The Immigration Bill: Comprehensive or Incomprehensible?By Fred Thompson

The Immigration Bill: Comprehensive or Incomprehensible?

By Fred ThompsonSaturday, May 19, 2007
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Most Americans know that we have an illegal immigration problem in this country, with perhaps as many as 20 million people residing here unlawfully. And I think most Americans have a pretty good idea about how to at least start solving the problem – secure our nation’s borders.
But there’s an old saying in Washington that, in dealing with any tough issue, half the politicians hope that citizens don’t understand it while the other half fear that people actually do. This kind of thinking was apparent with the “comprehensive” immigration reform bill that the U.S. Senate and the White House negotiated yesterday.
Senator Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., seated, and others, takes part in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 17, 2007, to discuss immigration reform legislation. Standing, from left are, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)
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Tony Snow
Is the immigration compromise in the Senate disastrous for the GOP?
I’d tell you what was in the legislation, but 24 hours after the politicians agreed the bill looked good, the Senate lawyers were still writing what may turn out to be a one thousand page document. In fact, a final version of the bill most likely will not be made available to the public until after the legislation is passed. That may come five days from now. That’s like trying to digest an eight-course meal on a fifteen-minute lunch break.
We’ve tried the “comprehensive” route before to solve the illegal immigration problem with a bit more care and deliberation, and the results haven’t been good. Back in May 1985, Congress promised us that it would come up with a comprehensive plan to solve the problem of illegal immigration and our porous borders. Eighteen months later, in November 1986, that comprehensive plan was signed into law.
Twenty-two years and millions of illegal immigrants later, that comprehensive plan hasn’t done what most Americans wanted it to do -- secure America’s borders. Now Washington says the new “comprehensive” plan will solve the problem that the last comprehensive plan didn’t.
The fact is our border and immigration systems are still badly broken. We were reminded of this when Newsweek reported that the family of three of the men, arrested last week for allegedly plotting to kill American military personnel at Fort Dix, New Jersey, entered the U.S. illegally more than 20 years ago; filed for asylum back in 1989, but fell off the government’s radar screen when federal bureaucrats essentially lost track of the paperwork. Wonder how many times that’s been replicated?
Is it any wonder that a lot of folks today feel like they’re being sold a phony bill of goods on border security? A “comprehensive” plan doesn’t mean much if the government can’t accomplish one of its most basic responsibilities for its citizens -- securing its borders. A nation without secure borders will not long be a sovereign nation.
No matter how much lipstick Washington tries to slap onto this legislative pig, it’s not going to win any beauty contests. In fact, given Congress’s track record, the bill will probably get a lot uglier -- at least from the public’s point of view. And agreeing to policies before actually seeing what the policies are is a heck of a way to do business.
We should scrap this “comprehensive” immigration bill and the whole debate until the government can show the American people that we have secured the borders -- or at least made great headway. That would give proponents of the bill a chance to explain why putting illegals in a more favorable position than those who play by the rules is not really amnesty.
Fred Thompson is an actor and former Senator. His radio commentary airs on the ABC Radio Network and be blogs on The Fred Thompson Report.
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Thinking Long Term On Energy Supply

Thinking Long Term On Energy Supply
by Sen. John CornynMay 18, 2007
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Once again, as we approach the summer driving season, gasoline prices are spiking to record levels. This impacts our state in a significant way.
As I wrote last year, one of the many things that unites Texans is this: we drive. We need our cars and trucks to get to work, to school and to stores. In Texas, gasoline is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Consumers rightly ask: what is their government doing about the situation? The answer: not nearly enough. Congress seems particularly bogged down in energy policy, preferring short-term political posturing to more far-sighted solutions.
Congress can do many things, but it cannot repeal the law of supply and demand. In the long term, conservation and alternative energy sources hold great promise. But our growing economy requires more energy now, and that means clearing away barriers to producing that supply.
We have made some limited progress. Last year, the President signed a law I co-sponsored that opens 8.3 million acres of offshore oil and gas development. This will eventually bring an estimated 1.26 billion barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of gas into our energy supplies. That will also reduce modestly our dependence on foreign energy sources.
The price of a barrel of oil this spring is about $10 less than it was a year ago. The problem this year is diminished refinery capacity for making gasoline.
Because of high costs, regulatory red tape and public opposition, refiners haven’t built a new facility anywhere in the U.S. since 1976—more than 30 years ago. We are now down from a high of 324 U.S. refineries to only 132.
The refinery system in America is under such strain that any outages or disruptions are quickly felt in the market, in the form of increased prices.
As refineries get older, they require more downtime for repairs. News reports indicate that two Texas facilities—a 170,000 barrel-per-day plant in McKee and a 470,000 barrel-per-day operation in Texas City—have been shut or slowed by maintenance problems this year.
Some of the reaction in Congress has not been productive. Last year, a modest attempt to rein in excessive regulatory burdens on the refinery industry—to allow expansion and more gasoline production—was shot down by Senate opponents.
This year, faced with consequences of their action, the same opponents are trying to blame the energy industry. They alternately blame refiners for failing to maintain their facilities, and suggest any shutdowns for repairs are an attempt at manipulating gasoline supply. Instead of doing something about the problem, they are playing the blame game.
Several federal investigations, including an exhaustive inquiry last year by the Federal Trade Commission, found no evidence that energy companies have manipulated prices. In fact, investment by major companies in finding new energy sources has never been higher.
I hope Congress can somehow reverse field this year and come together on a bipartisan attempt to find real solutions to our energy problems. That will include increased attention to alternative sources, including nuclear power, clean coal technology, biofuels, solar power and wind power.
All of these technologies would benefit our environment and our economy. They hold promise, but some won’t pay off for many years.
In the meantime, any realistic plan must involve increasing supply of major current sources of energy.
As gas prices move to the $3 per gallon level and above, a renewed push for a national consensus on energy policy is badly needed. What we’ve seen recently is political point-scoring. Our national interest requires longer-term thinking.
***
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee. Cornyn served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice and Bexar County District Judge.

Mitt Romney Blasts Immigration Deal

Friday, May 18, 2007 7:49 a.m. EDT
Mitt Romney Blasts Immigration Deal

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Thursday blasted the Senate immigration bill agreement as "the wrong approach" for solving the problems of illegal immigration.
Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, said the bill falls short of the goals necessary to secure U.S. borders and ensure that corporations do not provide a safe haven for illegals, regardless of the attraction of cheap labor.

"Any legislation that allows illegal immigrants to stay in the country indefinitely, as the new 'Z-Visa' does, is a form of amnesty," Romney said in a statement on his campaign Web site. "That is unfair to the millions of people who have applied to legally immigrate to the U.S."
Romney hinted that a form of national I.D. may be necessary to get a handle on the overflow of illegal immigrants into the United States and the hiring of illegals by corporations within the country.

"[The] Senate agreement falls short of the actions needed to both solve our country's illegal immigration problem and also strengthen our legal immigration system," Romney said. "Border security and a reliable employment verification system must be our first priority . . .
"I strongly oppose today's bill . . . It is the wrong approach."

© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.

