WA 2011 Primary Election Underway!

Washington’s 2011 primary is underway, with county election officials mailing ballots to more than three-fourths of the state’s registered voters.

It’s the first election since lawmakers officially switched the state to full use of vote-by-mail. Pierce County, the last holdout for poll-site voting for a dwindling number of their residents, had made the switch to mail balloting.

Not every registered voter should expect to receive a ballot. Two counties have no primary at all this year — Franklin and Wahkiakum — and portions of many counties also have no races that are contested in the primary.

There are no statewide primaries this year. The primaries for statewide office, including open races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, will be next year, and that’s when the U.S. Senate, 10 U.S. House races, and many legislative, judicial and other contests will be on the ballot.

Two special legislative races to fill unexpired terms in Spokane and Clark counties, will be on the November ballot this year.

All told, the state Elections Division calculates that about 78 percent of the state’s registered voters, or about 2.86 million, will get primary ballots. Postmark deadline is Aug. 16, and turn-in deadline for drop boxes or voting centers, is at 8 p.m., Aug. 16.

Registered? The last possible date for an in-person registration for a new voter who wants to vote in the Aug. 16 primary is Aug. 8.

Secretary of State Sam Reed, the state’s chief elections official, said odd-year elections in Washington are largely devoted to local elections, mostly nonpartisan, and various ballot propositions. Turnout is typically not as strong as in even-numbered years, when many hotly contested races generate heavy voter and media attention and ad blitzes.

But Reed asked voters to “dig deep” and do their civic duty, and privilege, this year.

“As a former local elected official for many years, I can tell you that the local elections are often pivotal to the life of a community. Local government truly is the government closest to the people and those whom we elect will be making exceptionally important decisions in the days to come.

“We ask that every eligible citizen, particularly our young people 18 and older, get registered, get involved, get informed, and vote this year. Your vote truly is your voice, and you deserve to be heard.”

By David Ammons

CALL NOW - We Oppose the Boehner-Reid Debt Plan!

FOX News is reporting that the Capitol Hill switchboards are overloaded with calls. Bring it on - Call Now!

Senator Maria Cantwell (202) 224-3441
Senator Patty Murray (202) 224-2621
1st  District - Jay Inslee (202) 225–6311
2nd District - Rick Larsen (202) 225-2605
3rd District - Jaime Herrera Beutler (202) 225-3536
4th District - Doc Hastings (202) 225-5816
5th District - Cathy McMorris Rodgers (202) 225-2006
6th District - Norm Dicks (202) 225-5916
7th District - Jim McDermott (202) 225-3106
8th District - Dave Reichert (202) 225-7761
9th District - Adam Smith (202) 225-8901

Let DC Hear From You NOW!

It is URGENT that those in Washington DC hear from you TODAY!

Heritage Action has provided this very easy way to communicate with your elected leaders in Washington DC on the issue of spending and the debt ceiling. Please use the link below right now and let your voice be heard.

Click here: Heritage Action

Go With the American Plan — Cut Gov Spending, Deeply and Right Now

By David S. Addington, Heritage

It’s hard to understand why President Obama took to the airwaves tonight at prime time. He still has no plan for dealing with government overspending and overborrowing, and he gave the nation very little except a repetition of his never-ending call for tax hikes.

In noting the risk of ever-increasing debt, President Obama said every family knows that “a little credit card debt is manageable.” The government has racked up $14.294 trillion in debt — thought of by no-one as a little credit card debt. The spend-tax-and-borrow crowd, currently headed by President Obama, has been in charge in Washington too long. They have mortgaged the futures of our children and grandchildren. Our government is so deep in debt that the share of debt of a baby born today is $45,000.

It is time for the spend-tax-and-borrow crowd to stop. As the President indicated, conservatives want deep spending cuts. In contrast, President Obama wants more taxes, a terrible idea. First, the government already takes too much money from the pockets of Americans in taxes. Second, if Americans give the government more money in taxes, the government will just find ways to spend it, rather than using it to pay off the public debt. Third, raising taxes reduces investment, which cuts economic growth and kills jobs.

Americans sent a message in the election of 2010 — cut the size and cost of government. Conservatives must act now to drive down spending on the way to a balanced budget, while protecting America, and without raising taxes. Forget the McConnell, McConnell-Reid, Coburn, Gang-of-Six, Boehner, and Reid plans. Go with the American plan — cut government spending, deeply and right now, for the good of the country.

Cut, Cap, and Balance

Conservative groups, including Eagle Forum,  rolled out a pledge aimed at reining in the budget deficit, and will be rating lawmakers on how they measure up on that task.

The pledge, written by a coalition of more than 40 conservative groups, calls on lawmakers and candidates to oppose any debt limit increase unless all three of the following conditions have been met:

1. Cut - Substantial cuts in spending that will reduce the deficit next year and thereafter.

2. Cap - Enforceable spending caps that will put federal spending on a path to a balanced budget.

3. Balance - Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- but only if it includes both a spending limitation and a super-majority for raising taxes, in addition to balancing revenues and expenses.

