MASON CONSERVATIVE

The Front-Runner

The Return of Massive Resistance

A couple of things come to mind when I started reading about the Senate Democrats voting against the two-year budget on a party-line 20-20 vote that could, effectively, shut down state government in Virginia.  This includes schools.  Once again the Democrats of Virginia are practicing the politics of Massive Resistance.  Emboldened by Republican overreach on the abortion issue, Democrats have now overreached themselves in a pissy fit over not getting good committee assignments.

But the Dems ARE right, the Senate doesn't represent Virginia right now because if it did, it would be MORE Republican.  The Democrats drew this Senate map, the map currently represented now.  This is, in effect, their Senate.  If the map had stayed the same it might have been worse.  So complaining about how the Senate is made up is kind of ridiculous when they are the ones drawing the map.

I would also point out to my Northern Virginia friends that under McDonnell and the House of Delegates, NOVA is getting $42 million to help attract teachers and make-up for the high cost of living up here that keeps teachers away because of relatively low pay compared to the cost of living in the area.  The Senate finance committee included it in this budget.  Teachers unions are a crucial NOVA Dem constituency and are getting screwed by their own here. 

I've had my problems with Gov. McDonnell and the GA leadership this term, but Republicans better now back down an inch on this fight . . . put the pressure on senators like Colgan, Puckett, and Petersen who are the constant champions of "bi-partisanship" and working together, make them explain why our schools could be shut down and why our teachers won't get the competative pay they need.  Massive Resistance is back.  And our schools and services will get shut down because Dick Saslaw is mad he didn't get a couple extra committee seats based on a map he drew. 

The Repubs better fight on this, and fight hard.  Because if we back down and capitulate, we won't be running anything and the will of the people expressed last November will have been disenfranchised. 

Interesting Look At Santorum

Politico tells the tale of two Santorums:  The culture warrior and the Pennsylvania pol.

For a Pennsylvania Republican, and especially a social conservative like Santorum, constituent service, bringing home federal checks and trumpeting his clout was a necessity for political survival. It was part of his appeal to members of both parties in the Keystone State. But that half of his political personality — Rick the Rust Belt pol — left a trail of controversial votes and odd coalitions that are proving hard to explain to conservatives.

Virginia 11

Admittedly I have spent very little time focusing on the primary in my own congressional district.  Honestly when I saw the newly redrawn map, I felt the GOP in the Assembly - so willing to force women to have invasive ultrasounds before an abortion - completely wimped out in drawing the new map.  The 11th could have EASILY been made stronger by adding Manassas and Gainesville up to route 66 and dropping Woodbridge and Dale City into the 1st district.  Combined that with how the 2011 state senate races reminded us cocky Republicans that Fairfax is still very much a Democratic bastion.  I don't have real high hopes.

Of the two candidates I have only met one - Chris Perkins.  He came to a YR meeting and I got to chat with him afterwards.  He was okay, but was not receptive to hearing that a couple of us were real Ron Paul supporters.  His military record was on full display, perhaps even to the point where he used it as a crutch.  He hit the main points talking about supporting Paul Ryan's budget but he was really short on detail and heavier on themes like "service" and "duty."  He also admitted he worked for and admired Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords, which is fine.  Maybe Jeffords was on to something way back when.  I would give him a 5/10.

Ken Vaughn is the other candidate and I don't know much about him other than what his website says.  So I am reserving judgement, though his promise to restore liberties and call out things like the PATRIOT Act and vow to cut 10% of the budget, including military, was heartening.  But I have never spoken with him or hear him speak so I don't know yet.

So why don't some of you help fill me in?  Who are these guys?  Are either of them for real?

A Echo, Not A Choice

Joe Miller's website has a good video of Reason editor Nick Gillespie talking about Mitt Romney's essential problem of being an echo to Barack Obama and Rick Santorum being an echo to George W. Bush.  The only real candidate who is talking about truly changing the system is Ron Paul.  And like Gillespie admits, I have no delusions that Paul will be the GOP nominee but its an important campaign to be apart of because this is where the Republican Party will truly reinvent itself.  

I do believe that both Romney and Santorum have admirable qualities . . . I especially have a soft spot for Santorum because I went to the same church as him for awhile and know what a good man he is.  But neither are true vessels of conservative change, and Santorum himself has been hostile to libertarianism within the Republican Party.  Normally I would probably go with Romney over Santorum but I cannot get past Romneycare and the imposition of government into health care.  Its this attitude why I'm so supportive of people like Cuccinelli and Marshall here in Virginia, because they represent such a change from the Republican status quo.  It is a painful process that I find myself in that as abhorrent as it is to admit, if the choice is between Romney and Obama I honestly don't understand what the *real* choice will be?  I understand that the generic issues on the margins will be in contrast, but what will really change?  From Bush to Clinton to Bush to Obama, what has really changed in this country besides more of our liberty being taken away, more of our freedom being taken away, and more and more government.

How Is This Not Government Mandated Health Care?

I'm as pro-life as they come, but how is THIS not a government intruding on not only our health care but women's bodies?  We should all fight for life but government should never ever mandate anyone go through anything intrusive or invasive to their bodies.  If they can do this on abortions, what happens next?  What precedent does it set?  What the hell is the point of this bill anyways?

A VP Dark Horse

This isn't such a bad idea actually . . . Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers:

First elected in 2004, McMorris Rodgers is now in her second term as vice chairman of the Republican Conference, which makes her the highest-ranking Republican woman on Capitol Hill. She has built a significant amount of behind-the-scenes clout, and has become one of her party’s most influential leaders on issues like international bailouts, earmark reform and the fight against Obamacare.

McMorris Rodgers also has the kind of compelling life story that political operatives always look for. The daughter of produce farmers who operated a fruit stand, she was the first member of her family to attend college. She earned her MBA from the University of Washington in 2002. By the age of 24, she was a member of the state House of Representatives.

Married to a retired U.S. Navy commander, McMorris Rodgers is also one of only eight women to have ever given birth while serving in Congress, and the only woman who has done it twice.