National Journal: McCain Is Crowding Giuliani

National Journal: McCain Is Crowding Giuliani

Charlie Cook

Given how early the 2008 presidential race started, it's no surprise that we're already swimming in national polls. But too often the surveys that attract the most attention are the outliers, those that differ from what most of the others are finding.

For analysts and the news media, the dilemma that outliers pose is that a poll with very different results from previous surveys could either be the first sign of a new trend, or -- more often than not -- be flat-out wrong. That's why watching the averages of polls is better than seizing on the results of one particular survey. News organizations could help the situation by doubling up on their polls more frequently -- producing a sample twice the usual size, which shrinks the margin of error and yields subgroup results that have some degree of reliability.

Two Cook Political Report/RT Strategies polls have been conducted in the past three weeks, the first taken on April 27-29 using 885 registered voters, and the second done on May 11-13 involving 855 registered voters. That yields a combined sample size of 1,740. The results for the combo's 786 Democrats or Democratic leaners have a margin of error of +/-3.5 percent, while the totals for its 662 Republicans or Republican leaners have a margin of error of +/-3.8 percent.

Looking at the entire field of Republican presidential candidates, including former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, who now appears very likely to run, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, who is toying with entering the race (though I have my doubts), the contest for the GOP's top spot is very, very close -- and clearly within the margin of error In the combined Cook/RT Strategies surveys, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads with 26 percent (28 percent in the April poll and 25 percent in the May survey) to Sen. John McCain's 24 percent (21 percent in April; 24 percent in May).There's a big gap between the front-runners and the next two candidates, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Thompson, each with 9 percent (Romney hit 12 percent in April and 9 percent in May; Thompson had 10 percent and 8 percent, respectively). Gingrich grabbed fifth place with 6 percent (6 percent in April; 7 percent in May). When Gingrich is taken out of the mix, Giuliani gains 2 percentage points, and McCain and Romney each pick up 1 point.

While McCain and Thompson do better among men than women, the reverse is true of Giuliani. The former mayor also does very well among 18-to-34-year-olds. Thompson's support, not surprisingly, skews Southern. Interestingly, given McCain's fervent support for the Iraq war and the troop surge, the senator from Arizona performs much better among moderates than among conservatives -- further evidence that his party's Right doesn't trust him. Giuliani does particularly well among voters who only weakly identify with the Republican Party and among independents who lean Republican.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton remains well ahead of the rest, scoring 36 percent in the combined survey (36 percent in April; 40 percent in May). Sen. Barack Obama still has a firm grip on second place, with 25 percent (26 percent in April; 25 percent in May). Former Sen. John Edwards comes in third, with 15 percent (18 percent; 13 percent). New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is fourth, with 4 percent (4 percent; 2 percent)All those Democratic numbers are based on a fairly safe assumption -- that former Vice President Gore stays out of the contest. If Gore is included, he gets 10 percent, Clinton dips to 32 percent, Obama to 24 percent, and Edwards to 13 percent.

Clinton exceeds her overall numbers among Hispanics, women, voters without college degrees, residents of the Northeast and West, Democrats (as opposed to independents who lean Democratic), and "strong" Democrats. Obama does especially well among African-Americans, 18-to-34-year-olds, college graduates, Midwesterners, Southerners, and independents who lean Democratic.

What are the most-important conclusions to take from the surveys? First, the Giuliani-McCain contest is tightening, at least a bit. Second, Obama has caught up to, and perhaps passed, Clinton among African-American voters but not in the overall race, and that his popularity is driven by the youngest voters.

Don't count out McCain just yet

Don't count out McCain just yet (http://www.suntimes.com/news/bevan/391712,CST-EDT-BEVAN18.article)
May 18, 2007
TOM BEVAN tom@realclearpolitics.com
He's too disliked by conservatives. He's trailing in the national polls. He's not raising enough money. For months the media's storylines on John McCain have all focused on the reasons why he won't win the Republican nomination for president, but perhaps they should start focusing on the reasons he could. Here are just two:
• • McCain is maintaining slim leads in the RealClearPolitics poll averages in all three crucial early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Even more important than his lead in the polls, however, is that McCain has been steadily plugging away building out organizations in these states while Rudy Giuliani has made far fewer visits and is still openly debating whether he will parti- cipate in the first critical test of the Republican race, which will come at the Ames, Iowa, straw poll in August.
• • A little-noticed indication of McCain's strength appeared last week when he edged ahead of Giuliani in the political futures markets. Much like the stock market where real money is being invested by real people, these markets often represent a more reliable and more accurate picture of where the race really stands than can be gotten from individual polls. As of this writing McCain and Giuliani were exactly tied in the political futures markets.
Taken together, these points indicate McCain's true strength as a candidate is probably being understated by the media and the national polls.
That's certainly how the McCain campaign feels about their position. "Despite what the pundits have said, we've always had a very good understanding of what we needed to do to win this race," McCain campaign manager Terry Nelson told me on Wednesday. "Overall, we feel we've built the best team and we feel very good about where we are."
The race is in the very early stages and it will almost certainly get a good shaking up when actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson enters the race, as most observers expect he will in the not-too-distant future. Thompson is getting between 10 percent to 15 percent in the national polls as a non-candidate and would most likely improve his share of support upon formally entering the contest, putting him right up near the top of the field.
It's too soon to speculate on exactly how Thompson's candidacy might change the dynamics of the race, but it is worth pointing out another favorable indicator for McCain is that his support in the national polls has been remarkably steady over time, even when those polls have included Thompson as an alternative.
Two months ago when pollsters were not asking about Thompson, McCain was at 21 percent in the RealClearPolitics average for the Republican nomination. Today, with every major survey including Thompson, McCain is at 22 percent. Just as important, over that same period front-runner Giuliani has seen his support decline by more than 10 percentage points, from 38 to 27.8 percent.
The bottom line is that those who were quick to write off McCain would be well advised to take another look and to remember the credo that "slow and steady wins the race.'' McCain still has his flaws, and he still has a long way to go to win the nomination, but eight months away from the first primary he's in a much better position than many people think.
Tom Bevan is executive editor of RealClearPolitics.com.

Dirty Campaigns Already, Group sends questionable letter to Mitt Romney

Group sends questionable letter to Mitt Romney
Benjamin Ray, Staff Writer517.437.6014
The letter written to Mitt Romney’s headquarters by Hillsdale College students last week addressing the Republican candidate’s stance on abortion seemed authentic.
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Except it wasn’t written by Hillsdale College students, as the letter claims.
A group called “Vote For Life 2008” wrote the letter and sent it to Hillsdale students asking for their signatures, and then sent the letter on to Romney as if it was written by the nearly 30 students whose names appear on it.
“Vote For Life” is an activist part of the grassroots group “Students for Sam Brownback,” which comprises high school and college students who support the Republican candidate and Kansas senator also in this early running for president.
Hillsdale “Students for Life” president Lynette Wilhelm was not upset to hear the letter was bogus, because she agreed with what was written, which is why she signed it.
“My group was in no way responsible for the letter written to the Romney campaign,” she said. “As of right now, we support no particular presidential candidate.”
The letter came to light May 11, the day before Romney spoke at the college’s graduation. Questions in the letter focused on Romney’s changed stance on abortion — he now is pro–life — and his signing of the Commonwealth Care health care plan as governor of Massachusetts that covered abortions.
Hillsdale “Students for Life” treasurer and sophomore Karen Williams said she condones being listed as an author, although she was not, because she agreed with the letter.
“I would hope Mitt Romney would not support taxpayer–funded abortions,” she said.
E–mails written to leadership at the “Students for Brownback” group were not returned.
Romney has since said he is opposed to the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion and on Saturday spoke from a conservative viewpoint on a number of national and international issues.

