America Rising!

And before our very eyes...this is how it works!

Read the previous post for background on this one.

In a New York House race, evidence of the pressure of demanding Conservative bona fides, and refusing to just vote "R" is already netting results.

The Washington Times has the Story: Tea Partiers, GOP regulars scuffle in N. Y. House race.

Yes, it's possible that the fight between the Conservative Party candidate and the Republican one may give a victory to the Democrat....this time. But look how fast the GOP is learning.

They see that it is necessary—in NEW YORK—to offer a Conservative candidate to capture what they once thought of as "Republican" voters. They're learning that they can no longer take them for granted —they even made her sign a Taxpayer Protection Pledge "to fortify her conservative credentials..."

Do you think that next time they'll nominate another "moderate" to run for that office if they lose the election because too many of their core voters voted for the Conservative Party candidate?

I'm thinking not.

Some rank-and-file House Republicans privately say they have written off Mrs. Scozzafava's chances in the Nov. 3 special election.

The members say she is a weak candidate who can't rally the district's conservative voters, echoing complaints of Republican-allied activist groups who complain that the pro-choice Mrs. Scozzafava is more liberal even than her Democratic opponent.

The question is, of course, why was this woman nominated in the first place? Why is she running as a Republican?

Because the GOP leadership has no more respect for conservative principles or voters than Democrat leadership.

And if she should win the election, or draw most of the Republican votes because Conservatives vote for the "R" just to keep the "D" out of office, the GOP will have learned nothing...and they'll feel free to foist another unacceptable candidate the next time, because Conservatives will have proved they can be frightened into voting for Party instead of Principle.

But the voters of New York, the Tea Party Patriots....by refusing to be stampeded by fear, and holding to Principles, are forcing the GOP to at least open one eye and smell the revolution—even if this time it's only resulted in their trying to put Conservative lipstick on a Liberal pig.

Somebody obviously got the message.

It's a good demonstration of the power of Principle over Party. And one we have to duplicate all over the country. Time for us to make it happen in San Mateo County —and California.

We can't let the New Yorkers show us up!

wtp

P.S. Can SOMEBODY please make Newt Gingrich go away!

The Pledge

When we began "We the People" of San Mateo County, we started with three goals:

1) Stop ObamaCare

2) Stop Cap & Trade

3) "Throw the Bums Out"

The first two are obvious. The third caused some consternation because traditional wisdom tells us that if you "throw" the Republican out...chances are you get a Democrat.

And everyone agrees that's a lousy result.

But for too long, we've been voting the "lesser of two evils"—and ended up with "evil" as our representative. Well, we see where that has got us. The state of the nation today is a direct result of that kind of thinking...and that kind of voting.

When you do what we did, you get what we've got.

Voting for the "R" just to keep the "D" out of office is NOT WORKING. We have the most corrupt, unresponsive, insulated, spendthrift, controlling, regulating, taxing government ever.

All we've done is give the Republicans permission to nominate principle-free party hacks with little or no respect for The People they're supposed to represent; weak-willed stooges who will do what they're told and are highly susceptible to the temptations of privilege, popularity, power and greed.

If we want our government to change—we have to change. And nothing will if we continue to do the same thing expecting different results.

We will only prove we are too stupid or too insane to govern ourselves.

We're not.

And all around us, people are figuring out that we have to change the way we do things, change the template, change the paradigm. Glenn Beck is the most prominent voice to proclaim that it's no longer about Parties, but about Principles. I suggest we listen.

Pajamas Media's Jeff Pope has joined that choir, and his piece today is essential reading if you want to understand just what we're up against, and why a new politics is critically important.

Unless we break the back of the insiders' club that is Washington, D.C. (and most State governments) we will continue on he road to serfdom, and bequeath our children, and theirs, a life of subjection instead of freedom.

As I see it, we have no choice if we are to ever call ourselves "Americans" with pride again.

