Redstate

Posted at 11:36pm on May 7, 2008 The Next Big Thing for the Right?

By Bluey

Conservatives and Republicans have whined for the past year about their disadvantage vs. the left's activism, fundraising and journalism websites. I've monitored it closely on blogs and heard about it during countless panel discussions. There has been continuous talk about how to grow, adapt and change.

That discussion has revealed the monumental challenges facing the right -- both online and offline. There's frustration with the non-existent "Republican brand" and resistance among many conservatives to embrace technology. I've witnessed these challenges up close both on Capitol Hill and in my job at The Heritage Foundation, a 35-year-old institution that is (slowly) trying to strengthen its footing in the digital world.

Changes are happening all around, including here at RedState. As Erick reported earlier today, this site will undergo its own restructuring as part of version 3.0. The new RedState will fill important voids on the right, particularly at the state and local level, one of the fastest growing areas for citizen journalism.

Posted in conservatism | fundraising | Online Activism | politics | Technology | Technology — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:32am on Oct. 18, 2007 Rick Perry Is the Right Man for Rudy

By Bluey

My good friend Erick Erickson doesn't think too highly of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's endorsement of Rudy Giuliani. I hope he'll think again after taking a closer look at Perry's record on fiscal issues.

The Cato Institute ranked Perry No. 2 on its Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors. Perry fell just two points short of Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, who is backing Mitt Romney in 2008. Here's what the report's author, Stephen Slivinski, had to say about Perry:

On fiscal issues, Rick Perry has been a better governor than George W. Bush. Having inherited the office when Bush became president in 2000, he was elected in his own right in a 2002 landslide on a pledge to oppose any new or increased taxes. He has been very disciplined on the spending side: The budget has stayed mainly flat in real per capita terms. In 2004 Perry proposed a $6 billion property tax cut, with a large cigarette tax hike of $1 per pack to offset the revenue loss. Over the next two years, he also tacked on a brand-new gross receipts tax, which has the potential to discourage business growth in Texas—indeed, gross receipts taxes are widely reviled by economists as an economy-sapping levy. It was an unnecessary move, too, since the state was rolling in a $4 billion budget surplus. The saving grace is that the tax plan that Perry finally signed into law will result in a net tax cut of nearly $1.5 billion in the first year alone—quite a substantial achievement. Still, some Texans have rightly been questioning why Perry insisted on tainting his plan with an unneeded tax shift—especially onto the backs of businesses and smokers—when it could have instead been a much larger net tax cut.

Although Slivinski does have some tough words for the Texan (what else would you expect from Cato?), the fact that Giuliani has a solid fiscal conservative like Perry in his court only improves the mayor's stature with fiscal conservatives. The endorsement came at a good time, too. Giuliani wooed the Club for Growth today at its fall conference, a key constituency he'll need if he's to lock up the nomination.

Posted in 2008 — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:41pm on Oct. 10, 2007 Republican Attacks Democrat for Talking Like Bush

By Bluey

It's gotten so bad for President Bush that a fellow Republican is using him as a punching bag to to attack a Democrat opponents -- in Massachusetts, nonetheless.

Republican hopeful Jim Ogonowski, running for the open seat in Massachusetts' 5th District, today criticized Democrat Niki Tsongas for sharing the same beliefs as Bush on immigration reform.

Like George W. Bush, Niki Tsongas can call her radical amnesty plan anything she wants, but at the end of the day if you support rewarding those who have come here illegally with citizenship –- that is amnesty.

I knew this issue was still simmering for conservative, but I can't say I expected it to reach the level of a Republican candidate calling out a Democrat for being lockstep with Bush.

Posted in Elections — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:08pm on Oct. 1, 2007 $10,000 Can Buy a Bunch of Beer

By Bluey

The America's Future Foundation has asked me and a handful of others to serve as judges for its college blogger contest. The winner of the best college blog will get a cool $10,000 cash prize and an invitation to speak at an AFF roundtable discussion.

The goal of the contest is to encourage online journalism/blogging by libertarians and conservatives on college campuses. It's open to all graduate and undergraduate bloggers age 25 and younger.

Entries are due by Dec. 31. You can find out the rules of the contest on the AFF website. Basically, after the AFF team narrows down the entries to a list of 10, the seven judges will monitor the blogs and vote for the best one. A winner will be announced on April 7, 2008.

Posted in Miscellanea — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:28pm on Aug. 10, 2007 Eliot Spitzer Flushes His Reputation Down the Toilet

By Bluey

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has managed to bring shame and embarrassment to New York just seven months after taking office. It's time likes these that I wish I was back in Albany to be part of the action.