C Rick Koerber Bio

C Rick KoerberFounder and CEO of FranklinSquires Investments, Claud “Rick” Koerber is a highly sought after motivational speaker and business consultant. He has worked with, represented, and held key positions in companies such as FranklinCovey, Toshiba America Business Solutions, Carleton Sheets Personal Coaching, and IKON Office Solutions. His broad background also includes seminary teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, high school instructor, parliamentary/policy debate coach at Casper College in Wyoming, and founder of six businesses.Although only in his thirties, Rick has in his own words “had a lifetime of experience in both headaches and wonderful triumphs.” Rick’s establishment of the Equity Milling process—a successful, creative real estate technique—has resulted in his acquisition over $100 million in real estate. Rick currently resides with his wife and two children in Springville, Utah.Read More Contract All Expand All-->Rick Koerber has always been an entrepreneur. As a boy, he constantly came up with ideas about the next great business plan. His first notable venture in the world of entrepreneurialism occurred as President of GlobalCentral.com, a successful Internet company he established with a few partners in the mid 1990’s. In 2000, the dotcom bubble burst and so did GlobalCentral.com. Overnight, Rick and his wife, Michelle, were $800,000 in debt.Financially, Rick didn’t know what to do. From a deep hole of debt, he questioned the possibility of ever getting out. He even considered giving up and leaving the business world forever. After much thought, he and Michelle decided to proceed forward on two resolutions: first, the need to identify others who were once in their situation and had discovered a way out of debt; and second, to be committed to fundamental economic principles.Today, six years later, Rick and Michelle’s lives are much different. Their financial position has changed drastically because of finding and living basic economic principles that do not change with time or market conditions. Rick rediscovered these principles by studying America’s Founding Fathers.Many people have asked Rick how he got out of debt. Finding it very rewarding to teach the principles he rediscovered to others, Rick and Michelle formed FranklinSquires Investments.The purpose of FranklinSquires is to work with individuals, families, and small businesses to obtain three core values: self-reliance, economic independence, and financial freedom. The name Franklin is the surname from one side of Rick’s family and Squires comes from a side of Michelle’s family. The name FranklinSquires carries significance because Rick and Michelle literally want to build a legacy that utilizes timeless principles and values to help others.Rick has learned throughout his experiences that there is no substitute for true self-reliance. One cannot be truly self-reliant if he or she depends on others or circumstances for subsistence. FranklinSquires helps people acquire economic independence by teaching them how to generate more passive or portfolio income than living expenses. The ultimate goal is for people to be financially free and use their own monetary resources to do good for their own family and those around them.Rick has stated, “I’ve learned throughout all my journeys that every one of us has to make a decision at some point whether we’re going to be responsible for where we are in life, especially financially.”Despite Rick’s early economic adversity with GlobalCentral.com, his personal beliefs and individual character motivated him to pay back over $800,000 debt—regardless of having no legal obligation to do so.Rick and his family enjoy the financial freedom that results from following the principles of prosperity economics taught by the Founding Fathers.
Posted by Jim Cramer at 4:26 PM

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C. Rick Koerber Principles

C. Rick Koerber Principles
The key to prosperity lies in learning and applying correct principles. Rick is dedicated to sharing these principles with all who desire true freedom. True financial freedom is the ability to use one’s financial resources as one chooses to improve the world in which he or she lives.Rick rediscovered prosperity economics by studying the philosophies of America’s Founding Fathers and the ideas of many successful businessmen and women. Through personal experience, Rick has lived and continues to live according to prosperity economics.The Five Steps of Prosperity EconomicsChoiceParadigmsCore ValuesPillars of WealthKey Principles
Posted by Jim Cramer at 4:29 PM

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C Rick Koerber Companies

FreeCapitalist Project
The FreeCapitalist project, a member based organization, commits to teaching principles of freedom and prosperity to individuals seeking to improve their lives and communities in which they live. Through radio, print, electronic media, and organized forums throughout the country, it provides necessary information and resources for people to educate themselves and think in terms of abundance and liberty. The mission of the Project is to champion the cause of freedom by empowering its members to achieve personal and economic success.

The FranklinSquires University is a private educational organization that assists individuals in their quest to obtain self-reliance, economic independence, and financial freedom. Consisting of a team of remarkable and experienced instructors, the university educates students to apply principles of prosperity economics to all aspects of life. The university is committed to providing transformative educational experiences that allow students to become producers of value and wise stewards over their lives and resources.

New Castle Holdings, LLC
New Castle is an innovative leader in wholesale real estate investment services. New Castle maintains, auctions, and finances properties to end consumers allowing homeowners and businesses to acquire properties at flexible terms.

Hill Erickson, LLC
The company’s principal activity is acquisition of residential and commercial retail properties. By marketing investment properties, it provides wealth building opportunities for investors.

VIP Media
VIP Media consists of an extraordinary team of specialized experts dedicated to providing a wide range of professional and creative audio and production services for both business and broadcast. From creative script writing and video shooting to state-of-the art video editing, VIP Media serves its customers with unparallel quality and the utilization of the newest technological advances.

Iceberg Drive-Inn
With 11 Iceberg Drive Inn locations in three states, the rapidly expanding foodservice franchise is famous for its deliciously think, made-to-order shakes standing two inches above an oversized cup. Founded in the summer of 1960 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the original Iceberg Drive Inn quickly turned into the city’s most popular ice cream destination. Today Iceberg Drive Inn, Inc. provides unique, flavorsome products to thousands of Americans and continues to make each of its shakes the old fashioned way: personally by hand.

Innovator Mortgage
Innovator Mortgage specializes in providing creative financing solutions to challenging situations. With a professional and seasoned staff of equity management advisors, Innovator Mortgage offers advanced mortgage planning and innovative equity management strategies. Innovator Mortgage works with CPA’s and financial advisors to insure their client’s equity strategy is coordinated successfully.

Lucent Real Estate
With a commitment to excellence service, Lucent Real Estate Services, LLC delivers acquisition services to its clients. By providing quality opportunities to invest, sell, buy, or lease residential properties, Lucent Real Estate assists finding solutions to all real estate needs.

June 16th Judgesrun, Go Peter

Here are the details for the Judges run 5K Fun Run Walk
Saturday, June 16th, 2007

Thank you for choosing to take part in the 2007 Judgesrun 5k Fun Run/Walk, Salt Lake City's premiere 5K road race. The Judgesrun 5K is a community tradition in its tenth year, and we're excited that the race will be bigger and better this year than ever before!

