Great Cards at Shutterfly...

So, this is a bit random... and YOU better not send my Mom to this site until after Mother's day, but Shutterfly is doing a great promo on Mother's Day cards... check it out!

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

The Battle is Over...

Yesterday, Conservatives and Republicans won a historic battle against the liberal mania which has shaken our country to the core. Amidst our celebrations, however, comes the realization that this is just the beginning.

We won the battle, but we must continue to fight this war

for the soul of our country.

For me, this midterm Election Day was entirely bittersweet. For the first time in four years of general elections, I actually walked into a voting booth

and cast my ballot. I didn't stand at the polls greeting voters, nor did I go to an Election Night party. Instead, I cast my vote, went to work, then came home to watch the returns in the comfort of my own home. And it felt so wrong. Anyone who's worked a campaign knows what I'm talking about.

It's not that I didn't care about the election or failed to see the significance of the day. It was simply the result of my daily life.

Election Night, I stayed up following returns on line, watched acceptance speeches, and had my own celebration. Like all Conservative Republicans, I rejoiced in the tidal wave victory that will lead us to a probable 65 seat gain in the House, resulting in the oust of Speaker Pelosi, and the 6+ Senate pick-ups that will halt the liberal agenda.

(Results and map as seen on abcnews.com, 11/3/10, 10:18pm EST)

I know that it's a great day to be a Conservative, a great day to be a Republican, a great day to be a Pennsylvanian, and a great day to be an American. Today, I can proudly say that Pennsylvania - at least for now - is again a red state.

With epic force, the Pennsylvania GOP picked up a Governor's mansion, Senate seat, net gained 5 House seats, maintained control of the State Senate, and took control of the State House. Come January, Pennsylvania will be in a very good place.

It is a great day.

At the same time, I know what it's like to be on the other side. So while last night I celebrated, tonight I cannot help but think of all those candidates and campaign staff that aren't celebrating. All across our country, campaign offices are beginning the process of shutting down, candidates do difficult soul searching, and campaign workers wonder what could be next for them. Losing a campaign is no picnic.

But given the chance, I'd do it all over again. This state and this republic are completely worth it.

We must keep fighting for liberty and justice for all. We must remember upon what our nation was founded, and Who it was that has prospered us and allowed us to become the greatest nation in the world.

In Him we trust... win, lose, or draw, He is unchanging. Our country was founded on His unchanging principles, and for them we must always fight.

So enjoy this victory... but don't stop fighting the war.

On to 2012!

ONE WEEK!

We've just entered the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas music is officially standard in my car for the rest of the year (as of this past weekend), and the mid-term elections are but one week away. Throw my birthday in-between, and yup, it's definitely the best time of the year.

(Side note: tomorrow is the last day for Pennsylvania counties to receive absentee ballots, so if you live in PA and haven't applied yet and won't be able to make it to your polling place next Tuesday, scurry over to the Bureau of Elections at your county seat and pick one up, ASAP!)

Basically, for political junkies, this whole week is Christmas Eve. The last-minute push, the end of campaign ads, and FINALLY seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... all while wondering if the last year of your life will mean anything after next Tuesday... it's almost undescribable.

Then comes that crucial day when volunteers, campaign staff, and candidates -whose adrenalin will rush an entire 24 hours- will brave the elements to stand all day at the polls to greet you and I, hoping to influence our vote at the last minute. As the polls close, they will retreat to elaborate parties to watch in nervous anticipation as the results come in.

And what will those results be?

Democrats have been closing the gap in Pennsylvania and across the US over the past week. However, I believe Republicans will pull it out, possibly even sweeping both the House and Senate for a total takeover of Congress. But it's simply wait and see.

Now, my choices for those of you who live in my district:

TOM CORBETT for Governor

• His opponent, Dan Onorato, is Rendell reincarnate. While Sam Rohrer was my first choice, he's no longer in the race, and I've been very impressed with Corbett throughout the campaign. So go with Corbett. A vote for anyone other than Corbett is a vote for 4 more years of Ed Rendell.
• The Lt. Governor candidate, Jim Cawley, I would not recommend voting for. However, as he and Corbett run as a team, there's not really any alternative. The PA GOP has some apologizing to do about that one.

PAT TOOMEY for US Senate

• Joe Sestak is your alternative. To quote one of the best ads of the season, "There's left. There's far left. Then there's Joe Sestak." This dude is way out there. Stick with Toomey.

DAVE ARGALL for Congress

• A wanna-be conservative when it's convenient, Tim Holden is the Democratic incumbent. While Holden DOES actually act like a conservative at times, and probably is one to some extent, we must take back the House to put a halt to the liberal left permeating DC. Vote for Argall.

JAKE CORMAN for PA Senate

• Corman is a fantastic Senator who has served our district incredibly well. He's going to keep this seat for as long as he wants and deserves it.

MARK KELLER for PA House

• Basically the same story as for Corman. Keller is to Perry County and the PA House what Joe Pitts is to Lancaster County and the US House, an all around great representative!

