People who live in glass houses...

The election is over and conservatives are still trying to make sense of the election results. Why do we still have the same balance of power in Washington, D.C. after the election?  How did so many incumbents keep their jobs when the economy is so bad and the fiscal cliff is looming?  There are several issues being raised by conservatives that have me thinking. Maybe it is time for us to look inward and get our own house in order .. before we start championing candidates for the 2014 mid-terms.

You should vote straight-ticket GOP  

The GOP promotes straight-GOP ticket voting habits (of course) because it increases the likelihood of their candidates winning in races that are competitive because of the coattails of other GOP candidates on the ballot. This increases the power of the GOP in government. Many who call themselves conservatives believe this is a laudable goal, but I disagree. Voting straight-ticket sends the message that we are choosing the party to govern us, not the candidates who happen to be in that party. It does not allow for voters to hold incumbent candidates accountable for their voting records while in office.  It perpetuates the status quo .. keeping incumbents in office (even when they are doing a lousy job).  91% of representatives in the U.S. House were re-elected (this is with a 9% approval rating). Could it be that every single Republican on the ballot is the best option in an election cycle?  Perhaps .. but voting without thinking by clicking 'all Republican' is never what our Founders intended when they gave us this government of 'we the people'.

The exact same behavior happens inside the Democratic party. The Democratic Party has a full-on propaganda campaign against Republicans at every level.  Republicans are being painted as racists, crazy, intolerant, and haters of working men and women. The number of voters choosing to vote straight-ticket-Democrat has risen because of this demonizing of the GOP. I heard a complaint this week from a Republican voter about Jesse Jackson, Jr. (Democrat), who was easily re-elected earlier this month after being on medical leave (for months) for treatment of bipolar disorder and other medical issues. Jackson is also facing multiple legal problems, including a reported federal probe into possible misuse of campaign funds. The GOP voter lodging the complaint said that the only way Jackson got re-elected was because "the democrats don't even care who the candidates are, they all just vote straight-ticket-Democrat."  Ironically, this GOP voter cast a straight GOP-ticket.

People are too dependent on government

The number of people on food-stamps in this country has skyrocketed. Government programs are now giving away free birth-control, free cell phones and free or reduced-cost housing. The list goes on and on of the benefits the government is handing out with plans to include even more give-aways in the future. I hear complaints from conservatives daily about how more Americans are growing lazy and unproductive and blame these government programs for our decline as a nation and for bankrupting this country.

But what about us? How many of us are currently accepting some sort of hand-out or assistance from the Federal Government? I currently have a FHA loan on my house. Could I have afforded a conventional (more expensive) loan? probably. If I am going to lambaste these government programs, perhaps it is time to refinance this house into a conventional loan.

How many of us are taking advantage of some federal program that cost taxpayers money? If we aren't willing to give up the freebies or benefits we currently enjoy, how can we expect to convince a majority of voters to do that in 2014? ...or 2016?

The mainstream media is in the tank for Obama

This is probably the one that angers conservatives the most. The Benghazi scandal has been totally mishandled by the media. Liberal news outlets have been openly promoting Obama since he first came on the scene. Mistakes made by this president have not only been glossed over by the mainstream media, but it appears they are actively covering up his mistakes. There is really no excuse for their behavior .. and I believe it has permanently damaged the little credibility that remains with the legacy media.

But what about conservative news?  Weren't the majority of conservative 'news' outlets openly campaigning for Romney during this last election? Even most of the new media blog sites had jumped onto the Romney bandwagon. If we are going to be pointing fingers at a liberal mainstream media that is producing propaganda to prop up their dear leader, then we had better not turn around and do the exact same thing!

It is time to put our house in order. Perhaps another four years of Obama is the motivation we need to turn ourselves into better citizens before the next election cycle rolls around. We can't afford to stay on this path to tyranny and destruction. The only way we can restore the America that we love is if those of us who are willing to tell the truth will lead the way in practicing what we preach.

A Survey of the Wreckage ...

Well, the votes have been counted (if you want to call it that), and it appears that we will have another four years of destruction and despair courtesy of our commander in chief. The lamenting within the conservative movement and the GOP is ongoing, which isn't unexpected. Fingers are being pointed in every direction. The establishment is blaming the tea party, the liberal media is saying Republicans are too conservative to govern, some even suggest that the balance has tipped and those taking from the government now out-number those paying the taxes, but I suppose I have a different view of the landscape.  Here is my summary of the debacle of the GOP in this year's presidential race.

