Mike Pence for 2012?

In 2006 after the Republicans lost the House of Representatives in a blood bath of an election, Mike Pence was sounding the rally call, putting front and center what the Republicans had done wrong.

"Our opponents will say that the American people rejected our Republican vision," he remarked during his run for the House Minority Leadership position. "I say the American people didn't quit on the Contract with America, we did. And in so doing, we severed the bonds of trust between our party and millions of our most ardent supporters."

On November 17 of that year, John Boehner won the election by a sweeping margin and has been House Minority Leader ever since. Between Boehner, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Pence, the House Republicans have a rising new crop of leadership ready to take the reins in the event that control is handed back to the Party. Pence himself has an election on his hands for 2010, a serial de-ja-vu type of affair against a familiar opponent in Barry Welsh, who also ran against Mike in 2008 and 2006 and lost both times. According to Welsh, 3 times is a charm but it appears that in this year of political conservative ascendancy, Pence's seat has been proclaimed totally safe for another go-round (D.C's Political Report).

This term in Pence's District should be his 6th, but it nearly was a Senate battle that Mike was involved in. Earlier this year, Pence was running against Democrat freshman incumbent Evan Bayh for the Senate seat that he captured in 2004. A Rasmussen telephone poll
on January 25th showed him leading Bayh by 3 points but Mike declined soon afterward, deciding to pursue instead the grand probability that the House would regain Republican majority and he'd have a new go at leadership possibilities.

Born in Columbus, Indiana, (WIKIPEDIA) Mike is one of six children, attending Columbus North High School, graduating from Hanover College with a Bachelor of Arts and the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis with a Juris Doctorate. He was an attorney and became a radio host of The Mike Pence Show based out of WRCR-FM in Rushville, Indiana. He actually made his first attempts to run for congress in 1988 and 1990, against Phil Sharp and lost both, even with the blessing of Ronald Reagan. It was a decade before he ran again, this time in 2000, when Republican David McIntosh vacated the 6th congressional seat and ran for governor. The decade has gone to Pence ever since. He formerly was leader of the Republican Study Committee and now chairs the House Republican Conference, which officially is the 3rd highest leadership ranking in the House. A winner of numerous conservative awards and honors, Pence has brought his conservative ideals to the forefront of a new generation of Republican leadership.

Mike and his wife Karen have three children, Michael, Charlotte, and Audrey. They live in Columbus, Indiana.

I interviewed Mike at a recent fundraiser for Wisconsin candidate Dan Kapanke, who ran against Ron Kind in the 3rd District. At the time, Pence was crisscrossing the country, lending his hand to every possible race, both big and small, to help turn tide in the November 2 election.


1. YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A CHRISTIAN FIRST, A CONSERVATIVE SECOND, AND A REPUBLICAN THIRD. HOW DOES THIS PHILOSOPHY GUIDE YOUR BELIEF AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM INDIANA?

Well, back when I was talk radio show host in the 1990s, people used to call my show and say, "I've been listening to you for a while, are you a conservative, a libertarian, or are you a neoconservative?" And I would say "I'm a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican in that order" and the way I tried to build a career over the past 10 years is on the basis of that foundation, where my faith instructs me in the conduct of my office, my family, or in policies effecting our values, that's what leads. But I'm a deeply committed conservative and that comes before party affiliation and at times I've had to do battle with leaders of my own party or a President of my own party on spending issues where I thought Republicans were walking away from the principles of limited Government. But beyond my core values and ideals, I'm proud to be a Republican, particularly these days when I see the Republican Party coming back to the principles that minted our national Governing majority and I think that's why the American People are giving us a second look.



No matter where Mike leads, it's a win for the Republican Party!

2. HAS IT BEEN INTIMIDATING FOR YOU BATTLE AGAINST THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR OWN PARTY?

Well, I will say that when I arrived in Washington in 2001, Scott, I never imagined that my toughest battles would be against members of my own party but, you know, when the Bush Administration came to power and their first priority was a massive expansion of the Federal Government, the Department of Education with No Child Left Behind and then there was a massive expansion of entitlements with the Medicare prescription drug bill, we saw a doubling of the national debt, an earmarking culture, and the Wall Street bailout. I just knew, my first obligation was to stand on the conservative principles that I'd run on, to stand on the conservative principles that I'd run on, the conservative principles that I'd been advancing for so long in my life. So in one sense it was easy, because it was just about letting my "yes" be yes and my "no" be no. In another sense it was at times difficult because it's hard to look your friends in the eye and it's hard to look a President you admire in the eye and say, "I can't go with ya."

3. YOUR'S, PAUL RYAN'S, AND JOHN BOENHER'S NAMES HAVE COME UP REPEATEDLY AS CANDIDATES TO BECOME POTENTIAL SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE IN JANUARY. CAN YOU TELL ME WHO YOU BELIEVE IS THE MOST QUALIFIED AND WHY?

I think John Boehner will be one of the most conservative and most effective speakers in modern Congressional history and I strongly support John as speaker. Let me say as I stand here in Wisconsin that we have no brighter light in Congress than Paul Ryan. He's been a visionary on budget issues and I consider him a cherished friend.




Mike with Dan Kapanke(WI 3rd District Congressional Candidate, left) and guest

4. AS CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE WHAT GOALS WOULD YOU HAVE IN IN MIND TO PROMOTE CONSERVATIVE IDEALS IN THE EVENT THAT REPUBLICANS REGAIN THE MAJORITY?

If Republicans are given a second chance to lead the Congress, jobs have to be job one. We have to take immediate and decisive action to make sure that no American sees a tax increase in January of next year. Immediately after that we have to take strong steps to put our fiscal house in order. We have to confront this era of deficits, debt, and bailouts and end it once and for all and then at the end of the day we have to do those things that Congress is charged to do. We have to stand with our troops, we have to defend our values in the way that we that we appropriate the People's money. But jobs clearly, and spending are, clearly, are the most urgent issues facing America today and that is where Congress, under a Republican leadership, will focus if we're given the opportunity to lead.

5. TO HAVE BEEN IN CONGRESS FOR 10 YEARS AND TO HAVE WON MANY AWARDS, HOW HONORED ARE YOU TO HAVE SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY FOR SO LONG?

Well, it's been the greatest privilege in my life to represent my hometown in Washington DC. I had the dream of becoming a congressman when I was a little boy growing up on 31st street with a cornfield in my back yard. It's really, not too much time goes by that I find myself walking up the steps of those Capitals and find myself glancing at the dome and I just thank God that my family and I have had the privilege to serve in such a time as this and to be able to be here in Wisconsin standing with people of character like Dan Kapanke and to be on the cusp of what could be a great victory for conservative values is not only a great privilege, but a great joy.

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Update: It has been reported from news outlets on November 3 that Mike has resigned his post as chairman of the House Republican Conference, possibly to give himself more time to prepare for presidential run in 2012.

MARY FALLIN - LADY OF FIRSTS FOR OKLAHOMA

Mary Fallin's next success could be the election victory this fall that would make her the State of Oklahoma's first female governor but as a public servant, she has already accomplished a series of "firsts" in her own right.

She was the first woman Lieutenant Governor for the State of Oklahoma, initially elected in 1995 and serving until January 4, 2007 when she was officially sworn in as the first woman from Oklahoma to serve in the US Congress since Alice Mary Robertson broke the gender barrier in 1921. But if victory in her campaign is just about a series of "firsts" it is lost on Mary.

"I am thrilled to be back in Oklahoma," she was quoted as saying at a civic luncheon in the February 17, 2010 edition of the Urban Tulsa Weekly. "I had to go back to Washington, D.C. to vote very quickly this week but any time I can hurry right back to Oklahoma it's a good day. Our people here in Oklahoma are a little bit different than those folks up in D.C. . ."

"The American people are mad. They're very concerned. They don't like deficit spending. They don't want more taxes. They need a job. They want to make their own decisions about health care. They don't want some federal bureaucrat in D.C. making that decision. They're fighting mad."

Since winning her June 18 primary in Oklahoma, ousting her strongest primary challenger in State Senator Randy Brogdon, and capturing the prized endorsement of Sarah Palin, Mary's campaign has been rolling on into the late summer, focusing it's efforts squarely on her Democratic challenger, Jari Askins; another woman who, ironically, serves almost as Mary's alter-ego, having been appointed to take her place as Lt Governor in 2007 by current Democratic Governor Brad Henry.

Born in Tecumseh, Oklahoma on December 9, 1954, (WIKIPEDIA), Mary's political rearing started early in her life as both her mother and father served terms as mayor of Tecumseh as conservative Democrats. Mary was first registered as Democrat, but transitioned to the Republican Party while she was a student at Oklahoma State University. After starting her life out working as a state employee for the Oklahoma Department of Securities and in hotel management in Oklahoma City, Mary was alarmed by the Democratic-dominated Legislature's anti-business climate. She first hit the political scene when she was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1990. She served 2 terms from 1990 to 1994 where she was recognized by the American Legislative Exchange Council as Legislator of the Year and named Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business. She ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1994 and rode into office along with Frank Keating's Republican Administration in 1995.

