CPAC 2010

We all need to recharge our batteries sometimes.  In a society of grotesquely obese  government and citizens who rarely pay attention to what is really happening, it is easy to become weary.  The liberty movement is beginning to see successes, but they are slow to come.  It is easy to get depressed or want to give up.  It’s important to reconnect with those share your beliefs, in order to keep the faith.  The torch of freedom won’t be carried by only one or two people, but a generation of individuals determined to right the wrongs of the past several generations.  The burden is heavy and the job immense.  Few times in our history has so much been asked of a young generation.  If we don’t carry this burden and successfully return our nation to its founding principles, we risk losing all that these United States were formed to protect.  No one can face this immense challenge sanely without the camaraderie of like-minded souls who share your passion, drive, intelligence, and vigor.

This past week I attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as a volunteer for Campaign for Liberty.  CPAC is traditionally a neo-conservative conference.  It is geared toward people who believe in individual liberty for those who subscribe to their moral and religious code.  God-given unalienable human rights do not apply to those who do not fit their mold.  They subscribe to a principle of aggression, desiring to force the world to emulate them with bombs, drones, and tanks.  It’s not exactly a utopian environment for me.  However, Campaign for Liberty reminded us that many of us were once neo-conservatives.  Someone opened our eyes to the concept that war is not pro-life and it is not prerogative of these United States to coerce any sovereign nation to be a democracy, republic, or any other form of government.  Using government to further religious or moral causes is dangerous ground, as the ideals forced upon us in the future may not be what we like.  Let each person choose religion and morality for himself.  Awakening happens over time, requiring gentle, but consistent education.  Campaign for Liberty worked to educate and awaken the neo-conservatives at CPAC, along with providing education for the liberty movement and the opportunity for weary warriors to recover and connect.

I’m amazed at how exhausted recharging makes me.  During the day, I attended a mix of events.  Some were big government politicians claiming to be small government Republicans.  Their speeches were merely pep rallies with occasional talking points with almost no substance.  Speaker after speaker joked about Obama’s teleprompter while unfolding wrinkled notes from a coat pocket.  What does one learn from the over-told joke?  Conservatives can’t use technology as well as liberals.   The worst part is that they think that is good.  Speeches were light on principle and philosophy, and heavy on name-calling and empty talking points.  However, the Campaign for Liberty sponsored events dug deeper.  One sessions analyzed the actions of Abraham Lincoln and the repercussions we still feel today.  We learned about economics, nullification, and Constitutional authority.

My volunteer activities were just as diverse.  I manned the video camera of two events and was a bartender for the Bloggers and New Media Meet and Greet.  I also joined a group of activists for a photo-op on the Hill with Dudley Brown of the National Association of Gun Rights for a petition drop.

The social time filled the evenings and went into the wee hours of the morning, with bedtime somewhere between 3:30a.m. and 6:30 a.m. each “night.”  The recurring statement was “I LOVE being around like-minded people!”  How often do you have the chance to socialize with intelligent and diverse people who share your passion for saving liberty?  Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and Ladies of Liberty Alliance (LOLA) both hosted happy hours at local bars.  The C4L volunteers gathered the first evening to get to know each other at the CPAC Underground.  And the last night we celebrated Ron Paul winning the CPAC poll.  Between drinks and dancing, we debated politics, groaned about our work ahead, and celebrated each others’ successes.  We shared information on how we were successful at campaigns, legislation, and growing the movement.  It was invigorating.  Of course, you don’t spend 21 waking hours a day with the same people and leave friendless.   We’re all plotting which conference we’ll be at next time, and how to coordinate lodging and transportation.  And perhaps a 12 step program for those who find themselves at every single conference.

If you’ve never gone to a liberty oriented political conference, look into it.  Campaign for Liberty puts on top-notch events.  Go as a volunteer, and you’ll save money and help in the liberty movement.  In 2009, FreedomFest and Campaign for Liberty had their events together.  I have heard that Freedom 21 is a good educational conference.  Ask around and find one.  Even if you go alone, as I did, you’ll find friends quickly.  See you at the next conference!