What was missed by all the political elites in this election cycle is just how poorly Romney was playing within the conservative base of the Republican party. I am sure the talking-heads chalked up all those nasty speeches about Romney emanating from Gingrich as Santorum as pure political bluster. Could it actually be that those messages had a ring of truth to them?  Was the GOP establishment ignoring the cries from the conservative base because they just wanted to continue to believe their own lies?

So what exactly was so bad about nominating Romney as the standard-bearer for the GOP?  He was, after-all, a really nice guy. Romney had the cash, the organization, the GOP birthright by being the 'next in line'.  He was well groomed, articulate, handsome. He had the business credentials that would appeal to the Wall street execs.  He had a lovely family, a beautiful wife .. and honestly the Romneys looked just like those family portraits you see adorning the frames in the gift-shops.  Well I am sure I'll incur the wrath of all establishment types and their minions, but I am not about to shut up now.  If we don't learn from our mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them.  Oh wait, I forget..  the GOP nominated McCain in '08.  Perhaps Republicans will  never learn.

Here are the top 5 reasons Mitt Romney was destined for failure as the GOP nominee:

Nobody trusts a serial flip-flopper

When a person changes positions on one or two issues, that is evolving. When they change positions on every core issue, sometimes in mid-sentence, that is called spineless. Romney was everything to everyone .. which means he was nothing to everyone. You have to have a set of core principles that guide you. If voters don't sense that, they don't trust you. Even with Obama's incessant lying, he still beat Romney on trust, because regardless of what actually happened during the last four years of the Obama administration, no one doubted that Obama deep down was an uber-liberal. I'm still not sure what's at Romney's core.

Nominating Mr. 1% plays into the liberal narrative

When the liberals talk day and night about how the Republican party is nothing but a bunch of uppity elite super-rich white men, it isn't exactly genius to nominate a man who fits that model exactly. Romney is very white, very rich, and very out of touch with the average Joe. He also was a great target for incessant ridicule online. The constant stream on Google + and twitter about how "Romney only cares about his rich friends" was repeated day and night for months. No matter how Romney might have felt in reality, his resume' provided all the liberals needed to keep that story front and center. Democrats did a good job making sure that was the message heard most often about Romney.

Isn't Mormonism a cult?

The fact that Mitt is a Mormon is a touchy subject. Even bringing up the topic is like throwing a grenade. Well, the election is over, and Mitt lost. I can't help but believe that there were Christians who were very uncomfortable voting for a person who is not a Christian. I know of few (actually none) of my Christian friends who believe Obama is Christian. But, at least Obama professes that he is one. I am not sure how these individuals who had an issue with Mitt's faith voted; perhaps they stayed home.  Not having the enthusiastic support of evangelical Christians is a disaster for any GOP nominee. Evangelicals make up one of the largest block of campaign workers. Now, there were plenty of evangelicals working on Romney's campaign, for sure, but there are reports that up to 21% of evangelical Christians voted for Obama. One has to wonder how Mitt's faith played in the hearts and minds of Christian voters.

Nobody wants to drink a beer with Romney .. er coffee... er ..?

Romney isn't a pal.  He comes across as very sophisticated and 'proper' .. but that means he comes across as stuffy and unapproachable by the average voter. The sad truth is, few voters actually vote for leaders based on issues, they choose who they like and trust.  The race for the presidency is the biggest popularity contest of them all.  If you don't look good, sound good, and seem like a person who is 'fun' to be around, there is a large block of voters who will never vote for you regardless of your stand on the issues.  We live in an 'American Idol' culture where everything is based on who is likable.. not who is most talented.  We have to face it, the only way a Republican is ever going to win, is if they are liked by people who have no knowledge or interest in politics. Hmm, I wonder if Tim Tebow is interested in running?