We'll begin the race at 8:00 a.m. on June 16th at Highland High School, located at 2100 South 1700 East, and finish at Wasatch Presbyterian Church, located at 1626 South 1700 East. At the conclusion of the race, we'll enjoy a pancake breakfast and an awards ceremony. Expect music, prize drawings, and much, much more! New this year is the distinction of the 5K as a USATF (U.S.A. Track and Field) Race Circuit member and a USATF-sanctioned race.

The purpose of the race (and all the Judgesrun Foundation's events) is to raise money for cancer research, and 100% of the proceeds and race pledges benefit breast cancer research. If you have questions or are interested in becoming a sponsor of the event, please contact Carrie Towner at 801-364-8300 or by emailing ctowner@stribalaw.com

2007 Utah GOP Party Candidates

2007 Utah GOP State Party Candidates

Chair: Aaron Bludworth, Steve Harmsen, Chris Laurence, Ronald Levine, Stan Lockhart, Nancy Lord

Vice-Chair: Drew Chamberlain, Grant Misbach, Jack Powers, Todd Weiler

Secretary: Patty Johnson, Carolyn Jeppsen-Smith

Treasurer: Mike McCaulley

All candidates are invited to attend pre-convention function on Friday June 8th at Jordan Commons and mingle with State Delegates.

Captain Mark

Attorney General Rescues The Black Pearl and Pirates Event

Arrrr... Spyglass crew members. After Paul Rolly of the Salt Lake Tribune sent a broadside into the Black Pearl and sunk our fundraiser on May 25th, Captain Mark announces that Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and The Political Spyglass have come to the rescue and are sponsoring a free private screening of the New Pirates of the Caribbean III ( At The Worlds End) at the Jordan Commons MegaPlex on June 8th the night before the State Convention.

Festivities will begin around 3:30 as Pirates take over the commons, and all candidates for party office have been invited to mingle with the crew. Photo Opportunities with Admiral Black Mark Shurtleff, Captain Mark Towner, and other notable Pirates will begin around 4:00 with the movie to begin around 5:30.

This event will be for State GOP Delegates and families on a first RSVP basis. There be bunk space for only around 500 swabs to see the movie, so you better act quickly and send in your requests for tickets to the Captain. Send an email to Captain Mark at marktowner@comcast.net that includes you name, number of tickets needed, contact phone number, and address.

There will be special prizes for best Adult costumes of the main characters of the movie, and prizes for Kids Costumes. Come join us and make this a memorable event. Captain Mark
marktowner@comcast.net

Why Fred Thomson Should Ignore Michael Moore

Why Fred Thomson Should Ignore Michael Moore
by Abel KeoghMay 17, 2007

It appears Shawn Hannity and Rocky Anderson may have started an unfortunate trend: celebrity vs. politician debates. Earlier this month the radio talk show host and Mayor of Salt Lake City faced off in a debate over the Iraq War. The debate was a culmination of months of highly publicized name calling and posturing by the two men.

If you didn’t watch the showdown in Salt Lake, you didn’t miss much. Though a tad more interesting that the incredibly boring and scripted presidential debates – this debate was really a chance for both Hannity and Anderson to stroke their egos by flaunting the position of the other person.

But the publicity it generated seemed to have gotten into the heads of others who would like nothing more than free publicity. The latest war of words that threatens to boil over into a full fledged debate is between pseudo-documentary film maker Michael Moore and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson.

Earlier this month the U.S. Treasury Department announced it was investigating Moore to see if he violated the Cuban trade embargo by taking ailing 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for free medical care. The trip was to film part of Moore’s latest “documentary” Sicko. (No, it’s not a movie about himself. This time Moore’s decided to take on the health care industry.)
Once word of the investigation was made public, Thompson wrote an article in National Review chiding the filmmaker for being part of Fidel Castro’s propaganda machine. Moore shot back and challenged Thompson to a pubic debate about the quality of the U.S healthcare system.
How to handle people like Moore is a sometimes a challenge for people in positions of power and authority. It’s easy to fall prey to the temptation to lash out and squash your opponent. However, if the person who is casting stones is small and insignificant, often the best response is to simply ignore them. Fighting back often gives the adversary more attention and can raise their status to that of a hero. It was President Kennedy’s failed Bay of Pigs invasion that led to the international star status of Castro. The Cuban leader was viewed as the victim of a CIA plot to overthrow him which endeared him to his own people and leftists worldwide.

Moore is a slick propagandist who craves the spotlight. He would like nothing more than free publicity for his latest movie and a chance to take on a potential political giant like Thompson. He has nothing to lose in a debate with the Law & Order star. Even if he lost – which he probably would – the debate would give Moore and his movie validity in addition to potential millions of additional dollars at the box office.

Thompson, however, has indicated he may seek the Republican nomination for president. Presidential candidates need to look and act presidential. He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by strutting around on the same stage as Moore.

So far Thompson seems to be playing his cards right. His brilliant video response to Moore that showed he has nothing but contempt for the “documentary” film maker. In the video Thompson, chewing a Cuban cigar, turns in his chair and looks up from some paperwork like he just noticed Moore. He then tells Moore that he doesn’t have time on his scheduled for Moore and tells him about another documentary filmmaker, Nicolas Guillen, who was sent to a mental institution by Castro and says, “A mental institution, Michael, might be something you ought to think about.” Then Thompson puts the cigar back in his mouth and turns his back to the camera and continues his work.

The message of Thompson’s video was absolutely clear: Michael Moore, you aren’t worth my time. By treating Moore as insignificant, Thompson put himself in the position of superiority – a good move for someone who might become the next president of the United States. He has more pressing challenges to worry about with than a documentary filmmaker and proven liar.
The power contempt is one Hannity learned the hard way. Instead of ignoring the mayor of a mid-sized American city, Hannity let Anderson’s comments and antics goad him into a debate – one that a nationally syndicated talk show was ill suited for. Anderson is a skilled lawyer and politician and more used debate-type format and Hannity’s most ardent supporters admit that Anderson came out on top in the debate. All Hannity managed accomplished by flying to Salt Lake City was to raise Anderson’s profile and credentials and lower his own.
Ignoring weak enemies is a powerful tool. Thompson's ability to recognize Moore as insignificant, indicates he might be well suited for a presidential run after all.
***
Abel Keogh is the editor of FreeCapitalist.com affiliated with Rick Koerber

You can email him here. His book, Room for Two, will be published by Cedar Fort this fall.

A Plea to Foot-Dragging Candidates

A Plea to Foot-Dragging Candidates
Dick Morris & Eileen McGannThursday, May 17, 2007

Two shadows loomed over last night's Republican debate in South Carolina — the missing ex-Sen. Fred Thompson and former Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Both Thompson and Gingrich are reviewing their astrological charts to determine if the time is right for their presidential candidacies. These rites of introspection make it much harder for the conservative wing of the Republican Party to settle on a candidate.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's pro-choice position and his backing for gun control and gay civil unions disqualify him from support by much of the Christian right.
Sen. John McCain, good on social issues by righty lights, has antagonized them by opposing the Bush tax cuts, sponsoring the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law, seeking to limit the ability of our forces to interrogate terror suspects and working with Sen. Ted Kennedy to allow illegal immigrants to become citizens.
Conservatives like ex-Govs. Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Tommy Thompson and Jim Gilmore, Sen. Sam Brownback and Reps. Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo can't get their campaigns untracked because everyone is waiting for Newt and Fred to make up their minds.
Their indecision paralyzes their ideological compatriots — a great disservice to the men and women they'd look to as possible supporters should they decide to run. The conservatives are entitled to an answer — are you running or not?
Thompson, cashing in on his star power from playing District Attorney Arthur Branch on "Law and Order," makes conservative mouths water. Some see him as a reincarnation of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan. But Thompson's record in the Senate, and his genial manner, suggest a take-it-easy mentality that may be inadequate for the rigors of a campaign against the Clinton machine.

