Watch this space. I will be watching the speech and taking notes, which I will get up as fast as I can type after the conference is over.

Wonder if the Corps can get Dubya to comment on the nuclear option...
I think they will try just to get him to say "nuke-ular"...

UPDATE: My thoughts:
I didn't expect President Bush to start off talking about gas prices, but it certainly is relevant. He's right too, innovation is the key for the future of energy.

I like the idea of Social Security being regressive (or progressive, not sure about which one is more accurate in this case). Rich people don't need Social Security. Katie Couric makes more doing one show than most people do in their lifetimes, yet che could collect Social Security when she retires.

Not surprisingly, he referenced FDR, who was for private accounts, and slyly used the phrase "Better Deal," as Social Security reform would improve upon the New Deal. Also like the security of treasury bonds as an option for private accounts, and liked that he emphasized the volunteer aspect. Bush was with reporters, but was speaking to the American people.

Overall: B+ on the opening remarks

Judiciary: "my nominees deserve an up or down vote" Amen, I say.

War on Terror/Iraq: "stay on the offense" but he also emphasized that the only way to win the war is to "spread freedom." I agree. (Lebannese elections this month!)

Iran: on Putin enriching uranium for Iranian civillian power plants and then collecting it: "We can't trust Iranians with enriching uranium." Also, my favorite moment: "I don't know why they need nuclear power plants, they have all the oil."

UN/John Bolton: "I want to reform the UN." YAY! He also stood by Bolton, pointing out he had been confirmed by the Senate 4 times previously

North Korea: continue to work with China on six-party talks

Answers overall: A-, he knows how to talk on his feet now.

No questions on filibusters directly, and none on Tom DeLay...

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:29 PM | Permalink | |

Besides politics, my other intellecutal passion is history. History, I truely believe, shapes how the world is today, and I doubt many will disagree. I also believe we can learn from history. Thus my dislike of the United Nations and France, which are somewhat tied together. Let me tell you a little story.

November 11, 1918. World War I armistice is signed. President Woodrow Wilson, the academic liberal (who'd have guessed with all these socialists running around now), issues the Fourteen Points, and prepares for the Treaty of Versailles. Besides the years of French dominance on the European contintent due to irreprehensible war reperations, the League of Nations is born.

Now, even the most liberal, in the International Relations theory-sense, meaning promotion of democracy, free trade, and collective security (I'm on board except for the last one), people will agree with me that the League of Nations was a failure. Not really a disputed argument.

However, I am coming at it from a different direction. Liberals will point out that the League of Nations was a failure becuase it excluded Germany and Russia, the United States never got involved, and Great Britain gave up, leaving France in charge. However, they want the League to have been stronger, will military-backing like some want for the UN. I see the League as a testament to failure in trusting the League of Nations to achieve anything. If you start from that basic premise, you see how World War II was inevitable becuase so many (like Kellogg and Briand) assumed the League of Nations would be able to settle any conflict. These are the same people who feel that UN sanctions will rid the world of Kim Jong Il and his ilk.

I really don't mind the United Nations in the idea form. However, when people trust it to solve their problems, it will inevitably let them down. It could not stop, only escalate, Rwandan genocide, and is doing a crack job in the Sudan. I am not surprised at these outcomes. I do not expect the UN to regulate the seas, try crimes in an International Criminal Court, or stop nuclear proliferation. I expect it to be a place where countries can come to settle disputes and discuss issues, but not really solve major problems. The United Nations needs a reboot. And it needs to start from the top.

Give Kofi the heave-ho.
I knew it from the get-go.

Posted by Ryan S. at 4:41 PM | Permalink | |

Saw this post on GOPBloggers asking for comments on Puerto Rico becoming state # 51.

I agree with the commenters who say that Puerto Rico has a better deal than D.C., as they don't pay federal income taxes! Mark Noonan has the best plan I've heard so far:

I also believe Puerto Rico should be cut lose (though we have to hang on to Guam until China becomes a democracy); with a proviso to allow Puerto Ricans living in the continental US five years to decide whether to remain as US citizens, or more back to PR and be only PR citizens.

The choice is ultimately theirs, but the Continental could force a vote. If there was a right of return for Puerto Ricans living in the States, then I hope they'd be for it too. Cut 'em loose.

Kudos to those who get the Little Giants reference.

Posted by Ryan S. at 1:40 PM | Permalink | |

I will not be seeing The Interpreter anytime soon at the local SuperMegaPlex 48. First off, I want to say that it sounds like a decent movie, a thriller with politics, like The Manchurian Candidate (the old one, haven't seen the new one), meaning it would be right up my alley.

