Today is the anniversary of the day that Rosa Parks made waves in Montgomery Alabama in 1955 by refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. What Rosa did that day sparked a movement resulting from pressure that had been [...]
George Monbiot, who is likely the biggest global warming propagandist in the press today, looks at the Global Warming emails that have been the topic of so much discussion lately and admits:
It’s no use pretending this isn’t a major blow. The [...]
Nine months ago, Congress passed and President Obama signed an economic stimulus package totalling $1.8 trillion. Hastily designed and implemented, the legislation was highly criticized because it was virtually impossible for anyone to have actually read the bill (much less understand it) prior to implementation. [...]
Today will be the third (and final) week sitting in for Tim Albrecht at The Bean Walker Live on Des Moines Local Live/Mac’s World Live. I have a number of interesting topics to share today, including the news about the possible Democratic opponent to Chuck Grassley, [...]
Update! The first hour of today’s show will also include discussion about today’s surprise announcement of Jeff Boeyink joining the Iowa’s Terry Branstad for Governor campaign! Don’t miss it!
This week, once again, I will be hosting the internet rafio show The Bean Walker Live at Des [...]
Update! Link to podcast of today’s show!
Last Tuesday (September 29), I hosted the second half of Tim Albrecht’s program “The Bean Walker Live!” on Des Moines Local Live, and today begins 3 weeks of hosting the program in full while Tim concentrates on getting [...]
We’ve had a number of great opportunities to interact with our Congressmen in townhalls, the President speaking anytime he gets within 50 feet of a camera, and Kathleen Sebelius criticizing a reporter for not sneezing into his elbow. What’s really interesting is that none of [...]
Term limits have lately become a popular topic of conversation. When a lot of folks start getting fed up with what’s happening in Washington, term limits are sometimes becomes strategy #1 for solving the problem. But it’s like the idea of a flat tax [...]
The Des Moines Register, one of the two printed dailies that I read, has done some work to revamp the Politics section of their web site. As part of that effort, they have added “Featured Political Bloggers”, providing perspectives from the Right, the Left, and [...]
It was eight years ago today, as many days into George W. Bush’s Presidency then as we are now in Barack Obama’s, that we were viciously attached by an enemy that seeks only to terrorize and devastate us. They have less honor than the Japanese ever [...]
Hidden among the flurry of activity of the last few weeks is the Congressional Budget Office estimate that future deficits will be a cumulative whopping $9 trillion. The number itself is almost staggering; astounding; outrageous.
The same day this figure was announced, President Obama announced that he is renominating Ben Bernanke [...]
There has been a lot of discussion about the President’s speech to school children scheduled for today at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time. Some school districts have decided to not make time for the speech, other giving parents the opportunity to keep their [...]
Many of you went the distance and participated in Town Hall events during the Congressional August Break. We are very anxious to hear about your experiences and feedback that you have about the events, Congressmen’s positions, etc. Obviously, Health Care Reform has been the predominate topic, [...]
By all accounts, the cash for clunkers program has been a huge success. Never mind the fact that auto dealerships want nothing to do with the bureaucratic red tape and if at all possible will steer a customer toward conventional financing. The fact of the matter [...]
I was reading a book yesterday by John Maxwell called “Developing the Leaders Around You” (1995, Injoy, Inc.) On page 161, Rev. Maxwell describes the difference between dictators and “dream team coaches”, or “facilitators”. In Maxwell’s words:
Dictators
Facilitators
Hoard decisions. Push decisions down the line. Make decisions alone or restrict them to an elite [...]One of the more interesting developments surrounding the “health care” debate is the incredible inability of the left to read, understand and consider the mood of the general electorate. The town hall meetings being held across the country embody the nation’s mood more than anything that’s happened in years, perhaps [...]
There is a continuing theme in Congress and many of our State Legislatures that what’s good for goose, is only good for the goose.
Take a gander. Yes, you read that right. Congressmen can fly around in private jets, and can even buy brand-spanking [...]
The events of the last couple of weeks surrounding our nation’s capitol in general, and the White House specifically, have been fun to watch. It has been my assertion that President Obama, despite his polished rhetoric, is in over his head, and, if given enough time, will prove it. We’re [...]
So, this morning comes a note from “Think Progress”…. a website which contributes to neither thought, nor progress…
The article whines about a report from The Politico. Says the amazingly accurately initialed TP:
This morning, Politico reported that Democratic members of Congress are increasingly being harassed by “angry, sign-carrying mobs [...]
