets, databases, and math. You can ID all the voters in the world, but if they don’t care for what you’re selling, it doesn’t matter how much time, money, and energy you spend making sure they get out to the polls. Heck, for all you know they may pull the lever for the other side once you do drag them to the polls. Sure it may work once or twice, but eventually people figure out that not every single election and race is the most important one…. EVER in the history of elections.

Reagan didn’t win 49 states by running a 72 hour GOTV plans or in each. He won landslides because he stood his ground on the issues and communicated with them in ways that drew the voters to him. It wasn’t smear and fear, it was issues and the differences on them that voters got enthused enough to show up and vote for.

Here we are now looking at the possibility of a second straight election where Democrat candidates get to masquerade as the more conservative candidate. That’s not something that is the fault of each and every Republican candidate. Sure there are some liberal Republicans out there, but the problem is that the party allowed simply being (R)epublican to equal being conservative and having the brand of the party watered down enough so that every single member was comfortable, no matter of they were rock ribbed limited Government types, or Big Government liberal country club ones. The only requirement was an (R). 

Conservatism is what sets us apart from Democrats. The Democrats stand for liberal ideas, we shouldn’t. We make our case, they make theirs, may the best candidate and eventually ideas win.

I’m one that believes that Conservatism is the only thing that can provide for a sustainable, prosperous, and free future for America and in turn the world. The only thing out there to deliver on that is the Republican party. Unfortunately the Republican power-brokers in Washington have sold out conservatism for a few electoral wins here and there. And what’s worse that strategy has trickled down to state parties as well through the RNC manipulation and king-making.

The power and control of the party became centralized and the party was no longer controlled by the grassroots. Instead we were treated as pons in some grand Risk-like election game-plan. Party leaders and elite strategists based win or lose decisions on polls and battlefront reports from key areas of the election map, much in the same way generals did in the World Wars and conflicts of the past. (That race is lost, cut our losses and send reinforcements over to so-and-so…)

So what can Republicans do to save this election cycle?

It may be too late for that, but it can’t hurt to try. We need to get back to being the party that stands for conservatism. Our elected officials have got to start acting like the conservatives they claim to be at the grassroots events and are purported to be by the party elites. They need to stop pandering, letting polls dictate their policy stances, and take actions that will define ourselves as the center right party - not the center of the road one.

It is time to focus internally on just what we should be doing (ahem the policies) should we actually be lucky enough to get elected or stay in office and forget basing every single decision (on the campaign trail or the Floor) we make on whether or not it will poll well or please that lobbyist or special interest group. The special interest group that the Republican party should care most about is the citizens of this country. But not the way the Democrats do where they punish companies and hand out entitlements for votes.

In America, there will be winners and losers and not everyone can or should be equal. We can’t all be CEOs, but we can’t all be janitors or on food stamps either. There has to be a balance, but it is not the role of Government to decide what the economy looks like.

If we can maintain a freedom and fairness that provides for the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for any who dare, and there is a level playing field for people to achieve whatever dream they see fit. Peoples’ dreams shouldn’t be limited or defined by any politician or level of Government. We should be able to be as great as God gave us the ability and desire to be.

Lead or get out of the way. (That’s the PG version of what I want to say, see photo, use imagination)

There are scores of us out here at the grassroots level in the Republican party who are watching a few people controlling the Republican party who are more concerned with their own personal career or friends than stopping the liberals from destroying this great nation.

We either need new Congressional leaders or the ones there need to realize it is time to admit mistakes and change the approach. Party leaders and power brokers at all levels need to be held accountable. Much of the same mistakes that have blown our Congressional Majorities have been repeated at the State levels with similar results. Sure many are quick to point fingers towards DC to cast blame for local losses as well, but they too have made colossal mistakes and no it wasn’t Foley and Iraq that gave Minnesota Democrats some 30 plus Minnesota House seats since 2004.

Here in Minnesota we have a state party that refuses to get involved on legislative issues and seems to be all about mudslinging. Sure we have a party platform, but the top of the ticket Republicans don’t give a rip about it and the party does nothing when Republicans go ahead and vote and advocate policies like liberal Democrats.