However, The Interpreter has an obvious political message. It is the first movie to ever film at the General Assembly in the UN, and it stars Super Liberal himself, Sean Penn, who has called the U.S. a dictatorship:

"Who the ____ are we to say whether they’re better off? We have a dictatorship in this country. Our government is presently the greatest threat to our people." Penn went on to say, "Unlike George W. Bush, I had a father who read the Constitution of the United States."

Now, Kofi Anann and Sean Penn make a movie? I was able to get through The Day After Tomorrow in spite of the global warming and Dick Cheney doppleganger double-whammy. But this just goes too far. I smell an "I the UN" campaign, in light of the recent flurry of scandals, like Oil-For-Food and Rape-For-Blue-Helmets, and I ain't buying.

Posted by Ryan S. at 3:03 PM | Permalink | |

The Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Conner, Atonin Scalia, and Steven Breyer did a Q&A session with Tim Russert.

On the Court & Politics
"Something very fundamental has changed," [Scalia] he said. If judges start interpreting the Constitution to suit political views, he added, then the Supreme Court "becomes a very political institution and when that happens the people in a democracy will try to seize control of it."

On International Law:
“I don’t agree it’s much ado about nothing,” Scalia said in response to O’Connor. Regarding the death penalty case, he said the majority led by Kennedy “contradicted the view of the majority of the states.”
“I don’t see how international law is relevant. I don’t know what a South Africa court will tell you about American law,” he said.

Scalia is awesome, and moreso than that, he's absolutely correct. Impeaching Judges, like Tom "I've Lost It" DeLay has called for, sets a dangerous precedent. We should make sure that Justices on the Court follow a strict interpretation of the Constitution. And using international law as the basis for a descision is crap. Would that make canining Constitutional? The Gulag? The Nazi restrictions against Jews?

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:43 AM | Permalink | |

I was able to see the end of the conclave live on FoxNews, and wasn't surprised at all that Ratzinger is now Pope. He is a conservative, no doubts about that, but he also seems to want to continue what John Paul II started. Ex-Donkey Blog has pulled a quote by John Hawkins on the church and change:

"All this talk about "modernizing the church" seems to miss the point. Fads come
and go, but the church endures in part because it changes glacially, if at all.
The church is supposed to set a timeless standard, not respond to polling data
or try to accommodate social trends. Show me a church that is determined to
"change with the times" and I'll show you a church that is likely dying."

Ratzinger spoke out against Kerry, so it is good that he is not sympathetic to the American-liberal Catholic. Israel also seems to like him, something I was worried about. It is good that Catholics and Jews are friendly, because I'm half and half, family-wise.

Posted by Ryan S. at 1:16 PM | Permalink | |

I got Fleischer's book at the University Library, and I'm glad I didn't pay for it. It is not especially well-written, and Fleischer doesn't seem to know if he wants to focus on bias in the media, his time at the White House, anecdotes, or justifying the War in Iraq.

The book has some good observations, and the one that really struck me was this:

• The media has two biases, one to conflict, and one of the biases of those who write the news. Conservatives, Fleischer argues, would be just as bisased n reporting, and he calls for balance

Otherwise an entertaining book, but really only worth it if you are a fan of Ari's. Probably would have been better 3 or 5 years down the line, when his old boss is out of office.

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:08 PM | Permalink | |

Start making signs, as I'm drafting Newt for President.

Reading his book, Winning the Future (its under "Recommended Reading" on the sidebar, I already decided that Gingrich is the right choice for conservartive Republicans. Forget Condi as President. She's never won anything.

Santorum is too worried about Pennsylvania right now, and is going to be in the fight of his life come 2006. I pegged Newt as a Wild Card, but I know that if he runs, I will be supporting him 100%. Right now he isn't going to announce until 2007, but he hasn't ruled it out.

Mr. Speaker, if you are reading this (how cool would that be), I'm with you.

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:01 PM | Permalink | |

Bill Frist has threatened to change the Senate rules to outlaw filibusters against judicial nominees, and now Bob Novak is saying he has the votes. Only John McCain and two other Republicans oppose this move.

I come to this from a Constitutional perspective. I don't care if Republicans are in the minority again, filibustering nominees, creating a supermajority where there is not in the Constitution is ridiculous. I hope Frist has the fortitude to set the bomb off, becuase it is time. Time to end this Constitutional malarkey, time to strip obstructionists of a weapon that that they have used to upset the balance of power in the branches of government.