(Originally posted on The Conservative Reader: Iowa) If you don’t already know, we are thoroughly Pro Life here at the The Conservative Reader. From the moment of conception, the rights of every American should extend to even those that are still in the womb, despite [...]
Tom Harkin, Senator from Iowa, proclaimed Wednesday that Congress can proceed and pass Health Care Reform without the help of Republicans, or rather, despite Republican opposition.
While a more detailed examination of the bill that passed its first major hurdle in the Senate Health, Education, [...]
She’s not wasting time. With just under two weeks left before Alaska Governor Sarah Palin gives the reigns over to her Lt. Governor, Sean Parnell, we see the gloves come off regarding President Obama’s cap and trade tax energy plan. She writes in [...]
Ah, Vermont–”The Anything Goes State”. I know it used to be known as “The Green Mountain State”, but its new moniker is much more appropriate. I saw this article a couple of weeks ago in The Wall Street Journal and forgot to comment. Apparently, according to the [...]
Last week I opined that our Rookie President and his administration were in over their heads–that basically they were, in effect, clueless. Last week end President Obama apparently agreed with me, suggesting that distributing the alleged stimulus was not as effective as he had originally projected and there was a significant [...]
As disappointed as I was about the outcome of the last general election, I thought I’d take a few months off from writing and spend it observing this new global (dare I say, Intergalactic?) phenomenon that is our new President. Today is July 6, [...]
Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, the men of the Second Continental Congress made a bold gesture as they sought to uncleave themselves from their ties with Great Britain. A gesture intended to convey that they were serious about the war that was already raging on [...]
As goes Energy, so goes the country.
“The worse, the better,” Vladimir Lenin is said to have observed. What Lenin meant was that the worse social conditions became in Russia, the more likely he and the Bolsheviks could foment a communist revolution. President Barrack Obama’s White House [...]
As you probably already know, the US House of Representatives approved the Cap and Trade bill last Friday (HR2454). I’m still reeling over that.
Although I am disappointed that so many Representatives in Congress voted for this blatent tax, I’m not surprised. I’m never surprised [...]
I’m saddened, frustrated , and absolutely disappointed. The story of Mark Sanford was a roller coaster that dumped me off a cliff at the end. Allow me to take you through this sequentially.
I’ve spent the past 36 hours dramatically changing my thoughts about how I might [...]
Today many are wearing green to show visible support for those in Iran who are protesting the apparently stolen election. Our web site is normally white and red… we’ve put on green today to stand by those who treasure liberty.
It is interesting to note that [...]
There’s much to discuss in terms of implication, as regards the shooting of abortionist George Tiller, none of them particularly complimentary to those claiming to take up Tiller’s side.
Even from the outset, my instinct was that the reaction to the Tiller story was overblown… intentionally so. Whatever else might be [...]
For those of you who are paying attention to the headlines, General Motors is officially filing for bankruptcy protection, but the kind that only you and I could dream of being provided (could be a nightmare). The US government is going to become a 60% owner [...]
Have you ever been to Arlington ?
It’s a place like very few others on the planet. It’s true enough; the world would be a better place if places such as Arlington weren’t required to be a part of it, but man is fallible. Our freedoms that [...]
Arthur Brooks, at The Wall Street Journal suggests that there’s a bit of a culture war going on about the future of capitalism. The headline suggests that “The Real Culture War Is Over Capitalism “
There is a major cultural schism developing in America. But it’s [...]
I am disturbed, but not surprised by some of the comments made by Barrack Obama as regards the role of a Justice of the Supreme Court and thereby, what we will get in the replacement for Justice David Souter, who is retiring, next month. Those comments [...]
To begin with, let’s get a snip of this morning’s op-ed up on National Review:
Arlen Specter belongs to a type familiar to Congress: the time-serving hack devoid of any principle save arrogance. He has spent three decades in the Senate but is associated with no great [...]
I attended the event this evening and while George did not make any comments that sounded like “Hey, I want to be your next President”, this was definitely seemed like a pre-exploratory event. He had some great comments about the current state of affairs, and took [...]
This is good. It’s less than 3 minutes, the winner of a contest put on by The Fairtax folks, and makes the point about the importance of the Fairtax and the distinct value of American Capitalism. Watch it.