We need to implement this program, or something like it. No more dancing with the devil. If the Republican Party wants to return to its roots as full-throated defenders of individual rights and the free market, of limited government, of low taxes, of less regulation...fine. They have to prove it. And if it takes losing a few elections because Republicans & Independents refuse to vote for squishy "moderate" political hacks they nominate, until they get the clear, strong and unequivocal message, SO BE IT.

It's the best, and perhaps the ONLY chance to make them obey us...instead of stampeding us down the road to perdition as they are doing now.

We must seek out candidates that are loyal to Principles, no matter what their party. And we must vote for them, even if it "wastes" our vote...because if we don't, nothing will ever change. If the Republicans see that they are losing because principled conservative third party or Independent candidates "take away too many votes", they'll start nominating principled conservative candidates. It's the law of the Free Market...you give your customers what they demand.

And THAT'S something most Republicans still understand.

The problem is not in the representative system of government; rather it is in the perversion of the government by the current people in office.

They need to go. Now."

wtp

Leadership Meeting

Our meeting was an outstanding success. Many more people attended than were expected (which is always a delightful surprise!)

We identified several critical issues: Health Care, Energy/Cap & Trade, Amnesty, the 2nd Amendment...

...some long-term issues like Education, and others that relate to the growth and effectiveness of our group: communication, liaison with other Patriot groups, publicity and recruitment.

We'll have all the details on Thursday. See you there!

wtp

How To Defeat The Left

HOW TO DEFEAT THE LEFT, by David Horowitz at FrontPage.com

The only way to defeat the left — and I have failed in twenty years of arguing this to persuade conservatives — is to turn the table around and attack their moral self-image. Leftists are in fact the enemies and oppressors of women, children, gays, minorities and the poor, and conservatives should never confront them without reminding them of this fact. If Naomi Wolf and her radical friends had their way, America would be disarmed and radical Islam would be triumphant and women would be back in the Middle Ages, and the rest of us along with them.

wtp

hat tip/Sean

The Solution

From a friend who's clear on the concept:

Limit all U.S. politicians to two terms:

One in office and one in prison!

We already do this in Illinois.

wtp

Dems Feeling the Heat

Our efforts bear fruit. The Marxists appear to be on the hot seat, if not on the run. Time to keep up the pressure. Write, call, fax, email. Don't give these guys a moment's peace. Let's make September as miserable for them as August was!

"August, typically a sleepy month, dealt Democrats a tough hand this year.

Snafus in the federal "cash for clunkers" program -- which gave people rebates to trade in gas-guzzling cars for more fuel-efficient new vehicles -- highlighted how disorganization can hamper government plans. It was the bloodiest month for U.S. troops so far in the war in Afghanistan. Attorney General Eric Holder poked a potential hornets' nest by appointing a prosecutor to investigate Central Intelligence Agency interrogators. And White House budget forecasters said they now project $9 trillion of additional federal debt over the next decade, adding $2 trillion to an earlier estimate."

Health-Care Anger Has Deeper Roots (Wall Street Journal)

wtp

Are We Famous Yet??

Please note, someone signing as "Mike Larsen, Communications Director, Rep. Jackie Speier" left a comment on my posted review of the TownHall meeting.

I find it interesting that our little blog could come so quickly to the attention of the Congressman's Communications Director....

If you click his name attached the comment, it does go to Speier's website...I'm not sure if that really means anything....

....but just in case they're actually paying attention...LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

Comment on the posts, and submit your own for publication!

Let's not let this potential crisis...er...opportunity go to waste...

wtp

A Former Marine Has A Question...

hat tip/Robert L.

wtp

Not So Fast....

Public option off the table? Don't get too excited yet...

Pay attention to what they DO, not what they SAY.

...and keep up the pressure!

wtp

March on Washington!

Just got this notice:

Next Big Silicon Valley Tea Party Patriots Rally
Sunday, September 13, 2009

Can’t make the September 12-13, March on Washington, D.C.? No problem, we’ve got you covered!

