MASON CONSERVATIVE

What About Rick Perry?

I’ve talked about Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, and others that seem to be in the mix for 2012.  But today I got to thinking about the prospects of Texas Gov. Rick Perry while reading a nice hit piece done by the DCPost.  It laments the fact that Perry is leading Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison so widely, wondering how a fifth generation Texan like Kay has to prove she’s Texan.  Of course, once again the fourth estate misses the point of what is going here, the fact that this is not about who is more Texan but who is more in tune with the Republican electorate concerning spending and Washington overreach.  While establishments cringe at Perry talking about Texas secession, they miss the real meaning behind the remark – it was meant as a spark to the independent nature of Texans that they don’t need the federal government overrunning them.  Sadly, it seems Sen. Hutchison – a good and honorable Republican by all accounts – just can’t understand what is happening either.  Any primary challenge of an incumbent must be predicated on convincing voters to firing him.  Hutchison’s whole campaign really has been based on “its my turn” just the kind of insider dealing that Republicans right now are so put off by.

Perry is like Sarah Palin but the exact opposite.  Conservative, opinionated, a fighter but with nearly ten years experience as an executive of one of the biggest and most important states in the Union both in size and population.  Another reason for Hutchison’s problems is that Perry has done a good job.  Texas is in nowhere near the shape other big states like California, Ohio, and New York.  He had a lackluster reelect in 2006, but it was a four-way election that was never really in doubt.  What is interesting this year is that in the primary a challenger has arisen to the right of Perry that has inoculated him from being considered a far-right wing nut.  But he has to win, and then beat the well-funded Houston mayor, Bill White.  It won’t be easy.  But if he can beat a sitting US senator and a millionaire big-city mayor in one year, combined with his long executive record, could make Rick Perry a real force to deal with in 2012.

We Are All Reminded Of It, John

Herrity Kick-Off At Country Club?

Seriously?

Do they not understand the mood of the country and of Republicans?  I've been to the Springfield Country Club before (for John Frey), and its nice don't get me wrong.  But in challenging the Democrats on out-of-control spending, do we really want a potential candidate kicking things off at a country club?  

Not really sending the best message here.  Maybe they think they are do the regular folks a favor but letting them see what a country club is like.

By comparison, Keith Fimian is having his Prince William kickoff at Guiseppe's Italian Grill in Haymarket.  

Get Ready For A Promotion, Jackson Miller

Or at least I hope.

Senator Chuck Colgan just told the DCPost that that "I'll probably not run.  I'm not Strom Thurmond."  Without a Democrat governor to really turn his arm it looks like this might be for real. 

Three Good Polls For The Senate

Rand Paul, Pat Toomey, and Marco Rubio look to all be way ahead in their races for the US Senate.  These three would be a welcomed conservative upgrade over the senators currently holding those seats. 

I Agree With Bob On Bob

Gov. McDonnell has it right in describing what Del. Marshall said the other day.

I'm not going to belabor the point or debate it anymore.  Marshall said what he said, and apologized for it.  That is that, its all you can ask.  Over and over the voters of the 13th house district have been given the chance to elect someone else and they never do.  I also appreciate Marshall attempting to bring up the issue of the damage an abortion can do to subsequent children, its a part of the pro-life cause that needs to be further studied. 

What he said was offense, no way around it.  But I won't enable faux-liberal outrage as long as they stay silent when Harry Reid said the recession is causing men to beat their wives.  It is also true that Marshall has been a tireless advocate of life for all.  I'm glad he apologized, its all you can ask for.

But now is not the time to abandon Marshall because the left will use this to try discredit all the incredible work Bob is doing for conservatism in the commonwealth, for federalism, and supporting keeping the federal government out of our health care. 

McDonnell Wins Key Vote on Offshore Drilling

In a turnaround the General Assembly, including the Democrat-controlled Senate, passed McDonnell's proposal for offshore drilling today that would ensure that any money gathered from offshore drilling would go straight to the state transportation trust fund.  In the Senate, the switching votes where that of Chuck Colgan, Roscoe Reynolds, and Edd Houck - three senators who are staring at retirement or defeat given how McDonnell performed in their districts. 

Riley has a better breakdown and calls out Sens. Herring, Marsden, and Barker as well as Dels. Torian and Pollard for their "no" votes on funding transportation.  I would add Sen. Petersen and Dels. Bulova, Abbott, and Keam to that list.  We are seeing where the lines are being drawn

But most importantly, this gives Gov. McDonnell some much-needed back up from his legislature to go with the support of our two US senators when he negotiates with Interior Secretary Salazar to let the state drill off the shore.  This is a good day for Virginia and hopefully we are on the way finally finding an independent revenue stream to help fund transportation.

I Don't Know How To Respond

Del. Bob Marshall is someone who's message on so any issues I have come to hold and respect myself.  His leadership on federalist issues with regards to mandating health care has set what could be a national model for states opposing federal mandates.  On this blog I've warmed to the idea of Marshall running again for federal office, but it gets hard to defend a guy who says that kids with disabilities are god's vengence for abortion.  And this isn't some fake outrage to cover my tracks.  My fiance Jessica has a sister who I've come to love dearly has Asbergers and both kids and adults with disabilities aren't punishment to anyone.  My future sister-in-law is wonderful and fun and is nothing but a joy to her family.  Is it different?  Sure.  But punishment?  No.  Its hard for me to support the career of an otherwise good man who fights the right fights but says something like this.  Hopefully Delegate Marshall can clarify his statement and keep his pro-life advocacy to just that, advocacy for ALL life without defining it as "punishment" for anyone.   

Lose Those 40 lbs, Haley!

"If you see me losing 40 pounds that means I'm either running or have cancer."
~Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour

I could really get behind Haley Barbour running for president.  As weird as it seems to have a white, ex-lobbyist,  southern-drawled Mississippi governor running against America's first black president; Barbour has been such a great governor in Mississippi and a true conservative.  These are strange times, so I don't think we can take anything at face value anymore.  

The McCain Primary

I've been thinking about the John McCain-JD Hayworth primary going on in Arizona for some time.  I am sympathetic to those who want to see McCain defeated.  I've always been torn on McCain because his 2000 campaign got me interested in politics, but he's done as much harm as good to Republicans in the Senate.  Since the election however, McCain has become in many ways the face of the opposition to President Obama in almost every issue.  He has been active in recruiting Republican candidates and was maybe the only major Republican player to back Scott Brown before the Coakley campaign imploded. 

But I think the reason I support McCain in the primary is because I think JD Hayworth is not the man to replace him.  Though a "consistent conservative" as he claims, Hayworth's end in Congress was wrapped in the big-spending, Abramoff wing of the Republican Party.  If he was such a consistent conservative how did a six-term congressman lose reelection?  I know it was a bad year, but he had been in office for a long time and clearly the shenanigans with Abramoff, his wife's salary through his PAC, and his mouth hurt him.  He lost a lot of Republican support to Harry Mitchell, including past elected officials who had supported him.  Hayworth will scream in his deep baritone voice that he is the conservative in the race, but is he the best man for it?  On top of that, Hayworth gave an embarrassing rambling answer to Campbell Brown as to whether Barack Obama was a US citizen shows that a) he's either a closet birther, or b) can't function under pressure. 

Like I said, this is more about how incompetent Hayworth is rather than his cause.  If a Jeff Flake or John Shadegg said they would take McCain on I'd be on it.  But Hayworth turned out to be an embarrassment as a congressman and just because he shouts that he's a conservative louder than McCain doesn't mean he's earned the right to serve in the US Senate.