In her 12 years as Lieutenant Governor, Mary served as president of the Senate and on 10 boards and commissions. As a small business advocate in the Keating cabinet she was also instrumental in initiating several economic development events including the first-ever Oklahoma Aerospace Summit and Expo; and Small Business Day and Telecommunications Day at the Capitol. She also hosted the Lieutenant Governor’s Invitational Turkey Hunt. After the Oklahoma City bombing, she formed a task force to rebuild the childcare center lost in the destruction. Additionally, she also initiated Project Homesafe, a gun safety program that has distributed more than 80,000 free cable gun locks to Oklahomans. She then ascended to the aforementioned position of congresswoman when elected in 2006, campaigning for Ernest Istook's 5th District seat after Istook embarked on his ill-fated run for governor against Brad Henry. For her work on behalf of the people of Oklahoma and her conservative values, Mary has been named a “Hero of the Taxpayer,” a “Friend of the Wildcatter” and been recognized by Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council with the “True Blue” award. She has a lifelong score of 96 from the American Conservative Union, the highest of any Congressman in the Oklahoma delegation.

Mary joined me this week to answer my questions about her accomplishment, her campaign, and the issues facing Oklahoma in this historic election cycle.

1. WHAT ARE THE ISSUES SPECIFICALLY FACING THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA TODAY AND WHAT ARE THE CORE VALUES OF YOUR CAMPAIGN?

I’m going to have two issues that I will treat as priorities on Day One of my administration. The first is jobs. We need more and better jobs in this state if we are going to move forward, generate tax revenue for essential services, and increase the quality of life for our citizens. There are a lot of things we can do to get there. One is to create a governor’s task force to look into Oklahoma’s tax code, our rules, our regulations and our government bureaucracy, to find out how we can be friendlier to small business growth and development. We can’t expect the businesses here to thrive or to attract new ones when we are tripping them up with unnecessary regulations, government red tape and punitive taxes. We’ll also need to look at the rising cost of worker’s compensation costs and revisit lawsuit reform. Finally, we’ll need to continue to improve our education system, so that we can produce the kind of highly skilled, educated workforce that attracts good jobs.

Secondly, we’ll need to balance the budget, and we’ll need to do it without raising taxes (which would drive jobs and investments out of Oklahoma).To do that, we need to be committed to fiscal restraint. We’ll need to make tough choices. And equally important, we’ll need a modern, efficient and effective state government. Our state agencies operate like 8-track players in an iPod age. They are out of date and inefficient. When I’m governor, we will immediately move to modernize our agencies, consolidate resources where we can, and trim our operating costs.



Mary has the perfect combination of executive and life experience for the governorship!

2. YOU ARE RUNNING AGAINST CURRENT LT GOVERNOR JARI ASKINS. CONTRAST YOURSELF WITH JARI AND TELL ME WHAT IT IS THAT SHE HAS DONE ALONG WITH GOVERNOR BRAD HENRY THAT HAS BEEN BAD FOR THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA?

I plan on running a positive campaign focused on my vision for the state and my plan to move Oklahoma forward and help our families and our small businesses. That means creating jobs, balancing our budget and, lastly, standing up to Washington’s painfully misguided agenda.

I think on that last point, the lack of leadership in this state has been particularly troubling. When President Obama was passing an unconstitutional, job-killing health care bill, I was the only candidate in this race standing up to the president and his agenda. When the president was trying to tax and spend his way to prosperity and economic recovery, I was the only candidate in this race saying “that won’t work.” I think the choice in this election is pretty clear: if you don’t like Washington’s ‘tax and spend,’ liberal agenda and want a leader who is going to stand up to it, I’m your gal.

3. REGARDING QUESTION 1, BRAD HENRY HAS PROVEN TO BE A POPULAR GOVERNOR FOR OKLAHOMA. HAS THIS PRESENTED EXTRA CHALLENGES FOR YOU IN THE RACE AGAINST JARI ASKINS?

No. This race is going to be about who the voters think will create jobs and restore fiscal discipline to the capitol, and it’s going to be about who can offer something different from what President Obama and Washington have been pushing on us. I have the experience to run this state, the vision to make a more prosperous Oklahoma and I am the only candidate who can credibly say they offer something different than the failed policies being pursued by the national Democratic Party. As lieutenant governor, I served under Brad Henry and I have a great deal of respect for him. But voters are looking for something different in 2010, and I am offering them a chance to change course and to get this state back on track.



Mary is the next leader of Rebublican for a new generation.

4. YOU HAVE SERVED AS A CONGRESSWOMAN FOR OKLAHOMA DISTRICT 5 FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS AND BEFORE THAT LT GOVERNOR OF OKLAHOMA FOR 12 YEARS. WHAT HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED IN YOUR TENURE IN THE CONGRESS THAT HAS HELPED PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR RUN FOR GOVERNOR?

Unfortunately, what I experienced in Washington was the sense that our nation’s capitol has become too partisan, too overrun with special interests and too willing to waste taxpayer dollars to help people in Oklahoma.

That’s why I’m coming home. Washington is not going to solve our problems; we are going to have to do it ourselves on the state level. I’m ready to lead Oklahoma forward and, when Washington pushes Oklahoma in the wrong direction or tramples our rights, to very forcefully say “no.”

5. YOU WERE RAISED IN TECUMSEH, HAVE BEEN REGIONAL MANAGER OF A HOTEL CHAIN, AND HAVE SEVERAL CHILDREN. WHAT KIND OF VALUES HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TAKE INTO EACH OF THESE SITUATIONS AND HOW WILL THEY SERVE YOU WELL AS GOVERNOR OF OKLAHOMA?

I think the values my mother instilled in me – hard work, self reliance, civic duty and my faith in God have always guided me as a public servant. Those are the values I have tried to pass onto my children.

As far as my life experiences, I think I’ll be able to represent the people of Oklahoma well because I’m one of them. I grew up in a small town and I loved it. I went to school here. I worked in the private sector and I understand how things like rising health care costs can crush a small business. I’m a mother, and I know what it takes to raise a family – the hard work, the sacrifice and the joy that comes with helping your children grow up and become adults.

I’ve had the honor of serving the people of Oklahoma as their lieutenant governor and as a United States Congresswoman, and I’ve worked every day to earn their trust and to give back to this state. I can guarantee the people of Oklahoma that, if I have the great privilege of serving as governor, no one will work harder for them or care more about this state than I will.

JB VAN HOLLEN CHIEF LAW ENFORCER FOR WISCONSIN

Since 2006, Attorney General JB Van Hollen has been a one-man crime-fighting force in the State of Wisconsin and after 2010, he's hoping he will no longer have to fight alone. The long time District and US Attorney is not only running for reelection himself but is also looking forward to the distinct possibility of having a Republican Governor, a Republican Legislature, and a Republican Senate. After all, after having to fight the Doyle administration and the Wisconsin legislature for 4 years, the job can only get easier.

Born John Byron Van Hollen on February 19, 1966 (WIKIPEDIA) in the town of Chetek John C and Rosella Van Hollen. John C., a realtor and Korean War Veteran, also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1966 to 1970. J.B. grew up in Chetek and later in the Town of Delta in Bayfield County. A graduate of St Olaf's University (Northfield, Minnesota) in 1988 with an undergraduate degree in political science, he went on to obtain his law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School 2 years later. According to his Website (biography) although he was courted by several law firms, J.B. actually began his career as an Assistant State Public Defender in Spooner, Wisconsin. In 1991 Van Hollen became a federal prosecutor as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. In 1993 Governor Tommy Thompson appointed Van Hollen to the position of District Attorney in Ashland County. He stepped down 6 years later to pursue other life interests, but a short time later Governor Thompson appointed him to serve as Bayfield County District Attorney. He was reelected with bipartisan support. He became well-known when President George W Bush appointed him US Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin in 2002 and his reputation as a star law enforcement official climbed to new heights. As the US Attorney for 44 counties in Wisconsin, JB coordinated a massive sting operation in Hayward, using 100 members of law enforcement to crack down on gangs, drugs, and guns. Through multiple levels of agencies, dozens of search warrants were executed simultaneously and dozens were arrested with the average federal prosecution resulting in a several-year federal prison sentence. In turn, the evidence collected helped to solve a homicide case. He under-spent his budget during all three of his years as U.S. Attorney. The number of criminal cases filed by his office increased by 15% in 2002, 7% in 2003, and 23% in 2004 totaling a 53% increase during his tenure. He initiated Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal effort to reduce violent gun crime by enforcing the numerous laws already on the books. In its first year, Van Hollen worked in Rock County to prosecute individuals for gun crimes ranging from being a felon in possession of firearms or ammo to use of firearms during violent felonies, resulting in an average prison sentence of more than five years. Van Hollen later expanded the effort to Dane County and several multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement groups in rural Wisconsin. Firearms prosecutions nearly tripled during his tenure.