Silicon Valley Tea Party Patriots Street Rally

Date: Sunday, September 13, 2009
Time: 1:00PM -3:00 PM
Location: Corner of Stevens Creek Blvd. and Winchester Blvd. (same as before)

We’ll be at it again to tell Washington: No government takeover of our health care system! We had 1,000 come out Independence Day Weekend. Let’s make it 2,000 this time!

I don't know yet if anything is scheduled closer to home. (Does anyone know?)

People all across the country will be demonstrating in support of the March On Washington. And I certainly want to be a part of that!

wtp

Bab's and the Giant Protest

We just got back from the San Jose protest at Babs Boxer's book signing. I only have one complaint. IT. WAS. TOO. HOT. I suppose it's because I live in Pacifica, but I'm just not good with 85 degree weather. It was a beautiful day, but the sun was unrelenting to my coastal sensibilities.

Otherwise, it was great fun. Even with a couple Liberals who would insist on engaging me. Let's see. I was called a liar, and a Rush robot. One guy said that I just listen to Rush and do whatever he says instead of thinking for myself. His women said that Rush Limbaugh trades on fear and hate. I suggested that if she actually listened to him she'd know that wasn't true. Naturally, she claimed she does.

Why do they do that when it's so clearly a lie?

Her man announced that the Constitution was written over 200 year ago, for agrarian times and didn't apply to our current modern culture. Seriously. HE. SAID. THAT.

I should have countered with, "Do you mean that individual liberty is an obsolete idea?", but he was beyond talking to at that point, and did I mention I was over-heated...?

Another Liberal guy sited Alexander Hamilton as proof that the "Founding Fathers" didn't consider government as the necessary-evil-enemy-of-the-people that they themselves made clear.

Sigh.

When I told him I'd rather have freedom than even "good" health care if it was run by the State....he just looked at me.

It's like "freedom" is a word in a foreign language that they don't understand.

Same guy insisted that Europe has great health care and that everybody there loves it. Faced with three different groups of people who said they had friends, especially in Britain, that hated it, he wasn't fazed at all. He's got the talking points down, and he's sticking to them. Facts be damned.

Here's more or less how his argument ran:

1) Liberal: "The health care system is horribly broken. We need to reform it."

2) Me:" I agreed that health care needs to be reformed, but not by turning it over to the State."

4) Liberal: "The STATE already runs over half of our health care, so what's the problem?"

5) Me: "I thought you said the system was horribly broken? If the STATE is running over half of it and it's horribly broken, why do you want to let them run MORE of it?"

6) Liberal: "Well, they probably run less than half, actually."

I don't think they think their arguments through very well.

But we far outnumbered them in any case, I heard one of the organizers estimate that a thousand people showed up! So while we didn't invade Barnes & Noble, or seek to confront Babs, it's not possible that she didn't know we were there, and that's all that matters.

We did stick around until she left...there was a town crier going up and down the sidewalk giving us updates. And a big crowd gathered at the driveway when she was driven out...

All was peaceful and friendly and fun. Lot's of horn honking and waves and thumbs-up of approval from cars passing on the big street we lined.

Another day, another protest.

God, I rather be home playing with my cats, blogging and staying cool under the lovely overcast skies of my coastal town...

But, hey, the Republic is at stake, and considering that...and what the Founders risked to create this amazing, God-blessed, divinely inspired miracle called "America", and what so many more have fought and died to preserve and protect, it's the least we can do, right?

Let's all get out there and give them hell! And TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!

wtp

And They Call it "The News"...

News Busters has a good article about the "News Media" and the way they're portraying us ObamaCare Protesters.

ABC framed its Tuesday night story, on citizens using town hall forums held by Members of Congress to express opposition to ObamaCare, around undermining their credibility by asserting the reaction “appears to be orchestrated” and “organized” and thus is forcing the victimized “White House to push back” by “fighting Internet fire with fire.”