Register to Vote in WA Primary - Deadline Monday

by Brian Zylstra

This year’s Primary Election is just a few weeks away, and if you haven’t registered to vote and want to take part in the Primary, you need to act soon.

For qualified Washington residents, Monday (July 18) is the standard deadline to get signed up using the quick and easy online registration or by regular mail, or to update your address or change your name.

This year’s Primary is August 16. Since we’re a vote-by-mail state, you’ll be interested to know that the ballots will be mailed by July 29.

There is a late registration deadline on August 8 to sign up in person at your county elections department if you’re not already registered to vote in Washington.

The deadlines to register to vote in the November 8 General Election are October 10 for online or mail registrations, and October 31 for in-person registrations.

Saving Medicare

Scare and distort. That would sum up what Democrats have to offer on Medicare. Thankfully the party with a plan has Paul Ryan: http://youtu.be/DJIC7kEq6kw

Abandoning Our Constitution

By Tara Ross

In a shocking twist, ex-Senator Fred Thompson has joined the effort to abolish the Electoral College. He claims that the National Popular Vote movement is “totally consistent with our constitutional principles.”

I like Thompson. I voted for him in the 2008 presidential primaries. But his endorsement of NPV simply cannot be reconciled with the Constitution. It is a pity, because he has spent so much of his public life defending these important principles. It is puzzling that he has abandoned them now.

NPV is consistent with the Constitution?

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention explicitly rejected a nationwide popular vote for President. The small states would never have ratified the Constitution with such a system in place, for fear that they would be constantly outvoted by big states such as Virginia and New York. NPV implements the system that was rejected and pretends that it is somehow consistent with this constitutional history.

The Constitution requires approval from three-quarters (38) of the states before radical change can be made to constitutional processes. NPV is on track to change the method of electing a President with the approval of fewer than 20 states.

The Constitution implements a system that combines the best elements of federalism, republicanism, and democracy. The Founders understood from their study of history that a pure democracy “is one of the greatest of evils” that “soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” It is “very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.”

NPV shuns the lessons of history—so important to the Founders—and replaces America’s federalist, republican, democratic presidential election process with a purely democratic one.

There is more: NPV will likely cause Equal Protection, legal and logistical problems that I have discussed at length elsewhere. But even these few examples should show that Thompson and others need to more thoroughly study the history of our Constitution and the Electoral College before casually claiming that NPV is consistent with America’s founding principles.

Please visit and join the Freedom Foundation’s Save Our States Project dedicated to preserving our Constitution and Electoral College for the sake of our liberty, security, and prosperity.

Excess Federal Properties in WA State

Puget Sound Business Journal

The White House has released a massive database of all federal properties deemed “excess” and no longer needed by the government, including 491 in Washington state.

The White House statement:

“The Federal Government is the biggest property owner in the U.S., and billions of taxpayer dollars are wasted each year on government properties that are no longer needed. The President has proposed a Civilian Property Realignment Board to help the Federal Government cut through red tape and politics to sell or get rid of property it no longer needs, saving taxpayers $15 billion over the first three years after the Board is fully up and running.”

“There are roughly 14,000 buildings and structures currently designated as excess and thousands of others that are underutilized. These properties range from sheds to underutilized office buildings and empty warehouses.”

Nationally, there is a database of 12,218 properties listed by federal agency, state and city where you can find detailed information regarding specific properties. Click here to see that list.

Another Federal "Capture Revenue" Proposal

The Obama administration is floating another tax scheme that should be sunk immediately - taxing drivers by the mile.

The plan is part of a 498 page White House proposal called - and this is rich - the Transportation Opportunity Act. The "opportunity" referred to is the opportunity to take more of the money you earn through a VMT, or vehicle milage tax.

Specialized tracking equippment would need to be installed in every vehicle to electronically track miles driven. In other words, the government could potentially track not only how far you drive but where you go.

Knowing this might not sit too well with the public The Hill reports that an "awareness comunications" plan (translation: plan to indoctrinate the public) would likely be set up first.

While technically a draft, and not an actual bill, this proposal is clearly on the path to become another hideous reality of the desperate left.

It is just a bit comical to note that this proposal comes as a result of bullying the public into purchasing hybrid and electric cars. Bummer...those vehicles inadvertently result in less revenue for the tax-guzzling government to spend. No "mon" no fun!

Democratic Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota owned that in this statement reported by The Hill:

"Do we do gas tax?" Conrad asked. "Do we move to some kind of an assessment that is based on how many miles vehicles go, so that we capture revenue from those who are going to be using the roads who aren't going to be paying any gas tax, or very little, with hybrids and electric cars?"

The people's recourse is to loudly reject this proposal, and to "capture" power back from the left. November 2011 will be a great place to start.

