Monday, December 29, 2008

It's Because We Actually Care

http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x1142647769/GOP-Pay-raise-No-thanks

GOP: Pay raise? No thanks
Some lawmakers don’t want it
By Nancy Reardon
GateHouse News Service
Dec 26, 2008

BOSTON — State lawmakers may be the only employees in this fiscal crisis actually required to take a pay raise – and some of them don’t want it.

The state Senate’s Republican caucus called for a one-year salary freeze this week for state workers and legislators, the latter of whom receive a constitutionally guaranteed raise every two years.

The governor has some discretion over the raise amount, which must take into consideration the state’s median household income over the two previous years, according to a 1998 amendment to the state constitution.

That means it’s also possible that legislators’ pay could go down.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Deval Patrick said the office is still determining what the raise would be. A recommendation is not due until next week.

According to a statement from the GOP, no state employee should get a pay raise as long as Patrick delays scheduled salary increases for some workers, most notably 30,000 human service providers awaiting a 3 percent raise.

Sen. Robert Hedlund said foregoing the raise would make an even wider statement.

“Unless you’re a Wall Street banker that’s getting bailed out, there aren’t a lot of people in the private sector getting raises this year,” the Weymouth Republican said. “We’re seeing a decline in wages in the U.S., and we’re seeing a shrinkage of the middle class, and public officials’ compensation should reflect what’s going on in the marketplace.”

But some say turning down a raise written into the constitution may be easier said than done.

“What sounds like a good sound byte is actually going to take some work,” said Sen. Michael Morrissey, a Quincy Democrat.

He said lawmakers should consider other alternatives that don’t “single out” legislators or possibly affect other state workers’ retirement plans.

He also noted that some legislators have lucrative jobs and businesses in addition to their congressional work, and others do not.

“I don’t think we should be focusing on the Legislature,” Morrissey said. “We should be looking at the entire problem and a wide array of solutions to the fiscal crisis.”

A spokeswoman for Senate President Therese Murray said the Plymouth Democrat didn’t have any comment on the issue yet.

This year, lawmakers earned $58,237 in base pay. Committee chairmen and vice chairmen earned between $7,500 and $15,000 on top of that, and the House speaker and Senate president receive $35,000 stipends on top of their base pay.

In 2005 and 2007, former Gov. Mitt Romney boosted legislative pay between 4 and 5 percent.

“In the old days, people complained about us voting for our own pay raise,” Morrissey said. “There’s no good way to figure out what a legislative pay raise should be.”

Monday, December 22, 2008

Take It Easy, Bob.

The following was sent to members of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, on Rob Willington stepping down as Executive Director:

As you may have heard this weekend, Rob Willington has resigned as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party.

Rob has been a terrific E.D. this cycle, and is easily one of the most technologically sophisticated ED's anywhere in the country, in any political party. When you look at the advances that the MassGOP made in using technology this cycle, you should think of and thank Rob Willington.

Here is just one example: Rob's plan to make people sign up for a McCain bumper sticker on line led to identifying hundreds of McCain supporters in Massachusetts, many of whom had never worked on a campaign before. With their online contact information, the McCain campaign in Massachusetts was able to identify and contact hundreds of people to make phone calls. The net result was approximately 300,000 phone calls made from Massachusetts volunteers.

To say this should be a model for future campaigns for President, Governor, and US Senator and all campaigns would be an understatement. Thanks to Rob Willington for pointing the way.

Rob will be working on bringing Republicans across the country up to speed on the uses of technology to organize and communicate with voters, and elect more Republicans. Given what he was able to do in Massachusetts with a small budget, Rob will be a natural at this.

Please join me in thanking Rob Willington, and wishing him all the best as he continues to help the Republican Party.

Sincerely,

Peter

PETER G. TORKILDSEN
Chair
Massachusetts Republican Party

Friday, December 19, 2008

BlogsForJoy

This holiday season, don't forget those that are less fortunate. It takes so little to create joy and happiness. By giving a little of your money, or a little of your time you can make a big difference.

www.BlogsForJoy.com was just launched and it's a network of bogs across the political spectrum. From BlueMassGroup to HubPolitics, we all agree that the world can use more joy.

If you are a blogger, feel free to contact blogsforjoy[at]gmail[dot]com and join the joy network.

If you are a blog reader, you can do something (look at the Joy Avenues) and email blogsforjoy[at]gmail[dot]com with what you did (include pictures.)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Make Joy This Christmas


This morning, my wife told me that there is a 3 year old girl that is living in a shelter that will receive the toy that we donate to the church. My wife asked if our gift would be the only gift that this little girl would receive this Christmas and unfortunately, the answer was yes. My wife then asked for permission to include another item (she bought a kaleidoscope) in the package and they confirmed that she could. She bought a pair of warm pajamas (only $10) and I came to work this morning thinking that more must be done.

So here is a way to do more.

You can help and I am asking you to do so.

The Massachusetts Toys For Tots program is a great way for you to create joy in the heart of a little boy or girl as is Operation Homefront which assists children of military families.

