Michelle McIntyre for State Committee Woman--Snohomish Co.
Because we need party reform "From the Roots Up". Michelle is the author of "A Contract with Grassroots Republicans" which is gaining the support of grassroots Republicans around the state of Washington. About Michelle McIntyre Michelle lives in Everett with her husband Perry McIntyre and their 7 yr. old daughter, Alice, who is homeschooled by her parents. The McIntyre family is active at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Conservative Grassroots Activism Though raised by a staunch Democrat family,... [read more]

Scandals and mobius-bands.
The MSM now is on full-alert regarding the controversy about the RNC and the 'Barack the Magic Negro' parody from the Rush Limbaugh show. It even made the top-of-the-hour ABC radio news, which in 5 minutes (minus three minutes of ads) only covers the huge stories. For those who don't know, the song was a take-off of an LA Times column by David Ehrenstein entitled 'Obama the Magic Negro.' An RNC bigwig distributed copies of a CD containing the parody... [read more]

12 Days of Global Warming
Just in time for Christmas, Minnesotans for Global Warming brings us the 12 Days of Global Warming. Enjoy. Update: Here's another from Bethany Cole. If you don't understand some of the references, you might want to start reading Anthony Watts' excellent blog WattsUpWithThat or Joe D'Aleo's other excellent blog ICECAP. These are the two top blogs for all of the science and information you need that disproves the Anthropogenic Global Warming theory. These guys post facts, while James Hansen and... [read more]

Merry Christmas from Leaning Straight Up
I was going to pen a much more detailed, thoughtful expose on why Christmas is important, but I will instead steal a page from Sister Toldjah's book, and like her, repost this classic explanation: Her personal wishes capture perfectly what I have been feeling this year also: I was going to write a big fancy message tonight for Christmas, but I think that video says it best. Wherever you are tonight, say thanks for your blessings, whether they be big... [read more]

Mark Felt dead at 95--should 'gate' die also?
Former FBI deputy associate director Mark Felt died Thursday. He was 'Deep Throat,' the key source for Bob Woodward's reporting on the Watergate scandal. For those younger readers who don't know, the Watergate complex at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW in DC is an upscale hotel and condo development. The DNC had offices there in 1972. Bob Dole still lives there, along with doubtless many other DC luminaries. Anyway, ever since the Watergate scandal, reporters have been appending 'gate' to any... [read more]

Is it BizCzar or is it Bisarre?
Is it strange that now we have elected the most liberal President in the history of the republic of the United States, we are now talking about heads of Departments as Czars? In my 30 year old recollection of the Russian language, Tsar and Czar are spelled and pronounced the same. The alphabetic symbol is never shown in English and therefore we have the Ts and Cz prefixes. And wasn't it the Czars that led to the Bolshevik revolutions and... [read more]

SP archives: Jan. 23-27, 2008 thread on pros and cons of possible McCain candidacy
In considering this current discussion, it is instructive to look at a previous extensive discussion on the same topic. Back on January 23, 2008, there was a post by Eric Earling entitled "A Note on Polls & Electability," leading to a thread with 141 comments over a five-day period. At the time, it was just beginning to look like McCain was likely to emerge as the GOP presidential candidate. The post and 141 comments - in the Sound Politics archives... [read more]

Tunnel Vision
Have you noticed there are no Republicans involved in the Alaskan Way Viaduct discussion? The Real Republicans cheer because there will be no Republicans to blame when the project goes monstrously over budget. If Republicans had any say we could have asked the larger question: when most cars are just passing through, why route them along the waterfront? Who dictated that the waterfront route be the only solution - was it the "Lesser Seattle" crowd? Are they the same folks... [read more]

Seattle Corners the Market on Homeless Hypocrisy
No matter what a person's personal feelings may be on homelessness - its causes, its effects, what our public policies should be with regard to - at this time of year a sense of decency overcomes the coldest perspective. Even those of us who see homelessness, in the big picture, as a social ill that inhabits the individual, not an individual for whom an ill society has failed, even our hearts thaw paradoxically when the temperatures drop below freezing. The... [read more]

This is Dam Funny
I received this via email, so I can not say if this is 100% true or not, but it would not surprise me to find out that it is: This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania . This guy's response is hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter. State of... [read more]