So, how much credit does Barrack Obama deserve for the rescue of Captain Phillips? The efforts of Obama and his supporters to claim Obama was the reason behind this rescue, Black Five says… Not so fast.
The AP is reporting that President Obama gave the [...]
Who is Christ? The Son of God the Everlasting Father. He is fully Man and fully God! He is unique in His Being, His Glory, His Sacrifice, His Love, His Grace, His Power, His Eternal Presence! He died so that we could have eternal life!
We know [...]
July 4. 1776: British Colonies In America Declare Independence
August 12, 1861: Southern Rebels Attack Fort Sumter
December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks US at Pearl Harbor
September 11, 2001: Terrorists Fly Jets Into World Trade Center
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Listed above are some of the key events in the [...]
During Obama’s G20 World Tour (did you buy the t-shirt?) this week, we were witness to several disturbing actions and statements on the part of the President. Two that come to mind are his bowing lowly before the King of Saudi Arabia (see the photo - [...]
Just when you thought it wouldn’t get worse, it does. A pair of bills (Sen 773 & 778) have been introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (W-WV) that would be a part what’s being called the “Cybersecurity Act of 2009″. These bills would grant the White House sweeping new [...]
James Joyner at OTB, this morning brings news abot the latest action of Eric Holder’s Justice Dept:
Attorney General Eric Holder has dropped the case against Ted Stevens, NPR’s Nina Toalatenberg reports.
A jury convicted Stevens last fall of [...]
Democrats are starting to become more audacious where they hold sway. In your state, they have probably already tried:
Giving in to Unions with Prevailing Wage and Fair Share Giving in to Populist attempts to circumvent the Constitution Giving in to attempts to minimize the value of the family by elevating [...]
A friend of mine at work shared an interesting story. A few weeks back we had discussed gun ownership. I purchased a handgun about a year ago, and he was thinking about buying one. I told him it went pretty smoothly for me… I went to [...]
Somehow, I managed to stay awake for last night’s Presidential press conference. Say what you will about President Obama’s communication skills–and they are considerable–he is no macro economist.
Which is a shame, because he has access to two of the brightest macro-economists of our generation: Ben Bernanke [...]
Like everyone else in America, I’ve been watching the AIG saga unfold with eager anticipation. At first, I was in the “too big to fail” camp. The sheer size of AIG, added to the complexity of its product offerings and coupled with the magnitude of its global positioning, suggested to me [...]
Next to the Holy Bible, the US Constitution is probably the most important document you will ever come in contact with. Some may argue whether the Bible actually takes precedence, but that’s a discussion for another time.
But few would debate that that, in a world where [...]
Effective immediately, you can follow The Conservative Reader on Twitter. Go to: [twitter.com], and click “Follow”. If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you’ll need to open one first.
[...]A friend of mine (John Bloom) shared a “letter to the editor” that his brother (William S Bloom) wrote to the Quad City Times. For those of you that are outside Iowa and Illinois, the Quad Cities are Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island [...]
As we continue our inexorable national slide into socialism, as our freedoms begin to slowly, but surely, be taken away, I have made the following observations (while I still can).
President Obama promised the following during the 2008 Presidential campaign:
Fiscal responsibility/no new earmarks. Apparently someone has forgotten to tell him about the [...]
On the morning of February 17th,I was standing in line getting coffee at the little cafeteria at my day gig. Behind me were two guys that had obviously been in heated discussion for some time. I don’t know either of them. I can’t vouch for the [...]
Some like to use the Court System. Some like to use creative Congressional Legislation. Some even like to use Executive Orders.
Others seek a coalition of states to enact laws to just circumvent the Constitutional system.
Today we look at a bill before the Iowa General Assembly [...]
I found this article today on RealClearMarkets.com, but Caroline Baum. It bears reading in its entirety. Here’s the link:
Someday, Chairman Frank will be exposed for the creep he clearly is.
[...]I caught bits and pieces of the press conference held by President Obama last night and I heard the subsequent reviews. My analysis suggests that our national media threw President Obama a bunch of softballs. President Bush would have held a lot more press conferences if [...]
Bruce McQuain, this morning at Q&Q:
Well there’s an agreement on the Generational Theft Act of 2009. The squishy middle has capitulated.
As expected, just enough Republicans have signed on to ensure its passage. Names?