For those of you in PA who do not live in my district and your options are not on this list... for these midterms, I'd highly recommend you simply vote Republican in the categories I mentioned. I do not know of any Democrats or Independents anywhere in Central PA who would be better options than the GOP candidates on the ballot. Here are some that might be your options for Congress: Bill Shuster, Jim Gerlach, and Joe Pitts. All are worthy of your support.

VOTE, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd

Independence Day ~ The Tea Party of MY Generation

A GOP take over of Congress is... A Good Thing?

Yes, there is a question mark at the end of the title of this post.

And I believe it's a legitimate question. Is a Republican takeover of Congress a good thing?

A GOP takeover of both the House and Senate is not out of the realm of possibility. I'll be celebrating along with the rest of the GOP & conservative faithful if this becomes a reality.

However, even with control of both houses of Congress, the GOP will be able to accomplish little. Anything we can actually get through to the President's desk will be vetoed... and we won't have a veto proof majority.

Thus, while taking control of Congress will slow down and probably result in a temporary halt to the ultra-liberal agenda permeating Washington today, there is little a Republican Congress will be able to actually DO.

Then comes 2012, and what happens? Republicans are portrayed as having accomplished nothing with the opportunity given them.

So unless the Conservative frenzy continues for another two years, a GOP takeover now could cost us the White House and Congress in 2012.

Therefore, taking back Congress, yes, is good for now. But could we just be delaying the inevitable?

Imagine an energized Democratic party with control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives... and an Obama Administration with nothing to lose.

Ouch.

Predictions revisited

It's time for more predictions, but first, some explanation...

I haven't posted anything here, well, basically since the PA Primaries in May. It's not that I no longer care about politics, far from it! I did, however, desire a break after the emotional roller-coaster that was the primary elections this year. Additionally, I spent the summer at Camp, my brother got married, I took a three week vacation, and am now in what is becoming a desperate search for a job.

And yes, those were all excuses.

I'll be coming back into the blogosphere slowly (hopefully - unless I get a job which consumes my every moment), so this first re-entry post will be short. Just warning you.

The elections loom, and it's time for some updated predictions.

I disagree with Dick Morris - probably not wise on my part - but I don't think the GOP will take back the House. I think we'll fall 1 seat short. I have no real proof to support this thought, it's just a hunch... I hope Dick Morris is right on this one!

Courtesy coast-usa

I agree with Dick Morris - this is the better paragraph already - the GOP will take back the Senate in less than a month. I further believe Speaker Pelosi will no longer be in office come January.

Coming back to Pennsylvania...

Toomey's been a trooper and looks to pull out a victory over Sestak. He has some terrific ads, "Say it ain't so, Joe!" He will be a fantastic Senator. Too bad our party passed him by 6 years ago. But history looks to correct itself and leave us with Senator Toomey before long.

The surprise, for me, has been that Tom Corbett has maintained his double digit lead over Dan Onorato. Frankly, I'm almost shocked by this... especially after Onorato's ridiculous "this is how you say my name" ad gained him 10 points in the polls - virtually overnight.

Courtesy Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Somehow, though, Corbett's managed to hang on to his lead. I'm still not ready to call this one for Corbett, but unlike my previous thoughts that Onorato had this one in the bag, I'll now call it a toss up.

Coming local, we've got high hopes for David Argall to topple Tim Holden for Congress. Unfortunately, Holden has at least one fantastic ad... and the district, for some strange reason, still seems to like him. I'd say this one is still a wait and see, too.

There's my thoughts on the upcoming election. Next post will hopefully be related to the administration or policy or something more interesting. Until then...

PA Primary Summary

A lot has happened in the past two months wherein I have failed to blog... it's not that I've been uninspired, more like up to my ears in fighting for the soul of our Party and our Commonwealth... but more on that another time... maybe...

For now, a few thoughts on the Pennsylvania Primary:

Picture, Fox News

1. Stop rejoicing Arlen Specter lost. Of course he lost, he was easy to beat. If he had won now, he'd have lost in the fall. He was an easy target. The smart Dem's voted for Sestak because he's the candidate with the really good chance to beat Toomey; Specter didn't have a prayer. This one will be hard to pull out, but I think (helped along by the White House job offer... which could result in impeachment, but I doubt it...) we'll have Pat Toomey edging out Joe Sestak to become our next Senator, but it will be very close.
2. Sam Rohrer got 30% of the vote in an Election that was Corbett's to lose. Corbett had the name id, familiarity with voters, and he's done a great job as Attorney General. The fact that he didn't garner 80-90% of GOP support does not bode well for the fall.
3. Strike two against Corbett is the fact that while 70% of the Party voted for him, 64% of the Party voted AGAINST his running mate, making it quite clear that the PA GOP does NOT want a self-proclaimed progressive a heart-beat away from the Governor's mansion. This also means that Corbett is virtually on his own to garner support statewide; clearly, Cawley will do nothing if not hurt the ticket in the fall.
4. And the nail in the coffin for why I think Corbett will lose in the fall: Dan Onorato. The smooth talking Allegheny County Executive has the support of an energized party. He's a pro-life, pro-gun Catholic Democrat in a pro-life, pro-gun Catholic Democrat state. Not to mention the money factor. He has a lot of it.