How's That "Hope & Change" Working Out For You??

This came across Facebook today and I think it's a creative, mysterious, truth-telling way to reach thousands of people around you everyday with the thought-provoking question "How's that "hope & change" working out for you?"

Can't fill your vehicle any more since it now costs over $100 and your credit card is stopped at that? How much has the price of your Cinnamon Burst Cheerios gone up in price? How many of your daily expenses have increased drastically over the past two years?

It's time for us to call attention to the financial impact Obama has had on us. Some friends in Georgia came up with a great idea how to do that and have fun at the same time. The vehicle - sticky notes!

We all have them, or can easily and inexpensively get them. Write on each one "How's that "Hope & Change" working for you?" and then place it where it will not impede the next customers ability to read information or price. We WANT to call attention to the price!

Those who shop after you will be reminded just how much the cost of living as increased since Obama took office.

What a great idea...and it's taking the nation by storm! Join the fun. Here's a Facebook link that will tell you more: "Hope & Change" Sticky Note Campaign

Atlas Shrugged

The movie that liberals hate and major theater chains are refusing to show will be released on April 15, and across the US citizens are challenging them...with success.

Using the following link - Bring Atlas Shrugged To Your Town - you can participate in encouraging movie theaters in your local area to show Atlas Shrugged.

So let your voice be heard people, and let's bring Atlas Shrugged all over Washington State!

And here's a great piece from John Stossel on Atlas Shrugged that's worth watching:

Stossel Atlas Shrugged - Part 1

Treating Women & Children As Commodities

WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE SEEKS TO TREAT WOMEN AND CHILDREN AS COMMODITIES

It is stunning. Bill 1267 now before the Senate, would legalize coercing poor women to prostitute their wombs for the manufacturing of children. Both the woman and child would be bought and sold. Barbaric.

This is a cynical if-you-have-enough-money, you have a right to purchase other human beings. THIS TRAVESTY MAY BE VOTED ON THIS WEEK.

Do we have to relearn that buying and selling of other human beings is a moral evil? Obviously, declaring: "Never again" is, by itself, never good enough, because human exploitation changes its disguise; the injustice appears in a different form with a new rationale.

Those legislators who pay lip-service to caring about women and children, are looking to legalize them as a commodity.

No matter your opinion on surrogacy, same-sex marriage, or abortion, you should be appalled at how poorly this legislation is written:

THE PURCHASE OF CHILDREN

HB 1267 would allow a couple to purchase a surrogate to have a child that may not be genetically related to the buyers.

Current Washington law sets forth that it is unlawful to purchase a minor child, but this bill inserts an exception into the law for a child that is the result of a paid contract.

This completely bypasses or circumvents all adoption safety procedures. These procedures are in place to protect children. This is an adoption, except in name. Gestational adoptions are adoptions. Yet, all adoption procedures are bypassed by this bill.

EXPLOITING POOR AND VULNERABLE WOMEN

Women who are low-income or unable to find work could be coerced into becoming a surrogate out of desperation.

While other state allow compensation for expenses and lost wages, there are NO LIMITS under this bill to the amount of money which could be spent to entice a women to become a surrogate.

This bill legalizes the renting of a woman's body for the first time, WITH NO REGULATIONS OR OVERSIGHT.

Under current law, paid surrogacy is prohibited and considered a misdemeanor.

This bill will, for the first time, open the doors to the renting of women in a completely unregulated service contract for over nine months.

Since the advent of paid surrogacy in other counties, a dark and disturbing trend of rich interests taking advantage of poor women has emerged. Surrogacy rings, amounting to slave labor have been occurring in Asia, and making international news.

Like pay day loan businesses, targeting poor military families, there is also evidence of surrogacy businesses targeting poor military families because of the great military healthcare. It will happen here.

It is a tragedy that some couples are unable to conceive, but an unregulated market that will take advantage of the growing number of woman dropping into poverty is wrong. Many states prohibit paid surrogacy.

CALL THE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE 1-800-562-6000 AND LET YOUR SENATOR KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS BILL

- Human Life Washington

100 Ideas for Washington’s Future

Press Release

OLYMPIA (March 23, 2011) State Representative Mike Hope (R-Lake Stevens) officially launched a statewide initiative today to find the best ideas for Washington’s future. The nonpartisan initiative is called .

At a Capitol press conference Wednesday, Hope was joined by Democrat and Republican leaders from across the state who pledged to listen to the people of Washington to develop a long term agenda for the state’s future.

“As much as we as political leaders hope to achieve at the state Capitol, government alone is not the answer to the challenges, and opportunities, of the future. Government cannot build our economy. Government cannot inspire citizens,” Hope said.

“Instead, the energy and drive of our people will move our state forward,” Hope explained. “The four walls of the state Capitol, filled with politicians, lobbyists, special interests and political insiders, are not the sole repository of good ideas for Washington. Instead, the hardworking citizens who pay taxes and raise families are the true reservoir of great ideas for our state. And that’s why we are launching the 100 Ideas Initiative,” Hope said.