The MassGOP currently has a lot of toys that the Marines will soon be picking up, but more should be done and you can help.



The Mass Toys For Tots has a list of their drop-off locations. However, we put this list in google maps to help you visualize where you can go to help.


View Larger Map

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Welcome New Members

Last night the First Suffolk Senate District had a caucus in Dorchester (Boston) to elect two new members of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee.

Joseph Ureneck

jureneck[AT]comcast[DOT]net


Karen MacNutt

KLMacnutt[AT]aol[DOT]com

Give them a warm welcome as they are working to build the GOP in Boston.

Monday, December 8, 2008

RTC Links

Notice a little winter cleaning on MassRoots? We hope you like what we have done with the place.

As you scroll down, you will notice on the right hand side a series of links for Republican Town Committees in Massachusetts.

We must be missing some.

Can you help us identify which Republican Town Committees are active online and email them links to us at FarmTeam[AT]massgop[DOT]com ? Thanks, we appreciate it.

Also, if you notice some sites that are from 1993, can you please let them know that we (the MassGOP) are willing to bring them into the 21st century for free? (be nice of course in your suggestion for an upgrade).

GOP Farm Team Update

GOPFarmTeam.com has been updated with a new post giving you election dates for municipalities across the Commonwealth.

Go check it out, and don't forget to ASK!

Berkshire GOP Christmas party

Join the Berkshire GOP to celebrate Christmas on Tuesday, December 16, from 5:30 - 7 PM in Pittsfield with State Senator Scott Brown.


Directions

Sunday, December 7, 2008

COME TWEET WITH US

You are invited to micro-blog with the MassGOP.

What's Micro Blogging?

It's twitter.

What in the world is twitter?


Christmas Party $50?

The MassGOP is going to have a wonderful Christmas party in Boston on December 10th.

You have 2 options.

1) pay $50 at the door.

2) print out your facebook RSVP and get in for $20.

We really value your personal connection to the MassGOP - you need to RSVP and then print out the invite. Also, bring a unwrapped toy (under $10) to support the Boston Toys For Tots program.


If you are not familiar with facebook, click here to learn a bit and then click on our icon to join.

Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

MassRoots Goes DC

I'm in Washington DC today for a conference at ATR (Americans for Tax Reform) headed by our very own Grover Norquist.

There are over 100 people from across the country consisting mostly of state party chairs and state conservative organizations.

The only agenda was to open it up and pass the microphone about the political climate and share best practices.  It was good to see Chip Faulkner from Citizens for Limited Taxation.

Monday, December 1, 2008

YOU are needed NOW.

The Boston Herald is reporting that the Boston Toys for Tots program is suffering. The story is titled "Toy Shortage" but should really be "Joy Shortage for Children In Need."

"More than a quarter million toys are needed to avert a blue Christmas for needy children this year, as the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in Boston tries to stave off a crisis of soaring requests for help amid plummeting donations."

The MassGOP is continuing it's Toys for Tots drive at our Christmas Party on December 10th, in downtown Boston (Johnnie's On The Side). Please bring an unwrapped toy (under $10) to support this important program.

The cost is $50 payable to the Massachusetts Republican Party to attend.

If you are already out shopping, pick up this toy to bring joy to a child in need this Christmas; you have the ability to warm the heart of a little kid.

If you can not attend the MassGOP Christmas Party, please support the Toys for Tots by visiting this link.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Winning Hearts & Minds

I just received this email from a State Committee member:

"The Uxbridge Republican Town Committee provides our high school library with subscriptions to "Human Events". the weekly edition of "Washington Times", and "National Review" as well as assorted books with conservative content after we've read them ourselves. We also try to select one or two recently graduated HS students to send to the National Conservative Student Conference held in Washington, DC each August. I personally contribute to the scholarship fund that subsidizes student attendance at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC and to Morton Blackwell's Leadership Institute campus program particularly here in the northeast."
I like to think of myself as a product of Morton Blackwell's fantastic Leadership Institute. The summer after High School I attended the Candidate Development Program (8 days), then I attended the Youth Leadership School (campus activism) and a Global Warming school before being shipped over to Bonn, Germany to protest the Kyoto Protocol (greenpeace was stunned to find protesters protesting protesters).

The Uxbridge Republican Town Committee is doing great things to help win the battle of ideas and to promote our ideals with young students (before heading into the notorious college classroom).

We would love to see other Republican Town Committees do similar projects. Currently, the MassGOP staff consists of only a few people working hard on our top priorities of recruiting candidates and targeting towns to resurrect Republican Town Committees.

However, part of our strategy in the past 2 years has been to decentralize the MassGOP to empower activists to self-organize - this is evident in our online approach with MassRootsAction, a private training site which gives you, our activists, a tremendous amount of information and tools that have never been available before.

In this spirit, I want to offer one of you to spearhead this project of replicating what Uxbridge is doing across the Commonwealth. I know how valuable this can be. In the late 90's I used to read National Review magazine in my High School library.