No Spot for Kay Bailey Hutchison

There’s a sentence I hear sometimes that makes my head spin and smoke rise from ears.  “A vote for Medina is a vote for Hutchison.”   The people chanting this mantra must know something about our electronic voting machines.  They should go public with this scandalous information.  A switch-a-roo like that should be exposed and people should go to jail.   Seriously.

The reality is that Kay Bailey Hutchison is a sinking ship and Medina is a rising star.  The only thing a vote for Medina will do is sink Hutchison even more, and bring Texas back to where it should be – leading our nation by example.

Texans don’t trust Hutchison.  She hasn’t left the Senate as promised.  The continual postponements make voters wonder if she’ll really keep her word.  Steve Odgen promised he wouldn’t run again, yet he is.  Politicians lie all the time, and Texans expect Hutchison will lie too.  Texas Republicans are a devout bunch.  Abortion is at the forefront for many voters, yet Kay isn’t always on the side of life.  Or states’ rights for that matter.  Instead of being forthright about her views, she gives muddy answers like Bill Clinton responding to the Monica Lewinsky sex allegations.  These encounters only increase her negative  image as an entrenched politician.  And then there’s her record.  Bailout votes, ignoring constituents, 94% on the side of life (to quote her from the Belo Debate).  People aren’t all that impressed.  We’re left wondering why she’s leaving her cushy Senate job.  Is there something we don’t know yet?

Of course, Perry is no better.  He can’t decide if stimulus money is good or bad.  One day he’s against federal dollars.  The next day he’s digging into the federal money pile along side General Motors and California.   Rick Perry claims the Trans Texas Corridor is dead; however, it’s alive under other names.  TxDOT still has the authority to build roads at taxpayer’s expense and then sell them to private companies who will charge you tolls to use the roads you paid for.  That’s called a double tax.  Slick, eh?  The state’s debt has tripled under Perry’s reign, but he likes to tell everyone Texas is doing well.  Those of us in the real world know that when our credit card debt triples, we’re in big trouble.  We usually consider selling the house, not adding on to it.

Debra Medina is angelic next to Rick and Kay.  Debra Medina works for a living.  How long has it been since Hutchison or Perry has held a real job…besides trying to run your life?  Medina recognizes that family comes first and the government needs to get out of the way.  She educated her children herself, so she knows what Texas needs to educate it’s children.  Medina knows that the criminals won’t register their guns or follow unconstitutional gun restrictions.  An armed citizenry is a safe citizenry.  And let’s be honest.  Our founding fathers knew the worst thugs would be in government.  When government seeks to disarm it’s citizens, even under the guise of safety, BEWARE!  Medina understands this, and will fight to ensure that your right to bear arms shall not be infridged.  Medina’s border plan is what the grassroots has begged for.  Texas Guard Troops at the border, eliminate social services for illegal immigrants, and withdraw from unconstitutional treaties that harm the Texas economy.  Trade isn’t “free” if there are strings attached.

Based on recent polls of Republican Primary Voters, Medina is statistically tied with Hutchison.  These polling companies interview people who have voted in recent Republican Primaries.  These are the committed Republicans.  You know, the people who actually know what a Primary is and how it differs from a General Election or a Run-Off.  Unfortunately these polls do not capture even a small snapshot of the current political landscape, the revolution that is brewing.  We only need to look to Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts Senate seat or the NY23 fiasco to realize that there is a powerful force moving through our nation.  That force is the angry voter.  They are Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, and occasionally Democrats.  They haven’t voted in primaries in years, if ever, so they aren’t appearing on the political radar until it is too late.  These angry voters are tired of entrenched politicians and their ilk.  And when it comes to the Texas Gubernatorial Race, there is only one candidate who is not an entrenched, establishment politician owned by corporate lobbies and special interests.  From Indepent Texans to 9/12 groups to Tea Parties, these cabals of angry voters are flocking to Debra Medina.  And no one is polling them.

I will not be surprised if Medina wins outright on March 2.  If these new Primary voters show up in force as they are expected to, the Republican establish will be shaken.  At a bare minimum, I expect we’ll see Debra Medina in the runoff and not Kay Bailey Hutchison.