Liberals have given up legislating from Congress, there they obstruct anything they don't agree with, and try to get judges who will legislate for them, pulling out hokey descisions like Roe v. Wade and Miranda v. Arizona (I'll see you in hell, Earl Warren). America must do everything in its power to get judges who believe in the Constitution on the bench, and not those who follow international law to seek their outcomes. Singapore has a law legalizing caneing for chewing gum, is the 9th Circut going to follow that one?

Come on, Dr. Strangelove, drop the bomb. The liberals don't have a Doomsday Device.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:45 PM | Permalink | |

I have a new blog to read that I just found! And he's a Rush fan, as the title of his blog, New World Man, is a song on their awesome Signals album from 1982.

Check it out. I'll be adding him to my blogroll later today.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:51 AM | Permalink | |

The above picture is now on my desktop. I for one love baseball, and am glad to hae a President who does as well.

"Somebody said, 'How do you describe the presidency?' I said it is a decision-making job. I've got a decision to make today. Do I go with a fastball or do I go with a slider?" President Bush said before the game, when he spoke at a meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Glad to see the President having a little fun.

Ex-Donkey Blog points out this is another good reason to be glad Kerry isn't President.

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:11 AM | Permalink | |

Ann Coulter clarfies that she did not endorse Davidson. My respect for her (thus Matt Drudge, as I think they're a couple) had diminished when Davidson claimed he recieved in an endorsement from her, which I was constantly told of at CPAC and by Davidson himself.
Ms. Coulter is back on my good side.

Official Announcement:

April 13, 2005

To All College Republicans,

As her official publicist and spokesperson, Ann Coulter - author, columnist, lawyer and pundit – has asked me to clarify her views in regards to the race for College Republican National Committee Chairman.

Ms. Coulter, on her many travels to the frontlines of America’s war of ideas – American college campuses – has always found great comfort in the Praetorian Guard that often spontaneously rises to defend her against pie-throwing, left-wing zealots on campuses across the country. At great risk to their wardrobe and academic records, she has come to rely upon the College Republicans.

For this reason, Ms. Coulter would never take sides in a College Republican leadership election.

She understands that Paul Gourley of South Dakota has certainly earned his stripes by helping to elect John Thune to the U.S. Senate and for helping other conservatives like Brett Schundler of New Jersey. Gourley’s challenger, Michael Davidson of California, also certainly deserves praise for raising the battle flag at his alma mater, the Peoples Republic of UC-Berkeley.

But for anyone to imply that Ms. Coulter has made an endorsement in this race would be wrong.

Said Ms. Coulter -- “I love all Republicans (except Chris Shays), but I have not made an endorsement in the race for CR Chairman.”

Ms. Coulter looks forward to seeing all of you on the frontlines, shaming the liberals back under the rocks from whence they crawled.
Sincerely,
Diana L. Banister
Vice President
Shirley & Banister Public Affairs

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:22 PM | Permalink | |

You may remember my outrage on the insertion of an amnesty for illegals plan into the Emergency Funding Bill for US Troops.


Well the conservatives won! The language is no longer in the bill!

Now we just have to make sure any amnesty legislation gets defeated on its own merits. Illegal penetration of our borders is one if the biggest dangers facing America today. It needs to be stopped.

Thanks to UMSC_Vet over at Blue State Conservatives for raising the issue to me, and for the kind follow-up e-mail. Much obliged!

The e-mail:

You all surely remember my angry rant over Congress slipping amnesty into the Emergency Funding Bill,
Well…according to Roll Call, the Senate is stripping all immigration language from the Emergency Funding Bill!
Can The Blue State Conservatives share in a victory dance today? Who knows and who cares?!?!
Do you think they felt the pressure? Again, who knows at this point. Let’s just take this as a Victory and let the bills stand or fall on their own merit, not on the backs of supporting the troops.
Three cheers for the US Senate, no matter how they came to such a decision!
Cheers!
Steve
(USMC_Vet)
The Blue State Conservatives

The Word Unheard

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:02 PM | Permalink | |

Native Americans get in the way of an anthropoligical find, and employ John McCain to help them bury what could be an important find in American historical migration.

(Hat tip: Instapundit)

Posted by Ryan S. at 12:10 PM | Permalink | |

Who is it? Edmond Burke. The father of modern conservatism, and centuries-old hater of France. He saw the French Revoluion for what it was, horrible, out of control, and the seeds of the "secular liberalism," the Gulag, Auschwitz, and Mao. Paul Cella has more at Tech Central Station.