In 2006, he decided to run for State Attorney General. He overtook Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher and won the nomination. In the worst of circumstances for Republicans, he won the Attorney General election by beating Democrat Kathleen Falk was the only Republican in the nation that year to win a statewide seat held by a Democrat.

When not involved with the rigors of running the Attorney General's office, JB enjoys running, biking, hunting swimming, skiing, basketball and golf. He has run two marathons and completed the 2003 Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon. He is a member of Ducks Unlimited, Grouse Unlimited, National Rifle Association, Wisconsin Sporting Heritage, Inc., and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. He also has been involved with the Freemasons for a large part of his life, becoming Master Mason in 1985 and Grand Master of Masons in 2007, serving in this capacity into 2008. JB and his wife, Lynn, live in Waunakee and have two children, Byron and Madelyn.

JB has been campaigning hard around Wisconsin. His Democratic challenger, Democrat Scott Hassett, has yet to be heard from. Determined to be a vital cog in the resurgence of conservative governing in 2011, JB talked to me about his campaign, the state of ObamaCare, and his experiences as Wisconsin Attorney General over the past 4 years.

1. YOU HAVE SERVED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN UNDER DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP FOR 4 YEARS. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HAS FRUSTRATED YOU THE MOST OVER THOSE 4 YEARS?

I think basically 2 things: It is very frustrating to me when a liberal Governor like the one we have doesn't prioritize something as fundamental as public safety. Protecting our freedoms and liberties in this country is the most important thing that our government can do and yet overall spending during tough times went up and yet overall spending for public safety, law enforcement, and my Department of Justice budget went down and when we're trying to do so much good to help protect our citizens, having our spending priorities being so off-kilter is frustrating. And the other thing is the lack of respect for the Rule of Law. Politics, has, unfortunately played a role in our ability to do the best we could for the State of Wisconsin, whether it be our ability to join with Arizona to defend against the Federal Government in a lawsuit or to file briefs on the 2nd Amendment with the Supreme Court or a lawsuit on ObamaCare, the reality is that the Governor has let politics stand in the way of our doing our job to defend the state. Those two things are very frustrating.



JB is the chief law enforcement officer for the State of Wisconsin!

2. THERE IS ANTICIPATION FOR WISCONSIN TO HAVE THE FIRST REPUBLICAN-LED GOVERNMENT IN MANY YEARS. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THAT SITUATION?

I'm hoping that we can accomplish what Republicans as a whole set out to do and that is to limit the size of Government but when we do limit the size of government, we have to make sure that we maintain our priorities as well. I have a great concern that Republicans may think that reducing the size of government may mean we make across-the-board cuts and reduce the size of every aspect of government. Well, that's not what we as conservatives, believe. We believe that we need to cut spending completely in some areas, considerably in other areas, and sometimes even increase spending in priority areas; areas where the government does need to be involved in our lives and I am hoping that when we get Republican control of the Governor's office, over the legislature, that we are going to be able to focus on government as a whole and make wholesale changes versus across-the-board cuts.

3. IN YOUR TIME AS STATE AG, WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING THING YOU'VE EXPERIENCED?

You know, there have been so many things that have been incredibly rewarding but I think that the most satisfying has been getting rid of the backlog of DNA evidence in our crime labs. Not only had every Attorney General candidate for decades run on the promise of getting rid of the backlog, every Attorney General had promised to get rid of the backlog and when I had inherited it, it was escalating horribly out of control and we needed to address it and we needed to address it promptly. We not only got rid of the backlog of DNA in the crime labs but we did it only partially by putting resources after the problem. A big part of what we did was by putting more efficiencies and technologies in the way we did business in the Department of Justice so that we got more bang for the taxpayer buck and so in the in process of helping law enforcement with perhaps the most significant law enforcement tool that has come along in our lifetimes, we were able to do it very efficiently economically, as well, and it is hard to not consider that to be the greatest success.



JB is out campaigning hard for this fall\'s election turnaround!

4. CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE STATE OF YOUR LEGAL CHALLENGE TO OBAMACARE? WHAT ELSE IS BEING DONE AROUND THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW TO COMBAT THIS LEGISLATION?

Well, we're in a holding pattern in Wisconsin right now, as most people I think, are now aware. As Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin, I have considerable power and authority but it is still limited. And as a conservative, I hold myself to those limits and I don't believe that government should grow beyond what the law entitles us to do. And, suing over ObamaCare is simply something that I have limits placed on me to do and it was necessary for me to get approval from either the governor or one of the bodies of the legislature to bring this lawsuit. We submitted an 8-page detailed memorandum of law indicating why we should bring this suit to all three of them. All three of them declined it and so now, as along as the Legislature and the Governor's office is controlled by their current leadership, we are out of luck when it comes to Wisconsin joining a lawsuit or initiating a lawsuit over the Federal Health Care law. However, when we get a new governor and at a time when we are going to have a new make-up in the Senate and a new make-up in the Assembly we are going to renew our requests, as long as I am Attorney General, and I would suspect that we would be able to get that request granted, in which we will be able to join an ongoing lawsuit or file a lawsuit ourselves. Otherwise there is a consortium of states whose Attorney's General have gotten together and brought a single lawsuit on the behalf of a multitude of states in the State of Florida and we actually could actually join that as well. Thus far, neither of these suits have progressed very far and there is certainly more than enough time to get involved.

5. YOU ARE A HUGE 2ND AMENDMENT PROPONENT. CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF CONCEALED CARRY AND CLEAR UP ANY MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE MAY HAVE ABOUT IT?

First with regard to the 2nd Amendment, I'm a huge proponent of it for a number of reasons. First of all I believe in the Rule of Law and it's a significant part of our Constitution. Second of all, of course, when people lose the ability to defend themselves, we become subject to the whims of others who want to violate our freedoms and liberties and we become subject to the whims of government if they are going to abuse their power and authority and so the 2nd Amendment is vitally important to me and we've done a lot in my Administration to advance the cause of gun rights and 2nd Amendment rights in Wisconsin. And I am for concealed carry as well. And I think there's a bit of mis-perception out there that people are in greater danger but in the 48 States that permit law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons, there is absolutely no anecdotal evidence to suggest whatsoever that, that is the case. The opponents of concealed carry will be the first one's to tout examples of problems if there were any. The reality is that Government's role is to protect its citizens and if we have a law in the State of Wisconsin prohibiting law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons, if that is not doing anything to protect citizens, if it's not necessary to protect citizens, then by all means Government should get out of our lives. So I'm a big fan of the 2nd Amendment but I'm also a big fan of making sure the Government doesn't interfere in our lives when they can find or show no legitimate reason to do so. With regards to the Concealed Carry law in Wisconsin right now, there is no justification for it existing.

CHRISTINE O'DONNELL: THE CONSERVATIVES FIRST HOPE

BY SCOTT SCHNEIDER
Like any other conservative running in 2010, Christine O'Donnell hopes that a November 2 victory signals the end of a damaging era in American Politics. For Christine; however, there is an added weight to the occasion. . .she would be the winner of an open race that could throw the Democrat's plans for a lame-duck counteroffensive into a tailspin.

Christine is running for Vice President Joe Biden's open Senate seat in Delaware. Because Biden has vacated his term, her reign as Republican Senator would begin immediately on November 3 and the Senate make-up now at 59 Democrats, generally filibuster proof, would be reduced to 58, or only marginally filibuster-proof and the Democrat's plans for a late-session Cap-and-Trade, Card-Check, tax-hiking bonanza would be in shambles.

Contrasting that with Christine's Republican opponent, a RINO in Mike Castle, a career congressman who has generally voted with Democrats on just about every single major spending issue including being one of the infamous 8 who voted for the Waxman-Markey Cap-And-Trade bill, the ability for Christine to win the Sept 14, 2010 primary election makes her race particularly vital to the conservative cause this fall.

According to WIKIPEDIA and her Website CHRISTINE O'DONNELL Christine was born and raised in New Jersey to a mother of Italian-American descent and a father of Irish-American descent and was one of six children. She says she remembers sharing a bedroom with four sisters and her father worked three jobs to take care of the family.

She studied English and Communications at Fairleigh Dickinson University, but did not receive a degree. Afterward she began working for the Republican National Committee for several years in Washington where she began to hone her political arguments and understanding and is credited with helping to develop the marketing strategy that played a key role in the historic ’94 Republican Congressional sweep. She was awarded a 2002 Abraham Lincoln Graduate Fellowship in Constitutional Government from the Claremont Institute in Claremont, CA.

In 2003, Christine moved to Delaware to work for the conservative publisher Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) in Hockessin and also branched out into work as a marketing consultant for The Passion of the Christ and Natalia Tsarkova, the Vatican's first female portrait painter. In addition, she has put her political skills to work providing commentary on TV ratings bonanzas like "The O’Reilly Factor,” “Hannity & Colmes,” “The Glenn Beck Show,” and “Entertainment Tonight.” And is also a frequent radio talk show guest-host on WGMD in Rehoboth Beach and WDEL in Wilmington, DE.