Ignoring the Tea-Party is really NOT so smart

The final nail in the coffin was dissing the tea-party. Sarah Palin was not invited to speak at the GOP convention in Tampa. Some say.. "well, there were other tea-party types speaking so the GOP embraced the teaparty in Tampa", well..  I say hogwash. There is little doubt the elites inside the GOP have great disdain for the teaparty. They continue to blame Sarah Palin for the loss in 2008. They believe (wrongly) that the teaparty is dragging down the GOP. What about 2010? Did they forget how the teaparty brought in new faces and brought the GOP back into power in the House of Representatives? The teaparty increased the GOP margin in the Senate? And this is how the GOP thanks them? ..being dismissed, dissed, disrespected? The teaparty was railroaded at every turn by the GOP establishment during the nomination process to get the 'anointed' Romney into position while continuously ridiculing those candidates who would challenge him. Did the GOP party bosses honestly believe these people who had been treated so poorly would turn around and campaign for their candidate?  Sadly, many did, and, in my estimation, some of those people lost a lot of the passion that once made the teaparty movement so powerful. But, many more decided to reluctantly go along, or just stay out of the Romney campaign altogether (I was in the latter group). If the elites think they can win without us, then by all means, they should be given the opportunity to try. I guess we see how well that worked out. The teaparty is all that is left of Reagan's conservative coalition. If the GOP succeeds in stamping out the movement, it will be the end of the GOP. The elite succeeded on one front. They have definitely soured much of the teaparty on the GOP.

This election is over. I am sure the pundits will be talking about this race for many years to come. Calls to 'moderate' and be more 'reasonable' will be the talking points to the GOP inside the beltway. Hopefully someone with good sense can break through the elite narrative to knock some sense into these people before we lose the whole country. Perhaps it is already lost.

Dignity Destroyed

There was a time in America when our politicians put the integrity of our government above politics. That day is long gone. Now political viability seems to dictate nearly every action taken by those in leadership. The action taken, or lack thereof, by the Obama administration in Benghazi is the most recent episode where decisions were made not based on what was best for American citizens, but what was politically expedient for our president.

When did our political leaders begin to destroy the integrity of our government?

During the presidential election of 1960 there was a very close race between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. Charges of voter fraud were rampant in Illinois and Texas. The vote in these states gave a narrow margin of victory to the eventual winner, John F. Kennedy, but most agreed that the presence of voter fraud in both states likely tipped the balance in his favor. Many in the Nixon campaign thought he had a good case to make that the outcome of the election would have been different absent the voting irregularities in these two states. But, in spite of clear evidence of voter fraud, the advisers closest to Nixon recommended he accept the outcome of the election in the name of preserving our democracy. And so it was .. John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States.

In June 1972, a break-in occurred at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. The perpetrators worked on behalf of a fund-raising group for President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign. The subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration led to his eventual impeachment by the House of Representatives, and this was likely to be followed by a conviction in the Senate. Many of those close to Nixon suggested that he fight the battle in the Senate to remain in office, but Nixon believed his resignation was necessary to preserve the democracy. And so it was .. President Richard Nixon resigned the office of the presidency in 1974 and Gerald Ford was sworn in as our 38th president.

My how these two episodes differ from the politics of today.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice because of his failure to testify truthfully about a scandal involving an illicit affair with a former White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton's run-in with a special prosecutor, Ken Star, began over allegations of sexual harassment by former government employee Paula Jones. During sworn testimony about these allegations, President Clinton lied about his Lewinsky affair which led to his impeachment. Unlike Nixon, Clinton was determined to fight the battle in the Senate and in 1999 fifty out of one-hundred senators voted to uphold the charges filed by the House. This was below the two-thirds threshold required for conviction, so Clinton was acquitted.

Many thought that it may be in the best interest of our democracy for Clinton to resign his office not only because of his impeachment in the House, but because of his behavior in the Lewinsky affair. The scandals that plagued Clinton were an embarrassment at home and abroad. But, in spite of this, those within Clinton's inner circle and President Clinton himself stubbornly refused to entertain the idea of resigning. Thus began the destruction of our integrity.

In 2000, we had a very close election between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush for the office of the presidency. The race was so close, in fact, that the votes in just a few counties in the state of Florida determined the outcome of the race. On election night, the vote totals, as reported by the election commission in the state of Florida, gave George W. Bush the edge and the 25 electoral votes needed to seal the victory. Initially Al Gore made a phone call to George W. Bush to concede the race, but after campaign staffers alerted Gore to the close counts in several counties in Florida, Gore made a second phone call to rescind his concession. Thus began a long battle in the courts that eventually landed in the Supreme Court on December 12th who decided in favor of George W. Bush. And so it goes .. George W. Bush was sworn in as our 43rd President.