Full Article
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/5/17/134025.shtml

Party Lines - Was Sharpton out of line? Is it time to let it go?

Party Lines - Was Sharpton out of line? Is it time to let it go?
By Todd Weiler, UtahClipper 15.MAY.07

‘The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception; the one who lies with sincerity.” [French writer Andre Gide] Last week, the Reverend Al Sharpton stated during a debate on religion that, “Those that really believe in God will defeat [Mitt Romney] anyway, so don't worry about that - that’s a temporary situation." Romney’s response was that Sharpton’s statement “shows that bigotry still exists in some corners.”

On his radio show the next day, Sharpton said, “It might be good that the Romney people were dumb enough to make this an issue.” He later stated, “This is a blatant effort by the Romney campaign to fabricate a controversy.” Sharpton ought to know. This is a man who has made a career out of fabricating controversies. He has led numerous publicity-seeking protests following fabricated incidents of racial attacks.

My first memory of Sharpton dates back to 1987, when he spread the hoax that 15-year-old Tawana Brawley was abducted, raped, and smeared with feces by a group of white men. He later lost a civil suit for defamation and was ordered to pay $345,000 for his slander of an innocent man.Sharpton incited a mob in 1991 after a black child was accidentally run over by a Jewish neighbor. During a protest that he organized, a young rabbinical student was stabbed to death in a crowd chanting “kill the Jews.”In 1995, Sharpton used a landlord-tenant dispute to incite racial hatred. Sharpton set up picket lines in front of a Jewish store. Later, one of Sharpton’s protestors burst into the store shooting and set it on fire. Seven store employees died. Last year, Sharpton publicly criticized the Duke lacrosse players who were falsely accused of assaulting a stripper. They have since been exonerated.

Sharpton’s latest foray into the public debate was to call for the firing of Don Imus for his racial slurs. After Imus apologized, Sharpton still lobbied CBS and NBC to terminate him. He said Imus’ intent could not be considered when his actions were “over the line.” He also said that no matter how good or decent Mr. Imus might be at heart, his actions in this case had “set a precedent” that would invite other commentators to make similar comments."Yet when confronted by LDS talk show host Glen Beck, Sharpton refused to follow his own standard. He said “[it] was not my intention to have said anything against Mormons . . . if I, inadvertently, or my words inadvertently hurt any Mormon, I apologize to a Mormon only because that is not my intent, nor my belief.”Despite Sharpton’s blatant hypocrisy, Latter-day Saints should “forgive and forget.” Not only has Sharpton made it politically incorrect to criticize Mormons, he has given the Romney campaign a lot of positive publicity and the upper hand on the issue of religion.

http://www.clippertoday.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=126&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=20984&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1005&hn=clippertoday&he=.com

Rudy Giuliani Squares Off With Rep. Ron Paul Over 9/11 at GOP Debate

Rudy Giuliani Squares Off With Rep. Ron Paul Over 9/11 at GOP Debate
Thursday, May 17, 2007

This is a partial transcript of "The Big Story With John Gibson," May 16, 2007, that has been edited for clarity.

JOHN GIBSON, HOST: The "Big Outrage": Presidential heavyweight Rudy Giuliani vs. Congressman Ron Paul. The duo's 9/11 contest got a little spicy at last night's GOP debate in South Carolina after Paul suggested that the U.S. actually had a hand in the terrorist attacks.

REP. RON PAUL, R-TEXAS, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They attack us because we've been over there, we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East. I think Reagan was right. We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics.
RUDY GIULIANI, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's an extraordinary statement of someone who lived through the attack of Sept. 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I've ever heard that before and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for Sept. 11.

Watch the Interview

I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that.

GIBSON: And that was Republican vs. Republican. According to a recent Rasmussen Report poll, 35 percent of Democrats think President Bush knew about the 9/11 attacks beforehand. The so-called 9/11 Truth Movement has already infected people like Rosie O'Donnell and one in three Democrats, and many other people, Americans evidently, including Congressman Ron Paul. With me now is FOX News contributor and syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin.
So, Michelle, this stuns me. It wouldn't have stunned me had it come up in the Democratic debate, but it's a jaw-dropper to see it in the Republican debate.

MICHELLE MALKIN, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: It is and it doesn't belong here. And I'm glad that this moment provided great TV for FOX News — it was a very instructive exchange — but Ron Paul really has no business being on stage as a legitimate representative of Republicans, because the 9/11 truth virus is something that infects only a very small proportion of people that would identify themselves as conservative or Republican. And as you say, John, this is far more prevalent, this strain of 9/11 truth virus, on the left, and in much of the mainstream of the Democratic Party as that Rasmussen poll showed.

GIBSON: Why did 35 percent of Democrats believe it, and I think it's another 26 percent haven't quite made up their mind about it?

MALKIN: Well, I think part of it is what Charles Krauthammer has famously called "Bush derangement syndrome." I think that pathology has taken hold among many Democrats who would consider themselves mainstream, so anything that they could do to suspect or blame him for America's problems — and particularly the terrorist attack — they're willing to believe. I think a lot of it is just plain ignorance, and then there's a, you know, paranoid strain on the left. I talked about this in my book, "Unhinged," of tinfoil hat wearers who indulge in this kind of fantasy where America bears the blame for global jihad.

GIBSON: You know, Michelle, Rosie talks about this stuff all the time on "The View" and "The View" has a large audience. Would this notion be as prevalent as it is if there weren't prominent people like Rosie, Charlie Sheen and others constantly talking it up?

MALKIN: Well, they certainly bear the blame for mainstreaming it. Rosie O'Donnell and Alec Baldwin and Charlie Sheen, I believe, but it's there on the Internet and these people are absolutely rabid, and they are impervious to reason or logic. And it's good that we have magazines, publications like Popular Mechanics out there slogging everyday. There are a lot of blogs as well that have been debunking a lot of these 9/11 conspiracy theories. This war is going on on places like YouTube and in social networking places, but I think it's an incumbent on mainstream news outlets to debunk these people and I don't think you see nearly enough of that outside of FOX News.

GIBSON: Part of this 9/11 Truth Movement says that the United States attacked the Pentagon with missiles, that a plane did not hit it. I have never been able to understand how the 9/11 truthers then explain where is American Flight 77 and where are all those people? Have you ever heard them try to explain that?