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels plans to ban your Guns
Mayor Greg Nickels plans to ban your Guns With no regard for your right to self-defense And In defiance of state law Your Attendance is Critical! Let your voice be heard NOW! On December 15, 2008 a public hearing will be held in the Bertha Knight Landes room at Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, with sign-in beginning at 5:30 p.m. This ban will infringe on your right to carry in these areas: • All city owned property •... [read more]

The difference between lawyers in India and lawyers in the US....They get it
I saw this article on Foxnews.com. It talks about the increased security measures and so on, but what really caught my eye was this: Kasab, who was wounded and captured by police in the first hours of the Nov. 26 attack, has been repeatedly interrogated by authorities and reportedly offered key details about the planning of the assault and those responsible for it. Many lawyers across the city, horrified by the attacks, have said they would not represent Kasab. On... [read more]

How To Win Votes & Influence People
If Republicans want to make any headway at the polls they need to be inclusive. Many times I have heard Party leaders claim that we are the Big Tent Party but I see little real evidence to support that claim. Perhaps by Big Tent Party they mean different categories of conservative, but again I don't see the evidence. I count three categories of conservative, Fiscal, Political and Social. Aficionados subdivide the categories further. It's fun to play with the combinations.... [read more]

Mistaken Distractions Conservatives Must Avoid
The task before conservatives is: (1) to stick to our principles, (2) to consistently and vigorously oppose the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda, (3) to pick our fights with careful prioritization, and (4) to use skillful diplomacy and tactics in advancing conservative policies to decrease the size of government, stop illegal immigration, protect the sanctity of human life, and promote a strong national defense. The above task is urgent and crucial. It's simple to express, but difficult and complex to implement. That's why... [read more]

Leadership to fill the void?
A nod to Cato for the following excerpt of a comment in response to one of Eric's posts. Locally there's a real vacuum in the GOP Leadership...there are not enough conservatives in the Legislature to effectively do anything. GOP is this state once had a power sharing deal because they had an equal number of seats, now they're regulated to the back bench. The GOP won exactly one statewide election this year (and Rob McKenna is more of a RINO... [read more]

Show the troops the support they deserve
It is holiday time and it is not too late to send a little something to the troops. Many soldiers deployed won't receive any greeting cards or presents this year, some because their family doesn't have the money and some because they don't have family. You can help make a soldier feel remembered this Christmas. Browse over to www.LetsSayThanks.com. You pick out a card that a child drew, you pick out the greeting that will be on it and you... [read more]

Republican Study Committee
Someone turned me on to this yesterday. It's hardcore Republicanism -- no M.O.R. stuff and no nutters -- just the basic Conservative principles of society and fiscal responsibility. http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/ I haven't digested it all myself, but it's refreshing to read a more decisive approach!... [read more]

Louisiana- Fertile Ground for Republicans?
Just a few typical musings but is Louisiana become a fertile ground for Republicans? And, if so, why? The latest is the election of http://hotair.com/archives/2008/12/07/louisiana-boots-william-cold-cash-jefferson/ to take over the William "Freezer" Jefferson in the 2nd District. Jefferson should have been defeated in '06 when his scandal regarding payoffs and the cash in his freezer, but he won. So, this time against Cao- a Vietnamese-American, he lost. Add to that Bobby Jindal and you begin to wonder why the switches after... [read more]

A Story From Iraq
I received an email from a friend and co-worker who is stationed at one of the smaller outlying FOB's (Forward Operating Base)in the North about something that happened out there that is, in my opinion, newsworthy. Some local Iraqi's shot a boar in town. Now normally when a boar is shot the carcass is just discarded as rubbish due to religious belief about pork products. Sometimes these carcasses end up the hiding spot for IED's. Neither of these things happened... [read more]

Common Sense Descends Upon Amsterdam
In a shockingly logical response to the prevalence of organized crime in the industries supporting gambling, prostitution and drug sales, the city of Amsterdam has introduced plans to close many of the establishments that presently peddle those wares. The plans announced are a step even further than those already underway to close many of the city's world-famous brothels and cafes in an effort to confront Amsterdam's use as a haven for money-laundering operations used by criminal enterprises.As quoted in a... [read more]

