As mentioned in my previous post, I believe that a third party fight is good long term strategy, but it cannot be our short term goal. In my opinion, if it is the short term goal… we lose.

Several friends and people who I admire in the movement have suggested that we need to force the GOP to come to us. The reality is… this will never happen. The GOP establishment has no interest in becoming a movement minded Party. It has no interest in embracing our ideas and mentality.

So if the strategy is to force the GOP to come our way… we will lose.

This is something I’ve pondered for quite some time. In my letter to the GOP earlier this year, I even laid out what I thought at the time was necessary to get me back into the party.

I sent that letter to every state chair in the country. Can you guess how many responses I got?

I’ll give you a hint… it’s less than one.

My point here is that the establishment is not going to change on its own. And we don’t have the votes to beat two establishments.

I’m not suggesting we embrace the Republican Party as it currently functions, but I am suggesting we’re going to have to stop acting as if we’ll never have anything to do with the vessel itself again. And we’re going to have to accept the fact that Democrats would love nothing more than to see our movement split the opposing vote, giving them their only chance at survival in 2010.

-Eric Odom

Let’s face it. The passage of Pelosicare last weekend was the equivalent to the modern day “Stamp Act.” You see, when the stamp act was put in to action back in 1765, the folks began realizing that their government was asserting significant authority over their lives, even though the people had not found the action permissible.

We the people will accept certain levels of authority to exist, but only to the extent we deem acceptable and only as long as we have the ultimate control over the outcome.

What Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat thugs did to us last weekend is exactly what the King of England did back in 1765. Democrats ignored the will of the people and passed a dangerous bill that threatens the freedom and liberty we cherish.

Let’s be clear. Democrats are responsible for this gross abuse of power. Democrats crafted the legislation, ignored our will, and jammed it through with applause and cheers.

As a libertarian who voted for Bob Barr in 2008, I find it very difficult to state this in a public manner, but I will now be joining the Republican Party. Not because I trust Republicans or believe the existing establishment properly represents me. Not because I think the Republican Party has brought upon us the full protection of our individual rights and liberties.

No, it’s because I believe the Democrats are literally trying to destroy the free-market fabric of this country. And I believe that if we spend even another week working towards a third party for 2010 and 2012, we commit ourselves to certain doom.

I’m in no way advocating that we as a movement stand behind the existing Republican establishment. I am, rather, suggesting that we become the establishment.

As Erick Erickson and so many others have rightfully pointed out… we have the numbers. We have the people, we have the passion, and we have the organization. What we don’t have is unity.

I know many of us in the movement have different goals. Some are to weaken the two party stronghold. This is understandable and a good long term goal.

But look, if we screw around and let dangerous Democrats walk all over us in 2010 and 2012, we’ll never again get the opportunity to do ANYTHING as free Americans.

Love or hate the Republican Party… it’s our only vessel in the short term. We either unify through it and make a stand strong enough to stop this madness in government, or we fracture over third party efforts and meet uncertain political demise.

This choice is ours to make. I’m making my choice now.

-Eric Odom

—————

An old, blind man wanders into a bar in Washington, DC, by mistake. He finds his way to a barstool and orders a beer. After sitting there for a while, he yells to the bartender, “Hey, you wanna hear a Dumb Democrat joke?” The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says:

“Before you tell that joke, sir, I think it is only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know five things: One, the bartender is a Democrat with a baseball bat. Two, the bouncer is a Democrat. Three, I’m a 6-foot-tall, 175-pound Democrat with a black belt in karate. Four, the woman sitting next to me is a Democrat and a professional weightlifter. And five, the lady to your right is a Democrat and a professional wrestler. Now, think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still wanna tell that joke?”

The blind man thinks for a second, shakes his head and finally mutters: “Well, no; not if I’m gonna have to explain it five times.”

15,000 comments!!! Looks like the Democrats have a MUCH bigger problem than the GOP.

[youtube]BPvqYK2JevI[/youtube]

H/T: Let Freedom Ring

Wired has the full story.

A reader tipped me off to an issue that’s come up with crossover voters in Ohio. It seems that some Republican voters have bragged online that they voted Democratic ballots in the Ohio March 4th primary in order to influence the outcome of the presidential election. Essentially, they wanted to help Hillary Clinton win the Democratic nomination over Barack Obama because they think she’s the weaker candidate and would lose against Republican John McCain in November.

This is where the law comes in to play.

Ohio’s revised election code includes an election falsification clause (Revised Code 3513.20), which says that if a voter who changes parties is challenged by poll workers as to the sincerity of his change of heart and also signs an affidavit stating that he supports the principles of the party to which he’s changing — when in fact he doesn’t support them — then he would be committing election falsification. Election falsification is a felony that is punishable by six to twelve months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

This should be interesting to watch unfold.

A little over a year ago:
1. Consumer confidence stood at a 5-year high;
2. Regular gasoline averaged under $2.30 a gallon;
3. The unemployment rate was down to 4.4%.
4. Americans were enjoying historically-high home equity.

Since voting in a Democrat Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1. Consumer confidence plummet;
2. The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.25 a gallon;
3. Unemployment rise to 4.8% (a 9% increase);
4. American home equity hit the lowest point in six decades;

H/T for the e-mail: Texas Rainmaker

Only the Democrat House Leadership could find an unethical way to pass an “ethics” bill.

House Democrats had crafted legislation, an ethics bill in name only, that will do nothing to clean-up Washington. In fact, many non-partisan experts believe that it will only further empower the special interests.

Tonight, on the House floor, House Democrats were headed towards defeat. They were opposed by a bipartisan coalition of Members, who wanted to work towards meaningful ethics reform, rather than accept the empty rhetoric offered by the House Democrat Leadership. At the end of the vote, the bipartisan coalition had prevailed; yet, Speaker Pelosi held the vote open and strong-armed less senior Representatives into voting her way. This action violated House rules that were enacted in January of last year.

One thing is clear – House Democrats have failed the American People. They can’t even pass an “ethics” bill without violating the rules.

H/T: Eric Cantor’s Blog

Within hours of a majorityap.com report that a DailyKos user had posted court records from the contentious divorce proceedings of Illinois millionaire Bill Foster, the link was deleted.

Foster is the Democrat candidate in the race to succeed former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert. A special election will be held Saturday, March 8, to fill the remainder of Hastert’s term.

Yep, DailyKOS is for transparency and open public records when it is a Republican taking the heat. But if it’s a wealthy Democrat they’ll do whatever it takes to minimize political damage.

I can understand the desire to promote your party, but why protect a guy who doesn’t vote in most cases and has a shady personal life?

Foster is a first-time office seeker who has moved in and out of the district, and has rarely voted in general elections. Foster did not vote in 2006 – the last Congressional election – when Laesch was a candidate.

Foster’s divorce records include several embarrassing, and potentially damaging, revelations. Among them, Foster’s then-wife Ann claimed under oath that the millionaire politician “pushed, shoved and caused physical abuse and emotional harm…putting her in fear for herself (and the couple’s) minor children.”

Why on earth would the left want to protect and embrace this kind of ilk? I just don’t get it.

Read the rest at RedState…