|
 |
10/8/2007
Awfully early to be making a decision
Defending the American Dream – two days of policy and politics in D.C. sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, bankrolled by among others, wealthy conservative industrialists, David and Charles Koch.
Freedom, small government, minimal regulation, low taxes. Dreams! And one American dream must be to run for President of this land of the free. Last Thursday and Friday, I saw and heard seven of the GOP candidates – most of them up close and personal.
John McCain either wasn’t granted – or wasn’t available for a prime time slot before 1,600 conservatives of all ages. So the veteran senator headlined a comparatively intimate reception and spoke of the importance of a strong America. I like McCain for that – and for what I see as integrity. I think he’s tough – and I like that.
Rudy Giuliani was both the show starter and the show stopper. Wow. Tremendous energy. “I’ve proven I can lead.” In New York, “we gave a new name to welfare offices – “Job Centers.” Giuliani called for “balanced” regulations (sounds like hedging to me) and an “inflation-adjusted AMT” (hedging again?). Phenomenal speaker.
Ron Paul spoke on the big floor – but was herded off the stage after less than 10 minutes – weird. The guy is different, but he surely knows what he believes. “The purpose of government is to protect liberty….The Constitution was written to restrain the government – not to restrain the people…. Get rid of income tax – and replace it with… nothing.” (Smaller government will make an income tax unnecessary.” The closest Dr. Paul got to a mention of the war: ”Our message [of liberty] spreads when other nations emulate us.”
Later, in the media room, I asked Dr. Paul how and when he was going to address health care. It’s coming, he said. I told him he had a dedicated pack of supporters in Green Bay who were recently arrested for displaying his sign. He said he read something about that on the web that morning. Might have been my story….
Sam Brownback wheeled in a stack of books three feet high – the federal tax code. Kind of an overused prop for a story that nevertheless needs to be told. Not a riveting orator. Wonky, homey – both ok, but I couldn’t get excited to learn about whatever it is he wanted me to learn. An experienced legislator and very nice man, I’m sure.
Mike Huckabee, another to not be given much time, laughed at his plight. “Blessed are the brief, for they shall be invited again.” Good for him. Tax code was the target of another overused story…”When you can’t fix it with duct tape and WD-40, it can’t be fixed.” Following the rules and being appropriately brief, the former Arkansas governor, said we need to 1) feed ourselves (importance of the agriculture economy), 2) fuel ourselves (energy independence in 10 years) and 3) fight for ourselves.
Fred Thompson walked on the stage cradling so-called trophy-wife Jeri in his right arm. More weirdness. I don’t get why this senior citizen’s young wife and very young children are featured in his campaign. Thompson said all the right things – government is limited by the Constitution, judges cannot make up law as they go along, “lower taxes works,” and “earmarks are the tag of a much bigger dog…” It doesn’t seem to come from the heart. He’s stiff on Law and Order and he’s stiff at the dais. I felt like I just kissed my sister.
Mitt Romney, last but not least, was Friday night’s headliner. Magnetic and charismatic. He’ll “veto every bill that’s not inflation less 1%.”
On taxes: Kill the death tax. Make Bush tax cuts permanent. Lower marginal tax rates for all Americans. Hold the line on social security taxes. Stop AMT inflation creep [just get rid of the whole darn thing]. 0% tax rate on capital gains and dividends for incomes less than $200,000. Phew. The guy was good. He’s got his arms around the problems and does a great job prescribing the solution specifics. Absolutely the name of the game.
Here’s Steve Eggleston’s sum-up (one of over 30 No Runny Eggs posts from the Summit) of the presidential candidates. Steve was my left-elbow neighbor in the media room – and did great work!
COMMENTS
in this piece I went straight to the reportage on Ron Paul. The other candidates fronted by the Republicans like the Hero Of 911 are a bad joke on the American public.
Thanks for reporting on the abusive treatment of Ron Paul supporters.
Perhaps we will have a better inkling of how things will go free speech-wise at the next convention cycle.
And perhaps the Republican side will ask the same question I have been asking:
Where is the outrage?
Lon Ponschock (Mon Oct 08 11:55:59 2007)
|
|
Blog Archives
| 2010 |
  December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Solberg: Healing After an Abortion
• Basketball fans eyeing extension of Miller Park sales tax
• Nanny sex-ed bill goes to Doyle
• A first. Village limits pension contribution for employees
• Nanny State update: Toothbrushing mandated
• Obama pushes education inflation
• WI Investment Board votes to borrow to juice up returns
• So Republicans have brought nothing to the table?
• You have got to be kidding me
• Nygren: Governor Continues Terms of Failure in State of the State
• Sen. Fitzgerald: Governor down the wrong track at high speed
• Phosphorus is the new CO2. $Billions in Wisconsin
• More Obama giveaways
• A reprimand? Would you keep him on the job?
• Burri: Sarah Palin for Prez troubles me
• Quote of the Day – Obama after the pie-eating contest
• Populism, abused and trampled
• Fitzgerald: Senate Republicans Propose Real Job Creation Agenda
• Stripped down health insurance – it’s about time
• Ok GOP, scrap the Party of NO; time to lead
• No way Feingold is a Coakley. Is Wall a Brown?