Our party is fracturing at the seems. Our National candidate in a Presidential year is very divisive. Not in the way one may think of Bush or Hillary IE polarizing, but rather with in his own party. McCain is going to be a drag at the grassroots, rubber meets the road, electoral workers level of the party.

Because of the recent record of Republicans (like McCain) obstructing the conservative agenda we are fed up and tired of wasting our time and energy getting them elected. We weigh the decision of putting our time and money into helping someone who is just a little bit better than the Democrat get elected or spending that same time with the kids and family at the lake or taking in a nice ball game. (Name your pleasure) Maybe this year we’ll take a trip to the North Shore to see the Fall colors instead of making all those phone calls for Candidate X.

We have a serious problem in this party. The current leaders refuse to even acknowledge that. I don’t know if it is lust for power, foolish pride, or just plain stubbornness but 2008 may make 2006 look like a heaven unless we get someone leading the party both nationally and at the state level who will be delivering a message that differentiates us from the liberal Democrats for the benefit of all Republicans, not just the ones at the top of the ticket. And no, so and so screwed up on their taxes is not a policy distinction. 

I don’t want someone who takes more pride in crossing party lines and working on liberal legislation with Democrats representing me. Or someone who takes more pride in throwing mud than doing the work I want them to do for me in Washington. I don’t want to work to get someone elected who believes in the pyramid scheme of man made global warming and is openly advocating for the freedom squashing policies that will destroy the America I love and cherrish. I don’t want to have someone in office telling me how and where I can drive, live, or what kind of work I must do, or that I have to to be compassionate to illegal aliens or pay for some strangers health care. 

That’s why I am a Republican damn it!

America is supposed to be the land of the free and home of the brave. The liberal Democrats do not share that idea. They believe in the nanny state and trying to bring socialism to our shores, one policy at a time.

It is time for Republican leaders to lead or get out of the way.

The rest of us out here who want to see conservative ideas have representation in the Legislature and Washington, we need to find great local candidates and spend our time and resources getting them elected to the US or State House. We can’t expect anyone one else to do it. We can’t leave it to chance. Let’s get them elected, then we will have someone we can agree with while we are trying to get rid of the dead weight at the top. 

If we can get a majority of the Republicans to be solid conservatives…. who knows, maybe the party will get back on track and begin reconnecting with voters as a whole. In the meantime, unfortunately the statewide and national leaders haven’t got a clue. They wouldn’t know a winning conservative idea unless it was poll tested. Then again, Amnesty was opposed by 70+% of Americans, but that won’t stop John McCain.

Clearly it is up to us at the local level to save this country from Liberalism, in a bi-partisan way of course.

The choice is yours to stay home if you want, but remember, the future of the Republican party and America is at stake. 

Did you think I was kidding? Rusty spoons, ear drums, now!

Forget that last post. You will gouge your ear drums out with a rusty spoon after this one.

Ear Worms!!!!! AAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHHHH

Did I wake up in bizzaro world? This PiPress editorial is great and even supports a Bush veto! 

Minnesota produced some $10 billion worth of crops and livestock last year. The state is among the nation’s largest producers of soybeans, corn, wheat, sugar, turkeys and pigs. Agriculture of one sort or another is important to every corner of Minnesota, and everywhere in between. So, then, is federal farm policy, which is normally rewritten every five years.

The most recent farm bill was written in 2002. The new one was due last year. Now it’s overdue. Despite the extra months it took Congress to produce a new bill, it’s about to get a veto from President Bush. This is no surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention to the farm bill debate, and it should be welcome to anybody who cares about responsible use of taxpayer dollars, about defensible farm policy, and, ultimately, about farmers.

We hope Congress will accept the veto and quickly send a better bill back to the president. A better bill will have fewer trade-distorting mandates and subsidies (especially considering that our trading partners buy $100 billion worth of U.S. farm exports a year), no income support for those farmers at the top of the heap who need no income support, no budget gimmicks and fewer taxpayer-funded goody bags for parochial interests. It’s a farm bill, not a bring-home-the-bacon bill.

Read the rest here. 

Now if we could only get Sen. Coleman (R) on board with this line of thinking. Also keep in mind Minnesotans that our very own Rep. Colin Peterson (D MN7) is the Chair of the Ag Committee and the one responsible for this bill’s contents.