Finally, to parallel my offer to spearhead this project, I recommend a very wise and important speech that Morton Blackwell gave in 1993 titled, "How To Be The Life Of The Party."

Morton has a lot of other great articles on this link. I especially like the "People, Parties, and Power" and "Power and Influence."

If you can help with this effort to expand the Uxbridge model, please email us at info[AT]massgop[DOT]com and I will then coordinate all that respond to form the team.


Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Christmas Party

I would love to see you at our Christmas Party! You can RSVP to ljones (AT) massgop (DOT) com or RSVP to our Facebook Event page.


Monday, November 24, 2008

Join Us

Over at RebuildTheParty.com they have just done a fantastic update and really expanded the tools and options.

A few state parties have created individual groups and I just launched "Massachusetts Rebuild The Party" group - will you join it?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

RebuildTheParty.com

The internet has had a huge impact on our world - shopping, traveling, reading, communicating, sharing, visiting, it's changed a lot of the way we do things. When was the last time you visited a travel agency or opened up a yellow book to find a phone number?

The world have politics has also seen an enormous change from the internet.

The first time I noticed the internet influencing politics was when John McCain was the first candidate in history to raise more than $1 million in 2000. Once Howard Dean's campaign made history in 2004, I was hooked - the internet, if used right, can do massive things. I read Joe Trippi's book, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and saw how the web took a small campaign in Burlington VT. to the national stage with millions of dollars.

I no longer thought of the internet as a top-down medium where a website informs the visitor. The web empowers everyone to be active and to participate; it was engaging.

The Democrats cleaned our clocks in 2008 both locally and nationally and the internet gave them a lot of ammunition.

There are a few reasons why Democrats are better with new media than Republicans:

1) Demographic - younger people are much savvier online and participatory, they are more likely to engage and not be casual readers. In this current Republican climate, younger people are more likely to be Democrat.

2) Geography - do you remember seeing the red/blue map based by county? Well, if one were to take that map and overlay it on a different map noting the counties that have dial-up internet and hi-speed internet, you will find that virtually all of the blue counties have access to hi-speed internet.

3) Power - it's natural for the party out of power to be innovative and advance new techniques and technologies. During the late 1990's after 8 years of Bill Clinton, it was the conservatives with FreeRepublic (and McCain's $1 million dollars in 2000) that were the online innovators.
Locally in Massachusetts, the Republican Party has made some great changes. In about 15 months the MassGOP went from having a static website to a much more engaging online presence - a blog, a private training blog, youtube videos, facebook, myspace, twitter, regular mass emails, and forms for people to give us feedback like this and this. We are also collecting cell phone numbers for mass text messages to grow our voice on talk radio with message alerts and to inform activists on the road.

"Great Rob, a bunch of new internet toys while we lost 3 seats in the legislature."

Correct - we got beat this year and those lost 3 seats are what you see. However, you don't see what we have acquired internally - the thousands of McCain supporters via the free sticker offer on our webpage, the thousands came to one of our offices or signed up via one of our web initiatives and petitions. This data on our harddrives at the MassGOP HQ is exactly what we needed to Grow Our Party. New blood.

These people are connected (obviously, since we captured them online) and they will be the engagers to move the Massachustts Republican Party forward and they will be invited to attend future trainings in their region.

Now we have the tools and workers to build the Massachusetts Republican Party. We will soon launch a few party building projects and provide a very special opportunity for you to communicate directly with me and the interns over lunch; stay tuned!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to help craft RebuildTheParty.com, a new national initiative to push the GOP toward what I have just written about. You can submit your idea and I encourage you to support this effort, spread it far and wide and endorse the plan today.


Saturday, November 8, 2008

Farm Team

Politics magazine in DC had this blurb about the MassGOP building the farm team at the municipal level.   It was written before the horrific election as they noted we had 19 seats in the House.  If you would like to run for office or if you know someone that would be a great candidate please email us at farmteam@massgop.com


Massachusetts
Robert Willingham has a tough job. How do you promote the GOP in a state with an almost uninterrupted history of electing “Massachusetts liberals”?
 
“In Massachusetts, the Republican Party is surely in a peculiar position next to other parties,” says Willington, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. “We don’t even hold a statewide office, we don’t have anything.”
 
Aside from a recent red hiccup with former Gov. Mitt Romney, the Bay State has nearly always been straight blue. Even the state house tilts blue: only five of the 40 state senators and 19 of the 160 state representatives are Republican.
 
So about two years ago, Willington started working on what he calls the GOP’s “farm team.” He’s training candidates in smaller municipal races like school committee and mayor, even candidates who usually don’t get party support because they’re officially running as nonpartisans. Willington teaches his candidates how to use tools—like his party’s Voter Vault—usually reserved for bigger elections. “A lot of Republicans have been winning [these nonpartisan races],” he says. “It’s just been under the radar.”
 
One of the success stories is Adam Lamontagne, Ward 1 representative in Chicopee, the second largest city in Western Massachusetts. Elected at only 21, he’s part of a wave of young officeholders that Willington hopes will claim bigger offices down the road.
 