Posted by Ryan S. at 9:32 AM | Permalink | |

For Immediate Release


Contact: Jake Grassel
April 10, 2005
(763) 443-2589 - Mobile

Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia State Leaders Announce

Support for Paul Gourley


Sioux Falls, SD – Paul Gourley picked up a flurry of endorsements over the weekend catapulting him to a commanding lead in the race to become the next CRNC Chairman. Delaware Federation of College Republicans State Chairman Seth Wimer and Maryland Federation of College Republicans State Chairman Brian Shuy endorsed Gourley following unanimous endorsements from the District of Columbia and Virginia Federations.



State Chairman of the Delaware Federation of College Republicans Seth Wimer said it came down to who had the better plan for the future of the organization. “Paul Gourley’s plan to give all states expanded resources through the field program, block grants, and technological innovation is the right plan for the future of this organization. Michael Davidson’s 50-50 profit sharing scheme would only help large states such as California, Texas, and New York, it just isn’t an equitable system for all College Republicans,” said Wimer. “I am pleased to offer my personal support to Paul and look forward to working with him for the next two years.”



Like Wimer, the District of Columbia Federation stressed Paul’s record of accomplishment as they passed a unanimous endorsement of his candidacy at their convention on Saturday. “Paul Gourley knows how to get things done; he has helped our Party achieve success not only in South Dakota, but across the nation. I know that when Paul says he will expand the field program, improve our technological capabilities, and provide more resources to states than ever before, he will do it,” said newly elected DC Fed Chairman Mike Inganamort.



Virginia, who has a hotly contested Governor’s race in 2005, spoke of the importance of the CRNC Field Program while unanimously endorsing Gourley for CRNC Chairman. “The 2005 gubernatorial race in Virginia will be one of the most important elections in the next few years. It is important that we have a strong Field Program to help us achieve victory. We need somebody who doesn’t need on the job training, but rather someone who has been a field rep, trained field reps, and run a field program. That person is Paul Gourley,” said newly elected Virginia State Chair Victoria Winn.



Maryland State Chairman Brian Shuy echoed the praise saying, “I have worked with Paul Gourley for the past two years and I know that his vision, work ethic, and determination are what this organization needs to build on the successes of the past administration. With Paul at the helm the successes that we can achieve are unimaginable.” Shuy finished by saying, “In Maryland, we have an extremely important Governor’s race as well as a U.S. Senate race in 2006. We need a leader who has a proven track record of helping elect Republicans. Paul Gourley did it for John Thune in 2004 and I know that he can do it for all of us in 2006!”



After receiving word of the endorsements Gourley commented, “I am humbled and honored to have the support of such fine leaders. Their endorsement means a lot to me. I am confident that with their support we are well on our way to victory in June!”



Paul has now received endorsements from College Republican leaders in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming in support of his candidacy for CRNC Chairman.

www.GourleyForChairman.com
1914 South Phillips Avenue · Sioux Falls, SD 57105 · (605)359-1968

Posted by Ryan S. at 4:51 PM | Permalink | |

I started working out, I do it in the mornings, goal to be done by 9:00AM at the latest, and shower, breakfast and blog by 10:00.

So I started another blog. All news, all of my exercise stuff.

Trimming the Fat

Posted by Ryan S. at 8:38 AM | Permalink | |

Chances are you know someone who hates Wal*Mart. They may say that Wal*Mart is tacky, or accuse them of using illegal labor, or being anti-union. But the complaint most often heard is that Wal*Mart drives those cute, precious Mom & Pop stores out of business. The Big Blue Monster that this Wal*Mart, the mecca of suburban and rural Security Moms and NASCAR Dads squashes everything in its path to World Dominatation. I however, like cheap stuff, and the sheer amount of things I can get at Wal*Mart in one trip, cheap clothes, a 3.98 basketball, the latest CD for a fraction of the price that FYE is selling it for, and if I wanted to, fish. Max Borders over at Tech Central Station agrees. He writes:

"...Boone has experienced the Wal-Mart effect. First, some Mom-n-Pop shops in Boone may have gone out of business due to the intense competition. But something interesting has happened: many new businesses have sprung up and they're cooler, more interesting, and more highly specialized than most of the old ones were. Mom-n-Pop have decided to move into more boutique-style businesses -- and not even Wal-Mart can compete with that.
...
The question becomes: do we really need small, inefficient and expensive shops to supply us with our shaving cream and plastic laundry baskets? How vibrant is a downtown where such items are being hocked? Since Wal-Mart consolidates these kinds of goods into "big boxes," we, like John Blundell, can get them for dirt cheap all in one place. Charming downtown areas can then evolve into gorgeous window-shopping and restaurant-hopping districts for both locals and tourists. In the meantime, everyone knows where to go to get the bare necessities quickly and at a lower cost.