Through a series of town hall meetings and interaction with the state’s citizens, the 100 Ideas Initiative will develop a comprehensive vision for our future. The meetings are called “Idearaisers,” and they are the heart of the 100 Ideas program. Hope and other leaders will travel the state throughout 2011 to conduct the Idearaisers.

“People are familiar with politicians holding fundraisers where they solicit money,” Hope said. “At an Idearaiser, we won’t ask for your money. Instead, we ask only that you bring your good ideas for the future of our state.”

Hope also emphasized that the Initiative is “non-partisan. In fact, we are not interested in ‘Republican’ ideas or ‘Democrat’ ideas. We simply want good ideas – regardless of their source,” Hope said.

Citizens will also be encouraged to submit their ideas on the program’s website – www.100ideaswa.org.

At the end of the year, the 100 Ideas Initiative will publish a book filled with 100 of the best ideas that emerge from across the state. The book will serve as a road map for policy makers.

Ideas submitted to the program will be evaluated by Hope and a bi-partisan team of advisors.

The Tolerant Left

"Below, you’ll find a compilation of 20 days worth of the death threats, vandalism, and intimidation practiced by pro-union thugs opposed to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill."

Thank you John Nolte for exposing the tolerant left.

The Bottom Line Is This: There Is No Money

When Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels took office six years ago, he rescinded collective bargaining rights for state employees and implemented merit pay.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Daniels slashed the state work force and turned a $600 million deficit into a $370 million surplus in one year. Indiana currently has an $800 million surplus.

Public-sector unions can prevent such all-out assaults by helping rather than hindering the process. For example, here in Washington, legislators passed a law allowing state services to be contracted out to private companies, but the process is essentially controlled by state employee unions, so it goes nowhere.

That’s not real reform.

The bottom line is this: There is no money. Business as usual is not an option. Rather than stand at the barricades fending off change, public-sector unions should use their experience and talents to help make government more efficient, effective and affordable.

That’s a solution that works for both the private and public employees.

Excerpt from Unions must be part of the solution as money dries up by Don Brunell president of the Association of Washington Business

The President Gets His Game On

Tahman Bradley reports:

President Obama just could not wait for spring weather to arrive.

For the second week in a row, the most powerful man in the world stepped away from the White House to hit the golf course.

Even as his administration and the U.S. military help Japan recover from a devastating earthquake, and as the world worries about Fukushima's nuclear reactor, the president could not resist taking advantage of the 48-degree weather in the Washington, D.C., area.

The president left the White House Saturday afternoon for a short trip to Joint Andrews Base in Camp Springs, Md.

With cloudy skies, it's not the best weather for golf, but Obama loves to spend his Saturdays on the greens. Last fall, Obama went golfing darn near every weekend.

These are never quick "work on your swing" trips; usually the president plays 18 holes, as he did last week.

Dangers of an Article V Convention

Written by Matthew Spalding, Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at The Heritage Foundation

An Article V amendments convention has been a debated proposition since the very beginning. Madison understood this when he argued at the Constitutional Convention that “difficulties might arise as to the form, the quorum etc. which in constitutional regulations ought to be as much as possible avoided.”

He recorded some of these questions in his convention notes: “How was a Convention to be formed? By what rule decide? What the force of its acts?”

Combine these with the fact that no such amending convention has ever occurred (that is, there is no precedent) and too many serious questions are left open and unanswered. This absence of guidelines or rules makes an Article V convention a risky venture, and one that legislators have historically avoided.

Legislators have threatened an Article V convention as a way of encouraging Congress to take action on a certain issue. In these instances, the threat of an Article V convention (with all of its unknowns) is considered dangerous enough that Congress proposes the desired amendment through the usual congressional method. This is not an unreasonable aspect of a constitutional strategy, but very different from claiming that we should actually have such a convention as a matter of course.

The largest question is whether an amendments convention can be limited to specific amendments or even topics.

The pro-convention argument assumes that the power to limit the convention is inherent in the power to call the convention in the first place. I’m not so sure that follows: The text says that upon application of the states Congress “shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments,” not for confirming a particular amendment already written, approved, and proposed by state legislatures (which would effectively turn the convention for proposing amendments into a ratifying convention).

Indeed, it is not at all clear as a matter of constitutional construction (and doubtful in principle) that the power of two-thirds of the states to issue applications for a convention restricts, supersedes, or overrides the power of all the states assembled in that convention to propose amendments to the Constitution.

When Madison later pointed to an Article V convention as a way to solve the Nullification Crisis (as did Lincoln during the Civil War), an amendments convention was understood to be free to propose whatever amendments thought necessary to address the problems at issue.