“We’re building the bench,” he says, “so we have a stronger minor league team to take to the big leagues.”

—Abigail Shaha
 

Thursday, November 6, 2008

the building has begun.

This was a bad election and no one is more upset than I am about it. The GOP lost three open Republican seats. We went from 19 to 16 seats in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Just north of us in New Hampshire, we had Republican incumbent John Sununu lose his senate seat and to the south of us we lost incumbent Congressman Chris Shays in Connecticut, the last Republican Congressman of New England is now gone. Typically, around 98% of incumbents get reelected. If Senator Sununu and Congressman Shays could not hold on in this climate, it would be very difficult for non-incumbent Republicans to win in Massachusetts.

Some of you want to give up and go into hibernation and I can understand, although I don't agree. The number of GOP activists is not finite. Yesterday morning I arrived to the MassGOP headquarters, and as you can expect, in a pretty low mood.

Then the phone started ringing.

An Unenrolled (independent) voter called from Tewksbury to ask how he could switch to become a Republican. After I told him how to register as a Republican, he asked how he could fight for the party and be active in building it.

Then, a Republican in Brighton called who has never been involved before but asked how he could run for office to carry the GOP banner.

A Democrat from Watertown called and is switching to Republican and is looking to get involved.

The phone continued to ring with similar stories. There are new people that have never been involved before but now they want to fight. These people are now awake.

There were 1,104,086 people in Massachusetts that voted for John McCain. There are 15,696 people that moved to Massachusetts this year that were registered as Republicans in their previous state. As crazy as this sounds, there are Republicans moving to Massachusetts. This is just the beginning of a massive effort to grow the Republican Party from the bottom up and reach out to these people with welcoming arms.

This Party will not grow if we keep looking to others, or to "Merrimac Street" (State Party headquarters). This effort is to empower you to self-organize and to become more independent with the tools that you need. The Party is here to be your ally and assist you with technology, trainings, and lists of names, numbers, and emails but it is you that has to work.

If you want to join the Democrat from Watertown, the Unenrolled from Tewksbury, the Republican from Brighton along with the others that called our headquarters to be part of this effort, you can do so right now.

Sign up and let us know what you are interested in. And most importantly, if we are to expand our party we need to share this blog post. For us to Grow Our Party, this opportunity must go viral so share this with your email list and post it on blogs.

In only a few weeks we will begin to have municipal elections and in 729 days we will have a state election; your active involvement today will mean a brighter future for tomorrow.

The building has begun and we can do big things.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Phone Banking

We are here at MassGOP HQ (85 Merrimac Street) making phone calls - all are welcome!



Thursday, October 30, 2008

Rob Willington on 96.9

Rob Willington was on 96.9 FM Talk with Michelle McPhee



OR "Governor Deval Patrick" OR "Democrat Deval Patrick" OR "Deval Patrick" OR "Governor Patrick" Michele McPhee - 10/28/08: Guest, Rob Willington, MA GOP

The Phoenix's Ultra, HardCore, Radical, Rabid Article

David Bernstein from the Boston Phoenix loves modifiers. Bernstein's recent article is full of political-speak resembling a DNC press release.

radical right wing creatures

radical kooks

ultra-right wing (Steve Pearce)

ultra-right wing (American Conservative Union)

ultra-conservative (Newt Gingrich)

ultra-conservative (John Kyl)

rabid conservatives

rabid right

rabid ideologues

radical right wing creatures

hard right conservatives

ultra right wing (2)

hard-core conservatives.

know-nothing, scary conservatives.

zombies.

The term "conservative" won't do for David. He wants to show you how very, super-duper, very, very, very, majorly, "extreme" some of these Republicans are. The article should cause you to zoom out a little bit and ask; what is the difference between conservative and "ultra," "radical" conservative? David's answer is that Newt Gingrich is not simply a conservative. What this article really reveals, if anything, is David's worldview and where he is on the political spectrum.

AP Rips ObamaMercial

Did you see the ObamaMercial last night?

Here is what the AP had to say.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

NY POST: DEMS' CAMPAIGN-FINANCE HYPOCRISY

By BOB KERREY

Last updated: 5:42 am
October 28, 2008
Posted: 3:42 am
October 28, 2008

ON the question of public funding of presidential campaigns, we Democrats who strongly support Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy and who previously supported limits on campaign spending and who haven't objected to Obama's opting out of the presidential funding system face an awkward fact: Either we are hypocrites, or we were wrong to support such limitations in the first place.

The next time we speak of the virtue of level playing fields or state our strong belief that democracy can't survive in the modern age unless big money is taken out of campaigns, we'll be counting on our audience's forgetting our silence this year, when the free market was flowing in our direction.

A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue - who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. And that, it seems to me, is what we're doing now.

Former Sen. Wendell Ford once gave me good advice about public issues and votes: "If it takes you more than 10 minutes to explain why you voted a particular way, you probably voted wrong." It would take me a lot longer than those 10 minutes to explain why I'm not outraged by Obama's decision to opt out of funding - which has given him a decisive spending advantage over Sen. John McCain.

