It remains fashionable these days for Republicans to cloak themselves in the legacy of Ronald Reagan, especially those who served in Washington during the 1980s. Thad Cochran and his supporters have already tried to remind the people of Mississippi of his steadfast conservatism. But don’t be fooled. Thad Cochran was no soldier in Reagan’s army. Continue reading “Thad Cochran Is No Reagan Conservative”
With less than four months until the primary election for US Senate in Mississippi, the political season is now in full swing. And like clockwork, the long-anticipated attacks against Senator Chris McDaniel by allies of the Thad Cochran camp have begun in earnest, and sadly, in dishonestly, if not downright hilarity.
Finding themselves in what must be an increasingly desperate situation, Senator Cochran and his well-funded surrogates and friends have initiated a campaign of low blows. This operation of deceit is nothing more than the establishment of the Republican Party, both on the national and state level, rallying around a weakened leader in a desperate attempt to make him look good by tearing down his opponent. Continue reading “Thad Cochran Showing Early Signs of Desperation”
Webster’s dictionary defines leadership this way: “The power or ability to lead other people.” A business dictionary defines it as “establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision.” Can we honestly say this describes Thad Cochran’s time in Washington over the last four decades? Many conservatives think not. Continue reading “Thad Cochran’s False Leadership”
With the US Senate race in full swing throughout the state of Mississippi, new charges have emerged from supporters of Thad Cochran in a pathetic and desperate attempt to paint Chris McDaniel as an untrustworthy politician in regards to his fiscal record as a member of the state senate and to attack his “misguided criticism of Cochran’s service to Mississippi,” in the recent words of Mr. Brian Perry in the Leader Call. Mr. Geoff Pender of the Clarion Ledger has also made similar arguments to attempt to discredit Senator McDaniel’s record of fiscal conservatism.
To begin with, Mr. Perry and Mr. Pender engaged in a classic political trick: cherry-picking votes. They took one vote Senator McDaniel made in 2009 in favor of an $282 million omnibus spending bill to make their case that he is not as fiscally conservative as he claims and that he is, in essence, no different than his opponent, Thad Cochran. Their inference is that Senator McDaniel is a fiscal hypocrite willing to support pork and wasteful spending when it suits him, while attacking Cochran for doing likewise. Yet it is nothing more than political blather suited for the ash heap. Continue reading “Chris McDaniel: Mr. Fiscal Conservative”
Was JFK a great President? As the nation marked the 50th anniversary of Jack Kennedy’s tragic assassination, new polling shows that many Americans consider him to be among our very best, ranking higher than any President in the last half century according to the latest Gallup survey. Two years ago, he rated fourth all time, ahead of such Presidents as Washington and Jefferson. But is this accurate?
As a historian, it makes little sense to rank a President who served just over one thousand days in office, rather than a full term or even two. It’s very difficult to judge his more limited accomplishments and what effect they had on the nation and even the world. Continue reading “Ranking President Kennedy”
In a recent post I exposed Thad’s Cochran’s horrific fiscal record, a legacy of taxing and spending worthy of any good liberal, but sadly that’s not the only flaw he possesses. His career does not reflect true conservative principles in the areas of national defense, the culture wars, active government, and the environment.
It simply cannot be said that Thad Cochran is supportive of all efforts to maintain a strong national defense and protect our borders. In 1982 he voted for amnesty for illegals, and in 2005 against a small increase in funds for tighter border security. Senator Cochran voted to cut $80 million from the Titan missile program in 1982 and voted against increases in the MX missile system and the new Midgetman missiles that President Reagan wanted as part of his defense buildup. Continue reading “Thad Cochran’s Flaws Not Just Fiscal”
Recent political events, particularly with the Senate immigration bill, have only confirmed to me that its long past time we quit playing games and started fighting back against the Left. Richard Nixon coined the phrase in the 1952 presidential race as Ike’s running mate, telling the party it was time for a “rockin, sockin campaign.” Nixon has always been known as a fighter in politics. He fought his opponents and fought them hard. By doing so, he was successful in almost all of his races.
He smashed Jerry Voorhis in his 1946 campaign for Congress and, even though he faced a woman in his 1950 race for the US Senate, he never took his foot off the gas to expose Helen Gahagan Douglas for being a communist sympathizer. “She’s pink right down to her underwear,” Nixon thundered on the stump. And, truth is, she was, which is why John F. Kennedy secretly donated money to Nixon’s campaign, rather than support his fellow Democrat.
Yet Nixon’s one major slipup was in the 1960 presidential election, when he took the advice of a weak-kneed consultant and backed off Kennedy in their famous televised debates, so as not to seem like a bully. It cost him the presidency that year, just as it did for Mitt Romney last November. They played it safe, as did McCain in 2008, and all three met the same fate. Continue reading “It’s Time for “Rockin’, Sockin’” Politics”
The recent moves by the establishment Republican Party are enough to give any true conservative a major case of heartburn, if not feelings of outright disgust, contempt, and abandonment. The GOP seems poised to continue on its well-worn path of political cowardice, backing down at every turn each time Democrats raise a controversial issue.
Now it seems that the new issue is gay marriage and the Republican Party seems over-eager to have that volatile question off the table for 2014 and 2016, and every election after that. Establishment hacks have indicated that the next Republican nominee for President might support gay marriage, much to the chagrin of traditional rank and file conservatives. Continue reading “Time for a GOP Knock-Down Drag-Out”
“Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” So said Plato, some 400 years before the birth of Christ. It is wisdom we should pay close attention to, for it seems that the latest mass shooting in Connecticut will lead to a major federal gun grab.
A new proposal initiated by Senator Dianne Feinstein will be the most wide-ranging gun ban in American history. It will outlaw 120 types of weapons, including some handguns, and will require gun owners to be fingerprinted and their guns registered with the ATF. The feds will also be able to determine who can have guns and who can’t, a “no buy” list similar to the TSA’s “no fly” list. Private gun sales between individuals and a ban on gun shows are also in the works. Continue reading “The Problem with Gun Control”
During his tenure as president, George Washington visited the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When asked if he would call upon the new chief executive, Governor John Hancock is reputed to have said, “I am the highest ranking public official in the state and he should call on me.” The humble Washington did so.
Today, every time a president visits a state, we are treated to the pathetic scene of the governor and various state and local public officials waiting on the tarmac for the “King” to emerge from his state-of-the-art aircraft. Sadly, the states have willingly become subservient provinces. This is not they way it was intended to be. Continue reading “It’s Time for the States to Strike Back”
Ryan S. Walters 