Specter said Friday night that action was “very necessary,” and [...]
Or is it change for a hope? I admit my confusion on this issue. The American public was told during the 2008 Presidential campaign that things would be different. So far, it’s more of the same, only worse. It seems like the entire country has gone [...]
For many of us, any number of things were expected as part of the new President’s first month in office, including the first five Executive Orders, some of which impacted protections of the unborn and the public at large. And Democrats increased control of Congress will [...]
Reprinted from The Iowa Family Policy Center Blog, with permission.
Hugh Hewitt recently interviewed theologian J.P. Moreland on the evangelical understanding (or lack there of) of being a responsible Christian citizen in our democratic republic.
Moreland, who has written extensively on Christian truth in the [...]
Thank goodness there must have been SOME voice of reason in the US House today regarding the switch to digital television transmission and the shutting down of analog transmissions. Although the special rules required a 2/3 vote to approve, at least the House did not [...]
There’s something just a little, how do I put it, smarmy about our soon-to-be new Secretary of the Treasury. Here he is, applying for the job that oversees the IRS, and somehow a few years back he came up about $30,000 short on various taxes.
Where I grew up, we called [...]
Dear President Obama:
Congratulations on your historic ascendancy to the office of the President of the United States. You are now the leader of the free world. My hope is that you understand the gravity of this office and that you are serious in reaching out to [...]
Today we celebrate the birth of one of the icons of our nation: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I shared some thoughts last year, which remain as they are, but I never imagined at that time the course that history would take between these two [...]
The headline on the front page of yesterday’s (Monday, January 12, 2009) Wall Street Journal read “Obama Plans to Keep Estate Tax”. This is the opening salvo of President-Elect Obama’s tax hike and wealth redisribution plan.
In 2009, estates of less than $3.5 million per person and $7 [...]
We’ve finally given birth to our first regional site “The Conservative Reader: Iowa“. Henceforth, the site you are currently reading will be focused on international and national topics, and stories that are specifically tied to regional topics will appear in an appropriate regional site.
We expect [...]
We’ve recently watched as Israel and Hamas have slugged it out. As always, when Israel seeks to defend itself, there have been many saying Israel’s response to Hamas has not been “proportional”.
What is, in fact, a proportional response?. Any other country suffering under the weight of [...]
Here we are! 2009! What can we say?
2008 is gone and I think we’re all grateful for that. Republicans had their hats handed to them, although Conservatives fared pretty well. And there’s the difference. Moderate Republicanism is indistinguishable from the Democrats. If Republicans want to regain [...]
We have been taking months to schedule a move to our permanent internet domain. We delayed the work to ensure that we didn’t create an unnecessary outage during time leading up to the election last year. Now that the excitement is past and the dirty work [...]
J. Michael McKoy, formally of 98.3 WOW-FM, has found a new home in Des Moines. We had previously mourned his departure from that station.
He is now on PRAISE-940 AM KPSZ, a Christian radio station from 2 PM to 4 PM. The promo [...]
J. Michael McKoy, formally of 98.3 WOW-FM, has found a new home in Des Moines. We had previously mourned his departure from that station.
He is now on PRAISE-940 AM KPSZ, a Christian radio station from 2 PM to 4 PM. The promo [...]
Yes, we’ve been out of pocket for a few weeks now. After returning from family matters, work (yes, I have a real job) was a bit overwhelming for many reasons. At any rate, we hope that the new year will provide us both more opportutnity to [...]
I sit here this evening watching a lovefest between 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl and Barney Frank. This is, in my opinion, not what I would consider to be an objective portrayal of Rep. Frank. For starters, Ms. Stahl not once, but twice, suggested he’s the smartest [...]
Let’s start, with a premise:
Every Republican president candidate since 1964 has had their level of success or failure, respectively, tied directly to the degree of voter perception that they have or have not turned their back on conservatism.
Consider the history of the thing… and it all flows [...]
Well, I’m finally back in town. I apologize for the hiatus, but it was unavoidable.
And here’s what I come back to: J Michael McKoy at 98.3 WOW-FM was fired this week.
I don’t even know what to say.
For those of you not so familiar with the air [...]
BitHead provides an excellent featured piece on this important day. Please read it… you’ll be glad you did.
This is a day that brings together the best of who we are as a secular nation, and the best of who we are as servants of God.
Though [...]