• Burri: Conservatives off the chart for a RINO?
• Paltry quid pro quo?
• Doyle says ARRA has ‘created or retained’ 44,000 WI jobs
• Does most of the public fall for this stuff?
• When you get signatures, always get a couple extra
• Blame it on the outmoded computers
• Scott Brown victory does not scuttle health bill
• 8th Congressional Candidate Forum, Jan. 25
• Scott Walker Meet-and-greet, Monday, Jan. 18
• Aren’t consumers taxpayers too?
• MORE taxes on investment income - dreadful and wrong
• Join the blaze orange army and say ‘Enough is Enough’
• The future of government-run health care
• Tax on banks is a really bad idea
• Roth, Savard on the stump, grassroots style
• Savard speaking in Appleton, 8 PM, Wed., Jan. 13.
• Rahmlow: Savard, Bies frontrunners for State Senate
• Burri: Failing Political Correctness 101
• School contracts and Race to the Top
• Senator Feingold worrisome and big red flags
• Psephological?
• This is really important. Contact Rep. Kagen. Now. Please.
• This is exactly what we need from Governor Doyle
• This guy is my hero
• Why am I not surprised?
• Talk health reform with Feingold (Th), Petri (today)
• Give the Mayor power over MPS - if he can break contracts
• Burri: Yup, Dems really are going to bypass a conference
• The $2.7 billion Wisconsin deficit no one told you about
• Walker launches county accountability website
• Rahmlow: Why is Van Hollen dodging the Nebraska deal?
|
| 2009 |
December
|
November
|
October
• The Lawton-Bader files
• Yup, it’s the TAX LEVY, not the tax RATE
• Ellis: costly automobile insurance laws must be rolled back
• If not Barrett, who?
• The subsidy game
• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
• A public option WON’T increase costs? That’s delusional!
• Appleton Schools budget meeting Monday
• Wisconsin should be screaming for accountability
• Burri: If anything, we need more obstructionism around here
• WI on the leading edge - in the wrong direction
• Rep. Montgomery: Utility Customers Join State’s Crime-Fighting Efforts
• Public Conservation and Recreation Lands Total 16.5% of State
• In the crow's nest of the Titanic, shouting 'Iceberg!'
• Is Rep. Nelson a political hack?
• Health care: The road ahead will be brutal
• Kagen's pandering again
• Birthers - good stuff for you
• How much do we bend over backward for seniors?
• The trouble with health care is paying for it
• Two-parent families: The Gold Standard
• Burri: Kids... the joys and blessings
• Very, very worried about health care
• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
• School district contracts push up tax levy
• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
• Appleton School District tax levy up way too much
• CBO report is out - and the bill isn't even written yet?
• So, how much do YOU budget for health care?
• Burri: Copenhagen trip was amateurish
• “Sotomayor, you have blood on your hands...”
• Cap and Trade. Always follow the money
• Rep. Kagen gets (almost) free health services
• I actually agree with Rep. Kagen
• Future Wisconsin Conference for Conservatives, October 10, Wauwatosa
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
|
| 2008 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
• Democrats are becoming supply siders??
• Further debunking Hillary myths
• WEAC has created an unsustainable monopoly
• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
• 'Operation Chaos' working?
• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
• Oh the naivete of youth
• Not just disingenuous - flat wrong
• Steve - you will be missed
• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
• Rep. Van Roy: Dental Care Pilot Program
• Has Dave Obey turned the corner on earmarks?
• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
• 'The Gableman Ad' - is it racist?
• Roth thankful, Kagen shaking money tree
• Gov. Doyle's office not enamored with Freedom of Information
• Governor Doyle will never do it
• Leadership on smoking ban? Not Hanna
• Rep. Van Roy speaks out about smear ads
• You're threatening me about potholes?
• Losing the Hastert seat is NOT a trend and NOT curtians for the GOP
• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
• Big money-saver for municipalities
• More one time fixes. Nuts.
• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
• Gableman/Butler race featured - and it isn't pretty
• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
• He who sacrifices liberty.....
• Duh.
• The Troha sentencing, Doyle and that $200K
• Guns, passion and "originality"
• How hard is it anyway, to shut down a government program?
• Voting is a PRIVILEGE. And so are property taxes....
• Guest Blog: Governor Doyle, cancel your Ireland trip
|
February
|
January
|
| 2007 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Lots of ideas. No money.
• The Cigarette Tax - "Poor Policy Instrument?"
• School budget Lite?
• Frankenstein - not in the library, but in the legislature
• A librarian, a legislator, a president
• $1.25/pack - NO, NO, NO, and NO
• Kagen and Reagan in the same breath?
• Menasha: behind the 8-ball, but not biting the dust
• Any way you slice it, Wisconsin government wants (further) in on health care
• The World is Flat...what about health care?
• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
• News follow-ups: Appleton West, Kagen at the White House
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail - Day 2
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
• New Year's resolutions from a parade snob
|
| 2006 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
| 2000 |
May
|
|