She has recently been endorsed by Redstate's Erick Erickson REDSTATE, the TEA PARTY EXPRESS, GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, THE FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL, and ONE NATION PAC.

Christine talked with me this week about her campaign and why she is perhaps the most vital component in the race to take back the House and Senate and stop the Obama/Reid/Pelosi train-wreck in 2010.

1. PEOPLE OUT OF DELAWARE MIGHT NOT KNOW WHY YOUR ELECTION IS SO SIGNIFICANT; CAN YOU EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS WHY THE RESULTS ON NOVEMBER 2 WILL AFFECT THE NATION?

It’s critical that Delaware elect a true Constitutionalist on Nov 2 for two reasons. First, this is a special election for the US Senate seat vacated by VP Biden, which means that the winner will be seated *immediately* after election day, rather than waiting until the start of the new Congress in January. That means that if elected, I could be one of the critical votes to help stop an outrageous Democrat Lame Duck bonanza, as Democrats voted out of office by the American people seek to have their final revenge. The second reason it’s critical to elect a conservative is that whether or not Republicans take back the Senate, the margin there will be very slim in either direction. This means that liberal Republicans who tend to vote with Harry Reid will have an incredible power to either thwart a Republican majority or side with a Democrat majority. In the past, liberal Republicans have seriously undermined the conservative agenda, including forcing the Bush tax cuts to be substantially less than they otherwise would have been. My primary opponent is the most liberal Republican serving in the House. As a Congressman, he has voted with Nancy Pelosi an astounding majority of his votes, including for the job-killing national energy tax known as “Cap and Trade.” He also was the Republican lead sponsor on the embryonic stem cell research bill and the first amendment-shredding DISCLOSE Act. Americans from every state, not just Delaware, should be very concerned about a liberal Republican being elected to this seat.

2. YOU COME FROM A LARGE FAMILY; CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLE FAMILY HAS PLAYED IN YOUR CORE VALUES?

I'm one of six children whose parents taught us that while life can be hard, hard work makes life better. My father worked three jobs in order to put food on the table and clothes on our back. My mom's ability to make ends meet on such a tight budget taught me how to stretch a dollar. As adults, my siblings and I all hold different political beliefs, yet regardless, we support each other unconditionally. That dynamic around my mom's Sunday dinner table certainly has prepared me to hold my own in the political arena.

On a serious note, my family was always a rock and a refuge for me and fewer and fewer American children are growing up with that kind of support and unconditional love from a loving, two-parent family. I will fight hard for those values to be preserved in the U.S. Senate.



Christine with her suit jacket on and ready to go!

3. BP's OIL SPILL IN THE GULF HAS LED THE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO DISCUSS AMERICA'S ENERGY POLICIES AND QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OBAMA'S DRILLING MORATORIUM AND THE FUTURE OF OFF-SHORE DRILLING IN AMERICA?

Domestic oil and gas exploration is critical not only to our energy independence, but also our national security and our economic recovery. No one is disputing whether new appropriate safety regulations should be considered in order to prevent this disaster from occurring again. Yet, the Obama job-killing, judiciary-defying moratorium is a catastrophe for our ability to achieve all three of the above goals, especially for the already down-and-out working families of our hard-hit Gulf region. Either Barack Obama is too ignorant to understand the devastating effect of this outrageous policy, or he doesn’t care. My primary opponent is no friend to America’s energy workers either, since he voted for the cap-and-trade bill which would kill jobs and raise energy prices on every family.

4. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER "RESPONSIBLE SPENDING" AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND RESPONSIBLY?

Responsible spending is spending which puts the next generation ahead of the next election. Responsible spending means that taxpayer money is treated as a precious trust and should be spent by politicians as if it were their own. It means we do not demand that Americans yet unborn pay for the government programs we want for ourselves. It means we don’t spend more than we have.

The way to achieve this is to replace career politicians with citizen politicians. When the job becomes more important than the people, career politicians betray their oath and spend for political expediency instead of out of good stewardship. Second, we need to elect fiscal conservatives to every branch of government. Mere party affiliation simply will not do, as we have seen from many past Congresses. I wouldn’t oppose forcing Members of Congress to take Econ 101 once or twice, either!




Christine announcing her candidacy in this photo by stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com


5. WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, YOU ADVOCATE FOR PARENTS TO HAVE A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CHOICES TO INCLUDE PUBLIC, PRIVATE, PAROCHIAL, AND CHARTER SCHOOLS AS WELL AS HOMESCHOOLING. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO GIVE THESE CHOICES TO PARENTS AND HOW WILL YOU OVERCOME OPPOSITION WITHIN THE BELTWAY?

We can only oppose opposition within the Beltway by massive support outside the Beltway. That means that Americans elect conservatives who are running on a platform that includes educational choice. It’s always difficult to change the Washington establishment, but let’s not forget that the Federal takeover of local education is a new development, not long-standing policy, and can and must be pushed back through big and small legislative measures.

6. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS TOWARD THE CONSTITUTION?

You know, unlike so many other nations throughout the world and throughout history, America was not founded along tribal, ethnic or religious lines. It was not an accident of geography or post-war map-making. America was born of ideas. Those ideas are enshrined in our Founding documents, most pre-eminently the Constitution, and the more we stray from the limits prescribed in that document, the less we remain America. I love America and I will fight tooth and nail to prevent that from happening in every branch of government.

7. DESCRIBE HOW GRASSROOTS NETWORKS SUCH AS SMARTGIRL POLITICS HAVE AFFECTED YOUR CAMPAIGN?

There would be no O’Donnell for US Senate campaign without the grassroots! We have run a bottom-up campaign from the beginning, unlike my primary opponent, who has relied on top-down party king-making out of Washington. If not for the bloggers, the web sites, the homeschoolers, the Tea Party, and the other grassroots communities outside of the Washington cocktail club, I would never have made it this far. So I am grateful, and in awe of the incredible technological changes over the past few years which have so empowered everyday Americans to be able to make such a difference.

The Lords of the Backroom have anointed my primary opponent as the next US Senator from Delaware. He has been the most liberal Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, almost always voting with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat caucus over his 18 years in office. He has been on a government payroll longer than I’ve been alive. He’s been part of the Washington elite who have brought our economy, our national security, and our fiscal solvency to the absolute brink. Only a wave of common sense conservatives storming Capitol Hill will stand any chance of reversing the damage and restoring American greatness. This race is one that conservatives can win, and so I encourage all freedom-loving Americans to support us with prayer, volunteer hours, and financial giving at Christine2010.com. We can’t do it without you. But together, we can take back our country!

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See more of Scott's interviews at CONSERVATIVEFEATURES.COM

PAUL RYAN, TAXPAYER'S HERO

You don't have to be a conservative from Wisconsin to appreciate Congressman Paul Ryan. From his well-articulated opposition to the President's Government-run health care plan to his bold statements against both the TARP bailout and debt-inflating American Economic Recovery Act of 2009, Paul has positioned himself as a star-in-the-making in the Republican Party. Now a sixth-term congressman from the Wisconsin 1st District who is up for reelection in 2010, Paul has cemented his position in congress as a passionate advocate for fiscal responsibility. Already a ranking member of the Committee on The Budget, he is also a member the far-reaching House Ways and Means Committee, and belongs to the Subcomittees on Oversight and Health. Born on January 29, 1970. He was raised in Janesville, Wisconsin and graduated from Joseph A Craig high school. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Miami, Ohio in 1992 and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. It was after this that Paul began to hone his political skills, first working as an aide to Senator Bob Kasten in 1992, then as a legislative director for Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas from 1995 to 1997. In between he also contributed as a speechwriter for the late Jack Kemp's vice presidency run in 1996, while writing additional speeches for former drug czar William Bennett. He finally staked his claim in the 1st congressional district in 1998 when he ran for the seat vacated by Republican conservative (now gubernatorial candidate) Mark Neumann when Neumann retired to run for a second time against Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race. Paul beat out Democrat challenger Lydia Spottswood that year for the congressional district seat and the rest has been history. He has beaten challenger Jeffery Thomas in the 4 terms since, Marge Krupp in the 2008 election; and the rest, as they say, is history! Paul currently lives with his wife, Janna, and their 3 children; Liza, Charlie, and Sam, at their residence in Janesville only a few blocks from the neighborhood where he grew up. This week, Paul was willing to give me some time out from his hectic schedule to give me a bit of an insider's perspective on the issues facing him in the House of Representatives through the 2010 election.





1. IF YOU WERE CHARGE OF AUTHORING THE FEDERAL BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU WOULD DO TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT AND BEGIN THE PROCESS TOWARD REDUCING AND ELIMINATING OUR NATIONAL DEBT?