Many thought that it would be in the best interest of our democracy for Gore to initially accept the outcome of the election. In fact, there was great concern that the controversy would undermine the integrity of our electoral process both here and abroad. But, in spite of these concerns, Gore pressed ahead with the legal challenges that delayed the outcome of the election for over a month. A subsequent recount that had been demanded by the Gore campaign showed that Bush had an even larger margin of victory in the disputed precincts.

Now we come to the latest Benghazi scandal.

We find out this week that our government officials sat idly by while American citizens were being murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. Even though calls for reinforcements had been requested weeks in advance and calls for help occurred during the attacks, it appears the Obama administration made the decision not to intervene, but to allow the violence and killing to continue for several hours. Ironically, a mob, that was initially blamed for the killings, took a severely injured ambassador Stevens to the hospital where he would later die. As our ambassador lay dying on the ground in Benghazi, our government made no attempt to save him. Many others were killed and injured during the attacks, but thanks to the heroism of two former Navy Seals (Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods), at least thirty victim's lives were spared. Sadly, the two Seals lost their own lives as they worked to save others. According to the father of one of the Seals, these men disobeyed orders to save lives. Why would anyone order these Seals to stand down?

Many think that the decision to not send help to the victims of the Benghazi attack was to avoid political fall-out because of the presidential election coming up in November. Some thought that fighting terrorist attacks would force Obama to admit he'd done little to stem the growth of Al Qaeda. Perhaps they were afraid to showcase conflict in the middle east during the election season .. or perhaps intervening in the Benghazi attack would indicate that the toppling of Qaddafi had not been handled correctly by the Obama administration. Whatever the reason, there doesn't seem to be any legitimate reason for refusing to aid American citizens under attack.

The dignity of the office is no longer respected by our elected officials. In order to preserve their own political skins, politicians will say and do anything to hold onto power. It is time for us to look more closely as the character of those we choose to lead us. Politicians who are willing to undermine our entire system of government to cover up their own failures are destroying this country. We need to choose honorable people to lead us again, before we have nothing left to lead.

Conservative Voice Network

The Great Awakening?

In America, we find that most people are unaware of the workings of their government.  This is in spite of the 24/7 news cycle and more access to news and information than at any other time in our nation's history.  

What accounts for this lack of interest and knowledge in governmental affairs?

We have grown complacent as a people. Much of this stems from the endless stream of entertainment news that permeates our days via radio, internet, and television. I suppose it is more enjoyable to follow the antics of the Kardashians than to keep up with what President Obama and members of Congress are doing and saying. Most Americans avoid news stories about governmental affairs. And, to make matters worse, the news media as a whole has ceased reporting 'news' and has decided to create 'news' that furthers their own political agenda. Citizens may be unaware of what is going on, but most agree that the media really doesn't present unbiased information anymore.  The bias has grown so deep and so pervasive, that even those who are not regular consumers of news have become skeptical of what they are seeing in mainstream news coverage.  Newspapers, political magazines, cable and network news broadcasts are seeing record low viewership.  American's are tuning out. This is a dangerous time to be out-of-touch with the news of the day.

There is one bright spot in the world of journalism, and that is the rise of independent news reporting. Americans of all types are turning to the blogosphere to find out what is going on in the world.  Many bloggers spend all their time promoting an agenda, but many news stories would never have seen the light of day if bloggers didn't push those stories out via social media. This is a new day in journalism, because news consumers now have to discern between fact and fiction. They have to turn to a variety of sources to read all sides of a story, but perhaps this is a good thing. Sitting back and letting the mainstream media direct a narrative and shape our thinking must end if we intend to preserve this nation.  It may take a bit more time and patience to learn the facts today, but perhaps this is the first time in our history that we actually have the facts, because we are not being spoon-fed the news by an elite few.  

This places a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of citizen-journalists who choose to participate in news-gathering. We can not assume that most people hear about what is going on in this world anymore. With hundreds of cable TV channels to choose from, few American's choose to watch news coverage daily.  Many American's never stumble across much of the relevant news stories online either, because Reuters and The Associated Press (who are the primary sources of news for most news agencies) are also pushing a liberal agenda. It is our responsibility to search out and report the news of the day and share all sides of these stories. It may be a clumsy endeavor, but I contend it may the best way to reach the masses with the real news. 

