You can’t make this up.

Detroit ‘Comeback’ Ad Filmed in New Orleans, L.A.

Not Detroit.

Read the rest than laugh hysterically at the other Obama Motors.

A little help please. I posted on the disaster that is the current 5,742 word long Republican Party of Minnesota platform and the onslaught of special interest group please to add even MORE to it. The thing will be well over 10,000 if all these special interest groups get their pet project wordage in it just so they can hammer Legislators over it. I posted on it here. 

Here is what I’d appreciate some help doing. To make it to the State Convention as a final amendment to the platform, each resolution needs to come from 2 different CDs. Please spread the word and have some friends and fellow activists see if we can get this on the final agenda for the St. Cloud State Convention by having it come from across the state.

Here is a simple form you can print off and hand out at your Caucus. It is a simple one page form. If you share my desire to simplify the platform, print this off and help try to pass it at your Caucus. Let’s reclaim our Platform from the special interests.

I mean this as no slight to most of the center right special interests, but they are “non-partisan” and have been known to ignore requests for help, work against Republicans, or helped promote our political opponents. Example: MN Majority promotes DFL & other party caucuses, not exclusively the GOP. Or how the Taxpayer’s League is targeting 7 Republicans for authoring legislation that goes against a major funder’s desires, or the CAGE RACINO mess.

Less specifics, more simplicity! Let’s stop fighting with our selves.  OK, a short post is turning into the Platform now, so please consider submitting this at your Caucus.

PLEASE!

AAARF_2012_MNGOP_platformresolution(pdf)

Here’s what it says:

Whereas the 2010 Republican Party Platform has grown to 5,742 words and become full of hyper specific pseudo legislation, whereas it is too long and confusing, whereas the party platform can be amended every 2 years by state law, be it resolved that the entire existing Republican Party Platform be deleted and replaced with the following.

“The Republican Party of Minnesota stands for four core values:

• Personal Responsibility
• Free Enterprise
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Limited, Sensible Government

Those four values are guide posts for our beliefs and principles.

Promote Economic Prosperity

We support lowering the tax burden, exercising spending restraint, and creating and maintaining a fair, honest and competitive business environment to promote economic prosperity and once again make Minnesota the economic engine of the Upper Midwest.

 

Preserve Civil Rights

We support defending the right to life, protecting religious, political and economic liberties, and respecting personal privacy and property to preserve civil rights and ensure that government treats all of its citizens equally under the law.

 

Educate our Children

We support the belief that parents are responsible for their children’s education and that parents, teachers and local school boards can make the best decisions about our children’s education.

 

Strengthen our Families and Communities

We recognize the blessings that God has bestowed on this great Nation. We also recognize the sanctity of human life and the central role of the traditional family in our society. We work to defend those values in order to strengthen our families and communities.

 

Protect Public Safety

We believe that the most fundamental function of government is to keep citizens and our property secure.

 

Strengthen the Rule of Law

We support limiting the power of attorneys and frivolous lawsuits, increasing the responsibility of the jury, protecting judicial elections and holding judges accountable to strengthen the rule of law and prevent abuse of our legal system.

 

Enjoy and Protect our Natural Resources

We believe that proper stewardship of our natural resources and agricultural lands is best achieved through sound science and adherence to constitutionally guaranteed property rights.

 

Make Government Smaller and Better

We support keeping government functions in state, local or private hands, electing honest and responsive legislative bodies and advocating for fair election processes to make government smaller and better.

 

Defend America at Home and Abroad

 

We believe that we can maintain peace by having a strong national defense, securing our borders and by encouraging all people to seek freedom, democracy and free enterprise.”

 

Submitted by: ________________________________ Phone: ___________________________ BPOU: _________ Precinct: __________________    Passed: _______  Defeated: ___________  Secretary signature: __________________________________________

Couple of quick tips here.

1) If you are supporting a candidate, bring their letter (most candidates will have a letter to be read at Caucus already done) with you. And make sure you or another supporter volunteers to read it. Or ask to speak on their behalf with a quick 30 or 60 second from the heart on why you support him or her. – WHY? Some locations may only have letters on display (if they were sent them in the 1st place (candidate responsibility, not local precinct or party duty). Plus from experience I can tell you some precincts may be populated with people not as in tune as you and may know nothing about the candidates. In 2010, my precinct didn’t know Seifert or Emmer, I read Emmer’s letter off my phone’s email and then we had a Q&A on why I was supporting Emmer. Emmer went on to win our straw poll HUGE.