Here's my call: support Toomey for the fall and he will probably pull it out and become a great Senator. Support Corbett for Governor or our Commonwealth slides into a California-like state.

I supported Rep. Sam Rohrer for Governor in the primary, and I know there's been talk of a write-in campaign, but the fact is, Rohrer hasn't called for one. Going that route will split the vote and give dems control of the Governor's mansion once again. I know many will not agree with me, feeling they cannot throw their principles under the party bus on this one. That's ok. This is just my opinion, but I hope you will join me in voting for Corbett (note: I said "voting" not necessarily "supporting"). Corbett will be better than Onorato, and a Sam Rohrer write-in would be a definite Perot in this race. (And we all know what he gave us.)

...But, if you must write in Sam Rohrer, I strongly encourage you to write-in Chet Beiler as his Lieutenant Governor. I think that'd be Rep. Rohrer's wish, as well. =D

Perhaps I will write more on the Primary later, but for now, one thought on Arizona and illegal immigration.

If illegal immigration is actually illegal, why would we not fully support Arizona in enforcing our laws? And if Arizona decides to make a law which will help them carry out the law the feds have established, but are not enforcing, wherein those who are illegal are held responsible for their actions, why would we question them? Shouldn't we be praising them? Shouldn't it be more like every state following suit? How is it possible that we have drifted so far that our Nation is actually considering taking one of our States to court for enforcing our own laws?

Illegal or not illegal? That is the question. Because if illegal immigration is, well, illegal, then more power to Arizona.

Yes, I have a thought

Yes, I have a thought. Actually, many thoughts, regarding the "Health Care" fiasco. (Just in case you were wondering since it's taken me this long to post... campaigns, you know, are busy events and leave little time for blogging... fyi.)

To be honest, I am one of the few who always thought this bill would pass. Our President may not be many things, but one thing he is, is very, very smart. (Smart in the sense of clever, crafty, and liberalistically intelligent, that is.)

Whenever I was asked if I thought the bill would pass, I would respond, "Yes, I do." Inevitably, I would get a shocked look and, "Well, if it passes, there will be a revolt!" Or, "It can't pass, there'll be murder in the streets!"

Well, the bill has passed. There hasn't been murder in the streets (unless I've been more news sheltered than I thought), but there is a revolution underway.

And there must be a revolution. I believe we still live in the greatest nation on earth. Yes, even with the health care bill.

That said, however, if we hope to remain the greatest nation on earth, this bill must be repealed and/or thrown out via the Supreme Court. (As it is completely un-Constitutional, I personally believe we have a better shot at destroying this thing via the courts than by the Congress.)

I think of it this way. We, conservatives, have witnessed liberty on life support for years. We have fought tirelessly to keep our liberty on that support.

Now, the plug has been pulled. Liberty is no longer on life support. With the passage of "Health Care," we have been left to ourselves, and the only way we will survive is by fighting with every breath for our very life.

We must vote. We must exercise our right to free speech. We must talk to our friends, family, and neighbors. We must get involved.

There is no choice. We fight or liberty dies.

Yesterday it was reported that more than 75 Maryland doctors chose to retire early rather than face the wonders of our socialized medical system.
To put that in perspective, according to Hospital-Data.com, two of Central Pennsylvania's most prominent hospitals have a combined total of 65 practicing physicians. (Holy Spirit = 22, Harrisburg = 43 [not including those in residency]).

Let me repeat, yesterday, more than 75 Maryland doctors (enough to staff two entire Central PA hospitals), retired early rather than work under Obamacare.

Have you ever stood facing our flag with your hand over your heart and said the Pledge of Allegiance? In doing so, you pledged your allegiance to our Republic, with liberty and justice for all.

This bill is directly opposed to liberty and justice for all. Thus, it also stands in direct opposition to our Republic.

For the first time in our history, Americans will be forced by our federal government to lay aside our personal beliefs and comply with an angenda. Those who do not comply will be fined, imprisoned, or both. This is not liberty, nor is it just... but I guess it would explain the early retirement of enough Doctors to staff two hospitals.

On another note, I don't know that I have ever been more proud to call myself a Republican. Not a single Republican voted for this freedom-stripping bill. Not one. Yet, we must ensure that our Republican leaders continue to live by true Republican principles. If they will waver, they, along with every Democrat in Congress, must be voted out of office this November.

But before November comes May. In Pennsylvania, May 18th is our primary election. The primaries give us an opportunity to ensure we have CONSERVATIVE Republicans on the ballot in November.

Because we live in a Republic, we have the ability, freedom, right, and RESPONSIBILITY to vote. Exercise your right, do your duty. Vote on May 18th.

Fight for your country, conservatives. Otherwise, you will lose her forever.