Eureka! A Rational Liberal on Twitter!

So many liberals attack me verbally on this blog, twitter, and elsewhere in ways that are presumptuous, vitriolic, ad feminam, and just plain rude. That's why it was so refreshing to read my twitter pal Noebie's post this morning, about areas where he speculates we agree. It's a thoughtful post, and I encourage you to read it and jump in the conversation.

Specter Switches to Democratic Party

Any finger-wagging Republican water-carrier who has pressed me or any other conservative to support liberals just because they happen to have (R)s after their names is welcome to post his apology in the comments section.

Finding Hope in Obama Government's Latest Power Grab

In a move that should surprise no one, the Obama Administration is floating a scheme that would make the federal government's power over the nation's banks stronger and more permanent. The Administration says it can stretch what's left of the $700 Billion in bail-out money by converting existing loans to common stock. Such a move would give the federal government voting power in the banks, and make it the largest shareholder in some of them. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged nearly 300 points in the wake of the announcement.

This is, of course, terrifying. This is the same government that brought us the Post Office, the Social Security system, and the Community Reinvestment Act. Tightening its grip on banks, giving it voting power, would only permeate the financial system further with its unique blend of incompetence and unaccountability.

But there is an encouraging facet to the Administration's power grab du jour. It's driven, at least in part, by the fact that the Democrat-controlled Congress can't muster enough votes to throw more of the taxpayers' money down the morally hazardous rat-hole of bank bail-outs. Granted, the Administration is responding in the never-waste-a-crisis way that typifies its opportunistic quest for more power. That's to be expected. Our wanna-be overlords are scared of the mushrooming populist sentiment against their paternalism, but they're not going to restore economic freedom without a fight. They're going to keep trying to find ways to expand their power, while pretending to bend to the will of the people.

And we're not going to let them get away with it. The fight against 21st-century tyranny is not over, but it has begun.

Reston Tea Party--Closing Remarks

Reston Tea Party--Opening Remarks

Reston Tea Party--LOCATION CHANGE

Tonight's Tea Party in Reston, Virginia, has been moved down the street to:

Baron Cameron Park
11323 Baron Cameron Drive
Reston, VA 20190

Directions from Dulles Toll Road:

Take Wiehle Avenue Exit (northbound)
After ~ two miles, turn cross Baron Cameron Drive
Turn left into Baron Cameron Park

I hope to see you there at 6:30!

Reston Tea Party

I am happy to announce that I'll be MCing the Reston Tax Day Tea Party, Lord willing.

When: Wednesday, April 15th, 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Lake Anne Village Center Plaza
1609 Washington Plaza
Reston, Virginia

If you'll be in northern Virginia, I hope you'll join us in the middle of the square. If you will not be in northern Virginia, please check out this site for the Tea Party nearest you.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I look forward to blogging next week about Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's third annual Bloggers' Day at the Capitol and other matters.

RPV Parodies Own Rudderlessness

The Republican Party will not be dancing its way back to conservatives any time soon, if today's episode of Fakes and Flakes: The Reality Show is any indication. By a vote of 57-18, the insiders on the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia have removed chairman Jeff Frederick, who was popularly elected less than one year ago. Having not thought the issue of Mr. Frederick's replacement "through that far", the establishmentarians appointed Mike Thomas to serve as interim chairman, as he has three times in six years. SCC plans to meet on May 2 to elect its own puppet. If I thought the RPV establishment was competent enough to execute such a plan, I'd say they were trying to encourage conservatives to leave. But I think instead they're just parodying their own rudderlessness.

How Bush Administration Strong-Armed Banks into Taking Bail-Out Dollars

Party Like It's 1773!

Tonight on RFC

Please tune in to Radio For Conservatives tonight at 10:00 (EDT). I'm chatting about the Obama Administration's latest power grab, the proposed budget, and the murder of Terri Schiavo.

Blogger Budget Call with Rep. Goodlatte

Last night, I had the privilege of joining my friends Krystle Weeks and Jim Hoeft on a Virginia bloggers call with Rep. Bob Goodlatte, who discussed the Republican alternative budgets to Barack Obama's $4-Trillion spending spree, which is likely to be voted on today.

One thing that's clear is the differring visions that undergird the budgets: The Democrat budget calls for huge tax increases, including letting the Bush tax cuts expire and even undoing the 2010 elimination of the estate tax; the Republican proposals, on the other hand, emphasize tax cuts and tax reform.

And how's this for a sobering tidbit? Although many criticize the Obama plan as following Europe down the path to socialism, it would actually render the United States ineligible to join the European Union, because its debt levels are too high, according to Mr. Goodlatte.

Even some Democrats at least claim to be leery of the enormity of President Obama's proposed budget, although Mr. Goodlatte expects most of them to fall in line with the President. Blue-dog Democrat, he said, really means yellow-dog Democrat from a conservative district. Many of them are likely to talk the language of fiscal responsibility, but vote for the Obama spending spree in the end.

But there is some good news. As Mr. Goodlatte acknowledged, the Republicans have been fairly criticized for fiscal irresponsibility. Having lost the last two national election cycles, they're finally trying to recover their roots as the party of free markets and limited government. Are they any more sincere than the yellow/blue-dog Democrats, who'll tout conservative economic values but don't really believe or even understand them? Recent history shouts a resounding NO! But even so, while Republicans who understand and believe in the free market and fiscal responsibility would be best, those who don't but are too scared to enrage the taxpayers any further are better than those who ooze contempt for the will of the people. In other words, it's better to have Representatives who agree with us, but being scared of us is a second we can work with.

Sunshine Review Rates Virginia County Transparency

The Sunshine Review, which evaluates governmental transparency and accountability at the state and local levels, has charted the Web sites of Virginia counties, evaluating them on the basis of how much open information they provide on matters like budgets, taxes, and lobbying. The Fairfax County review is mixed. For example, while the Web site provides current and past budgets, there is no information about its lobbyist relationships. The Sunshine Review also provides several helpful links for citizens seeking to learn more about their county government.