Well, I’m currently the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee and one of the responsibilities I have is to offer an alternative budget to that proposed by the President. If the American people have their say, hopefully I will be authoring the federal budget in the next fiscal year as Chairman of the House Budget Committee. As I’ve done in the past, I would put forward a budget that reins in spending, gets our debt and deficits under control, and promotes policies which get companies hiring and the economy growing.

The budget for the federal government, just like for businesses and families, sets priorities and forces difficult – but critical – decisions. This year, for the first time in modern history, the Majority will fail to even propose a budget, which is a total abdication of responsibility and especially troubling given the enormity of our fiscal challenges.

Congress has failed to address the urgent need to control Federal spending, reform our entitlement programs, and spur job creation and economic growth. I’ve put forward a comprehensive reform plan – ROAD MAP FOR AMERICA – focused on tackling our generation’s greatest challenges: fulfill the mission of health and retirement security, lift our crushing burden of debt, and restart the American engine of growth and prosperity.




2. NOW THAT GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE REFORM HAS BEEN PASSED, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE REPUBLICANS DID A SATISFACTORY JOB OF STATING FREE MARKET ALTERNATIVES TO THE PLAN? COULD CERTAIN CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN STATED DIFFERENTLY?


I introduced one of the first comprehensive health care reform proposals this session called the Patients’ Choice Act, a free-market alternative to fix what’s truly broken in health care. The Patients’ Choice Act secures universal access to affordable health coverage, not by expanding government, but by reinforcing the role of consumers – patients – in a truly competitive marketplace.

Democrats control the White House and Congress – and decided early on to shut Republican and the American people out of the legislative process. The entire health care debacle was a missed opportunity for true patient-centered reforms that attacked the root-drivers of health inflation. Alternative reforms were rejected, the government-run overhaul was jammed into law, and the American people are already feeling the costly consequences of this deeply flawed law.

Republicans must not tire in their effort to repeal this costly misstep and advance true reform.




Paul Ryan, "The taxpayer's hero"

3. THE SENATE MAY BE WORKING ON A PLAN TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WILL ALLOW THE EPA TO IMPOSE CAP-AND-TRADE-STYLE ENERGY TAXES. IF SUCH LEGISLATION IS PROPOSED AND DEBATED IN THE HOUSE, WHAT KIND OF A PLAN DO YOU AND OTHER REPUBLICANS HAVE TO DEFEAT IT?


The cap and trade bill passed the House last year by a seven vote margin after the Speaker successfully twisted the arms of her fellow Democrats to support it. Since then, this national energy tax has stalled in the Senate.

The goal of cap and trade is to lower global temperatures by a fraction of a degree over the course of the century. The bill would kill manufacturing jobs here at home, while our competitors have made clear that they have no intention to unilaterally impose similar harm to their economies. Studies have shown that for every one ton of carbon we reduce in our economy, countries like China and India would increase theirs by about three tons. Economically and scientifically, the cost benefit analysis of cap and trade doesn’t add up. It will put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage and as a result, we will see higher taxes and energy costs, more manufacturing jobs heading overseas, and more emissions in the atmosphere.

The American people have clearly rejected this misguided proposal, and it has thankfully stalled in the Senate. Yet there have been troubling reports that the President may have the Environmental Protection Agency proceed with capping emissions without any Congressional consent. Earlier this month, the Senate voted down a resolution of disapproval from Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to stop the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases without Congress passing legislation by a vote of 47-53. Looking at how the Majority has rammed through the health care overhaul and legislation on financial services, it’s not out of the question.




4. ELENA KAGAN HAS BEEN NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA TO TAKE JOHN PAUL STEVENS' SEAT ON THE SUPREME COURT. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF ELENA KAGAN AND IF THE HOUSE COULD HOLD CONFIRMATION HEARINGS, WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HER?


As a member of the House, I won’t be taking part in the confirmation hearings of Elena Kagan so I don’t want to speculate too much. I am sure that my colleagues in the Senate will ask many of the questions I would. With any Supreme Court Justice, Senators should look at a nominee’s experience, knowledge, and body of work and I am sure that we’ll hear these questions asked in the weeks ahead.


.



Paul's wife Janna and their 3 kids

5. FROM WHAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE UNITED IN THEIR EFFORTS AND COMPREHEND THE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY THEY MAY HAVE TO TURN THIS CONGRESS AROUND IN THE FALL?


Absolutely, I see the next few elections as realignment elections, where we have a clear choice of two futures. We can either choose to reclaim the American idea and restore the founding principles that made our nation the envy of the world, or we can continue down the path of a European style, cradle-to-grave social welfare state – where higher levels of government spending and debt leave future generations an inferior standard of living.

More and more of our leaders are recognizing the critical importance of the next few elections. In the House, you see the ascension of a younger class of reformers in the Republican Party. Individuals like Eric Cantor, Jeb Hensarling, Mike Pence – people who were back-benchers during President Bush’s Administration, who fought the decisions that were being made, but who have now ascended into positions of leadership, and they are going to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes if the American people entrust us with the Majority this fall.

It’s critical that we show people how we will be different from the current leaders in Washington, and that’s why we have to run on specific ideas. My experience with the Roadmap for America’s Future has taught me that the American people are ahead of the political class in Washington. They are ready to be talked to like adults. I feel that Republicans are returning to their core principles of limited government, individual freedom, free enterprise and if we present these ideas to the American people, I believe we can start restoring the American “idea” and get our country on the path to prosperity.





6. GIVEN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE THIS YEAR, WHAT OTHER KINDS OF BOLD ACTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE TAKEN IN CONGRESS IF THE REPUBLICANS WIN HANDILY IN NOVEMBER?


There is still a long way to go between now and November, but the first thing we have to do is get a grip on our nation’s debt and deficits, which have been primarily driven by government spending. In this session of Congress, the Majority has approved $1.8 trillion in spending increases and $670 billion in new taxes. They are doing this at exactly the same time we are running record deficits and we are seeing European countries, which followed a similar borrow-and-spend approach, coming undone.

I will continue to advance bold proposals that actually cut government spending, reform our entitlement programs, and modernize our tax code. These three things would go a long way to show the American people, the world and the markets that we are not accelerating our lurch towards a European-style social welfare state.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) Delivers Weekly Republican Address June 2010



Rep. Ryan: “Talk about a recipe for disaster: Democrats are offering no budget, no priorities, and no restraints – yet all their taxing, borrowing, and spending continues unchecked.”



WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) says Washington Democrats’ unprecedented decision to cancel this year’s budget will wreak havoc on our economy and make it even harder to put people back to work. The House Budget Committee’s top Republican, Ryan says Democrats’ plan to continue their out-of-control ‘stimulus’ spending spree and raise taxes on middle-class families is a “recipe for disaster.” He also challenges President Obama and Washington Democrats to stop running out the clock and “make the tough choices they promised they would, put moral obligation before political expedience, and focus on what’s in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election.” With economists saying immediate fiscal discipline is needed to create jobs, Ryan notes that Republicans have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts that could be implemented right now. Rep. Ryan is in his sixth term representing the people of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. President Obama will visit Southeast Wisconsin next week to discuss the economy. Text of the address follows; audio of the address is available here [mp3] and video of the address will be available here once the embargo is lifted. You can download the Weekly Republican Address here.

“Hello – I’m Paul Ryan – I work for the people of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District and I serve as the top Republican on the House Budget Committee. Yes, Congress does have a budget committee, but I’m afraid it hasn’t been very busy this year.

“In fact, this week the House Majority Leader announced that Democrats are canceling this year’s budget. Instead of reining in out-of-control spending that has pushed our national debt past $13 trillion, Democrats have made clear their intention to raise taxes on middle-class families to fuel their continued spending spree.

“Talk about a recipe for disaster: Democrats are offering no budget, no priorities, and no restraints – yet all their taxing, borrowing, and spending continues unchecked.

“With this budget failure – a first in the modern era – Democrats are missing a critical opportunity to provide the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to create private-sector jobs and boost our economy. This unprecedented budget collapse also sends a clear signal to American families struggling to meet their own budgets that Washington still doesn’t recognize the severity of its spending problem.

“Democrats say their decision is about what’s best for the future of our country. It’s not. With the political season upon us, Democratic leaders believe it’s better to take a pass than to pass a budget. While Americans ask ‘where are the jobs?,’ Democrats seem content to simply run out the clock and let their borrowing binge continue to drain resources from our economy.

“The debt is on track to exceed the size of our entire economy in the next 18 months. We have run out of road to kick the can down. If this is really about the future of our country, then leaders should make the tough choices they promised they would, put moral obligation before political expedience, and focus on what’s in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election.

“This is a time to make tough choices, not run from them. To that end, Republicans on the Budget Committee have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts we would implement right now to make Washington do more with less and help small businesses put people back to work. These are specific, common-sense ideas, such as canceling unspent TARP bailout funds and ‘stimulus’ money, that would help us focus on creating more jobs, not more debt. We also propose reducing federal employment and freezing government pay. Instead of growing government, we need to restart the engine of economic growth.