The Only Thing Swinging At (or Near) Seattle's Safeco Field Should Be Mariners' Bats
If the decision of Seattle city planner Andrew McKim stands, the city of Seattle could have its newest strip club placed within tobacco-spitting distance of the field used by the city's major league baseball franchise. Read what the Seattle P-I had to say on December 3rd here.The owner of the Pike Place-area Deja Vu club, Roger Forbes, applied for a permit to locate another one of his establishments at a location on First Avenue South that is only 400 feet... [read more]

Russia and Iran Running Hand-in-Hand to the Finish Line
How bad does something right under our nose have to stink before we take notice?Israel's DebkaFile is reporting that, according to Russian and Iranian sources, Atomstroiexport - a Russian firm that has previously been confirmed as the operator of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant - will be putting the plans for completion into high gear with a projected completion mid-2009.From the DebkaFile article:Sergei Kiriyenko, director of the Russian company, visited Tehran on Nov. 27 to tie up the final stage... [read more]

Speaker Pelosi's Regime, Combined with 'Kitchen Sink' Proposals, Will Extend Detroit's Decline
Maybe in all of the bluster and fluster surrounding the pleading - nay, begging - from the chief executives of America's automotive manufacturing firms the quid pro quo being proffered will seem reasonable. After all, the symbolism of discarding corporate jets and forgoing high salaries seems like a step in the right direction. But symbols are just that, and they masquerade as a panacea, obscuring the need for real organizational reform that must be undertaken to save America's automotive industry.It... [read more]

Gregoire's and McKenna's Weenie Response to Nativity Display
The press release issued by Governor Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna concerning the anti Christian hate poster allowed in the capital rotunda is a pitiful and misleading attempt to place the blame elsewhere... "Last year, after a federal lawsuit was filed against the state of Washington by the Alliance Defense Fund, the state's Department of General Administration set forth a policy allowing individuals or groups to sponsor a display regardless of that individual's or group's views." They would have... [read more]

Did Obama Even Want a Filibuster-proof Senate?
For the past week or so, I have been pondering if Obama even wanted a filibuster-proof Senate? Why else would he have ignored the Chambliss-Martin runoff in Georgia? First, to get reelected, Obama will need to govern from the center or center-left of the mainstream American. With a filitbuster-proof Senate, the likes of Reid, Pelsoi and Company will be able to push a liberal and left of left agenda without Obama. Without the filibuster-proof Senate, they have to work with... [read more]

Section 9: Save the Whales (Big 3 Automakers)
Many Republicans (especially apartment owners) will agree: Section 8 is one of the most successful and best public welfare programs invented. Not only does it get the working poor off the streets and into safe housing, but it spurs investment and keeps builders going. I now propose Section 9: Government should step in to help the poor buy new private automobiles. The reasons are many. Just like a residence, a car is one of the first steps on the road... [read more]

Will the Obama Birth Certificate Story Ever Die?
It seems that speculation about the authenticity of President-elect Obama's birth certificate will regain a little steam lost since Election Day. This time, a new analysis of the document that the Obama campaign asserts if authentic claims evidence that the document is fake, at least in the opinion of someone working under the pseudonym of Dr. Ron Polarik, as reported by WorldNetDaily. The video embedded in this post contains "Dr." Polarik's conclusion and analysis. Take it with a shaker... [read more]

Obama will govern from the left
Some pundits - among them Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard and David Brooks of the New York Times - are already writing to the effect that Obama will likely govern from the center. They point to supposedly moderate or centrist cabinet appointments, and to some grumbling and disappointment on the far left. Let's not give credit where none is due. It is wishful thinking - unnecessary and counterproductive - for conservatives and Republicans to believe that Obama will govern... [read more]

So much for Washington State's Hiring Freeze
If you would like to see how serious Washington State is about their so called "Hiring Freeze" here's a great option to watch: Sign up for emails of all the NEW positions at: http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?SL1=WASTATE-JOBS&H=LISTSERV.WA.GOV Where you will be emailed (I recieved 21 today alone) state jobs. I thought I remembered something about a State Hiring Freeze................. [read more]

Arlington National Cemetery
Below is from an email a very good friend of mine sent me. If you have never been to Arlington National Cemetery you are missing out on one of our nations most moving historical sites you can see. My wife and I had gone to DC on a site seeing trip and took our three year old son and two year old son to see the Tomb of the Unknown. Even after the many hours of travel (we were stationed... [read more]