Serious scholars will undoubtedly continue to debate the historical record and speculate about the possibility of an amendments convention under Article V. But the argument that, as a matter of course, we should spend considerable time, money and effort right now to design, plan, and implement a convention—despite the unknowns and risks involved—is both imprudent and potentially dangerous. It is a distraction that inevitably gets bogged down in a debate over technical details, taking valuable attention and focus away from the substance of the constitutional reforms themselves.

Claims of the ease and efficacy of an Article V convention are also misleading to the many committed and well-meaning reformers and activists who are serious about constitutional change in the United States.

The Allusion of Assisted Suicide in WA State

In its recent Assisted Suicide report, the Department of Health reported that 87 people received lethal doses of medications under the Act and 71 individuals died. 51 people reportedly died after ingesting the lethal dose and 15 died from other causes.

The Department of Health does not know if the remaining 6 people died of assisted suicide or not. The Department of Health also has no idea about the status for the 15 remaining people who requested lethal medications-whether they are alive or dead, whether they died from natural causes or from assisted suicide.

There seems to be at least some problem with the accuracy of the reporting (and the timeliness of required documentation) if 15 people out of 87 cannot be accounted for. Of even greater concern is what the numbers don't, and can't, reveal.

True Compassion Advocates' President Eileen Geller noted, "The published data from the 2010 report is so limited and unreliable that even some who agree with the policy have qualms regarding the DOH's inability to determine whether the law operates with the full safety and voluntariness its proponents promised."

Geller continued, "Washington voters thought they were getting a law to assure choice-what they've received is something entirely different, a law which has in some instances has become a recipe for elder abuse and a vehicle for financial coercion."

The report, which doesn't even address whether the administration of the lethal dose was voluntary, has significant gaps. Instead, Washington's 2010 report on doctor prescribed death focuses on the "ingestion" of the lethal dose. "Ingestion" as described in the report does not require a patient's consent, competency, or even awareness.

"What the numbers in the report don't show is what really needs reporting," said Geller. "Assisted suicide in Washington is neither safe nor voluntary for those who feel coerced, can't afford proper health care, or are victims of unreported elder abuse."

True Compassion Advocates - True Compassion Advocates (TCA) offers education, resources, and support during aging, illness, and disability. We foster awareness about, and prevention of, suicide, doctor prescribed death, and elder abuse. We support safe and effective care, positive health care choices, and compassionate communities.

Powers

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." --James Madison, Federalist No. 45

Let There Be (Incandescent) Light!

By Pete Kasperowicz

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) this week introduced legislation that would eliminate federal light bulb standards passed in 2007 that are expected to have the effect of phasing out some incandescent bulbs in the next few years.

Bachmann said her "Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act" is needed because "government has no business telling an individual what kind of light bulb to buy."

"In 2007, Congress overstepped its bounds by mandating that only 'energy efficient' light bulbs may be sold after January 1, 2012," she said. "This mandate has sweeping effects on American families and businesses and needs serious consideration before taking effect."

Bachmann's bill, H.R. 849, would terminate two sections of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that set energy-efficiency standards for incandescent and fluorescent bulbs and labeling standards. The bill does, however, allow these standards to remain in place if the comptroller general were to find that they will lead to consumer savings, reduced carbon-dioxide emissions and pose no health risks to consumers (such as risks posed by the presence of mercury in more energy-efficient bulbs).

Obama vs Walker...and it wasn't even close!

Obama: “I don’t think it does anybody any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or their rights are infringed upon.”

Walker: "I’m sure the president knows that most federal employees do not have collective bargaining for wages and benefits while our plan allows it for base pay.

And I’m sure the president knows that the average federal worker pays twice as much for health insurance as what we are asking for in Wisconsin. At least I would hope he knows these facts.

"Furthermore, I’m sure the president knows that we have repeatedly praised the more than 300,000 government workers who come to work every day in Wisconsin.

"I’m sure that President Obama simply misunderstands the issues in Wisconsin, and isn’t acting like union bosses in saying one thing and doing another."

Call Governor Walker and let him know you appreciate the bold stand he is taking and his hard work for fiscal responsibility. (608) 266-1212.

Patriots Rally in Olympia

Thank you to the hundreds of patriots who braving cold and snow drove (themselves) to Olympia today to stand with Wisconsin and Governor Walker against the taxing tyranny of the democrat/unions cartel.

Obama Paves Way For Same-Sex “Marriage”

By Gary Bauer, American Values

Yesterday Attorney General Eric Holder made a stunning announcement: the Obama Justice Department will no longer defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. According to Holder, our president concluded that the law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman was “unconstitutional” and ordered him to stop defending it in at least two cases currently before the federal courts.

Excuse me? The president is the chief law enforcement officer, not the chief justice! It is not up to Barack Obama to determine which laws he likes and which laws he doesn’t. It is his responsibility to enforce the law until the nation’s highest court decides the law does not pass constitutional analysis.