“Of course, this is just a starting point. Much more needs to be done to set our nation on a sustainable economic course. We need to start reining in unnecessary spending now so that we can boost the economy and work together to address our nation’s long term fiscal challenges.

“It is our shared responsibility to take on the challenges before us to make sure that our kids and our grandkids have a better life. Let’s begin this important work today. Let’s make certain we do not simply retreat to the same failed policies. Let’s make the tough, forward-looking choices that will restore the promise and prosperity of this exceptional nation - and let’s do it together.

“Thanks for listening.”

More on Paul's campaign:


RYAN FOR CONGRESS

Scott Walker for Governor of Wisconsin

Scott brings his brown bag lunch to the office every day and rolls up his sleeves, except the office is much bigger now and the stakes even higher. The leading Republican Gubernatorial candidate for the State of Wisconsin, he drives his 1998 Saturn from event to event, touting his proven record of fiscal conservatism through 8 years as the Executive of Milwaukee County, one of the bluest and most liberal Democratic strongholds in the State. Starting out in the State legislature as a representative for the 14th Assembly District (Waukesha), the seat currently held by recently featured conservative Leah Vukmir Leah Vukmir, Scott took a message of government reform and reduction to the County of Milwaukee when he ran for executive in 2002 and won. The rest was history:

•Reduced the county workforce by more than 20%
•Lowered the county debt by 10%
•Introduced 8 consecutive budgets without an increase to the property tax levy from the previous year.
•Improved the county's bond rating
•Milwaukee County Parks won the prestigious 2009 National Gold Medal for Excellence in the Park and Recreation Management Program
•Eliminated the waiting list for long-term care for older adults through the Family Care program.
•Milwaukee County's Mitchell International Airport received the Transportation Safety Administration's Partnership Award.
•Invested over $199 million dollars in renovations and improvements to General Mitchell International Airport without increasing the property tax levy
•Airport improvements helped attract nearly 1,000 jobs from Southwest, Air Tran and Republic airlines.
•Implemented a pension obligation plan to save Milwaukee County taxpayers $ 237 million.

Scott Walker grew up in the town of Delavan, Wisconsin just north of the Wisconsin border outside of Milwaukee. He comes from a financially modest background. His father is a retired preacher. As he makes his way around the State of Wisconsin, Scott brings a powerful campaign built largely on the social networking and grassroots efforts. He has an amazing Internet presence and uses the power of Facebook, Twitter, and bloggers to spread his message.




According to his campaign site:
Scott Walker

Scott's Brown Bag Guide to Government applies the same kind of small town values and common sense ideas he follows in his personal life:

1. Don't spend more than you have.
2. Smaller government is better government.
3. People create jobs, not government.

When it comes to serving the public, Scott Walker puts his money where his mouth is there too. From 2002 through 2010, Scott and Tonette Walker have given back over $370,000 of his salary to the county.

Scott Walker's government reform campaign helped sweep him into the Milwaukee County executive's office in 2002, after serving nearly nine years in the Wisconsin State Legislature. At the time, Milwaukee County was on the precipice of an organizational and financial meltdown; rocked by greedy politicians who had voted to allow themselves and hundreds of career bureaucrats to retire as millionaires at the taxpayers' expense

.

Sound familiar?

Here is my interview with Scott as he explains his philosophies and the direction of his campaign fresh off of his endorsement for Governor by the Republican Party of the State of Wisconsin:

1. NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN, WHAT IS THE NEW FOCUS AND DIRECTION OF YOUR CAMPAIGN?




Well, its really about taking that support from literally thousands of conservative activists and applying it to getting our message out for the fall elections and our focus is really on 2 parts:

1) Being in the position to take that government back and put it in hands of the people.

2) In doing so enacting strategies to get government out of the way so that the people of this State can create more jobs.




2. WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR DIFFER, IF ANY, FROM YOUR CAMPAIGNS FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE:




In this case we have a larger audience and so from that standpoint, there is a lot more travel and I’ve been doing it for some time but I believe that’s important because I believe that people in one part of the state are not the same as others. There certainly are common themes, common values, common concerns of the economy but the Chippewa Valley is different than the Fox Valley and the Fox Valley is different from Delavan, down in Walworth County where I grew up, a town of 8,000; The Coulee Region down by La Crosse and you go down the line. Different parts of the State have very different issues and as the candidate for Governor, and ultimately as the Governor, I’ve tried to symbolize through my actions, not just my words, that I understand those differences and I am going to be here to work with people once I’m the governor.


THE WALKER FAMILY


3. THE OBAMA/DOYLE/BARRETT MACHINE IS ALREADY CRANKING UP ITS ASSAULT AGAINST YOU. WHAT KINDS OF STRATEGIES WILL YOU DEPLOY AGAINST THEIR WELL-FUNDED RHETORIC?




We are going to 1) And I being elected in Milwaukee County, which is, you’re right under the gun all of the time; I like to say that used to coming to work with body armor on and a 2x4, so we’re used to being under attack and we don’t let anything sit long. We come out and we whack at it, we pile on it, and we beat back any mistruths, and so with a TV ad or a press release or anything else like that we’re going to come out and set the record straight immediately and we’ve done that already in a couple of episodes and we are going to be continuing to do that. 2) The other key thing is that we are going to, in the end, not let the Democrats to get us off of our message, which is the other 2 things I’ve previously mentioned:

Making it clear that we have a track record and we’ve got a strategy to take the government back and put it back on the side of the people again, combined with the fact that our strategy in getting government out of the way is ultimately what we need to get this State’s economy back going again. They are going to try to take us off message, they are going to try bring up other issues, but we’re going to answer them, bring up to the media and the public the errors of their attacks, and get to work on our election strategy which is really about making the State work again.




4. WHAT VITAL COMPONENTS OF YOUR UPBRINGING DO YOU BELIEVE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR LIFE AND VALUES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOUR LEADERSHIP?




Certainly, it starts with my faith and my family and I think my faith in Christ certainly has had a tremendous impact on where I am not just personally but professionally as well; how I treat people and how I like to be treated all comes out of that. Certainly a good chunk of what brought me into my faith are my parents. My dad is a now a long-since-retired minister and my mother, worked part-time, and she had a tremendous impact on who I am, a great role model. Along the way I was involved with a lot of things from school and sports and Scouts. I also am an Eagle Scout. Twenty-five years ago, in 1985 I went to the American Legion, Badger Boy’s State, and the Boy’s Nation programs and that had a great influence, not just from learning about government politics but ultimately learning from those veterans who put on a program called, “The Power of Public Service” and I found that be very impactful. And I think the good people I’ve worked with along the way and the constituents I’ve had in the Assembly, now as County Executive, and the people I’ve met around the State all have had a powerful influence on who I am and the ideas I have and how I choose to govern.




5. YOUR REPUBLICAN OPPONENT MARK NEUMANN HAS MADE REPEATED E-MAIL ATTACKS AGAINST YOUR CAMPAIGN. NOW THAT YOU ARE ENDORSED, DO YOU FEEL, IT AT ALL NECESSARY TO RESPOND TO THOSE ACCUSATIONS?




In the end these are the same distortions that the State Democrats are putting out, which is kind of unusual to have a Republican doing that and saying that, but the reality is if you look at the issues out there, there is just no basis to them. You look at the Harley rides (motorcycle rides around the region) and the fact that we’ve done 7 consecutive years of doing this and that everybody down the line has acknowledged that in each of these years the intent was to get out and promote tourism, not to do anything else out there, the fact that we go to 5 states and not just Wisconsin, we think everybody can see through that and it’s bad enough that the Democrats distort the facts on that and they are proven wrong every time but it is an unusual to have a Republican putting out those sorts of mistruths. It’s just unfortunate that they’ve decided to go to the State Democrats Web sites and the pick up the same false attacks but like I said, in the end we are going to keep on track, we are going to point out the errors in any attacks on us, and we are going to get back on a positive message to get the State working again.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2010
Contact: Jill Bader (414) 453-2010
Email: Jillb@scottwalker.org
Twitter: @JillBader

ICYMI: Rasmussen Poll Shows Walker 50%, Barrett 43%
Walker over 50% for first time, still the only candidate who can beat Tom Barrett in November

Wauwatosa – Keith Gilkes, campaign manager for Scott Walker, released the following statement on polling showing Scott Walker over 50% gaining ground on Tom Barrett.

“Wisconsin voters continue to move away from the Tom Barrett-Jim Doyle agenda of big taxes and big spending and towards Scott Walker and his plan to create 250,000 jobs in his first term.”

Included in today’s poll:

• “Walker has consistently proven to be the slightly stronger GOP candidate against Barrett.”

• Among independents Walker leads Barrett 50% to 34%; does 5 points better than Neumann with this group.

• Walker has, by far, the highest favorable ratings and lowest unfavorable ratings of any candidate. His favorable ratings are 55 favorable to 36% unfavorable (32% very favorable) to Barrett’s 50-43% (23% very favorable). Meanwhile, Neumann is viewed favorably by 47% to 42% unfavorable (13% very favorable).

• Walker has the highest favorable ratings of any candidate with his own party. Walker is viewed favorably by 90% of GOP voters (65% very favorably), Neumann is viewed favorably by 73% of GOP voters (26% very favorably) and Barrett is viewed favorably by 84% of Democrat voters (41% very favorably).

Election 2010: Wisconsin Governor
Wisconsin Governor: Walker (R) 50%, Barrett (D) 43%

Republican Scott Walker for the first time earns 50% of the vote in the race to be the next governor of Wisconsin. It's his best showing to date.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the likely Democratic gubernatorial contender, gets 43% support against Walker, the country executive of Milwaukee County. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate, while five percent (5%) are undecided.

Two weeks ago, Walker led Barrett 48% to 44%.

Barrett is now in a virtual tie - 45% to 44% - with the other top GOP hopeful, former Congressman Mark Neumann. Five percent (5%) favor another candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.

The Democrat posted a narrow 45% to 43% lead over Neumann in the previous survey.

Walker has consistently proven to be the slightly stronger GOP candidate against Barrett, with support back to early February in the narrow range of 46% to 49%. In those same surveys, support for Barrett has ranged from 40% to 44%.

Neumann has picked up 43% to 47% of the vote against Barrett, who has earned 39% to 46% in those matchups.

Barrett has no strong opposition for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Voters in both parties will pick their nominees in September 14 primaries.

The survey of 750 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on July 27, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The Wisconsin Senate race is still a toss-up, with Republican Ron Johnson and incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold in a near tie.

Male voters in the state favor the Republican candidate in both gubernatorial match-ups. Women favor Barrett if Neumann is the Republican in the race but break even in a contest between Barrett and Walker. Among voters not affiliated with either political party, both GOP candidates hold double-digit leads over the Democrat.

Neumann is viewed Very Favorably by 13% of all Wisconsin voters and Very Unfavorably by 20%.

Thirty-two percent (32%) of voters in the state share a Very Favorable opinion of Walker, while 23% view him Very Unfavorably. For Barrett, Very Favorables total 23% and Very Unfavorables 27%.

All three candidates are well-known in the state. At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

Forty-six percent (46%) of Wisconsin voters rate their personal finances as good or excellent, well above the national average. Just 15% give their finances a poor grade. Yet only 16% say their personal finances are getting better these days, while 51% feel they are getting worse.

Democratic Governor Jim Doyle is not standing for reelection. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Wisconsin voters now approve of the job he is doing as governor. Sixty percent (60%) disapprove.

Read more conservative profiles at conservativefeatures.com

RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY

Rachel Campos-Duffy discovered the precious meaning of being involved in the home life of her children rather gradually at first.

"I was a finalist for co-host of ABC’s The View twice," Rachel explained in a May 7, 2010 interview for the NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE http://article.nationalreview.com/433755/a-real-housewife-of-wisconsin/kathryn-jean-lopez?page=1.The second time I narrowly lost out in the competition, it occurred to me that I was already doing what God was calling me to do — being home, taking care of my kids. Before that, I sort of thought I was “between gigs,” waiting for my next big break. My oldest was five at that time, and I was starting to see the fruits of my time at home with them — their manners and sense of compassion, the things that happen when you parent well. As I began to appreciate what I was doing as a mom, I simultaneously became aware of how little the culture values it."

But since she has found her true calling, she has embraced it with a fervor that only a dedicated stay-at-home mom would proudly advocate - so much so that she wrote about it:
Stay Home, Stay Happy - 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780451228079,00.html# was released in 2009. The celebrity mom and wife of 7th congressional candidate




She also is active in her own local politics. She is currently the Communications Director for the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women http://www.wifrw.org/ohana/website/index.cfm?p=95575656375.

According to IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0133309/bio, Rachel, grew up in a military family with her father, Miguel, being a CM Sgt in the Air Force. Her mother Pili is from Spain. Born on October 22, 1971, she has 3 siblings; brothers, Joe and Patrick, and sister, Leah. She graduated from Desert High School at Edwards AFB, CA in 1989. Wikipedia states she graduated from Arizona State University in December 1993 with a degree in Economics. She tried out for and then was cast for the MTV Reality Show: Real World San Francisco in 1994 as a conservative. After her role in the series was over, she also appeared in Road Rules: All Stars in 1998, a reality show featuring alumni from all of the past Real World shows.

It is a well-known fact that Rachel met husband Sean Duffy on the Road Rules: All Stars set in 1998, but it is not as well known that union wouldn't have happened if during the filming of the 5th season of the Real World; 1997, Rachel's life took another, fateful turn. She was involved in a major car accident traveling at the time with her fiance, who was a producer for the Real World. Says Rachel in her PARENTDISH blog on September 9, 2009:

"Thirteen years ago, I survived a head-on collision after the driver of an oncoming vehicle fell asleep at the wheel. The accident was gruesome. My boyfriend and his friend, the driver of our rental car, died in the accident. I was ejected out of the passenger-side window and sustained very serious injuries to my right leg that still affect me today (I have arthritis, a limp and difficulty running)."

Afterward she got together with Sean and they were married on April 4, 1999. In the National Review Online article, Rachel recalls:

"We fell in love and married while I was auditioning for The View. The deal we made was if I got the job, we’d move to New York City. If I didn’t, I would move to Hayward, Wisconsin, his hometown. I didn’t get the job, and I moved from Beverly Hills to rural Wisconsin. I have fallen in love with the people of Wisconsin for the same reasons I fell in love with Sean. They are kind, unassuming, good-natured, and honest."

Rachel and Sean now have 6 children together: Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar and MariaVictoria Margarita. Her most recent, MariaVictoria was regarded as a high-risk pregnancy but the Duffy's didn't consider any other option but bringing the baby to full term.

Rachel was able to give me some of her thoughts about the decision to write her book, her activities, and her life as a dedicated stay-at-home mother and wife of a candidate in a major congressional race.


Read the rest at: http://conservativefeatures.com/?p=1868

INTRODUCING: RON JOHNSON

On Saturday, May 22, 2010, a bombshell was dropped on the Wisconsin State Republican Convention in Milwaukee, and the explosion came from Ron Johnson, the conservative who'd thrown his hat into the ring just 5 days before. The Oshkosh businessman won the endorsement of the Party after 64% of the delegates had been wowed by the whirlwind courting affair with him in the days prior, all but ensuring the nation that he would be the candidate who could unseat Russ Feingold on November 3, 2010.

Dick Leinenkugel, the big name Wisconsin beer magnate who had been in the race for nearly 6 weeks, promptly dropped out prior to the vote and gave his support to Johnson. David Westlake still hung on; and Terrance Wall, the other Republican challenger, stepped aside a few days after the convention closed. So who is Ron Johnson?

Ron was born in Mankato, Minnesota on April 8, 1955. He moved to Minneapolis when he was 10-years-old and at an early age he started mowing lawns and shoveling driveways to earn money. He delivered papers, caddied at the local golf courses, and at one time even helped bale hay on his uncle’s dairy farm. He took his first official job the age of 15, as a dishwasher at a Walgreen’s Grill. He paid his own taxes and became the night manager before he was 16.

He met his wife, Jane, during his senior year of high school and attended college at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, living at home and paying his way the old-fashioned way, working full-time in order to pay for all of his college expenses. When he graduated in June 1977 with a BSB in accounting, he had $7,000 in the bank, and he married Jane on August 20th of that year. He took a job out-of-school as an accountant at a company called Josten’s a Manufacturer of school products: class rings, diplomas, Announcements, caps & gowns, all the while attending night school to earn his MBA. By 1979 he had completed all of the course work for his MBA except for his final thesis when another opportunity called. His brother-in-law, Pat, who had started a pallet manufacturing business in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and had the bold notion to convert the complex into a plastic sheet extrusion company. He invited Ron to help start the transition with him.

So in 1979, Ron and Jane moved to Oshkosh where Ron helped his brother-in-law start the business they called PACUR. Ron was the lone accountant and co-machine operator, trading 12 hour shifts with Pat during first year with the company until they could train other operators. Over 31 years, PACUR has grown from supplying a single customer of specialty plastic to the largest producer in the world. The majority of their plastics are used in medical device packaging and high tech printing applications. An American company in the proudest tradition, PACUR still likes to say: “We don’t export jobs, we export plastic.”

Ron and Jane’s first daughter, Carey, was born with transposition of the Great arteries. Ron then learned first-hand the great innovation and miracle technology available in the greatest health care system in the world. In having overcome her initial challenges and become a successful young woman, Carey, also has been witness to the birth of her siblings Jenna and Ben. As Ron and Jane’s raised their family, Ron took over sole-proprietorship of PACUR in 1997 and its growth continued to skyrocket.

Having the capital to help in sustaining a community, tax records recently released by Johnson campaign show that Ron and Jane have donated $2,195,495 to charity since 2005. RON JOHNSON

I interviewed Ron just recently at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair in Chippewa Falls and he was able to outline for me his campaign vision and the issues that were important to him in his fight to oust Russ Feingold.

1. YOU DECLARED YOUR CANDIDACY FOR THE US SENATE ON MAY 17 OF THIS YEAR. WHAT FACTORED INTO YOUR DECISION TO RUN AGAINST RUSS FEINGOLD?

What I always say is the final straw for me is when they passed the health care bill because I do view that as the greatest single assault on our freedom in my lifetime. I think that is true. I think it will lead to rationed care. I think it will dramatically to lower quality of care and we are not going to have the types of choices we have in terms of getting healthy care. I realize that our health care system isn't perfect but it is the finest health care system in the world. There is a reason that the Premiere from Newfoundland came down to America to receive his heart surgery. There are all kinds of news reports about people with brain tumors, who can't get MRIs in Canada, and they come to America. We are going to lose that. I supply into the medical industry. I know that America is the engine for medical innovation. This is where the advancements in medicine largely occur. This is where treatments are advanced, this is where medical devices are invented, this is pharmaceutical life-saving drugs are invented and when we harm that system, when we destroy that system, medical innovation is going to come to; maybe not a grinding halt, but it is not going to advance as we have grown accustomed too and the way that Americans want it.

2. YOU HAVE RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS FOR 31 YEARS AND MADE IT EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL. WHAT KINDS OF PERSPECTIVES AND QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU BELIEVE THIS WILL HELP BRING TO THE US SENATE?

Well when you do run your own business for 31 years, certainly what I've gotten out of it was an appreciation for the power and the wonder of the free market system. If are going to have a healthy economy, if we're going to continue be the society that has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's goods, that’s because of freedom and the free market system. You need to have an appreciation of that. You need the perspective of somebody who understands that is what made America great.




Ron and Scott Walker, Republican Gubernatorial Candidate


3. WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE AS RON JOHNSON'S CORE PRINCIPLES?

The other aspect of the health care bill is that it will add to the deficit, I mean it will not add dimes, it will add trillions. The example I always use is, you know, when they first passed Medicare. They estimated out 25 years in 1990 and said it was going to cost 12 million dollars, it cost 111 million dollars or almost 10 times the original number. So I think this health care bill will blow up an already broken budget. As conservatives, we didn't like seeing 2-, 3-, or 4-hundred billion dollar a year deficits. Now we're talking 1.5 trillion and we're talking a national debt of 13 trillion dollars, it is simply unsustainable and the career politicians like Russ Feingold have known this. They have known for decades and they have done nothing to solve other than to spend more money and to incur more debt, which is going to make it more difficult for us ever to solve these problems. The long and short of it, is the health care bill, in terms of assault on our freedom as well as what represents as far as worsening our already broken budget and at some point in time, people like me, people in the private sector have to take our perspective to Washington and actually take with them the desire to actually fix these problems. On the Military, people who serve in our Military over the generations, they are our finest and they deserve our support in long-term. The number 1 priorty of governments, the number 1 reason governments are formed; and you can go back to the caveman days, they got together to protect the clan, it was for protection and so the number 1 goal, the number 1 responsibility of our government is the defense of our nation, protect the people, securing our borders so that's where I stand in terms of the Military. It's one of the few things that government does well, because it has to, because it is our number 1 priority. In terms of social issues, I was just endorsed by the Wisconsin Right-to-Life. I do believe in the culture of life, I just do; Russ Feingold, unbelievable that a guy would vote for partial-birth abortions, that I find a particular barbarity. Certainly we need to do away with that as a really good, solid first step. I'm a very traditional human being and believe that a marriage is between a man and a woman - period.

4. SOME GRASSROOTS CONSERVATIVES ARE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT YOUR LATE ENTRANCE INTO THE RACE. CAN YOU DESCRIBE TO ME THE KIND OF CONSIDERATIONS YOU WENT THROUGH BEFORE DECIDING TO FULLY COMMIT TO THIS SENATE RUN?

Let me give you the quick history. I never even seriously thought about his. When I gave my TEA Party Speech in October, it wasn't because I was thinking about entering politics; after that speech, people were coming up to me and saying, "Hey, that's a really good speech, someone like you oughta consider running." I didn't even think about it really, until they passed the health care bill, and then all of the sudden those little comments made me think, "Well maybe someone like me should, because at some point in time someone like me has to get off of the sidelines in order to address these problems." I didn't even mention this to anybody until January 22nd during a chamber meeting and then it takes a couple of months to kind of start talking to people and set up meetings. What got me an endorsement, there is no conspiracy, what got me an endorsement I believe is before I decided to run I went and talked to talk radio hosts. I heard the way they weren't treating the current crop of Republican contenders very kindly and so I wanted to see what their reaction to me would be to me. I did meet with Charlie Sikes and before I went there I took copies of speeches I had given, the TEA party, and a Lincoln Day Dinner keynote address. Charlie, apparently, we got along pretty well, and then he liked those speeches to the point to where we read them on air for 16 minutes and we had that podcast and so we used that podcast before the conventions. We sent it out to the county chairs, we got it in the hands of delegates, and then for 2 days at the convention; I didn't set the rules I mean the vote was already scheduled for Sunday so we had Friday and Saturday for me to meet with delegates and I talked until I was hoarse, from 1:30 in the morning Friday and 1:30 in the morning on Saturday and I talked to a lot of people who had already heard the message, who had already heard my speeches read. Not only did we send out podcasts of those speeches but we sent out copies of those speeches, you know links, because we can use the Internet these days and so when we won that convention, people knew my message and I viewed that endorsement far more as an endorsement of my message than of me. Because, hey, I know I'm pretty new on the scene. The delegates there, a lot of them did meet me and I always ask people as I am on the campaign trail now, "I can't talk to everybody. If I've conveyed my character to you, if you're convinced, and you believe that I am sincere about wanting to fix these problems, sincere in my ideas and beliefs in those speeches I actually wrote, then spread the word," and I think those delegates in that convention did a good job of spreading the word.




Ron, his wife and daughters (left), with former Wisconsin Lt Governor Margaret Farrow and son Ben (right) at the State Convention

And that's what I'm relying on here in the State of Wisconsin during this campaign. I'm meeting up, I'm traveling all over, I am working hard. I am talking to as many people as possible. If somebody comes up to me now, they're seeing my TV ads, and before I get up to them they're saying, "Hey Ron Johnson, you've got my vote!" , the first thing I say is I thank them sincerely for that support and I say, "Help me get a hundred more." Because that's what's going to be required. We need the level of involvement, and commitment, and grassroots support and ground game unlike conservatives have ever done, because it's that important and I think people realize that. And the encouraging thing as I have gone about the state is that I don't if you're a Democrat, independent, a TEA party guy, or Republican people are just as concerned about the direction of this country than I am. They realize that there is something different going on here. This is whole magnitude of spending and debt unlike we've ever seen before and it is simply not sustainable so I've got a great deal of hope that something pretty good is going to happen this next election.

5. SUCCESS IN THIS RACE DEPENDS LARGELY ON TAKING THE MASK OFF OF RUSS FEINGOLD. WHAT ARE YOU AND YOUR CAMPAIGN DOING AND GOING TO DO TO EXPOSE WHO HE IS AS A LEFTIST AND SOCIALIST?

First of all, let me say, I agree that Russ Feingold is a very politically left person; he is as liberal as they come and he has an 18-year record now and people do know; it's not just you and me, that realize that when he has bucked his party is when it doesn't count. You know he'll buck his party on this finance reg. bill because he knows he is in deep trouble and he has an election ahead but when his party has needed him, and from my standpoint, yeah I'm running, but as an American citizen all I need to know about Russ Feingold is he voted for the health care bill, he was the 60th vote on that, and he voted for the stimulus, he was the 60th vote on that. That's all I need to know; that right there is damage enough, I don't need to know any more about the guy, I don't need to know what he prior to that. He voted the 862 billion dollar stimulus bill that already costs about 1 trillion with interest, that has done nothing, and 3 days before he voted on it he issues a press release saying that it would create 2.5 million jobs in its first year, 9 million jobs after 3, and that should show the people in Wisconsin this guy doesn't have a clue about what it really takes to create jobs. It isn't government, it isn't government spending, it isn't sucking money out of the private sector and turning it over to the government. And you're basically propping up states other than Wisconsin. That's one thing Wisconsinites have to realize is that when they take this money, when our Federal tax dollars go to Washington, it goes to California, it goes other places; you know we only get 86 cents of the dollar back from the federal taxes we give out to all of these other local and State governments and they're blowing it. And again, those aren't creating long-term sustainable jobs that actually do provide tax revenue and actually do create wealth and success and drive an economy.