MALKIN: You know, I try not to spend too much time in these cesspools, but it is worth taking a visit to places like, you know, these WTC7 sites and Students and Scholars for Truth, and I note that Ron Paul has basically allied himself with these people. He appears with Students for Truth on campus and he's appeared on radio shows like 9/11 conspiracy nut Alex Jones. And I would hope that that would disqualify him the next time around for appearing on stage with other Republicans.

GIBSON: We shall see. FOX News contributor and syndicated columnist, Michelle Malkin.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273343,00.html

Mitt Romney, John McCain Ratchet Up Rivalry

Thursday, May 17, 2007 1:23 p.m. EDT

Mitt Romney, John McCain Ratchet Up Rivalry

A long-brewing feud between presidential hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney burst into the open during Tuesday’s GOP debate – and continued Wednesday as the candidates returned to the campaign trail.

With Rudy Giuliani holding his position as the Republican leader in national polls, McCain and Romney view each other as the biggest obstacle in their respective paths to the nomination, according to the Washington Post.

On Tuesday night, Romney questioned McCain’s conservative credentials, noting that he had co-sponsored, with Democrats, legislation on campaign finance and immigration reform. McCain countered by referring to Romney’s flip-flopping on important issues.

The bad blood was again in evidence on Wednesday, with McCain’s chief strategist John Weaver telling the Post: "We'd like nothing better than for all the campaigns to run on their positive agendas for the future. Governor Romney and his Boston advisers believe they can't win with that. So be it. But if they think they can misrepresent John McCain's record with impunity, then they'd better buckle up their chinstraps."

Alex Castellanos, Romney's media adviser, "made clear his camp is prepared to wield equally sharp elbows in the months ahead,” the Post reported.
He also said: "The more [voters] look at these top three guys as presidential contenders, the more they will look at the differences between them. The only thing better than a little Mitt Romney is a lot of Mitt Romney."

McCain and Romney have been competing with each other for months over endorsements, campaign talent, positioning and money "while paying less attention to Giuliani,” the Post observes, adding: "McCain's underlying assumption has been that Romney, though he has often struggled to get out of single digits in national polls, poses a potentially serious threat. The Romney camp has long regarded McCain as a formidable rival.”

© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.

Senators strike deal on immigration overhaul

Senators strike deal on immigration overhaul
By Donna Smith 1 hour, 32 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators reached agreement on Thursday on an immigration reform bill that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants and establish a merit-based system for future migrants, lawmakers said.

The agreement sets the stage for what is expected to be a passionate Senate debate over immigration and lead the way for what would be one of the most significant accomplishments of
President George W. Bush' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> President George W. Bush's final term.

Details of the agreement were set to be released at a news conference the group scheduled for 1:30 p.m (1730 GMT). Negotiators, led by Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), a Massachusetts Democrat, and Sen. Jon Kyl (news, bio, voting record), an Arizona Republican, worked out the final details on Thursday morning.

When asked after the meeting whether lawmakers had reached a final agreement, Kennedy replied "yes." Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), an Arizona Republican who attended the morning session, confirmed the group reached agreement.

The legislation would create a temporary worker program that would require laborers to return home after a period of time. Tough border security and workplace enforcement measures would go into place before the temporary worker program, congressional aides said.
The proposal would limit family-based migration to immediate family members and establish a merit-based system by which future migrants could earn points for skills, education, understanding of English and family ties.

(Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan)

Colonel Austin Bay comments on the Rudy – Ron Paul spat,

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Colonel Bay on Ron Paul
Posted by: Dean Barnett at 9:53 AM

Colonel Austin Bay comments on the Rudy – Ron Paul spat,

“Rudy G’s response to Ron Paul was a knock-out. Ron Paul is definitely fringe. No doubt Paul’s an intelligent person. By reputation he does a good job with constituent service in his district — he does get re-elected. However, his statements about the War on Terror and Iraq are a Sheehan-Galloway pastiche.”

That’s some great stuff. One small quibble, though:
I would posit that the Colonel is bending over backwards to be kind to Paul in calling him intelligent. While Paul probably does have a high level of cognitive ability, I don’t consider a guy who looks around the world and concludes that our foreign policy of 1790 makes perfect sense for us today to be particularly intelligent. A rigid orthodoxy that has Robert Taft as its patron saint and has made no allowances for changes on the ground over the past couple of centuries is hardly a sign of an electric intellect.

Remember Stephen Colbert’s one funny joke from the White House Correspondents dinner last year? “I like President Bush because he’s consistent,” began Colbert. “He believes on Wednesday what he believed on Monday. Regardless of what happened Tuesday.”
I don’t think that crack captures Bush, but it certainly nabs Ron Paul. Ron Paul is exactly that.

On stilts.
Compliments? Complaints? Contact me at Soxblog@aol.com

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Free the Crackheads! and Other Political Stories

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Free the Crackheads! and Other Political Stories
Posted by: Mary Katharine Ham at 10:03 AM

Behold the political analysis abilities of the AP: Second GOP Debate ContentiousClinton and Giuliani butting heads in the Buckeye State.
GOP mods work on Surrender Lite bill.GOP debate notable quotables.
Richardson's dirty, dirty oil-stock-holding profiteer hands. What's that? He's a Democrat? Oh, I guess he can't be dirty, then. Nevermind.
Free the crackheads!
Former Romney aide Andrew Bacevich dies in Iraq. Rest in peace.
I'm sure the Nutroots can find a scandal in this story.
And, Al Gore wept.

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McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, The Gang of 14, and The GOP Primary Electorate

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, The Gang of 14, and The GOP Primary Electorate
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 10:06 AM

The post-debate analysis is rumbling through the blogosphere and MSM, and most are missing the key exchaneg from last night. It reminds me of how the MSM overlooked John Kerry's "global test" in the first debate with the president, but the "global test" language proved to be a huge problem for Kerry despite the style points he won from many observors in debate one from the fall of 2004.

There was a similar moment last night when Senator McCain responded to Governor Romney's blast at McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy.

John McCain bristled and struck out at Mitt Romney last night when the former governor of Massachusetts blasted McCain for his sponsorship of the campaign finance "refrom" act that bears his name. There's a message in McCain's reaction --the Arizona senator knows that the GOP has been deeply wounded by the law that unleashed George Soros, but at an even deeper level, Senator McCain realizes that his indifference to constitutional principles embodied in that law is one of the three schisms he cannot repair or paper over or bridge, each one of which divides him from party faithful. Thus his barely concealed anger and his quick rush to go on the offensive by attacking Romney.

Few analysts have focused on Senator McCain's nearly incoherent response which asserted that there was too much money in politics and that money had corrupted the GOP. Both assertions are simply false, and though the MSM nods along, GOP voters absolutely reject both assertions. There isn't too much money in political campaigning, they think, there's too much money from the hard left represented by Soros. Further, the party faithful don't think of themselves as corrupt, or even of the party generally. They believe that the GOP's corrupt Congressmen weren't corrupted by soft money or campaign donations but by cold cash and perks in exchange for favors.