Here's my question. Who are they reporting this TO?

1) The mindless, Obama-Zombies who're already on board?

2) Each other, so they feel better about lying?

3) Or The People—who are the very ones they're lying about...?

I don't think they've thought this through very well.

Or is it just me?

wtp

Jackie Speier - Townhall events

UPDATE:

SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS & DATES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. REVISED LIST WILL BE HANDED OUT AT AUGUST 20 MEETING. I'll update this post soon. wtp

Let Speier Know what you think:

AUGUST 21
Community Meeting
77 Cambon Drive
San Francisco
5pm

AUGUST 23
Cypress Meadows Conference Center
343 Cypress Avenue
Moss Beach, CA
11am

AUGUST 29
Burton Park
900 Chestnut Street
San Carlos
9am

Leave comment on this post if you would like to meet up with people for one of these events.
wtp

Liberty Counsel

Okay, this is funny. Get your "Right Wing Extremist" Card here.

hat tip/Janet

APOLOGETICS: "Throw the Bums Out"

We had a great meeting Thursday evening, but there is one point that I feel did not get resolved satisfactorily. And I’d like to take this opportunity to explain it, because it appears to be somewhat unclear in definition and purpose and it caused concern to some of our members: The third point in the 3-Point Plan…"Throw The Bums Out!”

First let me make it clear that it is a Tactic, not a Goal.

“Throw The Bums Out” is [my name for] a strategy developed by a New England 9-12 Project. The idea is a simple one: Organize a WHOLE LOT of people to vote against the incumbent in every election.

It's the epitome of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid):

You don’t have to know all the arguments for and against every candidate. You don’t have to keep up with the details of all the issues. On election day, you just vote against the incumbent.

And the result—the cashiering out of a lot of the Resident Evil in Washington—will put the fear of God into all of them, including the victorious challengers who will have seen, by the very fact of their election, that the voters are in no mood to put up with any more nonsense: That the voters, once again, are in charge.

And then…we tell them what to do…and they’ll know that there are real consequences for not doing it.

It's a good thing.

In itself, as a stand-alone "goal", there is nothing to be gained merely by removing incumbents - particularly if their replacements are worse. But that's not what we're proposing—

"Throw The Bums Out" is a means to the goals of:

1) the Destruction of the Imperial State;
2) the Draining of the Washington Swamp,
3) the Restoration of our Republic & its Constitution
4) the Reclamation our Heritage and Liberty,
5) the Return our of Government to “We The People”.

You see, we don’t just have the wrong people, we’ve got the wrong SYSTEM!

Washington has become a pile of money, a gold-plated lifestyle, an insider’s dream-world of privilege, money, power, extravagance, influence, prerogatives, deference and entitlements. And it breeds arrogance, elitism, narcissism, corruption, greed, vanity, pride, paranoia, thuggery and outright evil.

The Golden Honey of Washington has become an irresistible lure for exactly the wrong sort of creature. This problem didn’t start with Obama, and it won’t end with his defeat. It did not start with the Democratic Congress, and it won’t end with a Republican majority. This president and this Congress are merely the logical result of our corrupted and broken political system.

And if we don’t change it—if we don’t Drain the Swamp—Marxist, Progressive, Big Government scum like them will continue to rise to the surface again and again.

Our Founders created our form of government on the idea of “citizen legislators” who would return to their homes, farms and businesses after a term in office, and have to live under the laws they passed. They did this intentionally to keep government from becoming exactly what it’s become: A bloated, fat, rich, out-of-touch, out-of control, aristocracy that seeks to rule rather than govern, and exempts itself from the onerous avalanche of taxes, regulations, restrictions and encroachments of liberty it forces on the rest of us.

And this scabrous aristocracy does not respect us. Nor does it fear us. Indeed, with every passing decade, it becomes bigger, stronger, more powerful, more intrusive, more coercive, more corrupt, more haughty, more exclusive, more intimidating, more arbitrary, more dangerous and more directly threatening.