The next time you are on Twitter, Facebook or Google+, extend a thank you to the friends of yours  who send out links and report on news stories of the day. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to spread these news stories. Few of these individuals receive any reward for their efforts. They do it because they love America and feel a duty to inform fellow citizens of what is going on and what is at stake in this country.  I thank God every day that we have the freedom to inform and be informed about what is going on in the world.  Let's not take that for granted. 

Let's help usher in the great awakening in America.  It is time for every American to see what is going on around them. We must share the truth to those who are not paying attention and encourage everyone who cares about the future of this country to get involved and stay informed.

Are Liberals Bailing on Obama?

 

 The reaction to Obama's poor debate performance took me by surprise. Prior to the first debate, I had become convinced that the verdict by the mainstream media and liberal Hollywood was predetermined.  That is, no matter how badly Obama performed, Obama's loyal subjects would step up to proclaim him the victor. But something quite interesting happened.. I think Obama's poor performance opened the eyes of some of those in the land of the liberal.  Could it be they are finally seeing what has been obvious to conservatives all along?  ..That Obama really isn't a gifted orator, that he doesn't know how to defend his liberal policies, and that he doesn't know the answers to most of the questions that face this nation?

I've gathered together some of the more interesting negative reactions to Obama's debate performance from traditionally liberal quarters for your enjoyment.

Chris Matthew's Epic Meltdown

Al Gore blamed the thin air



Jon Stewart - Slamming Obama (and Romney)

Saturday Night Live Poked Fun at 'Distracted Obama'

Bill Maher actually Criticizes Obama - Warning: Very Salty Language

Michael Moore tweeted his disapproval

He couldn't say ANY of these words: "47%" "BainCapital" "FlipFlop" "Bush" "Detroit" "Women(&women's issues)" Fire all debate consultants now
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) October 4, 2012 

Is Bill Clinton coming in to sub for the next quarter? O! Wake up! Attack! That is not john McCain over on that podium!
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) October 4, 2012

Wow, so finally, we all agree.  Obama didn't perform well in the debate.  Now if liberals will just open their eyes and see that Obama hasn't done any better in his presidency.

The Cat's Out of the Bag ...

Well, it looks like the Democrats finally slipped up. The war against Christians and Jews waged by liberals has been denied and dismissed by those in Democratic leadership and in our mainstream media for a very long time. But apparently, someone forgot to tell the delegates at the Democratic National Convention this was supposed to be a secret, because today they actually boo'd GOD and JERUSALEM when an amendment to the party platform was introduced to reinstate the words 'God' and 'Jerusalem is the capital of Israel' to the Democratic Party platform.

Guy Benson's report at Townhall.com sums up the chaotic scene...

We wrote about the extreme 2012 Democratic platform this morning, noting that it excludes God and Jerusalem, yet includes taxpayer-funded late term abortion.  Even the media found these decisions slightly unusual, leading to a noisy chorus of criticism that eventually built to a critical mass.  The decision was made to uproot the platform and undo the controversial language and omissions.  The problem?  The platform was formally adopted yesterday.  Democratic officials couldn't just quietly tweak the document behind closed doors; they had to put the modified platform up for another vote.  When they did so, chaos erupted.  In three separate voice votes, delegates were asked whether they supported the inclusion of God and the recognition of Jerusalem in their party's guiding policy document.  Three separate times, loud shouts of "no" grew in volume and intensity.  A flummoxed Chairman Villaraigosa ultimately just declared that the "ayes" had it -- even though multiple reports indicated that the consensus was nowhere hear the requisite 2/3 majority.  As God and Jerusalem were inserted back into the Democratic platform, the hall exploded in boos -- a humiliating disaster for the party.  The stunning video:

Are people of faith and Israel supporters listening?  Even some DNC delegates were astonished and disturbed by that spectacle, which is guaranteed to find its way into GOP attack ads.  Every last Democratic candidate for office -- at every level of government -- should be asked where they stand on these issues, and whether they'll repudiate the large element within their own party whose hostility toward the Almighty and our great Israeli allies was on full display at their national convention.  

