Control A, DELETE

On Tuesday February 7th, Minnesotans gather together for Precinct Caucuses. Each of the 3 major parties holds Caucuses. I went through convener training last night and learned there will be over 4000 Republican Caucuses going on Tuesday night. (For anyone who needs some info on convening GOP Caucuses, go here for documents and here to find your precinct)

One of the big things that happens is activists get to submit resolutions to change or modify the Republican Party of Minnesota Platform. I was spurred into writing this post today after receiving an 800 words email about things one specific special interest group wants to add to the Platform. The platform as it stands today is already 5742 words long. Its polluted with contradictions and uber specific stuff only a handful of people even understand in some cases and in other its petty stuff aimed at an individual or group.

The platform should be a statement of principles, not abused with legislative decries. It shouldn’t take a nap, bathroom break, and a bottomless cup of coffee to read through the document. This is not legislation. This should be a basic generalization of what Republicans should stand for or believe in so that the less intone and active public has an idea, and Legislators can have subtle reminders. Instead people and groups put their lawyer crafted and or quicksand traps in there to bash a Legislator or dozen while trying to prove that they think they are more qualified to hold public office. In many cases, these people will be surprised to hold a belief that is well outside the majority of public opinion, or that absolutely no one cares about.

But as it goes every year, tons of special interests and passionate activists are lining up and preparing their laundry list of to dos and to don’ts they plan to add to the 5742 word document that is only actually glanced at about this time every 2 years. It will get longer, more complex, more confusing, and be taken less seriously.

Therefore, be it resolved that the entire current Republican Party of Minnesota Platform be deleted and replace it with the following which would serve as our platform until the next Precinct Caucus cycle where changes and or additions could be made. 

This is actually the current statement of principles. Let’s throw the entire thing out and start over with something simple. 5742 words is way WAY too much. That sums it up perfectly. This document isn’t supposed to legal in nature, nor is it actual law.

Delete and replace!

Atlas Shrugged Part 2 has been green lit. Look for it this Fall.

ATLAS SHRUGGED ‘PART 2’ OFFICIALLY GREENLIT

Atlas Shrugged Part 2 to be in theaters October 2012

(Santa Monica, CA) – February 2nd, 2012 – Atlas Productions, LLC announced today that “Atlas Shrugged Part 2”, the second installment of the Atlas Shrugged movie trilogy, has been officially greenlit with principal photography to begin this coming April in Los Angeles, Colorado, and New York.

(read the rest)

The almighty altar that Democrats worship at is under attack. Abortion.

And it could mean Amy Klobuchar’s gravy train of donors is at risk. She is not taking this sitting down. 

I was on Late Debate with Jack & Ben last night. A wee bit tired this morning, but I was fired up last night.

I 3rd wheeled it so I was in studio. We were discussing the Presidential race and my post from yesterday: Priorities vs. Newt’s Operation Kitchensink

I’m just baffled at how some people oppose Romney based on issues while thinking Newt & Santorum don’t have major divergences from conservatism of their own. I was a bit fired up last night and am told it is very worth the listen. The picture above is from when I had to put myself in a corner so as not to blow a gasket and pull a Joey on air.

The podcast should be available here later today. (As soon as Ben does his job. tee hee)

And if you are an avid Sunday Roundtable fan of Late Debate, this week the Sunday show will be on Saturday because Jack will be in mourning because his Packers discount double choked and won’t be playing in the Superbowl.

No Comment necessary.

 While Newt and the fanatical wing of the Tea Party (love the Tea Party, but some people are really proving they are sheep not critical thinkers by swallowing the Newt & Santorum are rock solid infallible conservatives while Romney is worse than Obama) try to convince Republicans Mitt Romney is the devil and would be worse than an Obama second term, I think its time to put down the rhetorical slings and arrows and look at the substance and accomplishments of the men running outside of the political limelight. Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul are largely known for their respective decades working in Congress or Washington. Romeny has a different path, one that includes such accomplishments as this.

Operation kitchen sink is a reference to when Marty Seifert’s campaign was trailing badly in the 2010 Minnesota Republican Governor’s endorsement race and threw every bit of mud, innuendo, and smear he could to try to stop Tom Emmer. Emmer ended up winning but was damaged in the most critical eyes of all, the Republican grassroots.