Our protests and demands go unheeded as they work for their own selfish ends, and the enrichment of themselves and their friends—by the billions of dollars— and our expense.

Thomas Jefferson said, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

It is time to make them FEAR us. It is time to regain control over our government. And one way to do that is the wholesale defeat of incumbents. It would sent a very powerful and clear message: "We The People are in charge!" And it would have a chastising effect on every elected official across the country.

Alternatively, using our energy and resources to get a few good people elected to the rotting corpse of a pernicious system won't make the stink go away. We’ve got to burn the whole damned pestilent carcass to ashes!

The long term answer is not more Republicans in office, or fewer Democrats. That's a cosmetic and temporary stop-gap—

We need a Paradigm Shift. We need to reverse the balance of power and of fear. We should have the power, and the government the fear!

And when that happens, we can proceed to Drain the Swamp.

We need to make government permanently unattractive to vipers, vampires, cannibals and leeches. We need it to attract a "better class" of person. We can begin by stripping all the perks, privileges, profit and power from the jobs.

Here's a quick and dirty list of some specifics we could work for:

Terms Limits
Deep Salary Cuts for all government workers & elected officials

Abolish government worker unions

The end of:
Golden parachute lifelong retirement benefits
Special health care
Gerrymandering
Lobbyist cash
Exemptions for Congress from the laws they pass
Earmarks
Pork barrel spending, etc.

Make passing bills they don’t read grounds for impeachment
Require a balanced budget
Require total transparency
Limit federal power to those enumerated in the Constitution

Restoration of the Founder’s requirement that State Legislatures appoint Senators

No cars, no drivers, no planes, no banks, no hairdressers, no restaurants, etc. paid by taxpayers

We must strip the Imperial State of all its grand trappings—and everything not specifically permitted to it by the Constitution

(We can refine/revise this list as seems appropriate)

When I say I want to take our country back, I’m not talking rhetorically, or metaphorically, I mean it literally. I want to return to our Founders’ ideals and our founding documents. And in today’s America, that is nothing short of revolutionary.

The question is, are we radical enough, revolutionary enough, serious enough, dedicated enough, outraged enough to see it through?

For those who offered the very reasonable & practical suggestions that we work to elect Republicans to office or “identify vulnerable Democrats” to defeat—with all due respect, there is already a large citizens' organization busy doing that. It’s called The Republican Party. That is their mission and their job.

It's not, however, mine; nor my vision for “We The People”.

Of course, that does not preclude any of us working for candidates we believe in. But “We The People” as an entity, will remain a non-partisan citizens' group not affiliated with any political party because neither of them represent us - ordinary, real Americans.

We have to stop participating in the old paradigm that the two corrupt parties have trapped us in: the useless, continual wrangling for power and influence by the elites of both sides, but never addressing, acknowledging, or changing the underlying disease.

It is the Power Elites of both Parties that are destroying out country. And it is the immense power and of the government they've built that makes such wrangling profitable and worthwhile—to the exclusion of consideration of what's good for the country—to all the "players" in Washington.

The rejection and marginalizing of real conservatives by the Beltway Republicans cannot be overstated, it cannot be overlooked, and it cannot be forgiven.

The "elite" Republicans' treatment of Sarah Palin is as clear a demonstration as is possible of their own sense of entitlement, their view of their own superiority, and their jealous rejection of sharing power with "The People".

They want this representative of real people...to just go away!

"We The People" stand firmly with the Founders in their belief that Government Is The Enemy of The People, and should be small, weak and under the control of the citizens. And it doesn't matter what letter it has after its name.

The Founders didn't include the Second Amendment so that we could hunt ducks! They intended to guarantee that the people would always be armed against the likelihood of tyrannical government.