Actually, I could keep my answer under 10 minutes if I were willing to answer that it's now to my advantage to act in contradiction to my previously stated beliefs. All I would need to say is that, on the issue of public funding in 2008, I was a hyprocrite.

Of course, there's another option: Admit I was wrong on such limitations in the first place. And that's exactly what I'm likely to do.

For the facts in evidence seem to make the case that this presidential campaign is the most exciting, most closely watched and most expensive in my lifetime. That is, there seems to be no correlation between the amount of money spent and disillusionment among the voters. Indeed, the contrary appears to be true.

The argument that money is corrupting our democratic system is as old as our first election. And it is an argument usually made by liberals, who have proposed various interventions in the marketplace of political ideas.

The bedrock federal law here was enacted in 1971 and has been challenged time and again by individuals and groups who view such limits as a violation of the First Amendment. On each of the several occasions when the Supreme Court has ruled against the law, Congress came back with further modifications to the statute.

The most recent effort was in 2002, when Sen. McCain led a bipartisan effort to "clean up the system." Last year, the high court overturned the key provision of that law, which restricted individuals and groups from engaging in issue campaigns.

There is great irony here, since the key vote in that 5-4 decision was Justice Sam Alito - just the kind of "nonactivist" judge that Sen. McCain has promised to nominate.

So maybe I was simply wrong about placing limits on spending and providing public monies in exchange for adhering to these limits. Of course, it's possible that I'm making a virtue out of a necessity - since my candidate is now winning in part because, by opting out of the system, he has more money to spend.

In the short term, I'm sad to report that hypocrite is a more accurate label. In the long term, perhaps this will be the moment that causes me to change my views. It certainly feels better than remaining a hypocrite forever.

Bob Kerrey, president of the New School, served as a US senator and governor of Nebraska.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

15 Years Is 15 Dollars

You heard the news of Dianne Wilkerson. You shook your head, but you were probably not in disbelief. Why?

Because you sort of expect Beacon Hill Democrats to be shady and unethical.

Typically, we continue on with our day without trying to do something about Beacon Hill. In memory of Senator Dianne Wilkerson, you can donate $15 right now to represent the 15 years that Dianne Wilkerson has been on Beacon Hill.

15 for $15.


You Can Make History


We need your help. Phone lines are available at the MassGOP headquarters at 85 Merrimac Street in Boston.

If we work hard, we can put Republicans to work once they are elected. Please give your time over the next few days to help our Massachusetts Republicans.

Did you know that it has been 18 years since the GOP has gained seats in the Massachusetts legislature? You can make history this year.























Wedensday, October 29
10:00 -12:00
12:00 - 2:00
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4:00 - 6:00
6:00 - 8:00

Thursday , October 30
10:00 -12:00
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6:00 - 8:00

Friday, October 31
10:00 -12:00
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Saturday, November 1
10:00 -12:00
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2:00 - 4:00
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Sunday, Novemer 2
10:00 -12:00
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Monday, November 3
10:00 -12:00
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Tuesday, November 4
10:00 -12:00
12:00 - 2:00
2:00 - 4:00
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6:00 - 8:00

"Vote For Dianne Wilkerson"

Monday, October 27, 2008

Suffolk College Republicans

I have to say, the Suffolk College Republicans rule. They are here at the MassGOP right now at 7:59 and they have been making calls for hours.

They are dedicated.

The Suffolk CR's remind me of how I was when I was a proud member of the Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans.

You don't have to be left out. You can join the College Republicans in their effort by donating right now to help the GOP farm team to send Republicans to Beacon Hill.

Obama Redistribution Of Wealth

Here is a 2001 interview of Obama talking as a State Senator. He wants to fundamentally change our constitutional system.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Obama In The Real World

This was an email sent to Robert Bluey:

"In a local restaurant my server had on a “Obama 08″ tie, again I laughed as he had given away his political preference–just imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need–the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I’ve decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient deserved money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application."

Beatty Tailgate

Friday, October 24, 2008

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Just $10

I just donated $10.

I'm asking you to do the same to support the local Republicans running in the State Legislature. They are carrying the GOP banner and your $10 contribution can be a big help.

Please expand your $10 donation by emailing your friends and ask them for $10 to help the GOP Farm Team. Click here to give your $10.

In The News 10/21/08

Beatty slams Kerry, wins debate.

GOP Website hits Donnelly

We agree Jay, we agree.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Donate To Farm Team Today!

We just launched www.GOPFarmTeam.com as way for you to directly support our local candidates that are carrying the GOP banner to Beacon Hill.


The legislature is 88% Democrat and you can help advance Republican candidates by going to www.GOPFarmTeam.com and donating right now. We only have 20 days left and your contribution will help tremendously!



You can water the grassroots; this is party building. There are only 20 days left.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Palin's Coming to New Hampshire!!!