2) If you have platform resolutions, bring a copy of the platform. WHY? The MNGOP is not providing the newspaper print out of the entire platform and since the thing is 14 pages long and that money is needed for other purposes (not to mention that the current platform will be replaced in months at the state convention), most BPOUs are not going to waste the money to print it off so everyone gets a copy either. I know in SD49 conveners were asked to make 1 copy in case anyone wants to see it, but you can’t count on that everywhere. So bring your own copy of the platform, or a couple to share if this means a lot to you.

3) PLUS if you plan to submit a platform resolution, bring it in writing with your name, address, phone number, email, and precinct/BPOU information on it. And bring extra copies to pass out. Its always easier if you can show people what you want to do rather than read them. All resolutions must be submitted in writing, so if you bring yours printed up in advance, it will speed up the night as you can hand the convener yours. If your resolution is in hand writing, it NEEDS to be legible as they are handed over to people to compile who were not in your precinct. Sometimes you can’t read them and if you don’ have a record of who submitted it, you can’t do anything with it.

From Americans for Prosperity

America needs a leader, not a lecturer.

Michele Bachmann has let Andy Parrish go. Parrish was the guy who helped her win the endorsement in 2006, and then came back to save her in 2010 after a disaster move in handing control to Ron Carey.

What does this recent staff upheaval mean? Its hard to say. Bachmann has announced her intent to run for reelection. While we don’t know what the 6th District will look like, Bachmann is a strong force on the campaign trail. The media’s prevailing delusion is that the 6th District will be the one District in Minnesota that needs to drastically change for some reason.

It was one of the 2 that actually grew in the last 10 years, and was the largest at that. With out the 6th’s growth of nearly 100,000 people, Minnesota would have lost a Congressional Seat. Somehow that translates into dicing up this District so its unrecognizable for some reason.

Bachmann lives in the Eastern end of the current 6th, a District that stretches from Wisconsin across the northern suburbs, wraps down to some northwest suburbs and stretches up to St. Cloud. It has Districts that need to inherit some voters on all sides, but for some reason the powers that be in the press think that means you don’t change those Districts, you destroy the most conservative one, that Bachmann happens to represent.

It sure looks like obvious anti-Republican gerrymandering to me, but what do I know? I don’t have press credentials.

What we do know is that Bachmann is running for reelection but she’s starting off with out one of her most critical keys to victory. Let’s hope she reconnects and makes sure that someone knows where all the lawn signs are and gets them out early and to BPOU meetings. She’s going to have to make a good decision for who she has help ramp up her Congressional campaign. She needs solid people who have been there before.

I’m not nominating myself for a manager job, but I am willing to help as we all should. Here’s hoping the Congresswoman doesn’t start 2012 like she did 2010. Making a change at the helm at this time can be a distraction and upset the flow of events that happen whether she is ready or not. She’s got to replenish the war chest as well as get her name back out to the BPOUs.

Update: 

KSTP reports that Chase Kroll is going to head up her campaign.

Well, the crazy season is upon us. Minnesota politics officially kicks off tomorrow at Precinct Caucuses. The big battle will be the Straw Poll for President, but the future of our state is also at stake.

A poll shows that the evangelicals are likely to come out big for Rick Santorum. He’s managed to have people overlook his record in Congress as a big government Republican and focuses as that other guy who is a social conservative on the trail. Romney releases a list of supporters. All 4 candidates will have visited Minnesota just days before the Caucuses. We discusses the POTUS race on my recent Late Debate appearance.

Unfortunately, there will not be a straw poll for US Senate.

But please keep in mind that Minnesota’s Precinct Caucuses are about much more than just a  straw poll. (Oh and its non binding) The Caucuses are the clean slate start in Party conventions. You elect new Delegates to BPOU Conventions. Those Delegates will be who selects your next candidate for the Legislature. With Redistricting going to take place late this month, these people are very important.

Chances are the Presidential campaigns will try to run slates for these positions. I’m not a big fan of slates, but they happen. My hope is that they don’t screw up the Republican Party again like they did in 2008. Ron Paul did very well getting his people elected as BPOU Delegates. At BPOU Conventions you also elect Delegates to Congressional District Conventions and the State Convention. At both of those you elect National Delegates to the RNC Convention.

While that is part of the process, some of those people don’t care about the nuts and bolts work of the GOP. That their only task is to show up and vote at a convention. There’s tons of work to be done to get Republicans in Minnesota elected. Phone calls, lawn signs, door knocking, and parades to name a few.

Oh and then there is of course going to be the Platform resolutions that start at Caucuses. These are additions (and sometimes a few deletions) to the standing party platform that is rivaling the Library of Congress for brevity.

Please, if you care about keeping Republican control of the Minnesota Legislature, show up at your Caucus tomorrow night. You can find info I posted here. This isn’t all about the Presidential Race.

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.