Exactly as they feared, government, through the machinations of those who seek to use it for power, for riches, for influence, for ego-satisfaction, for immature idealism, for belief in false utopias, or because they think they know 'what's best', has become Leviathan. It has become the Imperial State.

If we are going to restore our Republic and our Rights for ourselves and our children, we must return to the vision, principles and values of our Founders of small government that is Of the People, By the People and For the People.

And we can only do that by dismantling the Imperial State, Draining the Washington Swamp and clearing out all the vipers that thrive there.

Of course, there are a few worthy Public Servants there and elsewhere struggling against the polluted current, and we appreciate them and thank them for their honor and effort. But against the combined strength, weight and power of the corrupt, their efforts are ultimately in vain.

Only the American People working in accord, speaking with one voice can Take Our Country Back. And that is the mission of "We The People". To cling to (learn, teach and share) our core American principles and values, to be true to the Founders' vision, to increase our numbers, to join with other groups, to grow the movement...

....to reclaim our nation and our heritage and become once again: The Land of the Free!

wtp

And So It Begins...

Obama warned us about his internal security force. Now we know who they are: ACORN and Union hooligans.

They are now appearing on the scene.

I don't think they quite understand the nature of the American People.

Do they think this will work?

Do they think this will intimidate us?

Do they think this will silence us?

Another horrid, self-destructive miscalculation by the Organizer in Chief and his posse.

Even if he had nothing to do with it, he has so identified himself with these people and their tactics that he will be tainted by their actions. And this will provoke more protests...not fewer, more disapproval, not success.

Barack Obama and his "Chicago Style Politics" is giving the sleeping giant, Middle America, a massive adrenalin injection.

This may be the height of sophistication in Chicago, but it's just amateurish raw thuggery in any other part of the country, and it's only going to hurry his demise.

wtp

Meet The Mob

Go here to see the scary pictures of the Mob taking over America...and scaring the bejeesus out of Washington.

hat tip/George M

Boxer Book Signing - PROTEST!

Robert wrote it up...

Senator Barbara Boxer is having a book signing on Saturday, August 15th at 1:00pm at Barnes and Noble, 3600 Stevens Creek Boulevard, San Jose.

Wouldn't be wonderful if we had 1,000 protesters on the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard near San Tomas Expressway with signs protesting the rationing of health care and the hints of euthanasia with ObamaCare?

We encourage people to start gathering around 12:30pm, and things will disburse no later than 2:30pm. There is no cost to be on the sidewalks of America, at least not yet.

We strongly recommend no one disturb customers of Barnes and Noble, or confront Senator Boxer. There will be security, and any confrontation would negatively reflect on the protest. However, placards with messages similar to what we displayed on July 4th would be very appropriate as we greet car passersby, and accept their "thumbs-up" gestures.

We are strongly discouraging anyone protesting inside the store.

I will definitely be going. Anyone interested, please leave a comment on this post with your city, so we can form carpools — I'll connect everyone up.

Thanks....it's our first "action". Let's make it good!

wtp

Bay Area Patriots

UPDATE Aug 8, 2009

The location of this meeting has been changed. Here is the alert from Bay Area Patriots:

Due to a scheduling conflict and permit issues, the Aug. 14^th protest has been relocated to the Justin Herman Plaza (across from the Ferry Building). It will accommodate our larger crowd, provide greater visibility and easier transportation options for all (BART, Ferry, Muni, Parking). I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please spread the word about this change.

At the meeting tonight, Robert mentioned Chuck DeVore, who is running against Barbara Boxer...and is therefore everybody's favorite politician...here is one of his ads.



I found it at Bay Area Patriots, who has a Health Care Protest planned at Pelosi's office, on Friday, August 14, between 1-5 pm. Anyone who wants to go can leave comments on this post, and organize a group to go together. (I can't make it because of my job.)

I'm going to check them out, and add our group/blog to their "Local Bay Area Links" blogroll, and hopefully reach out to a few more people that way!

wtp

hat tip/Priscilla