Governor Palin Campaigns in New Hampshire!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

*****************

Dover Victory Rally
Dover High School Gymnasium
25 Alumni Drive
Dover, NH 03820
Doors Open @ 9:00AM


Laconia Victory Rally
Weirs Beach
Lakeside Avenue
Laconia, NH 03246
Gates Open @ 12:00PM


Salem Victory Rally
with Todd Palin
Salem High School Football Field
44 Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079
Gates Open @ 4:30PM



Tickets for all events can be obtained online at newhampshire.johnmccain.com or in the below locations between 9:00AM and 9:00PM every day, after 3PM today:

Victory Offices
250 Commercial Street, Manchester
139 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua
151 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham
50 Mechanic Street, Lebanon
664 Main Street, Laconia
42 South Street, Milford
47 N. Main Street, Concord
145 Tremont Street, Boston

GOP Offices
10 Water Street, Concord
356 S. Broadway, Salem
41 N. Main Street, Rochester


All tickets are first come, first serve and do not guarantee entry. Reservations and holding of tickets are not allowed and must be obtained either online or in-person. Every individual person will be required to submit full name, telephone number, e-mail address and street address when obtaining tickets. No more than 5 tickets may be obtained by any one person and a unique name must be provided for each.

Questions, please call 603-369-4945

In The News 10/13/08

The Globe: Vote Republican

The Ayers Agenda


And the Dow's up 400 in early trading.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Kuros: 40 Votes In 40 Days

Kevin Kuros, who is running against Rep. Paul Kujawski in the 8th Worcester District, has a great site up called "40 Votes in 40 Days." Check it out!




In The News 10/7/08

John Boehner smacks Barney Frank

Oh, You didn't know?


And Beatty - why he'll win

Friday, October 3, 2008

In The News 10/3/08

Did Sarah Palin win? You betcha.

Deval Patrick makes a laughable claim

Remember when this used to happen to the Red Sox?

Palin Power

Frank Luntz had a focus group on the debate last night and you can watch the results below.
It's clear that Sarah Palin won the debate last night - but don't take our word for it. Check out these two videos.





"She Killed" says Peggy Noonan.



Joe Biden? He was simply not telling the truth, but then again, it's "just words."

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

the real story

Palin Update

Check out the John McCain store for the new Palin Power materials.


Also, there is a new site called Palin Truth Files which you can check out by clicking the graphic below.




Rising In NH

John McCain has been steadily rising in New Hampshire.


Tuesday, September 30, 2008

In The News 9/30/08

The Bailout went down

Sovereign Bank ousts their CEO

And the National Review has an amazing article on the whole thing.

Barney Frank.

Thomas Sowell writes a clear and persuasive argument for free markets, and rightfully labels Barney Frank as one of the major problems in Congress.

Five years ago, Barney Frank vouched for the “soundness” of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and said “I do not see” any “possibility of serious financial losses to the treasury.”

Moreover, he said that the federal government has “probably done too little rather than too much to push them to meet the goals of affordable housing.”

If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were free market institutions they could not have gotten away with their risky financial practices because no one would have bought their securities without the implicit assumption that the politicians would bail them out.

It would be better if no such government-supported enterprises had been created in the first place and mortgages were in fact left to the free market. This bailout creates the expectation of future bailouts.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Five Things to Like About the Republican Effect on the Deal

From the corner.

1. No ACORN money: All money goes to debt reduction

2. No blank check: Treasury is required to develop an insurance program

3. No union power grab: Dodd-Frank permitted unions to force themselves into the board room. This proposed compromise eliminates that.

4. No “cram down” bankruptcy provision (aka, trial bar giveaway):

5. No tax hikes: The proposed compromise simply requires a proposal to Congress to recoup any potential losses.

Herald slams Benson, Dykema

Ouch - that's gotta hurt.

The State House has never exactly been a refuge for Mensa members - remember Barney Frank’s old joke about how one state rep’s IQ was so low that he was at risk for contracting Dutch elm disease?

If anything, the solons are getting dimmer. This morning, let us consider two candidates, one of whom seeks to represent a MetroWest district full of commuters who use the Turnpike. Yet this Democrat openly states that “tolls are good” - and by the way she’d also be “open” to raising the gas tax too, in case those $8 tolls at the tunnel don’t get the job done.

Then we have another candidate, in Lunenburg, who believes that women were granted the right to vote by the Supreme Court. Let’s start with this rocket scientist, one Jen Benson, who is actually on the Lunenburg School Committee. What an example her erudition (look it up, Jen!) sets “for the children.”

She’s running for the seat being vacated by moonbat Rep. Jamie Eldridge of Acton, and her Biden-esque grasp of history has been posted on YouTube by her Republican opponent, Kurt Hayes.

She’s talking, I think, about gay “marriage,” which she says should not be “left up to the tyranny of the majority of the state.”

No, it should be left up to the tyranny of five unemployable lawyers who gave money to politicians so they could retire to judgeships. But I digress. The Lunenburg loony starts talking about women’s suffrage in 1920, or, as she puts it, “80 years ago.”