Britt Hume a couple nights ago:
A traditional Thanksgiving meal between two elementary schools in Claremont, California, has parents in an uproar over costumes.
The kindergarteners have long celebrated the holiday by dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans and taking turns visiting the other school to [...]
We are thinking heavily here about how to present a systematic approach to understanding what we call “Conservatism”. Just this week, a fellow Iowa blogger Albert Bregar penned his thoughts at Red County Polk County and Iowa Defense Alliance.
Albert provides an excellent start with a [...]
Here’s a partial list we’ve gotten here of stores and their plans after the first of the year:
Two weeks ago today, the Obama Nation was gloating. Sweeping victories in the general election, Democrats now control the White House and both houses of Congress. Well, it’s been two weeks, so that means it’s time for me to get out of my fetal position, stop throwing [...]
… for the most boring interview in history. Last night felt more like 3600 seconds. For those of you that missed it (lucky you), it was the big “first interview of the 44th President Elect of the United Stated”. Steve Kroft, one-on-one with Obama for half the [...]
That’s what Ben Smith is reporting, yesterday morning:
Andrea Mitchell reported this evening that Obama is considering Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, something that’s been buzzed about as a possibility for a few days.
I haven’t been able to confirm it, and neither Obama nor Clinton camps would comment, [...]
About a two and a half years ago we started this blog with a vague idea of what we wanted to accomplish. That first post was pretty much just a “hello”, with a short commentary on me. It took four months for me to write [...]
The Supreme Court (Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council) voted 5-4 to rescind bans on sonar use in training exercises off the California coast. Those bans were implemented by lower federal courts. The ruling states that the lower courts exceeded their authority in those [...]
Thank goodness we have today, Veterans Day, to remind us of the sacrifice given by so many millions of men and women over the past 233 years (really more, when you think about it). The day today is specifically designated for those that are living, [...]
When James Madison and friends put together the Constitution, one of the key things they endeavoured to do was ensure that the Chief Administrator (President) did not have the power of a king. After all, we had just fought our tails off for the right to [...]
Conservatives have lost our political credibility. We have totally squandered opportunity after opportunity over the years because self-interest and ambition have eroded the integrity of Conservative politicians along with Liberal ones. And blind political stupidity in the Republican Party created a mess of alienated constituencies, including [...]
From the Washington Post:
Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, [...]
I don’t want to be morbid, but I’m starting to lose confidence that we can find a balanced exchange of ideas any longer. That the patently unproven and risky hypothesis that humans, are creating environmental change on a global scale, is now becoming a point of [...]
I’m struck by a column by Tim Ellsworth:
JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)–An unusual obituary ran in a California newspaper in August.
It was an obit for 79-year-old Delores Aguilar in the Times-Herald of Vallejo, Calif. Her daughter Virginia Brown was the writer.
“Delores had no hobbies, made no contribution [...]
You’re going to hear quite a bit from the left over ‘the death of conservatism’ over the next few weeks. But they’ve got it wrong. I say, what we’ve got is the death of compromised conservatism as espoused by George W Bush, his father, GHW Bush, [...]
Not that it’s that big of a deal, but we hit 10,000 visitors sometime in early October… it took 11 months to hit that milestone. Today, we hit 15,000 visitors. 5,000 in the past month. I can’t imagine what would cause so much interest in our [...]
The Wall Street Journal states the bloody obvious:
According to recent Gallup polls, the president’s average approval rating is below 30% — down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. [...]
Following are updates on races that are particularly important to Iowa:
Tom Harkin (D) is reelected to the US Senate.
Bruce Braley (D) reelected as Iowa District 1 US Congressman.
Dave Loebsack (D) reelected as Iowa District 2 US Congressman.
Leonard Boswell (D) reelected as Iowa District 3 US Congressman.
Tom [...]
As I write this, John McCain is announcing his concession of today’s election.
Obama was declared the winner by most of the networks at around 11:00 PM Eastern Time.
McCain’s speech was kind and humble, and recognizing what is an historic event.
We have not been shy in our [...]
Peter Cownie (R) has won in District 60. The unofficial totals are:
| Alan R. Koslow | 6832 | ( 42.15%) |
| Peter Cownie | 8861 | ( 54.67%) |
| Russ Gibson | 499 | ( 3.08%) |
Peter ran a good solid clean campaign. We look forward to his work in the State House.
Congratulations, Peter!
[...]