This episode raises a very important question: How can a follower of Jesus support a party that is so hostile to His gospel?   Until this moment, I suppose it might have been possible to deny that many in the Democratic party held such offensive, controversial views about Christianity, Judaism and religion, but doesn't the scene in this video remove all doubt that this hostility exists?

I think it's time for those who are still hanging onto the Democratic party to wake up and realize it is no longer the party of Kennedy and Carter .. it has morphed into something far more dangerous. 

November is just the beginning ...

This weekend marks the start of the Republican National Convention in Tampa. The delegates are coming into town, bloggers and news media are setting up to broadcast the speeches and events, and the coronation of Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee will soon commence. Notably absent from speaking roles at the GOP convention are Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and several other stalwart conservative warriors, much to the dismay of the tea party faithful. The absence of these voices is a lesson to all of us ... November is just the beginning.

The primary battle for the GOP presidential nomination was brutal. It does appear that the fight was never particularly fair as conservative media outlets and party elites jumped into the Romney corner early on, which was just what the party bosses ordered. But, no matter, that is water under the bridge at this point. As much as many of the Newt Nation faithful and Ron Paul Revolutionaries are still holding out hope for some sort of miracle in Tampa, it's become pretty clear that the stage is already set for November. We're going to be seeing a battle between establishment candidates for the presidency. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, has been blacklisted by conservative media and ignored by the liberal mainstream media, so it is looking less likely that he will emerge as any real game-changer in November. But, I am still in Gary's corner at this point, and will remain there. My mission goes well beyond this election season, and that is because my mission is to shine light on the two-party system that is controlled by elites and has distanced our government from the voice and will of the people. I will continue to educate and sound the alarm. Casting my vote for either major party-establishment-player, in this case, is just contributing to the status-quo.. so, for the first time in my life, I'm going rogue.

As grassroots conservatives, we have a huge battle ahead of us, and it isn't just happening at the top of the ballot on November 6th. Regardless of who occupies the White House, we will have to work like never before to demand that our elected officials listen to us and not to their political advisers and party bosses. As our debt clock is now approaching $16 trillion for the first time in history, we are seriously looking at what could be the beginning of the end of life as we know it here in this country. A credit downgrade from one or more credit rating agencies is not only possible, unless something very substantial and dramatic changes in the way that our government spends our money within the next few years, it is inevitable that a downgrade will occur. We have sequestration, the end of the Bush-era tax cuts, the insolvency of Medicaid/Medicare/Social Security, sustained high unemployment, and we have a growing number of states facing financial collapse (California being an obvious example). We don't have time to ignore the failings of those who are 'in our party'.. we have to call out big-government progressives in both parties from day one of the new congress. 

The number of Americans who have become dependent on government is at an all-time-high. According to the 2010 Census data, 48.6% of Americans lived in a household receiving some sort of government benefit. Logically, when that number exceeds half the population of this country, we could begin to see people revolt against the government. Clearly those receiving these benefits are increasingly likely to vote for candidates who promise to keep those benefits in place. As the takers outnumber the makers, deficits will spiral, debt will grow, and the entire system will break down as the dollars needed to foot-the-bill for these ever-increasing government outlays are stretched thinner and thinner. Civil unrest will increase, people will begin to hide/hoard their money. Our already weak economy will grind to a halt. Simply put, the status-quo is unsustainable.

The Tea Party is the last best hope for this nation. There is much that conservative warriors can do to stem the tide of fiscal disaster in this country. We must wrestle control of our government away from the party elites and put it back into the hands of common-sense, patriotic, educated, grassroots conservatives. Here are some things we can do:

• Seek out and support candidates down ballot in November who support fiscally conservative policies, and who are not puppets of the party establishment

• Vote in November. But, first be sure to educate yourself on every single race on the ballot and choose candidates who support Constitutionally conservative principles, are laser focused on our fiscal situation, and are least likely to be controlled by the party elites. 

• Contact your elected officials routinely with calls, emails, letters and even personal visits to their offices in Washington, D.C. Demand a hearing, and make your voice heard.

• Stay connected to the army of grassroots conservatives who are fighting day and night to stop our out-of-control government. Join in the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networking sites. Read the conservative blogs, and even start your own.

• Learn all that you can about our situation, and educate everyone you know about what is going on inside our government. 

• Above all, never, ever, give up. This country is far too precious to give up without a fight.