“Now considering that men were the only voters, if men had been left to choose whether or not women should be allowed the right to vote, what would the outcome of that be? No, it was left to the Supreme Court.”

Jen, your ignorance is astounding. Women got the right to vote through the 19th Amendment, Jen, and believe it or not the Supreme Court cannot (yet) add amendments directly to the Constitution. Please take good notes, Jen, because there will be a quiz on this. In 1919, Congress approved the women’s suffrage amendment, on votes (mostly by men) of 304-89 in the House and 56-25 in the (predominantly male) Senate.

Then it had to be approved by three-quarters of the state legislatures, which, I hasten to repeat, were made up almost exclusively of men. It took 15 months to get the 36th legislature (Tennessee). Are you following me here, Jen?

“Women won the right to vote by a vote of the Supreme Court,” she repeated, idiotically, “and actually many women were tortured and lost their lives in order to get that right.”

Whatever you say, Jen.

Next, come on down Carolyn Dykema. She’s running for the MetroWest seat held by retiring Rep. Paul Loscocco. Dykema, a moonbat’s moonbat, went to Wellesley College and as a child she spent summers on “a lake in rural Maine,” where she learned “a respect for nature and the environment.”

And what better way to protect the environment than by forcing those nasty non-Prius-driving commuters she’d like to represent on Beacon Hill to pay more tolls?

At a candidate’s forum last month, she was asked about the endless toll increases. After first proposing more tollbooths on the western Pike and at the New Hampshire border, she says:

“Tolls are good for a number of reasons, one I think environmentally. I think encouraging getting rid of the tolls would actually encourage more driving which is not, I believe, in our long-term interests. We should be looking at more public transportation.”

Gotta get to Logan? Just catch the 5:30 a.m. T bus from Holliston, right?

It’s amazing, that a MetroWest candidate could endorse the idea of beggaring her own neighbors on behalf of paying for a new road for another bunch of motorists who aren’t worrying about paying an extra $20 a week in January to get to their jobs, because they have never paid a dime in tolls.

I’m sure that Carolyn is now shocked, shocked to learn that the Pike hacks are floating trial balloons about $8 tolls at the tunnels. But as her opponent Dan Haley said, “If tolls are good, to quote her own position, then higher tolls must be better.”

Every year, you don’t think it can get any worse at the State House, and every year it does. I think the building needs a good spraying - for Dutch elm disease.

Link.

New York Times - Mass Income Tax Repeal

Our very own, State Representative George Peterson from Grafton, was quoted in the New York Times this weekend regarding Question 1 and the push to join 7 other states without an income tax.


At issue is Question 1, which would eliminate the state income tax. It would save the average taxpayer about $3,600 a year. Annual revenue from the tax is about $12.5 billion, roughly 45 percent of the state’s budget of about $28 billion.

Some voters who wanted taxes lowered to 5 percent have decided to support Question 1 to show their anger at the state, said Barbara Anderson, director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, which advocated 5 percent but is now producing bumper stickers that read “Hell Yes! Question 1.”

“It’s the only game in town, it’s the only question on the ballot, it’s the only chance for us to express our outrage,” Ms. Anderson said. “The more we looked at it and realized that other states get along very well without an income tax, like New Hampshire, you start dreaming.”

State Representative George Peterson of Grafton, a Republican who voted for repeal in 2002, declined to say how he would vote this time.

“If we lose $12.5 billion, can I build a responsible budget with that loss in revenue?” Mr. Peterson asked. “No, I can’t.”

But he suggested that if the repeal passed, even though it is technically binding, the Legislature might be forced to find a way around it and pass a new law setting taxes at the 5 percent rate voters asked for eight years ago. “I’m telling my constituents, if you want to send a message that we have a budget that is out of control, send me that message.”

Saturday, September 27, 2008

ACIVATE '08

leave school, quit your job, and get a (campaign) life...

...I did both in 2000.

After the New Hampshire primary, I got a phone call while at work asking me if I could work on the campaign around the country. I thought about it for 10 minutes and then told my boss I was leaving - "what?" he said. "When are you leaving?" "Tomorrow morning, I'm driving to Delaware." There was really nothing he could do or say on that cold Saturday night in January.

On a sunny, Sunday morning I had my rental mini-van jam packed with campaign signs, stickers, push cards, and other campaign materials and headed south on highway 95 to the state that is home of serious wind energy.

It was the start of my second semester that year and I called my school from the road to let them know I was leaving. They then recommended that I at least try to get credit from the campaign experience (great idea since I ended up getting 12 credits).

It was an amazing experience working for your values and a cause greater than yourself. It was risky at the time but it certainly turned out to be a worth while experience. I was not part of any program or group within the campaign - I was a solo campaign mercenary and my payment was a victory of my values. I had an agenda and I wanted to advance it.

A lot has evolved in 8 years within the campaign world. The McCain-Palin campaign is now offering Campaign Deployment to facilitate those that want to advance their values. Time is running out, are you able to give yourself to the movement? Become a McCain Marshal or a McCain Maverick today.