The Wal-Mart effect is happening all over the country, allowing many municipalities to renew their town centers. In fact, residents able to reduce their day-to-day shopping budgets at Wal-Mart have more money left to spend on the things that make life great and towns charming -- whether it's hand-blown glass or delicious roadside produce grown by local farmers. (Take it from me, no big box can do Silver Queen corn like North Carolina farmers on the side of the road.)"

Posted by Ryan S. at 3:17 AM | Permalink | |

Bush & Congress need to look at this.

Hat Tip: (Mellora)

Posted by Ryan S. at 3:14 AM | Permalink | |

Here.

Still not sure about NASA's role in fully exploring space as opposed to the private sector, which has much more potential then space tourism. I think NASA will move to a more scientific position in the space community, while private companies will do the actual exploring, especially as funding dwindles in the near future. I like Bush's audacity in his Moon-Mars program, but funding it fully would be a mistake.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:19 PM | Permalink | |

Over at the UD College Democrats Blog

(See comments)

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:07 PM | Permalink | |

I agree with "USMC_Vet " over at Blue State Conservatives, I am an American first, a Conservative Second, and a Republican Third. He has now decided to divorce himself from the GOP, in an excellent rant of sorts. Why? Why now? It is over the issue of imigration and the insertion of Bush's Amesty For All plan into a military spending bill. Makes me sick for two reasons, one being I disagree with the tactic, but I disagree with the plan itself, as I've noted here, and here. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'd vote for Hillary over Bill First, but damn does this irritate me. Way to let down all those who voted for you for security. Hmm, maybe I'll look into the Libertarian Party....

Others Agree:
Another one bites the dust

On a lighter sidebar, it's getting warm here in Delaware, I am wearing shorts today, and my Docksiders with no socks, I consider them to be the conservative alternative to Birkenstocks. My feet are stark white, and definately need some time out in the sun.

Posted by Ryan S. at 1:01 PM | Permalink | |

This incident:

On March 10, an event titled "Patriarchy Slam" was held by the radical Feminist Action League in a room reserved by a second and recognized student group. (The significance of this is that the free room was used in violation of UNH policy.) Posters across the campus advertised the meeting as a public event, with no indication of "Women Only."

Patriarchy Slam expressed radical anti-male feminism. For example, some FAL members wore scissors around their necks as they sang in praise of castration. One member, who identified herself as Mary Man-Hating-Is-Fun, told the gathering, "Ever since I learned to embrace my feminist nature, I found great joy in threatening men's lives…because I see them for what they are: misogynistic, sexist, oppressive and absurdly pathetic beings who only serve to pollute and contaminate this world…"
Huffman claims that the coordinator advised him "as a man I would be intimidating." Thus, when the open-microphone segment began, Huffman was instructed to leave even though he had caused no disruption. Other men remained but, according to Huffman, he was told they had "allegiance to the FAL."

Moreover, he explains FAL "confiscated my program….Evidently, they do not want the public knowing what was said that night….What I heard…was a hate rally."
Huffman is a journalist for the privately funded conservative student paper Common Sense; FAL claims he was excluded as a journalist, not as a man. But, then, why was Shannon O'Neil, a female reporter for The New Hampshire, allowed to stay?

Is worse than this one, as it both offensive and exclusionary. They can take thier male-bashing version of "gender equality" and stick it.

Posted by Ryan S. at 11:32 AM | Permalink | |

British General Elections will be on May 5th, as Tony Blair has recieved permission to dissolve Parliment.

I think that were I a Brit, I'd be a Tory, as a like Michael Howard, and they are Conservatives, but for the sake of US relations-I would like to see Tony Blair again, especially for his help in Operation: Iraqi Freedom. In any case, I will be awaiting the results.

UPDATE: I got an e-mail from someone saying that from their knowledge Howard is just as supportave of the U.S., as well as wanting to privatize British healthcare. So I really am backing Howard (and the Conservatives) 100% here.

Posted by Ryan S. at 10:52 PM | Permalink | |

Check it out. This is definately a step in the right direction for the Bush Administration, which otherwise leaves me unimpressed on immigration.

Posted by Ryan S. at 6:35 PM | Permalink | |

Was home during last week for spring break, and took a break from blogging as well. Now...


and

Both Mayor John Street of Philadelphia, and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan are sort-of involved in scandal, and both deny that they knew that close relatives (brother and son, respectively), were involved in said scandals. Both the City and the UN are poorly one, and neither one can handle a crisis whether it be a snowstorm or genocide.

Posted by Ryan S. at 5:10 AM | Permalink | |