But this president sees things very differently — he’s here to fundamentally transform America, by, among other things, redefining marriage. He ignored public opinion and bent the rules to pass healthcare “reform.” Unable to get cap and trade through Congress last year, Obama now wants the EPA to implement it. And he does not hesitate to ignore the courts either.

The Obama Administration was recently cited for contempt by a federal judge for continuing its deep-water drilling ban, despite a previous order striking it down. Rather than abiding by Judge Vinson’s ruling against ObamaCare, the administration is asking the judge to “clarify” his ruling, while it orders states to continue implementing the big government health scheme.

Today’s news should put to rest any suggestion that Obama has moved to the center. He has just aligned himself with the most radical elements in the culture war who are trying to redefine normalcy.

Celebrate Washington’s Birthday

Written by Julia Shaw, The Foundry

The third Monday in February has come to be known—wrongly—as President’s Day. But, this is not a day to celebrate every president in our Nation’s history.

The president who fails to wear a coat in cold weather should not be honored as much as the one who defeats the British’s Hessian mercenaries during a blizzard

This is the day that we celebrate the man who led America to victory in the War for Independence, who was instrumental in the creation of our Constitution, and whose character forever shaped the executive branch. We celebrate George Washington.

That’s why the holiday is Washington’s Birthday—not President’s day.

What makes George Washington a great president, worthy of such celebration, an example to all other presidents?

In short, he was committed to the principles of the American Founding: Liberty, Natural Rights, Equality, Religious Liberty, Economic Opportunity, the Rule of Law, Constitutionalism, Self-government, National Independence.

For nearly two centuries, Washington was celebrated every February 22nd. According to Al Felzenberg, Washington’s troops set aside that day during the War for Independence to honor him, especially for his surprise victories over Hessian mercenaries at Trenton and British troops at Princeton.

Yearly celebrations continued during and after Washington’s presidency, but Congress did not officially recognize Washington’s birthday as a national holiday until 1870.

Congress made Monday the official day to commemorate national figures and events with the Monday Holiday Law in 1968 (Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July are exceptions to the Monday rule).

Observance of Washington’s birthday was moved from February 22 to the third Monday in February. Contrary to popular opinion, no action by Congress or order by any president has changed “Washington’s Birthday” to “President’s Day.” Section 6103 of Title 5, United States Code, still designates the legal federal holiday as “Washington’s Birthday.”

It would be easy to for the president to issue an executive order that would enforce the law and remind all Americans that George Washington ought not to be lumped in with every other president: good, bad, and the ugly (yes, James Buchanan we are talking about you).

If anyone in American history (let alone a president) deserves to have a day celebrated in his honor, it’s George Washington.

Henry Lee summed up Washington the best when he said: “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting…. Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues…. Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.”

Such was the man for whom our nation celebrates this weekend

Roll Out The Milk Cartons

Posted today by Bryan Preston:

Wisconsin: Let’s roll out the milk cartons to aid the search for fleeing Democrats!

Since it’s clear that the Democrats from President Obama on down are not interested in having an adult conversation about the debt that is wracking this country, and since the Wisconsin Democrats in particular have shown that they will cut and run rather than let the people’s senate vote, it’s time to roll out the milk cartons.

BTW, the man on the carton is the Democrats’ leader in the state Senate – Sen. Mark Miller.

After You...

Well here’s a bill for all those in Olympia who are so anxious to raise taxes. S.B. 5486 is the bill for you!

Creating a “taxpayer savings account” S.B.5486 allows you the incredible opportunity to voluntarily "invest" more of your money to state government.

You happily and aggresively pillage the pockets of taxpayers, now let’s see you open your own wallets and lead the way. After you!

Obamacare - We’ve Bought Some Time

by Erick Erickson

A Reagan appointed federal district judge in Florida has ruled key portions of Obamacare, namely the individual mandate, unconstitutional. Because Congress expressly did not put a severability clause in the legislation, the judge has ruled the whole law unconstitutional.

The left is, naturally, shocked and appalled that the judge did not let the rest of Obamacare stand as a judge in Virginia did. They are calling today’s judge “an extreme activist.”

Let’s clear this up: activism is when a judge changes a law in a way he wants, even if Congress did not intend it or when a judge imposes his own policy prescriptions into a law or the constitution.

What we are seeing here today is something extremely rare — a humble judge. Instead of trying to salvage a law with no severability clause, he followed long held precedent.

Congress typically puts severability clauses in legislation so that if one part of the law is unconstitutional the other parts stand. Congress chose not to in this case. Instead of the judge deciding whether or not Obamacare could or should stand on its own, the judge has decided he is not a legislature. Consequently, he’s thrown the whole thing out instead of letting his own policy prescriptions stand in the law to hold it up.

If that is activism, give me more of it.

Ultimately we should not get too excited. In reality, there is only one person’s opinion on this matter that counts — the opinion of Justice Anthony Kennedy.

But we’ve bought some time.

Roanoke's Top Five For President 2012

Republican at the Roanoke Conference in Ocean Shores held a Presidential straw poll this morning and selected Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels as their top choice for President in 2012 with 45 votes.

Other top five contenders included Mitt Romney with 20 votes, Tim Pawlenty 18, Chris Christie 13 and John Thune receiving 12 votes.

The Roanoke Conference describes itself as "Washington State’s premier Republican social gathering." While describing themselves as neither “conservative” nor “mainstream.” they state their commitment to the core principles of the free market, limited government and individual liberty.

Elephants Roaming Free in Ocean Shores

by Bryan Myrick

Elephants are roaming free in Ocean Shores, Wash. this weekend, as Republicans from around Washington State converge on the hibernating beach town on the dramatic Pacific Coast for the second annual Roanoke Conference. Hundreds of Republicans filled the main room of the Ocean Shores Convention Center, and the event could not have come at a better time for the GOP in the Evergreen State.

Debate has persisted over whether the party should lick its wounds or count its blessings following disappointing 2010 returns. If left to fester, those disagreements could threaten the more productive conversation on how to get Republicans elected in a mostly blue state like Washington.

A critical dialogue around the party’s strategy for winning was at the core of the full-day agenda in Saturday sessions, one that focused on participation and open discussion. Even in a room filled with such high flyers as Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton, newly elected Washington State Republican Party Chairman Kirby Wilbur (among the many other notable attendees), it was clear that titles of office had been checked at the door.

As moderated panels of public officials and experts represented opposing arguments on key issues – the effect of the initiative process on state politics, the proper role of the state party, and whether the U.S. Congress should adopt a balanced budget amendment – gave way to open comment before straw poll voting, what emerged was a robust debate with some surprising results.

Tonight, the festivities shift into celebration mode with a dinner featuring a keynote speech by White House Press Secretary for Pres. George W. Bush and Fox News commentator Dana Perino. Perino will be introduced by Washington State’s newest Republican in Congress, Rep. Jaimie Herrera Buetler (WA-03).

The conference will wrap up Sunday morning.

Coming…Your Own Personal Government “Identity Ecosystem”

“This is the world envisioned in the National Strategy for Trusted Identities. We call it the Identity Ecosystem. We will be working to finalize the NSTIC in the coming months, but that is only the beginning of the process.”

~ Howard A. Schmidt, Cybersecurity Coordinator and Special Assistant to the President

The government wants your information – from what you purchase to what you blog. Over the years many forms of national ID have been pursued by the government for various reasons. The American people, however, know privacy is foundational to freedom.

Now packaged as “Internet security” for you President Obama is mandating what amounts to a national ID card, your own Internet passport.

Who has a hand in creating this “identity ecosystem” ? That would be former WA State Gov Gary Locke. Since leaving this Washington for the “other” Washington to serve as Secretary of Commerce Locke has been at the forefront of developing this government “identity ecosystem” for you.

On January 7, 2011, Locke joined the White House cybersecurity advisor Howard Schmidt in announcing a new government ID card that will centralizing your personal information and credentials all the while tracking your web activity.

Do you want the government tracking every web site you visit, every purchase you make, your deposits or withdrawals, your private medical records, your blog comments, your Facebook and Twitter posts, or logging your religious and political affiliations, donations, memberships, and interests?

While insisting this will be a voluntary program we all know what happens to “volunteer” government programs. Voluntary is only the footpath to mandatory.

This "security" will leave Americans more vulnerable than ever. The Washington Times in their editorial says this:

“centralizing access to personal information only makes it easier for the bad guys because it means they only need to steal one key to unlock a vast wealth of financial and personal information. It's likely that the real motivation for this is to ensure the feds always have backdoor access into what people are doing in the online realm. Congress should take steps to ensure this Big Brother scheme is deleted."

This wildly radical proposal should alarm every American.

Eagle Forum has long warned of aggressive government attempts at citizen surveillance. We reject this proposal and urge citizens to immediately communicate their concerns to their elected leaders. We oppose ObamaNet, and any attempt to issue government Internet Passport ID cards for any reason.

Choosing Life for Charlotte

by Ned Ryun

I’ve never written about an episode from several years ago, aside from a few blog entries for friends and family, but the week of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I want to share it because I always want to remember what took place and that I saw a miracle.

I found myself at 3 a.m. the morning of November 4th, 2008, standing next to my wife’s hospital bed, holding her hand, having watched her hemorrhage off and on for several days, physically and emotionally exhausted, listening to the doctors tell us, “Very large blood clots are forming, and all the amniotic fluid is gone, and there is a very good chance this pregnancy will have to end today to protect your wife.” Our little girl, who we had decided to name Charlotte Love, was only gestationally 24-weeks old and four months from her due date.

It seemed to me that everything was spiraling out of control. Within a matter of 72 hours, we went from, “We think she’ll stay in the womb for several more months,” to “Maybe a few more weeks,” to, “We have hours.” I remember staring at that white wall of the hospital that night, powerless, feeling as though I was being inexorably being pulled to the edge of a cliff. My heels were dug in, but I was unable to stop the forward motion and now I had come to the very edge, of what I didn’t know.

But that morning there was a pause in the fight: I knew there was no point in the fighting, in the struggling. I don’t believe in chance, but in a “Divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them as we may.” There are very interesting conversations you have with yourself in moments like I was experiencing. As a Christian, I want God’s will for my life, and I believe His will is perfect. What I was experiencing was not chance, but His will. As you take yourself thru a series of questions, answering in the affirmative, it leads you to certain conclusions, and mine was that if His will is perfect, and this was His will, then this was perfection. Of course I will be the first to tell you it did not feel like perfection.

But I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and resigned myself graciously to God’s will, took His outstretched hand and took the next step―but it was not off the edge into a dark unknown. For the next four months, I would find myself in the midst of perfection.

Several doctors visited the room in those early hours of the 4th, giving us the odds of Charlotte’s survival, and the significant chances of brain damage, blindness, and long-term health problems. We’d already been asked if we wanted to revive her should she come out not breathing, and three times it had been suggested that we might want to consider ending the pregnancy. You say you believe certain things, but when confronted with actual decisions, you authenticate and validate your belief system, or destroy it, by what you actually do. My wife, Becca, and I refused to even consider the thought of ending Charlotte’s life and we told the doctors and nurses they were to make their best efforts to revive Charlotte should she not be breathing when she was delivered.

The entire episode was happening in a rush, and a few hours later, our wonderful doctor walked in, in her scrubs, and asked how we were doing. I replied that we were hanging in there and then asked if the emergency C-section would be in the afternoon. She smiled and said, “No, you have fifteen minutes. The operating room is ready. We’ll wheel Becca down, you’ll get your scrubs on, and we are delivering the baby.”

Charlotte, all 1lb 7ozs and 12 inches of her, was delivered a little after 10am that morning of the 4th. She was checked into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). For over four months, we basically lived at the NICU (thank God for Ronald McDonald Houses) . There were ups and downs, an emergency heart surgery on Charlotte about two weeks after she was born, and most of the time in the NICU was spent in isolation because of a bacteria infection. But Charlotte never once had bleeding on the brain, never needed eye surgery, and never suffered anything that would lead to long-term health or disability issues, of which there were significant chances for all of those.

When I look back at the odds of what should have happened, or could have happened (and we were told some pretty staggering odds that early morning of November 4th), I think of it as nothing less than a miracle.

There were no guarantees that morning that Charlotte would live, or that she would even be healthy. But we chose life, no matter the consequences. I think about the experience often, when I get Charlotte up in the morning, or she climbs on my lap to cuddle, and I know that it took place for a reason. I can’t always explain why things happen, but I do believe in a just and loving God and I know that what took place with Charlotte was because of love. And because of that love, and our love for her, there was ultimately no questioning our decisions. I don’t know what life has for Charlotte, but I do know that she gets to live and have a chance at what I hope will be an amazing life.

Repeal it Now!

The House voted today to repeal Obamacare 245 to 189 & and six more states have joined the lawsuit challenging it. That means more than half the states consider Obamacare unconstitutional and are willing fight it in court!

Meet Reince Priebus

Reince Priebus elected today as the new National Chairman of the Republican Party

Before being elected as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin in 2007, Priebus devoted his time and effort to electing Republican officials for many years, including running as a GOP candidate for state Senate in 2004.

Priebus previously worked in the Wisconsin legislature as the Committee Clerk for the State Assembly Education Committee.

After enrolling at the University of Miami School of Law, Priebus clerked for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, the United States District Court, and the Southern District of Florida.

Priebus has made media appearances on Fox News with Megyn Kelly, Geraldo Rivera, MSNBC and C-SPAN's "Road to the Whitehouse."

Priebus resides in Kenosha with his wife Sally, his son Jack, and baby girl Grace Avalyn.

By the way, his name is pronounced ryns pree-buhs

RNC Chairman Vote Today

The Republican National Committee is meeting in Washington DC this weekend to elect a new chairman. Our Washington State voting delegation consists of State Chairman Luke Esser, National Committeeman Jeff Kent, and National Committeewoman Fredi Simpson.

Current RNC Chairman Michael Steele is running for reelection. He is being challenged by five others:

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Wisconsin GOP

Saul Anuzis, former Republican chairman of Michigan

Ann Wagner, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party

Maria Cino, manager of the 2008 Republican National Convention

Gentry Collins, the RNC’s political director

There will be many votes and many strategic maneuvers before a chairman is elected, and it will be an interesting ride.

Washington Eagle Forum will be watching the vote live and you can follow all the action via Twitter @waeagles

*photo courtesy of Luanne VanWerven