Conflated the two issues and slandering the party as a whole are just the beginning of McCain's problem. The biggest part is that he genuinely doesn't seem to understand that the idea of limiting criticism of incumbents 60 days before an election is repulsive to most small government conservatives who understand the Constitution to protect our right to slam elected officials whenever and wherever we want to. Nor does Senator McCain seem willing to acknowledge the vast flaws in his bills which, among other things, kept the unions all-powerful and unleased the 527s on American politics so that transparency vanished even as the money flowed in and which would have awarded social security benefits to illegal aliens for the years they were in the country illegally. The campaign finance fiasco and the awful McCain-Kennedy law are lines in the GOP creed, but Stubborn John won't hear a word of criticism of either.
Then there is the Gang of 14 and it is important to keep that debacle in mind when Senator McCain brings up his "right to life" record. The Gang of 14 prevented the establishment of a single principle: That every presidential nominee for every court is entitled to an up-or-down vote on the floor of the Senate. That principle was what the fight in the Spring of 2005 was all about, and John McCain didn't care enough for that principle or the party leadership that had embraced it and campaigned on it through two cycles. In fact he preferred the manufactured privileges of the Senate over the Constitution's design and the crucial long term goal of saving the confirmation process from the ravages of the left. Now if we end up with a SCOTUS vacancy even the best qualified nominee may not see the light of the floor because of Democratic indifference. The future protections the unborn might have enjoyed from judges and justices committed to originalism were sacrificed by Senator McCain two years ago. The base hasn't forgotten, and the right-to-life voter will never be persuaded by laundry lists of votes that don't approach anywhere near the importance of the confirmation process which Senator McCain maneuvered to keep broken and susceptible to more deterioration in the future.
And that doesn't even get to Senator McCain's refusal to vote for the Marriage Amendment so that the debate could be waged, properly, in the states.

John McCain said last night that the GOP didn't lose the 2006 elections because of Iraq but because the party had lost its way. He was partially right. As I wrote after the elections, the GOP lost its way alright, but they went off course with the Gang of 14 and doubled down on its leadership confusion with McCain-Kennedy --Senator McCain's signature act sof the last two years. The GOP lost its power because it didn't use its power to accomplish anything approaching reform. The key blocking force in the reform of the Beltway? On the issues of judical nominations and illegal immigration, the key impediment to reform was John McCain. The "reform" he did midwife wasn't reform at all, but a disaster for the GOP and a boon to the Soros forces.

This is McCain's burden: He has a very, very recent record of indifference to core GOP principles and he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his errors. Every time he does so he sends a new message to the GOP base: "Sit down. Shut up. I'm right and you are wrong." Over and over again he defends what the vast majority of GOP voters emphaticallu reject and he does so with a barely concealed fury at having been challenged.

That isn't going to fly. He wants to be president, yes, but no one is owed that job, and the GOP nomination doesn't go to candidates at war with core Republican principles. Being right about the necessity of victory in Iraq is simply not enough.
Over and over again I have invited Senator McCain on to the program to discuss McCain-Feingold, the Gang of 14, and McCain-Kennedy in the same way that I have asked Mayor Giuliani and Governor Romney about about their weakest points --abortion and their records in very left-leaning settings. Rudy and Mitt step up and step into the batter's box. John McCain will have none of it.

The next debate is in New Hampshire in early June. Hopefully someone will finally focus the candidates on judges, the confirmation process and other key issues related to the Constitution. These are central issues for the GOP electorate which is now fully briefed on the candidates' abortion positions and their support for the war.

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Grandma Graduates from Law School

Anti-Mormon campaign slams Romney

Anti-Mormon campaign slams Romney
By: Mike Allen May 15, 2007 04:17 PM EST

Polls continue to show skepticism about Romney’s church.

The Monday morning blast e-mail to radio talk show hosts was headed, "Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters? The Mormon Church vs. the United States of America." It went on for eight pages, with color photos, about "secret names and many other bizarre proceedings" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A series of sensational "Mormons believe" bullet points concluded: "If Mitt Romney does not follow what the prophet of the Mormon Church dictates, he will be an apostate."The e-mail was offering guest appearances by Tricia Erickson, who was described as heading a modeling agency when she represented Fawn Hall (of Iran-contra fame) and Donna Rice (who derailed Gary Hart's presidential campaign) but who now bills herself as a crisis-management expert.
She also claims to have been raised in the Mormon Church before deprogramming herself and tells bookers she can help their listeners "make an informed judgment about whether Mitt Romney should be the president."

The Full Story.....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/4007.html

Captain Mark

GOP Candidates Go for the Jugular in Feisty Primary Debate

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By Sharon Kehnemui Liss

WASHINGTON — Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani won the strongest applause at Tuesday night's first-in-the-South Republican primary debate when he lashed out at Texas Rep. Ron Paul for suggesting that the United States' non-interventionist policy invited the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Full Story....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,272594,00.html

Captain Mark

I need help from the Spyglass Crew

Well crew, the Captain has been working with some new software and I need to see if it works like it claims. All you need to do is click on the link below. I will post the results tomorrow.....

http://politicalspyglass.blogspot.com/2007/05/matinee-mitt-does-60-minutes.html

Captain Mark

Signing up America, by Tag Romney

By Taggart RomneyMonday, May 14, 2007
Send an email to Taggart Romney

The GOP presidential primary has so far been a lot of fun, and very fluid. There have been significant fluctuations in the conventional wisdom of how it will play out, and I am sure that trend will continue in the months ahead.

As an obviously biased believer in my Dad, Mitt Romney, I have been delighted by the steady gain in momentum his candidacy has received. The more people get to know him, the more they like him. He is a strong leader and strong communicator, with strong values. He has a clear vision for how to keep America the economic and military superpowers of the world, while at the same time, serve as a beacon of goodness, compassion, family values, and integrity.

Deb Fatland, of Mason City, Iowa, right, listens to Republican presidential hopeful former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney speak during a caucus coffee, Wednesday, May 9, 2007, in Clear Lake, Iowa.
This week, Republican voters across the nation will have another opportunity to see the (count them!) 10 presidential candidates debate the issues and state their cases. Like the last debate, I am confident that most of those who have not yet had a chance to hear from my Dad will become new supporters.

They will hardly be alone. In a 24-hour period starting that evening, we plan on enlisting 24,000 new Romney supporters through an innovative effort called “Sign Up America,” our largest grassroots event yet.

We plan on bringing in these new supporters through online social networks, Debate Watch House parties, financial contributions, visits to MittRomney.com, and through calls to 866–WIN–MITT. Supporters across the country will man call banks and send emails to friends, inviting them to join Team Romney.

I have to admit that when I first heard about the program, I was skeptical. Twenty-four thousand new supporters in 24 hours? But my Dad's message is resonating, and people are responding. And like National Call Day when we raised $6.5 million in one day, my Dad has consistently used innovation, creativity, and hard work to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. He turned around the 2002 Winter Olympics and then became governor of Massachusetts, where he turned deficits into surpluses, and stalemates over health care and education policy into consensus and solutions.

His campaign is run with a similar philosophy. Just as his policies are aimed at bringing innovation and transformation to Washington, we’re striving to bring dynamism to our political outreach efforts. No campaign in either party has matched the Romney online effort, whether in our use of web video (over 1.5 million views to date), new media outreach, rapid response, or creating connections through online social networking platforms (e.g. he was the first candidate to have a Facebook profile).