The Washington Examiner has three excellent articles today about Spitzer and the trouble he's facing. "What did Spitzer know and when did he know it?" questions Spitzer's role in a possible cover-up that's tarnished his reputation as an incorruptible reformer.

Posted in State Politics — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:43pm on Aug. 10, 2007 Addressing Immigration Without Comprehensive Reform

By Bluey

More than a month after comprehensive immigration reform died in the Senate, the Bush Administration has responded with a 26-point plan to improve border security within the existing confines of the law. President Bush announced the reforms today and the White House released a fact sheet detailing them.

These reforms represent steps my Administration can take within the boundaries of existing law to better secure our borders, improve worksite enforcement, streamline existing temporary worker programs, and help new immigrants assimilate into American society.

Although the Congress has not addressed our broken immigration system by passing comprehensive reform legislation, my Administration will continue to take every possible step to build upon the progress already made in strengthening our borders, enforcing our worksite laws, keeping our economy well-supplied with vital workers, and helping new Americans learn English.

Read on . . .

Posted in Immigration — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:02pm on Jul. 14, 2007 Vacation Surprise: Cuban Refugees Arrive on Resort Island

By Bluey

Rebecca Hagelin was wrapping up her vacation today in Little Gasparilla Island, Fla., when she encountered something she never expected to see. Twenty-seven Cuban refugees arrived on the beach seeking freedom from Fidel Castro's regime. Rebecca filed two stories for World Net Daily, including Featured Stories | Immigration — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:58pm on May 17, 2007 Debate Wasn't the First Time Ron Paul Shared His 9/11 Views

By Bluey

Less than a week before Ron Paul made his despicable comment at the GOP presidential debate blaming America for 9/11, he attacked my Heritage Foundation colleague Nile Gardiner on those same grounds. During a hearing before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on May 9, Paul made the following remarks, which include Gardiner's responses. (If you'd prefer to watch the video, fast-forward to the 55-minute mark.)

REP. PAUL: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'd like to ask Dr. Gardiner, were you supportive of the invasion of Iraq in 2003?

MR. GARDINER: Yes, I certainly was. I supported that invasion.

REP. PAUL: Okay.

Referring back to my opening comments, if you would have known at the time exactly what would happen in four years' time -- first that the reasons for going weren't so, and that the cost would be very high in terms of life and dollars -- do you think you'd reconsider it if you had had that information in front of you when you were supportive of the invasion?

Posted in 2008 | Featured Stories — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:32pm on Jan. 28, 2007 Mike Huckabee Won't Rule Out Raising Taxes

By Bluey

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee today announced he will file papers to create a presidential exploratory committee, declaring he is “an authentic conservative who has a proven record of results.” However, even before Huckabee kicks off his presidential bid, he’s already facing criticism for his record on taxes.

Minutes after announcing his plans on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Huckabee addressed conservatives at the National Review Institute summit in Washington, D.C. He spoke to reporters and bloggers following his speech.

Read on . . .

Posted in 2008 | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (96) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:29pm on Jan. 16, 2007 Democrats Are About to Raise Your Taxes

By Bluey

The U.S. House hasn't voted to raise taxes for 13 years, but that streak is about to come to an end -- less than three weeks after Democrats took control of Congress.

Read on . . .

Posted in Congress | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (93) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:29pm on Jan. 11, 2007 Harry Reid Twists Arms to Kill Earmark Reform

By Bluey

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) took the Senate floor today to denounce an amendment offered by conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.) to strengthen earmark reform. DeMint's proposal, as Amanda Carpenter outlined today, includes the same language as the one passed by House Democrats.

Andy Roth at the Club for Growth has a complete breakdown of the "high political drama" that transpired today. DeMint's amendment actually had enough supporters, but Democrats managed to halt it. Reid then seized on the opportunity to twist the arms Democrats who supported it.

One Senate Republican staffer explained it to me this way:

Read on . . .

Posted in Congress | Featured Stories — Comments (22) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:17am on Dec. 29, 2006 Public Citizen Defends Grassroots Lobbying Restrictions

By Bluey

Kudos to Brad Smith for joining the fight against Nancy Pelosi's grassroots lobbying restrictions. Smith's call to action couldn't come at a better time.

As Amanda Carpenter reports today, Public Citizen, the liberal group that crafted the bill with Pelosi, won't back down, claiming the legislation is needed to protect voters from "misleading messages" and "direct mail lobbying blitzes."

The Free Speech Coalition, Carpenter reports, has called on Public Citizen to renounce its efforts to regulate free speech. However, Public Citzen's Joan Claybrook won't back down, saying:

Read on . . .

Posted in Blogosphere | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »