Pardon My Politics

Although John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee, as the various state conventions roll forward in obscurity, conflict and chaos continue to be spread by Ron Paul's enthusiastic followers who continue to try to storm the ramparts of the GOP establishment. These efforts by libertarian-leaning Republicans, looking to strike a blow against the neo-cons, have met with some successes and some failures and certainly a very undesirable backlash.

I recently picked up the essential book on the conservative movement Conscience of a Conservative, and am certainly glad I did. Frequently when a book is old as this one we shrug off reading it, this is one that demands your attention. If you previously read this years ago go read it again. The latest version has a new foreword by George Will and a new afterword by Robert Kennedy, Jr. Barry Goldwater is considered the father of the conservative moment and with good reason. He eloquently states his case for smaller government and less taxes. He takes a definitive stance on states rights and nearly 50 ago he had the foresight to see the fallacy of the welfare state.

Blood money stains the hands of more than 25% of members of the U.S. House and Senate Who profits from the Iraq war? More than a quarter of senators and congressmen have invested at least $196 million of their own money in companies doing business with the Department of Defense (DoD) that profit from the death and destruction in Iraq. According to the latest reports, 151 members of Congress invested close to a quarter-billion in companies that received defense contracts of at least $5 million in 2006. These companies got more than $275.6 billion from the government in 2006, or $755 million per day, according to FedSpending.org, a website of the watchdog group OMBWatch.

Ron Paul supporters who swarmed the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the April 15 Freedom Rally came from near and far.  One dynamic duo from Maryland, Mike Hargadon and Collins Bailey, are both running for Congress on Paul's platform. In fact, four of the eight people seeking House seats representing Maryland are on board with Paul on at least most issues.

It was not too long ago, when supporting old growth forests meant you were a left wing whacko who liked owls more than people. Of course one has never had owl cut them off in traffic, or believe in the stupidest things imaginable, so maybe one can like owls more. And before that if you supported women's right to vote, or equal rights for the races you were thought to be a bleeding heart with no common sense, who was out to destroy