McCain Palin Yard Signs Have Arrived

Finally - the yard signs have arrived and we will be sending them out to regional pick-up locations around the state.

If you want to be on the email list to be alerted about the regional locations to get your sign, you can sign up here.


Socialism, Not Capitalism.

The Worcester County Freedom Trail has an excellent post about the financial meltdown.

"Get government out of the capital markets and let the markets do what they do best."

Biden vs Obama.

Take Biden's word on Senator Obama - when it comes to funding the troops, Obama is playing politics.


Friday, September 26, 2008

Democrat Negative Ad On McCain Health

The Democrats have stooped to a new low with a negative attack ad on John McCain for having.... melanoma.


What Caused Our Economic Crisis?

Drudgereport just linked to this video on YouTube.

In The News 9/26/08

A Toll Hike? Thanks for Nothing Beacon Hill...

Barney Frank said some pretty stupid things about Fannie Mae.

The Budget went up by $1.4 Billion Dollars, and surprise! We Have To Make Cuts.

Sam Adams: Brewer, Patriot, Biden-Dunker

Late on Dec. 16, 1773, American colonists met at Boston's Faneuil Hall before proceeding to the Boston Tea Party, an exercise in freedom that still reverberates 235 years later.

Don't you wish Joe Biden had been there? Picture him, sneaking in behind Sam Adams, still flush from his appearance on Good Morning British Empire, reaching the front and admonishing the crowd in full bluster: "It's time to be patriotic… time to jump in. Time to be part of the deal."

Upon realizing that Biden's test of patriotism requires paying higher taxes, the Sons of Liberty would have no doubt decided that it wasn't time to "jump in" but to dump in, as in Joe Biden into Boston Harbor along with the tea.

With no such modern-day fears, Biden cut loose last week. In his run-up to the "time to be patriotic" pronouncement, he succinctly summarized the Obama-Biden economic plan: "We wanna take money and put it back in the pocket of middle class people." At least now we all know The Biden Doctrine.

If he hadn't put down his political roots in D.C., Joe Biden would have been perfectly at home in Massachusetts, home to the only legislature in the country where a bill requiring taxpayers to put their hands over their hearts and sing My Country 'Tis of Thee while the Department of Revenue digs in their pockets might actually pass.

But there is hope. On Oct. 4, Faneuil Hall will once again welcome a rally of anti-tax patriots, this time not against the imperial acts of Parliament but in favor of Question 1, a citizens' initiative for the elimination of the Massachusetts income tax.

Question 1 bears watching nationwide. It aims at the heart of political arrogance, on full display among the neo-imperialists in the Massachusetts Legislature. Their trail of abuse is long.

In 1989, the Legislature promised from its Beacon Hill bunker that its Dukakis-era income tax hike to 5.85 percent was "temporary," but then Democratic lawmakers simply decided they liked the higher confiscation better. Voters responded in 2000 by passing an initiative to restore the income tax to 5 percent. Beacon Hill decided it didn't want to and stalled the mandated rollback at 5.3 percent, where if sits today. Hence, Question 1.

In the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party, British Prime Minister Lord North warned that, without reassertion of imperial control over Boston's unruly patriots, "All is over." Today, Beacon Hill pols confront their own British-like horror in the form of mere working taxpayers demanding accountability from their overlords.

So, like Lord North, the Legislature and its union and interest group beneficiaries warn of the end times. Gov. Deval Patrick says Question 1 is dumb, irresponsible and foolish. The Massachusetts Teacher's Association says Question 1 would devastate Massachusetts' economy and quality of life and that the consequences would be dire.

Here's what's dumb, irresponsible, foolish, dire and devastating to Massachusetts' economy and quality of life: being the 48th worst state in population retention. What is the one thing that would reverse this exodus in the quickest possible time? How about an average pay raise of $3,700 per Massachusetts worker? That's what Question 1 would accomplish.

Multiplied by today's 3.4 million workers, this equals nearly $12.6 billion dollars, the amount now confiscated by the Massachusetts income tax. Question 1 is really about who would do a better job spending this money. The answer is easy: People spend their own money more productively and profitably than politicians do.

Is there middle ground? No. The Statehouse cannot be trusted on taxes. Beacon Hill makes up the rules as it goes. For example, it currently says it has until 2014 to decide if it will finally obey the people's vote of 2000 to restore the 5 percent rate. What next?

The people of Massachusetts need to say "enough." And it might be the last best chance. No state can lose 550,000 people to other states, as the commonwealth did from 1991 to 2007, and continue to prosper.

Faced with this mass exodus, and a legislature that spends the people's money like drunken sailors anticipating state pensions, Question 1 provides voters with the only political tool they have to make Massachusetts a miracle once again.

Beacon Hill and its assortment of well-fed hangers-on have aimed all the guns of demagoguery at Question 1. If they are successful, you can bet that more families will find better places to live than Massachusetts.

But Joe Biden—he would be right at home.


Matt Kinnaman