In our constant effort to reach new voters, my Dad was the first presidential candidate to agree to participate in the upcoming Townhall.com/Salem Communications debate. With this future event, he will be talking about the issues important to Americans in an innovative use of the new media.

My personal favorite online feature is a blog that I and four of my brothers launched called the 5 Brothers Blog, where we are able to share a bit of a behind the scenes look at the family and campaign that you cannot get anywhere else.

But this is not just about staying ahead of the technology curve. It is about reaching new voters in ways that they can appreciate and use. It recognizes that in a compressed news cycle, the only way to reach many voters effectively is through constant engagement, on multiple platforms. I have heard countless stories of people who turned into MittTV and were able to watch my Dad deliver a speech that moved them in such a way to become an active supporter, volunteer, and contributor. We are no longer dependent only on the MSM to deliver our message – we can reach out directly to the individual voters in their homes.

That’s why Sign Up America is such an important project. We have built incredible momentum behind my Dad’s campaign – momentum that means more than campaign dollars and much more than the approving words of a few pundits. It is this kind of spirit which can deliver victory in a political campaign, and bring about a new spirit of leadership for this country. Come and be part of this effort, and join Team Romney on May 15. You will make history.
Tagg Romney serves as a senior advisor and surrogate for his father in the Mitt Romney for President Exploratory Committee.

Be the first to read Tagg Romney's column. Sign up today and receive Townhall.com delivered each morning to your inbox.

Captain Mark

Romney says voters will accept a Mormon

Romney says voters will accept a Mormon
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he also is troubled by the Mormon church's past practice of polygamy, but that he can overcome voter concern about his religion.

"What's at the heart of my faith is a belief that there's a creator, that we're all children of the same God and that fundamentally the relationship you have with your spouse is important and eternal," he said Sunday on CBS' "60 minutes."

But the former Massachusetts governor acknowledged that "there's part of the history of the church's past that I understand is troubling to people."

"Look, the polygamy, which was outlawed in our church in the 1800s, that's troubling to me," he said. "I have a great-great grandfather. They were trying to build a generation out there in the desert. And so he took additional wives as he was told to do. And I must admit, I can't imagine anything more awful than polygamy."

Romney, who has five sons with his wife of 38 years, says he was worried he might lose her to somebody else when he left his Michigan high school sweetheart behind in college while he did two years of missionary work in France.

She had coverted from Episcopal to Mormon and attended Brigham Young University in Utah

Read the full story .....http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070514/ap_on_el_pr/romney2008_5;_ylt=AsEvPGVa5Q6bLs2UozEeB9EE1vAI

Captain Mark

www.rickkoerber.com

Check out this site...

http://www.rickkoerber.com/

Has anyone had any dealings with Franklin Squires?

The Captain

Who Is C. Rick Koerber?

C. Rick Koerber
Founder and CEO of FranklinSquires Investments, Claud “Rick” Koerber is a highly sought after motivational speaker and business consultant.

He has worked with, represented, and held key positions in companies such as FranklinCovey, Toshiba America Business Solutions, Carleton Sheets Personal Coaching, and IKON Office Solutions. His broad background also includes seminary teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, high school instructor, parliamentary/policy debate coach at Casper College in Wyoming, and founder of six businesses.

Although only in his thirties, Rick has in his own words “had a lifetime of experience in both headaches and wonderful triumphs.” Rick’s establishment of the Equity Milling process—a successful, creative real estate technique—has resulted in his acquisition over $100 million in real estate. Rick currently resides with his wife and two children in Springville, Utah.

Rick Koerber has always been an entrepreneur. As a boy, he constantly came up with ideas about the next great business plan. His first notable venture in the world of entrepreneurialism occurred as President of GlobalCentral.com, a successful Internet company he established with a few partners in the mid 1990’s. In 2000, the dotcom bubble burst and so did GlobalCentral.com. Overnight, Rick and his wife, Michelle, were $800,000 in debt.

Financially, Rick didn’t know what to do. From a deep hole of debt, he questioned the possibility of ever getting out. He even considered giving up and leaving the business world forever. After much thought, he and Michelle decided to proceed forward on two resolutions: first, the need to identify others who were once in their situation and had discovered a way out of debt; and second, to be committed to fundamental economic principles.

Today, six years later, Rick and Michelle’s lives are much different. Their financial position has changed drastically because of finding and living basic economic principles that do not change with time or market conditions. Rick rediscovered these principles by studying America’s Founding Fathers.

Many people have asked Rick how he got out of debt. Finding it very rewarding to teach the principles he rediscovered to others, Rick and Michelle formed FranklinSquires Investments.
The purpose of FranklinSquires is to work with individuals, families, and small businesses to obtain three core values: self-reliance, economic independence, and financial freedom. The name Franklin is the surname from one side of Rick’s family and Squires comes from a side of Michelle’s family. The name FranklinSquires carries significance because Rick and Michelle literally want to build a legacy that utilizes timeless principles and values to help others.
Rick has learned throughout his experiences that there is no substitute for true self-reliance. One cannot be truly self-reliant if he or she depends on others or circumstances for subsistence. FranklinSquires helps people acquire economic independence by teaching them how to generate more passive or portfolio income than living expenses. The ultimate goal is for people to be financially free and use their own monetary resources to do good for their own family and those around them.

Rick has stated, “I’ve learned throughout all my journeys that every one of us has to make a decision at some point whether we’re going to be responsible for where we are in life, especially financially.”Despite Rick’s early economic adversity with GlobalCentral.com, his personal beliefs and individual character motivated him to pay back over $800,000 debt—regardless of having no legal obligation to do so.

Rick and his family enjoy the financial freedom that results from following the principles of prosperity economics taught by the Founding Fathers.

Captain Mark

Ron Paul's Goldwater Moment

Ron Paul's Goldwater Moment

Justin Raimondo has an excellent column discussing the influence Ron Paul's principled ideas will have in the campaign for President. The fact is that no matter who ultimately prevails in the election, the Republican Party must embrace a more modest foreign policy, fiscal restraint, and respect for the Constitution.

The Bush years have transformed the Party into the political party that is dedicated to making government bigger. Libertarians are starting to vote for Democrats more often simply because they are not Republicans and absent Ron Paul, there is very little to appeal to libertarians among the Republicans.

Captain Mark

Matinee Mitt does 60 Minutes

(CBS) Sixty-year-old Mitt Romney is a dark horse in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. Although he is the least known of the frontrunners, he's raised more money – $21 million – than any other Republican candidate.

As correspondent Mike Wallace reports, Romney attracted national attention when, as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2006, he balanced the budget every year, without raising taxes. He ran the state like the hugely successful CEO he's been for over 20 years. And that came after he had rescued the 2002 Olympic winter games from financial disaster. And Romney says that now that he's turned around the Olympics and Massachusetts, he's ready to do the same for all of the U.S.A.

Over six feet tall, trim, fit, his hair graying slightly at the temples, he looks like a president. His movie star presence somehow reminds you of Cary Grant or Ronald Reagan.

Read the full story ....http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/10/60minutes/main2787426.shtml?source=mostpop_story

Captain Mark