I see the same crap happening in this 2012 race. Some by design, some by accident. Newt’s only hope is to make people hate Romney. Those people are Republicans, the people needed to win elections. Not by just voting, cause every good Republican will vote for the nominee, but by donating, making calls, and defending the nominee in everyday conversations and interactions.

In 2010, 2 weekends before the November elections, a woman I know was wearing an Emmer jersey at the grocery store. She was approached by a man in an isle who said to her, “You’re not going to vote for that drunk are you?” The woman doesn’t like confrontation and demurred. While tens of millions were spent to paint that picture of Emmer as a drunk driving killer by Dayton and unions, the initial wounds of that were reopened by Seifert and his campaign.

Back to 2012, Newt’s entire political career has boiled down to destroying Mitt Romney. He is saying everything he can think of to make people hate Romney. For people like me who judge a man, especially politicians, by their actions, I guess I have to thank Newt for making me hate him and feel like he can’t be trusted.

I mean there are Newt people bashing free markets, capitalism, and for pete’s sake – wealth.

What has the Republican party come to when a guy who has worked for decades getting filthy rich INSIDE THE WASHINGTON BELTWAY who trashes businessmen and the very pillars of what sets America apart front he rest of the world is considered a serious candidate for the Republican nomination? That man who is unfit to become a Republican President is not Mitt Romney, its the consummate populist and career politician Newt Gingrich.

This was mentioned on Davis & Emmer this morning, but someone just sent me the article so I thought I’d post it. Good stuff. (click to enlarge)

I posted on the Pro-Gay marriage fundraising earlier this week. They raised $1.2 million so far.

The Pro-Traditional Marriage side has raised $830,000 and recruited 10,000 volunteers.

Minnesota For Marriage (MFM) off to a fast start, raises $830,000 and recruits over 10,000 new supporters in 2011

Minneapolis, MN – Today, Minnesota for Marriage (MFM,) a broad-based coalition of groups working to pass the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment in November, disclosed it raised $830,000 in cash donations. Additionally, the MFM coalition today reported they have recruited over 10,000 volunteers in 2011.

“We are very pleased with our fundraising and recruiting efforts to date,” said John Helmberger, Minnesota for Marriage Chairman. “We have demonstrated substantial and broad-based support for preserving marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Not only have we generated a great deal of financial support for the campaign, we have generated incredible, broad-based citizen support by recruiting over 10,000 volunteers for our campaign. We’re off to a great start.”

In addition to the $830,000 MFM reported receiving, the Minnesota Catholic Conference, Minnesota Family Council and National Organization for Marriage separately reported donations to their political funds.

“We have always expected to be outspent by our opponents,” Helmberger said. “This has been the case in most of the recent state marriage campaigns including in California and Maine. Our objective is to make sure we raise enough money to communicate our messages, and we’re certainly on track to do that. We’re in a good position going forward and have built a solid foundation of financial and organizational support.”

Minnesota for Marriage has complied with the guidance for ballot question committees provided by the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board despite its belief that the new rules created to regulate ballot campaigns exceed the Board’s legal authority.

I’ve been starting to see and hear references to something that sounds down right terrifying: New economy.

I’m guessing this is the teaser of the 2012 campaign for Obama and Democrats. That they just can’t work with this American system and need to create a new economy in order to put a chicken in every pot.

Pay attention and keep an eye out for this new term. New economy.

I believe it is born in the utopia that only communism (as in collectivism) can bring about the fair society that people like Klobuchar and Obama want. One where the vision statement for Democrats is “to each according to their needs, from each according to their ability.“

Via MPR

Group fighting marriage amendment raises $1.2 million

St. Paul, Minn. — The largest group working to defeat a proposed state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage said it has raised more than $1.2 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

A campaign finance report provided by Minnesotans United for All Families shows it received contributions from more than 5,100 people in 2011.

I think the largest mistake for the Republican Legislature in 2011 was passing the marriage amendment. This stories is exactly why I think so. This is proof that there is already $1.2 million that will be used to demonize and attack each and every (well almost all) Republican candidate running in 2012.

I’ve challenged the pro-amendment groups and supporters on if they will match dollar for dollar and hour for hour of work, but I’m told not to worry.

For some reason, I am.